Yesterday running in Columbia, MD was tough. I, of course, did not heed my own advice. When I left my house to run in the unusual 86 degree weather I did not take any water or Gatorade with me and decided that I would 5 miles. Brilliant, right? Around mile 2 I began to feel it, but I pushed forward anyway. At this point I am only half-way through my run around Centennial Park and I am not sure if I can make it the 2.5 miles back to my house.
Prior to continuing my story I feel it is important to share with you that I sweat more than is humanly possible. Seriously. I know that I tell people this all of the time and they look at me in that way that says, 'yeah right.' I ran a race one time in upstate New York in the middle of summer (think hot and humid). The race director was shaking everyones hand as they crossed the finish line. Everyones hand except for mine that is. He took one look at my sweat drenched shirt and passed me by with a light tap on the shoulder. That is how much I sweat.
So now you can understand how truly dumb it was of me to go out running in the heat with no water or Gatorade. Needless to say I survived (obviously or I would be writing this blog from the beyond and being featured on Ghost Hunters). But it taught me a lesson that for some reason has taken me this long to learn and that is that I need to take water. So, fellow runners, don't be like me and think you are above your own advice. Take your own advice. It will save you from having to write about it later.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Runners need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration
Exercising outside in hot temperatures should be done with knowledge, caution and lots and lots of water and/or sports drinks. We seemed have momentarily skipped spring and are suddenly experiencing a heat wave that usually occurs deep into the summer season. In this kind of heat maintaining a certain level of hydration and knowing the symptoms of dehydration could be the difference between having a great workout or ending up in the hospital with an IV drip. Do you know how to identify the signs and symptoms of dehydration?
The cause of dehydration is simply that there isn’t enough water coming into your body to match what is going out of your body through sweat, excretion and breathing. So imagine that you are running outside today with temperatures in excess of 90 degrees and you aren’t drinking water but you are sweating it out and you are breathing heavier as well, at some point your body begins to present with symptoms to let you know that it needs water.
There are three levels of symptoms for dehydration: early, moderate, and extreme. Early signs of dehydration are nausea, extreme thirst, dry mouth, minimal urine output which is dark yellow in color. Moderate symptoms of dehydration are all of the ones mentioned in the early signs plus lightheadedness and sweating may actually stop as a way to conserve water. Serious signs of dehydration include cramps, chills and disorientation.
To prevent dehydration make sure you are hydrated before, during and after you exercise. The best way to make sure that you are hydrated is to observe the color of your urine. Yes, gross, but that will give you an indication on how hydrated you are. If your urine is dark yellow you need to drink more before you exercise. If it is a light yellow and barely visible you are all set.
While out exercising, listen to your body. If you are thirsty or your mouth is dry, drink. If you are exercising for more than an hour make sure you take a sports drink with you to replenish salt and electrolytes. If you aren’t sure which sports drink would be right for you Runner’s World has a great article on sports drinks. There are a lot of different hydration packs on the market today to help you bring liquids on runs with you.
The only effective treatment for dehydration is to replace lost fluids. You should keep drinking fluids until you urinate. Use the same color standards for your urine while re-hydrating that you used prior to exercising. For extreme dehydration it is important to seek medical treatment. An intravenous method of re-hydration is much faster than drinking fluids.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Weight training for runners: Lower body workouts
As a former boxer and kickboxer weight training was always a part of my workout regime. When I started running I just continued what I had already doing in the gym; lifting weights. Then I started talking with other runners and they told me that weight training was bad for running. I was amazed. How could weight training be bad for running? I had to find out if this was true and decided to write an article about weight training and running to remove any doubt that weight training is good for runners.
The first question I always ask before I start working on a specific physical fitness regime is, how will this benefit what I am already doing? This is also the question to ask your personal trainer (if you have one) or a question to pose to yourself before you add anything new to your regime. There are several reasons to incorporate weight training into your training program.
One is greater muscular strength can reduce the risk of injury by decreasing connective tissue stress which plays a huge role in maintaining joint integrity. By adding weight training to your routine those exercises will help to strengthen those connective tissues. If you are one of many runners whose goal it is to also lose weight increasing the development of muscles will provide an extra boost to your fat burning agenda. Studies have shown that muscle increases the fat that is burned. Not only can weight training burn more fat calories and minimize the risk of injury it can also increase performance. Research has shown that running times improve by decreasing the oxygen consumption required to run distances.
