Her Sports + Fitness Magazine

Mudslingers Conquer Muddy Buddy Orlando

On Friday night we headed to Orlando and did some last minute costume-crafting for our Muddy Buddy race the next morning. Team Mudslingers did something that our normal journalistic-selves wouldn’t be caught dead doing—we bought every trashy National Enquirer-type publication we could get our hands on. Then we cut out choice headlines and pictures to cover our race shirts and bike helmets. Think “Hillary Kidnapped by Aliens.”
    The next morning at Disney’s Wide World of Sports we found a big crowd of people (2,500 participants) with costumes much more outrageous than ours—there were Elvis sightings and orange-cone-headed girls dressed as traffic cops, complete with mustaches. It felt more like a carnival than a race.
     The total off-road course measured 6 to 7 miles, and as we moved up toward the start line, the first men’s waves began finishing and we started to hear course reports. “It’s easy! There’s no sand on the trail,” one racer reported (and lied, as we discovered later). And the comment that struck fear in Jeana’s heart, “ there’s a huge brown thing floating in the mud pit!”
    Finally, our wave reached the start and we split up as we would for the rest of the race, alternating running and biking and trading off the bike after each of the four obstacles. Jeana stayed up front ready to bike, while Kristin headed to the back of the wave with the rest of the runners. Here’s what each of us experienced.

LEG ONE
JD: I pedaled furiously into the unknown with unbridled enthusiasm, completely caught up in the race-start excitement.

KH: The first leg of the run reminded me of my high school cross country running days, looping around a big grass field and along drainage ditches. I passed a cyclist whose bike pedal had fallen off and thought, “thank goodness that’s not Jeana!” I was so excited to finally be running that I reached the first obstacle—a climbing wall—in what felt like just a few minutes.

LEG TWO
JD: After dropping the bike in the transition zone, I ran for what felt like forever. My after-bike spaghetti legs were barely doing the job, and it donned on me that I may have pushed a little too hard on the first bike leg. It didn’t help that I had to make a detour to the restroom. Note to self: Save the water chugging until after the race.

KH: I grabbed our mountain bike, marked with a bright orange bandana we tied around the handlebar, and took off, zipping around the runners. But my speed was short-lived: very quickly I hit thick sand and dirt and had to use a “Granny Gear” to keep the bike moving forward.

JD: Kristin passed by me on the bike and shouted, “Go Mudslingers!” My first instinct was to respond, “I hate you for making me do this,” but instead I gave a half-hearted wave.

KH: By the time I reached the second obstacle, I was out of breath and sweating. I hauled myself up the cargo net and then got to relive my elementary school days by flying down the inflatable slide.

Muddy Buddy Training

Our first Muddy Buddy race is now less than a week away, and yesterday The Mudslingers (Jeana and I) met on Tampa's Friendship Trail for a race-like workout. We started out just as we will at the race: Jeana on the bike and me on foot. Jeana took off, peddling furiously, as I plodded steadily behind. She looped back to me about 10 minutes later, and we switched places. Because we'll have to wear our bike helmets for the entire race per Muddy Buddy rules, we ran with our helmets on, earning lots of stares from other runners. I imagined one of them thinking, "Wow, that girl must be really clumsy!"
    Our hour-long workout went by quickly with the constant flip-flop from running to biking, and we came up with a great costume idea to go along with our team name. But we still aren't sure exactly what we've gotten ourselves into ... all we know is the 6- to 7-mile course has 5 obstacles of some sort and a mud pit at the end.
    So we'd love to get the inside scoop about this race from Muddy Buddy pros—before our imaginations (and fears) get the best of us. Anyone care to share any tips or race day advice for two Muddy novices?

Chix Rule

This past weekend I attended the Luna Chix Summit in Mill Valley, Calif. I met some amazing women who were doing extraordinary things, ran with some great athletes (special thanks to Nancy Williams, who not only provided the photo, but was nice enough to run with the pokey from Florida who was not used to California’s “rolling hills”) and got to taste some of Luna’s newest products. If you haven’t tried the Vanilla Macadamia Tea Cakes or Blueberry Moons, you are missing out on some tasty fuel.

But I think what struck me most about the Luna Chix Summit is how deceptively young all of the women looked. I would be sitting in on a clinic, thinking I was surrounded by 20-somethings, and a woman would stand up and announce she was turning 40 this year.

Is it the lifestyle? These women are runners and cyclists who appreciate the outdoors as much as anyone I’ve met. Is it the exercise? Wherever I went, I would see a Luna Chix ambassador returning from a run, heading out for a bike or finishing a swim. Or is it the camaraderie that keeps them young? Each group had such a special bond and were so supportive of each other, I actually felt a little jealous that I didn’t have my own group of Luna Chix to return to. Whatever it was, these ladies were full of life and energy, and none of them looked like they would slow down any time soon.

