3 Tips to Boost Your Immune System

If you missed my webinar last night on the tips for boosting your immune system, here it is again.

This video is about 30 minutes long, so if you don't have time to watch it, here are is the outline of the top 3 tips:

Tip #1 Eat right and take good-quality supplements. What you consume creates an environment for health (or illness).

The food choices that make the biggest difference for me are eating lots of raw veggies and fruits, avoiding refined foods, avoiding sugar and drinking lots of water.

As promised in my last blog, here's my daily beet smoothie recipe:

• ½-1 chopped, raw beet (Don’t like beets? Substitute one cup of carrots)
• 1 Tbsp raw ginger
• 1 whole apple (I like Pink Lady the best for this smoothie)
• 1-2 frozen banana
• 1 cup  or more of beet greens/kale/spinach
• coconut milk or orange juice (creamier with coconut milk, sweeter with orange juice)
• 1.5 cups ice

Blend like crazy until smooth.

Tip #2 Move your body, but don’t exhaust yourself!

Exercise is great and feels so wonderful. Since getting sick I have found the two best exercises to support my immune system have been yoga and walking...but, the main key I’ve found is to get my pulse up and breathe a lot, but don’t push myself to exhaustion.

In a New York Times blog, several studies with mice and flu bugs showed that mice who exercised to exhaustion were so depleted in their T-1 immune helper cells that they were more likely to get sick than the mice who either rested or exercised mildly.

Tip #3 Rest and manage stress.

In today’s world, we tend to do things too hard. Taking time outs, breathing and generally listening to your body and giving it what it needs when you feel overwhelmed or overloaded. I've learned about that through experience.

To purchase doTerra oils, you can purchase them here — that site is also a great source for more information and a good health blog about essential oils.

If you have any questions about healthy living, feel free to post here.

Immune Boosters - Whether You Have MS or Not

I'm pretty open about my recent diagnosis of MS. Most people with whom I've talked express their sorrow for me and those who know me wonder why this happened in the first place. My own mother and I discussed this at great length when the diagnosis was made. I felt like my body had betrayed me. For years I had given it healthy foods, plenty of sleep, reduced stress and kept it fit by exercising six days a week.

However, when I now see how quickly I'm getting a handle on things in comparison to some with MS who take years (I'm not kidding) to get their disease under control, I realize my body is more of an ally than a foe in this. I have created an environment for health and therefore, my body is responding by giving me a quicker recovery. I'm not going to say that I'll never have another exacerbation or lesion or problem from MS, but I will say that I'm better able to cope with and heal from the problems that arise because I've fostered a healthy environment for my cells.

When I think about all the people who get MS and suddenly have to make drastic life changes, I'm grateful. I already eat clean and take excellent care of my body. I take it one day at a time and am constantly praising God for blessing me with such a good life, lots of positive support people and loads of great information and tools to help me continually improve my health.

I've now had my second infusion of Tysabri (disease modifying therapy drug) and I'm feeling pretty good. One thing this drug is supposed to do is slow down the destruction of my myelin in my brain. Lesions are given time to heal and no new lesions develop…is what they tell me. Wanna know why? My immune system is suppressed.

Goodie.

Part of making myself as healthy as possible now, so I can combat the MS includes adding more nourishing foods to my already super clean way of life. I haven't had any processed flour or sugar in nearly five years. Now I'm eating almost entirely paleo (no/low grains and absolutely no wheat).   So, here are some of the things I'm doing to help my immune system fight off bugs.

• drink 12 to 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning
• daily detox with lemon and peppermint essential oils from doTerra in my water bottle
• beet detox smoothie every day (Dr. Wahls, who is known for her natural healing methods in reversing her own MS gave me this idea). The recipe I like best are shared in this 30-minute webinar . I've been tweaking the recipe for a while and I'm excited to share it! If you want the recipe, I share it in this post and video.
• take fish oil, vitamin D and a B-complex mix along with vitamin C and several other vitamins I'll detail in another blog
• go for a walk every day
• do yoga 5x a week (or more)
• practice daily, conscious positive thought
• breathe
• go to bed when I'm tired—no matter what!

