Run to the Beat

I must admit, I like nothing better than a long run and blasting out the cobwebs whilst listening to my favourite tunes. My tunes of choice tend to fall into a rather eclectic mix from pop to power ballads to classic rock. I do not discriminate when it comes to my running playlist; while I know others may cringe at some of my 'uncool' choices, like a fingerprint everyone is unique in their music taste.


I will only listen to music during my longer runs of between 1 - 2.5 hours purely as they quite frankly help keep me moving and on my feet. It can get lonely and at times a little boring pounding the pavements on one's own. Recent studies have found that music can have a powerful influence on your training and has been hailed to be sport's legal drug.

It has been shown that music can lower our perception of effort by around 10%. I have found this to certainly be true as I regularly find myself often zoning out only to return after a run and find I have a few race pace efforts slipped into my workout thanks to particular songs. In essence I find myself almost having an interval workout without really noticing it. Hard work without feeling much pain...I'll take it...


Music's effectiveness comes from 'rhythm response', related to the beats per minute (BPM) of a song. For medium - high intensity cardio, a song with 120-140 BPM is effective. You can also link your heart rate to BPM so that the music you listen to is 5 beats per minute above your heart rate.


You can find the BPM of your favourite tunes via iTunes, which has an optional BPM column. Also, Tangerine at www.itunes.com can create playlists for you by analysing the BPM of your tracks.


http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/ipod_itunes/tangerine.html


Like any drug, you can become addicted to it and this can result in you becoming desensitized to it - best to use it every third workout to get the full benefits, much the same as how I only use it for a particular type of workout; longer runs.


Personal Favs (No laughing)


Albums:
Def Leppard - Vault
ACDC - Back in Black
Kiss - Greatest Hits
Fall out Boy - Infinity on High
Hard Fi - Stars of CCTV
Hinder - Extreme Behaviour
Foo Fighters - In Your Honour (disk 1)


Songs:
Jeremih - Down on me
The Who - Baba O'Reilly
Journey - Wheel in the Sky
Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor
The Clash - Police on my Back
Pink - Raise your Glass
David Guetta - Sexy Bitch
Lady Gaga - Born this Way
Twisted Sister - I Wanna Rock
Creedence Clearwater - Bad Moon Rising
Taking Dawn - The Chain
Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits
Bon Jovi - Livin on a Prayer
Biffy Clyro - Mountains
Bloc Party - Flux
Arcade Fire - Rebellion
Bad Company - Bad Company
3 Colours Red - Beautiful Day

Lesson Learnt: Race Nutrition EPIC Fail

Run like a Donkey, Walk like a Penguin...


Well well readers, as I write this I am bitterly disappointed in myself as I failed to follow one of the very basic commandments of running....Thou shalt not experiment with nutrition for the first time in a race situation. An epic failure on my part of massive proportions and my, did this one come back to haunt me...


It all happened because I was unable to train properly for the Geneva Half marathon in the few weeks leading up to it. This was mainly due to a niggle in my foot that caused pain when I walked and so rest was needed. I will note here that the foot was fine in the race. Prior to this minor setback I had planned on a sub 1:40, which should have been in my reach....


However, walking around the small expo the evening before clutching my newly acquired race number I fell upon some new green apple energy gels with added caffeine....Ooooooh, I thought, just what I needed - these could rev up my engine and give me even more of an energy kick. So, I purchased.


Come race morning I ate my porridge, banana and mug of coffee; my trusty, tried and tested race day nutrition. I supped on my bottle of Gatorade on my way to the start; again, an old faithful friend...I then proceeded to 'down' my new found energy gel... It was only after guzzling this that I inspected the wrapper 'Consume with 500ml water'.....Yikes.

Ignoring my epic fail in both trying something new race day and failing to actually consume it in the proper way; needless to say my mistake came back to bite me. The first 9 miles flew by, my goal was well within reach, clocking the miles between 7:20 - 7:50. I was feeling good...Then at just past mile 9 everything hit the fan.  My legs would barely carry me and I felt like I was running outside myself. The miles started slowing down until my slowest one clocked just over 9 minutes and I limped over the finish line in 1:48. By all means, this is not a bad time, but it was not what I was gunning for and I only had myself to blame.


