Hi again! Last week was such a tough week weather-wise. At one point I had the heat running in my house. Were we suddenly transported to northern Canada? Seattle? What happened??? I want you to remember the weather last week during the inevitable heat wave later this summer. Speaking of heat waves, there is plenty of information available on how to handle the heat -- namely, exercise during the early morning or late evening and stay hydrated. But what if it rains for 5 straight days again? Do we build an ark and collect 2 of every animal?
First off, every athlete I know has trouble getting themselves out of the house to exercise when it's precipitating, cold, or really anything other than perfect outside. So, you're not alone. If you don't feel like exercising, then you need to find what motivates you. Maybe you can look back at your mileage log. Maybe you can watch a video of the Olympics or the Tour de France. It doesn't matter what mental trick you play on yourself because we both know that once you're out the door, you'll feel like a million bucks and be happy and satisfied that you were able to find the inner strength to be outside (or on the treadmill) when about 99.9% of the world would rather plant themselves on the couch.
Things can get tough when you are outside in wet weather. If you're running or walking on wet pavement, you may have noticed that your legs are more sore post-workout. This is because every time you push off with the ball of your foot during your stride, your foot slips backwards a tiny amount (due to the reduced frictional forces. Ha! Physics). If you take 85 strides per minute multiplied by 30 minutes of exercise, then these tiny stabilizing muscles in your legs will become repeatedly stressed thus causing soreness. You will primarily feel this soreness in the calf muscle, but you may have sore hamstrings, glutes, and lower back as well. Don't be alarmed, you'll recover quickly ... just be sure to stretch a LOT before and after workouts on slippery surfaces.
The final thing you need to take into account is wet shoes. Having wet shoes can greatly increase the probability of getting a foot blister - and blisters can be so painful that they could cause you to change your gait pattern, thus resulting in injury. So be sensible. If you're out in wet weather, you'll never be able to keep your feet perfectly dry but do try to avoid puddles and don't stay out in the rain for too long. Check the local weather radar before leaving the house! Sounds like simple advice but you'd be shocked how many athletes get stuck in downpours, then complain about blisters.
Once you've finished your workout, bring your shoes in the house, take the insole out, and set them near a dehumidifier. You can also stuff a newspaper in your shoes ... just remember to remove the newspaper an hour after you put it in. Your shoes should be dry enough to use the next day.
Good luck and keep in touch! Hope ya'll (that's Delaware for 'you all') are having a great summer.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Week 2 + Workout Nutrition Stuff
Hi again! Let's keep those mileage updates rolling in. Many of you have requested that I post everyone's mileage updates on a public site (like here for example) but not everyone is on board with this. If you want to post your mileage updates then please use the 'comments' section at the end of each post. Don't be modest or embarrassed -- we're all in this together!
I've received some questions about nutrition before, during, and after workouts and would like to address them here if I may. Before doing a workout, there usually is no need to eat provided you're not insanely hungry, exhausted, or planning on doing more than 90 minutes of nonstop cardio. If you do eat before a workout then try to find a food that will sit well in your stomach and is rich in carbs and low in fat. High protein foods tend to be high in fat as well so try to avoid that gigantic bacon and eggs breakfast prior to workouts. Power Bars, Luna Bars, Gatorade, bread and butter, turkey sandwiches, and PB&J would be examples of good things to eat/drink prior to working out. Personally I like to water down the gatorade in a 1:1 ratio because it is too sugary. Oddly enough Gatorade now sells a watered-down version of Gatorade, slaps a different name on it (think it's 'G2') and charges more $$ for it.
If you plan on doing a long (90 minutes+) workout such as a long bike ride or hike, then you will need sustainable energy during the workout. I'm not a biology teacher as the science department is quick to point out, but the idea behind this is that the liver is the organ in your body which takes the carbohydrates from all the breads and starches you eat and converts them into glycogen. Glycogen is the most efficient fuel for the muscles so the body uses up all the glycogen first before it dips into your fat reserves (and then eventually muscle but this isn't a concern). Your body stores what amounts to roughly 120 minutes worth of glycogen for exercise, but after 90 minutes of straight exercise you will begin to feel worn down, and eventually 'bonk' or 'hit the wall'. To avoid this you should eat the same type of things that you would eat before a workout -- things that are high in carbs, low in fat, and will sit well in your stomach. Don't forget to hydrate liberally as well particularly during the summer months.
