Healthy New Year Tips

   Christmas and Hannukah have passed  - it's New Year's celebrations and then were onto 2018. Before the Holidays are even over, people are beating themselves up over what they've eaten and drank, and resolved to cure the ills in January.
    And really, there's plenty of incentive to. Besides whatever weight you may have put on or conditioning you may have lost in the five week Holiday period, everyone is in the same boat. Due to rushing around, attending family gatherings, office parties, etc., just about everyone is ready to buckle down in January. Every television commercial seems to be for a weight loss plan, and January is a month devoid of distractions. It's back to work, and back to the gym!
    I start my training for the Long Branch Half-Marathon, held the first weekend in May. With that event looming, my treadmill workouts start to get a little more purpose. Besides, cruising along for six or seven miles and watching the news, I'm spicing it up with "repeat miles" (5 x 1-mile at approximately 7:30 mile pace, with a three-minute walk in-between), or something similarly torturous. Without the carrot of the race, a workout like that seems excessive and senseless. With the half-marathon to think about, it's "pace work" that mentally brings me back to a younger, faster self (who once had cartilage in the knees)!
    It's important to have goals when training. It keeps you motivated. It doesn't necessarily have to be a competition, per se. It could be completing a charity bike ride, trying to get an unassisted pull-up, or being able to run one mile on the treadmill. I grimace a bit when a client's sole aim is weight loss. You can literally starve yourself, smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, or down eight cups of coffee. You'll lose weight, for sure, but will you be healthier for it?
    We have a program at Mountain Fitness called Biometrics, that I really like. It's set up by nutritionists, and takes into account people's food preferences, as well as extenuating circumstances like diabetes or high blood pressure. You buy and prepare your own food from the supermarket, with menus prepared by the Biometrics staff.  It reduces calories gradually over a six-week span, and encourages clients to drink at least half a gallon of water a day.  On top of that, you work with a trainer three days a week, for about a half-an-hour session.
    The client does "super slow" weight training, meaning a 10-second "positive" and two-second "negative" on each repetition. You do one set of six to eight machines, and some abs and stretching. Short and intense, and hard to do on your own (I've tried).
     Typically, a participant loses 12-15 pounds during the six weeks, and significantly changes their body composition. They look and feel good, and never feel like they're starving themselves. You eat three meals a day, plus two snacks. It's portion control, essentially, and people learn habits they can keep through life. The members who have done it here have kept the weight off, the trickiest part of any weight-loss program.
     The New Year is almost here. Have a goal, and a game plan to achieve it. We'll see you at the club!     
 
 

Happy Holiday eating

    Hannukah started last night, and Christmas is less than two weeks away. We have Max's 21st birthday weekend in-between, which will involve varying amounts of red meat and beer. Yes, there is over-indulgence over the Holidays - how do you handle it?
      Keeping things "evened out" with a lot of exercise is the most obvious answer. Burning an extra 500-1000 calories in a workout will work off a fatty meal, and stimulate your metabolism so you're burning more calories at rest for a good portion of the day. I always feel that exercise makes you desire healthier food also, both physiologically and psychologically!
   Author Cara Rosenbloom of the Washington Post offered six tips to remember in a recent article
 entitled "Keep Your Holidays Happy by Letting Go Of Food Guilt.".
1. IT'S JUST FOOD, ENJOY IT: Holiday food are about family customs and traditions, so go along and enjoy it. Whether it's potato pancakes ("Latka's"), lasagna, or ham, it's how you grew up, with all the memories entailed. Just slow down and savor the look, taste, and smell of your ethnic favorites.
2. THINK LONG TERM: There's 365 days in a year, and what you eat over a couple of celebratory holidays are not going to make-or-break your diet. Try to eat as healthy as possible during the days in-between each holiday. Drink a lot of water, and accept that you are not preparing a lot of what you are eating, and, most likely, will be "falling off the wagon" a bit during this period.
3. LISTEN TO YOUR STOMACH: Get up, and walk around for a minute after one plateful of food. Are you sufficiently full, knowing dessert is coming along, too? Probably so, but if not, have another half a plate, and don't feel you need to finish everything. Make a good portion of the holiday plate healthy: yes to more salad, easy on the other side dishes.
4. RESIST THE "ARMS RACE:" This pertains to guys more than women. If you're around someone who over-eats, your competitive nature makes you over-eat as well. The same with drinking: the person around you has one beer or glass of wine, you're okay with that, too. They push the "arm's race," you feel you must answer. One way or another, everyone's worse for wear afterward!
5. MOVE ON: The day after, you realize you ate and/or drank too much. Okay, get on the treadmill or elliptical the next morning, and get everything moving. Increase your water intake even more, and listen to your stomach again. You're probably not going to be particularly hungry or desire alcohol at all. By the end of the 48 hour period, your calorie intake has probably evened out. Don't beat yourself up, skip meals, or conversely, give up on a sound nutritional program you've been following. It's just one day!
6. FOOD IS NOT A SHRINK: The Holidays can be an emotional time. There could be loved ones who are ill or passed; or you may be separated by geography or family differences from others. There are also office parties and other gatherings where you may be around people you are somewhat uncomfortable socializing with. Don't use food (or alcohol) as a crutch. Again, a workout earlier in the day can release endorphins to get you through perceived stress, or try anything else that just puts you in a good place. Usually, the anticipation of an event if worse than the actuality. What can be so hard about sitting around with family and friends, enjoying each other's company? Think of people in hospitals or military service who don't have it at all, and keep it in perspective. Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Dogs and Longevity

  A Swedish research group report confirmed something that many of us innately knew: owning a dog can actually extend your life.
   The report from Uppsala University studied the health records of 3.4 million Swedes over a 12- year study. The results, as reported by Michelle Cortez recently in the Bloomberg News syndicate, focused on people from 40-80 years of age. It showed that dog owners were less likely to have heart disease, or die from any cause, than non-dog owners.
   Not surprisingly, the biggest difference was in people living alone. Among that group, dog owners were 11% less likely to develop heart disease and a whopping 33% less likely to die.
    I can see several reasons for this. First, a dog forces you into some type of movement in taking them out several times a day, plus any planned exercise (long walks, throwing them a ball at a park) you do with your pet. Also, it is clearly a family member, with all the companionship and love entailed. Dogs are an anti-depressant, and having something to care for can make a person more aware of their own health. A senior citizen is less likely to eat badly, skip their medicines, or neglect doctor's orders if they know they have this living, loving being to take care of. 
   Seniors with an ill spouse definitely benefit in having something else in their lives, and dogs are a great companion to both the care-giver and the one needing it. Think of the psychological benefit for an immobile person to have a dog nestled on their lap as they read or watch television!
    Laurie and I have had two dogs through our married life. The first, a strong-minded Yorkie named Pippin, lived until 17-plus years. In his youth, I did four- mile runs with him, and, later, regularly took him to a park where I would throw him a tennis ball for about a half-an-hour. He loved it, and it was sad and revealing seeing old age get the best of him. Really never sick a day in his life (other than a "nervous breakdown" on the day we moved), he had severe arthritis by the time we had to put him down, bad cataracts and very limited hearing. It was interesting to see how much this once hyper dog conserved his energy through each day in his final year or so, content to lay on the rug in a ray of sunshine through the window.
   Our second dog, Phoebe, was a playful and sweet Terrier mix. She knew my weekend routine, and as soon as I was done with my hour nap in the afternoon, she would tail me around until we went on our two-mile walk. Snowstorm, 10 degrees, it didn't matter. It had to be done. I'd have my head phones on, listening to a game, and it was as relaxing for me as it was energizing for her. While I didn't need it as a workout, per se, it still was fresh air and put the mind in a good place (all things that help with longevity!)
   Being a Terrier, Phoebe was an expert at catching mice. She was so good-natured, we felt she pawed at them to play more than anything else. Tragically, at age 12 and in perfect health, we believe she came in contact with a mouse that had been poisoned, and died within a day. I knew something was wrong when I took her out for her regular jaunt that we both loved, and she immediately pulled to go back inside. We brought her to the vet, and she never made it home.
   While there are sad endings, we know both our dogs added an immense amount to our lives, and to our children's as well. They had something to both care for and love, and it was unconditional. Young, old, or in-between, no doubt, a dog adds to the quality, and the length, of your life!     

Healthy Convenience Stores

   Years ago, when my son was playing travel soccer, I would bribe/reward him for attending the games with a trip to the Krauszer's or Wawa on the way home for some Wild Bill's Shredded Beef Jerky.
    And while that is not as bad for an 11-year old as you may think (lean protein), it really would not qualify as a healthy snack.
     We still love Wild Bill's, although his athletic endeavors segued into distance running and now, lifting weights.
    And while those stores still have plenty of beef jerky choices, some of that is more upscale selections like Perky Jerky, a Colorado-based product made with cage-free, grass-fed meat. Kraft Heinz has come out with a product called the P3 Portable Protein Pack - a mix of meat, cheese, and nuts.
    The trend toward healthier convenience store items was detailed in a recent Chicago Tribune News Service article by Greg Trotter. The National Association of Convenience Stores trade show was held in Chicago in October. The industry is huge ($550 billion in sales last year), but sales of their staples: soda, cigarettes, and in most states, gasoline, are slowing.
    They realize they need to appeal to millenials who are frequenting Starbuck's and Panera Bread for their coffee and quick meals.  Packaged protein bars and over-ripe bananas by the cash register have been part of the convenience store experience for awhile. But now the trend is to more made-to-order food and salads as well.
    According to the article, store owners in lower-income areas felt that devoting coveted shelf space to healthier items will hurt their bottom line. Unhealthy foods are cheaper to purchase, and let's face it, usually are immediately satisfying to the taste buds. However, it's the same old problem, if healthy options are not available, the people definitely will be eating junk. And we know the long-term costs: high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity issues, and higher cancer risks. It was great to see Newark, known for decades as a "food desert" open up a Whole Food Market recently!
    A trip to the convenience store will always conjure up images of hours-old coffee, a huge assortment of lottery tickets, Marlboro's, and, of course, roller dogs. There is something pridefully downscale about it, really, and that will never change completely.
    However, a declining bottom-line and a look to the future as people change their habits are causing not a revolution, but an evolution, in this staple of American life.
 

