A Half Marathon Runner in Training

Beachbody Coach DeAnnak2011

On February 15, 2012, I registered to run in the Marine Corps Historic Half; my first half marathon. At the end of that month, I began a 12 week training program to prepare so that I can successfully run the entire course. I'm happy and proud to say that I'm in week nine of training and I feel great.

During the first week, I couldn't see myself running seven miles in week seven, but I'm proud to say I've run those miles and look forward to running 10 miles in week 11. I couldn't imagine myself because I was afraid. I was also thinking too far ahead instead of focusing on the progression miles that would get me there. But I've trusted the program and focused on one week at a time.  

I ran a total of 12 miles in the first week of training and the gradually increased to 20 in week eight. I caught myself laughing after running three miles earlier this week because it was easy. Even though I was capable of running three miles before following the training plan, I never thought of it as easy.

My training log, Ms. O

In the plan, I run at an easy, conversational pace on Mondays and Tuesdays. Thursday runs are the most tiring because the plan requires me to run hard and challenge myself. I have the option to run hills, tempo, intervals or fartlek. Since it will increase my strength and speed without having to run extra miles, I prefer running hills. Fridays are my favorite because I get to rest and recover in preparation to run the long miles on Saturdays.

I'm amazed at what I've been able to do as a marathon trainer. I've stuck to the plan and have gotten stronger one mile at a time. I've also grown to love running so much that, I plan to run the Army Ten Miler in October and have registered to run the Marine Corps Marathon 10K in November. Here's to your health.      

take a moment, make a sandwich

assembled sandwich, Ms. O

I like healthy meals and the simpler they are to make, the better. I recently made oven-roasted sandwiches and not only are they simple to make, they are also satisfying and delicious. I first discovered the recipe on Kraft Foods in 2007 and I've tailored it to my liking. It's so simple to make that, you can enjoy the meal in about 20 minutes.

You can use any deli meat of your choice such as Roast Beef, Smoked Ham, or Turkey. Here are the ingredients for my favorite; Turkey oven-roasted sandwich:

• Shaved Smoked Turkey Breast (you can use thinly sliced)
• 2 slices of bread such as whole grain
• Mustard or any condiment of your preference
• 1 cheese slice such as Pepper Jack
• Bell Pepper (I use yellow)
• Red Onion (sliced)
• Tomato (sliced)
• Fresh Basil leaves (any herb you like on sandwiches)
• Salt
• Cracked Red Pepper (if you like it spicy)
• Mayonnaise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. For easy clean up, cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with no-stick cooking spray. Lightly spread one side of a slice of bread with Mayonnaise and place the "mayo" side on the foil. 

Spread the side facing up with your favorite condiment such as mustard, and build a "tower" with the other ingredients. Top the "tower" with the slice of cheese. Spread the other slice of bread with Mayonnaise and cover the sandwich with the "mayo" side up.

Place the sandwich in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes then turn it over with a spatular. Bake for an addition 4-5 minutes until the sandwich is toasted or brown. Enjoy the sandwich with soup or salad. I like salad with mine. 

Next time, I'll add spinach leaves and avocado. This meal is great for lunch or dinner, it's filling, nutritious, and easy to make. Do you have simple and healthy favorites? Here's to your health.  

Living a Healthy Emotional Life

Google images

It recently dawned on me that being emotionally fit is just as important as being physically fit. Through self discovery, I've been working on being emotionally healthy as much as I've been working on my physical fitness. I know for sure that both require a great deal of dedication.

As I grow, I feel like I'm going through a metamorphosis. Recently, I decided to work on how I allow fear to stop me from speaking my mind. I get scared about the confrontation that may occur and decide to go with what's polite. For instance, saying what I think my sister would like to hear instead of speaking my mind so that she doesn't give me the silent treatment for several weeks after a phone conversation. I'm not like this with everyone though. This fear didn't happen over night but it's been going on for too long and I'm putting an end to it.


To paraphrase Iyanla Vanzant, on a recent Oprah's Lifeclass, denying the truth so that you don't have to deal with the confrontation? You've got to be willing to loose (if you tell the truth) everything to gain yourself. When I heard that, I almost cried because it was as if she was talking to me directly. Speaking the truth doesn't mean you say things to others with malice intentions. 


When I don't speak my truth, I feel uncomfortable because it goes against my gut. Not long ago I told a friend that not being yourself is like wearing a pair of ill fitting shoes. It's painful. I'm doing my best to live truthfully because I don't care for painful shoes.


Bill Cosby once said, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone." I'll please others because it's something I want to do but I'll no longer please others to avoid a confrontation. For my emotional health, I'm willing to loose by speaking my truth. How about you? Here's to your health!

What's Your Exercise Personality?

