Monthly Archives: January 2010

by | January 29, 2010 · 1:46 pm

Back in the pool again

I started swimming competitively at age seven, was swimming on a club team year-round by the time I was in middle school, spent my entire high school career assuming I’d swim in college, was so burned out my senior year, I broke up with swimming for five years. I headed back to the pool only after injuries forced me to seek a form of cardio less boring than the trusty ol’ recumbent bike. I signed up for open-water swim events to motivate me, and have had a love-hate relationship with the sport ever since.

Me finishing the 1-Mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Challenge last year.

Now, I’m headed back to the pool again after being out for roughly a month. I could waste a lot of time telling you why I’ve been out for so long. Instead, here’s a reminder of why I love swimming to begin with:

  • Endorphins! If you’re reading this blog, you’re likely addicted to these feel-good chemicals released by the body during exercise. Running’s my favorite fix. Swimming’s my second-favorite. Sure, the stationary recumbent bike is easy, and I can read while I cycle; but I never get quite the same cardio workout as I do from even a nice, easy 3,000 yards in the pool.
  • A good stretch. My muscles practically crave a good swim after a hard run or lifting session. It’s a perfect recovery workout, and gets aching muscles moving without straining them further.
  • It strengthens muscles running and cycling don’t touch. Swimming really is the total-body workout everyone says it is. If I do butterfly sprints, I can go ahead and skip core work and tricep dips for the day.
  • I love open-water events like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge 1-Mile Challenge, which I’ve competed in the past two years.

Me at a 2.5-mile open-water swim in Jacksonville August 2008.

  • It reminds me I’m fierce. I’m better at swimming that I am at running. This means that a) I can usually rely on an ego boost with my workout, and b) it’s a nice way to let loose my competitive side, which rarely comes out while running.

Do you swim for cross-training? What motivates you to head to the pool? Help motivate me to actually head to the pool (I haven’t gone yet!) by posting a comment below.

In other news: I had the interesting (and kind of fun) experience of being on the other side of a newspaper interview this week when USA Today reporter Janice Lloyd called me to chat about running gadgets. I’m quoted in her very interesting story, which ran in yesterday’s paper. Nifty, huh?

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by | January 27, 2010 · 1:32 pm

My new running “superfood”: Quinoa

I’ve found a new training secret. And I even know how to pronounce it.

The secret is quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah”), an earthy, nutty grain that’s super-high in protein and in minerals like magnesium and copper. I’d tried it before, but it wasn’t until Lara at Saturday Morning Zen suggested it as an easily digestible form of lunchtime fuel for an evening run that I truly fell in love.

A brief description from Runner’s World: “This small, round grain, which comes from a beet-like plant in the Andes, contains as many carbs per serving as pasta (23 grams per half cup) and enough protein (4.5 grams) and fiber (2 grams) to keep you feeling full without causing stomach distress.”

A quarter cup (dry) of my Bob’s Red Mill whole-grain quinoa actually contains 7 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. And thanks to my lunchtime experiment yesterday, I can confirm that it’s not only really easy to digest, but surprisingly filling: With the addition of a small snack in the afternoon, I was only hungry for one piece of pizza by my post-run dinner at 8:30 p.m.

I cooked my quinoa lunch in chicken broth for about 15 minutes, tossed in cherry tomatoes and fresh rosemary and oregano from my garden, and then stuffed it inside half an acorn squash. Delicious!

Yesterday’s lunch. Yum!

And get this: You can eat it for breakfast, too! Kirstin, who passed along a fantastic steel-cut oatmeal shortcut a couple weeks ago, pointed me toward this amazing recipe for warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa, which I enjoyed for breakfast this morning. I subbed blueberries for blackberries and Truvia for agave nectar.

My quinoa-berry breakfast.

Lara’s quinoa lunch wasn’t the only idea I took to heart when I asked for help with my ongoing quest to find running fuel that doesn’t irritate my sensitive stomach. My afternoon snack yesterday was a Cashew Cookie Larabar, per Megan‘s suggestion.

I’ll be trying a veggie and hummus pita next, per Heather‘s suggestion. Let me know what other stomach-friendly running fuel I should add to the list!

