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STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL ADVICE FOR RUNNING 5 DAYS A WEEK
Matt Fitzgerald’s article, “Workout of the Week: Recovery Run”, is an example of how learning and understanding the purpose of each training component is essential to improving performance. On the topic of recovery runs he begins the discussion with myth busting; the light activity, “relatively short, slow runs undertaken within a day after a harder run” do not enhance muscle recovery, he says. These workouts do not purge the muscle of lactic acid, promote muscle fiber repair, or replenish glycogen stores. “The real benefit of recovery runs is that they allow you to find the optimal balance between the two factors that have the greatest effect on your fitness and performance: training stress and running volume”, Fitzgerald indicates. In much more detail, the article explains these factors. Hard training runs that leave you exhausted or severely fatigued are successfully challenging your body and thus forcing it to adapt and overcome conditions (both high-intensity and long duration fatigue) encountered in competition. High running volume contributes to and enhances fitness and improves running economy, which depends on repetitive practice. Finding the optimum balance between the two and at the same time avoiding injury is key to effective training. Fitzgerald uses examples to describe the training physiology and make his points. A thorough reading of his article is necessary to fully understand these concepts and the reasons for the recovery run. The second part of the article provides practical guidelines for using recovery runs as a follow-up to hard ‘key’ workouts. The instruction given in Fitzgerald’s article is intended for those whose training schedule includes strenuous sessions and 5 days per week of running. However, if you currently run 3-4 times a week (as on the Earned Runs Half Marathon + Saints Days 5K and 10K Training Plan) and wish to increase your efforts, the information is immensely helpful in explaining a strategy, and giving tactical advice on how to do so, for safely improving performance. As Teaching Teddy (VideoSmarts™, Closing Song #2) sang to my children in the 1980’s, “there’s always one more thing to learn” and “learn for tomorrow today”; Matt Fitzgerald shows how this applies to running! RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2016/02/training/workout-of-the-week-recovery-run_11839/ http://www.christopherjhopkins.com/links/videosmarts-the-interactive-video-learning-system
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“SPRINGTIME WARM-UP” USING EARNED RUNS BIBS
Posted on the RESOURCES page is a list of suggested events for using your free Earned Runs bibs that extend through May. Next on the list is the ‘Springtime Warm-Up”. Snow is expected to fall in a huge way this week from the Midwest to the East coast. After this winter storm system (Stella) passes some might feel like celebrating the coming of astrological Spring and the vernal equinox on March 20, a day or two later, or even on the upcoming weekend. Pin on an Earned Runs bib and go! The “Warm-up” isn’t intended to be a competition, but a chance to enjoy the build-up to a coming event and season. Choose a distance that fits with your readiness as a result of winter training. Why use a bib? If you simply run the distance it’s simply another training day. If you run it with a BIB and record your time, the weather conditions, and details on performance the effort is ON RECORD for comparison with later in the year, the next year, and beyond. You can run a “Cool-Down” at the end of the running season and compare your performance at the start versus the finish of 2017. Boost April’s training with a bit of inventive energy in March! "March 20, 2017 SPRINGTIME WARM-UP (5- 10 miles) Just like the position of the sun in the sky and the increased sunshine help to warm the earth and melt the frozen ground, runners can get warmed up for the new running season with an event that’s not a short 5k or a longer distance half marathon. Pick a distance between 5 and 10 miles and plan to run it about 10-15% slower pace than you would run a half marathon. (a 10-minute mile pace in the half would mean an 11-minute mile pace in this event)." RUN HAPPY! Suggestions for using Earned Runs bibs (also on RESOURCE page) REQUEST BIBS if you haven't done this yet. AFTER-RUN SNACKS Make your own to help increase intake of healthy foods/nutrients! You won’t need to purchase bars or trail mixes that often rely heavily on peanuts; introduce a variety of heart friendly nuts and seeds into your diet. If done DIY-style and left loose in a bag, there’s no need for a “binding” element to maintain ingredients in a rigid bar form, which tends to add fat or sugar calories.
