I have been thinking a lot the past few days about fueling properly for my half marathon training and wondering if I should stick to a formal nutrition plan for the next few months. With that being said, I know myself and I know that I am not one for following a routine to the letter of the law, so I don't want to set myself up for failure in that regard. When I had gestational diabetes, I had to follow a fairly strict diet and I was able to do so, but it wasn't for me and I admit that freely. I stuck to that diet for Jack; I wanted to do everything I could to make sure he was healthy and unaffected by my gestational diabetes. I would do just about anything for someone else, but why can't I do the same for myself?
I digress. My real point with this post is to see what others have done while doing long-term training for an intense race. Did you increase your protein intake and decrease carbs? Or did you carb load? Or did you stick to your regular diet? As there is with just about any other subject, including half marathon training plans, there is a lot of great info on the internet, but I'd love to hear from fellow runners about what worked best for them.
In addition to starting my half training after soon, I also want to get back on MyFitnessPal to track my caloric intake and start losing weight again. Although, much of what I've read indicates that during training, weight loss might be unattainable and unrealistic as your body builds muscle. Am I taking too much on by training for the half and trying to lose weight? Should I just focus on the half marathon until April? What has been your experience during training; did your weight loss stall as you built muscle? I should note that I don't feel like my weight defines me, but I still have a weight loss goal that I would like to achieve in 2014, so I want to be realistic and if I need to stretch that goal a little further into the next year to accommodate my training plan, then I will.
I can hardly believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2013. As usual, I feel like the past year has flown by, but it is a great time to reflect and I have so many wonderful memories from the past year that bring a smile to my face. I also love the promise of the new year; a new start, a blank calendar, a blank journal to set new goals (I might have a slight obsession with blank books. I have several in my nightstand just waiting for their purpose in my world), and a myriad of opportunities to make new memories.
Tomorrow I will post my update on The Final Nut of 2013 Challenge!
Cori at Olive to Run (http://olivetorun.com/) had this great quote posted on her Facebook page a few weeks ago and I love it! I feel like I always put limits on myself, but running has shown me that there really aren't any limits on what I can do in all areas of my life. While I have felt off the past few weeks as far as working out and eating well, I just need to keep in mind that this is just a plateau that I need to move beyond..
"If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it'll spread over into the rest of your life. It'll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."
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