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Newsletter Archives: Volume21, September 2000

The Man Who Invented Jogging: Bill Bowerman

Two movies have been made about the life of the great American runner Steve Prefontaine. You couldn't help but be inspired when you watched Pre in a close race because he gave it everything he had‹and then some. As a friend of "Pre," it was obvious to me that he drew much of his own inspiration from the man who made a bigger imprint on running today than any person I know: his mentor, Bill Bowerman. So did I.

As a group of Runner's World folks were exiting a preview of one of the "Pre" movies, editor and long term friend Amby Burfoot turned to me and said "Bowerman must have had a big impact on Pre." Without thinking I replied "Bowerman had an impact on almost anyone he met." Those of us who were lucky enough to be coached by him are better people for it.

This guttural gentleman from the hard, desert environment of Eastern Oregon,didn't have to say much, and he didn't. While he showed little emotion, he obviously cared for each of his athletes. Most of them knew this. Each day, he sized you up and told you in a few words where you were wanting and, if you were lucky, what to do about it. Some times he made you mad. Most of the time you wanted to do what it took to make him proud of you. You certainly didn't want to do anything that displeased him.

While he made a major contribution to competitive running and training, Bill Bowerman was a running renaissance man, whose influence positively changed North American running forever. Here are a few of his accomplishments:

• He produced the finest college track program ever in the distance and middle distance events. His Oregon 4 x 1 mile relay team set the world's record.
• His "Oregon Training Plan" was the first to give distance runners enough rest to recover from hard workouts and races‹while training for world class performances. Prior to Bowerman, the prevailing concept was to train hard every day until you were too tired to do so. Bowerman introduced running hard one day and taking the next day very easy or off.
• Bowerman started the jogging boom in the U.S., with training groups, articles on the health of it, and direct contact with participants. The leaders of the pace groups for this program were athletes on his track team.
• His book on jogging sold over a million copies.
• He was co-founder of Nike, with one of his former athletes, Phil Knight.
• Starting in the 1950's, Bowerman designed and built racing shoes for his athletes. Among the developments which he pioneered was the concept of building shoes based on the individual needs of the runner. He also made a "waffle sole" for extra cushion and traction out of his wife's waffle iron.
• He coached the 1972 US Olympic Team, of which I was a member

Bowerman didn't chase any idea that came along. But when he felt, from his gut, that it was important, he spent the time and the intensity necessary to bring it to completion. His influence has inspired me to do my daily check of what is important and then follow the projects I believe in.

If you want to get a good portrayal of Bowerman, see the movie called PREFONTAINE (available in most video stores). The actor who portrayed him did an excellent job of getting inside the character and bringing alive the spirit of this man who made the world of running a better place for all of us. I am a better person because I wanted to be like Bill. - Jeff Galloway

Walk Breaks in the Marathon: How Long and How Often?

The following is recommended until 18 miles in the marathon. After that point, walk breaks can be reduced or eliminated as desired.

Beginning runners should follow the program you've used in training as long as you aren't slowing down at the end. If you struggled during the last few miles, take walk breaks more often from the beginning. A minimum beginners program would be two to three minutes of walking for every one to twominutes of jogging.

First-time marathoners who don't enter races should follow the program you've used in training as long as you haven't been slowing down at the end of the long ones. if you struggled during the last few miles, take walk breaks more often from the beginning. A minimum suggestion for first-time marathoners would be one minute of walking for every three to four minutes of running.

If you haven't run more than 20 miles in training, there's still hope. Let's say that you just picked up this book less than three weeks before your marathon and your longest run is only 18 miles. If you had no trouble with your last long run and have been taking walk breaks, add one minute to each walk (a five-minute run, one-minute walk becomes five running minutes and two walking minutes). If you haven't been taking walk breaks at all or haven't been taking them as often as the schedule below, add one minute to each walk break on this schedule.

All others should monitor walk breaks by goal pace. (First-time marathoners should run their first one at least an hour slower than they could run on that day.)

Time Goal of more than 6 hours: 1-2 minutes of walking afterevery 1-2 minutes of running
Time Goal of 5:30-6:00 hours and slower: 1 minute of walking after every 4-5 minutes of running
Time Goal of 5:00-5:29: 1 minute of walking after every 5-6 minutes of running Time Goal of 4:30-4:59: 1-2 minutes of walking after every 6-7 minutes of running
Time Goal of 4:00-4:29: 1 minute of walking after every 7-8 minutes of running
Time Goal of 3:30-3:59: 2 minute of walking after every mile
Time Goal of 3:22-3:29: 30 seconds of walking after every mile
Time Goal of 3:16-3:21: 20 seconds of walking after every mile
Time Goal of 3:08-3:15: 15 seconds of walking after every mile
Time Goal of 2:50-3:07: 10 seconds of walking after every mile

From Jeff Galloway's new Marathon! (Phidippides Publication, 2000), p. 42

Pacing Tips for the Marathon (rerun from July 2000 issue)

