Cait Chock

January 28, 2012

P90X: A Bit Overhyped and Do Runners Actually Do This Thing?

You too may be guilty of letting those annoying, yet oddly entrancing, informercials for the P90X training system run a little longer than you’d like to admit. Though, the same sort of effect does occur when the Shake Weight or Ab Zapper comes on…they pull you in and by the time you realize you’re watching there’s a little bit of drool on the remote.

Back on track here…the P90X training thing looked to me like just another twist on in-home fitness. A trainer looking to be the new Jane Fonda so to speak…only meatier, musclier, and with a bit of the army-esque ‘gggrrr’ appeal. They have the clips of sweat drenched men in cut-off’s busting out burpees and ladies with abs that could grate cheese.

They have to, it is after all aimed to get you to buy into the program. It looked like a combination of weights, plyometrics and core work which isn’t bad…but then again nothing incredibly revolutionary or late-breaking. Just my opinion…really, when it comes to the general public, getting them to do anything on a consistent basis is better than nothing. It also looked like there was an accompanying diet program which would also help explain the stark contrast of before and after pictures.

For the general public, what a lot of their workouts are lacking are:

*Consistency and personal accountability
*Intensity (a leisurely stroll around the block does not a true workout make…you want to get your heart rate up there and keep it there)
*Cardio and strength (many go the either or route, you need both…and it’s possible to combine the two in one workout)

P90X seems to supply that but so does a lot of other training techniques. My thing with it is that it tastes like a gimmick because it’s telling you it’s such a revolutionarily, different training product. That there is nothing else like it or will give you results…that’s not the case.

But how effective would any of this be for distance runners, or serious runners for that matter? Obviously I’d never pick this over actually doing the miles or intervals, but maybe in accompaniment. (A side note, I’m sure P90X isn’t exactly trying to appeal to competitive distance running market, more the masses, but this is a running blog and so I’m at liberty to roll with this one.)

I’d say if you picked and pulled apart different aspects of the P90X and pared it down to what distance runners tend to lack, then it could work. I would just see this as being a bit of a supplement to the training rather than a switch (obviously). I haven’t dissected P90X enough to know exactly which parts may or may not be included in the list below…my point more-so is that finding these elements and including them in any way will help runners if done correctly. And that you don’t need to buy into P90X to be able get these things.

*Plyometrics: These are explosive movements, things you see the sprinters doing a lot; think leaps, bounds, box jumps, high skips…I wrote a bit more on them HERE. The thing with plyometrics is they will build muscle strength which translates to power and speed. You can do this to a degree with really short intervals (like 200′s) but as distance runners we don’t tend to recruit those fast twitch muscle fibers too much…so plyo’s are a nice way to do so.

*Core work and flexibility: Putting in lots of miles tightens up runners and many of us (myself included!) are too lazy to stretch. But it’s hampering us in a few ways; not only setting us up for injuries but also, being tight limits our range of motion. If you can’t get full extension because you’re too tight, that’s not a good thing. With core work, your torso is your powerhouse and there are tons of little, intrinsic muscles that typically get overlooked in strength routines.

*Strength: Runners do tend to not exactly love the strenght work, but having stronger arms will help your running…your legs can only turn over as fast as your arms can pump. Also, building strength helps keep you running with proper form as you tire in addition to the obvious power you pick up from stronger muscles.

*Functional muscle: I don’t tend to think going into the weight room and pounding the dumbbells is the most effective route to go…why build bulk for the sake of bulk? Rather, I think that functional training, where the moves are more dynamic and sports specific is going to do you more favors. So resistance training doesn’t have to be confined to the gym; things like resistance bands could work, medicine balls, kettlebells, even holding weights and mimicking the arm swing motions you do with running. Build muscle that will DO what you want it to when you run; this is different from just getting toned to look good which you can easily do in the weight room.

*Mentality: While I sort of laugh at the army-fied nature, it does come down to pushing yourself HARD enough to get the benefits. If you need a guy yelling at you to pump you up, by all means. Running hard hurts, you have to run hard to run fast…do the math and you get running hurts. Mental training is not to be overlooked and it’s good to continually callous your mind just as you do your body.

Nothing against Tony Horton, I think he’s a smart marketer and that’s what it does take to be successful today. I give him props for helping a lot of people take control and improve their lives…something we do need. (HERE is an article from Competitor that tackles this same kind of question.) I just don’t like the message that it’s completely revolutionary and the ONLY thing that works…like the magic bullet.

