Winter Blahs and Injuries

Its Canada and it's mid March and we just had another dumping of snow.  Actually, the white, fluffly, full of grace stuff is still coming down right now (that was not so obvious sarcasm).  It all started with Wiarton Willy seeing his shadow and then came the bleak anticipation that we would be able to get outside and start training for the Paris to Ancaster that is a mere 6 weeks away.  I had a missed opportunity on one of the nicer Saturdays, but, life gets in the way.  Cornel made it out and came back with both him and his bike covered in mud, so, I was okay with my schedule.  I'm guess I'm a fair weather rider unless I'm forced to do otherwise.

I should be out there running and prepping for my 100 Miler at Sulphur Springs but since my six hour race in January, I have been recovering from a stress fracture and a diagnosis of Morton's Neuroma on my right foot.  It took weeks before even being able to walk on it.  The silver lining in all of this, is that I went looking for a new pair of shoes that would offer roominess and comfort to my foot.  I found a single pair of Altras at my local Running Room, which just happened to be my size and I absolutely love them.  With my falling arch, the toe box has continued to be a bone of contention.  It's confirmed, I have now crossed over the boundary of youth, looking for comfort rather than style, but, I am okay with it.   Just this past weekend, I had a 4 km trial run and all seems good.  The numbness and tingling were still present, but no pain.  Now to start ramping up the mileage.    

Zwift North American Tour - La Bicicletta, TO

But now, comes my night in shining armor,  Zwift!  I had not even used an indoor trainer until last year and then was introduced to the magnificent known as Zwift.  A digital destination for the global cyling community that alleviates the boredom associated to getting on a trainer.  It offers a variety of courses in a variety of settings: training sessions, social rides, races and just time on your own.  I think my second or third trial in this environment, I did 118 km as a training ride for last years Paris to Ancaster. It must have helped as I was able to hit my time goal on race day, minus the time spent waiting to clear the course sabotage of mature trees being cut down.  Who does that?  Certainly not someone that cares about the environment or someone that cares about the charitable needs of others that these races support.  So, I digress.  But really?  Okay, so you can customize your avatar and win achievements where you get to switch up your jersey for the fashion conscientious or tires and bikes for those that are the fanatical aero geeks.   

If you're a woman and have some free weekend time, try the ladies only social rides (you may even see the odd man joining in) that are offered by clubs like ODZ.  The group leaders offer helpful tips to assist in cadence and interval training.   Its such a great community and watching the screen lets you become absorbed into a virtual reality setting.  It even allows for a supertuck if you hit the right conditions; just make sure you don't get dropped while resting if you're in a race situation. Plus, all your efforts can be manually uploaded to Strava, proving to friends when you dominated the sprint sections of QOM.  It also offers a variety of challenges where you accumulate your distance and ride California or Italy to unlock presents which are presented as bikes (Pinarello Dogma F8 or Tron).

Well, I'm going to close off and do a quick Zwift session prior to heading to work.

Happy Trails my Friends and Ride On!  

Fluid Replacement and Pre-Race Fueling

Introduction

Well, I have officially signed up for my second attempt at the 100 mile distance. Lots of time though, as its not until May 2017.  Regardless, I will be thinking a lot about hydration and nutrition during my training and race day and thought I would share the following with all of you.  I had prepared this presentation for one of the running clinics I gave and just recently came across it; I know as runners, we are always looking for more information, so I hope it helps.  

Fluid Replacement

As we start to get into our longer runs, carrying fluids and or gels with you is something you’ll want to start experimenting with, so that your body will be accustomed come race day. Your body is mostly water-between 60 and 70% and although water alone does not provide any energy (or calories), your body requires large amounts of H2O in order to function properly. Water regulates the core temperature of your body.  I prefer to use coconut water and if you avoid the all natural variety, you will actually benefit from the ones that have the added sugar.  Sugar transfers to energy.  Further, try adding some tart cherry juice for the anti-inflammatory effects on the body.  The added cherry juice will enhance performance by reducing muscle pain.

As you run, your working muscles produce large amounts of heat that must be dissipated to prevent the core temperature from rising dangerously. To dissipate this heat, your body perspires, and loses large amounts of water. As a runner, you should consistently hydrate yourself during both warm and cold weather, so that you never become thirsty. By the time your thirst mechanism is activated, your body is already suffering from dehydration-hurting your running and putting you at risk.

You know you're drinking enough water if you urinate about once an hour and your urine is clear. 