On the walk home I was bent double with stomach cramps and for the remainder of the day I was curled up either on the sofa or on the loo with, well I doubt I need to go into huge detail here. As a result I could not eat anything and could therefore not kick-start recovery nutrition feeding my muscles with carbs and protein. I also could not stretch, therefore not allowing my muscles to ping back to their normal resting place. As a result, the following day I was shuffling around the house like an Emperor Penguin, it hurt just to straighten my legs. I did not feel completely better until the following weekend after a full week of ice baths, copious amounts of deep heat and using my massage roller until it was within an inch of its life.


So, let this be a lesson to you all...If you see some new fangled nutrition product you feel you may like to try, please please trial it out in training first AT LEAST once. I rather naively thought I would be OK as I had used gels before. Even if it is a new brand of a product you have used before, try it first in training....Or else you too will run like a donkey and walk like a penguin...You have been warned...

Super Superfood Summer Salad

If Carlsberg made salads....

Summer is definitely here in Geneva albeit a little earlier than anticipated. With the changing of the weather and the stifling heat, I can no longer stomach hearty casseroles, pies or piping hot soups. It is just too darn hot.


Frankly, I get bored quite quickly with limp salads and find them tiresome and really only to be used as a side dish to the main feast. However the heat here has made me experiment and find a salad that is refreshing but can also fulfil my hunger come supper time....Without a side of fries.


My superfood salad below is choc-full of nutrients and I have tried to incorporate as many of the new-fangled and much-talked about so-called 'superfoods'. It is quite a hearty salad and because of the presence of quinoa and avocado, quite filling therefore you need not worry about a starchy carbohydrate accompaniment.  I have found myself practically living off this salad as it has so much flavour, is chock full of good stuff to fuel an active life style, is a doddle to make and will definitely have you squeezing yourself into your summer gladrags...But in a healthy, non crash / fad diet way.

Superfood Lowdown


Broccoli
Broccoli is a true superfood, a veritable nutritional powerhouse. It is rich in fibre, antoxidants and contains cancer fighting substances called Isothiocynates. It is also an excellent plant source of calcium. It contains vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, C, E, K, beta-carotene, folic acid, calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Phew!


Blueberries
Some nutritionists believe that if you make only one change to your diet, it should be to add blueberries. They are high in vitamin C and a good source of fibre. They contain a compound called Pterostilbene, which can help protect the heart in much the same way as cholesterol lowering drugs. They also contain flavonoids that can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer and even stimulate the growth of brain cells thus slowing down mental ageing. Alongside all of this they also contain Polyphenols, these combat the effects of free radicals - the key cause of wrinkles and help to keep skin supple.


Avocado
First off, DON'T YOU DARE leave this out because someone told you they are fattening!  Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fat and are loaded with 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They contain more protein than any other fruit and contain a large proportion of vitamin B6; essential for helping the body release energy from food.


Rocket
Rocket is a fantastic source of fibre, iron and antioxidants such as beta-carotene and Vitamin C.


Peas
Peas are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre and cain aid weight control. They contain the whole spectrum of B vitamins plus vitamins C & K, beta-carotene, folic acid, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.


Quinoa
Quinoa is a South American grain with a high magnesium content and essential amino acids. It contains more protein, fibre and iron than rice and acts as a prebiotic, aiding the development of good bacteria in your gut. It is also low in fat and possesses a low GI, which means you feel fuller for longer. Quinoa possesses the whole spectrum of B vitamins and a high content of vitamin E, a pivotal component in skin health and the body's healing process.


Seeds
Pumpkin seeds have high levels of magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium alongside a high Omega 3 and protein content. They have been linked to prostrate health, may ease the symptoms of arthritis and are anti-inflammatory.


Sunflower seeds have high levels of vitamins E, B1 and selenium. They also contain compounds that can potentially ward off cancer and stroke and contain both anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties.


Sesame seeds are packed with copper, calcium and tryptophan. They are believed to help lower cholesterol and aid in digestion.


Tomato
Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called Lycopene, which has been linked to lower cancer rates. A tip when storing tomatoes; store them at room temperature rather than in the fridge as refridgeration diminishes their flavour.


Recipe (serves 2)
Rocket leaves - enough for 2 people
Head of Broccoli
2 TBSP Quinoa
1/4 Cucumber, sliced then quartered
Avocado, cut into squares
Blueberries, small handful, halved
Large vine-ripened Tomato, chopped
50g Feta Cheese, crumbled
4 TBSP, Frozen peas
2 TBSP, Mixed Seeds e.g. pumpkin, sesame, sunflower etc
Alfalfa Sprouts, small handful
Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Balsamic Vinegar


1. Boil water in a kettle. Add water to Quinoa, covering it a couple of centimetres above the grains. The Quinoa will soak up all the water in around 5 minutes.


