Listen to Your Stomach!

I'm currently training for the Marine Corps Marathon and as the long distance miles add up, I find myself constantly hungry. I was the fat kid growing up. You know, the one who wore the plaid pants because nothing else would fit. The husky-sized toughskin pants from Sears (you remember, the ones with the reinforced knees that never wore out). Enough strolling down memory lane...my point...what was my point? Oh yeah, my point was, ever since I lost the extra pounds in high school, I've been very conscious of my weight. When I start eating more than usual, I become a little paranoid that I'm over eating.

If you're a distance runner, this kind of thinking is pure hogwash. You heard me. Hogwash. When you run more and run longer, your body needs more fuel. Not only does it need fuel during the run, it also needs you to replace that fuel after your run. I've realized that thinking of my food as fuel helps me get beyond the idea that I'm over eating. If I'm training hard and I'm hungry, that's my body telling me I need fuel. I've also realized that I can avoid that constant hungry feeling by eating more often throughout the day.

Basically, it's all about putting back the calories you've expended. For me, eating more often throughout the day seems to help achieve this. I'll eat breakfast (an English muffin with peanut butter and preserves); then around 10:00AM I'll have a mid-morning snack (usually a handful of almonds or a granola bar). I'll eat a regular lunch; then by 2:00PM, I'm ready for a mid-afternoon snack. I'll have a regular dinner and then a few hours after that I'll have a snack of yogurt and granola or something similar. The more frequent smaller meals works for me, but for another runner, having three larger meals and no snacks may work just as well. It doesn't really matter as long as you're taking in the needed calories to sustain your normal body functions plus the extra caloric demands from your training.

I weigh around 138lbs. A person my size needs about 1,400 calories just to live and breathe (Resting Metabolic Rate). Since I'm a pretty active guy during the day (not including any running), I'll need an additional 700 calories. Someone my size burns about 110 calories per mile. So, for a 10-mile run I'll need an additional 1,100 calories. So for a day in which I'm running 10 miles I need to make sure I eat about 3,200 calories. On a day with an 18-mile long run, I'd need to eat about 4,300 calories. No wonder I'm so hungry! But telling a weight-conscious person he needs to eat 4,300 calories can really freak him out. That's why I like to think of it as fuel. It's like putting gas in your car. You may only use 2 gallons of gas to drive to and from work, but if you're traveling out of town on a business trip, you'll use the entire tank.

So, the moral of this story is—Train Hard, Eat, Drink, and be Happy!

How Running Changed My Life: Danica's Story

Danica is a fellow Twitter friend of mine as well as a frequent visitor of the blog. She has an amazing story about her courageous mom's battle with cancer and how running helped Danica gain back some normalcy in her life after the passing of her mom. Here's Danica's story in her own words:

"I share a story that I never thought would be my life. I never imagined any of the things in my life would happen to me, and that I would be 'that girl', but through it all running has helped me grow and reflect on so many different aspects of my life, that without it, I don't even know where I would be today. I begin with a background.

My sophomore year of high school, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was on and off treatment including chemotherapy and radiation all throughout my high school and beginning of my college years. She was never horribly sick, but she was tired, and took many more naps and cut back on her 40 hour work weeks volunteering at the Christian school I went to growing up. If any of you met my mom, you would know instantly that she was a fighter. She was so stubborn and she bullied the cancer to have her life stay as consistent as it was before she was diagnosed.

I went to many doctor appointments with her, and once I moved away to college, we became very close. This time really allowed me to see the core of my mom, the person she was, her beliefs, her thoughts, and her wishes and it made me see who I wanted to become.

In March of 2006, the doctor came back after some testing and told her and my father that she had three to six months to live. Three weeks later she passed away. I spent those last three weeks in an abyss of artificial smiles and complete confusion. I had no idea what was happening, or how I would handle everything, and once the reality hit, she was already gone.

I was exhaustively lost after that happened. I had been running every year in high school and off and on in college. I completely stopped running. I stopped functioning. I couldn't get one foot to go in front of the other, none the less make my legs follow. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. Everything had lost flavor and I had lost interest in life.

One day, I decided that it was time that I stop wallowing in my confused state, and get my life back together. I was still going to school at the time, and decided that I had to finish out the semester, after dropping one class. I finished my 18 units, but I was still very lost.

