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WEEK 11 HALF MARATHON 2018 TRAINING PLAN STARTS You should be settling into a rhythm by now. One recovery walk + 3 shorter distance runs + 1 long run, each week. The types of shorter distance runs have not been specified up to this point, although 1 hill repeats session has been offered as an option on Tuesdays. In week 13 there will be an option of a tempo run on Thursdays. However, runners can individualize one or both sessions now that all work is focused on the half marathon. Remember, this plan is for beginners or those getting back into running races who did not have one available to them for this distance. Advanced runners who wished to increase their speed to a faster pace and finish with an improved time will have scanned this plan and likely realized it was not going to help with that. They will have used a plan provided by event organizers if formally registered for a race, or found one online that promised to prepare runners for their “best finish time ever.” Beginners can choose to run hill repeats on Tuesday or run easy steady continuous speed run that day. They have 3 options (see below) for running the shorter distance session on Thursday. #1 is for runners who only wish to “finish” the 13.1K distance and are not concerned with time. #2 is for those who wish to finish strong but aren’t focused on gaining speed. #3 is for runners who wish to push their limits a bit more, and test themselves in the upcoming event.
Jenny Hadfield offers 4 tempo runs for runners who are new to them in an article for Runnersworld.com, “Four Tempo Workouts for Runners”. Included are warm-ups and cool-downs, which are a must! You are roughly running 2-4 miles, because the exact distance will vary by running pace. With increased running intensity in certain segments, the swap with a 3-mile run would be fine, and suitable for the Thursday 3 mile run, especially if you're not running hill repeats. If you are new to racing, the “high-five” tempo workout listed first might help you deal with one aspect of competition, the speed-ups and slow-downs normally experienced in a race if you’re not a leader at the head of the pack. For example, you occasionally might wish to speed up and pass a group that has slowed down in front of you, then dial it back a bit after the harder work. Or tackle a long, low hill that requires more effort, after which you take a little breather by easing up. When you are training by yourself or with friends you/they control the pace. In a competition, you and other running biddies will not always be in control. If you’re not ready for it mentally and physically, it could throw off your race plan. Have fun experimenting with these shorter runs soon. There’s enough time now, before the race, to try the negative split, the tempo run, or both, and revert to the old comfortable routine if the change-up doesn’t work for you. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/tempo-run http://www.runnersworld.com/ask-coach-jenny/four-tempo-workouts-for-runners
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J MILLER, FROM JENREVIEWS.COM, EMAILED me earlier in the year suggesting that EARNED RUNS followers might find her article, which featured an extensive guide, “How to Pack for a Backpacking Trip”, useful. The piece has several sections that include general tips, packing for one week, one month, and 6-month trips, pre-packing, and commentary.
Because completing an epic adventure has been introduced as a possible good-weather-season Earned Runs Challenge for those interested in alternatives to race or obstacle course competitions, it seemed liked a great way to stimulate interest and planning. Miller’s article does not specifically relate to fitness adventures in which distances or ground covered require physical effort and endurance. However, exercise enthusiasts might mostly focus on building the body for the task and not pay attention to other factors that could make or break a trip. It seems worthwhile to read more broadly, in advance, about backpacking as an experience. A good deal of information is presented that likely only scratches the surface of the preparation that is needed for such an adventure. The most valuable service her huge effort provides is to raise awareness of what’s required before one step can be taken, especially by a novice like me. The GENERAL PACKING TIPS section starts with a discussion on how to choose a backpack, which is based on the length of the trip, whether flying will be part of the travel plan, and the need for specialty hiking equipment. Other considerations include how many location stops will be made, the weather and culture at each, space to be allocated for souveniers, and availability of amenities for maintaining hygiene, health, and comfort. Budget and trip purpose are covered in this same first section about selecting a backpack, but might deserve stand-alone discussion. These two aspects of any adventure would be at the top of my list of issues to address first, and would probably influence each other as well as the length of the adventure, which is next up in the article, packing for 1 week v 1 month v 6 months trips. Packing advice by TRIP LENGTH and PRE-PACKING are both very detailed and will be appreciated when it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. Additional specialized insight will be required for sport-specific trips that include running, bicycling, hiking, and camping. But experts may overlook small, mundane, comfort-related details in their zeal to help with the technical aspects of an athletic challenge. It’s wise to consult several resources for a 360-degree look at what will be needed. Consider this Jen Reviews piece as an early-step in the process of mentally organizing an epic adventure that requires transporting trip necessities in a backpack. It may be encouraging or discouraging, and more or less daunting of a challenge, depending on your preconceptions and experience! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.jenreviews.com/backpacking-trip/ HIGH FITNESS LEVEL: PROTECTION FROM DEMENTIA. The USA TODAY headline, “’Highly fit’ middle age women nearly 90% less likely to develop dementia decades later, study finds” grabbed my attention. The accompanying short article briefly summarized the findings of the official research study, “Midlife Cardiovascular Fitness and Dementia,” which was published online ahead of print in the medical journal Neurology March 14, 2018.
