PREPARING TO GO THE DISTANCE - PART I

I, like many of you, began running as an adult.  I never ran track or cross-country in high school.  I just decided one day that I was going to start running, so I was truly a self-taught runner.  Because of this, I made many errors - especially when I started running longer distances.  Over the years I have learned from my mistakes and from my education as a fitness professional. 

Some of you are new to the distance you are currently preparing for and others may be new to running altogether.  I'd like to help you skip over a few of those running mistakes so that your first race will be a successful one, starting with these three tips. 

Train For It
Most of us know we need to prepare our bodies for whatever distance we are going to run.  But, many training plans have you prepare for a shorter distance than you are racing, assuming you will make up for the last few miles with pure will and race-day adrenaline.  Why not make it easier on yourself and train beyond the distance you are going to run on race day?  That will make your race distance easier both physically and mentally.  Since I employed this philosophy I have felt better during races, been able to PR (personal record) more often, and been able to better focus the mental aspect that race day can bring.   

Practice Fueling and Hydrating
Race day often brings new variables.  If you usually hydrate with water and then try a sports drink on race day, you may discover that your stomach can't handle that particular form of hydration.  If you've never tried any form of fuel along the way during your training runs, you won't know how your body will handle that gel you decide to try for the first time on race day.  Figure out your hydration and try different forms of fuel during your training runs and then stick with it, so that your race day experience doesn't involve stomach cramps or nausea (or worse!)

Determine Your Ideal Pre-Race Meal
Some people can eat anything before they run without incident.  Most of us cannot.  Try out your pre-run breakfast until you find the ideal foods and the ideal amount of time to eat before you run.  There is nothing worse than breakfast sitting in your stomach like a rock while you try to gut out a long run.  Keep that breakfast lower in protein and higher in carbs, unless you have an iron stomach, as protein takes longer to digest. 



Let me know how your training is going and/or submit questions or suggestions for future topics to TheFitnessStudio@canby.com








 

Nairn's Oat Cookie Review

If you're like me, you're always on the look-out for healthier snack options.  Quite often when I try something new I am disappointed with the flavor, texture, or even the claims the product makes. 

Recently I was introduced to Nairn's Oat Cookies.  These cookies, a product of Scotland, claim to be all natural, wheat free (great for those of you with wheat sensitivity), and made with wholegrain oats.  They also have no trans fats, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.  Sounded like a good start, but how would they taste?

First I tried the Mixed Berries Oat Cookies.  They were softer than I expected and had a good berry flavor.  The texture of the oats gave it a bit of crunch that I liked, as well.  Overall, I would say they were pretty tasty!

Next I tried the Stem Ginger flavor.  Wow!  If you like ginger, this cookie is for you.  It was much stronger than the berry flavor and distinctly ginger.  This cookie was more crunchy, and still had that good oat texture. 

After tasting the two, I decided that for me the bite of the Stem Ginger won out over the sweetness of the Mixed Berries.  So, flavor and texture was a thumbs up for these cookies.  But, how about the dirty details?  In one serving (2 cookies) there are 90 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 3-4 grams of sugar (depending on which cookie you choose).  A few of the bonuses include 1-2 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and 3-4% of the RDA of iron.  Not amazing, but it is a cookie afterall.  For a sweet snack, I'd say it's not too bad.

The biggest downfall of these little treats (each cookie being about two inches in diameter) is that while a serving is 2 cookies, they are wrapped in packs of 5.  Once you open that package of 5 cookies it's hard to stop with just 2, so make sure you have a friend to share with or you may end up consuming 225 calories!  As this tester can admit to,  it is hard to have just two.  They are a bit addicting!   Especially that spicy ginger flavor. 

There are other Nairn's Oat Cookie flavors that I have not yet tried, including Dark Chocolate Chip and Fruit & Cinnamon.  Nairn's also makes Oat Crackers, which I think I'll have to try next.  For now, it looks like you can find Nairn's products at Whole Foods and New Seasons.  If you try them, let me know what you think.  And, remember, everything in moderation!

Are You Stuck In A Rut?

Creating a habit of fitness is great, unless over time it becomes a rut.
[Rut (noun) - a fixed or established mode of procedure or course of life, usually dull or unpromising.]   How do you know if your fitness habit has turned into a fitness rut?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Do I feel like I have quit making progress?

2) Do I do the same 1 or 2 things for my cardio workout everytime?

3) Have I been doing the same strength workout for a month or more?

4) Are my workouts random and without a specific plan or focus?

If your answer to these questions is, "Yes," then you are stuck in a fitness rut. It's time to mix things up! Your body is an efficient machine. If you do the same workouts over and over your body will adapt to those workouts and begin to use less and less energy (aka calories) to do the same amount of work.


What should you do to get out of your rut?

A) Change up your workout every 3-4 weeks.

B) Set a goal to work towards like a race, a challenging hike, a golf outing, a kayak trip, an adventure or obstacle course event, or something you've always wanted to try but didn't think you could do.

C) Make a plan for your workouts that focuses on your goal

If you aren't sure how to start, schedule a few training sessions at The Fitness Studio and I can design workouts and schedules that will keep your body responding, functioning properly, and moving your toward your goals again.  Your fitness habit should be healthy and productive.  Let me help you get out and stay out of that rut!

