On Being Awesome

Pre-race with Coach & Jess

Having a great attitude will get you much further in life than talent, skills or potential.Talking about a great attitude, allow me to introduce you to Vicky Hopper. If you have been reading our newsletters, checking out our website, or reading our Facebook page, you will probably recognize Vicky. She has been training with us for over 3 years and we love featuring her smiling face. I first met Vicky in 2011 through a mutual friend who had recommended our half-marathon training program to her. The first things I noticed about Vicky were her sunny disposition and her outgoing personality. I quickly learned that Vicky has an awesome attitude and enjoys competing, no matter how fast or slow she finishes! Vicky is one of the most inspiring athletes I have had the pleasure to train with! Here is her story…..

Vicky was born and raised in the United Kingdom. In secondary school (high school), she was very athletic and loved sports. She played as many sports as she could. She was on the rounders (an English sport similar to softball) team throughout high school and enjoyed swimming! After leaving school and starting work, her participation in sports fizzled out. This is not unusual and many of you reading this are probably nodding your heads and thinking, “Yes, same here”. The stresses of work, the responsibilities of being an adult, and her new ‘non-student’ lifestyle meant she left behind those childhood activities that she had so enjoyed. Life went on. Vicky’s work life progressed. She became a Mum (Mom), and gradually the memories of the sports activities she once loved started to fade. A few years later, she met and fell in love with the man who was to become her husband (and he still is). After getting married, Vicky and her daughter, Emma, moved to the United States with her new hubby, Dave. After moving across the Atlantic and leaving behind all her friends and family, Vicky was kept busy raising Emma (who was still very young) and building a new life in this strange land. She settled into her new life well. She made friends, found a job, and the years passed.

It wasn’t until almost 20 years after leaving secondary school, when her daughter was in high school, that Vicky decided to trade her sedentary lifestyle for a more active one. She tried a few different classes and activities like Jazzercise, Insanity and PX90. Some were too easy; some were too hard; some were too boring and none of them inspired her. She woke up one morning and decided to try running. She laced up her shoes and off she went. She never looked back. Vicky had found what she was looking for. She was in love with running! 

1st Marathon Medal-Go Vicky!

Unfortunately, not long after starting to run, Vicky injured her knee. The injury made running too painful so she started to walk instead. This turned out to be a rather serendipitous injury as she discovered that she enjoyed athletic walking even more than running! It was around this time that Vicky was introduced to the WalkAthlete half marathon training group and began her journey to becoming a WalkAthlete. She joined the Saturday morning training group. She enjoyed the camaraderie of group training, the educational sessions, and the ongoing support of the coaching team. Most importantly, she became a huge fan of post-training breakfasts! 

Vicky continued training for races. She finished 2 triathlons, numerous 5k races and a few half-marathons before deciding to train for a full (26.2 miles) marathon. In January 2013 Vicky accomplished that goal by completing her very first full marathon: The Clearwater marathon! Vicky was a superstar at that race. She walked the entire distance, she finished last, and she kept smiling until the bitter end! 

Not long after this incredible achievement, Vicky started to experience problems with ankle pain. Her doctor discovered a couple of bone spurs on her ankle and recommended surgery. She had the surgery in the fall of 2013. For a few weeks prior to her foot surgery, Vicky had to wear a ‘boot’. Remember that great attitude I mentioned earlier? On the day before her surgery, she participated in the “Run for the Fallen” 5k while wearing the boot! She might not have been fast but she was awesome!

Second Marathon Medal!

It took Vicky a while to fully recover from the surgery and, unfortunately, she lost some of her fitness and gained some weight. Not to be beaten, she worked hard to bounce back, regain her fitness and lose weight. She started walking, swimming, and doing PiYo (a combination of Pilates and Yoga) to strengthen her ankle, increase her cardiovascular fitness, and get her muscles working again! After a few months of consistent workouts and completing a few 5K, 10K, and half marathon races, Vicky started training for her second marathon. 

She earned her second marathon medal in January 2015! She wasn’t done yet though. She went on to complete two more half marathons and a triathlon in the following few months. She is currently training for another triathlon and is registered for a few races in the fall.

I asked Vicky quite a lot of questions as input to this article. Most of her answers I wove into the body of the story. Some of her answers are better shared just as she wrote them. Here they are:

Q. Did any event, person or situation motivate or inspire you on your journey?
A. When I started I was my own motivator and my internal motivation got me a long way. Coach Leenie has become an important external motivator for me. She is an inspiration; she is out there everyday training others and putting in the miles herself. She has actually done all the things she tells you to do so you know that she knows what she is talking about.

Q. What is your proudest achievement so far?
A. Finishing a marathon was an incredible achievement. Once you have become a marathoner, no one can take that away from you. It is something I will always be proud of!

