FancyPants Group, Part 2- The Ladies Are FULL! (Page 15)

Greetings Earthlings!

I feel a little like an alien in these newfangled shoes I just bought. They are the Five Fingers by Vibram and available online through REI, but I had a seminar in the cities and had the opportunity to try some on. There is quite a lot of research that says running barefoot, or with minimalist shoes that let your toes work is better for strengthening foot and leg muscles and running safer. There are even some ultra marathoners who use the five fingers shoes or nothing! I'll have to break my feet in slowly. I realized my right little baby toe is all squished in underneath the other toe from being squeezed in shoes my whole life and I have not been toeing off because I couldn't. And I'm the one who always buys shoes a size too big compared to 99% of the women out there. Tentatively, I think I'm convinced that these shoes are the way to go.

I did 100 pushups the other day and 150 situps and now I'm kind of sore.....go figure. I did sets of 15 and then realized if I just kept going I'd make 100. My goal is to be able to do them with proper form eventually. My nose does not even come close to touching the floor and I do them on my knees. Guess we all have to start somewhere. Figure I need pushups because the thing that wears me out on the bike is my upper body. Could never get used to using my elbows--feel too squished in that posture and feel like I have no control of the handlebars that way. Plus, you have to move quick to use the brakes and I don't like that. I'm a scaredy cat on the tribike.

The seminar was on nutrition for acute injuries, which includes athletes. Basically, they said the same thing I've known for awhile--limit the breads, flours, pastas and focus on meat, veggies and fruits. They recommend bromelain, turmeric, ginger, boswellia for inflammation. Also vitamin D is crucial for athletes and we all know we train better in the sunshine. He said eat one gram of protein a day for every pound you weigh. If you weigh 150 pounds, you need 150 grams of protein. An egg is 8 grams, chicken or tuna is 30 grams, whey protein is 20-40 grams....so you see you have to eat more protein than you might have realized. (or at least it was an eye opener for me)

Live long and prosper!

--Phoenix

Hey,
Sorry i have been incognito these past few days. My hubby's paternal grandmother passed away and we are attending the funeral and visiting family. I have limited computer access more so because I am too exhausted each night we get back to the house to log on. I won't be back on my normal schedule until Monday.

Needless to say, I have not done any exercise and gotten more inadequate sleep.
My younger one slept all afternoon at his grandmother's house, now he is wide awake at midnight making a coloring book. Its going to be a long night.

Lovey

Aah Lovey....life gets in the way. I know what you mean about stress and inadequate sleep. Had to get up at 4 am yesterday to drive 3 hours to my seminar. That wouldn't have been so bad, but it took me awhile to get to sleep the night before worrying that the alarm might not go off. Well, it went off at midnight! Then I had to try to get back to sleep and reset it in the dark. I actually prayed that the powers that be help me stay awake for the lecture. By the time we got home I was so exhausted that I got wired and didn't go to bed until 11. Today I've got no zip. I think I'm still pooped from tax appointment week last week. It turned out okay...I'll get a refund.

Ran 2 miles in the five fingers. You are supposed to wear them like 2 hours the first day and build up. I wore them 8 hours yesterday and ran in them today. And then was frustrated that the muscles they are supposed to strengthen are sore already. You really have to focus on form when you run in them. All my Chi running training came back into play. We'll get there.

The seminar fellow is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a certified sports nutrition dude. He reminded us to ice. Ice before, ice after.....just ice. He also said to eat a recovery meal within 45 minutes of your workout and that milk is really a great recovery drink. Lots of folks do chocolate milk. I'm back on my fish oil pills.....ugh. They are just so important. He said you have to take about 20 flax oil pills to equal the effects of one fish oil pill. Stilll......ugh!

So, where are we at with our challenge so far??

Congrats on those five fingers, phoenix! Keep us posted as to how they work out for you! I have several running pals on Facebook that are posting about those. VERY interesting.

And I will update our mileage totals for running for March tomorrow- have to give everyone time to input workouts.

Lovey- I'm sorry to hear about your family's loss. Hope everything calms down for you soon.

Also- Phoenix- thanks for sharing the info you learned at your seminar. We are big fans of chocolate milk as a recovery drink. They also push that on my daughter's travel soccer team. I'm heading back off the sugar- it had snuck back in thanks to the pregnancy, but my yearly appointment with my neurologist did not go well and I have 2 months to get myself in order; if I'm still presenting the same symptoms we'll have to switch my preventative med, something I do not want to do. I'm determined to keep my current preventative med, at it's current dosage, and add in supplements (Magnesium, per the neurologist) and be super strict about my nutrition. I had one handful of dark chocolate easter m and m's last night and immediately felt it. SAD. Wish me luck- for the next two weeks I'll be grumpy as helll but it will be worth it.

March Mileage so far: (as of march 22 @3:20pm)

Anne 25.98
enkidu 21.40
jo 36.16
kziemer 23.94
Lovey 38.45
movingsouth 4.55
phoenix 39.0
run2pray 23.1
scubagrl 26.37

total so far......238.95!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I may have found my inner runner....she's pretty slow, but I'm enjoying my long runs with her!!!

