Spirit of the Marathon II : Movie Night

On June 12th, the one night release by Fathom Events of Spirit of the Marathon II, occurred nationwide at 7 pm.  Of course, with Jess and I combining for multiple marathons provides enough reason why we enjoyed the first movie as well as this one.  Jess is in love with everything Italian and takes great pride in her Milan and Venice area family roots.  That makes a movie about the Rome Marathon tough to turn down.


The positives for the movie, similar to the first one, were the different views from different types of runners and the intertwined life stories with footage of the Rome Marathon.  My personal favorite, Domenico, was a cousin of one of the primary runners followed, Mimmo (also Domenico), who owns "The Runner" Pizzeria (Il Podista) in the movie.  Two older gentlemen who took multiple hours each day to train together and work hard.  Both providing great outlooks on life and the joy that running has brought them through many marathons.  The pro athletes followed, Vasyl Matviychuk and Epiphanie Nyirabarame, were from the Ukraine and Rwanda respectively, and demonstrated the style of life and dedication required to overcome the difficulties of running as your job.  The scenes from Rwanda showed a different culture and athletes who were breaking the mold of typical Rwandan lives.  Epiphanie had to overcome both cultural and familial expectations to enter the world of elite marathoning.  Most importantly, the movie showed the joy of running and its inherent companionship.  Each athlete casted for the movie showed how running can add to life and the lessons that are learned on the road.  All runners can connect to that message and the purity of the sport.

Unlike the first movie, we were not treated to an American athlete (like Deena Kastor in the original) in the training for Rome.  The variety was excellent in both movies, but an insight into Deena's life may, for people like me, be a bigger draw as she is an individual well known and heavily rooted for by Americans.  Regardless of the nationalities, the movie draws on the runners spirit and variety in life.  Everyone is busy in their own way, but these individuals know that an hour run trumps an hour on the couch each and every day.

We enjoyed the experience of the movie and the "This Water is Beautiful" documentary after the credits focusing on providing sustainable fresh water to many African nations.  Highly recommended for runners, especially those training for a marathon, and for the aspiring runner alike.

Enjoy the show!

Fueling Your Run

A Guide to Sports Drinks, Carbohydrate Gels, and Energy Bars. 

 

It's that time of year again...summer is about to start, triathlon season is here and runner's around the country are gearing up to begin training for their fall marathons/halves.  Lately, I’ve fielded a several questions from patients and friends about running nutrition (i.e. How do I hydrate properly?  What fuel do I need pre-run?  What should I eat during long runs?).  Consequently, I decided to write up a little summary of the information based on my educational background, current research (i.e. ACSM recommendations, etc.) and my experiences competing in 10+ races per year.

Sports drinks:  Drink 1.5 to 4 cups per hour of exercise (or more if you’re a heavy sweater). A mix of carbohydrates and water, they make for a great fuel and hydration choice and significantly boost endurance (~20% according to research) for exercise >60 min compared to regular water.  Most sports drinks supply a blend of sugars with 13-19 g of carbs per 8 oz.  Research suggests that having a blend of carbs (i.e. glucose and sucrose versus a single source) improves the amount of carbohydrate that gets to your muscles as fuel because the different sugars are absorbed through different routes in the intestines.  Sports drinks also contain electrolytes with sodium being one of the most important because it is lost in the greatest amount through sweat.  It helps maintain your body’s fluid balance, promotes the uptake of fluid in the intestines, and can contribute to cramping if low.  Find a flavor you like and go with it… I like orange Gatorade or power-bar drink mix and I often water them down a bit out of personal preference.  I usually drink a cup or so before runs lasting >1 hour and then take water in my camelbak during training runs.  During races, I alternate drinking a few sips of water or sports drink at the hydration stops.

Carbohydrate gels:  Research recommends 1-3 gel packets containing ~100 calories or 25g carbs each for every hour of exercise.  These single serve packets are super portable and easily stored in your pocket.  Just tear off the top, squeeze the gel in your mouth, and wash down with 4-8 oz of water.  They’re made up of sugars and maltodextrins that are easily digested (important when your tummy is bouncing around as you run, haha) along with electrolytes to maintain fluid balance.  Some also contain caffeine (which I like) but if you’re not used to caffeine it can make you jittery, give you heart palpitations etc.  I usually eat a strawberry banana Power-gel with caffeine every 5 miles during runs and races >10 miles.  Because they are gooey, I try to eat them as I approach a hydration stop in races so I can wash it down with some water.  On training runs >10 miles I usually have my camelbak for water.

