RUNNING SHOES & SOCCER JERSEYS THAT SAVE THE OCEANS
In a future posting we will learn about wool athletic shoes that are helping wearers lessen their impact on the earth’s environment. Today’s news is about Adidas releasing a running shoe that lessens humans’ impact on the oceans. According to a Competitor.com article about the coming release of this product, UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley running shoes are the “first mass-produced footwear created using recycled plastic recovered from the ocean”.  The upper is made from Primeknit, a mix of Ocean Plastic™ (95%) and recycled polyester (5%). Ocean Plastic™ is a “material created from plastic waste retrieved by Parley coastal interception and clean-up operations in the Maldives”.
 
The shoes won’t be inexpensive ($200) but they may become a very desired item, as only 7,000 are reported to have produced, according to Competitor.com. The footwear may be especially treasured by runners who in turn treasure the earth’s oceans. Shoe design elements are meant to attract this group; they were inspired by ocean waves.  Reviews in the Adidas website are too few to draw firm conclusions about performance.

UltraBoost Uncaged Parley shoes ($200) will be available for purchase at Adidas.com and select Adidas retail shops. This might make a pricey but unique and rewarding gift for someone special in your life, if you can manage to acquire a pair.
 
If you are not aware, Parley for the Oceans “is the space where creator, thinkers, and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of our oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction”.  It was founded in 2012 by Cyrill Gutsch, “an award winning designer, brand and product developer,” who decided at the time to “focus on a new client:  The Oceans”. There’s more information on this innovative collaboration in the organization’s website, which includes a warning that leading environmentalists predict an end to “most sea life within the next 6–16 years.”
 
Not mentioned in the Competitor.com article is the coming release of Adidas Parley football (soccer) jerseys ($90) for Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich in December. The Real jersey is white (“for los Blancos”) and the Bayern shirt is red. This product is also made with yarn created from reclaimed and recycled ocean plastic waste, in collaboration with Parley.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2016/11/news/adidas-making-running-shoes-from-recycled-ocean-plastic_158719
 
http://www.adidas.com/us/parley
 
http://www.parley.tv/#fortheoceans
 

WHY ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR RUNNING OR WALKING?
Last year the NOVEMBER 24, 2015 posting about being thankful on this Holiday reflected my feelings.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?  
What makes running something for which you are grateful?
Take the survey on the REQUEST BIBS/CONTACT page if you would like to share. Perhaps you will positively influence another would-be-runner's decision to make a commitment to run or walk regularly or to train for competition by your reason or explanation. Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. We form a community, from which all  gain strength, resolve, and acceptance. Pass it on.

Information about running experience, age, and gender is requested but not required.

RUN HAPPY!

WHY I Am Thankful for Running (2016)
 
Makes me feel free
 
Helps me get outside
 
Other than paying for shoes, it’s free.
 
It’s free time to listen to a book or think through a troublesome issue
 
It’s not complicated
 
It makes me feel pleasantly tired afterward
 
It encourages the wearing of cool stuff
 
It’s age appropriate (for nearly everyone)
 
Improvement is possible and can be tracked
 
I can join others
 
I can have alone time
 
It allows me to be part of a worldwide community
 
It adds to my identity.
 
It’s healthy!

THE PROBLEM WITH NEGATIVE PRESS  “You're not athletic enough to run”. “My son says I am too tall to run”. “She won't train”. “It’s not safe to start running at your age”. How many times do we label or restrict ourselves or others without full knowledge of the true situation? What running opportunities have we passed up or been discouraged from undertaking because we believed our "negative press"?
 
When I was a pathology resident in the early 1980’s the AIDS epidemic was becoming a frightening reality. Its cause was unknown but epidemiologists and public health officials were working frantically to understand the disease. In a TheScientist.com article, “HIV Spread from Haiti to NYC in 1970 ‘Patient Zero’ Not to Blame”, author Ben Andrew Henry relates how a recent scientific paper has presented evidence that, finally, clears one man of an untruth.
 
You may wish to read on about the specifics (at the end of this post) especially if you remember that era. The general gist of the article is that novel laboratory techniques allowed scientists to prove beyond doubt that the man was wrongly blamed for transmission of the HIV infection to the US, partly because of circumstance, his personality and lifestyle, and a typographical error.
 
When it comes to embracing the shortcomings attributed to us by OTHERS or generated by negative SELF-assessments, perhaps we should not readily do so. It may be best to hold out for firm evidence and assume that without it, the REVERSE COULD BE THE TRUTH: you will be a runner with athletic training; being tall gives the advantage of a longer stride; she will follow a plan designed for a specific goal race; and training to run at an “advanced” age will help masters' runners feel and move more youthfully.
 
