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THE DAY AFTER THE TURKEY TROT Many went out to run or walk a Turkey Trot yesterday, if statistics from past years on finishers accurately predicted the numbers for 2017. Some who ran or walked may not have trained for the annual event. They joined in the fun and got it done, but may be experiencing some soreness today. The runners in the family will know that foam rolling might be able to ease some of the soft tissue tightness and soreness.
Why not pass along your expert knowledge and show those in need how to perform the moves? Organize a group session and have some fun with learning. If there isn’t a roller on the premises, make a run to the local sports store. Maybe there will be Black Friday deals! Below is a post from December 2016, which featured an article that explained the scientific principle behind the practice in easy to understand terms. At the time, and now, I hadn’t been able to identify scientific journal articles on which the explanation is based. This year I located another online item."The Science Behind Foam Rolling" from o2fitnessclubs.com that explains this aspect of foam rolling more completely and in much greater detail. It’s a great piece! The author is not identified and there are no references. But, the item does have the ring of science, reinforces my understanding of muscle as a tissue and explains the role of the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) within in the fascia in muscle relaxation. The point to be taken, per the blog, is that “foam rolling activates the GTO, resulting in release of muscular tension” “It also ‘stirs’ the connective tissue, or fascia, making it more fluid and mobile.” There’s no possibility I could improve on this explanation, Possibly, it was written by a muscle or exercise physiologist. Those who love science will want to read it in full. Without references, it will be passed on for you to read. I’m not an expert in this area; please comment if you are and add to our understanding! RUN HAPPY! http://www.o2fitnessclubs.com/the-science-behind-foam-rolling/ http://www.runningusa.org/thanksgiving-turkey-trot-growth-2017 The Runner’s World article, “The Truth About Foam Rolling. It works but not for the reason you think” by Michael Easter for Men’s Health (it first appeared there), begins by saying that many “believe that foam rolling works by steamrolling your muscles, breaking up scar tissues and lengthening the muscle tissue.” That caught my attention. Guilty. Doug Kechijian, a doctor of physical therapy at Peak Performance in New York City was interviewed by the author in this piece. He explains that foam rolling doesn’t physically alter the muscle, but rather works by signaling to the nervous system that it’s OK to allow tight muscles to relax. I did not see a reference provided for this particular view and could not locate one readily in the scientific literature. However, studies which demonstrated benefits to foam rolling before or after runs or intense workouts are mentioned. If you were waiting for a convincing reason to start rolling, Easter provides easy-to-understand information on the topic that might do the trick. http://www.runnersworld.com/foam-roller/the-truth-about-foam-rolling
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WARM UP AND ENJOY THANKSGIVING DAY Turkey Trotters who haven’t prepared specifically for a Thanksgiving Day race but are confident in their ability to cover the 3.1 miles distance of a 5k might find themselves feeling stiff and achy once the race begins. Especially as they push off after the start signal. Even those who have trained can become stiff as a result of a prolonged lull after dynamic stretching and mobility routines have been accomplished. During the 10-20 + minute wait in the thick of the pack before the race, chilly morning conditions can have an adverse effect on soft tissues. Rather than enjoying a smooth couple of miles, some might be gritting their teeth and enduring the experience.
K. Aleisha Fetters offers a quick routine that can be performed during the pre-race wait that might be of help in warming those cold tissues. “6 Moves That Prime Your Body for a Winter Run. Sidestep joint pain with this simple pre-run routine” that was posted by RunnersWorld.com. Runners and walkers can move through this routine as they exchange greetings with other waiting race participants. Arm rotations, ankle rotations, head rotations, trunk twisters, knee circles, and even leg swings can be accomplished easily. If support is needed, hold onto the handy shoulder of a friend or a street sign- or lamp-post. Repeat the moves a couple times if the wait becomes longer than expected. Enjoy every bit of this Thanksgiving Day tradition! RUN HAPPY! https://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/winter-prep-workout Personally, I find the part of winter after the New Year to be an Inspiring time to establish and work toward fitness goals. I feel very motivated to get it done. There’s not too much going on compared to the socially busy holiday season of Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day.
