Chafing and Gus, two neccesary evils.

So it’s odd, because I had always heard and read of others actually chafing when they ran. I didn’t understand this at all and personally thought, “This will never happen to me.” Before beginning training for my first half marathon, the farthest I think I had ever ran was around 6-8ish miles. I had never fortunately had my legs rub together to chafe my thighs, or had any type of chafing at all. I remember my first 12 miler for the half training plan I was on. I never felt any discomfort or pain at all, but right where my sports bra hit my skin on my chest under my boobs I got a rug burn looking like wound. I still didn’t notice it at all until I got into the shower to clean up after my run.

THE BURN. As soon as water hit me I thought, HOLY COW! What is going on. It was a very weird pain especially because I had no idea what had even happened. I felt like I had a cut and I realized that my cotton sports bra had rubbed my skin raw. It was a really good feeling pain in the butt. After the initial shock of what the heck is wrong with me, I realized that yes, I will chafe like the others I’ve heard about. This is when I realized that my most favorite sports bra that was cotton was also causing this problem.

Thought I loved that bra, and I don’t even know how old it was, it was cotton, thus was absorbing my sweat, getting wet and rubbing on my skin and rubbing my skin completely raw. They say the major contribution to chafing is from sweating and rubbing. Some people automatically think that if you chafe, it’s time to lose weight, however EVERYONE CHAFES, so don’t even think that at all. Chafing generally takes place around the groin, underarms and nipples (on guys especially, I’m sure you’ve seen the bloody nipples….), but it can occur anywhere, like under my sports bra, great.

To prevent chafing you can do a few different things. You can try to stay dry, but let’s be honest, how easy is that when your running and sweating? You can also use a lubricant, and wear the proper clothes. I choose to do both of those. I personally use Body Glide under my sports bra and on my feet just in case any chafing might occur. There are many other types, but all you have to do is make sure the lubricants are petroleum-free and non-staining. They can also be used on your feet and toes, in attempt to avoid blisters.

Now, onto my my favorite things, Clothes! Though loosely fitting clothes and materials might feel good at the start, on longer rungs, snugger fitting clothes are key. You might think that bike shorts aren’t for you, but they seriously help with chafing a lot. I have invested in some new sports bras that are wicking materials and also are a spandex/nylon mix. Try to stay away from cotton because that just absorbs moisture. I am IN LOVE with my Zensah Sports Bra in Small/Medium and though it was pricey, it seriously is the best support and I haven’t chafed at all with it.

Once you’re already chafed though, that’s a different story. You should treat the area like a scab, because it will scab up. Mine looked like scales. Try to allow the area to breathe until the skin underneath is healthy again. Chafing is uncomfortable, but at the same time, can also be prevented. I’ve also since my first chafe experience chafed on my thighs, my ankle and my waist from my hydration belt. Running is a learning experience, and yes, these things do happen to everyone! Even myself!

Now onto Gus. Like chafing, I also, for some strange reason, never though I would EVER have to take a gu on a run, and didn’t really understand why people needed them or what type of thing they were. I never took any gus on any half marathon I ran besides I made a valiant attempt at the Kaiser Half I tried to choke down two Power Gels gummy things and since then have learned that these are not the easiest things to eat on a run and as weird and disgusting as it is, I must say that I prefer gus due to their consistency. I personally love the Gu’s Chocolate Love ones because it tastes just like brownie batter! I just think of it like that as it goes down the hatch.

Now obviously, I had to start taking these to fuel myself for the longer runs. Still I don’t take them until I’m running more than 9-11 miles. You can learn more about the Gu Brand here. If I do run 10 miles, I will take one at mile 5. If I run a 20 miler, I take one every four miles.

At first I wasn’t into them because I thought to myself, dang, I don’t want to eat 200 calories of a GU on a run?! But then I realized, I was burning around 800-2,000 calories, so I NEEDED to have something on the run. There are many other brands of “energy gels and gus” but mostly they are a specially formulated mix of complex carbohydrates and water that are used to energize your body while you are exercising. Though it does seem scary eating 200 calories in a little packet, they are so worth it, and can really keep you going.