Whatever our personal negative “press”, we should not let it govern our behavior or goals.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/47352/title/HIV-Spread-from-Haiti-to-NYC-in-1970---Patient-Zero--Not-to-Blame
 
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v539/n7627/full/nature19827.html
 
NOTE:
Below is the HIV story in a bit more detail, summarized from the TheScientist.com article and other postings in the medical literature and from Wikipedia entries.
 
The scientific journal Nature published a paper on October 26 that essentially cleared the man who at one time was considered to be the initial source of HIV transmission in the United States. In the paper, a team of scientists presented complete genome information of the HIV virus obtained from 8 blood samples collected in 1978 and 1979. One of the samples belonged to Gaetan Dugas, a Canadian flight attendant who was widely identified as “Patient Zero” of the AIDS epidemic in this country.  In medical science, designation of the first affected person, initial patient, or index case of an epidemiological investigation as “patient zero” seems to have originated with Dugas in relation to AIDS.
 
This new evidence demonstrated he did not “cause” the epidemic here. A sophisticated analysis revealed that rather than being located at the base of the virus’s evolutionary tree, like a first ancestor arriving in America would be at the base of a family tree, Dugas’s virus is in the middle.  The analysis further showed that HIV “arrived in New York City from Haiti around 1970, then spread to San Francisco and elsewhere in the country during the 1970’s.” Dugas was first diagnosed with an AIDS-related illness in 1980 and died of the disease complications in 1984.
 
Previously reported by Richard A. McKay, one of the study’s co-authors, and noted in the current paper, the designation of Dugas as “Patient Zero” years after his death came about through a typographical error made by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) personnel investigating and writing about the illness. He was originally referred to by the CDC as Patient “Outside-of-California” or Patient “O” (letter O) and was never intended to be named as the person with the first case of HIV infection in the US. The designation “O” was misinterpreted as “0” (number zero) in the preparation of the study manuscript, in error. 
 
Dugas was posthumously portrayed as spreading the disease intentionally and effectively demonized by the journalist Randy Shilts in the 1987 book “And the Band Played On”. Shilts had learned the identity of Patient “O” who became “Zero” while researching his book in the years 1985-1987, and used this background information in his writing. The “view” of the deceased man was absent in this telling of the AIDS story, according to McKay, who contends that Gaetan Dugas “did make changes to his behavior” and that “his assistance helped guide some of the early efforts of Vancouver’s first AIDS organization”. 
 
Media coverage and lack of knowledge about the virus helped perpetuate the mistake in the eyes of the public. Although scientists and historians have long recognized this designation as incorrect, the recent elegant research provides scientific proof. The authors are careful to stress that their research does not lay blame for spread of the disease to the US on the Haitians; “tracing the origin of an epidemic is not the same as placing blame… No one should be blamed for the spread of a virus that nobody even knew about.”
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4046389/
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ga%C3%ABtan_Dugas
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Band_Played_On

THE ARTICLE “Six Ways To Carry Gels On Long Runs” by NYC Running Mama for Women’s Running, re-posted on Competitor.com definitely falls into the running ‘MacGyver’ category.  Those who take long runs of greater than 75-90 minutes in duration are familiar with various tactics to store and access nutrition and water during these runs. I find summer runs to be most problematic because there are less layers of clothes to wear, the construction of which tend to be less sturdy and lighter. Thus there are fewer available pockets of sufficient size to store small items like earphones, money, and ID, as well as a phone. This is especially difficult to deal with if having free hands is important to comfort and running ease.
 
So although there are 6 ways suggested by the article, only one (pinning to shorts) seems truly workable for comfort’s sake for many runners. The key to the remaining five suggestions being workable lies with the specific piece of ‘equipment’ utilized:
 
Pockets: An effort must be made in advance to search for, purchase, and trial apparel that have pockets. Of course this gear must, more importantly, accommodate the weather and be ‘breathable’ on bodies that quickly heat up with moderately intense physical activity. What works for one person may not for another, so like finding the ‘right’ shoe, finding pocketed clothes can be a challenge.
 
Bra: Remember this story initially appeared in a women’s running magazine. If you do wear a sports bra, it would seem that the best place to store gels/etc would NOT be next to the skin. There are brands with outside pockets in various locations advertised on the internet. As with other pocketed apparel, the primary purpose of the bra must serve the wearer well; that there’s also a pocket for storage would be a plus.
 
Belt or hydration device/system: If water isn’t available on the long run course (some training teams will provide it at stations along the way or some pathways have fountains) runners need to carry their own water. Many runners don’t mind wearing a belt with attached re-fillable bottles or a back pack system with a drinking tube. As the article says, there will be additional pockets on these products that will store gels and other stuff. It’s extremely unwise to take in gel/etc. nutrition without water (NOT a sugar sports drink) so the challenge of transporting both items is a combined issue for many.
 
