Wrapping Up Eating Disorder Awareness Week

  According to NEDA's website, about 20 million women and 10 million men here in the United States have had an eating disorder at some point in their lives. We can all work to decrease this statistic.

  This week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (yes, I'm a little late to post about it). I am a survivor. But many people who have or will struggle with the terrible mental and physical illness of an eating disorder are, have not been, or will not be so fortunate.

  Here's the shortened version of my story that I shared on a facebook page called "Purple Project: Eating Disorder Awareness Month 2014" (Check it out: there are some amazing and inspirational stories and photos on their page):


I struggled with anorexia for about 6 years: 8th grade through part of my first year of college. My high school years consisted of mostly scales, doctors offices, hospitals, and self torture. About halfway through my freshman year of college I finally decided enough was enough. Nothing felt as amazing as the transformation I made in 2007. Everything the doctors and therapists tried to tell me throughout my high school years finally clicked. Food was not something I was afraid of and exercise was no longer a punishment for eating. I completed my first half marathon that spring, only possible because of my new found strength. In 2008, I did my first full marathon and triathlon, again only possible because I became strong and healthy. My new lifestyle was born. I have been relapse free for 7 amazing years now.

Now, I am a happy, healthy endurance athlete. I have a couple of awesome jobs and amazing friends and family. I'm getting married and hopefully starting graduate school in the fall.


  My advice for everyone: love yourself. Love your body and the amazing things it can do. Ignore those messages running rampant in the media that try to tell us that we aren't good enough. Life is too short for self-hatred. Encourage others and show compassion. Everyone needs love, and you never know when someone is in desperate need of a simple act of kindness.

  If you or someone you care about show signs of an eating disorder, get help. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), among other eating disorder awareness and recovery groups, has some very helpful resources.




the photo I submitted for "Purple Project: Eating Disorder Awareness Month 2014"; my sign says: "I wear purple because I won the battle and you can too!"

Training Tip Tuesday!

Instead of Fitness Tip Tuesday, I'm now calling it Training Tip Tuesday because alliteration is cool.  :-)

Today's topic will be running form. I went to an outdoor recreation conference this past weekend at Wright State University. One session I attended was all about how to improve running form, increasing efficiency and decreasing the potential for injury. Combining knowledge I already had with things I learned this weekend here are some key points to having excellent running form:

  1. Have good posture. Stand up straight, looking ahead and not down at your feet and keep that position up as you run. Resist the urge to slouch when you start to get tired. Keep your shoulders from rising up (I have a really bad habit of doing this myself and it creates some painful tension in the neck).  Don't stick your butt out: make sure that your pelvis is tucked in so everything is properly aligned.

  2. Keep your arms moving straight forward, parallel to your body. Do not let your arms cross in front of you as you run: this not only makes you less efficient and slows you down, but it also causes extra stress on your spine by causing it to do extra twisting motions.

  3. Have a little bit of a bend in your knees when you land. This is a huge way to reduce the risk of knee injury. When you land on completely straight knees, a lot of force goes through them causing a greater risk for injury.

  4. If you are a heel striker (you tend to land on your heels first and then roll your feet when you run), try to land on the middle of your foot instead. I'm working on the transition myself and it's already helped me improve my running. Landing on your heels has a number of disadvantages. For one, it is inefficient: it slows you down a little bit and uses up more energy than hitting the ground further forward on your foot. It is also another knee injury risk factor, as it puts more force down your leg, through your knee.

  5. Make sure you are wearing the right kind of shoes. I highly recommend going to a running shop, where they can asses your gait and the height of your arches.

Having superb running form doesn't happen overnight, so don't give yourself a hard time if you aren't getting it right away. Just keep working on it and you will be on your way to having rocking running form!

Happy training!  :-)

Fitness Tip Thursday-since I missed Tuesday

    This week, for some reason, has gone by crazy fast! I kind of lost track of the days of the week, missing out on my Fitness Tip Tuesday post! Oops!

    My advice for this week definitely applies to fitness, but is not necessarily just about fitness.

    A tragic event happened at Ohio University Tuesday night in The Ping Recreation Center. A student collapsed while playing basketball and later passed away. But with more efficient action from bystanders (from everything I've heard), there's a chance he could have survived.

