Tuesday’s Training Tip: Log Your Workout

One of my favorite training tools is a record, or log, of my running workout.  Whether you are tracking miles, reps, or time in the gym, you will find great satisfaction in watching the numbers add up each month. There are many ways to log your efforts from writing miles on a wall calendar to using an app that gives added information such as pace and calories burned.  Here are just a few.

Calendar

You choose the information you want to record.  Are you adding up miles each month or do you simply want to cross off each day in an effort to obtain consistency? A wall calendar is public and allows family members or co-workers to see your progress and encourage you along the way.

Fitness Apps

A fitness app can track your workout, provide workout analytics, link your favorite music, and even give feedback during the workout. I like Map My Run.  I set mine to give feedback every half mile. It tells me how far and how fast (or slow) I am going. You can even share the information on Facebook – if you are brave enough!

Follow a Training Plan

If you are goal minded and have decided to train for a 5K or longer, download a training plan and then write all over it. “Today’s run was hard.” Or, “I rocked it today!  Fifteen seconds under goal pace!” And so on.

Report to Friends

I belong to a group of family and friends that record our miles and share them with each other. This can help keep you on task.  “They are expecting me to log something today.  I better get out the door.” Or, “If I just go two more miles, I will have the most in the group!” Including others in your fitness pursuits helps encourage everyone to reach their goals. Never underestimate the value of friends!
Use a Journal

In addition to keeping a record of your workouts, a journal gives you an opportunity to record those things that are unmeasurable. How did the workout feel? What was good or not so good about it. Did you solve a world problem while running? What did you learn about yourself? Using a journal like this one is another tool to keep you on track and assist you in achieving your fitness goals.
Read More Beginning Fitness Articles

This blog post from Mark Williams has some great advice for beginners ready to "hit the gym." A quick read of Workout Routines for Beginners - What You Need to Know Before Hitting the Gym will help you prepare to succeed.

If you are having trouble with consistency in your training routine, maybe it’s time to find a new way to keep you accountable. Try something different or a combination of those listed above. The best training log is the one that works for you.

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? Please leave it in the comments below!

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.

My favorite Pumpkin Recipes!

Time for Pumpkin Recipes!

It’s Food Friday and October!  That shouts, “Time for pumpkin goodies!”  Here are two of my favorite recipes.  I made the first for a family Oktoberfest celebration last night.  It was a hit.  The pumpkin cookie recipe is one I adapted from an old family recipe.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Cake

This recipe is a smooth and crunchy twist on classic pumpkin pie, but you don’t have to labor over crust making!  Simply bake it in a cake pan. It’s found on my friend’s blog, DeliciousDales. Don't miss the yellow cake mix found in the directions! Visit for even more yummy pumpkin recipes.

I adapted this recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from one that had been in my family for many decades.  I liked the flavor, but I am not a fan of cake-like cookies, so I changed it up a bit to make them gooier.

Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 ½ C Shortening
• 4 ½ C Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 2 C Pumpkin
• 6 ½ C Flour
• 1 ½ tsp Salt
• 3 tsp Baking Soda
• 3 tsp Nutmeg
• 3 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 tsp Vanilla
• 1 ½ C Chocolate Chips

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

 Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? Please share a link in the comments below.

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.

Lifelong Learning One Step at a Time!

You're not dead yet.  Keep learning!

I have been counseled over the years to continue in lifelong learning.  I supposed that this meant formal education and I have had some degree of guilt over my reluctance to pursue more formal training. However, I am finding that in my everyday pursuits learning is ever present.  Here are just of few of the things I have learned in recent months …

Health Care –

• Massage therapy is a valuable tool.

• How to use ice, compression, heat, and massage more effectively for muscle repair.

• Magnesium works!

• Heel lifts also work.

Technology –

• How to use an iPhone.

• How to activate an iPhone – repeatedly!

• How to use an email service.

• How to publish a 4-color book with photos.

• How to build, publish and edit a website! This one!

Relationships –

• How to pack a lunch for my husband on a daily basis. (Long story, but this is a new talent!)

• Facetime.

• How to win friends and influence runners with just one cookie. Oh, wait … I’ve known that one for years!

• Some people are introverts and my exuberance can and does wear them out from time to time.

These are only a few of the new things I have learned lately.  Some days it feels as if the learning will never happen, but when I continue to plug along, eventually the light bulb appears and things become clearer. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.”

Carry on!

 

I invite you to visit the ICAN website, and as always, I welcome your feedback!

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.

