02 Dec 2003 11:08:02

Ozzie Gontang

rec.running FAQ, part 1 of 8

Archive-name: running-faq/part1 Last-modified: 10 March 2003 Posting-Frequency: 14 days Answers to REC.RUNNING FAQ and Interesting Information This posting contains answers to frequently asked questions posted to rec.running plus interesting & useful information for runners. If known, author's name/email address are given. Send me Ozzie Gontang <gontang@electriciti.com > any corrections,updates, suggestions, or proper info of sources or holder's of copyright. ================================================================== Part 1 of 8 What to do before posting to rec.running or any news group Runner or Jogger Avoiding Dogs Books and Magazines Winter Running Gear Clothes (Winter/Summer) Rules For Winter Running Clothing Layers Dressing for Winter Clothing Materials Microfibers Polyolefin Nylon Wool Gortex Polypropylene/Thermax 60/40 Cloth Breathability of Materials Breathable options Linings Maintenance General Information Running Mailing Lists Terminology ( overpronation, oversupination) Calorie/energy count Calories burned by running Muscle fuels used during exercise Part 2 of 8 Fat burning primer Conversion chart Fluid replacement Noakes's Ten Laws of Running Injuries Second Wind Soda Pop Computer software Hashing Interval training Legs Sore Knees Leg Massage Part 3 of 8 Mail Order Addresses Marathon Increasing your mileage Major Marathons (e.g. Boston, LA, New York) Part 4 of 8 Miscellaneous Medical /Injuries Achilles tendinitis (incomplete) Shin splints Side stitches Lactic Acid Loose bowels Diabetes & running Nutrition and Food Part 5 of 8 Nutrition primer Powerbar Recipe Orienteering Predicting times Running Clubs & Organizations Part 6 of 8 Shoes Stretching Sweat Tredmill Running Weather (cold, hot, wind, rain, altitude) Part 7 of 8 Pregnancy & Running Mindful Way of Dealing with Out of Control People Hints for the Successful Four Hour Marathoner (Super-Fours) Part 8 of 8 Running Related Internet Sites ================================================================= What to do before posting to rec.running or any news group Read news.announce.newusers and news.answers for a few weeks. Always make sure to read a newsgroup for some time before you post to it. You'll be amazed how often the same question can be asked in the same newsgroup. After a month you'll have a much better sense of what the readers want to see. The difference between jogging and running is in the eye of the beholder. Partial list compiled by Phil Margolies <pmarg@flash.net > Jogging is spelled with a j, an o, and two g's, running is spelled with an r, a u, and two n's. Otherwise there is no important difference that I am aware of ;-) ******************** There is no real distinction between the two. Traditionally joggers are considered to be more casual and slower than someone who refers to themselves as a runner. But use which ever term you prefer. ******************** A jogger is person who worries about the difference. A runner just goes out and runs. ******************** This issue has been beaten to death more than once, but ...... My gut feeling is: if your goal/focus is to get there in minimum time; you are racing (or race training) if your goal/focus is on what your are doing; you are running if your focus is to lose weight or gain fitness or whatever else (possibly indicated by wearing headphones?); you are jogging. Speed doesn't matter; some people race at 4:00/mile, some at 12:00/mile. No one of these three activities is any better or nobler than any other. ******************** When I'm tired I jog, when I'm not I run. After all, it's all relative. ******************** Speed IMHO has nothing to do with it. Joggers are interested in the fitness benifits of the activity. Runners are interested in the sport of racing. ******************** The best quote I ever read on this was: The difference between a jogger and a runner is a bib number. ******************** A Jogger is everyone that I can pass. A Runner is everone who passes me. ******************** There are many differences between a jogger & a runner, although both are very positive activities & neither should be knocked. Here's a couple of differences I notice: Jogging is a hobby. Running is a way of life. Joggers get out on a nice day. Runners get out everyday. Avoiding Dogs (Arnie Berger arnie@hp-lsd.COL.HP.COM) There are varying degrees of defense against dogs. 1- Shout "NO!" as loud and authoritatively as you can. That works more than half the time against most dogs that consider chasing you just good sport. 2- Get away from their territory as fast as you can. 3- A water bottle squirt sometimes startles them. If they're waiting for you in the road and all you can see are teeth then you in a heap o' trouble. In those situations, I've turned around, slowly, not staring at the dog, and rode away. "Halt" works pretty well, and I've used it at times. It's range is about 8 feet. I bought a "DAZER", from Heathkit. Its a small ultrasonic sound generator that you point at the dog. My wife and I were tandeming on a back road and used it on a mildly aggressive German Shephard. It seemed to cause the dog to back off. By far, without a doubt, hands down winner, is a squirt bottle full of reagent grade ammonia, fresh out of the jug. The kind that fumes when you remove the cap. When I lived in Illinois I had a big, mean dog that put its cross-hairs on my leg whenever I went by. After talking to the owner (redneck), I bought a handlebar mount for a water bottle and loaded it with a lab squirt bottle of the above mentioned fluid. Just as the dog came alongside, I squirted him on his nose, eyes and mouth. The dog stopped dead in his tracks and started to roll around in the street. Although I continued to see that dog on my way to and from work, he never bothered me again. Finally, you can usually intimidate the most aggressive dog if there are more than one of you. Stopping, *and moving towards it will often cause it to back off*. ( But not always ). My bottom line is to always *run* routes that I'm not familiar with, with someone else. E-Book John Lupton <jlgreent@netcomuk.co.uk > Gordon Pirie's book "Running Fast and Injury Free" which can be found via http://www.gordonpirie.com. Pirie is a proponent of fore-foot striking. All I can say is Pirie works for me. As a novice, having a pretty straightforward book on technique to read, one that is uncomplicated by jargon, is very useful. For me, even before a novice puts on his/her running shoes for the first time, it is worth reading this book (its *very* short). Not all of it is relevant to the recreational runner, but the bits that are are very obvious and accessible. Books and Magazines (Phil Cannon pcannon@spotlight.Corp.Sun.COM) Books ===== 1) The Lore of Running - Tim Noakes 2) The Complete Book of Running - Fixx 3) The Runner's Handbook - Bloom 4) Long Distance Runner's Guide to Training and Racing - Sperks/Bjorklund 5) The Runner's Handbook - Glover & Shepard 6) Galloway's Book on Running - Galloway 7) Jog, Run, Race - Henderson 8) The New Aerobics - Cooper 9) Training Distance Runners- Martin and Coe 10) Any book by Dr. George Sheehan 11) The Essential Runner (John Hanc) 12) The Runner's World Complete Book of Running (Amby Burfoot) check for books available at:The Athlete's Bookstore bookstore@stevenscreek.com RUNNING DIALOGUE David Holt RN, Santa Barbara and 31:16 10 K. Includes winter running advice; extensive interval (three chapters) and diet advice; marathon chapter; three chapters on injury prevention and treatment; predicting times; plus table for paces to train for 2 mile pace for VO2 max, and 15K pace for anaerobic threshold. Table of contents/list of contributors -http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/holtrun/ or send a blank E-mail to runningdialogue@mailback.com Magazines ========= Track and Field News (12/96-monthly $34.95 US per year) 2370 El Camino Real, Ste 606 Mountain View CA 94040 415-948-8188 Fax: 1-415-948-9445 1-800-GET-TRAK (1-800-438-8725) Self-proclaimed "Bible of the Sport", T&FN is the source for major meet results in T&F, road racing, cross-country, and race walking from the high school to int'l levels. Emphasis on U.S. athletes. though significant int'l coverage provided. Compiles annual post-season rankings of the top 10 performers in world and U.S. in every major event, men and women. Publishes list of top 50 performances in each event for the year. Also sponsors TAFNUT tours for major championships and the Euro Circuit/GP meets. Lots of stats, good interviews. Track Technique (quarterly; $15 in US, $16 outside) same contact info as Track & Field News. The official USATF(formerly TAC) quarterly, each issue has important articles on technique, training, and other practical information on all events, at all levels. Intended for coaches. California Track News ($18/yr) 4957 East Heaton Fresno, CA 93727 Calif.'s only all track & X-county publication. Lots of attention to prep action. Running Journal, P.O. Box 157, Greeneville, TN 37744. Covers southeastern United States monthly. Founded 1984. Covers road races in 13 states, plus ultras, multi-sports, racewalking. Annual subscription is $22.95. Running Research News P.O. Box 27041 Lansing, MI 48909 Credit card orders: 1-517-371-4897 MC/Visa accepted. e-mail: rrn@gisd.com 12/96 $35/year $65/2 years (10 issues per year, 12-14 pages per issue.) 76 back issues, $265 (postage US 10 outside US $30) (Add $10 for overseas airmail, except Mexico and Canada) ALL non-US customers please provide a credit card number or money order in U.S. funds, or a check drawn on a U.S. bank (with American-bank computer numbers). Running Times (monthly $24.95 US per year) P.O. Box 511 Mount Morris, IL 61054-7691 1-800-877-5402 Runner's World (monthly $24 US per year) P.O. Box 7574 Red Oak, IA 51591-2574 1-800-666-2828 Masters Track & Field News (5 issues/yr; $10.50) P.O. Box 16597 North Hollywood, CA 91615 Results, rankings, age-records, schedules, stories of age 40+ athletes worldwide. "Satisfaction guaranteed" "The Schedule" - A monthly magazine in California that has an extensive lists of races and other info. Northern CA: 80 Mitchell Blvd, San Rafael CA 94903-2038 (415) 472-7223; 472-7233 FAX Southern CA: 549 Highland Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405-1116 (805) 541-2833 Winter Running Gear Curt Peterson <cpete@concentric.net > 13 Nov 1996 Just wear the same things for running as for cross country skiing. Suggestions- Wind briefs -available in both womens and mens. Underlayer turtleneck. Underlayer long underwear Tights ( thin or thicker cross country ski tights which are thicker wt.) Wicking socks vest or sweatshirt, but if long long run I use a Thermax sweatshirt Shell for wind hat and neck gator if really cold. You can run in virtually all weather. Our run group in Michigan runs every Monday night all year no matter what the conditions are. I think -4 F is our record. ================================================================== Clothes (Winter/Summer) (Mike Gilson GILSON@ALF.CS.HH.AB.COM) Disclaimer What I have to say here is *my* opinion only. ---------- Preference on amount of clothing required for winter running varies widely among runners. A couple of runners that I see wear shorts, long sleeved T's and gloves at 30F! Experiment with how much clothing at various temp's. Rules for Winter Running Rule 1: Dress in layers. Outer layers can be added/shed easily. Rule 2: Stay dry. When clothes get wet,they don't performance - & you get cold. Rule 3: Hydrate. You may not sweat as much, but fluid replacement still needed. Clothing Layers Inner layer. The layer closest to the skin should be a tight, lightweight fabric that wicks water away from the skin. Shirts should be long-sleeved, skin-tight (without chafing), and may be turtle-necked (my preference). There are a variety of fabrics that are effective in wicking water; I have had a lot of success with polypro, but it is not machine washable. These are readily available at running specialty shops and mail order. For pants, lycra running tights work very well. Outer layer. The next layer should be a looser, mediumweight fabric that wicks water. A zipper at the neck is convenient for temperature control. I prefer a shirt that is slightly longer than waist-length so that I have the option of tucking it into the pants. I've had more success in finding these in cycling stores than anywhere else. Two layers of lycra tights if very cold. Shell. A water-proof or water resistant shell that is breathable is useful in the coldest conditions. These are usually sold as suits, but tops are available separately at a higher cost. Gore-tex is considered the best fabric, but there are cheaper alternatives. You can get these suits made to your measurements or buy them off the rack. I have a Burley jacket, which I purchased at a cycling shop. It's chief advantage over the running suits is the venting and extra zippers for temperature control. There are zippers under each arm, starting at mid chest going up to the armpit and travelling down the arm to about mid forearm. Tights. Tights have been mentioned above as inner/outer layers. Many people run in sweats, but sweats have two disadvantages: they're heavy and they get heavier when wet. Lycra is lightweight and warm, but costs more and shows off body (im)perfections more than sweats. Gloves. Any cotton glove works. Polyproplyene or other microbfiber materials. Hat. A lot of heat is lost through the scalp, so a hat is a must for most people. Cotton hats get too heavy with sweat. Balaclavas are more versatile than hats, and allow you to cover you neck/face if requires. Both hats and balaclavas are available in wicking fabrics. Socks. A wicking sock will seem less heavy and your feet will be drier than a conventional sock. Coolmax socks are my preference, worn in a single layer. You can also find other fabrics, such as capilene or polypro socks, which are considerably more expensive. Running shoes. Runner's World (anyone know which issue?) had some tips from Alaskan runners on how to put (short) screws into the sole of the shoe for better traction on the ice. I haven't tried it, but you obviously have to be careful not to puncture the midsole, air/gel chambers, etc. Dressing for Winter Running Temp range Number of layers (degrees F) Inner Outer Shell Tights Gloves Hat Socks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50-55 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 40-45 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 30-35 1 1 0 1-2 1 1 1 20-25 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 0-15 1 1 1/pants 1 1 1 Clothing Materials compiled by Ozzie Gontang <gontang@electriciti.com > (see www.FabricLink.com/characteristics.html) MICROFIBERS Man-made: available in acrylic, nylon, polyester and rayon. Characteristics: * Washable, dry cleanable Shrink-resistant * High strength (except Rayon) Insulates well against wind, rain, cold Major End Uses: sportswear, activewear,swimwear, outerwear, rainwear. Micro-fibers is not a fiber unto itself. It is a technology developed to produce an ultra-fine fiber, and then weave it or knit it into a very high quality fabric constructions. DuPont introduced the first microfiber in 1989, a polyester microfiber. Today in addition to polyester microfibers, there are also nylon microfibers that have become important in the pantyhose market, rayon microfibers, and acrylic microfibers. An important characteristic of microfiber fabrics: they can be woven so tightly so the fabric can't be penetrated by wind, rain, or cold. For this reason, raincoat manufacturers have become big users of polyester microfibers. Microfibers also have a wicking ability, which allows perspiration to