Usenet 1993 July/InfoMagic USENET CD-ROM July 1993.ISO/answers/running-faq/part2

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Subject: rec.running FAQ part 2 of 3
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked
         Questions and interesting information about running.
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Archive-name: running-faq/part2
Frequency of Post: monthly
Revision:  1.1 6/18/93 08:17:45
Supersedes: 1.0 5/17/93 08:19:23

===========================================================================

Mail Order Addresses

Here's the addresses/phone numbers of some popular running mail order
outfits (you can get directory assistance for 800 numbers at
1-800-555-1212 if you don't see the mail order outfit you're looking
for here):

Road Runner Sports
6310 Nancy Ridge Road, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92121
1-800-551-5558 (Orders)
1-800-841-0697
1-800-662-8896 (Customer Service)

California Best
970 Broadway Dept. 2033
Chula Vista, CA 91911
1-800-225-2378

In-Stride
13220 Evening Creek Dr. Suite 116
San Diego, CA 92128
1-800-521-0274
1-619-679-6697 International Orders
1-619-679-6675 FAX

Tel-a-Runner
1248 Sussex Turnpike C-5
Randolph, NJ 07869
1-800-835-2786

Hoy's Sports
1-800-873-4329
Track & Field event shoes from adidas, Converse, Brooks, Diadora,
Mizuno, Nike, and Reebok. Also racing flats and race walkers..,

Sports Style International
1605 Fannin Blvd.
Houston, TX 77002
1-800-580-SMTC  Fax: [phone]
Biggest (only?) source for Santa Monica Track Club paraphenalia and
Carl Lewis-inspired designs. Caps, t-shirts, stickers, unishorts, and
more. Shoes not advertised, though...

===========================================================================

Marathon

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increasing your mileage (Jack Berkery [e-mail])

Increasing your mileage, for the beginning marathoner.

  There are many good, professional, books and articles on how to
train for whatever distance you choose. More for the marathon than
others I think. I would suggest that you get one or two and mull them
over. The following recommendations are more or less a distillation of
having read and digested most of these as well as more than a decade
of experience.

  Let's suppose you are beginning with a base load of about 20 miles
per week over a long period. First I DO NOT recommend that anyone who
has been running for less than 3 years should run a marathon. Running
is a long-term game and it takes time for your body to become adjusted
physically to the demands, not only of the marathon itself, but also
of the heavy training mileage required to build up to it.

  Next, you should always keep in mind that your build-up should not
exceed 10% per week. 10% doesn't sound like much but it's actually a
big adjustment for your system to make. Not only muscles, but bones
and connective tissues must be strengthened to take the increased load
and running marathon mileage is a lot of pounding. Remember 10%. That
is not to say that if you ran 20 miles last week, you cannot go more
than 22 next week, but over a period of 3-4 weeks the rate of increase
should not exceed the 10% slope. After 4 weeks then, you should be
doing just under 30 miles, but not more. If you go from 20 to 24 in
the first week thereby exceeding the 10% rate, then doing 24 again the
second week will bring you back on track. You can continue to build up
mileage for about 6 weeks when you'll reach 35 miles. Then you MUST
BACK OFF for a week or so. Drop back by about 25-30% for one week.
Take two or three days off in a row. Get some rest to gain strength
before beginning the climb again.

  How much mileage is enough for a marathon? I have known people to
run marathons on 25 or 35 miles per week. Don't try it. How they got
away with it is not important. It is only important to know that it
simply ain't smart.  You can get away with 40-45 per week if you are
doing a regular long run of 15-18 each week. It is better to be doing
50 or more for 6 to 8 weeks before the marathon. This means you have
to have the time necessary to build to 50 at that 10% rate (with 1
rest week out of every 6) and then sustain that 50+ mileage for 6-8
weeks as well. This is a heavy schedule. Never doubt that.  When you
listen to the mega-mileage people talk about 70 or 80 or more, they
make it sound as if everyone should be able to do that. Well we CAN'T
all do that. We all have a break-down point and for the great
majority, it lies somewhere below 50 or 60 miles per week. You'll know
where yours is only after repeated tries to exceed it result in an
injury.

  Specificly how do you build the mileage? Suppose you are doing an
even 3 miles a day, no more, no less. You must begin by building the
long run. In a marathon training schedule, the long run is everything.
Start the first week of the build-up by just lengthening one run. All
other days should remain the same. Make one, usually Sat. or Sun., a
5-6 miler to get your 10% increase.  Take the next day off from
running. Rest is important after the long run to allow your system
adjustment time. The next week of the build-up, increase the one long
run again while still holding the normal daily runs the same. As a
rule of thumb, your long run can go to 3 times the distance of your
daily average run. So while still doing regular 3 milers, you can
build up that Sat. morning run to 9 miles. Don't do a 12 miler though
until you have made your daily run 4 miles. This means keeping the
long run at 9 miles for a few weeks and increasing the daily runs
until your average is 4 or 5 a day. Then you can return to increasing
the long run. Toward the end of the build-up you may be doing
something like 6-8 each weekday plus an 18-20 miler on the weekend. It
might also be a good idea to alternate long runs of 15 and 20 miles
every other week.