Earned Runs was interested in the details, especially the methods for determining fitness level. Scientists from the University of Gothenberg, Sweden felt that although aerobic cardiovascular fitness programs have been aimed at improving cognitive function in older persons there were few very long-term prospective studies, and no randomized controlled trials, able to subjectively “relate fitness to dementia.” A US study followed participants for roughly 24 years and a Finnish study had followed men for 25 years. The former had shown high fitness was associated with lower dementia risk, and the latter that poor self-described fitness was associated with higher risk. A previous study in Swedish men had shown that low cardiovascular fitness at age 18, assessed by a bicycle ergometer test, was associated with increased early onset dementia (< age 60). It has been suggested, the scientists indicated, that “midlife was a ‘sensitive period’ for the effect of cardiovascular risk factors on dementia.” Dr. Helena Horder and colleagues decided to track dementia incidence over 44 years in a group of women who had been tested for fitness at the beginning of that time span. In 1968, researchers looked in depth at a ‘systematic subsample’ of 191 Swedish women, out of a larger population-based sample group of 1,492 women aged 38 to 60 years. The smaller group had “completed a step-wise maximal ergometer cycling test that year to evaluate cardiovascular fitness”. In subsequent years, on 6 different occasions (1974, 1980, 1992, 2000, 2005, and 2009), the women were evaluated for dementia. The results revealed that, after 44 years, the women whose test indicated a high level of fitness were much less likely to develop dementia than women with medium fitness; risk was reduced by 88%. Age of onset was found to be delayed by about a decade (9.5 years older) in the highly fit women, and time to dementia onset was delayed by about 5 years compared with medium fit women. Specifically, the study reported that the “adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause dementia” when compared with medium fitness, was 0.12 “among those with high fitness”, and 1.41 “among those with low fitness” (the medium fitness women were at 1.0). There was a very high incidence of dementia in women who were physically unable to even complete the test (45%). The fitness testing description is rather complicated. Each woman was given a workload, measured as power, kilopond m/minute, converted to W on the cycling ergometer according to the results of a pretest. The pretest determined how high the workload needed to be set to bring her to “maximal subjective exhaustion” at the end of 6 minutes of effort. Peak workload was used to categorized participants into 3 fitness groups: low (80W or interrupted test) that included 59 women, medium (88-112W) with 92 women, and high (equal to or greater than120W) with 40 women. “During the period of maximal work, heart rate and ECG were registered every minute, blood pressure was registered after 1 and 2 minutes, and respiratory frequency and perceived exertion by the Borg scale.” Taken together, 93% of the group perceived their effort as “strenuous” (at or about scale point 15) and half as “very, very strenuous” (at scale points 19-20). [The original Borg scale rated perceived exertion from 1 to 21 (maximal) and a later revised score from 6-20. The publication describing the original scale was released in 1962 and mostly likely used in 1968, since the revision was issued in 1970]. The results reported in their study, the scientists indicated, were in line with other studies on all-causes of death in that the reduction of risk data related to fitness level were “stronger” than that which took weight (obesity) into consideration. The authors felt this information “highlights the need for fitness-driven rather than weight loss approaches” to reducing risk for dementia. Additional discussion in the publication pointed out that fitness and physical activity are NOT equal. In terms of the protection each provides against dementia, their study showed the hazard ratio was “stronger” for high fitness than that reported for physical activity. This was the same as reported with cardiovascular disease protection. They emphasized that fitness has a significant genetic component. In discussing the potential mechanisms by which fitness may diminish dementia risk, the researchers believed their study was similar to the findings of others. Fitness is thought to indirectly influence other illnesses (hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, high blood levels of cholesterol for example) that may affect cognitive function. But the evidence also showed that fitness level may have a direct effect on the brain, “for example enhancement of neuronal structures, neurotransmitter synthesis, and growth factors.” They cited recent research which showed that lower cardiovascular fitness was associated with lower brain volume (size) 20 years later. And explained that “brain regions that seem most influenced by physical activity are those that are also vulnerable to age–related changes and early pathologic changes in Alzheimer disease such as the hippocampus.`” The Swedish scientists believe that more research into the effects of fitness on brain structures is needed to “improve strategies for dementia prevention” To accept and act on these findings, as with all research, we must wade through the science and take into consideration the shortcomings of such a project. These were Swedish women; there were no males or persons of other ethnicities included, so results are generalizable to all populations. The sample was small. There was no way to study cause and effect. Genetic markers for risk were not examined. Lifestyles and environmental conditions before 1970 are not reflective of current life. The influence of childhood fitness was not investigated. However, we may not have the luxury of time to wait for comprehensive data from the next, possibly perfect, future study before devising a personal action plan to lessen risk. The methods portion of this research reveals that women born in 1908, 1914, 1918, 1922, and 1930 were “systematically sampled* from the Swedish Population Register” for the study! If sampled today, would we accept the risk of burning another 44 years for findings to be revealed in 2062? What to take from these results? The FITNESS level that matters for improved brain health:
What actions does Earned Runs recommend taking?
