Resources - Newsletter Archives

Race number and pins
Race instructions, map, etc.
Copy of “Marathon Morning List” and a copy of your magic marathon words
Prepare to bring a controversial issue, at least one interesting story and at least one joke
Shoes, socks, shirt, shorts, and warm-up suit
Other clothes if it’s cold: tights, polypro top, long-sleeved T, gloves, hat, ear covering, etc.
Water (about 32-64 ounces)
Bandages, Vaseline, etc.
$20-30 for reserve funds (rapid transit tokens, etc.)
Energy bars or your chosen carbohydrate source (enough for start, second half, and after)
Fanny pack or plastic bags, pins
Some extra “throwaway” shirts and/or pants as extra layers in case the staging area is cold
Garbage bags as an inexpensive waterproof top and ground cover

Marathon Morning List

Drink four to six ounces of water every 30 minutes until you hear “sloshing.”
Eat - according to the schedule which has worked for you in the long runs (example: one energy bar with eight ounces of water, one to two hours before the start).
Bring your bag, car keys, etc.
Leave at least 30 minutes before you think you’ll need to leave . . . in case of traffic, etc.
If you have several hours at race site before start, stay warm, get off your feet and relax.
Sixty minutes before the start, walk around the staging area to mentally rehearse lining up.
Thirty minutes before the start, walk around for 15 minutes to get the legs moving.
Jog for three to five minutes (very slowly) just before lining up.
Keep the legs moving, in place if necessary, as you stand waiting for the start.
If going for a time goal, get to the starting area early enough to secure a good place.
Most of us with the goal “to finish” should line up in the back of the crowd.
Joke around; enjoy the energy and personalities of the folks nearby.
Go out slowly. If it’s hot, go out even slower!
Get over to the side of the road and take every walk break, from the beginning.
Drink at every water station until you hear sloshing in your stomach.
If you feel warm, pour water over your head at each water stop.
Each walk break gives you a chance to appreciate and enjoy every mile.
When tired shorten your stride.
Don’t stretch during the run or immediately afterward.
You may cut out the walk breaks after mile 18 if you’re feeling good.

Immediately Afterward

Grab water and carbohydrate food(s).
Walk, eat and drink for at least a mile.

Recovery

If possible, immerse your legs in a cold bath, as soon after the finish as possible.
Walk for 30 to 60 minutes later in the day.
Eat carbohydrate snacks continuously for the rest of the day.
Drink four to six ounces of water or electrolyte fluid (at least) every hour.
Walk for 30 to 60 minutes the next day.
Run/walk for 30 to 45 minutes two days after the marathon.
Continue to alternate: walk 30 to 60 minutes and run/walk 30 to 45 minutes.
Wait at least a week before you 1) schedule your next race and 2) vow never to do another marathon.

From Jeff Galloway’s Marathon: You Can Do It (Shelter Publications, 2002), pp. 97-99

Be Better Prepared for your Marathon Using a Mental Rehearsal

Before attempting something challenging like a marathon, wouldn’t you love to have the confidence of having done it – without the fatigue, sweat, aches, and pains? Thanks to the wonderful word of visualization, this is now possible.

Principles of Mental Rehearsal

1. Break down the experience into a series of small events.
•None of those events is challenging in itself.
•Each of them leads directly and automatically to the next.
2. Desensitize yourself to the uncomfortable parts.
•If you have already experienced them mentally, they aren’t as bad when you run into them.
• The more you rehearse problems, the more solutions you may find for them.
•When you mentally “tough it out” in rehearsal, over and over, it’s easier to “gut it out” in the marathon itself.
3. Rehearse every possible “problem” you could have in the marathon itself.
• When in doubt, rehearse – it’s better to be prepared for anything.
•Rehearse each problem as if it were worse than you expect it to be in the marathon. Problems that are less intense than rehearsed are less likely to engage the negative left side of the brain.
4. Rehearse often!
•Rehearse parts of the marathon every day.
• Concentrate on those aspects that make you the most apprehensive.
•Go through each segment, dealing with each problem and getting through it.
•You can find several mental solutions to the same problem.
•At least once a week, do at least a quick mental rehearsal of the marathon.

From Jeff Galloway’s Marathon: You Can Do It (Shelter Publications, 2002), p. 79

The Athlete's Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD 8/02
PROTEIN POWER: The truth about supplements

When you look at the ads in almost any sports publication, you cannot
help but notice the supplement industry is hard at work promoting
protein powders, bars and shakes. Their goal: to convince athletes they
need extra protein to build muscles and recover from exercise. Never
before have I talked to so many frenzied athletes??body builders and
marathoners alike??who are worried their standard diets are protein
deficient and inadequate to support their sports program. They commonly
ask: What's the best protein supplement?