After the workout ends -- and this is especially important if you do a workout at the beginning of the day because you don't want to be exhausted all day -- you should re-hydrate and replenish calories between 15-60 minutes post workout. This is the physiological 'window of opportunity' when the body absorbs the maximum amount of good things you put into it. If you're really serious about this then you will be looking for a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein in your post workout recovery meal or drink. Accelerade and Endurox are 2 drinks that have this ratio, and I believe PowerBar makes a recovery drink now as well. If you don't want to use these drinks, then at least have a minimum of 16 oz. of water and a light recovery meal. A sandwich or any snack food that's low in fat will do the trick.
As for protein shakes, you don't need them unless you are workout out twice a day and one of those workouts is weight lifting. Your muscles are built to recover quickly and if you treat them right then they will recover from the stresses of the workout.
Hope this helps. I'm sure I left a ton of stuff out but it's a start at least. Take care and happy exercise!
I've received some questions about nutrition before, during, and after workouts and would like to address them here if I may. Before doing a workout, there usually is no need to eat provided you're not insanely hungry, exhausted, or planning on doing more than 90 minutes of nonstop cardio. If you do eat before a workout then try to find a food that will sit well in your stomach and is rich in carbs and low in fat. High protein foods tend to be high in fat as well so try to avoid that gigantic bacon and eggs breakfast prior to workouts. Power Bars, Luna Bars, Gatorade, bread and butter, turkey sandwiches, and PB&J would be examples of good things to eat/drink prior to working out. Personally I like to water down the gatorade in a 1:1 ratio because it is too sugary. Oddly enough Gatorade now sells a watered-down version of Gatorade, slaps a different name on it (think it's 'G2') and charges more $$ for it.
If you plan on doing a long (90 minutes+) workout such as a long bike ride or hike, then you will need sustainable energy during the workout. I'm not a biology teacher as the science department is quick to point out, but the idea behind this is that the liver is the organ in your body which takes the carbohydrates from all the breads and starches you eat and converts them into glycogen. Glycogen is the most efficient fuel for the muscles so the body uses up all the glycogen first before it dips into your fat reserves (and then eventually muscle but this isn't a concern). Your body stores what amounts to roughly 120 minutes worth of glycogen for exercise, but after 90 minutes of straight exercise you will begin to feel worn down, and eventually 'bonk' or 'hit the wall'. To avoid this you should eat the same type of things that you would eat before a workout -- things that are high in carbs, low in fat, and will sit well in your stomach. Don't forget to hydrate liberally as well particularly during the summer months.
After the workout ends -- and this is especially important if you do a workout at the beginning of the day because you don't want to be exhausted all day -- you should re-hydrate and replenish calories between 15-60 minutes post workout. This is the physiological 'window of opportunity' when the body absorbs the maximum amount of good things you put into it. If you're really serious about this then you will be looking for a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein in your post workout recovery meal or drink. Accelerade and Endurox are 2 drinks that have this ratio, and I believe PowerBar makes a recovery drink now as well. If you don't want to use these drinks, then at least have a minimum of 16 oz. of water and a light recovery meal. A sandwich or any snack food that's low in fat will do the trick.
As for protein shakes, you don't need them unless you are workout out twice a day and one of those workouts is weight lifting. Your muscles are built to recover quickly and if you treat them right then they will recover from the stresses of the workout.
Hope this helps. I'm sure I left a ton of stuff out but it's a start at least. Take care and happy exercise!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Week 1 + Fun Workout Math
Judging by the title of this post, you might be saying "how can you use the words 'fun' and 'math' in the same sentence? Well, I decided to put on my glasses, stuff my shirt pocket chock full o' pocket protectors and pencils, and fire up the ol' calculator. Here goes.
So the updates at the end of week 1 have been rolling in. I need to hear from a few of you still so if you have yet to send me your mileage log and/or totals then try to get that to me ASAP. As a faculty we have covered a total of 277.89 miles in this first week! Yoooooo we've almost run across Pennsylvania!!! I'm confident that we've covered closer to 400 miles but Eric "big mileage" Mundy has yet to send in his update (along with some others). Let's go, Eric!
To put this mileage in perspective, 277.89 miles represents approximately 31,000 calories burned. Given that one pound of fat is worth about 3500 calories burned, then we've burned off almost 9 pounds of fat in one week.
