Hotness

What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance - Jane Austen

The Texas sizzle is now in full swing!  The past few weeks have had days with temperatures of 100+ degrees.  The only time it is cool enough to go running is at 2 a.m. and I'm not going to do that!  All of this hotness makes staying indoors with some ice cream and a frosty air conditioner blasting so very appealing.  I've been combating the laziness and the urge to indulge in cold, sweet treats by taking a dip in the the pool on almost a daily basis.

I do my own little version of aqua jogging and water aerobics.  I swim a few laps, run in place, do standing crunches for my tummy, and repeat.  I must say, it's working pretty well.  The beauty of it is that I am getting in a good work out without the stress on my joints from running and I'm staying cool.  Plus, the water resistance is great for strength training!  The downside is that Big Baby can't join me in the pool but I make it up to her with short little walks throughout the day.

The key to staying fit in this hot weather is to improvise!  Sure, it's hot as Hades outside but there are fun alternatives to running on trails.  If you happen to live in a very hot climate like I do, now is a good time to try out some different forms of exercise.  Zumba, kick-boxing, dance classes, and yoga are some good options for indoor workouts that still pack a punch.  Many places will even offer your first class for free just so you can try it out.  

If I am going to do anything outdoors, I try to do it really early in the morning since walking trails alone in the dark of night seems a wee bit dangerous to me from a safety stand-point!  And just because I am going out when it's relatively cooler doesn't mean I don't take water with me.  Staying hydrated is very important no matter how early one goes out.

Sooooo, there ya have it - no excuse to miss work outs during the dog days of summer  After all, we have to maintain our hotness regardless of the temperature!

Happy Trails,

Valeka

           

The Great Outdoors

What a GREAT extended weekend I had full of sun and fun times with friends!  The camping getaway was kept pretty simple.  We visited one of the beautiful state parks here in Texas - Garner State Park.  It seemed like a great place to go for a little relaxation and exercise (yes, the two can go hand in hand).

Big Baby went along for the trip.  It was her first time swimming AND her first time camping.  I wasn't sure how she would do but she handled it like an old pro!  We found our campsite and put up our tent.  I was expecting to have problems putting it up but it came together without a hitch!  BB felt right at home inside of it.   

We did a lot of walking on rocky trails and cooled our feet in the refreshing, clear water.  Big Baby enjoyed herself and so did I.  All of the troubles and negativity of the previous weeks seemed to drift away with each ripple of water that hit my legs.

 

I got in some great hiking and swimming while I was there.  The trip helped me realize how disconnected I had become from nature.  I get so much of my energy and joy from being outdoors.  Big Baby seemed to reflect my renewed feeling of happiness.

The days seemed to drift by too quickly.  My time away was exactly what I needed.  I did a lot of reflecting and gave thought to things I had been putting on the back burner.  All in all, my mini vacation was everything I hoped it would be.  I can't wait to get back out and have some more adventures!!

Happy Trails!
Valeka    

 

Independence Weekend

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.  ~William Faulkner

Happy 4th of July everyone!  If you are off today, I hope you have had a wonderful day filled with family and friends.  My long weekend has been spent relaxing and trying to decompress from the stress of the last few weeks.  I didn't do any running this weekend but I did manage to do some hiking with my BFF and big puppy on Saturday.  I am slowly but surely adjusting to being active in this insane heat we are experiencing here in Texas.  I'm trying to be smart about how I expose myself to the high temperatures and for how long.  It seems to be working pretty well.  Gradually increasing the amount of exposure has made a big difference for me  and I am becoming more comfortable with the heat.  

Our Saturday afternoon hike took us to two different local parks - St. Edward's Park and Brushy Creek Park.  I really enjoyed my time at St. Edward's Park.  It's a more rugged, natural trail full of rocks and tree roots.  If the little creek there had more water running through it, the outing would have been perfect because the big puppy could have cooled off when she got hot.  We only stayed out there for about an hour or so since BFF is still getting acclimated and big puppy was getting a little hot.  I definitely want to revisit that trail.  It would be great to do a little trail running out there.  The pup will be able to enjoy it more when the weather cools down in the fall.  I can't wait to do some more exploring out there.  It is on my list of things to do come October. 

We left St. Edward's Park and headed to Brushy Creek Park to continue our hike.  This park is a bit more civilized with paved trails, water fountains, park benches and water pads to play in.  We did a bit of walking and then big puppy found a little creek to jump in.  It was fun to watch her splash around and blow bubbles in the water.  We laughed when she got scared by a piece of moss that had become detached from a rock on the bottom of the creek.  I jumped in with her and we splashed as we ran through the thigh deep water.  She chased me and, boy, did I get more of a leg workout than I was expecting (lots of resistance running through water)!  There was something very freeing about being silly and having fun.  I didn't think about work or my weight or that I was going to smell swampy on the drive home.  I just allowed myself the freedom to let my spirit enjoy the wonderful day in the sun.  By the time we left the park, my clothes were completely drenched, my feet looked wrinkly and white but man was it worth it!!!  We were all tired girls when we got home.  It felt good to have fun and get in a workout that didn't feel like a workout at all.  Those are always the best kind!  

