Tag Archive for run

The Triathlon Rx | June 28, 2011
9 comments

Tried It Tuesday: Hammer Endurolytes Fizz

Photo Credit

It has been way too long since the last Tried It Tuesday… and not because there are a lack of products to review!! There are a a handful stacked in the “draft/to finish” pile, including my hands-down favorite ever (so far) running shoe, some compression wear, and more on the hydration. (It’s supposed to be 100° on Thursday – gotta keep those fluids going!)

But on THIS particular Tuesday, the review is in, and we’re talking about Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Fizz.

While this is not a brand new product (I think they came out ~October, 2010), they’re new to me. What took me so long to try them? Well, it just so happens that there’s a very similar product I happen to like a lot. Rhymes with the word moon, comes in flavors like kola (which others have likened to “armpit”, but I think is delicious. Bigger question – why do you know what armpit tastes like?), is linked right over there (—-> glance page upper right), and was featured in Train On Top Volume 4: Hydration. You know the saying – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – which is why I have been a little hesitant to make the jump when I have something that works so well for me already.

But then there’s that other saying - Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. – (or something like that… ;) ) so I decided to give them a shot. Below you will find my review on Hammer Nutrition’s Endurolyte Fizz tablets, as well as a comparison between the Endurolytes Fizz and Nuun’s Electrolyte Enhanced Drink Tabs.

According to the Hammer Nutrition blog, the Endurolyte Fizz tabs were one of the products to take the longest from a nice idea to a finished, fully functional hydration/electrolyte choice. Obstacles to overcome were taste, the chemical stability and breakdown, as well as combining everything into a product that gives you a bang for your buck. Regarding the economics, I’ll quote the Hammer Blog so you can see what they had to say:

Endurolytes Fizz is economical as well, with 13 effervescent tablets in each tube—not 10 to 12, like some of the others—at a cost of $6.50 per tube, or 50 cents per tablet. One of the reasons why Endurolytes Fizz costs less is that, unlike other effervescent electrolyte products, it doesn’t contain inconsequential amounts of vitamins or other nutrients, which only serve to increase the price. Instead, you get the full-spectrum electrolytic mineral support that you need, along with adequate amounts of auxiliary nutrients, just like you do with Endurolytes capsules or powder, but without the hefty price tag. Compare Endurolytes Fizz to the competition and you’ll see that you’re saving a lot of money!

Originally available in Grapefruit, Mango, and Lemon-Lime, the Endurolyte Fizz’s also now come in Peach. I’ve had the joy of trying all the different flavors, and according to my personal tastes I would rank them (from best to worst) as follows: Grapefruit > Lemon-Lime > Peach > Mango.

I will admit that I pretty much hate mangos, in any shape or form, so you may want to disregard that last ranking and just try it for yourself! I felt that all of the flavors were subtle – not overwhelming your water bottle or sickly sweet – in what I believe leads to a drink that’s crisp and refreshing, rather than something that tastes like juice. The “fizz” component of Endurolytes Fizz was also pretty mild, which I appreciated because no one likes bubbles up their nose during a 40 minute threshold interval. Each Endurolyte Fizz tablet is said to contain just 10 calories, <1g carbohydrate, a $#!&ton of Vitamin B6 and Maganese, 200mg sodium, 100mg potassium, and 50 mg magnesium. (See nutrition label at left.)

LIKES: I like the subtlety of the fizz and flavor. I like that you get a bonus tablets (13 in Hammer, vs. 12 in Nuun), and I really like the Grapefruit flavor!! I also like that this is a [practically] calorie / carb free product. As I explained in the HYDRATION issue of Train On Top, I like to be able to control the amount of extra energy I need (depending on the length/intensity of the workout) by adding my own magic to the mix. ;)

DISLIKES: There are only four flavors, and I really dislike one of them (coughmangocough). I know Hammer touts the affordability of these little tabs, but at $6.50 a tube (or 50 cents/tablet), I guess I dont’ feel that it’s worth quite that much. (You could by 34.2 bananas at Trader Joe’s for $6.50.) Nor is it any more affordable than “the other” product. That “bonus” tablet doesn’t really seem like a bonus anymore once you realize both products cost $0.50/tab, and the product with 13 tabs instead of 12 costs $0.50 more. Doh!

How about a little Nuun vs. Hammer throw down? Lets look at just the facts:

Nuun flavors: banana, fruit punch, lemon lime, tropical, kona kola, orange, citrus fruit, tri berry, grape, lemon tea, strawberry lemonade
Endurolytes flavors: lemon-lime, peach, grapefruit, mango

Nuun tablets per tube: 12
Endurolytes tablets per tube: 13

Nuun cost per tube / tablet: $6.00 / $0.50
Endurolytes cost per tube / tablet: $6.50 / $0.50

And the less objective measures….

Nuun flavor intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 7
Endurolyte flavor intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 4

Nuun fizz intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 7
Endurolyte fizz intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 4

Nuun flavor options: 11 choices. My favorites = Citrus Fruit, followed by Kona Kola. Least favorite = Tri-Berry*
Endurolytes flavor options: 4 choices. My favorite = Grapefruit. My least favorite = Mango
*I have not tried several of Nuun’s new flavors, including Lemon Tea, Grape, Raspberry Lemonade, or Tropical, so can’t give a fair opinion on those. Nor can I be held responsible if you try them and think they taste like “armpit.”

FINAL GRADE: I’d give the Hammer Endurolyte Fizz tablets a B. The three factors bringing the grade down are 1) cost, 2) limited flavor options, and 3) the Mango. Ick.

But the score that really matters (to Hammer at least) is the amount sold. After all, a business is a business and they need to make a profit. Good, solid products typically have no problem selling! It is up to YOU to decide that for yourself, so if you’re curious about these little electrolytning fizzy drink tabs, I’d suggest you give them a try!

Reader Qs:

Have you tried the Endurolyte Fizz tabs? What did you think? Which was your favorite? Do you use electrolyte products like these during your workouts or racing? Do you have a different favorite drink product I haven’t talked about yet? I’m definitely open to other reviews!

Take care amigos,
-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | June 6, 2011
15 comments

Medical Monday // Stress Reactions

What does this look like to you?

I’ll tell you what it looks like to me – a healthy, happy, solid right tibia. Which sounds about right… I had a pain-free, speedy 5K on Tuesday the 24th (May), and any tibial pain I was feeling a while ago seems to be gone. (**NOTE** That’s not my leg. The CD from my radiologist doesn’t work on a MAC?! Grrr….)

So then at my doctors appointment last Thursday the 26th, why did my doctor order no running or elliptical for three weeks?

STRESS REACTION.

