Track Workouts for Speed: Salazar 300’s

The famous Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar knows a thing or two about speed. He uses 300 meter repeats to allow runners to push the speed over distance ratio without overdoing it. 300 meters is torture, because it is short enough you should be able to burn rubber, and long enough that it feels like torture  challenging. This workout also helps build mental toughness and the ability to kick at the end of a race. This workout is beneficial for 10k, half, and full marathon training.

Enjoy!

The workout goes like this:

Begin with a Dynamic Warm up:

-Walking and pulling each knee into your chest for 20 ft. (gluteal stretch)

-Walking while kicking each leg up at waist height 20 ft (hamstring stretch)

-High skipping 20ft. (entire lower leg and abdominal warm up)

-Bottom kick jog

-Grapevine 20ft. in each direction (also referred to as carioca drills, for hip stretch and foot work)

The Workout:

Run 300 meters at 90% effort

Jog slow for 300 meters

Do 7 repetitions of this

Thank yourself later for improvement in speed and mental toughness.

Make your day great!

Amanda

Cucumber Kale Blueberry Smoothie

Happy Friday Friends!

Here is a sweet little combo to sustain your weekend activities. Whether you are scaling a butte or lounging pool side, the Cucumber Kale Blueberry smoothie is sure to please!

Ingredients:

1 cup blue berries

1 cup Kale leaves, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

2 cups rice milk

Blend well and drink! 

For an added protein boost try the Everlast Vegan Protein Powder available at http://www.everlastnutrition.com/product/everlast-vp-vegan-protein-mix and use the code RUNNINGYOURBODY to receive a 5% discount!

Enjoy and make your day great!

Amanda

Awesome Father’s Day Gifts for the Running Dad

Sometimes Dads are hard to buy for. Luckily, runners tend to love gear, so here are some gift ideas to satisfy the running Dad.

   10, 15 lbs, 20 lbs and 25 lbs Solid Cast Iron Kettlebell (Kettle Bell) Combo- Special Promotion. Lowest Price & Fastest Shipment – ²KJHJZ

Cross training is important. Kettlebell exercises are an excellent way to build both cardiovascular and muscular strength.

Timex Men’s T5E231 “Ironman Traditional” Watch

There are various version of this watch with different capabilities. This particular version features a 100-hour chronograph with lap and split times, 99-lap counter, 100-hour countdown timer with stop and repeat, dated training log with best lap, average lap and total time, and split recall. It is water resistant to 330 feet (100 M) and is suitable for snorkeling, as well as swimming, but not diving. 

Nike 5 Woven Reflective Short Mens Style: 519706-010 Size: M

Keep Dad safe with reflective yet comfortable running shorts!

Balega Hidden Comfort (XL, Electric Blue)

These are available in various colors, but you simply cannot beat the comfort and quality of these socks. It is worth every penny not to bleed through your shoes during a race.

iPhone 6 Armband for Running, Biking, Walking, Jogging, Gym and Other Workouts – Superb Comfort, Featherweight, Sublime Fit, Very Durable Sports Case from Blue Key World – Enhance All Your Exercise Experience Now!

What an interesting coincidence that both running shoe and cell phone designs have swung from small and minimalist to maximalist. Now that phones are large again, Dad will need a new armband holder.

Adjustable Silicone Pepper Spray Bracelet For Men – INSTANT Pepper Spray For Women & Men When Running – Jogging – Walking – Hiking (Black)

I am fascinated with the sleek design of this personal safety device. I see this a a great tool for anyone, and particularly someone who travels alot who wishes to get out and go for a run in unknown places. Ladies, while you are at it, order one for yourself. And your sister. And your daughter.

Running Times

How about a subscription to Running Times magazine? A little light reading with beautiful photos, this one is a crowd pleaser for runners who take the road(s) less traveled.

Hal Koerner’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning: Training for an Ultramarathon, from 50K to 100 Miles and Beyond

Hal has a few notable buckles on his ultramarathon running belt, namely Hard Rock 100 and a few Western States titles…. No big deal. I had the pleasure of meeting Hal when my  little guy flirted with his two year old daughter on the swing set in our local park (have I mentioned that I live in an elite running mecca down here in Southern Oregon?). In addition to being an incredible athlete, he is simply a nice guy. His guide offers first hand insight into winning tips for ultrarunning.

