River Rat Half Marathon RR

Training and a couple Races!

Monday April 18

AM 3.2 miles in 21:12

This may have been my first run outside this year. It was just a nice easy run to get up and going.

Wednesday April 20

PM 3.1 miles in 18:10

This was the Earth Day 5k race here on campus. I am not sure how many people ran, maybe 30. They could have done a better job advertising. 

I did about 20 minutes of light stationary cycling beforehand. Then unwisely stood around getting signed up and chatting for a half hour before the race. Thus the first k or two were pretty rough. I just told myself after a mile it will get easier. Luckily it did and the last two miles were pretty good. I ran most of it with another triathlete who I have seen around but never really talked to. I dropped him about half a kilometer from the finish and turned the final corner with him behind me a bit. I thought I was safe but he really hit the afterburners and if the finish line would have been another two feet he would have hit it first! I had NO idea he was accelerating on me at the end there, and did not even speed up. Oofta!

River Rat Half Marathon

I had my first ever half marathon race last week. I've done the distance many times but have never actually sprinted one, so this was a first! Here's the low down:

Location: Yankton South Dakota

Date: 23.4.2011

Placing: 3rd overall out of 138

Time: 1:26:19

Pace: 6:35 per mile

Nutrition: nothing during

Weather: 41 degrees, high wind, overcast

Pre Race:

I woke at 4:45am and quickly got in the car for the 2:15 minute drive to Yankton, picking up Johney half way. On the drive I ate pears and bananas if I was hungry, maybe four or five pieces of fruit total. Right before the race I took 200mg of caffeine and drank most of a small bottle of orange juice. 

And we're off!

First 2 miles:

Right away there was a current XC runner and a previous XC runner who broke away pretty quickly from the field. Out of my league. (give me 5 years) I tucked in with a group of 4 or 5 other runners behind them. I hesitate to call us a chase pack :p

I was concerned about the slower speed here but felt it was wiser to stay with the "lead" group rather then go on ahead into the wind. 

Mile 2 to 6.5

At the first aid station two miles into the race two of the runners in my group slowed and there was three of us now.  The entire first half was into the wind so the pace was considerably slower then I had planned. About 10-15 seconds per mile slower actually. However this was due to me preferring to run in the group and be able to draft off others to conserve energy, rather then expend extra energy to run out front. 

Mile 6.5 to 13.1

At the turn around we finally had the tail wind so I dropped the hammer. I averaged about 27 seconds faster per mile on the way back then on the way out. The younger guy I ran out with was always about 10-20 seconds right behind me the entire way back. The last three miles I did enter the pain cave a little bit. It was tough going but I dug deep into my suitcase of courage and finished strong!

The course is flat for the most part, with some hills at the beginning/end, including one major one that took a few minutes to climb. All the aid stations were stocked with fruit, water, a sports drink, and maybe some treats. I did not stop at any or pay much attention other then thanking them as I ran by. The finish area was great. It was in a covered building with only two walls at the park river front. They had pizza, soda, cookies, fruit, water, gatorade. The only thing they were missing was something warm to drink on such a cold day. 

This is interesting. The reason runners get those silver polyethylene blankets after long races is due to heat issues. The body spends the entire run working to cool off itself. So when the runner suddenly stops at the end, the body is still working to cool it'self off, and the running is simultaneously cooling down from being at rest. So for a short period of time they can get quite cold quite fast. 

Overall I'm very happy with my results. I would like to have ran a bit faster, but with the conditions all is good. Even if I would have done 1:25:00 my overall placing would have been the same. 

Here are my mile splits:

Mile 1:   6:54

Mile 2:   7:03

Mile 3:   6:34 (down hill)

Mile 4:   6:42

Mile 5:   6:52

Mile 6:   6:49

Mile 7:   6:46

Mile 8:   6:15

Mile 9:   6:21

Mile 10: 6:31

Mile 11: 6:54 (uphill)

Mile 12: 6:17

Mile 13: 6:19

First Half: 44:40

Second Half: 41:40

Total: 1:26:19

Thanks for reading everyone!

