I got a new piercing!

The silver ball is the new piercing in my right ear.

Not even sure what this piercing is called but I've been admiring other people's piercings for awhile so I figured I'd get one before the summer was over.

In case you're curious here's a run-down of my current piercings:

3 in my left ear

4 in my right ear

1 belly-button piercing

1 nose piercing

In the past I had:

1 eyebrow piercing

1 tongue piercing

2 nipple piercings

The past piercings I took out because I outgrew them. No other reason than that. Anyway, not a workout or food related post but still thought I'd share!

End of the month check-in

The plan was to do my henna gloss treatment this past weekend. So I left my hair out so that I wouldn't have to worry about taking out a bunch of twists. 

I wore my hair Monday-Wednesday as shown in the above photos, last week. Then I just put them in chunky twists for the rest of the week. (By Wednesday the puff was humongous!)

Saturday I had an all day conference to go to in another city (Seville). I got up at 6:15am, took the train at 7:55am and didn't get back home until 9:00pm. The plan then was to do the henna treatment the following day.

However, I got sick while at the conference. Go figure. I still am sick actually. I didn't want to sit around with a wet head while sick so it's been postponed. I guess with all that recycled air on the train and in the conference rooms...I caught something.

It sucks because it's just bad timing. The last time I was sick was this time last year! Plus it does have me worried about the half-marathon on Sunday. 

Of course I'm not even going to attempt to run this week until I feel 100%. That might mean that I have to run the half-marathon after only running twice after my full marathon.

That's completely unimpressive, but what can I do? It will be a bummer but I don't plan on running the half-marathon either if I'm not feeling better. Yes, this super sucks.

I also wanted to try this new workout I found on youtube but I guess it'll have to wait until next week:

My wish is to feel better by Wednesday. (As if I could control it, right?) But I have a feeling this decision is going down to the wire...

Week 4 Marathon Training

Yesterday marked 1-month in my marathon training. So far I'm doing pretty good and have only missed one day of running. It was Sunday's active recovery day of 3 miles and I preferred to rest.

I have, however, incorporated 2 more days of weight training into my program since my body responds well to strength training. If you see my original marathon training schedule there is only one weight day on a Wednesday.

It works out perfectly because I now do weights on Monday (normally a cross-training day) and Friday (normally a rest day). So I don't do weights on days that I run.

To check out my current weight routines look at:

- the New Weights Routine post

- the Metabolism-Boosting workout at Fitness Magazine

- the Firm and Burn workout also at Fitness Magazine

These workouts are great because they help me switch it up a bit so that I don't get bored. It also helps to make sure that I'm working all my muscle groups. Each group of exercises works each muscle group in a different way. I'm loving these workouts so far. 

In about a month or so I will probably revamp the workouts to avoid the plateau.

Hydration Revisited

GoogleImages

I wrote a post way back about hydration and how important it is to hydrate when exercising in general, and especially, during hotter months.

Hydration has come back into my mind because I will be,yet again, training during the brutal summer months here in Córdoba. Where I live, the fall and winter are incredibly mild but the summer months are extremely dry and extremely hot. 

Temperatures can reach up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) during the day and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) at 12am. So there's not even much of a respite when the sun sets!

The best way I knew how to combat dehydration when I started training was to use a Camelbak. This allowed me to bring hydration (in the form of water) wherever I was.

It worked well but I've recently come across some literature that states that water alone may not be the best way to replenish liquids we lose while exercising. 

I was attracted to these articles because after an intense run I would drink at least 2 quarts of water (or 2 liters) and not feel completely hydrated. I'd still feel thirsty and a bit sluggish.

To combat this feeling I would make sure to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with high water contents like cucumbers, watermelon, melon, lettuce, tomatoes...things like that. Eventually my fluid levels would come back to balance and I would feel OK.

This time around I want to try something different. I sweat a lot. After an intense workout I can lose anywhere from 2-3 pounds (about 0.96 to 1.36 kilos). That's a lot in my opinion. I want to make it easier for my body to hydrate itself during and after workouts. 

This is just another way I'm trying to take better care of my body like my foot stretches or my dynamic stretching routines. I hope this extra pampering will help me be a better and more efficient runner.

