RunnerDude's Favorite Socks: FEETURES!

Socks are a lot like shoes, everyone has their favorites. Mine happen to be a brand called Feetures! I had my first experience with Feetures! when an online sports clothing company, MyFavortieStyles.com sent me a few pairs to try. Try I did and I was hooked. There are a couple of rules of thumb when it comes to socks.

1. Avoid 100% cotton
2. Choose technical man-made fabrics such as polyester, Lycra, nylon, Coolmax, Dry-Fit and/or a blend of the fabrics. There are also several good natural-fiber fabrics that make good socks such as Smartwool and bamboo.
3. Wear socks that are close fitting to avoid chafing.

I was immediately impressed with the snugness of the Feetures! socks I had been sent. They were very supportive as well as very effective in keeping my feet dry (and that's no small task). That was about 3 years ago and I've been wearing Feetures! ever since, picking up a new pair here and there.

Just recently I discovered that Feetures! (the company) is literally right in my back yard! Feetures! is a family owned and operated company located in Conover, North Carolina, a community of 7,500 in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 1.5hrs west of me. Hugh Gaither founded Feetures! in 2002 after spending 25+ years with a leading manufacturer of athletic socks. He believed that there was an opportunity to create a better performance sock that took advantage of the latest in sock technology. That same spirit of innovation drives Feetures! today. Feetures! continues to harness new technology with the goal of producing the best performance socks in the world.

So why do I like them so much? First, it's the fit. Power bands of Lycra are strategically placed throughout each sock so that they contour to the shape of each person’s foot. This individualized fit delivers the perfect amount of compression so that each sock hugs the foot in a comfortable, supportive way. The result is that the socks stay firmly in place and eliminate movement between the foot and sock that often results in blisters.

Second, Feetures! socks have something called “Perfect Toe” technology that's a trade-marked seam-free toe closure. The “Perfect Toe” is hand-linked so both the inside and outside surface of the sock are completely smooth, eliminating the irritation and discomfort caused by traditional toe seams. As a result, the socks provide protective comfort on those long runs.

Finally, Feetures! are great at wicking moisture from your feet. Feetures! use a variety of technical fibers such as iWick and Durasoft, to create a comfortable moisture-free environment for your feet. These technical fibers constantly work to move moisture away from the skin process, in order to keep feet cool, dry, and odor-free.

I've tried several of the models and really like them all, but my favorites are the original no-show with a tab and the new Elite low cut. The Elite has something called a Sock-Lock support system that works so well, it almost feels like you have no sock on at all!  

So, if you're looking for sock or you're ready for a change, be sure to check out my favorite socks--Feetures!

Note: While Feetures! did provide socks for me to sample I was in no way encouraged or paid to write a positive review. This review reflects my personal experience using the product over the past couple of years.

RunnerDude's 10 Race-Day Preparation Tips!

Race-day preparation is key to your success on the big day. Here are 10 ways to gear up, get ready, and cross the finish line strong.

1. Enjoy the Taper

For many runners, the decreased running during the taper can be very unnerving. Avoid replacing the runs with lots of cross-training. The taper is designed to allow your body to recuperate, rebuild, and be fresh for race day. Adding in extra cross-training at the last minute can cause your fitness level to dip and actually lessen your race-day potential. Enjoy the taper and focus on getting yourself mentally prepared for the race.

2. Fuel Up
During the last three days before an endurance run such as a marathon, a runner's carbohydrate intake should increase to 70 to 80 percent of his/her total daily caloric intake.

• Day 1: The first day of the carb-load should consist mainly of complex carbs (i.e., whole grain breads and pasta). By loading up on complex carbs the first day, you have time for them to be processed and voided well before race day.
• Day 2: Taper off the complex carbs and switch over to simple carbs. Be careful though. Don't load up on tons of fruit and the like, if you're not used to eating lots of fruit. Also avoid loading up on simple carbs that contain a lot of saturated fat (cookies, doughnuts, pastries). The extra fat will slow down digestion and make you feel sluggish. This is the time to eat regular pasta and use white bread for your sandwiches.
• Day 3: Continue with the simple carbs. Eat your last major meal 12 to 15 hours prior to the race. This meal should be comprised of easily digestible foods that will pass through your system before the race. This is the time for the big plate of regular pasta. Avoid heavy cream sauces and stick with basic marinara sauce.

