 December 7th top speed. Taken by PKSenagore December 21, 2019. All rights reserved. Note: It’s a bit delayed, but below is the yearly recounting of my effort in the second part of the Earned Runs HONOR SERIES which has been posted on the HOME page. Going forward the postings for this series can be found on a separate website page.
THE FIRST PORTION OF THE TWO-PART SERIES is the "11k Race to Remember 9/11". The “7K PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY” effort is the series SECOND EVENT, run several months later on December 7th each year. Since 2015, these September and December events have been solo ‘competitions’ for me (see the HOME page). I so very much enjoyed the quiet of the pre-dawn hour sessions that first year that going forward both have been planned as individual efforts. I’ve used Earned Runs bibs, to design events on occasions that are meaningful to me, yet at the same time observed by a much greater number of people. In effect, regardless of everyone's location, we remember together. On these days I am able, 'in spirit', to join with the entire country in honoring the heroes without traveling to New York City, Washington DC, or Pennsylvania in September, or in Oahu HI in December. And in solitude, personally remember loved ones and past events. DECEMBER 7, 2019 The morning was cool, cloudy, and dry similar to 2018. Again, this year no rain or snow was falling. But I awoke with anticipation and excitement. The previous two years I had walked 7K to commemorate the date; today I planned to walk/run 7 miles! This day was very near the 2nd anniversary of the 2017 NYC orthopedic visit that convinced me to forego my favorite sport of 42 years. Walking instead, to preserve knee function. However, in May 2019 I made a decision to try running again My training plan leading up to this event included alternating walking with running on distance days, usually 3 minutes vigorous walking then 3 minutes easy running after a 1mile warm-up, progressing from a 30-minute session to 48 minutes total. On this day my goal was to average 12-13 minutes per mile, with at least one mile covered in 12 minutes or less (5 miles per hour). The challenge was to hold to a ‘safe’ running speed without pushing too hard, and work with greatest intensity during the walking intervals. This annual memorial event was to be my longest distance effort in more than 2 years. Because of this I spent roughly the same amount of time concentrating on my movement as remembering the day’s history. The lakeside course I used at Ottawa Beach Michigan was breezy with drifting sand. Wind-chill temperatures felt low enough that I dreaded having to endure a 3.5-mile return leg of an out-and-back course facing the wind head on, so I ran loops in a campground parking lot instead. [ I thought of the coincidence that the beach’s name matched the American forces landing location on D-day in World War II.] Without music playing, a phone conversation going, or an audible book electronically delivering content into my ears (not allowed in my ‘rules’ for these 2 challenges) there was an opportunity to remember my parents and the other members of their generation. To recall that time in history and acknowledge the daily courage needed to join the war effort and fight, or stay behind and work at vital and non-vital jobs on the home front. To muster optimism and not concentrate on dreaded outcomes. I resolved to meet my 2020 challenges, personal and greater, knowing my parents had managed harder times. In this quiet environment I initially felt the heaviness of this history, but my mood quickly lifted with the real time physical effort and lightening sky. I was so happy and grateful to be running again, even in a limited way, and for a time, reaching my goal speed of 5 miles per hour! RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
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 DURING THIS SHORT HOLIDAY WEEK, you will be staying active until race day. Today’s task for runners is a simple 30-minute walk; a foam roll session is scheduled for walkers. Even though each workout over these few days is relatively brief it’s important to perform warm-up routines beforehand. Consider getting in a daily MYRTLs (hip girdle mobility) session to help keep you in good form to make the 5K effort during Tuesday’s NY Eve or Wednesday’s, NY DAY event.
To ready yourself for the race short runs and walks should be paced on the fast side, with moderate intensity, like would be planned for an official taper before a long-distance race. Many trainers and coaches say that during a formal taper, the idea is to decrease mileage but remind your body it will be going fast soon by keeping shorter runs at moderate to vigorous levels of intensity (paced about 10 seconds per mile slower than an expected 5k race pace). Not at the slower speed of easy long runs. You may not have been training with a set race pace in mind, but the general idea is not to pace the last few run or walk sessions too easy, especially if a faster rather than a slower finish is a personal goal. Have a wonderful between-the-holidays week. Good luck in your events! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! The RUNNER and WALKER plans can be found on the RESOURCES page  Chicago Starbuck's Roastery Reserve. Taken by PKSenagore December 5, 2019. All rights reserved. RUNNERS AND WALKERS HOPING TO ADD STRENGTH BUILDING TO THEIR EXERCISE ROUTINES in 2020 MIGHT CONSIDER TRAINING FOR A LONG-DISTANCE SPRING RACE THIS WINTER to get into the habit of scheduling 2-3 strength sessions each week.