Here are some tips that I hope to incorporate into my training:

If you run for less than an hour...

The best way to hydrate is with mineral water because it supplies the body with liquid, calcium, and magnesium. You can make your own mineral waters by adding 200mg of calcium, 100mg of magnesium, and 1 gram of baking soda for each quart (or liter) of water you drink. 

According to this magazine, the baking soda helps enzymes in the muscles work at their optimal level for a longer period of time. Another good way to hydrate is with diluted fruit juices (2 parts water to 1 part juice).

If you run for more than an hour...

The best way to hydrate is with an isotonic drink that has a balanced mix of carbohydrates and sodium. When you run for longer than an hour our cells not only get thirsty, but they also get hungry for carbohydrates, which is their energy.

To make this use mineral water, carbohydrates (maltodextrin), calcium, magnesium and salt. You should only use about 8 grams of maltodextrin for every 3.38 ounces (or 100 milliliters) of water. 

In addition a 1:1 ratio of water and fruit juice is another choice (50% mineral water, 25% apple juice, 25% grape or pineapple juice).

Hydration after training...

Of course you have to continue to hydrate after running because your muscles need to recuperate energy, nutrients, and minerals. 

The best beverage is beer without alcohol because it is an isotonic drink. It contains calcium (which helps carbohydrates reach the muscles), magnesium (which aids against muscle cramps), and phosphorus (which aids in the growth of bone marrow). 

The runner up is chocolate milk, which I used to drink after running before I went vegan, and finally, vegetable broth (a surprise to me).

I am very excited to try these drinks using my Camelbak! You can buy maltodextrin online and at different health food/sports stores so I will check it out this summer. 

Either way I'm sure that I will be more properly hydrated and, as a result, feel better during and after my workouts.

Like the magazine states, water (just water) should never be drunk by athletes because it doesn't contain calcium, sodium or magnesium! It's just not adequate enough. Other "no-nos" are:

lemonade

iced tea

sodas

non-diluted fruit juices

oxygenated water

Many of these drinks contain way too much sugar and lack other nutrients like the ones mentioned above.

What do you drink to stay hydrated during and after workouts?

New Weights Routine

This time around I'm trying to mix things up so I don't get bored. I was talking to my sister the other day and she told me about these two women on youtube.

Here's the first channel.

 Here's the second channel.

Once you get past the big boobs, short shorts, and porn like camera shots....these workouts BURN! 

I tried them on Tuesday of this week and the bottom half of my body is sore. Actually so are my shoulders and back so I will definitely stick with this routine for awhile. When I get bored I'll switch to something else. 

I'm also enjoying this butt routine and this arm routine. I've been doing them since I started my conditioning program in March. For now I will interchange them and then when my body needs something else I'll add it. 

I will probably change my weight routine again in July during my training.

Hill Training

I definitely don't have any of these closeby. 

Yea, this is more like it.

Today is the day I start my hill training. As I said in my last post about my conditioning program, one run a week I do a faster run. 

Currently I've been doing fartlek (4 minutes at a fast pace with 1 minute recovery is one set) but I'm getting bored. One of my running goals is to incorporate hills into my training. While I'm not training yet, I feel like now is a good time to get a taste of some hill training.

I went over to the handy Runner's World once again because it's so convenient! I took a look at 2 programs, (Program 1 and Program 2), but think I'm going to combine them to create a workout that fits with my goals, my time restraints, and the area where I live.

The terrain where I live is super flat. So I have to search out my hills. Tonight after work I'm going to jog to a park that has some man-made hills to start my training. I am going to start off with 15 minutes and then increase 6 or 7 minutes each week.

My workout is as follows:

1. Run up the hill for 60-90 seconds at a fast pace (5K pace) or until I get to the top
2. Jog down slowly
3. Then repeat until I clock 15 minutes

Pretty simple right? In the summer when I have more time to venture out further to find hills I will try some of the other hill training exercises. For now, I'm content.

