Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I need a new plan, and advice

Yesterday was probably my most emotional workout day, and here's why. I'm going to attempt to keep this PG, but it may be a tiny bit TMI. Apologies in advance. I seriously need advice, so please keep reading. :-)

I'm an avid water drinker. I drink a ton of water throughout the day, & get dehydrated very quickly. That said, I have two kids & had them very close together, so I have bladder issues if I drink water before/during a run. I really have to cut off the liquids 2 hours in advance of a run, & I can't drink while I'm running. This is not a problem that can be solved with a little liner. If I drink within the two hour window or while I'm running, I full scale pee my pants. Which means I have to stop running. ..

Okay, now bringing me to the second issue. When I'm dehydrated, my heart rate goes crazy. I'm a beginner runner anyway, and when I'm dehydrated (say, I work out first thing in the morning, or when I haven't had much time to really hydrate in advance of the two hour window), my heart rate can go higher than 185. Which means I have to stop running. . .

As you can see, both of these things work in opposition but basically have made it super challenging for me to figure out the best time to run without peeing my pants but without going into cardiac arrest.

Yesterday, I made several mistakes. I didn't drink much & then realized I needed to cut off my liquids because I was heading to the gym a little earlier than normal due to my meeting schedule. I got to the gym & started to run & actually felt great. After 15 minutes of running at my regular pace, my heart rate was 187. I had to stop & walk. I did another five minutes & then got off & did 30 minues on the elliptical. To say I was frustrated would be a huge understatement.

I ate a bunch of junk yesterday, as a response to my frustration. Eating as a result of my feelings is never a good thing, but is something I've worked hard to overcome during this weight loss, because honestly it's the reason I'm overweight & had weight to lose. I'm annoyed with myself, but today is a new day & I need to celebrate the fact that I'm dusting myself off after yesterday's debacle & devising a new plan to move past this road block.

The best idea I've come up with so far is to  run for 10 minutes followed by 1 minute of walking, and repeat 4 times. Hopefully the 1 minute of walking would solve the heart rate issue. Any other ideas? I'm desperate. I haven't made any progress on my running in three weeks, and I feel like I've hit a roadblock. Planning the times for my runs involves military-like precision to make sure things go well, and it's frustrating. Maybe I need to not be so hung up on running without stopping, because I'm just not there yet.

Outfit:
Meanwhile, I chose an outfit that would make me happy today. I needed it. :-)


It was a little hard to get the details into one picture, so I went a bit photo crazy.
  • Gray sweater - Jcrew
  • Printed short-sleeved top - Ann Taylor Loft
  • New mixed metal necklace - Nordstrom (courtesy of my mom this weekend)
  • Jeans - My old Sevens. I'm getting a pedicure today & needed jeans I could roll. These are not my normal work-wear.
  • Black patent flats - Nordstrom.

Happy news:
Because I'm focusing on the positives today, I'm excited to be getting a spring pedicure. I think I'm going for a hot pink shade.

We're taking the kids to the beach tonight, and spending a few days there for spring break. Despite the 38 degree weather I spotted this morning. Hi, weather? It's spring, not the dead of winter. Please lose the 38 degree temperatures.

Plus, all of my clothes are fitting better & I feel like I look healthier/thinner than I have since I got pregnant, which makes me very happy. I will keep pushing on, despite the challenges and frustrations, because quite frankly, it's worth it & I know I can figure this out!

Aso, thank you so much for your motivating words yesterday. It's so nice to get support from other runners!

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