Watchung Muncipal Alliance Run 2013

As a warm-weather racer, The Watchung Municipal Alliance Run is usually my last scheduled race in the Fall. This year, the race was held on a rather warm but damp Sunday in early October. Our club is a sponsor of the event, and we had close to a dozen runners ( a sizable contingent in the field of about 50.) Besides the chronic tendonitis in my right achoilles, I'm just recovering from a pulled muscle in my lower stomach, which curtailed the intensity of my training over the past couple months. While I never stopped running (are you serious?!), I went to alternate days for a couple of weeks, and generally was careful about pushing it out too hard. Over the last few weeks, miraculously, it's coming around, a "3" on the pain scale, versus a worst of "7 1/2," or so. I popped a couple of Aleve that morning for good measure, but no excuses! My warm-up mile was comfortable, and I was ready to give a decent effort. The starting horn was a little abrupt, and caught me napping a bit. I mentally recovered about 30 seconds in, and felt I ran at maximum effort (given the above circumstances)from that point on. As usual, I caught the early rabbits by about a half-mile in, and was able to keep my "no one passes you!" credo. Unfortaunately, the runner in front of me showed no signs of slowing, so all the motivation had to come from within - no one was around me, front, side, or back! The first mile (mostly uphill) was a surprisingly slow 6:48. I knew the downhill on Sunlit Drive was advantageous for me, and I flailed away as hard as I could. The second mile was slightly faster, as I hit the mark in 13:20, but I was still hoping these splits were somehow incorrect. By this point, with the fog and distance, the runner in front of me was almost out of view. I still pushed as hard as I could around Watchung Lake (probably slowing up the hill on Stirling Road), and even turned it up one more notch in the final 1/4 mile around the north end of the Lake. It was with disappointment I saw the final time of 21:06, good for sixth overall and second in my 50-59 age-group. Checking my records, my time was "only" 15 seconds slower than last year, but a good minute behind my best efforts earlier this summer. What is most disconcerting is that I felt I ran close to all-out the whole way, with no strategy other than to keep pushing as hard as I can. Was it the groin, the achilles, too much distance, too little speed, too many years on the calendar, or all of the above? Maybe one more race this Fall will answer those questions.

