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"Running Through Summer
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August 2009 Newsletter
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Greetings!
"Do not throw in the towel; use it for wiping the sweat off your face."
~ Unknown
After the recent bout of extreme heat we've had in the Northwest, this quote seems particularly appropriate. However amusing, the more I think about it, the more true it becomes. The last days of July presented us with some unprecedented heat, but rather than throwing in the towel on our workouts, many of us just rearranged our daily schedule to take advantage of the cooler times of day for our runs, swims, bikes, and walks. Despite the heat and sweat, we persevered and that's a good reminder to us all that no matter how tough things (or workouts) might be, we can use those difficulties to become better athletes and people.
Happy running (and thank goodness for cooler weather),
Paul Morrison
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 August In-Store Promotion
As runners and athletes, we can never have enough socks that wick the moisture away from our feet. Fleet Feet realizes this and, for the month of August, is featuring a "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" sock promotion. This promotion is valid for all brands and styles of socks, so stop by the store in August to stock up on your socks. This offer is only valid during the month of August, so stop by today!
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 Tips from the TriGuy: Biking Faster with Phil Kriss
Wow! If nothing else, this has been great swimming weather!
For this month's column, I decided to give
another triathlete's perspective on tri training. This month's thoughts come from one
of my favorite Ironman training partners (not to mention a Marathon Maniac) and local chiropractor Phil Kriss on how to ride your bike
extremely fast.
Phil Kriss writes,
"Many think the key to riding faster is to try
harder. When we ride in a group and compare heart rates, some rates are
so high it seems certain that soon the rider will pop, and their ride will no
longer be fun.
An older, experienced guy once told me that when I rode I was
too jerky. I was confused by that comment, considering my speed stayed
consistent and I was not weaving around much. It took several weeks for me to figure out what he meant, but eventually I realized that I was not relaxed in my upper body. I solved this problem by
attempting to ride smooth. The more I relaxed, letting my elbows rest on
the arm pads and easing up my death grip, the smoother I got. When I occasionally felt tense, I forced myself to twiddle my thumbs
while in the aero position. After several weeks of practice trying to
eliminate the "noise" in my upper body, I found I rode faster and with a
lower heart rate! Ultimately, speed will come with good riding technique.
One last
tip is to always keep your RPMs over 85."
Well, there it is. A valuable tip from a PROVEN "go fast" triathlete.
Stay cool, and I hope everyone is coasting "smoothly" through another
fabulous tri season.
TriGuy
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Nutrition Notes: The Glory of Green Beans 
Stop
by any road side produce stand or your local farmers market and you are
sure to find a variety of fresh picked green beans. Green beans, also
called snap or string beans, are members of the legume family. Break
one of these beans in half and listen for the snap - thus, one of its nicknames. What's unique about green
beans is that they're entirely edible. Most beans have tough, fibrous
pods and must be shelled, but green beans have tender, slightly sweet,
grassy-tasting pods. They can quickly add a dash of color on the plate,
and their long, slender silhouette can dress up any meal.
Nutrition Facts
Green
beans, while quite low in calories (just 44 calories in a whole cup),
are loaded with nutrients - an excellent source of vitamin K (122% of
RDA), vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium,
folate, and iron. They
are also a good source of magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper,
calcium, phosphorus, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin.
Selecting and Storing
Look
closely at the beans in the market. If the sides of the pods are
bulging from the seeds, the beans will be tough because they were
picked too late. Make sure the skin is taut. Old beans have leathery,
discolored skin, and they may be limp. Next, pick up a bean, and break
it in half. If you hear the signature snap, the bean is fresh. Once
you get them home, cook snap beans as soon as possible. To preserve,
wrap in a damp paper towel, place in a plastic bag, and refrigerate up
to a week. If you can't cook them within a week, trim the stem ends,
blanch the beans, cool, and freeze until you're ready to use in a
recipe.
Featured Recipe: Green Beans with Garlic Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette:
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Beans:
2 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
2. To prepare beans, cook beans in a large pot of boiling water 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. 3. Drain well.
4. Place beans in a large bowl. Add lemon mixture; toss well to coat.
5. Sprinkle with almonds and thyme.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Calories = 54
Fat = 2.3 gr
Protein = 2.4 gr
Carbohydrate = 7.7 gr
Fiber = 3.6 gr
Cholesterol = 0 mg
Iron = 1.1 mg
Sodium = 113 mg
Calcium = 45 mg
* Guest writer Leslie Funkhouser is a local runner, yoga instructor, and nutritionist. She owns and operates Wellness Concepts.
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 Physical Therapy Points to Ponder: IT Band Stretching
The iliotibial band (ITB) is located along the lateral side of the upper leg (thigh). The ITB is notorious for creating pain and dysfunction in runners, especially people who are new to running. Essentially, the ITB is a long tendon that attaches muscle to bone at the gluteal muscles near the pelvis and at the upper tibia next to the kneecap. Most
pain related to the ITB occurs near the knee but
can occur along the upper thigh where the hip bone (greater trochanter)
protrudes or at the muscle tissue at the pelvis. One condition that can develop due to tightness in the ITB is ITB syndrome. ITB syndrome includes knee pain, hip pain and/or general tightness and pulling along the lateral thigh.
There are several ways to stretch the ITB to help prevent and to treat tightness in the ITB. I will refer to the left leg as the leg needing ITB stretching in the following examples. The classic ITB stretch involves standing with one leg crossed over the other. While standing cross the right leg over the left, now lean your body to the right. You may find it beneficial to lean toward a wall or counter to help with balance. You should feel a stretch along the lateral part of the left thigh. You may need to shift your hips slightly forward or backward or let your knee bend slightly to create a more isolated stretch. Another stretch involves sitting down on your buttocks. Lie down on your butt with your right knee straight and your left knee bent. Cross the left leg over the other and now use the back of your right arm to push the left knee toward the right. This stretch is often referred to as the "Beauty Queen" stretch. You will likely feel this stretch in the buttocks/gluteals which will stretch the proximal attachment of the ITB.
If you don't
find these effective for stretching, consider using a foam roll, Tiger
Tail or other similar device to create deep tissue massage to the ITB. Try
doing trigger point releases with a tennis ball placed between the
lateral pelvis muscles (above the greater trochanter) and a wall. Additionally,
exercises which strengthen the outer gluteals such as single leg
squats, lateral lunges and sidestepping can strengthen these muscles
and take stress off of the ITB. One final tip is to avoid
running on the same side of the road all the time as roads are crowned
and can create excessive repetitive stretching to the ITB on the "down
hill" side.
**Do you have a particular that you would like to see covered in a future Physical Therapy Points to Ponder article? If so, please email the topic suggestion to physical therapist and guest writer Dennis Eldridge: deldridge@psspt.com. **
* Guest writer Dennis Eldridge is a local runner and physical therapist, who works for Performance Physical Therapy in Enumclaw and Bonney Lake. Dennis also does monthly Medical Q & A nights at Fleet Feet. *
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| Upcoming Events
Don't forget to add these exciting events to your running calendar!
- August 1 - Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon
- August 8 - Run for the Light 5 Mile
- August 15 - Bonney Lake Days 5 Mile Fun Run
- September 5 - Parkland Pace or Race (2 Mile & 5k)
See Fleet Feet's Online Calendar for more information on these events and more! | |
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