Still Sore and Oh So Hungry

Oh my gosh. Hey.

I have a lot to say. I don’t know where to begin.

I am still so SORE! My quads hate me right now. I lifted on Friday night after that crazy field meet. I lifted on Saturday and Sunday too. At least I think I did. I can’t even remember. I just remember being so damn sore and I still am. I can’t even run right now. It hurts. I ran on Monday and Wednesday night at like 8:00 PM. It was still super humid outside. I was sweating so much and I only ran for like twenty minutes. That is all my quads could take pounding wise.

I am also so damn hungry all the time. I can’t stop eating. I’m around food all the time too. (I work at the chow hall for goodness sakes.)

This is what I normally eat throughout the day:

I usually eat about two-three salads a day with two snacks. I’m such a bad person. I eat a cookie with cottage cheese as a snack. So much for clean eating. I also probably stuff my face with, like, five onion rings. They are my favorite junk food. For breakfast I have been having a small biscuit (or I just pick at it) and egg whites instead of my usual protein bar, which I am getting back to tomorrow. I have been eating too many carbs I think. But I have been so hungry lately. Ever since Friday. 

After I work out, I will typically eat…

That’s post workout. I’ll eat that and still be hungry so I’ll eat nuts, tuna, vegan food, etc.

I WILL be limiting my carb intake though. I never ate this many carbs before. Never.

No more onion rings.

No more cookies.

You guys can hold me accountable. Go ahead and kick me through the computer screen when I eat a biscuit, cookies, or onion rings.

Bad, Christy, bad.

I was doing really well on eating clean then I got sore… then super hungry all the time.

In addition, my workouts have been  mostly the stair climber, little bit of running, and lifting. I haven’t felt like running because I have to do on the treadmill or wait until dusk

Any tips for running on the treadmill? Please. I miss running. I want to run so badly. I better suck up this heat and humidity. Well, after my quads stop hurting.

I did go to spin class! 

Oh my gosh. I LOVED IT. The instructor is amazing. It’s worth waking up at 4:45 AM. I am even having my mom send out my bike shorts and bike shoes. Reminds me of home…

If only I could run. I don’t even feel like running. It sucks. I need advice, support, tips, treadmill help, and all that jazz. I just want to run. Instead, the stair climber has been my best friend and my best friend makes me go through two shirts in one hour because of sweat. I forget. Doesn’t Kara Goucher run on the treadmill all the  time? How does she do it? I’ll just trade lives with her.

Well, it’s almost 9 PM here. I’m hungry again after eating cereal, some almond milk, Greek yogurt, and peanut butter as well as three vegan hot wings and a tuna packet. So hungry still. 

So hungry and there are no onion rings here…

just kidding. 

Bottomless Pit

Howdy!

Is it just me or is the week going by super quickly? 

My weekend is pretty good though.

I saw Snow White and the Huntsman.

Okay. Do not see it. It sucked. That is my big vocabulary word of the day. Yes, I graduated high school.

Well, I am the type of person who can’t sit still for longer than an hour unless a movie is really good, and I guess Snow White wasn’t good enough. I’ll be honest, I was bored, but Chris Hemsworth is beautiful.

It is quite possible that nothing is good in comparison to True Blood when that is all I have been watching since May 29th.

However, on Friday morning I got a puppy!

I think my mom named him Sparky.  I don’t know. I want to name him Hugo. He’s a chihuahua and he’s cute. That is all I know currently.

I have… let me count… seven dogs now. 

Anyway, I wanted to review what I have done this week workout wise. This is a blog about working out and running so I can’t leave it out, can I now?

Monday: Half marathon!
Tuesday: Biked 17.42 miles + elliptical + weights
Wednesday: 10.24 miles + elliptical
Thursday: 11.71 miles + elliptical
Friday: 9.52 miles of rolling hills + elliptical
Saturday: 6.50 miles  + spin class
Sunday: Elliptical + weights + spin class

Most of my runs were done at whatever pace I felt like. Friday had a lot of hills, but my pace was 7:04 versus my 7:27 pace when I was running eleven miles. Then, on Saturday, I felt amazing after spin class so I ran for 45 minutes at like a 6:49 pace. 