  As you get close to the date of the marathon, run your last long run
2 weeks before. DO NOT do a long run one week prior to the marathon.
In fact for the last week you should taper down to do only about half,
yes half, the mileage you have been doing. DO NOT run the day before
and 2 days before the race you might only do 3 miles just to get the
legs loose and the blood flowing. You MUST be well rested for the big
race itself.

  Now assuming you do everything right there is still no guarrantee
that the marathon is going to go well. Many things might prevail to
make it hurt, hot or humid weather, getting caught up in too hard a
pace, not drinking enough water before or along the way (THE GREATEST
SIN). You may even spend 3 or 4 months building your training only to
come down with an illness or injury a few weeks before the race which
will set you right back to square-one. If you want certainties, you're
in the wrong game. What matters is not that you get to do that
particular marathon on that particular day 5 months from now, but
rather what you plan to do over the next 5 or 10 or 50 years. I did
say running is a long-term game, no?

  Another note of caution. All the rules can be broken. You may get
away with lower training, higher ramp-up rates or shorter long-runs.
You might even get away with it more than once, but sooner or later
it's gonna get ya. Take the more conservative plan and be safe. You're
looking for a positive experience not an injury.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Major Marathons (e.g. Boston, LA, New York)

Boston Marathon
==================
The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots day (3rd monday in April).
Starting time: Noon Boston Marathon qualifying times.  (Jack Berkery
[e-mail])

        Boston Athletic Association Boston Marathon
        P.O. Box 1993
        Hopkington, MA 01748
        (Entries must be received by March 8, 1993)

        Tel: [phone]
        Fax: [phone]

 Age   Men   Women                Wheelchair Divison
18-34  3:10  3:40                 CLASS            MEN      WOMEN
35-39  3:15  3:45                 1 (Quad Class)   3:00     3:10
40-44  3:20  3:50                 2-5              2:10     2:35
45-49  3:25  3:55
50-54  3:30  4:00
55-59  3:35  4:05
60-64  3:40  4:10
65-69  3:45  4:15
70+    3:50  4:20

Note: Your qualifying time is based upon your age on the day of the
Boston Marathon, April 19, 1993. Example: You run a qualifying race at
the age of 44 in 3:22. You then have a birthday before the Boston
Marathon, making you 45. You qualify, because your required
qualification time is 3:25.

Your qualification race must be run between 1/1/92 and 3/8/93

Chicago Marathon
===================
This year the race is October 25th.  For entry forms:

        Chicago Marathon
        214 W. Erie
        Chicago, IL  60610
        [phone] [VOICE]
        [phone] [FAX]

Grandma's Marathon
====================

Saturday, June 19, 1993 (7:30 am)
Send SASE to:

Gandma's Marathon
P.O. Box 16234
Duluth, MN 55816
[phone]

London Marathon
====================
([e-mail] (A.M.T. Bell,G2,3123,homephone))
UK entrants

Next month you should be able to pick up an "application for entry
form" from a bank, last year it was TSB bank. You fill this in at the
bank and give them 2pounds.  In October you should get the *proper*
form from London, fill this in and enclose cheque. You should find out
before Xmas whether you have been lucky in the lottery and have got in
or not. If you have run a sub 2h40 time (men) or sub 3h10 time
(ladies) you can enter without going into the lottery as you qualify
for the national championships (held in conjunction with London).
Details should be in the national athletics press this month.

Non-UK entrants

I would imagine that you can get on "official" trips to come to the UK
to run London from sports travel firms, if you can get a place with a
sports travel firm you will definitely get an entry. If you want to do
your own thing I suggest you write to

London Marathon
PO Box 262
Richmond
London
England

Los Angeles Marathon
====================

Sunday, March 7, 1993

Los Angeles Marathon
11110 W. Ohio Avenue, #100
Los Angeles, CA 90025-3329
[phone]

              AGE 18-59    60+
Registration:    $25      $20
Late Reg: After 1-4-1993.....$35....for all ages.

Marine Corps Marathon
=====================

This year the race is October 24th
Contact info is 703/640-2225

New York Marathon
=====================

The New York Marathon is scheduled for November 14, 1993.  For U.S.
residents: Send a self-addressed #10 business-size envelope (about 4"
x 9.5") and a check or money order (no cash) for a $5.00
non-refundable handling fee. Make the check payable to: NYRRC.

* Send it AFTER midnight of May 18th. All requests must be
postmarked May 19th or later.

        NYRRC
        Marathon Entries
        P.O. Box 1388 GPO
        New York, NY   10116
        or call [phone]

* Send a separate envelope and a $5 check for each entry form requested.
* If anyone wants info for international runners e-mail me (Jeff Chance
[e-mail]).

