Cho-Pat Calf Compression Sleeve

When I got that stupid calf strain 2 weeks ago during a 17 mile training run, I was pissed. I didn’t want anything to stop me from training for or running the LA Marathon. I did everything I could think of to speed my recovery – massage, foam roller, KT tape, ibuprofen, mineral ice, and even resting it a bit.

I also decided to use a calf compression sleeve. I ended up ordering one from Cho-Pat because they’re the only company that carries a size small enough for my mighty-yet-midget-sized legs. Don’t worry, they carry sizes for people with regular sized legs as well.

Actually I bought two of the sleeves. They have to be hand-washed and laid flat to dry so I wanted to make sure I always had a clean one ready to go.

The Cho-Pat website says:

Cho-Pat’s Calf Compression Sleeve combines warmth, compression, and reinforcement to help reduce pain and discomfort in the calf and enhance healing. It helps to maintain body warmth, improve blood circulation, and give support to the calf – all of which play a role in recovery.

We use a four-way stretch material that is anatomically contoured for maximum fit, comfort, and effectiveness. In addition, the knit material is breathable and facilitates the movement of moisture away from the skin. Finally, our American-made sleeve does not contain neoprene or latex.

The Cho-Pat Compression Sleeve is available in three sizes to provide even more specific and effectual results.

Features:

1. Applies uniform dynamics.
2. Conforms to the configuration of the calf.
3. Comfortable, lightweight, breathable knit material.
4. Manufactured in the USA.
5. Latex and neoprene free.
6. Available in three sizes for more specific results.
7. Colors: Black and White

After wearing the sleeve for all my training runs over the last week, I figured I have now officially earned the right to give you a complete and thorough review. Here are the Pros and Cons as I see them.

CONs:

The sleeve was a bit long for my shin. This is a pretty weak CON. I mean, it’s not Cho-Pat’s fault that I am so short. At first I pulled the sleeve up so that the top of the sleeve was about an inch or so above the Patellar Knee Strap (I wear for some knee issues) then folded it over the top. Bad idea. Too much compression at the top of the calf. My poor calf was being strangled! I had to stop 15 minutes into a run and pull that sucker down.

I don't fold the sleeve over the top of my knee strap anymore. I just wear it like this. Look, it's all color-coordinated.

It’s a bit difficult to pull the sleeve off properly after a run. It really is snug (like it’s supposed to be) and if you pull wrong, you can make snags in the knitted fabric. This isn’t a big CON though. It just takes some experimenting to figure out the right technique.

PROs:

I guess I had been worried the sleeve might slide down my leg as I worked out. That’s why it seemed like a good idea to pull it up high and use my knee strap to hold it in place. I discovered the sleeve actually has no problem staying up. It stays in place no matter how much I sweat (and boy, oh boy, do I sweat). So I now fold it up at the bottom instead.

Fold up any excess sleeve at the bottom, not the top.

The material really does breathe – unlike the neoprene type that my friend is wearing. So while it keeps my leg warm, it’s not hot and it doesn’t leave my leg all slimed up with sweat at the end of my runs.

The compression level and location seems just right. My calf muscles feel really supported and best of all, I’m running pain-free.

As you can see, I’m pretty much head-over-heels in love with my Cho-Pat Compression Sleeve. I’m planning on wearing it right for the rest of my training and during the LA Marathon itself.

What’s Your Everest?

I’ve heard it said that “running a marathon is now everyman’s Everest.” Well, I am actually living that right now. I’ll be climbing my Everest 6 weeks from today. On March 21^st, I will run all 26.2 miles of the LA Marathon. I’m right on track with my training schedule. Over these last 11 weeks, I’ve figured out my ideal pre-run food, the right drink mix and fuel for long runs, what to wear and what not to wear, how to deal with my left calf, my left hip, and all sorts of little other odds and ends.

My excitement is building with each day. I feel my confidence growing as I move through my runs. I’ve got the single-minded focus of the Olympians who will begin their competitions at the end of this week in Vancouver. I feel purposeful and single-minded in my pursuit.

