When an injured athlete is faced with a period of non-weight bearing activity and handed the crutches of doom, all sorts of questions and fears may arise. Will I lose all my pre-injury fitness? Will I gain weight? Will I have to start over from square one? Will I be forced to give up coffee since I can’t carry a cup?! (Because really, that’s all that honestly matters.) While each athlete will have unique circumstances, I’m 97% confident I can say the answer to each of these questions is NO. Including giving up coffee!

Steps to staying fit while crutch-bound

(1) First and foremost, get medical clearance from your physician. Check what is OK, what isn’t, and keep your medical team updated as you progress through recovery.

Assuming you’ve been given the green light…

(2) Don’t check yourself out mentally!! Even if you “love” to workout, it’s pretty dang easy to hang up your handicapped parking tag over the couch and stay there for good. And what goes better with a movie than a pint of Ben & Jerry’s…?!

Don’t get me wrong – take your well-deserved time to recover and mentally/physically recharge. But don’t get too comfortable on the couch, because you will eventually be able to get back at it again, and there is no need for you to start over from the very beginning! Instead of getting down because of what you can’t do, focus on what you can. Which means…

(3) Upper body strength: Your arms will get a head start simply from using crutches, but if you’re an athlete who is used to putting in a couple of hours a day, chances are that won’t quite cut it. Free weights can be difficult to maneuver as you need  both hands to crutch, and probably shouldn’t try and grab that 35 pound DB with your pinky. Machines, however, are for the most part very doable. Push ups, yes. Pull ups, yes. (Just remember not to jump down!!) Chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back… you can hit em’ all.

The biggest hang up for me is that I superset all my lifts. The patience is simply not there to sit on a machine and just wait between sets. It drives me nuts!! But for the time being… I will get over it. Logistically it makes life a lot easier to take one machine at a time. If possible, try to hit the gym at a less-busy time of day.

(4) Cardio: It is still possible! Two options (that I know of… if there’s something else out there, please let me know!!): Hand cycle ergometer, and pulling in the swimming pool. Unfortunately not all gyms will have a hand cycle… but if you have access to one, I definitely recommend taking advantage of it! Forewarning: the first few times (just like when pool running) it will feel like you’re not doing anything. And/or it will feel very difficult. Possibly both at the same time. Chances are that it’s mostly mental because it’s simply not an exercise you’re accustomed to. Keep at it, and you will likely notice it starts to feel [mentally] easier, and you will actually start working up a sweat!

In terms of swimming, please make sure that any open wounds/incisions have completely healed before you get in the water!! You may be dying to get back to exercise, but not at the cost of big nasty infection. If your doctor has cleared you to get in the pool (submerged – not the same as showering!!) then hop splash to it! Assuming most readers here are triathletes, this is your golden opportunity to work on that often-dreaded portion of multi-sport. How much you can use your legs will depend on your doctor’s/PT’s orders – you may not be able to kick at all, or you may be able to do a light flutter. Invest in a pull buoy if they’re not available at your pool (usually between $5 and $10), and pull away. This is also a great time to work on stroke drills – fingertip drag, distance per stroke, single arm, catch up, rhythm, etc.

Some lower body injuries may still allow you to pool run. If you’ve been given the go to do this, and are wondering where the heck to start (or looking for pool running workout ideas!), check out two of my previous posts: Pool Running, and Pool Running Part II.

(5) Core stability: Although it will depend on what your injury was, you may very well be able to keep up your core work! Again, check with your medical team. Your regular routine may need to be modified a bit – typically the rapid, jerking movements may be best if skipped. There will also be some trial and error involved… you may find you can do planks just fine using only your “good leg”, or that Russian Twists use too much quad muscle to do comfortable.

(6) Physical therapy: This should probably be #1. If you have been ordered physical therapy, I can’t stress how important it is to keep up your exercises as prescribed!!! It may be tedious. It may be time consuming. But your physical therapists have been through four years of an undergraduate education, a competitive admissions process to their masters or doctoral program, and an additional 2 to 3 years of education. PLUS passing the National Physical Therapy Exam, as well as state certification exams. Read: they know their ****. They can determine proper exercises based on your current status, and help you advance them as you improve in recovery.

(7) Diet: No hate mail for this one please!! Truth be told, if you’re used to putting in Ironman worthy workouts every day and you’re now limited to 40 minutes on the arm ergometer, you may need to adjust your diet a bit. If your maintenance calories had been 3800… well, they’re probably not right now. Calories in = calories out… capisci?

On the flip side, if you’ve been down at that racing weight for maybe a little to long, or are one of those people who struggles to maintain a healthy weight, this could be your easy fix. If calories/eating/weight while injured is causing a great deal of anxiety, it may be worth checking in with a sports dietitian or sports psychologist for good measure.

^^ I can’t wait for the day I can get back to THIS! ^^ It was my first full triathlon (and first tri podium finish!) and I will do what it takes – even if that means being patient – to get back there!

In terms of other crutching tips… there are a couple things I would like to add:

• Backpack. Or those nice little drawstring bags. Keep one with you at all times!
• Travel coffee mugs. Lovely reader Brynna recommends the Contigo brand because she can throw them in her bag, and they don’t leak a drop! Unfortunately, most of the [ridiculous too] many mugs I have aren’t that leak-proof. I just picked up a Thermos brand “Stainless King Travel Tumbler” at CostCo, and honestly I’m pretty sure it could withstand a bomb. Put it in your above mentioned backpack and you’re good to go!
• Remove floor rugs and their best attempts to trip you up.
• Under-arm crutch padding… OR forearm crutches. There are some nasty injury/wound pictures lying within my iPhoto albums, but I’m glad I didn’t take one of my rib cage post-crutches. Rubbed. Raw.

Being injured is never fun. Ever. But keep your head in the game, and remind yourself that this just a speed bump in your life, not a road block. Do what you can do safely, and you will be back in action before you know it!

Reader Qs:

What do you do to stay fit/sane while you’re injured? Do you have any crutch-success tips to add?

-E

*This post has been added to Train on Top archives, where you can find other articles on training, cross training, nutrition, and injury prevention.

He did not much like this early morning business, but the idea of forgoing it, even for one morning, never crossed his mind.
-Once A Runner

Love that quote!!!

I have received several tweets/emails/questions regarding morning workouts, and “becoming a morning person.” These may or may not have been in response to 4am foursquare check-ins at Lifetime Fitness. I can’t claim that I can make anyone into a morning person, but hopefully some of these suggestions can make mornings (and morning workouts) a little more tolerable.

Dome inflated… Downtown Minneapolis edited sunrise! Still pretty!

1. PACK YOUR BAG THE NIGHT BEFORE

This includes laying out your workout clothes and whatever else you may need for that morning’s workout. Shorts, sports bras, which SHOES you’ll need, swim cap, pull buoy, HEED for your water bottle – whatever. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten out of the shower after practice, only to find I don’t have underwear. Or didn’t bring spin shoes. Or ______.

2. SET UP YOUR COFFEE THE NIGHT BEFORE

If you’re a coffee drinker. If the blaring alarm playing Good Feeling isn’t enough to get me out of bed, the smell of fresh brewed coffee and knowing it’s hot and ready waiting for me will do the trick. If you’re not a coffee drinker… that’s unfortunate one less step for you.

3. TURN LIGHTS ON RIGHT AWAY

It’s probably one of the last things you want to do. You’re in your warm, cozy bed. Your eyes are only half open. You want a nice gentle awakening, right? Wrong. Get your butt out of bed and turn your lights on bright to signal your brain that it’s time to WAKE UP!!

4. MOTIVATION

Play your pre-game playlist or something upbeat. If you are in a situation where you need to be cognizant of others (hmm.. Dear upstairs neighbors, can you hear me in the morning?) you could listen to an iPod, dance around your kitchen, get the RW Quote of the Day, do SOMETHING to trick your brain into thinking WOOOH it’s 4am let’s DO this!

5. NUTRITION

This one is pretty individual. Some people can’t fathom a workout without something in their stomachs. Some people can’t fathom the idea of something in their stomachs before a workout. I tend to fall into the latter camp, but after working for a long time with a sports nutritionist, have finally bent a little on that. I typically mix a Carnation Instant Breakfast into my coffee (don’t knock it till you try it…) and that’s my “topper” to the fuel stores. I also tend to eat a pretty late dinner, so rarely ever wake up feeling “hungry.” Long story short: do what works for you. It’s worth experimenting and playing with…

(Side note: there are definitely benefits of doing the occasional fasted wko. Enough material there for a separate post, so I won’t get into it now.)