San Francisco Marathon
======================

This year the race is August 29. For entry forms or more information:

        City of San Francisco Marathon
        P.O. Box 77148
        San Francisco, CA 94107
        [phone]

Honolulu Marathon
======================
December 12, 1993
Honolulu Marathon Assoc.
P O Box 1564
Brandon FL 33509
(This address may not be right.)
[phone]
OR
Marathon Tours
108 Main St
Charleston MA 02129
[phone]

California International Marathon
==================================
December 5, 1993
P O Box 161149
Sacramento CA 95816
[phone] or
[phone]

Western Hemisphere Marathon
=============================
December 5, 1993
Culver City CA
Jack Nakanishi
4117 Overland Ave
Culver City CA 90230
[phone]

Desert Cities Marathon
=======================
December 12, 1993
Palm Springs CA
Stephanie Mapelli
34-481 Date Palm Dr
#2E Cathedral City CA 92234
[phone]

High Desert Trail Marathon
============================
December 12, 1993
Ridgecrest CA
Chris Rios, OTHTC
1308 Saratoga
Ridgecrest CA 93555
[phone]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miscellaneous

I pulled this chart out of _Marathoning_ by Manfred Steffny. It's an
old book (originally published 1977).  (Robert Davidson
DAVIDSON%MARICOPA.EDU)

        Max. possible   Realistic
10Km    marathon time   marathon time
------  -------------   -------------
27:00   2:05:00         2:08:30
28:00   2:10:00         2:14:00
29:00   2:15:00         2:19:30
30:00   2:20:00         2:25:00
31:00   2:25:00         2:30:30
32:00   2:30:00         2:36:00
33:00   2:35:00         2:43:00
34:00   2:40:00         2:49:00
35:00   2:45:00         2:55:00
36:00   2:50:00         3:00:00
37:00   2:55:00         3:07:00
38:00   3:00:00         3:15:00
39:00   3:05:00         3:20:00
40:00   3:10:00         3:25:00
42:30   3:22:00         3:42:30
45:00   3:35:00         4:00:00
47:30   3:47:30         4:20:00
50:00   4:00:00         4:40:00


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

===========================================================================

Medical / Injuries

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Achilles tendinitis (sorry, forgot the author)

General advice:

1.  Warm up before you stretch.  This could be in the form of a slow
jog as you start your run.  When I feel it necessary, I stop for a few
minutes and stretch during the early stages of a run.

2.  Stretch after your run.  This has proven the best solution for me.
Whenever I skip this part, I end up stiff the next day.  The muscles
are nice and warm after a run and respond well to stretching.  My
flexibility has improved as a result of this practice, too.

3.  With regards to an injury, you've got to be tough and rest it in
order for it to heal.  This might be a good time to concentrate on
strength training with weights.

--------------

The good news: since this seems to be your first injury, and your
training load is light, your tendinitis is probably due to the most
simple cause - leg length imbalance.  Get someone to mark how far you
can bend to each side, if these are different heights then you might
find a heel raiser under the bad leg will both even out the side-bend
_and_ speed up the recovery.

The bad news: achilles is notoriously slow to heal even with the
correct treatment.  And the chances of recurrence are quite high.
However the condition you describe shouldn't prevent your training, as
long as you promote healing with stretching, massage (calf/inner
thigh/groin), ice, etc...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shin splints (Harry Y Xu [e-mail])
             (Doug Poirier [e-mail])
             (Rodney Sanders [e-mail])

Excerpts from _The SprotsMedicine Book_ by Gabe Mirkin, MD. and
Marshall Hoffman:

``Shin splints are....condition that can result from muscle imbalance.
They are characterized by generalized pain in front of the lower leg
and are particularly comon in runners and running backs....  The most
common cause is a muscle imbalance where the calf muscles--which pull
the forefoot down--overpower the shin muscles--which pull the forefoot
up.  As the athlete continues to train, the calf muscle usually
becomes proportionately much stronger than the shin muscles.

The treatment for shin splints is to strengthen the weaker muscles
(shins) and stretch the stronger muscles (calves).

To strengthen the shins, run up stairs.  To stretch the calves,...(do
stretching exercises for the calves, et. the wall push-ups)'' *end of
exerpts.

_________________________________________

In my experience, I have found that stretching is the real key to
avoiding shin-splints.  I believe there's a book with stretches by Bob
Anderson that you may want to check.  Also, back issues of running
magazines sometimes have helpful information.  Basically, I do the
standard "lean on the wall stretch" and a stretch by standing
flat-footed on one leg and bending at the knee to stretch the
achilles.  I then top these off with a few toe raises (no weights!)
before I head out to run...  If you're having trouble, I'd recommend
stretching 2-3 times a day until you get over the problem.  Start
slowly!

