Boston Strong: Race Report from the 2014 Boston Marathon

I thought about this race for more than a year. The anticipation was all-consuming. When I first decided to train for my first marathon some eight years ago, I set one goal for myself. I wanted to run the Boston Marathon.

For many, Boston is the Super Bowl of our sport. This is a runner's Kona. It's the holy grail we work so hard to reach, and even harder to stay in its company. If I learned one thing about the city and the people of Boston this past weekend, that's company I want to keep.

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My year didn't start out how I wanted it to. I had an off-and-on calf strain for the better part of 6 weeks in December and January. Training was a bit erratic. I spent most of January confined to exclusive aqua running. If it were any other course than the downhill pounding from the rolling Boston course, I wouldn't be worried. But when you put your quads through that much stress, they better be ready for it. Doing almost all non-impact running in the pool wasn't the ideal solution. But, it was what I had to work with at the time.

I did spend considerably more time in the weight room over the winter, which I knew would help. Heavy squats, deadlifts, step-ups, lunges, basically anything to train the eccentric contraction in my quads and gluts that I knew would come on race day.

I came out the other side of my calf injury with essentially 12 weeks of training. For the competitive runner, a build up of almost twice that length would be ideal. But, I had 12 weeks and I was determined to make the most of it.

After the race, on the drive back, I reflected a bit on what I actually accomplished during those 12 weeks. How I gave myself a chance in Boston. How I took that relatively short amount of time to set myself up for one of my most memorable performances to date, whether triathlon or over 26.2 miles.

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Boston is a special race regardless of the circumstances. This year was obviously different. The energy to "reclaim" this 118th running of the race for the city of Boston and runners everywhere was inspiring. I was truly honored and grateful to be apart of such a memorable event, one that brought out the strength, the resilience, the very best of Massachusetts, from Hopkinton to Boylston Street.

As much as running is an individual pursuit, I think we all do it for some higher purpose, something greater than ourselves. For some, this year's race was about healing. For others it was about redemption. For me, it reminded me of why I became a runner, why I'm grateful and proud to associate myself with a community that really stands apart in sport. For us runners, we know there are things we simply can't control. We can't control if a project gets dumped on us at work. We can't control if our young son or daughter is up all night with a fever. But, the one thing we can control, and in fact live for, are those times we get to lace up our running shoes, step into the sunshine (or down-pouring rain, snow, or sleet in some cases) and head off into the horizon, feeling completely free and alive.

I felt that same feeling in Boston, of truly living. And not just during the race, but all weekend. I don't think it was a coincidence that Christianity's most sacred, joyous holiday, Easter, a celebration of life, fell just one day before the marathon in a year when its meaning (life) was at the forefront of all of our thoughts. 

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We arrived in Boston on Saturday afternoon, two days before the race. My wife and I drove up with my parents. The day was perfect for driving. The sun was shining. The trees of the typically picturesque Connecticut landscape were noticeably brown. Winter definitely left its mark. That didn't matter very much, though. I stared out the window. My thoughts drifted. I pictured myself on the course in Boston, attacking. I was getting into race mode.

Before arriving at the hotel, we took a slight detour through Hopkinton and Framingham. I wanted to familiarize myself with the area and the course. Were the downhills during the first few miles really that significant? Driving the first 10k of the course gave me somewhat of an answer to the question, but nothing compares to the actual experience of your feet hitting the pavement, your quads absorbing the impact. We'll see what happens on race day.

After finally checking into the hotel, we all headed for the most important pre-race destination: Whole Foods. I'll be the first to admit, I'm extremely cognizant of what I put in my body, and during the days before a race, I'm even more so. I made sure I was stocked with all my essentials: avocados, coconut oil, almonds, and white rice to add to the few things I brought from home: UCAN Superstarch, Maca powder, and Upgraded coffee beans (and the coffee grinder, of course).

Sunday morning I went for my usual pre-race jog and stretch. This is a routine that stems all the way back to my soccer days. Nothing too significant, but a few light miles to get the legs moving, a few short strides to introduce some stimulation, and a series of dynamic stretches. Now, time to head into Boston to the expo. I definitely felt the pre-race jitters by now. It was all positive energy, though.  Excitement, not nervousness.

At one point the following morning my dad referred to me as a chemist. I travel with a lot of my own foods and I'm not shy about picking only very specific items from the hotel breakfast buffet area (which was basically just a banana and hot water) and combining them with my stuff at the table. I guess at some point I stopped caring what other people thought about the things I ate or how I ate. I know the things that help me perform at my best and I stick to them.

Anyway, breakfast that morning: water, coffee with coconut oil, and a hot mixture of the following: UCAN Superstarch, a banana, avocado, coconut oil, almonds, Maca powder, and a very small amount (1/8 cup maybe) of hot oatmeal.

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The ambiance of packet pick-up and the expo was pretty overwhelming. I've run in large races before, but this was different. I felt as though I was in different company, that I reached a new level in my endurance sports career. After a short bout of anxiety because I left my runner's passport (essentially your ticket to pick-up your bib) in the hotel room, I was relieved to see an information area where you could replace it if need be. This is pretty standard practice now with many races. You don't usually need your registration confirmation, but you always fear the worst.

With packet pick-up behind me, time for some lunch. The challenge, of course, was trying to find a place with an open table. Runners swarmed the restaurants around the Hynes Convention Center on Boylston Street. We walked a few blocks and finally came upon a decent looking cafe, with some outdoor seating nonetheless. Lunch was a big Greek salad with a side of hummus and olives.

My pre-race meals, especially dinner, don't deviate too much from my normal, everyday meals around major training sessions. And as I've written about before, I don't follow the conventional "carbo-load" approach to pre-race fueling. I think it's unnecessary to an extent and counterproductive, especially if you're goal is to control insulin, which is essentially the body's gatekeeper to fat burning (by spiking insulin, this basically triggers the body to shut down fat oxidation and rely exclusively on glycogen). That night at dinner (which was at this really cool jazz place in Cambridge called Beat Hotel) I had fluke ceviche, sweet potato, and broccoli rabe.

One final thing to do before bed and that was to layout all my gear for the following morning. Lights out.

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I woke up race morning feeling rested. I had no issues the previous night falling asleep (thank you Natural Calm magnesium, another item in my mobile food pantry). It also helped psychologically that the time I had to wake up was about 45 minutes later than the time I normally wake up for AM training sessions. So, I actually got to sleep in!

Now, on to breakfast, which was another "science experiment." A doubly concentrated cup of Upgraded coffee with coconut oil, and another slurry with a small amount of white rice, avocado, half a mashed banana, UCAN Superstarch, a few almonds, and a small scoop of Maca powder. I also prepared my race fuel, which was pretty straightforward: a 10oz handheld flask with a concentrated solution of Superstarch that I planned to sip on from mile 8 or 9 till I finished it.

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The shuttle bus drop-off point in Hopkinton was about a mile from athlete's village. Between the time my dad dropped me off at Hopkinton State Park at the shuttle and entering athlete's village, I passed through three security checkpoints. But, I knew this was coming, so all the added security didn't phase me too much.

As I walked through the starting corrals in Hopkinton, which, in a few short hours would be packed with thousands of runners, I felt an incredible sense of calm. I'm not sure if it was the sun, the cool morning air, or the mental state I was able to put myself in, but I felt entirely present in that moment. I walked by countless volunteers, thanking them for their service, and even more spectators, thanking them for their support and hospitality. I was, in fact, simply a visitor, and I was honored they embraced my company (for all those who understand Marathon Monday in Boston, the city more than embraces the runners who compete).