I knew I needed a break today though. I wanted to run, but I bet my legs would hate me so I didn’t run. Obviously.

This past week I have been starving nonstop. Right after I eat lunch (Greek yogurt, peanut butter, Luna bar, grapes, an apple), I’m hungry again. Then, at night, I’m starving and nothing satisfies my craving besides like chips and tofu dip. Am I crazy or just crazy hungry?

Here’s my honorable eats:

I feel like I have more to tell you guys, but I can’t recall anything. So, in that case…

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

“Mind is everything: muscle–pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.

Don’t Judge

Hi!

I’m so excited currently. I have a half marathon tomorrow and I am so ready for it. I even spent, like, $128 on running clothes today. It’s not like I don’t already have twenty Nike Tempo shorts. What’s another three more? Seriously.

When I went to pick up my running packet, the guy said, “Wait. You’re running this half marathon?” Granted, I was in my skinny jeans, Ray Bans, and black hoodie, but come on. Don’t judge a runner. We are all different. Some small, some big. Some wear Nike, some wear Adidas. In the end we all finish the race. In the end we all listen to Justin Bieber while running. No shame. I love that kid.

My point it, I was pissed that he said that. Little does he know that I was nicknamed the Flash. Don’t judge me. I’m faster than most runners. 

Since being back in Portland, I all want to do is run everywhere. My legs are so fried from running so much in Virginia, but I want to run more in Oregon. I need to cover ground I haven’t covered in a while.

I ran Thursday (eight miles) and Friday (nine miles). Saturday and Sunday I did spin class, weights, and the elliptical. I miss spin class. The spin classes on Saturday and Sunday were somewhat crappy because the instructors weren’t that great, but it kicked my ass. After not spinning in a while, my legs were feeling it. I’m going to do a long bike ride Tuesday.

Also, since being back in Portland, I got a tattoo.

Appreciate my side boob. I apologize.

Anyway, it’s the skyline of Portland with Mt. Hood in the background. I’m such a Portlander. It’s not even funny. I love this place and I miss it every time I leave it.

I’ve been hanging out with my dog a lot too. I took him on an hour walk the other day and I drive around aimlessly with him in my car.

Well, I hope I get back into my blogging routine again. I have no motivation to blog. I have so many good blog posts in my head, but I just don’t write them out. It’s either I have no motivation or I’m just lazy.

Have a good Memorial Day.

Honorable eats:

MIA

Well, hello!

I know… who am I to show up after being gone for over a week? In my defense, I have been super busy. Frankly, I had no motivation to blog anyway because I felt like I was constantly complaining.

However, I am now back in Portland. Let me catch you up in bullet form.

• I went to Busch Gardens
   
• Went to IHOP and got fat
   
• I graduated from my MOS school (food services)
• Flew home, cried on the plane because I miss my class already.
   
• I graduated third in my class, but I graduated as class leader so I got the leadership award
• I came home at ten PM and ate eggs, peanut butter, and a bagel because I was so hungry
• I ran immediately in the morning then went to my gym
• I was so happy to be home that I went grocery shopping
• I’m getting a tattoo tomorrow on my rib cage. Miley Cyrus and I will be twins except I’m getting a different tattoo and I wear a bra so my boobs don’t poke out. 
• Can I have some fro yo?
• I have a half marathon on Monday. It’s a trail race. I’m pumped.
• I also got the second book to Fifty Shades of Grey. I’m obsessed.

That’s all I have to say right now so I will bomb you with good eats now.

Talk to you guys, soon.

By exercise. I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t always have to be on the go. I sit around a lot, I read a lot, and I do watch television. But I also work out for two hours every day of my life, even when I’m on the road. – Jack LaLanne

The Future Freaks Me Out

Hello!

I have twelve more days in Virginia then I am home in Portland for a while before I head to…

Okinawa, Japan!

