Category: running

My journey to eating organic

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You would think that I am a healthy eater. You would think that because I’m a runner. But the truth is I am not a healthy eater. I love all junk food. I started running because my metabolism has slowed down. I soon realized that if I wanted to continue to eat the same way I would have to exercise…a lot. So you could say that I ran so that I could eat. When really, you should eat so you can run (pun intended).

Since I started running I would count calories almost religiously. I would know exactly how much I had eaten and how much I would have to run to compensate. It worked. I could continue to eat crap and run without gaining any weight. But I constantly felt fatigued and just heavy. Then I had my baby boy. My whole world was turned upside down. I had to eat enough so that he would be getting what he needed. I had also taken a hiatus from running while I was pregnant because I had pregnancy induced hypertension. I have no idea if it was related to the crap I was eating but I am going to go ahead and assume so. After my little man was born, I tried returning to running but it wasn’t the same. I felt exhausted and I could barely get out a couple of miles. I know that lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and not taking care of myself led me to feeling that way. I had been looking at losing weight and food the wrong way. Calories…forget them. It’s not calories that are so important. What’s important is the food you are eating. The more nutrients you give your body…the better it runs, the less you get sick, the better you feel.

On top of that I am a super helicopter momma. I am a total freak about what my little man eats. So, he’s only getting organic /non-processed food. I started wondering one day why I fed him organic and I continued to eat crap. Then it dawned on me…he will learn to eat what his parents eat. We will teach him to eat junk. I knew then that I had to change. I have also wondered if there might be some correlation between the influx of cancer and processed food? I would LOVE to do that study. So…I had it in my mind that I needed to change the only problem would be….THE HUSBAND.

He and I are two peas in a pod. We love the same things. Wings, burgers, fries, pizza, Chinese, cookies, cake, ice-cream…and SODA ahh, how I LOVE soda. He was not going to be easy to get on board. I started by changing small things without telling him. I started, by just trying to make simple meals with simple ingredients. I read every label on every product I bought. If I couldn’t pronounce it…or better yet, if I didn’t know what it was, I didn’t buy it. I started avoiding anything that comes in a box, can, or is frozen. I stuck to veggies, fruit, meat, bread…the basic food groups….except Pepsi. I am still working on breaking my addiction to Pepsi.

That worked for awhile until I started finding that even “good food” is covered in pesticides and injected with hormones and antibiotics YUCK. Food is not created equal.  There is a difference between organic and non-organic. It’s a huge difference. It means the difference between eating foods laden with chemicals vs. food free and clear of chemicals. There is also another difference…THE PRICE TAG!! Holy smokes batman! And…everything is processed. I didn’t know that “organic sugar” even existed! Oh but it does. It exists with a price tag of $4.99 vs. $2.00 processed sugar. There’s a difference in taste too. Organic sugar is SO MUCH BETTER!

I quickly learned that you don’t have to buy organic everything. There is something called “the dirty dozen” which are the fruits/veggies that contain the highest amount of pesticides. They are fruits like strawberries and grapes. Those are things that you need to buy organic. All the other fruits and veggies you can save money by not buying organic.

Since starting on this journey I can tell a HUGE difference in the way I feel. Try going organic…you won’t go back.

– Court

{Long run gone wrong}

Friday was supposed to be my long run. 14 miles is what I had planned to do. 14 miles was so much easier before a baby. I started by making a trip to Starbucks to get a venti chai latte to really get me going.

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After the chai, I was physically and mentally ready to complete fourteen miles on a treadmill. Yes, a treadmill. I absolutely hate running long runs on a treadmill. I don’t think I am mentally tough enough for it.  I brought tons of toys upstairs to my room and sat my little man in front of them. I turned on the TV and said a silent prayer that he would be happy to play alone (what was I thinking?!).

It wasn’t long before I had to stop (2.5 miles in) to drag him out of the bathroom. He had crawled in there and was climbing on my scale. Then I jumped back on the treadmill and made it to 5 miles before having to jump off the treadmill and try to get him interested in a toy. I jumped back on and made it to 7 before he had a complete meltdown. Then I gave up. This was Friday. I had grand plans of running yesterday but I ended up watching movies with my boys in my pj’s before church.

