How 2 Run Fast

Book Review: Advanced Sports Nutrition, 2nd Edition

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:12:06 -0500

I recently had the chance to read the new, updated edition of Advanced Sports Nutrition, 2nd Ed. by Dr. Dan Benardot, the Director of the Laboratory for Elite Athlete Performance at Georgia State University. Dr. Benardot has worked with a number of medal-winning U.S. Olympic teams to help them to prepare for and compete in the Olympic Games.

Competing in marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons, and other endurance events that take many hours to complete are not just about running, swimming, and biking, but also about eating and drinking, on and off the course.

What you eat and drink and when you do it has a huge impact on the effectiveness of your workouts and the speed of your recovery from them. It also can make the difference between performing well in a race and struggling to finish after hitting “the wall”.

There are several excellent books available on nutrition for runners and marathoners. I own Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook and Nancy Clark’s Food Guide For Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions. They are both great resources.

Dr. Dan Benardot’s book Advanced Sports Nutrition, 2nd Ed provides very detailed information on optimizing nutrition and hydration for participants in a wide variety of sports, from running to wrestling to gymnastics. He provides specific recommendations for the amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat that different types of athletes should consume and when they should eat them to maximize their performance in training and competition.

One of the most valuable concepts in the book is the Energy-balance graph. Dr. Benardot graphs the energy gained from food and the energy burned in exercise to help maintain enough energy for critical workouts and recovery, without eating too much at the wrong times, which results in fat storage. He has NutriTiming programs and iPhone apps available that help you to develop your own Energy-balance graphs.

Advanced Sports Nutrition also provides detailed examples of eating plans for athletes of difference sizes in different sports, from a 100 lb female figure skater to a 230 lb male football lineman. It’s a great reference for serious athletes in all sports.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Advanced Sports Nutrition for review.

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Save $250 on a Mayan Trail Running Adventure

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:38:35 -0500

If you are looking for a unique, active adventure vacation, a Mayan Running Adventure might be just the thing for you.

For only $1,995 (double occupancy), you can spend 7 nights in beautiful Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, including:

6 days of trail running around beautiful Lake Atitlan, covering about 55 miles
Private transportation to and from the Guatemala City Airport
Private transportation as necessary during the week
All hotel stays (7 nights)
All daily meals and snacks
Bilingual tour guides for all trail runs
Paid fees for certain running locations (such as park entrance fees)
Transport your gear between hotels as necessary
One hour professional massage
Lake kayak rentals
Forest canopy zip line tour
Travel insurance
The book, The Lake Atitlan Reference Guide

For a limited time, you can get $250 off the regular price by mentioning How 2 Run Fast when you book your reservation at mayanrunningadventure.com. I checked flights from the U.S. to Guatemala City and they were surprising affordable, ranging from $400-1000, depending your your city and the timing of your trip.

For more information about this adventure running vacation, check out mayanrunningadventure.com.

Have you taken a running vacation? Where have you gone? Tell me in the comments.

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How Much Can You Carbo-Load? [Infographic] This infographic by...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:38:29 -0500

How Much Can You Carbo-Load? [Infographic]

This infographic by Trish McAlaster accompanied Alex Hutchinson’s article Carbo-loading: Is it the key the day before the marathon? in The Globe and Mail.

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Recently, 2-time Olympian Pete Pfitzinger conducted a webinar on...

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:23:00 -0500

Recently, 2-time Olympian Pete Pfitzinger conducted a webinar on “Marathon Training: How to optimize your training program to reach your potential”.

I’ve embedded the slides from Pete’s webinar in this post. You can listen to the entire webinar here (email required). It’s well worth the time.

In this webinar, Pfitzinger provided details on the right balance of training to optimize your marathon performance, including long runs, tempo runs, marathon pace runs, VO2 max training, speed training, and recovery runs. The session wrapped up with a discussion of how to taper your marathon training over the last few weeks so you are fit and fresh for a personal best.

Pete Pfitzinger ran in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic marathons, both times finishing as the top American. With a personal best of 2:11:43, Pete is a two-time winner of the San Francisco Marathon and placed third in the 1987 New York City Marathon. He was ranked the top American marathoner in 1984 by Track & Field News, and he is a member of the Road Runners Club of America’s Hall of Fame.

