‘Running’ Articles at , Page 38

The Rainbow of Running: Sweating out each mile by the color

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

A rainbow is built color by color, not unlike your training. Here’s the running rainbow breakdown:

Red is Consistency. There is no super secret to getting better, it’s just hard work done day in and day out over months, years…you get the picture. Dedication and self-motivation are two the biggest things that will determine the amount you success you achieve, that really goes with anything. You can’t fake it, do what you love; if that’s running then set your goals and run for them. But be prepared for all of the curmudgeony, blah, tedious days too; they will be there and in those times you have to remember WHY you run and then get out there and do it.

Orange is Base. That great big old engine, your aerobic base; we’ve got your long runs served up piping hot with a side of hills and a great big pancake feast post-run refuel. Distance runners thrive on those endurance challenges…there are those runs where you step out and get lost between the miles, but the times where each mile seems to be excruciatingly endless too. There are the ones done with a great group and even in those shared moments of silence you’re getting to know each other in a unique kind of intimacy only training partners will understand.

Yellow is Tempo. The tempo runs and the long intervals, the main course workouts so to speak. These get you ready for those middle miles of a race, the majority of it; getting you used to race pace so that you can handle it come the big day. What’s your pick of poison, milers, 5 mile tempos, 1000’s, 10 mile tempos? Only this time the poison is lactic acid and it’s a matter of getting your muscles accustomed to handling as much as possible.

Green is Mentality. It’s often you against yourself when you come right down to it; sure there are your opponents, yes there is the clock, but before you can beat any of them you have to beat yourself. You have to face the doubts, that voice in your head telling you you can’t, screaming at you to stop, to give in, to relent. You have to look that bit of yourself dead in the eye when the moment comes, tell it to shut up, and keep on pushing.

Blue is Injury. It’s a necessary evil, they happen to every runner. We can do all we can to avoid them but they do come with the territory. When they hit it’s a matter of retaining sanity, dealing with them, and getting proactive. Cross-train, rehab, get better and get back. A large part of getting back is also mental, a string of injuries can ruin a runner if they get hung up in the depressive mindset. These injuries are tests, how much do you want to get back…the cheat sheet is to stay positive and take one day at a time.

Indigo is Speed. Yes, even the most fast-twitch muscle devoid distance runner needs speed, at least the ability to shift a few gears even if they don’t think it’s by an incredible amount. Have fun with these 200’s, the 400’s and 600’s…yes, fun. We may get blown away by real sprinters but it’s all relative. If you fear the track then forget the watch and just go; test yourself by running faster for the pleasure of the wind in your hair and slipping into a quicker gait. Take away the pressure and surprisingly you can fall in love with the sprinter-side of yourself. Then when you do see that clock again get cozy with a faster kick and enjoy the new PR.

Violet is High. The elusive runner’s high, the days when everything clicks. These are the crazy days that you can’t plan no matter how scientific you go about things. You’re just ON. They may fall on race day and bless you with a PR that feels ‘effortless’ but they could be random days too. Hold tight to the memories of these days because in the end these are what we are all chasing, they are what make all the crappy, leaden-leg filled days worth it. The ever quest for the days when you meet your best running self and for a brief moment in time you’re one and on the best run of your life.

Running and training, just like the rainbow, is built color by color.

1) Pick a color and parallel it to running or your own training.

2) Could you pick one of the colors and meaning I gave it and relate it to yourself? Which one is your favorite and why?

3) Consistency is the building block of training, how do you stay consistent?
I know I’m a happier, better person when I get my sweat in for the day. 🙂

Know Your Weak Spots and Care For Them: All about strengthening your calf muscles and keeping your achilles tendons healthy

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

As I write this I’m icing my right calf muscle; the little bugger has been a bit cranky as of late so I’m being proactive and giving it a little TLC. Let’s be honest, a runner’s reality (or regular worker-outer) comes with the creaks and squeaks, the moans and groans from the muscles and body, we’re like our own Tin Men and Tin Women. To keep those creaks from turning into the full on screams of injury we’ve got our oil cans in the way of icing, massage, stretching, and the like.

That's your calf muscles and achilles tendon thanking you for some TLC. 😉

Everyone is different and after awhile we get to know where our squeaks tend to lie; for some it’s the perpetually tight hamstring, the plantar fascia that rears its ugly head now and then, the achilles, the IT band and so forth. Knowing our weak points is important because we can focus on being extra diligent with these areas and do all we can to prevent a flare-up.

If the calf muscles are your weak point, listen up because doing some strength moves in addition to stretching and icing will do you good. In fact, if your achilles are your weak points, working on your calf strength will in fact help with that as well. Actually, even if these aren’t your known creaks and squeaks, strengthening them isn’t going to hurt you and still help you as a runner.