My response: Why do you think you even need a protein supplement in the
first place? You can easily get the protein you need through standard
foods. Believe it or not, very few athletes need any type of protein
supplement. Yes, protein supplements can be helpful in certain medical
situations. For example, an athlete with anorexia may be more willing
to consume a protein shake than eat tuna, cottage cheese or chicken.
Patients with cancer or AIDS often benefit from protein supplements if
they are unable to eat well. But I have yet to meet a healthy athlete
who is unable to consume adequate protein through his or her sports
diet. Hence, the purpose of this article is to look at the myths and
facts surrounding protein supplements, so you can make informed
decisions regarding your sports diet.

How much is enough?
Only 10 to 15% of total calories need to come from protein. Although
athletes require slightly more protein than does a sedentary person, a
hungry athlete tends to eat hefty meals with large portions of
protein-rich foods. That extra peanut butter sandwich, second chicken
breast at dinner and taller glass of milk satisfies any and all protein
needs?-without any supplements.

The recommendations for a safe, adequate protein intake are:

Category Protein Needs
gms/lb
gms/150 lb person

Sedentary person 0.4 60
Recreational exerciser, adult: 0.5-0.75 75-112
Competitive athlete, adult: 0.6-0.9 90-135
Growing teenage athlete: 0.8-0.9 120-135
Dieting athlete, reduced calories:0.8-0.9 120-135

Maximum for all healthy athletes: 0.9 gram pro / lb (2 gm/kg)

Note: Protein needs change depending upon calorie intake. That is, if
you are dieting to lose weight and are in calorie deficit, you will need
more protein than if you are eating adequate calories. Your muscles burn
protein for energy when fuel is scarce.

Example: If you weigh 160 pounds and want the maximum acceptable protein
intake (0.9 gms pro/lb), you'd need 144 grams of protein--an amount you
could easily consume from a day's diet that includes 1 quart skim milk
(30 gms protein), 1 can tuna (30 gms pro), and 8 ounces chicken breast
(70 gms pro). The small amounts of protein you get from the foods that
fill out the rest of your diet (cereal, bread, broccoli, frozen yogurt,
etc.) will bring you to more than 144 grams of protein. More protein
will not be "better." And no scientific evidence supports the idea the
protein or amino acids in supplements are in any way superior to the
protein from eggs, milk, lean meats, fish, soy or other ordinary foods.

Is more better?
Eating more than the recommended protein intake offers no benefits.
Apart from being costly, a protein-based diet commonly displaces
important carbs from the diet. That is, if you have an omelet and a
protein shake for breakfast instead of cereal with banana, you'll
consume fewer carbs to fuel your muscles properly. Carbs are the primary
fuel for athletes who do muscle-building resistance exercise. Once your
muscles become carb-depleted, fatigue sets in and your workout is over.
Your diet should provide extra carbs, not extra protein.

If you consume too much protein from supplements, you may also fail to
invest in optimal health. For example, I had one client who daily ate
five protein shakes and four protein bars--to the exclusion of standard
food. Displacing natural foods with engineered foods (such as protein
supplements) limits your intake of the vegetables, fruits, grains,
fiber, phytochemicals, natural vitamins and other health-protective
nutrients that Nature puts in whole foods.

Pre and Post Exercise Protein
Q. I've heard I should eat a protein bar for a pre-exercise snack?

A. Protein has typically been consumed at meals, away from the time of
exercise. New research suggests eating protein before you workout can
optimize muscle development. Pre-exercise protein digests into amino
acids that are then ready and waiting to be taken up by the muscles
after a strength workout. This does not mean you'll evolve into Charles
Atlas; you'll simply optimize your body's ability to build and repair
muscle at that moment.

The amount of protein needed for this benefit is tiny--about 6 grams
(less than one ounce of meat). You certainly do not need a hefty
pre-exercise protein bar nor a thick steak. A yogurt, cereal with milk,
or a slice of peanut butter toast will do the job just fine! A
pre-exercise protein supplement is a needless expensive.

Protein source Cost Gms protein
Cost/gm pro
MetRx Big 100 Bar $2.50 26 gms
9.5¢
PowerBar ProteinPlus $1.95 24
8¢
Tuna, 6 oz can $0.99
30 3.5¢
Skim milk, 1 quart $0.75
32 2.5¢
Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp $0.15
7 2¢

Q. I've heard I should I eat protein right after I exercise to enhance
the speed of glycogen recovery?
A. Supposedly, eating some protein along with carbohydrates after
exercise stimulates insulin, and that stimulates greater glycogen
uptake. At least five carefully controlled studies have shown the
addition of post-exercise protein does not offer any advantages when the
athlete eats adequate calories from carbs. My advice: If you refuel with
wholesome, refreshing meals that appeal to you, you'll inevitably get
the nutrients you need. Fruit & yogurt, nuts & raisins, bagel sandwich
and pasta with meat sauce are just a few popular recovery foods that
offer an enjoyable combination of both protein and carbs to refuel, rebuild and repair muscles.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD is nutrition counselor at SportsMedicine Associates in Brookline, MA. Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook ($23) and her new Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions ($20) are available by sending a check to Sports Nutrition Services, 830 Boylston St #205, Brookline MA 02467 or via www.nancyclarkrd.com.

