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Thursdays are for thinking out loud, according to Amanda at Running with Spoons. Here's some random thoughts from the mind of Wendy....

You can see some remaining snow behind me...

Today's run was glorious...sunshine, 40 degrees, and the snow is almost gone. I only hit one icy patch. But man, what a mess out there...mud, sure, but the crap that was buried under the snow? Do people throw this stuff from the car? How does it end up there? I saw the usual liquor bottles and fast food wrappers, sure. But last year at this time, next to the busy suburban road where I run, I saw a bunch of those airplane-sized liquor bottles and 2 pairs of ladies underpants. Someone must have been having a party, right? But how did that stuff end up by the side of the road? Imagine the conversation.."My mom will kill me if she finds this stuff in her van..." Another time I saw a big goldfish just laying next to the road. Dead of course, but how did it end up there? Did he get too big for the tank and someone just decided to fling him out the car window? Did they throw it at a runner? Always entertaining, but somewhat disturbing, running outside this time of year gives me plenty to think about...

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And a little TMI for you all, but my tummy has been understandably but horribly unreliable these past couple of weeks. I had to make a pit stop this morning on my run. Praying that it behaves itself on Saturday at my race. Imodium, anyone? I applied for that Shower Pill promotion through FitFluential but I didn't get it. Too bad. I think I'd be the perfect tester for their product. Sara may not want to ride with me after all...

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No comment needed..

Yes, I have a half marathon in 2 days. The Get Lucky 21K is my backup plan race, my replacement race for the Sarasota Half Marathon that I had to defer due to my family drama. I'm alternating between looking forward to it and dreading it. The race director changed the start location 2 weeks ago and failed to tell any of us. Luckily, I saw it on their Facebook page. Parking is still uncertain, and when I posted a question about it today on their page, they posted a picture of the weather forecast. Helpful. The other concerning factor is that the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade is at the same time. Should be interesting. Stay tuned. I hope they have adequate portapotties.

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I've been running pretty consistent and I'm hoping everything falls into place for Saturday. I'm looking for sub-2, and a PR would be icing on the cake. My legs have been loose and strong. Pace has been good. So besides my tummy, I need to get my head in the game. It has been 5 months since my marathon. I haven't had to put on my race face since, with the exception of that Turkey Trot in November. Time to pull out the mantras. Catch that red dot!

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My husband finally went back to work this week, and Monday morning before work I enjoyed being alone in my house for the first time in 3 months. I was tempted to just run around naked, just because I could. I didn't, though. I just did yoga. Today is my day off and guess what? My oldest son is home "sick" with a cold. He's blasting heavy metal up in his room. So much for time to myself. Serenity now.

What's going through your head? Have you checked out Amanda's link up before? The posts are pretty awesome!

My racing heart...

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch, reading, and I started to feel weird. I noticed that my heart was beating irregularly. I've had heart flutters before, and usually they just pass. It's a weird, kind of uncomfortable sensation. Have you ever felt this? This time, I did some yoga breathing to relax but the feeling didn't pass. I put my fingers on my wrist to feel my pulse, and yes, I was having irregular heart beats. I got up to get my stethoscope and put it on my chest. Very irregular.

I considered what to do. I'd been down this road before. About 10 years ago, I had something like this happen. I had chest pain and palpitations while working at the hospital. I was sent to the ER and put on a heart monitor. Of course, the act of putting me on the monitor was curative, and my heart rhythm was back to normal. I followed up with a cardiologist, was put on a 72 hour heart monitor, which was essentially normal, except for the tachycardia (fast heart rate) that occurred when I was running. Ha! I wonder what the technicians thought when they saw that!

So in light of that, I decided to ride out this episode. I felt ok, and I knew, as a medical person, that if I went to the ER, in February, which is the thick of cold and flu season, that the triage nurse would take one look at me, see a thin, athletic looking woman, and think low cardiac risk. She probably would start to judge me and think anxiety. I know how these ER nurses think, since I used to be one of them. She'd put me at the bottom of the priority list, and I'd probably sit in that waiting room for hours while they took people who were much sicker than me. That's how the ER works. Knowing all this, I figured that if I felt worse, I could always go to the ER, or I could see my personal physician the next day.

******Disclaimer: I'm not recommending anyone do what I did. If you are feeling chest pains or rapid/irregular heart beats, you need to get it checked out! I possess enough medical knowledge to be dangerous to myself. You know what they say, medical professionals make the worst patients. Do as I say, not as I do.******

The symptoms finally passed and I haven't had another episode since. Curious to find out what could have happened, I did some research. Conventional wisdom tells us that exercise is good for our heart, and puts us at low risk for cardiac issues. But some controversial studies have come out that say maybe TOO MUCH running is not good for our hearts. What happens when we run?