FYI: Each gram of carbs can store 3 grams of water. So, to make sure you get complete carb storage, drink four to eight glasses of water each day. You may gain a pound or two during this carb-loading phase, but most of this extra weight is water and will actually help keep you well hydrated during the race. Plus, you'll sweat out those extra pounds on the run.

Practice: Eating before a race can be a tricky thing. Test different foods for your carb-loading phase well before race day. Pick one of your longest training runs and pretend it's "race day." Try a mini-carb-loading phase before this run. This will give you the opportunity to see how long different foods take to pass and which ones to avoid because they "hang around" too long.

Note: Diabetics and others with specific health problems should consult with their doctors about the best foods to eat during their carb-loading phase.

3. Hydrate
Hydration can make or break your race. Use the following tips to ensure you're properly hydrated at the starting line.

• Find out what sports drink will be provided during the race. If you're able, train using the same sports drink provided by the marathon. If your system doesn't tolerate the featured race drink or you'd just prefer to use something different, be sure to plan out how you'll carry or have access to your preferred hydration source. Some options include, wearing a hydration belt or stakeout family members or friends along the course ready to hand you your preferred fluids.
• Never use the featured sports drink in a marathon if you did not use it in your training. The different brands of sports drinks contain varying amounts of carbs and electrolytes. Some contain other components such as protein. If you've not tried these products during training, you don't want to risk causing stomach issues on race day.
• Don't over-hydrate. Throughout the day before the race, drink water when you are thirsty, but don't overdo it. Drinking 4-8 oz of water each hour works well. Remember, you'll still be carb-loading on this day. Make sure some of your carb intake includes salty simple carbs like pretzels. Also eat a banana or two for the potassium. This will help ensure that you're not flushing out your precious electrolytes that you'll need during the race. Do not drink alcohol the day before the race. This can dehydrate you.
• Drink 16 oz. of water two hours before race time. This will provide enough time for the water to pass through your system and the excess be voided well before the start.

To read the remaining tips, go to Active.com.

Hill Workouts--Learn to Love 'Em!

Hills. You either love 'em or hate 'em. Most hate 'em. I tend to be in the minority and actually look forward to the hills in a run. Granted a flat course is great for a PR, but my body actually tends to fatigue quicker on a flat course. I think I need those hills to activate different muscle groups while giving the "flat-road-running muscles" a break. Sometimes a well positioned hill is just what I need to pull out of a running funk. Of course, you need to be conditioned to those hills, so when they appear they'll be a help and not a hindrance. I think it's many runners' avoidance of hills that make them dislike them so when the come upon one. Their bodies aren't ready for the physical demands of running a hill.

There are a variety of hill workouts that are great to sprinkle into your training mix. Actually, even if you're not in training for a race, adding some hills to your regular routine can really do wonders to your endurance and pace. It can also jack up your metabolism and help you avoid that extra weight gain that often comes with constant low-intensity mileage. Running hills involves all the leg muscles--calves, glutes, hamstrings and quads. When running the hill, you repeatedly fire all these muscles with basically no rest until the walk back down the hill. This builds speed and muscular endurance. It also involves activating some muscle memory so during a race when you come upon that sudden hill, your muscles won't be shocked that you're asking them to run up the hill at full force.

Google "hill workout" and you'll get a zillion different versions. I have three that I like to use with my runners--short hill repeats, intermediate hill repeats and long hill staggered intervals.

