Monday, December 11, 2017

What Type of Runner are You?


If you know me, you know running is my therapy, and lately I've been needing more than usual! Good thing for me the stars have aligned and the weather has cooled and at the same time, my new Mizunos arrived! Glory hallelujah! 

I was long overdue for a new set of wheels for my feet so these couldn't have arrived at a better time! Whether you're a beginner, novice or advanced runner, you have to pay close attention to the shows you wear, whether you run indoors or out. You have to replace your shoes every 6 months or so and/or every 300-500 miles. 

You also have to make sure you're wearing the RIGHT shoe. Did you know that there are 3 main types of running shoes that correlate to the way your foot strikes the ground when you walk or run? Wearing the wrong shoe and not paying attention to your foot strike can hinder your progress and even lead to pain and injury. 

So, what are the 3 types of runners and foot strikes? They are pronation, supination and neutral. 


Probation is another way of saying you have a very low arch and/or have flat feet. This means your feet tend to roll in towards the center when you run. If you experience ankle pain and/or shin splints often, you may be pronating and not wearing the right shoe for support.

Supination is the opposite of pronation. It's when you roll your feet outward excessively and your feet never make full contact with the ground when you strike. Supinators have high arches and without the right support shoe, most likely suffer from plantar fasciitis and ankle sprains.

Neutral runners are the other. This is where I fall in and it means I don't pronate or supinate. I have a normal foot strike and this why I can run up to 35 miles a week and not feel any pain. 


So, how can you tell what type of strike you have? It's easy and you don't have to go to a speciality store to figure it out. First look at your walking/running shoes. If they're more worn on the inside, you pronate. If they're more worn on the outside, you supinate. If they're evenly worn, you're w neutral runner. 

If you don't have a pair of shoes you can clearly see wear on, try the cardboard test. Place a piece of cardboard on the ground. Make sure it's evenly flat. Wet the soles of your feet and stand on the cardboard. Look at the foot imprint. If it's evenly wet and you can see the balls of your feet, full heel and your arch, you're neutral. If most of the wetness is on the outer portion of your foot, you supinate. If most of it is on the inside, you pronate. 


Once you've determined the type of strike you have, you can research the best shoe for you and hopefully find a good fit. 

My favorites, as a neutral runner, are the Mizuno Wave Riders. It's my 3rd pair of Wave Riders, my current pair is the Wave Rider 21, and it's been my go to shoe for the last year. 

I need a stability shoe since I'm a neutral runner and after trying several Saucony, Asics, Nike and Brooks models, I have to say I'm happiest with these.

They're the perfect balance of comfort, support and weight. They're lightweight, breath really well with their mesh upper and they're ideal for anyone with medium to high arches like I have that require more of a neutral shoe.

I've had them only 2 weeks and they've already conquered the beach, pavement, grass, rocks, trails, the gym and even a friendly game of racquetball! 

So, if you're in the market for a new neutral running shoe, these Mizuno Wave Rider 21 are definitely worth a look! 


For other styles more suitable for those that pronate or supinate, head over to Mizuno.com and look at their entire line. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mizuno. The opinions and text are all mine.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Welcome to Clean Week!

Welcome to CLEAN WEEK!
Can you eat clean for 7 days?
Clean eating means to concentrate on whole foods. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, healthy fats are considered clean foods. You want to avoid processed foods, foods with preservatives added and those that contain unhealthy fats. A good rule of thumb is if you could pick it or kill it, you can eat it on Clean Week.

If you missed out on this CLEAN WEEK group, don't worry, there will be another one.  Email me at ellieperico@gmail.com and I'll send you details on the upcoming one!
Below are the basic steps to getting ready to begin CLEAN WEEK:
1.     Determine your eating plan. If you weigh less than 185lbs, you get breakfast, Shakeology (or snack), lunch, dinner. If your weight is over 185lbs, you add in one more snack between lunch and dinner.

