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REMEMBERING THE 1918 MILITARY RELAY. The Boston Athletic Association’s #PassTheBaton campaign encouraging and recognizing acts of service and altruism will pay tribute to the 1918 Marathon in which batons were passed between military relay teams on race day.
To commemorate the century anniversary of this relay “the B.A.A has selected 16 people with ties to the five branches of the US Military and to the eight cities and towns” through which the race is run, “to pass a baton during the 2018 Boston Marathon” in the #PassTheBaton Challenge. The names are provided with links to more information on the organization’s “Year of Service” page. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO THE BOSTON MARATHON was not run in the traditional manner, but as a military relay race. The Great War was being fought overseas and America had become involved in the conflict. Congress had agreed to President Woodrow Wilson’s request to declare war against Germany, with the resolution signed on April 6, 1917. Troops arrived in France in late June, became the American Expeditionary Force on July 5, and first entered combat October 21, 2017. They joined with British, French, Canadian, and Australian forces against the German Empire. In January of 1918 Wilson had put forth a plan for world peace, the Fourteen Points. In March of that year, Russia had withdrawn from participating in the fighting. Later in March and extending into April, Germany had begun a series of last-ditch spring offensives. Great Britain’s Royal Air Force was founded April 1, 1918. Because the Marathon was still a men-only competition, it must have been a daunting prospect to assemble a field of healthy athletes who were not serving in various military branches. From a public relations perspective, it would have been difficult to honor participants who were not assisting with the nation’s new war effort. Canadian men had won the Boston Marathon as early as 1898, and 6 more times before 1918. Other internationals had run the race in previous years as well. The worldwide conflict known then as The Great War plus the dangers of Atlantic Ocean crossings would have stopped participation. The country's and world's attention was perhaps not on marathon running. The B.A.A. description of the 1918 event is described below: “Due to American involvement in World War I, the traditional Patriots’ Day race underwent a temporary change of format. A 10-man military relay race was contested on the course, and one of the teams from Camp Devens in Ayer, Massachusetts, bested the field in 2:24:53. 1. Camp Devens Divisional Team 2:24:53 2. 302nd Infantry, Camp Devens 2:28:10 3. Boston Navy Yard 2:28:45 4. 301st Signal Battalion, Camp Devens.2:29:14 5. Naval Cadet School 2:29:23 6. 304th Infantry, Camp Devens 2:32:20 7. Bumkin Island 2:37:20 8. U. S. N. Radio School 2:44:26" The 5th anniversary of the 2013 terrorist bombing incident will also be recognized. Members of the running community have been asked to “Pass the Baton” forward with “acts of kindness to those who serve others” during the Year of Service campaign. With this effort, race organizers wished to bring people together, to highlight and thank all who serve our country, and others, especially the Boston community, who came together in solidarity after the tragedy. “From military to law enforcement personnel; firefighters to doctors, nurses, and EMTs, and our own thousands of Boston marathon volunteers” indicates the B.A.A. Knowledge that the 122nd race is commemorating other historical years makes watching* it even more special. It will be a delight to celebrate such a unique competition. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *The schedule of race start-times for Monday, April 16 does not identify a separate start for the relay teams. Perhaps closer to the race there will be more information available. http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/firstworldwar/index-1918.html https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-u-s-troops-arrive-in-france http://www.american-historama.org/1913-1928-ww1-prohibition-era/us-entry-into-ww1.htm http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/race-summaries/1916-1920.aspx http://www.baa.org/news-and-press/news-listing/2018/april/boston-athletic-association-begins-passthebaton-challenge.aspx http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/event-information/year-of-service.aspx https://www.history.com/topics/boston-marathon-bombingswww.history.com/topics/boston-marathon-bombings
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WEEK 13 HALF MARATHON 2018 TRAINING PLAN STARTS Your long run is at the distance that some half marathon plans stop:12 miles. In my first half marathon, called because of terrible weather including downpours of cold rain, thunder, lightening, hail, and high winds, I overheard runners next to me in the starting chute talking about this. On their longest training run they had covered only 12 miles as instructed by thoer trainer. I don’t know their finish time or in what physical condition they were at the race’s end. You will be continuing the next week to reach 13 miles and then tapering for several weeks. If you wish to make it 13.1 miles, for mental training, that’s great. You can shorten the taper, as needed, by one week and skip week 15 depending on your race date. Be sure to warm-up and cool-down appropriately on the long runs. You will have the best chance of reaching race day in good shape, ready to compete if you take the time to prepare for and recover from the effort. From the past Friday’s post (4/6/18) on heat therapy, it was learned the pre-treatment before exercise might help with recovery by protecting the muscle and promoting adaptation to training. You might wish to warm up a bit before long runs, especially since the weather has been unseasonable cold in the northern portions of North America and Europe lately! As indicated in the post, research has not yet lead to recommendations on heat therapy details. Applying heat for a limited time at a safe temp to insure safety and comfort seems wise, about 16 hours before exercise. RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
EASY TRAVEL TOILETRY STORAGE! A VISIT TO THE ‘TRAVEL SIZE’ SECTION OF THE DRUGSTORE WAS NECESSARY nearly every time I went away for a few days’ trip in which I planned to travel light. Only a carry-on piece of luggage when flying to a destination and an overnight bag for land-based trips was to go with me.
