That Post-PR Glow

After a weekend away, I was dying for some vegetables this afternoon. I hadn’t brought lunch and was too lazy to walk to Pump, so I walked to pick up a salad.

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For 97.3% of you, this is no big deal, but for me it was. Salad usually bothers my stomach, but my stomach’s been so much calmer since I gave up coffee, so I thought I’d give it a try. Plus, trying to find a healthy lunch option when you don’t eat salad requires much more thought.

I felt a bit gassy and bloated, but not too bad. It bothered me way less than I thought it would. (This is a cobb salad with avocado instead of blue cheese and a bit of balsamic vinagrette.) Perhaps I will start adding salads into a more regular rotation in my diet.

[This is one of those “health is different for everyone” moments. I know salad is a staple in most people’s healthy diets, but I really can’t have too much of it before my stomach rebels. I’m trying to ease it into more salads, though, if I can.]

I really realized this weekend how much stress has to do with my stomach issues. I ate a wonderful, rich, greasy lobster roll, and my stomach was totally fine. The night before the race, against my better judgment, I ate tons of cheese and was still totally fine. The difference? I was happy and distracted from any problems [coughnopermanentjobhiremecough] back home. So, I’m really making a conscious effort to eliminate any unnecessary stress I can.

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In that vein, I decided to make myself dinner to wind down after work tonight. I made the same pasta recipe I made for some of my blogger friends a few months ago, and it didn’t disappoint. I even bought some fresh parmigiano reggiano to grate over the top of the pasta. I forgot that step last time, and let me tell you–this version tasted hundreds of times better.

A Few More Race-Related Things?

Maybe you’re sick of hearing about my race yesterday…but I’m not sick of talking about it yet.

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I just uploaded my splits, and I’m not going to lie, I’m ridiculously happy with them–especially from mile 10 on.

Also?

I just looked at the results on the Freeport Half website?

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9th in my age group! Not too shabby.

Again, I go to sleep a very happy girl.

Questions: How long do you keep the post-PR glow? Do you negative split too or do you go out fast and die by the end? Are there any foods generally considered healthy that you can’t have/stay away from?

14 comments on “That Post-PR Glow

  1. Carol Blanchfield

    Very happy to hear that you are feeling better, I do believe your Mom said, relax you might feel better,
    I’m only saying…………
    Proud of you, of course!!

    Mom

    Reply
  2. Kelly

    I’d like to think that it is the stress itself that messes up my stomach…..and I’m sure it does have something to do with it….but I also find that when I’m stressed I eat crappy, and then in turn feel crappy. 🙁 This may or may not be what’s going on these lovely days before flying to HLS. But I am going to do my best to turn that around tomorrow and Wednesday….

    Also I’m SO impressed and proud that you gave up coffee for the good of your stomach!! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lizzy

    I have no idea why you were eating so much cheese on Saturday night. It most definitely couldn’t have been my influence. Oh wait…

    You should and CAN talk abotu this race for months… you deserve it. And now I know why I couldn’t catch up to you the last three miles you speed machine.

    So proud of you!!!

    AND YAY cheese and greens : )

    Reply
  4. Katherine

    I think you have earned the right to talk about your race for weeks to come! That was an awesome run!

    I try to pace myself at the beginning of a run and go hard at the end, but lately it hasn’t been working out that way. If I have the energy and strength to run fast I like to take advantage of it, when I should probably store it for the end.

    Luckily I can eat almost anything healthy (extremely fatty foods and red meat will hurt my stomach). I can understand though how that must be tough to want to stay healthy, but have even more limitations added. Glad to hear your stomach’s been getting a little better!

    Reply
  5. Julie

    I have many foods similar to yours that REALLY upset my stomach. Dairy, coffee, many vegetables (especially lettuce), some fruits, and eggs are the biggies. I believe stress makes it worse too. I have IBS and use Immodium all the time. Your so right, it makes it really hard to eat the health foods that you want to have in your diet!

    Reply
  6. Kimra

    I luckily have an iron stomach (except right before a long run, where experience + superstition means I only eat pumpkin bread, which I bake 2 loaves at a time and freeze, not that I’m neurotic or anything). But there is one healthy food that I wish I could learn to love: bananas! Hated them since I was a kid. I know they’re good for me and so many people talk about them as a miracle running food, but … mushy, yellow, nasty. Can’t do it!

    Reply
  7. Allison

    I’ve definitely noticed, more recently, how much stress [and lack of sleep] affects me mentally AND physically. I too am trying to stress less and sleep more…

    Reply

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