fitness

Half Marathon Training Must Haves

January 14, 2020

The first half marathon I trained for wasn’t really my
choice – I mean no one was holding a gun to my head or bribing me with paying
off my student loans to do it, but it was either have the gym I work for pay
for my entrance fee or volunteer to work the event. I knew that even as slow as
I was gonna be – I’d be spending less time if I did the half marathon than if I
volunteered, plus I wouldn’t have to work that Saturday. When you work everyday
of the week, even running 13.1 miles sounds better than working.

When I started training, I wasn’t much of a runner. I had
done a couple of 5k races and couldn’t run for a straight mile. Over the 7
months I trained, I did a lot of research on running long distance. Because if
you had told 14-year-old me that I’d be running 13.1 miles in 9 years, I’d have
laughed in your face as I was currently running the 800 for my middle school
track team (and I was only running exhibition). Below are the things that I
found were most helpful to me during training. And they’re the only way I was
able to train for a second (and third) half marathon while working more than
ever and while at my heaviest scale weight.

Please know that all of these are things that I now use regularly. Some of the below links are affiliate links which means I make a small amount of money when you purchase, at no extra cost to you.

GOOD RUNNING SHOES - Brooks Adrenaline GTS 17 & 18 – I cannot begin to stress the importance of good running shoes. Your feet do so much for you throughout a normal day and they take a real beating during running. I personally have an issue with over pronation, meaning my arches collapse when I stand naturally. This can lead to overuse of certain muscles while running resulting in injuries. I have always had a problem with shin splints. I took this quiz on Brooks’ website (this brand was suggested by a friend of mine) and they suggested the GTS. One run and I never looked for another running shoe. Outside of the time I skipped 3 training runs and then started back up at the predicted mileage (4 miles to 7) I didn’t experience shin splints during training. I attribute this to the proper footwear for my feet and the recovery items I discuss below.
FOAM ROLLER/ROLLING STICK – Your muscles will thank you. I promise. I used this foam roller and this stick after long runs and on rest days after I would stretch or do some yoga. They’re also great for after lifting sessions. Basically – if your muscles are sore then they’ll help!
SPORTS BRA/LEGGINGS WITH POCKETS – Okay so unfortunately, I didn’t discover Senita Athletics until just before my first half. But I literally live in this brand now. I mean seriously – I have 5 bras, 7 pair of leggings, and 6 tops. But they’ve changed my workouts. I can turn on my music and start my run tracker and then stick my phone in the pocket in my bra between my shoulders. I don’t have to worry about dropping it, or it falling out of the front of my bra (where I used to stash it). I don’t have to worry about my arm sweating or itching from an arm band. The leggings are perfect for speed training when I’m having to pull out my phone over and over. They’re also a great place for me to store my workout fuel – easy access, no having to un-zip or flip a belt and then dig around to try to find what I need.
NIKE RUN CLUB APP – I’m the kind of person that needs a plan. I also get bored/restless easily. I also was starting from square run in terms of running. I searched a lot on Pinterest for half marathon training plans and found some that seemed okay, but then I stumbled upon an add for the Nike training run app and thought I’d give it a shot. I used it for 3 runs and fell in love with it and haven’t used another training plan since. I love it because it is fully customizable – you choose how long of a training plan you’d like, and how many days a week you’re up for training. Then it bases your training runs on your progress, speed, and perceived rate of exertion.
DURING RUN FUEL – everyone talks about pre and post workout fueling but for long distance running – it is so important to fuel during your runs. Especially if you’re new to it. Easy to digest carbohydrates are the best during run fuel. Some people prefer whole foods – fruits usually. I prefer these glucose packets for a couple of reasons. They take up less space than fruit, they’re easy to eat while running, they come with options that include caffeine and/or electrolytes. I get dehydrated easily while running and sweat a lot so I always choose one with electrolytes.
EPSOM SALT BATHS – Epsom salt baths will help take the soreness out of your muscles, relax you and a bath in general is great for stress relief. The less stressed you are - the lower the cortisol levels you have – the better recovery you have. I grab regular Epsom salt, or the sore muscle specific one, and add in 6-8 drops of an essential oil, usually lavender or eucalyptus.
COMPRESSION SLEEVES/SOCKS- These are the last on the list but not because they’re least important! I credit these and my running shoes with the lessening of my shin splints. I put these on while I sleep on the nights I run or am feeling particularly sore. I also run in them on my long runs (over 8-9 miles for me). They help with swelling and keep blood flow to the area which helps incredibly with muscle repair and recovery.

I hope this helped you find some things to try that will help you along your half marathon journey! Drop a comment below with your must have items or if you found anything in here useful!

What the Scale isn’t Telling You

January 1, 2020

I am a firm believer that when it comes to out health and fitness goals, we need to have a way to hold ourselves accountable. When it comes to losing or gaining weight, most of us turn to the scale to give us a way to track our progress. A scale, especially an accurate one, is an awesome tool to use. But, I have seen and heard about too many people getting discouraged when the numbers aren’t moving or are moving in the wrong direction. Here’s my secret; the scale isn’t telling you everything.

A scale that only gives your weight is only telling you part of the story. Not every scale can tell you all of the important measurements that you should be aware of when trying to change your weight. Plus, there are some everyday things that can effect your weight from day to day, or even hour by hour.

What the Scale Isn’t Telling You

Body Composition

One thing that a general scale doesn’t tell you is your body composition. Body composition refers to how much of your body is fatty tissue and how much of it is lean tissue. In this general two component model, lean tissue is not just muscle mass. Instead, it includes everything that is not fatty tissue. This means that it is looking at muscles, organs, bones, skin, and water.

