I Make Myself

My playlist

As I write this post I am blasting my computer with my super running playlist. But I had to stop. I can't concentrate with that music. It makes want to go run AND go clubbing.

I usually don't run with music. I've mentioned before that I sing and run which leaves me exhausted by the second song but lately I have been bringing some music along. Here is why: 

Since I am recovering from my psoas muscle I have been running small distances. To keep my mind off the injury I bring along my Ipod. I turn the volume up and concentrate on singing instead of tormenting myself with not being able to run as far as I would like. 

As I mentioned in this post I want to keep my running happy and enjoyable and so far singing while running has been making me happy. 

I decided to share my playlist because when I started running music played a great part in keeping me motivated. When I could hardly catch my breath I would play an upbeat song and keep going.

When I saw my most played songs I realized that I run on latin music! I am a tropical girl to the core!!!

No wonder I am exhausted by the second song! My playlist is what a club sounds like!

That is my top spanish songs selection. Feel free to give them a try. They will make you run or dance like a maniac.

And....for those of you with a bilingual taste here is my mixed -most played songs- playlist.

- And this is an extra that I'll throw in for free ;) -

If I had to pick ONE song that I must have in my playlist it would be:

 

 

This is the song Heinz won my heart over with. It's not in my most played songs because I can't listen to it and not cry. It reminds me of the time we started dating and it brings back too much. If I ever feel like stopping when running I hit play on this one and it works like an emotional redbull!

Funny how songs can do that. 

 

Running must make me happy

This weekend was my first run with no hip pain after a long time. It totally lifted my spirit.

I am gradually getting better. I ran 5K this saturday and I felt so strong that I knew this hip thing was a minor set back. I am coming back stronger! I can feel it!

But I want to know what I did wrong.

I checked  out my dailymile training to trace back the pain. I thought maybe I could discover what I did that caused my injury.

And yes, I saw it.

I am not a running coach but I can definitely see that the chart shows a very uneven training. It doesn't seem gradual at all! which supports what the doctor said.  I over demanded myself.

Check out week 10. I had to rest and logged ZERO kilometers.

 

The weeks before the training look empty because I started using my Garmin exactly when I started training that is why all the running activity starts in december.

 

I started december 19th. December I logged 51kms. January  I logged 131 kms! That is double december plus almost 30% more!!

The first days in february I started feeling a minor complaint  just when I was supposed to add even MORE distance. Code red. Injury in the horizon.  I admit it. I tried to push myself too hard. 

I have to embrace the fact that I am not a great runner. I am still in the making and it is OK.

-Really...it is?

-Yes.- Ruth. It is.

Now, two things.

First, why do I talk in third person?

I am my own cheerleader remember!

Numero dos.

A runner may seem like a free spirit, outdoors wanderer, distance traveler person and -even though we may deserve those cool labels- there is one description that should be printed in bold letters in our profile: number obsessed. 

We want to log the miles. We want to beat PR's. Pace, distance, body fat percentage...YOU NAME IT...if its got the numbers we want to improve them. Fast.

Its challenging, it makes you push harder but it also takes away all the fun.

I think that is one of the greatest things that I will learn from this training: I want to get better at running -YES- but I still want it to be fun. I want to enjoy it.

Is it going to be a longer process? ... Maybe. But the truth is that I am always looking forward to the future, planning ahead, setting goals, etc. and for once I don't want to. I want to enjoy the ride and if that means -in my case- finishing the marathon at a slower pace. So be it.

Being slower and finishing later does not make me less of a runner.

On the other hand being injured DOES make me less of a runner.

Today I choose the longer, slower, injury free path to running.

Today I choose to run the way it makes me happy.

 

This is my psoas speaking

Hi, I am Ruth's psoas muscle.

I am still swollen and have been undergoing some seriously embarrassing therapy sessions. I am located near the groin area which means poor Ruth has to get undressed to get our therapy right on the spot where ir hurts. Luckily enough the therapist is a really nice girl and that makes Ruth feel less awkward. 

Ruth has been kind of losing her mind. I want to get better but she is leaning towards a negative mindset. Today I heard her saying she will bring her grandfather's walker to the marathon. I don't think she really means that.

She got all pretty today to get her passport renewed.  She absolutely dislikes ugly photos on IDs. We woke up today, got ready, went to our daily therapy and then made our way to get our new document.

