Running Essentials: BodyGlide

Well.  I had a little unpleasant experience with my 7 mile run on Sunday.

This will be a series called "Running Essentials." I've got quite a list for you.  :)  

I haven't always been a runner, and even now I don't completely consider myself one.  Kind of because of mistakes like I made Sunday!

I learned while I was doing Team in Training that BodyGlide will be your best friend.  This is an odd comment but it's true... until I started running long distances, I had heard of chafing but never experienced it.

Whew that felt good to let out!

BodyGlide  is just a stick (shaped like deodorant) that you rub on to keep body parts from chafing.  I started making a diagram of all the places you can roll this on, but it looks a little inappropriate. haha.  Just put it on anywhere that skin might run on other skin.  (Between your legs, on your thighs, under your arms, etc.)

They have different kinds, even a kind "made for women" but as far as I know the original is just as good as the rest, and you really only need one stick and it will last you forever!

So BodyGlide is fantastic but you have to know where to put it!  What I unfortunately found out the hard way on Sunday was that the shorts I was wearing don't like my skin, even though I didn't feel anything during the run.  I got into the shower, turned around, and it felt like needles on my back.  Got out of the shower and found this:

YOW!!

You can also use BodyGlide or other anti-chafe products on your feet where you tend to get blisters, or back of your ankles so this doesn't happen:

Rain + sock slippage + rubbing = bloody ankles.  Yummy.  :)



Lesson learned!

Marathon Training: Turkey Week

After Sunday's 7 mile run, I no longer have long runs shorter than 10 miles until the week before the marathon.  #ohcrap

Hal Higdon Novice 1 Training Program

This also happened last week!

Me, my dad, and my sis!

And this!

Boyfriend!

This was Mark's first ever official 5K and he did great!  According to my Nike+ app We averaged a 9:11 pace.  My sister toughed it out through some IT band pain, and my dad placed 6th in his age group.  :)  Also, I enjoy looking for official race pictures and these are the only ones I could find of me and Mark:

Hahahaha.

I also did legs last Monday and another run on Friday.

Next post: long run essentials.

I have a problem.

I'll admit.  I'm a little addicted to blogging and reading my favorite blogs. It's a big part of the reason I picked this back up... I want to be like the bloggers I follow!  Saw this picture and it inspired this post:

http://happy2bsad.tumblr.com

Yup.  Guilty.

Favorite blogs (in no particular order):
A Beautiful Mess - Love her style, DIYs, photography, drawing, etc.  I'd be okay being her.
Indie Jane Photography - Has inspired me for a few years now.  Looove her photography and personality.
Kara Paslay Designs - This chick used to work for Anthropologie desiging their displays and now she's working with her husband to renovate a warehouse into a living space.  Incredibly cool chick with awesome DIYs.
Twenty One Fifty Nine - Old friend from school who bought a house and is renovating it.  Lots of cute projects/ideas and it's nice reading a blog from someone my own age doing awesome things!
Bower Power - First off, we have the same sense of humor.  (Sold!)  She's also an incredible DIY-er, and to top it off she has the cutest little boy, Will.  She recently had baby #2, Weston, and I might or might not (I totally did) have obsessively checked her blog and Instagram for updates to see if she'd had him yet.

Blogs I love and subscribe to but might not obsessively check (...yet):
Home Sanctuary - Rachel is the mom of a friend of mine from school and most days she posts a "small thing" to try to do to bet your life.  She's an incredible Christian example of a woman and a mom and she's a very talented artist as well.
Make Them Wonder - Meet Dana.  Another fantastic Christian woman who asks for any prayer requests at the end of her posts.  (Love that! I sent her one at one point and was really happy when she replied to me almost immediately afterward, and then followed up with me like a month later.  Hello.)  She is also a great designer and DIYer.  (Starting to see a trend?)
Young House Love - This is a DIY/home renovation blog by a couple, John and Sherry.  Sherry is friends with Katie Bower of Bower Power.  (I love when my blog worlds unite!)  They've been blogging for about 5 years and the part of me that's partially OCD wants to go through and read every page until I'm caught up.  They just came out with their first book and you better believe it's on my Christmas wish list.

