The Reason Most Exercise Routines Fail

                As a trainer in a busy physical therapy clinic I hear quite a bit about peoples exercise routines.  The good the bad and the ugly of it.  Unfortunately what I hear most is the bad and the ugly because it is more often than not that we don't succeed in making exercising a habit.  Not only that for some god awful reason  people seem to choose exercise routines that are more of a punishment to them than anything.  It has never made sense to me why many choose routines that make them feel horrible after. Why on earth would anyone want to do an exercise routine or anything for that matter that leaves them crippled for days after.  This is literally a recipe for failure every time.  If you can only do an exercise routine once or twice a week because it takes you 3-4 days to recover can you actually consider that a good exercise routine.  Absolutely not!  Do you really like being up at 5:30 in the morning having someone scream at you to jam your face into the sand at your local beach?  If no then why are you doing it? There are so many options for exercise out there today that there is no reason to not be doing something that you enjoy.  As a runner I hear it all day from patients. " I wish I could run like you!" but in reality do they.  Running has become the popular exercise fad due to the boom in marathons and tri's.  Running a marathon can be a great goal and it is something that can be very motivating and achievable.  Jumping right to a marathon without running other distances is a horrible idea though and sets you up to be a one and done runner.  The goal with any exercise routine is to continue it for the long term in order to get the long term benefits of it.  That is why choosing exercise you enjoy doing is way more important to be successful. 

                Now as a runner I will always promote running because I've been doing it for a very long time and it is a passion of mine in addition to a lifestyle I live.  My parents, niece's, aunt, and cousins run. We do races together for fun outside of my normal competition.  I run local races where yes I try to run fast and compete but am more there for the camaraderie of other local runners and enjoying each other's company and accomplishments.  Just this weekend I got the pleasure of going out and running with a friend for the last 15 miles of a 40 mile race he was running, and I got to see other friends competing in the 50k distance at the same time.  It was scorching hot and uncomfortable but super enjoyable the whole way to share their accomplishments.  I wasn't in it for any kind of prize or recognition.  My friend and training partner asked me to come out and run the last loop with him in case he was really hurting so I jumped at the opportunity.  Well that friend ended up winning this particular ultra and even better it was his first ever race win. To say I was excited is an understatement. As a competitor I was chomping at the bit to push him more and see what he could do but that wasn't the purpose of me being there it was to keep him company and focused with it still being his race.  I didn't cross the finish line with him I stopped and walked it in with 50 yards to go so he could enjoy HIS win, going around the finish area when I got to it.  I got out there I got in a great workout running 15 miles and I enjoyed every second of it being front stage to a friend working his ass off for a win.  He enjoyed in style hooting like a cowboy through the finish which topped it all off. 

                I guess the big take away from this is that we have to choose to do exercise we truly enjoy in order to be successful at it.  Do I run as my primary exercise absolutely. Do I have lofty goals of winning races and setting course records, without a doubt.  As you see though when it comes down to it the competition and being able to do the things I do is secondary to the joy I get from participating in this sport.  I run because I love every aspect of it. The good times and the bad.  The friends I have made.  The joy of going to the local free Wednesday night trail races. Running the turkey trot every thanksgiving with family. Watching friends get excited about their own accomplishments and just getting out to run with them.  It's all about the enjoyment. 

                Well I got a little long winded and heartfelt there.  Must have had a weak moment.  Back to the stone faced runner I am.  The point of all of this is if you're not enjoying it you are not going to stick to it.  Pick exercise that you truly enjoy and count every activity as exercise from strolling the beach to running around with your kids or kids in the family.  If bouncing on a pogo stick is what you like to do have at it because that's what you will continue for the long term.  The long term dedication to exercise is what will give you the true health benefits.  Doing a exercise program for a month or two is great but is not giving you the long term health benefits you need.  Go out and find that fun activity there are tons of them out there, hey why not try a bunch.  Bad-mitten tournament Friday night, Paddle boarding Saturday, and chasing your new puppy around the house that just ripped up your slipper makes for an excitement filled weekend with exercise mixed in.  Go out have fun and if your dreading it before you even start try something else.

An Answer to the Veggie Debate: Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Caned

             With most people starting to focus on their nutrition and a plethora of different information on diets and health foods out there it can be some what of a mystery of what is truly healthy.  When we look at the label of foods what actually constitutes health? If it’s sold at Whole Foods and another health food store is it necessarily healthy?  These are questions we should all be asking ourselves before jumping on the many healthy food fads that are out there.  One of those subjects is the debate about produce and what you’re actually getting nutrient wise between fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables. 

             A recent article I read shed some light on this subject.  It starts out by showing us some numbers in that “Americans typically only eat one-third of the RDA (three servings instead of nine)” so when it comes down to it “a vegetable in any form is better than no vegetable at all”.  Ideally we should all be striving to eat fresh organic produce.  That’s not always possible for many reasons.  The number one for a lot of us these days is that it can be expensive and with rising living costs many of us are forced to make the decision of higher grocery bill to eat organic or put that money towards other essential bills.  The second big reason is that for much of the country growing produce isn’t an option through the winter months.  Yes there is still the option for produce grown elsewhere at the grocery store during the winter but inevitably the produce won’t be as nutrient rich because of the process of growing and storing winter crops.  Come winter time the produce many of us are buying was harvested at the end of the growing season.  For many farms to sustain through the winter they harvest this produce before peak ripeness which as we all know it the ideal for having the most nutrient rich veggies we can.  During winter many farms are forced to pick before ripe and store the produce containers using supplemental ethylene gas to ripen the produce.  As the article point out this is not the best scenario because “Outward signs of ripening may still occur, but these vegetables will never have the same nutritive value as if they had been allowed to fully ripen on the vine”.