So what keeps you feeling young? Is it exercise? Friends? Family? I’d love to hear your secrets to eternal youth. And thanks again to the Luna Chix for a wonderful weekend.

- Tiffany Wendeln Connors

Core Awakening

This weekend, I attended my first yoga workshop, a nearly three-hour class advertised as a "total abdominal awakening." As if that wasn't intimidating enough, the course was taught by Jill Miller (pictured left), an acclaimed yoga teacher who has spent much of her career studying the core. I've never attended such a packed yoga class, with nearly 50 students crammed mat-to-mat in the small studio.

Miller began by having each of us lie on a small, folded towel placed at various points along the belly, from above the navel to below. The uncomfortable pressure the towel created gave my abs "a massage," but Miller also used the exercise to explain how the abdominal muscles work and where they are located in relation to the organs. (Placing the towel on the bowel, located just below the belly button, sent many students scampering to the bathroom.)

Then we learned to take "yogic complete breaths," what Miller described as the most relaxing form of breathing. A complete breath involves inhaling through the nose, focusing on swelling the belly and then the lungs, and then exhaling (also through the nose) as completely as possible, so the diaphragm is empty of air—a practice that felt challenging and awkward at first, but got easier with practice.

And then, we began a series of exercises designed to work every muscle in the core, from the obliques to the psoas, which connect the core to the legs. The exercises, influenced by yoga as well as dance and Pilates, were some of the most difficult core moves I've ever done. Some made my muscles shake almost instantly. Through Miller's instruction, I also discovered the drastic ways my breathing could increase the difficulty of a move.

Then Miller demonstrated something I've never seen before: she made her stomach muscles move like a wave on the ocean, rolling from side to side and up and down. To do this move, called the Nauli, Miller had to engage each of her abdominal muscles independently—which is incredibly difficult for most of us to do. It was fascinating to watch, and something I couldn't even begin to attempt.

After the class, I felt relaxed and stimulated. I was tired, but in an exhilarated way. Not only did my core get a great workout, but I learned an enormous amount about how my muscles and breath work together, which is vital for any athlete.

For a list of Miller's upcoming workshops, visit jillmilleryoga.com.

—Kristin Harrison

Rest to Improve

Whether training for your first marathon or even your first 5k, there is something crucial that is often neglected by women with a lot of ambition—rest.

An article featured in the Washington Running Report says this rationale is typical of the overzealous, "when common sense often takes a back seat to a well intended work ethic."

The article, written by Alisa Harvey, USA Track & Field's 2007 Masters Athlete of the Year, warns that when rest is neglected, training suffers.  Adequate rest and nutrition throughout any training process is the best way to ensure not only performance, but overall good health.

Harvey stresses listening to your body, and responding to both emotional and physical cues that you need more rest.  For example, you may experience a heavy burning feeling in your legs while running, which occurs when you haven't rested enough between runs.

Harvey's advice may be hard for the enthusiastic runner or overachiever to follow, but it does make sense. You may think you're doing yourself a favor by running farther or longer or more often than your race training plan suggests, but if your performance is sacrificed, you're really only hindering yourself. You need at least one complete day of rest each week.
 
—Amanda Smith

Mudslingers It Is

It's official: We are the Mudslingers. Our Muddy Buddy team received tons of great name suggestions, but in the end it was Lisa's name that stuck. Thanks to everyone who wrote in! We will be slinging mud with the best of them on Saturday, May 10, so stay tuned for more updates about the race.

It hit me this weekend: In a mere 40 days, I will be crawling through a grimy pit in Orlando with my buddy and Her Sports Editor Kristin, after tackling a 6-mile run/bike and some kind of mystery obstacle course. Yikes!

So I did what any self-respecting mudslinger would do: I went online and tried to find out what I was in for. Turns out, there are a lot of stories, like this New York Times article about the sheer dirt appeal of this event and the bizarre costumes, ranging from superheroes to frogs.

What I didn't find much about was what to expect from the course. I'm wondering: What is the obstacle course like? Are we talking Marine boot camp or just navigating a few jungle gyms? How many swaps (from run to bike or vice versa) can we expect to make? Anyone out there who would care to share some tips or stories?

On another note, my countdown to Muddy Buddy also made me realize I needed to step up my training and find some unpaved trails to ride, which is no easy feat in Tampa where most bikers are of the road-cycling variety. But the Mud Gods were smiling on me last weekend. My husband and I found a great network of trails not too far from home. Wilderness Park in Tampa offers fun, shaded biking trails. They're mostly single-track and can get fast in places (at least for this girl). Routes are not too technical, but scattered tree roots and stumps kept my adrenaline flowing. The trailheads can be a little hard to find, as Wilderness Park is a network of six area parks. Check out this map of the parks, and be sure to visit outdoortravels.com the next time you are looking for a bike trail, or any other outdoor pursuit. This helpful site contains only first-person accounts and even offers actual photos of the trails.