No joke. I am going to Japan for, like, two years for my first tour of the Marine Corps.

I’m excited actually. Of course I have some remorse about leaving home and being so far away from home, but I think it will be a great experience.

I know I haven’t updated in a while so let me give a quick little recap of what’s been going on…

I have been reading a lot.

My mom sends me a book or a magazine practically every day.

Currently I am reading…

And…

This book is so amazing! Yeah, it’s a graphic, out-there book, but I cannot put it down. It’s really good.  Check it out.

March 30^th – May 6^th

I ran every day I believe except for Wednesday since that is our cleaning day and Ihave no liberty. I ran a total of 56.60 miles in that week.

This week, however, I did not run Tuesday due to some pain/tenderness in my lower back and left side of my ass. It hurts enough where I was limping so I just didn’t run. It still hurts, but not like it was in the beginning of the week. I ran nine miles yesterday and I just take a lot of pain killers just in case. I know, it’s wrong and I should just rest or do something else, but I don’t have a nice gym like I do at home. I don’t have an option of spin class or a lot of free weights. There’s only so much I can do.

Luckily, I’m home in twelve days! I feel so refreshed knowing I am going home.

I cannot wait to tan again, see friends, see my old coworkers, and go to my gym. My doggies and kitties probably miss me so much, if they remember be. I have been gone since February.

It bothers me when I read on Facebook that my friends have to wake up at eight for classes. Boo hoo.

Here is my schedule:

0445 AM: Wake up to be outside by 5 AM
0530 AM: Do a lame, easy, boring workout
0620: Shower
0650: Head to chow
0745: Classes/cooking
1100: Lunch
1300: Classes/cooking
1500: Hopefully done with classes
1630: Liberty starts
1700: Run/work out for about two hours or less
1900: Order Chinese
2030: Liberty secured
2200: Bed, if I can fall asleep

I get close to seven hours of sleep if I am fortunate and can actually sleep. I have a difficult time falling asleep because I just ate and worked out. I’m so wound up that I can’t sleep.

My day is nonstop. I go nonstop. I have been getting out of class at three or later so I can take a nap, but it’s tough.

On top of that, I struggle with the gosh darn eating disorder. I’m hungry every hour and I just don’t want to eat. Then, I eat and I feel terrible. I hate myself for it.

But here is what I have been eating…

I’m hoping that when I get to Japan, things will get better and that I’ll have some more freedom. I don’t know what to expect.

The future freaks me out.

Well, enjoy your weekend. I’m heading to Busch Gardens tomorrow. Woo.

Long Time No See

Hiya.

Long time now talk, eh?

I apologize for never updating. But I’m here now and that is what matters, right?

Let me rewind a bit and tell you what’s been going on in my life…

Last Friday I had to attending a NASCAR event. Yes, NASCAR.

That’s that thing where cars go super fast and make a lot of left turns while people watch drunk. Mind you, I don’t drink, but NASCAR would make me start. I had to attend this NASCAR event because the Marine Corps… I don’t know. I guess NASCAR let us come for free if we just cleaned up the bleachers afterwards. I didn’t have a choice in going so I was cleaning up peanuts and beer until one in the morning then I went back Sunday morning on three hours of sleep to clean some more.

It was fun.

Note the sarcasm.

At least I got a burrito out of it.

Moving on.

I’ve been running daily…

My shirt reads: Running is a mental sport and we are all insane.

You know you are a runner when you buy shirts like that. You also know you are a runner when you are running on a treadmill for nine miles on three hours of sleep after cleaning a NASCAR event. I’m insane. I am aware of that fact.

This morning I got caught in the rain while running. I wanted to run fourteen miles, but I only made it to ten because in a blink of an eye it started down pouring. No joke. 

I decided to wait under a tree until it stopped raining, but I realized how stupid that idea was because I was still getting wet. 

