I Don't Feel Like Running!

A strange thing happened to me this past Saturday. My alarm oh so pleasantly woke me up bright and early so I could get ready for my long run. Then (and this has never happened before), I just decided NOT to run. Not only that, I didn't feel bad about it! For someone who has used running over the years as a stress reliever, passion and way to stay healthy and fit, NOT running was never in my repertoire. I needed to run. However, on Saturday, and a few days past, another realization came to mind-sometimes it is okay, and even beneficial, to skip that run for a few days.

Running has been a great part of my life, but I can also safely say at points it has been an obsession. The only times I took time off were for the many and prevalent injuries I sustained from overtraining. When I didn't run, I felt listless, stressed, and unbalanced. My "runner's high" kept me sane. It also kept me from finding other healthy, balanced ways to regulate my stress and health. The all-or-nothing philosophy worked really well with running-until I got injured, of course.

In training for my next marathon, I've been battling extreme heat, a varying schedule, and a new addition into our household (our lovely German Shepherd, Juneau). Through the busyness, fatigue, and stress, I continued to fit in running. But I also began to feel the beginnings of burn-out: Irritability, constant fatigue and muscle soreness. In the past, I would continue to run through until my body couldn't take it and something broke down. This time, I just decided to take a few days off. I don't even have a specific day to come back (although I'm still in training for a marathon, so it can't be too long!). I do know that I want to look forward to my runs, and the break will be as long as that may take.

There's still a small pang of guilt for missing a few runs. But what are a few runs in the bigger scheme of a lifetime of health?

So I'll see you on the next run...or not. We'll see.

(This is a past post from 2011-I'm not training for a marathon right now!)

Create Positive Change in the New Year

It’s January. While the New Year is already in full swing, many of us have yet to decide, or begin, the resolutions we ambitiously attempt each New Year. Whether you make a resolution each year and never seem to fulfill it or you want to make changes but can’t decide where to start, you still have time to set goals and intentions for the New Year and successfully attain those goals this time around.

Take Some Time and Think

 It is easy for many of us to come up with ways in which we’d like to change. “I want to lose weight” is a big one for many, or “I want to eat healthier.” But coming up with resolutions without first doing a little self-discovery leaves your resolution shallow, and you less likely to follow through. If you have an easy time coming up with some goals, set aside a time for yourself where you can delve into the reasons why you’d like to change. If you’re interested in losing weight, are you doing it to look better? Or do you want to have more energy to spend with your kids, be a role model, and be able to walk up the stairs without getting winded? Finding your reasoning helps connect you to your goal, and gives you more motivation when you hit bumps in the road towards that change.

 If you have trouble coming up with a specific resolution, doing some reflective thinking will help too. Look back at yourself and think about times when your actions didn’t match up with your goals. What are some ways in which you could align the person you are now with the person you want to be? Your goal, whether it’s as simple as “being kinder to strangers,” or “not yelling at my husband so much” can present itself with some brief time spent in reflection.

 Don’t Give Up

 After you’ve set a resolution, don’t expect to be perfect and reach your goal without a few bumps in the road. Like the tortoise, moving slowly and steadily towards change allows you a realistic chance at accomplishing your goal. With any goal, but especially weight loss, the start is easy because you’ve been saturated with the opposite-sweets, fats, no exercise-through the holidays. The first day or two are workable, but then the cravings start. If you cave, don’t give up! One day or one week will not hurt you. What will hurt you is accepting failure and not making changes in the long run. Instead of going full throttle, consider moving more slowly and carefully towards change; making small changes one at a time.

Set Reassessment Dates

 After a month or two, look back at your progress (or lack of progress) thus far. Have you made some gains towards your resolution, or have you forgotten all about it? Now is the time to reassess. In a reassessment, you adjust your goal based on your progress and how likely you are to stick with it. If you’ve been doing well, your next step is either to continue or to step it up a notch and set an even more ambitious target. For instance, if your goal was to work out twice a week and you’ve been accomplishing that easily, move it up to three times a week. However, if you’ve gotten discouraged and haven’t been successful, it’s time to check in and see if you need to adjust your goal so it is more realistic and attainable. Perhaps your resolution was to give up sweets, and you caved a few days later and binged on some cookies in the office. Instead, revising your goal, like eating one sweet per day, is more realistic and better than giving up altogether.

