Happy Halloween!

What to blog about on Halloween... hmmm... I know - horror movies! Yeah, you wouldn't think there would be any horror movies involving sports, but you'd be wrong:

• Graduation Day (1981): After a high school track runner, named Laura, suddenly dies from a heart attack after finishing a 30-second 200-meter race, a killer wearing a sweat suit and a fencing mask begins killing off her friends on the school track team one by one. The suspects include the track coach Michaels, Laura's sister Anne who arrives in town for the funeral, the creepy school principal Mr. Guglione, and Laura's strange boyfriend Kevin.
• Undead Pool (2007): A girls' high school team is having a competition. Aki persuades her friend Sayaka to join the swimming team. However, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout the school. After Aki discovers the incident and tries to tell other people, she is killed. The swimming team takes up the challenge to cope with it and begins the fierce battle.
• I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (2008): A cricket team are dismissed by a moustachioed serial killer with a razor sharp cricket glove and an arsenal of sharpened stumps. One by one the killer exacts revenge for the torment he endured 20 years earlier.

Graduation Day made money ($250,000 budget and $23+ million in sales)... I think our next "fundraiser" should be writing a decent horror movie... I mean you can't get much creepier than Schenck or Dorothea Dix in the dark! Or maybe we can write it about a group of runners that gets lost in a corn maze and is forced to wander around for hours and hours... oh wait, that happened to this poor family!

10/29-30 Race Reports

Exciting weekend of racing for Team RRO / FASTcoaching:

• John Garrity completed his first full Ironman this weekend at Beach2Battleship, racing in grueling conditions to finish in 14:25... CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS WAHOOO! Marty killed the half distance, finishing in 4:37. I'm not sure how either placed in their age groups, etc. (they don't have those results up yet)... but y'all ROCK! (live results)
• Jeff (4:27), Jen (4:12), and Kory (2:59) ran AWESOME at the Marine Corps Marathon this morning. (live results)
• The E3 Cross Country Challenge went GREAT this AM as well. Despite the "challenging" course that Sean and Gavin laid out (thanks guys for making us run up a huge hill to the finish and sticking a hay bale right at the top of the steepest section), Brian Fowler had no trouble running an "easy" 6min pace, winning the Men's 8K. Tim G. and Keith were 2nd and 3rd respectively on the men's side. Jennifer Hannen ran a strong race as well, walking away with 1st place in the Women's 6K, while Rita and I battled it out for 2nd and 3rd. John R. (4th), Gregg S., Mark N., Mike C., Matt M., and Sara P. ran strong races as well. Auden (I think I spelled his name correctly) was first in the fun run... he is quite the runner... and Lauren Stephenson was 2nd. NICE JOB and THANKS to everyone who came out and volunteered. I'll post more complete results and some photos soon!  

Time to gear up for City of Oaks next weekend!

Weekend Outlook

Ready... set...GO!

• Beach2Battleship is this Saturday... good luck to John G. (racing the Full Ironman) and Marty G. (racing the Half Ironman), as well as our friends from the NCSU Tri team!
• The Marine Corps Marathon is on Sunday... good luck to Jeff, Jen, and Kory!
• And, the most AWESOME cross country race EVER is on Sunday... the E3 XC Challenge is at Dorothea Dix (10AM for open races, 11AM for kid's fun run).

There are some other races going on in the Triangle this weekend (Anna's Angels and Monster Dash), but none of them are nearly as cool as the three listed above. For World Record Friday... Stefaan Engels completed 20 Full Ironman's in one year (2007-2008), while James Lawrence completed 22 Half Ironman's in one year (2010). And, in preparation for the E3 XC Challenge... now that's a hay bale:

Who Wins?

A vampire, werewolf, and a zombie line up at the start line of the E3 XC Challenge on Sunday... who crosses the finish line first?

Well, depending upon their age, vampires can be pretty fast, reaching speeds upwards of 120-200+ mph. Werewolves are slower, ranging in speed from 20-40 mph, with differences depending upon the form the Lycan take. Zombies, however, are very slow because dead things can't run fast. So, the Vampire would clearly win (even if he was running the 8K and the rest were doing the fun run). The Werewolf would be next across the line, followed by the Zombie. And, presumably, a human would finish in the top 3 :-)

Environment

Running is environmentally friendly... right? Or at least not environmentally unfriendly. I mean, I throw out my GU wrappers. A while back, Runner's World investigated the carbon footprint of runners - nearly 5500 lbs of CO2! Travel accounts ~4500lbs (with the majority of this being attributed to flying to races), and gear accounts for the remaining bit (and I personally think that some of their figures are conservative). Want to figure out your carbon footprint? At least we're not as bad as the Olympic torch!

