One of the most interesting and perhaps culturally curious trends over the past several years has been the transition of chocolate milk from a treat for kids, to a serious nutrition application for competitive athletics. Surprisingly, a significant number of studies have been done to measure the effect of chocolate milk on performance over the past several years, charting the performance and recovery of cyclists, runners, soccer players, and more. In study after study, chocolate milk performs extremely well, as an option for recovery and refueling. If you have had a hard time wrapping your head around this idea, consider the various properties of chocolate milk as you would your favorite sports drink or water.
Optimal carb/ protein ratio
Many runners are well versed on the importance of refueling soon after running, and that carb snack 10-15 minutes after the workout can be rendered even more effective by the incorporation of some protein, at a about a 4:1 ratio between the two. Sports drink manufacturers have spent years creating an artificial beverage with those numbers. Chocolate milk features a ratio right along those lines naturally – no lab experiments necessary!
Key nutrients for bone health
Chocolate milk contains a wide variety of nutrients, many of which are great assets to good health and performance. Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and others are directly related to bone health and growth. One 8oz glass of chocolate milk provides approximately 1/3 of the recommended daily value for Vitamin D and nearly the same percentage of the recommended amount of calcium. As such, it is a great way to access some of our key nutrients from food rather than supplements or engineered beverages.
Plenty of electrolytes to replenish those lost in sweat
A glass of milk provides potassium, sodium in amounts that help an athlete stave off the effect from lots of sweating. There are actually more of each in chocolate milk compared with some of the most popular sports drinks, and certainly more in chocolate milk than water. If you need to sweat and sweat often, chocolate milk will help you replenish what you have lost and speed the recovery process.
Protein, a great builder
There are not many sports drinks that can also incorporate protein effectively, and it is even more difficult to have them do so if taste is a consideration. One glass of milk provides nearly 20% of the daily, recommended amount. Like pizza delivery that is both prompt and provides excellent pizza, protein found in chocolate milk is a great way to get this needed nutrient, in a very efficient manner.
Besides these many benefits, other studies have indicated even more reasons to consume chocolate milk, such as the presence of B vitamins, and other assets. Each of us has an individual preference for our recovery and fluid replacement vehicles, whether due to taste or if our bodies can process it effectively while running and without GI distress. If you are looking for an alternative or have never tried overtly refueling after exercise, chocolate milk might be a good place to start, and an enjoyable beverage to have stocked in the fridge for even the non-runners in the family.
Along with warm temperatures and more daylight, summer in our urban and suburban areas can also bring more days with poor air. Running is an activity typically considered beneficial to your health, but a huge dose of smog inhalation doesn’t seem like a great idea either. What else do we need to know?
Why is running in bad air a problem?
When we exercise, we require more air, breathing more rapidly and deeply than when we are on the couch. We also tend to breathe through our mouths, which means the protective capabilities of our nasal passages don’t help filter out some of the less desirable particles in the air as they normally would.
These less desirable particles come in many forms, as detailed by leading voices such as Roy Shepherd of Toronto Western Hospital, as far back as the early 80s in the lead up to the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Some, as in carbon monoxide emitted from car exhaust, inhibit the body’s ability to transport oxygen via red blood cells by sticking to the bonding points on the oxygen molecules. Less oxygen means impaired performance over the course of your session. Other chemicals such as the sulfur oxides coming from industrial sites, may gum up water particles in your body to create acidity and irritation in your airways[1].
Is that problem serious?
Certainly, many of us run all summer in heavily polluted areas and feel ok. Others have great difficulty. If you are pre-disposed to asthma or allergies, if you notice that your airway gets itchy even when others around you are fine, or you feel like you have a lingering common cold in polluted conditions, you should definitely be cautious. Pollution does increase the risk of some serious health issues, such as stroke, asthma, and heart problems, but exercise helps to reduce those risks as well. Visits to the doctor definitely tick up during smoggy periods, but then again, exercising regularly can keep you away from the clinic over the long term[2].
How to reduce the risks associated with running in polluted air
There is no way to completely eliminate the effects of the polluted air that summer might bring, even if exercise is taken out of the equation. However, we can do some things to help mitigate the negative impact and protect your body as much as you can.