Debunking Fitness Myths

A recent article synidicated by the Washington Post explored 10 common fitness myths, and challenged some time-held fitness beliefs. Here is a highlight, interspersed with some of my own comments. 1. A HIGHER NUMBER ON THE SCALE MEANS YOUR GETTING FATTER: This fails to take into account body composition. You can actually get leaner, with the scale staying the same or going up, by building muscle mass. Often, your waist size shrinks, your shoulders increase circumference, and your legs develop previously-unseen tone by strength-training. The scale, bottom-line, is not, in and of itself, an indicator of fitness. If you strictly want to lose weight, smoking three packs of cigarettes a day may help! Would that make you healthier? 2. LIFTING WEIGHTS MAKES WOMEN BULKY: Actually, the opposite is usually the case. In all my 25-plus years working in health clubs, I've only met a handful of women who were able to build up significant muscle mass to the point where they would be thought of as "overly muscular" or "bulky." Most women (and middle-aged men) simply don't have the testosterone levels to achieve this. Your "butt won't get fat" by doing squats or lunges, in fact, it will most likely get much smaller! 3. WHEN YOU STOP TRAINING, MUSCLES TURN TO FAT: They are like "apples and cotton candy," two different types of tissue. Apples, like muscles, are dense. Cotton candy, like fat, has little density, but a wide circumference. But apples can not turn into cotton candy, and muscle can not turn into fat. 4. RUNNING ON A TREADMILL IS BETTER FOR JOINTS THAN RUNNING OUTSIDE. Many fitness experts feel this is not the case, unless you are on a commercial-grade, extra shock-absorbing treadmill. As someone who logs many miles on both, I do feel the treadmill is easier on my body than the roads, if for no other reason than I can control the grade, and get off if discomfort occurs. That's obviously not possible four miles from home! 5. MODERATE AEROBIC WORK PUTS YOU IN THE IDEAL FAT-BURNING ZONE: While you burn a slightly higher percentage of calories from fat when your heart-rate is at 60-80% of your max (220-your age), you burn more total calories the higher your heart-rate is. In any given run, however, you will spend some time in the 60-80% range, some higher, and cool down at the lower rate, again. You can't burst out the door full blast woithout tearing or ripping something, and even if you did, you could not sustain that for very long. 6. AS LONG AS YOU EXERCISE, YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT: First, genetics is 50% of the way you look, no matter what. If your parents are heavy, chances are you are going to have to battle your whole life. Secondly, you have to create a calorie deficit to lose weight. If I were to do a hard 10-mile run, I would be burning up approximately 1100 calories. If I were to relax with four slices of pepperoni pizza and two beers after, I would be at just about even...contented, but just about even. That's how hard it is to lose weight through exercise alone. 7. MACHINES ARE SAFER THAN FREE WEIGHTS: Generally, I find, yes. However, not all machines are designed for every body. There is also usually one or two directions the machines can go, and it is does nothing to address balance and stability issues. Your height or weight may also not be suitable for every machine, particularly if the seats are not adjustable. I like to mix most strength-training workouts between machines, free weights, dumbells, and body weight exercises. Resistance bands, Gliding discs, and kettlebells are also great instruments to use. 8. IF YOU DON'T SWEAT, YOUR NOT WORKING: This is where people will think they are getting a better workout on the elliptical, say, than the weights, because it's sustained motion and you will sweat more. That is true! However, the afterburn of a hard weight workout lasts longer than a cardio session, meaning your body is burning calories more efficiently for up to six hours, rather than three with a typical cardio workout. Also, everyone has a different body thermometer. I get cold easily, and tend not to sweat much in cooler weather. Other people are the opposite, and regulate their body in the heat by sweating profusely. Heart-rate is a much better indicator of your effort level, although there is something satisfying about a sweaty shirt! 9. FAT CAN BE SPOT REDUCED: Everyone would be looking like a fitness model if that was the case! As I mentioned before, genetics is 50%, and if your parents both have thick legs, say, chances are you will as well. With diet, cardio, and weights, you will re-shape your body in general, but genetics will likely determine where you lose it from. 10. STRETCHING BEFORE EXERCISE IMPROVES PERFOMANCE: I use the analogy of the belts in your car. They're more likely to snap in the cold, and are more pliable after the car has been running for awhile. Before a race, I like to jog and then do "active stretches" like leg kicks or modified lunges to stay loose. After a run is the time for the static, relaxing stretches we are all familiar with.

Jimmy D Memorial 5-K

It was an "iffy" Labor Day weekend, weather-wise, in New Jersey this year. Clouds and humidity abounded, interspersed with storms, making outdoor plans shaky, at best. I decided if it wasn't raining Sunday morning, I would try the Jimmy D Memorial 5-k Run in New Brunswick. It's for a good cause, a foundation for Firefighter James D'Heron, who died saving a family in a burning house in the city a few years back. The race starts adjacent to the New Brunswick Middle School, and finishes on the stadium track, unusual for most road races. It's also in a quasi-urban setting, which also was a nice change, scenery-wise, for me. Jogging down Joyce Kilmer Ave., I noticed I was running mostly downhill from the start, which meant I would be finishing my warm-up (and more importantly, my race) uphill. The race attracted about 800 people, and was a women's New Jersey TAC Championship event. The crowd, both male and female, were more serious and fit than most races. Most of the state's major clubs were represented: The Garden State Track Club, Raritan Valley Road Runners, Shore Athletic Club, and others. I liked the fact there were many good runners: it would be easier to hold pace with more people around. As detailed earlier, I have chronic tendonitis in my right Achilles,and a new groin injury that I'm diagnosing as Osteitis pubis. Web MD describes this as a condition that causes chronic groin pain because of stress on the pubis symphysis, most common in distance runners and soccer players. Yep! I stood a few rows back, in respect to the crowd assembled, and the start (led by New Brunswick police and fire volunteers on motorcycles) was a shuffle for about 50 yards. I found some space after that, and with the groin reminding me every step but not killing me, I passed the (mostly downhill) first mile in 6:22. Not bad, now I had to just keep it together for the second. I gave myself the old credo, "No one passes you!" I was able to hold true to that through mile two, passed probably two dozen runners, but still hit a disappointing 12:55 split. The third mile was mostly on an upward grade, but not nearly like the hills I'm used to running in Somerset County. I held mostly steady, with maybe only two people passing me, while I was able to struggle past another dozen or so. I paid particular attention to anyone with bald spots or graying hair, like myself! I thought the turn-off for the track was on the first entrance to the stadium, but I was wrong. You had to go another 200 yards or so before entering, but then the final sprint was only about halfway around. Psychologically, once you hit a track, you have to go all-out. I did, and made it across the line in 20:29, the exact time of my last race, at Lake Takanassee. My heart rate was 155, and I felt I ran as hard as I could on this particular day. The various injuries held up, and the race was not a disaster. I finished 60th overall out 765, but didn't get an age-group award in this one. Although I didn't indulge this time due to scheduling issues, there was plenty of beer and food afterward, and next year, I hope to take advantage!

