My Running Journey

Running can be an intimidating sport for someone who is new to exercise or who is overweight and not used to this type of rigorous activity. I can say this because I was that person. I began running 3 years ago, about one year after the birth of my first child and a 50 pound weight gain. I remember running for something like 30 seconds and it seemed like I’d been running for 5 minutes. When I checked my watch I was dumbfounded by how little I was actually able to endure. Nonetheless, I kept going. I’d run for however long I could, usually between 30 seconds and one minute and then I’d walk for 5 to 10 minutes. Looking back it was actually quite amusing!

It’s funny because I remember thinking how embarrassed I was running outside for fear that someone would see me and laugh at my form or the overweight person doing this run/walk on the side of the road. Of course, the biggest fear was that they would see my fat that I could feel jiggling under my arms, my belly and my inner thighs. People used to tell me to keep with it because my running would improve. Even though I didn’t believe them, I kept going. I was determined to prove someone wrong; them or myself. Every time I ran, I’d check my watch and realize that I was able to run a little longer and walk a little less.

Someone once told me that if you want to lose weight, running is the best exercise. The only problem was that running was so hard on me because I had the extra weight to lose. It’s sort of a catch-22! I came to the conclusion that I had to run hard enough to get my heart rate up into my fat-burning zone and keep it there. I would run and then walk about the speed of a turtle to catch my breath but what I didn’t realize was that I was actually lowering my heart rate too much so I wasn’t really burning very much fat. Because I couldn’t physically run long enough to stay in my target fat-burning zone, I decided to run and then speed walk. I was exhausted and remember feeling like I was going to throw up so I knew I was definitely working hard! Once I figured out that I wasn’t going to die if I didn’t walk like a turtle, I actually started to lose weight and become a faster runner.

After about a year of running and weight lifting, I was smaller and fitter than I had ever been in my life. The best part was that I could run about 10 km in less than an hour. I couldn’t believe it! I could even run pushing my baby in a running stroller. For those of you out there who are in a similar situation, I know you can appreciate that as a major accomplishment.

Let’s fast-forward to the present. I had my second baby 9 months ago and gained 65 pounds this time. I stopped running and weight training during this pregnancy; need I say more! I started running again at about 5 months. This time around I purchased a treadmill and ran at home until it was warm enough to head back outside. This time, I needed a major goal to get back into running and in shape. If you’ve had a baby, you know how hard it is on our bodies and how long it could take to get back into the groove. In March, I joined the running room aspiring to run in a 10K race in May. That gave me 2 months to train. Now let’s remember that I gained 65 pounds and did not do much exercise for 9 months.

I was determined to do this race. The first night at the running room, I was so nervous because I had never run with anyone before, even when I was in great shape after my first child. I had no idea how long we would be running for or how many people there were going to be or if I would be able to keep up. As scared as I was, I went to my first clinic and when I got there I breathed much easier because low and behold, most of the people there were in the same predicament as me. I couldn’t believe it, I felt so reassured. Everyone ran at different speeds and in fact, the clinic days were “short run” days so we didn’t run more than 4 km. However, during the 10K clinic they teach you how to run what they call 10 and 1’s. This means you run for 10 minutes and then walk for 1 minute. (Now keep in mind that the running room does have other clinics like learn to run, just women, 5K, etc…) The reason that I decided to join the 10K was because I ran before as mentioned above. I really wanted to challenge myself. 5K would have probably been a great challenge in itself but I believe that we need to push ourselves to the limit.

As I was training for the race in May, I also started kickboxing and increased my weight training. When learning to run, it’s great to do other activities as well because then you get full body conditioning and you’re getting in even better shape. While I was training, I started to experience some serious pain in my knees; that’s not good! After going to see my doctor, he told me that I had a displaced patella. That means that my knee cap was sort of loose and basically would move when I ran and would hurt like hell! I iced it, taped it, and stretched it…it still hurt! But, I was determined to do this race. I went for physiotherapy and my physiotherapist showed me how to do some exercises to strengthen the inside of my knee. She also showed me how to properly tape my knee without a tensor band wrapped all the way around, cutting off my circulation.

