Getting Into My Zone

All I wanted for Christmas was a Myzone heart rate monitor. I already had two Polar heart rate monitors with dead batteries and a Suunto HR monitor that still works. I don't use the Suunto HR monitor anymore but I wear the watch that came with it everyday. This monitor is different. What I like about it is that when I work out with it at my athletic club, the results of my efforts appear on a TV screen. A tile displays my heart rate, the percentage of my maximum heart rate and the meps (Myzone energy points) I've earned.

I usually resist the urge to get the latest fitness gadgets. I was very tempted by Fitbits at one time but I never bought one because there were too many kinds to choose from. 

But now I need motivation to work out harder. Since I started working out in the morning a year or so ago, I've neglected the cardiovascular part of my workout. When I drag myself to the gym 10-15 minutes later than I intend to, I don't have time to do 30 minutes of cardio. I spent several weeks doing rehab exercises for the back of my knee and that also cut into my cardio workouts. So even though I exercise at least five times a week, I've gained several pounds.

How does having this fitness gadget motivate me? The process of measuring effort motivates me to push myself harder. Myzone shows how hard you are working with five color-coded heart rate zones. The lowest level, grey, is 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. The highest level, red, is 90-100% of your maximum heart rate. 

I have always found that the maximum heart rate calculation is too low for me. Maximum heart rate is usually calculated as 220 minus your age. Myzone uses the formula (206.3 minus .711 times your age) which is a few beats higher. At my age, the maximum heart rate is 168 per the formula.

The first time I used the monitor, it said I was in the red zone (90% of the maximum) when my heart rate hit 150. But I don't feel like I am working hard at 150. I am not gasping for breath. I asked Renee, a trainer, about this and she said that Myzone would recalibrate itself. I can already see that happening. After using the monitor a few times, I didn't reach 90% until my heart rate was 154 or 155. Now Myzone shows a maximum heart rate for me of 173.

Myzone initially showed my resting heart rate as 75, typical for a person my age. After I used it a few days, it adjusted my RHR to 65. Renee said that I should put the fitness belt on while I am still in bed to measure my resting heart rate more accurately. I measured my resting rate this morning at 51. I thought it would be between 55 and 60.

My goal is to burn 500 calories each time I go to the gym, unless it is a rest day. I can reach my goal by running a 5k or by exercising about 40 minutes on other machines.

1/31 Update:

I've been using the My Zone heart rate monitor for just over a month now. A couple of weeks ago, I did a fitness test on a treadmill.

If trees had necks

Three years ago, I wrote that I was Determined to Age Gracefully. Now I'm rethinking my choice of the word  "gracefully" because for some reason it makes me think of Grace Kelly, the actress who had flawless skin and an elegant neck. That mental image doesn't quite match the face and neck I see in the mirror. Then again, she was only in her twenties.

Speaking of necks, I finally read Nora Ephron's essay I Feel Bad About My Neck. I feel bad about my neck too! I wish I had appreciated its firmness when I was young!

For years, I have been very good about putting daily moisturizer with UV protection and nightly rejuvenating cream on my face. I forgot about my neck. But just as Nora said, you can put makeup on your face and concealer under your eyes but "short of surgery, there's not a damn thing you can do about a neck. The neck is a dead giveaway. Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth. You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn't have to if it had a neck." Truth.

As I age blithely (imagining Blythe Danner), I can't escape the honesty of my neck. I have experienced the shock of seeing its reflection in the side view mirror when I ride in the passenger seat. Again, from Nora: "if you want to get really, really depressed about your neck," look in the rearview mirror.  

Nora had a couple of suggestions for coping with a neck that is loose, crepey, saggy, flabby or all of the above. One, avoid looking in the mirror if at all possible or you may find yourself shrieking, Eek! I have a wattle! If you must pass a mirror, avert your eyes or squint so that if anything bad looks back at you, your eyes are already half closed. While on vacation a few months ago, we went to a restaurant and sat opposite a mirrored display case. Watching the old lady across from me nearly ruined my appetite. I should have squinted.

Two, practice "compensatory dressing" even if it means you have to eliminate 90% of the clothes you might otherwise buy because the neckline isn't flattering. Think turtlenecks and scarves and chokers, which perhaps could be called wattle wear. Sadly, I only have one turtleneck and am not a fan of scarves. What'll I wear now?

As I age rosily (imagining Rose of the Golden Girls), I'll try to remember to moisturize my wattle as I squint at the old lady in the mirror.

Running & Knee PT

I am not a typical blogger. I don't post frequently. It often takes me days if not weeks to finish even one post because I spend so much time composing my thoughts. But then, I do have a day job.

I thought I would see what it feels like to just write whatever random thoughts are in my head each day. So I'm going to try to write a post a day for 50 days. By the end of the year, I should know whether my thoughts flow more freely after this mental exercise.

Today my thoughts are on running.  My husband and I signed up for the Pizza Pie 5K which is this morning at 9:00. It will be chilly out. It's in the Park Hill neighborhood which is near the Denver Zoo.

