Chicago's (Race-Like) Lakefront Trail.

I am fortunate to live close to Chicago's Lakefront trail. It's a half mile walk (or I should say warm-up) from our condo to the trail at Lake Shore Drive and Fullerton Parkway (photo below). I wait to turn on my Garmin GPS watch until I get close to the lake; all the buildings inland make it harder to acquire the satellite signals.



The walk to the trail feels like the prep before a race. Make sure everything's tied snug, the watch is working, the legs are loose, the hair is snugly secured in the hair tie, etc.

Once you get on the trail it's go time. You hit start on the watch and you start running. In a way it's like getting onto the expressway; you wait for a clear spot in the traffic and then you dart in.

The traffic on the lakefront trail mimics the feel of being in a race. Someone passes you and so you pick up the pace... or you see a girl an eighth of a mile ahead of you with a purple shirt on and you make her your next goal. There's lots to look at, and a lot of ways to track your progress. When I head north there are trees that line the path by the tennis courts near Belmont; I like to count how many steps it takes to get between those perfectly placed trees. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... eight steps to get from tree A to tree B; next time I'll make it 7 steps. Or maybe every time a bike passes I'll sprint for 10 seconds and try to keep up with him.

Another element that makes running the trail like a race are the Fleet Feet aid stations along the path, where runners pick up their Gatorade or water and scurry along.

The running groups training for Fall marathons also adds to race-like environment. It's good practicing for being in tight congested areas. You'll also get the occasional "keep it up" from the running groups, or high-fives from a random dude carrying a skateboard.

Living in Chicago and running long distances, the lakefront trail is really the best way to go. It mimics a race environment in so many ways and provides a great surface (minus Chicago traffic lights!) to get the bigger miles in.

A great map of Chicago's lakefront trail can be downloaded here (PDF).

Gatorlytes vs. Muscle Cramping.

This morning at 4am I put a couple ice cubs in an 8 ounce glass and filled it half full w/ Fruit Punch Gatorade Endurance, half full with water and a full packet of Gatorlytes made by Gatorade. The mix has 0 calories, but is packed full or Potassium (400mg) and Sodium (780mg) as well as 10% of ones daily requirement for Magnesium. As stated on their website, the mix is for athletes that suffer from cramping. That's certainly me!

It was flavorless, aside from adding a more salty taste to the Fruit Punch Gatorade Endurance flavor. It didn't upset my stomach at all, but I did wait for over an hour before I ran; on their website it says to take it 60-90 minutes before your "competition". It was a cool day out (averaged around 60 during my run) so this probably played a part in how great I felt, but even at cooler temps I usually still get crampy after 15 miles.

15 miles came and gone and I thought to my self, "alright cramps, where are you?" Mile 16, nothing. Mile 17 a little soreness in my hips, but no cramps. Mile 18 still no cramps!

Was it the Gatorlytes that took care of my horribly distracting and painful calf cramps that usually arise? I have a feeling it was! It was great to run past 15 for the first time without the pain! I'll test again on my 20 mile run. If I am cramp free on my 20 mile training run, then I'll stock up on the mix. I might also bring a packet as a "just in case" during the marathon, as it says you can use it during activity as well.

As a side note, this stuff is a little hard to find. The only places that currently sell it are GNC and Dicks Sporting Goods.

Tip - GNC has mix and match buy one get one free on Gatorade products through the end of Sept!

18-Mile Training Run.

This Saturday I will be running 18 miles in preparation for the Columbus Marathon in October. It will be my longest distance this year (I ran 16 miles two weeks back). I'm still tweaking my fueling strategy for the race; I'm feeling a bit tight, crampy (and cranky!) at the end of my long runs. I found out that raisins are high in potassium, so I think I'm going to take a small box of those with me this time around – they are small and seem easy enough to digest. See my race plan below that I'll be practicing this weekend.

Two Days Before:
Breakfast: cereal and soy milk, orange juice
Lunch: something healthy, high carb, high protein and low in fat
Snack(s): banana, raisins, bagel
Dinner: simple pasta w/ marinara, bread
Drink: extra water

Day Before:
Breakfast: something healthy, high carb, high protein and low in fat, orange juice
Lunch: something healthy and low in fat
Snack(s): banana, raisins, bagel, gatorade
Dinner: simple pasta w/ marinara, bread
Drink: 20oz of Gatorade Endurance Formula, extra water

Morning of Run:
Pre-Breakfast: Gatorlytes Mix & 20oz of Gatorade Endurance Formula
Breakfast: bagel with peanut butter, banana, orange juice

During Run:
Gatorade Endurance Formula (3-5oz approx. every 1.25m at the 21 aid stations)
Water w/ Nuun Tablet (3oz every 10 minutes)
Carb Boom Gel (every hour)
Shot Blox (1 every half hour)
Raisins (half box at miles 5, 10, 15, 20)

After Run:
Immediately - Odwalla Super Protein Chocolate drink, banana
Within 2 hrs - full meal

Muscle Cramps During a Marathon.

I always get cramping in my calves when I run over 15 miles. Cramping can certainly be a symptom of "hitting the wall." I decided to search the web for some information; my findings below.

Possible Muscle Cramp Causes
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte depletion (sodium, potassium, magnesium & calcium)
• Low blood sugar
• Poor conditioning
• Muscle fatigue
• Doing a new activity
• Exercising in extreme heat

Possible Ways to Relieve Muscle Cramps
• Stretch the muscle until the cramp stops
• Apply deep pressure to the affected muscle for 10-15 seconds at a time

Possible Ways to Prevent Muscle Cramps
• Stretch regularly after exercise
• Warm up before exercise
• Improve fitness
• Start a sports massage regime
• Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus & Calcium in your diet; consider taking a supplement
• Consume an electrolyte drink during extended periods of exercise

Additional Findings
• It takes 2 to 2.5 hours of exercise to deplete fully stored muscles takes.

