Proper Eating can Make or Break You on Race Day!

Carbo-loading can help you race without hitting the wall—as long as you do it right.

By Dimity McDowell Image by Lisa Shin From the November 2011 issue of Runner’s World.

Most runners know they should eat pasta, rice, potatoes, or other high-carb foods before a half or full marathon. After all, carbs are a great source of energy, and you need a lot of energy to cover 13.1 or 26.2 miles. But many runners are far less clear on how many carbohydrates they should eat and when to start loading up. “When I go to marathon expos,” says Monique Ryan, R.D., author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, “I’m amazed how many people haven’t carbo-loaded properly. Runners train so hard and then arrive with a huge handicap.” Here’s what every runner needs to know about carbohydrates, so you can toe the line fully fueled and ready to go.

CARB SCIENCE
When you eat a bowl of spaghetti, most of the carbs are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body’s most easily accessible form of energy, but it’s not the only source, says Ryan. During a half or full marathon you burn both glycogen and fat. But the latter is not as efficient, which means your body has to work harder to convert it into fuel.

When you run out of glycogen during a race you hit “the wall.” Your body has to slow down as it turns fat into energy. Benjamin Rapoport, a 2:55 marathoner, is intimately acquainted with the wall. The Harvard M.D. student (who has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT) hit the wall so hard at the 2005 New York City Marathon he decided to study how to avoid it in the future (his research was published in PLoS Computational Biology in October 2010). “Proper carbo-loading—or filling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—won’t make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best and, if you race smartly, avoid the wall,” he says.

CHOOSE WISELY
Which carbs should you load up on? “I’m very utilitarian,” says Rapoport. “I eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” But runners don’t need to be so restrictive. Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. Many fruits are high in carbs but are also high in fiber—and too much can cause stomach trouble mid-race. “Bananas are a low-fiber choice,” says sports nutritionist Ilana Katz, R.D. “And you can peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce their fiber content.” She also gives her clients permission to indulge in white bread and baked potatoes without the skin since both are easily digested.

Ryan suggests steering clear of high-fat foods—like creamy sauces, cheese, butter, and oils—as well as too much protein. Both nutrients fill you up faster than carbs and take longer to digest, she says. Pick jam—not butter—for your toast, tomato sauce in lieu of alfredo sauce on your pasta, and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.

HOW MUCH?
You can’t completely fill your muscles with glycogen from just one meal, “which is why you should start carbo-loading two or three days before your race,” says Ryan. Since you’re running very few miles, the glycogen will accumulate in your muscles. At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbs, says Katz. Ryan recommends eating about four grams of carbs for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that’s 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbs per day). During his research, Rapoport developed an even more precise formula, which runners can access at endurancecalculator.com, that factors in variables including age, resting heart rate, VO2 max, and predicted finishing time. It’s important to keep in mind that you’re most likely not eating many more calories per day than you were during the thick of your training—it’s just that more of those calories are coming from carbs.

If you step on the scale while you’re carbo-loading, be prepared to see a number that’s at least four pounds more than your usual weight. The extra pounds mean you get a gold star for carbo-loading properly. “With every gram of stored carbohydrate, you store an extra three grams of water,” says Katz. That means your body will be hydrated and fueled as you start the race, ensuring you cross the finish feeling strong.

EAT better: Even if you carbo-load properly, you still need to take in midrace fuel (such as sports drinks, gels, chews, and candy) to keep your energy level high.

Good Eats
A day of carbo-loading for a 150-pound runner

BREAKFAST
1 bagel with 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (71 g)
1 medium banana (27 g)
8 ounces fruit yogurt (41 g)
8 ounces orange juice (26 g)

MORNING SNACK
2 Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey
Granola Bars (29 g)
8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

LUNCH
1 large baked potato with 1/4 cup salsa (69 g)
1 sourdough roll (40 g)
8 ounces chocolate milk (26 g)
1 large oatmeal cookie (56 g)

AFTERNOON SNACK
1 Clif Bar (42 g)
8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

DINNER
1 chicken burrito with rice, corn salsa, and black beans (105 g)
1 2-ounce bag Swedish Fish (51 g)

CARB TOTAL 611 g

Perfect Timing
What to do before race day to ensure your tank is full

6 WEEKS BEFORE: Practice loading
Two or three days prior to your longest run, start eating more carbs and less fat and protein. “You’ll get a sense of what foods agree and disagree with your stomach,” says Katz.

