marathon training

Navigating bar food.

| cheriarmour

So I’m adding an element to the blog.  Super relevant, yet super challenging.  It’s the part where we’re young and we like to go out with our friends – so how do we navigate the downtown bar/restaurant scene without totally wrecking our diets/lifestyles/training programs?  Here’s a little guide with a couple of tricks to help you navigate when your frands call you up.

First, don’t panic.  It’s tempting to, when you’re training, or when you follow a specific diet, alienate yourself from friends who don’t eat or drink the same way you do.  But just because you’re watching what you eat doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to spend a little quality time with friends, right?  So your friends call you up and say, “Hey, let’s go get nachos and watch sports (ew) at the bar!”

Draft 1

“Okay girl!  Let’s go!”

So second, scope out the scene.  Google the place where you’re going to go, check out the menu, and make a plan for yourself.  Don’t expect yourself to make a great nutritionally sound decision when under duress.

Draft 2

Third, skip the sodas, skip the bread basket, and skip the appetizers.  If you can manage that, you’ve already won half the battle right there!  Between those three things, you could add on enough calories for a full meal, so if you skip those, you’ll actually still be hungry when your food comes out!

Eyeball the sides.  Can you replace the chips or fries with something else?  Is there a fruit option?  An option for a side salad?  Even sweet potato fries?  Go for the one with the least grease, and stick to it!  Fries and tots are completely awesome, but trust me, your belly will thank you in the morning on your next run.

Draft 3
Veggie burger with green beans on the side! Proof that you CAN find better choices, even when you’re at the bar, among the nachos, beer, potato skins, and fries!

Do your thing!  Enjoy your meal!  And enjoy pretending that you care about sports!

Finally, finally, if you slip up and go for something that wasn’t the plan, that’s okay.  Don’t beat yourself up over the stray fry or the dessert that accidentally found its way into your mouth.  Food is meant to be enjoyed, and dang it, you’re allowed to have a good time once in a while!

So fear not next time you go out with friends, and hey, maybe your good habits will rub off on a few of them!

 

 

Underwears!

| cheriarmour

We’ve done a post on bras, nutrition, winter clothing, hair, and how could I forget the most important piece?  The rundies!

http://www.oiselle.com/shop/rundies

Carly Makeup

So Carly (remember Carly?) tweeted the above link the other day, sorta tongue-in-cheek. We both giggled because even though the idea is sorta cute, (who wouldn’t think little panties with running-inspired print wasn’t), we were both absolutely baffled at the fact that they were cotton. Like. Ew?

But if you feel baffled by my disdain for cotton rundies, let me be your guide.  What should I look for in runderwear (rundies)?  **Ladies only**. Sorry fellahs, I don’t know what you need 😦 perhaps I’ll let one of my runner man friends expound on this thought one of these days.

  • Cotton is rotten.  At least in this case, it is.  (In the case of running socks as well).  In these cases, quite unfortunately, the last thing you want is cotton.  It turns rough and pilly when washed or wet, and will chafe the heck out of your skin.  Those little cotton numbers from Aerie are so adorable and extra flattering in real life, but in running life, they’re chafey, and they cause the worst pantylines ever.  Just because you work out doesn’t mean you suddenly become an idiot and think it’s acceptable for you to have pantylines everywhere.  And those are the worst in a pair of tights.  Worse comes to it, just go without for a short workout.  The ONLY exception is when you’re wearing a pair of serious compression shorts.  They’re so tight, they sort of smush the underwear lines into you, and creates this fake seamless thing.  Just go with it.
  • In a pair of running shorts, you can ditch the underoos.  A good quality pair of running shorts usually comes with a liner built in.  The liner is built to keep you running light, and will hold everything in.  The first time you ditch the undergarments in a pair of running shorts, it may feel super weird, but let me assure you, it will feel and look a lot weirder if you try to double layer the underwear with the liner.  
  • Hanes makes these seamless underwear things.

Hanes Seamless Bikini

They’re $10.97 for a three-pack, and they come really really tiny and stretch when you slip them on. The only downside? They’re not super absorbent, and if you’re super sweaty, that just won’t work.  But for a shorter workout, these will work just fine.

