The inmates, er, I mean cats, are taking over the asylum!

My DH ordered me a Road ID for Christmas, which I had been wanting. It just makes sense, in case I ever need emergency assistance when I'm running without a partner (or running with someone who might not know all of my personal particulars). Anyway, that's not the point of today's story.

I had place the Road ID on the kitchen table so that I could take it downstairs to the garage where I keep the rest of my outdoor running gear (gloves, hat, iPod armband, etc.) whenever I happened to be headed in that general direction. I do this with a lot of stuff... groceries to go in the food pantry, items going to Goodwill, rags that have been laundered and folded and now need to be put away... you get the idea.

Anyway, I was headed down to the treadmill (also in the garage) to do this morning's workout (why I chose to do 8 miles on the treadmill this morning is a whole other story that I won't get into right now... maybe someday). I went to grab my Road ID off the table and low & behold... it's not there! Well, having four cats in the house, one of which I swear thinks he's part squirrel, it's not hard to figure out what probably happened to it. The bigger issue is finding the stupid thing once the inmate (aka cats) had run off with it.

 It's not the first time that they have run off with something. I have dropped socks on the floor on the way to the laundry room, only to have them disappear and then re-appear in a different part of the house several days later. We are missing about half a dozen little stuffed animal cat toys which are too big to fit under the stove or fridge and for which I have checked under the couches and the bed. Anyway, you can see how my mind might start to race and panic would set in when something that is as vital as my Road ID comes up missing. I started looking around for it and of course it wasn't to be found actually near the kitchen table, like the cats had just batted it off and then left it alone. No, that would be too easy for my cats! I start thinking about having to tell my DH when he gets home from work how we're going to have to order me a new ID, even though I've had this one for less than two weeks, how the squirrels (aka cats) have once again run off with and stashed another one of their conquests. This is getting old.

Okay, time to pull it together and start looking a little more intensely for the ID. I guess, I should mention here that my Road ID is pink and many of their other toys, just though mere coincidence, also happen to be pink, so I'm sure it was no huge stretch for them to assume this was just another toy to add to their collection. You will be happy to know that I did finally find it... it had been carried downstairs and stashed between a stereo speaker and the wall. Fortunately, the color helped it to jump out at me against the cherry wood color of the floor...

Well, the Road ID finally made it down to be place securely (aka a place the cats can't get to) with my other running gear... and I have learned my lesson.... all items placed on the kitchen table should either be a) heavily monitored or b) willing to be surrendered to the inmates that seem to run this place.

Yesterday's Run
Miles: 8.04 (new personal distance record)
Time: 1:41
Pace: 4.8 mph
Treadmill Workout

Yea for Boudreax's!!!

While I was writing about body parts chaffing the other day, I started thinking about my secret weapon in the war against the rashes that develop when you forget to put on your Lycra-infused exercise clothing or don’t bother with the petroleum jelly or Glide stick for those ‘sensitive’ areas.

Okay, I confess, this really isn’t my own personal secret, but it is the recommendation of my running buddy/sister-in-law, Heather, who has been doing this longer than I have.

The answer - as embarrassing or just plain strange as it might seem on the surface – diaper rash cream. More specifically, Boudreax’s Butt Paste. Now, this is a diaper rash cream I had never heard of before (it’s certainly not one of the more widely known varieties and, given that I don’t have any kids, my opportunities for experimenting with diaper rash remedies has been limited) but it is a wonder treatment for all kinds of rashes, but the ones experiences most often by runners are heat rashes from places rubbing together that were never meant to rub together… especially for those of us who don’t weigh in at ninety-five pounds. 

I’m not sure what the magical ingredients are in Boudreax’s that make it so wonderful… it’s basically zinc and balsam… so maybe it’s the ratio of the ingredients… or maybe it’s some kind of magical fairy dust… I really don’t care. I just know that this stuff works. If I get heat rash, I put a dab of Boudreax’s on my rash right after my morning shower and usually by that evening the rash is either dissipated or at the very least, significantly reduced. And the bonus (like you really need one when it comes to reliably getting rid of heat rash)… it even smells kind of… nice. Now, I’m not saying that I’d go voting it in as the next scent for an aerosol air freshener, but it’s certainly not offensive and even better, people won’t go around sniffing you and thinking you smell like a baby with diaper rash!