pass through. So they're comfortable to wear. Nov. '96 RW (pp.48-52) evaluted 12 underlayer shirts for keeping you comfortable wicking away sweat to the exterior surface of the fabric. Polyester has been treated (hydrophillic chemical) and altered (electrostatic evaporation process, differing inner/outer surfaces) to enhance its wicking ability. Some names: Capilene, BiPolar 100 polyest r, BiPolar 200 polyester, Dri-F.I.T. Dacron is the trademark name for Dupont polyester. Woven fabric made from dacron is similar to nylon ripstop or taffeta, but not as stretchy. Many of the better clothing insulations are made from dacron. They are usually referred to by more specific trademark names, like quallofil, hollofil, polarguard, and dacron-88. POLYOLEFIN (OLEFIN) Characteristics: * Lightweight, lightest fiber, it floats * Strong * Abrasion resistant, resilient * Stain-, static-, sunlight-, and odor-resistant * High insulation characteristics * Resists deterioration from chemicals, mildew, sweat, rot and weather * Fast drying * High wickability * Static and pilling can be a problem * Ironing, washing/drying need to be done at low temperature * Non-allergenic Major End Uses: Apparel - activewear, sportswear, jeans, socks, underwear, lining fabrics. Of all fibers, this is probably least familiarto you. Developed in 1961, polyolefin has been used exclusively in the home furnishings and high performance activewear market: backpacking, canoeing, mountain climbing apparel. In 1996 producers of olefin began to make in-roads into the mainstream apparel market. It is being blended with cotton in the denim market. It's being tested in the swimwear market. Asics Japan has developed a swimsuit made of polyolefin and Lycra for the Japanese Olympic Swim Team. Polyolefin is the least absorbent of all the man-made fibers, and the only fiber that floats. (Swimmers will do anything to cut a milli-second off their times!) NYLON Characteristics: * Lightweight * Exceptional strength * Good drapeability * Abrasion resistant * Easy to wash * Resists shrinkage and wrinkling * Fast drying, low moisture absorbency * Resistant to damage from oil and many chemicals * Static and pilling can be a problem * Poor resistance to continuous sunlight Major End Uses: * Apparel - swimwear, activewear, foundation garments, hosiery, blouses, dresses, sportswear, raincoats, ski and snow apparel, windbreakers, childrenswear. * Other-Luggage/back packets/life vests/umbrellas/sleeping bags,tents. Nylon is one of the strongest of all fibers, and for this reason it's used in garments that take a great deal of hard wear, like panty hose, swimwear, tents. Although nylon is a very strong fiber, one of it's unfavorable characteristics is that it has poor resistance to prolonged exposure to the sun. In addition, the Lycra (or spandex) breaks down from exposure to chlorine in pool water. Lycra is used for its stretch. Supplex has a feel of cotton,comfortable, breathable and water repellent/ NOT water proof). Absorbs a small amount of water if it is getting drenched. WOOL Natural, Animal fiber Characteristics: * Comfortable * Luxurious, soft hand * Versatile * Lightweight * Good insulator * Washable * Wrinkle-resistant * Absorbent Major End Uses: * Apparel - sweaters, dresses, coats, suits, jackets, pants, skirts, childrenswear, loungewear, blouses, shirts, hosiery, scarves. GORETEX A teflon based membrane with microscopic holes. Gortex's claim to fame is that it will let water vapor (from perspiration) through, but not liquid water (rain). It blocks wind fairly well too. The membrane is delicate, so it always comes laminated between 2 layers of other material. It does not breathe enough. There are less expensive alternatives. POLYPROPYLENE/THERMAX Does not wick very well. Can be uncomfortable. Troublesome to care for (e.g. can pill badly) Will keep you fairly warm if soaked. Not very wind resistant. Shrinks under heat from dryers. Thermax is an improvement on Polypropylene. The big advantage is that Thermax isheat resistance so you can put it in the dryer. Balance that against the extra cost. 60/40 CLOTH This is a cloth with nylon threads running one direction, cotton in the other. It was the standard wind parka material before Goretex came along, and is considerably less expensive. Good wind resistance, fairly breathable. Somewhat water resistant, especially if you spray it with Scotchguard, but won't hold up to a heavy rain. Breathability of Materials summarized from Clive Tully UK Outdoor/Travel Writer 100260.2053@compuserve.com Breathability in waterproof clothing is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented technical aspects of outdoors clothing and equipment. It's all very well listing the technical merits of a particular fabric, coating or membrane. Too often, the design of the finished garment either makes or breaks the fabric manufacturer's claim. E.g., a walking jacket with a permanently vented shoulder flap might as well be made of non-breathable PU. It can't maintain the partial pressure which makes the fabric work. The exception is Gore-Tex fabric. Garment manufacturers using their fabrics have to submit sample products for Gore to check they meet their laid down standards of manufacture. Not many fabric manufacturers do that, but then, not many have such a tight grip on their markets. The Breathable options Breathable waterproof fabrics operate by one of two ways.They're microporous, with microscopic pores which permit the passage of water vapour but not water liquid, or they're hydrophilic, a solid barrier but capable of absorbing moisture vapour and passing it through its structure. Either may come as coatings applied directly to a fabric, or membranes which are glued to the fabric which carries it. Then there are microfibre fabrics and cotton fabrics. The top end of the market is dominated by Gore-Tex, and like some of the other laminates on offer, it comes in a variety of forms. The original, and still the best for durability, is 3-layer, where the breathable waterproof membrane is sandwiched between a facing and lining fabric. Garments made of this tend to be good value, too, because the manufacturing processes aren't so complex. 2-layer is softer, with the membrane glued to the underside of the facing fabric, and a loose lining. Not so durable, but usually more breathable, and more expensive. Other varieties, laminate the membrane to a lining fabric with loose outer - nice for fashion garments, and sometimes the waterproof lining has loose outer and lining on either side - again, more complex constructions generally adding up to more expensive garments. And the outside pockets will let in water... A coating is a coating, or is it? Breathable PU nylon doesn't really mean an awful lot. Individual coatings can have their chemistry tinkered with to make them more breathable or more waterproof. Cheaper coatings may be applied in one pass over the fabric, more expensive performance coatings may be made up of several thinner applications. You'd expect breathable waterproof fabric to work reasonably well in dry conditions, provided you're not working so hard as to overload its capability to transport moisture. The real crunch is when it's raining. How much does it breathe after 5 hours in pouring rain? Tests showed that all fabrics lose an element of breathability in wet conditions. The various configurations of Gore-Tex lost between 34 and 43% of their breathability, Sympatex 31% on a Z-liner construction, 70% in a double layer. Helly-Tech's decline was just short of 75%, but perhaps the biggest surprise was Lowe Alpine's Triple Point Ceramic 1200, losing just 15%. Whatever the coating or laminate, the facing fabric and its water-repellent surface treatment is absolutely critical. It's fair to say that the coarse texturised facing fabrics will fare less well than smooth ones because of a larger surface area to grab water when the water repellent treatment wears off. Linings It is a misconception that a lining is an aid to breathability. It isn't. It won't make any improvement. As an extra layer of insulation, it will make condensation inside the jacket MORE likely. What it does is improve the comfort factor by putting a layer between you and any condensation which may form on the shiny underside of your coating or membrane. 2-layer Gore-Tex would be just too fragile without a loose lining to protect it. In other instances, it's used to mask what's going on (or rather, not) at the point of greatest resistance! A mesh lining can achieve the same effect with less resistance to the passage of water vapour - looks nice too, even if it is a bit of a pain with Velcro - but the best functional designs will still employ a smooth lining fabric down the arms to avoid drag over your fleece. But if the mesh is to do the same job for a poor breathable coating or membrane as a close weave lining fabric, it has to be made from an absorbent or wicking fibre, otherwise, there's not much point in having the lining at all. Maintenance Whether you have an expensive membrane or an inexpensive coating lurking behind the face fabric of your jacket, the moment the fabric "wets out", you're in danger of anything from drastically reducing performance to turning your jacket into something with the breathability of a bin liner. It's easy to see when this happens. The water no longer beads up and rolls off the surface of the fabric, and you'll see it soaking into the material in patches. The fabric is still waterproof (apart from pressure points - see above), but its breathability will be greatly impaired. The answer is to keep your jacket clean, following any washing instructions to the letter, and maintain the water repellent finish on the outside. General Information Running Mailing Lists T & F Mailing List For details send email to: (Derrick Peterman)dwp@mps.ohio-state.edu The Track and Field Mailing List is a world wide network of athletes, coaches, sports scientists, officials, and track and field enthusiasts. Many national class athletes from several nations subscribe. The list provides rapid dissemination of results, discussion of track and field topics, and a source for inquiry about track and field events. Terminology: Pronation/Supination (Tom Page page@ficus.cs.ucla.edu) "Over" pronation describes a minor misalignment of the leg's forward swing that causes the footstrike to be skewed to the inside of the heel. (J.Horalek) "Over" supination is the reverse - impact is shifted toward the outside of the heel. (Jim Horalek) Pronation and supination describe natural and normal motions of the foot during the walking or running stride. In a normal stride, the outside portion of the heal strikes the ground first. The foot pronates to absorbe shock. That is, it rolls inward. At the end of the stride, the foot re-supinates -- rolls outward-- on push-off. What the previous writer (Jim Horalek horalek@alliant.com) is defining is `over pronation', and `over supination'. These are excesses of the normal motions. Note that over pronation is fairly common and many shoes are designed to counteract this. Over supination is very rare. Most people who think they over supinate probably just under pronate. Some people who think they over pronate may in fact pronate a normal amount, but fail to re-supinate sufficiently at the end of the stride. Calorie/Energy Count (Kenrick J. Mock mock@iris.ucdavis.edu) Here is a little table adapted from "Beyond Diet...Exercise Your Way to Fitness and Heart Health" by Lenore R. Zohman, M.D. Energy Range = Approx. Calories Per Hour Energy Range Activity Conditioning Benefits 72-84 Sitting, Conversing None 120-150 Strolling, 1 mph Not strenuous enough to produce endurance unless Walking, 2 mph your exercise capacity is very low 150-240 Golf, power cart. Not sufficiently taxing or continuous to promote endurance. 240-300 Cleaning windows Adequate for conditioning if carried out Mopping floor continuously for vacuuming 20-30 minutes Bowling Too intermittent for endurance Walking, 3mph Adequate dynamic exercise if Cycling, 6mph your capacity is low Golf, pulling cart Useful if you walk briskly,if cart is heavy isometrics may be involved. 300-360 Scrubbing floors Adequate if done in at least 2 minute stints Walking, 3.5 mph Usually good dynamic aerobic exercise Cycling, 8 mph Ping Pong Vigorous continuous play can Badminton have endurance benefits. May aid skill. Volleyball Tennis, doubles Not beneficial unless there is continuous play for at least 2 minutes at a time. Aids skill. 360-420 Walking, 4mph Dynamic, aerobic, beneficial. Cycling, 10mph Skating Should be continuous 420-480 Walking, 5mph Dynamic, aerobic, beneficial. Cycling, 11mph Tennis, singles Benefit if played 30 minutes or more with an attempt to keep moving Water Skiing Total isometrics 480-600 Jogging, 5 mph Dynamic, aerobic, endurance Cycling, 12mph building exercise. Downhill skiing Usually too short to help endurance significantly. Paddleball Not sufficiently continuous for aerobic benefits. 600-660 Running, 5.5 mph Excellent conditioner. Cycling, 13 mph Over 660 Running, 6+ mph Excellent conditioner Handball, Squash Conditioning benefit if played 30 min or more. Swimming (wide Good conditioning exercise caloric range) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calories burned by running (Rob Lingelbach rob@xyzoom.info.com) Here is a table I clipped from Runner's World; the source listed is "Exercise & Physiology" (Lea & Febiger, 1986). At 70% of max. Pace (minutes per mile) 12:00 10:43 9:41 8:46 8:02 7:26 6:54 6:26 6:02 Wt(lbs) Calories burned per hour running 100 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 119 432 486 540 594 648 702 756 810 864 128 464 522 580 638 696 754 812 870 928 137 496 558 620 682 744 806 868 930 992 146 528 594 660 726 792 858 924 990 1056 154 560 630 700 770 840 910 980 1050 1120 163 592 666 740 814 888 962 1036 1110 1184 172 624 702 780 858 936 1014 1092 1170 1248 181 656 738 820 902 984 1066 1148 1230 1312 190 688 774 860 946 1032 1118 1204 1290 1376 199 720 810 900 990 1080 1170 1260 1350 1440 207 752 846 940 1034 1128 1222 1316 1410 1504 216 784 882 980 1078 1176 1274 1372 1470 1568 225 816 918 1020 1122 1224 1326 1428 1530 1632 234 848 954 1060 1166 1272 1378 1484 1590 1696 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Muscle Fuels Used During Exercise Stuart Phillips(phillips@healthy.uwaterloo.ca) There are 3 main fuels used during exercise by the contracting muscle: 1) Protein; 2) Carbohydrate; 3) Fat. PROTEIN: A majority of text books written will not acknowledge protein as a major fuel, and it likely is not. It should be pointed out that protein requirements of someone who is running/exercising on a regular basis are GREATER than those of a sedentary population. Is this something to worry about? Most "North American" diets contain more protein than is needed. So the bottom line is you get more than you need so don't worry. Vegetarians? Again the answer is likely yes, they also get enough protein. Even when consuming a pure protein diet there is enough protein to more than cover the needs of a person who regularly runs/exercises. Moreover, most vegetarians are aware of what they eat and plan their diets very well. FUELS: Fats and carbohydrates (CHOs are then the major fuel sources for the exercising person. The balance of the use of these fuels is dependant upon exercise intensity and duration (the two are inversly related). The general rule is that the lower the intensity the greater the energy cost of exercise can be covered by fat. Hence, the greater the exercise duration the more fat will be burned, usually because the intensity of one's workout will decrease - FATIGUE! The flip side then, is that during higher intensity exercise ( >70% of max), one relies heavily on CHOs.