Preventing Falls for Seniors

  Those of us with aging parents, or of a certain age ourselves, are aware of how life-changing a fall can be for senior citizens.
    The reasons for imbalance in seniors are many: brittle bones, osteoporosis, vertigo, blood pressure and diabetes medication, dementia, Parkinson's, degenerative hips or knees, lack of core strength, muscle atrophy, poor eyesight and hearing.
   An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution syndicate by Sheila Poole pointed out that while motor vehicle accidents are them main source of trauma patients in area hospitals, among people 65 and above, it is falls.
   The article notes that at least one-third to one-half or seniors will experience a fall, and that accounts for more than 90 percent of hip fractures by older adults. Once an elderly person falls, they are two to three times more likely to stumble again. Often, it turns an independent adult into someone reliant on others, in one form or another.
   These are agonizing statistics for anyone who has gone through this, either personally or with family members.
    While there is no fool-proof way to avoid falls, there are preventative measures:
   *Exercise smartly, but exercise regularly: Focus on movements that build leg and core strength. Light dumbell work is great, as well as yoga, aqua aerobics, elliptical machines or treadmills (make sure there are safety bars along the sides), and Tai Chi.
   *Work on your balance: There are many ways to do this in a gym. Stand on balance disks while replicating upper body movements, and then, if comfortable, try the same thing with light weights. Sit on a stability ball. If that's easy, raise on leg up and hold, or roll back-and-forth. For advanced balance, try standing on one leg for 30 seconds at a time. Have a trainer or spotter close by on all these things, just in case.
   *Review your meds, and see which ones might be causing dizziness and/or drowsiness. Is there a substitute available? Check with your doctor if there is an alternative, or whether your life situation has changed enough (quit smoking, lost weight, etc.) where you can reduce dosage, or perhaps go off the medication entirely. Make sure your doctor and pharmacist know all the medications you are taking, as sometimes the combination of certain things can cause problems.
  *Have your eyes and hearing checked at least once a year.
  *Make your home as safe as it could be. Add grab bars in the shower and bath tub, and next to the toilet. Make sure there are railings on both sides of the stairways, and the entrances are well lit. Try to make as much of your life on on one floor.
  *Diet-wise, make sure you have calcium and Vitamin D to preserve bone strength.
  *Keep a night-light on, to reduce the chance of falling while getting out of bed. Sit up first after sleeping, and then slowly put the feet on the floor and walk.
    My father had back surgery this summer, not from a fall, specifically, but a hairline fracture that got worse as he helped pack for my parent's move to a one-floor apartment. The surgery required general anesthesia, which is complicated at 87. He went through extensive rehab at the Kessler Institute and is continuing to strengthen himself through pool exercises. I remember how great a feeling it was to walk around the hospital floor with him a couple of days after his surgery. One of the nurses cheered us on, and I said "Hey, you can' t get the 26.2 miles, without the .2!"

Healthy Holiday Tips

  The Holidays are fast approaching - season of family, merriment, and for most Americans, a  3-5 lb.weight gain - that it takes all year to work off. Here are my annual tips to limit the damage.
  *Take advantage of off-time: Yes, everyone's life is a little busier with gift-buying, office parties, etc. But there are more off-days from work this time of year as well. Take advantage of every day off to get a workout in. I always say, your body doesn't realize if it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a random Monday in March. It needs some type of activity every day!
   *Mix it up: For runners, cyclists, and other warm-weather athletes, this is the "'off-season." It doesn't mean you exercise less, necessarily, but mix in different things that aren't priorities during your competitive season. As a runner, my last race is usually early November. Over the winter, I'll do some weighted squats and lunges, leg presses, and other "meat and potato" lower- body exercises that are somewhat counter-productive during racing season. It builds muscle in my legs in different ways than running, and I enjoy it!
  *Brave the cold: While I am definitely a warm weather person (I'm the one you see running in gloves in May!), exercising outdoors in the winter is invigorating, and burns up more calories (with equal effort) than working out in warm weather. Your body has to expend a lot of energy to stay warm against the elements.
  *Hit the weights: Weight-training keeps the bones and muscles strong, as well as the connecting ligaments and tendons. While you're usually not as drenched in sweat as after a good cardio session,
the "after-burn" is longer, so it's also a great way to keep your weight under control. Try to incorporate balance into your strength training, too, by using things like the bosu or stability ball, or by standing on one leg when executing an exercise like the lateral shoulder raise. Not as easy as you'd think!
*Save your calories: If you know Thanksgiving Dinner is going to be a killer, eat light (but don't starve yourself) the day before. Try to exercise on Black Friday morning, before the food has all settled in, and, again, eat lightly the rest of the day. Also, drink a lot of water. By Saturday, your weight should be back to normal.
*Beware the liquid calories: Americans now get 30% of their calories from liquids. Substitute water or club soda for sugared or diet sodas. When drinking alcohol, have one drink, then sip a full glass of club soda before having another. It will cut down your alcohol consumption considerably, saving you calories and the other potential hazards of over-doing it.
*Tips before you feast: Back to the water theme. If you drink three full glasses of water before a big meal, your stomach will have a sense of fullness that will cut down on your appetite considerably. Salad is also filled with water, nutrients, and fiber. A healthy salad before a big Holiday meal will save you calories, not add to it. The acidity and fiber in half a grapefruit will have a similar effect.
 *Remember your vegetables: A third of the plate should be covered by something green, nutritionist's always say. Also, opt for the vegetables in the pre-meal snacking. Healthy, and, again, the fibrous content will cut down on your cravings later.
  *Don't be a food "martyr": I love stuffing, and I also really enjoy pumpkin pie. I will have both with my Thanksgiving meal. Psychologists dealing with eating issues say that when someone sacrifices on something they really love and don't regularly eat, they will "feel deprived" and maybe drown their sorrows in a bag of Oreo's when no one is looking. Recognize what your one or two "must have" treats are and enjoy them!
  *Remember your math: It takes 3600 excess calories to put on a pound, and the same deficit to take one off. Try your best to retain equilibrium during this six-week period. Maybe you won't lose weight, but don't resign to yourself that you will put it on, either. Just keep exercising, and stay healthy to enjoy many more Holidays!   
     

Too Much Television

   Scrolling through my files, I stumbled across a column from 2015 by Drs. Oz and Roizen on the health-related problems of watching too much television.
    I much prefer the radio to television. It's easier to multi-task to, and, frankly, I usually find it more interesting. Sports, talk radio, or music, it can entertain me all day while I do other things like read, wax my car, work on the lawn, or exercise. My family makes fun of my "old man" Walkman, but it does the job - Rutgers football game,, WFAN, or rock' n' roll.
    If I want to modernize, I can go with the Sirius XM with a pair of ear phones, and my son, while landscaping all summer, educated himself with various podcasts all day.
    When I do have the television on, I'm usually reading the newspaper while a sporting event drones  in the background. The only time I pay attention is an hour of the news after dinner.
    Don't get me wrong, the television has it's purpose. When the kids were younger, we'd watch American Idol or Who Wants To Be a Millionaire as a family, and it has it's social bonding elements. The Super Bowl, for example, is a huge holiday, really, with the commonality of the television the gathering force. And who hasn't fallen asleep to football after the Thanksgiving meal?
   Still, the article points out that the average American  watches five to seven hours of television per day. That's sedentary time, by and large, which slows your metabolism and raises risks for heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer, according to several studies cited. The risks increase more if your losing sleep to watch more television, as sleep deprivation has ties to both obesity and diabetes.
  Snacking in front of the TV makes it even worse. It's often salty or sugary snack food, empty calories, essentially. It's also hard to gauge exactly how much you ate picking out of a bowl. The doctors suggest some cut up vegetables in front of you - keep the chips out of sight.
   One suggestion they made for exercise adherence makes sense. If you love Meet the Press on Sunday mornings, make that a time you are at the gym on an elliptical, or at home on the treadmill, watching that show. If its' the local news every night between 5-6, even better! Shower up, and eat dinner at 6:30. You've revved up a healthy appetite, will desire nourishing food, and fed your brain by catching up on the world. And the endorphins released by your workout will make the news slightly less depressing - I hope!

Celebrating Senior Fitness

  When I was younger, I exercised to look good, improve athletic performance, and feel good. At 59, well, it's pretty much the same, although with a receding hairline abutting graying hair, the looking good is pretty much shot!
   Yes, priorities do change as we age, but the need to move does not. In fact, it's more important to exercise the older we get. Bone strength, balance, flexibility, and prevention of muscle loss are some real good reasons, as well as heart health - lowering blood pressure and sugar levels. Cognitively, too, exercise is perhaps the best defense against dementia!
   The National Council on Aging suggests seniors (over 65) should get least 2/12 hours of exercise a week of moderate exercise (walking, bicycling, aqua aerobics, etc), and do strength training twice a week. The strength training can be with free weights (great for balance and independent motion of the arms and legs), machines (easy to use, strength gains), resistance bands (continual tension on the muscles, portable), medicine balls (throwing, rotating and catching), or body weight (modified pull-ups, lunges, step-ups, squats, etc.).
     Stretching and balance work (sitting on stability balls, or standing on one leg), should definitely be included. Try to mimic movements you do in life (golf swings, sitting to standing), and mix up the exercises to limit over-use injuries and to keep things mentally and physically fresh.
   Water is great natural resistance, and swimming is certainly a tremendous overall workout for any age. The recumbent bike is excellent for the hips and hamstrings, and is protective of the lower back. Elliptical machines burn a similar amount of calories as running (standing, and using major muscle groups), and are easy on the joints. If you're an older runner and your body can still handle it, go for it! Running is hard to pick up in your later years, but it is possible.
    If you've been exercising all your life, it's hard to set new records as you age, but if you've been sedentary, you definitely can get the clock moving in the right direction and develop muscles and endurance you may have never had.
   The stronger you are as you age, the less dependent you are on others. You can still mow the lawn, rake the leaves, or shovel snow. It's not as much of a chore to lug around grocery bags. Improved balance means more confidence in walking on the snow or ice.
    When you exercise, you're also more conscious of your diet. You don't want to have greasy, bloating food before a workout, and you won't feel like it after! The eating naturally becomes healthier, and it's much easier to maintain a healthy weight.
    No, you may never look as good as you did in your 30's and 40's - I know I won't! But exercise should be a key component of your life - forever!
             