Welp.  There you have it.  My obsessions.

Judge me.

Marathon Training: November 17

I finally did it!! I did my long run on a Saturday instead of last minute on Sunday.  :)

*applause*

And I did it somewhere other than the Bedford/Euless area!

*standing O*

Hooray for looping White Rock again!! Yaayy!!

10 miles, 1:38:47.  Woot.

Let's talk gels.

When you train for an hour or longer you are supposed to have some sort of calorie/electrolyte replacement. There are probably countless ways to do this... gels, chomps, honey sticks, jelly beans, power bars, etc. You could also probably eat something like a banana or PB&J sandwich, but that would be a little difficult to carry with you while running.

Enter space food.  AKA gels.  They fit in little pockets on/in a SPI belt (think runner's fanny pack), shorts, water bottle, etc. and they're easy to tear open and eat while you're running if you want.

Why I like them:
  -I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to
  -Sometimes I get an extra boost (real or imagined, I don't know)
  -Nice mantra of run 5 miles, eat something.  Run 5 miles, eat something. (x5)
  -I kinda like the taste.  haha.

I can't vouch for all the different options, but here is what I have tried:

• Jelly Belly Sport Beans.  Yup.  Jelly Bellys for running.  Very tasty but you use about half a pouch for one serving and I don't like having to close it back up and put it back.  (Really not a big deal but it's the little things.)  I do like them before or after a race though when I'm not concerned about time.
• Honey sticks.  Honey Stingers makes some but I just had some from Montana.  I like honey, but it's kind of difficult when you're running, especially straws since you have to bite them open and sometimes you just puncture them, and then it's all over the place and you're frustrated and you don't get the nutrition you need.
• Shot Bloks.  Made by Clif Bar, Shot Bloks are gummy cubes that come in a long, skinny package.  They taste great, but again you have more in a package than you need for a serving, and can be a pain to put back, and their shape makes it more difficult to put in shorts pockets or water bottle pouches.  Perfect for SPI belts though!
• GU Chomps.  They taste like Gushers.  YUM.  I love how the strawberry ones taste!  Again with the packaging/serving size though.  
• GU Energy Gels. As you can tell from the photo above, this is my personal preference.  I like the small, individual serving and I like how they fit into all my pockets.  They come in a lot of flavors but I like the fruitier ones best.  (Jet Blackberry, Mandarin Orange, etc.)  The sugary-sounding ones like Vanilla Bean are too sweet for me.  They have another division called Roctane but I can't tell the difference between the two other than the flavor selections.  (Cherry Lime FTW.)  They're also easy to handle if you want to eat them without stopping.  

There you have it.  All of this can be a trial and error process and is up to your body and your needs to determine how to replace your calories/electrolytes/carbs while you train.  Gels can be an acquired taste and can make some people sick to their stomach, so it's important to try them out during the week than on race day.  

As my TNT coach used to say, "NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY."  I partially disagree but I've never gotten sick from gels, and I ate a Ghiradelli chocolate square during the Nike Women's Half and it was just fine.  :)  

Run 5 miles, eat something.  Run 5 miles, eat something.  

Marathon Training: November 13/14/16

Nothing too exciting to report for the midweek training except that I looped Bachman Lake on Wednesday. Woo!

Tuesday the 13th: 3.13 miles, 29:30
Wednesday the 14th: 4.33 miles, 43:15
Friday the 16th: Arms/Abs - Jamie Eason, 50 minutes

Fun fact:  I ran the Cupid's Chase 5K back in February with a few friends, and since it was such a small race I won my age group.  :)  Haha!

The 9-miler

Y'all.  I know this will come as a surprise to you but I procrastinated my long run again.

*slaps forehead*

My intentions were to run my 9 miles somewhere other than my neighborhood for a change of scenery. But I procrastinated so I just ran around the Euless/Bedford streets. Although I forgot to figure out where to turn so if you see the map below there's a little peak on the top left corner where I stopped to check the map and turned around.  Oops.

To be completely honest I was a little nervous.  I doubted my ability and frankly gave myself the option of just giving up.  Training can be a pain in the glutes.  (Get it??) It's chilly outside, it's getting late, I'm tired, I don't want to run.  But I went on anyway.  Felt kind of like this:

Felix Baumgartner, I salute you.

