Solstice Run

Well, my first 10k wasn't so bad! I planned on using this run as a training run so I ran 4:1 around 11:30. That was way to slow for me on race day so, I ended up doing 4:1's sometimes 4:30s around 9:30. I ended up finishing in 1.07 and 21st in my age group. I consider this an accomplishment and I'm very proud of myself.

Later that day, I attended a baby shower and I told my family about how I ran it in intervals. Someone mentioned that run/walking is cheating and it's not really running a whole race. So, I am doing a little research on that and would love your opinion. Is run/walking a race cheating? If so, why? If not, please explain.

Here's a discussion on active.com that debates the topic.

My personal opinion is that it is not cheating. By run/walking, I still finished ahead of a lot of people and even passed people that were passing me in the beginning. My body felt fine afterwards and I'm able to run today if I wanted to. I crossed the finish line and I ran my run intervals at my own pace. I had no expectations for this race. For the next race, maybe I'll adjust the intervals but, I'm pretty happy with how I ran. The only thing I have to do now is beat my time.

I would love to hear what you think! Until then, I'll be biking with Catherine at Stoney Creek. Muddy Buddy is in two weeks!

Happy running!

It was a really dry, flat run.

*Please note the sarcasm in the title of the post.*

Last night, I ran with my Brooksie Way training group. Actually, I switched groups. The first week I was in a slower group and it was driving me crazy, the second week I didn't go because I though it was going to storm so this week I joined Paul and Cathy's group. That being said, I loved my group this week. I was with two of my group members from the Couch to 5k program. We ran 4:1 at 11.30 pace.

If you know me, than you know that have anxiety about a few things. One of those things is storms. I hate storms. I don't think they're pretty, relaxing, etc.etc. So, it was a calm ride up to Oakland University when there were black clouds in front of me the whole entire time! ugh. 

Right when we were ready to start running it seriously down poured. We ran into Paul's manly truck (ha), there were approx 7 of us in his truck. I wish I had a picture. This did not help the anxiety. One of my group members said to me, "I looked on the radar and its only a small rain cell. No storms." I guess that eased my anxiety a little bit. Just a little.

The rain stopped after 5 minutes and we all safely climbed out of Paul's monstrosity of a truck to start our 5 mile run. It was a great run! We ran around OU's campus and Meadowbrook. It rained. A lot. I've never ran in the rain. Whenever I see rain clouds I skip the run. But, it was actually kind of refreshing. When we were at  3.5 miles the sun came out and there was a double rainbow. It was pretty intense. 

Overall, it was a great training run. I won the Pick MI Date contest so I'll be attending the Hour Best of Detroit party, that should be fun. Then tomorrow is the Solstice Run! Can't wait. 

It's a double rainbow! haha Love my BW3 group! :)

Happy running!

Fell off the wagon...literally

No, I didn't really fall off a wagon but, I was supposed to do my homework this weekend. As in, my running homework. Keyword, supposed to. Well, as you may have already guessed that didn't happen. I ran a mile on Saturday but that's about all I did. #fail.

 

A couple weeks ago, I won tickets to BRU Fest. The fest featured Bell's Brewery beer aka Oberon aka my all time fave beer. So, naturally when I attended the fest this past Saturday, I drank mass amounts of beer, well, as much as 10 tokens and a 5 oz mug could get me. Now, was this a smart decision when I know that I'm training for a race? No, probably not, but, it was one heck of a time.

Jackie, Catherine, Angela and myself at BRU Fest 2011 (Photo Credit: The Hungry Dudes)

Which brings me to my topic: How does alcohol affect the training process? Besides the hangover, nausea, dehydration, etc. etc. 

• Fat loss: Obviously if you're running/exercising you want to pay attention to calories going in and calories going out. If you have more calories going out, you will lose weight and have fat loss. 
• Try not to drink alcohol if you're on a strict diet/training plan. Alcohol prevents fat burning and has hundreds of extra calories. Not to mention after the bar binge eating at Sonic. But those cals don't count, right?
• Sleep deprivation: One of the largest studies to date on alcohol’s effects on sleep shows that drinking alcohol before bed may disrupt sleep and increase wakefulness in healthy adults -- affecting women more than men -- regardless of family history of alcoholism. (WebMD)
• Long runs on the weekend are hard to being with, why make them harder by not having any energy to run them. 
• Moderation: Don't alter your alcohol intake if it's not affecting your workout. 
• A few drinks won't kill you but larger amounts of alcohol that help you make poor decisions (like drunk texting) or make you feel miserable in the morning so you don't get the most out of your workouts, now that's a different subject.

If you're going to learn anything from this post, know that moderation is key, when to stop and definitely drink responsibly. 

Cheers! 

Danielle

Northville Solstice Run

Click the picture to sign up! 

I signed up for my first 10k (6.2 miles)! Ah! SO excited. I can't believe I'm going to be running 6 miles! 

