Too Little Salt?

Prosciutto. "Cape Cod" Vinegar Potato Chips. Soft, "Philly-style," pretzels. Beef Jerky. All guilty pleasures for me, that I enjoy in great moderation, due, in part, to their high salt content. Most research backs up my hesitation, although a new study says the amount of sodium most people consume is okay for heart health, and too little may be as harmful as too much. Runners and heavy exercisers do lose quite a bit of salt during their workouts, which is often replenished by energy-type drinks that mix varying amounts of salt, sugar, and potassium to rehydrate the body. I've always read that the average American gets more than enough salt in their everyday diets without ever having to use a salt shaker. If you think of all the processed foods we have in our diets, that statement must be true. The study that said to look at all salt as part of your overall diet, rather than a single element that needs to be reduced, was published in the August 14th edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. Highlights were published in many newspapers. It was conducted by McMaster's University Population Health Research Institute. The University is located in Canada, and observed 100,000 people in 17 countries from the general population (not just people in high-risk categories.) Ironically, Americans were not included in the study. China had the largest percent of participants (42%). About 40% of the total population studied had high blood pressure. It found that people who consume 3 to 6 grams of sodium a day (about 8 to 15 grams of salt) had the lowest risk of heart problems or death from any cause in the course of the four-year study. More or less sodium raised the risk. Americans average about four grams a day. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1.5 grams. People who had consumed a large amount of potassium (found in bananas, nuts, salmon, and leafy greens, amongst other sources) seemed to have a counter-balancing effect that offset the sodium. One of the researchers noted, aptly, that it's easier for people to add something that is healthy than to take away a staple like salt. Other scientists and nutritionists feel that, essentially, the higher the salt intake, the greater risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Simply, the less salt, the less potential problems. I feel balance is the key. If you have a heavily salted meal or snack, counter-balance that with a lot of water to flush it through your system. Your next meal should be low in salt content, to even out the day. Exercise really helps get rid of bad things in your body, too, and keeps the blood pressure regulated. Tuna with mayo on a toasted bagel, with a slice of tomato, and a handful of chips on the side? Delicious! Just drink a ton of water with it, and go out for an eight-mile run later in the day!

Coping with Knee Pain

About a month ago, my right kneecap began to hurt when running. I iced it as much as I could (every time I have the television on!), increased my stretching routine somewhat, and just ran through it. On a run about two weeks ago, I felt a slight tear as I rounded a corner, but finished the eight-mile run, and ran the rest of the week without any more unusual pain. Finally, after a seven-mile tempo run on the treamill at seven-minute pace on a rainy Saturday, my right knee swelled up considerably. I spent the next few days eliminating risk factors. I bought new running and cross-training shoes (I tend to keep mine at least twice as long as shoe experts recommend). I also bought some "joint protectant" products, and took two Aleve daily. Exercise-wise, I did the rower one day (with mixed results), elliptical the next (no pain, but very little perceived "gain"), and swam a mile the third (which felt good, all the way around!). I had an appointment with my Chiropractor/Sports Therapist last Friday, and he found I have a torn lateral meniscus, as well as the beginnings of osteoarthristis in my knee. He performed non-invasive cold laser surgery, which took minutes, and applied spider-web like "kinesio tape" around my knee. One week in, the swelling has gone down considerably, and I'm able to walk around without pain. I'm still swimming a mile a day, and hope to get back to running shortly. In fact, I ran through a parking lot the other day, forgetting completely about my injury, and felt okay. I love running in the summer, and do most of my racing this time of year. I do miss it, but have been able to keep sane, and stay in pretty comparable shape, with my swimming. I see my doctor again later today, and hope to get some rehabilitative stretching ideas from him that I can do. Hope to be back on the roads soon!