There's no question that endurance activities put a strain on our hearts. Your heart is a muscle, and when you train, that muscle works hard. Moderate exercise helps strengthen that muscle, and is considered "cardioprotective", or good for your heart. But what about more intense endurance activities, like marathon running or triathlons?

Over time, the heart adapts to endurance activities by increasing the effectiveness of the heart to pump blood to the body. In other words, this leads to increased muscle size of the heart and a lower pulse rate. But running an endurance event, like a marathon can lead to temporary changes in the heart muscle that indicate damage. The good news is that for most of us, everything returns to normal after 24-48 hours. And even though you do hear of people dropping dead at the finish line, those events are really, really rare.

What could be causing my palpitations? Studies show that these irregular heart beats are more common in older athletes. Actually, irregular heart beats are more common in older people in general. There can be several different types of palpitations. But for the purpose of this blog post, I'm going to focus on the 2 most common types of palpitations that occur in athletes.

In older and middle aged runners, I guess that includes me, there is an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation. This is thought to be related to changes in the structure of the heart, including the electrical pathways. Atrial fibrillation is felt like a fluttering in the chest. There can be lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The heart rate is elevated.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are fairly common in athletes of all ages. There are several different theories behind this, but commonly these beats are thought to be an "escape" rhythm felt between normal beats of the slower heart rate in the well trained athlete. Random PVCs are not usually a problem. I've had these many times, and I think that's most likely what was going on with me that afternoon.

There are other causes for heart palpitations that have nothing to do with running. Fatigue, caffeine, stress, thyroid problems, and hormonal changes (pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause) can also cause palpitations.

When is an irregular heartbeat a problem? Palpitations during a run are usually considered to be more serious than those that occur during rest. Those need to be checked out. But other palpitations? Like mine?

I haven't had any further episodes. There was no associated chest pain. Oddly, once I had a glass of wine, things settled down. I'm not sure what caused my heart to flutter. God knows I've had a lot of stress lately. The good thing for me is that I've had this worked up in the past, and everything was 100% normal. For now, I'm ok to wait.

And you know, it's still better to run than to sit on the couch and think about running.

But when in doubt, get it checked out.

To read more:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836064_12
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/study-30-milesweek-may-be-excessive-after-a-heart-attack
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/will-running-too-much-kill-you
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/the-supposed-dangers-of-running-too-much

I'm linking up with Femme Fitale Fit Club and Workout Wednesday! Be sure to head on over and check out all the other blogs.

Dream runner

Tuesdays are pretty fun in the blogging world. There's a couple of linkups and no matter what the topic, I am tasked to keep it light. This week, I'm linking up with Jill Conyers and Jessica Joy. The subject? Come up with 5 people we would most like to workout with.

Oh man. I imagine this is kind of like filling out one of those online dating applications. Not that I'd know anything about that. I'm married. But in all seriousness, what would I look for in a dream workout partner? And do I want it to be a runner? A yoga instructor? A crossfit instructor? A cyclist? A guru?

I decided to pick one of each. But for each person I chose, I looked for the following attributes: they needed to be a respected leader or performer in their field and they must have a sense of humor. Being a sports psychologist would be a plus. Of course, if I have the guru, I won't need the sports psychology...

Runner

courtesy ShutUpandRun.net

Who do I want to run with? You know I like to run alone...Should I pick someone famous? If I had to pick, I want someone who has been running for a long time, someone who has run all the distances (not including an ultra), who will share their experiences and knowledge about running with me, and will keep me occupied with funny stories while I try to do my part to keep up with them. There's some pretty inspirational women that I'd love to meet: Katherine Switzer, Linda Sommers Smith, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Deena Kastor, Jenny Hadfield, Lauren Fleishman, Shalane Flanigan, and Kara Goucher, just to name a few. They'd all be so much faster than me though. So if I had to pick someone to run with, just to pick her brain, and laugh a ton, it would be Beth Risdon from Shut Up and Run. I've been following her blog for several years, and she never fails to put a smile on my face with her posts. I admire her grit and tenacity as she pushes through tough runs---and doesn't mind sharing stories about "the runs". Ahem. No pun intended. I think I'd be totally entertained. Unless her running personality is completely different from her blogger personality. Stranger things have happened.  Plus I think her pace isn't much faster than mine. Win!

Cyclist

And she drinks Phaedra beer! Image courtesy blistersandblacktoenails.blogspot.com

True story. I don't know much about cycling. I just hop on my bike and ride. Last year, I took the plunge and bought toe clips and shoes for my bike. Now I feel 100% legit. Ok, not so much. Remember the flat tire incident from last summer? My husband had to come pick me up and change it for me? This is probably the area that I really need the most guidance. I don't really know any famous women cyclists either. But I do know about Chrissie Wellington, who is an amazing triathlete and Ironman. I think I could learn a lot from her, if she didn't leave me in her dust. It would be cool to meet her. But on a ride, the person I'd most like to spin with is Phaedra Kennedy, from Blisters and Black Toenails. Phaedra is a accomplished triathlete and I've been following her blog for about a year. I think she could teach me a lot. And she seems like a lot of fun. I bet she can change a tire in no time flat. No pun intended. Again. And she has a really cool bike. I hope she wouldn't laugh at mine...

