Category Archives: Training

Identifying Energy Expenditures and finding Balance in Your Life

vaseHow many Vases do you have?

Vases can add beauty to your life. A vase with fresh flowers can brighten a room, lift a spirit. Some vases come to us bearing special meaning or sentimental value.

Then there are vases that have a tiny hole in the bottom, so no matter how much water you put in them, it is never enough.
You can venture to guess where I am headed with this. How many vases with holes in the bottom do you have in your life, and do you know when to stop trying to fill them up before you get dried out? How do you find balance on just how much of your water to give to each vase?

Water is your energy. Vases symbolize work, tasks, training, races, friends, family, and school, among many other things. Basically, anything that takes your energy is a vase.

Look at your life. What vases brighten your day, lift your spirit, support and enhance your life? What vases require energy, that you give and then more is demanded each time, or worse yet, it is never enough? These vases drain you. They do not enhance your life. Identifying these differences can help you to find and realign balance in your life.

Some examples below to just get you thinking, but not all inclusive:

Work. Big deadlines, short staffed. You work through lunch, and extra hours. Are you appreciated and rewarded or is this now expected and/or more extra time demanded?

Races/Training. Do you enjoy training, find yourself happy, energized relishing race day? Are you over training, racing too much, or training for something that is just too big to fit in your life (this is a hard one to realize, you may have the physical ability, but not the time required to train/race)?

Friends. Do they bring joy, laughter and support to your life? Do they demand so much attention that they demand more and more attention and enough, is never enough?

Once you identify your vases. You have to make an important decision on the ones with holes. How much water (energy) are you willing to give so you do not dry out (exhaust) yourself? This can be a difficult decision. Sometimes it takes a lot of evaluation on what you need for balance in your life. It can also cause negative reactions as you pull back your energy and things/people around you adjust. Just remember in the end, you are doing this for a happier, more balanced life.

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun
Coach Kristie

*This article was originally published and can be seen at http://www.prsfit.com

Perfectionism and the Athlete

perfectionismThe Webster’s Dictionary defines a perfectionist as: someone who will not accept or be content with anything less than perfection.

Perfectionists tend to have unrealistically high expectations about themselves, others and life in general. They also become acutely aware and over concerned with tiny flaws and mistakes in themselves, others, and achievements. Using so much energy to focus on what’s wrong and discounting what is right. Perfectionism leads those to believe nothing is ever good enough.

Perfectionism is a HUGE common denominator in low self-esteem and drives people to the point of chronic stress, exhaustion, and burnout. Imagine a perfectionist who is an athlete.

Perfectionism and racing/training can be a volatile combination. Here are some tips that can help a perfectionist to recognize and shift to a more positive and productive way of thinking:

o The idea that races and accomplishments are a measure of self-worth, has to be let go. Think long and hard about this. People in someone’s life accept and love them not because they have a full medal rack on their wall, raced a certain distance, raced within a certain finish time, but for their love and wisdom. Accomplishments are not “who” you are but rather “what you have done”. Focus on “who” you are, not “what you have done”.

o Don’t blow up negatives and harp on them continuously. Perfectionists tend to selectively ignore the positives and dwell on negatives, no matter how small and insignificant, at the end of the day, think about the positives. Perfectionists tend to even create negative situations out of positive because they dwell in the negative so much they don’t know how to react or behave in a positive environment. Don’t negate a positive. For example “I had a great run, but it wasn’t at the pace I wanted”. Positive leads to positive and positive breeds positive. The same goes for negativity.

o Think about goals. Are they realistic? Are you reaching for the stars in another galaxy? Are you determined to do a race distance that you don’t have the time or ability to train for? Determined to finish in an amount of time that is a huge stretch even given perfect race and training conditions? Is your goal realistic? Set yourself up for success, not failure, by setting goals you can achieve.

o Do something every day you enjoy. Plain and simple. Perfectionists tend to be self-denying. If external goals and everyday life experience expectations are so high that there is no pleasure or enjoyment, allow time for fun. Do not seek out the negative, seek out the positive. HAVE FUN.

o In racing and training is it “win/finish in a time/PR/place high at all costs” or do you allow yourself to have fun? A popular quote comes to mind “The journey is more important than the destination”.

o Focusing on “keeping up with the Joneses” and not focusing on and celebrating your own improvements and successes can cause someone to lose sight of the positive in their training and accomplishments. This leads to unhappiness, and often times in training/racing burnout and injury.