Today, I had to work the booth at church for our 5k that we are having on March 29th! So excited for that! Now, I am back home in my sweats contemplating trying that 14 miles again…or just chilling until the Superbowl. I totally don’t care at all about the Superbowl but I feel like it would be UN-American of me to do my long run during the Superbowl.

Our gym has a daycare…but when I picked him up the last time he was laying on the floor chewing on a toy the size of a Barbie doll shoe. I can’t get that image out of my mind. He has also been wrapped in their community blanket multiple times. I’m really not “that mom” that freaks out about every germ. But a community blanket grosses me out. And…I’m not sure if they ever change his diaper. I have heard that some gyms don’t? I guess that’s something I should have asked about. I just assumed that they did.

I could have taken him in the BOB for a run outside but it’s fourteen degrees and the roads are covered with sleet and ice. I am so not THAT dedicated. Friday was a bust. Saturday was a bust. I am sure today will be a bust. I’m signing up for the marathon. I’m doing it one way or another. It may take me 6 hours. But I will finish it! I will! Even if I have to crawl…

My favorite things {Running Edition}

If you are going to spend your time running, you need to have the best gear. Below are my musts, my favorites, my can’t live with-outs!!
  • Running Shoes. This is the MOST important aspect of running. You absolutely have to have the best shoes. Best does not mean most expensive. I think these were $70? These are Nike Air Pegasus. They are super lightweight, have stability, great cushioning, and they are super cute! These are the old version. I have newer shoes and I still wear these on long runs. They are SO comfortable.
  • Obviously, this is not part of your “gear”. However, this is my happy place. They have ALL things running. And they are super nice and super helpful. You may not have a “Gary Gribbles” but I highly recommend checking out the “running stores” in your area. Places like this are the place to buy your shoes. At Gary’s (and most running stores) they fit your shoes for you. Then, you can go outside and run in them to see how they feel. You can also take them home and run in them (inside), if you aren’t happy with them you can return them for a different pair. I cannot stress how important it is to find the perfect shoes. Without them, you run the risk of injury and a future of miserable runs.
  • This is almost as important (to me) as the shoes. This watch is FABULOUS! It tells you the time, distance, and pace. It has a “virtual partner” mode where you can enter in a goal pace and it will show you how far ahead or behind you are during a run. You can also save and upload all of your runs to connect.garmin.com
  • These are DryMax socks. I actually received these in a goody bag from a race. I love these because they have extra cushioning. They keep your feet the perfect temperature and very dry. Any moisture wicking socks should do the same trick. I just happen to love this particular brand.
  • Spandex shorts ARE A MUST. You don’t have to wear them alone. Put them under your normal gym shorts or under your sweatpants. Why are they so important? Chafing. That is why. Your inner thighs will be rubbed raw without them. They are also moisture wicking which helps keep you comfortable.
  • If you are blessed with large ta-ta’s this is the bra for you! Well…it is for me. It is the most supportive sports bra I have found. This is super important if you plan to run for any length of time. There are some things that just need to stay in place. Another tip…wear TWO bras :)

If you are a momma and you often take your kiddo with you on runs this is the BEST stroller. It is super easy to push and maneuver.This is hands down the best baby gift I received. It is the BOB SE Revolution Stroller. I LOVE it. It is so easy to collapse and the suspension on it is ridiculous! My little man started running with me early on. You can also purchase a bar that locks in to put your car seat on. My little man slept through every run!

– Court

{26.2?}

This past year instead of running, my endurance event was childbirth. My only race of 2013 was my favorite Bass Pro. I love that course because its home to me. I love all of the sights and all of the sounds. I love  running into people I grew up with. I love it because it is flat! This year I obviously didn’t do anywhere close to winning my age group. I finished with a time of 1:55:54. Not the worst but definitely not the best. My goal was 1:50. But not too bad after just having a baby…right? Anyway, fast forward to now. It’s a new year and I have a new goal 26.2.