Research is still ongoing, but studies appear to generally indicate that the benefits of exercise over the long term are greater than the near term negative impact of bad air while doing so. Listen to your own body, use common sense and the tips above, and hopefully the smog of summer won’t prevent your enjoyment of summer training.
At runcoach we are always researching new ways to help you move more and run faster. Tonight we will introduce several new enhancements for you.
After much demand we have created a new walk program. This program is designed for members intent on walking more miles or completing a race walk. Of course the experience is powered by the runcoach engine and adjusts to your progress and background.
Secondly, we recently completed a deep analysis of your results particularly from various distances. As a result, we have made some adjustments to our predicted races times to match them even closer to your previous results. These changes came from the analysis of over 100,000 race results - you sure have been racing!
We will take our service offline tonight from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM Pacific Standard Time to accommodate the upgrades.
We're excited to introduce even more data-driven guidance and look forward to our future succes together.
Winter is not the only time your running may take you among the clouds. Summer vacations or trips with family might bring you to the mountains. When you need to run at high altitudes, keeping in mind a few simple things can make your experience much more enjoyable and productive.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
At high altitudes, you may not feel sweaty, even after you run. However, that does not mean that you don’t need to replenish your fluids even more so than at sea level. At higher altitudes, there is less air pressure. Evaporation happens more rapidly both off your skin as well as every time you exhale. At an altitude similar to Denver, you perspire about twice as much as at sea level. If you are not being very deliberate about water intake, your running will suffer, and general dehydration may make you feel ill (headaches, nausea, fatigue are common effects) regardless. Carry a water bottle with you, drink throughout the day, and avoid caffeinated beverages. If you are concerned about how much to drink, weigh yourself before and after a run at altitude to get a sense of how much water you have perspired during the session.
Expect to adjust your paces
Running at altitude requires your body to function when your lungs aren’t getting the same concentration of oxygen with each breath. Your body has to fight harder to produce red blood cells and the whole operation makes things more difficult on your muscles to function in the manner to which you may be accustomed. If you can run an eight minute mile at sea level, doing so at an altitude similar to Albuquerque or Reno might leave you the finishing the length of a football field behind your sea level self. For instance, your Vo2 Max pace is adjusted about 3% per 1000 feet, and expect it to still feel pretty tough. Keeping a good humor and realistic expectations is key to successfully managing your schedule when heading to the hills.
It will get better...but it will get a little worse first
There is a lot of discussion about the benefits of training at altitude, but a long weekend at a mountain cabin won’t quite get you there. When you arrive, your body begins to fight the good fight to produce red blood cells, despite the paucity of oxygen. Initially, it will lose this fight, and your red blood cell stores will dwindle a bit over the first few days making these days successively more difficult to a certain extent. After your body figures out that it needs to work a ton harder, it will, and production will ramp up like a toy company at Christmas. However, this takes a about 2-3 weeks before supply can catch demand. Once you return to sea level, this high octane production will dissipate fairly soon as the air pressure yields more oxygen per breath. So, if you are serious about wanting to train at altitude, plan a longer stay, and don’t expect a huge boost months after you return.
Protect your skin
Even a cloudy day in the mountains can result in a sunburn with UV rays over twice as strong at many common mountain heights. Wear hats and sunscreen, reapplying frequently to stay ahead of sun damage.
Keep fueling
At high altitude, your body must work harder to keep up with all the demands listed above and more. A moderate caloric increase is appropriate to keep up with your body’s needs.
While the benefits and challenges of running at altitude are still being researched, a beautiful trail run in the mountains can provide qualitative benefits that go beyond the resultant blood chemistry, and training hard and with friends can plant the psychological seeds for many a goal race campaign. Plan well, take care of your body while in the hills, and enjoy many a mile in the thin air.
On Wednesday, June 11, Garmin announced an application programming interface partnership with runcoach. But what does that actually mean for you and how do you take advantage?
You may have been enjoying your runcoach schedule and recording your workouts directly into the log. However, if you use a device to track your actual pace and distance while running, such as a Garmin device, runcoach has made it very simple to load these runs directly into your account.
