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Subject: rec.running FAQ part 1 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/part1
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Revision:  1.2 10/07/93 09:41:42
Supersedes: 1.1 7/12/93 07:09:29


Answers to REC.RUNNING FAQ and Interesting Information

The following posting contains the answers to frequently asked
questions posed to rec.running and interesting information that
runners might find useful. Answers include the name and email address
of the author.  If no author is listed, I'm the guilty party. If
you're the author and I've misspelled your name or have the wrong
email address, let me know and I'll fix it.

If you feel that I've left something out of the list, or if you find
something thats inaccurate, please let me know. I've tried to
summarize opposing viewpoints on highly emotional issues so let me
know if I have mis-stated the viewpoints.

Yonson Serrano
[e-mail]

NOTE: There is a new Rec.running Beginners FAQ by
      (Steve Conway [e-mail])
      Which provides info/advice to aspiring runners.

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

Quick Index: * = section hasn't been written yet.
             ! = updated since last FAQ.
             + = new section.

  Avoiding Dogs
  Books and Magazines
  Clothes (Winter/Summer)
  Clothing Materials
* Cross-Training
  General Information
     Running Mailing Lists
     Terminology (e.g. overpronation, oversupination)
     Calorie/energy count
     Calories burned by running
     Fat burning primer
     Conversion chart
     Fluid replacement
     Noakes's Ten Laws of Running Injuries
     Second Wind
     Soda Pop
     Computer software
  Hashing
  Interval training
  Legs
     Sore Knees
     Leg Massage
  Mail Order Addresses
* Marathon
     Increasing your mileage
     Major Marathons (e.g. Boston, LA, New York)
     Miscellaneous
  Medical / Injuries
     Achilles tendinitis (incomplete)
     Shin splints
     Side stitches
     Lactic Acid
     Loose bowels
     Diabetes & running
  Nutrition and Food
     Nutrition primer
     Powerbars
  Orienteering
  Predicting times
  Running Clubs & Organizations
  Shoes
  Stretching
  Sweat
  Weather (cold, hot, wind, rain, altitude)

 Specific Questions Answered:
   (1) Is it better to run in the morning or evening?
   (2) Should I run when I have a cold/fever?
   (3) How often should I run?
   (4) Which of the 8 lanes on a US track is actually
       the '1/4 mile' one?
   (5) I have started running after having my baby and I am curious to
       know if any one has some stomach exercises?

***************************************************************************
******************************* START *************************************
***************************************************************************

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

Avoiding Dogs   (Arnie Berger  [e-mail])
[Ed. note: Originally posted to rec.bicycles - but it applies here as well]

  There are varying degrees of defense against dogs.

  1- Shout "NO!" as loud and authoritatively as you can. That works more
     than half the time against most dogs that consider chasing you just
     good sport.

  2- Get away from their territory as fast as you can.

  3- A water bottle squirt sometimes startles them.

  If they're waiting for you in the road and all you can see are teeth
  then you in a heap o' trouble. In those situations, I've turned around,
  slowly, not staring at the dog, and rode away.

  "Halt" works pretty well, and I've used it at times. It's range is about 8
   feet.

   I bought a "DAZER", from Heathkit. Its a small ultrasonic sound generator
   that you point at the dog. My wife and I were tandeming on a back road and
   used it on a mildly aggressive German Shephard. It seemed to cause the
   dog to back off.

   By far, without a doubt, hands down winner, is a squirt bottle full of
   reagent grade ammonia, fresh out of the jug. The kind that fumes when
   you remove the cap. When I lived in Illinois I had a big, mean dog that
   put its cross-hairs on my leg whenever I went by. After talking to the
   owner (redneck), I bought a handlebar mount for a water bottle and loaded
   it with a lab squirt bottle of the above mentioned fluid. Just as the
   dog came alongside, I squirted him on his nose, eyes and mouth. The dog
   stopped dead in his tracks and started to roll around in the street.
   Although I continued to see that dog on my way to and from work, he
   never bothered me again.

   Finally, you can usually intimidate the most aggressive dog if there are
   more than one of you. Stopping, *and moving towards it will often
   cause it to back off*. ( But not always ). My bottom line is to always
   *run* routes that I'm not familiar with, with someone else.

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

Books and Magazines (Phil Cannon [e-mail])

Books
=====

1) The Lore of Running -  Tim Noakes
2) The Complete Book of Running - Fixx
3) The Runner's Handbook - Bloom
4) Long Distance Runner's Guide to Training and Racing - Sperks/Bjorklund
5) The Runner's Handbook - Glover & Shepard
6) Beyond Jogging - Spino
7) Jogging, Aerobics and Diet - Royald
8) The New Aerobics - Cooper

Magazines
=========

Track and Field News (monthly $31 US per year)
  2370 El Camino Real, suite 606
  Mountain View CA 94040
  415-948-8188
  Fax:  [phone]
  1-800-GET-TRAK (1-800-438-8725)

        The self-proclaimed "Bible of the Sport", T&FN is the
        source for major meet results in track & field, road
        racing, cross-country, and race walking from the high
        school to international levels.  Emphasis is on U.S.
        athletes. though significant international coverage is
        provided. Compiles annual post-seasonal rankings of the
        top 10 performers in the world and U.S. in every major
        event, men and women. Publishes list of top 50 performances
        in each event for the year. Also sponsors TAFNUT tours
        for major championships and the Euro Circuit/GP meets.
        Lots of stats, good interviews.

