Shoe Review

Trying to find the right running shoe is just like goldy locks and the three bears.... you have to find one that's juuuust right.  I was WELL over due for a new pair of shoes.  My current pair was so worn out I could take the toe and bend it back to the laces... (Note: that is NOT good...and probably the cause of some recent hip pain--only time and a Dr.'s visit will tell)  So last week I was on a mission to find a new pair of running shoes.

 

well...kinda like that, but for shoes.

Here's my rules for buying running shoes.

1. Go to a running specialty store.  Usually everyone who works there are serious runners.  They love this sport and they know their gear.  Running specialty stores usually will watch you walk (to see if your pronate etc) and run in a your shoes to determine the level of support you may need.  The store I go to even had a camera set up to watch your feet on a tread mill, which you can watch on a tv in front of you while you're running or they can then play back in slow motion to really show you your stride.

2. Go later in the day so your feet have had time to expand. 

3.  Listen to the sales clerk when he tells you to go up a half or possibly whole size.  Your feet may expand even more during a run, you want the room. 


4. Don't shop for name brand, color or style.  Go for fit and feel.  But...but... I only every wear (insert brand here).  Get over being stuck on a big name brand.  You and your new shoes are going to travel a lot of miles together they need to support your feet properly, not look pretty or be the hottest shoe on the market.

For the past few years I've been happily running in brooks, glycerin's to be exact.  But I always make a point to try on a few different brands to see if maybe this time something else will work for me.

First up was the asics GEL-Nimbus 13

I don't know what it is about asics.  Some runners swear by them, but for me they just don't work.  I feel like they have too much cushion and my feet sink right into them instead of being supported.   Once again I had to give asics a pass.

Next up, Mizuno Wave Rider 15

These shoes had nice support.  But the sale clerk warned me that Mizuno's were cut narrow, so they hugged the center of my foot, more like squeezed the center of my foot...uncomfortably.   If you have a narrow foot or you like the feeling of your foot being hugged then these are the shoes for you.  They didn't work for me though because of that, I could see them becoming painful to run in.

On to... Newtons Lady Issac

Newtons have a whole different philosophy on running shoes than your average brand.  Their idea is at the core of the minimalist running movement.  Newtons place more support on the forefoot of the shoot, where one should naturally strike the ground first if you were running barefoot.  Most of us, and yes myself included heel strike, meaning the heal hits the ground first then follows through to the toe.
This video can show you the difference between a heel strike and a fore strike:



Newton's shoes are designed to get you running lighter on your feet by providing that extra cushion on the fore strike area which will promote using a fore strike and not a heel strike. Current research is still being done on this and whether or not it's really beneficial to the joints, but the general thought is that a fore strike creates less impact on knees and hips.   Newtons were also given a big write up in last months issue of runner's world magazine.  I highly recommend reading if your interested in this style of running.  I am really intrigued by the idea but I'm also mid-way through half marathon training again.  I just don't know if it's a good time for me to attempt to completely over haul how I run when I'm trying to increase my mileage weekly.   Usually if you go from a regular running shoe to "minimal" shoes you have to start your mileage back at walking around the block essentially and build yourself up.  It's the wrong time for me to go in that direction so I'm putting these on the back burner for now, but I have a feeling I might be investigating them again further soon.

So what did I end up with?

Good ol' Brooks Glycerin 9's

If it ain't baroque don't fix it! (Or so they say.)  This model of brooks have gotten me through two half marathons and countless other lower milage races.   I've trained a couch to 5k group in them, ran 10k's, 5 milers and my weekly 6-7 mile runs.  They work for me.  The cushion is just firm enough, very roomy in the toes.  I ran an 8 mile hill run this weekend, my hip bothered me after but it was gone in a day and I was able to get out and run around the soccer field the following evening.  I am still going to an orthopedic doctor just to make sure there isn't something serious underlying, but after one long training run in these my recovery time for my legs was just a day.

So yes, I highly recommend brooks, but ONLY if they're the shoe for you.  Who knows asics, mizuno or the newtons could be the right fit.  We all have different feet.