Great Pumpkin 5-K

   Every Fall, Mountain Fitness is proud to sponsor the Great Pumpkin 5-K and 1-Mile Walk at Watchung Lake. The race is a benefit for the Watchung Hills Municipal Alliance, and is the type of grass-roots, small-town event that makes running so much a part of the community fabric.
    Typically, the race attracts about 100 people, most of whom know each other. "Team Mountain Fitness" is always a big chunk of the participants, and this year we had 20 runners and walkers. The Rutgers Prep cross-country team had a bunch of people running this year, including the men's and women's individual winners. The high school kids brought a good energy, and certainly made the race more competitive!
   Held on the first Saturday in November, we've been lucky with the weather, and this year was no different: high 40's, sunny, and little wind. No one, including me, could use the weather as an excuse for a bad performance.
     The course starts on Stirling Road, near Water & Wine Restaurant. It winds on the back side of Watchung Lake, before it turns right onto Mountain Boulevard. After a flat, quarter-mile stretch on Mountain, the runners turn right again, up and back down Sunlit Drive.
     Sunlit is a long, gradual hill, at it's steepest on the bottom. Whatever time you lose up the hill, you need to make up on the way down. Altogether, Sunlit is a 1.1 mile stretch.
     Turning left back onto Mountain, the race ends with a near full lap back around the lake, with the challenging hill on Stirling coming with about a half-mile to go. The final quarter is a slight downhill,
 and the finish line is just past Mobus playground. Fairly challenging, but scenic, with the colors of fall around, and flat when your oxygen is just about depleted at the end!
    "Team Mountain Fitness" had three age-group gold medalists, and five award winners, overall. My time (22:50), was the exact time I ran last year. It's amazing what two Aleve can do for 59-year old knees!
    The runners all get a nice long-sleeve T-shirt, and, of course, free pumpkins. It's the final race on my 2017 calendar, and a good culmination for the running year. If you haven't run it before, please keep the Great Pumpkin 5-K in mind for next year. It's road racing, at it's purest!
 

       
       

Balance and stabilization

  When I first started lifting weights over 40 years ago, I wanted to build up my biceps, and bench press an impressive amount of weight. Everything else was an after-thought. I don't think the biceps quite got there, and it took over 20 years of lifting to reach my eventual "max" of 235 lbs. on the bench.
    As I've gotten to late middle-age, I realize I will never exceed (or really, come close to)  a 235 lb. bench again, and my biceps are basically proportional on my 140 lb. frame.
    The key thing, for everyone, but older trainees especially, is balance. In other words, when you do a "curl," the biceps are the main mover, but you are also engaging your deltoids (shoulders), trapezius (neck and upper back), and lats (upper back).  Additionally, the triceps are involved in controlling the weight on the way down, or negative phase. Contrary to what I knew at 16, the triceps are actually  more contributory to the size of your arms than the biceps.
    So the key is to work opposite muscle groups with the same intensity. Dividing the body front and back, spend an equal amount of time on your chest and back; your quadriceps (thighs) and hamstrings; and biceps and triceps. Not only will it make you stronger, overall, but is probably the main ingredient to avoiding injury.
    The "core" (28 different muscles in the center of your body) is involved in every exercise to some degree, but much more so when you are standing when doing an exercise, and particularly engaged if you incorporate balance of some kind. That could mean standing on a Bosu ball or disks when doing your biceps curls, or lifting a leg or an arm when in a plank position.
     To balance your body with planks, also remember your side and reverse planks, which also can be done with one leg in the air!
     Bottom-line, there are many ways to incorporate balance into your workouts, and to make a "ho-hum" workout something fun and challenging.  I realize I will never look like the Charles Atlas figures in the comic books of my youth, but this hybrid style of lifting should keep in the gym for many years to come! 
   

Effective Sleeping Tips

 Sleep, and lack there-of! At Mountain Fitness, besides middle-aged aches and pains, it's one of the most common subjects discussed.
    I wake up at 4:15 a.m. every day (5:15 on weekends), so sleep needs to be somewhat of a science for me. When fatigue starts setting in, usually about 8 p.m. on week nights, it's time to head upstairs and not "fight the feeling." If you try to push through, or snooze for ten minutes on the couch, a "second wind" kicks in, and you may be up to midnight.
   Also, if there's a night I'm out later at a family gathering or sporting event, I know my "pitch count is up," and I need a good night's sleep the following night to get back on course.
    There's also times when I've really worked out hard, or exercised in the evening, and your body is just too physically charged to fall right asleep. You don't fight it then, just stay up a little later, reading, and let sleep take over naturally.
    The worst is stress, however. You either can't fall asleep at all (I try reading something light), or fall asleep, and wake up in the middle of the night, all mentally wired! Not wanting to wake up Laurie, I will often go downstairs on the couch. Sometimes, just a different venue will invoke drowsiness.
     Runner's World recently published an online article, "Why You can't Stop Waking In the Middle of the Night," by Christina D'Adamio. They interviewed Helix co-founder and sleep expert Adam Tishman on the reasons people get a bad night's sleep. The six mentioned were:
    SLEEP APNEA: When your breathing actually stops and starts through the night. A medically treatable and common condition. Often caused by enlarged tonsils or obesity.
     INDIGESTION: A heavy, creamy, or spicy meal right before bed, and/or too much alcohol, is a recipe for a bad night's sleep. Years ago, I worked evenings managing a large, corporate health club. It was stressful (with 50 staffers, and 2000 members), and I'd work to 11 p.m. and then come home and eat dinner. I'd usually stay up to at least 1:30-2 a.m., to digest and unwind. The only saving grace was, I'd run when I got up the next morning, fueled by my dinner the night before. That is, except for the frequent "alarm call nights"' when I'd drive back to the club after maybe an hour's sleep at 3 a.m. to check out a burglar or fire alarm. No, I was not in a great mood the next day!
   STRESS: See the paragraph above!
    LIGHT: You need to figure out whether you like total darkness (the best for achieving a deep sleep), or some indirect light. While the television is great to fall asleep to, it's best to turn it off during the night, because the disparities in light and sound can wake you.
    NOISE: Optimally, I like music on very low, but, again, the experts recommend total quiet. the exception may be a fan to supply "white noise" that hides outside sounds like car alarms, traffic, or early-morning garbage trucks.
     TEMPERATURE: Your body temperature drops at night, as your body goes through "recovery mode." I tend to get cold easily, and I keep a sweatshirt on when I sleep. Everyone has a different body thermometer, however, and you need that correct balance of clothing and coverings to have a restful night's sleep.
    YOUR PARTNER: You never snore, your husband/wife does! You like it warm, they like it cool. You prefer the radio on, they don't. Their restlessness wakes you up. It's really never your fault, just their's! Yes, the rules of sleeping together, literally, have to be established and respected.
    As you can see, sleep is tricky business, and the more important things you have going on, the trickier it is. Runner's World always recommends that marathoner's get a good night's sleep two nights before a race, because the night before, it's next to impossible. Just establish your routine as best as possible, have all your "ducks in a row" for the morning, and expect that you're going to have a restless night.
   Good luck getting a good night's rest, and don't over-think it. Then you'll never get to sleep!   

Exercise and the Heart

   It's a fact: Exercise improves your heart health. How much it does is open to a lot of research and debate, and, unfortunately, exercise alone does not overcome obstacles like bad family genetics,
smoking and/or drinking, or a junk food diet. Further, vigorous training like marathoning or cross-country skiing seems to alter the heart (either beating too slow, or too fast) in a way that moderate exercise does not.
   Emily Sohn of the Washington Post addressed the issue in a recent article. She quotes Aaron Bagish, director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. "No amount of exercise confers complete immunity to heart disease," Dr. Bagish said. "You can't outrun heart problems completely."
   Still, "exercise is the best prescription for the heart, better than any medicine," according Dr. Mark Link of the University of Texas Medical Center, also quoted in the article. The ideal for heart health is thought to be 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, which lowers rates of high blood pressure, heart disease and death without putting undue stress on the heart.
   A 2013 study researched over 52,000 cross-country skiers in Sweden who competed in a 56-mile race between 1989 and 1998. The mortality rates of the skiers were lower than the general population during this time span. Rates of death were also lower for skiers who completed the race several times, as opposed to those who participated once. However, frequent (and faster) racers were more likely to suffer from irregular heart beats, either too fast (atrial fibrillation) or too slow.
   I use my trusty MIO watch to monitor my heart rate when I run on the treadmill. Depending on how much coffee or prior exercise I had, my starting heart rate is usually in the high 40's. When doing my "favorite' mile-repeat workout, the heart rate is usually in the high 120's after the first. It rises steadily higher after each, usually ending in the high 150's or low 160's, right at my "max" for my age of 59, after the fifth interval. I feel pretty exhausted by that point, and know I've done my best for that particular day. Hopefully, the next week, it will take me slightly more effort (either faster speed or higher grade) to hit that 160 heart rate by the end.
    When I went for a colonoscopy a few years back, I didn't have any caffeine in the morning and my heart rate was 37. The doctor asked if I was a runner, and said if I wasn't that would be considered too low for the anesthesia to be administered.
     The relationship between the right amount of exercise for optimal heart health is still evolving. One time, before a 500-meter sprint on the rower, we asked a doctor at the club if we should aim to take the heart rate to the max. "That depends," he said, with a smile, "If you want to use all your heartbeats up now, or save some for later on!"     
 

