Archive for August, 2008
Hot Enough for You?
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Prevent Dehydration and Overheating
In these dog days of summer, we’re all feeling the heat. The number one adversity that runners and marathoners face is heat. This is because it can bring on two conditions that can negatively affect your performance… Overheating and Dehydration.
Overheating is what happens when the body cannot keep up with the demands of evaporation of water from your skin. When you heat up internally, you start to sweat. Your body then sends more blood to the skin where it is cooled by coming into contact with the relatively cooler skin. However, while running, your body’s demand for oxygen to the muscles means less blood will flow to the skin and this is when overheating occurs. And thus begins the tug-of-war within your body: blood to the skin to cool down or to the muscles to keep up?
Dehydration is when you lose fluid from the body, in this case through sweat. Sweating costs your body water and electrolytes. That’s why drinking a sports drink containing electrolytes, as well as water, is so important. Because running in the heat exacerbates both overheating and dehydration, it is important to take precautions when running in the heat.
So let’s talk about precautions against the heat. Here are five.
PRECAUTIONS FOR RUNNING IN THE HEAT
1) 2 weeks. That’s how long it takes to acclimate to warmer conditions. Figure that into any training timetable.
2) Remember that thirst is not an indicator of dehydration. If you are thirsty, you are already low on fluids. Indications of dehydration are an elevated heart rate during and after your run and dark, golden-colored urine. After your run, keep drinking fluids until your urine is clear.
3) Tp maintain hydration during your run, drink about 4 to 8 ounces of water and/or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.
4) Weigh yourself before and after your run. Drink 16 ounces of fluid for every pound of weight lost. *Important note here… do not use this as a method of weight loss!
5) Apply a sunscreen of at least SPF #15. Make sure that it is a non-drip formula that won’t drip into your eyes.
Tomorrow, I’ll post another five and an index for knowing how much is too much, given the temperature and humidity.
How Many Miles in a Marathon?
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A Parade of Bodies in Motion!
How many miles in a marathon? Strictly speaking, a marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards). The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The historical accuracy of this legend is in doubt, contradicted by accounts given by Herodotus (an ancient Greek philosopher and writer), in particular.
The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 800 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. The larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.
The winner of the first Olympic Marathon in 1896 (a male-only race) wasSpiridon “Spiros” Louis, a Greek water-carrier. That seems sort of fitting, doesn’t it? He won at the Olympics in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds.
The women’s marathon was introduced at the1984 Summer Games (in Los Angeles, USA) and was first won by Joan Benoit of the United States with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.
So back to our question. Originally, the length of an Olympic Marathon was set at 24.85 miles. Then it bounced to a little over 25 miles. Olympic marathon routes being what they were (rustic tours on very fast feet) they went back and forth between 24 and 26 miles before finally settling at the current length of 26 miles, 385 yards.
Since the modern games were founded, it has become a tradition for the men’s Olympic marathon to be the last event with a finish inside the Olympic stadium, often within hours of, or even incorporated into, the closing ceremonies. The marathon of the 2004 Summer Olympics revived the traditional route from Marathon to Athens ending at Panathinaiko Stadium, which was the venue of the 1896 Summer Olympics. A lot of tradition and symbolism went into the planning there.
Annually, more than 800 marathons are organized worldwide. Among the most famous of modern contests are the Boston, New York, Chicago and London Marathons, as well as the United States Marine Corps marathon which is pictured above.
And by the way, the current female world record holder for this event is Paula Radcliffe, who runs her 26+ miles in 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds.
Getting Ready for The Big Run
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Did you take the day off this weekend? Are you feeling good about it? Or feeling like a slacker?
No way! It’s a great truth that a day off is good for us once in awhile. Rest the body and soul. Rest the muscles so that they can recover. Rest the mind, too.
Did you take a day off this weekend? Did you put your workout aside for a day and just give in to a few cherished little personal habits? Reference resources define overexertion as occurring when the load, whether lifted, carried, pushed, pulled or otherwise handled, exceeds the limits of the human joint system doing the workout.
That can’t be good. So rest for a day. Refresh yourself. Shift down a gear in order to allow your body to repair, revitalize and recharge itself. You’ll feel better, perform better, and as a result, be less susceptible to fatigue-related injuries.
And don’t worry: the running shoes are right where you left them.