Also... some other running gear I can't live with out:

• CEP Compression sleeves.  I swear by these, any calf cramps that start to pop up during my runs, these puppies keep them at bay. 
• Feetures running socks.  Arch hugging LOVE is what I call them.  I'm all for a good arch hugging sock

And that's about it... I could go on about shirts, shorts and hydration system, but the most important tools for a runner are good fitting shoes and a good pair of wicking socks (stay away from cotton, cotton = damp from sweat = blisters! Trust me on this)

The Tale of the Lazy Mouse and the Industrious Mouse

I ran my second half marathon last weekend.  My sister ran her first. If you've seen the Ricky Gervais skit about the Lazy Mouse and the Industrious Mouse this post will make a lot more sense.  This video cracks us up!  My sister often refers to me as the Industrious Mouse...and she is the Lazy Mouse.  But really she isn't, my sis was always the natural athlete in the family...when she was on varsity basketball as a sophomore I was sitting keeping score on the sidelines. What ever athletic ability I have now I've really had to work for it and the Lazy Mouse well...watch the video and then I'll tell you our story:

This is the tale of Laura, the Industrious Mouse, and Jenny, the Lazy Mouse...who set off on an adventure to run a half marathon.

The Industrious Mouse trained for over three months every Saturday morning. Industrious Mouse ran hills, did cross training work outs, and speed work outs. Industrious Mouse also monitored her diet, tracked all her training times and knew she was going to finish the race better than she did last year. Industrious Mouse kept reminding Lazy Mouse to sign up for the race before it sold out. Industrious Mouse signed up plenty early to take advantage of the lower entry cost and secure her spot in the race. Industrious Mouse also told Lazy Mouse months before the race that she needed to train or she would never survive the race.

Lazy Mouse missed the sign up dead line and had to go on the wait list.

Lazy Mouse did not train for the race.

Industrious Mouse was sad that Lazy Mouse wouldn't run the race with her, but low and behold a spot opened up three weeks before race day and Lazy Mouse was able to run the race!

Lazy Mouse still did not train for the race.

Race Day finally arrived. Industrious Mouse was pumped! She trained, she properly carbed up, she ate a protein/high carb energy bar before the start to give her that extra boost. On the other hand, Lazy Mouse was feeling a little nervous.

So the race started and Industrious Mouse was in the lead...at one point Lazy Mouse caught up with her but Industrious Mouse said "NO WAY You're not going to beat me". She soared ahead and did not see Lazy Mouse for the rest of the race.

However, Industrious Mouse ignored a foot injury that started out of no where around mile 2. She continued to run hoping the pain would go away but it escalated instead, by mile ten the Industrious Mouse had to stop and walk because her foot was throbbing. But the finish line was near so she forced herself to run again. By the last half mile she was sprinting to the end and finished the race in 2:22:11. Lazy Mouse was no where in sight.

The only problem was once the race ended Industrious Mouse couldn't walk on her foot that was bothering her during the race. She went to the medic tent to get tylenol, but then pain shot up her calf muscle. The medic staff made I.M. get in a wheel chair and took her to the main medic tent and had her lay down on a hospital cot. Industrious Mouse started hyperventilating because of the pain.

Then strolls in Lazy Mouse...cool as a cucumber with a medal around her neck. Lazy Mouse...WHO DIDN'T TRAIN....only finished five minutes behind the Industrious Mouse (2:27:30). Lazy Mouse then called out to the nurse... "She's faking it!!"

Industrious Mouse was not happy.

Once she was able to breath normal again, the nurse gave Industrious Mouse a little kit kat bar for doing so well. (which I was going to save for later), but Lazy Mouse snatched the kit kat bar from Industrious Mouse and took half of it! Oh the humanity!!

So what's the lesson in the tale of the Lazy Mouse vs. The Industrious Mouse? Clearly those who slack off still win...and get kit kat bars out of the ordeal as well!  Damn her!