Therefore, Julia Rachel Malacoff’s article “10 Ways to Stay Motivated to Work Out This Winter” for Fitnessmagazine.com seems made for this upcoming month. Suggestion slides 1-4 and 6-7, and 10 have catchy titles that make you want to read more: stay in bed, embrace the suck, buddy up, get your gear right, switch up your routine, just stay home, and adapt your body to the cold. Slides 5, 8, and 9 grabbed my attention and seemed to be tactics I could use for this purpose: 5) Try out the 5-minute rule 8) Set a big goal 9) Sleep in your workout clothes 5-Minute Rule: “Just get to your workout and if you absolutely do not want to be there after five minutes, give yourself a pass to leave.” I’ve done this to motivate myself to run mid-afternoon on a small indoor track in the dead of winter. I had to cross a snowy wind-swept practice filed between my building on campus within sight of the facility. The snow on the field never seemed to melt and I needed to wear heavy duty boots and carry my running shoes to cross it. One I arrived at the track I absolutely loved the run. This rule could help me now to get to the pool for a cross-training swim session. 8) Set a big goal: ”Having something to work toward can be the key to sticking to a regular workout routine when you're tempted not to. ‘I use winter to choose a goal for the following year’”. This is pure Earned Runs!!! Use an Earned Runs bib as a tangible reminder of your goal; set a date, give the challenge you identified a name, write it on the front, and post it or carry it with you. Devise or borrow a training plan to keep yourself progressing toward your goal. Consider keeping a log to record everyday successes. Check out the STARTER CHECKLIST page on the Earned Runs website if you want additional help. I need a goal for motivation every winter, and this year will be no exception. 9) Sleep in your workout clothes: “If you're an a.m. class superstar, sleep in your workout clothes (sans sports bra!) so you can stay in your warm cozy bed an extra five minutes when that alarm goes off." Ye,s I have done this, rarely, but felt weird about it. Now that I know others might consider it okay, it could work for me regularly, perhaps once a week. Soft pajama-like workout clothes are best for this situation, so the planned early a.m workout needs to have a purpose that will allow this kind of apparel. In the worst of winter I wear an outer pair of wind-breaking pants over soft running tights. Perfect. Maybe the other slides have greater appeal for you than the three I chose. Find a few that you can use this month and beyond to help yourself stay motivated. RUN HAPPY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY G! https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/tips/motivation-exercise-in-winter/ ITB SYNDROME EXERCISES Jason Fitzgerald provides a written explanation of Iliotibial Band Syndrome (also known as ITB Friction Syndrome) and a set of hip strengthening exercises to beat it in his 2015 article for RunningCompetitor.com. “10 Exercises to Treat IT BAND Syndrome” also includes a video clip demonstrating the moves. If some look familiar you may have seen a few of the same exercises on the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons Knee and Hip Conditioning guides, featured in an earlier BLOG post.
