who me?? Runner's World story

This past week I had a phone conversation with a guy doing a Runner's World story about recovery methods.  I felt kinda like a bozo - 'who me?  what do i know about running??'   But that's typical Boulder - there's always someone that's connected to someone else or knows someone and somehow a newbie like me gets asks questions by some guy writing for Runner's World.   how weird is that??
Backstory
This past summer as I was ramping up toward the crux of my Breck Epic training...Coach told me "you are a slow recover-er".   That really bummed me out..I thought to myself "great another thing I need to worry about.'  But it was true - every workout left me sore and tired.  If I was going to reach my goal of doing a 6 day mtn bike race at high altitude- I'd have to recover faster in order to be able to train harder.

slowing easing into a freezing cold river in Salida!

As any great coach would do - Lynda took a hard look at my nutrition and recovery methods.  This is when I learned the *magic* of ice baths, compression tights and foam rollers.   I think the ice baths were the key.  My first "ice bath" was soaking in the river in Salida after day 1 of a 2 day stage race.  I was seriously amazed how good I felt afterward and how well I rode the next day.  SOLD! From then on after every hard workout there was a ice bath immediately afterward, a little foam rolling and then compression tights.

Since then I have joined All Sports Recovery and take advantage of their MVP Normatec Compression boots, circulating ice bath and cold lasers.  I get my moneys worth for sure - I'm pretty much a fixture at the place... after every run I go there and use the boots and any achy spot I have I use the cold laser on it.  I think it's given me the ability recover faster to go out and run the next day.

no - this not me - it's picture I stole off the All Sports Recovery website.  But let me tell you - you'd be smiling like that too if you were in those boots - those puppies are awesome!!!

Now to the Runners World part...
So other day I was at All Sports and I had a conversation with the owner Josh.

Josh: "hey -you are a runner, right?"
me: "welll...I just started running I'm not quite sure I'd call myself a runner"
Josh: "this guy from Runner's World is doing a story on running and recovery methods - would you be willing to talk to him?"
me: "uhhh...shouldn't he be talking to like a *real runner*...maybe even an expert?"
Josh: "No - actually I recommended another lady that comes here - but he recognized her name and said she was *too fast*.  He wanted to talk to someone that was more average"
me: "uhhh...we'll i'm definitely average - so..ok...sure..I'll talk to him"

The guy called me up and wanted to know a few things:
1.  how long I had been running (4 months)
2.  recovery methods I was consistently using . (ice baths, MVP compression boots, foam roller and compression tights)
3. how long I've been doing these recovery methods (since the summer while training for a mtn bike race and since then I use the same recovery methods for running)
4.  Did I think running was harder on the body than mtn biking( yes -  I think a demanding, technical 3 hour mtn bike ride would be equivalent to a 1 hour tempo run)
5. Had my running speed gotten any faster since I started running (yes - i have definitely improved over the last 4 months)
6. Did I think the recovery methods I was using allowed me to run faster.(to this I said - yes and no.  Whenever you start something new big gains are usually made at the start.  So the fact that once my body got used to running consistently then my speed increased.  So the fact I was a newbie with a good cardio fitness base gave me the ability to run faster within a few months.  However; I think the fact that the recovery methods I used allowed me to run consistently.  If my muscles weren't sore and fatigued that allowed me to go out and run the next day. So yes - recovery methods I used enable me to run faster since I wasn't fatigued)

It was interesting conversation...I don't know if he'll use anything I told him..but it was a cool experience.

committed

At least until April 15th.  Hope my mtn bike(s) don't miss me too much.  :)

The Best of 2011 - the Best day of my life - July 23, 2011

While everyone has a list of "the best of 2011" - I only have one thing on the list and it overshadows every other day in my life.  Now don't get me wrong - I had a lot of great days and personal achievements this year...actually every year I have amazing and wonderful days - but July 23, 2011 was hands down the best day of my life.

July 23, 2011 was the day the light of my life - my son Ricky married Catherine.

 I knew it would be a wonderful day and as it unfolded I realized it was turning into something very special and I made sure I was present every moment and didn't take a second for granted.

It even made me happier when Ricky told me the wedding wildly exceeded what he dared hoped it would be.  With both the families and his life long friends all sharing in their magical day.


