Running of the Bulls

The Running of the Bulls 8k is this weekend in Durham, so I figured I'd post something on the topic of the more famous Running of the Bulls.

How fast can a bull run?
40+ mph (going with wikianswers... saw as low as 17 mph to as high as 60 mph).

How fast can a person run?
21.4 mph.

Ummmm?
200-300 people wind up injured each year, and 16 people have died as of 2009.

But I still want to try... any tips?
Try running sober :-)

Strength Training Sans Weights

Today's post is going to be short and sweet... found this article that describes 50 bodyweight exercises that you can do to work on total body strength (1-10), legs (11-24), chest & back (25-32), shoulders & arm (33-37), and core (38-50).

Dress For Success

Although there are some performance benefits associated with wearing lighter sneakers, compression socks, etc., a lot of it can be mental. Basically, when you dress like an elite runner, you feel like an elite runner, and therefore run faster... at least according to this article. However, I refuse to wear bun huggers ever, let alone for a marathon, so Shalane and/or Kara and I can never be twins. Now, Desiree does wear "normal shorts", but I've never seen her rocking compression socks, so I guess I'm out of options. Unless I dress like a superhero...

Q: Road Mile vs. Track Mile?

How do the times translate?
My favorite response: (road-road)+track = track
Only other response: road-10sec = track

Really?
Men: outdoor- 3:43:13; indoor-  3:48:45
Women: outdoor-4:12:56 ; indoor- 4:17:14
The fastest road mile was run in 1981 by Sydney Maree- 3:47:52!

Is 3:43:13 the lowest we'll see?
Not if they bring back the mile!

Better start training for next year's 1-mile road championship! Hope everyone has a good Memorial Day... I'll post the results of this AM's Mile Challenge at some point.

5-26/27 Race Reports

Another grrrrrrrreat weekend of racing:

• Keith F. finished 2nd overall in the Old School Aquathon, Kari M. was the 3rd female, and David O. finished 1st in his age group! (results)
• Win B. was 5th overall in the Rock 2 Rock 10k Trail Run! (results)
• Bri and Kari's Doughman team finished 5th or 6th overall!

CONGRATS everyone! Brad's Memorial Day Mile Run is tomorrow at 7AM... haven't run a flat out mile on a track since high school!

Weekend Outlook

Could it be? A weekend without a million races? Must be warming up (and it's Memorial Day weekend, so most of the races are down at the beach or up in the mountains). But, if you must race... Someone Special Like Me 5k (Cary, Sat. @ 8:30AM) and Woodlake Sprint Tri/Du (Vass, Sat @ 8AM). Brad's Memorial Day Mile Challenge will also take place on Memorial Day.

5280ft

Bring back the mile...

Not the 1500m...

Or the 1600m...

But all of the 1609m...

WAHOOO!

Yeah, not so sure that cheer is going to take off, but there is a movement in the US to bring back the mile. The mile is one of the few distances that most Americans can visualize, yet only MA features the mile at its high school state championship. On the collegiate level, the mile is still run indoors, but it has been dropped from the outdoor schedule because the IAAF won't accept mile (or converted mile) times for the world championships or Olympics. In any event, here's a look at the history of the record for the mile... 1999 is a long time for a record to stand!

What you think you want...

Versus what you really want/need may be completely different, at least according to this post. Among the more common cravings:

• What you want = sweets -> What you really need = chromium, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur, tryptophan
• What you want = bread -> What you really need = nitrogen
• What you want = fatty snacks -> What you really need = calcium
• What you want = coffee -> What you really need = phosphorus, sulfur, NaCl, iron
• What you want = salty foods -> What you really need = chloride

And I'm just going to throw this out there... some people who crave alcohol or marijuana may not have a protein, avenin, calcium, glutamine, and/or potassium deficit.

