Amazing Gifts for Runners & Triathletes!

Happy Holidays! Are you done with your shopping yet?

We are having an amazing giveaway here that brings together a whole bunch of the coolest running gifts on the internets, from (of course) our custom dri-fit t-shirts to a Garmin and bag made from all your race numbers!

This giveaway will end just in time for you to be able to get your gifts in time for Christmas, so make sure you enter!

Here is the list of gifts that you may not even know are on your Christmas list (but they will be now!)

1. My Race Ragz T-Shirts! aka design-your-own dri-fit. OBVIOUSLY! You can’t go wrong designing a custom shirt for your loved one to run in during training or on race day – trust us on this one! We’re giving away TWO!

2. A Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch! This amazing giveaway is sponsored by CleverTraining.com.

Sponsored by www.clevertraining.com

This GPS watch tracks speed, mileage, and time. Winner will have their choice of pink or black depending on who you are giving it to, or if you’re keeping it! The Garmin Forerunner 10 is  fully compatible with Garmin Connect, has Virtual Pacer capabilities and it’s waterproof!

3. A Race Bag from Mile 22! What do you do with all those race bibs? Toss em? Throw em in a drawer? Never do that again! This is the most creative thing we’ve seen EVER to give your race bibs a second life.

Awesome AND functional.

4. Oiselle Arm Warmers! These just rock.

Thumb holes!!!

5. A HydraPak Gel-Bot Water Bottle. This is an amazingly high-tech water bottle in that it does double duty. There’s a chamber for your GU or energy gel, so you can get water, GU, or mix them and get both. Isn’t it brilliant? Did you know this existed? We didn’t.

6. Capes from Sew Plain Jane! Help your legs fly!

We’re giving away 2 in orange!

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me which of these runner gifts are your favorite and fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway closes next Friday, December 14th at 11:59 p.m. et and we will announce the winners at the Twitter party the next evening. Make sure you come to the Twitter party, we’ll be giving away more prizes and some of these great companies will be there too (like us!) to
chat too!

Good luck!

If you’re a runner, you’ve most definitely heard of the color runs that have started in many cities.  Mud runs? They’re so last season (but still super fun!)  Getting messy, getting tie dyed, and doing snow angels in blue powder is where it’s at.  In fact one race has named itself “the happiest 5k on the planet.”

Photo: www.a-doctor-in-the-house.com

First, what are the options?  The two biggest color races right now are Color Me Rad and The Color Run.  Variations of these trendy races have started to pop up too, such as the Neon Splash Dash.

Second, why on earth would someone pay money to trash a perfectly good white t-shirt?

Photo www.simply-nicole.com

Obviously the answer is: FUN!  It does not matter what age or ability you are.  You can run the 5k you or you can walk the entire distance.  One of the the things we love most is that it’s family friendly.

Photo: www.simplegreenorganichappy.com

The color is made from food grade corn starch … which is good, because sometimes you get it in your mouth.

Photo: www.justkeepsweating.com

Signing up for these races are a great way to get active.  Spend a Saturday with your friends or family being silly.

Thanks to some of our blogging friends for sharing their pictures of the races.  Here’s what they had to say:

Nicole: “The starting line was exciting.  Music, beach balls and powder filled the air.”

Robin who raced The Color Run in Philadelphia said:

“The perfect first run for my younger kids. So much energy, so much to look at, an incredible payoff at the end.  A bonding moment as a family, as friends, as a city.”

Andrea participated in Color Me Rad:

“I didn’t have too much on my body, so I was very grateful!  Bry still has blue under his arms!  Getting the color out of my hair was easier than I thought.  I had to do two rounds of shampoo, but eventually it came out!”

