By: Brendan Brazier

As you are probably aware, commercial versions of many sport nutrition products are not always the healthiest option. Commonly packed with artificial flavours, refined carbohydrates, denatured proteins and sometimes even harmful fats, I certainly did not want to consume anything that did not put overall health first. Some commercial options are not as bad as they once were; however, I like to know exactly what goes into mine and keep them completely natural. I opt to make my own. Whole food energy bars, sport drinks, energy gels, energy pudding, post workout recovery drink, whole food meal replacement smoothie and even performance pancakes – all part of my specific sport nutrition program.

Immediately Before Exercise

The body’s first choice for fuel during intense exercise is simple carbohydrate. However, once the body has burned all the simple carbohydrate available it will then opt for available complex carbohydrates. It is in the best interest of the athlete to ensure the body is provided with enough simple carbohydrate to fuel activity so that complex carbohydrate is not relied upon. If the body has to resort to burning complex carbohydrate while exercising at a high intensity it will have to use extra energy in order to convert the complex carbohydrate into simple carbohydrate. Additionally, if too much protein is eaten before intense exercise it will likely cause muscle cramping due to the fact that it requires more fluid to be metabolized than does carbohydrate or fat. Also, protein in not what you want to have your body burning for fuel. Protein is for building muscle, not fueling it. When protein is consumed in place of carbohydrate immediately before exercise, and therefore burned as fuel, it burns “dirty,” meaning that toxins are created as a result of its combustion. The production and elimination of toxins is of course a stress on the body and as such causes a stress response. Ultimately endurance will decline.

Pre-Workout Snack

For a pre-exercise snack, the most important factor is digestibility. If the food eaten shortly before a training session or race requires a large amount of energy to digest, it will of course leave the body with less, the last thing needed before exercise. Additionally, hard-to-breakdown food will require more blood be sent to the stomach to aid in the digestion process. Of course when blood is in the stomach it can’t be in the extremities delivering oxygen and removing waste products, which is a requirement for optimal physical performance. It is also not uncommon for a “stitch” to occur in the diaphragm area if food has not been digested completely before a workout or race, especially an intense one, begins.

For high-intensity shorter training and racing, it is beneficial to fuel up on simple carbohydrate. The healthiest source of this is fruit. Dates are a good choice since they are rich in a simple carbohydrate called glucose. Glucose goes straight to the liver for immediate energy. The body does not have to convert it to a different form to utilize, making glucose-rich-foods the ideal primary fuel before or during a high-intensity workout. However, it burns quickly, meaning that if glucose is the only carbohydrate source, it will have to be replenished about every 20 minutes after 1 hour of intense activity to keep the body adequately fueled.

If I’m going to perform a mid range to longer workout that lasts up to 3 hours, but is still quite intense or compete in a race such as a marathon, I will have a nutritionally balanced raw bar. In addition to the dates, I include a small amount of alkaline protein, usually raw hemp, and an EFA source such as ground flax seeds or soaked almonds for prolonged, high net gain energy. In my first book, The Thrive Diet, I also include recipes for sport drinks, energy gels and recovery smoothies.

Try this recipe before your next run.

Chocolate Blueberry Energy Bars

These nutrient-packed bars are easy to make and offer a convenient way to carry whole food nutrition with you.

1 cup fresh or soaked dates
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup cocao powder
1/4 cup ground flaxseed*
1/4 cup hemp protein powder*
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Sea salt to taste

1/2 cup sprouted or cooked buckwheat (optional)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

In a food processor, process all ingredients except the buckwheat and frozen blueberries. Knead buckwheat and berries into mixture by hand.

To shape as bars, flatten the mixture on the clean surface with your hands. Place plastic wrap over top; with a rolling pin, roll mixture to desired bar thickness. Cut mixture into bars.

Alternatively, form mixture into a brick; cut as though slicing bread.

Makes approximately 12 50-gram bars.
* For even greater nutrient value, ground flax and hemp protein can be substituted on a 1:1 ratio with Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion or, better yet, Vega Whole Food Meal Replacement.

Brendan Brazier is a former professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author on performance nutrition, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called VEGA. He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

www.brendanbrazier.com

By: Dr. Cindy Lewis

Running is a repetitive, straight line sport. This means the same motion is repeated over and over again. As a result, muscular imbalances are created over time and the ultimate result is an overuse injury. There are many ways in which a runner can minimize the chances of sustaining overuse injuries, one of which is participating in an appropriate strength training program throughout the year. One of the principles of any exercise program is specificity. This applies to a runner strength training program as well. It must be designed with the goal in mind – for a runner to increase strength, improve performance in running, and to avoid developing muscular imbalance due to running.

All results-oriented training programs involve changing key variables over time in order to maximize results while balancing overload and recovery. This should be taken into account when designing a strength training program for running, just as it is when designing the actual running program. The program should go from a generalized macrocyle, or annual training plan, and broken down into progressively smaller pieces. The strength training program should in way that is parallel to your running program. For example, when you are in the base training phase of your running program, you should be in the general training phase of your strength training program. As you get into more specific run workouts as you approach race season, your strength training program should follow suit.

