A Running Girl's Blog

New link

keeprunningirl — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:03:58 +0000

I moved!

Please continue to read a Running Girl’s blog at:

http://www.keeprunningirl.com/

Don’t forget to change your bookmark!

cardio blast

keeprunningirl — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:13:33 +0000

There’s something about me and training plans – especially toward the end. I think I’ve mentioned that I am running the Seattle Rock n’ Roll half marathon in about a week and a half. I overlapped a marathon recovery with a ½ marathon training plan which I’ve been following since May 3^rd. With 10 days to go, I woke up this morning with the planned 5 mile run - standard fare for Thursdays for the last few weeks. Here I was again – just not feeling the run. I guess I am a little burned out. Today I decided to give myself a break – I didn’t want to miss a work out but I could mix it up. My solution this morning: Cardio Blast.

I spent a fun filled hour under sunny skies sprinting down sidewalks, performing weighted lunges, dropping for push ups and hopping (yes hopping) around tennis courts. By the time I was done, I was dripping with sweat and per my Polar, I had burned more calories than my standard 5 miler would’ve yielded. Classes like cardio blast, circuit, bootcamp are a really great way to get a cardio and weight work out all in one…time flies because of the quick changes in activity… and I really did have a blast

ZOOMA Denver Half Marathon & 5 Miler Special offer

keeprunningirl — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:43:13 +0000

I wanted to let all Denver running girls know that the ZOOMA Denver Half Marathon & 5 Miler is race is coming to Denver.

“ZOOMA Denver features a fast and flat course in Stapleton and on the Sand Creek Greenway in the City of Aurora and Denver and a fabulous post-race party at the new Central Park in Stapleton. Celebrate in style with wine tastings, brunch, live music, massages, shopping and more for the ultimate in “girls weekend” running.”

Even better if you sign up now, you can receive a special discount. Check it out:

Please sir can I have some more…

keeprunningirl — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:21:22 +0000

I think Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist had a really small plate or bowl plus I mean he was hungry. In all seriousness, I saw this lady on the Today show talking about losing weight by using a small plate. So I looked it up online and it is for real: Small Plate Movement. As the name indicates, the idea is to use a smaller plate and since less stuff fits on it, you will eat less? The first line I read on the website was “Your favorite foods are back…” Really? Because I can put a really big brownie on a little plate…maybe even pile some ice cream on top of it. I don’t know about you, but it is not that easy to trick myself. In fact, I would probably go back for more because after all it’s a really small plate. I will admit that, having made up my mind, I didn’t read much more about this movement – perhaps there is a real science behind it and it may work for some people. and if so, more power to them. I am the first to say any weight loss method or tool that works is a good one. So take my skepticism with a grain of salt if you’re dropping the lbs using a small plate.

The problem is that sometimes it is just impossible to recognize when you are full and to put the fork down. I think this is one of the things we mess up as parents … almost every parent I know has uttered the words “take just one more bite.” Why do we do this?? The kid is full and he knows he is full so why do we mess it up? I find myself taking “just one more bite” all the time. I wish I could eat like my kids and just stop when I am full. I bite my tongue when I see the food left over on their plates… trying hard not to utter the words “just one more bite” no matter how strong the urge. I just save it for later. Eat when you’re hungry kids – I wish I could go back to that magical time in childhood when I always knew when I was full and knew to stop eating … sometimes that is easier said than done though, right? Another one of the reasons I run

It’s all about shoes

keeprunningirl — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:10:29 +0000

When I first started running, I was incredibly naive about shoes. In the years leading up to my running days, I pretty much stuck to non impact cardio activities like the stair stepper and the elliptical trainer. I would usually buy a pair of shoes on sale that looked cool… like the pair of Nike’s with the pink swoosh – loved them! I rarely replaced these stylish sneakers – usually only every few years when another cute pair in the sale section caught my eye.

