It Aint a Diet

Good and MEANINGFUL research can be difficult to find. When I find some actual good stuff I think it should be shared!

The link below is a fantastic summary of an article that is spot on. Researchers spent a lot of time looking at the effects running has on the brain. This article argues that endocannabinoids are released when we are running. Not only is this applicable to human beings but also to other creatures who were built to run for survival.

 We know  that endocannabinoids are essentially the same thing activated by the active ingredient (THC;  delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) found in marijuana. Wow, can it be that we can stop convincing ourselves that happiness is found by smoking, or eating, a damaging drug? Instead, we can pull ourself out of a funk and even work on overcoming depression by getting on our feet and keep moving. This does not mean we all have to like the sport of running; rather, doing anything that involves constant movement will produce the TRUE natural high that is very healthy. Visit the link below and take a second to think!!!

 http://www.economist.com/node/21552536

Recovery from my recent 100 mile run was a great learning experience. I would venture to say that the greatest jewel of knowledge I stumbled upon was a natural relief product. A colleague of mine noticed my wobbling limp and suggested that I invest in a tube of Arnicare Arnica Gel. Sure, the pain in my feet and quads was enough that spending only a few dollars was worth the risk! The local Vitamin Cottage is only a couple miles from work so I took a slow job over during lunch and purchased a tube. Slapped on the gel all over my sore spots and felt the difference by the time I was eating dinner. No lie, I could not believe it! Over the past couple weeks I have applied it to my recovering muscles and joints. The best part was that I had not expected to be up and training so quickly after running 100. However, I took one week off and the next week I was up to 50 mile and have increased mileage since.

Just two days ago I was on an early morning trail run and I took a pretty hard fall landing directly on my hip. The bruising was nice and  ugly. Immediately after the run I slapped on my Arnica Gel and thought this would be a good test on reducing bruising and stiffness. I told my wife I had taken a good fall and was all bruised up. When I arrived home that night my wife wanted to see the damage. I went to show her the horrible bruise and it was hardly anything to show for!!! My man points went down because I had talked up this fall but I had not much to show for it as my bruising had quickly subsided. The stiffness had also disappeared and I was back running the next day and getting ready for a nice 20 mile trot tomorrow.

As an endurance athlete, father, husband, and therapist I need quick recovery so I can  be on my A game at all times and I am super stoked to have found this product that helps heal my soreness! You can grab it for cheap at many stores. Visit their website for more info: http://www.arnicare.com/arnicare-gel/

Wearing comfortable clothing is a huge part of enjoying exercise and competing well in running. Well, assuming you do prefer clothes while running! For the recent 100 miler I ran, myself and my crew wore gear from Redline Running Company. I was wearing the short sleeve tech shirt during the day and the long sleeve tech shirt at night. I also was wearing the incredibly comfortable running cap at night. I was super impressed w/ the fit, dryness, comfort, and extras of all these!

The short sleeve tech fit really nice. Sweat seemed to hold well in the shirt. I did not feel wet, even after wearing it from noon to 11pm. Not only was it comfortable but it looked slick!

The long sleeve tech is my favorite long sleeve running shirt by far. In the event you forget gloves, or don’t think it is cold enough for gloves but still cold, the sleeves extend and have thumb holes. This allows you to cover your hands and keep warm! It seems that far too often while I am running with long sleeves my forearms get sweaty and uncomfortably cold. The best feature with this Redline long sleeve tech is that it holds the sweat well and my forearms stayed nice and cozy!!! The shirts also have little holes in them so you can string your i-pod chords thru, innovative!

I love the running cap. It fit super nice on my head and also absorbed sweat very well. The cap has a hole in the back for the ladies (and maybe men) and their hair, my wife loves it! I particularly enjoyed the holes in the cap that are meant to hold your sunglasses. So often I start a run in the dark and finish with sun in my eyes. This is my first cap that has been convenient in letting me wear my headlamp and still hold my glasses on my head for later. This is a reversible hat. We have black/yellow caps and white/red.

Before I finish this rant about the awesomeness of Redline I think it is important to let you know about their services, no matter where you live!!! Redline has a group of running coaches that are experienced, energizing, and motivating! Not only do they offer running clubs, but they do online training for people living afar. Being a father of young kiddos, I appreciate that Redline has a kids running program at different times during the year, that’s awesome! They also have a boot camp that is holistic in it’s approach. They integrate nutrition with exercise to help you move towards sustainable healthy living. Their best part might even be the many races they host each year!!!

This is some great stuff… check it out! redlinerunningcompany.com 

Anticipating my first run of 100 miles was exciting, daunting, and thought provoking. I now feel like I can share some of my personal thoughts leading up to race day. My number one concern was nutrition. I was especially worried about not keeping a balance between electrolyte drink and water. The secret for me was to start the drinking habit early! Starting at 20 minutes into the race I had already started drinking water from my 2 liter camelback. In between every aid station in the race (about 6-7 apart) I made sure to drink a hand held bottle of electrolyte drink. After sticking to this plan and refilling my camelback 4 times during the entire race I actually peed the entire race, can you believe it? Not only did I pee but my pee never turned dark yellow! Sweet! So, my biggest concern was not even a problem.

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Yes, preparing for a 100 miler is a bunch of mental work, and this is the case for any sport! Part of the mental prep is feeling confident in your physical prep. That is why I have ran over 3,600 miles since last January (2011). I am confident in my my physical ability to run 100 miles next Friday. During my training sessions I have focused on how I am going to keep my nutritional intake (ie. foods, gels, electrolyte drink, water) under control. After all, many ultrarunners ( and athletes in general) DNF because of poor nutrition. Adjusting my nutrition has been very experiemental. I now feel confident in being aware of my body and having somewhat of an idea of the nutritional antidote. So, the first part of mental prep is gaining confidence in physical and nutritional abilities!

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Learned my lesson. I have been sticking to switching out my shoes at about 400 miles. Usually, by 400 miles they are blown and I start to feel the hot spots (soreness) in feet, legs, knees. Immediately after getting in new shoes the pains subside.  Well, I pushed it with this last pair. I went well over 600 miles in them and the hot spots became bothersome. It was unwise to push it. My advice for this week… just get the new shoes. I usually have to get in new shoes every 2-3 months and have to accept it! Changing out shoes is better than causing long lasting damage!

The writer of RunningRunners contacted me for an interview… you can check it out at: http://www.runningrunners.net/featured-posts/from-over-340lbs-to-running-ultramarathons-the-drew-brazier-interview/

2011 was an exciting year! First, we had our 3rd little child… Lincoln!!! He is about as fun as they come! I was able to spend several runs with a fantastic running friend, Todd. I couldn’t pay enough for what he taught me! Ran some fun races and began prepping for some 100 milers in 2012. I changed my plans for 2012 a bit. I will still be doing the Trudge in Feb and Buffalo 100 in March. I will probably be doing Quad Rock 50 in May (so no Solstice this year). I am not doing the Wasatch, I found the Steamboat 100 to be appealing and close to home!!!

So, last year’s total mileage was 3,080. I feel it was a solid effort! Nearly double the total of 2010! Let’s see what 2012 has to say!

(Todd and I)

Running is meant to be adventurous. However, the invention of the treadmill took the adventure out of it for most. Adventures come in all shapes, sizes, elevations, speeds, and temperatures, and if I am running 6 days a week I need some variation.

When people ask  me about my training in the cold they express concern that I might die. They state that the following will happen: frostbite, possibly die from my lungs freezing, hypothermia,  pneumonia (kind of weird), any many other random ideas.

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