Earned Runs SAMPLE HOMEMADE “NUT/SEED” SNACK Food Item protein g fat g carb g calories 2 halves walnut 0.6 2.6 0.5 28 4 almonds 1.0 2.4 1.0 30 1TBSP dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries <1 0.0 15.0 60 1 tsp pumpkin or sunflower seeds, roasted 1.5 3.2 0.7 38 1TBSP Wheat Chex 0.6 <1 5.0 29 or other dry cereal 1 tsp mini-chips special Hershey’s dark chocolate <1 1.5 3.0 29 Total -approximate 4.7 10.5 24.5 214 (Calculations are based on general values for these foods; exact figures will vary) Combine the ingredients above in a small seal-able bag or container. Make up a week’s worth and grab one serving each morning to consume after a run, cross training, or exercise activity. Eat it as is, stir onto yogurt, add milk, or sprinkle on a snack-cup of natural unsweetened applesauce. The recipe can be tweaked per preference, allergies, and availability. But you get the idea. This sample combination tries to incorporate fruits with anti-oxidant properties and adds a sweet chocolate treat that is also considered healthy. Whole grains are added as fortified dry cereal. The serving is small, to avoid calorie “creep” from eating too much of a good thing. At the end of 7 days you will have added “nuts/seeds” group and to your diet every day, without spending too many extra calories. WHY? Recently, research news on the American diet published March 7, 2017 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) made headlines and TV broadcasts. Modeling and analysis of data gathered from various sources including the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were used to “estimate associations of intake of 10 specific dietary factors with mortality due to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes” among US adults. The researchers described this type of death cause as “cardiometabolic”. About 17,000 dietary habit surveys were used in in the risk assessment model, roughly 8,000 each from 1999-2002 and 2009-2012. The study looked at “consumption of 10 foods/nutrients associated with cardiometabolic diseases: fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, whole grains, unprocessed red meats, processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), polyunsaturated fats, seafood omega-3 fats, and sodium” Among the findings of the study were indications that significant numbers of diet-related deaths were associated with NOT EATING ENOUGH (“sub-optimal” amounts) of certain healthy foods. Mentioned in the research article were “low nuts/seeds”, “low vegetables”, “low seafood omega-3 fats”, and “low fruits”. Of course, eating TOO MUCH of the usual suspect unhealthy foods was also highlighted as being associated with cardiometabolic deaths; “high sodium”, “high processed meats”, and “high SSBS”. An editorial in the same issue of JAMA pointed out the weaknesses of this kind of approach to identifying factors related to disease and death. It also commented on the smaller print findings that were not as widely reported, that the diet-related risks were greater among certain groups (men more than women, blacks and Hispanics more than whites, adults with low education than with high education). That deaths related to “high SSBs”, “low polyunsaturated fats”, and “low whole grains”, had declined from 2002-2012. Bottom line: there is no guarantee the diet prescription suggested by this research is the secret to a long, disease-free life. Exercise, stresses, relationships, environmental exposures, genetics, and other known and as yet unknown factors exert influences on health status. However, if we try to copy what seems to work for others, this research provides some nutrition direction. RUN HAPPY! If you aren’t concerned with calories and are looking for more adventurous mixes, check out the article “4 Energizing Trail Mix Recipes for On The Go” by Emily Polachek for Competitor.com. http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2608221 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2608201 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257681/ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/nuts/art-20046635?pg=2 http://running.competitor.com/2016/06/nutrition/energizing-trail-mix-recipes-for-on-the-go_151720 HAVE YOU DREAMED ABOUT WORKING at a running-related business job? A song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers provides insight that approximates the truth, in my experience. More on that later…