When we got there the lady told Ruth she had to put her hair behind her ears and tie it up in a pony tail. To make things worst she said smiling was not allowed.

This is what happened.

She looks like a 40 year old version of herself. That DOES NOT make her happy. Even the lady at the supermarket said she looked like if she was her mom -Yes, Ruth showed her the picture- The lady complimented Ruth on looking pretty today. Ruth explained it was for her passport picture and decided to show it to her so they could discuss it.

You know what?...We'll do a close up. What the heck!

Poor thing.

Anyways, we are going to the gym today and then some yoga. I love me some yoga! 

Tomorrow we start using KT tape to see if it helps. I know it will. 

Sore psoas are not happy psoas. Unhappy psoas means an unhappy Ruth.

Passport picture as evidence.

 

 

 

 

my what?

Apparently my PSOAS have decided to go on a strike. 

Thank you PSOAS for living your entire life in the shadows and then revealing yourselves in this ungraceful manner.

Argh.

Long story short: In my follow up appointment with the doctor I was diagnosed with an inflammation in my PSOAS.

....in my what?????!!!!!

I didn't even know how to spell it! damn you silent P!

This is the Psoas muscle:

 
Images via

No wonder my hip hurts!!!! that tiny -so far insignificant- muscle runs from the lower back through the pelvis to the top of the leg. Exactly where it hurts! 

Although I want to hate my psoas SO bad I can't give them the silent treatment. The truth is I need them and I need them a lot. I talked to my doctor and he said most likely this happened from overuse/over training. The cool thing is I can keep running! I just have to follow some therapy sessions which include: ultrasound/electric pulse treatments and hot and cold therapy.

This is me in my therapy.

 

 
 

I have read on both sides -running and yoga- about the psoas and the information coincide. Bad posture & sitting for long hours takes a toll on this little one and stretching helps a lot! mmmm no wonder everything felt better down there after I went to my yoga classes..inneresting.

Coincidentally this month's pose at my yoga studio is PIGEON POSE which according to this article is the ultimate pose to stretch the psoas.

My running come back is a slow one but my doctor says I will be ok to run the marathon. In the mean time I've been keeping my self busy so I won't start obsessing about not being able to run as fast/often as I would like. 

So tonight: Yoga for dinner. Weight lifting for dessert.

 

I am my own cheerleader

Today I feel like if I am in an emotional coma. Nothing disturbs me but nothing thrills me either. I thought about posting a recipe and saving everyone from reading a corny post but I decided to confront it. Don't worry I will still save you from a whiny post. Instead of going through everything that has me in this self induced state I want to write down the reasons I decided to run a marathon.

This is my own attempt to cheer me up.

My 10 reasons to run a marathon.

1. I want to prove myself I can do it.

2. I want to beat down genetic history and attitude heritage towards sport

3. To be super cool and awesome.

4. To commit to something and carry it through

5. To learn to rely on myself.

6. So I can give Heinz  an excuse to give me an amazing post race present. I am secretly hoping for a puppy.

7. So I can have a post marathon party and pose with my shinny dazzling medal in every s.i.n.g.l.e picture.

Sort of like this one but on ACID!

Do I seem excited or what? and that wasn't even a half.

9. To get fit and beeeeuuureeefall (beautiful)

10. So I can start every sentence, tweet, facebook status with the words "when I ran my first marathon...." 

 

Editor's note: By the time I was done writing my last reason I was already smiling.

 

R-U-T-H go RUTH! + spirit fingers

Resting for a week

I am ready to talk. Sit back because it's going to be long.

This week started with my weekend's long run majorly blowing. I was supposed to run 23K/14M on saturday but woke up feeling exhausted. I told my running buddies  I was going to rest and run on sunday morning. I sat around for most part of the day and went to bed early. Sunday I woke up and by 6:00 AM I was out the door. I wasn't feeling particularly up for the run but I thought I would get into it farther ahead.

I was in my warm up jog when the pain on my hip started. I wrote about my hip pain episode and never looked back. I even ran a pain free half marathon! The pain had not returned until now and on top of that my legs were feeling heavy. I still kept going. It has happened to me before that any given day I don't feel like running but  I drag myself out  and end up having my best runs.  So I'm not one that gives up on a run that easy. 

