The Body You've Been Given

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

-Steve Prefontaine

No matter what shape, size or weight, your body is a gift. It's taken me way too many years to understand that. And I'm still learning it today. We grow into our bodies in a world where we are inundated with images of perfection, and now we've joined in the flood of false images by carefully scrutinizing each and every picture we publish on Facebook and Instagram. "Not this one, I look too _______," and we photoshop ourselves to override the blemishes. No matter how many times we have lamented the media's presentation of the human form, we participate in the insanity.

Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are masterpieces, handcrafted by the Master Artist-- the same One who paints magnificent sunsets, the One who sculpted the mountains, the One who dotted the skies with millions of stars. We were planned, shaped-- on purpose-- with that bent nose, crooked toes, knobby knees and imperfect complexion. 

The body you have been given is a gift to unwrap and discover-- how amazingly well it works. Fuel it properly, rest it plentifully, and it will give back to you. We have to stop measuring ourselves in the mirror and on the scale. Measure your body by the work it can do-- how fast can you run, or how far? how much can you lift or carry or push? Maybe it's only a pudgy toddler today, but enjoy the strength that is in you. 

Somewhere we lost the joy in moving and letting our bodies work. We replaced that joy with anger and frustration... "I'll never be a size __." And so we punish ourselves with hours of mindless exercise, performed only to make our bodies transform into the unachievable perfect body that we see (airbrushed) on the cover of a magazine. 

Stop.

Exercise for the sake of movement. Let your body prove how strong it is. Enjoy each pound lifted, not lost. Run or ride or swim because it brings you joy, not because you have some mileage goal to meet. Savor the taste of real food, not juiced or processed or falsified and injected with flavors. 

Live.

Rest and Recovery

“Men seek rest in a struggle against difficulties; and when they have conquered these, rest becomes insufferable.”
― Blaise Pascal, Pensées

Summer is here! And for me, a teacher, along with summer comes more opportunity for training. But more time for training means that I need more time for recovery. UGH! For some reason, I have just enough time for running and strength training, but never any time for proper recovery. It's just a fact: when we neglect proper recovery, we are setting ourselves up for injury. I have a bad habit of not stretching, resting, or rolling until I'm injured and forced to make time for it. So, this post is an admonishment for myself and hopefully a reminder to you to treat your recovery with the same importance as your training. It IS part of your training.

• Stretching-- this is pretty much a no-brainer. If you had PE class as a child, then you've done some stretching. However, all stretching is not created equal. There are two main types: static and dynamic (or ballistic).  Dynamic stretching is what you should be doing to warm-up and ease yourself into a training session. Dynamic stretching is "stretching" with movement. Static stretching is the stretch and hold moves that should only be done after muscles have been worked, at the end of your workout. 

• Foam Rolling--sounds nice, right? It's been said that if you're not screaming in pain while you are foam rolling, then you're not doing it right. Can't wait to try it, can you? There are various types of foam rollers and various techniques to using them. You can also use a lacrosse or tennis ball, a fat piece of pvc pipe, your grandmother's rolling pin, the corner of a doorway (yes, I have been known to massage out a knot in my back bear style). I've found foam rolling to be pretty intuitive: roll the muscle and when you feel a painful knot, keep rolling it until if feels better. But here's a video from Livestrong Woman that does a great job of explaining the process: 

• Yoga--I confess. I once giggled and scoffed at yoga and those who practice. I think it's the whole "one with the universe" zen thing. Actually, it was more that my total lack of coordination, balance and flexibility would reduce me to a pile of laughter on the floor, all the while the yogi would calmly be talking about breathing in fire and strength from the sun (or something like that). I also had a complete misunderstanding of just how intense it can be! I now have 3 yoga dvd's that I use: Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown, Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior, and the P90X "Yoga X." (Please forgive me yoga lovers, I know these aren't examples of the true yoga practice.) I like Jillian's dvd because she seems to be as uncoordinated as I am and visibly (or as the camera strategically cuts away) bobbles and holds shaky poses; however, I've mostly moved away from hers because it's more focused on strength, less on relaxation. Bob's (I really can't take the title seriously) is pretty intense and again more focused on strength. My favorite is the Yoga X because it contains strength, balance and relaxing poses. **I am on the hunt for a good relaxing dvd that I can use on rest days to complement my strength training, so please recommend one!
• X Stretch-- I'm giving this one a category of its own. At a full hour long, this dvd from the P90X series is a stand alone "workout." It's great for an active rest day because there is a fair amount of movement, but it provides stretches from head to toe. You just have to get past Tony Horton's sometimes funny, sometimes annoying and always cheesy commentary.