The 3 Way Calf Raise Trick and Achilles Care:

* Forward raise: Find a set of stairs and stand with the toes of both feet on the step; allow the arch and heel of your foot to hang off the back of the step and hold onto a rail for balance. Point both toes forward and lower your heels down until they are below your toes and as far down as you can reach without your toes leaving the step. Now raise up and onto your toes in a slow, controlled movement. Lower yourself back down and repeat for a set of 10-15 raises.

* Inward facing raise: With your toes on the same step, now point your toes inward so they are facing each other. Lower your heels down until they are below your toes on the step and raise up onto your toes just as you did the first time. Keep the motions slow and controlled to work the muscles; lower and repeat for a set of 10-15.

* Outward facing raise: This time point your toes away from each other, your heels will be nearly touching. Do the same lowering and then raising motion and repeat for a set of 10-15.

Start out with doing just one set of each raises and gradually work your way up until you are doing 2 to 3 sets. Be sure not to just whip through each raise and cheat a bit with momentum, it’s better to slow down so that the muscles have to really work.

By doing them in three different directions it works both of the calf muscles (the soleus and gastrocnemius) from three angles; because when you’re running you aren’t always on the same, even terrain, you take turns, you step on angles, rocks, etc. and so you aren’t always working those muscles from a single, laterally forward position. This way when you’re out running, if you step on a curb or rock funny your calf muscles won’t be so shocked and you’ll have less chances of running into an injury.

The same theory applies to your achilles tendon and by strengthening the muscles by which this tendon inserts at the top you can stave off achilles issues.

When I'm injured I'm more likely to punch a poor person in the face due to cross-training induced grouchiness. 😛

Taking care of your little squeaks, creaks, and injury prone spots will not just save your sanity in being faced with an injury that makes you take time off but it will vastly improve your running. We all know that consistency, and being HEALTHY enough to run those workouts, are the key to being your best.

Take those oil cans, lube up, and run happy. 🙂

1) Do you have calf or achilles issues? What is your squeaky wheel?
Usually it’s the top of my hamstring right up by the glute.

2) Do you do calf strengthening moves at all?

3) What are some of your favorite strength moves, do they target some of the spots you tend to get injured?

4) If you were in Dorothy’s parade which character would you choose to be?
Hmmm…I guess the Scarecrow, he looks like he could move and run at a decent pace. Actually, scratch that, I think ToTo could beat him.

I’m a Runner and I’m Not Complaining, But…

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

I’m a runner and I’m not complaining, but…

…if you’re going to build a community track but them install those guard rail arms that reach all the way out to lane four on each straight-away it sort of defeats the purpose. I mean doing 400 meter repeats where you have to swing wide on each stretch really is a hassle and adds extra meters when I’m already tired.

…repeat, I’m a RUNNER, don’t ever call me a jogger. I will get nasty.
$stress fractures suck$
…dear makers of ‘the boot’, nobody likes a stress fracture to begin with, can we at least start making headway in boot fashion? Can’t we at least get some color variety, I mean even casts come with color choices.

…if you’re out for a little power-walking, power to you, but when you hear me approaching and you’re walking 5 people wide, could you do a runnerchick (or runnerdude) a favor and go single file for a quick second to let me by?

…dogs are awesome, leash-less dogs that want to chase me and maul me are not so awesome.

…if you’re going to charge me an arm, two legs, and my first-born child in race entry fees then can you at least make sure that the race course is accurate and well marked? Who ever wants to pay to run the 4.674k race, don’t think that PR really counted.

…if there is ONE more treadmill manufactured that cuts me off at 60 minutes it should be destroyed. Haven’t these people ever heard of a thing called the long run?

…there really should be a ‘poor boy’ style race entry option. I’m talking, I don’t want a shirt, I don’t need a bag of gel or bar samples…bare bones, $5 should cover the piece of paper for the bib, 4 safety pins, and the pleasure of lining up and then putting myself through torture in the quest for a PR.

…there are some awesome shoes coming out these days, but can I put in a request for the never-ending shoe? Think like a Wonka Gobstopper, you keep on running but the shoes never wear out.

See, I’m just a runner. I really don’t have many complaints. 😉

1) Have any ‘non-complaints’ to add to this list?

2) Ever been chased by a mad dog while running? Isn’t it the kicker when the owner just acts like it’s no big thing?

3) What’s your favorite pair of running shoes at the moment?

Plyometrics for Runners Part II – Jumps and Hops: I caught the Easter Bunny hopping away plyo style

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Let’s talk some plyometrics.If you’re reading this and your face is already smeared with chocolate and Peeps sugar residue, you’ve done the Easter Bunny thing right. 😉 Just kidding…Happy Easter to those who celebrate and Happy Sunday to those who don’t.

Jelly beans also work their way into those eggs! 😉

But because we have bunnies on the brain today I thought it fitting we revisit the topic of plyometrics, this time covering hops and jumps. You can read the Part I on bounds and skips.