Stephanie Smith wrote an article for ACTIVE.com that addressed the issue of finding work in the fitness industry in general. “10 Fitness Careers Guaranteed To Be Your Dream Job” identifies jobs that might traditionally be associated with directly providing fitness-related expertise to help customers/clients. Included are physical therapist, physical education teacher, nutritionist, health and wellness coach, and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Also, not surprising to find on the article’s list, are people who study the physiology and biomechanics of exercise, like kinesiologists. Experience and knowledge in this university-based area of academic study can translate into employment opportunities in public sector businesses as well. More surprising, for those who don’t wish to study exercise or get physical at work, are careers that support the fitness and sports industries. Apparel and textile engineers and designers are integral to the clothing industry that serve athletics. Not mentioned in the article are materials science engineers who are vital to the creation of sports equipment and safety devices. Writers, editors, and workers in television are needed. Turf experts serve sports! Sports medicine providers like orthopedic surgeons and family medicine specialists advise and treat athletes at various levels from recreation-minded individuals to professional teams. Massage therapists, psychologists, podiatrists, and occupational therapists can also specialize in delivering care to athletes at all levels. These professionals have need of ASSISTANTS AND AIDES, for whom education and training is less extensive and expensive. Business management, administration, and finance expertise is valuable to fitness companies, sports organizations, and product manufacturers/distributors. If you are interested in turning a passion for exercise activity, like running, into a job activity, there are the obvious careers that require specific training. The SECRET IN PLAIN SIGHT is that very many more types of workers support the fitness and broader sports industry. These positions aren’t ready-made and often require job seekers to take personal initiative to gain specific experience and training. Volunteering to work for small local events, companies, or groups may allow ground-level entry opportunities when others are not available. A new organization aimed at helping women students and professionals succeed in the “sports business industry”, [FAB] Females in Athletic Business, is based at Michigan State University. It’s a place to start for this gender. Check it out. The group offers free activities and conferences. To get back to what Tom Petty sings about that pertains to this topic. The lyrics of “Runnin’ Down a Dream” agree that FINDING the dream job isn’t always realistic (“Yeah runnin' down a dream, That never would come to me…") A more realistic strategy will involve actively PURSUING what you dream about, even if you don’t exactly know what job it will be. (“Workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads, Runnin' down a dream”)* RUN HAPPY! http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/10-fitness-careers-guaranteed-to-be-your-dream-job http://fabsportsorg.wixsite.com/faborg https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tiawumpv5xfuovscnuliuktctre?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics *Written by Jeff Lynne, Michael Campbell, Tom Petty • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc WEEK 9 HALF MARATHON with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Training Plan
The fun continues this week if you are anticipating running the “tune-up” St. Patrick’s Day 10K scheduled in this plan. Last week’s post discussed how this shorter distance race fits into your half marathon training. This week will be about the fun of the holiday! Did you know the Irish in the United States can take credit for the first St. Patrick’s Day parade? The year was 1762, and the day was March 17, which commemorates the saint’s death in the year 461. A History.com item indicates that Irish soldiers serving in the British army had the bright idea of marching through the city streets that year in New York City, to celebrate the holiday. “Early Irish settlers to the American colonies, many of whom were indentured servants, brought the Irish tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s feast day to America.” In their home country, the Irish had observed this day as a religious holiday. They attended church services in the morning and then spent the afternoon enjoying food and drink. History.com says that over the years parades eventually they became “a popular celebration of Irish-American heritage”. And here we are now, running races on that day as well! Enjoy your ability to compete that day, earned by hard work and perseverance, the post-race revelry, and the promise of spring. RUN HAPPY! http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-st-patricks-day-parade A CRITICAL REASON TO RUN ALONE is that it's the only option available if you are to fulfill a commitment to train. Sometimes the lack of a supporting partner or 'herd' can provide an excuse NOT to pursue a fitness goal. In this instance the social aspect of running can be an obstacle to accomplishment.