02 Dec 2003 11:08:02

Ozzie Gontang

rec.running FAQ, part 3 of 8

Archive-name: running-faq/part3 Last-modified: 16 Jul 2002 Posting-Frequency: 14 days ============================================================ Mail Order Addresses The addresse/phone of some popular running mail order outfits (Directory assistance at 1-800-555-1212 for mail order outfits not listed): Road Runner Sports 6150 Nancy Ridge Road 1-800-551-5558 (Orders) rrunner@cts.com San Diego, CA 92121 1-800-662-8896 (Cust Serv) Fax: 1-619-455-6470 California Best 970 Broadway 1-800-CAL-BEST Chula Vista, CA 91911-1798 1-800-225-2378 Tel-a-Runner 80 Speedwell Ave telarun@telarun.com Morristown, NJ 07970 1-800-835-2786 Hoy's Sports 1632 Haight St San Francisco, 94117 1-800-873-4329 Holabird Sports 9008 Yellow Brick Rd Baltimore, Md 21237 1-410-687-6400 Fax: 1-410-687-7311 ================================= Marathon --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Increasing your mileage (Jack Berkery berkery@emmax5crd.ge.com) There are many good, professional, books and articles on how to train for whatever distance you choose. More for the marathon than others I think. Get one or two and mull them over. The following recommendations are a distillation of having read and digested most of these and more than a decade of experience. Let's suppose you are beginning with a base load of about 20 miles per week over a long period. First I DO NOT recommend that anyone who has been running for less than 3 years should run a marathon. Running is a long-term game and it takes time for your body to become adjusted physically to the demands, not only of the marathon itself, but also of the heavy training mileage required to build up to it. Next, you should always keep in mind that your build-up should not exceed 10% per week. 10% doesn't sound like much but it's actually a big adjustment for your system to make. Not only muscles, but bones and connective tissues must be strengthened to take the increased load and running marathon mileage is a lot of pounding. Remember 10%. That is not to say that if you ran 20 miles last week, you cannot go more than 22 next week, but over a period of 3-4 weeks the rate of increase should not exceed the 10% slope. After 4 weeks then, you should be doing just under 30 miles, but not more. If you go from 20 to 24 in the first week thereby exceeding the 10% rate, then doing 24 again the second week will bring you back on track. You can continue to build up mileage for about 6 weeks when you'll reach 35 miles. Then you MUST BACK OFF for a week or so. Drop back by about 25-30% for one week. Take two or three days off in a row. Get some rest to gain strength before beginning the climb again. How much mileage is enough for a marathon? I have known people to run marathons on 25 or 35 miles per week. Don't try it. How they got away with it is not important. It is only important to know that it simply ain't smart. You can get away with 40-45 per week if you are doing a regular long run of 15-18 each week. It is better to be doing 50 or more for 6 to 8 weeks before the marathon. This means you have to have the time necessary to build to 50 at that 10% rate (with 1 rest week out of every 6) and then sustain that 50+ mileage for 6-8 weeks as well. This is a heavy schedule. Never doubt that. When you listen to the mega-mileage people talk about 70 or 80 or more, they make it sound as if everyone should be able to do that. Well we CAN'T all do that. We all have a break-down point and for the great majority, it lies somewhere below 50 or 60 miles per week. You'll know where yours is only after repeated tries to exceed it result in an injury. So how do you build the mileage? Suppose you are doing an even 3 miles a day, no more, no less. You must begin by building the long run. In a marathon training schedule, the long run is everything. Start the first week of the build-up by just lengthening one run. All other days should remain the same. Make one, usually Sat. or Sun., a 5-6 miler to get your 10% increase. Take the next day off from running. Rest is important after the long run to allow your system adjustment time. The next week of the build-up, increase the one long run again while still holding the normal daily runs the same. As a rule of thumb, your long run can go to 3 times the distance of your daily average run. So while still doing regular 3 milers, you can build up that Sat. morning run to 9 miles. Don't do a 12 miler though until you have made your daily run 4 miles. This means keeping the long run at 9 miles for a few weeks and increasing the daily runs until your average is 4 or 5 a day. Then you can return to increasing the long run. Toward the end of the build-up you may be doing something like 6-8 each weekday plus an 18-20 miler on the weekend. It might also be a good idea to alternate long runs of 15 and 20 miles every other week. As you get close to the date of the marathon, run your last long run 2 weeks before. DO NOT do a long run one week prior to the marathon. In fact for the last week you should taper down to do only about half, yes half, the mileage you have been doing. DO NOT run the day before and 2 days before the race you might only do 3 miles just to get the legs loose and the blood flowing. You MUST be well rested for the big race itself. Now assuming you do everything right there is still no guarrantee that the marathon is going to go well. Many things might prevail to make it hurt, hot or humid weather, getting caught up in too hard a pace, not drinking enough water before or along the way (THE GREATEST SIN). You may even spend 3 or 4 months building your training only to come down with an illness or injury a few weeks before the race which will set you right back to square-one. If you want certainties, you're in the wrong game. What matters is not that you get to do that particular marathon on that particular day 5 months from now, but rather what you plan to do over the next 5 or 10 or 50 years. I did say running is a long-term game, no? Another note of caution. All the rules can be broken. You may get away with lower training, higher ramp-up rates or shorter long-runs. You might even get away with it more than once, but sooner or later it's gonna get ya. Take the more conservative plan and be safe. You're looking for a positive experience not an injury. ------------------Major Marathons & partial World Marathon Schedule http://www.coolrunning.com/marathon/list.shtml http://joedom.home.mindspring.com/evt03.htm Boston Marathon ================== Boston Athletic Association P.O. Box 1996 Hopkington, MA 01748 Tel: 508-435-6905 Fax: 508-435-6590 The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots day (3rd monday in April). Starting time: Noon Boston Marathon qualifying times. Age Men Women Wheelchair Divison 18-34 3:10 3:40 CLASS MEN WOMEN 35-39 3:15 3:45 1 (Quad Class) 3:00 3:10 40-44 3:20 3:50 2-5 2:10 2:35 45-49 3:30 4:00 50-54 3:35 4:05 55-59 3:45 4:15 60-64 4:00 4:30 65-69 4:15 4:45 70-74 4:30 5:00 75-79 4:45 5:15 80+ 5:00 5:40 Note: Qualifying time based on age on the day of the Boston Marathon. Example: You run a qualifying race at the age of 44 in 3:22. You then have a birthday before the Boston Marathon, making you 45. You qualify, because your required qualification time is 3:25. Chicago Marathon ========= 101 W. Grand Ave. Ste. 600 (Carey Pinkowski) Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 527-2200 [VOICE] (312) 527-9901 [FAX] London Marathon ======== PO Box 3460 London, England SE1 8RZ 44 71 620 4117 fax: 44 71 620 4208 UK entrants: In Oct. get *proper* form from London, fill in, enclose cheque. You should find out before Xmas if picked in the lottery. . If you've run a sub 2h40 (men) or sub 3h10 (ladies) no need for lottery as you qualify for the national championships (held in conjunction with London). Non-UK entrants: Get on "official" trips to come to the UK to run London from sports travel firms. If you book with sports travel firm you will definitely get an entry. Going it alone then write: Los Angeles Marathon March ====== 11110 W. Ohio Avenue, #100 Los Angeles, CA 90025-3329 (310) 444-5544 AGE 18-59 60+ Marine Corps Marathon ======= Box 188 Quantico, VA 22134 (703)640-2225 New York Marathon ====== NYRRC P.O. Box 1766 GPO New York, NY 10116 (212) 860-4455 For U.S. residents: Send a self-addressed #10 business-size envelope (about 4" x 9.5") and a check or money order (no cash) for a $5.00 non-refundable handling fee. Make the check payable to: NYRRC. Send AFTER midnight of "set start date." All requests must be posted "start date" or later. The NYRRC sets a "start date" for accepting requests for applications, about May 15-20. Prospective applicants must send a SASE and $5, postmarked ON OR AFTER this date, to a PO Box in NY. They send a blank application, with no guarantee of anything, fairly promptly. Fill it out and return it ASAP. A caveat: You must be a member of UST&F, the USA's governing federation of running, to run in the NYCM. You can apply for entry along with your marathon application; instructions and UST&F application are sent with the blank NYCM application. Applications accepted on the following basis: Slots are reserved for non-USA runners (don't know how they are allocated). 12,000+ applications are accepted "first-come, first served" basis. The NYRRC claims this is not a tough thing if you act promptly - i.e. send request for ap on "Opening Day", and mail back the completed app. within a day or two. X,000 slots remain. Once above criteria filled, all applications received go (figuratively) into a big, big box. In late July or early August, NYRRC draws out the X,000 lucky envelopes. These entries are accepted. They draw a few hundred more, I guess, to set up a waiting list in the event of cancellations. NB: the rest of the applications are returned with refunded entry fee. San Francisco Marathon ==== City of San Francisco Marathon P.O. Box 77148 San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 391-2123 Honolulu Marathon )====== Honolulu Marathon Assoc. 3435 Wailae Ave. #208 Honolulu, HI 96816 808-734-7200 Many tours to the large national & international marathons are organized by: Marathon Tours 108 Main St Charleston MA 02129 (617) 242-7845 Marie Frances Productions 7603 New Market Dr Bethesda, MD 20817 301-320-3363 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miscellaneous Pulled this chart out of Marathoning by Manfred Steffny. ( pub 1977). (Robert Davidson davidson@maricopa.edu) Max. possible Realistic 10Km marathon time marathon time ------ ------------- ------------- 27:00 2:05:00 2:08:30 28:00 2:10:00 2:14:00 29:00 2:15:00 2:19:30 30:00 2:20:00 2:25:00 31:00 2:25:00 2:30:30 32:00 2:30:00 2:36:00 33:00 2:35:00 2:43:00 34:00 2:40:00 2:49:00 35:00 2:45:00 2:55:00 36:00 2:50:00 3:00:00 37:00 2:55:00 3:07:00 38:00 3:00:00 3:15:00 39:00 3:05:00 3:20:00 40:00 3:10:00 3:25:00 42:30 3:22:00 3:42:30 45:00 3:35:00 4:00:00 47:30 3:47:30 4:20:00 50:00 4:00:00 4:40:00 -- Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D. TEC International 2903 29th St San Diego, CA 92104-4912 hm/off. 619-281-7447 fax 619-281-9468 email <gontang@electriciti.com > Chief Executives Working Together http://www.teconline.com