Okay, now that I’ve shared my secret and given my unsolicited plug for the day, you can all go back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Today's Run
Miles: 6.22
Time: 1:15
Pace: 4.9 mph
Part Street/Part Treadmill

My very first sports-related (kind of) injury

I haven't this little piece of info to everyone yet... I'm running with a torn labrum... fortunately, it's not the hip labrum, like my sis-in-law is suffering under... so sorry to hear you can't do the 17 miler, Heather!

In a nutshell, the labrum is a piece of cartilage that is formed like a cup and helps to hold the head of the upper arm bone (humerus) in place. It's tissue that is not very well vascularized (not a lot of blood vessels), therefore healing can be a very slow (aka frustrating) process.

Anyway, I fell during a race on Thanksgiving day, landed with an outstretched right arm (naturally, since I'm right handed) and apparently, landed with enough force that it jammed the ball of the humerus into the shoulder socket and caused a tear. Ow!

Because the pain was not going away after well over a week, I scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon who immediately sent me in for an MRI to see exactly what was going on. The orthopedic surgeon has diagnosed me with a torn labrum and some bursitis. He then sent me to physical therapy to see how much healing could take place before he/we will consider more invasive options, i.e. surgery.

Yesterday was my fourth physical therapy session and I must confess, I'm trying to do my exercises regularly, but I'm just not feeling like there's really much improvement in the condition. There's a sharp pain deep in the shoulder that seems to get worse when I reach behind my back or across my body. It's been almost two months since my injury occurred and it's starting to worry me a bit that things just don't seem to be healing. I'll try to keep everyone apprised of my progress.

In the meantime, fortunately, there are a few bright spots in this whole adventure:

1. I had my first MRI... most people are probably thinking "this woman is crazy!" But, seriously, I'm not really claustrophobic, and they braced my shoulder with lots of big pieces of foam. It might be the best my shoulder has felt since the accident! Plus, the tunnel of the MRI was nice and warm and cozy. I was just about on the verge of sleep while in there. It was pretty relaxing for me. (OK, a side note here - my dad, as a medical physicist, used to do installations and calibrations on MRI's... so I kind of knew what to expect... it's not a medical machine that was outside of my realm of experiences even though I'd never actually had one myself.)
2. My friends, family, and even my health care providers have been incredibly supportive of me and have encouraged my continued running. My orthodpedic surgeon was even a little surprised, but very pleased when I told him that I was still running despite it causing a bit of discomfort in my shoulder (that was initially, the pain has subsided enough from the initial inflammation stage that it really doesn't bother my shoulder to run any longer... at least not too much!)
3. Physical therapy has been a good experience for me. My therapist is a pretty cool guy who also happens to run, so we can talk about different races that we've each run. He is great about taking all of my issues and concerns seriously and doesn't make me feel like my injury is a little insignificant thing (which, let's be honest, in the grand scheme of all things that could have possibly happened to me, really this is pretty minor). Finally, he has a cool collection of funky Hawaiian shirts... it's always a surprise to see what he'll be wearing each time I go in for therapy.

Of course, all of this is not to make light of my situation, but I really do try to make a concerted effort to adopt a glass half-full mentality. This kind of thinking doesn't necessarily come naturally to me, but in the long run, I think it's much more productive and mentally healthy for me. And after all, health, not just physical, but also mental health is the reason I started running (and keep running) in the first place.



Yesterday's Run
Miles: 7.31 (new personal distance record)
Time: 1:30
Pace: 4.9 mph
Treadmill Workout

Yep, I am a fair weather runner...

Okay, if you read the title of this entry, you might be wondering how I could let you down... after all I've set myself up as this gal who runs and perseveres despite a few obstacles thrown in my path. Well, Chubby Runner fans, never fear, I won't lead you astray now. Rest assured, the title isn't really what you might be imagining. Let me clarify - see, it's not that I don't run when it's cold or raining (or hot or snowing or whatever), it's just that, well, when the weather outside isn't peachy-keen, I'll usually stay inside and opt to do my run on the treadmill... After all, I'm the proud owner of a treadmill, so why not use it, right?