2. Add boiling water to the broccoli and peas in a separate pan. Boil for around 3 minutes. You still want the broccoli to be tender. Remove from the heat, drain immediatly and run under the cold tap to take away the heat.


3. Meanwhile chop all the ingredients and mix. Add the quinoa, broccoli and peas then sprinkle the mixed seeds over the top.


4. Make the dressing. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and mix with a good glug of olive oil (around 2 TBSP) and Balsamic vinegar (around 1 TBSP). Drizzle over the salad and enjoy


Other Suggestions
If you want to make the salad a little more substantial, add meat or fish such as chicken. salmon or (my personal fav) smoked mackerel.

Compress Yourself

A Tight Squeeze...

Last year I was crippled by the pain of shin splints which put my best laid training plans out of the window for a good few months. As a result, come the summer season I was less than at my best and constantly worrying that the dreaded splints would rear their ugly head once more. All I could do was ice, rest and pray they would not hinder me again. It was through lack of being able to run as much as I would like that led me to the joys of cross training, triathlon, duathlon and consequently my faithful compression socks.

I started swimming and cycling in order to compensate for lack of running and to keep my fitness levels up. I entered the London duathlon and saw a vast population of athletes wearing some rather fetching black and grey knee length socks. Upon trawling round the small expo in search of kit and sporting trinkets to further my sporting prowess, I fell upon the black and grey socks.

What indeed was the mass appeal of them and more importantly, why should I part with £35? The kindly sales man informed me these were compression socks...'Ah, but would they cure my recurring shin splints?'...'Yes, they will certainly help'. OK then, purchase done and dusted. It definitely helps that Chrissie Wellington swears by them, maybe one day I too could break my own world record, beat the majority of men in a race and finish 20 minutes ahead of the next female competitor? Doubtful, but I was willing to give them a try.

These socks have worked absolute wonders for me. I can happily say that I have been almost a year without shin splints and I thoroughly owe some of this success to my trusty 'Compress Sport' R2 compression socks. I started off doing all my training runs in them and also wearing them during recovery for around 30 minutes after finishing exercise. I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone who suffered from the same ailment but also in a more general sense as compression clothing has been proven to have many benefits:

Thermoregulation

Your body will operate best when at the right temperature. Muscles must be kept warm for optimal performance and to avoid injury, however overheating is just as bad; it puts stress on your heart and slows your reactions.

The main difference between compression and regular clothing is its ability to efficiently remove perspiration from the skin. This is achieved by the use of moisture wicking fabrics and the garments tight fitting nature. Unlike other breathable garments such as quick dry t-shirts, you do not get perspiration pooling on the skin. This means that in hot climates your body's cooling system continues to work efficiently and in the cold you are not wearing wet clothing, therefore you will stay warmer.

Reduced Muscle Oscillation 
Every time we move our muscles move too. When they do small tears appear within the muscle tissue. The presence of these tears along with the build up of lactic acid is what causes muscle pain both during and post exercise. By reducing the rate at which this damage takes place we are able to work for longer and experience less pain following training. The principle behind stopping body shake is old and probably the best example is the wearing of sports bras. Now with the elastic properties of compression garments, the same sort of support is available for the rest of the body. This is the reason that compression garments must be firm fitting.

Increased Circulation 

This is the main benefit that is advertised by manufacturers of compression clothing. The reason for this is that increased circulation is what is claimed to give benefits in performance. By speeding up blood flow food is provided to muscles faster and waste products such as lactic acid are removed more efficiently. This means that you should experience a higher level of performance and faster recovery times when wearing the garments post exercise. This in turn will allow you to train harder in your next session.

Increased Proprioception 

Our body's proprioceptors help us to know where our arm is in relation to the body or your foot in relation to the ground. By wearing a garment that is effectively a second skin, these senses are heightened. This is achieved through the contact with the skin and the elastic properties of the fabric. This is the same principle used by medical professionals when they apply strapping or a compression bandage to a joint injury, not only do they add support but they help you to become more aware of your range of movement.

The Compression T2 socks supported my legs and served to boost circulation and clear waste products from my muscles. Many athletes will sleep in compression clothing or wear it underneath normal clothes to aid in recovery. I have certainly been known to wear my Compression socks underneath my jeans when I am feeling particularly fatigued after a hard session. I would recommend everyone should 'compress themselves' at least once!


http://compressport.uk.com/blog/