In 1968, it is unlikely that Swedish women were into performing formal HIIT sessions. The research participant characteristics table doesn’t include information on fitness activities prior to the study, so we don’t know for sure exactly how they became highly fit by middle age. To follow their example, it is possible to occasionally increase exercise intensity while performing activities we already enjoy. Simple change-ups may do the trick. Massive re-working of exercise habits is likely not necessary. The American College of Sports Medicine offers some guidance on interval training. An excellent article posted by Paige Waehner for verywellfit.com discusses aerobic and anaerobic high intensity interval training with suggested workouts. If new to training, very strenuous exercise should be undertaken with caution. Best to find a certified trainer at a gym to help develop a plan to gradually build to interval work. Ask for an in-home routine which doesn’t require a gym membership if desirable. That’s my goal and plan. I’m not an exercise novice but know enough to recognize that qualified coaching is the safest option and fastest route to achieving goals. RUN &MOVE HAPPY! *Born on the sixth day of uneven month in those years (January, March 6, May 6, and so on) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/03/14/highly-fit-middle-age-women-nearly-90-less-likely-develop-dementia-decades-later-study-finds/425210002/ http://time.com/5197635/fitness-lower-dementia-risk/ http://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/early/2018/03/14/WNL.0000000000005290.full.pdf https://insights.ovid.com/medicine-science-sports/masis/1973/00/520/perceived-exertion/17/00005756 http://fcesoftware.com/images/15_Perceived_Exertion.pdf https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/high-intensity-interval-training.pdf https://www.verywellfit.com/interval-training-a2-1231286 The recommended routine for aerobic work, like running, generally includes dynamic stretches, a mobility session, and 5-10 minutes of easy walking or other slower movement activity. In Gabrielle Kassel’s article for SHAPE.com, “The Dynamic Warm-up for Weight Lifting That Will Improve Your Performance”, we are reminded that a warm-up before weight work is also good habit to develop.
The ‘small print’ introducing most strength routines may address the need to first perform a warm-up. However, video or image demonstrations of exercises can immediately capture our attention, and the advice goes unnoticed as we begin the workout. Or, a specific warmup is not described and we are left on our own to figure out what to do. Kassel’s article puts a spotlight on the warm-up and explains it in detail! The referenced expert first recommends foam rolling, which might elicit some groans. Actually, this is a wonderful way to ease into a strength session as well as a run or walk. Described next are a series of dynamic stretches:
Last is a “finisher”, consisting of a light jog or sprint, or a series of progressions from jog to sprint repeated several times. The concept of warming up before a workout shouldn’t be new to long time runners. But doing so before a weight lifting session might be something novel. Prior to reading this article, I did my daily static stretches and mobility moves (these are done upon waking). Just before starting a strength training session later in the morning, I walked for 10 minutes and cycled for 5 minutes. I love the idea of this warmup as it targets the torso and hip girdle. It’s better than what I was doing. It may take a few more minutes, but each of the moves is an exercise that works small muscles or helps with joint mobility, while activating bigger muscles. Consider trying this routine once. If it doesn’t leave you feeling motivated and ready to get down to business, perhaps you should shop around for an alternative. As the expert quoted by Kassel indicates, “taking a few minutes for a dynamic warm-up can help improve your strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, speed, flexibility, and even aid in injury prevention.” RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/dynamic-warm-weight-lifting-will-improve-your-performance WHETHER YOU 1) DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE of walking a half marathon or 2) WISH TO INCREASE THE GAINS from your weekly walking sessions, or 3) CROSS TRAIN AS A RUNNER WITH WALKING SESSIONS, there are workouts designed to help you.