Paul and a couple of the other Brooksie training group leaders are also running so it will be nice to have a group to run my first "long" run with.

I'm not only excited for the race but also the swag, take a look:

Nutrition and Training

Wednesday's scheduled run: 20-30 minutes


I had a pretty long day yesterday and I got home by 8 p.m. I had a slice of pizza and a bread stick and then about 15 minutes later went running. Worst. Idea. Ever. I felt bloated and the pizza just sat on my stomach. I wanted to have a longer run, but was only able to run about 20 minutes. 


I started researching what you should and shouldn't eat before a long run. I got this information from Runners World.


For you early birds: I am NOT a morning person but, I pretend to be by doing hot yoga at 6:15 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The big question is to eat or not to eat? Sometimes, when yoga is super hot and really intense I feel nauseous and light headed. Not good when I have to be at work an hour later.


So, if you can, you should eat before you exercise in the morning. This is what Runners World has to say, "if you can, you should fuel up before your morning run. This performs two functions. First your muscles receive an energy supply to help you power through the run. Secondly, your entire body, especially your brain, receives the fuel and nutrients it needs for optimal functioning. It shouldn't be a surprise that studies support this and that eating before a run boosts endurance compared with fasting for 12 hours. People who eat before exercise rate the exercise as better and as less rigorous compared with those who fast."


If you can't and you're not a true early bird like myself, eating too close to your run may spoil it by causing cramps and nausea.


Here's what RW recommends: Choose high-carbohydrate foods that are low in fat and moderate in protein. Aim for about 400-800 calories, which will fuel your training without making you feel sluggish. Drink about half a pint of water two hours before your run to offset sweat loss.


Some examples: Toast, Fruit, Cereal, Bagel


Late sleepers: This is totally me! (except I don't run in the morning) I convince myself that it's not 7 a.m. This one time in college I actually had a dream that my class was cancelled. It was so real that I didn't go to my class. ha.


RW says, "Most runners fall into this category and don’t have time to eat and digest a full meal before they head out of the door.If you fall into this camp, experiment to see what you can stomach before you train."


Some suggestions: Half of a pint of carbohydrate drink, Energy gel washed down with water, half a bagel


If you don't like these suggestions, you can always have a large meal the night before.


The Lunchtime Crowd: If I has enough time in my day to be a lunchtime runner, I totally would. I don't even think I know anyone who runs in the afternoon. But, if you do, RW has some great tips for ya!


Let's assume you ate breakfast in the morning well, four hours later your breakfast is already digested and your going to be running on an empty stomach. Don't let hunger beat you! Take control of your hunger.


This is what RW has to say, "Rather than increasing the size of your breakfast (which may just leave you feeling sluggish), you should bring a light, pre-run snack to work."


Some suggestions: Eat 1-4 hours before you run, this allows the food to leave your stomach. Eat 100-400 calories.  Breakfast bar with less than 5 grams of fat. Slice of whole wheat toast with fruit spread.


Post Run Lunch: yogurt, fruit (always fruit), leftovers


Evening Excercise: Easiest because it's the most convenient, hardest cause there's lack of motivation. Thank God I have Catherine as my running partner. She definitely holds me accountable on days I've had a long day at the office and I really just don't want to run. 


Apparently, RW says there are two simple principles to follow:

1. Eat healthily during the day to avoid any intestinal upset that might thwart your training plans. Also eat often and enough that you’re adequately fuelled for your session to avoid the ‘I’m too hungry’ excuse.

2. Eat lightly after exercise to recover well without causing digestion to interfere with your sleep. 


Who would have thought? They also go on to say to not skip breakfast (woops), lunch is your focus meal eat lots of high quality protein (fish, tofu, lean beef), mid-afternoon snack, Drink lots of fluids (I love my Camelbak), Eat moderately at dinner. 


I also recommend you read Runner's World and Runner's magazine. They are the #1 source for running information. Thank to Liz Appelgate for writing such a great article. I learned a lot from it and I hope you as my readers have too.


I get to look forward to running with my Brooksie group today in Rochester. We plan to run 4 miles using the Jeff Galloway Training method. Should be a lot nicer on my body.


Happy Running! 


Danielle

I-I-I wanna go-o-o all the way-ay-ay

Scheduled run: 20-30 minutes

After a long weekend in Chi it was next to impossible to get up for work this morning. #backtoreality Seriously, I had no idea how I was going to train tonight after recovering from Chi,  a long day of work and teaching a fitness class (women and weights). Good thing I know the famous John Martin and he introduced me and gave me an exclusive invite to the group GP Runners ;) 

First of all, who ever thought I would be in one running group let alone two?! 

Okay, back to my story. I didn't think I was going to have the energy to run tonight. Catherine, my usual running partner had fitcamp tonight and I don't like running alone so it was natural that I didn't want to run. Well, GP Runners came through in the end and Roxanne and I had a nice four mile run. 

