'Born to Run' - A great read.

I recently finished reading "Born to run" by Christopher McDougall. It’s a great motivational book for long-distance runners and for those who think they cannot run. It is full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration. Here are some useful tips I picked from the book. I am listing it down to remind myself of these :)

Three Lessons by Micah True (better known as Caballo Blanco):

- Posture: For trail running, float arms until hands are rib high; chop strides to pitty-pat steps; straighten back until you hear vertebrae creaking. Don’t fight the trail. If you have a choice between one step or two steps between rocks, take three.

- Perfect form: Be up on your forefeet, with your back erect, head steady, arms high, elbows driving and feet touching down quickly on the forefoot and kicking back towards the butt.

- Performance: Think easy, light, smooth and fast. Start with easy, because if that is all you get, that is not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don’t give a shit how high the hill is or how far you've got to go. When you've practiced that so long that you forget you're practicing, you work on making it smooth.

Few more general tips from the book on Posture and Pace:

- Style:Have someone loop the rope against your waist and pull it taut. Bend against the rope, churn your legs, as you drag the person forward. Let the person release the rope for you to take off. "Whenever you run, remember this feeling of straining against the rope. It'll keep your feet under your body, your hips driving straight ahead, and your heals out of the picture."

- Super quick foot turnover: Quick, light leg contractions are important. So, basically no longer strides but shorter ones.

- Pace: Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow. So, they’re training their bodies to burn sugar which is the last thing a long-distance runner wants to do. You have enough fat stored in your body to run from Mexico to California, so the more you train your body to burn fat instead of sugar, the longer your limited sugar tank is going to last. The way to activate your fat-burning furnace is to stay below your aerobic threshold – your hard-breathing point – during your endurance runs. Keep the pace relaxed enough to occasionally breathe with your mouth shut. Speed means less time on your feet. So, the faster you can run comfortably, the less energy you’ll need.

Let’s talk about Nutrition now.

- Pinole combined with beans has lot of proteins. Mix it with water and drink. Tastes like shredded popcorn. Pinole for breakfast is great - cook like oatmeal with honey and water, and carry it dry for having it during running. It gives a lot of energy.

- As per a study of Cornell University research, Phenols, which are plant chemicals, combat disease and boost immune system. Among wheat, oats, corn and rice, corn has the highest amount of phenols. And because it’s low fat, whole-grain food, pinole can slash your risk of diabetes and a host of digestive-system cancers.

- Tarahumara diet (The Rarámuri or Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability.): Plenty of pinto beans, squash, chili peppers, wild green pinole (nativeseeds.org) and chia seeds are the best. Low fermented beer means beer with less alcohol and high in nutrients, making it a rich food source like a whole-grain smoothie while the regular beer is just sugar-water. As per Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Wild Geranium (Geranium Niveum) is their wonder drug. It’s as effective as red wine at neutralizing disease-causing free radicals. It is anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant. Tarahumara corn seeds are called: Cocopah and mayo yellow chapalote and pinole maiz. As per most runners who have tried this diet have increased their performance.

- Tarahumara-style eating plan: Salad in breakfast. Lunch and dinner built around fruit, beans, yams, whole grains, and vegetables. When you get green leafy veggies in your body first thing in the morning, you’ll lose a lot of weight. Because a monster salad is loaded with nutrient-rich carbs and is low in fat, you could stuff yourself and not feel hungry when it comes time to work out. Plus, greens are packed with water, so they’re great for rehydrating after a night’s sleep.

And some more tips on improving Performance:

- Your body needs to be shocked to become resilient. Follow the same daily routine, and your musculoskeletal system quickly figures out how to adapt and go on auto-pilot. But surprise it with new challenges – leap over a creek, commando-crawl under a log, sprint till your lungs are bursting – and scores of nerves and ancillary muscles are suddenly electrified into action.

- Before you run long, you want to be strong. So, instead of stretching before the run, get powered much before. Every other day, devote at least half an hour to raw strength drills, with mostly all of them on fitness ball to sharpen your balance and fire those supportive ancillary muscles. Combine them with crunches, jump squats, lunges, pushups etc. Just after these, fire off to the hills. Long climbs are an exercise in shock and awe. Hills are speedwork in disguise.

- Remember aerobic exercises are powerful antidepressants. If you look at the history of most of the great runners, they started long distance running to forget their misery or some troubles in their lives.

