Running in the Mud

Have any of you tried the mud obstacle courses? I just signed myself and my oldest boys up for Stomp the Mud out of Child Abuse (100% of the proceeds go to CFSC. If you live in Cache Valley you need to sign up).
So excited to try it out but nervous that my boys will beat me! How dirty am I going to get? Should I be a dork and wear goggles?

I Am a Runner

I signed my 13yo up for football yesterday. He told me, "I play football but I am a lacrosse player." I guess his lacrosse coaches explained that he should give any sport he plays his all but he was always in his heart a lacrosse player.
This morning I finally decided that I am a runner. I ran 14 miles up Smithfield Canyon with a broken toe after not running for 2 1/2 weeks. I also need to mention that it was hot, windy, I drank from a stream that will probably give me giardia, and at mile two I had to remove my toe wrappings because they were rubbing and my sock was full of blood.
Blood, sweat, and dirty creek water. Yeah, man. I am a runner!
It's funny that I've done two marathons and numerous other races but when people ask me if I am a runner I always say, "No, I'm a weight-lifter who runs."
Today, I am a runner.

Can eating late at night make you gain weight?

I read an article from Health Magazine at the gym this morning about the issue of if you can stay up late and still lose weight. Basically the theory was that if you don't eat after 8 p.m. pm your body will use up its glycogen stores and start burning fat while you sleep. I've always heard that it doesn't matter when you eat it's the total number of calories in and out that matter. But this theory of a night-time fast to allow your body to use up the stored glycogen and then start burning fat does make sense. I also found an article from getfitwithkevin that explained our bodies start to slow down after five pm to prepare us for a good night's rest so if we're eating after 7 or 8 p.m. that food won't be used as energy but stored as fat to use later. This theory also makes sense to me; that food we eat late at night is being processed and then stored instead of utilized. If you add that theory to the earlier one of using a nighttime fast to store fat, it presents a pretty strong argument to not eat late at night.
What do you think?

Motivation to Run

Tried to run again today, made it four blocks instead of two before I admitted to myself the excruciating pain from my broken toe wasn't worth it. I walked to the gym and hopped on the elliptical (thanks to the suggestion from Mark) and read Runner's World. I read a fun article, "Why Run?" by Marc Parent. It made me laugh. Here's just one line. "If you run for a month and finally make it a mile, that's one thing, but if you run for a month, make it a mile and then tell everyone what kind of shoes they should wear, well pardner, that's living." Too funny. Don't we all love to share advice? I'm especially bad at the gym when someone asks me advice about lifting and I proceed to spout so much information they get that glazed look in their eyes. Then I try to remedy the problem by starting over and saying, "Okay, if you're only going to remember one thing: lift heavier weights and go slow on the eccenric contractions. Oh, wait that's two things to remember. Wait a minute. You don't know what eccentric means!" So then they get a little vocab lesson also.

This article was great because it told some of his motivation for running: Running makes you beautiful (don't I wish); you get to wear cool gear; you lose weight (if you don't compensate for the running with ice cream inhalation, ahem); health, vitality, and well-being; and you get to inspire others.

I always wonder if seeing someone else exercising truly inspires others to be healthier. One of my running routes takes me past McDonald's. I imagine the people eating their Sausage McMuffin's and watching me run past are thinking one of two things: That looks fun, I should get out and run or, and probably more likely, that poor girl, look how miserable she looks, thank heavens I'm sitting in here eating my McMuffin.

Truly I am inspired when I see people running or doing any kind of activity. What about you?

To read the full article of "Why Run?" click here.

Broken Toe Drama

I broke my toe. It's just a little pinky toe but I haven't been able to run for almost a week now and I must admit I'm getting a bit frustrated! The doctor told me to stay off of it for 3-6 weeks. I told him he had 3-6 days. That went over well.
How do you keep yourself from going crazy when you have an injury that slows you down?

The Lebert Equalizer

Because I'm a wuss and can't do a full pull-up, I am always looking for better ways to do pullups. Look at this picture of the Lebert Equalizer pullup. Love it. And the Equalizer makes so many exercises more effective: pushups, tricep dips, jumps, planks, side twists, and one-legged squats (another move I'm always trying to perfect without killing myself), and many more.

Lebert is such a cool company. They also have a great band system called The Buddy System, plus their Stretch Straps which they gave away during our fitness contest.
Check out all their products and learn more about their company here.