How To Stay Cool In a Race

On the advice of a good friend I am posting a proper way to cool down during a race without adversely affecting your outcome. See nothing upsets a race faster than discomfort, either from the weather or self induced (like blisters or chaffing, but thats for another day). I am going to address how to keep your head cool and your feet dry.

For your feet. First things first, you need to use a pair of worn in shoes and proper socks for a race. Its a myth that running shoes need to be 'broken in' nowadays but it does take few miles done over a couple of short runs to 'mold' the insert and footbox to your foot. This limits blistering and goes back to a smart training concept, "never introduce something to a race that you haven't tried at least three times in training". For socks, never cotton. My recommendation is to move away from thick cushioning socks and into Dri Fit, or my favorite DeFeet socks. If your apprehensive of changing to a thinner sock because you feel your feet need additonal cushioning than you either need to change shoes or upgrade insoles to something like Sorbathane, which is my favorite. A high performance sock will move liquid from your skin to outside of the sock, which will prevent blistering. Also the thinner performance sock will be made of a slicker material that will prevent hot spots. (Sidenote: before anyone thought about using polyester or nylon in a running sock we would wear Leggs knee high or ankle high pantyhose under cotton socks so that we wouldn't get hot spots or blisters).

As for the water, always over the back, never over the front or right over your head. It will run down your leg and into your shoes. Never lean over to just hit the back of head and let it run off the front. You may think the 'over the sink' style will work but if your deep into a race your body has compensated to a certain momentum equilibrum and when you lean over you could suffer a major shift of blood flow and pass flat out, (but at least its in a water station and lots of people are there to help you wake up).

The best way to cool off is to take off your hat and soak your hat, shake it out and put it back on. If your lucky enough to get ice, put just a few cubes in your hat. If your in a real hurry, take a drink then splash the small amount left in the cup over the back of your head and back so that most of it stays high and minimizes running down your legs.

Never, never run through a water sprayer. Sometimes at a water point, or a station set up by a fire department or just a kind neighbor living on the course, they will shoot a stream or spray of water over the runners to cool them off. Avoid at all costs as it will soak your shoes and you get the inevitable skin rubbing and blisters. Its better to have hot feet then blistered feet.

Now if its raining and depending on the distance, carry a back up set of socks pinned in a bag under your shirt or tucked into a pocket or utility belt. Its worth the hassle of carrying them and protecting your feet than not. Its a cost to benefit analysis. (Sidenote: If its a long race and in inclimate weather I will wear a water/utility belt. Especially if its cold, I will put in it some lip balm, a small chemical hot pack (in hot or humid marathons I might carry a small chemical ice bag) and just a few other things.)

A funny thing happened on the way to work today...

So Simon, the best rehab doctor ever, called to switch my Friday appointment to this morning because his pregnant wife is going in for gall bladder surgery on Friday. I know, she's nervous but the doctors are friends and top in their fields so she is confident.

It was good to see Simon anyway since I got a cramp in each calf at swim practice last night and needed some help. But it caused me to not get to the office until 1030. Then Mistress calls with the Mighty Mo update and that she has to take the car into the dealership because it 'freaked' out on her. I told her I would take it in for her and drove to get it then to the dealership.

The funny thing is, I got there right as they were going to lunch and they estimated one hour to diagnose the problem so I had two hours to kill. So I walked across the street and caught the noon showing of Cinderella Man.

What an awesome movie. I love movies but did not actually know how this final fight ended and it really makes a big difference. I seriously suggest not learning about James J. Braddock until you see his story unfold on screen.

But...I left all my gear in my rig and I am way behind in closing out my files from May so the bike ride today is called on account of priority. Which is Mistress, SUV problem, work, me.

So the rest of you have a great training night and I will see what I can do in work clothes in a gym.

Death Of The American Man

I grabbed this off of Drudge Report on June 8th. Do I really need to harp more on the French? We already know they are a worthless dynasty of pathetic whiners who are only a country today because of social politics.