Education

Want to get smarter? Run more. At least, that's what recent studies have found. Running stimulates the brain to grow new neurons / grey matter in the hippocampus. This is the part of the brain used for contextual memories (both in time and space), and is critical for "fluid intelligence" (our ability to reason and problem-solve). In fact, going for an AM run improves blood flow to the brain, as well as relieve stress and anxiety... a good way to start any test. That and sleeping, breathing, meditating, eating complex carbohydrates, and laying off the drugs also help.

Don't fret if you're injured and can't run. Any form of aerobic exercise improves intelligence (so long as you're not studying while you doing it... dang it... the only way I could stay awake while reading text books was on an exercise bike). Yoga also has beneficial effects, although weight lifting doesn't.

Exercise - Greenways/Trails

In preparation for the upcoming E3 XC Challenge, I decided to make it a theme week! Namely, the posts this week will be related to the three pillars of E3 (now doesn't that sound zen) - Exercise, Education, and Environment. In my opinion, the triangle-area is pretty active as a whole. I attribute this in part to the number of great places to run, ride a bike, etc.

• Capital Area Greenway System: This network of public paths/trails snakes its way throughout Raleigh. The concept began in the early 70's to conserve "green space" in the face of rapid growth and urbanization. The plan has developed into a 69-mile, 3700-acre system and continues to grow. More information, including maps of current/plan greenways can be found here. My favorite section of the greenway is the one by the Art Museum because: (1) it has cool stuff to look at along the way, (2) I laugh every time I read the "reduce speed" signs painted on the greenway in the wrong order (I start at the top line and read down because that is the way I'm used to), and (3) it is conveniently located near my favorite coffee shop. However, it is kind of hilly, so my favorite "less rolling" option is the "Shelly Lake greenway" (which is conveniently marked in quarter- to half-mile intervals). Here's a little tip - if you get board running in 2-mile circles, you can always try looking for the "loch ness monster" that lives in Shelly Lake... at least this is what I do because if I were a fresh-water dwelling cryptid, that's totally where I'd live!
• Umstead Park: Pat Price pretty much summarized running in Umstead in this post. My favorite section of Umstead is about a half-mile stretch of the Bridle Trail where it takes a bend between the Old Reedy Creek Road gate and the water fountain. Why? It's one of the few flat spots in Umstead and there aren't as many big trees, so the sun peaks through. If I were going to take a "rave run" picture of Umstead, this is where I'd take it... in fact, I pretend I'm a Runner's World photographer every time I get to that one section.
• American Tobacco Trail: The ATT is part of a national effort to utilize old railroad corridors for "alternative transportation" and recreation... why waste perfectly flat, cleared trails?!? Eventually, the trail will span 23 miles from New Hill, through Chatham County, and ending in downtown Durham. Currently, Wake County has 6.5 miles open, Chatham County has 4.7 miles open, and Durham has 7.4 miles open (totaling a little over 18.5 miles - map). The ATT is mostly flat (although it looks slightly uphill to me no matter which way I run), and the surface is mostly packed dirt, with some paved sections. Most of it is conveniently marked in mile to 1/2-mile increments (making it convenient for tempo runs), and there are three main trailheads. My favorite part of the ATT trail is by the "swamp" close to the 1-mile marker because I think it looks prehistoric and I like to either pretend that I'm an archeologist (if it's an easy run) or that dinosaurs are chasing me (if it's a tempo run).
• Dorothea Dix Campus: I would be remiss if I didn't include the site of the upcoming E3 XC race in this discussion! And, Dorothea Dix is a nice place to run because there isn't a lot of traffic, there are a variety of surface options (road, field, etc.), and you can kill a lot of time taking random roads. However, it does kind of have that Shutter Island feel to me.  

