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Friday, July 30, 2010

Funny Running Quotes - Friday Fav's


These put a smile on my face. Hopefully it does the same to yours.



“It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse.”
Ann Trason


“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.”
Frank Shorter


“We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.”
Will Rogers


“While running, it is rude to count the people you pass out loud.”
Anonymous


"I don't think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging. If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups."
- Rita Rudner


"I love running cross country....On a track, I feel like a hamster."
- Robin Williams

"I run so my goals in life will continue to get bigger instead of my belly."
- Bill Kirby


"The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again."
- Erma Bombeck

"Running is a mental sport...and we're all insane!"
- Author unknown



Here's my Fav posts that I stalked this week.


I also gotta give a shout out to my FAV knew followers. Thanks for joining the Fitness Junky club! And I can't forget those that have already been following as well. You guys are awesome!

Thanks for all the comments too. It's nice too know people actually read this stuff and care enough to have a little discussion. It's always great to know that your not the only one that's "insane".


--See ya on the road!



Quotes found at...
www.poemofquotes.com

www.running.about.com

Cartoon from
www.runningromans.com

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

THE 10 TYPES OF RUNNERS

  • The Speed Freak - Buzzed Hair. Supershort shorts. Racing flats. Twitch in one eye.

Dangerous - Only if you get in his way.

  • The Weekend Warrior - Warrior tube socks. Midsection paunch. Grin. Headphones.

Dangerous - Only if you make fun of his socks.

  • The Penguin - Plodding determination. Fanny pack.

Dangerous - Only if you make fun of John Bingham

  • The Charity Runner - Selflessness. Tears. Matching outfits.

Dangerous - No...unless you are anti-"awareness."

  • The Ultra Guy - Lean and tan to the nth degree. Quiet. Hard as nails.

Dangerous - Only at an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet.

  • The Kicker - No distiguishing characteristics whatsoever...until he or she unleashes a stiff, tight-lipped, arm-pumping sprint in the final 100 meters of the race.

Dangerous - OH help you if you get in the way of those pumping arms.

  • The Old-Timer - Faded cotton T-shirt from the 1981 Peachtree 10k. Scar on neck from melanoma. Twinkle in eye. Conspicuous lack of gadgets. Advanced age.

Dangerous - Heck, no. These guys are great.

  • The Triathlete - Ironman tattoo. SKin-tight unitard, possibly emblazoned with sponsers' names. Comparatively large upper body. Vague smell of chlorine.

Dangerous - Only if you call him a unitard.

  • The Wacky Guy - "Antennas" headband, oversize novelty sunglasses, cowboy hat, kilt, superhero costume, etc. A grim determination to "have fun with it."

Dangerous - Probably not, although this guy might someday snap.

  • Joe Average - Nothing particular

Dangerous - Almost certainly.



Taken from my favorite running book; The Runner's Rule Book by Mark Remy

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

HarVestiNg the PeAs

I've spent MANY hours in the garden this summer and we are finally reaping the rewards. I'm the first to admit I don't have the greatest eating habits and my vegetable consumption probably suffers the most. At least when it's time to harvest the garden I have easy access to some good vegetarian grub so tonight I enjoyed my peas stir fried with some roasted almonds.


Here's what it looked like.


Throw in a handful of almonds with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil.


Add a few handfuls of peas (pods edible with this variety). I like mine a little crunchy but if you like yours softer, steam them first.

Stir fry until the almonds are slightly brown and the peas are warm. For even more flavor, add a pinch of salt. Walla!


To make a meal out of this I've often tossed it with some brown rice. Not too bad for someone who eats too many carbs and not enough greens. Now I'm on the hunt for a way to eat my beets without loading on the butter and salt. Throw some ideas my way if ya got 'em!

Monday, July 26, 2010

5 Hour Energy - BUST?

I've never been one to down an energy drink for a pick-me up but there's so much RAVE going on about this little bottle that I wanted to dig in and see if the fuss is worthy of my attention.




What 5 hour energy boasts...
  • Only 4 calories
  • Packed with vitamins and nutrients
  • "Clean" energy (whatever that means) without a crash
  • ZERO sugar
  • ZERO herbal stimulants



First off, I'm skeptical because the advertisement is big on saying that this little shot of energy only packs 4 calories. Hmmm, but aren't calories what our body needs to burn energy? Also... HOLY VITAMIN B12 OVERLOAD!!! Is it healthy to drink %8333 of your % daily value in one shot? What if you're eating healthy and taking a multi-vitamin already? You could be getting over %10000 of your daily need of the B12 vitamin and I'm not sure where toxicity sets in but WOW. Finally, the drink provides the same amount of caffeine as 12 oz. of premium coffee so could the energy just come from a caffeine buzz?

I'm a big advocate eating healthy, exercising more, and hydrating adequately. I don't like to rely on other supplements for what I'm lacking in my diet. I do take a multi-vitamin because lets face it, after having 3 kids my body has taken a few hits but that's about it. If I'm feeling tired one day then instead of reaching for an energy drink I eat more protein, make sure I'm up on my fluids, and try to get to bed a little earlier.



Here's some articles from fellow skeptics...

~ 5 Hour Energy: Too Good to Be True?

~ The Real 5 Hour Energy - very informative

~ 5 Hour Energy Side Effects


and some words from 5 Hour supporters...

~ 5 Hour Energy Drinks for that Needed Boost of Energy

~ 5 Hour Energy Packs a Punch

~ 5 Hour Energy Articles


What are your thoughts?

Do you chase down a PR with the help of a 5 hour energy? Is this cheating? Does 5 hour work for you? Are you hesitant to use anything for an energy buzz? Is 5 Hour Energy just masking the symptoms of fatigue?