PLAN, PURCHASE, AND PREP ~ A quick guide to a healthier family

Do you struggle with finding time to make sure your family gets a healthy dinner? With work, running kids to practices/lessons/games, helping with homework, etc - it often seems like the best option is the quickest option (AKA - fast food.) However, with the Center for Disease Control recently reporting that 17% of children in the U.S. aged 2-19 are obese (and 33.8% of adults), it's time we rethink our faster is better approach to eating.


Our biggest enemy is lack of time. So, take a look at your schedule and decide what day you can dedicate a chunk of time to preventing you and your family from developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other obesity-related diseases. For me the weekend works best, but find what works best for you, then plan ahead. What are some healthy dinners you can make in the coming week? Make a shopping list of ingredients needed and get your grocery shopping done - all at once! Next, take about an hour and prepare anything that you can. Brown your lean hamburger or (lean) ground chicken/turkey, and cook or just season any other meat - as appropriate. Wash and cut vegetables and fruits so they are handy and ready to grab and eat. Pre-cook things like brown rice, pasta, or quinoa so that you can re-heat it quickly later. Think ahead and prepare the things take "too long" and often deter you from making a healthy meal. You will love having your fridge stocked with healthy meals and snacks ready to roll out in no time at all.


I challenge you to try this - at least once. I have a feeling you will love not having to stress about meals and being able to eat and serve something you feel good about. You just might decide to make this a healthy new habit for you and your family. I hope you do!

Got Range of Motion?

My half-marathon training officially began last week.  However, after being on vacation, where my activity level was not the same as it usually is, my body had tightened up a bit.  Suddenly, after just a few training runs my hip started hurting.  I had two choices:  Gut it out and hope it started to feel better or do some Range of Motion exercises.  Even though the runner in  me wanted to go for a run and hope for the best, the trainer in me took over and I skipped my weekend run and hit the Range of Motion exercises.
 
I immediately eliminated the hobbling that had occurred everytime I went from sitting to standing.  After a couple of days I went for my next scheduled run - hill repeats!  My hip didn't flare up at all.  In fact, when I stretched out after my run, I was so limber, I hardly felt the quad/hip flexor stretches!  And, this morning as I sat in a meeting I just kept thinking, "My hips are feeling awesome right now!" 

Spread Foot Glides - Great for hip mobility!  

Why am I sharing this with you?  Because we all have times when we ignore the pain just hoping it will go away on its own.  We keep doing the things that make it feel bad, because those are activities we enjoy, but we pay for it later.  Instead of pushing until the pain immobilizes you, listen to your body.  Because your body was designed to move, proper movement will allow your body to self-correct the imbalances your activities create.  So, do your exercise routines that I've given you, come to the Range of Motion classes, move your body in every direction every day.  Your body will thank you!   

One Change

Let's keep it simple. Let's stop the drastic changes, crash diets, etc. that last for about a minute. How about one change this week? One change that you can adopt as a lifestyle to improve your health.

Here are a few ideas:
*Add a serving of vegetables to your lunch.
*Use the stairs - always!
*Skip the donut, scone, muffin - whatever - and eat a healthy breakfast. (Oatmeal, fruit and yogurt, etc.)
*Drink water instead of soda this afternoon.
*Add just 10 minutes of exercise to your day.
*Go to bed earlier tonight.


Pick one thing that's do-able and do it - every day! Keep reminding yourself to do this one thing until it's a regular part of your daily life. Then continue with your new healthy habit for life!
It's easy to change one thing. Keep it simple!

Fast Food Meal - Under 500 Calories

While fast food is not ideal, with our busy, fast-paced lives it periodically becomes the only option for getting in a meal.  Instead of eating that greasy burger and fries and regretting it afterward, how about this?  A fast food meal that includes vegetables (not french fries!)

KFC has my go-to fast food solution:  the Grilled Chicken Breast Meal.  Take that skin off of your chicken breast, order a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and a side of green beans and you've got a meal that's under 500 calories!  (And that includes the warm, flaky biscuit that's hard to resist.)   (Approx. 490 calories and 15.5 grams of fat.)  Want to subtract 100 calories and about 4 grams of fat?  Skip the mashed potatoes and go with 2 sides of green beans.   And while you're skipping things - let's skip the soda and drink water!

Here's the details of each item listed above so you can adjust it to your preference . . . . .

Grilled Chicken Breast = 210 calories, 8 grams of fat

Chicken Breast - no skin = approx. 160 cal., 3.5 g of fat

Mashed potatoes and gravy = 120 cal., 4 g of fat
Mashed potatoes - no gravy = 90 cal., 3 g of fat

Green beans = 20 cal, 0 fat

Guilty Pleasure
Biscuit = 190 cal, 8 g of fat

Prefer different sides?  See KFC's nutrition guide to create your own meal.  But, be careful -   those little sides may not seem like much, but they add up in a hurry!  Try to keep it balanced and don't skip out on the veggies!   Remember, this is not a recommended regular meal.  Just a better option when you have to hit the drive-thru.