Food Friday: Refuel After a Run or Workout

It’s Food Friday and we’re talking about refueling after your run or workout.  This post could easily be a Tuesday Training Tip, too!  I recently participated in the Grand Teton Relay 2015, running three five-mile legs with approximately eight hours to refuel and rest in between runs. With short recovery times it becomes important to make wise use of your food options. What works on the relay can also work well for refueling after your everyday workouts.

Here are a few of my favorite post run or workout options:

Hydrate: Cold water is always a great option. If you are looking to refuel while you hydrate, try a glass of cold chocolate milk. It quickly provides protein and carbohydrates – and it tastes like chocolate!

Bananas and Nuts:  Whether you spread peanut butter on a banana or dip it in sunflower seeds or chopped nuts, this quick snack provides potassium, carbohydrates, and protein.

Chocolate Berry Breakfast Smoothie: This cold smoothie tastes like a milkshake!  It’s packed with antioxidants and protein. Add a frozen banana to really power it up.  Find the recipe HERE.

Homemade Trail Mix:  I prefer almonds, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.  Making your own trail mix allows you to customize it to suit your tastes and pocketbook.

Peanut Butter Energy Bites:  Okay, anything with peanut butter sounds good to me, but these simple to make energy bites may have saved me on the relay. Easy to store and easy to digest, they provided a quick source of fuel that tasted like a treat!

You don’t have to be participating in a relay or other endurance challenge to benefit from a healthy post run or workout snack.  Refueling is a key part of any healthy lifestyle. Find more healthy snack ideas on this page from NUTS.com.

Have a happy Food Friday!

Do you have a favorite healthy snack you would like to share?  Post it in the comments below!

Happy Running!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

 

 

He is in the Details

“Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives.” – Thomas S. Monson

This was reconfirmed to me recently as I was struggling with a personal obstacle.  I had prepared for many months in many ways to participate in the Grand Teton Relay. It is a team effort and I was the captain. My own physical preparation suffered as I fought a calf injury all summer.  It would improve some and then I would reinjure it. The most recent injury occurred only one week prior to the relay.

To say I was discouraged would be an understatement. I threw myself a pity party for a day!  I then realized that I needed to recover quickly, or in the very least I needed to improve my attitude so that I did not have a negative impact on the experience for my teammates.  Ideally, both of those things could occur.  I approached the problem in this way.

·         I had a good talk with myself about my attitude.

·         I humbled myself and requested a priesthood blessing, which I received on Sunday night.

·         I requested the prayers of friends, which they kindly offered.

·         I rested.  This was difficult because I knew I was not physically prepared for the distance, heat, and elevation.

·         I vowed to take it slowly if I were able to run at all. (This was not difficult due to my lack of training!)

·         I applied ice and heat and compression. I stretched and massaged my calf.

·         I prayed.

Participating was important to me, but I did not feel that it was something that would be important to the rest of the world.  For this reason, I thought perhaps it was not a worthy request to ask my Heavenly Father for a rapid healing – and then I remembered these words from a prophet of God,

 “I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives.”

I pressed forward in faith not knowing if I would be able to run or if I would have to impose upon my teammates to run my 15.5 miles.  By Wednesday I was no longer walking with a limp. When friends asked if I was going to be able to run I answered, “We will see.”  Friday morning I applied kinesio tape AND a compression sock – and I ran.

I ran!  It wasn’t my best performance, but that didn’t matter. What mattered to me was that I was able to participate! There is no way my injury should have improved as quickly as it did. It should have taken a minimum of 2-3 weeks. I asked for help and healing from my Heavenly Father and I received it. It was important to me and He was in the details of my life. I am grateful for that reinforced knowledge and I am grateful for the prayers of friends who also find themselves in the details of my life. Your love and support is noticed and appreciated!

 

Question: When have you noticed the Lord’s hand in your life?

Happy Running!

 

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Tuesday’s Training Tip: Read a Motivational Book

Strange things can be motivational!

Let’s face it, it can be difficult to stay motivated when you are training for a race that is months away, or when you are struggling to see improvement in your physical fitness, or when you have been injured. Reading a good motivational book can help you pass the hours while recovering.

What’s the best motivational book to read? That depends on what you need …

 If your desire to run is waning …

Read something running related such as a runner’s biography or a classic running novel. 

Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Run toOvercome by Meb Keflezighi

If you’ve been injured and need some down time to recover …

Read something entertaining to pass the time or something that will instill patience and positivity.

The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Running the Edge by Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher

If your improvement is slow and you need daily motivation …

Read something that inspires you daily such as your favorite book of scripture, a daily motivational tip from a life coach, or browse a recent copy of Runners’ World magazine. 

