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Write Things Down To Improve Running Performance

In the past, I have blogged before about the importance of writing things down. While training for the Boston Marathon this winter, however, this exercise has proved especially beneficial.

Background

I have been training for a while for Boston for a while. After completing the City of Trees marathon last fall, I maintained a consistent fitness level of 13-milers every other week. In December, I started picking up my mileage and officially training for the marathon. I am posting my training schedule each week as I train, in case you are interested.

The first setback

I experienced my first setback in February, when I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my left foot, likely caused from tennis. Using orthotics, cutting back on tennis and integrating cross-training, the doctors recommended I keep running.

Fortunately, this strategy has worked.

Another little glitch

Up through my second 18-miler, I was consistently carrying out my long and shorter ones in the Boise hills, often climbing as much as 1600 vertical feet in a single outing.

I noticed, by writing down my distances and times, that by my first 18-miler, I was exhausted. Immediately after clocking some of my fastest (:800) interval workouts and tempo runs, suddenly, I was posting my slowest times to date – and feeling really horrible while doing it.

Rather than plowing through the pain, I decided to let up on the mileage for a couple of weeks. I skipped a speed workout and even avoided the hills (as much as possible, anyway).

Then 1½ weeks ago, I ran my 20-miler and felt great. Or at least as great as a 20-mile run can feel. I am convinced that scaling back made a big difference in my overall energy level. And this all came about by tracking mileage, times and other factors.

The advantages of writing things down

After you have completed your workout, write down the details. Though distance and pace are a good place to start, it’s also beneficial to include how you felt, what you ate, how much you slept the night before and any other factors which might have influenced your overall performance. Details like these are immensely helpful in determining what it takes to feel good while you’re running. The better you feel, the easier it is to run a marathon or even a mile.

You can use a blank spiral notebook, create worksheets to print out, or track via websites like the Daily Mile. Whatever works best and easiest for your habits and lifestyle is the way to go.

Below details the key advantages in writing it down:

1. Find your energy food. By writing down what you eat the day or morning before a run, you can track what foods give you the most energy. And then eat more of the same!

Another benefit of writing down what you eat and drink is to think twice about your diet. Why waste unnecessary calories when you could be filling the tank with fuel to boost your runs?

2. Track your progress. Tracking your progress in speed or mileage is tremendous inspiration to keep at it! As you note improvements in your pace for long runs or speed workouts, you’ll get well-needed encouragement to keep logging those miles.

3. Take note of the little things. By tracking miscellaneous factors like water consumption, sleep, alcohol and stress, you’ll see how little things can make a difference when it comes to running performance and recovery. Not to mention, these same factors may be advantageous to track when you’re not training for a marathon. Why not feel better all the time?

4. Stay alert to fatigue. As I described above, if you start to notice unexpected and unexplained declines in performance, such as slower speed workouts or a decreasing average pace/mile on longer runs, you may be overtraining. Try taking a few days off, cutting back on the miles or flattening out the runs, as a little rest now may have major dividends down the road. And it may reduce your risk of injury as well.

Click here for a Weekly Health Calendar that I created.

Photo courtesy of  Fitness Answer.

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Renew Your Resolutions

Though the parking lot at the gym is not bulging at the seams as it was in early January, your waistline appears to be compensating. Your kitchen is not getting the workout you’d hoped it would. And worse yet, the scales are tipping in the wrong direction as stir up more excuses to skip exercise and say yes to dessert.

Have you fallen off the New Year’s Resolution bandwagon? If so, it’s not too late to get back on track.

Here are a few tips to renew those resolutions – pronto!

1. Revise your goals. Like goals you set at the workplace, healthy living goals need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Go back and look at those resolutions you made after Christmas. Do they meet these criteria? If not, revise and keep at it.

2. Eat healthy meals at home. Choose healthy, whole foods that are in season, and you won’t feel pressured to spend hours in the kitchen whipping up restaurant-worthy dishes. In fact, eating out is one sure way to spend more money without really knowing what you’re eating. Why not shrink the pocket book and the waistline at the same time?

3. Learn how to cook. It’s not as hard as you think and it’s never too late to learn. Whether you get helpful hints from my new book, Eat In Not Out, or peruse the websites of all the great contributors to my book, you’ll find ways to turn your kitchen into a centerpiece for delicious meals and lasting memories for friends and family.

