Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New Hydration Rules


I never knew there was such a prominent link between being “a little bit” thirsty and having a BAD run.

But experts now say that if you are more than two percent dehydrated on a warm day, your performance goes down, down, down.

Here’s what to do to stay on top of it:

1) drink first: The rule of thumb is 8-16 ounces an hour or two before a run.

2) go cold: It’s a fact that the colder the beverage, the lower your body temperature goes, and therefore you can exercise longer. So opt for ice water before your run, and take a little extra with you in case you keep on going :)

3) be consistent: Here’s an interesting thought. While you are running (or biking, treading, etc) set your watch to beep every 15 minutes in order to rehydrate. Taking a few sips at frequent intervals avoids stomach sloshing. (I had the worst experience with this during my last race!)

4) just swish: If you can’t stand to swallow a sugary drink, new research says that swishing it around in your mouth can trick your brain into thinking it’s rehydrating! But beware, for runs over a half hour, try to find a drink you can swallow because although you may trick your brain temporarily, it ain’t stupid!

I hope these hydration tips gave you something to think about. Happy sipping!

For more info: Runners World

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Love this: ID Your Butt Type

I couldn't help but share this link to Shape Magazine online. The title of the link in email was "ID YOUR BUTT TYPE NOW!" Of course, I had to click. Check out the workouts!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Dust off the runner's journal

Greetings Running Mommies! Running weather here in Houston got better. I was having to wear long sleeves the last few weeks which necessitated pulling out a race t'shirt from my last marathon- NY in 2003- 9 months after my 3d child. I had a 4th child in 2006 and started training for a marathon and once I got to mile 15 of a training run just lost the oomph. Now I feel silly wearing t'shirts from a 2003 race and wonder if these 46 year old knees have another one in me? I've put feelers out to my other running Mommies that Marine Corps next October 30th is looking like a go. That gets me thinking maybe just maybe I could actually train for a time and not just finishing alive. I am from Boston, do need to run it, and am running out of years and knees. This sent me to the Garmin Forerunner to really figure out my heart rate, time, pace, and distance. It is in a box on the counter. Must get to it!

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Groundhog's Day

I'm tired. I'm tired of the cold weather. I'm tired of it taking 15 minutes to get all of our clothes on to go outside. I'm tired of my hands being so cold that it feels like my fingernails are going to fall off whenever I run in fewer than TWO pairs of gloves. I'm tired of the kids being home for fear-of-snow days. I'm tired of fighting with kids about getting dressed in the morning (like it is a surprise EVERY day that you have to put clothes on?!?!) I'm tired of climbing over piles of gross dirty snow at every intersection. I'm tired of drivers looking at me like I am a negligent parent because I am running on the street in bright daylight, facing traffic on a road that is at least three lanes wide. I'm tired of stepping in dog poop because it seems that dog owners only feel like picking it up when it is comfortably warm and convenient for them to do so. I'm tired of searching for the matching mitten. I'm tired of waking up at 4:30 am to go to the gym when I don't want to brave frigid temps outside. I'm tired of snow getting packed into the treads of my running shoes. It feels like I'm running in high heels. You can pretty easily conclude I don't like high heel shoes either. I'm tired of my jogging stroller refusing to roll in a straight line. I'm tired of wet snow gear sprawled across the entry way, kitchen, and dining room. I'm tired of the older kids - stuck at home for another snow day - teaching the 2 year-old curse words. I'm tired of drivers looking at me like I am a negligent parent because I've taken my children outside at all.

And I'm going to do it all again tomorrow.