A Tale of Two Rides

Tale I: Spin Class (now with a friend!) 

For the very first time ever, I went to spin class and purposefully met someone I know there. (Why, this someone right here. Thanks J!) I’d be more surprised by this news if I didn’t know the real reason why I never want an actual person I know to see me at spin – there’s the uber sweating of course, and the potential for…well, fine. I’ll just say it. The potential for gas. Two super unattractive things in a human being, all combined to a-tempo music. Superb.

However, J recently joined my gym and kindly invited me to spin with her, and this felt like the right time. Minus the fact that I don’t know what friends should do at spin* (do you chat? Do you look over and share sympathetic faces? Do you ignore each other and pretend you’re not possibly close enough to bathing in one another’s perspiration? And what about that dreaded gas situation?) this sounded like a plan. Plus, it was motivating. Nothing like a friend relying on you to show up.

Our instructor was simultaneously amazing at song selection and completely un-motivating. It was one of the quietest spin classes I’d ever been to with some of the best music (hello, “Stacy’s Mom“). As in, the instructor said zero besides, “And now, sprints.” Not even a deadpan, “You can do it.” Regardless, this was still the hardest spin class I’ve ever taken. Not sure if that had to do with J or not.

J and I didn’t chat much, except during the very first warm-up song. We did share some pained grimaces, and I don’t think I accidentally splashed any sweat her way. But despite that, it was still just nice to have a friend nearby. Just in case.

Survey says: I’ll do it again! 

Tale 2: Biking to Work

Hm. I haven’t had the choice to bike to work since ye olden days of waitressing, but since I’m in a bit of a holding pattern until my next project takes off, I have been borrowing a desk at a local company. So local that they’re a mere 20 minute bike ride from my house. Yesterday, I figured I’d do a direct compare/contract with spin and try the actual bike, taking my two-wheeler to the office.

Woah. Problem number one was footwear. I needed a pair that I could bike in and not ruin, and want to wear around all day in the office (which basically means a pair I can slip in and out of as I’m prone to curling up into a ball in my chair). I finally settled for a pair of wing-tip inspired lace ups that look more like jazz shoes than something biking appropriate, but I knew they’d be hard to scuff.

There was something very calming about riding my bike to work. It’s quiet, in the sense that there’s no radio or media (you can’t look at your email while biking). It’s almost zen. There’s fresh air at stoplights and the elements are all around you. However, other than that, bike riding to work is also one of the most stressful things one can do.

Seriously. Watching for potential doors being opened on you, worrying about potholes, knowing you’re smaller than everyone on the road, concerned if I fall over I might break my computer or spill my lunch out of my backpack, loud noises…even though I felt healthy and good about my small part in saving the environment, I also felt fraking terrified the entire time.

Survey says? I might do it again. In fact, I probably will. But I bet I will feel just as nervous. 

*There was a canoodling couple in the spin class who were totally making out between bikes before the start of class, and I had to wonder if that’s typical behavior.

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Run, White & Blue

This Fourth of July I…

This Fourth of July I woke up extra early in order to avoid the heat of the day. Pretty much as soon as the sun rises every morning in this seventh month, it’s been hot enough to cook pancakes on the sidewalk, which means taking a run anytime after high eight-am makes my body hot enough to melt butter for those sidewalk pancakes. So I got up at 6:30 and took a ninety minute run through the hills. I went through one of my new favorite longer routes to get myself up to 12 miles, and thought about birthdays of nations and birthdays of friends.

This Fourth of July I took a shower after my run and hung out for a little over an hour on my couch, researching breeds of small dogs I’m considering bringing into my life, and then zipping out some work for various projects and mailing off emails regarding those projects. With less than fifteen minutes to get ready, I tossed on a sundress I’ve been meaning to wear for the past two months and after quite a bit of shoe indecision, made a choice and hustled out the door.

This Fourth of July I met one of my best friends and certainly my best business partner, Angie, at a strange little corporate office park for what turned out to be the most incredible massage of my 29 years (yes, 29, but ask any elliptical machine and it’ll tell you I’m 25). Thai stretching, an array of gentle pulling, time spent on those crazy knots in my back…I almost asked the woman if she’d marry me against both our chosen genders for mates. I felt like jelly on toast. Heck, I felt like jam. No, I felt like preserves. Hot towels were involved. It was amazing.