Half way in my run I saw a group of 20 senior citizens who were about to start their run. Now, that made me pick up my pace and consider stop whining. Then the first one passed me and I was back in my crappy run mindset. Then a group of three passed me by.

At the 10K mark I knew I had to stop. I couldn't go on with that pain in my hip and not because it was excruciating but because I knew pushing myself harder could end up in a serious injury. I was closer to my parents house than my apartment and it took me 20 minutes to get there. My Dad was excited to see me. He thought I was home early to have breakfast with them. I stretched and they were kind enough to drop me at my place.

I immediately grabbed the phone and talked to my friend who is not only a doctor (orthopedic) but an athlete too. I told him about my pain and from what I was able to describe him he thought it was muscular. I asked him to tell me if I should worry because I needed to cry it out before dropping by his office the next day. He said I shouldn't and prescribed me some rest. 

I want to be clear that the pain was not unbearable. But I thought I would rather be safe than sorry.

I called Heinz and told him what had happened. My voice broke as I was telling him the doctor had said I would have to step back on my training. He assured me I was going to do my marathon and that he would document our trip and make a cool video out of it (He is a director by the way). He made me smile.

On monday I went to see my friend the doctor and after an examination and a lot of anxiety (from me) his diagnose was a muscle strain on my abs which meant I would have to take one week off my training. WIth him being an athlete he understands what REST means (really means) to runners so he was quick to add that resting for some days didn't mean I would lose the endurance I have built up au contraire I could come back from this stronger.

We talked about my training. I wanted to know what had led to my strain. Most likely it was my speed work.

 

...I might have been doing it a little bit wrong....

 

In my training when something got particularly hard I would think to myself THAT is what training is supposed to feel like: hard. I received the -no wonder you got injured- kind of look. But he said a lot of people embrace that concept.

We had an amazing conversation about the concept of training. He said most people (referring to me of course) start training without consulting a doctor, specialist, expert. Injuries come when you demand your body something he is not ready for. Thus the word training. 

Side note: At that moment I realized that doctors not only do your physical check up but also guide you through future processes. In runners case what to do best, what to avoid, etc. Maybe we tend to associate them with diagnosis (I least I did) and less with process. 

Back to training.

He said the right approach to training is preparation. After a training session I should end up feeling like I could run more. It is in a race were  you do give it all you have. 

Note to self: giving my 100% can result in an injury.

He recalled a quote he heard (just couldn't remember where) about training to race instead of racing to train. I'm all about motivational quotes! How come I had not heard that one before?!

He prescribed some anti-inflammatory and a series of therapies that I am starting today. 

I know the question on your mind right now is..what I am going to do with a WEEK on my hands? (who says I can't read minds?) Coincidentally that was the first questions that popped into my mind. My doctor said I could swim, some stationary bike would be ok, yoga of course and even do some weight lifting which by the way I had been neglecting due to my on going love affair with yoga.

And -he added- since I was already there and now had that extra -no training- time I could...run...A BLOOD TEST. Faint.

I'm weird about needles, blood and hospitals in general. I believe everything associated with those three words is about pain, suffering and PAIN.

I had been indefinitely postponing the pre-marathon check up but since I had not been responsible with my preparation so far -injury as evidence- I decided to make it up to my body by running not only the blood test but also an electrocardiogram. 

 I left the doctors office with a bunch of papers, 5 therapy dates, a blood test and a new concept. I was relieved that my pain wasn't something serious but I wasn't jumping up and down either.

 Tuesday I swam and went to yoga. Wednesday I went to the the gym.

Yesterday I was decided to rest from any athletic activity and finally get my tests. Lord oh Lord! I ran some errands before and my hands were sweaty at all times. I really DON'T LIKE needles. My friends think it's funny because I freak out apparently in a very amusing way.

It took me literally two minutes! and it was over.  That wasn't so bad I thought. Then I called Heinz to tell him I had just had the test and he asked me why I went alone!! See!...people do know that I can't handle those situations well. 

Beware...electrocardiogram you are next. 

Now the ECG is not painful at all. What could be painful are the results. What if I had something? what if my heart is not ok? what if I was diagnosed with some condition and I was never allowed to run AGAIN  EVER  ? - all painful-

I went to the doctor and he ran the test. 

And now the best part of my day, week, year!

He looked at the results and then asked...are you an athlete?

