Workout Equipment isn't a Place to Store Stuff?!

Happy New Year! As 2012 winds down, many people, including me, think of making resolutions. My philosophy lately has been to make a resolution I know I can accomplish, get up every day, drink coffee every morning, feed the cat daily, etc. You get the idea. Nothing too dramatic like reduce spending by X, or eat only healthy food, or workout x times a week. I did sort of make a resolution for 2012 to complete 12 events as part of the Bike Run Yoga Challenge, sadly this didn't happen. I had 14 possible events picked out and only made it to seven.

This is what happens though right? I always say "life gets in the way". There are always so many things, people, needs pulling you in all sorts of directions, hard to carve out a few minutes for yourself to take care of your health.

I met a personal trainer the other day, he wants to start practicing Bikram yoga, he commented he is very tight, hardly stretches. We discussed his many athletic endeavors and years of activities that damaged the body. I asked him what he told his clients about stretching and we both had a chuckle because of course he tells his clients they need to stretch and the importance of stretching but he doesn't do it himself. Easier to fix other people than yourself.

So this year, I'm going to go out on a limb and post it here....I am resolving to do a better job is using my workout equipment as it intended and not as a shelf, table or doorstop.

What resolutions or goals have you made for yourself?

Why cucumbers are so good for you

I've been growing my own cucumbers this year, trying to saving from buying outrageously priced ones from Whole Foods or Central Market. I successfully had 4 plants, all producing cucumbers. I almost always was able to find used for all the wonderful, large cucumbers! I mostly juiced them with other things and made green juice. However, at the height of the crop I started juicing them alone and making cucumber water and drinking it all day. I lost 5 pounds in just a few weeks!

Cucumbers are good for general hydration since they are mostly water. They also help in digestion and elimination. You just "feel" cleaner. During the entire time I had my cucumber water, I never used a supplemental electrolyte replacement drink or powder and I always felt well hydrated and energized.

The season in Texas for cucumbers has past I think...my poor plants look like someone stepped on them after having a bad day. I can't wait until next year when I plant even more!

Here are some other great uses and benefits for cucumbers....
Uses and Benefits of Cucumbers

What are electrolytes and how should I replenish them?

Image: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This seems to be the question of the hour. Fitness professionals always talk about hydration and making sure you "replace" your electrolytes. But what does that really mean? How much water? How do you replace electrolytes?

The average person, drinking enough water for their body and eating properly probably doesn't need to worry about electrolyte replacement. People engaging in physical activity, running, biking, Bikram Yoga, etc. will probably need to drink more water and replace electrolytes.

How much water? There are different formulas and theory's on how much water to drink.

1. 8 x 8 - Drink 8 ounces of water 8 times a day.
2. Drink based on weight - Take your weight and divide it in half, that is approximately how many ounces of water you should you drink.
3. Drink based on sex - If you are women, the Institute of Medicine, recommends 91 ounces of water, for men they recommend 125 ounces.
4. Drink based on how you feel - Do you fee thirsty? Then drink some water.

All of these methods have legitimacy and if you are doing athletic activities, drinking more water will be necessary to maintain healthy levels. Be careful to not drink too much water though this can cause Hyponatremia, a condition where the body has low levels of sodium in body fluids.

Which brings me to electrolyte replacement. This was a hot topic at my yoga teacher training. Mostly the concern was what were electrolytes and what were the best replacements. Electrolytes are minerals the body needs to function properly. There are 8 major electrolytes: Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Chloride, Bicarbonate, Sulfate and Phosphate.

Electrolytes can be replaced with foods and liquids or with supplements. Although healthy foods should always be the first choice, sometimes a supplement might be necessary. Here is what I've found through personal experience.

Gu packets, Shot Bloks, energy jelly beans and most sport drinks are necessary and candidly yummy, when running or biking long distances and you need to sustain energy levels to get through whatever activity you are doing. But have you looked at one of those packages? Little to no electrolytes are in those, many simply say "trace" amounts. I'm a fan of these, not because they are "good" for me but because when I run or bike long distances these really help me push through. (Read my post where I review a few of these products.)

Before and after biking, running and in particular when I practice Bikram Yoga, I like to drink water with an electrolyte replacement to either boost my electrolyte levels before hand or replace what I just lost.

My favorite powder replacement is Ultima. It is naturally sweet, no artificial ingredients and has no sugar added. You just put a packet in water, shake, and drink. It comes in single serving packets, perfect for on the go or you can get canister like this one pictures.

 

For yoga or other activities where you sweat a lot and need increased replacement, there is a new product, yogafuel. It is a capsule that is taken before a class or activity. It not only contains electrolytes, it also has adaptogenic herbs (Ashwagandha and Cordyceps) intended to help the body deal with stress, fatigue and anxiety.

