 cto |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."
~ Dean Karnazes
In watching the Olympics during February, I was struck by the dedication displayed by the athletes. They come all walks of life and very diverse backgrounds, but they have one thing in common: a passion and dedication for their sport. This dedication is wholly inspiring and is a good reminder to us all to keep on pushing ourselves in both our workouts and our races. Although we might not all be able to claim the title of "Olympic athlete," we can follow their leads and strive to always do our best, to never give up.
Happy running,
Paul Morrison
|
|
 No Boundaries Kick-off
Do you want to get off the couch and into better shape? Fleet Feet's No Boundaries 5k Training Program just might be the program for you. No Boundaries, a program co-sponsored by Fleet Feet and New Balance, is intended for new runners who have little to no experience. This program will help you get off the couch and ready to run your first 5k race in 12 weeks. With supportive and well-trained coaches as well as weekly group runs, No Boundaries will motivate and encourage you to get fit. The No Boundaries program kicks off on March 27, but spots are still available. For more information and to register, please click HERE.
|
| Run with us on Monday Nights
Fleet Feet's weekly Headlamp Runs are back!
Each Monday night at 6:30 pm, runners of ALL paces and experience levels are invited to join us for our Monday Night Headlamp Run. We meet at the Meeker Trailhead and generally run three to five miles. These Monday Night Runs are a great way to meet and connect with other runners - not to mention the perfect way to start your week off on the right foot. So grab your headlamp and your running shoes and join us for a fun-filled Monday Night Headlamp Run.
|
Run the 2010 Rainier to Ruston
On National Trails Day, Saturday, June 5, 2010, runners,
walkers, and ultras will take on the eighth annual Rainier to Ruston
Rail-Trail Relay and Ultra. The course follows the Foothills Trail from the
shoulders of Mt. Rainier to the shores of Puget Sound. The trail passes
through pristine wilderness and historic communities, following the old
Northern Pacific railroad grade that once brought settlers and supplies into
the west. The top runners, walkers, and ultras in each division receive the
coveted Golden Spike Awards.
Online registration is now
available with a $5 discount for all relays, solo walkers and ultra runners
until the end of February.
To register, go to http://www.databarevents.com/rainiertoruston.asp.
|
 New at Fleet Feet: The Garmin 405
Fleet Feet Bonney Lake now carries the Garmin Forerunner 405!
A GPS-enabled, sleek sport watch, the Garmin 405 is able to track your workout progress and then wirelessly send that data to your computer. What's more, the 405 boasts a plethora of helpful features, including continuous tracking of your time, distance, pace, calories, and heart rate (when paired with a heart rate monitor). Its convenient touch bezel allows you to easily and quickly scroll and select features on the run, and its stylish look works both as a daily watch and workout tool. Plus, the wireless capabilities let you effortlessly share workouts with others and communicate run data to your computer. With all these features and more, the Garmin 405 is a great complement and helpful tool for your training program.
In addition, Garmin is offering a $50 mail in rebate on the purchase of a Garmin Forefunner 405, so stop into Fleet Feet Bonney Lake and check out this amazing new addition to the Garmin product line.
|
 Tips from the TriGuy
Similar to the last two months' columns, this column continues to chronicle my Ironman training process. At this point, I am already two months into my six month training program, and now that most of the time
constraints have been worked out and ample time has been set aside for my new "part time job" of Ironman training, it's time to get the most out of
this training period.
(Disclaimer: My time is extremely limited, as I am the only
income supporting a family of five; I say this to assure you that I am not merely some dude without responsibilities whose whole life is about
training.)
Anyway, as volume has been increasing - sometimes up to four
workouts within a 24 hr period - it's important to think about the next
workout in terms of energy stores and intensity. Stale, non-productive
sessions can easily become the norm if we are constantly in the "junk
zone," meaning we are not training in the proper heart rate zone or adequately refueling the body. So
with two months down of systematically increasing training volume at a
relatively low heart rate, it's time to start increasing the intensity
to get a feel for race pace.
As I mentioned earlier, I like to stay
away from the 80-85% heart rate junk zone because I feel is too easy to
effectively build speed and too hard for proper recovery; therefore, it's
"junk-y." If a workout calls for going hard, then I go hard, knowing the
next few planned sessions will be of another modality and likely
recovery-based. By the end of the month, I need to have my volume
up, along with two quality runs and bikes per week focusing on speed and
hills. These will be considered some of my "key workouts" in the
coming months and will be described in more detail next month.
For this
month. I also will be paying particular attention to where I place these
workouts for proper recovery in order to get the most out of these sessions.
This strategy will hopefully keep the stale, non-productive sessions at bay.
Looking ahead to next month, I should have time slots figured out for
these "key workouts" based on this month's results on recovery. As for
the swim intensity and volume, I have been doing straight swims up to 30
minutes with about an equal amount of time spent doing drills to perfect my stroke. Intensity will come later in the form of intervals.
Happy training,
TriGuy
|
Nutrition Notes: Fabulous Fiber 
Meeting your fiber quota for the day may not be has hard as you think.
But first, what is fiber? Fiber
is a string of sugar molecules (from plant food) that are bonded
together in such a way that they can't be digested. That means fiber
is not absorbed into the bloodstream and therefore is calorie free!
So why
bother eating it? It's purpose is to flush or clean out our digestive
system as it moves through the body.
There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble,
that we should consume on a daily basis. Each plays a different but
equally important role. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and has been
linked with lowering levels of the "bad" (LDL) cholesterol. Common
sources are oatmeal, barley, and kidney beans. Think of it as a sponge
working its way through your bloodstream wiping up all the bad
cholesterol. Insoluble fiber cleans out your digestive track and is
associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. It can be
found in wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. Think of it as
bulking up upon entering your system and sweeping or pushing out all
the waste.
