And we are already to Thursday somehow. Two more days until race day—> An easy run today and no running tomorrow! I’m excited to go get my race bib today and crossing every finger that the weather forecast is correct and that Saturday is a sunny day (although it says that it is supposed to snow on Friday?!).
I met Josse for a nice little run yesterday morning. She is also doing the same half-marathon that I am doing so our running schedules are the same this weekend. She has a full marathon next month though and I’m stoked to see how she does at the Ogden marathon.
Let’s highlight a few portions of our day!
I think we have just entered the ’talking back’ stage but I’m just going to go ahead and focus on the really sweet moments that do happen over here.
At least Beretta hasn’t been talking back;)
We spent some time with my mom yesterday afternoon which is always a favorite.
She took the kids to go look at the toy store for a minute and they tried desperately to convince her that they NEEDED this little car.
And then we were off for Brooke’s last day of swim class.
She passed and she will be moving on to the class. Her back float is excellent at this point.
How she got through class with that much water in goggles, I do not understand but she is a good example of persevering through any setbacks during a workout;)
The kids had brinner (Kodiak Cakes) for dinner and I had lasagna soup once again (it is now gone so maybe at this point I will eat a different meal). They were really working hard to cool their food down:
After dinner I went to an activity for the teenage girls in my area (I work with them on Sundays and once a week) and for a treat we had one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. She said she used pudding in the batter!
Always one of the highlights of my day to see how they end up falling asleep each night.
And my favorite shampoo and conditioner arrived. My sister hooked me up with this years ago and I have been hooked ever since.
PS Monica shared this yesterday… the kids (and Andrew) would love these!
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Do you ever pay close attention to how different emotions affect the way you eat and the way you run? For me personally, my emotions make a HUGE difference on the way I eat and run and for some people I know, their emotions don’t really affect those two things. I really want to learn to be a super mindful eater and I’ve come a long way in that but I wanted to share how these emotions work with my eating or running and I would LOVE to hear from you guys to see if we are the same on any of these or different!
Happy—> My eating is normal and running feels great. I usually hit my workouts well and eat a fairly balanced diet. I sleep really well too which makes my running even that much better.
Sad—> LOSS of appetite and I basically want to just curl up in bed all day. I do go out and run because I know it will make me feel better but it definitely slows me way down. My legs feel heavy and also like jello all at the same time. Grief does the same thing for me, food doesn’t sound good and a good run is the perfect time for me to cry.
Stressed—> eat all of the food. I somehow think that by eating food, the stress will magically melt away. When I am stressed I crave my runs so so badly because I know that with each mile it will disappear a bit and I will have an overall better perspective about it.
Angry—> I run my fastest when I am angry about something. I’m not running necessarily happy but it definitely fills me up with all sorts of steam to run off ha. I don’t think anger really changes my appetite but maybe I am hungrier because I am out running more and faster to cope with this feeling.
Bored—> I tend to snack way more and running is always perfect to help with any boredom. Before I met Andrew and Brooke would be gone for the weekends I am pretty sure all I would do was work, read, eat and run. Oh and sleep a lot. I sleep a ton when I am bored.
Calm/peaceful—> I love these feelings and luckily life has felt a lot more of these things than ever. This doesn’t really affect my eating much but with my running it just helps me to really take it all in and enjoy the fact that I GET TO run! A lot of gratitude
Thank goodness running is always part of the equation for every emotion and no matter what emotion, it helps to improve my mood even more!
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How do different emotions affect your eating and running? What about your sleep… does your sleep change much with your different emotions.
One more random question about feelings;)… do you hold your emotions in for awhile or let them out when you feel them?
36 comments
meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles)
we need that cereal! I have to look for it. My favorite shampoo line is Kerstase. I am actually running low which I realized this morning so I need to re-order! If I’m upset, my appetite is definitely affected. I can’t eat or I only eat things like brownies or cake for lunch lol
Lynn @thenotdeadyetblog
Moods definitely affect my run. I also run harder when I’m angry, so the past few months of surviving Washington DC stuff has been great for that. But, it’s really hard for me to run when I’m stressed. I can’t seem to focus, and I trip over myself a lot. Of course, when I’m stressed is when I most need a run, so that sucks.
Natalie
I definitely tend to run a lot harder and faster when I’m feeling stressed or anxious. I bottle up a lot of my emotions, especially when I’m really sad/upset/hurt, and running is an outlet for me. I don’t cry very often, so usually when I do, it’s an explosions because I’ve kept so much in for so long, and it’s finally coming out all at once.
The last cereal I ate was Cinnamon Toast Crunch, although I did have some granola cereal on top of my banana this morning.