So, what kinds of immune boosters have you found to work? For more tips and an in-depth talk on how to boost your immune system, check out this post and video. 

Ideas for Staying Healthy While and After Traveling

Travelling throws things off for me. For one, I always manage to feel like I can't, um, poop on a trip. Sorry for the overshare, but it's true. The other thing that tends to happen when I travel is that I get sick upon my return. I recently went to Arizona for my little brother's wedding and decided, doggonit, neither of those things were going to happen to me on this trip! I'm happy to report, neither did...because I was prepared.

I brought a lot of stuff with me to keep me healthy, kept my exercise routine as close to normal as possible and got lots of sleep. I filled up my water bottle in the airport and dumped an Emergen-C packet into it, then downed the whole thing once I got on the plane. After which I promptly sanitized everything my hands, arms, etc. touched with hand sanitizer. Here are some of the other things I did and strongly recommend if you're travelling a lot or a little:

• Make sure you still get plenty of veggies
• Listen to your body! If you eat a big meal, don't feel like you have to eat another
• Drink a large green smoothie on the morning of your trip, your tummy will thank you later
• Stay hydrated by bringing a large bottle of water with you wherever you go
• Stay on track by exercising every day. You'll automatically eat less if you do some vigorous exercise and break a good sweat every day

You can always chance it and try to purchase the following things when you get to your destination, or, if you're budget-conscious like me, you can just bring:

• Quick oatmeal packets or pre-measured oatmeal
• Flax meal 
• Nuts in pieces that can be sprinkled on oatmeal or eaten by themselves
•  Make yourself oatmeal with the hot water from the hotel coffee maker
• Sweeten it with Greek yogurt that you can purchase at convenience stores or grocery stores or get honey packets from the barista or bar in the hotel
• Protein bars (my favorite are Luna protein bars)
• Any fruits and veggies that travel well in purses and carry-on bags (like oranges, crisp apples, baby carrots, etc.)
• Vitamins (my favorite are Vitamin C, fish oil, acidophilus, food-based multi, Gingko Biloba and B Complex)
• Melatonin (this helps when you have a time change to adjust to or a hard time sleeping in new places)
• Did I mention hand sanitizer?

What are your go-to tips for staying healthy while traveling? 

End-of-Year Review

Doing a year-end review is eye-opening. Loads of wonderful things happened in 2012:

The toddler was successfully potty trained.

We took a fun family vacation to Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona for spring break.

My best friend from childhood visited me and we spent a weekend at Snowbird, including a day at the Cliff Spa.

Our family travelled to Chicago for two weeks.

I started running and triathlon training again and competed in my first triathlon after adrenal fatigue.

I painted a lot more and started sharing my art with people on this blog.

My sweet daughter was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I ran my first 10K and half marathon.

My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage and I celebrated 19 years of marriage. 

Oh, and I was fired from my job on April 9, 2012.

Of all the things that happened in 2012, getting fired has been the biggest catalyst. 

I haven't written about getting fired because I was so upset and frustrated. I didn't want to write in anger and appear bitter or vindictive. But, I was both of those things for a long time. The crazy thing about getting let go is that it completely minimizes you. In my case I had no warning and was completely blindsided when I had worked so hard to show my employers how much I wanted to help the company succeed. In the end, though, I wasn't enough...and that's what devastated me. 

Now, though, I can look back and see all the beautiful things getting fired taught me. 

• Getting close to your kids and husband is fulfilling and joyful
• Nurturing talents feeds your soul in a lasting way 
• Personal value is deeper than your career or job
• Meetings are overrated and more often than not—unnecessary
• Focusing on your blessings and helping others will always help you feel happy

Although I wouldn't wish that on anyone, I am grateful for the lessons I've learned about life, about human nature and about what's really important. I'm ready now and looking forward to the lessons of 2013.

I'm Running Scared, So Should You

Haunted houses are not my thing. I'm way too low-maintenance to have a cool Halloween party, either. My idea of a good time for Halloween is dressing up the whole family in a theme and running a Halloween race, followed by our own mini-flash mob at the finish line as we perform a choreographed Thriller dance. 

