Healthful Bites

When I first began training for my half-marathon, I was worried that after a few weeks, the novelty would wear off and it would get boring, monotonous and no longer fun. But the “Type A” in me loved crossing another run off the calendar and seeing the continual progress as I followed the schedule was extremely motivating! Now that I’ve crossed the finish line, I’ve been brainstorming new fitness challenges to try. Enter #PlankADay!

Started by a couple of friends in Massachusetts in June 2011, the movement asks participants to do one—just one—plank each day for as long as possible. My strength training took a bit of a hit while I was running, so I figured this is the perfect counterbalance! Planks don’t just work your ab muscles, they also improve back, arm and quadriceps strength.

For the month of May, in addition to my regular workouts, I will be completing at least one prone plank daily. When time allows, I’ll toss in some side planks as well! Will you join me?

Photo courtesy of Pinterest user Richard Lipp

Do you like physical challenges or do you prefer to wing it?

Well, maybe the half-marathon (and a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat with an apple) was breakfast and the pancakes were brunch…but you get the idea! :)

Not that I slept much the night before, but last Sunday started off bright and early. I had a 5:15 a.m. wake-up call to get dressed, grab my gear, eat breakfast and catch the train to Central Park. You have to love weekend subway work! (Best sign seen on the sidelines during the race: “You run better than the MTA!” Truer words…) Anyway, I was out the door to allow enough time for any travel hiccups and had plenty of time to chat with a few co-workers and friends who were running, check my bag and down a bottle of water before the gun went off.

I was a bit nervous since the forecast called for showers early in the day, but after a few sprinkles right before the official start, we were in the clear and the clouds rolled away. I took that as a good omen!

During the first few miles, I made a concerted effort to pace myself. I knew the excitement and crowds could easily make me go out too fast and I had the hills to contend with later in the race. So for miles one through four, I stuck around a 9:12-9:20 pace or so. I also kept an eye out for the photographers staked around the course (see above and right for evidence of me being a goof ball in my outfit that was a mash-up of the two top vote-getters in my poll!).

Feeling good and motivated by my killer playlist, I picked up the pace for the next couple miles. Around mile six is when the half changed for me. I finished lap one of the course, and while it was slightly depressing to be scooted over so the elites could finish their race, I realized there was a very legitimate possibility that I could reach my pre-injury goal of sub-two hours. Truthfully, I had never stepped foot in Central Park during my training and was intimidated by the hills past racers had warned me about. But I proved to myself during lap one that I could take it, so I picked up the pace!

From there, I took a few sports beans to make sure I had enough energy for round two. I then changed gears and watched my splits tick down to the 8:34-8:50 range. It’s an awesome feeling to have leg strength left and gas still in the tank at mile 11! I glanced at my watch, did some quick math and made the decision to make it happen. It was tough, as the weather was rapidly warming up and my right hip was starting to complain, but it felt SO good to sprint the homestretch and come in at…1:59:31. Talk about a close call!

While there were thousands of strong women who finished before me, I took it as a big personal victory. The ten weeks of training, although full of roadblocks, had prepared me well for the race. The mental games I played with myself (dividing the course into manageable segments, thinking of/dedicating each mile to a family member, friend, etc.) kept me inspired. The food and water I ate leading up to and during the race fueled me to the finish. That deserves a thumbs up…and some pancakes! ;)

It was an awesome experience and I can’t thank you all enough for cheering me on and providing advice along the way. Will I do another endurance event? The race itself was super-fun; the training beat me up a bit. But overall, I think the pros outweigh the cons. I don’t know when it will happen, but I’ll likely lace up for another half sometime not too far down the road. Who’s with me?

Thank you all so much for your support these past three months! It was a neat experience crossing the finish line with a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to filling you in about it later this week. In the meantime, you’ll find me doing plenty of yoga/stretching and treating myself to a much-needed pedicure. Congratulations to all of the other MORE/FITNESS Half-Marathon participants. You looked great out there today!

*Crossing fingers* that this stays true, but the weather for Sunday’s MORE/FITNESS Half-Marathon is looking glorious. A high of 70°? Perfection! Now that I have a pretty good idea of the conditions, I’m preparing my gear for the day. I’d love your help making the final call for my outfit!

