Ouch.

Yikes. 

That's all I can say at this moment...I've fallen off the running wagon, fallen off the blogging wagon...essentially fallen off the "me" wagon. I really had no idea it's been so long since I last wrote a blog entry, which also speaks to getting enough exercise & sleep, too - every week seems to go by faster and faster lately.  Now that it's officially my "23rd" birthday (ok, ok that was 13 years ago, but who's counting?), I've decided to put more focus back on to "me" and taking care of the one and only vessel I was so blessed to have been born with.  Nothing sums it up much better than a few words written by a man named Mike Boyle entitled,

"One Body":

Who'd be stuck with this little gem?

Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing.

Ask your self how would you maintain that car? 

My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the ori ginal parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to.

Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case.

After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff 
they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part.

Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan?

No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs?

How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful usinessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one. Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can bemoney spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and 
plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money.

S ame goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to 
work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad. Much like a car, a little preventative 
maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body. I wrote an article a while back (Strength Training- The Fountain 
of Youth) that discussed a study done by McMaster University which showed that muscle tissue of older subjects actually changed at the cellular level and looked more like the younger control subjects after strength training.

Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. 

Just remember, you will spend both time and money.

Thanks to Nick Pfaff for finding this and sharing...I hope it resonates to anyone reading this - you've only got ONE body.  Whatever stage of life you're in, no matter your circumstances...it's critical to take care of YOU.  You're the only YOU you'll ever get!

Happy 4th!

Linds 

Hydration, acclimation and too-small tech shirts

At the start, get in line.  Go.  Repeat.

Whew - it's 4 days post Unite 1/2 Marathon and I can officially say something's strange because I never got sore.  Maybe a teeny tiny bit in the quads, but not like anything that's ever happened before.  Usually a day to 2 days afterward I find it hard to bend down or walk down the stairs...but not ONCE did I feel like that this go-round.  Woohoo! 

So what was different?  I haven't the foggiest idea...however I have been kicking around a few ideas in my mind...like the focus on hydration the week & 1/2 leading up to the race...or that since this was my 8th half, maybe my body is acclimating to the distance?  I also forgot my Garmin at home, so I ran purely by how I felt, rather than depending on the watch to tell me how fast to go.  And it was liberating! 

Starting line fun!

Anyway, the good news was, despite the lack of regular training (hey, it's Iron-Man season in our house) - which consisted of 1-2 runs/week; varying in length and whether I wanted to push myself or not, and one long run on the weekend, I was only 20 +/- seconds behind my PR (which was accomplished during peak marathon training last year).  Not bad! 

Another bonus?  No headache...if you've been following my blog (thanks, by the way) you'll remember my headache issues - particularly post race or hard(er) training run.  I definitely think staying hydrated helped a lot, but around 4 that afternoon I felt the all too familiar "fuzzy pressure" mounting at the base of my skull...coincidentally I stopped for a cup of coffee at that point to wake up a bit and was pleasantly surprised when the headache disappeared soon thereafter.  I will most certainly grab a cuppa joe the next time I feel one coming on to further test my theory...

On another note, I just want to give a shout out to CGI Racing for organizing a very fun, well run event.  I will definitely be back, however would like to register my complaint about the sizing of the tech shirts....I LOVE the shirt...and my 10 year old loves it too; she's already worn it twice this week.  Next year, PLEASE order grown-up sizes...I'd like to wear my shirt with pride, rather than watch my kid pridefully wear it. 

Next up...

NJ Share Network 5k in New Providence on 6/10.  If you're local, we'd love for you to join Team Evan to honor and remember a sweet little angel who left us too soon, but lives on in the others who needed his help - you can make a donation or sign up to participate here.  It's a great race, a worthy cause and a fun day. 

It's Highly Scientific

It's 6 am on a Thursday...sun's just poking it's head over the horizon and the lone kid in the house is already busily playing legos (the other 2 are on "vacation" at Grandma's).  Yesterday I found myself in the same scenario, minus kid #3, AND without a car...so I ran the long way to work...and am pretty sure that experience will go down as one as the best mornings ever.  Ah, well...no repeat of that today.  Unless the boy rides piggy-back the whole way.  Ouch.  For both of us!

Anyway, back to the present...I've already downed 8oz water and a cuppa coffee - why, you may ask?  I'm on a mission of hydration.  Every day my goal is to be as fully hydrated as possible to see if I can get rid of the post-exercise headaches that plague me after a harder run.  I experimented with this concept when the headaches first started (about 3 years ago) - but didn't seem to have much luck...BUT I only concentrated on getting enough liquids in AFTER the workout...not BEFORE. 

A good race-day hydration strategy?

