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Posted January 20, 2017, updated February 16, 2018
STAY OUT OF THE BELLY FAT DANGER ZONE The article, “The Most Dangerous Fat is the Easiest to Lose” by Trinh Le for Under Armor blog, MyFitnessPal.com has easy to read, understandable, and actionable information about abdominal fat. Not sure about the truth of the “easiest to lose” statement, though. The author defines “belly fat” and explains how to identify it beyond just looking down at your midsection, by measuring waist and hips as well as calculating the waist: hip ratio. The “apples and pears” body type comparison helps us visualize that it is the deposition of fat around abdominal organs (which shows up as a bigger waist) that makes it so dangerous. However, it’s possible to exceed the 35-inch (women) and 40-inch (men) waist circumference that marks the presence of this kind of adiposity and still have a less dangerous pear shape and a normal waist-to-hip ratio. Thus, the waist circumference is the most telling number that we can easily determine at home. If you have a measuring tape, demonstrate to yourself what a 35- or a 40-inch waist measurement would look like on you. It’s a bit scary to see that this size is NOT HUGE. It is an incentive to stay the SAME size or even DECREASE your waist inches if you think you are too close for comfort to the belly fat ‘danger zone’. The medical reason to shrink your waist size is explained by a Mayo Clinic article about Metabolic Syndrome. It provides the guidelines employed by the National Institutes of Health to diagnose this condition: “you have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of these traits”, listed below, “or are taking medication to control them”. The number one component is excess abdominal fat which reveals itself as a big waist.
Mayo Clinic staff, the authors of the piece indicate that “if you know you have at least one component of the metabolic syndrome, ask your doctor whether you need testing” for the remaining four. Having metabolic syndrome increases risk of cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and stroke, and diabetes. The Trinh Le article outlines some steps that can be taken to reduce belly fat, which include focusing your efforts on decreasing inches rather that weight, exercising daily, cutting back on added sugars and alcohol while eating a balanced diet, and sleeping and de-stressing. These are exactly steps recommended to become a better runner/athlete! THE GOOD NEWS: regarding exercise, research studies using older overweight men and women with type 2 diabetes and overweight young men have shown that high intensity interval training (HIIT) resulted in significant reductions in both abdominal and subcutaneous fat. This means that for the purposes of “waist control”, performing roughly three, 20-30 minute HIIT sessions each week over 3-4 months can help lower measurements and at the same time boost running power. Last week’s post SCIENCE FRIDAY: ABDOMINAL STRENGTH (Part 1) provided new research results that suggest strength training, involving certain abdominal muscle groups, may be a shortcut to decreasing the specific inflammation generated by belly fat, usually achieved by weight loss. Thus, exercise in general fights “the kind of whole body inflammation associated with chronic diseases”; targeting the abdominal muscles may specifically reduce “adiposity associated inflammation”, which is attributed to dangerous belly fat. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-most-dangerous-fat-is-the-easiest-to-lose http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/diagnosis/dxc-20197530 http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2017/11/08/11/47/mon-5pm-bp-guideline-aha-2017 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3375095/
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The post from February 15, 2018 last week discussed a potential downside of the use of social media, stress. Communicating with, constantly checking in, or being interrupted by our phones and other devices may interfere with exercise quality, and even quantity.
However, because highly active individuals may use wearables and phone apps to plan workouts, track progress, monitor physical feedback, measure performance, and share data, it’s not a simple decision to power off. The Earned Runs post offered a few suggestions, such as using a phone’s airplane mode function to suspend incoming distractions. Another alternative to outright disconnecting might be to perform an overall assessment of social media and internet use and then attempt to decrease general dependence on such devices and programs throughout the entire day. If overall usage is reduced, perhaps powering down (not necessarily off) or stepping away from them during exercise sessions won’t be an experience comparable to caffeine/drug withdrawal. Madeline Quigley, in her blog “The Gal-ivanter” provides readers with “15 Easy Ways to Disconnect from Social Media and the Internet.” As a teaser, here are the first 4 “ways”: have a morning routine, don’t use your phone as an alarm, power down before bed, don’t sleep with your phone next to your bed. Quigley explains these actions more fully; they are really GOOD suggestions. Another “way” that I personally like: “always be reading something”. A potential problem is that I read a lot of audio books!!! But the principle behind this bit of advice is sound. Most likely it is not going to be necessary to perform all 15 suggested actions; implementation of only a couple may make a big difference in the number of daily/nightly distractions and disruptions experience related to social media and internet use. Quigley indicates that her purpose in writing is to “inspire you to make the most of you free time, and start 2018 sans addicted [sic] to your phone (or less addicted to your phone)”. Earned Runs thinks that with less time devoted to scanning/interacting with devices there might be more time available for physical activity and real social interactions. And switching to airplane mode during exercise might be something to eagerly anticipate rather than dread. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.thegal-ivanter.com/blog/how-to-disconnect-break-internet-phones-productivity ![]() NEW 2018 SURVEY, STICKERS; WHEN VISITING THE EARNED RUNS website to REQUEST BIBS, you’ll notice there is a new 2018 survey. The top section is new and asks what you like about the site, attempting to get an idea of which areas should have more attention and development. And which might receive less attention in the future. The last item on the list is “Variety of stickers”. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO REQUEST A GREATER VARIETY of stickers for your personal use on your own bibs, you would want to click this button. Up until now, the stickers have been designed for promoting Earned Runs events. Small batches are ordered. I have used them for decoration and to record my accomplishments. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE to gather my 4 bibs and have proof of all the challenges undertaken and work performed over the year. Clustered together, filled with variously designed sticker, the grouping makes a great picture too. Stickers For the first time in 2018, there is a sticker specifically designed for “training” rather than finishing. It’s for the HALF MARATHON WITH ‘SAINTS DAYS’. Since the running training plan’s duration is 18 weeks and covers 3 races, those following it seemed to deserve special recognition. And runners and walkers training for the 5k and 10k events* too. There’s an overall, a SPECIAL 5K, a SPECIAL 10K, and a TRAINING sticker in this HALF MARATHON WITH ‘SAINTS DAYS’ group. Each is a 1.5” heart-shape. The reasons for the SMALL SIZE? Hearts can’t be ordered in the large 3” diameter size and the stickers from this one effort would cover an entire bib, with little room to spare for other challenge stickers or writing. So, they are small. The remainder of the year the stickers continue to be ordered in the LARGE size, except for the RUN/WALK ACROSS AMERICA CHALLENGE weekly segment stickers. Periodically a few ‘test’ stickers will be posted on WEBSITE WEDNESDAY blogs for your inspection for various upcoming Earned Runs suggested events for 2018**. There will be a chance to VOTE on your favorites in some instances. The following is a listing of planned stickers/events: Daylight Savings Dash 5K (March 11) ‘SAINTS’ DAYS ‘ Saint Patrick’s Day 10K (near March 17) Springtime Warm-up (March 20, first day of spring) MLB Opening Day Mash-up (March 29) April Fool’s Day No Foolin’ 50 (April 1) National Walk to Work Day (April 6) CELEBRATE (USA RUNNING) TRADITION RUN (Boston Marathon Day, April 16) Earth Day Earned Run (Earth Day April 22) Day of 5ths FIVE (Cinco de Mayo, May 5) Mother’s Choice (Mothers’ Day, May 13) Memorial Day Remembrance (May 28) If you have an opinion and want to help Earned Runs deliver information and materials that you value, take the survey. Especially the first part. The second section will help us understand who is responding. If you haven’t requested bibs in 2018, consider doing it now, before the big fitness seasons of spring summer and fall arrive. And If you’ve never had stickers, try using them this year! You can stick one on AFTER a goal accomplishment as a reward, or before as incentive to keep training. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! The weekend following the official St. Valentine’s Day was perfect for my 5K. The weather was beautiful and I was on vacation in warm and sunny Florida! I had spent a few days before the planned date of my event loosening up with longer distance walks, strength sessions, stretching, and foam rolling. Because I was on vacation and could spend nearly as much time as desired to exercise!
This was my first time in 2018 walking rather than running a 5K, so there were more possibilities for a venue. I chose a long, flat, hard-packed-sand beach rather than a road. It was somewhat crowded with other early morning strolling beach-lovers, but not so busy that they interfered with my progress, or I with their enjoyment. Running past other people can be a bit disrupting and intrusive, as the movement can startle them momentarily. It is easier for other walkers to sense someone else walking faster from behind, and provides them with slightly more time to make adjustments, as people tend to do almost by reflex. And I had time to make my own polite adjustments too. So, the beach walk event was ideal. This effort wasn’t intended to be a 5K race for speed. The preceding several weeks had been spent helping family move and get situated, so I had fallen off the training schedule. There was no benefit now to be gained from pushing hard to reach a certain pace. The reason I had trained with the WALKER plan was to avoid injury. Last March, I ran the second ‘SAINT DAYS’ 10K on snowy, icy roads. It was the start of a knee issue that plagued me until late Fall. I’m still sensing a strength difference in the involved weaker leg. I will resume workouts on the plan schedule, train to be a bit stronger and faster, and hopefully enjoy a fun St. Patrick’s Day 10K event. EARNING MY FIRST EVENT BIB STICKER for the year on February 17 amped up my excitement for spring, and the rest of 2018! How was your ‘SAINTS DAYS’ 5K? Consider working to improve some aspect of training for the 10K next month. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! Remember the training plans can be found on the RESOURCES page. If you need bibs, be sure to REQUEST a set. SIMPLE UPPER BODY MOVES Want quick exercise routines to use in training? If you’ve avoided upper body strength work until now, you might find motivation in these two simple sets from SHAPE.com. The site provides a pair of workouts that target the arms, especially the triceps, but also work the shoulders and back. Thus, they are advertised as being able to give you sexy-looking, ‘rock star’ arms.
