If you need to be humbled, run long!

You might know that I’ve been training for a relay race coming up in August. I was feeling rather pleased with my efforts. In fact, on July 4^th I ran a 5K and finished with my best time yet! I’m almost 57 and I’ve been running for 10 years. I’ve been thinking, “I’m faster! I’m faster!”

As the summer wore on, four miles became a “good run.” Four miles with hills was a little more challenging, but not exhausting. I’ve been thinking, “I’m stronger. I’m stronger!”

My training partner and I jumped from four to six miles a couple weeks ago for our long runs. Still, we held a steady pace and did not die at the end. I’ve been thinking, “I’m prepared. I’m prepared.”

Then I remembered that my longest run on the relay is 6.6 miles. I’ve been thinking, “I need to run longer. I need to run longer!”

Enter the seven-mile long run. Perhaps I wasn’t hydrated and fueled enough. It’s hard to fuel before a morning run. I like to get as many minutes of sleep as I can! It had to be a morning run because, well – it’s hot out there! Water? Why didn’t I plant a water bottle somewhere along the route? Yes, I bonked! I couldn’t make it up a hill at mile 5.5 without taking a walk break. We finished the seven miles, but it wasn’t pretty on my part. I wandered home, drank some water, stretched, drank some electrolytes, ate breakfast, puttered around, ate some lunch and downed more fluids, puttered some more, and complained about my aching muscles. By evening, I finally felt like myself again.

What’s my take away? I know how to prepare, but I was feeling confident enough that I didn’t prepare properly. I paid a price today for my pride. I am humbled. I’ve got a few long runs prior to relay weekend and you can bet I will anticipate them more carefully by fueling and hydrating better the day and hours before.  I might even plant a water bottle along the route.

That’s why we train – so we can learn about our weaknesses. When we know where the weak spots are, we can reinforce them and make them strong.

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” – Ether 12:27 

What weak things have you changed into strengths?

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!
Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

6 Reasons We Get Sick by Jane

Meet Guest Blogger, Jane Barlow Christensen. Jane owns a medicinal herbal company that sells mainly to doctors. "My products and education information gives people the knowledge and tools to become their own health care physician.  It gives them the confidence to take care of every day human health issues."

6 Reasons We Get Sick

What causes some people to get sick every single year while others stay healthy and well?

Some people suffer through the entire year with a low grade cough, sinus problems and an overall feeling of tiredness and lack of energy. If this sounds like you, then read on for some simple tricks to make this stop happening.

Here are a six reasons that we get sick in the first place.

1) Vitamin D deficiency.

It is estimated that 50% of adults are Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is not a regular Vitamin, it's actually a steroid hormone that you are supposed to acquire through regular exposure to the sun - not through your diet.

If you are over 50, have darker skin, are obese, have achy bones, feel depressed or have gut trouble...then these are signs that you could be Vitamin D deficient.

The best way to know if you are deficient in Vitamin D and how much you need, is to have a doctor test your levels.

2) Proper hydration.

As a society we are chronically dehydrated. We are drinking way too many things that are not just plain water. Soda, fruit juice, milk, almond milk, coconut milk, sports drinks etc...and the list goes on. Just because we're drinking all these different liquids doesn't mean we're getting the right type of hydration.

We know that we are made up of two-thirds water but did you know that in the terms of the number of molecules, your body actually consists of over 99% water molecules?

How is every system in your body expected to function properly without proper hydration?

YOU NEED WATER. NOT Juice. Not flavored water. Not soda. Not sports drinks.

How can you expect your body to fight off a cold, the flu or any other microbe that comes at you if aren't taking this one simple step?

Unless you live in a third world country where access to clean water is an issue, then this is something you can start making a serious effort on today. Right now.

3) If your diet consists of too much processed sugar, refined foods, junk foods, fast food, fried foods and white carbohydrates...then you are probably someone who gets sick on a fairly regular basis.

Bottom line - if you are eating lots of sugar and processed foods you are not fueling your body for wellness. You are giving it everything it needs to live in a state of imbalance. You probably have low energy, dull skin, puffy eyes, chronic digestive issues, extra body fat and just an overall sense of fatigue and lethargy.

Time to figure out what's holding you back and make some better food choices so that your body gets the nutrition it needs to stay well.

4) Proper sleep.

If you're going to do the sleep thing right...your room needs to be cool (about 65 degrees), dark (even the light from your alarm clock gives off too much light for your body to produce the sleep hormone, Melatonin) and quiet (if you're falling asleep with the TV on...stop it!).

Your body repairs at night, when it's cool, dark and quiet and you owe it to yourself to get a good night’s sleep.

5) Exercise. Movement.

There's no way around it. You’ve got to do it. No excuses if you want to be and stay healthy.

6) And finally...stress.

Let’s be honest, this is a true killer in your health and longevity goals.   I know people who have terrible lifestyle habits, but they know how to manage their stress and are pretty healthy.

Stress is incredibly damaging to your health and can cause all kinds of disease.

So start making some small, healthy changes today. Right now! You get to decide what your life looks like.

In conclusion, here are a couple of my favorite natural remedies and herbs that can help you stay healthy while you are working on the lifestyle factors.

1) High dose Vitamin C every single day. A high dose for an adult is about 5000 mg. Try to find a brand with Rosehips, a great source of Vitamin C.

2) Try a natural anti-microbial like Oil of Oregano, Tea tree oil, Olive leaf extract and Lomatium root. An anti-microbial is something that goes after virus, fungus, yeast and bad bacteria.

3) Start drinking lots of herbal tea. Every day. Especially during cold and flu season. One of my favorites is Peppermint tea. And make sure it's organic. That's super important.

I hope you've got some of this list already dialed in. If not, and you feel overwhelmed, then remember this -

Every single small thing you do adds up to big huge things over time. Just start small. Small things compound.

You can catch up with Jane here ...

YouTube channel - Jane Barlow Christensen and get all of my healthy tips. I post a new video about once a week.
Facebook – Jane Barlow Christensen and Jane Health

Website – www.barlowherbal.com

Instagram - @barlowherbal

Visit my Guest Blogger page to get to know all my blogging friends.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Tuesday's Training Tip: Stay hydrated

How much water is enough?

There is much information available about hydration and exercise.  Some of it is helpful and some is very confusing.  What we do know is that you need to drink ENOUGH water.  There isn't a One-Size-Fits-All measurement.  I know that if I am hydrated I can do a six-mile run without stopping for water. However, if I don't re-hydrate post-run, I will have more cramping and muscle soreness later.

  

Thirst is a good indicator, but it may take some time to learn how much water YOU need and when it is most beneficial for you.  In the meantime, visit this article at Runners World to learn more about the Myths and Truths of hydration.

8 Hydration Myths Busted

And just for fun, you might like to try this Hydration Calculator to get a better handle on how much water you need.

Tune in every Tuesday for more training tips and visit my Training Tips page to find all the tips you may have missed.

Question: Do you have a training tip you would like to share?

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus! 

Happy Running! 

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.