For runners it is important to keep the weight low and the repetitions higher than, say, a body builder. Muscle bulk will slow you down and may even lead to injury due to increased weight and stress on your joints.
Now that you have decided to include weight training in your program you are probably wondering what to do first. Like any other sport there are certain exercises that will provide more of a benefit than others. Working your legs is a good place to start. This is the first area we will explore in the exercises outlined below. However, you should also include upper body workouts as well. I never realized how much my upper body helped me to run until I was told that I wasn’t swinging my arms enough. Once I was corrected and had better running form I was running like the wind (well, maybe not quite like that but it felt like I was). My arms also became very fatigued in the process. Poor upper body strength can lead to early fatigue. We will be exploring upper body exercises in future postings, so stay tuned over the next couple of days. Of course the very first thing to consider is to go very easy or consult a fitness trainer if you have any questions.
Of course as runners we want to improve upon our legs. They are our mode of transportation. It took me awhile to figure out when was the best time for weight training with my legs. In my mind the answer was never, but after consulting several personal trainers, I realized that the best day to work legs is on a day off from running. Don’t work legs on the day after a long run or the day off before a race. It is best to work legs on a day off when you haven’t stressed your legs out the day before and won’t be stressing your legs the day after. I also keep the weights very low and the repetitions high. Here are some exercises that are a couple of my personal favorites:
Lunges: In a standing position, hold the dumbbells in each hand, lunge forward with one leg landing heel then forefoot, lower down until the knee of the other foot nearly touches the floor. Return to the standing position and then repeat. If you can’t almost touch your knee to the floor, don’t worry. Go as low as you feel comfortable doing. To add an extra step and help to work your glutes out, as you bring the back leg up, slightly lift your heal up towards the ceiling. This will tighten the glutes and will not only give you some definition but will also help while running hills.
Squats: Standing, hold dumbbells at your sides, descend, bending knees, until thighs are parallel to floor then raise until legs are straight. This is a great workout for the quadriceps but also works the abdominals, calves and lower back.
Lying leg curl: Lie down on the bench face down, place pads behind ankles and then raise the pads towards your glutes or until they touch the backs of your thighs, squeezing the hamstrings and then lower back down. When I first starting doing these exercise I couldn’t touch the back of my thighs (apparently I am not very flexible). Many gyms also have the seated leg curl machine. I would recommend using which ever you are the most comfortable with.
Standing calf-raises: Begin this exercise by standing, toes pointing forward, raise heel by extending ankle as high as possible and then lower back down. If you want to have a little fun with this one, perform the exercise with toes pointing outwards and then inwards. We used to do about a hundred of these for boxing and they really isolated the calves. You can also perform these seated but I have found that by completing the repetitions standing up I also work my glutes. By strengthening your calves you can increase your ability to push up those hills.
I know that I mentioned it before but I feel that I can stress this enough. If you have any questions, feel any discomfort, please consult a personal trainer. Most gyms offer at least one free session with a personal trainer or will help you become familiar with the equipment at the gym and how to use it properly.
The first question I always ask before I start working on a specific physical fitness regime is, how will this benefit what I am already doing? This is also the question to ask your personal trainer (if you have one) or a question to pose to yourself before you add anything new to your regime. There are several reasons to incorporate weight training into your training program.
One is greater muscular strength can reduce the risk of injury by decreasing connective tissue stress which plays a huge role in maintaining joint integrity. By adding weight training to your routine those exercises will help to strengthen those connective tissues. If you are one of many runners whose goal it is to also lose weight increasing the development of muscles will provide an extra boost to your fat burning agenda. Studies have shown that muscle increases the fat that is burned. Not only can weight training burn more fat calories and minimize the risk of injury it can also increase performance. Research has shown that running times improve by decreasing the oxygen consumption required to run distances.
For runners it is important to keep the weight low and the repetitions higher than, say, a body builder. Muscle bulk will slow you down and may even lead to injury due to increased weight and stress on your joints.
Now that you have decided to include weight training in your program you are probably wondering what to do first. Like any other sport there are certain exercises that will provide more of a benefit than others. Working your legs is a good place to start. This is the first area we will explore in the exercises outlined below. However, you should also include upper body workouts as well. I never realized how much my upper body helped me to run until I was told that I wasn’t swinging my arms enough. Once I was corrected and had better running form I was running like the wind (well, maybe not quite like that but it felt like I was). My arms also became very fatigued in the process. Poor upper body strength can lead to early fatigue. We will be exploring upper body exercises in future postings, so stay tuned over the next couple of days. Of course the very first thing to consider is to go very easy or consult a fitness trainer if you have any questions.
