Getting Ready for Race Day - Run the Draw

I have received a slew of questions this past week regarding preparation for the upcoming trail run / ruck run, "Run the Draw". Let me see if I can help.

1) Do I need trail shoes or special shoes for a trail run?

This can be a tricky question. Right off the bat, I say "no"....with a few caveats, of course.
If you are able to run pain and injury free in the make and style of shoe that you currently use, don't change a thing. 
Depending on frequency of use, you should be able to get 250-400 miles out of a single pair of shoes, but keep in mind that some people run "lighter" than others. Contact your shoe company / run shop directly to see their mileage recommendations. If you start to have aches and pains, getting a replacement pair of shoes is a good place to start.

Be advised that minimalist shoes offer less support and stability. This may work just fine for you on the road, but your feet and ankles will be working extra hard out on the trail. This doesn't mean that you can't use a minimalist shoe. Just make sure you prepare your joints 
accordingly and be careful!

Traditionally, trail shoes offer increased stability over a standard road shoe by providing a lower heel cup and wider base. That being said, you shouldn't go out and buy a trail shoe one week before race day. Just like any new shoe, minimalist or not, it is important to ease into the use of said shoe. Try running in a new shoe once weekly, for 1-2 miles, then slowly increase your frequency and duration.


2) I don't have much experience running on trails. I tried running on a crushed limestone and grass path awhile back and my knees ached for a couple of days. Do you have any advice?
---There are three facets to my response: Surface hardness, unstable surface and frequency of use.

First off, your body becomes accustomed to the impact that you bestow upon it. Some folks handle this better than others. That means that if you typically run on asphalt (the softer of paved surfaces), you probably are going to feel a difference when changing to concrete. Here in eastern NM, we have been experiencing a severe drought. Pair this with high winds and exposed trails and alleyways tend to have zero topsoil or soft-packed dirt. The resulting surface can be harder than concrete and rough on your body. The same is true of grassy greenways at our local parks.  Try slowly integrating a variety of surface hardnesses into your routine. Remember. ease into it with lower mileage and frequency.

Speaking of running in the park, unstable surfaces such as grass, gravel, dirt, etc. certainly give your stabilizing joints a run for your money. Yes, your ankles, hips and even shoulders work much harder at maintaining a decent posture while on the "trail", even when there is no change in elevation. When your stabilizers become overworked, it is not uncommon for stress to travel to your range of motion joints (knees, back). Take away tip: don't become lazy with your posture. It will affect you that much more when running on the trail. Incorporating trail runs will help your joints become accustomed to both the impact and instability of a different surface. Get out on the trail before race day!


3) What do I eat? Do I need to eat? How often?

This is a biggie, and very athlete/runner-dependent. What works for you might not work for your buddy, so experimentation is key. For examples of pre-workout and pre-race meals, check the last blog post, "Nutrient Timing, Part 1". One item that I didn't mention on the NT post is a product that I use quite a bit for early morning, long workouts: Glucerna shakes. From time to time, I have difficulty with food before early morning workouts. Sometimes liquids are just easier. The nice thing about using glucerna shakes is my blood sugar is much more stable - I never experienced the weird tunnel vision or tingles that come with a drop in blood sugar. For years I used PowerBars and Clif Bars successfully before workouts, but recently I noticed that the high fiber content messes with my hydration during the workout.

As we joked about at Boot Camp this morning, eating a gu during a 5K is pretty silly. Most of us are going to be finished with the race before ever truly needing that extra boost.
Here is what I recommend for a 120-160lb individual for activities lasting longer than 1 hour. Approximately 250cal per hour after the first 45 minutes. So, at 45 min, take in about 100-125cal, then repeat for every 30 min thereafter. Heavier individuals, especially those with a more muscular build will need more calories. Are you carrying a pack or ruck? You'll be doing more work and probably will need more calories. What are some common ways to take in these calories? Hammer Gel, Gu, Power Gel, Roctane, Clif Shot, Sport Beans, Honey Stinger, Shot Bloks, etc. You will need to take in at least 8oz of water with each serving...more if your product is caffeinated. If you can't stomach the gu (some people don't care for the thick consistency; I don't mind it),  there are plenty of drink mixes out there, too. Hammer Nutrition sells many of my favorite products. Heed and Perpetuem are two great products, depending on the duration of your event/training.

Most importantly, try your nutrition plan before race day. 


4) I always get blisters when I run on trails. 

Due to the unstable surfaces, your feet move around within their shoes much more than if your were running on a flat surface. There are a couple of ways to combat this. First off, ease into trail running, and incorporate trail runs on a regular basis. Your feet will have to build up callouses to those common hot spots. If you like to treat yourself to a pedicure from time to time, absolutely do not shave off your callouses. Your feet have built them up as a protective measure against blisters. Keep them where they are! Make sure your toe nails are trimmed regularly to avoid rubbing between toes and awkward pressure on your nail beds. Hey, no one likes bloody toes or bruised/missing toe nails!

