Warrior Dash

Hello Everyone, I am back!  Again, I let too much time lapse between posts and I apologize.  Recently, June 10th to be exact, I participated in the Warrior Dash.  What is the Warrior Dash?  It is a 3 mile 13 obstacle race.  It is a fundraising event for St. Judes Children's Hospital.

I trained for approximately 12 weeks to be strong and aerobically ready for this "dash".  The training consisted of resistance work 3 times a week.  Squats, lunges, running up stairs, running up and down hills, upper body weight work (biceps, triceps, shoulder presses, push ups, lat pull downs etc. etc.).  I ran almost every day on my treadmill or outside on trails through the woods.  I would not consider myself a runner but having just spent the last 12 weeks running almost everyday (except when I came down with a sinus infection/bronchitis), I feel like I am possibly now in the category of being a novice runner.  Now post "dash" I continue to run every other day and thoroughly enjoy the runners "high" I get from it.  When you work out doing any type of fitness at high intensity..running, tennis, dancing, cycling or even yoga (which is not high intensity), your serotonin levels rise (these are your feel good hormones that make you feel happy and at peace).

After the "Dash" I had that runner's high for almost a week.  I will be back training again in a couple of weeks as I plan to do another "Dash" in September.

 

Anyone interested in training with me and joining us for the September Warrior Dash just give me a call at 203-984-3561.  It is great to challenge your body and/or your mind more often than you are used to.  Pick a challenge any challenge and do this for yourself you won't regret it!!!

Eating pre-exercise

Alot of people question what they should consume prior to exercise and then what they should (or should they eat after exercise).  This post should come in handy if this is a question you have pondered.

Before exercise/race/competition/and or a game you should consume a high-carbohydrate snack which is low in fat and protein.  This should be eaten about 60 minutes prior to exercise/practice or competition.  This type of snack will provide energy and help prevent hunger that may hinder performance.  Foods that are high in carbohydrates will digest quickly and fuel the muscles for exercise.  Avoid foods that are high in protein and fat as they take longer to digest and may cause stomach upset during your activity. Excellend pre-exercise snacks include fruit (nonacidic fruits), granola bar, raisins, a bagel or english muffin (whole grain please) with jelly, dry cereal and a high carb energy bar.

You should not exercise on an empty stomach, remember your muscles need carbs to store the proper energy which used during muscle movement.

Eating after exercise is just as important as you will need to restore the lost glycogen (our energy fuel).  So, about 30 minutes after exercising is a good time to begin to consume a high-carb snack with protein.  If you miss having a snack it could result in premature muscle fatigue and prolonged muscle soreness.

Eating healthy throughout the day will help to restore and replenish the energy stores in our muscles to be used the next time we workout or do some physical activities.

Some excellent POST-workout snacks include a peanut butter and banana sandwich (using all natural peanut butter...I prefer Crazy Richard's brand of peanut butter), chocolate low-fat or skim milk, low-fat yogurt, trail mix (not with M & M's), healthy cereal with skim milk, fruit with peanut butter, or energy bars.

If you don't have an appetite after exercise then the liquid food are best (smoothy, liquid yogurt, milk etc.)

I hope this has been helpful to those who may not know how to keep up their energy during a workout session, or race, or baseball game etc.

I am thrilled to add that tonight starts my trial Ladies' Sculpt and Tone class at my house at 7:00 p.m., I have 11 ladies joining me this month to get strong and healthy....cheers to the ladies for being my guinea pigs.