Dynamic Stretching

This was me today. Except I was in running gear and a hot pink running jacket! (Googleimages)

The weather here in Córdoba has been frustrating me recently! For the past two weeks I've had to modify my longs runs, and/or reshuffle runs, for the week due to rain. (Which is highly uncharacteristic for this area, in general, and especially for this time of year.) 

Córdoba does need rain so I'm glad for that. I'm also glad that I haven't had to deal with unbearable hot temperatures, which are typical to this area this time of year. However, tomorrow the rain stops and next week the heat begins. So running will get back to normal...although I'll also have to wake up super early to run before the heat gets too intense.

Today I attempted to run in the rain. It was a semi-fail but at least I went. I have a water repellent (I think) jacket but it's definitely not water proof. So I was soaked through within 45 minutes. I had to take the hair dryer to my running shoes so they'll be dry for tomorrow! I have two hours to do. I should've done two hours today and then 1 hour 57 minutes tomorrow. But one can't control the weather!

I plan to discuss my conditioning program in a later post because I want to take this time to share an interesting video I found on Runner's World the other day. It's about dynamic stretching.

While haven't done "extensive" research on it, I know enough about it to want to incorporate it into my workout routine. It's supposed to be more productive (and safer) than static stretching before a workout. Typically, you should warm up before stretching since not doing so can lead to pulled muscles and other injuries. You should never stretch on "cold" muscles.

Dynamic stretching gets the muscles fired up in a way that is more useful. Of course everyone should do their own research before trying anything, but this works perfectly for me and my body. I actually don't stretch before I run even if I do warm up before. I find that my muscles are too tight and it feels like they are pulling when I do stretch before. In fact, my muscles ache a lot less since I stopped static stretching before my running workouts.

My body would benefit from some type of pre-run preparation and that's why I've decided to try these moves. They are all fairly easy and I plan to do them before my long run on Sunday. Of course I always thoroughly stretch after every workout.

Weekly Check in

Hi all! As you can tell I truly enjoyed my holiday because I have been nowhere near blogger! I come back today because things are more or less back to normal. Plus, Chema is off riding his bike and isn't hogging the computer!

My Thanksgiving was great. I'm especially happy that all my vegan side dishes came out superb! So stay tuned for all the recipes coming up in the coming weeks. For now enjoy the pics:

These are my lovely vegan pumpkin pies. They were delicious! Look for this recipe on Thursday. It's super easy. I felt a tinge of guilt because my mom was slaving away making her peach cobbler and sweet potato pies and I was done in like 10 minutes!

These are awesome molasses biscuits that I got from the foodnetwork's Thanksgiving magazine issue. They are so cheap AND EASY to make that I could make them everyday. Actually, I made some more on the Sunday after Thanksgiving! Look for this recipe next week.

There was one more recipe but I failed to take a picture of it so I'll list the ingredients instead.

Spicy Mushrooms

Broil 2 halved plum tomatoes, 2 seeded jalapeños (both skin-side up) and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves until charred, 6 minutes. Peel the garlic and chop the veggies. Sauté 1/2 cup minced onion and 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms in olive oil with salt to taste, 8 minutes. Add the tomato mixture, 1/2 cup vegetable broth and some chopped parsley; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the juice of 1 lime.

This was another foodnetwork recipe. These things were delicious! They are called "spicy mushrooms" for a reason. So don't get surprised when you try them. This was another quick vegan recipe. I made some more on Monday because I had another pack of mushrooms.

I did eat up a storm, like everyone else, but I still managed to get my workouts in. I didn't go to the gym at all last week because it was just too busy. But I got all my miles in, which made me happy. I did my 20 minutes Tuesday and Thursday and my 16 miles on Sunday.

This Week:

Monday

I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the static bike, stretched really well, did some abs and weights (upper body only).

Tuesday

Today the plan is to do 20 minutes of interval training on the treadmill and then my 60 minute spinning class. (I'm nervous because I haven't done intervals in 2 months!)

Wednesday

I'll probably go to the group weight training class at the gym or do weights by myself.

Thursday

Another 20 minutes of interval training and a gym class. 

Friday

Weights, total body

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

10 miles

How is your week shaping up?

Just A Quicky

I know, I was supposed to post Wednesday to let you all know how the foot (and Zumba) went. Yesterday, I was supposed to post a recipe and today I was supposed to post a completely different post. 

