Brick It!

For anyone that’s ever done a triathlon or any training for a multi-sport event, you are familiar with the concept of the “Brick Workout.”  The idea is to do a bike workout immediately followed by a run. Or a swim, followed by a ride.  This is awful because your legs literally feel like bricks (or sometimes Jell-O).  Although it is completely evil, it is a necessary evil if you want to improve your overall times.  It helps your body get used to the transition from bike to run and can also help you improve your transition time between events. 

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For anyone new to this, here’s the basic gist (taken from this site):

1. Work up to it. A brick is for those who have been training and can complete the run and bike distance planned in the brick.

2. Make sure the brick isn't scheduled too close to any planned races. Bricks are very good training workouts and are very hard on the body. There should not be any races planned within two weeks of a brick workout to allow plenty of recovery time.

3. Get all the gear needed ready. Fill water bottles. Get your running shoes set up for when you come off the bike and are switching to running. Place anything else needed for the run, such as energy gels, next to your shoes.

4. Wear clothes comfortable for both sports. One of the points of a brick is to practice transitions for triathlons or duathlons. Any switching of clothing costs time in a race. Making the routine as close to it as it will be on race day is extremely helpful.

5. Drink plenty of fluids. Since this workout usually takes longer than biking or running alone, it is very important to drink enough. Also, bricks are a great time to practice race-day nutrition if you are training for a longer-distance race, such as an ironman.

6. Focus on the transition from bike to run. Since most duathlons and triathlons require it anyway, keep your helmet on until the bike is racked, or put away. Then take off your helmet and bike shoes, if you didn't remove them while still on the bike. Get your running shoes on and get going. This is a great time to test how your feet will react to running without socks! It saves about 40 seconds of transition time.

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7. Force the run at first. It never feels good the first 100 yards or so. Most of the time it feels like your legs just won't work. The normal rhythm will come, but until then just force leg turnover and warm your legs up. You will most likely surprise yourself when you review your Garmin and find out you were actually running faster than you thought you were. 

While I haven’t found the pool here on base yet, haha, I do have my bike and indoor trainer here and plenty of area to run.  I’ve only forced myself to do this workout twice because it felt so awful both times!  I suppose there’s only one way to make it less horrible though – do it more often! 

What do you do to motivate yourself into completing a workout that you really, really do not feel like doing?

Making Time

In this world of “GO, GO, GO,” where multitasking is considered a critical skill and technology rules our lives, I should have all kinds of extra time right?  As it turns out, I’m pretty terrible at multitasking – in fact, I’m fairly sure it makes me totally INEFFECTIVE.  I operate on four separate networks out here in Afghanistan, and each e-mail account dings when a new message arrives.  Even if I’m in the middle of something, as soon as I hear that DING, I feel the need to immediately jump over to the other computer and find out what this new critical piece of information could be!  This ensures that I never completely finish a single task until well after 9pm.

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So, what am I trying to get at – this ineffective method to which I have a bad habit of approaching daily tasks has significantly affected my workouts in a very negative way.  Last night I found time to start my workout at 10:30pm…not ideal, but you take what you can get.  Walking everywhere is definitely a big change from being back home, so I count all those steps towards my workout.  If I’m feeling sleepy at work, I get down and do a set of push-ups.  Gets the blood flowing and wakes me up!

Regardless of how busy I am, I have to make time for me.  There are many reasons that I workout, but the two most important ones are as follows:

1.  Physical health – it’s important to me.

2. Sanity – working out clears my mind, it allows me to refocus and to have a clear head when I go into the next task.

I guess I felt like writing this to remind me that if I just focus and stay on task, finding time to exercise is not really that difficult and it’s worth every second!  

Running & Potty Training

Now, for those of you who assume I am potty training based on my post a while back about almost pooping myself, you would be mistaken:) This is about the Weasel!

A month ago, I decided to attempt potty training Weasel. She didn't talk then and even though she's been pooping on the potty for months, she just wasn't ready to commit to using it full time. It was frustrating, but we shelved the idea for a bit. Well, after spending a couple weeks with her Grandma & Grandpa, Weasel learned to talk. That brings us to today's post. We are attempting to potty train yet again. She's done a great job with just a few accidents that tip her off that it's time to lose to panties and hit the toilet. How does this relate to a running blog you ask?