If the opportunity to run with others or on your own exists, there are substantial benefits to regularly or occasionally taking off running in solo mode. I absolutely loved the article “7 Benefits of Running Alone” written by Dorothy Beal for Competitor.com. She put into words much of what I feel in my heart during these runs. Beal lists seven reasons, which roughly segregate into 3 areas: control, awareness, confidence. Control: if there’s no partner or group to consult about a run you can determine all the workout variables, like where, when, how long, and how fast or slow the pace. What I enjoy is that these decisions can be made just prior to or during the run. Awareness: it’s all about you and your surroundings. With a bit of concentration, you can tap into what you’re feeling physically and mentally and take notice of the natural surroundings or people on the path with you. For singles this may mean recognizing the interest of other singles directed AT you, and being able to take advantage of a relatively ‘safe’ situation to make an initial connection! Confidence: doing anything alone requires a bit more moxie than relying on others for companionship and support. Taking control and responsibility for your physical wellness and becoming self-aware and tuned into others can set up conditions that promote emotional growth that extends into your non-running life. Yay for you! You’re never alone in the universe of runners but friendships enrich our lives and should not be neglected. Lone running may not be something to do all the time. Solo sessions could be reserved for special days or settings. RUN HAPPY! http://www.active.com/running/articles/7-benefits-of-running-alone TO TRACK & SHARE OR NOT TO TRACK & SHARE, THAT IS THE QUESTION. Kelly O’Mara addressed an issue that runners may not have considered to be important in her Competitor.com article of January 2016, “Can Social Running Apps Hurt Your Training?” In it she suggests that tracking, communicating, sharing, and competing digitally with the universe of runners might be driving behaviors that can lead to injury.
O’Mara notes that, “as social running apps become more ubiquitous, and the technology to enable them more sophisticated, sharing your runs online is getting to be the norm.” It’s a ‘two-edged sword’ situation however. Social apps are a wonderful source of motivation that, when participation becomes extreme, can be physically and mentally exhausting. Such is the case when we neglect recovery or easy days in advance of tough workouts and run or exercise harder than is prescribed by our training plan to post ‘amazing’ results every day. After raising the question and causing some runners to examine their own app-using tendencies, the piece goes to suggest ways to make safe use of this modern technology. All in, the article promotes social posting. “The key to making whatever app you choose work for you is making it as social as possible”. One of the quoted experts, Sage Canady says, “The benefits totally outweigh the risks”. What about opting to stop using digital and cloud technology and go more in the direction of ‘analog’? I quit using apps abruptly about 5 months ago. Not sure that gentle weaning is realistic because every bit of data logged sets up the temptation to compare or share results, which requires continued usage. Prior to quitting I had tracked/logged activities but did not post results online. However, even this moderate bit of usage and feedback was enough to set a serious habit-hook into my daily exercising. Confession: I was forced to stop using apps because my phone would not hold a charge if I ran one while running. A semi-panicked trip to the Apple store helped save a bit of battery charge but not enough to return to my app-junky days. There was the option of buying new phone+gadgets that would take the load off my one device and provide even more and new physical monitoring capabilities. But, in considering this course of action I began to question whether I was being helped or hurt by constant awareness of my physical effort and activities. There were financial considerations to go cold turkey off apps as well. Premium versions of simple/free apps were likely to use less phone charge because there would be no or minimal advertising intrusions, noted the helpful Apple team member who investigated my case. There would be costs associated with adding cool, technologically wonderful wearables as well. Surely there is a reasonable tech solution to my app problem that would require additional thought, expense, and time to set up. The issue that would NOT be settled by immediately adding more technology was whether the benefits outweighed the costs. The O’Mara article clearly voted IN FAVOR of TECHNOLOGY. I decided to test the other course of action by quitting high-tech and going back to the old-school ways of yesteryear. I have not yet developed a totally satisfactory replacement for tracking and logging workouts; am still working on a system that motivates AND promotes healthy habits. Please comment with your thoughts, advice, or experiences. RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2015/10/shoes-and-gear/can-social-running-apps-hurt-your-training_137022 CYCLING CAN WIDEN YOUR ACTIVITY FOCUS AND ENLIVEN YOUR WORKOUTS. The article on Competitor.com, “Take Your Running Up A Gear By Cycling During Base Training” by Mark Eller presents a convincing argument for cycling as a cross-training activity for runners. After that it provides a step-wise plan to begin easy with minimal expense for equipment and progress to harder and longer workouts that will likely require a bicycle upgrade.
