Stuff I Like Right Now

I have a running (pun!) mental list of things I want to blog about, and particularly, about STUFF I want to write about. By stuff, I mean things that I love that help me run or make me happier when I run (or after!) There's a ton of things I want to share, and the list in my head is starting to get really long because I haven't had a chance to sit down and write about it all. Just when I thought I might mentally explode, a blogger I really enjoy and follow (Shut Up and Run) did a "favorite things of the month" blog and I loved it. Once a month-ish, she makes a list and shares things. I write about things I love all the time, I just haven't been cool enough up until now to organize them all into one monthly feature. So, in the interest of not ripping SUAR off completely, I am going to call this "Stuff I Like Right Now." Really, I become maniacally crazy about new things all the time, and who knows when I'll be organized enough again to do a whole post on them. In fact, I have so many darn things in my "Stuff I Like Right Now" I'll probably have to break them into two entries.
New things I'm crazy about:

1. Zico Pure Coconut Water in Chocolate flavor. When you put this in the freezer, it becomes a chocolaty slush of goodness. Oh. My. Gosh. Coconut water is supposed to be really good for rapid hydration because it's extremely high in potassium and other electrolytes. I'll be honest, I've tried plain coconut water and fruit flavored coconut water and I'm not a huge fan. To me it has a weird kind of salty-ish aftertaste to it, but in the chocolate flavor that doesn't seem to be so noticeable. Frozen into a slushy, it's especially awesome on a hot day.

2. Vitalsox recovery socks. I had been wanting to try compression socks to find out what all the hoopla was about. Ever since Shalane Flanagan rocked them in NYC, it seems like everyone's been jumping on the bandwagon and going gaga. I wasn't convinced they really could possible make that much of a difference, but when I won a pair of hot pink Vitalsox recovery socks, my opinion changed. If I pull them on immediately after a long run or hard workout, they feel so good I don't want to take them off. It's like a calf massage the whole time I'm wearing them. The packaging claims that they stimulate blood circulation, improve oxygen delivery to muscles, reduce lactic acid, and relieve cramps. All I can say is, after my first drills and sprints workout, I did not have these socks and I felt like I could barely walk the next day. The second workout, I put these on right after my shower and wore them for several hours. The reduction in muscle cramps and soreness was at  least 75%. I haven't graduated to wearing them during an actual run yet, but I love them enough that I just might try it.

3. Bic Band sparkles in silver. First of all, I was already a huge fan of Bic Bands. I have superfine hair, and nothing stays in. I have to buy special ponytail holders with little grippy things on them, because regular nylon bands pop off my ponytail like a rubber band gun. Run of the mill headbands just cannot cut it for me, but Bic Bands really do not slip. I recently lost my favorite black one and decided to order one in a sparkly silver, just for fun. It has pretty much not left my head since it arrived at my house. My boring pulled back ponytail (it's really my signature style these days!) has been magically transformed into something fun and sparkly. I feel like I'm wearing a tiara all day. Yes, sometimes I fixate on being the Queen of Everything, and maybe feeling like I'm wearing a tiara doesn't help. But I don't care. I love it. The Queen of Everything has spoken.   http://www.bicbands.com/product/silver-skinny-sparkle

4. Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken recipe from SUAR. Something else I sort of stole from her Favorites of the Month post. This amazine recipe for barbecue chicken has only five ingredients and you just throw it all in the crockpot. Super easy, super yummy. It is a new staple in my house. Thank you, SUAR!!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-slow-cooker-chicken-barbecue/detail.aspx

There are more things on the list, but for now I'll leave you in suspense. Part two, coming soon. Meanwhile, what's on your "can't live without" list?? Tell!

That elusive mantra.

I wrote a few weeks back about mantras and how I've been looking for a new one. There was a fantastic article in Runner's World this month (September 2011) called, "What's That You Say?" by Marc Parent. The subhead was "A running mantra doesn't have to make sense as long as it gets you up the hill." I laughed a lot as he described his first mantra ("Oh, c'mon! followed by C'mon, c'mon!") and as he explored motivational groaning. Passing the dead animal might've been my favorite. (---dead! Not like me! I'm alive!....Alive-Alive-o!....Alive-o, five-o!") He went on to talk about how some mantras can be good, but difficult to repeat when you're really tired. Since we've already discussed on this blog the fact that I cannot manage to keep a count of my laps at the track past, oh, say three, I can totally relate to this.

Last week I had a great mantra I'd built from some bible verses that I felt kept me strong. They came from all over the place, but basically it ended up something like, "Be Strong, Trust God, No Fear." I was so excited to go out for a long run and use this mantra. Unfortunately, I was far too optimistic in my ability to remember the word order while running uphill around mile 6. "No Strong, Trust Fear, Be God" was NOT the mantra I had planned. Moments later, I had a complete crisis, "Strong, What? Fear, huh?" From there on home, my mantra went something like, "I forgot, I forgot, what the heck were the words?"