Also, you probably should avoid hills and extremely hard surfaces
until the situation improves. I've known several people who've had
shin splints and gotten over them by stretching.  (Of course, you
should be careful in case the shin splints are the result of a more
severe problem...)

------------------------

Help with shin splints.

1. Try picking up marbles with your toes and holding onto them for a few
   seconds.

1A. While recovering from shin splints, it may help to use a wedge in
    the heel of your shoes.  By raising the heel, you are reducing the
    pull on the muscles and tendons on the front.

2. Stand on the stairs with your heels out over the edge. Lower your
   heels as far as they will go without undue discomfort, and hold for 15
   seconds.  Slowly raise yourself up on your toes. Repeat 5 million
   times. (Sherwood Botsford [e-mail])

3. If you can, rig something with either surgical tubing or a large rubberband.
   For example: put the tubing around one of the back legs of your desk in
   some sort of a loop. Reach under the tubing with your toes, with your heel
   as a pivot pull the tubing toward you. This will work the muscle in the
   front of the shins. Repeat 6 million times. It's easier than the stair
   exercise

4. Run on different terrain, preferably grass. It'll absorb the shock.

5. This normally affects knees, but it might affect shins.  Don't run on the
   same side of the road all of the time. It is sloped left or right to let
   the water run off. Running on the same slope for long periods of
   time will cause adverse effects to the ankles, shins...etc.... If
   you are running on a track, alternate your direction of travel, as the
   lean when you are going around the corners is at least as bad as the
   crown slope of a road.  This is especially true of small indoor
   tracks.

6. For strenghening the front muscles: Make a training weight by tying
   a strip of cloth to a pop bottle.  Sit on the kitchen counter top,
   hang the bottle from your toes, and raise it up and down by flexing
   your ankle. The weight can be adjusted by adding water or sand to the
   bottle. (Sherwood Botsford [e-mail])

7. Scatter a few chunks of 2x4 around the house where you tend to
   stand, say kitchen and bathroom.  Now everytime you are at the stove
   or at the bathroom (in front of either fixture) stand on the 2x4 and
   rest your heels on the floor.  One in front of the TV and used during
   every commercial will either stretch you, or stop you from watching
   TV. (Sherwood Botsford [e-mail])

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side stitches (Jack Berkery [e-mail])

The Latest Word on Stitches

In the May-June 1992 issue of Running Research News there is an
article by Dr. Gordon Quick about the causes of and cures for
stitches. To summarize:

1) Stitches are a muscle spasm of the diaphragm. The cause of the
spasm is that the organs below it are jouncing up and down and pulling
down as it wants to pull up. The liver being the largest organ is the
biggest culprit which is why most stitches are on the right side. A
stomach full of food may also contribute to the problem for the same
reason. Stitches also occur more often when running downhill or in
cold weather.

2) The cure seems almost too simple. Breathe out when your left foot
strikes the ground instead of when the right foot strikes so that the
organs on the right side of the abdomen are jouncing up when the
diaphragm is going up. The organs attached to the bottom of the
diaphragm on the left aren't as big, so exert less downward pulling
strain. If this is not enough to get rid of it, stop and raise you
arms above your head until the pain goes away and when you resume, be
a left foot breather. (Conversely, if your stitch occurs on the left
side, switch your breathing to exhale on the right foot.)

3) Do not eat anything for an hour before running if you are prone to
stitches, BUT PLEASE DO DRINK WATER. Water empties from the stomach
faster than solids and the risk of complications from dehydration far
exceed the problems one may have with a stitch.

4) In the long term, exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles
will help prevent stitches because tighter abs will allow less
movement of those internal organs. Practice belly breathing instead of
chest breathing as recommended by Noakes. For the most part, stitches
diminish over time.  While they are not strictly a novice runner's
problem (about 1/3 of all runners get them from time to time) they
usually will go away after a few weeks of conditioning.

--------------

By Dr. Tim Noakes Oxford University Press, 1985. This is quoted
verbatim from "Lore of Running"

        Proper breathing prevents the development of the `stitch'.
        The stitch is a condition that occurs only during exercise
        and which causes severe pain usually on the right side of
        the abdomen, immediately below the rib margin.  Frequently
        the pain is also perceived in the right shoulder joint,
        where it feels as if an ice-pick were being driven into
        the joint.  The pain is exacerbated by down-hill running
        and by fast, sustained running as in a short road race or
        time trial.  For various complex anatomical reasons, the
        fact that the stitch causes pain to be felt in the shoulder
        joint suggests that the diaphragm is the source of the pain.

        It has been suggested that when breathing with the chest too
        much air is drawn into the lungs, and not all is exhaled.  This
        causes a gradual and progressive accumulation of air in the lungs,
        causing them to expand which in turn causes the diaphragm to be
        stretched and to encroach on the abdominal contents below it.
        During running, the over-stretched diaphragm becomes sandwiched
        between an over-expanded chest above, and a jolting intestine pounding
        it from below.  It revolts by going into spasm, and the pain of
        this spasm is recognized as the stitch.