Perhaps my favorite electrolyte replacement EVER is coconut water. A typical serving has more potassium than 2 bananas, great for hydration. It also contains sodium, magnesium and calcium. At just 60 calories per serving (11.2 oz) it is a low calorie, healthy electrolyte replacement option. I typically drink one before yoga and one after, it is so refreshing and so much better for you then a typical sports drink.

Yoga is Essential...

I just read the Oprah story, part II, of Paige Williams journey through her 60 day Bikram Challenge. Paige is an amazing women to put her self out there and tell her story. She tells her story of her second month into the challenge, and I do mean challenge, and how it changed her life. There is also a sad part at the end about her health and how some health challenges she started off with were still with her. But she explains she is a renewed person and appreciates all she learned and gained...and is still taking Bikram yoga.

Paige says, "At first, this yoga felt exploratory, optional, but now that I know what's really going on, it feels essential to managing my day-to-day happiness and improving my overall well-being."

Well said Paige, well said.

Bikram Yoga: Standing Separate Leg Stretching

Even good Bikram yoga classes are HARD.

I’ve taken Bikram Yoga class for the last three days and can honestly say they were all 100% better than Saturday’s class. That is the funny thing about Bikram Yoga, some classes are good and some are bad. Sometimes you can do all the postures and sometimes you can’t. What I find ALWAYS the same, they are always hard. And if they are easy?! Well, that just means you didn’t try hard enough.

Today I tried hard and sweated my you-know-what off. It was a good class, hard class, painful class and wonderful class. The best part? Has to be water breaks and when they open the door because the room has gotten too hot. It is like heaven washing over you as the cool air rushes in and clashes with the hot air. Then they close the door and it is gone just as quickly as it blew in. Ugh, more postures. Ok, deep breath…..you can do it. That is my mantra most of class, almost every class. Today was no different.

There are many times through class when I just want to sit down. I’m tired. I had a long day at work and the stress of the day, things I didn’t do, need to do, etc creep into my mind. It’s mind over matter though so I just keep telling myself, “you can do it, it’s just X number of postures to water, or to Savasana, or whatever.” I felt fatigued but not physically drained when we got ready to do Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana (aka Standing Separate Leg Stretching). As I stood there on the left side of my mat, looking at myself in the mirror, watching sweat stream down my body all I could do is breath and tell myself just a few more postures and then you can lay down in Savasana, you can do it. And I did. I even made it through both sets of Triangle. Savasana never felt so good!

There are many health benefits to Standing Separate Leg Stretching, I particularly like the “good for psychotic depression.” It could be good for this because you are completely bent over and your head is touching the mat so all the blood is rushing to your head. Hard to have psychotic depressive thoughts when you brain is full of fresh blood. It is good for so much more, see below…


Health Benefits of Standing Separate Leg Stretching:

• Good for psychotic depression, loss of memory, constipation, abdominal obesity
• When chin is forward it increases circulation to the adrenal glands
• Increases circulation to the brain
• Pushing stomach in strengthens the diaphragm
• Good for hyperacidity
• Releases tension in lower back muscles

How to do Standing Separate Leg Stretching:

• Stand with your feet together on the left side of your mat
• Arms over head, hands in prayer
• Move your right foot out about 3 feet and at the same time bring your arms down parallel with the floor
• Bend your body down and grab your ankles with your hands
• Pull your body down and touch your head to the floor

Photo is courtesy of Bikram Yoga Dallas

Bikram Yoga Standing Bow Pulling Pose

Balancing series in Bikram Yoga Improves Flexibility, Circulation, Strength and Balance.

Standing Bow Pulling Pose, or Dandayamana-Dhanurasana, is the second posture in the Bikram Yoga balancing series. I see why it gets the name too, when done to the extreme, the body really does look like a bow.

Every posture in the Bikram Yoga series has medical benefits and this one is no exception. It is wonderful for increasing the circulation to the heart and lungs and improves a number of things in the body. If you haven’t tried Bikram Yoga or this posture in other yoga, you are really missing out on some great health benefits.

 





















Standing Bow Pulling Pose: 

• Stand with your feet together. 
• Hold your hand out, palm up, reach behind you and grab your ankle.
• Raise your other arm straight in the air.
• Stretch up and then forward while stretching your leg upwards.
• Your standing leg knee should be locked.

Things to remember:

• If you start to fall, stretch your leg upward more.
• Your upper body and arm should be in alignment.
• Chin should be on shoulder.
• Upper body should be parallel to the floor.
• As long as you try the posture the correct way, you are getting the benefit.