"Six-Pack" Abs

Six-packs are common discussions in health clubs - both the kinds you drink, and the ones that you develop through hard work, diet, and a little luck. The luck is your genes. Some people, genetically, have the propensity to develop ripped stomach muscles. Others are born with a blockier build (think of a beer keg, to stay in that frame of reference), and just cannot get that same look, no matter what they do. I always feel that you work the most on your strengths. If your abs look good, you work them even more. If they're not there, you tend to concentrate on other parts that can be developed easier. It's just human nature. Working with clients, I usually like to start with abs, rather than finish with them, as most trainers do. i feel abs are a priority for people, so it's good to hit them when your fresh and can keep good form. Plus, a variety of core exercises warms up the entire body and raises the heart rate up, so you are loose and supple for weight-bearing exercises. I think five-10 minutes of core work, on the ground or standing, is way more effective than a five-minute walk on the treadmill! It's important to hit the core (a group of over 20 muscles, including your hips and glutes), from many different angles. I like ground routines where you do one exercise on your back, one each from your sides, and one plank-type exercise facing down to spend an equal amount of time and effort in each direction. You can go two times through, with different exercises each time, for a total of eight different "ab" exercises. Change up your number of reps and your cadence, and don't forget some isometrics like your planks or "V-sit." Never pull on your neck when doing crunches, hold for a second when you "feel the burn," and put as much variety as you can in. I probably have about 100 different exercises that I rotate through for "abs," for myself and my clients. Out of all I do, I feel the most effective is the medicine ball throws off the decline bench. Have your partner throw 20 over your head, and reach up to catch, "Dwight Clark-style." Go all the way back to the bench, sit up with the ball over your head, and throw back, as hard as you like. Have your partner go next, then do another 20, catching it over your shoulder to target the obliques more. The final set, if your brave enough, sit up, and have your partner throw the ball into your stomach. Tighten up as hard as you can, and don't exhale as the ball hits! On the first five, guide it in with your hands. Then, the stomach should be ready for full absorption. I saw Evander Holyfield do this with a 35-lb medicine ball, only he was lying on the ground, where you cannot lean back to lessen the pain. Unbelievable! Those are for advanced exercisers, but other great ones are hanging leg raises (there's a bunch of different varieties of those), and partner resistance band pulls. Of course, to bring out the abs visually, you have to reduce the amount of surrounding body fat, through diet, cardio, or both. Getting a six-pack is a lot of hard work, but I always tell the clients (half-jokingly): "If your abs are good, the rest of life's problems will eventually work themselves out!"

