AORTA Posts 2022

AORTA News: December 26th, 2022

2022 Last Chance 5K/10K Run
Looking for one last end-of-the-year group run, or trying to log the last few miles to make it into the coveted 600 or 1200 mile club? Here’s your chance to do so! There will be a 5K or 10K route that you could modify to reach your goals! Meet at our normal group run location.
Date: Saturday, December 31, 2022
Location: TCBY (next to Kroger), Auburn, AL
Time: 6:00 AM

2023 New Year’s Resolution Run
Join fellow runners as we ring in the New Year for an early morning… ok, not so early, New Year’s run! We’ll kick off the run from our normal Saturday run location. You can choose either a 3M or 5M route, links below.
Date: Sunday, January 01, 2023
Location: TCBY (next to Kroger), Auburn, AL
Time: 7:00 AM
2023 Resolution 3M
2023 Resolution 5M

Weekly Whimsy

A Practice Race Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Ashley Mateo, Runner's World

In 2020, when I was planning to run the Tokyo Marathon, I wasn’t nervous about finishing the 26.2 miles. I was nervous about the variables I couldn’t control. That included the 17-hour flight to get to Japan from the U.S., a 15-hour time difference, and the diet upheaval that come with international travel. So, I decided a practice race was in order.

With a practice race before my goal race, I could test out some of those variables and see how I would react without worrying about my goal pace.

Three weeks before hitting the starting line in Tokyo, I flew to Israel to run the Dead Sea Half Marathon. It was an eye-opening training benchmark, one that made me rethink how many days I’d need to adjust to the time change, what food I’d need to bring with me, and what new mental strategies I’d need to put into play come race day.

Granted, the Tokyo Marathon ended up getting canceled in 2020 when I was set to run, but coaches agree that runners should have a practice race in their marathon training cycle.

“The more you can experience in races that aren’t your ‘A’ race, the more comfortable you’ll get in a race scenario, so you can be on top of your game on ‘A’ race day,” says Meghan Kennihan, a USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Western Springs, Illinois.

The Benefits of a Practice Race Before Your Goal Race
One of the biggest benefits to a practice race is the fact that you get to practice your goal race day from start to finish, says Amanda Nurse, an elite runner and running coach based in Boston.

Not only does it help you get accustomed to the adrenaline and the crowds of runners and spectators, “practice races also allow you to hone your build-up to race day,” says Kennihan. You can use a practice race to figure out what dinner works for you the night before, how much sleep you need, and what kind of prerace fuel will keep you energized but not uncomfortable.

You can also practice strategies for dealing with the anxiety, discomfort, and nervous energy that comes up on the starting line or during races. “Use practice races to try out new mental strategies, like visualizations, games, or positive mantras,” says Nurse. “Anything can happen on race day—if you’ve had practice racing, you won’t be as rocked by an unforeseen issue.”

Practice races can also serve up benchmarks for your training. For example, if you’re trying to run a four-hour marathon, you should be able to finish a half marathon in under two hours.

Whether you run a practice race at the start of your training or as a tune-up during training, “practice races will tell you how close you are to your goal pace per mile,” says Kennihan.

How to Determine the Distance of Your Practice Race
If you’re marathon training, any race distance below 26.2 could easily fit into your training. You can use a shorter race as part of a long run, which not only makes the miles pass by faster, but it can simulate how your body will feel in the second half of a marathon—especially if you run your extra miles beforehand, says Nurse. (For example, if you sign up for a half marathon and have 18 miles on your schedule, you can run the extra five miles before you get to the starting line.)

For longer races, every distance presents a different challenge, even shorter runs. “5Ks and 10Ks are great because you’re inevitably running faster than your half marathon or marathon pace and [they] act as great speed workouts,” says Nurse. But both Kennihan and Nurse recommend at least two practice half marathons for those with a goal marathon in mind. “One at half marathon pace, so you get used to a faster pace than the marathon shuffle, and one where you run your goal marathon pace so that you can hone in that and practice your hydration and nutrition,” says Kennihan.

Keep in mind, practice races are smart for shorter-distance goals, too. “If you’re training for a 5K or 10K, you can do the whole race distance but just run part of that race at your goal race pace,” says Kennihan. “You can run the first few miles as a warmup, and the last few at goal pace.” Not only does that get you comfortable with the distance, but it helps you pick up the pace where it counts—at the end of the race.

When to Run a Practice Race
Practice races can be used throughout your goal race training cycle. “At the start of your training, it’s a great idea to run a benchmark race to establish where you’re at,” says Nurse.

“The resulting time can help you or your coach establish goal paces, but it also provides a lot of insight into how you race: Did you go out really fast and hit a wall? Were you consistent but didn’t push yourself to your max? Did you get cramps that held you back? etc.” These are all elements that can inform your training.

If you’re running multiple practice races throughout your training cycle, stick to one practice race per month, says Nurse. That gives you time for up to four races in a typical marathon cycle—but remember that you’ll need time to recover properly. “A good rule of thumb is that for every race mile you run, you need one day to recover. If you race a half marathon, you should plan on needing 13 to 14 days to recover completely from that race effort,” she says.

You also want to leave enough time to recover before your goal race. “I usually have athletes run a practice race at least two weeks out from a 5K, three weeks out from a half marathon, and four weeks out from a marathon,” says Kennihan. That gives you time to taper before your race too, which is super important for that goal race victory.

Link to Runner’s World Article

Quote of the Week

“Running is about finding

your inner peace,

and so is a life well lived.”

- Dean Karnazes

Video of the Week

How To Run 100 Miles (28:13)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

AORTA Custom Headbands and Headlamps For Sale!
The 600/1200 Mile awardees received theirs. Now get your own! The fall season is just around the corner along with cooler weather and darker mornings. Be safe during those early AM runs with your AORTA club headlamp! This isn’t a cheap knock-off, but a CREE headlamp with high, low and strobe modes, an adjustable tilt housing, and comfortable padded headband to safely view the path ahead. As the temperatures start to drop, your ears will thank you when you wear this quality AORTA embroidered fleece headband. Both items will be available for sale at our Saturday group runs. Quantities are limited so get yours before they're gone!

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!
RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.

Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.

Water Stop Volunteers Needed
Water stop signs and coolers are available at the following location: 1536 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL. (Thank you Adahli Massey!). Coolers and signs can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 8AM-4PM and on Fridays from 8AM-12 noon. Items are in the room next to the back door. If you are unable to pick up supplies on these dates/times, e-mail clemster@aol.com to make alternative arrangements (we deliver!).

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: December 19th, 2022

Dec 24th Christmas Eve Morning Reindeer Run!
*** All Runners /Walkers Welcome! ***

Come and celebrate this Christmas Eve with a morning group run! Choose to run, jog, or walk 3.2, 4.9, or 9.8 miles your choice. We’ll kick off the run at 6:00 AM!
Date: Saturday, December 24, 2022
Location: TCBY (next to Kroger), Auburn, AL
Time: 6:00 AM

Weekly Whimsy

How Exercise TIming Affects Your Blood Sugar
Elizabeth Millard, Runner's World

A new study published in the journal Diabetologia suggests that when you exercise can play a significant role in blood sugar management.

Participants who worked out in the afternoon and evening had 18 and 25 percent reductions in insulin resistance, respectively. Morning exercisers saw no reduction.

Keep in mind that any exercise—no matter what time of day you do it—can help with prediabetes and diabetes management, but talk to your doctor before starting a new routine.

Those with prediabetes and diabetes are often encouraged to exercise, and for good reason. Research has linked more activity with better condition management.

But there’s a caveat: Because exercise makes the body more sensitive to insulin, it can increase the risk of blood sugar dropping too low. This is why the American Diabetes Association recommends checking blood sugar more often before and after working out to understand how your body is responding to exercise.

In addition to that strategy, new research published in Diabetologia suggests that the time of day you work out may be another significant factor in better blood sugar control.

Researchers looked at 775 men and women aged 45 to 65 years old, who were given a fitness tracker and placed into one of three groups for exercise timing: morning, afternoon, and evening.

They found no changes to insulin resistance—which happens when your body doesn’t respond as it should to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar—for morning exercisers, but improvements in the other two groups. Those who performance moderate to vigorous physical activity in the afternoon had 18 percent lower insulin resistance and the evening group fared even better, with a 25 percent reduction in insulin resistance.

“Our results suggest that in the first place, it’s important to be physically active, and in addition, the time of day may be of further importance for optimal metabolic health,” the study’s lead author, Jeroen van der Velde, Ph.D., researcher at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, told Bicycling.

These results fall in line with previous research, he added, which showed the most beneficial effects on glucose control with high-intensity exercise training was in the afternoon versus the morning. What was surprising was the large difference between morning and evening, he said.

“We believe this may be explained, at least in part, by the circadian system of our body,” said van der Velde. “Past research suggests our body’s muscular system and oxidative systems are affected by our circadian rhythm, and their peak activity seems to be in the late afternoon. Thus, being mostly active in the afternoon and evening may elicit greater metabolic responses compared to being active in the morning.”

That said, he added that morning exercise is far better than no exercise, and that physical activity is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to circadian rhythm (and therefore, blood sugar management)—most notably, meal timing and sleep play considerable roles as well.

Another note: Although these findings will apply most directly to those with prediabetes or diabetes, improved blood sugar management is a positive for everyone. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, well-maintained blood sugar is linked to mood regulation, energy levels throughout the day, sleep efficiency, and prevention of serious chronic illnesses, like heart disease and kidney disease.

Link to Runner’s World Article

Quote of the Week

“Running teaches us to keep moving forward,

one step at a time -

especially in our most painful moments."

- Sarah Riley

Video of the Week

The Runner (1:17:34)

June 2005 - The Runner follows Extreme UltraRunner David Horton through the desert sun, the high snowbound mountain passes, the pain, the emotion, and his revelation. Join him as he runs more than 40 miles per day for 66 consecutive days in an attempt to set the speed record on the 2,700 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: December 12th, 2022

Toys for Tots Results and Videos!

5K Results
10K Results

1-Mile Results

Weekly Whimsy

Tight Hips? Learn About This Little Unknown Muscle
Natascha Grief, Runner's World

Ask an average group of runners about hip pain, and many will nod knowingly.

One scientific review shows that hip pain is such a common complaint among runners that it can seem like sore hips and running go hand in hand—that it’s just part of the territory that comes with being a runner. But the truth is, you don’t just have to live with tight hips or hip aches on the run. You just have to get to the root of the issue.

The Unknown Root Cause of Hip Pain and Tight Hips
“You need to stretch your hip flexors.” This is often one of the first pieces of advice a runner with hip pain will hear. And it is a good recommendation—stretching the hip flexors is something that every runner should do on a regular basis (that means every time you run).

In anatomy lingo, “hip flexors” refer to a group of three muscles located in the front of the hip—the psoas major and psoas minor (the pair is simply referred to together as “the psoas”), as well as the iliacus. Collectively, this muscle trio form what’s known as the iliopsoas, and while there are technically additional muscles that aid in hip flexion, the iliopsoas is our body’s most powerful hip flexor.

Of the group, the psoas is generally the star of the show, getting all the “glory” of being the prime suspect when it comes to hip tightness.

“When people think of hip flexors or hip pain or hip tightness they have a tendency to just think of the psoas,” says Jessica Warneke, P.T., D.P.T., O.C.S., founder of PACE Physical Therapy in Austin, Texas. “But if I’m feeling a nagging pain or a nagging tightness and I’m doing all these hip flexor stretches and it’s not helping, well, I’m missing the root cause of it.”

The root cause may then be the other, often overlooked muscle in the iliopsoas group that isn’t addressed during hip flexor stretches—that is, the iliacus.

“People, even physical therapists, talk about the iliopsoas as though the psoas and the iliacus are the same muscle. But [the iliacus] really is a separate muscle that has a different function. It’s even enervated by different nerves in the body,” explains Christine Koth, M.P.T., a holistic physical therapist and author of Twisted Hip Tight Core: The Key To Unresolved Pain.

“You have to think about the psoas and the iliacus separately—they both are hip flexors but that’s the only thing they really have in common. The psoas is a long muscle that actually crosses three joints,” Koth explains. “It goes from your spine all the way down through your body across the SI joint in the pelvis [that’s joint that links your pelvis and lower spine] and then goes into the hip. So, it’s responsible for integrating movement and creating stability from the spine through the pelvis and through the hip, and it connects the upper body to the lower body.”

Koth continues: “But the iliacus attaches to the pelvis and then attaches on the femur, and because it’s a short muscle and because it’s so super close to the joint itself it’s not designed to be a mover [like the psoas]. The iliacus is so small and so close to the joint it’s designed to stabilize.”

The stabilizing function of the iliacus makes it a crucial muscle for runners to pay attention to because it’s quite literally involved in every single stride. “If you are creating a lot of movement through your body, which runners do—they constantly have to absorb force as their foot hits the ground, one leg is forward and the other leg is back—you have to stabilize your core and your pelvis and the iliacus works really hard in that scenario,” says Koth. (Just think about how much stabilization you need standing on one leg, let alone when you’re running and adding high-impact to that single-leg stability.)

Another major culprit that contributes to a tight iliacus is something that we all do to excess: sitting, says Warneke.

“If you’re sitting for a long time, that requires a lot of stability, especially if you’re sitting with good posture, because you’re sitting there stabilizing yourself. So in that case, the iliacus is active. It’s working,” says Koth. “So runners are kind of the perfect storm for developing a tight iliacus.”

Why the Iliacus Should Get Special Attention
“One thing that’s really important with the iliacus and probably one of the reasons why it’s not talked about much is the fact that it oftentimes doesn’t generate symptoms that show up directly where it’s located,” says Koth. “If you put your finger on that spot [where the iliacus is located] you can potentially feel soreness there but really besides palpating that area, typically people don’t feel that it’s sore right in that spot when they’re running or living their life.”

What you might notice, instead, is your mechanics are off. If our bodily mechanics such as joint alignment and range of motion are suboptimal, it creates a domino effect of faulty movement patterns. For example, if you’re holding tension in the iliacus, this can lead to pelvis rotation, which might then also lead to irritation of the hip joint itself and also cause knee strain.

Anyone who has SI joint issues, such as pain in the area of the joint or limited hip extension (which occurs when your leg reaches back behind you, like after push-off in the gait cycle) should also be working on their iliacus. “I have never seen anyone with SI joint pain that didn’t have a tight iliacus and that was at the root of the problem,” Koth says.

A tight iliacus can also lead to issues with pelvic floor tightness and pain. “I think that is a very important thing for people to be aware of, especially if they’re runners,” says Warneke.

How to Find and Treat the Iliacus
The good news is that the iliacus is easy to find. “If you put your hands on your hips and let your fingertips go toward the front of your pelvis, you’ll find two bones that kind of stick out in the front of your pelvis, those are your ASIS (a.k.a. the anterior superior iliac spine),” explains Koth. “Right inside that bone is a soft spot, and if you kind of curve your hand around the corner of that bone, that’s where the iliacus lives. Because it’s kind of around the corner inside that bone, you need angular pressure to get in there.”

Taking care of the iliacus is a three-step process that involves first releasing the iliacus itself, then releasing the back of the hip, then activating and strengthening the hip flexors and adjacent core and hip stabilizers. While this sounds complicated and time-consuming, it’s not.

Here, the three moves to do. Repeat these every other day until symptoms improve, and then you can maintain by performing them once a week or bi-weekly. (Watch the video above to see these moves in action.)