Yoga Instructor

Oh, this is another tough one. There are a lot of yoga celebrities (yogalebrities?) with DVDs and videos. Rodney Yee would be awesome, but he's a little too much yoga for me. Christine Felstead also is a great instructor but she's a little dry for me. The person I'd love to do yoga with is actually famous, but she's a runner and a yogi, and I think that would be perfect. Sage Rountree has books, DVDs, a monthly online yoga subscription plan, and she teaches a lot of yoga for athletes classes. She's warm and explains things really well. She seems down to earth and normal, which is a plus in the yoga world. 

Trainer

courtesy Buckshot Images

Who comes to mind when you think about a trainer? Jillian Michaels? She scares me. I don't like that. I know very little about the world of personal training. All my knowledge comes from my weekly training sessions with Becky. I'm sure there's CrossFit celebrities, just like in any sport. But I'm going to stick with what works. I can't imagine anyone being more knowledgeable or effective than my coach. 

Guru

What the hell is a guru? And how do I find one? I imagine that a guru is someone who guides you spiritually and otherwise, through life. Kind of like a therapist, I think. Have you read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. The book is the story of her yearlong quest to find happiness. Since the publication of that book, she has written several other books on happiness. When I read her books, I thought to myself, who doesn't know all this? It seemed almost simplistic. But if you think about it, there are a lot of really unhappy people. Actually, I am a pretty happy person, but I do have this type A++ personality, and it would be nice to have someone to continually remind me to slow down, to be in the moment, to be more accepting of myself and others, to be more patient. I know what I need to do, but I'd love to have someone in my life to help me find ways to be a happier person. 

Coming up with this list was a little tougher than I thought! I'm so blessed to have so many awesome runner and workout friends in my life, that I don't know what more I need. And that's a good thing.

Who would be your dream workout partner(s)? Why?

Here's the link up! Be sure to head over to both hosts to see what other bloggers are saying!

Spring forward...slowly...

One thing I like about my long runs, besides the running part, is that I have a lot of uninterrupted time to myself. Sometimes I just lose myself to the tunes that are playing in my ears and sometimes I do a lot of thinking.

Today was a thinking kind of day.

For the first 3 miles, I reflected on my week. I was really excited to get outside and run this morning. The temperature was above freezing and there was no wind. My legs felt light and my run felt effortless, so I didn't even really pay much attention to pace or anything. I thought a lot about my son and where we're headed next. He went back to school this week, and things went well. Together with the school, we've got a pretty good plan in place to help him be successful. We were all feeling pretty good about that. I'm still feeling a little unsettled about the future, because there's no predicting what's to come.

Kind of like what happened next on my run.

My plan was to head over to the retention pond, where I do so much of my training. I like running there because it is a flat 2 mile loop and there's a bathroom, which is even open in the winter. I haven't run there much this winter because the path gets really icy in spots and the park district doesn't do the best job keeping it clear. I figured with the warmer temperatures, the ice would be gone.

I figured wrong.

The snow may be retreating but that's pure ice on the path behind me.

The path was clear for about the first 3/4 mile and then it became treacherous. Black ice, thin ice over water...the path was impassible in spots. I ended up having to walk about 1/2 mile and that was even difficult. My mood turned from optimistic to grumpy. I cursed the park district for their negligence. Seriously, how hard would it be to throw some sand down so we could get some traction? As I carefully moved along the path (that mile was 10:35 on my Garmin), I felt a tug in my right groin as I tried not to slip and fall. I cursed myself for my stupidity, for thinking that the path would be clear. It's like this every spring when the snow begins to melt. That thaw/freeze cycle that makes getting around tough. Every year, as soon as the temperature begins to rise, I'm so impatient for better running conditions. I should know better.

I headed off the path into the neighborhood that surrounds the park and began to run on the road again, resuming my normal pace. My mood remained pretty negative, though, and as I moved along, I thought about all the things people said to me about my son this week. People try to be helpful but instead say insensitive things that hurt. Some have questioned the way my husband and I have chosen to manage his issues. I have a pretty thin skin. I started having thoughts of self doubt about my parenting abilities.

Because the path was so icy, I couldn't complete risk another loop and so I headed back to my neighborhood, knowing I'd have to stay on the roads and reconfigure my route to get my 8 miles. That made me unhappy too. I almost stopped and called my husband to come and get me. Seriously, I was so over this run. But my half marathon is next week, and how stupid would it be for me to quit on myself? And really, it was only 8 miles. I was lucky I didn't have to do more. I swear, I am my own worst enemy.

