Run toward excellence

Buildings on the Rhodes College campus have that regal look that demands status and prestige for those who attend and teach at the institution. Academic excellence exudes from the very property. Uniform architecture, manicured greens and impressive statuary let students and visitors know liberal arts education are valued above all else.  Rhodes campus is reminiscent of the Ivy League schools of the northeast.  A casual jog through its hallowed grounds was enough to say all that and more. After my first loop running around the perimeter I felt certain I come across a wooded area leading to a cave a la Dead Poets Society.

Last year I had the opportunity to spend time within the dark wooded paneled wall, marbled floors and high ceiling rooms that screamed of opulence. A quote on one of the statues gets right to the crux of the school, “The ideal of this college has been summarized in two words- genius and excellence.” That said, Rhodes sits in the middle of one of the most economically challenged cities in the American South. Some find this sort of thing unsettling, yet the same geographic scenario exists coast to coast. A commentary, not necessarily a bad one, comes in this phenomenon of our country and our principles. Theoretically we all have the opportunity to strive for greatness. Colleges are often vehicles for greatness to come to fruition. I returned to the statue and slowed to read quotes from President Charles Diehl, who moved the campus to Memphis in the 20’s, "The ideal of this college has been summarized in two words- genius and excellence."

Academic studies and running are not the same, but they have a lot in common.

Strive for greatness. Run.

Tom

 

Barefoot Running

Eight or nine years I ran in a 5K race, which was immediately followed by a running seminar presented by Nike. A team of associates came out to promote their relativity new shoe, Nike Free. Following groundbreaking research, unlike a standard running shoe the Free mimics the actual movement of a human foot. The speaker and sales staff gave a convincing spiel. By the end, I bought a pair of the $90 shoes. I did find that he Free felt as constricting as my normal running shoes, which I had become quite accustomed to wearing. That helped in my decision to give them a try. Later that year I encountered my first bout with plantar fasciitis. I linked the two and gave up on the Free.

After reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, I once again began to feel the desire to give naturalist running another attempt. The book gives a lot of information on running barefoot, in sandals and in the five finger feet gloves. I liken my renewed interest in basic footwear to my evolving conservationist, minimalist, “green” world view. McDougall presented compelling information related to the advantages of barefoot running for flat feet and plantar fasciitis. So I last weekend I purchased a pair of Virbram five finger feet gloves for $85.

The store owner strongly encouraged me gradually work the shoes in to my running schedule. Day one I completed a half mile run on a treadmill followed by thirty minutes on an elliptical trainer. I felt the difference in my calves, ankles and the top of my feet. It's okay. More to follow.

Run naturally.

Tom

Low cost health

Cost effective ways to exercise and stay fit adapted from an article on Beachbody.com

New sneakers, high-end equipment, private classes—in your quest to drop a few pounds, you may find your wallet getting thinner, too. But it is possible to get in shape without going broke. Here are a few get-fit tips that can get you results without costing you a fortune.

If you can't splurge on a gym membership . . . HIT THE PAVEMENT. Think of the great outdoors as an enormous, free cardio room. Here are a few ways to get your heart pumping—no equipment necessary.

To torch fat, do outdoor intervals. Run up a hill or stairs at top speed for up to a minute, then walk back down at your normal pace to catch your breath and recover. Check a map. Your local geography might offer a unique workout opportunity—are there mountains to climb, oceans to swim, or a stadium for stair running?

If you can't splurge on fitness equipment . . . GET CREATIVE. You don't need to invest in a full set of dumbbells or a weight bench to do resistance training. Here's how to build muscle on the cheap. Turn everyday household items into makeshift equipment—canned soup cans double as light weights, furniture can add instability, and a milk crate can work as a step. If you buy a pair of weights, go heavy. Get the heaviest set of dumbbells you can lift in good form. You can do a lot with that basic equipment.

Buy bands. Exercise bands are cheap, light, and take up almost no space in your house. "All of our weight training workouts provide options to use bands—we do this to eliminate excuses." Plus, they're ideal if you want to stick to your workouts while traveling.

If you can't splurge on a nutritionist . . . LEARN TO SHOP SMART. With a little pre-planning, you can eat well without racking up a huge grocery bill. Here's how to find nutritious foods that won't blow your budget. Stick to the basics. Shop seasonal produce, buy lean meats, and other foods on the periphery of your grocery store. The center aisles are usually where packaged and processed foods are kept. Watch for sales on meat, and buy nuts or beans in bulk.

Plan your meals ahead of time so you're not winging it when you hit the aisles. Look for apps that help you plan meals and track deals. "Make a list and stick to it—don't be swayed by unhealthy sale foods. To prevent impulse purchases, don't go to the grocery store hungry.

