I love cooking for other people, but I don't usually get the opportunity; so when my wife called and told me that my 4 year hold had just invited his friend over for dinner along with her mom, I was thrilled. What a great idea! When she told me that they would be over in 45 minutes, I only panicked for a minute, then my "training" kicked in.
What I mean by training is that I have been experimenting with cooking, different techniques and flavor combinations for a long time. My family has been my research subjects. This has been an important step in developing my own personal culinary style and point of view-I do these experiments so that when the time comes, I can perform with excellence.
I immediately thought about what I had on hand to make a complete meal. Well, I had some homemade chicken stock I had just made the night before, and I had some leftover chicken. Carrots, onion, and celery were in the fridge, so it made sense to make soup. The only problem is that soup is often better when left to simmer over a long period of time. It takes time for noodles and vegetables to soften in the broth, so I came up with an idea, roast the vegetables before putting them in the broth.
I went furiously to work, chopping veggies and heating some peanut oil. I did all this in one pot. First I roasted the veggies in the oil until they were just starting to soften. Then I dumped in about 3 quarts of broth and waited until it just about boiled, then reduced to a simmer. I added salt, pepper, and garlic (it's best not to experiment with different, untested ingredients when you are serving others- you test different ingredients when you're serving yourself or your family).
I then decided that cornbread would be a great quick bread to serve with the soup. While the soup simmered, I mixed up corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, and milk and made a batch of corn bread. In less than an hour, I had put together a pot of soup and corn bread for dinner.
About mid-way in to this process, it occurred to me that given the same situation in the past, I would have just ordered pizza. I think the transformation is complete... pizza is no longer my go-to meal in a pinch. In fact, if I had decided pizza was the best meal in this situation, I would have dismissed the idea, recognizing that I needed at least an hour for the dough to rise.
I think this illustrates what can happen when you change your priorities, over time these new habits become so embedded into your daily life, that the old habits and practices die. It was a very nice meal, with some wonderful people and I think the soup and corn bread meal was enjoyed by all. I certainly hope to be able to do it again sometime soon- just give me 45 minutes to an hour and I'll have a full meal for you ;-)
I am so thankful that I committed to this change so many years ago. I hope that the 40 day fast worked well for you and hope that you have developed some healthy, positive habits. Good luck and God bless!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Appalachian Trail Run (with videos!)
One caution is that the video is a bit shaky at times- I left the professional camera crew at home, this is just me with my cell phone. Enjoy!
AT Trail Video 1
AT Trail Video 2
AT Trail Video 3
AT Trail Video 4
In the end, I don't know how many miles I actually ran, so I'm saying 10, but it could have been more or less.
Run free and God bless!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Knee Pain
I've been asked a lot lately about what to take if you have sore knees as a runner. Two popular answers are ibuprofen and glucosamine, but really the problem goes deeper than that. Unless you have a physical or medical abnormality in your knees (or somewhere else in your body), then there is no reason why you can't run pain-free for your entire life.
The real question is, what can I do to get my knees to stop hurting? The real answer is running form and shoes.
When I first started running, the advice on form by all the shoe stores and shoe manufacturers was that you should run heel to toe. The manufacturers also created fixes in the shoes to make sure the runner didn't roll their foot one way or the other in the wrong direction, and they added extra cushioning to "reduce" the impact on the foot. It turns out, this formula is a recipe for disaster in the knees and other joints in the body.
When I started running long distances using this form and built-up shoe technology, my knees got sore just like everyone else. I started taking glucosamine and ibuprofen in order to alleviate this pain, just thinking I was "paying my dues" and that eventually, like other runners, I would have to hang up my running shoes and start other exercises in the future. Then I read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
Now, you don't have to be all about minimalist running or barefoot running to reap the benefits from what this book taught us about running form. Peer-reviewed research has backed the claims in the book about form and technology in running shoes. In the pre-Nike years runners barely had rubber to protect the soles of their feet, but when Nike came out with more advanced technology in the 70s, running injuries increased. In fact, the more advanced the technology in the shoes, the more running injuries occurred, and the more these injuries occurred, the more the shoe companies have added technology to fix the problem. I've posted many times about this, so I'll get off my soapbox now and give practical advice on running injuries based on the latest research and my own personal experience.
