Victoria Hofman

Running play list

Thursday 8th May Music is everything to keep me going on my runs especially the last few km!!! Here is one of my fav playlists to keep me pushing!!!  Share

Recovery Tips

Friday 2nd May

Recovery tips for training hard 

Happy May!! Happy Challenge month!!

We need to take our recovery just as seriously as our training, sometimes even more serious. Everyone is different but if your a mom who doesn’t sleep through the night, busy with work, high stress levels ect your recovery game is critical to keep yourself strong and achieve your goals.

Protein 

Your body needs protein to repair and recover. Aim for 0.8 grams to 1 gram of ideal body weight per day. This may sound like a lot but starting with 30 grams per meal is a great beginning point than adding in a few protein snacks like cottage cheese, meat sticks, boiled eggs and protein powder if needed. I like to eat mainly whole foods but if you need to supplement that’s totally fine!

Veggies, fruits and whole foods

The more natural the food the better! Filled with antioxidants and vitamins, these foods will help you recover quicker filling your body with nutrient dense foods. Broccoli, spinach, berries, sweet potatoes, apples - the more colour the better!

Pre and Post Workout Mobility & Stretches 

Be kind to yourself and give yourself the time to warm up and cool down within your sessions. 10 min pre and post workout is amazing. Without proper stretching, there is a greater risk for injury which will only hold you back with your training goals. Use dynamic stretches before your training and static stretches post workout. On your off days, adding in longer mobility exercises, even fun mobility classes are amazing! Yoga is also a really great way to stretch and mobilize a few times a week.

Sleep

Sleep is truly even you recover. This can be super super hard with kids (trust me I know) but aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep is so important when you’re training hard. I personally am not there yet (I know I know) with 2 young children it’s very hard but I do go to bed very early - 9pm max so if I am interrupted at night at least I can count on a few extra hours before my early morning wake up. 

Elevate your legs 

Elevate your legs for a minimum of 30 minutes a day while watching tv, reading, writing emails is a great tool for recovery. The point is to drain/circulate all the unwanted lactate and eliminate water retention. 

Epson Salt Baths 

These are my very very favorite!! I love soaking in a hot bath with salts, bubbles and some essential oils. I feel a massive difference in soreness and heaviness the next day. And who doesn’t love sometime to disconnect and feel like you’re at a spa! Add a face mask, dry brush and hair mask - wow ur set!!

Turmeric shots and veggie juices 

I love adding in some turmeric shots and veggie juices for their anti inflammatory benefits, straight nutrients and detoxing effects. Not only does it help with recovery but when I am consistent with these juices my skin glows, my thoughts feel clear and I feel much less puffy. 

Lymphatic Drainage 

I have had many professional lymphatic drainage massages but as a busy mom of 2 it’s really hard to go as often as I would like so I do it myself at home 3x a week. I tried different tools but the best one I have found is by The Skinny Confidential. It’s an amazing lymphatic hand held tool that I use all over my body. I apply coconut oil all over than use the tool to elevate any water retention, helps circulation and muscle soreness. I purchased mine on her website or you can also purchase it on Revolve. I also use her dry brush before showers which I love too! 

There are tons of recovery methods out there but you need to try different methods that work for you! We are all different and it’s all about trial and error. Listen to your own body and do what makes you feel your very best!

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Community Live Zoom Fitness classes

Wednesday 23rd Apr Join me every Saturday morning for the month of May LIVE on Zoom for a full body workout!!  Share

Running magazine feature

Tuesday 15th Apr Our Harper’s story  inspired so many families that she was featured in Running Magazine as a spot light article for The Million Reasons Run.  Share

