running study baseline stuff

Last Wednesday, I went in to get all the baselines done for the running study I'm participating in. They did height, weight, body fat, and VO2max. I would've posted sooner, but I've been hanging out with some family that has been in town from out of state. Anyway, I wasn't able to get any pictures...oh well, I'll find some.

I'm not going to share my weight and body fat because I don't want to, but I will tell you that you would be surprised by my body fat percentage.  I'm over 5 ft tall!! Seriously, I swear!! Anyway, healthy body fat percentage for females is between 11 and 30%. It's common for female athletes to be at the lower end of that range, especially runners. To check our body fat percentage, they used a bod pod. You sit in it, and it uses air pressure or something to figure out your body fat percentage. (I hope nobody was claustrophobic!)

bod pod

Now for VO2 max testing, Josh called it "the torture machine" mainly because of the mask we had to wear. We also had to wear a heart rate monitor. I didn't think the mask was that bad. It was definitely weird and uncomfortable at first, but after a couple of minutes I was fine with it.

 We started out by walking on a treadmill (with the mask and heart rate monitor on), and every 3 minutes we went into a "new stage". With each stage, the speed and the incline increased on the treadmill. It was really tough, but I wouldn't call it torture. For the testing, you go until you can't go anymore, and when you grab the handles on the treadmill....you're done. I was able to go a little over 16 minutes. Josh made it about 19 minutes or something like that. Here's a video of someone doing VO2 max testing...

They told me that my VO2 max is 58. What does that mean?? That means I'm super athletic according to the chart. I seriously haven't been running much lately. I run maybe 1or 2 times a week (maybe), so getting 58 while being out of shape was pretty sweet!

this is the exact chart they gave us (ignore the highlighting)

As you can see by this chart, being a girl and getting 58 for my VO2 max....I'm almost olympic! haha.  If I was a 50 yr old male, i would be olympic. haha.

They'll use our VO2 max to determine our speed for the 2 hr treadmill run that we'll have to do in July. Our speed will be 75% of our VO2 max....whatever that means.  I guess I better start running more so that I can run for 2 hrs.

blogging laziness...

So I've kind of been neglecting my blog lately. It's been like 2 weeks since I last posted. I don't really have much of a reason for neglecting it other than laziness.

What have I been doing for the past 2 weeks?

• hanging out with my fiance and his family
• NOT running
• cleaning the carpets at Mom's house (she's paying me)
• knitting
• reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

Yep, that's pretty much it.

I usually just hang out with Josh and his family on weekends, but last week I pretty much spent the whole week with them because Josh's grandpa, Papa Pinyan, passed away. I spent the week with them, hanging out and helping wherever I could. Josh's dad is the oldest of 6, so his family is pretty big. At the funeral home for the visitation, the entire family was standing in a big circle. They tried to all fit in one room, but they trickled into the other room. I almost feel sorry for the people who had to go around the room, shaking everybody's hands....there were at least 25 people's hands to shake (including mine). It was the most fun visitation I've ever been to. Everyone was cracking jokes, teasing each other, and laughing...sounds odd, but that's just how the Pinyan family is and I'm happy that I get to be part of that family soon.

I've only ran 3 times since the Bare Bones 5k. Yeah, I'm really slacking on that lately, but I've got no motivation. I was thinking about it the other day, and if I wasn't participating in a running study and if I wasn't already registered for the marathon in Novermber, I would be perfectly content taking the year off.

I think part of the reason I haven't been running is because Josh hasn't been running (that's right, I'm blaming Josh!). He has bilateral (both sides) achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis with fluid on his left achilles tendon. He hasn't run but 1 time since the Boston Marathon. With him not running, I don't want to make him feel bad if I'm running all the time when he can't and I just don't have the motivation to run b/c he can't run with me. (It'd probably be a good idea for him to take the whole year off from running).

What's this running study I'm participating in? They're researching/testing arterial stiffness in runners, that's all I know. The first time I go to the testing place, I'll have my height, weight, body fat, and VO2 max tested (my vo2 probably isn't very good since I haven't been running and they'll be testing this in 1 week). Then I'll go 2 more times, one time I won't do anything except sit around and the other time I'll have to run for 2 hrs on a treadmill (they don't tell us which one we're doing on what day). They test VO2 max to determine what your speed will be during the 2 hr treadmill run. Oh, and I'll be getting paid $300 to participate. Cha Ching!

What is VO2 max? VO2 max is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during exercise...it is considered the best indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance. I'll let you know how it goes...and maybe even get pictures.

Bad to the Bone

This past weekend, I raced in my first 5k in like 6 months. I registered on race day, so I didn't get a small T-shirt. I got a medium and it is ENORMOUS on me. I gave it to my mom to wear as a night shirt or whatever she wants.