6. GET YOUR SLEEP

If you rolled in at 1am, and are planning on getting up at 5, your chances of actually abiding by that alarm are diminishing quickly. I will absolutely admit to being a 22 year old granny and going to bed ridiculously early. I take my wake-up time, subtract 8 hours, and make sure I go to sleep by that. There are definitely occasions where I’ve had to pull off above-mentioned situation on 4 hours of sleep, and it’s usually not a very productive or beneficial workout.

7. MAKE IT EXCITING!

If you have any say in your weekly workout schedule, make it something to look forward to. Take a spin class. Try Zumba. If you’re looking forward to whatever workout you have ahead of you, the temptation to hit snooze will likely diminish.

8. FIND A COMMITMENT BUDDY

Were there not people expecting me to show up every morning… would I? OK, probably. I’m one of the people that enjoys and prefers 5ams over anything else. BUT there have definitely been occasions where I have had to convince myself, “Tom is expecting you to be there today” or “You told Michelle you’d meet her on the mats at 5:30!!” If you have committed to meet someone else for your early morning sweat session, you probably won’t leave them hanging.

9. REMIND YOURSELF WHY YOU DO THIS

Because it’s your quiet time. Because it’s your natural “energy drink” to keep you going the rest of the day. Because you have meetings until 8pm. Because you want to see the sun rise. To take advantage of the early morning light (now that it gets dark at 5pm). To get it out of the way. Because the gym is less crowded. To stay consistent (because you never know what the day will bring). To clear your mind. To refocus. To regulate your sleep. To jump start your metabolism (not sure I believe this one, but if it gets you goin…).

10. SAFETY PLEASE!

This one isn’t exactly a tip to help you get in your morning workout, but just a friendly PSA. If you’re going out on your own in the still-dark morning hours, be smart. Where something reflective. Let someone know your usual routes. Consider carrying a phone. Consider carrying mase. Consider bringing your dog. Run with one earbud out or no music at all.

Annnd that seems like a good place to stop. Morning workouts might not be for everyone, but if your schedule requires it or you think it’s something you’d like to try, these ideas might make it a little more enjoyable.

Reader Qs:

Anything I’m missing? Do you workout in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Without limitations of schedule, when would you work out?

-E

[Busted!! Absolutely nothing wrong with a little nip/tuck at 5am.]

Using an indoor trainer has many benefits, but there are disadvantages as well. Maybe you already use one, and use it religiously. Maybe you’re thinking about buying one this year. Or maybe you take winter as an opportunity to strengthen your other sports. No matter the case, let’s look at some of the pro’s and con’s:

ADVANTAGES OF USING AN INDOOR BIKE TRAINER

• Maintaining your cycling fitness throughout the winter, and getting to skip that “base 1″ or “build” phase come March.
• Ability to focus on drills (single leg, high cadence spinning, focus boxes, etc.) Improve your efficiency and economy.
• Avoid road hazards: traffic, pot holes, wet paint lines. (#FML. Dear Road Paint Manufacturer, Have you ever ridden a bike??)
• Winter cross training for those who are “strictly” runners. No pulled hammies from slipping on the ice!
• Immediate workout. No drive to the gym. (No risking your life to get a seat in EJ’s spin class… ya hear me SLP?!)
• In comparison to a spin bike, using your own bike on a trainer allows you to maintain your own bike fit and geometry.
• “An hour on the trainer is worth two hours on the road.” While I’m not sure I 100% agree with that statement, you take less breaks on a trainer than you would get outside (no coasting, downhills, stoplights, etc.).
• As noted by the above photo… you can catch up on House MD. Or Modern Family. Or Mystery Diagnosis. Or I guess you could watch CNN or something…

DISADVANTAGES OF USING AN INDOOR BIKE TRAINER

• On race day, you’re not going to go set up your CycleOps on the starting line. Using a trainer eliminates some of the adversity you may have to face in the “real world”: wind, hills, rain, corners, etc. Solution: I can’t give you anything for technical/handling skills, but you can certainly include resistance and “hill” intervals by playing with your gears.
• The trainer can wear down your rear tire. Solution: pop on a trainer tire during the winter. Especially if it’s going to get heavy use.
• “Boring.” So they say… Solution: see last point of “advantages”. Set up trainer party in the living room. Check out The Sufferfest.

Clearly, you can tell by my “solutions” that I am slightly pro-trainer. As a matter of fact, more and more pro-triathletes are reporting that they do the majority of their training indoors. Andy Potts, Chris McCormack, Nicole DeBoom, Tyler Stewart, and more. It’s clearly working for them. The Sufferfest is something I’ve found just recently, and I only have two words on that: @$$. Kicking.

Reader Qs:

Do you ride a trainer in the winter, or do you pick a different activity? OR do you bust out the studded tires and ride all year round? If you do have/use a trainer, what brand and model do you have? I’m currently using* a Cyclops fluid. The Kurt Kinetic Rock & Roll trainer looks pretty cool, but I don’t know anyone who has one to let me try it. Do you have a “trainer season” or do you use it year-round?

-Erika

*Using ≠ “mine”. Time to give the baby back.

p.s. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve done a Train on Top post!! This will be linked with all of the rest of the Train On Top editions, which you can find by clicking on the Train On Top tab (or right HERE) at the top of the page.

From Med City marathon… my standing PR!

I kid you not… I knew 27 people running in Sunday’s events. It found out it was actually 29 when I saw two ladies cross the finish line that I didn’t know were running. Of those 29 people, 5 of them were first timers, so they get an automatic PR. With the remaining 24, they were pretty much all seasoned runners. I’m talking 20th marathon, 17th marathon, 50th race, 15th race, etc. (Yes – we keep those bibs for more than just the memory. We need to keep track!) 17 of my non-first-timers set a personal best. That’s a total of 22/29 PERSONAL RECORDS!! And for the record, two of the people who “didn’t” get to set a PR on Sunday were pacing, so they don’t even count. HOLY. SMOKES. Color me impressed! Congratulations to everyone who toed the line that day!

But anyways, we’re here talkin’ workout. And more specifically, speed. Marathon speed. This information is all coming to you from the very smart (and very fast) Ed Eyestone via 09/2010 Runner’s World, with my interpretations and comments thrown in. Eyestone has taken the NCAA championships in the 10,000 meters, and qualified for five Olympic marathon trials in a row. He’s legit. Me? I run (ran?) some marathons, and quite a few halfs. I’m no pro, but this is my website. :p After reading his article, I think I figured it all out, and came up with something like this:

KEY:
ELR – extra long run
INT – intervals
SOs – stride outs
TM – total mileage

Eyestone mentonions four key speeds on improving your marathon time:

1 // INCREASE YOUR LONG RUN We’ve all heard that running lots of slow miles makes you good at just that – long slow miles. That’s definitely not Eyestone’s goal. He suggests “extending” long runs – doing 15 or so at marathon pace, and using your remaining (+/-) five miles as “extra”. He also mentions extending your tempos, which make for an easier transition into your shorter races. My extra suggestion: Try extending your long run by meeting different running buddies. Start out with 5 miles on your own. Meet a friend for the next 10. Then pick up your little brother for the last 5. You could do the same 5 mile loop 4 times and it would feel like 4 different runs because of the new company!

2 // SPEEDY INTERVALS Not marathon pace “fast” … fast fast. Like 3K or 5K speed. Eyestone notes a 1:1 recovery time to target your VO2 max and help increase your threshold. And he’s right… doing 800s, the mile, your choice, at 5K or faster makes your marathon pace feel like slow motion. My extra suggestion: use local weekend 5Ks as workouts. If you’re going to “extend” your tempo – this is a perfect time to do it. Get yourself a 2 mile warm up. 3 miles of race pace. And a 5 mile cool down. Who said “cool down” needs to be short?

3 // STRIDES! Eyestone tells us that he included strides to prepare for track day speed work, added them onto long runs, and finishes with them on the easy recovery days. Stride-outs help activate the fast twitch muscle fibers, which is where you get your kick. My extra suggestion: is more of a forewarning than a suggestion. There is nothing that sucks more than getting outkicked in the chute. It will only take one time to remind you – put in your stride outs. Just do it.