Step 1: Release the Iliacus
To release the iliacus, we have two options in terms of tools—a 4-inch massage ball or the Hip Hook. To use the ball, first lie on your stomach and place the ball under your pelvis where the iliacus is located. While you lie on top of the ball, use your body weight to apply steady pressure to the area of soreness for about at least 60 seconds while taking deep breaths.

To use the Hip Hook, start by laying on your side. Then, align the tip of the Hip Hook up with your iliacus and roll over onto it until the Hip Hook’s platform is flat on the floor and you’re laying on your belly. Make any minor adjustments necessary to line up the tip of the Hip Hook with a tight spot in your iliacus and then relax and settle in, taking deep breaths—this will likely feel intense.

Press down on the handle of the Hip Hook. Once you’ve applied pressure for at least 30 seconds to apply angular pressure to really access and release the iliacus. Hold here for about 60 more seconds, or until you feel the muscle release.

“Each time you use these tools it will be slightly different,” says Koth. “There might be a certain angle that feels tight today and that same angel might not feel tight tomorrow. So your first step is to identify which area or which position where the ball or the Hip Hook is placed that feels the most tight, and you can move around a bit to discover that. Once you find it, you want to stay on that spot and hold it. Don’t wiggle around. If you really want to get the most long-term benefit you need to just stay on that spot.”

Step 2: Release the Back of the Hip
To release the back of the hip, lie flat and your back with both knees bent and placed flat on the floor. Then lift your hips slightly and place the ball under the muscle tissue next to the tailbone and lie on the ball. Look for a sore spot—there will likely be more than one! Once you’ve found an area that’s tender, repeat the same method used for the front of the hip: using your body weight, apply prolonged pressure of at least 60 seconds to each sore spot, or until you feel the muscle release and the soreness subsides.

Step 3: Strengthen the Iliacus
Now that you’ve released your iliacus, the next step is to gently strengthen the muscles in the front of the hip. “When we’re having chronically tight muscles, and our iliacus or psoas muscles are tight and we’re not doing anything to properly load them, strengthen, and dynamically train them to work with our core or with our glutes, that is going to keep them in the cycle of them being tight,” says Warneke.

To address strength in the hip flexors, turn to resisted marches: Put a mini band with light to medium resistance around the balls of your feet. Then, stand tall with good posture, feet about hip-width apart. Slowly lift one knee at a time in a marching motion, keeping the foot flexed, the core engaged and the spine and hips neutral. Avoid leaning from side to side as much as possible as you raise the leg. Instead, engage your core and feel your hip musculature stabilizing you. Repeat 5 times per side.

“The band provides a good tactile cue, and it’s key to keep your spine straight and in neutral, so you’re not arching your back when you march; then you can lift and flex the hip up. It’s actually deceivingly challenging,” Warneke says. “People think that marching will be easy, but if you’re doing it correctly and stabilizing with the right muscles, then you can really feel how it’s working.”

Give Yourself Time to Address Hip Pain from the Iliacus
Another thing to note when releasing the iliacus is that it takes time. The aches might get worse at first, when you’re releasing the illiacus, but it should feel better after about 30 seconds. “If it doesn't start to get better, then you know you’re not on a spot that’s ready,” Koth says.

As with most things, consistency is key in making sure your iliacus stays healthy and happy. “When people first start doing something like this, especially if they’re in a lot of pain, I would recommend giving a day or two break in between each session, and only finding one or two spots each time,” says Koth. Eventually, you’ll lie on the ball or Hip Hook and feel much less soreness or tightness. And that’s when you’re in the maintenance phase.

Link to Runner’s World Article

Quote of the Week

“Don’t wait until you reach your goal to be proud of yourself.

Be proud of every step you take along the way."

- Unknown

Video of the Week

I Run On (12:34)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: December 5th, 2022

Last Race of the Year This Saturday!

Auburn Toys for Tots 1-Mile, 5K, 10K- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
- Location: Wrights Mill Road Elementary
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile Fun Run)
8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Charity: AORTA’s popular annual Toys for Tots race is scheduled for Saturday, December 10th, and once again will start/finish at Wrights Mill Road Elementary School. There will be 3 races, a   1 mile fun run, 5K and 10K. Cost is only $15 for the 1-Mile and $25 for either the 5K or 10K. All registered runners are requested to donate a new, unwrapped toy as part of their registration. Awards will be presented at the end of the race.   Most importantly, all toys and proceeds will be donated and distributed to disadvantaged children in the area.

Jingle Jog 5K Results and Video

Link to 5K Results

Weekly Whimsy

Common Winter Running Mistakes
Chris Hailer, Runner's World

At this point in your Holiday Run Streak, you’re pretty committed to running every day. You might even be a little overconfident. “This is easy,” you think. But take heed—the Run Streak is considered a challenge for a reason.

Be prepared to jump a few hurdles as the temperatures dip below freezing and the sunlight fades earlier and earlier each day. Nightmares of treadmill runs dance in your head while a mound of base layers grows in your laundry basket. Soon, your late-fall bliss wavers into winter blues.

But trust us—it doesn’t have to be that way! As long as you avoid a few key training mistakes, you can sidestep cold-weather injuries and winter malaise for a smooth path to the Run Streak finish line.

Mistake #1: Not warming up cold muscles
If you don’t properly warm your body up, you’re likely to injure yourself—even in hot weather. During cold weather, injuries are more prominent, so if you face an even higher likelihood of cutting your training cycle short. Warming up also increases your body temperature, which allows you to make better decisions when dressing.

Not convinced yet? A review in the journal Temperature—which featured numerous studies about warming up—stated that cold weather can make your muscles less efficient. Additionally, a systematic review in Sports Medicine showed that warming up does indeed improve your performance. So before you lace up for a cold run, try this five-minute pre-run warmup routine.

Mistake #2: Not dressing properly
Even if you warm up properly, a t-shirt and shorts just aren’t going to do it when it’s below freezing. Make sure you practice the art of layering, where you dress accurately depending on the temperature. The old running adage goes that you should dress like it’s ten degrees warmer, cause once you start sweating, you start shedding layers.

Runner’s World has a great What To Wear tool to help you figure out exactly what garb you need. Or, you can go by Deputy Editor Jeff Dengate’s rule of thumb: gloves, then sleeves, then pants.

Mistake #3: Slacking on hydration
Even though thirst sensitivity decreases in cold weather, you still get dehydrated, says an article in Nutrition Support for Athletic Performance. Therefore, you should be extra aware of rehydrating after a winter run because you might not feel thirsty.

Runner’s World previously reported that most people should drink 60 to 80 ounces of water per day. But everyone is different, so it requires a little trial and error. When all else fails, you can check the color of your pee to assess hydration.

“Light yellow is appropriate. Clear is an indication of possibly too much water intake,” Heather Milton, M.S., RCEP, C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist and clinical specialist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center told Runner’s World.

Mistake #4: Dreading the treadmill
If you’re a treadmill hater, you probably just let out a frustrated sigh. But if it weren’t for this fancy cardio machine, you straight up might not be able to complete your streak. Not everyone doing the Run Streak lives in temperate climates without inclement weather. Think of the freak snow, wintry mix, or sleet attacks that make running outside near impossible on some winter days.

Try to look on the bright side: “Treadmill training provides a completely controlled environment,” Peloton Tread instructor Selena Samuela told Runner’s World. “You can accurately control the pace, incline, interval, and recovery. For example, getting used to running at certain speeds because you’re forced to, is much easier to do while there’s a belt moving under your feet.”

So maybe there’s a day you want to run a really fast 5K. Why not turn up the pace on the treadmill, throw in your favorite running songs, and crank out a great run in a controlled environment?

Mistake #5: Not watching where you step

If you do decide to skip the treadmill, be extra careful with where you step on your run. What might seem like a nice trail or smooth road could have patches of ice waiting to make you slip. You should consider picking up a trail shoe or external grips like Yaktrax—something that will give you extra traction so if you do accidentally hit a patch of ice, you have a better chance of staying upright

Now that you know what to avoid, get streaking!
No, not that kind of streaking. Run Streaking! If you need some extra words of encouragement, check out Runner’s World+ Coach Jess Movold’s advice on how the winter Run Streak can actually prepare you for your spring marathon.

Link to Runner’s World Article

Quote of the Week

“Never mess with a woman who runs 26.2 miles for fun."

- Unknown

Video of the Week

The Pirate - The Raidlight Arc of Attrition 2020 (37:01)

So who is the “Pirate”? Steve Wyatt is a very talented Ultra runner from Cornwall. He’s a bit of an enigma, he doesn’t train a lot and he doesn’t race that often but he has a close bond with one of the hardest 100 mile foot races in the UK!

The Raidlight Arc of Attrition is a super challenging 100 mile coast path race down in Cornwall. It’s run in winter conditions and has a big DNF rate. The race has been run 5 times and Steve has won/joint won 4 of them and finished 2nd in the other!

This really is an awesome achievement on such a tough race.

We took the cameras along this year for the sixth running of the AoA to follow the Pirate through the race to see if he could be triumphant once again and gain his 5th victory in this grueling winter ultra 😀

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: November 28th, 2022

Auburn Toys for Tots 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
- Location: Wrights Mill Road Elementary
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile Fun Run)
8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Charity: AORTA’s popular annual Toys for Tots race is scheduled for Saturday, December 10th, and once again will start/finish at Wrights Mill Road Elementary School. There will be 3 races, a   1 mile fun run, 5K and 10K. Cost is only $15 for the 1-Mile and $25 for either the 5K or 10K. All registered runners are requested to donate a new, unwrapped toy as part of their registration. Awards will be presented at the end of the race.   Most importantly, all toys and proceeds will be donated and distributed to disadvantaged children in the area.

Upcoming Races

Jingle Jog 5K & Santa Stroll 1-Mile
- Date: Saturday, December 3rd, 2022
- Location: Toomer's Corner, Downtown Auburn
- Time: 6:30 AM (Santa Stroll Fun Run/Walk)
7:00 AM (Jingle Jog 5K)
- Distance(s:) 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $20 (Jingle Jog), $15 (Santa Stroll)
* Registration Fees go up after October 28th
- Description: The Jingle Jog 5k and Santa Stroll Fun Run are back in 2022 – so pull out those ugly sweaters and get ready to run again! Join Active Auburn as we ring in the holiday season in style!

Weekly Whimsy

Your Thinking About Metabolism Is All Wrong
Allison Goldstein, Runner’s World

We run for all sorts of reasons. Some of us run because we like how it makes us feel. Others run to scratch a competitive itch.

For those who run to manage their weight, however, a bit of bad news: running may burn some calories, but it will not “boost” your metabolism—at least not in the long run.

Science has shown that, at a population level, people vary in how many calories they burn every day. What has remained unknown is whether that variation is due to people burning a ton of calories one day and only a few the next, or if it’s because certain groups of people have consistently fast or slow metabolisms.

A recent study published in Nature Communications has helped answer the question of if metabolism is a static trait or not. The researchers showed that individuals’ metabolisms vary by 20 percent or more from person to person regardless of activity level or body composition. (So, no, being on the skinnier side is not evidence that you have a faster metabolism.) However, your individual metabolic rate—fast or slow—doesn’t vary over time.

“Total energy expenditure, which we call the total calories you burn every day, is a repeatable measure like height or other things that are stable for you,” said Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, author of the book Burn on human metabolism, and one of the study’s lead researchers.

To come to this conclusion, Pontzer and his coauthors drew from a database of studies that measured metabolism using a technique called doubly labeled water. Participants in these studies drank a glass of water containing isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, which scientists can track in the body. How quickly the subjects lost each of those isotopes—to things like pee, sweat, and breathing—revealed how many calories they had burned in that time. Ergo, “total energy expenditure,” i.e., metabolism.

Pontzer’s research team looked at more than 300 adults in the database whose total energy expenditures had been measured at two time points, ranging from two weeks to more than eight years. They then adjusted for body size and composition—because more cells burn more calories, and different types of cells (e.g., fat vs. muscle) burn calories at different rates—and determined whether someone had a “fast” or “slow” metabolism by seeing whether they burned more or fewer calories than would be expected for someone with those attributes.

“If you’re a high-metabolism person, you’ll have that high metabolism for your body size today, and you’ll have it again when we measure you again in a few months or even a few years,” Pontzer said. “And it works on the other side too: if you’re a slow-metabolism person today, you’ll have a slow metabolism in a couple months or a couple years.”

Does a slow metabolism mean I’ll gain weight?
This finding led to the researchers’ second question: if you have a fast metabolism, are you protected against weight gain? And conversely, if you have a slow metabolism, are you doomed to gain weight?

“That is the premise of every exercise program in the world,” Pontzer said, “and it’s wrong.”

As humans, we match our energy needs with greater than 99 percent accuracy. The problem is that, due to the food environment in which most of us live, that 1 percent mismatch is consistently in the same direction: overconsumption.

Running is not a magic “metabolism booster”
Now, the seemingly obvious caveat is that the people in this study were not specifically runners. However, Pontzer says that most runners aren’t that different in how much energy they expend, over the course of time, compared to regularly active individuals.

“We think of exercise as putting our foot on the gas of our metabolism. That’s not the right way to think about it,” said Pontzer.

Exercise is complex: it affects how our body regulates all of its cells, and that in turn affects things like feelings of hunger and fullness, immune function, and even behavior. Ultimately, Pontzer said, while runners will obviously see day-to-day fluctuations in the energy they burn—more on long-run days than, say, recovery days—our bodies adjust how much energy we’re expending during our non-exercise hours to keep the total daily caloric burn within a fairly narrow range. You only need to look at how seriously elite athletes take their rest to see this balancing act in action.

“I don’t think there’s a researcher out there who’s looked at the data and doesn’t understand how important exercise is for health,” Pontzer said. “But there’s an academic debate as to why it’s important for health. There are people who really don’t want to give up the idea that there’s this weight control effect, but I just don’t see the data there. Maybe on the margins, but not as a big factor.”

Ultimately, Pontzer points to diet as the biggest lever people have to pull when it comes to managing weight. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. “The food environments that we’ve built for ourselves really make it hard for people to maintain a healthy bodyweight,” he said.

The good news is that physical activity does seem to have an effect on regulating consumption—those who exercise are, broadly speaking, less likely to overeat than those who don’t. So if you’re running to manage weight, don’t ditch your trainers.

Link to Runner’s World Article

Quote of the Week

“Please tell me I’m not the only one who

talks to themselves when they run.

Seriously, I have some of the best

conversations when I’m running.."

- Unknown

Video of the Week

Hood to Trail (14:51)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: November 21th, 2022

Upcoming Races

Moores Mill Club Turkey Trot
- Date: Thursday, Nov 24
- Location: Moores Mill Club, Auburn, AL
- Time: 8:00 AM
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 3-Mile
- Fee: $35, includes t-shirt
- Description: The annual Moore’s Mill Club Turkey Trot is something NOT to be missed! Taking place Thanksgiving Day morning, it has become a fun family tradition for many.  Runners, joggers & walkers - this fun run is for EVERYONE. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy Hot Chocolate, Coffee and Breakfast Snacks the morning of the run.  There will also be a CASH or CARD Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar available.

Weekly Whimsy

Should You Run Every Day?
Danielle Zickl, Runner’s World

If there’s one quality that all runners have in common, it’s dedication. And while everyone has a different idea of what “being dedicated” to your training means, it’s easy to take things a little too far by skimping on rest days—especially now when social media makes it easier than ever to compare your performance to others.