2.     Create your Clean Week menu. For each meal and snack, you get 7 different recipes to choose from. This makes meal planning SUPER simple! You can easily mix and match the foods you enjoy to provide the right nutritional value for the week without overthinking it.

3.     Meal prep for the week. Once you have your week long meal plan created, you can start meal prepping for the week. This is a huge time saver and will also keep you on track without excuses for slipping. A sample meal plan is below as an example.  

4.     The last step is to Drink Your Shakeology daily.  Shakeology is used as a snack with this program. The nutrition guide comes with several recipes. You can also choose another snack if you don’t have Shakeology, although Beachbody created Clean Week specifically to try it out before committing.


There are a wide variety of recipes that come in the Clean Week guide and all are labeled V for vegan, VG for vegetarian, GF for gluten free or DF for Dairy Free.  The recipes that come with it are as follows:

§  Breakfast: protein pancakes, berry walnut oatmeal, egg & veggie scramble, almond butter banana, lox ’n’ toast, yogurt parfait, and breakfast bowl.

§  Lunch: tuna melt, Mediterranean veggie pita, lentil quinoa salad, chicken quinoa and broccoli, turkey burger, protein-packed salad, and salmon bowl salad.

§  Dinner: buffalo wings, teriyaki tempeh, veggie burger, grilled halibut, sweet potato and veggies, shrimp and veggie pesto pasta, chicken corn and salad, and pork and beans.

§  Snacks: veggies ‘n’ hummus with almonds, protein power edamame, nutty apple, yogurt bowl, trail mix, avocado toast with fruit, and sweet and savory turkey jerky.

§  Shakeology: almond butter cup, chocolate-covered cherry, banana bread, berry-licious, nutty mocha latte, cafe latte banana, strawberry almond dream, and strawberry chia.

As you can see, there are a number of tasty recipes to choose from. And I really love the ease and simplicity of just mixing and matching. No one should be able to say there’s nothing on the meal plan they don’t like! The recipes are pretty basic and use just a handful of ingredients. 
Below is a sample meal plan I created as an example only.  You can create your meal plan as you’d like.  I like to eat the same things a few times a week (as you can see below) because it makes meal planning easy but it’s totally up to you how you want to create it. Below is a blank meal plan for you to use if you’d like. 
CLEAN WEEK SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
Protein Pancakes
Egg & Veggie Scramble
Lox and Toast
Yogurt Parfait
Protein Pancakes
Egg & Veggie Scramble
Yogurt Parfait
SHAKEOLOGY
Almond Butter Cup
Cafe Latte Banana
Strawberry Almond Dream
Chocolate w/ PB Fit or reg PB
Vanilla with Cinnamon
Strawberry w/ blueberries
Vanilla with banana and pumpkin spice
LUNCH
Mediterranean Veggie Pita
Tuna Melt
Turkey Burger
Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli
Tuna Melt
Turkey Burger
Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli
SNACK (only if you’re over 185 lbs)
Veggies and hummus with almonds
Avocado toast with fruit
Turkey Jerky
Nutty Apple
Protein Powder
Veggies and hummus with almonds
Turkey Jerky
DINNER
Veggie Burger
Grilled Halibut
Shrimp and Pesto Pasta
Buffalo Wings
Veggie Burger
Grilled Halibut
Shrimp and Pesto Pasta

CLEAN WEEK SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST







SHAKEOLOGY







LUNCH







SNACK (only if you’re over 185 lbs)







DINNER







Tuesday, October 24, 2017

SUPER Easy and Delicious Baked Salmon



I swear this has to be the EASIEST recipe EVER for lunch or dinner! And it's SOOOOOO good!!  I bought the salmon from Costco.  It was about 3 lbs of it.  Made it for dinner and Monday and have been having it for lunch all week! The kids loved it too!

Ingredients

Salmon
Kirkland No Salt Seasoning
Parsley
Lemon or lime juice

1.  Place the salmon on a cookie sheet with a baking rack on top. I like to make it on the rack because most of the fat falls into the cookie sheet and the salmon doesn't cook in it.  I leave the skin ON while cooking.   Make sure you spray the rack so it doesn't stick.