Benefits:

• Increases circulation to the heart and lungs
• Improves elasticity of the spine
• Creates marriage between strength and balance
• Activates digestive system

My pose from my first competition, not quite as good as Joseph, photo above

Click here to get more information on Bikram Yoga poses.

Photo courtesy of Bikram Yoga Dallas

2009 Bike Run Yoga Challenge: Get a FREE T-shirt!

Bike Run Yoga is my idea of the ideal Tri. The real concept though of Bike Run Yoga is more about doing events you love, not what MY ideal triathlon would be. (Although the thought of what my ideal Tri would be is how the company got started.) Also, it doesn't mean those three activities have to happen in a typical triathlon event process. It is about participating in events that show off what you love to do, to challenge yourself, to promote a healthy life style and to most importantly, have fun!

My friend Ginny and I just completed our century ride and I got to thinking about all the events I had completed or was planning on completing this year and how great it would be to have a Bike Run Yoga t-shirt that has on the back a list of all the events, like a concert tour shirt, to really celebrate all my accomplishments. It is tough to complete one event be it a marathon, triathlon, duathlon, century ride, yoga competition or other event. It is even tougher to dedicate the time and energy to complete multiple events in one year. How great would that be to be get a free t-shirt that commemorates all your efforts and shows off all the events you completed in one year?

Bike Run Yoga wants to help you celebrate your 2009 achievements! Come join us in the the 2009 Bike Run Yoga Challenge! Complete the challenge and get a FREE personalized event t-shirt that lists YOUR events for 2009.  Anyone that meets the requirements below can win. You still have time in 2009 to get a free shirt!

What does that mean? It means, complete all the requirements and get a t-shirt that lists all your events for 2009 on the back; the front will be the Bike Run Yoga logo; The events will be listed on the back with the name of the event and the event date.

Requirements:

1. Make a commitment to the challenge (this means post a comment here and tell me you are doing the challenge)
   
2. Follow/subscribe to Bike Run Yoga blog (that's THIS blog)
3. For 2009, complete 12 events (Tri, duathlon, run, ride, swim or yoga event)
4. FYI for 2010 - must complete 24 events
5. Must be a finisher at the event (we use the honor system for verification)
6. Submit your events,email address, full name and shipping address to Bike Run Yoga no later than January 5, 2010

Once your events are submitted, a Bike Run Yoga celebration t-shirt will be custom made for you and shipped to you in 4-6 weeks.

As an example, here is a list of the events I have either completed or will complete by the end of 2009. Join me in this exciting challenge and show off your

Tour Dallas April 4
Big D ½ Marathon April 5
San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon May 31
Too Hot to Handle 15K July 18
Hotter N Hell 100 August 29
Tour Des Fleur's 10K September 19
Susan G Komen 5K October 17
Light the Night Walk October 18
Texas Yoga Asana Championships November 8
Thundercloud Turkey Trot November 26
San Antonio ½ Marathon November 15
White Rock ½ Marathon December 13

Questions? click here to email me.

Staying Fit Should be a Lifestyle, Not a Task

I believe staying fit shouldn't be a task or chore checked off a list each day, it should be a lifestyle. On a typical day I go to the gym, yoga class or ride my bike around the lake but today my exercise program consists of housework. And I'm ok with that, know why? Because daily activity can burn as many or more calories than a dedicated workout session.

I belong to 24hr Fitness and was fortunate enough to receive a BodyBugg free from the gym for getting training sessions. I used it for almost 6 months and found out some interesting things. I wore it almost every day, all day and found working at my desk was almost as active as sleeping, which was nill. Little things like walking while I brushed my teeth helped increase my overall calorie burn. This might seem obvious but how many people just stand there and stare at themselves in the mirror? I took the stairs instead of the elevator, I parked a little farther from store entrances, did every day house chores and did my regular workout routine. Yard work or vaccuming and cleaning was just as good burning calories as working out in the gym.

Now, not all general chores will equate to a gym workout. Total calorie burn depends on what chores you are doing and what exercise you are doing. But the end conclusion is a dedicated time to workout isn't necessary to have a healthy lifestyle. And working out doesn't have to be dedicated to just going to the gym or yoga class. Obviously I'm not buildng much muscle pushing a vaccum or cleaning the bathroom today but I am burning calories so I don't have to feel too guilty I skipped yoga today.

I've stopped using the BodyBugg. I found it was irritating the skin and since I exercise outside quite a bit, I was getting a very funny tan line. I know, vain reason. In the end though, I know what I need to know. I know how many calories on average I burn in a day, with our without exercise so I am better equipped to manage my calorie intake along with my exercise program. Here are some other things I learned - Working out at the gym results in modest calorie burn, cardio of course burns more, running burns more than cycling and Bikram Yoga? Couldn't get a good read, too sweaty!