When it comes to frozen vegetables there are a lot of rumors out there that they are less nutrient rich than fresh, they are more nutrient rich than fresh, or their equal. In reality frozen vegetables may actually be more nutrient rich that the fresh vegetable on the shelves.  This is because of their preserving process.  Frozen vegetables are typically picked at peak ripeness.  They lose some of their nutrients when blanched in hot water or steamed but the “subsequent flash-freeze locks the vegetables in a relatively nutrient-rich state”. There for many times the frozen vegetables can be more nutrient rich depending on the time of the year or the farm they came from.  I say the farm they came from because if you’re buying from a local farm out of their farm store or stand they most likely are picking their produce at close to peak ripeness since the produce has a much shorter time period going from field to shelf. Also smaller local farms are obviously farming on a smaller scale, which mean it is easier for them to control growing conditions without the uses of massive amounts of pesticides and GMO seeds. A practice which the massive food producing farms can’t do without the high use of pesticides and GMO seeds.

Lastly are the caned vegetables.  Are canned vegetables better than no vegetables? Absolutely! Of the three categories though, caned definitely is the lowest on the list.  Unfortunately due to the preserving process in caned vegetables the nutrients are lost and subsequently lower in caned compared to both fresh and frozen.  Does this mean there are no nutrients in caned vegetables? Absolutely not! All it means is that you get more bang for your buck nutrient wise consuming fresh or frozen vegetables.

The articles bottom line which all of us should take account of is “When vegetables are in-season, buy them fresh and ripe. “Off-season,’ frozen vegetables will give you a high concentration of nutrients.  Choose packages marked with a USDA “U.S Fancy” shield, which designates produce of the best size, shape and color; vegetables of this standard also tend to be more nutrient rich than the lower grades “U.S No. 1” or “U.S. No. 2” Eat them soon after purchase: over many months, nutrients in frozen vegetables do inevitably degrade.  Finally, steam or microwave rather than boil your produce to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins”.

 

http://wisefitnesscentre.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/q-fresh-vs-frozen-vegetables-are-we.html

Mileage vs. Intensity

Recently I have seen a wide variety of training methods used by those around me.  I have close friends who live off a steady diet of mileage making sure they get out everyday running at least 5 miles and always have 1 or 2 runs over 10 miles each week.  While I have others that will train three to four days a week  but at a much higher intensity usually with the week broken up into 2 longer runs and speed work.  Both of these training methods are drastically different yet I have seen success in both. 

This brought up the question of whether one is better than the other.  A question I inadvertently answer regularly when asked what the best way to get faster or run farther is.  The answer is actually very simple. It all depends on the person.  No two people are alike therefore the same training is unlikely to work for two different people.  I find that when I review someone’s history and see gaps and lots of short 2-3 mile runs with speed work I have an easy answer.  When I look at a history that has consistent mileage whether it be 10 miles a week or 100 with limited specialized training I have an easy answer.  It is an easy answer in these situations because usually these athletes have been consistently training this way for months or years.  There for the majority of the time the answer is do what you haven’t been doing.  Add more steady running if you’re training at a higher intensity.  Add more intensity if your always pounding away at the same steady aerobic pace. 

The question becomes more difficult when you have someone who has a combination of the two training history’s mentioned above.  This is when more work needs to be done to figure out if a low mileage high intensity plan is best for the athlete, or a high mileage lower intensity plan is better. It all depends on the person.  It is in a way trial and error to find which method suits an athlete best.  One thing is common among both and that is consistency is the key.  Whether you’re doing high mileage or low mileage a consistent training plan will take you much further than a 3 day a week plan as mentioned above.  For example say we have an athlete running 20 miles per week (mpw) over 3 days, say with a speed work day of 5 miles and easy day of 6 miles and long run of 9 miles.  If this same athlete where to stay at 20mpw but change their plan to a 5 day plan set up like

Sun:  7, long run Mon: 3, easy Tue: 3, easy Wed: 3, speed work/tempo Thur: off Fri: 4, easy Sat: off

This would be a much better training plan in my mind which would lead to better running and faster times.  This is because with a 3 day a week training plan there is only 3 days of muscle stimulus a week to tell your body to grow stronger.  In the modified plan there are 5 days of stimulus.  Though the daily totals are lower there is a greater stimulus being presented to the body because of the 5 day cycle.  This consistent stimulus and growth leads to an increase in efficiency because the body adapts to having to perform on a daily basis.

So whether you do 3 miles a day at a high intensity or 10 a day at low intensity the real key is that you do it consistently day in and day out to see performance increases.  Once this is accomplished is when fine tuning and specialized training should truly come into play.

As a side note when I say high mileage slow and low mileage high intensity this is different for everyone.  High mileage for one may be 20 miles a week while its 100 for another.  Same for Intensity, high intensity to my self is around the 5:10-15 per mile or faster range while say for my father it is at the 8-9 minute per mile range. So there is no standard for intensity levels or high mileage. It should always be based off your know ability.

What do you think about the mileage vs intesity debate? Does one yield better result than the other in your mind?

Three Simple Categories of Shoes to Remember

Running shoes can be classified into three simply categories.  The difference between the categories is decided by their intended performance.  The three types of shoes you will see when at the store to get your shoes are neutral running shoes, stability running shoes, and motion control running shoes. See any similarities here?  Think back to the three foot types I wrote about in the past. 