Here are the constants for my race day wardrobe:

• Under Armour sports bra
• Nike headband
• Mizuno Wave Enigma sneakers
• Fuel Belt

And the variables:

I’m rarely too hot while working out unless it’s over 85°, so I’m toying with a few different combos. Do I go with a light long sleeve top and shorts? Or perhaps a regular T-shirt with capris? Or I could opt for running tights that match my shoes and pair them with a tank? (Although I’m leaning more and more away from this last option as I’ve watched the forecasted temperature increase throughout the week!)

Please help me decide…And thank you for your input!

Quote to consider this week (and what I’ll be thinking around mile 10):

Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it’s working. — Brian Tackett

Wishing you all a great weekend and sending best wishes for a successful race to all my fellow runners!

Do you ever pick your outfits well in advance of your workouts? What are your current favorite clothing/gear items?

With race day less than one week away, thoughts turn to recovery and preparation. Hopefully, the training that I’ve been able to fit in with my injury-altered schedule has been enough to cross the finish line on Sunday! No matter how much running, cross training and strength training I’ve been able to finish, beating myself to the ground this week won’t help me finish any faster. :)

So this week, I have a few short runs on the agenda and am aiming to get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious meals and kick the last bit of this cold I’ve been fighting. Also on part of the game plan? Stretching!

I’ll be the first to admit that early on during this half-marathon project, I would pat myself on the back for finishing my run and rush off to the shower. Quickly (and stiffly), I was reminded why stretching is so important. From that day on, I vowed to pop in a workout DVD to follow the cooldown/stretch segment or at least complete these stretches (holding for about 30 seconds per stretch or side) after each workout.

1. Pigeon
2. Hip Flexor Stretch
3. Leaning Quadriceps Stretch
4. Lying Hamstring with Ankle Circles and Trunk Twist
5. Figure 4
6. Downward Dog and Three-Legged Dog
7. Child’s Pose with Angled Reach

This routine, along with some post-run dates with The Stick, really helped decrease next-day tightness…which likely helped consecutive runs go more successfully. It’s worth it to invest 10 minutes to feel better later!

I’ll be back on Friday to talk half-marathon gear and final pre-race reflections. Who wants to help me pick an outfit? :)

Quote to consider this week:

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence.” — Colin Powell

Do you find it hard to invest the time, after already squeezing in a workout, to stretch properly? What are your favorite cooldown moves?

Thanks to the amazing powers of Ibuprofen, I’m back up and running! During my brief running hiatus, I tried to stick with the all-natural route; doing my rehab moves, resting and icing to alleviate the tendinitis. When it was time to start training again, I quickly realized that this plan wasn’t going to cut it if I wanted to cross the finish line. In one word: Ouch!

So I gave the anti-inflammatory a try and what do you know, it works! It works so well, in fact, that I was able to fairly comfortably crank my mileage back up to seven this weekend. The goal now, with less than three weeks until race day (ah!) is to stick with consistent runs during the week, complete one more long run this weekend and taper from there. Here goes nothing!

As promised last week, here are a few more podcasts to power you through your run (or now that the weather is so nice, perhaps your active commute).

• Planet Money: An amazing team of journalists have somehow figured out how to make financial stories understandable and interesting. Humor the nerd side in me and give at least one episode a listen—I think you’ll be surprised at how relatable and yes, even occasionally fun, it all seems!

Have a Taste: The High-Tech Cow

• How to Do Everything: Hosts answer listener-submitted questions that range from “is it a split or the splits?” to “what should I do when a car is barreling my way in the cross walk?” From the humorous to the potentially life-saving, the topics on this quick weekly show are never boring.

Have a Taste: Splits, Paper Airplanes, Haircuts and Snakes

• The Jillian Michaels Show: The well-known former Biggest Loser trainer covers more than fitness on her podcast! If you’ve read or heard about her book Unlimited, it’s similar to that (with mind/body topics mixed with wellness advice). Each episode, Jillian also fields calls from fans with questions related to their own quandaries.

Have a Taste: Get Out of Yourself and Take Notice of Others

Quote to consider this week:

“There is no satisfaction without a struggle first.” — Marty Liquori

In addition to wrapping up the higher mileage training, I’m going to be doing a bit of traveling this week! I’m planning a brief blogging break, but will be back soon with more leading up to race day.

What’s on your to-do list leading up to a race day?

During the few medium-length runs I’ve been able to eke out during training (before the whole tendinitis situation), I discovered that while a pumping playlist is great, you can easily make time fly by flipping on a good podcast. Some runners swear by listening to their breath and their footsteps, but I know that’s not for me. My mind races anywhere and everywhere and listening to something gives me a singular focus—well, besides running.