Once I started training using a heart rate monitor (keeping my bpm low), I was able to keep the headaches somewhat in check, but after races or a run where I just let go, I'd wind up with an awful headache a few hours later.  We tried to narrow down a cause....was it my form?  Was it my low Vitamin D level?  Probably not - so I'm back to hydration...and I'm measuring this by the most amazing scientific method - the color of my urine...colorless to nearly colorless...TMI? 


So I figure if I keep on it, by next weekend for the Rutgers Unite Half, I'll know if I've discovered the cause if I am headache-free after the race.  Here's to hoping!

Is something burning around here?

I've never been much of a fan of running as fast as I possibly can for any length of time.  From when I was a kid, whenever I exerted that much energy all at once my lungs would hurt like hell for hours after (hello, childhood asthma - or so I thought); I specifically remember racing round my backyard and having to take breaks to breathe shallowly until it stopped hurting a lot.  Yuck.

Well, it being track season and all (kid #1 is LOVING the track club she's a part of this spring), I somehow got it into my head that I really, really want to know how fast I can run a mile.  All out, no holds barred...run as fast as I can for a whole mile...after all, I've completed 26.2 a couple times, 13.1 a few more...done a few tempo runs, even some track work here and there...why not?  How bad could it be (sense a little foreshadowing here)?

So- after a few weeks with only a couple opportunities to get some exercise in...and a little bit of stress build-up (ok, A LOT), I decided I wanted (NEEDED) to get out and do something.  Only thing was that I had all 3 kids; Mike was out on a long bike ride and had a late meeting thereafter, so I was out of luck.  Then came my "A-HA!" moment - what about the HS track?!?!  It's all fenced in, and I would be able to see them at all times...PERFECT!  We'd head over after kid #2's soccer practice and I can already start to  feel those endorphins a-flowin'.  Only problem:  as we drive by the school, there's a LAX game on the turf...what's that saying about the "best laid plans"?  Alrighty, on to Plan B - the park down the street.  There is a paved pathway all around the park with a playground...Kid #1 could watch the other 2 while I do my little experimental time trial...

So off we go to the park, everything going according to plan.  Kids are happy, I'm giddy and the sun is shining.  I get them settled in - explain the rules to kid #1 (no fighting, no pushing, no leaving the area, no heckling mom as she runs by, etc.) and off I go - flying down the pathway.  All's well until about halfway...my achilles lungs start that awful "holy crap, I'm on fire" feeling...but I keep going thinking I might be able to just run through it.  Needless to say, I'm pretty sure that wasn't such a good idea because as I sit here now (3 days later) it still hurts to take a deep breath.  The result?  6:58 minute per mile pace.  Not as fast as I thought I could be, but ok.  For now.  Dun dun dunnnnnn....

So the take away from all this?
- Warming up might have been a good thing to do first (yes, heavy sarcasm from here on down - duh)
- If one hasn't been practicing sprinting, maybe that should be part of the training before sprinting for a length of time
- Long distance training may not be conducive to fast-paced short-distance running
- Pick a flat terrain venue.  Hills might slow you down a bit.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to a nice, sloooow long run this weekend.  Only a few weeks 'till Rutgers Unite Half! 

I run a taxi service on the side...

So here I am, surrounded by a slew of endurance athletes...some are literally Pro's, with olympic dreams, others trying to satisfy that incessant need to expend some energy and be competitive post HS/College years, and even some just trying to keep themselves as young as possible.  No single story is less inspiring than the other - I believe we are all inspiring when we decide to push our boundaries and get "out there". 

So when the term "endurance" is spoken, the first thought might be directed toward what these people are doing...but lately my thought on endure is getting through the week (weekends included) without losing my mind...

Let me explain.

I've got 3 kids, 2 of which are involved in travel soccer & piano lessons.  One is also involved in track, and the other with 2 other extracurricular activities.  Therefore, we have activities scheduled every single day of the week.  Yes, Monday - Sunday.  Double sessions.  No days of rest in this house.  Kid #3 is a good sport - he gets dragged around from place to place, with just a little whine or protest here and there...but I'm pretty sure someday soon he's going to rebel and say "the hell with you people, I'm not doing anything anymore, and you can't make me".  Only a matter of time.  And have I ever mentioned my husband is training for another Iron Man Triathlon?  About 20 hours/week in some cases of any combination of swim, bike and run...all the while working full time + (I totally get the term "mom's taxi").

