Can You Run Too Much?

I've been running since I was 15 years old, exactly 40 years ago. It started out as prepararatory for boxing, which I loved (but did not love me) in high school. Five miles in work-boots, through the heavily traffic on the roads of Union County. In college, I began to run for running's sake. I competed on the cross-country and track teams at Monmouth College in West Long Branch, and ran a number of marathons, with a best of 2:43 at the Jersey Shore Marathon in 1980. I did Boston as well, completing it it in 2:44 in 1981. At that time, there were many weeks I accumulated over 100 miles, and I pretty much averaged 70 miles per week through my college and immediate post-college years. Out of boredom and the sense of new challenges to conquer, I turned to triathlons and heavy weight-training in my late 20's, and cut my mileage back to around 25 per week. I've evolved back into running, which is what I think I do best. I run the Long Branch Half-Marathon each year, as well as numerous 5-K's and the occasional multi-event. My high-school aged son has taken to it as well, and I think that has helped keep my own spark going. Simply put, running has been an integral part of my life for a long time. I know the health benefits, and see it every time I receive my "report card" from my Physician every year. Low cholesterol and blood pressure, and sodium and glucose levels well within check. My weight (approximately 140) has not changed in 20 years. However, a recent article syndicated in the Star-Ledger newspaper has caused me to take pause. A study, conducted by cardiologist James O'Keefe at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, found that men who were marathon runners for 25 years had 62% more plaque buildup in their coronary arteries than sedentary men of the same age, with similar charecteristics. Unbelievably, that even included the soft, fatty plaque more likely to cause a heart attack! The conclusion was that running in moderation is, undoubtedly, beneficial to heart health. However, years of the high-mileage that marathoning requires can create wear and tear on the heart which may be, ultimately,counter-productive to longevity. In other words, 60 miles of running may not be three times healthier than 20 miles of running. One question I would ask: Is the intensity of the miles the main factor, or the sheer number of them? Also, if you do competitive biking, swimming, or rowing through your adult life, would that be equally as stressful on the heart, or is there something to the pounding the body takes in the act of running? I think the study, available in Missouri Medicine, the Journal of the the Missouri State Medical Association, certainly deserves a longer look. Okay, time for my run. I have a half-marathon this weekend!

Skip the Gadgetry!

When it comes to running, I am a minimalist. Just a MIO Pulse watch; no phone, musical device, water bottle, or pedometer. On some regular routes, I have driven it by car to get an estimate of the distance. Others, including some that go off-road, I "guess-timate" by how long the run takes me. I judge my intensity and effort by how long that particular day's runs took, versus all the the other times I had traversed the same route. I also check my watch at various points during the run, to make sure I am keeping pace. Even though at home I constantly have the radio on, I enjoy the quiet of an early-morning run, or the typical sounds of a suburban afternoon (school buses squeaking to a halt, dogs barking in the distance) as I travel my regular routes. I do a lot of my best thinking on a run, and always end up in a better frame of mind than when I started. In the couple times I tried, I failed with a music player - either I couldn't keep the bud in my ear, or the receiver kept loosening up and falling of my arm. As far as a chest strap, I find them uncomfortable, plus, I guess there's a part of me that doesn't want to know how close to a heart attack I may be! A recent article by Ben Opipari, syndicated by the Washington Post, verified my thoughts on running accessories. First, carrying something in your hand changes your biomechanics, slows you down, and can even lead to injury! The article points out how important the upper body is in the running process, using the example of how the handcuffed criminals never get far from the police when they try to run away! If you hold onto something, even if it's light, it creates tension and imbalance in the upper body, alters your form, and causes you to exert more energy and tire more quickly. I know this myself from the annual PBA "Torch Run." During my leg of this benefit for the N.J. Special Olympics, I carry an unlit torch that probably weighs about six or seven pounds. Despite the adrenaline of the event (traffic is blocked on busy Route 202 in Somerset County as we go through), the run is considerably more draining because I'm holding the torch! The article explains that when you're holding something ("iPod arms") one arm has less motion that the other, so one stride is than shorter than the other as well. Quoting Jonathan Cane, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weight training,"What happens above the waist impacts hat happens below." Holding something in your hand creates form imbalance, which ends up putting more stress than usual on a muscle group, which multiplied by thousands of strides over the course of a run, can lead to injury. Listen to the birds chirp, hear the car horns honk, stay safe and injury-free. Leave the gadgetry at home and enjoy your run!