First, the shoes. I'm not suggesting that you go out and buy a pair of Vibram Five-Fingers and start running in them. If you want to do that, then do it later or your courting a different injury all together. But I am suggesting to look at the more minimal running shoes, specifically shoes with little to no heel to toe height. Running flats, which have been around for many years are a perfect choice, they're light weight and have virtually no heal. There are a lot of companies now capitalizing on this new trend in running, so all you really need to do is start looking for minimalist shoes with flexible soles and little, no, or negative heel design. The new Brooks Pure line is an example. Whether you want there to be cushioning is entirely up to you, but my preference is to have as little cushioning as possible.
Next, your form. Learning a new form will take time and patience, but with new heeless shoes, the transition will seem more natural. Change your form to a strike more on your forefoot than your heels. This will naturally keep your knees bent for shock absorption and will keep you leg more under your body than out in front with a straight leg. The difference is that with the heeled shoes, your leg was more out front and straight... all the force of the footfall went straight to the knees; when you strike at the forefoot, your leg is bent at the knees and lands under your body so the force of the impact is absorbed through the whole body. The trick is to not try to run on your toes, but start by striking the ground with your forefoot, then allowing the rest of the foot down. Barefoot Ken-Bob describes this technique in detail in his book Barefoot Running- Step by Step. It's worth a try.
Finally, strength training. It's never a bad idea to work on strengthening your leg muscles, especially around the knee. Leg-extensions and Leg-curls are standards on weight lifting machines, but there are other workouts you can do without equipment. I recommend doing most of these without shoes. Lunges, squats, one legged squats, calf raises, and wall-sits are great workouts that target these muscles and help cushion your knees from injury.
I haven't had knee pain for a long time, at least through the last two marathons which included all the miles in training, so I can recommend these changes with experience to back me up, and the fact that there's peer reviewed research only supports my advice.
So, there's my answer about how to solve the knee pain problem.
The real question is, what can I do to get my knees to stop hurting? The real answer is running form and shoes.
When I first started running, the advice on form by all the shoe stores and shoe manufacturers was that you should run heel to toe. The manufacturers also created fixes in the shoes to make sure the runner didn't roll their foot one way or the other in the wrong direction, and they added extra cushioning to "reduce" the impact on the foot. It turns out, this formula is a recipe for disaster in the knees and other joints in the body.
When I started running long distances using this form and built-up shoe technology, my knees got sore just like everyone else. I started taking glucosamine and ibuprofen in order to alleviate this pain, just thinking I was "paying my dues" and that eventually, like other runners, I would have to hang up my running shoes and start other exercises in the future. Then I read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
Now, you don't have to be all about minimalist running or barefoot running to reap the benefits from what this book taught us about running form. Peer-reviewed research has backed the claims in the book about form and technology in running shoes. In the pre-Nike years runners barely had rubber to protect the soles of their feet, but when Nike came out with more advanced technology in the 70s, running injuries increased. In fact, the more advanced the technology in the shoes, the more running injuries occurred, and the more these injuries occurred, the more the shoe companies have added technology to fix the problem. I've posted many times about this, so I'll get off my soapbox now and give practical advice on running injuries based on the latest research and my own personal experience.
First, the shoes. I'm not suggesting that you go out and buy a pair of Vibram Five-Fingers and start running in them. If you want to do that, then do it later or your courting a different injury all together. But I am suggesting to look at the more minimal running shoes, specifically shoes with little to no heel to toe height. Running flats, which have been around for many years are a perfect choice, they're light weight and have virtually no heal. There are a lot of companies now capitalizing on this new trend in running, so all you really need to do is start looking for minimalist shoes with flexible soles and little, no, or negative heel design. The new Brooks Pure line is an example. Whether you want there to be cushioning is entirely up to you, but my preference is to have as little cushioning as possible.
Next, your form. Learning a new form will take time and patience, but with new heeless shoes, the transition will seem more natural. Change your form to a strike more on your forefoot than your heels. This will naturally keep your knees bent for shock absorption and will keep you leg more under your body than out in front with a straight leg. The difference is that with the heeled shoes, your leg was more out front and straight... all the force of the footfall went straight to the knees; when you strike at the forefoot, your leg is bent at the knees and lands under your body so the force of the impact is absorbed through the whole body. The trick is to not try to run on your toes, but start by striking the ground with your forefoot, then allowing the rest of the foot down. Barefoot Ken-Bob describes this technique in detail in his book Barefoot Running- Step by Step. It's worth a try.
