I probably should have given more thought to signing up to train for a half marathon over the summer time knowing that I would be on vacation several times throughout June, July and August. I am sure I’m not alone in the notion that vacation is a passport for complete and total disregard for nutrition and training.
I kind of take the attitude that time off from work isn’t even half as relaxing as eating anything and everything you have deprived yourself of and taking a break from that whole “exercise” thing. After all, how will you have time to eat elephant ears and sit on a tour train if you’re counting calories and going for a run?
I am not going to lie or sugar coat my experience: I have only stuck to my training regimen about 10% of the time I’ve been traveling, which is also counting my weekend camping excursions too.
Granted most recently I have been benched due to my knee issue, but at the same time there are lots of things I could be doing instead. But then again, I like being lazy every now and again and my kids appreciate my lack of interest in leaving them with crazy relatives to get a quick run in.
Even though I am clearly not an expert on managing your training while taking time off with your family, I do have some advice to share, since I did make a valiant attempt at continuing my training while on vacation the same week I hurt my knee.
For one thing, don’t discount things like long hikes with your family as exercise (unless it’s a simple hike to the local ice cream parlor). Just make sure that you are tracking your distance and keeping a decent pace. Anything is better than nothing, right?
If you happen to be camping near a lake, you can always swim, or even better, if you have access to a kayak or other human-propelled watercraft, taking advantage of some time on the water is wise. It doesn’t count if you raft the Boise River while drinking beer. I’ve tried that already.
The best thing about running is that you don’t need any other equipment other than your shoes (and a decent sports bra and Body Glide but that was an earlier column!) so no matter where you are on vacation, you can still manage to train. I guess I should try taking my own advice!
At this point I only have one other vacation on the books with days off during the week, but the rest of the time will be spent camping around our beautiful community. I plan to hike and search for huckleberries, swim and kayak and do other things to maintain fitness while I let my knee fully heal.
My next big challenge is to get my Scenic Half Registration in before the pre-registration deadline of August 19th. If you are like me, nothing will motivate me more than paying my registration fee (and saving the late fee too)!
Keep running, keep training, and see you on the trail!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Slow down & train smart!
In my most recent column I promised an article on training with an injury. At the time what I thought was tendonitis turned out to be the worst case of bursitis my doctor and physical therapist had seen in a long time. That certainly explained why icing and taking more Aleve than the bottle said I should wasn’t putting much of a dent in the pain.
I have two children, a husband and a full time job. I know what pain is. I can always work around it! So I continued to train and even ran Jacey’s race as planned. While I finished the race in excruciating pain, I was still denying that anything more serious was wrong and refused the care of a physician.
Somewhere in my heart, I knew it had to be more than something that ice and ibuprofen could fix, but I didn’t want to hear it. I guess I figured that if I didn’t know, it would eventually just go away.
Two days after running Jacey’s race I made a very poor decision, that unfortunately wasn’t my last poor decision. I attempted to run 3 miles, and couldn’t even make it to the 1.5 mile marker before my knee hurt so bad I could barely even walk. In my infinite wisdom later in the week, I opted to swim laps and water jog since I wasn’t able to run, thinking that couldn’t hurt anything, right?
Wrong! When I woke up the next day, I couldn’t even put weight on my leg. It was only then that common sense finally beat my pride completely senseless and I was ready to admit that I needed to see a doctor.
Upon arrival I was sent for xrays, as orthopedic physicians like to see what they are dealing with. The good news was that my knees look really healthy, no early signs of arthritis, cartilage looks great (I apologize if you are having breakfast while reading this article) and all my internal knee stuff looked pretty darn good. That was a relief, because of course I thought I’d be immediately rushed in for surgery or something horrible like that.
The bad news was that the bursa in my knee was extremely inflamed, and I am guessing just downright angry with me for what has now become clear: over training. I forgot that while my brain was pretty sure that 6 miles was a good idea, and my cardiovascular system was totally cool with it, my almost 37 year old knees were unable to voice their opinion which is that I need to slow things down a little bit!
In order for me to be on the mend, the remedy was no running for two weeks, icing twice a day for 20 minutes and an anti-inflammatory prescription patch and pill, also twice a day. The medicine and icing were pretty easy to take (no pun intended), but not being able to run?
Well, I was kind of shocked at how much I missed it. Kind of like that boyfriend you once had, just because you thought you needed to have one around, but then he broke up with you and you discovered that you actually really enjoyed his company after all. At least in this case, I can start running again, but I am going to have to take it very, very easy.