Why (some) Vegans Fail

Why Vegans Fail

I was thinking about some of the reasons vegetarians and vegans fail to stick to the diet. Here's what I came up with:

• Become Vegan/Vegetarian due to health reasons
• There is SO much conflicting information out there on any health topic. Every quack diet can be backed up by research. One of the best pro vegan books, T Collin Campbell's The China Study, is an amazing read. However there is a bunch of articles online (and maybe even a book) that are direct shots at his work and how it is apparently wrong.
• Even as a vegan myself, I cannot with 100% confidence state any of the benefits of a vegan diet are 100% true. Of course there are benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables, that is well established. But the paleo diet has research backing up why eating meat is good, vegans have research stating the opposite. There is research showing the carcinogenous effects of animal protein, and there is research saying the opposite. If this is your basis for being a vegan/vegetarian you are either purposefully ignorant of the other side's research and/or are in for a very conflicted ride. If a person was swayed to veganism by it’s health promises, they may just as easily be swayed towards another wonder diet’s promise.
• This is another point about falling into the science and research too much, and it's the "are we evolved/built to eat meat or not to eat meat" argument. I have no idea. Go to a vegan website and read their reasoning. Go to a paleo/meat eating diet's website and read their points. Each of the points of view are backed with science, so I hesitate to say which one is correct.
• I just realized this as of writing this. This is actually quite thought provoking to me right now! I always see people say "I have so much more energy since going vegetarian/vegan" and I would have said "well your diet was probably more crappy before and is less crappy now." and not really have attributed it to the lack of animal flesh being consumed. However I believe that in the last few months since going mostly raw and very low grain I have had an increase in energy levels and mood. Over the last five years years the first four has been a vegetarian/vegan diet with about your SAD amount of grain. Lately I have dramatically increased my fruit and vegetable intake while nearly eliminating my grain. And let me tell you, I now honestly believe there is a difference.
• It's strange, if you would have asked me a year ago I would have said I was possibly at my peak energy/mood/whatever. But now, I am way past that! I suppose if you are sick and suddenly are less sick, you may think that it's a cure. However you are simply less sick. Surviving but not thriving.
• Health reasons may fail. 70% of people who become vegan experience this random health benefit. But what about the other 30%? Or what about people who already consider themselves "healthy"? They may see absolutely no reason to become a vegan.
• Not knowing how to cook
• One of the best benefits of a plant based diet is it almost forces you to learn how to cook. You cannot simply throw together the same old meat and potatoes with a side of some single veggie with butter on top of it. Today I made stir fry and I cooked using eight or nine different vegetables along with some curry, cumin, garlic, and cayenne pepper. It was amazing!
• Not making it a lifestyle
• As with most major changes, making it a part of your lifestyle is key to behavior modification. This includes going vegan, becoming a vegetarian, starting running or a new sport, adopting a healthier eating habit to lose weight, or any other habit such as even washing your hands more. Making it a part of your life will always help.
• Not making any of the above mentioned habits, or the huge list of other possible examples, part of your daily routine will likely result in failure, or you at least dreading/hating doing it.
• The next two bullets are not reasons why people fail at sticking with a vegan diet, but I do believe they make a vegan/vegetarian diet less beneficial.
• Eating too much grains or replacing fruit/vegetables with grains
• My issue with grains mainly lies with the standard inactive American who eats a grain product at possibly the majority of meals. Like I mention below, with athletes consuming grain is a good and cheap way to keep your body out of a negative energy balance. 
• I have seen this many times. When a person becomes a vegetarian they will often simply substitute grain in for the meat they were eating. In my opinion over consumption of grain is one of the main reasons for the weight issues in this country (along with lack of activity and added sugar). I would hesitate to say a vegetarian diet higher in grain is more healthy then their previous diet.
• Grains are a great source of carbs. But I look at them as a incredibly fast way too get way to many calories in a rather high energy dense and low nutrient form. They are also a source of fibre, but so are many many much more nutrient dense and lower calorie items.
• I do eat grains most days of the week. I however try to limit it to one meal, usually dinner. This helps me hit my energy intake for the day. When being an athlete, not being in a negative energy balance is important and grain is a way to get extra calories in. 
• I do agree with the stance that we are not meant/designed/evolved to eat grain (maybe more then I believe we are not meant to eat meat) for the many reasons often cited by Paleo diet practitioners. If you are unfamiliar:
• Gluten Intolerance
• Grains are inflammatory
• We have not been eating them for a long period of time
• Grains may inhibit mineral absorption
• etc

• Eating to much junk food
• The term for this is a junketarian. They are basically doing what the above example has done, except with a bunch of added sugar instead of grain (or maybe both).
  

