I'm always moving forward

Another inspirational story about how running changed a young teenager's life featured in Runner's World's December issue (article quoted here). Casey Revman suffers from a disability that makes it difficult for her to perform many complex tasks, such as driving and team sports. When Casey joined her high school's cross country and track teams, she gained got fit and her confidence soared. She shares an important lesson on running:

Dear Running . . . Thanks for making me a normal teenager
Casey Revman
Runner's World December 2012

Zeddie Little, the Gerber baby of runners

Zeddie Little became an overnight internet sensation when he was captured in the best candid race photo ever taken, according to the NYT.

source

Why does he look so good when I look like this:

Damn it Brightroom!

Is it the effortlessness on his face? The socially appropriate amount of sweat? The way the sun reflects off of his perfect hair? His smile? Or, likely, he actually gave a shit about what he looked like at that moment in the race. 

Zeddie (and how great is that name?!) makes me believe that good race photos are achievable. And since most runners can't run with the grace of Tirunesh Dibaba or the beauty of Allyson Felix, and are just not "ridiculously photogenic" like Zeddie, I think the photographers need to step it up!

First, take photos of us early in the race, when we are feeling good, hydrated and fueled, and believe we can still achieve our PRs. Not when three quarters of the race are over, our bodies are exhausted, we have sweat 'staches, and our hopes and dreams crushed (above). And quantity is important. If you shoot 60 frames per second, odds are at least one of them will be good, no? Finally, take photos when we are in the air, not when our legs hit the ground . . . shaking jowls are only adorable on a bloodhound. 

By Bruce (Flickr) via Wikimedia Commons

The NYT quotes a Brightroom executive as responding to runners' griefs: "That's the way you're running. You've probably never seen yourself run before." That's just like a photographer to blame the subject. 

two little runners (Kristen)

Engage your brain to boost your speed

Stay on Task
by Alex Hutchinson
Runner's World December 2012

Every single mile...every foot of ground we cover, that's a victory

My dad gave me this book to read when I first began to run, at about age 13. I guess he knew there was a distance runner in me before I did.

''[They] ran because this was the moment which no landlord, no employer, no politician could take from them. They had stood in bread lines, taken handouts and pay cuts, watched while plump politicians had pursued their round of conferences. They had watched, impotent.It had not taken them long to realize that others were going to win the Trans-America, nor had it taken them long to reach their personal decision to continue. They had come to run across America and no one on earth was going to stop them. No, there was no need to ask why they kept running.'' 

"[t]he way I see it, every single mile we put in, every foot of ground we cover, that's a victory. Every time we think of stopping and keep going, that's another victory. Every goddam moment on that road is, too. Out here we grow every day. We grow, don't you see?"

 - Doc Cole, main character in "Flanagan's Run", by Tom McNab (1982).

Penny

12-year-old autistic boy finds freedom in running

Caulden Gary of San Diego was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 18 months old. Now, 12 years old and running on the cross country team at Carmel Valley Middle School, Caulden is not only improving his communication skills, but he is inspiring his teammates.

On running, Caulden says,

"It makes me feel more like me."

From the San Diego U-T (read the full story here):

Because he had a difficult time looking anyone in the eyes, which is typical of the disorder, she [his mother]  trained him to be able to by holding French fries in front of her eyes and not giving it to him until he would make eye contact. Now, he has no problem with it, she said.

He has also learned to read and communicate with an iPod even though he still can’t speak.

And now, after only about two months on the cross country team, Caulden is already more coordinated, calmer in class and better at interacting with his peers, Darocki [his mother] said.

Shoexperimentation

"I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes. I had one thousand and sixty."

Imelda Marcos

Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos during a state visit at the White House in 1966.
U.S. Library of Congress image

1,060 pairs of shoes . . . that's a girl's dream! I only have 37 pairs, not including flip-flops and athletic shoes. I especially like to buy gold heels (4 pairs), black flats (3 pairs), ankle booties (5 pairs), and black heels (4 pairs). But these are not duplicates, my friends. Each has its specific function and is not substitutable for any of the others. Totally justified. ;)

Wearing 6 different pairs of athletic shoes this week for workouts, I realized that I am also well on my way to a nice collection of sports footwear.

My New Balance 890s have long been my workhorse, long run training shoe. But lately, I've found that the size 7.5s are too small and the 8s are too big, so I had to take a plunge into the world of running shoes . . . 

The choices are almost unlimited. From barefoot to minimalist to transition to neutral to stability. From Nike to Saucony to New Balance to Mizuno to Brooks to Adidas to Asics and beyond. From heel drop to cushioning to toe box room to arch height to motion control. It's a confusing place. How do you pick out a running shoe?

This is how I made sense of it. 