Pete now works with High Performance Sport New Zealand (http://hpsnz.org.nz/) and was a triathlon coach with the New Zealand Olympic Team in Beijing. Pete is the co-author of Advanced Marathoning and Road Racing for Serious Runners and a contributor to Run Strong. He was a senior writer for Running Times from 1997 to 2007, in which his popular column, The Pfitzinger Lab Report, appeared.

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Congratulations to Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, and Kara...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:57:00 -0500

Congratulations to Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, and Kara Goucher on making the U.S. Olympic Team in the Marathon.

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Visual Proof That Exercise Prevents Aging Photo via Alex...

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:25:00 -0500

Visual Proof That Exercise Prevents Aging

Photo via Alex Hutchinson of Sweat Science and Toronto physiotherapist Laura McIntyre.

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Product Review: Collagen Sport Protein Powder

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:09:33 -0500

Do you need some Collagen in your Protein Powder? I recently had the opportunity to try some Collagen Sport Protein Powder, which combines collagen with whey protein isolate to help with healing and recovery from exercise. The whey protein helps rebuild muscles and the collagen helps repair and strengthen tendons and ligaments. Collagen Sport also contains L-Glutamine to help with muscle protein synthesis.

Collagen Sport is a very fine powder that mixes well with water. It tastes rather bland, compared to other protein powders that I have tried. I sometimes mix protein powder with my coffee either as a quick breakfast or to add some protein to my regular breakfast. Collagen Sport mixed well with my coffee, but I needed to add some sweetener to it to make it drinkable. I don’t usually need to do this with other protein powders.

Most of the athletes who are sponsored by Collagen Sport are athletes in contact sports like Mixed Martial Arts or Boxing, but one of their sponsored athletes is Russ Jones, a 56 year old former 2:18 marathoner and triathlon pioneer, who is now one of the top age group triathletes. He competes in 15-20 triathlons a year and credits Collagen Sport with helping keep his joints healthy.

A recommended serving of Collagen Sport contains 15 g of collagen, 15 g of whey protein isolate, 1000 mg of L-Glutamine, and a total of 123 calories. A 1.5 lb container of Collagen Sport sells for $20-30.

Have you tried Collagen Sport? How did it work for you? Tell me in the comments.

Disclaimer: I received a sample of Collagen Sport for evaluation.

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Product Review: Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:59:00 -0500

I recently had the opportunity to try Topricin, a homeopathic cream for sore muscles, arthritis, and sports injuries.Topricin comes in 3 different varieties: Topricin Pain Relief, Topricin Foot Therapy, and Topricin Jr. Topricin is reportedly been used by a number of professional athletes, including Ivan Lendl and Nancy Kerrigan.

Boulder Road Runners Founder Rich Castro has used it for many years and recommends it to his runners for muscle and joint soreness and overuse injuries. At age 64, Rich can still run a 5K in close to 20 minutes, so it’s clearly working for him.

The makers of Topricin claim that it is prescribed by doctors at major New York City hospitals, but they declined to name any of the doctors or hospitals, so this claim cannot be verified.

Homeopathic medicine uses very small amounts of extracts from plants and herbs that are supposed to help alleviate specific medical conditions. Topricin is made without parabens, petroleum, or other harmful ingredients.

I used Topricin several times on sore muscles and a sore tendon. The instructions say to use Topricin 3-4 times a day and to massage a generous amount of the cream into the affected area until it disappears. I didn’t notice any significant reduction in muscle or tendon soreness after using Topricin.

Frankly, if I were to massage a sore muscle 3-4 times a day, I would expect to experience some improvement, with or without using Topricin. I think that like many homeopathic “cures”, Topricin works about as well as a placebo. If you believe it will work, then it may work work for you. To read an interesting post on the neurochemistry of placebos, click here.

Topricin is available at many drugstores and online. It costs about $10-17 for a 2 oz. tube.

Have you used Topricin or other homeopathic cures? Do you think they work or are they a ripoff? Tell me in the comments.

Disclaimer: I received some samples of Topricin for evaluation.

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Book Review: Iron Heart - The True Story Of How I Came Back From The Dead

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:33:40 -0500

I recently read Brian Boyle’s book Iron Heart, about how he came back from a devastating, near-fatal car crash to become a finisher at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Brian was a competitive swimmer and bodybuilder at the time of his accident. His excellent fitness helped him to survive the crash, when a dump truck hit the car he was driving, crushing his body the wreckage. He also received excellent emergency medical care and a total of 36 blood transfusions and 13 plasma treatments, after losing 60% of his blood in the accident.

