May 9, 2012

My First Half Marathon

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One hour, 58 minutes and 47 seconds. That’s how long it took me to finish the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, and I couldn’t be happier!

Anxious about the day ahead, I popped out of bed with my alarm at 3:45 a.m. After getting dressed, packing a few last minute things and eating breakfast, I was out of the house in just under an hour. I took the T into town (my first time—woo hoo!) to avoid a parking nightmare and save myself some unnecessary stress and was in the city around 6:15—bright and early! My parents, sister, boyfriend and his mom were all downtown to cheer me on.

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This is just one of my loyal groupies!

Since my friends and I arrived so early, I killed most of my time hanging around with my family. I even showed off my fake tattoo, which thoroughly freaked my mother out for approximately half a second.

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13.1, baby!

The race’s official start time was 7:30 a.m., but I didn’t cross the start line until about 7:40. I stuck with my friend Kate for the first 10 miles or so, until she had to stop for a bit because she rolled her ankle (yet she still managed to finish in two hours!). Thanks to her help, my (official) average pace was 9:04. Though these don’t quite match up with my official time, here are the splits my GPS tracked:

  • Mile 1: 7:48
  • Mile 2: 9:24
  • Mile 3: 8:48
  • Mile 4: 8:55
  • Mile 5: 8:34
  • Mile 6: 8:29
  • Mile 7: 8:22
  • Mile 8: 8:24
  • Mile 9: 8:59
  • Mile 10: 8:47
  • Mile 11: 8:59
  • Mile 12: 9:29
  • Mile 13: 8:51

Like I said, those splits aren’t accurate—just look at my first mile! Hearing my time every mile through my iPhone app helped to motivate me throughout the race, especially after I lost my running buddy. Knowing that I had 15 minutes to run my last mile in order to hit my sub-two hour goal definitely put a smile on my face, too!

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I’m not sure what was yelled to get my attention for this photo, but it looks like it definitely confused the runners around me.

All in all, completing a half marathon was one of the most satisfying accomplishments of my life. Sure, the training was tough, I suffered a minor injury and I even had one of my toenails fall off last night (sorry, I had to share), but it was all worth it. I’ve even signed up for another half marathon—I just hope my groupies will be there to see me run in it!

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 Thanks for cheering me on!

Are you a half marathon runner? What are some of your favorite races?

Filed Under: Events, Personal, Physical Health · Tagged: , , ,
Apr 25, 2012

3 Simple Ways to Fight Off a Cold

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The past few days have been cold and grey here in Pittsburgh—not exactly spring-like weather! Unfortunately, I’ve been a bit under the weather, too. A bug has been going around in my circle of friends and at the office, and I think I picked it up… Yuck!

When I was younger, I never thought twice about taking medicine to fight off a cold, and I still use it if I get really sick. The thing is… I don’t get really sick anymore! I honestly don’t remember the last time I was truly ill, and I credit that to my diet and exercise routine.

After stopping in the office in the morning, I worked from home yesterday because I wasn’t feeling well. Before I left, one of my colleagues suggested I “take lots of medicine” so I would feel better. Though she meant well, popping capsules of Aleve or taking shots of Dayquil was the last thing I wanted to do!

Farmacy

This is my kind of “farmacy”!

I’m a firm believer that food IS medicine, and if you eat well, you won’t need any of the conventional stuff! Sure, we all catch colds from time to time, but your diet will decide whether you’re back at it the next day or confined to the couch for a week. Next time you feel a case of the sniffles coming on, remember these simple ways to fight them off!

1. Drink LOTS of water. The standard recommendation for water consumption is eight glasses per day, but a lot of people don’t drink nearly that much. If you don’t feel well, increasing your water intake is one of the first things you should do! It’ll keep you hydrated and help to flush out your system.

2. Eat foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc. We’ve all heard that taking vitamin C supplements helps to boost immunity, but did you know the same is true about vitamin E and zinc? Though supplements work, whole foods are always a better option. Stop a cold in its tracks by loading up on fresh produce like bell peppers, broccoli, cantaloupe, kale, kiwi, oranges, spinach and strawberries.

3. Rest! A big reason it takes people longer than necessary to get over a cold is because they don’t give themselves time to relax and recover. Once you feel the onset of symptoms, try to take it easy before you’ve got a full blown cold. This doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel every time you sneeze, but taking a half-day off when you first start to feel sick might just keep you from having to take off two or three days later on!

After taking my own advice (and approximately 17 bathroom breaks), I feel as good as new! Keep these tips in mind next time you catch the office bug, and I’ll bet you’ll feel the same in no time.

What are your tricks for beating a cold?

Filed Under: Nutrition Tips, Physical Health · Tagged: , ,
Apr 2, 2012

Going the Distance

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I have some exciting news to share with you all… I ran my longest distance EVER yesterday morning—11.41 miles, to be exact. WOO HOO!

11 Mile Run

Is it just me, or does the little running man look like he’s about to face plant?

I only have four more weeks until my first half-marathon! Can you believe it? If you would have told me I’d be training for a half-marathon a year ago, I probably would have laughed obnoxiously in your face. I mean, this is a girl whose running experience consisted of a year of middle school cross-country until last fall, when I started to train for the Hope Express. Was I physically active before that? Yes. Was I a runner? No.

Sunday’s run was rough. Not only was it longer than anything I’ve done before, but it consisted of three pretty monstrous hills. Luckily, the first one was the hardest, when I still had the most energy. I kid you not, I was probably running uphill for five minutes straight. That might not seem like much, but give it a try before you roll your eyes!

