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Newsletter Archives: Volume 25, March 2001
Fast forward. Mentally rehearsing the marathon gears up mind and body for the sequence of events, preparing you for the challenges. The more times you're able to rehearse, the more you'll be mentally prepared for each segment of any running marathon and the better you'll anticipate your need for resources and adjusting for success. Left Brain Garbage. The effects of negative messages released under stress are reduced by regular rehearsals because you've desensitized yourself to them. In other words, there's less stress, therefore less garbage. Mind-Body Teamwork develops better in mental rehearsals because you can edit and improve responses in a short period of mental rehearsal time. This doesn't get you out of doing your long runs, of course. Once you've had two to three runs over 15 miles, you have an experience base that will allow you to convert 15 minutes of mental rehearsal time into months of training experience. Rehearsal Gives You Mental Control! Instead of waiting for things to happen or taking what comes your way, rehearsal allows you to set up the steps you'll take to get through each stage of the marathon. For more info, see the new Marathon! From the Oxygen website comes some interesting information for you cheese-lovers. Joan Salge Blake, M.S., R.D., tells us that "there are a few cheeses such as feta, soft goat cheese, some brands of farmer cheese, low-fat cottage and ricotta cheese, and part-skim mozzarella that are low in fat." For The Cheese Board (gives calories and fat and saturated fat grams), go to http://thriveonline.oxygen.com/eats/experts/joan/joan.10-16-97.html She points out that while cheese is a good source of calcium (one ounce can provide 10+ percent of most adults' daily calcium needs), it can also quickly take care of your daily acceptable fat grams. "The American Heart Association recommends choosing low-fat cheeses that have no more than three grams of fat and no more than two grams of saturated fat per ounce."
The Athlete's Kitchen Q. I want to lose weight so I'll be a lighter, quicker athlete. I've stopped eating starches like potato, pasta, bread, and other fattening carbohydrates. But I wonder: what's the right balance of protein and carbs for weight loss? A. The current popularity of high protein diets for weight loss stems from protein's ability to curb hunger. That is, an egg-based breakfast takes longer to digest and can be more satisfying than is an equal number of calories from a plain bagel. By being satisfied, you'll be able to eat fewer calories, and thereby create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight. Despite popular belief, carbohydrates are NOT fattening! Rather, EXCESS CALORIES are fattening--excess calories of carbs, protein, or fat. As an athlete, you actually need a carbohydrate-based sports diet to fuel your muscles, because only carbs get stored in muscles as glycogen. When your muscle glycogen stores become depleted through repeated days of hard training with too few carbohydrates to replenish the losses, you'll become needlessly fatigued. Rather than eliminate carbohydrates (which are likely among your favorite foods), I recommend you consult with a sports nutritionist who can design a personalized food plan that will help you lose weight, maintain energy for training, and include your favorite meals. To find a local sports nutritionist, go to www.eatright.org and use the referral network of the American Dietetic Association. Q. I struggle with hypoglycemia, so I've cut back on carbohydrates to avoid "sugar highs and sugar lows." I'm eating protein with each meal but I am afraid to have potato, rice, and bread. I've heard these foods have a high glycemic index and quickly elevate my blood sugars, only to create an excessive amount of insulin that takes too much sugar out of my blood and makes me "crash." What's the right balance of protein to carbohydrates to keep my blood sugar stable? A. Of the athletes I counsel who complain about hypoglycemia, the vast majority simply underconsume calories at breakfast and lunch. They get light-headed in the afternoon not because of a reaction to carbohydrates, but because they failed to put enough fuel in their bodies and are running on fumes. The solution is not to limit carbs but rather to eat heartier breakfasts and lunches. These meals should include both carbs (for energy) and protein (for satiety)--such as milk with cereal, turkey on bread, and meat sauce with pasta. Nancy Clark, MS, RD, personal nutrition counselor at SportsMedicine Associates in Brookline MA, teaches casual and competitive athletes how to eat to win. Her best-seller Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Second Edition is reputed to be among the best books on this topic. It is available by sending $22 to Sports Nutrition Services, 830 Boylston St. #205, Brookline MA 02467 or via http://www.nancyclarkrd.com. Being a gym rat could help to protect men from developing ulcers. In a study of more than 11,000 men and women published in the Western Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that men who are active are 30 to 50 percent less likely than nonexercisers to develop ulcers. "Exercise may help to alter the way the body deals with anxiety, and to modify the types and amounts of hormones released into the bloodstream - making it harder for ulcers to form," says Caroline Macera, Ph.D., a CDC researcher. Even moderately intense physical activity like walking and jogging has been shown to protect against ulcers. Best of all, the results are cumulative, so the more a guy works out, the better protected he is. From Men's Health via the January/February 2001 issue of RodaleReport, http://www.rodale.com Troubleshooting Form Problems: Quads - too tired sore or weak When the main running muscles get tired, your stride length shortens as you slow down. The best strategy in this situation is to shorten the stride a little more and allow for a slight slowdown. Many runners, however, will try to maintain the same pace by using other muscles. The quadriceps on the front of your leg above the knee can allow this (for a while) by lifting the leg and maintaining a longer stride length. But the quads are not designed to do this and will fatigue easily. Afterward, you can usually count on two to four days of soreness, at least. Sometimes quad soreness is directly related to running more downhill than you are used to running. Even when using a short stride while running downhill, some effort is required of the quadricep muscles - especially on long downhills. Many runners aggravate this by overstriding as they go down. Yes, it is tempting, and it is easy to extend the lower leg out in front of the body too much to pick up speed. To keep the legs and body under control, the quads must then be used as brakes. Not only is this an inefficient use of muscle power, but your quads will complain for several days afterward, especially after a long run. The recommended technique is to maintain a short stride and let gravity move you down with little effort. Light exercise every day (such as walking on flat terrain) will speed up recovery of sore quads. It is not a good idea to massage them, stretch them or exercise them too hard while they are sore.
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