Energy bars:  Eat 1 bar with 25-40g of carbohydrate and less than 15g protein about an hour before a long workout.  There are many kinds of bars, but basically you want a bar with ~70% of its calories from carbs for fuel before and during long workouts.  Another consideration is glycemic index (GI).  Bars with a high GI are best during a workout because they rapidly release carbs into the bloodstream to give muscles a quicker fuel injection.  Bars with a low GI are best before exercise because they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly and create sustained energy.  (The protein bars are good for after your workout - of course you could just eat some other high-protein snack or some chocolate milk too).  Beware of fat content in the bars because some bars are high in fat which slows digestion and is not helpful during your run.  I like to eat Cliff Bars and Snickers Marathon Bar (plus it doesn't hurt to have accessibility to large quantities of these delicious and energizing bars through Nick and my different sponsorships).  I usually eat a bar for breakfast on race mornings and sometimes as a pre-workout snack.

While the above items are really helpful in boosting performance and keeping your body from getting too broken down as you train, “real food” like fruits are also good fuel sources and supply a shot of carbs for long runs.  Most fruits give 15g of carbs per serving.  Additionally, fruits like nectarine halves or dried fruits can be easily transported and stored on runs.  Aim to have 1-2 services pre-workout or 2-3 servings per hour of running.   Sometimes marathons or halves will give out fruit on course… I love when they have oranges :o)  

Happy Training!!

Bold Weekend in Boulder

A 50,000 person tradition fills the streets of Boulder every Memorial Day.  The country's premier 10K event drawing runners from every state and elite runners from many countries.  Bolder Boulder, only 100 minutes from our doorstep, offered a great opportunity for a Colorado weekend getaway.  We took advantage of the Monday holiday and explored a few new places in Colorado on an extended weekend trip.

Jess and I decided late to participate in the race, and did so with a few friends from work and Jack Quinn's Running Club.  We combined our trip with a visit in Denver to a Man v. Food Challenge restaurant at Jack-N-Grill.  I was able to successfully complete the small version of the challenge burrito while Jess had difficulty with 3 small tacos, as she still is baffled by my appetite despite 7 years of visual proof.  A great stop for Mexican fare and over-sized breakfast portions, we would both recommend Jack-N-Grill, Denver as a mile-high stop just a few minutes from Sports Authority (Denver Broncos) Field.

After Denver, we completed our trip up to Boulder.  Nick spent the day volunteering for Saucony and selling shoes at the Bolder Boulder Expo while Jess toured the town and the local fair enjoying drinks with friends.  Boulder offers a different scene than Colorado Springs which we really enjoyed; a scene of a major waterway and modern college life.  A trip combination of Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder provides countless opportunities for east-coasters such as us to experience cultural differences, famous landmarks, and the incomparable beauty and fun of the Rockies.

The race in Boulder took place Monday morning with the "A" wave of fast but non-elite men and women goes off first followed by a wave every 1'10".  Nick participated in the A wave while Jess started a few minutes back in the DA wave.  The course warned of a hilly first 4 miles which represents the hardest part of the course, but to most Colorado residents is par for the course.  Two missed goals later and the party began with the "Runch" runner's lunch, Michelob Ultra, and a Memorial Day Celebration complete with paratroopers from each military branch.  The stands filled up with the earlier participants to spectate the elite waves who start later in the day.  The announcers provide race commentary with video streaming on the big screen in the University of Colorado stadium finalized by the athletes completing their race in the stadium in front of a loud crowd representing multiple nationalities including a large contingent of Ethiopian and Kenyan supporters.


Overall, a race we would highly recommend participating in at least once, even if you must suffer from the altitude to run.  A great all around huge event with energy and an elite running show to boot. We will be making a yearly trip to Boulder on Memorial Day!