Solo vs. Partner or Group Running

 

Solo vs. Partner or Group Running

Runners are a varied and individual group as a whole. We all have little individual quirks, likes and dislikes; even styles and personalities, yet we are all tied together as a community because we enjoy and even love running. Some run short distances, some long, some mostly trails and some exclusively street, but we are all runners. Some like to mostly run alone, while others like to run with a partner or a group. I want to look at the contrasts between those who mostly like to run solo and those who mostly like to run with a partner or a group.

I’m mostly a solo runner and yet I still enjoy running with a partner or a group. I guess it may be I am not much of a talker in social situations. I am probably a pretty boring running partner overall as I don’t contribute a lot to conversation while running. In a way that is kind of funny because when I run alone I kind of carry on a constant dialog with myself, not out loud of course as I wouldn’t want to scare anyone. It is more of a running thought process where I gather my thoughts about things going on in my life, my dreams, aspirations and goals. I guess you could say that I entertain myself with my own thoughts while I run. If it is not a hard run I try and enjoy the surroundings and general atmosphere in the area I am running.

On the other hand I do have friends that really enjoy running with a partner or a group and both of these have their own individual dynamics. It is funny to me sometimes to run with a group and hear two maybe three conversations going on at the same time. I find myself switching back and forth trying to hear each conversation before I finally settle in on one conversation. I do try and join in on the conversation from time to time but it is often only after being asked a question.

One of the great things about running with a partner or group is that it is much easier to get in that run where you just aren’t feeling it or where you aren’t sure if you can go the distance you had planned, but then the group sucks you in and encourages you, giving you the motivation and strength to accomplish what you otherwise might not have on your own. Often this is not even spoken it just happens by being part of the group. One draws energy from the group as a whole. Also if someone is struggling a little bit often someone else in the group will drop back to stay along side them giving encouragement and making sure they don’t feel alone or left out! Group running is a very dynamic way to make sure that you accomplish your set goals. It is probably the best kind of running for new runners, as they are the ones who need the group dynamic most.

I have one friend that pretty much won’t run unless he has someone to run with. Living in an apartment he doesn’t have a dog to run with so he always tries to arrange a run with a friend or group of friends. If I get a call from him wanting to know if I can run with him I figure I must be his last choice because I am not the worlds greatest conversationalist when I am running. I usually try to oblige him, as I know he does not enjoy running alone. He does call me to see if I want to run with him and a few others from time to time also so I guess I’m not really a last resort!

Running partners may or may not be that close in their personal lives. Often they simply share the pleasure of running with someone and both run at or near the same pace. They may have met in a group or even at a race or some other event where running came up in the conversation. They may find that they have similar interests and live near each other with similar schedules so it just works out. I have a running partner that I run with once a week because I started a local fitness group for just six weeks and she showed up. She does not have a running partner all the time and doesn’t feel safe running alone. So I have been running with her on Wednesday mornings. Her sister has joined us a few times also. We have no other connection outside of running other than we attend the same Church, which the fitness group was started from.

By the way a running partner does not have to be a humanoid. Dogs can make great running partners. I have several friends who run with their dogs. Be aware that certain breeds are better than others especially for long distance running or warmer weather. Generally dogs with shorter snouts do not do as well at distance or warmth. Medium sized dogs tend to be the best. There are some good articles online about running with canine friends and even how to choose a dog for a running companion. See this article; “A Best Friend, Yes.Best Runner, Maybe Not!” .

On the other hand as a mostly solo runner I often enjoy the solitude. While it is not really recommended I especially enjoy this on trail runs. There is something about the quietness of being away from the streets and noises of the city and just hearing the sounds of nature. I love hearing what I call natures concert! It is a combination of sounds from birds singing their songs to even hearing the rustle of a snake sliding through the grass along side the trail. When alone on a trail run I always see more wild animals than I do when running with one or more other people. Sure it is fun to be able to share the enjoyment of seeing that deer, raccoon or coyote with someone else, but it is really nice to see more of them because they are not scared off by hearing our conversation before we happen into their vicinity. I try not to do a lot solo runs on trails where the there is a chance no one else will be coming along, at least sometime that day, however I have done it and probably will do it again. I always let someone know where I will be running and what time frame to expect me to return. The same goes for solo hiking or backpacking. Always let someone know the general details of where you are going and when you plan to return.