I have been slacking off on running lately even though I am actually in a "run club" for the first time ever. Four or five of us meet at 6:00 am on Mondays. I am the only one who is not a beginner though I am not a high mileage runner; I usually run 3 miles. As a group, we are working our way up to a 5K, which is just over 3 miles. The farthest I have run is a half marathon (13 miles) and I did that distance twice. I have also run a couple of 10 milers. I learned that my body starts to fall apart if I run too far.

My thoughts are also on my right knee. I hurt the back of my knee training for a stair climb months ago. A friend thought I might have a Baker's cyst but I didn't feel a lump. The pain seemed to be mostly on the calf side and not from the hamstrings.

I managed the pain for months by wearing one of those ugly compression things (the ones with a hole at the kneecap). Then I aggravated my injury running a 10K trail run. I don't remember hurting it but I must have wobbled or twisted it somehow. The day before my 10K, I also whacked my knee hard lifting a cooler into the back of the SUV.

I finally decided to get help for my knee and have been undergoing physical therapy for about 4 weeks. The x-rays showed that my knees are actually in pretty good shape - no signs of arthritis. The surprise during my first week of training was that my pain seems to originate in my ankle. I couldn't do a knee to the wall exercise without my ankle hurting. So I do a couple of exercises for my calves twice a day and a lot of exercises to strengthen my glutes. Which means lots of butt squeezes and single leg squats. The squats show me how weak my right side is compared to the left. I have a couple more weeks of PT.

The pain behind my knee has almost completely gone away. The front of my knee hurt this week when I went up and down the stairs but I have been dealing with that off and on for years. I'm thinking that was either due to the squats or because I thought I could get away with not wearing the supportive knee band.

Time for more coffee.

Confessions of a Salty Sweater

I love to run on trails. Trail running is not monotonous like running on the treadmill or out on neighborhood streets. I admire the wildflowers, listen to the sound of birds and squirrels, and feel connected to nature. I find the trails quiet and peaceful, unless I get stuck behind a bunch of non-stop talkers. But trail running on hills is hard, even with frequent walk breaks. It's rocky. It's harder to breathe. The heat makes the exertion even tougher. My spirit always feels refreshed after a run, but my body takes a pounding.

I confess that trail running in the heat makes me sweat - a lot. Although I sip water frequently from a CamelBak to hydrate and keep cool, when I exercise intensely in the sun, I sweat profusely. Underneath my CamelBak, the back of my shirt gets soaked with sweat. I put my hair in a ponytail to keep it off my neck but the hair gets as wet as if I had just showered. Sweating is my body's way of staying cool so I don't worry about how gross it is.

Not only do I sweat a lot, I am a salty sweater. After a hard run, I can feel the salt on my face, neck and shoulders - like a fine powder. According to Runner's World magazine, those of us "who drink more water and eat a fairly low-salt diet" tend to lose a lot of salt in our sweat. I do watch the amount of salt I eat. I tend to choose lower sodium alternatives when available. I have also noticed an increased sensitivity to the taste of sodium as I have gotten older.

Sometimes my muscles cramp after I trail run. After an intense trail run, I sometimes get cramps in my calves and feet; they usually hit me when I get home. I may drink some gatorade before I go to bed because I have learned to attribute the cramps to an electrolyte deficiency. The cramps from trail running are just like the charley horses I occasionally get while sleeping. When I get one at night, I immediately jump out of bed and stand up to release the cramp. 

I admit that sometimes I trip on the trails, probably because I don't pick up my feet enough. A couple of Saturdays ago, while coming down a rocky section of trail near the end of a run, I tripped on a rock. As a trail runner, I've tripped so many times, my body automatically puts on the brakes to keep me from falling. This time when my calf tightened up to catch me, I had the worst charley horse ever. I was unable to stand on my right foot for about thirty seconds because I couldn't get the cramping in my foot and calf to stop. I stood on my left foot crying out to my husband to help me; it hurt so bad. My calf muscle was sore for four days.

I don't want to carry Gatorade on the trail. Having such a bad cramp during a run indicates that I ought to be consuming something while I am still on the trail. The problem is I don't want to put Gatorade in my CamelBak because the sugar increases the growth of bacteria. I also don't like the aftertaste. I prefer to drink unflavored water. I decided to research electrolyte replacement to see if I could find something besides a sports drink to replace the electrolytes I lose through sweat.

The article, Electrolytes: Understanding Replacement Options, lists electrolytes with symptoms that might indicate a deficiency. It says that muscle cramps are a symptom of low sodium and low magnesium. The electrolytes lost in high concentrations in sweat are sodium and chloride, found in common table salt. The article mentions the myth that low potassium causes muscle cramps; the amount of potassium lost in sweat is low. But the article also cautions against focusing on only one or two electrolytes because "all electrolytes work together to maintain fluid balance in the body at rest and during physical activity."

I admit that water is my crutch. Water isn't just my preferred way to hydrate, I use it to cool myself off. I get hot quickly even when it is not that hot outside. I take water with me even when I run short distances. I have three CamelBaks of different sizes and a couple of other hydration carriers. It's possible that I drink more water than I need but I almost always have water left.

I confess, it did not occur to me that there might be a connection between salty sweat and muscle cramps until I started reading about electrolyte replacement after the agonizing charley horse. I always attributed my muscle cramps to the myth that low potassium causes cramps. I tend to think of electrolytes as one homogeneous thing and not as individual nutrients. According to an article on the Running Planet website, the average daily sodium intake is 8 to 12 grams but the saltiest sweaters lose that much sodium in one hour!

