Core Workout For Runners

After my Saturday group long run, I was talking with my good writing, blogging, and running buddy, Dena about our upcoming marathon training. Dena's running Chicago and I'll be running Marine Corps. They're only a few weeks apart, so we're trying to coordinate our training efforts as well as recruit others in our adventure using the FIRST program. Somehow we got on the topic of core strength and I asked her if she ever worked out with a medicine ball for core strength. It dawned on me during this conversation that my medicine-ball core workout would be a great thing to share with the RunnerDude's Blog readers. A strong core is essential to efficient running. The power for your legs originates in the core. A strong core also helps you in those later miles of a distance run. It takes a lot to keep your torso upright and aligned with the rest of your body. The following workout routine consisting of eight simple exercises using a medicine ball will give you that strong core.

The great thing about this workout is you don't need much stuff—just a medicine ball and a mat. I purchased both at Target. I paid about $26 for a Zenzation Yoga Mat (there were some cheaper and some more expensive mats to choose from). I paid about $30 for an 8lb Reebok Medicine Ball (4, 6, 12, and 15lb balls were also available from other makers). The Reebok medicine ball comes with a removable handle. With the handle, the ball can be used like a kettlebell weight. If you're new to using a medicine ball you may want to start with a lighter weight. If you're a pro and want to up the ante, just use a heavier ball, but the 8lb ball gives you a pretty good workout.

The routine below is one I do three times a week. Once you learn the exercises, it doesn't take long at all to whip them out. The routine consists of 20 repetitions of each exercise in a circuit. That means a set of 20 for one exercise then move directly into the next set of 20 for the next exercise. These exercises do not have to be done in the order shown below. Actually, it's good to mix them up once in a while to keep the body guessing.

Squat Rocket—Stand holding the ball at chest level. Your feet should be a tad wider than shoulder width. Squat until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Then push back up to an upright position but continue past the starting position pressing the ball over your head extending the arms. Return to the starting position. That's one rep. (20 reps)

Over/Under—Stand with your fee a little wider than shoulder width. Hold the ball with both hands over your head with your arms fully extended. Bend forward moving the ball between your legs. Straighten your back and return to the starting position. This is one rep. (20 reps)

Twister—Stand holding the ball in front of you with your arms completely extended. Keeping your arms straight, twist as far to the left as you can. Return to the starting position and then twist as far as you can to the right. This is one rep. (20 reps)

Around the World—Stand with the ball over your head; feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your arms straight, rotate the ball to the right. Then continue the movement in a counter clockwise direction holding the ball down in front of you (arms still straight). Keep rotating until you're holding the ball to your left side (arms still straight. Continue rotating the ball until it's back to the start position. This is one rotation. Do ten reps counter clockwise and then reverse directions and do ten in a clockwise direction. (20 reps)

Situp—Lay on your back on a mat. Hold the ball against your chest. Bend your knees at about a 90° angle. Now do a traditional situp and return to the starting position. (Note: at the start position, your head should be resting on the mat.) This is one rep. (20 reps)


Knee-Lift Crunch—Lie on your back with your legs stretched flat and your arms extended straight behind your head holding the ball with both hands. At the same time, raise your upper body and your right knee (keeping your arms straight while holding the ball). Return to the starting position and repeat with the left knee. This is one rep. (20 reps)

Sit-n-Twist—Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched in front of our. Hold the ball with both hands in front of you above your lap. Twist as far as you can to your left. Return to center and then twist as far to the right as you can. This is one rep. (20 reps.)

Put-a-Hurtin-on-Ya Twists—Sit on the floor. Hold the ball with both hands in front of you. Lean back at about a 45° angle and lift your feet off the ground. Without letting your feet drop, twist to the right as far as you can. Return to center and then twist as far to the left as you can. This is on rep. (20 reps)

I'd like to thank my 17-year-old son, Duncan for humoring me and being my photographer. I think he did a pretty good job. Thanks Dunc!

Running For Awareness

The other day I met a very inspiring young lady via Twitter. Her name is Aurora and she's a wedding photographer who lives in Dallas, Texas with her plus-size cat, Chunk. Aurora has overcome many personal hardships in her life and currently she's working passionately to make a vision of hers come alive. This vision is for a long-distance run for awareness that would help bring those who wrestle with emotional disorders (depression, food addiction, control, etc.) out of their personal denial. It would be the sort of project that highlights the real journeys of real individuals…and the chance for resurrection.

