Sum', Sum', Summatime

Summer means vacation, right? Vacation means straying from your routine. How do you keep on top of your training while on vacation? When I went to Barcelona for the weekend last year right before I had to start training for the Venice marathon, I was a little nervous about how I would fit in runs and where I was going to go without getting terribly lost. There is also the issue of fitting in workout clothes as well as vacation clothing and the fact that you might not be doing laundry for the time you are away (gross, believe me.) The few things that I have learned over my years of running and world travel are, if running is your priority, you will find room in your suitcase, you don't really need 5 pairs of sandals for a 4 day weekend getaway. You will make the time to get out and run, even if it means waking up at dawn when you were partying the night before, isn't that what you would be doing at home anyway? My advice is to take advantage of your surroundings. Working at the gym at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, I have had the opportunity to meet many runners on vacation trying to find a way to get their runs in. I have mapped out so many different routes for my fellow runners, I was starting to run out of ideas, no pun intended. So ask the instructor at the gym in the hotel you are staying at where they would suggest you run distance, level of difficulty (ie. hardest hills), safety-wise, most scenic or more touristy route. If there is no gym (how dare you?? jk...), ask the front desk, that is what they are there for. The morning is the best time to get out for a run. If you are in a warm climate, it is usually the coolest time of day and there won't be many other people out so its a whole other way to experience the city. Barcelona is a city that goes to sleep extremely late, so when I was waking up to get out and run, the city was just dying down. When I went out to run on the marina, the sun was just coming up and everyone else was making their way back home. Running in unfamiliar territory really opens your eyes to your surroundings in a way you wouldn't normally be seeing them when you are just touring. When I was in Australia and New Zealand and the weather permitted it, I would wake up long before I had to wake Reina up and go out for a 30-45 min run, each time seeing places we most probably wouldn't be visiting.

As for me, right now. I don't have any vacations planned for the Summer at the moment, maybe something before I go back to school in November, after the holidays. I have been running here and there and the swimming has been very helpful to my hip as well as the acupucture, so I am hoping to spend my next weekend getaway running the sites.

Of course Runner's World has some advice of their own, pretty much along the lines of my advice, just a bit more conducive to families travelling together:

HOLIDAY HURDLE: You can't break away from the family to run.
GET OVER IT Walk together 30 to 60 minutes a day. Long walks, like long runs, can help build and maintain endurance. You'll get in quality family time while everyone gets in better shape.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: The kids love the pool, but you're not much of a swimmer.
GET OVER IT Aqua jog for 30 minutes. Pushing against water's resistance can eliminate inefficient movement, which can improve your form on land. Plus, it's a great cardiovascular workout. Wear a flotation belt to keep you upright in the deep end. Let your legs move as you would on land. If there's no belt available, do the same movement in shallower waters.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: You've never run on the beach before.
GET OVER IT The softness of sand can strain muscles and tendons because they're stretched farther than when you're running on a firm surface. Start with several one- to two-minute segments of running. Walk one minute between each. Limit the distance to a quarter-mile on the first day; add an additional segment every time after that.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: Running on vacation feels like work.
GET OVER IT Stray from your routine. If you normally run in the morning, try a sunset run. If you typically run on the roads, hit the beach, trails, boardwalk, or park. If you mainly run solo, check out local clubs and join a group run.

Oh, and how could I forget! The best way to see a new city/country... run a marathon there! You will definitely be seeing more than you would as a plain old tourist.

'till next time,

Peace.

Some words to the wise.

So, I have stopped running, but that does not mean that I don't think about running every single day. Almost as much as I think about New Zealand... In the meantime I have been keeping myself busy with swimming, lots of swimming, and I have a great tan now and a nice strong upper body (not that I didn't before hand). I still add some short sprints on the treadmill here and there when I find that I am sick of the elliptical and I have a lot of energy that needs to be expended. I think that this much needed break from the rigorous regimen of training for any race was a very good idea. I'm less tired, I'm happier, I have a great glow (thanks to the sun) and I'm really enjoying myself instead of feeling like I don't have a choice and that I must run.

With all that said, I am still here to enlighten everyone with the woes of training or just plain running. I receive daily emails from Runnersworld.com and the one currently in my inbox made me extremely nostalgic for the training runs on the hills of Jerusalem and the feeling of not being able to catch my breath at the top of the mountain. So I will share with you the advice of "How to Breath When Running":

Breathe Right
Here's how Mindy Solkin, a New York City-based coach, teaches runners to engage their diaphragms.

Open Your Mouth
Your mouth is larger than your nostrils, so it's more effective at taking in oxygen. Also, keeping your mouth open keeps your face more relaxed, which makes it easier to breathe deeply.

