Nun Run 10k Phoenix

We're angels.  It's true.

Saturday, Christi and I ran the Nun Run 10k at Kiwanis Park.   We decided to dress like school girls for the theme, so we ran in running skirts (they have little booty shorts built in), tall compression socks, white tank tops and ties.  There were a few other school girls and a bunch of nuns participating in the 10k run, 5k run, and 1 mile walk.  This was the farthest we had run since we completed our half marathon in November.

There were some interesting factors leading up to this one.  I had been really sick over the past couple of weeks, and had pulled a muscle in my lower back from coughing.  The muscle felt fine but I was still experiencing tightness in my lower back that I hadn't been able to run out during either of the runs that week. Surprisingly, it was sore when we were complete but has completely loosened since.  I think I ran the pain out.  In addition to being sick, I had been able to run the couple of days before the race, but had no exercise for the 2 weeks leading up to that.  I was a little nervous about the distance for this reason alone, but muscle memory helped.  I also had several knots that were bothering me (a large one in my right trap, and a pretty sharp one in my right calf close to the shin bone).  I feared a deja vu moment from last year when the muscle knot nearly halted my 10k.  Luckily, my shoulder stayed loose and my compression socks (and rock tape) kept inflammation from getting bad in my leg, so I didn't even feel the knot while running.  Christi had a sore hamstring over the week that suddenly surfaced on Wednesday's run, so we weren't sure how that was going to hold up during the race (it did).  It was also freezing because of the huge storm that had blown in the day before.

The course was really pretty because it was only partially on the canal and the rest circled through the park through the grass and around the lake. It was green and pretty, but coincidentally had about 8 small hills that we knew we would feel in our legs later (and for the record, I feel it today!).  

I really like races for a lot of reasons:

1. Sure, you have to pay to do the race.  I could run 6.2 miles from my front door if I wanted to.  But you do get a t-shirt, and you get a racing bib to add to the collection.  I now have 6 tacked to a cork board that I look at proudly and fondly.  The money from registration goes towards a good cause, and you also get the push and adrenaline that comes from racing with a bunch of people.  When you are on a typical run, you don't have to finish.  You can stop if you want, no one will ever notice, and there's no one to hold you accountable for your finish time.  But running in a race actually helps you to run faster, because you have other people leading the way, a crowd at the end, people running past you to keep your adrenaline up, and a big Finish Line as the light at the end of the tunnel.  It feels great to go through it. In all honesty, I'm racing myself at this point.  I'm not to a point where I'm going to qualify for a medal, but I am pushing myself to beat the race from the year before.  

You can't set a PR without running the race first.  

We finished last year's 10k in 1:06.  This year was 1:04.  2 minutes faster, and a new goal to beat for next year.  I'd like to finish in under an hour next time.

2. You get to experiment with different terrains that you wouldn't normally run on.  I'm a road runner.  I prefer to run on the street or on the sidewalk on firm, solid ground.  If I'm not running there, it's at the gym on the treadmill (which is not my preference,but sometimes necessary).  To be fair... these are the terrains closest to me.  If I lived in the woods or on the beach, things might be a little different.  However, the races in Arizona are often centered on the canal system, because they don't have to close down too many roads that way.  Some of the canals have a designated "trail" sidewalk, but the majority of them are dirt and gravel, and that sometimes means dips, holes, loose rocks, and/or mud. Kiwanis park also involved running through soft grass.  Because there was a storm the day before, there were a ton of slippery leaves.  Because there was a lake, there was duck poop (I swore that would not be my demise!)  Neither of these terrains are something that I am ordinarily used to (and similarly, neither are my feet and ankles).  Each time I race in these locations, I silently reprimand myself for not practicing on the rougher terrains in training.  It would be devastating to injure myself during a race because I twist my ankle on a rock I am not used to dealing with on a daily basis.