Sure, shapely, toned arms are attractive, but “a strong upper body is as important as trained legs to run fast and easy,” states the subtitle to a Runner’s World magazine article, “A Call to Arms”*. Author Samantha Lefave explains that ”failing to train your upper body” can be detrimental to running and “hold you back big time”. Her article stresses lifting heavier rather than lighter weights, with fewer repetitions, and with good form. Lefave suggests that if new to strength training, skip the heavy weights and first try bodyweight exercises that build the upper body, back, and core. The Mazzo workout in SHAPE.com (below) puts together a good starter routine. However, the RW article advice suggests that rather than hurry through the 5-minute, fast-paced bodyweight moves to get in as many as possible in 30 seconds (directions provided in the Mazzo workout, below) maintaining form is most important. Go as slow as is necessary; don’trush. Play the video and follow along; the demonstration takes you through 2 consecutive sets. 1. “At Home Arm Workout for Strong Arms” By Lauren Mazzo https://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/5-minute-home-workout-strong-sexy-arms Kym Perfetto does 2 repeats of a 5-component routine. Each move is performed for 30 seconds. Perfetto verbally stresses exercisers to pay attention to proper form, but in the heat of the demonstration she admits her own form suffers a bit in the enthusiastic video. Best not to hurry, moving slowly takes more effort and strength but will result in less chance of injury. Bear crawls - 30 seconds Triceps dips - 30 seconds Push-ups - 30 seconds Dive bombers - 30 seconds Plank-ups - 30 seconds Repeat sequence The second workout uses dumbbell weights for the first 4 exercises and body weight for the last set. This set is perfect for following the advice in the Lefave article 2. Rock Star Dumb-bell Arm Workout By Jessica Smith https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/get-fit-5-minutes-rockstar-arms-workout Overhead press- 20 repetitions Triceps chop- 20 repetitions Inverted curl to front press- 20 repetitions Rear fly to press back split stance, 10 each side Diamond leg push-ups- 20 repetitions The presence of women trainers in the videos should not dissuade men from paying attention. Especially if you’ve not added upper body exercises to your training. Sure, tougher moves are proposed in other male-specific resources, but starting with these saves you the time and effort of ‘shopping’ around for others. And they are designed to have you spend a relatively short time at this task. With spring break approaching, a glance in the mirror may convince you that besides improved running, walking, and general fitness, the benefits to be gained from working these UPPER BODY STRENGTH routines include better looking arms. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *the article is not generally available (free) online; I read it in the March 2018 print magazine. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! ![]() WEEK 6 HALF MARATHON 2018 with SAINTS DAYS 5k&10K Training Plan The upcoming weekend is probably the last on which an organized or custom race might be scheduled with a St. Valentine’s Day theme, so almost everyone will be looking ahead to the next “SAINTS DAY” 10K run at the beginning of Week 7. St. Patrick’s Day-themed races can be found scheduled in later March (Chicago’s Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K will be held March 25 this year), although the actual holiday is March 17. For those of you not running a 5K this week, the long run is 6 miles (walk is 5.5 miles) and, going forward, you will be building endurance to allow finishing this race distance with confidence. How exciting! There have been postings about cross training options. The RUNNER plan does not formally schedule a cross training day. The WALKER Earned Runs plan suggests Mondays, and this could work for runners too. Each individual must determine what and how to cross train without adversely affecting running days. Sundays, Wednesdays, or Fridays could also handle cross-training sessions, depending on your usual level of activity. You may find that a moderately paced swimming session provides a pleasant level of tiredness, or that a short high-intensity interval cycling class invigorates your next run. Experiment and learn what helps you perform best physically and mentally. Although this runner plan has 4 running days (walker plan has 4 walking days), one day could be substituted with cross-training to spare your legs. However, runners should keep the long run session and the hills’ session if you are comfortably able to do them. Walkers should try to maintain the long walk and one HIIT walk session. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! I was at the grocery store last month and wanted to find something to rejuvenate my winter weather-dry facial skin and chose a product that contained hyaluronic acid (HA). There was a reference to this ingredient in an article describing how to fight the effects of the elements that I had browsed. Of course, the article listed the “best” products with HA, but I didn’t have it on hand while shopping. A face cream had been on my list to buy for a while, so it seemed like a good idea to try something not too expensive but that I could put on immediately.
