Keep America (and everyone else) Fit: Episode 1

In an effort to keep America (and everyone else) fit, I have decided to start reviewing books that cover my super-fave topics (why, nutrition and fitness, of course!). For some reason, it appears that everything I read these days happens to fall into one of the two genres, so I figured I might as well put my obsession to work! First up . . .

Written by the Editor-in Chief of Men's Health magazine (who I'm sure is a busy guy himself), this book is FANTASTIC for people who lead crazy-busy lifestyles, and find themselves eating out of the dreaded paper bag more frequently than they might care to admit. It's also kind of useful for people who have a phobia of fast-food (is there a name for that?). Prior to reading this book, I would automatically fall violently ill at just the thought of stepping into a fast-food joint. Luckily, David Zinczenko's book has made me far less afraid of the formidable golden arches and other American attrocities. Why? Because it shares with its readers the dark, dirty secrets of the food industry--and not in a vomit-inducing Fastfood Nation sort of way--but rather, in a "if you eat this, you will have to run for approximately 5 days straight to burn off its calories" type of way. LOVE IT!

Eat This, Not That consists of eight different sections:

1. Foods you should eat every day; and foods to avoid at all costs

2. The best and worst restaurant meals

3. Strategies for eating right when dining out

4. Advice for holiday eating

5. Strategies for grocery shopping

6. The ultimate guide to healthy beverages

7. What to eat in various situations (stress, tiredness, etc.)

8. Eating guide for children

The layout is very simple, but also very effective. For instance, in the restaurant meals section, each 2-page spread contains a fast food or chain restaurant we all know and love. On the right-hand page, you'll find the "only eat this if you have the time to run for 5 days straight to burn it off" selections, and on the left-hand page, there are smarter, healthier alternatives, as well as special order options that can save you loads of calories and fat. While one of the reviewers on Amazon.com complained that the book " is basicly [sic] all pictures," I am wondering whether anyone (besides me, of course) would actually want to read a nutrition book that didn't have pictures. Can we say BORING?!



One thing that really struck me about this book is that it would be perfect for people who so aren't obsessed with nutrition. For instance, let's say your New Year's Resolution is to "eat healthier," but you really don't want to deal with the inconvenience of having to obsessively analyze each and every specimen you happen to ingest. Simply peruse the pages of Eat This, Not That and memorize what your best food options are at your fave fast-food/chain joints! As the book suggests, you may just save yourself "10, 20 or 30 pounds a year" by following its advice--no calorie counting or food journaling necessary!



Finally, my favorite aspect of this book is its size. I like to think of it as "fun size"--kind of like those little itty-bitty candy bars, but actually "fun" (seriously, is anyone actually satisfied with eating just one of those?). It could easily fit into a purse or briefcase, which makes it perfect for someone who is constantly on-the-go. Are you between business meetings in a part of town you're not so familiar with, and have just ten minutes to squeeze lunch in? Worry not, my friend! There's a Wendy's across the street . . . pull out your copy of this book, turn to page 136 and enjoy your 5 piece nuggets and chili! Granted, if you're as crazy-busy as I am, you probably carry a bag so big most airlines would reject it as a carry-on . . . so the damn thing could probably be encyclopedia-sized and STILL fit into your "purse." But anyway, your back will totally thank this book for being "fun-sized."



In sum, I'm pretty sure you need this book. And considering you can get it for the low-low price of $11.97, why not? If nothing else, you can probably tear out the photos of the quarter pounder (which is a "good" option, believe it or not), and tape them to the display of your treadmill. How's that for motivation?

Take It and Run Thursday: Marathon Mania

Today, we are celebrating “Marathon Mania” over at the Runners Lounge. Now, for most runners, marathon “mania” probably refers to their enthusiasm and excitement about running marathons. In my case, though, it actually refers to my tendency to turn temporarily bipolar in the weeks leading up to a marathon. I’m totally serious. Prior to my first marathon, I went through waves of “TOTALLY EXCITED OMIGOD I CAN’T WAIT THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAAAAAAZING!” This mania was complimented ever so nicely with waves of, “Uh oh. I have to run a marathon in a couple weeks, (tomorrow, in 5 minutes, etc.). But . . . I’m not ready! I still have so much to learn! Omigod, I have to look up everything there is to read on the internet regarding marathoning RIGHT THIS SECOND . . . or I’m just not going to finish!” Yeah. I was a joy to be around during those weeks, I’m sure.

