Running In All Seasons

In this season of my life, with littles running around, tugging at me, using me as a human napkin, asking a million questions a millisecond, and doing their best to challenge my sanity, my “workout program” consists of grabbing what I can when I can (aside from the obstacle courses I’m privileged to endure around my house every day). It’s far less intentional than it used to be… as it should be in this blessed season. I don’t have log books anymore or highlight races I’m training for, and I certainly don’t clock my runs anymore. For me, I can’t do it all so I don’t try – I just try to enjoy the moments I’m given. I mean God gave me these precious littles for such a short time. Running can wait if it needs to. But it doesn’t always need to if I can accept that running in this season may not look the same as previous or upcoming ones. As a mom, I consider it my responsibility to teach my kids about being healthy, taking care of God’s temple. So lately, I’ve been taking them along. Here’s what running looks like for me, in this season.

My daughter is six, and she’s fast… period. When she builds her endurance, I won’t be able to keep up. She loves to run and has been running laps in our house since she was two. When we go outside to play, anywhere, she runs… fast, forever, talking the whole way. My kinda girl! So, she comes on foot. We don’t go for a 3 mile run… we play tag or try to stomp each others shadows. The expert runners call this a fartlek run. (I promise – it has nothing to do with gas.) I love that my daughter has no idea what it means - to her we’re just having the time of our life, together time, outdoor time.

My son is four and isn’t really a runner. He is getting faster but shows no sign of a natural runner’s gait like my daughter. He hasn’t been running since he was two, he’s been riding his bike since then. So, he comes on wheels. And he’s fast, really fast. He can’t go for 3 miles either, but he gives me a good, unofficial pace workout.

Rarely, I go running by myself. Sometimes, I go with you lovely ladies. And often, a little girl is running beside me with a wide grin and a noisy stride while her brother, Ironman, is on wheels ahead of us announcing his intentions to anyone who stands in our way. And you know something? I wouldn’t have it any other way. No race training can compare to this.

Some of you are in the same season I am, and some are in a variety of other seasons. Make it work for you by keeping your season of life in perspective. We’re maintaining His temple, not trying to attain some obscure goal that has no eternal value. There are ways you can participate in your health, even when your season of life does not allow you to hit the trails as often as you’d like. Here are some more ideas for the challenging seasons of life…

All seasons:
:: Proper nutrition.
:: Adequate rest.
:: Water. Water. Water.
:: Simple stretches while you are waiting for the microwave to beep, or your son to get dressed, or your husband to kill the spider, or…

Career-building season:
:: Take an exercise ball to work and use it as a chair. This builds great balance and core muscle strength and creates a great conversation piece that could lead to sharing the Gospel message.
:: Take advantage of conference calls. Unless it’s a video call, stretch, stand up, walk around – this actually helps you remember what was said and sound alert.
:: Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Yes! 36 flights if you need to!
:: If you have a gym near your office, pack a lunch and choose to workout at lunchtime and eat (a healthy, nutritious meal) at your desk.

Children too young to participate in activity with you:
:: Strap ‘em in a baby jogger.
:: Go for walks with your littles. Take a different path every time. Children love to explore the outdoors – no matter the temps. So dress for the occasion and get out there. Go for little “hikes”. Pack in a picnic. Collect nature objects. Come home and make a nature book. It won’t even feel like exercise!
:: Gym membership with childcare.
:: Fly a kite – you have to run for it to take off.
:: DVDs for mom while littles are napping – Pilates, yoga, whatever suits your fancy.
:: DVDs for mom using baby.
:: Jump rope, hoola hoop – your kids will love watching mommy do these silly things and they’ll probably want to try. Kids and hoola hoops are hours of entertainment!
:: Dance with your kids
:: Spin your kids
:: Take them “swimming”. Now that’s a workout! If you have more than one that can’t swim, tie noodles around them (or put 'em in a floatie) and they just became your water weights.
:: Start teaching them to play catch or soccer… my kids keep me running all over trying to catch their throws and chase down their kicks.
:: Trade childcare with a friend. You watch her littles while you hit the trails and vice versa.
:: Wake early before hubby leaves for work or go after he gets home – get into a routine, make it a habit, make it your time with God.

Empty-nester season:
:: I gotta be honest here… I have no idea – this is the season I dream about but I know all seasons offer their challenges. Maybe this is an opportunity to reconnect with your spouse out on the trails. Maybe try a new sport or activity together. Or maybe you can stay connected with your children through running/activity.

More ideas? What do you do?