It makes sense to think that running every single day—even if it’s just for a few miles—is making us stronger and faster in the long term. But is this “no days off” mentality doing more harm than good? We turned to Angela Fifer, Ph.D., C.M.P.C., owner and coach at Breakthrough Performance Consulting, and Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., owner of Atlanta-based company Running Strong, to find out.

There are multiple reasons people might adhere to a “no days off” philosophy, Fifer says. For one, some people find that it’s easier to keep up with running and other types of exercise if they make it a daily habit. Another is that athletes (of any ability) are competitive not just with others but with themselves, too, which can lead to adding just one more workout or just one more mile.

“Our competitive nature sometimes overrides our logic and reason when we want something really bad, like that next PR, race goal, or new distance,” Fifer says.

Hamilton adds that others run every day to calm their nerves, provide moments of clarity, or help with anxiety or depression in their daily lives. And don’t forget about workout streaks or run streaks like our own.

Is running every day okay?
There are people who can handle training every day and others who find themselves having a really tough time getting back to the gym or back out for a run after a day off, according to Fifer.

But we need time to recover mentally, and even taking one day off can give our bodies and minds the chance to do so. If we don’t let our bodies recover, there’s the chance of getting burnt out, Fifer says.

We also need to allow ourselves time to recover physically. As it turns out, taking it easy from time to time helps our bodies get stronger, according to Hamilton.

“Physiologically, the body responds to stimulus by getting strong if it has the opportunity to respond,” she says. “In other words, periods of overload—or ‘hard’ days—followed by periods of recovery—‘easy’ days—will provide the best option for most [people].”

This is because our bodies go through a process called adaptation, Hamilton explains, where physiological changes on the cellular level—such as building more mitochondria and blood vessels, and making more blood and stronger muscle fibers—occur. Your body can’t do all of this if you don’t give it the appropriate amount of time (and fuel) to actually do so, she says. However, the “appropriate” amount of time varies depending on the person.

“Some athletes can get away with a very short, easy-paced run as their ‘recovery’ day,” says Hamilton. She points to the run streakers out there who run every day for hundreds of days in a row; they only successfully do that with some really short, easy days.

Hamilton does note that if you’re someone who is always battling injuries, you probably shouldn’t be logging miles every single day: “Others find that they do better with a true ‘rest’ day. And others may find that they respond best if they do an activity that is much lower stress than running—perhaps walking or maybe doing some easy swimming.”

The number one thing to keep in mind, according to Hamilton, is that whatever your preferred recovery activity is, it shouldn’t take away from the process of stimulating those physiological changes. In other words, you’re not doing yourself any favors by doing a hard pool workout. Just because you’re not running, a hard workout is still a hard workout—no matter what.

“Most runners, though, will find that they perform better in races if they respect the process of training and the physiological demands that are placed on their bodies as they ramp up. Sleep is part of training. Rest is part of training. If you want to be the best, you must provide both stress (overload) and rest (recovery),” she says.

Signs you might benefit from taking a rest day
There are both psychological and physiological signs that you might need a day (or more) off from running.

According to Fifer, the number one sign you might need a day off to benefit your mental health is if you don’t feel motivated to tackle your runs and workouts, or you’re not actually enjoying doing them.

“If running is something you love and you start to notice that it’s a drag, try taking a day or two off and doing something different,” Fifer says. “Taking a couple of days can help you to recharge.”

Physically, there a few key signs to look out for. Among them are: regular sleep disturbances, an elevated morning heart rate, the inability to fight off a cold, a sense of generalized fatigue, loss of appetite, feeling stiff or sore in general or feeling discomfort in a localized area, and feeling like it’s getting harder to maintain your normal training pace.

“I like to tell my athletes, ‘Listen to the whispers of your body, it will never have to shout at you.’ That simply means that if they tune into the more subtle signals that they’re pushing too hard—or the whispers—and respect those signals by altering the plan to allow for some recovery, then they might be able to avoid injury—or the shout,” says Fifer.

So should you run every day? Not necessarily.
Taking a day (or more) off can give us a sometimes much-needed break from the pressure of paces, miles, and PRs we want to beat.

“The constant thought and pressure we might place on ourselves to accomplish our goals is really exhausting mentally,” Fifer says. “While our goals are really important, it is also important not to forget that there are other great things in life that matter as well.”

Fifer notes, too, that even elite athletes take days off.

“Maintaining perspective when training and racing is really important,” she says. “And sometimes it is a willingness to do so that will help us to take that next step forward towards our goals. We might feel so much better after a day or two off, that we are even more aligned with our goals and ready to keep training hard to catch them.”

However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and you should find a routine that works best for you.

“Each person will have unique goals and, thus, unique needs,” Hamilton says. “The person who manages their depression or anxiety by running every day has a very different goal and need than the person who is training with a specific race distance and race goal in mind. That first person may need that daily run no matter what, but that second person may find that they need rest days in order to perform at their best on the subsequent key workout or race.”

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“The more I run the more I love my body

not because it’s perfect, far from it,

but because with every mile it is proving to me

that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible."

- Unknown

Video of the Week

Where Dreams Go to Die(10:26)

Where Dreams Go To Die is a documentary created by Ethan Newberry (The Ginger Runner) that follows Canadian ultrarunner, Gary Robbins, during his two attempts at completing The Barkley Marathons - a 100+ mile event many consider the toughest endurance run on Earth. Spanning more than 2 years, this journey is emotional, powerful and truly inspirational. Find out what it takes to attempt the impossible and the demons that follow. Learn the sacrifices that come with dedicating one's life to this endeavor. Follow our intimate look at why The Barkley is where dreams go to die.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

AORTA News: November 14th, 2022

Auburn Toys for Tots 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
- Location: Wrights Mill Road Elementary
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile Fun Run)
8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Charity: AORTA’s popular annual Toys for Tots race is scheduled for Saturday, December 10th, and once again will start/finish at Wrights Mill Road Elementary School. There will be 3 races, a 1-mile fun run, 5K and 10K. Cost is $15 for the 1-Mile, $20 for the 5K, and $25 for the 10K. All registered runners are requested to donate a new, unwrapped toy as part of their registration and receive a souvenir festive 1-shirt. Awards will be presented at the end of the race. Most importantly, all toys and proceeds will be donated and distributed to disadvantaged children in the area.

Upcoming Races

Heroes of America Marathon
- When: Saturday, Nov 19
- Time: 8:00 AM
- Where: Columbus, Georgia
- Distance(s): 5K, Half-Marathon, Marathon
- Fee: $25-$105 individuals, $200-$255 relays
- Description: The Heroes of America Marathon and Half Marathon Saturday, November 19, 2022 race starts and finishes at the Iron Works Convention and Trade Center and runs through parts of Ft Benning and on the beautiful Columbus RiverWalk. The course is reasonably flat with one hill and a few short inclines. The weather is usually clear with a low in the mid 30's to 40's and a high in the mid 60's.

Weekly Whimsy

Fix Your Running Form from Head to Toe
Ashley Mateo, Runner's World

Having proper running form is a lot easier said than done. Your unique running mechanics are determined by the strength and flexibility of certain muscles and how your body is built.

“It’s important to pay attention to mechanics, even if you’re not an elite or professional runner,” says Terrence Mahon, cofounder of Golden Coast Track Club who has coached athletes to national titles and records and Olympic and World finals. “We’re trying to do two things: One is not get hurt so that we can keep doing the thing we love to do, and two, we’re trying to do it with less effort and more efficiency.”

In other words, the better your form, the easier running feels—especially when you start to get fatigued. While everyone’s natural mechanics are different, here’s what you should be doing to ensure proper running form, from your head to your toes.

Your Head
You might think running is all about your lower body, but your run technique needs to be dialed in from the top down. That said, don’t look at your feet. “Be sure to gaze directly in front of you,” says Kelli Fierras, a USATF-certified running coach. “Don’t tilt your chin up or down, which happens when people get tired,” she adds.

Really, your eyes can look anywhere, but a focused gaze helps maintain proper posture, which keeps your neck in proper alignment with your spine. “The classic thing I’ll see is a person starting their run with their head, meaning their head is always in front of their body,” says Mahon. “You want to have your ears in line with your shoulders.”

Your Shoulders
We spend so much time hunched over at our desks and on our phones, but it’s crucial to open up your shoulders while you run, says Amanda Nurse, an elite marathoner, running coach, and certified yoga instructor in Boston. “You should pull them back, almost like you’re squeezing a pencil between your shoulder blades,” she says. “If you’re starting to hunch over, it’s going to affect your speed or endurance.”

Ideally, your shoulders are moving independently of your torso and opposite of one another, says Mahon. “So when you take a right step forward, your left shoulder is also forward, and therefore your right shoulder is back as your left leg is back,” he explains. “They should operate in that X pattern.” As the run goes on, it is common to get tight and tense in your shoulder area, almost like you're shrugging. But this will cost your body valuable energy so it’s important to stay relaxed. Shake out your arms, shrug your shoulders, and focus on loosening up, especially as you get fatigued.

Your Arms
The way you move your arms can help you move faster or slow you down. “Your arms should be at a 90-degree angle,” says Nurse. Your palms or fists move from chin to hip. That’s going to help you propel your body forward. Keep your elbows close to your sides.

“If your elbows point outward, that means your arms are crossing your body, which actually slows you down—you won’t be able to get the momentum you need,” says Fierras. Try pointing your thumbs to the ceiling to keep your arms in line or imagining an invisible line that runs down the center of your body—don’t let your hands cross over that line.

Your Hands
This sounds like such a minor thing in the bigger running picture, but don’t forget to keep your hands relaxed. “I always think about pretending you have a potato chip between your index finger or your middle finger and your thumb so that your hands are really relaxed,” says Nurse. “The more you squeeze your hands, the more energy that you're getting rid of through your hands—but you want all that energy to go into your actual running.”

Your Torso
In most forms of fitness, your core—which includes your back—is really where all your power comes from, and it’s also your center of gravity while running. So that’s an area you want to make sure you’re always training. “We’re always trying to teach people that long, tall spine so that you’re not crunched down, because if you’re crunched down, you can't use any of that elastic energy that comes from the ground up,” Mahon says.

“You always want to keep a tight core while running—it’ll prevent you from going too far forward or too far backward,” says Fierras. But that doesn’t mean your core shouldn’t move or react at all. “When you take a left step forward, I actually want to see a torque shift over toward the left side so you have most of the weight over that left leg and so that power gets generated through and stays through the torso,” Mahon says. “If the torso is stuck right in the middle, then you don't get any use of that energy.”

Your Hips
When you’re running, you want lean slightly into the run versus running completely upright. “That lean should come from your hips, not from rolling your shoulders forward,” says Fierras. The National Academy of Sports Medicine, backs this recommendation up, saying that your lumbo-pelvic-hip complex should have a “slight lean during acceleration.”

That means your torso will be slightly forward of your hips. “If not, you can’t use your hip base or your gluteus maximus to derive the most power you can get out of your stride,” Mahon says. “Most people, when they think about leaning forward, that’s actually the concept of using your glutes efficiently.”

Your Knees
Your knee should be in line with the middle of your foot so that when your foot strikes the ground, it’s right under your knee. “You don't want to lift your knee up to a 90-degree angle if you’re on a flat road; you want to keep it down low so you’re not wasting that energy on the knee drive,” says Fierras.

Lots of runners, especially when they’re fatigued, struggle with the runner shuffle, where they’re barely picking their feet up off the ground. If that’s the case, you can try lifting your knees a little higher so you have a little more time in the air for your foot to get in the right position. “And you really want to focus of keeping that knee directly in front of your hips versus turning in or bowing out, which is very hard for people to train themselves to do,” she says.

Your Legs
Everyone’s stride and gait is a little bit different, and that’s okay. “But the easiest way to think about your lower body is to think about your shin being as close to perpendicular as possible when the foot hits the ground,” Mahon says.

If a person is a heavy heel striker, their angle is too big; if they’re a forefoot striker, their angle is too small. Either way, it’s a negative position to be in because you’re opening yourself up to injuries in the other foot or knee. “You also won’t be using all the joints you have properly in the right timing sequence,” he says. “If you land at that 90-degree angle, then you get to use your ankle, your knee joint, and the hip joint all at the same time to both absorb shock and then create energy.”

Your Feet
There’s no right or wrong way for your feet to hit the ground, as long as you’re actually using them to push off (instead of just lifting them). That said, the idea is to aim to hit the road with the ball of your foot, Fierras says. “That’s going to help you propel forward better, and your stride won’t come out too far in front of you.”

Running on your toes or striking with your heel are both more likely to set you up for injury. If that’s how you run naturally, though, “rather than focusing on changing your stride, talk to an expert about getting into a proper shoe—maybe one with more cushioning—that will help you stay injury-free,” Nurse says. Everyone’s natural footstrike and gait is different, so you want to make sure you’re optimizing yours best for your body.

What About Hills?
When the grade of the road change, so will your form. On an uphill, “you’ll want to press your hip bones forward to give yourself more power and help you avoid hunching over,” Nurse says. Shortening your stride and running more on your toes will also help make it feel easier. “Lifting your knees higher and pumping your arms a little bit more will make it so your legs aren’t doing all the work,” says Fierras. Set your gaze six to 10 feet ahead. “It makes your body feel like you're more on a flat surface than if you were looking to the top of the hill and realizing how much farther you have to go,” Nurse says.

On the downhill, “let gravity take you instead of putting the brakes on, which puts a lot of pressure on the knees,” says Nurse—think about keeping your nose over your toes. Don’t let your shoulders pull forward, either, says Fierras. That lean should still come from the hips.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Slow Down. Calm Down.

Don’t Worry. Don’t Hurry.

Trust the Process. Run On."

- Alexandra Stoddard

Video of the Week

Must See Running Films Part 2 (10:26)

If running is where your passion and interests lie, you will never be short of inspiring films and documentaries to watch. There are so many incredible athletes with stories to share that will amaze, motivate and inspire runners of all abilities.

Whether you are looking for some running motivation or to expand your knowledge of some of the hardest and most challenging races out there, we have something for everyone in this roundup of our favourite running films.

After reading all of your recommendations in the comments of our last Top 10 Running Films roundup, we put together a brand new list of film recommendations for you guys. We have the best running films to binge watch right here on YouTube and other streaming services.

↓↓Let us know what your favourite running film is, or which of these you will be adding to your watch list, in the comments below! ↓↓

Check out PART 1 for even more recommendations:
https://youtu.be/RaKAZqIS9HM

Where Dreams Go to Die - The Ginger Runner

Mira Rai: the Girl Who Runs on Happiness

Hood To Trail

The Pirate - The Raidlight Arc of Attrition 2020

I Run On

The Runner - David Hortons

REI Presents: How to Run a 100 Miles

Run for Your Life

Heavy As Lead

Brittany Runs a Marathon - Available on Amazon Prime

A Mile An Hour - Beau Miles

Solstice (also available on Amazon Prime)

Ongoing Events

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: November 7th, 2022

Unity World AIDS 5K and 1-Mile Results and Videos!

Unity World 5K Results

Unity World 1-Mile Results

AORTA Winners!
AORTA winners from recent races.