Start Again

Don’t forget that January 1st isn’t the only day you can make changes in your life! You can start on any day, at any time. Keep working towards those resolutions, no matter when in the year they may occur, and you can make positive, healthy changes in your life.

Balancing Nutrition and Exercise

If the words "I workout so I can eat" or some variation haven't slipped out of your mouth, you probably know someone who's uttered this statement. Exercise is a great way to help regulate weight without feeling like you have to restrict your diet. However, many people find it difficult to balance exercise and eating habits. Whether your appetite grows when you're on an exercise program, you make excuses to eat poorly because of exercise, or you can't seem to keep on a healthy eating plan while active, balancing nutrition with a workout plan is key to maintaining a healthy weight. Following are some tips for common problems dealing with eating and exercise.

Problem: Once I start an exercise program, I feel ravenous.

Solution: An exercise program will kick start your metabolism, so it is common to feel hungrier than usual. Increasing your caloric intake is important so you don't feel deprived, but make sure you're not eating more calories than you burn from your workouts.

Increasing your protein intake will help keep you full longer as you continue an exercise program. Also, if you continue to feel hungry, filling up with fibrous foods, such as fruits and vegetables, will help you feel fuller without the added calories.

Make sure you drink water. Often, dehydration manifests as hunger. So before you pick up that bagel, drink a glass of water and see if that helps satiate your hunger.

Problem: I exercise so I don't have to pay attention to what I eat.

Solution: Exercise does burn calories, but if you use it as an excuse to eat whatever you want, you can easily consume more calories than you burn. Even though your caloric needs are higher, so are your nutrient needs during an exercise program. This means that you can eat more, but you need to eat foods high in nutrients and vitamins too.

Problem: I treat myself without guilt because I exercise.

Solution: Rewarding yourself after you work hard is a great way to give positive reinforcement to an activity like exercise. But if you're constantly rewarding yourself with food, your exercise isn't going to give you the results you are looking for.

While food is a nice reward every so often, find other ways to reward yourself that don't involve food. Treating yourself to a bath, time to read a good book, or whatever else you enjoy will help you balance exercising and eating.

Problem: When I start exercising to aid in weight loss, I end up bingeing on food because I get so hungry.

Solution: Often when starting a diet and exercise program, we try to eat less and exercise more. This can lead to overeating and bingeing on junk food-the last thing we want when trying to become healthier! Bingeing often occurs because of caloric deprivation. When you eat too little throughout the day then exercise, the body feels deprived and needs calories. When the body is to this point, you crave sweets and fats instead of eating healthier options, and tend to eat more because of hunger.

Eating more often throughout the day can help curb the tendency to binge later on. Make sure to include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in each meal, which will help you feel full and satisfied. Ignoring one of these macronutrients-main nutrients the body needs-can lead to hunger and cravings.

You also want to have something before and after your workout. Eating light before your workout gives you energy, and eating after replenishes your energy stores and helps rebuild and repair the body. Eating something small after your workout will also help stave of extreme hunger a few hours later.


When building an exercise and nutrition program, it is important to remember that mindfulness is key to maintaining a healthy weight and managing diet and exercise. Paying attention to how your body feels and what you are eating can help you understand your habits and make positive changes.

Take it to the Trail

There's an area called "The Hill of Life" on the trail I run at least once a week. This rocky, sandy, area gains 300 feet of elevation in .3 mile. I get there at the halfway point of a run of 5 and some change. With the sun beating down, I begin my ascent. Concrete slabs alternate with huge rocks, making the hill of life more like the stair workout from hell. Loose rocks slide under my feet, slowing me down as I continue upwards. Then, the trail bends and up I go for more. I know I'm towards the top as my sweat drips down my spine and my heart rate continues to race. Stopping at the top, I know I still am only halfway done with my run, with the perilous descent coming next.

For those of us that run on the roads, trails can seem like torture. The pace slows, roots, rocks, and bends in the trail keep you from a steady pace and force you to pay attention to everything around you so you don't fall. Did I mention you might fall? Make sure to pick up your feet. But trail running can help significantly improve your road running, and help you connect more with solitude, nature, and yourself as you put one foot in front of the other.

You Work Different Muscles

Trail running forces you to dodge roots and rocks, so you're using many different muscles while you're running. When you're moving to the side or bringing your foot higher to get over a tree stump or rock, you're recruiting stabilization muscles you don't use in road running. These muscles need to be strengthened to reduce risk of overuse injuries, which increase in likelihood when you're doing the same motion over and over as in road running. The trails force you to recruit different muscles during your run, helping you become stronger and reducing risk of injury.