3.  You learn a lot about how to handle interesting situations while running. For example, it was 48 degrees during yesterday's race. If I was on the track or running downtown, I could take long sleeves and stop to take them off if I got hot (they recommend dressing for 20 degrees warmer, since your body temperature rises so much while running).  During a race, I'm not going to stop, take my headphones and armband off, etc.  So I just froze during my first mile in the tank top and skirt, until my body temperature rose. This meant a numb face and numb appendages.  I also had to make big adjustments to my breathing patterns, since I was still fighting off a cough and the cold air restricted the air in my lungs.  I also had to navigate around a lot more than I normally do.  The 1 mile walk began on our second lap through the course, so this meant running through 100 people who were walking at a much slower pace.  Runners on the course may decide to walk suddenly, and halt directly in front of you.  Busy race courses can be frustrating, but helps me practice how to communicate with other runners and tests my reflexes a bit.

4. You really know how much food and water you need to prepare for the race.  On a normal run, if you run out of energy, you just stop.  But during a race, this isn't an option.  I don't generally stress about it, but made sure I had a good dinner (had pan fried tofu, a baked potato (vegan butter, of course), and roasted vegetables), and got up early enough to eat 2 hours before my start time (leftover tofu and potato, and applesauce).  The food sat very well and I had enough to keep me full until about an hour and a half after we completed the race.  (I've been starving since, but that's besides the point).  I was happy that I am figuring out how to fuel my athlete moments on a gluten free, dairy free, meat/egg free diet.  Powered by tofu is right! :)

Speaking of interesting situations, I may or may not have dislocated a rib yesterday.  I'm honestly not sure how this could be possible, since there wasn't an "incident" that I can pinpoint causing it, but that's what it feels like.  During the second loop, I started to feel pain under the left side of my rib cage.  I chalked it off to being a side stitch, because I knew my breath was restricted a bit due to the temperature and the small cough, so I was probably breathing a bit more shallow than normal.  The pain didn't worsen during the run, but was very tight and sore by the time I cooled down at breakfast.  Side stitches don't take very long to go away, and it should have stopped right after I stopped running.  The pain is under the lowest bone from the front along the flank around the side.  It's just as bad today as it was yesterday, and it worse when I cough, breath deeply, bend over, pick things up, etc.  If it persists tomorrow, I'm heading to the chiropractor to check it.  Figures... everything else during the race was a breeze, but I have to incur SOMETHING. Ha. I'm not sure if it was a result of the cough/back problem, something I did while running, or a combination of both?  Answer TBD...

Speaking of immunity...

This is a great chart:

Immunity.

I'm a repeat offender when it comes to learning my lessons the hard way.  Several years ago, I had a wonderful woman named Noelle in my life who was our work's health/life coach.  She told me on several occasions that if I didn't eat dairy or wheat, I would see a huge transformation in my health because they are both very inflammatory foods (and ones I ate a lot of), and my body wasn't handling them well.  She also stressed the importance of integrating fermented foods and a probiotic into my diet, to help strengthen my digestive and immune systems. Did I listen?

No.  And here I am today.

Coming down off of what feels like the 5th cold/flu since Thanksgiving, I have about reached my limit with my health.  I swore that this year, I was going to feel amazing, be healthy, and stop uttering the words "I don't feel well."  I was always very proud of how little I got sick and attributed that a lot to my diet.  Since I have messed with my diet so much over the past 6 months, and my body is going through a detox, my immune system is clearly weakened and I am getting hit very hard when cold/flu viruses come my way.  I gave in this time and went and got an antibiotic (which helped profusely, by the way), but the fact of the matter is: I don't like being on medication.  I don't like how I feel when my body is loaded with medicine and drugs.  I wish I didn't need to get to the antibiotic point.  I am going to do what needs to be done, obviously, but not only was my body loaded with medicine nonstop for the past week and a half, this was coupled with no exercise, no strength training or running, and poor food choices (eating only comfort foods and very little fruits/vegetables). This resulted in me just feeling soft, fat, and worn down.

Enough.

Time to go back to the basics:

1. As soon as I am done with my antibiotics, I am going on a probiotic.  I've been resistant to this idea for so long (mainly out of stubbornness), because all of the ones I was seeing either had to be refrigerated  or contained some type of milk/dairy.  My co-worker gave me one to try (TruNature) that is a vegetarian capsule that is Abby-Diet approved.  Win.

2. I'm back to making smoothies (in my fabulous new Vitamix!! Thanks Jay! <3), and juicing fruits and vegetables.  Nothing bad can come from this.