I  actually don’t want to run a marathon. I really have no desire to run 26 miles. The most I have ran is 20 and that wasn’t fun for me. I have to. HAVE TO. The biggest reason is to prove to myself that I can run 26.2 miles. Which is precisely why I ran my first half-marathon…to prove that I could. Another reason, is that my dad ran one. My 60 some year old father ran a marathon. The one thing I can’t get over is the flashbacks I keep having of my last half. When the 13.1ers split from the 26.2ers and I silently sent praise to Jesus that I wasn’t one of those poor 26.2ers. I always praise Jesus for being a 13.1er on every single race, when we get the the point where the course splits in two different directions. In April, I will be one of those poor souls.

I googled “why 26.2 is better then 13.1″ I found nothing. So, I will share with you the sad little list I came up with in an attempt to motive myself.. (if you are looking to me to motivate you to run 26.2 miles you should probably find a different blog)

1. You get a MARATHON shirt. Shirts are a big deal…they are a wearable trophy.

2. You will probably feel like a rock-star…and maybe death. Probably death.

3. Longer/Better runner’s high?….maybe?

4. More calories burnt = More food you can eat!

5. Carb loading….enough said.

6. Marathon medal.

7. To be able to mark it off my bucket list….and to be able to prove that I could do it.

* I should really seek counseling for always having to prove things to myself. It would probably be a lot less painful.  Wish me luck…send me prayers…and hopefully this will be the last thing (physically) I need to prove to myself. And….if you have ran a marathon I would gladly accept additions to my list.

– Court

{My Story}

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Many have asked me how to begin running. This is what I did and what worked for me {my story}.

{background} I’m from a “running family” my dad has always ran. His brothers and father all died of heart attacks at young ages. He decided he would work as hard as he could to not have the same tragic conclusion. My little sis ran competitively in HS and was a stud (going to state all four years). and I…well I ran in middle school. I liked it but I felt my time was better spent…not running. So that was the beginning and ending to my school running career.

{fast forward to 2010} I began running because I had a lot of free time on my hands. I had just graduated with my bachelor’s in December and I was waiting to begin my master’s degree in the fall. I was only working part-time at a detox center. I also knew that I would probably lose weight if I started running {which like all girls, was constantly on my mind}. I signed up in January for the Garmin half-marathon (13.1 miles) that would take place that following April.

{the first steps are the hardest…}
I started by getting a membership to the Y. I knew that I would not run outside in the winter, there was no point in kidding myself, I just wouldn’t. I started out running 2 miles a day for a couple of weeks (that was all that i could do). On Saturday, I ran 2.5 miles. Once I got used to running 2.5 miles I increased my mileage during the week to 3 miles and… then four miles. All the while I would increase my Saturday mileage. I made Saturday my long-run day, and the Saturday run was always longer than the mileage I would run during the week. On Sunday I didn’t run, it was my rest day. Eventually, I got up to 6 miles a day and that was my constant. Once I got to 6 miles I stopped increasing my weekly mileage and just focused on increasing my weekend mileage. I worked all the way up to 13.1 miles a couple of weeks before the race.

You can find training plans on the internet. My favorites can be found at the bottom of this post. Some of the plans you have to purchase, and others are free. I always used the free ones. You can also download apps on your phone. A favorite app for many starting out is Couch to 5k ( 3.1 miles). Many half-marathon training programs have you only run 9-10 miles before the race. I didn’t like that, I wanted to be completely prepared. I ran 13.1 miles a couple of times before the actual race so that I knew I could do it. If you can run 9-10 miles, you can probably run 13.1. At what pace should you start running? I just ran at a pace that was comfortable for me. You don’t want to start out too fast because you will not only tire out quickly, but you run the risk of injuring yourself.

That is, in a nutshell, how I started running.

favorite plans:

Marathon by Jeff Galloway
I bought this book. I really liked it because it gives you timed goals training plans. It explains all things running!

Happy running :)

– Court