Is Your Metabolism Happy?

Why is it that so many people complain that they eat very little, but are still overweight? I have many triathlete friends that eat way better than I do, yet can’t seem to tame the belly bulge. Then there are people like me that eat everything in sight, and never seem to gain weight. We complain that during times of extreme training that we are hungry constantly and work hard not to drop too much weight! No one feels sorry for us! What’s up with that?

Your metabolism is the key. Most people are somewhere between the two extremes. Their intake, metabolism and output are on a roller coaster ride. If only you can tame the metabolism beast, healthy weight and better performance will follow.

How can we make our metabolism happy? The answer is a healthy, consistent diet and regular exercise routine. The key word is consistent! Food becomes energy at the rate our metabolism dictates. Exercise utilizes this energy at a more efficient rate if our metabolism is fast and happy.

This is not only the key to getting stronger, faster and more efficient but also the million dollar answer for weight loss! Losing weight means taking in less than you put out. You have to take into account your personal BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is one part genetics, one part age and many parts lifestyle habits! Seems simple enough; but if you are on a constant fad or crash diet, your body’s BMR is very low. Hence, you burn much less at rest than a hyper runner like me who eats constantly! I love my BMR! I burn more calories when sleeping than the average person!

So what does all this mean? A person who eats very little but can’t lose weight probably has a slow BMR and is often sluggish in their energy output; while in contrast a person with a fast EMR can eat more calories, utilize them more efficiently and have a higher energy out put!

The formula "energy plus metabolism equals output" means that all three react synergistically. High output is always desired, so in order to affect output, more energy either has to come in, or metabolism has to speed up, or both. Metabolism tends to be the limiter in most cases, since we can choose how much to eat. The volume of output can also be manipulated through programming our metabolism to be happier.

How do we affect our metabolism to achieve our goals? The most logical means to improve metabolism is to do more work. Increase your exercise in either duration or intensity. This will encourage your body to pick up the pace!

Many times your metabolism is low genetically and environmentally for many years and is stubborn to move. It is clinically depressed! The way to jolt it into action is not through starvation, which is often a knee-jerk response to the problem. Steady and consistent eating habits will be supported by good and steady energy inputs and high-energy outputs.

It makes sense that we need to increase our output and eat sensibly and consistently in order to change long-term trends. It is important to remember, this is a gradual process, so a commitment to the course of action is necessary.

Small consistent meals five or six times a day with a gradual increasing exercise program over a period of months leading to years will help kick your metabolism back into its happy place! Patience and discipline are the two primary rules of metabolism repair mechanism.

Almost all of us can improve what we're doing at some part of this equation. Grade yourself honestly. Is your metabolism happy and trusting? Is there enough energy? Is there enough exercise? Too much? Is your metabolism depressed and mad at you having been starved and stuffed with bad food and bad habits? Is there enough energy coming in and where is it going? Where can you improve?

Make your metabolism happy for better race results and an added bonus of a better waist line!

The Barefoot Running Debate Continues

Here we go again....More questions about the benefits of barefoot running. A new biomechanics study concluded that pronation was more controlled in unshod subjects than those that wore shoes. No conclusions were made on whether this translated to less injuries and no long term study of the subjects was performed. Bottom line, in a small group study, the barefoot runners were seen to pronate less than those that were wearing shoes. What does this mean? Not much. More studies of larger groups and over a longer period of time need to be performed, but barefoot running may be a tool to strengthen your feet. Let me emphasize the words "May" and "Tool". Which means a part of your training program, not a license to go chuck your shoes and just head out the door. Let's look a little closer at the recent study:

Some of the reasons which were indicated by the researchers for this healthful barefoot advantage to runners include:

1. The tendency of the foot to flex more while running barefoot.
2. The fact that the foot moves around inside a running shoe less than was originally believed.
3. The distribution and frequency of the ground’s impact forces on the foot has a better and less stressful pattern on bare feet.

All good, valid points. Personally I'm sticking to my Newtons to strengthen my feet and I have an orthotic in them to control my late stage pronation in my forefoot. Without that, I get hurt! But that's just me.