Of course as runners we want to improve upon our legs. They are our mode of transportation. It took me awhile to figure out when was the best time for weight training with my legs. In my mind the answer was never, but after consulting several personal trainers, I realized that the best day to work legs is on a day off from running. Don’t work legs on the day after a long run or the day off before a race. It is best to work legs on a day off when you haven’t stressed your legs out the day before and won’t be stressing your legs the day after. I also keep the weights very low and the repetitions high. Here are some exercises that are a couple of my personal favorites:
Lunges: In a standing position, hold the dumbbells in each hand, lunge forward with one leg landing heel then forefoot, lower down until the knee of the other foot nearly touches the floor. Return to the standing position and then repeat. If you can’t almost touch your knee to the floor, don’t worry. Go as low as you feel comfortable doing. To add an extra step and help to work your glutes out, as you bring the back leg up, slightly lift your heal up towards the ceiling. This will tighten the glutes and will not only give you some definition but will also help while running hills.
Squats: Standing, hold dumbbells at your sides, descend, bending knees, until thighs are parallel to floor then raise until legs are straight. This is a great workout for the quadriceps but also works the abdominals, calves and lower back.
Lying leg curl: Lie down on the bench face down, place pads behind ankles and then raise the pads towards your glutes or until they touch the backs of your thighs, squeezing the hamstrings and then lower back down. When I first starting doing these exercise I couldn’t touch the back of my thighs (apparently I am not very flexible). Many gyms also have the seated leg curl machine. I would recommend using which ever you are the most comfortable with.
Standing calf-raises: Begin this exercise by standing, toes pointing forward, raise heel by extending ankle as high as possible and then lower back down. If you want to have a little fun with this one, perform the exercise with toes pointing outwards and then inwards. We used to do about a hundred of these for boxing and they really isolated the calves. You can also perform these seated but I have found that by completing the repetitions standing up I also work my glutes. By strengthening your calves you can increase your ability to push up those hills.
I know that I mentioned it before but I feel that I can stress this enough. If you have any questions, feel any discomfort, please consult a personal trainer. Most gyms offer at least one free session with a personal trainer or will help you become familiar with the equipment at the gym and how to use it properly.
The Goat in Gettysburg
What does the Goat and Gettysburg have to do with each other? Well, outside of the fact that the Goat is also a history buff (in my spare time) this weekend is the Greyhounds in Gettysburg. This is a weekend event that celebrates all things Greyhound and I always have a great time. My dog, Ada (the Greyhound) loves it too. Needless to say the Greyhound beat out the Goat this weekend. Although in the scheme of things any Greyhound (not just my princess) will beat out the Goat in a strictly speed contest. Although watching my dog on the couch right now I do have a hard time believing that but I do know for a fact if there was a one on one race the Goat would lose.
However, again, I digress. Needless to say I did not run today at all due to the Gettysburg adventure and now I am feeling, well, a little, embarrassed that I didn't go running. I came home and immediately took a nap. I was that tired. Tomorrow however I have to run for two hours. It is on my schedule and now on my blog therefore it will have to happen. If I don't run than I will hang my head in blogger shame.
However, again, I digress. Needless to say I did not run today at all due to the Gettysburg adventure and now I am feeling, well, a little, embarrassed that I didn't go running. I came home and immediately took a nap. I was that tired. Tomorrow however I have to run for two hours. It is on my schedule and now on my blog therefore it will have to happen. If I don't run than I will hang my head in blogger shame.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Goat is resting...sort of
Yup, that means that today was a rest day. It wasn't supposed to be a rest day but I didn't feel like running outside. It was one of those miserable cold (okay, not that cold), overcast spring days. So I decided to work on yoga. So far it is working out for me. I think I am getting better (which really reads that I think I am getting more flexible but don't want to ruin it in case I am not). But just in case I am I have decided to continue with the yoga. I am still not convinced that I am actually working out. For me doing anything for an hour and not sweating means that I am not working hard enough. Maybe when I am more advance I will begin to sweat. I am not sure, but any advice on the topic would be more than welcome.
Tomorrow on the other hand will be a beautiful day and the Goat will be out running. Happily kicking up my heels and reveling in the springtime sun. I love this time of year!
