Rich Is In The Muscle Building Phase Again

I love running and it was awesome to complete my first half marathon. I do plan on doing other races in the future and don't plan on stopping. That being said, I feel like I lost some muscle with all the training I did for the half marathon. I want to really focus on building muscle for a while.

All the doctors I consulted with when I did my abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) said that my arms and chest could tighten with more muscle. I'm lucky that my skin isn't as bad in those areas as my belly was the most problematic in terms of excess skin.

I never stopped doing strength training when I was training for the race. But the thing is, it's tough not to lose weight when running several miles. I think I lost some weight along with a bit of muscle but it wasn't too extreme. I certainly don't want to lose any of the gains I've made the past few years.

I loved finishing the half marathon. Just to get to the finish line was such an awesome feeling. I also want to be just as awesome with my bodybuilding. I'm not trying to get huge, I just want more definition to help my arms and chest. It's not easy disguising the fact that I was once 150 pounds heavier!

There's also a part of me that keeps wanting to prove what vegan athletes can do. Not only can we run marathons easier but we can build muscle with more than enough protein from plants. It's why I wear my vegan workout gear at the gym.

My workout routine will continue to be 5 days of strength training, with a focus on calories from plant based foods to help me build. I will also do cardio, as I did today and yesterday, doing 30 minutes both days on the treadmill.

I think it's always good to keep setting goals. Yes, a marathon is in the back of my mind! But right now, the focus is on building!