The travel sizes were purchased because most of the time it was a pain to prepare little bottles of various items like face moisturizer or sunscreen myself. Usually stray, small-size shampoo and conditioner had been collected from previous hotel stays so there was no need to purchase them. Still, to cram all that into a quart-size bag was not easy for getting past airport security. There’s hardly a need to explain any further. Travel size toiletry preparation is a challenge for many. That’s why I was so excited when I ran across a ‘hack’ in a women’s magazine several months ago that seemed to solve at least some of the problems in this area. I was in a salon, so I don’t have the magazine at home and did not think to write down the reference at the time so as to give credit where it is due. Sorry! Here’s the trick: USE CONTACT LENS CASES to store supplies of items that won’t require huge volumes for the length of stay. For me, this is facial creams including sunblock, and tooth paste. Initially, I thought the small containers would not hold sufficient product, but I was WRONG! Using these mini travel aids saved space in my quart-size re-sealable plastic bags for other items like travel-size hair finisher and foundation, which by comparison contain larger amounts of product. The contact lens cases won’t work for all transportable toiletries, but give it a try for some. I store these items in my gym bag as well now. There is even enough space to take a single application of hair conditioner for apres-swimming. Another bonus is that the travel product tends not to be wasted. In larger refillable travel bottles, there’s a bit that cannot be retrieved. Or there’s so much in a bottle it never gets completely used. Contact lens cases store just the right amount and it’s completely accessible with a finger, cotton swab, or toothbrush swipe. My husband no longer complains about being out of those small tubes of toothpaste when he packs at the last minute for a short trip. We just squirt a bit into the little containers. Now that destination competitions are approaching, this life ‘hack’ may lessen the inconvenience of getting ready and concerns of not leaving essential items behind. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! DON’T GET RID OF THAT HEATING PAD. Cold therapy has routinely been recommended for the treatment of acute and post-exercise recovery. Movie scenes and commercials will show athletes with large ice packs taped around knees, calves, or elbows, and sitting in tubes of water in which ice cubes are floating.
Icing after a particularly hard and long run was my go-to routine to avoid injury until I learned that foam rolling before and after a tough session worked as well, if not better for me. Sitting in ice water is so uncomfortable that I believe most of these scenes can’t be using real ice but plastic faux cubes instead. Who could deliver script lines or act while undergoing this cryo- “torture”? Thus, when email notification arrived of the publication of a study about heat therapy, I was eager to read the full article. “Turning Up the Heat: An Evaluation of the Evidence for Heating to Promote Exercise Recovery, Muscle Rehabilitation and Adaption,” was written by Australian investigators Hamish McGorm, Llion Roberts, Jeff Coombes, and Jonathan Peake. Historically, the authors indicated, heat has been used to treat musculoskeletal injuries. Many of us are familiar with the explanation that heat increases blood flow to an injured area and cold reduces it. However, the article explained that more recently heat is being considered as a pre-conditioning tool to reduce the risk of injury, enhance adaptation to training in the recovery process, and ultimately improve performance. Thus, heat as a treatment might be administered at various times: after muscle injury in rehabilitation, and before, after and possibly during training or performance. That heat was being used as a pretreatment to decrease injury risk and aid in recovery after exercise was new to me. In my own interest, I hoped this review would reveal details on how best to use heat for this purpose and to guide rehabilitation. I had spent enough time recovering from injury this past year that the prospect of additional help with both healing and prevention was exciting. The researchers set out to examine the body of scientific literature regarding heat therapy in order to categorize the different types of therapy, methods of application, study protocols, and results. With this information, they sought to explain the scientific rationale for and “summarize and evaluate the effects of heat therapy BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER muscle injury, immobilization, and strength training”. To begin, the types of studies (animal and human for example), equipment used to measure heat (immersion/whirlpools, pads/sheets/blankets, microwave diathermy, and chambers), and timing (before, after, during exercise) were reviewed. This task revealed how challenging it was to compare the studies, because there was so much variability between them; even the temperature values used to define “hot” or “warm” differed! Next, the results of animal then human studies were outlined, briefly summarized below in the note, for those who want more detail. Animal studies showed benefits with heat pre-treatment and post-treatment (after injury or immobilization). Human studies showed benefits with pre-treatment under certain conditions of timing and heat intensity. The human studies assessing post- treatment couldn’t be summarized because of the lack of similarity between the investigative methods. The researchers felt that the effects of heat treatment during activity, in both animals and humans, required further well-designed studies. Lastly the science behind the results was discussed. The findings in the studies, the authors explained, suggest that heat produces protective effects, like reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which lessen muscle injury and atrophy and the performance losses that follow. It promotes muscle regeneration through mechanisms that activate cells and proteins, and upregulate genes involved in muscle synthesis and hypertrophy while