Sugar's Effects

  When I fast on the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur, I crave one thing the most as the last hours of the Holy Day wind down: orange juice! That may seem odd at first, but orange juice is loaded with sugar, and when you learn how that substance affects your body, you understand!
   An article in the Washington Post syndicate by Casey Seidenberg a while back did a good job in explaining it..
   *Sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, and is one big carbohydrate, with no nutritional value: no protein, vitamins, minerals or fiber.
    *It has an addictive effect, and, interestingly, was called "crack" when it was introduced to Europe in the 1100's
    *Going "cold turkey" on refined sugar can cause withdrawal symptoms like a drug: fatigue, depression, head and body aches.
     *Over-consumption of sugar can alter your taste buds, where it craves sweeter and sweeter foods, no longer satisfied with the natural sugars in fruits and other whole foods.
      *Sugar enters the bloodstream rapidly, because there are no nutrients or fibers to slow the process down. This causes a quick rise in blood sugar. A hormone called insulin is then released from your pancreas to distribute the sugar into your cells, causing the blood sugar levels to drop. You get an instant burst of energy, which may make you hyper and unable to focus.
     *When the insulin does it's job (protecting your body from a dangerous level of blood sugar!),
  your energy levels immediately drop, which can leave you lethargic, cranky, and desiring more sugar!
  *Sugar has been known to suppress the immune system, which can lead to a greater frequency of colds, flu's, and other illnesses.
  *Sugar can leave you feeling bloated, where you don't eat enough healthful foods, leaving you deficient in vital nutrients.
   *Everyone knows the association between sugar and obesity and diabetes, but it also has links to high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, asthma, arthritis, and ADD/ADHD symptoms in youngsters.
   Sugar is hidden in many foods, and let's face it, is enjoyable to ingest! It is hard to completely eliminate refined sugar from your diet, and you don't need to, unless ordered by your doctor. Keep it limited for special treats and balance it out with a healthy diet of natural foods.
    As for my Yom Kipper fast, my drop in blood sugar had my body craving the "quick fix" the orange juice provided. Not to worry, I supplemented it with plenty of other calories sources, like a few open-faced bagels with Nova Scotia salmon ("Lox"), tomatoes and onions, and some noodle pudding on the side. I wasn't lacking in any nutrient by the time I was done with the "break fast!"
 
 

Surgery Recovery Tips

   My father recently went through arthoscopic back surgery, at age 87. A hairline fracture in his lumbar spine (L4) developed into a full break when he was moving some packages around last month.
   He had about three weeks of inactivity as he tried rest and some moderate pain relievers, to no avail. An MRI finally revealed the break, and he went through successful surgery at St. Barnabas Hospital two weeks ago.
    His care at St. Barnabas was great. Truly caring nurses who attended to him at any time as he recovered from the surgery and the affects of the anesthesia that was required.
    With a couple of other health issues as well (nothing unusual for someone that age), my father, who has always led a very moderate, healthy lifestyle, was weak after the surgery. Most striking was the difficulty in getting up from a seated position, and lack of balance.
     The doctor prescribed a stay at Kessler Rehabilitation Institute in West Orange, and again, the care was top-notch. Morning and afternoon sessions with the therapists, regaining the skills we all take for granted, until they are compromised.
       At home now, we are working on re-building his endurance with walks in the outside air. Walking outside, with pitches in the road and slightly uneven pavement, requires more balance than indoors, engaging your core muscles more.
        The outside air is also a key component, especially after being cooped inside for most of a month. He lost about eight pounds off a thin frame with the trauma of the surgery and ensuing loss of appetite, so he's getting his calories back up, which is helping with his strength. We're making sure his water intake is sufficient, too, as dehydration due to fatigue and loss of appetite is common in seniors.
      He's working with a Physical Therapist at home, and we also are continuing a light weight workout that they did with him at Kessler to retain upper body strength. We're also incorporating balance into that, with things as simple as bicep curls with one foot flat, standing on the other toes; or one foot flat, the other on a soft pillow. He's making great progress!
     With a caring, competent wife as a partner, and large family around, he has a good support system around him, which is also key in the recovery process.  He's getting back to his old self.
     Endurance exercise, balance work, and strength training. The key components (as well as trying to maintain a positive attitude), to healthy aging, and a healthy life, overall.

Pain Relievers and Running

  When I tore my meniscus a few years back, a couple of Aleve every day kept me functioning, working with training clients five hours a day, and, of course, my own workouts.
    Forgoing surgery, "K Tape," swimming, and a couple of visits with my sports therapist kept me going, along with my ibuprofen. So I'd remember, I'd take my Aleve first thing in the morning with my vitamins.
     That was a mistake. When I had my annual physical a couple of months later, the only number slightly skewered was the liver enzymes. The doctor told me to go "cold turkey" on any ibuprofen for three months, and re-take the blood test. While my knees were much creakier, my liver numbers had returned to normal.
     As much as I love running and want to remain somewhat relevant as a runner, I realize a fully operating liver as more important. I will still take Aleve (and it really does help!), but only one tablet when I'm really suffering ( I have arthritis in both knees), and and always with food.
    My mistake wasn't the medication as much as taking it on an empty stomach - just stupid!
    A recent column by Dr. Robert Schmerling of Harvard College addressed ibuprofen and exercise.
In his "Ask The Harvard Experts" column, Dr. Schmerling acknowledged that over-the-counter medications like Aleve, Advil, and Motrin can definitely reduce pain and inflammation in runners and other athletes, and also lower body temperatures when someone has a fever.
    "The safety profile is quite good," the Harvard Medical School Associate Professor of Medicine
explained, and that's why they are available over the counter.
     However, like any other drug, you have to be careful. Side effects Dr. Schmerling listed include
upset stomach, intestinal bleeding, kidney injury, and and increased heart attack risk.
     He acknowledged that many marathoners and other endurance athletes take these medications before a workout to mask existing aches and pains and improve performance.
   However, marathoners and and ultra-marathoners are prone to dehydration and kidney damage, which can be exasperated with these drugs, particularly if taken during the midst of a competition .
   Bottom line, If you are taking any of these drugs, make sure you are going for regular blood tests, and stay away if you have any history of stomach ulcers or kidney disease. When in doubt, check with your doctor.
    Aleve has kept me running many times when I probably shouldn't have, and really eases my knee pain in a hard workout. As the doctor says, just be sensible, something that is counter-intuitive to long-distance runners!

Kaleidoscope of Hope Walks

      Mountain Fitness member Lynn Franklin of Watchung is an organizer of the Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation's annual walks. The New Jersey events will be held Sept. 10th in Morristown; Sept. 17th in Lyndhurst; and , and Sept. 23rd, in Avon-By-The Sea. More information and registration details are available at kohnj.org.
       Any cancer article is somber, but here are some facts to know about ovarian cancer, according to a 2016 report by the Institute of Medicine, via the Washington Post syndication service.
       *Approximately 21,000 women are in the U.S. are diagnosed with it each year, and 14,000 will die from the disease.
       *Because it's often undetected until later stages, ovarian cancer has a five-year survival rate of 46%, much lower than easily discovered issues like breast cancer, which has a 90% five-year survival rate.
      *Unfortunately, ovarian cancer does not cause major symptoms, which is one of the reason it goes unnoticed so long in most women. Abdominal pain and bloating, (which are also symptoms of so many other things, major and minor), is the most common warning sign.
      *There is a genetic link to the cancer, but certain behavioral issues come into play. According to the American Council on Exercise, 80% of all cancer cases may be prevented through appropriate lifestyle changes. Regular exercise, a low-fat, high fiber diet, and, of course, not smoking, are all major factors in avoiding all types of cancers.
     There are many needy causes out there, particularly with the natural disaster going on in the Houston-area now. However, it is a good idea to read into more details on the "silent killer" known as ovarian cancer. And if you have time on a nice September morning, look into joining a lot of nice people at one of Kaleidoscope of Hope's walks!  

Strength Training - beyond the "Bench"

   I listen to Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton on WFAN, when I'm not at work already at 6 a.m. I always get a laugh when Carton asks each guest at the end of an interview, "How much are you bench pressing?" One of the funniest moments came when he asked that to fellow WFAN host Mike Francesca, who clearly detests him and looks like he hasn't "benched" in quite a while. You can hear Francesca bristling through the radio!  
    "How much can you bench?," is a sophomoric, sort of "Jersey" question, which is what makes it so funny when Carton blurts it out to some out-of-shape broadcaster, ex-athlete, or 70-year old author.
     Bench pressing, no doubt, is one test of strength, and we used to have it as one of our events in the Mountain Fitness "Summer Games."  The NFL tests players with reps at 225 lbs., and it's the most popular power movement at every gym.
     While a strong bench is a good bragging rite and will certainly develop the chest, shoulders, and triceps; as we get older, we lift for other reasons. Any type of strength training will make our bones stronger, lower our cortisol levels, build up strength in our tendons and ligaments, keep us limber, and, importantly, will improve our sense of being and mood.
     "Sub-max" strength training, like push-ups, dips, and lunges, done with limited rest will also improve heart health, and a stronger body in general tends to fight off colds and ailments more effectively.
      Strength training, particularly with free weights, requires balance and coordination, and is very important for older adults. It also helps imbalances in the body, (ex. curvature in the spine), that develop through the years of staring at a computer screen (like I'm doing now), driving, or bending over a cellular device.
     While benching is certainly great at any age, balance that out with an equal amount of pull-ups or lat pulldowns to work the back of the body. And while women will always work their legs hard, guys, pre-occupied with their chest and arms, sometimes will neglect the lower body foundation that creates an even physique, and actually will improve the bench press!
   I still love to "bench." However, through age and more concentration on running, that set of 12 at 135 lbs. that I always used as a warm-up has become a "working set." That will only get worse as I approach my 59th year, but I've accepted it. I just hope, the next time I'm walking the Long Branch boardwalk, or visiting my son in college, I don't get asked that infamous question: "How much ya benching now?"  

