Lessons learned...

Today's running was all about lessons for me.

1. I forgot how much fun it is to run in the rain.
2. 16 miles is doable, even in the rain.
   
3. Running early in the morning means you will see more runners with your same goal in mind.
4. There really is no substitute for properly fueling and hydrating during a run.

I got up this morning and saw that it was raining outside, which, prompted me to check the weather map and discern that it would continue. This left me with a choice, and as I started thinking about it I started remembering how I used to have fun and enjoy running in the rain. Eventually, after eating something and crawling back in bed for a minute of contemplation, I slipped into my gear and headed out the door. I was first greeted with the rain and when I got to the trail I thought I started seeing things. What could they be, but yes other runners braving the elements much like me. Personally, I find it encouraging when I see other runners on the trail because we both have the same goal in mind. This happens more often on early Saturday mornings in the summer, when everyone is trying to get there long-runs in before it gets hot.

It was nice to get my 16 miles in before it got hot, but today was a particularly "do or die" day for me. Last week I ran 14 miles and when I got home I was completely spent. At one point I was laying on the kitchen floor hoping I would begin to feel better, but this time I had a plan. We got some goo packets last night at the store, and I envisioned that they would help me make it through the run. My plan was to take one every 4o minutes with water. I stuck to this plan while stopping at most every water fountain along the way, and by the time I got home I was tired, but not spent like last week. As most runners know, just because it is raining doesn't mean you don't need to drink water. I could definitely tell this because the entire time I was running it was raining and I was drenched in water, but at the same time I was still sweating, as I could taste the salt.

Gladly, I was able to finish my long run and not be spent, but I did not notice that I ran quite a bit slower than last weekend. I am mostly blaming this on two things. One, the rain increased my overall weight and that slowed me down. Two, I had to make a stop in the port-a-potty. Overall, it was a great run that reminded me of why I really enjoy running.

Running Stride Frequency...

This study by the Department of Kinesiology at UNLV discusses stride rate and its effect on VO2 Max. Their concluding thought was "there is an optimal stride frequency range across speeds
that is important for runners to work within during distance running but not a unique optimal stride frequency at each speed." In my interpretation of the results, it seems that when a person is running their body will choose the right stride frequency automatically, without a thought. Likewise, in another part of the article discussing how testing was completed, the group noted that when testing for stride frequencies, that were not the preferred stride frequency, the participants consistently and inadvertently began approaching their preferred stride frequency. This was seen even though a metronome was utilized for assistance.

Take away: Don't worry about your stride frequency. Your body will automatically figure it out for you.

*Mercer J, Dolgan J, Griffin J, Bestwick A. The physiological importance of preferred stride
frequency during running at different speeds. JEPonline 2008;11(3):26-32.

An old dog...can learn to juggle...

According to this article if you want to learn to juggle when you get to the age of 50 or 60 it shouldn't be a problem...for most. Amazingly this article claims you can still learn things when you near retirement age. I would have never guessed that there wasn't a certain age, most likely coinciding with retirement, that a person just goes stupid.

Obviously, I jest, but in my opinion this study doesn't tell anyone anything they did not already know about aging. They do state that it takes longer to learn things with age, but that most of the neural changes that occur in younger people also occur in older people. Basically, if you have the mental fortitude to stick with it you will prevail in your task given enough time. Unfortunately, as a person ages the less time they have. I know some day I will be there, but I hope I am able to approach things humbly and humorously, the way I hope people are taking this post.

Don't eat, live forever...

So my title is a bit misleading, but this article suggests that the less you eat the longer you will live. Researchers at St. Louis University state that consuming 300 to 500 fewer calories a day could extend your life. Eventually as a this idea is extrapolated out it can be put into the context of eat dessert, die young; don't eat dessert live longer. This thought begs the question; do want satisfaction now or later. If you can wait for satisfaction you can also live longer. Personally I am kind of middle of the road. I like my sweets, but I also try to eat them sparingly, which, I guess implies I won't live a long or short life. Middle of the road baby! I figure it is not life if you can't have a little fun along the way. One last thought: The study says nothing about quality of life; just because you live longer doesn't mean you will live better.

Global warming does what?

Apparently, there must be an epidemic in the southern states or should I call them the "kidney-stone belt." And in this story Tom Brikowski, an associate professor with a specialty in hydrology in the department of geosciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, claims the "belt" is moving north.

Kidney stones are mostly a by-product of dehydration and the body not being able to excrete waste, thusly, creating a buildup of minerals. According to the study by Brikowski, there are about 1.6 million kidney stone cases per year and will increase to 2.2 million by 2050. This will partially be a result of optimal conditions for kidney stones moving further north. As the earth heats up conditions will become increasingly more prevalent in the south and begin to appear further north. This implies that a person should drink more water as it gets hotter outside.

Weekend weight-gain...

According to this study people tend to gain weight over the weekend as as opposed to during the week. Honestly, I am not surprised. 4 or 5 days a week usually there is some sort of regular schedule in a person's life. Then 2 or 3 days a week it is like a free-for-all. When a person takes into consideration BBQs and other parties it is not hard to see why gaining weight over the weekend is quite easy to do. One other thing I noticed personally is even though I run long on the weekend I tend to relax a lot more, or, if I don't relax more then I usually eat more to compensate. My reasoning for this is availability. When I am at work I can't just walk into the kitchen at any time and have some chips.