Why is Running Addictive? The Runner's High

Running is with out a doubt, addictive. Many individuals rely on running to maintain a normal mood state. Anytime running is taken away due to injury, schedule conflicts, etc, it can cause withdrawals. When running is completed, these individuals can feel a sense of euphoria and contentment. Running can be like any other addictive behavior in that is causes dependency, withdrawal, and tolerance.

Since running has mood regulating properties, it is known to be addictive. Of course running has a lot more positive than negative effects when it comes to addiction because of it's numerous beneficial effects on overall health, but it can still cause dependence and psychological issues such as nervousness, depression, and anger.

What actually causes running to be addictive? One explanation is the "Runner's High" you get from a great run. Running has addictive properties because of the substantial levels of endogenous opiates, opium like compounds that can be synthesized and released by nerve cells with in the brain. This typically occurs during intense or prolonged running workouts. This can be psychologically satisfying  because it stimulates reward pathways in the brain giving you a sense of "Runner's High".

The release of catecholamine's (adrenaline and noradrenaline) can also be triggered through running resulting in a stimulating and pleasantly arousing effect on the nervous system and various physiological functions.

Dopaminergic brain areas (parts of the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps regulate mood) can also be stimulated through an intense running workout. This can have a significantly positive impact on emotional state.

An individual's endorphin response can vary depending on the type of workout they are doing. Some individuals get a greater response from shorter, intense workouts and others may produce a greater response from longer duration running workouts. Some research has shown that a runner's best event is the one that produces the most endorphin release and is practiced the most.

Makes sense though right? Who doesn't want to feel good? Running is seen as a positive addictive when it comes to producing great health benefits and also developing rewarding and productive social and professional life benefits. It can also prevent issues such as unhappiness and depression. As long as you enjoy the positive benefits of running and don't let the negative aspects of running consume your life, keep on running!

If running currently isn't a favorite activity of yours, it is time to try it out! Better yet, with New Years just a couple days away, sign up for a race for 2014! Throw on your running shoes and start training! Become apart of a positive addiction that can run you in the right direction.

Please feel free to post your comments or email me with questions!!



Happy Runner's High Running :)

Sleep! Are You Getting To Bed On Time?

Sleep is extremely important for your body's overall function. You absolutely need it. Many of us don't not get enough sleep at night, go to bed late, wake up early, depend on caffeine to make it through our days, and so forth, but what if you just went bed on time? I am going to explain further why sleep is so important.

- The Sleep/Wake Cycle -

Cortisol is released in response to the exposure of light. This activates the body and prepares it for work, movement, and whatever is necessary for survival. Cortisol naturally releases at 6am to wake you up and prepare you for the day ahead! It peaks from 6am-9am. Through out the day cortisol will slowly drop off and allow the production of melatonin. This also increases the levels of growth and repair hormones. If we follow our natural sleep/wake cycles we will get optimal sleep being in bed by 10pm!

We have a natural sleep/wake cycle. Depending on when you go to bed and when you wake up, you natural sleep cycle can be very much affected. So when is the best time to be sleeping?

Your body's physical repair happens between 10pm and 2am in the morning. Your body's psychogenic repair happens from 2am-6am in the morning.

 

What happens when you disrupt your natural sleep/wake cycle?

 

It is typically due to excess of cortisol released through out the day. Anytime that cortisol is released, it inhibits your body to produce melatonin, growth hormones, and important immune factors. Different factors that can release cortisol include: fluorescent lights, TV, computer screens, caffeine, nutrition, etc. Lets say you decide to go to bed at midnight, you are losing 50% of your physical repair cycle of sleep.

 

If you are someone that watches TV at night, is still doing work on their computer, has poor nutrition, drinks coffee through out the day (other types of caffeine), a combinations of these things and so forth, you are probably depriving yourself of a normal sleep/wake cycle, and exhausting your body's adrenal glands. Chronic exposure to cortisol releasing activities, the adrenal glands will be overworked and can cause a depressed immune system, illness, and chronic fatigue.

 

- Disrupted Sleep/Wake Cycle - 

 

 





 

 



How do you optimize your sleep/wake cycle?

 

1. Get to bed by 10pm

2. Minimize your exposure to bright lights 2 hours before bed

3. Sleep in a room that is completely dark

4. Avoid the consumption of stimulants after lunch (caffeine, sugar, nicotine)

5. Good nutrition - eat right

6. Drink plenty of water - dehydration stresses your body

7. Exercise! Just not right before bed!

8. If possible, keep electrical devices away from the bed (TV's, lights, clocks, etc)

9. 7-8 hours of sleep each night

10. Repeat.

 

Are you getting to bed on time? If not, it is time to take steps into reducing your daily stress and naturalizing your sleep/wake cycle! Your body will thank you for it.

 

Please feel free to comment or ask any questions!!!

 

Happy Sleep for Running :)

 

 



Maple Pecan Protein Bars - Yum!

Today I made a batch of Maple Pecan Protein Bars and they are so good! I definitely recommend that you try them! I was searching and searching for a good recipe and I thought I would try this one out!

Here is how you make them!



Here are the ingredients...

1 Cup - Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Cup - Oatmeal
1/2 Cup - Almond Butter
1/2 Cup - Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup - Chopped Pecans
1-2 Cap Fulls of Vanilla Flavoring
1 Cup - Coconut Shredded (topping)



**Mix all of the ingredients together! First mix together the dry ingredients (vanilla protein powder, oatmeal, pecans) then one by one mix in the wet ingredients (almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla flavoring)**



**Once all of the ingredients are mixed together, smash the ingredients in containers to store and have later (like in the picture) OR put in a 8 X 8 pan. Then put some of the remaining raw pecan pieces on top.**

 

**Lastly put shredded coconut on top of the bars and place in the fridge!

**Once they are refrigerated for 20 minutes or more, take out of the fridge**



 AND ENJOY!!






**Please feel free to share your protein bar or other recipes!**

Happy Nutritious Running! :)

A Running Workout To Try On The Treadmill - Beat The Boredom

The winter time can be a rough time of year in Minnesota for outdoor runners. Some might continue on there outdoor runs and beat the cold, but many of us decide to use the treadmill for more workouts during the winter time. Treadmill workouts can be SO boring! How can you make indoor running that much more enjoyable?? Here is one of my favorite workouts on the treadmill, and keeps me from getting bored especially on my longer mileage days.

Here is my typical workout but of course adapt it to your training zones & current paces...

2 mile warm up - 7.5mph-9.9mph
Start - 9.1mph 0.5% incline for 2 minutes - 9.1mph 1% incline 2 minutes
9.2mph 0.5% incline for 2 minutes - 9.2mph 1% incline 2 minutes
9.3mph 0.5% incline for 2 minutes - 9.3mph 1% incline 2 minutes
etc... etc...
End - 10mph 0.5% incline 2 minutes - 10mph 1% incline 2 minutes
2 mile Cool Down

Total run - 10-11 miles

For someone else doing this workout, if those are not your current paces, start at the low end of your zone 1 (or an easy run pace) and build up to the top of your zone 2 (or a slightly harder pace, but a pace that you can still hold until the end of the workout) by changing the pace and incline every 2 minutes. Also you can go higher on your inclines - 1%, 2% etc. For me it's a nice mental break every 2 minutes because it slightly changes the workout. Also start with your typical warm up and end with a nice and easy cool down.