2022 Tough Ten
- Jason Adams: 2nd Overall
- Emily Ansick: 1st Female
- Rachel Crafton-Stiver: 2nd Female
- Nick DeWeese: 1st in Age Group
- Casey Carter: 1st in Age Group
- Alan Reed: 1st in Age Group
- Beverly Smith: 1st in Age Group
- Ben Oni: 1st in Age Group

2022 ATO/FH Spooky Sprint 5K
- Austin Wilkes: 1st Overall

2022 Unity Wellness World AIDS 5K
- Zachary Waren: 1st Overall
- Beth Kisor: 3rd Female
- Bob Myer: 1st in Age Group

Upcoming Races

Weekly Whimsy

Here’s How to Know if You’re a Quad-Dominant Runner
Cassie Shortsleeve, Runner's World

Your quad muscles help power your knee drive and straighten your knee so you can run—super important steps in your gait cycle. So you need them strong to pick up the pace and go for miles. But if you’ve ever noticed hamstring or back tightness, feel your glutes don’t “turn on” during a leg workout, or you lack that explosive kick to finish out a sprint, you could be a “quad-dominant” runner. And that’s where some problems could pop up, like knee pain.

There’s a simple way to tell if you’re quad dominant: Sink down into your best squat position with your eyes closed. Once you get into position, open your eyes. Can you see your big toes? If you can, that likely means your glutes are firing properly, pulling your knees and quads back into a perfect squat position, explains Ellen London Crane, a running coach at Heartbreak Hill Running Company in Boston.

If you can’t see your big toes? “It’s because your knees are settling over your toes and your quads are taking over the balance work your glutes should be doing.” That means you’re likely quad-dominant, she says.

“Quad dominance occurs when the anterior muscles (quads and hip flexors) overpower the posterior muscles (glutes and hamstrings) of the leg,” explains AnneAlise Bonistalli, C.S.C.S., a Boston-based strength coach and founder of Boom personal training.

Strong quads is never a bad thing, right? But a strength imbalance could be. Overpowering quads can both hinder performance and up your injury risk. Here are other ways to recognize if you’re quad-dominant—and what you can do to get back in balance.

How You Become Quad-Dominant
Quad-dominance is actually pretty common in the running population, especially in speedier and higher-mileage types. That’s because when you go faster and farther, it takes more power to flex the hip and drive forward, which comes from your quads. Beginner runners are also at risk if they ramp up more mileage than their bodies are used to, says London Crane.

These characteristics are often paired with some other behaviors that only compound the problem, like not spending time doing the strength training or hill work needed to balance out the back side of your body. “It’s likely that without these weight-bearing activities, your glutes and hamstrings are underdeveloped,” she says.

So, most of the time, quad dominance can be blamed on weak glutes and hamstrings. “When these power muscles are weak, your quads naturally take over and throw off your front-to-back body balance,” London Crane says.

Another risk factor? Avoiding the great outdoors for treadmill runs, over and over again. That’s because pounding on the treadmill takes some of the hamstring-glute function out of the equation, since the belt is essentially pulling your legs back, explains Angela Rubin, a former studio manager of Precision Running Lab at Equinox Chestnut Hill. As a result, your posterior chain may need even more strengthening.

What’s more: “Especially in our day and age where most of us sit at desks for work, it’s really easy to be quad-dominant,” Rubin says. Spending hours at a desk can shorten and tighten both the hip flexors and quadriceps.

The Problem With Quad-Dominant Running
Any bodily imbalance potentially ups injury risk and has the ability to hinder performance, Rubin says.

Healthy, stable knees, for one, require two oppositional forces, including “strong quads to straighten the knee and help to flex the foot forward, and strong hamstrings to bend the knee and help to pull the leg backward,” London Crane says. “These two muscles should be working together, and when they’re not, you put your knee at risk.”

Quad dominance can also come to light after a hamstring injury, because when this power muscle is weak, your quads naturally take over and throw off your front-to-back body balance; or a back injury, because tight hip flexors may be causing an anterior pelvic tilt.

What’s more, a muscle imbalance in your lower half can mess with your goals on the road, too. Basically, you can’t quite maximize speed and efficiency if you’re only truly utilizing one half of your body.

Look at it this way: If your quads are taking over for your hammies or your glutes, you’re not allowing these important muscles to do their thing.

“Your glutes are your powerhouse, and most fatigue-resistant muscle,” Bonistalli says. “Without the glutes and hamstrings strength in helping drive each and every stride you make, you are not reaching your full running potential.”

How to Fix Quad-Dominance
The good news: Even if you’ve suffered strength or flexibility imbalances, recurring injuries, or gone your whole life without properly engaging your glutes, you can change things—and it’s worth considering if you’re noticing injuries or feel like your glutes are “sleepy,” and don’t fire during your lower-body exercises.

Your move? Work on balancing out your body. Balance, in large, comes in the form of building your posterior chain, Rubin says. “Focus on both the hamstrings and glutes to counterbalance all the quad activation.”

Glute-activation exercises such as deadlifts, rack pulls, donkey kicks, and glute bridges all engage and strengthen glutes and hamstrings. Start with just your body weight while you nail form, then introduce weights to build strength and power, London Crane suggests.

Foam rolling your quads, hamstrings, adductors, IT band, and active release of your tensor fascia latae (TFL/hip abductor) and iliopsoas (hip flexor) will alleviate any tension in your legs after hitting the road, and if done regularly, will help to prevent injury, Bonistalli says. “To get back to a ‘normal state’ you need to release the muscles that are tense and then activate and strengthen the muscles that are weak.”

Just remember: Any change to your workout habits takes time and practice. And moving too quickly—like adding in 50 deadlifts out of the blue—can be a recipe for injury, London Crane says. “Be sure to gradually ramp up your glute-activating exercises in the same way you’d gradually ramp up your weekly mileage.”

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“It’s my soul that keeps me running.

My body told me to quite a couple of miles ago."

- Anonymous

Video of the Week

The 2022 New York City Marathon Was Crazy (8:16)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

AORTA News: October 31st, 2022

Spooky 5K and 1-Mile Results and Videos!

Spooky 5K Results

Spooky 1-Mile Results

Upcoming Race This Saturday!

Unity World AIDS Day Race
- When: Saturday, Nov 05
- Time: 8:00 (1-Mile), 8:30 (5K)
- Where: Town Creek Park
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $20 (1-Mile), $25 (5K), $10 (Virtual)
* Shirt included for 1-Mile and 5K. Register by Oct 7th to guarantee a t-shirt. Additional fee for virtual option.
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners and top male/female in age group
(18 & under, 19-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61+)
- Charity: Run, jog or walk a scenic 5K route through the moderately rolling hills of Auburn, AL. The race will start and finish at Town Creek Park. Strollers and dogs on leashes welcome and encouraged.
- World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.
- Unity Wellness Center provides HIV testing & counseling, HIV primary medical care, medical case management services, and HIV prevention education and awareness programs. Any money raised from this event will go towards an Emergency Assistance fund for our Clients.

Upcoming Races

Weekly Whimsy

Why Am I Tired All the Time? We Have a Few Answers
Lauren Bedosky, Runner's World

It’s perfectly normal to feel groggy upon waking. It’s simply a phenomenon known as sleep inertia that requires you some time for your energy to kick in and our body and brain to feel awake. “Hardly anyone feels fantastic when they first wake up,” says Scott Kutscher, M.D., board-certified neurologist and associate professor of sleep medicine at Stanford University. However, people typically perk up over the next 30 to 60 minutes, he says.

So, if you’re constantly tired several hours after leaving your bed, you might have a problem.

How to Know If Feeling Tired All the Time Is a Problem
We all have days—or even weeks—where we can’t seem to perk up. Blame it on an unusually heavy workload, a jump in running mileage, travel, or any number of other factors that can make the day drag.

Unfortunately, figuring out when tiredness is a problem can be tricky. “Tiredness is a subjective experience, so it’s up to each person to feel for themselves when tiredness is interfering with their life,” Kutscher says.

If you notice that you’re more tired than normal, look at your diet and lifestyle habits. “Diet is very important, and sometimes forgotten as the reason why people may feel tired all the time,” says Eric Ascher, D.O., a family medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “Sometimes, adjusting the diet to focus less on sugar and processed foods will improve fatigue.”

Staying well-hydrated throughout the day and prioritizing good sleep hygiene may help, too.

If you don’t feel perkier after two weeks of making lifestyle changes, Ascher suggests making an appointment to see your primary care physician. He or she will likely run blood tests to check for nutrient and hormone deficiencies, and screen for health conditions that cause fatigue, Ascher says. If it turns out that you do have a health issue, your doctor will be able to refer you to a specialist for treatment.

6 Reasons You Might Be Tired All the Time
While it is normal to feel tired, sometimes it can be something more serious. In fact, fatigue is a key symptom of the following health conditions.

1. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which your breathing repeatedly starts and stops while you sleep. It’s also incredibly common, Kutscher says. In fact, an estimated 26% of adults between the ages of 30 and 70 have sleep apnea, per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Sleep apnea can happen if the throat muscles relax (known as obstructive sleep apnea), if the brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing (central sleep apnea), or a combination of the two (complex sleep apnea syndrome), per the Mayo Clinic. In any case, the result is broken sleep.

“Our bodies don’t like interrupted sleep, so someone whose sleep is very interrupted is going to go through their day feeling as though they had poor sleep the night before,” Ascher says.

2. Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy cells of your organs and tissues. While symptoms vary depending on the disease, fatigue appears in all of them. In fact, fatigue is often the most debilitating symptom for people with autoimmune disease, notes Harvard Health.

“When someone has an autoimmune disease, their body is in an inflammatory state, and that puts a lot of stress on the body,” Ascher explains. That’s why you might feel tired all the time.

3. Iron-Deficiency Anemia
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), iron-deficiency anemia is a condition that develops if you don’t have enough of the mineral iron in your body. Iron is part of red blood cells, a protein that carries oxygen throughout your body and helps your muscles store and use oxygen. Without enough iron, your blood can’t deliver enough oxygen to power your body, leading to tiredness and fatigue, the NHLBI explains.

Certain conditions can make it hard for your body to absorb iron, including celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and kidney disease. If you have one of these conditions, you may develop iron-deficiency anemia. However, iron-deficiency anemia can also occur if you lose blood. People with bleeding in the gastrointestinal or urinary tract, traumatic injuries, or heavy menstrual periods have a higher risk of iron-deficiency anemia, per the NHLBI.

4. Depression
Depression is a common mood disorder that affects your feelings, thoughts, and actions. You may feel persistently sad and hopeless, lose interest in normal activities, and/or feel anxious, notes the Mayo Clinic. At the end of the day, depression will cause you to feel fatigued more often than not, Ascher says.

It doesn’t help that people with depression have a higher risk of sleep problems—75% have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

5. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that happens when your body doesn’t respond to insulin, a hormone that lets blood sugar into your body’s cells to use as energy, per the CDC. When your cells don’t respond to insulin (called insulin resistance), sugar builds up in your bloodstream, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes.

Fatigue is one common symptom of type 2 diabetes, and may even stick around after you’ve gotten your blood sugar under control, per an August 2018 editorial in Diabetes Therapy. There may be several reasons for this, from lifestyle and nutrition choices to the mental energy needed to manage diabetes on a daily basis to the hormonal changes that come with type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

6. Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid)
Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that makes thyroid hormones. “These hormones regulate many different things, from metabolism to temperature,” Ascher says.

For some people, the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones—a condition known as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). “If your thyroid is underactive, you may feel sluggish and tired, because your thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones to keep up with your body’s needs,” Ascher explains.

You face a higher risk of hypothyroidism if you’re female, older than 60, have had thyroid surgery or treatments, recently gave birth, or have an autoimmune disease, notes MedlinePlus.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Slow or fast,

a mile is a mile."

- Anonymous

Video of the Week

Inspiring Runner Refuses to Stop Short oF Finish Line (3:14)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

Marathon Training
Fall Marathon Season is nearly upon us with many of the “biggies” showing up on runners’ calendars including Chicago, Marine Corps, and New York, along with a number of more local races. Since many of our club members are planning to run the Heroes of America Marathon / Half-Marathon on November 19th in Columbus, GA, our Saturday runs are following the distances provided by Hal Higdon's "Intermediate II" Marathon Training Guide. For more information on this program, click on the Hal Higdon logo above.

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: October 24th, 2022

Tough Ten / Tough Two Results, Videos, and Pics!

Tough Ten Results

Tough Two Results

Click on the SmugMug logo below for race day pics!

Upcoming Race This Sunday!

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female 5K runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Upcoming Races

Unity World AIDS Day Race
- When: Saturday, Nov 05
- Time: 8:00 (1-Mile), 8:30 (5K)
- Where: Town Creek Park
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $20 (1-Mile), $25 (5K), $10 (Virtual)
* Shirt included for 1-Mile and 5K. Register by Oct 7th to guarantee a t-shirt. Additional fee for virtual option.
- Awards: Top 3 male/female 5K runners and top male/female in age group
(18 & under, 19-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61+)
- Charity: Run, jog or walk a scenic 5K route through the moderately rolling hills of Auburn, AL. The race will start and finish at Town Creek Park. Strollers and dogs on leashes welcome and encouraged.
- World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.
- Unity Wellness Center provides HIV testing & counseling, HIV primary medical care, medical case management services, and HIV prevention education and awareness programs. Any money raised from this event will go towards an Emergency Assistance fund for our Clients.

Heroes of America Marathon
- When: Saturday, Nov 19
- Time: 8:00 AM
- Where: Fort Benning, Georgia
- Distance(s): 5K, Half-Marathon, Marathon
- Fee: $25-$105 individuals, $200-$255 relays
- Description: The Heroes of America Marathon and Half Marathon Saturday, November 19, 2022 race starts and finishes at the National Infantry Museum, runs through parts of Ft Benning and on the beautiful Columbus RiverWalk. The course is reasonably flat with one hill and a few short inclines. The weather is usually clear with a low in the mid 30's to 40's and a high in the mid 60's. The Heroes of America 5k also starts at the National Infantry Museum immediately after the Half Marathon start. Because of the width of the Riverwalk the Heroes of America Marathon does not allow participants who use hand-cranks.

Moores Mill Club Turkey Trot
** Link to registration page TBA **
- Date: Thursday, Nov 24
- Location: Moores Mill Club, Auburn, AL
- Time: 8:00 AM
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 3-Mile
- Fee: $25, includes t-shirt
- Description: The annual Moore’s Mill Club Turkey Trot is something NOT to be missed! Taking place Thanksgiving Day morning, it has become a fun family tradition for many.  Runners, joggers & walkers - this fun run is for EVERYONE. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy Hot Chocolate, Coffee and Breakfast Snacks the morning of the run.  There will also be a CASH or CARD Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar available.

Weekly Whimsy

Exercise - The Best Way to Improve Body Composition?
Allison Goldstein, Runner's World

People come to running with many different goals: to compete, to hang out with friends, to get healthier, to “lean out.” This sport can help you achieve many of these things.

However, according to a recent study published in BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, running on its own probably won’t accomplish that last one. Running your way to shredded quads or chiseled abs will likely mean you’re chasing miles for a while with no result.

The Scientific Debate About Body Composition
It’s an open scientific debate as to whether exercise alone can improve body composition. While some research says yes, other studies say “not really.” What most of these studies seem to agree on is the idea that exercise, especially high-intensity exercise like running, can reduce visceral adipose tissue (VAT).

VAT is fat that surrounds your organs and is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic disease, like diabetes or heart disease, so reducing it can give you better odds of staying healthy and living longer.

A New Research Approach to Understanding Exercise and Body Composition
Two shortcomings of most studies investigating the effects of physical activity on body composition arise from their design: They’re observational, which introduces both reliability issues (did the subjects accurately report their exercise?) and confounding factors (people who run more might also partake in other healthy habits, which would affect their body composition). Also, most of these studies look at overweight or obese populations, which is important for public health research but isn’t the reality of everyone trying to their improve body composition.

