Today is National Wear Red Day^®.

National Wear Red Day^® was created by the American Heart Association to create awareness about the dangers of heart disease. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States each year?

Visit the website of our local chapter  for more information and to find out what you can do to help improve the statistics.

While most of you out there in the Valley reading this are active with running, swimming, and other forms of exercise, you probably know a handful of people who aren’t as active. Forward them a link to this page or to the American Heart Association website and urge them to lead a healthier lifestyle.

There is also great information with statistics and reports on the Center for Disease Control website.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR A HEALTHY HEART

1. Know your risk factors for heart disease.
2. Talk to your doctor about reducing your risk of heart disease.
3. Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
4. Know your cholesterol numbers. [These include total cholesterol, HDL or "good" cholesterol, LDL or "bad" cholesterol, and triglycerides.]
5. Have your blood sugar level checked for diabetes.
6. Do not smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products.
7. Eat for your heart health.
8. Get regular physical activity. [At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most or all days of the week.]
9. Aim for a healthy weight.
10. Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and the importance of seeking medical help immediately.

The Heart Truth^® is: Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear-It’s the #1 Killer of Women^®. That’s why the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease.

The campaign warns women about heart disease and provides tools to help them take action against its risk factors. Its message is paired with an arresting visual-the Red Dress-that serves as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness.

Visit www.hearttruth.gov for more information on The Heart Truth campaign, including The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women and the Red Dress Pin.

Most of you reading this today are probably unaware of the fact that I have not run for the past six months. Last August I was diagnosed with a herniated disc. Before this happened I could not provide you with a clear definition of disc herniation. Today, I feel like an expert. For months I could not move more than two inches in any direction without excruciating pain shooting up and down my back and into my leg and foot. My leg and foot would then go numb. I was stopped dead in my tracks as far as running was concerned, even walking was out of the question. For months on end I could not sleep longer than two or three hours straight.

How did this happen in the first place? I did not fall or hurt my back. I was not in a car accident. I did not suffer an injury in the past two years since my stress fracture. What was the root cause of this horrible predicament I now found myself in?

My physical therapist offered up the theory that it was a direct result of back-to-back cesarean sections only 18 months apart followed by a failure to re-strengthen more core.

My doctor offered no explanations, only the tools to make me feel better.

My neighbor, Lou Schuler, who happens to be a fitness and exercise journalist and author, offered me a copy of his book, The New Rules of Lifting for Abs. The main idea that popped out at me as I thumbed through his book was that everything boiled down to my core, and everything is connected.

Reasoning through all of the minor injuries and inconveniences that I have experienced since beginning running five years ago, suddenly everything made sense. I had a sudden epiphany that went something like this: two c-sections > failure to re-strengthen my abdominal muscles > start lifting > start running > stop lifting and add more running > train for first half marathon > iliotibial band syndrome > hip flexor problems > sacroiliac problem > train for first marathon > stress fracture > run a couple more marathons > more hip flexor problems > begin ultra running > severe back pain > herniated disc.

In retrospect, there is a very linear explanation for all of my pains. I never bothered working on my core! I jumped right into the good stuff without ever considering the basics, and I developed extraordinarily strong back muscles to make up for my weakness, propelling me into an even more imbalanced state of being.

After several courses of drugs with long names, physical therapy sessions, and a couple of steroid injections shot into the nerve near my spinal cord my life began to slowly get back to normal. The only thing now missing was my regular workout routine.

I know a lot of you can relate with what I am going to say next. Even though I cut out all alcohol, junk food and curbed my diet since last August, I have lost muscle and gained fat. I had to go out and buy new “fat” jeans and now even those are feeling a bit tight. I joined the gym but have only visited it once in the last six weeks.

It all boils down to motivation, and I have none.

Today, this all changes. No more excuses. Period. Today I turned to Phase I of Lou’s workout rules which will get me back on the trails in much better shape than when I left them six months ago.

Wish me luck!

What’s Up This Week?