4 // INCREASE YOUR MILEAGE Eyestone upped his regular 90 mile weeks to 110 miles during marathon training. Does that mean you need to be running 110 mpw to run a fast marathon? No. And don’t go take that as “my extra suggestion,” because I don’t want anyone’s legs falling off! The author’s point here is that those extra miles of conditioning helped him lean out, helped him increase his blood volume and “capillarization in his muscles” (forming new capillaries, your teeniest tiniest blood vessels that allow for the exchange of oxygen, water, CO2, etc.) in the muscles), which in turn led to faster times. My added suggestion: Know your limits. Play your own game. “Increasing your mileage” doesn’t mean increase to some gold standard of “high mileage”. It means increase your mileage. Some. Don’t go nuts. I feel that it was pretty obvious this was Eyestone’s message too, but I’m just clarifying.

So that covers the ELR, INT, SOs, & TM. The 26.2 is pretty self-explanatory. So what’s the /2 all about? Ed Eyestone got to give you four recommendations. I get to give you one of my own.

5 // RACE HALFS For 5Ks and 10Ks, it’s pretty easy to say go hit the track, and you’ll find some speed. But with marathons, it’s not always so clear where you need to focus your efforts if you want to shave off some time. Should I be doing 400 repeats? Fartleks? Yassos? There is no one right answer. Not only is everyone going to have their sweet spot, with certain workouts they just DOMINATE, but you’re also probably going to have workouts you inherently HATE. I’m a big advocate of trying to enjoy your workout as much as possible, so for those one’s you hate, I say don’t do em’. I’m not giving a get out of jail free card, but find a way to make it work for you.

Personally, I would be fine if I never ran a 400 on the track again in my life. But 400 repeats certainly have merit in speedwork, so I modify them. I set Gomer on 400 meter intervals and I can run them anywhere. I have 400 meters mapped out around the baseball field, and I run em’ on the grass in spikes. I am not running 14×400 circles -> I do not feel like a trapped gerbil in a maze -> I am happy. And faster.

Shoot… I was talking about halfs! Half marathons that is. Absolutely my favorite race distance ever, but that bias aside, very beneficial in testing your fitness and upping your marathon speed. How may times have you heard someone say “Well, I felt great until the half” …? Race halfs. Or how about “I had too much left in the take when I finished”…? Race halfs. Piggybacking off of Ed Eyestone’s tip #1 – extend your long runs. Run a 1 mile warm up. Race your half. Extend it with a 4 mile “cool down”. If you have anyone else racing with you also in marathon training, bribe them to do it with you, because I can say with 97% assuredness that you wont really want to run an extra 4 after your half. Especially when all the other runners are grabbing the post-race goodies, gatorade, and Great Harvest hard-as-a-rock but extremely delicious little bread nuggets. (OK.. if you’ve ever raced in Minneapolis, you probably know what I’m talking about). But keep your goal race in mind. Know it will help you reach your goal. And just DO IT. Race halfs.

Strong at the half – Grandma’s Marathon 2008

Speaking of halfs, one of my favorite is coming up, and I want to give em’ a shoutout as well as see who here is going to be running! The Team Ortho Monstor Dash Half, now in it’s fourth year running, will be on October 30th, 2010. They will also hold a 10 mile, a 5K, and a 5K9. Not only is it my home turf (so even if I’m not super fast, it feels like it is!), but people wear costumes, people have dogs, there is SWEET swag. It’s good. Real good. Team Ortho always does a good job, so this should not be surprising to you. The first time I ran it was 2007 in their first year, and it was already amazing back then! Are you running the Monster Dash?

Maybe not, but you’re trying to plan your race calendar. Please let me know about your favorite half - I definitely want to have some new races in 2011! Here are a few of my other favorite half marathons in the Twin Cities area (in no particular order)…

Monster Dash Half Marathon (Minneapolis, MN)

Minneapolis Half Marathon 13.1 Series (Minneapolis, MN)

Urban Wildland Half Marathon (Richfield, MN) (Old Race Report)

Gopher to Badger Half Marathon (Stillwater, MN to Hudson, WI)

Earth Day Half Marathon (St. Cloud, MN)

That’s all I have time for… I should be taking notes in class right now! FOR MY LOCAL READERS (and anyone)… make sure you come back tomorrow! I have a giveaway/contest, and you need to guess the location of the photo to win. I apologize that this is pretty biased to anyone in the Twin Cities, but I have another giveaway/review coming up for anyone (they’re based in Philly)! COME BACK TOMORROW!

READER QUESTIONS: What’s your favorite half marathon? Are you training for a marathon? Did you just race at Twin Cities (& how did you do!)? What is your favorite speed wko?

Adios!
-E

I wanted to make sure and get this posted before my friends all heal, rendering all of my expertise useless. [UN]fortunately though, there will always be an injured runner out there, so I hope at least one person can find some use in what follows:

Some of you may know my buddy Kelly. Awesome lady, smart, funny, gorgeous, and sadly, injured. (Although since I wrote this post, things have definitely taken a swing in the right direction. I’ll keep prayin’ for you!) She, and another blogger, contacted me with questions about POOL RUNNING – something I have [far too much] experience with. I ended up writing them an email that took an hour and a half to finish… full of information and workouts, and I thought I’d share it here with you guys! This will be added to the Train On Top files, along with Pool Running: Part I.

Pool running isn’t only for when you’re sidelined with a stress fracture, or a torn ____. It can be incorporated into your training as PRE-hab, and help to keep you fit, and injury free. Sorry for being so lazy that I’m just doing a copy/paste of our email, but I have a pool to go swim in (or at least I did when I wrote this!!), and the longer I wait the greater my chances are of talking myself out of it. (Success!! I feel like my swimming hours are directly correlated with the temperature outside. It’s. HOT.) Train on amigos!!

_____________________________

BASICS

Like I said (in Part I), a pool belt is definitely helpful, unless you just want to do a shorter workout. There were always about 4 or so injured girls on the XC team in Boston, so I almost always had someone to pool run with. We would get irritated because the injured track kids would be in and out of the pool in like 20 minutes and we’d be in there for an hour!

Haha Kelly, sorry for the confusion. No water shoes required. The “two feet never touching the ground” thing was just my attempt at trying to hold onto some of RUNNER identity.

A watch where you can set up intervals is also helpful, but not necessarily necessary. Some pools will have a big electronic wall clock that you can look at, but truthfully, you’ll wish they didn’t. You could easily find yourself looking at the clock every 30 seconds wondering how it’s possible for time to go so effing slow. Not that I speak from experience or anything….

Deep Water vs. Shallow Water – I prefer deep, but you can do either. For you, Kelly, I’d definitely say deep. When you do pool running in water shallow enough that your feet touch, it changes the form, muscles used, and forces applied. Although it still seems like it’s 100% non-impact, you actually can make an injury worse if you’re not careful. Imagine running in like knee-deep water or waist-deep at a beach. A) it’s hard as HELL, and B) it can put an uneven strain on your hip flexors, because there is such great resistance to forward movement, but only from the waist down.

If I’m pool running, you can bet your butt it’s deep water. We used the diving well at school in Boston, but I have also pool run (ran?) in a regular lap pool, a crappy/steamy 6 foot pool, and even the lake. Any depth of water where you can’t touch is just fine.

FORM

If you’re not used to pool running, just know that it might will be frustrating for the first workout or two until you get a hang of it. You might feel like you’re doing absolutely nothing, but I promise you will break through… AND you can break a sweat! Know that your HR may be lower, but that’s because you’re in cool water which is cooling your body temp which (… full circle here …) helps keep your heart rate low. Instead of focusing on HR, pay attention to your breathing.

For your form, keep in mind forward motion. And by that I don’t mean that you need to be actually moving forward in the water, but restrict movement to the midsagital (front to back) plane. None of that crossing over, left to right  business, capish? It’s the same as running on land – crossing your arms (or feet, I guess) over the midline of your body is inefficient. It slows you down and hinders forward momentum. The pool is actually a GREAT place to really focus on and perfect on your form. I swear I came out of my sentence of pool running with a better and more efficient arm swing than I did pre-injury.

PACE & BREATHING

You’ll see me refer to pace in the workouts. I mentioned above that you would be better off focusing on your breathing (and therefore pace), and going by feel rather than scrutinizing your heart rate. However, when I say “focus on breathing,” that assumes that you’re very familiar with what your breathing sounds like and how it changes when you’re actually running, and running at different paces. Personally, I could tell you what my running pace is (give or take about 10 seconds) based solely on my breathing pattern – whether it’s 4/4 (basic, steady state), 3/3 (10K to 5K), 2/2/4 (mile repeats), or 2/2 (400 repeats). But again, everyone has a unique style of breathing when they run. You know you.