Ash tells us about the clean up:

Photo: www.ashanddiz.com

If you want the full inside scoop check out this video from Courtney:

On August 11th (2012), Bob and Trish Evans, teachers and performers, became the first people to complete a triathlon while juggling 3 balls the whole way. This was an epic effort to raise money for Special Olympics programs in the United States. Interested donors can still help through TriJuggle.com. Here’s their firsthand account of the triathlon experience:

SETTING THE GOAL

The idea of juggling through a triathlon had been brewing in our minds for the last couple years. When we sat down last December to review 2011 and set goals for 2012, we decided it was finally time to go for the triathlon juggling. In the previous year we had both worked really hard to beat the women’s and men’s Guinness world records for fastest 5K while juggling three balls (Trish- 19:46, Bob- 16:34) and now we were ready for a new challenge.

TRAINING

Right away in December we added two days of pool training to our weekly training routine because we knew swuggling (swimming and juggling) was going to be the hardest part. We also replaced our long run on Thursday with a long unicycle ride. The unicycles we use have big 36” wheels that allow you to go up to 9-14 mph. We kept our running mileage around 20-25 miles per week and mixed in some elliptical and strength training. We also continued to joggle (run and juggle) many weekend races.

FINDING A TRIATHLON

The next step was finding a triathlon that would be willing to let us juggle through the event and use unicycles instead of bikes. We also wanted to find a pool swim. After a few phone calls, we found a triathlon director who enthusiastically welcomed us to his triathlon in Iowa Falls, IA. The Panther Pride Triathlon is a sprint triathlon with a 300-meter pool swim, 15-mile bike and a 5K run. This seemed like the perfect place to conquer the triathlon juggling challenge.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Now we know from experience that juggling through races draws a lot of attention and we knew this would be especially true for the triathlon. We wanted to use that attention for something good. After a lot of thought, we chose to raise money for Special Olympics. In our years as high school teachers, we have both developed close bonds with students with special needs and we have seen the power that Special Olympics programs can have on people’s lives. We set up a website to collect donations: TriJuggle.com.

RACEDAY

After months of training we were more-than-ready when race day came along and we were able to thoroughly enjoy the experience. We loved wearing our My Race Ragz jerseys. We are always amazed at the quality of the shirts. When we think homemade shirts, the immediate image that comes to mind is an uncomfortably thick white cotton tee and some puffy paint or Sharpies, but My Race Ragz is quickly changing that image for us. Our growing collection of My Race Ragz gear is on the same level with any of our high-performance racing/training apparel. We love it.

A BIG SUCCESS

Overall, the triathlon juggling challenge was a big success. The community of Iowa Falls, the race director and our fellow racers welcomed us warmly and were generous in many ways on race day. For the fundraising, people have responded well as we have currently collected $3,275 for Special Olympics. We are really grateful for the generous team at My Race Ragz and for all the people that have supported us through our adventures. Thank you.

Final Travel “Year” Stats (8/28/2011 to 9/1/2012)

• on August 28th (2011), we decided to take a year-off from our high school teaching jobs and enjoy a U.S. road trip tour
• In the past year, we’ve raced 33 times in 21 different states, won in 12 states
• put over 37,000 miles on the car (“Gary”)
• Trish’s fastest 5K (19:46) was in Philadelphia on October 2nd, 2011 and Bob’s fastest 5K (16:34) was in Indianapolis on June 23rd, 2012

Jill Conyers, runner and champion of plant based diets, tells us how she fuels her body.  Please note: this is an individual experience and you should always check with a medical professional before making changes to your diet.

I’m a wife, mom of 2, psychologist and fitness enthusiast. I’m a FitFluential and Sweat Pink Ambassador that is passionate about running, plant-based nutrition, strength training, and an overall healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle is not about perfection. It’s about commitment, effort and progress!