In the fairy-tale land that is the daily goo of my brain this is all well and good, I can just treadmill away blissfully ignorant of Mother Nature. But, alas, in the cruel, cruel world of 5K's, 10K's, half & whole marathons, you are not given the option of running them on treadmills (granted, running 13 or worse, 26 miles on a treadmill might be a whole new form of torture unto itself, but you get my drift), so for this reason AND because my ever-so-persistent sister-in-law, Heather, convinced me to join her on a run (and since we both can't fit on the treadmill) I ended up hitting the pavement in today's less than perfect conditions.

We headed over to the trail this morning to get in our miles. The trail we like to run is marked and paved and it also parallels a creek. During nice weather the running water is very enjoyable to run alongside - the brook babbles along, you run in and out of the shade of the trees that line the path, there's a couple of cute wooden footbridges to cross, the birds fly, the bunnies scamper along, there's even an absolutely gorgeous view of Mt. Hood from the trail... pretty idyllic, huh? 

Only the addition of Snow White and seven little chubby guys with white beards and funny hats are required to meet my expectations for the perfect running environment. Anyway, you get the picture...

Well, let me tell you, today was not that kind of day! Today it rained almost the entire time we were out and the trail was thoroughly water-logged. It has been raining for days around here which has forced all of the creeks and rivers up out of their banks. The creek that parallels the running path is no exception - this normally mild little river is currently completely up out of its banks... so far so that in many places you can't even tell where the creek banks are supposed to be. This is great for the ducks... and for a dog who we saw swimming in a lake where there should have been a river... but it's not so great for the running trail, which according to my SIL was partially flooded over the weekend. Fortunately, today the water had receded enough that the trail wasn't completely flooded, but what was left was many deep puddles along with lots of mud and water-clogged fields along the way.

Yes, there really is supposed to be an actual creek with actual banks where this dog is swimming!

For our run, we managed to go the entire length of the trail and back... just a smidge over 6 miles... so we at least met our mileage goal for the day. But when we were finished out feet were water and mud soaked, we were wet clear through to the skin and I felt like I was running while carrying about an extra 10 pounds of weight due to all the water-logged clothes and completely drenched hair. Still, even with all my complaining, we actually had a really good time today... and I might even be tempted to do it again... after all, I do have to train for those runs that aren't run on treadmills...

It's hard to see, but there are ducks swimming among these tree seedlings... NO there's not supposed to be water here!

Heather took some of pictures of us out on the trail. We got to see ducks swimming in a spot where there is no creek (at least not usually), I was my SIL's hero of the day and shooed a snake off the trail for her (it was just a little 2' ribbon snake - even I'M not brave enough to confront something too much bigger), and we saw lots of dogs out with their humans thoroughly enjoying the wet and mud... and on top of all of that, I feel personally pretty accomplished for having completed my daily run without stepping foot on my treadmill, despite the less than perfect weather... Yea Heather and Yea Me!!!

Me coaxing the snake off the trail... you can see the trail wasn't completely flood-free!

Today's Run
Miles: 6+ little bit
Time: 1:16
Pace: 4.8 mph
Paved Trail Run

More Thoughts on Green Smoothies

Well, I realized that I hadn't covered everything I wanted to about Green Smoothies in the last post. So, here are a few more little snippets of information that I have gained from both reading and personal experience.

Even though fresh fruits and veggies are always preferable, this time of year sometimes the produce (especially the berries) are either scarce or scary… take your pick. I really don’t care for pale strawberries and finding things like blueberries or raspberries this time of year can sometimes be difficult. When this happens it is okay to use frozen fruit… it is second best to fresh with canned being a distant, distant third option (and then ONLY when the fruit is canned in water NOT syrup!) Still, with a little planning you should be able to stay away from canned fruits. Grocery stores usually have all the different kinds of berries in their freezer case. Unfortunately, they can be a little expensive. What I have found works best this time of year is to load up on frozen berries at Costco. They have huge bags of strawberries as well as mixed berries. They also have the smoothie blend of fruits and yogurt, but I prefer to add my own this way I control how much yogurt I add and the ratio of the different fruits.

