Times Like These

"It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again..."

I figured it was appropriate to start this entry with a Foo Fighters song for two reasons. The current circumstances of probably every one of us are totally off schedule and we're learning to adjust to a (hopefully) temporary normal. The second being that I had tickets to their upcoming 25th-anniversary tour and it's been postponed until December. That really put an imaginary dagger in my heart but it's definitely for the best. 

Before we go way into that rabbit hole, let's glance over how training was last week. Strides were the magic word for week three and I loved every minute of it. It's been quite some time since I've done an actual prescribed workout of any type of help with speed or drills. When my coach put it on the schedule, I was so amped up! Strides aren't anything long but to really get your legs fired up for those short bursts just feels so good. Here's a clip from Friday's run which was probably the most consistent, pace-wise.  

We had a real s-show of weather during the week. It rained for roughly four days. Wednesday (3/11) was met with some light drizzle, to begin with, followed by a downpour as I got halfway into my strides and drills. I don't have access to a treadmill anymore so not going out isn't an option anymore unless I opt for biking instead. You never know what race day will bring. Don't be afraid of a little weather. 

I started week 2 of the Argentina series on my bike. This endurance ride was quite the challenge and boy did my legs start talking to me. Once you finish those last few minutes before the cooldown, it's like that fire just grows and grows! It's definitely been a great compliment to my running.

So yeah, about this crisis we're living through right now. Crazy, ain't it? I've seen some majorly disappointed people on the internet after races getting postponed and canceled. I mean we're talking major races, people. Boston, London, even the Barkley Marathon! While my race wasn't scheduled until May 2nd, I wasn't really holding my breath. Sunday, our governor put out a statement of limiting groups to 50 people or less. "Well, it's only a matter of time now," I said to myself. Sure enough. Sunday evening, I received word that my race has been postponed. Now, last year I dealt with my first deferment but this is totally different. While at that very moment I felt super upset/sad, I quickly shifted gears. This is for the better. I've definitely learned that you can't think of yourself in these moments of bad news after bad news. I texted my coach and told her I'll keep training and I'll run on my own on May 2nd if I have to. They are offering a virtual option so that's what we'll do. The actual in-person race did get rescheduled to July but twelve hours in that summer heat? I'm not about that. We'll still carry on and break so many barriers! 

We have a joke in our house right now and the saying goes, "Covid-19 is sponsored by Amy's". 

Amy's is really the only "premade" food I buy. That pizza is SUPER good, especially if you throw some vegan feta on it. The Indian-flavor burrito is my new favorite. I stopped doing my full grocery shopping in the store a while ago and now do delivery with Amazon Prime but decided to make a trip last Friday to Whole Foods myself. The cashier asked me if this was "doomsday prep" and I said, "Nope. This is a typical day!". She laughed. I don't believe in keeping major access amounts of food in your home. I never understood why people had pantries full of crap all the time but never ate any of it. I also hate the thought of wasting food. If you come to look at my fridge on Friday's, it's typically empty minus some beer or other beverages. Did I grab a few extra things that I otherwise wouldn't this time around? Guilty. But, trust me. We'll eat it all. As a runner, my metabolism works like a stage 4 Audi S6. You probably don't know what that means but it's a super-fast car. Just because we're being told to stay home doesn't mean you can't eat like a normal human being. I still have plenty of produce and am still eating my normal staples every day: oatmeal, almond butter toast, this new shake recipe that's THE BOMB. 

Yep, that's a quality picture I took with my phone of a YouTube video so I could remember it. I know, please give me an A for effort. Paula Findlay shared it and I don't know when I'll make something different because it's been super refreshing after my workouts. Side note: the word 'triathlon' keeps toying in my head. Future endeavor? 

I will share a tea recipe I tried today. In the midst of all of this sickness going around, you better be keeping up on that immune system. If you don't eat like an idiot all of the time, hydrate, and maybe get a little movement in, you'd be surprised how much you can fight off. I've incorporated turmeric into my daily diet almost every single day in the past 6 months or so. It's a great anti-inflammatory! I buy the actual root of it but you can also buy the pre-ground stuff in the spices section at your local store. A little goes a long way. I just throw mine in smoothies most of the time and add in a little pepper. That aids in the absorption of turmeric. I recently found this tea recipe and had been wanting to try it. I'm big into herbal teas and it's pretty great! 

It's super easy to make. You just need a lemon, ginger, turmeric, and a dash of cayenne or pepper. Heat it up, strain it, and voila, you have tea. Super easy, super cheap. I'll link the real recipe here. 

Well, for now, we carry on. I hope you do too.