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Newsletter: Volume 32, October 2001

Marathon Day Checklist | Ask Jeff | The Athlete's Kitchen | More Tips from Jeff

Sometimes you Feel Like a Nut | From Fitness

"A marathon begins with a single step . . . A lifestyle change begins with a vision and a single step." Jeff Galloway

The fall marathon season is in full swing. Here are some tips from Jeff that just might help you if yours is coming up:

Marathon Day Checklist

In General

Drink four to six ounces of water every hour.
Mentally rehearse the marathon: feeling good, overcoming challenges, recovering.
Eat small carbohydrate snacks constantly.
Relax with friends or family.

The Night Before

Drink four to six ounces of water every hour.
Eat light carbohydrate snacks like energy bars.
Relax, laugh, enjoy the moment.
Go over the procedure, route, etc. for getting to the start.
Do a very relaxed mental rehearsal of the marathon, concentrating on the positive.
Pack your bag.

Your Marathon Bag Should Contain

Race number and pins
Race instructions, map, etc.
Copy of "Marathon Morning List² (in tomorrow's email) and a copy of your magic marathon words
Prepare to bring a controversial issue, at least one interesting story and at least one joke
Shoes, socks, shirt, shorts, and warm-up suit
Other clothes if it's cold: tights, polypro top, long-sleeved T, gloves, hat, ear covering, etc.
Water (about 32-64 ounces)
Bandages, Vaseline, etc.
$20-30 for reserve funds (rapid transit tokens, etc.)
Energy bars or your chosen carbohydrate source (enough for start, second half, and after)
Fanny pack or plastic bags, pins
Some extra "throwaway" shirts and/or pants as extra layers in case the staging area is cold
Garbage bags as an inexpensive waterproof top and ground cover

Marathon Morning List

Drink four to six ounces of water every 30 minutes until you hear "sloshing."
Eat - according to the schedule which has worked for you in the long runs (example: one energy bar with eight ounces of water, one to two hours before the start).
Bring your bag, car keys, etc.
Leave at least 30 minutes before you think you'll need to leave . . . in case of traffic, etc.
If you have several hours at race site before start, stay warm, get off your feet and relax.
Sixty minutes before the start, walk around the staging area to mentally rehearse lining up.
Thirty minutes before the start, walk around for 15 minutes to get the legs moving.
Jog for three to five minutes (very slowly) just before lining up.
Keep the legs moving, in place if necessary, as you stand waiting for the start.
If going for a time goal, get to the starting area early enough to secure a good place.
Most of us with the goal "to finish² should line up in the back of the crowd.
Joke around; enjoy the energy and personalities of the folks nearby.
Go out slowly. If it's hot, go out even slower!
Get over to the side of the road and take every walk break, from the beginning.
Drink at every water station until you hear sloshing in your stomach.
If you feel warm, pour water over your head at each water stop.
Each walk break gives you a chance to appreciate and enjoy every mile.
When tired shorten your stride.
Don't stretch during the run or immediately afterward.
You may cut out the walk breaks after mile 18 if you're feeling good.

Immediately Afterward

Grab water and carbohydrate food(s).
Walk, eat and drink for at least a mile.

Recovery

If possible, immerse your legs in a cold bath, as soon after the finish as possible.
Walk for 30 to 60 minutes later in the day.
Eat carbohydrate snacks continuously for the rest of the day.
Drink four to six ounces of water or electrolyte fluid (at least) every hour.
Walk for 30 to 60 minutes the next day.
Run/walk for 30 to 45 minutes two days after the marathon.
Continue to alternate: walk 30 to 60 minutes and run/walk 30 to 45 minutes.
Wait at least a week before you 1) schedule your next race and 2) vow never to do another marathon.

from Jeff Galloway's new Marathon! (Phidippides Publication, 2000), p. 116

Ask Jeff

Q: I am not sure if you can help me with this question since you are a man, but I am having a problem with my sports bra rubbing on my chest and causing open wounds. It is the only problem I am encountering with my marathon training. If it is this bad after one hour, imagine how it would be after twenty-six miles! If you have any tips on lubricants, or any other advice please let me know. This is rather embarrassing, but Runners World never writes about it. Thanks for your time.

