Tips for Enjoying a Vacation at Elevation

 Drinking high gravity beer is a "Don't" not a "Do".

KoB DGAF.

(Ollllld Chub!)

So, for the 3rd year in a row now, The KoB and I have traveled to the absolutely beautiful and charming town of Leadville, CO.

Home of the Leadville 100 and the National Mining Museum.

Also the place in the US where climbing up a

set of stairs will leave you panting and doubled over for 3 minutes.

HELLO life at 10,200 feet!

So, for some, 10,200 feet of elevation might not be anything. But, for a Nashville/Sea-Level girl, it is a huge deal. The obvious thing is that the lack of oxygen renders you panting and gasping at the most ridiculous of things. Like... taking off a sports bra. It's sad. 

It's exhausting.

But, after my 3rd year in a row, I've come up with a few tips on making the elevation a little less troublesome and less noticeable.

Running/Endurance stuff: So, every year, I get out to the Mineral Belt Trail (an awesome 11+ mile loop around the city) and think, okay, I'm just going to run slow and it will be fine. And then I start running and I have to stop to catch my breath after about 90 seconds. SERIOUSLY. It's humbling and annoying. But, I've found, that if I just give myself those breaks and start and stop and walk, after about 25-30 minutes, I find my pace and I'm able to keep running (even on the uphills). I think it just takes my body more time to understand what the hell is happening and adjust. So, give yourself a break and some time, and you'll be fine.

Headaches: The lack of oxygen can give me a wicked headache. So, from the moment the plane touches down in Denver, until I get on the plane going home, I take a dose of Excedrin every 8 hours. It keeps the headaches away.

Bloat: Along with the Excedrin, I take Gas-X pills the same way. It is crazy how bloated I get and I'm not entirely sure how elevation=bloat. But, it's seriously painful and none of my pants fit unless I'm keeping it all under control with the Gas-X. Trust me, it's a life saver. 

Hydrate: So, I try to make sure I'm staying extra hydrated (this is probably more because Colorado is so much drier than I'm used to). And by the same token, I think it's best to stay away from alcohol as much as possible. Did I do that? Nope. But, the elevation definitely makes a hangover about 13X worse.

 

Highly recommend this local brewery.

Probably should only have one or two if you want to 

feel your best. Do as I say, not as I do.

Because drinking 4 Brown Ales in one sitting wasn't smart.

 Sleep: I haven't quite mastered this one yet. And I find that the mornings are extra hard for me at elevation. Normally, I pop up and am ready to go in the mornings, but I'm always more groggy and still feel tired when I wake up in Leadville. Probably because I don't sleep as well there. But, if anyone has any good sleeping at elevation tips, I'd love to hear them!

Anyway, it's not groundbreaking stuff, but, it's not something I ever considered before my first trip out there, so, maybe it will help someone!

Trip pics and re-caps to come!

How to...

Prepare for a run in the rain.

Let me set the scene for you...

This morning I awoke to the gentle rumble of thunder. I looked at my alarm clock, it was 5:00 am. Sweet! I said to myself... another 30 minutes to sleep. When my alarm went off 30 minutes later, I could still hear the rain outside and I immediately reached for my phone.

Drats. No text message from Matt. I was kinda/sorta hoping he had woken up already... tired from our run with the East Nasties last night and that coupled with the sound of rain would make him bail on our weekly Thursday morning run. No such luck. So, I got out of bed and got ready.

Now, first let me say... I used to HATE running in the rain. Seriously, I would skip any scheduled run if it were raining (and living in Middle Tennessee, that means I missed a shit ton of runs, because it rains a lot here). But, starting this past spring, in my attempt to become more hardcore, I decided: hardcore runners aren't afraid of rain. So... I started running in the rain... and along the way I learned a lot things that have made the experience less awful.