Petzl TIKKINA 60 lumens, Green

A great headlamp is motivation to get one’s behind out of bed when it is dark out, and they are  must for all of the fun overnight relay races coming up this summer.

Look for an upcoming list of gifts for the Gluten Free Dad as well!

Take care, and make your day great!

Amanda

Banana Bread (Gluten and Dairy Free!)

I have done banana bread many ways, and this is one of my favorites. It took approximately 10 minutes to prepare, and was ready to eat within 45.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas

1 tsp. Gluten Free Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tbs. organic brown sugar

2 cups coconut flour

2 eggs

4 tbs. coconut oil divided. (3 in the mixture, 1 to grease the baking pan)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

Combine bananas, baking powder, 3 tbs. coconut oil, rice milk, and coconut flour in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly on a low setting. It is recommended that you use an electronic mixing device such as a kitchen aid. Then add vanilla, brown sugar,  and eggs, mix until it uniformly semi crumbly mixture.

Grease a bread baking pan (4×9 works well) with the remaining 1 tbs. coconut oil. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the pan and gently press mixture evenly into the pan using the back of your fingers and hand until the layer is flattened. Pour on 1/3 more of the mixture and repeat, pressing the substance gently into the previous layer. Pour in the last 1/3 and repeat, then place into the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Make your day great!

Amanda

Track Tuesday: Speedwork on a Treadmill

Times may arise when you simply cannot run outside. If you have access to a treadmill it is entirely reasonable to do a great speed workout on the treadmill. I utilized the treadmill for a pyramid speed workout today because beautiful southern Oregon was 105 degrees yesterday with an overnight thunder and lightning storm resulting in 3 area forest fires. So there is a little smoky haze and a lot of humidity here today and I was not in the mood to breathe it all in.

Today’s buildup began with a 1/2 mile warm up slow jog.

The work out is a 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m string of sprints at about 70% maximum speed with 200m slow jog linking each one.

Cool down with 1/2 slow jog.

This workout works well on the treadmill because the longer duration sprints of the 2 300’s and 400 call for less dialing up and down of the treadmill controls which can be a bit tedious.

There is also quite a sense of accomplishment with this one because you end up knocking out 2 miles quite quickly.

Enjoy and make your day great!

Amanda

Blueberry Peach Green Smoothie

Happy Friday Friends! After a strength conditioning workout this morning I threw together a delightful smoothie using frozen peaches and blueberries, mustard greens, and carrot juice. I added a bit of vegan protein from Everlast for a little muscle recovery.

If you are interested in checking Everlast Vegan Protein, I just found out Everlast Nutrition is running a flash sale! Free shipping anyone? Go get yours now before it’s too late! Use this code at checkout: RUNNINGYOURBODY at EverlastNutrition.com

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen or fresh peaches

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

1 cup mustard greens (or spinach)

2 cups carrot juice

Blend until smooth!

Make your day great,

Amanda

Happy national running day

Happy National Running Day my friends! In honor of our special day, here are a few fun running facts:

1. The oldest person to run a marathon is Fauja Singh who was the first 100-year-old to completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8:11:06

2. In order to run, our feet have 26 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments and a network nerves, tendons and blood vessels that accept each and every pound of our body weight through them in order to propel us forward.

3. Your peak running age is 27. Spanish researches analyzed the ages and times of those who ran the 2010 and 2011 New York marathon. The fastest age was men at 27 and women at 29. The times showed  a 2% decrease for each year older than the fastest ages.  I won’t tell you how old I am, but apparently I peaked a few years ago. Bummer.

4. In 1990, only 25% of road race finishers in the US were women. Now the ladies make up more than half (approximately 56%) of road race finishers in the US.

5. When running the 100 meters, Usain Bolt hits a maximum power output of 2619.5 watts, or about 3.5 horsepower. Enough to run your blender to make a smoothie: https://runningyourbody.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/peach-carrot-vegan-protein-smoothie-with-everlast-vegan-protein-powder/

Have a great running day!

Amanda

Chicken Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

I am extremely blessed to live in a wonderful neighborhood with four other families that we consider among our favorite people.  One of these lovely families gave us a bag of beautiful mustard greens from which I made today’s recipe base. Mustard greens are an excellent green to shake yourself out of a boring salad rut because it packs a faint spicy kick into its flavorful and vitamin infused leaves.