TRY IT! I think you will like a change of pace on the treadmill especially if you are not a treadmill runner!

Feel free to comment or post any of your treadmill running ideas!!!

Happy Indoor Running :)

Maximal Running Speed - How Important is it to Running Performance?

Maximal running speed  is the highest speed that can be sustained for a full out 50-meter sprint! It is a significant predictor of endurance performance. Many runners are unaware of the close relationship between maximal speed and endurance success. Anywhere from a 10K to marathon, maximal running speed will increase running times and success.

How significant can maximal running speed be when competing in an aerobic (use of oxygen) event like a 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, and ultra marathon? Maximal running speed from an energy system standpoint, is basically performing at an anaerobic speed (without the use of oxygen - how fast can your body breakdown glucose into lactate without oxygen involvement?).

Looking at traditional anaerobic-aerobic training, it is difficult to understand what is really happening in the body during running performance. Successful running involves much more than the presence of aerobic and anaerobic enzymes in the muscle. What if we just inject a bunch of anaerobic enzymes into the runners leg? That would improve performance right?

Unfortunately, the nervous system's role as director of speed development is independent of energy producing systems in the muscle fibers.

Maximal speed improves as the nervous system learns to...
1. Coordinate the muscles in ways that promote a faster stride rates
2. Shorter contact times with the ground per step
3. Quicker generation of substantial propulsive forces

**These factors are extremely important for competitive endurance running**

 

 

To develop the ability to run faster while increasing the capacity to sustain higher speeds over extended periods of time is a key goal for endurance runners.

 

-How can you improve maximal speed?

-By increasing stride rate & stride length

 

 

-3 Ways To Increase Stride Rate -

1. Emphasize high speed running - run at maximal speed - 50-300 meter sprints

2. Carry Out Explosive Drills - require feet on and off the ground as fast of possible - as specific to running gait as possible

3. Emphasize Agility & Coordination Training - reduces the requirement to stabilize the leg & body when the foot makes contact with the ground

 

-3 Ways To Increase Stride Length-

1. Carry Out Running Specific Strengthening Movements - these movements should mimic running mechanics with increased resistance

2. Hill Training - the most specific form of strength training for running

3. Develop Agility & Coordination - optimal amount of the leg-muscle force can be used for propulsion

 

The endurance runner that has an optimized maximal running speed has a huge benefit over other competitive runners who have lacked this type of training! Train smarter & harder while increasing your maximal speed running performance!

 

Feel free to post comments or email me!

 

Happy Maximal Speed Running :)

The Top 5 Reason Why You Should Eat Plenty of Protein!

Reason #1: Increased Thermic Effect of Feeding.

While all macronutrients require metabolic processing for digestion, absorption, and storage or oxidation, the thermic effect of protein is significantly higher than that of carbohydrates and fat. In fact, protein requires 25-30% of the energy it provides just for digestion, absorption, and assimilation while carbs only require 6-8% and fat requires 2-3%. That means that eating protein is actually thermogenic and can lead to a higher metabolic rate. This means greater fat loss and less fat gain.

Reason #2: Increased Glucagon.

Protein consumption increases plasma concentrations of the hormone glucagon. Glucagon is responsible for antagonizing the effects of insulin in adipose tissue, leading to greater fat mobilization. In addition, glucagon also decreases the amounts and activities of the enzymes responsible for making and storing fat in adipose and liver cells. Again, this leads to greater fat loss and less fat gain.

Reason #3: Increased IGF-1.

Protein and amino-acid supplementation has been shown to increase the IGF-1 response to both exercise and feeding. Since IGF-1 is an anabolic hormone that's related to muscle growth, another advantage associated with consuming more protein is more muscle growth when overfeeding and/or muscle sparing when dieting.

Reason #4: Reduction in Cardiovascular Risk.

Several studies have shown that increasing the percentage of protein in the diet (from 11% to 23%) while decreasing the percentage of carbohydrate (from 63% to 48%) lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations while it increases in HDL cholesterol concentrations.

Reason #5: Improved Weight Loss Profile.

Research has shown that reducing the carbohydrate ratio from 3.5 - 1 to 1.4 - 1 increases body fat loss, spares muscle mass, reduces triglyceride concentrations, improves satiety, and improves blood glucose management.

 

 

If you do not have enough protein in your current nutrition, here are 5 reason why you should start. I recommend 1 gram of protein per lean body tissue and up to 1 gram per body weight for individuals. For individuals trying to lose weight, I recommend 1 gram of protein for there ideal body weight.

 

For example, if there current body weight is 200lbs and there ideal body weight is 175lbs, I recommend 175 grams of protein per day.

No matter what your health, fitness, and performance goals are, eating plenty of protein has benefits for every individual. Start replacing your carbohydrates with protein! You'll be happy you did!

Feel free to post comments or email me!

Happy Nutrition for Running :)

Run With Me : Lactate Acid & Running Performance - The Myths & T...

Run With Me : Lactate Acid & Running Performance - The Myths & T...: Lactic acid has formed two popular myths when it comes to exercise and running. One of the myths is that lactic acid build up causes the bur...

Lactate Acid & Running Performance - The Myths & Truths

Lactic acid has formed two popular myths when it comes to exercise and running. One of the myths is that lactic acid build up causes the burn felt in your legs during running performance. The second myth is the soreness felt after a hard workout is due to lactic acid build up. Other misperceptions include the idea that lactic acid is a waste product formed in the muscle after intense exercise and that lactic acid is formed in the muscle when oxygen is not present. Finally, that lactic acid causes fatigue during intense exercise/running.

Science based research shows that lactic acid...

1. Doesn't produce burning sensations
2. Doesn't induce soreness
3. Doesn't cause muscle fatigue
4. It is not a form of metabolic garbage that must be eliminated from the muscle

Truths...

1. This is a protective mechanism created by the nervous system in order to stop an individual from  damaging their muscle at too much high intensity exercise/running.
2. The soreness experience 24-48 hours post exercise/running  is the result of the inflammatory process occurring in the muscle cells (lactic acid is not involved)
3. Lactic acid does not induce fatigue, it is produced in the body all of the time, even when an athlete is at rest. It is a key natural product of the energy producing process of glycolysis.
4. Lactic acid is not a form of metabolic garbage, it can actually be increased significantly whenever a carbohydrate meal is consumed.

**If lactic acid caused muscle soreness and fatigue, runners/exercisers would experience muscle pain and tiredness EVERY TIME they ate their favorite carbohydrate meal!!**

When the body digests carbohydrate, the body can either keep it in the form of glucose or produce lactate. Lactate is used in the body as a quick short cut energy source since it doesn't require an insulin response to be stored and utilized for energy. For example, the heart is a sink of lactate: it picks up lactate right out of the bloodstream and keeps your heart beating.

A key benefit of glucose-lactate conversion is the amount of insulin  that pours into the blood from the pancreas after meals. The limiting of insulin production may help to enhance body composition, since one feature of insulin is that it coaxes glucose into adipose cells, where it can be converted to fat.

