My 7 Favorite Stretches After Running

Stretching is a must, especially as you start to add more mileage on. Your body takes a beating and it needs to relax. Stretching should only be done after the muscles are warm. So don't wait too long after you finish running to stretch. I try to do it within 30 minutes of running. Really right after I finish at the gym I tend to go to the stretching and plop down and do it, and if I do outside running then I stretch right as I walk in the door, and take off my shoes of course!

So here are my 7 must have stretches after running. Please listen to your body and don't bounce. Hold each stretch for a good little while. I count slowly to 30 or 45 depending on how much I need the stretch. Check out this AWESOME article about THE BENEFITS OF YOGA, ACCORDING TO SCIENCE by Jen Reviews!

1. Standing Quad Stretch

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Just like you did in Jr. High school. Kick the heel of your foot up to your butt and hold. Do not pull the foot to your outside leg or let your knee flare out. Tuck your pelvis under and use a couch or chair for balance if you need. You should feel this in the front part of your thigh. Do both sides.

2. Standing Single-Leg Calf Stretch

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You can use a wall to lean against, like the picture shows, or you can just brace yourself on your front knee. Place the right foot in front of you and extend your back leg back, you are doing like a mini lunge. Do not let your front knee go in front of your ankle. Keep a 90 degree angle on your front leg. Try to plant your left heel on the floor. You will feel the stretch in your back leg calf area. Repeat on other side.

3. Standing IT Band Stretch

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You can use a wall for balance as in the picture. But I just cross my right foot in front of my left and bend to the left. You can raise your right arm up and over your head for more bend in your waist. You will feel this on the upper side part of the leg that is being crossed over. Repeat on the other side.

4. Straddle Stretch

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Time to sit down. Your standing is done. I do it in this order cause if I got down on the ground I would not get up! Just like in dance growing up, just spread your legs out to the side. I like to lean over one leg to stretch each leg individually then go to the middle for the final stretch in this pose. I grab my toes so that I feel the stretch in the back of my legs on the hamstrings.

5. Pigeon Pose

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My favorite yoga pose. I could seriously stay in this position forever. It feels so good! Bring your right leg in front and make a 90 degree angle bend at the knee with the foot turned in. Straighten your left leg behind, almost like a half split. Try to sit into that position and you can even lean forward over your bent leg in front. You will feel this in the IT band area, the upper part of your side leg that is bent. Repeat on the other side.

6. Lying Hamstring Stretch

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Now going all the way to the ground. Lie all the way down. Raise one foot, flexed or flat, into the air trying to keep the other foot on the ground. Don't round your lower back. Keep that planted on the ground too. Hold your leg at your thigh or calf or grab a towel and sling it over your foot and pull on the ends of the towel to reach more easily. You will feel this in the back of the leg that is straight up in the air. Repeat on other leg.

7. Lying Hip and Glute Hug

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Still lying on the ground keeping your lower back panted down, foot on the floor and cross your right ankle at your left knee. Grab the back of your left thigh and pull your legs to your chest. Also try to push your right knee out to the side and you will feel the stretch more in your butt and hips.

8) BONUS STRETCH! Corpse Pose

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Lie all the way down on the ground. You can keep your arms to the side of your body or above your head. Just relax! Try not to fall asleep. If you have a 3 year old, this position can be dangerous because he will come and jump on your belly right when you aren't expecting it! TRUST ME! 

~Hope these help you! I just want you to start your year of running off right and taking care of your body, especially after a run, is the way to stay injury free and enjoy years of running! Happy Stretching! ~

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Shin Splints Recovery Tips

I have Shin Splints down the inside of the leg on my right leg only.

Now that I am picking up my milage and actually running more the dreaded SHIN SPLINTS have made their appearance. Oh yes, such a wonderful painful experience if you have ever had them.

Shin splints can be caused by a couple of things. Poor foot support, meaning you need new shoes and increase in mileage too soon for your body to get used to it. Personally my shoes are only a year and a half old and I haven't had too much mileage on them. I did have a baby and my feet changed while I was pregnant and I still have some excess pregnancy fat between my legs so I know that my stride is a little different and that has some to do with my current shin splints. But they are in the same spot they were a year ago. And that tells me, personally me, that it is just from a lack of training! I give it another 2 weeks of regular training to get my legs used to the abuse I am putting them through.

In the mean time here is what I am doing to help me recover from shin splints.

1) R.I.C.E, is the first step. REST, ICE, COMPRESS, ELEVATE. So after I run now first thing I do when I come home is stretch and try to foam roll, or rolling pin works well too. Then after a shower, I grab my ice pack and sit up on the couch, put some pillows under my foot and elevate my leg with the ice pack resting on it. I then put on a good show.