We look forward to hearing tips and stories from fellow mudslingers. Until then, happy trails.

—Jeana Durst

The Elusive Runner's High

Running is my therapy. I run to de-stress after a hectic day, calm down after a difficult conversation or find a solution to a complex problem. Those closest to me know the best way to deal with me when I'm irritated, grumpy or upset is to suggest—nicely—that I go for a run.

Often, but not always, I feel like I'm able to drop my concerns on the pavement as I run. Mile one, I replay whatever is bothering me, speeding up or slowing down depending on my mood; mile two, I puzzle over possible solutions and outcomes; mile three, I'm writing the emails or planning the conversations I'll have to solve the problem; mile four (five or six, depending on how worked up I am), I'm singing along to my iPod. By the time I get home, I feel happy and incredibly energized.

I've always wondered: Is this the so-called "runner's high?" Or would I be able to reach the same state if I sat on my couch for an hour or more and thought things over carefully?

Until recently, researchers have never been able to prove that the runner's high—long fabled to be caused by the release of endorphins, your body's natural stimulants—exists. Gina Kolata's article in the New York Times  today unveils the research conducted by German neuroscientists that finally provides evidence to back up the lore. (Read the study abstract from the  Cerebral Cortex journal here.)

Led by Henning Boecker, the scientists scanned the brains of 10 long-distance runners before and after a two-hour run. Using PET scans, they were able to measure the amount of endorphins in the runners' brains and where the endorphins were located. Not only did each runner's level of endorphins increase during the run, the endorphins clustered around the part of the brain associated with mood and feel-good emotions—providing that blissful runner's high.

The next step for researchers: figuring out why this doesn't happen for all runners after every run. How long or hard do you have to run to get a happy high?

Solve that riddle, and my therapy will be complete.

—Kristin Harrison

Drink while you Swim

Long-distance runners and cyclists are accustomed to consuming sports drinks during exercise to keep their energy levels high. But many swimmers avoid drinking during workouts because they don't want to stop swimming and ruin their rhythm. They may, however, be ruining their performance.

A study posted at the site Swimming Research News suggests that swimmers performing workouts of one hour or more should follow the same hydration rules as runners for optimal performance: drink 8- to 10-ounces of sports drink before you swim, and, after one hour, take 5-6 swallows of a sports drink every 15 minutes. Look for a sports drink that is 5- to 9-percent carbs to give your body energy but prevent stomach problems. Gatorade Endurance Formula meets this requirement, as does Accelerade.

—Amanda Smith

My running shoes aren't meant for this!

I planned to go for an hour run along my favorite trail on Friday, but bad weather ruined my plans. So, I opted for the much less enjoyable plan B: a run on the treadmill at my gym. When I got there, I couldn't help but notice a stream of women excitedly hurrying down the hall to the back studio. Now I'm definitely not an aerobics class person, but I do love to dance. When I heard salsa music blasting from the room, I couldn't resist—I wandered into my first Zumba class.
    Created by a Colombian aerobics instructor, "Beto" Perez, and brought to the U.S. in 1999, Zumba has gone mainstream, even making its way to my YMCA. Set to Latin music, the fitness-meets-dance class features a wild mix of salsa and merengue steps, hip hop moves, aerobics exercises, track drills—think high knees and lunges—and a lot of Shakira-style hip shaking. Each song is choreographed and taught in a follow-the-leader style, but no one seemed to care when I jumped left instead of right or sashayed forward instead of back. (Nor did anyone make fun of my running shorts and technical T, which were very out of place among all the fitted pants and sports bras.)
    In the back of the crowded room, I felt like a kid in grade school, jumping around and flailing my arms to the music, with a big silly grin on my face. Within 10 minutes of the hour-long, high-intensity class, my heart rate was up, my quads were screaming and I was out of breath. It was the most fun I've had at the gym in a long time.

—Kristin Harrison

Run for Life!

The latest research confirms it, ladies: Running should be a life-long commitment, not a summer fling. Recent research done at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence  Berkeley National Laboratory warns people about taking breaks from their exercise regimens. The study shows that exercisers face an uphill battle just to return to the weight they were at before they took an extended exercise vacation, especially if they ran low mileage to begin with. (Read the lab's report here: "Irregular Exercise Patterns May Add Pounds.")
    The study compared 5,970 women who decreased their running distance over a more than seven-year period with 1,953 women who increased their running distance. An interesting finding: Those who went from running five miles to zero a week gained four times as much weight as those who decreased their distance—from 25 miles to 20, for example—but kept running. The other revealing conclusion: Women who returned to running after an exercise layoff didn’t lose weight until their mileage exceeded 10 miles per week.   
    The researchers best advice?  Stick to your running regimen, even in the face of adversity. But if that's not possible, reduce the number of miles you're running—don't quit cold turkey.

—Amanda Smith