“Peroneal tendonitis” he said, “hopefully, not a stress fracture, too. Time will tell”.  I recall asking him, weakly, “how much time?”

“Two weeks, no running and make ice your best friend” and he didn’t mean ice, as in “on the rocks”.

As he adducted and abducted my foot, ankle and leg, his words echoed in my head. Tears slipped from my eyes. Nausea gripped my stomach and panic coursed through my veins. My brain’s default setting, on a good day, is always the same “I need a drink to handle this”, when faced with adversity, the passing thought becomes more of a fixation.

To a fly on the wall and to Glenn, my physiotherapist, I probably appeared to be ridiculous; shedding tears at the thought of two weeks off the road. I cope with emotion, any emotion, happiness, sadness, stress, anger, in one of two ways, I used to drink and now I run. If I can’t run to numb the intensity of my feelings, then bottoms up. The thing about my best friend, Coors Light, is that he’s always there for me, calling me, taunting me, tempting me. Without running as a source of comfort, distraction and support I become really nervous about my history with my old drinking buddy. All it would take is one moment of feeling pushed too far, to say screw it and take that first bittersweet guzzle, and we would be celebrating our long, lost kinship and time apart. This is only the beginning of the problem, because, while I wish time and again, that I could be like those of you who can have 1 drink and stop, I am not programmed like that. One drink is never the end, no matter how much I try to make deals with myself about having only one; enough therapy has made me accept on some very deep level that for me, my next drink will not be limited to a single; my buddy and I will be reigniting our special friendship.

I am stronger now than I was a year ago, and sobriety is not as fresh as it once was, which only means it doesn’t take as long for me to make the decision to turn the car around and head home instead of to the liquor store. Never the less, living without running for two weeks is torture for me, my husband, my kids, my co-workers, and the poor checkout lady. I can resort to “self-checkout” at the grocery store, but I cannot avoid all frustrating stimuli.   I am a miserable person on the edge of grouchiness without the soothing rhythm of the run. I could get all biological and mention endorphins and dopamine and their roles in the brain, but I’m not going to, maybe another time. The fundamental principal at work here is I need to feel good.  If a bottle or two of wine is out of the question, then I need to run, if I can’t run, I don’t feel good. If I don’t feel good, I want to drink…it’s a bit of a go around. Injury and rest come with high risk stakes. With constant thoughts of drinking, temptation is a burden I live with.

When I am at my weakest and temptation is strong, I stop and I ask myself…is my life better now or before I quit lushing the liquor? As much as I want an icy, cold beer, in my favorite frosted mug that reads “Christa”, on the front, I am quick to answer myself by admitting my life is better than ever. I love my life more than I love to drink. I love to run more than I love to drink. I am committed to a good life.

My two weeks of rest did not kill me, but they tortured my husband. I am proud to report the tendonitis had cleared, there is no stress fracture and they are still wondering where I am at the beer store.

I have been running for over 20 years without the benefit of any technology. Well, that’s not entirely true..I often train with music and my trusty disposable watch, but aside from that, nothing else. I totally fought the temptation to jump into the world of the GPS enabled watch from they day they where first put on the market.

I mean, when I was looking at them (20 some odd years ago) they were the size of a laptop, they were complicated to program …(I’m talking VCR complicated) …battery life was questionable, satellite reception was inconsistent…and I just couldn’t justify the cost.  Besides, my training was going OK, I knew my race pace for the most part, and if I didn’t then it was just going to be yet another training run…

Fast forward 20 years…and the GPS enabled watch is much improved. They are a very reasonable size and weight, battery and satellite issues have been resolved, programming and tracking data is a snap, and the cost is affordable… so as a gift to myself on my 50th birthday I purchased a GPS watch…and now can’t see ever running without it.  It tracks my every step, logs my training, tells me when I am slacking off…monitors my heart rate, and is much easier to program than my VCR.