Breathe in Patterns
Coordinating your inhales and exhales with your footfalls develops diaphragmatic strength. Start with a 2-2 pattern-breathe in while stepping left, right; breathe out while stepping left, right. Advance to 3-3 (breathe in, step left, right, left; breathe out, step right, left, right), and then a 4-4 pattern.

Breath Enhancers

Cross-training exercises that reduce huffing and puffing

These three Pilates moves strengthen the diaphragm, stretch tight muscles, and improve posture-all of which help you run longer with less effort. Practice each exercise two or three times a week before you run.

1) The Hundred

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Inhale and lift your head, neck, shoulders, and arms off the ground. Lift your knees and extend your feet so your legs are straight and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out. While doing so, pump your arms, moving them in a controlled up and down manner. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths-each breath includes five inhales and five exhales. After you do 10 complete breaths, you will have completed 100 arm pumps.

> The Payoff: Teaches controlled breathing, so that your inhales and exhales are balanced. Bonus: Builds strong abdominals.

2) The Swan

Lie face down with your palms flat under your shoulders (as if you were going to do a pushup). Look down so your neck is in line with your spine. Inhale and slowly lift your head, neck, shoulders, and chest as you press your hands into the ground. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. As you exhale, slowly lower yourself back down, chest first, then shoulders, neck, chin, and head. To avoid discomfort in your back, concentrate on pulling your shoulders back to open up your chest. Repeat 10 times.

The Payoff: Opens up the chest and deepens your lung capacity to correct shallow breathing.

3) Standing Chest Expansion

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your arms at your sides. Inhale and sweep your arms out and up so that your biceps are near your ears and your palms are facing each other. Exhale and lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat four times, concentrating on breathing deep and opening your chest.

The Payoff: Stretches the intercostal muscles (which lie between the ribs), relaxes the shoulders, engages the diaphragm and pelvic floor, and helps balance breathing between the left and right lungs.

I know that not everyone relates to pilates and yoga but I think that they are really helpful for being in the best all around shape.

Peace.

Visit my website for information and gift certificates for massages and fitness training! www.rachelshealthandfitness.com

Please share with your friends!

Time off.....

It saddens me to write this but I know it is the right decision to make.

I have decided to take a break from running.

My brain is telling me one thing but my body is clearly not up to the training that is required to run a 5k let alone a marathon.

With this break from running I have been cross-training a lot, swimming and running. Hopefully by the end of the brutal summer that is definitely in store, I won't be dehydrated and exhausted but rather rejuvenated and ready to conquer new challenges. (Nothing longer than 42.2 km, puhlease.) Maybe a fall triathlon or a marathon to start off 2012... Who knows.

In the meantime, I'll be working on my tan. In the pool, not out.

The rest is easy...or so you would assume.

To rest or not to rest, that is the question.

Most people I speak to think I am crazy. In what aspect of my life are they referring to? That is also a good question. It could be many things, that I live in Israel, that I am studying Chinese medicine, that I walk around in public in my Vibrams... I do believe that they are usually referring to my exercise routines/schedule. I do try and exercise every day of the week, never doing the same thing day after day. I take breaks in my routine every Monday and Thursday for school. The biggest break I have taken would be my current break from running. The last time I ran a substantial amount was right after the Jerusalem Half Marathon. I decided that it would be a good idea to give my hip a break from excess flexing. I mostly biked and swam over the last month and a half. I inserted a few runs here and there but only in the last 2 weeks. I thought that it would be a lot harder to get back into the runs but surprisingly it felt as if I had never stopped. The hardest part about taking the break is actually sticking to the plan. I know most people would say that its hard to stick to running or exercising but I have come to a point where, call it, my addiction to exercise is similar to that of heroin, I have both a physical and psychological dependence toward exercise. I know exactly when "pain=pain" became "pain=pleasure" and its been at least 8 years. The withdrawal symptoms are not pretty. I'm sure that anyone in my family or my close friends can vouch for that. So the question becomes, when does exercise go from being healthy to becoming detrimental to one's health?

I am sure that if you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that I am not immune to injury. I might wish that I am and might be in denial that I am not but somewhere deep down inside I know that I should slow down a bit...Not going to happen, at least not right now, Berlin 2011 is in 4 months..! My latest routine is geared to strengthening my legs. I don't see the need in piling on the weights, I prefer to stick with my body weight and low numbered free weights. I do like "tunder ties" but don't necessarily need to be walking around with them. I found this crazy workout site where this Ukrainian woman makes up all these ridiculous exercises and I have adopted all the ones I can pull off without the equipment she uses. People at the gym think I'm crazy and I get all types of questions and looks, of envy of course. I should just wear a shirt that says: "I'm a personal trainer; yes, you can hire me. (If you have the guts...)". Tuesday marks the first day of marathon training. I hope to remain injury free but that is not wholly up to me.