Athlete's village was a sprawl of bodies claiming the smallest of plots on the ground. Most flocked into areas hit by sunlight for added warmth. It wasn't extremely cold, but there was definitely a chill in the air. Because of new gear check rules, no bags were allowed in Hopkinton. That meant anything you wore you either had to discard (all clothing was donated) or run with it. Like many others, I arrived wearing pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a fleece top straight from the 90's. Observing all the interesting pre-race outfits (from bathrobes to blankets) provided a bit of entertainment during the 90 minutes or so I spent waiting in the village. I found a spot up against one of the tent poles to sit. Now the waiting game.

Nine o'clock finally rolled around, which meant it was time for the first wave to assemble in the staging area. I stripped off my sweats and exited athlete's village to join the other runners of my wave. There was only one thing missing in this area though, port-a-johns. Runners began to line the tree line around the parking area similarly to how lines would queue to wait for a port-a-john. The only problem: there were none. It didn't seem any of the police officers were itching to pass out citations for public urination. Anyway...

All nine corrals stretched through the center part of town in Hopkinton. But, runners were able to exit to the sides to warm-up. That's where I went. Down a fairly flat side street, I got a solid warm-up in. I felt good. Legs were loose. I didn't overdue it. Breathing was under control. I felt relaxed. I re-entered my coral - coral four, just three behind the elites - just in time for the national anthem.

After introductions of the elite runners, which included a pretty stacked field on both the men's and women's side, the gun finally went off. The corals in front of me slowly made their way across the start line. It's a slow, steady walk to the start line, and then, in an instant, you turn it on.

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Ask any running coach or Boston veteran, they will all tell you the same thing. Don't go out too fast. Sure, this can be said of any race, but there's one thing that sets Boston apart from many other courses. The first 6 miles are all downhill. A few of these downhills are signficant, but many are gradual. They are deceptive. You wouldn't know it, but the course drops more than 250 feet over the first 4 miles (150 feet over the first half mile). The tendency is to take advantage of the free speed (not to mention the adrenaline that's pumping from the crowds at the start) to make up time early that you might lose later on. But, this is a slippery slope. As, the saying goes, every 1 minute you run too fast early in Boston, you lose 2 minutes later.

I felt this constant struggle during the first few miles. I wanted to push a comfortable pace, one I knew I could handle. But, I also had the continuous caution on repeat in my head. "Don't overdue it on the hills." I settled into a fairly moderate pace along the road's edge. At each mile marker I glanced down at my watch, half hoping I was ahead of my PR pace because I knew I could beat it, and half hoping I was right at my pace because I knew the challenges that lie ahead.

5k split: 20:54. 

Unlike any other event I've competed in, there were really no dead spaces along the course. Spectators formed a seemingly endless connection and flow of noise, support and energy. During the first five miles or so, I didn't even feel as though I was running. It might have also been my intense focus on not tripping over the feet in front of me. Much of the course is along a two lane road. That's not much real estate for thousands of runners jockeying for space.

But, before I knew it, I was out of Hopkinton, through Ashland, and into Framingham. Now, if you're a public health researcher like myself, Framingham holds a unique place within our community. The town has been the site of a major cohort study, beginning in 1948, looking at heart disease and its risk factors. In fact, the term "risk factor" can be traced back to the Framingham Heart Study. Okay, propeller hat is off, back to the story.

Not too long into the race, I fell into a great rhythm. One stride after the next, they felt perfect. My mind began to think 120 minutes into the future. I visualized myself striding strongly up Heartbreak Hill. I saw myself getting stronger as others suffered. Flashes of images from the YouTube clips I watched for motivation in the car on the way to the start formed a montage in my head. But, not too much of that. I needed to focus on the task at hand and keep checking in with how my body was feeling.
 
10k split: 41:41


Just after the 10k mark was when some of the early race high began to wear off. It's inevitable. It's also essential. Relying exclusively on adrenaline can only take you so far. You're more apt to make mistakes this way. Maximizing performance requires a keen awareness of your body in all aspects, muscular, cardio-repiratory, digestive, mental, and, yes, spiritual.

This is also when I started to think about if I needed to shift any of my nutrition protocol. I don't have a standard set mile marker when I begin to take on nutrition, it more depends on the conditions of the day. Hotter temperatures, like how things were shaping up that day, means a slight shift to starting my "drip" earlier in the race. Somewhat early in the race, around mile 10 or so, I also began taking several cups of water at each aid station and dumping them on my head and neck to try and keep my body temperature somewhat cool. Sixty to 65 degree temperatures aren't terribly hot, but with running, every degree makes a difference.

13.1 mile split: 1:28:32 (6:45 pace)

Ok, now it's game time. Legs were now feeling some slight fatigue from all the downhill on the first half of the race. Races are always broken up into segments. It's a series of small victories strung together that make a full performance. At 13.1, my eyes were set on the Newton hills in a few miles. I couldn't wait for them, in fact. I'm admittedly a much better uphill runner than downhill. Bring 'em.

After the halfway point, the crowds started to grow. Soon enough I came upon the famed section passing by Wellsley College. Students were out in full force, hanging over the barricades, holding their "kiss me" signs, and cheering with every ounce of air in their lungs. A few runners did stop for a quick kiss. A happily married man, I knew my boundaries (love you Steph). I did move over to run along the barricades, though, to high-five many of them. The least I could do, right?

The energy gave me an instant jolt. I needed it coming into the hills of Newton. I must say, hitting those first inclines were like heaven, a relief in many ways. I love running uphill. Climbing is all about efficiency. Your stride shortens, cadence increases. Head down. Just keep turning 'em over.

I was finally joined by that inevitable running partner. He always shows up at some point during a race. In a marathon, it's usually around mile 18 or 20 when you start asking questions of yourself. Am I strong enough? Will I make it? Can I hold this pace? I'm talking about none other than pain himself.

I spent a lot of time over the winter perfecting my mental game, working on how to deal with this partner. I meditated and did deep breathing exercises and yoga regularly. And so when pain joined me, I embraced the feeling. I knew it was coming. It always does. Don't fight it. It was in these moments that I learned to think about the unique sensations in my legs, how it felt. I channeled the suffering and used it positively. I felt I was getting stronger.

30k split - 2:07:29

And then it came. I finally arrived at the famed Heartbreak Hill. I've definitely run up steeper and longer hills during my time as a runner and triathlete, but never at mile 20 of a 3 hour marathon (at least that's what I was on pace for). I approached the hill with the same mentality as the previous: head down, steady cadence. Do the work! Keep the engine turning! I crested the hill feeling roughly the same as when I started. I didn't feel as though it really took much out of me at all.

The more painful section was the downhill afterwards. My quads were absolutely screaming at this point (and they're still feeling it even as I'm posting this). I just tried to hang on at this point, feed off the energy of the massive crowds. I took some comfort in knowing my wife and parents were somewhere in the crowds between mile 23 and 25. I had no idea where, but I kept an eye out, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. Well, as much as I could. The crowds at this point were unlike any I've experienced.

The white Adidas sign along the course with the word "Boston" on it finally came into view. It wasn't too much longer until that famous stretch of pavement on Boylston Street. I knew my paced slowed, but I still gave it everything to try and beat the 3 hour mark.