Kaytlin
I used to be a person that holds in my emotions but I have definitely worked on that.
This was a smart post, I liked this a lot. Personally, when I am calm, that is when I run my fastest and eat my healthiest. When I am nervous I tend to run faster as well, but I also don’t recover as well.
Sally @ sweat out the small stuff
I couldn’t hold my emotions in if I tried. I literally wear my hear on my sleeve.
Anger totally makes me speedy when I run.
And I eat through every emotion although sometimes overwhelming sadness and grief will slow me down to eating a lot less.
It’s coming on 18 years since my husband died and I remember being in a young widow’s support group and the facilitator who had also been through the same said she got through the first three years of grief with scrambled eggs. It’s all she could manage to cook or swallow. I had chocolate chips and bagels as my meal staples. Lol.
Hoping you have a great race this weekend! Love how Beretta lets the kids cover up with the blanket.
Megan @ Lazy Runner Girl
Grief and excitement make me lose my appetite, and I want to eat a lot more if I’m feeling sad and/or stressed. I like running when I’m happy, but I NEED running when I’m angry, stressed, or grieving. I found out the hard way that when I can’t run, I eat WAY too much and the results aren’t good. About the only time I can’t must up the ump to run is when I’m really depressed. Then, I know running would help, but would much rather curl up in a ball under a blanket.
That picture with the kids and Beretta in bed is too cute!
Hollie
Recently I’ve been dealing with some anxiety as well as depression, I haven’t really hidden it, just hasn’t written a blog post either but I find it affects running a lot.
If we are constantly negative and putting ourselves down, it definitely affects other aspects of our lives.
I’m excited for your race Janae! Good luck!
Carrie this fit chick
Oh gosh emotions and food are a huge partnership. When im stressed, I love my appetite… when im happy I gain an appetite! Those goggles are LEGIT by the way. No water gettin in there!
Allison
Brooke’s goggles are too cute! My emotions definitely affect my eating and workouts, too. My sleep doesn’t change too much. It seems like I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. But I tend to not eat very much when I am nervous and want to work out even more to get my mind off of whatever is worrying me. When I am happy I am much more relaxed with my food and workouts, and when I am mad I don’t really want to eat but I want to workout super super hard. I always hold my emotions in for a while until the right time comes to bring them up. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes it’s certainly not.
I do not have a favorite shampoo/conditioner. I rotate between a bunch of them and really want to find one I am obsessed with. I really liked the mint ones from Aveda for a while, but they are just so expensive. So maybe I will try out your kind next!
Last cereal I had was multigrain cheerios! Most people think they’re lame, but I love them.
Aimee
The color of Brooke’s rooms is AMAZING.
Favorite shampoo & conditioner: Aveda Smooth Infusion (or any Aveda, really). It’s expensive, but it is so worth the quality. Also, you only need a TINY bit and when you only wash your hair a few time a week, it lasts a long time.
Chelsea
I feel like I am totally dependent on emotions when I run and eat, which I don’t like! I am also trying to be more mindful about eating. I recently switched to a more Paleo-ish diet and I have LOVED it. I haven’t been as strict with it lately and I can really tell. In a negative way. I don’t feel as good when I wake up, I have trouble falling asleep/staying asleep, and I feel heavy during my runs. I also feel like I lack a lot of energy. I have spent some time research Intermittent Fasting with Bulletproof coffee, which is always something I assumed was not good for you. I think I literally spent all last week and this week researching it and I think I’m going to give it a try! Just to see how it makes me feel. It’s not that much different than what I’m doing now – the biggest change is not eating breakfast until noon-ish. I think this will help me be a much more mindful eater because you can spend time really thinking about what you’re eating and why since you’re eating state is shorter than usual. I included a link, just in case you wanted to look into it. I’m going to experiment with is starting Sunday after dinner and see how I feel!
https://blog.bulletproof.com/bulletproof-fasting/
Kristina Running
I think that’s really lucky that you still want to run when you’re stressed out. When I’m super stressed out I am much more likely to skip a run, which is probably the wrong thing to do. However, the more stressed I am the more my couch calls to me (and the more I tell myself I deserve an off day)!
My current favorite shampoo and conditioner is actually the OGX Coconut Oil. I initially tried it out just because it’s cruelty free and I wanted to try a bunch of new-to-me cruelty free brands and I’ve been hooked now for a couple of months! I love how affordable it is compared to what I used to use haha!
Erica
Feelings, I have learned to feel them without having to tell someone else every single thing.
When I am dealing with something particularly heavy, I feel I get out the weight of the emotion by talking through it with someone. I have learned to talk so many things through with myself that I connect with others about my thoughts still, but I really can be there for myself in a way I used to not be able to.