So, in conclusion, the triangle-area has a lot of great greenways and trails to run on... and I pretend a lot of random things when I run :-)

10/22-23 Race Reports

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, it's been a busy two days! However, RRO / FASTcoaching raced AWESOME this weekend:

• Devin was 1st overall in the ATT 10-miler, posting a course record time of 50:58. Brandon was 3rd in his age group, and John Royal was 3rd on the Master's side. Our friends Amelia and Pauline also raced well... CONGRATS! (results)
• Crit and Erica went 1-2 in their age group in the Day of the Dead 5K, and our friend Matt C. ran a great race as well... WAHOOO! (results)
• Brad Belfiore was 2nd overall at the Roctoberfest Half Marathon, posting a PR of 1:08:08... AWESOME! (results) 
• Jason Broll finished 6th in his age group at the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon... NICE JOB! (results)

I know Gary Franks, Charles West, and a number of our other friends posted PR's at the Ridge to Bridge marathon also. Sarah Stephenson also placed 2nd in her conference this past week. GREAT racing everyone. Now, time to get ready for the E3 Cross Country Challenge next weekend, and City of Oaks the following!

Weekend Outlook

What's going on in and around(ish) the Triangle this weekend?:

• The Day of the Dead 5K (sponsored by Dos Taquitos) is on Saturday at 8AM beginning/ending at their restaurant on Wilmington St.
• The American Tobacco Trail 10-miler is on Saturday at 8:50AM (parking at the White Oak Baptist Church).
• The Roctoberfest Half Marathon is on Saturday at 7:40AM in Charlotte.
• The Ridge to Bridge Marathon is Saturday at 8AM in Jonas Ridge.
• The Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon is on Sunday at 7AM... mini-marathon sounds so much nicer... makes 13.1-miles seem short!

And, most importantly the E3 CROSS COUNTRY RACE is NEXT weekend! Sign up sign up sign up... wahooo. In honor of the Day of the Dead race (and because I believe it was around this time last year when I showed up to a run spazing out that I couldn't find where the non-zombie dead humans were going in the MATLAB model for the class I was TAing), the earliest mathematical model for surviving a zombie attack was derived in January, 2009 by graduate students at Carleton University. Dang it! If only I had been 21 months earlier, I could have my PhD by now and be working as a consultant for the Canadian government in undead emergency planning (ok, I'm being sarcastic, I know their real research was in infectious disease modeling, and they had a little fun)! And, just for the heck of it, zombie triathletes?

32 Degrees

Unfortunately, Icy Hot can't solve all your problems... real inflammation requires real ice. After repeatedly freezer burning my leg a year or so ago (see conversation below), I've always been a little bit nervous about using actual ice, so I decided to look up the "proper technique" for icing an injury. First, lets start off with the things you shouldn't do:

• Ice before you run
• Leave ice on for more than 20 min (or if the skin looks red... this is a sign of frostbite)
• Give up after 1 day

So, what should you do?:

• Ice the injured area as soon as possible after exercising. Try performing an ice massage (apply ice directly to the injured area, but move it constantly). Elevating your legs also helps to prevent swelling.
• Ice for at least 10 min (15-20 min is ideal... but take ice off once you feel numbness). However, if there is not a lot of fat/muscle in the injured area (such as your toe), remove the ice after 10 min.
• Ice repeatedly (5x daily with at least 45 min between applications)

There are many "icing options" available (don't allow any of these to sit directly on your skin for extended periods of time):

• Ziploc bag with ice and water (the water helps the bag conform to your body).
• Paper cups with frozen water (peel away the bottom... and yes, I do realize that frozen water is ice, but I didn't want this to be confused with a paper cup full of ice cubes)
• Bags of frozen vegetables
• Ice packs (instant or reusable... don't believe them when they say that they can be applied directly to the skin)

Actual Conversation...

Chiropractor: What did you do to your leg?

Meghan: My ankle started hurting like 2 weeks ago for no reason...

Chiropractor: No, I mean why is your skin all discolored by your ankle?

Meghan: Oh... freezer burn.

Chiropractor: Meghan, PLEASE be careful.

 ... a similar instruction was given when he asked why my shins were all bruised after I had just recently got clip-ins :-)

Normal People vs. Runners

Saturday morning...  

Normal: just getting in from Friday night

Runner: just leaving for a long run

 At the office on Monday...

Normal: that's a long way up, better take the elevator

Runner: my quads are shot... that's a long way down

Attire...

Normal: why is that guy wearing soccer socks? And those shoes make his feet look fat.

Runner: he must be fast... he's wearing compression socks... and neon sneakers!