The biggest question people have been asking me lately is if I’ll be able to run the race on September 20th. Well, the doctor in Boise was pretty sure I wouldn’t be. So that means that I’ll do everything I can to prove him wrong! Will I be running? You betcha. But as they say, life is about the journey, not the destination so as long as I’m healthy and having fun getting ready, whatever happens on race day is not my focus now. Getting healthy and training smarter is.
I have two children, a husband and a full time job. I know what pain is. I can always work around it! So I continued to train and even ran Jacey’s race as planned. While I finished the race in excruciating pain, I was still denying that anything more serious was wrong and refused the care of a physician.
Somewhere in my heart, I knew it had to be more than something that ice and ibuprofen could fix, but I didn’t want to hear it. I guess I figured that if I didn’t know, it would eventually just go away.
Two days after running Jacey’s race I made a very poor decision, that unfortunately wasn’t my last poor decision. I attempted to run 3 miles, and couldn’t even make it to the 1.5 mile marker before my knee hurt so bad I could barely even walk. In my infinite wisdom later in the week, I opted to swim laps and water jog since I wasn’t able to run, thinking that couldn’t hurt anything, right?
Wrong! When I woke up the next day, I couldn’t even put weight on my leg. It was only then that common sense finally beat my pride completely senseless and I was ready to admit that I needed to see a doctor.
Upon arrival I was sent for xrays, as orthopedic physicians like to see what they are dealing with. The good news was that my knees look really healthy, no early signs of arthritis, cartilage looks great (I apologize if you are having breakfast while reading this article) and all my internal knee stuff looked pretty darn good. That was a relief, because of course I thought I’d be immediately rushed in for surgery or something horrible like that.
The bad news was that the bursa in my knee was extremely inflamed, and I am guessing just downright angry with me for what has now become clear: over training. I forgot that while my brain was pretty sure that 6 miles was a good idea, and my cardiovascular system was totally cool with it, my almost 37 year old knees were unable to voice their opinion which is that I need to slow things down a little bit!
In order for me to be on the mend, the remedy was no running for two weeks, icing twice a day for 20 minutes and an anti-inflammatory prescription patch and pill, also twice a day. The medicine and icing were pretty easy to take (no pun intended), but not being able to run?
Well, I was kind of shocked at how much I missed it. Kind of like that boyfriend you once had, just because you thought you needed to have one around, but then he broke up with you and you discovered that you actually really enjoyed his company after all. At least in this case, I can start running again, but I am going to have to take it very, very easy.
The biggest question people have been asking me lately is if I’ll be able to run the race on September 20th. Well, the doctor in Boise was pretty sure I wouldn’t be. So that means that I’ll do everything I can to prove him wrong! Will I be running? You betcha. But as they say, life is about the journey, not the destination so as long as I’m healthy and having fun getting ready, whatever happens on race day is not my focus now. Getting healthy and training smarter is.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Stretching Makes a Big Difference for Recovery
For this week’s column, I am going to let the expert take up most of the real estate for this topic, mostly because my hamstrings are tighter than Pamela Anderson’s bikini straps and therefore am mostly unqualified to give any tips.
I did learn a few very valuable lessons about the importance of stretching over the past several weeks. I used to think that the goal of stretching was to enhance my ability to touch my toes in the old hang stretch from 8th grade PE. As previously mentioned, I have some very tight hamstrings so not only would that be as easy as winning the lottery, it makes about as much sense as me balancing my checkbook: I’d have better luck doing something like drinking a glass of water upside down.
I have learned that the purpose of stretching is more about not only increasing flexibility in the muscles necessary for running (certainly not my jaw muscle which unfortunately receives the most use) but to help you feel better the next day when you wake up and prepare for another day of running.
I put the theory to the test, mainly because one night I was done running so late I just wanted to sleep, and the other time because I finished running at a decent time and there was something compelling on TV that I could watch while stretching. I really am a multi-tasker at heart.
No lie here folks, the night I spent several minutes stretching, re-stretching and stretching some more, I woke up feeling great. And I even ran a longer distance that my previous running attempt when I woke up feeling like someone replaced my legs with redwood tree trunks, so I know it wasn’t that I wimped out on my run. I feel pretty confident that the information below from Jeff Smith, all3sportstraining@gmail.com is the right kind of information for us all:
Stretching is the one of the most misunderstood topics that runners deal with today. Most stretching habits or programs are outdated and some traditional stretching practices have actually been shown to increase the chance of injury and lower your performance. Let’s take a look at how, when and which stretches will have the greatest benefit to your running program.