Exercise and Pregnancy

My wife likes, but does not love, exercise. She does does her 30-minutes, three or four-days a week to stay in shape and keep the blood and oxygen flowing through the arteries. In the 25 years I've known her, she worked out most religously during her pregnancies with our two children. During those times, she walked on the treadmill or biked five times a week, and kept her tone with light weight-training. She felt good through the pregnancy, gained only about 30 lbs. through each one, and lost it quickly afterward. She also recovered fairly quickly following childbirth, and most importantly, both kids came out healthy! E#xercise during pregnancy is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Highlights of their guidelines were published by Dr. Dennis Cardone, in the Family Medicine column of the Star-Ledger. Some recommendations they made were: sticking to non-weight bearing exercises like swimming or biking, rather than running; maintaining adequate water intake before, during and after exertion; not working to exhaution; avoiding exercising on your back after the first trimester; and avoiding activities with the potential for trauma or falls. These all seem reasonable and achievable for most people. I've also read that people who were avid runners can continue it through their pregnancy, with Physician's approval. However, don't increase your normal load, or pick up a new activity you are not used to. Besides the ability to bounce back into shape more quickly after delivery, benefits mentioned by the Physician's include reduced backaches, swelling and bloating; and improved posture, sleep and mood. Other advantages are better energy levels during this time; better strength and endurance, which can be important in the birth process, and, possibly, decreased risk of gestational diabetes. Warning signs to stop exercise? Dizzyness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, back or hip pain, decreased fetal movement, vaginal bleeding or leakage of fluid, or persistant contractions. One should contact a Doctor immediately if experiencing any of these symptoms. The general summary is that exercise is good, but use common sense. Don't set new workout goals during this crucial period of your life, or do anything wild or crazy that may harm you or your baby. Get the blood flowing, stay happy, eat healthy, keep the joints moving, and remember everything you do, positive or negative, affects that precious cargo you are carrying!

Partner training

Everything is more fun with a friend! Small group-training of two to four people has been a popular trend in the fitness industry over the last decade. First, sharing training makes economic sense for many people, as the cost is split between the participants. Second, the participants get the energy (or shared misery!) of working with someone else. It helps stoke the competitive fire, as no one wants to be the first to "fall out" during push-ups to failure, or minutes-long plank sessions. I noticed with my running, if I'm doing intervals on the track or a hill repeat workout, I'm going much faster with another person, with seemingly less strain. By yourself, it takes a ton of mental discipline to push though race-pace "quarters" or "halves." With another person of somewhat similar abilities, the pacing is shared, and neither wants to be the "laggard," or person holding up the general pace of the workout with prolonged rest. Here are a few ideas for partner training, on the track, in the gym, or out in the field. 1. Relays on the track: Set a basic, shared, goals for you and a partner. Let's say, a 14-minute two-mile. Person number one starts off with a 1:45 (or less) quarter-mile. You tag the person as you reach the finish and they set off, trying to retain the same pace. You rest as they run, and then pick it up again as they finish their 1/4-mile leg. Four quarters each, to reach your two-mile goal. Try it a second or third time, if you want to increase volume! 2. Partner jump-pulls, in the gym, or a the playground. Find a pull-up or monkey bar. Two people stand on either side of a pull-up bar. The first person crouches, jumps, grabs the bar, completes a pull-up, and drops. The second person then goes, for one. Set a number (say 10 each) and take your heart-rate after. It will be high! Great for legs, back, shoulders, and arms! 3. Partner plank/pushups: Person number one assumes push-up or plank position. The partner puts their feet on your back and assumes a push-up position (horizontally to parter). You can either both stay stationary like that (great for balance), or trade off doing push-ups. That can be done on a one-to-one cadence, or having the top person doing two (it's easier on top!) to the bottom person's one. Have fun! For an easier version of that killer, have one person in push-up position. The second person is standing, with legs straddling, the person in push-up position. The standing person presses their hands on the back of the person doing push-ups, to add an extra element of resistance. Keep it reasonable, so the person doesn't lose form and bend their back while doing the exercise. Plus, remember, you have to take your turn, too! Or, you can try the wheelbarrow, with one person in push-up position, and the other standing, holding their feet or legs. Try a few push-ups like that, or just do the walking wheelbarrow. 4. Partner squats: One person assumes the squatting position, their partner stands in back, with hands on your shoulders. Try 15-20 squats, then switch places. Vary the resistance with each squat to keep it fresh! The hips, glutes, and quads are all working on this one. 5. Partner dips: One person assumes "dip" position, with hands on a bench or stoop. Their partners lifts your lfeet or legs, and commence exercise. Another great balance one that kills the triceps and shoulders! This is just a sample of the many, many exercises you can do with a partner, with no equipment involved. Have fun!

