Where Does All the Fat Go?

We’ve all heard the phrases “fat-burning,” or “burning calories.”

A good workout will do both.

The other night I had the privilege of visiting the newly-renovated State Capitol 24 Hour Fitness in downtown Sacramento, and I was struck by how many people were working out in this spacious new facility. At least a hundred people. Huffing and puffing. Pounding the treadmills. Working the stairmasters.

Maybe I’m weird, but – as I looked out among the crowd from my perch atop the goliath stair-stepping machine – I could almost picture tiny thought bubbles above each of their heads: “320 calories burned” and so forth.

As I thought about it further, a curious yet disgusting question entered my mind: Where does all the fat go?

It has to go somewhere, right? So I wondered, does it propel into the atmosphere around us, in some vapor-like force? Or does it melt inside of our bodies like some sort of liquid, alien-like plasma? Both theories thoroughly disgusted me.

So, I did a little research. And I thought I’d pass on the answer to you, in case your brain is as curious and peculiar as mine.

According to the Mayo Clinic's registered dietician Katherine Zeratasky, body fat breaks down in a series of complex metabolic processes.  When you “burn” fat, resulting waste products of that metabolic fire get expelled through sweat, urine, and carbon dioxide that gets exhaled from your lungs.

So, I was half right. The fat does enter the atmosphere around us at the gym. Your lungs serve as a “chimney” of sorts that expel the fat by-product into the air. And the internal metabolic “burn” is exactly that: a process that occurs inside, among the body’s 10 to 30 billion fat cells. Physical activity stirs up friction like two sticks rubbing together to create a fire, and the result is your fat literally getting burned into oblivion.

This all gives new meaning to the phrase “Let’s get fired up!”  Here's to your next inferno.

'Twas the Week after the Marine Corps Marathon...

‘Twas the week after the Marine Corps Marathon
And all through the house
Not a Runner was stirring
I was sore like a louse

My feet needed a warm kerchief
My poor head, a cap
No, I think I changed my mind:
All I want is a nap!

My feet needed to be nestled
All snug in my bed
But psychotically, visions of the next Marathon
Danced in my head.

When out on the race trail
There arose such a clatter
I tried to spring from my bed
But my bones, they all chattered

So away to the window I hobbled, toes smashed
I threw open the window, threw up the sash

Then what to my sleep-deprived eyes did appear...
A vision of race day my self had once feared.

New crestfallen runners
As if fallen like snow
Had tripped on Gu packets
On the unforgiving course below.

Then, Sleigh-like objects
So shiny and clear.
The rear pace car
And stragglers bus coming near!

Some handsome Marines
Offered a tempting ride
“It’s so nice and cozy,” they said
“Step in, take a ride!”

They looked oh-so-nice
And the bus looked the same
But then they whistled and shouted
And called us by name

On dasher! On dancer!
On prancer and Loser
Come on, speed it up
You regret being out last night – don’t you, you Boozer!

I waved them around
Said no thanks, I shall pass
I may be late in this race
But at least I’m not last!

And laying a finger aside my frozen nose
I waved them around
And up the final hill I rose

To the top of the Iwo Jima
I’ve already conquered the National Mall
Let’s dash away, dash away, dash away, all!

It was then I awoke
Suspected it was all but a dream
‘Til I turned over, and from the medal
Caught that sparkling gleam!

The lesson I’ve learned,
26 miles is no fright.
Happy Marathoning to all,
And to all a good night!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Take, for example, the picture of the “Finisher's Medal” from last weekend's Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. The most stunning medal I have ever seen, this beauty certainly represents a thousand words. A thousand footsteps. And a thousand days of training (yes, Virginia – my training was, in fact, three years in the making.)

I'm not certain where this legendary quote originated – some say a writer coined the phrase in December 1921 to promote the use of photography in ads. He suggested that when it came to beautiful cable cars: "One look is worth a thousand thoughts." Some say it has roots in a Chinese proverb that, when translated, means: "A picture is worth ten thousand words." Other historians say it was French general Napoleon Bonaparte who uttered the phrase: "A good sketch is better than a long speech."  (If only politicians today would heed the suggestion!)

Whatever the case – and whomever the author – it is a statement as true as a Marathon is long.

For me, this picture is worth not only a thousand words. It's worth a thousand thoughts. A thousand hopes. And at one time, it probably represented a thousand fears.

Now, it represents a thousand tiny accomplishments. And a thousand more possibilities that are still to come. And that makes me smile... yes, you guessed it... a thousand times over.

Simmer Down Now

Generally speaking, I have a hard time winding down. It’s a trait that has haunted me my entire life.  Whether it’s relinquishing what's left of the day and getting ready for bed --- or making the transition from the hectic workday in order to enjoy an evening with family and friends --- I have long struggled with the delicate transition from 90mph to the resting position.

I suppose I identify with Newton's Law: “A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest.” I fear that if I stop, I’ll mess up the momentum.

And so goes my philosophy on Marathon training.

