My run spot.

Throughout my race yesterday, I realized that I was running pretty hard, but definitely didn’t expect to feel like I got run over by a bus when I woke up this morning. 

I did. I felt like I got run over by a bus when I rolled out of bed this morning.

My legs hurt. My abs hurt. My back hurts. My brain hurts. 

It’s pretty standard to be sore after race day. Here’s why:

What I’m experiencing is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - or DOMS for short. DOMS is soreness experienced 12-48 hours post exercise (I’m usually most sore about 36 hours following events). The soreness is a product of various chemicals that are released within the muscle cell (due to muscle breakdown), and these products stimulate the nerve endings within the muscle (which is what produces the pain). 

They say muscle breakdown is at its peak 48 hours post exercise - therefore the accumulation of repair/damage fluids within the muscle only stops after this period. The pain is a combination of damage and pressure caused by the extra fluids within the muscle that stimulate the nerve endings.

How to reduce the effects of DOMS:

1. Ice Bathe post exercise. This will help reduce the inflammation as well as help flush some of the fluids out of your muscles.

2. Massage. I use my trusty foam roller and get some circulation going in the affected areas. It’s painful, but worth it. 

3. Get moving! As long as you are not injured, exercise can be beneficial. Low intensity, no impact activities (such as cycling or swimming) can do wonders to help get the blood to flow back in those legs. 

Happy Valentine’s Day :)

Long runs can be challenging for a number of reasons - time, distance, boredom and fitness are all important factors to consider. Hydration and nutrition durant your run is one that should not be forgotten. 

General rule of thumb, if you’re heading out for a run that will last longer than 90 minutes, water and food (many like to use gels) are super helpful. For starters, hydration pre-run is incredibly important - according to a study by Armstrong and Costill in 1985, only 2% decrease in body weight that is attributed to water loss can cause a runner to slow down by almost 7%! So by being well hydrated pre-run, you are ahead of the game on this one. In a marathon, it is estimated that a runner can lose up to 10% of their body weight..! 

Hydration during exercise, though, will help keep some of the negative side effects of dehydration (i.e. increase in body temp, elevated heart rate, decrease in performance) at bay. 

In terms of nutrition, whatever you ingest will help keep your glycogen levels from crashing too low  - and in turn, will keep you going for longer. The amount, however, is very much up to the runner. I eat every 30 minutes after I’ve passed the 40 minute mark in my long runs. Some go as far as suggesting that athletes should be ingesting carbohydrates every 10 minutes! My pick: either a lara bar (cashew cookie is my fave) or sharkies. 

What about electrolytes? Sweat is composed of water and electrolytes, right!? Yes, electrolytes are lost during sweat. But they are also (mostly) lost during urination - who’s rate decreases rapidly during exercise in order to control homeostatic levels of electrolytes. This is a topic that I’ll have to go into detail to explain, but the short of the long is that sodium lost through sweat do come back to normal levels about 48-72 hours post long run. This is with or sans replenishment via “electrolyte” beverages (ie. Gatorade). 

Finally, post run. Of course, post run is very important for recovery. Typically, I will have a meal comprised of eggs and sweet potato or oatmeal following a long run. That way, I have a good mix of protein and carbohydrates to help with muscle repair and glycogen replenishment. One study in particular has shown that post exercise, recovery-type drinks containing both carbohydrates and protein are much more efficient at replenishing muscle glycogen than beverages such as Gatorade and Powerade. So if you are stuck, go for something with a combination of nutrients.

Ok! Rest time for this girl. Tomorrow morning, I’m heading out with the “dream team” at Broadway Run Club for a 21k run. When training for a sub 3:30 marathon (my “official” goal for Boston), long runs should be anywhere between 5:30 and 6:30 min/km. I don’t plan to keep up for most of it as they run a 4:30 min/km for their long runs, but hey - one can always dream! 

So it’s Thursday. And my total mileage for the week is currently 10k. I’m supposed to run 53k this week. Yikes. 

I know we are spoiled here in Vancouver in regards to the weather, but the last 5 days have been a great reminder of why I live here and not in Ontario/New Brunswick. It’s freaking cold! 

It makes me wonder how I ever trained for a marathon in this type of weather - not to mention the icy and snowy streets! This week, I might just have to take my training to a treadmill. So naturally, I thought of the pros and cons of treadmill training - here’s what I came up with:

- Treadmills are not realistic - running on a treadmill simulates running on perfectly even ground - which is practically impossible to find outdoors. Unless the incline changes throughout your workout, you are continually using the exact same muscle recruitment patterns, which may not transfer well to running outdoors. Also, there is a lot of passive hip extension, so you’re not recruiting your glutes or hamstrings nearly as much versus being outside. The belt basically brings the hip into extension for you (to a certain extent). (Thanks Nick for that last one!) 

- It’s a wind free environment - as much as headwind is annoying, it does help you build strength as a runner. While running indoors, you don’t benefit from this type of “resistance training” and it may hinder you when you finally do get outdoors. 

- Totally calculated - for hill training and speed work, treadmills can be glorious. Want to run a 6:00 min/mile for 3:00 minutes? Program it, and go for it. Be safe - if you can’t hold on to the pace, “straddle” the treadmill.

- Warmth. On a treadmill, there is no ice. 

So - my plan of action for the rest of the week: 8k of speed work on the treadmill in store for tonight - 4 X 1 mile at 6:15min/mile. Friday, 12k in rolling hills and a 20k LSD on Sunday morning. Giddy up! 

Holy Moley. Last weekend, I went away on a quick getaway and of course, made sure to bring all my running gear with me. It was only when I was gearing up to head out for a beautiful afternoon run that I realized I had forgotten my trusty sports bra. All I had was my bathing suit top. Yikes. 

Every single girl that I know that runs has a favourite bra. Mine is my Pink Champion 360 Max Support Sport Bra (see below). I don’t think I could live without it. I have been wearing the same style of running bra since 2002 and I don’t plan on changing any time soon. 

Why I love it: Nothing moves. Ever. Period. It is also comfortable, is a super cute colour (it also comes in black and white), and it lasts. I have owned close to a dozen of these in the past decade and some have lasted me well over 5 years. For someone that wears this at least 3 times per week - thats pretty awesome. It’s also totally affordable - $50 a piece. 

What I love it for: Running, working out, anything high impact. I don’t love it for yoga - it is a bit constricting for that. 

Though I have experienced some chafing with this one on long runs (typically anything over 90 minutes), it is by far my favourite choice. 

Runners up: lululemon’s Flow Y Bra for Yoga and cycling. I own at least 2 of these and usually wear it for more casual activities. Another popular in fellow female runners is the Nike Pro Victory Compression Bra - great for support and comfort. 

What’s your fave?