I felt like I didn't want to run because it was something I did when my mom was alive. Though I absolutely hated her at my cross country races, and I hated her watching me run track, and even hated her watching me sit the bench while on the soccer team, I wanted her there for me. I wanted to know she would be there when I got home from my run. I wanted to see her again and I felt like running was something that I couldn't do again, it wasn't apart of me anymore.

It came to me one morning. I needed it. I wanted it still. I wanted the consistency, and I wanted the control. This was when I went out once again, and found the comfort of the road under my feet. The first run I completed after she passed was a short three miler, and once I got under the cover of the brush around me, I broke down and just cried as I ran, but nothing had ever felt so good. I had consistency again, I had a path in front of me, and I had something that no one could ever take away from me.

I had breath in my lungs and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I just ran. I allowed myself to hurt, and to feel again, and I allowed myself to think. To think about the changes, about the future. It was a time of thinking. After that run, I didn't run again for a while, life got in the way, but since then, I have realized that running through the hardest times in your life, gives you something that you control. You can do it. You can come back to it. You can make a change, but you have to choose too.

So granted, I also went to counseling, and did a lot of prayer during this time, obviously, but I know, without running the biggest transition of my life wouldn't have led me to the story I have today, to the outlook I have today, or the attitude I have today. So many people tell me they are so sorry, and I am sorry too, but I can't change that, and I am lucky that I got to see a great example of what I want to become one day, and learn so many life lessons at such a young age.

Sometimes I look back at my short life thus far, and think about things that could have changed, or could be different, but I know that God had this all happen for a reason, so I got it to take it and run with it. —Danica

Thanks Danica for sharing such an inspirational story. Be sure to check out Danica's awesome blog The Chic Runner. Danica has decided to take on an awesome challenge. She's decided to do the Avon Los Angeles 2 Day Breast Cancer Walk. This is 39 miles in 2 days throughout the Long Beach Area. In order to take part, Danic's needs to raise sufficient funds. To help Danica reach her fundraising goal [click here].

Can A Runner Be a Gym Rat? Of Course!

Ask a runner if he/she adds strength training to his/her routine and chances are the answer will be, "No." Runners avoid the gym for a variety of reasons. Many don't want the added weight that bulky muscles may bring slowing them down. Some feel their legs already get a workout and their upper body isn't really needed for running. Others feel that gym-time would eat away at their running-time.

Let me clarify a few misunderstandings:
1. Working out doesn't mean you'll become the next "Arnold" unless that's what you want. Some added muscle can actually help you become a more efficient runner.
2. A strong core is equally important if not more important than strong legs. A strong core provides good posture as well as a solid base for the rest of your body to do its job properly. When you run, the power your legs receive originates in your core and moves down to your legs. A weak core mean less power to the legs. [Click here] for a good core workout from RunnerDude.
3. Strength training for runners is just as much about injury prevention as it is about becoming stronger.
4. You don't need to spend hours in the gym to benefit from some strength training. Much of it can even be done at home!

Runners that only run have a much higher risk of injury over time than runners that add strength training to their regimen. The added strength training, however, needs to be functional not just traditional machine-based training. Think about it. Sitting on a leg press or a leg extension machine will strengthen your leg muscles, but do you really make just those movements when you run? What about all the stabilizer muscles? What about balance? What about speed? Agility? A leg press will only do so much. Functional training simply put is doing exercises that closely mimic the movements of your sport—in this case, running.

Below are several video clips that provide some examples of functional training exercises for runners. These are just a few of the many functional exercises available for runners. Check with your gym or local running store for recommendations of personal trainers who specialize in functional training for runners.

Check out this clip from Active.com for some great core exercises to strengthen your trunk.


For exercises to improve efficiency and speed, check out the clip below from Bosufitness.com.


Check out this clip from Running Research News for some tips on lower-body exercises for runners.


For an awesome exercise called Runners Row, check out this clip from nikewomen.com.

Luck of the Draw!

Do you get tired of the same-ole same-ole of your weekly speed workout? Maybe a little unpredictability is what you need mentally and physically. It's pretty common in strength training at the gym to mix-up your workout to keep your "body guessing" constantly challenging your muscles to adapt, but how often do you apply that technique to your running?

Here's a fun and simple way to mix-up your weekly speed workout. All you need are a few index cards, a pen, and a rubberband. Listed at the bottom of this post are several interval workouts. Write each workout onto a separate index card. Shuffle the cards, stack them facedown, and secure them with a rubber band. Keep the deck in your car, by your running shoes, or wherever you'll be sure to see it before your run. On your speedwork day, just pull a card from the deck and voilà! you have your workout for the day. Put the the card face up underneath the pile. When you eventually reach a card that's face up, you'll know you've gone through the deck.

