Here is some cool, solid advice to beat the heat!!
From our coach Harry....
-----------------------------------------
hey ASHA folks,
we're right smack in summer and as our long runs get longer soon there
will be no more escape from some serious sun and heat exposure. This
is good in a way, because training in heat will make running in low
temperatures easier. Heat training always pays off. On the other hand
there's a few things you need to be aware of when training in warm
weather:
Your blood is needed at two fronts during a hot weather run:
- first job is supplying the muscles with oxygen and transporting
carbon dioxide and lactate away from them
- second one is providing the sweat glands with fluid to cool the body
(yep, your sweat comes right out of your blood plasma)
In this competition for blood - this is important! - the muscles
always win.You're in control. If you push yourself hard you will
diminish the blood flow to the skin and divert blood to the muscles.
This makes sense from an evolutionary point of view - there's no use
keeping the body from overheating when running from that saber-toothed
tiger...
However, in the controlled enviroment of a run you are responsible for
the balance. As it is very hard to become aware of the signs of
impending overheating, you're best off just training for it and
letting the body adapt.
Here's a few things you should keep in mind:
- we are training in California , a place with very low humidity.
Humidity, however, is a major contributing factor when it comes to
overheating. Your sweat will only cool you if it can evaporate, and
the higher the humidity the less of it can do that. So don't think
you're prepared for a 80 degree, 80% humidity race on the east coast
if you trained in 80 degree, 20% humidity west coast conditions. The
east coast race will suck the life out of you!
- drinking more will not help you unless you trained your body to
absorb more fluid and sweat it out. You can't expect to just offset
cool weather training by drinking more during a hot race. The fluid
will just slosh around in your stomach because your body doesn't know
what to do with it. Absorption rate of fluid by the stomach walls and
intestines can be more than doubled, but race day is not the time to
learn it. Remember - nothing new on race day! It takes the body about
2 weeks to adapt to heat, i.e. manage a higher fluid throughput. Take
that into account if you think your marathon will be a hot one.
- contrary to believe a high salt diet will make it harder for your
body to protect itself against the effects of hyponatremia (loss of
sodium.) The more sodium there is in your daily diet the more wasteful
the body will be with it. Try to limit your sodium intake during the
last 2 weeks before a hot race. your sweat glands will learn to retain
the sodium. You can't sodium-load! So eating salty food in the
expectation that you'll have more available during the race will have
the exact opposite effect.
- if you want to find out how your fluid balance is working out then
weighing yourself before, during and after a long run is the only true
measure. A weight loss of 2-3 pounds is no problem - that's just the
glycogen and fat you are burning for fuel going up in smoke (or rather
water vapor.) Anything above that is loss of blood plasma. Again, a
few percent of body weight is ok, but especially for beginning runners
it would be beneficial to not lose more than 2% of body weight during
a long run.
- if you do think that the heat is affecting you in a bad way, your
first line of defense is to stop running. second is to get out of the
sun. third is to apply ice or cold water externally. only fourth is to
drink more. Sweating has already failed as a cooling device, so just
drinking more will not help! Overheating is a much bigger danger to
the body than dehydration, so cooling down is the most important thing
to do.
Enjoy the heat!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Feels good to run!
It does feel good to be back in the running!! And anyway, we just ran 3 miles today and that too, took it very easy... alternating walk and run... to ease back into the rhythm. It sure feels nice and easy!! But, let me not get misguided by this short run ;-)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Back on my feet!
I had a check-up with an ortho and she certified that there is no major problem in my knees!
She is a part of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and her senior is the consultant surgeon for SF Giants, San Jose Sharks and the like.. She checked my knees and the ligaments and mentioned that it is only a strain on the cartilage behind my knee caps. She has suggested me exercises to strengthen the quadruple muscles, so they can absorb the shocks on my knees better.
Thank god.. big relief for me. Now, I should be back on the tracks from next week!!
She is a part of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and her senior is the consultant surgeon for SF Giants, San Jose Sharks and the like.. She checked my knees and the ligaments and mentioned that it is only a strain on the cartilage behind my knee caps. She has suggested me exercises to strengthen the quadruple muscles, so they can absorb the shocks on my knees better.
Thank god.. big relief for me. Now, I should be back on the tracks from next week!!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Nagging Knee..
Its the knee pains again... It has started nagging me.. The time I wake up in the morning, it starts reminding me it is there.
I have been walking the last couple of times and clocking the mileage. But, again today, I could barely run 0.5 mile before the pain started.
I am going to get a doctor's opinion and find ways to dissolve this thing.
I have been walking the last couple of times and clocking the mileage. But, again today, I could barely run 0.5 mile before the pain started.
I am going to get a doctor's opinion and find ways to dissolve this thing.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
My first above-5 miler..!