There’s just nothing like setting a physical goal for yourself, then working toward it with determination and focus like a professional athlete does. I have set new Personal Bests and Personal Records almost weekly in my marathon training. Before this, the longest distance I’d ever run was 13.1 miles. Now I’m up to 18 miles. Every time I reach new heights I feel invincible, capable of anything, and super-heroish through and through.

Finishing my 13 run yesterday - in the rain!

What’s your Everest? What’s your Olympics? I’m not interested in climbing a freezing, icy mountain, but I am passionate about running a marathon – so that becomes my Everest. What’s yours? We should all set some physical goal to reach at least once in our lives. It can be something as big as climbing a mountina, competing in an ironman, a triathlon, a 5K run, a multi-sport adventure race, a distance walk, or a century bike ride. Or it can be something like learning a new sport, joining a sports team, bowling, swimming, kayaking, skiing, etc.

It doesn’t have to be something of Olympic caliber. The question is: What are you passionate about?

What are you willing to devote yourself to for weeks or months? What will your Everest be? What will you train like an Olympian for?

Set a goal and go after.  As Dr. Sebelski, assistant professor of physical therapy at Saint Louis University said:

“Regardless of the scale of your goal, you should have the experience, at least once, of training for and accomplishing a physical goal you set for yourself. Crossing that finish line is a feeling unlike any other.”  

Rachel vs Calf Strain

Maybe it was the time I had to quickly pick up my pace to avoid being run over by another crazy driver while crossing the street. Or maybe it was just the fatigue setting in after running so long. Or maybe it had everything to do with that fricken fibula of mine. Someone was kind enough to break that and my tibia a few years back in a soccer game, and I had to have a titanium rod (or “nail”) put into my tibia to hold it together. That made my fibula never join together. No big deal, since that bone doesn’t support my bodyweight – just the muscles of my lower leg.

Whatever the cause, two weeks ago my calf got some serious ache going at about mile 12 of my 17 mile run. It got worse and worse. By the final two miles I was digging deep to push through the insane tightness and stabbing pain. Probably a bad idea, but my bull-headed stubborness and pride pushed aside all clear-thinking.

Like any good citizen of the Internet Age, I jumped online, learned everything I could and self-diagnosed myself as having a Grade 1 Calf Strain (possibly a Grade 2, but who’s quibbling). I was a nervous that it could be a bit worse than I thought, and it might throw me off my Marathon Training Schedule. I did everything I knew to get that leg back into shape and ready to run. Here’s what I did –

1. Foam Roller Massage. You can buy a fancy-schmancy foam roller or you can buy a fat pool noodle for 1/5 the price, cut it in half and have 2. Got mine at K-Mart. Put your aching and sore body part on the roller and roll back and forth slowly. Really let it work on the part that is the most sore. This thing works wonders.
   
2. Stretch. There are so many ways to stretch the calf. These are the two I happen to have done about a million of over the last week. Keep it gentle and steady.
3. Rest. This was the hard one. I took some easy walks after the strain, but that was about it. No running, no working out, nothing that would put that muscle under any real load. A great time to catch up on some reading.
4. Ease Up. I decided to give my runs for the week a try, but I was fully prepared to leave every ounce of pride at home. I purposefully ran slowly, listening to my body all the way. I was even mentally ready to walk my mileage, if running was too painful. I didn’t push at all and I tell you I ran the slowest 5 miles the Monday after the injury. I even took one day of running off. If you know me, that’s a miracle in itself. I am so determined to be strong and tough and do the workouts as scheduled (some might say I’m “stubborn” about this). It took more toughness and strength to make myself NOT do the run on Thursday. The schedule called for 5 miles of running with one mile of that being hill sprints. My calf was starting to feel pretty good, so there was no way I was going to sprint hills that day. I didn’t want to take a chance of aggravating it and not be able to run my 18 miles on the weekend. Instead I did the hills workout from my Weekly Online Workouts, and substituted walking sprints for regular sprints. That was tough on the pride, but great for the legs. I still got in a great workout without risking re-injury.
5. Tape. I tried regular athletic tape with pre-wrap underneath, but it sweated off in about 20 minutes. Then I bought some KT tape and  . . . . loved it. I used it as directed on Saturday’s run and felt damn good.
   