Q. What do your friends and family think about your achievements? How supportive are they?
A. My family and friends think I am a little nuts but then I always have been so they probably don’t expect anything different from me (haha). My family and friends are very supportive of my goals, often ask questions about how my training is going, and are a great cheer team at my events.

Q. What advice would you give to someone contemplating starting a new fitness or healthy lifestyle program?
A. Just DO IT! If you are already thinking about it then you are half way there. All you need to do is start. After that first day the rest will be much easier. The hardest part is making a commitment and getting out there on day one. Then you just have to keep going.  A coach will help you train smarter and a training group will make your workouts more fun!

With Dave, Emma & friends        Holiday Halfathon           RFTF 5k in a boot!

Vicky has most definitely mastered the art of 'Being Awesome'! She has not achieved it by being the fastest runner, walker or swimmer. She has achieved it with hard work, a positive can-do attitude, a sunny disposition, and her willingness to get out there and give it her best shot—even when she thinks she might come last. Vicky finishes what she started, no matter how tough the journey or how long it takes her to get there! We love you Vicky!!

Carrying Hydration During Exercise

Always carry water with you when you walk/run even if you are just going a short distance. Building good hydration habits early on will set you up for successful longer distances later. Walkers and runners should be able to drink water or sports drinks when needed during exercise. If you don't carry your own water, you can drink only when water happens to be available en route. The uncertainty and inconsistency of available water increases the risk of dehydration and overheating. Always wear a hydration belt/backpack or carry a hand-held bottle during training and during races. Experienced runners and walkers always carry their own hydration.

Carrying a water bottle in your hand is not the most comfortable way to carry water. It restricts your arm movements, creates a weight imbalance, and it is easy to drop a water bottle when your hands get sweaty and/or tired.  There are many convenient, comfortable and affordable solutions for carrying hydration during exercise.

HYDRATION BELTS
A hydration belt is the most popular hydration solution. They are priced about midway between a hand-held system and a backpack with lots of options and price points. Various configurations of hydration belt are available with a single bottle or multiple bottles. My personal preference is a belt that contains 2 bottles and has a roomy zipped pouch. I like the two bottle configuration as it gives the option of having water in one bottle and a sports drink in the other for longer distances. Some people prefer a 4 bottle system so they can distribute the weight more evenly around the body and others prefer one large bottle. Belts with plastic clip closures are more expensive but tend to be a better fit. The Velcro belts are cheaper and will do the job so if you are on a budget, a Velcro closure could be a good option. When you first wear a hydration belt it may feel strange and a little uncomfortable but you will get used to it very quickly and after a while you will not feel quite right without it! Our personal favorite and one we recommend to WalkAthletes is the Fitletic, iFitness Hydration belt (available from Fitletic, Amazon and some running stores). It is very comfortable belt and conveniently has the water bottles and pouch situated in the front (and, in case you are wondering, we have not been asked to recommend or review this product and we paid full retail price for the belts we use).

HAND-HELD HYDRATION
If you feel that a belt would be too restricting or uncomfortable a hand-held hydration system may be preferable. It consists of a hydration bottle that fits into a holder that is strapped onto your hand. It allows you to carry a bottle without having to grip it in your hand. Most hand-held hydration systems include a pocket for carrying essential items such as a phone, keys, and ID. it is a more economical solution than a belt or backpack and for shorter distances may be a great solution.

HYDRATION BACKPACK
A hydration back pack is the most expensive option but also enables you to carry more fluids. This can be useful if you are doing long miles and cannot refill during your walk/run. Some people prefer the backpack hydration system over a waist belt as they find it more comfortable.  The backpack hydration systems can make you feel hotter as it like adding an additional layer of clothing to your back but it is a personal choice. I would recommend that unless you are planning to do long miles that you start with a regular hydration belt and upgrade later if necessary. 

Whatever type of system you decide to purchase, select one with a zipped pocket (not a Velcro or button closure pocket) for security. Make sure that the zipped pouch is large enough for your phone, ID and keys.

Hydration systems are available from general sports stores, specialty running stores and online. You can find them in some big box and department stores too but remember that if it is really cheap, there is a probably a good reason. You usually get what you pay for!

CARING FOR YOUR HYDRATION BOTTLES

You should wash your hydration belt bottles after every use. Wash them by hand in hot soapy water and make sure you remove and wash the tops well (use a brush to scrub them). If you don’t wash your bottles after each use mold and bacteria may start to grow on/in them and can make you sick. The same goes for hydration backpacks. The bladder must be removed and washed thoroughly after every use to keep it clean and free of bacteria and mold. Some brands can be washed on the top shelf of a dishwasher when you first buy them if they smell a bit “plasticy”. Check the manufacturers instructions to make sure it is safe to do so. Do not set the dishwasher to heated dry as the bottles will likely melt.

