   |
|
 |
|||||||||||||
|
Newsletter: Volume 39, May 2002
Fartlek Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning speed play. It's a free-form method of speed development that can accomplish all of the objectives of interval training and add a mental strengthening component to your training. Used as a substitute for interval training or other speed play, fartlek is usually performed on those weekends when you are not making a long run and instead of mile repeats. During a run of a given distance, you accelerate - to the next telephone pole, to a tree, to any landmark. When you have pushed as long and as fast as you want (or can), you jog to recover. Then when you feel like it, you take off again. Fartlek is speed training at your own pace. It is intuitive, without prescribed distances or speeds. You can run according to how you feel on that day, at that moment. It is speedwork, but it can be playful and creative. Lasse Viren, the four-time Olympic gold medalist in 5K and 10K from Finland, did none of his speed training on the track during his eight years of Olympic training. Fartlek can give you all the speed training you need, plus psychological strength benefits. Fartlek is not for beginners. It does not give a beginner enough structure or feedback to learn a sense of pace. Many veterans who are already "pace-wise," however, can benefit from a fartlek session. While interval training gives the beginner exact feedback, it confines the veteran. Fartlek allows you to play with your limits of speed, tiredness, and endurance without stopping at the end of the lap. In this way you learn to cope with race-like discomfort and the anxiety of not knowing how long you can cope before slowing down. Beginners run a high risk of injury in fartlek training while veterans, more sensitive to stress, should know when to back off. Mental Strength From Galloway's Book on Running, 2nd edition (Shelter Publications, 2002), p. 126-128, and Marathon You Can Do It (Shelter Publications, 2002), p. 71-72  More than a running camp... Jeff's running retreats in Squaw Valley will be July 5-12 and July
12-14 this year. For more info, go to our Retreats
page. His guests this year will include Joe Henderson, Bob Anderson,
Dr. Gary Moran, Sister Marion Irvine and Dr. David Hannaford. Come
and see why so many people come back year after year.
Need a little motivation boost? It could be low blood sugar. You may be just half an energy bar away from motivation. If your exercise time is mid-day or later, and you feel tired and unmotivated, low blood sugar is often the case of your "exercise blues." Waiting for more than two hours to eat a balanced snack or meal (high-sugar foods don't count) will only lower your concentration and motivation. Low blood sugar is a significant stress on your system, causing the left side of your brain to unleash a stream of messages, such as "You'll feel better tomorrow, take the day off," "You have too much to do," or "The couch is waiting for you." An energy snack, with water, coffee, etc., about one hour before exercise, will often reverse the negative thoughts and get you off the couch. Jeff's Picks Park City Marathon June 8 Jeff's clinics will be in Park City, UT, June 7, 6:00 & 8:00 p.m.,
St. Mary's Catholic Church Charleston Distance Run August 31 Chicago Half Marathon September 8 Durango Marathon October 13 - I just visited this beautiful city of trails to kick off the training season for the Durango Marathon. This is the first marathon in this area and it will be memorable. Put it on your calendar! JG US Marine Corps Marathon October 27 Tips for Running in the Heat Beat the sun, and you'll beat the heat. The best time for hot weather running is before sunrise. The more you can run before sunrise, the cooler you will feel, compared with how you'll feel later in the day. The second-best time to run, by the way is right after sunrise, unless the temperature cools off dramatically at sunset, which would make that time more favorable. In humid areas, however, it usually doesn't cool down much after sunset. How to Stay Cool: Slow down early. Walk breaks, early and often, help you lower the exertion level, which conserves resources for the end and reduces heat build-up. The later you wait to slow down, the more dramatically you'll slow down at the end and the longer it will take to recover from the Wear lighter garments. Loose-fitting clothes allow heat to escape. Don't wear cotton clothing. Sweat soaks into cotton, causing it to cling to your skin, increasing heat build-up. Several materials will wick the perspiration away from your skin: Coolmax, polypro, etc. As moisture leaves your skin, you receive the cooling effect that these types of materials are designed for. Drink cold water. Not only does cold water leave the stomach of a runner quicker than any type of fluid, it produces a slight physiological cooling effect. But don't drink too much either. Most of us do well with between six and 10 ounces an hour during warm weather. Drink until you hear sloshing in your stomach, then stop. When the sloshing sound goes away, resume drinking. From Galloway's Book on Running, 2nd edition (Shelter Publications, 2002), p. 61-62 Run the original . . . 2002 Athens Marathon The course of the Athens Marathon covers what may be the very ground that Phidippides followed 2500 years ago. When you run the Athens marathon you travel in the very footsteps of the ancient gods and heroes that gave birth to western civilization. You can almost feel Phidippides running beside you. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience you'll never forget. Paul Samaras of Apostolos Greek Tours is taking another group to Athens for the Marathon this year. He is a Greek native now living in Denver. He will be your personal guide as you explore the Parthenon, Delphi, Epidavros, Athens' fabled Plaka and other historic sites. For more info, contact Paul at apostolos@athensmarathon.com.