The race I did is call Bare Bones because they put it together using as little money as they possibly can (It just makes me think of the song "bad to the bone"). They send all the money from the registration fees to relay for life or some other non-profit cancer organization. Anyway, the trophies were really cool because they were "recycled" trophies. They were trophies that had been used at other races and had been left over, so there were lots of different kinds of trophies given out.

my sweet trophy

I got 4th overall for women and won first in my age group (they gave out awards to the top 3 overall and then top 3 in each age group). My time was 20:44, which is better than I thought I would do! The girl who won ran it in 19:00. I think my age group trophy is way cooler than the overall trophies.

Oh and I finally bought some new running shoes! I got me some Mizuno's, but I like to call them mizunees. Next race (money permitting), will be on June 10th. Races are so expensive. I wish they were cheaper.

Move over!

I recently went to a local high school track to do a track workout. The high school is only 10-15 min from my house, so it's pretty convenient even if the school is my high school's county rival. The workout I did I like to call, "The Devil Workout" because I did 6 x 400s, 6 x 200s, and 6 x 100s (get it? 666?!).

I'm so glad the the high school track is open to the community where people can come walk or run and just get moving, but there is one simple, important courtesy that people should follow if they're going to use the track. If you're walking on the track and somebody else is running, walk in one of the outer lanes, let the runner have the 1st lane. In other words, MOVE OVER! It's really not that hard. This also applies if you're running, but somebody is running faster than you...you move to the right.

There were several people walking on the track when I showed up to do my workout, but there was one woman who walked in the first lane and would not move. In between each of the 400s, I took a 2 minute break. I did 3 of my 400s to her 1...and I was taking 2 minutes in between each...and she still didn't move out of the first lane! It was annoying.

I told my mom about it when I got home (since she likes to walk a lot), and she told me that I should have run by her really close to scare her into walking in one of the other lanes. Josh said I should've just run her over! (Note to self, don't ever get in Josh's way!)

The courtesy also applies on trails. If you're on a trail and you come up on somebody, you should pass them on the left and they should move to the right. On exercise trails (biking and running), the proper etiquette is to say out-loud, "Passing on the left." If someone is passing you and the trail is really narrow, you might even want to step off the trail, somewhere safe, in order to give them room to pass.

Also, if you're going to run on a trail with a large group of people, be courteous of the other people who want to use the trail. Do not take up the entire trail! Break into smaller groups or run in pairs or something.

When I lived in Baltimore, I used to run at the NCR trail a lot. It was this nice, wide, flat trail that people would run, walk, and ride bikes on. There was this one time I went, and there was this large group of young girls that all ran together and took up the entire trail! The ENTIRE trail! And they were going really slow. I could've walked faster than they were jogging. There was one point in my run that I had to stop running and I walked behind them until I could pass them! It was just really rude of them to take up the entire trail when there were other people using it.

So, whether you're at a local track or on a trail, if someone is going faster than you, move over to right for them to pass. If you're on a trail with a large group of people, don't take up the whole trail. And if you ever see Josh running, stay out of his way!

here's a pic of Josh running so you know what he looks like in order to stay out of his way.

hot hot HOT!!!

As the weather continues to get hotter, the risk of heat illnesses/injuries increases. I figured I could share my knowledge of heat illnesses/injuries with you because knowing is half the battle and preventing is the other half!

First, preventing heat illnesses:

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!! With both water AND sports drinks!
• Gradual acclimatization (big word for becoming accustomed to the weather conditions)
• Avoid activity during the hottest part of the day (the hottest part of the day is between noon and 5pm)
• Wear weather-appropriate clothing (common sense)
• Taking water breaks
• Re-hydrating after activity

Another little note...humidity impairs the evaporation of sweat. Sweat does not cool you down, it's the evaporation of the sweat that cools you down. So if it's humid, the chances of suffering a heat illness increases.

Alrighty, there are 5 heat illnesses:

• Heat rash
• Heat syncope (sync-a-pee)
• Heat cramps
• Heat exhaustion
• Heat stroke

Heat rash is a rash accompanied by sensations of prickling or tingling during sweating. It happens in areas that are covered by clothing and that are continuously wet with sweat or in areas where the skin folds. It's most commonly seen in the legs. I once had it where my elbow bends. The key to preventing heat rash is sweat evaporation, but sometimes that doesn't happen. Other ways to prevent it is to towel off regularly and to wear sweat wicking clothes.

heat rash

Heat syncope...well first, the word syncope means fainting. Heat syncope is fainting from the heat. It is usually caused from being in the heat for long periods of time and not being accustomed to it.