Surviving the Winter of 2014

"The Worst Winter Ever?," CNN asked in a piece the other day. For fitness-minded people in New Jersey (and throughout most of America), it seems like it. Deep, early snows and freezing temperatures in December. The Polar Vortex took over in January, with temperatures straining to get above 10 degrees for one week, and then after a short break, another hit from Artic Circle, accompanied also by heavy snow. February, besides a beautiful, spring-like Super Bowl Sunday, has been more snow, with today a "Lake Effect" like-mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow. How do you survive it? First, shoveling is a great workout, particularly when the snow is of the wet, slushy variety that this morning brought. Oh, and you burn up a ton of calories keeping your body warm during this, as my wet, shivering bones could attest after my early-morning "driveway workout." But, as mentioned before, I'm training for the Long Branch Half-Marathon on April 27th, and shoveling alone won't do it. That's where the indoor cardio equipment really helps. This morning, I did a 10-k on the treadmill, starting at 8.1 (a 7:24 pace) for a mile, and raising it up .1 each mile, until a finishing sprint above 9.0 (6:40 mile) in the final half. In respect to a sore right hip that is especially troublesome on hills, I kept everything at grade 0. Also, because of the tender hip, I have been doing a lot of cross-training on the Concept 2 rower, probably the perfect workout machine. As hard as I pull on that, it's no impact, so the hip is fine, and I've gotten some phenomenal workouts. Like with running, I try to alternate between a distance day (usually 10-k on the rower), a tempo workout (1000 or 1600-meter workouts, with a 2:1 work/rest ratio), and short sprints (500-meter workouts, "two minutes of hell," with a one-minute gasp in-between. If I've laid off the rower awhile, my abs kill me the next day, probably from the impact of hitting my stomach with the handle repeatedly. After a couple of workouts, that goes away, but I do develop callouses or blood blisters on my hands. But other than that, I'm no worse for wear, and it combines a great upper and lower body workout, with tremendous cardio. The best thing is, my rower sprint times are almost a direct correlation to my running splits. A 6:20 1600-meters on the rower feels just about the same as a 6:20 mile on the track, with more overall benefits and less wear-and-tear on my body. However, it's nowhere near as fun, in an aesthetic sense, as getting out in the fresh air on a beautiful day. Sooner or later, we're going to get one of those in New Jersey!

New Year - New Goals

The New Year tends to bring a sense of purpose to exercise, after the excesses of the Holidays. It could be a couple of extra pounds around the middle, it could be a warning from a Doctor, or it could be a specific goal that you have in mind. In my case, the Long Branch Half-Marathon, held this year on April 27th, is the carrot I need to stay focused with my running. Summer and Fall, I love my six-mile runs outdoors, and I feel I push myself at about an 80% capacity. In December, I send in my annual entry to the Long Branch Half, and I begin my cherished and dreaded interval workouts on the treadmill. Today I just completed one of my favorites: 5 x 1 mi. on the "mill." The first I do at a relatively pedestrian 8.0 mph, but start at level three. Every quarter, I bring up the grade 1%, so I finish that mile at a challenging grade six. The next I start at 8.5, grade two, and, again, bring it up every quarter. Each interval starts .5 faster, but at one grade lower. The final one, I keep at grade zero, begin at 9.5, and increase the speed .1 each half-lap. When finished my heart rate is near its capacity of 165, or so. Yesterday, it was 11 degrees with blizzard-like conditions here in New Jersey. So I put on News 12 for the local weather remotes, and did another of my favorite workouts: a 10-K "commercial run." Here, you run at tempo pace during the programming, but at grade 2. In my case, I start off at 8.0 on the treadmill, about a 7:34 mile. When a commercial comes on, I drop down to zero grade, but pump up the speed to 9.0 (about 6:40 miles). Each commerical, I bring it up another .1, until the break mercifully ends. During the programming, to add a challenge, I raise the speed up .1 each mile, so between miles five and six, I'm at 8.5 (7:03 mile pace), during programming. When I hit the six-mile mark, I sprint in at 10.0 for the final .2, hopefully replicating a race. One more challenging workout is the race-pace 5-k. In my case, I try to break 20 minutes, which right now is a realistic test for me. So, after a mile warm-up, I start the first quarter at 9.0, grade 2. Each quarter, I raise the speed up .1, and try to maintain level 2 as long as I can. Eventually, I need to drop it down to grade one (or sometimes, zero), but still bring the speed up .1 every quarter. In this case, you finish up at 10.1 for the final lap. As I mentioned, be nice and warmed-up for that one, but you can get an intense workout in, with a warm-down in about 35 minutes. My goal is to try to maintain the same finishing times (between 1:30-1:35 for the half) I've had for the past five years. Hopefully, a little closer to that faster number. Set your own goals this year, and try to make them happen, "one step at a time."