Finish Line Group Run – TUESDAY – 6pm, Emmaus. Link

Aardvark After Dark – WEDNESDAY – 5:30 pm, Bethlehem. Link

Superbowl 10k - SUNDAY – 10:00 am, Lehigh Parkway. Link

Half Marathon Training Run with Laura Michaels - SUNDAY – 7:30 am, Lehigh Parkway. Meet at the LVRR Clubhouse. All paces welcome. Email Laura
 

Local Runners Who Blog
Did you know we have several runners in the area who blog? If you haven’t checked out their websites in a while go ahead and see what everyone is up to. Drop me a line (jill@lvrunningscene.com) if you would like to be included in this list which is located on the Local Info page of the LVRS website.

Elizathon
I Hope I Don’t Get Lost
jokach’s marathon training blog
Live Better
Because I Tri
Becoming Triathlete
50marathons50states
www.joggingafterdark.blogspot.com
muffinmadness35.blogspot.com
Mike Marsteller
Dave Sabol

The Lehigh Valley Runner’s Daily
An online newspaper built via Twitter by LV Running Scene.

In 2012, the ODDyssey Half Marathon is proud to announce that Sly Fox Brewing Company is the official beer sponsor of the ODDyssey Half Marathon.  Sly Fox plans to double the size of the finish line beer garden and, of course, all adult finishers of the race will receive a free Sly Fox beer to toast their accomplishment.

But, that is not all.  Sly Fox is asking all runners to help select which Sly Fox beer will be the official post race beer with a free beer tasting!  Sly Fox will be at the ODDyssey Half Marathon booth at the Endurance Sports Expo in Oaks PA on February 25-26, 2012.  Runners will be able to taste two select Sly Fox beers and vote for which one would be the most refreshing beer to drink after a beautiful 13.1 mile run.  The winning beer will be the Official Beer of the ODDyssey Half Marathon.

The ODDyssey Half Marathon is Philadelphia’s spring half marathon.  It boasts a USA Track and Field certified course, professional photography, cash prizes and the most sophisticated timing system in the world – allowing runners to cross the finish line and immediately look up their results on touch screen kiosks.

But, the ODDyssey also is the most fun half marathon you will ever run.  It features live music along the course, optional quirky elements like water balloons and costume contests, and free post race massages from Phila Massages.  To register and get more details about the race or the beer, please go to www.ODDysseyHalfMarathon.com.

Sly Fox Brewing Company is one of the originators of the craft beer movement in Philadelphia.  Founded in 1995, Sly Fox continually produces award winning beers year after year and has been recognized as one of the best brew pubs in the nation.  2012 marks a huge milestone for Sly Fox Brewing Company as they open a new brewery in Pottstown Pennsylvania that will more than double brewing capacity.

www.slyfoxbeer.com

The snow in October dealt serious damage to our park system. The Parks department is understaffed and overworked and without the funds needed to hire more staff.

Now, it is your turn to help.

On Saturday, January 28th, at noon, at Lehigh Parkway North Bridge – we will meet to cut, carry and remove fallen trees (big trees) and help the Park get put back together.

Please come out and help!! And, PLEASE SHARE AND SPREAD!!!

Lehigh Parkway North Bridge is the second bridge after turning off Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Map of Parkway with location of North Bridge.

TRAINING
Seems that’s about all we have going for us these days, which can be a good thing. There are plenty of group runs you can join from LRS (local running store) runs to club runs and everything in between.

Tuesday – Finish Line Group Run, 6 pm, Emmaus
Wednesday – Aardvark After Dark, 5:30 pm, Bethlehem
Wednesday – Bear Creek Night Trail Run, 6:30 pm, Macungie
Saturday – Breakfast Club Runners, 7 am, check website for location
Saturday – LVRR Group Run, 7:00 am, Allentown
Sunday – Laura’s SLHM group long run, 7:30 am, Allentown
Sunday – LVRR Group Run, 7 am, Fish Hatchery, Allentown

RACES
Still not many taking place at the moment but most of us have our eyes on one coming up soon. Here are some races coming up in February and March:

February
5- Superbowl 10k
12- Shiver by the River
19- Frozen Foot 5k
25- Frozen Knight 59
25- Ugly Mudder
25&26 – Endurance Sports Expo

March
3- Quakertown 10 Miler
10- Chambersburg HM
11- Shiver by the River
17- Coventry Challenge 5k
18- Frozen Foot 5k
31- Kutztown Fool’s Run

MINIMALISM STILL ALIVE
Seems the minimal movement continues to dig it’s heels in. This year the Altra Footwear is hitting the scene touting it’s Zero Drop technology. What this means is that the rise in the heel is the same as the rise in the forefoot. Altra claims that this creates a more natural and efficient stride and the design will help reduce forefoot pain, excessive pronation, IT Band pain, runner’s knee and shin splints. You can check them out this spring as The Finish Line Running Store will be carrying them soon.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK
How to Make a Better Pancake – tips and recipe

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Happiness is a journey … not a destination.”
- Another 100 Quotations to Think About by Wolfgang Riebe

Honey has been called a superfood. What exactly is a superfood? A superfood is one [a food] which has high concentrations of essential nutrients with proven health benefits, with few properties generally considered to be negative (such as being high in saturated fats or artificial ingredients, food additives or contaminants). [1]

NUTRIENTS FOUND IN HONEY

• B vitamins
• calcium
• iron
• zinc
• potassium
• phosphorous
• silicon
• magnesium
• copper
• chromium
• manganese
• selenium

HEALTH BENEFITS

Eating a spoonful of honey has long been a remedy for sore throats. Did you know that honey can also help treat an upset stomach? Or that it’s been used as an antiseptic to help keep wounds and cuts clean? It has even been used as a hangover cure and to help with sleeplessness. Honey can also soothe your hayfever allergies if you ingest a teaspoon of a local honey on a daily basis to help build an immunity to local pollens.

One of the most expensive honeys in the world, but one that is most preferred for wound dressing and other therapeutic uses is UMF Manuka Honey which comes from New Zealand and Australia. Known as “Medihoney” by the Kiwis, it’s strength is measured in UMF strength ratings of 10, 15, 20, and 25. The higher the rating, the more expensive the honey. UMF Manuka has higher antioxidant levels than most other honeys, but has a strong taste that may take a little getting used to. Still, I highly recommend giving it a try if you decide you can afford to splurge on this honey.

HOW TO INCORPORATE HONEY INTO YOUR LIFE AS A RUNNER

• Replace your gels with this natural version.
• Eat a spoonful of honey before that early morning run for a boost of energy instead of drinking coffee.
• Add a spoonful or two of honey to your water to drink on those long runs or throughout the day.
• Spread honey on a piece of toast or some freshly baked bread as a mid-day snack.

PRODUCTS

A jar of honey straight off the shelf of your local grocer or food stand.
Honey Stinger products (such as gels, energy bars, chews and waffles.)
Bee Pollen (Granules from wild flowers. Rich in vitamins, proteins, enzymes, and other nutrients that our bodies need.)

RECIPES

Honey Cake
Honey Butters
Honey Oatmeal Cookies
Super Shake
Honey & Peanut Butter Bars

Remember, the darker the honey, the more antioxidants it contains. Less processed honey is better for you; try honey straight from the honeycomb, sometime. It is always best to consume local honey that is produced by bees in your area which provides immune stimulating properties needed for your body to adapt to its environment.

LINKS

Check out http://lehighvalleybeekeepers.org for information about local honey and where to buy it.
Apitheraphy News Blog
http://www.honeylocator.com/

EVENTS

Lehigh Valley Beekeepers Introduction to Beekeeping Classes
Wednesdays, February 1, 15, 29, and March 14, 7:00-9:30 p.m. at the Lehigh Carbon Community College, 4525 Education Park Dr., Schnecksville, PA 18078. The class will be taught by members of the Lehigh Valley Beekeepers Association, some of whom are Certified Master Beekeepers! Includes visits to the club hives located at L.C.C.C., for hands on experience (dates to be announced at the class). Cost: $45 per person (includes books and reference guides). Registration required by January 27th. DETAILS

[1] Superfood. Retrieved January 23, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfood.