Heat cramps is exactly what it sounds like. Cramps...painful muscle spasms. They occur most commonly in the calf and abdomen. They are related to excessive loss of water and electrolytes. Immediate treatment is to drink large quantities of water and/or sports drinks, stretching, and light massage. Another common remedy for heat cramps is a shot of pickle juice.

Heat exhaustion is when someone becomes dehydrated to the point that they're unable to continue exercising. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion: pale skin, profuse sweating, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, headache, muscle cramps, and dizziness. People experiencing heat exhaustion should immediately move to a shaded or air-conditioned area, excess clothing should be removed, and fluids should be replaced by drinking water/sports drinks. It is also a good idea to lay down with your feet elevated, in a cool area.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency! If not treated, it can result in death! If heat stroke occurs, call 911!! Heat stroke occurs when the core body temperature reaches 104 or higher. Signs and symptoms include collapse, confusion, seizures, altered consciousness, flushed and hot skin, decreased or absence of sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and a rapid, strong pulse. The immediate lowering of the body temperature is extremely important if heat stroke occurs!! This includes moving to a cool environment, stripping off all clothing, pouring cool water over the head and neck, a fan, and anything to cool the body down!

As weather continues to get hotter, it is important to know about these different heat illnesses but more important to prevent them! I don't want anyone going to the hospital!!

Stay safe and keep cool out there!!

The Shack

I realize it's been a little while since I last posted. And I haven't bought new shoes yet, but my hot feet have kind of gone away.

I haven't really been doing much lately. Mostly just chilling at home and applying to jobs. When I'm not applying for jobs, I'm doing other little things such as knitting (yeah I know, I'm a grandma).

What I haven't been doing much lately is running. I looked in my running log, and in the past 3 weeks I've only ran 28 miles total. In contrast, the weeks leading up to Boston I was running pretty much twice that much in 1 week. It makes me laugh. Being at home right now, I have all the time in the day to go run, and I just lack the motivation. I think it's the lack of routine. I don't know. I am running though, and that's more than what most people do.

Anyway, I just finished reading a book called The Shack by William P. Young. My mom gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I never gave it a second look. You have to understand that my mom isn't very good at picking out what I consider to be "good books" to read. One year she gave me a book that was a collection of "Guideposts" stories. I've never read "Guideposts" before, and I don't ever plan on it. If you've never heard of it, it's some kind of magazine. Oh and the collection of stories were Christmas themed.

I usually just place the books she gives me on a shelf, leave them there, and don't think twice about them. (I hope my mom isn't reading this post...Sorry Mom, but it's true). Which is what happened with this book, until I found it the other day and actually decided to read it. Not sure why, but I guess I just felt like reading a book.

As much as I hate admitting it (because my mom gave it to me), it's actually a really good book. Honestly, I've never cried so much from reading a book before....in a good, kind of cleansing way. There's a quote from the book about crying that I really, really like, "Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears. They can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak." So don't judge me!

What is this book about? This book is about a man who took 3 of his kids camping. While on this camping trip, his youngest daughter gets kidnapped and brutally murdered. The only evidence they obtained from the brutal murder was her blood-stained sundress in some old, abandoned shack. 3 years after her death, he receives a note in his mailbox, that is supposedly from God, inviting him back to the shack. Then, he goes to the shack to find God. That's all I'll tell you.

It was...Wow! That's all I can say. This book will give you a new perspective on God, religion, and relationships...in a good way. Once I got into the book, I couldn't put the it down. I pretty much finished it in one day, which is something I don't do very often with books! You should definitely read this book! It's good.

What are your favorite reads?

hot feet

Ever since I moved home, I've been suffering from what I call "hot feet."

My feet just feel uncomfortably hot, but normal temperature to the touch. I have a hard time falling asleep when my feet feel hot, and when I finally fall asleep, it's a light sleep and I wake up a lot too. If you know me well, you know I'm a hard sleeper. I can sleep through alarms, huge storms, and even people climbing over me like it's nothing. Not being able to sleep well is really frustrating.

 I've tried keeping my feet out from under the covers, having a fan pointed at my feet, cooling foot lotions,  and even running cold water over my feet. But nothing seems to work.

This isn't just a recent thing. I've been getting "hot feet" for years now, but usually I'll have it one night and it will go away. This is the first time I have had it consistently for about a week or so.

I know it's not athlete's foot because my feet aren't red, itchy, scaly, or cracking. I think that I might just need to buy new running shoes. I'm still wearing my asics that I trained for the Boston marathon in, and they have about 500 miles on them. Maybe once I get new shoes, the "hot feet" will stop.

my asics training shoes on the left

 Have you suffered from "hot feet" before? What helped you?

What are some things you think I could do until I get new shoes?
Any other ideas?

I just want to sleep well again!!!