Stretching does not seem to influence injuries or performance. It has been shown that stretching before running substantially lowers muscle function and elastic energy for each stride, thus increasing the energy demands of running. Instead of stretching immediately before or after exercise, keep stretching through the evenings as it will help you wake up refreshed and ready for your next day of running.
All muscles do not need to be equally flexible as once thought and certain muscles actually need to be tighter than others. You want flexibility is in hips, hamstrings, quads, ankles, and calves. Utilizing a variety of stretches through active and dynamic movements, and stretching through contraction and relaxation have been proven to train all aspects of flexibility.
Doing a series of active stretches like yoga, followed by a few traditional stretches is the best course to follow. The stretches should be held anywhere from 30-60 seconds. Some yoga stretches include Runner’s Pose, Standing Leg Extension, Boat, and Crescent Pose. Traditional stretches include The Glute Stretch, Wall Hamstring, and Side Quad.
One other final note this week: If you have a good running base and want to train with me, InBody Pilates Studio is offering an 8 week running program to get ready for the Scenic Half. Call Corrina Barrett today at 208-755-2687 to sign up!
Next column: Managing injuries while training
I did learn a few very valuable lessons about the importance of stretching over the past several weeks. I used to think that the goal of stretching was to enhance my ability to touch my toes in the old hang stretch from 8th grade PE. As previously mentioned, I have some very tight hamstrings so not only would that be as easy as winning the lottery, it makes about as much sense as me balancing my checkbook: I’d have better luck doing something like drinking a glass of water upside down.
I have learned that the purpose of stretching is more about not only increasing flexibility in the muscles necessary for running (certainly not my jaw muscle which unfortunately receives the most use) but to help you feel better the next day when you wake up and prepare for another day of running.
I put the theory to the test, mainly because one night I was done running so late I just wanted to sleep, and the other time because I finished running at a decent time and there was something compelling on TV that I could watch while stretching. I really am a multi-tasker at heart.
No lie here folks, the night I spent several minutes stretching, re-stretching and stretching some more, I woke up feeling great. And I even ran a longer distance that my previous running attempt when I woke up feeling like someone replaced my legs with redwood tree trunks, so I know it wasn’t that I wimped out on my run. I feel pretty confident that the information below from Jeff Smith, all3sportstraining@gmail.com is the right kind of information for us all:
Stretching is the one of the most misunderstood topics that runners deal with today. Most stretching habits or programs are outdated and some traditional stretching practices have actually been shown to increase the chance of injury and lower your performance. Let’s take a look at how, when and which stretches will have the greatest benefit to your running program.
Stretching does not seem to influence injuries or performance. It has been shown that stretching before running substantially lowers muscle function and elastic energy for each stride, thus increasing the energy demands of running. Instead of stretching immediately before or after exercise, keep stretching through the evenings as it will help you wake up refreshed and ready for your next day of running.
All muscles do not need to be equally flexible as once thought and certain muscles actually need to be tighter than others. You want flexibility is in hips, hamstrings, quads, ankles, and calves. Utilizing a variety of stretches through active and dynamic movements, and stretching through contraction and relaxation have been proven to train all aspects of flexibility.
Doing a series of active stretches like yoga, followed by a few traditional stretches is the best course to follow. The stretches should be held anywhere from 30-60 seconds. Some yoga stretches include Runner’s Pose, Standing Leg Extension, Boat, and Crescent Pose. Traditional stretches include The Glute Stretch, Wall Hamstring, and Side Quad.
One other final note this week: If you have a good running base and want to train with me, InBody Pilates Studio is offering an 8 week running program to get ready for the Scenic Half. Call Corrina Barrett today at 208-755-2687 to sign up!
Next column: Managing injuries while training
Monday, July 13, 2009
Check me out running Jacey's Race!
What a great day! I finished at 157th, but I have no idea how many people ran the 5K in total. It doesn't matter, it was a great day and a great cause! Can't wait for the Scenic Half!
If you want to run for a cause for the Scenic Half, please email us at scenichalf@sandpointchamber.com and let us know. We can add a cause to our Active.com registration!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
8 week training program for half marathon runners
From InBody Pilates Studio:
Join our 8 week program to train for Sandpoint's inaugural Scenic Half, a half marathon, 10K, and 5K race.
Group training will consist of:
- Weekly workouts and homework runs on the weekends
- Nutrition and hydration information
- Stretching and strength training for added power
- Drills to push and challenge yourself to higher levels of fitness
Our goal is to improve your running ability and pace through speed training. Regardless of the competitive distance, you will increase power, run faster, and improve performance. So put your best foot forward at the Inaugural Scenic Half!