The couple
Catherine is the perfect match for Ricky.  From the beginning when Ricky talked about Catherine - I knew she was something special to him.  And tho personally I haven't spent much time with her - I know about her through Ricky.  So when they announced their engagement last year I breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to let her get away!

Catherine looking stunning on her 30th birthday

And after spending the wedding weekend with them on that estate in upstate New York - i was able to witness how in sync they were and their love and devotion to each other.   A mother couldn't ask for more.

AND how could one doubt that they were meant to be together.  Catherine drew this picture when she was around 9 years old.  The groom in that drawing looks just like Ricky.

The families

I met Catherine's parents that weekend.  Without them - this magical day would not have been possible.  

Larry, Catherine, Marilyn

They contributed so much to making it happen.   It was really nice to meet them and they told me "Ricky stories" and talked about how much they loved him.  Catherine has a large family - 2 sisters(Megan & Colleen) and 2 brothers(Matt & Chris).   She's the youngest child.   Plus the Aunts, Uncles, cousins and family friends were in attendance.  Everyone I talked to had "Ricky stories" and they were talked about what a kind and good person Ricky is...I was filled with so much joy that day knowing how much Ricky is loved.

Colleen and Mega

As the sisters gave their toasts for the couple that both spoke of how not only was Ricky - now Catherine's husband - they also considered him a very good personal friend.

My Mom really made this weekend special too.  She made sure that every close family member made it to the wedding.  I know she did whatever she had to do (be it airfare, hotel room or rental cars) to make sure all my sisters and brother and their children attended this event.   Seriously - it made it all that more special to have all our close family members there and my Mom made it possible.

my Mom and Dad - Ricky's Grandparents

Daddy, Mom, Ricky, Catherine, me and Dave

uhh...the Ferrer sisters aren't all in one place very often - but maybe that's a good thing!  Kathy, Leticia, Patricia, me

The Friends

Marcus was Ricky's best man.  They have been friends since kindergarten.  The rest of his groomsmen are friends from High School and/or college.  All of his friends are amazing and fine young men in their own right.  As a young man of 30 years old - Ricky has lifelong friends.    I think that speaks a lot of his character.

ricky and marcus - BFF

Ricky's friends have all grown up to be fine young men

the Groomsmen looking stylish - actually I'm still slightly freaked out that the boys I remember from Ricky's childhood are now young men.  

Marcus gave a great toast to the couple.   He started off by saying "Our friendship is old enough to rent a car"  They have been friends for 25+ years.   Marcus had everyone rolling on the floor with laughter.   My only regret for that day is that toast was not recorded.  

The reception was so much fun.  Much dancing and merry making.  I had to call it quits at 12midnight - but I heard my 76 year old Mom outlasted pretty much everyone and was up until 1am.   that woman has stamina!!

The Venue

As I said - Catherine's parents made this special day possible.  They rented an estate for the weekend that slept 20 people so the immediate family members were all together for the weekend.   It was a beautiful location.

In the end

As a Mother - I could have not dreamed of better for Ricky. You hope you have provide an environment where your child can have a better life than you.  That's all I wanted for Ricky.  Now as a young adult he's grown into a kind and good person.  He career is his hobby (he's a graphic designer) and he is hard worker and always does his best.  He married his perfect match.  He lives in the city he always wanted to live in. (NYC) He is much loved by many people.  He's created a wonderful life for himself.

So, I find myself at a slightly odd space in life.  After Ricky went to college - I moved to Boulder, CO.  In the 10 years I've been here - my life is spent doing what I want to do whenever I want to do it.   I feel I live a "decadent" life.  No - it's not one of wild parties and unrestrained eating.  But one of riding my bike, or running or sleeping late when I want or eating breakfast at The Walnut or Turley's whenever I damn well please or even adding another pair of boots to my boot collection.

And in Boulder where so much revolves around personal accomplishments (not that I'm not immensely proud of my hard work and accomplishments around mtn biking) it feels so damn good that the best day in my life has nothing to do with me or something as frivolous as doing well in a mtn bike race.  

