Day #60
On Sunday 3/16/14 (yesterday) we ran the NYC ½ marathon (see pics above). It was an amazing experience! We ran around Central Park (with a dip into Harlem), through Times Square, down the West Side Highway and finished on Wall Street. We both did well, surprisingly well. We give a lot of credit to the weight management plan we are following.
Sean: I have run a few half marathons in the past but this race was my fastest! I ran 13.1 miles in 2:12:13. I credit my success to the weight management plan. The winter weather made training for the race very difficult, minus the recent Disney races I have not run more than 5 miles at one time since November. I am amazed how much nutrition and weight training has improved my overall performance.
Kristen: Going into Sunday’s race I was a little nervous because I hadn’t trained much. Sean, my sister and I had prepared our meals for the day before the race and our breakfast before the race. We pre-planned our meals to make sure that we were fueled to perform at the NYC Half. Starting the race I had a comfortable but slower pace, I knew that I needed to pace myself to reduce the risk of burning out at the end. To my surprise throughout the entire race I felt great!
Typically I stop at every water/aid station to fuel with water and/or a sports drink as I did at the NYC 1/2. Something I did differently: I did not take any energy supplements (GU, Clif bar, jelly bean sports beans, ect.), in the past I take at least one energy supplement per race.
I tend to hit a “wall” at mile 10 however the NYC Half was completely different! At mile 10 I was feeling great, I looked down at my watch and realized if I wanted to beat my personal best half marathon time. I knew it would not be easy but I told myself “You have to!”. I tried very hard but I missed my goal by just one minute! I was disappointed that I missed my PR (personal record) by only a minute but I learned so much in those last 3 miles:
– I could push myself further than I normally ever would. I tend to stay in a comfortable zone when I run and don’t usually push myself out of my comfort zone.
– I learned how important it is to properly fuel my body prior to a running event. I fueled my body all day Saturday and Sunday morning perfectly to give my body enough fuel to get me through 13.1 miles.
Day #60 Progress update:
We are learning that time and effort alone do not guarantee results. The type and duration of exercise and the quality and quantity of food can produce very different results. We continue to lose weight and lose inches but our progress has slowed recently. Our future goals involve learning how to balance nutrition/exercise and what is required to achieve our weight loss goals and improve our overall health.
Our goal this week:
Increase the amount of time we devote to our exercise routine.
Our plan this week :
Exercise at the gym for 45-60 min, 5 days this week. Weight training will make up 80% of our time at the gym.
***We still have openings available on our NMR team for the 5k Race to Wellness event. The event supports a few Somerset County non-profit organizations. This is a great opportunity to get some fresh air, start/continue an exercise routine AND give back to the community. You can register at: http://www.empowersomerset.com/5k-race-wellness/ Enter “NMR” in the school section of the form, then email LISA@NMRNJ.com to let us know what size NMR shirt you would like. ***
