"Eyes all Sticky Like Honey on Bees"

A good post-long run meal is just as important as the distance ran. You want a good balance of protein, amino acids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes to help restore your energy and heal your muscles.

Proteins:

With exercise (aerobic or strength training) muscles are broken down, normally described as little tears in your muscles. This is where proteins and even grains come into play. The intake of protein after exercise helps to "repair" the torn muscles. The "repaired" muscles are in return stronger for future activities. Protein meal and snack ideas:

• Good protein meals: Beans! According to Runner's World (October 2009 issue) a cup of beans have an equivalent amount of protein as two cups of milk. Good bean meals include red beans and rice, white beans and rice, chili, soups (such as vegetable soup), or even salads. Be creative! Also note, beans serve as a good source of fiber to help keep you regular, and can also help reduce the risk of heart disease (which is the #1 killer in today's society). All around goodness! :)
• Good protein snacks: Protein bars, but be careful and don't over do it. Tuna is a good snack for protein, and is also low in calories due to being mostly water. If fish doesn't tickle your fancy try egg white. No you don't have to eat them raw like you see in movies. Just cook up an egg without all the cheese and butter because then you are adding unnecessary calories. Finally, a good snack with protein can be fruit. Fruit is pretty much good for most "nutritional musts".

Amino acids:

Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins. Basically, amino acids are required to make protein. Different acids make different proteins, but that's irrelevant at this time. Amino acids meal and snack ideas:

• Good amino acid meals: Beans again! Also, meat is a good source. Cook your meat healthly. Bake or grill. Deep frying totally negates the benefits your meal is supposed to serve. Note that amino acids are pretty much found in most foods, but if you're looking to get a good fix beans and meats are a few ideas to resort to.
• Good amino acid snacks: Peanut butter! If you know me you know I love peanut butter, maybe too much. Peanut butter serves as a good snack. It's also a good source of protein. However, it is a little high in calories. A snack is meant for a modified meal. Therefore, don't eat the whole jar in one sitting. :)

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are the main energy source. Some diets say to stray away from carbs due to playing a role in weight gain. Remember that what you don't use as energy such as glucose (sugar), carbohydrates, and proteins they turn into fat. Fat requires more energy to burn off than carbohydrate and proteins do. Straying away from carbs is a bad idea since it is our main energy source. That's not to say some is good so more is better. It's simple, balance your intake. What goes out comes back in (assuming weight loss isn't the main focus). Good ideas for carbohydrate meals and snacks:

• Good carbohydrate meals: Pasta! Pasta can be as fancy, or simple as you want it to be. Prepare your sauce, depending if you want red or white, add what type of noodles you want, and finally add some meat and/or veggies. Vegetable soup is another alternative for a good source of carbohydrate. Not your typical vegetable soup, but soup with lots of beans, some type of meat, chicken broth, and of course veggies. The broth is loaded with a good amount of carbs.
• Good carbohydrate snacks: Bread, grains, and wheat. Add some nuts to some yogurt, or try a whole grain cereal.

Electrolytes:

Electrolytes, in layman's terms, helps to keep everything functioning as normal in the body. An imbalance can cause kidney failure as well as dehydration. Don't think after every workout you need to fuel back up on lots of electrolytes. Try eating some sort of fruit after a workout. Typically, you will restore the small amount that was lost. After a long workout it starts to become necessary to intake more electrolytes than you would normally. Dehydration is your a red flag to intaking more electrolytes due to the positive correlation between the two. If running long distance you should intake water roughly every two miles, then some type of DILUTED sports drink the next two miles, then water, then DILUTED sports drink, and etc. It is key that the sports drink is diluted because of the high sugar content. Some companies also make gel packs that are stocked with electrolytes. I have no insight with the gel packets. So read the package and take caution to anything new you are consuming.

Adding and maintaining these essential elements in your diet will help to recover broken down muscles, and keep your body hydrated. A good and healthy body helps decrease the risk of injury and disease!

