:: Keep Running ::

runens is coming!

2011-03-09T01:15:00.001-05:00

I am very excited to announce that this blog will be closed permanently. It was a great experience for me to share my passion for running and I guess I contributed a bit with the community by providing some interesting information (selected articles) and sharing my motivation as a passionate runner alongside with some of my adventures and ups and downs while training.

It's been more than a year since I started a personal project: to build a new application for runners that could truly explore the passion runners have for running and the sense of community we are all wrapped around. “Running isn’t solitary” is the power phrase that ended up becoming this idea’s mission. I say goodbye to this blog to fully embrace this new idea.

Together with my colleague Lucas Persona we envisioned runens, a mobile app that is going to change the way people run, aiming to boost motivation in real-time and to give people a sense of what’s going on anytime, anywhere.

The observation that, despite the weather conditions, traffic, or time of the day, there’s always someone brave enough to hit the ground running, always puzzled us and the fact that solutions like Garmin™ or Nike+™ weren’t quite aligned with the full potential technology could unlock, inspired us to go ahead and really design something that we believe can be a game changer. As a runner, after collecting gigabytes of performance information I never really used for anything, I realized I needed something that could learn with my running… runens is also about that.

We received the support of our company, Ci&T (www.ciandt.com) which embraced the idea and provided us a development team. We went through some bumps down the road because we didn’t have enough time to compromise on everything we needed to do, but finally we are getting there.

Stay tuned and take note of the URL www.runens.com. If you have an iPhone and you are a runner, chances are this name will become synonym of something remarkably good for you.

One Month Later...

2011-01-31T22:07:00.001-05:00

It's definitely been a great month, but not for my running...

After the new year's eve 13.1 miles run I felt an annoying pain on the right side of my hip that was so bad that in the next day I would limp when I got out of bed. I was worried, but knew it couldn't be a major injury. I pay extreme attention to my body in situations like this because in a matter of days you can figure out if it's healing or not and take the necessary actions.

So I decided to put the marathon training on hold and wait for signs of recovery. On the 17th I felt I could try to run a bit since I wasn't feeling any major discomfort on the hip. The training is here, and what you can see is the following: I ran slowly for the first 3k and had to walk a bit because pain set in. Got back home very disappointed, but I knew I had to be patient.

Next day I could feel some soreness, but nothing major so I decided to go for another 5k on the 19th. Although I still could feel some discomfort after 2k, I kept a slow pace and managed to finish the 5k without any major signs that it wasn't improving. Then I made a very bad decision: to walk for approximately 1k back home. It was too cold and I was a bit sweaty, so a few days later I was having a cold. Besides that, NYC was extremely cold (around the 18F) and got struck again by a blizzard, so basically my 1 month break was due to many factors.
Today, January the 31st, I ran again, I was much more confident and could increase speed a bit. Did 5k and almost felt nothing. Actually my left hip got a bit sore and I wonder if it has something to do with the psychological effect of me trying to compensate for the right side potential pain.
So definitely I've been recovering and probably I will be able to get to the marathon training soon, but I am not sure how fast this will be possible and how quickly I will be able to get back to the 10-mile load that I was before the break.

In any case, it's so good not to have the pressure to train with a deadline. I would be suffering if I had registered for the Paris Marathon, April is around the corner.

Keep running!

The blog's current tag cloud

2011-01-07T12:11:00.001-05:00

While I am still waiting for an annoying pain in my right hip to go away before I hit the road again, here's something interesting: the tag cloud of my blog up to now in the shape of the "Big Apple" ;)

Back to Marathon Training: Week 9 of 22

2010-12-25T18:25:00.007-05:00

My long was run was part of my New Year's Eve celebration and amazingly enough it led to one of most exciting NYE's celebration I've ever experienced.

Through a friend I found out about the 4-mile midnight run that would happen in Central Park so I decided to make Central Park as the final destination of my long run and join the crowd of crazy people there. I chose a course that would lead me to 72nd st and CPW after 9 miles leaving home so that I would complete 13.1 miles in the end, a half-marathon!

It was great, Central Park was full of people, there was a station with Champagne (after the one with water). Since I got at CPW/72nd at around 10:45 to meet a friend who ran with me the 4 miles inside CP, we were early for the midnight run, but that was actually perfect because we ran in the empty course and afterwards we could appreciate the beginning of the run with fireworks when 2011 rang in. We stayed there and could also see the winners arriving at full speed (see video) while the fireworks were still on. It was amazing!

As for my run, I did it at a slower pace than planned, but it was good!

After the blizzard that hit NYC last Sunday I was wondering if it would be possible for me to run outside at all soon again. Yesterday I went to Central Park to take some pictures and saw some brave runners, but it was already starting to get slippery so my conclusion was that today, Tuesday, would be a terrible choice to run. And so it was, but I went anyway. My friend Tatiana sent me a "field report" advising me to stay at home, but I decided to give it a try because I knew that staying in would only make me anxious.

But it was good that she called me, because I was going to Central Park and I guess that would have been a terrible choice. Instead I ran on the green way path along the west side, near my place, all the way through battery park. The picture on the left was my view after I stepped out the building. If you are not wearing proper shoes (and my running shoes aren't suitable for snow at all) it becomes really hard to simply cross a street. Fortunately, I've already been "educated" on spotting dark water puddles. Last year I stepped on a few, which taught me a hard lesson. They look like a thin layer of mud and get disguised by the asphalt, but their depth is enough to soak your feet. Anyway, the path was clen enough for a run, and I was so proud I was the only human being running there until a guy on a monocycle passed by. Yes, a monocycle! It felt like I would see an elephant next! And after that I saw many brave runners and felt normal again.

Battery park was completely covered with snow and I had to stop running there having covered only 8k, instead of the usual 10-11 of my tempo runs (6-7 miles). But it was great, I felt like I wanted more and this is a great feeling.

I could also check the tourists on Wall St on my way to the train station. By the way, the 1 train takes more time to get back to Times Square than it would take me running.

Christmas time and I went for my Sprints run starting from the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a great motivation to do your training so that it takes you back home, more specifically to a hot bath after running in the cold. And now there's a lasagna waiting for me in the kitchen ;)

I took the A train to Brooklyn Bridge station, walked a bit, then warmed up over the bridge. There were lots of people there, I think there will always be.

I noticed I need more time to warm up, 10-20 minutes aren't enough in this cold, so I decided to start the sprints only after I felt I was warm enough. I also decided to run slower during the sprints and to start the recovery period with a bit of walking. Interestingly enough, I've never been so close to the sprint pace target: did them (12 in total) on an average of 4:30min/km or 7:14min/mile, target being 4:32 / 7:18.

I finally crossed 24 hours of running time since I started to count.

PARAMETERS

	min/km	min/mi
10k pace	0:05:00	0:08:03
PMP	0:05:27	0:08:46	finish 10k	0:50:00
			finish marathon	3:49:58

Run Type	plus/minus	min/km	min/mi	explanation
Sprints	0:00:45	0:04:32	0:07:18	10k pace minus 45s per mi
Tempo	0:00:20	0:05:12	0:08:23	10k pace plus 20s per mi
PMP+15	0:00:15	0:05:36	0:09:01	long run slower pace
PMP+20	0:00:20	0:05:39	0:09:06	long run slower pace
PMP+30	0:00:30	0:05:46	0:09:16	long run slower pace
PMP+45	0:00:45	0:05:55	0:09:31	long run slower pace
PMP+60	0:01:00	0:06:04	0:09:46	long run slower pace

Back to Marathon Training: Week 8 of 22

2010-12-16T20:13:00.007-05:00

I decided to add the newer events on top from now on

My long run tonight was an adventure! And it could have been a dangerous one...
The idea was to run between 11 and 12 miles and I hadn't had the time to plan properly, so I thought that going from home to the George Washington Bridge, cross it to touch base in NJ and then back to Manhattan would be a good idea because there's a train station near there that would take me back to Times Square. And so I went...

It's rather dark at some spots, I could barely see the bike trail and could have been hit by a cyclist, next time I should consider some type of tiny headlamp of something like that. If you think I could have been mugged up there, I gotta tell you, it never crossed my mind because no criminal would be as crazy as I was to be there with that cold weather, it simply doesn't pay off.

The idea was to keep a slow pace and incredibly enough I did exactly PMP+60 that was on my schedule. Actually I wanted to do it a bit faster and did it at the beginning, but when I hit the part of the trail beneath the GW bridge I had to climb a hill and also decipher the way across the bridge which screwed my concentration and ability to keep the pace. But I guess I did it well all things considered.

The worst part of it was 1 mile before hitting GW bridge and it was so dark that I didn't see a puddle and stepped on it soaking both of my feet. Damn it! It was so cold that my toes could easily freeze after that so I quickly removed the socks and used something that I new would save me at some point: the emergency sheets that I bought on amazon. The sheets come in tiny packages that are very convenient to carry. I unpacked it and torn two smaller pieces to use as socks. It worked very well, believe me, my feet were kept warm enough. I used the rest of the sheet to cover my neck when crossing the bridge, it was insanely windy up there. Now I know that I should carry extra socks with me.

I had my endorphin fix and I am happy. In any case, the view of Manhattan while crossing the bridge was breathtaking and watching the full moon rising was yet another scene I have treasured.

Today was my tempo run. Sundays were actually reserved to my long runs, but because of bad weather the entire plan got shifted. Eventually my long runs will be back to Sundays, which I prefer.

I ran in Central Park and something amazing happened. I ran across a friend. It was a split second but I could recognize her. Sent her a text when I was back home and she was indeed running in Central Park. This kind of thing is what makes you feel that you start to belong to a place. That would happen very often in Brazil where I lived most of my life, but only recently I started to stumble upon people that I already know here in Manhattan.

Training was good, my tempo pace was kept on 8:15min/mi (5:08min/km) for 4 full miles. It's always great to run in Central Park, there's always someone there, no matter the time and the weather condition. I saw lots of runners today, this is very encouraging.

If I recover well, my long will be Tuesday, that's very odd, because it's a normal day of work, let's see what I can do.

Well, well, it's freaking freezing in NYC and I was running out of excuses so I faced the cold to go for my Sprint training tonight.

I was planning to do 12 sprints and did only 6, but instead of "cooling down" for 10-20' I ran normally. What's the point of cooling down in this freezing cold if it actually takes seconds to cool down, you just need to slow down?

This time I felt some pain in my left hamstring. There's something wrong with my left leg, I might be unbalanced in someway. Will continue to keep an eye on it and might be less aggressive in future runs.

I am glad Garmin decided to change the colors of the maps after they switched from Google to Bing. The course in red was getting confused with some main roads also represented in red. Now it's all good again and the "bird's eye" view (when you click "view details") is great by the way.

PARAMETERS

	min/km	min/mi
10k pace	0:05:00	0:08:03
PMP	0:05:27	0:08:46	finish 10k	0:50:00
			finish marathon	3:49:58

Run Type	plus/minus	min/km	min/mi	explanation
Sprints	0:00:45	0:04:32	0:07:18	10k pace minus 45s per mi
Tempo	0:00:20	0:05:12	0:08:23	10k pace plus 20s per mi
PMP+15	0:00:15	0:05:36	0:09:01	long run slower pace
PMP+20	0:00:20	0:05:39	0:09:06	long run slower pace
PMP+30	0:00:30	0:05:46	0:09:16	long run slower pace
PMP+45	0:00:45	0:05:55	0:09:31	long run slower pace
PMP+60	0:01:00	0:06:04	0:09:46	long run slower pace

Back to Marathon Training: Week 7 of 22

2010-12-08T20:10:00.006-05:00

I was planning to do my sprint training today while there was still sunlight outside. But a business meeting went on for longer than expected and I missed the light. Well, when it's dark by 5, it's hard not to miss sunlight on a weekday. It was colder than last Sunday (30F, -1C), but I guess I've been doing well with the winter gear and layering.

I forgot to take a picture of my starting point near my home, next time.

It was the first time I had to keep the sprint pace (7:18min/mile / 04:32min/km) for 3 minutes but I guess I did it very well, a little bit higher than that though.

My tempo run was right on target, although I had to climb parts of Amsterdan Avenue. On my way back I went through Riverside Park and there wasn't anybody around, it was as if NYC had been evacuated.

I felt a bit of pain on my left leg and will have to keep an eye on it before my long run this Sunday.

This picture is from the place I finished my run, at the Intrepid Museum.

Sunday began with lots of rain and it took me a lot of time to get out of bed, feeling demotivation by the fact that I wouldn't be able to run. Then I noticed my left calf was really sore. Not sure what happened, I could've had cramps during the night.

Then a good thought: pain and rain, I should postpone the long run. But now the rain has stopped, I looked at my window and saw people running. It's been hard to resist, but I think I should wait until tomorrow afternoon, my calf will probably be back to normal and I will be able to run in balance. We usually don't notice, but when a side of the body is hurt we unconsciously compensate and end up hurting the other side because of the unbalanced movement.

I feel bad right now, because all I want is to go running.

I think it's the first time I do a long run on a Monday and I am very glad I did it. I almost gave up on mile 4 because I wasn't running smoothly, I felt heavier than normal and my left calf was giving me signs that something was wrong. But then it happened: it started to snow! Very lightly, but enough to cover my shoulders for a while. It was thrilling and I kept running.

I slowed down the pace and most of the time I kept it at PMP+45 which was my goal but ended up slowing down more at the end because I was afraid I could hurt myself. Hopefully nothing has happened.

The view of Midtown Manhattan from the east side was fantastic.

I learned something from this run: whenever you're not finishing the run close to your home or to a train station you should be very careful. I stopped at Grand Central and couldn't get a cab, stayed in the cold for more than 10min and almost freezed, seriously, I couldn't feel several fingers of my right hand. Desperately I decided to run home. So, in the end I ran 1.5 miles more. I decided I should read more about effects of cold in situations like that.

Parameters:

	min/km	min/mi
10k pace	0:05:00	0:08:03
PMP	0:05:27	0:08:46	finish 10k	0:50:00
			finish marathon	3:49:58

Run Type	plus/minus	min/km	min/mi	explanation
Sprints	0:00:45	0:04:32	0:07:18	10k pace minus 45s per mi
Tempo	0:00:20	0:05:12	0:08:23	10k pace plus 20s per mi
PMP+15	0:00:15	0:05:36	0:09:01	long run slower pace
PMP+20	0:00:20	0:05:39	0:09:06	long run slower pace
PMP+30	0:00:30	0:05:46	0:09:16	long run slower pace
PMP+45	0:00:45	0:05:55	0:09:31	long run slower pace
PMP+60	0:01:00	0:06:04	0:09:46	long run slower pace

I will never run on a treadmill again

2010-12-06T13:18:00.001-05:00

In a previous post I said I would never run on a treadmill again and mentioned I would have a separate post about it, here I go.

