The Good Kind of Exhaustion

Wing Walker Jane Wicker is a favourite at the Base Borden Air Show. I haven't seen any dates for this summer's event yet, but if you live in the area, consider checking it out.
These pics were taken June, 2012.

Some days, I feel on top of the world, like wing walker Jane Wicker, above, who graces us with her awesome, death-defying aerobic manoeuvres at the Base Borden Air Show and who gives me a chance to use my awesome telephoto lens. Well, maybe not exactly like Jane Wicker, because my preference is to stay grounded - as in, on the ground. Or, if I must be in the sky, then at least on a seat in an enclosed passenger jet.

Today, I feel exhausted. In all likelihood it has something to do with ramping up the workouts over the past week. I looked at my workout journal and counted five. Five workouts last week, Monday through Saturday, from cardio to TRX strength to boot camp. Tuesday and Sunday were the days off. And I still haven't managed to add more yoga into the schedule. But it's been fun having my new partner accompany me to some classes. Way to go daughter! We can share in the "good exhaustion" feeling!

About one month and a half before the Mec Con mud run and the Alliston Summer Solstice run. Almost signed up for the Barrie half marathon on Father's Day (husband actually didn't care if I was going to do it or not) but listened to the wise words of my iron woman friend and nurse Janate who dug deep into her memory bank to recall how she felt after the mud run last year (actually she didn't have to dig deep; the painful memory was lying just under the surface): "I was really sore all over the day after that event," she said. "You may want to re-consider running a half marathon the next day. You may not enjoy it." She's probably right. If Iron Woman felt pain, I will probably be immobile. Maybe I'll book a massage therapy treatment for myself instead. On Father's Day. Ha.

So I am still searching for a half to do before the usual fall events. Just one. I see Huntsville has one on June 8, and that's a nice area, up in Muskoka. "Cottage Country" as we call it around here. Ideally, I would like to have a cottage to go to afterwards. With a sauna, and a hot tub, and maybe a massage therapist on hand, or a cabana boy. (Actually heard about some women who ran an ad for a cabana boy for a girls' weekend away. He had to agree to sign a 'non-disclosure' agreement. As in "what happens at the girls' weekend away STAYS at the girls' weekend away. No hanky-panky allowed either. I wonder how that worked out for them.) Oh to dream. (Post Update: Found one! MEC Barrie Race Three! June 1, Innisfil. Half marathon, 10K or 5K. www.events.mec.ca. This is great, since I just realized the Huntsville race unfortunately falls on the same day as the second run in the 5 Peaks trail series. I need a secretary.)

Maybe I'll just stick to training for the trail runs this spring/summer. A bunch of us are on a team this year for the 5 Peaks and we start training together in a couple of weeks, which is great, because I am too chicken to trail train by myself. Last time I did it, all I could think about was the local news article on the peeping tom the police were trying to track down in the neighbourhood. Not a common occurrence around here, comprised as it is with mostly small towns, hamlets, and farm land. So as much as the woods were lovely, my suspicious "I-am-watching-way-too-many-X-File- re-runs" mind couldn't help but think, "I wonder where Mr. P. Tom hides out during the day?"

Meanwhile, it's off to spin and core classes galore. I wonder what Jane Wicker does to prep herself for wing walking. I wonder what she felt like the first time she decided to give it a go? Can you imagine if it was during an argument with her partner? "Screw you! I'm going for a wing walk!"

The next workout at Thrive Fitness. And when we get really good, we will climb between the wings with no safety line, just like Jane Wicker! (*All in jest, new Thrive members, all in jest.*)

I wonder when Thrive Fitness will have exhausted all of their killer workout routines to the point where they add wing walking to the menu? I can just hear our boot camp/core coach, Steve: "And now for something completely different, a plank on top of this here 450HP Stearman. It's our latest piece of equipment. You'll LOVE it! Who wants to go first?"

Enjoy your day. May you feel like you are soaring into the wind, strong and happy to be alive. And may your landing find you feeling pleasantly exhausted, with dinner and a glass of wine waiting in the wings.

Hills, Rain, 2 Girls and a Crazy Woman

Oh the joys of living in the country in a forest. Internet connection issues for the past three days. Writing from the iPad right now, which taps into 3G most of the time because it can't seem to work off of our Wi-Fi. So this post will be brief.

Met Con "Team in Training" Update:
So as part of their efforts to ready their young bods for the upcoming mud run, my daughter and her friend decided to go for a training run last night, "rain or shine." I said I would go too, because quite frankly, as much as I have been consistent with all kinds of other workouts, I really need to get more runs in again.

So of course there was no "shine" to be had last evening, and in keeping with the crappiest April weather we have seen around here for a long time, the temp hovered at 6C and yes, it started to rain. At least it didn't snow and hail like the night before. I really did not relish going out in the rain, but part of me chastised myself, saying, "What are you girl? Some kind of FAIR WEATHER RUNNER?" The girls were committed, and therefore so was I.

We drove to the hill instead of running to it. I wimped out with that part. I just wanted to be able to see my car should we get stuck in a hail storm or something. Plus I was a little sore and achy from spin and core class that morning.

We started up the hill, which isn't too terribly steep but is still a good challenge if you repeat it a few times. We ran up once. I felt ok, and the girls kept up. I used some of Coach Ann's motivational words, "Don't stop until you get to the top! Power through! "

"How many of these are we doing?" came the question from the girls.

"As many as you want." (We had to pick up the young son from tae kwon do in 45 minutes, which was ample time, I figured, to do a few repeats).  During the second climb, I heard a bit of "Aaagghhhs" from my daughter, to which I responded the same mantra, "Power through, power through!"

