You're cramping my run

I am pretty sure everyone who runs or races has experienced the dreaded cramps that makes your toes curl and slows down your running to where all you can think about is that you will not be making it in the time that you intended to finish with to crush your previous PR.

The things that I will share in my blog is hindsight that I am hoping I've learned my lesson and will not repeat on my upcoming races.

I've researched about cramps and although there are articles out there that shares the possibility of cramps, there is no definite answer because it can be to undertraining, nutrition, weather or you are just blessed with the ability to have cramps cling to your calves.

Honolulu Marathon 2013
Before the Honolulu Marathon, I was training but not as much in the mileage as I should have to where I researched on what I can do to maintain fuel / hydration to bring me to the finish line. And thank goodness the Honolulu Marathon expo had great vendors there because I was introduced the brand zipfizz.

I almost bought there bottle too but my husband was with me, which later he shared he was surprised I didn't just purchase it because it was a deal (darn!).

Anyhow, I have to share that I liked it because it carried me through. From what I understand, you are to use this with your water and it helps you maintain every 4-6 hours. As I look back at the marathon, it was zipfizz along with the water/gatorade stations that helped sustain me along with me buying pretzels around  the 23 mile marker. The only thing I did not care for about zipfizz are their plastic containers. It's cumbersome (not that I wanted to carry 10 but still...)

Great Aloha Run 2014
2014 rolls around and the Great Aloha Run is waving at me quickly. That morning, I under prepared. I didn't tape up (KT my calves-mistake #1) nor did I bring all of my NUUN tablet drink because I only poured it in my two little bottles that were attached to my waist pack (mistake #2) while I carried watered down gatorade...WATERED DOWN GATORADE...

The experience I had with the Great Aloha Run was not funny at all because the timing was perfect until I hit mile 7. As soon as I slowed to take in sports beans and a drink, my toes curled on it's own. I thought it was my KT tape coming undone but it wasn't. It was my toes curling on its own because my body was already dehydrated (it was muggy and I was pissed because my husband ran ahead of me despite the fact that I told him to run ahead earlier in our run). What further aggravated me was the fact that mile 7 is all hill and I was afraid of tearing my calf muscle if I pushed myself faster than I should.

So, what should have taken 10-15 minutes for me to get to Aloha Stadium took me over an hour to where I didn't crush my previous PR and it left me in a foul mood because now I have to run the Great Aloha Run next year to redeem myself.

Spartan Race at Aloha Stadium
I didn't want a repeat of what happened at Aloha Stadium, so I carb-loaded and prepared my fuel/hydration for during and after the race. Let me just say that when you do obstacle racing, your body is working out way more than a regular run to where whatever you have stored in glycogen will deplete quickly if you do not fuel/hydrate well.

Well, I kept popping sports beans and drinking my zipfizz throughout the stadium but towards the run to the last spiral (down), my toes twitched and I was like, "Oh hell stinkin' NO". I managed to make it through the finish line but it floored me because throughout all this time while I'm running, my bladder was always full to where I would have to stop to use the bathroom. So, after the race, I'm still stumped on what happened to where I have come to the conclusion that it falls on me on how I trained and my nutrition intake:

• I am not taking enough nutrients in my body
• I am not training as I should be that would have minimized any injuries or setbacks if I did

I also posted on the Spartan Chick page as well as others giving me advice and the number one item people have been sharing is...mustard. Have you tried it? I haven't but I'm considering on having this in the pockets of my hydration pack to carry along during the Spartan Race.

Hindsight and planning for the future events

• Revamp my nutrition intake and plan smarter
• Revamp my training to endurance training that will take me out of my comfort zone

And I found another brand that I think I will try prior to the Spartan Race in August:

 

 

At least I can try this out prior to my half-marathon to see if my body takes well to this but I have a feeling that I am over-preparing in regards to these type of products when what I should be doing is focusing on training on strengthening those weak areas (calves).