Friday, July 23, 2010

Strides + Friday Fav's

I'm trying to kick my speed training up a notch to capture GOLD (see previous post) so I finished my workout this morning with 5 x 100 yard strides and it felt SO good. After a 4 mile tempo run, I walked for a couple minutes then got started.

How to do a stride
Strides are short, fast interval runs between 50 and 200 meters. They should be run at a "comfortable sprint" pace, which means that you're basically running as fast as you can without losing your proper running form. Doing strides can help improve your speed, flexibility, coordination, and running efficiency.

Recovery
Recover in between each interval and make sure you're not out of breath when you start your next interval. If you find yourself losing your form towards the end of the interval, try slowing down, taking a longer rest, or running a shorter distance. (1)

Try them and let me know how it goes!


Friday Fav's

Frayed Laces - Want to know what type of celebrity runner you are? Take this quiz to find out.

52 Weeks to 4:15 - Sharon once again makes me smile with her memoir to batwings.

Truly.Into.Fitness - Not only is Jess' site a great resource for healthy eating, check out her bog roll. It's my go to place to scan for a healthy recipe.

Have a GREAT weekend!


Reference
1 - http://running.about.com/od/runnersglossary/f/strides.htm

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

HE THINKS HE CAN WIN?

Last year around this time I had just finished a 15k and was feeling really good about myself when my husband exclaimed..."I could beat ya". Oooohh, GAME ON! Don't get me wrong, my hubby is naturally athletic and pretty fast but he doesn't run unless he's chasing a ball or sprinting around the bases. But he was feeling pretty confident and I thought it would be fun to deliver him a woopin' and prove that I really had been training hard. So we set a date to race in our city's 10k with these babies on the line.


If I won, I got to finally purchase a new living room set. If he won, I had to put more money into our savings each month (he's an accountant...enough said.) Well Mr. Speedy started out his training a little too strong and ended up with a bum knee and a forfeit. I didn't give him too much grief because he was limping around and I didn't think it was worth him ruining his knee but I still count it as a forfeit and will be furnishing my new home nicely by the end of the year.

Well a couple days ago he declared a rematch...double or nothin'! The difference is that he wants to stick with a 5k instead. Of course I HAD to give him a hard time. ONLY A 5K? But I think it would be fun and I don't want him hobblin' around again so we're ON! The date is set for September 6th. Now these twins are on the line.

That's right! Every Mom's DREAM!!!

If I win I get the new living room set AND the washer/dryer combo. These puppies have been on my wish list ever since baby #3 was born...only in red.

So now I've got to kick up my speed work and focus a little harder my 5k training than I intended to do this summer but I've got my work cut out for me. First time running this morning and hubby's already got a 7:10 pace. WHAT?!? Good thing mine was 7:01! HAHAHAHA!

This could get ugly. :)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

A FEW RULES TO RUN BY


Sometimes I re-read my Runner's World magazines and come across articles that make me smile even the second/third time through. Just thought I'd share.


Running Rules of Thumb...
Adapted from Mark Remy's "The Runner's Rule Book"

  • 1. If you see a porta potty with no line, use it. Even if you don't need to.


  • 2. If you have to ask yourself, Does this driver see me? The answer is no.

  • 3. If you have to ask yourself, Are these shorts too short? The answer is yes.

  • 4. 1 glazed doughnut = 2 miles

  • 5. You rarely regret the runs you do; you almost always regret the runs you skip.

  • 6. Not everyone who looks fast really is, and not everyone who looks slow really is.

  • 7. Nobody has ever watched Chariots of Fire from beginning to end. Not even the people who made it.

  • 8. You can never have too many safety pins on your gym bag.

  • 9. Running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50 percent more hard-core than covering the same route on a sunny day.

  • 10. If you care even a little about being called a jogger versus a runner, you're a runner.

FYI - National Doughnut Day was on June 4th. Dang, I missed it. But it's on my calendar for next year!


Monday, July 12, 2010

Butt-Scoot


I've got hamstrings on my mind lately since I've had to give mine more attention after my last 15k race. Here's a new hammy drill for ya. What you need...


1 - A slippery surface...i.e. gym floor
2 - A hand towel


Sit on the hand towel and use your feet to pull you forward across the gym. Get a group of you going if you want a little competition. You never know, you might even get a good ab workout from all the laughing.



Friday, July 9, 2010

Friday Fav's

I'm starting something new. There are SO many great posts that I read each week that I wanted to bring attention to the ones that stick out in my mind and share them with you. So from now on I'm going to be including my "Friday Fav's" each week to highlight my favorite posts.

Some are old, some are new. This week these are the posts that caught my eye.


  • Mile Posts - Body Fat Dorothy has a great discussion on essential body fat and why we NEED to have it. An excerpt from her post.

"I've contemplated a thought about weight and speed over the years - every time it comes to mind I feel the same way. If you told me today that for the rest of my life I had to be 10lbs more than my *ideal weight* but this meant that I would go under 3:15 in the marathon - which would I choose? Weigh more and run faster or weigh less and never get any faster than 3:21? I would choose to weigh more and run faster. I have realized[though even I need reminding at times] that my self worth and my times on the clock are not related to how low the number is on the scale."

  • RunnerDude's Blog - Supplement the Natural Way...Eat! While the whole post is very informative I really appreciate the last half where RunnerDude has provided a vitamin list with details of it's role for runners and what foods provide them.

  • The Running Fat Guy - Garmin Woes - A little Garmin technical support can go a long way. Easy advice for when the screen goes blank. Now I don't have to crack open my Garmin guidebook.

I know there are MANY more wonderful posts that I have not discovered but I'm always on the lookout. If you come across one that blows your mind please share!