'>=<'

Which is read as more is less (see below)... as in more support from your flip-flops means less problems with your feet. Matt noticed a few weeks ago that the guy walking in front of us in flip-flops was over-pronating. He asked if I thought that the increased number of people who over-pronate was somehow linked to the increased popularity of flip-flops. So, the two of us got to theorizing (which is dangerous). The pivot point of the sandal is shifted inward from the center point, which might cause you to naturally lean inwards (aka over-pronate). To test our theory, Matt made a quick mock-up of a flip-flop out of his Chick-fil-a sandwich carton and a coffee stirrer while I lined up some ketchup packets. Then, we stuck the "flip-flop" on our hand and "walked" across the table. The indention in the packets seemed to indicate that more pressure was being placed on the inward side of the pivot point, lending support to our theory. Just kidding... we really didn't simulate flip-flop walking... but we did have some very technical looking napkins by the end of dinner :-)

Ok ok... back to the "real science". According to a 2006 study conducted by the ACFAS, an increase in the incidence of heel pain (especially among 15-25 year-olds) is directly correlated with an increase in the usage of flip-flops. This is dangerous, as heel pain is often a precursor to plantar fasciitis (a diagnosis no runner wants to hear). In fact, another study proved that flip-flops were not the "optimal" footwear choice for dissipating ground reaction forces by using an in-shoe pressure mapping system to evaluate plantar pressure. And, even if you don't suffer from plantar fasciitis, you might not be "in the clear" for wearing flip-flops. A case study of a runner suffering from IT Band syndrome found that limiting the use of flip-flops may help with rehabilitation/prevention of this condition. Wearing flip-flops is linked to excessive dorsiflexion of the great toe during the stance phase of gait, which may lead to dynamic rear-foot inversion or over-pronation during mid-stance or toe-off while running (aka you pull your toe up more when wearing flip-flops to keep them on, which may cause you to put more pressure on the inner edge of your mid-foot/heel in order to balance correctly, which leads to over-pronation... at least I think that's what they're saying... the last two sections of the article get more into this if you're interested in reading more). Not suffering from any (over)use-related injuries? Well, according to a study conducted at Auburn University, wearing flip-flops still alters your gait. This may lead to compensation or unusual stresses in the foot/ankle. And, because the author's of the original wrote a pretty good conclusion, I'll leave you with what they said:

Although there is currently a movement in favor of minimalist footwear in the running world, the authors feel that minimalist flip-flops are not beneficial as currently designed. Based on observations and results of previous studies, the flip-flop with structure effectively functions more like a bare foot than the minimalist flip-flops. One hypothesis is that in the minimalist flip-flops (at least the ones the authors studied) individuals have to use the plantar surface of the foot to grip the flip-flop. It is this “gripping” that causes gait to deviate further from barefoot measures. Also, gripping the flip-flop is not a natural part of walking. In the running world, the minimalist footwear or barefoot running do not introduce any “unnatural” mechanisms but put the foot in a position to function as designed.

New Balance's minimalist footwear line uses the '<=>' symbol on its poster. I starred at the inequality for a couple of weeks, perplexed by what it said... less than equals greater than? (I can't think of an expression that would be true for)... less than or equal to greater? (ummmm)... and to what?... nothing else was written. Finally, I asked Jim what the New Balance poster "was for". He said, "Oh, the less is more one?". I started laughing :-)

Apples

Usually, my "eat this now" series corresponds to some festival or other... not this time... I was just trying to figure out a "nutrition" post for the week while I happened to be eating an apple... and apples are in season... and good for you... so here goes. First off, they're a filling snack, packing 4g of soluble fiber and only 95 calories. And, apples contain quercetin, which aids endurance by making oxygen more available to the lungs. So, eating one before you exercise can boost endurance! Apparently, eating apples can also help you lose weight, and researchers attribute this to the fruit's antioxidants and pectin. More importantly, these compounds help to lower bad cholesterol and prevent inflammation. Apple-eaters are also less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome (which has been lined to heart disease and diabetes), have a reduced risk for Alzheimer's and many forms of cancer (lung, breast, colon, and liver), have healthier bones (owing to a flavanoid called phloridzin). However, what I found the most interesting was that they also helped reduce asthma symptoms!