====

Haha seriously...what type of person steals an invalids kit kat bar!! It's just not right...not right I tells ya!  Lazy Mouse Jenny is also an ICU nurse so she has a certain level of immunity and intolerance towards suffering...ie.  She's a suck it up type of person...and sometimes I'm a bit of a drama queen (as if quirks of this blog weren't any indication).  Anyway, I was just upset after running this race because I was so prepared ,so excited to run the race and really REALLY looking forward to crossing that finish line with a sense of accomplishment.  

Last year when I ran my first half I made the mistake of throwing my interval training plan out the window and attempting to run the race straight though.  I burned myself out by mile 7.  This year I restarted my training plan with the goal of running straight though.  I started at 5 miles and worked myself up to running 12 miles with out taking any breaks.  I was consistently running 10.5 minute miles through out all my training and I was running the toughest hills in my area as well.  I had no pains other than the usual aches I've been getting from running long distances (calf cramps and hip aches), but never had a problem with my foot.  I was ready for this race!  So to end up getting injured randomly during my run and being in so much pain after I crossed the finish line was a real let down.  It makes me question if my body is physically cut out for this type of exercise.  Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a distance runner...but at the same time I really REALLY find a lot of enjoyment out of running and it's amazing stress relief so the only thing to do is to carry on. 

On the upside my time was 15 minutes faster than last year and my mile time was 10.8 minute miles (so almost 11 minute miles).  If I wasn't injured and could keep up my pace and if I didn't have to stop those two minutes I KNOW I could have run a faster race.  Maybe I'll have to try again next year. 

I haven't actually worked out since the race, and it's been a really strange feeling not getting up in the morning, but I know I needed a few days to put my foot up and let it heal.  I was going to attempt to work out this morning but I haven't gotten my sleep cycles back to normal yet so I'm going to see how I feel this afternoon. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 Eye of the tiger baby! running through the pain!

Running for a Cause

Several of the girls I play soccer with (myself included) are running in the Baltimore Running Festival for a little girl named Emma Grace that is fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  Emma has been fighting leukemia since before she was even able to talk.

You can read about Emma's Story on her Caring Bridge website and make donations on this page as well.  Donations will really help the family with the expense of Emma's treatments.  Or you can also donate money to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help continue research for blood cancers.  Emma has a light the night team page that you can donate to HERE.

Please please if you can spare a few dollars, please donate to this cause! Last year I raised $225.00 for LLS lets try to make that number bigger on behalf of Emma!

Thanks for reading!

Hi, It's been a few months....

I know, I dropped off the face of the earth again. I had to do some thinking about whether or not to continue this blog. Long story short...I've decided to carry on, but the theme will no longer be the same. I'll keep all the old content. It's still going to be about fitness, exercising and nutrition but I'm not going to go off on starry eyed rants about twilight and Robert Pattinson because well... confession: I'm over it.

However, some things never change...I'm still a dork I just won't be focused on forcing myself to make this blog about one particular subject, because to be honest it made it really hard to write a post and tie it in to something I wasn't particularly interested in any more.

Anyway, I have other nerdy obsessions... first up... have you been watching the new season of true blood?? I haven't caught up to the most recent episode yet, but I'm really liking season 4 a lot more than 3.

I don't know whats going on with Eric right now, but I love how he acts like a little kid.

Also... HAVE YOU SEEN GAME OF THRONES!???!?!?! Yes, I'm yelling that. Have you seen it??! OMG! I'm a total fan girl!  Say hello to my new eye candy...

Jon Snow!

Robb Stark!!

And I can't even talk about poor Boromir I mean Ned...I just can't talk about it.

(photos from winter-is-coming.net)

It's going to take me some time.  Maybe by the end of season 2 I might be ready, but season 2 is so far off at this point!!!  Seriously, you will watch this show and at the end of every episode shake your fist in the air and say 'damn you Game of Thrones!!' because it's just that addicting.

So I'm sure you're probably thinking well... with all this TV watching you've been doing I hope you haven't fallen off the badwagon.  Not to worry my friends.  HBO GO makes it very convenient for me to watch tv when I actually have the time to watch.  Take note cable companies...this needs to be your option now:  Online only content available on demand.  Aside from the fact that I don't own a TV... I can't follow a schedule, I've never been able to glue myself to the tv at a set time, but now I don't have to.  I can stay up til 2am on a Saturday night watching episode after episode of Game of Thrones on my lap top (I mean that's what normal people do on their Saturday nights, right?)