Finally, strength training. It's never a bad idea to work on strengthening your leg muscles, especially around the knee. Leg-extensions and Leg-curls are standards on weight lifting machines, but there are other workouts you can do without equipment. I recommend doing most of these without shoes. Lunges, squats, one legged squats, calf raises, and wall-sits are great workouts that target these muscles and help cushion your knees from injury.
I haven't had knee pain for a long time, at least through the last two marathons which included all the miles in training, so I can recommend these changes with experience to back me up, and the fact that there's peer reviewed research only supports my advice.
So, there's my answer about how to solve the knee pain problem.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Whole Wheat Bread (with only 4 Ingredients)
Let me start by crediting the book Bread Alone-Bold Loaves from Your Own Hands (Daniel Leader & Judith Balhnik) for giving me the original recipe and procedure for this bread. I have modified it enough, though, that I feel as though the recipe is mine and I am not breaching any copyright issues, but I do want to give credit where credit its due and this is the book that I used to learn this craft, and I highly recommend it for you.
What you'll need:
This recipe yields 2 loaves of bread
5-6 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
Water (3/4 cup for poolish; 2 1/2 cups for dough)- preferably spring water (at room temperature)
Dry yeast (1/2 tsp for the poolish; 1/2 tsp for the dough)
1 TBS salt
Equipment:
Large bowl
Spoon (preferably wooden)
2 Bread pans (I use 4.5 x 8.5 in cast iron, but a regular bread pan will do)
Baking pan (half filled with water)
Lint-free towel
Olive oil
Wire drying racks
Step 1- Poolish
Put into the large bowl 3/4 Cup water at room temperature, sprinkle 1/2 tsp of yeast and stir until yeast is dissolved. Stir in 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and stir, combining all the ingredients, for about a minute or 100 strokes. Scrape what you can down into the mixture so the sides are coated with it. Take the towel and wet it with hot water, wring it out and cover the bowl with it. Let it sit 2-9 hours.
Step 2- Dough (This is the most involved part)
Uncover the poolish, the longer it sat the better it will be. It should be bubbly (really good poolish will have the smell of beer). Add 2 1/2 cups water at room temperature and break up the poolish with the spoon. Add 1/2 tsp yeast and 1 TBS salt and stir. Add 1 cup flour and continue to stir with the spoon. Add another cup of flour and continue to stir. Keep slowly adding the flour, 1 cup at a time, until it starts to get hard to stir with the spoon.
On a clean surface, pour out about 1/2 cup flour and dump the sticky dough onto it. Pour about another 1/2 cup on the top. Take a cup of flour and put it to the side. Fill the bowl with water and let it soak (this will help you clean it for the rising). At this point, the dough will be weak, wet, and very sticky. Using your hands, start to knead the dough- it will be difficult at first to get a handle on the sticky, wet dough, but keep working it.
As you continue to work it, work in the flour that you had put underneath and on top of it, it will eventually begin to form something more workable. You basically need to flatten the dough, fold it over on itself and flatten it back out. If it starts to stick excessively to your hands or the surface, slowly sprinkle some of the reserve flour on top. Keep doing this for 10-15 minutes or more if necessary. As the dough ball forms you'll notice how much harder it is to flatten it out as it will start to spring back. When it consistently springs back, you can poke it with your finger and it springs back, you can pinch it and it goes quickly back to its original position, and you can form a large dough ball that holds its shape when holding it up in your hand- it's ready.
Step 3- Rising (aka yeast sex ;-) -- it takes yeast 30 minutes for yeast to reproduce)
Clean out the bowl and dry it. Put some extra virgin olive oil at the bottom of the bowl. Place the dough ball upside down into the oil, then right side up and rub the oil on the ball. Re-wet the towel with hot water, wring it out, and cover the bowl and set aside. Let it sit for 2.5-3 hours (the longer the better)
Step 4- Deflation and Rest
Uncover the dough, press down in the middle and pull away from the sides. Reform into a ball and place back into the bowl, covering it again. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. When I have time, I like to let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour.
Step 5- Form the Loafs- Second rise
Dump the dough ball onto the work surface and knead it slightly. Divide the ball into two equal parts and form each part into its own ball. Lightly grease the bread pans. For each ball, do the following: Flatten the ball into a pizza shape. Fold in the sides like a burrito, then roll it up like a carpet. Squeeze and pinch the ends and the flap to make the seams stick together and form into a loaf that will fit into the pan. Put the loaf into the pan. Set both pans aside, together and place the wet towel over them. Let sit for 1.5-2 hours (the longer the better). About an hour into this rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing the pan with water in it on a lower rack in the oven.