Anyway, so from planning the entire week's worth of dinners on Saturday am, food shopping for the whole week somewhere inbetween activities over the weekend...I'm trying to stay on top of things because it would be all too easy to run through a drive thru en route to any activity.  I do not want to sacrifice my family's nutrition for convenience - I suppose you could say it's one of my own personal "core values" - I believe how you fuel your body is incredibly important - and particularly while my kids are still growing and developing at a fast rate.  Setting them up for a healthy adulthood is critical.

I know some day it will pay off dividends, and as long as I can squeeze in some running time for me I can maintain the stamina to keep on keepin' on.  Only 7 more years 'till kid #1 gets her license... which will be a whole other animal...

No one said it'd only be point A to point B

In case anyone's worried

Wouldn't it be nice to have a "no-fail manual" for how to do almost everything in life?  Something absolutely clear cut; do this, get that as the result.  Cut & dry, black & white.  No deviations or other scenarios allowed...like 3 kids involved in various activities, a husband training for an Iron Man triathlon...oops, I digress...


Looks like another "must-
read" how-to manual to me

I signed up for a half marathon in April, and am trying to kinda sorta follow a training plan, but so far I think I've actually completed 3 (out of a lot) of the scheduled workouts.  If it were my first race, I'd probably be thinking I should drop out...but I know I'm capable of completing the distance whether or not I follow the plan to a T, so onward I (try to) go.  I'm not expecting a PR (personal record, or best), but knowing race day lies ahead keeps me motivated to try and squeeze a run in when I can.  So, tonight, I expect I'll be on a treadmill after the kids go to bed, but at least I'll have the satisfaction of mood boosting endorphins and knowing I won't let myself give up - doing something good for me and ultimately my family in the long run...for if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy....

Adios February. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Well, February has struck again and 2 out of 3 kids have been struggling to get rid of a nasty upper respiratory bug for 2+ weeks.  I am so very thankful March is here- while it's just something the calendar shows, mentally it's a big boost as I know spring is "officially" within reach.  Someday I'll have the means to relocate to a warmer climate during the entire month of February.  I hear Costa Rica is awesome.  

Anyway, I really can't complain about this winter in terms of temperature - I can't ever remember February temps only in the 40's - 50's; and sunshine to boot.  Starting training for the next race hasn't been too torturous - or boring stuck inside on a treadmill.  My spring race of choice (Rutgers Unite 1/2 Marathon) won't be my competitive race (for me) though - Mike is ramping up his training for the inagural NYC Ironman in August, so I'll have to get some runs in where ever I can fit one or two in...just to get my butt up off the couch.  I know that if I don't sign up for something or have a reason to fit exercise in, it's too easy to skip (like this week has been, unfortunately - but sleep takes precedence in my book). 

Yes, I've learned that it's all too easy to "put off today what you can do tomorrow", or really, truly what it means to "give a task to a busy mom and it will get done".  The more I have to fit in, the more gets done because I know I can't afford to procrastinate - whether it's exercise, meal planning, work, family stuff...and I know it's just going to be more jam-packed as the third kid enters the wide world of extracurricular activities (he's already got his eye on wrestling and rugby). 

Thus, that is why I'm finishing up this blog entry at 5:58 am on Friday morning (although I must fess up that I should have had this done yesterday), already gearing up for another full day, and even more jam-packed weekend.  But hey, it's March! 

Well, doesn't everyone get socks for Valentine's Day?

Well, it's been a week since Valentine's Day and I'm delinquent with keeping my blog up to date.  I was thinking a lot about what to write, but never got in front of the computer long enough to write it down...until now.  A week late.  Well, better late than never I suppose.

I have to give a shout-out to my mom.  Why?  Because of all the funky socks in my sock drawer...I think I have at least one pair for every holiday, thus I'm always ready to celebrate, whether you can see them or not.  I recall the days leading up to Halloween, my kids would check out my feet all the time to see which socks I put on that day - pumpkins, ghosts, black cats...I'm not sure who it was more fun for - them or me.  This past Valentines Day - I goofed and wore my red fleece the day prior - and since I don't own anything else red, I was in trouble on the 14th...until I remembered I had pink socks with red hearts AND black socks with red hearts...not one, but TWO pair to choose from!  Thank God for my mom. 

It may seem goofy - I don't put a lot into most holidays (Christmas & Easter aside), but it's fun to get into it a bit...and I have the perfect excuse with my fun socks! 

My mom has learned over the years that I'm not a person of extravagance, nor do I have a penchant for things that don't serve a functional purpose.  So, after many years of trying to buy me stuff, I think she's settled on socks (better than underwear, right?).  She can still exercise her right to buy for me (because she's my mom) and she knows I'll actually use them...and like them, too. 

