Title: In A Single Bound:  Losing My Leg, Finding Myself And Training For Life
Author: Sarah Reinertsen with Alan Goldsher
Publisher: Lyons Press
Pages: 222
Price: $18.95 CAN / $16.95 US

“It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven’t done badly. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.” ~ Stephen Hawking

VICKY:  What would you do if you were born with a physical disability? I like to think that I’m a positive person and that I wouldn’t be that different than who I am now. Having said that, it’s much easier for me to say that because I’ve never had to deal and live with that kind of life event.

GRANT:  I’m not sure either how I would cope with that kind of loss but I suppose it may be easier for a person to be born with a disability than to lose a limb later in life when you’ve had the benefit of using it. To me, that would be worse.

VICKY:  I think in any case, it’s all about perspective and attitude. The inspiring Stephen Hawking has this to say about learning of his disability at the age of 21:

“The realisation that I had an incurable disease, that was likely to kill me in a few  years, was a bit of a shock. How could something like that happen to me? Why  should I be cut off like this? However, while I had been in hospital, I had seen  a boy I vaguely knew die of leukaemia, in the bed opposite me. It had not been a  pretty sight. Clearly there were people who were worse off than me. At least my  condition didn’t make me feel sick. Whenever I feel inclined to be sorry for  myself I remember that boy.”

GRANT:  When you read Sarah’s book, did you get a sense she had that same attitude about being born with proximal femoral focal deficiency?

VICKY:  Well, I think when you are born with a disability, your parents play a huge role in how you view yourself and the world around you. Here’s an excerpt from page 8 of her book where she talks about her mother to illustrate this:

 “She’d tell me, ‘You can’t do anything about it. It’s not something that can be fixed with cough syrup. Go out and play, and have fun, and don’t worry about it.’ She also compared my leg to my dad’s glasses. ‘Your father needs his glasses to see, just like you need your brace to walk. It’s no big deal.”

GRANT:  That’s amazing because I’m sure it’s difficult for the parent too.

VICKY:  Yes, also at p. 8 she talked about how other parents would:

“…put them in long dresses in order to hide the handicap, almost instilling in them shame about their missing leg.”

GRANT:  Times were different in the mid-seventies. Thank gawd parents have access to so much information and resources nowadays.

VICKY:  Exactly. They are far less isolated than in the past. Of course this is also thanks to individuals like Sarah who have paved the way and shown the world they are just like everyone else and quite capable of completing an Ironman for example.

GRANT:  Let’s talk about that. How did she even get the idea of doing a triathlon?

VICKY:  Ah, I’m keeping that for the next post! Stay tuned…

Two main goals of post-exercise recovery nutrition are 1) to restore muscle and liver glycogen, and 2) to aid protein balance, help with muscle tissue repair and enhance protein synthesis (We’ll get to rehydration next time). But here’s the thing: You don’t always use a lot of carbohydrate or damage a lot of muscle during exercise. And sometimes your body has enough time after a workout that it doesn’t need carbs and protein right away. Simply put, there is a time and a place to really get technical about carb and protein intake between workouts.

You don’t always need to crush a recovery shake 30 minutes after a workout.

Taking in carbs and protein 30 minutes or less after a hard workout is only necessary if your next hard session is happening less than 24 hours later. A 2011 review article states that if you have more than 24 hours to recover after a hard exercise session, “the types, pattern and timing of carbohydrate-rich meals and snacks can be chosen according to what is practical and enjoyable.” In other words, you still want to take in a higher amount of carbs than if it had been an easy workout, but when you have it, and what you have, is up to you. Some athletes still find they feel better if they have something substantial soon after a hard workout, but you don’t have to feel like you’ve “wasted the workout” if you wait a bit.

If you do have two hard workouts scheduled less than a day apart:

This is where you can pay attention to a few details right after exercise in order to maximize recovery, and performance in the next session:

– Take in about 1.2 grams of carbs per kg body mass as soon as possible after the workout in order to maximize early glycogen resynthesis. For an 80-kg athlete, that’s about 100 grams of carbs.