The evolution of the strength training program over the course of the training season is called “periodization”. Periodization is a method of building on previous goals or abilities and the gradual cycling of blocks of time in which specificity, intensity, and training volume are varied to achieve peak levels of fitness.

One way to break down a strength training program is into five cycles. Each cycle has a specific physiological goal and builds on the results of the previous cycle. It is important to follow the order of the cycles and give one’s body adequate time to adapt and gain strength within each cycle before moving on the next one. If this sequence is advanced too quickly, the potential for injury increases. The following describes five suggested cycles that can act as a guideline when a runner is designing a strength training program which corresponds to their own specific running program:

1. General Strength Training (Base) – 3 to 5 weeks
The goal of this phase is to improve basic overall strength. This early phase of strength training creates the foundation on which more intense and specific strength exercises are performed later in the program. Strength training in this phase is recommended at 2 to 3 times per week, with 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 18 repetitions. Exercises in this phase should be more general in nature and focus on large muscle groups. Examples include push ups, squats, and lunges.

2. Run specific Muscle Emphasis (strength, power) – 3 to 5 weeks
In this phase, the goal is to put more focus on strengthening the muscles specific to running. This will increase the athlete’s power level and prepare the muscles and connective tissue for plyometric exercises which will be included in the next cycles. Examples of exercises included in this phase include step ups and single leg squats.

3. Run specific Movement Emphasis (power, sharpening) – 3 to 5 weeks
This phase introduces plyometric exercises, which are high intensity exercises that closely mimic motions that are involved in running.

General strength and run specific strength exercises should still be included in the program once per week at this point. Strength training should be done a total of twice per week at this stage.

4. Fine Tuning (Sharpening) – 2 to 3 weeks
The goal of this phase is to pick out the athletes specific weaknesses in the sport and work on them. The athlete should have achieved their peak by the end of this phase.

5. Maintenance
The maintenance phase takes place throughout the racing season. The goal is to maintain the level of strength the athlete has gained from the previous cycles for the duration of the race season. Workout sessions are short, emphasizing quality rather than quantity.
Strength training frequency should be once per week, incorporating exercises from general strength, run specific strength and plyometrics.

An appropriate strength training program is an integral part of any endurance training program. When done properly, strength training will help an athlete avoid injuries but also increase their strength, fitness and ultimately their performance. The key will be to ensure the program is specific for running, takes into account the athletes individual goals and abilities, and is progressed with proper cycles of specific overload and recovery. The phases suggested above will help in designing the progression of exercises and intensity over time.

Dr. Cindy Lewis is a Chiropractor, Personal Training and Endurance Coach at Absolute Endurance Training and Therapy in Toronto. Absolute Endurance is a facility dedicated to helping athletes achieve peak performance through endurance coaching, sport specific strength and conditioning, VO2max and lactate testing, Chiropractic and A.R.T, physiotherapy, massage therapy, nutrition services and more. For more information, contact Cindy by email or visit www.absoluteendurance.com

This time last year, and forever before that, I ran three times a week. It was my max. Any more than three runs and I became disenchanted with it, I got bored, my legs got tired, etc etc etc.

Last winter, when I buckled down and started training for the Ottawa Marathon, I upped my runs for four per week. For the first month or so, my legs were pretty much constantly fatigued. Of course, I questioned my ability (Maybe I’m only *meant* to run three times a week!). Eventually (and really, in not too long), my legs accustomed and four times a week became my preferred number.

I’ve upped it again, to five runs a week, plus one bike ride. That makes six cardio/leg workouts a week. I’ve been doing this for going on three weeks and guess what? My legs are tired. Why, just yesterday I ran the longest and slowest 7k I have ever run! (Granted, it was all – seriously – uphill.) This time, I expected the fatigue. And I know that my runs will slow down for the next week or so, until my legs get stronger and then I’ll reap the benefits of a more vigorous training program. I recognize why my runs are slower, why my legs are tired.

That said, I haven’t really had a great run in a while. The heat and fatigue are adding up. Aside from yesterday’s sweaty run, I ran 16k on Friday. Armed with water and a gel pack, I still finished on the slower end of my LSD pace.

It’s just summer, I know, and come fall, when the cool breeze hits, I’ll be flying* again.

*Relatively speaking, of course!

Mizuno is proud to sponsor Brendan as he travels the world promoting a Vegan lifestyle. Brendan has written many books our members may find interesting and his latest – Foods to Thrive On, contains great recipes and his approach to nutrition.

Brendan Brazier is a former professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author on performance nutrition, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called VEGA. He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

www.brendanbrazier.com

Mizuno is proud to support Steve Boyd, owner of Physi-Kult running club in Kingston, On and Track & Field coach at Queen’s University.

Steve’s aim in founding Physi-Kult as a local all-ages running group, and now as a web-based coaching service, has been to share with the broader running community his own passion for life-long, competitive distance running, and to offer some of the expertise he has gained from a life spent in balanced pursuit of maximum personal performance. His experience as both coach and athlete has convinced him that serious, lifelong running can be life-enhancing for anyone, and much more so when the pitfalls of repeated injury and stagnation are avoided.