Making the left turn onto Boylston Street was unbelievable. It's really hard to put into words. You round the corner and are immediately greeted by this wave of energy. I couldn't see a vacant spot on either side in the space between the barriers and the building fronts. The cheers were booming. The finish line looked majestic. In those final few hundred meters I thought about all the hard work over the years to make it to that magical moment.

Striking the blue and yellow finish tape on the pavement, I looked up, and as I do after every race, rose my heads towards the heavens to thank all those people, past and present, deceased and alive,  who have inspired and supported me to fight for my dreams.

And that's what it means to feel alive.

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My final time was 3:02:21 (6:58 pace), good for 2747 overall and 1806 in the men's 18-39 age group. And another BQ! Maybe I'll be back.

 

And a big congrats to Meb Keflezighi, the oldest Boston Marathon winner since 1930 and the first American to win since 1983.

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of compensation to reference the specific products mentioned in this blog post. I did so purely based on my own experience and satisfaction with those products.

Making running a team sport: My interview with American Odyssey Race Director, Bob Fleshner

Bob Fleshner is currently the race director for the American Odyssey Relay, a 36-leg running relay event from historic Gettysburg, PA to Washington, DC. He's built AOR almost single-handedly to become one of the most unique running experiences on the east coast. And that's what Bob prides the race on: the experience. If you're looking for an unforgettable adventure, don't worry, there's still time to get in on the action. The race is April 25-26 and registration is still open here. Hope to see you out there! I'll be volunteering this year.


I had the chance to interview Bob recently about the race and his background in the sport. 

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Race directing wasn't your first career path. How did you first break into the running and endurance sports community?

After working as an attorney and corporate executive for 25 years I decided to become certified as a personal trainer. After I received that certification I met a relay race director while at a race expo.  I had run in three relays and loved the concept.  He and I decided to bring one to the mid-Altantic.  So, we started the American Odyssey Relay in 2009.

The American Odyssy Relay is a one-of-a-kind event starting in Gettysburg, PA and ending in Washington, DC. What makes it so special for you?

Connecting with the runners and the communities along the way is what makes it special.  AOR is truly a community.  I email regularly with dozens of participants, volunteers and property owners, not only about the race, but about life in general.  We’ve made so many lifelong friends that it’s hard to count them!

We generally don't think of distance running (and endurance sports more generally) as a team sport? What was appealing about a relay format for the American Odyssy Relay?

Just that.  Teams make up funny names, decorate their vans and have funny t-shirts.  Seeing them running hard, not for themselves, but for their teammates, is really great.

What's been the most memorable moment or experience from your time as race director of AOR?

My most memorable moment was seeing Mark Holbert, who was seriously injured by an IED, come across the finish line on his hand cranked bicycle.  His grit and determination exemplifies all that is best about our military and about the running community in general.

You're a long-time runner yourself. What keeps you engaged in the sport?

I still feel better after I run than before.  I was tired today but met a friend and ran in the snow.  I feel energized and happy now, post run.  The feeling I get and the camaraderie from running with others are what keeps me fresh and interested.

What's been your favorite race as a competitor to date?

For some reason, I seem to run well in Philly.  The Philadelphia Distance Run (now Rock and Roll) and the Philly Marathon are mostly the same course and are my favorites.

Any races on the calendar for you this year?

The Reno Tahoe Odyssey Relay in late May.  It’s my business partner’s race.  It’s the 10th anniversary for RTO and my team and I needed another team challenge.

Anything else?

I may try to get myself mentally geared up for another try at Boston.  I finished a few minutes before the bombs went off last year and I don’t want that to be my last memory of Boston.

Where can people find out more about you and AOR?

www.americanodysseyrelay.com.

Want to check something off the bucket list? Race here....

I recently found out about this amazing race opportunity being organized in Ethiopia by the non-profit Race4Ever. Not only does the new Ethiopia Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5k run taking place on June 8th look amazing (okay, not quite "Running with the Kenyans" but Ethiopia has produced its fair share of world-class runners, including one who is involved with this race), it's also benefiting a great cause in Ethiopia.
 
Headlining the event is race ambassador and elite marathoner/ultra-marathoner, Michael Wardian. If you don't know him, he's qualified for the US Olympic trials three times, run some pretty serious ultras like Badwater, arguably one of the toughest ultras in Death Valley. He also won the National Marathon in Washington, DC (now rock n roll USA) five years in a row, among other accomplishments. 

Organized by DC-based endurance athlete and coach Jeff Horowitz, the one-of-a-kind road race starts 8,500 feet and ends at 9,300 feet. That's some serious altitude and makes it one of the highest road races in the world. 

This is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. The full travel package includes everything from round-trip airfare, to seven nights in a luxury hotel, to a city tour of Addis Ababa and the race course, and pre- and post-race festivities. Olympic champion and 5k and 10k world record holder Kenenisa Bekele is also hosting a high-altitude training camp for all race participants. 

If you'd like to get in on this awesome trip, visit here's the race website: https://www.race4ever.org/home.html 

 

How exercise can wreak havoc on your body

We endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts are in a perpetual state of more, more, more. We're constantly testing ourselves and pushing our bodies to the max.

But, what does this actually do to the body?

There has been quite a bit of conversation in the media and scientific literature about the diminishing returns associated with exercise. Not enough is associated with a range of health and chronic disease issues, while too much can be just as harmful to the body. In previous posts I've written about some of the cardiovascular risks associated with prolonged endurance exercise.

In lieu of this month's regular "Monthly Reading Roundup," there was really one major article I wanted to share. Why, because it takes a detailed and comprehensive look at what exactly a hard workout, marathon, or triathlon does to your body's lipids, hormones, enzymes, and major organ function, like your kidneys.

Fitness expert and Ironman triathlete Ben Greenfield undertook his own personal experiment to test the damage that back-to-back triathlons caused on his body. A few weeks ago he did both the long-course (half Ironman distance) Wildflower Triathlon and the Olympic distance in one weekend; one race on Saturday, the other on Sunday. He had comprehensive blood work done a couple days before the races, and then again afterwards.

The results were both fascinating and scary, especially since my training protocol probably isn't too far off from what he does.

By far, the most concerning aspect is the huge rise in cortisol and inflammatory biomarkers. He writes:

"Yes folks, that’s nearly a seven-fold rise in inflammation. In other words, this type of brutal event creates a complete inflammatory firestorm in your body."

And the biggest issue isn't necessarily producing some inflammation following exercise (which is a good thing in terms of recovery and muscle development), but the cumulative effect:

"The problem is that in the absence of proper recovery, round after round of this acute inflammation can eventually become chronic inflammation, and that is when lack of blood flow to tissue, poor mobility, and risk for chronic disease or serious injury set in."

 He sums up by saying:

"You need look no further than my cortisol levels, TSH, insulin, testosterone, growth factor, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, white blood cell count, and liver enzymes to see this to be true.

And heck – I actually take care of myself pretty darn well. I sleep 7-9 hours, eat a healthy diet, meditate, and avoid excessive training. Just imagine what someone who doesn’t do all those things looks like.

But I’ll be the first to admit that despite the healthy measures I take, I’m brutally beating my body up with the sport I’ve chosen (triathlon), and if you’re reading this, you probably are too (Crossfitters – you don’t get off that easy – I’ve seen hundreds of these blood panels and you have the same issues)."