        Although there is really not a shred of scientific evidence for
        this belief, I have found that diaphragm spasm is almost certainly
        involved in the stitch and that belly-breathing can frequently
        relieve the pain.

        The runner who wishes to learn how to belly-breath should lie on the
        floor and place one or more large books on his stomach.  He should
        concentrate on making the books rise when he breathes in and fall
        when he exhales.  As it takes about two months to learn to do the
        movement whilst running fast, it is important to start practicing
        well before an important race.

        A change in breathing pattern may help relieve the stitch.  Within
        a short period of starting running, breathing becomes synchronized
        with footfall.  Thus one automatically breaths in on one leg and
        out when landing either on the same leg - that is 2, 3 or 4 full
        strides later - or on the opposite leg - that is 1 1/2, 2 1/2, or
        3 1/2 strides later.  Thus the ratio of stride to breathing may be
        2:1, 3:1, 4:1; or 1.5:1, 2.5:1, 3.5:1.

        This phenomenon was first reported by Bramble and Carrier (1983).
        Of particular interest was their finding that most runners are
        `footed', that is the beginning and end of a respiratory cycle
        occurs on the same foot, usually in a stride to breathing ratio
        of either 4:1 whilst jogging or 2:1 whilst running faster.  Runners
        then become habituated to breathing out on the same let, day after
        day.  This produces asymmetrical stresses on the body and could be
        a factor in both the stitch and in certain running injuries.  I am
        `left-footed' and have also suffered my major running injuries only
        on my left side.  If changes in breathing patterns do not prevent the
        stitch then the last step is to increase abdominal muscle strength.
        The correct way to strengthen the abdominal muscles is to do bent-knee
        sit ups with the feet unsupported.

--------------

EDITORS NOTE: Readers response to "Belly Breathing" definition above.
"Belly Breathing" (Lamont Granquist  [e-mail])

While I wasn't breathing with my chest, I wasn't really "Belly
Breathing". When I exhaled, what I was doing was pulling my stomach
muscles in. I found out that this is *not* the way to "Belly Breathe".
The idea is to throw your gut out as much as possible -- try and look
as fat & ugly as you can when you run. For the suggestion in the FAQ
of lying on your back and lifting a book, it should probably be noted
that when exhaling you want to try to keep the book lifted up (of
course naturally, you don't want to try to do this all so hard that it
becomes difficult to exhale -- the idea is that breathing this way
should be comfortable).

--------------
Stitches continued (Sunil Dixit [e-mail])

1.  Since it is a cramp, I try not to drink or eat too soon before my runs,
and I try to limit my intake during runs.

2.  I stretch my abs extensively before a run.  Putting my arm over my head
and leaning to the opposite side until I'm pulling on the side of my
abdominals works well.

3.  I regulate my breathing by breathing in through my nose, and out through
my mouth.  This sounds like zen-crap, but believe me, it works amazingly
well in eliminating all types of cramping.  When you first do it, it'll feel
like you're not getting enough oxygen, but if you persist the technique will
become very comfortable.

4.  I run with my back fairly straight, even up hills.  This keeps the lungs
from bending over in my body, and makes it much easier to breathe.

5.  If none of these work, I keep going anyway.  After about 3 miles, it
usually goes away . . . if you're lucky.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lactic Acid (Rob Loszewski [e-mail])

"Lactic acid buildup (technically called acidosis) can cause burning
pain, especially in untrained muscles. Lactic acid accumulation can
lead to muscle exhaustion withing seconds if the blood cannot clear it
away. A strategy for dealing with lactic acid buildup is to relax the
muscles at every opportunity, so that the circulating blood can carry
the lactic acid away and bring oxygen to support aerobic metabolism.
...much of the lactic acid is routed to the liver, where it is
converted to glucose.  A little lactic acid remains in muscle tissue,
where it is completely oxidized when the oxygen supply is once again
sufficient."  Understanding Nutrition, 5th ed., Whitney, Hamilton,
Rolfes., West Pub. Comp.  1990, pg402- 403.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loose Bowels   (Rodney Sanders [e-mail])

Some general advice to take care of loose bowels.

(1) Look for offending foods in your diet.  For example, many people
have a lactose intolerance which can cause all sorts of fun if you had
a triple cheese pizza the night before the run...

(2) If you run in the morning, eat lightly and early the night
before...  I try to make sure I eat the least problematic foods close
to my workouts...  I've personally found baked chicken/fish, baked
potatoes, and pasta with light sauces (no alfredo!), to be pretty
good...

(3) I read that Bill Rodgers drinks a cup of coffee in the morning
before heading out...The caffeine stimulates one to take care of
things completely before getting out...This has helped me when I run
in the morning....

(4) Carry a wad of toilet paper with you!

I suspect that if you monitor your diet closely, you'll probably find
something that makes the problem worse than at other times and you can
avoid that food...