To improve upon these limitations, a team of researchers from The University of Arizona, George Washington University, and University of Southern California took another approach: They employed a method called Mendelian randomization. This method uses genetic variations (rather than observed or self-reported data) as inputs or “proxies” for a behavior in order to examine whether that behavior causes an outcome.

“We wanted to look at the human experience of how physical activity influences body composition,” Ferris Ramadan, MS, an epidemiologist and data scientist at The University of Arizona and first author on the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine study told Runner’s World. The behavior being represented by genes in this study was exercise, and the outcome was body composition.

Ramadan and his coauthors began by identifying genes that predict varying levels of physical activity. This is similar to, for example, certain genes predicting that a person will be tall or develop Alzheimer’s. Because genetic differences are inherited randomly, using them as inputs (instead of actual physical activity) lessens the chance that other potential correlating factors, like socioeconomic status or smoking history, may bias the data (e.g., if smokers are less active, those individuals may have worse body composition because they smoke, not just because of their low activity level).

Additionally, using a genetic rather than behavioral input avoids the possibility of reverse causation, where it’s someone’s body composition that caused them to engage in greater levels of physical activity.

With the physical activity genes variations in hand, the researchers accessed a biobank of hundreds of thousands of subjects to look for associations between those genes and body composition outcomes like body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, VAT, and total body fat percent.

“We found that there’s a negligible effect of physical activity, really at any level, on body composition measures,” said Ramadan.

There was one exception: As prior studies have found, high-intensity physical activity (like running) reduced or protected against VAT. This is great news for runners’ overall health; however, it’s unlikely to yield any visible or easily measurable body composition results.

“For someone who’s thinking ‘oh I want to do spot reduction in my gut,’ it’s not going to work, because this visceral adipose tissue is actually a relatively small proportion of your overall body composition,” said Ramadan.

Factoring Nutrition into Exercise and Body Composition
While exercise alone may not improve body composition, studies do show that combining physical exercise with a nutritional strategy can work. However, this isn’t as simple as “eat less and exercise more.”

Nicole Farnsworth, a registered dietitian who works in the Sports Medicine Division of Boston Children’s Hospital and in private practice at Laura Moretti Nutrition LLC, says that eating too little can, in some cases, backfire. She sees clients arrive at her practice frustrated at having restricted their food intake and increased their exercise, only to see their weight plateau or, in some cases, even increase.

“Many patients who come in to see me may ask ‘How can I not be eating enough? I haven’t lost weight’ or in fact they’ve gained weight, or body mass,” says Farnsworth.

The reason someone might not lose or might even gain weight while exercising more and/or eating less is that energy availability (how many calories you’re taking in versus how many you’re expending) can affect body composition differently in different people. Farnsworth explains that for some people, when they burn more calories than they eat, their bodies are genetically programmed to hold onto fuel and nutrition stores more tightly—leading to weight maintenance or even weight gain.

Furthermore, for any athlete, not taking in enough calories to fuel your workouts will eventually lead to worse performance outcomes. In fact, a body composition that is too low in body fat can lead to a variety of negative health outcomes, including hormonal changes and increased risk for bone stress injuries.

“It’s not thinner is faster, it’s fueled is faster,” says Farnsworth.

She emphasizes that when it comes to performance, most athletes are better off focusing on optimizing their nutrition and training strategies than trying to adjust body composition. “A lot of the time, with most athletes, if the fueling piece and the training piece are the primary focus, that’s going to make the biggest difference,” she says.

The Bottom Line on Exercise and Body Composition
At the end of the day, whether improved body composition or a PR is your running goal, putting in the miles can help you get there. But running isn’t a magic bullet; it won’t work in isolation. Rest, recovery, periodized training, and nutrition are all essential to reach any goal.

Also, even if running doesn’t improve your body composition by itself, it offers a whole lot of other benefits, like improving brain health, protecting your heart, supporting your mental health, and simply boosting your mood. So let all those pay-offs you experience keep you moving and focused on other goals.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Endurance is one of the most

difficult disciplines.

But it is to the one who endures

that the final victory comes.

- Buddha

Video of the Week

Run/Walk - Loch Ness Marathon (7:03)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.

AORTA News: October 17th, 2022

Run For Your Life Results and Video!

Link to final results

Upcoming Race This Saturday!

Auburn Tough Ten & Tough Two
- When: Saturday, Oct 22
- Time: 7:30 AM (2 and 10 Mile)
- Where: Ogletree Village
- Fee: $25 (Tough Two), $35 (Tough Ten)
- Description: Run, jog or walk a scenic 10 mile or 2 mile route through the moderately rolling hills of Auburn, AL. Strollers and dogs on leashes welcome and encouraged. All proceeds are donated to the East Alabama Medical Center's Foundation for Breast Cancer Early Detection. Additionally, the Tough 10/2 race is in honor of Nick Holler, dedicated runner and community leader.

Upcoming Races

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Auburn Toys for Tots 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
- Location: Wrights Mill Road Elementary
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile Fun Run)
8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K, 10K
- Charity: AORTA’s popular annual Toys for Tots race is scheduled for Saturday, December 10th, and once again will start/finish at Wrights Mill Road Elementary School. There will be 3 races, a 1-mile fun run, 5K and 10K. Cost is $15 for the 1-Mile, $20 for 5K and $25 for the 10K. All registered runners are requested to donate a new, unwrapped toy as part of their registration. Awards will be presented at the end of the race.   Most importantly, all toys and proceeds will be donated and distributed to disadvantaged children in the area.

Weekly Whimsy

Marathon Recovery Tips So You Feel Better, Faster
Jenny Hadfield and Runner’s World Editors

Crossing a marathon finish line is arguably one of the best feelings in the world. That is, until your legs start to ache and your body seriously wants to stop walking—and you’re reminded of how much you need some post marathon recovery time.

The key to marathon recovery is knowing it’s not as simple as sleeping on your bed for as long as possible. (Though rest is certainly encouraged!) There are a host of variables that can affect your recovery, such as the intensity of the race, the elements, your health, and the training season. Everyone is different—and will take a different amount of time and various strategies to feel better—but there are several post-marathon recovery strategies you can employ that will aid in speeding up the rate of recovery.

The pay-off to following these tips: You’re not stuck limping around and avoiding stairs all week.

Just Keep Walking
Cross the finish line, get your medal, take a picture, and keep walking. Although the first instinct may be to drop to your knees and thank the gods that you’ve finished, that isn’t the best way to go when it comes to marathon recovery. Think about it: You’ve just asked your body to run 26.2 miles. It’s still in marathon mode when you finish and greatly needs to transition back to normal life.

By walking, your heart rate gradually drops, the circulation diverts back to its resting state and flushes lactic acid from the muscles. Walk at least 10 to 15 minutes—back to your car, hotel, or cab to downshift gently. We promise it’s worth it.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Eat a small snack within the first 30 to 60 minutes postrace. Save the big meal for later in the day when your appetite returns, and you can enjoy that celebration. The time immediately after the race is more about getting in about 200 to 300 easily-digestible calories from carbohydrates and protein to maintain blood sugar levels, replenish muscle glycogen, and repair muscle tissue.

Half of a turkey sandwich, carrots, and almond butter or pretzels will do the trick. If it’s a hot race, try a liquid recovery drink. If it’s cold, soup gets the job done. Continue to nibble on balanced snacks and meals that are made up of a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein all day. Sip fluids throughout the day to rehydrate.

Chill Out
Consider soaking in a cold water or ice bath for five to 10 minutes and/or try wearing compression tights. Both may aid in decreasing inflammation in your legs and speed the rate of healing.

Get a Leg Up
Take five to 10 minutes to do the yoga pose, “Legs Up on the Wall,” or Viparita Karani. It reverses circulation to refresh your legs, gently stretches the lower body muscles, and is a great way to internally celebrate your race.

Stretch, Roll, and Massage
Wait at least two to six hours after the race to stretch and foam roll and at least 24 hours for a massage. This allows your muscles time to replenish fluids and energy lost and recover from the demands of the race.

Give Yourself a Break
One of the most common mistakes runners make is running too soon after a marathon. Think of the marathon like a car accident (pleasant, huh?). Your body has been through a tough season of training and 26.2 miles on the road. The best way to recover is not to do more damage by going out for a run the next day (that is your ego talking).

Take the day to celebrate. Schedule a massage and do some light walking and stretching. Or tear a page from a good running book and take a month off to recover, do yoga, and cross-train.

For guidance, try this four-week plan:

Week 1: Cross-train, rest, and test the waters
Invest the first week in short, light effort, low-impact cross-training activities that will boost circulation, warm your muscles, and aid in the healing journey (think: walking, cycling, swimming, or yoga). If all feels well later that week, run a short, easy-effort run (30 minutes) to test the waters.

Week 2: Run short and easy
If things still hurt, keep cross-training and let it simmer. If you feel good, start back to your normal running frequency in week two, but keep the effort easy and the distance shorter (30 to 60 minutes).

Week 3: Run longer and a little faster
If things are still going well and your body feels good, ease back into distance and intensity in week three.

Week 4: Return to regular volume or training
Now that you’ve slowly got your body back into a regular running routine, you can return to your pre-marathon schedule if you feel good. If you’re running multiple races in one season it is vital to invest in optimal recovery time.

https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20794063/how-should-i-recover-post-marathon/

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Your body can stand almost

anything.

It’s your mind you have to

convince."

- Anonymous

Video of the Week

How To Run 100 Miles (28:13)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

AORTA News: October 10th, 2022

Upcoming Race this Week!

Run For Your Life 5k
- When: Saturday, Oct 15
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile and 5K)
- Where: Opelika Sportsplex
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Description: Summer Village is partnering with the local community of Auburn and Opelika, Alabama to throw a Halloween themed 5K! Our “Run For Your Life” 5K will be hosted at the Opelika Sports Plex on October 15, 2022. Runners/participants will be asked to wear their favorite Halloween costume while taking part in the race. All proceeds will be donated to The PRF (Professional, Resources, Finances) Institute. https://prfinstitute.org/resources/

The PRF Institute is committed to addressing the socio-economic challenges of communities with a direct team approach. Although they support various other organizations and ministries, they have four initiatives that really speak into the life of almost every community across our nation.

Upcoming Races

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Weekly Whimsy

What Runners Should Know About Atrial Fibrillation
Morgan Tilton, Runner's World

Running has so many health benefits, it’s counterintuitive to consider any negative effects endurance training may have on the body. However, research suggests that some runners may be at higher risk for atrial fibrillation, also known as A-fib. A-fib is an irregular, rapid, fast-pounding heart rhythm, or palpitations.

While often temporary and not worrisome, A-fib can have potentially serious consequences. Here’s more about the research, what you need to know about A-fib, and why you don’t need to panic.

What Research Says About Atrial Fibrillation and Exercise
While previous research has shown that male runners can be prone to atrial fibrillation with high-volume, vigorous exercise, the risk for female athletes was understudied. But earlier this year, research has revealed that women are also susceptible.

According to a cohort study released in May 2022 in EP Europace, a peer-reviewed medical journal specializing in cardiac health published by Oxford University Press, researchers found an association between a high-level of endurance sport training and increased risk of atrial fibrillation in female athletes.

Before you immediately stop your vigorous workout routine, keep in mind that it is likely only athletes with a family history of A-fib, a history of cardiac surgery, or those with sleep apnea, among other risks, that may be more susceptible to developing A-fib. Simply put, these prior conditions can get exacerbated with vigorous long-term exercise and lead to risk for A-fib.

In the study, “high-endurance training” was defined by both distance and speed, and the researchers looked at more than 200 women who fit three categories: marathon runners with times faster than 3.25 hours, top ranked cyclists, and national champion 10,000-meter track runners. All the athletes were competitive from 1979 to 1991. The researchers found that, nearly 30 years later, the sample pool reflected a 4.4% occurrence of A-fib compared to a 1.7% among the non-athlete population.

“A-fib is definitely a hot topic among my patients, particularly discussing A-fib risk and sport intensity. A lot of athletes ask if there is a correlation between exercise and lone atrial fibrillation—meaning, there’s no other risk factor of heart disease,” says Tamanna Singh, M.D., codirector of the Cleveland Clinic Sports Cardiology Center. “The data we have says there is an increase of lone A-fib in high-intensity and high-endurance athletes with no other risk factors.”

In addition to the study released this year, involving female athletes. Other, old research also supports this correlation between high-intensity exercise and atrial fibrillation risk. For example, one study from the European Society of Cardiology identified a U-shaped curve of incidence which demonstrated that some high-intensity exercise protected individuals against A-fib, but too much or too little could exacerbate the issue. In fact, individuals that exercised for a limited number of hours (under 2,000 hours over a lifetime, to be exact) held the lowest risk for A-fib, compared to sedentary athletes and extreme athletes that did more vigorous activity. A-fib risk for endurance athletes was associated with 2,000 hours or more of lifetime-accumulated, high-intensity endurance training.

Another study from the European Society of Cardiology analyzing more than 20,000 adults, and involving a 20-year follow-up, saw evidence that moderate physical activity (like walking and cycling) reduced risk of A-fib and helped to protect heart health. Meanwhile, higher activity levels (like hard training and sports competitions) attenuated those benefits, due to cardiac adaptations that occur over the course of years. This study also found an association between low resting heart rate, which is common in athletes, and A-fib.

What Happens to Your Body When You Have A-Fib
Everyone has felt their heart flutter or skip a beat for a moment or two, but A-fib is more intense and long-lasting. When your heart works properly, we don’t even notice it beating, but when there’s an issue, we can feel it immediately.

Your heart has two upper chambers, which receive blood, and two lower chambers that pump blood out. An electrical conduction system regulates this movement between the upper and lower chambers. “The normal electrical conduction system is very well defined, and that normal rhythmic electrical system moves from the top of heart to the bottom and you can feel your pulse in a normal pattern,” says William Cornwell, M.D., associate professor of medicine-cardiology at the University of Colorado Medicine.

A-fib, on the other hand, involves irregular electrical impulses in the atrium, one of the two upper heart chambers, explains the Cleveland Clinic. As a result, the upper chambers are out of sync with the lower chambers.

“Basically, you have these electrical hot spots that occur in areas of change. Those electrical hot spots or pulses propagate to the crux of the heart, or the atrioventricular node, which carries and transmits those pulses to the bottom chambers of heart and causes irregular contractions,” explains Singh.

“It’s not entirely clear why A-fib happens in endurance athletes,” Cornwell explains. He says it’s possible that endurance and dynamic exercise can enlarge the heart and atria. This can then lead to a development of fibrosis or a scar formation, causing inflammation that interferes with the electrical conduction system and causes chaotic A-fib.

Reaching an Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis
For those who have, A-fib, there are four general severity levels, which can make getting a diagnosis a long process.

“Occasional, or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, is when A-fib symptoms come and go for athletes and is typically in masters athletes and older,” says Singh. “One example would be if someone has been drinking alcohol and they are dehydrated, and that can be precipitant the next day for A-fib for a couple of hours, but nothing that lasts longer than a week.”

The next level of severity can last longer. “Persistent A-fib lasts more than seven days,” says Singh. “You’re not returning to a normal rhythm on your own, and treatment is needed to convert you back to the normal rhythm.

Even more continuous, long-standing A-fib lasts longer than 12 months, which is treated with invasive procedures or convert strategies like electrical cardioversion, which is when the heart is shocked to convert it back to a normal rhythm.

When an irregular heart rhythm that can’t be restored, the athlete has permanent A-fib. In this case, patients take medications to prevent blood clots and moderate the heart rate.