Track Technique (quarterly; $15 in US, $16 outside) same contact info
as Track & Field News.

        The official TAC quarterly, each issue has important articles
        on technique, training, and other practical information on
        all events, at all levels. Intended for coaches.

California Track News ($18/yr)
  4957 East Heaton
  Fresno, CA  93727

        California's only all track and cross-county publication. Lots
        of attention to prep school action.

Running Research News (bi-monthly $17 US per year)
  Post Office Box 27041
  Lansing MI 48909
  1-800-333-FEET
$17/year  $31/2 years
46 back issues, $112
(An additional $6 for overseas airmail)

Running Times (monthly $17.70 US per year)
  P.O. Box 511
  Mount Morris, IL 61054-7691
  1-800-877-5402

Runner's World (monthly $17.97 US per year)
  P.O. Box 7574
  Red Oak, IA 51591-2574
  1-800-666-2828

Masters Track & Field News (5 issues/yr; $10.50)
  P.O. Box 16597
  North Hollywood, CA  91615

        Results, rankings, age-records, schedules, stories of age 40+
        athletes worldwide.  "Satisfaction guaranteed"

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

Clothes (Winter/Summer) (Mike Gilson [e-mail])

Disclaimer
----------
Preference on the amount of clothing required for winter
running varies widely between individuals.  There are a
couple of runners that I see that wear shorts, long sleeved
T-shirt and gloves at 30F!  So expect to experiment with
how much clothing at various temp's.

Second: I don't have any interest in the type of clothes
you buy/wear; I neither make nor lose money by your choices.
What I have to say here is *my* opinion only.

Rules for Winter Running
------------------------
The first rule is to dress in layers.  Outer layers can be
added/shed easily.

The second rule is to stay dry.  When your clothes get wet,
they get very heavy - heavy enough to degrade performance -
and you get cold.

The final rule is to hydrate.  You may not sweat as much, but
you still need to take in fluids.

Clothing Layers
---------------
Inner layer.  The layer closest to the skin should be a
tight, lightweight fabric that wicks water away from the
skin.  Shirts should be long-sleeved, skin-tight (without
chafing), and may be turtle-necked (my preference).  There
are a variety of fabrics that are effective in wicking water;
I have had a lot of success with polypro, but it is not
machine washable.  These are readily available at running
specialty shops and mail order.  For pants, lycra running
tights work very well.

Outer layer.  The next layer should be a looser, mediumweight
fabric that wicks water.  A zipper at the neck is convenient
for temperature control.  I prefer a shirt that is slightly
longer than waist-length so that I have the option of tucking
it into the pants.  I've had more success in finding these
in cycling stores than anywhere else.  Two layers of lycra
tights work if it's really cold.

Shell.  A water-proof or water resistant shell that is
breathable is useful in the coldest conditions.  These are
usually sold as suits, but tops are available separately
at a higher cost (relatively speaking).  Gore-tex is
considered by many to be the best fabric, but there are
cheaper alternatives.  You can get these suits made to your
measurements or buy them off the rack.  I have a Burley
jacket, which I purchased at a cycling shop.  It's chief
advantage over the running suits is the venting and extra
zippers for temperature control.  There are zippers under
each arm, starting at mid chest going up to the armpit and
travelling down the arm to about mid forearm.

Tights.  Tights have been mentioned above as inner/outer layers.
Many people run in sweats, but sweats have two disadvantages:
they're heavy and they get heavier when wet.  Lycra is
lightweight and warm, but costs more and shows off body
(im)perfections more than sweats.

Gloves.  Any cotton glove works.

Hat.  A lot of heat is lost through the scalp, so a hat
is a must for most people.  Cotton hats get too heavy
with sweat.  Balaclavas are more versatile than hats,
and allow you to cover you neck/face if requires.  Both
hats and balaclavas are available in wicking fabrics.

Socks.  A wicking sock will seem less heavy and your feet
will be drier than a conventional sock.  Coolmax socks are
my preference, worn in a single layer.  You can also find
other fabrics, such as capilene or polypro socks, which are
considerably more expensive.

Running shoes.  Runner's World (anyone know which issue?) had
some tips from Alaskan runners on how to put (short) screws
into the sole of the shoe for better traction on the ice.
I haven't tried it, but you obviously have to be careful not
to puncture the midsole, air/gel chambers, etc.