Hand: As long as you don’t need to carry a phone or water in one hand, carrying gels/etc. in the other isn’t too cumbersome.
  
Pin-it: This is a great idea if the item is NOT pinned next to the skin. If it can remain outside the shorts and not get in the way of running, it’s perfect!  I hope to try various ways of affixing small bags of gel, gummies, or beans to the waistband of my pants.
 
PLASTIC BAGGIES: Again, this is a MacGyver move. I use plastic baggies if pockets aren’t available. The quart size that the TSA recommends you put liquids in if they will be carried on board the plane rather than stowed in checked luggage work best. Thin bags are more pliant/softer than thicker freezer bags.  Put your folded money or credit card, ID, AND gels/etc in this bag. Tuck the softer longer bottom portion between your shorts/pants and undergarments*, and leave the top, stiff, sealable portion of the bag folded out over the waistband. The bag’s rigid top portion won’t easily slip down between your outer pants and underwear; it will remain on the outside of the pants and possibly be stabilized by a shirt or jacket pulled down over the waistband.  If it starts to rain you can pull the baggie out from under the waistband, slip your phone into it, and carry all in your hand, protecting it from getting wet.  One benefit of having everything in the bag is that only the phone needs to be gripped as you run, the rest will flop a bit with motion but be contained.
 
There’s always the tactic of planting water and nutrition on the course before you start out, or leaving it at a convenient point on an out-and-back run. For example, stash your supplies at mile 4 mark, run 2 more miles, turn around and it will be at mile 8 on a run that is 12-miles in distance.  Well-meaning trash collectors or inconsiderate pranksters may remove it and leave you dry and depleted however, so always have a back-up plan if you do this (my experience).
 
Please share any other ways you’ve successfully carried nutrition on long runs.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2015/08/nutrition/6-ways-to-carry-gels-on-long-runs_133934
 
*This will not be comfortable if you wear shorts with a liner.

WEEK 10 TURKEY TROT WITH TRACK DAY 5K Beginner Training Plan starts Monday.  These workouts may be difficult in that you are cutting back on mileage and time spent training after 9 straight weeks of ramping up. You will need rested legs to make your best effort on race day, so resist the temptation to cheat and accept the taper as a wise tactic.   

If you have come to rely on this higher level of activity for weight control be aware that you might need to cut back a bit on caloric intake. Take the extra time to prepare for the upcoming holiday. If you are traveling to your Turkey Trot, double check arrangements and start packing, if you haven’t already.  Get your costume together if that’s in your race day plans!

Enjoy the building excitement that comes with running a goal race.  You've earned it.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
TRACK DAY SCHEDULE
WEEK #10 (3.375 miles)
START: One lap warm-up walk
RUN: 4 full laps and WALK: half lap
Repeat: 3 times = 3.375 miles
END:  One lap cool-down walk

Holiday Drinks Training; It’s a Tough Job But Somebody’s Got to Do It Soon the Thanksgiving holiday will be upon us and there will be opportunities to enjoy alcoholic beverages at various festive get-togethers.   Next come parties which will fill the weeks of the Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Holiday season.  The New Year and college football bowl game seasons heat up next.
 
Many will resolve to keep calories ingested during parties and open houses as low as possible, to avoid end of the year weight gain.  It could make for an easier Resolution Run. Just as it’s important to test various nutrition strategies prior to running longer races it will help to trial drinks before attempting to hold the line at actual parties.
 
I am serious about this.  If your first taste of something new is at a party and it is not to your liking, physically upsetting, or leaves you with a bad morning-after experience, you will quickly abandon your resolve and fall back to drinking whatever was your favorite go-to beverage regardless of diet impact. ALSO, CONSIDER YOUR GUESTS if you are hosting a party. Concocting and featuring a fun signature drink with lower calorie content might contribute to your event’s success.
 
An article from SELF.com, “Low-Calorie Drinks Registered Dietitians Love” provides some suggestions from these nutrition experts.  Being trained as a dietitian and working several years at it, including a stint bartending a medical staff party at my employer hospital, I respect this group of professionals.
 
Drinking an unmixed, straight version of wine, beer, or a liquor (not a sweet liqueur) allows you to avoid calories disguised in mixes and keep a more accurate account of the number imbibed. This is especially true if drink volumes adhere to what is quoted as one serving in calorie-counting lists (1.5oz /liquor shot; 12oz/ beer, 5oz /glass of wine, 4oz/flute of champagne).
 
