This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
I have a confession to make. I use to hate sleep. I thought it was a colossal waste of time. There was always so much to do, and sleep was not one of them. I blame law school. While in law school fulltime, I worked three jobs. In addition to that, I needed to keep my B average. One can not do this while sleeping! I averaged 4 hours a night. It became a habit. Then I turned 40.
40 happens to be when I started running. What began as me wanting to lose a few pounds became much, much more. I fell in love with running and wanted to make sure I was always feeling my best. To accomplish this, I learned sleep was so important. I made an effort to get at least 6 hours but aimed for 7 hours of sleep a night. It was working well. Fast forward to last summer. I was now 47 and started to experience changes in my sleep. I had some trouble falling asleep. The quality of sleep was not great. I was not able to fall into that deep sleep that is important.
During one of my runs, I was listening to a podcast. The hosts, both women, were talking about sleep and what has helped them. One of the products was Nuun Rest.
Nuun Rest is part of the Nuun family of products. Nuun is a hydrating beverage without all the extra additives and sugars. It’s product offerings originally were for sports hydration, but have expanded to everyday hydration. Nuun Rest is a blend of magnesium, potassium, and tart-cherry. Tart cherry has shown to reduce muscle soreness and improve sleep quality. It increases the level of melatonin and helps improve the quality of sleep and duration. Magnesium has shown to relax the body and to aid with sleep. Since I started drinking Nuun Rest, my time in deep sleep has increased. I feel more rested in the morning. According to one study, we need between anywhere between 1.5 to 1.8 hours of deep sleep a night. This is roughly 20% of our overall sleep. Like the other Nuun products, Nuun Rest is vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. It comes in Blackberry Vanilla and Lemon Chamomille. I love the Blackberry Vanilla. One tablet of Nuun Rest has ten calories and 1 gram of sugar. Mix it with 8 ounces of water and you are good to go.
I have been taking Nuun Rest every night for the last six months. I am hitting my deep sleep target about 99% of the time. It has been a game-changer for me. For those of you wondering, I am still not a fan of sleep, but we have agreed to co-exist. 🙂
If you have been following my blog, you know that I am a runner. Over Memorial Day weekend, I started a new training plan in preparation for my October half marathon. You can read about it here. Everything was going well. I was completing all my training runs, along with my strength training. Everything was going well until three weeks ago. On Friday, July 12th, I woke up and could not sit down without a pain shooting down my leg. I took four Motrin and went about my day. The next morning I woke up to the same pain. Again, I took four Motrin, visited my Dad, and even went for a run. The next day I planned to complete a 2-hour training run. However, the pain was so bad, even with Motrin, I knew there was no way I could run. All-day, I could not get comfortable whether I was sitting or standing. I was a hot mess! Well, the next day, things were not feeling any better. I was having numbness in my toes. Immediately I called my doctor and was seen that morning. The doctor diagnosed it as sciatic nerve pain. He gave me a prescription for prednisone, a muscle relaxer, and a told me to go to physical therapy. I asked if I could still run and he said sure, just no weight lifting.
In the next two days, I ran and felt okay. Though I was still taking Motrin in the morning and I was not able to sit for the first 20 minutes of the day. I met with my physical therapist, and she noticed some loss of strength in my left foot and toes. She agreed that it was my sciatic nerve causing the pain, but she was not sure if it was coming from my back or my piriformis muscle squeezing the nerve. The loss of strength was bothering her. She did some work on the muscle but wanted me to call my doctor and request an MRI. She gave me some stretches to go while on the road, told me to try yoga and NO RUNNING. NO RUNNING???? What????
Over the last two and a half weeks, I went on vacation. I did the stretches as prescribed, walked on the beach, and did some yoga. I came home and immediately saw a chiropractor and my physical therapist. My chiropractor is a miracle worker. After one treatment, I woke up pain-free. My PT has been great as well. She has given me a stretching routine to follow before and after my runs. Confession time… in all my years of being a runner, I never would stretch. This is not something your PT wants to hear. It is part of the reason I am in the predicament that I am in now. I need to be much better about self-care. Self-care includes stretching, foam rolling, massages, and adjustments by my chiropractor.
This leads me to the questions, why is stretching so important, and what are the benefits of stretching? Stretching increases our range of motion and our flexibility. Sitting all day is one of the worst things for the body. This causes the muscles in our hips, glutes, and hamstrings to shorten and become tight. It literally can become a pain in the ass! Stretching is one way to combat this. It increases mobility in the joints and muscles. For runners, this keeps us INJURY FREE! Here are seven benefits of running.