I also saw the movie The Avengers…

And I got dressed in actual clothes…

The rest of the week I have been in classes and cooking out of the back of a HUMVEE. It’s not even considered cooking because we are basically just heating up food in a tray ration heater then serving it. I don’t mind though. It’s been exciting and I’m learning a lot. 

I haven’t been eating lunch because my options are limited. We don’t go to the chow hall since we are cooking meals ourselves and most of them contain meat. If I do eat something, it’s cereal for lunch or a Kashi bar.

Amazingly enough, I weighed myself, which just equals a downward spiral for me.

I weighed myself at the end of the day and I weighed 120. That’s at the end of the day too. Then, I weighed myself in the morning and I weighed 126. Does that make any sense? No.

Due to my insanity, I weighed myself after I ran ten miles and I weighed 120. It drives me nuts! I eat when I’m hungry and I have been eating more actually. I have been eating more carbs especially. I even bought some microwave food so I don’t have to order Chinese food every night. 

Today I ate…

Breakfast:

Lunch: PowerAde (I wasn’t hungry and I didn’t have time to eat.)

Dinner: Ruby Tuesday’s crab cake, zucchini, and onion rings

Dessert: Dairy Queen Blizzard

Snacks: peanut butter, Cheerios, nuts

For the most part, I eat when I’m hungry. Honestly, it’s a real struggle to eat without guilt. I count every calorie no matter what I eat. I don’t know what it is, but this whole number on the scale thing is getting to me again. I even got to the point where I don’t want to eat and I wish I was fully in my eating disorder mode like I was a year ago because then I know I could weigh 100 pounds and not eat. 

Since I know and understand the consequence of not eating, I eat.

I remember I said once that I would never wish an eating disorder on anyone and I still thing the same thought. Unfortunately, now I’m thinking I would wish an eating disorder on someone… that’s me. 

Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.
– T. Alan Armstrong

Crazy Runner Girl of VA

Happy Saturday!

I haven’t done much today besides run (duh), sleep, and eat (double duh). I am even eating Chinese food with lots of soy sauce as I write this. And what’s even better is that the barracks here have cable. I had no idea. Now I can watch the news and more importantly, Khloe and Lamar.

I’m actually watching Seinfeld. I’m by myself in the female lounge area so it’s okay for me to laugh out loud and take photos of myself.

By the way, I’ve been drinking diet coke a lot. I use to never drink soda, not even diet, but I have been craving the carbonation. I bet diet soda is bad for your running. Maybe that’s why I have been suffering on my runs lately. Any thoughts?

Anyway, after sleeping in this morning due to being out late, I went on a run with some random guy. My name is known here at the detachment. Everyone knows me as this crazy runner so he wanted to run with me so he can improve his three-mile time. We did four miles or so at a 6:43 pace. It was awesome. Then, on my own time, I ran another nine miles so I ran a total of 13.95 miles. Where’s the other .5? I don’t know. I was too dehydrated to continue.

All and all, this week was pretty good. Currently, my class is cooking larger portions of food and ‘serving’ it like we would in the mess hall. I have already been chief cook, which is great. You don’t cook anything and you just make sure everyone is on time with their cooking. Every day we cook breakfast then lunch/dinner. So far I have made bacon, eggs, omelets, ham, soup, cabbage, and vegetables. Yada yada yada. It’s rather awesome.

I ended my week by going out to Applebee’s. I got the lime shrimp, which is around 300 calories. Applebee’s has these weight watcher meals and they are lower than 550 calories. It’s funny because the meal is so small. No reason they are 300 calories. I got dessert there too. I got their chocolate chip cookie sundae and the waitress had to comment that I ate the whole thing. She made like three comments on how much I ate. I despise when people do that! Yeah, I ate a 1500 calorie dessert, but I’m pretty sure I run over 50 miles a week. Her tip went out the window. Yeah, mess with me.

After eating and being insulted for eating a lot, I went to the movies to see American Reunion.

It was hilarious. Of course the first American Pie is the best, but American Reunion was good.

Now moving on past my exciting life…

In my past two running related magazines, they have had interesting articles on some amazing athletes that I believe you should know about.

