Quick Tip: Scrub it Away

Is a hot shower your first destination after a hard run? If you're like me, you're probably covered in sweat, salt, dirt, and if it's summertime, bugs! Any soap will do, but next time you're at the pharmacy, pick up a body wash with an exfoliant, like St. Ives Exfoliating Apricot Scrub. Gives you a deep clean ridding your pores of all that gunk you collected on the run. Also helps smooth out the rough spots on your feet. One of my running group members says her husband uses it and is thrilled with the results.

Write Off the Pounds, Add On the Miles?

Researchers from the University of Arkansas discovered that dieters who kept a food record for three weeks or longer lost more weight than those who didn't—3.5 pounds more to be exact! They believe that keeping a food diary over the long term may be even more helpful in increasing weight loss. It's really not rocket science. Basically, when you become more aware of what you're eating, you make better decisions. Picture the angel-you and the devil-you sitting on your shoulders. If you know you've already recorded in your diary that Krispy Kreme donut you ate at breakfast, the angel-you is going to give you a big swift kick in the ear when you start to think about that Big Mac you want for lunch. Devil-you is going to try hard to win the battle, but angel-you, otherwise known as your conscience, can be a pretty strong influence and now it has hard data to back up its nagging.

This got me to thinking. If you lose more weight when you keep a food diary, will you run more miles if you keep a running journal? I log my miles on a great free online running log site RunningAhead.com. I can attest to the fact that seeing the bar graph of my weekly runs is definitely an incentive to hit the road. Even though no one sees my log but me, it's still embarrassing when a weekly graph shows just one or two bars. So, maybe keeping a running log will help you log more miles. I do know, from personal experience, that keeping a log is very helpful in evaluating why you may have gotten an injury, or why you've plateaued in your running. Try logging your runs for a month or so and see what you think and let me know the outcome.

Stuck In A Rut?

Are you logging lots of miles but not seeing any improvement in speed or endurance? Come to find out it's not really the quantity of miles you log but the quality that count. If you're running the same 4-6 miles every day at the same pace, day-after-day, month-after-month, you're not challenging your body. It's acclimated to this pace and distance. Kind of similar to lifting weights in the gym. If you do the same routine over and over, you begin to plateau and see no change. You have to keep your muscles guessing what's coming next. Same thing occurs in running. Dare I say it....try running less but make the runs you do count.

Here's a sample week:
Monday: easy 4-6 mile run
Tuesday: speedwork—track repeats or fartleks (about 3 miles total)
Wednesday: chill or crosstrain
Thursday: tempo run (begin run with a slow 10-minute warmup; then run at least 25 minutes at just below race-pace speed; finish with a 10-minute cooldown)
Friday: easy 4-6 mile run
Saturday: long run (8-11 miles) at an easy pace (note: if you're training for a marathon, your long runs will increase in length and go beyond 11 miles)
Sunday: chill or crosstrain

Feel free to modify the schedule to fit your needs. Many runners do their long runs on Sunday. That's fine. Just try to alternate easier days with the challenging days. I used a similar schedule to the one above and finally achieved a sub 20-minute 5K and a 1:30 half marathon. Everybody's different and results will vary, but the bottom line is, if you focus your runs (each one having a specific goal) you'll definitely see good results. Give it a try!

No, It's Not Too Early!

Thinking of running a fall marathon? Start planning! Especially if it's your first. Fall seems far away, but it's only 8 months until October. You'll need to dedicate at least 3-4 months to training, so that leaves only 4-5 months to figure out all the other details—picking the marathon, registering, making travel plans, coaxing someone into running it with you.

Running is popular now more than ever. Used to be that only die-hard runners would even consider running a marathon. But now many thousands of runners and even non-runners are contemplating running their first marathon. In 1976, only about 25,000 runners had completed a distance of 26.2 miles. In 1980, that number jumped to 125,000. 2007 graduated more than 380,000 runners from the 26.2 club.

Registering:
Because the numbers have increased so dramatically—it's not uncommon to have over 30,000 runners in a race hosted by a large city—many races have put a cap on the number of runners. Don't worry, there are lots of local marathons in smaller venues that don't have these restrictions. But if your goal is to run one of the big boys, you need to be hitting their websites and checking out their registration guidelines and deadlines. Two of my running buddies and myself, missed out on The Marine Corps Marathon last year, because we waited too late to register (a week after it opened). Many fall marathons will open their registration in late winter/early spring. Check out the links at the bottom of this post for registration dates of some popular fall marathons.

Other Things to Consider:
Some other things to keep in mind when selecting a marathon include the course elevation, crowd support, transportation, other travel expenses, and a race's reputation for putting on a well organized event.

The Course:
Some races have beautiful routes, but they may be too hilly for first-timers. Or, if you're an old pro and looking to set a PR and qualify for Boston, you probably want a course that's flat and fast. Elevation information can usually be found on the marathon's website. This usually includes an elevation map showing exactly where the uphills and downhills are located. This can be very helpful in your preparation—mentally and physically.

Crowd Support:
You may not have considered this, but crowd support can be very valuable to a runner, especially for first-timers who may need that support to get through the wall. I've run the NYC Marathon three times and I have to say, from my experience, it is one of the best marathons for crowd support. The streets are lined with supporters and well-wishers through all five boroughs of the city. Chicago is another one with awesome crowd support. But, I've heard tale of other marathons where the support mainly clusters around the beginning and ending of the race with not much in between. This coupled with a flat, non-scenic route could be a deadly combination. Needing lots of crowd support or just a little really depends on the runner. I have a running buddy who wore a T-shirt with his name on it when he ran Boston, and by the time he got to the end of the race, he was ready to change his name. So, evaluate your needs as a runner and pick a race that's best fitted to you.