If you google it, you’ll find hundreds of articles talking about the pros and cons of running on treadmills. I have run on treadmills since I started running, back in 2003 and have accumulated enough experience to deliberately say: a true runner runs exclusively outdoors.

Many people will disagree and they will have a list of pro-treadmills arguments ready to fight back. I really don’t care about those facts, they are valid for sure, but they don’t change my perception of what running on treadmills represent both physically and psychologically.

Treadmills were historically used as a method of reforming offenders in prison, an innovation introduced by Sir William Cubitt in 1817. The first private health club in the U.S. was started by Professor Louis Attila in 1894. It is undeniable that treadmills became very popular at gyms everywhere in the world and they are great for warm-ups before other exercises. They’re also great at home as an exotic piece of furniture to hang clothing. They helped medicine to establish some protocols for identifying some heart-related diseases and are a terrific tool for people willing to lose weight or in rehabilitation. But we are talking about runners, the ones who run because they love it, and they want to push their bodies to the next challenge, be it a 5k, a 10k or half-marathons, marathons or even ultra-marathons. For runners, running on treadmills is somewhat like cheating.

Are you a hamster?

From the mechanics standpoint running on a treadmill or running on the deck of a moving boat is essentially the same thing: your muscles have to “defeat” gravity in order to transfer the movement from one leg to the other. But the treadmill offers an additional force brought to you by a moving belt and this makes all the difference to our neuromuscular dynamics. To anybody that isn’t convinced that for our brain and body running on a treadmill is different, just remember what you feel right after you step out of it.

Since I am not a biophysics specialist, I am not going to go deeper on these differences, many of them aren’t even completely understood. It is common sense, though, that running on treadmills is easier than running on an equivalently flat distance outdoors because the ground is smooth and there is no wind resistance. Studies measuring the difference find that an average person running between 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) and 9 miles per hour (14 km/h) will expend between 0 and 5 percent more energy running outdoors. A person running outdoors faster than 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) (6 minute mile pace) will expend up to 10% more energy than an indoor runner. Treadmills can approximate the additional effort of running outdoors by setting the incline to 1%, which theoretically account for air resistance.

What I think is more determinant is the fact that you can sustain a higher speed on a treadmill as opposed to outdoor running and as an effect people tend to run at unnatural speeds on treadmills, which in turn may lead to injuries. How many times you were proud of running at 12.5MPH (20km/h) for some minutes on a treadmill and you knew for sure that wouldn’t even be possible on the streets? Many, if not all, of the running-related injuries I had in the past were directly related to workouts I did on treadmills trying those unnatural speeds that artificially helped me feel more like an elite runner. Speed trainings (sprints) are much easier to control on treadmills, but they are the most dangerous. If you can afford a GPS-based running tool, I highly recommend you do it and start doing speed trainings outdoors, you’ll quickly notice how much more difficult it is to sustain higher speeds.

I’ve seen many runners developing bad habits because they almost never run outdoors. When you have to run against the wind and on uneven surfaces everything changes and a treadmill-runner will resemble a ballerina with a short bouncing gait.

One of the strongest arguments in pro of treadmills is that they reduce impact to your joints. Surely this is true, running on concrete and asphalt hurts much more, but come on, just go slower, respect your body and you’ll be fine wherever you run on. The other strong argument is that sometimes weather sucks, like during wintertime. I’m training for a marathon during wintertime in NYC to show that this isn’t a critical barrier, just gear up and go.

So, that’s the deal, you are a runner not a hamster, you’re proud of being a runner and going farther and for longer, exploring the ground where you live in or visit; you appreciate the wind on your face, the sun, the rain, the snow, natural hills, you like to see other people’s faces while they do what you’re doing. Running outdoors can be much less solitary.

Still not convinced? Check out how natural this dog looks:

Back to Marathon Training: Week 6 of 22

2010-12-01T20:46:00.006-05:00

It was VERY hard to go running tonight. It was dark, cold and rainy. And since I decided I won't do a single run on a treadmill anymore in my life (this will be the subject of a separate post), I had to face the weather, it will get worse as the end of year approaches. Friends helped a lot today and I thank them for this, it was very much appreciated!

The run itself was difficult, I feel like the 10 days in Brazil helped me a lot to get out of shape. Good food, good weather, then food poisoning and rain and gastritis. That was hell.

I did 10 sprints of 1min each today, 2 minutes of recovery, on the last 2 I walked to recover but was able to keep a good sprint pace in all of them. I am satisfied with the results.

I went to Philadelphia this past Friday for a conference on mobile trends and had this fantastic opportunity to do my tempo run along the Schuylkill river, just "behind" the Philadelphia Museum of Art where the movie Rocky was once shot. It was a fantastic ride, very cold evening but this didn't prevent me - and some other people - to enjoy a good run along the river and the night scenery.

I decided I will now post a picture of what I see at the beginning of my runs. This is the Philadelphia City Hall as seen from Broad St.

After 2 miles of warm-up (literally as I was freezing), I ran 3 miles at my tempo pace (8:22 min/mi or 5:12 min/km). The average of the three miles was actually faster: 8:14min/mi or 5:07min/km which made me very happy because it wasn't exhaustive at all.

Look forward to my long run this Sunday in Manhattan, it's going to be something between 9 and 10 miles.

It was very cold this morning when I decided to go running for my long run. Actually it was already noon, I was waiting for the weather to get a bit warmer. When I left home it was 32F (0C) but I geared up and off I went. I started my run near Grand Central and the plan was to go up 1st avenue and then to Central Park for the big loop, since this will be part of my "Manhattan Marathon". You gotta get used to the running course! ;)

Garmin lost the GPS lock during the course and I nearly lost 10 minutes of data recording, but hopefully I had my iPhone and "runens" app on. Runens is a project I am doing on the side, I will be sharing more info about it soon. So, instead of running 9 miles, I ended up running 10.6, also because I wanted to complete the Central Park big loop. It was a fantastic run even though the park wasn't really filled with many runners, probably because of the weather. I could sense empathy between everyone who was there running, this is something only runners can understand, real runners face the weather and run on the streets, no matter what. And they always give their best.

My average pace should've been PMP+20sec/mile or 9:06min/mile, but I ended up doing 8:45 min/mile, which is actually my PMP. This is great, but again when you are running faster than you should, you must pay double attention to the signals your body give to you. At the very first sign of overuse you should slow down or even stop. Hopefully I had the feeling I could've gone for more miles.

I feel like I recovered from the bad two weeks of training in Brazil and this makes me very happy.I am over 100 miles since I started this Marathon Training.

When you are a long distance runner in NYC, it does not matter where you live, Central Park is always nearby.

Back to Marathon Training: Week 5 of 22

2010-11-29T21:31:00.001-05:00

Monday the 22nd arrived and there was a big storm in Campinas, the city where I was working from, so my plans to run the 9 miles got literally washed away.

I then decided to skip one week on my program and consider now 21 weeks.

But week 5 was very complicated for me. On the 23rd, after doing my sprint training, I got food poisoning after having a sandwich at the hotel. I switched the hotel, but suffered the entire week, barely being able to eat. I got better on Friday and did the tempo run, but on Saturday I had gastritis and wasn't able to run my long run on Sunday either.

The final result to my training of my trip to Brazil is: I kinda lost two weeks.

It is common sense but I was able to confirm some facts:

If you change your diet dramatically, your performance reduces dramatically
Temperature plays a major role on performance. It's silly to try to keep the same pace you were being able to keep on much cooler temperatures. There is a rule of thumb to reduce x miles per second per each F in temperature change, but I think there's no way to make this precisely: if it's warmer, just slow down a bit
I tried to keep my pacing despite the fact I wasn't training in Manhattan. Going fast on hills demands a lot more of your muscles and my legs felt that

I am back to Manhattan, still recovering from the gastritis, but I guess I am back to my normal training this week, let's see.

Back to Marathon Training: Week 4 of 20

2010-11-17T17:22:00.004-05:00

Doing a sprint training right before an international business trip means you are committed to running, for sure.

Garmin website is down, so I won't be able to post the results now. I did 15' warm-up, 6 sprints of 1min with 2min recovery and then 10-15' cool down back home. It was extremely windy today in NYC and although I protected my neck, it was really annoying. I learned that running sprints against the wind is horrible! I am sure my timing for the first 3 are much better than the last ones.

Write more from Brazil!

Today, Friday, I ran my tempo run. It's been two days I've been to Brazil and all I did was eat great food in quantity so because of this - and the fact that it's much warmer and the course was much hillier - I suffered a lot to run my 2 miles easy, 2 miles at tempo and another 2 miles easy. I was able to manage to keep my tempo pace on the 2 miles in the middle despite all the hills and I sweat a lot.

I forgot my usb adaptor for the Garmin so I will only update my results when I'm back to NYC on the 29th.

Can't wait for my long run this Sunday!

Well, my Sunday run didn't fully happen. I had the stupid idea of going running at 11am and it was above 85F and sunny. After four miles - I was being able to keep the pace - I made the wise decision to stop because I would surely get an injury or dehydrate. Tomorrow night I will try to run my 9 miles.

Why do runners use pace to measure speed?

2010-11-14T20:35:00.003-05:00

It is definitely weird that runners measure speed with minutes/mile or minutes/km instead of the most common speed measures of mph or km/h. First of all, the higher the number the slower you are!

Instead of saying I run at 6.2mph you should say - if you're a runner - I run at 9:40min/mile. Or, 10km/h becoming 6:00min/km.

Why is it so? It's because pacing is a crucial component of any running training and if you fail at keeping your pace within the ideal limits while you progress one thing is bound to happen: you'll suffer a lot.

Now imagine the challenge of keeping your speed at 6.5mph. How can you get a sense of the difference between 6.2mph and 6.5mph? 0.3mph means nothing to us, let face it, but in terms of min/mile we are talking about 9:13min/mile, that is, you will be doing each mile in 27 seconds less time when compared to 9:40min/mile.

Still hard to get a sense of it, but it gives us the ability to understand that a few seconds per mile (or km) makes a lot of difference.

Let's take an example of a marathon where the runner A runs at an average pace of 9:00min/mile while runner B is only 5 seconds faster per mile 8:55min/mile.

Their final timing will be:
Runner A: 3h55m58s
Runner B: 3:53m47s

Runner B hits the finish line 2 minutes and 11 seconds earlier! That's enough to grab a beer and relax waiting for runner A.

So, if you're a runner, you should abandon mph ou km/h and embrace the beauty of pace. According to wikipedia:
In running, pace is usually defined as a ratio of the number of minutes it takes to cover a mile or kilometer. Pacing is often a critical aspect of endurance events. Some coaches advocate training at a combination of specific paces related to one's fitness in order to stimulate various physiological improvements

After some experience you'll be amazed to realize you can actually tell - approximately - the pace you're running at.

Now, a great article about the importance of pacing by Jeff Galloway:

4 Steps to Your Perfect Pace

By Jeff Galloway

When you run within your limits, every workout can be a pleasure. But start even a few seconds per mile too fast, and misery awaits: excess fatigue, loss of motivation, or even injury. That's why it's so important to know what pace is right for you. Happily, by doing a simple "magic mile" time trial, you can find the best speed for your runs, then set realistic goals and keep running—enjoyably—forever.

Run One Mile Hard
Go to a track and jog an easy lap or two for a warmup. Walk for three to four minutes. Then time yourself running four laps, which is about one mile. Don't run all out; just push a little faster than you usually do. Record your time. By running on a track—which is flat and provides the most accurate measurement of distance—you'll get a solid indication of your top speed. You can use it as a benchmark to determine what pace is appropriate for your current fitness level on daily runs. Do the time trial every two weeks or so; try to beat your previous time, and track your progress.

Slow Down Every Day
On your daily runs, aim to run two to three minutes slower per mile than your magic mile time. So if you do your magic mile in 10 minutes, aim to keep your pace around 12 to 13 minutes per mile on daily runs. At the perfect pace, you should feel comfortable and relaxed—like you can finish a sentence without having to catch your breath. If you're huffing and puffing, ease off. Don't worry about going too slow.

Set Race Goals Signed up for a race? Use the magic mile to set realistic goals for different distances. Add 33 seconds to your mile time to determine a pace for a 5K. Multiply your mile time by 1.15 for a 10K, 1.2 for a half-marathon, and 1.3 to predict your marathon potential.

Get Used To It At a race, you'll get the best results if you try to maintain a steady pace from start to finish. Here's how to practice: Once a week, try to run your goal race pace for a half to three-quarters of a mile. Each quarter mile, check your pace and adjust if you need to. Each week, run a little farther at your goal pace until you're running one-third to one-half of the race distance.

Time Trial
If you can run one mile in 10 minutes, here's your pace for other distances.

Distance: 5K
Pace per mile: 10:33

Distance: 10K
Pace per mile: 11:30

Distance: Half-Marathon
Pace per mile: 12:00

Distance: Marathon
Pace per mile: 13:00

Back to Marathon Training: Week 3 of 20

2010-11-10T20:14:00.011-05:00

It was hard for me to go training for the Sprints. It was cold and already dark because now daylight saving time is gone in the USA. But I am glad I did it, it was intense, but relatively easy for me.

My average sprint pace should've been 4:32min/km or 7:18min/mile but I did 7 sprints with average of 4:17min/km or 6:53min/mile. The only problem about being faster is that you increase the chances of an injury, that's why it's so important to do proper warm-up.

Tempo training was hard. I started it on Broadway at NoHo after I had a haircut at Astor Place. It's hard to move through traffic, things got smoother only when I hit Wall Street. The ride back home was nice but again, it wasn't easy. I did the faster part very close to my target: 1s faster per km or 2s faster per mile.

What a fantastic long run! I did my 8 miles faster than the target but it was relatively easy so I kept it faster, it gave me the sensation that I will be able to do much more in weeks to come, but still I should be aware that speeding up is a dangerous delight. My target should've been PMP+30s/mile which is 9:06 min/mile or 5:46min/km and I ended up doing 8:48 min/mile or 5:27min/km which is basically PMP! Well, keeping this pace in 8 miles is very different from keeping it in 26 miles so there's a long way to go!

To warm-up I walked up from home to the United Nations and started my run from there: went down following 1st avenue, then I did the downtown contour. I love to see the two bridges in the background, there's no other place more inspiring to run in NYC.