So if you're an endurance athlete, or you simply exercise frequently and beat up your body, this article really shines a spotlight on the delicate balance between performance and health.

It's a very detailed article, but well worth the time. Click here to read.

Minimalist running shoes: Are they really what we want them to be?

Like many I began to think about so-called minimalist running after I read Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, which tells the story of the seemingly superhuman Tarahumara Indians and their ability to naturally run for miles (and essentially barefoot). Similar to what the Paleo diet has done in nutrition circles to reinvigorate an ancestral perspective with nutrition (to essentially think of nutrition or diet composition as something that should be strongly informed by what our ancestors ate thousands of years ago), McDougall's book sheds like on running from the perspective of human evolution.

Around the same time the book came out in 2011, discussions about barefoot running really started to take off and contributed to the serge of minimalist running shoes that came onto the market. (Many of the major running shoe brands now have at least one minimalist option.) A 2012 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that about 75% of more than 6,000 runners surveyed said they were "at least somewhat interested in running barefoot or in minimalist shoes."

So what's all the hype about? Why are so many people interested in minimalist running shoes?

More and more research is pointing to several benefits from barefoot running, such as fewer injuries or better performance. This study found runners in minimalist shoes or barefoot were 2-3 percent more economical while running on a treadmill than running in standard running shoes, likely due to improved "elastic energy storage and release in the lower extremity during minimal-shoe running." Comparing injury rates between runners wearing minimalist shoes (or running barefoot) and those wearing traditional shoes, other researchers found an injury rate 3.4 times higher in those wearing traditional shoes.

The basic argument for increased injuries when wearing traditional running shoes has everything to do with the biomechanical differences in foot strike. As I've discussed previously, when heel striking the equal and opposite force that is generated sends a shock to the ankle, knee and hips. Conversely, during a forefoot strike (which is more common with barefoot and minimalist runners), there is a much smaller impact force that's generated. For those interested in exploring this more, I highly recommend the above link on biomechanical differences in foot strikes. Looking back at the 2012 study of 6,000 runners I just mentioned, injury prevention was the most common reason for choosing to run barefoot or in minimalist shoes. More than a third of those running barefoot or in minimalist shoes said it was prevent future injury.

But, for some of the benefits, there are certainly some risks, particularly for those making the transition to minimalist/barefoot running after years or decades of running and walking in traditional shoes. In Lore of Running, Dr. Tim Noakes writes "only those with perfect biomechanical function were able to survive training; those with less than perfect function were soon injured and dropped the sport. Today, many runners who have very bad biomechanics are able to run prodigious distances only because of the very real improvement in the design of running shoes. In the past, they would simply have had to stop running because of recurring injury."

In fact, there has been research to suggest that many of the benefits of barefoot running are in those who have consistently trained their feet and surrounding musculature to adapt. The main take-away - if you're interested in running barefoot or in minimalist shoes, it's going to take time. More on this later.

I'm personally about a year into the process of transitioning to more minimalist running (for all the reasons I've already discussed).

I went from running in these about 18 months ago...

To these about 6-12 months ago...

And began running in these about 4 months ago...

But one of the interesting questions - and one that isn't addressed often in the literature - is if minimalist running shoes actually does a good job of simulating barefoot running from a biomechanical perspective. There's plenty of evidence showing a clear difference with traditional running shoes, but studies often lump minimalist running shoes into the same category as barefoot running. The big question is....is this a good assumption?

Well, taking a look at a study from earlier this year published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests it might not be. Researchers looked at the 3-D kinematics at the hip (top panels), knee (middle panels) and ankle (bottoms panels) joints for the stance phase of the gait cycle (this is when the foot is in contact with the ground) of four different shoe types: barefoot, minimalist, racing flat, and traditional running shoes.

Here is a breakdown of what they found...

It's slightly difficult to interpret because the graph is a little small, but here are two main points.

First, you'll notice that much of the kinematic variation is at the ankle and knee, and much less so at the hip. Barefoot runners showed a reduction in peak power generation at the knee, but an increase at the ankle compared to all other running types. You basically have a shift in the joint being stressed when barefoot running from the knee to ankle. This is, in my opinion, one of the important reasons for a gradual transition if you're thinking about dumping those regular running shoes and hitting the pavement barefoot.

As I mentioned before, it takes time to build the necessary foot and ankle strength to accommodate barefoot running (or minimalist shoes in some cases). By making the transition too quickly you run risk of injury. This is even the case when transitioning from traditional running shoes to more minimalist shoes. Start by spending more time walking around the house barefoot, or introduce one workout a week in more minimalist shoes. Over time and with increased strength in the foot, ankle, and calf, you'll be able to slowly build volume.

Second, kinematic analysis showed that the joints examined tended to act more alike in minimalist, racing flats, and regular shoes, compared with barefoot running, which had it's own unique kinematic profile. So, what does that mean? Well, essentially, there isn't too much of a difference between regular running shoes and minimalist shoes from a kinematic perspective, despite all the marketing claims. (One word of caution: this study looked only at one particular type of minimalist shoes - the Nike Frees - and didn't necessary look at all commercially available minimalist shoes, such as those from New Balance, Saucony or Brooks.)

So, if the hope is to mimic barefoot running by buying a pair of minimalist shoes, you might just want to slowly ease into the real thing. As much as we'd like minimalist running shoes to give us the same experience as running barefoot; well, that simply might not be the case. And if you're hoping to improve your biomechanics, you might get a higher bang for your buck by focusing on running technique and drills instead of dropping a hundred bucks on a new pair of kicks. Recalling the mantra of running coach James Dunne - form before footwear!

Race Report: Cherry Blossom 10-miler

Last weekend I kicked off my 2013 season running the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. Though the cherry blossom's weren't exactly in peak bloom, I was excited to finally - after five years of living in Washington, DC - have the chance of running the city's most well-know spring race (I'd say the Marine Corps Marathon takes the cake for the fall, and easily wins out for total number of participants). Next to the Broad Street Run held in Philadelphia, though, which attracts over 30,000 runners, this race is one of the most well-know 10-milers out there. This year's race even hosted this year's U.S. Women's Ten Mile Championship.

Entering the race, I was certainly treating it more like a training run - a barameter test for my fitness at this point rather than the culmination or end point. In other words, it was a 'check-up' race and my expectations were to treat my performance as an opportunity to gather feedback on how I was progressing with my training.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, this year is really about speed, particularly holding speed off the bike. And getting faster is a lot of work and it takes time. I've also made a number of changes to my training and spent a fair bit of time over the winter focusing on things other than running, like swimming and cycling. During the course of trying to improve my cycling endurance and power, I've put on a couple extra pounds of muscle, particularly in my legs (maybe 3-4 pounds heavier overall compared with my weight heading into the Philly Marathon). This, combined with really only dedicating two days (for a few weeks it was three) per week for run training, I wasn't entirely sure how this all would play out. Having even small changes in weight in your legs or feet has a definite impact on running economy and biomechanics, and I knew I somewhat neglected my run this winter.

With my true focus on Olympic distance triathlon training this year and preparing for the Age Group National Championships later this year, my approach for Cherry Blossom was to gauge what my 10k time looked like (10 km is the distance of the run leg of an Olympic distance triathlon) and how it compared with my goal pace. Essentially, my goal was the hold a steady pace of six minute miles for as long as I could (ideally the entire race to give me a 1:00:00 finish time).