– If you’re not able to get up to 1.2 g of carbs per kg, include some protein. This will result in better glycogen storage than if you had only carbs. Protein also helps with muscle repair and protein balance. Your body can’t use much more than about 20 grams of protein at any one time for recovery, so you don’t need any more than that in your post-workout nutrition. An ideal recovery drink will have about 3-4 times as much carbs as protein.

– If you don’t want to have 100 grams of carbs all at once (I don’t blame you), try taking in smaller amounts more frequently (like two servings of 50 grams over the first hour). This may actually result in slightly better refueling. Again, a recovery shake is a great option because it can be ready as soon as you need it, and you can sip it throughout the first hour or so after exercise.

– Moderate- to high-glycaemic index carbohydrates are better for ensuring maximal glycogen storage.

– Caffeine might help increase glycogen resynthesis…but if it keeps you up until all hours of the night, that hard workout the next morning may not go very well.

Periodized nutrition: You don’t need to crush a recovery shake after a big race.

Proper daily nutrition is always important. But there are times when nutrition for recovery and performance should be more of a priority than others. For example, you don’t need to worry too much about recovery nutrition after a big race like a marathon. Chances are quite low that you’ll be jumping into another big race or workout within 24 hours.

Just as you (most people) wouldn’t run 80 km every week, you also don’t have to always eat lots of carbs. Recommendations for daily carb intake can range from 3 to 12 grams per kg per day, depending on how much training you’re doing. If you are enjoying a period of low-intensity base running, you can get by with less carbohydrate. But if you’re into a high-volume or high-intensity period like a training camp or a marathon leadup, your diet may need a temporary carb-lift. This has to be an individual thing, but in general, increase carbs when training volume increases, and decrease when training volume decreases.

For protein, the same basic idea applies, but with a tighter range. The minimum recommended amount is usually not much less than 1 gram per kg per day (80 grams for an 80kg athlete). This is an amount to shoot for under light or normal training conditions. Then when you’re into the “meat and potatoes” or your training, increase that by 20% or so. But even the craziest endurance athlete during the craziest period of training won’t need more than about 1.5 grams per kg. The best way to do it seems to be to eat multiple 20-gram amounts of protein at a time. So if you need 80 grams of protein, four 20-gram servings throughout the day is your best bet.

Next time: Fluid and electrolytes for rehydration after exercise.

References

Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SHS, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011;29(Suppl 1):17-27.

Rodriguez NR, DiMarco NM, Langley S. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dieticians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(3):509-27.

Tarnopolsky M. Protein requirements for endurance athletes. Nutrition. 2004;20(7-8):662-8.

By: Magi Scallion

We all know how important training is, and nothing can substitute for a good hard workout or the “trials of miles” as they say in the book “Once a Runner.” However, it is also critically important to take care of yourself following the hard exertions to make sure they’re absorbed properly into your body.

First and foremost:  Put on dry clothes. I participate in a winter sport (cross country skiing) and the top skier in the world have their coaches meet them at the finish line and they change into a clean and dry bra, shirt and jacket within 5 minutes of finishing. We don’t all of have the luxury of a coach at the finish line with our clothes, but we can make sure that we have a clean and dry set waiting in the car for as soon as we’re doing our cool down. Then your body can spend energy recovering and not trying to stay warm.

Secondly: Eat something! There are lots of great recovery products out there, from drinks to bars to turkey sandwiches. The key is having a good amount of protein mixed with some carbohydrate. Remember your relative calorie expenditure (there is no need to eat a 600 calorie bar if you’ve only run for 30 minutes) but make sure you take in some good quality food within 30 minutes of stopping exercise.

Finally: Drink up! You should be consuming some water or sport drink throughout your workout but definitely make sure that you top up the stores once you finish. I am normally ravenously thirsty and can easily drink the half-litre of water I keep in my car. Fluids will help your circulation and recovery.

These have been my empirical observations of what really helps. Of course napping, stretching, and a full night’s sleep are also important but not all of us have that luxury with other things on the to-do list. Try these recommendations out over the course of the winter, when it’s really important to take care of yourself and see if it helps!

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

There are some out there who say that the treadmill is an antiquated piece of equipment, and that plodding along on one is about as exciting as listening to “pink noise”.  I, on the other hand, say that one of the best investments … ( yes you are reading correctly…I used the word “investments” ) I have ever made was my treadmill.

