Start with one thing

 One thing I have learned about myself over the years is that if I neglect one aspect of my health, everything else follows suit.  For example, if I find myself injured and unable to run or workout, my diet will deteriorate as well. I think it is an attitude of, "well, what's the point anyway?'.

But the opposite is also true. When I am consistent in my running or working out, I am more vigilant about my diet - "Do I really need a second glass of wine knowing how I will feel tomorrow?", "I had better not eat that fried chicken, no telling what will happen on my run tomorrow morning".  (Where is that porta potty when you need it?)

It only takes one win in your life for others to fall in place.  Maybe with the new year, instead of thinking "I am going to quit drinking, clean up my diet and start working out", just do one thing and stick with it.  Once you start feeling the benefits of that one change, the other goals you have will be much easier to stick to.  

Just my two cents.  

Praying for a healthy and happy new year for all of you! 

Happy Running! 

Edie

Building Consistency

 If you have spent many years running, many of you will understand that your running life tends to cycle.  You will go from being compulsively consistent to reach a goal, then once reached, you may struggle just to get out the doors a couple of days a week. I have been through both extremes and have spent plenty of time in the middle.

It is so easy to beat yourself up when you are in a running slump.  You remember how fit you were and how good you felt when you were in a solid routine, but you just can't find the motivation to get back there.  So instead of running being an escape from real world worries, or a stress reliever, it becomes a source of stress and guilt.  

I did that for years. I have finally learned to absolve myself from the guilt I used to feel when I was "slacking" and give myself a little grace. Life can beat you up from time to time, and when it does, I think it is good to have your view of running in a healthy place.  

The last half of 2022 was crazy for me work-wise.  We were short staffed and many of the tasks that should have been done were behind schedule, causing me to have to work double time to get everything up to speed and finish up the year.  I decided to give myself some room to breathe and backed off on my running a bit.  It was a huge relief once I did, but rather than feel guilty for not running, I found myself missing it.

Even though 2023 looks to be another challenging year at work, I am determined to have more balance in my life.  I am better when I am running regularly - my happy spot is around 40 miles/week - this is where I feel the best, but it is not wearing on my energy levels.

So, here I am working on building my consistency and recreating the running habits that I need.  I will probably end up running 5 days/week, which is a good amount for me. Most of my earlier ultras were done with 4 day/week trainings, but lots of two-a-days and high mileage runs mid week.  Spreading it over 5 days/week should help even out the load a bit.

If you are in a rut with your running and wondering if you even want to do it anymore ... don't despair. It is normal.  Take some time off from "training" and do some fun runs with friends.  Or don't.  It has to be something you WANT to do, or you have to set a goal you WANT to reach.  If you aren't doing it for yourself, you are doing it for the wrong reasons.

My two and a half cents. :-) 

Happy Running!  Edie

Smoothie recipe

 Here is a smoothie I try to make at least 4 days a week.  On the opposite days, I usually fast - I do have milk in my coffee, but I skip lunch and eat an early dinner while drinking a ton of water.  

I like this smoothie because it is loaded with protein, Omegas, etc. We make our own powdered greens from the garden, but I used to buy them - there are tons of good option out there, but they aren't cheap. I like doing it this way because it it a concentrated amount of good nutrients. 

I have fine tuned this over a few years, so it will be different for you.  Just an idea. 

Up next

 2022.  Enough said. Man this year has felt like a beating. I speak to enough people to know that I am not the only one feeling this way.  Like many others, we are short handed at work, so we are having to accomplish the same things with a smaller staff. Working for a local nonprofit means we always try to stretch our money as much as possible so we can be good stewards of our donor dollars, and this year it meant covering 19 parishes in South Louisiana with two staff people - myself and my amazing social worker, Ashley.  (For more info on the nonprofit I manage, click here:  www.MaddiesFootprints.org).

What this meant for me was cancelling my races in Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin (so I am probably not the person to complain to about lost race fees, lol).  I am the type of person who needs to have a scary race on the schedule to motivate me to get out the door.  If I ever give up racing, I don't know if I will continue to run.  It's just the truth.

So, without races to motivate me, my training has fallen off.  Now I find myself 2.5 months from a tough 50k and 7 months from a 100 miler with some work to do.

I "hired" a coach.  An old friend who is very accomplished and who knows me as a runner better than anyone.  We have shared many miles and more than anyone, he knows how to get under my skin to get me moving.    Training is officially underway and I honestly could not be happier about it.  I need balance in my life.  My work life is very demanding, so in my head, my training needs to be the same so I can have balance.  It makes sense to me.

So, if you are interested in following along, I will post updates along the way.  Warning - I am very honest and may share more info than you were looking for.  I will share insight into what it is like training for a 100 miler while in the early stages of menopause, I will talk about my faith, and I curse a lot.  I know - God and I have regular conversations about it - I think we have come to an understanding.

In the meantime, I will spend time rereading this post from when I achieved a big goal of mine for the first time - 100 miles in 1 day.  See, my next 100 miler - The Badger in Wisconsin (and Illinois) may very well be my last, so of course, I don't just want to finish - I've already done that.  I want to compete.  So I have work to do, and that makes me happy! 

https://edieruns.blogspot.com/2013/02/100-miles-in-1-day.html

Happy Running Y'all! 

Edie