So you want to try barefoot running? A good test to see if you are a good candidate is to balance on one foot on your forefoot, keeping your heel in the neutral (perpendicular to the ground) position and hold that for one minute. If you can do this, you can start a gradual progression to barefoot running. I would go buy a pair of Five Finger Vibrams to protect the sole of your feet, then start with no more than 5 minutes on a track or softer trail surface. See how you feel. Then progress no more than 10 percent no more than 3 days a week. It will take you at least 6 months to work your way up to a reasonable time and pace. (And I still think its crazy, but again....just my personal opinion)

If you want to go totally barefoot without a pair of Vibrams, then you should take careful precautions before running completely barefoot. You must ensure that the track or path you’re running on is a non-abrasive surface, and is completely free of sharp or dangerous objects. Barefoot running is best done on a track with a smooth but tractable surface which you have personally inspected and removed any objects which could cut or damage your foot during running, and learning to run barefoot is a skill and must learned-slowly. SLOWLY!!!

I still think the jury is out on barefoot running. It is the latest fad which may or may not stick, but for those that want to try it.....take my advice and go really really slowly down that path. Most of the injuries we see from barefoot running are from progressing way to quickly!

Race Recovery Secrets Revealed!

How long does it take to recover from a marathon? How long does it take to recover from an Ironman triathlon? How much racing is bad for my body? These are all good questions posed in my office on a regular basis. The problem is that the answer is always, "It depends". Everyone recovers at a different rate. Age, experience and current fitness level are large variables in the equation. I know a marathon runner in town who ran 100 marathons in a less than 10 years; and of course, we have all heard of Dane Rauschenberg who ran 52 marathons in one year for charity and then wrote a book about it! The flip side is that I know runners who can only do one marathon a year without getting hurt and most triathletes only train for one Ironman a year.

So what is the magic formula? How much is too much? I think the first thing to think about is what is your goal? If you are just talking about finishing the marathons and not really having a time crunch, then feel free to do up to six a year but realize that having more than two quality runs in a year is very difficult. The Ironman distance should not be attempted more than 2 or 3 times a year regardless of time goals! Now, for those of us who are addicted to the watch, "racing" a marathon is something that should not be done more than twice a year. "Racing" an Ironman triathlon should only be attempted one a year.

Why is this true? Well, simple math. It takes a minimum of 4 months to train effectively for a marathon and 6 months for an Ironman. Then you need at least one day for every mile you ran and three to five days for every hour your triathlon took. That means a month of recovery before you start to train again after a marathon and at least 6 weeks after a 12 hour Ironman. Last time I checked, there were only 12 months in a year; hence, the common recommendation of racing no more than 2 quality marathons or one quality Ironman triathlon a year.

Why do some people recover faster? Age. My feeling is that youth is wasted on the young. I remember being able to run a marathon and get up and go to work the next day. Now I have to take at least one day off and often take two! Experience does help. Your body has been there before, so it knows it will live. Veterans often have a post-race routine down that helps them recover. (Often this includes the anesthesia known as beer!) If your fitness level is high and your nutritional status is good, you will recover faster.

What can you do to hasten recovery? Walk a cool down after the race. Do not sit down immediately even though your legs are begging you to! Take a 15 to 20 minute walk and stretch gently. An ice bath is best, but very few people I know are that tough. A cool bath followed by stretching before you go to bed is helpful. A large amount of carbohydrates and water also helps. Hence the beer phenomenon! A massage a few days after the race will help you recover. More than anything, do not start training again until you are fully recovered. Many injuries occur due to too much, too soon, too fast and too fatigued syndrome!

So how much is too much? Again, the answer is always, "It depends." Listen to your body. Really listen and stop being stubborn or stupid! If you start training and you are exhausted, you are doing too much. If you are spending too much time in my office and less on your bike, you are doing too much. The answer is really simple stupid. Listen to your body and it will tell you how much is too much.