While I laugh about it now, I did spend approximately 150 hours of my life researching marathons, and compiling a 10-page list of “marathon tips and information” that I all but memorized (you think I'm kidding, don't you?). Thus, I figure I might as well share the “greatest hits” version of the tips I’ve collected (both through frenzied internet research, and through the experience of having run one very painful marathon--with many more to come, of course).

TRAINING:

1. The schedule is not meant to be followed as though your life depends on it. I repeat: The schedule is not meant to be followed as though your life depends on it. Sometimes you need rest. Sometimes you need cross-training. Sometimes you need a trip to the Bahamas. If your body is giving you not-so-subtle signs that what you’re doing is too much, take a step back. Seriously. I promise that missing one run will not force you to DNF (and if you go to the Bahamas, bring me with, please!).

2. If you’ll be training alone, make sure you have one hell of a marathon playlist . . . OR get yourself some good, long podcasts (FYI, Pheddipidations is a great one)! It can get pretty damn lonely out there . . .

3. Ice baths are great (except for after winter long runs—yay, hypothermia!)

4. Do not bother making plans for after your long runs. I can’t tell you how many times I told myself, “I don’t want to go to the grocery store now—I’ll go after my run” and then went hungry for the next week.

5. Make sure you use at least one long run as a “dress rehearsal” of sorts for your marathon. Try out everything from the food you'll eat beforehand, to the clothing you’ll wear, to your hydration/fuel strategy, to the super cool pose you’ll do while crossing the finish line (this may be embarrassing, but practice makes perfect!)

6. Moleskin and body glide are beautiful things.

7. Try to keep a record of your training—whether it be in one of those little journal logs, on looseleaf paper or in a blog (I, of course, vote for a blog—your friends and family will probably get sick of hearing you run at the mouth about blisters and gels and chafing . . . but we sure won’t!)

8. Training for a marathon is just as hard on your significant others, kids, parents, siblings, friends, etc. as it is on you. Be understanding when loved ones get frustrated with your ridiculous training schedule. Try to do special things for them (especially things that don't involve much movement) in order to make up for the fact that training has stolen so much of your free time.

WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE MARATHON:

9. Tapering is a necessary evil. You will go slightly crazy, but luckily there is “google.” You can waste more time than you’d imagine googling anything and everything having to do with marathons. (What on earth did people do prior to google?!)

10. Watch your favorite running movies. (as an aside, this plan kind of backfired on me . . . I went to go see Spirit of the Marathon (highly recommended!) two weeks before my first marathon. While the movie served its purpose and got me really motivated and excited, it also got me REALLY terrified. In fact, I had a small panic attack right there in the movie theater. While beautiful and awe-inspiring, the aerial shots of the HUGE crowd of runners at the Chicago start line were a bit overwhelming. Apparently I had never thought about how many people would actually be lining up at with me until that very moment. Wilson tried to make me feel better by saying, “but there will only be like 25,000 at LA!” Yep, shockingly, it didn’t quite help).

11. Take the time to thank those who have helped you get through your training. This includes, but is not limited to: your boyfriend who cooked you dinner a million Saturdays in a row because you were too tired to move; your mother who listened to you complain about how that one time your boyfriend actually asked you to clean up after dinner, when you had just run 18 miles; your friends who dealt over and over again with rejected Friday night invitations (“sorry, I have to run x-miles tomorrow morning”); your sister whose phone calls you never returned because you were too exhausted to hold the phone up to your ear and your phone’s speaker function was busted; the random coach/friend/etc. who inspired you to run the marathon in the first place; your fantastic and supportive blog readers who encouraged you the most when you were having an off day. It’s nice to feel appreciated!

12. Do not allow yourself to think negative thoughts. Seriously. The moment they pop into your head, b*tch-slap them right out again and replace them with those cheesy affirmations we all love. (“I am a strong woman. I am worthy of completing a marathon.”) You have worked hard to get to where you are . . . you really should have nothing but positive things to say about yourself. And besides, I know a dude who once ran a marathon without really training for it. So yeah, if HE can do it, you can totally do it. There’s nothing to be nervous about . . . it’s JUST 26.2 miles!

