Marathon Nightmare & Update

Last week I had a nightmare.  I was in an outer-borough; I couldn't say which.  The New York City Marathon had just started, but already I was so behind that I was running with just a few stragglers.  We had lost the group and couldn't figure out the route. 

I thought it made sense to look for a bridge, but the straggler I was running with couldn't keep up with me.  Once or twice, I walked with her.  Then I got frustrated and set off on my own to find the bridge.  I thought I had it, but the first bridge I found was a dead end.  It didn't go all the way across the river.  When I doubled back, I found the group of stragglers again.

I spotted a race official on the far side of a nearby fence and led the crew towards her.  She told us that we hadn't gone that far off-course.  We just needed to head to a sky scraper down the block, take the elevator up to Tavern on The Green (who knew it relocated?) and cross over to a parallel road on the other side.

And then I woke up.

I'm not actually worried about getting lost during the New York Marathon.  I'm pretty sure that's impossible.  I am worried about not finishing, though.  I could cramp, I could go too hard too early and run out of steam, I could not go that hard and still run out of steam, my shoes could hurt, I might not eat enough...  the list goes on.

I'm sure that everyone feels this way at some point.  But still, I'm a little freaked out.

My training got off to a rocky start.  I started out thinking that I'd follow a modified traditional training plan.  I'd do my long runs on the weekends leading up to one or two 18-20 milers, and I'd do some shorter runs during the week.  I knew from the get-go that running four days a week would be too much for me, but I figured that, with all the CrossFitting I do, I'd be fine cutting back on the weekday runs.

As I got into it, though, my training began to feel disjointed.  The CrossFit world was telling me that I'd be better served (both in terms of overall fitness and for the marathon) by less running - at least cutting out the long runs - and more CrossFit.  The marathon world was telling me that I needed to run more.  I had hoped to compromise, but instead I felt like I was half-assing everything. 

So, a few weeks ago, I hooked up with NYC Endurance and I'm taking a totally different approach to my marathon training.   My new plan includes seven to nine workouts a week with one rest day.  Three sessions are endurance workouts, and the rest are CrossFit metabolic conditioning and strength training workouts.  The endurance workouts so far have been short and long intervals, with some longer time trials and tempo runs.  It's an intense plan, but so far I love how cohesive it feels.  I'm also psyched to be concentrating on intervals and to have a real plan for them with specific speeds. 

The freakiest/coolest thing about the Endurance plan is that there are no long runs.  Zip.  Zero.  Zilch.  In fact, the very first time I will ever run more than 13.1 will be on race day. 

On paper, it doesn't look like I'm working out much more than I was a few weeks ago.  It feels so much more intense, though.  Two-a-days take a lot out of me.  My biggest challenge so far is knowing how hard to push myself during the non-endurance workouts.  I need to strike a balance between really pushing myself and being totally ready to go for the next workout. 

With just a little more than two months to go, I'm relieved to finally be settling into a routine that I feel good about.  Hopefully (maybe?) now the anxiety will dissipate.  I'll keep you posted!

-Gym Belle-

Gym Belle Q&A: Is CrossFit for me?

Gretchen asks: Do you think CrossFit would work for an overweight 40-something?

One of the truly beautiful things about CrossFit is that people of all body types and fitness abilities can participate and reap the benefits.  On any given day, everyone does the same workout.  All of the workouts are scalable, though, so you do the workout at your own level.  Sometimes that means using less weight or no weight.  (Tonight, for example, I did a workout where the prescribed weight for women is 65 lbs.  That weight would have slowed me down too much, so I substituted 45 lbs.)  Sometimes it means substituting in a less advanced movement that has a similar movement pattern.  (Until I was able to do pull-ups, I'd do ring rows or use a rubber-band.) 

I've watched a lot of people start CrossFit and make some pretty dramatic changes in their strength and overall fitness.  I would say that most people surprise themselves in terms of what they find they're able to achieve.  I've seen people lose fat and gain muscle, though I'd say that most of the significant weight changes that I've seen at the gym owe a good deal to diet.

If you're curious, absolutely check it out!*

-Gym Belle-

*after consulting your doc, of course :o) 

Gym Belle Q & A: How to Handle Paleo Haters

@jacazia (the lovely blogger behind The CrossFit Foodie) writes: Kind of annoying when a coworker tries to sabotage attempts at my paleo lifestyle.  Any words of wisdom?

When faced with skeptics, I remind myself that it took a fairly lengthy period of exposure to the paleo diet for me to stop thinking that it was totally wacky and consider giving it a shot.  When you're paleo, you focus on what you eat (lean protein, healthy fats like avocados and nuts, oodles and oodles of veggies, some fruit, etc.)  There's nothing extraordinary about this; we eat good stuff.  What's striking to the uninitiated, though, is the list of verboten foods.  Grains are out.  Legumes are out.  Dairy (for most) is out.  Life without grains is unfathomable to many.  I get that.  Until I tried it, I had no idea that I could function without pasta.  Bread was my absolute favorite food, and I truly thought that grainy foods made my brain work better.  What's obvious to me now about the way my body reacts to different foods was not at all apparent before I was several weeks into my paleo lifestyle, so I can't fault anyone for not "getting it." 

Moreover, I don't need anyone to get it.  I'm paleo (really, 90% paleo/primal 90% of the time) because it works for me.  I have no idea if it would work for anyone else.  To each their own.

I don't know what type of sabotage you're facing, whether it's truly malicious (incessant badgering beyond mere curiousness), inadvertent (daily offers of freshly baked cookies) or something else entirely.  If someone is deliberately dogging you, though, it's their issue, not yours.  I quote the wisdom of Scott Stratten (@unmarketing) when I say, "Don't try to win over the haters.  You are not the jackass whisperer."  In other words, don't get suckered into a false debate.  Just make it clear to your co-worker that you're not going to hear attacks on your diet; it's your business.  Hopefully they'll drop it. 

If it's innocent sabotage of the cookie variety, I would thank your co-worker for their thoughtfulness, but explain that you don't eat that type of treat.  If you're lucky, they'll learn to skip you when they pass out the goodies. 

If someone's genuine, but perhaps excessive, curiosity (or concern for your health) is bugging you, consider pointing them to Lauren Cordain's site or Mark Sisson's for more information.

Maybe the best advice I could give you is to seek out a paleo friend or two.  They've probably encountered similar situations and likely have some good recipes.  If they live close by, that's even better.  Sometimes it's nice not to be the only freak at the table ordering the turkey burger with no bun.

Any other thoughts for @jacazia?  Have you ever had someone attack your diet?

-Gym Belle-