Half marathon training plans for beginners tend to incorporate them for purposes of injury prevention. The Earned Runs HALF MARATHON with ‘Saints Days’ Plan formally schedules one lower or upper body session and one core session each week. A SHAPE.com article by Renee Cherry suggests working at strength exercises that improve pushing and pulling functions. Cherry explains the common practice of grouping moves into “push” and “pull” workouts and has designed a set of each to use in fitness programs. The “push” set primarily uses dumbbell weights. Because I have dumbbell weights at home, I can and do perform these exercises regularly when I don’t make it to the gym. After reading her piece I now realize I have mostly been working at ‘push’ moves. The “pull” set includes two exercises that require gym machines/equipment (lat pull down and seated row). Thus, my only opportunity to work at building ‘pull’ function strength using Cherry’s full routine would require a gym visit. A bit of online research revealed that resistance bands/tubes can be used for ‘pull’ function strength training. Twenty exercises of a ‘pull’ workout are demonstrated in pictures in a pullup-dip.com blog post. This equipment can be fairly inexpensively purchased, which is why I also have accumulated several different types of bands/tubes at home. Problem solved. I won’t be able to use bad winter weather as an excuse in the upcoming months for not getting to the gym for ‘pull’ strength sessions. And now I know that I can mentally organize my strength sessions according to ‘push-pull’ function rather checking down a list of seemingly unrelated upper/ lower body or core moves . Cherry suggests and describes several approaches:
RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/push-pull-workouts https://www.pullup-dip.com/resistance-band-exercises  Taken by PKSenagore 2018. All rights reserved.  A new day to anticipate. Taken by PKSenagore November 2019. All rights reserved. HALF MARATHON WITH 'SAINTS DAYS' 5K AND 10K BEGINNER TRAINING PLANS will begin January 12. If one of your 2020 Resolutions is to run or walk a race, Earned Runs may be able to provide you with a daily training plan that begins in mid-January and takes you through the middle of May, when you would complete a half marathon. Prior to that effort you would also complete a 5K near the St. Valentine’s Day weekend in mid-February, and a 10K near the St. Patrick’s Day weekend in mid-March.
Each of the shorter distance ‘SAINTS DAYS’ races are intended to serve as ‘tune-up’ competitions for the half marathon. However, if you are not interested in the longer distance 13.1-mile race, you can use the plans to provide a daily training schedule through the winter. Spring begins in the third week of March, so you can go your own way after the St. Patrick’s Day event if you wish to stop following the plan at that time. The helpful aspect of all Earned Runs training plans is that they are not exclusively focused on simply running or walking sessions but also encourage mobility and strength work. Check out the DRAFTS for the RUN and WALK 2020 plans, which will be on the RESOURCES page soon. Each plan has a PART 1 and PART 2 schedule. Perhaps you’ll want to use them to guide you toward accomplishing fitness goals for the year. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! RUN: Draft Half Marathon 2020 with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Plan PART 1 RUN: Draft Half Marathon 2020 with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Plan PART 2 WALK: Draft Half Marathon 2020 with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Plan PART 1 WALK: Draft Half Marathon 2020 with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Plan PART 2  5K TRAINING PLAN STARTS; BELIEVE YOU CAN CARRY ON IN SPITE OF THE HECTIC, BUSY TIME! Runners: You will be getting down to business the end of this week and running 3 miles on December 28. That’s nearly the full distance of the upcoming 3.1 MILE race. Thankfully, unlike in 2017, you won’t be doing it on Christmas Eve.