But there's more! When you work out, your metabolism remains raised for up to 48 hours post-workout. Here's an excerpt from a recent study (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_8_21/ai_83911021/):
Q: Is it true that your body continues to burn extra calories for 12 hours after you've worked out?
A: Yes. "After vigorous exercise, we've seen caloric expenditure increase for up to 48 hours," says exercise physiologist Tom R. Thomas, Ph.D., director of the exercise physiology program at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The longer and harder you work out, the greater the post-workout metabolism increase and the longer it lasts. Subjects in Thomas' research burned 600-700 calories during one hour of running at about 80 percent of their maximum heart rate. During the next 48 hours, they burned about 15 percent more calories -- 90-105 extra -- than they otherwise would have. About 75 percent of the post-workout metabolism increase occurs in the first 12 hours after exercise, according to Thomas.
Conservatively, we have metabolised 6,500 extra calories post-workout. That bumps our caloric burn total to 37,500 and 10.7 pounds of fat. By the end of the summer, we might be able to burn off quite a staggering total.
Keep up the good work and happy exercise.
So the updates at the end of week 1 have been rolling in. I need to hear from a few of you still so if you have yet to send me your mileage log and/or totals then try to get that to me ASAP. As a faculty we have covered a total of 277.89 miles in this first week! Yoooooo we've almost run across Pennsylvania!!! I'm confident that we've covered closer to 400 miles but Eric "big mileage" Mundy has yet to send in his update (along with some others). Let's go, Eric!
To put this mileage in perspective, 277.89 miles represents approximately 31,000 calories burned. Given that one pound of fat is worth about 3500 calories burned, then we've burned off almost 9 pounds of fat in one week.
But there's more! When you work out, your metabolism remains raised for up to 48 hours post-workout. Here's an excerpt from a recent study (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_8_21/ai_83911021/):
Q: Is it true that your body continues to burn extra calories for 12 hours after you've worked out?
A: Yes. "After vigorous exercise, we've seen caloric expenditure increase for up to 48 hours," says exercise physiologist Tom R. Thomas, Ph.D., director of the exercise physiology program at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The longer and harder you work out, the greater the post-workout metabolism increase and the longer it lasts. Subjects in Thomas' research burned 600-700 calories during one hour of running at about 80 percent of their maximum heart rate. During the next 48 hours, they burned about 15 percent more calories -- 90-105 extra -- than they otherwise would have. About 75 percent of the post-workout metabolism increase occurs in the first 12 hours after exercise, according to Thomas.
Conservatively, we have metabolised 6,500 extra calories post-workout. That bumps our caloric burn total to 37,500 and 10.7 pounds of fat. By the end of the summer, we might be able to burn off quite a staggering total.
Keep up the good work and happy exercise.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Some FAQ's Answered
Hi again! I can't believe how this has taken off. Guess there was a need for some sort of guided faculty fitness, but ultimately YOU are the ones who need to push yourselves on a daily basis. It's pretty easy to be fired up and put in decent mileage in the first week or 2, but once the summertime blues set in it will get tougher.
Today Gloria was telling me how sore she was after her first few workouts. First off, great job thus far Gloria! My advice to her was two things. First of all, you'll most likely stay sore for the first 2 weeks. Don't lose hope, you won't be sore forever! The 2 week mark tends to be the magic number, at least for the cross country kids at Malvern so maybe it will be for you as well. The second thing I told her was to develop a good stretching routine - before and/or after the workout. I did some searching for a good web site with pictures showing a decent stretching routine and lemme tell you the ones I found were L-A-M-E lame! Here is the best one I could find. Focus more on the lower body stretches but the upper body ones are fine as well. Oh, you can do the quadriceps stretch standing up as well.
http://exercise.about.com/cs/flexibility/l/blstretch.htm
Many of you have asked me if your spouses can participate in this challenge. Yes, your spouses can participate and I will be glad to help them any way I can. In fact, you can send me their mileage totals along with your's. The only thing they can't do is get a free t-shirt at the end of the challenge. Perhaps they can order one and buy it at cost through us if they want to. We'll figure all that stuff out at the end. For now, just get your mileage in!