After I passed them on their descent from the second hill and my ascent to the third hill, I asked, rather chipper at this point as the rain was starting to feel nice and cooling, "What do you guys think? One more hill after this?"

"NO!?!" came the unified response.

When they descended the third hill, we ran a loop around a little street before heading back to the car, with just a little complaining from my daughter. But they did it!

When we got back to the car, I was oblivious to the rain and feeling like a little Jack Russell Terrier ready to sprint.  "How about one more hill?" I announced to my teenaged team-mates.

They looked at me like I had completely lost it. "What IS this?" my daughter's friend exclaimed, thinking, I guess, this was beginning to look suspiciously like boot camp (Granted,, she did some kind of extreme physical fitness test in phys-Ed class that day and got top marks, so she was done. Plus she was wearing a frigging cotton hoodie. Note to self: her birthday is coming up. Buy the poor child a rain jacket, or at least a dollar store rain poncho!)

 "You can one more hill, we'll wait in the car!" replied my daughter.

So I did. And they did. and then we all went for tea. Not a bad start to training! Not bad for a 49 year old runner chick either! (Although I am still looking forward to fair weather.)

Half Marathon Shopping (& A Photo of Mr. Whitlock)

Some of my running pals and me with the famous long distance record-breaker Ed Whitlock a couple of years ago. Whitlock is known for smashing age-group world records. Last fall, he ran the Toronto Marathon in 3:30:26 at the age of 81. That was over 16 minutes faster than the previous age 81 best. And over an hour faster than my first marathon at age 46.

I need to sign up for another half marathon. I write this as the rest of the training group are running hill repeats tonight. I should have been there, but instead, was so caught up in computer tasks that I sailed right through dinnertime and leave-the-house-now-before-the-run-group-leaves-without-you time. Not feeling overly guilty though, because this morning's spin and core strength classes have rendered various body parts sufficiently sore.

Still, this half marathon addiction needs to be abated and the sooner in the season, the better. I don't want to drive far, and am not interested in a super huge event this time. Mississauga half is too close for comfort at 11 days away - I have not been keeping up the mileage. Then I remembered a running acquaintance mentioning the Barrie half. That would be perfect, I thought. Nice and close to home, looks like a nice route, not very expensive, and it's in mid-June. Perfect! 

But wait. June 16. That somehow rings a bell...The mud run? I checked. Nope. That's June 15. Yeeahhch (trying to mimic the sound I made when I imagined slogging through the Met Con Blue mountain adventure race/mud run on Saturday then plunging right in to a half marathon on Sunday.) Then, I thought, I could do it (your thinking tends to get skewed that way after you hang around with other runners and fitness enthusiasts after awhile. That is why I have signed up for the 5 Peaks trail series again, despite having not fully recovered from a sprained ankle from last year's series. And that is why my friend Janette is full-on running again after taking the required amount of recoup time for her broken leg.) And if it turns out to be an all-out disaster, I could always blog about it in a self-deprecating way!

Was just about to click the "REGISTER NOW!" tab when I thought of something else about that date. I checked my Anne Taintor desk calendar. Yep. I knew it. It's Father's Day. Now, I know my own father would be totally fine with me running a race that day. After all, it will likely be over by noon and then we can have him over for dinner later that same day. The person who I am concerned about is not even my father. It's my husband. The one who will want to be pampered right from the morning onwards. The one who will want his coffee brought to him in the morning, and perhaps even breakfast in bed. The reason I know this, is because for every day of the year, pretty much except his birthday and Father's Day, he makes the coffee and brings it to my bedside first thing in the morning. It is something he started doing all on his own one day, and, as a routine-oriented person, he has continued the tradition, much to my benefit (and now expectation...ha ha. But true.) 

I have not mentioned the idea of me running this Father's Day half marathon yet. But by the end of the evening, I had better mention something about it -- today is the last day they offer that little extra, that little dangling carrot, if you will:  your name printed on your race bib! So complete strangers can cheer you on from the sidelines, exclaiming things like, "Way to go Sandy! You're almost there!" as you have 5km left to go and are thinking, in your state of half-delirium, "THAT is not ALMOST! And how did you know my name?" (But what you say out loud is, "Thank you" and you smile and wave.)

Hmmm, if I got up extra early I could make his coffee and breakfast, deliver it to his bedside, give him a kiss, run the race, get home, shower, and be in the kitchen cooking up Father's Day dinner by the afternoon....

Unless, of course, I get trampled in the mud run the day before and am so sore I can't get out of bed on Father's Day. I wonder if he'd take pity and deliver my coffee....

Just Jiggle, Sweat & Smile

New iMac computer finally up and running! Too bad I wasn't up and running this morning. In fact, as I write this on a Saturday late morning, I am still lounging in my jammies. Why? because it is blowing snow and hail outside. On April 20. Enough already!

Sweaty, delirious me, after my first half marathon in 2009. Lots of very proud, jiggly butts that day.

 Despite not getting out for a run today (I am just going to assume it's not happening today), I have been very aware of the impending runs I have registered for beginning in May. So far, the 5 Peaks trail series and the crazy mud run at Blue Mountain. To train, I have upped my core workouts and have gotten back into the spin of things with the indoor cycling classes at Thrive Fitness.