Spikes

Not all spikes are created equal... there are ones that are better suited for sprinting, others for distance running, cross country has their own flavor, and the ones used for field events look completely different! Sprinting spikes usually have the greatest number of spikes and a very stiff "spike plate" (the plastic piece in the front of the shoe) to maximize energy transfer. To look at them, they generally have the most plastic, and some have a zip-up cover to improve aerodynamics. Distance spikes generally have less spikes and a more flexible spike plate. They also are a bit wider and have a bit softer, more durable sole, making them more comfortable for the longer races. Similar to distance spikes, cross country spikes are more flexible and have fewer spikes (no more than 6) compared to sprinting spikes. They are more durable than distance spikes, however, and have a bit more cushioning to accommodate different terrain. While cross country spikes can be used for distance events on the track, the converse does not hold true.

5/19-20 Race Reports

Wahooo!!! Wahooo!!! Wahooo!!!

• Mike C. was 2nd overall in the MCHS Stampede Run 5k and Bill C. was 1st in his age group (7th overall)! (results)
• Anthony G. was 1st AG (10th overall) in the NCRC Half Marathon, and Perry B. was the 1st grandmaster! Andrea S. ran a great half as well, finishing 5th in her age group, and several of our other friends rocked in the 10k (Tim M. was 3rd overall)! (half marathon results; 10k results)
• Marissa was 1st in her age group at the Run for the Dream 8k! (results)
• Dan H. also ran awesome at the Pocono Run for the Red Marathon, earning his BQ with a time of 3:16! (results)

CONGRATS to everyone who raced!

Finishing Medals

I found a site the other day that showed pictures of the finisher's medals awarded at any marathon and half marathon that feels like submitting a photo. The Texas Marathon has the heaviest medal, and the Little Rock Marathon can claim the largest medal. They don't have the top 25 from last year yet, but here's the picks from '09 and '10. Anyways, I thought it was kind of neat.

Weekend Outlook

Another action-packed weekend of racing lies ahead:

• St. Francis of Assisi Run for Peace 5k (Raleigh, Sat. 9AM... this is an RRO-sponsored race)
• Prader-Willi Syndrome 5k/10k (White Oak Church Entrance @ ATT, Sat. 8AM)
• Run, Rock, & Roll 5k (Cary, Sat. 9AM)
• Got Grit? 5k (Hillsborough, Sat. 9:15AM)
• MCHS Mustang Race (Apex, Sat. 2PM)
• Bright Night 5k (Greenville, Sat. 7:30PM)
• NCRC Invitational Half Marathon & 10k Race (Cary, Sun. 7AM)
• Ramblin' Rose Raleigh Tri (Raleigh, Sun. 8AM)

GOOD LUCK if you're racing this weekend! Oh, and check out Nike's new TURBOSPEED Suit! (I'm figuring that they'll set some new records this year, and next year decide that those records are "invalid"... basically the Speedo swimsuit of this year's Olympics)

Hamstring "Problems"

What is it?
The hamstring runs across both the knee and hip joints and is comprised of three muscles- the semi-tendinosus, the semi-membranosus, and the biceps femoris. Injuries run on a continuum, from mild (Grade I) to severe (Grade III), and are often recurrent, with pain present in the center of the thigh (pain in the outer thigh in sciatica) In Grade I injuries, muscle stiffness, soreness, and tightness are present, and there will be some discomfort during walking (although gait and range of motion will not be significantly affected). There may also be some slight swelling. In Grade II injuries, the muscle will be painful to the touch, may twinge sharply, and there will be noticeable swelling or bruising. This will affect gait, and a limp may be present. In Grade III injuries, pain will be present during rest and will intensify with movement, making walking without assistance difficult. 

What causes it?
These types of injuries most often occur during an eccentric contraction when the leg is over-extended. This can occur when running on a sloped road or steep bank, or can be the result of a sudden change in pace (sprinting) or direction (trail and cross country running). Other contributing factors include tight hip flexors, weak glutes, muscle imbalances between the quadriceps and hamstring (i.e., opposing muscle groups), leg length discrepancies, poor flexibility and strength, improper warm-up, and fatigue/over-exertion.

What can I co to prevent it?

