New Balance Minimus Roads and Karhu Racer Fulcrum Rides

NEW SHOES!

The gear junkie in me strikes again.  Before I've even finished my Merrel Trail Glove review (Coming Soon!) I've picked up 2 new shoes to test and review...

Karhu Racer Fulcrum Ride

I had a free pair of Karhu's from beating the bear at the Karhu 5K earlier in the month.  Karhu is a Finnish Brand, apparently around since 1916, though I've never heard of them before.  It looks like they're just starting to try to make the move to the States, explaining the "Beat the Bear" promo events.  Their shoes look to be designed for heal strikers and I would never have considered them if I was shelling out money, but it's hard to turn down a free pair of shoes...  Most of their shoes have ridiculous looking soles, reminding me of Sketcher Shape Ups, though the color schemes are pretty cool.  The Karhu racing flats seemed to have the thinnest soles and lowest drop, but even then the drop is about 15.5 mm.  I want to stay at less than 8 mm drops (with the idea that anything more starts to make proper running form difficult) so these shoes will be working at a disadvantage already...  That said, free shoes can't be passed up, and thus these shoes will get a fair review despite not matching my typical requirements.  Plus the color is kinda cool...

Karhu Racer Fulcrum Ride

New Balance Minimus Roads

Since I had made the trip up to Runner Depot anyway I felt I needed to check out some of the other shoes in my search for the perfect marathon shoes.  I had seen the Minimus Roads and they looked just like what I was looking for.  Low (4 mm) drop, light (8.2 oz), designed for a forefoot strike, but with enough padding to protect against a return to heal striking late in runs.  The rear of the shoe is slightly under cut, making it more difficult to heal strike - a neat feature I thought.  I tried them on and the sock like feel was amazing - I decided I couldn't pass them up, a 15% off coupon helped that matter as well.  The first 15 miles in them have been questionable, the slight arch support is noticeable and they're perhaps not as comfortable running in as they were standing in at the store...  I also have questions on how long the soft soles will last.  We shall see as I put on some miles over the next couple months and write a review!

New Balance Minimus Roads

Race Review: Great Urban Race - Miami

Running should be fun. In the spirit of that idea Veronica and I signed up for the Great Urban Challenge, a race similar to the Amazing Race. Teams of 2 are given 12 clues at the start of the race - clues that lead to different locations around the city, each with different challenges to complete. Each team had to complete 11 clues (1 skip) in any order and return to the finish as quickly as possible.

Great Urban Race

Pre-Run Stretching

Have you ever seen a cheetah stretch before it chases it’s prey?

Last night I decided to get out for a run with a different running group for a change. A bigger group than I usually run with, with a few faster runners. Before the run I looked on in mild amusement as I watched 100 plus runners participated in a pre-run stretch routine. Glancing around the group I could tell who some of the more serious runners were – they were milling around the outside watching the others stretch. WHAT?? Why were the “serious” runners not stretching? Well, if you’re still stretching before your runs you’re working on some outdated and potentially wrong information.

A plethora (thank you Three Amigos) of recent research has shown that, if done correctly, stretching does not help to prevent injury. However, in worse case scenarios, stretching done incorrectly can CAUSE injury, so really it seems there’s nothing to gain from stretching pre-run.

Saunas can help increase endurance performance

It turns out that there may be some benefits to running in Miami in the summer... A study done back in '06 showed that spending time in a sauna post exercise may help increase endurance performance. The study, involving 6 male distance runners, found and almost 2% increase in performance after 3 weeks of sauna use. The conclusion of the study was that 3 weeks of post-exercise sauna bathing produced a worthwhile enhancement of endurance running performance, probably by increasing blood volume.

While the heat in the sauna may be slightly higher (194 degrees F) than what we usually have in Miami, the heat training we're forced to do during the Miami summers may have some endurance benefits as well.  I've already witnessed this phenomena this year when lining up for a race thinking the weather couldn't be more perfect and hearing another runner complain about how hot and humid it was.  It's all about what you're used to and ready for...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877041

Born To Be A Trail Runner

Fantastic article in yesterday's New York Times. It's by Christopher Mcdougall (Born to Run) and talks about trail running, ultra running and the revolution and commercialization the ultra running world is seeing. I highly recommend reading it if you have a moment.


http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/born-to-be-a-trail-runner/

Haile Gebrselassie running in Vienna Half

Vienna City Half Marathon event organizers have confirmed that the marathon world record holder will be racing through the streets of Vienna come April 15.

Gabrselassie retired after dropping out of the New York City Marathon last fall only to recant that retirement a week later (take that Brett Farve) and run in a 10k in his native Ethiopia.  He was forced to drop out of the Tokyo marathon earlier this year because of a knee injury, but believes he's ready for the half in April.

http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=524660.html

Japanese Earthquake Relief Donations

Well, if you live in the civilized world and have access to the Internet (and that would be anyone reading this) you've seen a ton of coverage on the Japanese earthquake earlier this week.  I lived in Japan 8 years growing up and still have a number of friends either in Japan or with family still living there so I've been watching what they've been going through...  Unfortunately when you do a news search on the earthquake several of the top recent hits are warnings about charitable fund frauds (who does that??)

So, here is an excerpt from the American School In Japan Alumni new letter with some information about donations to help avoid the frauds and make sure the support goes to those in need.

