Heating up....

We've relocated to FL and although it has similar temps as in Kansas in the summer, the humidity is just a bit stronger and the days seem to heat up even earlier if that's possible! (which is crazy considering I used to have to have completed my morning runs by 7:30 in order to beat the heat in Manhattan!)

Florida has proven to be a challenge for training and I bet even those still in Kansas can attest to the fact that summer training can be more tough than beating 'old man winter'.  Adaptation is critical.  In order to survive and beat the heat, you have to put yourself out there in it and sometimes it isn't a glorious process.

Let me suggest a few ideas for maximizing your time in the sun and maintaining as much as possible good training sessions.  After all, summer and fall races are just around the corner.

Nathan Water Bottles

They were created with the warm weather athlete in mind.  Slip on on your hand if you're heading out for a quick 5k and you'll be amazed at how that little bit of water motivates you.  Not only does it hold your water, but also your keys and cash if you're making any stops on the way.  At 8am it's about 85 here in FL, so even the smallest bit of liquid makes for a more efficient run!

The Bike is your summer training best friend

Yes, your bike.  Become one with it.  Where running can become daunting in the heat, the bike can allow for enough time to hydrate and coast where you can log far more miles on a hot summer day.  It's an excellent time to amp up the mileage on the bike provided you're wearing the proper wicking gear and have the camelbak loaded with electrolytes.  Whether hitting the beach road or the single track trails, you don't have an excuse to decrease mileage on the bike during the summer.  Take your bike on commutes and have it prepared on your car rack for any last minute rides. That way, you're always prepared for a riding sess.  No excuses here. 

Kick up the interval training

What do you do when you can't run your 15k non-stop in the 90 degree heat?  Bring in the interval training full force.  During the summer, it is wise to schedule your long runs for an early morning session.  Weekends will still probably be the best time to guarantee you get that run in, but this time set the alarm for sooner.  You want to be completing your run before the heat kicks in too much and slows you down.  For me in FL, that means a 5:15am wake-up call and believe me, it is getting warm by then even!  Schedule several interval sessions during the week though to include 6 *400 m, 4 *800m, 8 *200m, and this is just a start.  Play around with your intervals, mix in fartleks (pick a tree or a power line pole, sprint to it, and repeat).  Have fun with it and enjoy the breaks in between as an opportunity to hydrate and cool down. 

Find your inner peace...YOGA

I'm a bit biased being a yoga teacher myself but I can't tell runners or bikers enough how yoga can take them to a whole new edge in their training.  Many times after a long training session the last thing we want to do is stretch but our bodies require it in order to lengthen the muscles and allow for growth in training.  Yoga not only helps the physical body but it disciplines the mental body as well.  Many athletes find that a fast flowing vinyasa class is a perfect combination of strength, stretch, sweat and mental stamina for their cross-training days.  Try it out and I mean give it 2-3 classes.  If you find the right class or studio, you'll find a whole new level of happiness in your training. Namaste~

Extreme Kansas? You decide.....

Did you make a New Year's resolution to break free of your old workout routine and challenge yourself in an entirely new way? If you did, you might find your niche in an adventure race. If you have been hardcore about adhering to your winter workout regimen, and you have a strong desire to test your endurance level ( and your patience), you'll find the transition to adventure race training to be a good fit.

Here's a breakdown of several upcoming races in March in the Milford, Kansas area:

Extreme Breakup (25 miles)- Remember Geography 101 class? Brush up if terms like 'contour lines' and 'UTM' escape you. This race is designed to test even the most experienced racers but is also open to those beginners that are prepared for a true challenge. Approximately 25 miles of awesome Flint Hills terrain will be covered by orienteering, kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, repelling and of course the infamous team challenge. So grab your teammates and hit those trails for some extreme training before the big day. Be prepared to leave it all on the course (blood, sweat and tears)-it's going to be a WILD race.



Thumper Classic (12 Miles)-Just a beginner with an insane desire to find out just what the crazy sport of adventure racing is all about? This is your race. Your team of 2-4 people will be tasked with completing 12 miles in the rolling Flint Hills trekking, mountain biking and kayaking to the finish line while using basic navigation skills to get you through the gorgeous terrain. This race is also perfect for a mom/dad and son/daughter combination!



If you're looking to become more familiar with adventure racing, check out the following articles:


Adventure Racing 101: The Basics

Adventure Racing 101: Event Training


Adventure Racing 101: Orienteering, Team Training and Packing



Check back or subscribe to my blog for gear reviews and race specific training in the coming weeks!