It was in this same vein that I picked up my first set of real running shoes. I suffered all kinds of various pains in those early days… swollen Achilles, aching hip flexors, stiff knees. I started to think that running was something I was just not made to do. Fast forward about 18 months, numerous conversations with runners, and consultations with the shoe guy at Boulder Running Company , I finally found a winning combination:

Asics Gel Kayano

the green Superfeet inserts

My gait analysis showed that I overpronate – my foot rolls inward when I run. The Asics Gel Kayano provide great stability for my particular running style. I added the Superfeet recently for additional stability and impact absorption…

I have heard people say they are too old or just not meant for running because of pain – in particular knee pain. In some cases, this may be true. But many times, the pain is a direct result of not running in the right shoe. It is also important to keep track of the miles you’re putting on your shoes. Usually a pair of shoes will last up to approximately 500 miles. For me, I start experiencing familiar pains when my shoes reach about 400 miles… so I try to overlap a new pair with my old pair once the older pair hits 300 miles. It takes some effort to get it right. I went through a lot trial and error… but it was worth it to keep me running.

I went running today

keeprunningirl — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:52:26 +0000

But you should’ve heard the conversation I had in my head this morning before I finally went. You know like in one of those cartoons when there is a devil on one shoulder arguing with an angel on the other shoulder?

Today is my regularly planned day to run long. Long is a relative term depending on whether I am training for a race and where I am in the appropriate Hal Higdon training schedule. As it happens, I am running in the Seattle Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon in a little less than two weeks. On the schedule for today was a 9 miler. Sipping my coffee, the angel/devil conversation went like this:

Devil Me (DM): “Man, I really don’t want to go run 9 miles today.”

Angel Me (AM): “yeah, but I’m running 13.1 in just two weeks, I don’t have time to cheat with the training schedule.”

DM: “Sure, but I just ran a full marathon… I can run a half no problem.”

AM: “True enough, but I need the miles for the week.”

DM: “I know! But I am so sore from pump yesterday – damn those kilograms!”

So while I was having this weird multiple personality convo in my head, my husband was getting ready for the run. It is nice to have a training partner. He brought me the requisite pre run breakfast – plain bagel and some sports legs. While I was eating, the conversation continued:

AM: Tonight is pizza night.

Pizza night. It is true – every Sunday we get pizza from Whole Foods. Now I am not gonna lie, I will devour that pizza either way – run or no run. But I know that I will enjoy it so much more if I go work out as I’d planned even though I really, really didn’t want to go today. Anyway, by the time I had worked out this conversation in my head, my husband had already laced up his shoes and strapped on his Garmin. Training partner was ready, pizza was on the schedule for tonight…this combo helped me get moving this morning. ”Devil me (DM)” shouldn’t worry though…

Kilograms

keeprunningirl — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:11:41 +0000

I love body pump classes.

As I’ve mentioned, most of my life I was a 30 minutes-a-day of cardio kind of gal. I didn’t do anything else. About four years ago, my husband talked me into lifting weights and after a bit of an initial struggle (ok it was more than a bit), I was hooked. Now I am in endless pursuit of cut triceps and bulging biceps. Last year I discovered body pump classes.

I normally work out at Flying Horse and the weight plates are incremented in pounds – a unit of weight with which I am very familiar. Today, I went with a friend to her gym, Villa Sport, to take a body pump class and the plates were measured in kilograms. Now most runners know instantly the conversion from miles to kilometer or vice versa, right? A kilometer is about .62 miles and a mile is like 1.6 km – duh. But kilograms? I vaguely recalled that I used a kilogram conversion to figure out my protein intake. But let’s be real, I figured it out once and deleted the formula from my head (kind of like all that high school algebra). Oh well, it was time to wing it. I grabbed the same plates as the instructor and followed her lead. This strategy led to a bar that was a bit heavier than I am accustomed to – especially for certain sets (my poor triceps). But the thing is, the weights were not so heavy that I couldn’t get through the set. Sure I will be sore tomorrow, but that’s a good thing, right?