2.  Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on top of it.  As much or as little as you'd like.

3.  Sprinkle with Kirkland no salt seasoning and parsley.  Rub it in.

4.  Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

5.  Remove, let cool and ENJOY! We ate it with baked sweet potato and steamed Normandy veggies topped with Gorgonzola cheese.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

How to Run Faster and Farther!


It doesn’t matter whether you’re a weekend warrior or a veteran racer — if you pound the pavement, odds are you feel a drive to push yourself every time you lace up. It’s goes with being a runner. But we’re also willing to bet that there’s room for improvement in your training program, and that making just a few small tweaks can help you reach your goals faster. Start with the following five. We tapped two of the greatest running minds in the country to discover their secrets for squeezing more from every workout. Follow them, and you’ll not only train smarter and recover quicker, but have more fun while you’re at it.
Rethink Your Warmup
Slow, easy running is sometimes referred to as “junk mileage” because runners don’t see the benefit of putting in training miles at speeds well below race pace. Nothing could be further from the truth. In particular, priming your muscles for hard workouts and races is one of the easiest ways to boost running performance.
“Warming up helps increase circulation and creates heat, which loosens and primes the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons for the workout ahead,” explains Jennifer Gill, a Road Runners Club of America coach and certified personal trainer based in San Diego. “That not only means better performance during your run, but also a lower risk of injury.”
Another smart move: Perform dynamic stretches such as lunges, high knees, and butt kicks before you log those warmup miles. Research shows that doing so can improve leg strength, power, and overall running economy.

Mix Up Your Workouts
It’s easy to fall into a routine if you lift weights, but it’s even easier if you run. After all, everyone has his or her favorite routes. If you find that you’re running the same pace, distance, and course every day, it’s time to switch up your training.
“The body needs a balanced [and varied] workout regimen to build endurance, speed, and stamina,” explains Nikki Rafie, a Portland-based coach and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier. “This means your running plan should include tempo runs in addition to long slow distance to improve overall performance.”
Need another reason to pick up the pace? Runners tend to get more enjoyment out of high-intensity workouts than moderate to low intensity workouts, according to a study in the Journal of Sports Sciences. In short, running fast is more fun than running slow, and there’s no shortage of research underscoring the link between fun and athletic performance.

Strength Train
Science is pretty clear when it comes to whether strength training can benefit endurance athletes, yet it remains one of the most overlooked elements of many cardio programs. “Strength training can not only improve speed and power, but it can also help improve cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and efficiency, allowing you to perform the same workouts with less energy expenditure,” adds Gill.
What’s more, strength work can help reduce the risk of running injuries by not only strengthening muscles, but also by reinforcing ligaments and tendons. Just two to three strength sessions per week is all you need.

Make Recovery a Priority
Taking time to recover from tough workouts is just as important as the workouts themselves. If you don’t allow your body time to bounce back, you’ll likely run yourself straight into an injury. “The body is always trying to self-regulate and heal itself, and that’s why rest days are important,” says Rafie. “The joints and muscles need time to rest so the body can heal, rather than breaking down from continuous wear and tear.”
For most runners, this means taking at least one day off from training each week. You should also alternate hard and easy days so that your body can perform optimally in each workout. 

Eat Like an Athlete
Burning tons of calories through regular exercise doesn’t give you a license to eat all of the junk food want—at least, not if you want to achieve your goals. Indeed, targeted nutrition and strategic eating — including taking in the right amount and the right kinds of calories — are essential to increasing energy levels, boosting performance, maximizing gains, and accelerating recovery.
Most people focus on protein intake, but carbs are just as important — especially when it comes to “metabolic recovery,” or topping off the fuel stores your body uses to create energy.
“Taking in the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats between workouts will replenish energy stores, rebuild muscles, and provide enough vitamins and minerals for overall health and wellness,” explains Gill, who is also a license sports nutritionist. “If you don’t, your body won’t be able to perform properly, and will ultimately break down.”