Why Vegans Succeed

• Ethics
• I believe that to become a vegan it has to be for ethical reasons. This is because the ethical promise of veganism is always true. Eliminating animal based food sources from your diet is always the most compassionate choice you can make for your diet. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
• So I am indeed a vegan saying there is no direct health benefit from simply being a vegan. If you took my diet and added meat in three times a week there would be zero difference. I do believe that there is a huge spiritual vitality to eating vegan (and especially raw) that really goes far beyond simple nutrition. The avoidance of the suffering dead animal flesh has done wonders for my body and mind.

Food Guide Pyramid

Check this out. I found this Latin American Diet Pyramid last week. Fruit, veggies, and beans tubers and nuts make the base of the diet. This is about the exact opposite of what most Americans eat, and this is about exactly what most Americans should eat.




Brookings Marathon 2011

Due to it's date of May 14th I was not going to race this event since I would lose weeks of training leading up to the Deadwood Marathon. However this week I was discussing my training with a friend and I think during this talk I changed my mind. He asked me how long of a run I would have to go on to have to prepare for it. My answer was 20 miles. Anything less and I could likely do it just fine with little to no preparation with rest or food.

I want to go sub 3 hours at a 26.2 mile event this summer. Honestly I am worried that if I only do Deadwood I may not make it and then I have no backup plan since the 50 mile ultra is 3 weeks after. The race is weird since the first half is pretty much up hill and the second half is back down, it offers a unique challenge.

I don't do base training or periodize my year, I simply run. My goal is to be able to do an event whenever I want to. I may not be as fast at a single event if I were to periodize but I would be faster overall.

Plus the Deadwood Marathon is a bit expensive and would require 6 hours of driving to get there.

Training

Monday April 4
AM 5.25 miles in 52:30 with 1350' vertical
PM 8.15 miles in 1 hour
I did a nice easy hill run in the morning, and kept it at 5 since I planned on returning later in the afternoon for another run. I really like two-a-days. They are easier on the body since you are running for a shorter period of time, you can run at a faster over all pace over two short runs, and that second runs often gets you more mileage then you planned since if you only have to do 5, doing a couple extra is pretty easy. 
The second run was with Johney at another treadmill. We chatted for a while and it was nice to talk to him and it made the time cruz by.


Tuesday April 5
AM 17 miles in 2:02:00
This was sort of a half marathon practice. I ate two hours before the run, and had a banana immediately before hand. I never felt hungry and was good for the two hours. For a full marathon taking in some sort of fuel during the run would be ideal, but I am not sure what yet. Probably whatever is on the course. 

Wednesday April 6
AM 5 miles in 39 minutes with 300' vertical
This morning I slept in until 7 am! Crazy man, I know :) For this run I did a mile up and then a mile decline for a few in the morning.   
PM 5 miles in 38 minutes with 250' vertical
This was pretty much like the morning run except I spent an extra mile doing down hill for some speed work. 

Thursday April 7

AM 10 miles in 1:14:30
This was a bit of track work and some time on the treadmill. I took it a bit easier since I was planning on doing a larger/harder run on Friday. 

Friday April 8
AM 8.4 miles in 1 hour
I planned on only doing 5 but felt good so squeezed out a few more. I ran up 150 feet but then ran down 150 feet.

Totals
                   Week / Year
Time             7:25 / 05:12:30
Distance       59.8 / 831.8

Overuse of Energy Drinks

We are past halfway through the semester now! It’s only a few very fast weeks until finals come around. Now come the late nights with energy drinks and coffee to stay awake and get the studying done and the papers finished. In these late nights, many people resort to supplements thinking they will unleash their studying warrior. However this practice may be doing the opposite.