Anne, I'm VERY proud of you for opting out of sugar. I am told that headaches are just another form of inflammation. Sugar and white flour is highly inflammation promoting, so you are most wise to limit it. I'm a total carb junkie myself. They lecture over and over that it isn't good for me and yet I can't seem to stay completely away from it. I'm trying to eat more protein though and am cutting back, so I will be crabby with you this week And the magnesium is good for everything. Are you taking fish oil? Some of my headache patients were told by their neurologists to take it along with the magnesium and it really helped.... just a thought.

I'm also trying ice. Seems I have to be hit over the head with a brick to follow simple common sense things like ice. Good way to defrost a steak!

Great job running in the rain..... I usually wimp out at the smallest excuse, but you are inspiring me to buck up and just DO IT!

I feel like I'm just starting to get to know everyone.... and besides, I need Lovey to inspire me!

Love the Five Fingers!  I have never seen anything like this.  It must be a whole different philosophy of running.... Everything I've ever heard is SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT.  I have a lot to learn.

Lovey - A question for you.... is the 100 PushUp challenge supposed to enable us to do 100 CONSECUTIVE push ups?  I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it, but I'm willing to really give it a go. 

I usually only work out on M, W and F... once the weather turns warmer, I'll be doing my biking on T, Th.  For now, they are just rest days, so maybe I should be doing more?

Not sure...

Joyce - the 100 PushUp challenge is supposed to enable us to do 100 CONSECUTIVELY.

I know I suggested this challenge but to be honest its hard. I am still going to push forward though. I still have a week and even though I may not end up be able to do 100 pshup consecutively, I will be able to do more than when I started.

I am back in town and it was so good to go or a run.

Lovey

Joyce- keep them rest days until you add in your bikes. Or, ride on a stationary bike at the gym on those days to get your legs started. Are you following a training plan?

This is turning into a rough week to fit things in. Anyone else? Next week will be worse- oldest daughter's birthday, easter break starts, and FAMILY is coming.

THIS WEEK AND THE NEXT MONTH WILL BE REALLY ROUGH FOR ME. I MAY EVEN HAVE TO GIVE UP MY GROUP RUNS ANS TRY TO RUN AT LUNCH JUST SO I DON'T MISS MY RUNS. THEN I STILL HAVE TO FIT MY BIKE AND SWIM IN SOMEWHERE.

IAM TRYING NOT TO STRESS OVER MY SITUATION.

LOVEY

Edited by Lovey 2010-03-24 12:52 PM

Oh NO! Lovey, I hope you are okay, and that whatever the situation is, it turns out okay. Life gets in the way, and I know you really love your group runs- I'm so sorry.

Let me know if there is anything we can do to help besides just cheering you on from the sidelines.

My whole schedule is based on my kids and hubby's schedule.
My weekday early am sessions are done when everyone is home sleeping and then I rush home after to get everyone up and ready for school and work before I leave for work.

Weekends are a little easier except in the summer where Saturdays are my kids swim team meets so I double up on Sundays. Sometimes I have to miss part of a game and I feel guilty about it but it sometimes can't be helped.

I run Tues and Thursdays at 6p because I opted for the Tues and Thursday martial arts class for my boys. That way I can run while they are there for an hour and a half from 5:45 to 7:30. One has a 45 min clas while the other waits, then they switch. They study the manual, bring a book or play with the other kids while they are waiting. I drop them off, go meet my group and pick them up on the way back.

My issues:
*I work full time between 2 different jobs. My primary job needs me to increase my hours. I will have to skip a day on the second job and work 2 nights to catch up.

*The martial arts studio cancelled the 5:45 class so my kids will have to go together to the 6:40 class which doesn't give me enough time to even get to my group. I would have to run nearby and cut my mileage in HALF. For this week, my husband has been russhing home to drop them off so I can meet my group. After next week, he can't because....

*he is going on an extended assignment for a few months so I will be doing the single mother thing.

My kids do swimming, martial arts and lacrosse or the spring. Plus tons of homework. We really needed to cut cost so we opted out of before and aftercare and shared the busstop dropoff and pickup. Now I will have to go in late everyday because I have to put them on the bus and leave early enough to get them off. I will have to put in some evening hours at my second job but at least I can take the kids with me and limit how late I stay. With such short hours, I can't afford to take my lunch hour to go to the gym.

All this and I somehow have to find tme to swim, bike and run for my May 2nd half marathona nd June 20th triathlon. My niece is planning to come for the summer mid-June. I will have to tell her parents to delay a few weeks.

I know I am getting stressed. Single mothers do it all the time but most of the ones I know, don't do so many activites for themselves and their kids at the same time. The ones that do, have older kids that you can leave home alone. Mine are not there yet.

Lovey

Thanks Jogo. I started thinking about what you said and a plan is beginning to form. Lacrosse starts next week but I don't know where and what days yet.

Running is my stongest sport. I will run whereever I can. I can run on my own in the industrial park for shorter distances during martial arts. I can bike in the industrial park too so if lacrosse is at a school field, I may be able to run around the field while they practice instead.