While I wouldn’t wish a stress fracture on anyone, I’m sure there are quite a few of you out there reading and shaking your head with sadness because you too are familiar with this diagnosis. Stress fractures are in the top 5 most common injuries reported by runners, and have been said to account for up to half of the skeletal injuries reported by military recruits. Contributing factors to stress fractures commonly cited include: age, sex, lean body mass, low bone mineral density, low body weight, late onset of menarche, history of stress fractures, disordered eating, and low dietary calcium intake. However, conclusive evidence regarding the pathophisiology and epidemiology of stress fractures is “lacking” considering many studies are short term and use a small population sample. Nonetheless, the one common thread seems to be participation in repetitive, weight-bearing activity. (1) Oh, hey running! ;)

(Nov. 2008 – femoral neck fracture) So what exactly is a stress fracture? A tiny crack in the bone, resulting from repetitive stress or loading. Often caused by doing “too much, too soon” (coughcough 10% rule!), weakened bones (osteoporosis, osteopenia), sex (women, especially with a history of amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea), and faulty biomechanics (leg length discrepancies, heavy heal strikes, etc.). Presents with pain, swelling, tenderness in a specific spot (the “hot spot”), increases in these symptoms with activity and decreases with rest, and earlier onset of these symptoms with each successive exercise bout or workout. Typical treatment is every athlete’s most dreaded prescription – rest. And possibly crutches or the boot of doom. (2)

A stress reaction then, in short, is the precursor to all of this. You are toeing the dangerous line of developing a stress fracture, but haven’t gotten there quite yet. Which apparently, is the case with my left tibia.

Three weeks of no running was [IMO] certainly a conservative measure, but truthfully my running had become so sporadic at that point that I didn’t really care. Some days it was great, some days it hurt. The mandate of “no elliptical” was an attempt to remove any unnecessary loading on the bone and speed up the process of recovery, and the prescription to bike and swim my butt off was to any ounce of sanity left, not to mention not be disowned from my family (or fired from work) for grouchiness!

Following this three-week-reset I’m going in for a running analysis (Wednesday the 15th) and hopefully will develop a plan with my sports-med team to come back to running (and racing!) safely, and solidly. I’ve been doing all of my treatment for quite a while now at the Institute of Athletic Medicine, and I can say with 100% honesty (and zero persuasion) that I LOVE them. They are honest, direct, proactive, and do what needs to be done!

With a little insight from a couple close freinds/family, I’ve realized lately that ever since my hip surgery in December of 2008 I haven’t been quite the same person.  Aside from the cascade of injuries since that date, my “psychology has been off”. My highs aren’t as high, and my lows… well, they’re definitely more apparent. Everything I think of in my history is separated into a “then” (pre-surgery) and ”now” (post). So I finally asked my doctor lastlast Thursday,

Do you think I’ll ever go back to being a “real” runner again? Like the girl who just wakes up and runs out the door, and doesn’t think anything of it? Do you think I’ll ever be able to run another marathon?

And her response?

Yes. Absolutely. But will you be able to exclusively be a runner, and not do anything else? No.

Seeing as how I’m slightly invested in this triathlon thing, I guess I can roll with that. I’m not sure if her “yes” included being able to run marathons again or not, but for now I’ll just take things one step at a time.

(Manitou Tri – June 2010)  Regarding racing: my three-week hiatus unfortunately extends past June 12th, which is the date of the Manitou Triathlon. This is hands down one of my top three favorite Minnesota races, and “bummed” doesn’t exactly exemplify how I feel about missing it. My plan until my legs are race ready is to volunteer (and relay!!) my butt off. I’m definitely not ready to leave the Minnesota Tri community yet.

READER Qs:

Have you ever had a stress fracture, or a stress reaction? Any local readers racing Manitou?Anybody interested in a TRI RELAY!? :) What is your next race coming up? What is your favorite form of cross training when “on the mend”?

Take luck mis amigos (+1,000 if you know the reference!!!!),

-E

(1) Kelsey, J. L., Bachrach, L. K., Procter-Gray, E., Nieves, J., Greendale, G. A., Sowers, M., & … Cobb, K. L. (2007). Risk Factors for Stress Fracture among Young Female Cross-Country Runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(9), 1457-1463. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e318074e54b

(2) Mayo Clinic. (2010, December 7). Stress fractures. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-fractures/DS00556

Category: Medical Monday | Tags: , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | May 10, 2011
5 comments

BRICK season

No time for a real post… need to just finish this dang study guide for my last EVER exercise physiology exam. (Woooah there! Kidding. Masters program.)

HOWEVER, I felt the need to update quickly and say…

IT’S BRICK SEASON.

(Yes. I really did go outside and pull a brick out of our patio border just for the purpose of taking this photo. I think there’s a small animal in that 4th hole.)

((TWSS.))

(((So. Sorry. Had to.)))

Don’t know what a “BRICK” is (outside of the patio paving variety)? Handy. Here you go. This was by no means my first brick of the season. But it was definitely the first one that left me feeling somewhat like I could race again this year. Maybe. ;) Here are the breakdowns:

Bike 20.4 miles – 1:02:13 (3:02/mile or 19.67 mph)
Run 5K –  0:21:24 (6:54/mile or 8.69 mph)

Given that this 20 mile loop is within the box of the city (read: has some slow traffic spots, like going under the bridge from Calhoun to Isles behind someone with a dog in their bike basket…) I will totally take a 19.67 mph average. The run? Not super impressive. But again, considering that quite recently I thought running and I had broken up for good, anything sub 7, even if it’s just barely, is enough to put a smile on my face. See it? :D

And because today is a Tuesday, meaning this should technically be a Tried It Tuesday, I have a review for you. On the Asics Sky Speeds.

(Only it will have to wait until this final is DONE… hahah I had to include the link somehow!)

I will in short say that I like ‘em. A lot. More than the Brooks Green Silence and more than the Asics DS Trainer. Could the Sky Speed really be “the one”?? Will have to wait for a conclusive answer on that one until the end of the racing season…

READER Qs:

For my triathletes, what’s your favorite brick workout? I know it breaks the order, but there is a certain swim/run wko that I LOVE and will be returning to the second my lake warms up enough to swim in! On the Tried It Tuesday note, are there any products anyone is curious about or would like to see reviewed here at DTR? Or any product category (rehab, compression, shoes, nutrition – you name it) in particular?

And finally, one word of advice:

Sweat in the eyes. It happens frequently, and aside from wearing a 80s-esque headband, all I can say is roll with it. Let your tear production kick in and rinse it out. Do not try to rub sweat out of your eye. It will most certainly fail. And if you are wearing contacts, you may fail as well by rubbing your lens out with still 3/4 mile to go. Just. Don’t. Do. It.

That is all!

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | March 18, 2011
8 comments

San Juan // vacation + 70.3 preview

While there is something very special about having a “home base” to come home to after time away… I’ll tell you – I have never wanted to not leave a country as much as I didn’t want to leave San Juan. Mom, I know it will pain you to read that – I’m sorry. Minneapolis will always have a special place in my heart. But the people, the culture, the LACK OF  stress (and that’s not because I was on vacation – I was working on research every single night!), the pace of life, ok ok ok – the WEATHER, everything in Puerto Rico – I love it there!! And there happen to be three accredited medical schools in Puerto Rico… just sayin’ :D

(p.s. If I have any readers who live IN Puerto Rico or anyone who as attended one of those schools – Universidad Central del Caribe, UPR, or Ponce – please please please contact me!! I would love to talk with you about it!)