I had been wearing a Buff-like neck gater for lower face protection when outside in the bitter cold. Or pulling up a tall turtleneck for this purpose. A few of my wool second layer tops had a high neck and a small face opening, so that when fully zipped they covered my chin. In the very cold, with a covered chin and/or partially covered mouth, my breath would condense and wet these pieces of clothing, which would rub against and chap the skin. My cheeks were exposed. I tried a cream offered by a common product line (L’Oreal was on sale) that advertised it contained HA. Surprisingly, it moisturized and improved the feel and appearance my skin! I wore a night ‘mask’ cream, and a day cream plus sunblock. I made no attempt to sample or trial a number of product to find which one was “best”. I just chose one and tried it, and it worked. I could not locate the original article that lead me to search for this type of product, but found another one that is informative. Expert references identify hyaluronic acid as a humectant that “absorbs up to 1000 times its weight in water” such that it helps skin as it “holds on to moisture and keeps your face looking plump and dewy”. If you’re looking for a product to reverse the changes brought about by days and weeks of outdoor winter exercise consider trying one that contains hyaluronic acid. My experience shows that relatively inexpensive creams can do the job. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.glamour.com/story/best-hyaluronic-acid-moisturizers https://www.lorealparisusa.com/beauty-magazine/skin-care/skin-care-essentials/best-hyaluronic-acid-moisturizers.aspx https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3970829/ NEW RESEARCH published electronically in February 2018 ahead of print in the Journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise offers potentially encouraging news for those of us worried about chronic inflammation related to abdominal adiposity (translated, this is ‘dangerous belly fat’).
The article, “Abdominal Muscle Density is Inversely Related to Adiposity Inflammatory Mediators”, was authored by Dr. Rachel Van Hollebeke and colleagues from the University of California at San Diego, La Jolla California. It describes their study in which blood markers associated with the low-level chronic state of inflammation, noted with obesity, were measured and compared with the density and area of certain abdominal muscle groups (rectus abdominus, obliques, paraspinal, and psoas) as detected by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Previous studies informed these scientists that obesity and diabetes lead to increases in skeletal muscle lipid/fat, which translates into less dense muscle and MRI signals that are MORE attenuated. They knew also that the presence of increased numbers of fat cells inside muscle had been shown to increase the concentration of inflammatory substances in nearby tissues. And that MRI signals of DENSE skeletal muscle with lower amounts of lipid/fat appears LESS attenuated. The UCSD group wanted to determine if certain blood markers of ‘adiposity-related’ inflammation in study participants would change according to the amount of lipid/fat in specific abdominal muscles and would correlate with muscle MRI characteristics (density and area). Data collected, at baseline and at regular intervals over about 8 years, from 1970 participants in a previous larger multicenter study was used. Men and women and individuals of different racial ethnic backgrounds were included. The average age was roughly 64-65 years. Females made up 49% of the group. The mean BMI was 28; 30% were obese. Just less than 50% were former or current smokers, and about as many had hypertension. Blood samples, history/questionaires, body measurements, and imaging studies were administered. There were other health details (not identified here). Results showed an inverse (opposite) relationship between “specific adiposity associated inflammatory mediators and muscle density” even after taking into account the amount of visceral and subcutaneous fat. This suggests that regardless of how much ‘bad’ visceral/abdominal fat is present, the amount of harmful inflammatory substances (cytokines) circulating in blood may be less if these abdominal muscles contain less fat cells, and thus are denser. The paper discussed how skeletal muscle is increasingly being viewed as an endocrine organ that secretes helpful anti-inflammatory hormones or ‘myokines’. Because obesity leads to excess calorie storage as fat in many tissues, including skeletal muscle, indications are that the presence of this excess intra-muscular fat is what causes muscle to become less sensitive to the actions of insulin. Insulin insensitivity is a hallmark of Metabolic Syndrome, which is associated with increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The results of other scientific work, the authors indicate, is that EXERCISE which increases dense muscle may have beneficial effects on health when it comes to reducing whole-body inflammation by reducing body fat overall. And it’s hypothesized that the secretion of myokines that occurs with the contraction of muscles (as in exercise) plays a key role in reducing inflammation as well. The results of this study, the authors suggest, is that “intervention aimed at improving abdominal muscle density” such as “strength training, may result in lower levels” of “adiposity associated inflammatory mediators and thereby contribute to the prevention of inflammation-linked CVD” (cardiovascular disease). The bottom line: strength training that leads to increases in lean muscle mass overall may help to fight the kind of whole body inflammation associated with chronic diseases; that which targets the muscles of the abdomen (belly) may specifically help fight metabolic syndrome leading to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Losing weight and exercising may be commonly prescribed methods of prevent and combat metabolic disease, but is difficult for many individuals. An alternative method may be strength training that concentrates on increasing the density of abdominal muscles specifically! The follow-up to this SCIENCE FRIDAY blog will be posted next week. It will include a practical discussion of belly fat and metabolic syndrome. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Abdominal_Muscle_Density_is_Inversely_Related_to.96987.aspx Posted February 28, 2017; Updated February 13, 2018.
THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA), in its annual survey on “Stress in America™” has looked at sources and effects of stress on “health and sense of well-being on Americans living in the United States” since 2006. Until January 2017, the survey had revealed that “overall” levels decreased every year since that initial report, with the lowest level in a decade charted in August 2016. That August survey also “revealed that social media conversations about politics and culture have had an impact on Americans’ stress’. Almost 4 of 10 adults said that these discussions caused them stress.” In fact, those who used social media seemed to be more stressed about the 2016 election than those who did not. Unfortunately, a change in the steady state was detected in a special additional January 2017 poll which revealed more Americans were feeling stressed. Rather than the usual issues (money, work, and the economy), people were “citing personal safety and terrorism” as concerns, possibly building upon the polled psychologists’ patients expressed anxiety about the upcoming US elections reported earlier in the year. [With the presidential elections behind us but mid-term Congressional elections coming up, there’s hope we all learned how to cope and that social media sites will block stressful content.] Part 2 of the survey was conducted to follow-up on this stress increase and find links between Americans’ use of technology and social media and their “stress, relationships and overall health and well-being”. The survey report indicated that the percentage of Americans using social media increased greatly over the past decade (7% in 2005, to 65% in 2015), with the largest increase seen in the ages 18-29 years (12% to 90%). It says 43% of Americans are “constant checkers” of emails, texts, and social media accounts. Here’s an excerpt from that report: “For constant checkers, stress runs higher than for those who do not engage with technology as frequently. On a 10-point scale, where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” the average reported overall stress level of constant checkers is 5.3. For non-constant checkers, the average reported stress level is 4.4. Constant checkers also reported a higher average level of stress related to technology during the past month than their non-constant checking peers (3.0 vs. 2.5, respectively). Among employed Americans who check their work email constantly on non-workdays, their reported overall stress level is 6.0.” Although about 65% of us feel it’s a great idea to periodically ‘unplug’ or ‘detox’ for the sake of mental health, few report doing so (roughly 28%). What this means for runners and exercisers is that communicating and checking in with social media at or around the time of exercise could potentially cancel or diminish the health benefits of our sessions. Especially if we check-in constantly, allow interruptions, and perceive such activities as stress provoking. Rather than totally unplugging indiscriminately for large chunks of time, prioritizing and identifying smaller critical periods to be offline may be easier. Families try to do this. Perhaps laying down some ground rules to carve out specific running/exercise times, as we do with sacred family and friend time, can preserve its positive effect on our physical and mental well-being. We, like most Americans as the report shows, probably know we should disconnect from electronic devices, but don’t. However, it’s not as simple as it seems for highly active individuals. Many use tracking devises and GPS while running, walking, and exercising. We possibly are as addicted to physical feedback and performance measures as to social media, and may even regularly share this data on social media. There is online advice on how to ‘disconnect’ by tech experts. Check it out if you understand the methods and don’t find tinkering with phone settings each time you train another unwelcome stress. Another option is to return to the time-honored practice of running by ‘feel’ that allows you to turn off most phone functions (switching to airplane mode is one tactic). Advocates include Coach Jay Johnson (his newsletter) and Matt Fitzgerald (his book and article). Coach Jenny Hadfield recently wrote an article for Runnersworld.com on the subject. She offers a step-wise approach that might be easier than going cold-turkey. The bottom line is that time spent improving our physical selves is precious, just as the time is that’s devoted to building and preserving personal relationships. We should make the most of it when possible. RUN HAPPY! http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2016/coping-with-change.pdf http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2017/technology-social-media.PDF http://running.competitor.com/2014/04/training/feel-good-training_12639 https://www.velopress.com/books/run/ http://www.runnersworld.com/ask-coach-jenny/how-to-let-go-of-pace-and-run-by-feel HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE! The history of Valentine’s Day (originally St. Valentine’s Day, a Roman Catholic feast day) is fairly fuzzy with regard to how this day came to be, probably coincidentally, named to honor romantic love.