Now on to some Painful Truths:

Painful truth no. 1: The best shoes are the worst: Runners wearing top-of-the line shoes are 123% more likely to get injured than runners in cheap shoes as per studies in Switzerland’s University of Bern. As per the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 1989, Runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes cheaper than $40. More studies followed that expensive shoes lead to more plantar fasciitis and Achilles problems.

Painful truth no. 2: Feet like a good beating: Balance and vertical impact are related. Sports shoes are too soft and thick these days. The cushioned shoes make you a heal striker which is not good. Run in thin rubber sneakers and feel the difference. Remember that the people who advocate changing shoes every 300-500 miles are the ones who sell them. One of the greatest ultra runners, Arthur Newton found no use of changing shoes. He ran in his thin rubber sneakers until he’d put at least 4000 miles on them, winning various ultra races even at age 51.

Painful truth no. 3: Human beings are designed to run without shoes: Run barefoot three times a week on dewy grass.

Much more in the book. Read it and get inspired!

10 + 10 and I am proud of myself

This was my first time running 10 miles each consecutive days on Saturday and Sunday. Running with someone who can run at your pace helps a lot in the training runs. I always thought that muscles need to relax after a long run but when I read one of Scott Jurek's article which said that running long runs consecutive days strengthens your muscle endurance, I was tempted to do this. And really, I felt perfectly fine after my 10 + 10. Scott Jurek is my hero these days but only 2nd on the list. The first one is but of course, Shavi:) Scott is a crazy long distance runner who has set record in Western States 100 miles seven consecutive times and many other records for even longer miles (153 miles). His highlights: Scott Jurek.

Thanks to Shavi for running with me on Sunday and motivating me. I would have turned back halfway since it wasn't easy in the sun even when we started running at 6:30am. I ran at an overall faster pace on Sunday than on Saturday. I am still waiting for that day when running 10 miles feel easy.

I have been on a running spree over the weekends after my Parkway half- marathon on April 28, 2012. I ran 15 miles on the trails the Sunday after my half. It was the most brutal run ever since it was the 2nd hardest trail of the Western States 100 mile endurance run, with an elevation change of approximately 15,000 ft. All credit to Shavi for this one since he stayed with me all the time even though he runs at a much faster race than me. I could have never made it without him. It took us and most others 5.20 hours to complete the 15 miles from Michigan Bluff to Pump. The trail is further from Foresthill and Auburn, CA. Being out of breath on those high-elevation, really narrow trails and watching for poison ivy on those trails sure made me have more respect for these long distance runners. I couldn't walk normally 3 days after this run but it felt like an achievement. Next Saturday, I put in another 10 miles. And then there was this weekend where I put in a total of 20 miles. I have been running at least 3-4 times during the week. Funny, I am doing something happily what I used to hate earlier. I am trying to get there, Shavi! Thanks for our support and motivation and the yelling that you have to do;-)

I did it - my new Half Marathon PR - sub 2:30!

It was my American River Parkway half-marathon last Saturday - the 2nd official one of my life. I was so excited about it since Shavi was going to pace me. I wanted to do it in less than 2:30 hours, which meant a pace of 11ish. I had been training for the last 3 months at 12:30 pace but I was least worried with Shavi pacing me. I had been hydrating myself very well since the last week to avoid cramps; resting myself well; loading myself with carbs 2 days before; keeping it light the day before and tried to have a good sleep as well.

The race day was supposed to be very warm - high in late 70's and low in mid 60's. And believe me, it was hot!! I could feel it, especially in the last 2 miles when there was no tree-shade. Since I was running at a faster pace than my normal pace, I could hardly talk, indicating that I was indeed running at a faster pace.

I am thankful that Shavi paced me. It gets so much easier when someone else is doing the pace calculations for you and watching the garmin gps for you, carrying the water for you and even stopping at the aid stations to get you water. I had the mp3 player but I hardly used it. One thing that really helped was when Shavi poured cold water over me. It was such a relief in the sun even. I was resisting to water earlier but after Shavi did, it felt sooo good! I did not take any restroom breaks, took a few 1-min walk breaks when I felt super-tired.

I was very happy on completing the 13.1+ miles in 2:26 hours, which was an improvement of 15 minutes from my last half-marathon time. Unlike the last time, my shins did not hurt, only the calves were tight. In fact, I felt so good after the run that the next day we went on a strenuous trail of 3 miles in Muir Woods, San Francisco. At the end, I would say that training, hydrating and massages helped me achieve my new PR (Personal Record). And hopefully this does not stop here....