I am very grateful to live in a place where I have the independence to venture anywhere I choose for as long as I like.  I love that I have the opportunities to enjoy life and live it to the fullest.  It's not something I take for granted.  Don't forget to say thanks to those who have made it possible for us to enjoy the lives and freedom that we have.  

Happy Trails,
Valeka

Ouch - That Hurt!!

"Top results are reached only through pain.  But eventually you like this pain. You'll find the more difficulties you have on the way, the more you will enjoy your success." - Juha Vaatainen

Running in general creates lots of different pains, aches and whatnot in our bodies if we are a "regular" sized runner.  Now, add about 40 pounds or more to that and things are intensified.  There is the regular discomfort from getting sunscreen in your eyes and from a sock that slips down inside your shoe which causes a screaming blister and then thereare the other pains that most people just don't talk about.  As a big girl runner, I have experienced some humbling (and embarrassing) pains.

One of the cardinal rules of road racing is to NOT wear something new for your race - don't wear new shoes, socks, shirt, shorts/pants, undergarments.  You should ALWAYS wear things that you have already road-tested for comfort.  I failed to follow my own advice a couple of years ago at the Austin American-Statesman Capital 10.000.  I wore a new pair of Nike shorts because they were just like the pair I normally wore for casual short runs.  The weather that particular day was humid and warm after a morning rain (translation - it was muggy and gross).  My best friend and I were running and I decided to splash in some puddles because I was happy to be out running a race on a Sunday morning.  The splashing was not a good idea but I will get to that later so, for now, back to the shorts.  I had to keep pulling the shorts down because they are riding up from me being so sticky from the humidity.  Eventually, I got tired of doing this every few steps so I left the shorts alone.  After a short time, I started to feel a burning between my upper thighs.  I stopped at a water stop with my BFF and found the inside of my thighs to be the color of a tomato.  My thighs were on FIRE.  I had been attacked by the chafing monster.  Since it was a shorter race, I didn't take any emergency supplies with me like vaseline or lube (sounds disgusting but both items are lifesavers when running long distances because they put an end to friction from shoes rubbing or in this case, chafing).  So, lesson learned - NEVER, EVER wear new shorts to a race.  In fact, I no longer wear regular running shorts ANY time I run.  I always stick to my compression shorts (see last week's blog for a little more info about compression shorts).

Now back to those puddles I splashed in during the Statesman 10,000.  As I mentioned earlier, I was excited to be out running on a Sunday morning and took the opportunity to splash in some puddles.  My socks and shoes became soaked.  The excessive moisture caused some pretty large blisters on my feet.  I could feel them developing on the balls of my feet and on my heels but I had to keep going to get the race over with.  So between the chafing and the blisters, I walked the last 2 miles like a cowboy that had been riding horseback for a little too long.  Needless to say, we didn't attend the post-race expo.  When I got back to my car to take my shoes off and put on a pair of flip-flops (I do this after every run), my suspicions were confirmed - there were large, water-filled pockets of ickiness under my feet.  Next lesson learned?  Don't jump in puddles when running because it will only lead to large blisters which then leads to the need to drain the blisters.  Both are not fun to experience.  

On a separate occasion,  I went out for a morning run.  The morning was pleasantly warm but overcast so I did not take water with me and I didn't drink anything before leaving home (which I normally do).  Besides, I was only going to run about 6 miles so I would be fine especially if I took it slow.  The run felt nice and I had a great pace going so I decided to extend my run.  Texas weather can change at the drop of a hat and that is EXACTLY what happened on this outing.  During the course of my run, the sun decided to come out in full force.    It is no exaggeration when I say that the temperature went from the lower 70's to just over 90 degrees and sunny in a matter of minutes.  To make matters worse, I was no where near home or a location where I could get water.  I started to get very fatigued and my lips were very dry (I had major cotton-mouth going on).  It ended up taking me an extra hour to get home.  I was so dehydrated that I couldn't pee (even after downing a bottle of Gatorade).  I had a massive headache and stomach ache not to mention a sunburn (yep, I didn't wear sunscreen on this run.  Overcast, remember? Another lesson learned).  Lesson learned?  Always, ALWAYS take water along even if it's a short walk.  You never know when you will need it!!

There ya have it, a few of the hard lessons I have learned during various runs throughout the years.  Hope you guys learn from my mistakes so you won't have to experience any of these discomforts!!


Happy Trails,
Valeka