My kids have given me blank stares at the suggestion, but I'm sure someone will think it's a great idea. If that someone is you, comment below. If you just want to sign up and run the race, but you have a strict no-dancing-to-Halloween-songs policy after running races, go here.  

If you've never run a race before, try doing the 5K instead and get your little ghouls and goblins to join you. That's what I call some good old-fashioned family fun.

I've been preparing for the 10K by following this training schedule...which is actually for a half marathon. According to that schedule, you should run a 10K at week nine of training. I'm not planning on running a half-marathon until January, but thought I'd try my legs out on my first 10K with this fun Halloween run, the Running Scared 5K and 10K on Saturday, October 27, in Herriman, Utah.

Both the 5K and 10K start at 10am and promise to be great races, with plenty for the whole family to do afterwards: things like face painting, games, prizes and some sweet medals for finishers ages 7 and up. Kids under 7 are welcome to participate, too, but won't receive a finisher's medal or race shirt.

Register now for either race -- there won't be any day-of-race registration. Organizers will take registrations until October 25, so gather your coven of creepers and sign up! To register, you'll pay $30 for the 5K, and $35 for the 10K. Running in costume: priceless.

P.S. Oh, yeah...and sometimes they give away free entries and/or discounts for registration on their Facebook page, right here.

Go here for more information.

I'm a Triathamom

All set up in transition area and ready to go!

This last weekend I participated and completed Triathamom, a women-only triathlon in Utah. I think there were nearly 350 participants and it was packed with all ages of women from 13 to well over 60. Amazing and inspiring!

Here are some of the highlights: 

Plenty of room to set up my bike and transition area. 

Lots of cheering on among participants. You don't get that so much in the coed tri's.

Running into old friends (like Jenny Eckton, who blogs here) and meeting new ones. I ran nearly the entire 3.1 miles with a 13-year-old girl named Tilda. She was really sweet and I also had one of my better 5K times as a result. Yay for youth!

Finally met one of the rock star organizers of Triathamom in person, Aly Brooks. 

Jenny Eckton and me. We ate a lot of watermelon and other tasty things after the race.

I didn't finish dead last. After a year off, I wasn't expecting much. But, out of 69 participants in my age group, I finished 19th. 

Tri, Tri Again Triathlon

If you are wondering if you could do a triathlon, I'm here to tell you that you can. If you know how to swim, bike, and run, you can do a triathlon. If you don't know how to do those things, there are ways to learn. In fact, I helped my neighbor learn to swim so she could do her first triathlon, with an open-water swim, with me. She was amazing...but, that's a story for another post.

I've done about seven sprint triathlons in my life and I'm by no means super fit. I love the thrill of pushing my body to new personal records and the energy of race day is addictive.

Right before the very last tri I did in 2010. It was the hardest tri I've ever done and, clearly, I had no idea what I was in for at the point this photo was taken. 

Last year, though, my doctor advised me to take some time off from any sort of physically strenuous activity. He told me I had adrenal fatigue and I ended up taking nearly a year off. If you want to know more about how I got better, read this post.

Now that my health has returned, I'm itchin' and ready to get back into triathlon training. In many ways I feel like a novice. Slowly, over the summer, I have been conditioning to get back into running, swimming, and biking shape. Now I remember why I don't like taking too much time off from working out (especially from running). The pain of getting back in shape has been daunting and I still have a ways to go. But, I love the feeling I get when I accomplish a goal.

My current goal is to complete Triathamom, a sprint triathlon on August 18, 2012 at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center. The event is called a sprint triathlon because each event is a short distance, not because you sprint the whole thing. Egads! Can you imagine? Sprint triathlons are completely manageable for the novice. This one has a 300 meter swim, a 12 mile bike, and a 5K (which is 3.1 miles). I'm not worried about my time, I just want to finish knowing I did my best.

Here are some of the things I've learned as I've been training that might be helpful if you're planning on doing a triathlon any time soon. (I'd love to see you on race day if you're doing Triathamom!) If you have any other tips to add to this brief list, I'd love to read them.