My Journey

In June of 2011 I started what came to be known as finding my nutritional self. There is something about a challenge that just about makes it impossible for me not to give it 100%. So, I used that premise in my search for optimal health and fitness and lifelong wellness. Just over 1 year ago I challenged myself to eliminate all processed foods (Clean Eating) from my diet for 30 days. Fast forward 8 months. After watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead I challenged myself to, at first, replace 1 meal a day 4 days/week with juicing. After the first week I changed to replacing one meal a day with juicing 7 days/week. One month later I started a 30-Day Vegetarian [Lacto] Challenge. And then, on May 29 I challenged myself to 30 days of a vegan and gluten free diet. Now, 2 months after completing what turned out to be my last diet/nutrition challenge, I continue to eat a vegan diet about 95% of the time with minimal gluten. Every now and then I enjoy one of my favorite Chobani greek yogurt snack recipes. Or maybe even a piece of chocolate cake for my birthday!

What the Research Says

I don’t have a specific baseline in which to measure progress and change so I’m comparing what the “experts” say with my personal experience.

Benefits of a plant based diet (Source: Thrive. The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier):

• reduce body fat and maintain lean muscle,
• increase energy without coffee or caffeine,
• increase strength,
• increase endurance,
• improve sleep quality,
• improve mental clarity,
• reduce sleep requirements,
• improve resistance to infection,
• quicken recovery from exercise,
• reduce or eliminate sugar cravings,
• increase desire to excel

My Personal Experience

I can’t pinpoint which benefits I experienced with each diet change but I can say without a doubt that with each challenge I experienced an increase of existing benefits as well as new benefits. I have also made other changes in my life that, most likely, contributed to the success of finding my nutritional self, but, in my opinion, it is highly unlikely that I would have been as successful without making the diet changes.

Increased consistent energy. Whether I’m running, working out or just day to day living my energy level has increased and doesn’t fluctuate throughout the day. I rarely experience the 3:00 afternoon slump.

Recovery time is significantly reduced. It takes less time to recover from exercise and the sore muscles and lack of energy have significantly decreased.

Improved quality of sleep. I sleep more sound and I wake up feeling more rested without increasing the number of hours of sleep. I can’t remember the last time I woke up at 2:00 a.m. unable to go back to sleep. Previously, that was a regular occurrence.

Improved digestion. I haven’t had to take over the counter meds for any digestion discomfort in over 2 months. Previously that was at least a weekly occurrence if not daily.

Eliminated migraines. I have had migraines for as long as I can remember. I’m talking headaches so bad my only option was to be taken to the emergency room for relief. I remember that this huge benefit began with clean eating. That in and of itself was reason enough to no longer eat processed foods. I still have the occasional headache but nothing that compares to the pain of a migraine.

Improved performance. I have accomplished P90X2 90-Day Challenge, currently on week 9 of the Les Mills Pump 90-Day Challenge, running 8 half marathons, a distance PR of 31 miles, a 10K PR, a 5K PR, a half PR, running races on consecutive days, and have already run as many, if not more, races this year than I did in all of 2011. Last but not least, for the first time ever, I placed in my age division! I find it hard to deny the nutrition performance connection.

Decreased body fat. I am at [and have maintained] a lower body fat % than ever before.

Increased muscle definition. I have guns! I have back muscles! I have muscle definition without flexing. Like the line that runs down the outside of my quad. Love that!

Stronger and longer fingernails. I have always had weak fingernails that split. Not anymore. I know it’s a small inconsequential detail but the improvement is just so noticeable it can’t be ignored.

Increased desire to excel? Most definitely! I think this goes back to all of the above benefits and progress and the desire to experience the feeling of success again and again.

Simply, I feel better overall.

A Doctor’s Perspective

Quite honestly I was a bit surprised by how much better I was feeling. I thought maybe vegetarian and vegan were just the latest nutritional buzz words and questioned how much of a difference could it really make. Maybe the expectation to maintain such diets long term was unrealistic. I wanted more information to substantiate or refute my overall experience. My first thought, schedule an appointment and have my thyroid levels checked. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism right after my daughter, who is now 13, was born. There is some reported risk of the effect of eating soy with a thyroid disorder. I don’t eat a lot of soy but more than I have in the past and this was something I wasn’t willing to risk. After a lengthy discussion with my internal medicine physician blood was drawn to test thyroid levels and for vitamin deficiencies. We also discussed things like getting enough protein, carbs, calories and drinking enough water. My results came in. No change in my thyroid levels and not a single recommendation for a vitamin supplement!! A clean bill of health!

