What I've Learned about Supplements

Abs of Stone!

(Statue at Vatican Museum)

I never paid much attention to minerals and vitamins before. The "experts" say you should try to get all your nutrient needs from a well-balanced diet ... well, I suppose if I had nothing else to do, I could sit around all day and figure out meal plans so I could get all the milligrams and micrograms and ius for everything I'm supposed to need!

As a vegetarian who every great once in a while eats fish, I have nutritional needs that are probably not being met. I take a B-6/B-12 with Folate to cover for what I'm not getting from meat, and low-dose iron. Magnesium and potassium to offset side-effects from prescription medicine, calcium to help with heartburn, and C combined with E in conjunction with the low-dose iron, to help ward off restless-leg-syndrome. Thankfully, Target has fabulous prices on vitamins!

There are some prescription drugs and some over-the-counter drugs that block certain minerals from being digested. Blood pressure medicine blocks potassium. Daily acid-blocker medicines block magnesium absorption. I read a very good article in Natural Health warning against overuse of acid reflux drugs, because they inhibit natural stomach acid. I was definitely overusing my daily acid-blocker, so I stopped taking it immediately. 

The heartburn started right up again, but guess what else happened ... my jogging stamina doubled! Absolutely doubled! I was struggling to jog just a half mile at a time without stopping to walk, but a few days after I stopped the acid-blocker, I could suddenly run a mile, then a mile and a quarter ... then today, for the first time since my twenties ... I ran two straight miles without stopping. All because I stopped taking a pill! I am amazed. I miss being able to eat and not suffer afterward (everything, literally everything, gives me acid reflux), but I can't go back to it now. I'm exploring natural options, of which there are several. Currently I'm taking extra-strength deglycyrrhizinated licorice tablets before meals (No, I don't know how to pronounce that, and the clerk at the health food store purposefully slurred over it, because she couldn't say it either). I eat a piece of fruit with meals to push the food out of my stomach faster, and I'm careful not to overeat. Time will tell how well the degerberated licorice (whatever) will work for me. 

So instead of having a pill reminder full of acid-blockers and cholesterol medicine, there's a lonely little blood pressure pill, a prescription allergy pill, and then a big handful of minerals and supplements. 

Happy Trails!  If you see me joggin', holler!

 

New Shoes!

By Slick

A couple of weeks ago I realized that it’s only 5 weeks until my half marathon.  For those of you just joining us…my husband and I are running the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in March. This will be my first half marathon and I have been training hard.  Anyway…all my research says that I should buy shoes at least one month before the big run. 

Remembering Tillie's post about shoes, my husband and I decided to go to a store that specializes in running as opposed to a big box store, we went to Feet First in Columbia. 

After years of (probably) buying the wrong tennis shoe, I explained to the gentleman (I have a bad memory for names) who helped me all of my medical conditions.  I started with my history of planters’ fasciitis, my pigeon toed-ness, that my feet bear a striking resemblance to Fred Flintstone’s, etc…  He brought out three shoes for me to test.  None of which were pink ;-(.  The nice thing about this store is that it has a treadmill inside.  I tried on the first pair of shoes and ran for a bit on the treadmill.  They felt pretty good.  The next pair was a bit tight and the third pair fit pretty well but the heel was a bit loose.  The helpful salesman said that my heels are narrow and my instep is high which makes my foot a difficult fit.  

Finally after all these years I had an explanation for why I hate shoe shopping.  My feet are just not made for those cute Manolo Blahnicks and Jimmy Choos.  I think I am destined to wear Dansko’s for the rest of my life.  At least I know and can now save myself the misery of trying on shoes that will never work…but I digress from my new shoes. 

Because the heel was loose the kindly gentleman showed me a way to tie the shoes to tighten the heel area.  Since I don’t have a video camera, I will try to explain using words and pics. 

First, before looping the lace across to the final hole, lace it through the final hole on the same side.  Do the same thing on the other side. 

Second, pull the shoe string through the loop you created when you completed the first step.  Pull the other shoe string through the other side.  

Finally put the shoe on and work the strings back and forth until you get it to the desired tightness.  Yes, this works!

