The 1st approaching fast.

A few more nights and I will be swinging my champagne glass in the air and wishing everyone a happy new year and for me a big emphasis on HEALTHY new year to go along with that.   Being on the island of Kuaui there is an abundance of amazing fruit on offer.  Everyone morning so far I have eaten a whole fresh papaya along with my cereal and coconut milk.  Yesterday, for lunch I had a fabulous lamb taco with an in-house made thick corn tortilla.   Dinner entailed steak, salad and rice.  Of course wine.  Snacks included chocolate, chips and fresh fruit eaten whenever I felt like it - oh yes and I treated myself to a Mexican coke.   Every time I sat down and ate I contemplated what it was going to be like to be 'grain free' come the first of Jan.

What am I going to eat instead of cereal for a quick fix?  I do not eat eggs and dairy.  How will I eat a  taco when we go for Mexican food?  Am I going to feel satisfied with the steak/salad minus the rice?  On first thought and in reaction to a little fear this is going to be a tougher assignment than I imagined.  However, as I sip my delicious Hawaiian coffee this morning it becomes clear that again it comes down to 'it's all in the mind' - I CAN DO IT and JUST DO IT.  

In preparation...

2013 is fast approaching.  January 1st I will be grain free until I run my marathon on May 26th.  Why?  To see if it will make a difference to my metabolism so that I may fun faster and qualify for Boston 2014.  As a 46 year old female I need to break 3:55.  It will be the fastest I have ever run.  It will take commitment and discipline and more importantly CLARITY in my thinking, replacing the foggy!  How can I get faster?  I don't know but here are some comments that have been made to me by runners that keep making their way back on imaginary yellow post it notes that stick to my forehead with a BAM, CRASH, KAPOW.  

1.  If you want to run faster, then train faster.

2.  Keep building off your last marathon.

3.  It's all in the head.  You know you can do it Jane.  (My friend Sam has been saying this to me for a year and I pleasantly smile back thinking I am just not feeling that and then on a fun run in October she said it and just like that it finally sunk in that day.  I CAN do it!)

4.  As Nike says, Just do it. 

I have purchased a copy of the Paleo diet for Athletes.  My diet will follow this thinking.  The athlete part helps in not making the diet so strict as on running days I will be eating potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes.  On the recovery stage after a long run the diet also allows corn and rice due to their high glycemic load to help refuel the muscles with glycogen, although I will try and stick with the former.  Alcohol in moderation.  Thank the Gods.