I’ll admit, my legs (especially my calves and my booty!) were begging me to walk throughout my two-hour trek. My brain, however, meant business and told my legs to zip it—sometimes kindly, sometimes… Colorfully.

This run definitely proved to me how important it is to believe in your abilities. Sure, I’ve been training for more than a month now, but that’s only half the battle. Being mentally tough and shutting up the whining voices in my head (Please don’t make me run anymore, please!) is the other half—the more difficult half.

At one point or another, we’re all challenged to do something we don’t think we’re capable of doing. The trick to succeeding, however, isn’t physical. It’s mental. We’ve all heard how important it is to “believe in yourself,” but it’s true! It doesn’t matter how hard you train or how much you practice—if you don’t think you can do something, you can’t. It’s that simple.

So, next time you have to do something that seems so impossible you want to quit before you even start, remind yourself of how [insert super positive adjective here] you are! Tell the Debbie Downers that live in your head to take a hike, focus on how much more awesome you’re going to be after you accomplish this impossible task, and get to it!

What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to do? How did you get through it?

Filed Under: Fitness Tips, Mental Health, Physical Health · Tagged: , ,
Mar 21, 2012

Iliotibial What?

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In November, I started running seriously for the first time in my life to train for the Hope Express, a 135-mile team relay that benefits families with children diagnosed with pediatric cancer at the Hershey Medical Center. Prior to this, I was NOT a runner—in fact, I hated it! However, I was determined to be a part of the Hope Express, and if that meant I had to start running, then that’s what I was going to do!

The Hope Express was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I helped to raise $72,000 for a cause close to my heart, met some amazing people and learned something surprising about myself: I had grown to enjoy running! In fact, since the Hope Express, I’ve signed up for my first half-marathon in May, a Warrior Dash in June and will hopefully be participating in a Ragnar Relay to benefit the Hope Express in October. Needless to say, I’ve been running a lot! With my increased mileage has come an increased risk of injury—unfortunately, one I haven’t been able to avoid.

For those of you who are seasoned runners, you’re probably familiar with ITBS: Iliotibial Band Syndrome. If you’re a newbie like me, however, this probably sounds like a foreign language! In simpler terms, ITBS is tendinitis of the IT band. Want an even clearer explanation? ITBS is an inflammation of a band of tissue that runs from your hip to your knee. It’s commonly referred to as “Runner’s Knee,” or make-you-cry-while-walking-up-stairs pain on the outside of your knee. OK, so maybe the second one is my name for it… But you get the picture.

Foam Roller

This little gem has become my BEST FRIEND! (Source)

My knee pain started about a month ago, but it didn’t escalate enough for me to schedule an orthopedic appointment until last week. It was just a sporadic, dull pain for a few weeks until it morphed into pain that forced me to ditch the stairs for the elevator to avoid crying—ouch. Though I didn’t want to continue to ignore the pain and hurt myself even more, I was petrified to see a doctor. The last thing I wanted to hear was that I’d have to stop running for a few months and miss my half-marathon!

Luckily, ITBS isn’t a career-ending injury. In reality, it’s actually pretty simple to fix: more stretching! The doctor prescribed me some anti-inflammatory pills (which, despite my aversion to taking medication, have been super helpful), and a physical therapist in my running club showed me some stretches to try. I’ve also been icing my knee after my runs and using my foam roller to work out as much tightness in my IT band as possible—a sometimes painful (but ALWAYS worth it) process.

I’m hoping all of this helps to not only alleviate the pain, but to eliminate its cause as well! I’m guessing it will take some time. After all, it didn’t happen overnight, so I don’t expect it to disappear overnight. So far, everything has been helping—let’s just hope it continues to improve!

Have you ever had to deal with running-induced injuries? What did you have to do to get healthy again?

Filed Under: Fitness Tips, Physical Health · Tagged: , ,
Mar 16, 2012

Bye, Bye Sugar… Hello, Clear(er) Skin!

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TGIF! I don’t know about you, but this week has been absolutely crazy for me. Have you ever crossed one thing off your to-do list, only to add on three more? I feel like I’m being pulled in a million directions, and while I do enjoy being busy, it’s getting to be a bit much. Thankfully, I have my relaxing, plan-free weekend ahead of me—I just have to get there!

With all of this stress in my life right now, I’ve been mentally preparing myself for the skin breakout I thought would inevitably happen. So far, I’ve been lucky (knock on wood) and don’t have any pimples camped out on my face. Since I’ve been paying such close attention to my skin this weekend, however, I noticed something: my skin is much clearer than it was two or three weeks ago.

Hmmmm… Why is that? I haven’t really been doing anything differently…

Then it hit me: sugar! It’s been about three and a half weeks since I cut sugar out of my diet, so the timing made perfect sense. What an awesome surprise! When I made the decision to give sugar up for Lent, my goal was to gain freedom from my addiction to the white stuff (no, not crack) and become more in tune with what triggered my cravings for it in the first place. Clearing up my skin was not something I expected, but I’m not complaining!

Not wanting to mislead you, I will say that my skin isn’t completely clear… At least not yet. Though I’ve been doing better than I expected with my sugar detox, seeing the effects of eliminating it from my diet definitely gave me some motivation to keep pushing to the end of Lent! I can’t say I’ll never have refined sugar again, but I will make a strong effort to avoid it for the rest of my life. After all, my cravings are weaker, my skin is clearer and I’m just much happier—who needs a better reason than the last one, anyway!?

Have you ever noticed how your diet affects your skin? What food(s) cause you to breakout?

Filed Under: Nutrition Tips, Physical Health · Tagged: ,