There is no magic pill to make you better…it takes consistent, hard work and lots of motivation. That can come in a variety of forms, no person is alike and their training programs will reflect that…it needs to contain some basic elements, but in the end there is no cookie-cutter mold that works for everyone.

1) What do you think about the P90X training system? Do you use it or have you tried it?

2) What are your thoughts on strength, core, and dynamic training for runners? Do you do plyo’s or other methods, and how have they impacted your running?
I think plyo’s really help with building power and speed…but you have to be smart when you do them and at what point you are in the season. Also, core and strength work I know has vast improved many a runner!

3) What’s the ‘best’ or funniest informercial you’ve seen?
Shake weight is looking like the front runner at the moment.

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Tagged as strength training

January 27, 2012

Defining Your ‘It’: Dreaming, Thinking, Setting Goals

What is ‘IT’ to you?

Do you know what you want? Is there an inkling in there? Are you not totally sure that it’s what will make you happy, but it might? Are you afraid to say it…maybe even think it?

Setting our sights on something can be scary…sometimes speaking goals puts too much weight on them. But it still could be worth putting the weight on the words and striving towards ‘It’…striving towards something.

Having a concrete goal and writing it down has proven to be one of the most effective ways of actually achieving something…funny how the a remarkably ‘simple’ act is instrumental in a potentially insurmountable outcome.

Because even if you don’t exactly get to the ‘it’ you originally thought of…getting there is a journey and if your ‘it’ evolves over the trek that’s okay. Redefine it. But still go after it.

Heck, even if you fail…and you might, there are no promises, it’s a risk…at least you tried, right? At least you won’t have to wrestle with the regret of not knowing.

Goals can be scary to share, but the people who DEFINE their ‘it’ and write it down somewhere, even if in secret, are far more likely to continue on that journey towards it. They have better chances of achieving their ‘it’…but even if they don’t, at least they don’t have the regrets of now knowing what ‘could be’ if they never tried.

Define it…Redefine it if you have to…go after IT.

Or is this more your style??

(Hey, even if your ‘it’ for the moment is cake…if it gets you through the workout I call it a win! hehe. Not all goals have to be so HUGE or long term…mini-goals can be set and achieved too!)

1) What’s and ‘it’ you have?

2) Do you write your goals down, or have a little to-do kind of list?
I have way too many lists, mostly because I seem to get lots of ideas in strange/random places and I don’t want to forget about them.

3) Do you bait yourself to finish certain tasks/workouts that will get you headed towards where you want to go?
All about the carrot in front of the horse…works surprisingly well too!

12 Comments

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January 26, 2012

My Adventure in Cryotherapy: The treatment that’s reportedly 4 times better than ice baths (read: FREEZING!!)

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit US Cryotherapy. I’d been hearing a bit about cryotherapy from a few places (ie: Oregon Project Runners getting a Cryosauna and more comically Usain Bolt’s little foot and frostbite situation) and the gist I’d gotten was that it was supposed to be more effective in speeding along muscle recovery than ice baths.

I knew of a few groups of elite runners getting in on the cryotherapy action and they found it beneficial. I mean we all know that Paula Radcliffe and plenty of other pros swear by ice baths immediately after their workouts; the draw of the cryotherapy chambers then, is that you get the same (if not more) benefits in less time. Reportedly the systems are four times more effective than the standard ice bath. So, how is it supposed to work in a few minutes instead of the 10-15 minutes of an ice bath??

It’s FLIPPING FRIGID!!! This is me coming out of the cryotherapy chambers after a bit over 2 1/2 minutes…I was a squealing mess. In fact, you can watch my entire cryotherapy adventure here…

Let me tell you, I was not prepared for how cold it actually was, partially because I tend to tune out when I hear lots of numbers and my temperature estimation is always way off…I feel like it’s cold when it’s under 70.