Scanning the list of mixed drinks, these RD’s seem to be following a formula to design their favorites.  Keeping it in mind can guide you in designing your own “skinny” version of a high calorie favorite:

1. Break down a drink into its components
2. Identify the base liquor; start with one serving as the drink foundation
3. Use a flavor-infused version of a liquor if it improves palatability
4. Slowly sip liquor ‘neat’ or with ice if the taste is agreeable, without added ingredients
5. If mixing, switch in a zero- or low-calorie alternative for the full-calorie standard
6. Add ice to add volume
7. Add lime, lemon, mint, jalapeno, cucumber, or another low-calorie garnish for flavor
8. Try NOT to use simple syrup or sugar, juices, store-made mixes, tonic water
9. Quality may beat quantity; don’t be afraid to go with a better label if taste is improved
   

 
Be aware of the serving size quoted for calorie lists; Some use 1.5oz, some provide the number per ounce (example: 96 calories per 1.5oz shot of vodka will be quoted as 64 calories per ounce!) To help you, “The Intoxicologist“ has provided an extensive listing of liquor foundation ingredients with calorie cost.  
 
There’s the strategy of alternately drinking a non-alcoholic drink with an alcoholic drink throughout the length of the party, which may leave you in greater control of your choices.
 
The fun we experience at social gatherings extends to the days and weeks afterward. If we feel post-party regret because of weight gain and its effect on running, it can retrospectively diminish our overall enjoyment of the season. Holding the line within reason may increase the after-glow.
 
This is an example where "failing to plan is planning to fail", considered to be a modern version of a quote by Benjamin Franklin, re-stated by Winston Churchill.  Once the hard work of holiday drinks training is complete and the strategy tested, your time can be spent planning wardrobes, gifts for the host/hostess, etc.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://www.self.com/story/low-calorie-alcoholic-drinks-registered-dietitians-love
 
http://intoxicologist.net/2013/01/counting-calories/

VETERANS DAY NOVEMBER 11  This federal holiday “pays tribute to all American veterans–living or dead–but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime”, according to History.com. It originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, the 1st anniversary of the end of World War I which officially occurred on that date in 1918, at the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month”. For this reason, the United States holiday occurs near the same dates as Canada’s Remembrance Day and Britain’s Remembrance Sunday, which also honor soldiers who fought in the “war to end all wars”. It became a national holiday in 1938 and was renamed as Veterans’ Day in 1954 after the Korean War.
 
According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs website,  observance was changed for several years to a set date in October from 1971 to 1977. President Gerald R Ford signed legislation returning it to the original observance in 1978, preserving the significance of that date. It’s often said there is some confusion of Veterans’ Day with Memorial Day. However, since the name of the May holiday implies it memorializes American military members who lost their lives In service to the country (“memorial”), it should easy to recall that November 11 is a day to pay tribute on to ALL American veterans, especially those living veterans who served honorably in peacetime or war.
 
Possibly one of the most famous US Olympic runners who also served in the US military was Louis Zamperini. His story was brought back to the world’s attention in the Laura Hillenbrand book, UNBROKEN, a New York Times Bestseller, which was later to become a major motion picture released in December 2014.Evan Andrews wrote a short piece for History.com that provides "8 Things You May Not Know About Louis Zamperini".
 
Growing up a juvenile delinquent-turned high school track star in the city of Torrance CA, Zamperini became the youngest distance runner to make the US Olympic track and field team in 1936 at age 19. Although he finished out of the medals in the 5000-meter event, his last lap was run in less than a minute, which raised hopes he could break 4-minutes in the mile, his preferred distance.
 
With the onset of World War II, the 1940 Helsinki Olympics, which had been moved from Tokyo earlier, were cancelled. Like the dreams of so many young men and women of the day, his athletic aspirations were dashed by the global conflict. It is veterans like Zamperini we honor today. During the war he endured physical torture and survived imprisonment. After the war he likely suffered what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and overcame the devastating effects of that condition as well. We owe a great deal of what we enjoy in life to veterans. Their sacrifices aren’t always evident. If you run today, do it in their honor.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/veterans-day-facts
 
http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp
 
http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-louis-zamperini
​

Lose Fat but Maintain Muscle for Improved Running Efficiency. This is the time of year that weather and light conditions may discourage outdoor running. Turn what may be a potentially disheartening season into an one that encourages you to become a stronger runner by running less and working out more indoors.

The article “High Reps or Low Reps for Fat Loss?” by Tony Bonvechio for MyFitnessPal.com is aimed at people who are trying to burn fat through exercising. The discussion is centered on this topic, as the title implies. However, if you are looking at strength training to improve body composition by maintaining or increasing muscle and decreasing fat to be a stronger but lighter (or not heavier) runner, the advice works as well. The very last section “The Big Takeaways” provides the information you require in a nutshell:

• Watch your intake; “maintain a subtle calorie deficit” or at least attempt to avoid inadvertently increasing calories as you perform more work exercising.
• Ensure an adequate protein intake such that you are getting at least 0.36 grams per pound of body weight according to the US Recommended Daily Allowance guidelines. Other sources recommend more for building muscle in persons who are highly active (0.7-0.8 grams per pound); Bonvechio says to take in 1 gram per pound but I think this may be a bit high.
• Lift moderate to heavy weights “for sets of 3-8 reps, 2-3 times per week” to maintain or increase muscle mass.
• Schedule HIIT, “high intensity interval training 2-3 times per week to stimulate fat loss”.