6. Mineral Ice. I’ve been singing the praises of this stuff for years now. I slathered the stuff all over my calves and hamstrings before every run and workout all week, and I even used it when not working out. Love this stuff.
   
7. Compression Sleeve. I decided to buy a calf compression sleeve to give some extra warmth and support to my left calf. If this injury had anything to do with my faulty, disconnected fibula, I figured those muscles could use a little more help. Only Cho-Pat carried one small enough to fit my skinny legs, but that meant I had to wait until after the weekend for it to arrive. What was I going to do about Saturday’s 17 mile run? Get creative, of course. I figured my lower leg was about the size of most men’s arms, so  . . . . I bought a Shooter Sleeve. You know, the kind that Kobe and other basketball players use? It fit pretty well (just a bit long) and did the job just fine. I’ll give you a full review of the Cho-Pat Calf Compression Sleeve at the end of the week, after I’ve taken it out for a spin a few times.

I know that the standard recommendation is to take days and days off from running. And sometimes I actually think it’s totally necessary. Being the determined person that I am, I just had to see if I could avoid missing days in my training. All in all, worked out pretty well for me.

The Healthiest, Yummiest Pie Ever

I’m going to give you a treat today. We workout hard, right? We think about what we eat and choose real foods and stay away from the crap foods, right? We do what we can to live strong, healthy, fit lives. Does that mean we have to miss out on the yummy tasty things out there? I say NO!

I used to be under the ridiculous impression that eating for healthy meant eating bland, yucky foods that were about as mouth-watering as cardboard. I have since learned that is sooooo not the case. And here’s one prime example.

Raw vegan desserts aren’t just distant cousins or disappointing replicas of unhealthy desserts. They taste so good, they are actually better than “the originals.”

Recently I ate at Café Gratitude  in the Bay Area, and Oh My Gosh, their desserts just make me weak in the knees. I bought their recipe book, I am Grateful and have been making the most fabulous pies lately. They are jaw-dropping delicious and  . . .  get this . . .  every ingredient is actually really good for me too.  So here’s my latest: “I Am Heavenly” Mudslide Pie (makes one 9” pie)

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1 ½ cups coconut flakes
¾ cup almonds
1 ½ ounces cacao powder
Scant ½ cup, well-packed, finely chopped dates
1/8 tsp. salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

 White Chocolate Filling:
1 ¼ cups coconut milk
1 ¼ cups soaked cashews (12 hours)
¼ cup + 1 tbs. agave nectar
2 tbs vanilla
1 tbs + 1 tsp lecithin
¼ cup + 1 tbs. cacao butter

 Almond Butter Filling:
1/3 cup raw almond butter
Scant 1 ¼ cups while chocolate filling

 Chocolate Filling:
¼ cup almond milk
2 tbs. agave nectar
1 ½ tbs. cacao powder
1 tbs. vanilla
Small pinch of sea salt
1 tsp. lecithin
2 tbs. raw cacao butter

 DIRECTIONS

 Making the Crust:
In the bowl of your food processor fitted with the “S” blade (I used my Vita-Mix), process coconut flakes, almonds, cacao powder, vanilla, and salt until small and crumbly. Continue processing while adding small amounts of the dates until crust sticks together. Press crust into greased (with raw coconut butter) 9 inch pie pan.

I was so proud of my crust.

 Making White Chocolate and Almond Butter Fillings:
Blend all the white chocolate filling ingredients except lecithin and cacao butter until smooth. Add lecithin and cacao butter, blending until well incorporated. Leave a little less than 1 ¼ cups of this mixture in your blender; set the other portion in the fridge/freezer. Add the almond butter to the blender and refrigerate this portion as well.

 Making the Chocolate Filling:
Blend all the ingredients except the lecithin and cacao butter until smooth. Add lecithin and cacao butter, blending until well incorporated. Set in the fridge/freezer for 10-15 minutes. (I put this in the freezer and the other two fillings in the fridge.)

 Swirling the Fillings:
All three fillings must be set to the same consistency – that of loose pancake batter. If any of the fillings have set too far, melt down over a hot water bath, stir, and check frequently until desired consistency is achieved. Spoon the fillings into the prepared crust. Do this in layers, alternating fillings and colors. With a chopstick inserted almost to the crust, swirl and dance the stick to create a marbled effect. Set in the fridge/freezer until firm (about 30-40 minutes.)