So what seems to be the main personality difference between those who enjoy solo running more and those who enjoy the camaraderie of the partner or group? Generally I have observed that those who are more gregarious in there normal everyday lives tend to be the same when it comes to running and those who are not as gregarious seem to like running solo better. I say generally because there are exceptions. I enjoy both but I do a lot more solo than group or partner running. However, I do actually organize group outings from time to time! Imagine that!

So what do you like better, Solo, partner or group? If you have comments please leave them as I would like to hear from you! If you find it difficult to leave a comment on the actual blog go to my Runner’s Mania facebook fan page. https://www.facebook.com/RunnersManiaFanPage?fref=ts .

Happy Trails,

Russ

Running and Weight Control

A lot of people assume that if you are a runner you won’t have any problems with weight control. This is a fallacy! If you had trouble with weight control before running don’t assume that becoming a runner will solve your weight problem. If you don’t change some things it could actually make it worse. On the other hand, some lucky individuals have very high metabolisms and don’t really have much of a weight problem. Often times these individuals are young, and if they continue to eat the same way, will develop weight problems as they get older. So what are some of the problems affecting runners and weight control?

For one thing, running can dramatically increase ones appetite! And, it is really easy to think; “I ran so many miles, so now I can reward myself with food.” This kind of thinking can be disastrous when it comes to weight control. I don’t know how many times I have heard the phrase, “I run to eat!” Often it is said in a jovial manner, but for many it is their mantra! In addition to this problematic thinking there are other factors that can affect weight.

While it is true that calories in vs. calories out or calories expended is a key to weight control, there are other factors involved. I have seen it myself; I count my calories in and count my calories expended, with a significant deficit, only to discover that I didn’t lose any weight at all or worse actually gained weight! What went wrong?

Let’s address the problem of “running to eat” first.

It is very easy to not really be aware of how few calories were actually depleted during a one-hour run. Most calorie calculators give you the total calories burned during the hour but do not give you the factor of how many calories you burned above your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR). Let’s say the average person burns 100 calories per mile at a 10 minute per mile pace. That equals 600 calories burned. But if their BMR is 1500 calories a day (1500/24=62.5 cal per hour) they only burned 537.5 calories more than they would normally have burned during that hour just sitting.

Let’s use these 537 calories expended as our example and let’s say that you run 5 hours a week. So 537x5=2685. That is a pretty significant calorie deficit, right? I mean that is equivalent to roughly a little more than 2/3 a pound of weight loss in a week. Sounds good, right? However, we all know that we need to replace glycogen by eating carbohydrates (carbs). Mentally and physically we feel a bit drained from our run and we then eat a recovery meal. Unfortunately, we often miscalculate the amount of carbs needed to replace that glycogen spent during exercise. Even though we expended 537 calories, roughly 60% of those calories were glycogen, which we replace through carbs, and 40% were fat. If we make the mistake of thinking that we need to replace all 537 calories as carbs we can quickly run into trouble if our goal is weight loss. In other words 40% of those calories will be converted to fat by the body instead of glycogen, so we don’t want to replace all 537 calories with carbs. We only want to replace 322 of those calories expended with carbs. In actuality it is even more complicated than this if you are going to count calories. I just used this example to illustrate how we can trick ourselves into eating more than we really need. In fact many of us don’t do the calculations at all; we simply guesstimate and we are usually way off the mark.

How about the person that really is meticulous about their calorie counting and eats “healthy foods” only to discover they remain the same weight, or worse, gain weight? What is going on with them? I have found myself in this situation where I did lose weight but only to a certain point, then no matter what I just couldn’t lose those last 10-15 pounds. Mind you, I was not clinically overweight but definitely had extra weight I could lose in order to be a better runner/athlete!