-Ruth lost control of herself-

YES! why do you ask? I said in a very high pitch voice

Your BPM's  are on the slow end of normal. You have a rate of 60 BPM and that happens when you have what is called -athlete's heart-

Was I dreaming? Was this happening? Was I officially an athlete? was I -Ruth the non-sporty girl- officially a runner?

According to my heart I am.

I never thought a visit to the doctor could leave me so full of joy. I never imagined that in my week off training I would discover that I am officially -psychically- an athlete.

The doctor was super cool. He is into sports too! He said the best thing you can do for your heart is sports.

I know Doc, I know.

I took my athlete's heart out of his office and called my dad. He has been pushy about me getting the tests done. I told him the news and he was as excited -if not more- as me. I called Heinz and he thought we should celebrate -Gotta love that guy-

With all this going on I want to be  -or at least try to be- more conscious of all the life changes my training is putting me through. I decided to break them down into three parts:

Physically.

• My body is not the same. I am leaner but not skinnier. I haven't lost any weight on the contrary, with all those carbs I am fueling with I have -I think- gained weight. I haven't weighted myself since training started because I don't want to obsess about it. 
• My feet. Disgusting. I try to get a pedicure every 15 days but the nail polish chips every two days! I have hard spots on my toes and now I am beginning to tape them because they are showing more and I don't want them to get any bigger!!!!!!!!!

• Body smell. Beyond the word disgusting. Luckily it's only after I work out. I asked Heinz to describe it (I'm sick I know) and he used the word: acid. And that is all I have to say about that.

• Food. Yes please. At the beginning I was much more out of control. Now the cravings have stopped. I was into ice cream not so long ago but now I've decided that for the rest of my training I will not have more than a cup every now and then if I have some at all. I don't let myself get hungry. I eat breakfast at around 8:00 AM and then snack at 10:30 even if I'm not hungry. I drink a lot of water and then have lunch, snack again -maybe a banana-  and dinner no later than 7.30 PM. I started to take fish oil supplements in addition to my multivitamins.

• Sleep. I go to bed early now. By 10:30 I am sleepy by 11:00 I am most likely in bed.

 

Mind

• I am more confident. A lot more confident. 
• I am learning to adapt. 
• I am more focused.

 

Heinz

Training for a marathon takes a toll on your partner. Specially if you live together.

I can tell he gets a little annoyed about me not wanting to go out, eat out, stay up late, etc. 

Most of the time I am tired. I am normally this happy, up-beat girl but lately I have been the -everything hurts- girl. Not fun. Plus the ugly feet and stinky smell. Yes...sexy.

If I could describe Heinz's participation in my training it would be Best Supporting Role. I used to give him a hard time because he is -let's say- a man of few words while me... I am ALL about talking. Talking about everything. He is not.

I would translate his silence into him being careless.

Now with this training I have felt him right next to me. Every step. He does not care at all about running and sometimes makes funny remarks or questions -he really doesn't have a clue- but he seems interested and that is enough for me.

 

So far my athlete's heart is happy and loving every step of the training. I feel that even when I am not running I am still steping forward.

 

***

PS. If you feel like you want to ask a question to my friend the athlete/doctor feel free to contact him. He won't give you a hard time for pushing yourself too hard his got an athletes approach. He even helped me adjust my training plan. 

 

 

 

Broiling enthusiast

Well...I am going through a minor set back in my training. I can talk about it today because now I know it's something that I can come back from stronger. I am in the process of accepting that I have to take one week off and rest. Sigh.

Give me some time to digest and then we'll discuss it. All I can say for now is that rest is definitely something runners don't handle very well.

On the -being happy and eating healthy- side....yesterday's left overs are today's treasure! Lunch today was particularly delicious. I love to broil. I just do. I broil everything! Maybe it's because of the slow cooking method but vegetables seem to be tastier when broiled. One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE is broiled snow peas. Simply delicious!

 
before & after

Toss some snow peas in a broiling pan, add a bit of salt and a little drip of olive oil. Give them 15 minutes in the oven and they are done! I love when I get the brown ones they are so crunchy! Heinz has seen me eat tons of them when I cook them I simply LOVE them.

I had broiled snow peas with a buffalo burger on the side. I can't say the snow peas were my side dish that would be just lying.

 

For the burger I used yesterday's buffalo chicken left overs and I added some low fat cream cheese.