What ever don't judge me!!!

I think I might be moving on to Boardwalk Empire next.

Anyway, aside from my latest fantasy TV obsessions here's whats been going on the past few months...

Remember how I said I wanted to reach that 100lb weight loss goal last fall but then I blew it??  Well I did that back in April, then I went on vacation to Charleston, SC and ran a 10k.  The Cooper River Bridge Run is so much fun :)

Oh and then later that month I ran a 3 mile obstacle/mud race...

MUUUUUDDD!!!

It was a blast!! And such a tough leg work out!  Running in sinking, sticky mud and muddy water for three miles (plus obstacles) is not easy!

Then in May, I decided to lead a Couch to 5k Group.  After almost two full months of training runs the group completely their First 5k!! I was a very proud running momma.

In June, we started a 6 week weight loss challenge at my bootcamp. I had my ups and downs but in the end I lost 5 more lbs.  So my total loss is now at 106lbs and I'm still working at it. Also in June, I got my braces off...so I no longer resemble a teenager...but I still haven't been asked to prom!

So now we're into July.  I'm still working on my weight loss, but I've also decided to try and go back to school in the fall. I wavered for a long time, mostly because I wasn't sure if I personally had what it takes to be a good example of weight loss to others, but I want to become a Registered Dietitian.  I'm starting out small taking baby steps towards the degree since I've been out of school for so long and math and science were never my strong suits.  I have to take a college algebra class towards the degree, so I'm also studying review chapters a couple nights a week and going to a tutor to reteach myself a subject I hadn't studied in 11+ years. Yikes.

Actually, I think this mug is kind of awesome!

And, last but not least... I haven't left my true love out of my life either.  Did you watch the women's world cup?!  Please tell me you did??  Please tell me you supported these amazing athletes!?  Watching women's soccer reminds me of why I love the game so much.  The skill, the athleticism, and the sportsmanship that the men sometimes forget to display are just...I have no words.  It's an inspiration to so many.  In 1999 it was a huge inspiration to me.  The performance by our US women this year just confirms everything there is to love about this sport.  They are my idols.





I can't really talk about the results in the final...it's too upsetting, it's still too soon for me.  Maybe one day.  I will say congratulations to Japan though.  And if I've taken anything from the game or the sport in general it's this.  Dreams can be made or crushed on that field, but at long as you're in the game you have the opportunity to make them.   Case in point, I played two games back to back yesterday. We're having perhaps the biggest heat wave of the summer right now with heat indexes over 100 degrees plus humidity of 52%.  It's brutal, it's the worst weather to play in.  To make matters worse we played a man down and had no subs, we were down on the score board, but at half time we said you know, what do we have to lose, lets play the best damn game we can.  And we did.  We lost but we walked away proud of our passing and our team work and all the effort we put in to the games.  It's a great feeling.

2:37:55!

I want to give props to the dude dancing on his car in a tiger suit blasting this song for us runners to laugh at! You rock tiger suit man!

Anyway, that was my time...I guess that's a time to be proud of :) I wanted to finish in 2:30 but at least I finished between 2:30 and 2:40 ;) Note to self for the future...don't train a certain way and then throw that all out the window and try to push yourself through the race...I guess that's why my pace was off...oh well it's over and my legs are VERY VERY thankful for that! I'm also very thankful that I was able to raise a little money for cancer research. Thank you to everyone who donated!!


My mom snapped a pic of me somewhere after mile twelve thanks for cheering me on Momma! It gave me an extra little boost when my legs really needed it! Believe me when the finish line was actually in view it was a dead sprint for me to the end!

Eye of the TIGER!!!!

Thank you all who have been so supportive of me during my training. I'm so glad I finished!

And now it's time for me to crash!

Where Has the Time Gone?!

See that little counter widget on the side of my page?? It says only 10 DAYS TIL RACE DAY!?!... I'm not freaking out nope, not gonna freak out....even though I'm quietly screaming on the inside...I'm not gonna freak out. I'm ok... I'm cool. I swear.