Fun Facts:
* US Cryotherapy is the only treatment center of it’s kind in the United States. Apparently there are more in Europe but they are just starting to make the trip abroad.
* Temperatures: -76° to-166°F
* Uses: speeds up muscle recovery and decrease inflammation
* How: 4 times colder than an ice bath, it will cause your veins to first constrict then re-open which causes blood to flow back to the treated areas and this leads to cellular repair
* I’d seen the videos of Dathan Ritzenhein going into a cryosauna chamber, so I thought I was going to go into a tube/pod thing with my head sticking out. I went into a room and this one is different in that it’s not gas-powered (liquid nitrogen) but rather, powered by electricity. With the gas you can’t have your head and shoulders being treated, but with the electric it is safe to do so. Also, with the electric chambers the temperature stays constant and is evenly distributed over your entire body versus the jets in the saunas.

Anyways, I went into the main (colder) chamber for 2 minutes (the max is 3 1/2) and afterward they have you do a bit of easy cardio just to get the blood moving again. While it was a ~~punch to the gut~~ shock to the system, I did warm back up pretty quickly and felt fine right after. I’d even say that I felt able to walk around and move again much faster than I’ve felt after any ice bath…you know the post-bath rigimortis shuffle.

Last I went in and tried their localized treatments, here would be what you’d use on small areas experiencing soreness or any issues. (last part of the video) It felt like a hairdryer on my skin but with cold air…not nearly as cold as it felt in the chamber, and this little guy wasn’t even that hard to tolerate. I got it on my left quad and right hip flexor.

How would I say I feel after? Well, I feel fine and nothing starkly different either way; my hip flexor has been stiff/tight on an ongoing basis because of the ellipticaling I’ve been doing, hence the local treatment on it. I’d say the next day it was a little less sore, but there could be a little ‘power of suggestion’ thing going on in my mind. (Update: it’s now three days since and my right hip flexor is a lot less tight; funny, now it’s my left hip flexor, the non-treated side, that’s sore! haha…but that’s pretty usual, aren’t we all sore somewhere all the time when we workout regularly?? So it’s no biggie.)

The thing though, is that I’m not in heavy training and not with a real muscular injury so to speak. That said, I do honestly think that the therapy would be really beneficial if: 1) you go in after a hard workout 2) go in on a consistent basis (I didn’t expect a miracle after one trip) 3) have an acute or ongoing stiffness/soreness/muscle injury to get treated.

The verdict: we all know ice baths work…these chambers are supposed to be even more effective. They are incredibly cold but, the self-induced torture is only a minute or two…even this weather wimp could handle it. An ice bath is 15 minutes of torture AND you’re numb for awhile afterwards…given the option/luxury I’d pick the two minutes with cryotherapy…just saying.

The catch: Like I said, getting access to one is pretty difficult unless you are sponsored by Nike or another big company, or lucky enough to live in the Roseville, CA area. It is also a lot pricier than an ice bath, so it would be an investment. Which, if you’re not loaded with the extra fundage could be tricky and really only take a trip if you’re dealing with a real muscle problem (or one of the other specific injuries this works for) or in serious training mode and want to recover after an especially hard workout/race.

The Wow Factor: I have to say, the whole experience was pretty cool. I felt a little special, even though I’m not, and so props for the ego stroke…I mean it IS the only place in all of the United States after all.

***Thanks to US Cryotherapy as I was given a complimentary treatment.

1) Had you heard anything about this cryotherapy treatment?

2) What are your thoughts, would you want to try it? Do you already use ice baths?

3) Honestly, I know I look like such a doof…but how do you handle -166 degree F??

19 Comments

Filed under injuries, interviews, recovery treatments, Uncategorized

Tagged as injuries, interviews, recovery treatments

January 25, 2012

Superstitions, Stupidstitions, Rituals and Routines…

Do you have any superstitions? Any little routines that you ~~like~~ have to do before a race? Some little secret good luck charms or habits that for whatever reason you do; you probably know on some level they are ‘dumb’ or silly and don’t reeaaally promise a good outcome, but you do it anyways…better safe than sorry, right?

To a degree getting into a routine is a good thing:

* Keeps you organized
* Makes sure you don’t forget something
* Consistency is generally always the best bet in terms of running/workout performance (limit the variables)

So it could be argued that those little pre-race, or workout, ritual/routines DO have some kind of positive effect on the outcome. It’s more just a matter of what they are and how quirky they get. Hey, we all have embarrassing little habits/secrets, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!