          The neutral running shoe is the most common type to be found and will inevitably have the most options in most any store.  It is best suited for the supinator or the neutral foot type, yea I know you didn’t see that coming did you? In this category the primary performance focus is cushioning.  These shoes are also referred to as neutral cushion trainers as well.  Cushion in these models will have a very wide range of feel underfoot.  There will be the super plush, pillow soft trainers. Then right next to it will be a firm snappy responsive cushion shoe.  Which types you get all depend on personal preference.  Almost everyone likes some sort of responsiveness to their shoes though and this is a feature you can ensure while still getting a good shoe that you feel comfortable in over the long haul by following a couple simple rules of thumb.  In neutral running shoes the higher your weight the firmer the shoe you’ll want to cushion your running.  While the lighter your frame the softer the shoe you can get away with without losing responsiveness.

            The middle of the ground shoe and second most common yet the most widely needed by the general public is the stability/support running shoe.  The support shoe is best suited for the mild to moderate pronator, or the neutral foot type looking for a little more support from their shoe.  The support in these shoes is most commonly supplied through a dual density midsole insert placed on the medial aspect of the shoe usually under the arch and heel.  In the photo above it is the grey foam.  The level of support is adjusted by the density and amount of this foam added to the shoe and fine tuned by how far forward or back the foam sits.  This style shoe does still supply just as much cushion as the neutral shoe’s but it focuses on support and is more likely to sacrifice cushion for support.  Just like the neutral shoes the support you need is personal preference.  It is however very closely related to pronation in that the more you pronate the more support you will need to attain the goal neutral gait.

            The final style of shoe you’ll run into is much less common, usually only being two or three models available in a store.  The motion control shoe supplies maximum stability and support.  This shoe is best suited for those with severe pronation or ankle instability.  They are built up for maximum support with much more dual density foam and usually some sort of internal structure which supplies additional support.  The dual density midsole will usually wrap entirely around the medial and lateral aspects of the shoes heel.  When in comes to motion control shoes many times a shoe this beefed up can be avoided with a custom foot orthotics in a mild to moderate support shoe.  This is a great option for anyone looking to get away from the confines of the motion control category.  If not, like I said this type of shoe is always limited on selection so try all the models you can and listen to your body for the best fit.

            This finally concludes my complete overview of running shoes.  As always I hope everyone gets something out of this and lets me know any questions or critiques they may have. 

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Hope everyone had fun and active weekends

Matt V.

Mveiga86@gmail.com

Running Shoes Inside and Out

When we walk into a shoe store we are confronted with a myriad of options and usually don’t know where to start.  In reading my previous blog post I hope everyone was able to take something away that will help point you in the right direction and narrow the options to some extent.  In this segment I will break down the inner workings of running shoes on the market today.

From the ground up running shoes can be broken into four distinct parts. The first part of a shoe is the outer sole which is the rubber on the bottom of the shoe that supplies traction.  The outer sole can be made up of a combination of materials from most common in carbon rubber & blown rubber to more advanced specialty materials designed by shoe companies for their specific purposes.

                The outer sole is then attached to the midsole next which is the foam that supplies the impact protection/cushioning.  Originally EVA foam was the go to material for all companies.  Now almost every company has their own specialty midsole material. The midsole also contain two other common features found on many shoes but not all.  These are a crash pad on the heel made of SRC (slow rebound cushioning), and a propulsion pad in the fore foot made of HRC (high rebound cushioning) I won’t go into detail but each company also has their own technology specific to their shoes.  Some common one’s everyone has heard of are Nike Air Max, Asics-Gel, and Mizuno Wave Plates etc.  Though flashy and touted to be the best you can get, all these technologies do the exact same thing. Supply Cushion. Which is best is personal preference in that what works for one most likely won’t for the next person.  The big question is whether you prefer soft plush cushion or firm responsive cushion. Just remember, listen to your feet and not the flashy marketing or pushy sales rep. and you’ll have the most success.  Obviously the midsole play’s the biggest role in the shoe’s performance and is the biggest factor in comfort. 

                The next piece to the puzzle is the most important to most people .  It can affect the fit quit a bit but that is a company to company fit difference and not a model to model difference in a specific brands line. Some brand do have drastic differences in their uppers though for the most part this isn't the case.  What I mean by this is that each company will have a different fit.  The different models in a single company’s line of shoe’s will all have very similar upper fits.  There are a few technologies you can find in the upper but not many.  Off the top of my head the big three I can think of are the Arch Lock by Saucony, A Symmetric lacing system by Asics, and Fly Wire technology by Nike.  The technology in the upper plays a big role in the shoe as it is what holds your foot over and on the sole while moving. It protects you from the elements or breaths really well on hot day.  In general it plays a big role in the overall comfort of the shoe.  Of course the most important part is how they look right?  In my opinion your best bet is holding off on looks for fit, but hey sometimes we can get lucky and find that awesome looking shoe that fits like a glove.  Just don’t expect it every time since fashion and running shoes are two things that haven’t joined each others company just yet.

                The last piece of the puzzle is the insole.  For the most part they are very basic, a thin strip of foam to give a tiny bit more comfort and cushioning.  The insole also plays a role in the arch support of the shoe as they are built up to supply more arch or made flat to give a smaller arch.  I told you they where simple. There are some over the counter insoles which can be bought separately and are more advance but those are for another post.  I hope everyone has learned quite a bit about the structure of running shoes through this blog.  I will have one more post on the shoes and then move on.  After so much information it makes more sense to write up a small piece on the three categories of running shoes to finish it off instead of packing it into this post.