Aside from those workout type additions you can make to help aid recovery-- it's vital that you SLEEP and eat whole foods! Training tears the muscles down; to make gains in strength and speed, you need sleep so that your body can build itself back up! Whole foods, including the proper amount of protein for your weight and activity levels will help you get the right balance of nutrients to assist in that rebuilding process. 

What did I forget? Do you have a favorite recovery routine?

Running Reading

First of all I want to mention the Mud and Adventure link on the blog. Mud and Adventure is everywhere! They have one of the best, most comprehensive lists of races, along with discounts, training articles, and race and gear reviews. Click the link to the right to check out their site! 

I just read an article on competitor.com about the top 5 running books that are must read this summer. I must say that I was a little disappointed, but maybe that's because I'm a reader. Of the books listed, I've read two-- and they are really good. But I really feel that they've left off some really good ones. So, call me a copycat if you must, but here are some of my favorite running related books:

1. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Ok, I completely agree with them on this book. It will make you want to find some trails, kick off your shoes and run barefoot for as long and as hard as you can. It's a book about the author's personal discovery of the Tarahumara Indians and his own love of running. 
2. Eat & Run by Scott Jurek. This book will make you want to go vegetarian and run an ultramarathon. I love this book. And I am most definitely NOT a vegetarian. Jurek is an ultramarathon phenom and just an interesting human being. Eat & Run is packed with links to other books and websited that Jurek himself had used on his quest to fine tune himself into a healthier athlete. Jurek is not just a great ultramarathoner, he is an educated athlete.
3. Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss by Dean Karnazes. I continue to be completely fascinated by Dean Karnazes. The man has taken heat from critics who say that he is nothing more than a glory hound, taking on crazy feats to just win popularity. I really just think he's a guy who constantly seeks new and different challenges. Karnazes has been featured on the t.v. show Stan Lee's Superhumans for his body's astounding ability to endure fatigue and exhaustion. Run! is a personal, behind the scenes look into the real "Karno." Reading this will make you feel as if you could call Karno up and invite him for a run.
4. My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon by Bart Yasso. Yasso is the "Chief Running Officer" of Runner's World magazine. Similar in nature to Karnazes' book, Yasso provides adventures about life as a runner and writer. His stories are funny and interesting, varying from tales of running a naked 5k to running the Comrades Marathon. He also provides insight into his method for predicting marathon race pace, the Yasso 800s. 
5. Finding Ultra by Rich Roll. I read this book and Jurek's book back to back. Roll, like Jurek is a vegetarian but he competes in triathlons. And not just tri's-- Ironman distance. As a matter of fact, he's complete the Epic 5-- 5 Ironman distance tri's, on 5 different Hawaiian Islands within a week's time. The book details Roll's journey from competitive swimmer, to alcoholic, to overweight and unhealthy 40 year old, to ultra athlete who inspires others to change their lives. And *bonus* this book just came out in paperback.
6. Train Like a Mother: How to Get Across An Finish Line-- and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea. Not a memoir like the rest of the books on this list, this book is more of a "how to." The ladies entertain with musings about their and other mother runners' experiences in training. The authors provide training plans for all levels of runners and distances, as well as injury prevention and recovery advice. 
7. Marathon: the Ultimate Training Guide by Hal Higdon. Again, a "how to." This was the book that I used to prepare for my first marathon, so it has a special place in my heart. All the ins and outs for preparing for and successfully completing a marathon are contained in this one book. Love it! And what I really love-- his plans are published for free on his website. Gotta love that generosity... and for that reason, I would buy the book.
8. 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days-- And How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! by Dean Karnazes. Ok, another one by Karnazes. This was one of the first books on running I read, which is also why it's one of my favorites. I'm not sure that I agree with the "how you too can achieve super endurance" part, but after reading the book, I really wanted to go run marathons. Multiple marathons.
9. The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultrarunning Greatness by Pam Reed. Ok, I really have mixed thoughts on this one. Reed is very open and honest about her life and career as an ultrarunner. And in that honesty the reader gets the good, the bad and the ugly. She struggled (she writes in past tense) with anorexia, but I found that in reading the book, she continues to struggle with the disease and possibly is in a bit of denial. The book provides what most other books on ultrarunners don't-- a peek inside the woman ultramarathoner. 
10. Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Ok, I lied. This book is not at all about running. Wild is such a beautifully and powerfully written story of Strayed's emotional and physical journey, that I had to include it on this list. And after reading it, you will start making plans to run/hike/wander your way through miles of mountainous trails somewhere. 

That's it. My top 10 list of must read inspirational, educational and entertaining running reads. 

Now, it's your turn-- which book did I miss?

Uncomfortable.