Dressing for Winter Running
---------------------------

Temp range                         Number of layers
(degrees F)       Inner   Outer   Shell   Tights   Gloves   Hat  Socks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
50-55               1       0       0       1         1      0     0
40-45               1       1       0       1         1      0     1
30-35               1       1       0      1-2        1      1     1
20-25               1       1       1       2         1      1     1
0-15                1       1     1+pants   1         1      1     1

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

Clothing materials  (Jim Carson  [e-mail])
[Ed note: From a summary Jim posted]

Polarlite
  Fluffy, fleecy stuff also called Polarplus and Synchilla.  Comfortable.
  Incredibly warm, especially under something that breaks the wind.
  Doesn't wick moisture out very well.  Breathes very well.

Supplex (nylon)
  Comfortable.  It is breathable and water repellent (but NOT water proof).
  Seems to absorb a small amount of water if it is really getting drenched

Merino (wool)
  From a "breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing
  a heavy fleece of exceptional quality."  I guess you could treat this as
  normal 100% wool.

Thermax
  An improvement on Polypro.  The big advantage is heat resistance so
  you can put it in the dryer.  Balance that against the extra cost.

CoolMax
  This stuff seems more like a plastic bag than the revolutionary wicking
  material it is advertised as.

Dacron
  Trademark name for Dupont polyester.  Woven fabric made from dacron is
  similar to nylon ripstop or taffeta, but not as stretchy.  Many of the
  better clothing insulations are made from dacron.  They are usually refered
  to by more specific trademark names, like quallofil, hollofil, polarguard,
  and dacron-88.

Lycra
  Used for its stretch, mostly a warm weather (>65 degrees) thing.

GoreTex
  A teflon based membrane with microscopic holes.  Gortex's claim to
  fame is that it will let water vapor (from perspiration) through, but
  not liquid water (rain).  It blocks wind fairly well too.  The
  membrane is delicate, so it always comes laminated between 2 layers of
  other material.  It does not breathe enough.  There are less expensive
  alternatives.

Polypropylene
  Does not wick very well.  Can be uncomfortable.  Troublesome to
  care for (e.g. can pill badly)  Will keep you fairly warm if soaked.
  Not very wind resistant.  Melts in the dryer.

Capilene
  Wicks moisture away.  Very comfortable.  Comes in different weights
  for more/less warmth.  [lots of favorable things about it... only
  really unfavorable thing is the co$t]

60/40 cloth -
  This is a cloth with nylon threads running one direction, cotton in
  the other. It was the standard wind parka material before Goretex came
  along, and is considerably less expensive.  Good wind resistance,
  fairly breathable.  Somewhat water resistant, especially if you spray
  it with Scotchguard, but won't hold up to a heavy rain.

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

Cross-Training

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

General Information

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Running Mailing Lists

1) Dead Runners Society   (Christopher Mark Conn [e-mail])

The Dead Runners Society is a discussion group for people who like to
talk about running. The group is very informal and social and we all
try to encourage each other in our running programs. We talk about
everything related to running, from meditation to marathons. We
currently have about 300 members around the world. To join send email
to: [e-mail]

2) T & F Mailing List

For details send email to: Charlie Mahler [e-mail]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terminology

Pronation/Supination (Thomas Page [e-mail])

      "Over" pronation describes a minor misalignment of the leg's
       forward swing that causes the footstrike to be skewed
       to the inside of the heel. (Jim Horalek)

      "Over" supination is the reverse - impact is shifted toward
       the outside of the heel. (Jim Horalek)

Pronation and supination describe natural and normal motions of the
foot during the walking or running stride.  In a normal stride, the
outside portion of the heal strikes the ground first.  The foot
pronates to absorbe shock.  That is, it rolls inward.  At the end of
the stride, the foot re-supinates -- rolls outward-- on push-off.

What the previous writer (Jim Horalek [e-mail]) is defining
is `over pronation', and `over supination'.  These are excesses of the
normal motions.  Note that over pronation is fairly common and many
shoes are designed to counteract this.  Over supination is very rare.
Most people who think they over supinate probably just under pronate.
Some people who think they over pronate may in fact pronate a normal
amount, but fail to re-supinate sufficiently at the end of the stride.


FARTLEK: A training method, where the runner runs over trails and rough
terrain mixing fast and slow speed work.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calorie/Energy Count (Kenrick J. Mock [e-mail])

Here is a little table adapted from "Beyond Diet...Exercise Your Way to
Fitness and Heart Health" by Lenore R. Zohman, M.D.


Energy Range = Approx. Calories Per Hour

Energy Range    Activity                Conditioning Benefits
------------    ----------              ---------------------
72-84           Sitting, Conversing     None

120-150         Strolling, 1 mph        Not strenuous enough to produce
                Walking, 2 mph          endurance unless your exercise
                                        capacity is very low

150-240         Golf, power cart        Not sufficiently taxing or
                                        continuous to promote
                                        endurance.

240-300         Cleaning windows,       Adequate for conditioning if
                Mopping floor,          carried out continuously for
                vacuuming               20-30 minutes

                Bowling                 Too intermittent for endurance

                Walking, 3mph           Adequate dynamic exercise if
                Cycling, 6mph           your capacity is low

                Golf, pulling cart      Useful if you walk briskly,
                                        but if cart is heavy
                                        isometrics may be involved.

