Lisa Sabin’s - Running And Being

Team up with me and Lucy Sportswear to run/walk the Irongirl 5K/10K in Seattle on September 7th, 2008. Training sessions begin Saturday, June 28th. Runners meet at Lucy in Bellevue Square at 10 am. The program lasts 12 weeks. Now is your chance to train with a great group of women for a fun race. This is a great program for beginners. We start slow and build endurance to go the distance!

P.S. If you don’t live in Seattle and want to train virtually you can follow our training program. Send me an e-mail at Lisa@Sweat365.Com

A woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy. The most obvious are increased girth, posture and center of gravity. The hormonal changes such as increased levels of estrogen and progesterone cause the GI track to slow down so that a woman gains the appropriate amount of weight to sustain a fetus. Relaxin, causes muscle and connective tissue to soften and become more flexible. Proprioception may change as feet swell and posture compensates for the new distribution of weight. Changes in hormones can create mood swings for many women.   More…

You want to become more fit and healthy. Running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness, burn calories and get in shape. Starting a running program can seem overwhelming at first. But, If you are willing to devote 3 days a week to running or run/walking you are on your way.  More….

I’m back in the city, nursing my wounds. I have some blisters and bruises from my shoes and my fall on Saturday. Tomorrow I will officially be 3 weeks from Boston. I intend to go out and do my last long run of 18 miles. I hope the weather cooperates.

I got in some good training at elevation, which makes me happy. I survived gas station coffee and beef jerky dinners with Michelle. At least I didn’t blow my diet down in Sunriver! I’ll carb up tonight to get ready for tomorrow’s run.

Murphy and Lola have been having a marvelous time the last 4 days. We are dog-sitting for some friends. Our dog Murphy is a 4 month old Golden Retriever. Lola is an 8 month old Black Lab. They play like crazy. Occasionally, they lay down and take a break, but for the most part they are going full blast. It’s like having two pre-schooler children 24/7. I’m sitting her blogging and I look down to discover that they found a notebook that needed shredding. By the time I noticed it, I thought okay, I guess I’ll just let them have their fun. Sometimes you have to go with the flow.

I grew up with dogs.  My mom is a dog-lover.  We’ve had everything from cocker-spaniels, dachshunds, boxers and even a poodle.  We never took the dogs for a walk or puppy class.  When the dog peed in the house, her nose was rubbed in it and she was thrown outside.   My mom keeps an immaculate house.  She trained the dog to go in one spot in the yard.  She even trained Brandy, the dachshund to put her toys away.   This woman likes a clean house!

Phil and I adopted our first dog, Bo at 4 months.  He was house-broken and knew how to sit and stay.  Other than jumping up and chewing, he was a mellow dog.  He quickly learned to fetch and was able to go off leash.  Unfortunately, we lost him to Addison’s disease early November.  The house became quiet and we knew we wanted another dog.

Murphy’s owners bred their 2 year old female dog, Princess (Murphy’s mom) for the first time.  They had 9 puppies.  We fell in love with the fuzzy fellow.  He was spunky and the biggest dog in the litter.  We wanted a dog with personality.  We brought Murphy home as soon as possible.  The breeders wanted to get rid of the dogs.  I guess caring for 9 puppies is tough.

Phil and I thought we would be able to train Murphy on our own.  We didn’t need classes.  We had such a good experience with Bo that we thought we just needed to be consistent and we’d end up with a dog like Bo.

Our first mistake was not signing up for puppy-classes like our vet recommended.  Since Murphy was only 6 weeks old, he lacked socialization skills.  He needed to learn where he fit in with the pack.  We didn’t really know what Dr. Cannon meant by that.  We just knew that we needed to show Murphy that we are in charge. 