 

Lacing Techniques for a Perfect Shoe Fit

If you are wearing the correct type and size of running shoe but are not 100% happy with how the shoe fits or feels, you may benefit from a different lacing technique. Changing the way you lace your shoes can fix niggling shoe problems and transform an "OK" shoe into an "excellent" one!

Here are a 5 common shoe problems and the lacing techniques that can help alleviate them.

1. HEEL SLIPPING (USING BUNNY EARS)

Problem: The shoe feels loose around my heel causing my foot to slip up and down in the shoe. If I tighten the laces to keep the shoe on, the laces feel too tight and hurt my feet.

Cause: If you have narrow feet you may find it hard to find a narrow enough shoe. Men with narrow feet often find that wearing women’s running shoes can solve the problem. If you like a shoe with a wide toe box you may find that your toes feel great but you have too much room at the ankle.

Solution: Create a more secure fit around the ankle without tightening the laces on the entire shoe. You can achieve this with Bunny Ear Lacing.

Technique: Lace your shoes as you normally do (using regular criss cross lacing or a using a custom lacing technique). When you get to the top eyelet thread the lace straight up on the outside of the shoe and bring it through the last eyelet leaving a loop.. Do the same on the other side. Thread the opposite lace through the loop (on both sides) and pull the laces to tighten them. If the shoes feel too constricting using the 7th eyelet that is set off to the side (as pictured), use eyelets in rows 5 and 6 instead. Alternatively, you can create the loop by threading the lace back through the same hole on eyelet row 6 and then threading the opposite lace through the loop. This will enable you to tighten the laces at the ankle but not tighten the laces lower on the shoe.

2. HOTSPOT ON TOP OF FOOT

Problem: My shoe rubs one spot on the top of my foot. It may only be a problem on one foot. It may feel like the lace is too tight but just in that one spot.

Cause: The shape of your foot or arch can cause a hotspot on top of one or both feet. It may happen in all running shoes or just in a specific pair of shoes that otherwise are great running shoes.

Solution: Eliminate the pressure on the hot spot by lacing around it.

Technique: Lace your shoe as you normally would until you reach the eyelet before the area that is experiencing discomfort. Thread the lace through the eyelet above it on the same side. Do the same on the other side. Continue lacing as usual. If the problem is only on one foot then you only need to change the lacing on that foot. It is OK to have both shoes laced differently.

  

3. HAMMER TOES OR BLACK BIG TOE NAILS

Problems: I have hammer toes OR  I keep getting black toes nails on my big toe.

Cause: Hammer toes have various causes but shoes that push down on the top of the toe can make the toes curl under more. Black toe nails are not always avoidable. Running or walking long distances is an endurance activity and will put a lot of pressure on your feet so some toenail problems are to be expected.  

Solution: Take as much pressure off the toes as possible. Lift up toe box to prevent toes curling under. Ease the pressure of the shoe pushing down on the big toe.

Technique: Thread one end of the lace through the first eyelet on the same side as your big toe. Thread the other end of the lace up through the last eyelet on the opposite side. Leave enough shoelace here to be able to tie your shoes into a bow.  Take the other end of the shoelace at the bottom of the shoe and thread it back and forth through the eyelets to the top. When you tug on the outside lace, it will pull the material above your big toe up and off your nail.

4. TOO TIGHT ON TOP OF FOOT (USING PARALLEL LACING)

Problem: My shoe feels too tight along the top of my foot but if I loosen them, the shoe is too loose.

Cause: This problem is often caused by high arches. The laces feel too tight along the top of the foot, but loosening them makes the shoe too loose.

Solution: Use parallel lacing instead of criss-cross lacing to take the pressure off the top of the foot while allowing the shoes to be tightened securely.

Technique: Put the lace through the eyelets on the first row. On the big toe side of the shoe thread the lace through the eyelet above it on the same side. Then thread it through the eyelet on the opposite side (going straight across). Thread the lace through the eyelet two rows above it and then straight across to the opposite side. Then two rows above it on the same side. Repeat on the opposite side starting with threading the lace through the eyelet two rows above on the same side.Tie shoes as normal.

 

5. CRAMPED TOES  (USING DOUBLE LACES)

Problem: My toes feel cramped but if I loosen my shoes, the toes feel OK but the top part of the shoe is too loose. I have bunions and my shoes always feel tight across the toebox.

Cause: The may be caused by a foot that is wide across the toes but narrow towards the ankle. This can also be caused by bunions or callouses on the foot.

Solution: Reduce constriction in the toebox are by using two shoelaces on each shoe instead of one.

Technique: Remove the laces and measure them. Buy two sets (four laces) approximately half the length of the original laces. On each shoe, use one lace for the bottom three eyelets and another lace for the upper three eyelets. You will have two bows on each shoe – one half way up the shoe and the other at the top where you normally lace your shoe.  This will enable you to tie the bottom laces looser without affecting the tightness of the top part of the shoe.