Cross-Training, Part II

After yesterday's run...



Today's mileage: 6
Today's conditions: 32 degrees, sunny, snow/slush
Today's quality: 4

Hard Core, or The First Day of Winter

It has been a mild start to winter. We live in a snowbelt, though, so it was only a matter of time before I would have to run in the snow. Today I ran while we received our first snowfall of the year. It wasn't too bad as far as traction and temperature go, though the flakes can feel sharp as they pelt you in the face. Here are my tips for snow running:

1. Wear a hat. The warmth it provides your entire body will allow you to wear lighter layers on your torso. By not weighing down your body with heavy clothes, you won't feel like you're expending too much more energy when you're running on slippery ground that requires you to make some extra effort to stay steady.
2. Run on the snow. You might think that trying to stay on the black road or sidewalk is safer for traction, but years of living in the city through snowy and icy winters have taught me about slipping. I fall a lot on winter sidewalks, and I've learned how to walk on them. Instead of heading for the concrete or the blacktop, I head for the snow. What looks like a bare sidewalk or road is often very icy and slick; you just can't see the ice until you've face-planted and your eyes are half an inch away from it. When I run, I follow the same principle. Run on the snow, not on the black stuff. Snow is much less slippery than ice.
3. Wear a reflective vest, regardless of the time of day. I'm usually good about wearing reflective gear in the dusk or dark, but it hadn't occurred to me to wear it today when I ran at noon. Once I was out there in the falling snow, I realized that while my own vision was decent, my visibility to drivers who are focusing on managing their cars in the snow is about as good as it would be in the evening. If it's snowing, reflective gear is a must, even at noon.

So there are my three tips for snow running. Stay warm and safe!

Today's mileage: 4
Today's conditions: 32 degrees, snowing, gray skies
Today's quality: 4

Paternalism in Medicine Hits a New Low

Let me start by saying that my academic background is in girls' and women's health and their problematic experiences of medicine and the health care industry. My doctoral qualifying paper was on troubling issues in adolescent girls' health care, such as problems with confidentiality and agency. Having put that out there, my jaw dropped when I read a headline today that could have been published in the 1890s or 1950s.

A study in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention and subsequently published in the mainstream news claims that "Cooking, Cleaning and Washing Helps You Ward Off Breast Cancer". Arguing that while we know exercise helps strengthen women against cancer, the researchers asserted that we have yet to learn what kinds of activity lower the risk of cancer. So over 6 years, they tracked the development of breast cancer in women across 3 categories of regular exercise: household (e.g.,cleaning), recreational (e.g., running), and occupational (e.g., aerobic instructors? This is a tough one, since many of the women who are active at work tend to perform "household" activities in these occupations). Their statistical model indicated that "housework on its own reduces breast cancer risk in both pre- and postmenopausal women." Premenopausal women exhibited a 19% lower rate and postmenopausal women a 29% lower rate. The authors report no statistically significant link between reduced breast cancer risk and either recreational or occupational activity. What does this mean for the housekeepers, daycare providers, and restaurant servers out there? Does their cancer risk go down while they make their kids' beds, but revert to average while they make beds in hotels?

Here's what I have to say to the researchers of this study: Neither making my husband's bed, changing my son's diapers, cooking their dinner, nor vacuuming the floor will extend the duration or increase the quality of my life. "If a woman had a problem in the 1950s or 1960s, she knew that something must be wrong with her marriage, or with herself. Other women were satisfied with their lives, she thought. What kind of woman was she if she did not feel this mysterious fulfillment waxing the kitchen floor?" wrote Betty Friedan in 1963. Clearly the feminine mystique is not an artifact.

Here's what I have to say to them: Your "science" is not my health.

Flippy Mittens

I didn't intend this blog to be a site for running product reviews, but there are just some things I've acquired during my training that I either love or hate and thought others might like to know about them.

I recently bought a pair of Asics Winter Run Hybrid Gloves, since my hands are typically cold anyway and tend to be even colder when running in temps below 45 degrees. A lot of people swear by Asics running shoes (myself included), and I've learned their other products are just as reliable, including these gloves, which I call my "Flippy Mittens." They look like mittens but as your hands heat up, the mitten flips back and secures under an elastic band to reveal your fingerless gloves, which allow your fingers to cool down and breathe.

They are genius. Mittens tend to keep hands warmer than gloves anyway, so my chilly little digits warm quickly (within minutes of starting), and as my hands start to sweat later in the run, I'm able to cool them down without taking off the gloves and having nowhere to put them.

Another brilliant product by the Asics folks. No, they didn't give me the gloves for free, but I'll write a great review of the 2110 shoes for a new pair!--size 8 please.

