Back on Track

three miles on the tready, and i am with sandy, i don't know what it is with running that you take a few days off and it feels like you haven't gone for a year.

i'm planning to get up tomorrow and hit the home gym elliptical, but that requires a 5:00 am wake up time, and sometimes i end up going with a plan b on those days, so we'll see.

All good, no hate

I got this video from RW Daily, and I initially thought it was going to be another big fat hate fest, but it really isn't. I found it to be really a good video, I love that all the research focuses on nothing more than walking (I love me some walking), and I think it is just a very valuable message. One of my biggest and hardest lessons to learn throughout my weight loss/surgery/exercise/running journey has been how to decouple exercise from weight loss. I think one of the saddest things I see is people joining gyms hoping to lose weight, and if there was one thing I could change about our current culture surrounding weight/obesity/exercise, it would be this idea that if we just exercise we can lose weight. Exercise should be about feeling good, relieving depression, anxiety, boosting good brain activity, reducing stress and all those other good things that the guy on this video describes... it should not be used as a prescription for weight loss, since it will inevitably fail for the most part at that task, leading people to stop doing it before they can really see the other benefits.

Anyways, watch and give it some thought.

I was victimized by lack of preparation

LOL that's what our fellow green hat said and I agree!! Plus, I read that there was contaminated water given out on the course, and that several people got sick. So, many reasons for my piss poor race last weekend.

Anyhoodle, on to recovery. I did yoga on Wed night and woke up really sore on Fri. I did 2.5 miles yesterday, and was incredibly sore this morning. So I did 2 today, ran one and walked one.

I'm really sick....

Sick enough to not go this weekend. On a WEEKEND! I'm taking myself off to urgent care and I'm sure hoping next week will be better than this one.

Elliptical Winter

It has started, people. Four miles. Aching hips rejoice!!

also, janathon is coming... just sayin'.

Vegas Baby!

Good things about this race:

1. Altitude. I might never do another race unless it is at lower altitude. It's not that it made me go faster, I don't believe it did, but I was so happy during this race, it was like some kind of drug.... and I am totally attributing that to the lower altitude. It wasn't even hard until mile ten, and at the end of the race I was still happy enough to sort of hop and jump on the finish line, which has never happened to me before. Usually I limp and piss and moan through finish lines. Also, I ran through one of my walk intervals at the 10K mark, another thing that has never happened to me before.

2. I accomplished my goal, and that is a good thing.

3. I was able to banish negative self talk throughout the race, I was able to just keep telling myself I was doing well and I did not give up or give in to negativity at any point, which was a real victory for me.

4. I was not cold, because I trained up here in Denver, and had run in so much more colder weather than what was going on in Vegas, it was really no big deal for me, but I know other people really struggled with that.

What was crappy about this race:

1. There were so. many. people. It was absolutely crazy and it really did slow me down for the first three miles (my 5K split was the slowest 5K I have done in a while, and I know that is the reason), and according to my Garmin, I actually ran 13.21 miles, which I know is due to all the weaving and dodging that I had to do the entire race. So bottom line, I probably would have been a good two or three minutes faster at the finish if it weren't for how crowded the race was.

2. Because the race was at night, I really did not get much sleep that night because my feet were hurting (along with everything else), which makes it difficult to sleep. Plus, it is just difficult to wind down after such a lot of physical activity, so that kind of sucked.

3. I woke up this morning with approximately ten thousand cold sores, I am certain this is due to just the stress I put my body through.

But it was overall a good race, I had fun, which is something I have never been able to say about a previous half marathon.

All props and honor to my blista sista!!!!

She rocked it. Met her goal and beat my ass to boot!!! So proud and happy for u sista. Hard work pays off. Me, I didn't fare so well. 3:02. Turns out one needs to train for these things!!!

You can feel sore tomorrow or sorry tomorrow

Which is it fellow blistas?? I did 2.5 just now and it was ok. I was worried at first because it felt harder than it should. I mean, I should be floating by now right?