• Warm-up
• Stretch before and after working out
• Strengthen the hamstring and surrounding muscles

What can I do if I already have it?
The exact treatment will depend on the severity of the injury, but RICE, anti-inflammatories, and stretching/strengthening are a safe bet. A wrap can also be used to provide support. For more severe injuries, a trip to the doctor for evaluation and treatment may be necessary.

What are the best shoes for it?
There really is no running shoe that is going to prevent a hamstring injury, but making sure they're not worn out is always a good idea!

Snacks

Running on empty seldom results in a good training session, but sometimes life doesn't allow you to follow an "optimal" eating strategy, so what should you do? Runner's World recently published an article that outlined snacking options based upon how much time you have before you lace up your sneakers:

• 15-30min: oranges, applesauce (no-sugar added is best), pudding (1.5g of fat or less)
• 30-60min: cereal (skip the high-fiber stuff), dried fruit, iced coffee drinks (low calorie/fat options)
• 60-90min: carrots & hummus, instant oatmeal, sweet potatoes

Or, if you don't have time to grab any of these, aim for 16oz of a sports drink (also a good option if you can't stomach solid food that close to a run) or an energy bar.

The Next Yasso 800?!

BREAKING NEWS: there *might* be a new workout the rivals the Yasso 800 in terms fundamental training success for distances shorter than 26.2-miles. So, whose name will go down in running history (I really want to know if Bart Yasso says he's going to do "me 800's", "Yasso 800's", or just plain "800's"?

30-20-10... ok, that's the weirdest last name that I have ever heard. Doesn't have the same ring to it... too many things to say... how about the Blast Off Workout (get it... 3, 2, 1 (x10)... blast off). But saying that we're going to run Blast Off's at the track sounds kind of awkward. Maybe we can call it the Pluto workout (because I feel bad that its no longer a planet)? Yeah, I like that, plus it reminds me of Disney World and... ok ok, back on topic

The 30-20-10 workout consists of jogging 30sec, tempo-ing for 20sec, and then sprinting for 10sec. This cycle gets repeated five times, with the aim of doing 2-3 sets. Veteran runners who did this a few times a week improved their 1500m times by 6% and their 5k times by 4%. Also, their health improved (lower systolic blood pressure as well as cholesterol). 

Fixie 101

I found this post (which I found entertaining to read) that does a pretty good job of explaining fixed-gear bikes (aka fixies). It goes over some of the things you need to consider when purchasing one (because apparently, like minimal shoes, you might want to consider transitioning from "normal" bike to a fixie with a single-speed) and reviews six or so models.

Anyways... we are trying to plan a Fixie Festival for sometime in October to benefit the E3 Project. This event will hopefully be paired with a Cross Country Race (the results and some pictures from last year's race can be found in the righthand column of the blog) and some other fun events. Soooooooo... if you're interested in helping us out with some of the logistics, that would be super awesome!

5/12-13 Race Reports

Three words to describe this weekend... WAHOOO WAHOOO WAHOOO (ok, I guess that's one word three times):

• Mike C. was 2nd overall in the 3000m, Sean K. was 3rd overall in the 1500m, and the distance medley team comprised of Mike C., Sean K., and Mark N. (and our friend Jack U.) broke the meet record in the SE Master's Track Meet!
• Rusty F. and Greg S. went 1-2 in the Remembrance 5k, and Sara S. was first female (and 4th overall)!
• Bill C. was 3rd in his age group at the Nags Head Woods 5k! (results)
• Carolyn M. was 1st overall in the Run Like a Mother 5k, and Erica L. ran great as well (the results aren't posted yet, but I imagine that Erica placed in her age group).
• Mike C. was 2nd overall in the Catch Me If You Can 5k! (results) 

I'll post more results as they come in... big shout out to Mike C. who raced 3 days in a row and placed in the top 2 overall in each! CONGRATS EVERYONE AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Weekend Outlook

And the racing continues:

• Southeastern Master's Track Meet (Fri-Sat @ St. Augustine's College)
• Remembrance 5k (Sat @ 8:15AM, Pine Level)
• Fun Run for Charities 5k/10k (Sat @ 8AM, Rocky Mount)
• Monarchs in Motion 5k (Sat @ 8AM, Apex)
• Capital City Classic 10k (Sat @ 8:30AM, Raleigh)
• Clayton Road Race (Sat  @ 9AM, Clayton)
• Run the Ridge 5k (Sat @ 9AM, Hillsborough)
• Catch Me If You Can 5k/10k (Sun @ 7AM, Garner)
• Run Like a Mother 5k (Sun @ 8:30AM, Raleigh)

And, for a very cool new record set at the London Marathon...Claire Lomas became the first person ever to complete a marathon wearing a "bionic" suit. A horseback riding accident left her paralyzed from the waist down 3-years ago. 16 days isn't too shabby for someone wearing a 40lb exoskeleton who can't feel her feet! 

IT Band Syndrome (ITBS)

What is it?

This injury is called a bunch of different things... IT Band (Friction) Syndrome, ITBS (which is way too close in letters to IBS for my liking), and Runner's Knee. It usually manifests itself as pain on the outside of the knee (especially during flexion and extension... in other words, running), although the entire IT Band can feel tight. Sometimes people experience a clicking sensation as the tendon snaps across the joint, weakness in hip abduction, and/or tender trigger points in the gluteal area.

What causes it?
ITBS is a (over)use injury. A sudden increase in hill running, running on an uneven surface, and/or weak hip muscles (especially the gluteus medius) can often cause this injury to flare up.

What can I do to prevent it?

• Ease into hill training
• Avoid running on only one side of the road (or in the same direction around the track)
• Opt for softer surfaces
• Get a good warm-up in and stretch (tight gluteal or quadriceps muscles can contribute)
• IT Band strengthening exercies (but avoid squats if it's already bugging you)

What can I do if I already have it?

• RICE
• Stretch
• Foam roller / deep tissue massage 
• Anti-inflammatories or a cortisone injection (in severe cases)
• IT Band wrap (we sell the Pro Tec one at RRO)
• Abnormal biomechanics can also be the culprit (i.e., excessive pronation, leg length discrepancies, lateral pelvic tilt, "bowed" legs), which may require physical therapy.

What are the best shoes for it?
If you pronate, make sure you're in a stability shoe. Other than that, replacing your shoes when they need to be (approximately every 400-miles for normal training shoes, maybe less for some of the lighter-weight, more minimalist models) is probably the biggest issue.

Q: What causes side stitches?

Km: I am unfamiliar with the term "side stitch"... is this the same as a side crampie? exercise related transient abdominal pain (ETAP)? Just kidding, but seriously, who uses these terms?! A side stitch is simply a muscle spasm of the diaphragm. There are a few theories about what causes this, but the largest contributing factor seems to be what you eat before you exercise. Namely, drinking reconstituted fruit juices or beverages high in carbohydrates and osmolality either right before or during exercise seemed to result in a higher prevalence of side stitches. Another viable theory speaks to over-stretching the ligaments that extend from the diaphragm to the internal organs, particularly the liver. Breathing while running, particularly when running fast, stretches these ligaments. People who exhale when their right foot hits the ground are more prone to side stitches, perhaps because this is the same side of the body that the liver is on. In order to prevent/relieve side stitches, try taking even, deep breaths. You can also try alternating your breathing pattern and stretching. Running downhill also seems to trigger side stitches because it places the entire body under more force.

Fast Finishes

I hate getting passed at the end of a race... well, I hate getting passed at any point during the race... but the end just seems worse because I've managed to stay ahead of that person for 99+ percent of time. But, alas, it only matters who crosses the finish line first. So, is there anything you can do to make sure your the passer and not the passee?