The reasons to cycle-cross train are those you have probably heard before. Cycling allows runners to take a break from pounding the pavement, works the quadriceps muscles more than running does, and boosts aerobic training. An additional reason, which is very important but rarely made, is that cycling “provides a new experience, decreasing the mental burnout and physical over-training that can occur when an athlete focuses on just one activity”. So says Travis Macy, the ultra-runner and mountain bike cyclist expert quoted by the article, Previously Earned Runs featured swimming as a worthwhile cross-training exercise. However, not everyone has access to a lap pool all year, making it a possible fun change-up workout for the warmer months when chances are better for outdoor pool availability or open water swimming in non-frigid conditions. Seasonally-adjusting your cross-training exercise can save you money and at the same time introduce more stimulating variety into your exercise life. Somewhat like shopping for fruits and vegetables, depending on where you reside/run, some activities may be “cheaper” at certain times of the year than others. Cyclists will brag that they can rapidly cover more ground and enjoy more scenery over longer distances than most runners. Now you can too, on your non-running days! RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2017/03/training/take-running-up-gear-cycling-base-training_162433 WEBSITE WEDNESDAY: GENEROSITY AND AN 8 MINUTE MILE:
Do you run a race at a pace slower than 8-minutes per mile? I do. Every 8 minutes the American Red Cross beats me at their ‘goal’ race: helping people who are suffering from disasters. Most often from house fires the website informs. Follow the link (it's also below) to land on the page that explains Disaster Relief. [There was no picture for the link, so the scary one of bad weather was chosen for the Facebook post.] In the SPRING, I think of tornadoes as some of the most worrisome weather disasters. Researching exactly when this ‘season’ begins taught me that the date depends on the region of the United States. The co-founder of TornadoTitans.com, Chris Sanner, wrote the article that explains the situation. March is the month regions beyond the Southeast must start to fear twisters, he indicates. If you are planning on running a personal race with Earned Runs bibs in the next couple of months and did NOT pay a registration fee, consider donating part or all of what you might have been charged to a charity. If you want to help someone every 8 minutes, faster than you cover a mile, think of the American Red Cross. See the GENEROSITY page for other charitable opportunities. http://www.earned-runs.com/generosity.html RUN HAPPY! http://tornadotitans.com/when-does-tornado-season-start/ http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief BUDDY RUNS “17 Paw-fect Dogs for Running” by Fara Rosenzweig and Kolby Paxton for Active.com divides breeds into those suited for shorter versus longer distance runs with owners.
Short distance: these canines include the smaller variety; Toy Poodles get respect as well as terriers like Jack Russell and Tenterfield, and Shelties. The larger breeds listed in this group are Airedales and Golden and Labrador Retrievers. Long distance: breeds recommended for the long-haul are the herding German and Australian Shepherds and Border Collies, the sled pulling Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute, and racetrack running Greyhound. Canine breeds that may not be familiar to many include the Rhodesian Ridgeback, Ibizan Hound, Wiemaraner, and Vizsla. The list could be much longer; rescued dogs of mixed/unknown breed might be the best runners of all! Please comment to give credit to your favorites. Identifying whether your constant canine companion is the type of breed that might be appropriate for running by your side is possibly the easiest part of this activity. The more difficult part is preparing your buddy for these runs. Mackenzie Lobby Havey wrote an article for MapMyRun.com in late 2016, “How to Train Your Dog to Run with You” that contains insightful and helpful advice. Just like with humans, ‘parents’ of doggy runners need to obtain medical clearance for this activity and must ‘train” pets to cover increasingly longer stretches. This means starting with short duration runs (10 minutes, she advises), building slowly and incrementally with small increases, and monitoring your pal’s physical status to avoid overtraining and environmental stresses (hot and cold weather). Also, there are prerequisite skills that runners and dog must learn that are essential to maintaining control of the situation. Other runners, plus/minus pets of their own, don’t wish to have training sessions interrupted by YOUR pet displaying undisciplined ‘social’, ‘guarding’, or other disruptive behaviors on the path or trail. It’s very likely that your pooch will adore the extra attention, time with you, and exercise that running together provides. The article has more information and inspiration to get training. RUN HAPPY! http://www.active.com/running/articles/17-paw-fect-dogs-for-runners http://blog.mapmyrun.com/how-to-train-your-dog-to-run-with-you/ TRAINING DURING INJURY RECOVERY The BLOG post March 2 featured Jason Fitzgerald’s encouragement to “embrace” running failures. In that piece, Fitzgerald suggested that runners not view setbacks entirely as negative situations but opportunities to challenge “yourself to your fullest potential.” One of the possible reasons for failure mentioned in the article was injury.