 

To top off my day Heinz came home from work earlier than expected and completely surprised me. We had dinner together and my day was complete. 

Today I am thankful that I can rest from training for a week, I am thankful for left overs, I am thankful for dinners with hubby and finally I am thankful for bold statements.

 

 

recap wrap up with a healthy burger on the side

After sharing my friends stories here is a recap of the the recaps! I take so much from what my two friends Linda & Monica had to say on running and racing and I wanted to share some thoughts that got stuck with my this week.

• Running is not only about getting out the door. Running is about believing in yourself. Believing that your body is able to commit to a process that is not going to be easy -it is enjoyable (most of the time)- but not easy. Running or working out is a decision you make every day.

 

• Adapting. Our lives are not a static line of unmovable events. We might think we have it all planned out when all of a sudden we realize there are unexpected things that won´t allow us to keep a routine. Note to self: It´s ok.  What to do? Adapt. How? Always carry your running clothes, be ready for an impromptu work out session. Not enough time for a 10K run? do 20min of speed training.

 

• Surround yourself with positive energy but most important with positive PEOPLE. There is nothing like having a great support system in friends that enjoy your same attitude and life style. I´ve got a run planned for tomorrow and only a true friend -and runner- is up for a 23K run on a saturday morning.

 

• First the mind, then the body. EVERYBODY  deals with runner's confidence. Train your mind too. Listen to your body, acknowledge when you are feeling strong and keep that feeling with you for those "down moments"

 

Andddd to wrap the wrap up here is my version of a yummie burger I made last week.

 Ok, they are not your usual burger -or maybe they're not even burgers at all- but it helps to know I ate a "burger" once in a while.

I used a whole wheat bagel and a mix of shredded chicken breast, ricotta cheese and spinach. As easy as that. I had mine with edamame and Heinz had his with some cucumber sticks.

If anyone cares to give it a try please drop me a line to tell me how you liked them.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I am walking funny today"

I have a friend and her name is Linda. I could make a whole blog of stories featuring this girl! It's hard to explain what she means to me because she is like a sister. She is the kind of friend that visited my parents when I was living in Spain, the kind of friend you call and shows up immediately, the go-to-girl to have an awesome night out -such as this one- and the kind of girl who will simply brighten up your day with her loud laugh and funny comments on life.

We are both LEO by the way! I'm not a horoscope person but it is a fun fact to know.

 
 
1. Linda & me circa 2005. 2.On our graduation day and yes, that is Heinz (we had just started dating then). 3. At a wedding and 4. later that same day fighting over the microphone at the wedding reception -we tend to do that-.

She ran her first half marathon on sunday and these are her words on running and the race. 

 

***

 

I started running approximately a year ago. It will be a year this June! One of the main reason I started was friendship. Some of my friends had started running and I kept listening about their joys, accomplishments, falling down stories and the truth is I felt left out but a part of me absolutely refused to run...because I was NOT the type of person that would get up early! and I like to point out the past tense "was" because now I am! I wake up early five days a week and some times even weekends. I hated waking up early because I simply love to sleep! The first days I started running my family was amazed and even made funny faces because just like Ruth I was never the sporty one in my family (I have a brother who was a swimming champion while I never played anything)

One day after giving it a lot of thought -and after many running invitations from Ruth and my friends- I realized running made them happy. By that time I was going through complicated issues with my job. I was stressed out all the time, moody, grumpy and snapping at everybody. Work saturation, love disappointments (and I laugh but it's true) were not doing me any good so I decided I would change my life. I told myself I had to fight my sadness, fatigue, anger and frustrations by doing something positive for me. I had to run.

-Hey! After all running is for free! Well relatively speaking because there are no memberships to pay but I did have to "invest" in cute outfits so I could feel good AND look good-

The point is I decided to run for myself. The first time I ran I fell in love. I felt full of energy for the entire day. I was filled with adrenaline, happiness and my problems were still there but the difference was the way I saw them. I stopped being so annoying to me and my friends -I know I irritated them with my whining stage and for that I am sorry :) - Running is good for me. I see things differently now. The sunrises, feeling alive, knowing I am moving forward. That is what makes me get up early everyday.

