Cross Training One of the best things a runner can do to improve his performance is cross training. Runners often fall into the trap of focusing their training just in the running spectrum, forgetting that there are other muscles that need to be worked on. Cross training is about dedicating other days of the week to do work-outs different from running. This practice helps developing a more balanced body, prevents injuries and enhances the running experience. One of the most popular cross training practices is yoga, being hot yoga runners favourite. After a 90 minute hot yoga class, you have the same intense adrenaline feeling of a long run. Hot yoga is hard and strenuous, but helps your body recovering and leaves it ready for a run. Running pushes the legs’ muscles to an extreme workout. To avoid injuries they have to be stretched. We all stretch after we finish running but this is usually not enough. Our legs need a powerful, intense stretch that reaches the deepest fibers of our muscles. I started practicing hot yoga more than a year ago. I decided to do it because I was tired of the constant injuries I was having. My hot yoga practice has changed my running dramatically: injuries are virtually gone and the recovery time between runs is faster. There are different hot yoga studios, the most popular one being Bikram. I go to a studio that uses infra-red heat and changes the poses every class. The required attire for a hot yoga class is basic to survive it: tank top, shorts, towel, water and a special yoga mat. I first took my old yoga matt and a beach towel. The problem with the towel is that you get tangled in it while changing poses. Then I bought a special hot yoga towel that has silicone grips in the bottom, helping it stay in place on you mat. The problem with this one is that it does not have a good grip for your feet and they slip while doing certain poses, causing a possible overstretch that you want to avoid. Finally, I found the perfect hot yoga mat. Of course it is made by Lulu Lemon, the yoga experts. The mat is made out of a very absorbent, antibacterial rubber. With this mat you don’t need to use a towel on top of it (besides your little towel to sweep off your sweat). No matter how much you sweat (believe me it is a lot!) it is absorbed immediately, never affecting the grip of your feet. The mat stays dry the whole time. There are not slips, tangles or “puddles” that can affect your practice. My animal lover note: our mission as humans is to always evolve, to look for a better way to do things. Why is it that we keep doing practices that are cruel and unconscious on one side, while we still believe we are the greatest thing on earth, on the other? Do you want to change? Be a conscious consumer. Buy products that are not animal tested. Look for the labels. Inform yourself. Look online. Research. Learn. Evolve.

Fort Langley Half Marathon February 17th, 2013 Today I ran my first half marathon race of this year. One down, four more to go. What a great run; everything about it was perfect. The weather was nice and sunny, I got to run with my friends and Ron surprised us with a quick visit before the race. What an angel! I woke up at 5am to have my smoothie and went back to bed for one more hour of sleep. Melanie picked me up at 7am and we got to Fort Langley by 7:20. We met Laura there and head straight to the bathroom (you always have to make sure there is nothing in your bladder before a race). The line was 30 minutes long! While we were waiting in line we saw Ron and talked to him. He walked us to the washrooms, held our stuff (water bottles, gloves, etc.) while we went in and then gave us his blessings. We started the race around 8:15am and it took us 2:25 minutes to finish it. Not very fast, but we had all agreed that this race was going to be an easy one for all of us; one of the reasons being my short time training for it (just a month after I recovered from a surgery). The trick to survive the long runs without getting overwhelmed by all the pains that start bugging you after 13-14 kilometers, is talking. You got to talk. You have to tell stories and discuss important topics, you have to argue and fix the world and everyone’s marriages while you run. Today we talked about finances and how each one of us manages our money in our relationships. We talked about our ages (I am the oldest one, 36 years old. Laura and Melanie are 33) and how great we feel now. We all agreed that we would not change who we are now for who we were 10 years ago. We agreed that we love the way we think, our jobs, our bodies, our families, etc. By the time we hit kilometer 19 we decided to pick up the pace, to go a little faster. It is always a great feeling to see that you still have extra energy to push your body harder. We started passing lots of runners that were struggling to finish. When we were almost there, Melanie started slowing down. She was tired (we all were). Laura and I grabbed each one a hand and pull her close to us. We had to finish together. We ran together the whole time and she did her share of talking, so we had to do our share of pushing her at the end. We crossed the line together, holding hands. How cool! Running is not always about being the fastest one. It is about having fun, enjoying the views, enjoying your friends and being there for each other. Running 21 kilometers by yourself is not the same experience as running them with your friends. This makes it completely different. And there is not a greater pleasure than knowing that your friends are there for you and you are there for them. My animal lover note: during this past week I sold scarfs to race funds for PETA. Lots of people joined the cause by buying a scarf. I really appreciate their help. I love you guys!