Short Hill Repeats:
Find a hill that has a 5-10% grade that's about 100m. (Not sure how long that is? It's a hill that takes about 30-45secs to run.)  Before the workout, do a 1/2-mile to 1-mile easy warm-up run to get your heart rate up and warm-up your muscles. (Never hop out of the car and charge a hill. That's a hammie pull just waiting to happen.) After the warm-up, position yourself at the bottom of the hill. Run to the top as fast as you can. Think 5K-race pace. You'll be running in or close to an anaerobic state instead of an aerobic state, so you're lungs may feel like they're burning and your breathing will be pretty rapid. Try not to let your breathing rate get out of control. Even though you'll "feel the burn" your breathing should consist of good deep inhales and exhales. Once at the top of the hill, turn and walk back down. This is your recovery period. Once at the bottom of the hill, turn and charge back up. A 4 x 100 workout would mean you're doing four 100m uphill repeats (doesn't count the walks back down). I recommend starting with the 4 x 100 and work your way up to a 10 x 100.

Intermediate Hill Repeats: 
This workout is basically the same as the short hill workout but it's done on a longer hill. Not a steeper hill, but one that has about a 6% grade and will take you about 90 secs to run (about 200m). Begin with the warm-up described in the short hill workout. After the warm-up, position yourself at the bottom of the hill. Your pace will be fast, but not quite as fast as the short hill repeat workout. Think 10K-race pace. Once at the top of the hill, turn and walk back down. This is your recovery period. Once at the bottom of the hill, turn and charge back up. Don't forget to use a good strong arm swing as you run up the hill. Arms bent at 90 degrees, swinging beside not in front of the body. A 4 x 200 workout would mean you're doing four 200m uphill repeats (doesn't count the walks back down). I recommend starting with the 4 x 200 and work your way up to a 10 x 200.

Long Hill Staggered Intervals:
This is a tough but awesome workout. Find a long steady hill that's about a 1/2-mile long. The grade can be about 5-7%. Before the workout, do the warm-up described in the short hill workout. After the warm-up, position yourself at the bottom of the hill. Your pace will be fast, but not quite as fast at the short hill repeat workout. Think 10K-race pace. Run up the hill for 30 seconds, then turn and walk back down the hill for 30 seconds. Because you're walking, you won't make it back down to where you started. After the 30-sec recovery-walk down the hill, turn and run fast back up the hill for 30 seconds. Repeat this staggered interval process until you reach the top of the hill. For the first workout, one trip to the top of the hill will be fine. Eventually work up to 2 or 3 total hill climbs.

One hill workout a week is plenty, especially if you're doing other quality workouts such as a tempo run or long run. Hill workouts are pretty low impact, especially as compared to downhill running. However, people still often get injured doing hill repeats. Usually this comes from having weak hamstrings or glutes. It's a great idea to do some leg conditioning exercises to build some leg strength before adding hill workouts to your plan. Squats, hamstring leg lifts, lateral lunges, and step-ups are great exercises for building posterior leg strength.

4 Tempo Run Workouts to Tune Up Your Training

Are you running several times a week, but don’t seem to be getting anywhere? Slowing down? Endurance waning?  

Your body eventually acclimates to a particular pace and/or distance. So overtime, you won’t get what you used to out of that regular 5-miler every other day. Stagnation sets in. So what’s a runner to do?

Easy! Spice it up with a tempo run. A tempo run is basically a fast run, but just trying to run fast from start to finish usually isn’t very effective. Like most things, a little structure to these “faster runs” will provide you with the results you’re looking for.

Every run doesn’t need to be a tempo run. That will only increase your chance of overtraining and injury. It’s hard to believe, but just adding one tempo run to your weekly routine will quickly begin to increase your speed and endurance.

How does it work? Tempo runs help push out your lactate threshold (that burn you feel in your legs when you run fast). Tempo workouts teach your body to more quickly clear out the lactate buildup delaying or preventing that fatigue-causing burn. Tempo runs also help increase your VO2Max (your body's ability to take in oxygen and use it to make energy in the muscle). Continued use of tempo runs actually signals your body to make more capillaries in the muscle. More capillaries means more oxygenated blood getting to the muscle.

The distance of tempo runs can vary, but 4-8 miles is a good range. If you’re new to tempos, start with a shorter distance and work your way up.

[Click here] to read the rest of my article at Active.com and learn about the specifics of each of the four tempo workouts. 

Live Fit, Be Fit, and Stay Fit at Any Age!