300-360         Scrubbing floors        Adequate if carried out in at
                                        least 2 minute stints

                Walking, 3.5 mph        Usually good dynamic aerobic
                Cycling, 8 mph          exercise

                Ping Pong               Vigorous continuous play can
                Badminton               have endurance benefits.  May
                Volleyball              aid skill.

                Tennis, doubles         Not beneficial unless there is
                                        continuous play for at least 2
                                        minutes at a time.  Aids
                                        skill.

360-420         Walking, 4mph           Dynamic, aerobic, beneficial.
                Cycling, 10mph          Skating should be continuous.
                Skating

420-480         Walking, 5mph           Dynamic, aerobic, beneficial.
                Cycling, 11mph

                Tennis, singles         Benefit if played 30 minutes
                                        or more with an attempt to
                                        keep moving

                Water Skiing            Total isometrics

480-600         Jogging, 5 mph          Dynamic, aerobic, endurance
                Cycling, 12mph          building exercise.

                Downhill skiing         Runs are usually too short to
                                        promote endurance
                                        significantly.

                Paddleball              Not sufficiently continuous
                                        for aerobic benefits.

600-660         Running, 5.5 mph        Excellent conditioner.
                Cycling, 13 mph

Above 660       Running, 6 or more mph  Excellent conditioner

                Handball, Squash        Conditioning benefit if played
                                        30 minutes or more.

                Swimming (wide          Good conditioning exercise
                caloric range)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calories burned by running (Rob Lingelbach [e-mail])

Here is a table I clipped from Runner's World last year; the source
listed is "Exercise & Physiology" (Lea & Febiger, 1986). At 70% of max.

           Pace (minutes per mile)
       12:00   10:43   9:41   8:46   8:02   7:26   6:54   6:26   6:02
Weight
(lbs)              Calories burned per hour running
100     400     450     500    550    600    650    700    750    800
119     432     486     540    594    648    702    756    810    864
128     464     522     580    638    696    754    812    870    928
137     496     558     620    682    744    806    868    930    992
146     528     594     660    726    792    858    924    990   1056
154     560     630     700    770    840    910    980   1050   1120
163     592     666     740    814    888    962   1036   1110   1184
172     624     702     780    858    936   1014   1092   1170   1248
181     656     738     820    902    984   1066   1148   1230   1312
190     688     774     860    946   1032   1118   1204   1290   1376
199     720     810     900    990   1080   1170   1260   1350   1440
207     752     846     940   1034   1128   1222   1316   1410   1504
216     784     882     980   1078   1176   1274   1372   1470   1568
225     816     918    1020   1122   1224   1326   1428   1530   1632
234     848     954    1060   1166   1272   1378   1484   1590   1696
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fat burning primer (Ramesh K. Sitaraman [e-mail])
                   (Thomas Page [e-mail])

There seems to be a lot of debate and a few misconceptions about Fat
burning, Stamina etc. Here are a few basics. They are based on
standard scientific sources.

1. There are 3 sources of energy : Muscle glycogen, Liver Glycogen,
Fat (triglycerides). There is also blood glycogen, which is what the
brain runss off.

2. During excercise the glucose and fatty acid in the blood is
utilised.  Fatty acid in blood stream is utilised in preference to
glucose for various reasons. (There are organs like the brain that can
use only one energy source : glucose).

Tom: Muscle glycogen is used before blood or liver glycogen.  When you
carbo load before a race, you are packing in the muscle glycogen.  You
only have a few minutes supply of blood glycogen once you start using
that for running.

3. Then why can't we run on fat FOREVER ??? Because the fatty acid
concentration in blood can never be much. In fact, it seldom exceeds
(in Molars) the concentration of Glucose !!! Why this "transportation
problem" for fats ?? There ain't much Albumin to transport the fat and
fat in excess in blood stream will deposit on viens constrict and more
directly cause blood clots and kill you !!!

Tom: Noakes' book "Lore of Running" phrases it as "fat burns in a
glycogen flame."  Even a lean marathoner has a virtually unlimited
supply of fat.  But you are limited in your ability to mobilize the
fat from the stores (fat deposits you know where), and you have the
limited amount of glycogen needed to burn along with the fat.

4. As you workout aerobically, the fat acids start increasing in
concentration in the blood stream. SO LONGER YOU WORK OUT THE GREATER
PERCENTAGE OF WHAT YOU BURN IS FAT ! But remmeber that the fat
concentration cannot go up too much. Only about 50 percent of your
energy can come from fat.

5. So what happens if I run out of glucose ? Can I run on fat ?  Very
Very painfully perhaps. Your rate of glycogen usage is a complex
function of your running efficiency, what percentage of VO2max you run
(typically 85% for an all out marathon), what your VO2max is, how much
glycogen you are able to store in your muscles, your state of fitness,
etc.

6. Only long sustained exercise ( 30 -40 mins) is guaranteed to burn
fat (see fat mobilisation etc above).

Tom: During the first 10 minutes of exercise, you burn almost
exclusively glycogen.  From 10-30 minutes, you gradually increase the
percentage of energy from fat, and hit a plateau between 30 and 40.
So, keep running beyond 30-40 and you will keep burning a maximum
amount of fat.  The real magic of the 30-40 minute range is that if
you stop running there, you will continue to burn a large percentage
of fat, for several hours.

