Something Nuun.

I am not sure why it is that this happens to me, but it seems like everytime I start to LOVE something related to my running, the manufacturer either changes it or gets rid of it altogether. I've talked about this issue before. It's as if they test market something on me, discover that I like it, and immediately must get it off the market. Take Luna Splash, for instance. Luna, by Clif bar, came out with an electrolyte drink made especially for women. It had added calcium, iron and B-vitamins, was organic and had a fabulous pink grapefruit flavor that I loved. It was out about 5 minutes, long enough for me to declare it the ONLY thing I'd drink, and then it was gone. Just like that.

You see, I am notoriously picky about my electrolyte drink. I can't stand anything overly sweet and sticky. I get that I need carbs, but drinks with too much sugar make me feel like my throat is closing up on me. Besides, I like to deliver my carbs in the form of gel, so my sports drinks need to just back off. I also hate anything with TOO much flavor or that comes in an unnatural shade of neon. Sorry, but I don't want that much artificial color and flavor in my body when I'm pushing it to it's limits.

When Luna Splash went away, I started trying every electrolyte drink I could get my hands on in an effort to find a replacement. It's been almost a year and I've FINALLY found something I like, perhaps even better. Hold onto your hats people and get ready to buy it up in mass quantities in case they stop making it, too...it's Nuun! No sugar, just electrolytes, and the tabs pop right into your water bottle so there's no messy powder to mix.  The original Citrus Fruit is not bad, but I'm especially jazzed about the brand new Strawberry Lemonade. It rocks. The flavor is light and NOT overpowering, AND, since there's no added sugar, I can be in charge of what carbs I want to take (or not take) along.  Which means if I want to Roctane myself into orbit, I don't have to worry about upsetting my stomach with cross-carbtamination from my sports drink. Cool.

In case you're wondering, I am in no way affliated with Nuun or any other product manufacturer that I talk about on my Blog. Hardly anyone sends me free samples to review, so I'm not even swayed by freebie insanity. I just happen to like sharing when I find awesome stuff.

Oh, and PS, I am notoriously picky about my gels, too. If the GU people get wind of this post and decide to stop making Roctane since I mentioned it, I will freak out. So, shush! Keep that on the down low. 

Note added 5/25/11: For a short time, you can get 54% off Nuun at Schwaggle. It's a great deal and you can check out four different Nuun flavors. Look for it here: http://schwaggle.active.com/deal/1433/54-percent-off-special-nuun-electrolyte-hydration-package/national 



Life at light speed.

I totally WISH I could say that I have been running so fast that things are blurring by at light speed. Unfortunately, that is NOT the case. It has been so busy here between scouts and baseball games and school events, birthday parties and baseball practice, and oh, did I mention baseball? I feel like I get shot from a cannon most mornings and I don't stop until I collapse into bed at night. Still, I have been getting my runs in good and regular these days, and have even worked up to about 7 miles in long runs. My tendonitis still bothers me, but I've adjusted (slowly) to the pain as a regular part of getting older as a runner. I ice and take my NSAIDS, massage, and just keep going. It's all I can do and it's bearable. I have runs where it doesn't hurt at all and runs when it's quite uncomfortable, and I'm grateful for both. One reminds me that I'm still able and the other reminds me to be extra thankful I still have the ones where it doesn't hurt. Life goes on! Light speed or otherwise, it goes.

I went back to my "running roots", so to speak a few weeks ago and ran the very first race I ever participated in...the one where I got my first taste of the endorphine rush that made me want to do it again and again. The Run with the Panthers 5k is a local event, very low key and small, and it was the perfect place for me to make my debut in the "Masters" class. Masters, for those of you who don't know, is the nice way to refer to the group of runners that would otherwise be called, "Old Farts" or "So Old They Probably Ought to Give it Up Already But They're Too Stubborn." Wait, that's not entirely true. There are some incredible runners out there in the Masters category...Joan Benoit Samuleson, for example. She's still kicking butts.

Anyway, I am happy to say that even post hammy problems, I beat my inaugural time at that race by quite a lot. And I had a lot of fun with a lot of friends. It was a good run. Next up, is the San Diego Half Marathon Relay on June 5th! Can't wait! Off and running...

Reason for running number...heck...I've lost track...