The other day, Charles walked into my studio and wanted to know if it was possible for him to run a sub 4-hr marathon. Well having just met Charles, before answering, I had him tell me a little about himself and his fitness history and running. He shared that he’s been a runner for many years. He does a little weight lifting with some dumbbells and some other equipment he has at home, but nothing major. He shared how he’s run several marathons over the years even Boston, but he hasn’t run one in about 12 years. I asked if he had a recent race time that I could use to project out a ballpark marathon time. “Hmmm, let me see. I ran a 5K back in January. I really didn’t train for it or anything. Just ran it. My time was around 25:20,” was Charles’ response. That calculated out to about a 4:06 to 4:07 marathon, so I figured with some actual training, he probably would come in at or just under 4 hours.

I asked Charles, if he had ever worked with a running coach before. He said no and that actually he’d really never used a marathon plan before. He’d just run, run, and run lots more before the race. So, I asked him why he felt he needed a coach and a plan now. Charles responded, “Well, I’m 72 and it’s been a while since I’ve run that far, so I figured, I’d better get some coaching.”

Yep, Charles is 72. He is a true inspiration. “Use it or lose it.” It’s a bit cliché but definitely true and Charles really personifies that old saying better than anyone. Charles came in for his fitness assessment a few days after our initial talk. The assessment takes about 1.5 hours and includes taking vitals, body composition measures, balance and flexibility testing, muscular strength testing, muscular endurance testing, and a VO2Max test (1.5-mile run test). Charles’ results were amazing. His resting heart rate was 55 and he scored above the 90th percentile in his age group for his VO2Max. His score is actually the “Excellent” benchmark for male runners ages 46-55. The next week, Charles began his resistance training with me in the studio. I use the stability ball and the Bosu in a lot of my exercises to help increase a client’s stability and balance. I was ready for Charles to be very wobbly, not because of his age, but more because most people don’t add a balance element to their training and as a result don’t have very good balance. Charles had no trouble. He stayed in control and never wobbled once. I was truly impressed. Now Charles may have inherited some great genes from Mom and Dad, but I think it has more to do with the fact that he’s continued to be active his entire life.

The legendary comedian, Phyllis Diller once said, “My idea of exercise is a brisk sit.” As funny as that sounds, it’s sadly what many Americans today call exercise. We’ve become a very sedentary society. Unfortunately, as we age, muscular strength, power, muscular endurance, muscle mass, muscle fiber size, muscular metabolic capacity, resting metabolic rate, bone mineral density and physical function all decrease. And even worse, body fat will increase. But guess what, with resistance training, muscular endurance, muscle mass, muscle fiber size, muscular metabolic capacity, resting metabolic rate, bone mineral density and physical function will all INCREASE and body fat will DECREASE. You don’t have to live in the gym to see these kinds of results either. A 30-minute session about 3 times a week can make huge gains in improving your fitness level. Increased fitness means a better quality of life.

Not only does exercise help improve and maintain all the aforementioned, it also helps keep your immune systems strong which enables you to fight off infections more quickly. A Duke University Medical Center research study showed that aerobic exercise is just as effective as medication in treating major depression in the middle-aged and elderly. Other studies have also shown that aerobic exercise improves cognitive abilities. The Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s Blog shared in a 2008 post that the Alzheimer's Association predicts that 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's disease in the United States — that’s about one out of eight. But, that same article goes on to say that “Physical activity appears to inhibit Alzheimer's-like brain changes in mice, slowing the development of a key feature of the disease.” Other positive information included a study that observed 6,000 women age 65 and older, over an 8-year period. The study reported that the more physically active women in the group were less likely to experience decline in mental function than the sedentary women.

There’s a lot more research to be done for sure, but bottom line, exercise is critical to healthy living later in life. According to IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association), adults over 55 are the fastest growing segment of health club members. Even if it’s not on a long-term basis, it’s a good idea to have a personal trainer show you how to use the various machines and free weights to ensure you’re using proper technique. This will go a long way in helping to prevent injury.

