I’m not big on writing a turn-by-turn recap of my races; honestly, I don’t see how people remember all those details! However, I will try to summarize my 2010 Western States.

For the past few years, I have been snake bit during 100 milers with stomach issues. I’ve run over 100 ultras and 20 plus 100 milers and recently, for some unknown reason, I can’t seem to avoid horrible stomach issues in 100’s after about 40 miles. I trained hard this year in preparation for WS, and I worked with a dietician (who is also an ultra runner) to try and avoid any major stomach issues. All the training runs and preparation races went well. With Western States approaching, I developed a plan that broke the race into thirds, adjusting my hydration/nutrition plan as the mileage increased.

The race started well. With all the snow in the high country, I decided to go out at a conservative pace and I took it very easy to Robinson Flats (located at mile 30). My plans called for:
an average of about 300 calories per hour (60/70grams of Carbs)
between 300-700mg of sodium per hour
20 to 50oz of fluids per hour depending on the heat

Just outside of Millers Defeat, I started having issues with my stomach. This continued to worsen through the canyons; I really couldn’t push the pace along this section and lost time especially on the climbs to Devil’s Thumb and Michigan Bluff. My crew did a great job trying to help me turn things around, and Francesca was even texting with our dietician looking for advice. Once I arrived at Foresthill, everything I ate or drank immediately made me nauseous. I spent extra time at Foresthill with my crew before heading down California Street, but nothing seemed to improve the situation. I had picked up my pacer, Alyssa Godesky at Foresthill. She did everything she could think of to help me as we proceeded down to the Rucky Chucky, but things only got worse. By now, everything that went in, came back out! By the time I arrived at Green Gate (mile 80), I hadn’t had any real sustenance for over 25 miles and had to call it a day.

So what happened? Because my stomach issues have been associated with dehydration in the past, I was topping off my bottles in between aid stations from the creeks along the course. This is a common practice at WS and since I’ve run the race twice before, I knew where all the good water sports were located. In hindsight, I think I was over drinking early in the race. Also, I had planned to get most of my sodium from my electrolyte drinks and avoid taking sodium capsules, because they seem to be too strong. I changed this strategy early (in the first 10 miles) by taking 1 to 2 S-caps per hour, because I was getting stitches along my sides in the high country. Mistakenly, I continued to drink the electrolyte drink and probably put too much sodium into my stomach.

So, what did I learn? As my running coach Scott Jurek pointed how, TRUST YOUR TRAINING and avoid making any major changes on race day. Well, onward to Leadville in August. This will be my 4th time running this terrific event and I’m really looking forward to the high mountains and the cool temperatures. Oh yes, and not seeing the contents of my stomach along the way!

I just got back from a race (SweetH2O 50K) this Saturday in GA and had my first Win/DQ!. The run went well, however the result wasn’t exactly what I had hoped
This was the third year of the race and I had heard good things about the event and looked forward to putting in some good training miles in prep for the upcoming racing schedule. Francesca and I flew down on Thursday from Charlottesville and had a chance on Friday to check out the park.
On Saturday we lined up with about 200 other runners and at 7:30AM we were off. The start had about 2 miles of pavement before you hit the trail and I took it easy moving up into the top 7 or so before we hit the single track. After a while I picked off a few runners here and there, mainly on climbs and felt I had moved into about the top 3. After about 2 hours you run through the start finish area to start the second loop, this is when I was told that I had moved into first place. Needless to say this added more motivation for the second loop.
Throughout the second loop each aid station would welcome me and cheer me along as the race leader, I had thought that the two runners ahead must have gone off course or I passed them at an aid station or something… Anyway, I pushed to the finish to the cheers of the spectators and was happy to have run a solid effort. THEN, the race director pulled me aside and said he thought that I had missed a turn somewhere along the course.
At this point you have two options; COMPLAIN or understand that this is what we do for fun and try to make the situation as easy as possible for the RD; I chose the latter. As a race director myself, I very quickly decided that I wanted to react in away that I would hope someone put in my position would react. Therefore, I thanked the RD for all the effort put into the event and if he said I missed a turn then that was good enough for me…

The Charlottesville Marathon Board of Directors extends a special discount to those runners impacted by the cancellation of the 2010 Myrtle Beach Marathon and Half Marathon.

The Board will offer a $5.00 discount into either the Charlottesville Marathon or Half Marathon. The offer is valid only from 2/15/2010 until 2/28/2010.

Registrants must submit a Paper Application (NO online registration will be available for this offer), along with proof of entry into the Myrtle Beach Marathon or Half Marathon.

Please complete paper race application, include Myrtle Beach “Proof of Entry”, submit a check minus $5.00 (special offer amounts are, Marathon $75, Half Marathon $65) and mail to: Charlottesville Marathon, 110 Old Preston Avenue, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902. 434.293.7115

The hours for Lannigan Field (that’s the UVA Track ) have changed! The new OPEN hours are: Monday-Friday: dawn to 1:30PM and again from 6:00PM to dusk. Saturday and Sunday: from dawn to 8:00Am and again from noon until dusk. This means the track will be CLOSED all other times for varsity practice!

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK AND YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES. WE WILL PICK ONE FACEBOOK FAN EACH MONTH

Two favorite late summer and fall treats of mine are candy apples and fresh apple cider. A juicy fresh apple dipped in sweet sugary glaze and eaten on a stick is pure heaven. Chase it with ice cold cider. To recapture the fun and enjoy the benefits of the apples I added it to my regular veggie / fruit smoothie selection.
County Fair - Apple Smoothie
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup rice or soy milk
1 Tbls. natural peanut butter ( almond or cashew butter OK)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp Flax / Hemp oil
1 tbls Raw Honey
6- 8 ice cubes
1 medium apple
Blend all well in the blender, serve immediately.