 

Have you found something that works for you? Do share

What have you been up to?

If you blog, you ever have blog block? I did for over a month. I haven't been keeping up with my yelp reviews either!

However, I have been keeping up with my running and training for the Spartan Race! 

Here's a recap of what I have been up to:

The Neon Vibe at Aloha Stadium (January 3, 2014) #7

 

Spartan Race Training by SGX Hawaii at Aloha Stadium (January 5, 2014)

The Great Aloha Run (February 17, 2014) #8

 

This was taken before the race by my daughter who was nice to drop us off at 5:00am in downtown Honolulu.

Me going thru the tunnel over TWO HOURS later from the start time. I cramped badly by mile 7 (boo).

5 days later...

The Warrior Dash (February 22, 2014) #10

(Before the race)

(Jumping over fire)

(At the finish line. Note: calf sleeves and mud makes me look like I have thankles...thighs + ankles)

(After the race)

Not mine but my best friend who broke her ankle in three places attempting to slide down an obstacle.

One month later...

 

The Spartan Race at Aloha Stadium (March 23, 2014)!!! #11

 

My dad and youngest son did the Spartan Race too!

(At my prettiest)

(Those lava seats)

(Just passed through the over, under and through walls with cramps!)

(One of the best moments running to the finish line with my dad!)

 

And guess who just signed up for the Spartan Race Trifecta Weekend on August 16-17, 2014 at Kualoa Ranch? Me!

Upcoming events:

-Hapalua Half-marathon (April 13, 2014)

-Makahiki Challenge at Kualoa (May 24, 2014)

-Spartan Race Trifecta Weekend at Kualoa Ranch (August 16-17, 2014)

-Color Run (November 2014)

-Kawela Bay North Shore 5k (November 2014)

-Honolulu Marathon (December 2014)

-Jingle Rock Run by Make-a-Wish (December 2014)

Are you ready? Do what works for you!

 

You would think that getting fit would be simple. Watch what you eat and do some sort of physical exercise, right? Wrong.

It's like with anything that is poorly planned, if it is not well-thought of without a clear goal or vision in sight, it will fall to the wayside. Thus, the many roller coasters of fluctuating weight and forever keeping those bigger jeans "just in case".

When you read that last sentence I just wrote, it gives you a pause doesn't it? I'm pretty sure we are all guilty of doing that but this time...it's different. It's time to get rid of the bigger size "just in case" mentality and get rid of it. This time resolve to make a difference for a better and healthier YOU.

Yesterday, I was lazy. I simply did not want to run or do anything except take a nap as soon as my husband and I got home from the movies (I'm thinking it has something to do with the popcorn and hot dog as well as not really eating any lunch). However, I kept thinking in my mind, "You have four big race events coming up...you can't slack at all, woman. GET UP."

 

I dressed in my running gear and laced up. As I started running, I kept thinking about the half-marathon training plan. I don't know about you but there is a rebellious streak in me that says, "I want to do things my way." And that made me pause because it made me think about my previous post. There are some training plans that works for me, like SOHI Fitness training plan because she scaled it down to what worked for me without discouraging me. In addition, I shared with my husband, "I'm 42 years old. My body is not like how it was in my 20's or 30's. I have to train smart." He agreed.

What is training smart? As I shared in my previous blog post, know what works and what doesn't work for you. Training smart is listening to your body, noticing the aches and pains that is normally associated with getting older and planning on workouts that works for YOU.

Training smart also means nutritionally smart, which is learning how to research on foods (i.e., complex carbohydrates, protein) because what you eat..is it giving you the proper nutrition that your body eats or are you consuming food lacking in nutrients? Seriously, incorporate veggies, fruits, beef (lean), poultry, pork and fish (if you have to..I don't like fish).

Not every plan fits everyone. Not everyone knows how to plan. However, everyone within has a resolving spirit to dig in and be determined to make a change, make a move and go forward.