- Increases range of motion and decrease muscle stiffness.
- Loosens the muscles and primes the body for exercise.
- Reduces muscular tensions and helps the muscles relax.
- Improves our posture. Tight muscles are weak muscles, so muscles need to be loose, which allows for better posture.
- Tight hamstrings can cause lower back pain, so stretching may help decrease lower back pain.
- It improves flexibility. Flexibility is so important. It helps with performing daily activities and can help delay immobility as we age.
- Increases circulation and increases blood flow to the muscles. It helps with muscle soreness and speeds up recovery time.
Long story short, I have learned my lesson. The last 2.5 weeks have been tough. Running is my stress reliever. It keeps me sane. I want to keep running for years to come. If this means I need to take 10 mins a day to stretch, then so be it.
I am happy to report that I ran this morning for the first time in two and a half weeks. It felt amazing. My coach told me to take it slow and to run for only 30 minutes. It was the best 30 minutes of the day.
I would love to know, do you stretch and if not, will you now?
A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated America’s birthday, our Independence Day. Seven years ago, July 4th was more than just America’s birthday; it became my personal Independence Day. You see, seven years ago, I started something that would significantly change my life. I became a runner.
For years, I had been envious of runners. Runners seem like happy people. I had attempted to run a few times and gave up after a week. Then I turned 40. I had some extra weight to lose, and I wanted to feel better about myself. Each year on July 3rd, my family and some friends head to Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA, for some 4th of July fireworks. Before the fireworks, Harvard Pilgrim, a health insurance company, puts on a 5K and a 10K race called Finish at the 50. Each route is different, but all runners finish up by entering Gilette Stadium ( home of the 6x Super Bowl champions, New England Patriots) and running down the field. It is a pretty neat race. As I sat and watched the runners come across the finish line, the pure joy I saw on their faces was inspiring. I wanted to experience that.
The question was, could I do this? I had tried running before and hated it. I was out of shape. I had my doubts. Then two people came to mind, my Dad and my friend Traci. You see, in 2009, my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 57 years old and found himself having surgery to remove half his lung. Thankfully, the cancer was caught early on, and he received a second chance at life. As part of his recovery, he started walking 7 miles a day. 7 miles! The last time he had exercised that much was when he was in the Marine Corp. If he could get out there each day, I could give this running thing a try. My friend and co-worker, Traci also inspired me. In the same year, Traci was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Despite fighting that horrible disease, Traci still kept on running each day at lunch and rode her bike in the Pan-Mass Challenge, twice, while undergoing cancer treatments. Unfortunately, Traci lost her battle with cancer in Sept. 2011. Little did I know she would leave an everlasting impression on me. That night, I made a promise to myself that I could give this running thing another try.
I got up the next morning, laced up a pair of shoes and out the door I went. I did not have a training plan (not such a smart idea), I did not have the right shoes (I learned very quickly why I needed them), and I ran. It was the 4th of July and hot as hell. I wanted to stop. I had all these negative thoughts flooding my brain. You are too old; you are too fat, you have no business doing this. As these thoughts ran through my head, a beautiful orange and black butterfly fluttered by me. You see, butterflies are the symbol for ovarian cancer. Butterflies represent those that we have lost. Traci had made us all butterflies for our office name plaques. She had a tattoo (a fake one) on her bald head. Butterflies were her favorite. Traci was with me on this run. She was there encouraging me and cheering me on. I finished up, clocking just over 3 miles. On that hot July 4th, I had become a runner.
Now seven years later, I have done numerous 5 and 10ks, over a dozen half-marathons, multiple challenges and completed my 1st marathon. If you had asked me seven years ago if that was what I would be doing, I would have said you were nuts.
Marathon medal 
My 1st marathon
Running has transformed me from the inside out. Running has taught me so many things. These are just a few that come to mind.
- The importance of setting goals.
- How powerful it is to achieve these goals.
- How to overcome obstacles.
- It has taught me patience.
- To believe in me.
- To never give up.
- Hard work will be rewarded.
- Pushing beyond my comfort zone is necessary to grow.
Running is my therapy, my outlet, my escape. When my Mom was given the devastating diagnosis of stage 4 breast cancer and laid dying, I ran to cope. I used that time to cry my eyes out. I could fall apart without my children watching. When I have a terrible day, the first thing I want to do is lace up my shoes and hit the pavement. Running has changed me for the better. God willing, I will continue running well into my senior years.