I have to tell you that I took a long time to come to the realization that investing in a “gym quality” treadmill was good for me… there were many factors to consider, and I hope by taking you through the process you will be able to determine if one fits your training regime too.

The first questions you need to ask yourself…

Do I have space for a treadmill ?
Do I live in an area where the weather restricts my training ?
Do I hate going to the fitness club ?
Do I have the discipline to use a treadmill as part of my training ?

If you answered “yes” to the above questions then you may well be a treadmill owner in waiting.

So, let’s say you have the space for a treadmill…and by space I mean a room in your house that has a window to let in some fresh air, a secure floor system…and a door to keep out the pets… fluffy and scruffy are not meant to be anywhere near a treadmill when you are on it…period.  Oh, and the unfinished, musty basement, next to the furnace is not a good place for a treadmill either.  If you are an apartment or condo dweller, there may be some issues with noise … just sayin’.

I live in a region known as “ THE SNOW BELT”. The weather is sometimes dangerous to run in…and I am a bit of a “wuss” when it comes to running in the winter… look, the point is that I know that I am a “fair weather runner”, and although there is nothing better than hearing the “crunch” of snow under foot…I just don’t like to run in -20C…and besides, the potential for injury while running in slippery conditions is greatly increased in the winter months…safety first !!!

I also live in the “MIDDLE OF NOWHERE” and although our community has grown over the past 20 years ( hey we now have hydro and running water ),  the closest fitness club was still a good 40 min drive … one way !!!

Finally, the big question…do I have the discipline to use the treadmill as part of my training…am I actually going to use the treadmill to train on… and not have it be a glorified clothes rack.

A treadmill is a great training supplement, and not a replacement for running outdoors.  A treadmill is great for speed work, intervals, and if you are new to the whole “minimalist running thing” it’s a great way to work on your form and focus on a controlled mid-food strike.  I never spend more than 30-40 min on my treadmill…and I never use it for anything longer than a 8k -10k workout.

Now, selecting a good quality treadmill is a major commitment…here are some tips.

Be prepared to invest time into researching your purchase. Do your homework…purchase from a fitness equipment store, with people who know the brands and features.  Stay away from the “big box” stores…let’s face it, “Jimmy from hardware” isn’t going to be much help to you when you start to ask questions about deck suspensions or motor systems.

Stay away from the “bells and whistles” like a built in fan, reading light, mp3 player and bar fridge… although the bar fridge is a nice … um, never- mind…

Look for and compare several “brand name- commercial quality” treadmills.  Select a treadmill that you can grow with because as you get to be a stronger runner you will want to push your workouts.

Most fitness equipment stores will have interest free financing available…it’s a good option to take advantage of if that is your desire.  Just pay it off in the time required or they can charge you some crazy interest rates.

Here are some key features to look for:

-a full size 20” x 60” cushioned running deck… ( a folding deck if space is an issue ).
-a 3HP “continuous duty” motor… ( bargain models have a 2.75HP peak motor ).
-a speed range of .5mph to 12mph…( most low end machines max out at 10mph ).
-a 15% power assisted incline… ( most low end machines  – 10% incline ).
-8 or more workout settings with an option to customize and save your own workouts.
-a large easy to read LED or back-lit LCD display.
-a lifetime frame / motor warranty / 5 year on all other parts is usually standard… ( most warranties exclude “wear and tear” items like belts and treads ).

Be prepared to spend some $$$ on a “gym quality” unit…and remember, you get what you pay for. For example, my treadmill was purchased in 1999, and I know it was nearly a $2,500.00 purchase. It still works great for me, and aside from replacing a fuse and a motor belt, it has been a worry free purchase.  It is a convenient way for me to squeeze in a few workouts during the week when time is tight and the weather is crappy. If my math is correct, It has cost me around $18.00 / month to own and maintain over the years … a real bargain when compared to a health club membership.

In the end, I know that a treadmill isn’t for everyone, I know that it doesn’t replace good honest outdoor training.  I have found it to be a good supplement to my workouts, and a help to my overall regime.  I guess what I am saying is if a treadmill is for you, then don’t cheap out, get a good one.