Do Girl Scout Cookie calories count for runners in training?

 Runners burn a bunch of calories, especially during pre-race training season. Let’s be honest. That’s one of the reasons most of us started the whole running pursuit. Then we discovered endorphins and the thrill of chasing the next personal record (PR).

 

Enter the Girl Scouts with their tantalizing roster of cookies. Here they come!

 It’s that time of year again.

 Here's a cookie-by-cookie calorie run-down. Look at the calorie counts for these popular Girl Scout Cookie varieties. Instead of listing “serving size,” I’m showing the “per cookie” calories. The serving sizes are up to you! (Amounts are approximations, based on package information.)

 

Let’s assume the average runner (or jogger or fitness walker) burns something in the neighborhood of 100 calories per mile (with the amount varying by body build, weight, fitness level, and plenty of other variables). You can easily do the math to determine how many miles you’ll need to do to burn off those cookie calories.

 It’s definitely doable, if we don’t go overboard with cookie-binging. If we do, we’ll just have to train longer.

 Hey, it’s for a good cause anyway.  Crunch! Crunch!

 

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Image/s: Girl Scout -Pixabay, public domain. Cookie listing adapted by this user, including fair use product promo photos

 

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Can you run with sleep apnea?

 

It’s not exactly sleepwalking.

 Lots of runners find themselves gasping for air after a speedy sprint. Maybe that’s why so many of our finish-line race photos are so comical, or even scary. But what happens when runners (or other folks) experiencing gasping or a struggle for air while sleeping? Doctors call that sleep apnea, and it’s not uncommon among runners.

 

“You can’t have sleep apnea. You’re not fat.”

 My primary-care physician actually said that to me, while I was training for another marathon. “If you can run a marathon, you surely don’t have sleep apnea,” he added.

 My Garmin watch/activity tracker consistently showed respiratory and heart-rate fluctuations and awakenings overnight, during hours when I thought I’d been sleeping.

 

One sleep study later, I was diagnosed.

 Based on that experience, I began researching apnea and running. Here’s what I learned.

 Sleep apnea affects some 10-30 percent of all adults in the US, according to the Sleep Foundation. It’s a sleep disturbance, marked by plentiful nightly episodes of cessation of breathing. These not only affect respiration, but they also increase blood pressure and heart rate, as the body struggles with the lack of oxygen.

 Basically, apnea causes breathing troubles and poor sleep, which domino into all sorts of complications. Apnea sufferers may experience choking or gasping. The lack of quality sleep can cause morning headaches, daytime drowsiness, reduced energy and endurance, slower muscle recovery, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, memory issues, weakened immunities, dramatic snoring, and more. What’s more, apnea increases a person’s risk of heart and brain issues over time.

 Contrary to my own doctor’s pat answer, apnea isn’t restricted to those with excessive weight, although it’s most commonly associated with obesity (and frequently with diabetes). It’s found among those with narrow palates and necks, as well as those with thicker palates and fattier necks. Men are more likely to have it than women, and it’s more often diagnosed in folks aged 50 or older. Not everyone who has apnea actually snores. And it can run in families.

 Once diagnosed, apnea sufferers are generally prescribed CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy, wearing masks with hoses connected to monitored devices.

 

Where does running come into play?

 Exercise has been found to help those with sleep apnea for multiple reasons:

• encouraging cardiovascular health
• gaining lung capacity
• reducing stress (and stress hormones)
• increasing endorphins (How we runners love our endorphins!)
• helping with weight loss
• reducing abdominal and neck fat (common with obstructive sleep apnea)
• improving strength and fitness
• bettering sleep habits

 These benefits combined can help to reduce the severity of sleep apnea effects for lots of people. Of course, sleep apnea experts urge everyone to consult their own physicians before embarking on new or increased exercise programs (including running).

 

Running can be especially helpful with sleep apnea.

 Pounding out a few miles in the great outdoors, while rhythmically breathing fresh, open air, has been lauded as therapeutic for those with sleep apnea. Actually, running or walking can be helpful.

 The trick is to choose an optimum time of day for running (or workouts), while energy and endurance may be as high as possible. For many runners with sleep apnea, that means lacing on sneakers early in the day.

Additional frequent advice for those with sleep apnea focuses on weight loss, healthy diet, good hydration, non-smoking, side sleeping, and regular exercise.

 

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 Image/s: Creative Commons Licensing, Wikipedia Commons photo

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Maybe kickboxing with hand-weights wasn't such a great idea

 

You know what they say about chest pains, especially in women? It’s enough to strike fear in almost anyone. We’ve all heard the warnings about ignoring potential heart symptoms. Sure, we might let things go for a while, but if the discomfort persists, most of us will begin to wonder what’s up.

 

Enter my physician.

 The last time he and I discussed heart health was a few years ago – right before I ran my second full marathon. I was a little concerned about some tightness in my chest and wanted his go-ahead before toeing the start line.

 “If you’ve been training for a marathon, your heart is healthy,” he said. “Roll back the weight training till after the race.”

 

Um, sure.

