Tips for Running in the Heat

I ran again the other day in the heat.  I waited until pretty late in the evening and although I started off on the road, I headed into the forest as soon as I could in order to beat the heat.  It was 7:00 p.m. and I was as hot as anything.  It was unbelievable.  I was able to get through my 14K run, but I was much slower than usual as I had to take many walking breaks.  This time I had brought quite a large bottle of water with me, but I drained it all by 9K and wished I had more.  I had even hydrated really well that day, I thought.  It didn't seem to be enough. 

So I was very happy to read this article in The Hamilton Spectator with some really good tips about ways to keep cool while running in the heat.  There were some things I hadn't thought about, such as having a cool shower prior to running, keeping your hair wet, and bringing a spray bottle to spray your face, neck and underarms in order to cool you down.  Another great idea was to freeze a water bottle before you go so you can roll it over your face and hands.  I love it!  I need to be able to train in this weather so now I feel like I can better handle the hot weather.  Bring it on, heat!  But be gentle.

http://www.thespec.com/living/healthfitness/article/752520--keeping-your-cool-in-the-heat

'Revolutionary Kale Chips'

Kale chips are yummy.  My husband, who is strictly a meat and potatoes man, loves them!  As he said, "It doesn't taste like I'm eating salad."  And they are very healthy, with calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K.


Revolutionary Kale Chips
-from the Miami Herald, reprinted in The Hamilton Spectator

makes 4 servings

1 head kale
2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil
sprinkle of sea salt

(you can use other spices if you like as well such as cumin, red pepper flakes, or curry powder)

Heat oven to 300F (150 C).  Wash kale leaves and blot dry.  Tear or cut the leaves free of the stems.  Place on large baking sheet, one layer only.  (You may need two baking sheets.)  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 10 minutes or until they are crispy.

Approximate nutrition per serving:  36 calories, 2.5 fat, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 0.7 fibre

8 Diet and Exercise Mistakes that Age You (in the Hamilton Spectator)

This is an interesting article.  I had never heard of glycation before.  This changes everything!

http://www.thespec.com/living/healthfitness/article/748225--8-diet-and-exercise-mistakes-that-age-you

Lemony Cucumber Salad (from 'Cooking Light Big Book of Salads')

I am loving salads right now.  I started off eating them because they're healthy and I was trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet.  But now I crave salads.  And not the kind with wilted iceberg lettuce.  No way.  Mostly I just love arugula sprinkled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, maybe some cherry tomatoes, and then feta crumbled on top.  But this cucumber salad is perfect for summer.  It is very light; the dressing is extremely tasty; and it stays crunchy.  What more could you want?

Lemony Cucumber Salad
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 & 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine lemon rind and next five ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Pour dressing over cucumber mixture; toss well to coat.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Per serving:  33 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre.

Easy Overnight Oatmeal

I am not a morning person. I would rather do my exercising in the early evening. When we have bootcamp on Saturday mornings I find it difficult to even get there on time. The biggest motivation I have for getting out the door is that latecomers often have to wear the dreaded weighted vest. You do not want the weighted vest.

I'm also not the most organized person when it comes to having all my gear ready for early morning exercise. I'm often racing up and down the stairs trying to find clean clothes and turning cupboards upside-down looking for shot-blocks, tablets and almonds to bring with me.

When I stumbled upon recipes for overnight oatmeal I was very interested. If I could eliminate making breakfast I'd have more time to search for socks.

There are many recipes for overnight oatmeal out in blogland, some include using a crock-pot overnight for a warm breakfast. That sounds great, but I'm all for fewer dishes to wash. That's one of the main reasons that I opted for the cold version stored overnight in the refrigerator.

Also, to me, it tastes a bit like raspberry cobbler with cream and desert for breakfast is always a bonus.