Last cereal was a cereal suicide of Life, Special K, and Berry Burst cheerios.
Bethany @Luluruns
Totally hear you on how emotions affect our runs and how we eat! I tend to run best when I’m either stressed, happy or relaxed! I agree with you, if I’m sad running is a lot harder. I’m not really an emotional eater, but I have noticed that when I’m stressed I can tend to snack way more than I typically would or when I’m bored I do the same thing. Having a seven month old however, keeps life super interesting, so I don’t have a lot of time to be bored nowadays :-)
Nina
Emotions do affect my running and eating. I have gotten better control on emotional eating and I recognize it when it’s happening so I can usually redirect with something other than food. When stress is long term, ie when my husband was sick, it becomes harder. Stress eating is pretty common but as long as I can workout or run I can burn some of it off.
Sleep messes with hormones leptin and ghrelin so we often feel hungrier and we crave less healthy foods when we’er sleep deprived. This is a good time for a green smoothie, it can help your energy levels without a caffeine or sugar crash. (and I’m pretty sure you don’t drink coffee or tea).
I had Nature’s Path Sunrise Vanilla Crunch.
I have curly hair so I love Deva products – no poo shampoo and one condition conditioner. For winter I use the coconut cream duo. They all keep my hair soft and hydrated which is important since my hair tends to be dry.
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
My mood definitely affects my workouts, eating, and sleeping. I usually need 7 or so hours of sleep most night, but when I’m stressed I wake up throughout the night and have a hard time falling back asleep.
Nathaly @NathyCure
Wow!! The other day I was telling my best friend that I was surprisingly running faster than normal and it didn’t feel difficult at all. I remember telling that maybe that was because I was happy to have her visiting. Probably my assumptions were not as crazy as I thought.
I hold usually hold my emotions in for a while until it is not possible for me to hold them anymore, and so I release them.
My favorite shampoo and conditioner are the Tresemme.
And the last cereal that I ate was the almond vanilla clusters from Trader Joe’s. I just finished the box and might head out tonight to get another one.
Christina @ montessoriishmom.com
My emotions definitely impact my running and eating! I run my fastest when I’m angry for sure, and I find those runs very satisfying. I obviously love happy runs too though; when I’m happy, running makes me feel even happier, but when I’m angry, it makes me feel less angry – win-win! I crave more sweets when I’m tired or sad or stressed….or anything other than happy or calm haha.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Good to know I’m not the only angry runner haha! It really is a win-win because we start feeling better with those fast miles. I hope you are having a beautiful day!
Elizabeth
For the most part, my emotions don’t really impact my running or my sleep. But boy oh boy do they impact how i eat. Bored? Snack. Stressed? Drink more coffee (because a higher heart rate will help with stress) Sad? Eat something with chocolate because in Harry Potter, eating chocolate wards off dementors so it must work in real life to make me happy.
My favorite shampoo/conditioner are Tresemme (probably misspelled that) because they’re big and they’re cheap. I have a lot of hair and not a lot of money, so that’s perfect for me.
Marissa @ Run Riss Run
Moods definitely affect my running, sleeping, and eating.
I use the same shampoo & conditioner, and I use their leave in detangler as well and it’s awesome!
Last cereal I ate was shredded mini wheats or oatmeal if that counts. I eat oatmeal pretty much every single day.
Good luck on your half this weekend!!
Caroline @ Adventures in Living Lean
Oh my gosh, my mood definitely affects how I eat! I’m kind of like you – stress makes me eat everything in sight, but when I’m sad I don’t want any food. I don’t know that my mood affects my workouts as much, but I’ve been trying to work on tuning into my emotions to see how I’m feeling around mealtimes and work out times so that I can have a better idea how they affect me on a daily basis.
Jenny
When I’m feeling stressed or sad or angry, my instinct is to just want to sit still. That leads to snacking and even though I know that some exercise would be healthy physically and emotionally at that point, it is SO hard for me to motivate myself. That, coupled with the heavy feeling from the snacking, usually fuels the sedentary choices, which of course makes me feel worse and only lets me focus on what has me feeling down.
Almost a year ago I saw a running streak meant to last from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, and decided I’d do it since I was already running 4 or 5 days per week anyway. I was a few weeks in when something really overwhelming and stressful happened- I really didn’t know what I was going to do. That evening I realized I had to run or I’d fail at this running streak that suddenly seemed so important and the only thing in my control, so I went out. And the next morning I went first thing and that became my routine: I’d make my son breakfast he could eat in the stroller, he’d wake up, and we’d be off for whatever hot, long, hilly run I could pull off that day. And even though I was waking up a ball of nerves, the energy I expelled on each run, and the time to think while my son was content in the stroller, was an enormous help in putting things in perspective and getting through that stage of my life. And it’s hard to stay so angry when I’m so exhausted from an hour or two of running!! ;). Even the days I just knocked out one or two miles to check the day off the calendar did wonders for my mood. And for me, consistent exercise leads to healthier eating choices so that helped me overall in feeling better.