All 3 fillings ready to pour.

 

Almond Butter filling in first.

White Chocolate Filling went in next.

  

Chocolate filling was last. Ready to swirl.

Swirled and ready to chill.

I made my own almond milk by following the directions in the book. I went ahead and used canned light coconut milk instead of making my own (the book has instructions on how to do this though). I need some work on swirling, but other than that, I think this pie turned out really, really well.

 Shauna and I absolutely loved it. So did the 5 non-vegan friends we shared it with. This pie took me just over an hour to prepare. It was soooo worth it. This is, by far, the yummiest dessert I’ve ever made. What a great reward for all the hard work we put into our Marathon training and daily workouts.

Get Off Your Ass and Move . . . All Day Long

I’ve been saying it for years now, but finally someone with some letters after their names and some clout is saying it too. Now, will people pay attention and listen? I’m just a nut on a fitness crusade, so people can easily write me off. (Yes, indeed, I’m actually out to change the world. I admit it.) I just speak from experience, common sense, and a bunch of studying. Now the big-wig scientists from the UK are saying the same thing.

 

Their message in a nutshell – Get off your ass and move . . . . throughout your whole day!

“Recent research indicates that prolonged periods of sitting and lack of whole body muscular movement are strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and an overall higher risk of death. This is regardless of whether moderate to vigorous exercise is taken.”

A good workout once a day is just not enough to keep you healthy. You can’t do your morning workout then sit, sit, sit all day and be healthy and fit. Most American’s move from car (sitting), to office (sitting), to TV (more sitting) as their regular routine. The more hours you sit undisturbed, the more you increase your chances of diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, cancer and other delightful conditions.

So, yes, please do your daily workout (or do mine). Make it regular, make it focused, make it passionate, make it worthwhile. But, please, don’t stop there!!!! If the message is this grim for those who exercise regularly, you can imagine how much worse it is for those who don’t.

Our bodies were made to move . . .  often. If we don’t use them throughout the whole day, they begin to malfunction. Your organs, your joints, even your mental state takes a hit. So take a “Butt-Break” every 20-30 minutes. Get up and move. Walk, stretch, do a physical activity. It can be as simple as getting up for some water, or go pick up some papers, do some household chore, or, go totally crazy and do an exercise like  Jumping Jacks, pushups, planks, sit-ups, or lifting something.

Try parking a bit further away from your office or your destinations and walking a bit more. Take the stairs. Hide all the remotes and change your channel the old fashioned way. Use your own two feet to do your errands. Walk the dog or go wild and wrestle or play with your dog or kids. Plant a garden, start a project, clean your garage . . . just get your fricken’ body moving.

100 years ago we lived more human-powered lives. Let’s get back to that. MOVE a little here, a little there, all day long!

More Ways to Put Your Workout on a Rainy Day Schedule

Still raining here in Santa Barbara and the forecast says there’s more to come. If it’s not too cold, and running is what’s on my schedule for the day, then I’m a nut and prefer to head outdoors and Get Wet. At other times, I take my workout indoors on rainy days.

There’s more than one way to do this. Check these ideas out.

Workout DVDs – Don’t want to have to think much about what to do, for how long, and in what order? Then pop in a DVD and follow someone else’s lead. I prefer Tony Horton and his P90X series, any of Jillian Michaels stuff, or the Insanity workouts with Shaun T. There are a bunch of great DVD workouts to choose from. I highly recommend that everyone have at least one in your house to fall back on in a pinch.

Living Room Stations – Got some workout tools? Maybe some dumbbells, a Bosu Ball, a medicine ball, some cones, a jump rope, a heavy bag, or even some beach towels? You can make your own workout gear, use the real stuff, or just go with bodyweight exercises. Here’s what you do. Come up with 4 types of stations. I like to do a one that’s all cardio, one for the upper body, one for the lower, and maybe a core station. Then come up with 4 different activities you could do for each station or category. I have all sorts of exercise demos on the FitnessNutz Channel on YouTube if you need some ideas. Write them down in groups of 4. Crank up some high eneryg music, something that will really fuel a great workout. For 2 songs, keep cycle through 4 activities – one activity from each station. Repeat for Rounds 2, 3 and 4.  Or do each activity for 1 minute, then move on. Repeat the whole set of 4 activities, then move on to the next round.