This Fourth of July I then hit the road and went to see my other parents, Sandy and Duane, and catch up with a host of old friends. Hints of nostalgia became full-fledged waves, and I wondered if the adults who knew me as a teen 15 years ago can see any changes in me, or if like them, I seem just the same as always. Party hopping behooves me, so I snatched blueberries and strawberries for the next BBQ, with my friends who have become my family (the way I always wanted friends to be). Talk of running, bicycles, getting in shape, body image, weight lifting, recent accomplishments, and random trust falls was had (along with an excellent soundtrack that kept everyone dancing, birthday cupcakes, a kiddie pool for our feet, and some wedding planning ideas) until my body begged to be at home again, getting ready to bunker down, wake up early, and swim swim swim.

Probably one of the best adult Fourth of July’s to date.

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Taking Ownership

Man, life’s a trip, isn’t it? Actually, I guess it’s more of a journey. Trip implies something leisurely. Sightseeing. Feeding the pigeons in the park. Snapping some photographs. But journey: that’s quite a bit rougher around the edges. When you embark on a journey, you gotta be a bit scrappy. A bit intuitive. Ready to embrace negatives and positives alike. To take the “life as a journey” down a notch, we could go so far as to say running a race–be it a triathlon, a marathon, a half, or even a 5k–is a journey as well. Training for an endurance event is certainly a journey. A learning process.

I’ve noticed something lately in the vernacular of racers: somewhere along the way of their training (or is it post-race?), an athlete goes from calling the event the half marathon to my half marathon. At some point, an athlete takes responsibility–ownership, if you will–of their race. In fact, they possess it. The half-marathon becomes part of their being, their existence.

I doubt that noting this transition is a novel concept. But what interests me is this: at what point, exactly, does one take ownership of their race? When does one accept that they are on a journey, that there is something happening in them physically, mentally, spiritually, factually?

This reminds me of the fact that I do not ever refer to myself as a runner. I say that I run. But I do not take ownership of my running. Others have called me a runner, but I do not see myself as such. Running and I coexist together, but I have yet to truly claim the title.

Interestingly, I almost never refer to the races I have participated in as mine. The lingo I use is, “When I did the marathon” or “During the tri.” Despite having completed those journeys, those chapters closing, I don’t call them my own. There is a detachment. Is this referencing positive or negative? Am I just as engaged in my activity if I don’t call it my own? Is this simply a piece of my personality, or is it a deeper consideration that has to do with how I connect to physical activity?

As I write, I’m reminded that I call the soccer team I play on my soccer team. My team. Mine. What is it about the team, about soccer, that I can claim? Is it because I have played since I was a child, whereas running is new? Is it because it’s a journey I have accepted as being fulfilled?

Running is not how I get from one place to another; few, if any endurance athletes are using their training as mode of transportation. Instead, running or biking or swimming–training in general–is a process. It’s a journey. Training is not about Point A to Point B; it’s about what happens in between. When I run, it’s for me and only me. Yet it’s not mine.

Which all leads me to wonder: Am I letting myself fall down the rabbit hole, or am I running down the sides full steam ahead? And moreso, does ownership matter as long as I keep seeking where I’m going? As long as I’m fit, healthy, and very much alive, does any it matter how I relate to running?

 

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‘Snot Magic, It’s Just Running

Running and body-fluids go together like sparkles and glue. There’s sweat, obviously (oh Mylanta, there is sweat everywhere. Even between my shoulder blades). Occasionally I find myself with watery eyes depending on what is in the air or what This American Life I’m listening to. Of course, there’s the fluids/functions that really aren’t for the masses. And there is snot.

I’ve noticed my nose’s predilection for dribbling during a walk, run or swim for quite some time and have attempted to fix the problem by ignoring my nasal cavity completely. In true Runner’s Delight style though, my curiosity bested me and I had to delve into research regarding the mysterious nose “sweat” as one might call it were one feeling a bit sassy yet ladylike.

So, the runner’s nose is not uncommon. In fact, it’s so prevalent that simply hunting down “why does my nose run when I exercise?” garners enough Google hits to keep me up to my eyeballs in mucus-memories and snotball stories. There is even a scientific sounding name that pops up in answer to this question: exercise-induced rhinitis. Ooo! Science!

Symptoms of exercise-induced rhinitis are simple, according to FitSugar: if you’ve got extreme mucus madness fizzling around your nose and throat, a swarthy amount of lung butter, extra sneezes and watery eyes when busting out vigorous exercise indoors or outside, you’ve got yourself runner’s nose.

Now that we know what this rhino-runner is, it’s time to talk about the why’s. There are a few answers. From Livestrong.com, we’re told that “Various triggers irritate the nasal membranes, causing an episode of exercise-induced rhinitis…irritants in the air, odors or weather changes while running…environmental irritants like dust, smog, humidity and temperature [indoors and outdoors]”. So your sniffer’s issue may very well be an external influence. If you’re not a chronic slimer, jot down what the weather was like when you run, or where you were. You should be able to pinpoint your personal triggers and help yourself skip the snotting.