The side leg lift and clamshell exercises are two of the most commonly prescribed moves to help with knee problems, acting to strengthen the gluteus medius muscle, so expect to find them on nearly every set of go-to routines for runners. The exercises include: side leg raise, clamshell, hip thrust, side hip bridge, side shuffle, pistol squat, and hip hike. A few extra mobility exercises are also demonstrated in the video: donkey kick, iron cross, and scorpion. A search of the ITB topic will send you to many different sites, but this one piece offers concise information in a single resource from a USTFA-certified coach. For an in depth higher level discussion check out the Medscape article that has a few drawings. The Etiology section can be daunting but the last paragraphs that cover “hip adductor weakness” and “myofascial restrictions and inflexibility” are that causes that Fitzgerald’s exercises and stretches are aimed at fixing. Fitzgerald cautions that his routine is not a full treatment program for ITB Syndrome but that it will probably be able to help most runners with a “mild case of ITBS” get back to running after about 1-2 weeks. If time off and performance of these exercises daily doesn’t seem to help prevent a return of knee or hip pain, seek professional help from a physical therapist. If you aren’t having problems this set of exercises will prevent future issues from developing! RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2015/03/injury-prevention/10-exercises-to-treat-it-band-syndrome_125083 https://www.verywell.com/the-gluteus-medius-muscle-2696374 https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1250716-overview ![]() WEEK OF THE RACE: TURKEY TROT 2017 WITH TRACK DAY 5K Beginner Training Plan starts Monday. This will be a busy week for many non-race related reasons. Enjoy the pre-holiday rush. You may want to stretch, foam roll, and go through the MYRTL mobility routine before the race. These activities can be beneficial in the days leading up to competition as well as after. If nerves leave you unable to relax during that time, their performance can help you “do” something other than just rest. GOOD LUCK RUNNING YOUR RACE! Enjoy the thrill of finishing, the pride of accomplishment, and the confidence of athletic performance. The remainder of the weekend will be spent in recovery. RUN HAPPY! An announcement in the RunningUSA.org update email, coming from Abbott World Marathon Majors, includes exciting new for marathon runners of all ages. The item, “Abbott World Marathon Majors Announces Wanda Age Group Ranking System and Championships,” outlines in detail the age groups and dates and locations of races that will generate qualifiers who will participate in the first World Championships in the spring of 2020. Age groups cover men and women from age 40-80+.
It seems as though the effort has been made possible through the partnership of AbbottWMM and the Dalian Wanda Group that was announced in late April 2017. At that time, the reported result of the deal was to bring three major marathon events to Asia within the next 10 years, according to an item in SportsBusinessDaily.com. One event would be in a “yet-to-be-decided marathon in a first-tier Chinese city.” For those of you not familiar with the AbbottWMM, it “is a Series consisting of six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world”, taking place in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. The best athletes in the world can therefore compete in the series as well as the sport’s global championship events to earn points. The point system allows determination of the “world’s best male and female marathon runners.” When the Series began in 2006 athletes accrued points over a two-year period. In 2015, the format was changed to a one-year cycle; a point system for elite wheelchair athletes was added in 2016. Non-elite runners, called “Everyday Champions” can also receive recognition in the AbbottWMM. Those who complete all races are honored by as “Six Star Finishers”. They receive a certificate and a medal. The medals are a new part of the glory; they were first awarded in 2016. According to an article in running.competitor.com, earning bragging rights to this accomplishment is not easy or inexpensive. “More than 200,000 people run the marathon major races every year, yet in the past 10 years only about 600 people have run them all.” So says David Mark, the inaugural ceremonial male recipient of the medal, from Chicago IL, an Abbott executive. “It’s a pretty exclusive club and I’m excited there is now a medal to mark the accomplishment.” The first female recipient honored with the medal, Barbara Fleming-Owens from Canfield, Ireland, says it cost her roughly $14,000 (10,00 British pounds) in expenses (fees, travel, and gear, etc) over the years she spent qualifying for, then running the marathons. For those interested in qualifying, the RunningUSA.org article has a detailed listing of events in 2018 through 2019. As of November 15, 2017 the first event is Berlin on September 17, 2018. If you're interested in completing a customized world marathon series, Earned Runs bibs can help with that! RUN HAPPY! http://www.runningusa.org/abbott-wmm-age-groups https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Group https://www.worldmarathonmajors.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Marathon_Majors http://running.competitor.com/2016/02/news/the-crown-jewel-of-race-medals-world-marathon-majors-debuts-six-star-finisher-medal_146296 http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Global/Issues/2017/04/27/Marketing-and-Sponsors YOU MAY HAVE AWOKEN EARLY TODAY TO RUN, WALK, OR WORKOUT then headed to work, the grocery store, or mall to prepare for Thanksgiving weekend. Or perhaps your run, walk, or fitness session is planned for the later in the day. RunnersWorld.com featured an article that might help keep you going every day of the upcoming, pre-holiday week.