Potty training is a full time gig. Weasel spends the majority of her day running around bare bottomed. When it's time to go for a run, we can't exactly be gone for a long time. Just before we leave, she hops on the potty and takes care of business. Then we take a quick 2 mile jog and it's back to being pants-less at home. That doesn't really work for me since I rarely like to log less than 3 miles, so we take a couple or three 2 mile jogs throughout the day. Hey, you've got to do what works, right?! We also bring the portable potty wherever we go. So while it's not exactly the dream training scenario, I once read in Runner's World that as long as you log the miles, that's what counts. They don't have to be done at one time!

Anyone have tips for me?! I could use them all!!

Narrowing My Options

As June is rapidly approaching, I've downloaded Hal Higdon's Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide on my Kindle and am devouring it. Counting back from the MCM date of Sunday, October 30, 2012, I've arrived at 10 June as a starting point for a 16-week training program. Most plans are around that duration. But now I'm struggling with which plan to use. When I was a young buck running my first marathon in 1999, I didn't use a plan. In fact, I think the longest run I'd ever done was around 3 miles at that point. But I was only 19 and made of "bubble gum and rubber bands" as my husband likes to say, so putting that sort of strain on my body wasn't really a big deal. Now, in my 30s, I am wiser and more brittle:) 

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For the Quintiles Half, I was using Hal Higdon's training plan, but spent the first 5 or 6 weeks accidentally following the NOVICE one and thinking it was too easy (my fault for not reading properly!). Now I'm ready to select a plan for my upcoming marathon. That's where you guys come in. I NEED YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS! 


So far I've considered these:


Runner's World Marathon Plan


Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 Training Plan


Rick Kimbal's Marathon Training Plan


But in searching for a plan, I've found that several plans come with a price before you can actually see what you're getting yourself into. I haven't actually gotten to the portion of Hal Higdon's book that states the plan, but I think it's included, so that would be a plus for going with his program. 


If any of you have helpful hints or advice as to which program worked for you and why you liked it, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance!

Food War - Husband VS Wife

I'm not sure how other families operate, but in our household, I do the weekday cooking and my husband takes over the kitchen on weekends. As a stay-at-home-mom, I don't think this is a bad setup. Unfortunately, we (my husband and I), don't exactly share the same ideas of what "good, healthy" dinners are. When Jason is deployed and it's just me and the Weasel, we probably eat meat once or twice a week. In Jason's mind, a meal is NOT a meal unless it contains meat as a protein source!  


I love adding new grains and veggies to my existing cache of recipes. Jason would be happy if I added sausage to everything. So in our house, it's:

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Versus

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So how do those of you in a similar situation make it work? How do you have happy meal times where both parties are happy? I tried to sneak zucchini into our spaghetti with meatballs and sausage the other night. That resulted in a happy me and a pile of zucchini on my husband's plate. I'm running out of ideas. My garden is in full bloom, so it's easier to convince him that we HAVE to eat salad as our side dish or the lettuce/radishes would go to waste, but I'm struggling. 

Making two separate entrees is not an option because our food budget is already too high in my opinion - particularly when we factor in that we don't always feed Weasel what we're eating (i.e. if we eat a spicy meal, she gets something different). So I'm open to ideas...

Words to Live By

We may be identical twins, sharing a body type, hair & eye color, metabolism, ridiculous sized calf muscles, and currently a love for running, but that's where the similarities end. Don't get me wrong, we are probably more alike than different, but here's a list of things that come to mind:

1. Jessica is the studious one. I am the meathead.
2. I am a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" kinda gal. Jessica has been planning each minute since we left the womb.
3. Jessica worries that everything won't be done perfectly. I rarely worry if nothing ever gets done.
4. I would rather run 3 miles as fast as possible. Jessica would rather run for 12 hours straight. 
5. Jessica is an great Marine Corps officer, willing to sacrifice (in many opinions) too much to ensure she accomplishes the mission. When I was a Marine, I used to skip out early and go surfing.

Ok, you get my drift, right? Well, Jessica is currently serving as a company commander for a Radio Battalion deployed in Afghanistan. She struggles to find time to devote to maintaining her personal relationships with those "left behind" while keeping her focus on the mission/Marines at hand. That stresses her out. She doesn't have time to run as much as she would like to. That stresses her out too. So recently she emailed me and our two best friends (yeah, we have that in common) with her new mantra:

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Knowing my sister as I do, I realize that this will be a struggle for her to live up to. Jessica is a perfectionist. But as we've gotten older, she's mellowed a bit and I'm so thrilled that she found this great mantra to guide her through the next few months, or years. I have no doubt that she has this posted either next to her rack or by her computer as a constant reminder to slow down and just trust. 