DAYS LEADING UP TO THE MARATHON

13. Try to keep your diet relatively boring and as consistent as possible. Now isn’t the time to try sushi for the first time, or sample that “nuclear hot sauce” you just bought.

14. Carbs and fluids, my friends. You should totally have this one down by now!

15. Trim your toenails a few days before the race. If you accidentally cut one too low, it will give it some time to heal up before race day. Isn’t it weird how the littlest wounds can hurt SO damn much?

16. Make sure to get a crap-load of sleep TWO NIGHTS before the marathon. If you’re like me, you won’t get a wink of sleep the night before the race . . . yay, nerves!

17. Stay off your feet as much as possible the day before the marathon. Yes, I know the expo is exciting, but so is finishing a marathon without dying.

18. Make plans with your “fan club” the day before the race (or hell, if you’re ambitious—even earlier than that). You won’t want to do it the morning of the race, trust me. Also make backup plans. Depending on the size of the race, there could be tens of thousands of people looking for one another in the post-race “family meetup” areas. (and guess what? Even though there aren’t a hell of a lot of people whose names begin with Q or X, there are a ton who think it’s a genius plan to meet at those “not so popular” letters—just sayin’)

18. Try to eat your “Marathon Eve” carbo-load meal earlier in the afternoon . . . a big, fat tummy full of carbs can contribute further to the no sleep issue. Later on (when you would presumably eat dinner), eat just a light, bland snack. One day of boring food won’t kill you when you have the juiciest, fattest post-race cheeseburger on the face of the planet to look forward to!

19. Lay all of your clothing/gear/drugs/etc. out the night before the big race. It will eliminate the stress of having to find everything on marathon morning.

20. If you are staying in a hotel, bring your favorite pillow with you. This sounds silly, but I can distinctly remember getting unreasonably pissed off at the pillow I was trying to sleep on the night before my first marathon. Bringing your own pillow with you is just a little thing that will make you a bit more comfy, and therefore more likely to sleep.

21. Set approximately 64 different alarms . . . just in case you actually do fall asleep. Make sure you set the alarm for a time that will allow you to get ready at a leisurely pace. You don’t want to feel rushed to get to the start line on time!

RACE DAY

22. DO NOT WEAR ANYTHING NEW. I cannot repeat this one enough, but seriously. DO NOT WEAR ANYTHING NEW. Just don’t do it.

23. Put Body Glide or Vaseline on anything that could potentially rub against anything else (but again, test this out in your training runs first!) I’ve hear horror stories about people using the stuff on their feet for the first time ever and having serious issues!

24. DO NOT EAT ANYTHING NEW. If you have to, bring your own breakfast from home . . . sometimes finding even simple items like bananas and bagels can prove difficult. Bring out your inner scout and be prepared for anything!

25. Sun block is your friend. The only thing worse than being totally sore and unable to move after a marathon . . . is being totally sore and REALLY unable to move due to the blistering sunburn all over your body. Yeah. Not good.

26. Pack yourself some toilet paper to use in the start area. You’ll thank me for this one, I promise (and hey, if you don’t end up needing it, you can always just toss it—or use it later around mile-21 to dry your tears)!

27. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the start. You’ll probably have to relieve yourself like 13 times before the gun goes off, so get there early!

28. START SLOWLY. I know it’s exciting and you feel like you can fly, but guess what? You can’t. If you start too fast, it won’t be long before you REALLY wish you could fly. If you start slowly, this desire won’t kick in until at least mile-16. Starting slowly is money.

29. Thank any and every volunteer you can. Your marathon would not be possible without them (you don’t have to be cheerful, just make sure you mean it—and remember, the volunteers didn’t sign you up for the marathon, you signed yourself up. Same goes for your fan club)!

30. Make sure to jot down everything you can about your race soon after you finish (in the blogging world, we call these gems “race reports.”) You’ll be really glad to have it later on, and if you plan on running future marathons, re-reading these tales can fill you to the brim with inspiration and motivation.


