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!!

It's Never Too Late to Get to Know Your Feet

If you are athletically walking regularly for exercise, you are racking up a lot of mileage on your feet and your shoes every year! Taking care of athletic feet needs more than a nice pedicure every couple of weeks!  You need to make sure you are wearing the right type of shoes for your feet. This means you need to understand your arch type and your gait and how those correspond to the types of athletic shoes available.

FINDING YOUR ARCH TYPE
The first thing you need to determine is your arch type. There are three arch types.
1. Flat
2. Normal
3. High

You can find out what kind of arch you have by using an electronic arch pad found in running shoe stores and some sports stores like Sports Authority, or you can do the “wet test” at home. To do the wet test, you need two pieces of absorbent paper that are larger than your feet. Newspaper works well, or you can use a dark colored craft paper. Get a bowl (also larger than the size of your foot) and fill with 1-2” inches of water. Remove your shoes and socks. Dip one foot into the water so it wets the bottom of the entire foot and place the foot on one sheet of paper with your weight on the foot. Remove your foot by lifting it straight up and immediately take a photo of the image on the paper. Repeat with the other foot using the other piece of paper. Use the image above to determine your arch type. If you use an electronic pad, take a photo of the image of your feet so you can refer back to it later if necessary.
IMPORTANT: Don’t assume that you know what type of arch you have without verifying it. Many times people tell me what kind of arch they have and 8 times out of 10 they are wrong! If you wear the wrong shoe for your arch type you could be setting yourself up for all sorts of problems. 

DETERMINING YOUR GAIT (PRONATION)
You also need to determine your gait. This can be done by having someone knowledgeable about gait watch you walk or run. You can also review the wear pattern on the bottom of your current shoes or bring them with you to the store so a shoe specialist can look at the wear pattern (ideally, you should do both). If the shoe store performs a gait analysis by having you run or walk on a treadmill so they can film you, do not let them bully you into doing it barefoot. The way you run or walk will be very different barefoot than it will wearing shoes. It is best to wear your current running/walking shoes for the treadmill analysis. If you do not have running shoes with you, then put on a pair of neutral running shoes at the store for the treadmill analysis. Then after you have selected a shoe, do the treadmill analysis again wearing the shoe you intend to buy to make sure it does cause problems with the way you run or walk.
A piece of advice - Don’t get freaked out if a shoe sales associate tells you that you pronate. EVERYBODY pronates. “Pronation” refers to how the foot rolls inwards to distribute your weight as it cycles through each step. This rolling inwards motion as the foot progresses from heel to toe is the way that the body naturally absorbs shock.
There are three types of pronation:
1. Neutral (or normal) pronation
2. Over-pronation
3. Under-pronation (Supination)

Neutral pronation
A neutral pronator initially strikes the ground on the lateral side (outside) of the heel. As the weight is transferred from the heel towards the midfoot, it will roll towards the medial side (inside), distributing weight evenly across the foot. At this stage the knee will generally, but not always, be positioned over the hallux (big toe). A neutral pronator has good shock absorption. The wear pattern on shoes will be fairly even across the bottom of the shoe. A neutral pronator will do well with a neutral or light stability shoe. People with normal arches most often, but not always, have neutral pronation.

Over-pronation
As with a neutral pronator, an over-pronator initially strikes the ground on the lateral side (outside) of the heel. As weight is transferred from the heel to the midfoot, however, the foot will roll too far to the medial side (inside), such that the weight is distributed unevenly across the foot, with excessive weight borne on the hallux (big toe). In this stage, the knee will generally, but not always, tracks inwards. An over-pronator does not absorb shock efficiently. The wear pattern will show more wear on the medial side of the shoe towards the big toe. An over-pronator requires a shoe with good medial support to prevent the foot rolling too far inwards. Wearing the wrong type of shoes can exacerbate ankle and knee problems. People with flat arches are often, but not always, over-pronators. 