That’s what runners, triathletes, and body builders alike repeatedly ask. They read ads for commercial recovery foods that demand a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein, tout the benefits of a proprietary formula, or emphasize immediate consumption the minute you stop exercising. While these ads offer an element of truth, consumers beware: engineered recovery foods are not more effective than standard foods. The purpose of this article is to educate you, a hungry runner, about how to choose an optimal recovery diet.

Which runners need to worry about a recovery diet?

Too many runners are obsessed with rapidly refueling the minute they stop exercising. They are afraid they will miss the one-hour “window of opportunity” when glycogen replacement is fastest. They fail to understand refueling still occurs for several hours, just at a slowing rate. Given a steady influx of adequate carb-based meals and snacks, muscles can refuel within 24 hours. If you have a full day to recover before your next training session or run, or if you have done an easy (non-depleting) workout, you need not obsess about refueling immediately afterwards.

Refueling as soon as tolerable is most important for serious runners doing a second bout of intense, depleting exercise within six hours of the first workout, including—

• marathoners and triathletes doing double workouts.

* participants in more than one event at a track meet

• people who ski hard in the morning and again in the afternoon.

The sooner you consume carbs to replace depleted muscle glycogen and protein to repair damaged muscle, the sooner you’ll be able to exercise hard again.

Over the course of the next 24 hours, your muscles will have lots of time to replenish glycogen stores. Just be sure to repeatedly consume a foundation of carbohydrates with each meal/snack, along with some protein to build and repair the muscles. For example, chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie are excellent choices.

How many carbs do I need?

According to the International Olympic Committee’s Nutrition Recommendations, adequate carbs means:

Example, a 150-lb runner doing endurance training should target about 400 to 700 g carb/day (1,600-2,800 carb-calories). That’s about 400 to 700 carb-calories every 4 hours during the daytime.

What are some good carb-protein recovery foods?

Your recovery meals and snacks should include a foundation of carbohydrate-rich breads, cereals, grains, fruits, and vegetables plus a smaller amount of protein (at least 10-20 grams per recovery snack or meal). Enjoy—

fruit smoothie (Greek yogurt + banana + berries)

cereal + milk                 bagel + (decaf) latté

pretzels + hummus        baked potato + cottage cheese

turkey sub                    pasta + meatballs.

Do NOT consume just protein, as in a protein shake or protein bar. Protein fills your stomach and helps build and repair muscles, but it does not refuel your muscles. Your muscles want three or four times more calories from carbs than from protein. If you like the convenience of protein shakes, at least add carbs to them. That is, blend in some banana, frozen berries, and graham crackers.

Keep in mind that recovery calories “count.” I hear many weight-conscious runners complain they are not losing weight despite hard workouts. Perhaps that’s because they gobble 300 or so “recovery calories” and then go home and enjoy a hefty dinner. By organizing your training to end at mealtime, you can avoid over-indulging in recovery-calories.

What about recovery electrolytes?

After a long, hard run, many runners reach for a sports drink, thinking Gatorade or PowerAde is “loaded” with sodium (an electrically charged particle). Think again! Milk and other “real foods” are actually better sources of electrolytes than most commercial sports products. These electrolytes (also known as sodium and potassium) help enhance fluid retention and the restoration of normal fluid balance. Here’s how some common recovery fluids compare:

As you can see, after a hard workout, recovery fluids that such as chocolate milk, orange juice, or a latte offer far more “good stuff” than you’d get in a sports drink. Sports drinks are dilute and designed for during extended exercise.

To assess how much sodium you lose in sweat, weigh yourself naked pre-post an hour of exercise, accounting for any fluid consumed. Loss of one pound equates to loss of about 700-1,000 mg sodium. If you sweat heavily and lose a significant amount of sodium, you can easily replace those losses with pretzels (300 mg sodium/10 twists), a bagel (500 mg) with peanut butter (200 mg/2 tbsp), Wheaties and milk (300 mg), or a spaghetti dinner with tomato sauce (1000 mg/cup Ragu sauce). Most runners consume plenty of sodium!