Easy Overnight Oatmeal

1 cup frozen raspberries
1 serving plain low-fat yogurt (regular or Greek)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 cup oatmeal

Pour all ingredients into a container with a lid. Close the lid and shake until everything is mixed and coated with yogurt. Place in refigerator overnight. In the morning just grab a spoon.

This is my favourite version, but you can change it up in any number of ways:

• Any kind of fruit will do, but I think frozen works best as it adds liquid as it thaws.
• You can add mashed banana in the morning.
• Nuts, cereals, raisins or other dried fruit and seeds are probably best added in the morning so they don't go soggy.

And This is Why I Love to Run

It was almost the run that never was.  Last night I thought idly about running early the next morning.  I'd just had boot camp, and I was tired, and I hadn't gotten to bed early, so I wasn't sure.

I used to be a morning person, but (strangely) that was before I had kids.  Now I work part-time and many of those shifts are 7 - 3, which feels terribly early.  Usually one of my main goals in life right now is to be able to sleep in (meaning until at least 7 a.m.!).  But I would have to run early before my husband went to work.  Anyway, I decided to just play it by ear.

I woke up in the morning and it seemed so bright outside that I thought I'd slept too long, but when I looked at the clock, it was only 6:15 a.m.  I was still on the fence, frankly, but when I went out to get the paper it was such a beautiful morning that I said to myself, "Right.  That's it.  I'm going for a run."

It was a nice cool morning, which was amazing after the last heat-fest I'd run in.  I felt great!  Whereas with the last run I felt like I just couldn't make my legs do what I wanted them to do, this time I felt like I couldn't stop. 

Running is never easy - well, let me rephrase that. Running is never easy on an uphill, but it can still have those 'effortless' feeling moments. I love those.  And because running is challenging, I feel a great sense of accomplishment.  I've also seen progress, which keeps me motivated to continue.

Before stepping out for the run, I had all these thoughts in my mind about what errands I was going to be able to do that day while still making sure my daughter had a fun day.  I was thinking about groceries and laundry, and what I had to do that evening at work.  But all these worries left my mind as soon as I was running.  I just noticed the fresh air and the greenery.

I love trail running because it makes me happy to be surrounded by trees and green things.  I love that being able to run means I can go far in a short time and see so many beautiful sights.

I felt like I was going a very fast pace - I didn't have a watch on but I know it was a good sub-30 5K from the clock in the house.

When I returned to the house I felt wide awake and full of energy.  I noticed how the colour of our garage door looked so nice in the bright sunlight (I know - I can't believe it either) and I noticed the colour of the pink roses against the brick.  As soon as I stepped inside my boys started complaining about each other, but I didn't yell and it didn't faze me at all.   I felt very calm.

Running is very therapeutic.  It is good for my body and my mind.  I felt very happy and content. I poured a large mug of coffee, put my favourite group on the iPod (Of Monsters and Men) and started the shower, feeling like my day had started off in the best way possible.  This is why I love to run.

Don't Forget! Preparation For Your Race

Have Fun!
Plan Dinners A Few Days Before and Breakfast the Day of
Get Your Rest!
Buy Any Gels, Tabs You'll Use
Charge Your iPod
Update Your Running List
Wash Your Race Clothes and Socks
Don't Forget the Carbs
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Set out everything, and I mean everything, the night before

Boot Camp: where your pride ends up in a puddle of sweat on the floor

We go to a mixed martial arts boot camp.  It's amazing!  I've taken so many classes over the years, but this has been the best work out by far, and one in which I've seen the most results.

It's based on whole-body workouts, so in one exercise you could be working your core as well as arms and legs.

When we do something seemingly simple, like squats, they become the hardest squats you have ever done.  We just go up and down, but we will count and hold at different levels, and then go back down, and I start breathing hard and my legs are shaking, and even a few seconds seem like an eternity.  It's so hard.  I love it!

We do skipping to warm up.  I thought that was difficult enough at first, and then different types of skipping were introduced, such as crossovers.  I can do some double-unders now, too!