Perfectionism, when identified, can be overcome. It takes a change in how someone views themselves, and others, but it can be overcome. More severe situations may take the assistance of a counselor or therapist.

If you see the perfectionist trait in yourself, take a moment and reflect. See how you can turn it around and find the positives and success in yourself, others, racing, training, and life in general. Don’t set yourself and others up for failure, but instead, focus on the positives. Allow yourself to be happy. That, is success.

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun
Coach Kristie

*This article was originally published and can be found on http://www.prsfit.com

Do you have a backup plan?

Stuff happens. Slipping and falling or unexpected surgery, these are just a couple examples of situations that may make an athlete have to come to an unexpected and sudden stop in training. How, as an athlete, do you adjust mentally and physically to this?

Now is the time to focus on the positive, and refocus your energy. The sudden stop has been described as post-race blues on steroids. You do not want to go down a potential downward spiral that will be very difficult to battle up from.

Here are some ideas of some things you can do to help you refocus (or distract) and remain positive:

• Hone in on proper nutrition

• Sleep

• Read some good books

• Watch a movie

• Get caught up on past seasons of The Walking Dead (or other shows you have always wanted to see)

• Take up a new hobby. Coach Christina swears by knitting

• Get a massage

• If physically capable, embrace, and practice Yoga.

• Meditate

These are just some ideas to get the wheels turning in your head for backup.

Plan for it, have a backup plan in place so you can embrace the sudden stop if the unexpected happens.

What if this happens and you have signed up for a race you can no longer do? Contact the Race Director, ask for deferral. You never know until you ask. Many races are becoming more open to this, but don’t expect it, most do not. Some races now offer “race cancellation insurance” for a small fee $5-$7. You can purchase insurance that will offer you a registration refund and/or guaranteed deferral in the event of the unexpected prevents you from racing.

If the inevitable happens and you can’t defer or get a referral, write it off in your head. It’s a race, a medal, and a t-shirt. There will be others. Easier said than done, but if you accept that, you will make your “time off” easier to bear.

Start looking forward to and get excited for your “come back”.

I say this a lot: If you don’t plan for it, it will happen. If you do plan, it won’t. One can only hope.

One this is for certain, if you take care of yourself, you will come back from your sudden stop stronger than ever before.

So, all this being said…what is your backup plan?

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Kristie

I wrote this 3 weeks ago, little did I know (as I post this) I would be day 6 into mandatory rest due to unexpected surgery. Now…I practice what I preach.

This post can be seen in it’s original form: http://prsfit.com/articles/have-a-backup-plan/

I dare you. RIGHT NOW.

This is not your typical blog post one would expect. But at PRS FIT we have our motto “Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun”. This could fall into the “Have Fun” category. We are also a Lifestyle Company. That too would fit. Or even our motto our fearless leader Coach Jeff has coined for 2013 “Commitment to Consistency”.

I am daring anyone who reads this post to commit yourself to the consistency to have fun and turn this world from a “If it bleeds it leads” world to a “If it deeds it leads” world.

I want the “copycat killer” to not be the person who tries to kill more than the last to make the headlines; I want the “copycat do-gooder” to make headlines.

I want to see social media FLOODED with the positive, motivations, accolades, high fives, humor and praise. I want those moments shared, retweeted, reposted. I want to see everyone try to out good each other. Unselfishly.

I did this once in a former workplace years ago. For 1 week I dared my staff to pay it forward once a day. The good deeds were tiny in nature to huge. From filling all the printers before leaving for work so oddly no one ever ran out of paper mid print, to sneaking out and filling a coworker’s car with gas that just had an unexpected medical bill pop up. It became a game and ended up, normal. Habit. This group to this day still does these things. I am a proud mama bear that they carried this on (Dream Team you know who you are).