Today's mileage: 6
Today's conditions: 42 degrees, sunny, breezy (almost lost my cap)
Today's quality: 4

On Disease

From Susanna Kaysen's The Camera My Mother Gave Me:

Don't separate the mind from the body. Don't separate even character--you can't. Our unit of existence is a body, a physical, tangible, sensate entity with perceptions and reactions that express it and form it simultaneously.

Disease is one of our languages. Doctors understand what disease has to say about itself. It's up to the person with the disease to understand what the disease has to say to her.

Today's mileage: 4
Today's temperature: 35 degrees
Today's quality: 3

Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day! After a weekend of exhausting fun, I was tempted to spend Boxing Day asleep in one of the millions of empty boxes still left in my living room. I was scheduled to run yesterday, but with the cooking and presents for Henry and the visitors and the presents for Henry and the eating and the presents for Henry, it never happened. Add to that the cold I feel coming on (or is it just fatigue?), I gave myself a Christmas treat and ran on the treadmill today. It was raining, my knees were achey from the Westford hills, and I just wanted an easy run while still feeling like I'd done what I needed to do. After months of running outside on hard, hilly roads, it was like jogging on marshmallows.


Today's mileage: 3
Today's temperature: 45 (but a pleasant 65ish in my treadmill room)
Today's quality: 5

Overcoming the Temptation for Sloth

It's hard to get out there and run around the holidays, when it's chilly, there are countless treats inside, and family visiting. I can tell the challenge is mounting as we approach Christmas, but I still have to run 5 miles today and then get out there again on Sunday (I'll take the day off tomorrow when it's raining, and we'll just see about Christmas day) . So, I've devised a way to commit myself to a run. Post my mileage before I go, so I won't be a liar who's actually lounging around when I've claimed to have put in a fiver.

Today's mileage: 5 (really, I'm going...after I have another cookie)
Today's temperature: 39 degrees
Today's quality: I'll get back to you on that...

Kristina Runs on Dunkin'

True, most people who try to stay fit and healthy eschew donuts and the delight they bring to all who taste them. As a mother of a donut-obsessed toddler, however, and a resident of the Northeast, where Dunkin' Donuts originated and offers what seems to be one store for every 5 people, donuts play an important role in my life.

My daily runs inevitably take me past the Dunkin' Donuts about a mile away, where I've glimpsed the Gingerbread Latte posters in the window for nearly a month. I'm huffing up the hill and what do I smell? The sweet aroma of fried dough. I've yet to stop mid-run for even a single "munchkin," but I will admit, it's tempting, especially when it's about 20 degrees and I know there's hot coffee and a "french toast twist" with my name on them inside. And just so you don't think that I have the will power of Nicole or Mary-Kate, let me tell you, there is no better pre-run energy boost than that provided by an "old-fashioned" cake donut about 15 minutes prior to setting out.

With our kitchen a shambles due to an unexpectedly long remodel, I'm impressed that we haven't initiated a daily breakfast at the Dunkin'. Which isn't to say that I won't be heading there at some point tomorrow, probably about 15 minutes before I hit the pavement...

Today's mileage: 4
Today's temperature: 50 degrees (but windy!!)
Today's quality: 3.33

Mama Needs a New Clock!

I received an email from my mini-team organizer today (mini-teams are smaller groups of DFMC runners), which notified me of the stellar fundraising levels of my team members. Altogether, our mini-team has raised about $122,000, and a few people are hovering around the $10,000 mark in their individual efforts. Ok, so I continue to be proud and frankly relieved by attaining that $3000 milestone about a month ago, but my cash flow has kind of slowed since then, and I'm at about $3700. Not too shabby, but always the perfectionist, I want more!!!

The email informed us that those who raise $5000 will receive a new pair of running gloves. Since I just bought some running gloves to get me through the winter, I'm looking to the higher $$ rewards. Raising $10,000 will get me a silverplated frame for my finish line photo, but folks, $18,000 will get me a clock for my mantel. While I own many picture frames, I don't currently have a clock on my mantel. My mantel wants a clock. How can I count the minutes playing Cars Ramp with Henry if I don't have a clock on my mantel?

So before I take your checks to Foxwoods to bet on black (just kidding), let me just say that my analytics of this blog show I've had visitors from all over the world--Singapore, Bangalore, Athens, and Aukland, to name a few. Guys, I accept Euros, Rupees, all the various Dollars, not to mention Icelandic Kronas, Haitian Gourdes, and Macedonian Drams. It is the season for giving, after all.

Today's mileage: 4
Today's temperature: 40 degrees
Today's quality: 3 (fair)

Breast Cancer Rates Down as HRT Rates Fall

The news in cancer this week finds that breast cancer rates have decreased as women have gone off their hormone replacement therapy, which many have argued is positively associated with cancer risk. (Hopefully my stats students would identify the title above as a positive correlation). The report from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston indicates that there has been a 7% decrease in breast cancer diagnoses between 2002 and 2003, a result that supports the findings of the Women's Health Initiative in 2002, which asserted a link between HRT and cancer and led millions of women to stop hormone replacement.