• Sports drinks should be diluted to a ratio of two parts to one part water to prevent high concentrations of ingredients in the system. Large meals and fatty or high protein foods should be avoided before an event or training, favoring instead smaller, more frequent snacks.

• It's widely believed that potassium, magnesium and calcium can assist in the prevention of running cramps. Supplements can be taken.

• Luke Hoffman, author of the HowStuffWorks article How Aspirin Works, offers the following thoughts on muscle cramping:

"There is a reflex arc – made up of the muscle, the nerves carrying signals to the central nervous system (CNS) and the nerves carrying signals from the CNS back to the muscle -- that keeps carrying contraction signals from and to the muscle. This appears to lead to a sustained contraction in the muscle, also known as a cramp."

• Poor posture or inefficient biomechanics can be a cause of muscle cramping. Poor movement patterns may cause a disturbance in the activity of the Golgi tendon organs. These are "strain gauges" built into the tendon to prevent muscle tears. When activated, these organs cause the threatened muscle to relax while stimulating the antagonistic muscle-the one that moves the joint in the opposite way-to fire. There may be some quirk of body mechanics that upsets a Golgi device and sets off the cramping pattern.

If this is the cause, prevention may involve improving biomechanics, and regular stretching and strengthening of muscles that seem to cramp along with their antagonistic muscles.

• Another theory is that cramping is a result of burning protein for fuel in the absence of readily available carbohydrate. In this research, muscle cramps occurred in subjects who reached the highest levels of ammonia release during exercise. High ammonia levels indicate that protein is being used to fuel the muscles during exercise. This may indicate a need for greater carbohydrate stores before, and replacement of those stores during intense and long-lasting exercise.

• Some say pinching your upper lip can release a cramp.  Who knows!

Is Running Contagious?

To continue on the topic of my last post, it's only two days until the Crim 10 mile race in Flint, Michigan. This will be my fourth or fifth time running it. It's one of those races that you automatically add to your personal Summer race calendar. It has it all; the perfect distance, the neighborhood crowd support (including beer at "Cashew Point" and a dozen plus entertainers), the charming course through several neighborhoods, the rolling hills (notably The Bradley Hills) and the wide range of runners - from celebrated professional athletes to first timers.

So, why do I again bring up the Crim as an area of conversation? It's because, while this race is where running really started for me, it was also the point at which I realized that running was contagious.

Let me explain. I saw a postcard for the Crim training group, my co-worker Kristin and I decided to sign-up. We mentioned it to another co-worker, and she signed up. I told my Dad I could help him w/ the training from a "run this far this weekend, and run this far the next," and then he signed up. Because my Dad and I signed up, my Mom signed up for the 5k run. After the Crim 10 mile race was over, my Dad and I decided to run our first half marathon, the Detroit Freepress Half Marathon, and my Mom and husband signed up for the 5k run. After succeeding with 13.1 miles my Dad and I decided to vow to do the Chicago marathon the next year. The year we ran our first marathon, my Mom ran her first half marathon. Then a year later my Mom decided to try her first marathon. Along the way several friends, family and co-workers all became inspired to run races for their first time, or distances that they never thought they could cover.

That brings us to today; two days away from the Crim; I am excited (and proud) to say that my husband Mark is ready for his first Crim 10 mile race! His previous running history consisted of doing a couple 2 mile runs with me in the Summer and possibly a 5k in the Fall. After a full Spring & Summer of training for the 10 miler (body glide, cliff shot gels and lakefront training runs in all) I can only hope his journey ends (or should I say starts) like mine. Perhaps, at the finish line on the bricks of Saginaw Street, he will realize that he has truly become a runner. I'm excited to share this moment with my Mom and Dad who are (of course) running the Crim and the thousands of others also running. Alright! Time to eat some pasta!

How I Became a Runner.

I was athletic growing up.  Basketball in the fall, volleyball in the winter and softball in the spring.  The physicality, comradeship, discipline and the quest to be greater drove my passion for athletics.

What I hated most about athletics was running.  Drills.  Being the last person to finish.  Feeling like I was going to puke.  The pressure.  Everything about running made me cringe.  I tried out for the track team to try to get over my hate for running, but after not being able to barely make it a mile without walking they directed me to the shot put group.  My best buddy Sara and I quit after the first day.  Clearly – though running was a staple part of athletics – it was not for me.

Why did I hate running so much, and why was I so bad at it?  Was it because of the horrible way it made me feel; was it because I was a bit of a fat kid?  I learned the answer to these questions while training for my first long distance race – The Crim 10 mile race in Flint, Michigan – in 2005.  A co-worker (Kristin) and I signed-up for the Jeff Galloway training program on a whim after seeing a postcard for the race. The decision was made over a cup of chili and half of a grilled cheese sandwich at the Lunch Studio; we vowed to complete the 10 miles. I even suckered my Dad into training as well. 

So why did I hate running so much? I learned, that summer, that I hated running in the past because it was never on my own terms.  It was always being shoved down my throat by a coach.  It was always part of a drill that I knew was going to hurt and that I knew would not end successfully. 

And why was I so bad at it? I learned, that summer, that I struggled with running because I never put the time in that running deserved.  I just suffered on the first day of practice and thought "this is what running is."

It was during the last weekend in August of 2005, with my first shiny Crim 10 mile race medal around my neck, on the bricks in Flint, Michigan, that I became a runner.  I realized that running – when it was on my own terms and with proper training – provided me with all the things I loved about athletics; the physicality, comradeship, discipline and the quest to be greater.  Running was no longer the part of athletics that I hated, running became the part of athletics that I needed.  This is how I became a runner.