This guy's really got the moves!

So I kept moving forward. Because, as moms and runners, that's what we do.

The most extraordinary thing happened next, though. Yesterday, I put some new music on my playlist. Sometimes when I pick out songs, I don't always know if a particular song is going to work for a run. I kept seeing a new song, Push-it, by iSHi, on several Spotify workout playlists. Well, this song came on and yes, I made a good choice. This song lit a fire in my blackened heart. All of a sudden, yes, I "pushed it" as I felt a spring in my step. My pace picked back up. And I felt my mood lift. Isn't it amazing how a song can do this?

I salvaged what could have been a really bad run. I could have quit when I wanted to. And had that black mood carry me through the rest of the day. Even though it wasn't my best run, I knew I couldn't help it, with the conditions I had to work with. And in spite of that really bad mile split, where I had to walk, my last mile split was 8:36.  I finished with an average pace per mile of 9:01. Seeing that put a smile on my face. I hope I can bring that tenacity, that push to my race next week.

And I hope that confidence extends itself to my parenting. I need to shut out those voices of self doubt and not let comments of others bother me. I like to follow my gut, as you know, and my gut is ok with what we're doing right now. The plan is always subject to change.

Everyone is a parenting expert.

Do any of us really know what we're doing?

I had some thoughts on the run, comparing my run, my problems with my son, the cycle of early spring. Spring is really a metaphor for life. It's a time of new beginnings, right? Spring is the time of saying goodbye to the bitterness and ugliness of a long winter. But the change in the environment doesn't happen overnight. Little by little, we see some signs of change. The birds start to sing, loudly. I'm hearing that! I smelled skunk on my run, definitely a sign of spring, but not a welcome one. Crocuses and daffodils sprout up through the brown grass. Once the snow melts, the grass starts to turn green. Buds appear on the trees and then begin to open. For me, having all that color is so pleasing after the bland palate of winter.

And the same goes for life. We move forward, but slowly. Letting go of the past, of old habits, is never easy. I see signs of hope, of positive change.

I'm not a patient person. But I'm trying.

Day by day.

Linking up with Tara at RunningNReading for her Weekend Update! Make sure you check out the other blogs!

The perfect fit

Sorry about the swear...

Sorry if you thought this post was about shoes.

Over the past year, I've gotten a lot of questions about my training plan for my last marathon and also about my coach. I write a lot about my coach, Becky, who I work with once weekly and who trained me to run a 1h 10min PR at my last marathon. How did I end up with a CrossFit coach instead of a running coach? How does a runner find the right coach?

A couple of years ago, frustrated with slowing mile splits and nagging injuries, I decided to look into hiring a running coach. This seemed so self-indulgent to me--after all, only celebrities and elite runners have coaches, right? First world problems....But I wasn't ready to accept my slowing down as an inevitable part of the aging process. I figured that it would be worth it to see what a coach might have to offer. After ruminating out loud about this one day at my yoga class, a fellow student mentioned that a new coaching business opened around the corner from the studio.

How great! It was meant to be, right? Impulsively, because that's how I roll, I headed over there right after yoga class. The storefront was closed, but I knocked on the door, and the coach let me in. I told her what I was thinking about and she gave me her spiel. She was a former collegiate athlete, she told me. Talked about what she would do for me. I'd have to stop running. There would be "lots of drills". She'd rework my running form. She talked a lot. I couldn't get a word in. Wasn't this all about me? How does she know what I want and what I need if she's doing all of the talking? Doubt began to form in my mind, but I signed up for an evaluation the following week.

I left, feeling unsettled about my conversation with her. The evaluation was really expensive. And her philosophy, to have me stop running while she reworked my form? Do I really need to change my form? I've resisted all the fads: Chi Running, Barefoot Running, Changing from heel striking to forefoot striking, Running in costumes--ok, that last one doesn't have anything to do with form. I'm in my 50s, and the idea of reworking my running form just didn't feel right to me. I've been sidelined for injury and illness a few times in my 20+ years of running, and coming back is always hard. When I first was put in orthotics, it took my 8 weeks to get used to them. I didn't want to stop running. I didn't want to do anything drastic. I was looking for a way to run healthy.

You know how they say go with your gut? Well, mine was working overtime. Red flags were everywhere. I couldn't ignore this uneasy feeling I was having, so I called my friend Karen, who, with her husband, owns the local CrossFit box, to discuss this with her. Karen agreed with me that she didn't like what she was hearing. She talked to me about Becky, who along with being a CrossFit coach, is also a Corrective Exercise Specialist. Karen suggested that I meet with Becky, free of charge, for an evaluation. We also talked a lot about her husband Jim, who is former Ironman and marathoner, and who has been doing CF endurance workouts with a great deal of success. While I wasn't sure that working with a non-runner was the way to go, my gut liked what it was hearing, and so I cancelled my appointment with the running coach and met with Becky.