Training Tip of The Week: Drink lots of water! Eliminate the empty calories such as soda, beer (well, not totally :) ), and sugar. Replace the empty calories with water; therefore, you are staying hydrated, and allowing those calories for a bigger healthly meals. Remember, when you feel thirty you are already dehydrated!

Training Song(s) of The Week: *Boyz/ MIA- Has a good tempo to keep you pumped.

*Chillin'/ Wale ft Lady GaGa- Thanks Ross! I don't like Lady GaGa, but this song is a goodie.

Happy Running,
Jayme

Mind Torture

I fall victim of this "disease" I have labeled "mind torture". Running for such a long distance your mind starts to wonder. You can be in the best physiological shape to run a half or full, but your psyche starts to tell you different. Once you are at this point you feel you can't finish your run, and won't be able to accomplish the finishing goal: 26.2, 13.1, or any mileage. While battling this minor set back, I try to compile lists while running to help me break this psychological game I have created for myself. Here are a few tips:

1. Take it day by day. Focus only on the distance you have scheduled for that day. If you have a bad day don't let it get you down. If you starting thinking how hard that "easy" run was it will create a downward spiral resulting in you throwing all your hard training out the window. You won't always have a good run. There will be bad days, and you have to accept it and move on. If you accept it and move on your next run, or next couple of runs, will be the best you've had.
2. Proper running gear. I can't say it enough. If your shoes have reached their lifespan kick them out. Get new running shoes. It will make a world of difference! Your legs will appreciate it and will allow you to proceed to rack in those high miles.
3. Mix up your play list and running scenery. Variety will help keep your psyche occupied. This way you won't be focusing so much on how far you are running. Once you reach your desired distance for the day it will feel like a breeze because your mind had something else to think about other than your run. Regardless if it's a new route in a city or park there are always new faces there to people watch and such. A new play list will keep you wondering what tune will be next. The same play list leaves no excitement of what "power song" will come up next to give you a boost.
4. Motivation! I love having a running buddy. It is best motivation to keep me going. It allows you to have someone else to share your accomplishments with. Motivation can be in any form. New shoes also motivate me to go out, run, and put some miles on my shoes. Tracking your progress is a great tool for motivation. You can do it the old school way with pen and paper and track your frequency, intensity, duration, mode/type (FITT Principle). There are also online applications you can download from places such as active.com, or even Facebook. Another mode to track your progress is Nike+. I've been introduced to it and fell in love. I'm addicted and have only used it twice. It helps keep track of all the FITT Principle as well as future goals, averages of different aspects, and more.
5. Stay positive. It can be hard when you hit the runner's block to stay positive, but after you fall you have no where to go but up. Running long distance is tough. If it was easy everyone would be doing it (so cliche, I know). Keep a clear head while running and stay relaxed. It will help keep you from playing games with your mind.

It's all easier said then done, I know. I catch myself falling into the trap of runner's block and mind torture when my running routine because predictable. When I change at least one aspect of my routine it helps me to get back in the groove. It's all worth the outcome! So change one thing in your routine and watch how the progress will begin to increase.

Training Tip of the Week: Take care of your body. Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. That's not to say all pain means you're falling apart. You know your body and you know when something doesn't feel right. So when this occurs stop and take care of the problem before it escalates into something major. If rest is need, do it.

Training Song of the Week: So Right- Dave Matthew's Band. Jam Bands are always a great choice when all else fails. One thing I love about DMB is the countless song choices! Love it. Enjoy it.