During my 6th mile I started to have very deep philosophical thoughts about love, don't ask me why. The conclusion was very simple: love is the only thing you can't really leave behind. I don't know if it was the effect of endorphins, but I felt very good after deeply realizing it, and felt a very strong sensation of freedom.

It is important to say that last night (Saturday) I went to Brooklyn to try the delicious poutine from Mile End Delicatessen and went to Brooklyn Social afterwards to enjoy some guiness. I am not sacrificing my life to run a marathon!

Back to Marathon Training: Week 2 of 20

2010-11-10T20:08:00.004-05:00

This was the week of the NYC Marathon, great motivation to run as the city was packed with runners from all over the world.

Back to Marathon Training: Week 1 of 20

2010-11-10T19:56:00.004-05:00

After realizing that adding everything in one single post was a bad idea, I decided to:

* add a post for each week, so that I can talk about major things happening on a specific week
* although I've been using runens on my iPhone to help me control my pace, I also use Garmin (for comparison) and Garmin allows me to share info directly from the site, so for those of you that want to have a look at the details of each exercise, there's a link for that. But the point of using runens is exactly that all those data generated by Garmin is kinda useless most of the time. What matters is to have a goal for a day and do it.

Getting back wasn't easy, in the first week my body complained a lot, but I knew this was going to happen. It's getting cold in NYC, but I think I have the right gear to go through winter.

Back to Marathon Training

2010-10-29T21:37:00.019-04:00

Guys, this is going to be a big post, that I hope, will consume me 20 weeks and will end with a 26.1-mile run (42.195km) in Manhattan, it will be kind of a NYC Marathon revisited, if you will. So, check back weekly and you'll hopefully find updates of this same post, just scroll down to see new stuff.

My last Marathon was the ING NYC Marathon in 2006 which I did in 3h57m38s an average pace of 5:37 min/km or 9:03 min/mi a great mark for an amateur like me in the somewhat difficult course of the NYC Marathon.

After that accomplishment I thought that marathons weren't really healthy and I decided to run half-marathons, but have always found half-marathons boring so kept doing short runs, mostly 10ks. The net result has been the following: I've been running only sporadically, because I don't have goals anymore. Goals are everything you need to keep running in a more serious way.

I want to get back to marathons and I will do it with a program that allows me to run only 3 times a week because I want to make it even more challenging, I want to prove a point. Also, did I mention that I will need to go through Winter in NYC?

I believe this will work out and will help me avoid injuries. My other goal is to do it under 3h:50m:00 (PMP=Predicted Marathon average Pace) and I am assuming my 10k pace (a parameter used in the program) is 8:03min/mile or 5:00min/km. My best 10k ever was in Brazil and I did it in 45min:05s, a pace of 7:15min/mile or (4:30min/km). I will probably never do this time again, so let's keep things sane.

So the parameters are:

	min/km	min/mi	mi/km	1.609344
10k pace	0:05:00	0:08:03
PMP	0:05:27	0:08:46	finish 10k	0:50:00
			finish marathon	3:49:58

Run Type	plus/minus	min/km	min/mi	explanation
Sprints	0:00:45	0:04:32	0:07:18	10k pace minus 45s per mi
Tempo	0:00:20	0:05:12	0:08:23	10k pace plus 20s per mi
PMP+15	0:00:15	0:05:36	0:09:01	long run slower pace
PMP+20	0:00:20	0:05:39	0:09:06	long run slower pace
PMP+30	0:00:30	0:05:46	0:09:16	long run slower pace
PMP+45	0:00:45	0:05:55	0:09:31	long run slower pace
PMP+60	0:01:00	0:06:04	0:09:46	long run slower pace

I decided to add a post for each week.

Cheers,
Mars

The top 10 AVOID things for runners

2010-10-09T12:27:00.002-04:00

10 Things Runners Do to Mess up Their Workouts by Jeff Galloway

Opening your stride could lead to injuryJeff Galloway

We all make mistakes, but they can benefit us if we learn from them. Runner's World's Jeff Galloway shares 10 missteps to avoid in your running workouts.

1. Opening up your stride. Not only does this fatigue your leg muscles, it can lead to injury. Pick up speed by shortening your stride, staying light on your feet, and increasing your leg turnover.

2. Not resting enough. Take a day off from running, or at least go very easy the day after a long or hard run.

3. Resting too much. Some runners take two to four weeks off after a marathon. You'll recover faster by taking liberal walking breaks during a 30- to 45-minute run every other day for up to a month after your marathon.

4. Overdressing. You should feel slightly chilled when you start running on a cool day. If you bundle up, you'll be too hot by the end of the first mile.

5. Not having a goal. Even a small goal will get you out running on days when you're just not in the mood. Pick a local race. Or celebrate your workout with a pizza afterward.

6. Aiming too high. Choose a goal that's within your reach. Instead of trying to run a minute faster than you did last year, shoot for 10 seconds faster than you ran a month ago.

7. Going solo. Your long runs and races will become more enjoyable if you have a group of runners to share them with.

8. Eating too much or not enough. Eating about 250 calories an hour or two before the run usually will keep your energy up for 60 to 90 minutes.

9. Starting too fast. Even running 10 seconds per mile too fast at the beginning can force you to slow down by 20 to 30 seconds per mile at the end. It's better to start 10 to 20 seconds per mile slower than goal pace, and then pick up the pace by running 20 to 30 seconds per mile faster during the last miles of the race.

10. Telling yourself you can't. Instead, whisper "I can," and remind yourself that running is the best way to feel revived and reduce stress. Believe in yourself. Yes, you can.

Run for a cause

2010-09-22T21:20:00.001-04:00

Just checked this website and found it very interesting, over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, their 325 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund, which is really impressive. It's the power of NYC runners!

Keep running, keep helping!

http://freshair.org/racers

Now on iTunes

2010-09-14T08:23:00.000-04:00

If you like the videos I post here, you may consider subscribing to my videopodcast in iTunes here. Your feedback is really appreciated and I promise to get back to all who writes to me at cyrillo@gmail.com

2 hours in 12 seconds

2010-09-12T22:50:00.000-04:00

Since I moved to NYC, this has been my motivation to run, this wonderful view I have from my window. This was shot yesterday, 9/11, 2 hours of footage in 12 seconds.

I Run These Streets, Episode 1: The Two Bridges

2010-09-07T00:13:00.001-04:00

If you read the previous post you know that my camera died when I first ran the "two bridges" course last Saturday. I think many people would be highly disappointed and would put this course at the end of their list, just because it's no fun to run the same course twice in a row. Not me.

I did it today, labor day, and actually the course was nicer, with less people on the bridges and I really loved it.

This is the best course you can run in NYC, the views are extraordinary. Don't get me wrong, I love Central Park, but this is a different animal and you can't say you've run in NYC if you didn't run over the Brooklyn Bridge.

This is the course according to my Forerunner 405:

And this is the total so far, 3 runs, 17.7 miles (28.3km):

The song I used in the clip happened to be the last song I heard when I was on Brooklyn Bridge (shuffle mode in my iPhone's iPod) and I liked it.

Here are the lyrics, they are a bit sad, but while running I didn't notice it.

If a train crashed into our garden,
Would we notice the noise?
Would it make us sit up and turn off the TV?

Out of focus
And out of moments,
Remember, this is us.

All I want is someone to pull me out.
I'm stuck in a traffic jam
with nowhere to run for miles.
All I want is someone to pull me out.
I'm stuck in a traffic jam
with nowhere to run for miles.

I'm scared of what you might tell me.
I see your mouth move but I don't hear
a word that you say.

I'm so sorry I'm not better at love.
Just remember that this is us.

All I want is someone to pull me out.
I'm stuck in a traffic jam with
nowhere to run for miles.

All I want is someone to pull me out.
I'm stuck in a traffic jam with
nowhere to run for miles.

Come here and find me,
I'll be waiting.
Come here and find me,
And I'll be waiting.
Come here and find me,
I'll be waiting.
I'm stuck in a traffic jam
with nowhere to run for miles.

I'm stuck in a traffic jam
with nowhere to run for miles.
And all I want is someone to pull me out.
I'm stuck in a traffic jam
with nowhere to run for miles.

I Run These Streets - Episode 1 failed

2010-09-04T23:11:00.010-04:00

It was a great run! I started from where I had finished last time at Battery Park and contoured the southeast of Manhattan to then cross Manhattan bridge, run a bit on the waterfront, and finally come back through Brooklyn bridge. In total it was 6.3 miles and I had the pleasure to talk to a fellow runner while we ran together on Brooklyn bridge. I gave him the address of my blog, let's see if he checks it out.

Unfortunately though, my camera died right at the beginning of the run and I was able to record just a bit of footage. Damn USB connection, I thought it was fully charged, next time I will make sure it is.

I plan to do this run soon again, it's a great - really great - view of NYC. GPS signal fails a lot because at some points there isn't a clear view of the sky.

Total so far: 11.7 miles / 2 runs:

And this is the short video of the beginning of the run:

I Run These Streets: Pilot

2010-08-30T01:22:00.008-04:00

The project "I run these streets" is a declaration of love to NYC. Each episode is the length of a cool song to run to and the path of the run is shown in a stop motion-like style. For me this is motivation to cover as much ground as possible in this awesome city and to keep running!

This is the Pilot episode, I run from home on 42nd and 12th all the way down to Battery Park along the Hudson River. This has become one of my favorite places to run, sunsets are amazing, the "Westside Greenway Path" as it is known is usually packed with people practicing sports or chilling out in front of the river. The region around TriBeCa is my favorite.

My first 5.4 miles (8.6km) being tracked in the project! (I wish I had started it earlier)

10 Tips to Avoid Injures

2010-08-29T16:34:00.002-04:00

Ten quick fixes to save your knees and joints

Don't try to push through pain, or you may end up with a more serious injury.

Matt Russ

Because of the compressive forces and types of muscle contractions involved, running can be very hard on your body. If you are a large or heavy set person; harder still. If you plan on running long term, there are some basic rules that will keep you striding long term.

1. Take at least one or two rest days per week.This means no impact giving your joints a rest from the pounding forces that running produces. Less experienced runners may need two or thee rest days per week. Remember that you are weaker after a workout and only get stronger through proper recovery. Try to circumvent this process and injury becomes likely. He (or she) who recovers first wins.

2. Perform no more than one or two "break through" or high-intensity interval workouts per week. Speed work puts more stress and the body, and requires more recovery time. This type of work must be performed prescriptively and carefully. Try to schedule your speed work or interval workouts the day prior to a rest or recovery day.

3. Train in two- to three-day cycles, with a rest or recovery workout in between cycles. This allows your body to adapt to the stress of training. Some athletes will need more rest and less training, especially as intensity increases. A rest or recovery workout is best scheduled after an increase in weekly mileage.

4. Change your shoes out frequently. A good rule of thumb is at least three times per year for a high-volume runner. You may want to write the date you purchased your shoes in permanent ink on your shoes for reference. Buying shoes is expensive, but so is your insurance deductible.

5. Take the supplements Chrondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine. I don't recommend a lot of supplements, but this combination has shown promise in clinical studies, and in control groups of people suffering from knee pain. One works as an anti-inflammatory (Chrondroitin); the other helps regenerate cartilage (Glucosamine). I know of several orthopedic surgeons who are recommending the supplement to their patients. It's definitely worth a try.

6. Increase your volume of endurance training by less than 10 percent per week. Bringing your mileage up too quickly is a sure fire way to promote injury. Your body adapts to stress (training), compensates for it, and builds or gets stronger. If you put too much stress on your body, it can't compensate and breaks down further instead of getting stronger. (note by M.Cyrillo: for me this is crucial and really is key to avoid injuries)

7. Listen to your body. In my experience your body gives you an indication that you are about to sustain an overuse injury. This may be in the form of a slight or nagging pain. Stop training at this point and you will more than likely be all right after a bit of rest. If you try to push through the pain you may end up with a more serious injury. If you are exceptionally tired during a run and your legs feel leaded, take a day off.

8. Periodize your training. Periodization means training in specific cycles that move towards a goal (race). Your training moves from the general to the specific and from low intensity to higher intensity as you approach your peak. This means performing your most intense work late in the season near your goal race or peak, not year round which degrades performance and may lead to injury.

Establish a 12- to 16-week base period in which you keep your intensity low, heart rate aerobic, and concentrate on strength and technique. Have a licensed running coach work with you on an annual training plan for your season.

9. Perform strength exercises to keep your knees strong and stable, prevent muscle imbalances and improve performance. One of the more common overuse injuries is "runner's knee." This can be caused by a patella tracking problem, much like a tire that is out of alignment. By keeping your quadriceps strong you can prevent this condition. If you are an endurance runner you don't need to overwork these muscles or use a lot of weight, but light strength work performed correctly can help prevent injury.

10. Cross train. One of the benefits that multi-sport athletes have over runners is that they are able to perform swim and cycling workouts in between run workouts. This helps reduce the stress caused by the pounding of running, but the athlete still receives the aerobic benefit of training. Cross training is good for active recovery which helps speed the recovery process.

If you use a heart rate monitor you can stay in the same heart rate zone as your run workout. Swimming, cycling, using the stepper, elliptical trainer, or even hiking are all good examples of cross-training workouts.

Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes for over 10 years around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems

My Favorite Running Ads

2010-08-26T15:49:00.008-04:00

Supplements Worth Taking

2010-08-25T08:56:00.009-04:00

The annual sales of supplements surpasses the $25bn in the USA alone, and you probablytake one - or more than one - every day.

Some quick facts about supplements:

* In 2004, 18.9 percent of Americans reported that they had taken one or more dietary supplements in the past year. (Institute of Medicine)

* The global self-medication market grew 7.4 percent in 1998 – dietary supplements were the fastest growing category with a 16 percent increase. (IMS HEALTH, 1999)

* The United States leads the world in dietary supplement usage with 100.4 million Americans using vitamin and minerals every day and 37.2 million using herbal remedies regularly. (Prevention Magazine, 2000)

* The most prevalent reason consumers use dietary supplements is to improve overall health and general well being. (Roper Starch Worldwide, 2001)

* The top selling herbal supplements in the U.S. in 2000 were the three Gs: garlic, ginkgo biloba, and glucosamine. (Information Resources, 2001)

It's easy to be convinced to take supplements, specially if you practice sports, because actually you'll really need some depending on how healthy are your meal intakes everyday. The question is: how much of evidence there are about their effectiveness?