Remember, running is hard.  Life is hard.  It’s going to take a little help to get through it.  You can read and learn from those who have gone before. It might make things a little bit easier.

Do you have a favorite motivational book you would like to share?  Please tell us about it in the comments below.

Get your copy of The Hard Run: Painful Lessons from a Running Granny. HERE

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.

Guest Blogger: Carol writes about Exertion Asthma

Meet Carol Green Kjar. (We call her "The Other Carol Green") She writes: "I have a long-time husband and an empty nest. I worked as a natural resources technical writer/editor for a government agency while my already retired husband traveled the U.S. without me. I got tired of that pretty quick so I took early retirement and joined him. We travel a lot so he can go bicycling and hiking.  I like to stay in camp to read, write, and cook. When I'm home, I love to sew and quilt."
Carol blogs as C.S. Kjar and writes clean fiction.  Find her book, The Treasure of Adonis, HERE.

 

 

Exertion Asthma

I admire people who can run and feel the air rush by their faces as they move along so smoothly and fast.  I admire people who are in great shape and can do anything they want.  I envy them all.  Why?  Because I can’t.

I have a condition called exertion asthma.  It’s a lot like chronic asthma except it only comes on during physical exertion or strenuous activities.  The airways in the lungs narrow from inflammation and don’t hold as much air as exercise demands.  Breathing is wheezy and hard, the chest is tight which prevents breathing deeply, and fatigue comes fast because the muscles aren’t getting the oxygen they need.  I’ve learned to live with my exertion asthma and life is good.

 

As I got older, more symptoms set in.  Along with tightness in my chest, my arms feel funny, tingly, or numb.  I got scared it was my heart so I insisted my doctor order a stress test for me.  My test lasted for about 5 minutes because by then I could hardly breathe at all.  The doctor pulled me off the treadmill and said my heart was fine.  It was my lungs that were bad.  I was so relieved that my heart was good that I didn’t care about the asthma.

 

For me, the asthma symptoms start a few minutes after strenuous effort.   Even fast walking can trigger it.  When I stop, my breathing returns to normal in a few minutes so the symptoms disappear quickly.  I had an inhaler for a while and it helped a little, but not enough to keep using it.  I decided the warnings about the side effects outweighed the benefits of using it so I stopped.

 

When I do something strenuous like going up stairs, up a hill, or walking at a fast pace, I have to stop to catch my breath fairly often.  I don’t mind it.  I have time to enjoy the scenery which is really what I’m outside to see.  If I go too fast for too long, I suck air like a jet engine.   I’ve sucked in my share of bugs.  They’re nasty tasting without being dipped in chocolate.  I’ve choked on them quite often so it’s a good idea to take water along.

 

My asthma was a handicap only once that I remember.  I was doing field work with the Forest Service and we were two ridges away from our truck when a thunderstorm blew in.  We got a radio call that there was a tornado warning and to get out there as fast as we could.  Everyone set off for the truck at a fast jog.  We went down one ridge up another, down and up again.  I was lagging behind, but could hardly breathe by the time I got to the truck.  Everyone kept asking me if I was okay.  No, I wasn’t, but I wasn’t going to be left behind to be struck by lightning or swept up in a tornado.

 

So someday, if you go running past a heavy breathing walker, please don’t laugh.  Don’t taunt.  Don’t pity.  It may be the best he or she can do.  Be thankful for your good lungs and take care of them so you have a life of easy breathing.

 

Get to know Carol Kjar better by visiting her blog or pick up a copy of The Treasure of Adonis on Amazon and Kindle.

 

Learn more about Asthma.

 

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

 

 

 

Happy Running!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!  





Why did I write this book - The Hard Run?

 

Why did I write The Hard Run? Perhaps a better question is:  “For whom did I write The Hard Run?” Some might assume it was written for runners – after all, it is a book about running, right? Actually, The Hard Run is a book about pain and it is targeted at anyone who might need to better understand their relationship with pain.

A relationship with pain?  That might sound odd at first, but I believe we all have relationships with pain, just as we have relationships with food, money, clothing, and entertainment. To understand one’s relationship with pain, she must first understand that all pain is not equal;  therefore, our reactions to pain should not always be the same.

For instance, the section of the book titled, “When Pain Means STOP!” deals with those kinds of pain that should be stopped or avoided. Some people have a relationship with pain in which they feel ALL pain must be stopped or avoided.  They often miss out on great opportunities for growth. Others tend to ignore pain – ALWAYS – ignoring those things that are truly causing damage to themselves or others.