One athlete is…

Lauren Fleshmen, professional runner and behind the making of Picky Bars. Not only that, she’s from Oregon. Holla girl.

Taken from Running Times Magazine:

“Fleshman has chased athletic dreams from California to Ohio and back again. Success has defined every step of her career–Foot Locker runner-up in high school, three straight NCAA 5,000m championships, and a U.S. 5,000m title–but injury has often followed close behind.

She tries holding the Olympic goal at arm’s length, but she still views her future in terms of Olympiads: 2012 and, probably, 2016 frame the family she wants to start. She’s not holding off on other aspirations, though. I ask how she balances everything. “I don’t do it well all the time, to be honest. There’s time when I have to drop everything except for running just to reestablish that as the primary objective,” she says. “I disappear. I don’t know that that’s the healthiest way to do things, but that’s the only way I can do it sometimes.” She’s already planning to vanish for the final week of June. The day of the Olympic trials 5,000m final, Fleshman won’t wake up in her own bed. She’s moving out of the house, away from her businesses and her writing.”

I personally just love how down to earth Lauren seems. She reminds me a lot of myself actually, which may sound somewhat conceited. I’m one to just disappear and I get down in the dumps at times too. Running helps me deal with that. 

However, she is one to look for. She has her head on straight when it comes to running. That’s what I love about her. 

Well, I mention another amazing athlete tomorrow. As of now, I got some honorable eats. 

“You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don’t run and never will… those who run but don’t race…those who started training for a race but didn’t carry through…those who got to the starting line but didn’t in the finish line…those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You’re still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you’ve outlasted.”
- Joe Henderson

Funnel Cakes and Deep Fried Oreo’s

Hello!

I wish I could update daily, but it’s really difficult to fit in with four hours of liberty. During my time off after school, I work out, eat, call my mom, and get ready for the next day. I could easily update every day, but that would take away from my six hours of sleep.

My point is, I’m updating now so that is what truly matters, right? (:

My week went by fairly quick and it was actually a good week.

I finished up the baking section this week of my schooling. We baked chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls (so good), sweet potato pie, apple pie, cake, and much more sweets that would guarantee pack on a few pounds. All my products received an above average or an outstanding grade. With my written test, I got a 100%.

Now I’m onto more classes and Tuesday I cook again, but with larger quantities. I’m nervous because we have a small class, which means more work for us.

My week ended with a trip to Kings Dominion. It’s an amusement park in Virginia. I had a lot of fun! I went on every roller coaster about twice. Every roller coaster went upside down and after the second time through, my head was pounding. This didn’t help…

Yeah, it’s a funnel cake. But come on! How often do I eat funnel cakes? Like everyday. I also tried a deep fried Oreo. Oh my gosh. It was delicious, but that’s like  a once and a life time treat. Never again. 

Besides eating funnel cakes and redneck food, I eat a lot of Chinese food. I order Chinese food like every night.

I know. Who am I eating white rice?

I must say that I eat really well here. For breakfast, my meal usually consists of: melon, banana, an apple, some cottage cheese, and maybe raisins. 

For lunch I have a salad, lots of veggies, a pear, and cottage cheese.

Then for dinner it’s more of this:

The thing with Chinese food is that it fills me up quickly to the point where I’m like, “Oh boy, I’m stuffed.” I feel like I eat so much, but when I look back at my day, I barely have enough calories for breakfast and lunch. I still beat myself up after every meal no matter what I eat. I feel guilty with everything I eat. I don’t even understand.

I bought a scale too. I keep weighing myself. So far, I lost a pound this week versus the two I lost week so it’s a total of three pounds. I want to go back to my ‘normal’ weight, whatever I think that may be. However, I know that I won’t be happy with it. I back in that cycle of wanting perfection, yet I can’t have it. I cannot achieve it because perfection obviously doesn’t exist. I work my ass off to be ‘perfect’. I get frustrated when I cannot run or when I run slowly or I’m hurting. All my emotions here in Virginia are at an amplified level. I feel like I do not have control of my life whatsoever. 

