Hump Day Run

My pre-run snack today is the Atkins protein bar: Caramel Chocolate Nut Roll. 8g of Protein, 2g of Sugar, and 19g of Carbs. It tastes OK. It's not the best protein bar (Luna is my favorite brand) but it's much better than most of what is out there!

I ran the opposite direction of the Esplanade today to mix things up. I was toying with the idea of running up to Washington Park, but decided not to push myself too much this close to the Shamrock Run.

I crossed the Hawthorne Bridge and was almost to the Eastside when it started to rain! Blast! Fortunately, it was just a light drizzle and actually felt pretty good. The above pictures are from today's run: gloomy, dark skies.

I am happy to report NO KNEE PAIN! YAY! Hopefully that will be the norm now. My pace was good, I ran the loop without stopping, and felt pretty light on my feet today. Then, with about 1 mile left (at the Steel Bridge), I felt a rumble in my stomach. A not so good rumble. I've read horror stories about runners being stuck somewhere and having horrible stomach problems. For the last mile, I was really worried. Thankfully nothing happened. Perhaps I've added too much fiber to my diet this week.

Run time: 34 1/2 minutes! I shaved about 45 seconds off my run!
Calories burned: 423
Pace: 8'36, according to my Nike+

Equipment Malfunction
While today's run was great, I was endlessly annoyed during my entire run. First, my regular sunglasses are broken and I've been using a backup pair that are a bit too big for my face. They kept sliding down my nose.

Second, my new Nike running jacket--that I LOVE--kept riding up. I don't notice it riding up with other shirts I wear underneath, so it must be the undershirt I wore. Third, my running shorts are old and getting too big (yay!). Unfortunately, it seems impossible to find running shorts with pockets.

Lastly, and most sad, I think I need to upgrade my heart rate monitor. I have a Polar and I've loved it. But it's been acting wonky lately. While I was leaving the building and about to start my run, it said my heart rate was 221. Um, no. I'm pretty sure I'd be dead if my heart rate was 221. And then it said zero, like I had no heart rate. Grrrr! I fiddled with it, tried to get it to work and then gave up. About 5 minutes into my run it started working again. Perhaps it's time to upgrade to a Garmin that also tracks my mileage.

UPDATE: I just read an article about weight loss and the writer's mantra was “My weight does not equal my worth”. I LOVE it!!

Monday's Run

Today's run was pretty good. Or at least, it got better. It started out rough. My knee was bothering me a bit. I'd taken about a week off from running to rest my knee after I banged it up two weeks ago. It loosened up the longer I ran today, but there was a moment when I first started where I considered going back to the office instead.

My legs felt like lead. I was eating a headwind the whole way, and I felt like I was running through water. I was starting to feel discouraged and worrying that my running hobby may be coming to an end....

And yet...it turned out to be one of my best runs time wise! Weird! 35 minutes to do 3.33 miles and I burned 440 calories. Woot!

Lunch today is leftover Annie's Organic Mac and Cheese (about 3/4 of a serving) and a bean salad I made.
Bean and Corn Salad
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can white kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of corn (rinsed and drained)
Chopped cilantro (I think I added too much)
Salt & Pepper
Cumin
Chopped tomato
Minced Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

On a side note, one of my pet peeves I've developed along with my running...People who feel the need to comment on how BAD running is for you. FYI, runners know running is bad for the knees. And guess what? They decided to do it anyways! I can't tell you how many people say "Oh you shouldn't be running! It's so bad for you!" Yay yay yay. I'm gonna do it anyways, thanks. I try to protect my knees the best I can. I buy good shoes. I only run about 2 times a week. I'm pretty sure I'm never going to want to run an entire marathon. And there's a track in my neighborhood where I can run if I desire to escape the concrete. I do my best.

Book Review #1 & Weight Loss

"Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days--and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!" by Dean Karnazes.

I loved the book! It was really inspiring and made me want to get right out there and run a marathon. What Dean did is amazing, and crazy, to me. The book had a lot of really good tips for running, motivation, recovery and injuries. I think both seasoned runners and newbies could benefit from the book. I lent the book to a co-worker who has run Hood To Coast for 8 years and she loved it too.