This time of year also falls into early track season; here is a prime time to build strength by incorporating plyometrics into your training. Plyo’s, because they are intense, fast-twitch muscle focused are taxing on the body and even if you don’t feel sore right away that will usually change come the next day. Because of this you have to be careful not to over-do them and typically you’ll want to ease back on these plyos, or cut them out entirely, come peak racing season.

During base building phases and early season is your opportune time to increase you strength and work on areas you need to improve on. If you’re not racing track, or not racing at all, plyo’s are still great because they:

1) Build strength and power; this translates into speed and the ability to end your races faster with a kick
2) Build more muscle; more muscle mass and less fatty tissue is always a good thing 😉
3) Rev up metabolism;similar to interval sessions, intense bouts of plyo’s not only get your heart rate up there while you’re doing them but they create an after-burn effect where your metabolism is elevated for hours after you complete the workout

Channel your inner sprinter; plyo's will build your speed and give you that fast finishing kick! 🙂

Let’s get into the hops and jumping variety of plyo’s:

* Rocket jumps: Start standing with feet about shoulder width apart. Bend down into a squat and touch the ground with your hands and then blast up into the air, extending your arms up over your head. Reach for the sky and try to get as high off the ground as you can. Get back down into the squat and blast again. Start with one set of 10.

* Single leg butt-kicker leaps: Start balancing on your right foot and keep your left leg bent and off the ground for all of this jump. For this jump you want to achieve two things: clear as much distance as you can AND get your right leg up high into the air and kick your bum. You will look funny doing this, but that’s okay. Do 10 jumps on your right leg and switch to your left.

* Star jumps: Similar in look to jumping jacks, the star jump is different in that you will raise your arms and legs out at the same time. Start standing feet together and arms at your side; jump up into the air, kick your legs out to the sides and raise your arms up until they meet over your head. When you land you want you finish in the same position as you started. As you build power you’ll want to test yourself to see how high you can jump and how far apart you can get your legs during each jump. Do a set of 10 to start.

* Single leg step-up blasts: Find a bench that when you place your right foot on it your quad is about parallel to the ground and both knee and hip bent at 90 degrees. Start in this position and with you left leg still on the ground, step-up and transfer your bodyweight onto your right leg and swing your left leg up towards your chest as you go. Once you are standing on the bench keep the step-up momentum going and then blast off with your right leg into a jump. Try to jump as high as you can, land back down on your right leg and then lower down into the starting position. Your arms during this will swing in the opposite arm/opposite leg motion you do while running. Do a set of 10 with your right leg and switch to your left.

* Quick feet bench taps: Use a bench the same height as you did the step-up blasts; start facing the bench with both feet on the ground. Here you will alternate quickly tapping the bench with your right foot and then your left. You do this in a continued hopping motion; right tap, left tap, right tap, etc. The aim is to keep moving and to get those feet to fire off the ground, to the bench, and back down again as quickly as possible without losing balance. Your arms will follow the opposite arm/opposite leg motions you do as running. Start with a set of 20 toe-taps; that would be 10 taps for each foot.

These are 5 great jumping plyometrics to get you started in building a routine. If you’re new to plyo’s, remember it is QUALITY over QUANTITYand if you need to slow down or take longer breaks to complete them right that is better than doing more sloppily. Doing them with poor form will only re-instill bad habits and set you up for an injury. Secondly, for your first few times only do a set of 10, you may feel like it was ‘easy’ but typically you want to walk away from a session tired but not demolished; with plyo’s the fatigue sets in later and even if you don’t feel like it, the muscle tissues were broken down.

Do a plyometric routine after your hard workout day; finish your cool-down them move into those plyo's.

For runners, here are points to remember:
* Do plyo’s on days you already did a hard workout. It sounds off, but you don’t want to add plyo’s to your easy days because that will defeat the purpose, you’ll never recover and then come your hard workout days you’ll be spent and tired.

* Start with doing plyo’s only 2, up to 3, times a week with at least one day between them. Start with only 1 set of 10 for the first week, if not the first few, and work your way up to 3 sets of 10.

* Allow full recovery between each set. You want to be fully recovered between each set so you can give each jump the most power; you’re working on your explosiveness not your endurance here…channel your inner sprinter.

* Mix and Match: If you’re doing more than one plyo session a week, do jumps and hops one day and switch to the leaps and bounds routine the next time you do them. Get a good variety of what you’re doing, as with any other training philosophy.

Once you’re done with your plyo’s be sure to refuel like a champ within 30 minutes to get the recovery window!

1) What’s your favorite Easter type candy…are you all about the chocolate eggs, the Peeps, or were you one of those kids who actually looked for the real hard-boiled ones and ate those?