downregulating genes that would lead to atrophy and fibrosis, described in detail in the article. The authors indicate that a few conclusions could be drawn based on their review. It appeared that for muscle to benefit from heat treatment the temperature increase must be to approximately 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Also, it seemed that for pre-treatment to offer advantages over treatment immediately before the exercise, the timing needed to be at least 16 hours before exercise. Lastly, they felt heat application during exercise might also be beneficial, but gave no details. What to take from this article? That we may be hearing more about heat pre-treatment from trainers, coaches, and scientific journals for the purpose of injury prevention, and strength training and performance enhancement, and post-treatment for injured limbs immobilized in slings, splints, and casts. That research has yet to be performed that will work out the details as to exactly how and when to use heat for different purposes and sports. And that it’s just possible we’ll ‘need’ to make time for injury-prevention-sessions that involve sitting in a hot tub or warming with a heated blanket rather than stretching, rolling, and performing MYRTLs. My mother’s remedy for just about everything had been to put a heating pad on the hurting site. Occasionally old-fashioned remedies are eventually proven to be truly effective and based on scientific principles. Perhaps heat therapy falls into this category of medical ‘discoveries’ and the heating pad should be retrieved from the bottom of the first-aid drawer. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-018-0876-6 NOTE: In animals: Pre-heating- evidence suggests pre-treatment before injury or unloading (suspension of a limb) activates tissue processes that “help to restrict atrophy and facilitate regeneration of skeletal muscle.” Post-heating: studies reveal that it “expedites muscle repair/inflammation” after injury and “restores muscle mass following immobilization”. This treatment may assist with recovery after intense exercise or following musculoskeletal injuries that requires prolonged rest or restricted physical activity. During experimental treatment- Further research tightly controlled research is needed. In humans: Pre-heating- benefits were variable, possibly related to the timing of heat application. The best results (less soreness and improved range of motion) were seen when pre-treatment occurred 16 hours or more before exercise and generated high core and/or muscle temperatures. Post-heating- the mix of different exercise protocols used in the studies make it difficult to summarize the effects of this treatment. During experimental treatment- Further research tightly controlled research is needed. "Key Points: -Animal and human trials have shown that various forms of heating can be used in conjunction with exercise or stress to enhance recovery, adaptation and limit muscle atrophy. -Heating muscle activates protective mechanisms, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, and stimulates genes and proteins involved in muscle atrophy. -Further studies highlighting the differences between various heating modalities will help inform athletes and coaches on the best heating practices for specific situations" CLASSIC & SWISS BALL PLANKS Sara Angle, in “The Forearm Plank Exercise Is the Core Move You Shouldn’t Skip”, explains why the classic plank, with the upper body resting on and held up by the forearms, and hips/legs held up by the balls of the feet is such a good basic exercise. Angle’s article for SHAPE.com includes a description of how to properly perform it as well as a video demonstration.
The piece references a May 2011 scientific poster presentation abstract (a formal full article was not published). The abstract results reported that “activation of the abdominal and lumbar muscles was greatest during the exercises that required activation of the deltoid and gluteal muscles”. The example provided was of the forearm plank variations that “required over two times the average activity of the rectus abdominus, external abdominal oblique, and lumbar erector spinae compared to traditional trunk flexion and extension exercise”. [Acefitness.org provides images which show these muscle groups if you're not familiar with core muscle anatomy.] For those who find their wrists cannot accommodate the necessary prone movements and loading while performing floor exercises on a mat, a forearm plank on a Swiss ball might be less stressful and thus somewhat ‘easier’. Elizabeth Quinn provides discussion and an image that demonstrates the move in a piece for Verywellfit.com, “How to Perform a Swiss Ball Forearm Plank”. To qualify this statement about ball planks being ‘easier’, the wrists will be spared on the ball but the overall abdominal muscle work will be increased. I like the Swiss ball variation. For the sake of time, it’s is simpler to increase the difficulty and keep the duration of the plank hold the same but on the ball. For a really strenuous session, add movement. Purposely wiggle the ball from side to side. OUCH. It feels so good. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/forearm-plank-exercise-benefits-variations https://www.verywellfit.com/plank-on-a-balance-ball-3120023 https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/resource-center/exam-preparation-blog/3562/muscles-of-the-core https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2011/05001/Core_Exercises_That_Incorporate_Distal_Trunk.1155.aspx THIS WAS THE HEADLINE on the Boston Athletic Association's news release page of its website December 11, 2017. “John Hancock today announced its strongest U.S. Elite Team since its principal sponsorship began in 1986.” The 15-member SUPER TEAM was recruited by the sponsor to challenge an “accomplished international field” of top runners on the third Monday in April 2018. The U.S. WOMEN’S side will include:
U.S. MEN runners will feature:
