Product Review: EAS Soy Protein Powder

 written by runnergirl training

 
EAS Sports Nutrition supplied me with a variety of their soy protein powder to try out and review.

I tried the vanilla EAS soy protein powder. It is a nutritionally balanced and delicious supplement!

It has 20 grams of soy protein. The nutritional information is here.

I liked that it is vegetarian friendly and works well if you are lactose intolerant.

The powder is smooth to drink and is not chalky. It has a smooth texture and tastes great!

I have used many different brands of protein powder over the years. This is a wonderful product and I highly recommend it!

Product Review- Proskins Slim Compression Shorts

written by runnergirl training

Proskins supplied me with a pair of Proskins Slim women's compression shorts to review.

The shorts were great to wear! The fabric feels smooth, comfortable and stayed in place. They were not too loose or too tight. They also reduced upper leg muscle fatigue.

I wore them for running and also indoor cycling.

Proskins offers a technology that is unique to their products and offer many benefits They state:

Win the war against cellulite with Proskins SLIM; Compression Wear that works so you don’t have to.  Thanks to Proskin, a cutting edge specialist in the field of high technology fabric and compression wear, women don’t have to look any further beyond Proskin SLIM.  This is the  stuff women’s dreams are made of – workout clothing that tackles cellulite, reduces fluid retention and improves lymphatic drainage while you wear them.

Independent clinical trials have proved that wearing Proskins SLIM regularly can minimize the appearance of cellulite.  The groundbreaking compression fabric of Proskins SLIM is made from a patented micro encapsulated yarn containing Caffeine, Retinol, Aloe Vera, Fatty Acids and Vitamin E.  These five ingredients along with the high tech compression fabric improves the overall appearance of skin by tackling the three major causes of cellulite – blood circulation, fluid retention and lymphatic drainage.

Proskins SLIM can be worn under clothes as long underwear or as part of it's own outfit - pair the leggings with a cute tunic top or sweater.  Also, because of the special wicking in the fabric, you won't sweat while wearing Proskins SLIM - they will keep you warm when cold out and cool when warm out. Additionally Proskins SLIM contains silver which is an anti bacterial, you don't need to wash it after each time you wear it - what more could you ask for from 1 garment?

Give them a try! I think you will love them as much as I do!

Hot Chocolate 15k/5k

written by runnergirl training

The Hot Chocolate 15k/5k race is an exciting and sweet race! 

It benefits the Ronald McDonald House. As a family member of a stage 4 brain cancer patient, I know personally the impact such charities make in the lives of those they touch. I am thrilled to be involved in supporting such a special organization! 

When you register, you will be receiving the hat pictured above. Be sure to use the code:
HC2013DAL6 (ALL CAPS)

See you at the race!

Product Review: CEP Compression Night Run Socks - SportsCompression.Com

written by runnergirl training

SportsCompression.com provided me with a pair of CEP women’s night run socks. They are an effective and wonderful product!

CEP compression socks provide compression to prevent muscular fatigue and recovery and also prevent post workout cramping and swelling. The night socks also provide additional benefits with the added bright color visibility and reflectiveness. It adds to your safety to have additional visibility when exercising outside, especially at dusk or dawn hours.

I have previously reviewed SportsCompression.com CEP women’s compression socks. Since the review, I have worn them almost every day for the past year. They are great for running and for being on your feet for many hours (travel, work, etc).

I have worn my CEP compression socks in my most recent races, the Dallas Marathon and the Dallas Turkey Trot 8 mile race. I am generally prone to muscle cramps after long races (such as the marathon) and the socks prevented the cramps in my lower legs. 

I highly recommend the SportsCompression.com CEP compression socks!

Dallas Marathon Race Review

written by runnergirl training


I ran the Dallas Marathon on December 9, 2012. It was my third Dallas Marathon, formally called the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

I had been training for months for the race. I used the Hal Higdon Intermediate 2 marathon program. My goal time was 4:30.