What I like most about running is filling my eyes with the spectacular sunrises we have in our country, the endless running talks and obviously those toned up legs!!!! I love them! I love all the comments I am getting from both men and women - ok ...mostly men-

I decided to run a Half Marathon because I like challenges. I like to overcome limitations and it is inspiring to feel that  every time I started running I could push myself a bit harder. The Half Marathon was this year's challenge! I was nervous -of course I was!- my family was worried to! But I loved it. Setting a goal and reaching it is what encouraged me and also -I can't leave my friends out of this- Ruth and our running "coach" Mema played a huge part in encouraging me. I admire Mema because she is really tough and she taught me not to give up, she told me everything was in my  head and to keep running even if my legs didn't want to. They both believed in me and motivated me to run the race.

With a strong will  many would say I am hard to mold but I listen and I like to learn. On race day I followed Ruth and Mema's advice to start slow and save up energy. There were moments I knew I could step it up -like downhills- but I mainly kept my pace. I didn't want to give out everything on the first part, I hydrated on the water stations and wet my head to fight the heat. Around 14K I felt I was dragging my legs but I also felt at this point I was running on auto pilot. I passed some runners and this pumped my energy. I kept repeating to myself "You can do this Linda Castellanos" -together with a salvadorean expression that is hard to translate but just so you get the idea the word balls is included-.  I tried to enjoy the view on the streets and our runners unfriendly culture! The cars had no respect for us! 

 

That's us almost getting run over  by the 15K mark.

 

When it got particularly hard I remembered my dad's words: The determination, tenacity and effort you have put in your training and this race makes me feel proud of you. I didn't get the best time in the race -I finished at 2h40- but the pride I feel of having my dad tell me this makes me feel accomplished. Getting to the finish line and have my friends supporting me with a huge smile made my race complete.

 

 

The day after the race - I can say - everything hurts! Even my hair. My legs are sore and I am walking funny today but I am happy and proud. I am even tired of describing the route! every body keeps asking me to describe the route of the race. It helps that my friends and my family have showered me with compliments today.

Looking back on my training I will definitely include more sprints and speed training next time. I have to work on my breathing and I need endurance. I would like to improve my times for next year's race and try to cut down time from my long runs.

What I learned from my training was not to go crazy on the long runs. You have to built it up little by little. I reached 8K and built a base in that distance. I increased millage little by little from 2 to 3 kilometers each time ending with a final 17K run I did with Ruth and Mema the weekend before the race.  I ran 3 days a week and did some bicycle 2 times a week. I did one session of speed training and the week before the race I only went out twice in the bicycle. Regarding my diet I try to eat healthy every day regardless of the training and before the race I took some fluid supplements which helped me a lot.

Looking back at my training I can say speed training was particularly hard and also the final part of the runs. At the end I feel tired and it made me slow down my pace. The sun and the heat are tricky factors as well and is hard to learn how to handle them.

What I would like to say to people who see a half marathon as an unreachable goal is to -first of all- believe in yourself. That is your first goal. You have to surround yourself with positive thoughts and positive people (like my friends Ruth and Mema) who will support and contribute to your goals. These type of people will help you feel better!

If you've decided to run you have to know there will be days you'll want to quit, give up, stay in bed and there are also injuries -I had one- but it is important to keep positive, learn, work, repeat, read, embrace there are things you can do and some you simply can't. Set up goals and clear objectives.

Being determined and establishing a discipline helps improve your environment but most important it improves how you feel about yourself and those around you.

 

Being a mom and a runner. A mom's race recap.

Running has changed my life -I've said it a couple of times- but I want to share not only my story but also stories of those around me who have also found in running a life challenge.

 

One of my VERY best friends is Monica. She just had a baby -and by just I mean 5 months ago!-. She is a determined, supportive, strong, some times stubborn woman that I am proud to call my friend. 

 

I asked her to share some of her experience with running after becoming a mom because I can't imagine being able to juggle the life of a new mom AND working out. I asked her to do a little introduction and then I sent her a set of questions about being a runner and a mom.

 

***

 

Hi everyone! My name is Monica and I am about to turn 30. The truth is I am really excited about turning 30! I also love the idea of sharing a little bit of my experience of running after becoming a mom. I have a 5 month old baby and it has been a challenge to get back to the fitness world.