With the prospect of a totally fresh 2020 start in few days, excitement may be building on this long run day. Possibly you’ll have no trouble leaping out of bed in the early morning to begin it with an invigorating workout. Or, after accomplishing nearly every task on your Saturday ‘to-do’ list, you might be looking forward to a calming and relaxing run at day’s end. The December 25 run: walk session is scheduled as 30 minutes in length. Switch with Tuesday’s session if this will present a problem. Walkers: The schedule accommodates Christmas Day, but there’s quite a bit of flexibility, so the non-walking weekday session can be shifted to Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday as needed. The high intensity interval training (HIIT) walk should be performed early in the week, no later than Tuesday, if you plan to change up the week’s schedule. Everyone, have a wonderful before/between the holidays week. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: The full plans can be downloaded from the RESOURCES page. 
Chicago Roastery Reserve. Takenby PKSenagore December 5, 2019. All rights reserved.
An article from SHAPE.com written by Nicole Crane “This Protein Bar Recipe Will Save You So Much Money” is one you may wish to file away for the time being for the recipe and informationit contains. Retrieve it when you’re ready to construct a list of resolutions for the NEW YEAR that aim to help you live on a budget and at the same time eat healthier meals and snacks. Crane’s recipe calls for a few food ingredients that are a bit pricey and possibly less likely to be regularly stocked in a pantry than other common items. I’ve found that if I must shop online or in local specialty stores to find more than one special or expensive recipe ingredients the chances decrease that I’ll actually make the food. Other deterrents to home baking include too high of a per serving calorie count and dislike of the flavor of an ingredient. The less common/more expensive recipe ingredients include:
However, as with any recipe, this one can potentially be altered to:
Two changes that can be made in this recipe that won’t affect the protein or calorie content of the bars but that will likely change the flavor, for better or worse depending on preference, and decrease cost is to substitute: *extra virgin olive oil for coconut oil. Although Crane feels the coconut oil is uber healthy, for heart health olive oilbeats it by several experts’ votes. *natural style peanut butter for almond nut butter If calories are a concern over taste, the mini-chocolate chips can be omitted, which add roughly 25 calories per bar (12 bars/recipe). Because I’m likely to snack on the chocolate morsels while I’m baking, the calorie savings would be a bit higher on preparation day if this ingredient is totally skipped. The honey (or maple syrup) ingredient, even though seemingly included for sweetness, is a thick liquid and probably added to wet the other ingredients, so it's omission to cut calories will be a problem. As a general rule, ‘wet’ ingredients and ‘dry’ ingredients cannot be swapped for one another in a recipe, so a honey (maple syrup) substitute would be required that performed this function (unsweetened applesauce possibly?). If you already have PB2 peanut powder on hand, it might be substituted for the almond flour, which is powdered almonds. There are calorie savings (~120 for peanut powder v 190 for almond flour) but divided into 12 bars translates to shaving roughly only 6 calories per bar (12 bar recipe). If this recipe doesn’t excite you for any reason, there are many others posted online to try, keeping in mind that minor alterations can be attempted. Recipes with eggs as a protein source must be baked; refrigerator no-bake bars will contain proteins sourced from plants or powders. When swapping ingredients, a convenient food safety rule to follow is that if an ingredient requires refrigeration before incorporation into a recipe, baking will be required. Those eating food bars to boost protein intake for muscle building will want to investigate recipes that contain ingredient foods high in leucine. This branched amino acid, thought to stimulate muscle synthesis and slow muscle degradation, is mostly found in dairy and meat, but also in dry form in roasted soybeans, some seeds and nuts, and protein powders. With a bit of research and trial-and-error baking, it may be possible to make personal protein bars that are highly customized for your specific training purposes and dietary needs. and preferences Although great taste is a top goal for bakers posting recipes online for public use, you can let it take second or third place behind athletic nutrition. Healthy eating habits can be difficult to establish when food choices must be made on the go. Looking toward 2020, finding and customizing a homemade protein bar recipe that helps maintain nutrition goals may be a simple step toward keeping other big resolutions. Crane's article discusses the health benefits of other ingredients in her recipe, providing even more food for thought on the topic! Check it out. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/protein-bar-recipe https://health.clevelandclinic.org/olive-oil-vs-coconut-oil-which-is-heart-healthier/ https://www.myfooddiary.com/foods/4640/nestle-mini-semi-sweet-morsels https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-leucine-rich-foods/ https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/snacks/healthy/protein-bar-recipes/ https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2012/07/oil-free-carrot-cake-protein-bars/ https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/protein-bar-recipe https://health.clevelandclinic.org/olive-oil-vs-coconut-oil-which-is-heart-healthier/ https://www.myfooddiary.com/foods/4640/nestle-mini-semi-sweet-morsels https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Seeds%2C_dried%2C_chia_seeds_nutritional_value.html
 IT’S MID-DECEMBER AND EARNED RUNS BIBS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR are available. Request your set of 4 today. Remember you can use all the bibs for yourself or share with others. EARNED RUNS BIBS are ’green’; they can serve to motivate, track progress, and record results for MULTIPLE challenges and events. They are not SINGLE purpose, like most competition bibs.