Why am I kinda sorta not really freaking out? Because even though I haven't been blogging I've still been working hard at my fitness levels to make sure I own this race!...If owning that means I finish in 2hrs and 30 minutes (which is almost a 12 minute mile and compared to some that makes me a slow poke) WHAT the freak EVER!! I'm going to OWN it!

My furthest training run has been 12 miles, which I completed last weekend in about 2hr and 15mins (oh and yes it was ALL hills baby), this weekend I ran 9 miles and then took a much needed yoga class to work on some of my muscle tightness. I went to bootcamp 4 times last week and played soccer last week and this week as well. I kinda haven't been doing my shorter runs but I know between the bootcamp and soccer and the training runs that I have the endurance to finish.

Plus I know the 2nd half of the course, I ran it last year in the team relays. Everyone keeps trying to scare me and say the first half is hilly as shit, but guess what, all i've been doing for the past month on my training runs is hills. I'll get past them. The second half is pretty much flat ground. Guess who loves running on flat ground? This chick. So yeah, I'd say I'm pretty well prepared for the race at this point :)

This weekend I will be running a charity 5k for children with learning disabilities, and then I have to tack a few more miles on top of that and it will be my final training run!

I am also still trying to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society for their Light the Night Events so PLEASE if you can, donate to my page so I reach my goal of raising $655 ($50 per mile I run in the half marathon). I am $430.00 away from reaching my goal. So if you're reading please donate if you can... if you can't please help me spread the word!!





Also in the middle of all this I've decided I really needed to push to lose those extra pounds to reach 100lbs of total loss. I'm anywhere from 3-5lbs away depending on when I weigh myself (I know I'm only supposed to do it first thing in the morning I will from here on out). It's been rough trying to kick start my metabolism again. For two weeks I eliminated (almost completely there were some weddings thrown in there that I enjoyed myself and the open bar at a little too much) but anyway, for two weeks in early September I completely cut out sugar (including fruit), salt, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and dairy from my diet. I was on 1100 calories / 6 meals a day. Yes, I finally went to a nutritionist (after 2.5 years of doing it myself) to seek this advice.

I know what you're thinking 1100 calories a day that's impossible to live off of that... it's not trust me, if you limit your diet to only the good foods, whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veges you'd be amazed at the amount of food you can eat. I felt like I was force feeding myself at the end of the day...I just couldn't eat that much food.

I've practically perfected every type of egg white and vege omelet I could think of.

Try this out for a relatively quick, filling and delish breakfast:

(my portions are 4 egg whites and about 150g or more of the veges this number could be more or less for you)

egg whites
mushrooms
red and yellow peppers
Mrs. Dash (salt free) grilling spice

saute the veges with a spritz or two of olive oil and the Mrs. Dash seasoning, then add to the eggs.

PLAIN instant oatmeal. (my portion recommendation is 2pks)

The oat meal can be cooked with water, or try Original Almond Breeze milk if you want some added creaminess and a little sugar 7g in a cup, or go with the Unsweetened version for NO added sugar, just a creamy texture for your oatmeal. Add a ton of cinnamon and enjoy!

I promise you will be FULL and you will be full for a LONG time!

After two weeks i lost 4lbs of body fat and increased my lean muscle mass. Two lbs a week of loss is healthy. Since then I've lost 6 total. I took a week off from being so strict but now I'm back on.

Here's an idea for a lunch you can cook completely in the microwave! Perfect for gals on the go, slackers like myself that hate taking the time to pack a lunch, or those of us stuck in the office.

This product has been a life saver for my diet:


No, I don't own stock in their company, and I'm not being paid to promote this product. They cook food quickly and the food is healthy!!

So here's my idea for a lunch:

Buy individually wrapped frozen tilapia (white fish) fillets.
Add two slices of lemon and squeeze a little bit of juice to the bag
Add salt free seasoning to taste, my recommendation: Mrs. Dash

Frozen broccoli (can be steamed in the bag, but you might want to use a separate one than the one you cook fish in to avoid a fishy taste)
1/2 sweet potato (also can be cooked in a microwave, pierce with a fork several times - I haven't tried cooking these in the bag) sweet potatoes are naturally sweet but also rich with complex carbs, dietary fiber, and Vitamins A, C and B6, add cinnamon for more delicious flavor...cinnamon is also very high in antioxidants!