Register today!
Corrina Barrett @ 208.755.2687
Join our 8 week program to train for Sandpoint's inaugural Scenic Half, a half marathon, 10K, and 5K race.
Group training will consist of:
- Weekly workouts and homework runs on the weekends
- Nutrition and hydration information
- Stretching and strength training for added power
- Drills to push and challenge yourself to higher levels of fitness
Our goal is to improve your running ability and pace through speed training. Regardless of the competitive distance, you will increase power, run faster, and improve performance. So put your best foot forward at the Inaugural Scenic Half!
Register today!
Corrina Barrett @ 208.755.2687
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Nutrition Keeps You On Pace for Marathon Training
Published in the Bonner County Daily Bee July 1, 2009:
Three weeks into my training regimen and I felt like I had already run a marathon, completed an Iron man and then entered a Triathlon just for the heck of it. In other words, I was exhausted! I learned two very important lessons that week:
1. Don’t overdo it
2. Pay attention to nutrition
If you feel like you need to sleep for 48 hours and then watch TV on the couch for another 36, you’re probably overdoing it. For Pete’s sake (who is that guy anyway, he’s smart!), listen to your body!! I switched my training around to a schedule with a long run and some abs, then a day off. Then arms & abs the next day, and another long run the day after, with a recovery day the next. Then legs & abs, long run the next day, and well, you get the idea. Guess what? I stopped falling asleep at my desk at work.
The food part was the more challenging lesson. I did start the food diary again, but the darn thing held me accountable and refused to offer any helpful advice on nutrition whatsoever. So I threw it into the black hole that is the “storage area” under my bed and did some research on my own. I would be lost without internet search engines and people around me that understand how to fuel a body for a competitive event.
When I started training, my typical meal day included the following: 2 cups of coffee (big ones, so more like three but I feel better if I just say two), then oatmeal with walnuts in it. Then a Lara bar for snack, a 300 calorie microwave meal for lunch, a Clif bar for a late afternoon snack, dinner (whatever was handy but certainly healthy, right?), and then a 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt for snack before bed. For hydration, I had about 64-80 ounces of water per day.
What is wrong with this? Two things: severe lack of complex carbohydrates (sadly not all carbs are created equal) and very minimal protein. I also wasn’t getting enough fat (yes, believe or not certain kinds are OK) nor was I getting enough vitamins and minerals (apparently my daily vitamin just doesn’t cut it!). Also, if I honestly totaled my caloric intake, I was getting about 1400 calories a day, which is barely enough to sustain an inactive lifestyle, to which I was formerly quite accustomed to thank you very much, let alone someone training to run a half marathon.
Since doing my research, I have made some tweaks and adjustments to include more lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Basically what I found was that if you’re on an Atkins Diet, you won’t survive running. You absolutely need carbs, not the entire loaf of hot French bread from Safeway carbs, but the whole grain pasta, bread, rice and potatoes kind of carbs (French fries do NOT count as carbs from potatoes, sorry!). So aim for about 60% carbs in your diet if you can, and if you’re like me and could eat a sandwich minus the insides three meals a day, this should be no problem.
Protein is really important too and should make up to 20% of your diet. You can get the good stuff from cheese and other delicious dairy products (be sure they are low-fat though), lean chicken and beef are great choices and fish too. Even whole grains and beans have protein. Surprisingly there are lots of choices out there for delicious proteins, which makes creating a good meal pretty easy.
As far as hydration goes, I must confess that I pretty much only drink water, coffee or wine. Mostly water though. I am not in to sports drinks like Gatorade, though beverages with electrolytes are very good for you. My favorite electrolyte beverage is Grape Pedialyte. Yes, that’s the electrolyte beverage for small children with dehydrating illnesses like the stomach flu or diarrhea. Sounds kind of crazy, but it works well and isn’t too overpowering. Drink these AFTER, not BEFORE, you run, unless you want stomach cramps and enjoy barfing while running.
Any runner or athlete can tell you that there’s a lot of advice out there on nutrition. My best advice is to read what’s available to you and find what works for your body, and that goes for the training too. It is always good to pool your resources and consult with the experts, but of all the lessons I have learned so far, listen to your body. As they say, it’s the journey, not the destination that is the most important of all.