This is not just any long-distance run. This run will consist of a nearly 300-mile trek down I-45 from Dallas to the Texas coast. The run will begin on October 17th and end on November 14th 2009. She and the many other runners who participate will run approximately 10 miles a day for 29 days. Aurora calls it "a month on a mission." This run-for-a cause is different from the many other charity runs that abound these days. For this run, everyone is invited. There are no sign-ups. Aurora explains that instead, a participant can acquire a shirt on which they intentionally label their personal struggle, casting it in the light. That’s the entrance fee: the freedom found in self-disclosure.

Aurora is hard at work preparing for the run. Craig Keaton, a holistic health coach and movement specialist based in Dallas, and Mike Hummel, running coach and world-class runner preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games are helping Aurora train in such a way to avoid injury and optimize her performance.

Running Out, Aurora's personal telling of her own life struggles will be released in conjunction with the race. The book not only looks at her fight to overcome personal hardships, but also offers hope to those who struggle with emotional disorders and unhealthy addictions.

If you or someone you know struggles with emotional disorders and/or unhealthy addictions, check out Aurora's website to learn more about this amazing young lady and her upcoming event.

Marathon Amnesia?

I'd love to know the percentage of marathoners that say, "Never Again!" after completing their first marathon. I bet it's a pretty high number. When I crossed that finish line I was a mixed bag of emotions—excited, overwhelmed, proud, and amazed. I remember crying after crossing the finish line and having no idea why other than it being the result of shear emotional overload. On the flipside, however, I could barely walk. Every nerve ending in my body hurt, every muscle was twitching, I felt lightheaded, and I had a huge blister on one foot. Later that night I discovered I was the proud owner of my first "runner's toe" (a black toenail which later fell off). The exhaustion I felt was beyond any "tiredness" I had ever known.

The year was 1997 and my first marathon was the New York City Marathon. My hotel was only three blocks from the finish line, but due to the finish-line set up that year, the finishers were corralled down a narrow path for what seemed like miles. The next day, I actually counted and discovered I was 10 blocks from the finish line before I was able to get out of the stream of runners. That's 10 blocks out, 10 blocks back, and then the three blocks to my hotel. Walking 23 blocks (about 2.3 miles) after running 26.2 miles is not what I had envisioned after such an emotional finish. I did pass Peter Jennings walking his golden retriever on my return journey, which was kind of cool, but that provided only a brief distraction from the full-body pain I was experiencing. When I finally got in my room and plopped on the bed, I said out loud, "Never Again."

A month later I was pondering what my next marathon was going to be. Huh? I had just pledged out loud in my NYC hotel room not a month earlier that I'd never again run a marathon. Been there done that. So, why was I entertaining the idea of putting myself through that torture again? I've wondered about this paradox a lot and I've finally come to the conclusion that I must suffer from marathon amnesia. This revelation came to me when I realized that my wife and I suffer from a similar condition—maternity amnesia. After the long hours of hard labor my wife endured and the sleepless nights that came for both of us after each child, we vowed that was it. Yet somehow we'd forget that vow and 4-5 years later, Voila! the next child appeared. I'm a pretty smart fella, but it took me almost a decade to catch on to this maternity amnesia syndrome that we were experiencing. I've concluded that it must be nature's way of ensuring our existence. I think we've finally been cured from the maternity amnesia—it's going on 9 years since our third child was born. Shew! (Knock on wood.)

Marathoning is a phenomenon that non-runners probably won't ever understand, and who can blame them. Why do we get up before the crack of dawn to run under the moon and the stars? Why do we spend our hard-earned money on running shoes, expensive gadgets, high-tech fabric running clothes, and jog bras (well not me, but you get the gist)? And why do we run ourselves into the ground with pulled hamstrings, plantar fasciitis, and then spend months recovering just to get injured again? My running group jokes about how great it would be if we earned "frequent runner miles" that we could redeem at the sports doc for whom we provide a great deal of business.

So what is it about running 26.2 miles that causes us to soon after forget the pain? I'm sure every runner has a different reason for blanking out on the pain they've endured, but for me I think I'm a bonafied accomplishment junkie. I thrive on setting goals and working hard to achieve them. I think that's what I like about the marathon—the process of getting there. I've never been big on participating in team competitive sports, but with running, I love competing with myself, always trying to do better than the last time. And of course it goes without saying that all marathoners at least dream about one day running the ultimate marathon—Boston.