During exercise, lactate is an irreplaceable source of immediate energy for the muscles and other tissues of the body. Enhancing the ability to use lactate can improve a runner's race times rather dramatically. The muscle in the body can use lactate in two ways...

1. Into glycogen formation or energy storage
2. Into energy creation via pyruvate's entry into the Krebs Cycle

A key goal of training should be to move the running velocity at lactate threshold to progressively faster speeds. This means the muscles are getting better at pulling lactate out of the blood and using it for energy. The runner can process pyruvate at greater rates and has the energy needed to run fast and long during endurance competitions. For many endurance athletes, improving running speed at lactate threshold can be the key to unlocking better performances.

Any athlete or runner that wants to maximize performance, conducting training that increase running velocity at lactate threshold is extremely important! Lactate acid that was once thought to be damaging to the muscle is in fact exactly what is needed to promote the muscles' ability to operate at high levels in a sustained fashion.

How do you increase your velocity at lactate threshold? I will write another article soon that goes further in depth on the actual training component!

Feel free to comment or email with any questions!!

Happy Running Performance Running :)

Treadmill Running - Does It Produce Comparable Results to Ground Running?

Many runners are required to do treadmill training to complete their workouts and wonder if it has comparable results to outdoor running. Being a treadmill runner myself, I have seen the results from treadmill training to outdoor racing, but what are the produced results?

Treadmill running can produce the same high rates of oxygen consumption and blood lactate levels as produced with ground running. Treadmill training has positive impacts on maximal aerobic capacity, lactate threshold, and fatigue resistance.

Treadmill training can also help runners train at higher speeds that can be attained and maintained during workouts. This teaches the neuromuscular system to operate at a slightly higher level.

When conducting treadmill workouts, runner should keep one thing in mind, the lack of air resistance and possible biomechanical alterations. These factors can cause less oxygen consumption adaptations during workouts compared to ground running.

For a treadmill runner to adjust the intensity to ground running, and gain the same adaptations, they should set the treadmill at a 1% incline.

So which is better? It depends on the runner. Whatever helps get your workouts in and produces the same results for your running performance, you can pick or choose. I would say try a combination of both.

Feel free to post comments or email me with questions!

Happy Treadmill Running :)

Running Cross Training - Soccer!

This week I started playing on a coed 6V6 soccer league. Growing up I played soccer for 16 years finishing my last 4 years at UMD. The last few years I took a break and focused more on coaching soccer and also on my running training. Yesterday was my first game back at playing competitive soccer in a few years! 

 

Participation in soccer practices and competitions may be quite advantageous for runners. During a soccer game, players covered a large distance with their heart rates elevated most of the game. Blood lactate levels often rise as high as comparable concentrates observed during 5k and 10k races. For runners, participating in a soccer game is like conducting a prolonged, intense interval workout. The changes in direction required for soccer play may also be beneficial for leg strength, muscle balance, agility, coordination, and injury prevention.

 

For fun cross training, put on your cleats and kick the soccer ball around. It's a fun way to stay in shape and cross train for running at the same time!

 

Happy Soccer Cross Training for Running! 

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Coconut Bars (Gluten Free) - My High Carb Days!

There is a coffee shop down the street from me, Nina's, that has the best Almond Oatmeal Bars. Since I love getting the bars from the coffee shop, I thought I would try to make my own recipe at home!

Here are the ingredients you need to make them -

Oatmeal (2 1/2 cups)
Honey (1/2 cup)
Coconut Oil (2 tblsp)
Coconut Flakes (1/2 cup)
Dark Chocolate Chunks (1/2 cup)
Almond Butter (1/2 cup)
Sea Salt (sprinkled top & mixed in)
Almond Slices (1/2 cup)
Almond Milk (1/4 cup)

I grab a big mixing bowl and mixed all of the ingredients together!

Once I mixed everything evenly, I smashed the ingredients into a ball & shaped them into a bar and put them onto a baking sheet that has coconut oil to grease it.

 

 

I baked them for about 7-8 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven. I them took them out and let them cool off for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

I then put them into a plastic container to cool off and store for later! A really good treat & made with healthy ingredients!

 

Please share your recipes!!

 

Happy Treats Running :)



Allostasis & Injuries - Your Body's Response to Injury

What is Allostasis?

The varying adaptive responses taken by the body in order to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the body's drive to keep everything working within normal ranges needed to function and sustain life. Allostasis is how the body actually accomplishes this difficult feat when your body is put through a number of stressful situation on a daily basis. In order for allostasis to do its job in the body, it uses physiological, psychological, and behavioral mechanisms. When your body is placed under stress, allostasis can manipulate hormone levels, enzymes, blood sugar, oxygen levels, body temperature, etc, within your body while altering your behavior as well.

How Does Allostasis Relate to Injuries?

Just about anyone that has competed or trained for any length of time has likely sustained one form of injury or another in their lifetime. Sometimes injuries can heal with no problems. On the other hand,  one injury can set off a chain reaction that leads to other injuries in the body.

For example -

When injured in one area of the body, the body will alter its movement patterns to reduce pain and injury. Altering movements patterns places more stress on other areas of your body. This can be ideal in the short term, as someone with an injury can continue working out with tolerable pain and less damage to the current injury. However, the long term consequence of altered movement patterns can cause negative consequences by the adaptations that occurred to reduce the pain and damage to the original injury. Altered movement patterns formed during the time of injury can often increase biomechanical stress on other muscles and/or joint systems as they attempt to pick up the slack for the damaged/injured area.

It is important to recognize and know that whenever the body is in a stressful environment that we expose ourselves to, allostasis will take the short term approach  to reduce further stress on the body.  The body will always choose to maintain homeostasis and minimize the immediate stress it enduring no matter what. This means that the same adaptations can be beneficial in one sense in your body's short term response to the injury and yet potentially damaging to long term injuries. 

When dealing with an injury, as humans we must listen to our body's and provide it will the rest and recovery that is needed. Continuing to train through a current injury that the body compensates for, will only lead to other injuries down the road.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me or comment on this post!

Happy Injury Free Running! :)

My Favorite Things About Running

-----My Favorite Things About Running-----

 

 

I made a list of all of my favorite things about running & why I love it so much...

 

1. Post Run Meals & Traditions (Long Runs)

2. Coffee Pre Runs

3. Good Headphones (Ironman Ear Buds)

4. New Music on My Music Player

5. Stepping off the treadmill after a really good run

6. No aches, pains, or clothing burns post run

7. Candy bags & goods pre race nutrition

8. Being Healthy

9. Crossing the finish line of a race - especially after marathons

10. Running in the rain

11. New Running Gear (especially shoes & sports bras)

12. How good my body feels during & after running

13. The people I have met & will meet

14. Injury Free

15. True Passion

16. Free time/Thinking time - my own time to get away

17. Dancing on the treadmill

18. Running on the beach

19. The places I have traveled to

20. New challenges & personal records

21. My Running Blog

22. Stretching in the sauna post run

 

These are just some of my favorite things about running! Please feel free to share yours!!

 

Happy Favorite Things About Running :)

Run With Me : Back Up & Running - What Are My Next Steps With Ru...

Run With Me : Back Up & Running - What Are My Next Steps With Ru...: Hey Everyone! Over the past few weeks, and healing from my glute medius injury, I have been trying to figure out what my next steps of run...