Happy Running,

Jayme

Going Downhill

Running hills, especially Georgia hills, can be dreadful for most people. It's the thought of running uphill that people cringe at; however, downhill running can be more strenuous than actual uphill. Rather than going into the physiological reasons just take my word, I promise. Newton's first law (law of inertia) in layman's terms explains that when an object accelerates gravity wants to keep all components of the object together and accelerate as a unit (boring, I know). Basically, gravity pulls your body down the hill at faster acceleration than you were acclimated prior to. Your body can either accelerate with gravity, or you can fight gravity to control your run. If you allow gravity to accelerate your body at an unwanted speed you are more likely to expend your stamina at a quicker rate. On the other hand, if you repel the forces of gravity you can extend your stamina in able to continue your exercise for a longer duration. Here are a few tips to help running downhill:

1. Proper running mechanics. What I mean by proper running mechanics is basically good posture. Keep your back and abs straight. Running downhill people have a tendency to lean forward with the downhill slope. Leaning forward can complicate your breathing as well as forcing your legs to speed up. So correct your posture and notice how your breathing will remain "normal". Fight the temptation to stomp down the hill. Stomping can lead to numerous acute/major leg/foot injuries. Just keep your "normal" stride length and normal force you use to place your foot on the ground while running downhill.
2. Minimize stutter-stepping. You may feel the momentum of your body increasing as you run downhill resulting in you trying to slow down by stutter stepping. These short steps are forcing your knees to do majority of the work instead of the your whole leg inserting at the hip. Now you may think your lever is too long to control if you use your entire leg instead of just stutter-stepping. Yea, you increased the length of your lever now it's mind over matter to control your steps by thinking left foot down right foot down. This strategy will also minimize injury.
3. A strong core. Core meaning abs, glutes, and back. Now that you have your posture down this will help strengthen your core. When running downhill activate your core muscles to help produce more power and control to your legs. It all makes sense. If you have a strong body overall you will be able to control the movements of your body properly. Activating your abs during downhill running will aid in proper breathing. Strong glutes will provide control to your legs, and a strong back will aid in posture. Overall, your running mechanism will increase resulting in good form and posture.
4. Pace maintenance. Minimize speed bouts down hills to keep your pace comfortable. It's natural to want to increase your speed while running downhill per the boring, or somewhat interesting, law of inertia. If you keep your pace the same prior to running up/downhill you will be able to recover from the hill more efficiently. You didn't expend any necessary energy you may need to utilize to finish at the end of your run.

Song of the week: Jai Ho!/ A.R. Rahman ft. Nicole Scherzinger. Thank you Slumdog Millionaire. I downloaded this song shortly after I saw the movie months ago, and this week my iPod has decided to play it a lot. It's a good upbeat song to help get me through the North Georgia hills :).

Training Tip of the Week: Endurance strength training is just as importance as banking the miles when training for a half or full marathon. Strength training usually doesn't get much publicity from endurance runners because we all want to minimize any unneeded baggage when going for speed. However, endurance strength training will build a better base to your muscle in able to utilize energy more efficiently and produce a little more power. ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) guidelines for endurance strength training for an average healthy adult are as follow:

2-3 days per week
2-4 sets
8-12 repetitions per set
2-3 minutes of rest between each set

Check back in future blogs for more information on this topic as well as cross-training! As for now, go out and conquer those hills! Soon you won't think twice about running hills.

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

It's All About the Pace

Training for a half or full marathon your pace will break or make you. 26.2 miles is equivalent to running from Georgia State University (downtown Atlanta) to downtown Alpharetta. So, 13.1 miles is like running from GSU to downtown Chamblee. My point is regardless if it's 26.2 or 13.1mile, it's a long distance!

It's obvious that the more races you run the better your pace will be, but really that is no help to someone who is at the beginning of their racing career. Setting goals will help in perfecting your desired pace. Choose how far you want to run, how fast you want to accomplish that distance in, and then start timing yourself. You can also substitute one of your scheduled runs with a 5k or 10k. You can then calculate your race time to obtain your pace. Then calculate your pace into a half or full marathon distance. The challenge you have now set will help you to train harder. The harder you train your body will be exposed to a higher degree of fatigue similar to longer distance fatigue. It is important to have the long runs scheduled in your training to help mimic the distance on race day. Knowing the course will also allow you to pace your time better because you can evenly distribute your energy throughout the run. Being familiar with a course inhibits any surprise terrain.

Training Tip of the Week: During your run keep the same speed to run up hills as you would on a flat surface. Speeding up a hill will expend more energy then needed and will cause fatigue sooner.