Other Atrial Fibrillation Risk Factors
“We typically see A-fib increase after age 60,” says Singh. Though not common, she also sees A-fib in young athletes in their late teens or early 20s with infrequent, short episodes of A-fib.

Often masters athletes diagnosed with A-fib have underlying cardiac issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, a prior heart attack, or valve-related issues like leaky or narrowed valves—basically, any structural changes to the heart, Singh explains. Or, they have a genetic predisposition to cardiac health issues.

“A-fib will come from a structural change in left atrium. You can have those changes with a health condition like sleep apnea too,” Singh says.

Other risk factors for atrial fibrillation exist outside of an exercise routine and history of heart problems, though. Those include diabetes, alcohol consumption, thyroid problems, and other medical conditions, according to the American Heart Association.

Symptoms and Side Effects of Atrial Fibrillation
In addition to a fluttering heartbeat, A-fib patients may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, and weakness, according to Mayo Clinic. If you experience symptoms or signs, talk with your physician and they can order a handful of different tests, such as an electrocardiogram (among others), to help diagnosis the condition, and rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Sometimes, though, athletes don’t notice A-fib symptoms and it remains undetected, which can lead to changes in the heart muscle. This is a problem because A-fib can have long-term effects. “With constant irregular pulses going to the heart with an irregular contraction, you lose that synchronized contraction that optimizes blood flow to the rest of body. That poor output to the body can lead, over time, to cardiomyopathy,” says Singh.

Cardiomyopathy makes it harder for the heart to pump blood through the body, which can lead to heart failure. This is why it’s so it’s important to identify and treat A-fib.

Another A-fib concern is that it can cause blood clots, which increases the risk of stroke, causing those with A-fib to be at higher risk for stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation
Ultimately, the aim for A-fib treatment is to revert the heart rhythm back to normal and also to prevent blood clots. Depending on the level of A-fib that’s detected, A-fib treatment is tailored to each patient.

To determine the best course of care, a cardiologist will first identify if there are underlying comorbidities (the presence of two or more diseases) in an athlete, says Singh. In these cases, sometimes treating an underlying condition can help control A-fib.

In general, athletes with occasional a-fib and no other underlying health issues can take medication that slows down their heart rate or heart rhythm to convert it back to a normal heart rhythm, says Singh.

Patients may also go through electrical cardioversion, a procedure that uses quick, low-energy shocks to restore a regular heart rhythm.

“Competitive athletes with symptomatic A-fib, we usually proceed with catheter approach or cardiac ablation. You can go directly to the areas that are electrically hot and causing A-fib and burn those areas,” says Singh.

How to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation
The question on every runner’s mind: Should you change your exercise behavior to prevent A-fib? As with most answers to health questions, it depends. But one thing is certain: You shouldn’t stop moving. Moderate exercise helps reduce the risk and frequency of A-fib, says Singh.

“I generally don’t recommend people stop exercising due to occasional A-fib, because the exercise is having a positive effect on other factors that would contribute to your increase of stroke and comorbidity [risk],” says Cornwell.

“It’s a little hard to quantitate, but if you are a couch potato and don’t exercise at all, the risk of A-fib is higher over your lifetime than for people who regularly exercise and follow the recommended guidelines,” Cornwell adds, referring to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines suggest 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, as well as muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week.

“Your risk drops if you follow those weekly guidelines. If you start to exceed those guidelines and get into the elite endurance type of athletics, the risk of A-fib goes up,” Cornwell explains, but that doesn’t directly mean your risk of serious cardiac events goes up, too.

Your decision should also be in line with your risk factors. “Controlling risk factors is important: If you know you have high blood pressure, for example, control those structural changes made by high blood pressure, so you can minimize your risk of A-fib,” Cornwell adds.

For athletes that are susceptible to heart disease, it’s key to control cholesterol levels and not be sedentary to reduce the risk of A-fib. Also, keep alcohol and stimulant use at a minimal level, Singh says.

Remember, Running is Good for Your Heart
Running consistently over an average 5.9 years revealed a 50 percent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to never-runners, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

And while cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number-one cause of death around the world, reports the World Health Organization, a large variety of cardiovascular diseases exist. They range from coronary heart disease, which affect the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle, to rheumatic heart disease, in which there is damage to the heart muscle and valves following a case of rheumatic fever.

So, while A-fib can lead changes to the heart muscle that increase cardiovascular mortality, A-fib is not a direct cause of heart failure, explains Singh.

More good news: A recent report published by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, which Cornwell co-authored, researchers outlined a large analysis of Swedish cross-country skiers, which showed that exercise is able to decrease stroke risk factors well enough that those benefits offset the increased stroke risk associated with atrial fibrillation.

What to Know About Atrial Fibrillation and Exercise
Ultimately, it’s essential to pay attention to and treat A-fib, so see a doctor if you suspect you have it, but don’t sacrifice your workouts unless you are told to do so.

“High-intense, high-volume exercise slightly increases the risk of A-fib—but that’s not a reason to stop participating in a sport,” says Singh. “A-fib can be managed, and the benefits of exercise far outweigh that risk, especially because cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer of men and women in United States.”

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“A good laugh

and a long run

are the two best cures

for anything."

- Anonymous

Video of the Week

Defeating Your Greatest Opponent (2:56)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!
RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn

next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.

AORTA News: October 3rd, 2022

Upcoming Races!

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Weekly Whimsy

Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious
Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times

Researchers at Princeton University recently made a remarkable discovery about the brains of rats that exercise. Some of their neurons respond differently to stress than the neurons of slothful rats. Scientists have known for some time that exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells (neurons) but not how, precisely, these neurons might be functionally different from other brain cells.

In the experiment, preliminary results of which were presented last month at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, scientists allowed one group of rats to run. Another set of rodents was not allowed to exercise. Then all of the rats swam in cold water, which they don’t like to do. Afterward, the scientists examined the animals’ brains. They found that the stress of the swimming activated neurons in all of the brains. (The researchers could tell which neurons were activated because the cells expressed specific genes in response to the stress.) But the youngest brain cells in the running rats, the cells that the scientists assumed were created by running, were less likely to express the genes. They generally remained quiet. The “cells born from running,” the researchers concluded, appeared to have been “specifically buffered from exposure to a stressful experience.” The rats had created, through running, a brain that seemed biochemically, molecularly, calm.

For years, both in popular imagination and in scientific circles, it has been a given that exercise enhances mood. But how exercise, a physiological activity, might directly affect mood and anxiety — psychological states — was unclear. Now, thanks in no small part to improved research techniques and a growing understanding of the biochemistry and the genetics of thought itself, scientists are beginning to tease out how exercise remodels the brain, making it more resistant to stress. In work undertaken at the University of Colorado, Boulder, for instance, scientists have examined the role of serotonin, a neurotransmitter often considered to be the “happy” brain chemical. That simplistic view of serotonin has been undermined by other researchers, and the University of Colorado work further dilutes the idea. In those experiments, rats taught to feel helpless and anxious, by being exposed to a laboratory stressor, showed increased serotonin activity in their brains. But rats that had run for several weeks before being stressed showed less serotonin activity and were less anxious and helpless despite the stress.

Other researchers have looked at how exercise alters the activity of dopamine, another neurotransmitter in the brain, while still others have concentrated on the antioxidant powers of moderate exercise. Anxiety in rodents and people has been linked with excessive oxidative stress, which can lead to cell death, including in the brain. Moderate exercise, though, appears to dampen the effects of oxidative stress. In an experiment led by researchers at the University of Houston and reported at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, rats whose oxidative-stress levels had been artificially increased with injections of certain chemicals were extremely anxious when faced with unfamiliar terrain during laboratory testing. But rats that had exercised, even if they had received the oxidizing chemical, were relatively nonchalant under stress. When placed in the unfamiliar space, they didn’t run for dark corners and hide, like the unexercised rats. They insouciantly explored.

“It looks more and more like the positive stress of exercise prepares cells and structures and pathways within the brain so that they’re more equipped to handle stress in other forms,” says Michael Hopkins, a graduate student affiliated with the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Laboratory at Dartmouth, who has been studying how exercise differently affects thinking and emotion. “It’s pretty amazing, really, that you can get this translation from the realm of purely physical stresses to the realm of psychological stressors.”

The stress-reducing changes wrought by exercise on the brain don’t happen overnight, however, as virtually every researcher agrees. In the University of Colorado experiments, for instance, rats that ran for only three weeks did not show much reduction in stress-induced anxiety, but those that ran for at least six weeks did. “Something happened between three and six weeks,” says Benjamin Greenwood, a research associate in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, who helped conduct the experiments. Dr. Greenwood added that it was “not clear how that translates” into an exercise prescription for humans. We may require more weeks of working out, or maybe less. And no one has yet studied how intense the exercise needs to be. But the lesson, Dr. Greenwood says, is “don’t quit.” Keep running or cycling or swimming. (Animal experiments have focused exclusively on aerobic, endurance-type activities.) You may not feel a magical reduction of stress after your first jog, if you haven’t been exercising. But the molecular biochemical changes will begin, Dr. Greenwood says. And eventually, he says, they become “profound.”

Link to New York Times article

Quote of the Week

“Physical strength

will get you to the start line.

But mental strength

will get you to the finish line."

- Anonymous

Video of the Week

Why It’s Almost Impossible to Run 100 Meters In 9 Seconds (14:04)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

AORTA News: September 26th, 2022

ODK Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race Official Results

Upcoming Races!

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Weekly Whimsy

What a High Resting Heart Rate Could Be Telling You About Your Training

Jenessa Connor, Runner's World

Whether you’re a fan of heart-rate training or only dabbled in hitting your zones, you’ve likely noticed your heart rate numbers on a watch or fitness tracker midrun. But have you ever tapped on the little heart icon or noticed your beats per minute when your body was at rest? For runners, resting heart rate can be just as meaningful to your training and overall health.

What is a resting heart rate?
As the term suggests, resting heart rate (RHR) refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute when the body is at rest. You can get a fairly accurate measure using a wearable fitness tracker (chest straps, while less comfortable, tend to deliver more precise results than wrist-worn heart rate trackers) or by using your fingers to count your radial pulse.

“You want to take [a resting heart rate reading] first thing in the morning after a restful night’s sleep, lying on your back, free of any distractions,” Fabio Comana, M.A., M.S., faculty within the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at San Diego State University, tells Runner’s World. If you use a watch, he suggests wearing it on the inside of your wrist so that it can better mold to the skin and soft tissue. Just be careful not to move your arm (or any other part of your body) while taking a reading.

According to the American Heart Association, the range for average resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). Your own rate can be impacted by several variables, including biological sex, stress, medications, medical issues, hormones, age, and level of regular physical activity. Generally speaking, a lower resting heart rate is better.

“RHR is considered an indicator of overall cardiovascular fitness or how efficiently you are able to meet your body’s oxygen demands,” says Pamela Geisel, M.S., C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist and the director of performance and wellness services at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “A lower RHR has been correlated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and other illnesses.”

A higher resting heart rate can be a sign of a myriad of health problems. For example, a 2017 meta-analysis of 87 relevant studies found “an increased risk of coronary heart disease, sudden cardiac death, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality with greater resting heart rate.”

How does physical fitness play into resting heart rate?
The reason why runners and other athletes typically have lower resting heart rates than their sedentary peers is a matter of adaptation. As you increase your physical activity, “the body says, ‘How can I deliver oxygen to my blood cells more efficiently?’” Comana explains.

The answer: more red blood cells and, therefore, an increased blood volume. To accommodate that higher blood volume, the heart becomes stronger and able to pump out more blood with every contraction. “If you’re able to eject more blood out of the heart with every beat, your heart doesn’t have to beat as many times. So, that’s the reason why your resting heart rate comes down,” Comana says.

Lessen your training or stop working out, and your resting heart rate will eventually creep back up. “You no longer have that demand for as many red blood cells,” Comana explains. So, as red blood cells die (they have a lifespan of about four months), the body manufactures fewer new ones, blood volume decreases, and the heart and its stroke volume (the amount of blood it pumps out with each contraction) shrink. “It’s like a muscle: If you don’t use it, you lose it,” Comana says.

What does a high resting heart rate mean?
So, what if you’re sticking to your regular training schedule and notice that your resting heart rate is elevated? A single, higher-than-normal reading generally is not cause for concern; dehydration, stimulants, or even a bad night’s sleep could cause a temporary spike. But if you see your resting heart ratte climbing by eight to 10 beats over the course of seven to 10 days, Comana recommends examining both your workouts and your life in general. You could be overtraining and not allowing your body adequate rest and recovery between workouts.

On the other hand, your high resting heart rate may have nothing to do with exercise. “A lot of the time, what we consider to be overtraining may not be your program,” he says. “It may be the life stresses that are just dog piles on top of you, because stress is just an accumulation of any disruption of homeostasis.”

How can you lower a high resting heart rate?
To your body, stress is stress; it doesn’t matter if it’s coming from a looming work deadline or back-to-back HIIT workouts. Problems at work, in your relationship, and relating to your finances obviously can’t be avoided—you need to tend to those issues, which is inherently stressful. “But what you can do is control your workouts,” Comana says. “You might need to off-load, de-load, or redirect.”

Off-loading, or stopping exercise altogether, is the most drastic intervention, but it can be incredibly effective. Ever notice how that first run after a few days off can feel like one of your best ever? “You might have been pushing the envelope where you were bordering on overtraining, and we just gave you some time off to allow your body a little bit more time to recuperate, to restore homeostasis. And then you came back feeling refreshed,” Comana says. “Stress is not ordinarily bad, but we need time to recover from it.”

De-loading is the process of temporarily reducing the volume and intensity of training. Comana recommends cutting down to 50% to 70% of what you usually do for your workouts. That means if you run six days a week, you may want to incorporate a couple of extra rest days and, on the days you do train, run at an easier or more moderate pace.

Comana’s third strategy, redirecting, is simply switching up your routine with a new activity, preferably something that feels fun or playful. “Let's take a break from pounding the treadmill and go do something else. Let’s go hike a hill. Let's go swim in the pool,” Comana says. “Go play so it seems like it’s something fun rather than it’s something that you have to do—something that’s part of your training. That’s the idea behind it.”

If, after adjusting your workouts and lowering your stress levels, you’re still experiencing a high resting heart rate, it’s a good idea to check in with your medical provider. “An elevated heart rate response could be indicative of something bigger, something more problematic,” Comana says. If you implement strategies to lower a high resting heart rate and it’s not coming down, that could be a red flag that should be more thoroughly investigated, he adds. While a high resting heart rate could be tied to several conditions, it would be just one factor at play, so your doctor will do a full exam before making a diagnosis.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“In this moment, don’ think... just run.

Enjoy the journey and have faith

in your ability to finish."

- Michael D’Aulerio
Author of “A Runner’s Secret"

Video of the Week

The Most Effective Cross Training for Runners (14:49)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

AORTA News: September 19th, 2022

Upcoming Race this Week!

ODK Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race
- When: Tuesday, Sep 20
- Where: AU Campus Green
- Time: 5:00 PM
- Distance: 5K
- Fee: Free!
- Description: The Annual Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race is set for September 20th. The Cake Race began in 1928 when the Omega Delta Kappa chapter at Auburn University was founded and is one of the oldest ongoing traditions. The race was nemed in honor of former Auburn University track coaches, Mel Rosen and Wilbur Hutsell, who used the race to scout for potential members to the track team. The top 5 Male and Female winners will receive a cake donated by ODK. The race is open to all comers including students, faculty, alumni and community members!