Other than that, folks, it’s a piece of cake! But really, I do believe that anyone—and I mean anyone—can train for and successfully complete a marathon. Just do me a huge favor and don’t make the same mistake I made: Please do not train all winter in a cold climate, and then suddenly throw your poor, confused body into a hot-weather marathon. Your body will NOT be happy about that one!

Until next time . . .

Cross Training, What-What?!

So I’ve really been mixing things up again this week. Here’s what the week has looked like:

Monday: 45 mins. “gentle” yoga; 15 mins. “killer abs”

Tuesday: 2 hour soccer practice (this is a long story, which will be addressed at another time—but I’ll give you a hint—it involves my random mention of Stockholm in this post)

Wednesday: 45 minutes of kickboxing (I am LOVING the kickboxing, let me tell you); 15 mins. “rock hard abs”; about 30 mins. pilates

Today, I’m aiming to actually get a run in, and possibly some weight-lifting as well. Yep. I’m pretty pumped about it. I have no clue how long I’ll run . . . I’m just going to see what I’m feeling up to, and go from there. This plan I’m on is just CRAZY!

Okay, so in other news . . . I’m thinking about running a 10K on Saturday. In Jersey. I know, right? You see, Wilson is training for his very first half-marathon, and is kind of in a similar mode to that which I was in while training for my first marathon . . . you know, one of those “all hail the almighty training schedule!” modes. So if there’s a 10K on the schedule, I’ll be damned if he’s not running a 10K that weekend . . . even if it means—yes—getting to Jersey at the ass-crack of dawn. Since I promised him I’d go with him to the race, I was thinking I might just run the thing! I am very interested in finding out if the course is really as “fast” as they claim. Oh, and don’t forget partaking in post-race food and festivities. Finally, the registration fee is only $20. I mean, c’mon! So yeah, I’m thinking it might just make sense for me to run it! Thoughts?

Okay, that’s all I have for now, but I’ll be back later with my (many) thoughts on marathoning.

The Long Run is Back . . . Kinda

Today was long run day. As I mentioned yesterday, I'd done mostly cross training over the past week, and I was very interested in seeing how today's long run would pan out. Well, I have to say, it was probably the best long run I've had throughout my 8 weeks of half-marathon training. And while it wouldn't take much to beat out the crap-fest of long runs I've suffered through to date, today was really just perfect--or almost perfect anyway. The weather was gorgeous, I only got run over by an obnoxious teen on a bike once, and I felt pretty strong for most of the run. Now, you may be wondering what limits this run to being "almost perfect." Well . . . sadly, I did not run the full 8 miles. Around the 7-mile mark, I REALLY started to drag. Like many of my other runs lately, I just got to a point where I felt like I was exerting an absurd amount of effort, but the result was me crawling along at a snail's pace, hardly able to continue moving. I made it another quarter of a mile before deciding it best to walk the remaining distance. I was just having to work WAY too hard to justify continuing . . . and figured as such, my body was probably trying to tell me it was done with running for the day. Still, I feel really good about the run, and I'm thinking that another week of sleep and cross training are in order.

A million thanks (or foot rubs, maybe--what good are multiple "thanks"?) to Wilson, who ran with me despite the fact that I insisted on running "slower than slow" . . . Ha, my Garmin died the second I turned it on (oops, maybe charging it occasionally would help), so I unintentionally ran "watchless." (Emilie, I think running gods totally agreed with you on that no watch thing). According to Wilson's watch, we ran right around a 10:00/mile pace (which is actually faster than I thought--it felt like we were crawling).

Oh, and a quick shoutout to the Mister Softee man . . . what would I do without you? If it weren't so creepy, I'd promise a million foot rubs to you too--but how about I just buy a million slushes/soft-serve cones from you instead? That will benefit us both ;)

Mixing It Up

So, as I mentioned earlier in the week, I've been trying this new "take it easy or you might die" training plan. Or well, it's not a plan per se . . . it's more listening to my body and doing whatever physical activity my body happens to be up for at whatever spare moment of time I happen to have to train. This is what the past week has looked like for me fitness-wise:

Monday: Rest day.

Tuesday: 4.5-ish mile "easy run"

Wednesday: 30 minutes core training

Thursday: 15 minutes on rowing machine--level 5 (of 10) resistance; 25 minutes on elliptical trainer--level 7 (of 20) resistance.