What's your secret? Skin care regime part deux

I am 50 years old and have been told I look "young for my age".  Since I've been in my early 40s people have asked me for my skin care secret.  I have been consistent in taking care of my skin for 25+ years - that consistency (which means I look like a big nerd sometimes)  has left my skin in decent shape for a 50 year old...(disclaimer: I'm NOT a skin care expert - this is just info based on my layman's knowledge, advice from my PA derm sister, and my personal research & experience!)

here's picture of me at Ricky's wedding - July 23, 2011(i'm 49.5 years old in this picture).  This picture is taken in natural light - I'm wearing lipstick but other than that I am not wearing any makeup at all.  And I do happen to have a big zit on my right cheek. ;)

if you click on the picture you can see the gray hairs are showing & the crows feet

Yes - this is soft lighting.  This is my friend Brooke and I at my 50th birthday party - Brooke is 40 and has been listening to me preach the sunscreen sermon for over 10 years.  ;)

2 pics of me in harsh outdoor light - the wrinkles and gray hair stand out!
No botox for me - I like having facial expressions  ;)

ok..maybe I went a little overboard here with the sunscreen on the arms and the "burqa" around my face - what a dork!  Look how cute my friend Tracy looks in a tank top without all that white sunscreen on her arms...

I did a blog post on my skin care regime back in 2006.(i'm ~44 years old in the pic in the 2006 blog post)  Due to the fact my regime has changed a little bit in the last 6 years  and after attending a Slipada party the other night where pretty much every women there (when they found out my age) asked me about my skin care secret - I decided to revisit the subject.


So here is is...

First off - consistency is KEY.  

1. I never, EVER leave the house without putting sunscreen on.  I put it on my face, neck and back of my hands.  I don't care how cloudy it is or how short the days are or if i'm only going outside to run errands for 15 minutes - i always wear sunscreen.   I've been wearing sunscreen everyday for 25+ years...since my mid-20s. 
2. Over the years so many people have asked me for advice.  Months later I'll ask how it's going and they'll say - 'oh - i'm not really following the regime any more'.  Then they wonder why are they aren't seeing results. 
3. Be patient - it's not an overnight change - it takes time.  I'd say give it at least 6 months - take before and after pictures.  Take close up pictures in good lighting to track progress.
4. For the past 12 years I've been using my daily/nightly skin care regime (outlined below) religiously.

I guess i beat the consistency horse to death, eh??  ;)


There are several good options out there

Skin care be overwhelming and confusing.  With all the products(there are several great products available) that are out there it's really hard to know what to do and what items to pick.

• Is expensive better than less expensive?  
• What combination is the best?  
• When do you use these products?
• What order do you use the products?
• When will I see results?

The Oil of Olay Regenerist and Neutragena Ageless Restoratives are 2 very good lines if you don't want to mix and match products.  

The best option that is easy to follow, not too expensive (and works just as well as the way expensive stuff) and can be tailored to your skin type is the Oil Of Olay Regenerist line(i have no affiliation with Oil of Olay).   This link will take you to a questionnaire to determine which products are best for you.   This site outlines products to use based on your skin type and when to use them.  If it wasn't for my PA Dermatologist  sister - I would go this route.

In addition (BIG recommendation) ...

I recommend getting micro-dermabrasion every 4- 6 weeks.  It helps with the sun damage and "supposedly" it helps stimulate collagen production which helps with the elasticity of the skin.

Yep - it can spendy  but there are good options out there. 

1. I go to Longs Peak Acadmeny in Longmont.   Mircoderm treatments are $50 - if you go the 3 pack route - it ends up being ~$39 per treatment.
2. I see so many groupons and living social micro derm deals every week.  Snag one of those and use it!  But do it every 4 - 6 weeks - just like getting a hair cut!