2) Get compression socks to help while running or exercising for support. Might as well get fun ones! Check out these from A-Swift.




3) Get a massage.When I am training hard I get my monthly sports therapy massages! It is part of your self care to take care of your body. Or use your partner to massage your sore muscles.

4) Take a hot epsom salt bath to soak your muscles. My favorite epsom salt is Dr. Teals Epsom Salt Soaking Solution in Eucalyptus and Spearmint. Not only does it help my muscles but totally relaxes my body and mind!


5) STAY CONSISTENT! Don't take too many days off in a row.Make sure you walk the next day to help keep your muscles limber

6) Stretch, stretch and stretch some more! They are tight because and need to be loosened up. A good stretch after you get back is key! My favorite post workout and run stretch it Pigeon Pose.

7) Invest in new shoes if you think your shoes are problem. Go to a Running Shoe specialty store to have them look at how your run and fit your foot with the right shoe. Go in with your running log and show them how often you run, where the pain is and such and they should be able to help you out too!

disclaimer- I am not a medical professional. Please know I am just giving advice that has worked for me in the past. If you have any questions please seek the help of your medical professional. Do not continue to work out if it is causing you too much pain. There is discomfort and there is pain. I am just in typical shin splints discomfort.

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From Fat to Fit

This year is THE YEAR that I am going to get my eating under control and make a difference in myself. I have been saying this for months but it is finally time I get off my butt and actually do it! Not just dream about it. I have gone from being overweight to thinner then back up and down now for 4 years. (I was just overweight for years before that!) Yes I am calling myself overweight because I am considered overweight by BMI and I am frankly just carrying around way too much fat on my body. As you have heard me say a lot over the last 2 weeks, I AM HURTING! My body hurts. I am trying to do something good for it, exercise, and my body HATES me right now! Does that mean I am going to stop? NOPE! I refuse to. I am going to kick my sweet tooth, and not overindulge in pastries. I am going to feed my body the food that it wants and needs.

~2002, I wasn't thin but wasn't fit either.~

Here is my story. I was diagnosed with PCOS 10 years or so ago. It's been a really long time. I went to my doc and they said if I want to get pregnant I need to just lose weight. I never did. I just stayed around the same weight.

~2008~

4 years ago I decided I needed to make a change. We were married for 8 years and hadn't had a kid and I was getting worried and upset and I really wanted to have children So I found and worked with a great personal trainer. I lifted weights, I did cardio and after months of little change I decided to do a test and tried a controlled diet of Slim Fast, I lost 20 lbs in 2 months. Then I started to run and continued to workout a ton.

~December 2009, about 2 months after I started with my personal trainer~

I stopped lifting weights and I just did 2 hours of cardio. I figured out that I burned more calories on the elliptical so I was doing 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night. It killed me! It was hard. But I lost weight and I looked and felt like I was in the best shape of my life. I had lost 33 lbs. I was under 200. I was going to a fertility doctor and doing the shots so that we could do an IUI. A few months later I got pregnant with Mason. I was so freaked out about losing the baby that I stopped exercising and basically just relaxed for the next 9 months.

~July 2010 a few months before I got pregnant, 200 lbs~

I gained back the weight I lost while pregnant in about 2 months and I gained 35 more on top of that. So I was now up 50 lbs what I started. I had mason and tried to exercise when I could but my husband was deployed to Iraq (left when Mace was 3 days old) so exercise really didn't happen.

~Morning of my induction for Mason, child #1. 1 week early~

I refused to have my husband come home to me looking like I was. Still 40 lbs over what I was when I got pregnant. So, I found a nutritionist and followed her diet. I was eating a clean diet. I was eating more food at one meal than I had ever allowed myself to eat before and the weight fell off of me. It was magical. I was eating what my body wanted and trying to exercise more and I lost weight. After about 6 months I got to 203.

~April 2013, 2 weeks before miscarriage #2 and before I started running again. Started gaining weight here.~

Then I just let myself go. I thought, "Wow! I did it. I could do it again." Boy, was I wrong. I stopped watching what I ate and I ate breakfast really well, but eh not really the rest of my day. I started eating the foods I wanted to eat because they tasted good and that is what I wanted. I then got pregnant and miscarried twice. And I stopped exercising every time.

~Day after my first 1/2 marathon, so healthy and barely gained weight at this point in pregnancy.~

After my second miscarriage I gained more weight and was pissed that it was happening. So I started running. And kept running. Ran while pregnant. Did really well for the fist 30 weeks while training.Then I started to gain weight with the pregnancy

~2 days before baby #3 Collin arrived. 40 weeks 5 days was when he hatched~

Flash forward to now, to after second baby and I can't lose the weight. I'm stuck and have actually gone up not down in weight and size. Have I given up pastries completely? NO. Do I love ice cream and sweets? Yep. So the change happens now. Tomorrow is the grocery store and on Monday I start clean eating with my group and we are going to do this together. I know that if I want another child, which I do, I have to lose weight. That is just how my body and the hormones in my body work. I need to be exercising and smaller weight for the right hormones to work when they need to work to get pregnant.