I usually start the first few miles with my current favorite songs to get me going since finding that initial groove is often the most difficult part! Then I switch over to one (or more) of these podcasts for a little story time. Anyone who knows me knows I love to multitask, so a little educational running is right up my alley! Then, when I feel like I might need a little extra kick, I flip back on the playlist. Want to try it? Here are four podcasts to load on your iPod and intersperse with your music. Click on “have a taste” to find one episode to get you started.

• Fresh Air: The ecclectic mix of stories on Fresh Air keeps things from getting stale—an amazing feat since it airs every weekday! Government, movies, books, health and more are discussed during expertly-performed interviews by award-winning journalist Terry Gross.

Have a taste: ‘If Walls Could Talk’: A History of The Home

• Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me: This current events quiz show with a side of humor often has me stifling giggles mid-run. Panelist and callers answer questions about the week’s news. I especially enjoy the absurd, lesser-known facts that stump everyone (including me). Time flies when you play along!

Have a Taste: March 17 episode recorded in Tucson, Arizona

• Freakonomics: You may have heard of their bestselling book by the same name, and now you can catch the frequently-updated audio version. An economist and New York Times journalist tag team to bring you “the hidden side of everything!” A few recent fascinating topics: How to boost willpower (a so-called commitment device) and whether media is biased (people seek out sources that confirm their beliefs).

Have a Taste: The Days of Wine and Mouses

• The Joan Hamburg Show: Exhibit A that I am a grandma: The hours I pull to ensure that I get enough sleep. Exhibit B: The fact that I listen to this podcast by a 76 year old. :) I’m glad I found it and gave this one a shot, though! Many celebrities stop by to promote their latest projects and I get the scoop about the latest New York City news, shows, shops and restaurants.

Have a Taste: Porgy & Bess, The Manhattan Diet and More

Check back in next Tuesday for three more podcast picks and a training update!

What do you like the listen to while you exercise? Do you have any favorite podcasts or audiobooks?

Quote to consider this week:

“Tough times don’t last but tough people do.” — A.C. Green

I have a confession to make: I’ve been skipping several of my training runs lately. In fact, I haven’t ran a step since last Saturday. Yes, nine days ago! But I haven’t been slacking on purpose: I’ve been laid up with a malfunctioning foot. :(

The story begins just over two weeks ago during a triumphant seven miler. See, I only had six miles on the agenda, but was feeling so good, I talked myself into busting through the half race distance mark to boost my confidence. I was cooling down afterward thinking, “Gosh, that felt so great I could have kept going! But I don’t want to push it, so I’ll wait to increase more next weekend.” Sadly, my glee didn’t last too long. Five minutes later, my left arch started to ache—and even burn a bit as the evening progressed. I thought it was just a fluke, but after resting a few days it was still sore. Arch supports? No good. Icing? Temporary relief, but not as helpful as I would have wished.

I tested my foot with a run last weekend and it actually felt OK during the run, but was quite a bit worse after the fact. I resigned myself to the fact that something was wrong and visited a sports podiatrist last Tuesday. The verdict: tendinitis caused by feet that were too flexible. Who knew that could be a problem? 

During my running hiatus, I’ve been doing plenty of yoga and strength training, and have been attempting to keep the cardio challenge going with spin classes. I also stopped by a running shoe store to have an expert check out my sneakers and analyze my gait to see if it’s the shoes…Nope, just the wearer!

I’m hoping that a bit more rest, icing, compression and elevation will decrease the soreness level soon (the plan is to run at least once or twice this week). In the meantime, I’m doing these moves, prescribed by the podiatrist for my ailment, each day to help strengthen my weak spots and support my floppy foot. :) (While she only prescribed them for my sore foot, I’m doing these on both sides to stay even.)

And yes, part of the compression might sometimes involve a little hot sock action. It can’t hurt, and it’s a good look, don’t you think?

Resistance Loop Adduction

• Place your resistance band loop (or a straight band turned into a loop with a knot) around the leg of a chair and the ankle of your left leg.
• Keeping the band taut at all times, place your weight on your right leg and slowly sweep left leg in front of right until it’s just past the outside of your right ankle.
• Return to beginning position, repeat until fatigued and switch sides.

Kettlebell Ankle Lift

• Sit on a counter or high stool and place foot under kettlebell handle (or under a rope tied around the ends of a dumbbell handle).
• Lift and lower weight until fatigued, switch sides and repeat.
• Note: Wearing shoes during this move might make it easier to keep the weight on your foot.