• Run a longer warmup before an interval session so that you're more tired than usual
• Drop the pace by 20-30sec / mile for the last 1/3 of your long run (I'm thinking this should be expressed more as a percent and not as a fixed time, but that's just me)
• Ladder Workout: 1-mile @ 5k pace, 1200m 1sec/lap faster, 1000m 2sec/lap faster, 800m 3sec/lap faster, 600m 4sec/lap faster, 400m 5sec/lap faster with 1:1 time recovery (I think the pace decrements are from the first mile, but it might be from the previous interval- i.e., the 400m would be 15sec/lap faster than the mile?... that seems way too fast)
• 10-mile acceleration run (dropping pace by 20sec every two-miles)

And, although easy/recovery runs are supposed to be easy, there's no use fighting yourself to stay at the same pace... most people speed up a little bit at the end!

Peanut Butter

I have always heard that natural stuff was sooo much better for me than the regular stuff. And, since it's a staple in my diet, I figured I'd better choke up the extra $ so my arteries wouldn't clog... my heart explode... or whatever other doom and gloom might ensue. However, one day after finally making it through the door at Food Lion, there was a display of peanut butter right in front of me. The kiosk promised me "wicked savings"... and it was a lot less than I usually pay... but it was the "regular stuff". So, I decided that I'd finally evaluate for myself how "good" natural peanut butter was and flipped the jar over. I noticed that the regular peanut butter had 0mg of cholesterol... didn't seem to have a lot of salt and sugar... the first ingredient was, in fact, peanuts... so why was this sooo bad for me? I carried it back with me, expecting that it would all make sense when I compared it to the natural peanut butter... but no. Then, I figured that in order to be totally scientific about this (because that's necessary when grocery shopping), I should compare products within the same brand. Luckily, Skippy makes both (nutrition labels shown below... left- regular and right- natural).

Nutritionally... ho hum... about equal. The only major difference was in the ingredients- regular peanut butter contains hydrogenated vegetable oil whereas the natural peanut butter contains palm oil. Obviously, the former is better for you than the later... but, all the same, you probably don't need to worry about your arteries clogging and heart exploding because you ate "regular" peanut butter!

5/5-6 Race Reports

Lots of races = lots of good results for Team RRO/FASTcoaching:

• Bobby B. was 1st in his age group at the Wake Forest Rotary Club 5k, and Jacci P. and Bill C. were 2nd in theirs! (results)
• James L. was 1st overall by a long shot in the WakeMed Distance Festival 5k (when I saw him at the turnaround, there was not another person in sight). Kelcey C. and Meghan H. were 1st and 3rd female respectively in the 10k, and Linda W. was 1st in her age group. Mike C. ran a great race as well, placing 4th in his age group (because that age group is crazy competitive)! (5k results; 10k results)
• K. Mayhew was 2nd open female at the White Lake Half and two relay teams with some of our teammates and friends (E. Lawrie, K. Fowler, and D. Meeker) did great! B. Gaal was 1st in her age group at the White Lake Sprint Tri (Half results; Sprint results)

I'll post more results as I find them. The Titus Van Rijn Run (see how far you can run in 1hr on a track) also went well this morning. Keith killed the rest of us... I'll post the exact distances we covered when I find them out. CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS WAHOOO (to all those who raced)!

Weekend Outlook

In case you haven't had enough racing lately, there are about a million 5k's/10k's going on this weekend:

• Wake Forest Rotary Club 5k (Sat. 8:30AM, Wake Forest)... this is an RRO-sponsored race!
• WakeMed Distance Festival 5k/10k (Sat. 8AM, Cary)
• Philosopher's Way 7k/15k Trail Run (Sat. 8AM, Chapel Hill)
• Purple Cloth 5k (Sat. 8:15AM, Cary)
• Cary Park 5k (Sat. 8:30AM, Cary)
• Jaycees Fit to Lead 5k (Sat. 9AM, Cary)
• BaySix Southern 5k Classic (Sun. 3PM, Raleigh)
• White Lake Half (Sat. 7AM) and White Lake Sprint (Sun. 8AM) 

Brad's annual Titus Van Rijn Run will also be held this Sunday at Martin Middle School (7AM)... let him know if you plan on attending!