4. Enlist a support crew. When it comes down to winning Nascar races, the pit crew is just as important as the driver. The crew changes tires, fills up oil and gas and gets the car back out on the track – in record time. Your support crew is equally as critical in keeping you on track to reach your healthy living goals. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, encouragement, patience and a few cheers. And be sure to share your gratitude for their help.

5. Track your progress. Whether you use prefer a journal, iPhone app or Excel spreadsheet, make sure you record what you eat and how long you worked out. Don’t skimp on details like sleep, weather and other life factors. By looking back at your records over time and noticing how different aspects of your healthy living plan interrelate, you can find the winning formula for high performance and feeling good. Here’s my Weekly Health Calendar to get you started.

6. Cut yourself a break. There will be days when you turn off that alarm clock when you meant to get up and exercise. And nights when you have that second piece of pie or glass of wine. Recognize that everyone makes mistakes and it’s alright if you do, too. Enjoy the indulgence and get back on track tomorrow.

7. Reward yourself. As you establish milestones for your healthy living goals and new years resolutions, make sure you celebrate what you accomplish. Whether it’s a trip to the spa, a visit to your favorite clothes shop or immersing yourself in a warm bubble bath, make sure you treat yourself to something cherished.

Do you have any secrets to sticking to your resolutions?

Respond with a comment and you’ll be entered to win a one of five FREE books! Click here for details on this giveaway as well as a FREE JOURNEY GYM!

Photo courtesy of Medical Scale.

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FREE Prizes For Official EAT IN NOT OUT Launch

Is it time for you to renew your resolutions?

In celebration of of the official launch of my second book, EAT IN NOT OUT: The Learn How to Cook Book Without the Recipes, I am hosting several contests! First of all, I’ll be giving away five FREE autographed copies of EAT IN NOT OUT, to help ensure you’re on track to healthier living, every day. What better way to kick off National Nutrition Month in March?

One lucky winner will also receive a FREE Journey Gym – retail value of $249!

Journey Gym is the world’s first truly portable universal gym and is the only product of its kind that literally can go anywhere and will be everywhere.  Studies show that the primary reason we don’t maintain our fitness and in turn don’t get in or stay in shape is that we are not consistent in our workouts or fitness programs.  We start to workout, but then we have a business trip or the kids get sick or life just gets hectic.  In turn, we don’t go on that run, we don’t get to the gym and then days turn into weeks, then into months and even into years.  The journey gym brings consistency back to your fitness life by going anywhere that you could and would workout including your home, your office, your hotel, even your back deck.  It allows you to get in real alternating strength and cardio workouts, known as circuit training, in just 5 to 20 minutes even when you are on that business trip, when the kids are sick, or when life gets hectic.

Contest Rules:

Book Giveaway: To win one of five books, all you have to do is comment on this blog post or “like” my new Facebook page!

Journey Gym Giveaway: Follow me on twitter (@melindaneely) and send out the following tweet to the Twitterverse: Just entered to win a #Free Journey Gym – Follow @melindaneely for #healthyeating tips & retweet this link http://bit.ly/yTBDsg.

Contest Eligibility: Applicants must reside in the Continental US and over the age of 13 to be eligible.

Timing: Promotion will last for one week, beginning February 28.

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Tom Darling: Weight Loss with the Ideal Protein Diet

Today I’m happy to interview Tom Darling, Olympic rower, America’s Cup crew member and friend. After I sent out my last newsletter, he happily reported the healthy meal he was eating for lunch. And since he proudly spoke of his healthy habits, I asked him more!

Tom recently went on the Ideal Protein diet and lost 26 pounds. Below he shares his experience with this program.

About Tom: Tom Darling is three-time member of Olympic Rowing Team: ‘80 (boycott), ‘84 (silver in 8+) and ‘88 (5^th in 4+). He was also a crew member on Stars and Stripes America’s Cup in ‘87 (won) and ’94. He earned his Masters in Education in ‘91 at Boston University and is certified by the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) and NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning). He currently works in financial services industry and coaches adaptive rowers. He is married and pictured above with his daughter, Lia.

What prompted you to try the Ideal Protein Diet? How did you choose this program specifically?

