Darn You Lance Armstrong!

No, it's not what it seems. 

I love Lance. 

Really. 

 The things he has had to overcome, and the fact that he HAS overcome them, gives me hope and faith that I can do anything- even run a half marathon. "So, why are you dissing on The Boss?" you may be asking yourself. To clarify, I'm not dissing him at all. His exercise equipment, however, almost made my legs fall off! I tried out a new cross training machine today, it was a Live Strong LS13.0 Elliptical, and man did it kick my ass!

Source

Let me tell you a little bit about it: Firstly, the frame it has actually helps keep your body upright while you're working out. This helps lower the stress that is placed on your joints when using an elliptical machine. I noticed this myself when I tried to lean forward a bit and rest my arms through the loops (what? My arms get tired easily! Don't judge me!) and it felt really uncomfortable. Normally, on the elliptical I use at my gym, I can lean forward and rest my upper body and it doesn't bother me at all. Hooray for my own observational powers!  Another thing that rocks about this machine is the fact that it has arch pedals. They are rounded up (as opposed to the bucket ones on other machines) and this aids in stimulating your glutes and other various leg muscles so you get the ultimate workout.

As I've said before, I tend to use the elliptical for my cross training, so I figured this would be a "no sweat" workout for me. I put on an episode of Ghost Whisperer on my laptop and jumped on the machine. I planned on 45 minutes (the length of an episode, minus commercials- thank you Netflix) but made it about 25 minutes before I felt completely spent. I felt like I was running uphill the whole time- my glutes were most definitely engaged (and they turned into some monster Bridezillas! Youch! Get what I did there? Engaged...Bridezillas. Just me? Okay... moving on.)

Anyway, it was a great workout, just much more intense than I anticipated. I know Lance is hardcore and loves a challenge (don't we all?) but that was INSANE! Anyway, I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday weekend! I may or may not be having a bbq tomorrow at my parents house, but either way, I've got the day off and I may try and use this killer machine again. Now that I know what to expect, maybe I can make it 30 minutes!

An Interesting TMI

Yes, I know.... I fell into the deep, dark, black void of no-man's-land and haven't posted anything of significance for a while. It happens. I'm starting to get used to it. I figure as long as I continue coming back, then I'm good to go.

Alright, lots of fun things have happened lately- got a 3rd part time job, had a bit more snow which continues to put a damper on my outdoor running plans (I have no urge to do a full triple axle for my entire neighborhood while running thankyouverymuch), and I have some more upcoming auditions and shows. Yay!

Now on to something of extreme note: This may be slightly too personal for some people to handle, but I feel if I'm alright talking about it, then it's okay to read.
So..... here it goes!

For the past two weeks my nipples have been incredibly sore. Painfully sore, even. I mean to the point where I was in tears because they hurt so much. Normaly I would chalk this up to PMS symptoms as it is something I suffer through monthly for the most part. However, I have never had the soreness last for more than a few days. Being the paranoid person I am, I did some research online (which when it comes to medical things is not always the most reliable) and I came across something which, at first, I thought to be a joke, but turns out to be a valid and documented injury amongst runners. It's called Runner's Nipple. No joke.
Apparently, it is a condition where an athlete suffers from soreness of the nipples, even cracking and bleeding, due to friction with their clothes while exercising.

According to LiveStrong.com, "The skin on your nipples is very sensitive. Jogger's nipple, which is a common sports injury for runners, is when the nipples get irritated from rubbing against their shirts as they run. This painful condition could lead to soreness, bleeding and inflammation.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/4312-need-joggers-nipple/#ixzz1DFiVOmuP "

They continue on with ways to prevent and treat this condition. They suggest always wearing a sweat-wicking base layer, a sports bra for women, and a loose fitting top. They advise to stay away from cotton tops however, because cotton tends to absorb sweat, which can actually make the friction and irritation worse. Another form of protection is the use of medical tape or a band aid placed over the nipples to form a barrier, as well as the use of vaseline which will protect the skin from irritation.

I have been running much more frequently lately, and honestly, I haven't been wearing the proper sports bras, etc. So, I'm going to change up my tops and see if it helps reduce the irritation I am experiencing. I'm a little leery about using a band aid or medical tape, solely because once I start sweating I don't think they will be of much use. However, there's no harm in trying, right?

There now... that wasn't too awkward, was it?