And, to end this week on a lighter note... it's Star Wars Day (May the fourth be with you)! I don't think that any of the cast of the original trilogy has run a marathon... but Harrison Ford and James Earl Jones totally should have. I mean, how freaking awesome would that be (as long as they didn't run Boston)?! I wouldn't even care what time they ran, they would make my top 5 list! And, they should totally run in the PureProject shoes because the color schemes remind me of lightsabers (and I make lightsaber noises in my head when I open the box). I'm not even remotely kidding... I was so disappointed when the women's PureFlow switched from Skywalker to orchid... and wondered why the men's PureCadence went from Yoda to Sith. I know I've probably put way too much thought into this... but if I were to name a shoe line, I think I would settle on Star Wars. So friends, remember when you're racing this weekend... Do Or Do Not, There Is No Try!

A Place For Celebrity (and charity) Runners

And now for some final thoughts on this week's topic...

There's a time and a place for everything. I have no problems with celebrities (and others) running a race for charity. In fact, I support the premise of doing so because it raises awareness and funds for a lot of different causes (honestly, I had never heard of Prader-Willi Syndrome until I ran a race last year). However, in races that cap registration and have strict qualification standards, I think that everyone running should have to meet them (which clearly some celebrities can). This doesn't mean that people can't run for charity... they just have to qualify too (aka they should be treated like everyone else trying to run the race of their dreams). And it doesn't mean that every race has to work this way... there are plenty of marathons and other races for celebrity and charity runners to choose from.

I know this sounds harsh, but I feel that there should be some races that should be reserved for faster runners (and by faster, I'm not talking about anything crazy, just quicker than 4hrs, which I think is around the average finishing time for marathons). I mean, the Wesley Korir (winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon) said, "To me, running the Boston Marathon is an Olympic Event". Yup, he compared the Boston Marathon to the Olympics. They don't let just anyone run in the Olympics... not even Oprah could buy her way into that one! So, why not set aside a few races every year that you have to qualify to run in? I'm thinking Boston, New York, and Chicago right off the bat (these are World Marathon Majors events). With that, you might be able to make the qualification standards for these races a bit more reasonable, or at least ensure that everyone who does qualify and wants to run gets to (and then you can open it up to celebrity and other charity runners)!

The Best and The Worst

The Best:

• Alan Turing: 2:46:03 (1947 Leicestershire Amateur Athletic Championships Marathon)
• Nell McAndrew: 2:54:39 (2012 London Marathon)
• Dana Carvey: 3:04:21 (1972 Ocean to Bay Marathon)
• Mike Malinin: 3:23:56 (2000 Chronicle Marathon)
• William Baldwin: 3:24:29 (1992 New York City Marathon)

The Worst:

• Sean Combs: 4:14:54 (2003 New York City Marathon)
• Oprah Winfrey: 4:29:20 (1994 Marine Corps Marathon)
• Lisa Ling: 4:34:18 (2002 Boston Marathon)
• David James Elliot: 4:57:23 (2000 Boston Marathon) 
• Valerie Bertinelli: 5:14:37 (2010 Boston Marathon) 
• Katie Holmes: 5:29:58 (2007 New York City Marathon)
• Mario Lopez & Ali Landry: 5:41:41 (2002 Boston Marathon)
• Freddie Prinze Jr.: 5:50:49 (2006 Los Angeles Marathon)
• David Lee Roth: 6:04:43 (1987 New York City Marathon)
• Al Roker: 7:09:00 (2010 New York City Marathon) 

*** the green highlights denote celebrities who ran in the Boston Marathon without qualifying

The Beer Mile

I thought I posted something about The Beer Mile a while back, but I can't remember when (good thing I started tagging posts). So, being that I can't find it, this "first Tuesday of the month's installment" will be dedicated to the topic. First off, yes... The Beer Mile is actually a contested race with documented rules and records and everything (there's apparently a 5-min barrier for this rendition of 5280ft)! The rules differ by "region"- the US favors 12oz cans and issues a penalty for puking, whereas they drink 20oz out of a pint glass in UK, Australia, and New Zealand (and no penalty is issued for "chundering"). In German-speaking countries, they prefer Kastenlauf to The Beer Mile. For this sport, a team of two must carry and consume a crate of beer over 10-kilometers.