I ran into a friend I have known for 30 years and he had lost 25 pounds and looked very fit. He told me about the Ideal Protein program so I decided to try it. In a nutshell, this is a high protein/low carb diet.

What did the program initially entail? How much did it cost?

I paid $150.00 for the consultation and for a week and a half’s worth of food (each packet is $4.00 apiece). There are weekly weigh-ins and 15-minute follow-up consultations which do not cost anything additional. Compared to other diets, IP’s cost is a deal.

What would your high level assessment of the program be?

The program taught me that losing weight is not about exercise.  If you want to get fit, strong, and fast — then yes, lift weights and run. This is called the “training effect.”

Losing weight is about getting the body out of homeostasis – or equilibrium — so you will burn off fat. The harder you work out the more your body wants to store excess energy e.g., fat.

The Ideal Protein program works in phases. The first phase puts you into ketosis, a state in which your body burns fat for energy. After you lose the weight, you can reset yourself to the new weight.

[Other articles about ketosis: About.com, WebMD.]

What did you eat in the first “phase” of the diet?

The first phase of the diet includes just the ideal protein (IP) packaged food for breakfast and lunch and and IP packet and salad plus vegetables for dinner.

For breakfast, I would shake up the herb and cheese egg omelet packet with 5 oz of water and fry in olive oil. Or I would use the crispy cereal packet with water plus a cup of tea (with a sugar substitute). The supplements are 1 vitamin, 1 potassium, and 4 Calcium/Magnesium pills to substitute for the elimination of dairy, carbs and fruit.

Lunch would be a mushroom soup packet with water. I would heat this up in the microwave and have it with a big vegetable salad (cucumber, peppers, and red onion), seasoned with olive oil and herbs.

Dinner was a big salad with steak, or chicken, pork or fish and the choice of two vegetables.

For a snack, I would have a dark chocolate packet at night. The ability to say no to things like cakes or cookies is a little easier when the packet food comes with a dark chocolate pudding or some other desert substitute.

Water and salt are a big part of the diet so they ask you to drink at least 64 oz of water (4 of those Poland Spring bottles a day) and use salt liberally.

Tell me about ketosis? What was this like?

Within 48 hours, you are in ketosis and start burning fat. Apparently, your breath smells like nail polish remover during this phase.

The first week is definitely a hard adjustment to make. I did not lack any energy to get through the day, but I did not have enough energy for strenuous exercise. In fact, they strongly suggest that you do not carry out strenuous exercise during this phase. Otherwise, it could change the way your body is storing energy and using the fat and, hence, might result in the burning off of muscle.

Protein supplements help you maintain your muscle mass during this phase.

Phase One omits foods like fruit and root vegetables, choices normally deemed healthy. Can you explain why?

There are restricted vegetables because of the sugar content of some root vegetables, e.g., carrots, peas, corn, and potatoes. Fruit also kicks off the pancreas and would interrupt the fat burning process. I was surprised that balsamic vinegar was restricted but it contains sugar as well.

What happens in the remaining phases?

There are 5 phases but instead of my going into that detail of each phase I suggest visiting www.idealprotein.com to get more information. Basically, after you reach your goal weight, you slowly re-introduce carbs and fruit into your diet. In my program, as soon as I was within five pounds of my goal weight, I went right to Phase Five because I was getting ready for a competition and needed to get back to training.

Various vegetables had been missing in my diet so the IP program introduced me back to broccoli, mushrooms, etc. Salad and vegetables fill you up unlike greasy, fatty foods — which do not fill you up and are high in calories, too. I actually got used to using olive oil with herbs with salads and continued to eat this way even after I reached my goal weight.

After I started training again, I also added back “clean” carbs like sweet potatoes and whole wheat toast. I still limit fruit because I felt the fruit really kicked off storage for me. Not sure why but it could be the type of sugar fruit supplies and how my pancreas deals with it.

How have meals and food preparation fit into your habits and lifestyle?

If you don’t like to prepare your own food, the IP program will be hard. I have streamlined my prep work and prepare enough vegetables for the week and make big salads to take to work so I do not have to prepare something every day. I also find myself going to Costco and buying a large piece of salmon, steak and whatever other meat and cutting it up and freezing whatever I do not use that night in the freezer for another day.