Tunnel To Towers Run 2013

This was the third consecutive year running the Tunnel to Towers Run for my son, Max, my brother-in-law, Andy, and I. Once again, the day (Sun., September 29th) came up perfectly, and the experience matched it. Imagine over 25,000 people: firefighters from across the country; representatives from all branches of the military; police; Wounded Warriors, and ordinary citizens united in a single cause: remembering the heroes who died on 9/11 and ensuing wars, and most specifiically,the Stephen G. Siller Foundation. After the Boston Marathon bombings, additional security measures were in place this year: no bags or backpacks of any kind allowed, and all pre-race clothing and valuable can only be stored in clear plastic bags, which you can retrieve at the finish. Firemen and soldiers used to take pride in running in full gear: unfortunately, that's a thing of the past. The toughest part for us is the logistics of the early-morning trek from Somerset County, N.J., into Manhattan, and ultimately, to the starting line on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn-Battery tunnel. We managed that by grabbing the 6:20 PATH from Newark, and following the crowd to the awaiting ferries at Pier 11 for the boat ride past the Statue of Liberty and into the "Borough of Kings." We actually made it up to nearly the front of the starting pack, and Max, planning to use it as a tough Sunday workout, wiggled to the actual first row. I planned to run comfortably (not hard), but got caught up in a good pace, because for the first time, I was not crowded around hundreds of others in the tunnel. Wearing a light jacket with my keys, wallet, phone, and change, I vascillated between pushing the effort and just enjoying the experience. I guess I'm like an old dog, and couldn't help myself - I had to try and run hard. My breathing was actually somewhat labored in the narrow confines of the tunnel, and I was trying to remember how long that part of the run actually was (1.7 miles, to be exact). Third time running it, I still felt a tingle of emotion as you exit the tunnel and see the FDNY officers in full dress uniforms lining the route, each holding a picture of a fallen brother from 9/11, and the Stars and Stripes. Marching bands and cheerleading squads from area high schools line the remainder of the route, and the finish line, at Ground Zero, is packed with spectators. I had no clue what my finishing time would be, but was not disappointed when it read 22:17. I knew I was running hard when a volunteer near the finish asked if I was okay! My heart rate watch verifyed it: 163. Max actually ran a 19:40, and was featured for about 10 seconds racing with another young runner on WCBS-TV. The aftermath is a sea of runners and supporters: West Point and Coast Guard Academy cadets, London firefighters, you name it. There's a load of free food and drink (from donuts and coffee to ribs and beer), and a lot of FDNY and NYPD hats and t-shirts on sale, all to benefit charity. We left shortly after the race, but my parents and thousands of others hung around to listen to the bands and speeches from various 9/11 survivors, politicians, and military leaders. It's a day of pride to be a "New Yorker," and an American!

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.