Then we may do circuits to continue with cardio, while also using weights or doing jumps.  We use steps to jump over and on, bars to lift (sometimes while doing lunges), medicine balls to hurl or to lift while doing crunches, and so on.  It's impossible to say everything we do, because there are so many exercises and so much equipment used.  This keeps it all interesting.  I don't know how anyone can keep such a huge repertoire of exercises in their mind.  I can barely remember what I had for lunch.

That's the other thing I love about boot camp.  There is no limit to the bar.  He keeps raising it!  You think you're doing great with 'real' push ups, and then he changes where you put your arms or hands so that it's much harder.  And then he has you raise alternate legs while you do push ups, or clap hands with a partner in between push ups.

Have you seen that commercial for the Olympics that says 'Give It All'?  I love those boot camps where I feel I have given it all, and I'm so exhausted that I'm lying full out on the mat, sweaty and completely done.  It's very therapeutic.  So is the kickboxing and punching, but that's another post.

I've heard that cross-training helps with running, and I love the variety of boot camp.  So bring it on!

http://truthmartialarts.net

Staying Cool (and a Hydrating Salad)

As Jen pointed out in her last post, it is hot here. Temperatures in the thirties and humidity do not mix well. Add in exercise and I come out looking like I'm running in slow-motion. This weather wipes me right out and leaves me feeling (and looking) like a wet rag.

I had similar experience to Jen when I ran yesterday. I went out in the morning and even though was well-rested and feeling great, I soon felt like I was running in hot soup. I tried to speed up, but the wall of air stopped me.

It is like this here for most of the summer. So unless we want to give up on running for the next four months, we have to find a way to make it through this heat.

We are lucky where we live because we have a number of waterfalls close by. Cooling off under the spray feels amazing. Last summer we planned many of our running routes according to local waterfalls.

Also, I find hydration works wonders. I’m sipping water as I write this and am already thinking of ways to make it taste better. I get bored of plain water. I also try to eat a lot of foods with high water content. A bonus is that they make me feel full longer which helps keep calories down.

Here is a recipe for a very basic salad that I made for lunch today. I saw something similar in a magazine a while back but as I didn’t keep it I am trying my hand at replicating it. I love adding fruit to main meals, which is probably why I remember seeing this recipe in the first place.





Spinach Watermelon Feta Salad

1 cup Spinach
1 slice Watermelon cut into pieces
30 g Light Feta Cheese
¼ of a Lemon
Almonds, Walnuts or Sesame Seeds

Lay a bed of spinach in a bowl and layer on the watermelon, feta and nuts. Squeeze a ¼ of a lemon over the ingredients and mix it up. Simple! And full of hydrating melon.

TIP: I like to squeeze lemon over my watermelon slices. It makes them taste a bit like sour candies.

(Note: The photo shows the salad without the nuts as I thought of them after I took the shot.)

Worst. Pace. Ever. (Or: The Heat is not my Friend)

It felt like 35 degrees in Hamilton, Ontario today.  I waited until 5:00 p.m. to run, thinking that would be okay.  It wasn't.

I was running in the forest so I figured it wouldn't be so bad.  It was.

When I ran down some steep hills into the valley, I could feel tendrils of cool air but they quickly dissipated, and they weren't enough.

I don't know if it would have been a hard day anyway, or if it was solely the heat and humidity, but I felt like a complete train wreck.

It was soooo hot.  I thought longingly of running in the winter.  I wished for the smallest whisper of breeze, but nothing.  I would have given anything for a freezie.

At one point I thought of turning back, but I was determined to do the distance (about 13K) even if there was absolutely no speed involved whatsoever.  Which, if it's not already obvious, there wasn't.

I had many walking breaks.  I walked up even the smallest incline, because even those I considered 'hills' today.

I've heard that your body needs to adjust to things like altitude, so I'm thinking maybe it's the same for heat.  Hopefully my body will get better as the summer goes on.

Or I could start running at midnight!

