The Importance of Listening to Your Body

A few weeks back I read this article about Cross Fit.

Needless to say, I wasn't surprised to hear that this popular fitness trend is causing athletic induced injury.

A few quotes from the article...

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"The CrossFit culture is one of pushing your body to the point of near exhaustion. It is a system of punishing exercises built on a platform of peer pressure. Exercisers regularly urge fellow CrossFit members beyond the point they want to go."

"But in the last decade, there have been too many cases of CrossFit-induced rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis, or Rhabdo for short, is a serious and potentially fatal condition resulting from the catastrophic breakdown of muscle cells. It can result in kidney failure and other complications."

"CrossFit now has an unofficial mascot named "Uncle Rhabdo." An Uncle Rhabdo cartoon depicts a muscular clown, standing in a pool of blood, hooked up to a dialysis machine next to some workout equipment. It's clear that Uncle Rhabdo has Rhabdomyolysis, a far from funny medical condition."

"In addition, CrossFit has -- I think sarcastically -- named a children's workout after the Navy technician who successfully sued the company for injuries he received while following the CrossFit exercise regimen."

"Glassman, in a comment on the CrossFit website, wrote, "We have a therapy for injuries at CrossFit called STFU." As in, Shut the f--k up."

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Ugh.  I cannot believe the pompous attitude of the guy who created/runs this program.  Take some unsafe workout practices.  Then throw in some lack of compassion for those who can't do the program, plus encouragement to drive oneself to the point of injury... why in the world would you WANT to spend your money supporting this?!

Not to mention, what about the concept of teaching modifications for those who need them?  Just because someone can't do a move doesn't mean they DON'T want to do it.  Plenty of people simply cannot do certain moves due physical limitations like old injuries, etc.

Working out should be challenging and push you to your limits.  But it shouldn't push you so far over the top that it results in injury or long term damage.  And it certainly shouldn't result in name calling and other miscellaneous slander if you can't keep up or leave the program.

All I can say about this is - please, folks, pick your workouts wisely.  And LISTEN to your body when it tells you it doesn't like what it's doing.  You may save yourself a literal lifetime of hurt.

I'm A BE-Liebster #2

Awhile back, I was asked to do some more Q&A type posts ...

Since I tend to get a little long winded (no - really?!), I decided to chop up some "typical" Q&A posts into multi part segments to make them a little more digestible.  In the next few weeks, I'll randomly be incorporating some of those questions into a post. 

Today, I'm continuing with the Leibster Award Q&A format (see part one of this conversation here).  Below are questions 6-8 from that.

Enjoy!

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6) If the sky’s the limit, what would you like to do next?

I love to travel.  Beyond the typical touristy type trips in the US (Badlands in SD, adventures down south to Texas, trips out to the East Coast, and so on), I've spent a lot of time in China/Hong Kong due to business, and have vacationed in Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico.  I'm also not ashamed to admit that I've been to both Disneys in the US, plus the one in Hong Kong ... all when I was over the age of 25. 

Whatever, I like to feel like a kid.

Your eyes don't deceive you,

that is how overweight I used to be.

 

Regardless of how heavy or thin I've been in life, I always liked active vacations (surprise, right?!)  For example: my in-laws like to sail, so beyond what I mentioned above I've also spent a lot of time living on a sailboat, traveling along the coast of Seattle and into Canada.

All this being said, I have never been to Europe, and always dreamed of doing that. 

If the sky was the limit, I'd quit my job and backpack with my husband around Europe.  And since sky's the limit, I'm going to pretend everywhere is safe to travel, and we'd start to roam the world - Egypt, Russia, India, Thailand...

I really do wish I could afford to see it all.  Maybe some day.


7) What is your favorite season of the year?

Hmmm... that's tough.  They all have their virtues.

Spring is nice because it's finally warm enough to enjoy running out side again, and it's not so hot that you feel like you want to die yet. 

Summer is nice because you can take the pontoon out on the lake and justify fighting the heat with a few cocktails. 

Fall is nice because you had all spring and summer to train, and some of the best half and full marathons take place at that time. 

Winter is nice because I can finally ski again.  However, I do live in Minnesota.  Or as a friend put it, via his Facebook profile photo:

So, I guess ... Summer?


8) What is a piece of advise you would like to share?

You can do anything in life if you put your mind to it.  And even when something bad happens, you can find a way to make lemonade out of it.

Don't let anything stop you from moving forward to your own personal happiness.

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Questions 9-11 to come!

2014 - Racing Review Thus Far, Part 2

Sorry I missed out on a posting this past Monday.  I took a little mini vacation (basically a long weekend), and wasn't free to draft something up.  Plus, I didn't want to post any random, dumb crap... so, there's that.

Anyway!  Back in June I posted about my racing progress for 2014.  Since then, I've ran quite a few more races, so I thought today I'd update the schedule to show how things have shaken out since then.  Here goes:


      Jan & Feb
      Spent my time hiding from -50 degree temps.