The routine will be 3 runs per week with 2 days of cross and strength training. Obviously there will be speed work, core exercises and hopefully lots of massages. I will keep you updated now that I'm back on the wagon, (off the wagon?)...

Gear Junkie or Douche?

I wouldn't consider myself a high-maintenance gal and I definitely didn't grow up that way. I love to shop at Costco, Walmart, Old Navy... Gap clearance is as expensive and high scale as I go (I should say in America, since nothing in this country that is good quality costs as little). However, I have come to notice, that as the years go by and I am becoming more obsessed with running, I find that I cannot stop myself from indulging in all the "gear" one would need to look their best, feel their best while running and making all those around them envious. I do attribute this obsession partly to my stint working in the 1st professional running store here in Israel, Pro:Sport. During one of the many years I was studying at Wingate and living in Givat Shmuel, I worked in Tel Aviv at Pro:Sport helping people find the right running shoe for their foot, making sure that they had the sweat-wicking dry fit running shirt that wouldn't slow them down, the sunglasses that blocked the glare of the sun so that they wouldn't run into the street by accident, the watch that made sure they were getting the most out of their workout, the fuel belt that held their water for those hot days and long runs so they wouldn't dehydrate, the right socks and even the right underwear that wouldn't ride up as they run. Most importantly, I received the employee discount and made sure that I took the utmost advantage of that perk. I slowly stocked up on sneakers, socks, dry-fit shirts, fuel belts, sunglasses, hats and water bottles. The one thing that I have yet to buy is a watch. I think that the main reason for my not buying a watch is that I can't be bothered with all the technology and linking it to my computer, downloading all the different programs making sure that it works, too much of a headache, I like simple, (yet elegant). The truth is, my favorite part of working at Pro:Sport was the anatomy/biomechanic aspect of finding the right shoe for each individual.

After the 2 great years working in Tel Aviv, I moved to Jerusalem and had to cut back on my gear purchases but only for the reason that I couldn't make it to Tel Aviv as often. Soon after, I started buying my running shoes online and having them sent to my house in Edison and then brought over here or I would go to specialty running stores in NJ. I then started "importing" Clif Bars, Gatorade packets and Jelly Belly Sport Beans along with my Runner's World magazines. I would occasionally make my way to TA on my rare days off to get my gear fix. Slowly but surely, I was finding more convenient stores to go to, although none compare to Pro:Sport. My last trip was almost a year ago and I picked up the newest fad in running, the Vibram Five Finger Sprints (you can read about that experience and all the woes of running "barefoot" by clicking on the link). I love them! I love walking around in them, training in them, running in them is another story that will take more time to get used to and when I have the time to try them out slowly without worrying about not utilizing that time to train for a marathon... I love the looks I get and the comments people make when I wear them out in public. My dad told me that there is a huge billboard on the Turnpike that has a picture of the shoes with the caption "What the heck are these?!" I wish I could find it online to post here... I was so excited when I saw people running the 1/2 marathon last week in them. Hopefully one day I will run a race in mine.

So, to the point of this post.

Once I started training for the Venice Marathon last year and had to go out for long runs, my pre-run organization was taking longer and longer, for the one reason that I had too much to put on before I could leave my house. My leggings, special sports bra, socks, shirt, hat - all dry-fit and sweat-wicking - my fuel belt filled with gatorade and water, some beans, some form of a clif bar, depending on the distance, phone - also depending on the distance - and music. What happened to the simple days of just lacing up and jetting out the door?? Anyway, at first I was a little self conscious that I looked like an idiot, that I would be better off with just hat and headphones and a regular set of running clothing, then I realized, who the hell am I kidding, I love that I look like this and that is the exact reason that I buy all the things I buy. You gotta walk the walk in order to talk the talk. I wanted all the people out there on the street to be envious/think I'm crazy. When I train for races I make sure to wear my previous race shirts, that is unless they are really ugly or I have given them away to my family, just so that people know I am serious. Not that the average exerciser wouldn't know that I am serious, on numerous occasions at the gym I have been asked what my sport is. I have yet to come up with the perfect answer. I tend to be baffled by the question and always leave out the most important part to my answer: "Oh, I am a personal trainer and I run marathons."

This week, I have not run. I took the time to let my hip get a bit better and I will see on Sunday how I feel when I go for my run.

Of course this post would not be complete without a link to Runner's World. So here is their page on all the Shoes and Gear needed to become the Junkie we all are deep down inside.

'Till next time.

Peace.

Jerusalem 1/2 = Any Full.

Jerusalem, March 2011, first full marathon for the city.

Everyone had to pick up their bib numbers at the ICC building from Tuesday to Thursday.