Now usually I run intervals, I never run straight through. Since everyone doesn't train that way, I adapted to running straight through. Wow! What a difference. My body enjoys its one minute break. ha. But, I bet if I keep running like that it will get easier...in the long run (no pun intended).

In my last post I mentioned that during my last couple runs, my toe has been bleeding. I've been offered a couple answers to my concern. 

Paul said, "Toe? Toenail?  Usually it is bad socks.  Cotton holds moisture and causes blisters.  A blood blister is not as usual.  New shoes can pinch.  Check your shoe where your toe is hurt and see if there is a seam or something that is causing it." 

I wore my Adidas socks rather than my normal Hanes No-Show Socks and look at that, no bloody sock. Thanks, Paul! 

Roxanne also recommended going back to the shoe store to see if my shoes are too small. Usually, when shopping for running shoes you want to go 1/2-1 size bigger than your normal shoe size because your foot swells while running.

So, I might do that tomorrow. But, I just bought my shoes so it would suck if I had to buy a new pair! 

I definitely learned a lot today about how the shoe/foot can effect your run.

Tomorrow is a cross training day. Which means hot yoga in the morning! Woop! 

Goodnight! =)

Weekend in the Windy City

I decided I needed a little vacay so, I went to Chicago on Friday to visit my friend, Jason. Since I had a run scheduled for Saturday, I brought my running gear. Now usually, I always bring my workout clothes and never use them. This was the first time I actually used my workout clothes. That's an accomplishment in itself. It's so easy to tell yourself, "no, I'm on vacation. I'm not running this weekend." Believe me, those words did come into my head.

Jason and I had a nice three mile run along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. I was running 4:1 intervals (run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute) with an average 10:30-11 pace. It was a nice change of scenery. Instead of big houses, lake St. Clair and boats there are huge buildings, tons of traffic and a lot of runners. For this reason, I'm glad I'm a "running purist" I would hate to block out the energy of the city. 

Call me naive but, I didn't realize that Chicago was such a big running town. I know they have the Chicago Marathon but, I never realized there were so many people that run! But, if I lived in an area with that kind of scenery, I would run too!

After the run, my right leg cramped up really bad. I don't know if I was dehydrated or what but, it was the worst feeling ever. It felt like shin splints but 1,000x worse. It's fine today so we'll see how it goes on my next run. 

Also, one of my toes on my right foot has been bleeding when I run. Is this common? Has this happened to anyone before? I just find it weird that my sock is all bloody (gross) after a run. 

I had pictures to post of my trip but, my phone was stolen at one of the clubs. Awesome.

Thanks for reading! 

Danielle

Come over to the dark side. I promise we don't bite!

Let me give you a little back story about my relationship with running. I hated it. There, done, I said it. I despised the sport of running. Now, that I got that off my chest, let me tell you why...

I've been in sports since fourth grade. Running was used as a disciplinary action whenever my coach didn't approve of the way things were done. In college, we would run for 20+ minutes before practice (I was a cheerleader for CMU) and I never understood why people would enjoy running. To me it was lame, repetitive and it hurt my joints. Give me a fitness class and I'm there.

May 2010: I graduated college and then got my 9-5 in July 2010. I started seeing a difference in my body. My muscle mass was decreasing and I gained a few pounds. I was not at all happy with myself or my current lifestyle. Something needed to change.

March 2011: I like to think of this time as when my life started to change for the better. I had nothing to look forward to, no goal in site so, I started running. Yes, running. I completed my first 5k at the Detroit St. Patrick's Day Corktown Race in a time of 34.15. Which doesn't seem fast to, but let me tell you, it was fast for me.

April 2011: I joined a running club in Rochester. It was called the Couch to 5k program and it trained me the right way to run. My group leaders taught me how to use the Jeff Galloway method which are walk-run intervals. It's effective and most of all it's an injury free way to run. My group leaders were an amazing and really inspired me to be the best I can be and that there are no limits.

May 2011: I finished the coach to 5k program and since I started back in March, I have done three 5k races. Which is spectacular to me because I was such a running hater. I finished the couch to 5k program and at our race, I took second place for my age division at the OPC 5k in Rochester.

June 2011: With that being said, I have the itch. I have the itch to see how far I can push my body. Most importantly, I have the itch to run more races. So, with the gentle push of my group leaders, I signed up for the Brooksie Way Half-Marathon training program. Not only will I be training to run 13.1 miles (OMG!) BUT race day is on my birthday (Oct. 2) and what better way to celebrate my big 2-3?

The purpose of this blog, is to make sure I am held accountable and most of all to share my battle stories. Dramatic? Maybe. Most importantly, I hope I can inspire someone (a running hater) to take the leap and find the joy of running.

Like so many marathon runners have said, "There's not a better feeling than crossing the finish line."