Tom

Hurts So Good

I had no idea how happy I'd be to feel so sore after a hard exercise session. The long road to recovery from an exercise induced injury finally took a better turn on the highway of health. It's worth a quick note that my lack of proper warm up, cool down and stretching most likely led to my right shoulder being hurt so badly. During the busy spring I tried to speed through routines, so I cut out the warm up/stretch and cool down/stretch from the Tony Horton P90X2 program. As I have mentioned a time or two in this blog it took all summer and then some to eliminate the soreness.

I've been doing light resistance training in the last couple of weeks. Yesterday I completed a full upper body routine from a Horton routine. It went well with no pain during or after in my shoulder. Today, I'm experiencing standard soreness from muscle use, not to be confused with the intense pain of an aggravated injury. What a great feeling!

Warm up. Stretch. Cool down. Stretch.

Tom

A little insanity

"This #@*! is bananas!," Shaun T. proclaims at the end of the Pure Cardio workout from his Insanity program. Like here, the curse word is bleeped out of the audio track. Most folks who complete the routine will agree Shaun T.'s point is well taken. This segment has a 10 minute warm up that increases in intensity in each of its three sets. Then there’s short stretch. It’s also the only break whatsoever. I highly advise you take in some water at the beginning and the end of the stretch. From there on out you get full on nonstop calorie blasting cardio for nearly a half hour.

This workout does what it's supposed to do. It increases your heart rate, and you rain sweat in the process. I completed the full 60 day Insanity program a couple of years ago. I thought it would be fun to go through it again. No matter your fitness level, this is a fantastic exercise routine. By the end I always find myself agreeing with Shaun T. It IS bananas.

Be insane. Stay fit.

Tom

an athlete's heart

Every visit for my annual psychical examination medical professions make special note of my low blood pressure and low resting heart rate. Each time I mention I exercise daily. This usually brings the issue to an end. This year proved different. I had returned to the same physician, and as it turns out, the same medial assistant took my vitals. The young woman who saw me first remembered I exercise regularly. She even asked, "Are you still running?" I could tell my affirmative answer didn't help as much as usual.

She promptly wired me up for an EKG monitor of my heart rate. Her facial expressions seemed perplexed. She left the room and returned with the doctor. They looked at data on a laptop. In short order the doctor suggested a change of the placement of the EKG probes. The medical assistant did so and took another measure. Now, I started to worry.

It turns out my resting heart rate dropped from around 50 beats per minute to 40. The doctor and medical assistant saw this as cause for concern. So much so I was referred to a cardiologist where I received another around of screening. In the end I was diagnosed with Bradycardia. Sounds weird, huh? In short, it means I have an athlete's heart. The good news is the diagnosis presents no real health problem. An interesting note is it explains why I always wear long sleeve shirts and am not affected by Atlanta heat and humidity. For twenty years Shannan has compared me to an iguana for my intolerance of cold and appreciation of the beaming sun. As it turns out there is something to that analogy. The very slow rate of my heart rate accounts for my chilly disposition. Shannan says there’s still no way for her to understand my extreme tolerance of heat.

Stay warm. Run.

Tom

October Fun Runs

Between fall festivals, Halloween, and other October celebrations there are always great races every weekend. Some take place at midnight, others traipse around cemeteries or wind through corn mazes. Later this month two interesting trail/adventure races take place. The Frogtown will be 10/20, (http://www.frogtowntrailchallenge.com). I ran this one last year with my friend, Lee. He's going to repeat. I, however, will run the Merrell Down and Dirty race (http://www.downanddirtymudrun.com/event-cities/atlanta) on the International Horse park the next day (10/21).  Though I anticipate this to be a wacky run, VHF highlight of the month for me will be the 2nd annual Winship Win the Fight Against Cancer: http://winship5k.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1012768  at Emory University.

 

We participated last year and found it to be a fantastic event. I'm sure this year will be even better. How can you go wrong with a runner friendly course, a beautiful campus and supporting cancer research?

 

Enjoy fun fall races.

 

Tom

Just Say No

Greetings! Shannan and I are reading a book about ultra marathons and extreme races. One that really got my attention was a six (6) day trek through the Mojave Desert. I love the heat and I love running in the desert, but I know this race is NOT for me. First of all, who has six days for a road race? That's reserved for the seriously obsessed. The real issue is my high tolerance to heat. I would surely perish in an event like that one. I know that sounds backwards. Here’s the thing, intense heat and dry air zaps the human body of moisture. You can get dehydrated before you know what happened. I am positive that would happen to me. I'd be trotting along delighting in the scorching environment and crash with no warnings whatsoever.

I guess a good extreme race for me would be across a frozen tundra, but still the six day thing will never happen.

Run and stay hydrated.

Tom