I realize that a lot of people LOVE running in the rain. Count me in that group if it's a slow drizzle on a hot summer day. Otherwise... I hate it. I hate being wet in general. I hate the feeling of wet clothes sticking to me. I hate having water dripping down my face and body. I hate puddles. I hate carrying around an extra 3 pounds of water because my shoes are soaked and sloshing. I hate being cold. And most of all... I hate coming home to my place a dripping wet mess.

But, I do have a few fairly obvious tips that all of you probably already do (but never told me about, shame on you!) that I have learned along the way about preparing for a rain run.

First of all... What to wear.
It's raining. So you reach for your rain jacket, right? WRONG. That sucker will only keep the rain off you for like 2 minutes and after that, it too becomes a sopping mess that not only doesn't keep you dry, but also suffocates you with your own body heat. It's been awhile since I've read it, but I'm fairly certain this is one of the punishments in Dante's Inferno: Running constantly in the pouring rain while wearing a rain jacket. I made this mistake during the Tom King Half Marathon this year.

The absolute best thing you can wear is something that is fitted and one layer. Wet fabric flopping against you with every step sucks. If it's already fitted to you... it flops less. Everything is going to get wet anyway, so the less layers you have on, the better.

Shoes? Wear some dirty, old ones and immediately take out the insoles when you finish so that they'll dry quicker.

Last, make sure you wear a cap/visor of some sort. It will keep the rain out of your eyes and make for a much more pleasant run.

Next... Prepare your home.
Allow me to use a visual aid. My entry way this morning before my rainy run:
So, let's start at the door and work our way down. A towel. Two plastic grocery bags laid out. A robe.

I walk through the door and immediately I wipe my face off with the towel. Then, I take everything off... shoes, socks, clothes, hat, and place them on the plastic bags. I dry myself off as much as possible with the towel, then I put the towel on my head and put the robe on. There. No more wandering through my place and leaving wet spots all over the floor. (Yes, it took me 3 years of running to figure out this super obvious and easy routine).

So, if you hate running in the rain like I do (or the effects of running in the rain, I should say), maybe some of these tips will help you get your ass out the door.

Reunited...

and it feels soooooo good...

Remember this? Yeah, I was all ready to toss this bad boy to the trash. And then I thought to myself... well, if I'm just going to throw it away, anyway... I might as well give the ole dishwasher routine a try.

I mean, it's something I've always heard... "You can wash your hats and visors in the dishwasher!" But, I'd never tried it... So, the other afternoon, as I was turning on the dishwasher, I noticed my dirty friend staring at me longingly... and I thought... hmmm.. what the hell? So, I threw it in there... dirty dishes, dishwasher detergent and all. And you know what happened when I pulled it out of the dishwasher...

Sparkling clean and like brand new! And, best of all... the stank is gone!

So, the next time your running hat, visor, etc... gets all gross and stanky... (even if its at the point where you think there is no return...) give it a run in the dishwasher. Hopefully it will work for you, too! (It saved me $22.99!).

Running is NOT Bad For You!!!

Don't just take my word for it...

Heart Disease and Weight Control
Dr Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, says, "The strenuous activity of jogging offers great heart benefits. It increases oxygen uptake to improve cardiac function, lowers blood pressure and increases insulin sensitivity."

Oh yeah, and...
His team calculated that runners live five to seven years longer than non-runners.

Autopsies determine that heart failure and death that come when running are usually caused by an existing heart condition that had never been discovered.

Osteoporosis
Running increases loading on the femur, boosting femoral bone mass density (BMD). And you don’t need to run daily to see results. “Among our study's runners, 47% ran eight or fewer times a month yet still had higher BMD than non-joggers,” says researcher Michael Mussolino from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brain Power and Stress Relief
German neuroscientists from the University of Ulm found that 30 minutes jogging sessions 3 times a week significantly improved concentration and visual memory.
“The runners who had taken the six week jogging course made fewer mistakes and could complete the tests much more precisely,” says researcher Ralf Reinhardt. It’s thoughts intense exercise manufacturers new hippocampus cells and protects existing ones. A study at Oregon Health Sciences University found almost all joggers experience mental and emotional benefits from their exercise.

