Kashi Beats Cornflakes in Time to Exhausion Test

This small study suggests an increased time to exhausion on a treadmill following a meal low on the glycemic index scale. "Prior to one exercise test each subject consumed a Low Glycemic meal (LG = 40) consisting of Kashi® GOLEAN Crunch® (Kashi®) and prior to the other exercise test they consumed a High Glycemic meal (HG = 72) consisting of Cornflakes (Kelloggs’ Co.) with low fat milk 45 min before testing." RESULTS: The results showed there was a statistically significant difference between the trials of the High Glycemic (12:05±0.05) and Low glycemic meals (13:57±0.03) in the time to exhaustion (p=.008). THE EFFECTS OF HIGH AND LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX MEALS ON ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE.

Lance Armstrong Wins Half Ironman in 3:45! Drinks Coke On the Way!

JP: Did you do something dramatically different or was it some details you fine-tuned that made a big difference?
LA: Well, I think there are two things: the amount of calories you consume, and the type—so either a sports drink, a gel or a piece of solid food. All of those things we considered, and I guess the takeaway for me was to consume a lot less calories than I had been consuming. I was ingesting a massive amount of calories in the other races, just assuming I could handle that, and my gut was turning off completely. And then it’s doing a much better job of hydrating the days and hours before the start of the race. In the other races I took in mostly sports drink water and gels, and [in Florida] I went with sports drink with salt tabs dissolved in the drink, and Honey Stinger Waffles—solid food [on the bike]. On the run I just took Coke and water at the aid stations. I started with two gels and didn’t feel like I needed the energy so just stayed with water and Coke. I wore a regular hat—not a visor—and was taking cups of ice and putting it in my hat and then putting my hat back on, just keeping the ice constantly on my head so that it would melt and drip down, keeping me pretty cool.  triathlon.competitor.com

Lance ran his half marathon in 1:15!

Ryan Hall Can't Break 30 Min for 10K

Last weekend Ryan Hall finished 15th in the Healthy Kidney 10K, running a dismal 30:15 seconds. According to Hall, he "just hasn't done the 10K work. My training is very specific to the marathon." From this, my guess is Hall does lots of tempo work at 4:50 pace (2:04:50 for the marathon, under 30 min for 10k), and maybe even Yasso type long intervals. Since he only runs 6 days a week, his weekly mileage is not excessive.

Is he in trouble? Based on past performance, probably not. While a medal in London is doubtful, he shouldn't be embarrassed. Hall has been very consistent for several years now, grinding out one good marathon finish after another, more often than not preceded by sub par races. Would he be a better marathoner if somehow he could run some fast times at shorter races? That is the question many are asking.

Hall has said he talked to lots of people when he decided to go it alone and self-coach, but I wonder if Frank Shorter was one of them. If I were in Hall's shoes, Shorter is the first I would have approached, a guy who before injuries finally took hold, seemed to always be at the top of his game, NO MATTER WHAT THE DISTANCE!   While Shorter is best remembered as a marathoner, he was also ranked in the top 5 in the world four times at 10,000 meters, and once was even ranked 10th in the 5000. 

Here Shorter describes his favorite 2 high intensity interval workouts, four x 3/4 mile, or 10 x 400s run very hard. Here he describes his intervals at "5K pace".

Interesting that Shorter describes 75-90% of his training as "conversational pace"- not anywhere near marathon speed. It wasn't all Long Slow Distance (LSD) training, however. In his book, Olympic Gold, Shorter wrote that when he's fit he'll run the second half of his weekly 20 miler at marathon pace.

I find an interesting contrast between Hall, who says he hasn't run any workouts at 10K pace, and Shorter, who believed his 5K pace interval sessions "were the critical ingredient in my training recipe".   And when Shorter ripped off 10 x 400 in just over 60 seconds at sea level, I don't exactly consider that 5K pace training. He ran hard! 

Shorter ran in the 70s and 80s, and unlike Hall, he never broke 2:10. But Shorter has 2 Olympic medals, not to mention a 5th place in the Olympic 10,000 meters. He could run both distances well, and even turned in many good 3 mile times, something that Hall the marathoner has yet to master, or apparently chooses not to.

Hall has proven time and time again he has the strength to run a good marathon but if he wants to take the next step and seriously go after a medal in London, I believe he has to show some speed at shorter distances.    Shorter's PR in the 10,000 was 27:45, run in 1975, the year before winning the silver in Montreal.  Hall ran an impressive 13:22 for 5K while still in college and 28:07 for 10,000 in 2007. 