Drink and enjoy the season.

Pros and Cons of organic foods
The organic-food business is booming: About 70 percent of Americans buy organic food occasionally.
Why? We want natural food that’s better for us and for the environment. But buying organic can cost you — as much as 50 percent more — so read on to know when it’s worth it.

What is organic food, anyway?
Organic food must adhere to specific standards regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Crops are generally grown without synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation, or biotechnology. Animals on organic farms eat organically grown feed, aren’t confined 100 percent of the time (as they sometimes are on conventional farms), and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

Is organic food better for me?
Organic foods have higher nutritional value than conventional food.
In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds.
Pesticides have been linked to everything from headaches to cancer to birth defects — but the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure, however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children for pregnant women.

Is buying organic better for the environment?
Organic farming reduces pollutants in groundwater and creates richer soil that aids plant growth while reducing erosion. It also decreases pesticides that can end up in your drinking glass.
Organic farming uses 50 percent less energy than conventional farming methods.
When is it worth the splurge?
If you can afford it, buy local and organic. Farmers’ markets carry reasonably priced locally grown organic and conventional food; to find one in your area, go to localharvest.org.
If you can’t always afford organic, do spend the extra money when it comes to the “dirty dozen”: peaches, strawberries, nectarines, apples, spinach, celery, pears, sweet bell peppers, cherries, potatoes, lettuce, and imported grapes. These fragile fruits and vegetables often require more pesticides to fight off bugs compared to hardier produce, such as asparagus and broccoli. Download a list of produce ranked by pesticide contamination at foodnews.org

Land-Lever-Lift!

Running is something the human body was designed for and wants to do. Good running technique is as simple as Land-Lever-Lift:

Land quietly in an athletic position with each footstrike under your hips.

Lever off the front of the lugs of your shoes.

Lift your knee (do not push off or pull back with the toes) to begin a new stride.

These techniques are used by the best runners in the world. As you work to improve your form, repeat the phrase to yourself, “Land, Lever, Lift. This will help your body remember the proper mechanics and you will become a more efficient, injury free runner.

What tips would you like to share? We want to hear from you!

Gill

Top 10 Fun Ways to Live Longer

With Get Moving Charlottesville make every Monday the day you recommit to living your healthiest life. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean treadmills and salads everyday. Many activities that are fun and pleasurable are also good for you. By understanding how these activities can help you live longer and what to do to get the most benefits, you’ll be putting some fun into healthy living.

1. Drink Red Wine
Red wine is packed with resveratrol, an antioxidant. These work to protect your body against the effects of aging. One or 2 glasses of red wine a day can help keep your body young.

2. Eat Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a wonderful food that contains a large amount of antioxidants that protect your body from aging. Find good quality dark chocolate, learn to appreciate it, and have a bit of it each day. Eating chocolate may lower your blood pressure and cholesterol while providing an energy boost.

3. Smile
Smiling is a great way to change your attitude, connect with people and give benefit to your body. Like relaxation, smiling can work to counteract the effects of stress. By forcing ourselves to smile, we “trick” our body into believing that everything is good, thereby reducing stress. Like a switch, smiling can actually change your mood. So put a smile on, even if you don’t feel like it, and pretty soon you’ll be smiling for real.

4. Have More Sex
Sex and touching are thought to be essential parts of health. Sex releases an assortment of beneficial chemicals in the body. Sex and touching help us bond with others, strengthens relationships, and increases our own self-worth. Frequent sex may even extend your life by years.

5. Relax
Relaxation is the opposite of stress. While stress brings harmful health effects, relaxation helps our bodies to rest, heal and function better. By practicing daily relaxation techniques1, you can train yourself to turn off your stress and replace it with calm energy. This will improve your blood pressure, heart rate and ability to cope with life’s challenges.

6. Make Exercise Play
Physical games and sports are a great way to keep both your body and mind healthy. Simple exercise routines are great for maintaining balance, flexibility, endurance and strength. Group games and sports can give your mind a workout as well, as you anticipate other people’s actions and how to work together. Find a game and activity that suits your level of physical ability and play often.

7. Sleep
Sleep is an essential body function. Most Americans do not get enough sleep. Medications, stress, illness and poor sleep habits all can prevent you from getting between 7 and 9 hours a night. The health benefits of sleep include more energy, better immune function, and more.

8. Spend Time With Loved Ones
Relationships are an important part of health. Not only do strong bonds with other people mean you will have help when you need it, being connected also means protection from loneliness, depression, and mental illness. Spend time cultivating your relationships with friends and family to improve your health and your life.

9. Solve Puzzles and Play Brain Games
Mind games are a great way to stay involved and engaged in the world. Games can exercise different parts of your mind and entice your curiosity. If possible, choose social games like chess or bridge that exercise your brain while keeping you connected with others.

10. Be Positive
Having a positive attitude about aging can add more than seven years to your life, according to researchers. Avoid the cultural push to glorify youth and regret each passing year. Find ways to to pleasure in your increasing age and enjoy greater learning, experience, and control in your life.

The Charlottesville Running Company and Montrail are teaming up to find out What Moves You!

Road Running or Trail Running - Tell us which you enjoy the most and why?

The best comments will receive either a free “iRun” wicking shirt or a pair of Montrail Running Shoes!

Post should be 50 words or less and will be accepted until September 26th, 2009. Winners will be notified via email…