Unity of Body and Mind - From Galloway’s Book on Running, 2nd ed

First, let’s try to shed two or three thousand years of Western thinking – the idea that mind and body are separate entities, even adversaries. Westerners tend to think of the body as a slave, a chariot that can be driven and pushed at will. We often let our minds drive us toward goals, pushing to exhaustion or injury. Then we limp around in the aftermath, trying to re-establish communication.

In contrast, Eastern philosophy stresses unity of mind and body. Instead of a dichotomy, body and mind are a team communicating and working toward the same goal. Dr. E.C. Frederick, physiologist and author of The Running Body, illustrates the different approaches with a story about the first two people to climb Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tensing Norgay.

When reporters asked how they made the difficult climb, Hillary replied that they had “ . . . conquered the mountain” – it was an obstacle they had attached and overcome. The Sherpa, who had lived on and in the shadow of the mountain all his life, said that he and the mountain had worked together to attain the peak.
Mountains can be climbed, miles run and goals attained when the mind and body work together. When the mind coaxes adaptations out of the body, steady progress can result. But the “macho” mind that forces its intentions upon a slave-like body will only reduce it to an injured slave.

Getting Started - From Galloway’s Book on Running, 2nd ed.

It’s much better to take a 1-minute walk break every 5 minutes than to take a 5-minute walk every 25 minutes. By breaking up your run early – with even a short break – you allow for quicker and more effective recovery. If you’re used to walking for 1 minute every 4 minutes but are not feeling good at the beginning of a run, walk for 2 minutes after running for 4 or for 1 minute after running for 2.

There’s very little difference in benefit between these two intervals, but the more frequent break (a 1-minute walk after a 2-minute run) will keep the legs fresher. The longer you run continuously, the more fatigued the legs become. Remember that you lose only about 17 seconds when you walk for 1 minute. The short distance you lose on extra walking earlier will almost always be recovered at the end – because you kept your legs fresh. Those who put this concept to the test almost always find that taking more frequent walk breaks doesn’t slow the overall time of long runs – when the long runs are done at the correct slow pace.

When in Doubt, Walk - From Galloway’s Book on Running, 2nd ed.

There’s very little difference in benefit between these two intervals, but the more frequent break (a 1-minute walk after a 2-minute run) will keep the legs fresher. The longer you run continuously, the more fatigued the legs become. Remember that you lose only about 17 seconds when you walk for 1 minute. The short distance you lose on extra walking earlier will almost always be recovered at the end - because you kept your legs fresh. Those who put this concept to the test almost always find that taking more frequent walk breaks doesn’t slow the overall time of long runs – when the long runs are done at the correct slow pace.

Tea Drinkers Have Strong Bones

Tea has risen to a new standard for vices – it appears to be very good for you. Previous research has associated tea drinking with lowers rates of heart disease and cancer (see Running & FitNews, March 2001). This new study attributes significantly higher bone density to lifetime tea drinkers. Over a thousand men and women were questioned about their tea consumption and other lifestyle habits. Measurements of bone mineral density were taken of the total body and specific sites including the lumbar spine and hip.

Nearly half of the participants were habitual tea drinkers. Compared to their tea-less counterparts, bone mineral density increased with duration of tea consumption. Those drinking tea for 10 years or more enjoyed the highest bone density, by as much as five percent, after controlling for all other variables. Compounds in tea, including flouride, phytoestrogens, and flavonoids may be responsible for the health benefits of tea, resulting in high marks for the humble brew – giving you a good reason to trade off some of those lattes for tea.

Osteoporosis remains a serious health problem, especially for post-menopausal women. Be sure to keep these tried and true standard prevention practices in mind. Eat a well-balanced diet, include a calcium supplement and vitamin D, get plenty of weight-bearing exercise such as running, and medications such as Fosamax and Miacalcin for those with low bone density. (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2002, Vol. 162, No. 9, pp. 1001-1006). From American Running Association’s Running & FitNews, September/October 2002, pp. 1-2:

Run Slick

Chafing makes babies cry and can reduce a grown man to groans. Lie a blister, an area that chafes during a long run can focus what seems like every nerve and thought to that one spot on your skin. Skin rubbed raw by clothing or by skin against skin (like armpits) can be a problem in both cool and warm weather. If you have a tendency to chafe when you run, get slick. Apply petroleum jelly to any areas that have chafed in the past. Try lycra sorts, avoid cotton clothing, (cotton holds water and friction forces increase when wet). Women can try wearing a sport bra inside out so seams don’t rub against your skin.
From www.americanrunning.org“

You become an athlete when a physical challenge becomes a mental challenge and you keep going until you break through it.” Jeff Galloway