Hope you find a way to integrate working out, whatever that means to you, into your every day life. Being healthy and fit should be something you are, not something you have to "do".

Namaste

Just Staying in the Yoga Room is Sometimes Enough

I made it to Bikram Yoga today, a big feat considering my last few days. I am in my recovery week, gearing up for the Hotter N Hell century ride this weekend so I'm suppose to be taking it easy anyway but circumstances have thrown me for a loop recently. After having a bad ride on Sunday that got cut short after a lady yelling at me on the trails and feeling under the weather on Monday and earlier today, I managed to pull myself together enough to go to yoga. I'm glad I did, even if it wasn't the best class I ever had.

Class started off well, the first three poses were pretty solid. I started to feel nauseous during balancing stick, not a nauseous like I'm going to throw up, but a nauseous like my stomach was going to be "sour" the entire class. And I was sweating more than usual and that kind of worried me. So I took it a bit easier over the next few postures and made it to the floor series.

The spine strengthing series though, is all tummy down and that was putting excessive pressure on my stomach, only making it worse! I battled through that, did half tortoise and skipped camel. I know...you aren't suppose to skip a pose. But in my defense, I was already in a comprised state. No sense pushing the envelop.

I stayed in the room and finished class so I consider that a win and a decent class. Not a great class but a decent one. A few things probably can be attributed to my class performance. One, I haven't been eating well. This happens when my life gets a little crazy, either I forget to eat or I just don't want to eat. Neither is good for having a good yoga class. Two, I wasn't in a good mental state. I was hoping going to yoga would clear my mind and give me some mental peace but I have a hard time focusing sometimes and my brain gets in the way of my soul cleansing.

Even so, I made it to class, I gave it all I could and I stayed in the room. Like I said, I am considering that a win. Tomorrow is a new day, a chance to start over and be better. Perhaps a better me is just a Bikram class away.

Namaste

Ran with Team in Training Today

I got up early today, 6 am, and ran with my Team in Training buddy Rhonda and her new Team in Training running group. Rhonda and I trained together for our first marathons in the Spring Team in Training season earlier this year and she has become a mentor this season to help others. I was planning on riding 80 miles today to prepare for Hotter N Hell next weekend but I have a kick off meeting for Light the Night in a bit and I wouldn't have been able to ride the full amount. So instead I opted to run six today and ride 80 tomorrow.

Today was a little harder than I expected. I contribute that to a few things, a little dehydrated from just not drinking enough water, not enough nutrition because in general I don't eat well and I had done zero cardio all week. The latter is probably the main reason and of course, the reason can NOT be that I am just plan out of shape. :)

I was impressed with the group, they all did a great job. Rhonda's group is much larger than ours from last season. Last season it was just Rhonda, Susan our mentor and me. This year Rhonda has 10-12 that run in her group. I think that is better, gives you more people to talk to and bond with and when you lag behind a bit it is less noticeable because of all the people!

As usually I sweated like a horse. Is that even a real saying? Do horses sweat? I think the real saying is "sweat like a race horse" or is that "I have to pee like a race horse"? Whatever, I sweated, A LOT! (This will become a running theme in my blogs, no pun intended! LOL)

Since I hadn't done any cardio workout during the week I was huffing a bit and I'm pretty sure the look on my face was not pretty. I tend to grimace when I run like I am in constant pain, even when I'm not. Which is so funny because when I do yoga I have no expression on my face, even when the posture is really hard. Different sports, different facial expressions I guess.

The lake where Team in Training runs was packed. It was such a nice morning I guess everyone took the opportunity to come out and get their exercise on. As we were coming back towards the cars I was stuck by a man that had the WHITEST teeth! His mouth was slightly open and against his tan skin his teeth really stuck out. It reminded me of the Friends episode where Ross whitens his teeth right before a big date and the glow from being so bleached. This guy had teeth like that! Made me laugh which I needed at mile 5 of 6.

Thanks Rhonda for letting me tag along today, great run. You have an awesome group of runners! Off to the Light the Night Kick Off Meeting!

Light the Night Walk - I'm Walking!

I’m helping raise money for cancer research through the Light The Night Walk on October 18th in Dallas, Texas. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is putting on this wonderful event to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by blood cancers. I first became aware of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) when I signed up to train for my first marathon through Team in Training. I originally signed up for the free training and learned so much more than how to run a marathon, I learned about an amazing organization that raises funds for important blood cancer research and patient services.

Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Many LLS-supported advances help not only blood cancer patients but those with other diseases as well. In addition to research support, the Society offers support groups, financial aid, information and advocacy programs for patients and their families.