The article has links to 3 HIIT routines (just above the “Big Takeaways” section). For instructions on how to perform a 10-20-30 HIIT workout watch Bonvechio demonstrate it on a bicycle, or  the University of Copenhagen video, or a New York Times WELL video (select the specific video from the top banner). The NYT WELL blog page has other short workouts as well.

Runner’s World published a comprehensive article that has numerous links to routines that can help you, with hard work, perform “at your full potential”.

RUN HAPPY!

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/high-reps-low-reps-fat-loss/?194774093802557

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096

http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/protein-guide-maximum-muscle

10-20-30 HIIT workout University of Copenhagen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQvVXJubm5I

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/a-z/high-intensity-interval-training-hiit

http://www.nytimes.com/well/guides/really-really-short-workouts

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-7-most-effective-exercises

http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/strength-training

AS YOU RUN RACES you have trained for this fall, oftentimes, waiting for you at the finish line will be some very cool MEDALS. Earning them is the reason many run.
What are the BENEFITS of the special hardware?

1. Zero-calorie reward for all your hard work
   
2. Proof of finish that can be posted on social media
   
3. Automatic record of race distance and date
4. Motivation for better time or next goal race

 
There’s another beneficial purpose these medals can serve, even years after you’ve clutched them in your hand, melting in heat or shivering in cold or wet conditions endured on race day.
      5. Charity!

You can donate medals you no longer have space or inclination to display. These simple ‘trophies’ may retain their value to you forever. Giving them to someone in need does not imply they no longer have worth. On the contrary, the gesture of presenting this symbol of your endurance and grit to someone else means you understand that their struggle and perseverance in illness or time of trouble deserves similar recognition. It’s a nod of the head to someone, acknowledging their personal ‘race’ in a competition that most would not choose to enter.
 
See the GENEROSITY page on how to donate medals through the organization Medals4Mettle.org 
 
There's a previous Earned Runs BLOG post from May 18, 2015 that explains how you might do this privately too.

RUN HAPPY!

http://www.medals4mettle.org

http://www.earned-runs.com/generosity.html

http://www.earned-runs.com/blog/website-wednesday-generosity2767375

RUN OR WALK OFF POST-ELECTION EMOTION & ENERGY Around the world and throughout history we’ve learned that feelings of alienation and isolation can be the stimulus for horrific acts of terror in countries, by naturalized or native-born citizens. Rather than posting social media items reflecting unsettled raw emotions of despair or elation that might be hurtful and provide that stimulus to someone we don’t know, think about working off the energy with physical activity.
 
Executive orders, legislation, and court rulings don’t make us uniquely American. Our charitable hearts, sturdy backs, welcoming arms, easy smiles, and eyes that forever seek new horizons make up our national spirit. Let’s use pumping legs to move beyond election day and settle down to the business of coming together.
 
Thanksgiving Day, our national holiday, is approaching.  It’s a perfect opportunity to show the world how grateful we are for a system of government that allows us to campaign vigorously, vote, and then live in peace with the results, welcome or unwelcome. Get outdoors that day and take an informal walk or run in a turkey trot race. As you do, nod or voice a greeting to those you encounter as a sign of inclusion. It’s a day to celebrate being a nation of native and immigrant Americans.

RUN HAPPY!

MAKE AND ACCOMPLISH EARLY RESOLUTIONS BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2017
Do you excitedly anticipate BUT also dread the coming of 2017? Does the feeling come from acknowledging there are areas in your life that need to change in order to improve health?  “Your 14-Day Plan to Walk More Steps” by Eric Taylor for MyFitnessPlan.com gives a wonderful way to incrementally boost your physical activity in 3 plans at low to intermediate levels that each extend over 2 weeks.
 
1) Off-the-Couch Beginner: starts with 3000 steps, increases 500 steps/day
2) Beginner/Intermediate: starts with 5000 steps, increases 750 steps/day
3) Intermediate: starts with 7000 steps, increases 1000 steps/day
 
Taylor has a suggestion for those who graduate from the highest (intermediate) level plan at the end of his article; I won’t give it away here.
 
PRE-NEW YEAR RESOLUTION: EASIER ‘DO-IT-YOURSELF’ PLAN to live a healthier more active life before January 1, 2017. It might AMAZE you how much ‘stepping’ can occur OUTSIDE OF PLANNED EXERCISE! This reinforces experts cautions that to lead a healthy life, non-sitting physical activity must extend throughout the day and NOT BE CONFINED to a 20-45minute planned walk, run, or cycle.
 