   This may seem like common sense, but as soon as you see a potential emergency it is imperative to take action. It doesn't matter if "someone else probably did". It doesn't matter if you aren't sure what's wrong. And it doesn't matter if you are trained personnel: anyone is fully capable of getting someone who is and calling 9-1-1 immediately. Tuesday night, when the student collapsed, bystanders just watched for awhile (supposedly for about 15 minutes), unsure of what to do. Via social media, I saw someone comment that he was there. His words: "I thought one of the other people around went and got someone to help". This is called the bystander effect: when there is a group of people witnessing an emergency situation, either no one takes action at all or someone takes action eventually, but not soon enough. In emergency situations, it is crucial for someone to act right away. Every minute counts. If everyone just assumes that someone else has or will do something to help, nothing will get done.

    Also, whether or not it is required by your workplace, I highly recommend becoming certified in First Aid and CPR. You never know when you may be needed to help save a life. The American Red Cross and The American Heart Association both offer the training to become certified. Go to one of their websites (or both to compare) and check it out! I am a certified instructor through the American Red Cross, so don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions. Learn how you can save a life! Nothing compares to having that knowledge and being able to act on it.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/FindaCourse/Find-a-Course_UCM_303220_SubHomePage.jsp?gclid=CI-qufuuuLwCFaZAMgodhX8AFg

    Sorry if this has come across as preachy: I just want to let you all know how important it is to act immediately if an emergency situation arises. Someone's life very well might depend on it.

The First Fitness Tip Tuesday

   To help me keep this thing updated better, I'm going to try something new: a fitness tip each Tuesday.  :-) 

   Since it's been so cold lately, the first Fitness Tip Tuesday will be about cold weather workouts. 

   You can either brave the elements with appropriate layers or just stick to indoor workouts. I'm feeling ambitious today and have had nowhere to go since everything is closed, so I'll just discuss both.


       Braving the Cold: How to Layer for Winter Running

    I've found that how many layers to wear and what exactly to wear varies a little bit by personal preference. I have a naturally low body temperature, so I tend to wear more layers than the average person. A good rule of thumb, though, is that you only need all 3 layers when it's below freezing temperature. If it's right around freezing temperature, I usually only wear my inner and outer layer. Also, keep in mind that you'll warm up as your body gets moving. You can also take layers off/tie your jacket around your waist if you start to get too warm.

          Base Layer: I usually wear Under Armor, or some sort of dri-fit long-sleeved shirt. It keeps me warm, but if/when I start to sweat, the sweat is wicked away. This is very important because if you wear cotton or something that does not wick away the sweat, you will get wet from the sweat and possibly get really cold (especially if you need to slow down or stop and when the wind blows). 

          Middle Layer: If it's really cold (below 20 degrees F), I'll wear a fleece jacket for this. A hoodie will work, but it's not my preference because the hood bouncing around gets on my nerves. And it causes a little extra sweat to build up on my upper back. If it's still cold, but not quite as bad, I wear a t-shirt as my middle layer.

          Outer Layer: You should wear a hardshell jacket or something that is windproof and/or waterproof for this layer. I usually wear a windbreaker for this layer.

          Accessories: If it is below freezing temperature, ear protection and gloves are a must. I usually just wear fleece ear warmers and light gloves. I don't want to wear really heavy gloves so my hands don't get sweaty and gross. I wear medium thickness socks (again trying to avoid cotton). Some people suggest wearing two pairs of socks. I also try to have a pair of trail running or winterized shoes for winter running. Both of these are usually water resistant, so the moisture doesn't soak through if you run through snow or a barely above freezing puddle of water.

          For my legs, I usually just wear spandex pants or dri-fit leggings with running shorts.



Rockin' the layers!

      
















 Indoor Workouts

          Cross Training Fun! 
             I've found that nasty winter weather is a great excuse to do some fun alternative activities   inside at the gym, or even at home. My activity of choice is usually going to Mixed Martial Arts and Taekwondo Club. Sometimes I'll climb at OU's climbing wall. Some other options include attending a dance or Zumba class, basketball, swimming some laps (which as a triathlete, I do often anyway), and playing some sort of movement based game (i.e. Wii fit) or following a workout video. The options are endless. Get creative! :-)

         Indoor Cycling
            If you are serious enough about cycling, investing in a trainer is well worth it. This is a contraption that turns your bike into a stationary bike. You can do some intervals and work on speed and/or resistance, or just spin while watching t.v. or reading. A trainer usually costs about $150-$250.

        Strength Training
            This is my weakness, but it is necessary to keep up on. You might as well do it when the weather is nasty and you don't want to be outside anyway! Here are some ideas (I'll post specific sequences I sometimes do another week).