SO. First of all we have a brief (mmm, maybe) rundown of the trip, with commentary kept to a minimum. Truthfully I had a very athletic week while there, and knowing that 99.9% of my readers are athletes, I hope my “review” may help you in preparing for a trip to PR or in narrowing down your vacation options. Secondly, the Ironman San Juan 70.3 is TOMORROW (Sunday – 3/19), and my hotel – the Caribe Hilton – happened to be the host hotel for the race! So for anyone considering the San Juan 70.3, I have a little “course preview” and race info for you as well. AND lastly because it’s Friday, you get one confession. ¡Vamos!

From Minneapolis it’s about a 5 hour direct flight to San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport… which is the “big one” that you would likely fly into. Even though San Juan (the capital) is on the northeast side of the island, the sweet thing about Puerto Rico is that the entire place is just about 3x the size of Rhode Island. MEANING you can rent a car and be to any of the other coasts in about 2 hours max. Which I did when I went to el Yunque National Forest (see photos below)!

In terms of things that travelers/tourists may want to know:

  • I can’t speak for all of PR because I was staying in San Juan, but IMO it was VERY safe. I ran alone, I ran with random locals, I ran with other travelers, I took off exploring on my own. Sin problemas. Granted, I don’t do dumb $#!& to put myself in dangerous situations… but nonetheless, I felt safe the whole time.
  • You don’t need to speak Spanish… at least in San Juan. Just about everyone can speak English at a functional level where you can order food/get directions/get a taxi, etc.
  • That being said, if you do speak Spanish (or are learning?) … GO FOR IT! Aside from talking to the people I was traveling with, I spoke Spanish the entire time. Even if you are just learning, don’t be shy! Being immersed in it a foreign country is hands down the best way to learn a language.
  • Typical Puerto Rican food has a lot of rice and beans and plantains. But if that’s not your thing there are plenty of options. (siiigh) They too have Micky D’s, KFC, etc.
  • There is a lot to do! National rainforest, beaches, parks, old forts, restaurants, the bioluminescent bays, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking… there is really no reason to be bored.

(On the way to the rainforest and it definitely looks like it’s going to be wet!)

(so much green!! // repping Ragnar in the rainforest (note the footwear!!) // whoever lives there has a pretty sweet view)

(I found some gallinas in the rainforest… wanted to bring them home for my friend Willie but thought customs might pose a problem.)

And now para mis atleteas – what can you do to keep up your training in Puerto Rico? You’ve got options! I guess my only disclaimer would be that if you’re on vacation, don’t let stress about getting your training in ruin your time. Know that you might not get in your “usual” volume… know that you might be enjoying some, um, late nights out in Condado. The point is you can still keep up your fitness on vacation without sacrificing the fun! This info is also for any prospective Ironman San Juan 70.3ers – information on pre-race course access and what’s available in San Juan!

  • SWIMMING: Is definitely doable. Lots of the hotels have pools… I was thinking mine had a lap pool but found out I was WRONG when I got there. I got some good ocean swimming in though… aside from the part about my Timex Ironman Racer flooding with water and dying the second I hit salt water. (Not kidding… I wanted to cry. [No - that's my Friday confession] I use that watch for EVERYTHING!! NTM I don’t really have $200 to drop on a new HR monitor/watch.)
  • SWIMMING IMSJ 70.3: If you get to Puerto Rico and you see the wind and the waves and your thinking oh hecccck no… don’t worry. The swim is protected in Condado Bay, and goes from there for 1.2 miles over to DIRECTLY outside of my hotel lobby. The exit swim exit is up this ramp… which when I took this photo (below) looked kinda iffy. They guys building it said they were going to put something over the wood to make it a) non slippery, and b) not splintery. I would recommend NOT standing up anywhere along the swim, even though at times it is like 3 feet deep, because there are rocks and you could easily cut yourself. The water is very nice and you should NOT need a wet suit at all. It’d just add time to your T1. Also be prepared for a good distance jog from the water-exit to the transition.
  • BIKING: I didn’t ride at all while I was out here, but my dad rode with me for one of my runs!! (We’ve been doing this for a long time together (see PHILLY 2009) … it’s kind of “our thing”. I miss you dad!) My hotel had bikes to rent for $15/hour or $25/day. I was expecting them to be huge slow beach cruisers, but we were pleasantly surprised to see some nice Treks!
  • BIKING IMSJ 70.3: If you want to ride the course pre-race, please BE CAREFUL. The first 5-10 miles of the bike course are in an area with HEAVY TRAFFIC. There is a reason they’re closing the road for the race!! The bike portion starts out going south out of San Juan, and then rides west along the coast. At about mile 12.5 you start a loop – of which you’ll complete 2 – before retracing your steps back to SJ. Personally, I wouldn’t ride with a disk because the winds can be pretty strong coming off the ocean. But that’s coming from someone who weighs under a buck and would probably blow to the south coast of the island. The choice is totally up to you, but know that there WILL be wind.
  • RUNNING: You can run your heart out in Puerto Rico… and I happened to do just that! There are plenty of miles of paved paths to get in whatever you need. Know that it is HUMID so if you are coming from a place like, oh… Minnesota, it might take some acclimating. I was staying in between Old San Juan and Condado (which is convenient, because those are both the neighborhoods with the “things to do”), and you can run either direction. There were so many other runners out too!! That was in part due to the fact that triathletes were arriving for the weekend’s race, but also because people are active in PR. :D I joined up with some local guys who happened to be running at the same time on a couple of the days (HI if your reading!!), and the other days I ran alone. Shortest run: 7. Longest run: 14. Every run: BEAUTIFUL.
  • RUNNING IMSJ 70.3: You have open access to run the course at any time. The run course starts at the Sixto Escobar Stadium (which was literally a minutes jog from my hotel lobby) and head west along the Atlantic coast (during this part you will hopefully get a nice breeze off the water to cool you down) to an old fort (San Felipe del Morro) before turning back. I think it’s a DOUBLE loop out and back… just an FYI.

(Run map going out through Old San Juan. While it was fun going running over in Condado and even to Isla Verde, Old San Juan was definitely my favorite place to run. They have a paved path that goes outside of the old city wall which is pretty cool too. You can also check out the official swim map and bike map for the 70.3)

I know it’s a little early to start building a 2012 race calendar, but unless I face grave injury or severe financial instability, I will definitely be returning to San Juan next year for the Half Ironman. (In bold because I need a commitment, dangit!) It’s kind of at an inconvenient time if you live in a cold state, since you probably won’t have ridden your bike out on the real roads in a few months. And you for sure won’t have been swimming in any open water! Which sounds to me like all the more reasons to make a week out of it and get acclimated. ;) I’ve already put the word out to a few of my MN tri buddies and it seems like there is definitely interest there. Julia? Steve? Whattya think…? March is a good time for a family vacation!

This San Juan 70.3 is part of the Ironman 70.3 series – so as all other Ironman events, you can expect a very well put on race. They’ve obviously put on enough races by now to know how to make sure everything is organized and running smoothly, and there are volunteers galore to help ensure a successful day! I, however, have not done any races that far away. So if anyone wants to give me advice on shipping/flying with a bike, I’d definitely appreciate it!