My Personal Regime

Personally - since I know what my skin looked like years 10 - 15 years ago - I definitely see the signs of aging but I think in general what I am doing is working well for me.

here's the goods I use

Products:
1. MD Forte Glycare Facial Cleanser
2. SkinMedica Night Eye Repair
3. SkinMedica Retinol
4. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
5. SkinCeuticals Eye gel
6. SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex
7. Any suncreen containing titanium oxide & zinc oxide.  I don't use chemical sunscreens - so look for the ones that contain titanium or zinc oxide.
8. Cetaphil Unscented moisturizer

9. AmLactin alpha hydroxy lotion

Evening regime:

1. Wash face with MD Forte Glycare Cleansing Gel 
2. Apply SkinMedica Night Eye Repair under eyes
3. Mix a dab of the SkinMedica Retinol with a dab of Skin Medica TNS Recovery Complex and apply to face and neck
4. Apply moisturizer 

Morning regime:

1. Wash face with MD Forte Glycare Cleansing Gel 
2. Apply SkinCeuticals Eye gel
3. Apply SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic  (vitamin C)
4. Apply moisturizer 
5. Apply sunscreen to face, neck and back of hands

Body regime:

1.  Mix a dab of AmLactin & a dab of Cetaphil together and slather on body immediately after a shower or hot bath.  I especially make sure I cover around the top part of the arm area, the skin that covers the collarbones and the decolletage.  These areas seem to be very susceptible to becoming crepey and saggy 
2. I also rub AmLactin on my feet every night before I go to bed.   

 Biking/running regime:

1. Any skin that is exposed to the sun I slather on 2 layers of sunscreen to make sure all spots are covered.   I only use sunscreens that contain zinc or titanium oxide.  The physical barrier is much more effective for sun protection than the chemical sunscreens. 
2. I've taken to wearing either long sleeve SPF material clothing or Arm Coolers that provide sun protection - no matter how hot it is outside.
   

While everyone looks cute in their tank tops and is showing off beautiful muscles - I'm the dork with long sleeves.   I usually have a nice white sheen to my face too.   My friends make fun of me for being all covered up.   But what can you do?? ;)

July 4th 2011 - me and my arm coolers

notice the nice white sheen on my face & oh yeah - that jacket is EMS Teckwik 50+ spf
this is my pal Jessica and I just after we finished a 12 hour mtn bike race.

my favorite sunscreen

I purchase most of these products through Amazon.  For the SkinMedica stuff (super spendy) I usually buy the sample sizes  - it's a lot cheaper that way.  It's hard to get a deal on the TNS recovery so I usually just pay full price - but it's worth it.  Or maybe it's not working but I'm afraid to stop using it in fear of what might happen.

Hope this post was informative and useful!

Floundering and searching for clarity

Knowing what to do during the mtn bike off-season has always been easy.  Strength training(check), yoga(check) and enough biking/cardioto maintain a cardio base(check) .  Usually I know what's in store for next year too.  Which races I want to do - which of my weaknesses I want to work on, etc.  But mostly i want to ride the heck out of my bike.

I can't explain how much I love mtn biking - i LOVE technical riding, i LOVE fast, swoopy, smooth single track, I LOVE the exposure to the sun that goes with desert riding and I LOVE being enclosed in trees on the high alpine trails.  I LOVE the grinding, lung busting climbs and the scary, break-your-teeth rocky descents and everything in between.  I LOVE the Spring where every little hill puts me in the red zone - I LOVE escaping to the cooler mountains when it's hot during the Summer in Boulder and I LOVE the beauty of Fall riding it's indescribably joyful.  So it's easy - the off-season is for prepping for mtn biking.

photo album of fun rock moves

But now here's this running thing.  At first I thought - well I can do this for 3 or 4 months and then go back to my 'regularly scheduled mtn bike program'.  Now it's closing in on the end of December and I don't think I'll be able to give it up.  I do love to run.

Wasting time
I feel like I've squandered the time I allotted myself for running. I started running on September 15, 2011.  It's 3 months later and I don't have any idea how to be a better runner.  Right now I'm just running when I feel like it - doing "speed work" based on things I gathered off the internet.  But I have no idea how much speed work to do, when to do it, when to do a long run, when to do an easy run and when to rest and when to recover.

I feel a "shortness of time" that I allowed myself closing in.

What do I want?

• At this point in time - I'd like to keep running.
• I'd like to be faster.  My secret goal is to run a sub-25 minute 5k.  But I have no idea how to get there tho I think it's a reachable goal..
• I'd like to be able to run longer.   Maybe a half-marathon...so far my longest run has been 6 miles.