3. Time to load up on immune boosting foods.  I truly believe I can do this the natural way, and I am hell bent on doing so.

So which foods are best?  There are a lot of different websites on the topic, but the majority of them have the same lists.  Here is a list that I have compiled on my own.

1. Chicken Soup

They always say to eat chicken soup when you are sick.  Except for I don't eat chicken.  I wanted to know WHY they always say this, other than it being something your mother or grandmother always said.  

Turns out that chicken soup is high in an amino acid cysteine, a powerful nasal stimulant that helps detoxify the body of chemicals and breakdown extra mucus in the lungs.
Other sources: yogurt, egg yolks, red peppers, garlic, onion, broccoli and oats.

2. Onion and garlic

Both onion and garlic contain numerous antiseptic and immunity boosting compounds.  I've never been a huge onion fan, but I am not sure I could live without garlic.  Garlic is high in allicin, which fights infection and bacteria.  

3. Mushrooms

Sad face. I can't have these right now. But maybe if I did, I would be healthy again. :)  Mushrooms increase the production of cytokines, which help fight off infection, as well as increase the production of white blood cells.  They also have polysaccharides, which support the immune system. Mushrooms are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B, and calcium, and high in beta glucans, which activate/modulate the immune system. Medicinal mushrooms for sure. :)


4. Citrus Fruits

High in vitamin C.  Enough said.

5. Yogurt (or good bacteria)

The good bacteria in yogurt was one of the reasons I was drawn to this food for so long. However, since I can't eat yogurt anymore, any food with "good bacteria" will suffice. Good bacteria has live cultures that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease causing germs.  

Other sources: Probiotics, apples (high in pectin), sauerkraut (fermented and contains lactobacilli plantarum and reduces growth of detrimental yeasts), and miso. 

6. Hot tea

Green or black, it has the same effect.  Tea helps to thin mucus and provide hydration, and contains flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants.  They also both have the amino acid L-theanine, which boosts immunity.  

7. Ginger

Ginger contains a chemical called sesquiterpene that targets the rhinovirus.  It's also a natural pain and fever reliever.  

8. Honey

Honey contains antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that help fight infection, bacteria, and fungus.  

9. Black pepper

Wards off sneezing! It is also high in piperine, which is known for its anti-fever and pain-relieving qualities.  

10. Fish

Shellfish contain selenium, which helps white blood cells produce cytokines, which in turn help clear flu viruses from the body.  Other fish are high in Omega-3 acids, which help fight inflammation.  This keeps airflow moving and protects the lungs from colds and respiratory infections.

11. Beef

<-- look at that face. How can you eat that? :) 

I'm obviously not going to, so my option is to look for other foods high in Zinc.  Zinc is an immunity boosting mineral that also aids in the development of white blood cells, which help recognize and destroy bacteria and viruses.  

Other sources: fortified cereals, wheat germ, roasted pumpkin and squash seeds, dried watermelon seeds, dark chocolate/cocoa powder, peanuts.  

12. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes, besides being delicious, are high in beta-carotene and vitamin A, which translates into happy, healthy skin.  Your skin is the first line of defense against bacteria and viruses and should not be overlooked.

Other sources: carrots, squash, pumpkin, and cantelope.

13. Antioxidants in general!

Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage, and can help ward off chronic diseases, while making your immune system strong.  There are 3 major variations:

1. beta-carotene and carotenoids (apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, canteloupe, greens, carrots, peaches, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc).

2. Vitamin C (berries, broccoli, citrus, yellow/red peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, etc).

 3. Vitamin E (broccoli, carrots, chard, greens, mangoes, nuts, pumpkin, spinach, sunflower seeds)

14. Coconut and coconut oil

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which converts into monolaurin once it's digested.  Monolaurin is the actual compound found in breast milk that strengthen's a baby's immunity.   Added bonus: coconut water is super high in potassium and is an excellent source of hydration. 

15. Blueberries and Raspberries

Both blueberries and raspberries are incredibly high in antioxidants.  Blueberries, in particular, are potent immune boosters.  