The funny thing is that no matter how hard-core you might become against running any more marathons, somewhere down the road, I bet you'll at least contemplate running another one. You may not own-up to it, but I bet you'll ponder it. A fellow runner and good friend of mine is a bonafied, card-carrying member of NMMC (No More Marathons Club). Guess what she's doing to celebrate her 50th birthday? Running the Boston Marathon! Okay, I'm trying not to smile.

Your Vote of Support for the blog is greatly appreciated. Click here to cast your vote. Thanks!

Finding Your Target Heart Rate (The Old Fashioned Way)

Ever seen runners with that black strap across their chests? In case you didn't know that's a heart rate monitor. It used to be that only the elite used them, but now you see them everywhere. Women can even buy them already incorporated into a jog bra! Their popularity has increased because heart-rate training is a great way to monitor your performance and keep from over training. The monitors are also great because they provide on-the-spot feedback that you can use to evaluate your workout.

Today's technology is awesome, but if you're not technically inclined or just cash-challenged like me, you can still monitor your heart rate and use it in your training to track your performance. Basically, your goal is to keep your your heart rate between 60% and 80% of your maximum heart rate. But first you need to determine your maximum heart rate. For years this has been done by subtracting your age from 220 (Maximum Heart Rate = 220-Age). Fairly new research has shown that this equation is not very accurate. The original calculation overestimates rates for young adults and underestimates for older adults. A new formula corrects this problem.

New Maximum Heart Rate Equation

208 - (0.7 x age)

Example:

208 - (0.7 x 40)

208 - 28 = 180

180 = Max Heart Rate

Keep in mind that the above age-related equations only provide an estimated Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). Runners of the same age can have very different MHRs. The best and most accurate way to determine your true MHR is by having a stress test done. It's also good to know that your MHR declines as you get older from about 220 beats per minute for a child to about 160 beats per minute at age 60. Typically it decreases about 1 beat per minute per year. Extra training hasn't been shown to affect this decline in Maximum Heart Rate.

So, now that you know your Maximum Heart Rate, what do you do with it? You plug it into another set of equations to determine your Target Heart Rate (THR) or your training zone. Your THR is the range between 60% and 80% of your Maximum Heart Rate. There are several ways to calculate your THR. The most common way is to multiply your MHR by the intesity of your workout to find your target zone.

Calculating Your Aerobic Training Zone
Bottom End Target Heart Rate = MHR x 0.6
Top End Target Heart Rate = MHR x 0.8
Example:

180 x 0.6 = 108 Bottom End Target Heart Rate

180 x 0.8 = 144 Top End Target Heart Rate

Takes a little time to do the calculations, but once you know your THR Zone you can start using it to monitor your training progress. To check your progress during a run, simply stop and immediately check your pulse for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6 to see if you're "In the Zone." Of course a heart rate monitor will do this for you and all you have to do is look at the monitor while running to check if you're in the zone. That's the advantage of the technology. Maybe once the kids are out of braces, I can get one.

Another tried and true technique is the Sing-and-Talk method. If you're able to sing while you're running, you're probably not working hard enough. If you can't talk while running, you're probably working too hard.

You can't increase your Maximum Heart Rate with training as you age, but you can positively affect your Resting Heart Rate (RHR) through training no matter your age. Most adults have a RHR around 72 beats per minute. Some runners can have RHRs of 40 beats per minute or lower. What that means is that your heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump the blood through your body. That's a good thing for the old ticker! It's not a bad idea to tell your physician you're a runner because they're often so use to seeing adult patients with much higher resting heart rates that when you walk in with a RHR of 50 or lower they often assume something's wrong with you. Sad, but true.

Celebrate National Running Day: Get Out and Run!

Today (June 3, 2009) is the first annual National Running Day. In celebration of the inaugural event, running organizations and enthusiasts alike are planning local events to encourage Americans of all ages and fitness levels to lace up their shoes, go for a run, and invite a friend to join them. Organizers hope to encourage everyone, everywhere to take the first step toward incorporating running as a part of a daily routine.

Check with your local running store to see if there are any events planned in your area or just get out there and run! RunningDay.org has some great information for beginning runners as well as general information about the day and its purpose. If you're a new runner or just beginning to think about running, this is a great time to set a goal for yourself and connect with other runners. Your goal might just be running to your mailbox or it might be to run a marathon. Doesn't matter. Just get out there! That first step will lead to many more. I promise. Happy running!