I feel selfish, not in control, hopeless, and arrogant.

I’ll talk more about this later when I have my thoughts gathered. All I can say is for the several bloggers who challenged themselves by not working out for a week or so, good for you! That’s an accomplishment for someone who loves to exercise. Sounds silly, but in all honesty, it’s an accomplimsent.

Of course, I didn’t take part of that challenge. My week looked like this:

Monday: Two miles on the treadmill + 7.56 miles outside @ 7:05 + weights + elliptical
Tuesday: 8:69 miles @ 7:16 pace + elliptical
Wednesday: Field Day
Thursday: 8.69 miles @ 7:12 pace + elliptical
Friday: 9 miles @ 7:03 pace  + elliptical
Saturday: 9.12 miles @ 6:55 pace  + elliptical
Sunday: 10.65 miles @ 7:08  + weights

Total mileage: 55.71

I wish I could have gotten a longer run, but this morning my legs felt dead. I ran last night at six/seven PM and ran this morning at eleven. I don’t think that was enough time for my legs to refresh themselves. This week will be better.

I just keep telling myself to think positive and good things will happen.

What do you tell yourself to get through rough patches? 

“I was born to be a runner. I simply love to run. It’s almost like the faster I go, the easier it becomes.”
-Mary Decker Slaney

Easter + Ramblings

Happy Easter!

My Easter started off with a good breakfast. This is my normal breakfast…

I usually eat melon or cantaloupe with a banana, apple, and/or pear. I don’t eat all three. I eat a banana and an apple or something like that. The chow hall always has a lot of fruit so my breakfast is mostly fruit with cottage cheese. I cannot resist cottage cheese. It’s not like I get Greek yogurt here. Wahhh.

Then, I went on a run. I have to sneak off by myself to run since no one wants to run a billion miles with me. I did 10.54 miles @ a 6:58 pace. I wanted to do more miles, but my legs haven’t been feeling ‘fresh’. You know what I mean?

I followed the run with 24 minutes on the elliptical. My legs feel rather deadish.

Believe it or not, the barracks I am currently living in have a gym. I won’t lie to you. It’s a pretty average Joe gym. There are some weights that the dudes hog, two ellipticals (one is broken), a treadmill, and a stationary bike. I want to lift weights more; however, I’m too intimated. I don’t know why. I use to lift weights at my old gym all the time. Here, I’m intimated and embarrassed that I lift like 20 and 30 pounders while the guys lift 80’s.

Back to running…

On base we have The Battlefield. It’s actually a little tourist section with amazing running trails. Every time I run in the trails, I see deer and horses. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of home actually.

Well, this week I ran basically every day on my own time except for Wednesday. Wednesday’s here are considered ‘field day’ where we clean our rooms for an inspection. That means no liberty so I can’t run. Nonetheless, we do have PT every morning with our class. PT here is a joke. Yeah, it gets you moving, but we run for like twenty minutes at, like, a 12 minute mile pace. I swear I can walk it. PT here is for body maintenance, which is funny because a lot of people here are chunky. Not all, but there are quite a few. I blame the vending machines with donuts, Poptarts, and potato chips.

As I was saying, I ran basically every day this week. My stats look like this:

Monday: 8.39 miles @ 7:11 pace
Tuesday: 12 minute run (two miles at least) with a staff sergeant under a seven minute mile pace + weights + 50 minutes on the elliptical
Wednesday: PT run in the morning
Thursday: 8.51 miles @ 7:12 pace
Friday: 8.62 miles @ 7:04 pace
Saturday: 11.17 miles @ 7:10 pace
Sunday: 10.54 miles @ 6:58 pace

Total mileage: 49.23 miles

Of course that is not even close to what I want to be running!

Of course not everyone can be like Miley either…

I bet she’s better than Kara Goucher.

I kid, I kid.

Anyway, you can add a few miles that I run for PT in the morning with my class, but I can’t even count those because they are so darn slow.