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/immune-system-foods_n_1257903.html#s668263&title=Good_Old_Chicken

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/zinc.php

http://www.organicgardening.com/living/9-foods-boost-immune-system?page=0,0

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/08/top-12-foods-for-healthy-immune-response.aspx

http://www.fitsugar.com/Foods-Naturally-High-Probiotics-Good-Bacteria-20370089

Domestic goddess?

I would say a large part of my week is devoted to food. What I'm going to eat, what I'm going to shop for, options for when we are going out, prepping food for the week, logging my food on myfitnesspal, etc. It seems a little obsessive, but it's pretty much the only way to survive on the new diet.

Perhaps I'm becoming a domestic goddess... I might need to start wearing an apron.

And pearls.  (Except I just realized I don't own any.)

I started to get a little frustrated because while I'm excited to try new recipes, a lot of them were not successful, and I was finding that I was completely forgetting how to make a "three piece meal" (protein, starch, vegetable). I have cooked vegetarian for one for so long that I have forgotten that other people don't want to just eat a side of vegetables for dinner.  And since I have so many restrictions, I completely forgot how to cook and plan meals! We took a step back to figure out the basics and I think I'm getting back on track.  

Some of my go-tos:

Breakfast

• Tofu or tofu/veggie scramble with potatoes
• Rice bread (actually really good) or a gluten free waffle with nut butter (my go-to has been sunflower seed butter since I can't have peanut, and yum!)
• Vegan overnight oats* (1/4 cup of gluten free oats w/ 1c almond milk, 1 mashed banana and cinnamon that sits overnight in the fridge.  In the morning add fresh/dried fruit and 1T of nut butter.  DELICIOUS and filling!)
• I just discovered a recipe for gluten free vegan pancakes (oatmeal based) and they were great! I like these better with a savory "main" because they are a little sweet by themselves.

**before the gluten free diet, I was never a big fan of oatmeal. I think it was a texture thing? I've really started to appreciate them and Trader Joe's has a great gluten free/wheat free/dairy free bag of rolled oats for super cheap.

Lunch

This is often leftover from dinner the night before, because I can make a larger portion and split it in half. 

Dinner

• Old stand by: tacos/fajitas.  Veggies or tofu/meat, beans/rice.
• Pasta: I've been experimenting with lots of different sauces, usually involving nuts and tomatoes.  Fusilli has been the most successful with the most normal texture. Spaghetti is good, but a little sticky.
• Roasted/steamed veggies, with tofu or fish
• Chili: Without kidney beans or white beans, we've used black beans and pinto.  I want to experiment with adding squash or lentils.
• Grill: We are going to start grilling more. Think it might be easier overall.
• Burgers: I found a black bean patty that I love! Black beans, red pepper, carrot, cilantro, brown rice, and spices, with blueberries thrown in it.  Made a bunch and stuck them in the freezer. 1 gram of fat and high in protein. WIN.
• Warm black bean dip! This was actually a dip, but we ate it with corn chips and fruit and it became an awesome lunch.  (Black beans, corn, salsa, jalapeno, garlic, seasoning, and nutritional yeast.)  Freaking amazing.
• Pizza: Still experimenting with the pizza recipes.  The mixes are awful.  I tried an almond-buckwheat one that was tasty, but super dense.

I'm still trying to figure out the flour chemistry.  I did find this info which was helpful:

Substituting gluten free flour in recipes:

Think of gluten free flours as three different types: Heavy, medium, and light.

Heavy:  Buckwheat, quinoa, millet, nutmeal, bean/legume flours - equate to whole wheat flour. More dense.

Medium: Soghum, brown rice - equate to all purpose flour.

Light: white rice flour, tapioca, cornstarch, potato starch 

The best flour is a combination of the different weights for optimal texture and protein.

Things I've been running into issues on:

• Anything "asian" inspired.  Gluten free soy sauce (tamari) is a god send, but we are stuck when trying to make stirfry, etc. because of the lack of sesame.  No sesame seeds, paste, or oil. Things just taste a little different and a little too salty, because it's missing something. Same with fried rice, which used both sesame and egg.  We're still playing with it.
• Seasoning! Why does vegan or gluten free need to be paired with "sugar free" or "fat free?" This a lot of times means not enough seasoning. I make an attempt to the try the recipe first "as is" and then futz with it later, but the result is often bland and I end up wishing I experimented solo.  