1. Balance between training and resting. If you think that the harder you push yourself, the better you'll get, you're wrong. Rest is just as important as training. Make sure you give yourself at least two days off each week from hard workouts. If you're too exhausted to work out hard, take a break. 
2. Practice two events back to back. This is called a brick. I'm guessing that they call it that because your body might feel like a brick when you get off your bike and start to run or get out of the pool and start running. Oof! Take it slow at first. 
3. Eat! When you're burning loads of calories, you need to fuel up with good food. Get a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat. Plus, drink plenty of water. I keep track of the food I'm eating and the exercise I get with apps on my iPhone. My favorites are My Fitness Pal and a calories burned app. The best thing about working out hard is all the food you can eat! 
4. Avoid injury by stretching out. Warmed muscles are ideal for stretching. I find that doing yoga several times a week helps me stay loose, injury free and happy. Stretching your muscles after a hard workout is absolutely necessary if you want to prevent injuries.

I'll post more about my training as the weeks go by...right now, I need to change my inner tube on my bike so I can ride it. 

Good luck and stay healthy!

How to Kick Adrenal Fatigue to the Curb

I don't get stressed on family vacations anymore!

It's been nearly a year since my diagnosis of adrenal fatigue. I blogged about it here and have been plugging along through the last ten months trying to get over it.

If you get dizzy when you finish a workout, or when you stand up. If you're tired all the time. If you get really cranky in the evenings. If you can't get up in the morning after eight hours of sleep. If you feel like you're going to have a melt down if one more person asks you for something ("Mom! I neeeed...") If you have no motivation to do anything. If you feel old and beat up. Well, sweetheart, you might have adrenal fatigue. My doctor calls it "Mom Syndrome." Hmm...I wonder why?

Here's what worked for me:

• Patience, and lots of it. Exercising patience with my body and the healing process were difficult when the months dragged on and I could see myself getting more and more out of physical shape... That was hard. I knew, though, that if I pushed myself hard again, I'd relapse and take even longer to get well again.
• High-quality vitamins. The kinds I took were: pharmaceutical grade fish oil, with a balance of EPA and DHA that is 2-to-1; food-based multivitamin; 1000mg of vitamin C; and an adrenal support supplement. These are all available at your local health/natural food store. I buy mine at Whole Foods on Tuesdays for the 10% off. 
• Alternating adrenal support vitamins: The adrenal support supplements I found best were Holy Basil and Licorice Root. My doctor originally recommended Ashwaghanda, but I didn't notice a significant improvement until I started taking the Holy Basil. He also told me that these supplements are adaptogens, which means your body gets used to them and they aren't as effective if you don't alternate. What I did was take Holy Basil for 35 days and Licorice Root for five days. That was what worked the best. I also took PharmaGABA, a natural supplement that produce alpha brain waves (the same ones your brain produces when it's relaxes, yet alert). The PharmaGABA was something I'd take when I knew I was going to be under stress, or when I was starting to feel stressed.
• Rest. Getting to bed as early as possible and sleeping in as late as possible was, and still is, my quest. That has been really difficult, since I live with four lively girls (two of which are teenagers and don't really honor the whole "bedtime" rule very often).
• Meditation and prayer. This helped me stay calm and patient, but most of all it helped me stay the course. I'm always happier when I talk to God and clear my head on a regular basis.
• Extra help. Asking people to help out a bit more was also tough, but it took the stress off. That's what I needed — less stress.
• Saying "no" more. When there are activities, parties, meet-ups, conferences and all sorts of volunteer opportunities, I was always the first to say I'd participate. That had to end. It felt like I was missing out at first, but I soon realized my life was a lot more manageable and simple when I eliminated all the extras. I have been able to focus more on my family, too. 

I can finally say that I've kicked adrenal fatigue and I'm feeling better than ever. I'm even signed up to do a short women's triathlon next month. Getting back in the game is making me crazy excited. This time, I'm listening to my body, though. I'll be focusing more eating right, sleeping more and enjoying my good health. 

