Monthly Archives: August 2011

Aug30

Peace on the Mat

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Peace on the Mat

Recently I was having a tough day.  It was one of those days where I found everything frustrating and was over thinking some changes that are happening in my life. I was struggling to deal with some of life’s stresses in a positive and healthy way.  Every time I opened my mouth to communicate a thought or feeling it came out wrong and sounded miserable and mean.  I felt guilty for talking to those I loved in such a negative way and mad at myself for not seeming to have the power to control my mood.  It was a rainy, cool summer day and a Monday too.  I decided the only cure to the mood and way to improve the day was to head to my favorite yoga class.

I walked into the class and immediately felt the warmth in the room from the class before mine. The light’s were dim and it immediately relaxed me. I found my favorite spot in the corner by the window.  As we all rolled out our mats and settled in to child’s pose to focus our breathing and relax our mind my instructor asked us to set an intention.  Maybe the intention was to release negative energy, or to cleanse negative thoughts. Maybe it was to send love and light to someone we love.  Maybe it is to build strength and spend an hour focusing on ourselves. Whatever it may be, she said “Do not feel guilty.” I thought this was interesting, maybe more so since I was feeling guilty for the way I had acted that day. As the practice began and we began a powerful flow her words remained with me, “Do not feel guilty.” I had come that day to find my mat, cleanse my thoughts and escape the outside world that seemed to be stressing me out.  I wanted to leave that class, feeling refreshed and renewed and to forget the day I had.   As we flowed I kept repeating my intention, to release my negative energy and find my center.  Her words, “Do not feel guilty” kept following me.  As the class wore on I started to consider why other people may be there themselves.  What were they carrying around throughout the day that they were releasing on the mat? As the flow slowed and we began to move to shavasana our instructor took us through mountain pose, had us raise our hands from our hearts to the sky and release the intention.  As the classed ended and we sealed in our practice with an Om and closed with namaste; I immediately felt better.  As I was leaving the studio I couldn’t help but wonder what other negative thoughts were left to linger there.  Who else was leaving negative thoughts there like I was?

I often leave with the words of a yoga instructor resonating in my mind until I find myself on the mat next time.  One of my favorites was simple, “Take 3 Beautiful Breaths”. I still find myself thinking those words when I am stressed out and feeling negative or overwhelmed and busy.  It’s calming and makes me feel like life isn’t so bad.  Another one of my favorite instructors tell us to “Just be present”.  I love this, it is very hard to not become lost in our own thoughts and world.  What are your favorite sayings from a yoga instructor?  What do you bring to a class and leave in the studio?

It is often said by those who regularly practice yoga that the practice itself has changed their thinking and lives.  I think this is true.  Yoga inspires me to be a more positive and healthy person, to bring calm cleansing breaths into other parts of my life and to focus on the blessings around me and not be caught in the past or the future but to just enjoy where I am at that very moment.   Yoga gives me a place to cleanse and a place to leave my negative energy and thoughts behind.  It also is a place for me to feel happy and peaceful. How has yoga affected your life? What have you learned from the practice and carried with you each day?

Aug28

I’m No Food Blogger But I am a Runner who Likes Good Food

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I’m No Food Blogger But I am a Runner who Likes Good Food

It’s a rare occasion when I am home on a Friday night, alone.  I’m usually traveling somewhere, with friends or with my boyfriend.  But this weekend I had the night alone, to myself. I was rather psyched about this.  I considered going to see “The Help” at the movie theater but settled on staying home, relaxing and cooking.  Hurricane Irene was supposed to arrive on Sunday and I knew that meant I should get up early Saturday morning and fit in my 16 miles for marathon training. I also knew this meant I should eat some carbs and fuel up.

Although I live in the City of Boston I am lucky enough to have a window box off my kitchen window and grow fresh Basil.  Early this summer after a running group I was craving pasta but lacked sauce.  I got creative and whipped up my own version of a simple pesto.  I’ve been hooked since then and make it almost weekly.  Sometimes I make some breaded Italian chicken to go with it and other times I just throw in some sautéed veggies or when I’m tired I just have it plain.  I thought I would share my recipe and give you all a chance to see a favorite meal of mine that helps fuel me for all my runs and yoga classes. So here it goes…

Simple Pesto Pasta with Italian Breaded Chicken

Serves 1 person

What you need:

For the Pasta…

A bunch of Basil

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small clove of garlic

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Pasta (I make a little less than half a pound)

For the Italian Breaded Chicken…

1 Chicken Breast

Italian Bread Crumbs

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons Water

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Place Basil Leaves, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Parmesan Cheese and Olive Oil into a food processor.

Once all the ingredients have been added, blend until smooth.

Boil water, add pasta and cook until Al dente or desired doneness. Drain pasta and return to pan.