~Here I am now, plus a little more weight, thanks to the holidays!~

So...Where does that leave me here. Well, if you ever been like this. Had PCOS. Have or had a hard time losing weight. Been overweight, lost weight, then overweight again. Yo-Yo diet. Tried everything. I am going to share what I have gone through and we can do this together! Let the journey of 2015 BEGIN! I AM worth fighting for!

2015 Goals

Yesterday I posted my recap about my accomplishments and needs improvement on my 2014 goals. I am so happy with how well I did so I thought that I would share with you all my 2015 goals!

1. Run a race a month! Yep, I want to stay in constant training mode so I don't go into a funk and stop running or take too much time off from running and such. I want to do a mixture of local and "bigger" races to help with fees because let's face it, running races can get pretty pricey pretty quick! I am happy to report that I already have completed January's race, (New Year's Day 5k, yesterday.) And I am registered for February's and March's race as well. I know what race I will do in April. Don't have May's race yet. I will probably do the Wounded Warrior race in June and the 4th of July race in July. Looking for August. September will be the Woman's 4 miler. Need a September and October race. November the DISNEY WINE AND DINE 1/2 MARATHON and a local turkey trot and December I will probably do a local Jingle 5k. Super excited so far!

2. Potty Train Mason. My goal is to have Mason potty trained by his 4th birthday. Yep, 4th. It just isn't happening. He is one of those types of personality that it won't happen until HE wants it to happen. We have an incentive for him right now, a Pachyrhinosaurus (Pack-E-Rhyn-O-Saur-Es) dinosaur toy for him when he is potty trained but so far that has only lasted 1 day.

3. Be more diligent in Mason's preschool between January and May to help him prepare for official preschool in September. I think we are going to do it and enroll him in school. We have noticed that he does better when it is not Mom or Daddy teaching him and it has been quite a struggle for me. Dude just likes to say NO to me right now. So now my goal is to make sure he is proficient in his alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers to 50 and starting to read by September. Tall order but it is what it is.

4. Lose 20 lbs in the next few months. I know this seems fast and all but I know that if I stick with my nutritionist based diet that the weight just falls off of me, quickly! I just have to stick with it. Why the weight loss? Well, we want to add another little one to our family and I do not, DO NOT want to get pregnant at this weight! It hurts when running and I frankly don't want to carry around another 15 lbs of baby on top of what I am already carrying around. What about my races if I get pregnant. Well I know I will defer the Wine and Dine a year if I am pregnant, depending on how pregnant, because I will not run another 1/2 when I am super pregnant again! I have the turkey trot as my back up for November.

(ummm, Mason just locked himself in the bathroom. Hoping he is going poop! Nope false alarm, just locked himself in!) Just keeping it real!

5. Continue to grow my readers for this blog! I love that I doubled my daily and overall viewing of this blog this past year and I want to do it again. That means, more meaningful content and with the help of you I can grow this blog! I love doing it and it is so fun and a great way to stay accountable for what I need to do! Working out has kind of become my job and I need to do better at it and I will this year. I KNOW IT Because I am WORTH IT! I AM WORTH FIGHTING FOR!

Along with that I do have a clean eating group starting Monday the 5th! If you wanna join comment below or send me an email at connectthedotsginger (at) gmail (dot) com.

Song of the Day

Went on a little post Christmas run this morning- felt like I had a ton of bricks in my shoes- and my iPod hit a song that just kept ringing a tone with me. I played it 3 times. Especially the chorus which is in the above picture. Do you have a fav song when running or exercising?

Looking Up
by Paramore

Lyrics

Things are looking up
Oh, finally
I thought I'd never see the day
When you'd smile at me

We always pull through
Oh, when we try
I'm always wrong
But you're never right
Oh, you're never right

Honestly, can you believe
We crossed the world while it's asleep?
I'd never trade it in
'Cause I've always wanted this and
It's not a dream anymore, no
It's not a dream anymore
It's worth fighting for

Could have given up so easily
I was a few cheap shots away
From the end of me

Taken for granted
Almost everything
That I would have died for
Just yesterday
Just yesterday

Honestly, can you believe
We crossed the world while it's asleep?
I'd never trade it in
'Cause I've always wanted this and
It's not a dream anymore, no
It's not a dream anymore
It's worth fighting for