C-section Awareness

Wednesday 9th Apr April is C-Section awareness month C-section is the only major surgery where 7 layers of tissue are cut open & you are immediately expected to care for another human (or more if you have other children at home) and not automatically referred to rehab. Empowering women with knowledge on how to prepare for a c section and how to recover after should be standard, but unfortunately it’s not. You are not given any information on how to heal mentally, physically or emotionally. For those who say a c section is the easy way out, I can tell you from experience going through a vaginal birth with my son to a scheduled c section with my daughter, the process and recovery are day and night. I was fortune enough to have midwives with my first pregnancy which was an amazing experience on how they treated me, talked to me about everything and anything. The appointments with my midwife were very focused on how I was feeling, ensuring I had a lot of support and asking me deep questions. With an OB, the wait for my scheduled appointments were sometimes hours long for an actual 5 minute appointment which consisted of measuring my belly and weight. That’s it. With Harper I had to go to the hospital 3x a week for regular stress tests, ultra sounds and reports on how Harper was doing since I had a complicated pregnancy. I saw numerous doctors weekly, it wasn’t one consistent person. I never got to feel safe or comfortable with anyone taking care of my daughter. The c section surgery was very traumatic since I was awake and didn’t know what to expect. It was very scary but all I cared about was getting my daughter here safely. The recovery felt so long and I felt weaker than I ever felt before. Everyone’s experience is very different but I struggled a lot. The only help I had was my husband when he was done work. He took on a huge roll helping me, being there for Jasper and making sure we were okay. When Harper got sick at 2 weeks old, I didn’t even have my stitches removed and I slept on a chair for 2 weeks beside my daughter in hospital. I honestly didn’t even feel the pain or discomfort on what I was feeling because I was so focused on Harper getting better. Once we were back home from our hospital stay that’s when I started to feel the effects of the surgery. I was in a lot of pain and felt shooting pain down my right leg for nearly a year. I started focusing on rehabbing my core and breath work around 5 weeks post surgery. I got certified as a pre and postnatal women’s coach when I had my son to learn more about the postpartum healing process so I opened up my text books and notes to begin healing. I was cleared to workout at 8 weeks which was insane to me because I didn’t even feel close to normal again. If I didn’t know better and started to workout as I was told, I would have done so much more damage to my body and I’m sure the recovery would have been so much harder than it already was. I started with proper breath work, lymphatic massages, c section recovery core exercises, body weight workouts and a lot of walking for about 6 months. I slowly started running (and I mean very slow at a 4 speed) once I joined the million reasons run last year. I was not looking to run super fast, do anything intense at all but I did want to feel stronger and do something in honour of my daughter’s determination to be here. I felt like Harper and I were doing something together to heal. I never rushed the process of feeling athletic or fit again, I took my time and really listened to my body. I really didn’t start training more intense till over a year postpartum. I moved my body everyday in ways that felt healing, didn’t deplete me and mostly that brought me happiness. Healing postpartum, women really need to listen to their bodies and not rush the process. If you are cleared to workout after 8-12 weeks (typical) don’t go straight into workouts you did pre pregnancy thinking you are good to go. Start with the basics, go slow, move at your own pace. It’s your journey. Don’t compare to anyone. Take your time to heal mentally, emotionally and physically. Share

Spotify Music

Monday 7th Apr https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GNNNTyUsvDzFMF1sz3Gmu?si=u8THIVCKRx6kD6ztIEaKLQ&pi=urB-a68qTJWyi Share

RSV Awareness

Tuesday 1st Apr

RSV Awareness 

Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common respiratory virus that can be very dangerous for babies, especially premature or those with underlying health issues. This virus can cause cold like systems but can cause serious complications like pneumonia, long term health conditions or death. 

RSV season typically runs from early fall to spring time but can vary depending where you live. RSV spreads through coughing, sneezing, touching and being in close contact. 

Symptoms vary but can be a runny nose, cough, fever and difficulty breathing. 

Signs to look for:

• Short, shallow, rapid breathing
• Caving in the chest between the ribs
• Nasal flaring
• Change in colour (grey, blue)
• Not eating
• Not responsive to movement and touch 
• Not crying, moving or out of character
• Dehydration

What can parents do to protect their baby:

• Wash hands frequently 
• Avoid being around large groups of people 
• Make sure to ask if anyone is sick before having visitors
• Don’t pass the baby around to be held
• Try to avoid crowds during RSV season
• If you have other children in school, wash their hands and change their clothes before they are close to the baby 

RSV spreads extremely fast. Harper had her 2 week doctor appointment on a Monday, where she was fully examined head to toe by our doctor in which we were told she was very healthy, to the next day Tuesday, where she became unresponsive by the evening. Harper was a preemie weighing only 4 pounds 12 ounces so once the virus hit her, it hit her extremely hard. 

Once Harper was able to come home, I basically isolated at home with her for probably 6 months. The doctors recommended that we keep her home as much as possible and away from anyone besides our own family. So that’s what we did. I actually did not want to leave sick kids. I was so anxious and filled with fear being home with her alone without a team of doctors and nurses around us 24/7. Ofcourse I was so grateful that she was healthy enough to come home but I was filled with extreme panic. Once she was home, I think I took her back to the hospital 3-4 more times during those first few months if I heard her sneeze, cough, anything -  I was riddled with the most intense fear I have ever experienced that immediately needed her to be checked. Thankfully she never got sick again but I didn’t care if I looked crazy for bringing her in so much. I needed peace of mind. 

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Pre & Post Workout Nutrition

Monday 31st Mar Hello beautiful running community! I made a little information post with some helpful tips for exercise nutrition. Hope you all find it useful! The graphic is too large and cut off so I will add in the top caption below: Pre & Post workout nutrition focuses on fueling your body before exercise for energy and after exercise to repair muscle. Pre workout food should be easy to digest, focused on carbs and gives you steady energy to train. Post workout should focus on protein to repair muscle and carbs to replenish glycogen. Have your pre workout meal 30 minutes to 3 hours before you exercise and your post exercise meal as soon as possible after your session. If you workout early in the morning, needing something quick to digest have a small quick digesting carb for quick energy. I give some options in the graphic attached. Hope this helps! Share

My Training Schedule for the Million Reasons Run

Wednesday 26th Mar

As the May challenge quickly approaches, I am starting to implement structured running methods into my fitness routine. I have been adding runs into my training here and there weekly but not having a strict routine with structured goals. I will do my runs on my Peloton Treadmill till the weather clears up (boo to cold and snow!!) My goal for May is to run 150km for the month. As running and endurance will be my main focus for the next few months, my fitness schedule will be changed to the following starting first week of April. 