These little gus are very potent and are used to help your blood sugar stay high so you don’t crash while on your run, but pretty sure around mile 16 I’m crashing no matter what! There are tons of different flavors, sizes, and potencys out there, just make sure that you find some that work for you. Also make sure you are drinking water when you first try them out, because you might get an upset stomach from their potency and the fact that you are still working out.

I never thought I’d be a runner with a hydration belt, gus overflowing from my pouch, and a water bottle full of who knows what, but I so am! I’ve realized that just because I’m young and have had some running experience, doesn’t mean that running rules don’t apply to me! Gus and good sports bras are your best friend once you start upping your mileage.

I found some information on Gus here, and here, and here is a ton of different kinds/flavors.

As for some sweet runners of the day, Borsch is a biker/runner, and recently got engaged, but his weight loss story is super inspiring to me! Glenn is super cool and from Newport Beach. He always works hard no matter what is going on with him, and I like to read about his runs because he keeps it honest. Run for Wine is a hardcore swimmer and is always so positive and fun to read, annnnd TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!!! Turtles can run is another great runner who is getting her whole family involved. I love her outlook on life. Kim Possible is a marathon FREAK and runs them almost every weekend it seems like. She is the SWEETEST and seriously gets out there and just enjoys running, not worried about her time or anything, I love her outlook on running and life as well. Maria just finished her first marathon and I have followed her journey and she has given me valuable insight as to what to look forward too! D10 has a great running spirit and I love reading her blog too!

Tomorrow I will tackle hydration, well what I have learned and perhaps will find some sweet deals for all you workout fiends!

xoxo

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Gettin’ Amp’d…

This weekend was a BLAST! So glad my two cousins and I were able to get away and just relax. There was only one night of mayhem but tons of good food and tons of old people at our resort. We went and played trivia night one night, and won two bottles of champagne and I was the grand prize winner of a bag of popcorn. Exceptional prizes I know. Over the weekend I also finished two books including Chasing Harry Winston and Ultra-Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes. Both are really good and it was nice to read two totally different books. I’ll be posting a review of both once the holidays are over.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get in as much running as I wanted to, but I did a bum busting workout yesterday and then again this morning that included a 3 mile, 6.5 incline run that I thought I would never finish. I also did some weight-lifting today and yesterday that made me sore today. Tomorrow I’m finally getting the chance to go back to Amp’d Abs and I’m stoked! I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things and start training more hardcore for my half in February.

Here’s one picture of my cousin and I, posing by a big pig in front of the BBQ place “Babe’s” in Rancho Mirage. We didn’t even eat there, but the picture on the pig was hard to pass up. I’ll be posting a few more pictures when I get them from my cousins camera.

So in the wide world of running I’ve come to realize that running more than five miles without a little energy booster is a drag, and that is why the gift of the day is dedicated strictly to these lovely little energy boosters. I’ve got a wide variety of reviews and where to get Gu’s, shot blox, everything you can think of!

MMMM it’s 10:00 am and now I’m hungry for sugar!

Gu has the “GU is simple. Simple is fast.” slogan and they are quick, but I’m not one to rave about their consistency. Sometimes, on a nasty flavor, I’ve been one to gag. Anyways, GU Energy Gel provides just what you need for premium exercise fuel and none of the extras that slow you down. GU takes you where you want to go, fast. GU’s carbohydrate blend delivers high-quality, easily-digested and long-lasting energy for athletes in every sport and at all levels. If I’m running more than 45 minutes I down one of these bad boys.

Outdoor Pros has the 6 pack GU Tri-Berry for $6.08

Jenson USA has many flavors for $.99 for a single shot

Lucky Vitamin has the 24 packs of single shots for $21.98

Clif Bar & Company has introduced my personal favorite, the CLIF SHOT Blox. They are the latest nutrition option for endurance athletes. Bloks come in chewable, 33 calorie cubes, making it easy to customize and track caloric and electrolyte intake during long outings and races. You can easily buy them right off their website too. They have tons of good flavors and I love the black cherry and strawberry, but Pina Colada is yucky. They have a 12 pack of blox and there are 6 blox in each pack. They are sold for $23.88 Check them out HERE!

I am the hugest fan of Jelly Bean Sport Beans too. They are tasty, small, easy to handle and did I mention, like CANDY? They are $4.99 for 5 here, and you can look at all the flavors, prices and packets here. At REI, they are a steal for only a $1.00 a pouch. Go here to see the REI selection.

