On June 18th, 2016 I will be officially semi-retired. I am going to retire from running marathons. I will be 40-years-old, and I figure if I don’t qualify for Boston by then, I won’t. I say semi-retired, because I don’t plan on fully retiring. I am literally working double time to lose weight and put my best foot forward in training for my “last” marathon, Grandma’s marathon. Grandma’s will be my last 26.2 race, unless I qualify for Boston, then I intend on running Boston Marathon.
I say semi-retired, because I’m not giving up on endurance sports entirely. Not in the least. I have one more thing I have added to my endurance bucket list. I said I would never do one, but I’ve change my mind. I learned a valuable lesson the last few weeks and months. I learned that you have one life, and to live your dreams. Make goals and accomplish them. Life is short and fleeting. So I have decided that after I run my last marathon that I am going to dedicate myself to competing in Triathlons.
Not just any Triathlons, but Ironman Triathlons. I watched one today, and realized that there are many people competing in this kind of sport that most would not see as triathletes. My first goal after my retirement is to run a few sprints. I plan on upgrading to Olympic distance, then eventually half Tris. After I accomplish a few half Triathlons, I plan on signing up for an Ironman. I hope to accomplish this before I turn 50.
I have no desire to run ultras, so Triathlons. But first Grandma’s. I have cracked the diet code. I have discovered that I do really well eating small meals every few hours. Everyone has their own body chemistry to overcome. In the last week I have dropped 5 pounds following these simple steps:
1. Eat small meals throughout the day.
2. Have 1-2 cheat days.
3. Give up sweets and sodas (I have not been dedicated enough to give up my worst vice– wine).
4. Move A LOT… Today I burned over 1200 calories, and only 300 of those calories were actual running miles.
1. Here’s my small meal schedule:
Meal 1 (AM): I eat/drink a protein shake*
Meal 2 (AM): I have a small container of greek yogurt (it seems to help keep my gut in balance– I have a condition called leaky gut, it’s related to IBS)
Meal 3 (late AM): I eat/drink another protein shake*
Meal 4 (PM): A light meal– usually I eat a salad or similar meal. My favorite is a Tomato Salad. A friend of mine and I used to partake in these salads when we were both living in Germany.
Meal 5 (PM): A piece of fruit
Meal 6 (PM): A 400-800 calorie dinner
2. In between each of those I drink a 16 ounce container of water. In 4 days that I have done this. I have lost 5 pounds. Friday and Saturday are my “cheat days.” I have allowed myself to have a little bit of wine and some additional snacks– tonight I’m going to eat popcorn while binge watching Harry Potter movies :).
3. With exception of my last two cheat days, I have not had any soda or sweets. I have found the best balance of fruits and vegetables to quench any cravings I have. Salty crunchy cravings, I have a salad and add dried quinoa or lightly salted nuts to it. Sweet cravings, I eat fruit, or dried fruit.
4. Move A LOT. Each day, I make it my personal goal to do my 10,000 steps (or 5 miles). Most days that feat is accomplished through running, and a little bit of walking. On my rest days, I still walk. I started with Jillian Michael’s Body Shred, and I’ve found that that workout has help considerably with my strength and endurance. I rarely sit down. Today, I spent the day cleaning my room, which I do about once a season. This morning, I ran 3 miles, walk another 2 miles, and then spent 3 hours deep cleaning. I took a break cleaning, and did Jillian Michaels workout 4. At 6:00 PM, I’m finally just now sitting down and relaxing. I have learned that activity doesn’t just mean “working out,” it means moving.
Hopefully, these steps will help you as well….
* I use Isagenix Pro Natural Chocolate or Isalean Pro Chocolate for my protein shake. I am no longer doing the Isagenix Cleanses.
Jodi's Going 180 