By: Magi Scallion

If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, check out Abbot Pass in Rogers Pass (British Columbia). The trailhead is located very close to the summit of Rogers Pass, at Illecilliweit camping area (just to the west of the crest of the pass).

The trailhead has plenty of parking, bathroom facilities, and also a place to purchase a park pass. Although you don’t need a pass to drive along the TransCanada Highway in the Park, you do need one to park at any of the sights. It’s totally worth the $8-$15 you’ll spend for the day and it helps to keep the park running.

The trail is very well signed so you should not have a problem finding your way – just make sure you read the sign at all of the trail junctions. Once you get into the hike/run about 20 minutes you’ll see that there really are not many junctions so it’s just getting into a good rhythm and going!

The trail is approximately 5 km long… but has a LOT of elevation gain. We were able to run parts of the trail but it was certainly more comfortable to do at a brisk hike/walk. We all had hydration packs of some sort and some snacks to get us through. The total time for the group of cross-country ski national team athletes I was with was approximately 3 hours, so this could easily take up to 5 hours if you go a bit slower or take more frequent breaks.

The trail is in fantastic condition. We did the hike in mid-September and there was still a small patch of snow on one section; residual from last winter. Thus, you can expect some challenges if you do the hike any earlier that mid-July. There is a short-cut route (which we came down) that avoided the snow patch, but also avoided some of the really neat views.

Once you get above tree-line the views really open up and you can see down to Rogers Pass and further into the Selkirk Mountains. It’s beautiful terrain. The trail ends (there is a sign that says “End of Trail”) at what appears to be a summit, but you can continue along (boulder hopping) for another 10 minutes or so and get some more views. There appears to be further trails in the distance, but they’re apparently not accessible so not worth trying to get to.

We ran all of the way back down to the cars – it only took about 30 – 45 minutes. That said, our legs were very sore for a few days after so it might be prudent to take a slower pace on the way down if you’re not used to downhill running! Once you get back to the parking lot there’s a nice mountain stream to “ice” your legs and the cafe at Rogers Pass sells delicious sodas and other treats for re-fueling!

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

Caffeine has been studied extensively for decades, and the evidence is very strong that it helps improve athletic performance. Heck, the International Olympic Committee had it on its banned substances list until 2004. So how does it work? How much do you need? And does everyone really benefit?

How does caffeine improve performance?

There are many different theories as to how caffeine helps performance, and unfortunately, nothing absolutely concrete stands out. The best theory out there right now is that caffeine intake can lower your perception of fatigue and make you able to push a bit harder than you otherwise would. This is a pretty intuitive answer: most regular caffeine users would have already agreed that caffeine makes you feel less tired and more willing to work!

How much caffeine and when?

In a lot of studies, athletes are given huge doses of caffeine before exercise – up to 9mg per kg or over 700mg for an 80-kg person – and exercise performance improves. Recent studies suggest that much smaller doses – around 1-3mg/kg or 80-240mg for an 80kg person – are just as effective. This is a good lesson for all of us: there’s no need to go overboard with caffeine intake (see the link at the end of the post).

After ingestion, it takes about 45 minutes for caffeine to build up in your body, and levels in the blood will stay elevated for several hours afterward. So if you’re looking for a boost in performance in a 5k or 10k, pre-exercise caffeine intake is recommended.

A recent study compared time trial performance after 2 hours of moderate exercise. In one trial, athletes took a large dose of caffeine an hour before exercise, and in the other, they took in 6 small doses (for the same total amount) throughout the 2 hour exercise period. On both occasions, performance in the time trial was increased compared to when athletes took in no caffeine at all. So for longer events such as a half- or full-marathon, taking in caffeine either before or during exercise should work equally well.

What about smaller amounts of caffeine late in exercise? Anyone who has done a marathon or other long distance event has probably gone through an aid station offering flat cola late in the race. But there’s only about 30mg of caffeine in one cup (~250mL) of cola. So does this really help? The same study mentioned above also examined the effects of cola intake late in exercise, compared with intake of a decaffeinated placebo drink. Surprisingly, performance was improved with the caffeine-containing cola drink. It appears that a fatigued athlete may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine, and so can benefit from small amounts late in exercise.