Sign into runcoach, click on “Training” and select the “Sync Devices” button. You’ll be prompted to enter your Garmin Connect username and password. Your accounts will sync up and begin to communicate when you provide input, allowing you to save time and protect accuracy by loading your actual information into your runcoach log when you upload your Garmin data.
Note: Even if your Garmin device is set to your time zone, your Garmin Connect account might not be. Garmin Connect defaults everyone to Greenwich Mean Time. GMT is 4-7 hours ahead of most of our members so if you do an evening run it might show up on the following day.
Before your initial sync, we recommend checking this setting on the Garmin Connect site. Log on and then go to your Display Preferences: http://connect.garmin.com/settings
Our system works best for you when the information it receives is as accurate as possible. While a convenience for our users, connectivity such as the partnership with Garmin also helps runcoach work more effectively and craft your individual plan even more specifically.
Clicking on the Sync Devices button on your training schedule will also reveal that you can sync your runcoach device with Nike+, RunKeeper, and Fitbit. No matter which of these devices or systems you use to record your activity, runcoach is recognized by these organizations as a tool many of their customers are using to good advantage, just as runcoach understands that our users are enthusiastic customers of these companies and rely on these devices and their data on a daily basis.
Do you need to use one of these devices to make your runcoach schedule serve your needs? No, but as a technology company ourselves, we hope to grow alongside the increasing capability of devices that help our athletes get the most out of their running, and we look forward to similar future developments and progress. Enjoy syncing with Garmin and more importantly, enjoy the runs that create all that data!
Summer is one of the best seasons to be a runner. Enjoy it to the fullest by taking care of these basics and set yourself up for a great fall or winter goal race.
Winter weather often requires the use of treadmills and other indoor facilities, but summer’s heat or thunderstorms may also force you to the air-conditioned sanctuary of the gym. Here are a few helpful things to remember about how to adjust when running indoors.
If running indoors may not be an option, but running outdoors is not either, you may be in a spot where cross training is in order to maintain fitness. What cross training activity makes the most sense? Compare and contrast the vast array of currently available options available in gyms today.
Heading out on some adventurous runs or driving trips that might include a bunch of miles? Consider this list of things you might not consider, but can be VERY helpful for runners who are spending a lot of time in the car.
All that humidity might leave you a bit sweaty. Before you deal with the after effects of some serious chafing, read our quick Q&A with a dermatologist about chafing and how to avoid it. If chafing isn’t an issue, blisters may be. Here is some info to help you stay a step ahead of the blister pitfall.
While one of the most obvious topics for summer running, hydration is always worth keeping in mind, particularly if your average fluid consumption consists primarily of coffee or diet coke! Use the summer to build some good habits and read about the “art of hydration” here.
Runners often love to keep a routine. In fact, many of us are downright stubborn. Most of the time, like the last few miles of a marathon, this is an asset. However, in the warmer months, the conditions may dictate the need to make some adjustments in order to keep your training on track for your fall goal race. Sometimes, being willing to adjust can help you make the best of an admittedly less than perfect set of conditions, and provide a great opportunity to learn that you can succeed even if you have to deviate from your plan just a bit.
In this episode of Personal Best, we examine a few quick tips encouraging you to adjust your training for the hottest time of the year.
Be prepared to consider running at other times of day
Perhaps you squeeze in your run at your lunchbreak or at the middle of the day. Although that may usually provide your best time to run, consider planning ahead, at least on your harder days, to run in the early morning or evening. Yes, there are benefits to training in the middle of the day to late afternoon vs early in the morning, but the amount of performance benefit lost by training in 95 degrees with 90% humidity is far greater than the impact made by training in the early morning before the sun is overhead or in the evening when it goes down. Plus, this is also the exact time of year when many runners are beginning to take on new training challenges related to their fall goal races and are vulnerable to a bad day or two if the conditions are not conducive to a strong performance. If your work/ family schedule doesn't allow this temporary change on a regular basis in the summer, look ahead on your schedule to a few of the most rigorous workouts and do everything you can to protect a favorable time of day in which to complete those at least.
If you can't switch the time of day from when the sun is directly overhead, you can also.....