Next week: The importance of proper stretching
Three weeks into my training regimen and I felt like I had already run a marathon, completed an Iron man and then entered a Triathlon just for the heck of it. In other words, I was exhausted! I learned two very important lessons that week:
1. Don’t overdo it
2. Pay attention to nutrition
If you feel like you need to sleep for 48 hours and then watch TV on the couch for another 36, you’re probably overdoing it. For Pete’s sake (who is that guy anyway, he’s smart!), listen to your body!! I switched my training around to a schedule with a long run and some abs, then a day off. Then arms & abs the next day, and another long run the day after, with a recovery day the next. Then legs & abs, long run the next day, and well, you get the idea. Guess what? I stopped falling asleep at my desk at work.
The food part was the more challenging lesson. I did start the food diary again, but the darn thing held me accountable and refused to offer any helpful advice on nutrition whatsoever. So I threw it into the black hole that is the “storage area” under my bed and did some research on my own. I would be lost without internet search engines and people around me that understand how to fuel a body for a competitive event.
When I started training, my typical meal day included the following: 2 cups of coffee (big ones, so more like three but I feel better if I just say two), then oatmeal with walnuts in it. Then a Lara bar for snack, a 300 calorie microwave meal for lunch, a Clif bar for a late afternoon snack, dinner (whatever was handy but certainly healthy, right?), and then a 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt for snack before bed. For hydration, I had about 64-80 ounces of water per day.
What is wrong with this? Two things: severe lack of complex carbohydrates (sadly not all carbs are created equal) and very minimal protein. I also wasn’t getting enough fat (yes, believe or not certain kinds are OK) nor was I getting enough vitamins and minerals (apparently my daily vitamin just doesn’t cut it!). Also, if I honestly totaled my caloric intake, I was getting about 1400 calories a day, which is barely enough to sustain an inactive lifestyle, to which I was formerly quite accustomed to thank you very much, let alone someone training to run a half marathon.
Since doing my research, I have made some tweaks and adjustments to include more lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Basically what I found was that if you’re on an Atkins Diet, you won’t survive running. You absolutely need carbs, not the entire loaf of hot French bread from Safeway carbs, but the whole grain pasta, bread, rice and potatoes kind of carbs (French fries do NOT count as carbs from potatoes, sorry!). So aim for about 60% carbs in your diet if you can, and if you’re like me and could eat a sandwich minus the insides three meals a day, this should be no problem.
Protein is really important too and should make up to 20% of your diet. You can get the good stuff from cheese and other delicious dairy products (be sure they are low-fat though), lean chicken and beef are great choices and fish too. Even whole grains and beans have protein. Surprisingly there are lots of choices out there for delicious proteins, which makes creating a good meal pretty easy.
As far as hydration goes, I must confess that I pretty much only drink water, coffee or wine. Mostly water though. I am not in to sports drinks like Gatorade, though beverages with electrolytes are very good for you. My favorite electrolyte beverage is Grape Pedialyte. Yes, that’s the electrolyte beverage for small children with dehydrating illnesses like the stomach flu or diarrhea. Sounds kind of crazy, but it works well and isn’t too overpowering. Drink these AFTER, not BEFORE, you run, unless you want stomach cramps and enjoy barfing while running.
Any runner or athlete can tell you that there’s a lot of advice out there on nutrition. My best advice is to read what’s available to you and find what works for your body, and that goes for the training too. It is always good to pool your resources and consult with the experts, but of all the lessons I have learned so far, listen to your body. As they say, it’s the journey, not the destination that is the most important of all.
Next week: The importance of proper stretching
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Race Courses ANNOUNCED!
For those of you, like me, dying to find out what the half marathon, 10K, 5K and kids run courses are, here you go:
- Kids' Run 1 miler: loops around City Beach Park
- 5K: Start/End at City Beach, down 1st Ave., Onto Bike Path ASAP, To Dog Beach, and turn around
- 10K: Start/End at City Beach, down 1st Ave., Onto Bike Path ASAP, Across Long Bridge, Turn Around at Propane Tanks
- 1/2 Marathon: Start/End at City Beach, down 1st Ave., Onto Bike Path ASAP, Across Long Bridge, To Sagle Rd, Left to Grade School, Turnaround at Grade School
See ya on the trail!
- Kids' Run 1 miler: loops around City Beach Park
- 5K: Start/End at City Beach, down 1st Ave., Onto Bike Path ASAP, To Dog Beach, and turn around
- 10K: Start/End at City Beach, down 1st Ave., Onto Bike Path ASAP, Across Long Bridge, Turn Around at Propane Tanks
- 1/2 Marathon: Start/End at City Beach, down 1st Ave., Onto Bike Path ASAP, Across Long Bridge, To Sagle Rd, Left to Grade School, Turnaround at Grade School
See ya on the trail!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
