Alameda Runners – Get After It!

Now that I work and run in Fremont where it is hot in the summer, I find a need to stay hydrated for my lunchtime runs.

How do I know I need to hydrate more?

My main guess is because I am thirsty during and after the run.  One day, I ran for about an hour and 15 minutes then stopped to chat while I cooled down.  I reached up to brush something off my face and found it to be crusted with sodium.  When you are brushing sodium off your skin, it is a sign that you may need to replace some electrolytes.  Another sign is white streaks on your face after a run.  The electrolyte replacement got me to thinking about hydration while running.

•    Some of the questions I asked myself were:
•    Should I drink fluids before a run?
•    How much should I drink before a run?
•    What should I drink before a run?
•    How soon should I drink before the run?
•    Should I drink during the run?
•    How much should I drink during the run?
•    What should I drink during the run?
•    Should I drink after the run?
•    What should I drink after the run?
•    How much should I drink after the run?

Perhaps, I have too much time to think while I am running.  I am sure I came up with a lot more questions but they left my memory between the time I thought of them and decided to write about them.  When I was working in the Emeryville/Berkeley, California area, I did not sweat as much because I usually ran in 60-70 degree temperatures.

I always thought that when you don’t sweat, there is not as much of a need to replace the fluids that you did not lose.  One day, we had a health fare in my building.  Since we had nurses, scales and paper to document our weight, I weighed myself before and after an 8 mile run that took 65 minutes.  For me that was a difficult run.

My start weight was just less than 150 pounds.  I lost 8 pounds in 65 minutes of hard running in cool air!  Weighed myself every hour for the next four hours and only gained 4 pounds back.  I am not a doctor but I don’t think I can sustain losing that much water weight, every day, for long.

•    To start answering my question:
•    It is good to drink before a run.  If you drink before a run, you have fluids available to lose during the run.
•    I usually start my day out with coffee then drink water for most of the day.
•    Every now and then, I will drink a few ounces of electrolyte drink before a run.  Usually, I feel hot or the need for something other than water.  I don’t have a scientific formula, it is just by feel.
•    I drink right up the run and during the run.  If I am going fast for short distances, I will not slow down to run.
•    I like to stop for a drink if I am running for more than an hour.  If I am running for more than 90 minutes, I will drink constantly during the run.  If I am writing longer than 2 hours, I will carry water and make sure I count how much I drink and include electrolytes.
•    I usually drink an electrolyte or recovery drink after a run.  I have a 24 ounce shaker bottle that I usually drink most of after the run.

They say water is fine to drink, after a workout and you will get plenty of sodium from your post workout potato chips.

That may be true but I used to get a lot of cramps before I started drinking a lot of water, electrolyte and recovery drinks.  I did not like getting cramps.  I am happy to not get them.

I am not sure if I need all of the fancy hydrations stuff or not.  I am sure that I used to get cramps before I started drinking the fancy stuff so it does work for me.  I also get to run every day.  I am starting to accumulate some drink stuff again.  Perhaps, I will do a more scientific approach to my running fluid intake.

I strapped on a brand new Timex Marathon GPS watch that goes for about $100 on amazon.com.  It is well documented how little I like to read instruction manuals on how to use a watch so I did not bother with this watch either.  I pushed the mode button until it said run.  It was searching for satellites so I figured that was a good thing.  It took a little longer to lock than the Garmin 405 but not much longer.  I had to hit the start button twice before the timer started.  After a couple of minutes of running, I looked down to see what the watch was doing.
It showed 3 readings, elapsed time, distance and pace.  I was happy and kept on moving.  When I checked again, about a mile down the road, I could not recognize the numbers.  It took me a minute to figure out what the numbers meant because they were in kilometers and I never monitor my pace.  At the 5 kilometer mark, the watch beeped and appeared to stop.  I pushed some buttons to get it going again and wound up starting a new lap.  In hindsight, the beep and stopped time was there to let me know the lap time and would have resumed, if I left it alone.

