A Marathon at Santa’s Place?!?

As I’ve mentioned before, running a marathon is a goal of mine for this upcoming spring. I’ve been running for a few years now. Running has become one of my passions and I look forward to the running my first marathon in May.

The winter has been a bit difficult. I’m not a fan of the cold weather: I’d rather run in 90 degree weather than in 30 degree weather. I’ve been reading about alternative running (and cross-training) routines, but was shocked when I came across an article in Runner’s World briefly mentioning a North & South Pole Marathon!!

Quite frankly, the North Pole is no place for anybody besides Santa, his elves, and the reindeer. Many people (I used to be one) think running a marathon is crazy…but running a marathon in the North Pole!?! Now that’s crazy!!!

The North Pole Marathon is on April 15^th and allows runners to really prove their strength. Running on 6 to 12 inches of snow between you and the frozen Atlantic, runners test their endurance to the extreme weather conditions, their mental stamina, and their physical strength. For the really hard-core marathon runners, this may be something to seriously consider.

As for me, I’ll stick with the (what I thought was) freezing weather here, with the option of running on a treadmill in a normal temperature.

Calories, Scales, and Desperate Dieting

Having never been on a diet myself, I don't completely understand all of the logic behind calorie--counting, eating nothing but fruit, and avoiding chocolate all together. That being said, I do have an understanding about the desire to be fit and feel good about your body.

I ran across an article about uncovering dieting myths. It's really quite interesting, if you're big into the whole dieting thing.

For me, these are the guidelines I follow:

1. Never, ever, ever weigh yourself! I haven't weighed myself in almost two years. It simply does bad things to me. I start to feel bad, even if I have no reason to. I was reading about weighing yourself on a scale and how obsessive people shouldn't do it. I guess I learned that I'm obsessive. I'd never thought of myself as obsessive...who knew?
2. Incorporate fruits and veggies as snacks. It's not bad to eat frequently. In fact, eating more frequently helps keep your metabolism higher. Snacking, as long as it's healthy food and doesn't exceed a healthy number of calories, is good. In addition, I find a banana or almonds to be a lot more filling than a candy bar.
   
3. Avoid eating when you first go home, unless you really are hungry. Usually, when I go home, it's dinner time. The food break I normally get when I go home now triggers a psychological need to eat whenever I walk in my front door. It's not necessarily hunger.
   
4. When you're hungry...EAT! Our bodies are pretty amazing and are capable of helping us understand when we need nutrition and food in our stomachs. A well-known test I frequently use is to ask myself if I'm willing to eat an apple or carrots. If I am, then I really am hungry. Then I eat!

It's really important to find what works best for you. Managing weight isn't always easy, especially during the emotional times of life. The best thing to remember is that nothing is bad, as long as it is rationed.

Find nutrtious foods you enjoy. Don't starve yourself! Don't limit your diet to specific foods--sooner or later you'll get sick of it.

I once heard Dr. Phil say, "Don't live to eat; eat to live."

...and that's my two cents about dieting!!!

Deep Water Running: One Method of Cross-Training

With the cold winter, I have been looking for alternatives to running. While looking up information, I discovered water running. I have never heard about water running before today. It’s an interesting way to run.

When I first heard the term from Runner’s World, I pictured going to the swimming pool and trying to run in the kiddy pool…but I was mistaken. Water running is a low-impact way of running, involving floaters (or any object to keep you afloat) under your armpits. As you stay afloat, your legs move in a similar manner to running on the street.

AquaJogger offer a buoyancy belt to help keep you afloat, along with water shoes, water weights, and a video about water running for $89.95. I’ve never tried it, but it looks interesting.

I found an article about the benefits of water running, as well as good technique.

Benefits include:

• Reduced stress on joints
• Increased range of motion
• Cardiovascular training
• Strength training
• Varied workouts

If you’re serious about trying this, it may be beneficial to read Elizabeth Quinn’s article “Benefits of Deep Water Running.”

Cross Training

With a goal to run a marathon this upcoming spring, I’ve been trying to become well-educated on a good training routine. One strategy of a well-balanced training routine includes a cross training program. Not only is cross training beneficial for marathon runners, but also any exercise enthusiast.

An article about cross training was written by Matt Fitzgerald including the benefits of implementing a cross-training program. The following include some of these benefits:

• Injury Prevention
• Variety in your Routine
• Improve Fitness
• Rehabilitate Injury
• Rejuvenate the Mind and Body

Runner’s World offers four suggestions to cross training specifically for runners:

• Choose workouts involving similar muscles to those used when running
• Keep your heart rate up
• Check your resting heart rate to make sure it doesn’t get too high
• Incorporate running to your cross-training routine

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Not really. For those of you who know me, you know snow isn't my favorite thing. One of my least favorite things in the world is feeling cold: it's one of the most uncomfortable feelings. I'm a fan of the 90 degree weather in the summer and the sun blazing in my face.

Fortunately, it has taken longer than usual to cold this year, and for that, I am very grateful. But eventually and inevitably, the cold comes. It arrived this past week. Another disadvantage to the cold and the accompanying snow is the interruption to a good, running routine.

I don't particularly mind running in the cold, but running in slippery snow is not the safest (or the most effective) way to get in a good, hard run. When I saw an article on Runner's World, I was intrigued with the article about running in snowy weather conditions. I read the article about a week ago, and keep thinking about what was mentioned about treadmills. Like most people, I have a hard time running in one spot for prolonged periods of time looking at the time tick away (as a much slower pace than it does when running in an open area).

The following are a few beneficial tips if you, too, have to resort to running on a treadmill:

• Break up the monotony by adding a slight incline or speeding up your pace for a small period of time
• Take time to run for prolonged period of times on a treadmill (i.e. start with 30-40 minutes and gradually increase your time; due to the change of surface)
• Slow down if you feel fatigued--this naturally happens when running on your own so don't hesitate to follow the same pattern while on a treadmill

What are the Benefits?
Despite the boredom of a treadmill, it helps build mental stamina. Runners who have qualified for Olympic runs, like Chris Lundstrom (running the Boston Marathon in 2:17) have used the treadmill to keep themselves in shape during cold, winter months and Lundstrom gave credit to the treadmill for becoming more mentally strong for his marathon run.

Treadmills allow you to maintain a schedule: often times you have to rearrange your running schedule with snow. Nothing is more frustrating to me than mentally preparing myself for a run the next morning, only to wake up to large snowflakes falling on the ground.

Finally, treadmills help maintain a good pace. While runners should be careful not to exhaust themselves, I see a lot of potential of a treadmill helping me develop a constant pace for running.

Still Want to Run Outside?
If I still haven't convinced you running on a treadmill is something you should try, the following are a few guidelines from Runner's World to keep in mind:

• Run shorter durations and closer to home
• Avoid running longer than 30 minutes in temperatures under 32 degree Fahrenheit
• Layer your clothing: zippers are an effective way to allow variable body temperatures
• Get the right kind of shoes (see "Gearing Up")
• Drink the same amount of water you would in warmer temperatures
• Slow down (it's typically more difficult to breathe in cooler temperatures)
• Be flexible with the time of day you run (if the sun comes out, go running then)
  
• Consider running on soft surfaces, like treadmills (...sorry, there's no way around it)