                  Abs: planks, side planks, bicycles, crunches

                  Back: superman, cobra (yoga position), barbell or dumbbell row

                  Legs: squats, lunges, calf raises, hamstring curls

                  Upper Body: bicep curls, push-ups, tricep dips

            One important thing to remember is to make sure you're balancing everything out. Work both sides of your body out evenly. For example, don't do 10 bicep curls on your right arm and then decide to do only 5 on your left. Also, make sure to work opposing muscle groups. For example, make sure to balance abdominal exercises with back exercises.

        Yoga
            This is an excellent way to improve flexibility and many people (myself included) find this to be a relaxing form of exercise. I'll talk about yoga more in-depth another week.



    It is possible to get good workouts in when it is freezing cold and nasty outide! Stay warm!  :-)
           

2014 So Far

    I have been seriously slacking on this whole "actually keeping up with my blog regularly this year" thing! Here's what's new:

     Training is going pretty well so far. The cold weather has stopped me from getting anywhere near as many miles as I usually do this time of the year though. I despise indoor workouts and the extreme cold has made it hard to run or cycle for very long anyway. Going out in the cold has been out of the question on some days. Fortunately, I put a couple of extra weeks cushioning in my training schedule in case of injury or illness.

     For Christmas/birthday (including what I got myself with gift cards) I got some amazing new gear that I've been enjoying: a colorful money belt, some awesome galaxy print cycling shorts, a new swimsuit with world flags all over it, and my very own super comfy climbing harness!




I'm not usually one to take bathroom selfies, but check out these awesome
galaxy cycling shorts! And they look super cool with my Star Trek cycling jersey!

    I added one more thing to my 2014 To Do List and have gotten a pretty good start on it: getting mostly caught up in Taekwondo. For the first time in several years, I've been attending MMA practice about twice a week (and we're doing Taekwondo this semester) and occasionally making it to Taekwondo club. I earned my black belt in Taekwondo 2006 and haven't been regularly attending MMA/Taekwondo since early 2009, so I have a lot of catching up to do! Fortunately the technique is second nature so it comes back very quickly: it's just the forms (a specific sequence of movements) I have to re-learn.

    Yesterday, I went skiing for the first time! Not sure how I've managed to not ski until now. It's not because of lack of interest in trying: I've always wanted to, it just never happened. And the weather was actually pretty warm yesterday! I went with my fiancé and some people from my home church in Cincinnati. We had a great time!

    Ray was incredibly patient with me as a learned the basics (especially since he is naturally really good at it). I did a lot of falling, screaming, and laughing. After I made it down the bunny hills a couple of times without falling, Ray and I went onto the real hills. I fell every time towards the bottom. I did figure out how to fall in style at least: instead of laying there struggling, I realized I could continue flying forward on my butt, then pull myself up once I came to a complete stop. Not the most graceful looking thing I'm sure, but it was still fun! I did manage to get off the ski lift my first time without falling, which Ray told me is a great accomplishment for a beginner.

    As the day was coming to an end, I decided I wanted to try the intermediate hill one last time. Ray and I boarded the ski lift one more time. We gracefully slid off the ski lift to the top of the hill. "I will NOT fall" I told myself. Taking a deep breath, I began my descent, as Ray staying behind. As I began to pick up speed, I slowed down my mind. Everything beside me was a blur: all the people around me no longer startled me. The only thing that mattered was the path ahead. Approaching the bottom I glided to the right of a woman standing, approaching the lodge and slowing myself down. It was an amazing sense of accomplishment. I turned around to find Ray and a few minutes later, he appeared, with a huge smile on his face. He approached me as I beamed right back. "Great job sweetie! I knew you could do it!" he said. I hate to sound cliché, but this goes to show that you can do anything you put your mind to.

    Skiing is definitely something Ray and I would like to start doing a couple of times each winter (more if we had the money). I had no idea what fun I was missing!