1 WEEK BEFORE: Make a plan
“A plan is especially important if you’re traveling to a race,” says Ryan. Pack plenty of snacks, like sports bars, pretzels, and crackers. Check menus online and make restaurant reservations.

2 OR 3 DAYS BEFORE: Switch to carbs
From now through your race, 85 to 95 percent of your diet should be carbs. Eat after taper runs. “That is when muscles are primed to store glycogen,” says Rapoport.

NIGHT BEFORE: Don’t stuff yourself
Dinner should be relatively small but carb-heavy. Eat on the early side so you have lots of time to digest.
“You want to wake up race day hungry—not full from the night before,” says Ryan.

RACE MORNING: Have breakfast
Three hours before the start, eat 150 grams of carbs, like a bagel and yogurt or sports drink and oatmeal, says Ryan. Early race? “Get up at 3 a.m., eat, and go back to bed,” she says

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-242-301–14076-0,00.html

Knowing how fast (or slow) to go makes every run better.

When you run within your limits, every workout can be a pleasure. But start even a few seconds per mile too fast, and misery awaits: excess fatigue, loss of motivation, or even injury. That’s why it’s so important to know what pace is right for you. Happily, by doing a simple “magic mile” time trial, you can find the best speed for your runs, then set realistic goals and keep running—enjoyably—forever.

Run One Mile Hard Go to a track and jog an easy lap or two for a warmup. Walk for three to four minutes. Then time yourself running four laps, which is about one mile. Don’t run all out; just push a little faster than you usually do. Record your time. By running on a track—which is flat and provides the most accurate measurement of distance—you’ll get a solid indication of your top speed. You can use it as a benchmark to determine what pace is appropriate for your current fitness level on daily runs. Do the time trial every two weeks or so; try to beat your previous time, and track your progress.

Slow Down Every Day On your daily runs, aim to run two to three minutes slower per mile than your magic mile time. So if you do your magic mile in 10 minutes, aim to keep your pace around 12 to 13 minutes per mile on daily runs. At the perfect pace, you should feel comfortable and relaxed—like you can finish a sentence without having to catch your breath. If you’re huffing and puffing, ease off. Don’t worry about going too slow.

Set Race Goals Signed up for a race? Use the magic mile to set realistic goals for different distances. Add 33 seconds to your mile time to determine a pace for a 5-K. Multiply your mile time by 1.15 for a 10-K, 1.2 for a half-marathon, and 1.3 to predict your marathon potential. (See “Time Trial,” below.)

Get Used To It At a race, you’ll get the best results if you try to maintain a steady pace from start to finish. Here’s how to practice: Once a week, try to run your goal race pace for a half to three-quarters of a mile. Each quarter mile, check your pace and adjust if you need to. Each week, run a little farther at your goal pace until you’re running one-third to one-half of the race distance.

Time Trial

If you can run one mile in 10 minutes, here’s your pace for other distances.

Distance: 5k       Pace per mile: 10:33

Distance: 10k     Pace per mile: 11:30

Distance: 1/2 marathon    Pace per mile: 12

Distance: marathon           Pace per mile: 13

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-238-520–13101-0,00.html

By Jeff Galloway Image by Harry Campbell From the May 2009 issue of Runner’s World

Put injuries behind you by working this key—but often neglected—muscle group.

By Nikki Kimball Image by Justin Steele From the March 2011 issue of Runner’s World

For the past decade, coaches, trainers, and physical therapists like me have told runners to “work your core“—the muscles of your torso that support your every move. And so many runners have added crunches and planks that strengthen the abdominals and back to their routines. But these exercises do little for the powerhouse muscles that surround the pelvis. The gluteal (buttocks) muscles are so commonly left out of runners’ strength programs, I call them the forgotten core.

When we run, the glutes hold our pelvis level and steady, extend our hip, propel us forward, and keep our legs, pelvis, and torso aligned. So when our glutes are faulty, our entire kinetic chain gets disrupted. Studies link glute weakness to Achilles tendinitis, shinsplints, runner’s knee, and iliotibial-band syndrome. Indeed, many injured runners I treat come to physical therapy with strong abdominals and backs but weak glutes.