According to Lyn Genet Recitas, author of the book “The Plan”, some of the foods that you are eating may be causing an inflammatory response in your body that you are not aware of. This inflammatory response can cause weight gain because it releases hormones like Cortisol into our blood stream and causes our metabolism to slow down and burn less calories and actually store more fat. Mrs. Recitas has been working with people and their diets for many years and has recorded responses to foods. She has listed the most reactive foods on her website ( http://lyngenet.com/ ) and in her book. While you might be tempted to just use this list to stay away from those foods that are the most reactive, you would really be depriving yourself of a lot of foods that you may not be reactive to. Everyone is different so everyone needs to follow the plan to find those foods that may be giving him or her trouble.

The Plan starts with a 3-day cleanse type diet to get your body out of its potential inflammatory state. While the food is a little bland during the three days, it is not really that bad. I love my food and I had no problem with it. At the end of day 3 she introduces meat back into the diet. If you are vegan or vegetarian she also has a plan for you on her website but you still need to read the book first to understand how the plan works and what is going on.

My wife followed the 20-day plan regimen first and had remarkable improvement with the inflammation she had been feeling in her legs and knees. She found that she was reactive to Salmon, Oatmeal and some wheat breads. She had to experiment after the initial 20 days and found that she was not reactive to all wheat breads. Apparently those that use yeast are the most reactive for her and also multi-grain breads. While not trying the diet to loose weight, she lost 9 pounds during the initial 20 days and an additional 2 pounds after the 20 days with an ending weight of 112 pounds.

The plan is not a diet in the sense of cutting calories to lose weight. It is more about finding your reactive foods and eliminating them. Don’t get scared about this as it will probably only be a few items. It’s not that you can never have these foods again, you just have to know what your reaction will be and that after a few days of eating your good foods again you will be right back to normal.

After seeing my wife’s results I started following “The Plan.” I did not find things that I was reactive to during the plan but then again I did not eat many of the things that were normal to my diet during that time. I lost 13 pounds and seemed to recover from my runs much faster, especially my hard runs. I have yet to try Salmon, which my wife and I previously had 2-3 times a week. The bread I have been eating is the same bread my wife found she was not reactive to and I have not tried other breads other than restaurants, which skews the results because of the high sodium content in their meals.

During my 20 days on “The Plan” I exercised, but not as much as usual. On day eight I did a 23-mile bike ride and totally ran out of energy on the return trip. My best guess is that because I had dropped 8 pounds in the previous 7 days that my body was trying to conserve. You see our bodies try to maintain our weight if we have been at the same weight for some time.  After that day I felt great! I did a 16 mile run three days later without any problem at all. Remember that I was not cutting calories; I was simply eating differently with a lot more fresh vegetables, spices, and good fats than usual. This required more planning both in buying foods and preparing foods. We have generally, as a society, gotten way too dependent on prepackaged and prepared foods. This is another thing that is making us fat.

By the way, I now eat almost twice as much fat in my diet than before and I still lost and maintained my new weight. The difference is they are healthy fats from avocado, nuts, goat cheese and olive oil. Fats are essential for satiety in our diets. If we don’t get enough of the right kind of fats we will never feel satisfied and will get hungry faster and more often. Don’t be afraid of these good fats!

So what is the bottom line? If you have been struggling with losing those last 5-15 pounds I highly recommend “The Plan” by Lyn Genet Recitas.” And by the way if you plan on buying the book through Amazon, please click through one of the Amazon ads to the right of my articles. Once at the site you can do a search for the book.

Thanks and Happy Trails,

Russ Barber

Imogene Pass Run 2008 Race Report

Imogene Pass Run

In early September of 2008, I ran what some might call an adventure race in Colorado. The picture that you see at the top of my blog page (also included in this post) is at the summit of the race, altitude 13,114’!