Joints
Sports medicine specialist, Dr. William Chan has this to say: "As a general rule of exercise, running and walking do no damage to the knees nor will it cause arthritis of the knee when you grow old. Studies done on marathon runners have shown no evidence of degeneration or arthritis of the knees as a result of long distance running."

A team of researchers from the department of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University in southern California recently reported in the Arthritis Research and Therapy journal that adults who run consistently have 25% less musculoskeletal pain and arthritis than non-runners when they get older. Bonnie Bruce, the study author, followed more than 500 runners from a local club (called “ever runners” in the study) and 300 inactive people (“never runners”, but not necessarily sedentary) in their 50s and 60s for 14 years. Dr Bruce and her colleagues found that the “ever runners”, who ran at least six hours a week on average, experienced less joint pain by their 60s and 70s and only 35% of the joggers got arthritis (compared with 43% of non-runners).

Most knee pain that comes with running is caused by a previous knee injury.

In Conclusion...
So as you can see, runnin ain't bad, folks. (But we all know that already, don't we:) Maybe one day my nurse will stumble across this blog and gain some knowledge about the benefits of doing something great for your body.

The key is to be smart about it. Of course, not everyone is meant to be a runner...there are so many other great forms of exercise, but if you DO run, just remember to :
Wear proper shoes (and get new ones when they are worn out)
Don't push yourself on injury (listen to your body!)
Stretch
Try to get off the road and onto a softer surface once in a while
At least once a week, lift weights and do strengthening exercises

And HAVE FUN!!

Safety First-Running in the Heat

We all know that running in the summer is tough and all runners (should) know how to best protect themselves and run more comfortably when it's hot outside. For example:

-dress in cool, moisture-wicking clothing
-drink plenty of water before and during a run-sports drink if the run is an hour or longer
-try to run in the early morning or evening
-wear sunscreen and a hat

I generally practice all of these tips and I'm ok. It's still difficult to adjust to the heat and humidity, but at least I'm not in any danger of heat stroke or exhaustion. However, yesterday was a different story. I went out to run right after work and I felt pretty good for the first mile and a half. And then I realized I wasn't sweating at all. I ran for another mile and began to feel nauseous, dizzy and sort of in outer space-like my brain was all fuzzy. By that point, I had run about 2.5 miles and realized that I should stop running. I had been running at my usual pace, but when I stopped, I was panting and gasping for breath. And then I started getting cold chills. Luckily I was close to home so I was able to get indoors and cool off and in no time, everything was back to normal, but man, was it scary! So today, I want to post the
symptoms of heat stroke- every runner should be aware of them!

flushed red skin
hot, dry skin
difficulty breathing or hyperventilation
a moderate to severe headache
dizziness
burning sensations in the extremities
disorientation or confusion
delirium
lack of perspiration (sweating)
vomiting
loss of consciousness
sudden chills
unable to run straight (or at all)

If you experience these symptoms-STOP RUNNING!! Get to a cool place, apply cool water to the skin and rehydrate. I did some Internet research this morning and all the sites say to call 911. If immediate treatment is not given, heat stroke is fatal and can cause organ damage.

I'm not sure why my body reacted to the heat like it did yesterday since I've run for much longer in even higher temperatures-plus I drank a lot of water all day, up to the run. I'm just glad that I quit when I did.

Heat Stroke is considered a medical emergency and the most serious of heat-related illnesses, but there are two others that should be mentioned:

HEAT CRAMPS-
Causes: Loss of electrolytes and accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles.
Conditions: Muscle cramps and/or spasms, heavy sweating, normal body temperature.
Treatment: Drink water and sports drink, slow down, massage affected area.