Fall Workout Strategy

 The summer is nearing an end, and it's time to get back to the gym! The hardest part, sometimes, is coming up with a plan.
   When working with clients once or twice a week, I try to make sure we hit all the major body parts in every workout. We get the body warm with body weight lunges or core work, move on to large muscle groups like chest, glutes, and back; and then work down to more isolated movements for the arms, shoulders, and calves. We super-set just about everything, moving from one exercise to the other with minimal rest. Free weights, resistance bands, BOSU, stability, or medicine balls; kettlebells, body weight movements, TRX - we try to mix it up as much as possible. Three-minute sprints on the rower, treadmill, or bike are often included, as well as some boxing or martial movements to get the heart rate high. Balance is definitely part of the equation, especially with kids or seniors; and stretching and re-hab movements are also included.
   Philosophically, I feel the client has 45-minutes to an hour to make it happen. They don't want to hear me brag about my kids, talk about some marathon I ran years ago, or pontificate about the world. It's a waste of time, workout-wise! If someone has a personal issue and really needs to talk, we can make the workout a three-mile run, and get everything out then.
    When I'm working out with a friend, we tend to split body parts, go heavier, and rest longer then when I'm working with clients. We'll push each other through the last couple of reps, and add negatives, super slow motions, or pauses to shock the muscles. They're good "meathead" workouts, and I gauge it's intensity by how sore I am the next day, or by strength gains in ensuing days.
   While exercising on my own, the workout is more like I do with the clients. I do still split body parts, but go lighter, with more reps, and minimal rest. I usually follow each set with an ab exercise or 30 seconds on the speed bag to keep the workout moving, and myself focused. I experiment a lot with different movements and adjustments to things, and if it works, I'll try it with others.
    I try not to lose focus by getting in long conversations or texting. No matter my mood or energy level, I try to make each workout count, somehow. There's been times I've said to myself "You've been out here for an hour, have you really gotten anything out of it?" If the answer is "no," I'll throw in some type of body weight or lifting challenge to at least end the workout feeling like I've accomplished what I was looking for.
   Bottom-line, come into each workout with a plan. Is this a day you're going to improve your strength or endurance? Is it a "recovery workout" after a hard day before? Is rehabbing an injury the key goal?  Figure it out before-hand, so you're not disappointed in yourself, and try to exceed your expectations for the that day.  
       

Mood-enhancing diet

   Feeling down lately? Yes, I guess you have been watching a lot of cable news, listening to talk radio, or reading the newspaper. While there's not much we can do to change the world's realities, what we consume can actually effect how you feel mentally.
    A recent article by Cara Rosenbloom in the Washington Post entitled "Mood Boosting Foods" detailed things that produce the right mix of nutrients to boost serotonin, the body's natural "feel good" chemical.
     The same foods contribute to brain health, as well as other positive physical effects like lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cancer and diabetes.
    The key is to eat as natural as possible, with foods that are rich in anti-oxidants. The Mediterranean diet of fruits and vegetables, nuts, lean proteins, whole grain breads, and olive oil is recommended.
     Research cited in the article said following the Mediterranean diet has been shown to improve cognitive abilities the equivalent of being 7.5 years younger! Alzheimer's risk is reduced by over 50% as well.
     It's not one single food that does it, but the blend of things in the diet, and cumulative effect over the years that produce those results. I've always read that a wide variety of natural foods, which supply many different nutrients, is the best way to eat, and this article reinforces that.
      Foods that were specifically mentioned include salmon (Omega 3 fish consumption lowers depression risk); leafy green vegetables (high magnesium content boosts serotonin); blueberries (flavonoids help with brain health and mood enhancement); oysters (high zinc content); and chocolate (in moderation).
   Not surprisingly, the foods that give you instant gratification, like a fast food burger and fries, potato chips, soda and alcohol have been linked to depression, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer's.
    As I've written before, no one is perfect, and everyone will indulge in foods that taste good but have no positive effects, mentally or physically.
    Exercise will help counter-act that, and try to have 90% of your calories count for something, nutrient-wise!
     As far as the news, I wish there was something brilliant I can write, say, or do that would make it better!
        

Pre-Competition Nutrition

  You've trained months for this race! What do you eat the night before? What about the morning of?
 I've dealt with this question many times before a half or full marathon, and have made some mistakes along the way.  Here's my advice
    DO "TRIAL RUNS:" If you have a long run (over an hour-and-a-half) planned in your regimen, eat a dinner and breakfast that you may think may work for the race. Get up at the time you would before your competition (usually at leas three hours before), and sample a breakfast. Run at the same time the race starts and see what your energy level is, and how the digestive tract reacted. If you ate too much, you might have stomach issues. If you consumed too little, you may "bonk," energy-wise. This long run, in which some should be at race pace, will be a good test. Remember, though, that nerves play a part, too, and a nervous runner usually means a runner with a nervous stomach. Err on the side of bland food to  limit the amount of acid in that jittery gut! If your trial worked smoothly for your long run, I'd repeat it for your race.
  HYDRATE: An important, yet tricky part of the mix. I normally drink at least half a gallon of water each day, and more in the summer. Nutritionists recommend a half-ounce of water per body weight, over a 24-hour period. Coffee and tea can be considered part of that total, but not sweetened iced tea or soda. The day before a long race, I make sure I get quite a bit of water, but I ration it the morning of to limit the urge to visit the port-a-potties when the gun goes off.
  PRE-RACE DINNER: The best part of marathon training was always the "carbo-load" the few days before. Real serious-minded runners would "carb-deplete" early in the week before a marathon, and then start the carb replacement a couple days before the race. My college training partners and I never bothered "depleting," and that aspect has fallen out of favor in recent research. The "carbo-load" is to make sure your glycogen levels are at full before they're depleted,  usually at around the 20-mile mark of a a marathon. Carbohydrates turn to energy faster than other food sources, so are the preferred fuel within 24-hours of a competition. Pasta's great, of course, but be careful with too much tomato sauce. The acid, as I mentioned before!
   ALCOHOL: The night before a big race,: I find one beer or glass of red wine is enough to calm down my nerves and get me to sleep. Anything more than that can affect your sleep negatively and give you a headache, stomach ache, or lack of energy on race day. I was surprised, when I ran the Boston Marathon, how many runners were drinking pretty heavily the night before the race. "You've trained so long for this," I thought. "Why do something that can ruin your race day?" Running a marathon takes months of discipline and deprivation. Wait until after the race to celebrate!
  CAFFEINE: Undoubtedly, the fuel that has propelled me through more than 40 years of running. Like alcohol, though, be careful the day before a race. You're head's going to be spinning with all the logistics of the day: transportation to the race, weather and clothing considerations, and time concerns that morning. Too much coffee will get you that much more wired, and sleep will be even harder to achieve than normal (and it's tough as it is, before a marathon!). Morning of: just drink the same amount as you always do - don't change routine!
PRE-RACE BREAKFAST: Hopefully, you didn't "carbo-load" so much that you can't look at food race morning. Besides your normal coffee or tea, I find what works for me is a Power Bar or banana and peanut butter. Either has the right mix of carbs and protein to give me fuel for the race,but doesn't leave me full and bloated. Always finish eating at least two hours before the race so you have time to digest it through your system before the race starts. I usually bring a water bottle along to the race start, and just slosh water through my mouth and spit it out. It keeps my throat from going dry (another symptom of nerves!) but doesn't fill my stomach up with unnecessary liquid.
   I hope this article gives you a general guide of race day nutrition. Good eating habits before a race will not insure a satisfactory race, but the wrong choices will pretty much guarantee a bad one. I've been on both sides!
     

Baseball Strength Training Examined

   I am a New York Mets fan, thus I do have a somewhat fatalistic streak. When I read over the winter that Noah Syndergaard had packed on 15 lbs. of muscle over the off-season, I just knew that he was going to be injured before long.
   Sure enough, Syndergaard, a solid but lean 6-6 to start with, ended up pulling a "lat" (lattissimus dorsi) muscle on April 30th, and hasn't been back since.
    New York Times reporter James Wagner caught up with Syndergaard recently, and in a July 23rd article, the 24-year old, nicknamed "Thor," admitted that he may have taken the wrong approach.
    "So much of what I learned this year," Syndergaard told Wagner, "is that I thought I was doing what I needed to be doing. But I realize now how messed up my body was, and I'm working hard to get it back to normal."
   Syndergaard, undergoing extensive rehab now, will not forego the weights, "but you have to be smart about it." The ace right-hander felt he wasn't "taxed enough" in his old workout and pushed himself harder this past winter. In retrospect, he feels he may have over-done it, and now is adding more stretching into his routine.
   "Nobody really wants to stretch," he said. His desire now is to be "strong, but also mobile and agile."
   Syndergaard still feels a good amount of weight-training is necessary to carry you through the rigors of a six-month baseball season, but besides flexibility work, is also adding more running to build up cardiovascular endurance. He used to do yoga and pilates, but is giving that a rest, because it's "not exactly sport specific."
    All-time great Alex Rodriguez, now a FOX broadcaster, feels that today's younger players have neglected running, and that's led to a rash of injuries, particularly hamstring problems. "A Rod," in a recent broadcast, said his off-season program, besides weights, included a lot of 200 and 400-meter "repeats" at the track, which gave him lower body strength and endurance, and taxed the legs in a similar way to the stop and start of baseball.
    Training for sports is always evolving, and what works for one person may not be the right mix for the next. Everyone, weekend warrior to Noah Syndergaard, must find the combination that works best for them. Think of the skill-set your sport needs and try to tailor your workouts to it. From that point on, it's trial and error. We hope to see "Thor" back in action soon. It's been a dreary season for Met fans!
   