If you like adding this surprise-tactic strategy to your training, try creating a deck for your tempo runs. Each card could have a different distance. Bored of the same old running routes? Create a running route card deck. Place the name of a different running route location on a different card. Pull a card and today you're running at the park, or on the greenway, or the route in your neighborhood. Have fun with it. They types of card deck are endless.

Most intervals are run at either your 5K or 10K pace. For a breakdown of how fast that would be for your various interval distances, use the McMillan Running Calculator. Simply select the 5K or 10K distance and then enter your most recent 5K or 10K time. Next, click the "Calculate" button and the screen that pops up will reveal the times for your various interval distances. Below is a brief reminder of how the various interval distances correspond to the laps at the track:

100 meters = ¼ of a lap (a straightaway)
200 meters = ½ of a lap (a curve and a straightaway)
400 meters = a full lap
600 meters = 1 ½ laps
800 meters = 2 laps (just about a 1/2 mile)
1000 meters = 2 ½ laps
1600 meters = 4 laps (just about a mile)

Interval Workouts for Card Deck (These are just suggestions. Have your favorites? Use them instead.)

1. 3 x 1600m (1-minute recovery in between)
2. 2 x 1200m (2-minute recovery interval in between); 4 x 800 (2-minute recovery interval in between)
3. 5 x 1000m (2-minute recovery interval in between)
4. 1200m, 1000m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m (200m recovery interval in between)
5. 6 x 400m (400m recovery interval in between)
6. 10 x 400m (400m recovery interval in between)
7. 5 x 1000m (400m recovery interval in between)
8. 6 x 800m (90-second recovery interval in between)
9. Three sets: 1 x 1200m (1-minute recovery), 1 x 400m (3-minute recovery interval in between each set)
10. 4 x 1600m (3-minute recovery interval in between)
11. 1000m, 2000m, 1000m, 2000m (400m recovery interval in between)
12. 8 x 800m (90-second recovery interval in between)
13. 3 x (2 x 1200m) (2-minute recovery interval in between each 1200m) (4-minute recovery interval between each complete set of 2 x 1200m)
14. 400m @ 5K race pace (30sec recovery interval); 800 @ 10K race pace (90-sec recovery interval); 1200m @10K race pace (2-min recovery interval); 1600m @10K race pace (3-min recovery interval); 1200m @10K race pace (2-min recovery interval); 800 @ 10K race pace (90-sec recovery interval); 400m @ 5K race pace
15. 2 x (6 x 400m) (90sec recovery interval in between each 400m) (2.5-min recovery interval between each complete set of 6 x 400)
16. 8 x 400m (400m recovery interval in between)
17. 3 x 1200m (3-minute recovery interval in between)
18. 6 x 600m (90-sec recovery interval in between)

Coconut Water on the Run Helps Prevents Leg Cramps!

Shortly after the Badwater Ultra Marathon, I posted about Pam Reed who was the 2nd-place women's finisher. The hydration drink of her choice was one I had never heard of—ZICO (pronounced “Zee-Koh”). The drink is billed as "Nature's Sports Drink" because it's pure coconut water. So, I researched Pam and ZICO and posted about both.

I was very curious about this new drink and was about to try some when a representative of ZICO contacted me about seeing the post on my blog. He offered to send me a case to try. Of course I accepted. ZICO is becoming a favorite among endurance athletes for training, as well as before, during and after long distance races, so I definitely wanted to check this stuff out.

Made with 100 percent pure coconut water, ZICO contains none of the added sugars and calories commonly associated with traditional sports drinks, plus it has low acidity. ZICO contains the five essential electrolytes that help to keep nerves firing, muscles moving and to help manage stress.

I'm a profuse sweater when I run, especially in the summer and because of this, hydration is a big problem. I often experience cramping in my calves from the depletion of my electrolytes. I was surprised to discover that Coconut juice has a huge amount of potassium (a key electrolyte) even more potassium than a banana and 15 times more than most sports drinks. This fact really caught my attention because potassium helps prevent cramping and promote recovery. Potassium also regulates blood pressure, cardiovascular health and helps you recover more quickly from exercise and stress. In addition to the potassium, ZICO naturally provides sodium, calcium, magnesium, and even a little protein.

