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Oct

Girl Talk Along the Path

Posted by: MartiSmarti | Comments (0)

So can we talk? Just us girls here for a moment? What about running at “that time of the month.” There’s a series of commercials on tv for the last year that always end with the phrase “Have a happy period!” I’m guessing the 50% of the population that experiences menstrual periods knows that advertising slogan was written by a man. Nobody has a “happy period.”

But there’s no need to miss a run or a race just because you’re having your period. If you’re suffering from cramps, running often eases the pain,]. That’s thanks to the release of those amazing pain-relieving chemicals every runner loves called endorphins. Speedwork and hill sessions can be especially effective. To guard against leakage, try using a tampon and perhaps an extra liner for protection. Sometimes it’s best to get a little extra time warming up but beyond that, you’re good to go.

When is Mother Nature’s “Monthly gift” at its peak?

And ‘that time of the month’ (or the days leading up to it) is not the time when women run their worst. The hardest time for women to run fast is a during ovulation, which in most women means about a week before menstruation begins. That’s when levels of the key hormone progesterone peak, inducing a much-higher-than-normal breathing rate during exercise. All that extra ventilation tends to make our running feel more difficult.

Overdoing?

If you run so much that your periods become light or non-existent, you may be endangering your bones. Amenorrhoea (lack of a monthly period) means that little or none of the hormone oestrogen, essential for the replacement of bone minerals, is circulating in your body. Amenhorroeic women can stop, but not reverse, the damage by taking oestrogen and getting plenty of calcium. But it’s really best not to do this. You are endangering your future health and happiness, which is never the point of running. If your periods are infrequent or absent, consult a gynecologist, preferably one sensitive to the needs of athletes.

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Categories : Benefits, Cramps, Race Day, Training

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Sep

Run for Your Life

Posted by: MartiSmarti | Comments (0)

Can running help you live longer? There’s no question that running, along with other forms of physical exercise, can improve your health, but can it really help you lengthen your life as you lengthen your stride?

Researchers at a Canadian university investigated that topic to find that sedentary individuals (those who do not exercise) could reduce their risk of premature death by 20 to 50% by becoming more active.

Even moderate amounts of running will decrease your levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), increase your HDL (good cholesterol), help to lower your blood pressure and improve your cardiac function.

Research has also shown that by increasing the amount of calories you burn through physical exercise by additional 1000 calories or about 10 miles of running per week, you can reduce your risk of premature death by another 20%.

That’s great news for people who are healthy and do not currently have cardiovascular disease.

What about those whom are already at risk? Also good news! The benefits of running also apply to individuals that already have cardiovascular disease. The researchers determined that burning around 1600 calories or 16 miles of running per week may stop the advancement of cardiovascular disease and 2200 calories or 22 miles of running per week could actually reverse the disease.

Either way, it’s time to hit the trail. Have a great run!

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Categories : Benefits, Training

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Sep

Why Run?

Posted by: MartiSmarti | Comments (0)

It’s Monday. Welcome back to the school and work week. Monday again. And if you’re like the rest of us, you’re dragging your tail just a little. So maybe you take a day off from running?

Stop right there! Or maybe start right there! Let’s talk about why we run. There are health, emotional, and even intellectual benefits to running.

The health benefits are the ones we think of first. Some of these benefits may include weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, improved bone health, improved mood and better coordination.

Emotionally, we stand to gain, too. Running teaches a longer view of things. It helps us feel better when the endorphins kick in and when the blood starts circulating because we’ve gotten up and moved it down the road. The body starts to shoot out chemicals into the blood stream and the brain that are helpful to keeping emotional equilibrium.

As for the intellectual benefits, I think that’s my own theory. I think the blood circulating bringing oxygen to the brain helps us think clearer and moves our analytical circuitry to move faster. We learn more and better. If you check the studies, they all show that those who exercise regularly are better educated, make more money and achieve greater success. It seems the competitive edge, whether it’s exhibited in actual races or achieving a personal best, can have benefits further down the road.

So… don’t skip your Monday run. You’ll want your week off to the best start possible.

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Categories : Benefits, Competition, Training

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