Liz
I tend to be a "live-in-the-moment" kind of gal. I don't want to be patient. It's hard for me to wait 3 minutes for the toaster. I want results NOW! So how did I end up running marathons? And with the goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon?
Well, it just kind of happened. Through post-collegiate running, I met a lot of really great people. At one race, I met a woman aiming for the B-standard for 2012 (2:46:00). She didn't finish that far ahead of me. Hmmmm, I started to wonder. After I dropped 11 minutes and ran 3:03 for the marathon that fall, I thought it was reasonable enough that I could talk about the goal out loud. I gave the B-standard a shot in 2011 and ran a big PR of 2:53, short of the standard but a big step in the right direction.
So now, I've set my sights on the 2016 trials. Rumor has it that the B-standard was dropped to 2:43. I consider myself blessed to be surrounded by people who support me in my quest for this goal, including my husband who helps me believe in myself and a dependable group of women who share the same aspirations.
Training for a marathon makes a gal pretty hungry. I don't have any food restrictions or (known) intolerance. I just try to fuel up with healthy options, but I have to plan ahead or I end up eating the first food I can find. Including mediocre and nutritionally defunct birthday cake from the break room. I typically fall into cycles of good habits/bad habits. And, imagine this: I feel better when my habits are good!
My first resolution for 2012 was to do a cleanse, gradually add in new foods, and try to determine what foods my body likes and doesn't like. A diet experiment, if you will. You can read more about it here. I combined this cleanse with the plan from Diet Wise by Keith Scott. I've always thought dairy to be an instigator, but seem to be fine with skim milk. I've also had a few incidents with eggs and nausea. Other things I've wondered about include gluten, peanuts, and bananas. Well, the diet experiment is still in the works, but when I find out the culprits, I'll be sure to update you.
I set another resolution for 2012, which is to act like the
I hope to fill this blog with stories of workouts, races and goals. All the good and the bad. And lots of delicious, healthy recipes.
Tayler
I'm a Phd student in Statistics, runner, and a gluten-free, dairy-free, semi-vegan. Food and running go hand-in-hand for me. A large part of my day is spent thinking about food, and how to accommodate my high-maintenance GI tract while fueling 100-mile weeks. It's a tough balance for me, and much of the writing in this blog will be me thinking out loud. For me, problem solving, whether it be a statistics or mathematics question or a training question or a nutritional question, involves talking it out. And sometimes, I'm the crazy girl talking to herself. Out loud.
It's funny what you find yourself willing to do when you think you're out of options. A year ago, I was in this very position. Rewind 5 years: I was diagnosed with vocal chord dysfunction which was induced by acid reflux disease. I was constantly sick, lethargic, and required at least nine hours of sleep to function like a normal college student. I had quit running because I was tired of the constant ups and downs, and interruptions in training due to sinus and respiratory infections and mono. After a coaching change, I threw on the school singlet for my last outdoor track season, but was still followed closely by the regular immune battles.
In 2009, upon the suggestion of an acquaintance, I decided to investigate a possible gluten intolerance. After eliminating gluten from my diet, my health drastically improved. $ sinus infections a year went down to one. I still experienced GI symptoms regularly, and eating became a nightmare. I felt miserable no matter what I ate. The fear of this brought me to eating as infrequently as I could. By now, serious running had come to a screeching halt, and thoughts of being competitive ever again were nearly extinct.
I sat getting my hair cut one Spring afternoon in 2010 while making conversation with the newest girl working in the salon. She commented on how "skinny" I was and asked if she could give me ten pounds. I laughed and (half) jokingly said I'd agree as long as I could trade her ten feet of my GI tract for hers. After explaining, she said that I sounded remarkably like her friend, who had a slew of tests and procedures like myself with no answers. She had only seen changes, amazing changes, after a rigorous 14-day anti-candida cleanse. I was warned that it was "hardcore" and very strict, but I figured "why the hell not? I can do anything for 14 days."
The cleanse (which I will post more about later) was by far the most difficult physical task I have ever completed. It was a huge growing experience, and it completely rejuvenated my digestive system. I developed a new relationship with food and cooking, one which allowed my to consider being a serious runner again.
I met Liz in September of 2011, and she quickly weaseled me into joining what has turned out to be the most amazing family of runners at the Columbus Running Company. These people have not only inspired me to train like a maniac, but to shed preconceived limitations. Because of them, for the first time in my life, I've started to learn how to dream big and to dream without limits. Someone has to go to the 2016 Olympic Trials marathon. Why not me?
This blog will be my sounding board for my inner musings of all kinds, but much of these will deal with running, food, and overall wellness and helping people see that taking care of your body should feel like a reward rather than a burden.
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