02 Dec 2003 11:08:02

Ozzie Gontang

rec.running FAQ, part 2 of 8

Archive-name: running-faq/part2 Last-modified: 10 Mar 2003 Posting-Frequency: 14 days SOURCES: Fats are stored as adipose, body fat, and muscle fat (triglycerides). CHOs are stored as muscle and liver glycogen (long chains of glucose) and blood glucose. During a workout the early phases are characterized by a reliance on CHOs, both muscle glycogen and blood glucose. The blood glucose comes from the breakdown of liver glycogen. Again this is dependent upon intensity (see above). However, the muscle can also use fat as a fuel, The sources of this are from the inside of the muscle or from the outside - i.e. from adipose tissue. The problem is that levels of fats from adipose take a while to reach high enough levels for their use to become significant. Their concentration in the blood only reaches very high levels when the intensity of the exercise is low (i.e. 50% of max or less) and if the duration is sufficient (1 hour or more). However, when the concentration of fats from outside of the muscle is high enough the muscle can use these instead of glycogen and delay the use of glycogen, this is critical at times since muscle glycogen is a "rate-limiting" fuel for muscle. That is when muscle glycogen runs out, or gets very low, then you feel terrible - you've BONKED or HIT THE WALL (see below). BONKING/HITTING THE WALL: Lots of people talk about the phenomenon of bonking. It hits some people harder than others, I don't know why and have never seen any good information why? However, bonking is a combination of two processes. The first is a lack of muscle glycogen (see above). The second is low blood glucose. When muscle glycogen is low the muscle runs into a fuel crisis. It cannot burn fats at a rate high enough to sustain the muscle's maximal output. The consequence is that your muscle switches to burning more fats and so you have to slow down. The crappy feeling that you experience at the same time, often characterized by nausea and disorientation, is likely a consequence of low blood sugar/glucose (hypoglycemia). The trick then is to alleviate/delay the onset of these symptoms by consuming sugar solutions, or simply by becoming so well trained that you don't have to worry (see TRAINING below). Why is low blood sugar bad? Because your brain, eye tissue, and others are able to burn only glucose. That is when the levels of glucose are low your brain runs out of fuel, so you feel awful. Your vision might become impaired also. FATS vs. CHOs: However, as I've said above your muscle can burn fats and if given the chance your muscle will burn whatever fuel it has in the greatest abundance, even lactate! So, if supplied with enough fat muscle can burn fat and hence, "spare" muscle glycogen. This is the idea behind many runners drinking caffeine/coffee before a race. The caffeine has effects that cause release of fats from adipose tissue and the level of fats in the blood increases. The end result is that for the early phases of the race the runner's muscle's can use fat and delay the use of muscle glycogen, hence, sparing that glycogen for later use. One should be cautioned, however, that this mechanism for increasing fat usage has only been shown with some very high doses of caffeine that are not achievable without taking caffeine pills. It also critically dependent upon the person's habitual caffeine intake ("big" coffee drinker appear not to derive as great of a benefit as non-habitual users). There are other ways to maximize the use of muscle glycogen, however. CHO LOADING: CHO loading is a practice that many athletes use before a longer duration event to "supercompensate" their muscles with glycogen, delay it's running out (see above). The practice is of little use when the duration of the event is less than 60 minutes, since muscle glycogen will usually be able to meet the demands of such a duration. However, it should be noted that repeated bouts of high intensity exercise will also deplete one's muscles of glycogen (for example wrestling 3-4 bouts in one day). There are two basic protocols for CHO loading, one is just as good as the other. However, they involve an initial bout of exercise to deplete the muscle's glycogen (under normal dietary conditions), followed by a period of high CHO diet (i.e. 70% or more of one's total calories from CHO). This period should be the 4-5 days prior to the event and should be a time when the athlete tapers their training, so as not to deplete muscle glycogen too much. The result is an overload of glycogen in one's muscles. Two notes: 1) This procedure will result, if done correctly, in most people gaining 2-5 pounds. Why? Because muscle and liver glycogen is stored with water and increasing glycogen will increase water content - i.e. increased weight is water. 2) Preliminary evidence indicates that this procedure is less effective in women. That is to say that if a female runner were to increase her CHOs to 70% (or >) of her caloric intake she may not have an increase in muscle glycogen. Why? It may relate to a gender difference in the ability to store muscle glycogen or in the amount of CHOs that 70% of the female athlete's diet represents (i.e. 70% of a 2000 calorie diet would be 1400 Cal from CHO, eating this may not be enough to increase muscle glycogen content). Stay tuned for more info here! TRAINING: When one trains or conditions by completing endurance exercise changes occur at many levels, including the muscle. The changes that occur at the level of the muscle include an increased ability to utilize fats. Not surprisingly then one's endurance is increased. How? An increased utilization of fats means less reliance on glycogen, less reliance on glycogen means you don't run out of the fuel that allows you to maintain a high rate of muscle contraction, and hence a high rate of running/exercising. Another adaptation that occurs is that your muscle uses less glucose, this is important for tissues such as brain (see above). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conversion chart (Jack Berkery BERKERY@CRDGW2.crd.ge.com) 1 yard = .9144 meter 100 yards = 91.4400 meters 220 yards = 201.1680 meters 440 yards = 402.3360 meters 880 yards = 804.6720 meters 1 meter = 1.094 yards 100 meters = 109.400 yards 200 meters = 218.800 yards 400 meters = 437.600 yards 800 meters = 875.200 yards 1 mile = 1.609 Kilometers 1 mile = 1760 yards = 5280 feet 1 Kilometer = .6214 miles = 1094 yards = 3281 feet Kilmoeters to miles Miles to Kilometers ------------------------------------------------------ 1 km = .6214 miles 1 mile = 1.609 km 2 km = 1.2418 miles 2 miles = 3.218 km 3 km = 1.8642 miles 3 miles = 4.827 km 4 km = 2.4856 miles 4 miles = 6.436 km 5 km = 3.1070 miles 5 miles = 8.045 km 6 km = 3.7284 miles 6 miles = 9.654 km 7 km = 4.3498 miles 7 miles = 11.263 km 8 km = 4.9712 miles 8 miles = 12.872 km 9 km = 5.5926 miles 9 miles = 14.481 km 10 km = 6.2140 miles 10 miles = 16.090 km 11 km = 6.8354 miles 11 miles = 17.699 km 12 km = 7.4568 miles 12 miles = 19.308 km 13 km = 8.0782 miles 13 miles = 20.917 km 14 km = 8.6996 miles 14 miles = 22.526 km 15 km = 9.3210 miles 15 miles = 24.135 km 20 km = 12.4280 miles 20 miles = 32.180 km 25 km = 15.5350 miles 25 miles = 40.225 km 30 km = 18.6420 miles 1 marathon = 26 miles + 385 yards = 42.186 km --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluid replacement (2 personal methods) As an ultramarathoner, trail runner fluid replenishment etc. is quite important. My findings, based on personal experience, is that in 90+ degree weather I use a liter per hour on a one hour run - and that is carrying the water with me. If you are not running enough distance, dont be concerned about energy type drinks, and you probably don't lose enough salts to need electrolytes. But your system will absorb more fluid faster is it is hypotonic and cool. If you guys are always running for 45 minutes or an hour in HOT weather - I would really suggest carrying water. When you realize your dehydrated its TOO late - and it takes longer to replenish fluids than it does to lose them. (Milt Schol milts@mse.cse.ogi.edu) I prepare for a run with about 24-30 ounces of lukewarm water within 3 hours of the run. As for after the run, if it was particularly strenuous (and in the 85+ and humid Pittsburgh weather of late, the runs have been strenuous for me), within 10-15 minutes following the run, I take ~10-15 ounces of room-temperature, diluted Exceed (about 2 parts Exceed to 3 parts water). I follow that with about 24-30 ounces of room-temperature water over the next hour or two. (Barbara Zayas bjz@sei.cmu.edu) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Noakes's Ten Laws of Running Injuries (John Schwebel jcs@cbnewsh.cb.att.com) Ten Laws of Running Injuries stated therein: The 1ST LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Running Injuries Are Not an Act of God The 2ND LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Each Running Injury Progresses Through Four Grades The 3RD LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Each Running Injury Indicates That the Athlete Has Reached the Breakdown Point The 4TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Virtually All Running Injuries Are Curable The 5TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: X-Rays and Other Sophisticated Investigations Are Seldom Necessary to Diagnose Running Injuries The 6TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Treat the Cause, Not the Effect The 7TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Rest is Seldom the Most Appropriate Treatment The 8TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Never Accept as a Final Opinion the Advice of a Nonrunner The 9TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: Avoid the Knife The 10TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES: There Is No Definitive Scientific Evidence That Running Causes Osteoarthritis in Runners Whose Knwees Were Normal When They Started Running --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second Wind (Newsweek July 27, '92) If an Olympian experiences a second wind, it's probably a sign that he isn't in a great shape. Scientists are divided over whether a second wind is purely psychological - the athlete "willing" himself forward. But if it has a physical basis too, the sudden feeling of "I can do it!" right after "I want to die" probably reflects a change in metabolism. The body gets energy by breaking down glucose, which is stored in muscles. This reaction releases lactic acid, which the body must burn in order to prevent a lactic-acid buildup that causes cramps. Burning lactic acid requires oxygen. If the body does not breathe in enough oxygen; the runner experiences oxygen debt: the heart beats more quickly; the lungs gasp; the legs slow. The second wind, says physicist Peter Brancazio of Brooklyn College, may come when the body finally balances the amount of oxygen coming in with that needed to burn the lactic acid. (When burned, lactic acid is transformed into sweat and carbon dioxide.) Why doesn't everybody get a second wind? Couch potatoes don't push themselves past oxygen debt; true Olympians have enough lung capacity and cardiovascular fitness to avoid oxygen debt in the first place. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soda Pop (Paulette Leeper pleeper@wtcp.DaytonOH.NCR.COM) Q: Does anyone have any opinions on Soda pop as a drink in General. I find the CAFFEINE in soda to be irritating and DEHYDRATING, so, IMHO, drinking soda with caffeine (regardless of whether or not it contains sugar or aspartame) defeats the purpose of quenching thirst. It's much like drinking beer to quench thirst... it FEELS good, and TASTES good, but as a mechanism for hydration, it does the exact opposite. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Software (Jack Berkery berkery@emmax5crd.ge.com) (Paul Gronke, Gronke@acpub.duke.edu) There is a Shareware program in the WUSTL archives available through anonymous ftp. (also on other archive sites) Look into ../msdos/database/joggr105.zip I didn't exactly like it but it may suit your style. It works with CGA/EGA/VGA graphics. Don't know how it functions under windows. ntu.ac.sg [155.69.1.5] AEROBIX.ZIP B 81246 910420 Fitness Log: Record aerobic exercise/progres JOGGR105.ZIP B 59053 920312 Runner's log and analysis database, v1.05 PT100.ARC B 175592 890914 Physical Training test scorekeeper database RUNLOG.ZIP B 71801 900308 Runner's/bicycler's workout log --------------------- All programs are available in the DATABASE directory on Simtel, via anonymous FTP. There are a number of Simtel mirrors, including WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU (dir = mirrors/msdos/database), OAK.OAKLAND.EDU (dir = pub/msdos/database), and a lot of non US sites. RUNCOACH.ZIP RunCoach RunCoach helps coach people who are running, jogging or racing. It is based on Artificial Intelligence techniques and can produce an optimum training program tailored to the individual. If you are just starting to run, want to enter a fun run or are an expert runner and want to improve your time then RunCoach can help. First you enter some data about yourself, then set a goal race (or ask RunCoach to suggest one), tell RunCoach when you can train and RunCoach will quickly generate a personalised training schedule. It will also estimate how likely you are to succeed at your goal. Ver 0.90 was the first public release and can be found as RUNCOACH.ZIP. Ver 0.94 (RUNCO94B.ZIP) is the latest (july 95) release. It works in both miles or kms, has a better understanding of the taper, has a built in series of running guides and has a built in sports psych, so you can discuss any problems. It is available from a number of FTP sites but as an example try Simtel: oak.oakland.edu /SimTel/msdos/database/runco94b.zip Its running knowledge is extensive and includes the following:- - internally classifies runners into five major groups - takes into account age, experience, PB's, sex, training program etc - able to select days of the week you can run, and your long run day - provides feedback on whether you are capable of meeting your goal time - can suggest goal's based on your individual ability - provides a schedule even if Run Coach is sceptical you can reach your goal - knows about VO2 max, anaerobic threshold, efficiency, long runs etc - has many rules for minimising injury - has a variety of individualised speedwork schedules built in - understands periodisation & complex schedules & selects between them - can predict race results for distances not previously run - can produce a schedule for the complete beginner through to the elite RUNLOG.ZIP - I found this to be a barely usable program. It was not at all clear what I needed to enter at any of the prompts. There was no help key. There was no information telling me what format any times, distances, etc. need to be entered as. This does have a time prediction module. The interface is kind of nice. There are graphical displays of improvement, heart rate, etc. With a better manual expaining what you need to enter, I would rate is usable. At present, I found the other programs nicer. If you figure out what need to be entered where, you can use this program. JOGGR105.ZIP - This is a program of British origin. The interface is kind of interesting. It has most of the data entry options that you would want. It will graphically display your improvement. You can control the menu of courses so that you don't have to reenter distance and course info each time. Most annoying problem: everythin is in British units, so that you have to convert 100 meter dash, 5K, 10K, etc. into milage. This might not be a drawback for some; it is a major drawback for me. The data entry, printing is all nice. It escapes from errors well (unlike Runlog, which tends to bomb). This is definitely usable. RUNSTA11.ZIP - I really like this program and will continue to use it. It is by far the largest of the programs (300K zipped, 3 times the size of the others), so you might go for another if disk space is a problem. However, you get a full featured training / racing log for the space. What I like about it: 1) you can make it as complex or simple as possible. Via config options, you can enter for each race/training: shoes, weather, heart rate, health, hilliness, race surface, temp, calories...or none of these, depending on your preference. 