So, they boost endurance, reduce inflammation, and help me breathe better?!? Sweet! Good thing apples are probably my favorite fruit. I mean, I really like blueberries and watermelon (and most other fruit), but they have more of a "season"... apples are more of an "everyday" fruit. What do I mean by this? No matter what, grocery stores always have apples, and they're generally always around the same price. Furthermore, they taste the same to me regardless of the season, although I would have to say they are slightly fresher in the fall. And, unlike oranges (another "everyday" fruit), you don't have to work that hard to eat them, and they don't go bad as quickly as bananas do (rounding out the top 3 "everyday" fruits). Apples also go well in just about everything... sandwiches, salads, deserts (ok, that exhausts my cooking). Personally, granny smith apples are my favorite, but that's mostly because they stand up to the rigors of "backpack travel" the best (I've had 5+ years to experiment).

10/15-16 Race Reports

Wow Wow Wow... too many spectacular results from Team RRO / FASTcoaching to count this weekend:

• Sam Brown walked away with a first place finish at the Medoc Trail Marathon for the second year in a row! Crit also ran strong, finishing in the top 10 females (2nd AG). Some of our other friends - Laura M. (1st female), Joey A. (3rd AG), Jim W., and Lauren W. - ran great too... CONGRATS! (10-mile, marathon) 
• The Stephensons ran GREAT at the Feel the Burn 5K... Greg was 1st OA and Sara was the 1st female!
• Donna and Jacci ran STRONG at the Neuse River Bridge Half Marathon! (5k, 10k, half marathon)
• Kim Bowler was the 2nd female at the Run for Healthier Babies... NICE JOB! (results)
• Brian won the Ramblin' Rose Half Marathon. Kelcy Carlson was 3rd overall (2nd female), Laura Berry was 1st in her age group (despite being lead off course), and our friend Shawna was the 1st master's female... AWESOME! (results) 
• Sean (4th OA) and Mike (new sub-1:30 PR) went 1-2 on the Master's side at the Emerald City Half Marathon, and Rita (1st AG, 4th female) and I (3rd female) held our own on the women's side... WAHOOO! (results) 

Weekend Outlook

Lots of races to choose from this weekend:

• The Run for Healthier Babies is this Sat. in Morrisville at 9AM.
• The Neuse River Bridge 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon are on Sat. in New Bern at 7-8AM (depending upon which race you are running).
• The Medoc Trail Marathon and 10-Miler are on Sat. in Hollister at 8:15AM.
• The Ramblin' Rose Half Marathon is on Sun. in Durham at 7:30AM.
• The Emerald City Half Marathon and 5K are on Sun. in Greenville at 7:30/8AM (depending upon which race you are running).

For World Record Friday (and because there are a lot of 13.1-milers this weekend), the fastest half marathon dressed as a fruit is 1:48:52. This record belongs to David Partington who completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon dressed as a tomato. However, it appears that you can run faster dressed as a vegetable. Nick Lodge completed the Run to the Beat Half Marathon dressed as a carrot in 1:37:21. And, in case anyone hasn't seen this yet:

Q: Is it bad to race the day after a massage?

Km: Good question. I've known people who have run the day after (not raced though)... some feel great and some feel sore. And, I've known people who have gotten a massage two days before a race and done well. However, when asked this question, I didn't know anyone who had raced the day after. I finally came across a post that talks about the "best" time to get a massage. It outlines Mark Cavendish's "massage routine":

• Four days out = deep tissue massage
• Two days out = glute flush out massage
• One day out = relaxation massage

The post goes on to say that each person's response is different. However, the author does point out that you want to avoid having a deep tissue massage too close to a big race (I'm guessing 1-2 days out). The body needs time to repair itself and recover... usually about 2 days. Post-recovery is when you really begin to start feeling the benefits. Prior to that, some people feel pretty awful, like they've just lifted weights or done a grueling workout. As for the best time to get a massage - the day after a block of hard training. Not only does this coincide with most people's recovery day, but it helps to flush out all of the lactic acid and other metabolic by-products that have built up in your muscles.

Upper Body Strength

When you think of distance runners, this is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. And, although its true that you don't need to look like the Terminator to run 26.2 miles, a little bit of upper body strength never hurt anyone. While sprinters should focus more on power, distance runners should focus more on endurance in terms of their "weight lifting" routine. Because your legs follow your arms, upper body strength can help get you to the top of a hill or past the runner just ahead of you in the final 100m. Upper body strength also helps with running form, keeping you from slouching and/or bringing your arms across your body (this throws off your stride by wasting energy fight a side-to-side motion). RunnerDude has thankfully put together a good workout, and a pretty comprehensive Q&A on weight-lifting for runners can be found here. If anyone has any other suggestions, let us know... I've always found swimming to be a pretty good upper body / core workout!