Some other advice: (Sanjay Manandhar [e-mail])
1. Less fiber in the diet
2. Run repeats on small loops.
3. Note all the washrooms along the route.
4. Time of day.  For me, mornings are bad. In the evening runs the
problem is infrequent.
5. A primer run. If I have to run in the mornings, I run 1 mile of
primer run so that the bowels can be taken care of. Then I start my
real run.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diabetes & Running (Timothy Law Snyder [e-mail])

Oops, here is what makes virutually every person with diabetes bristle:
MYTHS of diabetes!

Not to flame Jay, but diabetics can (and do) eat as much sugar, drink
as much booze, and run as many marathons as anybody else.  The
challenge is that they must manage the delicate balance between
insulin (which lowers blood sugar), food (which raises it), and
exercise (which, because it stokes up the metabolism and makes the
insulin "rage") lowers blood sugar.  Timing is important, and
sometimes, due to the millions of factors that are at play (and _not_
due to negligence), the blood sugar will go too high or too low.

Before a run, a person with diabetes (nobody in the know calls them
"diabetics" any more) must make sure that the blood sugar is somewhat
higher than normal.  This gives a "pad" so that exercise does not
result in a low-sugar crisis.  Often the runner will take less insulin
the day of the run.  Before (and for long runs, during) the run some
food must be eaten.  For short runs, carbos will do, but proteins and
fats are also necessary for the longer hauls.

For a marathon, one must take some sort of food during the run.  A
high- carbo source like a soda works well, for the sugar is taken up
immediately and, since the beverage is concentrated, it is easily
digested (relative to, say, the caloric equivalent in whole wheat : ).

Sugar does absolutely _no_ harm to the person with diabetes (provided,
they do not ignore insulin requirements).  That's right: The person
could knock off twelve sodas, an entire chocolate cake, and a bag of
M&Ms, and be as "fine" as anybody else (quotes intended---yuk!).

While I am at it, here are a couple of other myth corrections: There
is no clear evidence that diabetes is hereditary.  Diabetes has
_nothing_ to do with how much sugar the person ate before acquiring
the condition.  People with diabetes can (and do) drink as much
alcohol as anybody else.  (Alcohol lowers the blood sugar a tiny bit,
so one must be careful to not forget to eat [and too many cocktails
tend to...].)

Hope this helps.  Oh, by the way, NO, the taste of something sweet
does not cause the release of insulin (save a possible [and rare]
placebo effect).

===========================================================================

Nutrition and Food  (Bruce Hildenbrand  [e-mail])
[Ed. note: Originally appeared in rec.bicycles]

Oh well, I have been promising to do this for a while and given the
present discussions on nutrition, it is about the right time.  This
article was written in 1980 for Bicycling Magazine.  It has been
reprinted in over 30 publications, been the basis for a chapter in a
book and cited numerous other times.  I guess somebody besides me
thinks its OK.  If you disagree with any points, that's fine, I just
don't want to see people take exception based on their own personal
experiences because everyone is different and psychological factors
play a big role(much bigger than you would think) on how one perceives
his/her own nutritional requirements.  Remember that good nutrition is
a LONG TERM process that is not really affected by short term
events(drinking poison would be an exception).  If it works for you
then do it!!!  Don't preach!!!!

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BASIC NUTRITION PRIMER

Nutrition in athletics is a very controversial topic.  However, for an
athlete to have confidence that his/her diet is beneficial he/she must
understand the role each food component plays in the body's overall
makeup.  Conversely, it is important to identify and understand the
nutritional demands on the physiological processes of the body that
occur as a result of racing and training so that these needs can be
satisfied in the athlete's diet.

For the above reasons, a basic nutrition primer should help the
athlete determine the right ingredients of his/her diet which fit
training and racing schedules and existing eating habits.  The body
requires three basic components from foods: 1) water; 2) energy; and
3)nutrients.

WATER

Water is essential for life and without a doubt the most important
component in our diet.  Proper hydrations not only allows the body to
maintain structural and biochemical integrity, but it also prevents
overheating, through sensible heat loss(perspiration).  Many *runners*
have experienced the affects of acute fluid deficiency on a hot day,
better known as heat exhaustion.  Dehydration can be a long term
problem, especially at altitude, but this does not seem to be a
widespread problem among *runners* and is only mentioned here as a
reminder (but an important one).

ENERGY

Energy is required for metabolic processes, growth and to support
physical activity.  The Food and Nutrition Board of the National
Academy of Sciences has procrastinated in establishing a Recommended
Daily Allowance(RDA) for energy the reasoning being that such a daily
requirement could lead to overeating.  A moderately active 70kg(155lb)
man burns about 2700 kcal/day and a moderately active 58kg(128lb)
woman burns about 2500 kcal/day.