Good:

• A GPS watch for less than $100
• Can be operated without reading instructions
• Light weight
• Great battery life
• Fits small wrists

Bad:

• Reads in kilometers out of the box
• USB charger does not talk to a computer
• No HRM but not expected at price

I like the Timex Marathon GPS.  It is a nice light GPS watch that does not break the bank.  It is worth the $100 price tag and the great battery life allows you to throw it in a gym locker for two weeks then take it out for an hour jog.

Tapering is important, and it’s a topic we love to talk about here on Alameda Runners.  Some endurance athletes have a hard time trying to taper, but it’s a crucial part of training for any major event.

If you’re experienced in yoga and pilates, you can continue to participate lightly.  Avoid having the personal trainer completely dominate you during workout sessions, and don’t go too heavy if you’re running or riding.

PacificHealth Laboratories recommends increasing your glutathione, vitamins C and E, and zinc intake prior to a race, as some athletes are prone to respiratory tract issues from heavy workouts.

Active.com posted a guideline mentioning how many athletes end up eating far too much while tapering for an event. This is detrimental because you end up gaining extra weight and can feel a bit lethargic come race time.

Here are a few additional tips:

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially in warm weather or if you have to catch a flight to the race.
• Try to avoid foods that are high-fat, high-fiber, spicy, gas-producing, or unfamiliar, especially the night before the race.
• Don’t gorge yourself the night before the race. Instead, eat a dinner of 800 to 1,000 calories, such as a baked potato topped with stir-fried vegetables and tofu.

Just like we’ve said in the past, don’t get too creative the night before a race – and race morning – because you don’t want to end up getting sick because of your decision to try new foods.

Have fun!!

Purchasing nutritional products can be an expensive proposition, even while looking to buy generic supplements bought in bulk.

If you’re looking for an interesting online resource, I strongly urge you to visit MuscleHQ.com Muscle HQ is a daily deal site focused on offering one supplement product per day for a low price.

When something is posted on MuscleHQ that you like, you should place an order as soon as possible. It’s not uncommon to find that deals sell out before the 24-hour time frame is completed.

New deals are posted each night at 8:00 p.m. PST, and are available for 24 hours.

There is a lot of confusion related to the human body’s need for carbohydrates, especially during longer, more intense workout sessions.

Why are carbs the ideal fuel for the body?

Well, to put it simply: Our bodies can utilize carbs to help generate energy during rigorous exercise without the aid of oxygen, and we can eat or drink some carbs during exercise to help keep the fuel levels topped off.

Also worth note: Carb depletion is right up there with not drinking enough fluids when trying to figure out why we sometimes bonk.

Before long runs or bike rides, the Alameda Runners love to eat pancakes (normally Ted’s terrific pancakes) with syrup,

For longer workouts, eating carbs days before will help ensure you have a sufficient level of carbs to help fuel you. Each night when we’re sleeping, our bodies use carbs to pump our heart, help keep our bodies breathing, and general physiological requirements that we sometimes take for granted.

Here is what a Runners World story posted a few years back had to say:

What you need are carbohydrates,” says Deborah Shulman, Ph.D., a sports nutritionist in Bellvue, Colorado. Carbs are a good source of glucose, a form of sugar that our brain, nerves, and muscles need to function. A small amount of glucose circulates in our blood, but the majority of it is stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen.

If you’re in it for the long run, consuming carbohydrates and keeping hydrated will give you the energy boost to run stronger during you half marathon or marathon. Many of us drink Cytomax, Gatorade, and similar drinks that have electrolytes, but drinks with carbs can help keep you fueled.

To sum things up: enjoying some carbs during your prolonged workout can help ensure you run or ride stronger with less likelihood of physically cracking. You should also keep in mind that protein and fats are excellent fuel sources, so you shouldn’t go too carb heavy with your workouts. (Alameda Runners plans on calling upon a local sports guru for some assistance related to properly fueling our workouts.)