Oh and I looked up the conversion. 1 kilogram = about 2.2 pounds. I am guilty of going to pump class, selecting the same weights each time and moving through the exercises. Today I lifted a little heaver, my heart rate a little higher because I was in unfamiliar territory. That’s kinda cool. I will be grabbing an extra plate or two when I go back to my regular class. :-)

Recovery day

keeprunningirl — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:13:34 +0000

My recovery days usually happen by accident. Last Friday, I took my kids to the pool armed with my gym bag, ready to work out as they began their daily swim team practice. But the sun was out, the weather was warm and I dropped my gym bag poolside and chose to relax and watch the kids swim. Today I slept in. whoops. Actually, it is important for any athlete (even an amateur like me) to schedule days to recover from their workouts. I used to consider it a rest day – really just a break and an excuse not to workout … but once I started running more and adding more miles, I began to appreciate that day and recognize it as a true recovery – not just rest. I’ve fallen into the overtraining trap before – trying to get just one more long run in before a race. But through trial and error, I have finally learned that by actually following the recovery plan in my training schedule, I will have better training days and better performance on race days. I try to keep the day some what consistent … but then again, so what if recovery day is not always per schedule – sometimes the day just calls for itself …

happy Friday

Food for Thought

keeprunningirl — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:12:49 +0000

I have been a vegetarian for about 20 years. To be perfectly honest, I began my vegetarianism because I thought it would be “cool.” Over the years, I found that I didn’t miss eating meat – I guess I never really ate too much to begin with and at this point, the thought of eating animal flesh just doesn’t appeal to me at all. Dinner parties can be awkward – I mean do you tell the host you don’t eat meat? Or do you show up and politely eat some side dishes… or do you bring something? I have done all of the above.

I am amused by the various responses I’ve received over the years when people find out about my diet. More than one person has told me that they only vegetarian they know weighs 300 lbs. Perhaps there is a popular 300 pound vegetarian running around Colorado Springs – who knows? I mean if you replace your morning breakfast bacon with a 6-pack of powered donuts, then you’re not really reaping the benefits of the meatless diet – you know?

Others will wonder out loud – how in the world do you get enough protein? Really it is not that hard. I think the average American eats way more protein than we really need. Individual protein needs vary based on activity etc… but here’s one general calculation for a ballpark figure on your protein needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
So if you’re pretty sedentary, .8 should suffice and if you’re an Olympian, 1.8? I mean clearly this is not an exact formula. .. but an estimate. (Remember – I am not a pro)

I’ve figured I need about 70-80 grams of protein in any given day. A protein shake has 20 g, an egg white about 14 g, a handful of almonds 8 g… not to mention lentils, soy, whey – you get the picture

Still others will marvel that I am a vegetarian… saying things like “well that is why you are thin.” These folks haven’t met the 300 lb vegetarian in town I guess. Seriously though, it is about choices whether you are a vegetarian or not. I am like most girls who’ve struggled with weight and love of food. Feast and a five lb increase on the scale followed by famine. I’ve gone through the ups and downs of 3 pregnancies and the aftermath. And finally, I think I’ve found a balance. I just happen to be a vegetarian.

PS. A lot of ladies ask me for recipes, so I’ll be posting them on the recipes tab.

Motivation

keeprunningirl — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:44:09 +0000

Getting started with this blogging thing is hard… I mean I worked out today, logged my run – but who cares? These things are routine… the stuff that I do most every day. So I thought I would talk about motivation. Some mornings especially mornings like this one – a dreary, cold Colorado day, I don’t want to get up and run or work out or anything. I have to remind myself of how I feel once I get started and after I am done. A couple of miles into my run, as the pace evens out and the music is blaring… I experience the best feeling… it’s power. Now don’t get me wrong, I am no athlete and my pace is not particularly fast by many standards. But hey – it is my pace, my run and on the good days, it is a great high. Plus there is some sense of victory in overcoming that really, really strong urge to sleep in some mornings. So that is one thing that motivates me.

Another motivator is the calories – I am a work out tool junkie. I love my Polar HR monitor and my Garmin 405. Both tools allow me to (among other things) keep track of the calories burned. Just yesterday I burned over 1200 calories in a run, weights, spin work out… a good burn to me translates to a treat or two guilt free.

Training is the ulimate in motivation tools. Since last fall, I have been in training. I have a Hal Higdon schedule permanently tacked on my ‘fridge. I just ran a full marathon in May and am overlapping recovery and training with a scheduled half-marathon in June (Seattle Rock n’ Roll).

of course some days, nothing is motivation enough and I pull the covers back up over my head and catch extra zzzzzzzzzzzs and that is ok too.