7. Some person said doing exercise with breaks as being better for
burning fat. Not true. Neither does it build stamina.  (Doing
intervals to build stamina is fine. But it should not constitute more
than small fraction of your total excercise duration. Most of it
should be of the long continous endurance building type.)

Tom: For the reason stated above, taking short breaks will not cause
you to stop burning fat.  If by taking walking breaks in the middle of
your long runs you can keep going significantly longer, then taking
walking breaks will increase the fat you burn.  Also, if you are
training for a marathon, you need to get in those 3+ hour runs.  If
you need a couple of walking breaks to keep going that long, you are
better off taking them than quitting at 16 miles.  Of course, if you
can't run continuously for 3+ hours what you are concerned about is
finishing the marathon, not racing it fast, so by all means take
walking breaks.  If you want to get fast, train until you don't have
to walk.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conversion chart (Jack Berkery [e-mail])

  1 yard   =     .9144 meter
100 yards  =   91.4400 meters
220 yards  =  201.1680 meters
440 yards  =  402.3360 meters
880 yards  =  804.6720 meters

  1 meter   =    1.094 yards
100 meters  =  109.400 yards
200 meters  =  218.800 yards
400 meters  =  437.600 yards
800 meters  =  875.200 yards

1 mile  =  1.609 Kilometers
1 mile  =  1760 yards  =  5280 feet
1 Kilometer  =  .6214 miles  =  1094 yards  =  3281 feet

Kilmoeters to miles             Miles to Kilometers
------------------------------------------------------
 1  km  =    .6214 miles        1 mile   =   1.609 km
 2  km  =   1.2418 miles        2 miles  =   3.218 km
 3  km  =   1.8642 miles        3 miles  =   4.827 km
 4  km  =   2.4856 miles        4 miles  =   6.436 km
 5  km  =   3.1070 miles        5 miles  =   8.045 km
 6  km  =   3.7284 miles        6 miles  =   9.654 km
 7  km  =   4.3498 miles        7 miles  =  11.263 km
 8  km  =   4.9712 miles        8 miles  =  12.872 km
 9  km  =   5.5926 miles        9 miles  =  14.481 km
10  km  =   6.2140 miles       10 miles  =  16.090 km
11  km  =   6.8354 miles       11 miles  =  17.699 km
12  km  =   7.4568 miles       12 miles  =  19.308 km
13  km  =   8.0782 miles       13 miles  =  20.917 km
14  km  =   8.6996 miles       14 miles  =  22.526 km
15  km  =   9.3210 miles       15 miles  =  24.135 km
20  km  =  12.4280 miles       20 miles  =  32.180 km
25  km  =  15.5350 miles       25 miles  =  40.225 km
30  km  =  18.6420 miles

1 marathon  =  26 miles + 385 yards  =  42.186 km

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fluid replacement (2 personal methods)

As an ultramarathoner, trail runner fluid replenishment etc. is quite
important. My findings, based on personal experience, is that in 90+
degree weather I use a liter per hour on a one hour run - and that is
carrying the water with me.  If you are not running enough distance,
dont be concerned about energy type drinks, and you probably don't
lose enough salts to need electrolytes.  But your system will absorb
more fluid faster is it is hypotonic and cool. If you guys are always
running for 45 minutes or an hour in HOT weather - I would really
suggest carrying water.  When you realize your dehydrated its TOO late
- and it takes longer to replenish fluids than it does to lose them.
(Milt Schol [e-mail])

I prepare for a run with about 24-30 ounces of lukewarm water within 3
hours of the run. As for after the run, if it was particularly
strenuous (and in the 85+ and humid Pittsburgh weather of late, the
runs have been strenuous for me), within 10-15 minutes following the
run, I take ~10-15 ounces of room-temperature, diluted Exceed (about 2
parts Exceed to 3 parts water). I follow that with about 24-30 ounces
of room-temperature water over the next hour or two. (Barbara Zayas
[e-mail])

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noakes's Ten Laws of Running Injuries (John Schwebel [e-mail])

Ten Laws of Running Injuries stated therein:

The 1ST LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Running Injuries Are Not an Act of God

The 2ND LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Each Running Injury Progresses
    Through Four Grades

The 3RD LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Each Running Injury Indicates That the
    Athlete Has Reached the Breakdown Point

The 4TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Virtually All  Running Injuries Are Curable

The 5TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    X-Rays and Other Sophisticated Investigations Are
    Seldom Necessary to Diagnose Running Injuries

The 6TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Treat the Cause, Not the Effect

The 7TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Rest is Seldom the Most Appropriate Treatment

The 8TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Never Accept as a Final Opinion
    the Advice of a Nonrunner

The 9TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    Avoid the Knife

The 10TH LAW OF RUNNING INJURIES:
    There Is No Definitive Scientific Evidence That Running
    Causes Osteoarthritis in Runners Whose Knwees Were
    Normal When They Started Running