The 'Perfect' Training Lifestyle

I was reading a blog on Runner's World and the discussion revolved around how genetics and effort played into a person running at his fullest potential. One comment that popped up used the phrase the 'perfect' training lifestyle-indicating that the average individual doesn't have the time, resources, willpower or energy to reach our 'maximum' potential. This phrase struck a cord with me and I had to ask myself: 'What is the perfect training lifestyle

We all strive to find a way to fit everything into our days. Be it school, kids, or work, before one even schedules in their workouts and training the day can already be full. So if you're never really able to set aside the hours in the week to train and condition your body, how will you ever be able to reach your full potential you may ask yourself? With a lot of organization, the ability to be flexible and the capability to reach new limits, you'll discover that building YOUR perfect training lifestyle is well within your grasp.

PRIORITIZE
Begin by reevaluating your week and see where all your hours are going. Track it daily: sleeping, eating, driving, homework, working, chill time, exercise and the list continues. See where you have some hours that could be better utilized for training, prepping your meals, and even sleeping, YES sleeping! You'll discover that it's not necessarily just the training that increases your maximum threshold but also other factors such as diet and rest that will get your body into it's optimal condition.

MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER
Many exercise enthusiasts over the years have discovered that it's not necessarily how many miles you log in a week but instead how much you are able to get out of your mileage. Do you have a race goal? If so, gage your workouts to prepare for that race and don't over train-train smart. An excellent tool to use if you are a runner is the 'smart coach' on Runner's World - . It's a great way to get an estimate on how many miles you should be putting in a week depending on your goals. But don't stop there. Continue to personalize your workout plan by honing into the way the mind sometimes knows the body best.






THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION
You've heard it time and time again but what is it really? How do you get your mind to listen to what your body is telling you and how do you get your body to listen to your mind when you're telling it to finish that last mile or last set. Some call it will power. Others begin to find a deeper connection that involves more of an intuition where the mind begins to listen to the messages the body is sending it. During activity, the body naturally produces endorphins, or 'nature's painkillers'. By becoming so driven to finish our training the messages our bodies are sending us become masked. Begin to tune into your body more by documenting your energy levels before and after training for 2 weeks. By this time you should be able to begin to develop a habit of developing 'body intuition'. Don't forget the cross-training days either. Try a yoga class where you can begin to develop that mental awareness of the body. Not only will it provide mental clarity, but it is also an incredible way to stretch out those muscles that have been tightened and shortened through exercise.

Kicking the 'Summer Slump'

I have it. I'll admit it. I find myself dreaming of my winter/spring races and training days where I felt like a million bucks. I even find myself daydreaming during my runs of 'a life less heated' as I truck through the hot sun and humidity that drench my summer training sessions where my mileage is sometimes cut in half and the minutes just keep getting tacked on as the heat climbs.

I found myself trying to research what was wrong with my body. I wanted to make sure that my fitness level wasn't dropping to an all time low; that I wasn't doing something wrong. I wanted to make sure that once racing season came around in the fall I would be ready to go and not trailing the pack in front of me. It's nothing with fitness level, and sometimes even though we all try to make our runs/training days less painful (see blog on "Keeping Cool..." below) sometimes it just isn't possible. So that's where I learned one word within my research: consistency.

As runners/athletes we are trained towards another word: progress . If we're not making it, then we're not doing our bodies justice. During the summer months that is not necessarily the case. When it's 80 degrees with 90% humidity at 6 am, you can't help the fact that your run will feel the same as a run in say 70 degree weather with little humidity. Although the progress is slower, the key is maintaining . One foot in front of the other out the door will ensure you make your way past your summer slump.

Another critical component is to carefully set your goals. If you're looking at getting up early to catch that semi-cool morning air, don't set your alarm for 4:30 if you regularly wake up at 8:00am. Try setting your alarm for 7am and go for a 20 minute run. Do that for a week and then by the next week, set it for 6:30am, and increase your workout from 30-40min. You get the point. Not only will this ensure that you are gradually getting up earlier but it will also adapt your body to wanting to get some shut eye earlier at night. Gradually increasing your workout time and waking up earlier is a surefire way to help you reach your goals and work on maintaining consistency in your workouts over the hot summer months.

So kick off your pj's, lace up your running shoes and remember this if you ever get discouraged out there beating the summer heat:

You have a choice. You can either throw in the towel or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face.
-Gatorade ad

Training 101: The Brick

Adventure Race season is in full swing and although the heat can keep training at bay, it's important to still be working on techniques that you want to master. This could mean bettering your overall race time or simply moving from a 'sprint' race (4-8 hours) to a long race (8-12+ hours).

