I’ve got the Atlanta Women’s 5k coming up this weekend. I’m really out of shape and don’t feel like I’ll be running at the top of my game. I think if I can stay close to runners the majority of the race, I should be able to beat them in the end. Either way, I’m hoping to win the Masters Division.

Today’s run: a 3 mile warm-up with Jim, then 16 quarters- we averaged :75 or :78 seconds per quarter.  We didn’t run on the track and I felt like I was on an obstacle course, I had to dodge a squirrel that ran in front of me.  I’m just glad its over…then I did a 5 mile warm-down for a total of 12 miles.  My legs felt pretty well.  I’m probably more in shape than I think I am- I feel a little sloppy because I’m in a worse shape now than I have been in a while.

Finished my run, stopped by the house to get Katie’s clothes then left the house and forgot to get some type carbohydrates to eat and now I’m in a dilemma… I could eat some of the Goldfish in the back of the car, or hold off eating until after Pilates. The risk of not eating enough carbohydrates within 15 minutes after a hard run is probably the biggest mistake athletes make, so I ate the goldfish.

If you don’t refill your body with carbs after a hard run, you’ll feel it the next day- your muscles will be soar and the microscopic rips and tears that went into them won’t be repaired, so you’re basically creating damage on top of damage by running again the next day. On top of that, your chance of injury increases exponentially… I’ve found myself eating donuts as a last resort, but I can’t stress enough how critical it is.

The big thing for working out for me, is resetting your metabolism and getting a metabolic rate high enough so you’re burning calories all the time, regardless of when you workout. Its no different for anyone who works out- you’ve got to refuel your body. I’m religious about doing my sports drinks before and after- I do the Ultragen or Gatorade endurance before, and I always do the Ultragen after.

But after a hard workout, any carbs are good carbs.. just grab them and eat them especially if they have salt. You can refuel and take in a little more salt. Remember if you’re working out over an hour, you’ll probably need additional salt- this helps make everything workout.