Don't confuse coconut water with coconut milk. ZICO's coconut water doesn’t contain the fat of coconut milk. The coconut water comes from young coconuts before they develop the white meat that contains the fat and cholesterol in mature coconuts. ZICO contains no cholesterol

So, you're probably wondering how it worked for me. Well, so far....great! The first time I used ZICO, I was a little hesitant to carry it with me on a run as my main source of hydration because I tend to have a sensitive stomach. So, I drank an 11oz. container of ZICO about 30 minutes before my tempo run. I drank my regular hydration drink (Accelerade) during the run and then I rehydrated after my run with another ZICO. It worked very well. Didn't experience any stomach discomfort and I felt well hydrated before, during, and after.

I've run two more times since then, but during these runs, I used ZICO as my main source of hydration during as well as before and after. One of the runs was a long run (a 16-miler). Again, I had no adverse reactions and I felt very well hydrated. Best of all, I didn't experience any leg cramps during that long run. It was very humid and I sweated what seemed like a gallon of water. My shoes were sloshing! But the extra potassium in ZICO seemed to do the trick.

So, now you're wondering, "How much does this stuff cost?" Well, it is more expensive than buying a case of Gatorade at Cosco, but then again, it's all natural and (for me anyway) it's providing that extra ingredient (or at least more of it) that I need to prevent cramping. On the ZICO website you can buy a 12-pack of the natural-flavored ZICO for $23.99. That's about $1.99 a serving. That's a little more than you'd pay for a single serving of a name-brand hydration drink if you bought it at a convenience store (which I often end up doing). I was also pleasantly surprised to find ZICO at my local grocery store (Harris Teeter) and the local specialty food store (Whole Foods).

ZICO currently is available in three varieties—natural, mango and passion fruit-orange peel. ZICO says that even the flavored varieties are all-natural, as they contain flavor essences, meaning they come from the flower itself, not the fruit, so there's no additional sugar, calories, carbs or acidity. ZICO also comes in an easy-to-carry, eco-friendly TetraPak for on-the-go refreshment that retains the beverage’s authentic tropical flavor.

8 Tips for Increasing Your Speed!

"Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobble stones. Looking for fun and feelin' groovy. Hello lamppost, What cha knowing? I've come to watch your flowers growing. Ain't cha got no rhymes for me? Doot-in' doo-doo, Feelin' groovy."—Simon & Garfunkel

Doot-in' doo-doo...do you wanna blow those flowers away and leave that lamppost in the dust sometimes? Not sure how to get the extra oomph you need to leave the groovy and put your groove on instead? Try a few of the following tips and you'll be blasting those cobblestones away in no time.

1. Drop 5-10 lbs. Easier said than done, but dropping 5-10lbs will help increase your speed. Some research shows that it can decrease your race time by 1-2 minutes.

2. Run with someone faster than you. I don't need any research to back that one up. I am the research. I credit my increased speed to my buddies Les, Jim, Mike, Kelly, and several others that I run with that constantly keep me challenged with speed. It's a whole lot easier to go faster with a buddy than trying to motivate yourself to run faster all by your lonesome.

3. Add fartleks to a weekly run. This is such a simple but effective technique. A fartlek is simply an informal interval thrown into a regular run. All you do is speed up for a designated time or distance during a run, then slow back down, then speed back up, then slow back down. For example, after running at normal warm-up pace for about a mile, crank it up to your 10K pace and hold that pace for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 blocks....whatever time or distance you desire; then slow it back down again and repeat a few more times along your route. You'll be amazed how much faster you run that regular route by throwing in fartleks. In addition to the increased speed, you'll be helping to train your body to handle speeding up during times of fatigue—something that will come in very handy in an endurance run.

4. Add a weekly tempo run to your routine. A tempo run is simply a run (usually 4-8 miles) that's run at a faster pace (typically a little slower than your 10K pace). Think of it as a really long fartlek. Warm up for a mile, then do 2-6 miles at tempo pace and then do a cool-down mile. For example for a 4-mile run, run 1 easy warm-up mile, 2 miles at tempo pace, and 1 easy cool-down mile. Be sure to start with a shorter distance for your first tempo runs before working your way up to the longer tempo-run distances. Tempo runs are the bridge between those weekly slow runs and your fast-paced race. They help prepare your body physically for the demands of running at race pace as well as help prepare you mentally for the demands of running at a faster pace.