To help explain further, I have some good reading material for you to quickly read:

Link courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Link (PDF) to the US Potatoes, discussing carbs, carbo loading, and other helpful information.

Link published by Stockton College, explaining how carbs help fuel athletic performance.

Happy training.

Editors note: If you can only exercise for 1 hour, loading up with carbs will not give you enough energy to exercise for 4 hours.  It takes time and practice to build up endurance.

Now that the main running season is over, it is time to take cross training seriously again.  When I say cross training, I mean cross training with weights.  Most of us run or bike for cross training.  Now, is the time for strength training.  I like to lift weights but I have to sacrifice something to get out and do it.

Training is a personal thing with one rule.  That rule is to get out and do it.  I am in off season training mode right now.  My training for the week and reason for the training are listed below.  I am not advocating my work out plan.  I am pointing out a plan and a reason for the plan.

Monday – Weight training at the Coast guard base.  My reason for using this gym is because I am out of coffee at home and they have good breakfast at the base chow hall for about $2.00.  All of today’s training will be done with light weights.

• Squats – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Calf raises – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Leg extensions – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Leg lifts – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Bench press – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Shoulder press – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Swim ½ to 1 mile after work then sit in the hot tub for a little while.

Tuesday– 4 mile lunch time run, if I feel good.  Yoga after work because I need to work on flexibility and core strength.  The Yoga place is right next door to my work and the schedule is convenient.

Wednesday – Weight training at the Coast guard base.  My reason for using this gym is because they have good breakfast at the base chow hall for about $2.00 and Wednesday is the day they have waffles.  I like to bring my own syrup.  All of today’s training will be done with light weights.

• Squats – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Calf raises – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Leg extensions – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Leg lifts – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Bench press – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Shoulder press – 3 sets of 10-20 reps
• Swim ½ to 1 mile after work then sit in the hot tub for a little while.

Thursday – 4 mile lunch time run, if I feel good.  Yoga after work because I need to work on flexibility and core strength.  The Yoga place is right next door to my work and the schedule is convenient.

Friday – Swim ½ to 1 mile after work then sit in the hot tub for a little while.

Saturday – Bike ride, if the weather is nice.

Sunday – off

This is my plan for the week.  It is a plan that works around my schedule and breakfast desires.  My primary goal is to build leg strength and maintain fitness.  I will do a couple of early half marathons that I must maintain my fitness for but I really working on triathlon training for next year.  I am  far down the list on the Vineman Half Ironman but they also have an Alcatraz Triathlon that month so I need to be ready for a July triathlon.  I will be training like this until the holiday season ends in mid-January when I come up with a more regimented plan.

Let me start out by saying, I don’t understand tapering.  I taper because I am told it is good for me.  I also want to show up at the start line healthy.  I figure a healthy start will give me a better chance of having a healthy finish.

Tapering for the big event is a difficult thing.  You work so hard to get into great shape only to rest for the last few weeks leading up to the big event.  I was cycling my training up and down for 3 months to get ready for the marathon, now I am supposed to rest the few weeks going into the marathon.  My running buddies can do a marathon every 6-8 weeks with no problems.  They don’t need to taper, why should I?  I feel great; I should be able to go out for some speed work, a couple of days before the marathon.  I am tapering, I will just let my legs “carry me” for 4 miles.

Now that I am tapering for a marathon, I realize why I write a plan before I start training and stick to it.  I may vary on the day to day implementation of the plan but overall, I am pretty close.  The reason I create and follow the plan is simple.  When I am planning an event, marathon or triathlon, I am in planning mode.  To plan an event, I work on my current fitness level, what worked and what others recommend.  I take my work schedule and current ambition level into account when creating the plan.  Now that I have the plan, I move into work mode and just follow the plan.  Following the plan takes emotions out of the picture.  There are days, when I just want to roll over and go back to sleep because it is too cold to go out and run.  No excuses, stick to the schedule.  There are days when I feel great and just want to go out and tear up the trails.  Slow down, stick to the schedule.  When it is time to taper, I just want to out and do tempo runs because that is how my legs “carry me”.  Slow down, stick to the schedule.