The Earned Runs 2020 competition bibs are smaller in size this year. The purpose behind the change is to reduce paper usage. In addition, smaller numbers fill less of the surface area to accommodate more personal training and goal notations. Stickers will be smaller too; more will fit onto the clear areas. Check out the HOME page to learn how bibs can serve as inspiration to challenge yourself and a means to gather others together in an activity. For solo or group use. Since 2014 I have used at least one bib. That first year I was number 1. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, 2018, and 2019 I have held numbers 1 through 4. In 2018, my bibs were so full of stickers and writing that all the space on the front sides were covered. The next year 2019, I started ordering smaller stickers so as not to need the back side of bibs for recording accomplishments and tracking progress. Having 4 bibs all at once, up front, allows me to plan an entire year of physical activity challenges. In the past I have divided the year into quarters or seasons. Roughly, bib # 1 is used for winter, #2 for spring, #3 for summer, and #4 for fall and the year-end holidays. However, summer is the busiest outdoor season, and encroaches on spring and fall. That’s how the front bib space seems to disappear before the end of the year. Because in 2020 nearly all the stickers will be smaller in size there shouldn’t be a problem.with too little space Earned Runs would like to offer sticker sets for each of the seasons. Up until now the stickers have been mailed along with bib sets without charge. Not a s a full set but as allowed by demand and by anticipating the upcoming events for which the requesting person might be training. Earned Runs business activity would change dramatically if a product was offered for sale. Not sure this move forward will be taken yet. Please contact Earned Runs if you have thoughts on this subject. An initial step might be to send free sets, then design and charge for sets based on requests/response Enjoy the holidays and your new 2020 bibs. RUN & MOVE HAPPY!  TRAINING PLAN STARTS Runners: you will be continuing on a rather leisurely schedule and at the end of this week only running 2 miles. You won’t be asked to cover the full distance of the end of the year event until December 28.
Walkers: you should be settling into a pattern of 4 days of walking 30 minutes plus a longer Saturday session, which will be repeated next week. It’s likely that the non-fitness aspects of your life will be intensely busy, in a good way this week, so there’s no rush. Better to attend to the month-long build-up to holiday celebrations and vacations than fret over a tough training program. This plan is designed to help you stay on a schedule that is not terribly demanding, but which provides sufficient structure to motivate aerobic physical activity leading to a year-end (or year-beginning) event. As noted in an earlier post, training is set at a “keep open” level. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the last full week before December 25, perhaps using training sessions as personal time to unwind and de-stress. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! RUN PLAN WALK PLAN  Excitement of the season awaits. Taken by PKSenagore December 5, 2019. All rights reserved. IF SQUATS ARE PART OF YOUR EXERCISE LINE-UP, LEARN MORE ABOUT MAKING THEM MORE EFFECTIVE AT BUILDING STRENGTH with this shape.com article. Or, if you plan to ramp-up training for competing in 2020, consider adding them. The article speaks to women, but the tips apply to all:
If you’re not currently performing them and are hoping to add several squat moves into your strength work each week, an article from womenshealthmag.com describes best form and demonstrates many different ways to transform the classic squat, a functional compound exercise, into moves that target even more muscle groups. The 21 variations demonstrated in this second squat article cover a wider range of different moves than offered in the shape.com piece link. Some variations incorporate weights in the form of dumbbells, kettle bells, and a medicine ball, but might be attempted without holding weights initially if too difficult. And although specific types of weights are demonstrated, swapping types may be accomplished relatively easy. For example, a kettle bell might be held in place of the dumbbell when performing a Goblet Squat (#1) and vice versa when performing the Squat to Overhead Press (#11). I love the Lateral Step-out Squat with resistance band (#7). It’s one of the exercises that can be performed at the end of a run or walk outside (stow the resistance band in a pocket before you set out). The modified pistol squat (#5) is a great way to attempt this move for those like me who aren’t strong enough to squat unsupported on just one leg. The womenshealthmag.com piece reminds us of all the lower body muscles that will benefit from squat work: thighs/quadriceps, butt/gluteals, hamstrings, calves, and core. If planning to train for a goal competition this spring in which the distance is longer than you’ve attempted previously or you're aiming for a faster finish time, consider stepping up the amount of effort you spend on lower body strength building. Increased mileage sessions and tougher speed work drills that tend to be part of training programs designed to prepare for greater distances races and setting personal records (PR) may expose muscle group weaknesses and imbalances that can lead to strains and injuries. In my experience, a good indicator of improved lower body strength is better balance. After starting your squat training, routinely check single leg exercise performance skills to measure progress. Links to the articles featured in this blog post will be added to the RESOURCES page. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/how-maximize-those-butt-toning-squats https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/compound-exercises https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19904135/types-of-squats/ 
ALTHOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP DURATION WAS DISCUSSED IN A RECENT BLOG POST ON BONE HEALTH, reading about importance of sleep in general can add frustration to those already frustrated by sleep difficulties. As someone who regularly struggles with sleep quality issues, learning about sleep can be anxiety provoking and have a reverse effect on efforts to improve it. Especially when personal experiences line up with unhealthy situations described in scientific articles. Therefore, information that provides advice or suggests aids which can be implemented without turning life upside down offers the most hope; little tweaks rather than drastic changes.
The latest potential tweak that might help some with sleep challenges is a simple aid, a weighted sleep mask. Weighted sleep masks for children with were discussed by psychologist Daniel Sher M.A. in a November 2019 article for parentingpod.com. He explained that the masks work to improve sleep by blocking light, like all sleep masks are designed to do, which helps maintain melatonin levels that promote sleepiness. In addition, the masks provide deep pressure stimulation that reduces the nervous system response which maintain alertness and a sense of anxiety. The ‘evenly distributed pressure” across the eye area stimulates the alternate nervous system response that assists with feeling calm. Weighted blankets, also used as a sleep aid by some, are thought to trigger similar calming responses. Snuggly wrapped vests, modeled to perform like infant swaddling blankets, are designed to settle anxious pet friends by delivering "gentle, constant pressure" and likely fall into the same category. Sher, a clinical psychologist, reviews 10 weighted sleep mask products in this article, “A Psychologist’s Guide to Weighted Sleep Masks: Do They Work? And Why?” I chose #9, the Gravity™ brand, to trial. I found this mask helped when I was traveling and in an unfamiliar environment, or on nights at home when falling asleep was difficult. The weight really does have a calming effect on me. I put in on when I had a headache, but after taking headache medication too and can't say that it was an effective cure. I’m pleased enough with the results to keep it for just for sleep. There don't seem to be any contraindications or side effects, so it is a relatively risk-free remedy. I am hoping it will reduce wake-up eye puffiness too but have yet to perform a thoughtful test. Air travelers should be aware that the glass beads in the Gravity™ mask showed up like plastic explosives would on the airport scanner when I went through security! My carry-on luggage was wiped down and searched on my way out of town. Consider taking it out of your bag and placing it in the bowl to be x-rayed separately if you don’t pack it in checked luggage. This type of product might be something to try for personal use or as a gift for someone else. Prices vary, but deals can be found this time of the year; the range might fit your gifting budget for a loved one who potentially might be helped, at least in some circumstances. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://parentingpod.com/best-weighted-sleep-mask/ NOTE: I happened across an interesting article from 2005 that explained the sleep-wake cycle from a unique perspective. Not sure the science is up-to-date, 14 years later, but the concepts described in this piece will serve as a jumping off point for my future searches on the topic. https://harvardmagazine.com/2005/07/deep-into-sleep.html  NOW THAT YOU STARTED EASING BACK INTO TRAINING the relaxed nature of this plan should be apparent. The days of preparation between Thanksgiving and the December holidays are busy and may leave runners and walkers feeling uncharacteristically fatigued. That’s the reasoning behind the strategy of training on a “keep open” level of intensity.