Of course, when doing any type of activity, you really need to check with your doctor periodically, especially if you are experiencing pain. It is one thing to push yourself to the limit, it is another thing to hurt yourself and do permanent damage. That being said, I am stubborn and I continued to run and kickbox. (I did have permission from my physiotherapist to proceed with caution!) However, I did slow down with kickboxing and did more punching than kicking. This seemed to help a little.

The week before the race, I developed some kind of chest cold and could not stop coughing and actually could barely move. I thought that maybe this was a sign that I should give myself more time to train for the next race. Then I looked into my children’s eyes and found strength. For that entire week, I did nothing but rest to prepare for that race.

I am happy to report that after all the training, I did it! I’m not going to lie; I struggled with cramping and minor pain. I took cough drops, carried lots of Kleenex, put a ton of tiger balm on my knee before taping it and finished the 10K race in May in 1 hour and 8 minutes. This is not bad for my first time, with all the obstacles I faced that day and not to mention carrying this extra weight which is yet to come off.

The ultimate reward was seeing my family and friends at the end of the race, cheering me on and placing my medal on my 3 and a half year olds neck. He was so proud of me and even though he is still a little young to understand, I just taught him one the most important things in life: “don’t give up”! He knew that I was sick and had a sore knee and at the end of the race, the expression on his face was priceless.

When learning to run or learning to do any new sport, you need to find motivation somewhere. You need someone to encourage you, especially if you are facing an obstacle. My obstacles were very miniscule compared to others facing disease and illness but nonetheless they were obstacles to me. I found a way to overcome them and accomplish my goal just like others who ran with diabetes, cancer, etc… just being there and moving is motivating to others and though we seek motivation from others, we actually are motivators to others as well. Remember that when you strap on your shiny new white running shoes and head for the side walk your first time. Hold your head up high and reach for the stars, it may take a while, but with determination, you’ll get there. Promise! And the reward is satisfaction, there’s no better feeling in this world!

 

~RACE DAY~

I DID IT!

Ok everyone…I DID IT! I ran 10K today. I did it with a very sore knee and a cold! It hurt but I got through it. I persevered and damnit I was dertermined to get throught that finish line.  My kids were there waiting for me and my son hasn’t taken my medal off all day.  It’s amazing how proud you can be for yourself especially when you share it with your children.  They were so proud of me and that made it even more special! 

When you put your mind to it, you can do ANYTHING!  It’s amazing how powerful the mind really is.  I just kept telling myself to get to the finish line and I DID!

Micheal J. Fox Top Sellers

Detox diet food raw recipe

Raw foods to consider when doing your detox diet

 If you are serious about your diet and really want to slim down the natural way, detox diet is your next step to a cleaner, healthier, sexier you. Now, just because we say detox diet doesn’t mean that you are actually going to starve yourself to death and just drink water and lemonade for the next 5 days. Of course, everyone wants to be healthy and by being healthy, we need to eat healthy well-balanced food daily.

 There are so many detox diet food raw recipes and books that are circulating everywhere. Bookstores and the internet offer a large variety of them. Everyone deserves to look their best and a raw food detox diet can help you with this.  It will definitely save you time since the food preparation is simple; it doesn’t need to cook!

However, before planning on preparing a detox diet food raw recipe, there are two rules that should to be considered:

Do not combine whole-grain bread or brown rice together in one meal with the following: fish, meat, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and fresh fruit.

 Raw vegetables can be combined with the above food selection except for fresh fruit.

 The importance in doing a detox diet is to eliminate toxins from our body system and by doing this we have to start by stopping our daily routine of eating foods that brings the toxins in. They are cereal, rice, pasta, processed foods, soy products, white breads, red meat and more.

Your detox diet food raw recipe should include whole grains, raw honey, dried fruits, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. It is advisable to eat a lot during dinner and take a lot fresh fruit and green vegetable juice during the day.