To follow-up on that theme, Earned Runs is pointing you to another author’s view on how to ‘positively’ handle injury. Ashley Lauretta wrote an encouraging article, "Injured and Can't Run? Here's What You Can Do", also on MapMyRun.com, on how to live through injury recovery, when running is not an option. From experience, I can say that it’s possible to survive an enforced downtime and emerge as an improved runner. Lauretta’s approach is to help identify alternatives to running that will preserve fitness and avoid the pitfalls of inactivity like weight gain. The suggested non-running options include total-body weight training and water training like aqua jogging, working on improving nutrition, learning to rest and recover appropriately in the come-back period, and making mental adjustments that take the focus off the inability to run. Earned Runs urges you to FUSE Lauretta’s ADVICE with that of Fitzgerald’s and EMBRACE training during injury RECOVERY. Consider this a time when, because you cannot run, all attention and effort can be focused on formulating the (previously neglected), non-running part of a training program designed to prevent injury and increase running strength. Why do we tend to neglect those non-running components of training? One reason might be that stretching, flexibility, balance, and strength routines must be tailored to fit our personal needs and abilities. This customization effort requires trial-and-error fine tuning, mental and physical concentration, and perseverance to get it “right”. Performance of an unfamiliar routine initially tends to feel awkward. The benefit of committing time to such ‘unsatisfying’ sessions seems minimal when we can just-go-out-and-run for a while! When recovering from an injury runners have the PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to get all the groundwork done to assemble the components of a complete training program and become familiar with performing routines. IN ADDITION, it’s a wonderful chance to find enjoyable CROSS TRAINING activities that can be scheduled on ‘active recovery/rest’ days of a training plan. Because other sport activities like swimming and cycling may represent the only means of exercise permitted during recovery, you may come to love them. Before beginning any training program, the article and Earned Runs advises obtaining medical clearance from the physician who is treating the problem that sidelined you. Best not to worsen the situation with another injury or an exacerbation of the initial condition. That said, rejoice that you finally have the time to work on designing a complete training plan and embrace the challenge, as coach Fitzgerald urges. RUN HAPPY! http://blog.mapmyrun.com/runners-can-embrace-failure/ http://blog.mapmyrun.com/injured-and-cant-run-heres-what-you-can-do WEEK 8 HALF MARATHON with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Training Plan
This end of this week may be RACE DAY for some of you! Remember it’s a training 10K race that is scheduled well before the half marathon you are preparing to run later in the spring. Because it’s not the goal race there wasn’t a taper or a ‘peak’, so you’ll be running it at LESS the effort you might have run a ‘goal’ 10K LOOKING FOR a personal best (PR). If you don’t remember the BLOG post from January 13, 2017 that introduced this training plan, explained the concept of training or “tune-up” races, and linked to a Runner’sworld.com article, you might check it out. The advice given in that article was to run the 10K evenly all the way through, finishing as if you felt you could have run faster. This race is about gently testing yourself before the half marathon. It provides you with a ‘practice’ race that should build confidence. In other words, easy-does-it, especially at the start. Don’t blast out of the gate and wither before the end. Also, there’s an article in Competitor.com “How to Use Races to Train for Other Races” by Kelly O'Mara that provides more explanation. Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with this tune-up. RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2016/04/training/use-races-train-races_148413 http://www.earned-runs.com/blog/fun-tune-up-races http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/tune-up-for-successful-racing THE TITLE OF THIS ARTICLE, “8 SECRETS OF THE NATURALLY SLIM” by Prevention for Active.com attracts attention in the same manner as magazines placed near market checkout lanes. However this post is not about revealing magically transformative secrets. Earned Runs is NOT ABOUT losing weight. This statement has been repeated a lot lately. Why? Because articles that contain information helpful to runners and walkers may be titled to grab attention. When shared on this blog, the courtesy of citation is extended to the publication and author but the focus may not be exactly the same as originally intended.