Jeff: My wife, Barb, has this problem all the time. Occasionally the use of a product called "compeed" helps to protect the skin and reduce friction. Unfortunately this does not work for long runs. She has found 2 bras by Nike that have worked because the band across the bottom in front is soft, and covered entirely by nylon. The model numbers are the following: 281107 and 281103. This is a real problem and you must keep trying to find the best product for you. - Jeff

The Athlete's Kitchen
By Nancy Clark, MS, RD
Transit Troubles and Intestinal Concerns

"More marathons are won or lost in the porta-toilets than at the dinner table" proclaimed marathon king Bill Rodgers while talking to a group of runners. You can fully understand the truth in that statement if you are among the many athletes who worry about unwanted pit stops, abdominal cramps or diarrhea. Transit troubles and gastro-intestinal (GI) concerns are surprisingly common among both athletes and non-athletes alike.

An estimated 30 to 50% of distance runners experience intestinal problems related to exercise.

The vast majority (83%) of 471 marathoners who completed a survey reported they suffered GI problems occasionally or frequently during or after running: 53% experienced the urge to have a bowel movement and 38% reported diarrhea. Women were more likely than men to experience these problems.

Among 155 mountain marathoners, 24% had intestinal symptoms; 2 dropped out due to GI troubles.

Dieters (including athletes--and those with eating disorders) are more likely than non-dieters to report abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation.

In a random survey of 2,500 Americans, 40% reported one or more digestive symptoms in the month prior to the interview: abdominal pain (22%), bloating (16%), diarrhea (27%). These problems were more prevalent than expected and more prevalent among women than men. Given the above data, we need to acknowledge this fact: bowel problems are a concern for many active people. Yet this topic is rarely discussed; few athletes feel comfortable discussing their dilemma with diarrhea. This article addresses this concern and hopefully can reduce your transit troubles.

Causes of "runners' trots"
Many physiological facts help explain why diarrhea is a concern for athletes, particularly athletes in running-type sports: "jostling" of the intestines; reduced blood flow to the intestines as the body diverts blood flow to the working muscles; changes in intestinal hormones; altered absorption; dehydration. Add high intensity exercise, stress, anxiety, pre-event jitters, and little wonder athletes--particularly young and novice athletes whose bodies are yet unaccustomed to the stress of hard exercise--fret about "nervous diarrhea." Exercise--specifically more exercise than your body is accustomed to doing--increases intestinal activity. (Even strength training accelerates transit time from an average of 44 hours to 20 hours in healthy, untrained 60 year old men). As your body adjusts to exercise, you may resume standard bowel movements. But not always, as witnessed by the number of experienced runners who carry toilet paper with them during exercise, and also know the whereabouts of every public toilet on the route.

Solutions
To help alleviate the problem, try exercising lightly before the event to help empty the bowels. Experiment with training at different times of the day. Visualize yourself exercising with no intestinal problems; the problem may resolve with a positive mindset and experience. Fuel wisely; the following nutrition tips might help reduce the symptoms.

1) Reduce your intake of high fiber cereals. You don't need the roughage! Fiber increases fecal bulk and movement, thereby reducing transit time. Triathletes with a high fiber intake reported more GI complaints than those with a lower fiber intake.
2) Limit "sugar-free" foods such as sugar-free gum and hard candies that contain sorbitol. This type of sugar can cause diarrhea.
3) Keep a food & diarrhea chart to pinpoint food triggers. Take away any suspicious foods--excessive intakes of juice, coffee, fresh fruits, raisins, dried fruits, beans, lentils, milk, high fiber breads and cereals--for a week and then eat a big portion. Observe changes in bowel movements. If you stop having diarrhea when you stop eating bran cereal (but have a worrisome situation when you eat an extra-large portion), the answer becomes obvious: eat less bran cereal. To find the food culprit, you may need to look carefully at your prior diet, because food moves through most people's intestines in 1-3 days. A simple way to learn your personal transit time is to eat sesame seeds, corn or beets--foods that can be seen in feces.
4) Drink extra water to maintain hydration. GI complaints are common in runners who have sweated off more than 4% of their body weight. (That's 6 lb. for a 150 lb. athlete.) These same runners often believe the ingestion of fluid causes the diarrhea. The truth is the dehydration that occurs due to inadequate fluid intake is the true culprit.
5. When all else fails, you might want to consult with your doctor about occasionally using an anti-diarrhea medicine (such as Imodium). This may have side effects that hinder performance; be educated.