Wendy Bumgardner for verywellfit.com, presents a ONE WEEK SCHEDULE with several different workouts suggested by race walking coach Dave McGovern that include: economy, recovery, and threshold #1, and threshold #2 walks. There also is a link to a 15 Minute Walk ‘maximizer’ workout, if that’s all the time available. In addition, Bumgardner provides an explanation of six different types of walking plans. She explains them more fully in the article, which is essential reading. For quick reference the basics as explained by Bumgardner are summarized below: Easy Health: Every day 30 minutes duration 50-60% maximum heart rate Fat Burning: Every day 45-60 min 60-70% MHR Aerobic: Every other day 20-60 min 70-80% MHR Threshold: 1-3 x per week 50 min or less 80-92% MHR Endurance: 1 x per week 5-10 miles distance 65-80% MHR Economy: 1 x per week 20 sec/2min; 8-12x fast as possible/slow Running and walking without a goal or a plan may be disappointing if we hope to realize improvements over time. At worst, injury can occur with overtraining. Most of us understand that If we want to build endurance, we will need to TRAIN to walk or run progressively longer distances. Similarly, if we want to build speed or aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness we will need to TRAIN to accomplish these goals. We can’t BE different, in this case better, unless we DO something differently, which means we must work our bodies to function at a higher level! Walking for exercise is not the same as pleasure strolling. Walkers, as athletes, benefit from having a plan with purposeful workouts. Stretching and warmup/cooldown sessions are components of such workouts. Twice weekly muscle-strength building sessions are recommended in the CDC’s Physical Activity Guidelines for all healthy adults, so walkers should also include resistance work in training programs. Mobility routines are a great idea too. Wendy Bumgardner provides a variety of resources and information that walkers will find motivating and helpful in this article and others on the verywellfit.com site, including heart rate training. Consider taking advantage of her offerings to get moving this spring! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.verywellfit.com/weekly-walking-workouts-3432627 https://www.racewalking.org https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/policies_practices/physical_activity/guidelines.htm IF YOU’RE NOT TRAINING FOR A SPECIFIC EVENT, and have not competed a 10K recently but are regularly and comfortably covering 5-10+ miles in a single session, think SPRING today. Make an event of the first day of the new season. Mark the occasion on your training log or calendar as an accomplishment if you do, and consider making a first day of Spring run or walk an annual personal event. Having such milestones scheduled, completed, and acknowledged help to pass the time between meteorological spring and emotional spring that arrives later with milder softer weather. The description of the suggested event below is from the list posted in an earlier blog March 7, 2018, and posted on the RESOURCES page (you can also CLICK HERE to download it) March 20, 2018 "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 & MOVE HAPPY! FOODS TO NOT AVOID if you're trying to lose weight. Sidney Fry assembles a cast of delicious food characters that might currently be avoided by some dieters in “8 Foods That are Surprisingly Good for Weight Loss” for Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal.com blog.
Perhaps in the past we've been told to skip them because of their fat, carbohydrate, or calorie content by some official nutrition agency. Or heard news stories that scared us away. The new news on these eight foods is that they might actually assist with weigh loss. While having a list of absolute diet "no-nos" might be mentally easy, it can make accommodating a weight-loss plan to everyday life quite difficult. The less we enjoy a lower calorie meal plan the less likely we may be to follow it for weeks, months, or a lifetime. And that is the point of such a plan; to re-educate and re-train ourselves to enjoy eating in a sensible healthy manner over a lifetime. Feeling constantly and severely restricted is the path to be defeated by this challenge. Fry's article may encourage some because it could add variety and taste to an eating plan that currently omits these items. The 8 foods discussed are: 1. Whole milk and milk products: “Several studies have found that when people reduce the amount of fat”, Fry says, which in the case of whole dairy food includes essential fatty acids, “in their diet, they tend to replace it with sugar and refined carbohydrates, which can have a worse effect on overall health.” The key here will be in portion control. If the bulk of your daily protein comes from dairy products, it may be okay to eat a mix of full fat and low- or no-fat milk products. If you cannot eat cheese