Seven Mile Island Fitness

"Vacation" "Fitness." Sometimes those two words together can seem like an oxymoron. What does time away from work, relaxing with family, laying on the beach, slurping down ice cream, and drinking margarita's have anything to do with fitness?
   Seemingly, not much, but with a little planning and some discipline that coveted one week break from reality does not mean months of working out go out the window in a salty, sugary mix of fried food, ice cream and alcohol.
    Our family vacations in Stone Harbor every year. We started out in a motel and outgrew that. We now rent a house, and have breakfast and lunch there most days. Everyone's on their own schedule - it's faster, cheaper, and healthier than eating out. We bring down some fruit and other healthy (and a couple of unhealthy) snacks, too.
     Dinner's out can be tricky, but there's certainly a lot of fresh fish choices at the Jersey Shore, and healthy salads. I try to stay within sound nutritional guidelines during the day, and eat whatever meets my fancy after 6 p.m. It is vacation, after all!
    Workout-wise, I always enter a local 5-K, the Avalon "Run From the Sun" on the first Sunday of our trip. The day before is a "travel day," and I just get in a weight workout before we leave. The "Run From The Sun" is a good start to the week. It's a fund-raiser for skin cancer awareness, and attracts nearly 400 runners. I'm amazed, at the awards ceremony, where people come from who vacation on Seven Mile Island. There were runners from Canada, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio among the award-winners. I ran a 22:51 and got second-place in the 55-59 age group. Award winners get a "pint glass" and everyone gets free pizza afterward from Tonio's in Avalon. Most of the runners don't know each other, as it's mainly vacationers, but it's a friendly vibe. I'm always in a good mood to enjoy the rest of the day and week afterward.
   On the way home, I pick up a one-week pass from Attilis' Gym on 32nd St. It's a small club, a converted drive-through bank, actually, but it's packed with "old-school" strength equipment and perfect for my needs. There's an outside area (the old drive-thru), where you can do some creative kettlebell, dumbell, or body weight workouts.
    I get up at daybreak, without any alarm, and am out the door running before 7 a.m. on vacation. I have a route from our rental on 99th Street, down Third Avenue, onto Cape May County Route 666. It takes you off the southern end of the island, along the marshland, and ends at the foot of North Wildwood. It's about 7 1/2 miles, with limited traffic and, obviously, no hills, except for the two bridges separating the islands.  You see some beautiful wildlife. Herons wade in the shallow water, and orioles and other exotic birds fly by constantly. It's also sticky with misquitos and horse flies, so be advised if your running along this otherwise perfect route.
    A shower and quick breakfast, and I'm ready for the gym. I'll take my bike the three-mile route, mix up a different workout every day for about 45-minutes and bike home, a perfect warm-up and warm-down. I pick up the Philadelphia Inquirer on the way back, and am ready to relax at the beach for the rest of the day. My workouts are complete by 10 a.m. One day of the week, I'll skip the run to rest my legs, and on the next; forego the weight workout. The kids are just getting up and about, and no family time is missed.
     My body is tired, my mind is content, and I'm ready to enjoy the rest of the day, reading and relaxing with my family on the Stone Harbor beach. This will be my life, when we hit the lottery!
 
   
 
       
 

Exercise Adherence

  I admit, I have an exercise addiction. One of the first thoughts of each day is "How am I going to workout?" "When am I going to workout?" and "What am I going to do for my workout?"
   What I do varies on what I am training for, and how my body feels. I used to run seven days a week, and add in other things (usually lifting or swimming) about three other days. Now I do something every day, but not necessarily running. My body has aged and needs more variety to stay fresh. Injuries have played a part in incorporating other cardiovascular activities like biking and rowing  Boredom with the same thing has also played a part. Mentally, you want to mix things up, or you get burnt out.
    Since I own a gym, I have no problem getting in some form of exercise every day. Other people have more challenges in making that happen. The Wall Street Journal published an article a few months back entitled "Five Secrets of Steady Exercisers," by Rachel Bachman.
     The article pulled from a study by the British Journal of Health Psychology that examined the habits of 181 people who exercised an average of five hours a week ( a healthy standard by most  
measures). Here are the key points.
   EXERCISE THE SAME TIME MOST DAYS: I think this is key. Steady exercisers plan ahead. For a morning workout, they'll set their clothes out, pack their work clothes in a bag, and make the coffee the night before. Exercising before work takes out a lot of potential workout killers like late meetings, evening traffic jams, or family commitments after work. However, pick out the most conducive time for you, and stick to it. One note for runners. If your preparing for a half or full marathon, try to do most of your runs in the morning, so your body is used to it on race day. Muscles are stiff in the morning, and particularly so if your not used to exercising at that time!
   RE-DEFINE YOUR IDEA OF EXERCISE; Yes, mowing the lawn would not be considered a "training day" in preparing for a marathon. Or goofing around on a jungle gym with my son would not be called a "strength workout." Both have their obvious benefits, though, as do other non-traditional things like hiking or a yoga class. Once, I mowed a steep berm behind our house in November, after an entire season of neglected growth (it's a long story). I had to go over it a few times to cut it completely, and the mower conked out dozens of times. My heart rate was probably in the 150's. I knew all the other training I do enabled me to do that task, and after all the cursing was done, I thought to myself: "That was a hell of a workout!"
   HAVE VISUAL CUES: It could be a race application hanging from a refrigerator, a pair of head phones laying out, waiting to be worn, or else a mental picture of a wedding or re-union coming up. . It's helpful to have things that keep you motivated, short and long-term!
   BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT YOUR WORKOUTS: The "all or nothing" school of thought does not lead to exercise adherence. If you don't have time for a six-mile run outdoors (plus taking the time to change into the proper gear), squeeze in three on your basement treadmill! Maybe make the pace a little harder, too, and the benefits will be very similar!
    EXERCISE FOR PLEASURE: Hate the treadmill? Many people do! The elliptical machine offers many of the same benefits, works all the major muscle groups, and is pretty close in calorie-burn, based on an equal effort. Is it quite as intense? Not really, but if you like it better, you will do it more often, and ultimately be in better shape for it. Plus, there's something to be said for a "B-Plus" workout, like the elliptical. There's not as much pounding on the body and you can do it every day. The point is: find what you like, and do it!

Lessons from Horse Racing

   I spent Father's Day with various family members at Monmouth Park. I like attending horse racing a couple of times a year. It's an interactive experience: the research into each race, the walk to place your bet; and viewing the race itself, either from your seat, a television monitor; or, as I prefer, along the rail.
    You can watch the horses parade around before the race, and many skilled bettors (I am not!) glean valuable clues from that. They observe if a horse is sweating profusely, or, conversely, too dry. They also gauge if a horse is agitated, or perhaps too calm.
     I see a lot of similarities between all of the factors that go into a horse's performance, and a human's.
     The most important is genetics. This is obviously controlled in thoroughbreds, and for the most part, luck, in humans. Genetics is probably the most important factor in how fast or how much endurance a human or an animal has. Some people just naturally have more red, or "fast twitch" fibers in their muscles, which makes them fast for short distances. Others are born with more white, "slow twitch" fibers, which tends to make the person more suited for endurance events.
     When a horse wins the Kentucky Derby, the big money for the owner is in the breeding. The horse's superior genetics will hopefully sire (along with a gifted mare) a new generation of champion racers.
   Okay, in humans we're blessed or limited by the DNA of our parents and grand-parents. But we, like horses, still can make the best of the cards we're dealt.
   When analyzing a race at Monmouth Park, I factor in many things that I think about in my own racing, or in observing and training others.
    Past performance: Is the horse coming off a good effort, or even a couple in a row? This may indicate the horse's confidence is up, or the trainer has found the right training, rest, or diet plan that has clicked for his animal.
   Track familiarity: Has the horse run at Monmouth before? Each track has it's own unique layout, temperature, and consistency of surface. I feel it is an important factor to have a history on the track, as I find running a particular race year after year helps me in knowing where the inclines, turns, water stops, and mile splits are. Plus, I have a "past performance" to base my effort against.
   Conditions: Some horses are "mudders," and also may prefer certain temperatures to run in. Similarly, while I like warm, humid conditions to race, most runners prefer a cooler climate. While no runner looks forward to hills, some are better overcoming them. All horses and jockeys would like a dry, fast, track, but some adjust to the rain or wind better.
    Distance: Does the horse have a good history at the distance being run? There are major differences in performance for even 200 yards in a horse race. Is the horse a "speed horse" who likes to jump out in front? That may be worth a bet in a short 5 or 6-furlong race. If the horse seems to prefer a controlled pace, or is a "closer,' they might be a better bet in a mile or 1 1/8th mile race. Some runners are great at the 5-K, but falter at the 13.1-mile  or marathon distance. And vice-versa.
  Current year, previous year, and lifetime records: Obviously, the more current the history, the more relevant. Like humans, injury or illness could have slowed the horse's performance through the years. Conversely, a change in jockey, or trainers (like a change in coaches or training plan in road-racers) could have had a positive effect on recent performance.
   Grass or dirt: There is a major difference in performance in these two surfaces for horses, and some  never race on grass. And while most road-races are held on pavement, most runners got their start by running cross-country, through parks and woods. Some people thrive on the particular challenges (roots, rocks, and sometimes rivers) that cross-country racing provides.
  Layoff time: Part of the reason it's so hard for a horse to win the Triple Crown is that it's running three races, on three different tracks, with travel, in five weeks. And it's going against fresher horses in the second two legs. In a racing program, racing within 30 days is considered a short layoff. A long layoff is considered over six months. With road racers, I've read the body needs a day for every mile raced to fully recover. It's hard to mentally and physically peak for too many races in a season, and it's also risking injury. Pick your spots, and race hard when you do!      
  Workouts: In a race program, an often forgotten line is recent workouts. It will tell you significant
"speedwork" the horse did recently, and also have some comments like "breezing" or "galloping" to describe how the horse handled that test. With road-racers, recent workouts, and how we handled them, are just as significant a precursor of future efforts as a race. One interesting footnote: unlike humans, horses save a total, all-out effort for a race only!    
   Speed vs. place: If you've narrowed your choices to two horses, do you bet on a horse that has been slightly faster but doesn't have a winning history, or a horse that has won, at slower finishing times, against weaker competition? Are some horse natural winners, and others perpetual runners-up? And what about that theory, and all it's complex psychology, with humans? Because horses are of more limited intelligence (in most cases) does the psychology play as big a part?  
     You can see why horse racing can be fascinating in it's analogy to distance running competition. Now, with all my information, if I can just find a way to figure it all out!
 