Prehydrating with beverages, in addition to normal meals and fluid intake, should be initiated at least several hours before the activity to enable fluid absorption and allow urine output to return to normal levels. The goal of drinking during exercise is to prevent excessive (>2% body weight loss from water deficit) dehydration and excessive changes in electrolyte balance to avert compromised performance. Because there is considerable variability in sweating rates and sweat electrolyte content between individuals, customized fluid replacement programs are recommended. Individual sweat rates can be estimated by measuring body weight before and after exercise. During exercise, consuming beverages containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can provide benefits over water alone under certain circumstances. Again, try coconut water, but, avoid the pulp.  After exercise, the goal is to replace any fluid electrolyte deficit. The speed with which rehydration is needed and the magnitude of fluid electrolyte deficits will determine if an aggressive replacement program is merited.

Depending upon the metabolic rate, environmental conditions and clothing worn, exercise can
induce significant elevations in body (core and skin) temperatures. Body temperature elevations elicit
        heat loss responses of increased skin blood flow and increased sweat secretion. Sweat evaporation provides the primary avenue of heat loss during vigorous exercise in warm hot weather; therefore 
        sweat losses can be substantial. Besides containing water, sweat contains electrolytes that are lost. If not appropriately replaced, water and electrolytes imbalances (dehydration and hyponatremia- is an 
        electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium concentration in the serum is lower than normal) can develop and adversely impact on the individuals exercise performance and perhaps health. 

                              

WUT you looking at?

So, the good news is that there are three reasonably good and practical markers available to you 

to help you monitor your hydration status.  But, because none of these indicators are entirely accurate on their own, some clever people in the US Army came up with the idea of combining all three measures to produce a more reliable rating scale called the WUT system (Weight, Urine, Thirst). This establishes the likelihood of you being euhydrated (‘well hydrated’) or hypohydrated (‘dehydrated’).

Essentially their suggestion is to monitor your body weight, the colour of your urine and how thirsty you are first thing each morning. The ‘first thing in the morning’ element is important as it limits the influence of other factors that interfere with hydration status as the day progresses.

You then feed the results into a simple Venn diagram to give you an indication of whether hypohydration is unlikely, likely or very likely as you begin that day.

The data you need to collect each morning is:

1. Your body weight. Ideally as soon as you get out of bed, before eating, drinking or going to the bathroom. A loss of 2% or more of your body weight is deemed significant.
2. A rating of the colour of your urine (is it light or dark in colour)
3. A rating of your sensation of thirst (thirsty or not thirsty)

If 1 or less of the 3 scores you collect are ‘positive’ (i.e. body weight is within 2% of normal and/or urine is light and/or and you're not thirsty), then hypohydration (‘dehydration’) would be deemed unlikely.

If 2 out of the 3 are positive, then hypohydration would be considered ‘likely’ and this might impact your fluid intake and training plans for the day, especially if you were planning very hard or prolonged exercise in the heat.

If 3 out of the 3 are positive then hypohydration is very likely and therefore strong consideration should be given to correcting that before you undergo strenuous exercise or expose yourself to further large sweat losses.

See link for more details: http://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs/hydration_advice/116318276-how-to-tell-if-you-re-dehydrated

Pre-Race Fueling

The ideal pre-competition meal is palatable, well-tolerated and high in carbohydrate.  Athletes who
forgo eating prior to exercise because of unpleasant symptoms, as well as those looking simply to fine-tune their food selections, may benefit from experimenting with the glycemic index (GI). The GI, is system that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods according to their impact on the body’s blood sugar level, may be a useful tool when it comes to fueling up before you head to the line.

It was thought that runners needed to avoid eating large amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods prior to
exercise.  The inevitable “sugar high” would be promptly followed by a performance-busting crash in
blood sugar (hypoglycemia), leaving you feeling shaky, weak and unable to concentrate.  On the other
hand, a pre-race carbohydrate-rich meal, particularly before prolonged endurance events, such as a
marathon, has been shown to enhance performance.  Eating a meal, especially before a morning race,
helps ward off hunger pangs, restocks liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) which fuels your brain
during exercise and it provides valuable energy for muscles during intense exercise lasting an hour or
longer.