without adding crackers, beware that this source of fat and hidden sugars can add considerable calories. Cracker serving sizes tend to be small. One serving of some products may be measured as 4 or 5 per 120-140 calories. If you don’t want to be constantly checking nutrition labels consider eating a FEW slices of apple or pear, or a few berries with an ounce of cheese instead. https://www.verywellfit.com/best-and-worst-cracker-choices-calories-in-favorites-4117852 (the Ritz cracker fat content value seems incorrect, more likely 3.7 grams fat) https://www.livestrong.com/article/329124-are-ritz-crackers-healthy/ 2. Nut butters Again, the healthy aspect of adding nut butters depends on portion control and not adding high-calorie crackers or other carbohydrate-rich foods to the snack. The standard serving size is 2 Tablespoons with a value of about 190-200 calories. One small serving per day on a vegetable like a celery stick can be more satisfying than other snacks, as the higher fat content provides satiety. Some people have advised pouring off the separated oil that accumulates at the top of jars of natural nut butters to decrease the calories by about 20 per serving. This can make the butter very hard. BUT, pouring about half of the oil off saves roughly 10 calories/serving and the result is a firm butter that can be spooned out and eaten like a piece of cheese. The temptation to spread the butter on something almost disappears. It’s not spreadable and will break a cracker. Very tasty this way and encourages sticking to the correct portion size. https://eating-made-easy.com/diy-reduced-fat-nut-butter/ 3. Pastas Once again, portion control rules when it comes to eating pasta wisely. As the title of the article says, “surprisingly” it is listed by the American Diabetes Association a low glycemic index food . Especially if it is cooked ‘al dente’, such that the starch in the durum flour-based food is not ‘liberated’ by the cooking process. Ways to tell if you the starch has remained trapped? According to Barilla, the water will not be cloudy during boiling and the noodles will not be sticky when drained. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.html https://www.livestrong.com/article/401811-sugar-substitutes-on-the-glycemic-index/ https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2015/11/19/Pasta-is-a-low-GI-food-says-Barilla-Not-all-refined-carbs-are-equal 4. Eggs: don’t skip the yolk; it’s has fat soluble Vitamins and essential fatty acids among other nutrients. http://www.dranthonygustin.com/egg-yolk-nutrition/ 5. Dark meat poultry 6. Red wine: one 5oz. glass; hard to stop at just one. 7. Coffee: only healthy without milk or other “additives”. 8. Dark Chocolate: +70% cacao is tricky to find; the bitter taste is not the same as candy chocolate, as the sugar content is low and there’s no dairy. https://healthyeater.com/dark-chocolate-best-and-worst This article provides 8 reasons why a sensible diet can be delicious and include a variety of foods. You may not initially welcome the caution that “portion control” is important in the enjoyment of certain items. However, if we could eat as much as we wanted of everything anytime, there would be nothing tempting about special occasion food treats. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-foods-surprisingly-good-weight-loss WEEK 10 HALF MARATHON 2018 Training Plan You are officially entering the second half of the plan this week! Congratulations for making it this far. There are no more ‘tune-up’ races, after this last weekend of St. Patrick’s Day-themed events. You’ll be looking ahead toward your goal half marathon. For those who have already completed a ‘Saints’ 10K, an 8mile long run is scheduled for Saturday, possibly your longest ever run. Wow. Remember it’s more important than ever to foam roll after or before and after this run, and perform the other warm-up and cool-down routines. While you’re outdoors covering this distance, enjoy the first full weekend of Spring (March 20). WALKERS: Check out the RESOURCES page for links to 2 plans you may wish to follow. They were discussed in a blog post last week (March 14, 2018). BELOW ARE SCREENSHOTS of the plan at weeks where you might start after completing your St. Patrick's Day themed 10K. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! IRISH BLESSING:
"May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand" ENJOY THE DAY regardless of the weather! ”Sláinte mhaith!” (http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/2009/02/irish-blessings-for-luck.aspx) IN LATER LIFE, INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INFECTION AND DEMENTIA are common themes. During the influenza season, there are annual alerts from the CDC that older individuals may develop serious complications of the illness. Partly this is because persons aged 65 years and older are more likely to have acquired medical conditions that place them at risk.