I admit to being confused by conflicting information. The more I read about the possible connection between muscle cramping and electrolytes, the more confused I get. Some say to consume extra salt if you're losing it through sweat. Some say to consume sports drinks or other electrolyte supplements if you lose a lot of sodium through sweat. Some say that supplements don't do any good. Just listen to your body and drink when you're thirsty. Some say that muscle cramps are caused by low levels of sodium. Others say that muscles cramp because they're tired.

Here's a sampling of what I read about salty sweat, muscle cramps and electrolytes:

• Consume a sports drink when running in warm weather. (Running Planet)
• Experiment with electrolyte supplements such as EnduroPacks or Nuun tablets. (Runners Connect)
• The electrolytes in sports drinks make little difference. (The Science of Sport)
• There is no direct evidence that electrolyte supplements will help you avoid muscle cramps. (Ben Greenfield Fitness)
• Consume salty foods or sodium rich sports drinks before, during and after exercise. (Active.com and Runners World)
• If you have salty sweat, drinking plain water will further dilute the sodium concentration in your blood. (Running Planet)
• If your sodium level drops, it is not because you are losing salt; it's because you are drinking too much. (The Science of Sport)
• Your body is designed perfectly to regulate its internal environment. (The Science of Sport)
• Sodium should be consumed with other electrolytes to maintain proper balance. (Runners Connect)
• You should consume enough sodium to replace what is lost through sweat. (Human Kinetics)
• Don't worry too much about what you drink. Listen to your body and drink to thirst. (The Science of Sport)
• Cramping is the body's way of letting you know the electrolyte tank is empty. (Runners Connect)
• Carbohydrate depletion also leads to muscle cramps. (Active.com)
• Muscle cramps are probably caused by premature muscle fatigue. (Ben Greenfield Fitness)
• Exercise-induced cramps occur in muscles that contract repetitively.
• Drink pickle juice to treat muscle cramps (Women's Running)
• Pickle juice doesn't help because of the salt. It tricks the brain. (Ben Greenfield Fitness) 

I am my own test subject. The article that was the most dismissive of using supplements was also the most scientific. Yet even with its experiments on the differences in sodium concentration after drinking water alone or after drinking a sports drink, it did not convince me that there are no benefits to replacing electrolytes lost through sweat. Especially if you know that you are a salty sweater.