2) You can easily set up a menu of courses to choose from in the race *and* training run entry 3) Race and Training are kept separate, a very nice feature if you want to track training runs and racing in the same database. 4) Multiple database files easily used, special configs are unique to each database file (meaning that you can monitor bicycle, running in the same program) 5) Can display data entries (runs) in a "calendar" format, then select the ones you wish to examine with a keystroke 6) Nice graphical displays Drawbacks: requires more memory than the other programs. Might not run on pre-286 machines, but I don't know. More disk space required. Not sure if it does time forecasting, I need to check. RUNSTAT3 Ver.3.0, Jan. 1995 by Scott Diamond <scott.k.diamond@tek.com > RunStat3 is a Windows program useful to runners The program's main window is a pace calculator. You enter distance and time for your run and RunStat3 calculates your pace for your run and finishing times for a large set of distances and times. E.g., if you ran a 10k run, RunStat3 would list finishing times for 1 mile, 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, marathon, etc (you can add your own custom entries). Two listing for finishing times are presented, one based on running at constant pace and a 'realistic' estimate which accounts for slowing your pace the longer you run. RunStat3 also supports an ascii logbook in which users can keep a record of all their runs. RunStat3 includes a searching, plotting and statistics calculator so that you can search your log book and plot all your times for a given course, or total your mileage for each pair of shoes or make other plots. There is almost no limit to the number of entries you can place in your log file for tracking your runs (e.g temp., wt, avg. heart rate, course, shoes, etc.) The program is freeware. For more information, set your web-browser to: <http://www.scottdiamond.com/Running/runstat/runstat.htmlcolor=#0000FF> > =========================================================================== Hashing From: Dweezil the Butt Beaker <daveo@theopolis.orl.mmc.COM > Subject: Rules of Hashing (one version, re: Rule Six) Organization: Orlando Hash House Harriers X-Hhh: A Drinking Club With A Running Problem. X-Hhh-Motto: If you have half a mind to hash, that's all you need. X-Hhh-Philosophy: Carpe Cerevisiam X-Oh3-Motto: We get drunk, we get naked, we give hashing a bad name. X-O2H3-Motto: We have beer, we have cookies, we give hashing a nice name. X-Dbh3-Motto: Daytona Beach Hash House Harriers never run out of beer. X-Dbh3-Motto: We have beer before, during, and after the hash. The Hash House Harriers is a running/drinking/social club which was started by bored expatriates in Kuala Lumpuer, Malaysia in 1938. ("Hash House" is the nickname of the restaurant/bar to which they retired for food and beer after a run.) Hashing is based on the English schoolboy game of "Hare and Hounds"; a Hash is a non-competitive cross-country run set by one or more runners called hares. The hares run out in advance of the other runners (the pack of hounds), and set a course marked by white flour, toilet paper, and/or chalk marks. Hash Rules ---------- 1. A HASHMARK is a splash of flour used to mark the trail. The pack should call out "On-On" when they see a hashmark. Blasts on horns, whistles, and other noise makers are encouraged. Hounds asking "RU?" (are you on trail?) of the FRB's (Front-Running Bastards) should be answered "On-On", which means they are on trail, or "Looking", which means they`ve lost the trail. 2. ARROWs, or several closely spaced hashmarks, are used to indicate change of trail direction. Hound should use arrows different from those used by the hares as necessary to assist hounds further back in the pack. 3. A CHECKMARK is a large circled X, or a circle with a dot at its center (fondly known as a "Titty Check"). Checkmarks indicate that the trail goes "SFP"; that is, the pack must search for true trail. Hounds should call out "Checking" when they see a checkmark. (Checking IS NOT Looking!) 4. A Backtrack is three lines chalked or drawn in flour across the trail, indicating a false trail. The pack, upon encountering a backtrack, calls out "On-Back" or "Backtrack", and goes back to the last checkmark to find true trail. Sometimes a hound will draw an arrow with a backtrack sign at the checkmark to identify the false trail for the rest of the pack. A CHECKBACK is a devious variation of the checkmark/backtrack. A checkback is a CB followed by a number. For example, a "CB 5" means to backtrack five hashmarks, then look for true trail as one would at a check. Also known as a COUNTBACK. A WHICHWAY is two arrows, only one of which points toward true trail; no hashmarks will be found in the other direction. 5. Tradition requires a DOWN-DOWN (chug-a-lug) of a beer after a hasher's virgin hash, naming hash, and other significant occasions, e.g., 25th hash, 50th hash, etc. A Down-Down is also in order for hares, visitors, and for any other reason that can be thought up. While frowned upon as "alcohol abuse", it is permissible for non- drinkers to pour the beer over their head; a soda Down-Down may also be elected. The primary consideration of the Down-Down is that once the mug leaves the drinker's lips, it is turned upside-down over the head. 6. THERE ARE NO RULES. =========================================================================== Interval training (micbrian@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu) First off, keep in mind that the interval part of the run is the rest part. This is where your body recovers and strengthens itself. Secondly, say your goal is to run an 8 minute/mile 10k. Start your intervals by doing 5X400m at a little under 2 minutes per rep. You'll see that an 8min mile is a 2min 400, so to better that, you run a little faster, as I said. Walk or jog between the rep (this is the interval). Remember to keep with what you started at. If you jogged to rest, don't walk during the next interval. Intervals should be challenging, but not defeating. If you are having problems maintaining your form during the course of the whole run, you are doing too much. You should feel good at the end of your run, not ready to drop dead. Remember to warmup and cool down sufficiently before and after intervals. 10 minutes of jogging is suggested. Other things to remember: you can customize intervals to achieve different things. For example, to increase endurance, you can decrease your interval while running the same rep. Or you can increase the rep and still do the same interval. You can work on speed by running faster reps. There are other variations as well, but I don't remember all of them. Lastly, make sure you have a good aerobic base when you start, and don't do too much too fast. You can tire your muscles out, and it will take a while to recover. Your goal is to exercise your fast twitch muscles, those used for speed. I've been doing intervals for about 2 months now, and it has made a difference. The first race I ran after starting intervals, my time dropped by about 15 seconds. I have a race tomorrow, and am hoping to improve on that. I also notice I have more pep in my regular workouts. I get out there, and once I'm warmed up, my body wants to run fast. =========================================================================== Legs Sore knees (Elizabeth Doucette ead@tmsoft.uucp) When running (also walking, and cycling), the inner most quad. muscle (inner part of thigh) does not get exercised as much as the other three quad. muscles of the thigh. If this inner muscle isn't strengthened by specific exercises, an imbalance of the muscles may occur. This can cause irritation of the underside of the kneecap (chondromalacia patellae) because the imbalance of the muscles can pull the kneecap towards the outside of the leg. The kneecap (which has two convex faces on the back) rides in a broad indentation on the femur. Weak inner quadriceps (M. Vastus medialis) can pull the kneecap slightly out of its "track"; and it is theorized that this is what causes chondromalacia (which I believe is called patellofemoral pain syndrome these days). [edited for correctness 2/19/95 by lmm5@postoffice. mail.cornell.edu (Lucie Melahn)] I had chondromalacia patellae for a long time (and many of my running friends did too) but I haven't had problems since I've been doing specific exercises for my inner quad. muscle. It is tedious and boring but it works. I haven't had knee problems for about 3 years now :-). I should do this every day, whether I work out or not, but I don't always. If I feel any discomfort at all in my knees, I make sure I'm more diligent with this exercise and the discomfort always disappears. I'm always able to prevent a problem now. The exercise is just a leg raise with the foot flexed and pointing away from the body. With this exercise make sure that your back is supported. As your quad. muscles fatigue, there is a tendency to help out with your back muscles. You may not realize that you're doing this until you notice later that your back is a little sore. Sitting on the floor, bend one leg (like you're going to do a sit-up), bringing the knee towards the chest. The other leg is straight. Place your hands behind you on the floor to support your back. You can vary this by leaning against a wall and hugging your knee to your chest with both arms. YOUR CANNOT BE TOO CAREFUL WITH YOUR BACK. For ease of explanation, start with your right leg being straight and flex your foot (bring your toes towards your head, as opposed to pointing them away from you). Turn your leg to the right, so that your toes and knee are pointing to the right as far as possible. The position of the foot is important because it helps to isolate the inner quad. muscle. Now, do leg raises. When I started I could only do 10 or 20 before I needed to rest. Don't do the leg raises too quickly because technique is more important than speed. I now do three sets, each leg of 60 repetitions (alternating legs after each set) for a total of 180 per leg. It takes me about 10 minutes. You can tell if your muscle is getting fatigued because it will start to quiver. Don't push it, change legs. Keep note of how many repetitions you do before you get fatigued and try to increase the repetitions next time. Compare you to you, not to others. Leg presses used to bother my knees. Now that I'm doing leg raises, the leg press doesn't bother me any more. Technique is important when doing leg presses. (Technique is probably more important than the fact that I'm doing leg raises). Make sure that the seat is forward far enough, so that when you press you cannot lock your knee. This makes the initial position feel too cramped. My knees feel too close to my chest. But it works for me and for others (both men and women) that I work out with. Nautilus equipment uses a cam system, such that there is less resistance on your knees in the initial, starting position, so there is less chance of injury. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leg Massage (John Boone boone@IDA.ORG) (From Bicycling magazine, pp.76-77, July 1992, Reproduced without permission) MASSAGE TECHNIQUES 1. Full Muscle Flush This surface stroke prepares the muscles for deeper work. It loosens the fibers and increases the blood flow to wash out lactic acid and other toxins. Begin with the calves. Place the palms flat against the bottom of the muscle and stroke toward the heart in a continuous movement. Always stroke toward the heart so the blood containing the toxins isn't traveling back into the muscles. After a few of these, knead the muscle during the stroke by working the bottom of the palms in and out. End with the original flat stroke. 2. Broad Cross-Fiber Stroke After each muscle group has been flushed, use the same palm position at the center of the muscles, but work sideways. Press harder than the flush. The hands are moving acros the muscle fibers, separating them and making them pliable so the massage can go deeper with the next type of stroke. This is a great supplement to stretching. It makes muscle fibers less likely to tear. End with more flushing. 3. Deep Muscle Spress "Spress" is a Swedish term. This technique is also known as muscle stripping. Use fingers, knuckles, or even elbows to penetrate the muscle. [Press deep into the leg where previously rubbing the surface.] Apply pressure until the comfort limit is passed. If there's pain, work slower, or do a few palm strokes before spressing again. Knuckles and thumbs work best. Concentrate on specific areas, instead of stroking the whole muscle. But remember to work toward the heart. SELF-MASSAGE Initial Strokes Self-massage uses the same sequence of strokes as assisted massage, and the same order of muscles -- calf, quads, hamstrings, glutes. But it's usually less effective because self-massagers get tired or bored quicker. The most common mistake is skipping the full-muscle flush or cross-fiber stroke to concentrate on the spress in the sorest areas. If you don't prepare the muscles, you won't be able to penetrate deep enough. [...] Be sure you're applying pressure with both hands. Sometimes one side of the leg gets shortchanged. Going Deeper The advantage of self-massage is that you know exactly where it hurts and can key on these areas. You also know when your muscles are loose enough for deeper penetration. [...] Amateurs usually don't go [deep enough] in assisted massage, or do so too quickly and it hurts. You can find that perfect balance. [...] It's best to use both [hands], but fatigue is a problem in self-massage. -- Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D. TEC International 2903 29th St San Diego, CA 92104-4912 hm/off. 619-281-7447 fax 619-281-9468 email <gontang@electriciti.com > Chief Executives Working Together http://www.teconline.com