6 weeks later, Murphy has almost tripled his body weight and has really sharp teeth.  He has taken to nipping the back of pant legs when you walk by.  If you don’t play with him he challenges you with a snarly bark.  He steals toilet paper whenever he gets the chance, but this is minor.  The main thing is that our teenager’s friends are afraid of him.  We are afraid his nipping will hurt someone and we can’t have a dog that bites. 

All the puppy classes are full.  We don’t know when the next ones will start.  Murphy is out of control.  We need private lessons.  Our vet recommended Stacy Neary, a dog trainer that comes out to your house. 

Stacy consulted with us for an hour yesterday.  Part of the problem we are experiencing is Muphy left home too soon.  He needed more time with his mom and siblings.  He needed to learn how to behave in the pack.  We learned that we were making some classic mistakes with Murphy.  We are treating him like a person rather than the pack animal he is.  We have to change our behavior to elicit the kind of behavior we want from our dog.  Human beings feel guilty about not spending time with their dog.  They tend to pet and praise too much. The dog doesn’t have incentive to behave if they know they’ll get petted any way.  The dog needs to earn the praise.  We signed up for her complete program of 10 classes.  Watch out Murphy your life is about to change!

I proposed to a few clients that we give up wine for lent. I’m not Catholic, but it’s a good excuse to get people serious about making healthy changes, if only for a short period. There are 3 people in this with me.

The people I work with tend to work hard and play hard. They are living the “Good Life”. So, this will be a challenge. There is one guy who comes into the gym complaining that he has a belly. He doesn’t eat that bad, it’s just the wine and cocktails.

While moderate drinking has health benefits, drinking alcohol promotes overeating. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram vs. 4 calories for carbohydrates. People who drink regularly usually lose weight if they stop drinking or limit their consumption of alcohol.

Taking stock of your habits and making changes is a good thing. It’s all about balance. We all want to enjoy life and be healthy. Sometimes taking on a challenge like this is good. It helps put things into perspective.

The most common fitness goal and probably the most important is achieving and maintaining a healthy body-weight. Recent data indicates that approximately 66 percent of the United States adults are overweight (defined as having a Body Mass Index of 25 kg/m2 or higher) and 32 percent are obese (defined as having a Body Mass Index of 30 kg/m2 of higher). Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and depression are just a few of the diseases that are related to obesity.

Many people are tempted to go for the “quick fix” or latest fad diet to shed a few pounds. They try exercise machines, routines, and diet supplementation. Some resort even resort to bariatric surgery. While many diets promote short-term weight loss, it’s rare that anyone achieves and maintains a healthy body-weight long term. Fad diets that cut out food groups may lack nutritional balance. Consulting a registered dietitian can take the mystery out of weight loss.

Exercise is part of the energy-balance equation. When caloric input equals caloric output, the person’s bodyweight is maintained. When caloric input exceeds output, the person gains weight. When caloric output exceeds input, the person loses weight.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR), thermic effect of food (TEF) and physical activity(PA) make up the 3 components of energy requirements. RMR accounts for 60-70 percent of your daily energy requirement. TEF represents only 5-10 percent. Physical activity accounts for 15-30 percent of your total energy requirement.

To Estimate your Daily Caloric Requirement:

1. Determine your estimated RMR by taking your body weight and multiply by 10. Example: 130 x 10 = 1300 calories (RMR)

2. Determine how many calories you need for purposeful exercise. Example: jogging for 60 minutes at 6.0 burns 4.2 calories per pound of body weight. 130 x 4.2=546

3. Determine how many calories are needed for activity level APART from purposeful exercise.
Example: 1300(RMR) x 30% = 390 calories

If you are sedentary add 20-40% RMR
If you are moderately active add 40-60% RMR
If you are very active add 60-80% RMR

4. Add the answers to steps 1,2, and 3 to determine today’s daily caloric requirement. Example: 1300(RMR) + 546 purposeful exercise + 390 daily activity calories = 2236 calories.