First, I want to know what the "heel-to-toe drop" (or sometimes "drop") of the shoe is. This is the height the heel is raised above the forefoot. Most so-called traditional running shoes have drops of 12-15 mm. Barefoot-style shoes are zero drop. I've found that the smaller the drop, the harder your calves have to work. Now 0 mm, that's hardcore. No way am I putting my calves through that! My preference is to stay between 8-12 mm for my long run trainer, but I am open to experimenting with as low as 4 mm drops for shorter runs. Most sales people will not know what the drop is on any shoe. Be prepared to Google with your smart phone.

Second, I look for fit. There are a lot of fit issues you can spot right away in the store. You don't want your toes to be bumping up against the top or front of the shoe. This is because your feet flatten out quite a bit during your foot plant. The arch of the foot flattens out, so you need some room in there for your toes to both move forward and to splay out horizontally. You also want your heel to feel comfortable in the shoe's heel cradle. You want your midfoot to feel secure.

There are other fit issues that you can't know about until you have put quite a few miles on the shoes (so it's best to find a store that has a generous return policy). For example, the first time I ran in the Saucony Ride 5s, I got blisters on my arches. I could have never known this by running a few steps on the store's treadmill. I ended up running 50 miles in those shoes - and after each run BLISTERS. The arch was too high. I returned them. You'll also know if the shoe is too small after your first long run. A telltale sign of a black toenail is feeling pressure under one of your nails . . . imagine a clothes pin clamped to your toe. That's how you know you've succeed in giving yourself a black toenail.

Third, I want to experience how the shoe rides. Whether they feel good on my feet. This metric includes things like - does the shoe feel stiff or flexible in the mid foot? Is the cushioning spongy? springy? too thick? too thin? Is there enough room for my toes to spread out during the foot plant? Do my feet feel happy when I run in them? You won't know the answer to these questions, or what your preferences are, until you've tried on a bunch of pairs.

I like shoes that are flexible in the mid foot. I do not like shoes that have posts - i.e., hard plastic anywhere in the mid foot. I don't want my foot guided by the plastic. I want my feet to move naturally inside the shoe. I prefer minimal cushioning. I hate spongy cushioning. I want to feel the ground when I run. I like a lot of room in the toe box to allow my toes to spread out. But I like my heel and mid foot to feel cozy and secure.

Color? I don't really care about it that much, but my preference is anything NEON and BRIGHT. Just don't want anything too crazy, like these:
 
How did you pick out your running shoes? What shoes have you loved? Hated?

In training, my weeks keep getting more intense, moving closer and closer to race day. This week I had a great week. I completed my hardest workout ever! 11 x 0.5 miles @ 9.3 (6:27). It took me 90 minutes, over 9 miles. I was exhausted! But utterly amazed that I did it!

Week 7: 10/13-10/19 (33 miles)

Saturday (10/13): Long run in Mission Bay, 15 miles. First half at 9:00, next four at 8:30, last 3.5 at 7:30. Last run in my Saucony Ride 5s (blisters).

Sunday (10/14): Jet skiing in Mission Bay, not really exercise, but very fun!! Recovery run, 4.5 miles in Solana Beach at 10:00. First run in my Saucony Kinvara 3s (light weight, liked).

Monday (10/15): Very stiff from long run still. 60" yoga. Omm. Unshod.

Tuesday (10/16): Speed, 11 x 0.5 at 6:27 pace. This took me 90", the longest I have ever run on a treadmill! Wore the New Balance 890s (v1) (another black toenail developed).

Wednesday (10/17): Moderate effort tempo run on treadmill (it was 100F in San Diego!). 40" run with 7:30 pace towards the end for 10 minutes. Upper body weights. Wore the Brooks PureFlow (springy, fun!).

Thursday (10/18): 45" plyo, legs, and core. Wore Nike Pegasus 26s (spongy cushioning perfect for plyo).

Friday (10/19): I played in a doubles tennis tournament and made the playoffs for the first time!! But we got slaughtered in the semifinals. 6-2. My partner asked me, "Have you been working on your volleys?" More of an accusation than a question! My court shoes are Nike Zoom Breathe 2K10s (stiff sole, lots of toe protection).

LR#2
Kristen

Short-Ass Vindication

"look for impressive thermoregulation and/or small body size"
 
"Nutrition experts Asker Jeukendrup and Trent Stellingwerff pointed out that small runners have a relative advantage in carb-loading during competition, because it appears they can load just as many carbs as bigger runners while burning fewer calories (due to their smaller size)."