The Longest Run Ever

I went for a trail run the other day. Lately I've only run two miles around my neighborhood, but I decided to kick it up a notch and run along the trail and road at City Creek for three miles. I was feeling pretty good about myself doing the first part of the loop on the trail and the second part on the road. Trotting along next to the sound of rushing water, chirping birds and the quiet of the mountains is better than any iTunes playlist. Plus, it's very peaceful in the morning. I was so relaxed, I even paused to take a photo of these lovely flowers.

About 100 yards from my car, I reached down and realized my key wasn't in my pocket!

All sorts of things ran through my head. Why didn't I hear it if it fell out? Did the ten almonds I had in my pocket cause the key to slip out? Could it have fallen out while I took the picture? Was I so oblivious I didn't notice that large key thing no longer attached to my hip? I called Carl. He told me to look by the car. I did. It wasn't there. I started to panic a little. I felt the sinking feeling of being stranded.

Reluctantly, I called the dealership. To replace the specialized Audi key I would need to pay $200. What?! 

I spent the next three hours going back over my path, talking to people, praying like crazy, crying a bit, feeling sorry for myself, texting Carl to get all the girls to pray and searching desperately for my key. I ran and walked that three mile route two more times (9 miles!). I talked to one of the guys who works in the canyon and water shed area, gave him my phone number and told him about the $200 charge he'd save me if he and his guys found the key.

I was feeling floppy and despondent about two miles into my third journey around that loop. My phone only had 10% battery power left. Thirsty, hungry and filled with shame for losing the pricey key, I started to cry.

Then, my phone rang.

The cheery lady on the line was from the water shed. They found my key! Actually, a trail runner found it about a foot off the path and turned it into one of the workers. I nearly sprinted that last mile to get to the gate at the bottom of the canyon where the guy I originally talked to had my key. When I saw him, I practically threw myself at his feet and kissed them. I didn't though. I said a prayer of thanks and took this picture.

Whether you believe in prayer or not, I know that answers come. Maybe not as quickly as we'd like, but they do come. God understands where we are and what we need. I needed to find that key. He helped me; I know He did. He also helped me run and not be weary and walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Getting Back Into Running Shape

Battling a head and chest cold for the last two weeks hasn't helped my training. In fact, it felt like I had fallen off the wagon until recently. This morning I did a 30 minute run. I made the daunting realization I have a ways to go before I'm in tri shape.

My coach said that I'd be surprised by how much I'll improve if I work on my weakest event the most. I'm shooting for better times on my run portion of my triathlons, so I've been working mostly on my running through the winter.  I'm excited (and working towards) for a four to seven minute overall improvement.  That would be a nice surprise (and get me on the podium, too).

If you've been out of the loop in your running for more than a month, start slow. Here's how I've done it the first week:

1. Day 1: Run for 10-15 minutes, keeping good form (leaning from the hips, keeping arms consistently bent at a 90 degree angle, or less, by your sides, pushing both your elbows and heels back). Speed walk one minute and run one minute after the initial push for another 15 minutes. Cool down by speed walking and gradually slowing down. Stretch.
2. Day 2: This should be at least a day or two after your first run/walk. Run for 15-20 minutes with good form. Speed walk one minute and run one minute after the initial push for another 10 minutes. Cool down by speed walking and gradually slowing down. Stretch.
3. Day 3: This should be at least a day or two after your second run/walk.  Run for 15-20 minutes with good form. Speed walk one minute and run one minute after the initial push for another 10 minutes. Cool down by speed walking and gradually slowing down. Stretch.

I try this on a course where I know the distance. A outdoor track would be good, or use MapMyRun, so you know your distance. If you have a fancy GPS/watch combo (I'd love the Forerunner 310XT from Garmin because it can be used in the water and on your bike), you can track your distance and pace for work on later. I find it very beneficial to write down how fast you're able to run your route, so you can work on improving that time.

In between days, I do a yoga. It's the perfect complement to running because it stretches all those muscles you use during running. It also helps you with concentration through discomfort...which is a big part of why running is tough. You'll see fewer injuries if you can work in yoga into the mix of your training. 