Wednesday there was a terrorist bombing outside the ICC building. I was kind of hoping that they would cancel the race... 2 months ago, I called the marathon organizers and told them I couldn't run the 42.2km and that I would like to run the 1/2 marathon. Instead of cancelling and re-registering, they told me I could just change the race I was going to run at the marathon, day of. So that is what I did. Thursday I came to the ICC building to pick up my gear, asked them to change races and they said no. (I was kind of hoping that they wouldn't let me run...) BUT, me being the Israeli I guess I am turning into, decided to do what I want and run the 1/2 with my bib number covered and chip on my shoe and see if anyone will notice. (They did not.)

Friday, 6am, wake up. Was I nervous, yes. Was I excited, no. Did I show that I was nervous, no. Did I want to throw up, yes. Morning espresso, a banana - thanks to Yoel - a clif bar, some Nir Barkat sighting and correspondence - thanks to Danielle - and we were off to the starting point. The question we asked ourselves: "What the hell are we doing here?" was a good one but we didn't have any answer other than, "why not?". There was a good energy in the air, but who really wants to run 21.1km in Jerusalem on a cold and rainy Friday morning when you could be sleeping in a warm bed, especially when you didn't train enough for the distance, let alone the hills. The countdown began, we didn't hear a gun shot (which I think was smart on their part, we all would have ducked for cover, rather than start running), and we were on our way. Danielle, Yoel and I stuck together for the beginning. Up a small hill, down a small hill, up a BIG hill, down a small hill, up a hill into the Old City, down hill to go back up another big hill... you get the point. The course was historic, not for the places that we ran through, rather for the hills that we ran up and up and up, each one harder than the last. After the Sultan's pool I let Danielle and Yoel go ahead of me, my hip needed to go slower... All in all, it was a nice route, running through the Old City, running past places I see on a weekly basis, seeing all those people cheer me on, Deena with her sign (thank you!!!) really helped me get up Rechov Yehuda, running alongside Nir Barkat and his whole entourage for a while going to the Tayelet and the UN building. The worst hill was Kovshei Katamon at kilometer 18. It was nice to see some of my clients out cheering me on but I was happy to be finished. Thank god I didn't miss the finish line like the winners of the marathon did. Apparently they got a little confused at the end and ran 200 meters longer than they had to and finished at the 1/2 marathon finish line and not the marathon finish line. They gave them their prizes anyway... I finished the half marathon in the same time it took them to finish the full marathon... It was said that this marathon was one of the hardest international marathons in the World. I agree. I was more sore after this race than when I finished the marathon in Venice. Maybe one day, 20 years from now, I will run the full 42.2 km here in Jerusalem.

It was nice to see my school mates at the end of the race giving massages to the finishers. I just cut the line to say hi, I didn't have the time/need to get a massage, but they did help a lot of people who were sore and whose legs were cramping, thank god that my legs didn't cramp up. Here is an article from Runner's World about how to prevent muscle cramps. Now it is time to rest up in-order to make sure I can run the marathon in Berlin come September time. I know that resting up will be as hard as running the marathon, probably harder, but I will try and not run as much and do more cross training and leg muscle building exercises.

Since I didn't "finish" the marathon rather the half marathon, I was not photographed at the finish line and I was "disqualified" from the race. They did record my half marathon time, however, so I know my time, faster than the last Jerusalem Half, 3 years ago, and same timing more or less as Tel Aviv, last year, which means a lot. 1- if I trained, I would have finished a lot faster, 2- I wasn't as out of shape as I thought. 3- if my hip heals properly, I could definitely finish the Berlin marathon in under 5 hrs.

The only pictures from the race I have are Danielle and Yoel finishing:

and me and Yoel posing with the blow up bears for Nicki (will be posted soon)

'Till next time.

Peace.

One Week. Yay?

How am I supposed to be feeling exactly one week before the 1/2 marathon?

Considering I had originally signed up for the full marathon, in my manic-euphoric state, proceeding my first marathon, I think that I would be disappointed in myself for taking the easy route. I'm not disappointed, I'm still participating in the race. I'm not ecstatic, I think I'm too tired to be in that state of mind. I'm not nervous, I have run 21km before, granted not on the route that this race takes, but I have ran some of the route. I am ambivalent as to what I feel towards this race. I have had plenty of time train, but that doesn't mean that I have used that time wisely. I should have been keeping track of the runs I ran, jotting down how I felt before, after and during, written down the food I was eating to fuel me for these runs, not have been discouraged by the weather and not have been needing to nurse an injury. Considering that I have not been the perfect example of one who will excel at this race, I will be happy with just finishing. I wish I could say that I feel that during the time I was supposed to be training, I excelled in another field. I guess that would be the Chinese Medicine field, considering that is where I put most of my focus, mentally and physically. I think that maybe Glee might be the blame for some of my blah.

