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I am looking SO forward to the Fall. The cooler evenings and mornings lately have me getting excited for crunchy leaves, crisp breezes, pumpkins...all leading into the Holidays and my favorite time of year. I've been taking stock of my summer, and getting my fall goals in order...a couple 5K's, a 5-mile road race, and maybe learning to snowshoe if we get enough snow this year. What about y'all?
I found this calorie-counting tool today on Livestrong.com, a website that boasts the cycling legend's namesake and covers an amazing array of medical, sports, and lifestyle information. I used their free tools to calculate my BMI, my BMR, and my suggested daily calorie intake based on my age, weight, and self-proclaimed activity level. My concern is that this easy-to-access and -use tool may end up causing more damage than it does good.
I have a friend who is in great physical shape. They run, swim, bike, hike, lift weights, and watch what they eat. They have what I'd personally refer to as a relatively well-rounded state of fitness as far as the physical body is concerned. As for mental fitness, though, I'd consider them to be in a Danger Zone of scary and possibly destructive negativity, and operating a self-image that borders on self-loathing. What worries me the most is how often I myself find myself in a Danger Zone of mental space, and how to stop the spiral of negativity before it starts.
If you ask any athlete- casual to elite- where the line is between pushing too hard and not giving enough effort, they are likely to tell you it is extremely fine. This minute boundary between injury and victory often torments me, and does so especially now, as I enter into even more uncharted territory with running, my health, and a state of grace.
A few posts ago I shared my experience with what initially presented itself as heat exhaustion. I vowed that weekend to never race again without being properly hydrated- but this past Sunday I got sick again, and left me questioning how much water, exactly, do I need? And if hydration isn't the root of the problem, what is?
After last Sunday's experience with heat stroke, I began my weekly workout schedule tentatively, taking extra care to hydrate, eat, and sleep adequately. I did a short run on Tuesday morning and felt good, considering the past days' events, and when I saw my time I felt even better- I had beat my fastest 3-mile time by almost a minute! I was elated, and called to brag to my husband at work. It wasn't until I got online to brag to my FaceBook running buddies that the floor of my accomplishment fell out from under me.