The GI ranks carbohydrate-rich foods compared to glucose-a simple sugar with a GI ranking of
100.Carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages that enter the bloodstream rapidly following ingestion earn
a high GI (above 75) whereas foods that enter the bloodstream slowly have a low GI (below 60).
Choosing a low-GI carbohydrate food before exercise may enhance endurance by producing a slower,
more sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream.  The reasoning is: carbohydrate-rich foods and 
beverages trigger the release of the hormone insulin.  Insulin directs the liver and muscle cells to
remove glucose from the blood and store it as glycogen.  A slower, sustained release of glucose will
temper the insulin surge that follows, reducing the chance of the body “over-correcting” as it races to
lower the body’s blood sugar level back to a normal range.

A small percentage of athletes who are sensitive to swings in blood sugar following pre-exercise meals
will experience central nervous symptoms or premature muscular fatigue which are indicative of
hypoglycemia.  Feeling light-headed, shaky or weak and sweating profusely as you begin to exercise
are classic signs.  Therefore, experiment with both high and low index meals in training to assess what
works best for you.  Runners who wish to fine-tune their food choices before prolonged events, like
the marathon or those that are sensitive to decreases in blood sugar, should benefit the most from
manipulating the glycemic index of their pre-exercise meal.

Runners may be able to improve their competitive performances by consuming lower GI foods due to
the sustained release of glucose that these foods promote.  For me, I notice the benefits of eating an
apple about a half hour prior to racing; in fact, it has become a bit of a ritual.  

Be sure to try different hydration and nutrition methods during training, so that there are no surprises on race day.  

Happy Trails My Friends

Next Up, Chicago!

The week prior to Chicago was spent in recovery mode.  That meant, relieving a toenail of the pressure and watching the colour slowly dissipate.  Usually, I just leave them be, but, figured I needed to address it this time to get race ready.  It also reminded me that I need a pedicure; which use to be my most post race reward.  Cornel had a few toenails, but, I was like that Angela Johnson stand up routine...."Beautiful Nail....just one!".  It also meant replenishing lost calories and building some carbohydrate stores.  I felt like Slimer from Ghost Busters, eating everything in sight and still, it wasn't enough.  And finally, the DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness).  And my favourite "adaptation response" which my body is still trying to recall.  Remember, its how the body is suppose to restore itself to balance in response to stress.  I'm pretty sure I never got out of the resistance stage.

Saturday, the day of the road trip we got a fairly early start and I had the good fortune of sleeping a good portion of the morning.  We arrived in Chicago by early afternoon and had about 4 hours to explore the race expo.  We required most of that time to cover all the vendors.  This is one of the benefits of U.S. races, the expo's are quite large in comparison to their Canadian counterparts.  There are now a few more races that have been added to my bucket list. You should have seen the race medal for Little Rock. It was literally the size of a dinner plate.

We got back to the hotel and decided that dinner was in order to ensure an early night.  We were staying at the Drake which put us in the prime shopping district and close to some nice restaurants.  Following dinner, we found our way to the closest drugstore so that Cornel could pick up some supplies for his toes. He was a little concerned that he would have ogre feet forever.  Between Slimer and the Ogre, we could have been additions to Shrek 4.  Nonetheless, we looked at the race map and devised a strategy for him to pull out should his feet give him too much aggravation. None of which he needed come race day. Following that, we jumped into bed fairly early to obtain some adequate sleep.  After all the races I've competed in, I still never get a good night's sleep the night prior.


The next morning came too soon as I was awake to every siren that tore through the city during the night.  Nothing that a good cup of coffee wouldn't fix.  We left the hotel, knowing that we had a 3 km walk to the race start and we were 20 minutes behind already. We were able to catch some of the first wave and then as we approached the park, we were able to witness some of our coral running past us. I forgot to mention our race strategy.  New Balance had partnered with Strava and was offering a pair of shoes to anyone that could produce a negative split.  Knowing that our legs were not at prime coming off the Toad, we figured this would be the most attainable goal and a worthy one. This vision would force us to slow down rather than following the pack and going out to fast.  We could allow ourselves to get nicely warmed up, even though the walk had already taken care of that.  By the time we checked in our bag and hit the chute, we had both missed our coral and we fell in where we could.  It took half an hour to advance up to the start line.  At least, we had another opportunity to visit the Porto-potty. Finally! We were off and the legs felt pretty good, all things considered, rested and limber.  Not the effort I thought it might be.