Not sure where to start? Intimidated by a big gym? It can be overwhelming. ICCA (International Council on Active Aging) has developed a great checklist to help seniors find an “Age-Friendly Trainer” as well as an “Age-Friendly Fitness Facility.” Remember, you want to find a trainer that will go beyond just taking you through some exercises. You want to find someone who will design a program of exercises specific to your needs and fitness goals.

So, do like me and make Charles your idol. Live fit. Be Fit. Stay fit!

Marathon Thoughts: A Little Comic Relief

If you've ever run a marathon, then you know that every emotion that a human can experience will surface somewhere during those 26.2 miles. From exhilaration, to insecurity and self-doubting, to exhaustion, to "I'm king of the world!", to self-loathing, to invincibility, to insanity, to jubilation--some or all are experienced by the endurance runner, especially the first-time endurance runner.

The Improv Asylum of Boston, contacted me to let me know about a cool video parody of the marathon experience they created in celebration of the Boston Marathon. Improv Asylum is a comedy theater that features improvisation and sketch comedy. They’ve been described as Whose Line is it Anyway? meets Saturday Night Live!. Opened in 1998, Improv Asylum has performed over 3,500 shows, for over 500,000 people. They’ve been featured on HBO, and they've performed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Aspen and throughout the country.

So, check out the video below. I dare you not to laugh and I'm betting that you've experienced as least some of what this runner is going through.

Moderation. Is It That Simple?

The other day while having my morning cup a Joe, I ran across the best article I've read in a long time on the issue of diet. The headline read "Low-Fat or Low-Carb? Which Diet is Better?" (by Laura Casey of Contra Costa Times as featured in The News & Record, April 11, 2011). The article supported what I've basically believed for many years and had reinforced with my 100hrs of nutrition classes as a part of my schooling at NPIT and ACSM certification. Fats and Carbs....you need them both.

Americans are so funny when it comes to diet. Common sense is usually the last factor to come into play. We're always looking for the quick fix. The first "fix" came in the late 70s when Nathan Pritikin wrote The Pritikin Program for Diet and Fitness." All of the sudden fat was bad and carbs were the "in thing." Then the 90s brought the Atkins Diet craze which basically had everyone doing the exact opposite of the Pritikin diet. Now suddenly carbs were the enemy. (Makes you wonder if you should avoid any diet created by someone with a name ending in "kin." Don't worry there's no RunnerDudekin Diet in the works.)

The problem is that both diets do help you lose weight, but the question I always had was, "why go to such extremes?" Why do we always go to the extreme to find a solution to losing weight? I guess maybe it sells better? The article I was reading really hit the nail on the head by conveying that "...many diet experts, including local doctors, reel over the low-fat verses low-carb dieting discussion. It misses the point, they say. Americans, 60% of whom are overweight or obese, need to eat less and lower the amount of sugar in their diets, through reducing carbs and sweets. They need to eat real food, not overly processed, sugar-added treats. And they need to think about what they're eating instead of mindlessly consuming whatever tastes good."

Now, I think there's a lot that impacts that "mindlessly consuming whatever tastes good." Our hectic busy lives often dictate what we eat. Quick-n-easy often overrides cooking "real" foods at home. When families more-than-not have both parents working, preparing healthy meals can be a real challenge. I'm not making excuses, but being the parent of 3 kids and having a wife that works as well, I can attest to that challenge, not to mention the added expense of eating healthy. When it comes down to having just a few bucks left in your pocket to feed a family of five for dinner, 3 boxes of $.49 mac-n-cheese will be the choice more than not. Believe me, I've been there. Just pull-up to any fast food drive-thru menu. Check the price of that healthy grilled chicken sandwich and side salad and compare it to the cost of the regular cheese burger. And you wonder why so many low-income individuals eat unhealthy. Again, not making excuses, but just pointing out the obvious. But, I digress...back to going to extremes to lose weight.