Began last week with the 90-minute combo on Monday morning which features a 45 minute spin followed by a 45 minutes core class, followed by major hunger pangs (I think that's a slang word, if not, I just made up a new slang word. Not only am I too lazy to run this morning, I am too lazy to pick up my dictionary). It was upon arrival to this class, funny enough (I can laugh at this now), when I realized that I was still part of the training group that meets every Monday night for a run workout. Instead of abandoning my bike though, and heading back to bed, I stayed for the whole 90 minutes, then drove back into town that evening for hill training. As loopy as I felt, there are even loopier friends in this group who had worked out at 6 am that day, did the hills that night, and then went to boot camp at 6 am the next morning. They need therapy. Personally, I am not ashamed to admit I took Tuesday off. Then I did circuit training on Wednesday and increased the weight for my bicep curls from 10lbs to 12lbs! Yay! But I still have wimpy triceps. Thursday morning provided another spin opportunity and if I didn't have to go into the city on Friday I may have done another core strength class. What I love about the core classes and the TRX training is that it can get your arms and shoulders fine-tuned very quickly, if you are consistent, over the course of just a few weeks. I have tried to convince my daughter of this fact, because the latest hate-on she has with her pre-prom body is her arms. Sigh. Girls. 

Run like no-one is watching.

Which brings me to a neat little observation. How cool is it, that one's teenaged daughter wants arms like her 49 year old mom? A bunch of us middle-aged mamas started talking about our fitness journeys the other day while finishing a spin class. The stories were very funny, but inspiring at the same time. LeeAnne, an avid fitness enthusiast (who got back into the game after several years of mommy-hood) who will be 50 next year like me, remembers training for a marathon years ago with her friend. "We were running along and all these cars started honking at us and I thought, 'YES!' Fellow runners are cheering us on!" Until she noticed the two large sweat marks on the front of her friend's top. They did not stop running, though. Instead, they just laughed and carried on. Another friend, Andrea, who works out regularly and also plays sports, remembers, as a young mom, making an effort to get outside and go for a run, with her kids happily riding their bikes behind her, only to hear giggles followed by the less-than-inspiring words, "Your butt jiggles when you run Mommy!" I believe I also have heard those words from at least one of my children over the years. And I also remember my best friend killing herself laughing when she watched me run one day. Apparently I flail my feet out to the sides. My husband helpfully came up with a description for my running style: "the windmill." I think it's also the classic "run like a girl" style. WhatEVER, right? At least I DO IT!

My daughter's illustration of my (our) "windmill" running style, or what she dubs the FlAIL Run.

I am sure many of us have heard words that discourage rather than encourage. The important thing is that, despite some embarrassing moments, these women carried on with their fitness routines and goals. Who cares if your boobs sweat or your butt and arms jiggle or your feet flail when you work out? You have to start somewhere, and it will only get better. The jiggling will subside, the sweat means you're working and hey, if your run style can produce giggles, then great! Laughing is good for us. What I have noticed, personally, is that I have learned to love the parts of myself that I can't change, like my short legs and my thick ankles, for example. The important thing, is that they are strong (well, my ankles need to be stronger, but that's another blog post unto itself). I think the secret to feeling good about oneself is to take care of oneself. Eat well, and put your muscles to work regularly. Then, at the end of the day, you can be confident in saying (and I have borrowed these words from my dad, more or less, who works out regularly at 73 and who always has a smile on his face when he says this): "I have done my best; the rest (meaning if anything out of our control happens to arise when it comes to our health) is not my fault!"

OK I gotta get out of these jammies now.

My strong and mighty son, who does not complain about flabby arms like his sister, but has been known to comment on my jiggly running butt in the past.

My Heart Goes Out...

My heart goes out to all the people affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy yesterday. How many runners around the world talk about potentially trying to qualify for Boston? Thousands, I would guess. I know some of the people in our run group would chat about it, and so many marathons and half marathons are described as "Boston qualifiers." And to qualify is such a proud adrenaline rush kind of moment in and of itself. Our run coach, Ann, competed there two years ago and remembers her family having stood right around where the second blast occurred - a popular spot for spectators. I remember her telling us stories about what a wonderful, exciting event it was, with several spectators having gained the reputation for helping to cheer on the runners, in very unique and funny ways. It was inspiring to listen to her. Now all that is left from 2013 is pain, sadness and terrible grief. We can only hope the cruel perpetrators are found and brought to justice.

Computer Shopping, Back Soon.

Computer shopping this week so blog post opportunities have been limited. Hope to be up and running on a regular basis again within the week.

Daughter and I continue to train for Mec Com Blue. She got her run in this morning while I dutifully watched son play soccer. Will have to get run in tomorrow. Also want to add more strength training to weekly regime, so I have half a chance of actually scaling some of these obstacles they throw in our path at this event!

And yoga - gotta get back to that. Speaking of which, heard there is a new yoga apparel shop in Barrie on Bryne Drive! Anyone who is interested, it is near Scholar's Choice, Holly's Sweets & Eats and Red Tulip area. Will give you an update if I go next week.

But computer upgrade is main priority at the moment. Gotta post this before battery runs out on the iPad. The 10 year old drained it playing games again!

CREATIVITY: Inspiring Words for Young Athletes

This motivational piece comes from the technical director of our Huronia District Soccer Association. It was written for our players to study, however, I think it could be adapted to inspire any person who is aiming to incorporate more fitness into their life:

C is for confidence, which is so important for success. Play without fear. Experiment. Try things. Do not worry about mistakes, everyone makes them, including adults.

R is for ready. Be ready for training and games. Be ready to work hard. Be ready to learn and be ready to ask questions.

E is for enjoyment. This is a big one. Play soccer with joy, with a smile. Have fun.

A is for attitude and aggression. A good attitude will be rewarded. Be aggressive in your actions. Determination is important.

T is for technique and time. The better you are with the ball, the better you will be as a player. Think about that next time you are in front of the television or computer screen.

I is for imagination. Use your imagination when you play. Make magic.

V is for vision. Keep your head up. Use your eyes. Look everywhere. See what's happening and move and react as required.

I is for intelligence. Use your brain when you play. Scan the whole field to see what is going on and to think about the game. Try to anticipate what opponents are going to do so you can intercept their passes and interrupt their plans.