You will have a complete meal with lean protein, veges and a carbohydrate in less than 10 minutes.... I'm all about quick and easy. (Ash if you're reading this DON'T even go there! Hooka! ;))

So yea that about sums up my life since my last post... I'm still here, I'm still running, still going to bootcamp, still playing soccer and still focused on my diet.

Once race day gets here though I will be SO happy to have my Saturday mornings back...AND once I lose that 100lbs I think I'll crack open an expensive bottle of wine and go to the Indian buffet... maybe not in that order but I can't WAIT! Then I need to refocus and lose another 5lbs because I know I'll gain it back through the holidays because I will enjoy a few cookies and slices of pumpkin pie, then I need to lose that after the holidays. It's a life time commitment, but SO worth it especially when you see that little dress in a shop window and you go to try it on and it looks FAB-U-LOUS on you... or when you reach a new running goal/weight loss goal and you have that extreme sense of accomplishment. It's worth it just to try for that feeling alone!

Ok, enough philosophizing from me...off to cook up my lunch! (Chicken, broccoli, carrots and a small portion of whole grain pasta! lean protein, veges and a whole grain!)

More Running Adventures: Staying Hydrated and Sports Drinks Myths

Hello friends, sorry it's been so long since I've updated... I'm still scratching my head pondering where all my free time has gone since I came back from vacation...Aside from the running, bootcamp, soccer, miscellaneous real life things....


It's all kinda a blur of pretty really. But it started with seeing those pics and ended in a downward shame spiral of fan fiction...this is why I will never be an adult...I discovered that there are blogs that are only dedicated to reviewing and recommending new stories...this is HIGHLY dangerous. HIGHLY. Because I can all of a sudden have 5 or 6 stories lined up to read...bad news bears for the amount of time I spare for blogging.

But anyway, I'm still here... I'm still running, I'm still watching what I eat (when I don't have a wedding to attend that has an open bar with top shelf liquor...but then again my philosophy has never been to count alcohol yea yea... I know about the sugar, I know about the crashes, but I also know bad music at weddings are much more tolerable and easier to dance too with a few gin and tonics and long island ice teas in my system....I'm sure there have been studies done to prove this.)

That being said... my current diet (when not tossing back beve's at a family wedding) is consisting of no sugar, no salt no dairy for two weeks to get my metabolism running again. I'm eating lots of lean proteins, vegetables and very filling whole grains...but enough about that ON to the runs!

Since I've been back from vacation I've had three training runs:

First run was 10 miles of flat running. I have never run this far before. I was concerned about a few things during this run. Obviously staying hydrated is my biggest concern. I had previously purchased a little hand-held bottle when I was training for the 7 mile relay last summer/fall...

This is the Nathan Quickdraw Elite. Nathan makes a whole line of different hydration products for runners. This particular bottle I recommend this for short runs or for walkers. For a longer run it's not going to hold enough water, and to me it was really annoying holding on to it for a run, I kept switching hands so again...not for the longer runs.

Obviously I needed something that was going to hold more water. Since I've been having problems with my hip I pretty much knew I shouldn't have gotten a belt system, but I decided to try one out anyway. I didn't want to fiddle with little bottles of water so I looked at camelbaks line up of products...

This is the Camelbak montara. Camelbak specializes in hands-free hydration. Very convenient to just grab the hose and take a sip instead of trying to unhook and reattached a water bottle. This particular product though, I only recommend for dudes... because men, unlike us ladies and myself in particular, don't have hips or a shelf-ass. No matter how much I tried to tighten the straps once this was filled with water the water pouch kept smacking against my lower back. If I tightened the straps too much they dug into my hip bones. Unfortunately this had to go back.

