AMA 4 and buddies

Today I was a slacker. My buddies Sophia and Michelle were running 16 K today, and I weenied out. 14.24 K yesterday isn't really an excuse, not for the hard core.

They headed off for their run from Eau Claire, and I settled into one of the semi-comfey chairs where the wifi hotspot USED to be. Lots of progress made on the book with no distractions other than the homeless guy that plopped into the next chair, stinking of tobacco.

They came back in good time and we settled into Good Earth for a wonderful chat. Not just running, but all sorts of things. It made me think about buddies a bit. Sophia I've known for years, long before social media was popular with adults, and while it's possible I could meet Michelle at a local event, it's not terribly likely. So many people and all. But there are a ton of people I've got to know through social media. Lately it's been through that mega-social butterfly Cori, though she's been buried in stuff this season.

Here's a couple shots from our meet up today. Linda insists, INSISTS I include the shot of me looking like a madman. Michelle's finger was nowhere near the button, and I hadn't realized she set it go go off automatically.

That first one is best, I think, though that last one is pretty good too. I forget who took that one.

Did you notice the change on the pages section for the Novel Snippets? Scroll down to under the followers section of my sidebar. You can now get all the snippets in one place, and in order, even. Once I'm done with the AMA I will add them there too. I might take out the follower thing, since that hasn't changed in a year or more. I think people have other ways of following blogs now.

Speaking of which, did you see the article on alternatives to Wordpress and Blogger? There's a couple of them I'll be checking out.

No run for me today, just a bit of stretching this morning and perhaps I'll get down for some core tonight.

AMA!
FineFettle (Michelle C.) had lots of questions. Here's another.
AMA: What is your favourite healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks when you are training for something?

One of my all time favourite foods, any meal, any time of day, is a peanut butter and honey sandwich. But it's more complex than that. Organic peanut butter, the Coop Gold brand is good, and I sometimes sprinkle some extra peanuts in. Organic crystalized honey is best, though creamy is good too. Fresh whole wheat bread. An organic banana. All with milk, and chocolate chip cookies after. Or maybe a few chocolate chips sprinkled on the peanut butter.

Breakfast is usually granola with several kinds of nuts and fruit on top, sometimes mixed with yogurt.
Lunch could be anything, from nothing, to a full meal. Supper is the same. Linda is a good cook. Go back through my blog, I talk lots about food, though I haven't got a label specifically for food photos. Maybe I should do that. In my copious free time.

I don't eat any differently when I'm training. I figure a good diet is good for regular life and for training. Maybe the calorie count goes up during training, as I'm a bit more likely to snarf more cookies as recovery food. I'm a big believer in cookies as recovery food. I am very fortunate to not have any food allergies, or any other issues that restrict what I eat.

When I wasn't working much that one year we saved a ton of money by not eating out much. We spent perhaps a bit more than we used to by getting good quality food, with lots more of it being organic and local. We love the farmer's markets. After the XL beef scare I eat very, very little commercial beef in any form. My red meat is local bison or lamb. The chicken we get tastes amazing by itself and roasted with veggies in a hand made pottery dish, it is out of the world! Now going out to eat is a rare occasion, since we can eat better at home for far less money.

Plus, I have this odd aversion to buying dinner with the wine. There are two parts of that. Wine is very expensive in a restaurant, with a bottle costing $30 to $40 being very common, and frankly, some of it doesn't taste as good as my wine. At that price it's a whole other entree. Plus there is the whole driving home thing. One drink, and I'll drive. Two drinks, over the course of an evening with a meal, and I'll drive unless I'm tired. I won't drive on three drinks at all.

One of my big worries before Ironman was eating something that would disagree with me. Normally I've got a cast iron tummy (except for brussels sprouts, and some other green veggies), but after more than year of working towards one big day, I didn't want it derailed by something avoidable. We shopped and ate much like we do at home, though there was this amazing Okanagan salsa that was tres yummy.

An anonymous question
"How did you get over the disapproving looks from people when you were big and started working out? How did you go out in public in spandex?"

Several parts to this. Mainly, I didn't give a shit what other people thought of how I looked. I still don't. I was there for me, not for some imaginary fashion show. I knew I was big, and there was lots of jiggle, and there is still more than I'd like. I'm working on it, and will be working on it the rest of my life. More activity is one of the key ways of dealing with it. There is no practical way of hiding the jiggle, or disguising it. Don't waste your time trying. Wear the clothes appropriate to the activity, that fit you now, and get out there. You'll need a smaller size sooner than you think.

Other people aren't looking anyways. Mostly they are focussed on their own workout. If they're really noticing you, then they're posers. Anyone that mocks you has just proved they are a jerk, and unworthy of your company.

Even if other people are looking, do you know what they're saying? They're saying, "Good for you. Stick with it." Yes, you're slow, and you're feeling very conspicuous. Been there, done that. Still slow, and that 'stache is very conspicuous. Stick with it. You'll make new friends that will accept and encourage you.

Get out there and do it. Stick with it. I can't say that enough. Don't be afraid to ask others how best to fit in, where the lane for your speed is. Know your numbers and do not be afraid or ashamed to say I swim an xxx 100 m, or I run a xxx Km pace. Movement at any pace is better than an ass parked on a couch. In a group activity the leader should help you find someone about your pace. If you can't cope with part of the workout, do what you can.

It doesn't matter if you're the slowest. Don't think about that. Just get out there. Slowest is infinitely  better than not starting. Next week, next month, next year, if you keep at it, someone else will be slower, and you can pay it forward by helping them.

They people you'll see out there being active, the people in your spin class, the people you see at the pool, the people in yoga, whatever, they won't judge you for what you're wearing (unless you wear that suit past the see-through bottom stage) or for being big. Many of us have been there. They won't judge you for being slow, or clumsy, or new. Almost all of us have been there. They won't judge you if you have to dial back because of aches or pains or minor injuries. That happens to everybody sooner or later. But they will judge you if you quit.

That saying you may have heard, "Pride is forever." They aren't kidding. Whether it's the first time you run 5 K without stopping, or your first Ironman. It doesn't matter. You did it, and you can be proud of yourself. Nobody can ever take that from you. Now get out there and go do it.