So taking a bit from my brother in law's blog last week, now that I have kids of my own, I can see how trying to connect with them by providing something of importance (if even only in their own eyes) can mean so much - and everyone has their own way of trying to show they care...presents, favors, 30 second hugs...I'm trying to do a better job at recognizing when someone shows me they care - even in the smallest ways. 

Since having my own three children, I've become ever more grateful for the many nights I woke my mom up for any of the following:

a) a bad dream
b) illness (ranging from a few coughs to ear infections to...well, I won't go into it)
c) just to check in

...and received all the care and attention I needed to feel better...(THANKS, MOM - for being awesome AND all my cool socks!). 

I'm on the chemical diet.

So there I was, trying to breeze through the grocery store at 7 am Super Bowl Sunday, because as I've learned the hard way, it's crazy busy 4 times per year; Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July and the Superbowl.  Quite possibly the four most gluttinous days of the year...but I digress. 

As I got to the peanut butter aisle (because kid #2 would have nothing to eat for lunch otherwise), a yellow label caught my eye:  "Calorie Free".  Huh?  Calorie-free peanut butter?  Anyone knows that peanuts and other nuts are chock-full of calories...how on earth could a jar of peanut butter be no calories at all?  Upon closer inspection, I noted that the label also said "Whipped Peanut Spread"...not peanut butter.  That was the second clue that something was odd.  So, like any curious person, I picked up the jar and read the ingredients.  Yeah, no peanuts here, per se...just a lot of "fillers", "natural roasted peanut flavor" and "peanut extract".  Ew. 

What have we come to, that we would rather eat fillers and additives to avoid the all-evil calorie, or fat, or cholesterol (or insert any "bad food component" here) rather than eat real food in moderation, and think it's ok.  There's so much information out there that points to all our advances in food science (flavorings, colorings, refinement, etc.) as a major contributor to our obesity issues now...not to mention cancer, heart disease....the list goes on. 

Long story short, I hope the "Calorie Free Peanut Spread" tanks.  And the glamour of eating something that "tastes like real food!" is realized for being as ridiculous as it truly is.  If you want to eat chicken, eat chicken.  In the mood for something fruity?  Eat some fruit!  Want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  Try some freshly ground peanuts - eat real food!

Rocket Turtle

I'm 11 weeks out from my first official 2012 event - the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon.  This will be my 8th half marathon...and while I feel pretty confident in what to expect,  I know I'll still have butterflies the day of.  I'll "officially" start training around 8 weeks out, so for now I'm just trying to get some regular mileage in, and keep my heart rate below 154bpm - which means I have to keep my pace slooooooow. 

It's all based in Phil Maffetone's findings that you can go faster for longer by training your body to stay in an aerobic state.  I did this a bit last winter and felt it helped a lot going into the spring.   I'm all for staying healthy - there's nothing worse than being injured or having significant aches and pains and having to sit things out for a while.  I'd also like to think I'm doing myself a favor in the long run - the less hard stress I'm putting on my muscles, ligaments, joints, etc. the better I'll be in regards to joint issues later in life.  I've known a few individuals who've had joint replacements - and while the "after" is much better than the "before" the recovery and events leading up to surgery seem to be pretty awful.  Here's to hoping, anyway.

I've got a few other events I'm eyeing for 2012...particularly my big "redemption" event...the NYC Marathon.  NYC 2000 was my first (and only for 11 years thereafter) marathon...and I did it in honor of an old HS friend through Team in Training.  Since I already wrote a bit about it already (here), I won't rehash the details...but suffice to say, I was never a fan of my time and always wanted to do better.  Enter Marine Corps Marathon 2011...I beat my time by about 40 minutes...but I still feel like I need to go back and redeem myself IN NYC...and I will now publicly state (yipes!) that my NYC 2012 Marathon finish time goal is UNDER FOUR HOURS.  Can I do it?  I guess only time will tell...I'm banking on staying healthy (c'mon Maffetone Method!) and finding the time to really put a lot into my training (all this with three very busy kids and a husband competing in Iron Man NYC in August!). 

Wish me luck!

Try a new perspective...

So there I was, heating something in the microwave and as I zoned out I saw the whole kitchen reflected in the door (bear with me on this).  I thought how different everything looked - not even really that familiar anymore - the bay window and kitchen table were on the left side now, with the oven, refrigerator and counters on the north side of the house...while everything was identical, it was also very different, chiral, if you will (an Organic Chem term, thankyouverymuch).  Then I got to thinking about how different perspectives can make things - no two people see the same exact thing at the same exact time, and each may have a vastly different interpretation of an event, or occurrence.  Much like when kid #1 explodes at kid #2 and there's a battle afoot...I know I'll have two different perspectives, or sides of the story.  Mostly, by their own claims, both kids are "100% innocent"; all words were said very sweetly - no sarcasm or mal intent meant - so it's completely the other kid's fault.  Sometimes I even think both kids truly believe their own sides of the story, hence the different perspective, but that doesn't really help matters, particularly when I didn't witness the whole incident.  That's what two separate rooms are for...separation works wonders for infighting. 