According to an item by Fr. William Saunders on catholiceducation.org, the “popular customs of showing love and affection on St Valentine’s Day” may have come about because of a “common belief in England and France” from the Medieval Age that “birds began to pair” on February 14 “’halfway through the second month of the year’”. Since the martyred saint’s feast day fell on that date the association may have formed. In modern times, it is often different things to different people. For young couples, it may be mostly about love and romance. For school children, it can be about sending and receiving paper cards at classroom parties. It’s a big day for marriage engagements and potentially an opportunity for singles to meet a future significant other. Sadly, it can be a day of high expectations in which some more sharply feel less loved (haven’t we all experienced this?). In the world of running, walking, and fitness this secular holiday can be used to mark a special workout of a training plan, schedule a preparatory effort for a future more challenging competition, or enjoy a themed race. THERE’S NO ROOM to feel left out or less loved when you are one in this globe-full of people using exercise to observe a traditional holiday. Holidays are made for celebrating. We can accomplish this traditionally with food, drink, prayers, commemorations, dances, parades, and decorations. However, it seems like walks, runs, bicycle trips, and even swims, are being added as active ways to enjoy special dates. And more and more commonly, culturally specific holidays are being adopted by outsiders as a way to appreciate and better understand the ways of others. Expatriates are encouraged to keep their own as well as the country of residence' holidays in an article by Scott Rousseau for InterNations.com as a way to stay connected with home and to form connections while away. Pin on an Earned Runs or other organized competition bib today and race. Or just get your athletic shoes on and actively enjoy, coincidentally, this day in mid-February AND LOVE THE MOVEMENT. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/history-of-st-valentine.html https://www.internations.org/magazine/observing-holidays-and-traditions-abroad-16216/the-importance-of-celebrating-your-traditions-as-an-expat-2 …THOSE OF SUCCESSFUL, EFFECTIVE RUNNING/FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS. How many times have you clicked on a link that promised to reveal the “habits” of successful people employed in various worthy pursuits? I do. All the time. Mostly when it comes to running, walking, strength training, or other athletic activities. But, also when it comes to being happy or fulfilled because that’s part of why I love physical exercise. It helps me feel good about myself and life in general.
I don’t expect to find something totally new and life-changing on these lists, but hope the writer’s perspective helps motivate or energize me to take action. The “habit” I most dearly seek to develop involves organization. I KNOW the steps to take to be strong, fit, fast, flexible, etc. But it’s the implementation of these actions in an organized, no-wasted-time-or-effort fashion that proves to be the obstacle to success for me. Just this week a number of article titles grabbed my attention through email and twitter offerings. They all had one word in common, “habits”. There are a few different definitions of this word; that which seems to best describe a habit that exercising individuals might want to develop is “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary” from Dictionary.com. Yes, I want to have exercise “habits” that I don’t need to fret over or to make excuses to avoid. I want them to be as easy and automatic as rolling out of bed in the morning. So, I looked over the “habits” promoted in 4 different articles. The titles, authors, and sources are identified below, at the end of this post. In ascending order of number of habits there are 5, 7, 8, and 10 listed beneath each title. Can the bits of wisdom from each be merged into a single list? A short list? I like short lists best because they can be committed to memory and, well, there are fewer life activities that will require changing. Differences and similarities exist within the 4 lists, and all promote the setting of goals. Beyond that, there seems to be a mix of strategies and tactics. What’s the difference? Dictionary.com indicates that a “strategy is a set of choices used to achieve an overall objective whereas tactics are the specific actions used when applying those strategic choices.” The distinction was made by Jeremiah Owyang in an item from web-strategist.com, “… a strategy is done above the shoulders, and tactics are done below the shoulders.” Since organizing thoughts about this topic and preparing a mental plan is harder than performing specific workouts for me, this post will attempt to create a short list of STRATEGIES of successful running/fitness enthusiasts: 1. Set a variety of goals, long and short term, that benefit body AND soul 2. Develop a master training plan to reach each goal, stick with it, and use it to track progress 3. Schedule activities to include: running/walking/exercise, strength & cross training, stretching 4. Plan to train long/slow for endurance and shorter/faster for speed 5. Make rest & recovery as important as activity: sleep, nutrition, hydration, socializing All 5 strategies require using your mind (above your shoulders). It’s still going to be difficult! Finding the physical (below the shoulders) tactics to implement them should be much easier. What do you think? Jason Fitzgerald deserves the most credit in the construction of the Earned Runs list; it most closely follows his recommendations. For more of Fitzgerald's valuable advice in this area, read the entire article. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! “5 Habits of Successful Runners” by Jason Fitzgerald “Make these habits part of your weekly, and you’ll progress as a strong, healthy runner” for MotivRunning https://www.motivrunning.com/runner-training/5-habits-successful-runners/ 1. Set goals and track progress 2. Run fast 2. Run slow 4. Get strong 5. Recover well “7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE RUNNERS” by Mario Fraioli for RunningCompetitor.com http://running.competitor.com/2015/02/training/7-habits-highly-effective-runners_122921 1. Set various goals 2. Enjoy the process 3. Value consistency 4. Run at a few different speeds 5. Take recovery seriously 6. Focus on quality over quantity 7. Recognize their achievements “The 8 Habits of Highly Effective Runners’ by David Dack for Runningblueprint.com http://www.runnersblueprint.com/the-8-habits-of-highly-effective-runners/ 1. Become a morning person 2. Set a variety of goals 3. Warm-up 4. Take care of your body (recover) 5. Strength train 6. Run with others 7. Eat healthy 8. Drink lots of water “10 Habits All Fit People Must Follow” Jennifer Fox for ACTIVE.com https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/10-Must-Have-Habits-All-Fit-People-Follow 1. Keep a schedule 2. Find your tribe 3. Set and celebrate goals 4.Take rest days 5. Record workouts 6. Mix it up 7. Never miss Monday 8. Get Shuteye 9. Eat Breakfast 10. Make it fun http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2013/01/14/the-difference-between-strategy-and-tactics/ http://www.dictionary.com/browse/habit An article by Kevin Gray for Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal.com blog ,"5 Snowshoe Races Walkers Will Enjoy"is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts hoping to make the best use of daylight hours. Last week’s post about The Brightening season suggested runners and walkers follow the lead of some backpackers who want to raise awareness of the increasing amount of daylight the northern hemisphere is experiencing before the official start of Spring on March 20. That awareness should lead us to start planning adventures now, rather than waiting, is their message.