It is important to remember this when you are only using scale measurements to track your weight goals. If you’re trying to lose weight and you see that they numbers on the scale haven’t moved, you shouldn’t get frustrated right away. Without looking at your % body fat and % lean mass, you really won’t know if you’ve been making the progress you want to. Especially if you've made healthy changes to your diet and exercise habits. If you’re losing fatty tissue, but gaining muscle mass, the numbers on your scale may move up, stay the same, or move down. Every body is different and needs different stimuli and a different number of calories to reach its goals.

Appearance

A scale also can’t tell you if you are noticing changes on your body. Or if others have noticed that your hard work is paying off. If you notice that the waist band on your pants is loser or that you’ve reached the last notch on your belt, that is a success no matter what the scale says. Maybe you’ve moved beyond what your original goal weight was for your leg press, or you can now say “welcome to the gun show” with some muscle to show off.

These are accomplishments. Great accomplishments. And you don’t need the numbers on the scale to be in any certain place to be able to notice these things. Check yourself out in the mirror, take that gym selfie, and smile because you are beautiful and working hard.

Feeling

Standing on scale also can’t tell you how much healthier, stronger, more energized, more confident, etc. you feel. In fact, it may even be able to convince you otherwise. Maybe you don’t hit that afternoon slump anymore. Or maybe you feel like you could conquer the world after your workout. Noticing emotional and energy related changes from healthy choices is just as important as you physical changes.

What to Focus on Instead

Body composition

Look into getting a scale that does tell you your body composition and track that instead of weight alone. This is a good idea because it can expose changes in your body that scale weight alone can’t. By tracking body comp you can also figure out if you are giving your body enough energy. If you see %BF going up and %LM going down, but you’re watching what you eat, you may not be eating enough. Learn more by checking out my post about cutting calories to see how this can happen.

Appearance

Find other numbers to track and focus on than your scale weight. Try using a tape measure to measure your biceps, hips, waist and thighs to get a better picture of your progress. Pay attention to how your clothes fit and when you’re shopping, don’t be afraid to pick up a size down ad see how close you are. You never know, you just might surprise yourself.

Feeling

Take some time each day to stop and notice how you and you body feel. Lay in bed for a few extra minutes and wiggle your toes, roll your wrists and ankles, flex those hard earned muscles. See how well rested you feel after a good nights sleep on a day with a killer workout. See how much energy you have in the afternoons when you take your walk. Pay attention to how you're feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally and use those positive changes to keep you motivated. Any negative changes? Use those to alter your training schedule, food intake, food choices.

No Grit, No Pearl

Remember what I've shared with you in this post as you continue on your health and fitness journey. When the scale isn't moving the way you want - examine the what to focus on parts of your life and practice your grit. Stand tall and keep working hard. Make changes if you need to, but remember lovely - no grit, no pearl.

Hanna

5 Lies About Losing Weight

August 13, 2019

Over my time in the health and wellness world between school, working part time as a personal trainer, working in a gym, and now working for a corporate wellness obesity management company, I have noticed that there are a few myths that many people who are working towards living a healthier lifestyle are under the impression are true. I want to debunk some of the most common misunderstandings when it comes to losing weight and I hope that you leave with a better understanding of how to get to your goals the healthy way.

1. If the number on the scale goes down, that’s good

To some extent this is true. If the scale number has gone down, it means you’ve lost weight. But a scale doesn’t tell you where that weight loss has come from within your body. In most cases when someone is looking to lose weight, they really want to lose the weight from the fat within their body. When the number on the scale goes down, that weight loss could be from the loss of fat, or lean tissue, or it could even just be because of your fluid fluctuation that day.

2. You have to cut your calories in order to lose weight

Sometimes cutting calories can actually cause you to gain weight and not lose any. When we cut calories without taking into consideration how many calories you expend on a typical day, then you can unknowingly put your body in a situation where it is not getting enough calories to function on a daily basis. When this happens your body thinks that it is being starved and will then begin to lower your metabolism and store more energy for future use. This storage of energy can cause an increase of fatty tissue under the right conditions.

3. You have to cut out carbs in order to lose weight

Cutting out carbohydrates certainly helps some people lose weight. But it’s hard for them to keep that weight off once they reintroduce carbs to their diet. Carbs are your brain’s fuel source and your muscles preferred form of energy. You have to eat them. Feel free to limit the simple carbohydrates in your diet, things like white bread or other refined flour products, sugary cereals, and candies. But be sure to eat some complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, brown rice and lots of vegetables!

4. You have to cut fat in order to lose weight

This one makes sense at first. If you want to lose the fat in your body, why would you continue to eat any of it? One issue is that fat helps your body metabolize many important nutrients and vitamins. Another problem is that all of those manufactured low-fat and fat-free foods have something else in them that hinders weight loss for most people, sugar. Food companies found that when they removed the fat from their products it removed the flavor. Their foods now tasted awful and they knew they wouldn’t be able to sell them as they were. In order to make their foods taste good again and to keep people purchasing their products, they added in sugar. But when the body is met by an onslaught of sugar several things happen that hinder weight loss and can actually cause weight gain.

5. Low calorie/artificial sweeteners are going to help you lose weight

This point really piggy backs off
of the last one. Some people think that if they switch to low calorie or
artificial sweeteners they will be able to stop some of the effects that real
sugar has on their body. But some studies have shown that the artificial
sweeteners effect the body in a similar way, but more intensely. This means
that blood sugar levels often get even higher and the crash afterwards is even
lower. These more extreme reactions are actually worse for the body in terms of
blood sugar regulation and insulin resistance.

When it comes to losing weight, many people are misled by quick fixes and one step methods. The most important thing is to examine your daily life and look at sustainable ways you can make healthier choices in your diet and daily activity. These choices will lead to a true lifestyle change that will then lead to success on your health journey.