That also assumes that you’ve raced all sorts of distances, from the mile to the marathon, and multiple times to be that familiar with your breathing. If you haven’t, NO WORRIES! Just know that you’re on a gradient from a hard effort to easy or recovery (all out // 400 // 800 // mile // 5K // 10K // steady state).

[I don't have a huge difference between my half marry and marathon pace (though hopefully some day I will!), so that's why I didn't differentiate those two above. Personally, anything half marathon and above feels pretty "comfortable" - but by all means separate out the two if you have two drastically different paces!!]

ENTERTAINMENT

I’m telling you right now – nothing will make you more mentally tough than having a two HOUR steady state “long run” in the pool. Alone. Sans music. It can be like counting scales on a fish. Or watching paint dry. But truthfully it can also be kind of fun! Having other girls in the pool with me was obviously a huge benefit of being with a team, but there were many days when I had to go it alone. These are the things that helped me pass the time:

Music – As often as I say I don’t really like music while running, pool running is a different story. Our pool in Boston had a big sound system that was pumpin’ all the time. You might not be at a pool where you can blast music though. Towards the end of the year the sound system at the pool broke, and the coach decided not to fix it until the next year. SO, I took a leap of faith, put my ipod in a ziplock sandwich baggy, and tucked it up under a baseball hat. I had the headphones dangling down out of the sides, and I tightened that baby up, praying that the ipod wouldn’t slide out the back. And it worked WONDERS. Use the tempo of the music to your advantage. I have a couple workouts I based entirely on the songs I was listening to.

[I also have an underwater mp3 player now, which I use for swimming. If you want info on that... let me know. I love it!!]

Nu Dolophin Underwater Touch

Podcasts – Probably not as important to either of you, but I listened to “Dr. G’s Anatomy & Physiology” podcast and reinforced everything I was learning in lecture. Really cemented in my mind the concepts of T-tubules, mitochondria, and the like. But for RUNNING and keeping hope and faith and your sanity, the podcast Phedippidations is pretty cool. Maybe a little cheesy at times, but there is some great information and cool interviews tucked in there. I used to listen to it all the time… in the pool, but also on long runs. Good stuff.

“Mental Organization” time - I only say that slightly jokingly. Yes, I do have an extra Martha gene in my body. If you have an hour of solid, uninterrupted time, it’s great for planning out your next post, a paper you’re working on for history of world architecture, your shopping list, etc. Use that time to your advantage.

WORKOUTS

What you really wanted in the fist place! All of these are based on an hour in the pool, just because that was pretty much always a minimum on the schedule. If you want to cut it in half (which would be recommended if you’re just starting out, or just trying to get your form down) go right ahead! They can also be extended as you like, but I have a feeling that after an hour in the pool, you’ll be ready to get out.

PYRAMID – only uses two “paces” – steady state, and hard. My favorite for making time feel it’s passing quicker. Once you get over the 5 min. interval, the build-down feels so much shorter!

15 min w/u
1 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
2 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
3 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
4 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
5 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
4 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
3 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
2 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
1 min @ hard
12 min c/d

8x3s – I used my “5K pace” for the 3 minute intervals… You’ll have 24 minutes total of your 5K pace, but for the “recovery” intervals, it’s important to not just slack completely. Like when you’re running intervals, don’t go to a “walk” to recover – keep working, just take it down.

10 minute w/u
[3 min @ 5K pace // 2 min @ recovery] x 8
10 min c/d

5x5s – I remember sometimes loving the longer intervals, and sometimes hating them. The shorter “recovery” intervals ensure that you keep working hard, which is why there is a longer warm up and a longer cool down.

15 min w/u
[5 min @ 10k pace // 1 min @ recovery] x 5
15 min c/d

THE MIXUP – uses not only pool running, but a kick set, and a set sans belt. This one I think is “fun”…

10 min @ steady state (with belt)
5 min kick (across the pool or up and down a lane) with a kickboard
5 min pool run without a belt
[repeat for a total of 3 sets]

I guess that’s a good place to start!! Once you get the hang of it and reach the point where you’re feeling like you’re sweating and getting a good workout, you can work in sans-belt pool running for your “working” intervals!! Trust me… it’s harder than you’d think. I hope this offers a little variety to your workouts, and if you’re injured – KEEP THE FAITH. You are only on the disabled list temporarily. You will be running again!!

Let me know if you have any more questions. All the best, and lots of love,
-Erika

First let’s talk anatomy. Conundrum is as follows: As many of you know, I very much love my Rilo (enough so to name my baby bicicleta). However, the original saddle that came on said Rilo does not love me. It is hard, unforgiving, and according to my boyfriend, possibly anatomically dangerous for my female parts. Although I’m not sure biomedical physicis works that way, it is pretty damn uncomfortable.

But it’s BEAUTIFUL though! At least in my eyes. The embroidered “Q Roo” across the seat in matching blue and gold puts a smile on my face every time I sit down (as long as I’m not sitting for too long…) – I just can’t change it out!! Though according to various Q.Roo Kilo reviews, I’m not the only one who finds the original saddle a little, um….

firm. solid. rigid. stiff. resistant. unbreakable. inflexible. impenetrable. unyelding. solidified. hardened. compact. compacted. dense. close-packed. compressed. steely. tough. strong. stony. rocklike. flinty. hard as stone. frozen. adamantine. (?)

¡Gracias iDiccionario!

There are two options to making your ride more comfortable:

1. Get a new saddle. (Get real.. I’m not going to change it. I am too stubborn in love.)
2. PADDING!

Today I rode 43 miles, and I wore absolutely zero padding. It’s not like I’ve never done a multi-hour ride without padded pants/shorts before, so I knew what I was getting in to before I left. Here is another dumb theory of mine: I feel like if I’m going to race in a next-to-nothing two-piece tri suit, without padding, I better get used to that feel. I have the words of my best Boston buddies shouting in my head….

H. T. F. U.

I believe there is room for compromise here. In my rides over 20 miles, I think it’s rational, logical, sensible, intelligible, commonsensical, sound, prudent, pragmatic (OK! Ok… jeeez.) that I protect my “female parts” with some proper saddle padding.

Bikesport Michigan Online is a website I initially found when looking up tri bikes, before I adopted Rilo. Not only did they have a very detailed write up of the Quintana Roo Kilo (and many other brands/models of bikes), they also have a HUGE inventory of road/tri bike equipment, gear, whatever you could want, AND tons of good articles! One of them I find rather timely to share with you today.

Three Steps to Saddle Comfort

As written by Tom Demerly in the appropriately named article, ”Three Steps to Saddle Comfort.” Article photos from BikeSport Michigan.

Although I might say it’s inability to clip out when approaching busy intersection at Lake and Hennipen, Tom Demerly would say that “Saddle discomfort is the most common complaints among cyclists.” And he’s probably right. Not everyone is as challenged as I am when it comes to NOT-clipping-out-with-the-left/stepping-down-with-the-right. From numb genitalia and saddle sores to erectile disfunction, none of the [real or hyped] after effects of an uncomfortable saddle are very pleasant. Demerly states that developing tolerable saddle comfort can be broken down into three categories:

1. Allowing enough time to adapt to your saddle (especially key for new cyclists!)
2. Wearing quality bike shorts, and wearing them correctly
3. Making sure your bike is fitted to you, and keeping good posture

Although I’m supposed to be working on a VO2 max lab right now (I have “priorities on a schedule”…) lets take a second to go into a little more detail:

1. Allow enough time to adapt to your saddle.

As I mentioned (because Mr. Demerly mentioned….) this is especially important for new cyclists. If you’re not used to sitting on a road bike for three hours, then no sh!t Sherlock, it’s going to be uncomfortable your first time out. My words, not his. Demerly states that it’s important to let your crotch and buttocks acclimate to supporting the majority of your body weight – a process known as “getting your seat.” He details that this typically happens over the course of 400 to 600 miles, and would be better done with short but more frequent rides rather than cramming all of your buttock-acclimation into a few weekend warrior rides. It takes time, it will be uncomfortable, but you know what they I say, “Toughen up, buttercup!”

2. Wear quality bike shorts, and wear them correctly.

According to Demerly, cyclists will shell out anywhere from $90 to $239 on quality bike shorts. While I find $239 to be a pretty specific price quote, I do agree that good shorts are gonna cost a pretty penny. What makes it “quality” you ask?