There’s another answer as to why as reported by Runner’s World a few years ago. Dimitry McDowell reports, “exercise-induced rhinitis, is most likely due to the increased air flow; as your breathing rate increases, your nose kicks into hyperactivity. ‘Cool and dry air—or both—have been shown to increase secretions, similar to what we see in exercise-induced asthma,’ says James Sublett, M.D., allergist and professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky.” Yup. Your schnoz reacts to air. More air = uber productive nasal-land.

Finally, just know you’re not alone. So many people experience the runner’s nose that the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology surveyed 164 exercisers and found that 40 percent had a runny nose while exercising inside, and 56 percent had one outside. It’s not just me. And it’s not just you.

All these things, while perhaps uncomfortable, are thankfully not going to make or break an amateur athlete’s abilities. And besides, you have options. If you’re not sure how to cope with your raucous rhino-dilemma, here’s a quick break down of what you can do from easiest to more complicated:

1. Distraction!  View this, think of it when your nose runs, and become so scared your nose forgets to swell.
2.  Your Shirt! This is my preferred method – I wipe anything that leaks on my shirt. It’s not classy, but it gets the job done.
3. Tissue! You’ve got to remember to bring it, but stuffing some in your sports bra (not like that!) or in your waistband works well. Just don’t blow and throw.
4. Snot-Rockets! For the sake of my mother, I’m not going to describe this. Read about them here. Do NOT be tempted into watching a video of them if you intend on eating again this month.
5. Pills Pills Pills! Allergy medicine can assist in giving you some nasal reprieve, but you have to remember to take it.
6. Nose Bulb! Usually used for babies, pulling all the wet-stuff out of your cute little button can help ensure your nose stays dry.

Good luck out there, fellow snot-raconteurs.

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Shout-Outs

I can’t help but holler from the rooftops like a chimney sweep. Some of my friends are kicking serious exercise butt! K and Rad ran a half-marathon. Tami took a crazy spill on her mountain bike and is still riding. Mala just moved 500 miles down the coast and is still running plus walking everywhere, too. Penn has had incredible success with P90X and just ran her first 2-miler. Sean joined a bowling league with his pop. Kane, Chris and Drew plan to start Insanity.

Healthy friends are awesome.

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Does The Path to Strength Have the Least Resistance?

Peddling. Panting. Water. Repeat. It was hot this weekend! No, scratch that. It was Hot this weekend (with a capital H and that rhymes with nothing and that stands for what we should have been doing instead of riding our bikes around Orange County). As luck would have it, having trucked my bike to the former homeland – the OC – I made it my mission to put that bike to use regardless of temperature. Besides, black spandex absorbs sweat so well it’s hard for anyone to notice that glisten on your pants isn’t simply the sparkle inherent of biker-shorts, but an enhanced shine straight from the pores of your own skin.

But I digress. Heat aside, a small pack* of us pulled off 23 miles with relative ease. Luckily, we were a group of four which allowed there never to be a third wheel attempting to chat, and even more luckily, Sam had recently started hitting up the gym again and had questions about when the best time to do weight/strength training was. I love when conversations on bike rides become fodder for online research!

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, my friend Bryan instilled in my head after you do cardio, you want to go immediately into crunches or push-ups to maximize your metabolism at that exact moment. I still hear his voice in my head when I get home from a run and think about doing crunches; I can vividly recall him telling me to get the most out of my heart-rate. I sort of assumed that this was the best time. Considering my level of curiosity tends to run on “high,” I am a little shocked I never questioned this information until now. Let’s find out!

Okay, the first thing to know is this: the best time to do weight/strength training has one heck of a lot to do with why you are engaging in this kind of activity in the first place. Wait, I lied. The first thing to know is if you are doing weight and strength training, CONGRATULATIONS!!! So the second thing to know is that when you do this kind of workout matters in terms of what you hope to accomplish. What you want to accomplish will tell you how to spend your energy.

See, if you want to look like someone who kicks around Venice Beach (aka, you want to big muscles), you’ll want to get your weight lifting on without any sort of cardio activity beforehand. The reason, according to About.com’s Elizabeth Quinn, is that, “the body’s main source of energy for muscle contraction (glycogen) is high. If you do a hard cardio workout before lifting, you deplete glycogen, which makes the workout ineffective.” In order to make sure energy is expended for your means of being buffer than Buffy, you’ll lift to work your muscles.

