Running in a winter wonderland.
THE INSPIRATION MUSCLE
Kristin Armstrong
Hills are an interesting challenge. We know we have the strength and the experience to get through the climb, so it isn't a physical thing as much as it is mental. Looking at something hard looming ahead is a daunting exercise in any capacity, running or not. I have friends and acquaintances right now who are looking at hills: a move with their family, a cancer diagnosis, an ADD diagnosis, a child with an incurable disease, a job change, a divorce, adjusting to a new baby, longing for a new baby and not having one, and many others. The incline ahead is steep and unyielding. So how do we prepare? Running hills gives us some clues. First, we relax. Hard to do, but essential. We cannot make any assessments from a state of panic. Then we remind ourselves and each other that we have strength for climbing. Then we breathe, ideally deeply. Then we begin. We lift our legs and pump our arms and go at our own pace. This is incredibly important. It's so easy to lose heart on a hill when we compare ourselves to those around us. We waste energy by taking our focus off the goal, which is of course, going through the finish, not to it. Some people attack a hill, others run steady. Some have a mantra, others need a clear head. It's good to know what kind of climber you are, the middle of a hill is not a good time to mess with definitions or change tactics. When we practice enough by running hills, we develop our own rhythms and strategies. The same with life's hills, the smaller ones make us fit for the biggies, and we can maintain our same rhythm. The more we practice, the fitter we become and the less we fear.
MY TUNES - click song title to listen -
Supercharge your runs with 
these three beauties...
Divine Brown
Lady GaGa
Rihanna
BREAKING THROUGH A WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU Coach Jenny Hadfield
I’m 42 years old and have been running now for about four months. In that time, I've lost 40 pounds. I’m running four miles five times a week at about 10-minutes-per-mile. I still need to lose another 30 pounds or so, and I’m wondering: Should I concentrate more on improving on my distance at the same pace? Or on improving my per-mile times, running faster, to lose that last bit of weight? - Danny
Hi, Danny, and congratulations on your new running career and the weight loss. It sounds like you are on a great program and your body has adapted to it well. But with adaptation comes a reduction in the calories burned, because your body is more efficient. The quickest way to move beyond your weight loss plateau is to mix things up a bit so your body has no idea what's coming next. You'll burn more calories, boost your metabolism and keep shedding the pounds!
Here are a few ideas to spice up your program and improve your running performance:
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Add a half-mile to one of your runs during the week. Run 4.5 miles once per week for two to three weeks and then add another half mile. Continue to increase your mileage by a half-mile until you reach 6 miles. Running slower and longer will burn more calories and fat and build your endurance. -
Once per week run at a harder effort. Warm up with one mile at an easy pace. Run 2 minutes at a comfortably hard pace where you can hear your breathing (but not gasping for air) and are just outside your running comfort zone and then follow with 2 minutes of easy running or walking to catch your breath. Repeat this for 2 miles and then finish by running 1 mile easy to cool down. You'll improve your speed and stamina and burn a ton of calories too!
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Add two strength workouts on alternate days (e.g., Monday and Thursday) and include eight to 10 total body strength exercises. You can perform the strength exercises after your short, easy runs. Strength is like putting money in your savings account. You won't burn a ton of calories during the workout, but over the long run, you'll increase your lean muscle tissue and it will work for you even at rest. Not to mention, you'll lose inches and look leaner.
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Consider tracking your calories for a few weeks. There is a free online fuel log called Fitday.com where you can plug in your foods and workouts and track calories "in" versus calories "out." Like your finances, it will highlight how many calories you're consuming against the number of calories you burn and quickly illustrate where you need to cut or modify to lose those last few pounds.
Happy Trails,
DEAR JOHN: LETTERS TO THE PENGUIN
NOT BUILT TO RUN
Dear John:
I'm young, generally in shape, and I love running. However, it seems like I injure myself all the time! The other day, after not running for a week or so, I went out on a very easy run. Within a mile, my shins were killing me if I went faster than what felt like a crawl. I try to be smart about my training, and take care of myself, but these injuries seem to keep coming up.
I don't even like to think about this as an option, but is there such a thing as someone just not built to run? I've heard people say this, but I thought it was just an excuse. Is this a myth, or should I find a new sport? - Mira
Hi Mira,
I’ve never met anyone who was not built to run. I’ve met people who were not built to run far. I’ve met people who were not built to run fast. But, we are running animals. We run to get food. We run to avoid becoming some other animal's food. Our bodies are built to run.
Very often the problem isn’t with our bodies, but with our emotions, our psyches, or our egos. When you write that your shins hurt when you went “faster than what felt like a crawl” it tells me that you’re running faster than your body can handle. For now.
It always surprises people when they finally learn how slowly they have to run in order to be a better runner. None of us get it when we start out. We all think that we have to run fast in order to call ourselves runners. But, the truth is, the better a runner you are, the more you understand that running – any running, fast or slow – is what makes you a runner.