I think if I run even a mile a few times in the week, I can keep up my long runs on the weekends without dying. I can slow my pace more if needed. I am up to at least 10 miles this coming weekend and I am doing it on my half marathon course. The same for the bike course. Thank the heavens that the bike course is flat per the website so even with little biking, I should be able to suffer thru.

Ok. I feel a little better that I can squeeze in very short runs and bikes.
I am stressing most because I won't be able to fit swim in during the week and its my weakest sport. That I will have continue to figure out.

Thanks.

Lovey

You're right, even if we can't hit 100 consecutively, we will be stronger than when we started!

I'm not following a training plan, and I need one!  I did the Couch to 5K last year but now that I can do that, I'm not sure what to do next.  This is what I have been doing lately:

M, W, F
Swim 1 mile
Run 3.1 mi two days, 5 mile on the third
Push Up Challenge

T, Th
Rest Days

I'd like to do a plan that gets my running up to 10 miles by the end of this summer season, but I don't think I can spend hours at the gym either.

Your second post sounds a little better than your first.    I agree with jogo... sometimes the training program just has to flex afterall, the husband and kids come first.  What are the ages of your kids again?  It is harder when they are younger, but before you know it they will be grown.  Just keep moving whenever you can and you will be fine.  You don't need the added stress of stressing out about it - you have enough already!   Plus it sounds like this is a temporary situation?  I'm sorry about your group getting cancelled.  I know you ladies are a BIG motivator to me, so I'd be bummed if we weren't moving to the archives together. 

JO- great advice, as always.

Lovey- if you don't get time to swim, you can always do the events that offer duathlons. I know you want to do a tri, but your kids and family and jobs come first.

EVERYONE- My husband has oodles of time to follow an exact training plan. So do many other triathletes I know. But me? I have to fit my training in around 4 other people's schedules. That's my reality. I try to get at least half an hour in each day- sometimes more, sometimes a lot less. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that the two miles I did for an interval workout might seem like very little, but it's 2 more miles than a lot of people ran that day. And- that is my only "me" time each day.

On the subject of training plans.....the couch to 5k is a great one, but if you want more of a challenge, browse the sprint plans and pick one that is run-focused, Run2Pray. That will help get your mileage up. Or, find 10k running plan and just follow it for a bit, with your swimming and biking on cross-training days. I found a 10k running plan online that I adapted my current training plan to follow...I try to get in 3 days running per week (1 day interval training, 1 day a medium length run, 1 day a long run), 2-3 days biking, and 1 day swimming, with one rest day somewhere in there whenever Life is too busy to fit in a workout (or babies are too demanding, or kids are sick, or I am sick, or family needs me, or Laundry attacks).

I'm feeling schedule stressed too, Lovey, but not nearly as bad as yours right now. Keep your chin up- you'll figure it out!!!!

My family and job does come first. There’s no way I can say I can’t do something important because I have to train. My family does understand that I get a little cranky without some release. My kids are 11 and 7 year old very active boys who play together and fight each other constantly. Sometimes I think I am reliving my childhood the way they fight just like I did with my youngest brother.

A friend of mine called me up and said “Girl we need to strategize! I know how active all of you are so we need to go over your schedule so I can see where I can help. I won’t overdo it but I will commit to certain activities that I know I can handle.” Isn’t that sweet and what a great offer that I plan to take her up on. Just taken my kids for 2 hours 2 or 3 mornings a week and put them on the bus for me will allow me to get enough hours in at work without having to pony up $650 a month for extended care at school. Our kids go to the same school.

I am going to be as flexible as possible and “go with the flow” so I can be unstressed or be rushing the kids. Do what I can and pray everything else falls into place.

It’s so funny you mentioned a duathlon. My coworker asked me yesterday to do the Philly Women’s triathlon with her in July, 3 weeks after my June tri. It has a duathlon option as well. If my swimming is not enough for my June tri, I can switch and do hers. Just another option but I will try to get some swimming even if its once a week on the weekends.

There are so many training plans out there. I combined several to make the one I am using. Some people like plans that say run for 45 mins or swim 20 mins. I like distances better like run 2 miles or swim 4x100. If I can’t make the distance, then I build up slowly until I can get there.
You ladies are definitely keeping my stress down and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Lovey

How is everyone's weekend?   I felt sick today (fever, sore throat) so I bailed on my run.  I ran yesterday so I should be okay with meeting my mileage goals.  I really like this run:walk stuff.  My running buddy Anne has amazed me at how far we can go and not feel tired.  Yesterday we did 6 miles but I could've easily put in another 4.  It amazes me that I am not any slower than if I run straight through and I feel so much better. I think I am a convert to the Galloway way.

I have invited a new member, Sharyn5.  I hope she joins us.  She is training for her 1st tri and anxious about doing her 1st ever event.  I know that we would be a good fit for her and her with us.    Anne said it was okay to invite her to join us. 

Edited by jogo 2010-03-28 2:10 PM

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