All I know, now that the weather is getting much much better and I have 2 months to heal my hip "injury" and work on having more energy, that I will be approaching the Berlin Marathon with a totally different attitude.

To ensure that attitude I consulted my running bible, Runner's World, and came across a very informative article, Fear No Run.

Wish me (us) luck!

Peace.

I will still be running with Ilan in mind, through the most important city, Jerusalem.

Crazy things are happening all over the world and we are still worrying about how fat we look.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, people being killed, being dying suddenly, its seems as if the world is slowly falling a part. At these times, we either become selfless or selfish. I hope that for the most part, we reach a balance that lasts with us always and not only in times like these. There is a way to be selfless and selfish at the same time, it may take some conscious effort tho.

Some people who didn't know me before I moved to Israel don't know that I struggled with my weight all throughout my adolescence. People ask me how long I have been exercising and into health and fitness and the answer I give and the truth, is 9 years, come Pesach time. Before April 2002 I was fat. I didn't consciously over-eat, I just didn't move and ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I can't remember if it was triggered by anything, if it was emotional eating, or just that I ate and didn't exercise at all. I'm sure if I tried really hard to remember or if I asked my parents, then I would know but it isn't all that important to me now. What triggered the drastic change, and I call it that because it was drastic, compared to my lifestyle before April 2002, was a bacteria that caused an infection in my stomach and caused me to be in a lot of pain and discomfort whenever I ate. Solution = not to eat. It wasn't as simple as that, but that's basically how it started. Now, most of the people who have known me for the last 8 years, know that in the beginning of my life here in Israel, there was very little that I would eat. No dairy, no meat (which I constantly reminded people was not because I care about the animals not to eat them), very few vegetables, no wheat products............ it goes on. At the same time that I stopped eating, I started to exercise. I would go to the gym 3x a week after school to swim, run, use weights... I instantly felt the change. Obviously I lost weight, there was a lot to lose, and I was feeling better digestively. Oh, and I would drink lots and lots and lots of water. Now, I don't usually talk about my fat days, not because I am ashamed, I am proud that they are behind me, but exactly because of that, they are behind me and I don't feel the need to discuss them on a daily basis. Now, that does not mean that I don't think about them weekly, that I am not conscious of my body and how it is today compared to my high school days. I try not to let it rule my life, but being in the field that I am in and surrounded by health and fitness, it has become part of my lifestyle, who am I kidding, it has become my whole persona. I try not to impose it on others, I have come to the realization that "if you will it, it will come" applies to all aspects of life, especially health and exercise. You can't force anyone to be something that they don't want to be, it just won't work, you will get frustrated, they will hate you and the whole endeavor will be a failure.

Now, why did I decide to bring this all up today? Obviously it has to do with Runner's World. There was a great article written by Peter Sagal about how the "The memory of being fat never subsides—even after you become fit." And I have to agree with him. I liked this excerpt the most:

"If you've ever been fat, you will either be fat for the rest of your life or you will worry about being fat the rest of your life." I came across those words 20 years ago in the play "Fighting International Fat," by Jonathan Reynolds. A pretty obscure place to find the underlying thesis of your waking life, but one doesn't get to choose. That casual observation struck me with the profound power of its obvious truth, much like Kafka's observation, "The meaning of life is that it ends." Kafka did not then add, "...but once you're dead, you won't gain weight." Which I would have found comforting.'

You can read the rest of the article by clicking on the link below:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13846-2-1-2,00.html

So, I guess, the point of today's post is to remind all of you out there, that self image is not all there is in this world, there are more important things, like making sure you tell the people you care about, how much you care about them, show appreciation to those who help, be nice to people even if you don't know them................... It ain't easy, believe me, I am not "little miss sunshine" but I struggle and I hope that I succeed, just like I struggle and hope that I continue succeeding with my health and weight. And I try not to let it rule my life.

'Till next time.

Peace and Health :)

Tricks of the trade.

The Jerusalem Half Marathon is 3 weeks from today.

Am I ready, you may ask.

I guess, would be my answer.

They have changed the course, so we will be treading on new ground. Tomorrow Danielle and I plan on conquering at least some of the new course. I haven't run since Monday, but that's ok, Monday's run was a long run and my hip wasn't doing so well. This time I will take the Excedrin before the run, not after.

I'm actually kind of excited to have a new course to the marathon. It means that we will be experiencing new parts of this amazing/controversial/interesting/insane city. The original route was a cause for some controversy, since we would have been running through East Jerusalem, in which some Israeli members of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions committee wrote to the sponsors of the race, Adidas, and asked them to withdraw its sponsorship calling the race a "running apartheid". The marathon course was changed to exclude East Jerusalem, in my opinion, its a shame. Who cares that it was out of the "green line"? I am sure that if Israeli Arabs who live in East Jerusalem are running in the marathon would want the privilege to run past their homes. I am sure that the world would not care that its "occupied territory", someone would even make a heartfelt documentary about it.