I have gone on a few trail runs in the heat since the day my calf cramped so badly. Now before I run, I drink about 12 ounces of Gatorade. Mid-run, I tried a sample Endurolytes capsule (Hammer Nutrition). I eat a small energy bar mid-run. I have not had muscle cramps again. Did the electrolyte supplements help or am I just getting acclimated to the heat? Or are my calf muscles getting stronger?

````````````

Sources:

Are You a Salty Runner?
Are You a Salty Sweater? If you are, salt is your friend.
Salt and athletes: Shake it or leave it?
Sodium, Muscle Cramps and Sweat Loss: Tips for Sweaty Athletes
5 Scientific Ways to Stop Muscle Cramps (And what causes those annoying cramps in the first place).
Learn the connection between diet and muscle cramping (from Vegetarian Sports Nutrition)
5 Ways to End Muscle Cramps

Electrolytes for runners: The Definitive Guide

Sports drinks, sweat and electrolytes – part 1
Why Runners Should Drink Pickle Juice

No More Barefoot Walking!

My foot pain started twenty years ago with a bunion on my right foot. I wore custom orthotics for several years, then had surgery. I had to wear an obnoxious boot for several weeks but was soon able to resume my normal activities without pain, including running. At the time, my one regret was that I let the doctor operate on both my big toe and my small toe. After the surgery, my little piggy was much shorter. It was stiff and practically immovable and made me self-conscious when wearing sandals. 

Several years after my bunionectomy, I started having pain in the ball of my foot. I went to a different podiatrist. He explained the mechanical issues that were causing the pain. My big toe is now shorter than the second toe which causes the middle toes to bear too much of my weight. He prescribed orthotics. I soon found them too impractical to wear with my every day shoes, though they fit well in my athletic shoes. So I ordered a second pair of orthotics for dress shoes.

I later returned to the podiatrist because I was having a burning pain at the base of my toes. I remember how painful it was to walk even in flat shoes. It was excruciating! He gave me a cortisone shot that did not provide any relief. He also suggested that I use foam toe separators to keep my toes from pushing against each other. The toe separators did seem to help and I still use them. A friend recommended using yoga toes to stretch my foot so I tried those too.

I was good about wearing my orthotics for several years, then I convinced myself that they weren't doing any good. I still had the pain in my toes. I was convinced that I had a Morton's neuroma. I also disliked running with rigid orthotics in my shoes. I run on trails in the spring and summer and wanted to feel the ground with my feet. To keep the pain manageable, I stopped attending an outdoor exercise class that included hill runs because that hurt my toes. And running on uneven grass jars my foot too much and makes it feel like my toes are being ripped apart.

Then this year, I did something impulsive when I visited our new Road Runner Sports store. I bought a pair of Brooks True Grit trail running shoes, a lighter shoe with a lower heel-to-toe drop than my normal stability shoe. Walking in them in the store, I liked the way the shoe seemed to propel me forward and the way the upper part of the shoes wrapped around my foot. I was also tempted by the minimalist shoe movement, which suggests that a lower drop will keep a runner from heel striking. The True Grit shoes were not as rugged as the Asics I usually wear, so I was concerned about how well the shoes would grip on rocks and gravel. I avoided wearing them on certain trails.

Although I didn't have any mishaps with the minimal shoes, they weren't a good idea for me. I had pain in my toes all summer and even in the fall, long after I stopped trail running. I went on vacation in November and walked a lot. It hurt to walk, even when I slipped my old orthotics back in my shoes. So I decided to make an appointment with a highly recommended podiatrist, John McGarry, who also happens to be an ultra runner. He understands the desire to get better so you can run.

Dr. McGarry took X-rays of my foot and came back with the same diagnosis I heard years before from my old podiatrist: I have a mechanical problem caused by the length of my toes. The only way to treat this non-surgically is with orthotics. The doctor said the pain will not go away completely but supporting my foot will help. My old orthotics still have a couple of years of use in them but I ordered a new pair.

20 years of orthotics

When I picked up the new orthotics, the doctor reiterated what he had told me before but threw in something else that took me by surprise - avoid going barefoot. I always go barefoot at home or at least in my socks or bedroom slippers. I am now doing my best to wear slip-on shoes with orthotics when I walk around the house.

Twenty years of battling foot problems has taught me a few things. Comfort is certainly more important than fashion. Surgery may make bunions feel better temporarily but it can lead to other problems years later. You can learn a lot about medical conditions by doing your own research, but self-diagnose at your own risk. And don't be tempted by the latest fad in running shoes.

Determined to Age Gracefully

When I was young and imagined growing old, I was determined that I would age gracefully. What does that even mean? Graceful means "characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech." To me, aging gracefully meant having an inner beauty that shines through despite the inevitable wrinkles. Even more than that, it meant being comfortable in your own aging skin.

Now that I'm most certainly over the hill, can I honestly say that I am aging gracefully? No, I cannot. With regular exercise, I have maintained my youthful figure for the most part, though my body aches more often these days. But truthfully, I am not yet comfortable with what I see. When photographed, I tell myself that my eyes are too squinty, my teeth not white enough. I examine my face from every angle, not happy with the wrinkles around my eyes and lips or with the changing texture of the skin on my neck. I can relate to Nora Ephron, author of I Feel Bad About My Neck, a book I clearly need to read at this stage of my life.

I saw some photos on a Facebook photography page this week posted under a "Rusty, Dusty, Busted" category - old houses, old cars, old farm machinery. I appreciate the beauty of faded objects that have seen better days. So why not look at myself in the same way? Why do I struggle to accept what is completely natural and unavoidable? Did my role models struggle to accept their aging faces? Did Meryl Streep figure out this aging gracefully thing all at once or was it a challenge for her too? Did my grandmother, one of the most beautiful people I've ever known, look at herself so critically?

My Grandma, a gentle and quiet spirit