The Athlete's Kitchen Ever since Dr. Atkins came out with his carbohydrate-bashing high protein diet, active people (who had been happily enjoying bagels, pasta and pretzels as the foundation of their meals) have suddenly started shunning these excellent sources of muscle fuel. Instead, they are eating more egg whites, cottage cheese, soy shakes and protein-based foods. But questions abound about the role of carbohydrates in the sports diet--as well as concerns about insulin and the glycemic effect of foods. The purpose of this article is to address the current state of carbohydrate confusion and provide some clarity for active people who want to eat wisely for good health, high energy, weight control and top performance. Q: Are carbs fattening? ... Should I eat less of them? Q. Is there a difference between the carbs from starchy foods (like breads) vs the carbs in fruits and vegetables or in candy? A. As far as your muscles are concerned, there is no difference. You can carbo-load on jelly beans, bananas or brown rice; they are biochemically similar. Sugars and starches both offer the same amount of energy (16 calories per teaspoon) and both get stored as glycogen in muscles or used for fuel by the muscles and brain (via the blood sugar). The sugar in jelly beans is a simple compound, one or two molecules linked together. The starch in brown rice is a complex compound, hundreds to thousands of sugar molecules linked together. Sugars can convert into starches and starches can convert into sugars. For example- -
The difference between sugars and starches comes in their nutritional value and impact on your health. Some sugars and starches are healthier than others. For example, the sugar is orange juice is accompanied by vitamin C, folate and potassium. The sugar in orange soda pop is void of vitamins and minerals; that's why it's described as "empty calories." The starch in whole wheat bread is accompanied by fiber and B-vitamins. The starch in white breads has lost many health protective nutrients during the refining process. White bread provides muscle fuel, but fewer vitamins. Q. If carbs aren't fattening, why do high protein diets "work"?
A. High protein diets seemingly "work" because - The overwhelming reason why high protein diets do NOT work is dieters fail to stay on them for a long time. They may lose weight, but only to regain it. The trick to losing weight is to learn how to manage the American food supply so you won't regain the weight. Remember: You should never start a food program you do not want to maintain for the rest of your life. Do you really want to never eat breads, potato or crackers ever again???? Q. I've heard white bread is "poison." Do you agree? White bread's reputation for being "poison" is partially because of its high glycemic effect. That is, 200 calories of white bread quickly digests and causes the blood glucose (blood sugar) to elevate higher than would the same amount of a whole grain, fiber-rich bread. High blood glucose triggers the body to secrete insulin to carry the sugar out of the blood. Insulin can stimulate the appetite, as well as fat deposition. If you are physically fit, however, your muscles readily store the sugar as glycogen with the need of much less insulin. Hence, active people can handle high carb foods and have less need to worry about a food's glycemic effect. Q. Should I choose foods based on their glycemic effect? Nancy Clark, MS, RD, nutrition counselor at SportsMedicine Associates in Brookline MA, is author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook ($23) and her newest title Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions ($20). Both are available by sending a check to Sports Nutrition Services, 830 Boylston St #205, Brookline MA 02467 or via www.nancyclarkrd.com. From Runner's World, June 2002:
From American Running & Fitness
News Peppermint peps up Running Performance It may take some creativity to figure out how to capitalize on the ergogenic effect of peppermint odor. Wear a potpourri around your neck? Pocket a bottle of peppermint oil and uncap and sniff when your energy is flagging? The results of the study may be significant enough to make it worth a try. Certainly this is one ergogenic aid in which there is no possibility of ill effects or doping scandal. It should pass the test of even the most stringent purists. (Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2001, Vol, 23, No. 2, pp. 156)
Home | Site
Map | Contact Us Copyright © 2003, JFG, Inc. |
Training Programs
Newsletter
Archives