What I learned? Trust my own cooking abilities and take these recipes as a suggestion and not the final word. Oh, and don't experiment every night of the week. :/

In keeping with this, I'm always hungry, because we're still working out all the time.  Trying to keep up an active workout schedule, so that when we start training for the next Half Marathon (PF Changs - Jan 19th 2014 - it's already on the calendar!!) we aren't destroyed by exhaustion.  Also, strong muscles mean strong runners that don't get injured.  :)

Current schedule:

Monday: Gym in the evening (10-15 cardio, 45 min core and squats)

Tuesday: Medium length run after work, 3-5 miles (take advantage of spring while we can!)

Wednesday: Gym before work (30 minutes cardio/cross training, 30 minutes back/chest/shoulders)

Thursday: Short run at lunch around work neighborhood (2-3 miles)

Friday: Gym at lunch break (20 minutes biceps/triceps)

Every other Saturday, or 1-2/month: Long run, 5-6 miles plus

Trying to insert planks and ab work in each workout, if possible. 

Figuring it all out...

The past few weeks have been a very interesting experiment in figuring things out.  In December, when I got the results of my delayed food sensitivity testing (iGg), I was starting to feel my worst.  I thought I would be able to enjoy my favorites one last time before I said goodbye.  However, over the holidays (when we were traveling in Seattle), I got extremely sick to the point where after a week I was unable to digest even water. I was so dehydrated and malnourished since I was petrified to eat or drink anything and contemplating an ER visit.  I decided enough was enough. Prescription medicine obtained, loaded myself with over the counters, and strict diet started New Year's Day.  While I am not entirely convinced what happened wasn't just a bug in my GI tract, since I changed my diet I have felt AMAZINGLY better.  Something is working.  And while I'm not sure yet what it is that is working (I still have 5 months to go), December scarred me enough that it is not even remotely worth slipping on my diet to have dairy or eggs or anything that might be hurting me.

When I was prepping for my new diet and went on my first grocery trip, I was a little depressed.  Everything I picked up that was remotely "convenient", had to be put back on the shelf.  If it was gluten free, it contained tapioca or eggs.  If it was gluten free and vegan, it had tapioca.  I left my final grocery store, got in the car, and cried.  After I was done with my pity-party, I realized then that I wasn't going to be able to rely on convenience foods.  I'm not sure why I was relying on this concept, because when was my diet ever centered around this concept? My only concession was that after about a week, I decided that avoiding tapioca was a losing battle.  It's almost impossible to find vegan, gluten-free, and tapioca-free foods in restaurants or grocery stores. Since I have eaten hardly any tapioca in my life, I decided to add it back in my diet and should new symptoms occur, it gets pulled out.

Aside from that, it's been a breeze, surprisingly. It requires that I am more prepared each day by prepping breakfast and lunch the night before.  I am making my own dressings and sauces and baking mixes.  It's all an experiment.  I thought omitting eggs would be the hardest part, but surprisingly, I've done well! What I really enjoy is a warm breakfast.  Potatoes, tofu/soyrizo scrambles, rice toast, etc. all seem to work just fine! I've thought about trying gluten free oats, although I've never been a huge oatmeal fan, honestly.

I got more information from the lab that did my testing and it made me feel very hopeful.  It was centered around the idea that if you have a delayed sensitivity to something, it's not a lifelong sentence to avoid that food.  If it is a minor enough reaction, it can be reintroduced to the diet once the body has calmed down and then integrated into a revolving diet (i.e. don't eat the same food each day, give it about 4 days before you have it again).  This made me feel like a lot of the things on my list may be able to come back. Obviously, when I try reintroducing these items, if I find that I get an immediate or severe reaction, that no longer is in the delayed category and may need to be omitted for life.  But only time will tell... :)

Another thing I'm figuring out is just being fit in general. I feel like things are finally clicking into place. It's no longer a struggle to get myself to the gym each week, or to log my food each day, or to even lose the weight and build the muscle I am trying to achieve.  In the past year I am looking at almost 20 pounds lost... and it wasn't even by starving myself.  While I may joke that right now "I can't eat anything," I really am getting plenty. And while I am having to shift my protein and my pre-workout meals, I'm figuring all of that out as well.  I'm still eating ALL THE TIME and my days still revolve around what am I going to eat? or did I eat enough?