So I ultimately ended up with this:



The Camelbak Charm. Isn't is so freakin cute? I didn't want an excessively large pack. This is slim and sleek and doesn't bounce all over the place if you wear it tight enough. Back packs are great because the weight is evenly distributed. The colors are bright which I like for when I'm running on roads. Have to make sure the cars see me! Safty first friends! It holds just enough water for a longer run (1.5liters), the only draw back is that I think I probably should have gone up one more size so that I can carry just a little bit more water especially if it's a hot day. Fortunately, we're heading into the fall so I might not need to think about that until next summer.


Sports Drink Myth Buster!

My other concern was my energy levels. If I'm running 10 miles do I need sports drinks or an energy gel or shot blocks or whatever other latest greatest performance product there is on the market? My research and after speaking with a nutritionist has all signs pointing to NO!

After a certain point in activity the body burns off more than just sweat...but for 90% of us hitting the gym for a 30 minute treadmill exercise or even up to an hour of exercise doesn't justify the need for sports drinks. They add extra calories and sugar that just aren't necessary...if you're eating healthy meals your body should pull enough energy from the calories and nutrients you consume during a regular meal to sustain you through your gym routine. However, if you're doing a strenuous work out (ie. more than an hour of strenuous activity - more than 10miles of running) then the body starts to deplete in electrolytes sodium and potassium.

So my advice ladies is to leave the Gatoraid, poweraid, sobelife water, vitamin water or whatever other sugar/chemical filled GARBAGE at home and just take a big bottle of water with you to the gym. If you do an exercise that only burns 150-200 calories and you add that back in a sports drink you're really not going to burn those excess calories. At one point in my life I did actually think that grabbing a sports drink was a healthy alternative to soda. Now that I know better I've only ever worked out with water in my sports bottle since I started my weight loss.

If you need to replenish your body with potassium try a natural alternative such as coconut water. I'm not going to recommend a brand, I only included a link to a google search so you can do a little reading...but coconut water is all natural and loaded with potassium. Banana's are another good source of potassium.

If you would like, please read this article in the Baltimore Sun, this is the first article I stumbled across while reading the morning paper that made me want to delve a little more into the topic of sports drinks. (It's also interesting to note that Vitamin Water is being sued for misleading that their product actually healthy for you. Guess what it's sugar content makes it more like a soda than a "health" drink...and yup yup back in the day I did also think this product was a healthy alternative to soda.)

Again dear readers... Just Drink Water!!!

Ok, back to the 10 mile run!!!

I was so so happy to reach the five mile marker and turn around. I finished in 1hr. 58mins. I wish I could have gone a little faster for but some strange reason my left hip did not like me on this run...or the two runs previous. I've worked past most of the pain with a few chiropractor visits, but It's still a little tight especially when I'm playing soccer...lots of stretching on the sidelines for me.

2nd run we scaled back and did 7 miles of hills! Hills. ugh...but surprisingly this wasn't so bad! I finished in 1hr 18mins. And even more surprisingly my hip did not bother me. It was a good run on a beautiful morning!! Ahhh... I love fall weather starting to set in!

My 3rd run was this past Saturday. It was supposed to be 11 miles of hills... I crapped out after 9. Adding those two extra miles of hills in the middle of my run really did me in. I turned off my regular route onto a side street that was ridiculously steep for almost an entire mile straight!!!! Once again, I got a side stitch going down hill but once I hit flat ground I focused on deep breathing and taking my mind of the pain and was able to push past it. My time wasn't so great for the 9 miles, but I know I was also pacing myself more in anticipation of those really steep hills.

P.S. So far I've raised $175 towards my $655 goal for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society!! Thank you very much for your donations!!!

Half Marathon Training: Run 4ish? ...FML Hills.

I'm not quite sure what number I'm on for my training runs. Officially with the group I think this is week 4, but I've done a few short runs in between on my own. I missed last Saturday's run because I was out of town, so I missed our 7 mile run, but not to worry I'll be running 8 miles next week...oh the joy! Mind you it will be flat again, however this week was our first week of hill running and I knew it was going to kick my ass and it sure as hell did.