Organic produce is preferable whenever possible. Although the jury is officially still out on this, many studies have been done that suggest that organic produce is significantly higher in the nutrients we are trying to get from our fruits and veggies (and that is, after all, part of the reason we’re doing this, isn’t it – to get all of our vitamins and nutrients in a more natural and tasty way?). Some research out there suggests that organic produce can have as much as 1000% (yes one thousand%) more of some nutrients than its non-organic counterpart. While I might balk at the suggestion of 1000% more, I would tend to believe that the organic produce has to have more nutrients by the fact that the soil hasn’t been stripped of all the nutrients that will eventually make their way into the plants.

Mix up your greens… don’t put the exact same greens in your smoothies day after day after day. The greens have trace amounts of toxins in them (think of how houseplants can be poisonous to your pets) that will build up over time if you just keep using the same green all the time. There are enough options out there that it shouldn’t be too hard to mix them up… and you can mix them up even within a family of greens… for instance, there are several varieties of kale… which can all count as different greens.

Experiment with your greens, it really depends on your personal preferences! One of our friends who introduced us to green smoothies just loves dandelion or arugula in her smoothies. For me, both of these greens are way too bitter. Similarly, I love collards in my smoothies, whereas my sister-in-law doesn’t care for them in her smoothies at all. It’s really a very personal thing.

As I mentioned, ground flax seed is an easy add to your smoothie for Omega-3… just know that when your smoothie sits overnight (as mine usually does), it will thicken significantly due to the addition of the flax. There is something about flax seed that acts as a binding/thickening agent. As far as I know, there’s nothing wrong with this and it is definitely okay to add more water to your smoothie to loosen it up… I just think of it as one more way to meet your daily water intake requirements! :)

Just the other day I put some dried cranberries in our smoothie to see what they would be like… I really liked the addition, but keep in mind that any dried fruits are going to have a much higher concentration of sugars. This is not a good choice for those of you trying to control their sugar/carb intake.

I really like pineapple in smoothies, but I really hate cleaning fresh pineapples. I have found a couple of ways around this little stumbling block. The first is to go to the cut fruit section of the grocery store’s produce department. They will usually have fresh cut pineapple there. The other  thing I stumbled across is bags frozen pineapple at Trader Joe’s… this might be even more convenient than the produce section because I don’t have to worry about using it all up before it gets yucky looking in the fridge.

Also, I have come across fresh, sliced mango at Costco. This is a nice way to purchase mango, ‘cause they can be a bit of a pain to slice up due to the giant pit in them… I might be revealing something about my cooking skills here (or lack thereof), but whenever I try to slice fresh mango myself, I usually end up mutilating it… fortunately, this is fine for the purposes of smoothie, I just prefer to not deal with the skin & pit when possible, if that makes me seem lazy... well... what can I say?

If you have a high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, you probably already know that you can throw apples in core and all. However, from some painful experimentation of our part, I can recommend you NOT put orange peels in your smoothie (although a little orange can be a tasty addition) or any of the thicker fruit peels (banana, mango, grapefruit). Also, seeds are okay (think apples or oranges), but pits are not (cherries, peaches, mangoes)… again, those of you with high-speed blenders probably already know this… and I was just a little slow on the up-take. As for slower, more traditional blenders, yes you can use them, but I’m not sure if the results will be quite as smooth as with a high-speed blender. To be honest, we’ve had our Vita-mix since before we started this process, so I’ve never tried it in a traditional kitchen blender… maybe someone else can chime in here…

Also, if you’ve never done this before, don’t get too worked up over exact proportions or which fruits and greens to use. As I said, a lot of it is a personal preference and you’ll just learn over time what works for you and your family. Also, like anything you prepare for the first few times, there is a learning curve. My first few smoothies took me about 20 minutes to put together and left a mess all over everything in the kitchen (I even forgot to put the lid back on my blender a couple of times and ended up with smoothie on the ceiling… Yikes!). Now, it takes me about 5 minutes to put one together and I end up with almost zero mess aside from the equipment needed to actually make the smoothie. Give it a little time and you will get into the rhythm of making them.

Consistency will yield the best returns… Like anything that involves your health, a consistent, steady approach is what will give you the most noticeable results. Yes, you will benefit from green smoothies, even if you only partake of them from time to time, but I think that my DH and I are feeling significantly better by drinking green smoothie each day… and I have used the smoothies as part of my own weight loss plan… to the tune of now over 60 lbs!