I mentioned my struggle to a friend who is a couple of years older than me. She said that accepting yourself as you age is about changing your expectations. An aging face is a face with character. Having been married almost 28 years, I have often thought how fortunate it is that as we grow old together, we've changed our expectations about physical appearance. We love each other more for what's on the inside than what's on the outside.

It occurred to me that perhaps for some of us, aging gracefully is the final step in a process that follows the stages of loss and grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. I spent most of my forties in denial of my lost youth. People told me that I didn't look my age. Then as I approached fifty, I bargained, embracing the "don't deny it, defy it" approach. I exercised more to counter the effects of declining metabolism. I bought moisturizers and revitalizing night creams and under-eye creams, attempting to reverse the effects of aging. I started taking hormone replacement therapy to thwart the effects of lower estrogen levels. This year, I even got braces to improve my aging smile.

But even after doing all of those things, time is still taking a toll on my body and my skin. My wrinkly neck is a reality I can't negotiate away. I am not going to get angry or depressed about losing my youth, just a bit sad. It happens to everyone who is fortunate to live this long. Every day is a gift and I know that I have so much to look forward to in my later years. I'm ready to move on to the final stage of aging gracefully - acceptance.

Peter, the disciple, said that your beauty should not come from outside adornment but should instead be a reflection of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Physical beauty does fade over time, regardless of how much effort or expense you put into your appearance. But kindness and gentleness never stops being beautiful.

Obsession with Body Image

When I go to my athletic club these days, I see a very thin woman, borderline anorexic, working out obsessively. She is a young professional woman, probably in her late 20's, who has been going to my gym for more than a year. She gets to the club around the same time as me on week nights, then runs on the treadmill or uses the stair climber for an hour. Meanwhile, I warm up on the rowing machine, do a bit of strength training and cardio, stretch, and take a shower. When I leave the gym to go home and make dinner, I see "Annie Rexic" still going at it on the elliptical machine, barely moving the pedals.

Can You Exercise Too Much?

I work out regularly and I am slender myself so why does it bother me to see a thin woman with extreme exercise habits? Because it is disturbing to see a young woman doing something healthy to an unhealthy extreme. We know extreme dieting is harmful but there are long-term effects from extreme exercise as well: poor nutrition, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone density. In fact, eating disorders and over-exercising often go hand in hand. 

Is Annie just an avid exerciser or is she an obsessive exerciser? Besides being too thin, there are other signs that you may be exercising too much. According to Theresa Fassihi, Ph.D., there isn't a clear standard on how much exercise is too much. I know from reading running magazines that avid runners put in more than 50 miles of running a week. But I also know that avid runners don't typically choose to run so much on a treadmill unless the weather is bad. It seems rather compulsive to run eight miles or so on the treadmill as Annie does multiple times a week.

If you have an exercising disorder, you also may be very preoccupied about your body's appearance, weight and muscle mass. - Dr. Theresa Fassihi 

Yes, you can exercise too much. If you do over-exercise, you just might have an unhealthy body image. 

Learning to Have a Healthy Body Image

When I was young, I was very critical of my own body. My skin was too white. My hips were too wide, my legs too skinny, my butt and chest too flat. I was self-conscious about my perceived imperfections. I have the same "flaws" today but I have learned to have a much healthier, realistic body image. 

Rejecting criticism that doesn't fit. I have learned that people will criticize you for being thin just as people will criticize you for being over-weight.  When I was about Annie's age, an older co-worker asked me if I was anemic because I was pale and thin. I was offended by her question. I was fit and trim and protected my skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Appearances can be deceiving. I could be just as wrong about Annie's health as my coworker was about mine. I'm not a doctor. I don't know what is going on in her life or in her head that compels her to exercise so much. 

Loving your whole self. I have learned to see myself as more than the sum of imperfect body parts. I have learned to like all of me - my brains, my introverted personality, my kind heart. Sure, some of the parts of my personality and my body aren't perfect but when you throw them all together, I make a decent package (imho).  Isn't this the way we look at other people? We look at our friends and family and see that they're not built perfectly yet we love and accept them anyway.

Appreciating your genetic heritage. I see my father in the way I grin. I see my mother in my eyes. But my body shape isn't anything like my mother's. Many years ago, I visited my paternal grandmother and she showed me a picture of her standing next to my aunt. I had a sudden shock of recognition. My aunt's body shape was so much like my own. There is something really cool about seeing the way genes are passed down from one generation to the next. Besides that, what is the point of criticizing what is genetically determined?

Changing the things you can. I can't change the length of my legs or the width of my hips to make my body more proportional. I can't spot gain any more than a person can spot reduce. I can't tan because I don't have enough pigment in my skin. I learned to accept myself and to reject our culture's beauty ideals. To me, fitness is the best beauty secret. I learned that I have control over my fitness. I can make my muscles and my heart and lungs stronger. That's empowering! When you exercise regularly, three to five times a week, you see results. Not just on the outside but also on the inside. 

1. Being a healthy role model for other women. I am not a model of physical perfection but I am a model of healthy living, not just for young women like Annie but also for my peers. I model self-discipline and consistency. I model working hard and having fun. I model setting goals and achieving them. I make healthy eating choices more often than not. I exercise regularly three to five times a week with rest days in between so that my body can rebuild and recover. That's not obsessive - it's healthy. 

To me "Annie Rexic" looks like the thin women in photoshopped ads like the ones Target recently used to sell swimsuits to teenage girls. I am encouraged that our culture is beginning to reject the idea that women should look like this. I can't do anything about Annie's exercise obsession but I can look at her with compassion and show her what a healthy woman looks like.