Part of the problem is that glutes aren’t as active as other running muscles during routine activities, which can make your hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves disproportionately stronger. Another issue is that most strength-training routines don’t isolate the glutes. If an exercise requires several muscles to perform the movement, the majority of the work will be done by the strongest of those muscles. Also, tight muscles, specifically the hip flexors, can inhibit the glutes and prevent their muscle fibers from firing.

Here’s how to see where you stand, plus exercises that will strengthen your neglected glutes—and give you a coveted runner’s butt. Do two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps two times a week.

(see video of workout  http://bcove.me/3kzdytpo )

Seat Check
Test your glute strength

SINGLE-LEG STANCE TEST
Stand with your hands over your head, palms together. Lift your right foot off the ground and balance. Watch the left side of your hips to see if it dips down. If it does, it’s a sign of glute weakness. Try it on the other side, too. Next, do this: While in the same position, lean to the right of your body, checking to see if your left side dips. Move your hands to the left of your body and see if your right side dips. If your hips dip, it’s a sign that your glutes need work. Try this test also after a long or hard run to see how your glutes perform when fatigued.

HIP HIKE
Stand sideways on a step, box, or bench at least four inches high with one leg held free of the bench, and keep both hips squared forward and shoulders level. Keeping your standing leg (the one on the bench) straight (no knee bending!), raise your free hip directly upward and then drop the leg.

SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFT
Stand on your right leg with your left leg behind you and in the air. Keeping your shoulders back and your back straight, hinge forward and reach your hands toward the ground. Return back up and repeat. Hold weights or a medicine ball for an added challenge.

THREE-WAY LEG RAISES
Place a resistance band just above your knees. Separate your feet and bend your knees, lowering down into a slightly crouched position. Balance on your left leg.
1. With slow, controlled motions, move your right leg forward against the band’s resistance, then back to the starting position.
2. Without placing your right foot back on the floor, move it out to the side, then return to the starting position.
3. Move your right foot behind you, then back to the starting position. That’s one repetition.

LUNGE STRETCH
Tight hip flexors can inhibit the firing of glute muscles. Do this stretch after every run. Step forward and lower your back knee. Keep your knee over your ankle. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

SINGLE-LEG SQUAT
Stand on your left leg. Lift your right out in front of you. Stand tall (don’t round your shoulders), and keep your left knee over your ankle as you lower down into a squat. Your hands can extend out for balance. Push into your heel to come back up and repeat. Start with shallow squats; go deeper as it becomes easier.

SIDE-LYING LEG LIFT
Lie on your side with your legs extended out straight. Your lower arm can rest under your head; your top arm can rest on your hip. Lift the top leg up while keeping your hips steady and facing forward (do not rotate backward). Lower down and repeat. For an added challenge, wear an ankle weight.

To watch a video of this routine, visit runnersworld.com/glutes.

FEEL BETTER
Only have time for one exercise? The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reports that the side-lying leg lift activates the glutes the most.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263–13852-F,00.html

Need more air? Deep breathing can help you run longer with less effort. By Gina Demillo Wagner  From Runner’s World

Breathe Right
Here’s how Mindy Solkin, a New York City-based coach, teaches runners to engage their diaphragms.

Open Your Mouth
Your mouth is larger than your nostrils, so it’s more effective at taking in oxygen. Also, keeping your mouth open keeps your face more relaxed, which makes it easier to breathe deeply.

Breathe in Patterns
Coordinating your inhales and exhales with your footfalls develops diaphragmatic strength. Start with a 2-2 pattern-breathe in while stepping left, right; breathe out while stepping left, right. Advance to 3-3 (breathe in, step left, right, left; breathe out, step right, left, right), and then a 4-4 pattern.

Breath Enhancers
Cross-training exercises that reduce huffing and puffing

These three Pilates moves strengthen the diaphragm, stretch tight muscles, and improve posture-all of which help you run longer with less effort. Practice each exercise two or three times a week before you run.

1) THE HUNDRED
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Inhale and lift your head, neck, shoulders, and arms off the ground. Lift your knees and extend your feet so your legs are straight and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out. While doing so, pump your arms, moving them in a controlled up and down manner. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths-each breath includes five inhales and five exhales. After you do 10 complete breaths, you will have completed 100 arm pumps.

> The Payoff: Teaches controlled breathing, so that your inhales and exhales are balanced. Bonus: Builds strong abdominals.