T is for trying. You must never stop trying, never.

Y is for you. It is you who trains and plays, not your coach, not your parents. It is you who has to be allowed to make decisions and adjustments during a game. This is your time. These are your dreams. Be yourself.

As for the word CREATIVITY:

Canadian soccer needs creative players; individuals who can make a difference. Players who can come up with a solution when none seems possible. At the highest level of soccer, when all else is equal, it is an individual who can make the difference. No matter how solid the defence, a brilliant piece of magic can open it up. No matter what the obstacle, an individual can be creative enough to remove it. YOU can be that player.

Soccer Tournies & Red Tape or How I Almost Lost It Today

Writing this post on an iPad today -- husband needed his laptop back. Time to start thinking seriously about the computer situation. Meanwhile, I give you "A Day in the Life of the Soccer Team Manager's Wife." This is all in fun, of course. Although at the time, I seriously considered buying a one-way ticket to Hawaii or something, just to recuperate. And all I had to do was fill out some tournament forms online.

Here's how it went, more or less, and then to get the full effect, simply multiply by 3 for the number of tournaments our boys are entering over the summer. Two forms per tourney.

(And remember, this is all for the love of playing soccer. Simple, right?)

Form: "Team Entry Form"

Info needed: Club name, club OSA number, team name, team OSA number, team type, district name, league name, league level, division, last Year's standings, team home jersey colours, team home jersey alternate colours, team away jersey colours, team away alternate jersey colours.

I did not know the league info so I left that blank and moved on. First mistake.

Ok so then: coach's name, coach's OSA number, coach's work phone, coach's home phone, coach's address, coach's website (???but not necessary thank god), coach's email, coach's cell number, coach's left shoe size, coach's grandmother's paternal cousin's favourite tv show, coach's previous four addresses and coach's wedding anniversary, if applicable. (OK I may have made up a few, but you get the gist).

Repeat above for team manager. Assistant coach must not be that important (sorry Ken!) because all the info required from him was his name and OSA number. That's OK though, because there was also a line for "Assistant Manager" and we don't have one, although I guess for today it would have been me. But I do not have the all-important OSA number therefore I am a worthless "0" (the field of which had to be filled in or I was not allowed to proceed with my order.)

Now the fun part. Enter all the names of 15 kids on the team, all of their frigging 7-digit OSA numbers, team jersey numbers, and birth dates (DD/MM/YYYY). I am surprised I didn't have to list their pets' names in alphabetical order along with ages and weights and last vet check-ups.

For the first tourney, I did all of this. Then I called our soccer club to help me fill in the missing info. Naturally, everyone, including the secretary who answers the phone, was in a meeting. So I emailed our coach. He replied immediately with the info I needed. But somehow, I think when I temporarily left the form web site to go to my webmail, something happened to that precious form. As in, it disappeared. As in, I had to re- enter everything. This happened twice for one tournament.

I became more efficient after that, if not slightly crankier. I almost lost it one time when I forgot to fill in half the coach's postal code and got that annoying little "DING!" sound, meaning, in this case, YOUR BOYS CANNOT PLAY IN THIS SOCCER TOURNAMENT UNTIL WE HAVE YOUR COACH'S COMPLETE POSTAL CODE. Although I had to fill in all the same info for each tourney, at least I eventually managed to save the forms. Hallelujah!

Form: "Application to Travel" (repeat team information, less players' names, etc, and repeat coach and manager information)

If only I had a brain like Rain Man. I could really creep out our team players at the next game: "Hey Stevie, yeah you, number 234-478-123, birthdate 01/01/2002, pets named BooBoo, Barfy and Scooter! Your dogs need their flea medication! Call the vet or you're OFF the TEAM!"

Oh and coach, your anniversary's coming up. Don't forget to get the wife something nice...

Burning Down the House(work)

In-between working on some more people profiles for this blog, which really is my favourite kind of writing, I decided to not wait until the end of the day to write today's post. What I am doing is in actual fact procrastinating beginning another job. While I am not driven by a rigid day-of-the-week "to do" list like my mom was (perhaps because my mom was), Mondays seem to have become the housework and laundry day.

Painting by my talented daughter. Her expression captures how I feel about housework.

So, as a motivator, and to delay the inevitable, I decided to look up how many calories are burned doing household chores. The results didn't do much to really get me going, because, bottom line, I really don't enjoy doing housework. But I like a clean, tidy house, and I am the one who chose to be the "stay-at-home" partner many, many years ago. Maybe that's why I don the "Running is Cheaper Than Therapy" shirt and sign up for all these running events. I am running away from my responsibilities! Ha ha. Oh, I'm sure there's already a blog out there about that, written by someone with a PhD in psychology. (Actually, though, I do need to do a run today.)


I will write this out, and then perhaps add photos later. (OK I updated at 3:37 p.m. Enjoy.) Artsy photos showing housework chores. Whoa - Museum of Modern Art here I come!

Here's what I found from livestrong.com when it comes to making housework a workout (Note: all catty comments are mine, naturally.)

First, and foremost, "Consult your doctor before doing any vigorous housework if you have health problems."

(I almost felt like leaving the "if" part out...)

Floor Mopping - Is good for strengthening those biceps and shoulders! Apparently one half hour of floor mopping burns 112 calories. And if, say, you are lucky enough to have a reason to get down on your hands and knees to scrub said floor (for example, if your cat took yet another dump on it instead of using the litter box, which - oops! - nobody bothered to clean out the other day, and all cat owners know cats are very tidy creatures who will not use a dirty litter box. Or they're just territorial bitches. I digress.) then you will burn 200 calories.