But if you’re going for Bollywood starlet status (aka, burning calories/weight loss), Quinn recommends you put in a cardio workout and then move onto weights. The reason? Well, it’s not because weight lifting burns less calories – it actually burns more! Yet weight-lifting causes fatigue exponentially faster than cardio, and most people won’t burn enough calories just this way.

I’m not sure this really answers Sam’s question though, or justifies Bryan’s claim that you’re somehow capitalizing on your metabolism if you engage in strengthening after cardio. It seems that cardio before weights could actually leave your muscles a bit fatigued and thus you won’t hit the weights as hard, and might not wind up doing as much strength traning as you’re hoping. Finding a journal article on this topic was extremely difficult, and seemed to leave room for debate on all ends.

I did however, find the Fitness Nerd’s answer the best approach: “While basing your decisions on facts, and not just theories and opinions, is generally a good practice in life, at some point, you also have to ask yourself: ‘What works for me?’” Play around with what both is offering the results you desire and is comfortable for your body.

In my very humble opinion, you get the best results no matter what you do by doing what satisfies you and keeps you reasonably happy and healthy. If you just want to be a well rounded and healthy individual, do a little of something in terms of both strength and cardio and you’ll be just fine.

* What is a collection of cyclists called? Perhaps a chain gang?

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Thank You.

 

There are some mornings, afternoons, evenings…okay, days, where I’m just not having it. Exercise isn’t appealing to me, and I think about how I’d much rather read a graphic novel or maybe finally just watch the last episode of the second season of This American Life or go hang out with my friends than go for a run.

Since I subscribe to the theory that doing something is better than doing nothing, I try really hard to at least force myself to do ten minutes of something physical, even if it is just walking up and down the stairs in my building. Often though, even on days when I think I’d rather three-hole-punch my forearm than go for a run, I manage to get myself out of the apartment in my running shoes. And one reason is other people (like you!).

In the past few weeks, a couple people have mentioned that they feel motivated because of me. A new co-worker said she’d been thinking about my desire to do a half Iron-Man, and that she was contemplating starting to run because of it. And a customer at the coffee shop (who honestly, inspires me to run faster) mentioned that he ran farther than he normally does because of a conversation he and I had about distance.

The moments and mentions in which other people discuss their running or “training” are usually few and far between, and quite small on the grand scheme of things. But honestly, novice runners are why I keep going. I remember what my life was like pre-running; what it was like to only be able to run for mere minutes and before I had the wind socked out of me. Or what it was like to be able to swim for twenty minutes before having to get out of the pool or risk drowning. And I don’t know why, but remembering what it felt like to feel like a 5k was impossible (let alone a triathlon) makes me want other people who desire to run to find happiness in it. And when people express even considering finding some sort of life-affirming property in any kind of fitness, I am more motivated to do the same.

I guess I just want to say “Thank You!” to everyone who ever talks fitness with me, who shares their stuggles and triumphs, and who isn’t always sure they’re ready but is trying anyway. This isn’t a competition; it’s just a way of experiencing the world, and I’m really glad you all might enjoy it even a little bit, and like yourself more because of it.

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Some Golden Rules for Long Bike Rides

I know bragging is not becoming of a lady, but I have to do it: I completed a 40 mile bike ride this weekend – the longest ride to date!!

New experiences of course mean new knowledge to pass on, so with that in mind, I’m offering up the quick-and-not-dirty beginner’s guide to long bike rides! Some of this may seem intuitive, and some you might think I should already have known, but just do as I say, not as I do (or have done in the past), and you’ll be golden.

1. Don’t Be a Dunce – Prepare Yourself!

Long bike rides mean you basically need to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice, which means taking time to gather your resrouces before you even leave the apartment.

- Air up your tires! This makes riding smoother, and helps prevent blow-outs. Speaking of blowouts…

- Carry a kit. They’re small, they fit easily on your seat post, and they contain all the necessary tools in case you puncture your tire and need a quick fix. An extra tire tube itself can fit in here, too. Getting stuck when you’re out in the middle of almost nowhere blows (no pun intended).

- H20-Nation. I was resistant to mount a water bottle holder on my bike. After 40 miles with a water bottle in  a small backpack, I’ve changed my tune. Just get one and save yourself the discomfort.

2. Play Nice With Others

Apparently, there is a bit of an unspoken code of conduct when riding in packs. Since this was my first pack ride, my friend Noah gave me the run down which I’ll share with you now…

* Wave to other bikers going the opposite direction. Much like truck drivers do – acknowledging people who are in your community is nice. Naturally,  this reminds me of my resistance to saying “hello” to passing runners…luckily, I’m still too shakey on the bike to move my hands away from the handle-bars, so for now, I’m not worried about it.