I've never felt so much like the fellow in this commercial as I did this week. Stressful stuff, lots of worry, things eating away at me. Today I went for a run that was amazing and cleansing. I only went a bit over 3 miles, but it was a tempo run and I pushed the pace pretty hard. I don't think I've run as fast as I did today in a long, long time, if ever! I prayed as I ran, praying for peace and encouragement and hope. About a half mile in, I slipped into that elusive state of "flow", where everything going on in my head seems completely separate from my body...my body is running, but it feels effortless and as if I'm just floating along. The clarity of thinking I have in those rare moments is unreal. It's like a waking dream-state, but I'm fully alert, even hyper-alert, to my surroundings. If you've never experienced a moment like this, you probably think I've gone off the deep end. But for those that have been there, you know what I'm talking about.

I ran, fast and hard. It wasn't that I was running away from my problems. I was running head-on, straight into them, considering them, praying about them, focusing on them, dealing with them...and then breaking free as they washed away.

It was one of the best runs I've ever had. Running is my therapy. It clears my head, it gives me a chance to focus my prayers, to focus my thoughts, to cleanse away the junk. It was just what I needed. Thank you, Lord, for giving me running, and for giving me this run.

Matchy match my ride

What is up with cyclists? Okay, I am NOT slamming my bike-loving friends. I have lots of them, and they are awesomely cool people. But seriously, I need to know this. Why are they so matchy matchy all the time? Again, this is an honest question I don't know the answer to and want to understand.

Running along the river trail I see lots of other runners and lots of riders. Most of the other runners are like me...hair up or mashed into a hat and running clothes that are functional and comfortable but don't necessarily match. My blue striped Adiddas tights are SUPER comfy but they don't match my favorite purple running shirt. Do I care? No. Does my favorite bright pink hat clash with the ensemble? Yes. Do I care? Again, I have to say no. I don't typcially give one iota whether I am fashionably uncool when I run. Although I might sweat over "the perfect attire" for race day, it's  not because I worry if it all "goes together." I'm more worried about what might chafe or get too warm or make me uncomfortable.

Now, while I do see the occasional cyclist with (gasp) mismatched gear, most of the folks I see flying by are in completely matching attire. SERIOUSLY matchy matchy. Even their helmets coordinate. Jerseys match shorts match socks match shoe covers match the gosh darn bike! What is up with this? Are we runnerscompletely fashionably lowbrow? Do cyclists buy entire outfits in one shopping trip? Am I alone in my perfectly UNcoordinated looks? Do YOU match when you run?

Rehab

I have finally worked up to running 4 miles again. Woohoo! It's long and slow, this recovery, but I have learned some important lessons. First and foremost, crosstraining is something I need to do. Secondly, strength training is important. And last, I am in love with KT Tape.

I've posted before that I find it difficult to crosstrain because I don't really like anything else besides running. That's still true, but I've found that when I back off my mileage two days a week and at least attempt to mix in a ride on the bike or a swim or some stair climbing, I'm better able to manage when I do shoot for a longer distance run. It must be working, so I reluctantly keep doing it.

I have been working a lot on core strength and balance, and since my hamstring has been compensating for a messed up hip flexor and misfiring gluteal muscles (turns out I needed to "move my butt" more. LOL!), I've also been doing some strength training and stretching of those muscles. I found a great video that outlines a lot of the exercises I've been doing for the hips and glutes, in case anyone is interested:



Additionally, I've been doing crunches, wall squats, something called a supine march and bridges. I do feel a difference when I'm running, too. My core feels stronger and more stable, my pelvis has less of a forward tilt, and the best part is, my hamstring is feeling less painful because it isn't trying to overload itself compensating for all my weaknesses! Out of strength training and cross training, I definitely prefer strength training. I do it now after almost every run when I can.

Another thing I've added is KT Tape. KT Tape is Kinesiology tape...you tape muscles, ligaments and tendons in certain special ways that help and support injured areas. It looks weird, and when I first started using it, I didn't think it was going to make that much difference. IT DOES. When I'm taped, my hamstring doesn't hurt nearly as much during OR after running. I got taped professionally the first time, but I've since learned to do it myelf. (It ain't easy...I just about have to stand on my head...but it's worth it!) This video instructs you how to apply KT Tape to a hamstring strain, and the application I use is basically the same, just higher up. View the video here.

What do you do for cross training? What's your favorite strength training exercise? Have you ever used KT Tape? Share your thoughts!

I ran with Dean Karnazes!!!