Each chapter is a different marathon in each of the states. Here is an excerpt from one chapter:
"Follow the Losers: According to research data, these are the top three habits of men and women who lose significant amounts of weight and keep it off permanently:
1. Daily Exercise
2. Portion Control
3. Behavior Modification"

That quote just reiterates what I previously said about there not being a magic pill. Those three things are the key to success. I particular like the "Behavior Modification" theory. I know a few people who had gastric bypass surgery to lose weight. Even at 250+ pounds, I never considered surgery an option. I'm not trying to criticize people who have had such surgeries...but seeing two friends of mine go through it, I think I can give a pretty informed opinion.

The surgery helped them lose weight, yes. Both friends lost about 50 pounds and then stopped losing weight (and also gained a lot of weight back). Why? Because they did not change their behavior. They still ate the high fat, fried foods they enjoyed before the surgery. So why even have the surgery? Anyone can lose weight--it's the keeping it off that's really hard. It's easy to slip back into old habits and get lazy with eating. I've been there. And I gained 15 pounds.

How many calories should we eat each day? It really depends on your sex, age, current weight, height, and how active you are. Everyone is different, but here's a general guide:
Men, age 31-50 should eat 2200-3000 calories a day.
Women, age 31-50 should eat 1800-2000 calories a day.

In order to lose weight, you should try to eat 500 less calories a day.

Training for the Shamrock Run

Sunday, March 14^th is the Shamrock Run in Portland. It will be my first time participating and my first “long” run! The last race I did was Run Like Hell (5K). Shamrock is an 8k. I’m confident that I can do it and that my time will be decent.

My 5k time was pretty good – and I’d had the flu! And I didn’t know what to expect. I do now, and I think I’m prepared for the 8k. The biggest problem I am facing is the weather. I’m a fair weather runner and I’m not ashamed to admit it! Who wants to run in pouring rain? Icky. I have a running rain jacket I’ve yet to use. I will definitely be bringing that! I recently bought a visor and a running hat.

There’s about 3 weeks until the run. (GASP…I thought I had more time!) So I need to get on the stick with my training! It looks like I have about 17^th days to go!

In preparation, I was reading websites, running books and training guides. My favorite quote: “What pace should you run? Go slow. There is no advantage to going fast during your long runs, even for experienced runners.” PHEW! Big sigh of relief. My goal for the Shamrock Run is to complete it with a decent time. I’m not racing anyone. I’m training to be able to compete in Hood to Coast.

My training is going well so far. I’ve been able to complete 2 long runs with minimal soreness. And those two long runs were done in my VERY hilly neighborhood. I believe that has helped me. My goal is to be able to do a few more long runs before the Shamrock. Rain or shine!

QUESTION: How do you train for events? Email me at 110pounds@gmail.com.

Yoga & Runners

During my last massage, the masseuse asked me if I was a runner. "Why?" She said that my leg muscles were tight like a runner, and she said she could have spent the entire session on just my lower body.

Not good!! I have a confession to make: I am horrible at stretching. I stretch after running but not nearly enough. The recent soreness of my knee reminded me that I need to take care of my body. The possibility of being sidelined for weeks or --SHUDDER-- months, scared me! Time to make a change!

Running causes a tightening and shortening of muscles and if not fixed with stretching, it can cause serious injury. A lot of times, I feel tight and stiff after a run. I assumed that with my swimming I was OK--that stretched out my long muscles enough and relieved the tightness. Which is true. But not enough!

Last night, feeling down about my sore knee and stressing about when I could run again, I did yoga after work. I set up in the living room (picture above right) and spent about 25 minutes doing yoga poses and stretching. I used an iphone app for yoga to help remind me of poses. And yes my kitty helped me with the yoga! :)

I felt so much better afterward! And waking up this morning, my knee pain was gone! I am going to try and do yoga at least once a week. I might incorporate it into my routine on Rest Days. I'm also going to look into local drop-in classes.

Today's Run and Rest Days

My new Nike Air shoes are fantastic!! It was the closest thing to running on clouds I've experienced.

My lunchtime run was really great. I ran the entire loop without stopping or walking. The blasted bridge was up again, so I took a detour instead of waiting. I ran up the stairs to the Steel Bridge overpass to get to the East-side and continue my run. The weather was perfect and I took off my jacket half way through.