Iron Heart describes Brian’s terrifying ordeal, as he wakes up after 2 months in a medically-induced coma to find himself trapped inside his own body, unable to move or communicate. He endures many months of exhausting physical therapy to be able to walk again.

Brian wasn’t satisfied with just being able to walk, however. His competitive spirit drives him to rebuild his body and begin to compete in triathons, eventually leading him to compete at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Brian’s story demonstrates how resilient the human body is and how it can recover from even the most devastating injuries.

Brian is now a motivational speaker for the American Red Cross, sharing how blood donations from dozens of people helped to save his life, and encouraging more people to donate blood. I’m a regular blood donor, having donated more than 64 units of blood. I try to donate at least 4 units of blood a year, working around my racing and training schedule.

If you haven’t donated blood recently or if you have never donated, click this link to find a blood drive near you and schedule an appointment to make a donation today. Your donation will help to save a life of someone like Brian Boyle.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Iron Heart for review.

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Book Review: Running Water - A Thirst Quenching 2,960 Mile Solo Run Across America

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:34:00 -0500

I recently read Abe Clark’s book Running Water, about his 136 day solo run across America in 2010. Motivated by the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, he set out from Oceanside, CA, the next month to raise money for Living Water International, a charity which works to provide clean drinking water to the more than 880 million people around the world who live with out it.

Running across the U.S. is a difficult under any circumstances. Abe was only the 15th person to run across America solo and unsupported. Unlike some other cross country runs, which have been chronicled in books like Marshall Ulrich’s Running on Empty, in films like Running America, or on TV like Dean Karnazes’ Run Across America, Abe chooses to run by himself, without a support crew.

Pushing a Baby Jogger stroller containing his gear, Abe sets off from California and crosses the U.S., armed with little more than a cell phone and a GPS device. He is largely dependent on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter. He is able to tap into a network of church groups to support his mission.

Abe’s story is one of discovery, as he experiences America at ground level and meets interesting characters along the way. In the end, he raises more than $90,000 for Living Water International and gets engaged to his girlfriend (now his wife) Kate. Abe followed up his run across America with a 145 day, 9,200 mile bike ride around the Continental U.S., which raised $26,000 for well projects in Ethiopia.

Running Water is Abe Clark’s first book and it contains a few confusing geographical references and some spelling and grammar mistakes, but it’s an enjoyable and inspiring read.

To read more about Abe Clark and his adventures, check out his website at abrahamlouis.com.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Running Water for review.

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Ultrarunner Scott Jurek to Attempt World Record Run

Tim Ferriss 50K Ultra Challenge

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:30:05 -0500

In his book, The 4-Hour Body, best-selling author and self-professed human guinea pig Tim Ferriss said that he was going to run a 50K ultra-marathon after doing only 12 weeks of CrossFit Endurance training, consisting of short, intense interval training, calisthenics, weight lifting, and no runs longer than 13.1 miles.

It’s been more than a year since The 4-Hour Body came out and Tim still hasn’t run a 50K race. He promised to report his progress here. He also said that he was going to do a 50K race in a interview in the July 2011 issue of Outside Magazine. It’s time for Tim to put his money where his mouth is.

I’m issuing Tim Ferriss a public challenge to follow through on the claim he made in his book, to train using CrossFit Endurance for no more than 12 weeks and then run a 50K race. If he doesn’t do this during 2012, I think he should admit he can’t do it and donate $50,000 to charity.

What do you think? Should Tim Ferriss run a 50K race in 2012 or donate $50K to charity? Tell me in the comments.

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2012 New York City Marathon Registration Opens

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:07:24 -0500

Registration for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon opened today, January 2, 2012, at 12:00 PM, and will close on April 23, 2012, at 11:59 PM.

The 2012 ING NYC Marathon will be held on Sunday, November 4. To apply for entry into the race, click here.

I’m planning on running in the 2012 ING NYC Marathon, are you? Tell me in the comments.