Overall success! I have found what works best for me and my nutritional self.

Are you surprised by the results? Any other plant based champions out there?

Give Jill some love by visiting her around the web!

Blog: Fitness, Health and Happiness http://jillconyers.com/

Twitter: @jillconyers https://twitter.com/#!/jillconyers

Facebook: Jill Fickling-Conyers http://www.facebook.com/jill.ficklingconyers

Facebook Page: Fitness, Health and Happiness http://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-as-I-see-it-fitness-health-and-happiness/180574062001569

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jillconyers/

Instagram: http://statigr.am/jillconyers

Daily Mile: http://www.dailymile.com/people/jillconyers#ref=tophd

Man, there are a lot of races out there.  Races now come in all shapes and sizes, and in every location imaginable.  Because most of us aren’t wealthy robots with unlimited training potential, time, and money, we have to choose which races are the best for us.

Recently the New York City Marathon decided to discontinue their baggage check service.  This announcement obviously frustrated entrants.  A petition was even started to try to reverse the  decision.

Today we’re blogging about the details that make a good race.  What makes you decide to sign up for a race?  Here are some of the top factors:

• Big race vs local race
• Price
• Swag / giftbags
• Expo vendors
• The cause (fundraising)
• Fun factor
• The course
• The location (city)

Here’s what some runners said about races:

Theodora from Losing Weight In The City says “The factors I consider if I’m planning on my own: cost, time and location. Is it easy to get to? Is it an interesting course? Does it start at the crack of dawn? However, if enough of my friends are doing a race, all of that usually flies out the window.”

Carly from Carly Bananas prefers local races.  ”I learned the value of running races put on by local companies familiar with the roads, traffic, and runners in an area.”

Mindy from Mindy’s Fitness Journey chooses races based on the course.  ”I want a lot of obstacles, and I love when they actually show me the trail. The best mud run I have done was The Gator Gauntlet in Gainsville FL. They mapped out the course and even showed the progression of building it.”

Racing has become so fun these days that more people are interested in signing up for their first race.  Alexandra from Fun and Fit says “I don’t race, but I am considering a mud run because the emphasis is on fun, not speed. I might also walk a half marathon or 10K, simply because they sound like an enjoyable way to spend time with friends and get some exercise in.”

Let’s hear it, what makes you sign up for a race?

REASON #5: Because your inner child really wants to jump in that puddle…and your mom isn’t there to tell you not to.

You will get muddy. You will get soaked. You will have dirt in places you never imagined. And you know what? It’s really fun. A little gross (especially when your mud covered pony tail haphazardly winds up in your mouth while rolling under barbed wire) but still, really flipping fun. You may even get to jump off of really high walls and play with sharp spears. Shhhh….don’t tell mom!

REASON #4: Mud runs are fun.

Let’s face it, there really is nothing fun about mile 25 of a marathon, except maybe the fun in knowing you are almost done. How about two giant gladiators with pugil sticks, ready to take you down at the knees, standing between you and the finish line? Add in some water (err…mud) slides, jumping through/over/under things like logs/hay bales/rusty cars/etc and you can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

REASON #3: To meet new friends, or bond with your current ones.

Many obstacle/mud runs offer team racing. There is nothing quite like working off of each others strengths and weaknesses to see what you and your friends are really made of.  And even if you aren’t competing as a team, there is a camaraderie among mud/obstacle racers unlike any other type of sport I’ve ever witnessed.  Need help getting over the wall? Chances are someone will offer before you can even ask.    Helping someone make it across the finish line, or having someone help you, is something you will never forget.