What is a Super Powerful Smoothie? A while ago I decided to make sure I had a very healthy breakfast every day. I started researching and found smoothies as one of the best options. The good thing about a smoothie is that you can add tons of healthy foods in just one meal. There are different recipes and endless choices for a morning smoothie. Mine is vegan, of course, and follows what the experts say a smoothie should have. Protein powder: I use VEGA, which is a vegan protein powder, formulated by a vegan athlete. It is one of the best protein powders in the market, if not the best one. Fruit: One banana and some frozen berries. Oil: One tablespoon of coconut oil, which is great to enhance your memory. Super-food: One tablespoon of maca powder. Maca is a root like yuca. It was mainly eaten by the Incas in South America. It regulates your hormones and gives you a natural boost of energy. Liquid: I vary between orange juice, soy milk or almond milk depending on my mood. Fibre: Two tablespoons of rolled oats and one table spoon of chia seeds. This is the magic recipe. It is a very healthy and complete breakfast. It fills me up until noon and it gives me most of the important nutrients that I need to carry my busy and active live. My animal lover note: Next weekend I will be running my first half marathon race of this year. The activity that I will be doing throughout this week, to race founds for PETA, is selling some scarfs that I have made. If you are interesting in buying one, please contact me ASAP. I do not have a lot and they are totally gorgeous. If you can’t buy one you can still help by donating directly to PETA. Copy paste the following link for direct donations. Thanks! http://www.crowdrise.com/theokirunner

The Art of a Long Run Running long distances is not just about running a lot. There is a science behind that (or at least I want to think there is). Main worry of female runners: feeling like going to the bathroom when there are still 10 kilometers to go! Guys usually solve that problem easier, and you know what I mean by that. Since it happens to all of us (female runners) at least once, of course I went through that nightmare. Once you feel the uncomfortable sensation of a full bladder the first thing that you do is curse, then you tell someone that is running with you, and finally you do not want to think about it. Hopefully by not thinking it goes away, but it is not what happens usually. Sometimes the route is through the city, so you can luckily find a Starbucks or Tim Horton on your way. Sometimes is in a provincial park, so you can find pits. But sometimes there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that can help you facilitate the liberation process. When I started running I went through all the experiences above, until I decided to find a way out of peeing while running. Our long runs are on Sundays. We meet at the Running Room at 8:30am. A good, responsible runner should have some breakfast. My daily breakfast is a super powerful smoothie. This works perfect for me since I can’t eat solid food before I am going for a run. I feel very uncomfortable and it makes me nauseous. Some people can handle this, but not me. My proven scientific method to not feel like peeing while running my long runs: wake up at 6:00am and go to the bathroom, have my super powerful smoothie, go back to bed until 7:45am then go to the bathroom again. I start getting ready for my run and just right before leaving the house, at 8:15am, I go to the bathroom one last time. By this time every extra amount of liquid has abandoned my body and I know, as a fact and that is why this is science, that I can handle up to three hours without feeling that bugging need again. I feel liberated!!!!! My animal lover note: Hey people, if you want to donate something out of love for animals or for me, just copy paste this link on your browser: http://www.crowdrise.com/theokirunner This is PETA’s site for donations. The money will go directly to them. Everything helps, $5, $20, $100, whatever you feel like giving. The best thing is that I will love you forever!