Once again, happy smoothie-ing to you all. Let me know how it goes.

Yesterday's Run
Miles: 6.17
Time: 1:15
Pace: 4.9 mph
Treadmill Workout

My Two-Fisted Drinking Habit

It occurred to me while I was wandering around the kitchen this morning that, as much as I hate to admit it, I am quite often a two-fisted drinker… Now, before you go getting all concerned and making plans for my intervention, let me clarify… in the mornings quite frequently you'll find me carrying around my mug of coffee in one hand while in the other hand I will be chugging a tall glass of green smoothie.

"Green smoothie?" You ask. Yep, smoothie that because of its mix of ingredients that, when blended together can be so visually unappealing, that if I personally didn’t know what went into one, I’d be reluctant to drink it! So, what is a green smoothie? Well, it is a fruit smoothie with a kick – these smoothies have a nice dose of dark, leafy greens in them which give them their color and also their name.

As most of us know, as Americans our diets can be woefully low on precisely those foods which are supposed to be eaten in the highest volumes – namely fruits and vegetables. It’s believed that less than one-fourth of all Americans eat the minimum five servings of fruits and veggies a day and let’s not forget this is the recommended minimum. We are actually to get up to NINE servings a day… and while the smoothies don’t completely make up for the lack of fruits and veggies in a person's diet, they can certainly go a long way toward alleviating the deficit.

My DH and I were originally introduced to green smoothies a couple of years ago by some friends of ours who had started imbibing them as a recommendation from their doctor. The wife had developed type 2 diabetes along with heart disease. She was told to lose weight and start eating healthier – with green smoothies as a means to aid them on their journey. Well, if truth be told, initially my DH was much more enthusiastic about the idea at the time than I was… have I mentioned that these drinks are visually unappealing? Our friends were toting around these big mason jars of green stuff which they were drinking at every given opportunity... Ewww! Fortunately, with a little persistence from my DH and additional information from our friends, I eventually warmed to the idea and am proud to say that we have had green smoothies as a part of our diet now for about a year and a half.

What a green smoothie consists of is essentially a 60/40 (approximate ratio) mix of fruits and leafy greens which are put in to the high speed blender (Vita-Mix or similar) until pulverized into a liquid form. This makes the greens (and fruits) easier to absorb and less harsh on your stomach than say, the greens you would eat in a salad. Sounds kind of like juicing, huh? Well, sort of, but it’s even better because with the smoothie you get all the nutritional benefits from the fruits and leafy greens while still leaving all the dietary fiber intact as well. 

Fruit smoothies are further (and better) explained in a book called Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. In her book she outlines all the benefits of green smoothies and explains why even those of us who might be eating lots of vegetables, are still probably not getting enough dark green leafy vegetables in our diets. She would even go so far as to suggest that leafy greens should be in a whole new category of vegetable since they are the plant itself, not the product of the plant (such as a tomato or peas or beans). She also has some suggestions on what you can put in your smoothies, but there really isn’t a specific recipe; it’s mostly just adhering to the 60/40 fruit/leafy greens ratio (you could use more leafy greens, but it is definitely an acquired taste) and trying to drink around one quart (32 oz) of smoothie a day.

If you want specific recipes, try typing “Green Smoothie” into Google and you’ll come up w/ a bunch of recipes. But here are a few general guidelines that we have adapted from Boutenko's book: use banana to add sweetness and creaminess and apples to add thickness. Add about a 1-2 tablespoons of ground flax seed too. You won’t taste it and it will add Omega-3 to your smoothie. Finally, with the recommendation of my DH’s doctor we have begun to add a serving of Activia yogurt to our smoothie as well for the probiotics and acidophilus present in the yogurt.

Here are some of the fruits we use in addition to bananas & apples are: 

• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Berries (all kinds)
• Grapes
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Cherries (but they're kind of a pain to pit)

We don’t tend to like melon or pears in ours, but that’s just a personal preference. The leafy greens we tend to prefer are:

• Spinach
•  Collards
• Kale (any kind)
• Chard (any kind)

Sometimes I add just a little romaine to make up some of the leafy greens if I have it to use up, but too much of it and your smoothie tastes a bit like Caesar salad! You’re not supposed to put any greens in lighter in color than romaine (i.e. No butter lettuce, leaf lettuce, iceberg, etc.). You can also add edible weeds such as dandelions… you just have to make sure that they come from a known source (aka lawn) where there have been no pesticides or herbicides added!

