"Dancing- Dancing- Dancing In The Dark"

Silver Comet Trailhead- Symrna, GA

Since marathon training has started, I haven't done as much blogging through my journey as I had wanted to for numerous reasons. Since moving to Atlanta, I can't do my long runs at the Big Creek Greenway like before (unless home). So, I've been running at the Silver Comet Trail. It's absolutely a nice trail weaving through the outskirts of the city, but it's no Greenway. This time around has definitely been tougher, mentally and physically, than the first time. Training alone takes a startling amount of self discipline that others don't understand unless they have experienced themselves. The degree of mental fatigue multiplies than when training with others. You have no one there to push you, encourage you, judge you, or drag you to the end. It's all about you. When you train for an event and flirt with a distance you have never/ rarely met, it's easy to point out all the negative aspects of the run. It's easier to quit than to push your body to a pain you've never felt before. Just remember you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. No one realizes their true capability, even when pushing themselves past grounds they have never reached before. You are always capable of more! Every new ache, every new mile builds a  piece of tolerance that will push you through the next moment of doubt you encounter. Stay positive when training alone. Think about the outcome. When you cross the finish line you will be overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment you've never felt before, no matter how many races you have ran. Training alone- your accomplishment will be that much more sweeter.

Training Exercise: Agility Wood Choppers. With my job, I am always learning/creating new exercises. One new exercise I have recently learned for a good core/ cardio workout is Agility Wood Choppers. It's just a high tempo version of a regular wood chopper.

Agility Wood Choppers:

• Safely secure a resistance band to a post or wall lower than eye level. 
• Grab the band with a firm grip and step away from the base where you feel a point of resistance. 
• Turn to the side so the band will be moving across the body. 
• Starting in an athletic squatted position then quickly move the band across the body while the arms are straight. You will be moving the band from your side, across your body, and ending across your body above your shoulders while your arms are full extended. 
• As you return to the starting position, you while jump in the athletic position turning your body 180 degrees (you are now facing the opposite side) repeating the same "chopping" motion. 
• You will repeat the motion 15-20 times or 30-45 seconds. Remember your motion is quick and rapid. 

Training Tip: As your mileage increases you will begin to feel new aches, pains, blisters, abrasions, chaffing, etc. Humidity and duration of your exercises plays a key in how your body reacts. Checking the weather before a run, especially a long run, is always important. Don't just glance at the current temperature. Inspect how the temperature will rise/drop, chance of rain, and the humidity. Apply band aids, cream, and/or take an anti-inflammatory if necessary. When going for a long run (over an hour) you are adding excess pounding and stress to your muscles/bones resulting sometimes in uncomfortable aches and pains. Treat properly before, during, and after your runs. You will be happy you did so later on. 

Blistered foot from tip to base of toes. Band aids are runner's best friend!

Training Songs: I haven't really discovered any new songs lately. Just a few. Here are some new and old songs on my current training playlist. Enjoy! 

1.  In The Dark- Dev

2. Hey Mama- Mat Kearney 

3. Paradise- Coldplay 

4. Give It To You- Eve ft. Sean Paul 

5. Footsteps- Nelo

Training Lagniappe: The marathon is getting close. Really close. This is always a bittersweet time for me. I love that the race is close, but the intensity of training is at it's peak. I've logged 41 miles this week. My body is sore, blistered, and achy. It's a love hate feeling. Even though i'm at the hardest part of training, the Fall weather makes it much more tolerable. Falling leaves, changing colors, and crisp air will make anything better! Savannah is right around the corner! Yikes!

Happy Running, 

Jayme Bergeron, BS

ACSM Health Fitness Specialist 

"Life Is Sweet In The Belly Of The Beast"

The Peachtree is right around the corner. Monday is July 4th, when the largest 10k in the world will take place. Each day at work I am asked at least 3 times a day "are you ready?". I always answer with "Yea... I think so...". The past few months I have been struggling with my runs. Mostly because of the heat... Summer did arrive a month early here in Atlanta. Well, during my runs I tell myself I can't blame the heat. I know I have to acclimate to the heat and that takes roughly 2 weeks. Ok, so after 2 weeks of running in the heat why am I still having a rough time?! I've done some thinking and concluded I am an emotional runner. As I run, I watch other runner's demeanor and how they carry themselves. Here is my general 3 theory break down:

• The Walk/Run Ratio Runner: This is someone who goes out for a run with a distance in mind and achieves that distance any way they can. They walk some, then run some, walk a little more, pick up the speed... you get the jest. This is someone who finishes to say "I ran 6 miles". No, you covered 6 miles. But, props to getting it done. Let me cleify: I am not belittling anyone who has to walk during a run. I am talking about people who have no intention on even attempting to run the whole distance. These are the people who believe in the walk/run ratio for any distance and have no motivation to run the whole thing.
• The Carefree Runner: This is someone who runs with no burden on their shoulders. If they are having a crappy run, it doesn't get to them. You can usually spot this person by the smile on their face, even if it is 98 degrees out. This person knows how to relax and just go with the flow if things aren't going they way they anticipated.
• The Emotional Runner: This is someone who lets little minute things get to them. They base their run off determinants they can't control, ie: temperature, traffic, pedestrians, motorist, etc. If the run doesn't go as anticipated this person feels let down.

I made these categories while running the past few times. It makes since to me. I know I am an emotional during my runs. I let things get to me that I know I shouldn't. It defiantly takes the fun out of running, and then it starts to feel taxing and choir like. My advice, relax and have fun. Sometimes you don't need to worry about pace or distance. Just have fun and remember why you run. People run for multiple reasons, but if you can't have fun then it's not worth it! Remember to jazz up your runs to keep it fresh and enjoyable. This can either be scenery, route, running buddies, music, or whatever it takes to make a little change!

Training Exercise: Since the Peachtree is coming up in Atlanta, running hills is a good training tool for the race! The PRR is known for the little span of hills in the middle of the race, including Cardiac Hill. Adding hills into your runs can help with speed, power, and strength. It takes a little more force and momentum to get up a hill, and a lot of effort to control the down hill. Not only will adding an incline help with road races that include hills, but it will also aid in powering through flat portions of any run. A few tips to hill running:

• Maintain the same pace going up the hill. Try not to speed up or slow down when you start climbing. When you speed up you exert more energy then needed and when you slow down your muscle start to work less and takes longer and sometimes more energy to get to the top. Just focus on your breathing and maintain the same pace. The overall outcome will be faster. Promise.
• Focus on your breathing on the way up. It'll be a little tougher to get to the top, but just breathe in your mouth and out your nose. This will help you from breathing too fast and keep a constant flow of fresh air to keep cramps away.
• Remember the hill comes to an end! Once the hill levels out you will catch a break and this is the important recovery time. Catch your breath and slow your breathing. Relax. Shoulders back. Refocus.
• Control the downhill. Most people want to let the downhill control their speed. You own the hill. Control the downhill, because it is actually harder on your muscles than the uphills. Your muscle fibers have to elongate causing more twitches than the uphill. Therefore, if you don't control your speed and power you will over exert your muscles causing the recovery and rest of the run to be painful. You will feel better at the bottom if you control your movement. Shoulders back. Chest out. Head up. One foot in front of the other. Breath.

*Try not to lean forward or backwards while running hills. Keep your posture straight. This will keep you from cramping and help control your breathing. You will feel more in control of the movements.

Training Tips: Water. Water. Water. Drink lots and lots. It's hot and you will become dehydrated quicker. Water is fuel for your muscles. If you are dehydrated think of it as your muscles aren't able to function correctly and shrivel up. Well, they don't actually shrivel up, but you get the idea. They need water to function properly, keep you healthy, and injury free.

Training Songs: I have a lot of new songs in multiple genres! My thanks goes out to Brandie and Ross for some of the songs! Enjoy!

1. Stay Young, Go Dancing- Death Cab For Cutie

2. You And I- Lady GaGa

3. Hair- Lady GaGa

4. Pump Up Kicks- Foster The People

5. Let It Out- Girl Talk

Training Lagniappe: Marathon Training for the Savannah Rock n Roll starts right after the 4th, PRR. Ah, I am nervous. I am hoping to break 4 hours and kick butt. I need some motivation and positive thoughts and support! :-) I know I can't get my long runs in around the city. Last marathon Ross and I trained mostly on the Big Creek Greenway, which was amazing. But that is too far away. Now I am filtering with the idea of joining a running group, or venturing out to some local trails around the city. I will keep y'all posted on my journey of my 2nd Full Marathon. It's a big deal. Really. I'm nervous, but excited. Send me positive thoughts in my upcoming 4 months of training!