Good ‘Normal’ Pre-race/run rituals:

* Starting your warm-up exactly the same time, every time out: this could be for both hard workouts and races…again, consistency
* Doing the same sequence of warm-up drills/strides: after your easy running, do your stretches, drills, and strides in the same order…helps your body know what’s coming and ensures you don’t forget something
* Putting the shoes/bib number/singlet on in the ‘right’ order: okay, here is kind of where we move towards not that important, but if it helps you not forget something…I know some people have to put such-and-such on at just the ‘right’, specific time before they go to the line
* Same pre-run/race foods: okay, the night before you probably want to steer clear of the World’s Hottest Tri-Bean Chili, but the night before isn’t going to make or break you (unless you’re moving into the marathon, plus races) but rather what you eat in the hours leading up to the run or race. Though, I won’t judge if you’ve ‘got’ to have your ritualistic bowl of pasta. You don’t need to feel chained to the SAME pre-run foods but it’s probably a good idea NOT to trying something new on race day.

The Funky ~~Stupidstitions~~ Superstitions:

* Lucky Charms: Okay, I’m not making fun of anyone who has them, because I used to like to race in a certain brand of socks…don’t worry I washed them and cycled through different pairs. (They had funny cartoons on them) Yes, I looked dorky, but I will say though, that going with comfort and socks I knew didn’t give me blisters isn’t totally invalid reasoning…maybe…hehe.
* Last Minute Details: I’ve known people who HAVE to eat exactly THREE pieces of a particular candy snack just before they put their spikes on…there was a girl who liked to listen to the exact same pump-up song during her warm-up…I liked to do one last jump in the air (I probably only cleared about 2 inches) just before the gun went off. These things don’t really impact the outcome, we know that, but it makes us feel secure…mmmmk.
* The Carry-ons: These guys are the ‘lucky’ things hidden away where only you know about them. Think the girl with the stuffed teddy crammed in her sweat bag. It could also be a bracelet or piece of jewelry I guess…these are kind of lucky charms but they have a little more meaning behind them. Maybe that stuffed teddy was given to her by Joan Benoit…you never know???

Also probably not the best pre-run food option.

The thing is, routines and rituals are pretty normal in our sport. Runners do have to have a little bit of OCD in us to get our butts out the door to do the exact same motion day in and out. It’s just a matter of keeping routines in check so that they aren’t on the overly-obsessive side. An example is refusing to adjust your training regardless of how you’re feeling because you feel you HAVE to do XX number of miles/minutes.

That is not going to help you; in training you want to think of the program as the outline…as you go along you define the outline and that could include some erasing and reworking within reason. The same things goes for races, sometimes you have to think on the fly and adjust your pre-race plan. Be flexible…at least just a bit.

1) Do you have any rituals that you like to do? Can be pre-race/run or anything else.

2) Do you generally like things scheduled and organized or are you a more on the fly person?
Depends on what it is I guess…with running and workouts I like a little more order.

3) And superstitions that you know logically have no bearing on the result but you like (or in the past liked) to do?

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January 24, 2012

Running the Numbers: When to Eat High and Low on the Glycemic Index

Is this bagel high or low on the glycemic index? Am I supposed to be eating low glycemic foods or are it the high ones that are better? Wait, what the heck is the glycemic index anyways?

I’m a runner and I love carbs. By now I think we’ve all learned that multi-grain breads are better than the standard white and we should veer towards brown rice over white. But in the flood of ongoing studies and information shoved down our throats it’s sometimes tough to stay up to date on what the latest word is about the stuff that goes in our mouth.

I love exercise because it does make me feel like I have license to chow. The whole ‘if the engine is hot, it’ll burn’ thing, and getting too stressed about what foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ isn’t the best thing…and honestly there are conflicting messages; depending on who you talk to and what you read you could end up wondering if there is actually anything you should be eating!

But let’s be honest, to a certain degree we fitness folks have to be aware because part of running our best is fueling our best. So at least informing ourselves enough to achieve our performance goals IS smart. I like the saying, “Eating for performance.”

The glycemic index then rates our foods depending on the rate of which they are broken down by our body and converted to energy; it works off of a scale of 1 to 100.