     

     

Firematics Competition 2017

      I was a spectator at  a demonstration of skill, strength, dexterity, grit - and comradeship - last Saturday, the Tri-County Firematics competition.
    The Tri-County Firematics involves a number of suburban volunteer fire-fighting companies in Somerset, Morris, and Union Counties. The site of the event rotates every year. This Spring, it was hosted by Chatham and held on the Chatham Middle School grounds.
     My son, Max, is a volunteer with the Liberty Corner Fire Company, which won the competition for the fourth straight year. Basking Ridge, the other fire-fighting unit in Bernards Township, placed a close second out of nine teams, and our neighboring town, Bernardsville, was a very respectable third.
   Max participated in the non-scoring "mystery event" at the end of the day, which consisted of a team of five dragging heavy fire hoses 75-feet, and returning back with all the equipment, along with a 150 lb. dummy, that must not touch the ground!
   The scoring events were a single hose set-up competition, an interesting ladder event; and a complicated double-hose set-up. All had a good deal of relation to the speed and teamwork needed in an actual fire call.
    Working under pressure not unlike real life, hoses had to be connected properly or water burst all over, and valuable time was lost. A good deal of elbow grease was required by the fire-fighter opening and closing the hydrant quickly in the hose events. I had a lot of respect watching these things, and understand how much training and practice goes into a smooth running fire operation of any kind.
    The ladder event looked almost like the storming of a medieval castle. A team of five had to put on their fire-fighting gear at the sound of a whistle, and then one man ran out to get the end of a 16-foot ladder. They traipsed the ladder vertically (this was the tricky part!) about 30 yards, and then one fireman rapidly scaled it, grabbed an object on top of the platform set up for the event, and slid immediately back down. The whole team then ran back across the starting line with the ladder. The "climber" had to be Spiderman-like in his movements to save time, and the carriers had to have excellent core strength to carry the ladder without it tipping backward (which did happen a couple of times!). It was about a minute of total anaerobic effort by everyone involved!
    The competition was spirited on a warm June Saturday, but there was no bad sportsmanship among the brotherhood of volunteers who spend their free time helping their community, all hours of the day. Firemen's tradition, there was a good spread of food afterward at the Chatham Middle School site. The guys earned it!
    

Torch Run 2017

 One of my favorite summer traditions is the "Torch Run," or officially, the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the New Jersey Special Olympics.
   Held in early June, the Torch Run is a non-competitive relay held through various locations throughout New Jersey, ending at the College of New Jersey in Ewing for the start of the annual Special Olympics.
   This was the 34th year of the Torch Run, and I've been participating for close to 20. I got involved through a couple of friends who are Bernardsville Police Officers. They needed an extra runner one year when they were a little short-handed, and I've been happy to be a part of it ever since.
    My son, Max, did it as a a middle-schooler, and has participated a few times since, as have other members of Mountain Fitness through the years.
    We pick up the relay on the north end of the borough, taking the hand-off from the Bernards Township contingent. There's a quick group picture at the Shop Rite, and we're on our way down Route 202 to Far Hills.
   We're surrounded by a contingent of police vehicles and motorcycles from various departments, and traffic is stopped on 202 South. Probably because it's for the Special Olympics (and there's so much law enforcement around), the motorists are always encouraging as they pass by - no "Jersey salutes!"
    We've had all types of weather for the Torch Run, and this year was picture perfect - mid 80's, and low humidity. It's always picturesque looking out at the farmland on the side of the highway...it's easy to be in a positive state.
      I ran alone through most of Bernardsville, and kept going with a couple of Far Hills officers when we reached the borough border, by Far Hills Country day school . One of the guys ran with his service dog, and carried a large American flag, too - impressive!
       The Far Hills leg is about a mile-and-a half, and Bernardsville is a hilly 3 1/2-mile trek. My legs were fine, but I was going to stop when we reached the Bedminster line.
        I was running off bad a bad night's sleep, and I had two large coffees on the way up to the run. I didn't drink much water, either, and felt a bit dehydrated. I actually did pull off to stop when we reached the transfer point at the Bedminster First Aid building. But they had water bottles available, so I grabbed one, and continued on with two representatives from the Bedminster P.D.
       The Bedminster leg is about 3.5 miles, mostly downhill, along Route 202/206, past the Route 287 entrance, through Pluckemin, and ending at Bridgewater, the next town in line. We were running at a comfortable pace, I sipped from the water bottle a little, and, again, it was easy to be mentally lost "in a zone."
       We handed off to a large contingent from Bridgewater, who would then pass the mall all the way to the Hillsborough border. My day was about 8.5 miles, mostly downhill, at paces ranging from slightly above seven-minute miles to well over nine.
     It was a good sweat, but the day isn't about that, really. You feel you're a very small part in a big operation, supporting a great cause. That's what the Torch Run is all about.    
       
       

Bob Beckert Run 2017

  One of the staples on the Mountain Fitness calendar is the annual Bob Beckert Memorial 5-K Run, held at Watchung Hills H.S. on the first Sunday of June.
   The race honors the memory of Bob Beckert of Watchung, who was tragically killed as a passenger in a car while on a business trip  15 years ago. His family still organizes the event, and all the proceeds benefit a Memorial Scholarship fund in his name at WHRHS.
    Mountain Fitness is proud to be a sponsor, and we always get a good representation of runners as well.
   This year, one of our entrants, Lindsay Friedman, was participating in her first 5-K. A lifeguard and former high school swimmer, Lindsay had only about a month's preparation for the event, and merely days before, had run three miles at a stretch for the first time. Still, she had an excellent first-time effort, finishing the challenging course in 33:06 and earning a third-place medal in the 15-19 female division. She's already looking forward to the next event with the club: the downtown Scotch Plains 5-K on June 29th.
    Barry Sommerville, a martial arts Black Belt and occasional runner, showed his grit and mettle with a second-place finish in the 60-69 division in 26:19. Due to his martial arts teaching schedule, youth wrestling coach commitments, and other workout priorities, Barry had only two training runs this winter, and still averaged under 8:30 per mile pace!
   Cheryl Gatti, a longtime participant (and medal winner) in this event, captured third in the 60-69 women's division in 30:26, and I was able take third in the 50-59 division in 22:23.
    While it wan't too long ago I was breaking 20 minutes in this race, I believe my time may have been a couple of seconds faster than last year, when we trudged through a thunderstorm that hit in the middle of the 5-K. Yes, we will take any little positive sign at this point!
    Race performance aside, the Beckert Run is about comraderie. There's usually about 200 runners, and for the most part, it's the same faces every year.  It introduces some new people, like Lindsay,  into the world of road races, and keeps old-timers like myself and Barry plugging along, with something to run for. Most importantly, it's the epitome of a small-town race for a great cause. We are happy to be a part of it!    
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MS Bike Ride 2017

   May carries with it certain traditions. The Kentucky Derby, Mother's Day, the Indy 500, Memorial Day.   At Mountain Fitness there's another annual rite: the "Coast the Coast Bike Ride," at Monmouth University, the third Saturday each May, to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
   Fund-raising begins in winter with our annual Bowling Night, and continues with our popular charity basketball pool in March. Many family and club members are very generous in making individual contributions as well. With the help of many people, we raised $2000 for the MS Society this year.
   The ride itself can be casual or challenging, depending on the distance you choose, and the intensity you ride. Most of our team opts for the 25-mile ride, from West Long Branch to Belmar, while others do the 50-miler, down to Brielle and back. There is also an 85-mile, single day ride and a 170-mile weekend ride, with an overnight stay over at Pinelands High School.
    The weather is always an issue. In the 12 years we've been participating, we've never had a torrential downpour. But (this year included) there have been steady drizzles, as well as that trademark Jersey Shore headwind, that seems to come from every direction!
    I'm a Monmouth grad, and lived down the Shore for 10 years, so the ride is very familiar turf for me. I've run or biked pretty much every inch of it at some point of my life, and you pass many Jersey Shore milestones along the way. There's definitely an early-summer "the party's about to start," feeling about the place as you cruise through. Another interesting thing is how the character of each town is so different: Deal, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, Belmar. Each has a very distinctive character. You know when you've gone from one town to the other.
    I do the ride on my Trek "hybrid." It's got fairly wide tires for stability, and is not a racing bike, by any means. You pedal and pedal, especially into the wind, and never coast or cruise. It's good work for your quads.
     There's definitely some serious riders involved, and many more who do it for the MS Society's cause. It's particularly touching and inspiring to see those afflicted with MS partaking in the event, surrounded by family and friends.
    There's a lunch afterward, and just a very friendly vibe, overall. You know you're helping a good cause, but your getting a lot out of it as well.
        The organization, fund-raising and logistics are a lot of work each year. However, the feeling you get through the event, and particularly after, are well worth it!    
   

