Baking Soda May Improve Short, Anaerobic Performance...and More

The International Journal of Sports Medicine published a study in June from researchers at Loughborough University in England that timed nine swimmers under three different race conditions: without taking any sort of supplement; 60 to 90 minutes after ingesting a sodium bicarbonate capsule; and 60 to 90 minutes after taking a placebo. Eight of the nine swimmers were fastest after ingesting the baking soda capsule.

In another study, presented at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in May by Ronald Deitrick, PhD, FACSM, Program Director of the Department of Exercise Science and Sport at the University of Scranton, 800-meter runners who took sodium bicarbonate 90 minutes before a race performed better than their counterparts who ingested a placebo. Both studies reported some side effects, however--mostly gastrointestinal discomfort and nausea. -Training & Conditioning

MY COMMENT: According to Peak Performance, "The cumulative evidence suggests that bicarbonate loading may be of benefit in events conducted at near-maximum intensity for a duration of 1-7 minutes."

How much? "The generally accepted protocol for bicarbonate loading is to divide the calculated total dose into five relatively even amounts and, starting three hours before competition, to stagger the intake at 30-minute intervals so that loading is complete an hour before the start.

The scientific evidence suggests that a dose of less than 0.1g of sodium bicarbonate per kg of body mass is unlikely to be effective while, at the other end of the scale, a dosage greater than 0.3g/kg BM is unlikely to further improve the potential performance benefit. This upper limit may be slightly lower for females (0.25g/kg BM) since they commonly have a lower level of muscle mass."

By my crude estimate, .3 gm /kg would be about 3/4 of an ounce for a 150 lb runner, mixed with water and drank over a 2 hour period.

Here is another good reference (sportsscience.org)

You can also throw some leftover baking soda in your washer to freshen up your running clothes, splash some under your arms as a deodorant, sprinkle in your running shoes to mask smell and absorb moisture, and brush to whiten your teeth! (75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda)

Revenge for Allie Mclaughlin- 5th at NCAA

The first and only time I've seen 4'10" Allie run was this amazing footage of the high school Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships in 2008. I recall thinking, if she ran a little smarter and had a more efficient arm carriage, she could have won this race (be sure to watch all 3 parts)

Fast forward to this year's NCAA meet, where Allie place 5th overall, beating Footlocker Champ Jordan Hasay convincingly by 22 seconds.

She's at a good program at Colorado, and it will be interesting to see how she develops- I have yet to see a clip of her in college and wonder if her form has improved any.

No Place To Run?

As you probably know I train in a cemetery. I have found this location to be the best for me to deal with winter for a number of reasons.
1. It is only 100 yards from my house.
2. It is cleared as well or better than the roads and certainly much better than sidewalks.
3. Running the 1/3 mile loop repeatedly, if there are any icey patches they can be anticipated.
4. Running the small loops means that you don't face the wind for any extended time, thus evening out the wind chill
5. As the temperature goes down I just put on extra layers, generally just cotton, not a particular fan of tech materials.
6. Going out the door is no big deal if it is cold or snowing. I don't like going out into heavy rain although if it starts during the run that's sort of OK. A coating of freezing rain makes running impossible. This seems to happen less than once a year though.
7. To a minor extent I time my runs to avoid a particularly bad weather event.

letsrun.com


-written by Ed Whitlock, who ran 2:54:48 at age 73! He routinely does 2-3 hours on his 1/3 mile loop. If that sounds boring, how do you think Michael Phelps feels swimming 70 miles a week or whatever he does in a 25 or 50 meter pool?

Something tells me Ed does not own an iPod either.

Where Are Your Hands During Running?

Try to keep your hands at waist level, right about where they might lightly brush your hip. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle, with your elbows at your sides

I disagree- I got this quote from a popular on-line running site. If you can bend your elbows at 90 degrees and KEEP your hands at waist level at the same time, I'd like to see it.

Many (but not all) top runners actually carry their arms with a greater than 90 bend at the elbow, keeping hands up high. A shorter lever arm requires less energy expenditure, so it makes sense to keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees or less.

Check out your elbows and hands in the reflection next time you run by a window- if your hands are down by your waist, bend your elbows to bring them up.