      March
      Tried to marathon, had course closed on me.  (Little Rock Marathon 2014)
      Made up for it with a 7K instead.  Same thing, right?  (Get Lucky 7K 2014)

      April
      Went to Chicago and ran a St. Paddy's day themed race... that took place two weeks too late.
      (Shamrock Shuffle 8K Chicago 2014)

      May
      Relived the hilly hell.  (Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon - Relay 2014)
      Acted like a nurse.  (Chaska 5K/10K 2014)

      June
      Tried out another relay.  (Lake Waconia Half Marathon - Relay 2014)
      Ran for bananas and got nothin'.  (Rainbow Run 5K 2014)

      July
      Lived it up as Lady Liberty.  (Siren Freedom 5K 2014)
      Kept it spicy in Chicago, again.  (Chicago Chinatown 5K 2014)
      Chased the bacon, and then ate it.  (Bacon Chase 5K Minneapolis 2014)


If you followed me on the above, you should have caught that in 2014 I have run:

      Four 5Ks
      One 7K and one 8K
      Two half relays
      AND made a Marathon attempt

That's nine races, or just over 50 miles.  Not too shabby!  Especially given my new race strategy for 2014, and my lack of training overall this year.  (Yes, none of these races have been PRs.  Or even "good" times.  But all of them have been fun.  And that's what matters most to me.)

Not to mention the fact that in addition to the above, I've done two Lazyman Ironmans, one Run100, kept up with some basic running - once or twice a week, continued teaching twice or more per week, and tried to start bike commuting (which unfortunately has become a fail due to trail closures).

So, what about the future?  What do I have left for 2014?


August

This coming weekend I'm running the Webster Education 5K.  Last year I managed to take 1st in my age category.  Without training, I'm hoping I might be able to at least still hang in the top three.  But I think that's a pretty big thing to hope for.  Wish me luck.

I'm also planning on sharing the Minneapolis Duathlon again with my neighbor.  Last year it was a fun but hot race.  Let's hope it's a little cooler this year.

And then there's the Lake Run 5K ... which I'm wavering on.  I've run it for a few years now, so I'm not sure if I want to repeat it or not.  You'll know my decision on that soon enough, I'm sure.


September/October

If I'm wavering on the Lake Run, then I'm definitely wobbling even more on what my plans are for fall.  Depending on how quickly I can start getting my mileage back up, I am considering the Women Run the Cities 10 miler in late September, which is totally new to me, and the Mankato Half in October, which I ran last year and absolutely loved. 

I'm a little nervous about longer runs right now given my total lack of base miles, so that may impact my race goals for the fall.  Well, that and the fact that I'm dealing with some mild plantars fasciitis right now.  Let's hope I can work that out quickly with some basic stretches and various other healthy choices.


November/December

Let's face it, I have NO idea what will happen this late in the year (if anything).  Let's not even go there for now.



In summary, what's my ultimate goal for 2014 racing?  Aside from having fun, like I said last time:

"If you recall, I ran 15 races last year.  And I'm competitive with myself.  So, I'm trying to stay as close to 15 as possible for 2014 as well.  It's totally an arbitrary goal that means pretty much nothing to anyone except myself."

Yep, I'm still holding myself to that dumb gold standard.  But I'm already 9 of 15.  And with for sure 2 more on the schedule already this month, you may as well call that 11 of 15.  Not to mention, if I go for the Lake Run, the women's race and Mankato, that would put me 14 of 15. 

That means, only one more random add and I hit my goal.

What race should it be?!  Hmmm....

I'm A BE-Liebster #1

Awhile back, I was asked to do some more Q&A type posts ...

Since I tend to get a little long winded (no - really?!), I decided to chop up some "typical" Q&A posts into multi part segments to make them a little more digestible.  In the next few weeks, I'll randomly be incorporating some of those questions into a post. 

Today, I'm continuing with the below.  This time I've taken the Liebster Award Q&A format.  Below are questions 1-5 from that (I'm including a few bonus questions since the first few were pretty obvious).

Enjoy!

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1) Why did you start this blog?

I answered this in a previous post.  To avoid repeating myself, I'll direct you there.


2) What makes you smile?

OMG, anything ridiculously silly - which is why I enjoy dressing up so much for my workouts.  Some examples of non-workout funnies from my Facebook feed:

The time someone flipped my peace sign over on my Jetta...

and when I inquired about it on Facebook, one of my friends blamed: "SATAN!!!!!"

The Valentine I sent everyone this year.

The gingerbread house I made with my friend & her family Christmas 2012.

If you look closely, you'll see a Blackhawk helicopter crashed in the backyard,

and a pit bull is gnawing on Mr. Bill's head in the front.

The hat I considered buying to wear last 4th of July.

The massively huge packaging MAC uses to mail me one eye shadow.

The bike helmet of the gods.

AKA - NATALIE WANT!!!!!!!

My husband, "shopping" for ammo at Fleet Farm, in business attire.

My beagle, dressed as a pirate.

My niece, a little "squished" by her air show noise protection.

A glow in the dark yellow poop.  For a Halloween giveaway.