The BAA.org article lists each runner and provides information and credentials that explain each person’s inclusion as an elite. The international runners are impressive as well and will be featured in an upcoming post. On the topic of elite U.S. marathoners, Shalane Flanagan deserves further mention. She has words of advice for all who will be watching her that day who also seek to achieve top performance, in “Eight Life Lessons from One of America’s Best Marathoners”, written by Brad Stulberg for Medium.com. While I am not in the position to critique the wisdom of her words with regard to top performance, I can tell you what thoughts crept into my non-elite mind while reading the lessons laid down by Flanagan as important. Trust Your Training:
If you've never been caught up in the excitement of this race, as perhaps in the Olympics, maybe this year is the best one to try. Plan ahead to view on TV or by live streaming. After all the winter storms, the people of New England should be in the mood for non-snowy excitement. The crowd is sure to be eager to cheer for and witness a spectacular performance . There will be many strong competitors from the USA and other countries trusting in their training and going all out for a victory. Just as in the Ancient Olympics, winners are tradionally crowned with a wreath of laurel branches. Follow the Earned Runs blog for more Boston Marathon-related posts leading up to April 16. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://www.baa.org/news-and-press/news-listing/2017/december/john-hancock-announces-2018-boston-marathon-us-elite-field.aspx https://medium.com/personal-growth/eight-life-lessons-from-one-of-americas-best-marathoners-ed286f87633b https://houseappeal.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/an-olympic-emblem-the-glory-of-the-laurel-leaf/ RUNNERS AND WALKERS WHO HOPE TO find a new, easy-to-master, outdoor sport activity that is relatively high in intensity, but spares legs from the usual continuous movement, are in luck. The hot trend that began in the early 2000’s in Alaska and the states of the southwestern USA utilizes bicycles with “massively oversized tires”. Kraig Becker wrote a piece. “The Skinny on Fat Bikes” by for Healthyway.com that likely introduced the fat tire bicycle to many who had not seen them on paths or trails. The name so aptly describes these distinctive cycling machines that there will be no difficulty in recognizing them. They have big, wide (most are 3.75-5” in width), heavily treaded tires, thick wheel rims, and a study frame with wider forks, features that experts say increases their weight, slows them down, and makes maneuverability a bit more difficult. Because they can maintain traction on “unstable surfaces” like mud, snow, and sand, the tires can be purposely underinflated to enhance traction and increase energy expenditure. The section headings in the Becker piece tell how the structure of fat tire bikes translate to a different riding experience, compared with traditional cycles: - Not Built for Speed - Beginner Friendly - All Season Riding - It’s a Great Workout Some articles, including Becker’s, allude to the higher calorie burning ability for riders especially on surfaces that are not flat and smooth. However, I’ve not yet located a scientific article that provides such information. The claim of 1000+ calories per hour burn might be a testimonial. However, bicycling as an activity is associated with exercise intensity level, as measured in METs (Metabolic Equivalents) from level 4.0 (leisure bicycling) to 16 (competitive mountain biking uphill). Fat tire biking intensity will probably fall somewhere in between those MET values and depend on the type of surface and incline of the route. I bought one a week ago, desperate to find a new way to get around in the chilly windy March weather that threatened snow almost daily. I had used a borrowed youth mountain bike before and wanted something more stable and fun. A way to maintain and hopefully improve fitness while enjoying harsh spring conditions and even the snow-covered paths next winter. I read Selene Yeager’s article “6 Ways Fat Biking Makes You Fitter” and I was sold. Yeager’s discussion hit all the buttons with regard to finding “fresh challenges”, “fat blasting”, and building “muscular endurance” that flipped the thrill switch for me. There aren’t too many of my exercise activities that are safe and yet can be described as thrilling. Okay, this is the only one. These bikes are not inexpensive, and I had to budget for this luxury purchase of $1100. It was an end of the season sale. Other pieces of sport equipment like stand-up paddleboards, stationary cycles, and electric bikes can be more expensive, as can gym memberships. Running is described as costing only the price of a pair of good shoes, but can lead to many more expenditures. It’s a tough budget decision. Monday, April 2, I used the fat tire bike to get in 30 minutes of high intensity interval work + 20 minutes of warm-up/cooldown effort for my personal “April Fools, No Fooling 50” event. At that moment, my purchase decision seemed wise. I was thrilled. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: one MET is defined as 1kcal/kg/hour and is roughly equivalent to the energy cost of sitting quietly. Running at a pace of a 10- minute mile requires 9.8 METs. https://www.healthyway.com/content/the-skinny-on-fat-bikes/ https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/bicycling https://www.bicycling.com/training/winter-cycling/6-ways-fat-biking-makes-you-fitter by JDTaken Jan 9, 2011. The Spirit of the Marathon Sculpture, Our Daily Challenge Standing at the mile one marker of the Boston Marathon, the statue celebrates the achievement in 1946 of famed Greek marathoner Stylianos Kyriakides. Kyriakides narrowly escaped execution during the Nazi occupation of Greece and hadn’t run in six years when he came to Boston. Emaciated from the lack of food in war-torn Greece, he ran against advice of doctors, winning the race in a mythic performance. https://flic.kr/p/98UpoP EARNED RUNS IS CRAZY ABOUT THIS MARATHON RUNNING EVENT, held this year on Monday April 16, and thinks the more you know about the Boston Marathon the more likely you are to become a fan of this elite running competition. Therefore, the topic of most of this week’s blogs will highlight the race. The hype is NOT about the city. It’s about running heritage and the race itself.
