Street Run w/Circuits; Blue

For today’s cloudy street run with circuits, I made my stops at 2 of the 3 bridges in my neighborhood. At the first bridge, I stopped and did 25 Incline Tricep Extensions, Alternating Side Shuffles down to the end of the bridge with Sprint back, and Soccer Kicks x 3 sets!

At my 2nd stop, at the Gazebo, I did 25 Alternating Step Ups with a Knee, 25 Bench Sit Ups, and 25 Decline Shoulder Taps x 3 sets!

At my 3rd and final stop, at the second bridge, I did walking lunges down and back which totaled 60! Esh! Then I did Low Squat Lateral Walks all the way down in one direction then back in the other direction, and finally alternating lateral walk and squat combo down and then back down! My legssssss….burned! Then I had to run back home for my last mile, lol!

Boost your street run by adding circuits!

Have a killer day!

Elda

Running with a twist

I woke up this morning realizing that I was out of coffee…crap. Might as well brew up one of the ten or so tea blends I’ve been collecting and wanting to try someday. I experimented with an orange citrus green tea and sprinkled a chai blend over it.

Tasty but it just didn’t do it. I felt blah and had a foggy head all day today.

Since today was a rest day from strength training, I thought I’d go for a nice run to clear my cloudy head. My friend Stephanie was just telling me about her recent run where she added burpees and jump squats and other exercises at every mile or so that reminded me of what I use to do running my Blockhouse Creek loop.

I was only planning on a steady 4.5mi run but as soon add I hit the road I immediately felt an amazing energy that encouraged me to go breast mode!

I just got done running 5 miles with 10 burpees, 25 push ups, 25 plank jacks & 25 walking lunges at every mile! It was rough and I went to bitch stitch city, man my sides were cramping but I pushed through it!

EVERY TIME I do not feel like working out, I have THE BEST workouts!

Give it a shot, see where it takes YOU!

Running is my meditation

I went on my first run in almost a month this morning. It had been too long for various reasons but mostly because I badly twisted my right ankle.
I recently noticed stress creeping in over the last few days, maybe weeks. Running somehow allows my mind to clearly think. While running, I do listen to music or a podcast but I always wonder off.
I was able to think about my upcoming promotion, training for my next powerlifting meet, my new business and having lunch with my dad this afternoon. I was able to take deep breaths and ponder different paths with opposing directions to help guide me in making solid decisions for my life.
This is mediation. A breathing and visualisation process while at peace.

The Bitch Stitch

I ran (and won) a 5k early November. I wasn’t anticipating running competitively because I was told it wasn’t timed, plus I was running with a group and wanted to support them. I hadn’t gone for a run in two weeks but again, I wasn’t anticipating running competitively.

The morning of the run was a little cold but nice and like any other run I only had some coffee before heading out. We arrived at the park, put on our race numbers and began to warm up. Race time was approaching we made our way to the front, just behind the start line. At that point I learned this race was indeed timed and I felt pretty good about my chances…yeah, I sized up potential challengers, ha,ha,ha! I turned to my team mates and was like “Yeah….I’m gonna hit the ground running….fast.” They laughed because they knew I couldn’t hold back.

We were off! I was not familiar with the race course so I kept a steady pace but stayed ahead of the other females : ) Mile 1 was done, 1.5 then mile 2. Mile 2 sucked. All of a sudden I felt that horrid sharp pain just underneath the right side of my bottom rib. Immediately, I practiced all the techniques I knew of that has helped relieve this awful pain in the past….burping, manipulating my breathing, deep breaths….nothing worked. I slowed just a little and took a look back and was glad that I was still ahead of any other challengers. It was the last 1/2 mile and the pain worsened. I wonder if anyone noticed me crunching down on my right side towards the end but then again I still had a smile on my face and wanted the win.

There it is, the finish line! With everything I had and a slight cringe look on my face, I finished the race crunched to one side but with a big smile on my face! I knew I had won overall female but I knew my time sucked. I finished close to 25min (and also won overall in my age group) but I know I could’ve done it just over 22min.

So what is the bitch stitch, side stitch, side ab pain, etc….? I’ve read it’s simply a muscle spasm. How to get rid of it? Here’s what has helped me in the past:

Don’t eat or drink anything at least 2 hours before your run. I prefer first thing in the morning runs with only some coffee.
Warm up with a brisk walk – this will help warm up your lunges by creating a breathing pattern.
Once you begin to run, maintain a consistent breathing pattern. Depending on your pace, try breathing in for about 3 strides and 3 strides out. Give yourself a nice big deep breath from time to time throughout your run.
Spit your saliva. I’m not girly so I don’t mind doing this at all. This allows less swallowing of any air.
Burp.
If you feel one coming on, I try burping first. Or slow down, keep your core tight, breathe deeply and try burping again. Once this happens, it’s instant relief! I could simply resume my nice steady pace.

Other methods I’ve heard but have not tried:

When experiencing a bitch stitch, try landing on the opposite foot of where your pain is for the exhale. If the sensation is on the right side, land on your left foot while exhaling.
Eat salt. I did read somewhere to dab some salt on your tongue….ha, sorry but I don’t carry salt on me.
Stop and stretch by raising your arm of the side in pain overhead. I can usually relive the pain before needing to stop.

I get slapped with the bitch stitch on random occasions. Sometimes it cramps up on evening runs or morning runs and sometimes not at all. Sometimes it comes on during my short 3-5 mile runs and sometimes it doesn’t. I can go miles and miles, week after week, before ever experiencing the side stitch then one day, BAM, there it is.

Cold weather in Texas…love or hate running in it?

Running in below 50 degree weather is both a love and hate relationship. First, like a crazy woman, I usually have an argument with myself and throw reasons to run and reasons not to run back and forth in my head. Ultimately, I get dressed and head out. In the first mile or two I feel like my lungs are slowly solidifying and about to crack! Of course they don’t and eventually the sensation goes away. After that I start to think “Man, it’s getting hot in this sweater!” and wish I hadn’t worn so many layers of clothing. In the end, the only sensation I may be feeling is a numb nose. Once your body warms up and the runners high kicks in, you’ll never regret this run. I really do love the quote “Wow, I really regret that workout. -No One Ever”

Tips for running in the cold:

Don’t wear too many layers. Some do well with short sleeves and shorts in 50-35 degree weather or shorts and long sleeves w/gloves and a beanie under 35 degrees. I’m a wuss, I wear compression or dry fit pants and long sleeves along with gloves. Under 35 degree weather, I’ll add a pull over sweater and a headband that covers my ears. Be aware of rain in the forecast. Cover up completely to avoid hypothermia or frostbite in longer distance runs.
Wear lip balm. Chapped lips is not only unattractive but can be painful.
Stay hydrated! Just because you might not sweat as much, you still need to drink up. If you’re a morning runner make sure you drink .75-1oz of water per body weight the day before. I recommend this much water intake everyday!
Push through the first mile or two, you may experience “cold lungs” or “freezing” fingers and toes but don’t worry, the sensation will go away.

Protect yourself, always.

texashouseofstrength

Embody your strength.

Running