Step 6-Bake the Bread
Before you place the loaves into the oven, check the water in the pan, put a little more if needed, then close the oven. Uncover the loaves. Take a sharp knife and score the top of the bread by making three quick, diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf (about 1/2 in deep). The quicker the better, don't be timid about this, just do it and do it quickly.
Open the oven. Place both loaves into the oven and close the oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees and set the timer for 15 minutes (don't open the oven to check the loaves, and don't worry about the steam that might be venting-- just make sure it's not smoke).
After 15 minutes, take the pans out and thump the top of the bread with your finger- if it sounds hollow and is golden brown, then it's done. If not, then put them back in for another 5 minutes, but no more. When done, dump the loaves out and put them on the wire racks.
Step 7- Eating/Storing the Bread
Do not cut the bread until it has cooled- about 20 minutes. After it completely cools, you may store one of the loaves in the freezer by putting it in a plastic bag (when you thaw the bread, do not take it out of the bag until it is completely thawed- it will keep it fresh and moist)
There is no need to place the bread in any container. I just put the bread on a wooden cutting board and cover it with a lint-free towel. Only slice what you need at the moment, then upend the loaf allowing it to stand on the end that was cut- the crust will keep the inside moist.
The bread will last no more than 3 days without going stale. If it does start to get stale, you can then place it in a plastic bag, but it won't last long after that.
I make this recipe once a week to feed three people and it works great, often leaving a few slices for the birds by the end of the week.
This looks like a lot, but after you get the hang of it, you'll want this more than just about any other store-bought bread. It gets easier with practice. I hope you try it! Enjoy!
What you'll need:
This recipe yields 2 loaves of bread
5-6 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
Water (3/4 cup for poolish; 2 1/2 cups for dough)- preferably spring water (at room temperature)
Dry yeast (1/2 tsp for the poolish; 1/2 tsp for the dough)
1 TBS salt
Equipment:
Large bowl
Spoon (preferably wooden)
2 Bread pans (I use 4.5 x 8.5 in cast iron, but a regular bread pan will do)
Baking pan (half filled with water)
Lint-free towel
Olive oil
Wire drying racks
Step 1- Poolish
Put into the large bowl 3/4 Cup water at room temperature, sprinkle 1/2 tsp of yeast and stir until yeast is dissolved. Stir in 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and stir, combining all the ingredients, for about a minute or 100 strokes. Scrape what you can down into the mixture so the sides are coated with it. Take the towel and wet it with hot water, wring it out and cover the bowl with it. Let it sit 2-9 hours.
Step 2- Dough (This is the most involved part)
Uncover the poolish, the longer it sat the better it will be. It should be bubbly (really good poolish will have the smell of beer). Add 2 1/2 cups water at room temperature and break up the poolish with the spoon. Add 1/2 tsp yeast and 1 TBS salt and stir. Add 1 cup flour and continue to stir with the spoon. Add another cup of flour and continue to stir. Keep slowly adding the flour, 1 cup at a time, until it starts to get hard to stir with the spoon.
On a clean surface, pour out about 1/2 cup flour and dump the sticky dough onto it. Pour about another 1/2 cup on the top. Take a cup of flour and put it to the side. Fill the bowl with water and let it soak (this will help you clean it for the rising). At this point, the dough will be weak, wet, and very sticky. Using your hands, start to knead the dough- it will be difficult at first to get a handle on the sticky, wet dough, but keep working it.
As you continue to work it, work in the flour that you had put underneath and on top of it, it will eventually begin to form something more workable. You basically need to flatten the dough, fold it over on itself and flatten it back out. If it starts to stick excessively to your hands or the surface, slowly sprinkle some of the reserve flour on top. Keep doing this for 10-15 minutes or more if necessary. As the dough ball forms you'll notice how much harder it is to flatten it out as it will start to spring back. When it consistently springs back, you can poke it with your finger and it springs back, you can pinch it and it goes quickly back to its original position, and you can form a large dough ball that holds its shape when holding it up in your hand- it's ready.