The Light The Night® Walk is an evening walk where walkers will carry illuminated balloons to signify support and remembrance: white balloons for those who are affected by cancer; red balloons for supporters, and gold balloons will be carried by those who have lost a loved one to cancer. The Walk culminates in a community celebration with music, refreshments and entertainment-where friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and others come together to demonstrate their support for cancer patients.

You can help support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society too by walking, donating or both! Click her for more information on how to get involved. Light the Walk

If you can donate please do so here!

September is Yoga Month

Join in Yoga Month in September and try yoga for free! Go to www.yogamonth.org to find a studio near you that is participating. This is a great way to find new types of practices or to get started!

Get a coupon at yogamonth.org for a free week at a participating studio. If you live in Dallas, you can go to any yoga studio on September 7th for a free class, no coupon required!


From yogamonth.org:

Join millions of yoga and health enthusiasts at hundreds of events nationwide and around the world. Deepen your commitment to a healthy lifestyle by celebrating the transformative power of yoga with friends, family and your global community!

Yoga Month invites all styles of yoga to participate in an awareness campaign designed to draw attention to the many benefits of yoga and inspire our fellow citizens to live healthier, happier lives.

Namaste

Taking a few days off

I have had a few hard days and haven't been working out. I know, working out probably would make me feel better. I considered that today as I was driving home and had decided I wasn't going to ride my bike; that I should go to yoga to clear my mind and refill my soul. But instead I find myself on the couch, with my legs sweating from the heat of my computer.

I've eaten two bags of gummi bears and haven't really moved since I got home. This can't be good for my health! I am rationalizing it by the fact that I worked out seven days last week and I plan on working out all weekend to prepare for my century ride in a week. So what is a few days off right? Don't they call that "getting ready for the race?"

Im my couch potato state, I am surfing the net and reading tweets. I see a lot of great tweets on twitter about the mind, body and soul and how exercise can help balance all that out. Nothing I don't already know but some days you just have to throw up your hands and give in to the sluggish side of the brain and take a break. I'm just glad I don't have any ice cream in the house.

I just got my WIN Sport Detergent from Amazon!

I just ordered on autoship sport laundry detergent and Shot Bloks and saved 15%! This might seem like a no-brainer to you, unfortunately I am a late bloomer and just got on the Amazon bandwagon during Christmas last year.

I really like the subscription/autoship option. You can get certain items at specific intervals at a discount, 15%, and free shipping! They couldn't make it more easy! A few months ago they had organic cat food as a deal of the day AND it was part of the subscription program so I saved another 15% ontop of the sale price, for the life of the autoship. I just adjust the autoship time frame from 1 month to as much as 6 months depending on usage.

Today I came home to a package, which I LOVE, and it was my WIN Sport Detergent! So exciting! Why would someone order detergent online? For one thing, it isn't easy to find and it comes in small bottles, typically 20-21 fl oz and it is expensive. The WIN Sport Detergent autoship comes with 8-21 fl oz bottles, which I figure will last me about 6 - 8 months so I set up my autoship for every 6 months. So easy!

And if you haven't tried WIN Sport Detergent, I reccommend it. It really cleans the odors out of fabrics, sport stuff and other things. My cat peed on my sheets one time. I poured some of the WIN Detergent on the area, washed it, came out smelling VERY clean.

I can't wait until tomorrow, my Shot Bloks should be in.

What stuff do you have on autoship through Amazon? What sport detergent do you like?

- Bike | Run | Yoga

What does My Gym do with My Money?

I workout at 24hr Fitness, I realize they are some what of a mass market gym but I I think a little maintenance wouldn't hurt their business. I went today for my trainer session and during my session one of the machines was squealing pretty loud. It made Jessica, my trainer, and I laugh. We both look around to try and see what machine was making all the noise. It turned out to be a machine behind us. The last time I was there it was an elliptical machine, today it was a weight machine.

What was funny was the noise was so annoying and he didn't stop. He FINALLY finishes and you would think people would stay away from it but no...someone else got on it! Seriously?! Can't you tell it is squeaky?

My only thought is why can't the gym more properly maintain the equipment so it doesn't squeak? Or fix the treadmills so the belts don't slip. Or fix the stationary bike seat. What do I pay for?

And where are the people that are suppose to clean the floors? Every time I go there are dust bunnies all over the floor, it looks like it is never cleaned!

Don't get me wrong, I like 24hr Fitness and would recommend it to anyone that wanted to workout but didn't want to spend a lot of money but they lack a bit of general knowledge on everyday maintenance.

