Run Eat Repeat Instagram Q&A – April 21

How you motivated to run again after a year of no races and now he’s losing shape
Have you ever dealt with anemia while running for months?
Do I stop the water bottle to ensure that I drink more water?
What vitamins do you take? Supplements?
How did you learn to take rest days? Help!
Thoughts about nachos?

1. How to get motivated to run again after a year of no races and now lose your fitness

Acknowledge that you (and many other people) have been living through unprecedented times. It was difficult to go to the grocery store. It was difficult to go to the bathroom !! (Without TP)

And yes, it was hard to stay active and push yourself like you do when training for a race. What you did or did not do during the past year was in the past. Stay where you are today and move on.

5 tips to get you moving again:

Set a goal that you can achieve in 12 weeks or so. Write it down. [If you have a long term goal – write that too so you can think about the big picture.]
Decide how you will be responsible. [Register for a race or virtual race. Do it with a buddy. Reward yourself when you finish…]
Choose a plan that helps you achieve your goal. Make sure it is realistic for who you are today. Don’t use a plan you used in the past when you were better joggers.)
Start! Go run and run.
Focus on progress and celebrate every little victory.

2. Have you ever dealt with anemia while running for long months?

Not what I know, but I likely had a minor case or went through bouts of anemia when I was running longer distances. I have had some symptoms (fatigue, cold hands / feet, difficulty sleeping), but they are similar to the symptoms of hypothyroidism (which I have) so it could be.

I have a diet rich in all the foods and vitamins that they suggest to help prevent anemia, so maybe that was in my favor. Other factors – not running in my family and / or I’ve been using birth control for a long time that kept me from having my period so I wouldn’t turn into anemia? (I am not a doctor but an expert on red-haired Mexicans from Pico and these are my random thoughts on it.)

If you suffer from anemia – find out why. The anemia of endurance athletes is often caused by iron deficiency. But there’s a possibility it could be something else, so be sure to work with your doctor and a health coach or registered dietitian who specializes in working with athletes.

3. The best water bottle to ensure that I drink more water?

I use a 32 oz Nalgene water bottle. I used to have 48 ounces, but it was a monster to walk around. It didn’t fit in my purse, so I literally carried it like a big puppy everywhere I went.

4. What vitamins are you taking? Supplements?

Well … well, I … I … take a lot of vitamins and supplements. It’s kind of pricey compared to what I’ve been taking (a store-bought multivitamin for women), but I’ve done a lot of research on the best supplements and vitamins and which companies are the best for nutritional quality.

Thorn AM / PM Multivitamin – This is 3 PM and 3 AM, which required me to grab a jumbo pack of pills

Bioastin Astaxanthin I heard this was like taking a pill of sunscreen and bought a bottle right away. I love to run, but I don’t like being outside in the sun. I am very fair complexion, do not tan and burn easily (red hair problems). So even though I wear sunscreen, I think I must use a little extra help via this supplement. It also supports joint and eye health.

New Chapter Bone Strength This is a calcium supplement designed for higher absorption.

Bone Collagen –This helps increase bone collagen formation and is taken at the same time.

This is very important to me because after I broke my foot – I asked my doctor to send me for a bone density test (I think it was my friend who suggested this). My doctor agreed because we couldn’t really figure out why or how I broke my foot (it didn’t seem like it was running because I wasn’t training excessively, increasing distance or difficulty, etc.).

Well, it turns out I have osteopenia … which is wild because I don’t have any of the usual risk factors [White & Asian women, sedentary lifestyle, small frame, smoking, etc… – nope]! I’ve avoided looking at why / how it happened because I suspect it was due to a combination of my problems with food in the past and / or possibly the contraception I used in college.

In any case. It is very important that I help my bone density maintain its strength! So I settled my calcium supplement and also took collagen.

Melatonin – to help me sleep or I’ll try to stay up all night on Instagram and TikTok. But I only take 1 mg.

* Note: This is just what I take and not a recommendation. Check with your doctor before trying anything new.

5. How did you learn to take rest days? Help!

Rest days are not negotiable for the following reasons:

You want to avoid injury – you must give your body time to rest and recover. Not being able to run for 8 weeks (or more!) Sucks. Better get two days off a week for that! (Don’t learn this the hard way.)
You want to go faster – you have to give your body time to recover from your workouts. If you run every day, you really won’t be able to run on new legs and push yourself up during workouts. So, all “meh” exercises just won’t help you to perform to your full potential.
You don’t know better than your coach or your training plan – if you’ve been following a training plan, I’m sure it includes rest and recovery. This is in the plan because it is designed to push to work better / faster / stronger but this is a process (a process that requires recovery).

6. Thoughts about nachos?

Yes please!

If you have a question, ask! Send me a message directly on Instagram or like in the IG Stories box.