  

Hey, life happens is all I can say.

 My foot still feels great!

I ran at the gym yesterday. My mom wanted to do Zumba (as you all know) but the class at 730pm was too late for her. I would've done cycling (or spinning) instead, but we got there too late. 

You have to sign up 30 minutes before because it fills up fast. But I had a meeting in another city and my mom takes forever to get ready...so it didn't happen.

Instead, I ran for 25 minutes and the bike for 5 minutes and my mom did the bike. It was nice and low key because, believe it or not, I was still sore from body combat! That class is no joke! My mom definitely wants to take the class again next week.

She ended up getting a membership. I got 8 extra free days! So it worked out for us both. I have until the 12th of October. 

I'm happy with that. That'll give me enough time to try out more classes and be moral support for my mom as she starts her membership.

Actually, she has her first personal training session on Monday! Go her!

Anyway, I'm contemplating whether to run tomorrow or have a rest day. We went to the gym today and I helped my mom on the machines. She wanted to work her arms and legs. I did a bit but it wasn't really a workout for me. We shall see.

Other than that I will try to do the recipe this weekend if I can. No promises though.

Have a good weekend!

Fitness Tip: Lackluster Energy

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER (My first half marathon)

Yes, lackluster energy affects the best of us. After taking a look at my embarassing, lazy, pictures above you know it's true. So how do I get the job done when I just want to sit on the couch staring into space or catch up on my youtube videos? 

Honestly, sometimes I don't know how I do it either.

Typically, working out the first thing in the morning is the best option. For me, it helps me get it out of the way so that I don't have to worry about making excuses later. 

Sure, I still have crust in my eyes and it takes me a minute to get oriented, but after that I'm good. Plus, I have added energy for the rest of the day and have a sounder sleep at night. 

When I don't get up early I feel lazier as the day goes on. At the end of the day I make up some excuse why I can't go run:

• It's too late
• I have to get up early tomorrow
• I'm too tired
• I'm hungry
• It's too dark
• I have no clean clothes...

On the weekends I have no reason to get up early. So how do I handle it? I get a buddy! 

Now, I am not one of those lucky people who has a running buddy or are part of a running club. There is no one who wants to run with me! 

However, I can oftentimes beg my husband to come with me on his bike on days I truly feel energy-less. He holds my water, tracks my miles, and sometimes provides witty conversation (sometimes).

Of course I can't always count on my husband or getting up early. So instead I try to stay on my feet. I find that if I get up and then plop right down on the couch, it will be harder to muster up energy later. 

When I get up I wake up with a plan. I will eat breakfast, check my email and in an hour I need to be doing something active. If not, I'd better have a real good reason.

Or I can just look at the pictures above and see what happens when I DON'T. Not cute.

What do YOU do when you feel a case of lackluster energy starting to materialize?

Marathon Training: New weights routine

This Sunday, July 3rd 2011, I start re-training for a marathon I hope to run sometime next year (2012).

It is extremely important for runners to have strong legs and strong abdominal muscles for more efficient running. This is also helpful to avoid injuries. Considering how I trained last year, and what my body likes, I will weight train twice a week.

Stay tuned for a post coming soon where I detail my running schedule.

Here I will detail my weights routine.

Monday (Arms and Back) 

The following arm exercises are all new (taken from Self). I haven't tried them yet but they look fun and interesting! Tried and true arm exercises I love are: pushups on a fitness ball, chair dips, tricep extensions, shoulder press, chest fly and variations on the bicep curl.

 Power Curl

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, a weight in each hand. Shrug left shoulder toward ear; release, then bend right elbow and curl weight to under right armpit as you extend left arm out to side at shoulder height (as shown). Release arms. Do 25 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

• Works shoulders, biceps, triceps

Bowling Throw

Stand with feet staggered, left foot in front of right, a weight in each hand. Rest left hand on front of left thigh; extend right arm behind you, palm down. Curl right arm forward as if throwing a bowling ball (as shown). Lower arm. Do 20 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

• Works shoulders, biceps

Double Pull

Stand with feet staggered, left foot in front of right, arms extended at chest height, a weight in each hand, palms facing each other. Squeeze shoulder blades together as you bend elbows, move weights to hips and push hips forward (as shown). Return to start; repeat. Do 15 reps. Switch lead leg; do 15 more reps.