Learning my lesson, the next time I set out, I concentrated on just one word. Strong. I can remember one word, right? The problem with that was on that same stretch of uphill, I did not FEEL strong. Strong was not working for me, no matter how much I tried to mash it into my head. It degenerated several times and finally ended up being "Shut up! COME ON! Stupid!" (What? It doesn't have to make sense, right?) At least I wasn't saying it out loud. Running along telling myself to shut-up would probably end with someone calling the police to come pick me up.

Parent closed his article with this - "Best mantra ever --- running through a list of what you care about most." I've been thinking about that one. If I can remember the names of my husband and kids on that uphill, I might just give this one a try.

Christmas in July!

I've had quite an excellent month in the scoring of cool stuff department! I won some great socks from SockGeek.com via The Marathon Show...here's the super spiffy FitSok. I have never run in FitSok before but wore them for my long run on Saturday and liked them a lot!

If you are not currently listening to The Marathon Show podcast, I highly recommend you give it a listen. Not only is it hysterically funny and entertaining, they give away lots of great stuff all the time. Look for the show on Facebook, too.

Earlier this month, I also won a very cute hot pink Champion Double Dry shirt. I don't have a photo of it 'cause it's all sweaty and gross (I wore it this morning for a run!) That was through the Champion Facebook page weekly contest. Every week in the summer, they've been giving stuff away. Very cool of them.

Today I went to the mailbox and found this fabulous bag of goodies from Brooks! Brooks is fantastic about swag, contests and super cool freebies, but this one was a surprise. I signed up for the Run Happy University when I got my new Glycerin 9s, and the "RHU Welcome Kit" had a gearbag, GU in Chocolate Outrage, GU Chomps, GU Brew, Bodyglide in solid and liquid powder, Brooks earbuds, and a book on Running Injury Free. Thanks, Brooks!! (I'm kind of a junkie...those are my Glycerin 9s in the new Blog graphic!)

If you "like" Brooks Sports on Facebook, they have a lot of cool FB only contests and freebies, there too. If I keep up scoring awesome goodies, I may just have to have a blog giveaway. What do you think? I've always wanted to do that!

What's the best giveaway you've seen on a blog contest recently? I entered one to win a new pair of Newton's, but I didn't win those. My luck only goes so far...

A crazy follow-up.

As a follow-up to my post last night on being careful, apparently in Japan they have issues with runners and non-runners colliding. So much so that there is now a company offering insurance for runners. Wow, and I thought we had some issues. Check this out: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/07/21/mobile-company-offers-insurance-to-runners/

Crazy??

Crazy observations.

Before I launch into the topic for today, what do you think of the new graphic?? I'd love some feedback so let me know!

Now, I wanted to talk about an observation I've made recently. When I first started running, if I woke up at dark thirty and went out running, I hardly ever encountered ANYONE else running or cycling around here at that hour. Lately, when I wake at same dark thirty and head out, there are literally TONS of people on the streets. Biking, walking, running...I wave and smile and nod at an awful lot of people these days when I'm out logging my miles. I am not sure if the fitness boom just suddenly swept through or what, but I've talked to others who have noticed the same thing. This city has become active!! Of course, I think that's a fantastic thing, and it's wonderful to see so many people out there. However, I've also noticed a corresponding upsurge in something else that is not as fabulous: unsafe drivers.

I don't know if it's the rise in cell phone usage, an increase in stress levels, or just a statistical increase due to more people being out and about, but it seems to be a freakish (and frightening) coincidence: more people out exercising and more people driving in totally scary ways. Though plenty of times in the past I have been accosted by car drivers honking at me when I was legally in the crosswalk, cars swerving in an unexpected manner, and generally shocking me with their driving behaviors, I don't think I have ever seen as many crazy things done by drivers as I have seen in the past month. On one long run yesterday, I had to screech to a complete halt twice when cars suddenly turned in front of me with no turn signal. I jumped backwards at a crosswalk when a car stopped, saw that I had already begun to cross, the driver made eye contact with me and decided to go anyway. I watched as a cyclist ahead of me had to leap off onto the grass because a driver swerved into the bike lane. (Luckily, the car missed the bike and the rider, but it was scary!) I saw a group of three walkers legally begin to cross at a lighted intersection and get honked at and sworn at by someone making a right on red.

I'm not advocating that walkers, runners and cyclists should bear no responsibility for their safety. Obviously, we ALL have to be careful out there, and for all of the runners and others who are out there moving in safe and legal ways, there are sure to be some that don't. There are some that have their headphones turned up too loud and don't hear honks and yells when they really need to. Some don't follow proper traffic laws. Some don't pay enough attention to what's going on around them. That's as bad a kind of crazy as drivers who are unsafe.