Tomorrow on the other hand will be a beautiful day and the Goat will be out running. Happily kicking up my heels and reveling in the springtime sun. I love this time of year!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Goat and yoga
I am the most physically inflexible person on the planet. At least I feel like I am and feeling like I am may be worse than actually being the most physically inflexible person on the planet. Sad thing is I didn't used to be. I used to be really flexible; able to kick tall people in the head and kick faster than a speeding bullet. But that was a past life and this is my new life as a runner. Well it really isn't that new but I am always finding out new things so in my mind, it is new. Every day is a new day of running and adventures.
But I digress. Back to me and the inflexibility bit. So here I am, the inflexible one, trying to do yoga. After shamefully not being able to do certain things in a class with other people I bought a DVD so I could feel horrible about my inflexibility all by myself in the comfort of my own home. So far I have used it three times. After hill running today and my hamstrings were tighter than violin strings (and they didn't sound that good either) I decided that I should incorporate some of the yoga moves or postures or whatever they call them into a nice little cool down exercise.
Somehow when I break yoga down into smaller parts I don't entirely feel horrible. I feel like I am making minute steps towards being flexible again. If I do it for an entire hour I am exhausted and cranky because how can something that doesn't make me sweat make me tired. That is as wrong as wrong can be. So I try to imagine being a mountain goat and balancing on the edge of a cliff and if I lose my footing I fall to a horrible death. For some reason that motivation works very well. And with my run away imagination, it also scares me to death.
So for now I am keeping with the yoga and hoping that I will someday be flexible again. Much like a goat.
But I digress. Back to me and the inflexibility bit. So here I am, the inflexible one, trying to do yoga. After shamefully not being able to do certain things in a class with other people I bought a DVD so I could feel horrible about my inflexibility all by myself in the comfort of my own home. So far I have used it three times. After hill running today and my hamstrings were tighter than violin strings (and they didn't sound that good either) I decided that I should incorporate some of the yoga moves or postures or whatever they call them into a nice little cool down exercise.
Somehow when I break yoga down into smaller parts I don't entirely feel horrible. I feel like I am making minute steps towards being flexible again. If I do it for an entire hour I am exhausted and cranky because how can something that doesn't make me sweat make me tired. That is as wrong as wrong can be. So I try to imagine being a mountain goat and balancing on the edge of a cliff and if I lose my footing I fall to a horrible death. For some reason that motivation works very well. And with my run away imagination, it also scares me to death.
So for now I am keeping with the yoga and hoping that I will someday be flexible again. Much like a goat.
In the beginning...
How exactly does someone get the nickname "The Goat," you ask? Well it is actually pretty easy apparently. I was participating in the 2002 MS Bike Tour in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. On my1992 14 speed steel frame Raleigh bike (that I bought on eBay for $100) that I was charging up those monstrous hills and passing many other cyclists. Hence forth I was known as 'The Goat.' Well it actually started out as Mountain Goat, but that got shortened to Goat or even TG to some.
When I was trying to come up with a name for my blog I went through all of the nicknames that I have had over the years (The Machine, The Gorilla, etc.) but Goat is the one I am most proud of and thus The Goat Chronicles was born.
Although I am not much of a cyclist now I apply the same principles to running (my primary source of exercise, stress relief, and anger management). If there is a hill I will conquer it. If there are other runners that I can pass, I will. I am not the fastest hill runner, certainly not as fast as I was on my bike. Recently I have begun to ramp up my training runs by incorporating more hills. Not difficult considering I live in Maryland and there are hills galore here. And my favorite race, Dreaded Druid Hills. This race was designed for me, or so I like to tell myself.
This blog is really an outlet for me to rant (and rave) about running. And of course the trials and tribulations of trying to reclaim my status as The Goat.
When I was trying to come up with a name for my blog I went through all of the nicknames that I have had over the years (The Machine, The Gorilla, etc.) but Goat is the one I am most proud of and thus The Goat Chronicles was born.
Although I am not much of a cyclist now I apply the same principles to running (my primary source of exercise, stress relief, and anger management). If there is a hill I will conquer it. If there are other runners that I can pass, I will. I am not the fastest hill runner, certainly not as fast as I was on my bike. Recently I have begun to ramp up my training runs by incorporating more hills. Not difficult considering I live in Maryland and there are hills galore here. And my favorite race, Dreaded Druid Hills. This race was designed for me, or so I like to tell myself.
This blog is really an outlet for me to rant (and rave) about running. And of course the trials and tribulations of trying to reclaim my status as The Goat.
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