Some people don’t follow horse-racing but throw a party and very much enjoy the race in May. The same goes for those who aren’t football fans but join in the fun surrounding the Super Bowl. Major League Baseball’s World Series and ice hockey’s Stanley Cup are other sport championship finals that attract non-fans. Land lubbers who have never been sailing get excited about the America’s Cup competition. Final episodes of the series season lure larger number of television watchers at the end of the season. Big events, involving the best of the best, attract attention! To catch the excitement and be able to enjoy another sport ‘championship’ read on to learn how it all started. BOSTON MARATHON HISTORY The official Boston Athletic Association (B.A. A.) website provides a history of the Boston Marathon, which it has sponsored since it’s very first running. The page explains that “after experiencing the spirit and majesty “ of the marathon run at the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, “B.A.A. member and inaugural US Olympic Team Manager John Graham was inspired to organize and conduct a marathon in the Boston area.“ According to a Wikipedia entry, the “Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon”, and has been “held every year since 1897 to celebrate Patriots Day, a holiday marking the beginning of the American Revolution, thereby purposely linking Athenian and American struggle for democracy” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon Timeanddate.com explains that “Patriot's Day (or Patriots' Day) commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, which were fought near Boston in 1775”, on the third Monday of April. It’s an official state holiday in the states of Massachusetts and Maine. The entry cautions readers not to confuse it “with Patriot Day, held on September 11 to mark the anniversary of terrorist attacks in the USA in 2001.” http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/patriots-day Boston Marathon History that you may not know: - The race’s distance was not always 26 miles 385 feet! The first modern Olympic marathon course covered 24 .5 miles and the Boston Marathon covered 24.8 miles. The official marathon distance was standardized by 1924. - The first year in which women were officially allowed to run was 1972. However, one ran and finished the full race without a bib number for 3 years, 1966-68, and one ran and finished but did not identify herself as a female in 1967. Read the page to learn their names and more about women in this race. - This was the FIRST marathon to include a WHEELCHAIR DIVISION, in 1975. http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history.aspx Other Race Milestones http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/boston-marathon-milestones.aspx (Updated; first presented in 2017) Watch for other posts in the next two weeks! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! 12 Fast Facts About the Boston Marathon by Kristan Dietz for Competitor.com March 20, 2018 /2018/03/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-fast-facts_163513#II8YK15H5DoC2ZSf.o3 WEEK 12 HALF MARATHON 2018 TRAINING PLAN STARTS
Your long run is into double digits this week! Can you believe yourself? Wow! This calls for a celebration AND A FOAM ROLL. You might start to consider performing an abbreviated rolling session on the areas that tend to bother you BEFORE running, and a full session afterward. You can foam roll the next day as well, if still feeling a bit sore. Congratulations for all the progress made this far. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! See RESOURCES page for FOAM ROLLING links, including "5 Minute Warm-up With A Foam Roller " by Shane Barnard for Under Armor's MyFitnessPal.com. http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/5-minute-warmup-foam-roller/ THE CDC ISSUED ITS WEEKLY REPORT MARCH 23, 2018 which indicated that this year’s influenza season is not over. Just as storm after storm swept across the country and transformed into multiple nor’easters, the viral infections causing ‘flu may be coming in two waves. The information was based on data collected during week 11 ending March 17, 2018. Jamie Ducharme of TIME.com reported on the CDC weekly summary information.