    So far, 2014 is an awesome year! I can't wait to see what else is in store! :-)

 

 

 

Happy New Year! :-D

    It's amazing how fast 2013 seems to have gone by!  And what a year it was!  I was diagnosed and finally treated for asthma, chronic sinusitis and some severe allergies. By finally getting the treatment I needed, I was able to set a couple new PRs (for 5k and sprint triathlon) and started living better in general.  I took my running to the next level by finishing my first ultramarathon, a 50k. I had the most amazing summer ever, going to really awesome places and going on a couple new adventures at camp. The most memorable was caving in Southern Kentucky: I crawled, rolled, climbed, and even swam through some spectacular underground passages with amazing people. 
    There were a couple downs, too of course.  One was my mom getting diagnosed with osteoporosis. She was in a lot of pain from some broken vertebrae and the medication side effects made her really sick. Once my mom got better and the worry over her started to lessen, I began also worrying about my own health. Every single woman down the line in my family has been diagnosed with osteoporosis (and at a younger age with each generation). I came to the realization that I'll have a lot of work to do to reduce my own risk of developing this terrible, crippling illness.  As an endurance athlete, anything that interferes with mobility is my worst nightmare. 

with my mom on Christmas
 

    I am very excited to begin 2014!  It's the year I'll be getting married, the year for more adventures at camp, the year that I'll hopefully be starting graduate school, the year that I'll be doing that crazy American Triple T for the second time, and who knows what else this year will bring! 

   As some people may already know, I stopped making New Year's resolutions in 2011 (I think that's the right year).  I always had a hard time picking just one thing to work on, so instead, I've been making a New Year's To Do List every year.

with my almost mother-in-law on New Year's Eve

2014 To Do List:

  1) Reduce my risk of osteoporosis: Do strength training at least once a week, remember to take my Calcium supplement every day, and reduce caffeine intake.

  2) Have an amazing, memorable, and spectacular wedding!

  3) Do a better job keeping up on the blog.  Make a new entry at least once a week. 

  4) Set at least one new PR.  This could be beating my previous time in the American Triple T, a marathon PR, or an olympic distance triathlon PR...or all of thee above.. ;-)

  5) Do more pleasure reading.  Finish at least one book per month.

  6) Get back into Taekwondo and get mostly caught back up. I got my black belt in 2006 and haven't been going regularly since early 2009.

Ray and me on New Year's Eve. We're finally getting married this year!! :-D
 

Because this is who I am

I must confess, I've been feeling the need to justify spending so much money on race registrations, even though I've cut back a lot, (and the grocery bills associated with my increased need for food during training) when I can barely keep up with my bills most months.  The guilt hit me especially hard last week when I made the hefty payment for the American Triple T 2014. Also, endurance training and races can be so painful. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why I do all this training and these races (especially the long distance ones). So I've decided to make a written list to answer the question: "Jamie, why do you do this crazy stuff?"


(1) Because of the physiological benefits of training:

      ~My heart rate is slower at rest than the average person and my heart is pumping more efficiently.  My EKG results in both Human Physiology class and Exercise Physiology show an incredibly strong heart going above and beyond its duty.  This type of thing adds years to your life.  Can't argue with science!   

      ~Staying active will help keep my asthma better under control in the long term.

      ~My skeletal muscles have greater strength and endurance with training (especially with hill training and especially for long distance events).  So I can do more awesome things!

      ~Osteoporosis runs in my family.  My great grandma and grandma both had it and now my mom does too.  Besides taking Calcium supplements everyday, high impact exercises like running and weight bearing exercise (like the strength training I should be doing-totally slacking in that department) increase bone strength and can help prevent me from having the same fate as most of the other women in my family. 


(2) Because of the psychological benefits of training:

     ~Self Confidence!  No explanation needed

     ~After a run (or swim, or bike ride), I can solve problems better and think more creatively.  I can focus better.  As a matter of fact, I can think more clearly in general after a workout or race.

     ~It improves my mood.  Any time I'm in a foul mood, Ray's response is almost always the same: "Sweetheart, why don't you go for a run?"

     ~Stress release: no matter what was wrong before, it doesn't seem quite as disastrous after a workout or race.

    ~That amazing sense of accomplishment after crossing the finish line of a race and the sense of accomplishment I feel working my way through my training schedule

    ~Running has helped me get through a couple of really tough times I've been through. 

(3) Because it builds my character

    ~Making and following a training schedule takes organizational skills and self-discipline.  Lots of self-discipline. Being a marathon runner and triathlete is on my resume (as I was actually advised to include by an interviewer a few years ago).  Guess what the first thing is that interviewers comment and ask about on my resume?  And I haven't always applied to fitness related jobs.

    ~It helps me to be an inspiration to others.

    ~Finishing a race takes determination.  Getting through some training sessions takes even more determination. 

But most of all,
Because training, competing, doing these crazy triathlon and distance running events is a huge part of my identity. Because this is who I am.