Weekly Challenge 1: Disconnect!

Back in the day on the lacrosse field, we spent hours upon hours running drills, working on plays, and scrimmaging. As a bunch of college girls at practice on a sunny Thursday afternoon at Arizona State, you can imagine we also did a lot chatting and not paying attention and, consequently, our fair share of running punishments. This was always a theme in team sports – you misbehave, you have to run. 

So is this where so many of us formed our early opinions on running? If we haven’t fallen for the sport, and instead force ourselves through it to stay in shape, are those early memories of seemingly endless laps around the field the root of our tortures? Whether or not that is the case, the solution is to alter your natural feelings toward your runs. Change dreading to anticipating, turn struggle into challenge.

And so, we come to our first weekly challenge! It’s a simple one, but we think it’s a game-changer:
For the next few runs, leave your ear buds at home.

We know, we know. You’re thinking “But I can’t run without music.” Well, we know you can! Take the time to let your mind wander after being plugged in all day, listen to your breath, and take advantage of the time you have to yourself. Focus on the good feelings of your run – the strength you’re gaining, the miles you’re tackling, and the fresh spring air you’re taking in. The more positivity you feel towards your runs, the more successful you’ll be along the way.

☮ ♥  and happy running

Drink Red Wine, Increase Your Time?

Recently, we came across an article on the Runner’s World website  that crushed our souls. Titled “Red Wine not Linked to Better Running,” it told us research shows that drinking red wine will not make you a better runner, apparently refuting earlier findings to the contrary. We immediately poured out our Malbec-filled Camelbak as our wine-fanged lips pursed in frustrated disappointment.

All kidding aside, it got us to thinking about our nutritional habits both in and out of training routines. There’s so much information out there that it’s often easy to do the wrong thing and hard to discover the right thing. And naturally, when you’re logging 35 miles a week, you’re going to be a little hungry. Plus, nothing tastes better after a ten mile run than an ice cold beer!

So, when it comes to navigating through all the nutritional tips and pointers out there, our advice is simple: Think for yourself and aim for moderation. This means don't follow the marketing on labels or at restaurants and practice restraint when it comes to temptations to overindulge or over-imbibe .

Also, here are three suggestions that will help properly fuel and replenish your body during your training. They’re not drastic changes, but instead logical dietary guidelines for the long run (pun intended).

1.  Skip the salt, hold the sugar. Altering your habits here is important. The more we add salt or sugar, the more our taste buds demand it. Skip it in your coffee or sprinkled on your meals.
2. Lite is not right. Low-fat dairy and meats are great, but avoid anything lite, lo-fat, or “diet.” This goes first and foremost for salad dressings and packaged snacks or desserts. 
3. Just add water. This isn’t to say you can never have a soda or glass of juice, but opt for water when you’re thirsty and don’t keep soda – even diet soda – in your fridge. Go for the whole fruit instead of the juice. Plus, water is the natural way to rehydrate after a workout.

Peace, love, and happy running! ❤

4.15.13

Today, thousands of runners should be resting their tired muscles, their hearts swollen with pride. In the morning hours at Boston offices, supporters should be relaying to coworkers how amazing their friends or family members did along the course. BC students and twenty-somethings should be emerging from their apartments in search of hangover helpers and Gatorade. Inspired fans should be excitedly dreaming about how they’re going to run next year.

Instead, while those muscles are still sore, that pride is tainted. Water cooler talk is heavy and sad. The party was stopped short. Four hours and nine minutes after the start, runners became medics, volunteers turned into disaster relief aids, and fans frantically searched for safety. Scenes were gruesome and tragic, hospital doors swung open for injury after injury, and local, state, and federal law enforcement broke into action. 

But also, within minutes of the blasts, something beautiful began to emerge. Heroes were highlighted by local media, runners extended their routes to give blood, and social networks were overflowing with love for Boston. The first thing my good friend said to me is that we’re definitely running next year, and, when we checked in on our Chicago marathon client, her determination was stronger than ever. 

This bad thing, this very bad thing that very troubled people plotted, it can’t break us. The evil just won’t win – they won’t. They are cowardly, and pathetic, and no one is convinced of their point, whatever it was. What we are convinced of, though, is the good in people. Like the man who’s stationed in front of a stopped clock playing Amazing Grace on his accordion as tribute, or whoever decided to dedicate the Chicago Tribune’s Sports page to Boston, or the simple message that sweet Martin Richards sent out before his life was taken far too soon: “No more hurting people. Peace.”

Planning for success

Working away on some training plans for a few very different clients today, and we’re thinking about the importance of considering the person behind the program. To pave the way for success, it’s crucial to think about them - what their fitness level is, what their workout preferences are, and what their schedule looks like. At the same time, the program needs to push them towards the next level so that they continue to improve.

The same can be said for your personal daily exercise plans. I try to follow the 3-1 rule – three hard days, one “easy” day. I put “easy” in quotation marks because that can mean different things – rest, strength, stretching, or a light run depending on how I feel. And, even when I’m in training for a race and only running during my three hard days, I need them to vary. So, I’ll work interval training, tempo runs, shorter runs at a 5K pace, and longer runs at my race pace into my schedule to mix it up.

Whether it's gym classes, outdoor runs, or the elliptical, you just need to choose what works for you, as long as your choices keep you interested and bring you out of your comfort zone without making you hit extremes. Visual examples below!

Avoid: Overdoing then undoing it!

Aim to: Find a balance, avoid extremes:

Peace, love, and happy running! ❤