The ‘coffee nap’, as explained by Isadora Baum in her article for Men’s Health “Coffee Naps Are the Energy-Boosting Hack You Didn’t Know You Needed”, seems perfect for dreary fall days. There’s so much to be done in advance of special celebrations it seems. However, with the sun hanging lower in the sky and the decreased chance it will make an appearance during the hours most are outdoors, there’s may not be enthusiasm for the extra effort of exercise during the holiday rush season. Baum explains that the driving research on which this delightful ‘hack’ is based is 20 years old. That the results are old doesn’t make them more or less relevant today, especially if there’s little potential for harm in a personal trial. The instructions are to drink (or eat) a caffeinated beverage (or food) then snooze for 15-20 minutes in mid-afternoon. Don’t try it near bedtime. Keep the total amount of caffeine consumed not more than 400mg per day. That’s all there is to this 'hack'. Baum explains how the timing is key to experiencing the physiological boost. For those who have the luxury of taking afternoon breaks and can find a quiet place to nap, it might be worth a try. For those who don’t, even closing the eyes and clearing the mind after a caffeinated treat seems to be sufficient, as the research abstract reports, “Naps comprising ‘nonsleep dozing’ were still effective.” Possibly afternoon tea + nap, for my Irish friends, might also be delightfully effective, if the caffeine levels are as high. Thanks go to Baum for bringing this research to our attention! RUN HAPPY! https://www.runnersworld.com/sleep/coffee-naps-energy-boosting-hack “Suppression of sleepiness in drivers: combination of caffeine with a short nap.” Reiner LA, Home JA, Psychophysiology. 1997. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9401427 SCIENTIFIC STUDY NOTE: The UK research study involved measuring sleepiness in 12 (6 men and 6 women) subjects after a “2 hr continuous monotonous afternoon drive in a car simulator”. Subjects were about 23 years old, and did not usually take afternoon naps. To begin with, subjects were initially made “sleepy” (as measured) by a 30 minute “tedious” drive in the car simulator. Next, they were given a decaffeinated coffee beverage at the beginning of a 30-minute break. After the break, they all took the longer 2-hour drive in the simulator. One group consumed decaf to which 200mg caffeine was added and took a less than 15-minute nap while sitting in a driving seat (caffeine + nap). Another group also consumed the decaf + 200mg caffeine beverage but did NOT NAP (caffeine only). A placebo group drank the decaffeinated beverage WITHOUT ADDED CAFFEINE and did NOT NAP. During driving, sleepiness was subjectively recorded every 200 seconds on a 1-9 scale (very alert to very sleepy) and objectively measured by EEG. In addition, the simulator created situations in which the driver had to adjust to road changes while staying in a designated lane. Incidents in which there was “drifting” out of the lane were recorded. The abstract indicated that compared with the placebo (no caffeine/no nap), caffeine alone reduced the peak of afternoon sleepiness in research subjects to 34%, while the caffeine + nap combination “eliminated” the peak and brought sleepiness down to a level of 9%. There are more results, of course, but this is the takeaway message the scientists wanted to provide. AQUABIKE COMPETITION: NO NEED TO RUN to compete or train. Aquabike is not a product. It’s a competition. Think triathlon without the run. This rapidly growing multi-sport event seems to be the refuge of the community of triathletes who find they cannot or don’t want to run.