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Win a Pair of Ortholite Fusion Replacement Insoles

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:18:51 -0500

Have you ever had a pair of running or athletic shoes that you really loved that had an insole that was worn out, had lost its cushioning, or just smelled nasty. Did you end up wearing them less or retiring them? Ortholite Fusion replacement insoles might be the solution for you.

I tend to wear out the outsoles of my shoes before the insoles, but if your shoes last a long time or if they look good, but got wet or sweaty and now smell bad, you might consider replacing your insoles with Ortholites. If you use your athletic shoes for walking around, for cross training, or for weight lifting (which compresses the insoles), you also might be a good candidate for Ortholite Fusion replacement insoles .

I replaced the old insoles in one of my pairs of running shoes with new Ortholite replacement insoles. They felt springy and almost “like new”. Ortholite insoles are the same insoles that are used in more than 70 million shoes a year made by major shoe companies like Asics, Nike, Adidas, New Balance, and Saucony. Lab tests have found that they retain 95% of their cushioning for up to 1 year.

Ortholite insoles are anti-microbial to help fight fugus, odor, and bacteria. Their open cell construction wicks moisture and helps your feet breathe, keeping them cool and dry. They are made with recycled tire content, so they help the environment. Ortholite insoles are machine washable. They come in all sizes for both men and women. You can buy Ortholite Fusion replacement insoles from Amazon for about $20.

The folks at Ortholite are giving 3 How 2 Run Fast readers, the chance to try Ortholite Fusion replacement insoles for themselves. To enter the contest to a pair of Ortholite Fusion replacement insoles, you can do any of the following:

Reblog this post in Tumblr
Like this post in Tumblr, Facebook, or Reddit
Retweet this post in Twitter
Link to this post on your (non-Tumblr) blog and send me the link
Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed via email

If you do more than one of these things, you will get an additional chance to win for each. Please make sure that there is some way to contact you if you win and check your Tumblr, Facebook, or email Inbox regularly. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Ortholite Fusion replacement insoles for evaluation.

Have you tried Ortholite Replacement Insoles? How did they work for you? Tell me in the comments.

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Win a New, Smaller, Lighter Wireless Sony MP3 Player

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:09:00 -0500

Sony recently introduced a new version of its wireless Sony NWZ-W262 MP3 Player that is 24% lighter and 33% smaller than the old version.

I don’t usually wear headphones when running outdoors and I’m constantly pulling out my headphone jack at the gym and trying to re-insert it on the fly. I’ve also had a couple of headphones go bad on me because the wires have broken.

I’ve also been concerned about being able to hear cars when running on the road with headphones on. With the Sony NWZ-W262 MP3 Player, I’ve found that I can hear cars very well over the sound of the music.

The Sony NWZ-W262 MP3 Player solves these problems by integrating the MP3 player into the headphones. No cords! It comes with three different sizes of ear buds for a custom fit.

Here are some of the other features of the Sony NWZ-W262 MP3 Player:

2 GB or 4 GB of Storage (same as the iPod Shuffle) for hundreds of songs
Water and Sweat Resistant
Drag & drop music from iTunes or Windows
Multi-format support (MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV)
Up to 11 Hours of playing time
USB Rechargeable
Lightweight - 32g (less than 0.1 lb)
Great Sony sound

The new Sony NWZ-W262 MP3 Player is available in black, white, and red colors. In some regions, other colors may be available. There is also a Meb Kefelzighi version that has 24 minutes of preloaded tips from the Olympic Silver Medalist and 2009 NYC Marathon winner and a running booklet that contains information on getting started, nutrition, stretching, race strategy and Meb’s favorite runners’ playlist.

To enter the contest to win the Sony NWZ-W262 MP3 Player (white color, as pictured above), you can do any of the following:

Reblog this post in Tumblr
Like this post in Tumblr, Facebook, or Reddit
Retweet this post in Twitter
Link to this post on your (non-Tumblr) blog and send me the link
Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed via email

Update: Congratulations to Zoe Emma Board (@ZoeEmmaBoard and juststayhappy) of Pontnewydd, Wales, UK, on winning the Sony MP3 Player.

Disclaimer: I received a Sony MP3 Player for evaluation and one to give away.

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Racing a Half Marathon, Fueled by SuperStarch

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:55:19 -0500

Recently, I had the opportunity to try some of Generation UCAN’s sports nutrition products containing SuperStarch. Generation UCAN’s products provide a long lasting supply of energy, rather than the quick blood sugar spike provided by sugar-based energy drinks. They also help to promote fat-burning during training and racing. They are used by marathoner Meb Keflezighi and other top athletes to maximize their performance.