Which brings up the following questions

• Is it possible to become a better runner without fully committing to it?  i'm guessing the answer to that is "NO!"
• I wonder if I can do both - the mtn biking and running?  I want to go to Camp Lynda in Feburary - but really hate to show up without any biking legs.
• Am I too old to do both at the level I'd like? Can I recover enough doing both sports or would I just dig myself into a big overtraining hole...
• Can I accept the fact my mtn bike skills might decline? that would be tough...I don't know
•  Should I give up the bike for a year and just run?  My friend, Phil tells me having a "running chassis" is important.  Maybe I should give up the bike for a year and get my running chassis in place and then try to combine both...

Tough - tough choices...I guess for right now - at least for the next 2 weeks - i'm going to ponder this dilemma by running my little, frickin', heart out.

running disappointment put into perspective

It's been over 8 weeks since I've raced my first race.  I've been itching to give a 5k another go to see I have gotten any faster.   

The original plan was to race the Colder Boulder on Dec. 3rd - however the Wednesday  before(Nov 30th) I strained my LCL playing tennis.  I attempted to run on the 2nd and I couldn't even get 20ft. I rested for 5 more days then ran 5 miles on the treadmill on Tuesday even cranking out a couple of 8 minute miles.  My leg felt good - so on to plan b - I signed up for the Denver Jingle Bell run on Dec. 10th.

It probably wasn't the best idea as I had a intense week of exercise leading up to Saturday.  Not wanting to give up any strength gains I've made I went to the 3 Alpine Training Center workouts last week. I also attended my weekly Power Max cycling class at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine and last week we did a time trial.  Then another 5 mile run on Friday @ an avg 9:07 pace.  Needless to say I was going into the weekend slightly fatigued - my TSS was a negative 8.8.  (I used WKO+ software for my Breck Epic training and after I started running I was thrilled to find out it calculates a TSS score from my garmin run files!!  I'm in data geek heaven!)

The Race
I did a 20 minute warmup and legs weren't feeling very peppy - I was hoping they'd perk up during the race.  

I was happy to be on the start line and wasn't nervous at all - I was just ready to throw down and go visit the hurt locker.

Mile 1 felt pretty good - I was working hard and looked at my garmin - I thought my pace was too fast so I tried to back it off.  Still i started off with too fast of a pace as the first mile clicked by in 7:52.(my goal was to try to avg 8:10s)   Then it all unraveled.  Every little incline my legs felt sluggish.  I focused on keeping my head up and trying to keep my turnover high.   I couldn't seem to really push into my red zone - typically I can maintain a 175 HR for a short effort like this but my HR seemed to be hovering around 168/169.   Mile 2 clicked by at a disappointing 8:27...ughh...Since I couldn't red line my HR I decided to spend the 3rd mile just focusing on a lady in a bright blue shirt. She had passed me at the beginning of the race and was staying the same distance ahead.   So I tried to maintain my running form and pass her.  It was nice to have something to focus on other than my negative thoughts - I did eventually pass her and she never passed me back.  I did slow down a bit more during the 3rd mile it clicked by at 8:37.  According to my Garmin the course was 3.18 long and the last .18 took me 1:20.

Final official time 26:23 - a disappointing 33 seconds slower than the Eerie Erie.   I'm thinking my Garmin might be a bit off because my speed average based on my garmin is a little bit faster than the official 8:31 pace. 

The results were posted fairly quickly (that is SO different than mtn bike races where it may be DAYS later before they post results) and I saw I had finished 3rd in my age group.


meh...I was disappointed I was so far off from my target pace and was moping.


Then everything changed

30 minutes after the race i received a text - a very dear friend who had been battling some tough health issues wasn't doing well.   Dave and I immediately booked it down to Pueblo - with me still stinky, sweaty and slathered in sunscreen.   We visited with our friend at the hospital who was very weak but he seemed to rally - even enjoying the entertaining Broncos football game that night.    Full of hope he would bounce after the energy he was displaying back we drove back home late the evening.  

Monday morning we received word that he had taken a turn for the worse and probably wouldn't last the day.  Dave and I dropped everything and drove back to Pueblo and were with him and his family as he left this world.

My heart has been heavy since the loss of my friend.  He was a wonderful person and he will be greatly missed by many people.   It seems really silly to be disappointed in the race - losing Rocky really put everything into perspective.   I'm still trying to process Rocky's death...I wasn't ready for it...