There are so many things in life that are a lot more important than worrying about where goddamn race courses travel through.

Life is more important.

I just found out that a friend of mine was died in a car accident in California. I think that I will run this race in his memory.

To Ilan Tokayer.

Motivation is the word.

This week started off pretty nasty, weather wise. Sunday morning I woke up to the sound of the wind howling outside. I was really happy that I didn't have to leave the house until 5pm. I figured by then the weather would calm down, it wasn't even raining yet, just really really really windy. When 5 o'clock rolled around the skies decided to open up, first with hail and then with pouring rain. I live 2 minutes away from work. I usually leave 10 minutes before I have to be at the gym just in case the cross walk is busy and I have to wait 5 minutes before I just close my eyes and walk across the street hoping that the cars will slow down enough for me to get safely to the other side. Sunday 450 pm, I was prepared to go the distance in the pouring rain. I put on my coat, gloves, hat, sneakers... I opened the door to my building and proceeded to sprint the distance to the hotel. 452 I was in the lobby, drenched from head to toe, mostly to toe... I got to the gym, took off my shoes, hung my jacket and gloves in the sauna to dry off and went to work. By 6, the rain had calmed down a bit and I decided to make my way to my gym, to work out. The quickest, driest way there, was to run. I bundled up again made my way outside and started on my way down the block. As I was running I heard footsteps behind me getting closer and closer. As they got really close I turned around to see what was coming towards me and there was this guy running in full gear and a backpack. As he ran past me, he turns around, smiles and goes "what were we thinking?". And as he got farther and farther away I couldn't help laughing, he thought he wasn't the only crazy one out there, I knew better.

Where does the motivation come from? When I really don't want to go out and run I can find any type of excuse to go to the gym and not run outside. At least I run on the treadmill, you say, but it doesn't come close to the hills of this city. I can run on the treadmill for a long time, yesterday it was for 1hr 20 min, with only one bathroom break. The last time I ran outside was on Saturday morning with Danielle. The weather was beautiful (I put on sunscreen) and we even wore the same t-shirt (!), which was cool until we were walking and people were staring... We had a nice pace, didn't walk too much and even conquered hard hills. All in all, a great run to start a great day. This week, as the weather was totally going manic depressive on us, seeing people running outside in all weather causing me a pang of desire to join them, I came to the realization that I really do love running, outside, inside, mostly outside, just not alone. When I don't have anyone to share the pain with, I opt for the indoors, something there will distract me. So this week, I went to the gym instead, no matter that Thursday's weather was the nicest it has been since November. I think that once I have more time and the weather is back on its meds, I will go out on my own or with Danielle, (or anyone else who would like to join me, but that I can get along with...) and run.

Last night someone asked me how I find the time to train for the half marathon. I told him that I don't find the time, I do what I can and I am pretty confident that I will succeed, it just might take longer than if I had trained properly for it.

Mind over matter. No pain no gain. Running for a cause?

If you find my motivation, please send it back to me. New ideas are welcome too.

Until next time.

Peace.

For all those skeptics...

How Running Benefits Your Body:
It's All Good
More scientific proof that running keeps you healthy.
By Amy Rushlow
From the February 2011 issue of Runner's World


Scientists have discovered the fountain of youth—it's running. Studies continue to find that hitting the roads improves health and well-being. "The biggest benefits come from vigorous exercise like running," says JoAnn Manson, M.D., chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Here are the latest reasons to lace up.

LOOK AHEAD People who run more than 35 miles a week are 54 percent less likely to suffer age-related vision loss than those who cover 10 miles a week.

KEEP THE BEAT Runners who log a weekly run of 10 miles (or more) are 39 percent less likely to use high-blood-pressure meds and 34 percent less likely to need cholesterol meds compared with those who don't go farther than three miles.

FUNCTION WELL Men who burn at least 3,000 calories per week (equal to about five hours of running) are 83 percent less likely to have severe erectile dysfunction.

BUILD BONE Running strengthens bones better than other aerobic activities, say University of Missouri researchers who compared the bone density of runners and cyclists. Sixty-three percent of the cyclists had low density in their spine or hips; only 19 percent of runners did.

THINK FAST British workers were surveyed on a day they worked out and a day they didn't. People said they made fewer mistakes, concentrated better, and were more productive on the day they were active.

STAY SHARP A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reported that women who were active as teenagers were less likely to develop dementia later in life.

SLEEP TIGHT Insomniacs fell asleep in 17 minutes on days they ran, compared to 38 minutes on days they didn't. They also slept for an extra hour on days they exercised.