Here’s an example. I did this workout on Tuesday with a couple of workout buddies.

Station	Beach Towels	4 Cones in the Kitchen	Heavy Bag	Dumbbells	Mini-Bands
Round 1	Alternating Slaps	Fwd/Back Runs	Wall Push	Pick it Up, Put it Away	Side Step
Round 2	Flaps to the Front	Lateral Leaps between 2 cones	Side to Side Vaults	X-Presses	Fwd/Back Monster Walks
Round 3	Dbl. Slaps	Shuffle through then backpedal	Punch bag on the ground	Swings	Seated V’s
Round 4	Windmills	Poke Through	Supermans	Squatted Rows	Lateral Leg Lifts

 

Tweak the WOWs – My free Weekly Online Workouts often have whole workouts that can easily be done indoors. If you don’t see one that seems to be an obvious fit, then it’s time to tweak. Pick out a few activities or activity sets from the WOWs, create some stations like above and get to it. Or pick a workout with a lot of bodyweight activities, substitute jump roping or running in place for all the running parts, and do the other activities as described.

Machines – We have a treadmill and a stair-climber at our house. Good workout toys. Others I know have stationary bikes or rowing machines. You can use the just the machine for a good 45-60 minutes, or you can do some machine time and some strength exercises. If you are going to split, I would recommend doing your machine work first, then the strength activities.

Gym – Last of all, you can always go hit the local gym. A lot of gyms will let you pay for a one day pass so you don’t have to buy a full membership. Personally, this is my least favorite option, but I do it when I travel. It’s best to have your own full body workout in mind before you get there. Don’t get sucked into someone else’s routine just so you don’t stand out. Do your thing at your pace. Who cares if you look weird because you aren’t just cruising on the treadmill like every one else. If you are going to be at the gym, make use of all the tools that are there.

How to Put Your Workouts on Rainy Day Schedule

It’s only rain, folks! The world is not coming to an end! I know that we Southern Californians are possibly among the most weather-spoiled people on the planet, but come on now. Every time we get anything more than a half inch of rain, it becomes “STORM WATCH” time. The news treats it like it’s some major meteorological event. (Live in Palau for awhile and your opinion will change. They get 150 inches of rainfall a year.) Grow a back bone and keep living when the rain starts to fall.

Uh-oh, rain is forecast for almost all of this week! Trauma, upheaval and the end of the free world as we know it, right? No! Rain is no good reason to skip your workouts. Just put them on a Rainy Day Schedule. Nothing should stop you from working out. If working out is part of your daily life, like eating is, (and it should be) then you’ll make it work.

There are a few ways to put your workout on a Rainy Day Schedule. Today I’ll cover the first. You’ll have to come back tomorrow for more ideas.

Get Wet

If you love to do your fitness in the great outdoors, like me, rain doesn’t have to stop you. When I used to lead outdoor fitness classes, people would ask me, “What do we do when it rains?” The answer: “Get wet.” Yesterday I went for my scheduled 4 mile run as part of my marathon training  . . . outside, in the rain and wind. Guess what? I didn’t die, didn’t come down with some horrible illness, and  . . . loved it. Sure the first few minutes weren’t so great – water running down my face, wind blowing against me, and my legs stinging a bit with the cold. But after the first mile, I adjusted and all my complaints were nowhere to be found.

I truly loved the freshness in the air, the energy I get from the rain (unexplainable, but true), and the sense that I’m doing something STRONG. And that’s my thing. The one thing I want to be in this life and in my character is strong. So when I do something that makes me feel that way, it makes my day.