2) THE SWAN
Lie face down with your palms flat under your shoulders (as if you were going to do a pushup). Look down so your neck is in line with your spine. Inhale and slowly lift your head, neck, shoulders, and chest as you press your hands into the ground. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. As you exhale, slowly lower yourself back down, chest first, then shoulders, neck, chin, and head. To avoid discomfort in your back, concentrate on pulling your shoulders back to open up your chest. Repeat 10 times.

The Payoff: Opens up the chest and deepens your lung capacity to correct shallow breathing.

3) STANDING CHEST EXPANSION
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your arms at your sides. Inhale and sweep your arms out and up so that your biceps are near your ears and your palms are facing each other. Exhale and lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat four times, concentrating on breathing deep and opening your chest.

The Payoff: Stretches the intercostal muscles (which lie between the ribs), relaxes the shoulders, engages the diaphragm and pelvic floor, and helps balance breathing between the left and right lungs.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-238-267–12989-0,00.html

( go to the site to see videos of the exercises)

Stretching exercises are vital to every runner’s and walker’s program. These exercises stretch the muscles in the leg and back that are tight. Maintaining flexible muscles in the legs and back is desirable as it allows the muscles and joints to work more efficiently and decreases the frequency of muscle injuries.

These exercises will stretch the muscles in the calf, thigh and back. They should be performed on a daily basis. On running/walking days do stretches before and after your run. On non-running days, do stretches at least once.

Each exercise should be performed in a slow, sustained manner, until a stretching or “burning” sensation is felt. When this happens, hold the stretch for 30 seconds, relax for 15 seconds, and repeat the stretch for another 30 seconds. This is a minimum amount of stretching.

Exercise #1 – Posterior Thigh

Exercise #2 – Calf Stretch

Exercise #3 – Anterior Thigh

Exercise #4 – Inner Thigh

Exercise #5 – Iliotibial Band and Lateral Thigh

Exercise #6 – Soleus

http://www.nismat.org/traintip/runner/stretch.html

A Dynamic Warm-Up Routine

Stretch safely—before you run.

Maybe you’ve heard that stretching before a run is a big mistake. Indeed, studies show that static stretching—holding a muscle in an elongated, fixed position for 30 seconds or more—could hurt performance if done before a workout (save it for after your run). But dynamic stretching, which uses controlled leg movements to improve range of motion, loosens up muscles and increases heart rate, body temperature, and blood flow to help you run more efficiently. Dynamic stretching is most effective when it’s sport-specific. This pre-run routine targets the muscles used for running. Start slowly, focusing on form; as the exercises get easier, pick up speed. Use small movements for the first few reps, and increase the range of motion as you go. Click on the following link to view a video of each exercise:    http://bcove.me/d5ejbh7l

LEG LIFTS
Swing one leg out to the side, then swing it back across your body in front of your other leg. Repeat 10 times on each side. Feel wobbly? Hold onto a steady object.

BUTT-KICKS
While standing tall, walk forward with an exaggerated backswing so that your heels come up to your glutes. When this is easy, try it while jogging. Do 10 reps on each side.

PIKE STRETCH
Get in a “pike” position (hips in the air). Put your right foot behind your left ankle. With your legs straight, press the heel of the left foot down. Release. Repeat 10 times on each side.

HACKY-SACK
Lift your left leg up, bending the knee so it points out. Try to tap the inside of your left foot with your right hand without bending forward. Repeat 10 times on each side.

TOY SOLDIER
Keeping your back and knees straight, walk forward, lifting your legs straight out in front and flexing your toes. Advance this by adding a skipping motion. Do 10 reps on each side.

WALKING LUNGES
Step forward using a long stride, keeping the front knee over or just behind your toes. Lower your body by dropping your back knee toward the ground. Maintain an upright posture and keep your abdominal muscles tight.

Written by Nikki Kimball a physical therapist in Bozeman, Montana, who has been named USATF’s Ultra-Runner of the Year three times.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-287–13442-0,00.html

Running in Hot Weather –

Running when it’s hot isn’t just hard–it can be dangerous. To get you prepared here’s everything new under the sun. By Paul Scott & Bob Cooper From the August 2004 issue of Runner’s World

The Hot List

Five Rules for Running in the Heat

1) Dress for success
Wear apparel that’s light in color, lightweight, and has vents or mesh. Microfiber polyesters, such as CoolMax and DuoFold, and cotton blends are good fabric choices. Also, be sure to wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

2) Just say no
Caffeine, alcohol, antihistamines, and antidepressants can all have a dehydrating effect. Using them just before a run can cause you to have to hit the restroom, compounding your dehydration risk. Anti-inflammatories affect kidney function, so they should also be avoided before long, hot runs or races.