2) Do you do plyo’s and if so, which are your top picks? If you don’t, would you be willing to try them?

3) If you don’t do plyo’s, what do you do to work on your power and speed?

4) Anyone race this weekend?

When Running Starts Taunting Me – When do YOU like to get your workout in?

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

I like to workout first thing. I hate waiting, it feels like my run (workout when injured) is sitting there over my head taunting me, “When are you going to get to me, when are you going to get to me?”

I'm MUCH happier after my run/workout. 🙂

It’s really difficult to explain, it’s like there is this pressure and I HATE the minutes between the now and the run but for a mix of odd reasons.

1) I feel anxious or nervous that for some reason I won’t get my run/workout in for the day. But not because I fear something unexpected will come up or plans will change (I’m too anal to blow off my run in lieu of something else), but because when it comes time to actually DO it I’ll be a lazy bum and opt out…this, even though I know myself too well to even believe that would happen.

2) I feel lazy.Yes, crazy, I feel lazy until I actually get my workout done. If I read about workouts other people have done or see people out running, I feel like they are also taunting me and I feel guilty for having yet to do mine.

Sorry, no matter how much laughing I do it's not enough of a workout for me...lol.

3) I’m grouchy. Without those endorphins my brain goes into beast mode and I’m just ‘off’ for lack of a better term.

This running taunts me exponentially if I’ve got a hard workout or race to wait for. This is because, let’s be frank, we all try to fool ourselves that the burning and pain of those intervals won’t be that bad, but we know it’s a lie. A thin veil of untruth that allows us to start.

I feel that the quicker I can roll out of bed and into my workout the less time I have to contemplate that lie, to try and dissect it…I’m afraid my mind won’t be buying what I’m trying to sell if I wait too long into the day.

I like the feeling after you owned that workout.

For oh so many reasons, I HATE the waiting, I like to get my run in first thing. It’s not just for selfish reasons either because I know I’m much better to everyone around me after I’ve gotten all sweaty and earned those endorphins. 😉

1) When do you like to workout? I know some people cannot do the first thing in the morning at all.

2) Do you get where I’m coming from in feeling like your workout is taunting you until you get it in?

3) When it comes to hard workouts or races, do you seem to feel a little ‘different’ on those days beforehand and does that effect what time you like to do them?

4) Do you really not care at all when you get the run in and are one of those crazy flexible people who just easy, breezy, go with the flow??

5) What’s on tap for your Saturday?

Your First BIG Race: I remember mine, Arcadia 2000…Do you remember yours?

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Cait — 3 Comments ↓

When I read that the Arcadia Meet was happening this weekend, I admit to smiling.Yes, I’m 26 and FAR removed from high school competition (the way I act though sometimes may beg to question if that’s where I do belong though…hehe.) but for a quick minute indulge me in a little nostalgia.

Run with me...back in time for a bit...

When I was a freshman running track, The Arcadia Invite was the first really big meet I had ever been too. To me it felt HUGE, epic even…but not just because it was the first meet that was going to be run late enough that the whole place was dark minus the track illuminated by those big floodlights. Arcadia’s got two meets, the day meet and the night, the night meet is the invitational where you have to have a qualifying time to get in. Because it was pretty selective only one other girl from my school came down, Liza Negriff a triple jumper and still a friend I have today! That year was to be especially interesting because current high school senior Alan Webb was going to make an attempt to break 4 minutes for the mile.

Little side tangent here, little dorky high school Runnerchick was in awe of Alan and by chance we happened to be at the track the day before doing our shakeout runs at the same time and I felt all ‘special’ because I got to talk to him. Like one of those random people that somehow gets past the red rope and bumps into a celebrity…oh us runners and our running celebs. 😉 The even funnier part is that it turned out that Alan Webb and the rest of his relay team happened to be staying at the same hotel as us and was in fact only a few doors down…somewhere I have a picture of us all in the hotel…wow, and I think I still had braces. 😉

Back to Arcadia, this was my first big meet…okay, I said that. A few things stand out in my mind about the whole ordeal, like the reel skips and pauses in random spots. I tend to have a very photographic memory but also weird in that it’s random details I can recall exactly but maybe not the bigger things. The day passed and of course I was nervous…I hate any race that isn’t first thing in the morning because you wonder what in the heck you’re supposed to do with yourself all day! You just sit there and stew…and then you have to worry about planning out your food and what will sit okay in your stomach.

I’m pretty good at managing my nerves; I say that meaning I do get nervous as heck but I’m able to channel them to help me rather than lead to an implosion. Tip for race nerves: come up with your solid race plans (yes that’s plural because you may have to adjust mid-way through) days before, then stuff the race out of your mind two days leading up. Then only get into race game mode when you start your warm-up. As you go about your race day warm-up routine it helps calms your nerves; going through the same, exact motions brings a normalcy to the day and run and gives you something concrete to focus on.