Be prepared to consider running in different venues
Yes, your workout sheet may say "Track," but oftentimes the temperature of a track surface can be several degrees warmer than the surrounding areas. Use your car odometer or handheld GPS to measure out your track distances on a bikepath or safe road, preferably one that offers a stretch with a bit of shade. Yes, the surface may be a bit less perfectly flat and reliable than the track, but you will ultimately feel better the closer you can come to a reasonable temperature in which to complete the workout. Run along a street with more intersections (being careful and paying attention to traffic) that offers shade. Run the same short loop twice where you might otherwise do it as part of a longer loop that includes much more exposure. Do what you need to do to accomplish your workout, and allow yourself to be able to recover and come back well the next day. Come race day this fall, you'll be glad you made a less scenic, but safer choice.
Many gyms will offer trial memberships, or reasonable prices for a month or two in the summer. Take advantage of these and get on a treadmill. Some runners are diehard outdoor runners. However, consider how pleased you will be to run at the right pace, particularly with the luxuries of a waterbottle and towel that you do not have to hold yourself, potentially a TV to watch your favorite team play, etc. You're not a wimp if you go inside to run on a treadmill! You are an athlete that is prioritizing your performance and wants to feel good doing it.
Plan your running around fluid intake
Many of you know to hydrate, before, during, and after longer runs. We discussed that topic a few months ago here. However, there is no time of year where it is more important than the summer. Before you head out on your normal route and in addition to your normal plans, which may include bringing along a water bottle or camelback, consider adjusting slightly as needed to incorporate parks with water fountains, and vendors or convenience stores that won't mind you buying a quick bottle of sports drink with sweaty dollars pulled from your shorts pocket, etc. During these months, you will need significantly more fluids than normal, and because you should be in the habit of taking them before you are really parched, you are going to need to plan for a larger amount of intake and at more spots along the way. In addition to drinking, plan to splash water on your head and neck, and other key cooling areas like the back of your wrists and knees. Don't get caught out! Finish strong because you have been hydrating the whole time.
Wear light colored, breathable fabrics
Although another simple step, it bears reminding that lighter colors absorb less heat, and breathable fabrics will help keep you, if not cooler, then less hot and sweaty. A hat or visor and sunscreen are key also both to avoiding the immediate problems posed by a sunburn as well as long term problems. Stay consistent! Plan ahead for the day. Bring bodyglide and/ or an extra pair of socks if your sweaty feet tend to cause blisters or too much slipping, and a shirt for afterwards so you aren't sitting in your car dripping and sweating. It is amazing how much better you will feel if you take care to attend to your attire.
Generally, we think of winter as the harshest season. Often, summer actually provides the greater challenge because we tend to forget how severely the temperatures can affect us. In addition to the above, it is important to note that all these steps are important both for your training as well as to avoid heat stroke and non-running related serious heat/ sun ramifications. Take pride in your training, but not so much that you are not willing to adjust and be flexible if the conditions are unsafe. If in doubt about a choice you are making to go ahead with a workout, and you don't have a trusted fellow runner to discuss it with, contact us at help@runcoach.com!
The summer holidays are almost here. With a break in school for families and enticing weather for all, a vacation or two may well be in your future. For many regular runners, the remove from the daily schedule also may mean a disruption in the comforting running schedule they have come to enjoy the rest of the year. However, with a little forethought and good humor, the trepidation of a runner going on holiday need not win the day.
One worthwhile tradeoff is the commitment to rise early and run before the rest of the family gets up or is done with breakfast. Although that might mean a bit less sleeping in for you, it is also a time when there are less people on what may be unfamiliar roads. Temperatures are cooler in the morning, and during the summer, the sun is up much more early than during the year. Game, set, match.
Running need not be a tradeoff. It can be a value-add to a family vacation if leveraged correctly. Can you pick up some take out on your way back while everyone unpacks after a long drive? Can you bring your partner coffee after your morning run? Better yet, can you have a moment of peace and quiet with a spouse or son/ daughter on a short (or long) run that would not have occurred during other, more busy times of the year? Running can be a great conduit for a no cost, simple and special connection, even in the midst of the most frantically over the top vacation.
