Look ma, no girdle!

31 Jul 2013 2 Comments

by Dr Nay in Hysterrunner Science Tags: , , ,

When I first came back to the pavement post-hysterectomy, I went on a quest for compression tights which would hold my weak stomach muscles and swelly belly together while I ran.  I even wrote about my quest and several of the styles I tried.  As the weather began getting warm, I panicked.  There was no way I could afford to buy as many pairs of compression shorts as I would need to get through summer running.  Plus, I have so many pairs of running shorts and skirts that I would hate to have them sit around collecting dust.  So I did what any good frugal fastinista would do, I found a way to wear them.  My secret was to wear a panty girdle.  I had a few which I had purchased in the Fall so that I could wear real clothes again after the surgery.  I hadn’t worn them since.  So I started wearing them under my shorts and skirts to run.  I tested them out on my shorter weekly runs and then an 8 mile long run.  They worked perfectly! They held me in without discomfort as I was still rebuilding my core.  I wore one under my skirt at the Baltimore Ten Miler and even though it wasn’t my best race I couldn’t blame my belly.  For the Dreaded Druid Hills 10K, I wore the one pair of compression shorts which I did purchase.  I would have worn compression shorts regardless of being a hysterrunner because…well it’s the DREADED Druid HILLS! But then the inevitable happened, I needed to do laundry and didn’t have a clean panty girdle to wear.

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Laundry day at my house. Seriously, this is what it feels like!

So for the BWC, I wore my skirt and regular undergarments & I was fine.  I think between my core work over the past few months and recovery in general I can safely say I don’t need the extra support in my midsection when I run.  However, I do like compression garments for support and recovery of muscles during and after intense workouts.  So I will probably continue wearing compression tights or shorts on long runs.

Do you wear compression gear?  What is your go to gear for intense workouts?

Motivational Monday July 29 2013

29 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by Dr Nay in Motivation

Today’s Motivational Monday thought from Run Find Your Happy Pace is spot on! Coming back from illness or injury, it may be even harder to commit or recommit to living healthy. Once you do, it really is AWESOME!

Run Find Your Happy Pace

Making the commitment to living healthy whether its your diet or excercise can be challenging at first.

Especially for those who have never been active before.  But it really is true…living a healthy life is awesome.

” I prefer AWESOME!”

You don’t have to be perfect but you do have to start.

 Be your own awesome!

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PowerIce Review

22 Jul 2013 3 Comments

by Dr Nay in Reviews Tags: , , , , ,

I haven’t blogged much since the BWC.  I needed time to rest from racing in 9 races in 6 months both physically and mentally.  But I’m baaaaacccck!

So since this blog started, I have been hesitant to post full out reviews of products.  I have stopped following blogs in the past because they turned into mostly reviews with a little bit of content sprinkled in for good measure.  I definitely don’t want to become one of those.  However, I have been asked to review a few items over the past several months.  I have been trying the products and have finally decided to blog about them.  It’s my intent to catch up on this backlog of reviews by doing one a week for the next few weeks.

First up in the Shark Tank is PowerIce.  From the website:

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I was sent two boxes of PowerIce to try – Lime Kicker and Orange Blast.  Both flavors taste great; almost like frozen Gatorade except without the weird chemical aftertaste.  You can have one before, during or after your workout depending on what you are aiming to do.  Before is supposed to increase endurance, during cools core body temperature, and after for “lightning fast recovery.”  Most of the time I have used it before workouts.  If I could figure out how to keep it frozen in the middle of a run, I would have one during as this heat and humidity here on the East Coast has been no joke.

On the days when I had one before Bikram Yoga, I would eat it in the car on the way to the studio.  It reduced my core body temperature just enough for me to get centered and begin my practice.  It was harder to do so on days when it was hot outside if I didn’t have the PowerIce first.  They became part of my Bikram Yoga healthy trio – PowerIce before, Ice water during, and coconut water after.

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Before my afternoon runs when that heat and humidity had me melting before I started, I also had one before I started.  It also served as my snack booster as I don’t usually have dinner before them.  I don’t know if it increased my endurance but it helped to make the runs more bearable.  I have started back with speed work and training in preparation for this Fall’s half marathons.  I have a couple of these left which I am saving to try before my session on Thursday.  We’ll see if they make a difference then on timed repeats.

How do you keep cool and hydrated when exercising in the heat?  Have you tried PowerIce? Do you drink coconut water?

An Emotional Race 9 Recap–BWC

02 Jul 2013 1 Comment

by Dr Nay in Race Recaps Tags: , , , ,

I have been trying to write this post since last week Monday, the day after the race.  However, every time I try to write this recap I remember the week after last year’s race.  It was the week I found out that I would need to have a hysterectomy.  Even now as I write this finally, I am having difficulty focusing on writing this year’s recap without thinking about last year.  I’m going to give this recap in mostly pictures as a result.

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Black Girls Run Group Picture in the Baltimore Times

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There were more than 400 of us running in this year’s Baltimore Women’s Classic 5K.  Truly, a takeover.

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Twilight Tuesday’s Hysterrunners! It was M’s first race!

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Being silly before the official group picture.

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Post-race smiles – I love my medal!

July Goals & Challenges

Today is also July 1st.  I have accepted the #ScaleFreeSummer challenge from Erika at Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss.  I weighed in yesterday and will not be getting back on the scale until July 31st.  I have been making good progress towards my fitness goals.  However, although I can see the progress in pictures, sometimes the scale does not feel like it’s moving fast enough.  Sometimes I get discouraged when I don’t see the difference in the scale.  For me, this challenge is a way for me to focus on my clean eating and fitness goals without worrying every few days about the scale.

As a part of my moving towards my fitness, I am doing the 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge over at Simple Green Smoothies.  I’ve been incorporating smoothies into my diet pretty regularly. I hope to replace one meal a day with a green smoothie on my rest days and light exercise days.  On heavy training days, I will have a salad or light fare with my smoothie.

The second challenge I’m doing for this month is for my fitness.  As you know I’ve been slowly rebuilding my core strength.  Ab work with my BGR ladies and Bikram Yoga has been a big part of that.  I also have been struggling to regularly do upper body strength work.  I found this great July challenge on Pinterest which focuses on abs, legs, arms & cardio.

july workout challenge

I will be splitting these daily workouts up across the course of the day.  Most of it will be done in the morning before I wake up.  The other half after work around my workout schedule in addition to my running and yoga schedule.  Also instead of Bikram, I will be doing Vinyasa yoga for my crosstraining this summer.  Swimming, hiking, AquaZumba and other summer activities will also happen.  I’m loving my summer body that was built with running in the Winter and Spring.  However, I know that I will love it more once I focus on my fitness and not the scale.

Are you doing any challenges this month?  How do you keep up with your fitness goals during the summer?

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Rock N Roll Philly Half Marathon

Race # 10September 15th, 2013
Aiming for a PR!