As usually feel free to email me with any questions and comment with your opinions.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Happy running

Matt

Mveiga86@gmail.com

Getting the Right Shoes for the Job

With all the gadgets and gizmos available to use while working out now a days there is still one thing I see everyone from beginner to advanced overlooking, their shoes.  We see it all the time and have probably all done it at least once.  We begin getting soreness in our legs, hips, or lower backs that over time progresses to a consistent annoying pain every time we workout.  We begin to analyze everything we do while working out to find the root of the problem while the answer is right in front of us.  You only feel the aching while working out, but not during your everyday life.  You’ve been able to do the same workouts you do now with no issues. The pain subsides when not working out.  Well the answer may be your sneakers.

When it comes to sneakers there are so many options its no wonder we don’t know where to start. We go to the big box stores and are confronted with a wall of shoes so big we don’t know where to start.  There is tennis, basketball, cross training, running, casual, aerobic shoe’s and so on.  The best way to narrow down what you need is to look at what activities you’re going to be wearing the sneakers for.  Specifically the movements you will be making.  For example a running shoe is great for walking, running, elliptical and some light weight lifting.  Basically anything that involves strait line movements with minimal lateral movement.  Running shoes aren’t built to support your foot from rolling side to side off the sole of the shoe.  The support given by a running shoe is to support the foot from the impact being applied to it from the ground.  Like wise a cross training or basketball shoe is going to supply plenty of lateral stability to hold the foot over the sole of the shoe but less cushioning than a walking or running specific shoe.  In general getting the right shoe for the job can have a huge impact on how comfortable you are while working out.  Don’t get me wrong though we are working out it is going to be strenuous and cause us to be uncomfortable at times so a shoe won’t change that.  They can help to drastically improve your comfort though.  Just don’t expect them to make you run faster and jump higher, unless you have a pair of PF Flyers hidden away.

Keep an eye out for additional segments on what shoes to get.  Since the big focus on this blog is endurance training I will narrow my focus to just running and cross training shoes.  Next up I will breakdown the actual inner working of sneakers and the technology now being built into them.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Happy Running and Training

Matt

Foot Type, Foot Strike and How it Affects You

Foot Type, Foot Strike and How it Affects You

                Instead of writing about the types of shoes available today and what to look for I decided it would be much more beneficial to go over foot types, and the foot strikes associated with them. 

When it comes to feet there are two factors that play a pivotal role.  The first of the two is your foot type.  This is the factor which most everyone has heard of.  Foot type can be classified into three categories: Normal or neutral arch, high arch, and flat foot or low arch. 

Of these three foot types by far the most common today is a low to flat arch.  The height of the arch is determined by the plantar fascia.  A more elastic plantar fascia will result in a higher arch while a more lax one will usually result in a flat foot.  So how does your arch height affect you while running? 

The simple answer to this question is PRONATION.  Many may have heard of this before, it is usually the thing the sales people at the big box stores categorize as either fix it or your foot will fall off or they have no idea what it is. Yes excessive pronation isn’t a great thing it places excessive rotational torque/stress on the lower leg and can lead to a slew of overuse injuries. Some pronation is also a very normal and necessary thing in the gait cycle though.  Everyone has some form of pronation as it is the foot and ankles mechanism to absorb the impact when the foot strikes the ground. Pronation is broken down into three categories and directly correlates with the three foot types. Pronation is classified as: neutral pronation, overpronation, and underpronation (more commonly referred to as supination.)

In the neutral pronator the Achilles tends to stand straight up and down with a 0˚ curvature medially or laterally.  In the overpronator the foot is angled medially or to the inside of the foot with a high˚ of medial curvature.  Last but not least is the supinator which I’m sure you have figured out by now is angled laterally or to the outside of the foot with a high˚ of lateral curvature.  The picture below is a great example of each foot type.

Next up is foot strike.  This is the way that your foot strikes the ground.  Once again this is broken down into three categories just as arch type and pronation.  Foot strike is classified into heel striker (the most common), Fore foot strike/ toe runners, and midfoot strikers (by far the least common).  I won’t go into to much detail about foot strike since it can be a very complicated subject and can lead to many issues if one tries to manipulate their foot strike.  It is possible to change your foot strike but it’s something that takes a long time and a keen eye to make sure it doesn’t cause serious injury.  There is also a lot of controversy about which foot strike is better with the sudden boom of barefoot running.  This is a subject that has intrigued me quiet a bit.  For years heel striking was always said to be how we should run and walk yet the top runners barely have their heels touch the ground while running and seem to be doing fine.  I personally midfoot strike and have never had an issue and after over a decade of running have only had one major injury which I needed to take time off for.  With that said I do feel the terrain and situation dictates our foot strike to some extent.  While running downhill we naturally heel strike, leaning back and loading the heel is how we slow forward momentum.  A good thing to remember is heel = brakes.  While on flat or technical terrain many will switch to a more midfoot strike, midfoot = cruise control. Then when running up hill or sprinting we go to our toes, toe/forefoot = accelerator.

                With each foot type we see a much different shock applied to the body.  In the heel striker more shock is seen in every step.  Striking heal first causes a straight line from the foot to the lower back and a perfect path for that shock to follow up to your pelvis and lower back. In a midfoot or forefoot striker this shock can be seen to be greatly decreased by a smoother transition through the gait.  That’s all I will say about this as it really is not something anyone should worry too much about till you get to the upper levels of training.  The images below are great examples of the differences between a heal strike and forefoot strike with the impacts associated with them.

Now that you know the different arch types and pronation types its time to find out what category you fall into.  This can be done by a simple wet test.  In the wet test you step into water then on a sheet of paper. Looking at the print left behind you can determine your arch type and the pronation type most likely correlating with your arch type.  The wet test is only a glimpse of how your foot is reacting while running.  For the best results I recommend going to a reputable physical therapist, movement specialist or running specialty store where they will analyze your stride for you and determine the best shoe for you. All good specialty stores will do this. Some will do it automatically others you may have to ask for them to assess your stride.