Dick Beardsley Back Racing After Knee Replacement

Beardsley survived a farm equipment accident in which he broke his back and mangled one of his legs, three car accidents and an addiction to painkillers, which he overcame 13 years ago. He had a knee replacement in January and back surgery in August -Hartford Courant



MY COMMENT: And I thought I had injuries! I guess you can never count out Dick Beardsley, but if it were me I'd have taking up swimming and cycling a long time ago. He's running the historic 4.7 mile Manchester Road Race this weekend. This race got it's start in 1927!

That's Beardsley tying with Inge Simenson of Norway at the 1981 London Marathon. When's the last time you saw somebody do that at a major race?

Barringer Tries To Explain

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

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MY COMMENT: "It's not going to matter in the long run." A quote from the middle of this interview. Sounds to me that Barringer blames this on a build up of psychological pressure as opposed to a specific physical problem.

Not the same, but certainly brings back memories of Suzy Favor Hamilton's dive with 200 to go when she got passed in the 1500 meter Olympic final at Sydney. Years later she finally admitted the pressure of losing got to her and she fell on purpose: Then comes what she calls the toughest admission of her life: "I was thinking about everyone, how happy they would be. And at that moment I had let them all down, so falling was the option. And I fell."

What Happened to Jenny Barringer?

Jenny Barringer, in case you don't know, has been on a roll for a long time- she ran in the Olympic Games in 2008, had a great track season at U of Colorado,and shattered the American record in the 3000 meter steeple chase last summer, running a very quick 9:12.

I had the chance to see Barringer run a couple of times last year and she was head and shoulders above her competition. She is an awesome talent.

This week, in her final collegiate race, the NCAA cross country meet, the unbelievable happened -

"When Barringer was passed by Kuijken as the runners neared 4,000 meters, the Colorado standout slowed and fell back to the pack. Barringer, who said she suddenly got "light-headed", stumbled to the ground almost a minute after runners began passing her by.

"There were points I didn't know if I was on a long run or if I was in a race," Barringer said. "I'm human. There was a lot mounting up to this. It was important to me (to win), maybe I just made it a little too important."

Barringer, who finished in 163rd place in 21, minutes 47 seconds, said she "had some nerves" in the days leading up to the race, even losing her appetite. -dailycamera.com

MY COMMENT: That's why you have to run the race. You never know for sure what's going to happen.

Heel Drop Achilles and Calf Stretch

I've been doing this one recently 4 x a day- each time that I take Sumo out morning and night, plus on the way back. The first few times I could tell immediately that I had neglected this key group for way too long- I felt extreme tightness back there that is now finally starting to show some improvement.

The only difference for me is that I have found a curb with a wall directly in front for balance suppport, enabling me to stretch both legs at once. Does it ever feel good!

If you are like most runners that neglects stretching, if nothing else get in the habit of stretching your calves and achilles.


You can also purchase a single or double Pro Stretch device (pictured above) to keep handy at work or home so you use it regularly.

Tegla Loroupe

When she turned 15, Tegla had already run about 23,000 miles in her short lifetime just going back and forth to school (on a hilly dirt road at 7,500 feet elevation!) -peak performance online

Great article on Loroupe including her training prior to her New York Marathon victory in 1994, when reportedly she often ran up to 190 Kilometers per week (118 miles). Tegala is a former marathon world record holder and still holds records over 20, 25, and 30 kilometers.

Wikipedia is also worth reading. For example, I didn't know she ran both the marathon and 10K at the Sydney Olympics without shoes, a feat she later stated she achieved out of a sense of duty to all the people taking her as a bearer of hope in her home country

Shorter Ran 3:12 at New York

No not Frank- his son Alex. According to Frank, "he had the talent to go far." Now age 30, Alex ran 3:12- not bad for a "recreational" runner. I might be dreaming, but I seem to recall he did break 2hr 20min years ago.

Stay Cheap at Your Next Race With airbnb

Traveling out of town or a different country for your next race? Check out airbnb.com for a place to stay.

World class runner Chris Lukezic (3:33 for 1500 meters)has retired from competitive running at age 25 to work as Director of Marketing for airbnb.

I love the concept- travel anywhere in the world for a race and stay cheap!

Where Does Your Lead Foot Strike While Running?