Some more photos from the trip:

(El Fortin de San Geronimo – right outside my bedroom! You can also watch the swim portion of the 70.3 from here.)

(L: This guy is kayaking in the proctected lagoon that the swim is held in… also right outside my room! Just for an idea of how smooth the water is. // R: The Caribe Hilton’s protected bay. Nothing too exciting in terms of marine life in there, but nice that it cuts the waves!)

(PEACOCK! Totally not phased at all..)

(Go ahead… ♪ shake ya tail feathers ♪)

This is my one Friday Confession. You guys know how big I am on sun protection and usually I am SO good about it! On this trip I had my faithful Kinesys packed, including my 30spf spray bottle and the sunscreen “stick” for lips n’ face. And both of these products worked without fail… when you remember to put them on!! DOH! On ONE single day I forgot to put on sunscreen, and yes I did burn. That nice little quemadura there is from like two hours without sun block.

Of course my face is peeling now, which I’m sure looks super attractive. I feel the need to explain myself wherever I go… like “oh, just ignore the layer of skin coming off my forehead – I just got back from a trip.” Cuuuute.

I think that about wraps it!! At the time I hit publish, San Juan 70.3 is 13 hours and 21 minutes away!! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE RACING TOMORROW!! See you next year! :D

  • Reader Qs:
  • Have you ever been to Puerto Rico?
  • Where did you stay and what was your favorite part?
  • Have you ever raced in a different country or over seas? What can you tell me about shipping/flying with my bike!? Seeing as how MyCardCan’t (%&@# you Delta!) I am expecting some large fees. :(
  • Anyone out there gone to medical school in Puerto Rico?
  • Any other fun spring break / race trips this spring?

Ohhh Minnesota. It feels about 33% good to be home. Warm up a little and we can readdress this. Totally unrelated, but for you locals – GOOD LUCK GET LUCKY RACERS!

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | March 8, 2011
8 comments

Tried It Tuesday // Craft Active Mittens

Circulation isn’t exactly my forte. Coming out of the water in just about any tri and you can be sure I’ll have numb toes. I’ve been in tears coming in from a winter run because the blood trying to get back into my fingertips is so painful. And I don’t think I can just blame living in Minnesota and our cold temperatures either, because it happens at -20° below windchill and it has happened at 10° above. Short run… long run… it doesn’t seem to discriminate. So is it me? Or is it my gear? A combination of the two?

ME: To be fair, I am a very temperature sensitive person. I either seem to be super hot when no one else is, or freezing and wrapped in a blanket when no one else is. Although when it comes to running in the winter, more often than not all my running buddies will be just fine and I’m borderline frostbite on the extremities.

GEAR: I don’t know what to tell you… I’ve tried everything! (Or so I thought.) Gloves. Mittens. Gloves with a wind-shell mitten on top. Ski mittens that make me look like I’m running with oven mitts. (Hey… I never tried oven mitts! Maybe I gave up too soon.)

One thing that does for sure work is the sweet little invention called “Lil Hotties” … elsewhere known as Hot Hands. They’re mostly used for ice fishing/hunting/etc., but stick a pair inside your mittens and without a doubt your fingers will be toasty. However, each pair is only usable once, meaning it’s not a very cost effective solution to buy a pair for every winter run. (Funny side note – when I was a kid I thought these were made from gun powder. Maybe because my grandpa used them hunting? :P )

ENTER: Craft Active Mittens

If you’ve never heard an angel sing, put these on and go outside for a run when it’s below zero and the wind is making it feel like -25°. Return home (/to car) and whip off mitten to grab for key. Suddenly, thoughts will be zooming through your mind at a speed faster than you’ve ever run a mile, sounding something like:

Wait. My fingers are bending… [checking to make sure they’re not broken.] I can actually feel the key in my pocket. [Pinches arm to make sure not dreaming. Turns the key and goes inside.] WAIT. Where is the blood rush? And why are they pink!?! [Touches fingers to face to make sure this is not an illusion. No, they’re real. Runs to find wife/husband/children/dog and grabs one of them by the arm.] LOOK!! [Holding up mobile, fully innervated and functioning hands and fingers.] THEY WORK! [Met with stares of confusion. But by this point, you don’t care. You’re already pulling your mittens back on to go out for another mile.]

Or something very similar. I can’t even just chalk this review up to being dramatic – they honestly change my attitude when going out for a run. This has been a long and cold winter here in Minnesota, and truthfully I was becoming a bit of a fair weather runner. Not any more!! Craft’s motto is “Where Athlete Meets Atmosphere” and they definitely provide products that meet that expectation.

[Legal disclosure: Oh wait, I don’t need one. I bought these mittens with mi propio dinero and no one asked me to review them. What now FTC guidelines? ;) ]

I know many of you outside the state of MN are thinking, um, a little late for the warmest ever mitten review, dontcha think? (Only being that you are from outside MN, you might not have “dontcha.”) However, winter is far from over here in our little corner of the North, so I won’t be packing these away just yet. Also, the end of a season is a fantastic time to stock up on gear –winter apparel goes on sale so stores can get their spring lines out. And [unfortunately] it’s not like winter is going to go away for good, so by stocking up at the end of the season you save money AND you’re prepared for that early storm next year.

If you’re a Twin Cities local and are thinking where can I get a pair of those?! Or any other winter items you want to stock up on (Craft? Sugoi? Mizuno? Got it!!) shoot me a comment or an email and I’ll hook you up with a good deal. :D

drtrirunner [at] gmail [dot] com

Reader Qs:

What do you use for mittens/gloves? (I know there are some of you in tropical conditions (read: 30° +) that have no use for such items. One word: jealousy.) Do you run outside or indoors in the winter, or both? Do you have a cutoff point where it’s just “too cold”?

Be happy, be warm, and catch ya in a couple of days!

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | January 11, 2011
8 comments

Tried It Tuesday // CHICKED

I have absolutely no problem getting behind a company that I love and promoting the heck out of them. Cross my heart and hope to die – you’ll still get a 100% honest review. But if you don’t hear me saying anything bad, that’s because this girl has nothing bad to say!

Being honest: of all the different Tried It Tuesday’s and product reviews I’ve done in a past… this one is going to be hard to beat in the future. Really hard.

CHICKED APPAREL:

The ladies behind You Got Chicked – Jennifer Martin and Gretchen Heim – are two powerful women. One a Physical Therapist, one an Art Director, both athletes, both very driven, and both very inspiring. The idea all began when one of the ladies’ cousin had to play on a males university team (because there wasn’t a team for women). She was chicking all the guys! One night designs were drawn up at a cabin… and shortly thereafter, You Just Got Chicked was born.

For those of you that are local, so is CHICKED! If your not local, don’t worry! Orders are being shipped all over the country, across the oceans, and empowering ladies all over the world. (I’m not kidding – you can find someone sporting the CHICKED apparel in Barcelona, Mexico City, England, Vancouver and more!) If you do happen to be local to the Twin Cities and want to try any of the items on to decide what you like the best (caution: it will likely be all of the items…) you can find the CHICKED apparel at Gear Running Store in Edina.