02 Dec 2003 11:08:03

Ozzie Gontang

rec.running FAQ, part 5 of 8

Archive-name: running-faq/part5 Last-modified: 10 Mar 2003 Posting-Frequency: 14 days --------------------------------------------------------------------------- BASIC NUTRITION PRIMER Nutrition in athletics is a very controversial topic. However, for an athlete to have confidence that his/her diet is beneficial he/she must understand the role each food component plays in the body's overall makeup. Conversely, it is important to identify and understand the nutritional demands on the physiological processes of the body that occur as a result of racing and training so that these needs can be satisfied in the athlete's diet. For the above reasons, a basic nutrition primer should help the athlete determine the right ingredients of his/her diet which fit training and racing schedules and existing eating habits. The body requires three basic components from foods: 1) water; 2) energy; and 3)nutrients. WATER Water is essential for life and without a doubt the most important component in our diet. Proper hydrations not only allows the body to maintain structural and biochemical integrity, but it also prevents overheating, through sensible heat loss(perspiration). Many *runners* have experienced the affects of acute fluid deficiency on a hot day, better known as heat exhaustion. Dehydration can be a long term problem, especially at altitude, but this does not seem to be a widespread problem among *runners* and is only mentioned here as a reminder (but an important one). ENERGY Energy is required for metabolic processes, growth and to support physical activity. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences has procrastinated in establishing a Recommended Daily Allowance(RDA) for energy the reasoning being that such a daily requirement could lead to overeating. A moderately active 70kg(155lb) man burns about 2700 kcal/day and a moderately active 58kg(128lb) woman burns about 2500 kcal/day. It is estimated that runners burn XXXX kcal/min or about XXX-XXX kcal/hr while *running* (this is obviously dependent on the level of exertion). Thus a three hour training *run* can add up to XXXX kcals(the public knows these as calories) to the daily energy demand of the *runner*. Nutritional studies indicate that there is no significant increase in the vitamin requirement of the athlete as a result of this energy expenditure. In order to meet this extra demand, the *runner* must increase his/her intake of food. This may come before, during or after a *run* but most likely it will be a combination of all of the above. If for some reason extra nutrients are required because of this extra energy demand, they will most likely be replenished through the increased food intake. Carbohydrates and fats are the body's energy sources and will be discussed shortly. NUTRIENTS This is a broad term and refers to vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and a host of other substances. The body is a very complex product of evolution. It can manufacture many of the resources it needs to survive. However, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids(the building blocks of proteins) and fatty acids cannot be manufactured, hence they must be supplied in our food to support proper health. Vitamins and Minerals No explanation needed here except that there are established RDA's for most vitamins and minerals and that a well balanced diet, especially when supplemented by a daily multivitamin and mineral tablet should meet all the requirements of the cyclist. Proper electrolyte replacement(sodium and potassium salts) should be emphasized, especially during and after long, hot rides. Commercially available preparations such as Exceed, Body Fuel and Isostar help replenish electrolytes lost while *running*. Proteins Food proteins are necessary for the synthesis of the body's skeletal(muscle, skin, etc.) and biochemical(enzymes, hormones, etc.)proteins. Contrary to popular belief, proteins are not a good source of energy in fact they produce many toxic substances when they are converted to the simple sugars needed for the body's energy demand. Americans traditionally eat enough proteins to satisfy their body's requirement. All indications are that increased levels of exercise do not cause a significant increase in the body's daily protein requirement which has been estimated to be 0.8gm protein/kg body weight. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are divided into two groups, simple and complex, and serve as one of the body's two main sources of energy. Simple carbohydrates are better known as sugars, examples being fructose, glucose(also called dextrose), sucrose(table sugar) and lactose(milk sugar). The complex carbohydrates include starches and pectins which are multi-linked chains of glucose. Breads and pastas are rich sources of complex carbohydrates. The brain requires glucose for proper functioning which necessitates a carbohydrate source. The simple sugars are quite easily broken down to help satisfy energy and brain demands and for this reason they are an ideal food during racing and training. The complex sugars require a substantially longer time for breakdown into their glucose sub units and are more suited before and after riding to help meet the body's energy requirements. Fats Fats represent the body's other major energy source. Fats are twice as dense in calories as carbohydrates(9 kcal/gm vs 4 kcal/gm) but they are more slowly retrieved from their storage units(triglycerides) than carbohydrates(glycogen). Recent studies indicate that caffeine may help speed up the retrieval of fats which would be of benefit on long rides. Fats are either saturated or unsaturated and most nutritional experts agree that unsaturated, plant-based varieties are healthier. Animal fats are saturated(and may contain cholesterol), while plant based fats such as corn and soybean oils are unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are necessary to supply essential fatty acids and should be included in the diet to represent about 25% of the total caloric intake. Most of this amount we don't really realize we ingest, so it is not necessary to heap on the margarine as a balanced diet provides adequate amounts. WHAT THE BODY NEEDS Now that we have somewhat of an understanding of the role each food component plays in the body's processes let's relate the nutritional demands that occur during *running* in an attempt to develop an adequate diet. Basically our bodies need to function in three separate areas which require somewhat different nutritional considerations. These areas are: 1) building; 2) recovery; and 3) performance. Building Building refers to increasing the body's ability to perform physiological processes, one example being the gearing up of enzyme systems necessary for protein synthesis, which results in an increase in muscle mass, oxygen transport, etc. These systems require amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Hence, it is important to eat a diet that contains quality proteins (expressed as a balance of the essential amino acid sub units present)fish, red meat, milk and eggs being excellent sources. As always, the RDA's for vitamins and minerals must also be met but, as with the protein requirement, they are satisfied in a well balanced diet. Recovery This phase may overlap the building process and the nutritional requirements are complimentary. Training and racing depletes the body of its energy reserves as well as loss of electrolytes through sweat. Replacing the energy reserves is accomplished through an increased intake of complex carbohydrates(60-70% of total calories) and to a lesser extent fat(25%). Replenishing lost electrolytes is easily accomplished through the use of the commercial preparations already mentioned. Performance Because the performance phase(which includes both training *runs* and racing)spans at most 5-7 hours whereas the building and recovery phases are ongoing processes, its requirements are totally different from the other two. Good nutrition is a long term proposition meaning the effects of a vitamin or mineral deficiency take weeks to manifest themselves. This is evidenced by the fact that it took many months for scurvy to show in sailors on a vitamin C deficient diet. What this means is that during the performance phase, the primary concern is energy replacement (fighting off the dreaded "bonk") while the vitamin and mineral demands can be overlooked. Simple sugars such a sucrose, glucose and fructose are the quickest sources of energy and in moderate quantities of about 100gm/hr(too much can delay fluid absorption in the stomach) are helpful in providing fuel for the body and the brain. Proteins and fats are not recommended because of their slow and energy intensive digestion mechanism. Short, *runs* or races of up to one hour in length usually require no special nutritional considerations provided the body's short term energy stores (glycogen) are not depleted which may be the case during *long* events. Because psychological as well as physiological factors determine performance most *runners* tend to eat and drink whatever makes them feel "good" during a *run*. This is all right as long as energy considerations are being met and the stomach is not overloaded trying to digest any fatty or protein containing foods. If the vitamin and mineral requirements are being satisfied during the building and recovery phases no additional intake during the performance phase is necessary. IMPLICATIONS Basically, what all this means is that good nutrition for the *runner* is not hard to come by once we understand our body's nutrient and energy requirements. If a balanced diet meets the RDA's for protein, vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrate and fat intake for energy then everything should be OK nutritionally. It should be remembered that the problems associated with nutrient deficiencies take a long time to occur. Because of this it is not necessary to eat "right" at every meal which explains why weekend racing junkets can be quite successful on a diet of tortilla chips and soft drinks. However, bear in mind that over time, the body's nutritional demands must be satisfied. To play it safe many *runners* take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement tablet which has no adverse affects and something I personally recommend. Mega