I used the Mapmyrun App on my iphone today. I wanted an accurate measurement of how many miles the Waterfront loop is. Turns out my lunchtime run is 3.33 miles! Calories burned: 430.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/user/801126426492369843/lisaeirene

Something I want talk about today: Rest Days. They are so important! And I learned the hard way (as many beginning athletes do). When I was close to my goal weight, I hit a plateau that I just could NOT get over. It took months. It was very discouraging! My solution? EXERCISE MORE! Hell ya! Um...totally not that way to do it. I worked out (HARD) for 28 days straight. The scale would not budge no matter what I did. By working out too much, I was taxing my body, putting unnecessary strain on my muscles and joints, and setting myself up for injury. Luckily, that didn't happen. I was burned out, sick of exercising, and frustrated with the scale. What helped get over the plateau? I kept doing my normal 5 day a week routine, continued counting calories, and tried to stop obsessing. It was then the scale finally moved.

I now try to take 2 days off a week from intense exercise. On my "off days" I sometimes walk briskly but try to take it easy.

Rest days are crucial. Recovery days are when your body replenish energy and heal damaged tissues in your muscles. Here is an interesting article at Runner's World about rest days:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--13104-0,00.html

"Less Is More
Rest days and easy days reward runners with different benefits
REST DAY
How It Helps:
Prevents overuse injuries
Restores glycogen stores
Prevents mental burnout
How Often: Once a week
How Easy: Off completely or 20 to 30 minutes (or 2 to 4 easy miles) below 60% of max heart rate

EASY DAY
How It Helps:
Builds base
Improves endurance
Increases blood volume
How Often: 80 to 85% of total weekly mileage
How Easy: 70 to 75% of max heart rate or conversational pace at comfortable to moderate effort"

Junk Food and Monday's Run

Something I wanted to address was "junk food." I'm not necessarily speaking of Cheetohs or Oreos, more like a cheeseburger. Yesterday, Michael and I went to Five Guy's for burgers for dinner. I don't feel guilty because I was way under my calories for the day and could "afford" it.

I think it's a good thing to have a "cheat day". I work out REALLY hard all week in order to splurge once in awhile. The secret of "cheating", however, is to still make good decisions with what you're eating. The Five Guy's "Little Bacon Cheeseburger" I ate was 630 calories. I did not get fries and I had a diet soda. Michael got the regular Bacon Cheeseburger at 1,000 calories. My burger tasted just as great as his, and less calories. I'd had a fantastic week calorie-wise! I rewarded myself with a cheeseburger. :)

The problem with a "cheat day" is that it implies you're on a diet and not allowing yourself to eat real food. That's not healthy and as soon as you're "denying" yourself things you'll want them more! What you have to do is eat food you want to eat in moderation. Michael loves pizza and could seriously eat pizza every day. He explained to me that he goes to places where he can get 1 slice. That's the way to "cheat"--having something you love but not over-eating.

The secret to "Cheat Day" is to not undo EVERYTHING you accomplished the rest of the week!

I read a lot of other food blogs and noticed that they are more concerned with eating healthy and organic food. That's excellent. But for me, since the beginning, my concern is eating what I like to eat IN MODERATION. It's all about portion control. I don't have time to cook elaborate food with all organic items. I pay attention to calories and portions. It works for me.

Yesterday we also went to the Nike outlet and I got some new running shoes! I can't wait to try them out. I really hope these are better than the Addidas. :( I got the Nike Air Insight IV Running shoes.

Today I'm a little sore from Saturday's bike ride, but it's bike muscles that are sore. I hope that means today's run won't be excruciating! Today is going to be the only nice day in Portland, followed by 10 days of rain, I have to take advantage of it!

Question: What is your "splurge food" on Cheat Day? And can you eat it in moderation?

How to Stay Motivated

Vegas before....and after! The picture on the right was taken last summer in Vegas. I was the skinniest I'd ever been. I gained about 15 pounds this last year. I hate it. I felt like a failure after losing 110 pounds! Part of it is muscle because I really changed my work out routine this year (added a weight program and started running). The main part of that is medication I took for a year. It was nasty stuff. I'm off it now and hope the weight starts to come back off. I want to get back to that Vegas weight.