Gray’s article suggests that those who enjoy walking for exercise should try snowshoeing, as it is like walking in the snow. “In fact,” he writes, “a popular saying among snowshoe aficionados is: ‘If you can walk, you can snowshoe’”. However, snow is also a requirement. Some in the upper Midwest and East are currently ‘enjoying’ quite a few more inches of snow on the ground after this past weekend’s system passed though. To help them put a positive spin on weather conditions, Earned Runs wants to highlight one potentially exciting result of all that white stuff. It might be a great opportunity to try snowshoeing! As promised by the title, there are 5 events listed in Gray’s article; one in mid-February and the remaining 4 in March, in upstate New York, Vermont, Alaska, and Colorado. There are other ways to get into this activity. Many parks and nature areas in traditionally snowy regions may have trails. The National Parks are well known recreational spots, but smaller and less famous state, county, and city sites might also be explored. Katherine Rivard posted an article that lists National Parks in Oregon, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, South Dakota, Idaho, Pennsylvania/New Jersey, and Indiana as places in which to snowshoe. There are links to non-federal snowshoe parks in Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Colorado found after a quick internet search. The point is that heavy snowfall in February and March doesn’t need to be completely viewed as a disaster when it comes to fun getaways. With additional minutes of light available each successive day, we can hope to drive an hour or so, enjoy the outdoor exercise and perhaps a meal or snack, and then drive back without turning on the car headlights. Of course, it would be unwise to venture out in the middle of a snow storm, but afterwards when the sun comes out the fun can commence. Admittedly, such adventures may require advance planning. It may be that snowshoeing is something to be arranged for next spring, when late season snow storms tend to discourage outdoor fun. Whether it’s in the upcoming month this year or in 2019, keep snowshoeing in mind as a celebration event for The Brightening season. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/5-snowshoe-races-walkers-will-enjoy https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/7-spots-strap-your-snowshoes ![]() WEEK 5 HALF MARATHON 2018 with ‘SAINTS DAYS 5k&10K Training Plan ST. VALENTINE’S DAY IS WEDNESDAY! The true holiday may be the actual date some of you will be running the first of the two ‘SAINT’S DAYS’ races, the 5K. A personal, custom-designed competition will have allowed this. Most of the organized races are likely to be slated to be run on the weekend. Regardless of circumstance, congratulations on completing training up to this point. If you don’t have a race planned on February 14 or the weekend, but still want to run the 3.1mile distance on this day swap Wednesday’s session with Tuesday. Walkers can swap it with Thursday. It can be a tempo training run/walk or an unofficial speed workout. You will then stick with the plan as it builds up mileage and get in a long slow 6-mile run or 5 mile walk on Saturday. Stretch and roll afterwards and look forward to the next goal in your plan. Hopefully if you have been paying attention to building strength, improving balance, and increasing speed in the last half of your long runs, you will notice a fresher legs, strong finish and faster time. Good luck. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! The July 7, 2017 Earned Runs blog post “SCIENCE FRIDAY: PROTEIN AND EXERCISE" highlighted a position paper issued by the International Society of Sports Nutrition with regard to building lean muscle in healthy exercising individuals.