Here's an entertaining convo from today:
he: will you go through my back and make sure I packed appropriately?
me: are you kidding?
he: ?
me: what is it you think you may have forgotten?
he: shoes and socks
me . . . ?
A match made in heaven, this is.

On a final note, I can't decide what to wear on Sunday night because it has to match my medal. Cause yeah, I'm gonna wear that bad boy Lionel Ritchie style - all . . . night . . LONG!!!!

SEE YOU IN VEGAS!!!!

An unexpectedly bad one

Tonight I went to the gym almost giddy with happiness that this is my last run before the half. Granted, I should have gone last night but it wasn't in the cards. So I hopped on my old faithful treadmill tonight (because it was freesing outside - 55 degrees!) And set my level 2 incline incline. But it was hideously difficult! I took a walk break after .63 miles and I called it quits after 1.5. Stupid treadmill. So, I decided I will do my 3.5 mi route after work tomorrow cause the office closes at 4 and we're not leaving til 7 and I need to end on a high note.

Running and Acid Reflux Disease

So my blista sista and I had a long chat about this because I’ve been increasingly convinced I have it, and after her coughing/gagging session following 11 miles, I’m convinced she has it.  I actually talked to my Dr about it a couple years ago when I was training for the marathon and it had become a problem resulting in a constant coughing and clearing of the throat.  She gave me a prescription I can’t recall and I took it for a month, problem solved.  Now I’m trying to figure out what it was.  We decided on a regimen of Prilosec OTC.

 

Running & Acid Reflux Disease

Aug 11, 2011 | By Kevin Beck

Acid reflux disease--often called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD--is a condition in which stomach acids move in a retrograde direction, rising above the level of the junction of the esophagus and stomach and sometimes into the mouth. Runners who do not otherwise experience reflux often fall victim to its symptoms during their workouts.

Features

The chief symptom of GERD is "heartburn," the painful sensation that arises in the chest when stomach acid comes into contact with the tender lining of the esophagus; others include belching, nausea and bloating. Not everyone who experiences reflux has GERD; those with chronic reflux may experience it in any situation, including lying down to sleep, whereas others require certain triggers. As explained on HealthCentral.com, exercise--and running in particular--can be one of those triggers.

Causes

Factors that precipitate reflux in active, otherwise asymptomatic people include a high body-mass index (BMI), the most significant risk factor; the type of exercise performed, with running posing a greater likelihood of reflux than either cycling or lifting weights; and the time elapsed between the last meal and the onset of the run, with two or more hours being the recommendation for avoiding reflux problems. In addition, certain sports drinks, unlike water, can trigger a reflux episode.  (This is interesting because I definitely notice that sports drinks cause me problems.)

Effects

According to the American Medical Athletic Association, the increase in running's popularity has spelled an increase in reflux-related problems. These include damage to the mucosa, or lining, of the esophagus; chronic cough; laryngitis; damage to the teeth owing to erosion of enamel by stomach acids reaching the mouth; and sinusitis. More acutely, a runner in competition who experiences reflux is clearly not going to be able to perform up to her capabilities.

Considerations

According to Runner's World, pre-race nervousness alone may predispose people to reflux once the gun goes off. Carbonated beverages, chewing gum, coffee, tea and spicy foods are other common culprits. Less common but still frequently encountered precipitators of reflux and associated problems such as bloating include broccoli, bell peppers, sports drinks and onions.

Prevention/Solution

Eating too much, too soon before a workout or race is by far the surest way to trigger a reflux episode, so eating frequent small meals is a better choice than consuming widely spaced feasts. A lot of runners have a serious coffee or caffeine habit; those who experience reflux should be careful to moderate their intake. A variety of common medications can induce reflux as well, so runners taking prescription drugs are advised to consult with their physicians to determine whether a change in their medication regimen may be in order.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/153803-running-acid-reflux-disease/#ixzz1fJycvEsN