Another MyFitnessPal.com article, “Is Sitting truly the New Smoking?” written by Aleisha Fetters, earlier this fall, discusses research which indicates that health risks associated with sitting can be decreased and possibly eliminated by increasing activity throughout the day.

The specific Lancet research paper is a re-analysis of a number of other studies and did not generate new scientific data, but it encourages us NOT TO DESPAIR if we cannot quit our desk jobs. We try can move more even if we cannot completely leave behind lifestyles that threaten to jeopardize our health.
 
Resolve between now and January 1, 2017 to INCREASE the steps you take outside of your planned exercise running or walking (unscientifically speaking, taking more steps may indicate that you are sitting less).
 
Step counts come from a combination of those taken while walking/running in formal exercise and those taken as a course of normal life activities. Determine the average number you cover on most days of the week for 3 weeks. Each week, like Olympic judges do when evaluating swimming dives or skating routines, disregard the lowest and highest count days. That leaves 5 days to average; add each day’s steps and divide by 5 to get the average count/day in each week. Then add the average steps/day for each of the 3 weeks and divide by 3.
 
If you have been fairly consistent in using a step counter you can calculate with that existing information. If you have not used such a monitor, get a counter (there are free phone apps) and plan to take the next 3 weeks to record them. Then calculate as the EXAMPLE shows below.
 
After you have identified the average number of steps taken each day, as Taylor suggests, on December 1 you can start the first 2-week period aiming to increase step count at a low level.
 
FOR ME, 500 steps/day would be the equivalent of one quarter mile (one standard track lap). In the first 4 days I would be increasing steps by the equivalent of 1 mile/day; after 8 days by 2 miles/day, and after 12 days by 3 miles/day. After a full 2 weeks, my steps would have increased the distance covered by 3.5 miles/day.  
 
The commitment to increase steps 500/day may be too much to add to an already busy day, without including miles you cover during planned exercise. To insure perseverance, you might start with adding 100/day or 250/day. If you achieve this goal count you can progress as you wish or maintain the newly increased level. 
 
November 9-30: Use this time to determine your average step count if you don’t have that info.
December 1-14: Add 100, 250, 500, or 750 steps each day
December 15-29: Maintain the higher level or add 250, 500, 750, or 1000 steps/day if able
December 30-31: Maintain and ENJOY the accomplishment, and the lead-up to New Year’s Eve!
 
Example of calculating steps/day over 3 weeks
Week 1:           Week 2            Week 3
Monday           4000*              5000*              4000*
Tuesday           3000                2000                2000
Wednesday     2000                1000                1000
Thursday         5000*              7000*              6000*
Friday              1000                1000                1000
Saturday+        10,000X*         11,000X*         12,000X* (high value, not’ counted
Sunday            1000X              1000X              1000X (low value, not counted)
TOTAL 7 day    26,000             28,000             27,000
Total 5 day      15,000             16,000             14,000
Divided by 5 = 3,000              3,200               2,800
 
*If these are your run/walk exercise days, keep these runs/walks in your schedule, they will be additional steps.
 
Add weekly average of each week: 3,000 + 3,200 + 2,800 = 9,000
Divided by 3 weeks = 3000 steps/day over 3 weeks
Average steps/day = 3000 steps/day
 
Example of adding 100 steps/day over 2 weeks; at base 3000;
Week 1:                       Week 2           
Monday           3100+Run                    3800+ Run      
Tuesday           3200                            3900               
Wednesday     3300                            4000               
Thursday         3400 +Run                   4100+ Run                  
Friday              3500                            4200               
Saturday          3600+Run                    4300+Run
Sunday            3700                            4400
Total 7 Day      23,800 + 3 runs           28,700+ 3 runs
 
Example of adding 250 steps/day over 2 weeks; at base 3000;
Week 1:                       Week 2           
Monday           3250+Run                    5000+Run       
Tuesday           3500                            5250               
Wednesday     3750                            5500               
Thursday         4000+Run                    5750+Run                   
Friday              4250                            6000               
Saturday          4500+Run                    6250+Run
Sunday            4750                            6500
Total 7 Day      28,000 + 3 runs           40,250 + 3 runs
 
The Taylor article has the charts constructed for adding 500, 750, and 1000 steps per day. He provides a quote near the end of the piece that I particularly like without an attribution:
”If it is important to you ,you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse”.
 
 RUN HAPPY!
 