Donating Blood for Runners

Two or three times a year, I try to make a blood donation. Most importantly, I think it's a good thing to do. I've read that donating a pint of blood can save up to three lives. Blood reserves are finite, too. In other words, the blood must be used in a certain amount of time to be beneficial to someone. So there is a constant need for donors, particularly in the summer months. My blood is 0-positive, the universal donor, so it's particularly important to help out. I also feel it is good for you to donate. Consider it an "oil change" in your body. You're donating blood cells, and your body is eventually replenishing that amount, in about a month to six weeks. Thus, the 56 day wait in-between donations. You do feel a little light-headed after donating, and it's suggested to refrain from heavy exercise for 24 hours afterward. As it concerns running and fitness, any loss of blood, from bleeding or donation, will affect your performance. The amount of red blood cells in your system, and the amount of blood your heart can pump are the determining factors for oxygen delivery in a healthy runner. The loss of red blood cells is a (temporary) detriment, that is eventually alleviated as the body produces new cells. Simply put, donate in the week after a big race, rather than before, or schedule three a year during down times in your racing schedule. Don't let running or racing be an excuse not to donate - just to do it at the proper time!

It's Official - Runners Live Longer!

Innately, I've always felt my moderate "sort the problems of the day out" runs were doing something to increase my longevity, but not, necesssarily, my performance. And those repeat quarter-miles on the track at mile race pace were increasing my Vo2 max, lactate threshold, and my body's ability to handle pain - but not lengthening my lifespan. In fact, many times, they felt like they were shortening it, considerably! Those feelings were backed up by a recent study by the Iowa State University's Kiniesiology Departemnt, which studied the exercise routines of over 55,000 people, ages 18-100, for 15 years. It found that runners had a 30% lower death rate from all causes, and a 45% lower rate of death from cardiovascular issues. You didn't have to run too far, very fast, or extremely frequently, either. The longevity boost helped everyone who ran even a couple of days a week, at paces slower than 10-minute miles (6.0 on a treadmill), and with less than six miles recorded though a seven-day period. There were no differences by age, sex, Body Mass Index, health conditions, or cigarette or alcohol use. Also, the joggers and recreational runners (say, 2 miles every other day at just above conversational pace) got as much longevity benefits as the serious runners who ran much harder, or longer. It's unknown why the more hard-core runners don't get additional benefits, but the researchers theorize that more intense running may somehow damage the heart, over the long-term. I've also read, separately, that very intense exercise can release free radicals in your body that may increase risk for cancer. The key to longevity was consistency, in the long-term. The runners who saw the most benefit had been at it at least six years, and those individuals had a 50% less chance of death from stroke or heart disease. I don't feel those "problem solving" runs I mentioned above will do much to improve my 5-K time, but it's good to know they could be extending my life. Get out and enjoy running, at any speed!

Lake Takanassee 5-K Races 2014-

The Lake Takanassee Races were a summer-time Monday night tradition when I lived in Long Branch, and since moving away 25-plus years ago, I still try to make it down at least once a summer. I couldn't attend the opener this season, but made it down the second week, on July 7th. Driving down the Parkway, my temperature gauge hit the mid 90's, but it's always way cooler with the ocean breeze, and it actually was somewhat windy on the south side of the .8-mile Lake. Old comrades like Gary Pierce, Hoyle Mozee, and Phil Hinck were amongst the volunteers/spectators, but I didn't recognize any of the runners in the field of maybe 100. With the small field, I was out in third place for a good part of the first of four laps. I settled in with a group of high school runners, and let the taller ones block the wind for me and set the pace: 6:25 for the first mile. I figured hanging with this group of four was the best for my pacing, and I was buoyed by my friends encouragement - do it for "old guys!" Unfortunately, my spirit was a bit more willing than my flesh, and I was a few paces back of the high schoolers at the two-mile mark - 12:57. I still felt good and knew I had a decent finishing time in me, but I was slowly falling out of contact with the younger runners and had no one else around me. I trucked through the last lap as hard as I could - but still slowed a bit for a finishing time of 20:30 -exactly what I had done at Millburn a month a go in my last 5-K. My heart rate was 172 at the finish - a good effort for me, and I felt less exhausted than the Millburn Race. I placed sixth overall - no complaints there - and, yes, I guess I was the first "old guy." Legendary Shore A.C.er Elliot Denman rewarded me with a new club T-shirt, and I promised I would do a few races for the club in the Fall. It's nice to be part of something!