  • Moving Comfort doesn’t just have the widest variety of the most supportive sports bras in the world, they also do rundies.  They have them in bikini variety…

moving-comfort-workout-bikini-ss

As well as in thong variety.  Whatever floats your boat…

MCWB2-BK-1

In both black and white.  And nude too but nude annoys me because there’s never like a black nude that makes any sense.  Both options are pretty seamless, and super absorbent.  I will completely honest with you, however.  The price is wrong.  At $16 a pair, it’s kind of hard to own a pair of these without hiring a bodyguard to make sure that nothing happens to it.  But in a race situation when you’re spending 4 hours on a course, you may as well invest in something that won’t cause chafing, right?

But the key before race day is to try things out.  Moving Comfort isn’t necessarily the only company that makes a more seamless technically fabricked undergarment, however, it will depend on you and your shape as to what feels good.  Happy Tails! 😉

Marathon countdown, 7 days.

| cheriarmour

I still haven’t heard back from my friend at the New York Post. Rude. Call me back, dude, don’t be a turd!

Anyhoo, I haven’t blogged in like two days. Miss me? Ugh, I missed you too, sexy thang.

I’m like a week out from my marathon. My training is done. I did my last long run today in some beautiful Carolina pre-spring weather.

20130310-205147.jpg

And I’m starting to plan for my week for this marathon. So my plan of action for the next seven days?

–Fiber. Gotta stay regs, right? Don’t want any surprises on the course.

–Tina Fey. Justin Timberlake. At the suggestion of more than a few friends after I told them how much I enjoyed Kathy Griffin’s bio, I downloaded ‘Bossypants’. So far, hysterical. And I know I’m not supposed to laugh, but when she imitated old black folks, I nearly fell over, 6 miles into today’s run. I also discovered how friggin phenomenal Justin Timberlake’s station on Pandora was, and if you have a bad word to say about ‘Suit and Tie’, please excuse yourself from this entry presently.

–Water. Liquids. Gotta hygrate. Hygration is key. Water, Hatorade, water, and water.

–Complex carbs. For sustained energy. So I can’t slam a piece of lasagna and three slices of pizza the night before and expect for things to go my way.

–Sleep. No napping during the day in hopes I can sleep full nights. I’m not running anywhere on three hours of sleep. It just won’t happen.

–Shade of nail polish. Duh. I’m not running around, my hands lookin a mess. You crazy if that’s what you think I’ve worked for.

-And finally, makeup. Waterproof liquid liner and mascara. Make fun of me all you want, I’m a scary lookin person under this.

Besides solidifying my victory dance, ::cross cross, catdaddy::, what have I forgotten?

Q: You’re running a marathon? How many miles is that?

| cheriarmour

First, I haven’t heard from my friend, Kyle from the New York Post.  Kyle, darling, if you’re reading, I’d love to hear from you!  Seriously, let’s talk.

Nextly (that a word?!), onto our question!  I promise you I’m not being silly, and I’m not being condescending, but I’ve been getting this question a whole lot.

photo (5)

So I’m sure you’ve seen these little dooders cropping up on cars.  Do you feel a little confused when you see them? Or the 5k? The 26.2? There’s a whole language you adopt when you start racing, and I’m here to translate it for you.  I’m extremely multilingual.

  • Marathon: 26.2 miles – a marathon isn’t an arbitrary term for running around without a purpose.  When someone says they’re running a marathon, generally, they’re running a 26.2 mile course.  This accounts for those 26.2 stickers and magnets you see on cars.
  • Half-marathon: 13.1 miles
  • 10K : 6.2 miles
  • 8k: 4.97 miles
  • 5K: 3.1 miles

So your friend tells you they’re running any of these? Or you see one of these stickers on a car? Here’s your cheat sheet!

Q: When is it time to get new running shoes?

| cheriarmour

First off, can we just clap it up for me and say that I have my finger on the pulse of female running society?  Look what came up yesterday no sooner than I posted that entry featuring all my ladies without makeup.

Tyra Banks Sighting In New York City - September 17, 2012

It’s none other than Miz Tyra, working out and makeup free.  I guess I just rock.

Moving right along however, this is a question I get pretty often.  How do I know when it’s time to change my running shoes out?  So the rule of thumb when it comes to a regular, traditional running shoe, is that you’re going to get, at the absolute MOST, 350-400 miles out of a shoe.  That’s it.  Sometimes less, but definitely not more.

