Hello Runners!
Welcome back! I think I am sort of getting into the groove of how I want to share my words each week, but I’m sure I’ll still find better ways to do things, and would reallyyy love to hear feedback from you!
The last week has been filled with lots of recovery and an emphasis on quality efforts. I had a lot of testing done the past week to see what’s up with my body, and where something is a little off. I got a bunch of blood work done and some scans to check out a cough that has been made worse by hard workouts and races. Everything looked good, lungs and blood, with the exception of my ferritin level, which has dropped over 50% since it was last checked in January. Ferritin is a protein in your blood that contains iron and is an indicator for how much iron your body is storing. This level is important to keep an eye on for runners, so I am hoping getting this back up to my typical level will help me finish strong in intense workouts and races!
If you have perfectionist tendencies, like myself, competing in end-of-season races can bring a lot of uncomfortable stress and pressure. Throughout my years of competing I'd like to say that I have gained some insight as to what will make me the most confident when I get to the start line. Here are a few things that help me!
One habit that I like to keep in my daily routine besides simply logging my runs, is writing in a separate journal. Here I don't keep track of miles and distances, but instead write down one positive aspect I am proud of from my day of training. This can be as exciting as running a new fastest or longest long run or crushing a tough track workout, or as small as taking extra time to roll and stretch or putting extra effort into fueling so you can recovery quickly. Looking back at the things I've been proud of reminds me that there are many steps I've taken to be where I am today and that will support a positive result!
Another factor that I try to be conscious of is race day anxiety. Of course it's normal to be nervous about a big race to some extent, but I've witnessed that overthinking and over-complicating your race day can really psych you out when you aren't able to control everything. Through the years I have adopted some habits, go-to foods, or sports bras and socks that I am partial to racing in, I really try to steer clear of being superstitious (....just a little stitious). If there is one thing I've taken away from the hours I spent watching "The Office," it's what Dwight learned from Michael- K.I.S.S.- keep it simple, stupid. I practice this especially when I have races in the evening, because figuring out the "perfect" thing to eat before races was a big source of stress for me. When I start to worry about this now, I remember to keep it simple and just eat things that I know would feel good before any normal workout when I'm hungry on race day. It might seem small or silly, but through becoming more relaxed about my pre-race routine I learned that as long as I don't do something super crazy, I know that my race will be determined by hard work and passion for what I do, not by what kind of peanut butter I eat or whether I wear my pink or black socks.
Recipe of the week: Granola
This granola recipe only takes a few minutes to whip up, but gives you a snack for the rest of the week! Depending on how much you plan on shoving handfuls into your mouth on a daily basis (if you’re like me and my sisters, very often), I might recommend making a double batch because it stores well. You can use any variation of nuts or seeds in this recipe, then add to yogurt and berries or a smoothie for a super satisfying snack! WARNING: the maple syrup in the granola WILL make your house smell absolutely heavenly.
My super-secret core routine
I decided to get crazy this week and make a core video! I've found that maintaining a strong core through ab, glute, and back exercises you can improve your running form and make you more efficient for injury prevention and faster races! I found that doing 5-15 minutes a day, depending on training, is reasonable to be a part of my daily schedule, but everyone is different! I would consider these exercises to be some of my staples, but you can definitely swap them for others, or make it longer by doing each exercises for a minute instead of 30 seconds! This video should be pretty simple, the only equipment needed is a resistance band, which isn't necessary but adds some intensity!
Once again, thank you for reading (and hopefully watching)! Let me know your thoughts!
Happy running,
Anna
Michael: What’s the most inspiring thing I ever said to you?
Dwight: “Don’t be an idiot”, changed my life.
Deadbugs are my fav to prime my body before a workout ;)