So I get to the line, and for the first time I’m lined up next to girls I had only read about or seen on high school websites. These girls were legit, they were my high school idols, and there I was looking at them…but I didn’t wet my little bunhuggers, I toed the line for the 3200 meters and off we went.

I don’t remember much from the race, I tend to zone out during them, and because the field was so fast I didn’t have to worry about doing any thinking really…plan: latch onto some pack and try to hold on. Time was irrelevant, I didn’t even look at the clock once. I will admit, embarrassingly, that for some odd reason the whole darkness and spotlights sort of threw me for a loop and for a couple laps I wasn’t sure if I was at the 200m mark or the start/finish point! Hey, I WAS only a dumb frosh. 😉

Anyways, the whole way I did just what I set out to do, I latched onto some faster girls, not the fastest pack but another pack behind them, and dug down to stay with them. Crossing the line I was still in awe of the girls around me, but they felt closer in a way than they did prior to the start. I did after all earn my spot to race against them, even though they spanked me I was at least fast enough to line up with them, I guess I belonged on some level.

I had no clue what my time was until I saw my coach and mom jumping up and down yelling at me. I PR’ed by about 30 seconds I think…I was ecstatic.

Back to random clear and day details, we refueled that night at Claim Jumper (if you ever go there you MUST ask them for a slab, not a slice this thing is a full on slab, of their chocolate mother-lode cake.) and Liza, my mom, and I all had the loaded, stuffed baked potato. I joked that this potato literally had to be on steroids, if you’ve never been to Claim Jumper I think pretty much everything they serve is the ‘roided up sized version. 😉

So the Arcadia Invite certainly brings back some awesome and funny memories. Good luck to all those high schoolers racing, and if you’re in the position of lining up next to some of your high school idols…don’t wet yourself, instead remember that you earned the spot to line up next to them. You belong there…go out and race. And that goes for anyone, there will always be times when you feel like you’re in over your head, but chances are you did something to get there.

HERE are some race tips if you’re interested. HERE is a piece of visualization and how to use it to improve your performance. And HERE are some tips on battle pre-race nerves.

1) Do you remember one of your first races or one of the first big races you ran?

2) Do you get nervous before races or hard workouts?

3) What time do you prefer to race or run at?
Morning all the way!

4) Tip for a newbie racer?
Don’t go out too fast. 🙂

5) Do you have a running idol? Have you ever met them?

The Post-Run Refuel: Why 30 minutes is your winning window of opportunity

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Cait — 26 Comments ↓

Dairy overload comes to mind in watching the Cal Fenton’s Creamery 5k video. Yesterday was Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s so I hope you all got your ice cream on…too bad it was only one scoop for free and not a bucket or we could have all gone out and seen how fast we could truck a 5k after devouring it all. 😉 Half Baked flavor for me!! Hehe.

Dairy is NOT my prime choice for pre-race fuel, and I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s not an advised choice for any runner, you want something that will sit easy in the stomach. Think bland, plain, and boring too perhaps, but for pre-race and pre-run you’re eating for energy and sometimes that isn’t tantalizing on the taste buds. I’ve got an article featured in Running Times HERE all about pre-run fueling and how to best time your eats, but today will be about the post-run refuel.

30 minutes. Grind that into your brain because that is the golden ticket to recovery…that’s your window of opportunity to replenish those depleted glycogen stores and repair your muscles. You wait just 31 minutes or longer and recovery rates drop by at least 60%. What will that lost recovery look like later:

* More sluggish on your next runs
* More soreness in the muscles
* Lost chance to repair the muscle fiber tears incurred from your run
* Missed chance of coming back stronger, faster, and fitter for your next runs and workouts

Hey, cake with a side of protein totally works! 😉

Over time that could mean potential PR’s and precious seconds gone out the window. Nobody wants that, you work your butt off running the miles, don’t let something as ‘easy’ as just raising food to mouth quickly after a run hold you back in training and racing.

While pre-run foods may have to be bland, the rules of the post-run noshes are loosened up a lot…you don’t have to worry about any GI problems or stomach aches to run with! Still, for those first 30 minutes you do want to be conscious of two important things:

* Protein
* Carbs – preferably some that are digested quickly and absorbed into your system fast, like high GI foods for example

You want the protein because those amino acids are imperative for repairing those broken down muscle tissues and building them back up stronger. You want carbs to replace the lost glycogen used during your workout and for the immediate restock of energy. Here is a time when you can loosen the reins on opting for only the whole grain type of carbs, that white bread is your friend here because it is digested quicker and will get into your system within those precious 30 minutes.

Fruit is an excellent choice, and a banana is prime example post-run fuel if you combine it with some cottage cheese, greek yogurt, or peanut butter and you’re good to go. Convenience can be an issue, and here is where sports bars or even drinks can help in a pinch; if you’re out on a trail it may not be feasible to whip out a pan and make some pancakes and eggs!