The first few miles my legs just felt heavy. I didn't know if it was the whole added weight thing in my legs or if I didn't warm up enough, but my quads were definitely burning. Regardless, I caught a glance of the race clock at the first mile marker - 5:58. I thought to myself, "Okay, good pace, let's try and settle in."But, for as much as I thought about it, my body sure didn't feel like it was following suit.

At the same time I was passing the next few mile markers at almost exactly six minute intervals, I couldn't shake the negative thought that I hadn't prepared enough and wouldn't be able to sustain the pace for the entire race. There was even a time around mile 4 or 5 when I though, "man, I can't keep this up."

A little after that thought, I came up on the next aid station and my only thought was, "I need a boost."

Now, my nutrition leading into the race was pretty much the same. Continued with my normal higher fat diet with plenty of vegetables, and slowly increased carbohydrate intake a few days prior to the race (nothing major but small substitutions here and there). I mainly did this because I knew I'd be running at fairly close to lactate threshold and would be burning primarily glycogen. Because I knew I was mostly burning sugar, I thought, "why not just use a little Gatorade."

I've had Gatorade or gels during races before, but last year I really shifted away from sugar-based race nutrition in favor of something called UCAN Superstarch, which is a much slower release starch that doesn't spike blood glucose levels nearly as much to enable the body to better tap into fat stores. I think there's definitely a placebo effect when it comes to sports drink or gels, particularly with races under 60 or 90 minutes, but at this point, I needed something. So, at the aid station I grabbed for a cup of Gatorade.

Not more than a mile later...a runner's worst nightmare...G.I. issues. Oh, great!

I'll be honest, I thought about stopping. But after a half mile or so, things finally worked themselves out and I was feeling pretty good. Even better, I felt like I was finally developing a bit of a rhythm - albeit a slightly slower one than I'd hoped. I passed the 10k mark and was only slightly slower than my goal pace for triathlon this year - not bad. Sure, I'm going to need to be able to swim 1.5 km and bike 40 km before I hold this same pace, but that's something for another day. I just wanted to finish this thing pretty close to what I ran Broad Street last year (1:01:25).

I was passed a few times on the back half of the race, which was a bit discouraging (something to work on, right?). Though, despite how much slower I thought I was going, I was still keeping a decent pace - about 6:10 or so. Coming out of Haines Point I knew the finish line wasn't too far away. Those last 800 meters seemed to take forever. I could finally see the finish chute, and I was totally focused on getting to the finish line (a little too focused maybe because I didn't see or hear my wife cheering for me at the end - sorry Steph).

I crossed the line at 1:01:45.

All things considered, I was pretty happy with it. Only twenty seconds off my time from last year and this was my first race of the season. I knew going into the race I didn't feel anywhere near my peak, but I still had a decent showing - 177th overall out of 17,530 finishers and 47th in my age group.

Most importantly, though, I came away from the race learning a couple valuable things that will really help me tweek things going forward to ultimately get better. And that's what this race was all about.

My Favorite Workouts (Part II): Running sessions

This is Part II of a series on some of my favorite workouts where I share a few running sessions I've incorporated into my training over the past year. Check out Part I on swim sessions here.

Modified Time Trial ("Mini Races")

This is one of my favorite types of workouts to do on the weekend with a bit more time, but I'll usually always keep the "main set" portion of the workout to 45-90 minutes. The example I have below is one I used several times in my build-up to the Philadelphia Marathon last year and was critical for three main reasons in helping me post a Boston qualifying time. First, the goal was to progress towards race specificity by simulating race pace (or slightly faster) during the 25 minute time trial. The second aspect was mental. Using 30 minutes as a structure for each interval (including the recovery) was something I carried over mentally to a full marathon race. Sure, for a full marathon at a 3 hour pace it's essentially doubling the set, but breaking the race up into smaller intervals, or "mini races," allows the mind to focus on something a bit more proximal rather than the daunting challenge of 26.2 miles. Lastly, I love this workout because it's all about feel. It's more about getting in tune with what 25 minutes at race pace feels like.

2-3 mile warm-up

3x25 minutes at slightly faster than race pace with the aim of covering a greater distance with each subsequent interval (You can vary the time of the interval based on the distance you're training for).

5 minute recovery between each set

1-2 mile cool down

Table-Tops
This is a session I do in my neighborhood on about a 1/3 mile stretch of road. The great part about it is the beginning is a 100-150 yard incline, then it's relatively flat, and ends with a 100-150 yard decline. Hence the name table-top - the incline/decline on either end are the table legs and the flat is the table top. The workout is structured around 2:00 minute intervals, with roughly the first 20-30 seconds on incline, the middle 1:00-1:20 segment on a relatively flat segment, and the final 20-30 seconds on a downhill. Similar to the short high-intensity interval swim workout from my favorite workouts swim positing, the goal is consistency. If you go out too hard on the first two or three, you won't have enough in the tank for the last two or three. After that 10th

10-15 minute warm-up

10x 2:00 minutes at faster than 5k pace with a :25 second rest between sets

5 minute cool down

Incline or Speed (on treadmill)
This is one of those workouts you dread, but feel incredible once it's over. Similar to the previous workout, the fact that it's interval based makes it a good weekday workout focused on speed. I never used to enjoy treadmill workouts, but the controlled environment really allows you to dial in on specific paces. As you progress through each interval, alternate between increasing the incline (I usually do by 1 or 1.5) or the speed, which I usually do about 15 seconds. By the time you get to the last interval, you're essentially running faster than your 5k pace (above lactate threshold) and up a fairly challenging incline. 

10-15 minute warm-up

6x 2:00 minutes with 1:00 recovery, increasing the incline by one on the odd numbers and increasing speed by 10-20 seconds on the even numbers (or whatever your desired interval).

5 minute cool down

****

Give them a try and let me know how they measure up. Stay tuned for the next posting in this series where I'll share a few of my favorite strength training exercises.

What's on tap for 2013: Setting goals, devising a strategy

After my last race in 2012 there was one thing I couldn't stop thinking about...

I was dead-set on jumping up to half Ironman distance triathlons in 2013. This was going to be my major goal for next year - my "A" race.

Then a couple weeks ago, I got an email: "Congratulations from USA Triathlon." I opened it and right there, staring me in the face, was my new goal for next year...the 2013 USA Triathlon Olympic Distance Age Group National Championships.

Once I saw the email, I knew this was an incredible opportunity. I felt extremely privileged to even have the opportunity to compete is such an event. And as I started thinking about my goals for 2013, I kept going back to my urge to bump up to a half Ironman in 2013. "I know I'm ready," I kept thinking. "I know I can do it." But at the same time I was conflicted with this new opportunity. Should I stay at Olympic distance for 2013 and focus on the Age Group National Championships? Should I do both?

***

This is probably a good point to take a slight detour to a seemingly unrelated story that turned into a very enlightening moment. Over the holiday my wife and I went back to New Jersey to visit family. Out to dinner one night for Chinese (an old family tradition on Christmas Eve), I opened a fortune cookie after dessert. Usually they simply add a little light-hearted humor to the end of the meal, but this time I found myself reflecting a bit longer after reading the short phrase. It took me a while to realize why, but it had everything to do with my aspirations in triathlon.

"Faith is knowing there is an ocean when you can only see the stream," read the small piece of paper. I don't really believe in "signs," but this seemed an obvious clue - don't push it, be patient. There it was, in black and white, a message to take a step back and think about the opportunities - ALL the opportunities - for my 2013 season.