God knows the world doesn't need another band
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
But what a waste it would've been
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
I can't believe we almost hung it up
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
We're just getting started
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh, oh

Honestly, can you believe
We crossed the world while it's asleep?
I'd never trade it in
'Cause I've always wanted this and
It's not a dream anymore, no
It's not a dream anymore, no, oh
It's not a dream anymore, no, oh
It's not a dream anymore
It's worth fighting for

I can't believe we almost hung it up
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
We're just getting started
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
I can't believe we almost hung it up
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
We're just getting started
Yeah, we're just getting started

Starting Over

Can I just tell you that starting over with running, and yes I am starting from square 0, is really, really, REALLY hard to do! It just isn't fun. I am going through the same pains now that I did last year when I first started running with the 4 miler training program. I have shin splints again. And they really suck! I have noticed though since I have been trying to do more mileage than is required, even though it is just walking, that after the first mile and a half my legs are finally warmed up and fine.

This is the frustrating part. The first mile sucks and it takes me 1.5 miles for my legs to cooperate and to deal with what is going on with them. But at this point my required mileage is just over a mile.

But here is the cool part. I have a goal. I want to do this. I want to get back in running shape. And this is a great reminder to not stop running again. Even when I do get pregnant again, I will continue to run just as I did before. As long as my body will let me. This is also good motivation to eat better too because I am carrying more weight on my body and that is another reason why my body hurts while running. All I have to do is just keep on running. That's it. Just keep doing it.

Oh and another cool thing, hubs knew I have been wanting the Garmin Forerunner 15 for awhile now and he got it to help me with my training! Can't wait to use it on Saturday morning!

QOTD: Have you ever had to restart your running? How long did it take for you to feel normal again?

Morning Workouts! HA!

So I said a couple months ago that I was going to try to workout early in the morning. That hasn't really happened yet, but soon or later I am going to have to make that transition. Here are some ways to help get us to stop hitting the snooze button and get up and out the door!

1) Prep The Night Before- I already do this now. When I have my training group on Saturday mornings I put all my clothing out, including my socks so that I don't have to think about it in the morning. I can just get up, get dressed and get out the door.

2) Get A Morning Buddy- If you have a friend getting up at the same time as you, that you are going to meet, you are more likely to get up and get going! Or if you aren't meeting them send a message to them saying, "I'm up are you!" Make it a game. If you sleep in X amount of times you owe them a breakfast or something.

3) Don't start cold turkey!- Let's say you wake up at 7am everyday. Don't try to wake up at 4:30am tomorrow. Trust me, it won't happen! Try for 6:30am for a week or 2 to get used to it. And then go a little earlier gradually!

4) Make it a routine- And stick with it. Don't do this for one week then decide something else then try to go back. If you make this move you must stick to it!

5) Have a good reason to get up!- You need to have that motivation to get up or else you will hit snooze every morning. If this is the only time that you can go running out on the street before it gets too hot, or the kids wake up, do it! 

Be patient and give yourself time to adjust to your new schedule! And you too can be an early morning workout person!

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10 Miler Training Plan

I am in a local training group for my upcoming race, so a lot of the guess work for my training is already taken care of for me. I was given a handout with how many miles to run on X day and I'm golden. The training calls for weekly runs on Monday, Wednesdays and starting next week adding Thursday runs as well, then the long run with the group on Saturday mornings. Sounds easy.

My goals for the race though are I want to go into it strong. There are a lot of hills. That's Charlottesville for ya! So I am making sure to do strength training this time around. I did not do any strength training at all for the Princess half I trained for. Plus adding in yoga to keep me limber and stretched. ENTER PIYO! I am going to be doing a PiYo routine at least once a week to get the lower body strength training and stretching that I need. As you know buns, and core are my fav workouts in that series and I will be doing lower define too. Still debating on the rotation. Those workouts will be earlier in the week. As far away from the long run as possible!

For upper body strength I will be doing 21 day fix and possibly PiYo. But have thought about adding in P90X too. (mainly for core though)

I also want to increase my speed. That means less walking breaks and just a faster run in general. With previous trainings I ran around a 4.5 speed on the treadmill with walking between a 3.8-4.0. I avg to a 14:30 min/mile.

This time I want my running to be in the 5.0-5.5 range, and minimal walking breaks. The cool thing about my training group is that on Saturdays we will be running on parts of the actual course so my body will be used to the hills by race time. But I know I can do the 5.0-5.5 speed because I have done it before. I just have to find that groove and stick to it! Goal under 2 hours and 15 min  for the 10 miler. (I think that is realistic. I would love under 2 hours but I have to be honest and real!)

So weekly my training plan will look like this!

New Disney Bling!