REASON #2: To test your fitness limits.

Marathon running requires endurance. Weight lifting or body building competitions require tons of hours in the weight room at the gym. Obstacle course mud runs will challenge all aspects of fitness. Endurance, strength, flexibility, balance and more. Pulling yourself up and over a 9 foot wall or flipping tractor tires isn’t for the weak. Add log agility obstacles and plenty of running, and you have a well rounded

REASON #1: To face your fears and test your mental strength.

Tiny, dark, tunnels filled with ice cold water. Deep, murky, bottomless water. Fire pits, with flames waist high. Cargo nets that span two stories.  The rope climb that plagued you in middle school gym class.   Sure you may be physically tough, but are you mentally strong enough to complete the challenge? Push your limits, step out of your comfort zone. Be the best you that you can possibly be.

Wow Heather thanks so much for your guest post! Who wants to sign up for a mud race RIGHT NOW?  Have you done a mud race?  What’s your favorite reason to run?

Heather Gannoe is an ACSM Health Fitness Specialist, mom of two little boys, and mud running addict.  She is currently training for her toughest muddy challenge yet, the Spartan Ultra Beast (26 miles) & Beast (13 miles) in two consecutive days.  You can follow her adventures on her blog on Twitter or on Facebook

If you’re a runner, or an athlete of any kind, chances are you’ve suffered from an injury.  It’s just part of the package of being an athlete.  Runners push their bodies especially hard.  Whether you run for exercise or race, injuries can happen.

It goes without saying that being hurt is physically painful.  Pulls, strains, fractures, shin splits, the list goes on and on.

But injuries have an emotional side as well.  They produce psychological affects that can effect an athlete just as much, or even more than the physical pain.

Photo from Flickr credit: Rennett Stowe

In fact, some experts liken the emotional side of injuries with going through the five stages of grief:

• denial
• anger
• bargaining
• depression
• acceptance

This might sound familiar to you, or maybe you’re in one of these stages right now.

When running is such a big part of your life, or when you’re training for a race, being injured can mean a loss of identity.  You may not know what to do with your extra time if you’re taking time off to heal.  Maybe you’re missing your running group.  The fact is, your routine changes during recovery and missing your runs can be very emotional.

Another consequence of the psychological affect of your injury is how this stress affects your recovery.  Studies show that this distress can “sensitize athletes to pain.”  This sensitivity can make it seem as if your healing progress is going slower than it actually is, which leads to more emotional stress.

As you can tell, dealing with an injury is far more than resting, icing or braces.  Recovery is a complex web of physical and mental aspects.

Tell us about the emotions you’ve dealt with while being injured.  Are you injured right now, how are you coping with the psychological aspect?

Sources:

Psychological Response to Injury, Recovery, and Social Support by Courtney A. Klenk

There are a lot of runners out there who started for weight loss.  Originally, many runners who are going after PR’s and training for marathons started with a simple couch to 5k plan.  Remember everyone starts somewhere.

Photo credit: Alan Cleaver

If you are looking to drop some pounds, try these tips for starting your running weight loss program.

1.  Start small – start with walking.

Thinking about going out and running for entire workout can seem daunting at first.  Most beginners start with the Jeff Galloway run/walk method.  This method will help to avoid injury.  You know what they say; “you have to walk before you can run.”

2.  Make a plan – consistency is key.

You can use a pre made plan, like this one from Women’s Health Magazine.  Or, make your own running calendar by gradually increasing your distance and increasing the time you spend running while decreasing time spent walking.  Scheduling your runs ahead of time will keep you committed and consistent.

3. Sign up for a race.

Working towards a specific date can motivate your running efforts.  Sign up with a friend or family member and train together.  Crossing that finish line for the first time will be a huge motivator to keep running.  Signing up for a race means that not all of your goals will revolve around the scale.

