Filles de Fer

Interesting little tidbit that I learned the other day, courtesy of Cap’s roommate (who is in PT school): running on the indoor banked track during the winter is bad for my IT band, and a treadmill set at an incline is better for me!

His reasoning: the banked track, as well as the curvature of the track (since most gyms force people to run/walk/jog in the same direction and alternate by days) makes an uneven surface for my footsteps. This lack of balance is not so great for the knees, especially the IT band.

 I had no clue about this, but it makes a lot of sense - last winter/spring, I trained almost exclusively by running on an indoor track at my gym, and I had some pretty awful IT band problems during/after the Flying Pig 1/2 marathon. In contrast, almost all of my training for Chicago was outdoors, on roads, and my IT band issues disappeared.

I hate treadmills, but I’ll do whatever I can to prevent injuries. Plus, Cincinnati is a very hilly marathon, and I can play with incline to simulate hills - something I can’t do on the track or on the Chicago roads.

Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.
Try to be better than yourself.
William Faulkner

Got milk?  Milk–  It does the body good!!!  Peak bone mass is 30 yrs old…so get as much as you can before it’s too late!

Who runs in circles never gets far.
Thornton W. Burgess

I’m getting sick of this winter weather! This week’s running goal is to find some way to break up the monotony of running on a 1/8 mile track. I might take a break from building my mileage and do some interval and speed training plus a bit of “hill” work on the stairmill.

The Best Food for Runners:  Next time you are out shopping don’t forget to add these to the cart!  “The 15 foods runners need every week for good health and top performance!”

Almonds                                                       Salmon

 Eggs                                                             Whole-grain bread

 Sweet potatoes                                          Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables

Whole-grain cereal with Protein              Whole-Grain Pasta

Oranges                                                        Chicken

Canned Black Beans                                    Frozen mixed berries

Mixed Salad Greens                                   Dark chocolate

Low-fat yogurt

For complete article : http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-301–10200-0,00.html?cm_mmc=nutrition-_-2008_02_07-_-nutrition-_-SHOPPING%3a%20Best%20Foods%20for%20Runners

Jogging is very beneficial. It’s good for your legs and your feet. It’s also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.
Charles Schulz

I wish the ground wasn’t so icy and the air wasn’t so cold. I miss running outside.

Kudos to Mayor Daley for making Chicago a safer place to be a cyclist! I’m not out on the streets yet (it’s way too cold/icy/snowy!), but when sprintime comes around, I’m happy to know that my bicycle commute will be a little bit safer. Well, either it’ll be safer or the people who make it unsafe will have to pay up!

Daley introduced an ordinance to slap fines ranging from $150 to $500 on motorists who turn left or right in front of someone on a bicycle; pass with less than 3 feet of space between car and bike; and open a vehicle door into the path of a cyclist.

Check out the story at http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-councilfeb07,0,4949760.story

Today’s amusements brought to you by the folks at marriedtothesea.com

Slash the Fat! 

 When baking foods such as cakes or cookies, cut the fat by substituting applesauce for the butter or margarine.  Trust me it works and most can’t even tell the difference!  It’s healthy, makes the cake, cookies, etc more moist, and therefore in my opinion, makes the food taste better.  Now you can indulge in your favorite treats without the guilt!

The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare.
Bobby Knight