This was two weeks ago and even after today’s 10 miles (yes I ran 10 miles today!) no pain! 

Here are my pretty new shoes.

Outside!

I finally made it outside for a few runs, and my track worries (shin splints, plantar fasciitis, asthma) were all unfounded. Baltimore area weather has been nice, and I managed to get out to the track twice this long weekend. It was wonderful ... lots of sunshine, and cool enough that I didn't sweat at all. I stretched a lot and warmed up thoroughly, so no shin splints or PF. And I used my inhaler well before I got there, so no cold-weather-asthma attack. It was in the 40s both days. And lots of lovely sunshine, and a cold breeze ... but just for half the track. The other half had a nice tailwind.

The only downside was the goose poo on the track. Well ... that, and using a porta-potty that leaned back just enough to make me fear it would topple over. Today I discovered I could use the bathroom at the nearby gym ... duh. Anyway, this whole week is supposed to be nice, so I will be out there a couple more times, I hope. It is so much nicer out in the fresh air! On weekdays, though, I have to share the track with a lot of other people.

And one other thing made my workout fun. I finally lost enough weight to buy 'cute' workout clothes, instead of just big t-shirts and black yoga pants. So I was all layered up in sherbet-y colors, lemon and mango, for my run today. For some reason, that made it so much more fun!

There were a couple of young women out trying to run today ... but I think their hangovers were getting the better of them ;-). Ahhhh I remember those days. 

Then I had a nice lunch at La Madeleine's ... and I think next time, I'll just get the regular-size latte.

No, I didn't drink all that. It was monstrous.

Tillie or Slick will be posting soon ... So Stay Tuned! Slick's half-marathon is very near. My next event is a 5k during Armed Forces Week, which isn't till May. I'm working up to it slowly!

27 Pounds Later ...

That's me, back in September 2010, in Bath, at the Jane Austen House. No specific reason for the picture, I just wanted to share it!

I read in a running magazine that if you do something for six months, it becomes a routine, like brushing your teeth or remembering to floss.  I started jogging at the end of August last year. Not quite six months, but close. And I am still jogging, that almost-six months later. I've lost 27 pounds, gone down two sizes, and I still can't run 2 miles without stopping to walk some of it ... but I keep working towards it! By May, I hope to be there. I'm learning a lot about fitness and nutrition on the way. By August of this year, I hope to have settled at a new, healthy weight to go with my new, healthy cholesterol levels!

I mentioned a few posts ago about a fitness challenge at my workplace. It's in week three now, and my team was 26th out of 92 the first week, and 22nd out of 92 the next week. Stay tuned to see how we do!

Procrastination

(by Slick)

According to my training schedule today is a six mile run.  I cannot remember running six miles in my life.  I vaguely remember a 6 mile hike I did back in ’98…but not a run.  So first thing this morning instead of heading out for 6 miles and getting it over with nice an early, I decided to focus on one of my other New Year’s Resolutions and go through some old paperwork.   

While making my piles of ‘shred, recycle and keep’ I came across my first PT (physical training) card from Basic Training.  Yes, Basic Training was a long time ago, and yes, I still have the paperwork.  I weighed about 13lbs less than I do now, I was decades (not really, but close) younger and my speed was about the same.  Fancy that I am running at the same speed I did a million years ago.  

The PT card went into the 'keep' pile and the shoes went on the feet and off I went for 6 miles.  It took me 63:46, with the first three miles a bit slower than the last three.  I am not sure if I was worried about burning out or if the addition of several runners after the first three is the reason.  Either way my six miles is done and I am starving…just kidding…sort of. 

My training schedule, which is from Runner's World website, is a ten week program to go from 5k to half marathon.  I am on week four with the big run falling on St. Patrick’s Day.  This schedule has me running 4 x week with built in rest days.  When I first started it was kind of weird having rest days. I mean I was only running 3 miles 4 x week.  But the mileage has increased and including today’s run I have ran 17 miles this week.  Yeah me!  