Back Up & Running - What Are My Next Steps With Running

Hey Everyone!

Over the past few weeks, and healing from my glute medius injury, I have been trying to figure out what my next steps of running will be. I am currently signed up for California International Marathon December 8th as an elite entrant, but I may need to take a little more time to rest and recover.

I had/have so much frustration after Chicago Marathon that I needed to sign up right away for a race to run. After the weeks and weeks of solid training preparing for Chicago, and in my mind, getting prepared to run the best race of my life to this point (an Olympic Qualifying time sub 2:43) it was such a let down. I wanted something measurable to go off of after all my hard work and training going into the race. I wanted to keep my running on an upward climb. Especially coming off of Grandmas Marathon where I crushed my personal record (PR) by exactly 8 minutes.

With everything in mind, I have come to peace with my running at the moment. I realized that I have so many races ahead. I am 26 years old and I have a number of successes ahead along with some failures that make my successes that much more rewarding. I have so much potential and opportunity in the future that I can't let one race knock me down. It is just like in December of 2012 when I ran California International Marathon. The race conditions were horrible and it mentally broke me down (fail). 6 months later, I ran Grandmas Marathon and had a huge success.

My next steps include -
1. Continuing to heal my glute medius & continue to ease back into running (going well so far)
2. Put strength training & yoga back into my weekly routine
3. This winter, reduce my mileage and pick up my speed work - increase my mile pace speed
4. Plan shorter races in the early spring (5K, 10K, Half Marathons, etc)
5. Next marathon - Grandmas Marathon in June 2014

This is my current plan moving forward! I will try to blog at least 3 times per week (every other day).
Please feel free to message me with any education topics you would like me to write about!

I just bought a new book "Running Science" by Owen Anderson. The best part of my blog is learning new material, so I can further educate you!

Back to Happy Running :)

Nutrition for Exercise Recovery - Calorie Needs to Help You Recover Faster!

Calorie needs during recovery.

Energy needs increase during acute injury repair. In fact, basal metabolic rate (BMR) may increase by 15 to 50% based on the severity of the trauma.  For example, sports injury and minor surgery may increase BMR by 15-20% ,while major surgery and burn injury may lead to a 50% increase in BMR.
Of course, comparatively speaking, an athlete or exerciser will have to eat less during injury recovery than during training and competition. Yet if they return to baseline intake, they may be under-eating.
Thus, nutrition coaches must balance the increased energy and nutrient needs of injured and recovering clients with the reality of less activity.

One example of calorie needs

Let’s take the example of a young male athlete. He’s 14 years old, 5’6″ and 140 lb.

• Basal Metabolic Rate - 1611 kcal/day
• Energy needs when sedentary - 1933 kcal/day
• Energy needs with daily training/competition - 2739 kcal/day
• Energy needs during recovery - 2319 kcal/day (20% increase in metabolism due to injury)

As you can see, during injury repair, energy intake should decrease (2319 kcal) relative to training and competition (2739 kcal).  However, returning to sedentary baseline (1933 kcal) will lead to underfeeding.
Less physical activity means lower appetite. If an athlete is eating based on hunger cues, s/he may under-eat during recovery. S/he might lose lean mass, heal poorly, and progress slowly.
Thus while injured athletes should eat less during periods of injury, remember: They’re still athletes, and should eat as such. This includes things like eating every few hours, getting enough protein, balancing macronutrients, and getting enough important micronutrients.

Macronutrient needs during recovery

Protein

Injury repair requires more protein. Injured athletes should aim for 1.5-2.0 g/kg, up from the usual 0.8 g/kg. Many already do this.
To ensure a quick recovery, make sure to get this higher protein intake consistently. At minimum, injured athletes should be taking in 1 g of protein per pound of body weight.

Fat

We recommend balancing dietary fat by getting about 1/3 of total fat intake from each of the three types of fat. Most importantly, aim for more omega-3s and cut down omega-6s, to get an omega-6 to -3 ratio that’s at least 1:1 and preferably closer to 3:1.

Carbohydrate

While athletes need glucose for athletic injury healing, no specific carbohydrate recommendations have been established for injury periods. However, you should probably include enough dietary carbohydrate to ensure adequate micronutrient intake and stable insulin concentrations (which, as an anabolic hormone, may affect wound healing). In some athletes accustomed to a higher intake of carbs, not getting enough will be an additional — and unwanted — stressor.

These are recommendations for injury recovery for runners and all athletes! Taking in the right calories will help you recover that much quicker from injury!

Feel free to email with questions or make comments!

Happy Injury Recovery Running :)

Dysfunctional Gluteus Medius & Strengthening Exercises to Correct It - My Current Running Struggle

A dysfunctional gluteus medius can lead to running injury. When the left gluteus medius is weakened, your right side is lowered (or vice versa), throwing off your pelvic alignment. The role of the gluteus medius during walking & running activities is to dynamically stabilize the pelvis in a neutral position during single leg stance. With this type of dysfunction, and what happened to me during the first 12 miles of Chicago Marathon, is the appearance and the body's compensation of basically running on one leg.

To strengthen your gluteus medius, and keep your pelvis in neutral position, there are a couple key exercise to perform.

1. Side-lying hip abduction &/or standing hip abduction
2. Single limb squat
3. Lateral band walk
4. Single-limb deadlift

Check out the link of the article I found online -

http://www.mikereinold.com/2009/10/best-exercises-for-gluteus-maximus-and.html

Since Chicago Marathon, I am currently resting, stretching, foam rolling, and light elliptical and running for 20-30 minutes every one day. I started my strengthening exercise this past weekend. My exercises consist of the following...

Warm Up - Body weight Body Bar Squats, Med Ball Squat Lifts, Walking Lunges with a Med Ball Twist

Exercises - 12 reps - 2 sets

1. Arm & Leg Slides - to warm up my inner core
2. Quadruped with Leg Extension
3. Single Leg Hip Lifts on the mat
4. Prone Cobras on a stability ball
5. Standing Leg Abduction
6. Single Leg Squats
7. Band Walks with a resistance band

I am hoping with one more week of light cardio exercise and strength training to be up and running soon! Sacramento is only about 6 weeks away! Unless I am up and running in the next 2 weeks, I may need to hold off on my racing until the spring and just take care of myself through the winter. I am really hoping this is not the case! I would love to run Sacramento again this December, but time will tell.

If you have any questions feel free to email me or post any comments!

Happy Gluteal Running :)

Tips For Buying Running Shoes

- Types of Running Shoes -

Neutral – You pronate very little. You tend to have high arches & don’t need any motion control features in your shoe.

Stability – You’re not an excessive pronator. You have a normal arch and do need some degree of stability in your shoe.

Motion Control – You excessively pronate. You tend to have flatter feet. You need quite a bit of stability in your shoes.