The main reason energy drinks are said to work is that they contain the most abused drug in America, caffeine. A typical soda contains 20 to 50 milligrams while many energy drinks start at 50 and can go all the way up to 500 milligrams in a can! The reason so much caffeine should be avoided is due to how it stresses your adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline. Over time they start to grow tolerance to the caffeine and can even burn out. This actually results in tiredness and the need for more stimulation for the same energy boost. A study published in Psychopharmacology showed that measurements of alertness and tiredness were very similar in nondrinkers and habitual drinkers. When a person finally realizes, as I did, how much harm this substance alone may be doing to me, I quit. One may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and loss of mental focus and function. But let me tell you, I feel much better off now that I do not rely.

It also depends on the drink, but some contain five or more tablespoons of sugar per can! This much sugar causes your pancreas to flood your blood with insulin to control the extra sugar. Unless you are exercising, most of the sugar will likely be stored as fat. Your adrenal glands also now release adrenaline and cortisol. You are indeed given a quick boost of energy, however it’s followed by a rapid crash, hampered immune system, and possibly a future insulin insensitivity, or Type II Diabetes.

One of my nutrition teacher talks about there being a small grain of truth in all marketing, this goes especially for energy drinks. They contain Taurine, B12, B6, L-Carnitine, etc saying they will improve your energy levels, improve alertness, or convert fatty acids into energy. The truth is that rarely does any single supplement result in a substantial benefit. Your energy systems are an amazingly complex network and the supplementation of a single substance is not going to make much of a difference unless one is deficient. And in that cause, a Shogun is probably not the best option for your source. A study published in the Journal of American Pharmacists Association concluded that “the amounts of guarana, taurine, and ginseng found in popular energy drinks are far below the amounts expected to deliver either therapeutic benefits or adverse events. However, caffeine and sugar are present in amounts known to cause a variety of adverse health effects.”

Caffeine is definitely safe when used appropriately and does have its uses. It is a stimulant and is the best legal (under certain levels) drug for use in sports. Also research does show drinks such as Red Bull increase alertness and reaction time. However use or overuse, like I mentioned above, has been shown to have negative side effects on health. These effects include negatively effecting bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, diabetes, depression, glaucoma, high blood pressure, and heart conditions. Caffeine also has been shown to interfere with the activity of vitamins such as folate, B12, and B6. High caffeine levels may also increase homocysteine and cholesterol, two significant cardiovascular disease risk indicators. High dosages can even cause an irregular heart beat and death.

So it’s 10 p.m. and you feel like you need a quick pick me up. A strategy I have used is to eat an apple. I have found this does a great job since it takes effort to actually consume the food, instead of simply sipping from a can. Also one of the major causes of tiredness or headaches is dehydration. So try drinking water throughout the day. A coffee now and then is totally fine and if I need to stay awake for a drive or a late night I may stop by Choco Latte for a drink. The issue is all the other junk and calories loaded into these beverages and the overuse and abuse of them.

If you really do want some caffeine and an energy boost, have a simple cup of  joe. According to MayoClinic.com, one or two cups a day is fine. It is when you get into the four cup range that issues may surface. If you are looking to cut back, try going half-caff. Also keeping track of how much you actually drink may be an eye opener. Many teas such as black, green, white, and oolong contain small amounts of caffeine, and most herbal teas are even caffeine free since they do not come from the tea plant but infusions of different botanicals. Try a caffeine free soy or fat free steamer with sugar free flavor.  If you brew your own, shorting the brew time can cut back on the caffeine content. Cutting cold turkey may work for some, but doing so gradually will help curb the withdrawal symptoms.

To the readers, and especially the guy sitting at the table next to me drinking a Rock Star at 2 p.m., think about this. The energy drink industry has a lot in common with other addictive markets such as tobacco and alcohol. People consume energy drinks because they want energy or think they need the product. However the over use of them actually negatively impacts how you feel. So you drink more, because the energy drink company’s marketing tells you it will help. Yet their product is what is making your body need them in the first place because of it’s addictive properties. For your sake, be a mindful consumer and save yourself the fatigue and the cash.