• precise cut patterns for better fit
• sophisticated, seamless, anti-bacterial moisture wicking pads
• highly breathable
• reduce friction
• transport moisture effectively away from tender, inflamed tissues

Once you’ve tasted TESTED (!!) the good stuff, there’s no turning back. Demerly recommends bibs (shorts with suspenders, keeping the shorts and padding in place) for longer rides, but notes that they are less convenient if you need to make a quick pit stop.

The next bit of information is written in bold, so I to, will emphasize in Demerly fashion:

Never wear any underwear with bike shorts.

(Says the article. Don’t come crying to me if you get a yeast infection…) Alright – this is something I have heard many times. Something that I’ve brushed off as, “ok… you go ahead and go commando. I like my undies right where they are.” The reason people say not to wear underwear with bike shorts is that quality shorts are supposedly designed to be worn against the skin, and underwear only traps in moisture and increases friction and chafing. I am still wary, and I promise you if I do attempt a commando ride I wont be sharing my plans on Twitter ahead of time.

Demerly also says to make sure your shorts are snug. Use a chamois lubricant. Good. To. Go.

3. Make sure your bike is fitted for YOU, and maintain good posture.

You might think you need a new saddle, but in reality, your discomfort could really be due to improper fitting of your bike, or improper posture. You could spend bucco bucks on a “comfort” oriented saddle, and still come off with a traumatized tush if your posture is no good or your bike doesn’t fit you correctly. Look to the pros, Demerly says. They don’t use saddles with ventilated “relief” slots or big gel cushions. Their seats are solid, and you know they’re out there riding for hours at a time. The angle of your saddle, the angle of your handelbars (this influences the way your weight is distributed over the saddle) and the position of your seat all contribute to a “proper fit”. A triathlete who is down on their aero bars will sit farther rotated on the nose of their saddle than road cyclist does. Moral of the story: Fit. Is. Important. A bike fitting can be done at most quality bike stores, and prices vary widely, but are well worth it.

And to end the article, Demerly summarizes with a checklist of “Good Saddle Habits”

• Get used to sitting on a bike seat with consistent, short rides over a period of weeks.
  
• Always wear form fitting bike shorts, the best you can afford.
  
• Be sure your shorts are tight enough with no wrinkles.
  
• Never wear any kind of underwear with bike shorts.
  
• Try bib style bike shorts for better fit, especially for long rides.
  
• Always wash cycling shorts between wearing.
  
• Put your shorts on right before you ride and take them off right after. Don’t stand around or drive to events in bike shorts.
  
• Always use a chamois lubricant cream to increase comfort.
  
• Use powder inside your underwear in the saddle area when wearing street clothes to keep your crotch dry and speed acclimation.
  
• Be certain your bicycle fit, position and posture are correct.
  
• Focus on the fundamentals of saddle comfort instead of giving in to to marketing claims of gimmicky saddles.

Annnnd that, my friends, is what there is to say about Saddle Comfort. I’d definitely encourage you to check out more of the training articles at BikeSport Michigan! As always, you  can find this and other training advice under the Train on Top tab at the top of the page!

Didn’t I say something about hydration? Yess. I found this situation rather comical when I realized how many hydration options were surrounding me when I sat down to my McMac this afternoon.

Left to right:

Banana Nuun (drank full bottle on ride), Lemon Lime Nuun (drank half on ride), Strawberry Apricot Sobe Life plain Water (oops! Drank that one last night. It was GOOD! drank half bottle of water before ride, half once home), Black Cherry Dragonfruit Sobe Life Water (drank full bottle once back home), Best ever amazing citrus orange heaven protein shake from God (slammed. Can you savor something and slam it at the same time?)

There will indeed be a FUELING-ON-THE-RIDE post to come in the near future! For now though, this post has been written in three installments and I am beyond ready to hit Publish. My tummy is full of PHO, my pubic bones have started to reform over the last couple of hours, and I am ready for a solid night’s sleep. That’s “recovery” time!! Rest up, find your seat, and ride on my friends.

-E

Giveaways: Erica’s got the goods. I mean.. the Gu!

Do you ever have a time when you’re trying so hard to obtain something – whether it be a job, an internship, a business deal, a car, a personal record, or (c’mon people – we’re being honest here) a relationship? You apply, you search, you dig, you train, you knock, but it seems there is no answer in sight?

Let me tell you – I know a little something about that. My specific line of thought at the moment is with training, and more specifically, with teams. The very first team (non school/university related) I remember applying to was Bear Naked‘s endurance team. They have a handful of athletes scattered across the nation that race under the Bear Naked name, and in return, the athletes get to have teammates, swag like no other, and lets not forget, the simple association with an awesome company! When I applied for Team Bear Naked, I remember feeling so confident that I’d get it! Annnnd? No dice. I would like to say it was only because Minneapolis wasn’t one of the “hub cities” that they were recruiting athletes from – it wasn’t an option on their little drop down menu – but truth be told, I probably just wasn’t the right fit! There are hundreds of qualified athletes out there, and of the select group they chose, I just wasn’t one of them.

There was definitely a solid life lesson pulled out of that let-down. (Thinking back on it.. hahaha oh man, did I really cry? I’d like to think I’ve grown a little since then. ) No.. there were TWO solidlifelesssons. As follows:

1. ♪ You can’t always get what you want. ♪ (sing it with me!)
2. When it rains, it pours.

I don’t feel like I need to go into too much detail about #1, as it is pretty self explanatory, and something that everyone learns (or should learn) at some point. #2 can be applied to various sectors of life, (going after one guy for months, breaks your heart, and suddenly you have 3 guys trying to hollller. or something along those lines…) but here’s what I have experienced lately that really drives the message home:

• Joined the University of MN Triathlon Team
• Started working with Model Per4mance
• Signed on with Peace Coffee Racing
• Was offered a spot with the Nuun-Blueseventy tri project
• Was given a preliminary offer with Team Aquaphor

And hopefully the rain will keep falling, because this kinda rain.. I can dig, ya dig? It’s kind of like the saying “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” I would like to extend that to “but when life gives you a bottle of Grey Goose… drink up.” Now if only there were a way I could get Martha Stewart to sign on and sponsor me…

Pre-race whaaat!?

You heard that right – it’s time to pull out the racing shoes and see what I’ve got! Not only have I been doing practically zero speed work this winter (did 8 Yasso’s on Monday… that’s about it), but I have not raced since the Victory Memorial 10K/5K double header back in September (RACE REPORT!), AND this is a distance I’ve never raced before! It should be an interesting race to say the least.

Gearing up for the Victory Memorial 10K with my guys

Preparing for Race Day!

It’s not uncommon for runners to have certain “pre-race rituals” that they stick to every. single. time. There was a period of time during my 2nd year of cross country where I was convinced that candy corn was my “magic” pre-race fuel.. I had raced ONCE really well after eating candy corn, and thought “that must be it!” That misconception was quickly erased a few meets later when I got out-kicked in the chute.  What you do for a 10K will likely be different than your pre-race plan for a marathon, but there are definitely some guidelines I adhere to before the big day.

How to ensure a smooth start on Race Day:

1. Packet Pickup. If possible, get it ahead of time. Scan your chip to make sure you’re racing under your own name, get your chip on your shoe, get pins on your bib, look at the course map, look at the race-day schedule. These are little things you don’t want to be worrying about in the morning.
2. Outfit. Lay it out the night before. In fact, lay out a couple options and bring a short sleeve or long sleeve alternative should conditions change on race morning. Some people can’t deal with cold, I know personally I don’t race well if I’m too hot. It’s a personal thing and it takes experience racing to figure out, but it definitely won’t hurt to be prepared. Included in this “outfit” would be ensuring your number is with/on your clothes, your watch, your garmin (aka Gomer… awww – throwback!), etc.
3. Fuel. Raise your hand if you’ve been to a pasta party the night before a marathon. Or a cross country meet. Or any race. And how did that work for ya? I can’t tell you what is going to be ideal for your body, but for me, I typically do any sort of “carbo loading” two days prior to race day, or the week leading up to it, but not the night before. And “carbo loading” might be a bit of a misconception – I just make sure I’m eating well, eating balanced, probably up my carb ratio a bit, and up my overall calories a bit. The day before the race I stick to my regular diet and regular foods. Don’t need any surprises or emergency pit-stops.
4. Sleep. I can’t emphasize this one enough! One of the best best best tips my mom passed on from her many years of marathoning was MAKE SURE you’re sleeping well the whole WEEK leading up to the race! Many people have trouble sleeping the night before a race because they feel like they need to. “If I don’t sleep, I’m going to be so tired tomorrow and crash and burn!” If you have a solid week of sleep behind you, you will feel 20x less stressed come night-before, and you’ll know that if you’re a little short on sleep, it’s not a biggie. If you’re going to take any “vitamins” (cough*tylenol pm*couch) as I tend to do, make sure you know how they affect you and how long they last in your system.
5. Have 1 or 0 plans. There are races I do where I just wing it – whatever happens happens, and I’m going to have a good time no matter what. There are also races I do where I know I want to see that 1-mile split clock and it damn well better read 6:20. Or 6:40. Or 7:15. Depending on my race. Both of these scenarios are 100% fine, but what I think is key was that I decide before the race if I’m gonna go or just go. You follow? There have been a few races where I was kicking myself (possibly literally in the last 400 yards…) because I went out thinking I just wanted to have fun, and then half way through I changed my mind and wanted to race. And my time obviously reflected that because half of my race was waisted dinkin’ around. You do what you wanna, but I’m just sayin… I like to have a plan.