I'd seriously consider Hall a threat to win a medal in London if he ever figures out a way to get back to running those times while maintaining his current long distance strength, just as Frank Shorter was able to do.  For now, it doesn't appear that is going to happen. 

Omega-3 Supplements May Reduce Inflammation

These findings suggest that omega-3 supplementation decreases soreness, as a marker of inflammation, after eccentric exercise. Subjects performed enough eccentric bicep curls to induce soreness, and those taking 3,000 mg of omega-3 supplement reported 15% less soreness than a previous trial. Arm circumference increased after eccentric exercise in the control trial but not in the omega-3 trial. Similar results are reported here: Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation attenuates inflammatory markers after eccentric exercise in untrained men Finally, this paper Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases Artemis reviews the anti-inflammatory benefits linked to omega-3 fats and other medical conditions including arthritis.

Super Dog for Gluts!

Nice modification to the Bird Dog by trainer Nick Tumminello.

Skechers Delivers

I recently stumbled on this review of Go Bionic by runblogger of the latest minimalist shoe from Skechers.

The bump he mentions feeling with the Go Run (the PX actually had it in stock), kept me from buying that one, so this is looks like a definite upgrade. I have to hand it to Skechers, they have become a player in a very tough market, and their stock (SKX) has been crushing it lately. Go Bionic is due out later this summer.

Knee Pain Exercises-The Peterson Step-up

I've got knee pain, so will be reviewing and posting what exercises I find that could help!

The Key to Muscle Growth is Lifting to Failure, Not the Amount of Weight

According to a new study, if you want to get strong and grow muscle, it's ok to use light weights, but the key is to lift until you can't anymore. This may be important for runners, particularly older ones like myself that want to reverse age-related muscle loss but avoid potential for injury that may occur with heavy lifting. For more information, go to runnersworld or the globe and mail.

Runner's High Like Smoking Dope

According to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, "humans had shown significantly increased levels of endocannabinoids after running. So had the dogs, suggesting, for the first time, that they, too, experience a runner’s high (The Evolution of Runner's High) Endocannabinoids are natural compounds within the human body that are essentially identical to medicinal compounds found in cannabis

UCAN Superstarch

By muting insulin response it allows the body to tap into fat stores, the body's natural and abundant source of energy. MY COMMENT: Jeff Volek , associate professor at the U of Connecticut, a long-time advocate of low-carbohydrate diets, is now on board as Director of Nutrition and Fitness for UCAN (Volek interview on How Men Can Lose Weight While Building Muscle Through Exercise and Smart Nutrition) discusses how to lose fat and build muscle by weight training on a low carbohydrate diet. Six servings of UCAN with a blender bottle sells for $17 at holibirdsports.com, so this is a drink that I would practice using prior to a couple of long runs, then save the rest for your races. The advantage with UCAN is you can take it 60-90 min prior to your workout and maintain blood sugar for a much longer time compared to a maltodextrin-based product. “Amy Yoder Begley’s found that she is able to do a 20-mile run off of 1 ½ packets an hour before. She then saves the second ½ packet as a recovery drink after.”

Frank Shorter Interview- Abused!

Wow!

15 Boys Under 9:00 at Arcadia 3200 Meters

Great race!

Long Runs and Iron Absorption

...a spike in inflammatory cytokines occurred right after the runs (so it preceded the spike in hepcidin). And there was a corresponding dip in serum iron levels around nine hours after the run (following the spike in hepcidin). -Can a Hard Workout Block Iron Absorption?

If you take iron, Alex Hutchinson suggests not supplementing in the 6 hours following your long run.

Sixth Grader Dashea Rogers: 2:09.44 for 800 meters

Desha Rogers of Plantation Florida has also run 5:00.99 for one mile!

Watch an interview with Desha here.

High School Girl Runs 33:17 for 10K!

Hatton in limelight after super 10K debut
Brilliant run by Calya Hatton, but I really would like to see the quad rehab exercises she was prescribed.  I've been experiencing knee pain for about a month now, so have switched to biking and swimming, along with hitting the gym for quad work. 

According to the article, she worked her quads daily, with what sounds like a low intensity, high repetition workout. 

By the way, Calya's time is an Olympic Trials "B" qualifier, meaning she would get to run if the field doesn't fill up ahead of here with faster times (24 runners).

Does Positive Feedback Enhance Running Performance?

This is important news for all you coaches out there!- Our findings show that enhanced expectancies can have a positive effect on movement efficiency and running experience. They add to the accumulating evidence for the social-cognitive-affective-motor nature of motor performance.