4.  Cross train.

Strength training is always important in a weight loss plan.  Yes the running will burn fat, but weight training will make you lean.  Try these workouts for runners from trainer Tina Reale.

5.  Eat Clean

When just beginning you don’t have to worry about fuelling for endurance, but you should think about what you’re eating.  Proper diet is the pinnacle of any weight loss program.  Plus, if you’re eating a clean diet with less fried foods, less trans fat, less processed foods you will find running easier.  Try these natural post-run snacks from Miranda Gibson.

Are you on a weight loss plan right now, does it include running?  Ever lost weight from running, we’d love to hear your story!

Today’s post is about natural fuel sources.  We went straight to an expert for this post.  Meet Miranda from Nourish Yourself with Miranda.

Miranda Gibson has combined her love for clean eating, cooking and athleticism as a holistic lifestyle, culinary and sports nutritionist based in Bowmanville, Ontario.  Miranda completed her nutritional education at The Institute of Holistic Nutrition in 2011. Miranda’s focus is to teach you how easy it is to ‘eat healthy’ and to help you become the healthiest and happy you’ve ever been.  Miranda will show you how to make delicious, nutritious foods that will nourish your mind, body and soul….and of course your taste buds, because Healthy Food Is Delicious Too!

Top 5 Post Workout Fuel

Recovery is key when it comes to a successful work out, but if we aren’t taking care into the food we put into our bodies after a workout, recovery will be slow!

During training our body is working hard, every muscle moving and stretching and it’s able to do so by burning glycogen, (stored glucose from the meals we eat) but each time we work out we also cause micro-tearing in our muscles.

By fuelling your body with clean, whole foods you’ll not only improve your recovery time, but return to training sooner, which means training faster and harder!

Look for post workout foods that are easy to digest.  This will allow oxygen and nutrient rich blood to circulate throughout your body to promote proper recovery.

Coconut Water – After a good sweat session, it’s important to rehydrate.  Drinking coconut water is perfect for this and is also an excellent way to replenish electrolytes lost through perspiration.  An ideal source of coconut water is COCO The Natural Drink, as it comes in a convenient individual serving sized recyclable tetra pack.

Chia Seeds – Yes the seeds from the Chia Pet!  The best way to repair micro-tears in our muscles is through protein consumption.  Chia seeds are a complete protein to help repair muscles after any workout and are easy to digest.  Chia seeds are also loaded with the much needed healthy fat Omega-3.

Bananas – Are loaded with healthy, fast acting carbohydrates (one banana provides 31 grams of carbs) that are required to replenish muscles with glycogen (energy).  Additionally, while most people know that you need to consume protein for muscle repair, carbs are needed to transport the protein into the cell for proper protein absorption.

Blueberries – Exercise can cause free radicals (unstable molecules) and too many can cause cellular damage to the body.  Anti-oxidants like blueberries will help prevent oxidative damage and protect the body against free radicals.  Blueberries are also a source of carbohydrates (12 grams of carbs per 1 cup).

Post Workout Smoothie – Smoothies are easily digested, quickly absorbed and convenient.  Build yourself a complete meal, which will target all your nutritional needs, by adding to your blender: a clean protein powder like New Zealand Whey or VegaSport chia seeds to build and repair your muscles, coconut water to hydrate and replenish your electrolytes and bananas & blueberries for natural sources of carbohydrates, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and more! Check out the recipe below.

Blue Bananza

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups coconut water
• 1 banana
• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp water

Directions

Place 1 tbsp of chia seeds in 3 tbsp of water.  Mix and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in your blender combine coconut water, banana, blueberries and protein powder.

Blend until creamy and smooth before adding soaked chia seeds and blend on low for 10 seconds, just to mix.

Serve & Enjoy!

Thanks Miranda!  If you’d like to follow Miranda for more nutritious and delicious info you can find her on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Do you use any of the fuel sources Miranda mentioned?  What are your favorite smoothie ingredients?