SNEEZE LESS People who exercise for an hour a day are 18 percent less likely to suffer upper-respiratory-tract infections than those who are inactive, according to a study from Sweden. Moderate activity boosts immunity.

BREATHE EASY Researchers had asthmatics do two cardio workouts and one strength session a week. After three months, they reported less wheezing and shortness of breath.

LIVE LONGER A review of 22 studies found that people who work out 2.5 hours a week are 19 percent less likely to die prematurely than those who don't exercise. A separate study found that active people have a 50 percent lower risk of premature death.

COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO EXERCISE AT LEAST 20 MINUTES 7 DAYS A WEEK HAVE HIGHER GPA'S THAN THOSE WHO ARE SEDENTARY.

Only in America...

Do you eat to live or live to eat?

I would like to think that I eat to live. I try to keep a healthy diet and make sure that the food I put into my body won't hurt me in the long run. There are those days, however, that all I want is a nice donut, preferably a Boston Creme with chocolate icing and colored sprinkles from Dunkin Donuts on Raritan Ave which I know are utterally unrealistic, but a girl can dream. The other day I had such a craving, sitting starving in class listening to a boring lecture on blood sugar levels. Obviously, I did not indulge in said craving, since that would be against all that I stand for and I am not in Edison anymore, Toto... Instead I went on dreaming. Luckily, earlier that week I went to pick up the latest Runner's World magazine that my parents sent with a friend, (thank g-d for Jew winter vacation), and as I was nearing the end of the 1st magazine I came across a very "interesting" race. It will be taking place tomorrow, February 5th, for the 7th time. It is called: The Krispy Kreme Challange or K2C for short. The challenge is running 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme Store, eating a dozen donuts, showing that your box is empty and running 2 miles back to the start, all in under an hour. The story behind this race is one you would only find in a frat house.

"A Tradition Begins...

The Krispy Kreme Challenge started in December 2004 as a dare between a few NC State undergraduate students. Sophomore Ben Gaddy took home bragging rights that afternoon, running the race in 34 minutes and 27 seconds. After receiving positive coverage from campus news papers and being placed as #85 on the "102 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate" by Sports Illustrated. On Campus, organizers decided to publicize the Krispy Kreme Challenge and turn it into something that would not only be an event to bring together people from all over the country, but also to benefit an important cause along the way. It was no surprise, when organizers selected The NC Children's Hospital as the most deserving beneficiary of this ultimate collegiate challenge."

As the author of the article wrote, in order to successfully finish the race its better not to eat lunch or dinner the day before. He also reported that a lot of the participants weren't capable of keeping all 12 donuts down before running the full 2 miles back. He stuck it out and finished in under an hour. As much as I like donuts, I would never participate in such a race. I would most definitely throw up after the 5th donut.

On another note, I will be participating in the Jerusalem Half Marathon at the end of March, if nothing drastic happens from now until then. I do have some long runs that I must get in and I hope to be able to do that towards the end of February when I have a week break from school. It has been raining (yay for the water levels, boo for the bottom of my pants) so I have been running at the gym and on the occassional sunny-ish morning. It is time to get my butt in gear tho. I do believe that no matter what happens, Danielle and I will finish the race together and it will prove a test of character, mind over matter, when your body is not prepared for the challenge.

No pain, no gain.

:)

Until next time.

Peace.

Time Management

I have a pretty full time job, I go to school, I workout and I like to sleep. Most of the time I feel that there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything successfully. If I were to add on top of that, kids and keeping house, I do not think I would be able to survive. So, my question is, how do they do it? The full time job workers, mothers of 4 and marathon women. When do they have time to train? How do they prioritise? When do they sleep?? Where do they get all that energy from? One of the reasons I decided not to run the Jerusalem Marathon is that I just didn't have enough time to train for it and right now my schooling is more important, after making a living and sleep, of course. I know that if I add to that 80km weeks I would not be able to function, as it is, it seems to be a struggle.

So, I turned to my running bible for help. A few months ago Runner's World published an article on time management. When to eat, when to sleep, when to weight train, when to get a massage... All the things I have been trying to do and not being so successful with. I will share with you the parts of the article that spoke to me the most, the rest you can check out on their website.

I have signed up for the Berlin Marathon in September, leaving me with the familiarity of training in the heat of the Summer. I hope that since Winter started so late here it will push off the inevitable unbearable heat we will have when I need to train. Its nice to be able to run races in the Country I live in but is sooo much more fun to run races abroad and see the World.
(The marathon is also 3 days before Rosh Hashana which will totally justify 3 days of eating without moving.)