I think most people start exercise/diet programs with the best intentions but it's difficult to stay motivated. Here are a few tips I've learned along the way:
*Listen to music while at the gym. Or talk radio. I recorded a few radio shows I liked but couldn't hear at work and it helped me stay on that elliptical machine longer.
*A few gyms now have mini television screens attached to the machines. I've been known to get sucked into an HGTV program and all of a sudden I've been on the treadmill for an hour!
*Choose an exercise that you enjoy.
*Get a buddy! Having someone to work out with keeps you motivated because it's fun and you're accountable to each other.
....And the most important for ME:
*Have achievable goals!

Achievable goals are less overwhelming. Want to run a marathon? How about making your goal to run a half marathon instead? It's less stressful and overwhelming. Sometimes when I run, I start to feel overwhelmed, tired, or bored and want to stop. I tell myself, "I'll just run to that next light post" and once I get there, I usually keep going. :)

While I was losing weight, it helped immensely to have goals and specific dates to reach my weight loss. Here is an example:
1. I wanted to lose 50 pounds by my brother's wedding.
2. I wanted to train for my first 5k run.
3. And currently, I am training for Reach the Beach and Hood to Coast.

Running at Lunch

Today is absolutely gorgeous in Portland! After months of dark, gray, rainy skies there's actually some sun. It's pretty cold out still, but damn, it's sunny!

Running the Waterfront loop is a great exercise for me because it's about 3 miles the whole way. When the weather is nice, it's a beautiful and scenic run. My goal is to be able to run the loop three times a week before May of this year.

One of benefits about running the waterfront is that I spend less money shopping during lunchtime. :) The danger of working downtown! Seriously, the best benefit is that I have my evenings free again. I used to work out 5 days a week, immediately following work. It was a pain to schedule fun things (like Happy Hour or movies with friends) when I had to work out first. This works out much better!

Today I did the run in about 38 minutes. That's not my best time, but the bridge went up! That's a hazard living in the city of bridges. I burned about 360 calories, came back to the office to shower, and ate my Trader Joe's Indian food for lunch.

On a side note, a blog I really enjoy posted my weight loss story. You can read it here: http://runeatrepeat.com/

Going for a Run!

It's a beautiful day out in Portland and I have the day off from work! Here is my pre-run breakfast:
banana with Trader Joe's peanut butter
English muffin with cinnamon and sugar
A little bit of Gatorade

My run was ok. It wasn't my fastest/best run but it wasn't awful. I did discover, however, I am NOT a fan of Addidas running shoes. I kept getting pebbles and dirt in my shoes, which meant I had to stop and take them off. Grrr--that never happened with Nikes! And not only that, on the way home my foot started to hurt. I'm a Nike girl. I've never had a problem or pain with Nike running shoes. Looks like I'm going shoe shopping again this weekend!

I ran 6.83 miles, which is almost 11km! My time: 1 hour, 8 minutes, and I burned 690 calories! Woo! I used my Polar Heart Rate Monitor for my time and calories, and used my Nike+ iphone gadget to track my miles.

The two pictures above were of the massive hill (aka Mountain) I have to run up. I was only able to run about 1/4 of it at a time. It's that steep! I wish the pictures did it justice. When I've just walked up that mountain in the past, I felt the burn in my butt for days. Let's hope today's run won't cripple me for the rest of the week. Portland finally has nice weather and I want to take advantage of that!

Ok, off the have lunch with a friend and get pedicures. :)

Saturday Work Out

I slept in a bit this morning and then headed to the gym. The above picture is me in my workout clothes. The other are my new shoes! My last pair of Nike running shoes died this week. On my lunchtime run Monday, I realized half way through my 3 miles that they were dead and going to cause me blisters. Ouch! My new shoes are Addidas running shoes. I've never had Addidas before, but I'm willing to try.

At the gym I spent about 40 minutes on the stairmaster and then did my weight training routine. I paid particular attention to using the ab machines because that's the area of my body I dislike the most. I spent an hour and 10 minutes at the gym and burned 615 calories!