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by | January 25, 2010 · 4:10 pm

Motivation Monday: The trust edition

I’m sore. Not, like, right this second so much as all the time. You know how, when you start a new kind of workout, the muscles challenged by that new workout get so sore for so long, you wonder if sore might not be their new normal? That kind of sore.

I’ve felt that way ever since starting my new physical therapy workout a few weeks ago. I’ve been dutifully tackling the workout three times per week, in addition to much of my existing prehab workout, in hopes that I’ll start my next training cycle healthier and stronger than I’ve ever been before. Being committed to a rather intense lifting schedule means I’m not spending much time swimming, or doing speedwork, or doing long runs. It also means I’m showing up to my other activities — running and skiing — sore and tired.

I’m not saying this to complain. In fact, I mention my new perma-sore state because it’s motivating me to keep trying this week. I’m choosing to see my sore muscles as a gift. They’re a sign that I’m getting stronger, that I’m not going through the motions of this new workout for nothing. Isn’t that why we do anything, in training and in life: to make ourselves stronger and better? The tough part is trusting that the payoff will come when we’re in the middle of the hard part.

Of course, I’m also motivated by some simpler, material items, too, mostly purchased at the Hudson Trail Outfitters sale at the store’s Gaithersburg, Md., outlet:

  • Trail runners! I’ve been wanting these since the summer, when I first fell back in love with trail running. I truly believe hitting the trails makes my ankles stronger more stable. These, which I snagged for $45, will encourage me to get back out there come springtime.

  • A few upgrades for my bike. I’m no cyclist — long bike rides have a strange tendency to make my IT band feel tight and sore — but my bike needed some serious love before I attempted even some quick, easy rides. Enter my new bike seat and helmet, both procured at amazingly discounted prices.

  • Finally, I’m motivated by my last few runs, during which my usual pace has felt just a little bit harder than it did as recently as a couple months ago. This is more than just a feeling. It’s hard to argue with the numbers my beautiful new Garmin spit out after my first three runs with it:

Thursday, Jan. 14: 5.18 miles, 8:32-minute-mile pace

Tuesday, Jan. 19: 4.56 miles, 8:24-minute-mile pace

Thursday, Jan. 21: 5.3 miles, 8:33-minute-mile pace

To that end, I forced myself to do a speed workout on the treadmill Saturday morning before heading to Whitetail Saturday afternoon. The 3X1-mile repeats at 7:30 minute-mile pace were harder than I’d like to admit. I trust that my muscles and lungs are already stronger and more efficient as a result.

What’s motivating you this week? Let me know by posting a comment below.

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by | January 22, 2010 · 1:00 pm

Managing a runner’s stomach, part deux

I think I’ve got this pre-run breakfast-thing down.

Steel-cut oatmeal and a mini-latte treat my pre-run tummy good. Also, the oatmeal's so tasty, I had to eat some before taking this picture.

My quest to find new, healthy, easily digestible pre-run breakfasts started back in December, motivated by gastrointestinal distress during the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 25. It wasn’t my pre-race breakfast that caused my problems, but I thought it might be a good time to examine my typical Luna bar/espresso with a little nonfat milk combo.

Via Twitter and comments on the blog post I wrote about it, you gave me some wonderful suggestions, and after months of experimentation, I’ve found my new favorite: oatmeal with banana. Most recently, that has meant steel-cut oatmeal, made using the overnight shortcut described in this recipe at The Bitten Word (you boil the oats and the water the night before, let the mixture sit overnight, then cook for just a few minutes in the morning). On running mornings, I eat it with a banana diced and mixed in, plus a little Splenda and vanilla. On non-running mornings, I replace the banana with canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Add some sugar-free maple syrup, and it tastes like dessert.

Other insights: If I’m really planning on a hard workout, I need to eat my last substantial meal three hours before running, not one. Also, my mini latte — a shot of espresso, with roughly a third of a cup of nonfat milk —seems to work OK (whew!).

But I need some help again. This oatmeal revelation is great for race-day mornings. But during the week, I run at 7 p.m. with Pacers Silver Spring’s running group, which leaves me wondering: What’s the perfect pre-run lunch to fuel up for a nighttime run?