This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
This week I kicked off a new training plan. I have been running for almost 7 years and it was time to try something new. I listen to Another Mother Runner, a great podcast about running. AMR designed several different training plans for purchase. Each plan includes expert, accessible coaching and fantastic support. I had heard several other runners speak highly of their heart rate training plans and decided to give it a try. My goals are to improve my overall running and fitness. In doing so, my hope is to achieve some PRs (personal records).
Heart Rate Training (“HRT”) is keeping your heart-rate, the number of times your heart beats in a minute, within a set range. The harder one works out, the higher the heart rate. The idea behind HRT is to train your aerobic system without putting stress on the rest of the body and risking injury.
How to calculate heart rate.
There are a few different ways to calculate your maximum heart rate (“MHR”). All of these require the use of a heart rate monitor. There are fitness trackers, like the FitBit Versa and the Garmin Forerunner 235 running watch, that have built-in monitors. However, a heart rate monitor with a chest strap is the most accurate. I use the Garmin Dual Heart Rate Monitor. The experts recommend that you run all out for about 15-20 mins, at race pace, and by the end, this will be your estimated MHR. Once you have this number, you multiply it by a percentage. For example, to find Zone 1 or Recovery Mode, multiply your MHR by 60%. Any number under 60% would be Zone 1. Zone 2 would be 60-70% of your MHR, Zone 3 70%-80% of your MHR, Zone 4 is 80%-90% of your MHR, and anything over 90% is in Zone 5. With HRT, Zone 2 is where you should be spending the majority of your training. Zone 3 is for tempo runs, where you are teaching your body to run for more extended periods. Zone 4 would be a 5k or 10K race pace.
Benefits of HRT
Besides keeping injuries at bay HRT helps improve one’s overall health and fitness. It teaches how to be in tune with our bodies and improve our cardiovascular health. By recovering properly with easy runs, it keeps the legs fresh and allows for the body to really push itself when it matters, like on race day.
I am excited to embark on this journey and will be writing about my progress along the way. Follow along and decide if HRT is for you.
So, you want to be a runner? Almost seven years ago I had this same thought. My family and I were at Gillette Stadium getting ready to watch some 4th of July fireworks. We arrived early to secure a prime spot for watching the show. As we were sitting around waiting, I noticed runners were running through the stadium. Every July 3rd, a local health insurance company sponsored a 5 and 10k race. It was at that moment; I knew I wanted to become a runner. The next day, in 100-degree heat, I started my journey. Was it easy? No! Did I make mistakes? Yes! I made them all. I never took the time to seek out advice. I just grabbed a pair of sneakers (ones that did not fit well) and ran. So that your journey may be a bit more painless, I am offering 8 tips to get you started.
- Invest in the right tools. This includes the proper running shoes, running bra and socks. I recommend taking a trip to your local running store. They will properly fit you based on your gait. They will watch you walk either on a treadmill or out in front of the store to analyze your gait. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have properly fitted shoes. Since it is such an individual decision based on your own body, I really can’t recommend any particular brand. I can say, I wear Brooks and love them. Just as important, running socks. I swear by Balega running socks. These are the most comfortable socks. I never get blisters and are just as comfortable at the end of my run, as they are at the beginning of my run. Lastly, a good running bra. Again, I highly recommend going to a local running store and getting fitted. Brooks makes my favorite bra.
- Invest in an app. There are several apps on the market for runners. Many of them are free, and most can be upgraded for a price. Couch to 5K is very popular. RunKeeper is another good one. You can set the apps so that you are running for so many minutes and walking for so many minutes. RunKeeper has plenty of programs for beginners. I wish I had done this. I started training too fast and too far. My first run was 3 miles. Much too far for my first time out.
- Track every run so you may track your progress. Again, I recommend either RunKeeper or Strava.
- Pace yourself. Slow down and run at a pace you are comfortable running. The risk of injury is high if you go out too hard and too fast. Over time, you will get stronger and faster.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
- Add some simple strength training moves. This helps prevent injury. I strength train 3 three times a week. If you are not sure what to do, drop me a note, I would be happy to make some suggestions.
- Rest days are important. Rest days are part of your training and should not be ignored.
- Sign up for a local 5k. This will give you the motivation and incentive to keep on training.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Running is such a joy for me, and I would love it if more people could experience that joy.
A little bit more about my running journey: I started running almost seven years ago, at the age of 40. I began to lose a few pounds, but it quickly became something more. I love talking to new runners and helping them start their journey. If you are looking for support, advice or just some motivation, feel free to reach out.