Towel Ankle Twist

• Sit on a counter or high stool and loop a towel, scarf or rope around your foot, holding ends at knee height.
• Turn ankle to the inside, then pull on inside of towel and try to turn ankle to the outside against the resistance of the fabric.
• Once foot is turned out as far as it will go, pull on outside of towel while turning foot back to the inside against the resistance.
• Repeat inside and outside turns until fatigued, switch sides and repeat.

*If these moves don’t feel comfortable to you, please skip them. You can also benefit from the same motions without any resistance. And if your foot is sore too, please check in with your doctor!

Now I’m off to kick my feet up (for the sake of elevation, of course) and heal this body!

Have you ever experienced an exercise-related injury? If so, how did it happen and how did you overcome it?

Quote to consider this week:

“Top results are reached only through pain. But eventually you like this pain. You’ll find the more difficulties you have on the way, the more you will enjoy your success.” — Juha Vaatainen

I’m one of those people who, after they download a good new running album (David Guetta!) or craft a fun playlist, put it on repeat for every workout for the next month. That’s not just me, right? Eventually, the thought of listening to any of the songs once more drives me up the wall. But the beats are so motivating and the tunes are so catchy, how can you not play them until you O.D.?

Knowing this about myself, I’m trying to be proactive about keeping things fresh by rewarding myself with a few new songs every couple weeks. This is especially important to help me stay motivated and energized during longer runs on the way now that I’m more than halfway through my training program! (Although, I have to admit that after a great start, it hasn’t been all sunshine and butterflies so far in terms of training. But more on that in a later post. Anyway…)

Click on each song below to download individually, or find the entire 50-minute playlist on iTunes here!

• “Part of Me,” Katy Perry
• “Starships,” Nicki Minaj
• “Talk That Talk,” Rihanna, featuring Jay-Z
• “A** Back Home,” Gym Class Heroes, featuring Neon Hitch
• “Good Girl,” Carrie Underwood
• “I Can Only Imagine,” David Guetta, featuring Chris Brown and Lil Wayne
• “Mine,” Karmin
• “Do My Thing,” Estelle,  featuring Janelle Monae
• “Tonight is the Night,” Outasight
• “Like a Drum (Beat It),” Lauriana Mae
• “Glad You Came,” The Wanted
• “All I Need,” Natasha Bedingfield, featuring Kevin Rudolf
• “Some Nights,” Fun.
• “Lights,” Ellie Goulding
• “Skyscraper,” Demi Lovato

If you’re a workout music listener, do you constantly switch it up or fall into a rut? Any current favorites?

Quote to consider this week:

“If you under-train, you may not finish, but if you over-train, you may not start.”  — Tom DuBos

Most diehard runners would scold me, but so far, I’ve done the majority of my training runs indoors on the comfort of a treadmill. Why? You can’t beat the convenience of being able to walk down one flight of stairs and a hallway to find the gym. Plus, there are these other awesome factors:

• The console can hold my keys, water bottle and iPhone (for music) rather than me.
• My fingers, toes and nose stay at a temperature where I can feel them! And it’s much faster to toss on a pair of shorts and a T after a long day of work than getting bundled up to sweat outside.
• I can add hills with the touch of a button and can easily track and alter my pace.
• The multitasker in me loves it! I know many runners love being alone with their thoughts while training. But I kind of enjoy accomplishing more than one thing at once and admit that I enjoy the distraction during the longer sessions. True story: I have the timing down to a science so I can wash and dry my laundry down the hall in the exact time it takes to do a solid run/walk workout!
• There’s always an open restroom nearby if you need to blow your nose or sip too much water and require a pit stop.
• If I need a little extra motivation, there’s often another runner to challenge one machine over (only I know we’re in a competition, of course)! :)
• Most importantly, I’m in a safe environment and don’t have to worry about my surroundings and whether it’s light out or not.

I have done some runs outdoors since I know I need to practice in the elements with the road, hills and wind, and I plan to do most of my long runs sans-treadmill. (I take into account the fact that most experts say that the rotating belt gives you a little extra help and tweak my workouts accordingly.) But it sure was helpful to have this weekend during my seven miler when the wind was howling up to 60 MPH outside! Overall, I have to say that I don’t really agree with all the workout machine haters.

For more on this subject, check out this Los Angeles Times article with a different perspective.

How do you feel about indoor training? If you’ve trained for an endurance race, did you do all of your runs outside?

Quote to consider this week:

“A lot of people run a race to see who’s the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.” — Steve Prefontaine