High GI foods (rated 70 or more) are broken down the fastest; these are our white breads, cereals, potatoes and starchy goodnesses. Here we also have our sports drinks and foods. Think of these ones as the more processed foods.
* They offer up the fastest form of energy once eaten.
* Times to eat: during a race/workout, just prior to a race/workout (like if it’s the last thing you’re having), RIGHT after your run…within 15-30mins
* RECOVERY WINDOW: I’ll say it again because it’s this important, you want a high GI food along with a protein source within 30 minutes after your workout…miss this window and your recovery rate drops at least 60%

Low GI foods (rated 55 an under) are absorbed more gradually by the body; here are our apples, bananas, old fashioned oats, and beans. These ones are of the unprocessed variety, and usually high fiber.
* Supply gradual, sustained energy
* Keep you fuller for longer
* Times to eat: hours after a workout (post the recovery window you’ll want these guys) and throughout the entire day unless you are actually running or are about to head out

Moderate GI foods are anything in the middle and depending on your workout/running schedule choose from them according to which above category they are headed towards the most.

The bottom line is that the Low GI foods are typically your best bets but it’s important to realize that there ARE times when your body will crave that immediate source of energy. If you’re in a marathon, eating an apple isn’t really going to be doing you the favors you want it to. (and I’d like to see you multi-task that one too! hehe)

I’ve spoken with Krista Austin and in working with Dathan Ritzenhien she shares that before a race he’ll eat just plain, white rice. It gives him the quick shot of energy he’ll need, it’s a low residue food (read as not much fiber which will sit heavy in the stomach) and he knows it won’t cause him any distress. Is it plain? Sure, but he’s not eating it because it will glorify his taste buds…he’s eating for performance.

On that note, once your race or workout is done, then you can tantalize your taste buds all you want…I mean you earned it, right?

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You can read more tips on how to fuel your running in this article I did: Timing Your Fuel
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1) Do you worry about low or high GI foods? Do you try to pick one form of carbs over the other? (ie: whole grain, brown vs. white, etc.)
I do try to stick to whole grains and brown rice/pasta, but I’ll admit to not really keeping track of the GI foods all that well…working on it??

2) Which, if any, things do you ensure to eat to fuel your running best? Or that you eat because you know it’s best for your body?
Over the years I’ve gotten a lot better at upping my protein, I love eggs, cottage cheese, and shrimp the most. The carby’s I never had a problem with.

3) Thankfully when you are busting your butt you still carry that license to indulge a little more, what’s your top pick? Or, because in heavy mileage it’s sometimes straight up necessary to go for calorie dense foods (hello, Bill Rodgers eating mayo-covered pizza…it worked for him!) how do you pound the cal’s?
Said it a million times, but go to pick for treats are Pop-tarts and Ben & Jerry’s pints…there, said it again.

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January 22, 2012

Some Running Motivation…

For the next time you feel like skipping your workout.

Yes, you may or may not harbor Olympic aspirations, but all of us have our goals that we are striving towards…stay the course!

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If you’re a fan of mine on Facebook you already got a sneak peek of this poster! So if you’re not liking me yet, you’re missing out. (Sorry for the overt plug…haha)
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1) Did you have a run/workout today? A race? A rest day (which is also part of a training program if it’s what you need!)?

2) What’s one of your favorite motivational quotes, mantra’s, or things you say to yourself when things get tough?

13 Comments

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Tagged as art, motivation, running

January 22, 2012

Running Stereotypes…Are You guilty of Some?

Running stereotypes…the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let’s hear them and I’ll even go so far as to own up to the ones I’m guilty of.

1) Wearing sweats or workout gear like they are ‘normal’ clothes.
(I do want it to be known I DO own ‘normal people clothes’ and have been known to actually wear them!)

2) Having far too much of your income being spent on food.
Guilty…I go through sleeves of bagels and english muffins.

Really any carb for that matter...

3) Talking about GI issues like they are regular conversational topics.
What, you don’t all discuss the less than stellar pit-stop points on a particular route over lunch too? Also, love this poster that was up on SkinnyRunner:

4) You can tell how experienced a runner is by what they are wearing.
*Frosh year of high school: boys wearing boxer shorts and long basketball shorts
*Soph year: boy ditches boxers but still clings to longer shorts
*Jr year: boy caves to short shorts but swears on his life he’ll never don running tights
*Sr year: boy is wearing running tights

5) Runners are secretly constantly comparing their times/paces to the ones they hear any celebrity doing. They either laugh or respect the celebrity accordingly.
Totally guilty! I read that Jennifer Aniston said she runs on the treadmill at 6mph (10 min/pace) and I knew I could take her. I later read that Ryan Reynolds ran a 3:50 marathon and was impressed, I mean not too shabby for an actor. This was around the time he was dating Scarlett Johansen and she was seen running in the Vibrams…I disliked her even more. (PS-I just outed myself as a celeb rag reader…opps!)