Aussie 10,000 meter runner David Mcneill.

It appears that his front foot lands behind his knee and he's going to plant forefoot first. Then look at me running the Napa Valley Marathon- foot out in front heel striking! Certainly not the most efficient way to run.

Nose Breathing

I've been bantering back and forth with folks at sethigherstandards.com on the pros and cons of nose breathing- breathing in through your nose and exhaling out your mouth while running. While I believe the general consensus is you can't sustain nose breathing while racing or exercising at high intensity, there seems to be several who practice this technique while running a sub max levels and believe in it's virtues.

To be honest, I have never tried nose breathing and have no desire to do so. I'm happy with the way I breath now, exhaling every other time my left foot strikes while running at high intensity. During slow, easy paced recovery runs,who cares?

I thought about it while swimming today- now there is an endurance sport that simply would not allow breathing in through your nose. Same as running, at least in my humble opinion. This is one that can easily be proved or disproved in a laboratory setting. To my knowledge, that's never been done.

Is Chicken Noodle Soup Better Than Sports Drink?

SOUP (about 12 ounces of chicken noodle soup) ingested before exercise improves fluid balance because of increased ad libitum water intake and reduced proportional urinary water loss -Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

In a related study, soup was also found more benefcial than water or a carbohydrate elctrolyte replacement drink following exercise.

"..greater plasma volume recovery and lower urine volumes were observed in subjects ingesting CB (chicken broth) and Soup, containing high concentrations of sodium, than in those consuming H2O and CE (carb. electolyte drink). These differences were seen, despite the ingestion of only 350 ml of each beverage at the onset of rehydration -J of Applied Physiology

MY COMMENT: I am definitely giving this one a try! Are you wondering who funded this study? If you check out the authors, I see Rick Sharp, who was an old classmate from my days in the Human Performance Lab at Ball State. Check out his impressive credentials (and the number of grants from Campbell's) ! Rick also co-designed Speedo's LZR high tech swimsuit used by US swimmers at the Beijing Olympics (see article). A former All American swimmer for Chico State, Rick earned some of his graduate assistant money at Ball State by coaching the DIVERS!

Rehydrate With Food!

...five male and three female cyclists cycled in a steamy environment (34 degrees Centigrade, 55 per cent humidity) until they had dehydrated them-selves by about 2 per cent of body weight. After the exercise, the athletes ingested either a carbo-hydrate-electrolyte sports drink or else a standard meal comprised of 53 per cent carbohydrate, 28 percent fat, and 19 percent protein, along with water (at a volume 1.5-times greater than the amount actually lost during exercise).

Total urine output was significantly lower after the meal, compared with the sports drink, probably because of all the electrolytes (especially sodium and potassium) naturally found in the food, which helped hold water in the body. When only the sports drink was ingested, the subjects' body-water levels were still down by about 10 to 11 ounces six hours after the exercise had concluded, while the meal-and-water combination restored fluid balance to normal ('Restoration of Fluid Balance after Exercise-Induced Dehydration: Effects of Food and Fluid Intake,' European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 73, pp. 317-325, 1996). Obviously, combining good water intakes with consumption of electrolyte-rich foods can be a great way to rehydrate. -pponline.uk

MY COMMENT: Eating after a long workout does much more than restock muscle glycogen!

Joan Samuelson Runs 2:49 Marathon at Age 52!

-Joan Samuelson running 5:02(about a 5:20 mile) or in an exhibition 1500 meter race last summer.

Joan Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic marathon champion, now 52, finshed the New York Marathon last weekend in 2 hr 49:09- an amazing time considering her age plus the fact that New York is not known as a fast course. She also ran 2 hr 49:08 at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Looking at the age graded calculator, Samuelson's time projects to 2:19:34, faster than her 2:21:21 set on a fast Chicago course in 1985. She also ran 2:22:43 at the 1983 Boston Marathon and won the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Marathon under hot, humid conditions, in 2:24:52, 17 days after arthroscopic knee surgery (wikipedia)

Amazing high level of consistency over so many years!