Secondly, if you are unable to build callouses, moleskin is a great preventative measure. Do this before your blisters get out of control.

Quality socks are another preventative measure. I have always had trouble with plain old cotton. This goes for running and hiking. Personally, I love the smartwool brand. Another problem with socks comes from sock height. Stay away from shorties or ankle socks. Lots of folks get rubbed raw on their achilles by the rear of their shoes because their socks are too low to protect them. 

If push comes to shove, you may need a shoe better suited for all that lateral movement you'll be doing. Head to your local running shop and get professionally fit by someone who knows what you need. I don't mean to be stuck up, but I can't stress enough that your local Big5, Sports Authority, Foot Locker, etc. JUST WON'T CUT IT. Hooking up with a local running store is a great choice. You might pay a little more, but you get personal attention, they typically have a decent return policy and often times allow you to test run shoes on their treadmill or sidewalk before purchase. Fleet Feet is a renowned national chain; local store is in ABQ. In Lubbock, I recommend Foot Tech. ABQ also has Heart and Sole. Bring in an older pair of running shoes so they can see what sort of wear pattern you create.



Do you have any more questions? Let me know!

Fuel Your Fire - Nutrient Timing, Part I

What you eat and when you eat it can make a big impact on what type of results you garner in the gym. Professionals refer to this as "nutrient timing", and the science behind it varies from sport to sport. An olympic lifter will not prepare for a workout in the same fashion as a distance runner, because these two athletes have very different energy systems.

Before we dive into the thick of systems and timing and ratios, you need to ask yourself a few questions before your next workout.
    1) When was your last meal?
    2) How long until your exercise session begins?
    3) How long will your exercise session be? More or less than an hour?
    4) At what type of intensity do you plan on exercising? Lower (below 75%) or higher (75%+)?
    5) For lifters, what phase are you in?


The following scenarios will help guide your food choices before your next workout. Keep in mind that the portions described below may not work for everyone. Adjust as you see fit.

I just woke up from a good night's sleep, and plan to hit my workout within 30 minutes. It takes me awhile to wake up, so my 45 minute elliptical workout will be lower intensity.
Stick with a small piece of fruit or dry toast and big glass of water. Your energy supplies will not be depleted from a workout like this, so keep your pre-workout snack small. It is important to keep your energy up, though, especially after a fasted period of rest (while you sleep).

I like to attend the 5:30am Spin class at my gym. It's only 40 minutes but I can't keep a conversational pace during the ride. It is definitely tough!
Toast with jam or a piece of fruit is a good call here. During high intensity exercise (especially cardio-centric), your body diverts energy from digestion to focus on working muscles. This means you should stick to easily-digestable (simple) carbohydrates. Some folks have a hard time with yogurt or milk before these types of workouts for the same reason, so cereal + milk/yogurt might not work for you. Proteins and fats are more challenging to digest.

I lift heavy MWF after work.
This is dependent upon what phase you are in. Mass builders should consume about 50g of carbohydrate and 14g protein 1-2 hours prior to working out. Those looking to lean out can cut the suggested portions in half.  A small bowl of oatmeal with some protein is a good way to go. Yes, carbs are still fuel for lifters. too. Try blending in some of your favorite protein powder or mix your oats with milk instead of water.

I am training for a cycling event and try to squeeze in a 2 hour base-building ride during a long lunch break on Wednesdays. I normally eat breakfast at 7am and snack at 9:30 or 10:00. I ride from 11:00-1:00. 
Base building indicates that this is a lower-intensity ride. He is training his energy systems for future training peaks and valleys.
Eat a normal breakfast, but watch your portion sizes of heavy proteins and fats. You still need them, but a pound of sausage isn't the best way to start anyone's day.
Your snack choices might be: a meal replacement or energy bar (Larabar, ClifBar, Hammer Bar), cheese and crackers or a small serving of leftover pasta from the night before.

There is a 2 hour Zumba marathon at 5pm, after work on Tuesday. I eat lunch at 11:30 and snack at 2:30.
I would suggest eating a slightly larger snack than possible. Be sure to balance it with carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Try eating a hard-boiled egg and slice of wheat toast or plain greek yogurt with 1/4c granola or 1 cup sliced veggies with 1/4 cup hummus and hard-boiled egg.

I lift weights in a beginner's group where there is lots of rest time between sets. We work hard while we are lifting, but there is a lot of socializing. My group meets at 9:30am and I eat a light breakfast at 8am.
Although you are working hard when you are actually working, there isn't much active exercise time. You aren't going to need lots of readily available sugars for this workout. Your light breakfast should suffice, but be sure that it isn't too "carb heavy".