6) Runners will have odd tan lines.
Guilty of the watch and sock tan at times…watch one comes with the territory.

7) A person running on the street is just asking to have some idiot shout at them from cars or have random items thrown at them.
FALLACY!!! Don’t get me started, I’ve had a half-ful water-bottle hit me and my mom got a mini-pumpkin to the throat one Halloween…not funny.

Anyone who runs obviously is training for a marathon.
Bwahaha…I love how disappointed people get when they find out I’ve not run a marathon and they look at me like I’m not a real runner and parading around trying to be one. I thing the marathon is awesome (duh, I was a little Oly Trials obsessed) but it’s not the ONLY event! hehe

9) All runners love pasta.
I actually don’t…call me a weirdo but I’m not a big Italian food fan unless it starts with a P and ends with an -Izza…OR it’s garlic bread.

10) Fast runners wear sunglasses.
Hit an miss, but I will say that Kara Goucher was rocking the shades at the Trials.

That’s it for today folks! I’d also like to give a shout out to Fabs @FabianBuchheimon Twitter for giving me some ideas!

Have to keep it short, but I’m working on some fun new surprises here, so stay tuned! Also, if you haven’t checked it out, I’ve got an article up on Competitor about treadmill training…fun workout ideas and tips on how to maximize your indoor runs!

Questions for you runners!

1) What are some running stereotypes and are you guilty of them?

2) Have you ever had something thrown at you while running?

3) Worst mistake you’ve ever made in opting for running attire?

4) Are you a big pasta fan? If not, what’s your favorite kind of food and do you have a night before race dinner like to have?
Mexican food…maybe the burritos give me a little more get-up and go.

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January 21, 2012

Jenny Simpson: No Matter How Many Times You Watch the Video it’s STILL Inspiring

The marathon has been taking up a lot of the spotlight as of yet, but we can’t forget that the rest of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials are still ahead of us! So, 26.2′er, stop hogging the spotlight, and let the other events get some love already!

As a whole American Distance running is in a resurgence era…hallelujah! Among one of the big milestones was Jenny Simpson’s (nee Barringer) 1500 meter Gold at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. Quick reminder to those who aren’t aware, but it was not since 1984 that a woman took a Gold in ANY distance event at either the Olympics or the World Championships.

Competitor has a great article on all Simpson had to overcome just to get there; a quick recap includes a promising 2009 followed by sicknesses, injuries, and a whole lot of races where she felt like she wasn’t able to really show her true level of fitness. As anyone knows, the highs and lows are running can make or break an athlete, but she cross-trained and persevered. She also credits Deena Kastor’s Olympic Bronze for the marathon and 2008 Beijing roommate Shalane Flanagan, and her 10k Olympic Bronze, as huge inspirations…I think I would too.

At one of her lowest points, I love how Jenny’s husband was able to offer up some tough love and state the truth point blank. “Instead of him putting his arm around me and comforting me and telling me, ‘Oh, it’s going to be OK,’ he just looked at me straight in the face and said, ‘You have a lot of work to do. And we don’t have time for this.’ And that was just perfect,” admits Simpson.
(Photo Credit Photorun.net)
Source
Funny how an outside observer may think that as being cruel, but those who ‘get it’ have to appreciate the man…some situations really suck, you are entitled to a little venting, but after that you can choose to wallow or get proactive. Nice to see Jenny chose the latter and the proof is in the Daegu Gold.

Jenny Simpson’s got some big indoor meets coming up, including a 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix as well as a 1500m at the Millrose Games. A nice recap of an interview she did is HERE, and in it she talks about goals for the upcoming year (including a repeated medal showing at the Olympics). But prior to the trials she takes aim at the breathtaking time Mary Slaney ran in 1980 at another Millrose 1500m…4:00.08 which was the world record at the time. “I don’t know if I’m in a place to say what sort of shape I’m in… but her record is something that all of us aspire (to)”

(Photo Credit Lincoln Dorsey)

Bear with me a moment, let’s take a stroll down memory track…I met Jenny waaaay back when we were in high school for one of the outdoor championship races. It was a mile, now I don’t think anyone could PAY me enough to race a mile…but I’ll break my usual rule of not posting pictures of myself (shield your eyes) because it’s just too funny not to. People, feel free to tell me that socks that high are totally dorky, but in my defense they were my ‘lucky’ ones. That said, Jenny was a fierce competitor then and has obviously only continued to capitalize on that.