“If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.”
― John Maxwell

It's getting hotter, as it does when summer is inching closer. The morning run isn't quite as delicious as it was a few months ago when I didn't break a sweat until mile 2; when I could come home from a 3 miler NOT looking like I went for a swim. I did 8 miles this morning. And I did them faster than typical. I felt a little guilty because I didn't do speed work last week, and I took both Saturday AND Sunday morning off-- no running. (OH, the glory of 2 lazy mornings in a row!)

As I ran, and my legs grew tired and my mind started tipping to that "maybe I should just stop and walk" place, I shifted my thoughts to just how exhausting, uncomfortable, and well, just plain crappy some workouts can be. But training is like so many other things in life-- if we remain in our comfort, we remain the same. Comfort says, "But I've never done that/gone there/thought that before..." Comfort says, "Oh, that's not for me." "I couldn't possibly." "Maybe some other time."

If we want to change, become better, in anything, we have to be willing to be uncomfortable. We have to "get comfortable with being uncomfortable" (a quote that is attributed to Jillian Michaels). If your training doesn't leave you tired, sweaty, and at least a little sore, then you are NOT training.

The trick is knowing that the pain is coming, and pushing into it-- through it, instead of letting it push you down-- defeat you. I read an article somewhere (sorry, it's been awhile) where one professional runner seemed to take offense at the use of the word pain. He preferred the use of the word "discomfort." I think his word choice is probably part of his mental training-- pain means stop; discomfort means push through. And let me clarify-- the pain I'm referring to is the ache in the legs-- the feeling that your legs have suddenly turned into petrified wood, that your lungs simply cannot continue to accept oxygen and push it through your body. If ever you are training, and you feel a sharp pain, then that is a sign of injury--stop!

Chris McCormack, a professional triathlete, just wrote his thoughts about pain in this article on the triathlete side of Competitor Magazine's online edition. He says:

Our biggest challenge in triathlon is overcoming that part of your mind that tells you to slow down or stop. I have found that the best way to achieve this is to accept (or “embrace”) that moment of absolute suffering. Treat pain like an old friend. It’s not that you enjoy suffering, but when you accept it as a moment that signifies that you are pushing yourself and advancing toward your goal, then you have begun to approach pain management from the right direction. 

He uses the phrase, "Embracing the suck," which has now become popular everywhere. But at the heart of the phrase is truth. If you want to avoid pain, you will avoid a chance to better yourself.

 I couldn't resist.

Before You Go Long...

I'm coming up on my 6th year Runniversary, so I'm not an expert by any means, but I've done countless long runs. However, that didn't stop me from making a few rookie mistakes on my long run this morning. That led me to writing this post in my head to help that long run pass.

If you are fairly new to running and are intimidated by the thought of "the long run," then this post is for you. The distance of "the long run" is relative. I didn't consider my run "long" until my first 6 miler. I'm not sure why, but for me that was the magic number. 

The weeks leading up to "the Long Run"

Don't just wake up on a Sunday morning and suddenly decide you will run 10 miles, especially if your longest run is 3. Gradually build up your miles over weeks. The experts say increase your mileage by no more than 10% each week. If you're training for a specific goal race, then find a good training plan to follow. Runnersworld.com has a free "smart coach" feature that will create a plan based on your current fitness level and goal race. Hal Higdon also has free training resources online.

The day before "the Long Run"

Don't go crazy carb loading. You are not going into hibernation, and you are not a camel.  Eat pretty normally. Make sure you get some good quality complex carbs. This is not the time to try strange and wondrous new foods. 

Consider the temperature you will be running in and lay out clothing to match the climate. Also be sure that you have some fuel (a variety of options: gels, GU, bloks, chews, drinks, bars, etc.) to take on your run, especially if it's hot and you will be running for an hour or more. Also plan your hydration; again, there are options: carry a throw-away plastic water bottle, a fancy made-for-runners water bottle (mine has a pouch for gels), a fuel belt, Camelback, etc. or plan a route where you know there will be water fountains.

A sample of my current stash. Yes, I'm still experimenting.

Plan your route and tell someone. Let them know where you are running, when you are heading out and when you expect to return. DO NOT publish your route on facebook. After all, how well do you really know your "friends"? 

Make sure your phone or iPod is completely charged. Update your playlist for some peppy, inspirational songs. 

The morning of "the Long Run"

Pre long run fueling varies to the runner. Having a thyroid that requires me to take medication to keep it moving means that I can't eat for an hour after I take my meds. So, I begin my runs on an empty stomach. When possible, I eat a light snack about 45 minutes before my long run.