On March 25th, Dean Karnazes launched his bid to run all the way from California to New York. That's almost 3,000 miles. He is crazy!! If you don't know who Dean is, he's an ultra runner who has done some amazing things, written a few books, made a movie and is an incredibly inspirational guy. I've been a fan of his ever since my first TnT coach told me if I wanted to get really inspired, I should read Dean's book, "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner." I did read it and couldn't put it down. Then when I did put it down, I wanted to go run a marathon!!

Dean teamed up with Regis & Kelly from the Regis & Kelly Live show to raise money for Action for Healthy Kids, an organization committed to fighting obesity and undernourishment in kids. He started in Anaheim, CA at Disneyland on Friday, March 25th and is making his way across the United States, running 40-50 miles a day and sleeping only an average of about 4 hours at a time. (See where he's at now here: http://www.dadt.com/live/special/runacrossamerica/map/index.html) 

As part of his run across the country, 5k events are held where people can sign up to run with Dean for a donation to the charity. On Saturday the 26th, he made it to Riverside, and I got a chance to run with him. It was super exciting for me, since I have been inspired by Dean since I first started running. He spoke to the crowd of several hundred before the gun went off, and about 100 or so of us took of on a cross country course. It was a GORGEOUS morning, and we ran up a lovely green hillside and through trails that felt like we were far away from the rush of traffic and city streets. (I really LOVED trail running. More on that another time!) Dean made a visible effort to adjust his pace so he could have a chance to chat with many different people throughout the run. He was friendly, down to earth and fun, making jokes about the mud (it had been raining all night the night before, so the trail was full of puddles and slippery mud) and seeming to enjoy chatting with everyone as we ran along. I was able to keep up with him the entire run, which completely surprised me. Granted, he was going a bit on the slow side because he still had about 40 more miles to go, but I was pleased with myself anyway!

Overall it was a fantastic experience that I won't soon forget. The only bummer of the day was that he had told us he'd be available after the run to hang out and chat with people for a little while, but the TV crew absolutely WHISKED him off soon after we got back. Later, when he was running on to his next stopping point, some friends of mine saw where he was and went out to run along with him and again, the TV crew stepped in ran them off. They wouldn't allow anyone to run with him, even on a public street, which I found very disappointing. I do wish him well on his journey across the country, and I'm really glad I got to run along with him for a bit. And glad I could keep up! Go, Dean, Go!

(that's me in the pink hat on the left!)

Hope, Joy and Beauty in the World

Wow. It's been a long time since I've posted. I got a little lost in some dark times for a bit there. My hamstring did not respond very well to the running intervals as we proceeded on with them, it got more painful and uncomfortable and I got depressed, I lost my inspiration to write...it was not a happy place. Be glad I wasn't posting!!

The GREAT news is, when I found myself one day at the bottom of the well, wallowing in despair and grief over my loss, I realized something. I had been praying for God to heal me. Heal me, please heal me! It finally dawned on me that He wasn't going to do that on my schedule, but His. So I changed my prayer. I asked for God to let me know there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I told Him I understood I was getting a lesson in patience, and that I would try, oh so hard I would try, to be patient with His timing. I prayed for hope. I kid you not, the next day I went for a run on the treadmill for what I thought might be 5-7 minutes. I ended up running for 2 whole miles and there was NO pain. There I was, jogging along by myself, tears streaming down my face. I'm sure everyone there thought I had completely gone over the edge. I didn't care. I was bursting with praise and joy!! My hope was restored!!

Since that day, I have had pain again to be sure, but it is better and it is so much more bearable. I take it one day at a time. Some days are good, others not so good, but there is improvement overall. Today I had one of those runs that I believe  are the reason that runners run. Once in a while you get a run like this: it was beautiful, pain-free, and I felt outside of my body as I just floated along. It felt literally effortless. I could've kept going and going, but I stopped myself at just over 3 miles. It was as if my endorphine production maxed out at full capacity and then somehow found a second wind. It was amazing. Even cooler, the positivity in the music I happened to be listening to today added an even more beautiful, joyful element. Check some of these out if you need a lift: Amazing - One Eskimo, You've Got the Love - Florence + The Machine, Beauty in the World - Macy Gray. Have you had a run like this recently? Call it flow, call it runner's high, whatever it was...I hope to have it again very soon.

It is so nice to be back. To be full of hope and joy again. I am thankful and blessed. And I have SO much to write about...time to get busy and catch up!