In order to lose weight you must create a calorie deficit. A pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. If your daily energy requirement is 2,500 calories, then creating a deficit of 500 calories every day will result in one pound of weight loss per week. Remember the energy balance equation. A deficit can be created by expending more energy through exercise, and reducing caloric intake. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends not losing more than 1-2 pounds per week. Losing 2 pounds in a week would require a deficit of 1,000 calories per day. That means cutting out 500 calories and burning 500 calories.

There are no short-cuts or magic pills.  The key to maintaining a healthy body-weight long term is exercise and proper nutrition.  The ACSM recommends:  30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity 3 days per week and 2 days of strength training.  This may sound like a lot for busy people.  You don’t have to go to the gym every day.  Moderate intensity-activity can be accumulated throughout the day in 10 minute bouts.  One example is walking at lunch and after dinner.  Combinations of vigorous and moderate activity work as well.  The goal is to find ways to add activity to your routine and remember the energy-balance equation.

Sources:

American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM’s Certified News, January-March 2008

Sports Nutrition Guidebook, by Nancy Clark, MS, RD

Running in old, worn out shoes is a major cause of injury for runners.  Shoes break down and need to be replaced.  They lose shock absorption, stability and cushioning over time.  Continuing to run in old shoes increases stress on the joints, which can lead to overuse injuries.  Injuries such as shin splints, and tendonitis start as a nagging ache or pain, that can develop into a debilitating injury.  If the problem isn’t caught early, an annoying pain can become chronic injury. 

Your shoes may look perfectly fine on the outside.  You may not notice visible signs of wear and tear on the tread.  The mid-sole and cushioning breaks down first.  If you notice muscle fatigue, shin pain or knee pain, it’s probably time for new shoes.  It’s best to replace shoes before this happens. 

A good rule is to replace shoes every 300 to 400 miles.  Lighter runners may not have to replace their shoes as frequently.  Heavier runners should replace shoes closer to the 300 mile mark.  It all depends on the surface you run on.  Outside running on pavement wears out shoes faster than treadmill running.

A good practice is to keep track of when you purchase new shoes.  Mark the date in your calendar or training log.  You can even mark a date 3 months out as a reminder to see how many miles you’ve put in.  Check to see if it’s time to buy some new ones.  Buying two pair at a time will ensure that you always have a fresh pair. 

Protein has a variety of uses in the body. Minimal amounts of protein are utilized in aerobic exercise.  However protein is essential for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue. It is also necessary for enzyme and hormone function and for the immune system.

Proteins are formed by linking amino acids. There are 10 essential amino acids for human beings. Protein is found in a variety of food sources. Protein from (meat, poultry, milk and fish) contain all the essential amino acids. Proteins from plant sources (corn, rice, and beans) do not contain all ten essential amino acids. Combinations of proteins from plant sources  provide complete proteins. One example of this is rice and beans.

Protein deficiency is not a huge problem in the United States. Most Americans consume more than enough protein for adequate health.  Athletes require more protein than those who are sedentary.

Protein Recommendations:

• Sedentary - .8 grams per kg of body weight
• Strength - 1.2 - 1.6 grams per kg of body weight
• Endurance - 1.2 - 1.78 grams per kg of body weight

Amount in Common Foods:

• Meat/Fish/Poultry - 7 grams per ounce
• Dairy - 9 grams per cup
• Bread - 3 grams per slice
• Starchy Vegetables - 3 grams per 1/2 cup
• Vegetables - 2 grams per 1/2 cup
• Fruit - 0
• Fats, Sweets, & Oils - 0

A diet consisting of at least 60-70% carbohydrates, 25-30% fat and 10-15% is recommended for endurance athletes (marathoners). Although protein doesn’t provide much energy for the athlete, it’s important for recovery and rebuilding muscle tissue. Combining complex carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fats into each meal and snack provides satiety and lasting energy.

Sources: Miriam Nelson, PhD John Hancock Center For Physical Activity and Nutrition
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy Tufts University