Happy Running,

Jayme Bergeron, BS

ACSM Health Fitness Specialist

City Running: Atlanta Chapter

Relocating to "Bucktown" (per Taylor) means no more long runs on the greenway. It's a bitter sweet situation/feeling. The Big Creek Greenway is p-e-r-f-e-c-t for long runs reasons being: it's secluded from traffic, a nice boardwalk subsitution from concrete, trail scenery (livestock, the creek, GA 400 :), and lots of trees (not only good for shade, but always pretty during Fall season). My only complaint of the trail is when it rains or snows (which has been a lot in Georgia these past few months) the trail floods in parts making it a very muddy and difficult run. However, we've moved on to city running. One top of of the amazing Spring-like weather today, running through downtown was exciting but dreadful at the same time. I don't ever remember all of Atlanta being one GIANT hill. I mean, really when did that happen? Our 10 mile run consisted of running through breathtaking Atlanta neighborhoods, on to Peachtree Road with a mix of waste, coffee, and bbq smell (coffee and bbq together actually sounded pretty appetizing to me around mile 7), continuing through Midtown into Piedmont Park, ending with Piedmont Road all the way home. Running through Piedmont Park was probably my favorite part of the run, mostly because I didn't have to give the sign of the cross when passing through a red light hoping not to get hit by cars since people in Atlanta don't like to look up while driving. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE ATL! I loved the unique smells down Peachtree, running over the I-85 bridge, running through Piedmont Park, having the city scenery to look at, passing all the other city runners (which is more than I expected), realizing we basically ran from Lindbergh Marta Station down to North Avenue (for you non-MARTA riders that would be 4 stations) and back, and finally stopping at Smoothie King on the way home to end our run. Where else can you get that experience? Well, not in Cumming.

My point is city running is much more difficult than trail running. Obvious, I know. However, the energy and atmosphere is more exciting. You would think since I go to Georgia State I would be used to the crazy motorist while crossing the crosswalks, but it's different when running. It felt like cars have more hatred for runners, bring it. My strategy is to not make eye contact, focus on the tires to see if they are rolling, give the sign of the cross (actively or passively), and speed up like a bat out of hell and get to the other side. Done and Done. Then resume normal pace until the next crosswalk. Give me a week and I'll have this city running down. Now, just if I can improve my hill running.

Exercise of the Week: Calf Stretches: I, for one, get major cramps in my calf muscles after a long or even a hard run. It never fails. If I don't stretch out my calf muscles, I will for sure wake up in the middle of the night with an unbearable pain down my calf into my foot. It's tear worthy pain. So, I have to remember to stretch and even roll it out that day or the next. I won't go into the physiological reasons of why cramps occur, but stretching/rolling out major muscle groups will help break up any "knots", relax the muscles, and keep blood flowing properly. A precursor to foot pain is lower leg pain, ie not stretching and returning blood flow in your lower leg properly.

Basic Calf Stretch

• Find a wall and face it.
• Place your hands on the wall for support.
• Raise up on your toes and hold it at the top for a count of 5-10 seconds.
• Repeat 5-8 times or until needed.

Basic Seated Calf Stretch

• Sit on the ground with legs out in front of you with your feet together.
• Keep your toes pointed to the sky.
• Now move your feet from pointing up to pointing towards you. You should feel a stretch through your calf muscles.
• Hold the pointed position toward your body for a count of 5-10 seconds.
• Repeat 5-8 times or until needed.
• Using a resistance band (or a towel) to help assist the stretch will add more tension. Place the band around the arch of your feet. As you move your toes towards your body pull the band towards you for more of a stretch.

Training Tip of the Week: Remember to keep variety of food in your diet. Not only does eating the same 5-8 types of food and fruits get old, but adding variety will ensure you get the proper nutrients. Most people will eat the same type of grains, fruits, vegetables, and even meats. Variety Ideas:

• Grains: wheat, oats, barley, rice, quinoa, and more.
• Fruits: apples, bananas, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, grapes (black or red), starfruit, mango, or papaya.
• Vegetables: Cucumbers, corn from the cob, asparagus, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, or bell peppers.
• Meats: Beef, pork, fish, bison, turkey, chicken, lamb, or shellfish.

I'm not suggesting you cut out what you currently eat, but to start adding different types of food to your diet. Be creative. Try picking up one new type of food each time you go to the grocery store. Variety is important for good nutrition especially for active people. Keep your diet healthy and fresh.

Training Songs of the Week: R&B/ Rap/ Hip-Hop songs remind me of Summer time. Why? I don't really know, but I am ready for some warm weather for running and tanning. Enjoy!