Broom? $5.00..... Can of WD 40? $2.00...... Clean Gym? PRICELESS

The Week of Two Ten's

Here is an exert from my marathon experience earlier this year. My Team in Training group was running 20 miles this particular weekend and I was in Austin so I ran with my friend Ginny and we didn't like the idea of running 20 miles so it became our weekend to run two ten mile runs back to back. The mind is a powerful thing!

5/11/09 - The Week of Two Ten's. My friend Ginny and I are running the San Diego Marathon together at the end of May. She has been training on her own but matching the Team in Training schedule and decided to come to Austin with me to run 20 miles this past Saturday. In talking, we decided 20 miles was too much and way to overwhelming and we would rather run 2 - 10 mile segments. So it was the weekend of Two Ten's. Our first mistake might have been not running on Thursday like we were scheduled, instead we ran Friday morning. I wear so much technical equipment on my arms, I managed to chaff the inside of my left arm pretty raw. Who would have thought I would need Body Glide for just three miles?! I put Neosporin on it and tried to let it air out and at least scab over but I sweat so much I knew Saturday was not going to be very fun. Then, some how on the way down to Austin Ginny and I managed to damage ourselves even more, she with a pinch mark from the seatbelt that welted up and me with a large scrap on my leg. We looked like we had been through the ringer and we hadn't even run yet!

We had discussed our route and decided to stick close to Town Lake because several running stores provide water and it is fairly safe. It was abnormally hot and humid, only adding to the joy of running Two Ten's. Our plan was to run up Congress, around the capital, down to the lake and around the lake twice.

Somewhere around mile 14 or 4 of my second 10, I knew my knees were really mad and the remaining 6 were going to be pretty tough. But I was on the downward slope so I kept going. The nice thing about the Nike ipod sensor is the count down of miles so it tells you how much more you have to go. The down side is it tells you how much farther you have to go. Pushing the button every few seconds doesn't make it tell you less distance faster...it is very methodical that way. Mile 18 I realized I had gone as far as my last long run and I only had two more miles to go. That isn't hard right? Two miles, less than a 5K...easy breezy. As my watch beeps for me to run another 5 minute...I winch at the thought of picking up my legs one more time. My walk is more dragging of my feet and I notice my shoes are covered in dust from the trail.

I managed to get all the way around the lake twice and had about a mile left. I ran up Congress and around a few buildings, well, walked/hobbled around a few buildings and was never more happy than when the ipod said I had completed my workout! Such joy! I had made it! Two Ten's!

Today was a 60 Mile Bike Ride and Bikram Yoga

I’m suppose to be training for Hotter N Hell (HNH), a century ride in Wichita Falls, Texas in two weeks. It is suppose to be the hottest, most grueling century ride with gusting winds and relentless sun. I rode the full 100 miles last year and didn’t think the conditions were that bad, then I read it was a mild year. So I am trying again this year and started training, if that is what you can call it, after I finished my marathon earlier this year.

My friend Ginny and I are planning to ride together. Neither of us seem to be very dedicated to any century ride training schedule we found online even though we both searched and found several we thought we could live with. Life tends to get in the way.

Today in an effort to get myself ready for HNH, I decided I needed to ride 60 miles. I planned to get up early, ride to the lake and find my friend Rhonda from Team in Training, she was my running partner in training and she became a mentor. I knew they would be down at the lake running so I thought I would ride down and find her and ride my 60.

Here is a tip for you, when you set your alarm, make sure it is AM not PM! Ugh! Amazingly I got up on my own at 7 am so I hurried and got myself ready and was on the road by 7:30 am. I made it almost around the lake before I saw Rhonda. They were running 6 miles and almost done, I was riding 60 and had just started! So off I went.

The lake was really busy, Lukes, Team in Training, other running groups, families, casual walkers, hey all seemed to be out today. I managed to ride in and amongst the people without falling which I consider to be a big feat. (I tend to fall a lot.) I rode about 45 miles before I decided I wanted to stop but I had already told everyone I would ride 60 so I kept going. Every few miles I calculated how I would finish, ride around the lake twice, ride down Lawther trail, or take Lawther twice and go around the lake once. This managed to occupy my mind for some time.

On the home stretch, only 7 miles left and I’m headed back from Lawther. That last little bit seemed like eternity and my legs were burning but I made it. Sixty miles, three electrolyte supplements, four bottles of water and one granola bar.

You may be wondering if I just rode 60 miles why I would decide to go to Bikram Yoga. It makes me feel good and I’m a little crazy. Bikram Yoga is one of those things I can do even when I don’t want to and come out feeling great and glad I went. I love feeling clean sweat running down my body, it tells me I am taking care of myself. I love watching myself in the mirror going farther in poses, going deeper and watching my body do things I never thought it could. It is hard, painful, sweaty and darn hot but it is also one of the best forms of exercise I do. It is 90 minutes of me doing something just for me.