You hear it on the news all the time. Any scenario that involves a cyclist, runner or pedestrian versus a car usually does not end well. The CA DMV regulations state that while vehicles should yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, that does not relieve the pedestrian of the duty of exercising due care and THAT does not relieve the driver of the duty of exercising due care. So basically, it says that everyone should be careful of one another. Whether you're running, riding, walking, skateboarding or otherwise ambulating outside of a car, be careful. Use the crosswalks properly, make eye contact with drivers, and turn down the music. If you're driving a car, don't text, read, or let your attention waiver from the road, do use turn signals, and check the crosswalks.  I hope my city continues to become more and more active. And more and more careful.

Mental GU.

The other day I was listening to my favorite podcast, The Marathon Show. The epsiode featured some fellow runners...Dave Mari (who was a no show!), Greg Goebel and Endorphin Dude. During the show, Greg asked "what makes you happy at a race?" I was thinking maybe the answers would be "cheering crowds", "inspirational signs," or even "post-race chocolate milk," but instead, Endorphin Dude said this (paraphrased a little): If you can get someone to smile, if someone's smiling, that changes their whole mood. It gets rid of that blister, it gives them that shot of Gu, that mental Gu that they need to cross the finish line.

I LOVED THAT! Mental Gu!! There are many, many countless times when I've felt the need for some mental Gu. That's  usually when I pull out one of my "mantras" to boost my positive thinking. I have been trying to come up with some new ones lately, so I went back and read some of my blog entries from a while back about the power of positive thinking. Think positive, BE positive. (I think this one is my favorite: http://runsoncoffee.blogspot.com/2010/09/marathon-inspiration-mantras.html)

Sometimes this is my mental Gu.

When I'm feeling slow, or my legs feel like lead, I can't keep the pace and I just want to be done, whine, whine, whine...I know that I can put a cork in it if I just grab onto some good, positive thoughts to replace it. In the past, I've used, "you've got this," "I love hills," "don't think, just run," "breathe and relax.". (I have also used, "Hurry up slowbie, if you run faster you'll get your coffee sooner!!") Runners World has a "Mantra Builder", but nothing seems to fit me right now. My search is on for a new phrase that will remind me to be positive and strong, to give me that shot of Mental Gu. If I can beat the voice in my head, I win.

Maybe something like Dory's "Just Keep Swimming" mantra, from Finding Nemo. That negative girl in me is the only thing standing between me and the finish line, and I'm pretty sure I can take her if I stop being Mrs. Grumpygills. Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running, running, running...

What's YOUR mental Gu???

(Video excerpt from Disney Pixar's "Finding Nemo.")

Taking it all in strides.

I am trying to become a faster runner. Not a FAST runner, but a fastER runner. I am also trying to run and not injure myself, because I am old and getting youngER is not really an option. In addition to the fabulous swimming I've added in as crosstraining (and, don't tell anyone, but I'm starting to like it!) I've started doing more strength training and I'm now doing speed drills and strides with some friends of mine. Yesterday was my first day at this. We did "high knees", "butt kicks", "high skips" and strides.

I started out sort of okay, feeling like I was in slow-motion, but managing to do the high knees and butt kicks. The high skips gave me some trouble, whether from my lack of coordination or my lack of recall on how to actually skip, I'm not sure. The toughest for me turned out to be the strides. The first sets were supposed to be at 80% speed. Okay, I don't know exactly what that is. I feel like I'm either going slow or pushing hard and I don't really know where my middle gear is. Before we started I asked about this and was told I should be going fast, but still have an awareness of what I was doing and ability to adjust my form and stride, plus have a little bit left in me. Okay, I thought I could do that, but apparently not. By the last 80% effort stride set, I was wearing out. The 100% effort set left me quivering and dry heaving, and by the last one I collapsed to the ground. So THAT is what it feels like to be entirely spent with nothing left. Wow.

It felt good, but awful at the same time. I like to push myself hard. Pushing until every muscle was screaming and I couldn't get air and my legs literally wouldn't obey my mind felt awful, but like I'd accomplished something. Today I can barely walk. My calves are like hard little knots. My hip flexors can barely make my legs move. It hurts to sneeze. Still, I managed a (slow) swim workout today. What's really sick is, I can't wait for next week! I think it's because I have the most awesome workout buddies to push me, encourage me and tell me how cool it is when you RTYP*. They make me keep going even when I think I'm going to barf, and that is true friendship.

So here's to the drills and strides. Improving form, speed and making me mentally stronger. I will be fearless, and you should stand back. I might throw-up on your shoes.

I think maybe I need this.

* Pacing acronyms: EZ - easy pace, HMP - half marathon pace, LT - lactate threshold (or tempo) pace, and RTYP - run 'til you puke. Thank you, Amby Burfoot, for those acronyms.