First Half Marathon!

[munchkinette]

I just have to share. I just ran my first half marathon. I KICK BUTT!

It took me 6 years from wanting to run Bay to Breakers (7.5 miles, my first race) until I could actually do it because of my health problems. That was May 2007 that I actually managed it.

I have to say though, today was tougher than I expected. I don't think I fully recovered from the 12 miles I ran 2 weeks ago because I got glutened that same night at dinner. It hit me like a freight train. I think it stressed my body about as much as a full marathon would have, and the rule of thumb is usually a month for full recovery from one of those.

I'm curious how unexpected glutenings have affected other peoples' training.

[bigbird16]

Way to go on the half marathon!!

[julirama723]

Congrats on the halfer! And I'm so jealous you ran Bay to Breakers...I would LOVE to run that! (Until I can, I suffice with running Bloomsday.)

I haven't been running seriously since I discovered my problems with gluten. I ran a marathon this past July, and it's actually the months of training that sent me over the edge with gluten intolerance. It was SOOOO stressful on my body because I had so much other stuff going on, and was learning how to train while I was training.

As far as exercise goes (I run, bike, use rowing machine, strength train, and do various types of yoga) I know that if I get glutened, I'm totally out of commission for a few days. I have NO energy, feel lethargic, foggy and WEAK. You don't even want to hear about the GI symptoms that prevent me from going out in public. I really notice a glutening when I try to lift weights. It's like I lose all of the strength I've worked so hard to build. Generally I just don't even go to the gym I feel so bad. I just rest, drink fluids, and try to ride it out.

[munchkinette]

Oh, weights. That's interesting. Now that I think about it, that may be an issue for me too. I normally try to do a whole bunch of stuff like crunches, push ups, etc. I have a lot of trouble when I'm run down. I should pay attention to that.

The thing I've noticed is that I'm a mess when I don't get enough sleep. THAT is really what determines how I feel and how hard I can work out. The glutenings definitely make my sleep worse though, so it ends up affecting my exercise that way.