 

I consider myself as someone who has always had an active life in terms of exercise. I would go to the gym, spinning classes, lift weights, do aerobics and even went to dance classes (though not my thing)  but two years ago I became curious about running as two of my friends would go out and run. I was fearful because - you see - traffic in El Salvador can be a little let's say..."complicated". There are a few places such as parks where you can go and exercise therefore people that go out to run have to do it on the streets or main roads where there are no special trails or tracks for runners like in other countries.

 

My friends -Ruth and Mema- went out at 5:15 AM and one day I decided to go with them because -as I told them- treadmill at the gym was boring and I wanted to try going out on the street. Let me tell you that I loved it! It was one of the best experiences! the air, the sunrise, the chilly weather at that time it all made running fun let alone going out with two of my friends -and Mike, one of my husband's friend  "looked out for us" on our route-. We ran three times a week around 8K each time.

 

I love the feeling of charging myself with positive energy when I run. I relax and I love to feel that my body is active aside from the stress release you get from working out.

 

• How long did it take you to start working out after your baby was born?

Two months after Anya was born I was encouraged to participate in a race. There was a 5K and 10K option and I obviously took up the 5K. I went with the mentality of not over demanding myself because I have had a c-section two months before. To my own amazement I was able to finish the 5K. As a fun fact I was carrying a 5$ bill in my shoe just in case I had drop out and ask for a phone somewhere so I could call my husband and ask him to pick me up or call a cab to take me home. From those 5K the most difficult part were hills as I had lost my endurance. During my pregnancy all I did -and not that often- was to walk on the treadmill.

 

• How have you managed to incorporate exercise, running and a balanced diet to your life as a mom? What has been particularly difficult?

Being motivated is all in the mind. You have to motivate and encourage yourself to work out! because babies -as we all know- wake up several times in the morning and that is tiring. Ruth encouraged me a lot to work out and I started swimming and jogging on the treadmill. I squeezed some workout when the baby slept and I had to adapt to the time the baby would allow me to do it; sometimes it would be 20 minutes or 40 and even 1 hour.

 

A balanced diet is extremely important not only to loose the baby weight but also to feel good with your body. During my pregnancy I gained 35 pounds even though the doctor told me I should only gain between 20 and 25. Imagine how I felt when I realized I had gain 35, nothing fit me! I used leggings all the time and even had to borrow some "loose" shirts from my aunt because mine wouldn't fit. 

 

You have to look at everything from the bright side; my daughter was diagnosed with lactose intolerance just two months after being born and if I wanted to continue breastfeeding her that meant I couldn't eat any dairy. I embraced it and I think this was -in a big part- what helped me reach my pre-baby weight. I relied on healthy carbs like whole wheat bread, pita bread, rice and potato. I didn't have any kind of desserts because most of them have dairy in them. It was hard at the beginning and I regretted everything I couldn't eat but in about 20 days I acknowledge this was what my diet was going to be plus I started to lose weight with every week.

 

• How has it been to stay motivated to run?

It has been easy to stay motivated but hard to make the body react. Having a baby means being sleep deprived and during the day a baby is a 24/7 demanding job. There are no relaxing moments unless the baby is asleep and that is when you take a nap or run some errands.

 

• Why did you decide to do this race?

Races are goals, goals you have to achieve in order to feel all the effort has payed off. That is how I look at it. Thanks to my husband and friends support I decided to do it. I was a little scared I was not going to make it to the finish line but as I said it's all in your mind, you have to be positive and be willing to achieve your goals.

 

• How did you train for this race?

I would have liked to train more but time didn't allow it. I ran 5K and 9K before the race and those last 9K were the ones that gave me the confidence that I was going to make the 11K at the race.

 

• What was the hardest part in the race and what did you like the most?

The most difficult were the hills because I have lost my endurance, I have to train to run them better. There weren't too many hills in the 11K  race but after running one I would feel tired. I kept my own pace and a positive mind that I was going to finish. What I liked the most was to see my daughter and my husband waiting for me at the finish line...that moment will be unforgettable!

 

• What is your next running related goal?

Since I couldn't do the 21K this time I want to keep training so I will be able to run them shortly. I am lucky enough that Ruth is training for a marathon so I can run them with her.

 

• Do you have any advice for those who have recently become a mom and are struggling to incorporate exercise in their routine?

A positive mind. It's all in your head. You have to feel motivated and have the drive to achieve something in order to fulfil it. I personally feel you shouldn't demand your body more than it can give because with a baby you normally are tired but if you want to, you will find the way and the moments to work out.