Extra Running Tips:

• I like running without anything plugged into my ears. The sound of my feet hitting the ground, my breathing and nature or my neighborhood helps me get into a meditative zone that makes running more bearable.
• While running, I talk to myself — in my head. If a muscle gets cranky, or my knee/shin/hip starts to complain a little, I'll tell that knee/shin/hip that it's doing a great job and working hard and how much I appreciate it. I got that idea from an old running partner who was a Scientologist. It always works for me.

May Cause Extended Discomfort

I love my bike. My sister Amy gave her to me almost two years ago. I named her Louise. She's yellow and black like a hornet and flies like one, too.

Since we've been together,  Louise and I have been through a 54-miler (Little Red Riding Hood ride — in 2009, when I was 4 months preggo with Jane), two sprint tri's last year (I did XTERRA, my third tri of the season, on my brother-in-law's mountain bike. I think Louise was jealous.), and a 42-miler two weekends ago (Goldilocks  ride). I'm pretty sure we've done more than 200 hundred miles over the past two years. But, I can't imagine doing a century with her all in one, er, sitting. At that point, I don't think Louise and I would be on speaking terms.

Before the Goldilocks ride began. We're smiling because our butts are not yet sore. (from left to right): Emily Hill, me, Camille Langston, Sari Olschewski

I was reminded of how much my lady parts don't like being glued to Louise's teeny little bike seat for more than 40 miles at once after I recovered from the Goldilocks ride. I know of women who can last for longer than that, though, and I'm in awe of them. How do they do 80-mile and 100-mile rides? Do they wear three to four pairs of bike shorts? I haven't notice excessive padding on these women. In fact, most of them are stick thin, which means they have bony butts. Ouch.

I would sob if I had to do more than 28 miles without a much needed, drawn out crotch break (which is what I've decided to call the rest stops on these long rides). So, what gives? If you've done more than a 50 mile ride at once, let me know the secret. If it involves getting a different bike, I won't tell Louise.

Fountain of Youth — Swimming

I fell in love with swimming from the moment I learned. I can still remember standing on the diving board at the community pool with my dad treading water in the deep end, waiting for me to jump to him. The color of the water was the same color as the sky during a full moon. Deep blue. That was a bit scary, but I recall wishing I was able to swim without my dad having to catch me.

My family moved to Maine the summer when I was seven. We didn't have a community pool. We had the river, nearby ponds and lakes, and, of course, the ocean. My love for swimming grew by leaps and bounds from that point forward. We swam as frequently as we possibly could in the summer. Sometimes my siblings and I would stay at the river from mid-morning until dinner time (when we were famished and sun toasted.) We'd swim down river and then swim back up, against the current. We had a zip line and rope that overhung the river and we'd play on them for hours.

I never grew tired of swimming. Ever. 

Since my summers in Maine, going to college, getting married and having kids, I've taught myself how to swim laps and even started attending masters swim classes. I've enjoyed competing in triathlons and strongly considered trying out swim race this coming summer. I love it so much, I get giddy just thinking of jumping in the water. I'm like a kid all over again.

I recently found this video of a 90-year-old woman named Betty Kendall, she still competes in swim races. And wins! She's young and swimming has helped her stay that way.

I want to be swimming into my old age. I don't care that my body will be saggy and wrinkly. I love swimming that much — I won't care what my body looks like in a swimsuit.

Is there something  you love to do that you'll still be doing when you're old and wrinkly — something that will keep you young?

Trying Something New: My First Obstacle Race

This last Saturday, my younger sister, Michelle, and I headed up to the mountains for the Vigor 5K, an obstacle race through the snow. I didn't know what to expect, so I trained by running, bouldering, weight lifting, and doing yoga.

What I didn't anticipate was how running through five to six inches of snow was going to be like running through deep, dry sand. Struggling through and over snow drifts was a battle. Every time you thought you knew what you were doing on the snow, you would hit a pocket of deeper stuff and your leg would sink down.

