Are allergies bugging you as much as they are me? This past week was a nightmare. Although I absolutely love spring, when the seasons start to shift from winter, my allergies go crazy from all the budding flowers and pollen.
I made the big mistake of going on a run after work and a block after I started, realized I should turn around. But did I? Of course not. I finished my three mile run then came back with swollen eyes, a stuffed up nose, and an inflamed throat. Thank you, pollen!
As a result I have been sneezing and blowing my nose for the past week. Of course I put running outside and training for my race on hold as to not make it worse. I decided I’d take my workouts inside. It’s also important to build muscle when training for a race rather than just running alone.
As for the market, I went on Sunday morning and LOVED it; I can’t wait to go again! The best part was when I stopped by a honey stand and discovered how raw honey can help allergies, obesity, and insomnia amongst others. Local raw honey helps your allergies because the bees get nectar from local flowers, which helps you build immunity to the flowers and pollen in your area. Check out these interesting articles I found from howstuffworks.com and EatingWell magazine about how honey can help allergies!
If you get local raw honey from your local markets you are not only helping your allergies but your farmers as well. It’s a win, win situation! I’ve been adding this honey to my tea and in the morning either on my banana or replace butter and jam on my toast with it. You can also add it to your dinner, like with this honey-soy broiled salmon recipe Remember not to eat too much honey. It does contain sugar so you’ll want to limit yourself to three tablespoons a day. I must say, after trying local honey I will never go back to the store bought kind. It tastes more fresh and floral, and knowing that it was made locally instead of on a conveyer belt helps too.
Maybe Winnie the Pooh was onto something!
So as I previously pledged, I’m going to participate in the local St. Patrick’s Day race. I officially signed up this morning (eek!), and now I have to stick with it! I’m going to have to figure out a good routine to either get up early or run after work to train. I have a little less than a month so wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted! If you’re interested in finding a local race or marathon check out Cool Running’s website and find what’s coming up in your area!
In the meantime, since today starts my “no eating after dinner” vow for the next 46 days (April 3rd seems so far away!) I’ve been trying to think of other ways I can get excited and enthusiastic besides late-night snacking while watching the Olympics.
I’ve decided I’m going to replace a bad habit with a good one. I absolutely LOVE to cook, although I do prefer baking! Since I can’t (correction, won’t) eat late at night, I’m going to make phenomenal dinners so I won’t have the desire or the stomach space to eat late.
Rather than just going to the grocery store and roaming the aisles for inspiration I decided visiting local farmers’ markets would be more fun! Not only are there awesome fruits and veggies that you can sample, but some of the stands offer free recipes as well! It’s a great way to get out with friends or family, and be a part of the community and get fresh produce. I found a great website where you can look up your local farmers’ markets, so rather than lounge around all weekend I’m going to hit up my local farmers’ markets! I’m excited to see what I can find, taste, and take back to create my next masterpiece! Who needs late-night snacks now?!
Way to go, Valerie!
As we spring forward into the new year it’s important to also focus on our bodies as well as food. Let’s face it; some of us haven’t hit the pavement or the treadmills in quite some time (if at all) and tend to put exercise at the bottom of our lists.
Whether you’re getting outside or staying in the gym, it’s important to remember the best approach for your body.
Check out this article I recently read from Shape Magazine that gives great running tips for beginners and pros. As someone who is not always the most enthusiastic about jogging, this article really helped me realize some of the things I have been doing wrong, as well as how I can better myself when I hit the ground running!
In fact, after watching Val’s half-marathon video blog I was inspired to get out there and see what I’m capable of. I’ve decided to do a local St. Patrick’s Day race. I’m starting small with a 5k (3.1 miles), and see where I can take myself from there! Whether it’s walking, run-walking, or full on sprinting, let’s continue to challenge ourselves this year like Val has!