It is estimated that runners burn XXXX kcal/min or about XXX-XXX
kcal/hr while *running* (this is obviously dependent on the level of
exertion).  Thus a three hour training *run* can add up to XXXX
kcals(the public knows these as calories) to the daily energy demand
of the *runner*.  Nutritional studies indicate that there is no
significant increase in the vitamin requirement of the athlete as a
result of this energy expenditure.

In order to meet this extra demand, the *runner* must increase his/her
intake of food.  This may come before, during or after a *run* but
most likely it will be a combination of all of the above.  If for some
reason extra nutrients are required because of this extra energy
demand, they will most likely be replenished through the increased
food intake.  Carbohydrates and fats are the body's energy sources and
will be discussed shortly.

NUTRIENTS

This is a broad term and refers to vitamins, minerals, proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, fiber and a host of other substances.  The body
is a very complex product of evolution.  It can manufacture many of
the resources it needs to survive.  However, vitamins, minerals and
essential amino acids(the building blocks of proteins) and fatty acids
cannot be manufactured, hence they must be supplied in our food to
support proper health.

Vitamins and Minerals

No explanation needed here except that there are established RDA's for
most vitamins and minerals and that a well balanced diet, especially
when supplemented by a daily multivitamin and mineral tablet should
meet all the requirements of the cyclist.

Proper electrolyte replacement(sodium and potassium salts) should be
emphasized, especially during and after long, hot rides.  Commercially
available preparations such as Exceed, Body Fuel and Isostar help
replenish electrolytes lost while *running*.

Proteins

Food proteins are necessary for the synthesis of the body's
skeletal(muscle, skin, etc.) and biochemical(enzymes, hormones,
etc.)proteins.  Contrary to popular belief, proteins are not a good
source of energy in fact they produce many toxic substances when they
are converted to the simple sugars needed for the body's energy
demand.

Americans traditionally eat enough proteins to satisfy their body's
requirement.  All indications are that increased levels of exercise do
not cause a significant increase in the body's daily protein
requirement which has been estimated to be 0.8gm protein/kg body
weight.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are divided into two groups, simple and complex, and
serve as one of the body's two main sources of energy.

Simple carbohydrates are better known as sugars, examples being
fructose, glucose(also called dextrose), sucrose(table sugar) and
lactose(milk sugar).

The complex carbohydrates include starches and pectins which are
multi-linked chains of glucose.  Breads and pastas are rich sources of
complex carbohydrates.

The brain requires glucose for proper functioning which necessitates a
carbohydrate source.  The simple sugars are quite easily broken down
to help satisfy energy and brain demands and for this reason they are
an ideal food during racing and training.  The complex sugars require
a substantially longer time for breakdown into their glucose sub units
and are more suited before and after riding to help meet the body's
energy requirements.

Fats

Fats represent the body's other major energy source.  Fats are twice
as dense in calories as carbohydrates(9 kcal/gm vs 4 kcal/gm) but they
are more slowly retrieved from their storage units(triglycerides) than
carbohydrates(glycogen).  Recent studies indicate that caffeine may
help speed up the retrieval of fats which would be of benefit on long
rides.

Fats are either saturated or unsaturated and most nutritional experts
agree that unsaturated, plant-based varieties are healthier.  Animal
fats are saturated(and may contain cholesterol), while plant based
fats such as corn and soybean oils are unsaturated.  Unsaturated fats
are necessary to supply essential fatty acids and should be included
in the diet to represent about 25% of the total caloric intake.  Most
of this amount we don't really realize we ingest, so it is not
necessary to heap on the margarine as a balanced diet provides
adequate amounts.

WHAT THE BODY NEEDS

Now that we have somewhat of an understanding of the role each food
component plays in the body's processes let's relate the nutritional
demands that occur during *running* in an attempt to develop an
adequate diet.  Basically our bodies need to function in three
separate areas which require somewhat different nutritional
considerations.  These areas are: 1) building; 2) recovery; and 3)
performance.

Building

Building refers to increasing the body's ability to perform
physiological processes, one example being the gearing up of enzyme
systems necessary for protein synthesis, which results in an increase
in muscle mass, oxygen transport, etc.  These systems require amino
acids, the building blocks of proteins.  Hence, it is important to eat
a diet that contains quality proteins (expressed as a balance of the
essential amino acid sub units present)fish, red meat, milk and eggs
being excellent sources.

As always, the RDA's for vitamins and minerals must also be met but,
as with the protein requirement, they are satisfied in a well balanced
diet.

Recovery

This phase may overlap the building process and the nutritional
requirements are complimentary.  Training and racing depletes the body
of its energy reserves as well as loss of electrolytes through sweat.
Replacing the energy reserves is accomplished through an increased
intake of complex carbohydrates(60-70% of total calories) and to a
lesser extent fat(25%).  Replenishing lost electrolytes is easily
accomplished through the use of the commercial preparations already
mentioned.