Gear Running Store // 4406 France Avenue South // Edina, MN 55410 // 952.926.2645

That’s all the necessary information about the company. My opinion might not be “necessary”, but it’s always nice to see the products on a real person/in use/in real life. How many times have you gotten a present from the UPS man, opened it up, and thought $#!&. That’s not what it looked like online….


Chicking all of MSP airport, Chicago, and Nebraska. ;) Sorry for the cell phone picture – I wasn’t trying to wake up sleepy people on the airplane with my flash!

LS Black

SS White – Men’s

The pants are probably my favorite. If you haven’t met me in real life, you might not know that 87% of my wardrobe consists of “athletic” apparel. (Example: the above airplane photo.. I’m wearing my CHICKED tights, my Green Silence running shoes, my HTFU sweatshirt from back in my Boston days, and have my U of MN athletics backpack as my carry-on.)

LIKES: (I felt the need to tattoo my emotions… “Like” wasn’t strong enough of a word. [That is supposed to be a heart...])

1 // TECH.

Dear Races, I know it is not always within the budget to print on tech material. But I am running out of things to do with all these cotton shirts. That are quite honestly extra large for a “small”…

Sincerely, Dr. T.R.

2 // SIZING. As mentioned above, yes, unisex sizing (and shape) is great for saving money in the budget. But I do actually enjoy clothing that fits my body. XSW should stand for extra small – women’s. Not Extra Short and Wide. The ladies behind CHICKED were very aware of this issue, and I will say that items fit true to size. Currently, pants are printed on NIKE, and shirts are printed on NEW BALANCE, so if you know your size in those brands you’re good. Or again, if you’re local to the Twin Cities, you can try the items on at Gear Running Store to be sure.

3 // The message. If you’ve been here at Dr.TR for a while, you should know I’m all about empowering women. (Please come back for Thoughts on a Thursday this week for a little more on that matter…) The You Just Got Chicked apparel is not just for the elite “panty” running ladies at the front of the pack. “Getting Chicked” means being passed by a stronger woman athlete. “Traditionally” the phrase is referring to passing a guy, but you’re definitely “chicking” other ladies too. And no matter how slow you think you are, there is ALWAYS someone slower. So yes – you will always have “chicked” at least one person.

The CHICKED ladies also donate a portion of their proceeds to the Women’s Funding Network which works with over 165 networks and organizations empowering women around the world. Yep… they’re kinda a big deal.

DISLIKES: (Haha I know… my tattoo skills are mad. You can hire me any time.) There is really nothing negative I have to say. But

1 // No tank tops. YET! (I am one of those either SUPERhot or SUPERcold people, and for working out indoors, I wish I could have the tank tops now. I am also one of those notsopatient people, so I wish I could have the tank tops now. ;) They will be ready for SUMMER for sure.)

2 // What about the señores of the world? Are we just going to leave them out of the fun? (Nope…. see last photo above!)

THE BOTTOM LINE…

I. ❤. This. Stuff. And I hope you do too. You can buy all of their items online (under the BUY GEAR!! tab ;) ) or at Gear Running Store in Edina, MN. Keepin’ it simple with only two options. Oh wait… maybe a 3rd. Keep checkin in here on Dr. TriRunner and you could win your own CHICKED goodies!!

Reader Qs: What do you think of the CHICKED apparel? Anything you’d change? Any styles/cuts of clothes you’d like to see? I know they’d love any and all feedback!

And with that my friends… I am OUT. Ciao.

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 22, 2010
11 comments

Work Out Wednesday // TRAVELING

[ETA: Reader Questions! I never forget RQs!! Sorry guys - they're at the bottom.]

Last Sunday I touched down at the Chicago O’Hare airport, and the flight attendant listed gates for those of us with connecting flights. Alphabetically:

  • Honolulu
  • Miami
  • Omaha
  • San Francisco
  • Shanghai
  • Tokyo

This is a very simple ACT question: one of these is not like the others…. (clue: all sound really fun, even vacation-like, except _____.)

Mmmm yep. I’ve been spending the last few days in Omaha, Nebraska. Actually, Grand Island… although that’s pretty misleading because it almost sounds tropical. My grandma lives in an assisted living home in Grand Island, and we went to visit for just a couple days (I’m back already). The woman is 88 years old, a little shorter than me, and cute as a button. I know a lot of people stress over getting their workout in when they’re traveling, so I thought I’d share a couple tips for getting your sweat on no matter where you are. This is a two-part post though, so if you really want the full deal, you’ll have to stay for the whole thing. I’ll try not to get too long. ;)

1 // Working out while traveling

I’d be lying if I didn’t say traveling used to stress me the #()@% out. As with many type As, you get your schedule and you stick to it. I liked reporting back to my coach with a full week of check marks and notes. I’d also be lying (by omission) if I didn’t say yeah – I belong to a 24-hour gym, and yeah – I’ve been there several times at 3am.

Although many hotels now boast that they have a “fitness center” … don’t be surprised if you get there and find it’s a closet lined with wall mirrors and a smith machine. Lots of hotels also now have swimming pools, but if you think you’re swimming laps, be prepared for about two strokes per length and 600 flip turns per mile.

Running: It’s a lovely creation because you can do it pretty much anywhere. You need a few extra sets of clothes, but bring your shoes and your good to go. No Garmin necessary – just run for time.

Biking: Sometimes an option – often, bigger cities have bike rentals, and if you can’t find trails, you can probably ride the roads. More often than not you’ll end up doing some “recreational” riding… but hey, you’re moving, right?

Swimming: You can sometimes find community pools that will just charge a minimal daily fee. OR, beach?? Open water swims?? That would be ideal. Swimsuit and goggles take about as much room to pack as a Clif bar, so no excuses.

Fitness Centers: Are. Everywhere. Even in Grand Island, Nebraska. From my hotel I was within five minutes of both an Anytime Fitness and a Snap Fitness. The bigger the city, usually the better your options. Snap was $7/day, Anytime was $15/day, and a YWCA/YMCA/Gold’s/Lifetime will usually be in the $10-$20/day region. Some places will give you a good deal for a week long pass, and you could even find that getting a MONTH pass is your best deal (as was the case when I went to Philly at the Philly Sports Club).

The SNAP we went to in NE – very nice!

At Home Workouts: For those of you that do the DVDs – Jillian Michaels, Yoga, P90X, etc. – you pretty much have it made. If you have a TV or even just a laptop, you’re golden. You can also get in a solid strength training workout with just body weights or a resistance band, and if you want some cardio, bring a jump rope.

As you can see… there are many options for getting in a workout while on the road, and if anything, it certainly doesn’t need to be the cause of stress. For the days when it’s absolutely just not possible – either due to lack of time or simply being in transit literally all day, then make that your rest day. Don’t take rest days? Then consider it a mental workout and take on the challenge to take a day off, or I guess stay home. Your call.

Which brings me to point two of this post…

#2 // What actually matters in life

As I said, I was visiting my grandma during this trip. She is 88 years old, living in an assisted living home where she doesn’t get many visitors (especially from me being so far away), and although she’s “with it” most of the time, her health is definitely declining.