Ragnar Race Bible

And there you have it… my top 5 tips for starting out race day smoothly! As always, you can find this and all other TRAIN on Top volumes under the TRAIN on Top tab at the top of the page!  There are so many more things that could be included in this list. Uh oh.. sounds like READER QUESTION time! Feel free to answer any or all!

1. What is a tip you would add to my pre-race-prep list?
2. Do you have any funny pre-race rituals?
3. Are you part of any kind of team?

No Friday Confessionals today kids… got a power point to power through that is supposed to be going with my [due Tuesday] speech on Steroids in Dietary Supplements that I am supposed to be working on right now. Expect an addition to the RUN hard Race Reports after tomorrow! Over n’ out.

-E

Winter Running: Part II

This is somewhat an extension of the WINTER RUNNING edition of my Train On Top files. Even if Phil, the groundhog, hadn’t seen his shadow last week, I’m pretty sure all of us up here in Minnesota knew there were six weeks of winter left. My sister and her hubs in D.C., and my dad in Philly, would most likely attest to that. Luckily, I’m prepared for the temps to drop back below zero, or for another foot or two of snow to dump… again. If you’re from the rather arctic regions of the U.S. (or Canada or England ::waves::), chances are you know the drill and your outdoor training didn’t even take a hit. Yeah… I see all you snow pro’s out there smilin’…

But maybe you’re not a “snow pro”… maybe you’re not so keen on the words wind + chill being joined together to form a subzero condition of constant cold… maybe you’d prefer remain vertical during your run, avoiding ice and snow at all costs. The reasons could go on and on, but they don’t have to! In addition to all the layers, lights, and long socks we talked about last time, I want to dive in a little deeper with three items that may make your winter run a little more enjoyable.

1. YakTrax Pros

OK, so I did mention these last time, but no picture, no nothin! I wanted to do an official “Product Review”, so here it is:

Yaktrax Pros are definitey my traction device of choice, and I’ve had the chance to sample several other options. I can attest to what they tell you on their website, the Yaktrax Pros provide not only better traction, but confidence and safety on packed snow and ice. If you look at my picture, you can see that are also easy to put on and take off – they just strap around the bottom of your shoe, and are held on with a velcro strap across the top of your foot. I’ve been asked if they’re “uncomfortable” to run in, or if I feel like they change my gait, and the answer is – nope! The only time I notice that they’re on my feet are when I hit a dry patch of pavement and then I can hear the coils hit the ground. The website says “packed snow and ice” and I took a picture once upon a witnery run (aka last weekend) to show you just exactly what the Trax love:

Minimal snow. Minimal feet.

L: no need for the trax. R: love the trax.

Speaking of coils, if you look closely at my photo you’ll see that I’m missing a few. Well, one piece of advice I would give you for the overall health and wellness of your Yaktrax is: don’t leave snow on them, and then close it up in a plastic bag. General chemistry will tell you that the metal will start to erode if kept wet and enclosed.. and I neglected to realize that two years ago. That’s another point to be made – two years ago!! These Yaktrackers have definitely seen their fair share of winter miles, so it’s no wonder that a couple coils have broken down by now. I think that they’ve held up fantastically given how much impact they take!

I am not going to tell you what to do, but I’m going to buy another pair in the next few weeks. Maybe possibly I’ll find a pair on sale since it’s nearing the “end” of the season (mmmm, right). I can’t say that they are 100% necessary, but they will make outdoor running in the winter 10x more enjoyable!

2. PONYTAIL HAT

Going to apologize in advance… I got a little photobooth happy

Unless you’re un hombre with a massive mane, this one’s for the ladies. I LOVE my ponytail hat!! Sadly, I cannot tell you what brand it is, because there is no tag inside, and I got it at a marathon expo! Twin Cities’ expo to be exact. If you happen to be reading this and knows who makes these hats, let me know because I’d love to give full credit!

I don’t need to just push my brand here, but it’s the only one I can give an official review of. Some other companies targeting the ponytail crowd are Nike, TrailHeads, Drylete, Sugoi, and more. There are also ponytail headbands for sale out there, but in my mind, my ponytail can go either above or below a headband.. I’m not so particular that my ponytail absolutely must be situated right where my headband would fall. ANYWAYS, my ponytail hat, whatever brand you may be, is actually quite light weight - almost like swimsuit fabric. Nylon? Mmm, I don’t know my textiles, but I DO know that these hats rock. If I leave my hair down, or even put it in a low ponytail, it’s just a big tangled [sweaty] mess by the time I get home. The ‘mess’ portion of the problem is clearly solved, and for me, so is the ‘sweaty’. Because my hat is pretty lightweight, I can rock the headband and keep my ears toasty, but the top of my head doesn’t get too hot. PLUS, this lets me color coordinate my running outfits but still  keep a neutral black base layer which is super important for winter running fashion. (KIDDDDING!)

I’ve seen these at many a race expo, and they come in lots of different colors. There were also some with fun sayings or “26.2″ or “13.1″ printed on it. Love. It. Again, I can’t say it’s “essential”, but if you have pony tail length hair, it’s definitely a nice item to have!

3. Balaclava

No, I am not going to rob you, nor am I going to steal this big box of Clif bars. I am going to keep my face warm though!

The balaclava, not to be confused with the sticky sweet baklava, is a hat, gator, and face mask all in one. At the same time, it provides the flexibility to be worn as only one or the other. If you find yourself freezing when you step out the door, but sweating two miles in, you can easily tuck the face portion under your chin, or even pull the entire “hood” down if need be. Truthfully, I have three of these, all in different thicknesses and fabrics. The one pictured above, and the one I would argue is my warmest and most versatile, is the Seirus Ultra Clava.

You can’t tell in my picture, but the nose and mouth portion of the face mask are made of a different fabric, and the nose even has a slit to help with ventilation. My only problem with balaclavas (and this is really a biological malfunction on my end, not the face mask’s problem) is that my nose is legitimately like a faucet in the winter. And that’s probably an understatement. Possibly TMI, but I’ll bet you I have to “blow out” every .3 miles… yes, quite the pro at the snot rocket. This happens whether my nose is covered or not, so I would definitely rather have it covered and warm than frostbitten. Luckily though, it’s not like it’s so much extra effort to tug the face mask down, take care of business, and pull it back up.

I would categorize balaclavas under the “most definitely essential” category.

COMING UP…

Well, now that you have three more items to help you train on top and make it through the winter, what could be coming next? I wish I could could tell you I have a huge ultrasound machine that will melt all the snow, especially given Minneapolis’ new wtf are you thinking?! parking rules. All I can say is it’s a damnwell good thing I have my Yaktrax and Balclava, because with these new rules I’m going to be parking in Wisconsin and running home. Maybe I can do another Live Post and videotape the 35.6 miles I will have to traverse from Hudson to Minneapolis…

Returning to bidness. I arrived home to find a pretty brown box wrapped upon my doorstep. Yes Mr. UPS, I do love you. With this box comes a review and a recipe to take you back to your childhood bakery. This one’s for you Allie! I am also starting work with a new company, Model Per4mance, and want to tell you a little bit about them, but they deserve more recognition than just a shoutout! Until next time mis amigos, I wish you strong legs, warm decent weather, and happy training.