I also take my brain into account.  I am tapering for a marathon that will happen next week.  I have an ambition for a triathlon in 9 or 10 months.  While I am doing my taper training, my mind is wandering toward big bike rides.  I realize 2 things from my cross training dreams.  I want to do a big triathlon next year.  In order to complete a big triathlon, I will have to finish the marathon healthy.

You may ask yourself how a triathlon that will happen in 10 months will impact a marathon taper.  It is because I need to finish the marathon in good shape in order to start the triathlon training.  To finish the marathon, I will need to show up healthy and slow down during the run to increase my odds of finishing healthy.  Tapering is individual.  Do your best.  Take it easy and have fun.

While talking about running half marathons and marathons, I was recently asked how people get started in running.  Now that our culture is designed around cars, we don’t walk so much.  A lot of people have desk jobs and live in driving communities.  The most exercise we get is when we walk to the parking lot to get into our cars.  If you are in this group and just starting out, I will explain my plan.

I will start my explanation with a couple of rules.
Rule #1 – Have fun
Rule #2 – Be proud of yourself
Rule #3 – Take it easy

My half marathon plan is a 3 month plan with a one month warm up to get ready for the training.  The first month is basically the same training repeated every week with the expectation of getting stronger as miles build up on your legs.  I start out with a 30 minute run/walk plan.  Make no mistake about it; running for 30 minutes is hard.  I started out by running from one telephone pole to the next, then walk to the next pole and alternate the sequence.  As the run progressed, I would start walking a step short of the pole then start running a step after next the pole.  I would talk to myself about how close to the pole I would get before I started walking.  Then I would drag my feet a little before it was time to run again.  It would look something like this:

• Pole 1-2: Jog
• Pole 2-3: Walk
• Pole 3-4: Jog
• Pole 4-5: Walk
• Pole 5-6: Jog
• Pole 6-7: Walk
• Pole 7-8: Jog
• Pole 8-9: Walk

You may only jog for 1 or 2 of these legs the first time you go out.  That is just fine.  Give your body time to adapt to motion.  Over time, you will be able to follow the plan.  As time progresses, you will be able to run the whole time and do speed intervals on the poles.  For now, just work on being able to jog for 30 minutes without walking.  Take your time.  It may take months for you to be able to jog for 30 minutes straight.  You are better off easing into things than to try and race right off.  Avoiding injuries and feeling good enough to go back are very important to every runner.  If you go out too fast, you may not want to run again because it was so painful.  If you ease into things, you feel a lot better about running and you can find that inner peace.

It is easy to get into a rut.  Pay attention to yourself and break out of the rut by doing something different.  Think about what you do every day.  Odds are, you have a routine.  You have to figure out a way to break the routine and change things up.

My last note on cross training missed my intended point, when I started talking about how easy it is to get into a rut and not cross train enough.  I started out with the goal of saying how important it is to train for your specific sport.  Every time we go to the internet or open a magazine, we are inundated with the importance of cross training and magic formulas about how standing on a Bosu ball will help us run faster.

A Bosu ball will not make you a better runner.  Running will make you make you a better runner.  Cross training will certainly help by making your supporting muscles strong.  When you are worn out from a long training session, a strong body will help you get through it.  Part of my weak body realization came when I was out on a long run and choked on a payday bar after I was out running for about 3 hours.  The coughing hurt my stomach.  Some work on the abs solved the problem.  Good abs help when you are choking while running.  They did not help me be able to run for 3 hours.  Running did.

I was out for a swim last week and ran into a young guy training for a big swim event.  He was really ripped.  He told me he spent a lot of time getting into shape to be ready for the swim.  I was thinking he would win, if the competition included standing at the end of the pool posing.  I told him that pool time was very valuable and the time should be spent on swimming.  When you are in the pool, it is not a good idea to waste pool time doing pushups on the pool deck.  Public pools can get very crowded and people will get mad if someone wastes a lane by doing calisthenics at the end of the pool.  A lot of people will sit on the bench and seethe, if someone hogs a lane.  People like me, who are used to swimming in crowds, will jump right in and make you suck it up and share.

