Day 16 of 92 - Harder Than I Expected!

Today wraps up day 16 and I'm struggling!  I thought that by now some of those cravings would go away - but they seem to be increasing.  I have to admit I've had a few "licks" of things.  Nothing bad -- a lick of salsa and a taste (or two) of guacamole! But I know that's a dangerous path to go down, so I've vowed not to do it again!  My mind has been preoccupied with food the past few days.  It probably doesn't help that I've been spending time on Pinterest - where recipes abound!

I know that the key for me will be to keep learning!  I'm very thankful for juicefeasting.com!  There is an incredible abundance of information to keep my mind going in the right direction.  Also, blogging helps.  Knowing that people are watching me keeps me accountable.  I created a little countdown calendar that hangs on my fridge.  (Visual aides really help me!) Every morning I cross out the previous day so that I can see clearly how far I've come and how far I have to go. Looking at it right now is rather daunting - as I'm still in the early stages!  I have 76 days to go.  That seems like a long time - but I'm trying to remember that 76 days AGO it was the beginning of January, when I was anxiously setting new goals for the year.  That seems like it was just yesterday!  So I know that this time will go quickly and June 8th will be here before I know it.(I'll just keep telling myself that!)

I'm sure I've mentioned that I am training for a 1/2 marathon right now, which will happen on May 2nd.  Four weeks ago I messed up my back shoveling and have not been able to train at all!  I've missed 4 weeks of my training.  After seeking advice from a good friend (and cross country maniac!), I jumped right back in to the schedule where I should be - not where I left off.  On Saturday, I ran 8 miles. I wasn't sure how that would go - especially considering my juice feast. I know that I'm fueling my body with the most nutrient dense foods possible, but making sure I'm drinking enough to sustain distance running is the key.  So I loaded up!  Just before my run, I drank about 12 oz of pure orange juice.  Then I filled my water bottle with fresh orange/grapefruit/apple juice, mixed with a little water, and I set out.  I live in town, so my strategy was to head out into the country for an 8 mile loop, rather than looping multiple times around town.  I knew that if I did that, it would be too easy to quit and go home.  But heading out of town meant I had no choice but to finish.

I had my musical friends from the 80's (pandora 80's cardio) playing on my ipod and I spend most of my run chanting "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength..." over and over!  It worked.  He helped me get through it!  I only stopped 3 times, and each time only for about 2 minutes to stretch/walk and chug some juice.  I'm as slow as a snail!  It took be 1:43 min to do those 8 miles.  But I honestly don't care at all about my time!  I just care about finishing.  Next weekend, I "get"  to run 9!

I made a fun purchase today!  We have an island (counter) in our kitchen and it is always filled with bowls of fruit.  Big bowls... several of them. Very messy looking. (I should have taken a before pix) They take up half the island and it drives my husband batty!  Today we stopped by Pier 1 and I found a three tiered basket that sits on the floor.  I filled it up and still have a bowl of lemons and limes on my counter!  But it looks much better!

Today I've been drinking a concoction I call "Everything but the kitchen sink".  Literally, I put in a little of everything.  I even juiced some green beans from my garden that I flash froze in August.  I pulled them out of the freezer and thawed them before juicing them.  Super tasty!  I also enjoyed a yummy Italy inspired drink.  It was 10 roma tomatoes, a cup of basil, 1/2 clove of garlic and 1/2 bunch of celery.  Very bruchetta-ish. Finally, in the evening I drank a sweet treat of blackberries, blueberries, pears and kiwi.  Delicious!

So, that's where things are on day 16.  I'm holding my own - but I do hope it gets easier. 

Blessings!