Here are some tips, if you’re going to brave the elements:

• Say NO to cotton. It just holds water and gets heavier and heavier. I heard about a woman whose cotton pants literally dropped to her ankles while running in the rain.
• Wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet and ones you can go without for a couple of days while they dry. I have 3 pairs of running shoes, just for this reason.
• A lightweight rain jacket is a good idea, but be warned: truly waterproof means it doesn’t really breathe. You are going to heat up fast and sweat like crazy in a rain jacket. So you find yourself in a conundrum: wear the jacket to stay dry from the rain, but end up soaking yourself with sweat anyway. I find the jacket is more useful for keeping the wind from chilling me. In the rain, I often end up with it tied around my waist by the end of my run or workout.
• If you don’t like little rivers rain flowing down your face, wear a baseball hat. I’ve grown to love the water running down my cheeks, personally, so I hardly ever wear a hat.
• Skip the sharp turns and change of directions. This is not a good day for running ladders or shuttles or doing anything that involves pivoting. Stick to a nice longer run. If you are doing my WOWs, replace all the other running types with a distance run that would take 20-30 minutes, and do all the strengthening stuff separately.
• If you want to do any bodyweight training, weight or resistance training or even ab and core work in addition to your run, do them first. Trust  me: getting dry will be the only thing on your mind at the end of your run. You won’t want to do your other strength training all sopping wet.
• If you absolutely hate the idea of rain soaked feet, put a plastic bag on each foot after your socks and before your shoes. Beware, this can keep your feet from breathing, leading to sweaty stinky feet. There are a few makers of “waterproof” running shoes (like Salomon), but I haven’t found a pair that doesn’t feel heavy and clunky.

If the temperatures aren’t too low, running in the rain can really be a great time. So get out there and workout with Mother Earth. You’ll get to know her in a whole new way.

Workout Don’t Wimp Out

Up until two weeks ago, I could proclaim, with a tinge of arrogance, that I hadn’t been sick in any way in over two years. And what a wonderful two years it was. And now I must say, “Was,” because my sickless streak has ended.

In the last two weeks I have gotten sick twice. First it was a nasty case of “intestinal distress.” Well, that is a really nice way of putting it, wasn’t it? I had diarrhea so bad, it reminded me of the time I got a parasite while travelling in Kenya ten years ago. Stabbing pains in my stomach, intense cramping so bad it had me doubled up in pain, and nothing but liquid shooting from my nether regions for days. I mean there was nothing solid about what was squirting out of me. Five long days of that. I would have thought I’d been the poor victim of some horrid terrorist’s bioweapon snuck into my water supply, except I knew others going through the same ordeal

Right on the heels of that divine experience came a head cold. Coughing, sneezing, scratchy throat and feeling overall ickiness.

I am happy to report that I did not miss one workout in the midst of all that crap. Am I bragging? I’m not trying to. I’m just trying to show that being sick, as nasty as it was, didn’t keep me from working out.  And it shouldn’t stop you in your quest for health, regular exercise and fitness either. I despise weakness. I refuse to be a weak, whining, wimp. I absolutely will not give up or quit unless I have to.

Now I admit that there are some things that stop us justifiably, but so many people just wimp out at the first sign of sickness, aches, or pains. They feel a bit of a scratchy throat, and that’s it. They take the day off from working out.

I am not stopping unless I have to. That’s my attitude and it has worked for me. Amazingly enough, each day when I ran or worked out last two weeks ago, the cramping and diarrhea took a break. And boy, was I glad they did. Could have been really ugly. The trick was to eat a good 1 to 1 ½ hours before running, take lots of trips to the bathroom before the workout, and focus on staying hydrated before and after.

Here’s my approach to the head or chest cold. Be aware of the early signs. Then I hit it hard with some strong meds at bedtime the very first night. I don’t wait for the symptoms to get huge before I do this. I hit hard and early. A friend turned me onto Fisherman’s Friend this week so I popped one in my mouth right before my runs or workouts. Those little lozenges really pack a punch. My nose was clear and the throat felt all the way to the end of my longest workout – an 11 mile run on Saturday that took just over an hour and a half.

You can wimp out if you want at the first hint of the squirts or sneezes, but not me. My workouts make me feel better than lying around on a couch feeling sorry for myself. I say Get Up, Do What You Can. Even you do a toned down version of your workout,  do something. Be strong in will and body.  I feel better every time I push through and do my workout. I also happen to believe it shoves that sickness on its way out of my body a bit faster.