Seems simple really? Remember the movie “Pay it Forward”? It was filmed here in Las Vegas where I currently live. While it had a tragic ending (of course it did, that is what gets ratings), it had a simple message. Do good for the simple fact of doing good, good breeds, good.

I challenge everyone every day to commit yourself to the consistency of doing something good for someone for the unselfish reason of just, doing good. Think about it, if we all did it, would the world not be a better place?

The athletic community is the perfect community that I hope will embrace this. We inspire and motivate others to change their lives to healthy ones. At PRS FIT that is our mission, a lifestyle company. Being happy and having fun is one of the healthiest things a person can be.

I know this is a little dream world, and maybe a little preachy, but wouldn’t it be nice for all of us to live in our dream world?

I dare you. Do something randomly good…RIGHT NOW

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Kristie

*This post was originally published and can be found on the http://www.prsfit.com articles page

Resolve, to Evolve

nyrEvery year it is the same thing. I hear people state their New Year’s resolutions. Next year I am going to lose weight, I am going to quit drinking sodas, I am going to cut back on processed foods.

I ask you this question: Why wait? Why? Millions of people do it every year. Lofty intentions to ring in the New Year with “Resolutions”.

I challenge you, act now. You know what you want to do! Don’t give yourself an excuse to hold off what you know you need to do. Basically you are giving yourself an excuse not to exercise, drink more sodas, binge on processed foods. Respect yourself enough to make that change, change that habit, and evolve, now.

There are 5 stages in change: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance.

Precontemplation: A change may be passing through your mind, past failures holding you back from past changes that didn’t last. You have no intention of making a change any time soon even though you are thinking about it.

Contemplation: The need is there, you know you have to do it. You need a swift kick to get you going and to keep you committed. Typically you will make a change within 6 months.

Preparation: You know what you need to do and start putting a plan into place. Joining a gym, planning weekly meals….you are ready to get started, and soon. Typically when you are in the preparation stage you are ready to make a change in about a month.

Action: It is go time. You have started back at the gym, removed the sodas from your home, set up support to help you stick to your guns. You may even have little rewards planned along the way to celebrate your successes.

Maintenance: Congratulations. You have evolved. The change is now normal, your lifestyle. The maintenance stage should be consistent for at least 6 months to remain successful.

What is your New Year’s Resolution? I challenge you to evolve instead. I hereby am giving you a swift kick from stage 1 to 4. Time to take control of your life and take Action. I also challenge you that throughout the year, when you see you need to make a change, do it then. No more “I’ll start on Monday” or “I’ll wait until after the holiday”. Start Now.

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Kristie

*This post can also be seen on the PRSFit Nation blog where it was originally published

Rock N Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon Race Recap- Part 2 of 2 – The Race

My office job’s busiest week of the year is always the week of the Rock N Roll Las Vegas race. The week is so busy and packed I never have time to think of anything but meeting deadlines, getting things updated. This year was no different.

My Coaching clients were also busy, some tapering for this race, others racing in other parts of the country, some training, all doing so well…kept busy keeping tabs on them. I’m a lucky Coach to have some pretty amazing athletes.

Bottom line what all that means is every year when Rock N Roll Las Vegas comes around, it sneaks up on me. I never have time to think about it, get nervous. It’s just…here. I was lucky enough to be able to work with my Coach and the great folks of Altra Zero Drop Footwear at the expo. I had a blast meeting and greeting people.

As a virtual Coach, sometimes you may never get to meet a client in person. I was lucky to meet one of mine, Lori, who flew in for the race. We have become fast friends and seeing her in person was a great plus to the whole weekend. It was nice to meet so many PRS Fit Teammates and IRC members who were in town for the race. Meeting everyone really added a lot of energy to the event.

team

Anyone who knows me knows I can talk to a fence post, at length. I know no stranger. However, on race day I completely change. I become a bit of a hermit. I try to avoid social media, don’t really talk to anyone, I just slip into a zone. I laid down for a nap, I slept, hard. I woke up with a start, to my house shaking. To say the winds were howling was an understatement. All that was missing was a crazy woman on a bike outside my window and a dog named Toto. I thought to myself, I survived the merge of 2011! I can run in this! Wonder if I could hook up a sail? No?