Add pesto, toss pasta until evenly coated.  Sprinkle any extra parmesan cheese on top.

For the Chicken, rinse and trim a chicken breast as desired. Make an egg wash with one cracked egg, and 2 tablespoons of water.  Whisk until smooth.  Place bread crumbs on a plate to dredge chicken and coat evenly.  Usually I use Italian flavored bread crumbs but I was out of them so I just put some Italian Crotons into the food processor and processed until smooth.  Place chicken into egg wash and cover evenly.  Then transfer chicken to bread crumbs and coat to even thickness.

In a hot pan, over medium high heat add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Once oil is heated through add chicken.  Cook each side about 4 to 5 minutes or until done.

Serve chicken over warm pasta.  I made a Caesar salad to go with mine but vegetables are equally as delicious!

I like this meal because you can change it up multiple ways and it’s pretty quick and easy.  Most of all it uses very few ingredients and none are processed.

What’s your favorite meal before a long run? Do you have a simple pasta that you go to post workout?  Please share your recipes as I am always looking for new ideas!

Aug26

Update! When Should I Replace My Running Shoes?

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You may have recently read my post When Should I Replace My Running Shoes? I mentioned that I write the date of my first run on the heel of my shoe in Sharpie but lack the responsibility to keep track of my miles and replace them before it’s too late.  I’ve managed to replace them again, when it’s too late.  A couple of weeks ago I started getting mild pain in my heel.  At first I thought it was from wearing non supportive sandals or flats since it did not hurt when I ran.  I kept running and did not think much of it. Then I started getting pain in my heel when I stepped out of bed in the morning, and it hurt.  And then on my recent 20 mile run I felt the pain in my heel on my first step.  It’s never good to feel pain less than a mile in to a 20 mile run.  As I continued running the pain started to spread to my Achilles, calf, knee and hip.  I was compensating for the pain in my foot and other parts were beginning to hurt.  I toughed out 6 miles and finished my run on the elliptical. I was mad, frustrated and unhappy.

The next day I went and bought new running shoes at Marathon Sports.  I told my sales clerk about the pain in my foot and she said it sounded like plantar fasciitis.  I agreed with her because everything I read that day indicated the same thing. The good news was that she thought my sneakers may be the problem! I overpronate, a lot.   As a result I need a stability shoe.  I run in the Women’s Mizuno Wave Inspire 7.  The shoes have an altered heel angle to control overpronation.  This heel angle is created by two very firm, hard plastic plates.  As the foam and cushioning wears down with mileage your foot will begin to strike these plastic plates.  And in my case, the pain in my foot was directly where the plastic plate is.  My clerk at Marathon Sports told me that some new shoes with better cushioning, some ice and rest and stretching of the tendons in my foot should solve my problem.

I took her advice and went home, iced my foot and fell in love with my new friend that I bought at Marathon Sports, the Surefoot Foot Rubz Massage Ball.

So I have been massaging and icing each day while at work.  It’s multi-tasking!

With my new shoes and diligence in icing and massaging I was able to run 24 miles last week pain-free! Success! My advice….take my advice and replace your running shoes on time so that you don’t injury yourself and have any bad runs for reasons that could be avoided!

Aug24

Body Balance: Benefits of Yoga for Runners

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Recently I was perusing Yoga Journal online, I often visit this site to pick up great tip’s on yoga and read some articles on varying topics related to yoga.  I’m a big fan of their Daily Insight.  It varies each day so the tips are of a wide variety. While I was on the site I found an article titled Yoga For Runners.  Baron Baptiste co-authored the article.  Baron runs a yoga studio here in Boston.  He’s worked with the Philadelphia Eagle’s, written more than a handful of books, has yoga video’s out there, has made TV appearances, writes magazine columns, has a radio show and the list could go on.  Needless to say I’ll listen if he has something to say.  This particular article spoke to running and using yoga as a beneficial cross-training device.  Interestingly it talked about applying some of the key points of a yoga practice to running in a way I had not thought of and I learned a lot.

Balance- Many runners know that balance is the key to staying injury free.  All of our muscles should be balanced so that they support each other equally.  However no one’s body is perfectly balanced.  I have tight hips and weak inner thighs.  This causes my hips to turn inward when I run giving me IT band and hip issues.  Another person may step incorrectly, causing a torquing motion in their muscles resulting on a pull of the muscles in the shin causing shin splints.   Our bodies compensate for our imbalances which causes tight muscles to get tighter and weak muscles get weaker.  The repetitiveness of running further causes problems.  Practicing yoga over time will help to strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight muscles. It will also work to improve your range of motion working your body in a 3D spectrum.  Yoga also works to train the mind to focus internally rather than externally.  All of this combined creates a balanced body and mind and a healthier self.

