WORKOUT – Ran outside 8.5 miles/1:17
Slow, easy, music-less recovery run. I’m trying to only listen to my ipod on long runs or treadmill runs and everything else go sans music. Or should I say Muzique?
SaraRM asked what kind of stain we used on our fence…
We used Minwax wood stain in Red Mohagony from Home Depot. It took almost 2 gallons to finish our fence. But then again, I probably got at least a half gallon on myself…
Jen asked what size of Nike Tempo shorts I wear…
Depending on what I can find on sale, I either buy a small or a medium. I always roll the waist up once because I just think it’s more comfortable.
Jessica Simpson in tempos. No, I don’t know what size she buys.
Deanna asked about heart rate monitors, “Should I be concerned with my heart rate and use this thing? Also, how does one actually CONTROL their heart beating?”
Ok, here’s how HRM’s work:
The monitor rests just below the breast, and contains
a sensor that can read the electrical activity of your heart. The monitor also contains a transmitter. After the sensor reads the heart rate, the transmitter sends that information to a display, which can be worn around the wrist like a watch.
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Nice butt ‘do, bud.
I personally don’t use one, but I know a lot of people do. With running, I can look at my pace and see how hard I’m working so I’m not as concerned with knowing my heart rate.
However, if I was doing other activites, like taking a class at the gym, I think it’d be great to know… Am I really working hard here or does it just feel hard? Am I slacking off? etc.
Some people are numbers people and love knowing exactly how many calories they’re burning, what their heart rate is, etc. If that’s your thing, go for it. It’s just not mine.
Readers opinions on HRM’s??
Shelby asked what I do when I get “injuries”, take one day off or more…
Since being injured in April 2009, I actually haven’t had another one. But I do have days when I ache, my legs and hips are tight, etc. If that’s the case, I’ll take a day off and run the next day.
If it’s a real injury, you’re going to need to take a lot more time off than a day or two; it could be a couple months.
But to answer your question, if something hurts a little or just doesn’t feel right, I’ll definitely take the day off from running.
*On a side note, I can’t preach enough the importance of stretching and icing. Do it!
Katie asked about my thoughts on pace groups…
I think pacers are a great tool for someone trying to hit a specific time goal because they take away the thinking part of running; all you have to do is keep up.
Some people might even run with their own personal pacer… say you’re trying to BQ so you ask a speedy guy friend to run the race with you and help you stay on oace and meet your goal.
That being said, I haven’t had much success with pace groups personally. In the LA Marathon, I ran with the 3:20 pace group for 14 miles and then lost them completely and ended up finishing 8 mins later. In Phoenix, I ran with the 3:30 pace group, lost them and finished a minute ahead of the group.
My PR marathon was ran all by my lonesome. So I haven’t really found that pace groups have helped me much… maybe that’s because I don’t train pace-specifically, maybe I just can’t keep a pace very well. Maybe because I belch loudly while running, I just don’t know.
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Kristen asked, “SR- What’s your biggest piece of wedding advice for either the wedding day or married life after the wedding? I’m getting married in less than 2 weeks, I’m half about to have a panic attack/half excited!”
Congratulations Kristen on your upcoming wedding day! It will be one of the very best days of your life.
This is a great question that I haven’t been asked before, and I love to give advice. especially on stuff I know nothing about. anyways…
FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY…
As clique as it is, simply enjoy every second of the day because it will be over before you know it. Don’t STRESS over the little details because in the end, they don’t matter and no one except you will care about them.
I had an absolute dream wedding, and the things that I thought were so important to stress over beforehand… Are the fireworks going to go off at the right time? Is the valet parking being paid for so the guests don’t have to? Have any of the handmade starfish chocolate favors broken?… those didn’t matter at all in the end, and probably no else at the wedding even thought of them.
It’s a celebration of you and your spouse, not a production. All the small details are just the stuff that isn’t truly important.
FOR MARRIED LIFE…
Let me be honest: marriage is hard. It just is at times. It’s also the best, most important human relationship that I have. It is absolutely worth all the hard work. And it is work.
My advice is to start your marriage with the attitude that There is no way out so you might as well work at it rather than be miserable for 50 years. No matter what happens, you just stick with it because there’s no outs. period.
For you marrieds out there, what’s one piece of wedding or marriage advice you would give??