I really believe that I came across that running streak last spring because I was going to need it for months. For me, the idea of breaking the streak was enough to motivate me away from sitting still and quietly freaking out on the couch. I am super thankful I saw it on Facebook because it taught me an extremely valuable lesson that I hope to remember moving forward since there will certainly be stressful times again: we really do have to make our health (including exercise) a priority. A run can’t fix everything, but it won’t hurt!
Britt B @ fit fit Britt britt
I am affected one of two ways by varying emotions- I can’t stomach the thought of eating anything or I eat all the things.
Michelle
Could Brooke be any cuter in those goggles!?!? Love! The last cereal I ate was Special K red berries. I definitely let my emotions out right when the situation is happening, but they blow over pretty quickly at least. :)
Kathy McElhaney
Maybe it’s my age (and menopause) but what I eat affects my emotions and running, not the other way around! Late last summer, all through the fall and holidays I was in a major running funk and my eating was horrible. Since January 1st I have cleaned up my eating and my running, sleeping, and hormones have been so much better! I’m not sure which came first the chicken or the egg, but I know I’m feeling better than I was 6 months ago and that’s all that matters!
It depends on who I’m with – there are a select few that I will let my emotions really show because I know I can trust them. Others I will hold back until I’m away from them. My husband is the lucky one – he gets all my emotions all the time ;-)
The Hungry Runner Girl
That is SO true Kathy, I haven’t really thought about that as much! Thank you for sharing that, it is amazing how much the food we eat and the way we exercise affects our emotions too! You are the best and I am so glad that you have felt so much better this year so far! I hope you are having a beautiful day and Andrew is lucky too to get all of my emotions haha!
Julia @ Drops of Jules
I have such fond memories of taking swimming classes when I was Brooke’s age. What a fun time of life! And pudding in cookies? I like the sound of that. It must make it so moist!
My emotions affect my eating in such a negative way. Given my past with an eating disorder, the first sign of stress makes me want to restrict. I’m well into recovery and can easily combat those feelings, but man sometimes it is rough.
Cathy
The important thing when I am emotional is that I get out and run. Once I get started, I don’t really hang on to whatever it was that was bothering me. I just focus on the run itself, whatever I am suppose to be doing that day. Usually, whatever was upsetting me or whatever I was emotional about seems less intense after the run.
I am an emotional eater, however. I eat through all of them ha ha
My last cereal was Raisin Bran.
Loribeth
When I am happy or peaceful / calm then my eating and running is at its best. Stress makes sleep hard and I forget to eat, which makes me more upset/stressed. That is when I grab whatever candy bar is closest. Luckily stress doesn’t happen too often:)
Last cereal was lucky charms-yum!
Jamie
That’s how I make my chocolate chip cookies and they’re so good! Vanilla pudding mix in the batter every time! The last cereal I ate was Cap’n Crunch and I ate it before my leg workout Friday – tasted amazing, but gave me heartburn so I won’t be doing that again. I think some of my fastest runs have been when I’m angry about something. It’s very cathartic!
Tiffany
I totally agree with you that emotions play a big part!!! At past times in my life (more long-term stages, not necessarily day to day) that I’ve been more lonely and depressed, I know I am consistently slower. It’s tougher to train and I did not hit my race goals. But when I feel better and my social life is great, my running is better!
LeeAnn
I crack up on the “how they fall asleep pics”. Hilarious! A few weeks ago, my husband went in to check on our 3.5 year old and came out with the funniest look on his face. She had fully undressed herself before falling asleep. I had the pleasure of trying to get her re-dressed while she was sleeping. Oh kiddos!
In the past, I would hold on to emotions for a LONG time. I have worked really hard to learn to let them go (well, at least the negative ones). A good workout is a sure fire way for me to Let it Go. (while possibly singing it too!)
Puffins
Good luck with the race!!!
Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola
I experience a lot of the same eating habits that you listed! When I got divorced, I lost a ton of weight because I was never hungry and felt sad. When I get stressed, I feel like I want to eat everything!
Elder Care in Passaic NJ
Emotions definitely impact eating habits and physical activities. Wonderful post thanks for sharing.
Such a cute dog. Your pictures are wonderful.
Julie
The pics of Brooke in her goggles are the BEST! :D You need to get us that cookie recipe.