Alameda Runners – Get After It!

I first stumbled upon Detour Runner after suffering through the Tilden Ten a few weeks ago.  I never had the company’s products, nor have I even heard of the company before the race.  I snagged a couple of bars from the table to snack on during the ride home — which I didn’t do, as I was unsure if I’d be able to keep it down — but promised to eat and write a review later.

I decided to go for a six-mile run and trip to the gym before I reviewed the Detour Runner bar.

The first review is for the Detour Chocolate Peanut Butter energy bar, which has 210 calories, 60 calories from fat, 8g sugar, and 12g of protein.  It has the right amount of calories and protein to be healthy and useful while remaining beneficial to the body.

Taste is normally the biggest problem with energy and protein bars, as most of them taste rather disgusting.  The Detour Runner bar tastes extremely tasty — in fact, it is one of the tastiest recovery bars I’ve ever eaten.

It doesn’t exactly taste like a chocolate peanut butter candy bar, but it’s still tasty considering it has 12 grams of protein (which seemingly destroys the taste of a lot of recovery bars).  It also has just 8 grams of sugar, but it’s still sweet enough to enjoy.

Individual bars can be purchased for $1.89 each, or a box of 12 is available for $17.88.

In addition to Detour Runner, Detour also offers the Detour Biker, Detour Yoga, Original Detour, Lower Sugar Detour, Oatmeal Detour, and Lean Muscle Detour.  I hope to try some other varieties in the future, but have not seen the Detour bars in any of our local stores.

Editors note:  This is by far the best tasting protein product tested yet!

I don’t like Sun Chips, but my girlfriend enjoys devouring the tasty chips.  I recently noticed a change in my local Safeway in which the traditional Sun Chips bag has been replaced with the “world’s first 100% compostable chip package.”

Interesting….

I’m all for companies becoming eco-friendly, and a 100% compostable chip bag is excellent, but these bags seem to be much louder than regular bags.  I truly applaud Frito-Lay for making steps to go green, but my girlfriend actually woke me up from an afternoon nap while opening a new bag.

Has anyone else noticed this, or am I just imagining things?  Kudos to Frito-Lay for offering a bag that doesn’t need to end up in a landfill, but it’s time to find a way to dampen all of this noise.

Sun Chips – Original (Frito Lay)
Serving Size: 1 oz package, Calories: 140, Fat: 6g, Carbs: 19g, Protein: 2g

Classic Potato Chips (Lay’s)
Serving Size: 1 oz (28g / 15 chips), Calories: 150, Fat: 10g, Carbs: 15g, Protein: 2g

Editors note:The Sun chips are not a big calorie saver but if you are going to chow down on a bag of chips, every junk calorie saved is good. Mike should stop his whining about the noise and appreciate the environmental impact of the new bags.

It’s a shame such a strong cyclist has been banned — but if he was doping, which is certainly plausible, then this is a good step in the right direction.

Per VeloNews:

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is satisfied by the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the Alejandro Valverde case. Mr Valverde has been suspended from all competition for two years commencing 1 January 2010.

By deciding to suspend the Spanish rider, the CAS agreed with the UCI, which had appealed in 2007 together with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the refusal of the Spanish Cycling Federation to open disciplinary proceedings against Mr Valverde for his involvement in Operation Puerto.

The UCI and cycling as a whole have certainly suffered greatly from this affair. The damage caused by Mr Valverde’s behaviour since the UCI became convinced of his guilt cannot be fully compensated for by this regulatory sanction. Nevertheless, the UCI is now relieved and contented with CAS’s decision as it resolves a situation that had become untenable.

Following the CAS’s decision, Mr Valverde will not be allowed to participate in any cycling events before 31 December 2011. Furthermore, he has been disqualified from all competitions in which he has competed since the beginning of the year and all points allocated to him have been removed. Mr Valverde must also return all prizes received.

The UCI World Ranking has been modified accordingly.

During the Tour de France and Vuelta this year, the ban could make things extremely interesting.  Caisse d’epargne is built specifically around Valverde, which could open up the team to hunt for breakways and stage wins this July and August.

Luckily, the ban isn’t a full two-year ban, which means he’ll be able to compete in the 2012 Giro d’Italia, along with the major spring classics.

Shoes are important for runners.  If you wear the wrong pair of shoes, you could unknowingly set yourself up for blisters, shin splints and other injuries that could be avoided.

I purchased the Saucony ProGrid Guide 2 shoes from Road Runner Sports after running the Oakland Half Marathon.