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Wind (Newsweek July 27, '92)

If an Olympian experiences a second wind, it's probably a sign that he
isn't in a great shape. Scientists are divided over whether a second
wind is purely psychological - the athlete "willing" himself forward.
But if it has a physical basis too, the sudden feeling of "I can do
it!" right after "I want to die" probably reflects a change in
metabolism. The body gets energy by breaking down glucose, which is
stored in muscles. This reaction releases lactic acid, which the body
must burn in order to prevent a lactic-acid buildup that causes
cramps. Burning lactic acid requires oxygen. If the body does not
breathe in enough oxygen; the runner experiences oxygen debt: the
heart beats more quickly; the lungs gasp; the legs slow. The second
wind, says physicist Peter Brancazio of Brooklyn College, may come
when the body finally balances the amount of oxygen coming in with
that needed to burn the lactic acid. (When burned, lactic acid is
transformed into sweat and carbon dioxide.) Why doesn't everybody get
a second wind? Couch potatoes don't push themselves past oxygen debt;
true Olympians have enough lung capacity and cardiovascular fitness to
avoid oxygen debt in the first place.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soda Pop (Paulette Leeper [e-mail])

Q: Does anyone have any opinions on Soda pop as a drink in General.

I find the CAFFEINE in soda to be irritating and DEHYDRATING, so,
IMHO, drinking soda with caffeine (regardless of whether or not it
contains sugar or aspartame) defeats the purpose of quenching thirst.
It's much like drinking beer to quench thirst...  it FEELS good, and
TASTES good, but as a mechanism for hydration, it does the exact
opposite.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Software     (Jack Berkery [e-mail])
                  (Paul Gronke, [e-mail])

There is a Shareware program in the WUSTL archives available through anonymous
ftp. (also on other archive sites) Look into ../msdos/database/joggr105.zip
I didn't exactly like it but it may suit your style. It works with CGA/EGA/VGA
graphics. Don't know how it functions under windows.

ntu.ac.sg [155.69.1.5]

AEROBIX.ZIP   B   81246  910420  Fitness Log: Record aerobic exercise/progres
JOGGR105.ZIP  B   59053  920312  Runner's log and analysis database, v1.05
PT100.ARC     B  175592  890914  Physical Training test scorekeeper database
RUNLOG.ZIP    B   71801  900308  Runner's/bicycler's workout log

---------------------
All programs are available in the DATABASE directory on Simtel, via
anonymous FTP.  There are a number of Simtel mirrors, including
WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU (dir = mirrors/msdos/database), OAK.OAKLAND.EDU
(dir = pub/msdos/database), and a lot of non US sites.

RUNLOG.ZIP - I found this to be a barely usable program.  It was not
at all clear what I needed to enter at any of the prompts. There was
no help key.  There was no information telling me what format any
times, distances, etc. need to be entered as.  This does have a time
prediction module.  The interface is kind of nice.  There are
graphical displays of improvement, heart rate, etc.  With a better
manual expaining what you need to enter, I would rate is usable.  At
present, I found the other programs nicer.  If you figure out what
need to be entered where, you can use this program.

JOGGR105.ZIP - This is a program of British origin.  The interface is
kind of interesting.  It has most of the data entry options that you
would want.  It will graphically display your improvement.  You can
control the menu of courses so that you don't have to reenter distance
and course info each time.  Most annoying problem: everythin is in
British units, so that you have to convert 100 meter dash, 5K, 10K,
etc. into milage.  This might not be a drawback for some; it is a
major drawback for me.  The data entry, printing is all nice.  It
escapes from errors well (unlike Runlog, which tends to bomb).  This
is definitely usable.

RUNSTA11.ZIP - I really like this program and will continue to use it.
It is by far the largest of the programs (300K zipped, 3 times the
size of the others), so you might go for another if disk space is a problem.
However, you get a full featured training / racing log for the space.
What I like about it:
 1) you can make it as complex or simple as possible.  Via config
options, you can enter for each race/training: shoes, weather, heart
rate, health, hilliness, race surface, temp, calories...or none of
these, depending on your preference.
 2) You can easily set up a menu of courses to choose from in the race
*and* training run entry
 3) Race and Training are kept separate, a very nice feature if you
want to track training runs and racing in the same database.
 4) Multiple database files easily used, special configs are unique to
each database file (meaning that you can monitor bicycle, running in
the same program)
 5) Can display data entries (runs) in a "calendar" format, then
select the ones you wish to examine with a keystroke
 6) Nice graphical displays

Drawbacks: requires more memory than the other programs.  Might not
run on pre-286 machines, but I don't know.  More disk space required.
Not sure if it does time forecasting, i need to check.