5. Run Intervals. Intervals are a great way to increase your speed. An interval workout is usually short in duration but much more intense. Typically intervals are done on a track and consist of doing several rounds of short sprinted runs such as a 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, or a 1200m. An interval workout may look something like 4 x 800m; rest 1minute. That means to run an 800 meter interval with a 1-minute rest in between four times. For more about intervals and some sample interval workouts [click here].

6. Add some Hillwork to your routine. Hillwork is another great way to increase speed. Uphill running helps you learn to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers which will help you run at maximum intensity. Learning to recruit these fast-twitch muscles will help you during an endurance run when you need to ramp it up or when you need to pull yourself out of fatigue. Downhill running is also great. Thanks to gravity, you naturally run faster going downhill. This is a great way to see what it's like to run at a faster pace and with a faster turn-over.

7. Increase your stride rate. There's a bit of controversy over whether a shorter or longer stride is better. In a Runner's World article (Oct. 2008), Patti and Warren Finke (RRCA-certified coaches for over 25 years) said that "most biomechanists think that the body chooses stride length and turnover based on its own biomechanical characteristics. Studies of elite runners show that they tend to use shorter strides with a higher turnover. Many studies of running efficiency show that, when runners try to change what the body chooses naturally, the result is a loss of efficiency. It is likely that the turnover and stride length of the elite runners is due to their biomechanics rather than conscious effort to alter turnover." So, don't worry so much about your stride length. But you can focus on improving your stride rate. Most elite runners have about 180 strides per minute. Check out your stride rate by going for a run and counting each stride for a minute. (Note: an easy way to do this is to count each time your right foot hits the ground for a minute and then multiple that number by 2.) Don't be shocked if you're nowhere near 180. But, by focusing on cadence and using some of the tips above you'll be pleasantly surprised when you recheck your stride rate. I bet you'll see an increase.

8. Expect some discomfort. There's a lot of truth in the saying, "No pain. No gain." Don't be scared of a little pain. DMSO (Delayed Muscle Soreness Onset) is expected a day or even 2 or 3 days after a hard workout. Don't mistake that soreness with injury. In order to gain some speed, you're going to have to do some work and this work may not be the most comfortable thing in the world. But those pains are a sign that you're building endurance as well as the muscle strength to handle that new speed and endurance. Use common sense, however. If you have pulled muscles, persistent pain, or extreme pain not related to the increase exertion, then back off and see a doctor.

A True Crime Read for Runners!

Oh what a tangled web we weave. Are you an avid runner? Are you and avid reader? Do you like mysteries? who-done-its? true-crime? If so, then I have just the book for you.

I'm a lover of fiction and my favorite books tend to be legal thrillers and mysteries, but I've never ventured much into true crime. That is, until I discovered Lynda Drews' new book Run at Destruction. Lynda, a runner and Wisconsin native, has written an in depth account of the shocking and unexpected death of a runner—Pam Bulik—in 1980s small-town Wisconsin.
The plot line of Run at Destruction seems more like a movie of the week than a real-life story. It has all the elements of a Hollywood saga—a small-town setting, a young couple (teachers) devoted to each other and to their love of running, an unfaithful husband, a secret love affair, and a tragic unexplained death.

Runners will really appreciate the way Drews weaves in the ties to the running community. Anyone who's a runner can relate to the tight-knit, loyal support of the running community. This book shows how that support was rocked to its core by the horrific event that befell two of this small community's members.

Without spilling too many beans, Run at Destruction is the story of what appeared to be a loving couple—Pam and Bob Bulik—who were avid runners and very active in the local running community. As in many marriages, something goes awry and Bob seeks the affections of another woman. This story takes a detour when the wife (Pam) is later found dead. The problem is how did she die? Was it accidental? Suicide? Negligent homicide? Premeditated murder?

Instead of merely recounting the events of the case, Drews pulls the readers into the story and into the 1980s heyday of running. While reading the book I had the strongest urge to don a terry-cloth headband, a pair of gym shorts with white piping, and a pair of athletic knee socks with the strips at the top! You see, the reason Drews is able to pull you in with such vivid detail is because she was there. Pam Bulik was Lynda Drews' best friend.

Like a road race, Drews writes in such a way that starts with a steady pace and then ramps it up as she nears the finish. She begins with the disappearance of Pam and takes you all the way to the courtroom drama and sentencing of Pam's husband, Bob. Even though Bob is sentenced, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. You'll have to read the book to answer those questions for yourself.