Isn't this a beauty! Oh my, oh my, I have a new prize to eye! The way to earn this is to participate in the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon and then the following weekend take a little disney cruise and run the Castaway Cay 5K.

All I know that if I decide to do this I will have to save for awhile because I will want to spend some time at the parks between the race and the cruise! This does come at a pretty hefty price tag, especially if your family tags along. Which why wouldn't they!?! IT IS A DISNEY CRUISE!

QOTD: Would you do this at least once to earn this medal? 

Back into Running!

Today was my first solo run of the fall! YEA! And in a month I will begin the 10 miler training program for the spring 10 miler, or the C-ville 1/2. Not sure which one I will do right now but I should do the training program anyways because it is a great way to stay in running shape during the cold winter. I found this great article on the Charlottesville 10 miler training page and I couldn't help sharing it here! So click below to read about

THE TOP TEN MISTAKES MADE BY 10 MILER RACERS! 

ENJOY! 

2014 Charlottesville's Woman's 4 Miler - Race Recap

I have done my first repeat race ever! It was kind of fun knowing the course and what to expect going into my second time doing the same race. What an exhilarating experience running with so many other women though! It is such an awesome feeling.

My race I knew I was going to be slower than last year since I hadn't trained for it and certainly not like last year. I went into the race last year ready to conquer it and to kick it's butt. This year I was just happy to be there and to actually do it. I was nervous and scared of getting hurt so I did not push myself like I could have. (which makes me wonder how well I could have done if I had.) But it was my first postpartum race, and first time doing 4 miles in a row for a very long time!

We lined up in our corrals and I lined up with the 13-14 min mile pace. I trusted my body and knew that I could sustain that for a little while. I had a couple of friends in this pace group that I was going to run with, so why not!

We made our way to the line ups and before we knew it, it was time to go! Me and 2 other ladies who were starting together. One took off like a rocket and we told her to keep going, she did! The other 2 we ran together. One friend took a stumble just before mile 1 and I stayed with her to make sure she was ok and T kept on trucking along. It took me awhile to get back up to her. V was ok and got back up. Her ankle was hurt so we slowed our pace to let her get back into the groove. I started running with another lady and encouraged her to pump her arms more and we started talking. V caught up with us and then there was a third lady I started talking to along the course. She said she was going to pace with me and another lady did as well. So we just kept on trucking.

My my calves were on fire and starting to cramp up around mile and a half. I kept thinking, how on earth am I going to do this. I am so silly to think I could just up and do 4 miles. I have to keep going to help these ladies. And that last thought gave me the motivation to just trust my body and to listen to it and keep going. We walked then jogged back and forth doing intervals. Allowing all of us to not over do it. Around mile 2 my legs started to feel pretty good and 2.5 miles in they were finally warmed up and I felt like I could keep going and fly! I started to push my pace a little more and 2 out of the 3 ladies I had with me now were keeping up but V and her ankle were hurting. She said to keep going and we did. At some point I lost another of the ladies but me and one other were able keep on going and push each other.

I was shocked at how my body was feeling. I was breathing fine, and my legs were doing great. It felt like I had been running all along. It is amazing what the body can remember doing even after so long of a break. Mile 3.2 is the long downhill and I just let gravity take me and ran the whole way down. I caught up with one of my starting buddies at that time. She was just trucking along! As we approached the end, I had to take a 15 second little walk break and K who was my running buddy kept going. I sucked up the little bit of tiredness in my legs and just ran the last 1/4 mile to the end. Thankful to have actually finished with doing as much running as I did. 59:53 is what I finished in. Last year I finished in 55 min so I was pretty pleased with myself. I knew I could have gone faster, but didn't want to risk injury and I had ladies that I was running with. It wasn't about me anymore it was about making sure they finished and crossed the finish line safely! And they did. I waited for V to make sure she was ok. She was fine until she stopped running and then the pain hit. Her knee was pretty banged up too but SHE FINISHED and that is what it is about people, just finish. It doesn't matter if you run the whole thing, walk or run/walk as long as you finish is the key!

Overall it was a great race. It wasn't too hot, it was humid but it was overcast the whole time! It was well organized and everyone I talked to had a great time. I love the field where the spectators watch and it allowed Mason to run around like the crazy 3 year old boy he is! I am looking forward to next years race and blowing my time out of the water!

I am so proud of all the women who ran for the great cause of supporting the University Of Virginia's Cancer Center Breast Care Program. And all the money that goes towards their research and care of the women. Donations are still being accepted. So if you would like to donate, click on the picture below and make a donation in support of me as the runner! EVER PENNY COUNTS!

Running Tips and Tricks: Clothing

Remember that good ol' saying, "Running doesn't cost anything, just open the front door and go!" Well, that statement is true to a point. It depends on how much you want to pursue running but eventually continuing running will cost something. It is best to be well prepared and as safe as possible and when running often what you are wearing can help you or hurt you.