I dressed, putting on my game face. Downed my Generation UCAN and hopped in the truck. Having “connections” my husband was able to drop me right at the corrals. I am very lucky to be able to do this.

I hopped in what my son calls the “Runner’s Bathroom” and headed to the corrals. I had time to spare. I usually get a little, well, a lot twitchy at this point. I get very internal. I sit off to the side and just people watch. Walking toward the corral I saw, sitting on the curb a familiar neon shirt. I snuck up behind Lori and plopped down on the curb next to her. This kept the twitchiness away. I still was not nervous.

They called us to the corrals. I hugged Lori. We shared “good luck”. I saw off to the side the PF Chang’s Dragon entering the corral. Was so happy to see it, another client, Teri, was one of those carrying the dragon. I was able to give her a good luck high five before the start.

They started condensing the corrals and we moved forward for the anthem. Don’t know who was singing because I didn’t hear a word…not one. My heart went into my throat and started pounding in my ears. Nerves hit like nothing I have ever had before. I had had a sprained ankle, I had been sick as a dog, the winds were howling, how on earth was I going to pull this off???? In my head I heard my friends, the entire coaching staff of PRS scream at me: “SETTLE!” (inside story), and I did, just that….
I was in corral 2. In 2009 I started in corral 55 (if I remember correctly). I have come a long way. I had crib notes on my hand from talking to Coach times to meet in order to reach my goal. I looked at them one last time and took a deep breath. The gun went off and away we went.

The first three miles always are the worst. Always. I’m no spring chicken and it takes a while for me to warm up. At mile 3 I looked at my notes on my hand, 2 seconds ahead. Good to go. Mile 6, 30 seconds behind but feeling good and fluid.
Mile 7 my body said “ aaand we’re done here”. Excuse me??? I’m barely ½ ways there?! I don’t think so! I did a quick body check. Nothing sore, legs strong, body relaxed. I was tired, very tired. I was mentally prepared for this after being sick for so long. This is when the fight began. I argued with myself from that point on, yelling in my head to suck it up. I was nailing my times. Nailing them, even while stopping at each water station and walking a little at each, I was ahead of the game. I was struggling, but I was truckin’.

Somewhere around Mile 8 I heard my name yelled (confirmed later it was who I thought, thanks Joe!) that voice yelling my name gave me that extra energy to push through. Mile 10 I had a 5k to go, I was in the home stretch, I was going to do this! I turned the corner and slammed into the wall. Not that wall, but a wall that Mother Nature decided would be a fun one to throw into the mix. 30+ mph head winds.

I came to a dead stop. The wind pushed me and several other runners backwards. I looked in front of me for someone tall to draft behind…no one to be found. That’s usually pretty easy since I am 5 foot nothing.

Game change. My brain and I had a discussion. Don’t push through the wind, push between gusts. I tried running, but would literally get pushed backwards and/or sideways. My average pace was slipping, fast. I did a quick calculation; Goal 1 was out the window. Goal 2, a PR (personal record), was still doable. I would have to fight the winds, but I would do it, or die trying (figuratively speaking).

Mile 11. Ow. My body was crashing. Fighting fatigue and the wind was taking everything out of me. Mile 12. I was spent. I was walking, a lot, feverishly checking my pace and time. I would NOT lose a PR, I would NOT. I fought with myself to quit walking, the winds kicked up, I kept pushing. I have never fought this hard in a race, ever.

Then I saw it, the finish line. I looked at my watch…I had an iron clad PR, how much of one, was up to me. I kicked it up and gave it all I had left to the finish. I did it, with nothing left in the tank. A solid 4 minute PR. A medic grabbed me by the shoulders “You good?” she said. I smiled “I’m gold”.

I walked through the finish shoot, keeping moving so my body wouldn’t lock up. Refueled. Relaxed. I was reflecting on all the positive changes from the race from last year. It was a huge difference. In my opinion I saw no flaws this year. It went very smoothly.

Then I saw them. The tears started flowing. Since 2009 when I first started running this race, my husband and son have greeted me at the finish. For this, I am truly grateful. They were there….and yes I repeated “I’m gold”.

RNRFinish

Special thanks to:

Coach Jeff for helping me add yet another PR to my resume.