My guess is that you’ll need to start with a mix of running and walking until your body adjusts to the stresses that running puts on it. You can walk for a few minutes, run for a minute or so, and repeat. Little by little you can change the balance between running and walking. You may find that eventually you’ll be able to run as much as you’d like.
Waddle on,
John
Waddle on,
John “the Penguin” Bingham
Runner’s World columnist
Author,
RUNNING MEMORIES FROM 2008
For me, the most memorable thing from 2008 was ‘inspiration’. I’ve always ridden my bike to work in the summer – April to November every year (over 25 years) as many days as I could every week. So I’ve never been too badly out of shape. But when I started running last November, every time I ran I had problems with my legs knotting up or my back seizing up. Even as late as April, I couldn’t run very far without issues. It was a little discouraging because I’ve always felt like a bit of an athlete.
But I looked around me and was inspired. Most of the runners in the T2F Running Club just starting exercising last year and learned how to suck up the pain (or stretch enough not to get the pain). So I started to go for a walk before running – most of the time it was to Heather’s house to bum a ride (carpooling is good) – it has really helped.
As a biker, I was always a loner - now I’m part of a group with purpose. Everyone probably has their own purpose for running but everyone has purpose - and that’s inspiring.
Some other memorable things from 2008 happened at the races I attended: caring and friendship. For example, at the Tely 10, teammates running together and some even holding hands crossing the finish line. At the Challenge Cup, everyone out rooting for their teammate that day, as well as everyone else. At the Turkey Tea, making sure our teammates were all in before we left the finish. All of these things showed what real teams are all about: caring.
I got involved in running to spend more time with my two younger sisters. I only saw them at birthdays, Christmas, when they visited and the like. It’s been great to see them more often but I also found a whole new group of friends.
Where do I begin. This year has given me some very memorable moments. From the beginning of training this year where I felt like I could run all day... to the heartbreak that hit me at my disappointing run at this years' Tely 10.
But I think that my defining moment this year was when I decided to take up "Running" again with the group. Each time I go out I feel that once again, maybe I too, will be able to conquer that next mountain. The commitment shown by the group gives me a reason to continue and I look forward to 2009 and whatever might happen during this time. Cheers to everyone, and I congratulate you all for your accomplishments during the past year.
...more from T2F Club Members in the next issue.
THE RUNNER’S HOLIDAY WEIGHT-LOSS PLAN
Don't sweat your next big feast--we can show you how to get back on track after any holiday splurge.
By Sally Wadyka, Runner’s World
The good news: it's prime time for holiday celebrations, turkey feasts, home-baked pies, and fruity little drinks in martini glasses. Truth is, if you add up the calories packed into just one potluck party, it 's easy to conclude that you're on the road to a five-pound year-end bonus. When we crunched the numbers, we learned that a buffet dinner can easily top 2,000 calories.
Well, relax. You're a runner, and your everyday eating and exercise habits will pull you through a few evenings of revelry. The key, of course, to dining and drinking without guilt (or weight gain) is to recover and bounce back from those indulgences. To that end, we've enlisted the help of two experts--Greg McMillan, a kinesiologist and running coach, and Tara Gidus, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics--to develop a step-by-step guide to surviving the caloric mean season.
Christmas Dinner
Food For Thought: Eat a Hearty Breakfast
Strange but true: you go to bed feeling like a Butterball pinata yet still wake up ravenous the next day. According to Gidus, that phenomenon happens after a huge meal because your body is so busy digesting that it enters your normal nighttime "hunger phase" in the morning. And the worst thing you can do is try to starve yourself in a vain attempt to make up for overeating. Instead, she recommends you get back on track by grabbing a smart breakfast, one that energizes your body with 300 to 400 calories and includes high-quality carbohydrates, low-fat dairy, and fruit. Gidus's perfect pairings include yogurt with granola and berries; or whole-grain toast with cottage cheese and fruit.
Fitness Solution: Hit the road for a long, slow run
Alas, you really did get intimate with a gravy boat yesterday. On the bright side, however, your body is perfectly primed for a workout that can burn off a chunk of last night's meal. "With all the potatoes and stuffing, Christmas is a big carbo-load," says McMillan. "That means the glycogen stores that fuel your muscles are full to capacity." In addition to lots of muscle-fueling carbs, your feast contained a good amount of protein, essential for rebuilding muscles that break down during a long run. Even better, you likely have the day off work, an invitation to forestall the mall pilgrimage for an hour (or more) on the move. Go slowly, enjoy the scenery, and keep moving for as long as you're able. "This is all about time on your feet, because you'll burn more calories the longer you go," says McMillan. The reward: 800-plus calories burned, a clear conscience, and an invigorating start to the holidays.
Dessert Binge
Food For Thought: Cut Out The Sugar
The least nutritionally balanced of all the splurges, this "meal" is brimming with simple carbohydrates (translation: sugar) and fat. And as often happens after a dessert bender, you may find yourself hankering for even more sugar the day after. That's because digesting loads of sugary carbs triggers a tidal wave of serotonin (the so-called feel-good hormone). When those serotonin levels dip, your body craves more sugar to keep the good times rolling. Fortunately, says Gidus, the solution is simple. Rather than trying to go cold turkey the next day, sate your sweet tooth with healthier treats like fresh fruit, all-fruit jams, and smoothies.