Travel Planning:
Pick a race that's within your budget. This doesn't always mean you have to stick close to home, just depends on your situation and resources. The first time I ran NYC, I spent about $700 on a hotel and I was only there 3 nights and that was 11 years ago. The third time I ran it, I stayed in a hostel (single room/shared bathroom on hall) on the upper West Side for only $65 a night. It was in a great part of the city right by the park and not far from the finish line.

The Forgotten Travel Expenses:
I've discovered that sometimes, it's not getting to the host city that's the problem; it's paying for transportation once you're in the city. The first time I ran Chicago, I used taxis and spent a fortune. The second time, I used the trains and spent hardly anything getting around. San Diego has a great trolley system that I used to get around while there for the Rock-n-Roll Marathon. In San Francisco, I took BART (their subway system) from the airport and it dropped me off about a block from my hotel. I also got a great deal on Priceline.com for my hotel room. If you book a room with a kitchenette, then you can save a ton of money by fixing your own meals or at least some of them. Or, stop by a book store and buy a travel guide that lists the restaurants by price. These guides also have helpful maps and information about local entertainment. Bargains may be harder to come by with the economy the way it is, but do some digging and you might be surprised. Also, keep in mind that many races have special early-bird registration fees, so apply early!

Marathon Calendar Sites:
There are several Websites that list the various marathons across the country as well as the world. One such site is MarathonGuide.com. CoolRunning.com is another good site to check for marathon dates. Listed below are just a few of the upcoming 2009 fall marathons.

A Few 2009 Fall Marathons:
The Portland Marathon—Race Day is 10/4 (Registration is open.)
Twin Cities Marathon—Race Day is 10/4 (Registration begins 4/17)
Under Armour Baltimore Marathon—Race Day is 10/10 (Registration is open.)
Hartford Marathon—Race Day is 10/10 (Registration is open.)
Chicago Marathon—Race Day is 11/11 (Registration is open.)
Columbus Marathon—Race Day is 10/18 (Registration is open.)
Marine Corps Marathon—Race Day is 10/25 (Registration begins 4/1)
NYC Marathon—Race Day is 11/1 (Application & registration info available on Website in mid Feb)
OBX Marathon—Race Day is 11/8 (Registration is open.)
Indianapolis Marathon—Race Day is 11/7 (Registration is open.)
Richmond Marathon—Race Day is 11/14 (Registration is open.)
Philadelphis Marathon—Race Day is 11/22 (Registration begins 4/1)

Don't Drink, Just Dangle

All these years I thought you were supposed to drink Gatorade. Come to find out, all you have to do is look at it! According to an article in Psychology of Sport and Exercise, just looking at a sports drink increases exercise endurance. In a test, members of two different groups of people were asked to raise one leg. One group was shown a bottle of Gatorade and the other was shown a bottle of spring water. People in the group looking at the Gatorade were able to hold their legs up 149% longer than the group looking at the bottle of water. The study's coauthor, Ron Friedman, Ph.D. says the boost most likely occurs because of the inherent association between Gatorade and exercise. This signals the brain that it's time to work. Print and TV ads reinforce this link even more. So for your next marathon, don't drink Gatorade, just carry a stick with a bottle of Gatorade dangling from the end. Extra benefit will be the arm muscles you'll develop.

The Runner's Palate: February Recipe

Rice-n-Bean Burritos
You'll be amazed how easy these burritos are to make and they're high in protein and low in fat—perfect for an after training snack or pack them for lunch. My kids love 'em!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups instant brown rice (uncooked)
1 medium green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can of corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili power
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 crushed red pepper flakes (optional; gives it kick)
1 15oz can of black beans
8 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup salsa
reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
reduced-fat sour cream
Directions:
Prepare the instant brown rice as directed on the box. While the rice is cooking, put the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and green pepper until they are tender (just a few minutes). Add the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir until combined well. Drain and rinse the beans and the corn. Then add the beans, corn, and rice to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Be sure to keep stirring. Wrap the stack of tortillas in a paper towel and warm them in the microwave for about 1 minute. Spoon a desired amount of rice-n-bean mixture in the center of each tortilla. If desired, top with the salsa, cheese and/or sour cream. Fold the sides and ends of each tortilla over and roll up like a burrito.
Variations:
• Don't care fore black beans? Use pinto.
• Want more protein? Cut up some grilled chicken breast and add to the mixture.
• Don't have time to cook the bean-n-rice mixture? Buy a few cans of fat-free refried beans and use instead. Simply spoon out the desired amount onto a tortilla and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Then add your toppings and wrap.

Run Fat Boy Run!

The other night my 17-year-old son picked up a movie for us to watch. It was about a runner, so he thought I'd like it. The title of the movie was Run Fat Boy Run. I vaguely remember when it came out in 2007, but I never saw it. It's one of those lower-budget movies that doesn't get as much press as the big action-thrillers. Anywho, this movie is a complete riot! We both laughed and laughed. Not only is it an entertaining movie, but it has a really good message—get off your butt and make something of yourself. The movie actually isn't about a fat person, rather a slim but very out of shape guy, Dennis, who runs away from everything, including his pregnant fiancee at the alter. That all changes when the mother of his child becomes engaged to wealthy Mr. GQ who, by-the-way, is a marathon runner. Dennis decides that maybe if he runs the same marathon, he'll show her he can indeed follow through with something to completion and win her back. Catch is, the marathon is in three weeks and this smoking, drinking, out-of-shape dude is no where near being ready to run, much less complete a full marathon. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I guarantee you'll enjoy this quirky movie. Check out the movie trailer below.