One workout that I can venture to say never gets easier,yet provides a break from the monotony of just riding or just running is the 'brick'. The focus of the brick in adventure racing is to adjust your legs from the bike to the run and vice-a-versa with ease. Not that it will ever truly be easy, but like any workout, with the proper conditioning it is possible to find comfort in taking those legs from the circling motion of the pedals to the striding motion of a run without letting the jello-y feeling win over your conscience. The trick is to train yourself to run faster and farther after dismounting the bike. The muscles used for the bike and the run vary hence the heavy feeling that usually follows the bike! As the blood flows from the bike muscles to the running muslces your heartrate increases and dramatically affects your normal running pace if your body isn't in 'brick' condition. Try one of the suggestions below to ramp up your training! Even if you're not planning any races, this is an excellent cross-training exercise that you can actually have fun with! (if one considers the jello-y leg feeling fun.)

Beginning the Brick

If you're just beginning to train with bricks I suggest starting with a small and manageable number. Even if you are a regular biker or runner, the motion of moving from bike to run for several transitions will be an entirely new feeling. Here's' a suggestion:

3 rounds of:

2 miles bike-.5 mile run

Resting 2 minutes between each transition to hydrate and REPEAT!

If you're logging 30-40 miles on your bike a week and 10 plus miles on the trail/pavement:

3 rounds of:

4-5 miles bike-1 mile run

Rest and Repeat.

If you're logging 50+ miles on your bike a week and 20 plus miles on the trail/pavement:

3-4 rounds of:

7-8 miles bike-2 mile run

Rest and Repeat.

I also suggest logging your bricks to keep track of your progress and to continue increasing your miles. The brick can be adapted to any current workout plan. Road bike and road running or mountain bike and trail running. Mix up the terrain and you'll be surprised at how you can test your body and reveal your weaknesses. Find a partner to brick with even and keep each other motivated!

Don't forget to hydrate either via water bottle or camelbak. If you're wearing your camelbak, take it with you on your run too. This will help you increase your endurance for a race or just add an additional challenge.

Carrying several gel packs with you might come in handy as well. One of my favorites is the Clif Gel Mango flavored. For those unfamiliar with the gel packs heed this warning: they may be one of the most vile, strange textured things you eat but they work. Your body needs the replenishment of the electrolytes and calories when you have hard training days.



For an added electrolyte boost and a better taste give Clif Bloks a shot (say that 10 times fast). They're like gummy bears for adults. Super power gummy bears.


So take to the pavement or trails and schedule a brick into your weekly workout. And on that final round as you're rearing the end of your run just remember:
Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
Repeat it to yourself 5 times and it will quickly become your mantra for motivation.

Taking to the Trails.....

Piedmont Trail~ Duluth, MN ~ with our nieces Justice and Ellie~






I just returned from an absolutely INCREDIBLE trip to the Boundary Waters Area Canoe Wilderness in Minnesota/Canada and am already missing early morning coffee next to the campfire, the breeze in my hair on the boat, and the trails that we hiked that could have taken us to no-mans land. The opportunity for exploration is endless up there and it was so refreshing to meet some like minded people. Chris and I also had the opporotunity to take our 2 nieces on a hike while we were in Duluth and they couldn't have had a better experience! They were so entralled with the trail that they had to take turns every 5 minutes being the 'trail guide'. Rather than hiking at times we were running because of the sheer excitment that they just had to see what was around the corner. I had to smile because I was reminded of my childhood and how the outdoor experiences that my mom and dad provided to my sister and I shaped who we are today. We learned so much about ourselves and about mother nature. We grew up appreciating the simple things like widdling a stick to cook a marshmallow on, catching a fish on a homemade rod, picking blueberries for jam and enjoying the company of good friends on a camping trip. Like all other trips when I was younger, we made this hiking trip no different for the girls-there would be a lesson on safety first and foremost. When your dad is a survival instructor, you learn at a young age to 'always be prepared'. That motto is with me for a lifetime and I have applied it in all sorts of events in my life.
Chris and I both wanted Justice and Ellie to understand that you have to be prepared before you venture into the woods on your own. Below you will find the tips that we provided for them and in effect, everyone should heed. (We quizzed the girls after the hike and they got a 100! :-)

Bugspray
being blessed to have family in two mosquito capitals of the U.S. (Minnesota and Florida-although i think Minnesota still claims that the mosquito is their state bird), this is essential. Spray or pay.

Sunscreen
Even though the cover of the trees is excellent protection from harmful UV rays, you're still not immune to coming down with lobster face. Spray it on, rub it on, wear long sleeves and a hat-whatever you do, don't come out fried!

Whistle
If you get lost, the whistle will never fail you. The garmin might run out of batteries, the map might get wet. But if you ever loose your hiking buddy, the whistle will be there rain, sleet or snow.

Knife
Now for the girls, we mentioned only the 'adults' carry these. You never know when you might have to defend yourself against some strange wood creature, filet a fish, cut a branch, or play McGyver. Never leave for the trails without one.

