Xena

I have a big race at the end of week 2. Despite not being in the best condition, I'm excited about the race. It's a trail 50K out in Washington State. I'm going to visit some really cool friends who used to live here. On my last thread @Mistr very kindly wished me a relaxing T'giving weekend. T'giving weekend won't be particularly relaxing, but I think this trip will be. I’m not going to include a running goal besides the race. It’s mostly taper, race, recover. Also, I’ve started working with a coach, so I need to feel that out. Then at the very end of this challenge I take off for a prolonged trip to the frozen far Southland. I'm not sure what kind of cardio training I'll be able to do. I'll have access to some kind of cardio machine, but I'm not sure exactly what or how available it will be. I'm using that time to maintain cardio fitness as best I can, but also to use it as a time of recovery and re-balancing. This challenge is about getting myself as healthy as I can in advance of the race and about starting that rebalancing. Eat like an athlete! I'll do whatever running training I can before the race, but focusing on diet is probably the biggest impact I can have. Nothing major, just geared toward general health and a bit of weight watching. I've recently switched to mostly vegetarian diet and want to track a little better how much I am actually putting on my plate. I may re-evaluate these criteria after my race, but this is what I'm doing for at least the first two weeks Track all meals that I prepare myself. Don't worry so much about meals out, they are frustrating to account for. Drink at least one liter of water every day. Drink alcohol (moderately) only on social occasions. Some kind of mobility work every day. I've got some good routines, focused mainly on my back and hips. Just want to make sure I do it and feel like I'm getting "credit" for it. Pushups! There will be a pushup goal. Honestly this is a vanity goal. I'll be working out in a small shared space, and I want to look strong :-) I'm going to ramp up a little during zero week and then figure out a target for this. Daily activity. My watch has a daily activity tracker. I have it set at the lowest level. I only have to think about it on days that I don't run. I need to make sure I get my heart rate up a little by walking, cross-training or whatever. I think this is a healthy thing to do and just takes a little bit of attention. I haven't quite figured out targets for these goals, but I'm going to reward myself with electronic music or kindle downloads. They will be much appreciated during the long trip!