Flight was super early on Sunday, and by the time I got to Omaha and drove the 3 hours to Grand Island, it was definitely time to go see Grandma. Getting out of the home is difficult because she has an oxygen tank, so we opted to have dinner in with her, and instead of having the usual “home” dinner, bring her something special. When we asked G-Ma what she would want to eat if she could have anything in the world, you know what she asked for? An Arby’s roast beef sandwich. No sesame seeds on the bun. Lady knows what’s up.

Could I have jumped on our hotel treadmill at 9:30 when we got back? Sure… but that would mean not actually finishing until like 11:30 when it’s all said and done, and then just being even more tired in the morning. Day one: no workout. Sitting on mass on airplane/in car/in grandma’s rocking chair all day.

Like I said, we were very close to both a Snap and an Anytime, so my dad and I chose to go to the Snap on Monday morning. We worked out together a bit on the Arc Trainer, and then I finished up with the treadmill and weights. I didn’t get in the total time I was scheduled for, nor did I follow the schedule. At all. But I was still able to sweat it out a bit and that was really nice. (More than anything – to workout with my dad! Living half way across the country from each other now, we almost never get to do that anymore!) Day two: 75% of scheduled volume, 0% of scheduled workout. The reason I didn’t stay for that last 15% was that we wanted to get to G-ma as soon as possible, and the time was tickin! Went back to her care home, and ate lunch (fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes and gravy) with her in the cafeteria. Spent the rest of the day either running errands for her or just sitting with her talking in her room.

My dad used to bike with me during LRs all the time! This was from when I visited him in Philadelphia.

The last day my alarm went off early enough in the morning to either pool run for a little bit, or jump on the Neolithic era treadmill. Instead, I turned my phone off, turned over, and turned into an extra 45 minutes of sleep. We had to leave pretty early in the afternoon to make the 3 hour drive back to Omaha, so again, time spent with grandma was limited. Day three: no workout.

On the way to the home, we stopped to pick up some white roses (her favorite) as well as a gift for the staff. We spent the last morning with this amazing 88-year-old white haired woman who has done so much for other people pretty much her entire life. Just a couple weeks ago she had some cancer removed from her colon, and she spends a lot of time worrying if it will come back. Saying goodbye to her was the worst, and my heart just about shattered when she said, “don’t let it be a year again.. OK?”

Honestly, this could be the last time I will see my grandma. I only got three days with her, because that’s about all the excitement she can take at one time without being worn down. What if I never got to see her again? What if I spent more time worrying about whether I could get a stupid workout in, or whether I’d stick to my schedule, and that was my last chance to talk to her. My last chance to sit in her room and play Christmas songs on her piano. My last time to see her smile?

Point is… Family is important. Working out… training… sure, on race day you want to be prepared. But when it comes down to it, when you’re on your deathbed (or your parents or your ____ or your ____), you’re not going to give a rats @ss if you took two days off. Or a week off. Or a month off. If you gained a couple pounds over the holidays. If you ate that piece of Grandma’s pie.

Many of you can disregard this message entirely, because spending time with your loved ones is clearly your priority and there is no second question. But based on the many, many emails and comments I receive, sometimes I think we need the reminder. You only get one family. You don’t get to hand pick them, trade them in, or ask for them back once their gone. Go hug someone you love, and TELL them how important they are to you! Not just during the holiday season, but any day, and every day.

Sorry if that turned into a high-horse moment. But this trip for me was certainly challenging in that it made me realize how limited my time is with this woman I love so much!! I don’t know when the next time is that I’ll get back to see her again, but I am definitely greatful for the time the last three days I was able to spend with her.

SO in light of all this heavy business – yes, working out on vacation is definitely possible. [ETA: AND fun!! Going  for a run or a bike ride is, in my opinion, the best way to see a new city!! I'm definitely not advocating that people just throw their workouts out the window during trips or vacations.] But if you are going to see family, and only have a little time with them – keep that in mind! J And while I’m at it, I LOVE YOU all!

Reader Questions: Do you usually workout on vacation? If so… what do you usually do, or if not, what would you like to try next time? And just for feeling good, if you could  go tackle anyone in the world with a bear hug right now, who would it be?

Happy holidays!

-E

(p.s. Survived finalsmovingfinals week! So happy to be home, and looking forward lots of RELAXING for a solid month! I watched a movie last night. Do you know when the last time I saw a movie was?? NEITHER DO I.)

Category: Workout Wednesday | Tags: , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 10, 2010
4 comments

Friday Confessionals // 12.11.2010

If you’re new, visiting, didn’t grow up in a Catholic church, or just want to know how to play along… please refer to this post for the Friday Confessional breakdown.

I know… it’s been a while since we’ve divulged here. And trust me – taking a four week leave of absence from official workouts – I accumulated plenty of things I should probably be confessing to. But today my friends, today there is only one, and this I share with you:

  1. This morning, upon the 5am blaring of the alarm, I crawled over to the other side of my bed (where my alarm is strategically placed so I don’t just hit OFF and go back to sleep). And then I hit OFF, and then I went back to sleep. (What? Damn..) Intentionally skipping practice.

Several factors influenced this decision. For one, I had not gotten my 8 hours of sleep. (Yep.. you did the math right. That means going to bed at 9. Gotta do what you gotta do.) I can’t say I hold fast to this little 8-hour “rule” 100% of the time – life happens, and lets face it, the rest of the world is not all operating on Grandma’s schedule over here. Movies start at 9pm. The news isn’t even on till 10! Geeez. Secondly, I was having an amazing dream. Not just like flying or something. I mean, keep your heads out of the gutters please, but A. Mazing. And sometimes when you can hold on to just a thread of that dream, you can get it back. I wasn’t really “extra” tired – I didn’t get 8 hours, but I definitely got a functional amount to get my butt out of bed and go to practice. And instead, I got to DREAM for two extra hours, and it was sooo worth it.

Dreaming is amazing. Thinking about dreaming, however, kinda makes my head hurt. It’s like thinking about where the sky ends or the size of the universe. I’ll leave that to NASA. And Freud. Moving on…

Sleeping in this morning meant that my afternoon workout would be LONG. I have doubles on my schedule M/W/F (we can talk about the benefits, thoughts, and ideas about doubles later) so this turned my morning bike and afternoon run into a brick. Not only had I not done a brick since having mono, but I had a workout scheduled for my run… 15×400 to be exact.

The whole time I was on the bike, I wasn’t thinking at all about the run to follow. Through my own experiences, and through watching others in coaching, I feel like a lot of moderating goes on  during brick workouts. Is this a good thing?

Sure. You don’t want to set yourself (or your athletes) up for failure. You don’t want to blow all your energy on leg 1 and then bonk on leg 2. But at the same time… you don’t want to hold too much back. When competitively racing, there are two very unfortunate (but real nonetheless) occurrences that may happen: 1) getting outkicked in the chute 2) finishing with the realization that you have wayyy too much left in the tank. You want to be able to toe that red line, but not actually break it until the very last second. How do you know where that red-line is?