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/14-day-plan-walk-steps/?user_id=194774093802557
 
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/sitting-truly-new-smoking/
 
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30370-1/fulltext

HART AND GOSPEL SOUL OF EARNED RUNS Some would say what’s old is now new. African Americans are swelling the ranks of amateur runners in short and longer distances races, according to an article by Rachel Bachman for The Wall Street Journal on wsj.com. She quoted figures from a RunningUSA.org survey, which tracks industry trends, that the percentage of frequent runners who identified themselves as African Americans has “surged” from 1.6% in 2011, to 8% more recently. Much of the increase is noticed in big cities, like New York she reports.
 
“African-Americans have long excelled at track and field from high school to the Olympics, and athletes of African descent dominate professional distance running. But black people have been rarer among amateur distance runners in the U.S. About 83% of frequent distance runners are white, according to Running USA” she relates.
 
Like other runners, these new converts to the sport are doing so to improve health, especially to lose weight, as well as for enjoyment. “African-Americans carry a greater risk of obesity, heart disease and stroke than the general population” the article says.
 
NOT mentioned in the WSJ article is the Chicago Gospel Run. This organization’s website exhorts their fellowship, “Moving forward together, we CAN begin to heal – one step at a time”, citing figures of a disproportionate and greatly increased risk of nearly every major disease in their ethnic group as reasons to come together and run.
 
“The Chicago Gospel Run unites gospel enthusiasts, runners, and walkers from across the Midwest and beyond in fellowship, fitness, and fun" its website states. The event is based in and for the community, in the city’s South Side. There’s a 5K chip-timed race for serious competitors, a 5K walk, and a half-mile Kids run. Gospel music is piped at the race start and finish, and along the course.  Every participant receives an official T-shirt and refreshments. The 2016  event sold out; the first 2,000 finishers of the 5K run received medals.
 
There is evidence that African Americans and their churches are getting serious attention from the running establishment.  A September 2016 announcement by USA Track & Field stated that a “new partnership with the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) to support health and wellness programs across the country” had been forged. “The one-year commitment provides grants to assist the NBMA in developing a training program targeting African-American faith-based communities, as well as contributing directly to NBMA’s college scholarship program.”
 
The USATF is acknowledging that the Chicago Gospel Run is on the right 'track' when it comes to promoting running in this group. “The church is the perfect ‘accountability partner’ for individuals who want to improve their health,” affirms NBMA Co-Founder and Board Member Tony Reed in the announcement. “We’re looking forward to this relationship with USATF and together empowering underserved communities.”
 
Also highlighted in Ms. Bachman's article is the role comedian Kevin Hart has taken on to bring Twitter fans to the streets of his tour location stops for impromptu 5K runs.  “Move with Hart” attracted hundreds to thousands of fans during Hart’s 2015-2016 international tour. Hart was featured in the December 2015 Runner’s World magazine’s “I’m A Runner” series, written by Dana Meltzer Zepeda. His remarks in the item reflect the mission of Earned Runs.  “‘When I’m running, I’m not competing for a gold medal. The reward is telling myself, “I’m staying consistent. I’m staying true to something.’ If I continue to set goals and accomplish those goals, that means I’m doing something right. Who knows where that could take me?”

Kevin Hart has made it clear he doesn’t need an organized race to get it done; he creates his owns opportunities and invites others to do so with him, wherever work takes him.  “I run in every city I visit. I do a 5K whether it’s a race or just the exercise” the performer enthuses. “When I’m traveling, I love to go find places while I’m running where I can see things. It’s about capturing moments—capturing that city while you get your healthy side on”. 

Hart’s beliefs are the heart of Earned Runs!

Regardless of ethnicity, a sedentary life-style with periods of prolonged sitting is dangerously  leveling the health playing field for many of us.  All groups are welcome join the broader running community and that of Earned Runs!

RUN HAPPY!

http://www.wsj.com/articles/black-runners-find-more-company-on-racecourses-1477412583
 
http://gospelrun.com/site/index.php
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/25/kevin-hart-kicks-off-movewithhart-on-the-streets-of-london_n_9067504.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/im-a-runner/im-a-runner-kevin-hart
 
http://www.usatf.org/News/USATF-lifts-up-fitness-with-new-partner-National-B.aspx

WEEK 9 TURKEY TROT WITH TRACK DAY 5K Beginner Training Plan starts Monday.  These workouts are the longest you will experience.  You have demonstrated the perseverance required to arrive at this calendar mark. Look back over the past months and see the progress made. You don't need to wait until crossing the finish line to acknowledge your accomplishment. Regardless of what happens on race day you have done what you set out to do...train safely for a 5K.  You will be on a taper next week!  Can you imagine telling others you are cutting back on your effort to rest up for best race-day performance?  Stay the course, keeping  your eye on the goal. What a terrific Thanksgiving Day it will be.

RUN HAPPY!