Resolved to be More Intentional

I don't typically make New Year's resolutions because I think that changes worth making are worth making now, not later. But there is something compelling about a clean slate and a fresh start. There is also something motivating about sharing your resolutions. If I tell somebody I'm going to do something, I am more likely to do it than if I just tell myself I ought to do something. My own resolutions come about from the little things about me that bug me - the things I wish I would do more or less or better. Nothing grand, nothing life changing, just little changes for the body, mind and spirit. 

Health and Fitness. Last year, I resolved to run injury free. I am happy to say that my hamstring and piriformis muscles feel much better than they did before I cut back on running. Unfortunately, my injuries aren't completely healed. I still run once or twice a week on the treadmill and I ran outside on the trails once a week in late spring and summer. (My husband is also a runner and is taking a few months off running to heal an ankle injury.) 

In 2014, I resolve to be intentional about exercising.  I intend to go to the gym 4 or 5  times a week with a plan, a plan for what cardio, stretching and strength training exercises I'm going to do. I intend to increase my core body strength - to do planks even though I hate doing them. I don't expect to increase my running much because I don't think my body is ready, yet I would like to run a few 5k races and perhaps the Bolder Boulder 10k.  And yes, my friends, I know that biking would be good for me. I intend to ride my bike more in 2014. 

Even with a regular exercise schedule, I am getting squishy in the middle. I resolve to eat intentionally to manage my weight as I age. As much as I would like to pretend that I am still 30 something, I have to face the fact that my metabolism is slowing down and I can't eat like I used to.  According to the Mayo Clinic,  I might need to eat 200 fewer calories a day in my 50's to fight menopause weight gain. 

I intend to eat smaller portions - perhaps to use a salad plate for my evening meal like I do for lunch. I am also looking for ways to eat and drink smarter. I recently saw a video clip from Dr. Oz saying that eating a small amount of cheese with each meal helps prevent the storage of belly fat. I also recently read that there are health benefits to combining green tea with carbohydrates. Since I eat cereal almost every day, I have been having a cuppa green tea as I get ready for work each morning.

Mind and Spirit. A couple of things happened this year that made me want to be a better person. A teacher at the neighborhood charter school waits at the curb a couple of times a week for parents to pick up kindergarten kids. A few times now, she has motioned for me to slow down as I accelerate up the hill to the stop light on my way back to work after lunch. It makes me mad! I don't think I drive any faster than anyone else drives through the neighborhood. That is not the point. I know I drive faster than 20 miles per hour so I should slow down. I resolve to drive slowly in school zones and neighborhoods. Don't take things so personally.

The other thing that happened this year that prompted a resolution was an unpleasant encounter with an acquaintance on Facebook. I expressed my frustration with Congress' handling of the debt limit. This man, like many Americans, blames our country's economic issues on Obama and the poor. Seeing how much discord there is prompted my resolution to be an instrument of God's love and peace.

I also intend to watch less political news/opinion shows on TV. Just like party politics, these TV shows can be adversarial, dishonest, divisive, and arrogant. I believe that the things we put into our minds have an effect on our words, attitudes, actions and hopes. So I intend to focus on things that are good, commendable, worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 English Standard Version (ESV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

On this positive note, I wish you a blessed and Happy New Year!

There is No Stopping!

My husband and I have been members of the Colorado Athletic Club for years. When Kent started getting bored with the usual gym routine - weights and cardio machines - we started going to an outdoor fitness class led by a man named John Gillingham. 

It didn't take long to figure out that John wasn't just any fitness instructor. For one thing, he was older than most instructors. He would have been about 75 years old when we started attending his class, but he had the energy and enthusiasm of a man half his age. Kent and I were about 40 at the time and John's class was filled with people who were approaching 50 as I am today. But John's classes weren't just for the geriatric set - they were and are as hard as you want them to be.

George Wallace Park Workout

One of my favorite things about John is the way he yells out things like "There is no stopping!" Or when people are chatting, "This is not a social club!" even though it really is. Or he will yell, "You look good!" then pause and say "Some of you." John pushes us to get the most out of our workouts but he also encourages us to take it easy and do only what we can safely do if we're battling an injury or the heat. He encourages new members and is especially understanding of those who aren't used to a rigorous workout. 

Weather permitting, and sometimes even when it is cold or rainy, John's workout classes are held in the park. We run up hills and do quad killer reverse hill runs. We do squats and lunges. We do push ups and triceps dips. We skip. We sprint. We jump rope. It is, as John says, "Serious Fun" even when we're doing a Workout from Hell. 

John has a great sense of fun and playfulness. In addition to the regular park workouts, John has an annual ice block contest to see who can ride an ice block the farthest down "the big hill." We used to have an annual "duck race" down a canal that runs through the park. He proves that you're only as old as you feel as he brings out the kid inside each one of us. He shows us that there's nothing wrong with looking silly once in awhile.

2008 Duck Race

Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.    Muhammad Ali


"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain 

John also leads workout classes at Red Rocks amphitheater on Saturdays in the spring and summer. When I first started doing the classes at Red Rocks, we pretty much had the stairs and bleachers to ourselves. Today there are so many competing groups using Red Rocks for exercise that it can be difficult for everyone to enjoy it. Yet John does everything he can to make sure that we get a good workout at Red Rocks, even adjusting his workout plan at the last minute.

Part of John's improvised workout on 5-18-13

In addition to his classes, John organizes several Club Outdoors events every year - bike rides, hikes, trail runs, and snowshoeing. He's given me and Kent the opportunity to go on a lot of adventures that we wouldn't have otherwise experienced with a great group of friends that we would not have otherwise known. Because of John, I have also discovered how much I enjoy trail running. 