I understand that I can play it *really* safe by eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich; or, you know, oatmeal. But that seems a little extreme for something I do on a twice-weekly basis. So I’m looking for something tasty and healthy (i.e., something I’d eat anyway); light enough to not be sitting in my stomach at 7 p.m.; but substantial enough to keep me full, with the help of a small pre-run snack, until after my run is done.

If you’ve got lunch suggestions, or general guidelines that have helped you avoid GI distress, by all means, post ’em below!

Last workout: A hilly 5.3-miler completed at 8:33-minute-mile pace with Pacers. I would have preferred to see closer to 8-minute miles on my Garmin, considering my effort level, but I’ll take it, especially considering this is way faster than I would have gone on my own.

Next up: I’ll be running through my new physical therapy workout today, and attempting a quick treadmill speed workout before our weekend shift at Whitetail tomorrow. Wish me luck!

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by | January 21, 2010 · 1:00 pm

Physical therapy geek: My new core-hip lineup

Physical therapy fascinates me. I spent a long time in high school and an entire semester in college thinking I’d grow up to be an orthopedic surgeon, and I’ve always been intrigued by how joints and muscles work. As you’re likely aware if you read this blog regularly, I’m also a bit of a workout nerd who privately entertains dreams of becoming a personal trainer. When it’s done right, physical therapy strikes me as a combination of the two: You get to play with people’s joints AND create workouts for them!

This fascination makes me quite possibly the most engaged and motivated physical therapy patient ever. The exercises from my 2007-2008 stint in physical therapy for an sore hip/IT band are still part of my regular core- and hip-strengthening workout.

I had my second session with a new physical therapist yesterday. I’m going to do my best to outline the full hip- and core-strengthening workout I enjoyed yesterday, with the caveat that I can barely perform some of the exercises without aid, much less describe them:

3X10 Cook hip lifts (basically single-leg bridges)

3X10 clamshells with a resistance band (shown here, along with lots of other interesting-looking running-specific exercises)

3X10 hip circles (done on all fours, by rotating one bent leg in circles)

3X10 single-leg squats

“Monster walks” with a resistance band. When I proved too proficient at these, my basketball-star therapist put a resistance band around my ankles in addition to the one above my knees. Yeowch!

Farmers walk with kettlebell (you walk around the room holding a kettlebell above your head with one hand)

This crazy, intense version of a Turkish getup with a kettlebell. This one is especially tough to describe here, as New Guy would ask me to hold certain positions for longer periods of time, and would correct my form to ensure the exercise was “hitting all the right places.” Translation: “as difficult as possible.”

Single-leg deadlifts with a kettlebell. Yes, in case you’re wondering, I’m planning to purchase one of these instruments of torture for my house.

Lateral lunges, backwards lunges and leg curls with a towel placed beneath the working foot. I know — unhelpful description. I’ll work on it as I master the exercises.

Planks, with lots of crazy variations. Again, I’ll work on describing these once I’ve mastered the actual motions.

Next up: Speaking of instruments of torture, our hill-loving group-run organizer has apparently designed a doozy of a five-miler for us tonight. After the workout I had yesterday (see above!), I’m guessing tonight is NOT the night I’ll be pushing the pace on the hills.

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by | January 20, 2010 · 1:26 pm

Ignorance was bliss: How the Garmin is revolutionizing my running

So I'm slow on hills and slower than anticipated overall. Thanks a lot, Garmin!

Though I think the ultimate value of the Garmin will be tracking exact distances on longer runs, I’m also fascinated by tracking my running habits. During my first run with my new training partner, I learned I’m actually quite slow on uphills, though I make up lots of time on downhills and straightaways.

Last night, I discovered that I run my warmup — about three quarters of a mile from my front door to Pacers Silver Spring, where my running group meets — at about 7-minute mile pace. So, you know, a nice, healthy sprint to start the night off right. Yikes.