I've found this data visualization study on the Internet which I think is a great guide, supposedly to be updated constantly (seems to be the case because the still image differs from the dynamically generated one). The higher a bubble is, the greater the evidence for its effectiveness. But the supplements are only effective for the conditions listed inside the bubble. Bubbles' sizes relate to their popularity in the Internet. The author also use colors to separate supplements into groups.

Since supplements can eat part of your budgets, it seems wise to avoid those on the bottom of the image. Surprisingly enough, vitamin E is there!

6 Reasons to Run a 5K

2010-08-23T15:45:00.003-04:00

Put a few 5Ks on your schedule.

By Jeff Galloway
Runner's World

5K's are one of the most popular races out there, and here are six reasons why:

1. Ease. Most of you are busy, and training time is precious. Therefore, it's really tough to find the time to train for a half-marathon or marathon. Not so with the 5K. You can work up to it quickly (from scratch) and train for it adequately on just three days a week.

2. Convenience. With a 5K, race day is a snap. You arrive at the race, warm up for 10 to 20 minutes, race for 40 minutes maximum, cool down, replenish with food and drink, and head home in your new race T-shirt before your family has finished breakfast.

3. Exhilaration. In a 5K, you feel like you're really racing. And that's a good feeling. Not many runners can maintain a 10K race pace that is much faster than their daily training pace. With a 5K, however, you can motor as much as one minute per mile faster than your usual training pace.

4. Improvement. Racing the occasional 5K is an excellent fitness booster. It will elevate your max VO2, improve form and efficiency, and make your regular training runs feel easier.

5. Change. Too often in our training, we run the same course at the same pace at the same time of day. Don't get me wrong. Routine is good—essential, in fact, if you want to stay with a long-term running program. But too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing. You need variation, and a short-and-sweet 5K every once in awhile is a great way to mix things up.

6. Motivation. Races are great motivators. Each year, scores of runners tell me that having a regular schedule of 5K races gets them out the door on days when they would have stayed in bed in the morning or hit the couch after work.

Tour Around Manhattan

2010-08-14T16:49:00.009-04:00

It had been on my backlog for more than 1 year but I finally did it: I contoured Manhattan on my bicycle. Had no idea how difficult it would be on the north side but it was surprisingly easy up there and it was great to hit Broadway and 220th st! The east side sucks and gets a bit dangerous if you stay close to the water like I did.

When you hit the Queensboro bridge you'll need to enter 1st ave as the greenway path is closed for road work, that sucks too, but then you'll have a nice view of the United Nations.

51Km or 32 miles, that's what it takes. One day I will run it! Well, if someone supports me along the way with food and water, of course.

10 Awesome Marathon Ideas

2010-08-04T10:33:00.009-04:00

If you’ve loved London, nailed New York and sailed through Sydney, then it’s time to look further afield for your next marathon fix. Best in Travel 2010 has 10 magical marathons that’ll have you admiring the view (as you push through the pain barrier).

1. Great Wall marathon, Tianjin, China

Nothing is likely to knacker your knees more than climbing 5164 steps, except maybe running up and down them. That’s exactly what you’ll do on China’s Great Wall Marathon, which begins with a gruelling 600m of straight-up-and-down in the first 9km (even the organisers advise competitors to walk through the steepest sections). If you survive the brutal start, then the route meanders through picturesque villages and rice fields, thankfully along flat roads. By now you’ll be in your stride and enjoying the view, just in time to return to the start and complete the opening 9km all over again!

International runners can only compete by joining one of three official tours. Start planning now for May 2011: www.great-wall-marathon.com; half marathons also available.

2. The last marathon, Antarctica

There’s black humour in the name of this race on King George Island off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula – this really is the last place anyone would think of running a marathon. The contrast with city events couldn’t be greater. The course winds up and around glaciers, along rocky beaches and past gaping crevasses.

Held in February, it’s summer but temperatures are often subzero and snow can blanket the course at any time. If that doesn’t put you off, this is the only marathon where you might have to detour around herds of inquisitive elephant seals or chinstrap penguins.

Temperatures on the course are likely to range from -20ºC to a few degrees above freezing, and that’s before the wind chill. Take plenty of wicking layers for the cold and a pair of rubber boots for negotiating penguin dung!

There’s also the Antarctic ice marathon in December this year.

3. Marathon du Médoc, Bordeaux, France

Most elite athletes don’t touch alcohol, so it’s hard to imagine a marathon where boozing forms an integral part of the race. But when you’re running around the Bordeaux region of France, it somehow makes perfect sense. Passing through 53 vineyards without stopping for a tipple obviously seemed like an impossible task, so the organisers decided to embrace the regional culture and introduced wine stops every couple of kilometres. Oysters and foie gras are served as accompaniment.

Three-quarters of the competitors run in fancy dress, presumably so nobody can see who’s the worst for wear at the finishing line.

Extend your stay with a night or two in deluxe Chateau Franc Mayne in Saint-Emilion. With boutique themed rooms and an in-house winery, this is the place to trade sore feet for a sore head.

4. The reggae marathon, Negril, Jamaica

Rastas and reefer don’t spring to mind when thinking of any kind of athletic activity, let alone a full-blown marathon. But Jamaica is making a good fist of attracting runners to this laid-back affair, with an advertising slogan that reads, ‘Come for the run, stay for the fun!’ And thousands do just that, arriving in Negril to run the mostly flat course along the coastline of the island’s westernmost tip. The locals roll out the welcome mat, cranking up the sound systems and pumping out reggae, and if that’s not Jamaican enough then the winner also receives a Bob Marley trophy.

Negril buzzes at marathon time, but the area is known as the ‘Capital of Casual’; head to the dazzling beaches and azure waters of chilled West End to see Jamaica at its most horizontal.

5. The Big Five marathon, South Africa

Lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – that’s the list of South Africa’s five biggest game animals and you’re likely to see them all on this race around the Entabeni reserve, halfway from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park. Visitors to the park are usually kept secure inside 4WD vehicles, but the marathon course winds around the imposing Waterberg massif and directly through the savannah that these majestic creatures call home. So it’s just as well that armed rangers patrol the route – even the fastest runners would do well to outrun a leopard at lunchtime.

You might well see wildlife while you run, but join a guided tour for guaranteed sightings. The next Big Five marathon is in June 2011, more info at www.big-five-marathon.com.

6. Gran Maratón Pacífico Mazatlán, Mexico

Known as the ‘Pacific Pearl’, the city of Mazatlán lies on the midwest coast of Mexico opposite the southernmost tip of California’s Baja Peninsula. Tourists come here for the city buzz, golden beaches and temperate climate, factors that also draw marathon runners from around the globe. The course follows the sweeping contours of the coastline, and if
the stunning views aren’t incentive enough to keep you going then the race organisers also offer a luxury car to the winner and a cool US$1 million if you can break the world record. Incentive enough to train that little bit harder.

As a major tourist centre, Mazatlán’s good transport links make it simple to reach; fly direct from major US cities or hub through Mexico City from European destinations. More information at www.maraton.org for this year’s December race.

7. Taj Mahal marathon, Agra, India

Marathons and tropical climates don’t usually make happy bedfellows, but elite athletes aren’t deterred by a bit of sweat and the risk of dehydration. Even in October, the brief window between the monsoon season and onset of winter, temperatures during this race can reach 35ºC. Good job then that the picturesque course is so inspiring.

Starting from the rural village of Niyamat Pur, competitors navigate through sleepy countryside before hitting the main highway to the city. For the final few kilometres, the Taj Mahal is in full view on the horizon as you pull you weary legs to the line.

Don’t pass on the opportunity to see inside one of the world’s true wonders; the Taj Mahal is open for viewing Saturday to Thursday.

8. Easter Island marathon, Chile

Proving that marathon runners can be found everywhere, here’s an event that takes place on a tiny Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, 3600km from the Chilean mainland and with a population of fewer than 4000. Easter Island is famous for its jawdropping moai – large monolithic stone statues carved by the Rapanui people – and since 2002 it’s been offering one of the world’s most exclusive marathons. The field for the inaugural race totalled just six. Today, restricted by airline and accommodation capacity, only 150 runners can tackle the route from the main town of Hanga Roa to Anakena Beach.

Sixty of the 150 places at the start line are reserved for international operator Marathon Tours & Travel.

9.Venice marathon, Italy

Venice might be sinking steadily into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, but until such times as it disappears marathon runners will continue to head here for this unique city race. The course begins in the country town of Stra, 25km west of the city, in a stunning riverside area defined by the 18th-century holiday homes of wealthy Venetian traders.

The mostly flat course then passes open countryside, but the real highlights come at the end. Running into the city, competitors cross 14 diminutive bridges across Venice’s canals, passing celebrated landmarks such as St Mark’s Square and Palazzo Ducale. There’s no better way to sooth tired feet than by having a good sit down. In Venice, that means taking to the canals on a guided gondola tour.

10. Whidbey Island marathon, Oak Harbor, USA

The USA’s Pacific Northwest is one of the country’s most beautiful regions, and Whidbey Island in Puget Sound is a wonderful place to run a marathon. The scenery inspires at every turn, with a backdrop of snowcapped mountains, old-growth forest and rocky shores, as well as animal life such as deer, eagles and seals. Within striking distance of Seattle, the island makes the perfect escape from the city and features a course that meanders through farmland and along the coast. With the roads closed to traffic for the race, this is about as peaceful as a marathon can be.

Whidbey Island is about 150km north of Seattle; the most relaxing way to get there is to take the regular 20-minute ferry service from Mukilteo to Clinton. More information at www.whidbeyislandmarathon.com.

Running Session Types

2010-07-17T18:00:00.003-04:00

Many friends keep asking me about different types of running sessions they could use to see improvements on their performance. This is valid for any type of runner, if you run always the "same way" you may improve as a runner, but not as much as you'll see improvements if you spice your sessions up with different protocols.

For all of them, though, you have to be very concious of your limitations and recovery is still key. In my opinion you should always have runs sandwiched by a recovery day or cross training (swimming, biking and other exercises).

This is a tentative list that of course doesn't cover all the possibilities:

Foundation run - A steady run at a comfortable, moderate aerobic pace.
Strides - 20-second relaxed sprints with 40-second jogging recoveries
Long run - A long run done at the same pace as your foundation runs. Long for you is whatever feels like long and is longer than your usual foundation runs. Remember to increase the mileage of your long runs 10% at most every week.
Hill repetitions - Uphill running intervals done at near maximum intensity with two-minute jogging recoveries
Fartlek run - Foundation run with scattered 30-second bursts at one-mile race pace (i.e. the fastest pace you could sustain for five to seven minutes)
Tempo run - Steady run at a threshold pace (i.e. between 10K and half-marathon race pace) sandwiched between a long warm-up and cool-down
Speed intervals - One-minute running intervals done at speed pace (one-mile race pace) with three-minute active recoveries
Lactate intervals -- One- to three-minute running intervals done at VO₂max pace (i.e. 5K race pace) with jogging recoveries of equal duration

The 3 New Yorks

2010-06-22T09:31:00.003-04:00

This is so beautiful and I agree so much with it that it was impossible not to post it here.

Thanks so much to W.H. for this, you are the best!

"There are roughly three New Yorks.

There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and turbulence as natural and inevitable.

Second, there is the New York of the commuter—the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night.

Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these three trembling cities the greatest is the last—the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high-strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion. And whether it is a farmer arriving from Italy to set up a small grocery store in a slum, or a young girl arriving from a small town in Mississippi to escape the indignity of being observed by her neighbors, or a boy arriving from the Corn Belt with a manuscript in his suitcase and a pain in his heart, it makes no difference: each embraces New York with the intense excitement of first love, each absorbs New York with the fresh eyes of an adventurer, each generates heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison Company.

Here is New York, E. B. White, 1949

pre-race nutrition dilemma

2010-06-14T14:41:00.001-04:00

5 Common Pre-Race Nutrition Mistakes

By Suzanne Girard Eberle

Completing a marathon is a monumental undertaking. Whether it's your first or your 20th, a marathon requires stamina, mental fortitude and a bit of luck just to get to the starting line. Runners who put nutrition on the back burner and concentrate solely on their training will find it especially tough on race day. (The same holds true for runners moving up from 5ks and 10ks to longer endeavors like 10 milers and half marathons.) Whether you're a new marathoner or a veteran, turn in a truly peak performance by avoiding five common race day nutrition mistakes.

1. Compromising on carbohydrate-loading.

The fear of digestive problems or anxiety over weight gain leads many women to skimp on this performance-enhancing step. Carbo-loading, which boosts valuable muscle glycogen stores, won't magically help you run faster. However, it works by helping delay the onset of fatigue, allowing you to maintain your desired pace. The key is to consume a higher-than-normal percentage of carbohydrate-rich foods for three days prior to the race while concurrently resting or performing limited exercise. Another bonus: the three grams of water stored, along with every gram of glycogen, helps to delay dehydration during the race.

The solution: Practice a modified version (one to two days of carbo-loading) before long runs in the months leading up to race day. Concentrate on carb-loading, not fat-loading. Aim for 4 to 5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. Gain confidence from the fact that slight weight increases are a sign of proper carbo-loading. If you do experience some stiffness or heavy legs, it dissipates as you start to run.

2. Skipping breakfast on race morning.

A nervous stomach, or fear of standing in the port-a-potty line as the race starts, keeps many marathoners from eating a light to moderate pre-race morning meal. If you skip breakfast, you fail to restore liver glycogen stores after being depleted overnight. Liver glycogen is converted back to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels, which helps you to think more clearly and remain positive. It also provides fuel for exercising muscles, especially during prolonged exercise.

The solution: Eat one to four hours before start time. Aim for 50 grams of carbohydrate for each hour before the start. Choose familiar foods you enjoy. Practice before long runs with the same foods you plan to eat on race day. If you have an ultra-sensitive stomach, opt for a liquid breakfast, such as a meal-replacement beverage. They empty from the stomach faster than solids do and contain less fiber.

3. Over-hydrating before (or during) the race.

Women runners in particular need to be aware of the dangers of over-hydrating before (and during) endurance races. Hyponatremia is a dangerous medical condition characterized by a low blood sodium level. It results when you replace the fluid, but not the sodium, lost through sweating by drinking large amounts of water or low-sodium fluids. Due to a smaller starting blood volume and a penchant for "following the rules," females are more at risk for overdrinking prior to and during prolonged exercise.

The solution: In the days leading up to the marathon, drink to thirst. Monitor your urine color--it should be pale yellow like lemonade, neither too dark (dehydrated) nor clear in color like water (increased risk of being over-hydrated). Consume a modest amount of salt, especially if you'll be racing in warm or humid conditions. Use the saltshaker, eat salty foods and hydrate with an electrolyte-containing sports drink.