Debunking the Water Myth

Did you know that approximately 70% of your muscles are made up of water? It also makes up about 75% of your brain, 22% of your bones, and 83% of your blood. I'm surprised we don't slosh when we walk! Water is vital to our existence. It helps with digestion, helps regulate body temperature, helps the body absorb nutrients, and decreases your chance of getting bladder and colon cancer. Even though I know all of this, hydration is something I have to continuously and consciously work on.

I've always heard the 8 x 8 rule for drinking water each day—8oz of water 8 times a day. I did a little digging and found that several different theories abound on this topic. Some long held myths about water have recently been debunked by researchers. The Mayo Clinic says that the daily water needs vary from person to person. They do mention the popular 8 glasses of water a day recommendation although they say the theory isn't backed up by scientific evidence. The Mayo Clinic does say that if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. The following video clip from CBS News provides more information on the recent research of daily water requirements for a healthy body.

Anyone doing anything that causes them to sweat (especially runners) need to make sure they are accounting for the extra water loss by drinking more. The extra amount of water will vary from runner to runner depending how much you sweat. The key is knowing your own body and its hydration needs under various conditions. The Sweat Rate Test below can help you to determine your hydration needs. I recommend doing the test several times each under different conditions such as early morning, midday, later afternoon, very hot, hot/humid, etc. This will give you a good idea of how much water you'll need for each kind of condition.

Sweat Rate Test:
1. Weight before running; record the amount

2. Run for 60 minutes

3. Weight after running; record the amount

4. Calculate the difference of the two weights; record the amount

5. Each pound lost = 16oz of fluids

6. Record the temperature and pace of run

The other day I did the sweat rate test on myself and discovered I had lost 2lbs after my run. That's 32oz of water I needed to replace that I had lost during my run. Not only is it important to replace fluids lost, it's just as important to fully hydrate yourself prior to a workout so that you don't become dehydrated during your run. Also, drinking a sports drink throughout the run, especially on hot days, will help to keep you hydrated as well as provide you with the energy to maintain your endurance level throughout the run.

RunnerDude Discovers The Blender Bottle!

Disclaimer: The following post may sound like an infomercial, but it's not. Just a pretty cool product discovery I made and wanted to share it with you. :-)

The other day I was picking up some sports gels, sports drink mix, and some protein powder at the Vitamin Shoppe. While at the checkout counter, I happened to look down at the impulse-buy items. You know, those cool flashy gadgets that work for about a day and then break (kind of like the kids' happy meal toys). But this time what I saw were water bottles. I needed a new bottle to take with me to the gym, so I took a closer look.

To my surprise they weren't water bottles; they were shaker bottles—Blender Bottles. Okay, you're thinking the same thing I did...."[yawn] You've seen one shaker bottle, you've seen them all." But, something inside the bottles caught my eye and piqued my curiosity. Inside each bottle was a wire ball. Basically, Blender Bottles are shakers, you know the things you plop your milk and protein power into and shake, shake, shake to mix it all together. The cool thing about these bottles (or so said the label) was the unique wire ball inside. Ever mix up your protein shake and gulp it down only to have the last swallow full of un-mixed powder? Yuck! Well Blender Bottle claims that the wire ball acts like a wire whisk when you shake the bottle making sure that all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Sounded good to me, so I bought one. (Okay, it doesn't take much to sell me something, but I was really tired of that unmixed powder in my protein shakes!)

The good news is that it actually works! It actually does what it claims to do! So far I've used it to mix up my sports drink as well as my protein shakes. Both mixed up great with no remaining powder! I saw a website on the bottom of the bottle, so I checked it out and discovered there are lots of other uses for the bottle including mixing up
• Salad Dressings
• Pancake Batter
• Yogurt Smoothies
• Lump-Free Gravy
• French Toast Batter
• Scrambled Eggs
• Tempura Batter
• Sauces and Marinades
• Pudding
• Omelets & Egg Dishes
• Water Bottle
• Dry Ingredients (cinnamon or colored sugar, etc.)

The website also provides dozens of different recipes using the bottle. You can purchase the bottles from the website or [click here] to find a store near you that carries them. Check them out. This time the impulse buy was a great buy! I checked to see if there were any video clips of people using the bottle and I came across the clip below from Dr. Brett Saks, a health and wellness coach.