We laughed today that 3 months ago, we kept saying how we "couldn't wait to be done training" so we could have our lives back.  Oh yeah? We are back to 5 days a week and wish we had time to fit in more days at the gym.

Feeling better than I have in a LONG time and I am thrilled about it.

(Except for my cold, but oh well...)

A new mission

I'm on a new mission... this one is to feel better.

Over the past year, my mission was to teach  myself to run and accomplish the half marathon.  I can see that in 2013, my new mission is to continue to improve in running and strength training, but while doing so on a very restricted diet.  It's been done before, I just may have some challenges. It's going to take a lot of research, a lot of cooking, and a lot of trial and error (and food logging).  I'm particularly sensitive about it because people often feel they need to tell me how I am doing it wrong.  That because I don't eat meat I am automatically not getting enough nutrients.  That I HAVE to eat fish.  I log my food every single day. I am constantly watching to make sure I am getting what I need.  Just because you eat meat doesn't mean you eat healthy by default. Just because I don't eat meat doesn't mean I don't get enough protein.  (exit soapbox).

Anyone who knows me knows that I just haven't been feeling well for the past 6 months. But why? I had this sinking suspicion that it was being caused by dietary issues, but even with my best Nancy Drew practices, it was purely speculation and I wasn't really getting anywhere.  Finally, I gave in and went to the doc.  The gastroenterologist wanted me to add gluten back into my diet, and then a month later go in for an endoscopy to check for celiac disease, gastritis  h pylori bacteria (the bacteria that causes ulcers, gastritis, etc), etc.  I went in for that on Monday and the doc said everything looked great. They took a few biopsies and I will get the results in a week or so.

I also went to a doctor who took my blood panel and sent it off to the Meridian Valley Lab for iGg and iGe testing.  The trick was finding this test - it's not covered by insurance, it's not offered by an allergist or a gastroenterologist.  I found it at the Metro Center Health Center, which specializes in chiropractic, headaches, allergies, and hormonal issues.  The test checks your blood for antibodies having either an immediate (iGe) or delayed (iGg) reaction and breaks it down into low, moderate, and severe classifications so you can determine which foods to avoid. This test helps determine particular foods that might be causing undesirable daily symptoms, migraines, IBS, celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.  One theory my gastroenterologist had was that I may have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) that is not only flared up by certain foods, but by stress.  Well, fine. But if that's my diagnosis, it doesn't actually tell me what foods are doing it, and IBS isn't curable.  IBS is almost often caused by food intolerance and food sensitives   If I can narrow it down and avoid the foods, I can kill two birds with one stone.  The test cost me $700.00. Here is more information on the test and the differences in allergic reactions:
http://meridianvalleylab.com/igg-allergy-testing


$700.00 well spent.  Here's what it came back with:

"Low" sensitive foods are not a big deal unless I eat them every day.  In this fell things like corn, shrimp, almonds, avocado, soybeans, chocolate, a bunch of spices, pistachios, cashews, kale, pinto beans, zucchini and yams (there were a lot but these were the highest).  Since I don't eat any of these items on a daily basis, I'll just be careful. The only ones I'll have to watch are soy, kale, and zucchini. I love them all.

"Moderate" foods are to be watched as they may or may not be causing a problem. The reaction is high enough to keep an eye on, but I can test them sooner.  The test: Eliminate for 3-6 months and then try to re-introduce and test for reaction.  So, I will be avoiding the following items:

• Wheat
• Peanuts
• Sesame seeds
• Pineapple
• Green Beans
• Kidney beans
• Brewer's yeast (no big deal, I don't drink beer)
• Mushrooms (sad face) 
• Spelt 
• Paprika
• Poppy seeds
• Turmeric
• Alfalfa
• Water chestnuts
• Tapioca (I'm nervous about this one, since it's a common ingredient in gluten free goods)

"Severe" foods are to be eliminated completely, but tested for at least 6 months prior to reintroducing:

I had a major reaction to several foods.  So, I will not be eating the following:

• All dairy (cow and goat), especially cheese, casein, cottage cheese, and milk.
• Eggs (my reactions were so far off the chart it wasn't even funny). Major sad face.
• Gluten 
• Navy beans (random. I don't think I even eat them).