The shoe offers light stability designed to help reduce overpronation (limits just mild overpronation, so is pefect for me).  Saucony upgraded the ProGrid Guide 2 by using a new interior sock liner and added a memory-foam collar.  Everything else is virtually the same as the ProGrid Guide — a nice change of pace since Saucony chose not to tinker too much — while providing good support.

The shoe has decent cushioning, but doesn’t have much support towards the front of my foot.  (FYI:  The ProGrid Guide 3 shoes have a different style of cushioning, so could be ideal if you don’t like the way the ProGrid Guide 2 shoes feel.)  I don’t need the added cushioning, so purchasing the ProGrid Guide 2 was acceptable.

As I said in my RoadRunner store review, I picked the ProGrid Guide 2 over the following pairs of shoes:  Asics 2150, Brooks Adrenaline, and Nike Structure Triax running shoes.  Each pair is designed to help with slight overpronation, but the Brooks Adrenaline and Nike Structure Triax were immediately disqualified.  Both pairs didn’t feel great on my feet, especially compared with the Asics 2150 and ProGrid Guide 2.  I already own a pair of the Asics 2150 line, so I honestly didn’t feel like purchasing another pair.

I try on different pairs of running shoes whenever I’m given the chance.  I obviously don’t plan on purchasing a new pair of shoes every month — but I like to test different pairs just to see which shoes feel the most comfortable.  If you’re looking for a new pair of shoes, you should do your research before making a purchase.  I’d recommend looking on Active.com, Runner’s World, and other established running sources if you need any help on recommendations.

The cold and flu season may be over, but a few of my friends recently came down with a cold and were asking for tips to help recover as fast as possible.

Some people think starving a cold is a proper way to heal — but it is one of the worst things you can do to your body when sick.  Eat more calories to help produce the cells that help fight off illness.  Recent research claims protein and vegetables also are able to boost immune strength, so have some chicken soup with vegetables.

A Q&A posted in Runners World a few months ago noted eating yogurt may be a great idea, as upper-respiratory-tract infections could be reduced up to 25 percent.

If you’re having sinus pain or congestion, the use of any over-the-counter products that have antihistamines are ideal to help aid recovery.  Rest and increasing your vitamin intake also are extremely vital — don’t push yourself too hard, or you run the risk of prolonging the sickness.

When you’re sick but want to train, most athletes and doctors have a simple rule for you to follow:  if the illness symptoms are above the neck, you should be good to go.  (i.e. if you have a sore throat, head cold, stuffy nose, etc.)  Just take it easy and don’t push yourself too hard.

If you’re suffering from chest congestion, vomiting, fever, and other similar symptoms, then you should let your body rest and forget about training.

Editors note:  Real yogurt is harder to find but always better.

Ted has participated in numerous running, cycling and triathlon events over the years, and understands the importance of volunteers.  I’ve participated in a couple of different events this year, and have volunteered several times in the past, so I’ve noticed the importance volunteers have during events.

I recently chatted with organizers of the California International Marathon (CIM), a major running event that draws thousands to the Sacramento area each fall.

“Important is not the word for volunteers,” Alameda Runners was told, “vital is.”  Without them, there would be no CIM or other marathons around the country.  There are about 2,000 volunteers who help with all of the preparation for the race, the expo, and all of those out on the course.  Thousands of hours of volunteer work and all they get tangibly is a T-shirt.  But of course, it is much more than that.  Many come back year after year and are part of the CIM as much as the paid staff.  Also, the board which puts in a great deal of time all year round, in addition to the monthly (and special) meetings, is all volunteer.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  Thank the volunteers!  When it’s cold and miserable during a race, it’s likely the volunteers are freezing the entire time they’re working.  If it’s hot and muggy, they’re suffering as they help set up the events, hand out drinks and other tasks during the event, and clean up the race after everyone is finished.

Ted and I volunteered to run the Oakland Half Marathon carrying the 2:15 pace sign (the only half marathon pace group), which was a lot of fun for both of us.  It was a blast to help so many people cross the finish line, especially the participants who were suffering and needed just an extra boost of support to cross the finish line.

During a run last week in Coyote Hills with the Mission Peak Striders running group, I had a brief conversation about the benefits of energy gels and other products many athletes enjoy while running.  I wanted to discuss some of the benefits of energy gels and other fuels here on Alameda Runners.