The race starts at 7810’, in the old mining town of Ouray, CO (pronounced YUR-RAY with the accent on the last syllable). It is run mostly on what is an old dirt road that starts out well maintained but quickly becomes much less maintained and passable only by 4-wheel drive. It is 10 miles from the start to the summit. The finish is 7.1 miles from the summit at 8750’ in the town of Telluride, CO. According to the website one should plan on making the 17.1 mile run in approximately their marathon time as the altitude and ascent make it very difficult to run very fast. The winners are usually in the area of a 2:15:00 time. My time was 5:34:54. You can get information concerning entering the race at this website: http://imogenerun.com/

Course Profile:

The race gets its name from Imogene basin named by Andy Richardson for his wife, Imogene. He is reportedly the first white man to ever enter this basin. There is an interesting book based on the diary of a housewife during this time and place called, “Tomboy Bride” by Harriet Fish Backus, Pruett Publishing Co. Boulder, Co. I found it to be a good read since I love reading about life during the gold rush days, especially if it is set in the mountains of Colorado. You see I was born in Denver and mostly grew up in Golden, CO. at the base of the Rocky Mountains. I have very fond memories of my youthful days and the times spent roaming those mountains near home. The San Juan mountain range in southern Colorado is quite a bit different from the mountains near Golden and Denver. While I love both, I think the San Juan rage is much prettier overall.

The race began at 7:30am and the weather was quite brisk. You never know what kind of weather you are going to get in the Colorado Mountains in September. I entered the race two years prior and it was the first time they ever had to alter the course because a major snowstorm the day before made the pass almost impassable. It was very disappointing for everyone. That is why I had to do it again two years later even though I had just come off an injury and depression and was not really in shape to give it my best effort!

We were mostly all dressed in layers, as we would be going through several climate changes during the run. I unzipped my jacket about 3 miles into the run as I warmed up enough to be sweating pretty well. It was still around 50 degrees at that time and the steady uphill effort was already fairly intense. It was really great to smell the pine trees and hear the birds singing as we ran along. The road began to get more faint and at times looked more like a wide trail than a road.

As we began to climb out of the woods at about 10,600 feet the views became even more spectacular with bright blue skies and a mixture of cloud formations. The lighting was constantly changing giving each view several different textures and hues. My lungs were now really beginning to feel the thin air and it was getting much harder to actually run. Many of the hills were now being walked briskly rather than actually running. Every time we would get to a bit of more level ground I would sigh with relief but it was always short lived.

As we got up above 11,000 and 12,000 feet I actually had trouble doing a brisk walk. And by the time I was within 600 feet of the summit I even had to take breaks from walking. If you have never been at these altitudes or tried moving with any speed at this height, it is really hard to describe the feeling of weakness that comes over you. This is why some put this into the “adventure race” category. Others just call it a difficult trail race!

As I reached the summit I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that there was very little uphill left on the other side. The warm chicken broth tasted great and was very comforting to my stomach. Someone offered to take my picture and I offered to take others pictures, as I was not in a real hurry to head back down the other side. After taking about a 5-minute break at the top I started my decent.

The beginning of the decent was rather steep, which wasn’t what really bothered me, rather it was the slick shale like footing that made it hard to navigate without slipping and falling. The previous year one of my friends did the race and had a fall cutting her leg. She was able to tie her jacket around the cut and make it back to the finish, but she ended up having close to a dozen stitches. She was brave enough to come back and run the race with me again this time as we had planned on running it together the previous year but I was not able to make it.

It was hard for me to imagine that some of the front-runners were running between 6 and 7-minute miles down this side of the mountain. I was a bit timid the first part of my decent, probably more so since hearing of my friends fall the previous year. After about 2 miles the footing began to get much more firm and I had no problems other than general race fatigue. Soon I could look out over the valley floor and see parts of the town of Telluride in front of me. I could also see the ski slopes on the mountain range on the other side of town. Telluride is a very beautiful mountain resort community. Very expensive to live there, but I can see why anyone who has the means would absolutely love it!

As I crossed the finish line I felt the joy and relief of finishing another great race. It was great to be greeted by my brother Pat and several of my friends. Now it was time to celebrate with a good meal and take in the sights and sounds of the town of Telluride.