In addition, the sport provides an opportunity, called ‘race-specific’ training, for athletes to test themselves in the bike and swim sections of a triathlon while saving their running legs for the actual triathlon event. So says Chuck Graziano, who is quoted on the USA Triathlon ‘About’ page which explains the Aquabike competition. Graziano is past chair and current member of the Age Group committee, a USAT Board Member, and an aquabike athlete Older runners are likely to intuitively ‘get’ this sport. Because they are likely to know how difficult it is to train and race faster as they age without incurring injury. Increasing speed means increasing ground reaction forces, especially on the knees. And an article by Ian McMahon for RunningCompetitor.com discusses scientific evidence which indicates running more slowly doesn’t necessarily mean that less impact force will be experienced by the knee. Kathleen Hughes, aged 60, is one such competitor who has discovered Aquabike. In the Wall Street Journal she writes about her motivation to qualify for this event and how she eventually earned the right to wear the official outfit “with my name on the butt" for Team USA. There isn’t much written about this sport that I could find online. The facts, provided by Hughes in her article, explain why we might be seeing more about it; participation in triathlons is decreasing and increasing in aquabike. Running USA has been advising the running industry that, in a similar manner, finishers in road running events continues to decrease. The reasons for declining participation in running events are not known. It’s possible that part of the decline may be due to runners cross-training and ‘cross-competing in sports to preserve their joints and legs to insure a future that includes some running. That seems like a reason in which race directors should find comfort. RUN HAPPY! https://www.wsj.com/articles/forget-triathlons-its-time-for-aquabike-1510542721 https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/About/Multisport/Disciplines/Aquabike https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/USAT-for-Me/Team-USA/Qualification http://running.competitor.com/2016/07/injury-prevention/how-running-surface-and-speed-influence-injury-risk_153528 http://www.runningusa.org/notes-from-the-road-november-2017 https://runnersconnect.net/masters-runners-run-speed-work/ NO SITTING: WIZARDS UNITE Fitness enthusiasts who claim playing the augmented reality (AR) mobile game Pokemon Go helps them get out doors and exercise will have something magical to look forward to next year. That’s according to the official website announcement of “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” (first portion copied below):
“Almost five years ago Niantic launched Ingress, our first augmented reality mobile game, turning real-world streets, neighborhoods and cities into a global game board, and bringing people together in a shared digital reality. The incentives it created for exploration, exercise, and real-world social interaction helped spawn a global community of fans, united by their shared experience, and laid the foundations for Niantic's real-world AR gaming platform. Pokémon GO brought that vision to the world at unprecedented scale and served as a catalyst for the further development of the Niantic Platform. Which brings us to today… We're incredibly excited to announce this next step in the evolution of AR mobile entertainment. With Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players that have been dreaming of becoming real life Wizards will finally get the chance to experience J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. Players will learn spells, explore their real world neighborhoods and cities to discover & fight legendary beasts and team up with others to take down powerful enemies.” An article written by Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch.com, “Niantics Follow-up to Pokemon Go Will be a Harry Potter AR Game Launching in 2018” explains a bit more. Etherington writes that the game was “co-developed by Warner Bros and its new sub brand Portkey Games”. Another related article by Alessio Palumbo for wccftech.com links to the official website and quotes WB Interactive Entertainment’s President David Haddad. “With Portkey Games we are thrilled to answer the fans’ request for more games inspired by JK Rowling’s Wizarding World. We are working with talented creators to build games that focus on player-generated stories, which live alongside the magical universe created by” the renowned author. The wccftech.com article speculates on the kinds of games that will eventually be offered. It contends that an earlier purchase of Avalanche Software by Niantics from Disney, and subsequent new job openings at Avalanche, represents hints that an open world RPG will be forthcoming. I seriously need an education in the world of electronic gaming. As a Harry Potter book series fan who has never played a video game, the idea motivates me to learn and develop some basic skills. From an exercise perspective, if games can be successfully played standing up, this activity may be part of a healthy anti-sitting challenge. What do experienced gamers say? RUN HAPPY! https://nianticlabs.com/blog/wizardsunite/ https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/08/niantics-follow-up-to-pokemon-go-will-be-a-harry-potter-ar-game-launching-in-2018/ https://wccftech.com/harry-potter-games-portkey-games/ https://www.pottermore.com/news/portkey-games-to-release-new-games-inspired-by-jk-rowlings-wizarding-world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality https://lifehacker.com/the-surprising-benefits-of-role-playing-games-and-how-1684582789 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_world https://kotaku.com/5932340/a-whole-new-way-to-play-video-games-standing-up HISTORIC HALF MARATHON VICTORY AT DISNEY!