Yard Work - It's beginning to look more like spring in Simcoe County and soon we'll all be frantically raking, mowing, planting and beautifying our outdoor spaces so that we have something pretty to look at while we breathe in that wonderful fresh air. While we take a few deep cleansing breaths we can also burn a few calories, about 256 per hour, while exercising our arms, legs and back with raking. Mowing the lawn also works the shoulders, arms, core and legs and burns about 160 calories in half an hour. (That's the push mower dear, not the riding mower. Sorry.)

Vacuuming the Carpet - In order to get an even arm workout (so you don't start vacuuming in circles, I guess), livestrong suggests switching from one hand to the other mid-way through the job. To add an ab workout make sure to vacuum with good posture. The whole process burns about 90 calories in half an hour.

Dish Washing - Those without a dishwasher rejoice! Hand washing burns more calories. In half an hour you can burn about 160 calories, whereas loading a dishwasher burns a mere 105. In defence of dishwasher owners, however, I would think  lifting and manoeuvring heavy pots and pans or cups and glasses around for several minutes in said dishwasher in order to find the optimum spot for them to be washed well, should count for something, as should hand washing said pots and pans after dishwasher does a crappy job at washing them in the first place. Must bring the calorie count close to 200.

Another piece of advice from livestrong is to wear an apron and keep the pockets filled with all of your cleaning supplies so you don't need to stop your housework workout to go and get the Pledge or the environmentally friendly cleaning spray you are using, hence reducing the effectiveness of the workout.

Of Special Note: I had to look up "Calories Burned Moving Furniture" because my mom, bless her soul, not only kept our house neat as a pin when I was growing up, but always liked to try different furniture arrangements and she often would move heavy pieces of furniture all by herself. She was always very slim, and now I know part of the reason: She burned about 300 calories per hour moving furniture.

My mom, pictured in 1960, whose tiny frame belied her strength. She could move a whole dining room hutch from upstairs to downstairs without help. Talk about a calorie burn!
(She probably moved the Christmas tree to a better location after this pic was taken.)

And finally, here are some estimates, from the livestrong article, about calories burned according to weight:

"Heavy cleaning burns 135 calories in half an hour if you weigh 125 pounds. If you weigh 155 pounds you burn 167 and if you weigh 185 you burn 200, according to the Harvard Medical School."

According to "Caloriecounter.About.Com" heavy/major cleaning includes car washing, window washing and garage cleaning "with vigorous effort." They suggest a 150lb person will burn 204 calories per hour doing any of those kinds of activities. In an accompanying chart, they offer the kinds of foods with the equivalent calories. Naturally, the one that caught my eye was wine. So, note to self (and wine lovers everywhere), to burn off 2.6 glasses (a glass = 3.5 fl.oz) of wine you just need to vigorously clean something for an hour. I'll remember that next time I am vigorously scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees: "Out damned spot! Out! My wine is awaiting!. Then again, running for an hour burns, what, about 500 - 600 or more calories depending on your weight. How many glasses of wine is that...(Getting off-topic now. Gotta go clean the kitchen.)

I actually own some housekeeping books. The one in the middle, Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn is as inspiring as it is hilarious. (Copyright 2010, Lisa Quinn)
(And yes, in retrospect, my mom would have wholeheartedly agreed with Ms Quinn.)

(Don't worry Coach Ann, I would never replace housework with your dynamic circuit conditioning class. Although you could always get us to scrub the gym floor while we are planking sideways across it...)

Now That I've Earned This Medal, What Do I Do With It?

In keeping with my quest to add more photography to this blog I offer "Fun with Medals" whereby I hope to inspire those of you who don't know what to do with your finishing medals. Today I retrieved mine from their usual place at the back of a dark cupboard and made them the "stars of the show" with my camera and a free iPad app called "PhotoWizard." (Because that's the only photo manipulation/editing option I have at the moment. It may not be sophisticated, but it's easy, fun, and addictive.)


My favourite photo of the day, and then after some greyscale PhotoWizard play, below...

 




Original, above, turns pretty in pink, below...

 

Tangled, above, turns into one awesome looking medallion, below...

 

Bright & lively turns to cool & refined, below...

 

Original above, turns psychedelic, below:

 

 

 

Nice,  above, turns nice and dreamy, below...

and then kind of like a hub cap or a mod piece of jewelry, below... 

 

Original, above, and one of my favourite effects, below

 

And you could always just throw them in the air, see what happens, and then manipulate the photo (below)

 

 

 

OK that's it for today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom/Daughter Training Begins!

I think I'm going to start posting more photos and less words on the weekends. I still haven't dealt with my Mac computer, which needs replacing, so my 12,000 + photos are still stuck in the hard drive. Meanwhile whatever we take and load onto this non-Mac computer that I am temporarily using will just have to suffice.  And there is no photo program so I can't even tinker with cropping or colour enhancing. Drives me a little mad!

Today my daughter and I ran 4K while the 10-year-old son happily cycled around us, just  mildly driving his sister crazy when he crossed in front of her a couple of times. I put him to work taking these pics for us though - not a bad job! Weather was about +5 C so pleasant for running, and at least the sun was shining! If I was training for a marathon with some of my other friends we would have been up to about 26 - 28K today. I must admit I am not missing that, but still hope to sign up for a spring half marathon. We did a couple of speed drills too. All in all an easy-does-it kind of start to training, but that's OK. Weather next week is supposed to be spectacular, with a +20C prediction by Wednesday.

Bring on the spring training!

Below: A great motivational phrase. It's a Nike Training Club ad that's been front and centre on my magnetic board in my office for a very long time.