What a relief! To be done with my sweaty run? Or to have dodged a bullet in the form of an overzealous running coach?

At that first session, there was no running, no gait evaluation. Instead, Becky had me do some squats and lunges, while she photographed me. When we met again, a few days later, she talked about what I needed to work on. My hips, particularly my left hip, were weak. She wanted me to bag my orthotics, which I was still using at the time (they're gone now). Her other big concern? My posterior chain aka my glutes, which were not firing. I know what you're thinking. But that isn't the kind of firing she was talking about. I thought all this sounded reasonable. I figured I'd give it a go and see what happens. We began to work together, doing basic rehabilitation exercises weekly, with homework.

Becky told me that she was not a runner and didn't know much about running. She also told me that my running would be my own. I liked that. Meanwhile, as I worked with her over time, I noticed a gradual, positive change in my running. I started having fewer aches and pains. My stride became more efficient (economy!) and my mile splits started becoming faster. Feeling encouraged, I did everything she asked me to do. Eventually, we moved on from the rehab to more CrossFit type exercises. She had me start lifting weights, doing intervals, and some plyometrics. We worked on core strengthening, which has always been my nemesis.

No longer my nemesis! :)

If you have been following me, then you know the ultimate reward was my marathon last fall. When I won the free entry to the Chicago marathon, Becky developed a training plan for me. My faith in her ability to bring me to the finish line was 100%. And for the training, I gave control of my running to her. I followed that training plan to the letter, with the exception of substituting one run for a bike ride when some mama drama at home threatened to derail my mental toughness training.  Oh, and we worked on that too...

Becky and me, pre marathon!

Not everyone can find a coach that is a perfect fit. But you don't have to pick a coach just because they're a coach. In the spirit of the Friday Five linkup, here are five things to think about when you are shopping for a coach:

Nothing like someone by your side to push you on!

1. Virtual vs live? On my FB feed are quite a few folks who are advertising themselves as coaches, developing training plans for runners. I don't think there's anything wrong with that except that there is nothing like meeting with that person and getting feedback. Not everyone has access to a gym and if you do use a virtual coach, make sure that they really know what you're looking for. And with Skype and FaceTime, there's no excuse for not having live interaction!

2. One size fits all is not the way to go. Make sure that your training plan is personalized to your abilities and needs--my biggest mistake with my first marathon was using a training plan that was one size fits all (I followed one of Hal Higdon's plans). If you find a coach, you want a coach who interviews you, gets to know you, and develops a customized plan based on your needs. In addition, your coach should be willing to modify the plan based on progress or lack thereof. Nothing should be set in stone.

3. Does the coach incorporate cross training into the mix?  I'm a huge believer in not living on miles alone. As a matter of fact, if all you do is run, you may stop seeing progress and even become injured. Unless you are an elite runner or a genetic mutant,  a lot of high mileage is going to break you down. I'm not saying you have to do CrossFit. Time in the gym, weights, intervals, cross training activities, and yoga are all important components to making you a stronger runner. And there's plenty of evidence to support this.

4. Your coach does not have to be a runner.  I know this seems counterintuitive. Having running experience certainly is a plus. But no matter what their background, make sure your coach has training, experience, and certification to back them up. They should have background in training athletes, physiology, nutrition, sports psychology, and biomechanics. Ask for references. Anyone can advertise themselves as a coach. The woman I first met with, the running coach, only had experience as a collegiate runner--no certifications, no formal training. Yet, she's got a booming coaching business. Heck, I could be a coach too!

5. If it doesn't feel right, move on--I'm a huge believer in going with your gut. If you don't like what the coach is having you do, tell them or find another coach. Don't waste time and money working with someone who isn't a good fit. It may take a few tries to find the right coach.

So where do you find a coach? I already talked about virtual coaches, and RRCA and USATF has a listing of all their certified coaches on their website. Some local high school cross country coaches will coach runners on the side. Check with a local running store for names of coaches. Running clubs are also another good resource. Talk to running friends. If you want to go an alternative route, like I did, check with the local gym or CrossFit box.

I have to say that working with Becky is the best thing I have ever done, fitness-wise. I have never refused to do anything she has asked me to do, although I came close last week when she had me carry that 50# sack on my back while doing lunges. She is tough but listens to me. We make a good team. She doesn't shower me with praise but when she tells me good job, I know she means it. I know how lucky I am.

While I at first balked at paying for a weekly coaching session, the returns in the form of strong running and self confidence have been amazing. I used justify this because I don't belong to a gym, so I don't pay monthly fees for that. I don't drink Starbucks and I pack my lunch for work. Now I figure that this is a priority for me and something I'm willing to pay for. You have to decide what's important to you. At age 52, becoming a stronger runner is a choice I made. No regrets.