____________________________________________________________________

- Details About Each Type Of Running Shoe –

Neutral Shoe – Pronate very little or Supinator

-Main Characteristics –

1. Feet roll to outside (supinate)

2. Arches are high &/or rigid (pronate very little)

3. Knees stay neutral or move outwards through foot strike

4. Shoe wears along the outside of the sole

 

-Injuries- stress fractures, knee and/or shin pain

 

-Best Last- curved, slip-lasted shoe for low or moderate rear foot stability

 

-Best Shoe- Neutral/Cushioning shoes with no pronation control or extra stability features

____________________________________________________________________

 

Stability Shoe – Normal Pronator

 

-Main Characteristics-

 

1. Feet roll in

2. Low arches

3. Knees move towards each in the middle when bending

4. You quickly break down midsoles

5. Foot strikes on the outside of the heel & rolls inward (pronates) excessively

 

-Injuries- Stress fractures, knee &/or shin pain

 

-Best Last- Semi-curved

 

-Best shoe- Stability shoes with moderate control features that provide extra cushioning & some degree of stability

____________________________________________________________________________

Motion Control Shoe – Overpronator

 

-Characteristics-

 

1. Feel roll in

2. Low arches

3. Knees move towards each other in middle when bending

4. You quickly break down midsoles

5. Foot strikes on the outside of the heel & rolls inward (pronates) excessively

 

-Injuries- Knee pain, IT band, plantar fasciitis

 

-Best Last- Straight or semi-curved for maximum rear foot stability as well as medial & lateral support

 

-Best Shoe- Motion control or strong stability shoes with firm midsoles, a wide landing base, & control features

____________________________________________________________________

 

-How to Buy the Right Running Shoes-

 

1. Buying a quality pair of running shoes is one of the best investments for training essentials & helping to prevent injuries

 

2. Stop by a running store & get a foot exam. Knowing whether you are a neutral, stability, or motion control shoe, we can pick out the best pair of shoes for your running needs

 

3. Bring in your current running shoes. Knowing which shoe you are currently running in will provide information on possible aches & pains or just in finding a similar pair if not the same pair that is currently working for you.

 

**As with your training, don’t put guess work into which shoe fits you best. Have a specialist check you out & recommend the best pair of shoes for you. Like I said it is one of the best investments you can make for your running needs! **

 

- For more details & where this information is found – Running Room Store Website-

 

http://www.runningroom.com/hm/inside.php?lang=1&id=2357

 

Stop by a Running Room Store location near you today & let us find a running shoe that fits your you!

 

For any questions, please email me or post comments!

 

Happy Proper Running Shoe Running :)

Aerobic Exercise Adaptations - Improving Muscle Quality

There are significant adaptations that occur when performing aerobic exercise. It influences your muscle quality through exercise that is lower intensity, longer duration. Your mitochondrial  activity is enhanced and your substrate usage of intramuscular glycogen and triglyceride is increased.

During lower intensity, longer duration exercise, oxygen is present to deliver oxygen to the working muscle. Your blood volume is increased by increased red blood cell content and your body's oxygen carrying capacity. Capillarization occurs in the muscle by developing more capillaries per unit of muscle. This increases the number and size of the blood vessels.

The body's ability to deliver oxygen/fuel to the muscle cells, enhance CO2 removal and waste products, and transfer heat away from the muscle is increased through aerobic exercise and capillarization. Oxygen deliver across muscle cells increases with the increase of myoglobin in the skeletal muscle.

Not only is..
1. Oxygen transport increased (capillarization)
2. Muscle can uptake more oxygen (increased myoglobin content)
3. Greater oxygen use (increased # and size of mitochondria)

The more oxygen that is present during exercise, the more fat that can be utilized during exercise. Not only preserving your glycogen stores, but allowing your body to burn fat more efficiently during exercise. To lose fat, your body must be able to burn fat. The more aerobic exercise you do, and the more your body produces these adaptations, the more efficient you will be. You weekly volume of exercise should contain about 80-85% of your total volume at this lower intensity, longer duration exercise.

For example - If you are working out for 30 minutes, 5 days per week - a total of 150 minutes - 120-127.5 minutes should be at a lower intensity exercise. Exercising right around your aerobic base (burning 50% fat, 50% carb) is where you want you body to be.

Do you know what your fat burning zone (aerobic base intensity) is? If not I highly recommend that you get your active metabolic assessment done. I am a personal trainer, nutrition coach, metabolic technician at Lifetime Fitness, at this is an assessment that can be done.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

Happy Aerobic Running :)

Find An Upcoming Race & Sign Up!

Through out Minnesota, there are plenty of races you can still sign up for in the upcoming months. This is one of my favorite websites for locating upcoming races!

Upcoming Road Race Running Schedule! Find a race and sign up today!

http://www.raceberryjam.com/indexrr.html

If you haven't signed up for a race yet check it out!

Happy Road Race Running :)

My Website www.runwithmemeghan.com - Check It Out!

Hey Everyone!

Check out my website!  - www.runwithmemeghan.com - My blog updates right onto the website. Check out the links at the top of the page. It will direct you to different pages on the sites. An about me tab, contact tab, nutrition, training, my training, and my races tab. If you click on the links, they will bring you to that article on my blog! Please feel free to contact me with feedback on different topics you would like me to discuss! I will try to blog daily! Thank you for taking the time to check out my site!

Happy Running Everyone!

Rough Weekend In Chicago But Change Of Running Plans - California International Marathon December 8th

Going into the race, I knew I had months of great training under my belt. Coming off of the best race of my life to this point (Grandmas Marathon 2013 with a new PR of 2:48:54) I was feeling better than ever.

 The week and a half prior to Chicago, I had a nagging ache in my left gluteus medius. Hoping that it was just part of tapering and a small tweak that would go away before the race, I tried not to stress out.

Considering I made it through my 70, 80, 90 mile weeks injury free, the last thing I needed was an injury right before the race! Waking up the morning of the race, I still felt the dull ache, but I hoped that a little stretching, warm up, and Ibprofen would take care of it.

 At this point, it's hard to do anything about it, so I figured go out there and see what happens and hope for the best. I felt great for the first handful of miles, but as I continued the pain slowly started to sink in. Not knowing how far I would get in the race I just kept running. Finally at about mile 12, I knew that any minute my left glute and lower back was going to give out on me and take me out of the race.

I kept going trying to find an aid station and by mile 13 I was put to a stop. I couldn't take the pain. I could barely take a step without a sharp pain in my left side. Going into the race not knowing what would happen, I mentally prepared myself for the worst. Not being able to finish the race.

Still extremely frustrated, this was my first marathon that I did not complete. My last 9 marathons I was at least able to finish even if I was having a bad racing day for whatever reason. I have never had to drop out because of injury.

 I really wanted Chicago to be my #10 marathon but looks like it will now need to be my #12. I am already planning on rerunning California International Marathon in Sacramento December 8th.

California International Marathon Link -
http://www.runcim.org/

As long as I can heal up in the next couple weeks, it would give me a month of training, then back in California to rerun my terrible race performance from last year. Yes the weather conditions were terrible, but this is my other race I need another chance to run! I will be an elite runner for the race and have a chance to win prize money in pursuit of running an Olympic Trials time of under 2:43.