But even though I missed the 7 mile run last week, I did get to see this instead:

Shenandoah National Park

and then I went hiking and came across this on the trail... a field of ferns

and when we reached the top of the trail there were lots of neat looking rocks to climb around and a pretty stunning view.

But anyway, on to this weeks run...

The run: A shaded country road that lots of runners and bikers flock to. It winds along our water reservoir and there are a lot of hills...big ones. It's closed to cars after 10 am on the weekends so even before that traffic is pretty light. We got out there at 7 am.

Distance: according to this handy little website called mapmyrun.com the run was 5.12 miles minimum elevation was 164ft and max elevation of 423ft and an ascent of 354ft decent of -358ft... guess what I really don't know what all that means for my run....except that it was hard.

My time: 63 minutes... pathetic. Almost ten minutes longer than it takes me to run the same distance on flat ground.

Problemas?: Yeah, I bit the dust on the way back running down hill...well not really but I got side stiches running DOWN hill... that's supposed to be the easy part the breeze to the end, and I got side stiches! ugh!

Anyway after the run I stretched a bit, drank lots o water and made breakfast. I think I have perfected the sunny side up egg... I've been eating a lot of eggs recently since I've been buying the free range ones from the farmers market they just taste better... I have also perfected the transfer of said eggs from the frying pan to my plate with out breaking the yolks... Don't mock me I am normally allergic to the kitchen and all things involving cooking so this takes concentration ;) ...Ta-Da!


Sorry if I have offended my vegan and vegetarian readers... I know there are at least 3-4 of you..but yea I gotta get that protein in there!

Half Marathon Training: Run 1

I have officially signed up for the Baltimore Half so that means on Oct. 16th my ass is running that 13.1 miles because I'm not wasting that entry fee!

This morning I set out for Day 1 of my half marathon training with my boot camp groups starting at 8am. Which means my alarm was going off at 6:50 in the morning on a Saturday. FTW.



We're starting out an hour earlier next week because of the heat so I better get used to it. I was armed with some new running shoes, arch hugging socks and some new shorts I couldn't resist buying....they were on sale and super light weight! (I'm not one of those runners that needs the newest gear even though I sound like it lol, my shoes were a year old and worn to crap, and it's hot as balls out hence needing light weight shorts...good shoes = good support and less chance of injury my friends :))


I can't speak highly enough of my Brooks running shoes... they're like love for my foot. My last three pairs of shoes have been Brooks. No matter what other brands I try on these always work out best for me.



So anyway...

The run: completely flat trail and it was shaded...soooo nice. The second I stepped off the trail into the sunny parking lot to stretch after the run... buckets of sweat, it was sweltering!

Distance: 5 miles, run/walk 4 mins/1min. I think we will be run/walking for the actual race because honesty I would probably keep the same time if I ran straight through.

My time: about 56 minutes which is an 11 minute mile. I kept pace with our leader and one other guy so I felt I did pretty well for our first run. Basically I was the first chick, but I backed off at one point because I heard one of the guys talking about how his kid vomited all over his back. Seriously why do all parents do this... making us non-parents suffer through their stories of their children's bodily fluids. I felt like I was going to puke on the side of the trail. fml. Shoot me if I ever become that kind of mom.

Problemas?: Nope, felt great. Really glad I went out this morning. A little sore in the right hip still from when I pulled it several weeks ago playing soccer but LOOOOOOOTS of stretching afterward.

Motivational Songs: I was kickin' it old school listening to an old mix on my ipod that had some of my favorite songs from highschool and college on it. This mornings songs on the way to the trail were:

Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (there are rules for listening to this song in my car...I must have control of the volume at certain moments for maximum crescendo factor ;))
Lucky Man - The Verve
Words - Doves
High and Dry - Radiohead
Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem. (2006...just after college)
1976 - Smashing Pumpkins (can't ever get over this song... ever.)

Good songs for a nice Saturday morning. Nothing fast paced or dancy for me this am. It was too early for that, and since I killed my shuffle I don't run with music...just the sounds of pounding feet.

p.s. Also... follow this blog! http://halfasstohalfmarathon.blogspot.com fellow fans Fat Girl Slimmed and Muffintopped (LOVE those names) are also training for a half marathon!