The fact is that your body needs fat, carbs, and protein. Each plays an important role in keeping you healthy. The daily recommended allowance (DRA) of each is as follows
Carbohydrates = 45%-65% of your total caloric intake
Protein = 10%-35% of your total caloric intake
Fats = 20%-35% of your total caloric intake

Carbohydrates are your basic fuel system. They also play a part in helping regulate protein and fat metabolism. Continuous intake of carbs as well as the stored carbs (glycogen) is vital to proper functioning of your nervous system. Protein is key to tissue building and repair, a strong immune system, and it plays a role in your body's metabolism, and water-balance system. Fat can be used by the body as fuel for energy production. Fats aid in the digestion process and help transport fat-soluble vitamins important to the body, just to name a few of it's important roles.

Too much of a good thing can actually be bad. During the Atkins Diet craze researchers began to realize the effects of consuming too much protein. Your body only needs a certain amount of protein. Ingesting more will not make you have bigger muscles or make you stronger or leaner. Actually, when you consume more than you need, your body will deaminate the excess protein. That means is removes the nitrogen from the excess protein. That excess nitrogen puts a huge burden on your kidneys as they work overtime trying to get rid of it. Also, just like carbs, that excess protein has to go somewhere. Yep, similar to carbs, the protein that's not used is either stored as fat or used as energy. So if you're a sedentary person, the extra protein and/or carbs can cause you to pack on additional body fat.

Society seems to need an extreme method to latch on to to help modify their weight instead of looking at a more sensible approach (i.e., follow the guidelines and eat in moderation). For most Americans, if they make a concerted effort to reduce portion size as well as cut back on the amount of sugar and refined foods they're eating, they'd probably be very surprised to find the scales with a little lighter reading the next time they hop on them.

When I was a youngster, a meal at McDonald's consisted of a hamburger, fries and a soda. Actually that's all they had to offer. A little later they added the fish sandwich, but basically that was it. Oh yeah and the size of those burgers back then were the size that's in the kid's meal today. So 35 years ago an adult was basically eating one regular hamburger, a small fry, and a small soda. Still not all that healthy, but a lot better for you than the 1/2-pound Angus burger, large fries, and 32oz soda that many adults pickup today. Just the soda alone will eat up many of your daily calories. Did you know that the American Dietetic Association recommends that calories from sugar not exceed more than 10% of your total calories? One 12oz can of regular Coke exceeds that. Count up the number of regular soft drinks you consume each day? Then factor in your activity level? Guess where those calories are going if they're not quickly used after consumption

Almost all diets that impose strict limitations have an initially high success rate but then over time, individuals on those diets tend to gain back the weight. Why? It's hard to live a life of "I can't have that." Why not have a diet where you eat carbs, fats, and proteins, but in moderation?

So, now you know I'm big on "moderation." I'm also big on "education." Just like anything, there is a good side and a bad side. Same thing occurs with carbs, fats, and protein. This article would be 100 pages long if I shared the good and bad of each macronutrient, so make a point of reading up on each. Basically stay away from refined grains and sugary processed foods and look for whole grains and high-fiber foods. Steer clear of trans fats, try not have more than 10% of your fat calories come from saturated fats and comprise the bulk of your fat intake with healthier fats (mono- and poly-unsaturated as well as omega 3s). Explore a variety of both plant (legumes, soy, quinoa, nuts, etc.) and lean meats for protein sources. Food preparation also plays a huge role. Try baking, boiling, broiling, or grilling more than frying. Be careful with the types and amounts of condiments you use on your foods. You don't have to do without, but be a little choosier about what you put on that turkey sub or salad.

Enjoy eating. Just eat in moderation. I know that's easier said than done. I was an overweight child through middle school and lost a little over 40 lbs before going to high school. Once a "fat kid" always a "fat kid", in your head at least. Like I said, it's a life chage, not a quick fix. Make common sense choices. Get active. Start slow. Maybe just start by switching to whole grain bread, then leaving off the fries, then swapping the Coke for a Diet Coke and then maybe eventually to water. Add a 15-20 minute brisk walk to your regimen each day. Then make it 20-30. Then maybe try running. Make whatever you do a habit. Aim for losing weight over time. Quick weight loss almost never remains lost. Decreasing your total weekly caloric intake by 3500 calories (or 500 calories per day) will help you to lose 1lb a week. Just think in 5 weeks with little effort, you may be 5lbs lighter.  Whatever you do, start today. There's no better time!