Many ASIJ alumni have contacted us asking “How can I help?” Aid organizations have advised that what is most needed at this time is financial donations. There will surely come a point in which physical goods and manpower is needed to rebuild the affected areas in the north of Japan. However, at this point the situation is changing daily and professional emergency relief teams need financial support to get the goods they determine are needed on the ground and to continue their operations. ASIJ has been analyzing the best options and below are the ways we ask you to help:

From Japan

Donations to The Red Cross Japan
(http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html)

Donations to a group fund for NGOs working in disaster releif including Doctors Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity [Japanese only]
(http://www.janic.org/bokin/matomete14.php)

Donations through Citibank bank transfer
(http://www.citibank.co.jp/en/customernotices/customernoticesindex/customernoticepages/cust_031211_01.html)


From Outside Japan

Donations to the Red Cross fund for Japan
(http://www.redcross.org/)
*Donations can also be made through iTunes

Donations to Doctor's Without Borders fund for Japan
(http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/donate)

Donations to NGO funds through Paypal
(https://www.paypal-donations.com/pp-charity/web.us/campaign.jsp?cid=-12)

Donations through Global Giving
(http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/ or by texting JAPAN to 50555 to donate $10. The donation will be added to your next cell phone bill)

Donations to International Medical Corps
(https://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1967 or by calling (800) 481-4462. You can also text MED to 80888 to donate $10, which will be added to your next cellphone bill)

Run & Race Tip #5 - Never Look Back

Never look back during a race. For most short distance competitive runners this is a well known rule.  This may have less bearing in longer distance running, when you’re running for hours you will of course be curious as to who’s running near you. You may just be looking back to see who might be coming to run with you…   In long races this tip should be taken into consideration, but in half marathons and under this should be pretty much a stead fast rule.

Back when I was running cross country I used to love seeing someone look back. I saw it as a sign of weakness, as soon as he looked back I knew he was scared, which meant he was starting to struggle. When I caught someone looking back it was such a mental surge, I was stronger than my prey and I could track them down easily.

Side Stitches? Change your posture.

Side stitches are a common problem for runners.  A new theory suggests that these stitches are caused by poor posture - a theory that may suggest why controled, concentrated breathing can help relieve side stitches; the focus on deep breathing fills the lungs and improves posture.

If you suffer from side stitches check out the NY Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/health/01really.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=running&st=cse

Running Under the Sun - Sun Protection

I was told by a friend that I should do a post on sun screen / sun protection for runners. Since living in Miami this is a pretty relevant issue and the rest of the country is on spring break and dreaming of summer, here’s that post.

 

I, probably like many runners, don’t think much about the sun when I head out for a run, other than how hot it will make things. I’ve paid the price for that over sight the last couple of weekends running in the sun and coming home pretty burned. Not only painful, this can be dangerous too. Also, studies have shown that marathoners may have a higher risk of skin cancer because of the increased time in the sun and the compromised immune system from the high intensity exercise. The easiest way to avoid the problems is sunscreen…

 

Race Report: Miami Beach Karhu 5k

This is a race report I didn’t expect to write. Partly because I hadn’t planned on running 5ks this year as I focus on some longer distances, and partly because I hadn’t decided to run this race until 11pm the night before…

I went to bed at 11:45 the night of the race to get up at 4 to head over to South Beach to register for the race. With not enough sleep, not enough good food over the last week, and no speed training, I once again was going into a race totally unprepared. Hopefully this will not be the theme of this year.

Beer & Running

A Beer post on a Friday? Brilliant!

First, I do not condone drinking. In fact, my friends know I don’t even like drinking. *Cough* *Hack* I can’t even type that with a straight face. Okay, I love a beer after a run, and I like to claim I’m reloading on carbs and hydrating… So I when I started to write this post I was planning on talking about how beer is good for your running. Turns out that’s wrong. Sorry.

So here’s the summary for those who don’t want to read this; if you want to be an elite ultra runner, don’t drink alcohol, there are much better ways of hydrating and carbo loading. If you want to enjoy life, there must be a reason we have a liver – just make sure to practice moderation.

So with the unfortunate (for ultra athletes) summary out of the way, here are some of the facts;

Chicago Marathon Registration Closed

Bad news if you were still thinking about registering for the Chicago Marathon in October...  Registration closed today when the 45,000 capacity was met in a record 31 days.  Fortunately, if you're dying to run, there are still some limited entries through affiliated charities.

See the Chicago Marathon Registration Page for details.


Official E-mail from the Chicago Marathon:

Registration Has Closed for the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Registration for the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon officially closed today. The 45,000-participant capacity was met in a record 31 days. A limited number of entries remain available through affiliated charities and tour groups for the October 9 race.

More than 90 of the race's affiliated charities have entries remaining for participants still looking for a way into this year's field. By registering through a charity, runners simultaneously become members of a fundraising effort that has generated nearly $60 million since 2002. Chicago Marathon hopefuls living outside the U.S. also have the option to secure an entry via a number of tour operators offering travel packages that include registration to the 2011 race.

26.2 Miles... what could possibly go wrong?

Thanks to Veronica, I think I have my new Marathon training program...

Nutrition - Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are nothing new, in fact most Americans will immediately think of green furry potted pets when you mention chia, but very few will think running super food. Christopher Douglas’s mention of them in Born to Run has brought them to the forefront of the discussion on “natural energy” for runners.

Chia has been used for thousands of years as an endurance enhancing food, easily traced back to the Mayans and Aztecs. Stories abound about Aztec warriors and messengers running extreme distances on nothing but a handful of chia seeds. Chia seeds alone won’t make you a super runner, but they have many properties that can greatly improve your performance.

28 g of chia, or about 3 tablespoons, contains roughly 137 calories and 12 g of