For this run, I cannot thank Shavinder enough!:)

Here is the Garmin graph for my run: Garmin

Anu - the new runner

Here comes another runner in the family! Anu's first long-distance official race: 10-miler on April 29, 2012 (Sunday) in Virginia, called Parkway Classic. It is a rain or shine run but Anu really wishes that it should not rain. She has done a 10K before. After having signed up for a 10 miler instead of 10K accidently and knowing about it only a month ago, Anu had to go through a training program designed by Shavi. She did well on the training schedule. Since the course would have some elevation trails, lets see how it goes for her.

Next would be my second half-marathon, American River Parkway half on April 29, 2012 (Saturday). I have been training with Sacfit since January 2012. I really want to do under 2:30 hours. My last one was 2:41 hours. Shavi is going to be pacing me so that I can do my PR. I am very excited about running with him since I hardly get to do that. It is like a teacher guiding you. He will have to run much slower for me. Thanks Shavi! Hope it doesnt get hot that day though I know it will:( Even then, I am super excited!!!

Quick checklist for Anu:
- Hydrate well (very well) few days before and during the race to avoid after-run cramps.
- "Gu" after every 45 minutes and at the start as well to energize your muscles and prevent them from cramping.
- High carb diet (like chicken or turkey, pasta, potatoes) 2 days before the race and light dinner the night before (little or no fats).
- Sleep well 2 nights before the race since sleeping well the night before can hardly happen because of waking early and due to anxiety.
- Wear sun-shade and sun-screen. Have sun glasses ready.
- Do not forget the mp3 player, if allowed.
- Eat well after the race after stretching.
- If you get injured, apply ice packs after the race. Take ice bath for at least 5 minutes after the race to avoid cramps.
- Trim your Toenails 3-4 days before the race so that they don't hurt on the race day.
- Last but not the least, when you feel tired or not wanting to run anymore, remember Shavi who ran 50 miles. Keep your will power up!:)

Good luck, Anu!!! I am sure you will do great:)

Update (post race): Anu did great. She finished strong, running the 10 miles in 1:54 hours. Good job, Anu!!

Link to her Garmin graph: Garmin

Shavi's craziest endeavor - the 50-miler endurance run (AR50: American River 50-miles)

Finally the day arrived and it was such a proud moment for both of us! Shavi finished the 50-mile run in high elevations in 10:33 hours. Even though "they" say that sleeping well 2 days prior to the race is very important, none of us could sleep properly due to anxiety. We were both up at 2:45am that day for all preparations. I had 4 bags and ice chest ready for him since I had to meet him at most of the accesible points during his run (0 miles at Start point, 3 miles at Guy West bridge, 8 miles at William Pond Park, 23 miles at Negro bar, 26.5 miles at Beals Point, 31 miles at Granite Bay, 41 miles at Rattlesnake bar and then 50 miles at the Finish line at Auburn Dam Overlook). The bags contained everything one could imagine including food, first-aid, extra set of clothes, shoes etc.

Going back 2 days from the race. It was Thursday evening and I reached home from office. At the door, I saw a familiar face and I thought I was hallucinating. It was Anu, my sweety sister who had come all the way from Virginia to surprise us for Shavi's AR50. Shavi had the same reaction when he reached home and saw her standing there to welcome him at the door:) Thanks to her for being a part of Shavi's proud moment and for all her help during the race that eased my stress.

The race day was Saturday - April 7, 2012. The last longest run that Shavi had run before this was 31-miles (Way To Cool) in March. He had gone through a very tough endurance training to get to this point. It was a rough day weather-wise, very sunny and of course hot. The highest temperature was more than 75 deg F. This made it worse for Shavi at around 25 miles but he kept going.

The runners were allowed to have 3 separate pacers. The pacer pick-up points were at miles 26.5, 31 and 41. The last 9 miles were purely elevation and very difficult. Shavi had two wonderful pacers, Leslie, who paced him for the first two legs of almost 15 miles and Paul who paced him for the last leg.

The signs we made for Shavi read:
- Only runners have balls, all others just play with them. Go Sacfit Ultra! Proud of you, Shavi!
- Beer, Nap and We are waiting! Finish strong Shavi. You are our Superstar!