GU, Clif, and other companies market their gels and goodies by promising an energy boost that most of us crave while out on the road.

I’m not qualified to go into specific details regarding the nutritional needs or the physiological benefit of these gels, but most companies are extremely helpful if you have any specific questions.  (They’ll likely ask you about your level of activity, nutrition, and similar questions to try and help you as much as possible.)

The elevated blood sugar can lead to better athletic performance — and you hopefully won’t bonk.  For example, the GU Roctane product line is marketed as a product that reportedly reduces muscle damage, acid build-up, and other natural benefits.

Most companies normally recommend eating an energy gel every 30-45 minutes, but I don’t usually eat one until I’ve been out on the road for at least an hour.  If I know I’ll be out for a couple of hours, I’ll have one after about every 30 minutes of exercise.  You need to try and figure out what works best for you.  Work on this during training, and not on race days (the results could be disastrous).

The official GU website has some useful information about how to use GU energy products here.  Clif also is more than happy to explain the recommended use of Clif Shot energy gels and other products.  Accelerade also has an excellent page that discusses the use of various Accelerade products during exercise.

Honey Stinger also offers basic recommendations regarding the use of its products, and invites you to call or get in touch if you have questions.

If in doubt, it’s best to try and contact the company directly — they usually are very good about answering back.  Ted actually contacted Clif (without mentioning he writes for Alameda Runners) and received a quick response warning him not to consume the product the way he was because it can be very bad for you.

I am not the most scientific guy around. I only care about how edible it is and how well it works. I ate a cashew coconut chocolate chip Hammer Bar yesterday before a 2 hour bike ride. The bar tasted good, I did not feel sick, and had enough energy for the whole ride. I did not go hard. It was just a cruise around Alameda, but it was still good.

The Hammer Bar passed the first test before I took a bite. It is organic. I am not a vegan or health food zealot, but I have been switching to organic foods because of quality and taste. The company managed to come up with good quality and taste. The bar is loaded with calories from good sources. When I go out on my Saturday workouts, I burn 2,000 to 3,000 calories. I need all of the good calories I can get to help replace that.

The Hammer Bar gets a strong buy from me. That is saying a lot since I am so fond of GU and Clif. We are not professionals at this site. We are just typical athletes who happen to run a website.  We managed to get a lot of products from Hammer. The bar is so good, I am looking forward to trying the electrolyte and recovery drinks.

Sharing ideas related to safe running and cycling is extremely important for us here at Alameda Runners — especially since I see both drivers and athletes doing such reckless things out on the road.

In the May 2010 edition of Runner’s World (pg. 69), the “need to know” section includes runner safety if you’re running on the street.

First, you may be wondering why people would want to run on the street.  It’s done for a few different reasons, and the most popular answer is related to the smoother running surface of the road when compared to the sidewalk.

Q: When runners run in the road, do they have to use hand signals?
A: Not the way cyclists do.  For one, you should be running against, not with, the flow of traffic.  But don’t assume a driver sees you.  Stretch out a hand and make eye contact at intersections.  If you’re at a stop sign or light, it’s a good idea to let drivers know which way you’re going, especially if you’ll be turning in front of them.

Read after the jump to read some more basic tips. Read more… »

The need to recover is absolutely vital — it is a great way to prevent overuse injuries that many of us inevitably suffer.

The more you get out and run, ride, or train, it gets harder to just sit around and rest.  Many people will participate in “recovery” activities, which are normally slower, shorter duration runs and bike rides.

In the May edition of “Endurance News” from Hammer Nutrition, there is an article that goes into depth regarding the complicated art of recovery.  You can find the article here (PDF).

Specifically, the author noted recovery is “defined as training that takes place below 70% HR at a minimum; below 65% is even better.”

As long as you’re training at least 50%, which still gives you physiological effects, then you should be good to go.   My HR runs much higher than Ted’s HR, even when I’m “recovering,” but I can tell when I look at my HR monitor when I’m pushing myself too hard.  During a recent race, my HR climbed upwards of 165+ bpm — and I suffered greatly — though my first run after the race I kept my HR under 140 and shuffled home.

Recovery workouts should almost always be an hour or less in duration.  On the bike, you may be able to stretch that to 90 minutes, but I would limit that to two conditions:

•    You’re training for ultra-cycling events such as RAAM or the Furnace Creek 508.
•    You are training for an Ironman.

Did you hear that?

Unless you’re training for a specific event that requires hours upon hours of continuous exercise, keep your recovery activities short!