Summer Fitness Tips

  With the warm weather here, everyone is taking advantage of the outdoors for fitness. It's great! The sun supplies much needed vitamins, the warm breezes are refreshing, and exercising outdoors supplies a great endorphin release! At Mountain Fitness, we take advantage of our porch and outside area for some great "California Workouts," with the bands, heavy rope, medicine balls, and agility ladder.
   Here are some general tips for summer health.
*Hydrate! In general, try for 1/2 an ounce of water per pound, every day. A 130 lb. person should drink a half-gallon. Try to keep the intake fairly even through the day, but make sure to be properly hydrated before a hard workout in the heat, and  replace the lost electrolytes afterward. Sports performance drinks like Gatorade or Powerade contain a lot of sugar and salt, but I do like it in the summer after a tough workout.  Coffee and tea can also count towards your daily water intake total.
*Wear light clothing. Dark colors absorb heat more, and can increase body temperature.
*Exercise early in the day, or in the evening.
*When running, pick soft surfaces like trails or grass to ease the impact on your body, and incorporate a little more natural balance. Each terrain feels a little different on your body, and you sub-consciously have to adjust your stride when you're on more uneven surfaces. Beach running is great, too, just be careful with the slope of the sand on your ankles, and obviously, be mindful of sharp shells or other hazards that can cut your feet.
 *Cross-train! Each type of cardiovascular exercise puts a particular stress on your body. By switching to something else a couple of times a week, you are emphasizing different muscles and preventing over-use injuries. I like to throw in some biking and swimming to supplement my running in the summer. When computing workout duration and intensity, remember one mile of swimming equals about four miles of running, and four miles of running equates to about 16 on the bike.
 *Don't forget to strength train. While the summer sun calls us outside, it's discouraging to realize how quickly you can lose gains when you stop lifting weights completely. Put simply, after a week, your moving backwards. Hit the gym on rainy days or during the noontime heat. If you don't have access to a club, push-ups, pull-ups, step-ups, and dips on the boardwalk or in a park work just fine.
Sprints on the track or hill repeats can be considered strength training for the lower body, no doubt!
*Don't let vacations ruin you! Try to wake up early in the morning and get some exercise in. I realize vacations are family time, and I never let my workouts interfere with our day's activities. I'll wake up early (I'm used to it from my 4:15 alarm every day!) and get my run in before the kids are up, when were down the Shore. If my son wants to workout later, I'll go to the gym with him, too, but I won't take myself away from a family activity (as obsessive as I am!) for a workout. Still, there's always time to get something in!
*Be careful about summer eating! People always feel like they eat less in the summer, and, it's true, the body doesn't crave the heavy comfort foods that get us through winter. But weight control is largely about routine, and routine usually goes out the window in the summer. Try to maintain the three meals a day, and limit the sugary floats and shakes that can be over 1500 calories a drink! Balance the hot dogs (I love hot dogs in the summer!) and burgers with fresh vegetables and fruits that are low in calories and nutrient-dense. If you had a bad eating or drinking day, follow it up with two strict ones to even things out.
 * Engage with your spouse and kids! Get out for a walk together, a casual bike ride, or a hike. It's great family time without electronic distractions  If no one wants to go out for a walk, the dog is always willing, anyway!
  Try some different fitness activities this summer, and have fun!

Avoiding Prostate Cancer

   Prostate cancer is a scary proposition to any man. Yet it is the most prevalent form of cancer for men, affecting one-in-six in the United States.
   Treatment has gotten much better through the years, with radiation treatment a common alternative to surgery. And for those who contract prostate cancer late in life, chances are doctors won't do anything, as it's usually slow-growing and non-lethal. However, without regular check-ups, it can easily go undiagnosed, and become deadly.
    It's the second-leading cause of cancer death in guys, and the aggressive, high risk forms of prostate cancer bring with it a good chance of cancer recurrence after treatment.
    There are genetic components to it, like any disease, and obviously, getting a physical every year will help in early detection.
     Research has helped in coming up with preventative measures. A Harvard University study in 2015 studied the lifestyle and health habits of over 63,000 men. The study came up with six simple steps that can reduce one's risk for fatal prostate cancer by 47%, according to a Washington Post article by Dr's Melmet Oz and Michael Roizen.
    The first suggestion was to get regular exercise. Three hours a week of brisk exercise or an hour a day of a more moderate exercise like walking. Among other factors, working out keeps insulin levels from spiking. Exercise cut prostate cancer risk by a whopping 34%!
     Second on the list was a reduction on processed meat, which cut the risk by 22%. Most guys, myself included, like the occasional BLT; sausage and pepper sandwich; or hot dog and kraut. However, all these processed  meats contain nitrates and compounds that increase your susceptibility to all types of cancer.  The study recommended no more than two four ounce servings, per week.
I almost hate type this with summer bar-b-que season approaching, but the truth is the truth!
    The third recommendation will make more people happy, myself included. Tomatoes are my favorite  vegetable, and the study said seven servings a week of fresh tomatoes, salsa, sauce or juice will reduce your risk of prostate cancer  by 18%. The lycopene in the tomatoes is the key reason, and, interestingly, heated tomato products produce more of that protective nutrient than fresh tomatoes.
      Eating fatty fish was also touted, cutting risk factors by 17%. This also should be no problem. Salmon, sardines, trout, and other cold water fish are all good, primarily because of the omega-3 fatty acids they contain.  If you eat red meat twice a week, try switching one of those nights to a fish dinner. You won't be sacrificing enjoyment. We usually make two nights a week a healthy fish or chicken option, and it adds good variety to my diet and taste buds.
     Obviously, smoking is another risk factor. Quitting smoking quickly reduced prostate cancer risk by 12%.  Non-smokers for 10 years were at the same risk levels as people who never smoked. Everyone knows the relation between smoking and other forms of cancer. Less well known: the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke concentrate in the prostate gland.
     Finally, maintaining a healthy weight reduced risk by 7%. Keep the Body Mass Index under 25, and aim for 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) on your Fit Bit! Watch your processed food and sugar intake, and try for 5-9 servings of fresh vegetables or fruit a day. "Guy Fat," the beer-bellies
that wrap fat around the organs, is particularly risky for cancer in general.
     I know of people who have done just about everything on the list correctly and still contracted prostate cancer. Genetics and luck are certainly factors you can't account for. Just do your best with what you can control, and don't test fate!

   

Long Branch Half Marathon 2017

  After two years missed due to a torn meniscus and pulled hamstring, I was able to return to the the Long Branch Half-Marathon on April 30th.
  My finishing time, (1:44.48) was almost exactly what was predicted on my RunBayou performance chart (based on my recent 5-K times), and my training followed those methodical and safe guidelines. Made it to the finish (and more significantly, the start!) with no physical setbacks.
   The race was held under ideal conditions this year, mid 50's, no rain. I lined up with 1:45 pace group, and planned to stay with them, start to finish. With the big crowd of runners (over 8000, between the half and full marathon), I missed the first two mile-markers, and by the time I glanced at my watch, we were 20 minutes into it.
   I had a good amount of energy and adrenaline at this point, and was worried that the group may not have been keeping up the 8-minute mile average we needed to hit 1:45. I edged out in front of them, and settled in right in back of the 1:40 pack. Everything was copacetic for about five miles. which I hit in right about 39 minutes.
   I don't run with music, but each year, always seem to have a song repeating in my head. Being at the Shore, you think it would be something from Springsteen, but instead, randomly, it was The Ramones' "This Is Rock and Roll Radio!"
    Five through nine are the "dead miles" in a half-marathon. You shoot for various goals. Splits at every mile, of course, as well as the 10-K (48:28) and halfway times. However, the adrenaline has worn off, and in my case, a good deal of the energy had as well. I had a restless night's sleep the night before, and my body felt it. My times drifted into the 8:20's or so, per mile, and definitely, I was being passed more than vice-versa. There were a lot of turns, the wind picked up, and the 1:40 group faded out of view.
    I skip the water stops in the beginning, dump water over my head as we get into the meat of the race, and at last resort, turn to gulping down some Gatorade for a quick sugar rush/energy burst. With things fading on me, I resorted to the Gatorade by mile eight or so, and even mistakenly, dumped some over head, Bill Parcells-style. At this point, Parcells probably could have run a mile as fast as I was going!
   The sugar/salt combo helped, and I did feel a surge in my body after the Gatorade. Most importantly, by mile nine, I mentally righted the ship, "A four-mile run,"  I panted to myself. "How many times have you run four miles in your life?!"
    I focused on one or two runners in front of me who were going at a steady pace, and tried not to let them gain any yardage on me. At 10 miles, my clock read 1:20 and change, and I knew if I didn't fall apart completely, I'd reach the 1:45 goal I've been training the entire winter for.
     I missed the 11-mile marker, but knew once we hit the Long Branch boardwalk, it's a mile-and-a half of agony until the finish line. Shortly after the 12-mile marker, the 1:45 pace leader (an enthusiastic 20-something woman) was right with me. "One mile to go," she exhorted. "Drop the arms, keep the form together, and your there!"
    My pride took over as I edged passed her, briefly. She caught up, easily, and didn't let me slip back. My mind was playing endless games at this point. "Half a mile to go, make believe you're going all out on the treadmill!" "Oh man, I can't!" "Don't fall apart now!" Literally, every 10 seconds was a heated argument between my id and ego.
    We finally passed Pier Village and the finish line emerged. I kept it together for the last 1/4 mile, and finished just behind the pacer. As I staggered about after, an EMT grabbed my shoulder and asked if I needed help. "I think I look worse than I feel!"
     While the race was certainly uneven, I was satisfied with my overall time, and at least figured I gave everything I had, that day. The slow, two mile walk back to the Monmouth Park starting point is probably my peaceful hour of the year.  Still in my head? That one line: "This is Rock N' Roll Radio, featuring the Ramones!"