Listen to your body- How often have you heard this advice? How often have you ignored it? I’ve run through many aches and pains, colds and sickness all because I refused to listen to my internal self that told me to stop.  Yoga teaches the body that each day is different.  How we feel from day-to-day can vary as does our energy levels which can vary hourly. The calmness that can be achieved in yoga allows us to determine what our energy levels are and manage them throughout our workouts and other daily tasks.   The result is that we respect the limitations of our bodies when it comes to workouts rather than pushing through a speed workout or long distance workout when our bodies and minds are too tired.  Relaxation can also be beneficial for runners.  By learning how to relax through our breath we can reduce the tension we experience while running.  We can learn to relax our tense and tight muscles and control our breathing, the result is that we manage our energy more efficiently. We also experience a greater range of motion and freedom which will result in less muscle tightness and pain.  I often use my breath to relax myself during my runs when I feel myself becoming tense or nervous and it does calm my body and allow me to continue without having to stop or dramatically reduce my pace.  I’d encourage you to focus on your breath during your next workout and learn to control it, you’ll likely see some positive results.

Pain Prevention This comes back to balance and alignment.  Remember that misstep or uneven distribution of weight as your feet hit the ground and the pain in your shins? Think about all those ab workouts you have done while forgetting about your back.  As we run we drive forward with our abdomen, further strengthening our abs.  And then add in the stress on the hamstrings and now you understand why your low back is tight and sore post run.  Practicing yoga will help to increase the muscle strength in these weak areas, eventually making your post run pain much less. As runners we are diligent to stretch and do our abs post workout.  We ice and we foam roll and be sure to re hydrate.  Consider adding in a few yoga poses and stretches before and after your runs to build strength and lengthen your muscles.  You’ll help balance your body and adjust your alignment by just adding a few more things to your routine.  Check out these yoga videos on Runner’s World.  They have some great poses and stretches to add to your pre-run and post run routines.

Our bodies prefer to be in a state of perfect balance.  If we recognize we are out of balance and work to repair that our bodies will generally follow.  It is our inherent nature to do so.

Aug22

When Should I Replace My Running Shoes?

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When Should I Replace My Running Shoes?

When should I replace my running shoes?

This is a questions I found myself asking recently.  My college running coach always wrote the date of the first run on the heel of new sneakers in black Sharpie. I thought that was a great idea, what better place to keep that important information than on the shoe itself? So, for years I’ve kept the date of my first run in the new shoes prominently written in Sharpie on the heel of my running shoes.  While this may be very responsible of me, I lack in my ability to keep track of my mileage and replace my shoes before they wear out.  I run in them long enough for the heel to feel flat, the ball of my feet to hurt and that pesky rock waiting for my foot to step on it to feel like it went right into my barefoot.  Finally then I decide that it’s time to retire my long time running partners. I relish in the joy of the cushion and feel of a new sneaker and feel like a little girl on the first day of school excited to try out my new gear.  I quickly fall in love with the new colors and extra support of my new running partners and soon forget about the shoe’s I was sad to retire.

But like the girl on the first day of school I am learning and growing as a runner.  Marathon training is keeping on my toes in regards to my gear and running routines. I’ve been very diligent in attending yoga to keep my legs lose and stretched.  I’ve been foam rolling regularly to keep my IT band pain to a minimum.  I use “The Stick” after my long runs and tempo runs to massage my tired muscles and I’ve been following my plan to a “T” and keeping my training log detailed. I’ve even gone so far to buy the new running skirt I want to wear for Chicago so that I can do some long runs in it before the big day. After all that the least I can do is keep up with replacing my running shoes.  It would be my luck that if I overlooked it my running shoes would cause an injury and derail my hard work.

Here’s a great link to an article I found on Competitor.com:

When Is It Time To Replace Your Running Shoes? | Competitor.com.

The advice in this article seems match up with all the other articles I read out there, everyone seems to agree there are many different ways to determine when your running shoes need to be replaced.  Some suggest replacing them every 6 months. I regularly purchase my shoes are Marathon Sports in Boston, MA and this what their recommendation is.  The problem when this however is that we all run different amounts of mileage in a 6 month period of time.   An ultra-marathoner may easily hit 1,000 miles or more, a marathoner may hit around 500 miles and someone running a 5K or who just enjoys a nice 3 mile run after work a few nights a week may only rack up 300 miles.  The consensus seems to account for and measure by mileage and body size.  The number that I found to be most common was about 300-500 miles.  A runner who is light weight could push the upper end of the spectrum and someone who is heavier should replace them closer to 300 miles. If you experience any discomfort in your shoes, you should consider replacing them regardless of the mileage or time.  The same could be said for any wear on the treading of the shoe.

The Sharpie on the back of my shoes says 3/14/11.  It’s only been 4 months but I’ve hit about 368 miles so far. I think it’s about time to hit the running store and get some new shoes!