In medical terms, life-saving fluids or medications might be delivered to a very ill patient through an intravenous (IV) tube or ‘line’ at a rate that is “wide open”, such that the valve regulating fluid flow rate does not obstruct the tube lumen at all. This high flow rate is used in emergencies like shock or hemorrhage to maintain adequate blood volume within the heart and circulatory system and keep the blood pressure at optimum levels. Lower rates of flow can be achieved as well. Once there is no need to deliver meds or fluids intravenously the needle and attached tubing apparatus can be removed. However, because it’s not always easy to re-establish this body portal for delivery of IV fluids in seriously ill patients, one practice is to leave it intact a bit longer, until there is no possible need for emergency IV access. The fluid flow in this time is set at a “keep open” rate, just enough to allow the line to stay open and potentially usable. In similar fashion, the ‘On To The New Year’ plans are intended to maintain running and walking fitness levels built during the previous 10 week+ Turkey Trot programs. There’s just enough running or walking to keep you in shape to comfortably run a 5k race again on New Year’s Eve or Day. It’s not designed to challenge you or help set a new personal best time (PR), but allow you to show up, have fun, and cross the finish line. It’s also a way to avoid significant de-training over the holiday season, should you decide to pick up where you left off and begin working toward competing in a half marathon in Spring 2020, by following the upcoming “Saints Days” plan (checkout the 2019 plan on the RESOURCES page). If you cannot locate a convenient nearby race to run or walk on these days, remember you can use your 2019 or request new 2020 Earned Runs Bibs for the occasion. Believe that you became an athlete these past months by committing to a challenge goal, training according to plan, then competing, and that as an athlete can maintain fitness over the holiday season with a simple commitment to continue working at a ‘keep open’ rate. RUN & MOVE HAPPY RUNNERS 'On To The New Year' 2019-2020 5K WALKERS 'On To The New Year' 2019-2020 5K Updated December 6, 2019  My Hoka One One Speedgoat 2 Mid GTX trial shoes. Taken by PKSenagore November 23, 2019. All rights reserved. gA RECENT JAPANESE STUDY REPORTED RESULTS THAT PROBABLY SURPRISED NO ONE WHO HAS EVER EXERCISED WITH HIGH INTENSITY IN THE COLD AND WET. IN THE ARTICLE “Rain exacerbates cold and metabolic strain during high intensity running” researchers describe how they simulated outdoor (wind) rainy conditions and had 12 men run for 60 minutes on a treadmill in a climate chamber with an air temperature of 5 degrees Centigrade (41 degrees Fahrenheit). In the experimental RAIN group, a continuous soaking with water was delivered via nozzles in front and above the runners. The “rain” water temp was about 2 degrees lower than that of the ambient air (~ 39 degrees F).
In CONTROL conditions participants did not experience the “rain”. All study participants were part of a university track team and previously exercised 6 days per week; ages averaged 21 years. Runners performed each of the runs (RAIN and CONTROL) after a 12 hour fast, and wore identical 100% polyester running shirts and shorts. Skin (chest, upper arm, thigh, and calf) and rectal (oh dear) temperatures were measured at 10, 40, 50, and 60 minutes. Oxygen consumption, perceived rate of exertion, and plasma lactate and epinephrine levels were also measured. It was found that “rain increased heat loss during the early phase of exercise in the cold then heat production increased transiently and transiently suppressed cold stress”. This has been my experience. I optimistically believe that by initially going out hard my body heat will keep me warm. However the study demonstrated that “with time, body heat loss intensified due to increasing wet area, and then energy expenditure and lactate increased due to cold stress”. The scientific results matched what experience has taught most any-weather runners: inevitably, cold and discomfort set in, which effects performance. The study scientists concluded “therefore, rain may decrease exercise performance and affect sport safety”. So, we now have science to back up the fact that we need to protect ourselves when exercising outdoors in cold and wet (rain or snow) conditions with gear that resists precipitation. [Proper pre-run nourishment would also help but the topic isn't to be covered in this post.] Since the study participants wore only shirts and shorts in this activity, it does not take a complicated scientific theory to predict they would soon begin to feel the effects of the simulated cold and wet weather. Even pre-schoolers are likely to know that leaving the school building to play outside without extra