Week #1 - Run #4

6.5K (6-7K scheduled)

This is what I am diligently trying to correct right now with my running. :)

BUT! Before I write about my run ... I want to share the positive influence of Food Rules on me as well as my own determination to make lifestyle changes in 2012 ....

Last Saturday morning and then again this morning, I tagged along with friends to the local Farmers' Market at the Western Fair grounds. I love the Farmers' Market, but it is a little too far from home without a vehicle and I am usually vehicle-less Saturday mornings. :(

This is what I purchased:

- cauliflower (it's been a long time since this made it into the grocery bag)

- beets (my FIRST time!)

- kale

- peppers

- carrots

- Granny Smith apples (chemical-free)

- leeks (something I have purchased maybe twice before?)

- shallots

- green onions

- broccoli

- Brussel sprouts

- lemons

- limes

Pretty good, don't you think? Ha! I also purchased a bottle of organic cumin seeds from a local retailer in my first step to start replacing all the spices that I use more frequently because they are definitely more than two years old.

I also picked up a loaf of artisan bread free of preservatives from a bakery from Stratford for lunches, and treated myself to a sweet bun with Belgian chocolate from a Goderich bakery selling their delicious goods from a mobile unit in the parking lot.

Once I was home, I spent the next little while washing all my vegetables and fruit in the sink in a natural white vinegar/baking soda solution. Now my dining room table is covered with wicker baskets and bowls filled with my new goodies. :) I have my own farmers' market at home. :) While I was washing vegetables, I roasted a leftover acorn squash and kale from my previous week's purchases to eat this weekend, and to make room for the fresher vegetables.

I have made a concerted effort to find vegetable recipes over the last month. After looking through my own cookbooks as well as too-many-to-count from the library, I have a bevy of new recipes to try. I am having great luck so far roasting my vegetables in the oven at a high temperature with just a little bit of salt and olive oil. Yum! The caramelizing of the vegetables brings out their natural sweetness. I usually eat broccoli raw in a salad, cooked in mixed dish, or steamed, but wow! Roasted broccoli tastes really, really good! This is why I purchased Brussels sprouts and beets because I want to see if vegetables I normally don't enjoy take on a different flavour when roasted. I'm looking forward to all my experimenting. :)

And so, after a Saturday morning immersed in vegetables, it was time for my run. The dogs and I headed out on my most oft-used ~4 miles/6.5K loop, but we don't use it too much over the winter because the sidewalks are usually covered by ice. :( Thanks the spring-like weather we are having, the snow and ice have all melted so woo hoo! We can use it for the time being whenever I have this distance scheduled.

I spent most of my run concentrating on my posture and running form. In addition to vegetable recipes, I have researched injury-free running. There is so much to learn; it can be a little overwhelming! There are three different sources I am using. Although there is some conflicting advice, overall they are remarkably very similar with their coaching (based on the same science). Quite interesting because these three sources have different target market.

I experimented today with several different things, and perhaps I will write more on this in the future as I learn what works best for me, but I will say this - holy cow! I have caught myself running much faster than I realize when it doesn't feel like I am running faster. I can tell when several factors I am working on are suddenly in sync with one another because vrooom! Not only am I running faster without effort, but the sensation of running changes, too. Very, very cool. :)

At the end of my run, I could feel different muscles in my calves were used (the ones I am supposed to be using when running), and my glutes were a little more tender than usual (another good indicator). Tomorrow I have an 8-10K run scheduled - I wonder how I will be feeling then. :)

In closing, I usually do not make note of this, but my 6.5K loop ends at the bottom of a ravine; I walk up 60 steps to the top of the ravine as part of my cool-down walk in order to get home. The above googled pic looks very similar to my neighbourhood steps (except mine are metal, not wood). I used to walk up the first 20 steps to the first landing before stopping to catch my breath a little before continuing. Now I walk up them with no problem, except for feeling a little tired in the legs after a run. Someday I will have to try running up them. :)