HEAT EXHAUSTION-
Causes: Intense exercise in a hot, humid condition and loss of electrolytes.
Conditions: Profuse sweating, possible drop in blood pressure (less than 90 systolic, the top number), normal or slightly elevated body temperature, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, decreased coordination, possible fainting.
Treatment: Rest in a cool place, drink water and sports drink, if BP drops below 90 systolic, call EMS, avoid activity for at least 24 hours, refrain from running or exercising in the heat for at least one week.
(source: marathonguide.com)

Sometimes its difficult to get somewhere for help, especially on those long out-and-back runs that are in the middle of nowhere, so it's wise to take along a cell phone. I know it's a pain, but as I learned yesterday, these illnesses can strike even when you take all precautions and even when you're just going out for an easy, short run!

I don't mean to scare anyone, but we've gotta be safe out there! Know the facts!
Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Shoe Dilemma

It's time for some new shoes. There are several ways to tell that you need new running shoes:

1. You've hit 500 miles

2. You can see that the tread is worn down on the soles

3. You are consistently feeling a little beat up after your runs (achy knees, ankles, etc...)

And my favorite...

4. You are tired of the pair you currently have and are a sucker for all the cool new shoes that keep coming out.

In my case, the mileage thing doesn't work right now because I ran for a couple of months without logging my runs. And the tread isn't worn down at all...and my knees ache after many of my runs (even in brand new shoes) as a result of, I believe, running sprints on a concrete track in high school and playing soccer for 9 years. I may be close to the max mileage, but since I can't be sure, I guess I'll just have to confess that my reason for needing (ok, wanting) new kicks is #4 on the list.

You know what? I'm even going to add a #5 here because I just thought of another great reason to buy new shoes...

5. You are beginning a new marathon training plan and need some additional excitement to get you pumped up and ready to go!!!

So I've really had my eye on these Pearl Izumi syncroFLOAT 2s:

My brother, Logan, has some Izumis and loves them. I've also done a little research online and that seems to be the general consensus-people love them. And I think they look cool...different from other running shoes. So what's the problem, you ask? Just buy them already, you say.

I use a Cashback Bonus Discover Card, which earns me money each time I use the card. I can either take the cash or use it at one of their sponsored stores or vendors. Most all of the stores will let you redeem the cash for more than it actually is. For example, $10 cash = $15 giftcard. The last couple of times I bought running shoes, I used the cashback bonus at FootLocker since they are a sponsored store. It was awesome...cause we all know running shoes ain't cheap.

Only my Pearl Izumis aren't sold at FootLocker. To add to the matter, I checked out slickdeals this morning and found a coupon code for an additional 25% off. And I did find a couple of pair that caught my eye at Foot Locker:I've worn Mizunos and had a blue toenail problem, but that was before I went to Fleet Feet and learned that I should be running in a whole size and a half larger than I had been! And I've never worn Nikes, but Amy loves hers so I'm up to trying those out as well. So basically, I could either wait on the Pearl Izumis and get a sweet deal on some Nikes or Mizunos or just suck it up and spend the cash on the Izumis.

Anybody got some input on any of these three?

Race Report: Running to Beat the Blues 5k.

You know, we talk a lot about marathon and half marathon training. I think it’s important that we take a moment and talk about the race that is the 5k.

5 kilometers is 3.1 miles. (this just goes to show you how much cooler the metric system is… I mean.. doesn’t 5k sound WAYYY better than 3.1 miles?).
Here we are amped up for our race!

The 5k is nothing to laugh at. It is a serious distance, with serious runners

And ducks, too apparently. Not sure what that’s about….

I’ve compiled some useful tips from the Running to Beat the Blues 5k that April and I ran on Saturday. I've used the format of a do's and don't type of list (rest assured that the don'ts aren't necessarily compiled of things that April and I actually did) (yes they are).

DONT Stay up till midnight Do Get your rest the night before a big race.

DONT Eat homemade chocolate lava cakes the night before Do Eat a healthy meal the night before.