A
diet high in fiber has many health benefits. It may aid in the
prevention of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. It helps control
blood sugar levels for individuals with diabetes. It helps with
digestive problems by preventing constipation and hemorrhoids. Fiber
also helps with weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight because it
tends to make you feel full. Of course, when you add more fiber to your diet, it's also important to increase your daily water intake because the fiber absorbs water.
Daily fiber recommendations:
Age 9-12: 31 grams for boys and 26 grams for girls
Men: 38 grams
Women: 25 grams
Age 50+: 30 grams for men and 21 grams for women
Where to find fiber:
Black Beans (15 grams/cup)
Avocado (12 grams/cup)
Dried plums (12 grams/cup)
Chickpeas (11 grams/cup)
Asian pear (10 grams/cup)
Peas (9 grams/cup)
Artichoke (9 grams/cup)
Canned Pumpkin (7 grams/cup)
Cooked Broccoli (5 grams/cup)
Cooked 0atmeal (4 grams/cup)
Featured "Super-Simple" Recipe: Morning Comfort
(Serves 2)
2 cups cooked oats
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ cup fat-free milk
In a saucepan stir all ingredients over medium heat 5 minutes.
Calories 263
Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 1mg
Protein 9 g
Carbohydrate 53.5 g
Sugars 21 g
Fiber 7 g
Iron 3.9 g
Sodium 44.6 g,
Calcium 138 mg
Featured "Super-Simple" Recipe: Easy Hearty Salad
(Serves 2)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black beans
1 Tbsp. Fat-free red wine vinaigrette
¼ diced peeled avocado
In a bowl, mix ingredients except avocado; let sit 15 minutes. Fold in avocado and serve.
Calories
153
Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 7 g
Carbohydrates 26 g
Sugars
7.6 g
Fiber 15.2 g
Iron 1.7 mg
Sodium 220 mg
Calcium 50 mg
Featured "Super-Simple" Recipe: Light & Creamy Soup
(Serves 2)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups green peas
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
In
a pot, bring broth to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat and cook 3
minutes; cool slightly. Put soup in blender with sour cream; blend
until smooth. Garnish with chives.
Calories
204
Fat 5.5 g
Cholesterol 11.7 mg
Protein 14 g
Carbohydrates 27g
Sugars 8 g
Fiber 9 g
Iron 3 mg
Sodium 200 mg
Calcium 81 mg
* Guest writer Leslie Funkhouser is a local runner, yoga instructor, and nutritionist. She owns and operates Wellness Concepts.
|
 Physical Therapy Points to Ponder: Trigger Point Treatment
Due to the repetitive nature of running and walking, certain muscle
groups and areas of connective tissue are subjected to a higher degree
of stress and strain than others. In the muscle tissue, one can develop
tight bands of tissue termed "trigger points." Left untreated, trigger points can inhibit performance and lead to muscle strains or other injuries.
There are two types of
trigger points: active and latent. Active trigger points are painful when palpated and will refer a painful sensation in a specific pattern when they are pressed on. Latent trigger
points do not refer pain but are painful when palpated.
Runners and walkers typcially develop trigger points in the muscle
tissue along the lateral part of the hip/pelvis, just below the crest
of the pelvis (iliac crest). These muscles are the gluteus minimus,
gluteus medius and tensor fascia latae. (No, the latae is not a type of coffee drink. Sorry!)
Press around in this area and feel for any tight, painful bands of
tissue. You may find one, and if you hold pressure there for a moment
or two, it may radiate pain down the leg or into the buttock. This
would be an active trigger point. If it just hurts where you are
pushing, it is latent.
One common
treatment to alleviate the pain and tightness associated with a trigger
point is a trigger point release. A trigger point release is
a technique where constant, increasing pressure is applied to the
trigger point for up to 90 seconds. This treatment can be extremely
painful. The goal is to cause ischemia, or decreased blood
flow, to the area. After the pressure is released, the body floods the
region with blood which will cause a release of the bound up muscle
tissue. Massage therapy, physical therapy and trigger point injections
are other treatments. Massage therapists and physical therapists will
typically use multiple interventions to treat these impairments.
A simple way to peform a trigger point release
at home is take a tennis ball and apply pressure to the area. Get
close to a wall, place the ball between your hip musculature and the
wall. Lean into the ball, while trying to unweight the leg (keep most
of your weight on the supporting leg and against your shoulder and
torso against the wall). Move around until you find the trigger point,
then keep pressure against it, increasing pressure if you can, for
90 seconds. You may feel the trigger point "release" before that; this release may feel like a letting go or softening of the tissue. Search around
for any other trigger points in the region and perform the same
technique.
As mentioned at the start of this article, trigger points need to be reduced as they can hamper athletic performance as well as lead to muscle strains or other connective tissue dysfunctions that
may require greater treatment. If you have trigger points that are
difficult to release on your own, check with your primary care provider
to determine if a more aggressive form of treatment might benefit you.
SPECIAL NOTE: 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. *
|
| Upcoming Events
Don't forget to add these exciting events to your running calendar!
- March 8 - Medical Q & A Night with Dennis Eldridge
- March 27 - No Boundaries 5k Training Program Kick-Off
- May 2 - Tacoma City Marathon, Half-Marathon, Marathon Relay, & 5k
- June 5 - Rainier to Ruston Relay and Ultra Marathon
See Fleet Feet's Online Calendar for more information on these events and more! | |
|
|
|