Here’s a great description of the wet test process for anyone who would like to try.

www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/take-wet-test-learn-your-foot-type 

I hope after reading this everyone has a little better understanding of the role the foot and ankle play in our running.  Any questions which may come up feel free to post in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Endurance = Strength= Speed

Happy Running

Matt

Setting Appropriate Goals to Get Started

So the time has come. You have decided to get into shape and become that lean mean calorie burning sex appeal machine that you know you have inside. Well unfortunately I have to tell you to stop right there.  Before jumping head first into a fitness program it’s important to have the proper goals to get the job done.  The goals you set will have the biggest impact on your outcome.  So what is considered an appropriate goal?  First I’ll tell you the number one goal in history that has caused the majority of the public to fail in their fitness attempts. 

“I want to lose weight and get back to the weight I was in (insert said period here)”

Yes losing weight is the number one goal for most people, and it is not so much a bad goal as much as to general.  With a broad goal such as this it makes it way to easy to get frustrated and in the end drop your fitness program.  Shedding pounds is a combination of lifestyle choices.  The only truly effective diet out there is a healthy combination of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. What is a good goal to set for the beginner? Easy, make them short term and achievable.  Something that can be accomplished with a little hard work within an eight week period is perfect. Such as

“I’d like to be able to run for 20 minutes without walking by (xxxx)”

“I’d like to exercise for 30 minutes five days a week by (xxxx)”

“I’d like to be able to do 30 push-ups by (xxxx)”

These are just some simple but very effective goals which can be achieved reasonably easy for the beginner.  You’ll notice a few similarities with each of these goals.  First they all have a very specific objective stated: run for 20 minutes, exercise for 30 minutes five days, 30 push-ups. They all also have a set time that you hope to reach this goal.  By doing this you hold yourself to your goal and see a realistic definitive out come.  Setting short term goals like these will lead you to your ultimate goal much quicker and with less frustration then trying to hit it out of the park every time you exercise.

So everyone get out there, set some basic goals and achieve them.  Just remember to big a goal will have you frustrated real fast and ultimately make wanting to exercise very difficult.  The more fun you have achieving your goals the more likely fitness will become a life long habit for you so go have some fun getting into shape.

As a side note, be sure to align your goals to be attainable with the fitness level your at right now, not the fitness level you hope to be at three months from now.  Setting goals beyond your capabilities is a guaranteed way to get frustrated.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Good luck with your goals
Matt

Loon Mountain Race

This weekend I participated in the final mountain race in the New England series that I’ll be doing this year.  The Loon mountain race is by far the most difficult race of the entire series, it is flat out brutal.  When registering the course map that was displayed on a screen said there was a 26% average grade from what I remember and it definitely felt like that.  The real kicker in this race though is the infamous upper walking boss which boasts a ridiculous 40% grade over 1000 meter.  Did I mention this course is brutal? Typically the race drops down again after the boss and then climbs up to the gondola for the finish.  This year due to the race being the women’s US mountain team qualifier the race finished at the top of upper walking boss. 

On the women’s side the race was stacked with some super tough ladies vying for the coveted team spots.  They race went out quick for them and they hammered up the mountain.  From the start though the team seemed to be some what decided, at least from what I could tell from the photos. A huge congratulation’s to the four women who made the team this year.  Morgan Arritola, Melody Fairchild, Brandy Erholtz, and Stevie Kremer.

Going into the race I wasn’t nervous but intimidated after reading the course description on the race website.  Add to that that the past week of training was basically nothing with a 10 mile day Tuesday, 7.5 on Friday, and 5 on Sunday.  Definitely not the kind of week that builds confidence that you’ll race well.  With that in mind I just went for it.  The race went out stupid fast with people blasting away out of the dirt parking lot the race started in to the start of the climbing.  Once the course started climbing it there were really only 3 spots that didn’t climb.  After the half mile there was a mellow down hill then around mile 3 there was a flattish single digit grade section, and finally as you pass the gondola there was a super steep downhill that mellowed out as carried us to the start of the boss.  Other than these sections it was climbing the whole 5 brutal miles up hill. Up to mile 3 I was feeling great in this race spreading my energy well.  After that it all ended the final 2 miles absolutely destroyed me.  Mile 4 was hard climbing up grassy ski slopes.  The start of five had that brutal drop off from the gondola and the downhill stretch which sufficiently beat up my legs before making the turn onto the walking boss.  Not having seen the upper walking boss before the moment all I could muster was “holy sh@#”.  Then the climb began.  1000 meters of power hiking and attempting to run up a wall.  When I finally finished it was official this WAS the hardest race I have ever run.  With that said I can’t complain about the outcome.  With a pitiful week of training prior to the race and no experience on an all up hill race I mustered out a 15^th place finish in sub 50min.  Would I have preferred a faster time? You bet, but I’ll take what I can, and come back next year much better prepared for the series as a whole with much more climbing in my training. 