Shoes: Are a must investment. I am all about pinching pennies and all but when it goes to keeping my body healthy and fewer discomforts when I am exercising than I will spend what needs to be spent. And shoes are the first thing I invest in when running. I can't really say that my running shoes are my most expensive shoe in my closet but they are the most expensive shoe that I wear on a regular basis. (I have gotten my money worth!) Go to an actual running store. Every medium to large city has one. The kind where they actually watch you when you are running or jogging in the shoes that you are trying on. You need the shoe that fits your stride. It makes a difference. It can help you be faster, reduce shin splints, or other aliments that you can get from incorrect shoes support.

Apparel:  This is the next area where I really try to get the right stuff.

Running tops: Make sure that you get the right running tops. I started out exercising in my cotton tanks. I got them from a running store though and wasn't educated on what was the proper top to wear. I bought them originally when I was doing all indoor exercising in an air conditioned facility with a fan blowing on me. I didn't sweat all that much and when I did it was on the way home and time to go. Last summer when I joined the 4 miler training program I wore those tops. (I even raced in them you can see them in my first couple of races the green and yellow tanks.) At the training program they educated us on what not to wear and what to wear. They were right, because of my cotton tank they got saturated in sweat and it was just so hot to wear them. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started to wear teach shirts. Tech shirts wick moisture away from your body and it evaporates so much more easily keeping you cool and dry. They are awesome. One draw back though, they can smell really bad after awhile. When washing follow the label on how to wash. DON'T use fabric softener.

They are more pricy though, check with the local running stores to see if they have any discounted shirts. Sometimes races have extra and might sell them for cheap, cheap just to unload them. So ask around! They are worth the investment though.

~Running Skirts~

Bottoms: Make sure again that you have running bottoms. Shorts that have the fit dry capability that keep you dry and cool are great. There are also super sassy and cute running skirts. The skirts have either a brief or shorts under them or you provide your own shorts. One thing that is a must when running especially in briefs is anti-chaffing cream for your inner thighs or anything that rubs a lot when running. Body Glide is my personal favorite.

Socks: Socks are the next investment. Again you don't want moisture building up where it shouldn't because you are prone to get more blisters due to the moisture and friction rubbing. I used the Thorolo Experia Ultra lightweight socks for my 1/2 marathon and the couple of long runs prior to try them out.

Accessories: A hat for super sunny days is also good to have. Make sure that the hat has perforations in it thought so that your head doesn't overheat. Or a visor (as 80's as it is) is a great thing to try out too. It keeps the sun out of your eyes and some of your face. I also like to wear a headband to keep all stray hairs out of my face! I HATE IT when I have a hair on my face that is dripping sweat and it won't go away. I have tried 3 different non-slip varieties and found that BAMRbands are my fav! I guess I have a funky head shape because all the bands slipped off my head except for the BAMRbands! And Katie, the owner and mastermind, has super cute designs! I am building quite the collection!

Also tutu's are fun to have BUT you must do a run prior to your first race wearing them. Tutu's can be fun but if it is the wrong length it can become annoying because the tulle will get caught between your legs and rub. Janet my fellow pink lady ended up running a race with her tutu pulled up super high because she kept having to pull it from between her legs. Also try not to get the tutu's with glitter on it because they use glue to adhere that glitter on it and it can run and you will get covered in glitter. But they are fun when you get the right length and get used to them. I feel like I am flying sometimes in mine because it bounces so much! RaceJunkie is where I purchased in the past.

Hopefully these tips and tricks help you with your running! 

QOTD: What are your must haves for running? Fav brands? Let me know in the comments!

Running Tips And Tricks: Breathing

I really love doing the 4 miler training program! I am meeting so many people each and every week and my goal is to talk to at least 5 new people and get to know them. Since I am a pink lady I often get asked questions about running. I am no expert on running but I tell them what works for me and we go from there. So today the topic is on BREATHING!

QUESTION: This is my first time adding running into my walking and I am having a hard time breathing. I can't catch my breath at all. What do I do?

Answer: You are exerting your body more than you have in a very long time. This is common. You are working hard. So your body is following suit. The harder we work the more our breath is shallow and rapid.

So First, when running breathing through your mouth so you are getting a full breath and not a constricted breath. Then, Focus on breathing in and out with the rhythm of your steps. I like to vary between breathing in for 3 steps and out for 2 or in for 2 and out for 2, depending on the speed and length of my run, hills or no hills and how humid it is.