So, I'm sharing...if you're stuck in a rut and you feel as if you've been slacking despite that you've been running and exercising but you need to up the volume to get you into beast mode and sticking consistently, then you develop and stick to a plan that WORKS FOR YOU.

If you're unsure, here is a sample of a simple workout plan that I used when I first started working out back in August/September of last year:

Warm-up: Stretch 10-15 minutes

Run: 1-2 miles (comfortable pace)

Workout (3 sets of 10):
Overhead Squats 10 x 3
Push-ups 10 x 3
Sit-ups 10 x 3
Burpees 10 x 3

Cool down: Stretch 10-15 minutes

Note: I did this workout 3-4 days out of the week considering this was the beginning of getting fit. You don't want to do too much at the beginning to where you'll burnout or get discouraged.

Here's some food for thought of something that I read on Pinterest...if you maintain a routine for 3 weeks, it develops into a habit.

 

The Beginning

It's easy to say, "I'm going to get fit" but it is another thing when it comes to deciding when to start. If you've always been active or used to be athletic, you pretty much know the mindset of what to do and the attitude you have to have to get going.

However, what about the individual's who never was athletic in their younger days (childhood to young adults) but has now decided that it's time for a change?

Where do you start?

What do you do?

Meal planning (how much calories?)

For myself, I've fluctuated since the beginning of my pregnancies. And it's understandable because my mindset was to get back to a particular jeans size or to just look good according to society.

However, I guess the saying is true about the older you get, the wiser you become. And I'm hoping that this is it. I've finally gotten the "aha" moment of what it takes to begin your fitness journey.

Now, the first thing...nutrition. My recommendation is set up an appointment with a nutritionalist or dietician. If you're not into that, then I will say to eat in moderation. Cut out the soda, drink water. If you need a soda, start drinking sierra mist to get that carbonated feel. However, remember...there is so much sugar. And here is a tip especially for women who looks and feels bloated. Drinking carbonated drinks gives the bloated feeling (for me, that is). However, when I cut out soda last August after the Spartan Race, the bloating minimized.

So, rule of thumb for nutrition...seek a dietician. It's a smart way to start because you're getting professional guidance and you'll be monitored.

If you choose not to, begin eating in moderation. If you are one who likes to write things down...keep a food journal. You'll then notice what you eat and how you eat. If you're into iPhone or android, download the app, My Fitness Pal. It's a great way to log in what you eat and you'll see how much you are consuming.

By the way, if you are into calorie counting...please do not give a lofty goal of 1200 calories a day because that's not good especially you're incorporating exercising. You'll be burning off your daily intake calories to where you'll end up starving and then...you're body is on the hunt for food, which you may binge and eat junk food. Keep this in mind...your body is starving for NUTRITION not calories. Once you start researching nutrition. You'll find that all those junk foods are empty of nutrition.

Once you have that mindset of eating in moderation, you'll then begin to notice that you are starting to make healthier choices. For myself, it was gradual or I'd actually follow fitness enthusiasts on Instagram or I'd google fitness blogs for tips. And by moderation, I mean, limit your portions (instead of three servings...try to begin minimizing. Also, start replacing/substituting foods. For example, instead of white rice, eat brown rice. Start playing around with your menu. Instead of just a plain ole' chicken breast with salad, chop up that chicken and toss in colored bell peppers for some color and add in a dash of garlic salt. You can also toss up asparagus and mushrooms. Seriously, have fun with the meat and veggies. If you like fish (I don't), do the same as well. There are so much healthy, delicious recipes out there (especially on Pinterest!).

These are just a few tips from me that got me started especially when I started training with SOHI Fitness in Hawaii. My trainer gave some great tips that I followed to where my choices eventually became healthy.

Remember, you know who you are and what you can and cannot do. Don't limit yourself but push yourself a little day by day to where you'll eventually keep going without giving up.

Note: It takes 3 weeks of consistency before it becomes a habit :) Don't give up...keep going