4. Avoiding sports drinks during the race.

Erroneously blaming sports drinks for stomach issues leads many marathoners to opt for only drinking water during the race. Compared to water, sports drinks do triple duty, conveniently supplying the fluid, electrolytes (especially sodium) and easily digestible carbohydrate that every marathoner requires during an endurance effort.

The solution: Train your digestive tract: Determine in advance what sports drink will be provided along the course and practice drinking it on long runs. Design a hydration plan that matches your sweat losses. Aim to drink 2 to 6 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes while on the move.

5. Not refueling early enough.

Ignoring the need to refuel in the early stages of a marathon is the undoing of veteran and new marathoners alike. Well-rested racers, as well as inexperienced marathoners, often get lulled into skipping early aid stations because they feel good and everything is going to plan. Waiting until you've "hit the wall" typically means a horrendous final leg of the race, as playing catch-up is futile at this point.

The solution: Consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour right from the start (with water provided at aid stations). In addition to sports drinks, experiment with carb-rich sports foods like energy gels, chews and bars. Practice consuming these products during your training, too). Make sure to plan how you will carry these items on race day.

Suzanne Girard Eberle, RD, CSSD, author of Endurance Sports Nutrition-Second Edition, is a board-certified sports dietitian in Portland, Oregon. Find her ateatdrinkwin.com.

2010-06-11T10:21:00.002-04:00

I know, hydration again, I'm not obsessed by the subject, but I think it's an extremely important subject and yet one can find misguided information out there.

What I like about this article is the fact that it highlights the obvious: balance is key. I've heard way too many times that you should drink tons of ounces of water everyday and that this is just good. Well, it does not make sense at all, but at times I believed it, maybe because I was feeling guilty about not taking enough water most of the time.

My take would be: you should listen to you body and most importantly learn to listen to your body. If you are thirsty don't wait too long to get water or a sports drink. And before a run or race just be reasonable, fuel yourself with the right amount of food and drink. What's the right amount for you? If you run often you must know already, nothing like repeated experience to tell you the truth. Oh, and don't forget to take into consideration the weather conditions, going for a run on a sunny day without water - or money to buy some - is simply insane.

Running & FitNews ®

American Running Association

Dehydration is arguably the single most preventable impedance to running performance, while overhydrating remains a danger for runners all too aware of the first fact. In the height of the dog days of summer, how do we find the precise balance between extremes of fluid intake?

During its semi-annual symposiums, which routinely present the latest research from nationally renowned fluid experts and hematologists, the American Medical Athletic Association has devoted much of its time and energy to offering up-to-date and nuanced answers to this question. Every long-distance runner differs in fluid need, but a few general principles apply to bring a picture into focus.

Dehydration decreases blood volume, increases heart rate, and impedes heat loss. All of this compromises running performance, and in the extreme can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Faster runners (sub-4 hour marathon) are at a higher risk of dehydration than of overhydrating and developing hyponatremia. Slower runners have a greater opportunity to drink more fluid than they sweat out. There are several reasons for this.

To understand hyponatremia, remember that there are essentially two ways of developing the condition. Hyponatremia occurs when blood sodium levels become dangerously low. Therefore, it can develop in runners who are sweating out sodium at such a rapid rate that water or sports drink are not adequately replacing it. These are the "salty sweaters" who often show white caking patterns on their clothing during and after a race. They may not be stopping at any fluid stations at all. This is the type of runner who exemplifies that you can actually be both dehydrated and hyponatremic at the same time. This type of runner is more at risk of developing hyponatremia at ultra-distance events.

The second way hyponatremia may develop is in runners who are drinking more fluid than they are sweating; these runners are therefore diluting their blood sodium. This is the far more common cause of hyponatremia, and can begin up to a week before the actual event, when runners attempt to ensure proper hydration, but overdo it, carrying water bottles with them everywhere they go and sipping incessantly several days before the race. These runners are often inexperienced, conscientious, and very slow runners who additionally will be out on the course for much longer, and often at a more leisurely pace, thereby stopping at every water station, and not necessarily needing or using the amount of fluid they are ingesting.

Gender can influence susceptibility to hyponatremia; it is important to remember that women need less fluid than men, even after body weight is taken into account. Water makes up a greater percentage of male body weight, and therefore a greater percentage of water in relation to body weight needs to be replaced during exercise. The best way to monitor your fluid consumption is to weigh yourself before and after your long runs. You should never gain weight after a run. To perform an accurate test of your sweat rate, weigh yourself and then run for one hour in similar conditions and at a similar pace as the race you are planning for, refraining from drinking during the run. Weigh in again afterward. The resulting discrepancy in weight represents the amount of fluid consumption in ounces that you should not exceed during each hour of your race.

Finally, a word about caffeine. Caffeine consumption has been under scrutiny for years as to its possible role in dehydration. Because caffeine is a known diuretic, its effects on body fluid balance and heat storage are potentially negative. Yet it is also a readily available, legal performance enhancer. Recently, some clarity has been shed on this topic.

At rest, caffeine increases urine production, as well as the excreted amounts of sodium, chloride, and potassium within a given amount of urine or sweat. Prior research has shown that the volume of urine and sweat is not affected by caffeine during exercise—but what about the amount of electrolyte loss within these substances?

In one recent study, seven endurance-trained males completed six experimental trials each, consisting of pedaling for 120 minutes at 65 percent VO2max. The subjects received during exercise: 1.) no fluid; 2.) water replacing 97 percent sweat losses; 3.) Gatorade sports drink; and then each of these treatments plus caffeine in 6 mg doses per kilogram of body weight. The trials were conducted in a hot, dry environment of 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

The results indicated that caffeine does not produce more heat or have a negative effect on heat dissipation, even in such a warm exercise environment. This coincides with a 2001 study published in Clinical Physiology. The new research did find, however, that combining caffeine with water increased urine production, but this did not exacerbate dehydration—due to a low contribution of urine to total fluid loss. The drug did increase the concentration of electrolytes in the sweat, but blood sodium levels remained unaltered.

It looks as though the effects of caffeine at rest simply do not match those found during submaximal exercise, thereby making caffeine an acceptable choice for runners, without increased dehydration or heat-exhaustion risk.

Hydration Tips

2010-06-06T22:15:00.002-04:00

10 Post-Run Drinks to Fuel Fast Recovery

By Matthew G. Kadey, M.Sc., R.D.

Runner's World

You just finished a run on a warm day and you're hot, tired, and thirsty. Of course you could reach for your favorite neon-hued sports drink, and there's nothing wrong with that. But runners often forget all the other options out there. In fact, research has shown that plenty of other types of beverages (some of which may already be in your refrigerator) have their own healthful qualities and can help you stay hydrated before, during, or after your run.

"Mother Nature has given us a huge range of healthy drinks," says Molly Kimball, R.D., a sports dietitian at Ochsner Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. "They're refreshing and can recharge muscles and benefit performance." And (most important) they taste good, too.

Iced Green Tea

When: Pre- or postrun and on easy runs less than an hour
Why: Green tea is a stellar source of catechins, antioxidants that fight heart disease and cancer. According to research, catechins can reduce muscle damage caused by exercise, and also speed recovery. A recent study found that people who had the equivalent of five cups of green tea daily for three months and exercised lost more belly fat than those who only exercised. Iced green tea is a tasty alternative to water on easy, short runs, says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the Pittsburgh Medical Center. Plus, tea contains caffeine, which boosts speed and endurance. If you drink iced green tea often, go with unsweetened, says Kimball, to avoid taking in excess calories.
Sipping Points: Steep tea bags for at least three minutes to release more catechins. If you buy bottled, choose brands with fewer than 15 grams of sugar per eight ounces.

Coconut Water

When: Pre- or postrun or on runs of about 60 minutes
Why: Coconut water, the clear liquid found inside the fruit, contains none of the fat found in coconut milk and has a tangy, light almond flavor. Eleven ounces contain 14 grams of sugar and 670 milligrams of potassium-way more than sports drinks. "Potassium works closely with sodium to maintain water balance and helps trigger muscles to contract and relax optimally," says Suzanne Girard Eberle, R.D., author of Endurance Sports Nutrition. Coconut water has enough carbohydrates for an hour-long run but not enough sodium for longer efforts. Sipping Points: Coconut water, which is fat-free, comes plain or flavored with mango, orange peel, or passion fruit.

Chocolate Milk

When: Postrun
Why: The drink you loved as a kid has the ideal amount of carbohydrates and protein that tired muscles need for recovery, says Joel Stager, Ph.D., director of the department of kinesiology at Indiana University. According to a study Stager led, drinking chocolate milk postexercise speeds up recovery and increases the time it takes to reach exhaustion during a subsequent exercise session better than sports drinks. And a 2007 British study found that regular milk is better than water or a sports drink at restoring fluid levels following a bout of exercise in the heat. Plus, milk contains bone-strengthening vitamin D and calcium. Sipping Points:Single-serving containers are handy for tossing into a cooler for a postrun treat and for portion control.

Cherry Juice

When: After a hard run
Why: If George Washington was more of an athlete, he never would have felled his dad's cherry tree. A study done in 2008 by British researchers found that runners who drank 16 ounces of tart cherry juice in the days before, the day of, and two days after a marathon decreased inflammation, oxidative stress, and muscle damage. "Cherry juice is very useful for postexercise recovery," says Declan Connolly, Ph.D., professor of physical education and exercise science at the University of Vermont. Cherries are higher in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than many other types of fruit. Try drinking a cup of tart cherry juice after exercise-particularly during heavy training. But don't guzzle it like it's tap water: One cup has about 30 grams of natural sugar and 130 calories. Sipping Points: If cherry juice is too tart for you, try a sweeter blend with cherries and other 100 percent fruit juices.

Vegetable Juice

When: Postrun
Why: Chock-full of a variety of nutrients in a concentrated package, 100 percent vegetable juice is a tasty way to get a serving or two of veggies. Those made mostly with tomatoes have lots of lycopene, an antioxidant that a British Journal of Nutrition study found protects muscles from oxidative stress caused by exercise. Many brands have three to five times the amount of sodium and 13 to 17 times the amount of potassium in sports drinks, "which makes vegetable juice an ideal part of a postrun snack or meal that includes carbs and protein," says Kimball. Sipping Points: Sodium levels can range from 140 to 620 milligrams in regular (non-low sodium) brands. Choose higher levels if you crave salt postrun.

Coconut Shake

Protein, carbs, and electrolytes make this an ideal drink to add to your postrun nutrition routine

1 11-ounce container coconut water
1 cup cherry juice
1 scoop unflavored or vanilla protein powder
½ cup strawberries, frozen
1 banana

Add all the ingredients to a blender and whirl until smooth. Serves one.

Calories: 440
Carbs: 70 g
Protein: 27 g
Fat: 2 g

Road Tested

Runners try the newest sports drinks.

Powerade Ion4

What's New: The reformulated drink has a bit of calcium and magnesium, two electrolytes lost in sweat, and sodium and potassium.
Testers' Take: "It's sweet, but not too sweet." "I thought the extra electrolytes gave me a boost during a warm run." powerade.com

Clif Quench

What's New: This drink contains a tad less carbohydrate and more sodium than many sports drinks. It has no added coloring, so it's clear.
Testers' Take: "The lime-aid flavor reminds me of a margarita." "It definitely has a light, clean, refreshing taste." "I love that it doesn't contain crazy colors." clifbar.com

Gatorade Powder Pack

What's New: The old standby Thirst Quencher now comes in handy single-serving packs of powder. Add one to a 16.9-ounce bottle of water, shake, drink.
Testers' Take: "They're really convenient. I kept some stashed in my car, gym bag, and desk." "The powder mixed up easily." gatorade.com

Accelerade Hydro

What's New: This low-calorie drink has 30 percent fewer calories than most sports drinks, plus protein, which may help recovery.
Testers' Take: "It's less sweet than most sports drinks. I thought it was refreshing." "Many protein drinks have a heavy, chalky taste-this was mild." accelsport.com

Songs I like to run with: Phoenix - 1901

2010-03-13T11:15:00.003-05:00

To keep the rhythm...

Good parameters for improving your 10k run

2010-03-07T16:34:00.001-05:00

4 Tips on Running Your Best 10K

By Greg Tymon, M.Ed., C.S.C.S.

American Running Association

One of the great virtues of the sport of running is that it can be endlessly challenging for every participant. There is always a greater distance or a faster time just waiting for you to take it on. For beginners, just completing your first three-mile training run can be celebrated as a tremendous accomplishment.

For seasoned runners, shaving time from a personal record is its own form of winning. As you age, your progress within age groups may account for new "personal bests." And for every runner, it is the running itself that is its own reward.

If you're relatively new to running, adding up mileage works physiological magic-increasing your stamina, your strength, and your speed. But if you've built a good base of about 25 to 30 miles a week or more and have been running in your comfort zone for a while, you will need to introduce some new training techniques and tweak your habits here and there to get faster.

What you need is a well-rounded training program that incorporates speed work, long runs, and adequate rest and recovery. Here is a quick guide for improving your 10K race time:

Adding Speed Work

The human body adapts very specifically to the demands placed upon it. If you run long and slow, your body will become very efficient at running long and slow. For example, if you run a total of 40 miles per week at a constant pace, you will train the energy systems and muscles of your body to do this very well.

However, if you never train at a faster pace, the energy systems necessary for that faster pace are left untrained. Studies have found that training aerobically (distance only) will not increase your anaerobic (sprinting) capabilities.

However anaerobic training or speed work will increase both your anaerobic and aerobic capabilities. Here are some training techniques that can help you make training gains that result in faster times.

Intervals: Interval training or repetitions involves running fast paced laps on a track or a set course repeatedly with short rest periods between each run. For example, a 400-meter lap at a fast-for-you pace, six times with a slow recovery jog or walk between laps.

Fartlek: This odd word is Swedish for "speed play." Fartlek incorporates bursts of speed within your training run. The emphasis is on variety of terrain and grade of the course, and both duration and intensity of the speed interval. For example, during a two-mile run over hilly grade and open fields, include a half mile jog, then double your speed for three minutes, jog a little more, then run hard for one minute, and repeat in whatever combination of distance and pace you like.

Hills: Running hills is a very intense interval training technique. Find a hilly course or one challenging hill and run it as intervals-repetitions up hill with jogging or walking recoveries.

Sample Training Schedules to Beef Up Your Speed

Training schedules should be considered examples upon which to base your own training plans rather than rigid schedules to follow. Be flexible and build the techniques into your own training regimen.