By the time we hit the half way point, we were ready to pick up our cadence and finish it.  That
feeling may have lasted 2-3 km`s and then it became a struggle.  It was difficult to break free of the group due to sheer number of runners.  It really didn't open up much along the course.  By, the end, we had ran an additional 3 km`s. That`s a lot of weaving.  We were staying positive and we were both feeling good. We lacked any real suffering coming off the Toad, other than lack of energy and that was surprising.  I thought there would be some residual.  Even though the mile markers appeared to never come, we were happy to count them down.  Our feet, to both our surprise were holding up, except for my left metatarsal (normal pain after 10 k), that Cornel massaged for me a few times.  The hardest part was getting back on my feet afterward.  The unlimited number of spectators along the course cheering you on, was exhilarating.  There wasn't a section of the course that wasn't covered.  There were even different organizations that came out to offer hydration and some nutrition.  They had bananas, oranges and even pretzels and gummy bears individually wrapped for you to grab and go.  Truly remarkable to see the support for us runners from the entire community.

The finish was within reach and we assumed the New Balance shoes were just a few km's away.  Both were attainable.  There had been some bad smells along he course, but, I came upon one that was particularly foul.  Right about that time, Cornel was saying move to the right, move to the right.  Then I understood why.  You start to move and things start to move within you.  Kudos to that woman for her perseverance as I don't think I could do it.  She just ignored it and kept on going.  We saw people with prosthetic legs.  I always get emotional when I see the hurdles that other people overcome.  We had a few extra walks as fatigue was setting in, but, our pace seemed to be where we needed to be. Coming up that little hill near the finish was one of those, ; we should have pushed ourselves....just like skeleton hill, but, the mental got the better of us.  What a terrible spot for cameras. That's just mean. There was a slight turn and then the finish line came into view.  You get this sudden jolt of energy and surge with whatever you have left in the tank. Ahhh, the finish.  The glorious finish.  First a bottle of water, then your medal, then nutrition, then beer, then Mylar blankets, ice, photo's.  They just think of everything.

It may not have produced any PR's for me (almost 40 minutes slower), but, it was a great race and one that I look forward to racing again.  Once we had wobbled over to pick up our belongings from the bag check and found a place on a bench (easier to get up again) to relax and finish our beer; it all seemed worthwhile.  You recall the things that went well and what you would try differently next time. Then, all of a sudden, you are discussing the race strategy for your next one.  However, I have been told that a certain someone has already surpassed his maximum running distance for the year, so the next race I may have to do alone.  Horror Hill is just around the corner and it would be a shame if I had to run it solo.

We had not finished our stumbling as we had yet to make it back to the hotel which was a vast 3 km away.  We had considered Uber, but, just kept walking, as unsteady as we were.  On a positive note, we passed a Cheesecake Factory and knew exactly where we were having dinner later.  We were in good company along the way with so many runners.  Once back at the hotel, we jumped onto the computer to claim our shoes and wouldn't you guess, a mere 20 seconds behind a negative split.  It certainly sounded easy at the time.

Happy Trails my Friends!
         

2016 Tour De Hans

2016 Tour de Hans

My first ever road cycling race and boy was I nervous.  It could have been the cold temperatures that had me shaking too.  However, I have heard of it being just shy of winter in past years, so I wasn't complaining about 13 degrees and sunny.  Regardless of how many races I do, the nerves always get the best of me.

After the initial sign up, I had taken a good look at the 2015 results and these ladies were fast, especially in my age group (40-49).  Faster than I could comprehend. This is such a competitive age group.  I thought to myself, that's okay, this is going to be the fastest I've ever gone over the 100 km distance and I will just be happy with that.  Normally, when we ride with the GCBT group, we stop for a nice relaxing lunch, some conversation; there would be no such pleasantries here-it would just be 100 km straight out.  I had never done that distance in a single stretch before.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
  

Tour de Hans

The morning was cool as I said so I decided to keep my jacket on as I hate being cold. That turned out to be a good plan as the wind continued to stay cool for the day and I remained comfortable for the entirety of the race.  It also helped that Cornel or as I occasionally call him, the "Crazy Train",  is a good deal larger than me and with him pulling, I was relatively sheltered.  The beginning of the race, had me struggling to keep up to Cornel and Karen.  I require a good warm up,but had no time prior to our start.  It started with very gentle hills, but, had me huffing and puffing a bit.  Finally, after about 5-6 km, I felt good and we started to roll.

The course was capacious, covering relatively quieter roads through the country, all with decent surfaces and moderate to little traffic. There was a tremendous amount of volunteers helping to direct the course and provide hydration.  I was riding my new Liv Avail and having only road it twice previously, we were already establishing a fairly tight bond.  She was light, compact, responsive and I felt inspired to push it down.

