As you may have already noticed (if you read multiple blog entries of mine), there are two things that I often write about which generally go hand in hand for me. These two things are:
- My love for running
- My love for food
Which do I love more? I couldn’t tell you. Let’s just say that when it comes to these things, I like to have my cake and eat it too (both figuratively and literally speaking)
I fight an endless battle between how much I eat and in turn, how much I then have to run or exercise to compensate for my overindulgence.
If you refer back to two of my past blog entries titled, “A pie of pizza and 10 miles to go” and “A sleeve of thin mints and 13 miles of satisfaction” you may see a pattern when it comes to my eating and exercising habits.
Disclaimer: I do not have an eating and/or mental disorder.
We’re all human and we all get those pesky cravings for a certain not-so-healthy food from time to time; some, more than others. Naturally, we sometimes slip and give into temptation and go for that extra-gooey chocolate cake that we see in the bakery window. It just calls out our name.
Personally, when it calls out my name, I come running with open arms. You could even say sprinting.
Nonetheless, I consciously make note that I have to burn off those calories right away
The weird thing is, you’d think that a person who is as into fitness and running as I am would have a strict diet to match.
That is ABSOLUTELY not the case. And I’m not just saying for me. I’m saying this on behalf of a majority of runners and fitness-enthusiasts who I know personally.
You wouldn’t think that a person of my size could take down an entire pie of pizza by herself in just one sitting, but you better believe it. I have quite the appetite. May I add, I stand at a mere 5’0 feet tall, weighing in at 108 pounds. It’s quite a remarkable feat for someone so tiny
Now, the reason why I am blogging today about this particular topic is because of a different type of over-indulgence which seems to also be common amongst runners and fitness-enthusiasts.
What is that, you might ask?
Alcohol.
Have you ever noticed how much beer is served after an event like a marathon, half-marathon, mud run, heck, even a 5K?
Beer is the perfect carb to refuel with after burning hundreds of calories from running a race.
For some people, the post-race beer may be their favorite part.
But here’s the catch:
Often times, we often overestimate how many calories we actually burned and tend to overindulge in food as well as alcohol. We feel like we owe it to ourselves, to our bodies, after putting it through such hard work.
That’s a big no-no.
So, last night, I had a few more beers than I would have liked to consume. To give you an exact number: It’s 4. And that’s 4 more than I should have had because I’m telling you, I felt awful afterwards.
If you have not already noticed, I am currently training for two races at the end of April; The CGI Unite Half-Marathon at Rutgers followed by the Big Sur International Marathon exactly one week later.
As I get deeper into my training, I’ve really tried to limit the amount of alcohol that I consume. Of course, it’s a bit difficult when you’re in your 20’s, live in New York City, and have friends that always want to drink on the weekends.
Last night, I hit my limit.
This morning, I went straight to the gym before work and ran a quick 4 miles on the treadmill due to the guilt that was overcoming me after those 4 beers. During that run, I made a pact with myself. Once April 1st hits, I am abstaining from consuming any alcoholic beverages until after the Big Sur Marathon is completed. This won’t be easy, but I know that it will pay off in the end.
In closing: A while back, I was deeply impacted by an article published in Women’s Health which hit pretty close to home for me (click the below link if you are interested in reading)
To summarize the article, it discussed the irony of how runners and fitness junkies also tend to be the heaviest drinkers.
Moral of the story: When a craving calls, sometimes it’s better to not pick up the phone.
Lindsey Lazarte 
Good for you! When I started getting serious about running, alcohol was one of the first things to go. There just is nothing good about it; but as a college student, I cannot tell you how many strange looks I get at parties when I tell people I don’t drink. Priceless.
Thanks! And it’s funny because I’ve always been very serious about running. I just also happen to enjoy drinking as well haha. Don’t worry about the strange looks. Just enjoy college while you can because it goes by fast. You definitely don’t need to drink to have a good time though
Ha, good luck! I have considered doing this before, but I just enjoy beer too much. Maybe that’s why I’ve yet to BQ?
I enjoy beer very much..which is why this is going to be extremely difficult for me haha.I’ll let you know how that goes. Can’t wait until Big Sur though!