Before I head out for a Run...

It's Sunday, 5pm. I need to go for a run now. It is supposed to be 13 miles, but i'm not sure where i will end up because i haven't ran all week. Work was outrageously busy and I got sucked into the stress...

The key to today's run will be to start very slow - my right SI joint in the back is definitely rubbing (ouch!), my right hip flexor is tight and hurting. The only way to get these parts moving right is to warm up right. My body will be in for a shock today, after a full week of lots of sitting still in front of the computer. I have been doing conditioning work throughout the week instead (i only had 10-15 minutes / day to do anything, so i had to choose conditioning work), so hopefully that has counteracted the muscle fatigue from doing absolutely nothing.

Another key point to remember as i start is to get my mind going on the positive direction - a week of bad training is not the end, these things happen. I can't let my frustrations get in the way of my continued efforts to train. When the body is weak, the mind has to hold it up...if the mind break downs as well, it will be game over for me.

All i know is that when i'm done with the run, no matter how short or long, i will feel A LOT better than I have been all week! Every day has its challenges, every day has its startling line and finish line. Today I will finish nicely. Then I will start my week on a positive note.

It is so easy to let the bad things in life take over us... but every day we can choose to turn it around. Things hurt everywhere right now but I will not get down. I will move this body to loosen up the tight muscles, get the blood flowing, and get those serotonin levels up!! Sitting here and trying to get more work done will only harm me in the long run. I will go, even if it is for 45 minutes. I will keep going if i feel up for it. i will stop if i don't. but I will make sure i do my very best to do the most i can.

it has been tough week - my determinations and beliefs were challenged and I was challenged...I was tempted to break down and let go of my convictions. But i didn't. I didn't cave into the pressures of life. Because deep down inside, i know everything i have worked hard on paid off at the end. I have to keep going, go with the flow, and when the flow stops on me, I have to go and get some drano to get life flowing again... just like that, i will fight my fears of pain and doubts about running today and just get moving. Then who knows what can happen. I'm just not going to stop here. i'm just not going to not do this.

Even when it doesn't feel right, we have to keep doing the right thing.

An interesting discovery about Pain and Starchy Carbs

As i have mentioned in my previous posts, I've been on a new nutrition plan that is based on a 40/30/30 percent carbs/protein/fat ratio. I've also alternated that with 30/40/30 carbs/protein/fat composition as well and actually sustained that mix for about a good month, to see if i can promote better fat burning. It definitely helped...until about a week or two ago, when I started feeling more pain in my shoulders and arms when i woke up in the mornings. I certainly had the hip flexor injury, but i'm talking about the tingling/lingering pain we feel in the mornings. I hadn't had that in a while so I was a bit curious as to why that was happening again, especially when I wasn't loading up on weights as intensly as I did previously.

In the past 3 days or so, i upped my starchy carb intake just because my body was craving it a lot. I was pretty much back to the 40% level. I was doing some stretching in the evenings to alleviate the tightness everywhere as well - however i have to say i stretch often in the evenings anyway and the only real variable here is the increased intake in starchy carbs that may have contributed to the less pain i have been feeling. here's why:

i read an article about chocolate (just because) and within it i read that high carb foods enhances the level of serotonin (that's why women crave sugar like crazy during PMS) - so my guess is that while i have been working out although i have increased my intake of Omega 3 and 6 fats and protein to prevent inflammation and help muscle recovery, my low intake of carbs (cereal, oatmeal, my usual breakfast stuff) caused to lower serotonin levels and probably contributed to the heightened perception for pain. I think this makes sense.

Of course this doesn't mean that I'm going to eat carbs like there's no tomorrow - i'm just going to make sure that i eat at least 35% of my daily food intake that is carb-based, instead of keeping it at 30% or below. There's a balance to everything - i was focusing too much on the weight loss that I forgot to consider other important things.

when I say starchy carbs, i mean complex carbs from grains, not sugar or refined grains. sugar promotes inflammation, so we have to watch sugar intake levels - if our brain craves sugar because of low serotonin levels, it doesn't mean we should respond to it with sugar, cuz that would lead to inflammation. What we can respond with is exercise (boosts serotonin), followed by proper recovery nutrition (starchy carbs or sports drink and some protein) - so we double up on the serotonin WITHOUT exposure to possibility of inflammation.

ok, this is all my theorization based on experience and putting together facts - i'm not a nutritionist, i'm not a doctor, not a credited expert on any of this stuff. I'm just an expert on my condition and how my body responds to things. i enjoy learning about these things and applying them to my life. it has made me better. so here they are to share with you.

God bless,