vitamin doses(levels five times or more of the DA) have not been proven to be beneficial and may cause some toxicity problems. GREY NUTRITION "Good" nutrition is not black and white. As we have seen, the body's requirements are different depending on the phase it is in. While the building and recovery phases occur somewhat simultaneously the performance phase stands by itself. For this reason, some foods are beneficial during one phase but not during another. A good example is the much maligned twinkie. In the performance phase it is a very quick source of energy and quite helpful. However, during the building phase it is not necessary and could be converted to unwanted fat stores. To complicate matters, the twinkie may help replenish energy stores during the recovery phase however, complex carbohydrates are probably more beneficial. So, "one man's meat may be another man's poison." NUTRIENT DENSITY This term refers to the quantity of nutrients in a food for its accompanying caloric(energy) value. A twinkie contains much energy but few vitamins and minerals so has a low nutrient density. Liver, on the other hand, has a moderate amount of calories but is rich in vitamins and minerals and is considered a high nutrient density food. Basically, one must meet his/her nutrient requirements within the constraints of his/her energy demands. Persons with a low daily activity level have a low energy demand and in order to maintain their body weight must eat high nutrient density foods. As already mentioned, a *runner* has an increased energy demand but no significant increase in nutrient requirements. Because of this he/she can eat foods with a lower nutrient density than the average person. This means that a *runner* can be less choosy about the foods that are eaten provided he/she realizes his/her specific nutrient and energy requirements that must be met. BALANCED DIET Now, the definition of that nebulous phrase, "a balanced diet". Taking into consideration all of the above, a diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables (fresh if possible), whole grain breads, pasta, cereals, milk, eggs, fish and red meat(if so desired) will satisfy long term nutritional demands. These foods need to be combined in such a way that during the building and recovery phase, about 60-70% of the total calories are coming from carbohydrate sources, 25% from fats and the remainder(about 15%) from proteins. It is not necessary to get 100% of the RDA for all vitamins and minerals at every meal. It may be helpful to determine which nutritional requirements you wish to satisfy at each meal. Personally, I use breakfast to satisfy part of my energy requirement by eating toast and cereal. During lunch I meet some of the energy, protein and to a lesser extent vitamin and mineral requirements with such foods as yogurt, fruit, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Dinner is a big meal satisfying energy, protein, vitamin and mineral requirements with salads, vegetables, pasta, meat and milk. Between meal snacking is useful to help meet the body's energy requirement. CONCLUSION All this jiberish may not seem to be telling you anything you couldn't figure out for yourself. The point is that "good" nutrition is not hard to achieve once one understands the reasons behind his/her dietary habits. Such habits can easily be modified to accommodate the nutritional demands of *running* without placing any strict demands on one's lifestyle. ------------------------ Powerbars (John McClintic johnm@hammer.TEK.COM) I submit "power bar" recipe originated by Bill Paterson from Portland Oregon. The odd ingredient in the bar, paraffin, is widely used in chocolate manufacture to improve smoothness and flowability, raise the melting point, and retard deterioration of texture and flavor. Butter can be used instead, but a butter-chocolate mixture doesn't cover as thinly or smoothly. POWER BARS ---------- 1 cup regular rolled oats 1/2 cup sesame seed 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups raisins 1 cup shredded unsweetened dry coconut 1 cup blanched almonds, chopped 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ 2 teaspoons butter or margarine 1 cup light corn syrup 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups chunk-style peanut butter 1 teaspoon orange extract 2 teaspoons grated orange peel 1 package (12 oz.) or 2 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips 4 ounces paraffin or 3/4 cup (3/4 lb.) butter or margarine Spread oats in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven until oats are toasted, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Meanwhile, place sesame seed in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Shake often or stir until seeds are golden, about 7 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add apricots, raisins, coconut, almonds, dry milk, and wheat germ; mix well. Mix hot oats into dried fruit mixture. Butter the hot backing pan; set aside. In the frying pan, combine corn syrup and sugar; bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter, orange extract, and orange peel. At once, pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix well. Quickly spread in buttered pan an press into an even layer. Then cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or until next day. Cut into bars about 1 1/4 by 2 1/2 inches. Combine chocolate chips and paraffin in to top of a double boiler. Place over simmering water until melted; stir often. Turn heat to low. Using tongs, dip 1 bar at a time into chocolate, hold over pan until it stops dripping (with paraffin, the coating firms very quickly), then place on wire racks set above waxed paper. When firm and cool (bars with butter in the chocolate coating may need to be chilled), serve bars, or wrap individually in foil. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks; freeze to store longer. Makes about 4 dozen bars, about 1 ounce each. Per piece: 188 cal.; 4.4 g protein; 29 g carbo.; 9.8 g fat; 0.6 mg chol.; 40 mg sodium. ============================================================= Orienteering (Matt Mahoney mvm@epg.harris.com) updated Orienteering is called the "thinking sport" because it involves two skills -- running and map reading. The object is to run to a series of markers in the woods, along any route you want. The hard part is finding the markers with the aid of a map and a compass. There are 6 courses to choose from, called White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Red and Blue. This has nothing to do with the colors of the markers (which are orange and white and look like lanterns hanging from trees). It has to do with level of difficulty, like belts in karate. The white course is the easiest, about a mile, with the markers clearly visible from roads or trails. Blue is the hardest, about 4-5 miles, and involves mostly cross-country running with emphasis on successful navigation using terrain features. Each marker has a 2-letter code (to distinguish it from markers on other trails) which you match up with a code sheet that you carry with your map. There, you stamp your card in the appropriate numbered spot. Each stamp produced a distinct pattern of holes in the card. Orienteering now has its very own news group, rec.sport.orienteering. The BAOC newsletter is run by Wyatt Riley out of Stanford (wriley@leland. stanford.edu). Subscription requests should be sent to: Majordomo@lists.stanford.edu with the following line in the text: subscribe baoc your name e.g. subscribe baoc Bill Clinton BAOC home pg:http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/orienteer/baoc.html. ============================================================= Predicting times (10k-marathon) (Tim Tarmstro@metz.une.oz.au) In `Training Distance Runners' Coe and Martin come up with three sets of formulas for determining equivalent race performances over several distances when the performance for one distance is known. They have three tables to counter problems of athlete specificity. For long distance specialists (i.e 10k/15km) : Marathon = 4.76Y : 10k = Y : 5k = 0.48Y : 3k = 0.28Y : 1.5k = 0.13Y For 3k/5k runners : 10k = 2.1Y : 5k = Y : 3k = 0.58Y : 1.5k = 0.27Y : 800m = 0.13Y : 400m = 0.06Y For `real' middle distance: 5k = 3.63Y : 3k = 2.15Y : 1.5k = Y : 800m = 0.48Y : 400m = 0.22Y ============================================================= Running Clubs & Organizations (John Berkery berkery@crdgw2.crd.ge.com) ARFA - American Running and Fitness Association 9310 Old Georgetown Rd Bathesda MD 20814 301-897-0917 ARRA - Association of Road Racing Athletes (professionals) 807 Paulsen Bldg Spokane WA 99201 509-838-8784 Clydesdale Runners Association (heavyweights) 1809 Gold Mine Rd Brookville Md 20833 310-774-2493 NWAA - National Wheel Chair Athletic Association 3617 Betty Dr, suite S Colorado Springs CO 80907 719-597-8330 RRCA - Road Runners Clubs of America 629 S. Washington St Alexandria VA 22314 703-768-0545 Special Olympics (handicapped) 1350 New York Ave, NW, suite 500 Washington DC 20005 202-628-3630 TAC - The Athletics Congress of the USA (IAAF member) 1 Hoosier Dome, suite 140 Indianapolis IN 46225 317-261-0500 USABA - U.S. Association for Blind Athletes 33 N. Institute St Brown Hall, suite 015 Colorado Springs CO 80903 719-630-0422 USCAA - U.S. Corporate Athletics Association (company teams) 401 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611-4267 (312) 644-6610, fax (312) 527-6658 WWW site - http://www.geocities.com/Coloseum/1297/uscahome.html BACAA - Bay Area Corporate Athletics Assn. northern California affiliate of the USCAA Brian Schonfeld, Sun Microsystems, (415) 786-7801, brian_schonfeld@corp.sun.com Mal Murphy, Rocje Bioscience, (415) 960-5583, mal_murphy@roche.com WWW site - http://members.aol.com/annmbou/bacahome.htlm USCPAA - U.S. Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association 34518 Warren Rd, suite 264 Westland MI 48185 313-425-8961 USOC - U.S. Olympic Committee 1750 E. Boulder St Colorado Springs CO 80909-5760 719-632-5551 Achilles Track Club (handicapped) c/o New York RRC 9 East 89th St New York NY 10128 212-860-4455 Other running organizations Many road runners clubs are not affiliated with RRCA. Information about these independent clubs may be found at local sporting goods stores or at athletic shoe stores. Local YMCA/YWCA organizations may also be able to supply a contact address or phone number.

