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Showing posts from August 25, 2019

Body Positivity for Runners

Positive Body Image The 365-Day Running Journal , Pg 18. Whether you are a casual jogger or an experienced racer, you may believe that changing your body composition will help you reach your running goals. After all, how many times have you heard the mistaken belief that lightening-up will speed you up? With any type of sport, it’s normal to look to others and see where you stack up based on performance, training volume and body type. While running can be a great activity to help shed excess body fat to improve your overall health, there’s a downside to competitive leanness. Chasing the idea that weighing less will enhance performance may deprive you of the fuel and nutrients that you need to optimize performance and to maintain great health. The media is oversaturated with images of fast runners with six-pack abs, lean arms and long slender legs. Constant exposure to these images can make you believe that you are not built like a runner - increasing body consciousness, low...

Grandpa Joe: A life well lived

On Sunday evening, we lost a beautiful soul. Just shy of 96 years, Grandpa Joe touched the lives of so many. While it's never easy to say good-bye to a loved one, Grandpa passed away peacefully in his sleep - without suffering from any disease or illness. Certainly, a goal of us all to live a long and fulfilling life! When I was dating Karel in 2006, we traveled to Reno to bike around Lake Tahoe. I remember how worried Grandpa was about us and spent the entire day awaiting for our arrival. We finished the ride with ice cream - Grandpa's treat. Then for my honeymoon in 2009, Karel and I traveled back to Reno in the winter and Grandpa loved that we could share a bit of his hobby on the ski slopes. My grandpa took up skiing at the age of 50. He taught his three daughters and all of us grand kids how to ski. His long-time wish was to be cremated and for his ashes to be scattered over Mt. Rose. Karel loved hearing stories of “way back when” and Grandpa had ...

7 week IM Kona countdown

Time is flying by and I'm happy to report that I am now running! Although it's only been a few 10 minute runs on the treadmill (three of them), I'm thrilled with my progress. I'm a firm believer in frequency over quantity when it comes to a return to activity after an injury for the body needs time to adapt to training stressors and frequent exercise will allow for slow but gradual adaptations. Also, in my situation, I'm learning new motor patterns and finding myself wanting to go back to old bad habits of arching my back (anterior pelvic tilt), using my back and hamstrings to move me forward and not engaging my glutes. So in an effort to fix these things, I need constant exposure to this movement - which means continuing with PT, strength and marching. My movement specialist has been great as she touches me in the right spots so I can feel what muscles I should be using and where my body should be moving. She is also a stickler for posture. I'm als...