Green lemonade will also help you during your detox diet since you will drink a lot of this everyday. A mixture of leafy greens, an apple and a lemon will let you make that green lemonade. There are still a lot of raw diet foods that you can create. Just remember to eat raw and eat organic, although the detox diet food raw recipe is not intended only for veggies, the main point in here is to eliminate certain foods for a while, while in the process of cleansing.

 

Detox diet food

What type of food should you consider while doing a detox diet?

Now that detox dieting is gaining popularity again and a lot of people are considering this type of diet program. Before engaging in any type of detox program, you should carefully think about what benefits and side effects this could bring to your body.  You should also consider which foods would be essential if you are considering cleansing your body.

 

Going on a detox plan will help the body get rid of any toxic materials stored inside. There are a lot of different chemicals that we encounter everyday and going on a detox diet can help promote the elimination of toxins our body encounters. Of course, before going on a detox diet, it is better to consult your health care provider so that they can assess your plans and help you decide on the type of detox diet that can be suitable for you.

 

The best way to start your diet is when you are on your vacation since you will need a lot of rest and sleep during your cleansing process. You don’t necessarily need to hunger yourself, depending on the cleanse you choose. There are however, certain foods that are not allowed to be eaten during your cleansing time.  These foods include: sugar, milk, eggs, wheat products, gluten, caffeine-filled beverage, yeast, salted nuts, chocolate, anything that is high in fat, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and of course red meat, turkey, and meat products such as burgers, pate, and sausages.

 

Detox diet foods that are allowed during this time are fruits, vegetables, brown rice and rice noodles, chickpeas, fish, extra virgin oil, beans and lentils, rye crackers and rice noodles, fruit juice, potatoes, unsalted nuts, live natural yogurt, ground black pepper, garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, honey and herbal tea. Water is essentially needed during this time of detoxifying and you really should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

 

Good fruits to eat during your detox are: pear, apple, apricot, avocado, berries, banana, cranberries, grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, pineapple, orange, and lemon. Vegetables that can be eaten are: garlic, onion, radish, parsley, alfalfa, bean sprouts, artichoke, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, dandelion, kale, leek, and radish.

 

The process of eating detox diet food is just the same as how you should be eating regularly.  Food should be chewed well for better digestion and eat fruits and veggies until your stomach is satisfied. You still need to eat at least three to six meals a day with either mixed vegetables or fruits. Fresh fish and chicken should be allowed through your regimen after the first week of your detox diet but only a small portion should be permitted.  You are also permitted to eat this if you are beginning to struggle at the start of your diet. 

 

Remember that detoxifying should not be done for a long period of time since this will also cause health problems. This should be done only for a short period of time so that your health will also be in good quality shape after the detox diet is over.

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Detox Dieting

12 Steps To A Complete Body Detox

Find Out How A Full Body Detox Together With A Candida Cleanse Can Give You Long Term Sustainable Health. Click Here! to find out more.

This program shows you how to:

Follow a Traditional Balanced Diet that will decrease toxins, increase your immune system, improve digestion, eliminate foods that you are intolerant too. 

Carry out a colon cleanse. This can be done in the privacy of your own home easily and inexpensively.

Eliminate Candida Yeast naturally by following a Candida Cleanse to rid yourself of the toxic destruction it creates.

Balance the Ph of your body.

Re-introduce the good flora to your intestinal track.

Increase quality water intake and Exercise to help mobilize the toxins

Micheal J. Fox on Parkinson’s

Michael J. Fox has truly been an inspiration in his battle against Parkinson’s. Below is some footage to inspire you to get through each day and to embrace your life and always have faith.

 

 

 

 

Michael J Fox on Oprah on A Current Affair

You can read more about Michael J. Fox on Oprah by clicking on the link below.

Oprah Show Article - Michael J. Fox

 

FRONTLINE | Parkinson’s: Michael J. Fox Interview | PBS

 

Katie Couric interviews Michael J. Fox

 

 

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