Day 3193 —Finding a Reason to Keep Moving (with 100-mile Race Tips) —

Today was my last day for the study at the lab. I was a little disappointed because they didn't do my VO2 max again, just other metrics like jumping. However, it was good to see some of the other runners.

Some of the things Karolina noticed was that all the experienced ultra-runners did not lose any weight and we all had more water in our systems than before. The metabolic information suggested that I burn 2,000 calories a day doing nothing, but I ran over 100 miles and burned 12,163 calories and still maintained my weight. It doesn't make sense to me. 

As I was driving to work, I thought about how thankful I am that I never did something like this when I was younger. I am glad I have taken the time to get to know my body. Maybe it sounds abstract when I talk about listening to your body, but I mean it in the most concrete way. I know alcohol is bad for me because my body feels awful the next day. I know that meat is bad for me because it causes heart disease and chest pain. 

Strategies that work for me before the race:

1. Stretch

2. No caffeine

3. Eat clean, plant-based foods

4. Regular, light cardio workouts

Strategies that work for me after the race:

1. Stay awake the next day

2. Take an Epsom bath

3. Run

4. Stretch

I spent all day wishing I could just go run in my work clothes, but it was raining all day and I was busy working and having meetings. When I got home, I went for a short run and immediately felt better afterwards.

Sure, it was cold and raining and I didn’t have a lot of time before my class, so what? There is always a reason to not do something. But, that wasn’t about to stop me today.