Eggs and cinnamon buns, baby! 🙂

The thing with the 30 minute window is that it doesn’t have to be a full meal or ice cream gluttony. At least enough to tide you over until you have a full meal…it can be half a turkey sandwich, fruit and protein source, or a bar. But if you go with a bar make it one that is at least around 200 calories and with upwards of 10 grams of protein…not one of those measly 100 calorie bars, that’s not enough.

From there feel free to take a shower (or maybe not, hey, if you stink that’s your issue not mine) and head on out to get your real meal grub on. If you’re in training, there is more than just putting in the workouts if you want to maximize your full potential, there are the ‘little’ things that while they may seem ‘little’ in theory, when added up over time they make a huge impact. Not just in performance but with reducing your chance of injury and allowing your training to be consistent. Among the ‘little things are stretching, self-massage, warming up, and nutrition.

30 minutes. Time those post-run eats right so you can come back and demolish that next workout…or that next ice cream glutton fueled 5k. 😉

1) Do you pay attention to getting in those protein and carb sources within 30 minutes prior to your workout?

2) What is your favorite protein/carb post-workout combo?

3) Have you ever run a food/race kind of challenge? If so, what and how did you do?
I’ve done the soda mile a few times back in high school, I will say I’m a little proud to say I hold the record AND I never got DQ’ed for barfing…hehe. 🙂

4) What ‘little’ things do you do to prevent your risk of injury or improve your running and workouts?

I’ll Give You The Shirt Off My Back – Let’s talk running clothes and a Zensah giveaway

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

I’m really picky about my workout clothes. I’m the kind of person who will keep my favorite pair of shorts, shirts, sports bras, etc until they are so threadbare they are wisps that eventually float away into the wind and force me to buy new ones.

I don’t like things that are too loose, but they can’t be too baggy either, I hate long shorts (and my definition of long is still runner shorts style skewed…lol), I wish more running shorts had splits, I don’t like the skinny straps that slide around…you get the picture. I’m like the Goldilocks of running attire I suppose.

The right fit for running clothes is important though, the last thing you want on your mind during a race is, “Gosh darn-it these boy-cut racing shorts are riding and giving me a major wedgie!” The same goes for any other run. I actually hate the boy-cut trend, in my mind the bunhuggers are the way to go when it’s GO time on race day. But of course I’d only bring them out when I’m in good enough shape and I’m not going to embarrass myself out there. Tempo shorts are my everyday pick.

We’re finally getting some sun poking through which I’m happy to see, and it will soon be time to bust out the running tanks. I get hot quickly so tend to go the less is more route; even in winter it has to be BAD out for me to wear a jacket. It took me a long time to be comfortable enough to wear just a sports bra, but when the temperatures got to be over 110 degree I chose to don the bra over melting into a pile of goo with a shirt. 😉 In the end I got over my mental hang up of thinking, “Are people going to think I’m trying to show off or that I think I’m the shiznit and in my mind think I’m so hot looking I should just wear a bra?” The truth is, that’s not how I feel but I can’t control what others will think of me. To be honest they probably don’t even care enough to think of me, it’s funny how in our minds we can unintentionally feel that they world revolves around us, when in reality nobody even notices such things.

Back to clothes though, I also admit to being more than a bit brand loyal, but every now and again a girl has to step outside of her comfort zone and try something new. I’ve been reading about Zensah and their new line of running and workout clothes, heard lots of good things, so I decided to check them out.

Zensah’s capitalized a lot on their compression sleeves and socks, they even have compression shorts and capris, but they do have tops and sports bras as well. I am a backer for compression attire, especially when used for recovery, but I wanted to get a feel for one of their tank tops.

I got the Racerback Tank, brace yourself for the sweaty monster:

Post-workout stunner...I think the hair is in my finest hour. 😉

Pro’s: The material is uber-soft…I won’t lie, it’s something that I wanted to curl up and sleep with. The Racerback Tank only comes in two sizes: XS/S or M/L and because I hate that it seems all of the workout tops these days are cut really tiny or the material fits me like a cased sausage, I was afraid that the tank would be tight in the XS/S that I went with. I was happily surprised that it’s not sausage casing tight and the fit was nice and comfortable; I was able to breathe but it still wasn’t too loose that I was annoyed with extra fabric flapping around. I liked the cut on the top, it didn’t slide around at all and I even got to show off my major guns. 😉

Con’s: It’s a little longer than most running tanks, but that actually didn’t really bug me. To be quite frank the really only big con in my mind is the price. Did I mention I’m kind of a cheap-o (read as dirty poor runnerchick…hehe) and I cringe when I have to plunk down the necessary money for shoes even though I know how important they are! The Racerback Tank is $43 each, so I will keep mine locked away in a safety deposit box between uses. 😉

Overall: I’m a fan. There are four colors to choose from: black, purple, pink, and blue and if I could I’d get all of them if for no other reason than to be covered in that nice, soft material. (Triple points to anyone who thought of George Costanza wanting to drape himself in velvet.)