Some researchers, however, are now speculating that the drop in cancer might simply reflect fewer screenings of afflicted women, which of course would not be good news. Their thinking is that an overall decrease in mammographies of women is contributing to the drop in diagnoses; unscreened cancer is uncounted, though still present.

Other specialists worry that the very public news about drops in HRT and breast cancer will lead those women not taking hormones to forego screening because they believe they are safe. As one physician cited by ABC News put it, "The vast majority of women with breast cancer have never touched an estrogen pill."

Nevertheless, previous studies finding a correlation between HRT and breast cancer remain valid and, thus, should caution women (especially those with a family history of breast cancer) when they consider HRT.


Today's mileage: 4
Today's temperature: 45 degrees
Today's quality: 4 (good)

The Farmers Run, Too!

I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day and thought I'd check out the Farmer's Almanac 2007 edition to see what the weather has in store for April 16. If you've never perused the Almanac, it's a fun little book that lists the weather forecast by region for the entire calendar year. For New England in mid-April, the Almanac actually said something like, "Skies are fair. All clear for the Boston Marathon." I was so impressed that the farmers consider such an event in their little book, intended to inform crop cultivation and planning, and could only picture a fleet of overall-clad guys carrying pitch forks, as in Henry's book Giggle, Giggle, Quack, wrapped in foil blankets after crossing the finish line.

Today's Run: 5.6 miles
Temperature: 35 degrees
Run quality (scale of 1-5: 1=horrible, 2=not great, 3=fair, 4=good, 5=outstanding): 3

Scheduling

Well, it took me over an hour last night, but I got my training schedule written down on the calendar for the next 16 weeks. I plan to post my daily mileage and weekly goals, which, for the next couple months, largely involve staying healthy and not catching Henry's colds.

I plan to run one race between now and the marathon--the Hyannis half-marathon at the end of February. Not the best time of year to visit the Cape, but it will be fun to have a race halfway through my training to pump me up for the remainder of the season.

Importantly, I only have one trip planned between now and April 16, and it falls early in the training, so I won't have to put in long miles while I'm away. Running long distances while traveling is always tricky (I had to run an 8-miler while we were in Vancouver during training for the Richmond marathon and that was a challenge), so I'm glad I won't have to put in more than a 6-miler while in Georgia in January.

So things are fairly well set and I'm ready to get this show on the road...

Fuel

This month's issue of Runner's World offers a recipe for a post-workout dish that is high in carbohydrates (Atkins, be damned) and protein and involves no artificial ingredients. The chef who concocted this Tortilla Pie, Rolf Runkel, is a Bermuda-based runner himself and gets up early to put in 5 to 10 miles before heading to work.

Tortilla Pie
1 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 minced clove of garlic
1 can yellow corn, drained (15 oz)
1 can kidney beans, drained (15 oz)
1 can black beans, drained (15 oz)
1 can small white beans, drained (15 oz)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 tbs taco seasoning
1 tbs dried basil
5 soft tortillas (10-12")
1 c. shredded cheese

Heat oil in a frying pan and saute the onions, celery, and garlic until onions are transparent. Add corn, beans, tomato paste, basil, and taco seasoning. Heat thoroughly. Set aside 2 tbs. of the bean mix.
Preheat oven to 350.

Place 1 tortilla on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Spoon a few tbs. of the bean mixture on the tortilla and spread it out evenly. Place another tortilla on top of the beans and top with the beans again, repeating the process until you've used all five tortillas.

Add 1 tbs. of water to the remaining mix and spread it over the top tortilla.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake until cheese has melted.
Let sit for 15 minutes.

Serves 6.

The Forecast: Some Big Numbers

My official training season starts this weekend, with four months to the marathon. On my run today I thought of all of the numerical accomplishments to get me to April 16. One of the most satisfying aspects of running a marathon is all of the achievements you experience along the way.

On April 17, I will celebrate finishing the marathon and raising thousands of dollars for Dana-Farber. I will also celebrate the following accomplishments, which are currently set before me as expected feats by April 16:

• Days of running in my 16-week training plan: 64
• Miles to run: 365
• Money left to raise before meeting my personal goal ($7500): $3,830.20
• Calories burned: 29,200
• Approximate additional hours of "Henry time" to be assumed by Brian while I run: 60.83

Wow.

Dean's Not Done

Dean Karnazes, the guy who ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, is at it again. He's decided to run from New York City to his home in San Francisco, which is a distance of about 3,000 miles. Currently, he's at the intersection of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, having gone 853 miles in 18 days and burned over 100,000 calories!

Dean isn't just doing this for kicks or because he's nuts (though the latter is debateable, I think). He's running to raise money for his charity, Karno Kids, which promotes children's fitness. His goal is to raise $50,000, and he's collected about $12,000 so far.