I have been in school full time for nursing school prerequisites and taking care of my mom with stage 4 brain melanoma. Around my obligations this semester I was maintaining a training volume of 70-90 miles per week. I was adding onto the Hal Higdon program, it did not require that weekly mileage. Running is my escape and way to stay sane through all of the stress. 

The race course changed this year and acquired a lot more hills in the front half. The back half retained a lot of the previous race course.

During the race I hydrated with Gatorade, Gatorade Energy Chews, Clif Bar Shot Bloks and water. I drank 6 ounces or ate 2 chews about every 15-20 minutes. I used the portable restroom around mile 17.

I started out with the 4:15 pace group from miles 1-3. Then I joined the 4:30 pace group from miles 4-14. Midway through mile 14 the damage from the hills affected my muscles I was unable to keep my pace and started walking until mile 15. From mile 15 until the end my legs (quads & hamstrings) felt like Icy Hot was on them and had sharp painful cramps. I was able to hobble run and drafted behind a few runners to reach that finish line!

At the end of the race I visited the medical area at the Dallas Convention Center. I was such pain that I could not stop walking or moving my legs because the pain was too intense to stop. The nurses and doctor laid me on a cot and massaged my legs for an hour. I was finally able to stand up with their assistance and left with my family.

I was unable to walk for the next 2 days after the race. I have never experienced such intense and painful muscle cramps and spasms. I have consulted with several sports medicine gurus and my conclusion is the cramps results from the excessive hills in the first half of the race and the high humidity.

I have been a runner since 1997. Racing has been a passion of mine since 2000. I am always learning new aspects of the sport and ways to improve! Thank you for joining me in my race reflections!

Product Review - Tommie Copper Long Sleeve Compression Shirt

photo credit www.tommiecopper.com

written by runnergirl training

Tommie Copper makes a variety of athletic compression clothing. Their unique incorporation of copper in their products assists the recovery and health of various body systems.

They provided me with a long sleeve compression shirt to try out and review. I was impressed with the fit, comfort, and qualities of the shirt. I wore it on a 10 mile run and weather was 38 degrees F and breezy. The shirt was extremely effective in wicking moisture and drying in the sunlight. It kept me warm and the compression worked to keep the blood flowing back to my core.

I have tried a few brands of compression shirts previously and have been disappointed with their moisture wicking, warmth, and comfort. I highly recommend checking out the Tommie Copper long sleeve shirt.

I also own their calf compression sleeves, see my review for them. They are effective at eliminating leg fatigue and swelling while running or walking around for many hours (work, travel). I also highly recommend them!

Speed Work For Runners

written by runnergirl training

Want to know the secret to running faster? You run faster. Thoughts are conjured of painfully pushing your legs to go just another lap while obsessively checking your watch. There are actually ways to make speed work doable & even enjoyable! Read more below!

Avoid Locker Room Infections

written by runnergirl training

Gyms are great breeding grounds for germs to be shared. It is easy to pick them up on exercise equipment, shared air & shower stall floors. I’ll share about the commonly found ones. Also find out how to keep the pick up on the down low. Click below to read more!

Book Review: NSCA - Developing Endurance

Written By Runnergirl Training

Human Kinetics provided me the book Developing Endurance for free from a Twitter contest. The following is my book review.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) has authored a fantastic book for designing endurance programs. 

The book provides a brief discussion of exercise physiology. Various endurance tests are explained and training heart rate and rate perceived exertion (RPE) tables are provided. There is an exploration of several training conditions including environment, health status, and more.

It does an excellent job covering nutrition and hydration principles. Basic weight lifting techniques are discussed and include the pictures for each featured lift. Running and triathlon training programs are provided. 

Several aspects needed to build endurance training programs are described. To begin, gain background information regarding history of injuries, training status, the amount of time that can be invested into training, and seasons/periodization of training for the sport. Also to be included are rest days, recovery workouts, and components of mental and nutritional training.

The mesocycle and microcycles of the training year are broken down into segments and discussed. It does a thorough job of describing the incorporation of races into the training cycles. Specific facets of training (aerobic, strength, and flexibility, etc) and tapering for races are examined. 