Back on track…I don’t think saying anything more would do the motivation factor any justice; instead, please take a look yet again back at Jenny Simpson’s World Championships Gold Medal run. The genuine shock and joy at the end are too priceless even by Hallmark Standards.

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Thank you all for the great comments regarding yesterday’s post about the Nike+ FuelBand. I wanted to also give a shout out to Paul Merca, as on his blog he talks about it more in detail, and has some more information about the product…it also looks like he’s going to be taking it for a pre-release test run; I’m interested to see/hear how that goes! Check it out!
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1) Are you a big track nerd and follow the races and results? Or do you find some of this cool when you happen to read it and find these athletes inspiring? Or, do you really not care if you don’t know them?

2) Have you seen the video of Jenny Simpson finishing prior to this? Did you watch it on repeat a few times and did it get you itching to go blast a killer workout?

3) What are your thoughts regarding the comeback in American distance running? Do you think it has the trickle down effect to us mere mortals? Do you feel that seeing our elites finally giving the East Africans a run for their money inspiring for YOU to reach for higher goals yourself?

8 Comments

Filed under motivation, running

Tagged as motivation, running

January 19, 2012

Nike FuelBand – New Calorie Counting Gadget on Track for Competitive Runners?

Nike just came out with a new FuelBand; the guise is that you wear it all day and it’s supposed to track how many calories you burn. You can then adjust how many calories you want to take in each day; they say you set a goal and try to hit it.

Source
Good in theory, whether you’re trying to maintain, lose, or gain weight (genius from a marketing standpoint, I mean any kind of weight-related gadget in America is certain to be gobbled up). I remember the BodyBug came out a few years back with the same sort of gist.

Now, running burns a ton of calories, and depending on how much you train you could easily expend upwards of 1,000 calories after a single run. But it’s kind of a catch here because depending on the person (and the level that they run at, for lack of a better way to phrase it) they come at the whole running and calorie burn rate vs. intake and diet issues two different ways.

Bear with me; you take a gangly high schooler running cross country, new to the sport, maybe putting in 20 miles a week but with their metabolism can’t seem to keep the weight on. If it’s the first time they are getting really active they may not even have a clear idea that while they THINK they’re eating a ton they need to find ways to get in more calories…think liquid calories, like chocolate milk or sports drinks post-run, and eating more calorie dense foods.

Another case would be the obvious dieter; they see running as their best bet to burn calories, but in their mind it’s a little skewed. They run three miles and, if they aren’t really informed, they envision that they burned 1,000 calories and go to town on the Oreos. Here’s a case where using the excuse ‘I worked out today so can indulge’ took on unrealistic proportions.

Case three is the runner who’s logging 70 miles a week and in training. Now, each day they do run different workouts and mileage totals; the question becomes, do you try and finagle and adjust how many calories you eat depending on what you ran that day? (ie: less on an easy 7-miler, a little more on a day with 9 miles and a tempo in there, more on the 16 mile long run) OR, is that just over-thinking the matter and the athlete should just eat about the same every day and let the law of averages take over?

Last one; we have the person running 50 miles a week, still new to the sport and sets a goal to run a half-marathon. The catch is that this person used to be on the whole diet bandwagon and retains a bit of the mentality that they have to ‘be careful’ and watch what they eat. Their training volume goes up but they still ‘think’ of themselves as the out of shape dieter. Workouts start to feel tougher and they are struggling along…they need a clear visual that tells them they are not eating enough and that’s why they feel sluggish. Here is a case where I could see these calorie trackers coming in handy, more-so as a wake-up call.

In the end, it makes me wonder if all of this calorie knowledge is a good thing or just overcomplicating it.

* Pro: We’re a nation struggling with obesity, so obviously I’d say the majority does need to get a better grasp on how much they need to be taking in depending on their output.

* Con: I’ve done a lot of those supposed calorie trackers online and the number of calories they say I need to eat to just maintain are ridiculously low. They make me feel like a fatty. I’m sure they may be closer for other people, but just saying…

* Pro: Adequate knowledge is a good thing; if you’re training you should be smart about proper fueling habits and I could see the NikeFuel helping with that.