Every family and couple plans their breaks differently, but if you are able to get in on the planning on the ground level, any 50/50 choices can be made in a way to tilt the playing field toward more successful running. The hotel next door has a better gym (read: treadmill), the 10am flight vs the 7am flight means you can get in a run before departure (and means you will be happy and relaxed the rest of the day – win for all). Even leaving and departing on certain days vs others can mean that you only have to plan for one long run rather than two away or that you don’t miss a key group or scheduled workout. Certainly, the running schedule can’t be the top priority when taking a trip for the specific purpose of family or couples time, but if running is important to one or more members of the family and can be accommodated when flexibility is there, go for it!
Running while on vacation does not always equal awesome training. There may be modifications to your schedule and changes that you would prefer not to make. This is completely normal, and probably good, lest you rely too much on the routine vs enjoying the present run. Keep expectations realistic. Just like a planned day off feels better than one you are forced into because of a sore body part or injury, a vacation that has incorporated a thoughtful plan for how you will train has the greatest chance of success. Look ahead at your training schedule and try to prioritize the long runs and pace runs. Be creative with planning for these most of all. If you do need to make adjustments, remember that your runcoach schedule is dynamic. Just log what you did get in on vacation and your schedule will adjust accordingly moving forward. With a little effort and foresight, your vacation will hopefully leave you refreshed for the rest of your life, and set on the right road for your running goals.
Many of our runcoach athletes enjoy running for general fitness, and ongoing general fitness is absolutely an important result of a regular running program. However, it should not be underestimated how helpful a specific goal or goal race can be to a new runner, an enthusiastic experienced runner, and one for whom running has become stale.
Setting a goal….keeps you organized
Marking a goal race date on the calendar can often have the secondary effect of helping us order the rest of our lives. Not sure when best to vacation and have flexibility to choose? Now you are probably inclined to wait until just after the big race. Not sure where you want to run on the weekend? Now you are only selecting routes that are conducive to the long run or other workout needed, and have a much less overwhelming series of choices. Training with a goal might motivate a runner to call that running buddy who has been a great workout partner in the past but seldom connected with in the current moment, and give you a built in reason for the call. A goal race can also help you choose the intermediary efforts along the way – instead of the half marathon that happens to be 2 weeks out from a goal marathon, you’ll choose the one 5 or 6 weeks out and you’ll know why (and won’t doubt yourself).
Setting a goal….keeps you motivated
Even the most faithful of trainees is at least tempted now and again to diverge from their training schedule. When you have a date on the schedule, sometimes that little extra motivation to perform well on that specific task can help dissuade you from the excuse making. Conversely, when you have a goal that carries a bit of weight, finishing and health become of primary importance. You’ll be more likely to stay hydrated, stretch regularly, and ice any aches and pains. You might then be less likely to skip a needed day off, slog through a workout at suboptimal pace, run when sick, etc. When you know you are shooting for your best, you become more guarded about optimizing every workout.
Setting a goal….keeps running fresh
A regular routine can be comforting to new and seasoned runners, and if you have completed several races, it is easy to have the “been there, done that” feeling. Fortunately, we live in an amazing era of diverse racing opportunities. Setting a goal that forces you to “drive” outside of your typical lane, can help focus your mind on the new challenge, increase daily motivation, and help you learn and appreciate more about your body’s capabilities, perhaps in ways you had previously discounted or had not considered.
Setting a goal…helps you grow as a runner
If you have had problems staying on track in times past, setting a goal might have been scary because the commitment required felt risky or your routine is like a warm, comfortable sweater. If you love 5Ks and 10Ks, doing a longer race might not turn you into a marathoner, but might just help you succeed further at your shorter efforts. Conversely, a runner with a typically high volume or who enjoys longer races, might return to them with a bit more speed if a training cycle focused on a goal 5K or 10K every so often.
Beyond these reasons, setting a goal also allows your friends and family to enjoy your running with you. A goal race is understandable and relatable even to those who don’t run regularly. It provides clarity and understanding for how much running has meant to you when that enthusiasm is expressed through searchable results. It also provides a great opportunity to get a friend or family member to set their own goal alongside yours, and reminds them how persistence is key to seeing those long term goals realized.