You find it. During practice.

This does include at times hitting failure, because without that, you will never know how hard is too hard or how fast is too fast. It’s also a good time to practice timing of fueling and drinking – something I traditionally FAIL at. But more often than not… it includes success. In a very big way. The feeling you get at the end of a workout when you have nothing left to give is second to none. I wish I could bottle it… put it in a little Nuun tablet and save it for later. Luckily though… it only comes with work. And finally, I’m back at the point where I can work. Hard!

If you want to watch someone find that red-line.. watch this video of Galen Rupp on Flotrack. Lovvvve him. I mean, it.

SO. Was my first structured workout back full of all this magical red-line crap? Not quite. But pretty darn close! :)  Here’s how it broke down:

60 min. spin (“rescheduled” from 6am)
- 4 hills + some rollers
- nothing too crazy…  but it was definitely satisfying to see my HR back up there where it’s “supposed” to be ;)

the workout (done on a treadmill for enhanced brickability)
- 10 min. warm up
- 5 x 400
- 10 min easy
- 5 x 400 (increase TM speed by .2 for each 400)
- 10 min easy
- 5 x 400 (increase TM speed by an additional .2 for each 400)
- .5 mile cool down

Several take-home messages I gathered during this workout:

  1. My left femur felt “neutral”… and my L groin only started to tweak on the last set of 400s. That’s all left-over from my hip surgery, and according to the eyes of my orthopedic surgeon I will always “feel” something, so I’m not too concerned.
  2. This is the first “real” run in the NEW SHOES, and oh my dear Lord THANK YOU. I love them. This post is long enough already without me going into the whole heel-strike business, so I wont. But they felt GREAT.
  3. I ran on a freaking TREADMILL!?!? Who am I?? Pretty sure having mono scrambled my DNA or something, because the TM used to be reserved for tornadoes or hail storms only. And I ran 8+ miles no problem. (Won’t lie.. I had a rapid text distraction which helped immensely during the 10min easy intervals. Thanks amigo!)

Which brings me to now: house sitting on the eve of “Minnesota’s biggest winter storm since the ice age” (or something…). Estimates range from 12-16+ inches, and I say bring it. I’m locked into this house. I have a finals M, W, TH, F, and SA of next week so I have plenty of studying to keep my occupied. My legs are shredded. And it feels perfect.

Reader Qs: Do you like sleeping or are you always ready for the day? I used to hate napping… but ever since mono, I realized how good it is. :D // Do you know where your red-line is? Do you hit that in your races or do you feel like you had “too much” left over? // Hahha do you ever completely blank on something – a name, a place, a song, etc – and come up with the wrong name entirely? For the life of me I couldn’t think of the “Ice Age”… I knew there was the stone age, and was like what the heck?!? And then the lightbulb turned on and I said, “The GLACIER Age!!” Fail. // LEAVE YOUR FRIDAY CONFESSIONS!!

Love you all,

E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 22, 2010
12 comments

Friday Confessionals: a lot to let out!

Wowww – there are still readers out there!! You guys are amazing. :)

This is a strictly business post… cause’ it’s Friday afternoon and this girl got bidness to attend to! As I’m sure every single one of you does as well. If you’re not familiar with the practice of Friday Confessionals, I suggest you take a quick tutorial, and then come back and let it all out. (Yes… this is where we all get to be the friend holding the hair back while you’re doubled over the porcelain throne.) I feel like I have a lot to get off my chest today, so here is a thanks in advance for the proverbial ponytail holder you all provide.

1 // A girl walking up the stairs in front of me this morning was listening to her ipod AND texting… and she completely ate it. Like face first into the stairs. I would like to say my first inclination was to say “oh my gosh are you OK?” but I totally laughed as that came out. And I couldn’t stop!! What an @ss. Sorry chicky… :(

Multitasking FAIL

2 // That human physio exam? Killed. It. That’s not the confession though… in my next class – Motor Development, I went to see my exam grade after class since I had been at a doctors appointment the day we reviewed the test. My TA said, “You don’t need to check it….” and I was thinking… Watchu talkin about Willis?! Then he says allowed that I was the only one in the class that got 100 on the test. At first I was almost embarrassed. But then I realized how dumb that was, and that quickly changed to a #%(& yeah!! So my hate to be the smart ass confession… I kinda like throwing off the curve.

Love this textbook!

3 // My running is KILLING ME!! Don’t get me wrong – any running is forward motion – better than no running, better than being booted and pool running ’till your eyes fall out. But seriously… the pace and my PRE are making me want to cry. A) my rehab/training/come-back plan is way less miles than I have ever attempted to race on in my life. So I am definitely not expecting any sort of PR. Not that I could even if I wanted to, because in the three+ months that I took off, I think I lost ALL of my fast. Not even kidding. I had a easy recovery run yesterday (which btw, pretty sure all my runs feel the same. Kinda hard. My anterior tibialis is starting from square one. Julia – strengthening tips?? Please?!) and this guy passed me along the river. He was wearing basketball shorts and a hoodie!! COME ON ERIKA. I feel like I want a shirt that says “please don’t judge – I’m rehabbing” on the back. Which all of this essentially leads to the confession that running has a huge impact on my mental stability.

Any running is better than no running!

4 // I guess #3 was a two-fer’. I wasn’t going to put it out there that I actually am training.. for a race. Something about the verbal (or written in this case) commitment makes me feel more vulnerable to injury. Totally not logical, but that’s what these confessions are for…

Time to get that race face back on…

5 // I busted out the sweats for the first time today. The running attire that I wear ~70% of the time is not considered sweats by any means. It’s form fitting… it usually even matches… I’ll go out on a limb and even call it cute. Today was a day for legit sweatpants. Not only did I take 11 solid days of 5am wake up calls, and today I decided it was a day to sleep in. So sleep in until a whopping seven am I did before the morning Peace Coffee finally won me over. (Currently drinking their Mexican Dark Roast. LOVE it.) And then I checked the weather and it was all of 30° or something unnecessarily chilly along those lines. AND then I realized I only had two short classes, the last being a midterm review for Monday’s exam. Sleeping in + chilly mornings + study sessions = sweatpants. Big. Comfy. Sweatpants. I say this only as a confession because it is alllll too easy for me to get into the habit of not really caring what I wear to school. Believe it or not I actually do wear jeans. Occasionally. ;)

I know. My cell phone photos are gallery quality.

Hahaha I actually looked through my iPhoto to give proof of this jean-wearing I speak of. I think the last picture I have of me in jeans is from my last trip to Philadelphia to visit my dad in AUGUST of 2009. Wow. I promise I have worn jeans in the mean time.

Reader Qs: What are you Friday Confessin’ this week? No judgements – promise! From my other runners perspective… what’s your “athletic” wear to “real” clothes ratio? I think I’m somewhere like 6:4. Haha… 7:3?

Oh wow look at the time. I’M OUT chiquitos!! My pops is visiting and he gets prime time up until the second he leaves for the airport!!
-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | August 18, 2010
21 comments

Pre-Race Breakfasts // What to eat?!