As you see, I run like eight miles daily. Doing a bit over eight miles takes me an hour and that’s all I can do when I have a buddy running with me. It’s only fair to them. I know not everyone is a crazy runner like me. That’s why I am a weekend warrior with my eleven miles. Hah! I wish I was doing seventeen.

I hope this week to ramp up the mileage even though on Saturday I will be at an amusement park all day. I’ll just run on the treadmill at 10 PM. I don’t care. I just want to run.

My running face

And I absolutely love my running shoes. My mom sent me these:

They are like six ounces or something. Whatever they are, they are incredible. They go great with my unshaven legs.

Well, I hope I have a better week of running. I have a few posts up my sleeve about what I’m eating, reading, ‘dieting’ and more running. Obviously.

Enjoy the rest of your Easter!

I got some honorable eats for you. I couldn’t forget…

“Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.”
-John Bingham

Fuel Me Up

Happy Saturday!

I started my day off with 15 minutes on the elliptical, an hour spin class, and a five-mile run. I felt fast so hopefully my pace was up there. It will be my last run until God knows when.

Well, I am riding 45 miles tomorrow.

I have never rode my bike that far. I think the furthest I have gone on bike is 30 something miles. I’m rather excited to ride 45 miles in the lovely city of Portland.

Being away from Portland for three months made me realize how much I love Portland. I seriously could live here my whole life I think. As long as I get to travel, I’ll be fine with living in Portland and the weirdo’s.

Enough of my love for Portland.

As I was saying, I am beyond pumped for tomorrow except I have no idea how to fuel myself before riding 45 miles. I know on bike rides you can eat more and not have to worry about stomach issues. Fueling for a bike ride is different from fueling for a long run.

If you guys have any suggestions on what to eat before a long bike ride, hit me up. I don’t think I’m going to have a bagel or anything to carby. Maybe just my usual breakfast of cereal, cottage cheese, and a banana? I’ll be bringing gels and fruit with me on my ride. Also, there will be plenty of rest stops with food from local food places so if I get hungry, I’ll be okay.

In all honesty, I hate fueling during a long run/bike ride. I never do it. Even during two-hour runs, I don’t eat or drink anything (unless it is water). I know that’s wrong and not healthy for training purposes, but I never get hungry on my runs. However, I do eat immediately after I work out.

I will start eating properly for training purposes when I finally settle down at wherever the military places me. When I arrive in Virginia, I plan on finding a marathon to train for. I know I am ready for marathons. Before, I was just physically ready for a marathon, but now I know I am mentally ready for a marathon. I am fully prepared and I want to start training for a race.

I also plan on stricter eating habits. I do eat sweets daily (at night), but I want to cut that out once I settle down. I want to go on the Paleo diet too. I ordered The Paleo Diet for Athletes, written by Dr. Loren Cordain and Joe Frie off of amazon.com. I won’t get it until I come back from MCT. I have been reading a lot on the paleo diet and I like a lot of the aspects of it. I read about it in Triathlete magazine. A lot of athletes follow it. As much as I would like to be vegan, I need dairy. Without dairy, my body suffers. It suffered enough while I was in boot camp because I wasn’t getting enough iron. I had a clump of hair fall out. Disgusting. Anyway, once I settle down wherever I am, I am going to start training hardcore and eating like a professional athlete. All and all, if I want to be one, I have to act like one.

What are you views on the Paleo Diet? If you didn’t know, the paleo diet is based on lean meats, seafood, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables, which can promote peak athletic performance. Obviously I would not be eating any meat. No meat for me.

I hope everything goes smoothly for me on the Worst Day of Year Ride. It will be my last day in Portland. I’ll get a post in tomorrow too before I take off. I think I may do a vlog because I got my laptop! It has a webcam and all that cool stuff all the cool kids have.

I leave you with my recent eats:

Eggplant, Indian rice, onion rings, asparagus, crab cake
Crab and shrimp

Have a wonderful weekend!