NUUN

My Strange Addiction

July 12, 2012 by Kristy 18 Comments

Apparently eating salt on the run is strange? This isn’t a common practice? Should I be on My Strange Addiction with people that eat couch cushion and sniff pine cleaner?

I did receive a few questions and it’s worth mentioning on the blog.

First and foremost, I sweat a lot. When people say they are dripping with sweat, I literally am. After last Saturday’s run, my shoes were soaked from all the sweat that poured off of me. I threw them directly into the washer when I got home.

I have come close…(via)

Second, I have visible salt lines on my skin after runs. If I wear a black visor, you can really see it.

Third, that horrible hungover feeling generally haunts me after long runs.

My Shot Bloks contain sodium and potassium but it’s not enough. I’ve tried Gatorade, Nuun, and salt tabs…still not enough. I’m a serious sweater.

So last summer I brought in the big guns and went straight to table salt. I was amazed at how much better I felt during and after a run. I was hooked.

To clarify, I don’t stash a salt shaker in my Stow-N-Go bra. I take a small amount of salt and put it in a baggie. Every 5 miles or more, I eat a very small amount of it (small amount as in I dip the very tip of my pinky finger into the bag and eat whatever sticks). I don’t mind the taste probably because I’m so salt-deprived.

Overall, I consume a small amount of salt. Probably on par with runners that dip boiled potatoes in salt. And I don’t use salt every time I do a long run, just on the hot and humid days.

I definitely attribute salt with getting me through Boston in one piece.

My advice would be to not jump to salt without trying other things first: Gatorade, Nuun, salt tabs, etc.

Now you know my strange addiction…

I haven’t been recapping my 50K training consistently so here’s a look at last week’s runs…

MON: 4 miles Garmin-free
TUE: 8 miles, 9:52 avg pace. Ugh, GI issues strike. Once in a blue moon my stomach revolts.
WED: 8 miles, 9:22 avg pace
THU: rest
FRI: 4 miles Garmin-free
SAT: 22 miles, 10:30 avg pace. Hot as hell.
SUN: 10 miles, 9:54 avg pace

56 miles –> a new mileage PR! Not by much though…only 1 mile.

Are you a serious sweater like me and rock the sexy salt lines post-run? To clarify, I rarely sweat outside of running. I’m more likely to be the person with a hoodie on in the summer.

Back In The Day…

July 4, 2012 by Kristy 13 Comments

Happy 4th of July!

During this morning’s super sweaty 8-miler, I was thinking about how far running gear has come since my first marathon way back in 2004.

So what has changed?

All hail to the Garmin
My first watch was a $20 Timex I bought from Target. I used to tediously map out my runs on USATF routes to see how many miles I covered. That seems like many moons ago. Mr. Garmin came into my life in December 2009 and has forever changed the way I train for a marathon.

Better fuel
I remember using GU gels to train for my first 2 marathons. I despised how they tasted. I used to eat them like I was doing a shot – get it in and get it down as fast as possible. During marathon #3, I discovered Shot Bloks and was hooked. I can’t believe how much there is to choose from these days: chomps, sport beans, energy chews, waffles…and how many different brands there are.

I also sucked down Gatorade during long runs and then just dealt with the heaviness and sloshing in my stomach. Now I use NUUN (which I originally didn’t like last summer but I gave it another try) during and after my runs to replenish electrolytes.

How am I supposed to carry all of this?
I used to safety pin GUs to my Nike Tempo shorts. That little pocket in the front is essentially worthless (even a car key will jab you in the pelvis). Running clothes have become more practical and smart over the past few years. There are more pockets to stash fuel and hidden holes to loop your earphones through.

I love Oiselle Distance shorts (just ordered their Roga shorts – can’t wait to try them out)! Lots of pockets and super comfy without the “diaper” look. I can also stash 26.2 miles worth of Shot Bloks into my North Face Stow-N-Go Bra.

Tools of torture
What foam roller? If anything was sore I would just slap some ice on it and pop some ibuprofen. Now we have the handy dandy foam roller to massage our aching muscles and help prevent injury.