Step 3- Rising (aka yeast sex ;-) -- it takes yeast 30 minutes for yeast to reproduce)
Clean out the bowl and dry it. Put some extra virgin olive oil at the bottom of the bowl. Place the dough ball upside down into the oil, then right side up and rub the oil on the ball. Re-wet the towel with hot water, wring it out, and cover the bowl and set aside. Let it sit for 2.5-3 hours (the longer the better)
Step 4- Deflation and Rest
Uncover the dough, press down in the middle and pull away from the sides. Reform into a ball and place back into the bowl, covering it again. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. When I have time, I like to let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour.
Step 5- Form the Loafs- Second rise
Dump the dough ball onto the work surface and knead it slightly. Divide the ball into two equal parts and form each part into its own ball. Lightly grease the bread pans. For each ball, do the following: Flatten the ball into a pizza shape. Fold in the sides like a burrito, then roll it up like a carpet. Squeeze and pinch the ends and the flap to make the seams stick together and form into a loaf that will fit into the pan. Put the loaf into the pan. Set both pans aside, together and place the wet towel over them. Let sit for 1.5-2 hours (the longer the better). About an hour into this rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing the pan with water in it on a lower rack in the oven.
Step 6-Bake the Bread
Before you place the loaves into the oven, check the water in the pan, put a little more if needed, then close the oven. Uncover the loaves. Take a sharp knife and score the top of the bread by making three quick, diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf (about 1/2 in deep). The quicker the better, don't be timid about this, just do it and do it quickly.
Open the oven. Place both loaves into the oven and close the oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees and set the timer for 15 minutes (don't open the oven to check the loaves, and don't worry about the steam that might be venting-- just make sure it's not smoke).
After 15 minutes, take the pans out and thump the top of the bread with your finger- if it sounds hollow and is golden brown, then it's done. If not, then put them back in for another 5 minutes, but no more. When done, dump the loaves out and put them on the wire racks.
Step 7- Eating/Storing the Bread
Do not cut the bread until it has cooled- about 20 minutes. After it completely cools, you may store one of the loaves in the freezer by putting it in a plastic bag (when you thaw the bread, do not take it out of the bag until it is completely thawed- it will keep it fresh and moist)
There is no need to place the bread in any container. I just put the bread on a wooden cutting board and cover it with a lint-free towel. Only slice what you need at the moment, then upend the loaf allowing it to stand on the end that was cut- the crust will keep the inside moist.
The bread will last no more than 3 days without going stale. If it does start to get stale, you can then place it in a plastic bag, but it won't last long after that.
I make this recipe once a week to feed three people and it works great, often leaving a few slices for the birds by the end of the week.
This looks like a lot, but after you get the hang of it, you'll want this more than just about any other store-bought bread. It gets easier with practice. I hope you try it! Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Training for a 5k
Ordinarily, before someone decides to tackle a marathon, I advise that they start with a 5k and work their way up to a 10k, then maybe a few half-marathons. After they master these distances, then I say they are ready to train for a marathon.
This is exactly the opposite of what I actual did.
When I first started running seriously about 4 years ago, I decided that I needed to do a marathon. After a year of serious running, I started training for one. A month before that first marathon, I ran my first half marathon, then I finished my first marathon. About 6 months later, I ran my first 5k. Then another half and another marathon, then my second 5k and a 10k.
All together, I've run two 10ks, three 5ks, one 8k, three half-marathons, and four marathons. Not the longest running resume, but the marathons outnumber the other races... What's most interesting about this list is that I've only ever actually trained for a marathon. I've never trained for a shorter race, just registering and running in them as fast as I could. So, I decided that with my fourth marathon behind me and I'm not due another one until the fall, I'd try to do something unheard of, I will train for the Lynn Spittle Memorial 5k on May 12- that's 6 weeks away.
What's different about a training for a 5k anyway? A race is just a race, right? Yes and no. The difference between race distances will greatly effect the way you train. For the longer races, you need to learn fueling techniques and how to effectively train your slow-twitch muscles for endurance. For the shorter races, it's all about sustaining fast speeds- so you need more fast-twitch muscles in your legs. Basically, you train your muscles for marathon speed by running longer intervals when doing speed work and tempo runs. For a shorter race, you need to train your legs and lungs for short bursts of speed, so your speed and tempo work will include shorter intervals at a higher rate of effort.
I'm going to apply some of the tweaks I've made to my previous marathon training to better prepare my legs and body for endurance by mixing in more strength workouts on days when I would ordinarily do a recovery run. So, based on what I already know, have read, and my willing spirit, here is my training plan for the Lynn Spittle Memorial 5k on May 12.
Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1 12 miles Strength Train 8-10 mi 400meter sprint x 4 Strength Train 3 x 1 mile repeats (avg 7:45 pace) Off
Week 2 14 miles Strength Train 8-10 mi 400meter sprint x 6 Strength Train 3 x 1 mile repeat (avg 7:30 pace) Off
Week 3 12 miles Strength Train 8-10 mi 400meter sprint x 8 Strength Train 2 x 2 mile repeat (avg 7:45 pace) Off
Week 4 16 miles Strength Train 8-10 mi 400meter sprint x 10 Strength Train 2 x 2 mile repeat (avg 7:30 pace) Off
Week 5 12 miles Strength Train 8-10 mi 400meter sprint x 12 Strength Train 3 mile tempo (avg 7:30 pace) Off
Week 6 14 miles Strength Train 8-10 mi 400meter sprint x 4 Strength Train 3 x 1 mile repeat (avg 7:30 pace) Off
Week 7 Lynn Spittle Memorial 5k Race, Tower City- registration form is attached to a previous post... please come out!
Well, the best laid plans of mice and men as they say... we'll see how this really works out. Those 400 meter sprints are killer!
Comments and suggestions are always welcome!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Black Bean Stew
Yesterday, I knew I was planning to go out for a 9-10 mile run today, so I made plans for dinner to be served before my wife had to leave before 6 PM today. Not always an easy task. Normally, I make just enough food on Sunday so that we can have Sunday's leftovers for Monday's meal... this helps a lot in meal planning, but Sunday night, we were having left-overs from the homemade pizza on Saturday, so I was totally out of sync.
No problem, because I still had 1.5 quarts of homemade chicken stock from the previous week, black beans, and some veggies... time to experiment, and it worked- so here's a new recipe for Black Bean Stew... Cherry style!
3/4 quart of chicken stock
1/2 cup dried black beans
1+ cups of chopped celery- chunky with the leaves
1+ cups of chopped carrots- make them chunky
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp chili powder
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Put ALL the ingredients into an empty quart container, mix the day before and seal. Place it in the refrigerator until ready. The next day, about 12-24 hours later, dump all the ingredients into a saucepan and place on the stove. Heat until just about boiling and then let simmer for about an hour. If you have time, make some cornbread and serve with the stew- we used left over corn bread and it was the perfect match. Remember all the seasonings are to your desired taste, but I think that putting them in, at least in part, the night before is essential in the flavor of the dish. As a variation, use red beans or kidney beans. This dish would also qualify as something to sprinkle some chia seed into it.
Enjoy!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
A Run is Just High Impact Walking
I've often been in conversations where someone inevitably almost apologizes for not being a runner, but a walker. In truth, I see running and walking as being equally challenging and beneficial to your health. True, when you run you burn more calories faster, but what's really important is not the calories burned, but what is being burned.
As I've stated in previous posts, your body uses two sources for energy, carbohydrates and fat. When you consume carbohydrates, your body immediately goes after this as its chief source for fuel, only when the body runs out of carbohydrates does it start to pull from fat stores. Whatever carbohydrates that are not burned are stored in the fat cells for future use.
When you run, your body naturally goes after carbohydrates first. For the first 15 minutes of the run, your body will burn primarily carbohydrates, but after 30 minutes into a run, your body starts to burn 50% carbohydrates and 50% from the fat stores. After 45 minutes of running, your body starts to pull more from the fat stores burning at about a 25/75 percent carbohydrate to fat ratio. After an hour, it burns almost exclusively fat.
Why? When you run, your heart rate immediately increases at first to a cardiozone level and your body doesn't have the time to pull from the fat stores for energy, so it must use the carbohydrates. Over time, your body starts to settle into the workout, your heart rate actually drops to a more settled rhythm and your body starts pulling from fat stores. Over a longer period of time, it starts to become more efficient at pulling exclusively from fat and starts to burn mainly the fat.
We can apply this same logic with walking, but with walking your heart rate is more likely to start at and remain at the fat burning zone significantly longer than with running. In a shorter amount of time during a walking workout, your body switches over to the fat cells and will switch almost exclusively to fat stores much quicker than when running.