In addition, advancing age leads to immunosenescence, in which the production of infection fighting immune cells by an atrophying thymus gland is diminished. To make matters worse, levels of pro-inflammatory substances (cytokines) circulating in blood are increased with aging, which has been referred to as “inflamm-aging”. ventura Furthermore, this age-related increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines “is associated with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes type 2, sarcopenia, and a high risk of morbidity and mortality.” Pharmaceutical company ads for medications that can slow progression of dementia in Alzheimer’s Disease feature older individuals because of its relationship with aging. If you’re looking for a push off the couch, to start regularly exercising to become physically fit, a recently published scientific study has provided a hopeful reason to begin doing this before middle age. Because the involution of the thymus “accelerates rapidly after 40 years of age”, lord lets set this age at 40. The research study, “Major features of immunosenescence, including reduced thymic output, are ameliorated by high levels of physical activity in adulthood” was conducted by Niharika A. Duggal and colleagues at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and King’s College in London UK, and published March 8, 2018 in the journal Aging Cell. The UK scientists showed that compared with healthy but more sedentary, non-exercising older adults (age 55-79), long-time, fit, active cyclists of the same age showed less of a decline in immune cell output by the thymus gland. The frequency of some immune cells produced by the thymus (Recent Thymic Emigrants) in older active cyclists was that same as that seen in much younger, non-exercising adults! Also, there was evidence that the older cyclists’ cytokine environment was protective of the thymus gland, showing reduced ‘inflammaging’. They showed higher circulating levels of a thymus-protective cytokine (IL-7) and lower levels of a thymus-atrophying cytokine (IL-6) than BOTH younger and older inactive persons. Participants included 125 master-cyclist and 75 age-matched sedentary-older (55-79 years) adults, and 55 younger adults (aged 20-36 years) who were not involved in exercise. To be included in this study as “master cyclists”, the 84 male participants were required to have the ability to cycle 60km in under 6.5 hours, and the 41 female participants to cycle the same distance in 5.5 hours, at least twice in the 3 weeks prior to testing. This group of cyclist participants had been previously studied in depth and were known to have “maintained their cycling activity for much of their adult lives”. Pollock 2105) Blood was drown from these subjects from which immune cells were obtained If being protected from common serious infections in middle- and old-age, as well as diseases that are thought to be related to the inflammation of aging like dementia, seems important, now is the time to start developing that protection. If you don’t want to see yourself represented in pharma advertisements directed at the high-risk aged, commit to exercise you are likely to enjoy for the coming decades. Choose one or more endurance activities and mix-up your routines with strength training. Inside and outside of the gym, there’s more to be gained from reasonable levels of regular intense exercise than can be measured on a scale or seen in a mirror. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12750/full https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731094/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731094/ https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/65over.htm 'WHO I AM - WITHOUT RUNNING" Hillary Allen explains in an article for motivrunning.com’s Voice of the Athlete series. The piece is subtitled, “Pro Runner Hillary Allen gets a bigger picture look at life while sidelined with an injury.”
I have posed the question "who am I without running?" to myself, as have others; friends and acquaintances of mine and my family members. This crisis of identity has arisen when, just like Allen, injury or illness forced us off the roads and trails. The elite trail runner Allen, sponsored by The North Face according to the brief bio-sketch at the article’s end, is temporarily not able to run and train after a serious injury. A potentially devastating situation can develop when permanent acceptance of this status is necessary (would she be writing if her condition was career-ending?) Allen’s telling of her feelings of isolation, anger, and grief is heart-wrenching, as she recounts no longer struggling to be a top-rung runner, but to “walk normally” and eventually become “the ‘runner I was’” again. She berates herself for this mental attitude of assumed isolation, calling it “a self-inflicted ailment.” The author describes a full and brilliant working life teaching science, and how it is being adversely affected by her need to recover and resume running in order to be whole again, possibly better than whole. The introspection forced by this time of injury-recovery has caused her to attempt a re-definition of herself. One that is not singularly tied to her sport. Allen says the “injury and break from running has been immensely difficult” but sees that a ‘blessing” was bestowed on her by the “lessons it has taught me about myself.” Hillary Allen writes about the dangers of looking at “oneself through the lens of singularity”, with that eyepiece represented as running. And suggests there are other single-viewpoint lenses through which we can see ourselves, for example by relationship, occupation, area of expertise, residence location, etc. The point being made is that we can find ourselves in an emotional tailspin due to the temporary or permanent cessation of other lifelong, identity-affirming, activities or relationships, not necessarily related to running. It can occur because we have loved a sport, person, place, idea, or other entity and are no longer able to receive enjoyment from the association IN THE EXACT SAME WAY. We probably should expect to experience such frame-shifts in identity, almost as a natural occurrence in our lives over time. Realizing that the ending of a specific association may actually represent evidence of personal growth, like Allen says, and be a ‘blessing’ in disguise rather than a disaster. If prepared, we can move on and move forward more easily after the initial disruption. Perhaps there are preventative measures that can be taken to lessen the impact of a life without running or other sport, temporarily or permanently. It may help to pre-emptively shift the focus of our self-identification away from the specific sport to athletics in general. As runners (walkers, cyclists, swimmers, and tennis players, and so on) we might:
It’s likely that most runners don’t wish to be ‘blessed’ in the way Hillary Allen was, with a serious injury, in order to gain a healthy perspective of self. But she is saying, “this could be you, so feel blessed that I am showing the way for you to experience less personal upheaval” in the same situation. We might respond to, “Who I am - without running”, in this way: “I am an athlete, in training lifelong to be active, fit, and healthy regardless of my sport participation status. One who enjoys challenging myself physically, and takes inspiration from the struggles, shortcomings, and triumphs of other athletes in many sports...’ And after reading Allen's piece, add, "...Who does not define my life by a single subjective thing." RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.motivrunning.com/running-life/the-voice-of-the-athlete/who-i-am-without-running THE EARNED RUNS HALF MARATHON WITH ‘SAINTS’ DAYS 5K &10K Training Plan for Beginners was designed for runners. This year I converted the first 10 weeks of the plan to allow walkers to train for the 5K (St. Valentine's Day) and 10K (St. Patrick's Day) events, because I was going to walk-train rather than run-train myself.