-E

]]> http://www.thetriathlonrx.com/2010/02/i-leave-yak-tracks/feed/ 17 http://www.thetriathlonrx.com/2010/02/train-on-top-volume-4-hydration/ http://www.thetriathlonrx.com/2010/02/train-on-top-volume-4-hydration/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:17:55 +0000 The Triathlon Rx http://www.drtrirunner.com/?p=1157 Alright… the “sign up for TWO races by tonight” plan was an epic fail – I didn’t even sign up for one!! I even added a few more races to my “options” list! My time wasn’t a complete waste though – I did decide on a couple of races that I am for sure not going to run, and at least that helps me narrow down my options! Here’s what I’ve “decided on” so far:

• No marathon this summer. Which means no Grandma’s marathon.
• My reasoning? The triathlon season (at least here in good ol’ Minnesota) only lasts so long. I want to get in my tris while I can, because lord knows if $$ is my issue, I won’t be traveling all the way to Texas to race. (OK.. maybe just once a year ) That is.. unless a sponsor comes through.
• I have a complimentary entrance to one race… so I can’t “register” for that one. But to be fair, I do at least have this race picked out!
• I’m working on a list of the races the rest of the team is doing. We don’t all race together over the summer…  but it’s always fun to have familiar faces out on the course.

So that’s where I’m at. Now on to the title of the post: HYDRATION. This is an important component to nutrition and training for endurance athletes, and I thought it deserved its [almost] own post. So without wasting any time, let’s dive in:

Throwback to 2007! My baby Dakota knows what’s up: Hydration is key!

NUTR 3721: Hydration for the Endurance Athlete

Instructor Info: Prof. SperlyTriRunner
Office Hours: too busy training. Contact by email: drtrirunner@gmail.com

Roughly 70% of an adults body weight is made up of water. You could guess then that water is pretty essential to human life. Imagine what your body would look like of all the water were sucked up and dried out? No, I’m not trying to convert any of you to vegetarians, but you could end up looking like a bag of this stuff:

So we all get it, hydration is important. But how do we know how much is enough, and what is too much? Does it matter when you hydrate? What about while training or racing? Do I need a “sports drink” or can I just have water? What about electrolytes? I already gave you a disclaimer – I’m not a certified hydration expert here, but I’m going to do my best to cover this topic and at least get a good conversation going!

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

I’m sure most of you have heard the guideline at some point that you should all be drinking eight 8oz. glasses of water a day. Many studies have shown that that’s not necessarily the case. The “rules” become even more blurry for athletes. It has also been “claimed” that many caffeinated beverages do not “count” towards your hydration intake for the day, such as coffee, tea, and sodas. Again, studies have shown that this is not necessarily true. There is water in almost everything we consume (with the exception of maybe the jerky’s above ) and foods with high water content (such as fruits, vegetables, soups, juices, etc.) all can “count” towards our daily hydration needs. While the “8×8″ myth – 8 x 8oz. /day – has been discredited, there are still about 25,000 other “recommendations” out there. How do you know what to follow? The best general advice: follow your senses. If you feel thirsty, drink. If you don’t feel thirsty, don’t drink unless you want to. The average person is not going to “over-hydrate” on accident.

DOES AN ATHLETE HAVE ADDITIONAL NEEDS?

We aren’t the “average person” though… are we? No sir. For the most part, we can still rely on our “common sense,” but for the sake of optimal performance and recovery, hydration deserves a bit more focused attention for the endurance athlete. USATF recently announced some new guidelines which, personally, I think are great. These are specifically targeted towards long distance runners, but I believe serve well for the entire endurance athlete population.

What I feel is the biggest change in these “fluid-replacement recommendations” is that athletes should be fully replace 100% of the fluids lost during racing, and they should be “sensitive to the onset of thirst as the signal to drink, rather than staying ahead of thirst.” This lowers the risk of hyponatremia – a condition that is very serious, and caused by diluting your body’s sodium levels to an extremely low point. Trust me.. you don’t want that one.

According to my buddies at Hammer and the research that they have done, they give the following recommendations:

• 20-25 fluid oz. of water per hour is a sufficient amount for most athletes.
• For lighter athletes, or cooler temperatures, 16-18 oz. per hour may be what you need.
• Heavier athletes or hotter conditions may require around 28 oz. per hour.

Note that none of these guidelines say what is “absolutely right.” They are guidelines. For a reference point (and quite convenient might I add), 20-25 oz. is the size of a regular to large water bottle.

WHAT ABOUT SODIUM AND ELECTROLYTES?

Your sweat is not only made up of water. You may know this of you develop that rather attractive “salt crust” after a workout. (Really… who doesn’t love feeling like a big baked salt crusted fish?) In addition to the water your pour out, you are also losing sodium and other minerals. And no one needs to tell you this one, but you’re also burning a massive amount of calories! For these reasons, it is important for endurance athletes to consider products that contain these essential items.

MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS

I have done a great deal of experimenting with different hydration, electrolyte, and carbohydrate recovery drink options.. and I haven’t even come close to trying all that there is out there on the market! These are a few of my favorite products, and I will tell you a little bit about why. What works best for you can only be determined by… YOU… and it will probably take some trial and error to figure out. All of my testimonials are based on my own experiences with these products. I have not been asked by any of these companies to review their products, nor have I (sadly) been sent any free goodies.

Nuun Active Hydration tabs: It would be much easier for me to write a review on what I don’t like about Nuun… because that would be short and sweet: they don’t grow on trees. These electrolyte tabs have honestly been my savior on several occasions, one of them being during my running of the Med City Marathon. They’re fast acting. They’re portable. They’re convenient. They do not contain carbs, and I appreciate having this as an option because everyone has their own preferences when it comes to carb replenishing during or after a race or workout. Some people like bananas, some like bars, some like gels, some like drinks. It’s not a one size fits all.

Hammer Endurolytes POWDER: One thing I like about the powder is that that enables me to have personalized dosing. Not every athlete will have the same needs, and I’m glad Hammer pays attention to that! Obviously you wouldn’t be stopping on the side of the road during a race to measure out and mix up your Endurolytes in a water bottle, but premixed before an endurance ride or long run and you have yourself a personalized hydralectrolyte beast. Maybe this goes without saying, but I use this stuff when I’m doing an endurance workout or race.. not just like a regular ol’ 7 mile run. Endurolytes have also been great for me in helping with cramping (or helping to not cramp to be more accurate). Long story short: I like the stuff.

PowerDew: PowerDew is in a category all it’s own. There is nothing better. In addition to being a fantasticly delicious source of hydration during exercise, it is also proven to help during intense study sessions with your anatomy textbook, medical terminology flash cards, and school work of the sort. Caution: may cause dependency when used frequently. You should notify your doctor if you start to experience hallucinations of powerdew during your day, or start having visions of powerdew while attempting to fall asleep. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya

Homemade shakes/smoothies/drinks: Why do I like them? Oh, let me count the ways.

1. They cost a fraction of what a pre-made store-bought drink would cost
2. I am in control of the ingredients – how much protein do I want? How many carbs?
3. I can have a flavor that I actually LIKE, sans chocolate! Muahaha. (Oh… ‘Nilla Mint Coffee shake you say? I can hook you up!)

While  I KNOW for a fact that a VitaMix would do a helluva lot better job, my Magic Bullet is doing ok for now. However, my roomie did say to me the other day, “Is the motor on that thing dying? Or are you just blending more ice?” No, no more ice. The MB has seen better days for sure. I just hope it gives me a two weeks notice before it craps out on me!

Alright kids.. a post wouldn’t be a post without a question, and I said I wanted to get a conversation going here, right? So here are my questions for you:

• What is your favorite way to hydrate during a race? Do you have an “old standby” product that you use every time?
• What is a “rule” that you always here about hydration (like the 8×8 rule for example)? Do you follow that?

That’s all I got for ya’ tonight – I have mucho school work that needs to be worked. I just got back from a very nice run (although slightly slick out there) with my guys, and I’m going to take my own advice, rehydrate, refuel, and get crackin! I have TWO product reviews coming up, and ahhh so much more – the “to post” list is seriously longer than I can handle right now! One thing at a time Wishing everyone strong legs, no injuries, and happy days.

-E

Sources:
Dartmouth Medical School Journal
USATF Hydration Guidelines
Hammer Hydration

I feel like there is so much to catch up guys up on, but to avoid writing a novel, or boring anyone to tears (scratch that last one – if you guys didn’t like it, you hopefully wouldn’t be here!), I’ll stick with one thing at a time. That one thing of today, as promised…

WINTER RUNNING!