* Wait at the top. Bikers are going to get up hills at different speeds; it’s polite and recommended to wait at the apex of the incline (unless, as Noah pointed out, you don’t like someone very much. But that seems a little mean).

* Call out “Car” especially if you are in the back of the pack. Letting everyone know a vehicle is approaching is not only polite it’s safe. Hella safe, even.

* It’s actually polite to point! Use your hands to draw attention to pot-holes or uneven terrain on the road. Bonus if you also note roadkill.

3. Speaking of roadkill…

Just be aware of it: the fact that exists, that you will see it, and that you’ll not want to run over it again. I saw more roadkill on my bike ride than I ever see running (even during 26 miles of running!) and it made me sad every time. Knowing you’ll be peddling by can be helpful.

4. Gloves

Oh, how I wish I’d worn the pair of gardening gloves I left sitting on my kitchen table. Any gloves would have been appreciated. Your hands will hurt from gripping the handlebars and squeezing the breaks. And the more you squeeze those brakes…the more your hands will ache. I don’t advise having to make espresso drinks for six hours after your ride. When I first went to grab the port-a-filter, I literally dropped it since my grip was shot.

5. Remember the golden rule of Northern California: Layering

Just like any time you leave your house in the Bay Area, you’ll want to have layers of clothes on for your bike ride. We went from a little chilly to fairly warm to overly foggy to incredibly cold back to warm. Yeah, all within a little over two hours. Those arm-warmer things looked mighty handy…

6. Have a kick-ass time.

Enjoy yourself. Peddle hard, but chat with your biking buddies if they seem interested, involve yourself in the scenery, breathe all the different air. Have at it!

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Two Notes on the Bike

A few notes on biking…

1. When you notice a horse stables to your left and recall fondly learning to post on a trotting horse, do not be afraid to use that same technique on your bike when you hit a bumpy road. Okay, really you just want to lift yourself out of the bicycle seat and remain elevated throughout the duration of the less-than-butter-smooth road surface.

2. I was a horrible biker from the start. At age four, it took my mom far too many runs next to me to get myself remotely confident on two wheels. I was thinking about this when I took off on an 18 mile hill based ride that took me up Joaquin Miller Road and through Redwood Regional Park. And then…I got this video of my favorite kid on the planet, Mason:

Amazing to think that in 20 years, he very well could be doing triathlon. Or at least, despite whatever else changes in him and around him, he’ll always know how to ride a bike.

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All Fall Down

About five days ago, I was jogging with Ken and yipping away as I’m prone to do when someone has agreed to join me on a run, or a bike ride, or a Zumba class for that matter…anyway, one of my scintillating topics of conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey, you know what I just realized?

Ken: (silence due to concentration)

Me: I haven’t fallen down while running in a really long time. That’s a pretty big deal for me!

Ken: It’s true.

About four days ago, I fell over on my bike while I was cycling to work with my laptop on my back. Famous last words, right? There I was on the sidewalk, peddling away and feeling the biking spirit that only comes with commuting in a green way and getting a nice cycler’s-high, and with one wrong flick of my handlebars, my tire went into a crack and my bike crashed over.*

My left arm took the brunt of the fall, scraping into the road and getting covered in asphalt. I somehow also managed to bruise my right palm, and have some road burn on both of my elbows.

I lay in shock for a half second before I knew I had to get out of the street, but as I tried to weasel out from under myself, I realized why I sincerely hate my peddles – they are those cagey ones some my feet look like tiny birds who want to fly away but cannot, and that means that when you tip over and your leg is crushed under your frame, you cannot get your feet out and under you again.

Like a pathetic attempt at doing “the worm” dance move, I wiggled myself as far onto the sidewalk as I could, when some nice Orange County man drove by and yelled something totally helpful out of the window of his classy four-door luxury sedan:

“You really should be more careful!”

No. Really? Oh Orange County. I tried not to think about how if you fall off of your bike in Oregon you are instantly surrounded by people who would like to help you get back up and dust you off, and who will probably also offer you cookies and tea and a nice place to sit until you are not feeling shaky from the fall.

Once untangled from my bike, I looked back down the road towards my house and knew I was closer to work. So I carefully and timidly peddled to the office, got inside, and whipped out my laptop without even waiting to get to my desk or wipe off my arms and attend to my wounds. The laptop turned out to be better than fine (thank God, the Easter Bunny, and any other Powers That Be) and I decided I should probably back up before I try biking to work again.

I’ve been a little put off from riding since this incident. So it’s back to driving to work for me, and running just indeed.

* Sorry you had to find out this way Mom and Dad!

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