With March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, almost here, many of the 10K competitions will have been finished by walkers on the training plan. The question that is posed now is what can walkers do afterward? Walk a Half Marathon? I have no experience training to walk this 13.1-mile distance event or adapting a running plan to a walking training plan going forward. Should some wish to take up this challenge, I searched for plans online. Wendy Bumgardner recently posted an article on verywellfit.com that included a 16-week plan (actually only 15 weeks of training) along with other training advice. Bumgardner lists two pre-requisites to train on the plan: 1) the ability to walk comfortably for 4 miles on a long day and for 3 miles on 3 days a week, and 2) the willingness and ability to commit to one long session/week that involves 2-5 hours. Each week there are 3 “off” days, 1 long walk day, and 3 days of 3-4 mile walks. Sunday is the long day, but this can be adjusted to fit personal schedules by shifting the training week’s start to a day that works best. I would want to shift the long day to Friday and leave my weekends open. (a Friday to Saturday week). The longest walk is 14 miles on week #13, followed by a 2-week taper. Other adjustments might be made. Just as with running, one day could be a hill or tempo workout. One low-mileage walking day might be swapped for a cross training day, to ‘save’ the legs from too much wear and tear. One or more of the “off’ days could be used for strength training. Mobility and stretching should be done before and after walk sessions. The Earned Runs ‘SAINTS DAYS’ plan has walkers covering 6.5 miles as the longest distance, which could allow those who trained on it to start on week 4 of the half marathon plan rather than week 1. The article suggests finding a walker-friendly organized race and then scheduling the start date of your plan as needed, 12-16 weeks prior to that day. If you use Earned Runs bibs you can set the date yourself. Hal Higdon offers a free training plan that is only 12 weeks in duration, with 10 miles as the longest distance. It seems a bit too ambitious in that it may not allow safe training to avoid injury. But check it out if the Baumgardener plan doesn’t appeal to you. I’m not sure if I will continue with the half marathon walking plan. I hope to train for an epic adventure, and this plan may be adaptable. More information will be required and a date and distance set first. Good luck if you decide to take on the ‘half’ as a walking challenge goal! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! Note: Links to these 2 walker plans will be posted on the RESOURCES page also. https://www.verywellfit.com/half-marathon-walk-training-schedule-3435465 http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51134/Half-Marathon-Walk-Training-Program IN AN ARTICLE FOR Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal.com blog, “6 Signs You Need to Strengthen Your Glutes", Julia Malakoff explains that a common problem for many is weak gluteal muscles. Otherwise referred to as “buns”, “butt”, or ‘bum” muscles, the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus of the core act in many ways; to stabilize the hips and back while standing, walking, and lifting; move the thigh while maintaining balance; climb stairs/hills; and rise from a squatted or seated position.
The author proposes there are six situations in which you might identify gluteal weakness, and more fully explains each in the item: “You have unexplained knee pain Your lower back is always sore Your glutes are never sore You have unexplained tension headaches Your posture is out of whack You can’t isolate your glutes” Possibly the one BEST predictor of weak or “sleepy” gluteals (the term Malakoff uses for inactivated muscles) is the amount of time they are used to cushion the backside while SITTING. Not just while watching a computer screen or in a meeting at work, but riding in a vehicle, spectating sports in the bleachers/stands, studying in the library, checking social media, and bingeing on movies or television series. There are many more opportunities during the day to sit than to stand or move. My guess is that unless a workout routine that specifically targets theses muscles is on your schedule 2-3 times a week, you are likely to have “sleepy” glutes because It’s hard to limit sitting time. It may be wise to assume that a gluteal muscle exercise maintenance program may be the best protection against developing one or more of the signs of gluteal weakness that represent risks for injury: knee or back pain, tension headaches, and posture misalignment. To help remedy this situation look over the menshealth.com article, “The 17 Best Glutes Exercises”. Use it to create a personal exercise plan to maintain or improve gluteal strength in 1-2 sessions/week. Start by choosing 3 to perform in one workout, and 3 for another change-up workout. Use the article to swap exercises as needed. To be safe, it may be best to avoid the barbell exercises unless you have prior experience using this piece of equipment. Or initially, try performing them without the weight (just the bar) or without any equipment (bodyweight version). Caution should be used with the kettlebell and the back-extension station exercises too. To keep motivation high, visualize the not-so-athletic image of a “sleepy” backside. It may be a great prod to start standing more and exercising. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/6-signs-need-strengthen-glutes https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/best-glutes-exercises https://www.livestrong.com/article/374009-daily-function-of-gluteal-muscles/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteal_muscles STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN At the end of a long run or walk I frequently find myself, almost subconsciously, performing shoulder rolls. This comes after miles of consciously pulling back my elbows in coordination with forward striding legs, and trying to maintain an upright posture and good form throughout the entire session.