Run With Me, Oh Daughter of Mine

At the glorious age of 17, my daughter is in that stage of her life when she is hungry all the time. She is also concerned about her looks - again, typical for a girl-on-the-verge-of-becoming-a-woman. She is smart, and funny, and is going to university this fall. She has nothing to worry about, but she does anyway. Prom is approaching after all, and she wants to look good in her dress (she will). For the past year, she has been trying different approaches to getting, or perhaps a better word would be "staying," fit. She is also already beginning to worry about that "freshman 15" (the 'average' 15-lb weight gain many university students achieve, along with freedom from parents, during their first year away from "the nest.")

She is a highland dancer, which is great exercise in itself, although she hasn't been devoted to it as much as she used to be. She used to play soccer, and she has even dabbled with Zumba (we have a whole Zumba DVD collection. I tried it for about 10 minutes one day. I loved it but wow, it's hard to keep up with those sexy instructors!). And even though she says she hates it, I think running is winning out as her sport of choice. It's the one activity she always comes back to when she gets bored with the others.

The conversation we had on the way home from school today (She missed the bus and asked me to pick her up. Perhaps I should have suggested she run home...) centered around an article she read recently in Get Out There magazine about short and fast running vs long and slow. The writer is of the short and fast variety. I did not read the article, but my daughter summed it up by saying she agreed with what he was saying: sounds like he is getting tired of distance runners asking him when he is going to try a marathon. The fact is, he does not aspire to try a marathon. He has no interest. What he does like to do is run quickly and competitively. An 18-minute 5K, for example.

I think that's great and I must say, I would get annoyed, too, if, conversely, someone kept asking me, "Why don't you try a shorter distance and try to run it really, really fast?" Why? Because I have no interest in that kind of running. I enjoy long, slow runs. Or perhaps medium-to-long slow runs. (Not sure if I want to do another marathon. 10K to half marathons are where my loyalties seem to lie.) And mostly I compete against myself, trying to get across the finish line a little faster than the last time. But all in all, Ed Whitlock I am not. I am a recreational runner, and yes, I enjoy getting the t-shirt and the finishing medal. Plus it keeps me fit and feeling great.

While my daughter and I had a good, healthy debate on this subject of short and fast vs long and slow, I think we were saying the same thing. We like to run, and we don't want the other person to push us into doing a certain kind of running that we are not interested in. She is coming to understand that to enjoy the sport she needs to run fast, and not for hours. She is also coming to understand her mother is OK with slow, and 'however long it takes.'

We are starting our training for the Summer Solstice run and Met Con Blue adventure race that we registered for this summer. We might add one or two more to the list. It should be interesting. I am looking forward to all of it, from the borrowing of running clothing, to the bickering about speed and distance, the whining about "not feeling like it today" (from both of us), right down to those spectacular finish lines. Bring it on! Let the mother-daughter bonding time begin.

Run for Women: An Inspiring Series!

Finally a beautiful day for a run! Going to start training for some great summer runs with my daughter tonight, including the Summer Solstice Run in Alliston and the Run for Women in Unionville. Both are in June.

Today I was reading the latest edition of Running Room Magazine and came across an ad and article for a run series I did not even know about - shame on me! It's called the Shopper's Drug Mart Run for Women. The runs are held all across Canada in support of women's mental health organizations. It all ties in nicely with my recent post called "Exercise & Mental Health: Janette's Story" featuring a great interview with my friend and marathon runner Janette Vander Zaag. If you haven't read her story, click on "older posts" (it's not that old, I wrote it about a week and a half ago) and look for the post headline I mentioned above.

The next Run for Women event closest to those of us in Simcoe County is June 22 in Unionville. Distance choices are 5K or 10K and there is also a 1K girls fun run. The reward is a very hip bracelet by foxy originals inscribed with the words "Run Inspired."

The article, "Prescription to Run," that accompanies the advertisement, talks about the role running plays in positive mental health.
 

Dr. Valerie Taylor, a marathon runner and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Women's College Hospital, Toronto, says she writes prescriptions for her patients to "run three times a week or join a Learn to Run program as part of the treatment for their depression."

 

How awesome is that?

Dr. Taylor points to numerous studies that show aerobic exercise that raises one's heart rate for more than 25 minutes "can have the same effect on your brain chemistry as anti-depressant drugs and structured talk therapy. MRI scans indicate that running can increase the level of serotonin in the brain, which is a key treatment for depression."

Like the therapist I spoke with recently at the Canadian Mental Health Association/Mental Health Addiction Service - Simcoe County, Dr. Taylor also notes the importance of maintaining social connections for people struggling with mental illness. She says running is a social activity and "Running groups also help to relieve stress because participants may share stories about their struggles that they might not tell their friends and family."

Women's College Hospital Mental Health Program is focused on raising awareness about women's mental health with the support of a national initiative called Shopper's Drug Mart WOMEN. Their aim is to connect women to health information and resources and to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues. Read more about it at www.womenshealthmatters.ca

A portion of the proceeds from this year's Unionville Run for Women are going to Women's College Hospital. "Supporting women in their efforts to make running a part of their regular routine is a critical step in ensuring the well-being of women and families across the country," says Dr. Taylor.

The Keynote speaker at the Unionville Run for Women is Jennifer Heil, Olympic gold and silver medallist and 2011 Female Athlete of the Year.

If you happen to live in South Simcoe, Ontario I know a great little place that can help teach you how to run. Ann Jackson, co-owner of Thrive Fitness in Alliston, also runs (pardon the pun) The Running Experience. That's where I took my first steps and their training programs vary from beginner right up to marathon distance. There is a 5K clinic beginning Monday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. that will get you primed and ready to run the Summer Solstice Run (5K or 10K distances available) on June 18 in Alliston (register for that run at www.events.runningroom.com) and then four days later you could do the Run for Women in Unionville! To find out more about run training visit www.thrivefitness.ca. And of course if you live in a city that has a Running Room store, run clinics are also one of their specialties.