His route is fairly unscripted, though he's trying to stay along Route 50 if the weather cooperates. Should the weather turn too cold, he'll head further south. I ran fairly comfortably in 19 degrees today, so it would have to get pretty cold to change his course, I'd think, especially given the following comments he made about running in Ohio the other day:

At one hill, I could not make forward progress. The ice was too slippery. With every step forward, my foot would slip back. I kept trying and trying, but couldn’t get up the thing. I even tried stepping sideways with little baby steps. Still too slippery. Eventually I used my hands to “spider-walk” up it. That hundred foot climb must have taken me twenty minutes.

He doesn't seem to have a firm goal set in terms of time, as he's stopping along the way to talk to schools about fitness and his charity. Dean is striving to visit as many schools as possible, which will obviously slow his progress across the country.

Dean is blogging his run and this unbelieveable Forest Gump-esque challenge.

Something that Won't Give You Cancer

I realize many of my posts relay new likely sources for increased cancer risk, so I'm happy to offer a study that contradicts previous assertions about the link between cell phones and cancerous tumors in the head and neck. A study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute examined the cell phone records from about 420,000 people in Denmark between 1982 and 1995. The article reports no increased risk of brain tumors, or malignancies in the salivary glands, eyes, or inner ear. The risk of cancer was actually slightly lower among cell phone users, a phenomenon that is as yet unexplainable. Importantly, the researchers received no funding from the cell phone industry for their study.

So there you have it. There are hundreds of things you're probably doing that could increase your risk for cancer, but talking on your cell phone does not seem to be one of them. It will, however, increase your risk for being an unsafe and annoying driver and greatly angering others on the road.

Splurge to Cure Cancer

This holiday season, Dana-Farber is holding an online auction on some very cool stuff to assist its fundraising efforts. The items include:

• Tickets to Hawaii to see the filming of an episode of Lost. (This one's already up to $10,000!)
  
• Lunch at Fenway Park with Red Sox President Larry Lucchino.
  
• A one-of-a-kind pink Segway.
  
• Two 2007 season passes for the New England Patriots, including access to the Dana-Farber Field House for tailgating.
  
• A villa for one week on the island of Mustique.

So if you're still looking for that special something for that special someone, or you still have money to burn after clicking on the Sponsor Kristina button at right, visit the Dana-Farber auction. The auction ends December 8 at 5pm.

A Four-Kleenex Day on Two-Kleenexes

I bought a runner's log the other day to keep track of my mileage and my weekly goals, as well as things like the temperature, what I wore (so I can consult earlier days to figure out how to dress for different temps), and how the run went. This evening, while I was running in the 33 degree darkness, I discovered I can assess the temperature not just by a thermometer or layers of clothing but by the number of times I need to blow my nose on a 4-mile jog. This will be useful to track because tonight, unfortunately, I faced a short supply. It was definitely a 4-Kleenex jog on a 2-Kleenex stash. Thank goodness it was pitch black outside by the time I finished because I was not a pretty sight. I pictured myself looking like the kids at Henry's daycare when I drop him off; there are always at least two of them with awful drippy noses. Tonight I was definitely a daycare kid.

Good Morning, Marathon Runners

Every night, Brian and I read a book to Henry titled Goodnight, Boston. He loves pointing to the places he's been, and each page pictures a different Boston landmark that merits some comment. The third page reads, "Good morning, marathon runners," and this year will be the first year that this greeting is accurate, since the race begins at 10:30 (for me; elite runners start at 10) but has started at noon in previous years. Anyway, every time we get to that page, Henry looks at the six or seven runners ascending Heartbreak Hill in the picture and points to a blonde woman climbing with a determined expression on her face and says, "That one Mommy." I'm not blonde so I don't know why she gets to be me (or I get to be her), but at least he's not pointing to the person on all fours crying his way up the hill.

For all the time I've been giving to training and participation in the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge experience, Henry has loved having running and races become a part of our lives. He and I run races around the house (he thinks that running "races" means the participants all hold hands while they run), and he likes to hold a piece of paper to his chest as his race number. As much as he gets a kick out of running, I am invigorated every night by his reminder that this is a big part of who I am, and it motivates me to set out the next day's running clothes so I'll get out of my warm bed and out into the cold to train.

Brrrrrrrrr

29 degrees. It was my coldest run yet this season, and I felt it. I ran this morning in a sleeveless jacket (sleeves were lost in the Thanksgiving race), and could feel the harsh wind against my cheeks as the following cycled through my head:

All I want is a room somewhere,
far away from the cold night [morning] air,
in one enormous chair.
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly!

Lots of chocolate for me to eat.
Lots of coal making lots of heat.
Warm hands, warm heart, warm feet.
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly!