What an exciting weekend! Family, friends, adrenaline and lots of fun!!!!
Congratulations to our youngest beatSMA members: Alejandro, Guy and Sam. They had an amazing 1k race on January 16th, 2010! Check out the video just to have a glimpse of an outstanding performance from these boys.
Thanks to all of you that have supported us and that have spread the word. Thanks to all of you that have made generous donations for research to find a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Every dollar is a step closer to a miracle! We raised $1,400... AWESOME!
We will be posting from time to time while we get to another training season. Our post will be about running, research on SMA and our inspiration boy Alejandro Araque!
Go beatSMA!!!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
BIG in 2010!
This year we are starting BIG!!! Why? Because Alejandro is not a baby or a toddler or a kindergartener! Nope, he is a BIG BOY now, and a big boy deserves a big year!
Alejandro is an eight year old who absolutely LOVES his friends. I sometimes ask myself if I was like that at eight, and I don't really remember, but I know that Alejandro would do ANYTHING for his friends. And it is amazing how things are, because his friends are doing something truly special for him. His friends have agreed to push Alejandro across the finish line to help beatSMA! They want to raise awareness, they want to raise money for research to find a cure for a friend. With the hope that one day Alejandro will be able to run his race, these kids have teamed up to make a dream a reality. It is about love, hope and FUN!
The event will take place Saturday, January 16th at 9:15am in Houston TX. The Kid's Fun Run is part of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon.
Watch the video to see their story.
This year we want to make our donations directly to research for Spinal Muscular Atrophy lead by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDAusa.org).
To make donations and learn more about Alejandro, his life with SMA and team beatSMA go to http://active.com/donate/beatsma. Or click on the beatSMA logo to the right.
Also stay tuned on January 17th for a video of the race day!
Feel free to share Alejandro's story.
Thanks for your contribution... it fuels our hope!
Blessings!
Alejandro is an eight year old who absolutely LOVES his friends. I sometimes ask myself if I was like that at eight, and I don't really remember, but I know that Alejandro would do ANYTHING for his friends. And it is amazing how things are, because his friends are doing something truly special for him. His friends have agreed to push Alejandro across the finish line to help beatSMA! They want to raise awareness, they want to raise money for research to find a cure for a friend. With the hope that one day Alejandro will be able to run his race, these kids have teamed up to make a dream a reality. It is about love, hope and FUN!
The event will take place Saturday, January 16th at 9:15am in Houston TX. The Kid's Fun Run is part of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon.
Watch the video to see their story.
This year we want to make our donations directly to research for Spinal Muscular Atrophy lead by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDAusa.org).
To make donations and learn more about Alejandro, his life with SMA and team beatSMA go to http://active.com/donate/beatsma. Or click on the beatSMA logo to the right.
Also stay tuned on January 17th for a video of the race day!
Feel free to share Alejandro's story.
Thanks for your contribution... it fuels our hope!
Blessings!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Events.... now is the time!
Hello everybody! It has been a while I have written in this blog, since there is lots of things going on in our family. But, we are getting close to our big event and some of you have already participated in yours!
First of all I want to congratulate my friends and neighbors Tim and Annette Rewa for finishing their first 1/2 marathon ever on January 1st 2010!!! You two are awesome and we appreciate all you have done for Alejandro and our family!!! Hopefully we will be able to race together next year!
Secondly, this weekend Shannon Janz is going to run her first 1/2 marathon too in Sugar Land, TX! It has been a pleasure training with this woman filled with will. She has kept our small group going out to run up until now, thanks girl for your enthusiasm and energy!
Finally, Alejandro and his friends are getting ready for their race on January 16th in Houston. I will post this weekend some pictures of their practice run. Me and Carlos (my hubby) are keeping up with our long runs in order to survive the Aramco Half Marathon on January 17th! We will run with Glenda Rosado, she will do the full marathon, Hector Rosado and Shannon Janz will do the 5k. Now is the time to shine!
Thanks to all of you for your support and for believing in a cure... together we will beatSMA!
Donate by clicking on the beatSMA logo at the right!
First of all I want to congratulate my friends and neighbors Tim and Annette Rewa for finishing their first 1/2 marathon ever on January 1st 2010!!! You two are awesome and we appreciate all you have done for Alejandro and our family!!! Hopefully we will be able to race together next year!
Secondly, this weekend Shannon Janz is going to run her first 1/2 marathon too in Sugar Land, TX! It has been a pleasure training with this woman filled with will. She has kept our small group going out to run up until now, thanks girl for your enthusiasm and energy!
Finally, Alejandro and his friends are getting ready for their race on January 16th in Houston. I will post this weekend some pictures of their practice run. Me and Carlos (my hubby) are keeping up with our long runs in order to survive the Aramco Half Marathon on January 17th! We will run with Glenda Rosado, she will do the full marathon, Hector Rosado and Shannon Janz will do the 5k. Now is the time to shine!
Thanks to all of you for your support and for believing in a cure... together we will beatSMA!
Donate by clicking on the beatSMA logo at the right!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tips on Energy Supplementation
Now that we are running 6 miles or more on Saturdays, it is important that we learn about the options we have to re-energize our body. There are sooooo many options that it might seem overwhelming to some people. The good side is that because there are so many options, it is very likely that you can find exactly what you need.
Ok. So let's start by saying that a runner's world is more than just getting out the door to run. You could do that, and that is ok. But, if you are running consistently 3-5 times a week, every week, you know that what you eat and drink, the weather, the shoes, your apparel, stretching, and sleeping can have an impact on your run. In other words, blisters in your feet - ouch! Strained muscles - ouch! Hitting the wall - ouch! You don't want any of these to ruin your training or your life... taking the kids to the zoo with a blister in your foot doesn't sound fun to me! If a runner wants to make the most out of a run it is important to consider all those things I mentioned before. But let's focus on nutrition and the role it plays.
Maybe you have heard other runners say the phrase "hit the wall". Hitting the wall is when your body literally runs out of fuel, and your body feels tired and fatigued and your brain is not computing well. You shut down and crash. So what is the fuel you need? Your muscles, brain and nerves need glucose to work... glucose is your fuel. Some of it is in your blood, but the majority is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. There is a limit to how much glycogen your body can store. So when you run out of it, you hit the wall - ouch!
How do you know your body is about to hit the wall and how to prevent it? As a common baseline you will hear that around 60 minutes into your workout your body will have depleted it's glycogen reserves. Another nice fact to know is that if you are a beginner runner, your body will deplete it faster than an experienced runner.
What does this mean? If you are working out for an hour, you will do ok with your reserves, so make sure you hydrate appropriately and make sure to have something to eat after you are done to restore your energy, and you should be fine. If you are working out for more than an hour you need to refuel your body throughout your workout with more glucose. An easy way of doing that is with carbohydrates. Don't wait until your body has reached it's limits. Have you felt you are dragging your body or you can't think or calculate well your laps or time running? You might have been close to your limits. Make note of how much time you have been working out and start to refuel around 15 minutes before. Keep refueling in frequent and small doses. This might be every mile or every two miles, depending on each runner and what the fuel is.
Now that we know why we need to refuel and when we need to refuel, we need to learn what we can use to refuel. From powerdrinks, gels, bars, sports beans to gummi bears, crackers, cookies, pbj, etc. The options are practically limitless. This is the bottom line: you need carbs... what type of carbs to eat is for you to find out. Are you the candy type or the bar type? Are you the organic type? Are you the drink type? You need to experiment and find out. Some people do ok with only sportsdrinks, some people need more fiber to keep their sugar levels at a steady state and prevent sugar highs and lows. Others do well with a combination of these. So don't limit your options to bars or gatorade. Before these products were so easily available people would use bananas, crackers, nuts, honey, etc. They are carbs too!
Another important note is not to over do it! You don't want to eat too much and then go running to the porta-potty, or be propelling yourself with gases, or cramping due to carbs overload. Listen to your body. That is another beauty of runnning. You have to get to know your body and feed it what gives it life, forcing you to stay away from lots of foods that just numb you and slow you down. So choose well and remember to refuel your body after every workout to keep it running.
Here are some links to articles that I found very useful and have good info:
Choose to be strong, choose to be healthy and lets live a full life! God bless and have a peaceful run!
Ok. So let's start by saying that a runner's world is more than just getting out the door to run. You could do that, and that is ok. But, if you are running consistently 3-5 times a week, every week, you know that what you eat and drink, the weather, the shoes, your apparel, stretching, and sleeping can have an impact on your run. In other words, blisters in your feet - ouch! Strained muscles - ouch! Hitting the wall - ouch! You don't want any of these to ruin your training or your life... taking the kids to the zoo with a blister in your foot doesn't sound fun to me! If a runner wants to make the most out of a run it is important to consider all those things I mentioned before. But let's focus on nutrition and the role it plays.
Maybe you have heard other runners say the phrase "hit the wall". Hitting the wall is when your body literally runs out of fuel, and your body feels tired and fatigued and your brain is not computing well. You shut down and crash. So what is the fuel you need? Your muscles, brain and nerves need glucose to work... glucose is your fuel. Some of it is in your blood, but the majority is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. There is a limit to how much glycogen your body can store. So when you run out of it, you hit the wall - ouch!
How do you know your body is about to hit the wall and how to prevent it? As a common baseline you will hear that around 60 minutes into your workout your body will have depleted it's glycogen reserves. Another nice fact to know is that if you are a beginner runner, your body will deplete it faster than an experienced runner.
What does this mean? If you are working out for an hour, you will do ok with your reserves, so make sure you hydrate appropriately and make sure to have something to eat after you are done to restore your energy, and you should be fine. If you are working out for more than an hour you need to refuel your body throughout your workout with more glucose. An easy way of doing that is with carbohydrates. Don't wait until your body has reached it's limits. Have you felt you are dragging your body or you can't think or calculate well your laps or time running? You might have been close to your limits. Make note of how much time you have been working out and start to refuel around 15 minutes before. Keep refueling in frequent and small doses. This might be every mile or every two miles, depending on each runner and what the fuel is.
Now that we know why we need to refuel and when we need to refuel, we need to learn what we can use to refuel. From powerdrinks, gels, bars, sports beans to gummi bears, crackers, cookies, pbj, etc. The options are practically limitless. This is the bottom line: you need carbs... what type of carbs to eat is for you to find out. Are you the candy type or the bar type? Are you the organic type? Are you the drink type? You need to experiment and find out. Some people do ok with only sportsdrinks, some people need more fiber to keep their sugar levels at a steady state and prevent sugar highs and lows. Others do well with a combination of these. So don't limit your options to bars or gatorade. Before these products were so easily available people would use bananas, crackers, nuts, honey, etc. They are carbs too!
Another important note is not to over do it! You don't want to eat too much and then go running to the porta-potty, or be propelling yourself with gases, or cramping due to carbs overload. Listen to your body. That is another beauty of runnning. You have to get to know your body and feed it what gives it life, forcing you to stay away from lots of foods that just numb you and slow you down. So choose well and remember to refuel your body after every workout to keep it running.
Here are some links to articles that I found very useful and have good info:
- Carbs on the Run
- Running Times Guide to Energy Bars
- Design Your Running Diet
- The Best Foods for Runners
- Ask the Dietician: Hydrating and Fueling for Half Marathon
- The Right Stuff
- Re-Fueling the Runner: Post Workout Nutrition
- Fueling the Runner: Benefits of Food Logs
Choose to be strong, choose to be healthy and lets live a full life! God bless and have a peaceful run!
Recap from Dr. Nadeau's Stretch and Injury Clinic
This is just a quick post to go over some important points Dr. Nadeau talked about:
1. Always stretch after your runs. Hold the stretch for at least 15 seconds and do at least 2 repetitions. Pay attention to your problem areas.
2. Cold baths are great for after long runs to aid in recovery.
3. Soreness and pain are part of a runner's training but usually it fades out by the second day. If you have pain in an area for more than 48 hours you should have it checked by a professional, it might be an injury. Pain is a symptom and many times the problem area and the pain area are not the same. There are many types of injuries a runner can have and many sources.
4. To prevent injuries there are many things a runner should pay attention to, nutrition, hydration, stretching, resting/sleeping and a balance training schedule.
5. Dr. Nadeau went through many of the common injuries... I really can remember all and even less the names of the muscles. In general we all have one or more weak points and we should pay attention by stretching and strengthening those areas with strength training.
6. It is important to start at a moderate pace and then build up to your "cruising speed".
7. Sports drinks like Gatorade are very concentrated in electrolytes, dilute them in water or drink water after taking them.
Her link is in this blog at the right of the page. And I still have some discount cards if anyone is interested. Also remember that in the binder at the practices there are stretching exercises, tips on apparel and breathing, and little by little I'll be adding more things. Thanks Dr. Nadeau!!!
1. Always stretch after your runs. Hold the stretch for at least 15 seconds and do at least 2 repetitions. Pay attention to your problem areas.
2. Cold baths are great for after long runs to aid in recovery.
3. Soreness and pain are part of a runner's training but usually it fades out by the second day. If you have pain in an area for more than 48 hours you should have it checked by a professional, it might be an injury. Pain is a symptom and many times the problem area and the pain area are not the same. There are many types of injuries a runner can have and many sources.
4. To prevent injuries there are many things a runner should pay attention to, nutrition, hydration, stretching, resting/sleeping and a balance training schedule.
5. Dr. Nadeau went through many of the common injuries... I really can remember all and even less the names of the muscles. In general we all have one or more weak points and we should pay attention by stretching and strengthening those areas with strength training.
6. It is important to start at a moderate pace and then build up to your "cruising speed".
7. Sports drinks like Gatorade are very concentrated in electrolytes, dilute them in water or drink water after taking them.
Her link is in this blog at the right of the page. And I still have some discount cards if anyone is interested. Also remember that in the binder at the practices there are stretching exercises, tips on apparel and breathing, and little by little I'll be adding more things. Thanks Dr. Nadeau!!!
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