Run for Women events are held

throughout the summer across Canada:

 

June 22 - Unionville, ON

July 13 - Vancouver, BC

July 27 - Calgary, AB

Aug. 10 - Halifax, NS

Aug. 24 - Ottawa, ON

Sept. 28 - Quebec City, QC

To register for a Run for Women event in your province, visit www.runforwomen.ca.

Motivation

I don't own many books on running but there is one that I always have nearby that I often refer to or pick up whenever I need a boost. It's Kara Goucher's Running For Women (2011).

Goucher is an American Olympic distance runner and young mother. Her book is written in a way that makes it easy to grab some great advice on everything from starting the sport to training for your first marathon. She also has a section dedicated to running during and after pregnancy. Scattered throughout the chapters are some of her favourite quotes - little bits of wisdom and inspiration - from all kinds of people in the sport, from coaches to star athletes.

When I was finding myself feeling a little blue after the Around the Bay run two Sundays ago (I still have not gone out for a run, partially resting but partially discouraged about our cold windy April weather), I reached for Goucher's book, knowing there was something written in there about "depression after a marathon." I felt a little better immediately after reading it, knowing that what I was feeling was normal. What Goucher said was this: "I have gone through a period of depression after all of my marathons. I work so hard in preparation and it becomes my biggest focus for nearly three months.When it is all said and done, I'm sad that it is over." Goucher goes on to say she allows herself to feel sad for a couple of days, then focuses on enjoying her rest period, which may last a couple of weeks. After that, she begins planning for her next race, and the excitement begins to build again.

Ok, so it's been a week and a half of down time, with a spattering of strength and spin classes thrown in (plus one late night dinner party with old friends tonight, hence the very late blog post.) I have decided not to feel guilty about giving my legs a rest. Thank you Kara Goucher, once again. Here are some great quotes from her book.

Motivational Running Quotes from Kara Goucher's Running for Women:

"Have a dream. Make a plan, go for it. You'll get there. I promise."
(Zoe Koplowitz, Achilles Track Club member with multiple sclerosis who required 24 hours on crutches but finished the 1993 New York City Marathon.)

"I was too embarrassed to be another fat guy in new running shoes and sweats, so we'd go out at night with a flashlight...I found out that runners weren't judgemental." (George "Norm" Wendt, actor, Cheers)

"I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." (Mike Fanelli, club coach)

"They're very tenacious. They're dedicated. Once a woman decides she's going to do something, she'll probably stick to it. The only problem with women is that if there's anything wrong with them, they won't tell you. They get out there and run on one leg. They don't moan and groan like a lot of men do." (Arthur Lydiard, famed New Zealand running coach)

On deciding to incorporate running into your life: "Remember, you are a runner no matter what anyone says, or a person who runs - take your pick. Point being, there's no litmus test for being a runner and no arbiter. You are a runner when you say (and believe) you are a runner. Period." (Kara Goucher)

Fun With 50

50.

That is my husband's age as of today. Whoa. I still remember when my dad turned 50. I am still young. (Not half a century for another nine months).

In keeping with the fitness theme, and rather enjoying what comes up when I Google very specific things, I decided to look up "Fitness vacations for 50 year olds." Not that my husband would want to go on a vacation that involves working out. I just wondered what was out there for someone who was 50, who would. The results were interesting, and more than once, hit my funny bone. Here is the first page of results:

What One Gets When One Googles "Fitness Vacations for 50 Year Olds"

1. Go On Fitness Vacations - Exercise, Lose, Relax.
2. Voted #1 Fat Camp - oceanfront weight loss retreat.
3. Destination Detox
4. Adventure Travel - World Class Adventure Travel for People Over 50.
5. Are You Built Like a 50-Year-Old? (Maybe You Should Be)
6. Stand Up With No Hands To Live Longer - Daily Mail
7. Getting Fit/How to Get Fit, Fitness at 40, Fitness at 50.
8. Bodybuilding.com - Strength-training Success for a Middle Aged Guy!
9. Huff/Post 50 - Life Begins at 50
10. Older Runners/Running for Fitness
11. Personal Training, Fitness Boot Camp, Fitness Retreats
12. Fun for the 30 - 50 Year Old Set!
13. The Crystal Cruise Ship Company (mostly older couples, 50+ years...)

So if you put it all together, at 50, you can go to a fat camp at the oceanfront, lose some weight, shuffle yourself off to detox, and then go on an adventure. When you get home you can work out until you look your age, incorporate some standing-with-no-hands to ensure you will live even longer, while reading up on 'how to get fit at 50', which will inevitably include strength training. By then you will look so incredibly buff you will start telling all your young, admiring friends that life really does begin at 50, and you will start running, which will lead to a gym membership. At the gym you will fall in love with boot camp which will lead you to go on a fitness retreat where there will be LOTS of fun for the 30 to 50 year old set (nudge nudge, wink wink). You will have had so much fun doing all of this that you will immediately book your trip with the Crystal Cruise Ship Company, and dance the nights away with all your new friends you met at the previous fitness retreat. Wow! Life really does begin at 50!

Happy 50th birthday to everyone who is lucky, fit and healthy enough to have achieved this great age! I can hardly wait!

Eat Like an Elite Athlete

I don't care if the snow is blowing and the wind is howling outside my window, spring is here, dammit and it's time to start training for stuff!