The bottom line (so to speak): You are not alone with your concerns. By experimenting with different food and exercise patterns, you may find a welcome solution.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, nutrition counselor and Director of Nutrition Services at SportsMedicine Associates in Brookline MA, teaches individuals how to build their nutrition skills. Her best seller, Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Second Edition, is available via www.nancyclarkrd.com or by sending $22 to Sports Nutrition Services, 830 Boylston St. #205, Brookline MA 02467. Phone: (617) 795-1875 Fax: (617) 795-1876. Book and sports nutrition teaching materials are also available at this site.

More Tips from Jeff

Eat - to hold your blood sugar up for the first half.
One of the reasons I've advocated eating before all of your long runs is to discover the foods and the pattern of eating which will work best for you in the marathon itself. You should use what has worked best for you in your food countdown before long runs. Eating about 200 to 250 calories of high quality carbohydrate about an hour before a long one has helped many runners to stabilize their blood sugar level for the first half of the marathon.

Eat during the second half of the marathon.
Eating small carbohydrate snacks during the second half of the marathon has helped marathoners improved time goals by boosting the blood sugar level. This maintains mental concentration, sustains a positive mental attitude, and reduces the opportunity for negative left brain messages to creep in.

Sometimes you Feel Like a Nut

from GOODIESNEWS Digest for Tuesday, August 28, 2001

*** CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES ***
You can make a healthy peanut butter sandwich, or you can make one that's the PITS, nutritionally.

Start with whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. For the jelly, skip the sugar. Look for fruit-sweetened jelly, or a made from fruit only version.

How about adding fresh fruit with peanut butter? Apple slices or banana slices with peanut butter taste terrific.

*** LUNCHBOX SPECIAL ***
Spread freshly ground peanut butter, over a layer of no sugar added strawberry or grape jam. For something different, try it with raspberry or apricot preserves.

***LONG LIVE THE KING PB SANDWICH***
Reported to be Elvis's favorite: A grilled peanut Butter sandwich, stuffed with sliced bananas and honey.

*** CINNAMON-RAISIN PEANUT BUTTER***
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons raisins
2 tablespoons Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon low fat cream cheese
1/2 apple sliced thin
2 slices whole wheat bread toasted

Mix cinnamon, raisins and peanut butter together in a small bowl. Spread mixture on one slice of toast. Spread cream cheese on other slice of toast and top with apple slices. Fold slices together to make the sandwich.

*** PEANUT BUTTER POWER SANDWICHES ***
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons honey
8 slices whole wheat bread

In small bowl combine all ingredients except bread and mix well. Spread mixture on 4 bread slices; top with remaining bread. 4 sandwiches

*** Peanut Butter and Banana Dog***
Linda's fast food invention! peanut butter Mayonnaise or Nayonnaise banana hot dog roll (whole wheat if you can find it)

Check with a grown-up before starting this. Spread some peanut butter on the one side of the roll. Spread mayo on the other side of the roll. Add a peeled banana (whole). Close the sandwich and take a big luscious bite!

Healthy Food Should Taste GOOD!
ISSN: 1532-5482
Editor: Linda Randall
Publisher: Good Stuff Delicious Nutrition
http://www.goodstuffco.com

From "Health & Fitness"

edited by Beth Moxey Eck, Runner's World, November 2001, pp. 24-25

Strengthen your bones. A new study at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that running just once a month can help keep your bones strong. The study looked at 4,000 men, 900 of whom ran at least once a month, and 3,100 men who did not run. Researchers found that average bone density in the thigh was five percent higher in runners than nonrunners, even for those men who only ran once a month. Those who ran the most during the month (nine times or more) had the highest bone density.

10 Minutes to Nirvana: Exercising for just 10 minutes a day can improve your mental outlook, suggests a study in the July issue of Health Psychology. Once a week for four weeks, 14 college females engaged in one of four activities: riding an exercise bike for 10, 20, or 30 minutes, or sitting quietly for 30 minutes. Before and after each test, study participants took a mood survey, which showed that even 10 minutes of exercise significantly boosted mood.

Check this out: Today, about half of all adults are considered overweight, and childhood obesity has doubled in the last 20 years. To help you combat weight problems and understand proper nutritional guidelines, the Federal Government has created a new Web site, www.nutrition.gov, which includes lots of information on nutrition, health eating, physical activity, food safety, and more.