You're Distracted During Your Run

The same 3 mile loop in your neighborhood gets old. Running in the same areas can become boring, and if you've started your run wondering when you'll be finished, it may be time for a new route. However, on the trail, there are other things you can pay attention to during your run. First of all, you need to look ahead at the trail constantly so you know what sort of terrain is ahead. Trails often are single-track, or narrow enough that you can't see very far ahead of you like you can during road running, and tend to wind around, so you don't know exactly what lies ahead. These distractions force you to concentrate on what is going on around you, not what you'll eat for dinner, or how tired you feel, or how your day went. Focusing on the present helps you appreciate your run rather than dread it.

Hills, Hills, Hills

Did I mention hills? Most trails, unless you're on a rails-to-trails path, have a few hills. Hill running strengthens the legs, giving you more power to push forward during your road runs and races. The downhill portion builds strength when your legs are in the extension portion of their movement. Downhill running during training helps reduce the pain, contractions, cramps, and soreness that happen in a race situation.

Trails Lessen the Impact on Your Body

Trails offer a softer surface to run on, which is a respite from the hard impact of the road surface. Whether you're tired, sore, or feel an injury coming on, running on softer trail surfaces helps reduce impact related soreness or injury.

You don't have to love nature to enjoy running on the trails. So get out there, find some dirt, and try out some trail running.

Mastering the 5K

It started out easy. Well, not easy, but easy enough. I was feeling great, and running with the head of the pack. Even though I started out fast, I was feeling pretty good.

Then the one mile marker hit. I was breathing heavier, and my legs were beginning to feel like lead. "Uh oh," I thought, "started out too fast again." Willing myself to make it through, I passed the 2nd mile marker, quite a bit slower than the first.

The third mile was brutal. Wheezing, forcing myself to take another step and ignoring the feeling of puke rising from my stomach, I somehow pushed forward. It was the slowest mile of all.

If your 5K race sounds similar to my above recollection of many of my shorter races, you are not alone. Most of us train for longer races, from the half marathon to full marathon as our main goals. However, we naively think that we can sign up for a 5K on a whim and it will be a piece of cake. By mile three, we realize how wrong we were, wishing never to run another short race again.

But you CAN master the 5K! Just because you are training for a longer distance doesn't mean you have to succumb to slow and painful 5K times. Here are some tips for getting ready for that shorter distance:

1. Play with Speed: With distance running comes long, steady miles. Before you know it, you're running the same pace for every run, from long run to tempo to races. You then get used to that steady pace, and your body is not used to running faster. So you have to practice speed! Begin by adding some faster surges into a shorter run during the week. If you want to get more serious, get on a track and do 800 or 1600 meter repeats at 5K pace. These faster workouts will be challenging, but will get your neuromuscular system used to running a faster pace, helping you in the 5K

2. Sign up for more than one 5K: The first 5K you do will be hard. Your body just won't be used to racing that distance. So plan out a few 5Ks that are 3-4 weeks apart. By the 3rd or 4th race, you will feel much better than the first few.

3. Warm Up: Warming up is one of the most important things you need to do before you run a faster race. Shocking your body by starting a 5K with no warm up will spike your heart rate, forcing you to use your anaerobic energy system more and will cause you to run out of energy before the end of the race. A 2 mile warm up will loosen your muscles and ready your body for the hard work ahead.

4. Start out slow: Don't rocket out of the gate like a jet-propelled engine, or you're only going to last the first 1/2 mile before you begin slowing down. Starting out too fast also spikes the heart rate, and will use up short-term energy stores, wearing you out before the end of the race. Start out slower and try to build speed as you go. Again, you may have to run a few 5Ks before you figure out your best starting speed.

5. Allow for Post-Race Recovery: Even though you're only racing 3.1 miles, your body needs ample recovery after your race. Faster paced races put strain on the muscles as well as the joints and ligaments. When you're running faster you are also running in a different position, leaning foward and running on the mid-foot to forefoot. This can cause muscle soreness in different areas than you're used to. Take it easy for the next day or so after your race, allowing for recovery time.

Whatever your preferred race distance, a 5k is a fast and fun event that can be enjoyed. So don't shy away just because you're used to running longer-you just might find a new favorite race distance!