That is the bad news. There’s also good news. The first wave, caused by influenza A (H3N2) was partly powered by the lowered effectiveness of the annual immunization against that particular strain, at about 25%. This second wave is caused by Influenza B (mostly of Yamagata lineage), against which this year’s ‘flu shot’ is about 42% effective! As we were reminded earlier, even if after receiving the vaccination you become ill with influenza, the severity will be lessened if you’ve been immunized. The number of positive specimens is decreasing overall. Deaths are still being reported and remain above the seasonal baseline. Influenza-related hospitalizations are also still above baseline in persons 65+ years of age; the age groups 50-64 years and 0-4 years are next in highest hospitalizations, but the graph shows much lower rates that for the 65+ group. Hopefully this is the last health bulletin to urge runners, walkers, and other fitness enthusiasts to be vigilant in washing hands and lining up for vaccinations. It’s still not too late. It would be a very disheartening Spring season to have suffered through all the snowstorms and cold, driving rain and, just as the weather improved, get very sick. All your training in preparation for an event could be wiped out if you were wiped out by the ‘flu. If traveling for Spring Break, increase precautions, especially if flying. There are still 17 states in which the infection was reported as widespread. You can check the CDC weekly site for all graphs, and there are maps showing activity state by state. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/summary.htm http://time.com/5216990/influenza-b-flu-season-2018/ OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) OF THE KNEE IS INCREASING IN INCIDENCE, according to a scientific study that compared autopsy findings in early ancestors, pre-industrial age, and post-industrial age skeletons. It’s roughly doubled in persons who were born after World War II compared with those who were born before it writes Alex Hutchinson, who reported on the August 2017 study From Harvard University, for RunnersWorld.com.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) article that described the research postulated that although a longer life and increasingly heavier bodies may have contributed to the development of this condition, there are likely other factors that explain the increase. It could be related to the harder surfaces modern folks walk around on, or the fact that women, who are 50% more likely to develop OA than men, have taken to wearing high-heeled shoes more often. But the researchers also suspect that physical INACTIVITY may be at fault as well. “Less physically active individuals who load their joints less develop thinner cartilage with lower proteoglycan content as well as weaker muscles responsible for protecting joints by stabilizing them and limiting joint reaction forces”. Chronic inflammation, which is made worse by physical inactivity, diets rich in highly refined carbohydrates, and obesity were also identified as possible culprits promoting the development of OA in modern life. This all sounds familiar. If less activity contributes to obesity then it seems we have a central issue, too little physical exercise, from which at least 2 other problem conditions arise. The Hutchinson RW article makes a point of declaring that running doesn’t cause OA but on the contrary, too little of this activity might be the problem. However, he cautions that in spite of doing all the “right” things, runners still get arthritis, so more research work is needed. WHAT IF YOU HAVE OSTEOARTRITIS OF THE KNEE? What to do to not make it worse? What to do to stay physically active? I looked for more specific advice to help with selection of daily activities; practical recommendations. It happens that an October 2013 “Men’s Health Watch” article from Harvard Health Publishing addresses the difficulty of staying or becoming more active while living with OA of the knee., “Arthritic Knees: Exercise can help, but don’t overdo It”. Although written about 3-4 years before the newer 2017 research article was published, it is one of the few that attempts to provide direction. “Do you have knee osteoarthritis and want to be more active with less pain? It turns out that the best medicine for wear-and-tear knee but you have to stick with it to get the benefit – even if it hurts a little.” So says orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Donald T Reilly, from Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who is quoted in the article. It’s important, Dr. Reilly also says, to do “low-level, repetitive exercise without stressing the joint too much”, which will allow you to “gradually strengthen and stabilize the joint”. “Those kinds of exercises diminish the forces that are put across the joint”. Those with severe OA may be able to do less than individuals in which the condition is mild-to-moderate, who can “work the joint a bit harder”. There will be a bit of testing to find the boundaries of what can be attempted. Exercises that involve deeply bending the knee may be off limits for some. Alternative straight-leg exercises are encouraged, though! The article discusses getting started with conditioning exercise. There is the usual caution of checking with your physician and working with a qualified physical therapist. This can be the big hurdle that some are unwilling to get over, because it takes time to schedule and make these medical appointments. But it is the surest path to obtaining a custom exercise/stretching prescription and demonstration of technique. Several therapy visits will allow tweaking of the program so it works without supervision. Ask your PT for recommendations to local trainers or fitness centers where conditioning and exercising can continue when medical coverage for PT sessions expires. The article ends with an exercise, the “alphabet tracing routine” for “strengthening muscles that support and stabilize the knee”. It’s not a complicated or difficult set of moves and can be done lying on the floor while watching TV, in bed before getting out, or on the beach! Learning this one convenient, love-your-knee exercise is worth the read! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/arthritic-knees-exercise-can-help-but-dont-overdo-it https://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/knee-arthritis-has-doubled-and-its-not-because-of-running http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/114/35/9332.full.pdf USING THE NEW FORMULAS TO DEFINE YOUR INDIVIDUAL RANGE, OR NOT.