- Amby Burfoot on the likely characteristics of a sub-2 hour marathoner

Living Pro

Living Pro by Meghan M. Hicks
TrailRunner July 2012

The Same Stem

"Sometimes we forget to look after ourselves:  too much work, study, training, junk food.  We focus too much on one area of our lives and starve the rest.  This orchid . . . represents the need for balance.  It features [many] flowers that all must be nourished from the same stem in order to thrive."

-Believe Training Journal by Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan

By Photo by and (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) (Self-photographed) [GFDL 1.2], via Wikimedia Commons

Niggles

Runner's World
September 2012

Cornering

Runner's World
September 2012

Walking Wounded

Galloway's Book on Running
Jeff Galloway

Satisfying Rewards

Jeff Galloway
Galloway's Book on Running

Running frees your mind.

Danny Pudi (actor, Abed in Community)
I'm a Runner
Runner's World (August 2012)

small errors in training

Galloway's Book on Running (2d ed.)
Jeff Galloway

A secret goal . . . dared not speak out loud

Peter Sagal
The Time of the Ancient Marathoner
Runner's World July 2012

Do you have "pubic goals" that you tell your friends and coworkers (or the blogosphere) . . . but your REAL goal pace is a secret you keep to yourself?

A Dri-Fit-clad Winnie the Pooh

Peter Sagal
The Time of the Ancient Marathoner
Runner's World July 2012

Loved this article by Peter Sagal, host of NPR's "Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!", on his journey to PR a marathon at 46. He's fast 3:09:25 (7:13 pace).

Hydration Equation

Normally, I wouldn't take fitness advice from Rachel Ray, but this seems pretty plausible? +/- your daily amount of caffeine, alcohol, and sweat.

Everyday with Rachel Ray
July/August 2012

Runner's Toes, Sad Face

Time for this month's black toenail count courtesy of my monthly pedicure. The results at in. Right foot, one new bruiser. But two old bruisers growing out with new nails behind them. Yay! And left foot set a PR: no new and all the old completely grown out, leaving new white pearlies in their stead.

Running has its negative externalities, and black toenails are chief among them for me (right in front of the tan lines, oh the tan lines). I have had so many black toenails that I have lost count, seriously.

However, they are nothing a little nail polish can't hide. And once you get over the shame of revealing them to your nail technician, you never really have to deal with them again. If the shame is too much, just go to a new salon every time!!

What causes the dreaded black toenail? Well, for me I think it has been wearing running shoes that were a little too snug in the toe box. I have noticed an increased incidence rate after races, so I think speed and distance are also factors.

Lewis G. Maharam, M.D., AKA the Running Doc (and author of Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running, a staple of any runner's library), says:  Simply put, they're caused by improperly fitted running shoes. All running shoes should have one thumbnail's length from the tip of your longest toe (and in some that means the second toe) to the end of the shoe. Don't worry about the shoe size number because most of us need running shoes a full size or larger than the number of our normal shoe size. Fitting your shoe in the evening is preferable since your foot swells normally during the day and you want to fit it at its largest time. Read more.

And because we love to post pictures of our feet on this blog!! Here is my sparkling new pedicure, a bright orange-red, flattering on any skin tone:

LR#2
Kristen

Not All Calories Are Created Equal

Is eating 100 calories of brocolli and beans the same as eating 100 calories of soda and French fries? No, says Mark Bittman in his recent oped piece for the NYT's Opinionator. Interesting, he cites a study that concluded maintaining weight is much harder than losing weight. Then another study that concludes the best way to maintain weight is by following a low glycemic index diet. The study tested low glycemic index diets against the Atkins diet (low carb) and the traditional low fat diet, which has been pushed by the FDA for the last 30 years--you know the food pyramid.

What is a low glycemic diet anyway?

Bittman:  To differentiate “bad” carbs from “good,” scientists use the term “glycemic index” (or “load”) to express the effect of the carbs on blood sugar. High glycemic diets cause problems by dramatically increasing blood sugar and insulin after meals; low glycemic diets don’t. Highly processed carbohydrates (even highly processed whole grains, like instant oatmeal and fluffy whole-grain breads) tend to make for higher glycemic diets; less processed grains, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, legumes and nuts — along with fat and protein — make for a lower glycemic diet.

What are low and high glycemic foods?

There are indexes all over the internet. In general, <55 is considered "low." 56-69 "medium." 70-100 "high." Here are some common foods. (The glycemic index is the GI column.)

Source

Who is this Mark Bittman? 

He is kind of a celebrity chef I suppose. And he is also a runner. He appears on the food segments of the Today show and writes for the Food section of the NYT. He is also a prolific cookbook author (my favorites Fish and Kitchen Express) and blogger. Simple recipes with seasonal ingredients are his fortay. And I also like him because he very regularly beats up on and debunks the bad advice given by Big Food, Fast Food, and the FDA.


LR#2
Kristen