Coach Jeff, PRS Fit teammate Jorge, and Lori’s husband Anthony, who all fought the crowds and were there at the finish to support us.

My sponsor Coolibar. It has truly been an honor to be a Coolibar athlete this racing season.

PRS Fit Sponsors: Altra Zero Drop Footwear, Zensah, Raw Elements, Polar, DeSoto, 1BandID, Swim Spray, Generation UCAN, Rudy Project, injinji, KT Tape

Rock N Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon Race Recap – Part 1 of 2- Getting to the Start

Ever step off a step or a curb and realize there was no step?  No curb? All your bones go crashing into each other until your teeth rattle? 

I was walking with my son and did just that. We were looking for Halloween decorations.  I stepped off what I thought was a curb and all my bones just crashed into each other.  We both had a giggle and went along our way to a pumpkin patch. By the time we left the pumpkin patch my left foot just, hurt.  Had I stepped on something? 

The next morning I got up to run, I went 2 steps and my foot said…not on your life pal. WHAT?! My Coach brain kicked in…I got on the bike.  Play it safe.  Later in the day I had a talk with my Coach (Coach Jeff of PRS Fit Nation, who I also work for) and we both pretty much confirmed my suspicion…not only did my bones crash together, but I managed a minor ankle sprain.  That put me on the sidelines of running for two weeks.  It was the end of October.  Race day was quickly approaching Dec 2nd.

sprain

Rehabbed the ankle.  Came out of the gate strong.  Had a week of killer, and I mean, killer training runs.  Hit them out of the park.  I was on fire.  Until one day, it was my throat that was on fire.  A quick inspection and it was obvious I had strep.  Went to the doctor for him to not only confirm I had strep, but also to add that I had a double ear infection, and sinus infection.   Hard core antibiotics, decongestants and steroids were prescribed.   I was hit by a truck for a little over 2 weeks.   The medicine drained me, dehydrated me.  It was a struggle to get up every day.  I was tired, exhausted.  I slowly started feeling better.  Slowly, very slowly.

Bang, another strong week where I nailed workouts.  Tons of energy.  95% of my training is indoors on a treadmill.  I am testament that it can be done.  Being a Mom, if I didn’t have a treadmill…I wouldn’t be able to run, plain and simple.  I had a few flukes where my husband’s crazy schedule allowed for some outdoor runs.  They were great.  I was not just meeting them, but exceeding them….and it came, again…the sinus infection that would NOT go away.  Back on antibiotics I went…just a little over a week before race time.  Then I got this LOVELY stomach bug the weekend before the race where I spent more time hugging the porcelain god than my husband. I was SO sick.  Could NOT keep anything down, my diet became desperate.  The only thing I was able to keep down after 48 hours was saltine crackers, ginger ale, and chicken & stars broth. 

puke

There is nothing like having a sprained ankle and never ending sickness right before your “A” race? Right?

To be Continued-

The Five Parts of the Swim Stroke

There are 5 parts to the triathlon swim stroke known as the front crawl and/or freestyle stroke.

They are:

  • Entry
  • Reach
  • Catch
  • Pull
  • Recovery

Entry:

The entry is the point where the hand enters the water in front of the shoulder.  Wrist should be relaxed, hand flat, fingertips facing down with the thumb slightly downward.  Think of your hand as a paddle.

If you hold your arm up and relax your wrist, your hand will naturally fall into proper position.  Spread your fingers, your hand is now your paddle.

Reach:

Once the hand is in and under the water, the arm will extend out from the body.  Think of the fingertips putting a hole in the water that the hand, forearm, and elbow will follow through.  The head is kept still keeping the neck in line with the spine.

Catch:

Once the hand has reached forward as far as possible, the hand will grab a pocket of water thus calling it the “catch”.  The hand will catch the water as the wrist flexes (bends downward) slightly and the palm rotates outward. Both moves of the wrist and palm are small moves.  You don’t want to over exaggerate the moves thus losing the amount of water that can be caught.

Pull:

The “pull” part is what moves you forward through the water.  Pull back your arm toward your hip in a straight line.  The arm will move in an “S” shape in the water but in a straight line with the body due to the body’s rotation.  Keep the elbow higher than the wrist and pull the hand all the way back to the thigh.

