Quit Playing Games With My Stomach

I have BIG news this morning -- I RAN A 5K!!! Without walk breaks, without pausing, without crying, without passing out, I ran a 5K on the treadmill in 40 minutes :) This is one of those accomplishments that will keep me smiling all day long!
I'm particularly excited because I'll know when my 5K rolls around May 12, that I can do it because I've already done it ;)

Speaking of the gym...
I often play a game with myself called Should I Eat Before the Gym or Can I Make It 45 Minutes Without Fainting? Please believe -- I'm no ano. I just feel lighter and more even-keeled when I skip eating before I work out. Some days, though, my hypoglycemia kicks in and I really struggle through the last 5 or 10 minutes of a run. It's not a great feeling: light-headedness, tunnel vision, shaky arms and legs, and a rumbling tummy. Most days, I feel great if I pop a few Tic Tacs and a sip or two of Vitamin H2O before I treadmill it up, just for a mini sugar boost and a little something in my stomach. On days when I'm lifting weights, it doesn't matter much whether I eat beforehand. I'm not doing much exercise that requires stamina. On days when I know I'll be doing what I refer to as my "long runs," it's a gamble. I just try to take it day by day.

On a comedic note...
How I feel when I run:

Source

What I actually look like when I run:

Source

This morning I ate a Blueberry Muffin Larabar before hitting the treadmill, because my training schedule called for a 40-minute run--the longest run I've yet completed. What a feeling! I wasn't even attempting to run a 5K. I mean, I'm only at the end of week 6 out of a 12-week program. I just realized that at the pace I was running and with my planned duration, I would reach 3.1 miles with no problem. I actually ran 3.13 miles in 40 minutes, with a 2-minute warmup and a 3-minute cool-down, for a total of 3.37 miles in 45 minutes.
I'm patting myself on the back for completing this longest run yet, and for (trying my best to) making wise choices when it comes to exercising on an empty stomach.

I stocked up on Larabars last night at Kroger; I've decided that their protein content and their fabulous variety in nutrition outweigh their caloric content.
And what scrumptious flavors they offer, too!

I also fixed myself a protein-laden breakfast after my run, not only because my eggs will expire soon, but because I haven't had a breakfast like this in quite some time:

P.S. What are your thoughts on eating before you exercise? When I swam twice a day on a competition team, I had no choice but to eat before workouts. Swimming several miles on an empty stomach isn't the wisest of ideas.