• Pacing Tips for the Marathon (rerun from July 2000 issue)
• A one-minute walk break (for the average person) will slow you by 15 to 18 seconds.
• A slightly slower pace will allow the legs to warm up before pushing into race effort.
• Remember to adjust your pace for heat, humidity and hills.
• Between three and eight miles, shift to running faster in the running portions and take the walk breaks.
• You will gradually pick up the pace so that by eight miles, you're running at goal pace when you average the walk breaks and the running segments.
• If it's a struggle to pick up the pace, stay at an effort level which is comfortable.
• Don't even think about cutting your walk break short to speed things up
• Between eight and 18 miles, run at marathon goal pace (run faster to compensate for walk breaks.
• Run each mile about 15 to 18 seconds faster than your goal pace, then walk.
• Stay smooth as you ease down to walk and ease back into running.
• Compute your pace each mile.
• Uphill miles can be slower, and downhill miles can be faster than goal pace.
• After 18 miles, you can cut out the walk breaks if you're feeling strong (and want to).
• An alternative: walk for 30 seconds for several walk breaks before eliminating them.
• If you need the breaks but legs are cramping, shuffle instead of walking.
• After 23 miles, you can keep picking up the pace if you feel up to it

Race Recovery Tips from Jeff Galloway:

Even if you've run twice as far as you've ever raced before in your life, you can be back to your normal running routine very quickly by following a few simple steps, before and after your race. By mentally and physically preparing for the moring after, you can reduce the negatives, while emotionally riding the wave of positive momentum from even the toughest of races.

At the finish line: Even if you don't want to, keep walking after you cross the finish. Grab two cups of water, drink and keep walking. Get two more cups and pour them on your legs and two more on your head if you feel hot. Walk to the food area, pick up your carbohydrate snacks of choice, and eat, while you continue drinking water or electrolyte beverage. Keep walking for a mile or so - your legs will recover faster because the walking pumps new blood in there, pushing the waste products out.

Throughout the afternoon: After a meal and a shower, walk for two to four more miles very easily - just keep the legs moving. Drink water, electrolyte beverages, citrus juice and eat some low fat protein with other carbohydrates. You've earned your food rewards, and you'll reload most effectively when you've eaten a good small meal within 30-60 minutes of the finish. You don't have to be a pig, just keep snacking all afternoon and evening. For the next few days, you may want to increase your consumption of Vitamin C to speed up healing of little micro-tears in your muscles and tendons.

The next day: Walk for 30 to 60 minutes or more. The pace can be as slow as you wish, just keep moving. If you have soreness, the walking will work it out quicker than sitting on a couch.

Injury of the Month: Side Stitches

Side pain is the result of two conditions:

1. not deep breathing from the beginning of the run
2. starting the run at least a little faster than he should have

The best way I've found to develop deep breathing is to exhale as completely as possible, every 3-4 breaths. This forces you to breath in and fill up the lower lungs. Lower lung breathing seems to cut out or at least down on side pain.

The Athlete's Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark 09/00
Women, Weight and Menopause

"Is it true women inevitably gain weight with menopause...?"

"I can't understand why I've gained 5 lbs. ... I'm eating and exercising the same as I've always done, but my weight has gone up!!"

"My waist is expanding. Thank goodness for elastic waist bands!"

It's no secret: Women aged 45 to 50 constantly complain about weight gain and a thickened waist. Based on their stories, one could assume perimenopausal (the years surrounding menopause) weight gain is inevitable. This may not be the case. Here are the answers to some questions middle-aged women (and their family members) commonly ask about weight and menopause.

Is midlife weight gain inevitable?
Despite popular belief, women do not inevitably gain weight with menopause. Yes, women commonly gain weight and get thicker around the middle as the fat settles in and around the abdominal area. But the changes are not due to the hormonal shifts of menopause, but rather to reduced metabolic rate, less activity, and a calorie imbalance.

Why do women gain weight with age?
When people age, they tend to lose muscle mass (unless they do regular strength training). Because muscle drives your metabolic rate, less muscle means a lower metabolic rate and fewer calories burned. Plus, if you are feeling chronically fatigued due to poor sleep and the hormonal shifts of menopause, you may lack the desire to exercise. This perpetuates more muscle loss and furthers the drop in metabolism.

Menopause also occurs during a time when many women become less active. That is, if your children have grown up and left home, you may find yourself sitting and reading, rather than running up and down stairs, carrying endless loads of laundry. By the time you are 50ish, you may also be more affluent and have more money to spend on restaurant eating, vacations, and cruises. And you may be attending more business meetings that involve abundant food. The combination of easy access to delicious food, lower activity level--and the attitude "I'm tired of dieting and depriving myself of tasty food" that accompanies 35 or more years of restrictive eating--can sneakily contribute to the excess calories that settle around your waist. But don't blame menopause! A study with 541 women, ages 42 to 50 suggests the women, on average, gained the same amount of weight--whether or not they had gone through menopause.

How can I prevent midlife weight gain?
The best way to prevent weight gain is to exercise and maintain an active lifestyle. Research with women who walked for 2 to 3 miles per day, ate a lowfat diet, and monitored their calorie intake indicates they did not gain the five pounds their non-exercising peers gained between the ages of 45 to 50. In another study, 57 active women who followed an exercise program for two years gained less weight, and less weight around their middles, plus had stronger bones then 130 women of the same age who did not exercise.