PS. Have you watched this?? Can you imagine that moment?? Actually those moments.
-Getting into the capsule oh crap... this is happening... 
-Climbing and climbing higher above the earth heh, no going back now!! 
-Opening the door to the capsule holy crap I'm high, maybe I can go back into the capsule?
-Standing on the edge of the capsule this might have been a bad idea
-And then actually free falling from the stratosphere all right God, hope you're watching out for me!

"Sometimes we have to get up really high to see how small we are." -Felix, standing at the edge of the capsule.

Okay.  So I'm no Felix Baumgartner.  9 miles isn't all that bad.  And I got 'er done.

If you're unfamiliar with an area, you could map or drive it out first!  Accidentally added an extra .7 miles.  Again... oops!

Walk with a Purpose

Me, Becca, Vic, Roxy & Lou :)

This past Saturday I walked with my friend Becca in memory/honor of her husband Ian.  I was really happy to finally be able to participate in something with her since his passing.  (She has made trips to DC that I would have like to join her on but unfortunately could not.)

A good friend of ours from middle school/high school even drove down from Wichita Falls to join us!  I wanted to find an old picture of the three of us, but my old photo albums are at my parents' house.  I'll dig one out this weekend.  :)

Roxy and Daisy

It was a great walk and great to see so many people come out to support Becca, and all the other walkers to honor their loved ones they have lost to suicide.

Get this: 90% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.
From AFSP.

One of the strongest women I know!

Also, just a tip, if you are a biker and a bunch of people are taking up more sidewalk than you'd like, please don't be rude... they might have just completed a suicide prevention/awareness walk.  And you'll receive obscenities from me.  :)  Just sayin'.

Marathon Training: November 8

So... accidentally ran 5.55 miles yesterday.

I can just hear the throngs of people crying out, "How Amy?? HOW does one accidentally run 5.55 miles?!"

Well you came to the right place, my brethren.  You see, I have this friend, we will call her "Henna," and we decided to run together after work.  We were going to run the path that she normally takes, turn back, grab a beer at the Katy Trail Ice House, and go back.

She didn't know how far her normal path was, so I figured I would just follow her (with my Nike+ running app going) and see how far we went.

Right about where that red dot is (her normal turnaround point) is approximately 2.5 miles.  She has been running 5-6 miles without realizing it.

I think it's safe to say she's ready to start training if she wants to.  :)

Also there was a little miscommunication where I thought we were going to turn around, but then we kept going to the end of the trail (which got us to about mile 2.97).

Then we stopped, had a beer, discussed how far she had actually been running (among other life updates), and then headed back.

Then there was this:

A street art project where you can fill in your own bucket list items on the side of Company Cafe.  A few highlights:

-Go on Cupcake Wars
-Be a trophy wife
-Bump into Bono in a pub and have a pint of Guinness with him

So that was that.  Accidental 5.55 miles.

Marathon Training: November 7

Leg day... Ouch.

But it hurts so good!!

I love to hate lunges/squats/leg extensions, especially the next day when I'm trying to do normal functioning activities (like bend down to pick up something I dropped) and feel like I could break in half.

I came across this article that a friend of a friend, Sarah, pinned about running a faster 5K.

Remember how I said I wanted to be sure to do strength training to prepare my muscles for all this running?  Here's what the article says:

Incorporate strength training moves that target your shins, calves, quads, glutes, and core: Running alone won't increase your speed. You need to strengthen the muscles that make you move so your actions will be more powerful and more efficient.

Boom!!  It also says to run intervals (check!) and do hill work (which I'll do closer to race time).  

I'd really love to inspire people to give running a try.  But!  I have that planned for the article I'll write on being a "runner." 

Next post:  The accidental 5.55 miles. 

Marathon Training: November 6

Three miles, 28:13. Nothing exciting to report.

But.

This weekend, it gets a little more real.

My long run will be 9 miles, or one lap around White Rock Lake.  Yowzas.

Side note, does anybody care to see my mile splits?  I haven't been posting them but I'm thinking of doing so for long runs. 