350-400 miles sounds like a lot, but it’s really not as much as you think.  If you’re only wearing your running shoes to run in, and you’re running 15-20 miles a week, you can do the math, and it adds up quickly!

So here’s how you can extend the life of your running shoes: (they’re gonna average you $110 a pair, so you may want to pay attention)

–Alternate between two pairs of running shoes.  When you do this, especially between long runs, you give your shoe a chance to recover.  The foam/cushioning gets a change to regain it’s original shape, and the shoe gets a chance to dry.

– Stop shoving your feet into your shoe when you’re rushing off to the gym. I know you’re guilty of this.  You’re running off to the gym, and you shove your foot in without untying the shoe.  You’re not three years old, there’s no velcro, so take the time out to untie your shoe and put it on.  When you shove your hoof in, or worse yet, when you walk around on the back of your shoes when you go to check the mail, you destroy the back of the shoe, as well as the structure built to support your heel.  So sit down, and take the extra few seconds to tie/untie your shoes.

–Save your running shoes for running only. Don’t go to Whole Foods in your shoe.  Don’t go to cycling in your shoe.  Don’t check the mail in your shoe.  Don’t go to the club in your shoe.  And don’t climb a tree in your shoe.  All these activities put mileage on your shoe.  So if you find you’re going to Zumba or Cycling pretty often as well, buy a special shoe for each of these activities.  Usually Adidas, Reebok, and Nike have a pretty decent selection of “lifestyle” shoes if you’re dancing or doing step, and check with your local cycling shop if you need a pair of cycling shoes.

–Let your shoes air out in your home, not in your car, between runs.  The EVA foam and cushioning in shoes is temperamental, and doesn’t like to sit in your car, where the temperature can go from one extreme to the next.  So between workouts, take a few seconds and let your shoe air out.  Untie the laces, and open up the shoe for a while so it can breathe and retain shape.

So if you’re kind of sick of only figuring you need a new shoe when your knee starts to ache, try documenting your mileage a tad better, and the guessing game should be over.

shoe heaven
Cher’s Shoe Graveyard

Q: Are black toenails just a part of marathon living?

| cheriarmour

I have gotten this question at least once a week from readers and customers combined.

For some unholy reason, folks have been washed into thinking that black toenails, or toenails that fall off are just a part of life when you’re running a marathon.  Or a half.  Or in some freaky cases, every time you do a long run.

So let’s put this thing in reverse.  When is it normal for your toenails to fall off?  The first answer is never.  Second, if you’ve ever slammed your toe in a door, or had it run over by some sort of vehicle before, usually the toenail that takes the biggest impact will turn black and eventually fall off.  It sounds hideous because it actually is.

So why would it make any sense that this should happen when you’re running long distances?

If you’re running in a shoe that’s too small, and a LOT of you are unwittingly doing just that, you may feel fine for a 3, 4, or even 5 mile run.  But do much more than that, and your feet, which will naturally swell as you pound them for miles and miles (increased blood flow to that extremity), will cause the toenail of the longest toe to start hitting the end of that shoe.  It sometimes will start as a toenail just getting a little sore.  And in a longer run situation, say a half-marathon, the toenail, which has repeatedly been slammed into the end of the shoe, will sometimes turn black, and fall off.  I’ve seen it happen to more than one toe, as well.

Bottom line, a lot of you are wearing shoes that are too small, and running around and thinking that it’s normal for your feet to have no breathing room.

The solution?  Next time you’re in for a shoe fitting, or next time you’re in a store with a Brannock device, (one of the foot measurey things), measure your foot.  That is your dress shoe size.  So for driving shoes, heels, wedges, and flats, you may wear that size because you’re not going to run a marathon in a pair of leopard ballet flats.  Then go up a half to a full size for your running shoes.  The way to measure if you’ve done it right?  Strap those running shoes on, and sitting in a chair, firmly tap your heels on the ground.  Then, stand up, bend over, and SHAKE DAT THANG.  Nope, kidding.  Bend over, and feel how much space there is between your longest toe and the end of your shoe.  You should have a thumb to half a thumbs width, and you should be able to easily curl your toes over with no difficulty.  Finally, don’t be dumb and get a shoe that’s like 8 sizes too huge here.  If you’re sloshing all over, the shoe is too large, and you need to reel it in.