Upcoming Races this Week!

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Weekly Whimsy

Dehydration Makes Running Feel Harder, Right?
Allison Goldstein, Runner's World

Summer means hot, sweaty runs that feel tougher than the same pace in moderate weather. Heat is the clear culprit, but dehydration is also often blamed. Yet the effect of dehydration on how our runs feel hasn’t been systematically explored. . . until now.

So, does dehydration contribute to that lead-legged feeling during midsummer runs? According to a recent study in Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, it’s unlikely.

Dehydration 101
Physiologically, dehydration all comes down to blood.

During exercise, your finite blood supply needs to deliver nutrients and oxygen to two places: your heart and your working muscles. When you get hot—due to the heat generated by your muscles, your environment, or both—two things happen. First, rather than being split just two ways, your blood supply is split a third way: It’s diverted to your skin to cool you off. Second, the way you cool off is by sweating, and your sweat comes from the liquid element of your blood (plasma). Therefore, as you sweat, your blood supply shrinks.

Now you have a decreasing amount of blood trying to service your heart, muscles, and skin. This creates stress. The question of whether this stress becomes perceptible enough to impact running performance is what Éric Goulet, Ph.D., the first author of the new study and director of the Performance, Hydration and Thermoregulation Laboratory at the University of Sherbrooke, and colleagues set out to investigate.

“Researchers believe that there is a strong relationship between perceived exertion and endurance performance,” Goulet said. “A lot of factors can influence perceived exertion; scientists believe that dehydration can be one of them. So we wanted to test that.”

Dehydration and perceived exertion
For their study, Goulet and his team analyzed 16 exercise science studies that included two conditions: one where participants were permitted to drink during exercise, and another where they weren’t. The researchers looked at how dehydrated participants became in either condition. When they were permitted to rehydrate, the participants lost, on average, 0.5 percent of their body mass; when they weren’t, they lost 3 percent. The scientists then examined whether higher levels of dehydration correlated with higher levels of perceived exertion—that is, when the athletes were more dehydrated, did they report that exercise felt harder?

The answer is yes, but barely. Goulet and his colleagues found that when the athletes were most dehydrated and rated their exertion on the 6–20-point Borg Scale (6 being little or no effort and 20 being the hardest possible effort), dehydration impacted their rating by one point—a statistically significant finding, except for the fact that the scale has a one-point margin of error. (Think about trying to rate your last run on the 6–20 scale. Does a rating of 16 or 17 seem all that different?)

“Our conclusion was that if dehydration plays a role in increasing perceived exertion, then the effect is probably really small,” Goulet said. “We concluded that, in the end, the impact of dehydration on perceived exertion should not be strong enough to have an influence on performance.”

Body temperature matters
Now, this doesn’t mean you should promptly ditch your water bottle, especially if you’re going to be running in the heat for a long time. That’s because Goulet’s study specifically measured the impact of dehydration alone on perceived exertion.

“Hydration really becomes vital during intense exercise in the heat,” said Douglas Casa, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut. “Take any one of them—intensity, exercise, or heat—out of the mix, and hydration is not as important. But it’s very important when all three of those are combined.”

The reason has to do with core body temperature. On average, our bodies like to maintain a core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Running raises that temperature, and running in the heat does so even more.

“We call it exercise-induced hyperthermia,” Casa said. “At the end of a hot-weather run, everyone is living in the 103 range. That’s normal.”

According to Casa, your core body temperature rises by half a degree Fahrenheit for every 1 percent body mass you lose to sweat. So, if you were to go on a 90-minute summer run and stayed well hydrated, you might finish with a core temperature around 102 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you finished having sweated out 4 percent of your body mass, you could easily be above 104 degrees Fahrenheit—the danger zone for heat stroke.

How to hydrate
While hydrating might not make your runs feel much easier, you can help keep your core temperature down during intense workouts and summer long runs with these practices.

Pay attention to thirst. Contrary to the common maxim that “once you’re thirsty, it’s too late,” Goulet said that you can reliably use thirst to guide your hydration. “Thirst is a powerful mechanism to maintain body water,” he said. “If you rely only on that, it should be enough to perform optimally and to protect your health.” He cautions, however, that you must have access to water for this to work. Otherwise, planning when and how much you’ll drink may be a better strategy.

Don’t forget electrolytes. Water may quench your thirst, but it won’t rehydrate you as well as a beverage that includes electrolytes. The reason is that when you sweat, you’re essentially losing the liquid part of your blood, or blood plasma.

“The main electrolyte in blood plasma is sodium, which is why we lose so much sodium with sweat,” said Nina Sieh, an endurance coach and Ph.D. student studying environmental ergonomics. “So that’s why we need to hydrate with electrolytes.”

Typical sport drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade are good options if you want carbohydrates along with your water and electrolytes, but in hot conditions where you’re drinking a lot of fluid, a less carb-concentrated option like Scratch or Nuun may sit better in your stomach.

Consider your purpose. When advising on hydration, Sieh tells her athletes to be mindful of hot conditions, but to also factor in the purpose of the run.

“If it’s a recovery run and their recovery strategy is pretty good—they’ve had good meals, good hydration throughout the day—and the run is, like, 60 minutes in the heat, they can probably handle that, no problem,” she said. It might not feel like no problem, but that’s part of training.

“A lot of endurance stuff is about that conversation you have with yourself in your head,” she said. “You want to get mentally prepared to tolerate the heat.”

At the end of the day, dehydration alone probably isn’t making your runs feel harder. Even if it is, that extra little bit of perceived exertion is probably okay on an easy run. For hotter, harder, longer workouts, drink when you’re thirsty, drink enough, and include electrolytes.

Then, wring out your shirt and keep on running.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“The only way to define your limits…

is by going beyond them."

- Arthur C. Clarke

Video of the Week

Without Limits - Running Motivation (3:24)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.

AORTA News: September 12th, 2022

Local runners came together Friday morning at AUMC (Auburn United Methodist Church) in downtown Auburn in memory of Eliza Fletcher, the 34-year-old Memphis teacher who was abducted and killed while on a run last week. The mother of two had been on an early-morning run around 4:20 a.m. in Memphis when she didn’t come home. Fletcher’s body was found Monday in Memphis, miles from where she was last seen.

In her memory, dozens of runners showed up in downtown Auburn to show their support for Fletcher. The group started with a 34-second moment of silence, Fletcher’s age at the time of the abduction, and started the group run around 4:30 in the morning. Runners were given the option to run between 1, 2, 3, or 5 miles to welcome all levels and abilities. Some runners were from the Memphis area.

A 2021 survey* of over 2,000 runners by Runner’s World magazine revealed that “60 percent of women said they had been harassed when running, 25 percent reported being regularly subjected to sexist comments or unwanted sexual advances and six present said they had felt threatened to such an extent by harassment while running that they feared for their lives.”

The #runforliza hashtag has spread across the nation as many local running groups have shown their support by creating similar runs.

*Source: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a36278390/reclaim-the-run/

Upcoming Local Races!

ODK Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race
- When: Tuesday, Sep 20 (Date changed)
- Where: AU Campus Green
- Time: 5:00 PM
- Distance: 5K
- Fee: Free!
- Description: The Annual Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race is set for September 20th. The Cake Race began in 1928 when the Omega Delta Kappa chapter at Auburn University was founded and is one of the oldest ongoing traditions. The race was nemed in honor of former Auburn University track coaches, Mel Rosen and Wilbur Hutsell, who used the race to scout for potential members to the track team. The top 5 Male and Female winners will receive a cake donated by ODK. The race is open to all comers including students, faculty, alumni and community members!

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Weekly Whimsy

Is there a lesson here that we should be heeding?

10 Ways You Can Stay Safe When Out On Morning Runs
Dorothy Beal, Women's Running

Growing up my parents would always say to me—it’s not YOU we don’t trust—it’s other people.

I’ve often reflected on this statement as a mother and as a runner. When it comes to being safe out on the roads, I’m not worried about myself; I’m worried about what other people will or won’t do and how their decisions may affect my safety. I believe that as a runner—especially a female runner—I must not let my guard down when running at times of the day that are less safe than others. It’s when we get comfortable that we are most susceptible to being attacked. It’s when we are in a comfort zone that we are more likely to not pay attention to drivers or other such hazards.

I personally have had run-ins with crazy people in cars. I’ve had people swerve towards me while I was pushing my kids in the running stroller, and sadly I saw a woman who died from being hit and dragged by a trash truck not 15 feet from the front door of my townhouse. These incidents have kept me on my toes while running, so to say. I know that keeping myself safe is my priority. I can’t rely on others to see me or for people to act in a manner that they should.

Here are some of my tips for staying safe on early morning runs—though many of these tips work for other times as well!

Let someone that you know when you are going for a run.
In the early morning hours, it’s important for someone to know what time you left your house and around how many miles you plan on running. Heaven forbid, if you didn’t come back home, you want someone to be able to establish a timeline for when you went missing. Telling them how many miles you planned on running or about how long you plan on being out there keeps your loved one or friend from worrying about you too soon. If you don’t have anyone in your life you can text or tell, then leave a note at your house for someone to find later should you go missing.

Don’t be a predictable target.
I don’t post on social media before I am about to go for a run. I leave for my runs at a different time each day and I never run the same route two days in a row if I am running when it’s dark and early. I don’t want to have a routine that someone else could memorize. I certainly don’t want to give anyone I don’t know a heads up when I am leaving for a run. In the past I would post on my blog my weekly training log. I do not do this anymore for safety reason.

Mix up your pace.
This is along the same lines of don’t be a predictable target. Don’t run the same amount of mileage every day at the same pace. If someone is going to attack you and it’s a pre-meditated act, you don’t want them knowing that you do the same 6 miles at a 9 minute pace every day.

Do not carry mace.
Some of you are going to argue with me on this one but I think it’s very dangerous to carry this type of item in an early morning hour. There is a strong likelihood that someone attacking you is either stronger than you or is possibly on something from the night before. I think the chances of this item being turned and used against you is high. If something were to happen to you, you need your eyesight and all your senses functioning as well as possible.** Editor’s Note: Not sure I agree with this one.

Do not run with music.
I wish I didn’t even have to say this one but sadly, it needs to be said. I’ve been out running at 4:30 a.m. and seen women totally tuned in to their music who didn’t even notice me until I was right in front of them. I’ve seen women listening to music this early but running with their dog, assuming that the dog will keep them safe. Assume nothing. You need your senses to be functioning fully in the morning. Since you may not be able to see as well as you would during the middle of the day, consider your ears a gift. You need to hear what’s going on around you or who might be coming up behind you.

Make a wise decision about reflective gear.
As a runner and coach, I do not believe that you should wear reflective gear on every dark run. Based on where and when I run, I’ve made the decision to not wear this gear. I want to blend in as much as possible and not stick out for anyone who may be up to no good. There aren’t many cars out at the time I run, and I assume that every single one of them can’t see me. I get off of the road and hop on to a sidewalk if I see a car coming. I wait at cross walks till a car passes. I am proactive in my safety.

Wear ID.
My ID of choice is a RoadID that I wear on my wrist. Make sure you have the numbers of people who can be reached when you are out running and make sure to include pertinent information. Quotes and such are cute but they aren’t going to help save your life.

Say hi to other runners.
A runner is more likely to remember seeing you and where they were when they saw you if you say hi. If something terrible were to happen, you would want people to be able to come forward with details that might help authorities. In the early morning hours of 4 am, you will likely only pass a few people. This tactic doesn’t work as well when you are running during periods of time where they are tons of runners out.

Carry your phone.
Once upon a time I thought this was ridiculous. I was proactive in my safety, I don’t typically stop on runs – so pictures were out, and I certainly wasn’t going to be talking on it or texting while running. So why would I need a phone? These days I carry it with me on most runs and I feel safer. I’ve gotten lost on a run before and fought back tears and tiredness as I ran 10+ more miles than planned. I have debated knocking on someone’s door and asking to use their phone to call my husband (I didn’t). If I had my cell phone with me, I would have been able to call and he wouldn’t have been at home worrying why it had been hours since he last saw me when I had told him I was only running 6-7 miles.

Don’t worry about being politically correct.
I realize by even putting this as a bullet some of you are going to gasp. It’s the truth. If you get a funny feeling in your stomach for whatever reason, do not worry about offending the person who is giving you the feeling. Your safety is more important than not turning around and running the other direction because a stranger made you feel funny. I’d rather offend someone I don’t know in the moment and be safe than to make a really bad decision and have it cost me my life. It may sound dramatic but the world isn’t always the safest place. Your safety lies in your own hands as a runner.

Link to Women’s Running article

Quote of the Week

“All it takes is all you got."

- Marc Davis
1996 Olympian

Video of the Week

Jogging Safety: How To Protect Yourself While Running (3:25)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: September 5th, 2022

Liz’s Last Run 1-Mile
Liz’s Last Run 2-Mile
Liz’s Last Run 3-Mile
Liz’s Last Run 5-Mile

Upcoming Local Races!

FH/ATO Spooky Sprint 5K & Fun Run
- When: Sunday, Oct 30
- Time: 2:00 PM (1-Mile), 2:30 PM (5K)
- Where: ATO, AU Campus
- Distance(s): 1-Mile, 5K
- Fee: $15 (1-Mile), $25 (5K)
- Awards: Top 3 male/female runners
- Description: The race is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of America, an organization near and dear to both fraternities. In the spirit of the season, this race is promised to be spooktacular! Whether you are running for fun, fitness, or fast times, put on a costume and come out for spooky good festivities!

Weekly Whimsy

Are Plated Running Shoes Right for You?
Scott Douglas, Runner’s World

You’re not imagining things—there are a lot more running shoes with plates these days. Until recently, plates were found almost entirely in modern racing shoes, a.k.a. “supera shoes,” the high-stack, next-gen midsole, rockered models that are now ubiquitous in marathons and half marathons. But plates are increasingly core elements of shorter-distance racers, lightweight models, trail shoes, and even everyday trainers. And the put-a-plate-in-it trend is likely to accelerate.

Is this a good trend for the average runner? Here’s what experts have to say about why it’s happening and whether you should do more of your running in plated shoes.

The why and what of plates in running shoes
Running shoes with plates aren’t new. Sprint spikes have long contained a plate, and Adidas and Fila offered road-racing shoes with plates more than 15 years ago. As with contemporary versions, the plates in these shoes were designed to act as stiff levers that propel runners more quickly through the gait cycle. (Trail shoes often contain rock plates, which are designed to provide protection from ouch-inducing footsteps rather than speed you along the scree.)

The current plate popularity began in 2016, when select Nike runners started competing in prototypes of what would become the Vaporfly 4%. That model set the standard for what would come to be called super shoes, which nearly all brands now offer—a high-stack midsole of light, soft, energy-returning foam; a plate to provide stability and propulsion; and a rockered rather than flat geometry to help you more quickly roll through all that foam. Those shoes’ popularity has led to the current trend of plates appearing in models designed for something other than marathoning.

Before we look at recent developments, it’s important to remember two key things about modern plated running shoes. First, just as there’s great variety in shoe midsoles, there’s no universal plate. As Runner’s World deputy test editor Jeff Dengate wrote recently, “Some have full-length plates that make the shoe exceptionally stiff. Others use partial plates, carbon-fiber rods, or even plates that allow the shoe to flex in certain directions.” Our recent article on plates provides more details on the variations offered by one of the carbon-fiber plate suppliers. Some new models incorporate plates made of something other than carbon fiber.

