Half Marathon Drop Out?

Well...I cannot get past 7 miles. No matter how much training I do, my body, particularly my right hip is resisting every effort to get past 7 miles. Am I destined to be a 10k runner for eternity? Did I rush into long distance running? Not allowing my muscles and body to get acclimated to the thunderous pounding of the pavement?

These are questions I have asked myself for the past 3 weeks. My body gave out the weekend I decided to go to Hilton Head. I thought the change of scenery would be helpful and decided that weekend I would run 7.5 miles on Hilton Head Island. I started out great....my time was excellent. 5 mile in to it I got my rhythm down seamlessly then at the 6th mile, my hip started throbbing. I walked another half of mile and then decided to stop. I ended the remainder of my day laying on the beach and swimming so my hip and leg would not stiffen up.

The next weekend I had to take the Girl Scout Troop to Isle of Palm for their end of the year event. The girls and I had a great weekend. I was a bit sad, because I decided a few weeks back not to return as their leader and I had to tell them. They took it in stride as all teenagers do. I think my time spent with them made me realize that I had some unfinished goals that I needed to focus on. I did not run, but I tried to run that following Monday....same issue but worse. But I was not deterred, nor was a sad. I decided to just start over. I would not continue doing the half marathon program. I decided to focus on my diet and just start running from scratch doing the basic training for a 10k all over again.

As I have been running my basic training session, I had been contemplating changing my diet completely. My friend Nicole has been a raw foodist for about 2 years now and has been touting the benefits of eating raw. I can say she did lose an amazing amount of weight and just glows with positivity. Her old insecurities and other issues seem to have dissipated with her new diet. About 1 years ago I drove to Atlanta to her graduation from the Living Food Institute. I had not seen her in a year, after her move to Memphis and my move to Charlotte, our schedules were hectic, I was travelling and she was embarking on a new journey, changing her life style and was very excited about introducing me to program. I was my usual skeptical self on the drive down, I stayed with my Aunt Pat and jokingly told my Aunt and Uncle I could never give up meat! Before I headed over to see my good friend, I had a great rib dinner with my Aunt and Uncle.

When I saw Nicole I was floored, she was half the woman she used to be! She went from a 12-14 to a size 4-6! I was amazed. She was attending the Living Food Institute to learn how to continue the path of being a raw foodist in a healthier way. I must admit I was ready to sign up right then and there. Just based on her weight loss.... At the graduation we ate delectable dishes that were all organic vegetable and not cooked! I had a lasagna dish that I still crave!
So I brought some books, signed up for the email list for the Institutes emails and really contemplated doing this. Some how it got off my mind...and I was back on meat and my bad eating habits. When I started the 10k program, I started eating only vegetables, fish, poultry and some dairy. I did well..but I realized that food..well some food in particular hampered my running. So I tried cutting out more things, but as a confirmed foodie...it been hard.

Food has been my comfort for years...when I travel by myself, I pick restaurants as my travel gauge. Hell, I spent a few days in San Francisco and my whole trip was nothing but eating at restaurants and walking. I look at those photos and laugh...because I realized I am truly a foodie. I planned my activities based on what restaurants were near the museum, or attraction. Who does this? Foodies do it! I did this!

I want to live a long prosperous life and I am sorry...the beef industry, hot dog industry and a host of other unhealthy food industries may sue me...But eating certain foods make me sluggish and slothful. So I have to make a change. For me! So on June 22 I went to a raw food seminar given by Matt Monarch. While I was enlightened to the raw food movement for the second time in my life. I realized that either I had to quit cold turkey (excuse the pun!) to truly become a raw foodist or if I was going to work towards that, I would have to stay on the path to vegetarianism with more dedication and I needed to be more aware of my diet and not supplement my lack of pork, beef with more chicken.

So I have been chicken free for 2 weeks. It has been hard...really hard. I also started the first steps to a raw food diet, 1 day a week I eat only raw vegetables foods. Today I had about a 2 tablespoons of rice after not eating rice for a few weeks and I felt the difference. Now I need to educate myself on how certain foods work and react. Then I need to identify which ones do not work with my metabolism and eradicate them from my diet.

Next week I embark on my first trip as a ex foodie! I do realize I will have challenges, but I am going to do my best to stay on the path I have set. Stay tuned for my adventures....