I pushed through diarrhea and the snotty nose and guess what? Now the rains have hit. The forecast says it’s going to pour all week long. If it’s not coming out my butt or my nose, then it’s gushing out of the skies. But it is not going to stop me. Please don’t let it stop you either. I’ll give you ideas on how to put your workouts on Rainy Day Schedule for you tomorrow.

A FUN Frisbee Workout Game

It was Frisbee day at this morning’s workout. I love Friday because it’s all about fun and games and a good recovery workout day. We did the workout pretty much as written up in the WOWs with one major tweakage. I created a new Frisbee game. I fused the Frisbee with baseball and OILA, a fun new fitness game was born.  Let’s call it Frisbase.

Laura and Dolores after a rousing game of Frisbase.

We had four players, which was just perfect. I set out four markers like this: 

The blue player has a Frisbee in hand at “home-plate.” The other players are out in the field holding a plank position (the “up” part of a push up). If you can’t do a plank, for some reason, just hold a nice low squat with both hands touching the ground. The “batter” (the one at home-plate) throws her Frisbee out into the field and takes off running the bases in order. Once the batter has released the Frisbee, all the outfielders are free to move.

The batter’s goal (who has now become the “runner’) is to get to around all three bases in order and get back to home-plate, if possible.

The outfielders’ job is to stop the batter from scoring too many points.

The Rules

• The Frisbee has to be in bounds when it initially touches the ground. This means it would land inside the area bounded by the line through 1^st base and 3^rd base. The diagram shows these lines. If the Frisbee lands outside of these, it’s a foul Frisbee and must be retaken.
• Scoring If the Frisbee is caught in the air, the batter is out and scores 0 points
• Otherwise the batter/runner’s score is determined the furthest base he or she reaches before being tagged or forced out.
  • 1^st  Base = 1 point
  • 2^nd Base = 2 points
  • 3^rd Base = 3 points
  • Home-base = 5 points (Homerun)
• Getting the Batter Out. The runner is out and her turn at bat is over once she is tagged with the Frisbee or forced out.
• Don’t throw the Frisbee at the runner. Tagging is to hold the Frisbee in your hand and touch the runner.
• A force out is when a field player has the Frisbee in hand and is standing on the base the runner is heading for before she gets there.
• Outfielders cannot run with the Frisbee – not even one step. They must throw it from player to player to get in position to either tag or force the runner out. Example: one outfielder chases the Frisbee as it lands, throws it to another outfielder at second base. If the runner has already passed, the outfielder with the Frisbee could turn and throw it to the third outfielder who has run to home-plate.
• There is no backtracking for the runner. The furthest base reached before being tagged or forced out is the batter’s score for that inning.
• Each player takes a turn “at bat” in order, remembering their score. Play 3 or more innings.

Playing and having fun is the very best way to do fitness. It’s the way we began as kids. Why we that go as we grew up is beyond me. Playing for your workouts is so good so grab your Frisbee and play some Frisbase.

Marathon Training in the Frozen Tundra

I had this image of Miami Beach, Florida as being sunny and warm . . . even in January. So when I packed for this trip, I brought running shorts, tank tops, and a couple of long sleeve workout shirts.

My marathon training called for a 15 mile run this weekend, and I was totally mentally prepared to do that. Though I soon found out I was not prepared with the right gear. I had no idea the Cold Snap of the Decade would hit on the day of my run.

At 1:00 in the afternoon, it was 47 degrees. The wind made that feel more like 37 degrees, and that’s downright ungodly for this spoiled Southern California body of mine. It was painfully cold. It’s my fingers, ears and nose that suffer the most in the cold.  I had to find a way to make due.

I grabbed my warmest pair of socks (yes, they were clean) and used them as gloves for my run. Luckily, my ever-s0-smart, girlfriend had packed my ear-warmers. So my ears and fingers were protected from the arctic blasts here in the frozen tundra of Miami Beach. Not much I could do for my nose.

This is my post-run shot. As you can see, I survived my run of 2 hours and 17 minutes all around Miami Beach. Even with the frigid temps, running was a great way to really see this place.