The beginning of a race is always filled with adrenaline-charged participants. This time was no different, except there was a huge snow bank to clamber over at the starting line. There were so many people, it was mayhem. Then, less than 100 yards away from the snow bank, another obstacle loomed: a seven-foot high log and chain ladder. There was a bottle neck at that point because only two or three people could climb the obstacle at once. We waited impatiently for those in front of us. Jumping up and down, jogging in place. In hind sight, I would have zipped over that first obstacle faster had I known I'd have to wait for the second one.

After those first two obstacles, the real challenge of running in the snow slowed a lot of people down. I kept trudging along. I wasn't about to walk. The next twelve obstacles involved climbing walls, shimmying through a web of ropes, spinning down a slope on a disc sled, crawling through a tunnel, and challenging more than endurance. This race seemed longer than a 5K, but much more fun than a basic running race. I was hooked.

Crossing the finish line, I saw my friend, Rachel. She placed second in our age group (Women 35-39) and I placed third. Out of 87 women, I was 14th. My sister, Michelle, placed second in her age group and 13th overall for women. Rachel smoked us both and came in 12th. Way to go, Rach!

Muscles that I didn't expect to be sore are sore and that's always a good feeling. I'll definitely do this race again next year. Thanks Global Endurance!

8 Things Losing Taught Me

I'm a loser. I played right wing for a perpetually losing girls' field hockey team in junior high and high school. We were the Eagles, but we might as well have been the Beagles because we dogged it every game. We never won. We tied a few times. My entire field hockey career was filled with one failure after the next.

I don't remember the final scores for those games (except that we had fewer points, if any, than the other team). Losing felt bad then, but it taught me a lot about myself, life, and work.

1. If you're prepared, you still might bomb. 
2. Embarrassment isn't forever. 
3. Laughter goes a long way to make you feel better.
4. Yelling at your teammates won't improve their skills or your relationship.
5. If you miss a shot, there's always another try and another and another.
6. Working hard and sweating a lot makes you feel great about yourself even if you don't win.
7. Playing outside does wonders for your mood.
8. True friends still like you even after you lose.

Winter (Outdoor) Running Made Easy

Here in Utah, it's chilly for about half the year. That makes continued training for triathlons kind of sketchy. I'm too much of a wuss to ride my bike in the snow and ice. Low temperatures and disgusting inversion smog make running outdoors somewhat daunting, too.

My coach Wes Johnson told me if I train through the winter, I'd be surprised how much time I'd take off when the triathlon season comes around again. He also told me to work on my weakest event during the winter. My weakest event is running. As much as I struggle with loving to run, I struggle even more when it involves a treadmill. The best part of running is moving through a neighborhood or on a quiet mountain path. Treadmill running doesn't lead you anywhere but on a sweaty, pounding monotonous journey to the check mark on your to-do list.

Here are two things I've found to make running outdoors in winter a bit easier:

PodRunner

This is a free download from iTunes that makes you run faster and maintain a consistent cadence. Each mix has about two minutes of the creator, Steve Boyett, talking about the mix —how fast it is (bpm) and why he chose it, but once you get past that, you'll be running at a good clip for up to an hour. I usually cut out at about 30-40 minutes because I'm typically strapped for time. Some mixes are better than others, so you kind of have to experiment. On the site you'll find  both great interval training podcasts and steady state podcasts.  Overall, it's a great way to train if you run by yourself. Make sure you pay attention and don't turn it up too load if you're running on city streets.

Cuddl Duds

Although the company touts these leggings and long sleeve shirts as a great base layer, I like them for running. If it's not too cold, you can wear them alone. The shirts have thumb holes which help to keep your hands toasty whether you wear gloves or not. Plus, the neck is cut higher than most running shirts, so your neck stays warm, too. The leggings are soft, breathable and uber-comfy.

Shirts and Legging: $28

Where to buy: Available at JC Penney, Kohl’s or online at www.cuddlduds.com


Disclaimer: Cuddl Duds has not paid me to endorse their product.


Other things that help? A goal to work towards. On my vision board, I have the words, "take 15 minutes off final time" for my sprint triathlons this season. The only way I'll be able to do that is by working on getting better and faster at running. I've got to learn how to work around the snow/smog/rain to get better.