... the picture is from my favorite weather.com advertisement :-)

Equivalencies

Energy gels bother some people's stomach... chomps and sports beans become rock solid in the cold... and, personally speaking, the thought of lemon-lime sports drinks makes me cringe for a solid month after a marathon! I mean, GU, PowerBar, etc. have made these rapid energy products so convenient, but have you ever wondered if you could substitute something else:

• Sports Drinks: mix 8 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/3 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon lime juice in 24 ounces of water.
• Gels: jelly packs (haha... I have always claimed that my favorite Jet Blackberry GU tastes like I'm eating a spoonful of jam)
• Energy Chews: gum drops
• Caffeinated Carbs: Starbuck's Doubleshot (although that seems like a horrible idea to me)
• Energy Bars: Fig Newtons

I have some additions to this list. For gels, I know honey works, and part of me really wants to know if anyone has tried maple syrup (I mean, Cracker Barrel packages their sample bottles in such a convenient size). With regards to chews... I have definitely eaten fruit snacks (I mean, PowerBar chews are totally adult Gushers), jelly beans, and have debated candy corns. As for caffeinated carbs, well, 32oz of Cutting Edge energy drink should do the trick, right Dave?!?

43

Not nearly as cool as 101010 (which is 42... the answer to life, the universe, and everything), and I doubt I'll be pretending I'm participating in the Run for Rabies this year, but 101011 is 43, which is...

So I googled 43 and running, and came across this - Running Man Episode 43 (the "sports competition" starts about 11min in). I'm really at a loss for words here...

I tried to think of other things that might involve 43 and swimming, cycling, running, etc. My immediate thought was heart rate, and 43 bpm is an acceptable resting heart rate for athletes. Then I thought of cycling... for a cadence of 43 rpm, you should listen to music with 86 bpm. This lead me to velocity... and apparently Usain Bolt has a top end speed of 43 mph! Apparently Dennis Eckersley, Don Perkins, and Martin Biron were the "best athletes" who wore #43... ok, I really can't think of any other way to link this number to anything reasonable! FYI, the jury is out on what 10-10 stands for in ten-code speak - either "negative" or "fight in progress", maybe it's a contextual thing. However, 10-10 = 0, always, math is great that way :-)

10/8-9 Race Reports

We just keep getting faster and faster!!! Another solid weekend of racing:

• David Oyler was 1st in his age group at the Triangle Run/Walk for Autism. Our friends Jarett (1st AG) and Amelia (3rd AG) also raced well... CONGRATS! (results)
• Dwayne Patterson was 2nd overall at the APC 5K, and Bill Carroll finished in the top 10 as well (1st AG)... WAHOOO! (results)
• Kirby was 3rd in his age group at the New River Trail 50K, running a new PR - 3:48 - a week after finishing 3rd overall in the DuPont Forest 50K... CRAZY!
• Tim Surface ran a 2:33:51 at the Chicago Marathon today. Kimberlie Fowler ran a 2:52:07, David Meeker ran a 2:56:35, Tom Karnatz ran a 3:13:51, and Anthony Greco ran a 3:17:51... y'all KILLED IT!

Weekend Outlook

More 5K's to choose from this weekend - the APC 5K (Athletic Performance Center, 8AM) and the Triangle Run/Walk for Autism (Moore Square, 9AM) are both on Saturday. Some of our friends are also running in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

Jennifer won the Women's Only 5K in Greensboro last weekend, finishing 30+ sec ahead of 2nd place in a field of nearly 3000 runners... CONGRATS! (results)

Twin Cities Track Club owns the record for the fastest time to run 100k on a treadmill (team of 12) - 5:42:32 set in August of 2008. Need some inspiration the next time you run?

Brooks DNA

After seeing the Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosities last year, I have always kind of envied the person who got to be the Jesus Lizard. And, the other day when I was sitting very still for a very long time collecting data, I started thinking about how nice it would be to just get up and run across a pool of non-Newtonian liquid. Being that I couldn't (or I would screw up the data I had already patiently collected), I decided to write a blog post about it at lunch.