Next, deep breaths are also key. Make sure when you are breathing you are breathing down into your belly and not into your lungs. (I am kind of a master at this as this is how you teach breathing for an instrument and since I teach french horn I talk about deep breathing ALL THE TIME!) Try right now, take a deep breath...ok now answer me this. Did you fill your chest (did your chest rise?) Or did your breath go into your belly (making your belly stick out a little more?) As females we don't like making our belly stick out and we actually have great abs because we suck in our bellies without thinking about it. But when running we need to be relaxed but stable in our abs and core and our breath should fill our belly not our lungs. NO SHALLOW BREATHS!

TIP: Practice deep breathing to a steady beat before you run to get a feel for how to fill your belly and not your lungs. Sit on the couch and put on your favorite moderate paced song and tap your foot to keep the beat. Breath in for 3 stomps filling all the way to your belly and out for 3 exhaling all of the air. And repeat a ton to get a good feel for it. Then try when running.

Question: Ouch! I am finally running and I am keeping my breathing under control but after some time I get a cramp in my side. How do I not get that or make it to go away?

Answer:  Welcome to the world of YOU ARE WORKING YOUR LUNGS AND THEY ARE FIGHTING YOU! But guess what? You are strong and your body will adjust over time to this and the stitch will go away. Or maybe every single time you run, at 17 minutes in, you will get a cramp in your right side just under your ribs and it feels like you can't take another breath but by 19 minutes it is gone and whew you can keep going! Welcome to my world!

Seriously, when I was running at a 12 min/mile at 17 min (1.5 miles) I always, ALWAYS got a cramp in my side for 2 minutes. I think though at some point during running you might always get a stitch because you are working your lungs so hard. I got one every time while training for my half marathon. Either you just get used to it as you train more or here is a tip on how to make them go away!

TIP: This was taught to me last year by another pink lady, Janet. Going back to foot falls. When you get a stitch reverse your foot falls with your breathing. HUH!?! Ok so if you are breathing in for 2 and out for 2, it is easier to think about, stick with me here, Ok so every time you start to breath in your right foot goes down. Then when you start to breath out your right foot goes down again. Now Switch it to have your breath begin with your left foot and out with your left foot. I don't know why this works but seriously IT DOES! And it works FAST! SUPER FAST! Maybe it gets your mind thinking about something else other than the pain I have no idea but it works!

QUESTION:  I hack up a lung every time I run. Am I ok?

ANSWER: This goes back to  YOU ARE WORKING YOUR LUNGS AND THEY ARE FIGHTING YOU! So my husband when he would do his Army physical fitness test he would push himself super hard with his running to make sure he came in at a good time. Often he would cough a ton afterwards and once he even coughed up blood. Just a little bit.(EWWWW) Well your lungs are being worked a ton. This is where training comes in. When we are training for a race we slowly increase our speed and increase our distance. We don't go out there and kill it every time and push ourselves to the max. And if you push too hard too fast your lungs are gong to fight you. Slowly increase your mileage and speed over weeks not a day. My hubs could run, but he would push himself too much on testing days. DON'T DO THAT!

Tip: If you notice that if you are coughing a lot after running, and it is super humid out. Next time slow down just a bit. The air is super thick because it is not moving at all. Our bodies have to work harder to move the air in and out of our lungs. Take it easy and don't over do it!

Running is meant to be fun. Don't over exert yourself because you want to keep coming back for more! Hope these tips help you in your training for your race or your everyday fun run!

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Thinking About Doing A Race?

Is this your first race ever, or your third 5k? How about your first 1/2 marathon or full marathon? You have made the decision that you want to run in a race. GREAT! It is such an amazing feeling to cross the finish line after all the hard work, time and dedication that you have put into doing this race.

Normally you don't just roll out of bed and say, "I'm gonna run a 1/2 marathon today!" NO WAY! (ok there might be some people that do do that but they have probably been running for years and can do that or this is a person that is just going to get hurt.) You must first train for it! Your body needs to get conditioned to the activity you are going to be doing to it. There are callouses that need to be built, strength that needs to be made and determination needs to be set in your mind to get through a race, any race! Here are some things to think about when deciding to start training for a race.

1. Be EXCITED! Be excited about the thought of your new race. Start to plan ahead on what you can do to be ready for it. Check out what you eat, make a food journal. Make a running journal so that in the future you can look back and see what worked and didn't work. Make this a lifestyle change and stick to it! Make a game plan too on how much you are going to run and when you are going to run. Find a training plan or join a local running group. runDisney has great training programs that can be modified to meet your needs. They have training programs for 10k's up to full marathon, with different levels of running to choose from. Novice to elite!