Unfortunately, my wife and daughter do not like most vegetables, especially ones like broccoli and mushrooms. However, they will eat a dinner salad with red and yellow pepper, cucumber, red onion and grill some steak, chicken or salmon to put on top. I’ll prepare some rice for Lia so she gets her carbs, too.

How much weight have you lost? What is your goal? What will your diet be like when you have reached this goal?

I added back carbs slowly when I reached 215 pounds, down from 238 pounds.  Even though I was out of ketosis, I continued to lose weight and I reached 212 pounds. My goal was 210 pounds and I was very close! Now that I see that adding vegetables and salad has the effect of filling me up, I am hoping that I stick with this regimen of preparing salads and a protein for lunch and dinner and stay away from the breads and pastas which have more calories.

Above, Tom is pictured at the Men’s Senior Master Double event  in the Head Of The Charles Regatta 2011 with his partner, Peter Kermond, in bow. He trained for this race while in Phase Five of the IP diet.

Photo of omelet courtesy of Ideal Protein. Photo of Regatta courtesy of Sports Graphics.

Related articles

• Calories count more than protein for weight loss – CBS News (cbsnews.com)
• Are high protein diets good for fat loss? (zocdoc.com)
• Nutrition: Low-Protein Diet May Cost Lean Body Mass (nytimes.com)
• Let’s talk Protein! (robertstewartgp.wordpress.com)

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Cynthia O’ Halloran: Juggling Balls and Running Fast

Ontario-native Cynthia O’Halloran is 46, works full-time, has two small children and a husband that works most nights. And did I mention she is an amazing runner, too? She is the author of Balls in The Air, a blog which relays her experiences at juggling life’s many priorities.

Cynthia completed the Goodlife Marathon last year in Toronto; and despite the dreadful weather conditions, she qualified her for the Boston Marathon. Read more about her remarkable training and race experiences below. Congratulations and I looked forward to meeting you in the Bean Town this April!

When did you decided to run a marathon? Which marathon?

I’ve had this burning desire to return to the marathon scene about 4 years ago.  After child #2, I started running again and surprised myself at a few local races to see that my speed was about the same as it was 10 years earlier.  Like any junkie, I wanted more and more.  I was running and racing and comfortable with the half-marathon distance.   Two summers ago (2010), I decided that I needed to get that marathon bug out of my system and went for it.

What hiccups did you experience along the way?

Confidence.  I was running well and was exactly where I wanted to be until about 2 months before the Hamilton Road2Hope Marathon in November.   My family was busy, work was crazy and I was worried about having the time that I needed to commit to meet my goal.  I didn’t just want to run; I wanted to run well.

So, I bailed on Hamilton.  I wanted more time to experience the long runs.  I looked at the marathon schedule for spring and picked The Goodlife Marathon (Toronto, May 2011) because it was close to home and the timing was right.

Even then, I waivered off and on all through the spring.  In fact, I didn’t even register until 2 weeks before Marathon Sunday.  I had a good long run on that Saturday before, patted myself on the back and registered that afternoon.

What were your low points during training? What did it take to overcome them?

I thought I was being really careful to stay injury-free; I was stretching all of the time and having a monthly massage.  One Friday morning, though, I woke up with a really sore ankle and I was certain that it was from my ankle muscles being overworked the day before. Two days later, I joined my running mates (read male) on their long runs alone. My ankle was still tender but I went with them anyway and sucked it up. By Mile 17, my already tight ankle was hurting and, a mile later, I had to let them leave me.

That Monday, I started physiotherapy – 2x a week – to heal, not sure whether or not I’d be able to finish my training.  That was the lowest point.

During your training, did you have any special “tricks of the trade” that helped – including gadgets you used, journal you might have kept, meals/snacks that helped you on long runs?

I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to running – no Garmin, just an old, non GPS, Nike sports watch.  My mates carried Gatorade and I’d use that if I was with them; otherwise, I fueled with water only and stayed away from gels and supplements.

I did invest in an iPod shuffle – nothing fancy – in March and used that through the last month (perhaps just 2 or 3 long runs). When Marathon Day came, I ran without it for the first 23K and plugged myself in for the last 18K.  It was exactly what I needed.

How did you manage to juggle training with your work and family responsibilities?