Do you have a coach? Virtual or live? Runner or non-runner? Share your experience!

I'm linking this post up with the DC Trifecta: EatPrayRunDC, Mar on the Run, and You Signed Up for What? for their Friday Five link up! Be sure to head on over to their blogs and see what everyone else has to say!

I'm also linking up with Jill Conyers for Fitness Friday! It's always fun to check out the blogs on this link up too!

Stay thirsty, my friends

Today's Tuesdays on the Run linkup topic was too good to resist. I'm a little late to the party (so what else is new?) but I can't resist sharing what is my absolutely favorite post race treat.

I made no secret of my main goal for the Chicago Marathon last fall. Oh sure, I wanted a PR. A sub 4:30 finish time. But my main goal was to feel good enough to enjoy a beer at the finish line. Now, if they had been serving Michelob ultra or something crappy like that, I don't think I would have been so enthused. But Chicago's own local craft brewery, Goose Island, had a truck parked at the finish line and they were handing out 312 Urban Ale.

I'm not a huge beer drinker, actually, I'm known more for being a wine drinker, but when I do drink beer, I drink something tasty. Maybe Dos Equis. No Miller lite, no Bud lite, and certainly no Michelob 64 for me. If I'm going to drink beer, I want to enjoy the flavor. Last spring, I ran a local race, the Lakefront 10 miler, which is organized by the Chicago Area Runners' Association. Lagunitas, another craft brewery, was opening up a brewery and tasting room in Chicago, and decided to serve beer at the finish line. Runners got a full pint glass of their IPA. Yep, at 9:30 in the morning, I was enjoying this with my new young friends. What the heck? I just ran 10 miles! I was celebrating a pain free run--at the time I was dealing with a foot injury and almost sat this one out. I could have had a few more beers because so many people were handing us their beer coupons. I kept thinking, are you crazy? I had to drive home from the city, so I held myself to one beer.

Sweaty and satisfied with my Lagunitas IPA

When I ran Zooma last summer, there was wine at the finish line. As much as I love wine, that just does not appeal to me after a hot, sweaty run. But I felt so ill at that race--it was 80F and humid--that I don't know if I would even been able to down a beer. I was able to finally get a chocolate Muscle Milk light into my stomach--and that was nasty.

Is beer a good post run recovery drink? A study presented at the 2014 American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting attempted to explain just that. The study found that beer is not as good for post run hydration and electrolyte replacement as a sports drink. But a beer will provide fluids, some electrolytes, and some carbs. In another study, researchers suggest that adjusting the content of beer to provide more electrolytes and lower alcohol would make beer a superior post run recovery drink. But the researchers noted that since beer is essentially plant based, there are lots of other naturally occurring substances that are good for your health, and in fact, beer may be just fine as a recovery drink the way it is. 

And it just tastes so darned good! 

That smile? Is the PR? The 4:17 finish time? The Goose Island 312?

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Goose Island 312 "urban" wheat ale

Lagunitas IPA

Hefe Weissen (German Wheat Ale, served in a tall glass) -so many good labels

Capital Wisconsin Amber -Lager

New Glarus Spotted Cow (only available in Wisconsin)

Blue Moon -a belgian white wheat

For more info: 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/05/285693136/beer-as-a-post-workout-recovery-drink-not-as-crazy-as-it-sounds

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/how-does-beer-impact-recovery

Be sure to head over to Tuesdays on the Run aka MCM mama, Run the Great Wide Somewhere, and My No Guilt Life to see what everyone else likes after a run...

Runfessions February edition

It's the end of February and that means it's time for Runfessions! Marcia at Marcia's Healthy Slice hosts this monthly soul clearing...and let me tell you how good it feels!

Let's step into the confessional...allow me to unburden myself...unbury myself...after all, this is the polar vortex edition of Runfessions...

There's no problem too big you can't run away from....

I've wanted to run away more the past few weeks than I ever did as a child. There, I've said it. I've made no secret of the mama drama meter going into the red zone on a daily basis these past few weeks. I've cried more than I ever thought possible. Not being much of a crier normally, that alone makes me want to run away. Every morning, I wake up all puffy. When I go for a run, I've tried to keep running but I can't go forever. I'd like to keep going, but it's just too cold. This winter weather has been brutal and there seems to be no relief in sight. That also makes me want to run away. Living in the midwest is not for the faint of heart.

I'm channeling Jeff Foxworthy here: 

-You might live in Chicago when it is warmer at the North Pole than it is where you live.

-You might live in Chicago when you have more snow than they do in Anchorage. 

-You might live in Chicago when 20 degrees feels balmy. 

All true stories. 

Some math: Teenage angst + mother nature's revenge + perimenopause = I need an escape plan. Leaving on a jet plane for Florida in a couple of weeks. Don't know when I'll be back again...

Git 'er done...tomorrow

Got weeds?

