Changing Up the Routine

So, over the past few months, I have felt like my body has stopped responding the way it has in the past to my daily 6-mile runs and mostly healthy eating {with the exception of that killer sweet tooth}.  I think it's time to trick my body, whether it's by doing more intervals at the gym {which will not only fool my metabolism but will also make me a better runner}, lifting more weights {the worst, but a necessary evil}, and trying desperately to cut down on my sugar intake.

I have been gradually adding intervals in to my workout over the past month or so, and let me tell you, those workouts are exhausting! I did a 6-mile interval run this morning where I kicked up the pace every mile for 1/4-mile, and it felt REALLY good.  Next, I know I need to start adding in more cross-training, both to avoid all of my pesky running injuries and, again, trick my body, while also adding strength.  I have been pinning easy at-home workouts on Pinterest, so now it's about consolidating all of them.  I'm thinking that, on my off-days from running {maybe 2x/week?}, I would like to do some combination of: rowing {well, using the erg in our gym}, sprints outside, spin bike, and lifting with light free weights.  Hopefully, this change in routine will be something that my body responds to.

On the food side, I have decided {so now you all have to hold me to this} to give up sweets after Valentine's Day and until the end of Lent, so we're talking slightly more than two months without the hard stuff.  I think this will be a necessary way to cleanse my body, especially as I'm heading into a race season.  Another goal of mine has been to take my time when I eat.  I know that I will get full faster if I take my time and chew my food, perhaps pausing for a few more sips of water throughout the meal.  It isn't a race to see who can finish!  Lastly, I noticed a few weeks ago that my fridge was depressingly devoid of fruits and veggies for snacking {which only makes me reach for baked goods more when I want a snack}.  I have been stocking up on those things so that, when I am snacking during the day, it's at least healthy snacking.

I was also just reading a great Cup of Jo post where she linked a Michael Pollan video.  He is essentially arguing that you can eat the things you like, as long as they're homemade, rather than made by a corporation.  I would love to hear what all of you think about that statement, because I'm on the fence about it.  On the one hand, I absolutely agree that it is better to eat home-cooked food than restaurant- or corporation-processed foods, but, as my baking habit proves, I am still getting the bad stuff, even though I am making it myself {however much I do sub in better-for-me ingredients}.

We'll see how this little experiment goes! I promise to post about the weekend soon!

My Latest Diet Adventure

I have struggled with mysterious stomach ailments for years.  Being that a stomach issue could be attributed to one of hundreds of conditions, the easiest way to determine what is plaguing you, once you have gotten bloodwork done, is by eliminating certain foods from your diet.

Celiac disease runs in my family {my Grampsy has it}, and, while I tested negative for celiac, my doctor recommended that I try a gluten-free diet to try and rule out a gluten intolerance.  For those of you who are not familiar, there are three different conditions that all fall more or less under the same umbrella; celiac, an autoimmune disorder that manifests itself in complete gluten intolerance {in other words, ANY gluten is a no-no}; gluten intolerance is a spectrum disorder that can range in severity {in other words, the less severe your intolerance, the more gluten you can eat}; and a gluten allergy.  The problem with all of these is that they are very difficult to test for.

The real kicker was when my doctor told me that I would have to be on this diet for SIX WEEKS {yes, sadly, you read that correctly}, because that is how long it takes gluten to get out of your system.  I felt like crying in the doctor's office at the thought of giving up gluten-filled foods for that long.  Yes, I am able to successfully give up sweets for Lent every year, but I usually overcompensate by overloading on other carbs.  Now, that is not an option, so my mission this week is to come up with some snacks that will fill me up during the day.  I have to say, though, I am really excited to have an excuse to try out the gluten-free foods at the grocery store, because I'm really curious about how good they are.  Whole Foods has gluten-free cupcakes, which could prove to be dangerous...

To be honest, though, my stomach has felt remarkably better since my race.  I have heard from many a runner how you put your stomach through the wringer during marathon training, and I can certainly attest to that fact now.  I am hopeful that the lack of race training {mind you, I am still running, because, being the crazy person that I am, I went for my first run a mere four days after my race} and the more mindful eating will help reset my system.  Also, I have the incredible resource of Pinterest at my disposal to help me find recipes that look delicious and also happen to be gluten-free :)

But frankly, right now, I'm starving...HAHA

A Banner Week for Women's Health

In case any of you happen to live under a rock and have not been watching the news for the past week, women's health was again at the forefront of news broadcasts and publications beginning last week, with Pfizer's announcement that it was recalling 14 lots each of Lo/Ovral-28 and generic Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol birth control tablets.  I really had no concept of how many women this recall would affect at the time, but apparently, approximately 1 million packets were recalled, because some placebo pills were accidentally intermixed with active tablets.  It will be interesting to see what the implications of this grave mistake are (my money is on more than a few lawsuits).

Then, later in the week, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, one of the most visible breast cancer organizations, with a focus on providing care for early detection, and also on honoring survivors, announced that it was withdrawing its significant financial support from the Planned Parenthood organization, which, among other activities (such as providing breast cancer screening or getting access to it elsewhere for women who would not otherwise have access), happens to be the country's leading provider of abortions.  The news spread like a wildfire via the internet, with Facebook and Twitter users and bloggers alike (myself included) voicing their opposition to or support of the foundation's decision.  Within 24 hours, the Komen Foundation's CEO rescinded the decision, but not before the abortion debate was awakened again.

I have discussed abortion, and the pro-choice/pro-life debate with many of my friends, and I think each of us, no matter which side of the argument we fall on, has a problem with the language that is used in the debate.  I personally identify with the pro-choice argument, because I believe that it should be a woman's right to choose how to respond if she accidentally becomes pregnant, whether by consensual sex or by the act of rape.  I honestly do not know what I would do were I to find myself in that situation (and I hope that I never do), but I think it is my right to exercise control over my own body.  I say all of this with a caveat: while I am pro-choice, I also do not believe that women should go around having lots of random, unprotected sex and then, in the event that they do become pregnant, get an abortion. However, going back to how important language is in the construction of this debate, just because I identify with pro-choicers does not at all that I am pro-death or anti-life.  That, I believe, is where the problem lies.
I was just reading responses to an editorial in the New York Times regarding the Catholic Church and its strict pro-life stance (to the extent that Catholic institutions, such as the one I graduated from and now work for will not provide methods of birth control to employees or patients.  This means that, for example, were a woman whose doctor practices in a Catholic hospital be prescribed birth control, she could not fill the prescription in the hotel's pharmacy).  What I noticed, as I was reading these responses, was that all of them came from MEN.  Check it out.  Ladies, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, I think we should all be able to agree that what we do with our bodies should not be dictated by a man, much less an organization whose entire leadership is MALE.  I am a practicing Catholic, and I certainly do not want my church's leadership, much less my government or my employer, to dictate my reproductive health.

I know that this is WAYYYYYYYY more political than I ever get on my blog, but this issue has really been on my mind a lot in the past week, so I wanted to get my thoughts out there.  I think that it is vitally important for all women, no matter what their political leanings, to be effective advocates for their own health, and the current news items that I have highlighted in this post further solidify that sentiment in my mind.  Please know that I respect any and all opinions that all of my readers have on this subject, because, as many have said, this really is the biggest and most divisive issue in American politics today, and it is certainly not black and white. I fully encourage you to voice any differing opinions that you may have here!