Perfect Timing For Your Best :

Fuel Your Run
Eat too soon before you head out, and you could be plagued with GI issues. But if your last bite was hours ago, you could run out of steam. The goal is to time your meals so you're able to maintain a steady blood-sugar level throughout your workout. Bob Seebohar, R.D., a sports dietitian who works with both recreational and elite athletes, recommends eating a combination of carbohydrates and protein about one to four hours before a run (morning runners can skip a prerun snack if the workout is less than 60 minutes). Why the big range? Because how your body processes food is as individual as your fingerprint. One runner can hit the road just 15 minutes after eating toast and peanut butter; another needs two hours to fully digest and avoid stomach issues.

Stretch Out
Want to stir debate in running circles? Bring up stretching. Before? After? When injured? All are good times to stretch, as long as you're using the right technique. "Before a run, dynamic stretching helps elongate muscles so you run with optimal range of motion," says Chris Chorak, a San Francisco-based physical therapist and Ironman competitor. Postrun, static stretching (holding for 30 seconds) helps release tightness. Static stretching postrun may benefit chronic, achy pain because tight muscles are sometimes the culprits. Serious pain, however, changes the rules. "Sharp pain is a sign of an acute injury and shouldn't be stretched," Chorak says. "Grab an ice pack instead."

Hit the Road
Studies suggest that athletes perform best in the late afternoon—when most of us are still at work or on car-pool duty. Fortunately, research also shows that we can train our bodies to run well at any time of day simply by exercising regularly at that time. "When you consistently time your exercise, you train the cardiovascular system to deliver more oxygen to the working muscles at that time," says David W. Hill, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology at the University of North Texas who has studied how time of day influences athletic performance. But physiology is only one factor to consider. "If you live in Florida, heat, humidity, and pollution peak in the afternoon, so that's not a good time to run," he says. Hill also says that practicality, whether related to the weather, family, or work, should trump physiology.If you are prone to sleeplessness, avoid running three to four hours before bedtime, says Charles Samuels, M.D., medical director at the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary. "For people with insomnia, exercising too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep."

Refuel
After hard or long runs (two hours or more), eat carbs and protein within 30 minutes to restock energy stores and rebuild muscle. "After a short run, eating within an hour is fine," Seebohar says.

Get Strong
Two strength-training sessions per week can improve your running. "A strong body improves your biomechanics, which enables you to train harder and more effectively without increased injury risk," Dixon says. But strength training, especially if you're pushing weights, can be a hard workout, so separate those workouts from hard runs by at least a day. Less intense core and stability exercises (planks, bridges) are fine the day before hard running workouts and before or after an easy run. Dixon says it's best to avoid all strength training right after a hard workout so you don't interfere with recovery. And to go into your race-preparation as strong as possible, add a third strength day to your routine in the six to eight weeks before you start training for a race.

See a Therapist
A weekly massage will help relieve muscular tightness. "Regular massage addresses issues immediately, rather than having them develop over time," says Joanna Burdo, massage therapist in San Francisco. The ideal time to schedule one is 24 to 36 hours after a hard workout. If you have a race coming up, schedule a massage at least four days prior to your event. "A sports massage releases biological waste, which is a good thing, but it can leave the legs feeling heavy," says Andrew Kastor, a massage practitioner in Mammoth Lakes, California. A light massage postrace can feel good, but to really boost recovery, Kastor says to opt for an ice bath instead. Once race-induced muscle soreness has subsided (two to six days), a deep-tissue massage can help release tension.

Practice Yoga
The best time to do yoga depends on why you do it—as a form of strength training or as a daily stretch. If you do strength-based styles, once or twice a week is best. But doing a few poses after your daily run can improve flexibility. Tailor your yoga practice to your training cycle. "The off-season and base training are the best times to do powerful styles like Ashtanga," says Sage Rountree, a yoga teacher in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. During peak training, dial it down. "A too-vigorous practice during key training weeks can sap you of energy," she says. Reduce yoga to once a week, or do only gentle poses

Jet Set (The most important - in my opinion)
When is the best time to fly to a race? Your circadian rhythm—the body's internal 24-hour clock that regulates temperature, metabolism, and hormone levels—affects performance. To be at your best, experts suggest allowing a day per time zone for the body to regulate itself. Better yet, taper well. "Unless you're traveling across five time zones or more, the bigger performance issue is being well hydrated and well rested before getting on a plane," says Dr. Samuels, who is currently researching the effects of jet lag and travel fatigue on elite athletes. In the week leading up to your flight, the best thing you can do is drink plenty of water and get eight hours of sleep a night, he says.





In other news, Danielle and I went for a run Sunday and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I have been running here and there and really enjoying myself. I guess that means that the funk is over and it was smart of me to take a little break. I ran sprints yesterday, much faster than I remember running them a couple of months ago. Sometimes your body screams to you to slow down and rest. Most people are hard of hearing in this aspect but it really pays off to listen. Kind of like not hearing what your parents have been telling you your whole life until one day, you realise, that they have been right all along.

Until next time.

Peace.