The smoothie on the left has strawberries & spinach in it, the smoothie on the right has mixed berries (blue, black & raspberries) and purple kale... this will give you an idea of what they can look like.

 

Generally, I make around a quart at a time w/ a recipe such as the one below, but it varies a little bit from day to day. I’ve noted which items are always in our smoothies. The rest varies according to my mood and what we have on hand.

·         1 apple (always)

·         1/2 banana (always)

·         1+ Cup Berries

·         5 - 6 Prunes (for digestion)

·         1.5  - 2 Cups Water (always)

·         2 T Ground Flax Seed (always)

·         1 Pkt Stevia (for sweetness - optional - they're usually pretty sweet w/out it)

·         1-2 cups  leafy greens

As you can see from the above list, this quart of smoothie has at least five servings of fruits and veggies in it! As far as consuming it goes, you can drink it whenever you want. Lately, for convenience (since I don’t like making smoothie as soon as I get up), I’ve been making ours up before we go to bed the night before and I just put it in the fridge... that way it's ready to go as part of breakfast in the morning. However, don’t store the smoothie for more than 3 days as the nutrients will start to break down.

I guess I should add one final caution about the smoothies. These are NOT the brightly colored cheerful looking smoothies that you will get a Jamba Juice or the like. You have to keep in mind that these smoothies have greens in them… and when you combine the greens of the vegetables with the reds of berries you will get a putrid brownish colored smoothie. I have heard people on the web complain how they can’t get past the appearance of the green smoothie… I did mention that they’re visually unappealing, didn’t I? And others have found ways to get around the unsightly nature of the smoothie by putting it in an opaque glass or even stainless water bottle. Whatever your means of getting past the ugliness of this smoothie, I can say it’s well worth the effort. These can be incredibly tasty smoothies that will contribute in a big way to your overall nutritional intake and sense of well being.

Here’s hoping to see a bunch more people taking part in my morning ritual of two-fisted drinking... happy smoothie-ing!

Today's Run
Miles: 7.02 (new personal distance record)
Time: 1:30
Pace: 4.7 mph
Treadmill Workout

Coach Scruggs

I know that most of us that run primarily for reasons of health and fitness don't usually enlist the services of coaches... even if, ideally, we'd have one to push us that extra little bit, this is a luxury most of us can't afford.

It is for this reason that I feel extremely lucky to have a personal coach who oversees many of my daily workouts. I'd like to introduce you all to Coach Scruggs...

Our cat, Scruggs is one of four cats that my DH and I have... yes, we are a little crazy... but she is the only one that has taken it upon herself to supervise most of my indoor workouts. Our treadmill is in the garage and on days that I opt to do a treadmill run or a hill-climbing routine, the other cats will come and go throughout the time that I am down there, but she is the only one who will come and perch herself on one of the tables or stools in our garage and monitor my progress. If I have to get off the treadmill for any reason during my workout (such as a potty break or to grab the towel I forgot before I started), she will start meowing at me as if to say "Get back on there! You are NOT done yet!" and remarkably, she'll usually stay perched on her stool until I come back into the garage to get back on the treadmill to finish.

It is only after I am done with my workout for the day and am still standing on the treadmill putting away my earphones or stretching or just trying to catch my breath for a minute that she will make her way over actually ON to the treadmill herself (the belt is stopped by this point) and will start talking to me again, meowing away, telling me how my overall workout was for the day, what she thought my form looked like and if I stopped and walked too many times during the course of the hour+ that it takes me to get through my routine. This is pretty funny that she has appointed herself my personal coach... and although she might not always get the results out of me that maybe she (or I) would like, it's always nice to know she's in my corner cheering me on. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of what can some days be a pretty monotonous workout.

And the best part about having a cat as a personal coach??? She's very affordable! Usually all she needs after she gives me her personal feedback for the day is a bit of scratching behind the ears. Or maybe a kitty treat or two. All in all, I'd say that's a pretty good deal for such consistent support!



Today's Run
Miles: 6.15
Time: 1:15
Pace: 4.9 mph
Treadmill Workout