What a perfect opportunity coming out of Chicago! Not even a day later and I already made plans for my next race :). After all my hard work going into Chicago, I do not want to wait until June when I run Grandmas Marathon 2014. Chicago changed my racing plans for the next year. Now it looks like I will be rerunning all of my races from this past year!
_______________________________________________________

2013-2014 Marathon Race Schedule -

1. California International Marathon 2013 in Sacramento December 8th
2. Grandmas Marathon 2014 Duluth, MN June 21st - http://grandmasmarathon.com/site/
3. Chicago Marathon 2014 October 12th

2014 10K & Half Marathon Race Schedule -

1. Get N Gear 10K 2014 April 26th -  http://www.getingear10k.com/
2. SeaWheeze Half Marathon 2014 August 23rd in Vancouver Canada - http://www.seawheeze.com/run/about-seawheeze/ (bucket list race)
3. Life Time Fitness Outdoor Triathlon Lake Nokomis (Run 10K for Team Wood) July 2014 - http://www.mplstri.com/
_______________________________________________________

After this weekend, I pray that I heal up in the next 2 weeks and look to my new & next pursuit California International Marathon 2013.

What races do you have schedule for the rest of 2013 and next year 2014? Please feel free to share or post a comment!

Running Failures Lead to Happy Successful Running :)

Chicago Marathon This Sunday October 13th - Runner Tracking

Chicago Marathon weekend is almost here! After months of hard training, the one race I have built up to this year is less than 3 days away! In pursuit of an Olympic Qualifying time (sub 2:43), I am SO nervously excited.

Here is the link to the Chicago Marathon site -
http://www.chicagomarathon.com/

For many people that can't make it for the weekend, there is a link on the website that you can still track runners. You can see how your runner is doing and what pace they are at on different mile markers on the course.

Here is the link for Runner Tracking -
https://register.athletetracking.net/bacm/index.html

For those of you that would like to track me during my run, I am Bib#1540. I would love all of your support! The race starts at 7:30am on Sunday!

Happy Runner Tracking Running :)

Pre Race Nutrition - More Iron & Energy

My pre race nutrition consists of a couple essential foods. Red meat and vegetables. Along with a couple other high fat, low carb foods. This is my own personal nutrition and the same nutrition I did before Grandma's Marathon 2013 where I ran my most recent personal record (2:48:54) cutting 8 minutes off of my personal record from 2011 on the same course (2:56:54).

Here is the list of foods -
1. Ground Beef - 80/20 and 96/4
2. Vegetables - My Favorites - Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Peppers (I eat them raw or cooked in coconut oil and sprinkled with sea salt)
3. Roasted Coconut Chips
4. Cowboy Salsa
5. Almonds
6. Coconut Oil
7. Sea Salt
8. Coffee & Tea & PowerAde Zero (not in the picture above)

My nutrition consists of only these foods Monday until Friday morning. I then eat mostly carbohydrates with some proteins and fats for the 2 days prior to the race. I eat a lot of sushi, cliff bar & other granola bars, sweet potatoes, Friday lunch at Chipotle, etc. before the race Friday until Saturday night. On Sunday, the morning of the race I eat a protein bar. Why do I do my nutrition like this? This is exactly what I did before Grandmas Marathon and I felt great for the race. My idea with having only red meat for 4 days is the amount of Iron I would get into my system. Since red meat is a great source of Iron, here are the benefits & the functions Iron has in the human body.

1. Helps to form Hemoglobin (which stores about 2/3 of the body's iron) and Myoglobin and assists in the transport and storage of oxygen.

2. Assists in the enzymatic activities responsible for increasing red blood cell formation, blood vessel growth, and production of anaerobic energy.

3. Helps to form the cytochromes involved with cellular energy production and drug metabolism

4. Forms an essential constituent of hundreds of proteins and enzymes

When it comes to cardiovascular exercise, I would say these would be some great benefits. It's like doping but naturally with an excess of red meat before a race. I am not sure how much it actual helps compared to not having the red meat, but on my last marathon I got a personal record by cutting 8 minutes off of my marathon time.

Not only does it provide a lot of iron and a great source of food (protein, fats, no carbs, nutrient dense) all of the vegetables provide an abundance of vitamins and minerals and are low in carbohydrates. Cooking them in coconut oil adds some more healthy fats to my nutrition.

By keeping my carbohydrates low for 4 days, then carb loading, my body with store more glycogen in my muscle tissue and liver to utilize during my marathon. More oxygen and more energy stored through nutrition? This is what works for me!

Feel free to share your pre race tapering routines and food sources!

Happy Tapering Week Nutrition Running :)

Check Out My Website - www.runwithmemeghan.com

My Top 40 Running Songs

This is a list of my top 40 running songs! I love a variety of music and listening to music when I run! It keeps my music fresh and keeps me from getting sick of the same song over and over and over again! When you run a lot of miles, there is a lot of time for me spent listening to music.

Here Is My Top 40 List Of Songs -

Wake Me Up - Avicii
Roar - Katy Perry
Applause - Lady Gaga
Red - Taylor Swift
Mind Would Be You - Blake Shelton
I Want Crazy - Hunter Hayes
I Love It - Icona Pop
Hey Girl - Billy Currington
Everything Has Changed - Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran
Beautiful - Akon
Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke
Boys Round Here - Blake Shelton
Counting Stars - One Republic
Demons - Imagine Dragons
Don't Ya - Brett Eldredge
Everlong - Foo Fighters
Give Me Your Hand - The Ready Set
Girlfriend - NSYNC
Hey Porsche - Nelly
I Can Only Imagine - David Guetta (Feat. Chris Brown)
I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan
It Goes Like This - Thomas Rhett
It's Gonna Be Me - NSYNC
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys
Let Her Go - Passenger
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Run - Matt Nathanson Feat. Sugarland
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey
Tearin Up My Heart - NSYNC
The Good Stuff - Kenny Chesney
The One - Backstreet Boys
The Other Side - Jason DeRulo
This I Promise You - NSYNC
This Years Love - David Gray
Tongue Tied - Grouplove
Turn Up The Night - Enrique Iglesias
We Run The Night - Havana Brown
White Walls - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

PLEASE post some of your favorite running songs! I am in need of a new and different playlist!

Happy Music for Running :)

One of my favorite foods - SUSHI!

Sushi is one of my favorite meals. It is a good source of carbohydrate along with some protein and fat. Carb loading meals prior to my race, this is one of my staples. Along with about 3 times a week with my training.

Nutrition Information - 12 grams of fat, 62 grams of carbohydrates (4 grams of dietary fiber & 10 grams of sugar), 12 grams of protein

 

Feel free to comment or post any of your training or pre race meal ideas!

 

Happy Carb Loading for Running :)

2 Week Taper & Getting Ready for Chicago Marathon

This week I started my 2 week taper to Chicago Marathon! Since your body can not make adaptations 2 weeks prior to a race, it is important to dial back your volume of training and give your body the recovery it needs. This will add significant performance gains when it comes to race day!

What do I do for my 2 week taper? Here is my current training plan...

2 Weeks Out - About 70-75% training volume (65-70 miles)
Monday - 2 Miles Easy Recovery
Tuesday - 2 Mile Warm Up - 8 X 1 Mile Repeats Threshold Pace - 0.1 Mile Recovery Between - 2 Mile Cool Down
Wednesday - 13 Miles Easy Run
Thursday - 2 Mile Warm Up - 8 X 0.7 Mile Repeats Speed Work Pace - 0.1 Mile Recovery Between - 2 Mile Cool Down
Friday - 5 Mile Easy Run
Saturday - 8 Mile Easy Run
Sunday - 14 Mile Easy Long Run
(I take my easy runs a little easier, and maintain the intensity with my threshold & speed work runs)

1 Week Out - 50% of training volume including race (45 miles)
Monday - 4 Mile Easy Recovery Run
Tuesday - Testing - 2 X 2 Mile Race Pace Run - Try to determine a starting pace for my marathon
3 Miles - Easy Run (Warm Up & Cool Down)
Wednesday - 4 Mile Easy Run
Thursday - 3 Mile Easy Run
Friday - 2 Mile Easy Run
Saturday - OFF Completely
Sunday - 26.2 Miles Chicago Marathon!