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

Hashing

From: Dweezil the Butt Beaker <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rules of Hashing (one version, re: Rule Six)
Organization: Orlando Hash House Harriers

X-Hhh: A Drinking Club With A Running Problem.
X-Hhh-Motto: If you have half a mind to hash, that's all you need.
X-Hhh-Philosophy: Carpe Cerevisiam
X-Oh3-Motto: We get drunk, we get naked, we give hashing a bad name.
X-O2H3-Motto: We have beer, we have cookies, we give hashing a nice name.
X-Dbh3-Motto: Daytona Beach Hash House Harriers never run out of beer.
X-Dbh3-Motto: We have beer before, during, and after the hash.

The Hash House Harriers is a running/drinking/social club which was
started by bored expatriates in Kuala Lumpuer, Malaysia in 1938.
("Hash House" is the nickname of the restaurant/bar to which they
retired for food and beer after a run.)  Hashing is based on the
English schoolboy game of "Hare and Hounds"; a Hash is a
non-competitive cross-country run set by one or more runners called
hares.  The hares run out in advance of the other runners (the pack of
hounds), and set a course marked by white flour, toilet paper, and/or
chalk marks.

Hash Rules
----------

1. A HASHMARK is a splash of flour used to mark the trail.  The pack
should call out "On-On" when they see a hashmark.  Blasts on horns,
whistles, and other noise makers are encouraged.  Hounds asking "RU?"
(are you on trail?) of the FRB's (Front-Running Bastards) should be
answered "On-On", which means they are on trail, or "Looking", which
means they`ve lost the trail.

2. ARROWs, or several closely spaced hashmarks, are used to indicate
change of trail direction.  Hound should use arrows different from
those used by the hares as necessary to assist hounds further back in
the pack.

3. A CHECKMARK is a large circled X, or a circle with a dot at its
center (fondly known as a "Titty Check").  Checkmarks indicate that
the trail goes "SFP"; that is, the pack must search for true trail.
Hounds should call out "Checking" when they see a checkmark.
(Checking IS NOT Looking!)

4. A Backtrack is three lines chalked or drawn in flour across the
trail, indicating a false trail.  The pack, upon encountering a
backtrack, calls out "On-Back" or "Backtrack", and goes back to the
last checkmark to find true trail.  Sometimes a hound will draw an
arrow with a backtrack sign at the checkmark to identify the false
trail for the rest of the pack.

A CHECKBACK is a devious variation of the checkmark/backtrack.  A
checkback is a CB followed by a number.  For example, a "CB 5" means
to backtrack five hashmarks, then look for true trail as one would at
a check.  Also known as a COUNTBACK.

A WHICHWAY is two arrows, only one of which points toward true trail;
no hashmarks will be found in the other direction.

5. Tradition requires a DOWN-DOWN (chug-a-lug) of a beer after a
hasher's virgin hash, naming hash, and other significant occasions,
e.g., 25th hash, 50th hash, etc.  A Down-Down is also in order for
hares, visitors, and for any other reason that can be thought up.
While frowned upon as "alcohol abuse", it is permissible for non-
drinkers to pour the beer over their head; a soda Down-Down may also
be elected.  The primary consideration of the Down-Down is that once
the mug leaves the drinker's lips, it is turned upside-down over the
head.

6. THERE ARE NO RULES.

===========================================================================
Interval training ([e-mail])

First off, keep in mind that the interval part of the run is the rest
part.  This is where your body recovers and strengthens itself.

Secondly, say your goal is to run an 8 minute/mile 10k.  Start your
intervals by doing 5X400m at a little under 2 minutes per rep.  You'll
see that an 8min mile is a 2min 400, so to better that, you run a
little faster, as I said.  Walk or jog between the rep (this is the
interval).  Remember to keep with what you started at.  If you jogged
to rest, don't walk during the next interval.

Intervals should be challenging, but not defeating.  If you are having
problems maintaining your form during the course of the whole run, you
are doing too much.  You should feel good at the end of your run, not
ready to drop dead.

Remember to warmup and cool down sufficiently before and after
intervals.  10 minutes of jogging is suggested.

Other things to remember: you can customize intervals to achieve
different things.  For example, to increase endurance, you can
decrease your interval while running the same rep.  Or you can
increase the rep and still do the same interval.  You can work on
speed by running faster reps.  There are other variations as well, but
I don't remember all of them.

Lastly, make sure you have a good aerobic base when you start, and
don't do too much too fast.  You can tire your muscles out, and it
will take a while to recover.

Your goal is to exercise your fast twitch muscles, those used for
speed.  I've been doing intervals for about 2 months now, and it has
made a difference.  The first race I ran after starting intervals, my
time dropped by about 15 seconds.  I have a race tomorrow, and am
hoping to improve on that.  I also notice I have more pep in my
regular workouts.  I get out there, and once I'm warmed up, my body
wants to run fast.

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

Legs

Sore knees (Elizabeth Doucette [e-mail])

When running (also walking, and cycling), the inner most quad. muscle
(inner part of thigh) does not get exercised as much as the other
three quad. muscles of the thigh.  If this inner muscle isn't
strengthened by specific exercises, an imbalance of the muscles may
occur.  This can cause irritation of the underside of the kneecap
(chondromalacia patellae) because the imbalance of the muscles can
pull the kneecap towards the outside of the leg.

