New Year's Resolutions

  After the six week Thanksgiving to New Year's stretch known as the "Holidays," many are ready for the self-deprivation and discipline of New Year's resolutions.
  It's all around you - the commercials for weight loss programs and gyms - and it's near the top of everyone's conversation after a month-plus of excessive eating and drinking.
  For fitness adherents, there is little deviation in their exercise schedules. I always say "your body doesn't know what day it is," and its just as important to exercise during the Holidays (probably more), as after. You want to avoid the "yo-yo" syndrome of gained weight, followed by lost weight, inevitably followed again by more gained weight. In fact, every time an adult puts those five-plus pounds back on, it's usually a higher percentage of fat than the weight lost.
   Not that this calendar-induced regimen is totally bad. People need to start sometime, and having the support of other new or returning exercisers around you at the gym can give you that extra inspiration. Also, many regular exercisers almost plan their "down time" around the Holidays, and are mentally fresh and ready to go in January.
 January is a dark, cold time with not much else to distract you, socially. That makes it easier to wake up early on a weekend morning and get to the gym!
   Just set realistic goals. I always tell people: "Shoot for three days of exercise a week." Then every day over that (and you can go seven, if you mix it up enough) is like money in the bank. Aim to lose five pounds, even if the doctor told you that you need to shed 50.! You can't lose 50 without getting those first five!
   Work on portion control. One doctor I know tells his patients: "Start off by eating the same things you are now - just cut them portions in half." Weight-loss comes down to math of calories in vs. calories out, so I have heard worse advise than that!
   Of course, those with Diabetes or High Blood Pressure issues may need to make different food choices as well. Consult with a Physician or Nutritionist, and make one change at a time. When that becomes easy, make another..
   Diaries, both exercise and diet, can be good motivators for you. No one wants to write "12 chocolate chip cookies" in their diary!
   Charting exercise can help you reach goals (20 miles a week, or three hours of cardio), and also be a good tool to prevent or explain injury. Just don't run when sick or injured just to make some imaginary goal in yourm diary!
   Okay, enough talk fromme! It's January - go out there and reach your (realistic) goals!
 

Annual Physical

    There were recent news reports saying that the annual physical exam is unnecessary, that healthy adults can postpone it to every other year without ill effects.
     I disagree. I think the annual physical (with accompanying blood test) is important to catch problems before they get severe. I have a family history of prostate cancer, and the PSA reading is an important number to me personally, along with Cholesterol, Glucose (sugar) and Sodium levels, and the varied other categories that are Greek to you, unless one of the numbers is out of whack.
    I had mine just after Thanksgiving, as always. I am grateful to say that all of my numbers were in the prescribed range. The total cholesterol was 174, with the HDL "good cholesterol") at 68, LDL at 99, for a 2.6 ratio, well under the 5.0 or less desired number. My Triglycerides were 35 (under 150 is desired), and Sodium and Glucose were right in the middle of the desired range.
    I exercise all day, so these numbers should be good for me. I am still amazed, however, when the human body can be regulated within the desired range on all the categories in a blood test. It has to be a combination of fitness level, diet, genetics, and just plain luck!
    I think of all the things I eat through a year, and there are countless slices of pizza, many bagels with cream cheese, hundreds of cups of coffee, dozens of cheesy lasagna or baked ziti dinners, a good number of Entenmann's chocolate cookies, and a few Philly cheese steaks.
   It must be counter-balanced with the torturous workouts on the Concept 2 rower, the physically and mentally numbing treadmill runs, the Krav Maga classes, the pull-ups, push-ups, and dips; and the assorted other hours of step-ups, abs, resistance bands, and weights with my clients.
     I also try to counter-act the above diet downfalls with lots of seven-grain bread, low fat yogurt and cottage cheese, bananas, Power Bars, nuts, green tea, Met-Rx shakes, and apples. And I actually like eating healthy!
      Life is a balance. Your annual physical is a report card that tells you many things. Make it a good one!
         
     
   
   
       