3) Drink early and often
Top off your fluid stores with 16 ounces of sports drink an hour before you head out. Then toss down seven to 10 ounces of sports drink about every 20 minutes while running. And remember: Sports drinks beat water because they contain glucose and sodium (sugar and salt), which increase your water-absorption rate, replace the electrolytes you lose in sweat, and taste good, encouraging you to drink more.

4) Make adjustments
Don’t do long runs or higher-intensity runs during the heat of the day. And when you do run at midday, try to pick running routes that afford some shade. Miami Runners Club marathon coach Ben Sowles has his marathoners proactively adjust the pace when race day is warm. “I tell them to start up to 30 seconds slower than their goal pace,” says Sowles. “Then, if they’re feeling good at the halfway point, they can gradually speed up.” Use the same pacing strategy when the temps rise during your training runs.

5) Determine your losses
Rehydrate with 16 to 24 ounces of sports drink for every pound of body weight you lose during exercise. Because sweat rates vary enormously, you can get an idea of your own sweat rate by weighing yourself naked before and after a couple of runs. If, for example, you lose one pound during a 40-minute run, it means you sweated about 16 ounces of fluid. Going forward you can then try to replenish your fluids at a rate of about 16 ounces per 40 minutes of running.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267–8027-F,00.html

We will be posting weekly training programs for the beginners who plan to walk/run and for experienced runners who would like to improve their race time!

We will organize car pools to and from the event leaving from the Fitness Studio!

Diva Run General Info:      Sunday, May 20^th

Website with NMB event info:

http://www.runlikeadiva.com/Half_Marathon_Events/Divas_Half_Marathon_-_North_Myrtle_Beach/Event_Information_-_North_Myrtle_Beach.htm

5K = 3.1 miles   OR   there is a half marathon option = 13.1 miles

Start line is at  Ocean Blvd and 3^rd Ave South….. line up starts at 7:00am

Finish Line:

As you cross the finish line, lose yourself in the feeling of accomplishment. A handsome firefighter will crown your accomplishment with the most Diva-like medal out there, toast it with a glass of champagne and celebrate it with a rose because you are beautiful and powerful and you have just done something not many people can do!!! You are a running Diva! Relish the feeling and the moment with all your Divas sisters and friends.

This event has some wonderfully unique perks that make this event different and makes you truly feel like a running DIVA:

• Awesome shining and spinning diva medals featuring a spot for your own photo so you can shine like a DIVA (for half marathon finishers)
• Roses and bubbly at the finish line you can celebrate like a DIVA
• Ladies tech shirt for all participants so you can strut like a DIVA
• Live post race party so you can party like a DIVA
• Feather boa station and tiara stop on the course so you can look like a DIVA

Register online at: http://www.active.com/running/north-myrtle-beach-sc/divas-half-marathon-in-north-myrtle-beach-2012

5K is $35

Gerry has lost 25 pounds!!!

Gerry Wolfe has lost a total of 25 pounds in about 6 months in addition to gaining strength and losing inches!

She says, “Cindy and her staff are always encouraging and helpful.  She also gives you a variety of routines to use working out so you don’t get bored.  I wasn’t into taking group classes, but Cindy encouraged me to give Group Power a try.  I liked it!  Now I take the class once a week.”

You too can get great results like Gerry!  Come see the staff at the Fitness Studio and find out how.

We don’t reach our goals until you reach yours.  Together we will succeed!

Sometimes having a workout partner takes a bit of the “pain” out of the workout, as some would say.  Not only do you have a personal trainer to push you to get the extra rep, but you also have a workout partner to compete against.  A little healthy competition can be a good thing!!!

Just ask Scott Meyerson doing the kettlebell swings or Marshall Cooper maxing out the pushups.  These guys go hard during every workout and are seeing great results! They are strong and lean and their flexibility is improving along with their golf games!!!

If you don’t have a workout partner, don’t worry.  There may be someone in the gym at your similar level looking for partner.

Check out the Personal Training tab above for more info on the Fitness Studio personal trainers!

Call or email us today to get started on a new you tomorrow!