***

It was pretty ironic that  I read this fortune just a few days before millions of people would make new year's "resolutions." It was even more ironic I read it while in the midst of planning for and setting goals for 2013. I think this is why it's so important to structure down time between seasons. As was the case for me, setting the next step in the journey isn't necessarily always the result of systematic analysis (though the analysis part is key to achieving the next step), but feel. Allowing the opportunity for your heart and mind to drift, and be open to all possibilities.

And with that, I knew my focus - I'm going to put everything into the National Championships.

***

So, I have a new "A" race for 2013 - the Age Group National Championships. Now that I've decided on a focal point for the season, it's time to structure other races around it. With the National Championships in early August, I want to make sure I have a good progression through late spring and early summer, where training becomes much more specific (but that's the subject of a future posting).

Now, with an Olympic distance triathlon focus for 2013 (at least for now - who knows, always room to add a 70.3 in late summer/early fall), it's time to prioritize and focus on weaknesses. This is where the analysis comes in (and also where it really pays off to keep a detailed training log). With a better idea of the types of triathlons I'll be doing for 2013, here are 3 things I plan to focus on during my training this winter and the reasons why.

Efficiency in the water
Any swimmer knows it's all about reducing drag. It's not always the strongest who is the fastest swimmer, but the most efficient. Coming from a running background, the swim is undoubtedly my weak link. So, this winter I'm focusing a lot of my attention on perfecting my stroke - and this means lots of drills. During my month break in December and now into January, I already started a block of heavy drill-oriented swim sessions; and I'm starting to notice some slight improvements in my 100 and 50 meter times. In addition to incorporating more drills in each individual session, I'm also increasing the frequency of sessions to develop a better feel for the water. This isn't to say that each session needs to be extremely long, but a 30-40 minute session 5 days a week will allow for strong focus without taxing the body too much. In addition to drills, I'm keeping a heavy emphasis on high-intensity-interval-based sessions.

Power on the bike
As the longest segment of the triathlon, a good bike split is key, no matter what the distance is. Just think, a half Ironman is 70.3 total miles, and 56 of those are spent on the bike - that's about 80% of the total distance. For an Olympic distance race, I'll spend about half of my time on the bike. So, when I thought about the best place to shave off minutes, the bike split was first on the list. Now, when it came to identifying where I needed improvement, there's two obvious places - first is overall power and the second is the ability to sustain that higher level of power output for longer.

With chilly temperatures and daylight at a premium, long rides or hill repeats are going to be hard to come by. But that's alright, I almost feel indoor training is more conducive to building strength and power. Here's how. First, a continued emphasis on lifting - trying to incorporate heavy lifts for power, mix in some higher repetition lifts for muscular endurance, and include a variety of single-leg movements to isolate each leg (like you do while cycling). Second is a lot more big gear, interval work - and this can be done on the indoor trainer. Cycling in bigger gears provides a similar strength-building effect because of the increased force needed to turn the pedals over. Third, and similar to swimming, I'm increasing the frequency of bike workouts, particularly since many are inside on the trainer, and decreasing the overall time of workouts, but keeping intensity high.

Running off the bike
This is somewhat related to the previous point. Any good way to improve endurance on the bike is going to subsequently help how much is left in the tank for the run. Neglect sufficient bike-specific training, and your legs will be too taxed to have a solid run split. One major improvement I noticed as my 2012 season progressed was a much better run split. This has everything to do with building a bigger base in cycling endurance over the year so my legs were better prepared to take on the run.

This goal is the most race-specific, so my training approach is equally specific. Instead of trying to address this now, it will be something I progressively work on throughout the spring as I'm able to spend more time training outside. The most important strategy to simulate running off the bike is to incorporate it into training - and this means brick workouts, or a run segment immediately following a bike segment. Brick workouts can come in all shapes and sizes (longer rides with shorter runs; shorter rides with slightly longer runs; short ride with a short run and then repeated; and so on), but the main point is to do them!

***

I'm really looking forward to 2013 - a new year; new goals; and new training ideas. Stay tuned to hear more about how they are working out.

Happy new year!

It's that time of the year: 2012 Reflections

It's that time of the year. Temperatures are dropping. Days are shorter. We're in the middle of the holiday season. Which means one thing...

It's time to recharge the batteries, take stock, and plan for next year.

I love the holiday season. Yes, it's cliche and the saying is often over-used, but it's nice to be with family and friends. Many of them (and mostly my wife) graciously support my individual pursuits in triathlon and running. She selflessly puts up with my early morning swim workouts; my not being around when she wakes up in the morning; my need to get a good nice sleep to do it all again tomorrow; my structured diet. For 11 out of 12 months of the year, it's seemingly all about me.

There is a lot of sacrifice that goes into it all. And that's why that one month a year (or two) - during the holidays - is so important. It's not about whether I swim 3000 meters that morning. It's not about making sure I get in four bike workouts that week. It's not about going to bed at a decent time knowing I need to be at the pool at 6am the next morning. For one month out of the year, it's not about me. It's a time to sleep in a little on the weekend. It's a time to spend the afternoon at the cafe with my wife sipping coffee and chatting. It's a time to share a bottle of wine with some friends. It's a time to let go of the pressure of "I need to train today."

But, as much as the end of the season is about reconnecting on the other important aspects of life, it's also time to reflect back on 2012 (the good and the bad), and start setting specific goals for 2013. This is the fun part. To look at the entire body of work for the year, analyze where things went well, where they didn't, and find small nuggets of information to help lay the foundation for next season's training. The big thing is to identify very specific aspects, whether nutritionally, biomechanically, or otherwise, and dedicate a solid training block to improving those deficiencies (more on this in my next post).

What I'll remember about 2012 

 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled with qualifying for Boston. But, I'm also proud that I made a number of very solid advancements in my training over the past year. Here are three things I'll remember about 2012:

1. The mental game. Five years of marathon running and 18 months of triathlon, I'm finally figuring out the mental game; even enjoying the mental game. Whether you say 50% or 75%, what goes on between your ears has a lot to do with what happens in your chest, arms and legs. Researchers are figuring out there is a closer link between the heart and brain than previously thought, and things like sleep and stress play a major role. Tim Noakes has long expressed the idea of a "central governor," or essentially the idea that exercise is neurally-mediated. The brain calculates a safe pace for the body, and limits exertion and endurance by the number of muscle fibers recruited.

But forget all the scientific stuff, mile 25 of a marathon or mile 95 of a century bike ride is all about the decision to endure pain and keep going, or pack it in and stop. The biggest mental adaptation for me over the year is one of perception. How much can I really endure? As I discussed in previous posts, I've focused a lot on improving my lactate threshold with high intensity interval work. Yes, it has a lot of physiological advantages, but the mental component of the training is equally as important. Run 2 minutes as fast as you can along slightly rolling hills. Rest for 30 seconds. Then do it again another 10 times. By the eighth or ninth interval your legs are screaming; you're hearts pounding out of your chest; you can taste the lactic acid building up. Then you have to decide if you're going to bang out this last interval (and how hard you're going to go), or if you're going to cut it short, and pack it in for the day. This is the same game you play at mile 25 or mile 95.