Ill-fitted tanks
Thanks to my freakishly long torso, finding a tank that was long enough was impossible. I would give up looking and just run in T-shirts. Yes, T-shirts…100% cotton…in the summer. Eww. Now I’m an avid lululemon Racerback tank wearer.

It may sound like I just plugged a lot of gear. I can assure you that in no way, shape, or form am I getting paid to endorse any of these products. I simply love them and cannot believe I used to run without ‘em!

Your turn – what has rocked your running world? After everything I listed above, I would have to say the Garmin.

Bloggers That Inspire

August 24, 2011 by Kristy 17 Comments

8/24/11
7 miles easy / no Garmin

During my long run on Sunday, I was thinking about all the blogs that I read (mentally going through my Google Reader) and how inspiring many of these bloggers are. Long run = lots of time to think. Anyhow, I thought it would make a great post: bloggers that inspire (me). Let’s spread some blogger love…

Kara and Alyssa
These girls are ultramarathoners. They are both currently training for a 50-miler (yes, you read that correctly – not 50K – because they have been there, done that – but 50 miles). That’s like finishing a marathon and then turning around and running back to the start line. Impressive. I have to mention that Kara has a 1-year old and does two-a-days to get her miles in while Alyssa dabbles in triathlons on the weekends. I definitely see ultras in my future and I would love to run one with these ladies!

Jen
Jen’s blog was one of the first I ever read and PBR is still one of my favorites. Jen is a yoga teacher, BodyPump instructor, and newly crowned certified personal trainer. Her teaching schedule each week makes me dizzy and yet she still finds time to fit in her own workouts. Oh…and she has amazing arms! I keeping thinking that if I go to a BodyPump class (and then be consistent with it – that’s key), my arms will look like hers!

Cindi
I feel like Cindi is my running twin, except that she logs an impressive amount of miles. For her last marathon, she logged 70 mile weeks! 70 miles?! And throw in a pilates class or two. She also works full-time and has 2 kids. Impressive.

Lauren
Lauren has a marathon PR I can only dream about (3:18). In addition to being a super speedy runner, Lauren writes great blog posts. I have serious creative writing envy every time I read her posts. And she’s running the Hood to Coast relay this weekend with Team Nuun (her team name is After-NUUN DeLight)!

Rachel
Rachel had a baby 2 months ago and is already signed up for her first half marathon post-baby (if fact, she’s already training). Not only did Rachel run throughout her entire pregnancy, she ran 2-5Ks right before she gave birth (as in, the week of). She’s also a Girls On The Run coach. Impressive!

Which bloggers inspire you? Make sure you leave the name of their blog (and URL) so we can all check them out!

Lehigh Valley Marathon: Week 6 Recap

July 11, 2011 by Kristy 8 Comments

I hit the big 5-0 last week and, overall, had a great week with the exception of Friday’s steamy 20-miler.

MON: 8 easy
TUE: 7 speed (fastest 800s to-date!)
WED: 7 easy
THU: rest
FRI: 20 long
SAT: rest
SUN: 8 tempo

Now I’m noticing a pattern with my dehydration. My left quad was sore Friday to Monday just like it was during the NJ Marathon. During the marathon I got pretty dehydrated, just like Friday’s 20-miler. Since I’ve never had any issues with my quads I definitely think there’s a link. For me, the NJM and Friday’s 20-miler are what I dubbed “stage 2” dehydration – headache and nausea. As opposed to my usual post-long run “stage 1” dehydration – just an annoying headache. Seem like stage 2 creeps in and so does the quad soreness. Thankfully the soreness goes away after a few days but it’s a pain in the ass.

Since this is starting to get on my nerves, I’m going to increase my water intake the night before and the morning of a long run. I must admit I’m pretty bad with this. During my long runs though I’m a model hydrator…drinking water like crazy, Shot Blok-ing, and electrolyte popping!

What are your must-haves to prevent dehydration during the summer? I tried nuun a few times. It didn’t see any real difference and I thought it was gross!