Surviving Hurricane Sandy

      All of us in New Jersey have our Hurricane Sandy story. For the lucky ones, like my family, it was just bearing through those few hours of nature's terror, and then enduring 10 days of darkness, dreariness, and cold.
       Others,obviously, weren't as fortunate, losing their cars, businesses or homes, and sometimes, all three.
It's hard to believe if you didn't experience it, but food choices were limited with no power or refrigeration. There was a real shortage of gasoline, and it was nearly impossible to get cash as the banks were closed, and ATM's inoperable.
   Exercise helped keep this writer sane and somewhat grounded during this two week interruption in our lives.  Unable to run outside due to closed roads, downed power lines and trees, I kept moving in our arctic-like gym, hitting the stationary bike for up to an hour-and-a-half or relying on the self-powered True eliipticals. I also did some "old school" weight workouts, concentrating on multi-joint movements like squats, lunges, bench,  or shoulder push presses to keep the body warm. Thankfully, we did have hot water, and I don't think I appreciated the warmth and cleansing effect of a shower as much!
    Disaster does bring people closer. I enjoyed playing chess with my 16-year old son under the candle illumination, and there was something peaceful about the quiet in our home with no television, radio, or computer to immerse and distract us. At the gym, people shared survival tips and stories, letting each other know where you can try to get gasoline or a cup of coffee, which roads to drive on, and which to avoid.
    The break from running did help my injured achilles, although during the blackout it was throbbing badly from the dank cold. My other 54-year old joints ached more, as well. I almost was in disbelief when the electricity strained to "power up" after 10 days of darkness, in the midst of a freak 6-inch early-November snowstorm!
    The lesson I came away with was appreciation for family as we went through the shared misery together (and many thanks to my parents for graciously hosting us for a couple of days). My wife and I drove 25 miles down Route 22 one night to wait 45-minutes to fill up our tank - and I have to say it was a nice time!
    I also appreciate how lucky we are to live in America. I spent a lot of time thinking of villagers in Russia and China, who survive even colder climates with no electricity at all - and I know there are even some in this country who live that way, as well...
     
   

Tunnel To Towers Run 2012

  The Tunnel To Towers 5-K Run should be experienced by every runner, at least once. It's one of my favorite activities of the year.
   Started in 2002, the race re-traces the steps of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who, with traffic blocked, ran from Brooklyn to the Twin Towers, while off-duty, only to perish in the building collapse on Sept 11th, 2001.
    Tunnel To Towers benefits the Steven Siller Memorial Foundation, which is involved in numerous causes for 9/11 first responders and military veterans.
     I do it with my son and brother-in-law. The race is really more of an event than a 5-K - it attracted 30,000  people this year, and when the crowd siphons through the narrow Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, you can do little more than march in place.
     But that's not the point. It's awe-inspiring - New York City at it's finest. Literally thousands of West Point cadets, uniformed FDNY members, and members of every branch of the military, many running in formation. The most touching is the contingent of Wounded Warriors, surrounded by friends and family, as they traverse the distance on artiificial limbs, or in wheeelchairs.
     You'll see shirts of fire companies and police department from around the country, and beyond. A large group of people come from the London Fire Department every year!
     Exiting the tunnel, the road is lined with FDNY members, in dress uniform, holding portraits of each of their 343 brethren who died that day. There's a sea of American flags all around, and if you look down the river, the Verazzano Bridge and Statue of Liberty are in the distance. I can't think of a day when I feel prouder, and luckier, to be born in this country!
      The finish is at Ground Zero, and above on this clear, September morning, was the new Liberty Towers, almost completed, rising above the few, powdery clouds in the sky.
      No matter where you are reading this blog, try to run the Tunnel To Towers one year!




       

Watchung Hills Municipal Alliance Run 2012

  One of my annual races is the Watchung Municipal Alliance 5-K Run, held at Watchung Lake every October. As I'm a hot weather racer, this one is usually the culmination of my fall racing season.
   It's a small, local race, held at a bucolic setting - Watchung Lake. The leaves are starting to turn, the surroundings look and smell like Fall, and it's usually just chilly enough to get a good pace going, without wasting extra energy trying to keep your body warm.
  There's also enough hills to keep it challenging, but the longest incline, up Sunlit Drive in Watchung, is smack dab in the middle of the race, with a 3/4  mile sprint around the Lake to finish up.
   Our club is always a sponsor, and the race benefits Drug Education Programs in the Watchung Hills District. I actually won it about eight years ago, but those days are behind me, as I try to keep my 54-year old body moving as fast as it can while hobbled with a variety of aches, pains, and pulls.
    I entered with low expectations because of my faulty Achilles Tendon, my most serious ailment. With the news of Derek Jeter's broken ankle fresh in my head, I wanted to start "within myself," just short of losing oxygen. If my achilles felt okay about 3/4 of mile in, I'd pick up the pace from there.
    I settled into sixth place in the field of about 75, with a couple of people breathing down my neck, and a few within shouting distance just ahead. The Achilles felt okay running a fast pace, and I set the rule in my head of "no one passes me from this point." I was soon in oxygen debt, which I knew I could sustain for the remaining two miles or so of the course.
     There was a stencil on the street that I think was the first mile, and my watch read 6:31. Most of the hill was remaining, with the long descent down Sunlit after. I created a little distance between the guys in back of me (you can tell at the turnaround on top of Sunlit), and was sure the person in front of me, a young teenager, was going to fade.
    I love downhills and gave it my all, closing in slightly on the youngster in front. On the flat side of Watchung Lake, my pace  evened out, but I was still confident I could catch the kid in front of me.
    One more hill, at the base of Stirling Road, and I wasn't making any more progress towards him. However, I knew the race was not a disaster, time-wise, and I kept my concentration through the crest of the hill. The last 1/4 mile is flat, even slightly downhill. Gasping loudly, I ran as hard as I could and finished in 20:48.
    While I've run over a minute faster on some courses this summer, I was not disappointed. The Achilles held up, and my time and place were at least respectable (just 10 seconds slower than last year). Almost a dozen other club members ran and did very well, as our group took home eight medals out of 12 entrants!
     My plan is increased cross-training, less running, for about a month. We'll see how the Achilles feels at that point, and plan things from there. At least for now, good-bye roads, hello rower!         