After 60 miles on a bike and 90 minutes of Bikram Yoga, a well deserved Mexican dinner was in order. I just got back from Los Amigos in Grapevine where I celebrated the birthday of my good friend Deanne. So yummy. If you have not been there, you should try it before urban development takes over.

ShotBloks, Gu, Chomps, Sport Beans: Which one is right for you?

Have you ever wondered what electrolyte supplement was best for running, cycling or general exercise? I have and I’ve tried many. The short answer is it depends on what you like and what works for you. The long answer? Here is what I have found out, hope it helps you find what is best for your exercise routine.

First let me say that before last year, I had never heard of Shot Bloks, Gu, Chomps or energy Sport Beans. I started with Shot Bloks and Gu when I was training for my first century ride. Chomps is made by Gu so that was a natural progression and Sport Beans was only after a fellow Team in Training runner had some and liked them. During my Team in Training experience while training for my first marathon I mostly used Shot Bloks. In general I use Shot Bloks and Sport Beans for running and cycling now. Chomps seem just like Shot Bloks and the package is harder to stuff in a fuel belt or pocket and Gu is a little messy.

Here is a run down of my opinions of each product.

Shot Bloks
Shot Bloks recently changed their packaging from a square package to a tube like package which makes it perfect for a fuel belt, pocket or pouch. Six Bloks come in each package, three is a 100 calorie single serving. You can take as many or as few as you would like but a standard serving is three blocks. When I put them in a pocket I squeeze the tube, separating the package into three and three and fold it in half. It is now a perfect size to go in a pouch or a cycle shirt. The package might “pop” and break a seal but it should be ok, if you exercise long enough to need two servings a broken seal shouldn’t matter. If you have some left over, you can put then in a zip lock bag or if you have a Food Saver sealer, you can seal the end. I love this because it saves the other blocks and they don’t get hard and dried out. You can cut a tiny slit in the seam the next time you exercise to make it easier to open.

Gu
Gu comes in a single 100 calorie serving. It is perfect if you are only plan on taking one serving of electrolytes. You basically rip off the top and suck out the gooey substance. You can roll the package as you suck in the Gu to squeeze out all the product. One negative is you have to use the entire product at one time; you can’t just have half a serving. As long as you need the full serving this is fine but the other products give more flexibility to use as much or as little as you need. I also don’t like the fact that the piece you ripped off and the rest of the packaging are separate, inevitably one ends up on the ground and I hate that. The good thing is if you accidentally leave it in your shirt and wash it, they was fine and are still usable, not so much with Sport Beans.

Chomps
Chomps are made by Gu. The package is a small rectangular bag that holds two 100 90 calorie servings. I have had these before but like I said, they are similar to Shot Bloks and I find Shot Bloks easier to manage. I get the same energy out of them so I am sticking with Shot Bloks for now.

Sport Beans
Sport Beans are made by Jelly Belly and are pretty tasty which goes against everything anyone had ever told me prior to me trying them. (One reason it took me until this year to try them.) Each single serving package is 100 calories. I like these because you can “snack” on the beans and eat one or two or a whole handful. One downside I found out is when they heat up, they tend to melt together and stuck to the package. I had some beans in my cycle shirt and either I was heating up or the sun melted them. Also, unlike Gu, Sport Beans do not wash well, the package lets in water and the beans just gel together. Of course, I could just remember to take them out of your shirt but then what would be the fun in that?

All the products come in a variety of flavors with some containing caffeine for an added boost. Shot Bloks has margarita flavored ones with extra salt. I like to use these for my long runs or rides, helps replenish the salt I loose from excessive sweating. (Yes, I sweat a lot!)

I hope my trial and error in finding the right energy supplement helps you narrow down what is right for you. Here are links to the various products.

http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/
www.guenergy.com/
http://www.guenergy.com/products/gu-chomps
http://www.jellybelly.com/Shop/ShopMain.aspx

I ran 26.2!

6/3/09 - I ran 26.2!
I made it! What an amazing journey this has been! Thank you so much for all the support, donations and words of encouragement! I could not have done it without you!

San Diego was beautiful, it was overcast most of the time we were there and stayed at a fairly nice 60-70 degrees temperature, really ideal for running. On race day I got up at 4:00 am, got dressed, ate a bagel and rolled my legs on the foam roller. We took the Team in Training shuttle to the starting line and met up with thousands of other Team in Training runners, dropped off the gear bag and then waited. And waited, and waited.

