Cravings begin as early as a week before my start date. Of course, they are usually things that are not good for anyone (like super oily delicious neapolitan pizza, snickers ice cream bars, and crab rangoon -aka cream cheese wontons for you west coasters). Lucky for me, memories of stomach pains and nausea in the aftermath of my binges keeps me from consuming these foods (most of the time). But the fact remains that my appetite is almost insatiable during those first few days, and that’s got me wondering:

Should I eat more during that time of the month?

Research time! I found two great responses on Livestrong.com and on YourNutristionista.com. It looks like our metabolisms increase anywhere from 5-15% during menstruation, which can lead to higher calorie burn. No wonder we’re feeling hungry! Especially those of us who exercise regularly.

Opinions vary as to whether we should eat more or not. Some say to fight the urge while others say to relax a bit. But what IS consistent is that this is a good time to be conscious of the types of nutrients we are putting in our bodies. I like to eat more omegas and essential fats (I’m crazy for salmon and avocados). They are very filling and I tend to feel more balanced afterward. Increasing your iron intake is also quite effective (I do spinach salads w/goat cheese and walnuts 2-3x a week). For more about important vitamins for women, check out this article.

Well, my curiosity has been satisfied. I won’t be eating TOO much more during that time of the month, but all things considered…I think I can allow a bit of HEALTHY flexibility in my diet. What about you?

Mwuah!

Nadia

I recently noticed that a guy at the gym has been using me to pace himself. I jog on the same night each week, roughly around the same time. So far, I’ve encountered him 3 times. The first time was at the end of a workout, so I didn’t really notice it. The second time, it began about 1/3 of the way in. I could see his reflection in the windows lining the indoor track. At first I thought it was a coincidence, because he remained a far enough distance away that perhaps his pace was just CLOSE to mine. But the distance stayed the same the whole time, so to lose him, I sprinted for a bit. Problem solved.

Today, he got a little bolder. Each time I turned the corner, I saw that reflection again. This time, he was only a few paces behind. Whenever his pace lagged, he fell back, but then sprinted to catch up to me. I figured that, at the rate he was going, he probably wouldn’t run for as long as I would (so far he hadn’t), so I waited about 20 minutes. The whole time, I was eerily aware of his presence, catching glimpses sometimes and other times just the feeling of him being near me. I even did my customary sprint to lose him again. But he kept that pace too. Finally, I slowed drastically, which pretty much forced him to pass.

So he passed me. And when he did, I made sure to look at him, so that he knew I was onto him. He was an older man with grey hair. I wanted to say something, but didn’t want to be impolite to an elder, so I kept my mouth shut. He gave me a thumbs up and said “You run at a perfect pace. Perfect.” But no longer. I made sure to stay behind him for (most of) the rest of my run. He glanced back a few times (probably to make sure that he was still maintaining the “perfect” pace), but continued on his way.

I hope that he got a sense of how weird it is for a total stranger to be following behind you while you’re trying to focus on your workout. Hopefully he won’t do it again. But if he does, I’ll make sure to tell him how distracting it is. My suggestion for runners who need something or someone to help them keep pace: bring your ipod or bring a friend. I run on-tempo using my favorite workout playlist. Pretty simple.

In conclusion, if you’re using other runners to pace yourself without their permission, STOP immediately. It’s a bit rude and pretty inconsiderate.

Peace,

Nadia

It is curly. One might even say it’s nappy. But I love it on me. The problem is that with me working out 5-6 days a week, it’s been a pain in the *you know what!* to manage. I work out hard, so I sweat buckets and that leaves my hair wet and out of sorts afterward. They say it’s not good to shampoo every single day, but how can I have it look fresh and clean without doing just that? Not only that… I also enjoy straightening it once in a while (for a change of pace), but what’s the point in wasting a salon visit or spending an extra 30-40 minutes with a flat iron if it’s going to be back to square one at the end of the day?

Yeesh…

Did a bit of Googling (again) and the best solutions I found were posted on a Curly Nikki blog. Most of the solutions were a bit too involved for my preference, but putting my hair into buns might do the trick. I’ve also been considering a dry shampoo, although as a woman of color I am quite skeptical. I’ll try one anyway, though. And when I do, I’ll let you know what I think.

Peace,

Nadia

My reasoning had more to do with appearance than anything else. You know how you wake up looking fresh and slim? All your water weight is gone and your body has just come out of your sleep fast. My abs were looking great first thing in the morning, but one day I noticed that my belly looked bigger after eating only one slice of bread with breakfast (I’m talking half a bagel flat here!). So I began cutting them out.

Now, I am not a fan of low carb diets. I feel that they balance out my meals. And, honestly, I simply love the way they taste. So I chose to have them at night, for dinner or a late night snack. Problem solved! I get my flat tummy during the day and my toasted french rolls (or rice and beans) at night.

Did a little googling to see if there may be something to this. Anthony Culpo talks briefly about this on his blog and in his book The Fat Loss Bible. I also found posts on bodybuilding forums that advocated for this as a way to increase fat loss.

Guess my instincts were correct!