I have had some questions about shoes for walking and running. I recommend going to a specialty running store because the folks who work there tend to be more familiar with walking and running and should be able to fit you to the optimal shoe based on your biomechanics. Off the top of my head here is a list of running stores in the area:
- Jenkintown Running Store, Jenkintown
- Bryn Mawr Running Store, Bryn Mawr (I used to train with these guys and the owner of the BMRS is Bob Schwelm who used to coach at Malvern)
- Chester County Running Store, West Chester (co-owned by Kevin Kelly who coaches at Henderson and Scott Purcell, a former high school teammate of mine)
- Runaway Success, Paoli
- Downingtown Running Store, Downingtown
- Delaware Running Company, Wilmington DE (if you mention my name here you might get a 20% discount or pay a 20% extra fee, depending on who waits on you. Only kidding.)
For those of you trying to lose weight, please weigh yourselves once per week in a controlled setting. If you feel comfortable then you can report your weight to me and I can help you track it but that's up to you. When you do your weekly weigh-in, choose a day and time of day and be consistent on each weigh-in. So if you choose Thursday morning, then EVERY weigh-in must be Thursday morning before breakfast. Weight can fluctuate up to +/- 5 lbs during each day so we need to have good numbers for an accurate progression.
One more thing -- How do you report your mileage to me? I'll send out a weekly e-mail reminding you to send your mileage from the past week and I'll add it in to the spreadsheet. Some of you have created accounts on maymyrun.com, and some of you have created accounts on google docs. I don't really understand the technology of either one of those applications but promise to look into them. It would be cool to have a place where we can all post stuff so that the whole group can follow our progress. Otherwise we can simply use the 'comments' section on this blog.
Happy exercise everyone and take care.
Today Gloria was telling me how sore she was after her first few workouts. First off, great job thus far Gloria! My advice to her was two things. First of all, you'll most likely stay sore for the first 2 weeks. Don't lose hope, you won't be sore forever! The 2 week mark tends to be the magic number, at least for the cross country kids at Malvern so maybe it will be for you as well. The second thing I told her was to develop a good stretching routine - before and/or after the workout. I did some searching for a good web site with pictures showing a decent stretching routine and lemme tell you the ones I found were L-A-M-E lame! Here is the best one I could find. Focus more on the lower body stretches but the upper body ones are fine as well. Oh, you can do the quadriceps stretch standing up as well.
http://exercise.about.com/cs/flexibility/l/blstretch.htm
Many of you have asked me if your spouses can participate in this challenge. Yes, your spouses can participate and I will be glad to help them any way I can. In fact, you can send me their mileage totals along with your's. The only thing they can't do is get a free t-shirt at the end of the challenge. Perhaps they can order one and buy it at cost through us if they want to. We'll figure all that stuff out at the end. For now, just get your mileage in!
I have had some questions about shoes for walking and running. I recommend going to a specialty running store because the folks who work there tend to be more familiar with walking and running and should be able to fit you to the optimal shoe based on your biomechanics. Off the top of my head here is a list of running stores in the area:
- Jenkintown Running Store, Jenkintown
- Bryn Mawr Running Store, Bryn Mawr (I used to train with these guys and the owner of the BMRS is Bob Schwelm who used to coach at Malvern)
- Chester County Running Store, West Chester (co-owned by Kevin Kelly who coaches at Henderson and Scott Purcell, a former high school teammate of mine)
- Runaway Success, Paoli
- Downingtown Running Store, Downingtown
- Delaware Running Company, Wilmington DE (if you mention my name here you might get a 20% discount or pay a 20% extra fee, depending on who waits on you. Only kidding.)
For those of you trying to lose weight, please weigh yourselves once per week in a controlled setting. If you feel comfortable then you can report your weight to me and I can help you track it but that's up to you. When you do your weekly weigh-in, choose a day and time of day and be consistent on each weigh-in. So if you choose Thursday morning, then EVERY weigh-in must be Thursday morning before breakfast. Weight can fluctuate up to +/- 5 lbs during each day so we need to have good numbers for an accurate progression.
One more thing -- How do you report your mileage to me? I'll send out a weekly e-mail reminding you to send your mileage from the past week and I'll add it in to the spreadsheet. Some of you have created accounts on maymyrun.com, and some of you have created accounts on google docs. I don't really understand the technology of either one of those applications but promise to look into them. It would be cool to have a place where we can all post stuff so that the whole group can follow our progress. Otherwise we can simply use the 'comments' section on this blog.
Happy exercise everyone and take care.
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