A Snake in My Path

I remember a few years back, I was out on a run in the mid-July heat. As I was running, I looked down at my watch to mark my mile split and looked up just in time to see a snake sunbathing on the path a few feet from my next step. Talk about perfect timing! After doing the heebee jeebee dance, I mustered up the courage to jump over it and continue on my way, cursing the snake for costing me at least 30 seconds! (It was a pretty intense heebee jeebee dance.) It amazes me even today that I mustered up the courage to jump over that snake! The path of life has its fair share of snakes crossing, sunbathing, or plain coiled along the way, and I for one don’t want to be staring at a watch just to log a run the next time one comes along. The running should never be the focus!

In my season of life, I don’t know from one day to the next if I’ll be able to get out on the trails. I am on a journey with God and my life is not my own, so sometimes the running trails will have to wait. But every time I slip on my running shoes and strike my feet on the path, I will count it as a blessing and savor each step while thanking Him for the time and ability to meet Him in one of my most favorite places – a place He knew I would love, a place where His voice is clear and His presence is undeniable. And, because this is one of Our places, I know He will move mountains to create the opportunity, so I should leave the watch at home and focus on the “miracle of the moment.”.

I guess all of this is another way to say I’m throwing the weekly training schedules out the window. My new training schedule can be summed up with the brilliant words of Forrest Gump: “I just felt like running.” Yeah, Forrest – I’m pickin’ up what you’re layin’ down!

If something is working for you and you love it, GREAT!! Keep it up! If it's not fun and you're not feeling it, switch it up. I'll still be throwing out ideas, but no more regimens. Get out there when you can, take care of His original workmanship, sign up for the races that sound fun to you or don’t sign up for any and check out the countless running resources available to meet you where you are in your fitness abilities like http://www.runnersworld.com/, www.active.com/running, and some listed on this site. Cross train, drink lots of water, and, remember, muscles need a Sabbath, too.

But whatever you do, do it with the guidance of our Savior and let’s catch up as often as we can on the running trails because God gives us Sisters to help us see the snakes in our paths.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together…but let us encourage one another..."- Hebrews 10:24-25a

Let the Training Begin!

Spring is slowly making it’s way into the Rocky Mountains which means the running season is dawning! I’m so ready to start moving in the sun – how about you? Be sure to check your email for Group Run announcements.

It’s time to start stepping up our activity as we Spring Forward. It's time to start training! How much running you do a week really depends on your fitness level and your own personal goals - not just your goals for your race performance, but your overall health goals for your King.

I feel the need to reiterate that I am not a personal trainer. I’ve mentioned The Complete Book of Running for Women (Kowalchik) before (link under resources). This book includes race programs for 5k, 10k, half-marathons and marathons, as well as a wealth of information about running in general. I use the training programs from this book as a basis but don’t follow to the letter. These training programs can be pretty intense and even when I ran a lot I didn’t run as much as this book suggests. So I pull what I think are the most important runs from each week to build my running program – usually about 4 days a week. Here are some basic principles to consider if you want to build your own program that suits your needs and schedule:

:: Include a long run, a recovery run (day after your long run) and at least 1 speed work day in your training program.

:: Speed work (also called pace workouts) can come in a variety of forms – using a track (1 lap = 400 meters; 4 laps = 1 mile), a treadmill, doing a fartlek run or running hills are all forms of speed work. The most important part of the pace workout is to ensure you are properly warmed up before you pick up the pace. More on this next week.

:: When trying to build up mileage, it’s not safe to just add a mile each week to your long run. When mountain climbers ascend Mt. Everest, they go through a series of ascents and descents to acclimate to the altitude before they attempt the summit. Acclimating to distance in running uses the same theory. So one week, your long run might be 3 miles, the next 2, then the following 4 miles.

:: The body needs rest. Many runners ride on the “Runner’s High” and want to go everyday but just remember that you do just as much for your training by resting as you do by running.

:: Don’t underestimate the benefits of cross training. You can still move but give your running muscles a rest. Swimming, yoga, pilates and weight-training are all wonderful compliments for the runner’s training schedule. I also love to rollerblade! I plop my kids in the double jogger and hit the trails. They love the speed and I get a great workout – they collectively way nearly 60 lbs.!


:: Finally, ask yourself, are you devoting yourself to running or are you devoting yourself to God and being obedient to His calling to live a healthy life? That’s an important question to answer before you get started or keep going. It will help keep everything in perspective. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day… because you are likely to miss a day. And don’t be obsessed with fitting your workout in when your family is sick and you have to take care of them or you have a commitment to a loved one you can’t break. Ask God to prioritize your training for you because it’s easy to beat ourselves up over not making the time. Just remember, we want to be women who can laugh at the days to come, not women who can present a log filled with daily runs and other completed tasks.