This was another great race in the series with great organization and tons of prizes and raffle for all the participants. The amount of stuff being given away after the race was amazing with a Gopro hero 2 being raffled off, and then local food, tee shirts, hats, trail running books, gift certificates, water bottles and probably many other items being given away through race number drawings.  I came in 15^th and walked away from this race with a Scott water bottle as an entry gift, then got drawn in a give away receiving a t- shirt, reusable metal water bottle, and a free pair of Scott running shoes of my pick which I can’t wait to test out.  All in all this was a great last race for my New England mountain series.  There is still Ascutney left so if you interested sign up and try it out.

www.endurancestrengthspeed.blogspot.com

www.acidoticracing.com/LMR.html

www.club.penguincycles.com/AscutneyRun.pdf

Cranmore Hill Climb Recap

The most recent race I’ve run as part of the USATF Mountain series was the Cranmore Hill Climb.  This race was my first introduction to mountain racing last year and though it destroyed me, I also fell in love with the challenge of these races the second I crossed the line in 2011.  Aside from the awesome all around atmosphere that comes with this race the course changes a little every year to keep it interesting.  In 2011 it was a 3 loop course covering the same loop 3 times.  This year’s race was two completely separate loops the first was one of the 2011 loops while the second was a brutal ascent up to the top of the mountain.  As said the organizers of this race know how to put on an awesome race.  Registration is quick and easy.  Everyone is super friendly and the atmosphere is amazing.  This year the race featured Italian runner Marco De Gasperi the 6 time world mountain running champion who was the clear race favorite on this day. 

The gun went off sending us on our way and as expected Gasperi and Kevin Tilton an extremely fast local runner took off.  I went out a little quick coming through the first lap in 6^th place but was being closely followed by Dave Dunham.  Dunham and I have gone back and forth with him getting me at Sleepy Hollow and myself beating him at Wachusett.  Today I knew he had the edge since he can climb like nobodies business.  I held him of for about a quarter of the second major climb until he came roaring by.  It took everything I had to try and keep him in my sites on this long climb but he managed to slowly pull away.  The final big climb up to the top really killed me which allowed Dunham to get out of reach on the downhill but with a decent lead on the runner behind me I knew as long as I held my place to the top I could hold my place on the downhill.  A quick loop around a barrel at the top and a quick look at the view while doing so brought a little life back into me.  So down I went. All I had to do was just lay on the gas down while being careful not to take any huge falls that would take me out of it and all would be well.  Shortly later I was crossing the finish line.  The second loops climbing absolutely destroyed me in this race.  It was super steep to the top and one of the photographers who directed me half way up at a fork when I almost went the wrong direction said it best “Either way sucks!”  He was right in a super fun kind of way.

The race was a blast there was an awesome gathering as usual after the race for the awards.  As expected Marco De Gasperi took the win with the top New England guys close behind.  To top off a good day I managed to take first for my age group.  To celebrate it was off to Moat mountain brewery for burgers and suds before the ride home.  This is a race I love because one it absolutely kicks my a#@ and two because it was my introduction to this new obsession of mine to run up big hills.  Next up is the Loon mountain race which I am very nervous for because it is 5 miles all up hill, hopefully a recent 10 mile loop up and over Mt. Chocorua will help me out to not suffer to bad.  All you New England trail runners if your looking for some fun there are two races left in the series with Loon and Ascutney mountain challenge which I will unfortunately not be able to attend.

www.whitemountainmilers.com/cranmore

www.whitemountainmilers.com

www.usatfne.org/trail

Sleepy Hollow Race Report

On mothers day I had the pleasure of running the first annual sleepy hollow mountain race which was held in Huntington Vermont.  The race was being put on by Kasie Enman who is the 2011 World Mountain Running champion so going in it was obvious the course was going to be challenging. The race acted as the first race of the USATF New England Mountain Running Series.

I arrived at Sleepy Hollow Inn the night before the race and set up my tent in the field right by the start.  After setting up camp I took a quick run out to the course.  The course definitely didn’t disappoint in the toughness department.  In addition to the unrelenting climbs over the 3 loops totaling six mile, there was shoe eating mud for the entire first two loops making for some hard yet fun running.  On the steep down it was more like water skiing than running because of the mud and on the ups it was like one step forward two steps back.  None the less is was an awesome course laid out on cross country ski trails. Most of the running was on wide grassy and muddy trails with some awesome sections of single track tossed in to mix it up.  In the first 1/3^rd of the race we topped out to the high point of the course and hit some brutal climbs in doing so.  This was especially true in the second huge climb of the race which felt like I was going up for a good 15 minutes. 

The hills in this race definitely killed me as I way underestimated what I needed to be doing in training to be ready for them.  Not being able to climb the way I was hoping the game plan quickly changed to just get up the hills and hall ass on the downs to make up ground.  This definitely worked to keep me somewhat in the race but I paid the price in the last couple miles of the race as my legs where completely shot.  Trying to sprint in at the finish was an absolute no go.  All in all, the race kicked my but, I had a blast the whole way though.  I didn’t run nearly as well as I had hoped for, but can definitely say a huge overlook in what it would take to be prepared for the hills and some very sloppy conditions caused the not so spectacular performance.  I also can’t complain too much coming in 12^th place in a time of 43:36 in my second ever mountain race.

The race was awesome either way. Did I say that already?  It was great being able to camp in the field at the start, and it was very well organized with some great food at the end. I especially liked the fact that maple syrup was given out as awards, that was cool seeing as we where in Vermont.  Everything was efficient and you can definitely tell some very hard work was done on the course to get it ready.  I actually ran into Kasie on the course the day before working on it with a group. Sorry this isn’t a long or overly detailed report, I didn’t want to bore people.  On a side note outside of the race the Ben and Jerry’s factory is only 20 minutes from the race.  You better believe I made a stop there for a tour and some ice cream on the ride home.  There is no food I love more than Ben and Jerry’s.

http://sleepyhollowmtnrace.wordpress.com

A Run up the Falling Waters Trail in the Winter

One of the iconic hikes in New England runs along the Franconia ridge from Little Haystack to Mt Lafayette going over Mt Lincoln in between.  During the summer the hike up the Falling waters trail to little haystack involves steep and difficult climbing.  The 3.5 mile trail climbs 3100 feet to reach the wide open summit of this 4780 foot tall hill.  So the obvious question is; why wouldn’t you want to run up this trail in the winter?  How rocky this trail is during the summer makes it more of a fast hike with a lot of boulder scrambling.  In the winter because of its shortness and awesome views this trail is almost always well packed from snowshoes, which makes for much better running. It is some of the most scenic running you will do in a 6-7 mile round trip anywhere in the northeast but will absolutely kick your butt in the process. After the first half mile to mile of gradual up hill the trail starts really climbing and doesn’t stop till you hit the peak.  The falling waters trail officially starts when you take the right over the bridge up to little haystack instead of going left up the old bridal path to Mt Lafayette.