One Extra Pound of Flab Costs 2.5 Seconds a Mile

"Any extra flab is dead weight that isn't going to help you generate accelerating force," says Tom Osler, author of The Serious Runner's Handbook. To make his case, Osler analyzed 40 years of data from 1,800 races, ranging from 5Ks to marathons, and found that, on average, every extra pound of body fat costs 2.5 seconds per mile. Drop ten pounds and, over the course of a marathon, you'll shave close to 11 minutes off your time. -outsideaway.com


MY COMMENT: If you've got the extra weight to lose and can get rid of it gradually (and I believe that also includes upper body muscle), you should see a corresponding drop in your racing times.

How ironic- I met Tom Osler (a math professor in New Jersey) when I was an exercise physiology graduate student at Ball State in the late 70s- he "volunteered" to do a 72 hour ultra while we took periodic measurements and generally kept an eye on him throughout the ordeal. He came into town looking anything but fit, admittedly several pounds heavier than peak shape. Surprisingly, at least to me, as I recall he made it to 200 miles in 72 hours. Impressive.

Osler's bio is a facinating read, and his 2 books, including The Conditioning of Distance Runners Part I , Part II, are cult classics.

Humans Are Built for Distance- Believe it or Not!

On a hot day, the two scientists wrote, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.
-nytimes

MY COMMENT: Sounds good to me.

How High Do You Run?

Sammy Wanjiru, Olympic Marathon Champion

As runners compete in the marathon, they bounce up and down about 3” with each stride. Since the average runner takes about 1,000 strides per mile, a marathon consists of 26,200 strides. When you multiply 3” by 26,200, you get 6,550 feet, or 1.24 miles. This means a typical marathoner runs more than a vertical mile during the course of the marathon. -somaxsports.com

MY COMMENT: Practice running with a shorter stride to decrease vertical bounce.

New York Marathon This Weekend!

It's Sunday, Nov 1. Wave start: The first wave starts at 9:40 am, followed by another at 10 am and a third at 10:20 am. Approx. 14,000 in each wave.

broadcast schedule- coverage begins at 9 am, but when does the elite race actually start? That's not on the website anywhere I could find!

men top contenders

women top contenders

prize money breakdown (more than $800,000!)

course description

merchandise - they have some great deals on running gear and products from previous years!

weather forecast calls for partly cloudy with a high of 57 and winds from the west at 10 mph.

Alex Hetherington and the Marine Corps Marathon

I met Alex Hetheringtion several years ago in Okinawa, Japan. He was a good runner back then, running under 2 hr 30 min on a tough Okinawa Marathon course. Now 42 and a Lieutenant Colonel, he's a Cobra pilot in the US Marine Corps, and is still a pretty good runner.

I'd guess Alex is around 6'5", and according to the Marine Corps Marathon website, his weight is listed at 190. Big for a marathoner.

This year, his 15th Marine Corps Marathon, he finished 3rd in the 40-44 age group running 2:41:49. His long history in this race, including a 10th place finish in 1995 and several in the top 20, has earned him the honor of being the first active duty inductee into the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame (Navy Times).

I almost forgot to mention- Alex, who has been deployed to the middle east at least twice, is the father of 4 including triplets! (see article here about his wife and family).

Alternate pairs of running shoes, preferably different models/types. Having the right shoes for the workout or surface you are running on will allow you to achieve the best possible fitness and footing. Additionally, since each model/type of running shoe fits your foot and engages your muscles in different ways, if you are experiencing a persistent localized ache or pain, the first step should be to run in a different pair of shoes. The results may be surprising.

source: Training Tips from Lt. Col. Alex Hetherington

How Do You Get a Marathon Named After You?

My guess would be win a gold medal, or maybe 2 or 3. How then, did Dean Karnazes, get his name attached to this marathon in San Jose?

Karnazes is the ultra marathon guy who ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days in 2006. I was surprised that, according to his website, Dean ranked 27th in a Time Magazine poll listing the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. I checked, and sure enough there he is right behind George Clooney but ahead of Warren Buffet, Al Gore, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Oprah, Tiger Woods, and the list goes on. Shocking!

I guess we should be happy that a runner placed so high on such a prestigious list, but to be honest, I don't think I'll be running this marathon unless they change the name.

Are Toe Nails Really "Dead Weight?"