As far as physical fitness, muscle strength, and cardiovascular benefits, I don't see much of a difference between walking and running, neither are superior. They are not mutually exclusive either. To do either competitively you need to train over a long period of time to build muscle and respiratory strength. You can have just as much trouble crossing the finish line of any race 5k, 8k, 10k, half-marathon, marathon, and on and on; and completing any race whether running or walking is a significant accomplishment in life.
There are three exercises that I feel are a bit more superior than others. Walking, running, and swimming. I don't mean to exclude other exercises like biking or weight training, but with the three mentioned above you don't need any special equipment in order to participate or master. They are the most natural form of everyday exercises that a human or animal can do. With cycling, you need a bike; with weights, you need weights. You could, if you really wanted to, run, walk, or swim completely naked and get excellent health benefits. With strength training, one could argue that you don't need anything special, there are many different exercises you can do in weight training that uses only your body, but I would submit a different argument for the big three I mentioned above.
Conceivable, the only life skills that are essential is to walk, run, or swim. If 75% of the earth's surface is water, then it makes sense to be able to swim and develop the leg, arm, and core strength in order to do this. The same goes for walking, a skill we use everyday; and running, as it makes more sense to escape from danger by running rather than walking. Plus, the three mentioned above requires a certain level of strength in the whole body, which develops better by doing the activity. The muscles required for these activities help with the here and now parts of life. The cardiovascular strength needed to complete a walk, run, or swim aids in daily activities and builds power in your everyday life.
So, when you read Run and Eat Simply, remember, a run is just high impact walking. Get out there, and get moving!
As I've stated in previous posts, your body uses two sources for energy, carbohydrates and fat. When you consume carbohydrates, your body immediately goes after this as its chief source for fuel, only when the body runs out of carbohydrates does it start to pull from fat stores. Whatever carbohydrates that are not burned are stored in the fat cells for future use.
When you run, your body naturally goes after carbohydrates first. For the first 15 minutes of the run, your body will burn primarily carbohydrates, but after 30 minutes into a run, your body starts to burn 50% carbohydrates and 50% from the fat stores. After 45 minutes of running, your body starts to pull more from the fat stores burning at about a 25/75 percent carbohydrate to fat ratio. After an hour, it burns almost exclusively fat.
Why? When you run, your heart rate immediately increases at first to a cardiozone level and your body doesn't have the time to pull from the fat stores for energy, so it must use the carbohydrates. Over time, your body starts to settle into the workout, your heart rate actually drops to a more settled rhythm and your body starts pulling from fat stores. Over a longer period of time, it starts to become more efficient at pulling exclusively from fat and starts to burn mainly the fat.
We can apply this same logic with walking, but with walking your heart rate is more likely to start at and remain at the fat burning zone significantly longer than with running. In a shorter amount of time during a walking workout, your body switches over to the fat cells and will switch almost exclusively to fat stores much quicker than when running.
As far as physical fitness, muscle strength, and cardiovascular benefits, I don't see much of a difference between walking and running, neither are superior. They are not mutually exclusive either. To do either competitively you need to train over a long period of time to build muscle and respiratory strength. You can have just as much trouble crossing the finish line of any race 5k, 8k, 10k, half-marathon, marathon, and on and on; and completing any race whether running or walking is a significant accomplishment in life.
There are three exercises that I feel are a bit more superior than others. Walking, running, and swimming. I don't mean to exclude other exercises like biking or weight training, but with the three mentioned above you don't need any special equipment in order to participate or master. They are the most natural form of everyday exercises that a human or animal can do. With cycling, you need a bike; with weights, you need weights. You could, if you really wanted to, run, walk, or swim completely naked and get excellent health benefits. With strength training, one could argue that you don't need anything special, there are many different exercises you can do in weight training that uses only your body, but I would submit a different argument for the big three I mentioned above.
Conceivable, the only life skills that are essential is to walk, run, or swim. If 75% of the earth's surface is water, then it makes sense to be able to swim and develop the leg, arm, and core strength in order to do this. The same goes for walking, a skill we use everyday; and running, as it makes more sense to escape from danger by running rather than walking. Plus, the three mentioned above requires a certain level of strength in the whole body, which develops better by doing the activity. The muscles required for these activities help with the here and now parts of life. The cardiovascular strength needed to complete a walk, run, or swim aids in daily activities and builds power in your everyday life.
So, when you read Run and Eat Simply, remember, a run is just high impact walking. Get out there, and get moving!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)