This is what my actual workouts look like for those 2 weeks. These are my hardest weeks of training. It is extremely hard coming off a 90 Mile week to tapering off! I know the importance it has when it comes to performance, so it is worth the wait and taking the time for you body to be at its peak going into the race! I will cover more on my pre race nutrition a week out from the race soon!

Feel free to post or email me with any comments or questions!

Happy Tapered Running! :)

90 Mile Week Done - My 22 Mile Long Run Today

Today was my last long run until Chicago Marathon 2 weeks from today! Before each marathon, I always need that one last quality long run in preparation for my race. Today my long run went awesome & I feel more ready than ever.

My Long Run Workout - 22 Miles (Treadmill)

1.5 Mile Warm UP - 7.9-9.9 mph
20.5 Miles - 9.1-10mph at 0.5-1% Incline
9.1mph 0.5% incline 2 mins - 9.1mph 1% incline 2 mins - 9.2mph 0.5% incline 2 mins - 9.2mph 1% incline 2 mins - 9.3mph...9.4mph..etc. all the way up to 10mph 0.5% incline 2 mins - 10mph 1% incline 2 mins - I then ladder my workout the same way back down until I get to 9.1mph - At that point I then ladder back up to 10mph - I do that for the rest of the run until I reach 22 Miles Total!
Total time - 2:20 minutes

Since I am typically a treadmill runner, this is a way for me to switch up my workouts. I can't run at a constant pace for my easy runs. I always change one variable slightly every 2 minutes. It keeps me distracted and makes my runs that much more enjoyable. Try it! If you run on a treadmill, it is a fun way to mix things up!

Feel free to post your treadmill workouts or different ideas that you have for workouts!

Happy Treadmill Running :)

One Of My Quick, Easy, & Nutritious Meal Ideas

 

Salsa Ground Beef Sprouts

 

This is one of my favorite meals! It is easy to make, only a couple of ingredients, & best of all good for you!

Ingredients -
80/20 Ground Beef (1 serving)
Brussel Sprouts (2 servings)
Cowboy Salsa Trader Joes (3 tablespoons)
Coconut Oil (1 tablespoon - for cooking)
Sea Salt (As desired)

How to Make It -
1. Cook the ground beef until it is browned in a frying pan.
2. Cut the brussel sprouts in half, heat coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat, once heated throw the brussel sprouts in and sprinkle with sea salt.
(You can prep and cook both items at the same time)
3. Once your brussel sprouts are cooked to your preference, turn off the heat
4. Combined a serving of ground beef, 2 servings of brussel sprouts, & 3 tablespoons of cowboy salsa in a bowl
5. And Eat!

Nutrition Content - 16 grams of fat, 34 grams of carbs, 31 grams of protein - 381 calories

This is just one of my favorite training meals! Feel free to share your quick & easy meal ideas!

Happy Nutritious Running :)

My Food Must Haves & Staples On A Typical Training Week

Here is a picture of my Trader Joes & other food staples that I always have in my fridge!

-Chocolate Whey Protein
-Unsweetened Coconut Milk
-Sweet Potatoes
-Cowboy Salsa
-Caribou Light Roast Coffee
-80/20 Ground Beef
-Cliff Bars
-Organic Boneless Chicken
-White Corn Tortilla
-Brussel Sprouts
-Organic Quinoa
-Coconut Oil
-Sea Salt
-Dextrose (no shown in the picture)

Feel free to share any of your food staples or meal ideas!

Happy Nutritious Running :)

Nutrition Body Composition Management & Performance

Today I want to discuss the importance of nutrition when it comes to body composition and performance. There are many athletes that need to keep a narrow range of body composition for athletic success. Many individuals working out for performance benefits also have similar importance when it comes to nutrition. There are many nutritional strategies that  athletes & individuals can use to keep there ideal body composition without comprising their performance. To find an ideal balance between body composition management, peak performance, and energy balance, they must follow a nutrition plan that matches their food intake to training output.

Being a competitive marathon runner, when it comes to my own nutrition and performance, I am very careful about the timing of my nutrients and the periodization of my nutrients along with the amount of calories I am taking in each day.

This is what my typical week looks like for my own nutrition & training output! 90 Mile Week (This Week for Example) - 2,100-2,500 calories average each day

Monday - Recovery Run - low carb/fasted in the morning pre run - post run - chocolate whey protein shake with a scoop of dextrose & coconut milk - the rest of the day high carb to fuel for my Threshold Run on Tuesday - 250-300 grams of carbs, 130 grams of protein, 50-75 grams of fat

Tuesday - Threshold Run - 14 miles total with 11 miles at Threshold Pace - Chocolate whey protein shake with dextrose & water pre run (2 hours prior) - workout - post workout - Chocolate whey protein shake with 2 scoops of dextrose (1/2 shake right after workout & 1/2 shake 30 minutes after)
High Carb the rest of the day - 250-300 grams of carbs, 130 grams of protein, 50-75 grams of fat

Wednesday - Easy Long Run - 12 miles - portioned meals through out the day - fat/protein/carb mix with each meal - still high carb day - 250-300 grams of carbs, 130 grams of protein, 50-75 grams of fat

Thursday - Speed Run & Easy Run - Split Workout - Morning cliff bar or protein shake 2 hours prior to workout - post workout - Chocolate whey protein shake with 2 scoops of dextrose - mix of protein/fat/carb meals the rest of the day - 250-300 grams of carbs, 130 grams of protein, 50-75 grams of fat

Friday - Easy Long Run 10-12 miles - regular meals through out the day - mix of protein/fats/carbs - low carb, high fat, and protein - 120-150 grams of carbs, 130 grams of protein, 110-150 grams of fat

Saturday - Easy Long Run 10-12 miles - regular meals through out the day - mix of protein/fats/carbs - high/low carbs - since my long run on Sunday is more intense than my easy day runs, I tend to need a little more carbohydrate before these runs to fuel me for the entire workout. 150-200 grams of carbs, 130 grams protein, with under 100 grams of fat

Sunday - Long Run for the Week - 22 miles - Pre workout - protein shake &/or cliff bar (depending on my energy level) - workout - post workout - regular meals through out the day - lower carb - 120-150 grams of carbs, 130 grams of protein, 110-150 grams of fat

Give or take a little bit in some of these areas and this is about the nutrition plan I stick to! If your nutrition plan and training isn't properly put together, many emotional aliments can occur! This includes poor sleep, muscle soreness, appetite & GI disturbance, anxiety, irritability, depression, lowered libido, regular infections, flu-like symptoms, and no motivation to train. Each of these is associated with some type of over reaching or overtraining. Nutrition alone can't prevent this, but it definitely helps your body from reaching that point physically and mentally!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post or email me! Also check out my site - www.runwithmemeghan.com - it has my blog attached to it.