Water
Because you've gotta stay hydrated. Depending on temperature and climate your body will loose plenty of sweat climbing that elevation or winding along those curves through the trees-'you don't want to come out looking like a raisen do you?' I told Justice-she quickly responded 'EW! No way!' Drink up-and bring plenty of it. For a short 1-2 hour hike in the summer a 40 oz bladder should be plenty. Anything longer and if the temps are scorching in the 100's- be safe with the 100 oz. Better to be a fish than a raisen right?

Food
If you don't have to truly 'survive' in the woods, don't resort to picking things and hunting for food. Pack granola bars, trail mix, a pb&j or even a candy bar! With all the calories you can burn on a hike verses a walk you'll need to replinish for energy. What a better way to bribe a kid to enjoy some mother nature than with a chocolate bar?

Map/Compass
Even though sometimes we'd like to think we won't get lost, there will be no gas stations along the way to ask for directions-so err on the side of caution and bring a map and a compass. Plot your possible course and note the mileage making sure you'll have enough time to complete the hike before dusk.

Cell Phone
Yes, the modern eco-adventurer now carries a cell phone on his list of priorioty items. Preferably in a waterproof case just in case of rain. Even though service might be spotty, there are always hills to get to the top of to find service should you need it for an emergency. Just don't count on it as your number one survival tool. If you do, you'll find yourself highly disappointed that most major cell phone companies fail to cater to lost 'granola's'.

First Aid Kit
There will be bug bites, scrapes, cuts, bruises and maybe even a few slivers so never and I mean NEVER hike without one! It may not be able to save your life with it, but it comes pretty close to making it a lot more enjoyable for the duration of your journey.

HIT THE TRAILS!

Keeping Your Cool in the Dog Days of Summer

Let's face it-summer is upon us everywhere and there' no where to hide. That once cool afternoon spring jog or bikeride has turned into a stifling, muggy expedition that causes every ounce of energy to be drained from your tortured body. What do you do you wonder? Do you hit the air conditioned gym where many outdoor enthusiasts find their safe haven from the summer heat? Do you become an early riser hitting the pavement or park for a 5 am workout? Relax in knowing that you're not alone in dreading the hot, humid weather as it puts a damper on your spring progress towards your goals. Here's some quick tips on how to continue 'ever onward' in your fitness quest:




Follow the Dress Code

Heading out in the summer in cotton t-shirts and baggy shorts are a surefire way to make your 5 mile run quickly turn into a dreaded, hot and sticky 2 mile run that leaves you feeling frustrated. Make sure that you update your wardrobe to include tanktops and running shorts with a wick-away or cool-dry material that will keep the sweat off your body. Given that we all sweat at different rates based on our body mass and body types, one of the best things you can do for yourself is dress appropriately for that summer sun.

HYDRATE All Day

It's critical not only to hydrate post-workout but also before and during if possible. Add a couple glasses of water to your morning coffee routine and you'll find that not only will it rev you up for your run, but if it's cold enough, it can also successfully cool your core body temperature. The cooler you are prior to your workout, the more successful you will be at beating the heat. If you're running, plan a route where you can hit up a park that has a water fountain. Bring a couple bucks with you to hit up a gas station mid run and grab a bottle of water or some gatorade to replace the electrolytes you'll be loosing. Don't forget to hydrate after the workout as well. If you're workout is longer than an hour, supplement with electrolytes to ensure that your body will retain all that liquid. For every hour of activity on average our bodies can loose up to 1 lb. Balance your water loss by hydrating with a minimum of 16-24 oz. of water plus electrolytes to keep your body running optimally. Happy drinking!

Build Up

To adapt yourself to the heat make sure you slowly build yourself up. Sometimes there is a need to cut back your distance or time of being in the sun by more than half at first and then gradually week by week add one more mile or another 15 minutes of being in the sun. Don't expect to be at your current mileage or workout time when the temperatures take a turn for the 90's when you were used to the 70's. Your body is requiring much more energy and effort to keep itself cool and tires much more easily. Track your progress over the weeks and get outside every day until the the 90 degree heat is a piece of cake. Adaptation takes practice and patience!

Stick to the Shade

If you ever noticed how extreme the temperature is next to blacktop then you know what I mean when i say without exagerattion that the temperature can jump by 10-15 degrees creating an unbearable run. Stick to the side streets, check out some local trails, jog through some scenic neighborhoods or do your park workout in the shade by the trees. Sometimes the sun is unavoidable but if you can dodge it for a workout why not?

REST DAYS

Incorporating rest days in your weeks is just as important as your training days. Remember-you will get stronger, faster and more adapted to your regimen during rest periods, not from training harder! So give yourself a break. Ensure that you are resting plenty after a long hard workout and you'll reap more dividends than a savvy shareholder in the end.