1. Break Your Heart (Remix)- Ludacris ft. Taio Cruz

2. Hollywood- Jay-Z ft. Beyonce

3. Nothing On You- B.o.B ft Bruno Mars

4. Rude Boy- Rihanna

Upcoming Events:

Countdown to the Atlanta ING Marathon:

14 Days (March 21, 2010).

Countdown to the Atlanta Live DOW Run For Water:

42 Days (April 18, 2010)

Happy Running,

Jayme

What's Your Terrain of Choice?

Few Types of Terrain:

Road/ Pavement:

Pros:

• Seems to be the most common type of running terrain.
• Easily assessable especially when you don't have time to research a new course.
• If it's a park course, or just even the city sidewalks the pavement is normally kept in good condition with little to no holes or breaks in the pavement. This is good to help prevent injuries.

Cons:

• Not very forgiving; therefore, common leg injuries, such as shin splints, can often occur.
• Traffic. With traffic comes people concentrating more on you running than on driving.

Grass:

Pros:

• Grass is very forgiving on your legs. This is good for people who are hard footed because more shock is absorbed on the grass than on the pavement; therefore, helping to prevent/ heal any future/previous injuries.
• Good learning ground for perfecting good form. Run on grass if you are having a problem with stepping too hard so you can practice correct form with more shock absorption. Slowly progress to other terrains once your form is in better shape.

Cons:

• Provides more of an obstacle course. You have to be more aware of any hidden, or obvious, holes in the ground.
• Can be itchy if the grass is not cut, or can be infested with poison ivy.
• May be mixed with dirt resulting in dirty shoes.

Trail:

Pros:

• Trails can be a combination of dirt, gravel, boardwalks, bridges, and some pavement.
• Your legs absorb shock better because of the natural terrains of dirt, gravel, boardwalks, and bridges.
• Trees along the path provides more shade than on an open road.

Cons:

• You have to be aware of any rocks, uneven paths, or holes depending on the trail.
• Can be too excluded from civilization so bring a buddy.
• No water if not at a park.

*My terrain of choice at the moment: Trails*

Trail Raves:

• Feels more refreshing because of all the fresh air from nature.
• Temperature is a little cooler on the trail and helps keep my endurance going.
• The forgiving factor feels like you can run longer and harder.
• The scenery helps pass time while on long runs.

Trail Rants:

• Inexperienced bikers who are all over the course and have no respect for runners.
• Transitioning from a bridge/ boardwalk to a paved part of the course. The stress levels change abruptly causing your pace to change and get readjusted.

Suggested Trails:

-North Georgia Area:

• Big Creek Greenway- The trail will be roughly 15 miles in length one way (don't quote me). It expands from Fulton to Forsyth County through excluded paths. It defiantly is a "greenway" with lots of trees and shade. Few complaints: The trail is fairly new and not much information regarding access is provided, and some parts have too much pavement. But overall it's a good choice.
• The link is only for the Fulton County part of the trail: http://alpharetta.ga.us/index.php?p=136
• Sawnee Mountain Preserve-Commonly known as the "Indian Seats" in Cumming. The trail is about 2-3 miles. I have ran this course a few times, and have actually enjoyed it. It was a challenge to run up and down a mountain dodging all the rocks. Once you get to the top it's a nice view of Cumming (woohoo, it's noting like ATL :[ ). Nonetheless, the trail provides a challenge and is a nice change of scenery.
• http://www.sawneemountain.org/

-Atlanta Area:

• Stone Mountain Park- I have personally not ran the trail, but it seems to be a good challenge. Run up a big rock mountain, yes please. The park has always been a popular tourist attraction for ATL, so why not get a good run in while enjoying some tourist attractions? The trail is approximately 6 miles in length at the base of the mountain.
• This trail is defiantly on my list of things to try!
• http://stonemountainpark.com/maps-directions/hiking-trails.aspx
• I'm doing my homework to provide more information on trails in the downtown area. :)

Training Tip of the Week: Carbolishish: Pack in those carbs the day, or two days, before a long run. Carbohydrates are energy efficient during long runs and allow you to get that second wind.

Song of the Week: Too hard for me to pick. Best thing I have ever done on Facebook was joining the iTunes group. Why you ask? The free access to different albums provided by iTunes really allows me to expand my variety of music. It's like the free Tuesday song by iTunes on drugs. Normally it's like 12 free songs about once or every other month. Top song choices from this week based off the free albums:

• Airstream Driver/ Gomez- So Much to Save Album
• Fine Excuses / Yonder Mountain String Band- So Much to Save Album
• Crazy/ Deep Rooted- Indie Spotlight Sample Album
• Strangers/ Van She- Indie Spotlight Sample Album

Happy Running,
Jayme