One group (enhanced expectancy) was provided with (fabricated) feedback about the efficiency of their running style every 2 min. A control group was not given feedback. Oxygen consumption decreased in the enhanced expectancy group across measurement times (every 2 min for 10 min), but remained the same in the control group. In addition, performance perceptions changed only in the enhanced expectancy group, indicating a perception of greater ease of running and reduced fatigue when assessed after compared with before running.

source: Enhanced expectancies improve movement efficiency in runners

MY COMMENT: No mention of the level of ability these runners have, however I am inclined to believe this technique might be effective for some runners with world class ability. Anybody who has ever run knows that physical talent and training do not make up 100% of the equation for optimal performance. This particular study only measured running performance at 75% over 10 minutes, but the possibilities are interesting, at least for races up to 2 miles.

Will Knee Extension Strength Improve Your Marathon Time?

In conclusion, we observed that, between kilometres 8 and 40,runners generally demonstrate increased stride length, contact time, peak hip flexion during swing, and peak knee flexion during swing, and decreased running speed, stride frequency, peak knee flexion during support and hip extension during swing. We believe that these changes were due to fatigue. In contradiction to our second hypothesis, the observed kinematics generally changed the same (between kilometres 8 and 40) for the fast and slow runners; however, the fast runners did exhibit a more consistent peak knee flexion during support throughout the race, relative to the slow runners. This may have been related more to the runners’ condition on race day. Runners should focus on resistance training which would be directed toward increases in both muscular strength and endurance of knee extensors. By so doing, peak knee flexion during support should be increased and be able to be maintained longer throughout the marathon

Kinematic changes during a marathon for fast and slow runnersed and be able to be maintained longer throughout the marathon

Kinetic Variables.................8K vs 40K difference
Stride length ..................... 1.3% increase
Contact time.......................13.1% increase
Peak knee flexion during support .. 3.2% decrease
Peak hip extension during swing ...27.9% decrease
Peak knee flexion during swing..... 4.3% increase
Peak hip flexion during swing ..... 7.4% increase

MY COMMENT: Knee extension? Haven't heard of that being recommended for runners in years. Interesting study. Who knew?

Micah True- a.k.a. Caballo Blanko Found Dead

(Reuters) - Ultra-marathon runner Micah True, missing for four days in the rugged wilderness of New Mexico, was found dead on Saturday, police said.

True was introduced to the world by Christopher McDougall in Born to Run as one of the true pioneers of barefoot running.  He went on to found the Cooper Canyon Ultra Marathon to pursue his passion to helping the Tarahumara Indians

  recently posted on facebook:  If I were to be remembered for anything at all, I would want that to be that I am/was authentic. No Mas. Run Free!"




Part 2
Part 3

Man on a Mission: Kenyan Running Secrets!

Man on a Mission

Great clip of Emmon Coghlan visit to Kenya gives a glimpse of where all those great runners develop, including  current 800 m world record holder David Rudisha!  I'd love to see this whole documentary.   

Also included in the clip is legendary coach Brother Colm O'Connell. 

High Intensity Workout Progression

I haven't run a competitive race in months, prompting me to incorporate workouts designed to get me ready "just in case" something comes up.   Sure enough, last week I received an email inviting Americans to run the Incheon Marathon- so I decided to enter the 10K.

Five weeks ago I started out with a 2-mile time trial, just to get the feel of warming up and what sort of pace I could maintain.  On two consecutive Saturdays I ran 11:46 and 11:47- but both were very hard and way out of my comfort zone. 

The 3rd week I chose to run 3 miles on turf and turned in an 18:01- slowing down 10 seconds per mile made a HUGE difference.  Next I reverted back to my old stand-by- 800 meter repeats.  Again on turf I was very satisfied averaging 2:57 for 8 with 60 sec recovery 

Finally, yesterday I had hopes of running 4 x 1 mile under 6 min on turf, but the weather  (high winds) did not cooperate.  Fortunately I have the option of using the 10 lap indoor track on Camp Humphreys, so went inside and ran 4 x 1 mile in 5:56, 5:55, 6:00, and 6:02 with 5 min recovery.   This was a great workout, since I estimate each mile is probably 5-6 sec slow due to tight turns. 

Clearly I am in decent shape, but the news is not all good. I've been experiencing knee discomfort for about 2 weeks - giving me trouble during warm-ups and early in workouts.  I think it started following a few sessions on the bike, but now it's becoming a significant issue, even giving me trouble in the pool! Usually this kind of thing clears up on it's own, so hopefully this is no different.    The plan is to see if I can get through this week, then back off. 

Finally, I seem to be struggling more than usual the day following the longer high intensity workouts, a sure sign that I should consider more run recovery days.   It's taking me longer and longer (more than a mile) just to get my legs feeling halfway normal.   Not much fun. 