I've heard John tell new students that there are a lot of Type A personalities in our class. There are certainly a lot of competitive, extroverted types and even a couple of competitive introverted types like my husband. I'm a not so competitive introvert, but John has always made me feel comfortable in class. He even gave me one of his special awards one year for being the most improved female athlete. I keep that road runner rock award on my desk at home.

In the decade that I've known John, many people have come and gone. People move away, they get married and have kids, or they just stop coming to class.  Some people come back out of the blue; for John this is like a family reunion. We have gone on hikes in the mountains and run into people that John knew 20 or 30 years ago. He doesn't forget people.

John, we wish you a happy 85th birthday! Thanks for the fun, the fitness, and the friendship. It has been emotional!

Update 6/21/2013:

Pictures from John's 85th birthday workout class in the park.

Running Resolutions

I spent most of 2012 frustrated by a couple of running injuries that developed in 2011. In the spring of 2011, I ran my second half marathon and in the fall, I did a ten mile run. I ended up with a hamstring strain in my left leg and piriformis syndrome on my right side. This year I continued to run on the treadmill a couple of times a week and did the Cherry Creek Sneak 5 mile, BolderBoulder 10k, Red Rocks 5k, and a couple of other 5k "mud" runs. I also ran on trails once a week from May to September. Even though I wasn't running long distances, my pain persisted, though it wasn't debilitating. Once the piriformis pain started creeping up into my lower back though, I figured I ought to get more serious about rehab because I hope to continue running long-term.

My friend Bill recently recommended that I try ChiRunning. I had read reviews of the ChiRunning book by Danny Dreyer and had even attended a short class on this running approach at my athletic club. The main thing I remembered about the class was that we were told to lean forward when we run and to tilt the pelvis. I also read reviews about other books about running form but the reviews were mixed about what works and what doesn't. Last year, I ended up buying a book that I thought was pretty worthless. Since Bill said that ChiRunning helped him out, I decided to give it a shot. I am also going to read a book called Tread Lightly by Peter Larson and Bill Katovsky.

Notes on ChiRunning so far:

• Chi is defined as the energy created by movement or life force energy
• ChiRunning is based on the skill of "body sensing" or connecting the mind with the body
• Unlike the ChiRunning mindset, the traditional power training mindset is results oriented - being driven by something outside yourself - like my 10k or half-marathon goals
• The power running approach involves pushing yourself forward with your legs, working against gravity
• ChiRunning "cooperates" with two forces - gravity and the force of the road
• If you run with a heel strike, it acts as a brake; the ChiRunning method uses a mid-foot strike
• Running injuries are caused by overtraining, training beyond your body's capabilities

My one disagreement with what I have read so far is that Dreyer says that strength training leads to injury. In his words, it requires "endless hours building and maintaining muscles, drinking protein shakes to feed those hungry muscles, and taking ibuprofen to relieve sore muscles." In my opinion, these are just excuses to avoid doing something you don't want to do. I try to strength train at least two or three times a week because there are many benefits of strength training. I don't have to eat extra protein and I rarely get sore.

I attribute my running injuries to overtraining, muscle imbalances and poor body mechanics. Part of it is the way I'm built. I have runners knee, an injury that affects many more women than men because we have wider hips, placing more stress on the knee. So I'm going to use a multi-pronged approach in my running resolutions - cutting back on running pace and distance, strengthening my core, hips, quads, and hamstrings, and improving my running form.

Mind Over Matter

My husband and I watched a couple of running documentaries recently that got me thinking about what running has meant to me.

The first film, The Runner, was about a 55–year old runner, David Horton, who ran the 2,700-mile Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Canada in 67 days attempting to set a speed record, which he did.  A few people ran with him on parts of the trail and a crew of people helped him by bringing food and water along the way. It seemed like the hardest part of the journey for Horton was crossing the snow in the high Sierras. He had to carry a backpack and walk across sun-pocked snow when he’s used to running light. He also had a frightening river crossing.

The second film was about another runner, Dean Karnazes: UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons - 50 States - 50 Days. Dean also had a support team with him, including his wife and kids for part of the 50 days. The most surprising thing to me was that in the film, Karnazes said that he is a very introverted person. Running can be the perfect activity for introverts; you can spend a lot of time with your own thoughts when you run. But Karnazes is a running celebrity whose picture is all over running magazines. He has a muscular body, unlike many endurance runners.  With all the attention he gets, he doesn’t seem introverted.

Endurance athletes amaze me. Most people won’t ever run a marathon or ultra-marathon; sadly many Americans can hardly run around the block. Watching the documentaries didn’t inspire me to run further; it just reaffirmed my desire to keep up my running and keep setting fitness goals as I approach 50.

I first ran when I was in college, not very far, just a couple of miles at a time. I started entering 5K’s when I was in my late 30’s, I think. I remember having to walk towards the end because I was so tired. Eventually, I got to where I could run a 10K. I then started trail running in the summer and found I could go 7 or 8 miles. My husband also runs, though he runs faster and more effortlessly than me. He entered a half marathon and then did a couple of marathons. He wanted to try a marathon at sea level, so I decided to train for a half marathon myself. Running at sea level reduced our finish times quite a bit since we train at altitude. I went on to run another half marathon and a few 10-mile races.

I am not a fast runner but I can complete shorter distances like 5 and 10K’s at a respectable pace when compared to other race participants, around a 10-minute mile. It was tough on my ego to run my first 10-mile event and see how slow I was compared to the other runners. I have learned that interval training really works if you can fit it in. I’m faster than I used to be. But I've also learned there is no shame in finishing at the bottom of a group of 10-mile runners.