Running is most fulfilling when pursued seriously, and for life; but, this is not possible if the bases for long term consistency are not established. As someone who has run at or very near the peak of his abilities continuously from childhood to middle age, he believes he has discovered, through both research and personal experience, many of the bases for successful, long-term participation in the sport.

For more information on Steve, including a little more on his approach to running, see the “Bio” pages. For ongoing and extended commentaries on running and coaching, see his latest offerings in the “Blog” section. If you think you might be interested in my coaching services, see the details under the “Programs” section.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

GRANT: I just finished a great great book.

VICKY: Oh yeah, which one was it?

GRANT: Feet in the Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession by Richard Askwith.  It is an amazing book written by a runner/journalist from London who takes on the hills of England and explores the unique culture of Fell Running.

VICKY: What’s “Fell Running”?

GRANT: It is a fascinatingly unique type of running that originated in Northern Britain.  It is also known as mountain running or hill running and it is a crazy sport where people run straight up and then straight down a hill or mountain.  Some of the greatest are either famous for their speed of ascents and others are known as “the crazies” for their descents.  It’s difficult to finish a season healthy.

VICKY: That sounds really cool.  So, you know me, I Googled it!  I found this really cool video of Fell Running in Scotland. Check it out:  Fell Running.

GRANT: The really neat part of the book is the autobiographical aspect as much of the book revolves around the author’s obsession with completing the “Bob Graham Round” which is a 42 peak challenge that runners try to complete in under 24 hours.

VICKY: Now that sounds like a challenge. I LOVE these 24 hour challenge races!

GRANT: Yes, and then some.  It’s 128 kilometers long and over 8 kilometers in altitude plus the orienteering challenge.   This book will hook you.

VICKY: I should read this.  It’s very timely as you and I have registered for the “Run for the Toad” 25K trail race.  That’s my first major trail race and a huge challenge both physically and emotionally.

GRANT: More to follow in future posts about our Toad adventure!  For now, just read the book.  It will inspire you for the Toad training.

Oh hi….

So, I’ve been sooooo busy. Super busy! I’ve been… um…..

OK! OK! I haven’t been THAT busy, just lazy. Writing lazy, not running lazy, though.

I’ve started training for the Army Half and I’ve been coaching my run clinic and I’ve been biking/swimming once a week with Steve in the frigid Atlantic Ocean and, well, this summer has been really rad so far.

My kids are at an awesome age. They aren’t babies! There are no diapers! They can eat on the fly and I don’t have to feed them! For heaven’s sake, they eat carrots as their post-swimming lessons snack everyday and then ask for more!!!

We’ve been at the beach and we’ve been riding bikes and there’s mini-golf and visits to friends at campgrounds and staying up late.

This summer has been a big deep breath of rejuvenation, that’s what it’s been. So, sorry for not writing more – but I am keeping track of my miles, and even starting to clock a few now that I’ve reinstated my Friday long runs (16k this week).

But, readers, I have a question for you. Or maybe it’s just a quest for reassurance.

I want to break two hours at the Army Half in September. That requires shaving five minutes off my previous time. And THAT requires speed training.

I…. I really really hate speed training. And… I’ve never really done it. Sure, I’ve done two or three weeks of it, but I’ve never actually stuck with it for long enough periods to see the benefits. Because it hurts and my brain is all WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? when I sprint.

In a testament of my husband’s love for me, we’ve decided to speed train together on Wednesdays from now until the race. (Seriously, this is a man with thick skin and a stubborn streak.)

Today we did 4x250metres. And then I cried. No, seriously, I cried. Not because of the pain but because of the anger and frustration. Because it’s hard and it makes me feel like a crappy runner and I don’t know, because I worry that maybe deep down I don’t have the strength to do it?

It’s so silly, because I *know* that all winter I was writing about pushing limits and testing boundaries and for me, that’s really easy to do on long runs or hill repeats, but grunting it out – on a track or for a personal best 5k – that’s where it’s really, really difficult.

So don’t do it then, my husband said to me. Run your two hour half marathons and enjoy it. But if you *want* to be faster, if you want to get better – this is what you have to do. And he’s RIGHT, of course he is, and I’m not satisfied to run my two hour half marathons only because I know that there is more in me. I’m just not entirely sure how to find it.

So tell me – does it get easier? Does it get better?

(Please say yes.)

The #1 Golfer in the World and Mizuno brand ambassador, Luke Donald shares his thoughts on Mizuno shoes after recently winning the Scottish Open:

“I wear the Wave Nexus 5 model. I don’t run long distances, no more than 20-minutes usually. Most of the running I do is on a treadmill – and usually consists of sprint bouts. It helps me keep in shape for walking the golf course! My caddie John also wears Mizuno!

A quick shout out to all my Canadian fans who gave me such a warm welcome at the RBC Canadian Open this past week, thanks for your support!”

– Luke Donald