                This trail is named after the waterfalls you encounter on the trail however in these winter conditions they are more walls of ice and snow. The first mile winds up the side of the mountain crisscrossing over the stream which feeds each fall on the trail. The trail climbs gradually with a few steeper sections gaining 450 ft in this first mile.

The second major fall, Swift water falls is at roughly the mile mark on this trail.  The trail runs across the base of this 60 foot ice cliff and up the left side bringing you adjacent to the top of the ice fall.  At the top of this hill you scramble up a small climb to the right and keep on pushing up the mountain.

From here it gets a little steeper for the next half mile to the third wall of ice on this run. You switch-back up the mountain running along some cool and steep side hills.

This section gains another 550 feet for 1000 feet of climbing at about 1.5 miles marked by Cloudland falls.  This is roughly the halfway point to the summit.  At the base of the falls you have to climb a steep rock section covered in ice followed by a 100ft section of trail which is about 2 feet wide and runs up the side of the 80 foot falls to the top.

In reality this section of trail is about a foot wide.  If you where to step onto the unpacked shoulder you’d sink up to your knee which could very easily result in a fall off the side here.  Use caution on this section. Up to this point bare trail shoes are fine, but beyond here micro spikes are recommended.  Slipping on the trail up beyond this point can end up in a bad fall.

From here on out the real climbing begins.  After climbing up next to the fall you run over the stream into the woods on a section that felt like being on the moon in these winter conditions.

 This was followed by some nice climbing under cliffs, and through the thinning trees. 

The great views begin coming during this last half of the trail.  The next stop is the cut off for the side trip out to the shining rock cliff. This is a good spot to take a break as well as put on a wind breaker before back tracking to the main trail and entering the alpine zone.  Even if the run has been perfect weather all the way up, when you get above tree line it is almost always windy and in the winter, this means some truly freezing conditions. That 40 degree day becomes 10 when you get hit by the wind above tree line.

Unfortunately due to a later than planned start and storms blowing over the top of the mountain all day which would have made for no visibility when we got out of the trees. I don’t have pictures of the section above shining rock. So I put a call out to friends for some summit shots from a past hike up this trail we did a few years back.  This is the most scenic and difficult section of the trail which kind of bummed us out that we couldn’t get out of the trees. It’s a choice you need to make often when running in the mountains. When you’re that far up with miles to get to the car and no one to help if you get in trouble, it is ALWAYS best to air on the side of caution.  Once you start approaching the ominous alpine zone sign warning of the worst weather in the world and past hikers who have died in summer and winter the running becomes very difficult.  It turns into a scramble/run since the trail stops switch backing and takes a strait shot up to the peak when you leave the trees.  Once you’re up there though, you will be in awe of the amazing views and how small you feel being up there.  The ridge to the left brings you over Mt. Lincoln to Mt. Lafayette.  Going to the right brings you to Mt. Liberty and the Flume(Do not go near flume if you don’t have full crampons, ice axes and experience with ice climbing).  Directly over the back of the summit is an amazing view of the pemi-wilderness.  Off the front of the summit are great views of Cannon Mountain and the Bond cliffs.  From here you can go across to Lafayette if you have crampons and do a loop back to the car taking the green leaf trail.  If you don’t have full crampons you are best served turning around and going down where you came up.  Enjoy the 3 mile descent and of course be careful.  This is an amazing places and well worth the run up. hopefully I’ll see some of you on the trails up there. I look forward to bringing more of these reviews to Flotrail.  Running in the mountains in the winter is slower but it is also an experience that most never get.  Oh yea, here are the views I promised.

It time to get back on track!

Ok, so I have completely slacked on the blog over the winter between finishing school, a new job, and spending most weekends in the White Mountains hiking.  It is time to get back on track! 

I’m going to switch it up a little bit by focusing only partially on the write up of different fitness aspects and more on the current races going on and the training I’m doing currently.  I’ve been focusing on training for about 10 weeks now and have run two races.  Race reports will be on their way for those. I have also done a trail review over on flotrail.com as well as a video trail review which will be posted here shortly.

Some of you know my focus has turned to trail racing and mountain running recently and I have been doing a lot of training on the trails and hills since.  I’m hoping that by adding some real life experience of training and how it’s affecting my racing some attention will be brought the great races held on the local mountains and trails.

A dose of nutrition and running!

Whats been going on as of late
Hey everyone.  Long time no talk.  I've been training hard for the Cranmore hill climb this weekend which is also the sole qualifying race for the USA Mountain Running Team. That means I'll be lining up next to the best mountain runners in the country  to challenge the mountain.  I'm unbelievably excited and feel ready as I ever could be, Bring on the hills!

Western States 100 this weekend!
In addition to the USA Mountain championships this weekend the race that started ultra running is also this weekend, the Western States 100 Miler.  For those of you that don't know this is the first 100 mile endurance event to ever be raced.  Last year the field was stacked, course records where shattered, and we saw some of the best head to head racing over 100 miles ever (yes I said head to head racing over 100 miles, crazy). This year promised to be just as competitive with many of the same runners once again lining up.  Here are a couple links to introduce you to this amazing race.  The first is a video trailer of last years race which is amazing.  The second is the event web site for some history of the race. Enjoy!