Vegetable Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic or to taste, minced
2 tbsp gingerroot or to taste, minced or chopped finely
1 cup cut-up carrots
2 zucchini, sliced
3 cups mushrooms, white or a variety
1 bunch leeks, tops removed, sliced
1 can tomato soup + 1 can water (optional)
3 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt & pepper
other seasonings as desired, such as oregano

Heat olive oil and butter in large pot. Add garlic and gingerroot until fragrant. Add vegetables. Stir until tender. Add soup and/or broth. Season. Simmer until all vegetables tender and taste is as desired. (Approx. 1 hour)

NOTE: The great thing about this recipe is you can use it as a base and add whatever you have on hand. I've added cans of cut-up green beans, black beans, lentils, kale, onion, and feta. You can even add a splash of white wine if you're forgoing the tomato soup for flavouring. This is a very healthy soup and you can pack it with vegetables.

Determined to Win

My oldest son has a real competitive streak. I knew it was there, but I didn’t know how deep it ran until last weekend. On Sunday he ran a 2K mud run and tied for 1st Place.

Leading up to the race I was telling him to pace himself, make sure he had enough energy to finish. The race wound up muddy hills, over logs and through a creek. It was the longest run he has competed in and I wasn’t sure where he was going to fall in the pack. I just wanted to make sure he finished. He had other plans.

“Mommy, I’m going to try to win,” he told me. “Yes, of course you are,” I replied, as all parents do.

At the starting buzzer he sprinted into the distance and I thought he’d never keep up that pace. But he did. I was surprised at the finish line to see my kid appear at the top of the last hill with an exhausted but extremely determined look on his face. He obviously saw there was one boy in front of him and that propelled him to push to full-speed. He all but flew down the hill to the end. The grade was pretty steep and I thought he was going to end up cartwheeling through.

My son is a pretty active kid, but this was the first time I have ever seen him too tired to talk. He had used up everything he had. I was shocked and proud. I realized he had wanted to win and he had worked very hard to do so. It was a great experience for him. Now he's talking about a triathlon in the fall.

I love the fact that my oldest son is excited about running and racing. I think encouraging kids in sports that they can continue into adulthood can help them maintain healthy lifestyles. When I was young my sport was figure skating. I’m sure I had great posture and balance at the time, but as an adult it really only means that I can awe beginners with my crossovers at the local arena.

Now that my oldest is getting into running I also look forward to passing on my wisdom. Today I tried teaching him about the importance of hydration. He looked at me like I was nuts. Maybe I’m getting a little too carried away.

Mommy Needs An Ice Pack for her Butt

Now that we're done the 25K, my friend and I are in training for the Iroquoia Trail Test 32K.  We went for a run today, almost 20K.  It was a route mostly through the city and it was more cement than we are used to doing.  At one point I turned to her and said, "You know, I have never iced my butt before but there's a first time for everything, and it's going to be today." 

My butt was aching.  This has never happened to me before while running.  I know what it was: boot camp. 

I do this amazing boot camp that is three times a week, and it's hard-core.  That's why I love it.  The last class was yesterday.  Obviously we worked our glutes.  I mean, we worked everything, like we always do; it's all about full-body workouts.  But I did notice that my glutes were a bit on the sore side this morning.

However, it sure got worse after running 20K.  I'm not sure why.  That's funny, isn't it?

What was funny was my friend and I doing this 20K run when we were tired and had drank wine the night before, and it was raining and our muscles were sore.  And we were talking about how runners are kind of crazy people.  And we said it with completely straight faces!  As if we're not runners.  As if we're not those people.  You know, the crazy ones.

We're the ones who talked about doing a marathon and then decided to just do the 50K race next year at Sulphur Springs.  Because that's...more than a marathon. 8K more!  And it's on trails.  Hilly trails.  Which is much harder than a road race.  So, yeah.  That's us.

Crazy.  With sore butts.  Luckily we're having fun.  See you on the trail!