With the exception of one brief year spent in Boston (in which I didn’t get to do a whole lot of running during anyways, thank you very much percutaneous pinning of left femoral neck)  I have spent the last 20 years living in Minnesota, and enduring, suffering, loving, and adventuring through the winters. As a wee five year old I did Ski School, ordered my hot dog and chocolate milk for lunch, and fatefully failed an attempt to get off the chair lift, resulting in scarring memories of me balling all the way down the mountain hill (pretty sure Minnesota is a non-mountainous state). No more skiing. (OK, the experience was def. not that traumatic, but downhill skiing is expensive!)

I also have fond memories of building hardcore igloos out of the snow that piled up from the plows on my corner. You’d swear my neighbor and I were children smuggled down from Alaska. So clearly, there was a time when winter was enjoyable. Where did I go wrong?

Love you Chris Schaffer, but that can be a little discouraging. However, like most all of life my friends, it’s a MINDSET. If you decide ahead of time that something is going to be miserable, hard, unsuccessful, or worse, un-attemptable, guess where you’re going to end up? With a big fat goose egg, a frown on your face, and quite possibly a piece of coal in your stocking (or Haunakkah equivalent, sorry for my ignorance). If you go into it (whatever it may be) with a positive outlook, a can-do attitude, and a little planning and preparation, well that amigo spells success. (Or éxitoI suppose ) Here’s what I got for ya:

PE 3315: WINTER RUNNING
Instructor: Sperly
Credits: 3
Grade: A-F, Pass/Fail option upon instructor approval
Prerequisites: LIFE 1303 Sucking It Up In A Complainer’s World

LAYERS

I don’t know how I can emphasize it strongly enough, but if you are someone who has actually attempted winter running, successively froze yo ass off, and swore it off for good, then LAYERS are your new best friend. This requires that you own more than one set of good winter clothes, but trust me, it’s well worth the investment. I’m the biggest campaigner for the “running is a low cost sport / anyone can do it” movement, but truthfully, your favorite cotton hoodie (no matter how warm it is) isn’t your best bet. Get cozy with the terms “thermal” and “moisture wicking”. And also please not that Under Armor is a brand, not a style of top.

On a super cold and windy day (ie -18° windchill, SE winds at 18mph blowing across the lake, and snow/ice/raining), LAYERS may look a little like this for Dr. TriRunner:

Smartwool: Clutch. End of story.

Base layer: medium to heavy grade spandex.

2^nd layer: looser fitting spandex, a pair of windpants, or a 2^nd pair of regular spandex. I actually didn’t wear the 2^nd pair on this day (it really was -18° with windchill!), but that’s personal preference. I can’t STAND having my legs too hot. Keep in mind though, that is only something you will learn with experience. Better safe toasty than sorry!

THERMAL: Actually, now that I write that in big bold letters, I realize maybe I’m using the wrong terminology. By “thermal” I mean its got that fleecy feel inside, it wicks away your sweat, but magically at the same time keeps heat inside – so cool! (Some days I still think I should have gone into BioTech…) Oh and while I’m at it, here is a perfect example of my non-Under Armor top. The maroon top as seen above would be NIKE Dry Fit. I’m not sure what makes people think that any top like this is called an Under Armor, but that would be a fallacy my friends. (Oh no! There’s that “education” sneaking back in!)

Jacket: Things to look for – windproof, ventilation options, reflective or neon strips.

BASEbase: My mom always likes to wear a full-length bra top underneath. I get too hot, and a regular sports bra is all I need/want. Again, this comes with lots of trial and error.

Hat vs. Headband: Personal preference. For me, this completely depends on the actual temperature outside. I’m sure you remember your mom nagging you on your way to the bus stop to “Wear your hat!” and her motherly concern came with good reason – heat escapes through your head (heat rises), and chances are if your head is cold, the rest of you will be too.

Gloves vs. Mittens vs. Both vs. “What do you mean you’re not supposed to put ice fishing hand warmers next to your skin?” : OK.. so the mittens I’m holding up in this picture are actually SKI MITTENS, and yes, at times that’s what I resort to! The most common question I got was “how do I keep my hands warm?” and truthfully, that’s something I’m still playing around with to figure out! I don’t care how expensive or how “weather proof” your fancy shmancy gloves are, but for ME, they’re not gonna work. I have tried out so many pairs of gloves from specialty running stores where they told me “these are the warmest we have!” and ended up returning them because my fingers froze into ice cubes. I’ve also done double layering, and that didn’t work for me either. My best solution so far is either hard core mittens as seen above, or gloves with a pair of mittens over the top! Sorry I can’t be a huge help with this one.. it’s a lot of trial and error. And NO, you are not supposed to put those hand warmers next to your skin.. Oops!. :/

Gator: like a scarf, only connected and lovely. I also have a balaclava, which makes me look like I’m about to go rob a bank, but man is it warm! One or the other will do for sure, but I like having both for varying temperatures!

TRACTION

Yak Trax. More specifically, Yak Trax Pros – the model made for more than just walking. They are basically what looks like a rubber bear trap with steel metal coils around the rubber that strap on your shoes. The coils help prevent slippage on ice, but also just give you more confidence in your footing on compact snow. Good stuff I say. They’re all I have used to help with traction, so I can’t give reviews on any of the other products out there.

MOTIVATION

Please refer to prerequisites of the course.

VISIBILITY

This is something I hadn’t initially thought of including, but I just finished my last Runner’s World issue today and there was a key article on Running Safety. With the skies getting dark around FIVE this time of year, more runners are out after dark, and I think visibility is a super important issue to address. The article isn’t just about visibility – they also talk about rules of the road, which are equally important when sidewalks aren’t shoveled and you have to resort to the streets! Without wanting to summarize the whole article, I will just link you to it! Runner’s World: Collision Course. Here are a few of my favorites for winter visibility:

Asics reflective bands: Can go around your ankle. Your wrist. Your upper arm. Wherever you put them, make sure it is in a place that is visible, and preferably, a place that MOVES. I wear them up around my biceps because you swing your arm when you move, and a driver is a lot more likely to pay attention a glowing yellow band that’s bobbing back and forth than one that’s stationary. If you only have ONE (though why would you do such a silly thing) the best spot is your upper right arm because that is what would be closest to traffic (assuming you’re on the “right” side of the road, opposing traffic flow).

Brooks Nightlife Jacket: Breathable. Fitted perfectly. NEON. LOVE is an understatement for how I feel about Brooks clothing! It’s close in intensity as my love affair with Asics shoes.

Black Diamond head light: Let me tell you something kids – there are “headlamps”, and then there are headlamps. The first one I bought was a Fuel Belt head light. I’m not saying anything against the company at all, but that headlamp did about as good of a job lighting up my path as I could have done on my own, running in shorts and lighting up the ground with my so sad white legs. This was a type of headlight made so runners/other people can SEE YOU, but it was not made to light up the path ahead. No offense amigos, but I think you guys should stick to hydration options. Luckily the running store I bought it at took it back no prob. Luckier still, my friend had an extra headlamp lying around that he passed on to me – what a guy. It’s a Black Diamond like the one above, minus the camo, and it does just what I need! Visibility. For me. For you. For playing in my closet like Bob the Builder. It works. A good headlamp can run you anywhere between $30-$80, but it’s a good investment.

ETC…

Just a couple of accessory tips – before heading out, feel free to “warm up” inside. Run up and down your stairs a few times… get the blood pumpkin, and it might not seem so bad thinking about heading outside. Also, if you roll like that, feel free to hit the treadmill. I actually have a good fellow Twin Cities bloggy friend who will be stopping by to tell you how she is the treadmill master. And finally, a disclaimer – most of the advice I dished out today is for COLD weather. Like cold cold. Never in a million years would I wear two pairs of pants, ski mittens, a gator, and “under armor” if it was only 20 degrees. If anyone takes my advice and gets TOO HOT, or god forbid wasn’t warm enough, sorry homes… like I said – trial and error!

Wow.. so didn’t I say “without writing you a novel”…? Myyyy bad. Hopefully you found some/all of this helpful, and will think twice before dashing off to the gym instead of hitting the great outdoors for your run! Plus, there’s the B.A.M.F. factor here – you will feel so much more hard-core when you come back and say, “yeah, I ran in that!” I know there’s a little bamf hidden in you.. you just need to dig it out!

And speaking of OUT, that’s me! I have a running store to visit and items to buy (sorry mom, you’ll have to wait till Christmas)! Adios muchachos.
-E