To Stretch or Not To Stretch?

  In the old-school NHL vernacular, I have both "upper body injuries" and "lower body injuries."
My left arm seems to have a nerve issue, as it tingles as if I'm giving blood everytime I lift weights or even hold a pencil. My lower body injury started out as right ankle sprain over a year ago, which stretched the tendons and ligaments and has since given me chronic pain in my achilles every time I run.
   Since I love running, I've pushed though it, and now have constant pain inside my right knee as well! I've seen my Chiropractor (a sports injury specialist) a few times about it, and he has helped, but the constant pounding on the roads, particularly on the hills in this area of New Jersey, has made the aches worse. Maybe turning 54 has something to do with it as well!
   I stretch after running, and quite frequently with my clients after training sessions. My favorite is just hanging my heels off the edge of a step, which really loosens up the achilles tightness! While I'm not sure how much it has helped, I think the injury would be worse if I hadn't done this.
    Dr. Dennis Cardone of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School recently had a piece about stretching in the "Family Medicine" column of the Star-Ledger.
     Dr. Cardone notes that there is conflicting recommendations within the athletic and medical communities about stretching: whether to do it at all, and, if so, when?
     He advises against it before exercise (something I've read many times), as stretching can decrease the force and power of the muscles, which would be a concern for someone in a weightlifting competition or road race.
   Dr. Cardone does recommend pre-exercise stretching for athletes in sports that require an increased range of motion, like swimming or gymnastics. He also feels it is a good thing to do at times you are not doing other exercise, or post-run, swim, or bike (I agree!).
   He also feels that stretching may have some psychological benefits in making an athlete more relaxed (or focused) before a competition, which may be an argument to do it. Overall, though, Dr. Cardone feels that five to 10 minutes of easy activity before a competion is more beneficial in getting the muscles loose and heart rate elevated.
    At the end of the column, published August 21st, he gives runners some general advise about avoiding injury, like gradually increasing mileage (no more than 10% a week), adding cross-training and rest days, and running on softer surfaces. His final word of advice: "Don't try to run through pain."
   To which I answer, "Then I'll never run again!"
  
       

Creatine - Yes or No?

   After my half-marathon last Spring, I wanted to re-calibrate my training for a couple of months, and get some muscle back. Besides mentally dedicating myself to getting stronger, I bought a bottle of Twinlab Creatine Fuel tablets.
    The serving size was three tablets, which equal 2100 MG of creatine (an amino acid compound that is also produced in our body). It was suggested to take two servings of it a day, although I only took one, and there were days I forgot to take any.
    I have to say, it worked. My bench press max went up 10 lbs (195 at the top of a "pyramid"), and my normal sets of six at 165 lbs. on the bench press increased to eight! I stayed on it from mid-May to mid-July, and haven't used it since. On most days, my max has gone down 5-10 lbs., and I'm back down to sets of six at 165. On top of that, and this may be psychological, I felt I had much more energy in my workouts when I was taking the creatine.
    Based on that, and prior positive results in past years when I took creatine powder, I will probably take it again in the late-fall for a couple of months, before running season kicks into gear.
    Creatine supplements have not been around long enough to know the effect it has on the body's organ system. That is why it's use is not recommended for minors or people with kidney disease.
     Articles I have read point to it's benefit in high-intensity, short duration exercises like bench pressing or sprinting. I doesn't seem to have any benefit for long-distance running or other more cardiovascular activities.
    It can lead to weight gain also. I put on about two pounds during the time I was taking it, but felt that it was well-placed in my arms, shoulders, and chest. I did lose that weight after I stopped, but that could be because I increased my running mileage at that time, as well.
   If you want to get more creatine naturally, it is suggested to eat a diet high in meat and fish.
   I feel, for health reasons, one should not stay on creatine for longer that a two-month stretch at a time, with an equal time off before resuming. I also feel prolonged usage will lessen that positive effects it seems to have on your strength, as your body would adjust and adapt.
    For adult, experienced lifters, shot-putters, or sprinters, I think it can serve a positive effect. For others, there are probably other supplements I would try first before going for creatine. It's sold over the counter, so the decision is yours.