Training Song of the Week: Two Step Remix- DJ Unk ft. T-Pain, Jim Jones, & E-40

Happy Running,
Jayme

"Beat It"

Beat the Heat. Atlanta weather this week has been flirting with 90 degrees and higher with humidity of about 50%. Running outside is tough when it's hot and humid. A few tips on how to beat the heat so you can enjoy your run:

1. Run during the early/ late part of the day. Running before the sun is above the horizon promises you a much cooler run. Not a morning person? Run when the sun goes down leaving just enough daylight to get your run in, but not much heat from the sun to drain you. If your time only allots you to run during midday try to add in a swim after your run for some cool exercise. Runner's World Magazine: Every 5 degree rise in temperature will slow your pace about 15-20 seconds.

2. Stay hydrated. Drink water throughout the day, but don't forget to rehydrate those muscles after running. If running marathon distances it is important to intake some electrolytes during your run to maintain the electrical impulse to your cells to prevent dehydration. Gatorade/ Powerade are a good source, but remember to dilute the sports drinks with water because of the high sugar content.

3. Wear light colored and loose fitting clothing. Light colors help reflect the sun's rays instead of absorbing the rays. Loose fitting clothing meaning not skin tight, but not baggie. The clothes need to be loose enough to allow a breeze, but tight enough your clothes are not hanging off. Don't wear cotton clothing because cotton will soak up your sweat instead of letting it escape. "Wickering" type clothing that beads the sweat away are ideal, or polyester. If crazy, run in the minimum amount of clothing possible. Guys can run in shorts with no shirts, and ladies can run in shorts and a sports bra. This technique allows the body to breath more adequately and eliminate sticky clothes.

4. Start slow. Starting at a relative slower pace will allow your heart rate and blood pressure to incline at a steady rate. Starting your run at a relative faster pace will quickly increase your heart rate and blood pressure causing fatigue more rapidly. The rapid increase also doesn't let your body acclimate to the heat properly for your run. Lack of heat acclimation can result in heat illnesses.

5. Use sunscreen. The sunscreen can not only prevent your body from the ultraviolet rays, but it can also help to keep your body temperature a little cooler.

Stay cool and beat the heat during the last of these summer months.

Happy Running,

Jayme

"Miles in the Bank"

It's that time of the year again... half/full marathon training! I have one half in the bank and now working on a few more. One would assume since I've complete a half before I'm prepared for the mind torture. However, the feeling of accomplishment after crossing that finish line makes all the training worth it. Here are a few tips for a recipe to completing a half:

1. Find a good training guide for a minimum of 4 months. Join a running group for support if you're able to. A good training guide will slowly increase mileage and dedicate one day of the week to your "long run". It's important not to increase mileage too quickly because the risk of injury increases at the same rate. Slow and steady always wins the race. :)

2. Proper hydration and nutrition. It's very important to keep your muscles hydrated especially before a long run. Drink water throughout the day. It take a few days for the water to reach the cellular level of the muscles. You should get the proper amount of nutrients as advised by USDA each day. http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html for more information of the daily recommendations. Proper hydration and nutrition do a body good keeping your bones and muscles strong for the amount of mileage your body endures through training.

3. Don't cheat your runs. Don't take shortcuts. Do what your training guide states. Cheating yourself will cause failure in the long run. Part of training is pushing yourself. It's going to get hard; otherwise, you aren't gaining any advantages.

4. Run with music. Create a play-list of music that's upbeat. Your play-list should entail a big variety of music; therefore, you won't hear repeated songs throughout your workout. A good play-list can put you in the mood and help determine you to run faster and harder.

5. Good Shoes! After about 400-500 miles kick those old shoes to the curb. After 400-500 miles shoes loose their ability to absorb shock properly. Less likely to absorb shock means an increase risk for injury. Proper distance running shoes need to be light in weight and fit your foot accordingly.

Now it's time to deposit those miles in the bank. No matter how hard you think your training is getting stick to it because it only gets easier.

Happy Running,

Jayme