Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Being Impatient, 3 Easy & Running Vs. A lot of Other Exercises (so specific)


Does this happen to anyone else? You think you've covered at least two miles, and you haven't even been running for five minutes. You think you're at least half way done, but you're not even a quarter of the way. The trouble with running outdoors with a watch (or even inside, because you're stuck watching the clock the whole time - which is why I cover the timer on the treadmill with a Post-It note) is that it is so easy to get caught up on the clock. I know when I run the usual golf course loop I love so much, I try to tell myself, "Okay, pass the next two trees and then you can look." Or, "Once this song is over you can look at the watch." Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised when I prolong the Garmin glance. Sometimes I'm pissed off ;)

For Sunday, I am going to use these tricks while I am running. When I did the Vancouver Sun Run 10K a couple weeks ago I barely glanced at my watch. I didn't even run with music. I thought there would be more music on the course than there actually was (the course map showed a LOT of music areas), so I decided to leave the iPod shuffle at home (I use a small green one that clips on to my jacket/shirt/shorts/whatever). However since this is my first 13.1 mile race and I will be goin' it alone, music will be a good idea to keep my mind occupied. I can always unplug and.. I don't know, stuff it in my sports bra or something. Classy!

So, keepin' with my game plan, I geared up the ol' treadmill for 3 miles this morning. Note: I don't always eat before I run in the morning unless it is a long run. I try my best to refuel within at least an hour after finishing a workout, but I honestly get preoccupied with foam rolling, stretching, abs, shower, THEN I finally have something to eat (my breakfast of oatmeal. So original). So, this morning I didn't eat anything before three miles. I personally suggest that if you are a morning runner it is good to fuel beforehand. I feel better with half a banana, raisins, or a small handful nuts in me before a long(er) run on the treadmill. I am impatient and do not want to wait for my body to digest everything. And, I find that I get heartburn easier when I eat before running in the morning. Weird! NOTE: This is MORNING running! If I am running in the afternoon then I would've had my breakfast and some fuel in me already.

Anyway, wow that was a long introduction to an easy workout. Oops. Hope you had fun reading that!


Boom, 100 tricep dips. Felt the burn. Hurt so good!


I'm not sure what kind of weight they based it on, but I generally gauge it like so: 100 calories for every mile ran. I've heard this is a good rule of thumb & it makes sense. Treadmills and other exercise equipments can definitely overestimate your calorie burn. For example, I ran 3 miles this morning and my treadmill said I burned 500 calories. Mm, no, I don't think that's correct. I wasn't flying at the speed of light and I kept it at a pace that was comfortable for me (so I wouldn't overdo it). If you are looking for a more accurate way of finding out how many calories you burn, you can find calculators online that take into account your weight, height, activity level, etc.  However, these are all estimates based on this information. It's hard to pinpoint what one calculator considers "extremely active" vs. another calculator's "extremely active" (if that makes sense). A heart rate monitor is a great option though to gauge how hard your body is working. It is also a good indicator of whether you are pushing yourself too hard (or going too easy) and will help give you a better calorie-burn reading as well.

If you are a runner, what's your other favourite exercise? (Mine is sleeping. And walking to the store to get candy. No, in all seriousness it would be cycling, walking, or yoga. I do a lot of walking. Not so much cycling here in the city, or yoga here in my living room).
If you are not a running obsessed crazy person, what's your favourite way to stay active?

And on that note, I am going to bed. I had a banana zucchini muffin & some cereal and now my stomach hurts. Waah, that's what I get for having sweet stuff before bed.

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