The section of the book titled, “When Pain Means DON’T  STOP!” examines those kinds of discomforts that are actually good. Enduring these creates growth and experience. As I have written in the book, I have learned that pain is more often friend than foe. However, it is a mistake to think that ALL pain should be endured.

The last section of the book, “When Pain Means PROCEED WITH CAUTION!” looks at the pains of life that just happen.  Many of them enhance our experiences.  Many of them are beyond our control.  Learning to appreciate the discomforts that are simply a part of life, like sore muscles after a fun physical exertion, or brief setbacks that help us appreciate days of ease and plenty, will increase one’s enjoyment of her mortal existence.

Do you have a healthy relationship with pain?  Do you avoid it at all costs or ignore warning signs that are meant to keep you safe? Can you think of times that pain brought a sweet smile to your face as you remember the joy that preceded it?

If you would like to learn more about the lessons I’ve learned about pain and discomfort through running, you can find the book on my AmazonPage, or obtain a signed copy through my Etsy shop.
Stay connected with Facebook.

Happy Running!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Tech support, passwords, and privacy! Oh, my!

I’ve been expanding my technical horizons and reaching out of my comfort zone this week. I’m attempting to design a website and it is challenging me a bit. I also upgraded my cell phone.  That was the real challenge. It’s a password thing.

When my husband returned home from work on Tuesday he found me in a state that he referred to as, “A gibbering idiot!”  And I was …

You see, I usually defer all telephone changes and upgrades to my tech guy – my eldest son. I had confessed to both hubby and son that I was afraid to activate my new phone.  I waited a day and attempted the activation.  My apprehension proved valid. 

The instructions said, “Call this number to activate your phone.” Okay, I did that. Something went wrong and eventually a live person came on the line.

“What is your password?” I gave her my password that I had recently changed because I could not remember the old one.  “That’s wrong.”

“But … that’s my password.”

“No, that’s your online account password. I need the other password.”

“What other password?” I was confused.

“The password for your account.”

“I just gave it to you!” Bother!

“I need the account owner’s password. Is he there?”

Of course he wasn’t there.  He was at work.

“Well, I can’t help you. I need to talk to the account owner.”

I informed her that the account owner set up the account fifteen years ago and that I make all the upgrade decisions, pay the bills, and otherwise manage the account. I left out the part about my tech guy.

“But you’re just the account manager. I can’t make any changes without speaking to the account owner.”

“Okay, well how CAN you help me?”

“I can tell you how to do it online. It’s really easy.”

Great.  Why didn’t she tell me that in the first place? She gave me the instructions and assured me again that it would be really easy. It wasn’t.

When I thought I had completed the activation, I discovered that I had merely turned off my existing phone.  I tried activating the new one – again.

Nothing.

I sent a Facebook message to my tech guy (because I had no phone!)

“I’m at work.  I can probably help you when I am free.”  Cool!  Now I was getting somewhere.

Later … “Okay, I’ve almost got it. You need to remove the SIM card from the old phone and put it in the new phone.”

“How do I do that?”

“There is an oval box on the side of the phone with a small pin hole in it.  Open that.”

There was no such box.  I know he thinks I’m afraid of technology – and I am – but there was no box!  He patiently explained where I would find the box.  It wasn’t there. I even watched the YouTube video that showed the box.  My phone had no such box!

My tech guy gave up.

I waited, becoming more frustrated and agitated as the hours passed. That’s when my hubby came home.

“Kevin, I hate change!  I hate it! Hate IT!” He kind of already knows that.  It’s the same reason that my waterski is 28 years-old and my life vest is following close behind.  It’s the reason I don’t move furniture around. I could go on, but that is a discussion for another post.  This post is about tech support, privacy, and passwords.

Hubby patiently got on his phone and called the provider.

“What is your password?”  He didn’t know his password. How would he know his password? It’s been 15 years!

“What are the last four digits of your SSN?” He gave him those numbers.

“What is your password?” Again with the password question!

“I can give you a hint …” The hint didn’t help.

“Can I change my password?”

“Sure!  What would you like it to be?”

Are you kidding me? I waited all day when I could have grabbed anyone with a man’s voice and had him make a call on his phone?

In the end, I have a new phone. I haven’t added all the apps I’m used to or put any music on it yet. I managed to upload a few random photos from the other phone and I have contact info from people I don’t even know. 

What I don’t have is the authority to make changes to my account with a phone call unless I have the account owner’s password! Guess who chose the password?  That’s right – I did! I feel SO much safer now.

Question: What changes do you struggle with because they don't prove as easy as promised?

Happy Running!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!