Anu and I were waiting for Shavi at the finish line. We were anxious after Shavi had been feeling tight shoulder muscles and had needed a shoulder/neck run at all the points we saw him, after mile 31. He was really hot and needed lot of ice and water to ease the heat generated by his body. It was not just hard, but beyond hard. Good thing is that he was sane enough to realize that he needed to slow down his pace towards the end when it was a hilly terrain. The time was not as important as was finishing the run.

I had never been so happy to see Shavi as I was when I saw him emerging from the trails, amidst the cheering crowd, approaching towards the finish line. It was a sigh of relief for both Anu and me. I defintely have to appreciate the wonderful support to Shavi by our Sacfit running crew and all the others who were there cheering him. For me, it was simply a proud, unforgettable moment!

By completing the 50-mile run in under 11 hours, Shavi qualified for Western States 100 (100-mile run along the western state trails). Nope, he is not doing it at present but it is an honor to be qualified for it.

Looking at the results site, it is amazing to see that the first person to finish the race did it in 5:55 hours. Crazy! There were many people in the age group 60-67 who ran the race and finished great. What a special proud moment must have been for them! I could only see their happy, teary eyes at the finish line. 250 people out of the 900 people running could not finish the race. Congratulations to all those who finished and for those who did not, there is always a next time! Keep up the hopes:)

Here is the link to his Garmin graph: Garmin

Some tips:
- Eating "real" food and energy food to fuel your body at regular intervals is very important during such long runs. The aid stations and my sandwiches did a good job at this ;-)
- Beware - it could be really hot as it was this time. Ice pads for cooling and lots of water at aid stations to be poured over you can ease the heat being generated by the body.
- Changing shoes,clothes, hat during the run at meeting points for regular roads vs elevated trails is a good idea.
- Since those are trails, be ready to face Poison Oak/Ivy. There is always Calamine to fix it. Carry sanitizers and alcoholic wipes for injuries.
- Carrying a chair for the runner when he/she changes shoes etc.
- Having the right pacers who can keep you engaged while running is important.
- Have your aide carry an extra pair of mp3 player, GPS.
- KT tape Pro is great to relieve knee, shoulder, back pain etc. Remember to get KT Pro and not the regular one since the regular one doesnt stick for long.
- Use lot of Glide to prevent chaffing.
- During the race, never do anything new: clothes/shoe wise and food wise
- Fill up on carbs 2 nights before and eat light the night before. Relaxing for the entire last 2 days before the race is healthy.

Shavi's first 50 miler run is coming up!!!!

It is Shavi's first 50-mile run on April 7, 2012. We are both nervous and at the same time excited about it. Shavi has been doing a great job in training himself but even then, it is just not easy! The run is called AR50 (American River 50 miles). This ultra-marathon is a qualifier for Western States 100 Mile Endurance run.

AR50 is not going to be easy since it has hills in the second half but that what does not kill you, makes you stronger! Right?:)

There are so many side-questions:
1. Will the GPS run out of juice in the middle of the run?
2. Is it a good idea to change shoes in the middle of the run since half trail is asphalt and the other half is hills.
3. Will the mp3 player run out of juice? Should not, but who knows!
4. What if the KT tape comes off?
5. What if the Chaffing cream's effect doesn't stay that long?
6. Hope it's not too hot/sunny and doesn't rain either.

Well, all I have to remember is to give him a carb-loaded diet on Thursday and a low-fat diet on Friday since the run is on Saturday. Hope he remembers to drink lot of water the entire week. I also need to remember to help him pack all his stuff including running food and I need to be there at all the accessible points on the trail to cheer and support him. He needs to remember to only RUN and finish STRONG! You can do this, sweetheart!:)

His first ultra marathon (50 kms) in the books

Yet again, Shavi made me proud of him. He ran his first ultra marathon (50 kms) on March 10, 2011. The trail run called 'Way Too Cool 50K (almost 31 miles)' was in Cool, CA. The run involved an overall 9000 ft. elevation change. Shavi aced it by completing it in 5 hours 55 minutes.

After a very hectic training which he started much later than the others, after getting back from our India trip in mid-January, I think he did an excellent job. Even though he was expecting to complete it in 6 hours 30 minutes, he completed it in much less duration. He was impressed by the aid stations on the way and good arrangements by race management. And I was impressed by him and by so many other people aged 60+ running the 50 kms trail run. Shavi felt excellent after the run and had all the smiles:) Keep it up, Shavi!

Now, his next goal is AR 50 which is a 50 miler!! It starts at American River, Sacramento, CA and ends in Auburn, CA. He is still wait listed on the race but let's see. Until then, his training continues:)