There have been Earned Runs blog posts recently about the unseen, hidden benefits of high intensity exercise with regard to improved immunity and decreased risk of dementia. One of the articles discussed, based on research in which data was collected more than 4 decades, measured exercise intensity using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale. Exercising participants subjectively described the degree of difficulty of a cycle ergometer session effort with an expression like “very light”, “very hard”, or “very, very hard", that corresponded to a number on the Borg RPE scale (likely the original 0-21 scale). The Borg RPE scale, the original or one of its two revisions, has been used successfully in many research studies. Runners and other exercising athletes are likely to have used a mental version of this RPE scale. Trainers and coaches might refer to this practice as running or training by “feel” to distinguish it from efforts more objectively measured by monitoring one’s own heart rate Because the intensity level at which exercise is performed is increasingly seen as key to obtaining health benefits, like weight, and blood pressure and glucose management, how do we know we are at the correct level to achieve a specific outcome? How do we know we are working hard enough, or not overly harder than what we ‘perceive’ is in the needed range? Is a heart rate monitor required? Probably not. However, if checking your individual perception of effort against a heart rate monitor will help build confidence by taking away uncertainty, go for it. Use the Borg RPE scale to describe the subjective difficulty of a session and at that time record a heart rate monitor reading. Check that reading against a target heart rate range of 65-85% effort. After that exercise by feel, checking against a heart rate monitor reading only intermittently. An article by Paige Waehner, “How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate Using the Karvonen Formula” for verywellfit.com helps with that process. Waehner describes the popular and simple Karvonen method of calculating Maximum Heart Rate (MHR): 220 beats per minute - minus your age. The MHR is the number from which different intensity levels are derived, by multiplying it times the desired percent effort level. The values for 65%-85% effort by age are likely to be posted on exercise equipment in your fitness center. Thus, 200 bpm would be the MHR of a 20-year old person (130-170 bpm range), 175 bpm of a 45-year old (114-149 bpm range), and 150 bpm of a 70-year old, (98-128 bpm range) not taking into account fitness level or gender. This method is now thought to be inaccurate. Waeher explains in detail how to calculate MHR based on your individual resting heart rate by using UPDATED formulas for men [206.9 – (0.67 x age) ] and women [206 – (0.88 x age)], which adjust for gender, resting heart rate, and age, and then how to calculate the rate for your 65-85% intensity level range. Waehner doesn’t list a reference for the updated women’s formula. Tara Parker-Pope discusses the research that generated the re-calibrations for both men and women in a 2010 nytimes.com WELL blog. In Parker-Pope’s piece she identified the lead researcher at Northwestern University in Chicago as the source of the new women’s formula, Dr. Martha Gulati. The original publication in the journal Circulation was located by Earned Runs; see the very last section “Clinical Perspective” for explanation of the new formula. The specific source of the men’s formula was not provided in either piece although the work of University of Colorado researchers was mentioned by Parker Pope. Do you fear doing the math involved in determining intensity level by heart rate? The parting message from the NYT WELL blog might be for you. “Everyone kind of has their own natural pace”, expert Dr. Tim Church is quoted as saying. Keeping track of a number may distract some from sticking with an exercise program that’s enjoyable, so skip it and work as hard or little, and as long as you wish. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.verywellfit.com/karvonen-formula-1229753 https://insights.ovid.com/medicine-science-sports/masis/1973/00/520/perceived-exertion/17/00005756 https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/recalibrated-formula-eases-womens-workouts http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2010/06/heartrate.html (news release) http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/122/2/130.long (go to very last section “Clinical Perspective”) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20585008 (abstract) THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EVENTS IN LATE MARCH & EARLY APRIL that present opportunities for using Earned Runs bibs. Ways in which an exercise session can become part of an annual celebration and a chance to have fun in a unique manner. Solo or with others. Here’s another that’s coming up in less than a week*.
April 1 is the official date for April Fool’s Day, but because it falls on a Sunday in 2018, which happens to be the Easter holiday, Earned Runs is ‘moving it’ to Monday, April 2. No fooling. There’s enough fun and good times to be had on Easter. No need to complicate matters. Besides, Monday’s are not known as being days infused with intense ambition or high energy. Adding a bit of craziness might be the trick to getting a run, walk, bike, swim, or fitness session completed that might have been skipped. One of the most wonderful aspects of having Earned Runs bibs to motivate fitness is that self-designed events don’t need to be scheduled weeks or months in advance. You can wake up, on a Monday morning for example, and decide to semi-formally declare your participation in an event, one custom-made to fit your schedule, location, and budget. If it turns out to be memorable or fun, it can be repeated year after year. More planning can be put into the next year’s observation, especially if others are involved, to make it a better fitness or social experience. Maybe April Fool’s Day will become the kick-off to your spring season each year. No bibs? REQUEST a set today. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! [April 2, 2018 (Earned Runs is celebrating it on Monday, NOT Sunday) APRIL FOOL’S DAY No Fooling, In It to WIN it 50! (any distance) Demonstrate that you’re no fool. Get out today and test your resolve not to be silly about health. Run, walk, swim, or exercise a seriously happy 50 MINUTES.] *You can find other suggested spring events on a LIST posted the on RESOURCES page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day MYRTLS REMINDER: IF YOU ARE INCREASING YOUR MILEAGE for half marathon training, or just because the weather is better (sometimes anyway), and if you are NOT doing MYRTLs prior to your longer runs, this reminder is for you. MYRTLs, and stretching and foam rolling as well, can help you survive and ENJOY these runs. Even if not running or walking distances, consider performing MYRTLs daily, as it can be important to joint health maintenance.