Here’s the fun part…the kind folks over at Zensah are going to give you an opportunity to win one of the Racerback Tanks yourself…yay! The contest in kind of unique in that it’s through Pinterest, so here’s the deal on how to enter:

1) Go check out Zensah’s Racerback Tank
2) Pin it to one of your boards
3) Send an email to: customer@zensah.com telling that you did the pin

Then you’re set. The fine folks at Zensah will then pick a winner and let you know if you’ve scored the lucky prize. 😉

Questions for you guys!

1) What kind of runner are you, do you keep the clothes that you love until they are worn into nothingness or do you continually love to shop and get new running clothes? Are you pretty picky when it comes to workout and running attire?

2) How about shorts, what’s your style? When it comes to racing do you don boy-cut shorts or bunhuggers?

3) Summer weather clothes, do you wear a sports bra?

4) Have you ever tried something from the Zensah line, if so, what and what did you think?

Hip Flexibility Drills: Why runners should channel those Latin dancers (Also the Road ID Winner)

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

While being quarantine to the elliptical I’ve made it my mission to watch every bad movie sequel possible; it’s been so long I’ve long ago burned through the good ones…hehe. Anyways, today on the agenda was ‘Dirty Dancing Havana Nights’…and what I do have to admit is that any time I see people who can actually dance it makes me wish I had just an OUNCE of rhythm or the ability to move in any way that could be considered dancing.

I run in a straight line…it’s a stretch to turn left. But dancers aren’t just coordinated they are also flexible, another glaring weakness of many runners. Getting back to the good old ‘Havana Nights,’ the hip area (dare I say the groin!) is a commonly overlooked area where runners get tight and never do anything about it. They may stretch out the quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles, do the foam roller on the IT band, but not many of them think to make sure they gain flexibility in the hip region.

But if you don’t work on this area not only will you not be able to salsa and flamenco, but if your hip area is too tight you’ll be limiting your ability to get full extension in your running stride. What this means is you’ll be short-changing yourself with a shorter stride and that translated over miles could mean losing out on precious time and finishing places.

Here are some moves to regain some mobility in that hip area:

* Hip circles: We used to laugh doing this one in my running group, especially the guys doing them in public, but we’re runners so be awkward proudly! Standing with your feet about shoulder width apart, place your hands on your hips and then circle with your hips leading; really exaggerate the movement and get as much circumference as you can without moving your feet. Do 10 in the clockwise direction and then 10 in the counter-clockwise direction.

* 3 Way Leg-Lunges: Imagine you are standing on a giant clock, ahead of you is 12 and behind you is 6 o’clock; you are in the center where the hands originate. Start with both feet together, and then lunge your right leg directly in front of you to where the 12 would be; dip into the lunge and then back to center. Now, without moving your left foot, keep it planted, lunge with your right foot leading to where the 3 would be on the clock. As you dip down focus on opening up that hip area, and then lunge back to center. For the third lung, keep the left foot planted, and really work on opening up your hip by leading the lunge with your right leg to get as far past the 3 o’clock as you can. As you gain flexibility and range of motion see how close you can get to the 6 o’clock. This is tricky with balance as well; once you do three lunges with your right leg leading, switch to your left leg leading. You’ll note that often times one side of your hip is tighter than the other. Work up to doing a few sets on each leg.

* Donkey kicks:This one you will get down on all fours; your hands and knees. Take your right leg and keep it bent at the knee and draw it up under you and to your chest; then reverse the motion and swing it up and back and then raise the leg up into the air. Think about kicking towards the sky (you’ll also feel this working your butt muscles, which is good too) and then bring it back down to the starting position and repeat. You want it a slow, controlled movement not just letting momentum take over. Do a set of 10 for each leg.

You're not doing the front leg, but imagine the trail leg clearing that hurdle.

* Standing Hurdler: Stand with your hands on a wall for support; face the wall and start with your feet together. Imagine that you have a hurdle just to the right of you, pick up your right leg and imagine it is the trail leg of a hurdler as they go over. Take your right leg and make a full, sweeping circular motion as you raise the leg, carry it out to the side to clear the imagined hurdle and then right up under your chest before repeating the same motion. Do a set of 10 with the right leg and then repeat the same idea but switching to your left leg going over the imagined hurdle.

* Leg Swings: I’ve talked about these HERE along with more dynamic flexibility drills; but you really can’t do enough of these leg swings in both planes. That’s across your body going left to right, and then in front of you and behind.