Brooks' cushioning system is known as Brooks DNA and is "engineered from what's called a non-Newtonian liquid". Non-Newtonian fluids have a non-linear shear stress vs. shear rate response (for the engineers who read this blog). More simply put, if you apply a sudden, quick force, the non-Newtonian substance behaves like a solid... if you apply the force more gradually, the non-Newtonian substance behaves more like a fluid. So, what does this mean for your sneaker? A lot of people initially describe Brook's cushioning system as being "pillowey" when they're just standing or easy jogging (i.e., applying force more gradually). However, when they start "really running", the shoe seems to firm up a bit (i.e., applying a greater force more suddenly). In other words, the cushioning is adaptive, or as they say - "soft comfort when you want it, firm support when you need it".

... and I finally remember where I originally heard this term: Bio-Fluids class (blood is also a non-Newtonian fluid)!

Beer and Banana Pasta

Before you ask, NO, I did NOT attempt to put all three of those in a bowl and call it dinner. However, both unripe banana flour and barley may be added to pasta to make it healthier. In addition to packing plenty of antioxidants and fiber, unripe banana flour has a low glycemic index owing to the fact that it contains resistant starch. This helps to manage weight, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (foods with a low glycemic index are the tortoises of glucose release). Pasta made with barley ("a grain famous for giving beer its characteristic strength and flavor"), on the other hand, is also an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants.

10-4

8-2... sqrt(12*(1+1+1))... 3!... or whatever mathematical expression you like to use to get to 6. But, this post is not about my previous unfamilliarty with ten-codes, but rather 6-packs for runners.

I love how the article starts... arms flailing, head tipped completely to the right, gasping... yup, that's what I picture when I'm running hard... definitely not the picture-perfect form of Sharlane Flanagan! So, how does she do it? Among other things - core strength... but not the sit-ups and back extensions that we normally think about. Rather, this bronze medalist concentrates on "integrated movement". Traditional exercises subject the spine to excessive compressive and shearing forces, which can result in injury, and do little to actually improve the main function of your core muscles (i.e., prevent torso rotation). Integrated movement exercises focus on strengthening all of your core and developing effective communication between your nervous system and muscles. In order to do this, the article suggests practicing "abdominal bracing". This involves co-activating the muscles around the spine to teach the body how to quickly achieve stabilization. To practice this, pretend like you're about to be punched in the stomach (this should activate your muscles), but continue breathing. The following exercises also help:

• Axe Chops
• Body Saw
• Unilateral Carry
• Bird Dog with Squares

For runners, it's also important to keep "core endurance" in mind versus "core strength". And, make sure you maintain the natural curve in your lower back when performing the above exercises.

Q: What is the healthiest beer?

Km: Beer, at least in modest amounts can be good for you (as can its non-alcoholic counterpart). In addition to the "general" benefits of moderate alcohol consumption (i.e., clot prevention, cleaner arteries, and stress reduction), beer has also been shown help battle cancer, boost metabolism, and fight viruses. How? Its all in the hops, well, the polyphenols they contain at least! Additionally, research as also shown that consuming 12oz of beer a day decreases fibrinogen (a clotting factor) and increases albumin (important for protein metabolism).

So, which type of beer contains the most hops? In a 2007 study, IPAs were the clear winner, with 80x the hops of  a standard mass-market lager. The article suggests some beers you can try, or one of Big Boss's (such as the High Roller American-style IPA) at the run tomorrow!

10/1-2 Race Reports

Where to start... where to start:

• James Lavin was 2nd at the Scrub Run 10K (beating his brother, who was 3rd), and Jennifer Curtin was the 1st female overall. Our friend Brad B. won... WAHOOO! (10K results, 5K results)
• Sean also easily won the PES StrollerThon 5K.
• The Railroad Days 5K went well for Team RRO / FAST Coaching also. Brandon Carter won, Kimberlie Fowler was the 1st female overall, and Sara Stephenson was the 3rd female overall. David Meeker was 2nd in his age group, Anthony Greco and Greg Stephenson went 3-4 in theirs, and Tom Karnatz and Mike went 2-3 in theirs. Our friend Jarett was 2nd overall, and Pauline was the 2nd female... AWESOME! (results)

I know many people set PR's too ->lLooks like cool weather = fast times. CONGRATS everyone on a GREAT weekend of racing!