LISTENING TO YOUR BODY: ON REST AND RECOVERY

We began yoga class, as we often do, with a moment of inward reflection, setting an intention for our practice and for the day. I sat, my mind reeling, mostly thinking about the slight twinge in my shin and my run later in the day. I'd been battling with this little "twinge" for a couple of weeks, since the Disney 1/2 at the beginning of January, and been trying to continue running while also trying not to become seriously injured. As I sat, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea to go running later, the yogic concept of Ahimsa came to mind.

Ahimsa is a concept that means to do no harm and means kindness to all living things. Ahimsa respects all beings and believes all beings are connected (thanks Wikipedia!).

Ahimsa relates to the self as well. I believe that most of the people I come into contact with wish no overt harm on others. Then why do we often abuse ourselves? Whether we imbibe in alcohol or drugs, smoke, or eat poorly, we are not practicing Ahimsa when we are acting in violence towards our bodies.

As a runner, I find myself doing this often. "Just push a little harder," I tell myself. "Get those extra miles in this week," or "That ache in my [knee, hip, ankle, shin] is okay as long as I can finish my run."

When we don't listen to our bodies, we become disconnected with our inner selves, and are less likely to notice other times when our bodies are telling us something is not right. While exercise can help improve health and self-confidence, rest and recovery help our exercise. In order to run your best, you have to find that delicate balance for your body between push and pull, pushing yourself hard and resting and rebuilding.

I decided to take a few days off from running, and listen to my body and practice Ahimsa. I went for a swim instead, let my body play a little and enjoyed some recovery.

Beat the Post-Marathon Blues

You did it. After 4 months of training, getting up early for weekend long runs, and logging miles and miles, you finished your marathon. Whether it went poorly or great, it’s done and you achieved your goal of 26.2. So now what?

After runners spend weeks and months training for one specific event, completing that event can feel like a great success. Afterwards, however, without the push of that goal in site and with your body in great need of recovery, many runners can feel lost, sad, or down following the finish of a big event. There is a sense of loss after completing something you’ve worked for months for and after such rigorous training, recovery can seem long and boring.

Your body needs the recovery after a race, but it can be hard to beat the blues. Here are some ways in which you can work towards both a mentally and physically healthy recovery post-marathon.

Set Recovery Goals in Your Training Plan

Most of us just follow a training program that leads us up to our race, with no set schedule after. This is a critical period of rest and recovery, and setting up a specific schedule for recovery time will help ward of injuries and make sure you’re able to fully rest and recover after a rigorous race.

Setting a recovery schedule will help you move towards the next short-term goal, which is rest and recovery, and will give you a schedule, warding off blues that set in from not having a predetermined goal in mind.

Focus on Nutrition

While many runners have healthy nutrition habits during training, we often use marathoning as an excuse to eat whatever we want. When that habit continues after the marathon and when we reduce our exercise, we can feel sluggish, bloated and tired solely from the food we eat.

It is very important to eat nutritiously following a marathon, because your body is rebuilding after a tremendous stress. Muscles are repairing, joints and ligaments are resting and in general your body is healing itself. Don’t deny yourself food just because you aren’t working out as much-your body needs nutrients to heal properly. However, you may not be able to eat 3500 calories a day and not gain weight. Fueling your body with a healthy combination fruits and vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates will help with your rest and recovery.

Pick a Non-Running Hobby

Find something that piques your interest that is not related to running. Maybe you gave up reading while you were marathon training, or didn’t have time to take pictures or cook like you had before training. This is a great time to delve into something that does not have to do with running.

If you don’t have a hobby, try something new that you’ve always wanted to do. Maybe yoga has been in the back of your mind, or you’ve wanted to learn how to knit. A new activity will help remind you that running isn’t the last thing on earth that makes you happy, and will rejuvenate you when you’re recovered and ready to train again.

Connect with Others

One of the greatest ways to forget your troubles is to spend time with other people. Whether they’re your running buddies or friends you neglected during training, finding time to connect with others can help you take your thoughts off of yourself. Connecting with friends and family is also a great way to find support if you are feeling down, and having someone to talk to can help you express how you’re feeling.

Accept Your Feelings

You may try all of these tips and more, but still feel down after your race. This is very normal, and understanding your feelings can help you accept them and be prepared for this time. It’s okay to feel blue after you’ve accomplished a huge goal, so go ahead and get bummed. Wallow a little bit. Then, set your sites on the next goal, and move forward.