2. Recovery. If there is one thing I've learned since taking up endurance sports, it's that it's all about recovery. Doing those hill repeats or swim drills seems like the work part, but it's really afterwards when your body gets to work. Recovery is when your body goes about fixing all the damage created during exercise - and then rebuilding. But in order to rebuild, the body, of course, needs the right tools. These come in the form of quality amino acids for muscle repair; or antioxidants for all the free radicals produced during exercise; or dark leafy vegetables to alkalize the body's pH after it became acidic during a hard workout; or cold therapy and compression to reduce inflammation. Bottom line, I've seen my best performance improvements when I'm recovering properly. Not to mention, mastering the art of recovery is also critical when taking a high-intensity-interval-based training approach. Doing the right things between workouts ensures I'm able to maximize performance during workouts.

3. My first coaching experience. On the day before I ran the Philadelphia Marathon, about 2,000 people lined up for the Rothman Institute 8k, including my wife and me. This was her first time running anything more than a 5k. She was definitely nervous. Yes, I was a little conscious of not "over-doing it" with a marathon the next day, but these were nerves of "coach" rather than "athlete." It was a tough task: how to help Stephanie prepare for her first 8k and structure a useful program within her busy schedule of attending law school, serving on law review, and holding down a job. Not to mention, trying to carve out time for her training separate from my own. But in the end she was great - a minute under her goal minute/mile pace and she ran the entire thing. More than anything, it was something we did together, and that's what made it so enjoyable.

She even beat me to the finish line...

Now, she's talking about doing another...maybe a 10k or half marathon...who knows what the limit is...

***

2012 was a good year. Not only am I happy with my race results (my next post I'll talk about one triathlon-specific achievement that's shaping my training approach for 2013), but I also dedicated a lot of attention to mastering many of the "non-race" things, like nutrition, sleep, recovery, etc. Many of these things, of course, have a carry-over effect with performance, but I'm most pleased with how I've optimized all the different variables for overall health and well-being.

But 2013 is another year, and another opportunity to recalibrate and find ways of doing things even better. 2013 will be filled with a new set of goals, challenges, achievements and setbacks. That's all part of the journey...

Stay tuned for my next post where I go into a bit more detail on how I identified some weaknesses from my 2012 season, and what I'm doing to improve them in preparation for next year's races.

But for now, it's time to relax and enjoy the downtime.

Happy Holidays!

How I ran less to run better: 5 things I did to qualify for Boston

This post is the final part of a series of posts on endurance sports and heart health.

Training is both a science and an art form. There are, of course, scientifically supported ways to optimize performance - training structure, duration, intensity, biomechanics, etc. But, as much as I've learned from books, podcasts, and other coaches, I've learned even more from simple experimentation. That's where the science starts to blend with the art form.

To me, training has always been about testing myself and finding new ways to achieve even greater performance. By developing an intimate understanding about my physiology - how my body responds best; when it's tired; when to up the intensity; and what type of fuel is best - I've been able to make huge improvements and go beyond what I originally thought were my physical limits.

In my previous post I talked about how nervous I was leading into the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon. It wasn't the distance, but my preparation. My training was dramatically different than what I was doing just a few years ago. I basically had two fundamental goals with my 2012 training: 1) maximize performance (particularly speed); but at the same time 2) optimize overall health and well-being. The first part is fairly obvious, but the second is a much greater recognition and appreciation for many of the negative health effects resulting from chronic endurance exercise. I wrote about this in greater depth here and here.

5 things I changed to improve my training and qualify for Boston:

1. Biomechanics

Running is all about efficiency and economy. One of the greatest causes of stride inefficiency is over-striding, or when your foot lands in front of your center of gravity. Think physics - force is always equal and opposite. When you over-stride, the force generated comes back up into your heel, your knees, and your hips, slowing you down, but also increasing the risk of injury. The biggest warning sign is a significant heal foot strike. (I'll admit, I followed the classic "heal-toe" advise for several years and even wound up with a slight hamstring injury from overstriding.) So, the goal was to make sure my foot always struck under my hips.

To get there I changed three things: 1) I started actively picking up my feet (as opposed to pushing off the ground); 2) I increased my cadence; and 3) I ditched my old clunky shoes with tons of cushion for a more minimalist shoe, which forced me to address some of my faulty biomechanics I was getting away with, and assumed a more natural stride and foot strike.

2. Training volume

Less became more and quality replaced quantity. There's a growing body of research that points to the benefits of high intensity interval training, particularly when comparing metabolic and biochemical adaption with traditional endurance training. In addition, interval-based training is one way to get around some of the longer-term negative health effects, particularly with the heart (which I reference above), from chronic endurance training. I made intervals the foundation for my training approach.

My weeks usually included three days of solid run sessions, with a fourth optional recovery day. One week always included a shorter interval-based workout (never more than 40 minutes), a shorter tempo or fartlek run, and a longer interval-based session. The focus was always on intensity during the workout, and recovery afterwards. Long workouts were never more than 2 hours or longer than 16-17 miles total, and total weekly mileage was never more than 30ish miles. This is in stark contrast to the 40+ miles a week of old.

Training philosophy was the hardest thing to change, mostly because it was totally counter to everything I previously thought. But, I trusted it, and it worked. 

3. Training style

Becoming a better runner isn't necessarily always about running more. I think my many of my improvements over the past 18 months have a lot to do with the non-running parts of my training. Triathlon training has been key. First, cycling forced me to improve the strength, power, and endurance in my legs, particularly my quads and glutes, offering a great carry-over effect with my running. Also, incorporating sessions that improved my cycling cadence had a similar effect that "taught" my legs to turn-over faster, which was essential for the tweeks I made in my biomechanics.

Second, swimming had less of a carry-over effect, but my interval-based training in the pool improved my cardio-pulmonary capacity in ways that complemented my running. Not to mention, including kicking drills on a regular basis were great for both strength and recovery.

Lastly, I religiously incorporated at least one (and often two) days of strength training and/or plymometric work to increase power and develop functional strength. This has been vital for injury prevention, longevity, and speed.

4. Overall Nutrition

Goodbye processed food, wheat and many carbohydrates. Hello real, whole foods.

I was never overweight, but my diet wasn't necessarily "clean." In other words, because I was playing sports and exercised (and probably from a genetically faster metabolism), I found I was able to get away with not always paying close attention to what I ate. Things like pasta, bread, chips, pancakes, cookies, etc, were pretty routine. I even thought I had to eat this way because my body was burning so many calories and carbohydrates.

Now, vegetables, fat, and protein form the foundation of my diet, with carbohydrates, such as oats, lentils and quinoa cycled into my training based on when my hardest workouts are. By keeping carbohydrates in check, and being strategic with intake, my body adapted to burn more fat as the primary fuel source. Not to mention, I'm able to maintain a much more constant blood glucose level, rather than the peaks and valleys that go along with massive insulin spikes. One of the simplest (though hardest at first) things I found was to eliminate wheat, which is one of the biggest culprits with blood glucose fluctuations. Not only are there a variety of ways wheat contributes to chronic disease (a must read on the subject is "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis), I also found eliminating wheat (and all refined carbohydrates and sugars) helps me 1) maintain more constant energy levels; 2) allows for better recovery post workouts (particularly long/intense workouts), and 3) because stored carbohydrates carry more than double their mass in water, drop about 15-20 pounds of what I call "junk weight."