Lake Takanassee Race 2013

This summer was the 50th anniversary of the venerable Lake Takanassee Road Races in Long Branch. Held every Monday night through the summer, it is the oldest racing series in New Jersey, and well-known nationally through the writings of Dr. George Sheehan. Most of the top runners in the Shore-area have raced there at some point in their careers, and high-school teams often use it as a prep for their runners for the upcoming cross-country season. It's decidedly "no-frills," with a five-dollar entry, no shirts, and the bushes in the nearby trail serving as port-a-potties. Four laps around the brackish lake, with the wind usually coming off the Atlantic. Weave around the parked cars along the street, and yell "on your left" when coming up on lapped joggers and race-walkers. The celebrated "50th Anniversary Race," was held on July 29th, and I wanted to go to see some old compatriots and get in the commemorative 50th-anniversary group picture. Unforseen things at the club got in the way, however, and I couldn't make the hour-ride down the Parkway and get there for the 6:45 p.m. start. I made a mental note to try for the next week, but unsure if I could make it, did eight miles and a heavy chest workout on Sunday, and had six hours of training (lunges, squats, push-ups, and planks) with some fit clients on Monday. Still, with a colonoscopy scheduled for the next week, I knew this was my only chance to get down there before the series ended, so down the Parkway I went. I fortified my tired mind and body with a Diet Coke after the drive down, and tried to psyche myself up. Hoyle Mozee, a longtime running friend and race volunteer, saw me stretching and asked why I wasn't there last week for the big reunion. "I tried," I replied, "how did the old guys do?" "Bill Scholl (another old friend and former winner of the Philadelphia Marathon) won it in 20:30, and a few people were right in back of him, "Mo" replied. "Then they all went out for some beers and told a bunch of stories about the old days." I vaguely had been hoping to come near 20 minutes, even with my heavy day's workload, tired body, chronic achilles tendonitis, and pulled lower stomach muscle. After hearing that Scholl, about seven years older than my 54, but a former 2:18 marathoner, had run 20:30, I think I mentally re-adjusted what I felt would be a respectable time on this particular night. While there were other acquaintances amongst the volunteers, I didn't recognize many of the faces actually competing, and didn't have anyone to pace with. The Ocean Twp. cross-country team was there, as well as some college runners, so there were definitely some good runners amongst the crowd of 100 or so. The high school kids darted out fast, and I tucked in with a few of the them through the first mile, which we hit in 6:22. While not in total oxygen debt, the first mile did feel fast on this particular evening. Feeling I'd have to rely on mental strength in the second mile, I said to myself, "no one passes you from here on out." With so many inexperienced runners out in front of me, I was able to stay true to that credo, all the while slowing down myself. While I probably passed five or six high schoolers in the second mile, my two-split was a rather unsightly 13:04. "Just gut out the third," I grimaced to myself, and managed to do so, weaving through the afore-mentioned cars, joggers, and walkers to finish in exactly 20:30. I felt spent, and my hear-rate was 168, but after catching my breath, wondered, "did hearing the 20:30 that Scholl ran, sub-consciously just having me aim for that time? If he had run, say, a 20:10, would I have pushed myself to hit that?" Those are the unansweable questions of racing, and what draws some people to continue to do it at ages when common sense and aching body parts say not to. I threw a hooded sweatshirt on, caught up with a few other people I hadn't seen in 20-plus years, and collected my 50-59 age group first place medal. I placed 13th overall, and basically was satisfied with the night's effort. I got in the car, had the windows down driving through the summer sunset on the Parkway, and listened to Alex Rodriguez's comeback night for the Yankees on the radio. I hope to be back again next summer.