Why Faster Intervals May Not Work for Improving 5K Speed

Having decided to work on running faster for shorter distances this spring and summer, I assumed the best course to develop speed would be to run 400 meter repeats at a pace faster than I was accustomed to- eventually I would adapt and race faster. 

After a couple of workouts I had a hunch this approach wasn't optimal, which was confirmed by an article I found by Pete Pfitzinger in Running Times called Lab Report: Essential Ingredients VII.  The article states "well-trained distance runners should progressively increase training intensity to . . . VO2 max," and elite distance runners should include "progressive increases in the volume of training at or near VO2 max." What this means is that the fitter you already are, the closer to your current VO2 max you need to train to further improve your VO2 max."

So what are the best workouts to spike your VO2 max?  According to Pfitzinger,  "Intervals of two to six minutes typically allow runners to accumulate the most time at 95 to 100 percent of VO2 max"  (think 800- 1600 meters).  What about those fast 400s I was trying to boost speed with?  "Training faster than your VO2 max pace does not provide as great a stimulus to increase your VO2 max because lactate builds up rapidly in your muscles and you cannot sustain that intensity for nearly as long."  In other words, they leave you feeling pretty flat.

I believe high intensity workouts need to simulate 5K racing- the closer you get to that level of intensity the better, and I'm not sure that running intervals considerably faster than that works as well as running them right on the pace you are capable of. 

The last 2 weekends I've done 2-mile time trials in 11:46-47, a pace just slightly beyond my reach for maintaining in a 5K.  Today I ran 3 miles in 18:01 and I felt a dramatic difference.  By running slightly slower the first mile (6:01 instead of 5:53), I still felt strong and was able to maintain for 2 more miles.   Keep this up, and I believe that 6 min pace will soon feel easier to maintain and times will eventually drop.

I am planning a 5K in 4 weeks, my first one is probably a year, so these time trials are helping get back into the racing groove.  Stay tuned.  

For dinner.... sushi 50% off at the Commissary!

2 Miles in 11:47

I ran the same time as last week, however there are signs that I am headed in the right direction. 

1.  I ran 7 miles the day before, whereas last week I did not run.

2.  I felt much better the second mile this time, and ran even splits. 

3.  My cool-down felt good.  I sometimes judge a workout by how I feel AFTER- there are days when I don't even bother with a cool-down jog.  That's a sure sign that I am not strong enough or not recovered enough to handle that particular workout. 

The meal was just your basic burger- prep time less than 10 min.

What Are You Eating?

Workouts are important, but let's not forget about the fuel that enables you to perform them.  Here is my dinner last night.   An assortment of stir fried veggies including a small red potato, wild salmon, and a couple of dumplings.   Prep time 10 min. 

Run Faster With Lighter Shoes

Yesterday my workout called for something hard- like 800 meter repeats, and I was disappointed to see the weather was not going to cooperate- windy, cold, and light rain. 

Fortunately the Super Gym on Camp Humphreys includes a 10 lap per mile track - the tight turns are less than ideal however this was good enough for me to get in the quality I needed for 800s. 

Warm up took longer than usual, and I was having trouble with my right knee, both the result of biking yesterday.  And I was wearing Asics Gel 1140s for added protection (left foot has also been acting up).  The first 3 with 60 seconds recovery were 3:08, 3:05, 3:04. 

Feeling no foot pain I switched to the light-weight Brooks Launch and ran the last 3 in 2:59, 2:59. 2:57- not bad on this track (my guess is the turns cost me at least 1 sec per lap) but I was definitely done after 6.  I felt immediately that I was more efficiently with the lighter shoes, landing more mid-foot than heel.  My opinion is could increase risk for injury if you are not ready for it, which is why I prefer artificial turf for intervals these days.  

Coincidently, check out this recent article in Runner's World- Barefoot vs Running Shoes: Which is More Efficient?   Researchers found that adding 100 grams per shoe increased oxygen cost of treadmill running by 1%.  They also noted that runners with shoes did better than without, however I would like to see that study repeated on a softer surface.  From personal experience, my intervals on artificial turf are always a little faster without shoes. 

Weekend Workouts- Fast, Then Slow

Saturday I ran 2 miles in 11:46 on turf.  I'm not comfortable at all running at this pace, inclining me to believe I need to go back to what I know works- 800 meter repeats and other long intervals.  I plan to get strong on those, then drop down to the 400s to work on speed and leg turnover. 

Sunday I ran 16 miles in 2 hr 22 on a windy, not so nice day.  I had 3-4 sub 8 min miles around 10-14.