One of the recommendations for resistance-exercising persons was to take in a ‘dose’ of roughly “20-40 grams of protein in each of 3-4 meals, spaced evenly throughout the day”. In addition, a pre-sleep protein meal of 30 - 40 grams was urged to promote overnight muscle building. It was also deemed important that protein intake should be timed to occur shortly before or after resistance exercise. Included as an author of the ISSN position paper is an exercise scientist and researcher, Paul Arciero of Skidmore University, who has long promoted a healthy living program named “PRISE”. According to a ScienceDaily.com item, the regimen combines consumption of moderate amounts of protein ‘paced’ throughout the day (P), with workouts that include resistance (R), interval (I), stretching (S) and endurance (E) training. Arciero demonstrated in published research that the PRISE protocol was effective in building physical fitness, increasing the percent of lean muscle mass, reducing total and abdominal/visceral fat, and improving blood pressure and metabolic measures of health (decreased blood levels of glucose, insulin, and cholesterol). For those who haven’t yet developed a habit of eating a high-quality protein heavy breakfast Danielle Omar assembles 6 recipes with images in an article “What 30 Grams of Protein at Breakfast Looks Like” for Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal.com. The nutrient composition is provided and calorie count. The selection includes a variety of breakfast styles/tastes: yogurt, omelet, cereal, smoothie, egg and toast combo, and salmon, egg, and toast combo. Each incorporates an anti-oxidant rich veggie or fruit that can be substituted per preference or to change up the daily fare. Omar’s recipe article is a wonderful time-saver. It can be used as a grocery list for a week’s worth of health-smart breakfasts. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.earned-runs.com/blog/science-friday-protein-and-exercise https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170206131349.htm http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/30-grams-protein-looks-like-breakfast THE CDC REPORTS THAT INFLUENZA SEASONS can range from 11 to 20 weeks in duration. Currently the US is in week 10 (as of the most recent CDC update transcript from February 2, 2018). Tracking data has shown activity to be quite high and widespread, across 48 states (only Oregon has a slightly lower level of infection). The Influenza A strain H3N2 continues to dominate, but there are other viruses circulating including Influenza A H1N1 and Influenza B.
Training for a spring race will be considerably set back after a bout of influenza viral illness. Of course, that’s not the worst-case scenario to be imagined, but it’s one that might cause runners and walkers who aren’t taking news reports of the infection seriously to take notice. And to continue to take or boost precautions to prevent becoming ill. The media and public health messages remain the same: get vaccinated, wash your hands, stay home if sick, and cough/sneeze into the crook of your elbow as necessary so as not to spray the virus into the surrounding air. Seek medical care as indicated. The bad news we’ve all heard is that even if you’ve gotten the vaccine, you may still contract the infection. If you’ve been sick in bed with influenza you might feel safe for the remainder of the flu season. Not so. You are susceptible to a second, different, influenza infection. This post is a reminder NOT to let your guard down just yet. For several reasons. The vaccines are not 100% effective against any of the strains. Protection provided by the vaccination immune response should be good for one year, but be aware that antibody levels wane as the months pass by, especially in persons over 65*. Also, the influenza B strain included in the quadrivalent vaccine, B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) virus, is not included in the trivalent vaccine. A World Health Organization report about world-wide influenza activity indicated it “remained high in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere” and that “influenza A accounted still for the majority of influenza detections but influenza B (mostly from the Yamagata lineage) increased in recent weeks.” Thus, if you’ve received the 4-component vaccine you have some ‘B/Yamagata-lineage’ coverage that is likely not 100% effective. With the 3-component vaccine, you’ll have no ‘B/Yamagata-lineage’ coverage, and this infection is currently on the rise. So, be prepared to bring both you’re “A’ and ‘B’ prevention games when it comes to influenza fighting. If you’ve already been down with the ‘A’ flu you must still be vigilant. The extra care will pay off if you remain well and are able to train continuously for that first fun spring race. If you haven’t yet been vaccinated, do it, and opt for the 4-component, quadrivalent vaccine. If you received the trivalent type, a later quadrivalent vaccine is NOT recommended. Also, be sure to get adequate sleep, eat a balanced diet, dress warmly when outdoors, and avoid crowds when possible. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/t0202-flu-update-activity.html https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2017-2018.htm http://www.who.int/influenza/surveillance_monitoring/updates/latest_update_GIP_surveillance/en/ IF YOU WISH to read in-depth vaccination advice approved by the CDC given to health care providers, check out this link: http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_inf.asp *NOTE:" Antibody to inactivated influenza vaccine declines in the months following vaccination. A study conducted during the 2011–12 influenza season (Euro Surveill 2013;18:20388) found a decline in vaccine effectiveness late in influenza season, primarily affecting persons age 65 years and older. While delaying vaccination might permit greater immunity later in the season, deferral could result in missed opportunities to vaccinate, as well as difficulties in vaccinating a large number of people within a more limited time period. Vaccination programs should balance maximizing the likelihood of persistence of vaccine-induced protection through the season with avoiding missed opportunities to vaccinate or vaccinating after influenza virus circulation begins. Revaccination later in the season of people who have already been fully vaccinated is not recommended" http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_inf.asp |
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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