And along these lines, something you all may find this hard to believe, but I'm a bit of a procrastinator. But winter seems to have frozen all my resolve to get much done. I've put all my energy into work, my runs, and my sons. Anything else is on the backburner. For example, bills that aren't on autopay have been sitting in a pile on my desk. I started getting collection notices, which served as a cattle prod for me, and so I paid those. My husband has been complaining about the state of my desk. I need to get up there and go through everything, organize the piles of papers that are taking over, much like weeds in a garden. I actually believe that bills multiply just like weeds. Of course, anyone who's seen my garden knows that I don't weed either. Maybe I can't blame winter for this one...

Rebel without a pose...

I've never been much of a rule follower. Well, let me clarify. I don't follow rules that don't make sense to me. I'm kind of a rebel like that. Remember last fall, when I went to do my long run for the Chicago Marathon and the bike path was closed? Yeah, right, it was "closed"...And in that spirit, I have to confess that when I'm doing a yoga video, I don't always do the poses the instructor tells us to. Sometimes it's a pose that I can't do, like Broken Toe pose. Yep, you sit on your feet with your toes curled under...ouch...

yinyoga.com

I've already had 2 broken toes, and I don't want more. Not that this pose will actually break your toes--I'm sure people with healthy feet find a lot of benefits in this pose. But I have issues with my feet and I'll do anything to avoid more time in the boot. So I'll do an alternative pose, like hero pose (kneeling) while the folks on the video are sitting on their toes. They're suffering stretching out their feet and I'm relaxing, opening up my hips. Ahhhh....

I actually really like this pose. 

Sometimes I don't feel like doing Revolved Triangle because my body doesn't like that pose and it makes me feel inflexible and inferior. Bad yogi. So instead, I'll do regular triangle. I don't know why, but changing it up makes me feel somewhat guilty. It's not like Christine Felstead or Rodney Yee are going to call me out on it.... from the TV screen no less:

"Hey Wendy, namaste and all but we're doing revolved trikonasana over here....what the hell are you doing? "

I wouldn't do this at a studio class. One time I was at a live yoga class and a woman in the front did her own thing the whole time. It was so distracting! And weird. I mean, if you don't want to be lead by the instructor, why show up? To me, that was so wrong, disrespectful, and inconsiderate. I'm sure the instructor wanted to say something, but it is yoga after all. Be where you're at. Ommmmm.....

Sign language...

This week on a particularly brutally cold run, I had a thought about my convertible mittens. You know the ones, that are gloves with a hood you can pull over to make a mitten? Let's just say I was out on a run and I saw one of the neighborhood ladies who snubbed me at a recent white elephant party. I could wave politely, right?

"Heeeyyyyy...good morning! Have a nice day!"

And all the while smiling and waving, if I were to happen to raise the business finger under the cover of my convertible mittens...who would know? Just me, right? I love things that are multi-purpose--here we have hand warmers and passive aggressive all in one handy dandy innocent looking mitten. It's all good. I think I just found a silver lining to living in a cold place. And come to think of it, there's that whole face mask thing...just think of the possibilities!

Too bad, you warm climate folks will miss out on this one.

And just so you know, I only thought about doing this. So tempting, but I kept all my fingers together. It was just too darned cold...

Or you could give someone the peace sign. Privately, under the hood...

Such bad thoughts. Time for my penance. Not sure what that might be. I do have to work today...I think that sounds like punishment enough.

What do you want to confess? 

And be sure to head over to Marcia's page and see what everyone else is sharing...

I'm also linking this with Jill Conyers' Friday Fitness link up! Because sharing is caring....

Motivation!

When everything hits the proverbial fan, it takes every ounce of resolve I have to lace up my running shoes, head out the door and go for a run. I actually consider just going back to bed and pulling the covers up over my head. Have you ever felt like that? It's a slippery slope towards depression, and I don't want to go there. After all, that's one of the reasons I started running 20 plus years ago. And that in and of itself is my biggest motivator to get out the door.

What else do I do to motivate myself to run?

If you don't want to race or if you need more goals, you can stay accountable by signing up for a virtual race or group. In 2015, I signed up with Run This Year. While no longer in operation, the goal of Run This Year was accountability. I always have a loose goal of running 100 miles per month, and I set a goal to run 2015 km in 2015 (which translates to 1251 miles. The organizers,had Instagram contests to keep participants motivated. They also encouraged participants to print out bibs every 100 miles and post a picture to the website. At the end of the year, I met my goal. What a great feeling!

Reading about running can be motivating! Shameless plug: as you may or may not know, I'm hosting a running book club right here on the blog! This is a great chance to read books that you might never have considered picking up! You can read more about the book club here. And if you are one of those people who don't read books--I don't understand you but I know you're out there--you can read magazines about running. There's a ton of websites with articles about running. And I know a few awesome blogs about running. Obviously, you do too....