Once again, I found that my pace dies on the hills. I found that I finished strong, as evidenced by a quick glance at my watch toward the end of the run (7-minute mile pace on a half-mile downhill: Wheee!). And I found that my average pace was less impressive than I’d imagined. Minus the warmup/sprint, I ran 4.56 miles in 38:19, or 8:24-minute miles. Not that 8:24-minute-mile pace is so bad; I just would’ve guessed faster. It’s good to know the truth, I guess …

In other news: A quick message on Twitter yesterday led to some revelations about shortcuts for steel-cut oatmeal. Kirstin turned me onto a great recipe at The Bitten Word in which you boil the oats and the water the night before, let the mixture sit overnight, then cook for just a few minutes in the morning. I’m enjoying the totally delicious results as we speak. I also heard from lots of people who pre-cook large batches of oats to be microwaved in the morning — ideal for my early-morning shifts at Whitetail, which require me to get up and eat a filling, quick breakfast that’s also highly portable, as I’m heating it up in the dark, in a bunk room shared by a dozen other skiers.

Next up: My second physical therapy session with Beefcake Brad. I’ll post my full workout with him tomorrow. For now, know that it involves kettlebells and dead lifts, and that I’m planning to be very sore when I’m done.

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by | January 19, 2010 · 1:29 pm

A new core workout

Workouts are tricky. If you’re anything like me, you spend a considerable amount of time scoping out new exercises in fitness magazines and online, looking for that new twist on the simple squat or that new way to sit on a stability ball that will challenge your muscles in new and unforseen ways.

Then, as soon as you find the perfect workout, your muscles are bored again, and it’s time to change.

I’ve felt that way about my core- and hip-strengthening workout recently. I’ve been committed to a full injury-preventing lineup for several months now, which means I’m getting to the end of my rope as far as tweaking the exercises for maximum impact.

That’s why I was so excited for find this great workout with stability balls, medicine balls and a BOSU in the most recent issue of Women’s Health. I tried it at the gym on Monday, and can confirm that the stability-ball leg raise and the stability-ball hand walks will wake up even the most bored muscles. I mixed it up even more by hopping on the step mill for cardio (when’s the last time you did that?).

Next up: A group run with Pacers Silver Spring tonight, and a physical therapy session with Beefcake Brad on Wednesday. Stay tuned for his killer kettlebell workout later this week.

Have you found any really fantastic core exercises recently? If so, share them by posting a comment!

 

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by | January 18, 2010 · 6:45 pm

Motivation Monday: The gratitude edition

Last week, I let myself get worn down. I’d been plowing through my haphazard training schedule, assuming that my legs could handle a few hours of skiing every Saturday and Sunday at Whitetail, five-mile runs Tuesday and Thursday, and lifting and cross-training Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I haven’t been running all that much — two or three of those aforementioned five-milers per week — and I forgot that hard skiing, cycling, lifting and traveling require as much rest to recover from as hard running.

This week, I’m taking the opposite approach. I’m adding more rest, and not assuming a stationary-bike or skiing day is “active rest.” More importantly, I’m adding more gratitude. An example: I ran a 5-mile hill workout Thursday, lifted Friday morning, then skied Friday night and all day Saturday. When I got done with a particularly good bump run Saturday afternoon, feeling out of breath and sore, I thought about all I’d asked my legs to do in the past 48 hours. I reminded myself of that frequently on Sunday, when I took the day totally and completely off, and spent the day lazing around on the couch, reading a book. This morning, I hit the gym feeling well-rested and motivated.

Other things motivating me this week:

A kick-butt physical therapy workout. Remember Beefcake Brad, my new physical therapist? His workout, which I did for the first time on Friday, didn’t disappoint. It included single-leg squats, single-leg bridges, “monster walks” with a resistance band, clamshells with a resistance band … and a bunch of stuff with a kettlebell, like a farmer’s walk and a crazy, intense version of a Turkish getup. More details about these moves and others after my next session on Wednesday. For now, suffice it to say I’m impressed.

Steel-cut oats as pre-workout fuel. I resisted steel-cut oats for so long, worried that 30 minutes would just be too long to wait for food in the morning. I compromised, and bought the frozen kind from Trader Joe’s for breakfast before my Saturday morning shift at Whitetail. They were so yummy, and kept me feeling full for so much longer than my regular old-fashioned oats, that I’ve been cooking them from scratch at home, too.

My Garmin, which I rave about in detail here. I already can’t wait for my run tomorrow night to use it again.

What’s motivating you this week? Let me know by posting a comment below!

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by | January 15, 2010 · 1:03 pm

Happy Garmin Day!