* Con: Obsessedo…I don’t need to go into too much detail and I’m sure we can all see that getting too wrapped up in the numbers can lead to too much knowledge becoming a bad thing.

So I toss it to you guys, what do you think about the NikeFuel and related calorie trackers? How scientific do we need to get with this all?

1) Do you do any calorie tracking things online or elsewhere? Are they ever even close to what you think you actually do/should be eating depending on your activity level?

2) Of all the cases above and in life, who do you think would benefit the most from these tools? The least?

3) Would you use the Nike Fuel or something similar?

4) How do you try and balance input/output…do you just flipping eat?

12 Comments

Filed under nutrition, running gear

Tagged as nutrition, running gear

January 19, 2012

Farleks Aren’t Just For Workouts – Surging in Races to Break Your Competition

Fartleking. The term probably calls to mind particular workouts, but fartleking isn’t something you do just in workouts. If you watched the US Olympic Marathon Trials and took a look at the splits the women were running (or watched any of the post-race interviews) you’d see that their miles were kind of all over the place. They opened up over 6 for the first mile, then ping-ponged around the mid-5′s throughout; they were farleking.

Why is there farleking in a race? Well, a race can be run for two reasons: to get a fast time or go for the win. The latter is a strategic race and typically seen in the big time races where titles and top three finishing slots are more important than the eventual time. Fartleking, or throwing surges in, is one tactic to break your competition.

Getting back to last weekend’s marathon, Amy Hastings surged to the lead after mile 18 because she knew that it was down to four runners and if she dropped the pace she could potentially drop one of the women, or at least develop a gap. Mentally, getting a gap on your competition can sometimes be enough to beat them before the finish line. Getting gapped or being stuck in ‘no man’s land’ is difficult and can sometimes be the nail in the coffin for a racer.

Hastings wasn’t able to gap the other women because they responded and were just stronger on that day; but that doesn’t mean that throwing surges in late in the race isn’t a smart strategy. Another reason is because fartleking a race is not the ‘easy’ way to get a fast time and it’s tough on the body. Your body runs best (and your PR’s will usually come from) running even paces; when you drastically swing from a fast pace to a markedly slower one your body never is able to get into a real rhythm. If a runner isn’t used to fartleking, it’s even harder for them to keep pace or hang on; the advantage goes to the one putting in the surges.

The lesson? If you’re able to train your body to fartlek, or surge, in a race and hold it together you can use it to your advantage to try and break your competition.

How? Do it in practice; get yourself used to varied paces. There are TONS of different ways to fartlek outside of the traditional one minute hard/one minute easy formula.

Try this – Finish Fast 800′s Workout:

* Warm-up
* 6-8 x 800 meters – Run the intervals comfortably hard through 600 meters but then for the last 200 REALLY pick it up and hammer to the end
* 400 meter easy recovery jog between each one and finish with a cool-down

Another Variation – Slow/Fast 800′s:

* Warm-up
* 6-8 x 800 meters – But alternate the pace of each 400 – The first 400 done at what you’d do a tempo run at or just slightly slower, the second one done at about 3k pace
* 400 meter recovery between and cool-down

*** To make this one more advanced do the 800′s continuous for 4 miles, starting with the ‘slow’ 400; the focus is to really pop those hard 400′s but still keep the’slow’ 400′s faster than an easy/medium effort…even the ‘slow’ 400′s start to get tough by the end!

Finally, Greg McMillan did a great artlcie for Running Times on the ‘Move and Match’ kind of fartlek workout. Here is an example of having a team or training partner to help add unpredictability to a workout, simulating what would happen in a race.

The bottom line is breaking your competition is all a part of racing, one way to do that is to throw in a surge, or multiple surges. You do it right and you could put a gap on them, break them mentally, or at least tire them out. If you’re used to surging you’ll be better able to handle it and keep the race in your control.

1) Do you do farlek workouts?

2) Do you do farleks or surging in races?

3) Have you tried varying the pace of standard interval workouts like in the examples above? Getting used to finishing an interval even faster is a good habit to keep in mind.

4) What do you tend to think about during your hard workouts?
I try to remember to stay relaxed, drop my arms, and stay smooth. If I’m running with someone I like to be right behind them and I just stare right at their back and try not to let any distance get between us.

6 Comments

Filed under intervals, race tips, races, running, tips, workouts

Tagged as intervals, race tips, races, running, tips, workouts