I enjoy my lunchtime Pilates class, but often go on an empty stomach. I eat a good breakfast at 6:30 and sometimes skip my snack.
I would suggest a small handful of almonds or something like a Larabar to stabilize your blood sugar. Although you are working steadily in class, your intensity is most certainly below 75% effort. You could even go with a yogurt or glass of soy/almond/animal milk.


Play around with portions, types and timing of food before your next workout. You might be surprised to find the key that unlocks heavier lifts, more explosive movements and faster splits! What fuels your workouts?

Humility: Pride v. Jack*ss

Humility : the quality of being modest and respectful.

Thanks to my father's career in telecommunications, I had the opportunity to move around the U.S. about every 4 or 5 years. Each new childhood home was a bit different than the last; learning regional colloquialisms (it's no longer a shopping cart, it's a "buggy", you don't "pass out", you "fall out"), new climates, school and athletic schedules, etc.

I will openly admit, however, that building new friendships was always the most challenging of them all. I have never been a very forward person, and my childhood habits were no different. I tended to sit back and observe my classmates before making a move towards, "Hey, you wanna come over after school?" and definitely before, "Slumber party at my house this Saturday! Everyone's invited!" There was no calculated time frame that I mapped out before making new friends, I just wasn't in any rush. This helped me weed out the weirdos. A little patience up front meant no awkward avoidance later on.

When I was in one of my "observance" stages, another new girl moved to town. On day 1, everyone was scoping out her. On day 2, the lunch table where she dined was full. On day 3, she was passing out invitations for a slumber party at her house. How did she do it so quickly?

Now, I know what you're thinking. Amy, you were so obviously jealous! Sure, there was a small portion of me that was jealous. How could this complete stranger move in and in three days have a killer party set up with all of her new besties? It upset me. After that slumber party (I attended, by the way), new girl had tons of friends. But none of them seemed to be more than acquaintances. There were slumber parties and pool parties and pizza parties, but it was all very superficial. She was a nice enough girl, but there just wasn't much substance. On the flip side, thanks to my laid-back approach, I had a couple of super girlfriends that stuck by me through thick and thin. In elementary school terms, this means with or without pizza and soda-filled slumber parties.

This taught me a big lesson regarding humility. You can be as showy as you want, but if you don't have substance to back it up, what's the point? As an adult, I feel like this little lesson plays itself out on a multitude of levels: personal and professional relationships, mentors, even the guy or gal working out next to you at the gym. Why not strive to achieve the qualities of the folks you look up to?

A couple of years ago I witnessed an Adonis of sorts at the gym. This beefcake walked, didn't saunter, over to the rack of dumbbells and picked up a pair of 130 pound weights. Yes, one for each hand. He gently sat down on a bench and with great control reclined to a starting position for dumbbell chest press. Without grunting or screaming (I understand the need to brace the trunk and shoulders with a forceful exhalation, but...), he completed his set, and sat back up. He didn't toss his weights on the ground, flail his arms around and jump off the bench. He moved with purpose and control. It was amazing. I imagined if he were a football player he wouldn't have pranced around

for 5 minutes in the end-zone after scoring a touchdown.

It reminded me of a kettlebell seminar that I once attended in Oklahoma. The 5+ professionals who were leading the training were top in their field. Most of them had been published, one of them was a nationally ranked strong-man competitor and all of them were experts in their own right. My friend, Jason Marshall, was one of them and at the time was one of 16 team leaders in the world in his specialty. It is safe to say that these men looked pretty badass. Picture bald heads, goatees, perfect posture and a ninja-like presence. But Jason's level of professionalism dictated that his focus be placed on the client (seminar attendees) and not on his accolades. It was so refreshing to see these guys correct a 25 year old man with the same attention and care as they did with a 50 year old lady. Although their obvious physical prowess was certainly impressive, the pros had nothing to prove. It was their respect for others that was so refreshing.

Occasionally I will see a glimmer of hope amongst the swimmers that I coach. Like a barracuda, they are drawn to the shiny, showy stuff. It gets them excited and they want to soak up the light that is bouncing off of the disco-ball-like personality in front of them. But, after awhile, the light begins to fade and the smart kids realize that it's just a bunch of broken little mirrors around an empty space and they move onto something more real.

I suppose the point that I am trying to make is that putting everything out there may be great for a short-lived shock value of sorts, but it leads to a boring relationship. The fun thing about building relationships with others is the process of peeling back the layers of education, experience, personality, character and integrity. This respectful modesty is a trait to strive for.

Humility plays out on so many levels. Do you really want to spend time with the folks that are constantly bragging about how much money they make/spend, how busy/important they are, how fast they can ride or how much weight they can lift? With all of this "them, them, them", what do they need you for?

There is a fine line between pride and being a jackass. Strive to reach your goals, work your butt off and find a supportive network of friends and family that can keep you grounded. Be proud of your accomplishments. Don't be a jerk.

And don't throw too many slumber parties.