Connect with other runners via social media. I cannot say enough how much having my virtual running friends helped me train for a successful Chicago Marathon last fall. It takes a village to train a runner, apparently. Just ask Jenny Hadfield! If you are a social runner, find a running group in your community. Be with your people. They get you and if your mojo is flagging, they can help you find it. I get by with a little help from my friends.

Adopt a mantra. I continue to use my "I can and I will" mantra to not only get me through my training but also through my mama drama. It sounds corny, but it really works. Music gets me moving too, and I've written plenty about how listening to motivating lyrics can really push me through a tough run. Some of my friends listen to podcasts.

I feel like the Yeti these days!

While it might seem superficial to some, having cute (or if you're a guy, cool) running clothes really is a great pick me up. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get some fun things to wear. TJMaxx and Marshall's is a great source of inexpensive, name brand gear. Target's C9 brand is high quality and fashion forward. Old Navy is another great source for cute running clothes. There are plenty of other options, but as they say, you don't have to spend a lot to look good. Sometimes just buying a few new items is enough to perk up even the most depressed winter runner. Clearly, though, I've been following this advice a little too closely. But do you want to be that runner wearing inappropriate clothing? I didn't think so.

How do you find your mojo?

Coming back to the laughter

I do love to laugh. I laugh at really dumb things. I'm kind of immature like that. When life gets stressful, I really appreciate the little silly things that pop up here and there. Indulge me a bit, as I share a few things that have made me laugh this week. Just thinking about them puts a smile on my face.

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The Student Driver

Earlier in the week, my youngest son, who recently got his driving permit, drove my older son and me home from an appointment. He drove on the expressway! Through road construction! Through the toll booth! On the exit ramps, which are shaped like cloverleafs. He did great, with a little coaching--"you're going too slow' (on the highway) or "you're going too fast" (on the ramps). We didn't end up in a ditch. We made it home safely. Or so I thought. He pulled up to the driveway, and I complimented him on his driving. But the turn into the driveway was tricky. There is snow piled up on either side, making it pretty narrow. To top it off, the recycling can was in the driveway. I warned him to watch out for it but it was too late--he tapped the can with the front bumper. Just a tap-- but it was enough to pop the lid and send recyclables shooting up in the air and all over the car. It looked like an explosion. Wine bottles, beer cans (sheesh, we look like lushes), milk cartons, boxes..you name it. When he stopped, I saw the mailman, standing across the street, just staring at us. The boys and I started laughing so hard we were crying. I don't remember the last time the 3 of us laughed like that. All night we kept giggling about it. And that felt good....

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Nurse NP Ratched

Yesterday at work, I had a full schedule of sickies, including 2 brothers, ages 4 and 5, with fevers. I've seen them before and they are funny and cute. I took one look at their throats and decided to swab them for strep. As soon as I swabbed the 5 year old, he vomited. His brother started to cry, and when I swabbed him, he vomited too. Their dad and I got them cleaned up, and as I walked out of the room to run the strep tests, I heard one of them say, "I don't like that doctor anymore".  I started laughing. When I came back, they were smiling again, but the older one stopped smiling as soon as he saw me and gave me the hairy eyeball. Even after I tried to bribe him with a prize. Little kids crack me up. And yes, they had strep.

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As seen on the run

Today on the run, I saw a few things that amused me. I was out for a 12 mile run, so I had a lot of territory to cover. Since there is so much snow on the ground, I've gotten creative trying to get my miles in. I did a 6 mile out and back through 2 different parks. I have to run on the roads in between the parks, and on the side of the road, I came upon a condom box. I kicked the box while I ran, and it burst open, shooting condom packages out all over the road. I started laughing. Why would anyone throw a whole box of unused condoms out? I thought about picking them up, but I have no use for them anymore... At least they weren't used.  I do see those more often than I'd like. Ewww. As I kept running down the street, there was a radar/speed sign. The sign picked up a few cars going 25, 30 mph. I hoped to see my speed and was rewarded when it flashed an 8 at me. Oh yeah!!! That put a huge grin on my face. I gave myself an internal thumbs up. Once I got to the park, I looped around the lakes, stopped to take a yoga selfie (warrior 1 today) and headed back home. I saw this no swimming sign, which tickled my funny bone. I stopped again to snap this selfie.

I have to laugh. Laughter keeps me sane. It's so true that laughter is indeed the best medicine. It felt good to be reminded about that this week. As I continue to wrestle with my older son's issues, I'm finding less to laugh about. In yoga, we always come back to the breath. In life, we need to come back to the laughter.

Have you seen anything funny on the run? What makes you laugh out loud?

I'm linking this post with Tara at RunningNReading for her Weekend Update! Be sure to head over to her blog to see what everyone else is up to!

Book clubbers: how are you doing with the book? Shoot me questions, concerns...and if you want me to ask the author anything, let me know!