Wednesday, July 18, 2012

#TrainingTruths: Workouts & Salads


According to Daily Mile, my training last week was:


It's been awhile since I've seen that! This week I completed three training runs and ran the Color Me Rad 5K (which wasn't actually 3.1 miles...hmmm). My weekly mileage total was 19.98. I'm doing a pretty good job following the recommended 10% weekly mileage increase to avoid overuse and (re)injury.


WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: I have missed the long run.

As I was dealing with the knots in my calf, my PT asked me not to do long runs. Instead I had to break them up. Saturday I was able to do my first long run in nearly a month. It felt so good to put in 8 trail miles and feel good before, during, and AFTER! 

#TrainingTruth: If I want to finish my runs in the heat, I have to slow down.

A couple of weeks ago, I had to cut short a 5 mile run because of the heat. I ran too fast for the conditions, and started to feel sick and weak. I have set a goal to not have to shorten another run and feel that disappointment. Gradually, I am figuring out how to slow my pace on the hot and humid days. 

FOOD:

In the book Born to Run, Christopher McDougall writes about his journey to discover the secrets to running injury-free.


One interesting piece of information is what he learned from Dr. Ruth Heidrich about the runner's diet:
"Under her Tarahumara-style eating plan, lunch and dinner were built around fruit, beans, yams, whole grains, and vegetables, and breakfast was often salad. 'You get leafy greens in your body first thing in the morning and you’ll lose a lot of weight,' she urged me. Because a monster salad is loaded with nutrient-rich carbs and low in fat, I could stuff myself and not feel hungry - or queasy - when it came time to work out. Plus, greens are packed with water, so they're great for rehydrating after a night's sleep."
#TrainingTruth: Salad for breakfast is weird, but not that bad.

Although I am not planning to follow any type of vegetarian diet (I enjoy chicken and fish too much), I have been eating a salad for breakfast along with my usual Activia yogurt.
I have noticed that I feel better the rest of the day and I don't feel bulky or bloated. On days that I ran, I had plenty of energy and no stomach issues.


My salads are pretty basic: leafy greens, chopped broccoli and cauliflower, a little sharp cheese, and a dash of dressing.

Here's a Strawberry and Arugula Salad that looks delicious from eating well.com:

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 4 cups baby arugula or torn arugula leaves
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries (about 10 ounces)
  • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved and crumbled into small pieces (1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  • 1. Toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a salad bowl; let cool for 5 minutes.
  • 2. Add arugula, strawberries, Parmesan, pepper and salt. Sprinkle vinegar and oil over the salad; toss gently and serve at once.

Don't forget to check out other great recipes here!


#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to asses ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments of the weekly post
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!





21 comments:

  1. Salads for breakfast? Never thought of that, but there seems to be some good "truth" behind his reasoning. Interesting...may have to try!

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  2. Salads for breakfast. Hmmm...probably not but you might be amazed by how many veggies I can include in a smoothie :)

    The heat! Every year I'm shocked by how much it slows me down. I really shouldn't be so caught off guard every time but I am! Ugh!

    Born to Run is a great book.

    [Fitness, Health and Happiness]

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  3. Really interesting! I have been trying to figure out how best to fuel my run during marathon training, so perhaps I should look into this!

    PS the heat is also killing all my times, and it is slightly depressing!

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  4. Salads for breakfast sounds kind of crazy, but I can see how that would make some sense. My favorite training truth, which I had a really hard time coming to, was that taking a rest day made me smart, not lazy, undedicated, or unmotivated.

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  5. I agree with Casey! For me, rest days have been crucial in my weight loss/fitness journey. If I don't have at least one day of rest, my legs are just incredibly exhausted the entire week and I have to half-ass it most days.

    I'm going to have to try salad for breakfast! That strawberry and arugula one looks amazing!

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  6. Salad for breakfast??? Sounds weird but makes a lot of sense!!! And I totally agree with slowing down in the heat. Not too long ago I ran a 5 mile run in the heat and I came close to the point of heat stroke..very scary. I've made sure to slow down since then!

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    Replies
    1. Very scary...that is one of my fears! Be careful out there ;)

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  7. Not so sure about a breakfast salad, love my oatmeal too much. May try smoothies though with spinach.

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    Replies
    1. Funny, I can eat a salad for breakfast, but I'm not a fan of oatmeal or smoothies ;)

      Seems crazy when I think about it!

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  8. Hmmm, I have a green smoothie for breakfast, does that kind of count as a salad? ;-)
    I love your training truths. For me, my training truth is that I cannot expect my legs to be where they were pre-injury. I haven't really done much cardio except for the recumbent bike for the past 4 months as I've been rehabbing my knee. But I get frustrated when I quickly get out of breath and can't do as much as I normally can. I need to be a little kinder and gentler and recognize that my body is at a different place right now but eventually will get back to where it was.

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    Replies
    1. It is so true that you WILL get back there. Patience can be the hardest thing though.

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  9. The heat slows down my pace SO. MUCH. But that's ok, right? :)

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    Replies
    1. Definitely ok. Frustrating, but totally OK!

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  10. I remember reading that in Born to Run too... it intrigued me, but I haven't tried it yet. I love my morning smoothies and oatmeal!

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  11. I would definitely have to retrain my taste buds to have salad for breakfast. Pizza? Yes. Salads? Not so much.

    One of the reasons we need to slow down in the heat is the dehydration factor. Make sure so hydrate before and during (after should be a no-brainer).

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  12. Salad for breakfast? Hmmm.....I love that idea. & the heat is getting to me. I just don't want to run during the day, ever!

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  13. Yep, this heat stinks. Is it fall yet?

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