Bottom line: Let your body fully recover from your races and quality times will be recorded. Race only one to two marathons or one Ironman triathlon a year. As for other distances, keep in mind that you need one day for every mile of a running race and at least 3 days for every hour you raced in triathlon. Anything shorter, you better take off your watch and go for the finish instead of the time and prepare yourself to spend some quality time with your local sports medicine physician!

Run Happy! And Recover Well!

Off to Texas Man Triathlon This Weekend!

Texas Man triathlon series is this weekend in Denton, Texas. The girls at FAANT (Foot & Ankle Associates of North Texas) have decided to try to suck in one of our coworkers and do the Half-Ironman distance relay. Janet and I are still tired from the New Orleans 70.3 so we thought a relay would be fun and it would get Lori to drink the Kool-aid of triathlon! I get to swim (why does everyone hate the swim?), Janet is going to smash the bike (I heard there were a few little hills, ha ha) and our newest triathlete, Lori, is going to motor the run! A good time I’m sure will be had by all. I’m happy because the swim should be wet suit legal! I float better that way. The forecast is bleak and includes possible thunderstorms, so pray for good weather at 7am on Sunday! We will update you after the race!

Here’s a shout out to everyone else racing this weekend. Be safe and have fun!
Run Happy!!

Which is Better? Ice, Beer or Heat for Injury Rehabilitation?

Ice, Heat or Beer? That is the Question?

Seriously, I crawl over the finish line and the first thing I want is a beer (or twenty)! I think that beer is a great adjunctive therapy for injury rehabilitation. Think about the benefits of beer:
1. It relaxes you.
2. It is a great pain reliever.
3. It makes the end of a race much more enjoyable.
4. It can precipitate post-race amnesia making you want to do another one.
5. It tastes much better than Gatorade.
6. I think I even read a study that showed beer helps flush out all that lactic acid!
7. It promotes social activity after a race when you feel like you just got run over by a truck
8. It’s a great carbohydrate replacement recovery drink.
9. It makes the ride home so much more comfortable……….and the next morning if you don’t have to go to work 

All right, all funny aside, how about the ice versus heat question?

Ice versus heat? This is a common question a lot of athletes, coming into my Grapevine, Texas office, ask. Most understand that ice immediately after injury is very important. The questions usually revolve around when to use heat. There are some basic guidelines that every athlete can use to reduce confusion.

Immediately ice the “fall down, go boom injuries.” Ice works well for reducing redness, swelling and internal bleeding in acute injuries. It also is a great pain reliever. Acute injuries and post surgical pain and swelling usually respond well to 10 to 15 minutes of ice every few hours. This should be done for up to several weeks after an injury or surgery. Ice can be in the form of an ice pack (ice wrapped in a protective towel) or ice massage (massaging with a frozen water bottle or block of ice).

Ice can also be helpful in reducing swelling in a chronic injury like runner’s knee or plantar fasciitis. Icing immediately after activity can prevent further inflammation of an already annoyed area and help in recovery.

So where does heat come in? Heat can be used in several different ways. Contrast baths with ice/heat/ice can be helpful in chronic injuries. Especially those joints or tendons that still have just a little inflammation or edema. Heat should never be used alone in these cases. Moist heat is best for chronic stiffness and old injuries with scar tissue. It can also help in the rehabilitation process. For example, when plantar fasciitis becomes plantar fasciosis after four to six months (which is a chronic degeneration of the plantar fascia), deep heat therapy with ultrasound or moist heat packs can help increase range of motion of the area and increase the effectiveness of physical therapy. Heat actually temporarily increases inflammation in an area, but this is often helpful in kick starting the healing process. Heat can also be used to calm muscle spasms and relax a tight muscle.

Heat causes an increase in circulation to an area, so it should never be used in acute injuries or chronic injuries with a lot of swelling. It can actually make an injury worse if there is still a little internal bleeding going on. A great way to heat a joint or tendon is to use a reusable heating pack or an electric heating pad for about 20 minutes before stretching, massage or other therapy. Heating an old injury before exercise can also be helpful in warming up the area to ready it for increased activity.