There aren’t many activities that provide better cardiovascular benefits than running. The downside of running is injuries.  Last year, I trained for my second 10 mile running event wanting to beat my prior year time. By the time I was done with training, my left hamstring was strained and I had a pain in my rear on the right side.  After months of taking it easier, neither of my injuries has completely healed. I’m still trying out different exercises to strengthen my hamstrings and supporting muscles and to stretch my piriformis muscle.  For a while, I tried to work on my running form but it was just too much to think about.

I don’t get the runner’s high. What I get is fitness and the pride that comes from accomplishing something that I didn’t think I was capable of before I started training. Running really is 90% mental. Finishing a race inspires you to want to do it again, to prove that you still have what it takes.

This summer, my husband really wanted to try a mud run - a run that includes obstacles, including crawling through the mud. I was nervous about doing it. I thought, if there are monkey bars, I'm not going to be strong enough to do that. There were and I wasn't! But I overcame my fear of heights and climbed up and over a wall. You learn what you are capable of by taking one step at a time, setting your sights on a goal that isn’t too far out of reach.

Resolved to Running Injury Free

Heel Striking

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions because changes worth making are worth making anytime of the year.  Having said that, I have resolved to begin a program of injury-free running and my resolution happens to coincide with the beginning of a new year!

I am about half-way through reading ChiRuning, the book by Danny and Katherine Dreyer. Danny Dreyer believes that "the primary cause of injury is poor running form and poor biomechanics." As someone who has worked out regularly for many years, I would agree. A couple of my injuries (hamstring and piriformis syndrome) began after I trained for my third or fourth 10-mile or half-marathon race. I was already fit when I began training and I followed a disciplined 10-12 week program of building up my weekly mileage, not increasing the total mileage by more than 10%. Yet I still ended up with injuries that proved to be difficult to heal!

Although form and biomechanics are important, I wonder how much running shoes contribute to running injuries. I am also reading Tread Lightly by Peter Larson and Bill Katovsky. The authors have studied the evolution of running, barefoot running, and the science and marketing of modern running shoes and suggest that our high-priced running shoes, designed to cushion the foot and control pronation, might do more harm than good. I buy my shoes online from Road Runner Sports; my husband prefers to buy his locally at the Boulder Running Company where they will help you find the "best shoe" based on whether you have high arches or pronate when you run.

ChiRunning encourages runners to take their time making changes to their running form even though some people have reported improved running performance in a few weeks. The Chi method is based on focusing your mind and sensing how your body is moving, "the thinking person's way to run." As an accountant, after thinking analytically all day, it is a challenge for me to focus on my posture, running cadence, etc. after work. I just want to turn on the iPod and let my mind wander. But I also enjoy the many benefits of running and want to continue running as long as possible. So if that means I have to focus an additional 30 minutes or so a day to learn some new tricks, so be it!

ChiRunning Focuses are categorized into six groups: 1) Posture 2) Lean 3) Lower Body 4) Pelvic Rotation 5) Upper Body and 6) Cadence, Stride Length, and Gears.

1) Posture: I have always known that my posture is not great. I can see from pictures that I tend to let my chin jut forward. I also know that I don't relax my shoulders, though I am not aware of the tension (my husband and the mammogram tech point that out).  ChiRunning includes an exercise where you stand and look down to see if you can see your feet - I couldn't. When I relaxed my shoulders, I could.

2) Lean: If you lean your whole body forward from your ankles, then gravity will assist you in running. Challenge 1 for me is figuring out if I am leaning from my ankles or from my waist since I can't see myself run. Challenge 2 is figuring out how much to lean. The book describes your lean as "your gas pedal." If you lean more, you run faster. On the treadmill this week, I caught myself leaning too much and tripping a bit as I picked up speed.

3) Lower Body: With the ChiRunning method, your lower legs are supposed to be passive. They don't propel you; they support you. You just pick up your feet to catch the fall caused by leaning forward. The book outlines an exercise of picking up your heels and "peeling" your feet off the ground, like peeling a stamp off a roll. You are not supposed to lift your knees when you run because the author says that leads to a heel strike, which is essentially putting on the brakes. I practiced this exercise on my last hike. I know I need to pick up my feet more but the idea of not lifting the knees seems a little weird. I've watched elite runners and they seem to lift their knees.

4) Pelvic Rotation: I'm still trying to get my mind's eye around this concept. Your lower body is supposed to pivot from your "pivot point" which is vertebrae T12/L1 (yeah, that helps!). The book has a "pool running drill" where you imagine when you were a kid and the lifeguard at the local pool yelled at you to walk as you ran along the pool deck. So you walked fast instead. I can picture that but I can't yet visualize how to integrate that into running.

5) Upper Body: Unlike pelvic rotation, this form focus is pretty easy for me to visualize - bending the elbows, swinging my arms to the rear, not crossing my centerline with my hands, relaxing my hands, keeping your shoulders low and relaxed. I clearly have work to do in this area though. Not only do I lift my shoulders unconsciously, I also catch myself clenching my hands when I run.

6) Cadence, Stride Length, Gears: The author says that most people run with a cadence of between 80 and 83 strides per minute. Mine is at the lower end. The author recommends gradually increasing your cadence to 85-90 strides per minute, a shorter quicker stride that reduces your perceived effort. After measuring my cadence a few times, I can tell that I will struggle to increase my spm unless I purchase a metronome as Dreyer recommends.

Low Gear = slower speed, less lean, shorter stride

High Gear = higher speed, more lean, longer stride

This is a lot of stuff to think about when I run. It is going to take some time. I have slowed down and I am trying to take care of my injuries. I'm avoiding activities that might aggravate my injuries like sprinting or running up hill.

Running Form and Biomechanics:

Biomechanics of Foot Strikes

Running Form for Distance Runners