Cranford Firecracker 4-Miler - 2014

The Fourth of July may be my favorite Holiday - and one of my traditions on that day is the Cranford Firecracker 4-Miler. It attracts a field of about 1000, with a lot of excellent runners, primarily from the Union County area. I've probably run it close to a dozen times, and I'm accepting that it's at a slower pace as I creep through my 50's. Four-miles is an unusual race distance, and I couldn't find a goal pace on my RunBayou "V-Dot" chart. But since I ran a 26:30 three years ago, I figured anything between that mark and 27:00 would be okay. As a gym owner and Fitness Trainer, I'm exercising several hours every day. However, the day before this race was exceptional: ten training sessions, including severl with high school and college athletes that involved numerous step-ups, jumps, and medicine ball throws - for client and trainer! In other words, I had my excuse in place! Sure enough, warming up, my quads felt tight and heavy, but I got there early enough to get in a solid 30-minutes of stretching before the 9 a.m. start, and I felt fine by the start. Like many big races, the first half-mile is a bit of a mess, with lots of young kids crowded up front. I weaved through the morass of arms and legs as best I could, and settled into a comfortably hard pace. Actually, it must have been more "comfortable" than "hard," as I reached the mile mark in a disppointing 6:55. At this rate, I thought, sub-28 is more realistic than sub-27! I put the "no one passes you" rule into my head, and slowly tried to pick-off runners one-by-one to keep engaged and get my time somewhere closer to what I expected. Good news: mile two on the flat course down Springfield Ave registered at 13:25; a 6:30 second-mile pace. I kept my focus through the third mile as well, and was pleased to see "20:03" as I passed that clock. One mile left - over footpaths through Nomaheagan Park. I was back-and-forth with a few other runners at this point, but the interplay kept me mentally involved and (probably due to the slow start, more than anything else), I held pace in the final mile. As usual, the finish line banner seemed a little further away than I imagined, but I crossed in 26:37, not disappointing at all, especilly considering that first mile. I waited around for the award ceremony, and got third in the 55-59 age group, about 30 seconds behind the second-place finisher. No complaints, and a good start to my favorite Holiday!

The Heart - Yes, It's a Muscle!

Finishing a good weight workout - you are "pumped!" Blood has rushed to your chest, biceps, triceps, or shoulders, and you can see and feel a difference in your body. It's a good feeling! Following a hard cardio workout, you're usually more drained, and the muscle that's "pumped" is inside of you - your heart. A recent article syndicated by the Washington Post (authored by Gabriella Boston) highlighted the benefits of cardiovascular exercise to your heart. There were four more major attributes noted: the strengthening of the heart itself; the increased ability for the heart to pump more blood; the lowering of inflammation in the arteries; and reduced body weight and blood pressure. Exercise keeps arteries clear, which increases blood flow to outlying areas. That's why someone who is well-conditioned will generally have a lower resting heart rate and blood pressure than someone who rarely exercises. Jeff Haggquist, a sports medicine doctor in Washington, is quoted: "If the the heart has to push blood through a stiffened and clogged system, it has to work harder." All very logical! When I was beginning my running career in the late 1970's, we'd relax after a Saturday college cross-country race with a take-out dinner of fried chicken, gravy, and french fries. We knew it wasn't good for us, but it was a "reward" for our sacrifices of 70-plus mile weeks at sub 7-minute pace. I don't run as long or as hard now (I wish I could!), and I'm more mindful of my diet. I'll still have some celebratory burgers, pizza or beer; but it's tempered by a lot of meals with ingredients like yogurt, peanut butter, wheat bread, bananas, and peaches (and I actually like those healthy foods better!). Bottom-line, exercise can do wonders for your heart - but it's much more beneficial combined with a healthy diet. I also find, and tell my clients, that when you exercise, you tend to crave healthy food more, to replace lost nutrients. Plus, you don't want to ruin the hard work you just put in with "bad fuel" in your personal "gas tank"! You probably workout already if you're reading this article, but if not, get a stress-test before beginning. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week. Get the heart rate up to at least 60% of your max - you should be able to talk, but not easily chat! If you physically can't do 30 minutes straight, or don't have the time, break it into three ten-minute sessions. Exercise in small doses is better than none at all! Build up incrementally - most running experts recommend increasing total mileage about 10% a week to prevent injury and burn-out. Finally, that weight workout I mentioned at the start? It won't as do much for your heart as sustained cardio, but combined with some jump rope, rower, or other anerobic-type activity in-between, is great, too! Find your passion, and get to it!