2. How's your body feel when exercising? Are you used to walking already? Or running? Do you have any aches or pains when you walk or do some running. If you have constant pain in your shins or body and it has been weeks and you are icing and using compression it's time to get the pain checked out! Either try out new running shoes or go see your doctor. (I love my chiropractor) Running is a high impact sport. There will be some aches and pains in the beginning but they should go away as you become more used to the movements and what you are putting your body through. Constant pain for a long period of time is not normal. GET IT CHECKED OUT! 

3. Eat Right! Eat to fuel your body. It takes the right foods to sustain the activity you are going to be doing. Find out the super foods that are great and gives you energy and keeps you satisfied for as long as possible. Also figure out what you are going to eat before you run and always do that. Prep for the race while you train. If you always eat a banana and a cliff bar before training, do that the morning of the race. Figure out what works and stick with it!

4. Coordinate with your family. This is a biggie. Seriously. Training for a race, any race takes a lot of planning for you and your family. Set a schedule to when you are going to run or exercise. I have to figure out a time I can go out and do my runs without Collin right now and I have to be back in a certain amount of time because he gets hungry and grumpy without me and I don't really want to spring a leak while I am running. Saturdays until September I am probably going to go out twice. Saturday mornings work with the training program then do my long run in the afternoon to make sure I am getting my mileage in. Also know that you might have to rest in the afternoon. I had to take a nap every single time after I had a long run. My body needed it. My mind needed it too. So prep your family that you are going to have to have nap time! Then there is race day. I haul my family with me early, early, early in the morning to get to the race, wait for me and watch me run then stay through the awards until it is time to go.

5. Work a race. Volunteers are amazing! They are the ones there super early, walk out to wherever they are working, cheer you on and stay until the last person passes them. They hand out water, often getting covered in spilled water. Pick up the trash, direct you to where you go so you don't get lost. I volunteered at my first race for the 4th of July and really tried to cheer everyone on as they passed! Especially the back of the pack because I know what it is like to be in the back and not have as many supporters cheering you on. I had a ton of fun and it was awesome to see the front of the pack, and the first person to come in and to walk in with the last. I had a lot of fun.

6. Get a buddy! Try to have a buddy that you can report your training to. See if they can be your running buddy either with you on actual running days or long distance. My BFF K was my running buddy as I trained for my 1/2 marathon. I would text her with my times after each time that I ran and she would congratulate me every single time. We would talk about what I was planning on running that weekend, often matching the mileage on my long runs (and kick my butt in the speed factor every time!) But it was awesome to have my running buddy to check in with and be held accountable with!

So plan wisely and you can go from the start line all the way to the finish!

First Run After Baby

I stopped running at 30 weeks pregnant. I was no longer training for my 1/2 marathon and my body was just tired. That is also when I started to gain weight and for the first time in the pregnancy go over my pre-pregnancy weight. I did run short distances during my 40th week of pregnancy doing what I could to get the baby out! But not anywhere near what I was doing before 30 weeks.

Now that I have had my baby it is time to get this party started and get back into running. However, there are a few things to watch out for and make sure that you are being safe and not harming your body because the body is still healing. You might feel great but we have no idea what is going on in the inside!

1. Get clearance from your doc. That was my first mistake. I didn't. I took things in my own hands. I felt great. Bleeding had stopped for a few days. I thought I was ready. So I ran. Granted I was just shy of 6 weeks pp. Well, that whole next week I had started bleeding again, to the point I thought I would have to go to the ER because it was so bad. I won't make that mistake again. Get the ok from your doc! TRUST ME!

2. Running will feel funny. The first few times you exercise your insides will feel out of place. You will giggle more than you did before and your legs and other parts of your body will hurt. Oh, and if you are breastfeeding, your breasts will feel very, very heavy and only feel more heavy. It will get better though. Your body is different. You have had a baby. It just takes some time to get used to. Your insides won't feel out of place and the giggle will go down. The whole breast thing though, nope that will stay for awhile, you will just get used to it. Just make sure you nurse or pump before you exercise so you don't have a leak due to the stimulation from running.

3. GO SLOW! Please don't expect to be running an 8 minute mile right out of the gate. It just won't happen and if you do, you are setting yourself up for injury.

4. Watch out for baby. If you are stroller running, go slowly at first to allow your baby to get used to the movement and feel of the jogging stroller. Also, watch baby's head support. The head support is still lacking. Watch for potholes or cracks in the sidewalk. Backward facing in the stroller is still great so you can see your baby the whole time. There are running strollers that use a car seat to hold small, small babies. My stroller is not a jogging stroller but it holds the car seat in it. Not sure how much stroller jogging I will actually do.

5. Have fun. Make small goals. You will be surprised how easily running will come back. My body misses it. My legs burn for it. My first run felt AMAZING! (it was the after affects that sucked) Congratulate yourself after every run because you are a mom who is finding time for yourself! YOU DESERVE IT!