Scale Stuck? It Could Be Your Workout

You're BFFs with other gymrats. You never miss a workout. You're on a first name basis with the trainers at the gym. And yet--and yet--the scale still won't budge. Sound familiar? I wrote an article for the March issue of Prevention magazine (on newsstands now) that explores six super-sneaky ways we short-change our workouts--and, in the process, sabotage weight loss goals. It was fun reporting--I learned a lot. For instance? Um, I really ought to drink more water on workout days. And I'm now considering breaking my life-long rule of never running a marathon with my Nano. There's compelling research that listening to my music would make a big difference in finish time. Click here to see the full article! Photo grabbed from dreamstime.com. Posted by Liz

The, uh, Weekly Feed: Sites We Surfed The Week Of March 2

I surf the web every day, but this week gotta little crazy at work so I decided to save up all of my fave reads for your Friday afternoon viewing pleasure. It is 62 degrees and sunny in Chicago, which makes this the biggest TGIF ever. I can't wait to bust out of work tonight and walk around without my coat on. Wherever you are, hope the weather is spring-like and that you have a fab weekend.

• Maridel over at Vitamin G scouts out evidence that doodling is good for you. Please tell this to my boss the next I'm caught making bubble letters in a staff meeting!
• The NYT's blog looks into mindfulness and meditation with very relatable stories.
• I was totally feeling FitBottomedGirl Jenn's experience of shaking up her half-marathon training with a Bar Method class. She learned it wasn't exactly wise the day before her long run. My swim earlier in the week taught me that, when planned correctly, a rando workout can be just what the doctor ordered.
• Daylight savings snuck up on me this year. This oldie but goodie Runner's World article puts dark a.m. runs in perspective.
  

Open-Season Running

The weather's warming--at least for now--and spring is starting to show its long-awaited face. The days are getting longer after this weekend when daylight savings time kicks in. And most of us are excited to hit the path and trail and shed some of those winter layers or pounds. Whether you need some motivation to hit the Lakefront path this weekend or want to check out a cool event, you'll want to head to North Avenue Beach on Saturday.

Nike will be in full force at Castaways at North Avenue Beach on Saturday, March 7 at 11 a.m. to ring in a new holiday in Chicago: Opening Day of Running. Opening Day of Running celebrates the thousands of Chicago runners who leave the treadmill and take their run outdoors to train for events, especially the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle on March 29 (yeah, I better start training for that one, I haven't been running since a December marathon).

In celebration of the event, Nike is teaming up with the Chicago Park District to donate $100,000 toward the resurfacing and improvement of Chicago's beloved Lakefront path. And they're bringing some world-class athletes too. If you're at the 11 a.m. event, you can catch site of two elite track and field athletes. Sanya Richards, an Olympic gold medal winner, and Alan Webb, the American record holder for the mile, will kick off a short run on the Lakefront to commemorate this event with runners, city officials and Nike peeps. You might even see some kids--Chicago Public School students from the Columbia Explorers and L.E.A.R.N. Charter who are training for their first-ever race, the Shamrock Shuffle. The Lakefront will be a busy place this weekend--a welcome site indeed after our winter hibernation. Photo grabbed from rjseg1. Posted by Kate

Just Wondering: How Much Does The Wind Matter?

Friends, it was a glorious morning to be a runner in Chicago because--for the first time in what feels like weeks--the sun came out and the thermometer got up to 45 degrees at 7am. (I almost did a jig as I ran under the digital time & temp display hanging from the bank. Woo hoo!) Inspired by the weather, and wearing knit gloves instead of Patgonia mittens (ahhh, life is good), I headed to the UChicago track for my timed mile.

Oh maaaaaan. Reality check: I am slow. I may be in training and therefore supposedly getting faster, but treadie miles aren't the same as outdoor miles. (I have the worst timed mile performance of training so far saved in my watch to prove it.) As I beat myself up the entire run home...You shouldn't of had chicken fried steak for dinner! [side note: yeah, I really had that last night, and it was good!] You should've gone to bed earlier! You should've sipped water instead of wine at your friend's engagement celebration! You can't keep racheting these lame performances up to "just one of those days"!....I allowed myself to admit that it had been pretty windy out on the track. Every time I rounded the curve and headed south on the straightaway, the gusts I encountered made it hard to run fast no matter how much juice I had left in my legs. Still, that is NOT an excuse for a crappy mile. I'm just curious how much wind can negatively affect pace--from speed workouts to marathons. Anyone? Photo grabbed from funny-city.com. Posted by Liz

Tri Training Take-Off

So we've all suffered through a cold--and incredibly long--winter just waiting, and hoping, for spring to show its face. While the temperatures haven't exactly warmed up, training for our spring sports is starting to get underway. I've spotted runners on the Lakefront all winter and know some runners training with The Road to Boston group covering ground in the city and suburbs, but now it's triathlon's turn. It's impossible to take a dip in Lake Michigan in the winter (unless you're Polar Plunging) and hard to cycle with the coldness factor and icy conditions (OK, so that's what I dread), but the sport is prepping for some spring training.

Fitness Formula Clubs TriMonster training program started this week at clubs across the city. It's a fun and friendly environment that offers a structured training plan to help you reach your triathlon goals. You could be training for your first sprint race or your 10th half-Ironman or Olympic race--distance doesn't matter. Practices are held Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.--and it's not to late to join the training. Contact Scott at triathlon@ffc.com for more info and to sign up. And who couldn't use a little advice and training push with spring thaw just around the corner? Posted by Kate