Friday: I don't think you could really call it a "rest day." The amount of stair climbing and sprinting I did in the 10-ish hours I was at work would shock and amaze you (yeah . . . it was one of THOSE days).

Then today, I discovered the free(!) "lifeskool" on-demand channel on our cablevision. Apparently there is a just a huge resource of fitness and yoga videos available on there (fyi, you can also get an assortment of the videos online). So apparently my body really wanted to do a 15-minute "killer abs" video. But it didn't end there . . . then my body went for a little "kickboxing" (45-ish minutes worth to be exact). Finally, my body demanded that I do a 25-minute "latin dance" video. It was a pretty nice workout all in all, so I assumed my body was done. Nope! After reading one of Emilie's old "Weekly Challenge" posts about pushups, I decided I wanted to see how many pushups I could do. I managed to make it to 20 before my form really started to suck . . . not too bad, I suppose. But considering I can distinctly remember completing 30-some pushups in one of those "presidential challenges" in high school, I'm going to have to work on this, I think! (Thanks for the inspiration, Emilie!)

The great thing about my little remix week is that I'm actually getting back to the point where I feel strong after my workouts (as opposed to feeling like hospitalization is imminent). That has me pretty hopeful that I'm getting over this little exhaustion spree of mine. I'm still pretty nervous about tackling my long run tomorrow, though. I don't think I've had a good long run since marathon training . . . so I'm praying for a good long run experience. Hopefully the week of mostly cross-training will end up affecting the long run in a positive way. I guess only time will tell! That being said, I've got 8 on the schedule. I'm planning to take it nice and slow . . . I may even let Wilson run alone, at his own pace, so that I won't feel the need to try to keep up with him. We'll see. But for now, my body has decided it is sleepy-time!!

Hope you're all having great weekends thus far! Good luck to all those racing! Run strong!!

Take It And Run Thursday: I'm Asking the Questions Here!

This week, for Take It and Run Thursday, those of us over at the Runner's Lounge get to stop pretending like we know everything and show some vulnerability! That's right, I get to ask the questions today ;) Any comments would be much appreciated! And, in return, I will try to share the love with those of you whose questions I actually know the answers to . . . (ha, don't get too excited; I'm betting there aren't many!)

1) What are your preferred methods of "cross-training?"

2) While doing your long runs . . . do you fuel on the go (i.e. while running--and if so, how do you not choke and die)? Do you slow to a walk to fuel up? Or do you stop completely? Also, how do you reflect this in your total time for the run? For instance, do you stop your watch while taking fuel breaks, or do you simply let it run? Just curious what other people out there do. While training for my first marathon, I would pause briefly to take gels/water/sports drink/etc., but would keep the clock running ("the clock won't stop running during the marathon," I would tell myself). Then, inevitably, I would wonder what my actual running pace was, since the pace my Garmin read included these breaks. While on the topic, what are your favorite long run fueling products? Gels? Sports drinks? Bars? Others? Any particular brands/flavors?

3) How do you deal with sticking to training plans when having to travel . . . say, to Stockholm, or somewhere equally random?

4) What are your favorite core training exercises? (I'm just all about the core training right now)

5) Coffee or no coffee prior to early morning races? (This was a huge decision for me prior to my first marathon--I had been drinking a pre-run cup of coffee all through training, but then wasn't sure if I wanted to risk any tummy issues on race morning--I decided to err on the side of caution) But what do y'all do?

6) Any good pasta dish recipes out there? HA, let's be honest . . . the same old whole-grain penne/spaghetti/etc. in olive oil with dried basil, parsley, red pepper and parmigiano-reggiano gets old after a while! (and yes, I know there are hundreds of cookbooks dedicated to this very topic, but I'm looking for runner-friendly dishes here--i.e. healthy-ish)

7) Do you have a good luck charm that you carry on you during races?

PLANS, PLANS, and MORE PLANS!

