Week Two OVER! (FAQ)

Week two feels like it flew by! I am now in day seven of Week Two which I will make a yoga day.

Yesterday was another cross train day. Thankfully I did not work until the evening because I was very worn out when I first woke up and I ended up sleeping in considerably. It was just the catch up rest that I needed because once I was up I felt like myself again and was ready to do some strength training.
My routine started off with a 10 minute warm up on the stationary bike and then about 30 minutes of finish-me-as-fast-as-you-can body weight exercises. From there I just did a few select weighted exercises for my legs to build mass and that was that. Went to work and came home and zonked out. Yay sleep.

So this ends the second week of training. Though my comment section is rather bare (hint hint. Haha) I have been getting personal messages from people asking questions about training, diet and such. I figured that since I don't have much to post today I will make it an FAQ page of sorts. These are the questions that you've been asking and here are my answers in case anyone else is wondering the same thing and is too afraid to ask!

Q: Are you counting calories?

A: No. I counted on the first day to make sure that I was eating about 2000 calories in my day but honestly its such a pain in the rear that I don't want to have to do it every day. After my first day of counting I got the general idea of what it takes to take in the desired amount of calories and after that I simply eat intuitively. I eat what I feel for, when I'm hungry. This doesn't mean that I eat a huge pizza because I'm craving it. When I say, 'what I feel for' I am speaking more in terms of portion size and type of meal. I ask myself questions like, 'Do I feel like I need more carbs?', 'Do I just feel for something light?', 'Am I really hungry or just thirsty?' 'What will I be doing in the next couple hours?'...things like that. This is what works best for me and allows me not to be agonizing over silly numbers and just enjoy my meal.

Q: Are you trying to and have you lost weight?

A: No way and no. In fact I am trying to put on muscle. And I have actually. I have put on about 4-5 lbs since I started it's all from muscle gain. This why I on cross train days I usually select strength training as my exercise of choice because I want to keep building lean muscle. This is also why I do not want to participate in a full marathon. I know that I would not be able to maintain a healthy weight putting in that kind of mileage. Don't think that if you decide to train for a half marathon that you will put on weight though. Remember, I've tailored the training program to my goals and I am eating in ways to ensure that I don't lose weight and that I can still build muscle while doing all of this running.

Q: What protein powder are you using?

A: BioPure 100% Whey Protein Isolate


Product info: http://www.vitacost.com/Biochem-Sports-BioPure-Whey-Protein-Isolate


















Q: Aren't you tired?

A: I'm human so on some days I feel a little tired of course. Especially on days where I have lots of other things to do along with work and training. It's funny though because I've cut out coffee and I have more energy for it. Once I make sure I am eating to support my day's activity then I can manage just fine without caffeine. Training in the sun has its effects though. I usually like to have a wee nap if I can just to recharge on the hotter days or days where I run 6+ miles.

Q: Are you going to post before and after photos?

A: I toyed with the idea at first but then after some thought, I decided that I didn't like the message that it would send. You see, the point of my endeavors is not to transform my body. I started this because I wanted to see if I could reach the level of fitness to run a half marathon. I know that my body is going to change from all of the new and added training and I'm excited to see the aesthetic fruits of my labour but its not my focus. I love to run. I feel blessed that I have the strength to throw on some shoes and break out in the open air with the wind in my face and just...run. It's exhilarating, liberating, inspiring and I can almost feel my heart stretching with a kind of enjoyment that I can't explain sometimes. Sounds melodramatic but I really love it that much. Mobility is a blessing, and even more so to be able to expand the limits of it. I took on this challenge because I wanted to take my blissful Sunday 'fun runs' to a new level, not turn into track star Barbie.
When you approach exercise, do it because you want to do something good for yourself and not because you want to attain the perfect body. We're all built differently and if you are one of those people with a photo of your face taped on someone else's body on your fridge, it may seem harsh of me to say but no matter how much tape you use, that's not going to be your body and that's a GOOD thing. Your body is built the way it is for a reason and it suits you perfectly. When you take care of your body with nurturing it inside and out with healthy food, exercise and a positive, loving and understanding attitude towards yourself...that's when you'll get the best results inside and out. Be good to your body and it will be good to you. It took me some time to learn this and now its my message to you.

Q: What are you going to do once the half marathon is over?

A: Honestly I have no idea. Make another blog? :P I just want to make sure that I finish this race to my best ability! One thing at a time! Haha!
However, I'm not going to stop running as long as I can help it!


So...these are the questions that have been coming up more than others. If you have any more, please feel free to contact me with them via email, comment, Facebook...whatever. I don't have to answer them on the blog and I'm happy to answer whatever you may want to know.

I'd just like to thank EVERYONE for their support so far! You've been brilliant! <3

Tomorrow: Week THREE beings. My birthday! And an eleven mile run...