The Big Caveat--Avoid Overtraining

Simply adding speed workouts into an established training regimen is a sure way to overtrain and risk overuse injury. You will need to start by keeping careful track of your mileage. Once you've established a record of mileage, you can use the standard 10 percent rule-of-thumb-never increase mileage or intensity by more than 10percent per week. What this means is that if you are going to add speed workouts to your weekly program, then a reduction in total distance is necessary.

You must subtract mileage to add speed workouts. Keep track of all the distance accumulated during speed training, including recovery and cool down and you will be able to adjust your mileage to accommodate speed work without overtraining.

If you turn up the heat too quickly you are going to get burned. Overtraining syndrome is the result of increaing your training demands faster than your body can adapt to the challenges--too much, too fast, too soon.

You must develop a training schedule that meets your personal fitness level, not another runner's ability. Training stress that builds on your fitness base will result in training gains, given adequate rest and recovery. The road to faster times is littered with the injured whose training wasn't balanced by enough rest. To avoid a layoff, keep these guidelines in mind:

Keep careful track of mileage. Make sure increases do not exceed 10 percent a week at the most.
Reduce mileage when adding speed work. Intensity is more difficult to measure, but cut backso that total demands don't exceed a 10 percent increase.
Never increase mileage and intensity at the same time.
Alternate easy days with hard training days.
Schedule rest days.
Use crosstraining for relative rest on easy days.

Notes for the Advanced Runner

If you are an advanced runner with a sound training program and many road races under your belt, shaving a few seconds off your best race is not easily done. A well-seasoned runner must train much harder and longer to obtain modest improvements when compared to a less experienced runner.

If your workout already consists of intervals, fartlek runs, and hill training, then looking at components like weight training, pace training, and your race-day strategy could be what you need.

Build Strength: A stronger muscle can generate a more powerful contraction resulting in a longer stride or quicker turnover. Spending 30 to 40 minutes two or three times a week is all that is needed. Disregard the rumor that weight training will make you big and bulky and hinder your running potential.

A weight training program designed for runners is much different from the workouts you find in muscle magazines. An appropriate program should include strengthening exer-cises for each muscle group with special attention given to the torso.

Choose a resistance level that challenges you to complete six to 12 repetitions. Consult a fitness professional to assist in developing a strength training program that is right for you.

Set The Pace: Pace training is an integral part of a training program and is crucial in order to maintain the proper race-pace. Once again, if you haven't trained your body to maintain a pace, it won't magically happen the day of a race. Start with pacing your interval workouts.

If you are doing repeat 800 or 1,600 meters, then decide on a pace and try to hit the mark every time. You will find that at the beginning of the workout, you may have to hold back to keep from coming on too fast. As the workout progresses, you will have to work harder and harder to maintain the same pace. Once you become pro-ficient on the track, try pace training on the roads or trails. Acquiring a strong sense of pace will directly influence your racing ability.

Race Day Strategies: Deciding on a race-pace is the most important aspect of a race strategy. The 10K is a tough distance in the sense that there is little room for errors in pace and strategy. If you go out too hard, you will drop off pace. If you go out too easy, the race is too short to make that time back up.

The best race-pace is running at your lactate threshold. Lactate threshold pace is the fastest you can run without accumulating lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid accumulates in the muscles when demands for energy are greater than can be met by the aerobic system alone.

Lactate threshold training is done by running at 85 percent of your race-pace for a distance just short of the race length. Lactate threshold training is a great way to put forth a maximum effort without needing excessive recovery time. The better trained you are, the higher your lactate threshold.

Incorporating a run one day a week into your program that challenges you in this way will begin improving your lactate threshold, and will increase your sustained intensity resulting in new personal records.

Days Beginning Racer Intermediate Racer

Sunday Long run 6-8 miles Long run 8-12 miles

Monday Rest Rest or cross train

Tuesday Intervals (8x400 meters) Intervals (8x400 meters)

Wednesday 4 easy miles 6 easy miles

Thursday 3 mile fartlek 4 mile fartlek

Friday 3 easy miles or cross train 5-7 easy miles or cross train

Saturday 5 easy miles 5-7 easy miles or cross train

Greg Tymon, M.Ed., C.S.C.S., is in charge of rehabilitative services at a chiropractic and sports medicine clinic in East Stroudsburg, PA. He is also owner of Advanced Performance Training, a one-on-one sport specific strength and conditioning training service. Greg has coached Track and Field, and Strength and Conditioning at East Stro.

Songs I like to run with: Rammstein - Amerika

2010-03-06T12:01:00.002-05:00

I really like industrial rock and Rammstein is absolutely great. This song gives me energy on hills.

We're all living in America,
America is wunderbar.
We're all living in America,
Amerika, Amerika.

Wenn getanzt wird, will ich führen,
auch wenn ihr euch alleine dreht,
lasst euch ein wenig kontrollieren,
Ich zeige euch wie's richtig geht.
Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,
die Freiheit spielt auf allen Geigen,
Musik kommt aus dem Weißen Haus,
Und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus.

We're all living in America...

Ich kenne Schritte, die sehr nützen,
und werde euch vor Fehltritt schützen,
und wer nicht tanzen will am Schluss,
weiß noch nicht, dass er tanzen muss!
Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,
ich werde Euch die Richtung zeigen,
nach Afrika kommt Santa Claus,
und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus.

Refrain:
We're all living in America,
America is wunderbar.
We're all living in America,
Amerika, Amerika.
We're all living in America,
Coca-Cola, Wonderbra,
We're all living in America,
Amerika, Amerika.

This is not a love song,
this is not a love song.
I don't sing my mother tongue,
No, this is not a love song.

We're all living in America,
Amerika is wunderbar.
We're all living in America,
Amerika, Amerika.
We're all living in America,
Coca-Cola, sometimes WAR,
We're all living in America,
Amerika, Amerika.

Songs I like to run with: We were promised Jetpacks - Quite Little Voices

2010-03-01T08:15:00.003-05:00

This scottish rock band is awesome! A great song to bring you energy when you start to get tired.

Quiet little voices creep into my head
I'm young again
I'm young again
I'm young again
I'm young again

Quiet little monsters creep into my bedroom wall
I'll fall for you
I'll fall for you
I'll fall for you

Quiet words of wisdom creep into your victim's ears
I'll die for you
I'll die for you
I'll die for you

In any which direction
Call me I will run for you
I'll come for you
I'll die for you
I'll come for you

Quiet little voices creep into my head
I'm young again
I'm young again
I'm young again
I'm young again

Quiet little monsters creep into my head
I'll fall for you
I'll fall for you
I'll fall for you
I'll fall...

Quiet little voices
Quiet little vo- oh-oh-oh-oh
Quiet little monsters
Quiet little mo- oh-oh-oh-oh

Quiet little voices
Quiet little vo- oh-oh-oh-oh
Quiet little monsters
Quiet little mo- oh-oh-oh-oh

I'd better start now
I'd better start

Quiet little voices
Quiet little vo- oh-oh-oh-oh
Quiet little monsters
Quiet little mo- oh-oh-oh-oh

Songs I like to run with

2010-02-28T10:15:00.007-05:00

Seether - Rise Above This

I love when this song shows up on random at the middle of my runs, it simply makes me think that I can accomplish everything no matter what's happening in my life. Ups and Downs are just part of life and the stronger you are, the easier to go through the downs.

Take the night and darken everything around me
Call the clouds and listen closely, I'm lost without you

Call your name everyday, when I feel so helpless
I'm fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this

Hate your mind, regrets are better left unspoken
For all we know this void will grow
And everything's in vain, distressing you, don't leave me open
Feels so right that I'll end this all before it gets me

Call your name everyday, when I feel so helpless
I'm fallen down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this

Call your name everyday when I seem so helpless
I'm fallen down but I'll rise above this rise, rise above this now

I'll mend myself before it gets me
I'll mend myself before it gets me
I'll mend myself before it gets me
I'll mend myself before it gets me

Call your name everyday when I feel so helpless
I'm fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Forty eight ways to say that I'm feeling helpless
Fallen down and I'll rise above this, rise above this
Rise above this, rise above this now

running can save your life!

2010-02-23T23:45:00.001-05:00

Where to Go From Here: Building the Mile

2010-02-23T22:39:00.001-05:00

So you've been running for weeks, maybe several months, and you've probably noticed some major changes. Your heart and leg muscles are stronger. Your body has gotten better at moving oxygen to your muscles and taking away the waste products they pump out as you run.

By Josh Clark

It gets even better from here. Fitness begins to increase dramatically around the tenth week of training and climbs steadily for another two or three months before leveling off. You will probably find this to be the most rewarding period of your new running career, with each week yielding greater achievements than the week before.

Still, be cautious and don't try to ramp up your mileage too fast. Because your muscles adapt faster than your bones and joints, this is a period when many beginners run into injuries. It is a good idea to level off your distance for a few weeks. Limit your runs to three miles and give your bones and connective tissues a chance to catch up. Then, if you wish, gradually increase your distance.

Building Up the Miles

The rule to live by is to limit increases of weekly mileage to no more than 10 percent every other week. Do this by lengthening just one of the runs. Two weeks later, you can increase one of the other runs as well, and so on. After a few weeks you should consider making one run per week your long run -- up to 50 percent longer than the others. Increase either the long run or the shorter runs, not both in the same week. Don't increase your mileage every week. In fact, consider doing less some weeks to give your body some extra recovery time.

After several months you will no longer be a beginner and will have to decide whether you wish to run simply for fitness or whether to start running for performance, too. A couple of miles, three of four times a week will keep you fit and healthy. Fifteen to 20 miles a week will give you better conditioning. Beyond that, you are running for performance. Congratulations, you're no longer a beginner, and you're certainly a runner.

Your First Race

Once you have been running for a few months you may want to run a race. Your goal here should be to finish the distance, to try out the experience. The race shouldn't be more than 150 percent the distance that you normally run. Whether you intend to or not, you're likely to run faster than you normally do. Start at the back, and try not to get sucked into running too fast. If you can, start slowly--you can always speed up in the last mile.

You should check out our article on how to choose the right race strategy and have fun, soak up the atmosphere. For some reason this sport is peopled by very friendly, very social participants; enjoy the other runners and have a great race.

After you've been running for at least six months and you have one or two races under your belt, you'll be ready to start training to really race these events.

In Praise of Yougurt

2010-02-22T12:33:00.002-05:00

Eating yogurt may not only keep you from catching the common cold, it may also help prevent cancer and lower your cholesterol.

I love yogurt, but I'm lactose intolerant. What are the potential health benefits of eating yogurt with live and active cultures? And is it true that people who are lactose intolerant may find them easier to digest?

Lisa Dorfman, M.S., R.D., L.M.H.C.

It's the good bacteria--such as lactobacillus bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus, lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus--that convert pasteurized milk to yogurt during fermentation. These live and active cultures also break down lactose, the sugar in milk, which allows lactose-intolerant individuals to eat yogurt without side effects like abdominal cramping, bloating and diarrhea.

Scientists have long studied the positive impact of yogurt's live and active cultures on gastrointestinal infections, the immune system, cancer and osteoporosis. In addition to helping relieve diarrhea and other digestion-related distress, live cultures have been found to prevent urinary tract infections. And eating yogurt may not only keep you from catching the common cold, it may also help prevent cancer and lower your cholesterol.

Why yogurt's live cultures augment health is still mostly a mystery, but some scientists speculate that they stimulate immune-enhancing cells, as well as the production of antimicrobial and antibacterial agents that fight disease-causing microorganisms.

Some food processing methods, like heating yogurt to prolong shelf life and lessen its naturally tart flavor, can destroy the cultures. So check the nutrition labels to make sure you're getting live and active cultures. You can also look for the National Yogurt Association's "Live & Active Cultures" seal, an indication that refrigerated products contain at least 100 million cultures per gram, and frozen products have 10 million cultures per gram.

Does the intensity of a fruit's flavor have a bearing on how nutritious it is? I wonder this every time I eat an apple or orange that's not very flavorful.

The taste of a particular fruit reflects a variety of things: how it's grown, what conditions it's grown in, how it's fertilized, when it's been harvested (too soon or too late), how ripe it is, and even the organic or artificial ingredients often added to preserve or enhance the fruit's taste, like sulfur dioxide.

As a general rule, a dull-tasting apple is as nutritious as a sweet one. Color, texture and fluid content determine nutrition density in fruits more than taste does. But if that lackluster taste is a sign the fruit is damaged or well past its prime, you may not be getting the most nutritional bang for your buck.

When selecting fruit, look for freshness and choose the ones with the deepest color. Avoid those that show signs of deterioration such as soft spots, discolored areas or have bruises and dings, which can expose the meat of the fruit to oxidation, causing loss of nutrients.

To get the full nutritional benefit, keep it covered. The majority of a fruit's vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants are concentrated in the skin or outer layers. The skin of an apple, for instance, is packed with the antioxidant quercitin, found to help cut cancer cell production by as much as 43 percent, and citrus peels contain natural cholesterol, cancer and inflammation-lowering flavones.

And keep in mind, while some deeper-colored, more intense-flavored exotic fruits such as kiwi or guava may be a bit more nutritious, that's no reason to shun the less-glamorous, easier-to-come-by varieties, which still pack a healthy punch. The truth is, all fruits are excellent sources of nutrients whether they give the taste buds a zing, or not.

I see the artificial sweetener Splenda offered more and more in restaurants and supermarkets and have heard that more products will be using it as a sweetener. Is it true that it contains zero calories, and is it safe long term?

Splenda, the trade name for sucralose, is a synthetic compound derived from sugar that's considered calorie-free because it's poorly absorbed by the small intestine and eliminated from the body unchanged. And while Splenda contains an insignificant amount of sugar calories in the form of dextrose and/or maltodextrin, it still meets the national standards for no-calorie sweeteners.

Also, sucralose, which combines two molecules of sugar and three of chlorine, is heat stable and can be used as a sweetener in baked goods.

Before the Food and Drug Administration approved Splenda in April 1998, it was tested in nearly 100 studies by groups including the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, the Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada, Australia's National Food Authority, as well as the FDA. These groups found it to be safe and pose no carcinogenic, reproductive or neurological risk to human beings. More than 4,000 food products in more than 80 countries are sweetened with Splenda.

But the jury is still out on the long-term effects of Splenda. So, as with any artificial sweetener, it's best to practice moderation. A Splenda packet in your morning coffee or Splenda-sweetened diet soda with lunch a few days a week as part of an otherwise healthy diet shouldn't be a problem.