I will also be doing a little bit of walking this weekend.

Rebecca Morrison, my chipmunk, lost her sweet husband last March to suicide.  Through the suffering and the grief, she has been an incredible role model for Christians and women everywhere.  She has spoken in front of massive crowds of people, and has been featured in publications such as TIME (you heard of it?) to tell her story and to help raise awareness about military suicides.  She also ran the Army 10-miler with TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), has written articles for the TIME Battleland blog, done countless interviews, and is now working toward becoming a full-time member of the TAPS team.

This isn't even a hint of what all she has done.  It is overwhelming and she is truly changing the lives of others.  She has even helped get the attention of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.  Kind of a big deal.

So the whole point in me telling you this is to ask for your help in this cause.  If you can, please donate on my donation page here.  This is the absolute least I can do to help support her cause.

I'm awful at asking people for donations, especially in a small amount of time (part of the reason I'm not doing Team in Training anymore), but this is for Rebecca.  And Ian.  You can also see her donation page here.

For Ian!

Me with Ian on their wedding day. :)

Oh... Just being us. :)

Marathon Training: November 4

[First off- special prayers to the victims/those affected of Hurricane Sandy.  From the words of Chris Tomlin: "Into the darkness you shine, out of the ashes we rise... Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other."]

Shoutout to my sister who was supposed to be running the New York Marathon yesterday but deferred her spot before the race was officially cancelled.  Sandy you little dream-crusher you.  Training takes so much dedication and hard work.   You go to bed early and put off plans with friends (especially if they're drinking) because you have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn to get your long run in.  Or if you're me you put it off until you're afraid hoodlums might getcha.  I digress... You spend hours on a lot of the same paths.  Hitting the same pavement, the same cracks in the sidewalk, over and over again.  You question your judgment.  You question your abilities.  You question your sanity.  And you press on.  One mile at a time.  You listen to your body and figure out when you need to hydrate and when you need to replace calories.  You push your limits.  And then you push them some more.  For 18 weeks.  And then you finally get to the starting line.

So this is why I giving the largest standing ovation to my sister and those who were supposed to be running this weekend.  Here's to doing it all again next year.  The feeling will be just as sweet.


Yesterday was my long run, and thanks to Daylight Savings Time ending [and my procrastination] it was mostly in the dark.

5 miles: 49:49

Training Plan... In case you were wondering!

This is the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Marathon Training Plan.  I went back and forth on the Novice 1 or Novice 2, but even though I have run a full marathon already, I haven't been running as much leading up to this training.  Hence the Novice 1.  Booyah.


This post monitored by Bella. She hates Sandy too.

No Excuses November

All right y'all.  It's November.  In Texas it sure doesn't feel like it at the moment!  For a little added motivation/self-encouragement I'm following my own "No Excuses November" plan.  I don't have any specific goals yet, so I might just take it one day at a time.

For the first day, my goal was to get out of my chair and go change for my run by 12. (Instead of sitting around debating/pondering/procrastinating until 12:30 or 1.)  And I did it!! :)

*Pats self on back.*

I'm also piling on two more challenges for myself.  I work will under pressure, people.  [This past Lenten season I gave up alcohol, sweets, fast food, and biting my nails.  Completed successfully!]

So here are my other two challenges.

1- November Photo a Day on Instagram (via @fatmumslim)

2- Naming something I'm thankful for each day.

Thankful for trees and calming scenery.

My run this day was 3 miles in 29:33.
You can follow me on Instagram @amyefrost

What will you stop making excuses for this month?

Halloween Tricks Part 3 - The Running Dead

Okay okay, last Halloween-related post... I promise!

So when I got home from work I did some arm/ab work and then went for a 3 mile run... still in costume.  :)
(I think I'm hilarious so this gave me special motivation for my run.)

Just imagine being on the trail and seeing this bloodied face with a tire mark on her back running by you.  Got a few looks and a few smiles out of people.  I aim to please.

Also I'm pretty sure my "just finished a run exhausted face" went well with the makeup.  The sweat added a little lifelike-ness to the fake blood.

See the spot by my ear? Blood + sweat. 

Coming up this month... No Excuses November!!