Ingredients for salad:

1 organic chicken breast-sliced thin

1 tbs. coconut oil

2 cups mustard greens

2 eggs hard boiled-See my instructions for beautiful yellow hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 cup broccoli steamed then cooled

Ingredients for dressing:

3 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. mustard

1 tbs. honey

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar

Directions for Hard boiled eggs:

Place 2 eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Place over stove on high.  Once water begins to boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes at a boil remove the eggs from the boiling water with a utensil and submerge into a bowl of cold water. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes, then remove and serve.

Directions for chicken:

In medium pan heat coconut oil on medium heat. Once coconut oil has melted place strips of chicken into the pan and cook evenly and thoroughly.

Dressing ingredients may be mixed into a glass jar and distributed over salad according to taste. 

Enjoy and make your day great!

Amanda

Peach Carrot Vegan Protein Smoothie with Everlast Vegan Protein Powder

I mentioned recently that protein smoothies are having quite a moment in the spotlight. This is most likely due to the fact that smoothies are easy to make and consume on the go, and that folks are realizing the importance of giving their bodies healthy food to support the healthy activity that they participate in. The vegan diet has long received criticism for lacking protein, though most vegans will argue with scientific evidence that if you balance the food that you eat, you can find plenty of protein in plant based products.

Everlast, the company commonly associated with boxing and fitness wear is launching a new vegan protein powder that is sure to please both vegans and non-vegans alike. One serving of the Everlast Vanilla Vegan Protein packs 22 grams of protein to support muscle growth and cellular functioning. I have partnered with the good folks at Everlast to produce today’s smoothie recipe that is purely plant based and tastes like a peach sorbet treat.

As an added treat, use the code RUNNINGYOURBODY to receive 5% off of your order of Everlast Vegan Protein available at: http://www.everlastnutrition.com/

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced peaches-frozen or fresh

1 cup whole carrot juice

1 serving Everlast Vanilla Vegan Protein Powder (29g powder)

Yields 24 grams of protein total.

This post is sponsored by Everlast, however all opinions, recipes, and editorial choices are my own.

For the celiac folks reading, the powder was produced in a factory that packages products that contain milk, eggs, wheat, and soy. I have celiac sprue disease and tend to be highly sensitive and did not experience any issues with this product. Each individual experiences allergies in a different way, thus I caution you to read all packaging carefully.

Take care and make your day great!

Amanda

Track Workout Tuesday: 8x200m

Today’s track workout comes as a progression to last week’s installment available here: https://runningyourbody.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/track-workout-tuesday/. I must say that the track feels like down feathers under my feet after the last several months of trail and street running. It’s almost luxurious.

Speed work is important for folks who are wishing to run faster and or improve running form. It is very important to do a solid dynamic warm-up prior to running sprints.

A dynamic warm up can consist of:

-Walking and pulling each knee into your chest for 20 ft. (gluteal stretch)

-Walking while kicking each leg up at waist height 20 ft (hamstring stretch)

-High skipping 20ft. (entire lower leg and abdominal warm up)

-Bottom kick jog

-Grapevine 20ft. in each direction (also referred to as carioca drills, for hip stretch and foot work)

-Speed work up: Run 50 meters, and begin your run at 20% of maxim speed and gradually increase finishing the 50 meters at 80%. Do this twice. On the third set, begin at 20% and finish at full sprint. These work ups will help your muscles get ready for exertion. Gradually increasing the intensity improves blood flow to the muscles, and will help decrease the risk for injury.

Track workout:

8 repetitions of 200m. sprints at 90% effort. Jog 200 meters in between sets.

Cool down with an 800 meter jog.

Ways to injure yourself doing speed workouts:

1. Do not warm up thoroughly

Cold muscles do not have proper blood flow, and are not flexible and ready to contract and elongate quickly and powerfully. Instead they will strain or tear, sometimes in micro tears, sometimes in larger more serious tears. 

2. Begin at 100% maximum effort

Beginning a sprint workout at 100% effort straight out of the gate is asking for a strain as described above. Ease into it. 

3. Do not focus on your form, run flailing like Phoebe on friends

Loose and uncontrolled form lends to greater work in some muscle groups and thus to strain on the body that can result in break down and injury of the joints and muscles. 

4. Do not cool down, get straight into your car and drive home, then lay down on the couch. 

Just as the muscles need blood flow and warm-up to contract and recoil properly, they need to slowly and gently cool down. Continuing movement after a tough workout also introduces new fresh circulation of blood flow that can help reduce lactic acid buildup and thus soreness after the workout. 

Make your day great!