 Never mind that I can easily name three of four running friends and a couple of super-fit family members who take medication for atrial fibrillation and other heart-related issues.

 I heard what I wanted to hear. And I went ahead and did the marathon. And more.

 

Fast-forward a few years.

 The chest pains came back and were even more pronounced. What’s more, they lasted for days and days.

 I contacted my physician again. He ran an EKG, which was normal. Then he asked me if I was still working with weights.

 Well, yes. So maybe the chest pain had more to do with picking sturdier hand-weights for kickboxing lately. I guess I’ll scale that back for a while.

 Gotta love a simple answer.

 

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Image/s: Created with online generator

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Engaging abs with Planksgiving

 

Who’s got a hunger for stronger abs? The holiday season is racing towards us, bringing belly-busting bounty of favorite feasts. Most of us are already craving our favorite seasonal indulgences.

 Just the thought of it all makes my belt feel snugger.

 I guess it’s time to firm up my fitness goals, putting my midsection to work before Turkey Day arrives, followed soon by a whirlwind of holiday festivities.

 

 

 Enter Planksgiving.

 The premise is pretty simple. It’s simply a series of plankings, with the time goal increasing slightly each day. The grand finale is a three-minute plank on Thanksgiving. (I strongly recommend doing this BEFORE the feast.)

 My Planksgiving check-in chart is in the sidebar here. Feel free to adapt it for your own use, or create your own (You can also find plenty of similar calendar charts online, although the daily time goals vary somewhat.)

 

Who’s with me?

 Pick your plank. Plank from your toes to your hands. Plank from your knees to your elbows. Do side planks, if you prefer. The most important thing is to get on the floor and get it done.

 This way, when we belly up to the Thanksgiving table, we won’t jiggle like the Jello mold or the cranberry sauce. We’ll strengthen our stuffing.

 Anything after that is just gravy.

 

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Image/s: public domain image

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Holiday fitness challenges kick me into gear

This elf cannot simply stay on a shelf.

As the final stretch of the year approaches, some of us may need an extra push to keep running, working out, and pursuing overall physical fitness. I know I do! 

Annually, I’ve checked off most of the races on my calendar and met many of my mileage goals for the year by now. It’d be easy to just sit back, prop my feet up, and zone out with the TV remote and a pile of favorite snacks.

(I’ll probably do some of that anyway, but just go with me here.)

In this crazy COVID pandemic year, most running races have either canceled or transitioned to virtual events. In many cases, I simply chose not to register (if I hadn’t done so already), once the whole social distancing nightmare became clear. That means (like multitudes of runners), I have had to find means of motivation elsewhere. Upcoming race deadlines simply didn’t happen in 2020.

I think we all hope 2021 will bring an altogether different picture.

Either way, fitness has to happen. We all have our reasons, whether we’re burning calories, keeping illness at bay, or just loving being active. For me, I’m fighting multiple sclerosis, as well as middle-age frumpiness. So I’m gonna keep running and exercising and pursuing strength training.

The holiday season (whether we gather with loved ones or not) brings all sorts of extra dietary delights (and downfalls). Aiming to be proactive, I’m making myself publicly accountable right here.

This year, I have signed on for these holiday fitness challenges:

• 2020 December Crunch
• Merry Miles 2020
• Zooma Holiday Challenge
• Run the Year Holiday Streaker Challenge
  

I can see the end of the road for my Run the Year goal of 2020 miles in 2020.

And, at November’s end, we will complete the Stepping Up for Heroes Challenge, produced by Fort 2 Base in conjunction with Fitness Bank.

You can track my progress and find additional information on these challenges by looking in my blog sidebar. (Mobile users: Choose WEB VIEW to see these.)

(Full disclosure: I am a race ambassador for Fort 2 Base, Stepping Up for Heroes, and Zooma.)

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 Image/s: Adapted from public domain artwork

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Cross-Training – Ever tried suspension training?

Sometimes trying a new fitness class is worth the risk. This week, I was sort of at the end of my rope, having missed a favorite group exercise class. My calendar competed with me and won, so it had to be so.

Hoping to regain my workout momentum, I sampled a suspension training class. This session employed the TRX system, with which I was quite unfamiliar. It didn’t look all that trying, so I decided to give it a whirl.

TRX photo by Pixabay / permission granted

Color me impressed. One hour on that fitness framework, and I was hooked.

What is suspension training?

This mode of exercising uses ropes or straps attached overhead to make participants work against their own body weight to build strength, balance, flexibility, joint stability, and endurance. 

Hey, I need more of all of those things, I thought.

The TRX system at our gym employs a rigging of webbing (with handles) that are affixed to a sturdy rack (looking something like a traditional playground swing-set).

Group class photo by www.localfitness.com.au with permission

 

I plunged into the program tentatively at first, but soon found myself stretching my own limits with each exercise we performed.

Guess it’s time for me to suspend disbelief in suspension training – at least, if my sore muscles have any say in the matter. And I’ll be back for more.

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well. And I am happy to share my RUNDERDOG ambassador code for 10% off on Bondi Band Athletic Headbands, Accessories, and Fashions. (Simply enter the code at online checkout.).