Photo taken by E. OpongBrown

Just like people are classified as having type A or type B personalities, you can categorize people when it comes to exercise. According to Fitness: Theory and Practice, by Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, there are four groups:

1. Type A. Advanced: this person is the most fit and committed when it comes to exercise and workout . You can even say that this individual LOVES to exercise so much that, he/she will workout everyday. This person like to exercise at a high intensity and is the one in the class shouting "wohooo," or count along with the instructor and says "yes," when the instructor says, "how about one more set?" while other students groan.
2. Type B. Intermediate: this type would rather workout three to four days a week at a moderate to high intensity level compared to a type A. This personality listens to his/her body and chooses to rather than have to exercise. 
3. Type C. Beginner: this is the gym newbie. Ready to exercise and needs to feel comfortable. 
4. Type D. Everybody else: this type is the non-exerciser. He/she is able to exercise but due to lack of time or motivation.

What is your fitness type? When I was younger, I was a type A. I worked out everyday, hated it if I missed a day and my friends told me I was addicted to exercise. As I mature, I've become a type B. I do a variety of exercises such as Zumba, Spinning or Bootcamp at different intensity levels because I don't want to burn out. I take at least one day off because I don't want to overtrain or get injured. This is especially important since I'm training to run a half marathon. I've burned out before, lost complete motivation and didn't have the desire to step my foot into a gym. That changed when I started putting on weight (hahaha). 

A type A, B, or C, find your comfort zone and make an effort to exercise. If you're a type D, get a doctor's permission so that you can begin an exercise program. Here's to your health. 

Just Say No to Fad Diets!

Google images

The Cabbage Soup Diet. The Atkins Diet. The South Beach Diet. The Grapefruit Diet. The HCG Diet. The list goes on and on. Fad diets come and go and get more extreme but will you even shed weight on them? Yes, but I believe in the old fashioned method of losing weight; eating a well balanced diet and exercising.

In basic nutrition, we need water, fats, carbohydrates, protein, minerals and vitamins. In my opinion, fad diets don't provide a balanced nutrition. If it is your goal to lose weight, talk with your physician to help you find the right path. It's been tried and true that monitoring caloric intake and exercising to burn fat will help shed the pounds.

The latest fad is the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin diet, best known as the HCG diet and it blows my mind. I've never given it a thought but recently someone asked my opinion of it. HCG is a hormone produced by pregnant women to help grow the placenta which provides nutrition to the fetus, eliminates waste and respiratory gases.

In order to lose weight, HCG dieters consume only 500 calories and get injections of the hormone. These dieters can lose about one to three pounds per day. What I know for sure is that this isn't healthy. It's better to shed about that much weight in a month but not in a day.

The healthiest way to lose weight requires hard work and it's slow and steady. Fad diets are quick fixes. Who can live on only 500 calories for a lifetime? I can't even imagine the emotional and physical tole. I know that I'll be cranky if I had to starve myself in order to lose weight. And chances are, I'd lose friends in addition to the pounds.

If fad diets worked, the first fad diet would have been the last. Say no to fad diets, and to the best of your ability, eat healthy and exercise and the weight will come off. Here's to your health!



 

I Believe I can Run 13.1 Miles

This week marks the beginning of a 12 week training program for me to get in shape to run my first half marathon; the Marine Corps Historic Half in May. I include running in my exercise routine but I've never run a marathon and I'm nervous and excited. I'm nervous because I don't know what running 13.1 miles feels like. On the other hand, I'm excited because running a half marathon is my fitness goal.

I'm using an official training program with a weekly plan to help me because as Mark Will-Weber once said, "running is real and relatively simple…but it ain't easy." I'm going to use this as a road map to help me build endurance so that on race day, I can make it to the finish line. 

Well, in the next weeks, I'll share my training experiences. What fitness goal are you working on these days? Here's to your health.

Let Down Your Hair with Shea Moisture

When I buy food other than fruit and vegetables, I always look for natural or organic products or with very few ingredients. If the list of ingredients is long and I can't pronounce most of them, I don't buy it. These days, I'm applying the same principle to the products I use on my hair. This is particularly important to me since I've stopped getting my hair chemically straightened with a relaxer.

After I cut off all of the chemically treated hair, my goal was to use natural or organic shampoos, conditioners, and creams on my hair. In my research, I discovered that not all products contain natural ingredients even though they're advertised as so. I have found some products I really like for my daughters and me.

Since I use Shea Moisture's bath line, I decided to try their hair care line. The price is very affordable at $9.99 compared to other organic/natural products. Shea Moisture is sold at Target and drug stores such as Walgreens. All their products smell delicious and don't contain ingredients such as mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, sulfates, or animal ingredients.

My favorite is the Deep Treatment Masque and it kills two birds with one stone. After I wash my hair, I use it as a deep conditioner and after rinsing out my hair and adding leave-in-conditioner, and use the masque as a hair dress. My kinky hair feels moist, nourished, soft and easy to comb. 

I've also used the Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Souffle, Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Style Conditioning Milk. These smell fantastic and are great for styling, gives the hair shine and moisturizes. Not all hair products will work on everyone's hair but Shea Moisture is great and works on mine. 

If you're looking for all natural organic products for your body or hair, try the Shea Moisture line. Here is to your hair health!