DONT Get to the race 20 minutes before it starts, wander around aimlessly trying to figure out where to find your number, then sit in your car until 2 minutes before the start of the race Do Get to the race with plenty of time to find your number, get your bib and chip affixed and mix and mingle with the other friendly racers.

DONT Bitch and moan about the ugly graphics on the t-shirts Do Remember that this race is about the local charity that it benefits and helping out your community, while enjoying your favorite sport with hundreds of fellow runners.

DONT Scope out and stalk down every bitch that appears to be in your age division until you pass them Do Enjoy the scenery and the run. On second thought. Screw this one. It's a race, right? School those bitches.

DONT Take some additional free shit from a display and go to breakfast Do After the race, again mingle with your fellow runners, stand on the sidelines and cheer the rest of the runners on as they finish. Wait around for the awards ceremony to congratulate the winners.

Overall this race was fun. I kicked it up the last mile or so and finished 26:59... not good enough to win (of course), but good enough to put me 6th out of 32. Not too shabby. And it was definitely fun to get to run a race with April.. even though she got better shit than I did.... hmph. I'll let her tell you about that...

The Daily Life of a Marathon Trainer... and tips!

5:00am: Alarm goes off, stumble out of bed. And I do mean literally stumble... no contacts= tripping over all kinds of random shit that is laying around on my floor.
5:10am: Hit the pavement.
6:25am: Come in, eat a cup of yogurt, flip through the paper, take a shower.
7:30am: Eat breakfast, take vitamins and supplements. (Yeah, I'm cool, I take supplements.)
7:50am: Leave for work... sit in traffic for the next 35 minutes, listening to sports radio.
8:30am: Work till 5:00pm.
5:01pm: Sit in traffic for next 35 minutes, listening to sports radio.
5:36pm: Cross-Train... Could be tennis, yoga lattes, or strength training.
6:45 pm: Shower
7:00pm: Prepare and Eat dinner.
8:00pm: Start getting ready for bed, laying out running clothes for the morning, laying out work outfit for the next day and packing gym bag for next day.
8:25pm: Crawl into bed with a book.
8:50pm: Put book down, turn out light.

Start the next day all over again... Damn... I didn't realize how boring my life is until this very moment. One thing I am really enjoying though.... no tv. The only television that I watch, is sometimes sportscenter in the morning while I'm getting ready and sometimes I'll flip on the tv while I'm preparing and eating dinner. So, we're looking at a total tv time of about 45 minutes a day. And that's being generous!

Training tips to be extracted from my schedule:
Morning Run... you can't do it? Sure you can! Here's how I do it:
1. Having all your shit together prior to your morning run is key. Lay out EVERYTHING you need for your morning run in a neat stack at the foot of your bed or in the bathroom.
2. I turn on my lamp immediately when my alarm goes off. Sure, I'm blind for about 3 minutes, but it's the only way I can ensure not falling back asleep.
3. I either leave my running clothes in the bathroom, or grab the stack on my way to the bathroom, and I put my legs through my running shorts while I'm peeing and attempt to get at least one sock on too... This way... if I go back to bed... well dammit, I'm going back to bed in running shorts and a sock and who wants to sleep in that?
4. Make sure you brush your teeth before a morning run. I've made the mistake of not... and it's a mistake I'll only make once.
5. Fill your water bottle up prior to leaving, so that as soon as you get back inside, you can have a nice big gulp of icy cold water.
Other tips:
6. Commutes are such a waste of time. If you can find a way to do something constructive during rush hour, and then go home AFTER rush hour, you can save lots of time. For instance, I often play tennis right after work at a tennis court like 5 minutes from my office or I run along the streets by work. So, by the time I'm done, I can breeze right home. Also good to join a gym near your work (you can drive to the gym early in the morning when traffic isn't bad save that commuting time).
7. This may only apply to girls, not sure, but if I'm not getting up in the morning to run or cross train, I always take a shower right before I go to bed... let my hair airdry overnight, so that I can sleep a little later in the morning.

Okay, well that's all I can think of for now... you have any to add?