So, what is the best way to make sure that work won't interfere with your running schedule? CALL OUT SICK! Ha. Okay, not exactly the best plan of action, but it did work for me in a bind on Tuesday. I SO needed a break (like y'all couldn't tell--ha) . . . apparently this happens when you work for four weeks straight without a real day off. So yeah, I decided to make Tuesday an Irish Cream personal day. I slept until around 4 p.m. (with a couple hour-long awake-breaks to answer emails and watch The Tyra Banks Show--again, why do I admit these things?!) I then got up, did a little research on grad school, ate "lunch," read some of the Jillian Michaels "Making The Cut" book (fyi, this seems like an awesome plan for anyone who wants to work his/her butt off for 30 days and seriously tone up), watched my tivo'd Ugly Betty episode, and finally made my way outside to run around 6:00 p.m. Considering I am now on the "take it easy or you might die" training plan, I set out with absolutely no time/distance goals whatsoever. It was a beautiful day out, and I just wanted to enjoy myself and try to regain that love for running that's been hiding somewhere behind my long work days and sleep deprivation!

I ran Garmin-less, and tried to force myself to move as SLOWLY and effortlessly as possible. I'm not going to lie, running was still difficult, and I definitely could still feel some crazy exhaustion in play. But I think the run did manage to bring back some of that "loving feeling" I'd been missing. Thus, it accomplished its intended purpose, and I won't dare complain! I ended up covering somewhere between 5 and 6 miles total (but with several walking breaks mixed in between). I'm figuring that in all, I probably ran somewhere between 4 and 4.5 miles. I headed back to my apartment after my run, took a hot shower, and caught American Idol live for--I think--the first time EVER! Wilson brought me home some delicious sushi, which I promptly devoured while we watched the end of the Rangers' game (UGH). Then I went to bed around 11:00, and fell asleep IMMEDIATELY. Um, tired much? I think that might be a record for the least number of hours spent awake in one day (while not in a coma)!

In other news, you all will be glad to know that I followed your wonderful advice and SAID NO to my horrible employers last night. I did wait until 9:30 to do it, but still . . . better late than never, right? I had met with No. 1 A-hole earlier in the day, and he'd asked me to finish a project up by the end of the day (let's call it "Project A"). Well, later on, an even more pressing project came up that he wanted me to work on (let's get REALLY creative and call it "Project B"). What would the old Irish have done? She would have finished up "Project B," and then stayed at work all night attempting to still finish up "Project A." But who am I? I am NEW IRISH! New Irish finished up "Project B," then started to work on "Project A" (okay, so maybe I shouldn't have even done THAT much) . . . but she eventually decided, "you know what? I'm not going to stay here all night! I mean, the man himself pulled me off of "Project A" . . . he should understand if I can't finish it!" So I sent him an email stating that "Project B" had taken longer than expected, and that I would have "Project A" for him by mid-day the next day. While I didn't quite have enough energy to get to the gym, I did do some nice core work at home AND still managed to get to bed at a decent time! I think I could get used to this "leaving work before 11:00 p.m." thing!

Along with the new me, I've also come up with a corresponding new work plan. This plan involves leaving by--at the latest--8:00 p.m. EVERY night unless there is a real, pressing deadline I'm working with. Besides emergencies, I will contact the attorneys I work with and let them know that I will have the project(s) for them at whatever time I think is reasonable. If any of them want to fight me about it, I will fight. I'm sick of being taken advantage of all the time. So yes. This is my new work plan.

I also have a brand spankin' new plan for the half-marathon I'm supposed to be running in 4 weeks (yikes!) That plan is--GASP!--to just have fun with it. I'm dropping myself down to Hal's Beginner schedule for the remainder of the month, and I am not going to let myself get all worked up about time goals and such. Had I possessed the time and energy to train properly, I know I could have nailed my goal of sub-2 hours. However, that's simply not the case. Thus, I'm going to focus on taking things easy, but still getting my miles in . . . no more speed training, tempo runs, etc.--just easy-peasy running. Hell, you might as well call it "jogging." Ultimately, I'm going to try to just have fun in South Bend come May 31. My girls will be there running various distances as well, and I don't want to allow myself turn into Ms. Grump because I missed an unfeasible time goal. Besides, it's my first half-marathon, I will--by default--earn myself a PR! That's enough to be proud of, if you ask me :)

So there you have it . . . my new plans for life (at least for the next month). I already feel much better about life and, shockingly, even my job. More later . . .