Yesterday, I ran my first 7-miler! (well, almost seven miles ;-)
I knew I had a target of 7 miles as a part of my training here. But, just the previous week (as I had wrote earlier), I had this bad knee pain and I had to stop at 3 miles. So, I was quite unsure. I did do some cycling over the week. And I did ice my knee multiple times.. like, wrapping a frozen water bottle around the different sides of my knee and then, once the area goes numb, I rub the area (it seems, the cold helps control the inflammation and the friction improves the blood flow)
So, I reach the Oracle trail (near Foster City) at 7am on the Saturday and it was a great cloudy day. The temperature must have been in the late 70s or early 80s and there was no wind - just the ideal day for a long run. I was all happy and excited (I was excited already - I woke at 6am and ate a protein snack bar!).
And I started my run comfortably with my jerkin on. Reach 1.5 miler and I was getting really warmed up.. rather hot and I left my jerkin at the water station. I then reached the 3 miler and had a couple of gulps of Gatarode and I could feel a li'l pain in the knee area. But, I was happy because I had already crossed my previous limit!
I was also happy because I was only 0.5 miles from the turn-back point!! Man, these small joys... So, I reached the 3.5 miles, kissed the line and was on my way back.. and the pains started getting bigger - not so much as to stop my run, but still it was getting to me. But the view was nice and scenery was good and of course, the weather was great, so I kept on. Oracle trail or Bay trail, as it is also called, I think runs all the way to the bay.
And beyond 4.5 miles, I had to stop running and start walking because the pain was considerable and I was afraid I will make it worse. But, I saw that the pain subsided as I was walking (this was contrary to last week - when the pain increased and remained even after I stopped running) So, I started running again at 5 miles. I took a few small breaks in between my runs (either walk instead of run or run slower) and I managed to finish the 7 miles in (approx.) 2 hours.
I am happy for my first six/seven miler.. this is at least 2 miles more than what I had run in a single shot earlier! :-)
I knew I had a target of 7 miles as a part of my training here. But, just the previous week (as I had wrote earlier), I had this bad knee pain and I had to stop at 3 miles. So, I was quite unsure. I did do some cycling over the week. And I did ice my knee multiple times.. like, wrapping a frozen water bottle around the different sides of my knee and then, once the area goes numb, I rub the area (it seems, the cold helps control the inflammation and the friction improves the blood flow)
So, I reach the Oracle trail (near Foster City) at 7am on the Saturday and it was a great cloudy day. The temperature must have been in the late 70s or early 80s and there was no wind - just the ideal day for a long run. I was all happy and excited (I was excited already - I woke at 6am and ate a protein snack bar!).
And I started my run comfortably with my jerkin on. Reach 1.5 miler and I was getting really warmed up.. rather hot and I left my jerkin at the water station. I then reached the 3 miler and had a couple of gulps of Gatarode and I could feel a li'l pain in the knee area. But, I was happy because I had already crossed my previous limit!
I was also happy because I was only 0.5 miles from the turn-back point!! Man, these small joys... So, I reached the 3.5 miles, kissed the line and was on my way back.. and the pains started getting bigger - not so much as to stop my run, but still it was getting to me. But the view was nice and scenery was good and of course, the weather was great, so I kept on. Oracle trail or Bay trail, as it is also called, I think runs all the way to the bay.
And beyond 4.5 miles, I had to stop running and start walking because the pain was considerable and I was afraid I will make it worse. But, I saw that the pain subsided as I was walking (this was contrary to last week - when the pain increased and remained even after I stopped running) So, I started running again at 5 miles. I took a few small breaks in between my runs (either walk instead of run or run slower) and I managed to finish the 7 miles in (approx.) 2 hours.
I am happy for my first six/seven miler.. this is at least 2 miles more than what I had run in a single shot earlier! :-)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Race Track Running..
Yesterday, I had a great workout at the tracks.
As a part of our training, since last week, we started running once a week on race tracks. As opposed to marathon running which is a slow and steady run, this is a faster and steady run. We are supposed to run multiple times (based on a training schedule again) on the tracks and at a speed that is a little bit more than our comfortable fast pace. The trick is to maintain the same pace on your last run as your first. This is supposed to increase our cardio rates and also our overall efficiency during the marathon runs.
Last week, we were to run 4 X 400m with a 90 second break between each loop. I ran the first loop in 2 minutes 42 seconds. I thought I will push myself harder on my next run and ran it in 2m 7s. But, my knees started paining and I also knew I had tired myself. Obviously, the next two loops took me longer - 2m 55s and 2m 48s respectively.
I got the meaning of maintaining a steady pace and pushing oneself just that bit. After the advice from the coaches, I also worked on the cycle in my apartment gym yesterday morning. And I guess I did eat properly too. Whatever, or may it is a combination of all these, but yesterday I ran the first loop in 2m 8s at the just-on-the-boundary pace.
We were to do 6 x 400m yesterday and finished the remaining five in the following times: 2m 3s, 2m, 1m 58s, 1m 55s, 1m 57s. What more I was the first in my group in the last 2 laps!! Felt so good :-)
As a part of our training, since last week, we started running once a week on race tracks. As opposed to marathon running which is a slow and steady run, this is a faster and steady run. We are supposed to run multiple times (based on a training schedule again) on the tracks and at a speed that is a little bit more than our comfortable fast pace. The trick is to maintain the same pace on your last run as your first. This is supposed to increase our cardio rates and also our overall efficiency during the marathon runs.