Recovery can start before you exercise.

What you eat before you exercise impacts your recovery. According to research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, consuming protein before lifting weights enhanced recovery better than consuming a protein drink afterwards. That’s because your body digests pre-exercise protein into amino acids (yes, your body can digest food during exercise) and puts those amino acids right into action repairing damaged muscles.

What if you feel like you never really recover well?

If you have to drag yourself through workouts and races, questions arise:

• Are you overtraining? Rest is an essential part of a training program; muscles need time to refuel and repair. Take at least one, if not two, days off from running per week.

• Are you anemic? Anemia is common, so have your MD monitor your serum ferritin (stored iron). If your iron stores are depleted, you’ll feel needlessly tired during exercise. An estimated half of female athletes are iron-deficient, as indicated by low serum ferritin stores. (About 14% of all women are iron deficient.) A survey with collegiate male runners suggested about 20% had low serum ferritin. Iron supplements help resolve the problem, alongside a good recovery diet. Eat wisely, recover well, and feel great!

Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD January 2012. Nancy Clark counsels both casual and competitive athletes at her office in Newton, MA (617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook and Food Guide for Marathoners offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com. See also www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

References:

Nutrition for Athletes: A practical guide to eating for health and performance.
Prepared by the Nutrition Working Group of the International Olympic Committee, Feb 2010
http://www.thecgf.com/media/games/2010/CGF_Nutrition.pdf

Campos. Manuel, S Gervais, J Walker, A Olson. Iron deficiency in Division III male cross country and track runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2821

Lee, Choi Hyun, J Kim, K Hoon Park, J Lee. Efect of the timing of protein supplement on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010;  42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2862.

Nicewonger, Christine, J Flohr, M Todd, C Womack. The effect of iron supplementation on iron markers and performance in female athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2822

Image: healingdream / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

WOMEN —–

First time five women ran under 2:30 at the Olympic Marathon Trials:

Shalane Flanagan, 2:25:38
Desiree Davila, 2:25:55
Kara Goucher, 2:26:06
Amy Hastings, 2:27:17
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, 2:29:45

The deepest women’s Trials ever with best times for place (#1-15). In other words, the first 15 places in this year’s trials set new placement records.

33 personal records were set by Shalane Flanagan, Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, Alissa McKaig, Heidi Westover, Brooke Wells, Loretta Kilmer, Jeannette Faber, Michelle Frey, Erin Nehus, Kelly Calway, Camille Herron, Esther Erb, Rachel Booth, Caroline LeFrak, DevonCrosby-Helms, Nicole Camp, Kathleen Castles, Lauren Philbrook, Emily Potter, Kara Storage, Tara Storage, Alexandra Blake, Allison Macsas, Laura Farley, Meagan Nedlo, Jodie Robertson, Megan Skeels, Tyler Stewart, Adrian Chouinard, Julia Stamps, Nicole Porath, Jackie Pirtle-Hall, Jackie Rzepecki.

Linda Somers Smith, 50, set a U.S.50-54 age group record in 2:37:36.

MEN —–

First time four men ran under 2:10 at the Olympics Marathon Trials:

Meb Keflezighi, 2:09:08
Ryan Hall, 2:09:30
Abdi Abidrahman, 2:09:47
Dathan Ritzenhein, 2:09:55

The deepest men’s Trials ever with best times for place (#2-15). Ryan Hall holds the #1 spot for best Olympics marathon trials time with 2:09:02 set in 2008.

19 personal records set by Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein, Fernando Cabada, James Carney, Josh Cox, Mike Morgan, Max King, Michael Reneau, Drew Polley, Daniel Tapia, Craig Leon, Keith Bechtol, Zachary Hine, Allen Wagner, Adam MacDowell, Donovan Fellow, Chris Erichsen, Jeff Jonaitis, Josh Eberly.