Its a shame that Paris, therefore the Frogs, have such a sway on high end fashion. But why do we have to listen to them blather about how they know what we want to wear! Have you ever bought something that was shown on a Parisian runway? Hell no! Nordstroms is your level of couture. If your like me you buy at least a few things every year at Old Navy, Walmart or Target and browse Sports Authority for that perfect dri fit workout shirt that might pass for a work shirt if your boss doesn't look to close. I said it before and I will say it again. I will not willingly step foot in France until they finish the Eiffel Tower. They left the darn thing erected without putting the sheet rock up. Enough! Read and be offended. I am going to go beat my chest and grunt loudly while I get into my Ford pick up .

Macho man is an endangered species, with today's male more likely to opt for a pink flowered shirt and swingers' clubs than the traditional role as family super-hero, fashion industry insiders say.

A study along these lines led by French marketing and style consultants Nelly Rodi was unveiled to Fashion Group International during a seminar Tuesday on future strategy for the fashion industry in Europe.

"The masculine ideal is being completely modified. All the traditional male values of authority, infallibility, virility and strength are being completely overturned," said Pierre Francois Le Louet, the agency's managing director.

Instead today's males are turning more towards "creativity, sensitivity and multiplicity," as seen already in recent seasons on the catwalks of Paris and Milan.

Somebody Said I looked Red

I just came back from a run. Its 95* and 10% humidity. So while I did not sweat much outside, I am sitting on a towel and have one over my shoulders because I am dripping profusely. As a coincidence two people have walked in and asked why I look like my heads about to explode.

I have a loop near my office that I have benchmarked as a 30 minute route. Today I ran it at 29:44. I have no idea how long it is but it has some pavement, so loose gravel, runs partially along the town lake and a fairly decent hill I have to get over at the very end. Its a good run with a reliable time. So anything better than 30 minutes is good time.

In a few minutes I will be off to swim practice. Will probably get in 1200 to 1500 meters.

Great New Online Tool

I found a great calculation tool for swimming, biking and running that I am sure you will all enjoy playing with. I am also putting this on my sidebar in case you don't bookmark it yourself.

Click here

ITU Madrid Triathlon

My friend Joe Umphenour, who is a professional triathlete, came in 18th overall and the 4th American accross the line at the Madrid triathlon last weekend (use the sidebar on the itu website to see photos and rankings). It is amazing to me to see that even at 18th place he was only 1 minute 40 seconds out of first place! One lousy minute. It just shows how competitive it is on the pro circuit. There are only so many sponsors and so much prize money to go around so these guys give it absolutely their all.

Before I give his times let me lay out the course on a ITU race which is called an Olympic or also called an International distance:

The swim is 1.5 km or .94 miles for us Yankees.
The bike is 40 km or 24 miles.
The run is a 10k or 6.20 miles.

Now here is how Joe did.
Overall: 1:57:09 18th place
Swim: 18:06 (1:12 per 100 meters)
T1: 1:12
Bike: 1:04:19 (23.18 mph)
T2: 0:31
Run: 33:02 (5:18 pace)



Joe is in black over the right shoulder of guy wearing RED BIKE SHORTS. Well its a tri-suit but again why do grown men wear tight red shorts? He's French...I must refrain from typing anything else...That's not right!

Good Job Joe. (Who BTW, crushed R.B.S. French guy in the placings.)

Decisions, Decisions

So I am reviewing my endurance supplementation, not in relation to daily food intake but hydration, electrolytes and caloric intake on the move. I am fairly up to speed on the latest nutritional supplements on the market and but I need some feedback.

What do you use for your hydration, electrolyte balance and calorie intake on the bike and run and then for recovery? (Other than Gu's and Gel's) Accelerade? PowerBar Recovery? Gatorade Endurance? Solid Foods? Cytomax? Endurox? Optygen?

I need to start experimenting with some new things as my mileage and time go up. Obviously I take a quality multi-vitamin. I use a diluted PowerBar Recovery during and after long training because of my heat injuries. I use organic fig bars on the tail end of long runs in lieu of gels because they have higher calories and the fiber will keep my system from seizing up after the run is over. I just started using Amino Vital on the advice of my friend Joe Umpenhour who is a professional ITU triathlete and think so far its a good product.

Oh, make no mistake I use my far share of bars and gels before, during and after training but I realize I need something with a bit more 'gas' to it other than just dumping a bunch of caffine or adrenial uptake components (like red bulls, taurine, guarana et al).

What say you? What do you use?