I got everyone on board.  My sons, then 5 and 10, were involved in planning my runs so that they wouldn’t be upset when I went out on my own.  In warmer weather, my oldest always rode with me (he was a great camel during summer heat) and I had my youngest in a baby jogger during spring, summer and most of the fall.  Running was a part of our family life, so much so that there were many days that I didn’t feel like running and they’d take me out.

Wednesday night was (and still is) my run night with my running partner, Shawn.  He and I would do a tempo or intervals together.  This was a consistent part of my training and my boys never complained when I left with him and leave them behind. Having that accountability to someone else was great for me and it helped deal with the trials of leaving the family.

I was fortunate at work in that I had very supportive administration.  Twice a week, I’d run during lunch and get back with just enough time to stop sweating, wipe down (love Baby Wipes – if NASA can use them, so can I), and get back to business.  Running during daylight hours, away from family and “escaping” from work made a huge difference.

Tell us about race day. What was the experience like?

In mid-May, we sometimes have to worry about heat.  Not that Sunday.  It was a high of 6C, rainy and windy – absolutely miserable….

At the 6K mark, when I was already wet and cold, I revamped my goal: have fun. I decided to thank the volunteers, show appreciation for the spectators (and there weren’t a lot, due to the weather, so they really needed to be appreciated) and smile for the camera guys.

During the second half-marathon, it was much colder and windier, so I kept reminding myself that it was all about having fun. At about the 23K mark, I pulled over to the edge and pulled out my iPod, sensing that I was probably going to need a distraction soon. “Start listening early,” I told myself. “If you get into the music, you may not notice the rain.”

Well, I did notice the rain, and the wind, and every kilometre mark from there to the finish but the tunes did help keep me going. I hit 30K at 2:31 – still on pace – when The Boomtown Rats started I Don’t Like Mondays, my favorite song from high school. My pace picked up significantly and I heard Garmin Graham, my running buddy, pulling me back to my 5 minute kilometer pace, and he held me there for the next 12K. At 32K, Dr. Randy told me the race was just starting and, at 33K, my arms were starting to feel numb; the cold was starting to get to me.

When I next stopped for Gatorade, my forearms and fingers were tingling. “Keep running,” I said, “so that you’ll generate more heat.” By the time I got to University Avenue, 4K from the finish, I couldn’t feel my forearms; I could barely hold onto a water cup.”

To make things worse, the last 4K were uphill – not greatly so, but uphill enough to be intimidating. Then, at 40K, it happened: I stopped and walked – not while drinking to make sure that Gatorade went into me instead of on me – but walked for the sake of walking. But my tunes continued to play, I was urged on by a stranger and I caught a glimpse of Queen’s Park – the sign that the end was near. To Garmin Graham’s dismay, I picked up my pace and propelled myself towards the finish line.

I crossed the finish line at 3:35:40, almost 25 minutes better than my BQ time.

What did you learn about yourself through this marathon experience?

The Goodlife Marathon represented the changes that I’ve gone through as an individual in the past year. I’ve learned to make time for myself, which also means that I’ve learned to ask for help and to accept offers of help from friends. I’ve learned to accept that things may not go according to plan but staying focused will keep my goals in sight. And I learned that by digging deep, I had the courage that I needed to keep going with my training when, most simply put, life just got in the way.
The marathon is not just a 42.2k race. It is the reward of months of hard work and determination; it is the fun that puts things back in perspective and gives us balance.

Have your running habits rubbed off on your little ones?

Both of my sons are very supportive of my running.  This coming summer is going to be a challenge as my youngest can now ride on two wheels and has gone as far as 5 miles when I run.  Those are 5 slow, frustrating miles for me.  I really hope that he can pick up the pace this summer and let me chase him; it’s a great speed session for me and fun for both of us.  My goal is have him riding 8 miles at a good pace for me by the end of summer 2012; he’s the kind of kid who will probably be able to do it.

http://www.cynsspace.blogspot.com/2011/05/goodlife-marathon-race-report-part-1.html

http://www.cynsspace.blogspot.com/2011/05/goodlife-marathon-race-report-part-2.html

http://www.cynsspace.blogspot.com/2011/05/goodlife-marathon-race-report-part-3.html

Related articles

• Moral Support for a Marathon (heavymedal.wordpress.com)
• My Spring Half Marathon Training Plan (carlybananas.com)
• Chasing Pavement (newlyeverything.com)

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