I believe there is a groove in the underside of the kneecap that rides
on a ridge of bone in the knee.  If the kneecap is pulled to the
outside of the leg, the groove will want to move in a slightly
different direction than the ridge of bone.  This can cause the groove
to become irritated.

I had chondromalacia patellae for a long time (and many of my running
friends did too) but I haven't had problems since I've been doing
specific exercises for my inner quad. muscle.  It is tedious and
boring but it works.  I haven't had knee problems for about 3 years
now :-).  I should do this every day, whether I work out or not, but I
don't always.  If I feel any discomfort at all in my knees, I make
sure I'm more diligent with this exercise and the discomfort always
disappears.  I'm always able to prevent a problem now.

The exercise is just a leg raise with the foot flexed and pointing
away from the body.  With this exercise make sure that your back is
supported.  As your quad. muscles fatigue, there is a tendency to help
out with your back muscles.  You may not realize that you're doing
this until you notice later that your back is a little sore.

Sitting on the floor, bend one leg (like you're going to do a sit-up),
bringing the knee towards the chest.  The other leg is straight. Place
your hands behind you on the floor to support your back.  You can vary
this by leaning against a wall and hugging your knee to your chest
with both arms.  YOUR CANNOT BE TOO CAREFUL WITH YOUR BACK.

For ease of explanation, start with your right leg being straight and
flex your foot (bring your toes towards your head, as opposed to
pointing them away from you).  Turn your leg to the right, so that
your toes and knee are pointing to the right as far as possible.  The
position of the foot is important because it helps to isolate the
inner quad. muscle.  Now, do leg raises.  When I started I could only
do 10 or 20 before I needed to rest.  Don't do the leg raises too
quickly because technique is more important than speed.  I now do
three sets, each leg of 60 repetitions (alternating legs after each
set) for a total of 180 per leg.  It takes me about 10 minutes.

You can tell if your muscle is getting fatigued because it will start
to quiver.  Don't push it, change legs.  Keep note of how many
repetitions you do before you get fatigued and try to increase the
repetitions next time.  Compare you to you, not to others.

Leg presses used to bother my knees.  Now that I'm doing leg raises,
the leg press doesn't bother me any more.  Technique is important when
doing leg presses.  (Technique is probably more important than the
fact that I'm doing leg raises).  Make sure that the seat is forward
far enough, so that when you press you cannot lock your knee.  This
makes the initial position feel too cramped.  My knees feel too close
to my chest.  But it works for me and for others (both men and women)
that I work out with.  Nautilus equipment uses a cam system, such that
there is less resistance on your knees in the initial, starting
position, so there is less chance of injury.

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

Leg Massage (John Boone [e-mail])

(From Bicycling magazine, pp.76-77, July 1992, Reproduced without
permission)

MASSAGE TECHNIQUES

1. Full Muscle Flush

This surface stroke prepares the muscles for deeper work.  It loosens
the fibers and increases the blood flow to wash out lactic acid and
other toxins.  Begin with the calves.  Place the palms flat against
the bottom of the muscle and stroke toward the heart in a continuous
movement.  Always stroke toward the heart so the blood containing the
toxins isn't traveling back into the muscles.  After a few of these,
knead the muscle during the stroke by working the bottom of the palms
in and out.  End with the original flat stroke.

2. Broad Cross-Fiber Stroke

After each muscle group has been flushed, use the same palm position
at the center of the muscles, but work sideways.  Press harder than
the flush.  The hands are moving acros the muscle fibers, separating
them and making them pliable so the massage can go deeper with the
next type of stroke.  This is a great supplement to stretching.  It
makes muscle fibers less likely to tear.  End with more flushing.

3. Deep Muscle Spress

"Spress" is a Swedish term.  This technique is also known as muscle
stripping.  Use fingers, knuckles, or even elbows to penetrate the
muscle.  [Press deep into the leg where previously rubbing the
surface.]  Apply pressure until the comfort limit is passed.  If
there's pain, work slower, or do a few palm strokes before spressing
again.  Knuckles and thumbs work best.  Concentrate on specific areas,
instead of stroking the whole muscle.  But remember to work toward the
heart.

SELF-MASSAGE

Initial Strokes

Self-massage uses the same sequence of strokes as assisted massage,
and the same order of muscles -- calf, quads, hamstrings, glutes.  But
it's usually less effective because self-massagers get tired or bored
quicker.  The most common mistake is skipping the full-muscle flush or
cross-fiber stroke to concentrate on the spress in the sorest areas.
If you don't prepare the muscles, you won't be able to penetrate deep
enough.  [...] Be sure you're applying pressure with both hands.
Sometimes one side of the leg gets shortchanged.

Going Deeper

The advantage of self-massage is that you know exactly where it hurts
and can key on these areas.  You also know when your muscles are loose
enough for deeper penetration. [...] Amateurs usually don't go [deep
enough] in assisted massage, or do so too quickly and it hurts.  You
can find that perfect balance. [...] It's best to use both [hands],
but fatigue is a problem in self-massage.

--
                              Yonson Serrano
                          [e-mail]

                        -.                       .-