So why care about "secrets of the naturally slim"? To remain a consistent runner or walker and avoid injury it’s not wise to add to your ideal weight, if that’s where you are, or add to a higher-than-is-healthy weight. However, the act of dieting is stress-provoking for some of us and can be counter-productive (we gain weight when concentrating on what we eat all day). To avoid dieting, an alternate strategy might be to copy the habits of people who seem to stay the same healthy weight without making a big deal of how they are constantly counting/cutting calories. That's my excuse as to why I couldn’t help from clicking on the link to read the slideshow piece to learn how my slim friends manage to maintain their weight. For each of the “secrets” the author provides suggestions on how to “copy them”. Excellent! This feature is especially helpful, and I can see myself adopting one or two in each situation. These are not true mysteries but various approaches to eating. However, identifying and naming them allows for the development of specific tactics to beat sub-conscious ways in which too many extra calories are added to a daily count. My favorite is (#2) that these folks tend not to see hunger as an eating emergency. Makes sense. Which secrets do you like? RUN HAPPY! http://www.active.com/food-and-nutrition/articles/8-secrets-of-the-naturally-slim FROST’D SNACKING FOR ULTRARUNNERS & OTHERS Earned Runs LOVES to feature businesses and products that were created to fill a running or fitness-related need. “FROST’D” is one such product, designed by an ultra-runner to satisfy a sweet tooth and help fuel her long runs ‘naturally’ and deliciously.
In a Competitor.com article, “Allow Us to Introduce You to Running’s Own Queen of Frosting” by Lisa Jhung we learn the story of Jessica Hamel. She’s the founder and CEO of Frost’d, a “snack frostings” line of coconut-oil based, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and GMO-free sweet spreads (it does not promise to be free of nuts). The article says the frosting is for spreading on pancakes, fruit dipping, and eating out of the jar with a spoon. The website also says it can be stirred into coffee and scooped out on pretzels. Yum! The company declares, “Jessica was born with a major sweet tooth. It only got worse when she began ultra-running. But, let's face it... running 100 miles deserves a sweet treat, right? Baking has always been Jessica's creative outlet and she was frustrated to see the lack of natural frosting options on store shelves. Alas, FROST'D. was born. FROST'D. is the first ever (and only) coconut oil snack frosting.” The images on the site are certainly tempting! Boutique bakeries might be also interested in her confection as well as individuals with specific tricky dietary situations. The price may be a bit steep for serving crowds ($9.00 a jar containing 8 servings), but is within reach for gift giving and special occasions. Calorie-wise the 4 different flavors range from 120 (Coconut Tumeric) to 180 (Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla) calories per 2 TBSP serving. Learn more about Jessica the ultra-runner in the Competitor.com article and about her sweet product on the Frost’d website. In her “Follow Your Passion Project” Hamel features “the stories of female entrepreneurs dreaming big and follow their passion” accessed through a link on the Frost’d HOME page. RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2017/02/nutrition/meet-runnings-first-lady-frosting_162205 http://www.eatfrostd.com/ http://www.followyourpassionproject.com/ SPOILER ALERT: The last best paragraph in the article provides the reason to start at the beginning and take in all the good advice offered by Jason Fitzgerald in “How Runners Can Embrace Failure” for Under Armor’s MapMyRun.com.
“For many runners, both amateur and elite, short-term failure forced them to change their training to enable long-term success. Never failing means you are probably not pushing hard enough to get out of your comfort zone — and growth comes only when you can “reframe failure” as an opportunity to learn and improve.” What you get from this respected coach/trainer is not only inspiration and encouragement but practical steps to take to go forward after a setback. From personal experience, my greatest periods of growth came after injuries, which can be viewed as failures to train safely, when I sought the help of trainers and therapists. Over time, as you read various articles containing advice from experts like Fitzgerald, keep in mind that they are giving you the VERY BEST of their knowledge. It has been gained from their own failures as well as those of the talented runners they have coached. Recommended routines for warm-ups and cool-downs, for strength, stretching, and flexibility should be taken seriously. That tiny bit of advice is all I can add to this encouraging piece, which amounts to “do what HE says”. RUN HAPPY! http://blog.mapmyrun.com/runners-can-embrace-failure |
BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device. AuthorEARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder. In 1978 I began participating in 10K road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology. I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health and longevity. Archives
November 2023
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