This is the oldest U.S.men’s Olympic Marathon team with an average age of just under 33-years-old.

At age 36, Meb Keflezighi is the oldest U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials men’s champion.

 
Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

MARATHON NEWS
I think you’ll agree that this week started off pretty well for runners. Over the weekend you may have tuned in to NBC to catch some of the Olympic Marathon Trials. By now we all know who will be representing the United States in London in the marathon distance. August should make for an exciting race with all three men (Keflezighi, Hall, Abdirahman) all going under 2:10:00. Ahh, to experience that pace just once in my life … Flanagan also set an Olympic Trials record by finishing under 2:30:00 along with four other women. We have definitely got some talent here in the U.S.

For those of you who asked, Tyler McCandless ran hard and was a tad bit disappointed with his time of 2:19:56. He finished in 50th place in the men’s division. Anyone who has run a marathon can agree that they are a beast and you NEVER know what will happen on race day. Tyler, we are all proud of you back here at home. You can read Tyler’s most recent blog entry about his experience in Houston on his website, http://tylermccandless.com.

Another name we all know is Luke Watson. Luke won last year’s St. Luke’s Half Marathon (1:10:44) and also ran in Houston last Saturday. Luke finished the 2012 Olympics Marathon Trials in 65th place with a time of 2:21:58.

WOMEN’S RUNNING PIONEER
Yesterday a big announcement was made by the St. Luke’s Half Marathon. Kathrine Switzer will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Pasta Dinner on April 28. Switzer will be on hand throughout the weekend; appearing at the expo and helping to MC the Youth Run on Saturday, and on Sunday she will be at the finish line to hand out medals and meet runners.

For those of you unfamiliar with Kathrine Switzer, she is someone you should probably acquaint yourself with. Switzer pioneered the sport of running for women. She’s the reason we have a women’s marathon at the Olympics, she was the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon (prior to 1967 it had only allowed male entrants. In fact, nobody caught on to the fact that she was a woman until the race had begun in that year.) Switzer was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in late 2011 along with such names as Coretta Scott King (wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.) and Billie Holiday. I don’t know about you but I am pretty excited to meet Kathrine Switzer in April.

SALE AT AARDVARK
Stop by Aardvark Sports Shop – Bethlehem to pick up some cold weather gear. All winter apparel and accessories are now 30% off! Need a running jacket now that it’s finally cold? Waterproof jackets are 40% off.

LOCAL RACES
LVRR’s Emmaus 4 Miler and St. Luke’s Half Marathon/5k are both currently open to registrations. The Half Marathon & 5k are filling pretty fast at this point and word is they will both soon sell out. The 4 miler is a great race and one of my favorite non-traditional distance events.

The Ugly Mudder is coming up next month. This 7+ mile trail run is “a mid-level challenge” of a race on the trails out in Reading. If you have yet to run a Ron Horn race, give this one a try.

Other races to keep on your radar:
March 3 – Quakertown 10 Miler
March 31 – Kutztown Fool’s Run
April 21- Pheasant 5k
April 21- Mt. Penn Mudfest

GROUP RUN
Stop by The Finish Line tonight, 6pm, for a group run and on Saturday morning’s at 8:00 am as well.

11 Ways to Cheat While Running a Marathon (from Mental Floss)
1. Do not run most of it: Rosie Ruiz
2. Get someone else to run it for you (Xiamen students, China)
3. Have your manager give you a ride: Fred Lorz
4. Skip miles 13-23: Anthony Gaskell
5. Blow off the checkpoints: Roberto Madrazo
6. Grab a bus: Rob Sloan
7. Skip ahead to the part with the prize money: Martin Franklin
8. Hop on a bicycle: the Montreal Bier
9. Hop in a news van: Dane Patterson
10 & 11. Split the course with your brother: Motsoeneng brothers

Visit the Mental Floss article for details on the above list. Classic stuff!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Experience is the hardest teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterwards.”
- Another 100 Quotations to Think About by Wolfgang Riebe

 
Front Image: zebble