So the final answer?  It is not normal for you to be getting sore black toenails after a long run or a race, and if you are, it’s time to reevaluate what the heck you’re wearing on your feet.

 

 

OMG.

Image | | cheriarmour

OMG.

We are running the Shamrock Marathon in 18 days.

It seemed sort of far away since it’s in March but it’s almost here! Kinda calm, kinda freakin out.

Q: You’re running a marathon….so why don’t you ever run 26.2 miles in your training?

| cheriarmour

I feel like I’ve been asked this question about a bazillion times since I started this marathon training thing.  I may have even wondered it myself prior to buckling down and doing the training.

But the training involves me running about 4 times a week, one long run, and then 3 others.  The long runs never go over 20 miles, and I just did my 20-miler last week.  And folks seem beyond puzzled.  So we chatted about it at work.  I did my research.  And I bring to you the answer.

I don’t really know.  That’s just what the training told me to do so I did it.

Landreth
Chilly day here in Raleigh! This is the Asics Landreth. Great shoe, right? Well it’s SO great that they’ve decided to discontinue it. ::side eye:: As far as a shoe family, it fits right in with the Brooks Ghost, the Saucony Ride, the Nike Pegasus, and the Adidas Glide as far as feel/shape/the fact that’ it’s neutral. And it’s yellow!

Sike.  So you can search high and low for marathon training programs.  Generally, most will be something like mine.  Some of the more advanced programs, for folks who may be more experienced and more elite may call for you to do maybe two 20-milers in the course of training.  But I’d be surprised if you could find a legitimate training program that would tell you to run over 22 miles.  Here’s why.  For one, there’s no training for 26.2 miles quite like a marathon.  Second, and this is coming from pretty seasoned pros, 20 miles is all well and good.  Much more than that for a simple training run, and you are shredding your body and legs.  And your body will need a long long time to recover from that.  So the deal is, if you’re training along with me for a marathon, follow your training program.  And though it may feel counter intuitive once you begin to taper (OMG, my mileage is decreasing?!), there’s a method to the madness.  On race day, you’re supposed to be rested, refreshed, and raring to go.  And the only way you do that is to get your super long runs out of the way about a month out, and then starting to let your body rest, heal, and hydrate for the big day.  How do you prepare for childbirth?  How do you prepare for your wedding day?  You get ready.  Read the books, do your training, and you talk to people who’ve done it.  Now I hope you guys can deal with the crazy as taper madness begins to descend on my household!

Take your cigs and get off the dang sidewalk!

| cheriarmour

I’m not one of those people who think that all cigarette smokers should burn in hell for all eternity.  Like all of us, they too have a weakness, and nicotine is a bad mamma jamma to escape from.  However.  Let me complain about some of you cigarette smokers for a second.  (Not all of yous, most are very lovely folks).

I actually feel bad when I see you guys huddled next to a freezing cold building.  I’m sure that sucks.  But I appreciate you abiding by the law and going to the designated area so I don’t have to breathe it in.  How-friggin-ever.  There are a few of you that I need to talk to.

Those of you who huddle in large masses in front of the coffee shops with your judgey eyes and your cigs, creating a Hiroshima-sized mushroom of smoke.  Those of you who walk down the middle, the middle, the MIDDLE of the sidewalk and ::Kim Richards puff:: puff away and only turn to blow smoke right in my face, after trailing it into my lungs for a quarter of a mile.  And finally, the guy who was jogging down Blount Street today with a Black & Mild  whilst trying to holla as I wrapped up my run.  Please get it together.  Get. It. Together.

I don’t judge you for smoking.  I understand.  You smoke, and I would spend my last $3 on nail polish if it came down to it.  We all have our things.  But please respect the fact that some of us are not interested in sharing your smoke.  If you’re smoking on the sidewalk, have some decency and cig it down by your thigh so at least I know you have some respect for the other people using the shared space.  If you’re smoking outside of a building, move away from the door so that folks inside the establishment aren’t all, “EW what is that smell!”.  And finally.  Finally. Finally.  If you’re in a place where people are running.  Running by themselves, running with their dogs, or most of all, running with their kids (stroller), just nix the cig until you get to a good spot where you won’t be harming anyone.