There are many other places and sites to visit while staying in this area such as the Silverton Railroad, in the town of Silverton. Orvis Hot Springs near Ridgeway.  Not to mention the towns of Ouray and Telluride.

My hope is to get another chance at running this race and I hope I will be in much better shape. I am 30 pounds lighter now than I was at that time back in 2008. However, I am also 5 years older. This race is very popular and there is a limited number of entries so it sells out in a few hours, but they do have a bib exchange policy. June 1rst is opening day for registration so if you are interested make sure you have it marked on your calendar. 

Happy Trails,

Russ Barber

Some Thoughts on Dealing with Injury and Alternate Training.

Some Thoughts on Dealing with Injury and Alternate Training

So two weeks ago I had one of my best races in a long time and came up limping 20 minutes after the race. I didn’t mention it in the last article because I was hoping it would just go away and be nothing. I have really been putting in some good concentrated efforts lately and peaked at the right time but then disaster. Although it appears I might have a stress fracture in the lower third of my left Tibia, it has not been confirmed. My doctor said that he thought x-rays looked negative but they often do right after this kind of injury. After speaking with the radiologist a week later he says the radiologist thinks he sees a possible injury site, so now a bone scan is next (Monday, May 13). Either way I am not supposed to run for 4-6 weeks at least. What do I do?

The first week I simply tried staying off of the leg as much as possible. At this writing it has now been 14 days since the injury, and most if not all of the pain is gone. I can walk without pain although I have yet to try walking fast or far.

Tuesday I swam 500 yards in a local pool, which is a pretty good workout for me since I am a terrible swimmer. Wednesday I cycled for 30 miles and about 2hours time at a relatively easy pace and Friday I cycled for 40 miles. Both were OK’d by my doctor once the pain was gone. So far no pain from either of the bike rides.

I guess you could say that I am lucky because my injury still lets me stay somewhat active and I can do sports that would normally be called cross training. I do feel lucky in that regard but I also feel a little bit cheated because I had big plans. I had a marathon planned 6 weeks after the half marathon and everything was pointing to a pretty easy Boston qualifying time. I was not even thinking about the possibility of just squeaking in under the time, I was thinking about pretty much being 10 to 15 minutes under that time for sure.

So yeah, I am a bit depressed and frustrated right now. I know it will pass but I need to vent a little. So you get to be the recipients of my venting. I don’t know if this will help me deal with the time off from running but right now I feel a little bit better just writing this down. @&%$ %^*&!$!, OK I said it, you can put in your own words. But now that I’ve let out my frustrations a little, what caused me to get injured in the first place?

Part of me wants to just think that it is a fluke but another part of me says that is a cop out! You see I did have a warning sign that something could be wrong after my long run the week before, and should probably have taken the whole week off. I came up a little sore in the same general area the evening of that last long run. I had run a little harder on the downhill than I normally would have on any other long run. I had also been doing a lot of extra hill running the previous 6 weeks preparing for this race. In hindsight I should have probably given myself at least every other week off from hills, especially as I was also doing two tempo runs a week. Bottom line is I probably crossed that fine line between simply peaking and actually overtraining.

So here I am whining about being injured and it is probably my own fault. Perhaps if I had just taken the whole week off I would not have had the injury. But, there is always the possibility that I was already injured and still would have injured myself more even with the rest. I guess we will never know for sure. Either way, here I am injured and, now I have to deal with it!

So yes I am lucky that I can cycle and swim and even perhaps do some “Pool Running.” I do enjoy cycling although not quite as much as running. Swimming not so much and there is nothing more boring than Pool Running. However, I know that these things will keep me in pretty good shape and getting back to where I was will not be all that difficult because of it.

I am trying to be good and not injure myself more by running before I am fully healed and then I will have to curb my enthusiasm as I start running again and not try and pick up where I left off. From another stand point it is an opportunity to work on my swimming that I have been putting off for a long time simply because I am terrible at it!

So here’s to alternate training and getting healthy again!

Cheers and Happy Trails,

Russ