Fitness Solution: Get speedy
As far as your muscles are concerned, vanilla-swirl fudge still translates into a decent carbo-load. But unlike your turkey-and-potato buffet, the dessert binge doesn't offer the body much else in the way of nutrients. That's why McMillan recommends intervals to burn off those sweets in a hurry. The plan: Knock out six to eight 30-second repeats at about 90 percent of your top speed with two-minute recovery jogs in between. (Bookend your speedwork with two-mile jogs.) "When you do a hard track workout, you're tapping into those carbohydrate stores at a higher rate," he says. "But since it's a shorter-duration workout than a long run, you won't break down the muscles as much." The payoff? In less than an hour, you'll torch about 700 calories.
Cocktail Party
Food For Thought: Focus on Three Square Meals
For a night that never involved a meal, you managed to put away a shocking amount of calories and fat. Even worse, you probably left the party vaguely unsatisfied--and maybe even hit the kitchen before bed. As you regain control of your diet the next day, Gidus says the key is to stop grazing. "Don't skip meals and just snack," she says. "You'll fall into the same trap of overeating without realizing it." Instead, eat real meals that range from 300 calories (for breakfast) to 900 or so (for dinner). Gidus offers a handy formula to get back on track: Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit, a quarter with lean protein, and the rest with whole grains.
Fitness Solution: Give your body a break
Fact: you overindulged and consumed many hundreds of calories that need to be burned off. Fiction: After that last ill-conceived round of mojitos, you're up for a major workout the next morning. Relax, says McMillan. It's okay to give yourself an easy day, then hit the ground running after that. So rebound post-party with a low-key hour of something that feels kind to your body--say, walking, swimming, or yoga. Then crank up the intensity a day later. McMillan suggests an interval workout--a two-mile warmup, five two-minute intervals (at a medium-hard effort) with one-minute recovery jog in between, and a two-mile cooldown. That's enough to kick back 700 calories.
Buffet Dinner
Food For Thought: Go Pseudo-Vegetarian For a Day
There's little doubt you got your money's worth--not to mention a full day's worth of calories--right there at the carving station, and now it's time to bounce back. Since you consumed at least a couple of servings of two different types of meat at the buffet, Gidus recommends that you restore balance by eating primarily vegetables and whole grains the next day, paired with a little lean protein like tofu or fish. The resulting antioxidant infusion won't negate the high fat and sodium content of the meats, but it is a healthy statement. And best of all, you'll feel more energetic right away.
Fitness Solution: Weight and cruise
Last night's feast provides the perfect energy for speedwork, endurance, even muscle repair. The coach's prescription to maximize that fuel supply: a tempo run, followed by weight training to amp up your metabolism. Few workouts are more efficient than the tempo run because it treads the line between aerobic and anaerobic. "You're trying to reach that balance at your body's lactate threshold," says McMillan. First, head out for a four-mile tempo run (at about an 80 percent effort) bookended by two-mile jogs. Second, complete a circuit in the weight room that works your major muscle groups to fatigue. Then enjoy the glow of a tough workout that zapped more than 1,000 calories.
5 Extra-Credit Calorie Burners
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Heading to the mall? Park at the farthest corner of the lot so you're forced to take a nice brisk walk.
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Take your dog for a spin around the neighborhood--even when he doesn't really need to go.
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Don't just stand there--walk up and down escalators. Better yet, just take the stairs.
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Go sledding with your kids. For an extra workout, pull them back uphill on their sleds.
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Hit the local rink or a frozen pond for a skate--you can burn around 400 calories in an hour.
PIN THIS ONE ON YOUR WALL
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far they can go.”
-T.S. Eliot
daily blog (well, maybe not "daily")
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Cool Sundays
There's something cool about being in a running club made up of your co-workers and a few of their relatives.
It's cool for two reasons. One being that employees of our workplace have made a commitment to fitness and healthier living, but even more noteworthy is the fact that when we get together on Sunday mornings, we run, encourage, cheer-on, applaud, high-five and hug each other, before sitting down for a little face-to-face over coffee, a moment that never involves discussing our workplace -- we leave all that out, and appropriately so.
Once a week, we take the biggest thing we have in common, our employer, and shove it aside to discuss running memories from the past, goals for the future, Christmas gifts and most recently the correct usage of the terms "ballistic" and "incongruent".
Our Club lets us connect with each other on a level we wouldn't quite get to without the heavy breathing and the odd instance of shin splints. And as much as I love to run, the real highlight of my Sunday is sitting down with these souls and hearing what they have to say. Oh, and the breakfast is usually pretty good too.
It has been another incredible year for our Club. We set many goals and methodically smashed every one of them only to set even loftier ones. So let me say thanks to my running buddies for sticking with it and making Sundays the best day of my week. I live for Sundays and I know some of them do to.
Run for your life.
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Issue 25 Volume 2 - Dec. 12, 2008