Had you stopped by my apartment yesterday, you’d be forgiven for thinking I was some sort of overgrown child, tearing open a Zhu Zhu or a Call of Duty II on Christmas morning. Truly, it’s almost embarrassing to admit how quickly and voraciously I dismantled the package that arrived at my doorstep yesterday morning to get to my new toy inside.

This exciting package arrived at my door yesterday.

But this was way cooler than any toy hamster or video game. After years with the cheap but finicky Nike + with my iPod Nano to determine distance and pace, I decided late last year it was time for an upgrade.

That’s right: My Garmin Forerunner 305 had arrived.

This was, in fact, partially a Christmas present from my brother-in-law (thanks, Frank!), and I wish he could have been around to see just how excited I was to actually receive it. I’m typically very orderly in my gift-opening, taking care to separate the recyclables from the throw-aways, and the throw-aways from the essential parts. That didn’t so much happen yesterday …

Childlike excitement=my coffee table in total disarray.

I ran on Wednesday morning, and my beloved FIRST training schedule had me cross-training yesterday. Oh, right. Just wait a day before you try out the coolest running toy ever! Thankfully, the Garmin needed to be charged before I used it, so I was forced to at least squeeze in a couple hours of work before I took a mid-afternoon run break.

I chose one of our usual Pacers Silver Spring Fun Run routes, the Alaska loop, thinking it would be a nice, flat route for a test run. I had no idea that a) this route was so hilly, and b) that my pace fluctuates so wildly on hills! I spent a short period of time demoralized by the knowledge that, while I run an even 8-minute-mile pace or faster on flats and downhills, my uphill pace often rises to more like 9-minute miles or slower. Who knew?

I was so annoyed by my performance on the last big hill on Portal Drive, a half-mile doozy I slogged up at 9-minute-mile pace, I turned around and ran it again. And then again. I got faster each time, buoyed by my decreasing pace as announced by my new training partner.

Did you get that? My Garmin made me do an unplanned hill workout. This is a little bit like reaching out for a chocolate bar, but having a tool that makes you want broccoli instead. Based on this run alone, the Garmin’s already worth every cent. Final tally: 5.18 miles in 44:14, 8:32 minute-mile pace.

My Garmin-photographing skills are apparently still subpar. Trust me: It was a great run!

My Garmin-photographing skills are apparently sub-par. Trust me: this was one great run, blurry photo or not!

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by | January 14, 2010 · 1:38 pm

The buildup run

I squeezed in 30- to 40-minute runs during my holiday travels to Florida and Colorado, using every available ounce of energy to avoid stopping on hills, which are not only steeper out west, but harder thanks to the oxygen deficit at altitude.

Once I got home from two weeks of travel on a Tuesday evening, I forced myself to attend a group run just an hour after getting off the plane. I dragged my butt to my group run that Thursday, too, and was so worn down, my regular pace group had to run backwards to collect my exhausted self — embarrassing!

I skied last weekend, then cycled 45 minutes and did core/strength work on Monday, only to find myself totally, completely wiped out by Tuesday night — so much so, that I actually skipped my group run, which is a total rarity for me.

But you already know that. The long preamble is simply to set up the really lovely run I had yesterday, and uncovering the reason I had a rough one last week: I was just completely worn down. I woke up yesterday morning feeling totally refreshed for the first time since I got home — seems like taking Tuesday night off was a good call. I ate some oatmeal with a banana mixed in (my new favorite pre-run treat), did some work while I digested, then headed out on a slightly longer version of the historic Seminary loop, the Pacers route I missed the other night.

I’m not sure what my pace was (is it possible to be addicted to my Garmin before it’s even in my possession?), but I can say that I felt stronger on the way back than on the way out, and that I finished feeling like I was building back up to where I was before the holidays. It hadn’t previously occurred to me that I was worn down. But it turns out, even though I hadn’t slacked over the holidays, I think I needed a good solo run to get my groove back.

Another minor revelation: I follow the FIRST program, which calls for three days of hard running and three days of cross-training. I’ve been working out nearly every day, but the advent of ski season has made me lazy about my weekend run. Note to self: Three days of running means three days of running, not two.

Next up: More skiing to break in my pretty new boots this weekend (Yay)! A return to speedwork sometime in the next few runs (Gulp).

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