Seeing as how we are about to be on the road for a week and traveling over the holidays, I decided to start my full elimination diet starting on January 1st.  I will just try to choose my food wisely and try not to flare my stomach up too bad in the meantime.

:(

I'm tired of being sick, and I'm tired of complaining about it.  Cooking at home will be no problem, but the reality of the situation is that its almost impossible to go out to eat anywhere.  I'm glad I have scientific proof of what's going on, and hope this is the start of finding the root of the problem, and making this all stop.  I am confident that 2013 means I will finally feel better.

Still going!

Now that the dust has settled from the race, I am relatively caught up on sleep, my overzealous appetite has calmed down a bit, and my leg is feeling much better, I am officially ready to start running again.  

My leg feels great. It occasionally gets fatigued when I am on my feet a lot (especially in heels), but it's a tiny bit of soreness instead of a debilitating pain.  I had both an xray and an ultrasound, and there were no signs of fracture of muscle damage. There was only inflammation along the tibia bone, which I already knew, so I was told to continue resting, icing, etc.  It has been a month since the race and I feel like I have sufficiently taken enough time off from running and am ready to get back in the game.  I keep seeing runners everywhere and I am so jealous of them when I drive by.  It's such a great stress release and a wonderful way to clear my mind.  Plus, the weather is amazing right now - I want to take advantage of this!  The positive side of this is that if my leg is sore, I can afford to take the time off, as opposed to being stuck in the middle of a strict training schedule that did not allow for such things.  

I haven't been taking time off completely.   I took about a week off after the race, and then have been going to the gym to work on my cardio/endurance and overall strength.  I'm up to 4-5 days/week.  It feels amazing to see the changes in my body over the past 6 months, and I am inspired by it and excited to see how much change can occur in the next year prior to the next training cycle. By next year, I should have a lot more muscle and therefore be less likely to injure myself.

What I've learned:

• If I don't think about it, I don't succeed at it.  This means I need to plan my workouts for the week, and my food.  
• Motivation is key. I've "liked" a bunch of fitness groups on Facebook so that their motivational pictures and quotes are there in my news feeds.  This is a great thing to see over and over, especially right before I pass the cookie tray at work.
• Only you are responsible for yourself.  I was so lucky to have such an amazing and reliable training partner getting ready for the Half Marathon.  Since the race, we've both gone back to our normal lives since everything pretty much went on hold for 16 weeks.  With the holidays and cold/flu season, our schedules haven't been the same on a weekly basis.  Only I can be responsible for myself, my health, and the end result.  Just because my training partner takes a day off doesn't mean that I automatically get to.  This train of thought has really helped me, even when I'm tired and would rather lounge on the couch.  
• Recovery.  Massages, ice/heat packs, hot tubs, and epson salt baths are not just for pampering.  These are equally as important as hydrating and eating before/after the workout, and make a huge difference on my overall health during strict workout weeks.  I HAVE to cut to down on my dependency on ibuprofen - I fear that this was part of the reason my stomach was so flared up on the days leading up to the Half Marathon.  I also need to get back to taking a multi-vitamin, as these nutrients will also aid in recovery as well.  
• Races!  Getting dates on the calendar already are helping me keep motivated and helping me get geared up for 2013.

So! Going to start with 1-2 runs/week to get back into the swing of things, just to make sure my leg is ready.  We are going to schedule one longer run (maybe 5-6 miles) before Christmas so we are getting in at least one long run per month.  I think this is perfectly reasonable and will help keep us going.  We're also running the BJALCF Your Next Step is the Cure: Santa Hustle 5k on the 15th! Should be fun and we get Santa hats :)

http://www.getsetusa.com/arizona/event-detail.php?item=403482

We're also doing the Resolution Run 5k in January and I'm super excited! It's the race that began it all, and I am hoping to get some other people to join us:

http://www.active.com/running/phoenix-az/29th-annual-resolution-run-5k-run-walk-2013

*Picture courtesy of: 

http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/176977460326788597_Ez6UVOec_c.jpg