Moving through February

Hopefully you spent January working up towards running for at least 25 minutes at a time. If you are having difficulty, I suggest checking out the Couch to 5K Running Plan here.

I would highly recommend exploring cross training activities this month to see which ones you like and which ones fit your schedule and your budget. Cross training is vital to injury prevention, motivation and endurance. Muscles catch on really quick so we must keep changing up the activity if we expect changes in our physical abilities. Check out the January blog post here for some of my favorite cross training workouts. One I would add to that list is a strength training class like Body Pump or something similar. Body Pump is one hour of strength training using light weights or your own body weight at high reps. You WILL remember every single one of your muscles after this workout. I suggest a light run or yoga after you do something like this for the first time to flush your lactic acid and prevent serious soreness on the second post-workout day. Body Pump is offered at the Castle Rock rec center (check schedule here) and a similar class is offered at the Parker rec center (see link under resources).

Continue this month with maintaining or working up to running 25 minutes at a time at least 3 times a week and work in some cross training days as well. Focus on nutrition to fuel your workouts. Garbage in means garbage out. Check out Sheri Rose Shepherd's Fit for My King February Challenge here for some good nutritional guidance and encouragement in the Lord.

We’ll start meeting for group runs in March! Yeah! And remember, if you are joining in on the Bolder Boulder 10K, we would like to register as a group by February 28th! See post here for more race info.

Also, on Sunday, March 14, 2010 is the Running of the Green Lucky 7K (4 miles) in Lodo! I hear this is a blast! Join in on the fun! Register here.

Go! Slowly...

It's time for rubber to meet the road... literally! As we welcome the New Year, below are some thoughts for a January workout plan. Before I go any further, I highly recommend that if you don’t know your body well enough to know what it needs or what it can withstand, make an appointment at your local recreation center or gym to speak with a personal trainer as well as consult your doctor. I don’t know what your goals are to maintain or restore God’s original workmanship – this is just generally what I do to wake my muscles up after the calorie-packed, exercise deficient holiday season.

If you can get yourself moving 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes, that’s a great start! My ideal winter regimen is 2-3 days of running and 2 days of some low-impact activity.

Running
If you can’t run for 25 continuous minutes that should be your goal for the month! For most of us, that’s between 2 -2½ miles. Remember, we’re starting slow. We want an injury free running season! If you are new to running, check out The Complete Running Book for Women.

Start off slow and run for as long as you can until you have to walk. When you feel up to it, run again with the goal of running longer each day you go out. By the end of the month, you should be able to run 25 continuous minutes comfortably. Notice I did NOT say swiftly! Remember to warm up and stretch afterwards as well.

Cross Training
Below are some of my favorite cross training activities, but you should experiment to find what works for you and your schedule/budget!

1. Yoga – Core Power Yoga has a studio here in Parker as well as studios across the metro area. This is hard on the budget but if you have limited time to dedicate to fitness, Hot Yoga is the best use of your time! Some recreation centers (Castle Rock) also have Hot Yoga at a fraction of the price as well as non-heated yoga classes. There are also a ton of DVDs out there that can be just as effective.

2. Pilates – I’ve never done Pilates in an actual studio. But I have a few Pilates DVDs that I just love and find very effective. I favor the Winsor Pilates programs as well as Denise Austin’s Pilates workouts.

3. Weight-lifting – Muscle mass is necessary to burn fat. Usually women need to load themselves full of protein and other “supplements” to actually get big from weight-lifting, so don’t fear it! You can use actual weights or resistance bands or your own body weight. Next time you are at the gym, check out what other people are doing and take note. Select exercises that will target the areas you typically struggle with. A great resource for some of the basic exercises and how to put them together in a routine is Body for Life by Bill Phillips.

4. Zumba – I’ve not actually tried this yet but am signed up for classes at the Parker Rec Center. Zumba is a fitness class based on Latin dance moves. The Parker Rec Center is offering a free class party this Wednesday, January 6.

5. Swimming – One of the most beneficial cross training activities out there! And this is something that you can do long after you have to hang up your running shoes.

6. Rollerblading – Although not quite the season for it, rollerblading is great for your butt and both the inner and outer thighs, 2 of my personal “trouble areas”.

The most important part of physical exercise is to prayerfully consider your body and do what it requires – physiologically (so, nutrition and movement). There may be days your body is telling you to back off. There may be days you just don’t make it, for a thousand different reasons. We all have those days. But just as God is gracious with us, we must also be gracious with ourselves. A missed workout is yesterday. This is today. What are you going to do today? “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! “(Psalm 118:24)