What's the best exercise program for women?
Your exercise program should include both aerobic exercise (to enhance your cardiovascular fitness) and strengthening exercise (to preserve muscles and bone density). The book "Strong Women Stay Thin" by Miriam Nelson is a good resource for helping you develop a health-protective exercise program.

I'm afraid to take hormones.
Is it true they contribute to weight gain? Research suggests taking hormones to counter the symptoms of menopause (as well as to protect against heart disease and osteoporosis) does not contribute to weight gain. If anything, hormone replacement therapy may help women lose weight, or not contribute to extra weight-gain on top of that commonly gained at midlife.

Do menopausal women have special nutritional needs?
Menopausal women need a strong calcium intake: 1,200 to 1,500 mg calcium/day, or the equivalent of a serving of milk or yogurt at each meal. If you are tempted to take a supplement instead of consume lowfat dairy foods, think again. One supplement does not replace the whole package of health-protective nutrients in lowfat milk and yogurt. Also, recent research suggests women who drink 3 or more glasses of milk/day tend to be leaner than milk-abstainers. Milk can help you manage your weight, not fatten you up.

I feel desperate to lose the weight I've gained. What's the best diet for quickly shedding five to ten pounds?
The best way to lose weight is to think about eating healthfully. If you have been dieting for 35 to 40 years of your adult life, you should have learned by now that dieting doesn't work. Rather, you need to learn how to manage food. This means, learning how to have smaller portions of your trouble foods (such as eating one cookie, not three) and eating more whole foods and unrefined foods: whole grain breads, fresh fruits, vegetables, lowfat dairy, fish, and more tofu (and other soy foods), lentils, dried beans, and nuts.

If you feel at a loss for how to start eating well, you should meet with a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in sports nutrition. This professional can develop a personalized food plan that fits your needs. To find a local RD, go to www.eatright.org and enter your zip code into the referral network. While on the Web, you might want to also visit www.gurze.com for helpful reading. (I recommend "French Toast for Breakfast," "Intuitive Eating," and "The Don't Diet, Live It! Workbook.")

Also ask yourself: Am I really overweight now, or are my jeans just tighter? Maybe you have just gravitated to a more natural weight for your age and there's more of you to love. After all, most women who are normal weight perceive themselves as being overweight. Perhaps now is the time to start focusing on being fit and healthy, rather than being thin at any cost?

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.

Good News on Yogurt!

Remember not so long ago when yogurt was only available in your local health food store? Nowadays, it would be hard to find a grocery store without several different brands! Yogurt has become a very common menu item for many of us. It's tasty (with all the available flavors, how could we NOT find one we like?), it's easy to transport (good for lunches or snacks on the fly), and we know it's good for us. Some of us might even know that yogurt is more easily digested than milk for those with sensitive stomachs.

Those things are true, but some new reports have come out with some great information on all the things yogurt has in it that are good for us. Some of the things we knew - calcium and protein. After all, it's a dairy product, right? But, guess what? It also has as much potassium as a banana, and, because of its live, or active cultures, it actually boosts our immune systems, helping to prevent infections.

The experts caution us to look on the yogurt carton to make sure it has the active cultures. Otherwise, you're getting something closer to "gelatinized milk" than yogurt.

{from "Yogurt- the Original Health Food" in the American Running Association's Running & Fit News, September 2000), p. 3 -http:// www.americanrunning.org and from http:/www.msnbc.com- The Today Show's Eat Smart feature with Leslie Bonci of the American Dietetic Association, October 8, 2000}

Snips

• Shopping for a sports bra? Take a look at http://www.lucy.com, a sports-apparel site that can help with the sports bra decision. There is a special-needs section for anyone with size issues as well as for mew moms who are breast-feeding.
• Guard Against Weight Gain. Though evidence is mixed, some research shows that obesity may alter your immune-system response. Add that to the many health risks associated with being overweight (including heart disease, diabetes and sleep apnea), and avoiding the 20- to 30-pound gain that many adults pack on as they age becomes an important way to safeguard your well-being, says Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The number you don't want to hit: a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, which is considered overweight. To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 700. Divide the result by your height in inches; then divide that number by your height in inches again. {(From "10 Ways to Turbo-Charge Your Immune System," by Sandra Gordon in Fitness magazine (G+J USA Publishing, October, 2000), p. 50 - http://www.fitnessmagazine.com}
• Raw versus cooked: Assuming equal degress of freshness, your body may actually be able to use more of the nutrients and phytochemicals in vegetables that have been cooked than in those that are raw. Checking blood levels of subjects after eating either cooked or raw spinach and carrots confirmed that heat releases more beta-carotene from the vegetables and increases the bioavailability of nutrients by as much as five times. This may be because nutrients are locked in plant cell walls and heat helps to break them down. {from "Eating Vegetables - The Simple Truths," (American Running Association's Running & Fit News, August, 2000), p. 3 - http://www.americanrunning.org}

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