The item “Female Runner Records Historic Victory at Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon,” highlighted on the RunningUSA.org email newsletter answered a question I had recently been asked. Has a woman been the overall winner in a major race? I didn’t know on the weekend of the NYC marathon last weekend, and wanted to find out. It was difficult to frame the query in an online search. The results identified women who won a variety of competitions, but not specifically whether a woman had placed #1 in an important race that included both genders. Happily, the answer, as of November 5,2017, is “YES!” According to the post, runDisney says a 34-year old Brazilian now holds the honor. Giovanna Martins crossed the finish line of the Wine and Dine 13.1 mile competition with a time of 1:19:16, six seconds before a male runner from the UK. There were more than 10,000 men and women racing the event. The news piece says Martins previously won the women’s division of this race in 2016, and the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2015 and 2017. With this win she is the “only female runner to win four runDisney races at Walt Disney World Resort.” Possibly there is more work to be done by officials to verify Martins’s accomplishment. Hopefully it will stand. What does this mean? There will be many opinions, some pushing a particular perspective or agenda. For all runners, walkers, and competitors in other sports it can mean that just showing up is the first step that needs to be taken if a ‘historic’ victory is to be won. Whether personal or public, the attempt must be made. Regardless of who else shows or does not show. Congratulation to Giovanna Martins for showing up and doing it! How exciting for those present to have witnessed this feat. RUN HAPPY! http://www.runningusa.org/disney-wineanddine-female-winner DON'T TRY #1 ALONE! Samantha Lafave, in “How Fit Are You Really?” presents a list of moves that she indicates will test your fitness level and provide information on areas of weakness that need extra work.
There are many such tests that employ a variety of other moves, but these 5 have been part of fitness center pre-testing I’ve been through before. Each requires strength, flexibility and balance. The very first item, the “seated to standing” assessment, is by far the most difficult, especially for people over 50 years of age. 1) Seated to standing (or Sitting-Rising Test- SRT); no support from hands, arms, knees 2) Overhead squat: perform 3-5 reps 3) Lateral plank: hold 30-45 seconds 4) Full body push-up with 4 and 8 o’clock hand positioning: 3-4 5) Stabilized lunge: 3-5 per leg Lafave doesn’t fully explain that the SRT has been used by some to assess longevity in her short piece. A 2015 USAToday article by Kay Quinn describes the thinking of the medical doctor who developed the test and why performance might help predict life expectancy, “How Long Will You Live? Try the Sitting Rising Test.” The USAToday.com article provides a better description of how the SRT is performed. “The goal is to get down and back up from a sitting position with minimal support. It can be used in all age groups, and results are based on a scale of one to 10. Score three or less and your risk of dying is five times greater over the next 5 years” Re-worded a bit, here are the directions provided in the USAToday.com article: Standing, with shoes off, cross your feet and ease down into a seated position. That’s 5 points. Come back up to full standing position. That’s another 5 points. Subtract a point for each hand, arm, or knee used for support going down and coming back up. Take a half point off any time you lose your balance, again both going down or coming back up. Total your points. The highest possible score is 10. Readers are cautioned, if you have bad knees or hips, don’t risk injury by performing this alone. A spouse, family or friend can help, it advises. When I first performed this test about 3 years ago I was happy because I scored an 8.5. I intended to work to improve that score Now that I have a knee issue, it’s a 7.5. The validity of the claims for this fitness test has been questioned. Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo, MD, PhD, who created the SRT indicated in the article, “not only aerobic fitness is important. You also need other things for your life: strength, flexibility, balance." Perhaps the way safest way to use this test is to assess over time whether or not our score is changing. It can provide motivation to work on areas like balance, flexibility and strength, realizing that aerobic fitness may not accurately predict later functional quality of life. Like weight that creeps up over time, or down in the case of frailty, disability can slowly have an unwelcome effect on our lives. The SRT is a difficult test, try the others offered by Lafave to measure your fitness level, if the SRT results are disheartening. These other tests are also the exercises that you would perform to improve. RUN HAPPY! https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/tips/how-fit-are-you