There will be a post about osteoarthritis of the knee on Friday that discusses how physical inactivity may play a role in the development of this condition. Today’s post reminds you that not only do muscles need a warm-up, but joints as well. Myrtl’s will help “warm-up” the hip joints. The slang term, “myrtl”, comes from the idea that performing the exercises in this routine will increase the motion/mobility of your "hip girdle" (joints that make up the hip).. A trainer explained the reasoning behind performing these movements before working out to me long ago. He indicated that “imbibition” of synovial fluid by cartilage and other joint soft tissue is initiated when joints are moved. The repetitive movement and pressure forces the fluid into these tissues. I’ve not yet located a reference that covers this topic that I can easily understand to share. From my medical training, though, I know that synovial fluid provides the only source of hydration and nourishment for cartilage. It is not perfused by blood flowing through capillaries. Which happens to be why healthy cartilage appears white rather than reddish in color like other living tissues of the body. To explain this process in the not-so-medical way I’ve taught myself, the ‘pumping’ action of the MYRTLS movements helps force fluid into the joint tissues such that they ‘plump up’, allowing improved cushioning and movement. Thus, it's better to start running, walking and exercising with the body’s natural version of ‘gel inserts’ after performing MYRTLS than with thin, dried out tissues! Newer scientific work has improved knowledge of how the joints stay healthy; for more information, read the article “How Does Physical Activity Preserve Lubricated Joints?” by Charles Q. Choi, for InsideScience.com, a publication of the American Institute of Physics. The RESOURCES page has the links to the MYRTLs video demonstration by the Wolf Creek Track Club Coach Brandon Wise and Coach Jay Johnson’s tutorial that can be accessed anytime. If you HAVE BEEN DOING MYRTLs, now's a good time to check your form and make sure you are doing them correctly! MYRTLs Routine Inside Nike Running™Coach Jay Johnson Flexibility http://www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf MYRTLs video demonstration by Wolf Creek Track Club USATF Registered Coach Brandon Wise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmHjMCN0nx0 RUN HAPPY! https://www.insidescience.org/news/how-does-physical-activity-preserve-lubricated-joints https://ac.els-cdn.com/0898122189900436/1-s2.0-0898122189900436-main.pdf FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1968 (the year that the Detroit Tigers won the World Series), all the major league baseball teams will have their initial game of the season on March 29!
“All 30 teams will begin play on the same day in 2018, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday” The New York Times reported in an article by Victor Mather in September 2017. It happens to be the earliest starting day in history, according to the news piece. Which means a few hosting teams with outdoor stadiums will be dealing with cool or cold weather: Detroit, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and New York (Mets). It’s a great opportunity for baseball fans to host or participate in an ‘historic’ event of their own, using Earned Runs Bibs. “MLB Opening Day Mash-Up”, is featured on a list of events suggested by Earned Runs (see the Event description below in italics). Of course, only half the teams will be playing at their own field, so another possibility is to wait for the home opener on a later date. It’s called a “mash-up” because everyone can be invited to do whatever distance or effort, whenever a run or walk or bike ride works for their schedule but be united in the purpose of welcoming the start of the 2018 MLB season. The point is to commemorate the annual happening with a shared physical activity experience rather than just gathering to watch the game on TV. Make it a reason to obtain healthy exercise. Record it as having taken place on your bib. If you don’t have tickets to the game or can’t travel to the park, make the best of the day in this way. No bibs? Request a set today. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: 2018 will be the Detroit Tigers 50TH ANNIVERSARY of being the World Champions; fans can check out the team’s website to find information about planned activities. March 29, 2018 (or later for first 2018 HOME game openers) MLB OPENING DAY MASH-UP (any distance) If you’re a runner who also loves major league baseball, mark the start of the season with a personal race, run, or walk using Earned Runs Bibs. Create an annual ‘ceremony’ to solemnize your team’s run at a championship this year with your own GOOD LUCK send-off effort. If your start time is prior to when the first pitch is thrown in a night game, you can head to the favorite local team hangout afterward. Or if it’s an afternoon game, set the distance and start time to coincide with everyone’s lunch breaks. Each person can run or walk the distance that fits their schedule, but make a point to wear gear and meet up to watch the game https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/sports/baseball/mlb-opening-day-schedule.html |
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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