End of Week Three!!!

Wow...week three felt like a marathon in itself!
Today is day seven and its a yoga day. I'm surprised how good my legs feel after yesterday's hillwork considering that I have never done that before. The power of protein I guess!

Since today is a day where I'm not running I won't have any grunts and grumbles to report so I'll use this post to talk about the little tidbits of helpful information and tricks that I have picked up so far and may have forgotten to mention.
(Wow that was a long sentence)

A runners must-have: Vaseline.
Nice legs aren't the only by-product of running. The more miles I put in, the more areas of my body are becoming subject to chafing (heart rate monitor fiasco aside). I've had to start putting Vaseline on my inner thighs so my shorts won't rub away my skin. I also need to put some along the lining of some of my sports bras to avoid unsightly wear and tear and also at the base of my Achilles tendon where my shoe ends. Another long distance nightmare that runners experience is bleeding nipples. Thankfully I have not had to deal with that but it happens mostly to men from the continuous rubbing of their shirts on such sensitive skin. Eventually the skin rubs away and they bleed. Women in badly fitting sports bras or women that run without bras can get this as well. I also heard that cotton sports bras can be the culprit too. How can we avoid chafe? Vaseline the crap out of the problem areas. It may feel gross on your fingers but it will be worth it not having to deal with the nagging sting of gradual chafing.

Another must have: Oragel
Oragel...Anbesol...any of those dental ointments or liquids that create a numbing sensation. Why? For those confounded running blisters or injuries to the toenail that can make your run unpleasant. Once the skin isn't broken you can pretty much use it on anything of that nature. It numbs the area and then you can place a band-aid over it to prevent further rubbing and voila! You're good to go! You can potentially use it on a burst blister granted that you're willing to endure some initial stinging.

Tip: Pre-hydrate
Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water or a sports drink one to two hours before a run. If you forgot an hour before you can have four to eight ounces 30 minutes prior. Why? Even being as little as 2% dehydrated can mess up your performance in the run. Being dehydrated makes your blood volume plummet and that limits your body's ability to carry heat. This makes your heart beat faster than it needs to which makes it that much harder for your body to meet the aerobic demands of your run. As if it wasn't hard enough! I've been reading that keeping your drinks cold also helps maintain a better performance.
"In a study published in 2008 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, cyclists who drank cold beverages before and during their workout exercised nearly 12 minutes longer than those who drank warm beverages. And in a study published this year, runners who had an ice slushy ran about 10 minutes longer than when they had a cold drink. In both cases, the drink that was colder lowered body temperature and perceived effort, allowing participants to exercise longer."
I haven't tested the theory myself but I know how hard it is to keep my Gatorade cold when I've been running with it in my hand for the entire time! When you have a long run, freeze half of your water/sports drink and then before you head out fill the bottle with the rest. It won't be slushy cold the entire time but it will stop you from guzzling ultra-warm grape flavoured ickyness seven miles in when all you want is a refresher. Another option is to plan ahead and plant drinks in coolers along the trail.

Trick: How to avoid people stealing your cooler while you're running.
If you're like me and adore your cutesy little lunch-box sided cooler you'll be hesitant to leave it out in the open for some sticky-fingered dolt to swipe it so you may not want to go with the plan-ahead option for hydrating. It really is the better option so you don't have any cumbersome water bottles strapped to your hip or in your hand the entire time. So how can we do this without the abduction of our loyal Rubbermaids? If your thought is to hide them, yes that could work but then you'll lose time digging around in the bush trying to find your cooler. My idea is to take a plastic bag and fill it with ice, place your drink in there and tie the bag. You can run up and burst the bag and take your drink and keep on moving with no problem. However MAKE SURE YOU GO BACK AND PICK UP THE PLASTIC. *ahem* This idea works for me because I highly doubt that a roadside wanderer is going to waltz up to a tied plastic bag strewn at the side of the road and check what's inside. At the best of times you'll be confronted by soiled diapers or remains of what probably once resembled a chicken with a few KFC napkins. Point is...its safe and cheap so long as you clean up after yourself. And you'll have lovely icy drinks to keep you going!


Tip: Make peace with carbs.
A lot of people run to lose weight. It's a fulfilling yet easy way to keep yourself active and is very effective when it comes to weight loss. However, too often you see someone hash it out on the road or treadmill, come home half dead and eat a leaf of iceberg lettuce and a couple peas and think, 'Woohooo carbs and protein!' and then later in the day wonder why they feel sluggish, moody and unable to enjoy their day much less be productive. There is a weight loss diet and there is a runners diet. As a runner, carbs are our main source of glucose which is the sugar that our brains and muscles use as fuel. If we don't put fuel in the tank how do we expect to keep moving? I know the days where I haven't had enough carbs. I feel light headed, have low energy, trouble concentrating and I just feel out of balance. I originally felt uneasy about the amount of carbs I was supposed to eat at first but now I know why! Keeping carbs in your diet will allow you to have great energy, accelerate your workouts and keep going during the rest of the day.
But hold your horses. I'm not saying we can go out and inhale a box of donuts just because we ran for half an hour. Studies speak of 'good' carbs. These are high-quality, low-glycemic carbs that are burnt up slowly and slowly release their energy. Examples are whole grains, beans, fruits and veg. Whole wheat waffles are back on the menu! Fast burning carbs like white flour and white pasta are not off limits but they are generally recommended in moderation and only for a pre-run meal. These kinds of carbs are not really that substantial but they have the effect on your blood sugar that gives you a quick burst of energy that's handy before runs.
The point I'm making? Don't league carbs with the Boogie man. And yes you'll still lose weight.

And last but not least...

A runner's must-have: A sense of humour
All of this running has been empowering yet humbling at the same time. Some days I feel like I am on top of the world and some days I feel like dog poop on legs. A bad workout or a workout mishap has a way of knocking me down sometimes. I start off all hyped for my workout and something goes wrong and I feel like someone just wrote 'EPIC FAIL' across my forehead with one of those neon glitter markers. When the training is hard, it's important to look at slip ups and setbacks with a smile. You're running all out and you might squeeze out an symphonious fart. You skid in mud resulting in you prancing like Fred Astaire to find your footing. You're losing a toenail and are starting to feel self conscious in your sandals *cough cough* You've been going for hours and you know you're all flushed and sweaty with mad hair and you bump into that person you only want to see you at your best. What can you really do? Just laugh. All of it is good for you...even the Gatorade you spilled on your crotch.


Oh dear...I think I've picked up that blogger's ranting bug...