However, using it as an excuse to overload on sweets will result in a nutrient-poor diet. Also, if you're prone to food allergies and intolerances that cause side effects such as headaches, gastrointestinal distress, nervousness or diarrhea, you may want to avoid artificial sweeteners as a rule.

Sports nutritionist Lisa Dorfman is a registered dietitian, licensed mental health counselor, and adjunct professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of Miami. She's author of The Tropical Diet and The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide, available on her Web site, runningnutritionist.com.

Treadmill Training for Winter Fitness

2009-12-07T17:34:00.002-05:00

I personally don't like treadmill training, but the article is accurate and offers good advice. Specially the 1% grade suggestion.

You run different routes outdoors, so mix up your indoor routine as well. Vary the pace, incline and location of your treadmill workouts to keep them fresh.

Patrick McCrann

With the weather taking a turn for the worse, more and more folks are turning to the treadmill as a safe (and warm) way to stay in shape and maintain their running fitness. While running on a treadmill can be repetitive or even a bit boring, the treadmill is a fantastic training tool when used properly.

Remember Christine Clark, the woman from Alaska who stunned the running community by winning the U.S. marathon trials for the 2000 summer Olympics? She did the majority of her running on a treadmill and managed a great race.

Your winter training could prepare you for a great race if you take the time to really plan out your approach. Here are a couple of things to remember for those winter treadmill runs:

Your heart rate values are different on a treadmill. Without external stimuli like hills, wind, heat, etc., your heart rate will be lower. It also makes a difference that the treadmill is pushing your legs instead of you pulling your body forward. As a result, at any given pace you'll notice that your HR is lower on a treadmill than on the open road. You can counteract this effect by manipulating the grade periodically to stimulate your aerobic system.
Use a minimum of 1% grade. Running at 0% grade is similar to running on a slight downward slope. It's also very difficult to maintain solid run form on a flat treadmill, so kicking it up to a minimum of 1% means that youll have a better chance of getting into your normal running style (foot strike, body lean, etc.). Note: As you increase the grade for hill workouts, be sure to cut back a bit on the speed. We all slow down a bit as we head uphill, but the treadmill wont unless you tell it to.
Mix it up! Just as you have different weekly routes, so too should you have different treadmill locations and routines. I have a part of the gym where I run the hard workouts and a part where the fun/easy workouts are done. Also feel free to mix up the incline and pacing to stimulate different muscle groups. It's very easy to settle in and just watch the TV. You can't do this on race day, so don't do it during your key workouts!
Consider cross training. Incorporating a basic weight routine is a great way to make sure your legs maintain their in-season strength through the winter. This doesnt have to be a bodybuilding routine; think squats, leg extensions, leg curls and calves for 15 to 20 repetitions each. Alternate a set of leg weights with an upper-body exercise (such as bench press or back extensions) to add variety. You should also consider other great "winter appropriate" exercise -- cross country skiing is a fantastic low-impact, highly aerobic workout.
Get outside once a week, weather permitting. There is no substitute for the real thing. Even if you have to wait until midday on a weekend for the temperature to climb, do it. Just one outdoor session a week will help you maintain your "feel" for the road.

Training through the winter isnt easy, even with treadmills. If you mix up your routine, it will help you stay fit and sharp and will have you ready for next season in no time!

Patrick McCrann, author of Boston Marathon Training Plans for runners of all ability levels is a seven-time Ironman finisher and avid endurance runner. He blogs weekly, offering various training tips and insights. Readers save $15 off Patrick's Boston Marathon Training Plans by using the code "xmas" at checkout. Get your plan here:http://performancetrainingsystems.com/trainingplans/marathonplans.htm

Should I Worry About High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

2009-12-07T00:06:00.003-05:00

Photo: Luke Smith/Active.com

By Tim Mickleborough, PhD

Dear Speed Lab,

It seems that many sports drinks and some energy bars contain high-fructose corn syrup. Having done some research on this ingredient, I've noticed that high-fructose corn syrup is being implicated in the obesity epidemic.

What's your opinion on high-fructose corn syrup being included in sports drinks? If it truly is "the devil's candy," shouldn't athletes stay well clear of this particular ingredient, especially since we consume large amounts of sports drinks and energy bars?

Paul S. — Gainesville, Florida

Dear Paul,

High-fructose corn syrup is extremely sweet and inexpensive to produce. It is manufactured by enzymatically changing the glucose in cornstarch to fructose. High-fructose corn syrup is added to canned and frozen fruits to preserve the structure of the fruit because it penetrates the fruit easily and preserves the natural form, flavor and color.

When added to soft drinks, it adds body without changing or masking flavors. It can be found in fruit-flavored drinks, energy bars, and a whole array of other food items such as cookies, gum, jams, jellies and baked goods. An advantage of high-fructose corn syrup is that it tastes sweeter than refined sugar, making it a popular ingredient for food manufacturers because it enables them to use less.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting intake of added sugars found in food and drink to no more than 10 percent of daily calories, a step WHO claims could help stop the worldwide rise in obesity that is fueling the increasing prevalence of such chronic diseases as type 2 diabetes. The WHO recommendation is much stricter than any that U.S. groups have proposed, but increasingly, it's not just the growing consumption of foods with added sugars that concerns some nutrition experts.

What has also changed during the past four decades, as USDA figures show, is the type of sweeteners consumed, a trend that some studies suggest may undermine appetite control and possibly play a role in weight gain. In 1966, refined sugar, also known as sucrose, was by far the most popular sweetener, accounting for 86 percent of sweeteners used according to the USDA.

Today, sweeteners made from corn are most popular, with up to $4.5 billion in annual sales and accounting for 55 percent of the sweetener market. That change largely reflects the steady growth in usage of high-fructose corn syrup, which climbed from zero consumption in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001.

How the Body Absorbs Sugar

Fructose is absorbed by the body differently than other sugars, and it does not register in the body metabolically in the same way that glucose does. For example, consumption of glucose triggers a cascade of biochemical reactions by increasing insulin release from the pancreas, enabling sugar in the blood to be transported into cells, where it can be used for energy.

Glucose also increases the production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage, and it suppresses another hormone produced by the stomach called ghrelin that helps to regulate food intake. It has been suggested that when ghrelin levels drop after a carbohydrate meal (containing glucose), hunger declines.

However, fructose seems to behave more like fat with respect to the hormones involved in regulation of body weight. Fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion, increase leptin production or suppress production of ghrelin. This suggests that consuming a lot of fructose, like consuming too much fat, could contribute to weight gain.

Another concern is the effect of fructose on the liver, where it is converted into the chemical backbone of triglycerides more efficiently than glucose is. Triglycerides, which are found in low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the most damaging form of cholesterol, have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. It has been shown that fructose produces significantly higher plasma triglyceride levels than does glucose in male test subjects.

These scientists who performed this research concluded that diets high in added fructose may be undesirable, particularly for men, and that glucose may be a suitable sugar replacement¹. Other research suggests that fructose may alter magnesium levels in the body, which could in turn accelerate bone loss according to a USDA study published in 2000 in theJournal of the American College of Nutrition.

Elliot., et al.² examined evidence from multiple studies as to whether fructose consumption might be a contributing factor to the development of obesity and the accompanying metabolic consequences observed in insulin resistance syndrome. They concluded that large quantities of fructose from a variety of sources, including table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, induce insulin resistance, impair glucose tolerance, produce high levels of insulin, elevate a dangerous type of fat in the blood and can cause high blood pressure in animals.

However, these researchers also state that although energy intake, body weight and adiposity all increase in animals, less information is available in humans. And a barrage of more recent studies has seriously undermined the proposed HFCS-obesity link. A special supplemental issue of theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition contained five studies that concluded that HFCS is no better or worse than table sugar in terms of causing weight gain.

HFCS and Athletes

Athletes should be aware of the following facts. First, added fructose in the forms of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup does not appear to be the optimal source of carbohydrate in the diet. Secondly, the concerns that have been raised about the addition of fructose to the diet as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup should not be extended to naturally occurring fructose obtained from fruits and vegetables.

It is worth mentioning that many of the studies examining the effects of fructose use pure fructose rather than the combination of fructose and glucose found in corn syrup. It is also worth pointing out that there is no single reason for the obesity epidemic or the onslaught of diabetes in America. What does appear to play a major role though is a lack of physical exercise.

With regard to the specific issue of the use of HFCS in ergogenic aids such as sports drinks, research suggests that it is not problematic and may even be beneficial. Studies by Asker Jeukendrup and colleagues at the University of Birmingham have shown that carbohydrates are absorbed and metabolized at a faster rate in sports drinks containing glucose and fructose than in sports drinks containing glucose alone, resulting in superior endurance performance.

The reason appears to be that because the two sugars are processed through different pathways, they can be processed simultaneously. In any event, sugars of any kind in sports drinks are extremely unlikely to contribute to weight gain if consumed during workouts, as these sugars are used immediately to fuel muscle contractions.

References:

Bantle, J.P., S. K. Raatz, W. Thomas and A. Georgopoulos. "Effects of Dietary Fructose on Plasma Lipids in Healthy Subjects." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 72 (2000): 1128 -- 1134.
Elliot, S.S., N.L. Keim, J.S. Stern, K. Teff and P.J. Havel. "Fructose, Weight Gain and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 76 (2002): 911-922.
Melanson, K.J., T.J. Angelopoulos, V. Nguyen, L. Zukley, J. Lowndes, and J.M. Rippe. "High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Energy Intake, and Appetite Regulation." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 88.6 (2008): 1738S-44S.
Jeukendrup, A.E.,and L. Moseley. "Multiple Transportable Carbohydrates Enhance Gastric Emptying and Fluid Recovery." Scandinavian Journal of Medical Science in Sports Nov. 3, 2008 (Not yet printed).

The "science" of warmth

2009-11-30T21:11:00.004-05:00

(found in the Internet)

No doubt, most of us are at least familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. After trial and error, she finds a porridge that is neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. Ditto for the comfy bed. Yet, while the outdoor industry has reams of knowledge to share on layering, numerous insulation types, and even temperature ratings for sleeping bags, more often than not, working with a salesperson to find the right combination of garments or the right sleeping bag to stay warm comes down to trial and error. But it doesn't have to.

There is a science to keeping warm.

Let's start with a bit of Biology 101
When the temperatures dip and the body is trying to stay warm, heat is conserved first by constriction of blood vessels near the body surface. When that fails to work sufficiently, the body triggers shivering (essentially rapid muscle contractions) to increase metabolism. Studies have shown that shivering can result in a five-times increase in metabolism. But even with all the body's best efforts, when it is naked, it cannot sufficiently increase metabolic rate to replace heat loss to the environment once the temperature dips below about 40 degrees F or 4 degrees C. While the body also generates goose bumps (something known in scientific circles as piloerection), it's really an attempt to raise the body hairs which doesn't work too well since most humans are quite hairless.

Our only alternative is to insulate artificially with clothing, sleeping bags and more.

How does a person lose heat?
People lose heat four ways:

Conduction -- Meaning surface-to-surface contact, conduction allows us lose heat through the soles of the feet or our body when lying or sitting on colder ground, for example.
Convection -- Convection is heat lost by air circulating around our body or via respiration when we breathe.
Evaporation -- Evaporation of moisture from our skin chills our body, which is great when we are too warm, but not so good when we are trying to stay warm.
Radiation -- Although a very small part of heat loss, the body does lose heat via radiation of that heat outward.

The body is the engine and only means of generating heat
When you strip away all the technical data and discussion of variable metabolisms, etc., you arrive right at the heart of staying warm. The body will feel warm only if it is producing heat at a level that is equal to or greater than the heat it is losing to the environment around it.

Layers of clothing, sleeping bag insulation or any other artificial means of retaining heat around the body is only as good as the heat being generated by that body. And here are where the variables come into play -- psychological, physiological and environmental.

Psychological -- There can be little debate that an experienced outdoors person is more likely to be able to tolerate colder temperature, simply because of experience and preparation in knowing how to conserve heat.

Physiological -- Metabolism, otherwise known as heat output as the body burns fuel from food, is variable. A person who is fatter is not processing all the food the body is taking in, while a slimmer person is burning the food. However, a fatter person has fat reserves which provide more insulation than a thinner person experiences. Gender also plays into how warm or cold a person feels, with women generally, though not always, feeling colder than men. Age also affects a body's ability to stay warm, as older people generate less heat and, as a consequence, tend to feel colder more quickly and at warmer temperatures than younger people. Fitness also plays a part as a person who is more exhausted is unable to generate sufficient heat to stay warm, whereas a person who is more fit, is, as a result, less tired during outdoor activity, and feels warmer.

Environmental -- Humidity, wind, rain, snow, ice -- they all affect how a body responds to the cold. If it is less humid, cold weather feels less piercing whereas in higher humidity, it feels damp and raw. Wind too affects a body's ability to stay warm as it increases convective and evaporative heat loss. And then there is extreme cold or extreme altitude, both of which affect mountaineers and polar explorers who discover no matter how many calories they take in to generate heat and energy, it is just not enough.

So what is a person to do?
Insulate. Layer up. Dress for success. And your goal will be to work with a good specialty outdoor salesperson to decide what the best clothing system is (combinations of base layers, middle layers, outer layers and shells) and best sleeping bag system (bag, sleeping pad, maybe a bivvy sack, certainly a tent) that will help you stay comfortable. And by comfortable we mean, neither too hot, nor too cold, but just right.

What the heck is a CLO?
You may have read or heard something about CLO, and even some buying guides and product literature may reference CLO or CLO value. Developed in 1941, it was the first real attempt to explain the insulation value of clothing so people would know how much clothing they might need to stay warmer or cooler in a given temperature environment. A CLO value of 1 is defined as the amount of clothing required by a resting human (in other words, sitting, lying down or standing, but not moving) to be comfortable at a room temperature of 21 degrees C, or approximately 71 degrees F. That single value of CLO is equivalent to a typical business suit worn by a man -- shirt, undershirt, trousers and suit jacket. The higher the CLO number, the more insulating value is provided.

Yeah, but who hikes in a business suit?
Not many folks. But it is a good point of reference. Think of it like this: If something has a CLO value of 2, it means it provides the same amount of insulation as two suits. All garments and even sleeping bags carry a CLO value. As a point of comparison, the Department of Performance Textiles at Leeds University in the United Kingdom developed a comfort model to relate the thermal resistance of sleeping bags to temperature ratings. The study found that a CLO value of 2.5 was needed to keep a sleeping person comfortable at an air temperature of 59 degrees F, or 15 degrees C. A CLO value of 4 was required for comfort at 48.2 degrees F, or 9 degrees C. Thirty-two degrees F, or 0 degrees C, you'd need a CLO value of 6.