One of the huge advantages of dropping this "junk weight" - where I went from weighing about 20lbs less during the 2012 Philly Marathon compared to 2007 - was it's effect on running economy. In what is probably one of the most comprehensive book on running, Dr. Tim Noakes writes in "The Lore of Running" that research has shown that "the addition up to 4kg to the torso increased the oxygen cost of running by...2.5%." Further, that "the addition of 0.5kg to each thigh or to each foot increased the oxygen cost of running by 3.5% and 7.2% respectively." In short, a lighter runner can more easily be a more efficient runner.

5. Race-Day Nutrition

I said goodbye to sports drinks and gels, both in training and on race day. Instead, I used UCAN Superstarch for workouts over 90 minutes and on race day. UCAN Superstarch is a slow-releasing, high molecular-weight carbohydrate that results in a much smaller insulin spike compared to simple sugar-based products like sports drinks and gels.

Why is this important?

Two points. First, the body has a limited supply of glycogen, or storage sugar, which, if used exclusively, is exhausted over the course of a couple hours (faster at higher intensities). This is the basic reason behind consuming sugar in the form of sports drinks or gels during a marathon or triathlon. However, this leads me to the second point. When suger is ingested, huge insulin spikes follow, resulting in the body preferentially burning glucose and essentially shutting down its ability to burn fat. When blood glucose levels are maintained in a more moderate range, the body is better able to tap into its massive fat stores. And for those more fat adapted through their everyday diet, like myself, this has huge performance and endurance benefits.

There ya have it. Five big changes I made to improve my running performance. These weren't all done overnight, and many were things that took a lot of patience. But in the end, it was about trusting the approach, and trusting myself.

Let me know your thoughts.

Endurance Sports and Heart Health (Part II): What are the benefits?

This is the second part in a series of posts on endurance sports and heart health.

2,466,115,200. That's how many times my heart will beat if I live as long as the average American is expected to (78.2 years). (My wife says it better beat for longer.) My resting heart rate is about 60 beats per minute. That's a fascinating number to think about. For almost eight decades my heart will supply my entire body (and itself) with the oxygen it needs to survive, and never stopping. 

When it comes down to it, the heart is a relatively simple organ - essentially a four-chambered pump with some tubing going into it and coming out of it. But of course the devil is in the details. Over the course of more than 2 million beats, there is a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong, and many times these things are the result of accumulated issues over time.

As I discussed in the first part of this series, with endurance exercise, there is a fine line between performance and pathology - something referred to as the "grey area" in the scientific literature. There are risks when it comes to endurance sports. But risks can be managed and risks must also be viewed in the context of benefits (it's all about optimizing). 

In this post I discuss some of the benefits of endurance sports and regular exercise, particularly from a physiology perspective, as well as a public health standpoint. But I close with some cautions about maximizing exercise while neglecting other areas of daily life that contribute to heart disease and heart issues.

Popularity of Endurance Sports is Increasing

Endurance sports, such as half-marathons, marathons and triathlons, are becoming more and more popular. The previous post in this series showed the increasing level of participation in USAT-sanctioned triathlon events. Half-marathons and marathons held in the U.S. show a similar trend. Not only are there more races, but more people are participating. For example, according to Running USA, a non-profit that tracks trends in U.S. distance running events, the number of marathons in the U.S. more than tripled between 1985 and 2011, from 200 events to 720 events.

Active.com, an online community for sports and event registration hub for a variety of activities (including running, cycling, triathlon, and more), revealed similar increases based on race registrations between 2008 and 2010. During these three years, marathon registrations increased 203%; half marathons rose 154%, 10K events rose 155% and 5K events rose 144%.

Why is This a Good Thing from an Individual Health Perspective?

Your heart is a muscle, and like other muscles, it responds to stimuli like exercise. It can grow stronger and increase in size similar to other muscles in our body after periods of exercise. And generally (and up to a point), the more exercise, the stronger, more efficient, and sometimes larger the muscle. Endurance activities markedly improve the efficiency of your heart, increasing stroke volume (or the amount of blood pumped by the heart with each beat) and thereby decreasing the number of overall beats needed.

Other markers of heart health have also been positively linked with endurance exercise, such as lower blood pressure and increased HDL cholesterol.

There is also evidence to suggest that exercise plays a strong role is energy partitioning, or the type of energy (such as carbohydrates or fat) our body preferentially burns for fuel. One study of 55 years old women found a more than 9% increase in energy derived from fat after 12 weeks of endurance exercise training.

The weight-bearing movements of regular exercise and strength training support bone health and improve longevity, particularly as people age. Exercise is also associated with lower stress levels, higher energy levels, and overall positive mental health.

Not a bad list of benefits.

Why is This Essential from a Public Health Standpoint?

Physical inactivity is becoming a new norm and the trends don't look promising. A recent review from researchers from the University of North Carolina looked at trends of metabolic equivalent hours (just a fancy way to show the amount of exertion by your body doing different activities) from 1965 to the present, and also projected trends through 2030. Between 1965 and 2009, MET-hours per week decreased by about half (235 to 160), and they are projected to decrease to roughly 126 by 2030. You can see the trend in the graph below, which traced MET-hours in several different areas, such as physical activity during work, transport, domestic activities, and leisure time. The black line is the average hours per week of being sedentary.

The rising trend from 2010 to 2030 represents one of the major public health challenges we face. 

 

What These Trends Don't Tell Us  

Even though registration and participation levels in endurance activities, such as triathlon and marathon, are increasing for a range of age groups, a couple things to remember.

First, this is still a relatively small proportion of the overall U.S. population, which is almost 315 million. From a sports, competition, and individual health perspective, increasing participation is a great thing. For people like myself, it provides a great opportunity to continue competing, setting and working towards new individual goals, staying in good overall health (though my third point mentions another counter-argument to this), and traveling to new and interesting places. However, one must keep this all in perspective that we're still talking about a fairly exclusive cohort of people.

Second, inequalities, particularly in regards to access, are major issues. Opportunities to participate in physical activity pay huge dividends with individual physical and mental health, population health, and create millions of dollars of health care cost savings annually. But, not everyone can afford a gym membership; or can safely walk to a park; or can spare the $120 marathon registration or the extra 30 minutes a day to train. The challenge is to celebrate record numbers of people taking on the endurance challenges of running, triathlon, cycling, etc, but to also ensure environments are conducive to regular physical activity for everyone.

Third, all the effort put into exercising everyday could be for naught if you spend hours sitting for the rest of the day. A recent review examining the link between sedentary time and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in adults older than 18 years of age found that "higher levels of sedentary behavior are associated with a 112% increase in the RR of diabetes, 147% increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease, 90% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality and 49% increase in the risk of all cause mortality." Even more frightening are the results from a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study looked at almost 5,000 adults 20 years of age or older and found "Independent of potential confounders, including moderate-to-vigorous exercise, detrimental linear associations of sedentary time with waist circumference, HDL-cholesterol, C-reactive protein, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-%B, and HOMA-%S were observed." (emphasis added) This essentially is saying that even if someone exercises in the morning, and the rest of the day is spent sitting, this could have a detrimental effects on risk factors - high levels of triglycerides, higher inflammation, higher waist circumference (a fairly good measure for dangerous visceral fat), etc - for heart disease and other chronic diseases.

So, I come back to this theme of optimizing. Sure there are a lot of health benefits to exercise and endurance training. But at the same time, if you're trying to maximize in this area of your life, and neglect other things (such as diet, stress, amount of time sitting during the day, etc), are you really optimizing for better overall health?

Let me know your thoughts and post a comment below.