Alameda Runners – Get After It!

The “Shout Out” isn’t necessarily something new here on Alameda Runners, but wanted to offer a quick insight into what the “Shout Out” tag is all about.  Both of us (Ted and myself) are just two guys out there running … we’re not elite-level athletes, doctors, or anyone of importance in the running world.  Instead, we want to link to outside blogs and resources that offer training tips, workout advice, and all of that good stuff.

Today’s “Shout Out” is to a neat article posted on the Athletes HoneyMilk Web site that discusses IT band friction syndrome, which plagues runners and other athletes.  As mentioned in the article — and from runners I’ve chatted with in the past — ITB seems to cause rather shocking pain in the knee and higher levels of soreness on the thigh.

A good way to help reduce future ITB issues is to use the two-legged squat to help strengthen your legs:  “The key performance measure to evaluate proper glute function is the two-legged squat. If the glutes are weak then some or all of the following will occur during a two-legged squat: the knees move closer together, the knees slide far over the toes, the heels rise, and the low back flexes.”

If you’re new to squats, it may be a good idea to have a personal trainer (or someone who knows how to squat) watch you a few times.

The entire blog published on the Athletes HoneyMilk site goes into further detail regarding ITB, two-legged squats, etc.

The use of a recovery drink isn’t mandatory after workouts, but many of us use various protein- and whey-based drinks to help aid muscle recovery.  To help everyone learn about a wider variety of products, here’s another interview with a company some of you live by – and others possibly never heard of.

I recently interviewed a company many of you likely heard of, though you may not have tried

“We believe it’s critical to provide real food in order to refuel, rebuild and recover and generally feel good,” Athletes Honey recently told Alameda Runners.  “It’s especially important after working out to put the proper foods into your body.

A serving size of 11 ounces provides 240 calories (30 calories from fat), 3.5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 14mg cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 26g total carbohydrate, 26g sugar, and 26g protein.

Athletes HoneyMilk is one of numerous recovery products available to athletes, but the company thinks they have an advantage over the competition:

“Two of the main reasons:  ingredients and taste.  Look at the ingredients in Athletes HoneyMilk and contrast it with the ingredients in any other recovery drink,” the company recently told Alameda Runners. “Not only do we have way fewer but our primary ingredients are real milk and real honey. We pride ourselves on being a natural, great-tasting recovery drink – Athletes HoneyMilk is REAL food.”

The rest of the article is available after the jump! Read more… »