This is an excellent book that uses research based rationales to design endurance training programs. It is practical and easy to implement into training programs.

It is sold at Human Kinetics. 

NSCA Texas State Clinic

Written By Runnergirl Training

This Saturday, I attended the NSCA Texas State Clinic at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

I have attended many NSCA events over the past 10 years. I really enjoyed this clinic! Great speakers, helpful and practical information, and opportunities to meet fellow colleagues.

The clinic began with weight lifting and track drills demos.

The Back Squat: Baylor Football Coaching Staff

The Bench Press: Baylor Football Coaching Staff

The Back Squat with Chains: Baylor Football Coaching Staff

Track Drills: Baylor Associate Track Coach Michael Ford

There were informative speakers from several schools both at the high school and college level. They spoke on various aspects of strength and conditioning programs for their level of athletes.

Lecture: UNT Director of Football Performance Frank Wintrich

This was a great experience! I would like to see a few tweaks for the next NSCA Texas State Clinic such as a vegan meal option, on site signage (there were no signs on the exterior of the facilities), and guest wifi.

Great job Baylor Athletic Performance staff! Their website is here & twitter is here!

Product Review: Raw Elements

written by runnergirl training


Raw Elements is an organic sunscreen brand. They contain 70% organic ingredients & are USDA certified.

Raw Elements provided the products in the above picture for me to try & review. I am always on the lookout for organic products, especially for skincare. I am impressed with Raw Elements as they support skin cancer awareness and give away tons of their products at races!

I like that it does not sweat off or sting my eyes. Both the lotion & stick are easy to apply & wear. I also like that it is organic. It is paraben, chemical, fragrance free and non nano! It protects against UVA & UVB rays. Very rare to find so many health conscious factors in one product!

Daily sunscreen use is a must!! Raw Elements has great products! Give them a try!

When To Add Speed & Miles

written by runnergirl training

When progressing through a running program it is important to know how and when to add more speed or miles. Read more below!

Cancelled Marathon?

written by runnergirl training

Sometimes races get cancelled at the last minute. Perhaps bad weather will affect the race or a personal issue gets in the way of race day. Here are 4 helpful ideas on how to salvage all of that endless time spent training.

Product Review: Flexitol

written by runnergirl training

As a runner, I have tried most heel creams on the market. I recently tried Flexitol and love it! It has just the right consistency. Heels, feet, & toes stay soft even during high mileage training.

I also like that it is paraben free.

You can buy it at most drug stores and Wal-Mart.

Hands When Running

Written by Runnergirl Training

Runners tend to hold tension in their upper body as they became fatigued when training or racing. This tension drains energy from being efficiently used.

A simple way to keep the upper body loose is to have the hands relaxed, with thumbs touching the fingers, as if you were holding a cylinder in your hand. 


This will keep the hands from becoming clenched into fists and causing over tense muscle in the arms, neck, & shoulders. 

Running Posture

Written by Runnergirl Training

Running posture

When running, it is important to keep a relaxed and efficient posture. 

Simple cues as a reminder for keeping perfect posture are:

Chest out

Shoulders down & back

Abs in

Contract glutes

Knees in line with toes

Arms driving back, at the sides

Hands unclenched 

Happy running!

Hyponatremia

Written by Runnergirl Training

Hyponatremia is the condition of excessively drinking water. This causes the sodium in the blood to be over diluted. Nerves & muscles are unable to properly function with an electrolyte imbalance and serious health complications may result.

Signs can include dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, confusion, slurred speech, & muscle cramps.

Steps to help recover from hyponatremia include eating salty foods and drinking sports drinks that contain sodium and electrolytes.

Some ways to prevent it from occurring are to drink one cup of water every twenty minutes during exercise, do not drink more water than you are sweating, and use a sports drink for exercising beyond an hour.

4 Speed Drills

written by runnergirl training

Drills are exercises performed with a specific purpose such as increasing leg turnover or stride length. The following are 4 drills to fine-tune the mechanics of running. Read more below!