WEEK #9 (2.375miles)
START: One lap warm-up walk
RUN: 2 full laps and WALK: half lap
Repeat: 2 times = 1.25 miles
then
RUN: 4 full laps and WALK: half lap
Repeat: 1 time = 1.125 miles
END: One lap cool-down walk

THE END OF DST The days have more dark hours now that we are into the heart of fall headed toward winter, regardless of how time is kept, by standard or saving method. When we ‘fall backward’ this weekend it means we will be experiencing more darkness in the late afternoon and evening than in the morning.
 
Beyond this week, the dark portions of the days will lengthen until the middle-end of December. Running outside on streets, sidewalks, and paths narrowed by piled-up snow or made poorly visible when precipitation falls in the cold air will require taking extra care with and paying attention to safety. Vehicles can’t see us all that well and we cannot see our way easily.  Runners can make themselves more visible, make their way more visible, or do both for protection from harm.
 
Wearing clothes, shoes, or accessories decorated with reflective material is one way to increase the visibility of our persons. Head lamps and clip-on strobe lights can do this for us also. Lights such as these may also be able to illuminate our paths.
 
A YouTube video, titled ”White At Night Challenge”, by FlashBrite Reflective Products makes  the point of how wearing white to be visible isn’t always an effective strategy. The conditions in which the 7 people are moving forward toward the camera are unusually dark. Therefore, the demonstration is a bit extreme considering most of us wouldn’t run in a pitch black area where we cannot see where we are going! But considering the terrible view I get through a cold wet car windshield at night, a bit more visibility is probably a good idea for runners and walkers this time of year. Experience has shown me that when driving in the city, pedestrians will dart out between cars in dark clothes and I can hardly see them at all. It stands to reason that if we choose to be in the same roadway with autos we should take care to be seen.
 
Nathan Sports has a variety of products that can help in this regard. Other reflective vest products are available that are not terribly expensive.
 
My small bit of advice is that tiny strips of reflective material applied onto or sewn into shoes, sleeves, hats, and pant legs are probably not going to help all that much in making you more visible in time for a car to brake and avoid hitting you. The positioning of this material may be seen only from the front as you run (wrists, sleeves, hats, headlights) or from the rear (heel, pant cuffs, jacket backs). They may be so small as to appear to be bits of reflected light off other objects.
 
If you wish to be protected, take a light that you can shine in the direction needed (to see or be seen) at different times in the run or walk. Make sure reflective materials cover a large enough surface area that the shine can be seen to bounce with your motion. It might more readily catch the attention of a driver than a small glimmer that seems to be stationary.
 
I love the LED headlamp I carry in my hand. I point it forward or backward as needed. I bought it on sale about 7 years ago. I also love the Nike jacket with 2/3 of the body (lower back and front) solidly covered in reflective wear. It’s not sold anymore, sadly. Most apparel has a dots or dashes of the material on it now. I run in very quiet streets in the early morning when drivers are rushing to get to work and not expecting other cars, let alone people, to be on the streets with them.  You’ll need to experiment with what is best for your needs. Best to start with inexpensive items.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37U0tQjEkRU
 
https://www.nathansports.com/visibility
 
http://www.247viz.com/
 
http://www.toptenreviews.com/electronics/health/best-running-headlamps/
 
http://www.runnersworld.com/other-gear/the-best-new-reflective-gear/

NUTRITION ADVICE TO AID WITH RECOVERY SLEEP “Foods That Help Or Harm Your Sleep”, from WebMD as reviewed by Kathleen Zelman MPH, RD, LD is a slideshow piece that is easy and fast to get through if you need help in this area. The discussion about sleep started in yesterday's post (October 21, 2016).
 
Sleeping the appropriate number of hours each night is a prescription for recovery that is being recommended more and more frequently by top athletes and coaches. Runners are told to give their legs a break on certain days of their training schedules by scheduling “active” rest days and by getting enough sleep. Some elites have suggested taking naps after hard training sessions!
 
If you have read other nutrition-focused articles aimed at helping to improve sleep, there are some items that are predictably present on the list of what NOT to consume, like caffeine. However, this particular instruction sheet of “eat this, not that” is a bit more helpful in that it gives you a TIME LINE of when to cut off consumption before bedtime of what can be harmful to sleep. Foods identified as likely to aid with sleep, first on the slideshow in fact, are those rich in the amino acid (a building block of protein) tryptophan: dairy, bananas, eggs, seeds and nuts, and honey. Simple carbohydrates are encouraged also. 
 
Because maintaining weight within a healthy range is beneficial to sleep as well as running, the author’s equally important, but somewhat hidden advice is to be sure portion sizes of the sleep-friendly ingredients are SMALL.
 
I found the article to be quite informative. It confirmed that my Mom was wise to give us milk and graham crackers as a “night snack”.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-foods
 
https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-tryptophan-foods.php