Monday: Full Body Sculpt

Tuesday: Long distance slow run

Wednesday: Full Body Sculpt

Thursday: Short Intense Interval Run

Friday: Full Body Sculpt

Saturday: Long distance run

Sunday: Short Intense Interval Run & Hot Pilates at local studio 

I wake up very early and go to bed very early. I have been this way for as long as I can remember so I train first thing in the morning when everyone is still asleep. This gives me so much peace to reconnect with myself and fill my own cup before being of service to others. This schedule is just an outline as with motherhood things change all the time depending on the kids. I meet myself where I am that day and listen to what my body needs. 

My next blog I will chat about fuelling properly for exercise and more intense training. My training will be harder and I will need to push myself out of my comfort zone but that is exactly what a challenge is. Pushing yourself, being driven, determined and creating self belief to do hard things. 

Till next week 🤍 

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Our Harper’s Story

Monday 10th Mar Early November 2023, we nearly lost our 2 week old baby girl Harper to RSV. I had a very complicated pregnancy with her in which the dr’s found a large hemorrhage when I was 20 weeks pregnant. This lead to 3x a week hospital visits for regular check ups on Harper since the hemorrhage was so large it was blocking nutrients and oxygen from getting to her which made the doctors very worried for her safety. With a lot of discussion, our team of doctors decided they wanted Harper here earth side as soon as possible so they could monitor her in the NICU. At 37 weeks I had a scheduled c section to bring her here safely as being induced or going into labour would be too stressful for her. Weighing 4 pounds 12 ounces, she was strong and mighty. She passed every test given and did not have to go to the NICU. The doctors were absolutely shocked at how healthy she was from everything she went through already. After 4 days in the hospital to recover from my c section, we were able to go home. So grateful everything turned out the way it did. She had her 2 week check up, which the dr was so happy about her growth, her health and progress. The next day everything changed and turned in the blink of an eye. Harper was not herself - not crying, not eating, not responding to anything. Her colour turned dull and grey. That night we brought her to the Barrie hospital to see what was happening. Harper and I went in to check in at the front desk. The lady at the front desk took one look at her, picked up the phone and said “we have an emergency”. I have vivid memories of Harper on a stretcher being rushed to the back room, soon to be filled with an entire team of dr’s and nurses ripping off her clothes. I was in absolute disbelief and shock what was happening. I was standing there frozen, not believing what I was seeing. The drs and nurses than pulled me aside and told me Harper was very very sick and they had to bring her back to life. She stopped breathing, was on high oxygen to keep her alive. They had to bring her back to life 3 more times that night. She would stop breathing completely. I remember just shaking and asking over and over again - Is she going to be ok? They couldn’t answer me. The drs just kept saying she was very very sick. The Barrie hospital did not have the extensive case she needed so we were rushed by ambulance to Sick Kids in Toronto. My husband drove his truck while Harper and I went in ambulance. I felt like I was totally out of body. I literally thought this wasn’t happening and I was in a nightmare. We got to Sick Kids where we stayed in a confined room because RSV is so contagious. From that point on Harper and I stayed at Sick Kids for a week. I slept by her side in a chair the entire time talking to her, singing to her, making sure she knew she was never ever alone. My husband had to go home to take care of our son Jasper since we do not have help but he would come down to see us as much as he could. He had to be there for Jasper taking him to school and making sure Jasper was okay mentally too with everything happening. Harper was on a feeding tube so I was no longer able to breastfeed her so I set an alarm for every 2 hours to pump for her. One amazing nurse who was with Harper most of the time helped me a lot with pumping and figure out how to navigate keeping my milk supply up. It was really really important for me to keep my milk supply because I knew this would really help her immune system once she came around. I knew I just knew in my heart she would be ok. And with the angels from above she was. After a week at sick kids she started to come around. The nurses and doctors at Sick Kids were angels on earth. They took care of our daughter like she was one of their own children. They did absolutely everything for her with such love, kindness and the upmost care. I will never ever forget how amazing the team at sick kids was to our family. Once Harper was stable we got ambulances back to Barrie hospital for another week stay. Everyday she got better and is our greatest blessing. She had to be so strong growing in my belly than here earth side. I thank god every single day to be able to watch Harper grow into this beautiful, healthy, determined little girl. This brings me reason to run for Sick Kids. A small little gesture I can do for the place who saved our daughter. I am eternally grateful.  Share