Under-pronation (also called Supination)
An under-pronator, or supinator, also initially strikes the ground on the lateral side (outside) of the heel. As weight is transferred from the heel to the midfoot, the foot will not roll far enough in a medial direction. The weight is distributed unevenly across the foot, with excessive weight borne on the little (pinky) toe. In this stage, the knee will generally, but not always, track to the outside. An under-pronator does not absorb shock efficiently. The wear pattern will show more wear on the lateral side of the shoe towards the rear of the shoe in the heel area. An under-pronator requires a neutral, cushioned shoe and should never wear any shoe with motion control. People with high arches often, but not always, under-pronate.

You are now more knowledgeable about your feet than 80%+ of the population. This will give you a huge advantage when discussing your athletic shoe needs with sales associates.

It is never too late to get to know your feet! 

Dealing with the Heat

It’s summer and the temperature is rising. Even in the early mornings the temperature and humidity are high. In these conditions, you can still get out and exercise but it is important to stay hydrated before, during and after your walk.  

SLOW DOWN AND TAKE BREAKS
When it is very hot, your body will struggle to regulate your body's core temperature. To avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke drink lots of fluids, slow down, take breaks, and try to stay in the shade as much as possible. 

SUNSCREEN
Don't forget to wear sunscreen. Endurance training requires being outside for many hours. You risk damaging your skin if you do not use sunscreen. Keep some in your car so you always it with you. This is helpful if you forget to apply it before leaving the house and also so you can pass by your car to reapply sunscreen if you are going to be exercising for an extended period of time.

KEEPING YOUR FLUIDS COOL
To keep your fluids cool try freezing your water bottles the night before (remember to pour some liquid out first so when it expands it won’t break the water bottle) or add crushed ice to your water just before you leave the house. You can freeze extra bottles of water or sports drinks to leave in the trunk of your car so you have cool water/sports drink waiting for you when you have finished.

A COOLER IN THE CAR
If you have a small cooler you can keep in the trunk of your car, consider leaving one or two bottles of water or sports drink and some snack bars in there so you never run out. I keep sunscreen and lip balm in my little cooler too. If you add an ice block or a frozen bottle of water to the cooler before you leave, it will keep everything nice and cool. Even if the cooler has no ice in it, your drinks will still stay cooler than if you just leave them in the car.   

STAYING COOL
Add a wet facecloth to a bag of ice and leave it in the cooler so you can put the cloth around your neck after you finish your miles to help cool you down. I often put ice inside my hat to help cool me down more quickly (though this does make your head pretty cold). 

Carry a facecloth with you so you can wipe the sweat from your face from time to time (but be careful not to rub too hard and remove your sunscreen). Some people like to carry a wet facecloth (I prefer dry). You could try both and see what you prefer. Alternatively you can purchase lightweight sports cooling towels designed to be wet and placed around your neck during exercise.

Another great way to cool down is to buy one of those gel filled neck ties that you soak in cold water. They usually have them for sale at the street fairs during the summer. You soak them in water and then store in the fridge and they stay lovely and cool (don’t freeze them – it messes up the gel so that it doesn’t absorb water as well). Pop one in your cooler next to a bag of ice and it will feel great when you tie it round your neck after your run/walk. 

CHANGE OF CLOTHES AND SHOES
Bring a pair of flipflops with you that you can change into after you finish. Your feet will be very hot (and swollen) so allowing them to cool down as soon as possible will make you feel more comfortable. I usually bring a change of clothes too but if the heat and humidity are both high, changing clothes doesn’t seem to help much! At least bring a dry t-shirt to change into if you plan to head straight for breakfast. Make sure you have a towel in the car so you can dry off before changing clothes!

ALWAYS BE PREPARED
I always keep a spare towel, t-shirt and a running hat in the trunk of my car. If I run out of the house half-asleep early in the morning and forget something I know always have a backup in the car.

Stay cool.......... Coach Leenie