Recovery:

The recovery is when the arm exits the water.  The elbow is high with the body rotating from the hip.  The elbow will point up to the sky the arm in the shape of a triangle.  The body will rotate and be on its side in recovery.

It is important to know this terminology for your training.  Your coach may use these terms as you are learning how to become more mechanically efficient and develop proper body position.

As always if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Be healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Kristie

*This post originally published and can be found on the PRSFit Nation blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protein Without the Powder

How much protein should an athlete should take in per day?  I get asked this question, a lot.  Rule of thumb for an adult endurance athlete is .6 to .7g per pound of body weight.  For example, an endurance athlete that is 150lbs would need approximately 90g to 105g of protein intake each day to allow the body to recover and become stronger.

Athletes reducing meat consumption and those with a vegetarian or vegan diet have a challenge in finding non-meat protein packed options.  Many resort to the abundance of protein supplement powders on the market.  Some athletes try to eat their nutrients in whole foods limiting and/or avoiding supplements.

Listed here are some protein packed Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables:

Soy: 19g per cup.

Artichoke:  4.2g per cup, cooked.

Beans:  Black-eyed, kidney, lima, navy, and pinto- 14g per cup

Black beans- 15.2g per cup.

Broccoli- 4.6g per cup, cooked.

Cauliflower- 3g per cup

Corn- 5g per cup

Spinach- 6g drained (frozen/canned), or 5.3g cooked, per cup

Sweet potato- 5g per potato, don’t remove the skin- that drops it to 3g

Fruits:  

Avocado:  4g  per cup

Banana:  3.89g

Coconut:  3.33g per cup

Concord grapes:  2g per cup

Going nutty trying to find protein?  Brazil nuts pack the most protein bang at 23.4g!  Walnuts 15.23g.

I hope these give you an idea for some other protein options.  Planning your meals ahead will help you to make sure you are getting the protein you need.

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Kristie

*this post was originally published and can be found on the PRSFit Nation blog

 

 

Marathon Preparation Tips

A marathon is not only a physical feat, but a mental one. The best way to have a great race is not just to train, but to prepare.

  • Train within your ability. There are a numerous training plans available.  Find one that fits you.  Don’t be afraid to consult with a Coach.  No matter your ability, it never hurts to have a professional help you along the way.
  • Train at race time. Plan your long runs the same time and same day of the week as your race. Your body has a memory and will learn to run the distance at that time.
  • Experiment. Try energy gels, sports drinks, try it all. Get it down to a science and find out what works for you.  Train with what sports drink and energy gels will be provided at the aid stations on the race course. If while experimenting you find they do not work for you, plan a way to carry your own.
  • Train for the course. If it is a hilly course, don’t do all your training on flat surfaces. Even better if you can train on the actual race course.
  • 18 Mile training runs will drive you batty. Ask anyone. 17 miles, 19 miles, even 22 miles, no problem.  18 will drive you bonkers.  Just accept it, tackle it and run 18.1 if you have to.
  • Have a dress rehearsal. On a training run wear what you plan to wear in the race, fuel and hydrate like you plan to race day. If something isn’t right, you’ll have time to make changes before race day.
  • You will go crazy. There will be a time when your training tapers down that you will experience what has been called: Taper Madness, Taper Crazies, or Taper Tantrums.  Whatever you call it, all your nervous pent up energy will make you a little looney and edgy to say the least. Having a good friend to talk to will really help during this time.
  • Carb load does not equal a car load of food. While experimenting, you should have figured out your best meal for the night before a long run.  Eat what you know is tried and true the night before the race. You do not want to be searching for a porta potty on the race course like a heat seeking missile.
  • It’s code.  Call it superstition, or an unwritten rule, NEVER wear the race shirt in the race.
  • Relax. Race day you know what to do. You’ve trained, experimented, prepared. So relax and enjoy the marathon. When you’ve finished put on that race shirt, slap a 26.2 sticker on your car, and wear your medal with pride. You ARE a marathoner.

 

*This artical was originally published and can be seen in Health Your Way Online Magazine