Thursday, September 24, 2009

A Few Things I've Learned This Week...

A few things that I have learned this week are:
  1. It's hard as hell to exercise for a decent amount of time when it is hot as hell outside and the air quality is horrible due to fires. Southern California is having a HOT HOT HOT spell this week. Today I went out walking at 8:30 a.m. and I couldn't even last an hour because it started getting hot. I tried to walk again in the evening around 7:45 and also didn't last very long because it seemed like it was still over 90 degrees. I suppose that it is due to these types of situations that I should renew my gym membership, or have some sort of indoor video exercise.
  2. It's also hard as hell to try on walking and running shoes. Lately I have been having a hard time walking because my right foot has been killing me and I know that it has to do with the way that my feet slant. I went to numerous shoe stores looking for information on each of the shoes: which shoes have extra cushioning, which shoes are better for flat feet, which shoes are better for people who are inclined to slant their feet, etc. Nothing-no info. During my research online, many experts stated that it would be better to go to an actual running store because people have more of an expertise. Next time I will drive the extra 45 minutes to an actual running shoe store, because the mainstream sporting good stores just aren't cutting it with me. Nonetheless, I still bought some cute Nike shoes!
  3. Japanese food can fill you up and it's very nutritional. Not to mention so much fun sitting at a sushi bar and watching them make the rolls. Tonight I popped into a sushi bar and had a cup of miso soup, edamame, a california roll and an avocado roll. I feel so full, but not too overly stuffed! I came home tonight and was pleasantly surprised that the soup, sushi and edamame is relatively low in fat and high in fiber and protein. Yum. I'm going to have to study the Japanese diet a little more.
  4. Stress can seriously wreck havoc on your body and make you feel as if you are sick. I've been complaining for a while that I have no energy, despite the fact that I have been exercising and trying to eat better. Well, I've been on vacation for almost an entire week and just today I actually started feeling physically better. I'm suspecting that the stress from work might be what is actually making me feel like crap. I am going to have to learn to manage this better.
  5. I need serious help if I am going to walk that Honolulu marathon in December. I need help getting me both physically and mentally prepared for the walk. On Monday I was walking for over and hour and I was mentally having a really hard time with it--every street that I came upon I thought to myself, "Is this my last street?" I literally thought I couldn't make it. It wasn't so much that I was physically tired, but I was just mentally having a hard time getting into it. I have heard this about people who are in marathons-that there are certain points on the trail that it becomes so much more about the mental aspect of finishing than the physical aspect of it.
That's it for now! Have a nice Friday!

3 comments:

  1. #4 is so true!! Stress does terrible terrible things to us. Thanks for the heads up on Japanese cuisine. I'll have to try it some time!

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  2. I know the humidity will get to me when I am walking. That is why I like to walk either early in the morning or late in the evening.

    I think you're right about going to a running shoe store for better information. Maybe you should call first with your questions to see if they truly are knowledgeable before you make the trip.

    I just can't do the raw fish thing though I do like Japanese cuisine but it has to be cooked. Many dishes are very healthy but as with anything else you need to be careful because there are those meals that are high in calories and fat.

    I agree with you 100% on the stress. Stress can lead to many health problems but not only that it brings you down mentally and physically.

    Good luck in your marathon goals. To keep from getting bored with your routine try taking a different route on your walk and doing some varied exercises.

    Hope you have a wonderful day. Take care.

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  3. I can't do the raw fish thing either! I don't really even like cooked fish. But there are so many veggie sushi rolls, like an avocado roll, cucumber roll, vegeterian california roll with imitation crab meat. The place that I went to identifies on the menu which has raw fish and which doesn't. I was really surprised to see how many rolls don't have any raw fish, or any fish at all for that matter!

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