Video Trailer

Western States 100 website

A little bit of nutrition for you
A short while back a friend of mine posted this article on his own blog and I have been meaning to post it up for all of you.  This is a short article on the nutritional value of egg's.  It is full of great information about where the true nutrition of an egg comes from.  With all the diet information out there today it seems to be the general consensus among most that to lose weight you just cut out calories, the less you eat the more you lose.  Well this is one thing I can't stand.  Not only is it completely false for the most part(yes initially you'll lose weight but in the long run its a bad idea, and no one wants to lose weight just for a couple weeks or months).  With this mentality nutrition is completely ignored which is much much more important than loosing a few pounds.  One food that takes a big hit from the diet craze is eggs.  So check out the article and let me know what you think in the comment section below.  Mean while I'm going to go cook up some eggs.

The Article

Endurance = Strength = Speed
Happy Training,
Matt

A Couple Diet Mistakes

So before I go into recommended daily values, and calories I want to look at some of the current info out there for the general public. After all everyone wants an athlete’s body don’t they.  Not only that but we want it with as little work as possible, a single pill would be nice wouldn’t it.  Unfortunately we’re living organisms and aren’t that lucky, but with the right knowledge it can become a whole lot easier.

First up is the most obvious one that everyone has probably tried or seen someone else try.  Hell it may have even worked for some, but definitely not for long.  Cutting calories.  Yes cutting intake is obviously going to make you lose weight.  That is until you hit deminishing returns.  The only way to lose weight by cutting calories is to have a deficit of less calories in than are being used throughout the day as energy.  The problem with this is that it can cause some bad side affects, and these side affects are what make people think they found the greatest diet.  Without the calories as energy your body goes into survival mode.  First it starts to conserve.  That’s right It starts to store as much fat as possible for future energy needs.  Second once the body hits a point that it can’t get the energy from the fat it stored it moves to the next best thing, muscle.  That’s right good bye muscle mass and toneness.  Your body starts breaking down your muscle to lower caloric need.  Essentially it starts making you skinny-fat(think of bed ridden elderly,  their skinny but frail due to zero muscle tone).  There are times when calorie cutting does work but cutting isn’t a good word for it.  With a low calorie diet and exercise you can get the same result except this way you can still enjoy eating and you avoid the dreaded skinny-fat.  The key is to not go below the calories needed for daily activity(this is different for everyone).  The more active you are the more calories you need to keep from going into a negetive caloric expenditure.

The second myth that really bothers me is the fad of high protein, low carbohydrate diets.  Right away I will say carbohydrates are the body’s energy, no carbs no energy.  The biggest argument for this is that evolution shows early neanderthals ate an almost completely meet diet and where the superior organism of their time.  Yea well the neanderthals went extinct for a reason.  As humans we evolved from erectus humanus not neanderthals, and erectus humanus survived where others couldn’t.  Why they survive isn’t completely clear, but one thing is obvious.  With their evolution they adapted to a gatherer lifestyle.  While the neanderthals went extinct searching for meat on the barren plains their weaker less smart counter parts moved into the forest and took on a hunter gatherer diet.  With a diet mostly made of wild vegetation, and root vegetables that was only mildly supplemented with meat they survived.  Now since we evolve from erectus humanus and not neanderthals  why would a high protein diet be best if our ancestors evolved to sustain off the opposite.  Alright enough bashing protein I guess it does have it benefits like muscle repair, increases the full feeling, and increased metabolism function to break it down.  With that we need protein but not as much as most think.  For an active individual the diet should be about 60% carbohydrate vegetables and fruit, heavy on the fruit and vegetables and whole grains.  The other 40% should be a mix of healthy fats and protein.

Alright that’s enough ranting about the two dieting mistakes that I see way to often.  Next up I will give a run down of what a truly healthy diet looks like for an active individual with recommended nutrient intakes.  Just remember healthy doesn’t mean eating less, it means eating better.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Matt

Back at it again!

Hi everyone its been to long.  After a busy few weeks of nonstop busy I can finally get back to work on the blog. 

Aside from school and work the past month I've upped my training intensity a bit and run a couple races.  First I ran the Olde Salem Greens 5k cross country race.  Let me tell you this is the hardest 5k I have ever run period. The half marathon on nordic ski trails I did in september doesn't even compare to the challenge of this course.  Hell when all was said and done my arms were more sore than my legs from pumping so hard to get up the constant hills.  Now aside from the challenging and extremely fun course I have to give high praise to the Wicked Running Club.  They did it yet again.  I havn't done a whole lot of their races mostly just the turkey trot and I'm disappointed I havn't.  This club knows how to put on a race.  It's laid back yet completely organized.  The start is always exactly when they advertise, never late, and the volunteers are amazing. Definitely great races put on by a great club.  If your from the area looking for a group to join definitely check them out.  I'm not a memeber now but know I will be joining in the very near future.  Check out their site for more info http://wickedrunningclub.com/

The second race I ran was the Yukan Run road mile in Gloucester MA.  This was another good one.  Being the first time this race is being put on it was also run extremely well.  Tons of volunteers made registration and the whole race go super smooth.  The course for this race I really liked as well.  It runs right down main st. from Stage Fort park, over the draw bridge, and past the fishermans statue to the end.  Then you turn around and go back.  Its flat fast and the turn around makes pacing easy as pie.  This is also the first part of a great looking series which every race gets a little longer each time.  For more info on the series  check out their site http://www.yukanrun.com/

Thats it for now.  Look out for my next post on exercise nutrition and proper diet coming very soon.

Endurance = Strenght = Speed

Happy training
Matt