covering won't be much fun after a while. Outdoor exercisers know that taking simple measures like wearing a visor hat, adding a water resistant shell over a long sleeve tech-shirt underlayer, and donning tights that cover the legs can go a long way toward retaining warmth and comfort during sport. Still, if environmental wetness penetrates clothing layers and reaches the skin, misery is sure to set in. Now science shows us that performance is worsened and injury is risked. The same can be said for wetness effecting the feet. Another item of GEAR that can make a cold and wet workout possible and even enjoyable are water resistant shoes. Might Gore-tex material keep out water and snow better than usual running shoe mesh uppers? I reasoned this would be true and decided to give Hoka One One Speedgoat 2 Mid GTX trail shoes a trial of Michigan's late fall weather. West Michigan recently had the earliest dump of cold and snow ever in November, and my shoes arrived in time for a tough, preliminary road test. The high-top design and Gore-tex fabric kept my feet and ankles warm and dry on each of 3 walk/runs; I won’t need ankle gaiters wearing these shoes. The Vibram soles gripped the few icy spots I encountered. However, because winter has not yet fully arrived here a true test of slipping prevention will need to wait until much colder and snowier conditions prevail. With such limited experience my personal trial of the HOKA's Goretex trail shoe is not completed, but going into the winter months, I feel better prepared than usual to enjoy the season during outdoor exercise sessions. There are likely other shoes that will serve the purpose, but since supplies often don’t last long of this type of gear, it seems like an earlier ‘heads-up’ notice about potential gear solutions to winter problems was needed. Share your wet/cold fighting tips with Earned Runs! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31694361 https://www.hokaoneone.com/hoka-x-gore-tex/  BUILDING ON THE PAST MONTHS OF TRAINING Turkey Trotters who wish to run or walk a New Year’s Eve 5k or a Resolution 5k event on New Year’s Day and who would like a bit of STRUCTURE to get them pointed in the right direction and ready for another fun event, this post is for you.
The RUN plan is adapted from the Earned Runs “On to the New Year” plans offered in 2017 and 2018 after the Thanksgiving Day weekend. It is for runners who followed the 10+ week plan over the past several months to prepare for a Turkey Trot 5K. The 4+ week program starts at about the level of intensity scheduled a month earlier in the Runners’ Turkey Trot 5k Training Plan. It is posted on the Resources page. The WALK plan was introduced in last year, adapted from a VeryWellFit.com beginner 5K plan. Because walkers will have been training since September, the ‘On to the New Year’ 2018-2019 plan starts roughly at the level of the Verywellfit.com Week 3 plan. It is for walkers who followed the 10+ week plan over the past several months to prepare for a 5k or 10k Turkey Trot. It is also posted on the Resources page. You will have just a week to recover from a Thanksgiving Day run or walk and to mentally rest up after 10+ weeks of training. The general rule is to avoid intense workouts for a length of time determined by the race distance: 1 day for every 1 mile of race. Thus after a Thanksgiving Day 3.1 mile (5K) race you would take 3 days to rest, with only easy short runs, cross-training sessions, or walking. Both plans start on today Wednesday December 4, 2019. Neither plan is designed to improve runners’ or walkers’ finish times achieved in the Turkey Trot competition. The purpose of each is to continue running and walking activities that allow comfortable participation in fun events at the end/beginning of this/next year. Alternatively, you can devise or find another plan to prepare for an event roughly 4-5 weeks after your Thanksgiving Day race. If a better performance is a goal, check online for free plans or advice. If you haven’t yet thought about competing again, consider using the past several months’ Turkey Trot preparation effort to position yourself for a vigorous end to 2019 or a confidence-boosting beginning to 2020. You need only maintain training activity for a few more weeks. Take time to rest and recover, then look ‘On to the New Year’. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.verywellfit.com/beginners-5k-walk-training-schedule-3435038 RUN: EARNED RUNS ‘ON TO THE NEW YEAR’ 2019-20 5K TRAINING PLAN WALK: EARNED RUNS ‘ON TO THE NEW YEAR’ 2019-20 5K TRAINING PLAN |
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. 
Finished my first 50K challenge, a virtual but real effort April 6, 2021. Qualifies me as an ultra-marathoner! All rights reserved.
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
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