Happy Proper Performance Nutrition & Running :)

Highest Volume & Intensity Week - Last Hard Week Before Chicago Marathon! Here We Go.

This week will be my hardest week of training. I am peaking at 90 miles (100%) of my training volume and it is my hardest intensity + volume week yet! I will be one happy runner once I am done with my long run Sunday, but I am looking forward to every mile this week! This is what my week of workouts looks like...

Monday (Today) - 4 miles active recovery - very easy easy running

Tuesday - Threshold Workout
2 Mile Warm Up
5 X 2.25 Mile Repeats
0.25 Mile Recovery Inbetween
1 Mile Cool Down

Split Run - 5 Mile Easy Run

Wednesday - 10 Mile Easy Run

Thursday - Speed Workout
2 Mile Warm Up
12 X 0.6 Mile Repeats
0.1 Mile Recovery Inbetween
1 Mile Cool Down

Split Run - 5 Mile Easy Run

Friday - 10 Miles Easy Run

Saturday - 10 Mile Easy Run

Sunday - 22 Mile Long Run

Wish me luck! Should be an awesome week of training! I will let you know how it goes!!

Feel free to share your workouts or events coming up!

Happy 90 Miles Running :)

Gateway Trail Long Run Today - 3 Weeks Until Chicago

Today I ran outside for a 19-20 mile long run on the gateway trail!! Such a beautiful run. This is kinda a big deal for me since I am a treadmill runner! It makes me wonder why I don't run outside more? I ended up running it in under 2:05 min. Overall a really good run!

Here is a link about the Gateway Trail -

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/gateway/index.html

If you have never been there and are looking for a bike, running, rollerblading, etc. trail I would definitely check it out!

This is my highest volume and intensity week going into Chicago! 90 miles total! I will be posting all about my workouts and different topics this week!

Feel free to share any other running routes or experiences! I am always looking for new outdoor runs to get me off the treadmill!

Happy Gateway Trail Running :)

80 Mile Training Week - Just Over 3 Weeks Until Chicago!

My training the past couple weeks have been a little bit of a struggle! My training week started by coming off of a stomach flu from Sunday. Which basically cut my long run a couple miles short. With 2 solid weeks left of training before I start tapering off for Chicago, I know I am physically ready, but now I need the mental side to stay matched up. I have taken my easy days a little easier this week. The volume and intensity of my training is starting to get to my body from the past couple months, so I decided to take my easy days a little easier while still making the training adaptations needed.

At Lifetime Fitness where I work full time, we also decided to bring in ALL new treadmills this week and replace our old ones. Since I am a treadmill runner, this has only added to my training STRESS! The treadmill I was running on was basically the treadmill that I have performed all of my training on. Taking my treadmill away and replacing it with a new one has completely thrown me off! The new treadmills are awesome, but for anyone who is  a treadmill runner, I think you know what I am talking about!

The treadmill that I did almost ALL of my training on for the last 2 years!

My Training This Week -

Monday - 10 Mile Easy Run - 8.3-9.1mph

Tuesday - 5 Mile Easy Recovery Day

Wednesday - 2 Mile Warm Up - 4 X 2.25 Mile Threshold Run @ 10.3 mph - 0.25 Mile Recovery Inbetween - 0.5 Mile Cool Down ----- Split Run - 4 Miles Easy Run 8.3-9.1mph (Later that day)

Thursday - 7 Mile Run Outside Easy Run (About 7:15 Min Mile Pace) - Finished Run on Treadmill - 5 Miles 8.3-9.1mph 0.5-1% Incline - 12 Miles Total

Rest of the week....

Friday (Tomorrow) - Speed Work Run! 2 Mile Warm Up - 0.6 Mile Repeats @ 10.7-11.3mph (might change based off the new treadmills - feel a little faster than the one I was running on!) 0.1 Mile Recovery Between - Cool Down Easy Run

Saturday - 8-10 Mile Easy Run

Sunday - Long Run - 2 Mile Warm Up with 20 Mile Run! Either of Treadmill or Outdoor Run on the Gateway Trail!

Feel free to post or comment!

Happy New Treadmill/Outdoor Running :)

Boaz is my running coach! We have worked together since Twin Cities Marathon 2 years ago!

Here is a link to my racing results -
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=20028&race=507

I almost quit the race after 13 miles because I was struggling. I wasn't running as well as  I had planned to do.. but I finished the race after convincing myself to keep running! If I did quit the race I would have never met my coach Boaz. We met in the massage tent. We started chatting and he was wondering who helped me with my training or who my coach was. I had coached myself for many years and always did my own training. Since then he has given me great running advice on my training and running performance. This is a picture from this past December in Sacramento, CA for the marathon. (This was one of my worst races because of the weather conditions! Not a good day, but I ended up finishing at my own pace.) Still a fun trip and I had the opportunity to hang out and have dinner with Boaz the night before the race.  He is extremely inspiring.



In Chicago in 3 1/2 weeks I will have a chance to hang out with my coach again! We will both be running Chicago Marathon!

Here is an article on Boaz -
http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/boaz-between-two-worlds?page=single


Feel free to post comments!!

Happy Coach Running :)

Importance of Good Exercise + Nutrition = Healthy Efficient Mitochondria "Powerhouse of the Cell"

The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and is responsible for converting things like protein, fats, and carbohydrates into ENERGY! Energy that is stored in your body can't not be used unless it is oxidized, converted into ATP (the energy currency of the cell) and converted into energy. The mitochondria is where the energy is produced. Mitochondria produces about 95% of our body's energy. Our ability to live, breathe, move, and be energetic would be severely compromised without healthy, efficient mitochondria.

How do you increase of the number of mitochondria and there efficiency? Through exercise and nutrition! We can increase the number of mitochondria in the muscle cells. Total energy production in the muscle is increased. The quality of mitochondria is also very important to our health and wellbeing. You can increase your mitochondria quality by eating vegetables. Individuals will live longer, perform better athletically, and feel more energetic when they can a higher mitochondrial efficiency.

For running (exercise in general), the best way to improve mitochondria in the muscle cell is through base building, easy running. This intensity is 65-79% off of your maximal heart rate. For most individuals, this is 45-60 seconds off of their marathon pace or 1.5-2 minutes slower than their 5K pace. Base building "easy running" (low intensity exercise) increases the number, size, and distribution of mitochondria. This is where aerobic metabolism (oxygen is present in the cell) occurs in the muscle cells. As your body becomes more efficient at receiving and processing oxygen, your cells can metabolize fat for energy in the mitochondria more efficiently and store glycogen (stored carbohydrate fuel) in your body. Lower intensity exercise allows your body to bring in more oxygen during exercise. As your body adapts, you only get that much more efficient at higher level of fitness. You burn more energy (calories) from fat! You need fat to burn fat to lose fat. This will help you change your body composition for the better!

Overall, you just have more ENERGY! You look good and feel good because you are exercising and eating healthy. Our exercise and nutrition affects every cell in the human body. So take care of yourself! Everyone wants to live longer, perform better, and have more energy!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post or email!

Happy Mitochondria for Happy Running & You :)