As Ginny and I were waiting, we realized that neither of us brought a watch! This normally would not be a problem for the average runner but since I run intervals, meaning, I run 5 minutes and then walk 1 minute, this was a bit of an issue. I decided however, there are thousands of other TNT runners so we can either just piggy back off their times or we can just run until we want to stop and then walk. No biggie...

We get in our corral and wait for the start. And...we are off! Of course we are walking because we are so far back but whatever...we started. As we get closer the announcers tell us to cheer and put our hands in the air. "Wave! You are on camera!"

Around mile 2 I tossed my trash bag and throw away sweatshirt and could feel the sweat already starting to bubble up, I knew then it was going to be a long day. Miles 9 and 10 were rough, the road was angled really bad and lots of it was up hill. Mile 13.1 had all the TNT half marathoners off to the side, they were all laughing and cheering, it looked like such a great party...I so wanted to stop at that point! Ginny kindly reminded me we are not halfers so I kept going. The TNT people were great, coaches and cheer groups seemed to be all at the right places to help you get past the pain. Mile 22 Coach Colby walked with me, I think we must have walked almost the whole mile. He didn't care, all he wanted me to do was run or in my case, walk "my race." And that I did. As I walked up the hill I slowly forced my legs to manage what I will call running. About mile 23, some of the best moments started to be the sight of the next mile marker, they seemed to get farther and farther apart.

At this point my arches hurt, the tops of my feet hurt from my shoes, my knees hurt in all directions, I'm pretty sure my shins were plotting against me and my abs felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I'm not sure how I managed to make it the last few miles...walked most of it, tried to run some but it felt like running was just as fast as some peoples walk.

I made it to about 25.5 at saw Coach Joe, my coach for the last 4 months. I almost cried. He walked with me to 26. As we were walking, he asked me how I felt. I said I hurt, all over. But as I thought about how I was feeling, it truly was nothing compared to those that have cancer. The pain I felt goes away, it heals itself and in a day or two I am back to my normal life. It was an overwhelming feeling to walk with Joe and realize what I was doing and who I was doing it for. The run was not just for me, it was for all those that couldn't run too.

As I reflect on the race weekend and the 4 months of training, I can honestly say I am glad I challenged myself to run a marathon and I am especially glad I ran my first one with Team in Training. What a great group of people! Thank you to Coach Joe, Mentor Susan and all the Team in Training staff, I could not have done it without you!

If you are thinking of challenging yourself or just wanting to give to a great cause, may I suggest Team in Training? The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society provides resources for vital research and patient services. Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you all so much for your support!

The Week of Two Ten's

5/11/09 - The Week of Two Ten's. My friend Ginny and I are running the San Diego Marathon together at the end of May. She has been training on her own but matching the Team in Training schedule and decided to come to Austin with me to run 20 miles this past Saturday. In talking, we decided 20 miles was too much and way to overwhelming and we would rather run 2 - 10 mile segments. So it was the weekend of Two Ten's. Our first mistake might have been not running on Thursday like we were scheduled, instead we ran Friday morning. I wear so much technical equipment on my arms, I managed to chaff the inside of my left arm pretty raw. Who would have thought I would need Body Glide for just three miles?! I put Neosporin on it and tried to let it air out and at least scab over but I sweat so much I knew Saturday was not going to be very fun. Then, some how on the way down to Austin Ginny and I managed to damage ourselves even more, she with a pinch mark from the seatbelt that welted up and me with a large scrap on my leg. We looked like we had been through the ringer and we hadn't even run yet!

We had discussed our route and decided to stick close to Town Lake because several running stores provide water and it is fairly safe. It was abnormally hot and humid, only adding to the joy of running Two Ten's. Our plan was to run up Congress, around the capital, down to the lake and around the lake twice.

Somewhere around mile 14 or 4 of my second 10, I knew my knees were really mad and the remaining 6 were going to be pretty tough. But I was on the downward slope so I kept going. The nice thing about the Nike ipod sensor is the count down of miles so it tells you how much more you have to go. The down side is it tells you how much farther you have to go. Pushing the button every few seconds doesn't make it tell you less distance faster...it is very methodical that way. Mile 18 I realized I had gone as far as my last long run and I only had two more miles to go. That isn't hard right? Two miles, less than a 5K...easy breezy. As my watch beeps for me to run another 5 minute...I winch at the thought of picking up my legs one more time. My walk is more dragging of my feet and I notice my shoes are covered in dust from the trail.

I managed to get all the way around the lake twice and had about a mile left. I ran up Congress and around a few buildings, well, walked/hobbled around a few buildings and was never more happy than when the ipod said I had completed my workout! Such joy! I had made it! Two Ten's!