Mwuah! ^_~ Nadia

After that class I realized that, even though I was in good shape, I could definitely improve my routine by incorporating kickboxing into my regular routine. Lo and behold, I now plan the rest of my week around my favorite instructor’s class (Monday and Friday evenings with Aline at Latitude in Methuen). What I love most is that it is truly a full body workout: arms, abs, back, legs, and butt. Aline also makes the choreography fun and exciting with remixed music from Mortal Kombat and Pirates of the Carribean and hardcore finishing moves like jump kicks and head grab punches. At the end, I feel like raising my arms in triumph and shouting “Nadia…wins!” Haha.

Seriously, my abs and arms have never looked so good. When I had back to California in January, this is probably the one thing (aside from my amazing and loving family) that I will miss most. However, I am looking forward to reconnecting with my volleyball team and showing them how my forward punches have improved the strength of my spike.

Ta ta! ^_~ Nadia

To be honest, there was a time when I thought that people who work out every day must either be really vain or just plain crazy. Who has the time or the energy for all that sweat and pain? Well, apparently I do. As a dissertation student, there are times when I am writing non-stop. But there are also long stretches of time when I am just waiting for feedback from my committee. I’ve got to fill up my days somehow. Working out is one way and to be quite frank….I love it.

Yes, I said it. I LOVE working out. I consider it a treat to allow myself 1-2 hours of gym time each day. And I enjoy every moment of it! Well…maybe not every moment (I hit my wall every week when I jog and my kickboxing instructor is somethin serious…), but I always have fun and feel great afterward! The results aren’t half bad either: amazing endurance, tons of energy, a better night’s sleep, and a bangin body (not perfect, but one that I am very proud of).

Working out is the gift that keeps on giving. I love it!

Boy, did it kick my butt!

I’ve been working out 3-4 times a week with yoga, spinning, and aerobic swimming, so I was confident that I was in great shape. However, at about the 1.5 mile marker, I started losing speed. And just as Monica hails in her song “Motivation,” after I was done, I could’t really feel my legs…

So what happened? It’s not that I’m in bad shape, I just forgot that there is a real difference when engaging in high impact cardio. To put it simply, pounding the pavement literally impacts your bones. Many people see this as a negative, because there is a real risk of injury if you do too much too fast. However, when you build up your mileage at a steady pace, you make positive gains that can increase your bone density – not to mention your endurance!

Gonna take it easy today by doing some gentle yoga and drinking lots of milk..

I didn’t run it all like I hoped I would. The gradual inclines and intense obstacles ripped the runner right out of me as I made my way through the 3.2 mile course in Lake Elsinore, CA. The sun was blazing too, but with everyone around me hollering like wild men and women, I was determined to make my best effort. And at that I succeeded, hopping over walls and crawling under barbed wire as if I did it every day!

The most fun task, I think, was climbing over cars. I felt hardcore, hauling myself over the side of a truck bed and leaping off like a woman on the hunt. The most difficult task, though, was the mountain of hay. The bales were SO HUGE, I could barely reach my leg up over each one. I had to crawl up on hands and knees, stand up, and do it again for about 10 squares. That one left me breathless! But it was still fun and I (painfully) enjoyed every moment of it!

My friend,Andrew, stuck with me the whole time. We finished together, jumping over the string of fire and posing for photos at the line. After rinsing off in the lake (we were so muddy!), we went to the car to change and then headed over to the booths for turkey legs! It took about 45 minutes to get them, but when we sunk our teeth into those big hunks of meat, dripping with barbecque sauce, they were delicious!

Like I said, the event was awesome! The San Franciscio Bay Area Warrior Dash is in August. Unless I’m doing something else that weekend, I will definitely be there to participate!

Mwuah!

Nadia

Nadia on the hills of San Francisco

Welcome to my blog, Recreational Athlete: Health and Fitness for the Fun of It. As the title of my blog suggests, I’m not a professional athlete – far from it actually. I am a freelance writer and researcher working toward my PHD at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California.

Why start an athletic blog?

Out of the many activities that I have participated in throughout my lifetime (choir, theater, girl scouts, beauty pageants, etc.), sports were the ones I enjoyed the most. Among the team sports I’ve played are basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, cross-country, and track-and-field. I’m also trained in a variety of dance styles, including ballroom (the hustle and merengue are among my favorites). My active life began at the age of 3 with ballet, tap, and jazz. To say that this has sustained me throughout the ups and downs of life is an understatement. I simply can’t imagine a life without athletics.

My Plan for this Blog

The main purpose of this blog is to record and share my own experiences as I continue to live an active lifestyle. Right now, my main activities include volleyball, distance running, and planned workout routines. However, I sometimes throw in a spontaneous yoga session, latin dance class, or visit to the nearest rock climbing gym, and I am always looking for ways to branch out (I think I’d like to pick up basketball again).

I will also sprinkle in some health and fitness tips and suggestions for effective workouts. I’m not a personal trainer, but over the years I’ve come to learn the ins and outs of my own body, what has worked and what hasn’t in terms of getting/staying in shape. Anything that I write is not based on expertise, but rather personal experience.

Preview of Posts to Come

I participate in the Thursday night volleyball league at the Sunnyvale Community Center in Sunnyvale, CA. Expect near-weekly updates on my and my team’s (Three Hit Wonders) progress throughout each season. I also ran in the Lake Elsinore Warrior Dash just last weekend. Expect to see photos, a brief review, and my experience of the event.

Thanks for dropping by. Please visit within the week for a new post!

Mwuah!

Nadia