While we may never gain the flexibility of a true dancer, runners with looser hips will be able to get that full extension in their running stride and that, in addition to making you less injury prone, will put you in position to get faster…and who doesn’t like that?? 😉

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The winner of my Road ID giveaway was:

Patty T, shoot me an email: captaincait@hotmail.com and we’ll get you all set up!
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1) Did you see either of the ‘Dirty Dancing’ movies? What is one of the worst sequels (or gosh, even third or fourth, etc. installments) that you’ve seen?

2) Do you see dancers, or gymnasts and ice skaters, and wish you could do some of their moves? Do you have a past of any of those arts/sports?

3) Have you even thought of working on your hip flexibility as a runner? Have you done any of the above exercises, or do you have some moves of your own that you do?

4) Do you tend to be a pretty flexible person and do you enjoy stretching and working on that?
No…and I own up to the fact I don’t like stretching, which is NOT good..lol.

Gawking at Fast Runners: We all have doubts, but you can choose whether to let them stand in your way or not

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

“Those who can’t do, teach,” they say and I’ll add, “Those who can’t run can obsess.”I jest, but if I’m not going to be able to get my fix of miles for now (thank you, right foot, if I could I’d just lop you off, steal someone else’s foot and reattach!) I’ll have to vicariously get them from others. I’ll start a donation pile, feel free to leave a few of your’s in the can as you leave. 😉

Ahh, I can dream of some sunset runs. 😉

Back on track, if you’re a running ~~geek~~ fan we’ve got some pretty fun weeks coming up. This Sunday will is the Carlsbad 5000 in California, April then ushers in both the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon.

The Carlsbad 5000 has quite the history as time and time again its fast coarse has berthed many 5k road World Records, they don’t call it ‘The World’s Fastest 5k’ for nothing. The current Women’s 5k record is from Carlsbad in 2006, 14:46 by Meseret Defar. This year Tirunesh Dibaba who, with a 14:51 at the 2005 Carlsbad once held the joint 5k World Record with Paula Radcliffe, will be going back for a visit and a race. You can read some more about her HERE from Competitor and HERE from Running Times, but for those who don’t know Dibaba launched herself into the distance running spotlight while still in her teens…girl is crazy fast, in her first Carlsbad appearance in 2002 she was 16 and ran a 15:19. Not too shabby, just a 4:55 mile average. 😉 She’s been laying a bit low these past years and dealing with ongoing injuries, I think we can all relate to that.

Photo Credit: Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

Source

Speaking of some more crazy fast women here is an article on Shalane Flanagan about her recent win in the Lisban Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:52. I think the two best parts are 1) that she is wearing a Kara shirt and 2) this quote upon finding out that at the press conference she was placed head of the table and declared a clear favorite going in, “I thought they were on crack.” Flanagan goes on, “When I saw the start list, I was wondering if I should have entered the race. I was wondering what I’d gotten myself into. A lot of the women on the start list had PRs (personal records) that were a minute to a minute and a half faster than mine.”

I like this quote because it shows that we ALL have doubts no matter how fantastic we are, what are previous accomplishments may be, and despite the podiums others may place us on. Yes, the possibility still remains we may come up short of our goals, or be beat on a given day but that is a good thing as it motivates us to keep going, keep pushing ourselves, and never settle.

Obviously later going on to victory in Flanagan’s case proves that she doesn’t let the voices of doubts psyche her out. We ALL have race day nerves,but it’s a matter of channeling those jitters into a positive direction and using them to our own advance. Use the excitement to give you the ability to raise the bar on race day, give you that extra kick, where you area able to really dig down deep and bring it. How bad do you want to achieve that goal?

You'll win some, you'll lose some...keep trying.

In running, racing, and in life, we all have the doubts…the moments where we may be thinking that whoever thinks we can do something must “be on crack” but that’s okay. Let them snort the white stuff, but perhaps take a shot yourself and go for it…at least try. Even if you fail you’ll have learned something and you could end up winning after all. **Disclaimer, I am obviously joking on the snorting crack here, folks…my drug of choice is exercise…mmk! 😉

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Quick reminder that my Road ID giveaway ends tomorrow! Don’t forget to enter. 🙂
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1) Are you racing this weekend? If so, let’s hear it! If you’re not, what do you have planned?

2) Is there a time you didn’t think you belonged somewhere or where you were in over your head? How did you deal with that?
I often say that the saying, “Fake it ’til you make it” applies in these cases…just roll with it and pretend like you belong even if you don’t think you do!

3) How do you handle pre-race nerves or anxiety? How do you handle the same kind of nerves or doubts in other areas of your life? (ie: interviews, meeting people, etc)

4) When you were 16 what were you doing, did you take part in sports? If you were a runner what do you think your 5k times were like?
I ran, but I had yet to even run ONE mile in 4:55…I don’t recall exactly my 5k PR at the time, probably around 17:30-ish??