So where am I going with this? 

We all have our own sets of eyes & ears which are hard wired to our very own gray matter.  What we see, hear, feel, and experience as we grow up shapes us as adults, right?  Some of us can be very stubborn and "set in our ways", while others might be more open to experimentation and trying new things (or somewhere in the middle).  Take for example my Grandfather.  No man I've ever met was more stubborn or set in his ways than he.  There was no point to try to argue or enough money in the world that would change his mind about, well, most everything.  God love him, he was difficult to have any sort of two-sided conversation with - so we just listened to his side of the story (and he had some doozies!) and appreciated his 90+ years of wisdom, whether it mirrored my beliefs or not. 

On the other hand...I've surrounded myself with people who believe that the "sky's the limit" when it comes to health and wellness.  Always eager to learn about and try new things from food to sports...and since I've become part of the group, I guess I have a hard time with the somewhat common "I could never ____" limitation people put on themselves. 



"Bought in July '09/August '05; Never been refrigerated;
Never had any mold; Refuses to decay; Looks like the day
bought; Box and paper falling apart"

So here's my thought:  we as a whole are experiencing an emergency when it comes to our health and quality of life.  Why?  We eat terribly and live a mostly sedentary lifestyle.  I know you've heard it all before, yadda yadda yadda.  But it's 100% true - our food (and lack of exercise) is killing us.  Not only is the quality of our food crappy, but we eat too much...AND we mostly believe we can't live without it.  Or we try to eat a little bit better...but it's not enough...because we just couldn't bear to give up (insert food category here), or life just wouldn't be the same without (insert food category here).  Really?  Our quality of life would plummet because we couldn't eat something?  I hope that sounds absurd, because it is. 
Alright, enough with the negative diatribe...what I'm ultimately getting at here is that we can try new things.  We can reprogram our taste buds to like whole foods - really taste real food.  We can slow down just a little and be mindful of what we put in our mouths [In fact, there's a study out there showing people who chewed their food more times were healthier and weighed less than people who hardly chewed their food at all (link)].  We can prevent some of the very diseases that will likely take us from our loved ones too early. 

Why not try a new perspective on food?  Even if it's using "baby steps" (see my last post), we've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain (or the opposite, depending on your perspective!).

A Resolution for No Resolutions?

Well, the past few weeks have really gotten away from me...Christmas has come and gone, as has New Year's Eve and my "baby's" 5th birthday.  All I did was blink...where in the world did 2011 go?!

Anyway, as I move into a brand new year, I have decided to not make any "resolutions".  New Year's Resolutions have become a joke of sorts in my mind - I've noticed quite a few FB status updates and tweets here and there lamenting that there's no space in the gym or equipment availability because of all the newbies who've made it a resolution to get in shape...but then there's always the snide comment saying "don't worry, things will be back to normal in only a few weeks"...which for all intents and purposes is true.  Everyone knows they can/should "do better" in at least one aspect of life - fitness, food, money, etc.  We might "resolve" to make drastic changes, only to come up short when we feel like it's just too hard to maintain the change...we're so used to our routines and habits, it can seem insurmountable at times.  If we target a specific date...if we psych ourselves up enough...maybe, just maybe, we can leap the hurdle and be home free - a changed and happier person forever!  Not likely.

Don't get me wrong- there are people out there who've managed to cold turkey what ever bad habit they had, and kick it to the curb forever and ever.  But they are definitely few and far between...and who knows their motivation?  Staring death in the face, or some other unthinkable outcome lurking around the corner for sure...

So then, what about the rest of us?  Well, I'm not an expert by any means.  But I do know that drastic changes throw me into a tailspin...akin to torture.  Hence the "no resolutions" resolution.  (Oops - did I make a resolution?!)  It's babysteps for me.  Little, individual changes...slowly introduced one at a time.  Once I get used to something, then I'll bring another small change into the mix...my blood pressure stays relatively normal, I don't get stressed out, and POW!  A change for the better, in the right direction.  All that needs to be done is ignore or talk myself down from the "I want it NOW!" feelings that pop up when, say, my pants feel too tight.  Like right after New Year's Eve.  Let's just say that was my motivation to make a goal to eat a few extra fruits & veggies every day.

So, as I bid adieu and goodnight, enjoy the above clip from "What About Bob".  A true classic.

Happy 2012 to you all!