02 Dec 2003 11:08:04

Ozzie Gontang

rec.running FAQ, part 7 of 8

Archive-name: running-faq/part7 Last-modified: 10 March 2003 Posting-Frequency: 14 days =========================================================== Answers to REC.RUNNING FAQ and Interesting Information This posting contains answers to frequently asked questions posted to rec.running plus interesting & useful information for runners. If known, author's name/email address are given. Send me Ozzie Gontang <gontang@electriciti.com > any corrections,updates, suggestions, or proper info of sources or holder's of copyright. Running and Pregnancy. Paula Vanzant-Hardick <exupaul@exu.ericsson.se > I have been running for oh, about 11 or 12 years now and have run all the way through all of my pregnancies. I feel like it has made them healthier for both of us. I have never had any kind of a problem with low iron, high blood pressure or any real pregnancy related maladies. I also believe that had I not run, my recovery time after each baby was born would have been significantly longer than they were. Even after my second one (the C section, I could walk a couple of miles within about 10 days after delivery). Running is a FABULOUS form of stress management. Now to my diet, I just really maintained my normal diet, the only thing is I may have been a little heavier on the fresh fruits (trying to avoid that refined sugar you know) and I usually drink at least 10 8oz glasses of water a day (you notice I say at least). The water I think also helps to keep the yuckies away. I am planning to continue my training regime as usual with this pregnancy as I have with the others. I guess the only thing that I may do a bit differently during pregnancy is if I really feel like I need to walk during any of my runs, I will, it may only be a few feet or it may be 1/2 mile but if I have a feeling that I don't think should be there I don't hesitate to walk it off. Any of these other women who have run while pregnant may have other suggestions but I guess my biggest thing is to just really do what feels best for the person. And one last note, there were times during each of my pregnancies that I would have rather had a nap, but instead would drag myself out for a run, I would not only feel better after I had run, I would have TONS more energy (and the second, third and now fourth time that is VERY important.) Thanks for asking and giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts! Paula (and the thundering herd--Tom, Shaun, Alexa, Erin and #4) excerpted by Paula from UK version of Runner's World May 1995 "Running for Two" (subtitle Good News- running during pregnancy can make you and your baby healthier!) By Joe Dunbar "There are two main issued: how will training affect the baby, and how will pregnancy affect running performance?....In General, the running you do when pregnant should be aimed at maintaining rather than developing fitness. The main danger to the fetus (that British spelling), according to Dr. Richard Budgett 0f the British Olympic Medical Centre, is from an increase in body temperature. The main effect of too great an increase in body temperature is damage to the fetus's central nervous system. The danger is especially great in the first three months, but you should be careful throughout the pregnancy. Budgett recommends that you limit the increase in body temperature to 38.9 Degree C (102 F). You are also generally recommended not to exceed a rate of 140-150bpm, but individuals vary enormously in their resting , maximum and training heart rates. Remember too that one effect of endurance training is that your body can control temperature rises more effectively ,so a runner who is highly trained before pregnancy should be in a slightly better position. Drinking plenty of fluids is essential to avoid dehydration and hyperthermia. This will also help to limit the temperature increase, so get into the habit of drinking regularly during training it's equally important to avoid hypoglycemia during and after exercise carbo drinks will help to replace [carbohydrates] both during and after exercise, provided that they aren't too concentrated. One recent project that followed two groups of 462 suburban women through their pregnancies found that women who had burned more calories per week (as a result of greater exercise levels) tend to give birth to slightly heavier babies than women who had exercised less. ...the bottom line? Although each individual will differ, you should bear in mind the following guidelines on pregnancy and running: o It is safe to continue moderate training throughout your pregnancy, although individual complications may cause limitations. o Listen to your body and run as you feel. o There is no need to switch to other forms of exercise unless you have specific problems. o Use your heart rate and check your temperature during training. Stick to sensible levels to avoid hyperthermia. o Take plenty of fluids to limit the risk of dehydration and assist cooling. o You can reduce lower back pain by strengthening the abdominal & hip flexor muscles, & stretching the muscles around the pelvis and spine. o Try to avoid explosive exercise during pregnancy. o Try water-running sessions: they are specific to running but have far less impact, and water helps to avert hyperthermia." As I said, I found this article very interesting, and the parts that I have included are verbatim, unless in parentheses. Hope you find this interesting and of some use to all those expectant mom's who don't want to give up their running. A Mindful Way of Dealing with Out of Control People from Ozzie Gontang THE EMPTY BOAT from The Way of Chuang Tzu by Thomas Merton, 1965 New Direction Publishing Corporation If a man is crossing a river And an empty boat collides with his own skiff, Even though he be a bad-tempered man He will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, He will shout at him to steer clear. If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, And yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty, He would not be shouting and not angry. If you can empty your own boat Crossing the river of the world, No one will oppose you, No one will seek to harm you.... When I confronted by reckless drivers, speeding skaters or bikers, I simply avoid them and say to myself, "Empty boat." Over the years, those two words have saved me from feeding anger, aggression and violence-both mine and theirs. Hints for the Success of the Four Hour Marathoner (Super-Fours) These Hints are from a brochure for Super-Fours, i.e. those running over 4 hours in the Marathon. It was subtitled: "A Short Guide to the Care and Support of Four-Hour Marathoners, The Physically Distressed and Mentally Distracted Sub-Fours and The First Time Marathoner-Who Only Wants To finish" It was originally published by the International Association of Marathoners (IAM and pronounced "I AM") in 1988. The last 6 to 8 miles of the Marathon will test an individual physically but most of all mentally. No matter how well prepared on may be, the unknown of how one will be or how the weather conditions will be leaves one with some sense of discovery or travelling unfamiliar territoroes of mind/body. It is often for the righteous and well-trained that the fall from grace is the hardest. IAM Aware: Know that you will tell others your verbal time: "About 4 hours." Know that you will harbor a desired time: "I THINK I can do it, if all goes perfect, 15 to 30 minutes faster." Know that you will have an ideal or fantasized time: "Wouldn't it be great to break 3:30 in my first marathon." Acknowledge your desired time and Fantasy Time verbally to yourself, otherwise they will influence you finish time for the worse. Super-Four Success One: Set your time with a standard deviation (SD) of 15 minutes. The SD+/- (Verbal Time + 5 minutes). The mind/body message goes from a single second in time to a window of 30 minutes and respects the mind, the body and the conditions of the day. Super-Four Success Two: Starting a marathon 30 seconds to 60 seconds per mile faster than your race plan for the first 3 to 5 miles can slow your finish time from 20 minutes to 90 minutes. That speed will burn off several times more glycogen in the first 3 to 5 miles than needed. You are fueled with energy from minimal running the 6 days before the marathon. You have also stored extra energy from eating and hydrating well the last three days before the marathon. Know your game plan and stick to it for the first 3 to 5 miles when you are so full of energy. That energy can easily give you the power to run those first few miles at that 30 second to 60 second per mile faster...and not even realize it. It will remember somewhere between miles 18 and 26. Super-Four Success Three: The jitteriness you feel the morning of the race and the day before are from your body being fueled and needing to expend energy. You can identify it as fear, or nervousness, or worry. Just remember you haven't run more than 2 to 4 miles in 3 days. You body is ready to do something-Run A Marathon. You now feel what it's like not to run a few days...or the feelings 3 days after injuring yourself. To walk and sightsee 5 to 10 miles the day before the marathon is 500 to 1000 calories of energy plus the water to store the glycogen. You may not be able to replenish it by race time. Super-Four Success Four: In the past 6 months if you have moved, bought a house, changed jobs, started or ended a relationship, had a child (or fathered a child), have trouble at work or home that costs you mental energby, there is a good likelihood you will finish 30 to 60 minutes slower than you had planned. Super-Four Success Five: When you feel tired or unable to go on, should your mind go to the finish line, bring it back to the present. If your mind is at the finish, so is your body...even though it has 1 to 6 more miles jto go. Bring the mind to the present by saying, "I am at Mile ___ and am being drawn by a magnet to the finish. I hold my body up and erect and I am being pulled steadily to the finish." Super-Four Success Six: The last 10 miles push the crown of your head up and look to the horizon. By holding the head erect you save your shoulder muscles and balance not only the weight of your 12 to 14 pound head but also your breathing. Super-Four Success Seven: The last 6 miles run out from the pack and away from the curbside. You are in a trance state by mile 18. You will be open to and picking up visual and non-verbal cues of runners around you. If you are away from the curb and can see 200 to 300 yards in front of you, you will be running your own race. Should someone stop dead in f ront of you, do not give them any of your energy by getting angry or upset. Simply say as you pass them, "Don't lose your form. Even if you walk keep your good running form." Super-Four Success Eight: When someone running with you starts to speed up or to fall behind, or you start to pick up your pace or fall behind; in your mind, picture a pair of scissors in your hand cutting the cord between you and the other runner. Otherwise, you will be carrying that person in your mind...and it will only slow you down...or wear you out if they are in front of you. You can only be in one place physically, and that is directly above the space upon which you feet are running. Cutting that cord allows you to cut loose from a slower runner or free your mind from attempting to keep up with a faster runner. Super-Four Success Nine: When you run with someone, run shoulder to shoulder. If you run slightly behind, the mind often feels like it is having to catch up. If your image is that of being pulled or towed by the runner in front of you, then running behind is okay...unless the runner complains. Super-Four Success Ten: In a marathon to catch someone, wind them in over a mile to three miles. that way you waste no energy required to finish the last 1 to 6 miles. If you want to share your thoughts, suggestions, ideas, mantras, anecdotes, and your own Super-Four Success hints, please send e-mail them or send them to: International Association of Marathoners (IAM) Attn. Ozzie Gontang 2903 29th Street San Diego, CA 92104 e-mail: Ozzie Gontang <gontang@electriciti.com > ph. 619-281-7447 fax 619-281-9468 Mindful Running: http://www.mindfulness.com

02 Dec 2003 11:08:03

Ozzie Gontang

rec.running FAQ, part 4 of 8

Archive-name: running-faq/part4 Last-modified: 10 Mar 2003 Posting-Frequency: 14 days =============================================== Medical / Injuries -------------------------------- Achilles tendonitis (sorry, forgot the author) General advice: 1. Warm up before you stretch. This could be in the form of a slow jog as you start your run. When I feel it necessary, I stop for a few minutes and stretch during the early stages of a run. 2. Stretch after your run. This has proven the best solution for me. Whenever I skip this part, I end up stiff the next day. The muscles are nice and warm after a run and respond well to stretching. My flexibility has improved as a result of this practice, too. 3. With regards to an injury, you've got to be tough and rest it in order for it to heal. This might be a good time to concentrate on strength training with weights. -------------- The good news: since this seems to be your first injury, and your training load is light, your tendinitis is probably due to the most simple cause - leg length imbalance. Get someone to mark how far you can bend to each side, if these are different heights then you might find a heel raiser under the bad leg will both even out the side-bend _and_ speed up the recovery. The bad news: achilles is notoriously slow to heal even with the correct treatment. And the chances of recurrence are quite high. However the condition you describe shouldn't prevent your training, as long as you promote healing with stretching, massage (calf/inner thigh/groin), ice, etc... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shin splints (Harry Y Xu hyx1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu) (Doug Poirier os2user@dougp.austin .ibm.com) (Rodney Sanders rdsand@ccmail.monsanto.com) Excerpts from _The SprotsMedicine Book_ G. Mirkin, MD. and M. Hoffman: ``Shin splints are....condition that can result from muscle imbalance. They are characterized by generalized pain in front of the lower leg and are particularly comon in runners and running backs.... The most common cause is a muscle imbalance where the calf muscles--which pull the forefoot down--overpower the shin muscles--which pull the forefoot up. As the athlete continues to train, the calf muscle usually becomes proportionately much stronger than the shin muscles. The treatment for shin splints is to strengthen the weaker muscles (shins) and stretch the stronger muscles (calves). To strengthen the shins, run up stairs. To stretch the calves,...(do stretching exercises for the calves, et. the wall push-ups)'' *end of exerpts. _________________________________________ In my experience, I have found that stretching is the real key to avoiding shin-splints. I believe there's a book with stretches by Bob Anderson that you may want to check. Also, back issues of running magazines sometimes have helpful information. Basically, I do the standard "lean on the wall stretch" and a stretch by standing flat-footed on one leg and bending at the knee to stretch the achilles. I then top these off with a few toe raises (no weights!) before I head out to run... If you're having trouble, I'd recommend stretching 2-3 times a day until you get over the problem. Start slowly! Also, you probably should avoid hills and extremely hard surfaces until the situation improves. I've known several people who've had shin splints and gotten over them by stretching. (Of course, you should be careful in case the shin splints are the result of a more severe problem...) ------------------------ Help with shin splints. 1. Try picking up marbles with your toes and holding onto them for a few seconds. 1A. While recovering from shin splints, it may help to use a wedge in the heel of your shoes. By raising the heel, you are reducing the pull on the muscles and tendons on the front. 2. Stand on the stairs with your heels out over the edge. Lower your heels as far as they will go without undue discomfort, and hold for 15 seconds. Slowly raise yourself up on your toes. Repeat 5 million times. (Sherwood Botsford sherwood@space.ualberta.ca) 3. If you can, rig something with either surgical tubing or a large rubberband. For example: put the tubing around one of the back legs of your desk in some sort of a loop