• Works back, biceps

  

Super Shrug

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, arms extended out to sides at shoulder height, a weight in each hand. Keeping arms straight, lift left shoulder toward ear (as shown). Lower and repeat on opposite side for one rep. Do 30 reps, keeping arms lifted throughout.

• Works shoulders, biceps, triceps

Victory Sign 

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, a weight in each hand, arms extended overhead in a V, palms out (as shown). Slowly bend elbows toward hips, rotating palms to face body. Press back into V. Do 25 reps.

• Works shoulders, triceps

Forhead Sweep 

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, a weight in each hand. Rest right hand on hip; extend left arm to side at shoulder height. Bend left elbow and bring left forearm across face, covering eyes (as shown). Straighten arm. Do 25 reps. Repeat on opposite side.

• works shoulders, biceps, triceps

These exercises (taken from Self) work various muscle groups but are nice and low-impact and will be a great addition for my recuperation day after my long run. 

Click here for photos of each exercise.

Ballarina Chop

Stand with feet hip-width apart, a dumbbell in both hands at chest. Squat, bringing weight across torso to left side. Stand, lifting right knee to hip height, as you twist torso to raise weight to head height on right side (as shown). Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

• works abs, butt, thighs

 Kick It

Lie faceup with knees bent, arms down. Push arms against ground and straighten legs directly over hips, toes pointed, to start. (Wobbly? Brace lower back with both hands throughout.) Extend right leg behind head, keeping left leg straight up (as shown). Return to start. Repeat on opposite side for 1 rep. Do 12 reps.

• works triceps, back, abs, butt, hips, thighs

 Tummy Tucker

Start in plank position with wrists directly under shoulders, abs engaged. Bring left knee to left elbow, then extend left leg behind you above hip height, foot flexed (as shown). Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

• works abs, obliques, shoulders, back, butt

 Complete Curl

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping knees soft and back flat, bend forward, pushing hips back as you lower weights along legs as far as you can (as shown). Return to standing, raising right knee to hip height as you flip wrists to curl weights to chest; return to start. Repeat on opposite side for 1 rep. Do 12 reps.

• works biceps, abs, obliques, back, butt, hamstrings

 Skinny Dip

Start in tabletop position, facing up, with feet and palms flat on ground, knees bent, hips lifted and elbows locked. Contract abs as you bend elbows until butt hovers above ground, and extend right leg at a 45-degree angle, foot flexed (as shown). Return to start. Repeat on opposite side for 1 rep. Do 12 reps.

• works triceps, abs, butt, thighs

 Power Press

Sit holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest, palms facing out. Lift feet off ground, knees bent, and lean back at a 45-degree angle, to start. Keeping abs engaged, straighten arms and legs (as shown). Return to start; repeat. Do 12 reps.

• works chest, abs, hips, legs

 Bridge Burner

Lie faceup with knees bent, a weight in each hand. Lift hips as you extend left leg up and straighten arms above chest, palms facing each other, to start (as shown). Lower hips and leg to ground and dumbbells out to sides (hovering just above ground). Return to start. Do 12 reps. Repeat on opposite side.

• works back, chest, butt, thighs, hamstrings

 Reach and Squeeze

Lie on right side, propped up on right forearm, legs stacked with bottom leg bent, a weight in left hand, left arm extended overhead. Lift hips off ground into a side plank to start (as shown). Bend elbow and bring weight to shoulder as you lift top leg as high as you can. Return to start. Do 12 reps. Repeat on opposite side.

• works back, obliques, butt

Look at my post on back exercises to learn more about my 8-minute back workout.

Friday (Legs) 

I have taken exercises from Fitness Magazine for my legs. These are all new exercises as well. In my experience they have a great selection of workouts and so I can't wait to try these!

Check out: The Hot Legs Workout

and

The Booty-Camp Workout

for more information and pictures on these workouts.

Stay tuned for my running schedule!