http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/26/sitting-rising-test-life-expectancy-fitness/24076407 http://geriatrictoolkit.missouri.edu/srff/deBrito-Floor-Rise-Mortality-2012..pdfgeriatrictoolkit.missouri.edu/srff/deBrito-Floor-Rise-Mortality-2012..pdf https://skeptoid.com/blog/2015/07/08/sitting-rising-test/ ![]() WEEK 10 TURKEY TROT 2017 WITH TRACK DAY 5K Beginner Training Plan starts Monday. These workouts will be cutting back on mileage and time spent training after 9 straight weeks of ramping up. But you will be running without a scheduled walk break. Try your best not to walk during the 20 and 25 minute run-only sessions Wednesday and Saturday. If you feel the need to slow up, do so briefly. Imagine you are decreasing speed in advance of a water station to grab a cup and take a few swallows. This week will serve as a kind of taper; usually not needed for a shorter distance race like a 5K. This plan was designed with a few extra days of training to accommodate unexpected days off, so that’s why it’s got this cushion. A taper helps you to rest your legs (less mileage/time running) but maintain intensity (run-only sessions), in order to make a’ best’ effort on race day Resist the temptation to cheat by run longer/farther, and accept the taper as a wise tactic. If you have come to rely on a higher level of activity for weight control be aware that you might need to cut back a bit on caloric intake. Take the extra time to prepare for the upcoming holiday. If you are traveling to your Turkey Trot, double check arrangements and start packing, if you haven’t already. Get your costume together if that’s in your race day plans! Enjoy the building excitement that comes with running a goal race. You've earned it. RUN HAPPY! http://greatist.com/fitness/five-tips-perfect-taper ![]() IT’S NOVEMBER. LET’S TALK TURKEY TROTS! Small Business Saturday 2017 is the weekend after Thanksgiving Day, on November 25. According to a Wikipedia entry, the first SBS event was held in Roslindale Village, Massachusetts on the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2010, “sponsored by American Express Corporation, in partnership with the non-profit National Trust for Historic Preservation,” Roslindale Village Main Street, and the mayor of Boston. A November 26, 2016 BLOG post (RUNNING MOJO) encouraged runners and walkers to include running specialty stores on the list of hometown shops they hoped to hit on this day. “These small store owners and their employees must work incredibly hard to meet and beat the challenges of the competition” which makes them very responsive to customers and a great place to find shoes that fit feet and needs. They are as much a part of “Main Street” as the locally-owned independent coffee shop. We shop there because we like the products/services being offered and because we want them to survive into the future. A similar encouragement, “Run Local”, or more appropriately, "TROT LOCAL" might be given for Thanksgiving Thursday, with regard to patronizing local events. Increasing in popularity, "turkey trots" seem to be starting up across the country, making it easy to locate one nearby. Many are organized by small but enthusiastic civic, church, or charity groups, and designed to raise funds that support hometown causes, making Thanksgiving a perfect day to "trot local". You may be under the impression that most races are "local" . It appears that some competitive events might now belong to business empires that concentrate on the endurance sports industry. According to an article from Fortune.com, the Chinese company Dalian Wanda owns WTI… which recently purchased Competitor group (running.competitor.com)... which owns the Rock N Roll Series, and the World Triathlon Corp. (Iron Man Triathlons). The item reports that Wanda also has established a partnership with the World Marathon Majors (WMM) group involved with six worldwide big city marathons in New York City, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. Sir Richard Branson has entered the running market with “Virgin Sports”, adding this entity to the existing 30+ Virgin brands and 58 companies around the world that include casinos and involve space travel. Mary Wittenberg, former president and CEO of the New York Road Runners, which oversees the NYC Marathon, has been engaged to help with the effort as CEO (Chief Exercise Officer). The description of Spartan Race, Inc., on a Bloomberg.com entry says it “organizes a series of obstacle race events. It offers apparel, footwear, sports gear, and sports accessories for men, women, and kids online." Spartan has partnered with Reebok/adidas and NBC. Charity events can be national efforts too, like those that fund research to fight terrible diseases like breast cancer, autism spectrum disorders, and dementia. This discussion is NOT meant to shine a negative light on corporate-owned or franchise competitive events. Consolidation is occurring in many industries. The endurance sport industry is changing with the rest of the world. But