Lubricate! I like Body Glide because it comes in an easy to use stick-- like deodorant. But Vaseline works, too. I've even heard of some runners who use a deodorant stick to lube, but not too sure if that works. Rub it on anywhere that you might chafe-- beware of seams on your shorts, shirt sleeves, etc. I have also been known to slather my feet in a thin layer of lube. And don't forget sunscreen!

Empty the tank. Do I really have to elaborate?

Grab your hydration, nutrition, and I always grab a piece of gum and put on Chapstick. 

During "the Long Run"

Don't over-hydrate or under-hydrate. I've been guilty of both. 

Don't forget to "eat." It takes practice to know exactly how often your body needs fuel. For my first two marathons and several halfs, I ate too frequently-- my stomach was often upset, and I always had to find a bathroom along the route. It is generally recommended that you take 1 gel about every 45 minutes. I have also discovered that I need electrolytes, so lately I've looked for gels that are higher in sodium and potassium.

If, in the middle of the run, you find yourself getting extremely annoyed by stoplights, yapping dogs, a particular song, and the next one, and the one after that, the smiling guy that walks past, and, well, everything... then you are bonking! Take a gel, if you haven't already. Don't panic. Wait for the calories and carbs to hit, and you will once again feel like you are loving life or at least you will no longer feel like a crazed lunatic.

After "the Long Run"
Cool down. I like to walk the dog, so that I'm forced to keep moving.

Stretch and foam roll.

Eat. Something with a mix of carbs and protein. I usually save my cheat meal for the long run day because I feel that I deserve it. However, be realistic-- running 8 miles doesn't entitle you to multiple buffet caliber meals.

I also like to put on some compression pants. And chill.

One of my favorite running songs. I can't NOT smile when I hear it.

Dreams

Delayed hope makes one sick at heart,
    but a fulfilled longing is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 (God's Word translation)

I've always been a doer and not much of a dreamer. I'm checklist oriented. More into the tangible and measurable than the unknown and the possible. Maybe that's why I don't spend much time dreaming. Or maybe it's the pessimist in me. Maybe I'm too cynical. 

I've come to the conclusion that I just don't dream enough. Without a dream, we just seem to stumble along in life, settling for whatever comes our way. Without a dream, we don't have any drive. There is no far away place in the future toward which we are aiming. Dreams build and fuel desire to become better, to do better, to make others better. Dreams help define our goals. 

So, I'm going to work on dreaming more. Sounds like an oxymoron. But as I've become a Mom and gotten older I've found that I have to schedule time for play... and now more dreaming.

Are you a dreamer? Or like me, somewhere along the way have you forgotten to dream?

Why Not Paleo?

“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.” 

― Henry David Thoreau

So, the newest thing in fitness seems to be the Paleo diet. If you don't know what that is, you must live under a rock. Bahahahahaha! (get it, under a rock? Paleo, aka cave man diet?) Ok, seriously, this explanatory picture has been floating around facebook for awhile: 

So, if I may try to sum up the Paleo diet... it's meat and plant based. Certain foods are really off limits. Other foods are kind of off limits. And that was a really poor explanation, so check out this infographic for a clear picture. (I can't stop.)

Tons of people, most of them CrossFitters, love and swear by this diet lifestyle. And the internet is full of before and after pictures of people who have tried and succeeded with the Paleo diet. But...

I will never join the masses of Paleo people. (gasp) Let me explain why...

1. Brown rice. Off limits on the Paleo diet. And it just doesn't make sense to me. It is arguably one of the best complex carbs on the planet. Want more info on brown rice? I'll save you a Google search.  

2. Oatmeal. Ok, this really should be my #1, but since it's mostly a breakfast food, I put it at #2. Again, awesome source of fiber and deliciousness-- you just have to know how to make it. (DO NOT buy those packets of instant-- full of sugar.) More than you ever wanted to know about oatmeal here.

3. Potatoes. White potatoes. (giant gasp) Yes, I love them. They are a great source of potassium. Ok, sweet potatoes are higher in vitamins and fiber, but the vilification of white potatoes must be stopped! (ok, that was cheesy-- I've been grading persuasive essays written by 8th graders)

4. Speaking of cheese... Cheese. I limit my dairy to a few times a week, but it's always in the form of cheese. I'm not even going to pretend there's a great health benefit to cheese. It's just yummy. 

5. Peanut butter. Again, I don't eat it for the health benefits. It's just plain delicious. Especially after mixing in a little vanilla whey protein and spreading it on apples. (I only use peanut butter with peanuts as THE ingredient.) 

If you're Paleo, that's awesome for you! I'm not trying to convince you to quit. I think it's important to eat a variety of clean, real food. 

Paleo or not... I'd love to read your thoughts!