Performance

Because the performance phase(which includes both training *runs* and
racing)spans at most 5-7 hours whereas the building and recovery
phases are ongoing processes, its requirements are totally different
from the other two.  Good nutrition is a long term proposition meaning
the effects of a vitamin or mineral deficiency take weeks to manifest
themselves.  This is evidenced by the fact that it took many months
for scurvy to show in sailors on a vitamin C deficient diet.  What
this means is that during the performance phase, the primary concern
is energy replacement (fighting off the dreaded "bonk") while the
vitamin and mineral demands can be overlooked.

Simple sugars such a sucrose, glucose and fructose are the quickest
sources of energy and in moderate quantities of about 100gm/hr(too
much can delay fluid absorption in the stomach) are helpful in
providing fuel for the body and the brain.  Proteins and fats are not
recommended because of their slow and energy intensive digestion
mechanism.

Short, *runs* or races of up to one hour in length usually require no
special nutritional considerations provided the body's short term
energy stores (glycogen) are not depleted which may be the case during
*long* events.

Because psychological as well as physiological factors determine
performance most *runners* tend to eat and drink whatever makes them
feel "good" during a *run*.  This is all right as long as energy
considerations are being met and the stomach is not overloaded trying
to digest any fatty or protein containing foods.  If the vitamin and
mineral requirements are being satisfied during the building and
recovery phases no additional intake during the performance phase is
necessary.

IMPLICATIONS

Basically, what all this means is that good nutrition for the *runner*
is not hard to come by once we understand our body's nutrient and
energy requirements.  If a balanced diet meets the RDA's for protein,
vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrate and fat intake for
energy then everything should be OK nutritionally.  It should be
remembered that the problems associated with nutrient deficiencies
take a long time to occur.  Because of this it is not necessary to eat
"right" at every meal which explains why weekend racing junkets can be
quite successful on a diet of tortilla chips and soft drinks.
However, bear in mind that over time, the body's nutritional demands
must be satisfied.  To play it safe many *runners* take a daily
multivitamin and mineral supplement tablet which has no adverse
affects and something I personally recommend.  Mega vitamin
doses(levels five times or more of the RDA) have not been proven to be
beneficial and may cause some toxicity problems.

GREY NUTRITION

"Good" nutrition is not black and white.  As we have seen, the body's
requirements are different depending on the phase it is in.  While the
building and recovery phases occur somewhat simultaneously the
performance phase stands by itself.  For this reason, some foods are
beneficial during one phase but not during another.  A good example is
the much maligned twinkie.  In the performance phase it is a very
quick source of energy and quite helpful.  However, during the
building phase it is not necessary and could be converted to unwanted
fat stores.  To complicate matters, the twinkie may help replenish
energy stores during the recovery phase however, complex carbohydrates
are probably more beneficial.  So, "one man's meat may be another
man's poison."

NUTRIENT DENSITY

This term refers to the quantity of nutrients in a food for its
accompanying caloric(energy) value.  A twinkie contains much energy
but few vitamins and minerals so has a low nutrient density.  Liver,
on the other hand, has a moderate amount of calories but is rich in
vitamins and minerals and is considered a high nutrient density food.

Basically, one must meet his/her nutrient requirements within the
constraints of his/her energy demands.  Persons with a low daily
activity level have a low energy demand and in order to maintain their
body weight must eat high nutrient density foods.  As already
mentioned, a *runner* has an increased energy demand but no
significant increase in nutrient requirements.  Because of this he/she
can eat foods with a lower nutrient density than the average person.
This means that a *runner* can be less choosy about the foods that are
eaten provided he/she realizes his/her specific nutrient and energy
requirements that must be met.

BALANCED DIET

Now, the definition of that nebulous phrase, "a balanced diet".
Taking into consideration all of the above, a diet emphasizing fruits
and vegetables (fresh if possible), whole grain breads, pasta,
cereals, milk, eggs, fish and red meat(if so desired) will satisfy
long term nutritional demands.  These foods need to be combined in
such a way that during the building and recovery phase, about 60-70%
of the total calories are coming from carbohydrate sources, 25% from
fats and the remainder(about 15%) from proteins.

It is not necessary to get 100% of the RDA for all vitamins and
minerals at every meal.  It may be helpful to determine which
nutritional requirements you wish to satisfy at each meal.
Personally, I use breakfast to satisfy part of my energy requirement
by eating toast and cereal.  During lunch I meet some of the energy,
protein and to a lesser extent vitamin and mineral requirements with
such foods as yogurt, fruit, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Dinner is a big meal satisfying energy, protein, vitamin and mineral
requirements with salads, vegetables, pasta, meat and milk.  Between
meal snacking is useful to help meet the body's energy requirement.

CONCLUSION

All this jiberish may not seem to be telling you anything you couldn't
figure out for yourself.  The point is that "good" nutrition is not
hard to achieve once one understands the reasons behind his/her
dietary habits.  Such habits can easily be modified to accommodate the
nutritional demands of *running* without placing any strict demands on
one's lifestyle.

--
                              Yonson Serrano
                          [e-mail]

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