My diet isn't perfect, but I don't think that is the culprit, unless perhaps it is a lack of carbs. I doubt it though. I don't eat fried food, I eat a very minimal amount of processed food. My biggest downfall is chocolate. Sleep is also a factor, I'm doing a good job if I manage six hours a night, and rarely are those hours consecutive. But even this morning after sleeping just about six straight and feeling relatively rested when I set off (in 60 degree temps no less!), after a mile I was begging for it to be over. So what's a girl to do? I know I'm not as strong as I used to be, but could it really make that much of a difference? I have no idea. It is a wee bit aggravating.
On another note, I never did find out what it was like to run in Colorado. I opted to fit a six mile run in on Thursday before we left, so that I'd only have 4 on my schedule for the weekend. And since we opted to fly home Saturday, I did just over 4 in KC on Sunday. I was only slightly bitter when I check KC's weather Saturday morning and saw 55 degrees. I was wishing I could take advantage of that.
Even though the runs don't feel good, I am still covering miles. This week I managed 17.8 total, and halfway through September I've racked up 43 miles (I need a minimum of 65 to meet my yearly goal, my goal for September though is at least 85 miles). I've got 10 on the schedule for this weekend. Wish me luck!
Oh and sorry this is posting so late. Between dealing with a sick baby last night and nap time disappearing from Ry's schedule, I feel like I haven't had a minute to myself in a long time.
Link up your health and fitness related posts below!
3 comments:
I give you mad props for sticking with it and for running so often on such little, broken sleep. You're an inspiration :) I'm right there with you with the less than stellar sleep, although not running or working out very consistently yet (new 2-month-old here). I feel a lot weaker than I expected post-pregnancy, and I hate it. I hope you get in your running groove soon so your miles are more enjoyable.
Definitely cut yourself some slack- especially because you're breastfeeding. Breastfeeding saps ALL of your energy and is also a HUGE calorie suck, on top of whatever burn you're getting with running. I've found myself exhausted almost constantly, which then makes it hard to run well or parent well or just function. One of the things that helped me (and I know this is going to sound totally unappealing while on a weightloss/fitness journey) was to increase caloric intake. I started eating whatever calories I had burned by running and it helped (because I am/was still "burning" 400-50 calories PER DAY from breastfeeding). I was running stronger and longer. I wasn't as exhausted. (And my body actually started to tone up more!) I think it was just a matter of fueling properly and not letting my body go into survival starvation mode where it starts to store fat. Anyway, that worked for me. I hope you're able to figure out what works best for you! And seriously, cut yourself some slack. Little sleep + breastfeeding is taxing! I'm proud of you for tackling the distance run early in anticipation of your trip! That takes foresight and planning and motivation only the dedicated have. :)
I'm a newer follower so I think this is my first comment, but I wanted to say that you should not underestimate how HUUUUGE sleep can be when it comes to optimal functioning. Now that I am getting regular sleep after a couple years of some major sleep drama after my second was born the difference is amazing. And a solid night here or there helps, but you probably need a string of many quality nights before you can really take advantage of the extra boost of energy & mental functioning.
You should feel good about how much you are doing in the face of the challenge of sleep deprivation!
Hope you continue to get some solid nights of sleep so you can also feel physically more energized :)
Post a Comment