Just as there is a CLO value for sleeping bag insulation, there is a CLO value for most every garment possible. And, CLO values are cumulative, meaning as you layer, the sum of the CLO values of each component in the layering system will approximate how warm a person might expect to be. The following represents average CLO values for various articles of clothing, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE): T-shirt, .09; Long Underwear Top, .35; Long Underwear Bottoms, .35; Heavy Long Sleeve Shirt, .29; Basic Sweater, .10; Socks, .08; and Long Pants, .32.

So, a person dressed in socks, long underwear, sweater and long pants would have a clothing system with a CLO value of 1.2.

Shedding the elements
However, no matter how many layers you dress in, you're not going to stay warm or comfortable if the wind if howling through the fabric weaves or freezing rain is pounding down so hard it soaks through every possible fiber. And this is where it becomes important for you to work with your salesperson, to understand what garments do what in their store's arsenal. Some are more air permeable, some are less. Some are more waterproof, but less breathable. Others are more breathable, but less waterproof. Some shed light mist, but stop a wind blast dead. Others let a little wind through, but still shed misty air.

At all times, think about what you will be doing, and how you can best manage your heat-generating engine. Are you looking to stay warm while running? Likely you'll need less layers and more streamlined ones than a person seeking to stay warm while simply walking. You want to keep the engine as dry as possible when it is cold so it will not chill. You also want to be sure that you are not piling so many layers on that the engine overheats.

By applying a bit of science to the dressing equation, you'll be warmer and much happier in the long and short term.

Temperature Training

2009-11-29T21:26:00.003-05:00

Don't let changing weather stop you cold

Illustration by Chris Silas Neal

Owen Anderson, PH.D.

National Geographic ADVENTURE Magazine

Athletes who choose the trail over the treadmill don't get the benefit of a thermostat. For much of the year in much of the United States, they are forced to contend with bitter cold and sweltering heat. But only recently have sports scientists zeroed in on exactly how those extreme temperatures influence performance.

"The biggest breakthroughs have come in the past five years," says Jim Cotter, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at the School of Physical Education at the University of Otago, in New Zealand. "We've learned that the optimal warm-up for cold weather exertion is quite different from the one you would carry out in the heat and, perhaps more important, that the skin and brain play larger than expected roles in determining how athletes respond to temperature changes."

The brain, scientists have discovered, can actually anticipate changes in body temperature and will adjust exercise intensity accordingly. This subconscious calculation takes into account both the outside temperature and the duration of the effort, and explains why slowdowns are almost automatic in the heat, even before signs of significant muscle fatigue set in.

If an athlete attempts to exercise beyond the brain's wishes, the cerebrum will respond by generating brutal sensations of exhaustion (i.e., heat strain). The sad fact: Ambient temperatures can trump your hard-earned fitness. Fortunately, though, researchers have developed strategies to help athletes stabilize their core temps in both hot and frigid conditions. Here, scientifically-backed tips to help you perform optimally in four temperature zones.

How to conquer any climate

Blustery
Below 45°F (7°C)
The human body has limited physiological defenses for the cold. To maintain an optimal core temp, layer clothing properly (don't miss next post "The Science of Warmth" ). Also, be sure that your muscles are well stocked with glycogen (fat metabolism is impaired at low temperatures) by consuming up to four grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight daily and, during exercise, feeding your muscles extra carbs (about five to six ounces of sports drink every 15 minutes).

Brisk
45°F to 50°F (7°C to 10°C)
This is the sweet spot for sustained exercise. Before long workouts, heat up your muscles by jogging or cycling slowly for 10 minutes and fire up your nervous system with a couple of 30-second bursts at close-to-maximal effort. During your warm-up and the first few miles of exercise, prevent shivering -- which can expend oxygen and promote fatigue -- by wearing layers that can be removed readily as you continue your workout.

Balmy
50°F to 70°F (10°C to 21°C)
It's easier to get loose when it is 65 degrees (18 degrees Celsius) than when it's 35 (two degrees Celsius). And since musclecontraction velocity increases as sinews warm up, you can get into a groove right from the start of your workout. However, when exercising for 75 minutes or more, overheating is an issue. One study found that marathon times lengthen by 19 seconds for each degree above 55°F (13°C). Acclimatize by training in these temps for a week, and limit warm-ups to five minutes.

Blazin'
Above 70°F (21°C)
In warm temperatures, it's very difficult to shed excess body heat. Studies show that taking an ice-cold bath or relaxing in an air-conditioned room prior to exercise can up endurance by 37 percent for cyclists and 17 percent for runners. Training is important, too: When you work out for a week in the heat, you improve blood flow to the skin, lower the skin-temperature threshold for sweating and sweat more evenly, all of which allows you to exercise at a higher intensity for longer.

Fuel: Frozen foods

"Winter athletes need calories in bunches. The best way to get them is activity-dependent. Out for a day of X-C? Carbo-load for easy energy. Exploring the Arctic? Feast on fat for staying power. Below, three pros reveal what they eat to push through the powder." --Daniel Grushkin

Vince Anderson, 36
Anderson and Steve House won the 2006 Piolet d'Or ("golden pickax") for the first Alpine-style direct ascent of Nanga Parbat's Rupal Face. Anderson's secret weapon? Pork.

Diet Plan : Snack on bacon. "I really bulk up on fat during the winter. Sometimes I'll even bring bacon in a plastic bag on a climb. While it may not make me any faster, I can go for a lot longer."

Power Meal: Breakfast

4 organic eggs, scrambled
2 oz chorizo sausage
2 slices whole wheat toast, buttered
1/2 avocado
12 oz green tea

Sarah Burke, 24
Burke is freeskiing's reigning queen: In 2006 she nabbed a gold and a silver at the U.S. Open and a silver at the Winter X-Games. Simple carbohydrates power her complex aerials.

Diet Plan : Get sweet. "Freeride is about breaking from the rules and doing what you feel like -- so's my diet. When I go into the backcountry, I bring a bag of Sour Patch Kids. Why? Sugar is pure energy."

Power Meal: Breakfast

1 cup Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats
8 oz skim milk
1 banana
20 oz Protein Greens+
1 package Sour Patch Kids

Rune Gjeldnes, 35
In February 2006 Gjeldnes completed the world's longest unsupported ski expedition, crossing Antarctica (2,985 miles) in 90 days. For him, mixing carbs and fat is a sloppy science.

Diet Plan : Mix muesli with soy oil. "It's easier to carry 22 extra pounds in your body than on the sledge -- and fat has far more energy per pound than carbohydrates. To aid digestion, I mix soy oil with carbs."

Power Meal: All Day Long

8 oz muesli
6 oz powdered milk
6 oz raw nuts
3.5 oz soy oil

Mix together and eat hourly while on a polar expedition.

Marathon Training: Shorten the Long Run

2009-11-27T22:19:00.001-05:00

By Jack Daniels, Ph.D.
American Running Association

The long run is an essential training tool for marathoners. Your body must learn to spare glycogen (it's stored fuel), metabolize fat as fuel, and develop the strength and endurance necessary to complete the 26.2 miles in one piece.

The long run also allows you to develop the psychological fortitude needed to hang in there on race day. But every marathoner is a unique combination of a multitude of variables that influence training. The long run can take a different form for each runner. Your goal is to optimize training benefits without suffering injury, since added miles increase risk.

What Do Elite Runners Do?

Elite marathoners typically take regular long training runs of 20 to 23 miles; some even cover 30 miles on occasion. A 22-mile training run demands 2 1/2 hours for an elite female and less for an elite male. Consider that a runner takes about 90 steps with each leg per minute of running or 13,000 steps with each leg during a typical long run.

Impact and training time contribute to overuse injury, along with a greater chance of dehydration and heat or cold stress. A recreational runner (for example a 4:45 marathoner) must accommodate twice the amount of impact or 26,000 steps with each leg and twice the training time and stress as the elite marathoner.

Don't worry that you won't be able to complete a 4:30 marathon if you have never run beyond two and a half hours in training. In fact, it is not necessary to train at such a high percentage of your race distance no matter what the course.

If you run a steady two miles every day for two months, you would be able to complete a 10K. You wouldn't need to take regular 80-mile runs for a 100-miler, nor do you need to run 20 miles to prepare for a marathon.

Running too long will set the stage for over-training injuries before race day even arrives. It may be better, over the long haul, to run the same training time for your long run as the elite runner, rather than the same mileage.

Consider the Walk/Run Approach

If your goal is to complete a marathon and to feel reasonably good doing it, consider a walk/run approach and use it from the start of your long training runs and the race itself, not after you're starting to suffer.

You may complete a marathon in less time alternately running and walking the whole way than you can by trying to run non-stop. If you try a walk/run method, practice different walk/run ratios during your long training sessions to find the best one for you.

The Psychological Factor

Understand that on the all-important day of the marathon, things will be quite different from typical training days. After planning for months, you will be rested and trained. You will be highly motivated and among hordes of spectators and other runners who will be cheering you on.

The first hour of the run will fly by and before you know it you will be half way, not even realizing that you have just surpassed the distance of most of your long training runs. Don't focus on how far you've gone or have yet to go. Just concentrate on the task at hand and all will go well.

Run relaxed and confident, take your fluids regularly, and focus on your stride rate and breathing now and then. Go over the things that you have learned and remember why you are out there. The thrill of the day and the groundwork you've done will carry you through your ultimate long run.

American Running Association Editorial Board Member, Jack Daniels, Ph.D., is an exercise physiologist, professor and head cross country and track coach at State University of New York at Cortland, and author of Daniels' Running Formula, 1998, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, $16.95, 287 pp. (Available at a discount to members-1-800-776-2732 or from the American Running Store).

Running & FitNews, Vol. 20, No. 5
Copyright, American Running Association.

Midtown loop for tempo run

2009-11-26T18:07:00.004-05:00

By using the greenway path and the bike lane of the 8th ave. you can easily do a tempo run. Nice scenario of the river, specially at sunset and of the hectic city while crossing midtown.

Hydration Basics

2009-11-26T13:15:00.001-05:00

You meet your daily water needs through both food and beverages.

By Charles Stuart Platkin

No doubt about it--water is critical. In fact, it constitutes more than two-thirds of your body weight. However, you might not need to work as hard as you thought to get enough. Here are answers to the most common questions about staying hydrated.

Q: Do I really need to drink eight glasses every day?

A: No. According to a key review in the Journal of Physiology by Heinz Valtin, M.D., a hydration expert and professor emeritus at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H., there's no evidence to support drinking eight glasses of water each day.

So how much water do you really need? According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, women should consume 91 ounces a day, and men need 125 ounces--a good deal more than the 64 ounces (eight cups) generally recommended. Here's the catch: We get most without heading for the tap or uncapping a bottle of Evian even once. The main reason? We get the water we need from a variety of sources, including food and other liquids.

"Approximately 45 to 50 percent of daily water intake comes from drinking fluids, about 35 percent from eating food and the rest from metabolism," says Stephen Rice, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., a sports medicine specialist at the Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, N.J.

Vegetables and fruits are the most hydrating (e.g., lettuce is 95 percent water). But we also get a lot from meat, as well as soup, juice, soda, milk and even coffee.

Q: How long can I go without any liquids?

A: "It depends on a myriad of factors including body size, sweat rate, amount of activity and environment," says Douglas J. Casa, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. But just to give you some idea, according to Valtin, a person can die in one day without water in a desert but could last as long as two weeks in a hospital.

Q: If I'm thirsty, am I already dehydrated?

A: No. "You are underhydrated, not totally dehydrated. Thirst is a signal that your body would like more fluid," says Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., Boston-area sports nutritionist and author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (Human Kinetics, 2003). Hydration is measured by blood concentration (e.g., the concentration of sodium in your blood)--the higher the concentration, the more dehydrated you are. When this concentration increases by just two percent, you get thirsty.

"Thirst is a warning mechanism, letting you know that dehydration is lurking around the corner, but to escalate to actual dehydration, the blood concentration must rise by five percent," says Valtin.

What about "storing" water (i.e., drinking a lot before you go out and lose fluids)? "That doesn't work," says Valtin. "Assuming we're healthy, all liquids we drink will be out of our bodies within a half-hour. So you can't store up your liquids."

Q: Are sports drinks better than water?

A: Sometimes. "Sports drinks are designed to be taken during exercise that lasts for more than an hour," says Clark. "They are particularly helpful for athletes because they contain a little sugar to fuel the muscles and the brain, as well as a little sodium to enhance fluid absorption and retention."

Q: Are coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks dehydrating?

A: Absolutely not, says Casa. "They provide fluids just like any beverage. A slightly greater percentage of the ingested fluid may be urinated, but it's still providing water." In fact, "People who are used to drinking caffeinated beverages get accustomed to the caffeine and don't urinate more fluid than they consume via their coffee or tea," adds Clark.

Q: Is water an effective appetite suppressant?

A: "There's no real evidence. However, people often mistake thirst for hunger, which means you could be eating food when you actually don't even feel the need," advises Clark.

How can you tell the difference? Finish a tall glass of water when you feel a snack attack coming on, and then decide if you still need some food afterward. Nevertheless, extensive research by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Penn State, found that eating soup and other liquid-based foods at the beginning of a meal helps reduce hunger.

Q: Is cold water better for your body than water at room temperature?

A: No. "The reasons that cooled liquids (55 degrees Fahrenheit) are recommended for rehydrating--specifically for athletes--are several-fold, including the facts that they empty the stomach faster than room-temperature fluids, cool the body down a little and may increase the willingness to drink," says Rice.

Q: Is it true that you can never get too much water, or any beverage for that matter?

A: According to Rice, you definitely can ingest too much water--resulting in hyponatremia (water intoxication). "This is most commonly seen in marathoners who run so slowly that they don't generate much temperature rise or sweat yet are drinking water excessively," says Rice.

But don't worry. Someone who's healthy couldn't really get to this point, says Valtin. He estimates that it would take almost 15 liters of water for a healthy person to develop hyponatremia.

Central Park - "squared" (10km)

2009-11-22T14:52:00.005-05:00

It had been in my backlog for months to try to go around central park and run its rectangular boundary. It was a nice ride, there are some points where you should be paying attention to traffic and traffic lights, but nothing that can jeopardize your training.

It's amazing to see how the "ambient" changes from upper west side to Harlem and them back from Harlem to upper east side. Well, the park is pretty much smooth, changes can only be noticed outside.

A very good approximation is that each longer side is 4km long and the smaller ones 1km. I started at Columbus Circle and finished 10km in front of the Museum of Arts and Design.