Last week, we were to run 4 X 400m with a 90 second break between each loop. I ran the first loop in 2 minutes 42 seconds. I thought I will push myself harder on my next run and ran it in 2m 7s. But, my knees started paining and I also knew I had tired myself. Obviously, the next two loops took me longer - 2m 55s and 2m 48s respectively.
I got the meaning of maintaining a steady pace and pushing oneself just that bit. After the advice from the coaches, I also worked on the cycle in my apartment gym yesterday morning. And I guess I did eat properly too. Whatever, or may it is a combination of all these, but yesterday I ran the first loop in 2m 8s at the just-on-the-boundary pace.
We were to do 6 x 400m yesterday and finished the remaining five in the following times: 2m 3s, 2m, 1m 58s, 1m 55s, 1m 57s. What more I was the first in my group in the last 2 laps!! Felt so good :-)
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Pains and Gains!
I was to run six miles today, but I just did four.
One of the surest things when training to run the marathon (and especially if you have not run much before) is that you will get all kinds of pains. There could be one of two things - either the weakest muscle/tendon along the set of muscles hammered during the run would start paining or the joints pain.
Joints, especially knee pain can be for a lot of reasons - one, you may not be using the right pair of shoes/socks. Two, you may not be tying the shoe laces tight enough to prevent wobbling of your feet. Three, you are not using enough of your butt muscles ie. you are not landing flat on your feet on the ground and the lift-off may not get to use the butt muscles properly. Four, the quad muscles - on either side of your vertical muscles (hamstrings?) may not be strong enough - to balance the pull from the main set of muscles used in running.
Well.. there could be more... but this is what I got to know from the coaches today. I started having shooting pains in the knee and after a mile, when I took a water-stop, it just started to be a constant pain around the joints and I had to stop running after 3 miles. I walked back a mile and consulted the coaches. For me, two and four seem the probable causes of pain.
And if you are asking what the gain is - I am working and strengthening some muscles in my body that I never would have cared about otherwise. I just need to tie my shoe laces properly and start exercising the lateral quad muscles by cycling for 30 mins on the days when I do not run.
One of the surest things when training to run the marathon (and especially if you have not run much before) is that you will get all kinds of pains. There could be one of two things - either the weakest muscle/tendon along the set of muscles hammered during the run would start paining or the joints pain.
Joints, especially knee pain can be for a lot of reasons - one, you may not be using the right pair of shoes/socks. Two, you may not be tying the shoe laces tight enough to prevent wobbling of your feet. Three, you are not using enough of your butt muscles ie. you are not landing flat on your feet on the ground and the lift-off may not get to use the butt muscles properly. Four, the quad muscles - on either side of your vertical muscles (hamstrings?) may not be strong enough - to balance the pull from the main set of muscles used in running.
Well.. there could be more... but this is what I got to know from the coaches today. I started having shooting pains in the knee and after a mile, when I took a water-stop, it just started to be a constant pain around the joints and I had to stop running after 3 miles. I walked back a mile and consulted the coaches. For me, two and four seem the probable causes of pain.
And if you are asking what the gain is - I am working and strengthening some muscles in my body that I never would have cared about otherwise. I just need to tie my shoe laces properly and start exercising the lateral quad muscles by cycling for 30 mins on the days when I do not run.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
An Ode to Track Running...!
A poem for track workouts - Don't be a Crack on the Track!
A patient person is she,
Who stays as calm as calm can be
As you set upon the running tracks,
Curb your enthusiasm please hold back
Foundation building is your current stage
Build it well and you will come of age
If you intend on unleashing aggression
Against yourself you commit treason!
A patient person is he
Who stays as calm as calm can be
Long is your season, so Lo! Behold…
Your need for speed will stop you cold!
If this call to patience you choose to spurn
The limp of a patient you may well earn!
So help us in ensuring that this rhyme is not a dirge
PLEASE CURB YOUR URGE TO SURGE!
A small note for future reference. Running is an individual sport and in the early years of your training you have to have patience. You need to use your judgment and remember to be calm. Patience is a virtue in long distance running - speed is a bad word (for now). You will have time to improve on your speed once you have a good running foundation built.
- Rajeev "What part of 'SLOW DOWN' did you not understand?" Char
A patient person is she,
Who stays as calm as calm can be
As you set upon the running tracks,
Curb your enthusiasm please hold back
Foundation building is your current stage
Build it well and you will come of age
If you intend on unleashing aggression
Against yourself you commit treason!
A patient person is he
Who stays as calm as calm can be
Long is your season, so Lo! Behold…
Your need for speed will stop you cold!
If this call to patience you choose to spurn
The limp of a patient you may well earn!
So help us in ensuring that this rhyme is not a dirge
PLEASE CURB YOUR URGE TO SURGE!
A small note for future reference. Running is an individual sport and in the early years of your training you have to have patience. You need to use your judgment and remember to be calm. Patience is a virtue in long distance running - speed is a bad word (for now). You will have time to improve on your speed once you have a good running foundation built.
- Rajeev "What part of 'SLOW DOWN' did you not understand?" Char
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