“You know any sport has gone off the rails when you have to remove body parts to do it,” said Christopher McDougall, the author of a recent book about ultrarunning called “Born to Run.”




MY COMMENT: -nytimes article about a number of ultramarathoners that have had their toenails removed. I'd call it a last resort.

Marathon Tips from Ryan Hall

Ryan's golden rules for successful marathon training

1 SLOW DOWN ON RECOVERY DAYS
"For a long time, I lacked the confidence to back off on easy days. As a result, my body couldn't absorb all the great training. Now I have the confidence to run easy on recovery days, so I can bring the fire for hard workouts and race days."

2 EAT SMART
"I never have a problem consuming enough calories, one reason why I think I am a good marathoner. But I make sure each meal or snack has protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Here's my favorite breakfast: Cytomax pancakes made with one scoop Muscle Milk, a half-cup Trader Joe's pancake mix, and topped with Smart Balance butter." (Hall and his wife, Sara, demonstrate the meal, below left.)

3 GIVE YOUR RUNS A PURPOSE
"Running for a charity—in my case, World Vision—has revolutionized my running. Nothing compares to the feeling of going out on a training run knowing that I'm part of an effort that's touching thousands of lives. I hope to build this into a legacy that outlives my records. I think everyone should run for a cause."

4 PRAY
"I'm not the best at sitting down for long prayer sessions, but I do short prayers as often as I can. I pray when I do the dishes in the morning before I run. Whether I win a race or not, I always find that prayer gives me perspective and opens up a world of possibilities."

5 GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Everyone else seems to call their afternoon shuteye 'naps.' I call them 'business meetings.' On my easy days, I schedule two hours for these meetings. When you're sleeping, your body absorbs all the hard work. It's ironic: one of the best ways to get better is to do nothing."

runnersworld.com

A High School Cross Country Team with a Rich Tradition

Recently I've been following the progess of the Stevens Point Area High School (SPASH) boys cross country team (spashcc.com). Coached by one of my former college teammates Donn Behnke, SPASH has been one of the most consistently ranked teams of any sport in Wisconsin state history.

Since he began coaching in 1977, Behnke's teams have won 9 Wisconsin state titles and finished runner up 6 times. Only twice have they not gone to state. They've also won the conference meet 32 times in 33 years.

I like the way Donn maintains his team website, providing a nice weekly summary of how his kids ran (his program includes 100 boys including varsity and jv, give or take), and how he keeps track of average team and individual times.

Donn has produced some outstanding runners over the years including 21 individual conference champions, at least 3 state champions that I can remember including Pete Skorseth, Keith Hanson, and Chris Solinsky (Solinsky and Hanson both went on to become NCAA champions). I still remember the controversy surrounding Hanson snubbing the University of Wisconsin's partial scholarship offer despite running a 8:54 two mile reportedly because Dan McClimon, the Badger coach at the time, thought Hansen had been running too many miles under Donn. Hansen chose Marquette instead, a school not exactly known for distance running, and went on to become an NCAA champion in the 10,000 meters and a 3-time All American in cross country. Ironic, because one thing I learned from Donn was the value of running slow. His kids may run some miles, but I guarantee not too many of them are run hard.

One of the reasons behind Donn's success is his ability to start them young. His junior varsity hasn't lost a conference championship meet in 33 years, and routinely his JV kids can run varsity for any other school. The depth of his program is amazing.

Finally, I like the fact that I'm seeing familiar names popping up from the old days-kids of Donn's former runners. I see Wayne Solinsky, Chris's dad, took 3rd in the 1978 conference meet, finishing right behind Ray Przybelski (I assume with a name like Przybelski, Ray is related to this year's Valley Conference champ Paul Przybelski). I also spotted the name of an up and coming freshman in northern Wisconsin by the name of Page Skorseth (any relation to Pete?).

Finally, there is also Megan Duwell, an All-American and 10,000 Big Ten Champ who runs for Minnesota and happens to be Donn's neice (John Duwell, Megan's father, is married to Lynn, Donn's sister- and John was also a teammate of mine at UW-Stevens Point).

Stay tuned for the remainder of the year. Donn's teams have a history of running well when it counts, and even though they've been beaten this year, currently they are again ranked number 1 and poised for a run at another state title(Wisconsin cross country rankings)