I got a sample of Generation UCAN’s Sports Drink and their Protein-Enhanced Sport Drink from Generation UCAN’s Sales Manager Chris Pannone at the New York City Marathon Expo. Chris qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in his very first marathon, running a 2:18:05.

After I turned 50 recently, I was on a mission to qualify for a guaranteed entry into the 2012 New York City Marathon. To qualify, I needed to run a half marathon in less than 1:40 or a marathon in less than 3:30 by January 31, 2012. While I had recently run a 3:25 marathon, it was before I turned 50, so it didn’t count.

I signed up for half marathon that was scheduled on the day after my 50th birthday. I drank a Cranberry-Raspberry flavored Generation UCAN Sports Drink about 30 minutes before my race and Chocolate flavored Protein-Enhanced Sports Drink after the race. I had plenty of energy throughout the race and finished in 1:35 on a hilly course, out-sprinting two runners in their mid-20’s at the finish.

I liked the Generation UCAN Sports Drinks and would use them again. They come packaged in single-serving packets that are mixed with water. Chris Pannone indicated that bulk packaging with a scoop, similar to other sports drink mixes, is on the way.

The Generation UCAN drinks are fairly think and need to be well mixed before drinking. As with any sports drink, if you are considering using it in a race, you should practice with it during your training runs to make sure that you like it and that it doesn’t upset your stomach.

Have you tried Generation UCAN’s products? How did they work for you? Tell me in the comments.

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Generation UCAN’s Sports Drinks for evaluation.

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Win a Free Entry into America's Toughest Road Marathon

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:30:00 -0500

The Blue Ridge Marathon in Roanoke, VA, bills itself as “America’s Toughest Road Marathon”. With over 7,200 feet of elevation change, a lot of runners would agree. The Blue Ridge Marathon has a friendly competition with the Mt. Lemmon Marathon in Tucson, AZ, which has 6,000 feet of elevation change and finishes at over 8,000 feet, over which race is the toughest.

Last year the Blue Ridge Marathon offered Mt. Lemmon Marathon finishers free entry into their race to help settle the dispute. Most agreed that the uphill and downhill of the Blue Ridge Marathon made it tougher than the Mt. Lemmon race. I’ve embedded a video describing the race below (watch for former Marine Sgt. Jeremy Soles running the half marathon in a gas mask to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project at the 0:49 mark)

Blue Ridge Marathon: America’s Toughest Road Marathon from Pete Eshelman on Vimeo.

If you are looking for a challenge, the organizers of the Blue Ridge Marathon are offering one of the readers of this blog a free entry into the race, held on April 21, 2012. If you don’t win the free entry, you can get 15% off the $80 registration fee, register before December 31st and use the code “Tough”.

To enter the contest to win a free entry into the Blue Ridge Marathon, you can do any of the following:

Reblog this post in Tumblr
Like this post in Tumblr, Facebook, or Reddit
Retweet this post in Twitter
Link to this post on your (non-Tumblr) blog and send me the link
Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed via email

Update: Congratulations to Kimberly Warren (@kimi_joy) of Comstock Park, MI, on winning a free entry into the Blue Ridge Marathon.

Disclaimer: I received an offer of a free entry into the Blue Ridge Marathon

Book Review - You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:31:00 -0500

I recently read Special Forces Trainer Mark Lauren’s book You Are Your Own Gym. This is an excellent book for anyone who travels or has limited time to exercise. It contains over 125 different exercises that you can do using your own bodyweight to provide resistance.

In the book, Mark Lauren has laid out a 10-week program of exercises that should take you from zero to hero in only 20-30 minutes per day, 4-5 days a week. If you aren’t interested in the full program, but are trying to find a few key exercises you can do in your hotel room, your bedroom, or your living room, you will find exercises for every muscle group in this book. The exercise variations described in the book can also help you continue to develop greater strength after you have mastered the basic drills.

You Are Your Own Gym is available as a paperback, as a Kindle e-book, and as an app for the iPhone and Android platforms. A percentage of the author’s royalties will be donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

What’s your favorite bodyweight exercise? Tell me in the comments.

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