if we value having the opportunity to shop at a local village store as well as a big-box warehouse, mega-mall, or online, we must support that business with our business. The same should be understood with regard to local races. It just happens that Thanksgiving may be the PERFECT HOLIDAY to make a point of supporting local events! I’ve listened in when friends and acquaintances discuss their annual participation in a "turkey trot". Many are not runners, and they may not walk regularly for exercise. But they sign up and pay a small-ish registration fee (sometimes just before race time!), put on the t-shirt, and walk together anyway, just because everyone else is having fun doing so. They report feeling stiff, and out of shape and breath. No one seems to mind if a race is not chip-timed or that finisher medals are skipped to save funds for the sponsored charity. This year I cannot RUN a “turkey trot”, but I think I’ll enter and WALK the small town 8K* I ran last year, in which I finished first in my age group. The numbers in my age bracket are small. Because I prepare the big dinner later in the day there’s always a possibility there will be a mini-crisis and participation will be out of the question. But by registering I will have supported the local race and its cause, so that hopefully it will be held next year too, and beyond. I’ll wear my Earned Runs BIB over a distance of 5-8k regardless of the circumstances, as will our near-and-far family members! RUN HAPPY! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Business_Saturday http://www.earned-runs.com/blog/running-mojo8596835 http://fortune.com/2017/09/26/dalian-wanda-china-marathon/ http://www.businessinsider.com/sir-richard-branson-virgin-sport-cycling-running-2015-5 http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/21000156/cool-jobs-sports-mary-wittenberg-virgin-sport-global-ceo https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=215799196 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n%27_Roll_Marathon_Series *Zeeland "8K Before You Eat" http://www.zeelandturkeytrot.com. WALKER TRAINING FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS In her MyFitnessPal.com blog article, “Is Just Walking Enough to Lose Weight and Get in Shape?”, author Jessica Smith answers the questions posed right up front. Regarding weight loss, she indicates that yes, this activity can be helpful “so long as you are creating a calorie deficit.” As far as staying in shape goes, she says walking “is so beneficial that it’s worth adding to a healthy active lifestyle even if you are already a regular, more advanced exerciser.”
in my reading of the piece, Smith makes 2 great points: 1) Regular exercisers who sit most of the day can keep activity within the healthy range, without increasing gym time, by adding moderate-to vigorous intensity level walk breaks. 2) Walkers with weight loss or fitness goals should train to walk; include flexibility and strength work to gain stamina and remain injury-free. (note: it's the same advice that’s given to RUNNERS!) I can imagine that some will read this second piece of advice and think they don’t need to pay attention. Walking is so natural, doing it doesn’t require additional training efforts, right? Wrong. If walking is part of a program designed significantly increase aerobic fitness or decrease weight you’ll be doing it over sufficient distances or periods of time that supporting muscles and soft tissues will be tested. Stiffness can develop with extended or intense walking, just as it does with RUNNING. Poor flexibility can limit joint motion. Weak muscles can contribute to imbalances. Just as with running, pushing the body to move farther and faster will, over time, increase the risk of injury. The bright side of following the advice given in her piece, Smith says, is that it will benefit overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that in addition to 150-300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity per week, “adults should do muscle strengthening activities that are moderate- or high-intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week”. The article includes links to a stretch routine and combination strength and cardio workout with dumb-bells. The two points that were highlighted above from Smith's article might be re-stated: 1) Exercise that is confined to one part of the day may not be sufficient to insure good health; walking can be an easy-to-accomplish cross-training activity. 2) Walkers that train are athletes. Advice that pertains to running or exercising injury-free is the same for walking injury-free; walk like a smart runner. RUN HAPPY! http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/just-walking-enough-lose-weight-get-shape/ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/policies_practices/physical_activity/guidelines.htm http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/30-minute-walking-and-strength-workout/ |
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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