Common caffeine sources: Where to get your fix

Caffeine is present in small amounts in common items such as chocolate, cola and tea, and in sports nutrition products like gels, chews and drinks. For many people, the go-to pre-exercise caffeine source is coffee. Tim Horton’s must be up to date on the research, because their coffee contains precisely 1-3mg/kg of caffeine for an 80kg person. An extra small (230 mL) contains 80mg, and an extra large (710 mL) contains 240 mg.

Caffeine may be a diuretic for those who don’t normally use it, but really, drinking 710mL of any fluid in a short period will probably make you want to pee. If you want a bit more bang for your buck, Starbucks has you covered: Their 230-mL “small” option packs 180mg of caffeine. Or if you want to eliminate the fluid altogether, just go straight to the source and pop a couple caffeine pills. Most will contain about 100mg. This is a good idea if you’re in unfamiliar coffee territory and don’t want to risk the possible side effects of a foreign brew.

Not everyone will benefit from caffeine intake

Unfortunately there is no cut and dry answer when it comes to “will this work for me?”. Some athletes find that having caffeine before a race makes them jittery and may cause problems with pacing or concentration. Some (but not all) regular caffeine users may not get as much of a boost from caffeine. Some (but not all) regular users may benefit from avoiding caffeine for a couple days before the race, or taking a larger-than-normal dose beforehand. A few researchers have suggested that the main benefit of pre-exercise caffeine intake for regular users is to avoid the negative effects of not having it!

People with pre-existing heart issues should consult a doctor before they consider using caffeine during exercise. Pregnant athletes hoping to establish a new PB should look elsewhere for an edge. And for all you kids out there thinking it might be a good idea to load up on energy drinks before your next race, think again: You don’t want to end up like this guy.

References:

Armstrong LE et al. Fluid, electrolyte, and renal indices of hydration during 11 days of controlled caffeine consumption. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005;15(3):252-65

Cox, GR et al. Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on metabolism and endurance performance. J Appl Physiol. 2002;93,990–999.

Irwin C et al. Caffeine withdrawal and high intensity endurance cycling performance. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2011;29,509–515.

Van Soeren MH et al. Caffeine metabolism and epinephrine responses during exercise in users and nonusers. J Appl Physiol. 1993;75,805–812.

So I’ve been lacking on the blogs.

I blame the fact that there’s only 24-hours in a day and between working, and setting up a new place, and seeing friends, and showering, and preparing meals and sleeping, etc, etc, etc. I could easily use a 30-hour day.

And I’m only taking care of one person (side note: I don’t know how working parents do it)

I have a bad habit of sacrificing sleep to get stuff done.  This started back in university and it’s sort of carried through into my “professional” life today.

And it’s BAD.

And it must STOP.

Personally, I need 6 hours sleep.

Sometimes, I try to function on 5 or even 4 and I’m starting to notice the consequences.

Last week I stayed up until 1:30 am, doing work.  When my alarm went off at 6:30, I simply turned the thing off and fell back into my deep sleep.  I rolled over at 8am, the time I should technically be rolling into work.

(Keep in mind I’ve been with the company for less than 2 months).

If putting my job in jeopardy isn’t a clear sign that I need more sleep, I don’t know what is!

The same exact thing almost happened this morning, but luckily I rolled over at 7:15 as opposed to 8:00, which left me just enough time to throw on some clothes and boot it to work (without coffee or breakfast mind you).

To motivate myself to get more ZZZZs, I came up with the following list of things I can AVOID by going to bed at a decent hour…

I can AVOID:

1. moodiness
2. under eye bags
3. forgetfulness
4. irritability
5. trouble focusing
6. head bobbing in meetings
7. head bobbing while driving
8. ILLNESS
9. Incessant hunger
10. Too much caffeine, thus cycle repeats itself
11. STRESSSSS!!!

Good night folks!