Power Bar also has it’s own offerings called the Power Bar Gels. I don’t like these ones as much, but I have grown to love the Power Bar Gel Blasts. They are like the shot blox, in their small shape. The cola one is decent-tasting bite-sized energy chew. I have yet to try the lemon flavored one. They are $1.99 a bag and can be found HERE!

Here’s some more links just in case you were interested in other kinds:

Powerbar Gel from REI -$1.25 single shot

Hammer Gel from REI – $1.25 single shot

So gel up and get out there. These seriously have helped me get through my long runs, and even I didn’t understand the purpose of them to begin with once I started using them, I realized they are so helpful! Enjoy the power of energy!

xoxo

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Please don’t hit me..

So I think I need to make a shirt, with reflective lettering that says, “Please don’t run me over,” or even, “Please don’t hit me.” I swear I’m going to die by getting run over by a car on one of my runs.

Last night I was crossing the street and the lady inched out to make a turn. I tried to make eye contact but she was looking the other way so I paused. She kept inching forward and then I was almost directly next to her car and she looks at me shocked that I’m basically standing at her window and then I can just see the “Oh my gosh, what do I do, do I go, do I backup, where does she go” going through her mind. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Other than that cars have always been out to get me I think.

Anyways, I told you all about the one good thing in the goodie bag from the Long Beach 1/2, which were the Clif Shot Bloks. Let me just tell you, these guys are AMAZING and actually tasty, especially compared to the Gu products.

I ate a few before my race, and a few after and really felt like they gave me back what I was missing. Sometimes I feel that Gu doesn’t do enough for me, it gets me going, but after that, there’s not much there. I felt like not only did these bloks taste good, (shocking! something that tastes good?!) but they were easily edible and I could definitely see them becoming an easy go-to for my longer runs because they replenished me. They have the consistency of a big gusher and can be a little bit sticky. I wouldn’t leave them in a warm area.

The primary ingredient for the bloks is brown rice syrup which provides easily assimilated carbohydrates for working muscles. Both products also provide the mineral salts known as electrolytes. These electrolytes allow electrical impulses to travel properly throughout your body, permitting normal bodily function. When you sweat, you start to deplete your electrolyte stores and experience potential performance decline, so it’s best to help replenish them through food and fluid intake. There are 6 BLOKS to a single serve package, so one package provides 200 calories. They also come in a variety of flavors that include Cran-Razz, Black Cherry, Cola, Margarita, Lemon Lime, Pina Colada, Strawberry, and Orange, and at Run Junk, they are only $1.95, when normally they are $2.25.

Also, this is kind of sad, but I found out that Wal-mart is having a .97 cent shipping on all ‘active wear‘.

Someone asked me about the elastic cuffed sweatpants I have, and LOVE, and they are on sale at walmart.com. A two pack of pants for only 8 dollars! Also it’s better to get them online because you can get the right size. They come in five colors and have pockets! I love them! Also they have plain sweatshirts that are only 6 dollars. Both are perfect for my morning jogs and keeping me warm well into the winter! Go check out Walmart for more deals.

So I have my 2nd half this weekend. Don’t expect much of a race report, unless you want to know how my long training run went. Out on my run this morning, I ran past a local high school. Hearing their band in the morning puts some extra pep in my step and I ran an easy four miles. I was thinking again on my run, what if I can’t finish the 1/2, what if I want to stop, but I realized, I didn’t want to stop before, and I can finish, I did it just last week! I never thought I would be running such long distances and being able to enjoy it, but I am thankful for the enjoyment I get from running.

Also I found this jacket off Sports Chalet, and it’s super cute and looks just like my Zella Jacket I love.

It’s a New Balance Cocona Run Woman’s Jacket that is normally 69.99, and is on sale for 39.97.

It’s suppose to really keep you warm and yet dry during your runs because it’s crafted using Cocona™ polyester, a fabric made from coconuts that naturally helps protect against odor and harmful UV rays. Interesting and a good price! Order your jacket here!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! As the guy who helped me run my last two miles really pushing myself said, keep your head down and just go.

Here is a pumpkin I carved last night. Spooky I know.

Before

After, and remember. This is freehand… no tracing!

And on that note.. I’m done posting! ha ha! Have a good weekend

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