Alright guys… I am SO excited to share this post with yall! (Woooah dog.. I’m not from Texas. Where did that come from?!) Not only because it answers my most frequent reader question and now I can just refer them to this post… ;) but also because I got to collaborate with some of my favorite athletes! [Haha I just realized my own answers are in this list. I wasn't trying to say that I'm my own favorite athlete!]

The questions is usually phrased something like: “I’m just getting into [running, triathlons, etc.] and I signed up for my first race!! But I don’t know what to EAT before or during the race!! Any advice?” The answer to that question is SUPER individualized, and just because something works for me, or these other lovely athletes down below, does not necessarily mean it will work for you. But you never know until you try, and I think our “go-to”s will give you some good starting ground!

For more PRE-RAE PREP, aside from delicious // butt-kicker breakfasts, check out my post Train on Top Volume 4.1 – PRE RACES!!

Mom

@ No blog. She should though because she has some awesome artwork featuring Minneapolis photography for sale. If you’re interested, let me know!

1 // What races do you participate in?

I am no longer racing, but raced a lot in the ‘80s and ‘90s:  many Grandma’s and Twin Cities marathons; the Boston Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Houston Marathon, three marathons in Utah, Easy Street to Lake Street Half-Marathon, New Prague Half-Marathon, Hennepin Lake Classics, Edmund Fitzgerald relays, Melpomene 5K, Victory Memorial 10K, among many other races.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

My pre-race fuel was a peanut butter bagel and banana along with several energy gel packs during marathons.

Me!

@ Right here my friend… :D

1 // What races do you participate in?

I’ve been through it all… from the mile and two mile on the track, to XC, to triathlons, all the way up to the marathon.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

My “stand-by” has changed quite a bit over the years. There are definitely phases and kicks I’ve gone through…. though I wouldn’t follow my example of that season of high school XC where I thought candy corn was responsible for my kick (until I crashed and burned).

However, I will give the following recommendations:

1 // Coffee is not a question of if but of Mexican dark roast or Twin Cities Blend? 2 // [IMO] Slightly upping the carbs the week before a big race is a better idea than shoving your face with spaghetti the night before. Have a nice, balanced dinner, but nix the pasta party. 3 // Kona Kola Nuun is not only deliciously amazing (amazingly delicious??), but also a life saver. 4 // Twizzlers & Raisin Bran on the beach while waiting forever and a half for your wave to start is actually a pretty good idea… 5 // Agua, H2O, dihydrogen monoxide, oxygen (di-)hydride, mizu, WATER!! All week leading up to the race.

Jamie


@ SwimBikeRunLive

1 // What races do you participate in?

I participate primarily in triathlons, mostly half ironmans.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

My favorite pre-race breakfast is nothing special. I try to keep it pretty similar to what I normally eat in the morning. My pre race breakfast is usually a bowl of Frosted Flakes, a banana and some sports drink. My fav is First Endurance EFS. I will sip on a bottle when I get up and then another while setting up the transition area and waiting for the race to start. My stomach doesn’t like too much in it as soon as I get up, especially with pre-race butterflies flapping around, so I focus primarily on staying hydrated instead of chewing up solids.

Laura

@ Frayed Laces

1 // What races do you participate in?

I’ve raced just about everything, from 5ks to 50 mile ultras.  In years past I’ve been primarily a runner, but recently got into triathlon and just qualified for the Ironman world champs in Kona this year.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

I always have the same pre-race breakfast, no matter what the distance.  A few hours before the race I have a bowl of oatmeal with raisins, soy protein powder, and cinnamon.  I also have about 3 cups of coffee.  About 45 mins before the race start I’ll have a banana. I think the most important thing is to race using the same conditions you’ve trained with. I am not a fan of having a huge breakfast before a meal, as I don’t race well with a lot of food in my stomach.  I don’t even have a big dinner the night before.  Instead, if I have a major event (marathon, ultramarathon, half ironman, etc) I have a slightly larger than normal lunch, and then an early dinner.  During longer distance events I rely on keeping myself adequately fueled by taking in a steady supply of GU.

Lindsey & James Cotter

@ CotterCrunch & The Cotter Chronicles

James’ Race eats:

1 // What races do you participate in?

I compete in triahthlons professionally. Main races are half ironmans and a couple full ironmans per season

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

Pre race fuel are usually oats or gluten free corn flakes. The wife makes me a small bowl of rolled oats and sticks them in the fridge overnight. In the morning she’ll had banana, cinnamon, honey, and maybe just a tad scoop of vanilla whey protein to mix in.

1 bottle of EFS by first endurance (an electrolyte drink) to take with breakfast and another bottle 45 minutes before race (sip on it in transition area while setting up). Then 15 minutes before race start I’ll take First Endurance Pre-Race powder (caffience stimulation powder) mixed with 4 oz of water.

Lindsays Eats:

1 // What races do you participate in?

No triathlons for me right now. Sold my bike and will get a new one later in the year. That being said, lots of Half marathons this summer/fall! WHOO HOO!

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

I have a gluten intolerance and can’t handle much before a race so here’s what works for me before a half mary.

2 brown rice cakes (gluten free brand) with sun nut butter or almond butter, 1/2 banana, and honey on top. I sometimes add some sea salt crystals just to get some extra sodium in if its going to be a HOT HUMID race. Oh and COFFEE COFFEE is a must. I usually drink an electrolyte drink on the way to race sight (like EFS by first endurance). Then I during the race I make sure to have honey stingers with me. They are easy to chew and stick in my pocket. I alternate between gatorade and water for the majority of the race.

Post race (usually about 30 minutes after), I love CHOCOLATE MUSCLE MILK! The light kind is easy on my stomach because its lactose free and gluten free. I usually grab some fruit with it.  Its the perfect recovery fuel you can tag along with you to races.

READER Qs: What is YOUR “go-to” pre-race breakfast? Have you had any big breakfast blow-ups?

El fin.

Almost! If you haven’t noticed… I haven’t been posting much about my own training and pre-racing and racing hoo-ha lately. [I mean hoo-ha in the sense of "all that nonsense" or "all that business". Urban Dictionary might lead you astray....] And, that would be because I haven’t been racing. BUT, going by my last post, and my facebook photo, hopefully you all can see I’m still WORKING. There is a method to this madness, but a method where I’ve had to put my faith in God to follow. Not fe ciega mind you – although I’ll admit, I do have a bit of that – but guided faith. This is another one of my I’m so much smarter of an athlete now than I was then moments, and it feels RIGHT. Haha I didn’t say good, but it’s definitely right.

And speaking of good and right, there’s a company I want to make sure you guys know about. I say “make sure” because I had never heard of them until my girl Mrs. Frayed Laces enlightened me. And I’m SO glad she did! You can expect to hear more about them in the near future, but in the mean time, click on over to America’s Nutrition. Fair warning that you WILL want to fill you shopping cart, because they have something for EVERYONE. My “heavy lifters” … my marathon junkies … everyone. So fill your cart as you wish, but don’t hit check out just yet!!

[Muah ha ha!! What a tease.]

PEACE.

-E

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