Sunday, March 27, 2011

Week of 3/27/11 - 4/2/11

Snow!?!  So much for the return of our Sunday morning outdoor bike rides.  :-)  Hopefully the weather will cooperate a little more next week and we can get back on the bikes!

Yesterday was a fun run at the C&O Canal.  Although it did take a while to get the DC parking meters to work and to find out where everyone was parked... it turned out to be a pretty successful run.  For those of you who don't know, a few of us met a flasher on the trail yesterday.  Although filling out a report with the Park Police provided a welcome walk break, it made me think that it might not be a bad idea to keep an eye out for safety alerts regarding the W&OD trail.  Sure enough, the Reston Runners had a bulletin posted about an attempted attack about a week ago.  I'm sure stuff like this is less likely to occur on a crowded Saturday or Sunday morning, but it is a good reminder that us girls shouldn't really run on these trails alone on the weekdays!  Better safe than sorry.

Before we get to the scheduling notes for this week, I want to give a shout out to Hayley Roggia.  Hayley and her husband Adam live in Stafford, so it makes it a little difficult for them to join us on our weekly group runs (except for the terrible track workouts that Adam insists on pacing us Marymount DPT students through each Tuesday at lunchtime).  But, some of you might have met Hayley and her two children, Ellie and Seth, at my birthday party this past November.  Hayley just had an article published on pg. 38 of the March/April 2011 issue of Rocky Mountain Running and Triathlon Magazine talking about running and pregnancy.  The full article text is also available on Adam's blog.  Congrats, Hayley!

Schedule notes for this week (please check the blog regularly as several members frequently post additional track times):


Happy training!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Week of 3/20/11 - 3/26/11

This weekend the Rogue Racers are participating in several races (e.g. G.C. Round Shamrock Run 5K, Shamrock Half Marathon, Shamrock Marathon, and the Scope It Out 5K).  Check the results page of our website over the next few days to see how everyone did.  Hopefully we will see some PR's!

The race singlets are in and will be sent for screen printing early next week.  It looks like they will definitely be ready in time for the Parkway Classic.  Maybe we can organize everyone at the race and take a team photo?

Schedule notes for this week:


Happy training!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Week of 3/7/11-3/13/11: Keith runs a sub 18:30 5K!!!

Peter and Keith rocked it out at the Thaw 5K this past Sunday.  Keith ran a sub 18:30 5K for 3rd place overall, and Peter ran around 19:20 for 6th place overall.  The official race results are not posted yet, but we will post official times on our website when they are available.

A couple of scheduling notes for this week:

  • Monday 3/7/11:  Join Peter and Keith at the Chantilly HS track at 5:45pm
  • Tuesday 3/8/11:  12:15pm track workout at Washington-Lee HS is CANCELLED
  • Tuesday 3/8/11:  Chantilly HS track workout starting at 5:15pm (come whenever you can!)
  • Saturday 3/12/11:  W&OD long run starting at 8am 

    For this Saturday's long run we have people running 6 miles, 13 miles, 15 miles, and 20 miles... so there is a distance for everybody!

    Happy training!

    Wednesday, March 2, 2011

    A Protein and a Carb: A Match Made in Heaven

    One of my ultimate goals as a Nutrition and Wellness professional is to educate people about the power of good food.  I feel that the more you understand, the easier it may be to apply it in your everyday life.  Today's topic is simple, but abundantly overlooked.
    Enjoy the read:

    Do you have a protein source with all your snacks and meals?  If you do, you'll make the most of the time and energy you're putting into your exercise routine and the results can be great.  Why not get the best results with the least amount of effort?  It's very important to combine protein rich foods with good carbohydrate rich foods.  Why?

    A meal comprised only of carbohydrates and nothing else can cause your glucose (sugar) levels to rise up and then crash down.  This increase and spike may leave you feeling hungry, tired and it also gives your body an easy opportunity to covert those carbohydrates in that meal directly to fat.

    Including proteins will enable you to stay full longer, your glucose levels will stay more consistent, your metabolism will work more efficiently, and you will feel like you have more energy for longer periods of time.  When we combine carbohydrates and proteins in a meal the carbohydrates are digested in about two hours, but the proteins take longer to digest.  When the two are eaten together, proteins slow down the digestion of the carbohydrates, and energy from the carbohydrates is released slower.  This is a positive result.  In addition, eating carbohydrates with protein means the carbohydrates will be used for energy, leaving the protein for use in building and repairing muscle tissues.  This is the primary function of protein.

    If you've attended one of my Nutrition 101 Workshops you know I promote the four food groups: Protein, Carbs, Fat, and Water!  Make an effort to include each in every one of your daily meals and snacks throughout the day.




    Vanessa Spiller is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer.  She is also certified in the TRX Suspension Training System.  Visit her health and wellness website at www.gethealthywithvanessa.com.  Vanessa teaches TRX classes in Gainesville, VA at Balans Studio.  Check out their complete listing of classes offered at www.balansstudio.com.