Seriously, how is this poop?  And if your poop ever looks like that, go see a doctor!

The cheesy hash browns my aunt made for Christmas,

with a bacon and sausage manger.

Me, looking SUPER sexy in snorkel gear.

3) What is one of your talents?

Hmmm... well, I guess I can tie two together.  I think the reason why I'm so good at teaching group fitness is because I can "hear" music.  By that, I mean hear the beats and measures, and pick up queuing to naturally manage transitions in movement. 

What do I mean by that?  Well, you know that awkward feeling you get in a group fitness class when you transition from one move to another move and it just feels wrong? 

Yeah, kind of like that.

It's usually because the instructor missed the beat and your body's rhythm was off during the move.

Most times I can avoid that and keep everyone on beat.

That's because I started taking piano lessons when I was in second grade and learned musical measurement.  I eventually stopped my lessons around 8th grade - the time commitment was too great for me as a preteen and I didn't enjoy it that much.  But I still occasionally sit down and play the hand-me-down piano we have in our living room (despite it desperately needing a tuning).


4) Who is a hero in your life?

My grandma.  She's 97 years old now and still manages to spend a significant amount of time each week doing her favorite thing - going to the Goodwill that sells clothing by the pound.  She picks out winter wear (jackets, gloves, etc.), purchases them, brings them home to launder/repair them, and then donates them to her church - which owns a trailer full of goods that they deliver to the homeless on a regular basis. 

This is her.  You can see how awesome she is.

Ok, to be fair, this is her son's motorcycle and jacket.  But it was her idea to pose with it in front of her house and pretend to be a badass.

I try to be as awesome as her, but I pale in comparison.

If I make it to 97, I hope I can keep up with what she's doing now.


5) What is a great memory from your past?

Running my first half marathon really stands out in my head.  It was the first time I did something that was truly physically hard, something I deep down honestly thought I could NEVER do.  But I did it, and I survived.  Even if I did cry a little at the finish.

Just don't tell my husband our wedding wasn't my go to answer for this one.  Although, it is a close second.  ;-)

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Questions 6-8 to come!

Body Glide ... For Her!

Here's what happens when you're a flower girl, wearing a tu-tu dress, at a wedding attended by runners...

Yep, that's Body Glide "For Her", being applied to the lower arms of my neice.  (The dress was put on after this photo was taken.)

To be fair, we thought she'd wear the dress for much longer and it would scratch her arms.  In reality, she ripped the dress off minutes after making it down the isle.  Not that I could blame her.  Who in their right mind would want to wear a tu-tu dress in 90 degree weather ... and sit directly in the sun?

Oh well, it was a good idea at the time!!

Recipe: Delicious Way to Use Up Ripe Bananas - Healthy Banana Chia Muffins

I keep forgetting that now that it's summer, bananas go ripe in like... a second.  Needless to say, as of late, I've been piled up with tons of way ripe bananas.

What's a girl to do with too many ripe bananas?

Why, make banana bread!

But of course, being that I'm trying to be more sugar and processed food conscious, that makes finding a "healthy" recipe hard.  Imagine my joy when I found this recipe.  Not only is it lower in sugar and butter than most recipes, but also has chia seeds and a little added protein from yogurt.  What luck!

With a few modifications (below), I was able to make this using everything I already had in my kitchen.  With no need to go shopping, I decided to give it a go.  And I'm glad I did!  The muffins turned out quite tasty, and freeze well.  Plus, I fed them to my husband and sister, and neither of them complained either!!

Since it was a success, I thought I would share.

Enjoy!

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Healthy Banana Chia Muffins

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (preferably overripe)
• 4 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 2 whole eggs (the recipe called for whites only, but I hate wasting)
• 12 ounces yogurt (I used two single serve tubs of Chobani strawberry)
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease or spray the muffin tins with non-stick oil.

In a bowl, mash bananas and add chia seeds; set aside.

In a blender, grind down the rolled oats until a fine, flour like powder is formed.

In a second bowl, cream butter and brown sugar just until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in yogurt, milk and vanilla extract until combined. Then add the flour, blended oats, baking powder and baking soda, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the banana/chia seeds mixture.

NOTE: Bake all quick breads as soon as the ingredients are assembled.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. A cookie or ice cream scoop works well to quickly and evenly portion each cup. Bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

When done, remove from oven. As soon as they have cooled enough to handle, remove the muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 24 muffins.

Additional note - per the original recipe poster, they estimated nutrition information to be:
1 muffin = 4.8 fat grams, 34 carb grams, 190 calories

About Time, Lavender Magazine!!

O. M. G!

After 5 years of running the Minneapolis/Twin Cities Rainbow Run for Pride, we finally did it.

My sister and I finally made the photo summary in Lavender Magazine!!

I know, I know.  I shouldn't be that excited.  And don't worry - all this fame hasn't gone to my head.  In fact, I'm still happy to offer you all one on one photo opportunities and autographs.  Just call my agent to set up a time.

Read the race recap that accompanies the above photo here.

See the digital magazine online here (we're on page 52-53).

What a way to end the week!