The simple rule of thumb is that ice is used for acute, swollen injuries and heat is used for stiff, chronic injuries. This subject is debated continuously, but I hope this discussion clears up the mystery of ice versus heat!

It's National Running Month, So get Off the Couch!

Hey, it's May. You know what that means? It's national running month!

Wow, what a great month to get started with your new running program! We all know that there is a new running boom and running is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States next to my second favorite, Triathlon! The bottom line is that running gives you the best fitness that you possibly can get from a simple exercise that costs almost nothing! So think about it. Let's walk down to the local running store and get yourself a new pair of running shoes! Let's get back on track today just because national running month! It's a great excuse to get started.

A wise woman always says that the hardest part of a marathon is the first three steps out of bed in the morning, so let's get out there and get running.

If you are using your on and off foot pain as a good excuse to stay on the couch, click here and order my free book on foot and ankle woes. Yes, I said FREE!

Gotta Tri New Orleans 70.3!

It’s the day after my second Half Ironman. Funny thing, I’m stiff and sore, but the worst pain I have is in my sunburn and my wetsuit rub on my neck! What did we learn from the Oschner New Orleans 70.3 this weekend? Sunscreen and Body Glide are essential to a good long course triathlon experience. You would think after finishing Austin 70.3 last October with sunburn that looked like ahi tuna on both shoulders that I would learn. Must be the blonde in me, ha ha. Stubborn or stupid Hmmm….

What a great day it was in New Orleans. Lake Pontchartrain was choppy and took out quite a few swimmers. I had some rough early moments, but then became one with the waves and relaxed. Unfortunately, I probably swam 3000 meters instead of 2000 because I was all over the place. The waves were pulling you into the shore. I even had one chick in a kayak yell at me “Go left or you will hit the levy”. I was sure levy ping pong with my body would hurt, so I zigzagged my way back on course. I got out of the water about 5 minutes longer than it should’ve been, but no major damage done.

On to the bike! Transition was smooth. Thank God for wet suit strippers! Onto Roxanne (that’s my bike’s name) and away I went. My bike got tons of comments from the other riders. No exaggeration, I think about 500 people in the race commented what a cool bike I had (she’s hot pink camo). I wish they gave out style points, because she is definitely a statement on the ride! The best part was that after I Retuled my bike last month, I rode almost 2.5 mph faster than before! Sweet! The course was flat and fast! The only hills were the overpasses! I spanked the bike and entered transition. I was happy to see only about half of my age group competitors were already on the run so I was having a fine day!

Then the sun peeked its head out from behind the clouds and made all of us pay. It was 83 degrees and about 90% humidity. A hot, steamy day in New Orleans. Normally for me, this would not have been a problem, but the weather in Texas has been so cold that we had no training in the heat to get our bodies acclimatized. Lots of water, Gatorade, salt tablets and ice. I found a great new use for the Jog bra….it holds ice very well between aid stations and definitely helps keep your core temperature down! The run was not pretty, but I dug deep into my mararthon experience and realized the faster I ran the sooner I would be done. Not pretty, but got it done. I crossed the finish line in front of Jackson Square in 6:28 and happily had a beer to celebrate. That was the best tasting beer I think I have ever had! After a potty break and a silver blanket, it was back to the course to find Janet. The boys let me know that she was hurting coming off the bike and probably was walking it in. Happily, we spotted her running slowly but moving forward. She crossed the line and took her beer as well! A good time was had by all!! Janet’s coach Della Irby won her age group, so we had a second beer to celebrate!!

So again, what did we learn? Lube or Body Glide the heck out of your neck before putting on your wet suit if the water is at all choppy. You spend the whole time looking like a turtle popping your head up to try to see where you are going. Sunscreen after you take off your wetsuit in transition. The extra 20 seconds are worth it not to be whining about your sunburn the next day! And remember that God has a sense of humor…..Hydration and nutrition is the key to getting through to the finish. Will I do another one? Of course. Thinking about Miami 70.3 in October. Hmm….A salt water swim would be a cool new experience and I love Cuban food!!