Dr. Steve Rallis

All pumped for some spring/summer run events (Five Peaks Trail Run Series; Met Con Blue; Summer Solstice Run so far.) Also determined to eat healthier this time, so I am incorporating the advice given to the young athletes of the Barrie Soccer Club, of which our youngest child is a member. The club hosted a free nutrition seminar in Barrie recently. The guest speaker was the soccer club's medical director, Dr. Steve Rallis, B.Sc., D.C., N.D. (cand), also known as "The Wellness Doctor"  (www.wellnessdoctor.ca). It was a great, eye-opening evening that included, among loads fascinating information, a couple of videos showing how hot dogs and chicken nuggets are made. Let me tell you, not one person in my household will ever touch either of those "foods" ever again (nope, not even my husband, and that says a lot).

While athletes must follow a healthy diet in order to keep up with the demands on their bodies and to reduce the risk of injury, "A person's diet may be the single greatest contributor to their health in general," says Dr. Rallis, who writes nutrition guidelines for the young athletes of the soccer club. The guidelines were designed to help coaches, parents and players understand the whys and hows of making the best food choices that will help lead to improved performance and overall development.

I think these guidelines can help anyone who wants to eat better, including recreational athletes like myself, my daughter and friends. Again, the following are just highlights. We walked away from the seminar with pages of information.

Primary Fuel Sources: Fruits and Vegetables
Dr. Rallis could not stress the importance of fruits and vegetables enough. "If you want to be the best athlete you can be, you must eat lots of fruits and vegetables," he says. He recommends 7 to 10 servings per day for growing athletes. Two to three of those daily servings should include green vegetables. Organic is always better if you can find it, unless the foods have thick skins that pesticides can't penetrate.
1 Serving = 1 handful of veggies; 1 whole fruit; 1/2 cup fresh berries.
A fast and easy way to get in your daily dose of fruits and veggies is to make a green smoothie. Dr. Rallis shows how to make one at www.youtube.com/drrallis ("The Green Smoothie: Food as Medicine").

Secondary Fuel Source: Grains, Breads, Cereals.
While Rallis says the best carbohydrate source for athletes comes from fruits and veggies, whole grain breads, pastas and rice are great too. Best kinds are brown rice, brown rice pasta, quinoa, oats, rye, barley, whole grain breads, cereals and crackers, potatoes, corn, carrots and yams.
Recommended: 1 to 3 fist-sized servings per day, depending on caloric need and amount of fruits and veggies consumed.

Protein
Builds and maintains muscle and connective tissues. Makes for a strong athlete. Dr. Rallis recommends choosing lean organic meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and green leafy veggies. "If you choose to avoid animal products for religious, ethical or other health reasons, you must consider supplementing with protein, iron and B12."
Dr. Rallis suggests choosing free range chicken, eggs, turkey, grass fed beef, lamb, pork, all wild game (rabbit, deer, partridge, grouse, turkey, moose etc.), soy or veggie burger; wild pacific salmon, local trout, perch, sardines, herring, arctic char, tilapia.
Recommended: 1 to 3 servings per day. 1 serving of eggs = 2 whole eggs or 3 egg whites and 1 yolk. Serving size is 3oz or the size of the palm of your hand.

Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
"High in protein and fibre, these foods are critical to great health and should form a significant part of your daily diet as an athlete," says Dr. Rallis.
Good choices from this food group are all peas, beans, lentils, raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, almond butter, organic peanut butter, hummus and other bean dips.
Recommended: 1 to 3 servings per day. 1 serving size of dried beans/peas or lentils is considered 1/2 cup cooked. Hummus serving = 1/4 cup. Nuts serving = 10-14 almonds; 1 - 2 tbsp seeds; 1 tbsp almond butter or organic peanut butter.

Dairy Products
Dr. Rallis suggests these as a good source of protein, vitamin A and vitamin D. Avoid them completely, however, if you are sensitive to dairy products. Otherwise, good choices are goat's milk, goat cheese, cow's milk, cottage cheese, feta cheese, rice, almond and soy milk.

Protein Supplementation
If supplementation is needed to ensure you are getting enough protein, Dr. Rallis suggests high quality  ones made from either isolated whey, pea, rice or hemp. (He notes young athletes should avoid soy protein supplementation.)

Healthy Fat
Healthy fats promote brain power and make us more resistant to injury and pain. Examples to include in a daily diet are extra-virgin RAW olive oil* (2-3 tbsp per day), flax seeds (limit these for young athletes), avocados, coconut oil, health nuts and seeds, almond butter, fish oil (only small fish sources like anchovies, mackeral, sardines or if fish oil supplement then 2 grams per day with the EPA:DHA ratio > 2:1) (*avoid cooking oil at high heat as heat changes its chemistry and it actually becomes unhealthy. For a stir fry, for example, Dr. Rallis suggests cooking veggies in a bit of water then adding raw extra virgin olive oil afterwards. He does not recommend using any other vegetable oils.)

Water
"We are bioenergetic beings," says Dr. Rallis. "Electrochemical impulses are being transmitted continuously in all parts of our bodies. These impulses are only transmitted in liquid environments and across fluid, lipid membranes. Because of this, we are comprised mostly of water. Dehydration will lead to fatigue (mental and physical), muscle cramping and eventually death (due to an inability to transmit electrical impulses across cardiac membranes.")

"The best source of hydration is plain water, fruits and vegetables," says Dr. Rallis. He recommends drinking 400-600 ml of water 2 to 3 hours before exercise. During exercise drink 150-350 ml fluids every 15-25 minutes depending on sweat, temperature and intensity of the activity. After exercise he recommends drinking 1.2 to 1.5 litres of water for every kilogram lost of body weight.

Recipe for a Home-made Sports Drink
1 L water
5 tbsp raw honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 capsule potassium with or without magnesium.

Dr. Steve Rallis is a fantastic speaker who is passionate about nutrition. Visit his web site at www.wellnessdoctor.ca.