Cornel had been trying coach me on riding within a peloton, but, having never tried it previously, I was reluctant on trying it now.  I think he was aware of my inhibitions as he commented on safety and said that he would prefer to do the work, than ride perilously.  I know he was worried about me, but, didn't want to acknowledge it.  I was more comfortable than I use to be, having rode at the velodrome last year, but, still require some improvement when riding with a group. However, with Cornel pulling, its like hopping on the A-Train or Crazy Train as I like to call it.  He is rapid and precise.  He just flows like water.  Its so easy to draft him. I only pulled twice and the first time, as luck would have it, we were caught by the camera crew.  Beautiful!

Once we hit the 60 km mark, we came into a fairly strong head wind and Karen caught up to us at the water station, having said previously that she would grab a slower group.  She is an experienced rider and triathlete, so I think this was part of her race tactic.  We now became a party of three.  I was beginning to struggle and our pace slowed.  It was becoming tough.  Physically, mentally, but, I knew I had to maintain some consistency or all our efforts to this point would be in vain. I was thankful to have to experience riders to draw from.

AG Winners

In the end, Karen placed 2nd in her AG and came in 8th overall ladies and I placed 3rd in my AG and came in 9th place for the ladies.  What, top 10?  It was beyond my expectations.  In the end, I think some of the ladies that had raced the year prior decided to stay home and I'm okay with that. If I decide to race it again next year, I hope to be able to join one of the groups and pick up the pace a bit, but, we will leave the race planning to Cornel.

Happy Trails my Friends

Now, For the Rest of the Story!

One of the main reasons for signing up for the Boxing Day 10 Miler was that Claudia (Cornel's youngest daughter) was coming home for Christmas.  Claudia is a very active and vibrant young lady (so full of life as I found out on race day) and like her Dad, she enjoys a very active lifestyle, full of hiking, cycling and running; well and whatever else she can squeeze in.  She currently lives in Vancouver and attends at the University of British Columbia.  As she progresses in her studies, she will be a great resource for our racing nutrition, so stay tuned for that.
She, like the rest of us had started out with the best of intentions, but, those dreaded mid terms were omnipresent and so, her training runs also suffered.  It was hard for me to notice though.  Also, like her Dad, they have a natural running form that makes them a little faster.  I have to admit, it was on account of trying to run along side her and share in her first race experience that I started out with that sub 5 min pace.  Fortunate for me, I do the 10 and 1 program and lost her after 10 minutes.  I was then able to settle into my own personal and much slower pace.  As life shows us, sometimes, things just work out for the best.
It was her longest run to date, but, as her endurance and mental stamina prevailed, Claudia took first place in her age category of 19 and under, winning her a gold belt buckle in her very first race.  Cornel and I were so overjoyed to be part of this experience.  It appears that someone will be returning next year to defend that title in the next age group category and also beat her Dad, who only finished a mere 6 minutes ahead.  So proud of you Claudia!  Also, important to mention, our goal is to be well trained for next years race.

Happy Trails my Friends!

The Under Trained

How much training is considered too little?  Does it depend on the distance or on the amount that you push it?  If it happens to be the latter than my body is cooperating quite nicely.  My partner Cornel (you'll hear him referenced many times in my blogs) has said that we are not able to do any further races without doing the appropriate training and yet, here we go again.
The Boxing Day 10 Miler race was a great thought when we considered it back in late October or early November.  Easy to get in 3 runs a week, right?  That changed into one run a month in November and two in December.  Maxing the distance in those runs at around 5 km as I didn't want to push it too much.  I will do that on the next one.  Sure, then life gets in the way.  Why does time move so fast after 40?
Well, as I always said in my clinics and the mantra I have used in more than one race, "a finish is still a finish".  The one benefit in racing under trained is you tend not to push it as you fear risking an injury for that next race, so you finish without breaking much of a sweat, which means dry clothes.  This is a positive when its only 4 degrees outside.  The other benefits of running at a 60-70 max heartbeat, you can talk a lot; or at least to anyone that is willing to listen.  Its enjoyable, you notice things and the people around you.
Well, just be sure to start off slow.....or when you look down at your Garmin and you're running a sub 5 pace, ease up as you're running way to fast to get through it.  All in all, finishing at the half way point of your gender and age group is satisfying enough for lacing up. Good thing you showed up.

Happy Trails my Friends