I have found it incredibly difficult to “taper down” on my training runs in the last few days and weeks leading up to this weekend's Marathon. The way I see it, as Runners we spend months building up to a Marathon. Spending blood, sweat and sometimes tears seeing just how far we can push ourselves. So, it seems odd to me – almost counter-intuitive – to suddenly start going in the opposite direction. After all, if a body in motion truly stays in motion, isn’t that the kind of forward momentum we want leading into race day?

But the experts know better. They say that tapering down your runs (such as reducing your running distance by 20-25% each week for three weeks leading up to a Marathon, according to RunnersWorld) will give your muscles the time and rest they need to repair and recharge for the big day.

Equipped with this knowledge, I began channeling my inner Nadeen – you know, the quirky, beehived, Southern character played by Cheri O’Teri on Saturday Night Live – who made a living (or at least her Saturday nights) running around telling everyone to “Simmer Down Now.” It was her way of telling people to relax, calm down, and let the expert in charge (usually, Nadeen) handle the situation.

So, I am chill. I am trusting the experts. I’m allowing the process to work. Just the other day, even though I desperately wanted to squeeze in "just one last run" on Friday, I  resisted the temptation.

I have to admit, now that my muscles have had a few days of rest and a few good nights of sleep, I feel wholly prepared to take on the race. Piece of cake.

Maybe Nadeen was onto something.

Run, Don't Blog

 
I’ve been a bad blogger lately.

Thankfully, I’ve been a pretty good runner.

And that’s how life goes sometimes. At thirty-something, I’m finally learning that sometimes you have to make choices. This or that. One or the other. Priorities.

As the training runs have gotten longer, when I've been given the choice between training and firing off a blog off for the evening, I had to come down on the side of training. (Well, I went from blogging almost daily, to weekly. That's not so bad, I suppose.) But that's beside the point.

I ran a marathon once before when I was woefully unprepared, and it wasn’t fun. I won’t go so far as to say it was the worst five hours of my life (because it wasn’t), but it wasn’t particularly fun. And I had no one to blame but myself. Try running with that broken record in your head for five hours!

Also, since this is my first marathon back after a serious accident, it was important to me to train injury-free. Honestly, when I set out on this journey to train for my first marathon back, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew is, I could do it.

Six months later, I am absolutely delighted to be going into the final weekend for the Marine Corps Marathon injury-free (minus a few aches and pains).

So, for the sake of the sport, I hope you’ll forgive me. I know many of you have said you enjoy the posts. Now that race weekend is (finally) here, I look forward to sharing more posts from the road.

And in case I haven’t said it lately, Thanks for reading. xx

Friday Night Lights

Last week, we participated in a great American tradition: a Friday night high school football game.

My boyfriend and I picked up his boys from their football practice and with the goal of giving them a taste of a good old fashioned football rivalry, within minutes we were heading across town to see St. Francis High School take on Harvard Westlake - two of the best college preparatory schools in Los Angeles.

When we arrived, what we found was nothing short of the perfect high school football game. Fall was in the air. It was Homecoming. A pretty blonde was crowned queen. And the home team won the game with only two seconds left on the clock.

Looking around the field, it made me realize: whether you're 17 and you're the star quarterback, or you're 18 and leading cheers on the sidelines, or you're the parents finally taking a seat in the stands after weeks of carpooling that falls just short of an Olympic sport -- everyone plays their part in making the game happen. Just as in life, it requires teamwork to make all the moving parts come together.

This week, I encourage you to find a game in your area. Watch a heated rivalry. Appreciate the effort that goes into the production of a great sporting event. Plus, it'll make you feel like you're in high school again, if only for a night.

Enjoy the Friday night lights.

Ring Around the Rose-y...

 Do you ever get hooked on an incredible run?

And I mean, an incredible run that you can't actually believe you're running.

I had this experience over the weekend while running around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

This 8-mile jog took me to the Rose Bowl and back, and around the perimeter of the Rose Bowl which is a 3-mile loop in and of itself. The run included hill work and enough mileage to log a respectable long run for this Marathon trainee.

Not to mention the scenery.

I am told that more than 10,000 people move to California each year courtesy of a single landmark photograph of the canyon that leads down into the Rose Bowl.

As a little girl, I used to dream of living in California. Today, there are so many moments in this beautiful life - yes, even something as simple as this trip to the Rose Bowl - that have me pinching myself as if to say, Am I really here? After ten years here, it never gets old.

And for this football fanatic, I can't think of a more inspiring run. Passing the stadium on a perfect Southern California day, I can't help but think of the tradition. All of the athletes who have come before me. The pomp and circumstance of the Rose Parade. The cheering crowds. So magical.

Yep. The Rose Bowl has officially been added to my list of worldwide favourite runs. Now I'm curious: What's your favourite run? Landmark? Tourist-y spot to run? I have a few others up my moisture-wicking sleeve that I'll share in the next few weeks. But I'm curious to hear yours first.