The overall goal of the half marathon is to finish.  But I feel very good about my time right now.   I am not talking about winning or anything like that.  I am talking of finishing it in a reasonable time, less than three hours or something not too embarrassing.  Finishing the half marathon around the same time as those finishing the marathon would count as embarrassing.

Well enough procrastination…I have more paperwork to go through.

We Weigh Eleventy-Eleven Pounds!

Or, 79 stones...

The fitness complex at my workplace has issued a challenge to the workforce. A 10-week fitness challenge. The rules are simple: form teams of 2 - 10, weigh in every week for 10 weeks, and lose weight! There are prizes for the percentages lost: the highest percentage lost wins $500, the 2nd place is $250, and the 3rd place is $100 (per team). There is an entry fee, which is where the prize money comes from. At the end, you get a t-shirt, and possibly a financial reward. It runs from the end of this month through the end of March.

My team (Team Guiness) is six people, two males and four females, ranging in age from about mid-thirties  through 48 (I don't know one person's age), and I have to say we're not slackers in the physical fitness department. We have two Zumba-freaks, three runners, and me. I jog, but I'm not at all at the level of my teammates. I've already lost approximately 25 lbs, so I've proven I can do it...

We weighed in today, as a team (not on a big giant scale, that would have been funny, though). Together, we weigh 1,111.6 lbs. Oh, we range in height from 5'1 to 6'2 or so (and those two are married to one another, LOL!) I am going to install a weight loss ticker on this website, so we can track our progress.

Team Guiness is eager to get started on the challenge. We've all set our exercise and food-related goals (my food goals: cut back on sugar in coffee, and chocolate ... sigh. The two things I love most!)

The challenge has been issued, the scales tipped ... let the games begin!

An Uphill Run

Resolutions

(By Slick)

A couple of weeks ago at Zumba class our instructor reminded us that we need to arrive early for the January classes.  As I just started attending classes in October I was pretty much oblivious as to why I would need to arrive early.  I wasn’t the only one in the class confused by this statement. Seeing our blanks looks she said, “You know the New Year?”  Again, blank looks.  Then she said the “R” word…Resolutions. She said for most of January the classes will be double their normal size.  Though good for her business, it makes for a crowded dance floor for the rest of us.  

From various articles I have read on the internet about half of us make resolutions. And about 40% of us are actually successful at accomplishing our resolutions. I make resolutions every year.  I even go the extra step and write them or type as the case may be.  Last year I even made a PowerPoint presentation.  If you haven’t guessed I am a bit of a nerd.  Anyway…every year I promise myself to lose weight.  Usually between 10 to 20lbs depending on my self esteem on that particular day. Yeah to me! I was able to lose 10lbs through a combination of Weight Watchers and the support of my family and friends.  But with the holidays and my knee injury, I have gained a couple of those pounds back.  So again this year ‘lose weight’ is my number one resolution this year.  

I think the key point to accomplishing a resolution is having a plan.  To that effect I have signed up for half a marathon…the ‘Rock ‘n Roll Marathon’ in DC this March.  I have also joined a weight loss competition. The competition runs from end of January to the end of March.  It is a team event and I have convinced my husband and some of my closest friends to join.  The major motivation of this will be accountability.  It would be one thing for me to not lose the weight and disappoint myself; it is another for me to cause me team to lose.  Especially as the winning team comes home $500 richer.  The half marathon and competition will figure immensely in my posts in the next couple of weeks. 

A great thing about my plan is that the time line allows me a chance to re-evaluate my goals and my methods if I am not successful in the next couple of months.  Plus tracking my progress through blogging will help with the accountability factor.  In order to increase my motivation and accountability I will be adding one of those cute little progress markers on the blog.  Don’t look for it yet, have to find one and the official weigh in is not until next week.

Some people out there might be wondering why try, why go through all the effort.  I am trying to lose weight for a myriad of reasons, but mostly it comes down to the fact that I want to be as healthy as I can for as long as I can…and I would rather try and have some small success then watch my butt get bigger, my self esteem grow smaller and my health breakdown.  

If you are part of the half of the population writing resolutions this year, I wish you the best of luck in keeping the resolutions.  Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!