The biggest benefit I get from cycling is that I have an elevated heart rate for hours.  Having an elevated heart rate for a long time burns a lot of calories.  Burning calories is good for weight control.  Weight loss for some and weight maintenance for others.  Stopping to do pushups and sit ups on the side of the road, help burn calories and build strength but it will also build fatigue which will cut your ride short.  The best way to be good a climbing hills on a bike is to go climb hills.

At the end of the day, it is better to get out and do something than to sit on the couch all day.  Both cross training and sport specific training are good.  Use some sense and think about your situation.  Try not to trade a long run in for a session of squats.

It is time to start training for the Oakland Running Festival half marathon again.  I will be carrying my 2:15 pace sign once again this year.  Last year, a lot of people fell off the pace during the run.  I did not like watching so many people fall off the pace, so I wrote a training plan for a successful 2:15 half marathon. 

Completing a 13.1 mile run in 2:15 requires an average pace of 10:20 per mile.  Last year, I planned on running a 10:15 pace to make up for time lost at the start line.

In reality, we ran at a 10:03 pace to make up for the start time and walking through the water stops and finished at 2:15:35 clock time.  To finish at 2:15 you will need to train for a 10:03 pace.

To make training easier, I wrote a training plan for you to follow.  I know a lot of people do not want to run four days a week.  Running four days a week will certainly make things easier for the half marathon but days can be skipped. 

It is very bad to skip long runs (need to build up those miles) or tempo run (which is when you build your speed and endurance).

The main training begins in January.  I started with a month of run/walk for people who are just getting into running or getting back into the swing of things.  It is a good idea to be able to run 4 miles before you start your half marathon training plan.

I like to do my long runs on Saturday.  Sunday is fine for long runs too.

Long runs – During the long runs there should be no hard breathing.  You should be able to hold a conversation for the whole run.  If you start to breathe hard, slow down.

Cruise runs are a bit faster than the long runs but do not need to be too fast.  These runs are just to add miles to the legs.

Runs are random things that are a bit faster than cruise runs.  You can vary the pace of normal runs to change things up.

Tempo runs are where you build your speed.  They hurt.  You will need to build up to 9:00 to 9:30 miles for 30 minutes.  It is good to start out by jogging for about 10 minutes then pick a target a few hundred yards away and run towards it.  You should be breathing hard when you get there.  Slow down and repeat the process.

It is tradition to tell yourself to go get a physical before you start a running plan.  If you have good luck with getting a sports physical, let me know who your doctor is. 

Get to training and I will see you on March 25th.

Week :    Mon                  Tue             Wed             Thur          Fri          Sat         Sun

12/05| 30 min run/walk | Cross train| 30 run/walk  | 30 min jog| cross train|1-3 mi|Rest
12/12| 30 min run/walk | Cross train| 30 run/walk  | 30 min jog| cross train|1-3 mi|Rest
12/19| 30 min run/walk | Cross train| 30 run/walk  | 30 min jog| cross train|1-3 mi|Rest
12/26| 30 min run/walk | Cross train| 30 run/walk  | 30 min jog| cross train|2-4 mi|Rest
01/02| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|4 mi|Rest
01/09| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|5 mi|Rest
01/16| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|6 mi|Rest
01/23| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|8 mi|Rest
01/30| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|7 mi|Rest
02/06| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|9 mi|Rest
02/13| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|10 mi|Rest
02/20| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|11 mi|Rest
02/27| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|12 mi|Rest
03/05| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|13 mi|Rest
03/12| 30 min up tempo| Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min run| cross train|10 mi|Rest
03/19| 30 min easy run | Cross train| 40 min cruise| 30 min easy| cross train|rest  Half Marathon