When I received the aforementioned email, the closest thing I had to a mantra was "Enjoy Being" as you read earlier here. I headed out on a run Wednesday morning and was feeling pretty sluggish. I decided right then and there to develop my own mantra, something to get me through those rough spots of a run when I want to walk. Here it is:

Run - because you should.

Don't complain - because you can. 

Let me break it down. "Run - because you should." Run can be replaced with workout, eat healthy, cross train, etc. Basically, we should make an effort to modify our behavior in positive ways that result in healthier beings. For instance - I should run because I want my daughter to grow up with a good example on how to be healthy and strong. And the "Don't complain - because you can." What I mean by this is something that's prevalent within the fitness community already. Be grateful that you have legs and muscles that allow you to carry your body over the pavement in a smooth stride. As a member of a military community, I frequently see amputees, and it's a stark reminder to quit whining when my legs are sore or get tired. Our running club's (Stroller Warriors) leader's son was recently diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). He is two and walks only with the help of a walker. But he gives 100% during his physical therapy and keeps such a positive attitude about his "magic shoes," that it makes me think twice before complaining to his mom about our current workout. So because I am ABLE to run, I really have no right to complain. It's a decision I made for myself. I've always been one of those people who sees my situation and says, "Well, it could be worse." Not everyone is like that. My husband couldn't be more opposite. Do what works for you. This mantra got me through 4 miles when I really didn't even want to be running. 

What words inspire you? 

A Mental Game (and a couple questions)

This morning, I donned my "glow belt" and headed out into the 0530 darkness to log a few miles before the day got started. (We are dropping off the dogs at a kennel and the baby at a friend's house and heading down to Wilmington for the evening to attend my husband's Dining In - it's a military function - with his folks. Oh, and I have an appointment to get my hair chopped so it's one busy day.) Yesterday's high temp was nearing 80, and this morning, it had cooled to about 70-degrees. Many of you think that's too warm, but this girl was thrilled! 

I set out to run anywhere from 3-5 at an 8:30 pace. (my goal pace for the half next month) Yesterday I kept a 7:37 pace, so I thought it would be no sweat. WRONG! Running is such a mental game for me (and probably about 99% of all runners, but this blog is about us:). I'm sure my legs and lungs were capable of holding a faster pace, but it took every ounce of mental resolve for me to keep running nearly a minute slower per mile today. What gives?!

Maybe it was a factor of not getting enough sleep the night before. I've been using these teeth whitening strips that have to go on twice a day. For the past two nights, I haven't put them on until close to 2300, meaning I'm up until at least 2330 before I can take them out. Or perhaps it's because today is the final day of our cleanse. Maybe my Saturday experience allowed me to talk myself into running a shorter distance today in a much slower time. I don't think it's a lack of rest for my legs, because I took Sunday off and ran short yesterday; however, my dog FREAKED OUT at the vet yesterday and did lay down some decent scratches/bruises on me:

He really is a good dog, but he was not happy about getting Bordatella in his nose so he demonstrated his UFC skills. It took me, a tech, and three docs to accomplish the task!

Whatever it is, it sucked and I need to figure out some tricks on how to kick my own butt into gear. I'm missing a run with my Stroller Warriors this morning, but I know they plan to finish with some strides, so I tacked on 6 to the end of my run and did feel pretty darn good about that, so I'm not totally fed up with myself. And miles are miles in my book, so it's all good.

Now for my questions:

1. What's the ideal distance when running strides?

2. How many strides should one do at any given time?

3. What's your favorite trick for overcoming your own mental obstacles?

In Need Of Tips!

On Thursday morning, my husband, daughter, dog and I will be driving to Northern Virginia for two reasons. 1) So my husband's family can welcome him home from his most recent deployment and 2) So we can drop off our daughter and dog with Grandma & Grandpa as we travel to England, Scotland, and Ireland for 2 weeks!

I have a family blog where I can ask fellow mamas for tips on coping with leaving your child for the first long duration; but from this crowd, I'm seeking tips on running abroad. The temperatures will be cold and we will most likely encounter plenty of rain. The roads will be unfamiliar. The jet lag might be rough.

That being said:

What do I pack?

How do I locate good places/routes to run?

One or two pairs of shoes? 

Any other advice you can share?

As of right now, we have round trip plane tickets from DC to London and a hotel booked for the first night. Other than that, we'll be "flying by the seat of our pants" (in the words of Pretty Woman). We're both excited about seeing the lands and indulging in the pubs, but I've got a 1/2 marathon coming up in the spring, and taking 2 weeks off doesn't really fit into my training plan!