Sometimes during the run/walk I will remember to ease my shoulders, as suggested by a trainer several years ago, first lifting them and in a single smooth motion, letting them drop. Doing this regularly prevents continuous, tense, shoulder shrugging for an hour or more. It helps avoid unnecessary fatigue. And then I foam roll afterward. It feels so good. Thus, when I read an article by Stephanie Bengel for Active.com, “4 Ways to Loosen Tight Trapezius Muscles” I recognized I was probably trying to loosen these muscles as well as a few others. I’ve never had significant shoulder or neck pain, possibly because in addition to running I did not spend much time playing at sports or performing activities that regularly used my arms. But now that I’m swimming, I may have increased my risk. Exploring a bit more, there were other ‘trapezius’ articles that offered similar remedies. Few offered demonstrations, which would have been helpful. Dr. Alan Mandell posted a YouTube video of a strain reliever move (shoulder shrugging) that he says exhausts tight trapezius muscles in order to relax them. A search of the ‘neck and should tightness’ topic produced another article, “16 Simple Stretches for Tight Shoulders” by Amy Eisinger for the greatest.com. Eisinger’s piece includes videos of most moves. Some are stretches and other seem to gently mobilize the shoulder joint. Included are “T, Y, and I” strengthening movements. It occurred to me that muscles in other parts of the body become tight because they are not as strong as they need to be for the level of athletic effort at which we are forcing them to function. Repeated exercise of weak muscles can lead to overuse injuries in running. When training to improve performance and prevent injury, strength building of the lower and upper body and core is prescribed in addition to stretching. It seemed likely that tightness of the shoulder muscles, including the 3-part trapezius, might also be prevented or treated by strengthening exercises. But NOT the bodybuilder moves than promise massive ‘traps’, a huge ‘V’-shaped back, and a thick neck; this is what populated the results of my internet searches. I was looking for injury prevention moves. Since people recovering from injury/surgery would need this gentler type of rehabilitation I went to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons website. The AAOS offers a shoulder conditioning instruction unit. There are five exercises that target the trapezius. I am most familiar with #6 the Standing Row with Resistance Band, having performed it faithfully for 5 years, after it was recommended to me by trainer/coach Tim Broe. (Which may have also prevented me suffering from tight ‘traps’, as well as the ‘Y, T, W, I’ strength exercises he prescribed using a Swiss ball.) #6 Standing Row with resistance band - upper and lower trapezius #12 Trapezius Strengthening - middle trapezius #13 Scapula setting – middle trapezius #14 Scapular retraction/protraction – middle trapezius #15 Bent over horizontal abduction – middle and lower trapezius As Bengal's article indicates, there are many reasons for 'tight traps'. Possibly one or more of these moves will help relax them. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! “4 Ways to Loosen Tight Trapezius Muscles” by Stephanie Bengel for ACTIVE.com https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/4-ways-to-loosen-tight-trapezius-muscles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF58M-25CoM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapezius_muscle “16 Simple Stretches for Tight Shoulders” by Amy Eisinger https://greatist.com/move/stretches-for-tight-shoulders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09QpFgESbrs https://orthoinfo.org/en/recovery/rotator-cuff-and-shoulder-conditioning-program/ https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/249/prone-scapular-shoulder-stabilization-series https://www.livestrong.com/article/78810-stretch-trapezius-muscle/ Melanie Woodland for Livestrong.com WEEK 9 HALF MARATHON 2018 with SAINTS DAYS 5K & 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 & MOVE HAPPY! FULL PLANS: see the RESOURCES page REQUEST BIBS http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-st-patricks-day-parade |
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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