Second, plates are just one of three core elements in the modern shoes that contain them. The next-gen midsoles that envelop plates vary greatly in softness and height. There’s also great variance in plated shoe geometry. Some have a severe toe spring—a large upward curve at the front of the shoe—that starts past the ball of the foot to encourage quick toe-off at faster paces. Others have a slighter slope that starts closer to the midfoot for a smoother, more gradual transition through the gait cycle. All of these variables can make finding a plated shoe that meshes with your running form and goals more difficult than selecting a traditional trainer or racer.

Plate proliferation
If the prototypical super shoe is one made for marathon racing, then one main variation brands offer is a plated training companion. For example, Saucony’s Endorphin includes the Pro and the Speed. The Pro is the carbon-fiber-plated racer, while the Speed is a somewhat similar-looking lightweight trainer with a slightly lower stack height and a nylon plate. This year there have also been more trail shoes with a carbon-fiber plate, such as the Hoka Tecton X, and plated lower-stack racing shoes intended for 5K/10K outings, such as the New Balance SuperComp Pacer and the Nike Streakfly.

But to see what’s really coming in terms of plates, consider Skechers’s current line-up. There are, of course, plated racing shoes, most notably the Speed Freek, a high-stack marathon model that has a carbon -iber plate along with free-form spelling. But there are also three training shoes with plates. The Max Road 5 is the brand’s mega-cushioned model. In its evolution from version 4 to 5, it picked up a carbon-infused H-shaped plate, which is designed to add stability at slower paces and a little help with toe-off at faster paces. The Razor Excess 2 also has a carbon-infused plate; the original version of this lightweight trainer didn’t have a plate. There’s also the Persistence, a new, daily mileage model that, you guessed it, has a carbon-infused plate. Perhaps most significantly, it costs $115, or about half of a typical super shoe.

Expect more offerings like these from all brands, especially starting in 2023, says Joe Rubio, CEO of the online store Running Warehouse.

“China has a ton of shoes with supercritical foams and plates at ridiculously low prices,” Rubio says. “Some stink, but some are very good and inexpensive. My guess is the next wave provides all the benefits of super foams and plates and rockers coming to regular old running shoes at affordable prices. When you can get a super foam, rocker, and plate in a $140 shoe from one of the big seven brands, you’ll have the next big thing. Once people experience it, it’ll become the norm for nearly all running shoes.”

In other words, the line between “super shoe” and “normal running shoe” will continue to blur, if not altogether disappear. Rubio says the plates in this coming generation of shoes will be made of something other than carbon, to help keep weight and cost down, but without detracting from performance.

Should you step up to the plate?
When pondering whether to add one or more plated shoes to your collection, remember that running shoes are tools. Ideally, any running shoe you own is designed for a specific task (even if that job is a general one like daily use). To date, one of the main uses of plated shoes has been to help you run faster. But as plates spread to models beyond racing shoes, their potential usage grows.

“Stiff rocker bottom shoes have been shown to help improve the gait of many types of feet,” says Geoffrey Gray, a doctor of physical therapy and president of Heeluxe, which works with many companies on designing and testing shoes. “People with stiff feet, bunions, turf toe, or plantar fasciitis may have a better experience in plated shoes with a well-designed rocker than a ‘standard’ running shoe.”

Andrea Myers, a doctor of physical therapy and contributor to Doctors of Running, says, “Runners with reduced mobility at their first MTP joint [at the base of the big toe] may benefit from training in super shoes due to the stiffness of the plate and rocker sole, but it depends on the specific geometry of a given shoe. Shoes with a severe forefoot rocker, where the front of the shoe points severely upwards, will not work for those with reduced first MTP extension because the design of the shoe holds the first MTP in extension.

“Similarly, runners with reduced ankle dorsiflexion range of motion [i.e., pointing your toes toward your shin] may benefit from shoes that have a plate and heel bevel, which may both reduce the amount of dorsiflexion required during stance phase and help the runner transition from heel to forefoot more quickly,” Myers says.

Sounds great! But remember, Myers cautions, that “plated shoes may reduce the workload at the foot and ankle, but forces don’t disappear—they are just shifted elsewhere. Due to the interaction of the plate, foam, and rockered geometry, plated shoes may cause a runner to move into hip extension more rapidly than they would in a shoe without those features. This could place greater stress on the glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors.”

Gray recommends rotating among multiple models—some plated, some not—to provide different stimuli and reduce your injury risk. A now-famous 2013 study found that runners who wore three or more models had a 39 percent lower incidence of injury during the 22-week study than runners who did almost all of their running in one model. Consider plated shoes a potentially useful addition to your toolbox rather than a reason to cast aside designs and principles that have served runners well for many years.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“I can’t imagine living...
and not running."

- Paula Radcliffe

Video of the Week

Stepping Up from 10K to Half-Marathon (13:07)

So you’ve mastered 5k, you then stepped it up to 10k and now you’re thinking of taking on your first half marathon? Well this is everything you need to know about stepping up from a 10k to a half marathon.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: August 29th, 2022

Upcoming Local Races!

ODK Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race
** Link to registration page in work! **
- When: Thursday, Sep 22
- Where: AU Campus Green
- Time: 5:00 PM
- Distance: 5K
- Fee: Free!
- Description: The Annual Rosen-Hutsell Cake Race is set for September 24th. The Cake Race began in 1928 when the Omega Delta Kappa chapter at Auburn University was founded and is one of the oldest ongoing traditions. The race was nemed in honor of former Auburn University track coaches, Mel Rosen and Wilbur Hutsell, who used the race to scout for potential members to the track team. The top 5 Male and Female winners will receive a cake donated by ODK. The race is open to all comers including students, faculty, alumni and community members!

Weekly Whimsy

What Does Beer Do To Weight-Loss Progress
Danielle Zickl, Runner's World

If there’s one thing most runners can agree on, it’s our collective love of beer—especially after a grueling workout. But for those who are trying to lose weight or keep it in check, too many brews can wreck the health benefits of your intervals or gym sessions ... right?

Maybe not: Research out of Spain shows that regularly drinking beer didn’t influence the body composition results of those doing HIIT-type workouts.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients in 2019, tracked 72 people throughout 10 weeks. Participants were split into two main groups: non-training and HIIT training. While those in the non-training group had to drink alcohol for the sake of the study, those who were in the HIIT training group got to choose whether or not they wanted to. Those who did choose to drink were randomly assigned beer (a 5.4% ABV lager) or sparkling water mixed with vodka. Those who didn’t choose to drink were randomly assigned non-alcoholic beer or regular sparkling water.

For five days a week, men in the HIIT training group drank roughly 11 oz of their assigned beverage with both lunch and dinner, and women drank about 11 oz of their assigned beverage only with dinner.

HIIT sessions took place two days a week (a total of 40 to 65 minutes per week) at a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 8 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10—in other words, at a very difficult intensity.

Researchers measured everyone’s body composition—body mass, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, abdominal fat, and bone mineral density—at the beginning and end of the 10-week study period.

Here’s what they found: None of the groups experienced any negative changes in body composition. What’s more, all factions of the HIIT training group—even if they were drinking alcohol—lost body fat and gained lean muscle mass.

It’s not surprising that HIIT training triggered those body comp changes—previous research is pretty clear that it can help boost fat loss and build muscle, said lead study author Cristina Molina-Hidalgo, Ph.D.(c) of the University of Granada.

But as for why alcohol didn’t mess with these changes? It all comes down to total calories, or how many calories you’re taking in versus how many you are burning, said Amy Goodson, M.S., R.D., a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics.

“Body composition changes typically take place with improvement of dietary patterns and initiation and/or maintenance of an exercise program. Alcohol can be a part of a healthy dietary pattern, but must fall within someone’s total calorie needs,” she said. “Many times, when people consume alcohol—with or without exercise—and don’t take into consideration the additional calories, weight gain occurs leading to negative effects on overall body composition.”

The study didn’t look at how the participants were eating during this time: Frequently, when people start a new workout program, they’ll start eating healthier, too, according to Goodson. If this was the case among the participants, that could play a role in their body composition improvements. Eating healthier in general could have given them a bit more wiggle room to add something more calorie-dense, like beer, without putting them in a calorie surplus—which can lead to weight gain.

Plus, as Goodson points out, the study comprised previously untrained individuals, “thus, it is likely the improvements in body composition and lean muscle mass were due to initiating a 10-week HIIT training program, not related to alcohol intake.” Sorry, drinking beer on its own is not going to help you burn fat or build muscle—that’s where diet and exercise come in.

The takeaway, though, seems to fall in line with something we’ve emphasized all along: moderation. People can, in fact, live a normal life while training, says Molina-Hidalgo.

“If this [normal life] includes [drinking] beer in moderate amounts while eating, they can do it—if they like beer, of course—without destroying their progress,” Molina-Hidalgo said.

Just don’t go overboard—that can hurt your weight loss goals as well as your health. Moderate alcohol intake can be included in a healthy diet, Goodson says, but make sure to stick with the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations, which is in line with how much the study participants consumed. For women, drink no more than one drink (12 oz of beer or 5 oz of wine) a day. For men, limit it to two.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Injuries made me

a believer in cross-training."

- Florence Griffith Joyner
3-time Olympic Gold Medalist
Florrence passed in 1998 at age 38.

Video of the Week

Charlie Jabaley - My Story Isn’t Over Yet (2:12)

Watch the beginning of Charlie Jabaley’s journey from 300 lbs. to runner.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: August 22nd, 2022

Upcoming Local Races!

Weekly Whimsy

Intuitive Running: The Key To Your Best Performance?
Kiera Carter, Runner's World

The idea of using intuition to guide our decisions goes as far back as ancient Greece, when intuition informed the teachings of Aristotle and Plato. And yet, intuition is having a moment. Dietitians talk about “intuitive eating,” trainers talk about “intuitive fitness,” and there’s now a MasterClass on “intuitive cooking.”

Is intuitive running next?
It could be. Experts confirm that using this gut feeling to guide your training and racing decisions could indeed help you run better.

Defining Intuition
Intuition is the productive use of unconscious information to make better decisions or actions. We can feel information even though it’s unconscious, and people often describe feelings in their gut, stomachs, or back of the throat.

Research has shown that people can use unconscious information to inform conscious decisions. Our brains take in an immense amount of information each day, but we’re only conscious of a tiny tip of the iceberg. The bulk of the associations we make are below the surface, things that we mostly ignore in order to go about our lives.

But they’re still there, so when you have a hunch about something, it could be based on information you aren’t overtly aware of; like, say, the connection your brain has made between mild levels of humidity and your performance. Humidity is up ever so slightly and you think, maybe this isn’t my day to go hard, even if you don’t consciously acknowledge the sticky air.

Conversationally, when “intuitive” is placed in front of verbs like eating and running, it has come to imply trusting yourself over outside influences, like diet pressures and data, respectively. In conversations about these topics, people tend to conflate intuition with mindfulness, but FYI, they’re more like cousins than twins. Intuition is a gut feeling that drives a decision. the reason you sprint without getting caught up in what-ifs, for example. Mindfulness is a sense of awareness and presence that can make you more intuitive in the long-term.

Before we get into how to tap into this seemingly magical, mystical sixth sense—and don’t worry, we will—it’s important to acknowledge what intuition is not. Intuition is not every thought that pops into your head.

The conscious mind is loaded with self-doubt, fear, and anxiety. Remember that intuition is based on information we aren’t overtly aware of, so if you’re beating yourself up and thinking you’ll never hit your goal, that’s pretty overt—and therefore, not to be confused with intuition. You’re more likely experiencing fear and anxiety here.

And while we’re at it, pain, discomfort, and fatigue in the second half of a marathon are also not part of intuition. This doesn’t mean these feelings aren’t real and valid, but they aren’t intuition. Instead, they’re the physical effects of running for long periods of time. While your gut can sometimes help you decide whether to push or pull back, if you stopped running whenever it got hard, you’d simply never run a marathon.

Why Consider Intuitive Running
To tap into your intuition, you need to move away from surface-level thoughts, whether they’re about your to-do list, your running time, or how you wish the workout would just end already so you can get on with your day. These types of thoughts (a) distract you from your deeper needs and capabilities and (b) take you out of the present tap tap tap of your steps. You’re more likely to race your best when you’re focused on the present. Sometimes, the mind holds us back.

While running intuitively can mean taking a step back if that’s what your body is craving—important for long-term success in our sport, to be sure—it can also mean pushing forward with a clear head and heart, basically booking it without letting any bullshit hold you back; otherwise known as the self-doubt, fear, and anxiety Kamphoff mentioned earlier.

I’d be skeptical if I didn’t experience this firsthand. A few months ago, I ran my fastest half marathon. Cooler than the speed itself, my splits were consistent down to the second, and they were led by a feeling, a click, a rhythm, a dance to a beat that never changed. I had no hangups and no concept of my pace as a particular number; yet I maintained it—again, to the second—for ten miles because it felt good in the moment, only speeding up in the final three.

This is interoception, a supreme awareness of your body that drives intuitive decisions. You can sit some people down and say, ‘tap out your heart rate,’ and they’ll just go ‘sure,’ and tap on the table. Same with breathing, temperature, and digestion; some people are very in tune with sensing things inside their body.

You need a certain level of interoception to make intuitive decisions in running, but once you have more body awareness, you should know exactly what your ideal pace feels like, how much you can push, and what that means at the end of the race.

How to Tap Into Intuitive Running
You need experience in whatever you’re trying to be intuitive in, because intuition works by internalizing information over time. Think of it this way: You might make intuitive decisions in your current job, but you probably made fewer when you were a new intern. (To be clear, this is partially why intuition does not apply to that super-dramatic feeling that you get on a plane when you think something bad is going to happen, or when swimming in the ocean when you think there might be a shark. You don’t have enough experience in these spaces, unless you’re a pilot or deep-sea diver, so this feeling is probably fear.)

In my case, I was able to run such precise splits based on gut mainly because I’ve been tracking my pace for years and knew what it was like to run in those conditions. But this doesn’t mean beginners can’t start to develop a more intuitive relationship with running. In fact, now’s a great time to start, no matter your experience level. A few guidelines:

Know thyself
When you’re really in tune with you’re body, you know when to push and when to back off, which makes intuitive decisions a lot easier and more accurate.

That’s why you should check-in before every single run. “How I am feeling that day? Am I tired? Did I get a good night's sleep? Did I have a hard workout the day before and am feeling sore?,” she asks herself. “I set realistic goals after I acknowledge how I feel physically and mentally.”

Feel first
If you wear a watch or run on the treadmill, take note of what happens to your body at different speeds or inclines. Is your heart rate going up? Can you talk? How many words can you say?

In the spirit of paying attention to your body and environment, you may want to forego music from time to time. Awareness is the first step to high performance, but we’re often distracted when we run. Paying attention to your breathing, cadence, and effort is crucial in building more body awareness.

Be watch-savvy
The problem with obsessing over numbers is that it sometimes comes along with what is called “future-based thinking,” or that “I’m too slow, I’m never going to hit my goal” doom-spiral. So, ask yourself why you’re looking at your pace.

When I was tempted to glance at my watch during that half marathon, I asked myself if I would do anything different based on the number on the screen. If the answer was, “no, I feel good and happy, and I want to do exactly this forever,” then I kept going without looking. I allowed myself to look only when I felt like I could be going too fast for my own good. If you think data could screw with your mood, then protect your mood.

Also, keep in mind that pace probably isn’t the only data point on your watch, so there are other numbers you can pay attention to instead (or in addition to) your speed. In fact, many trackers are taking a more holistic approach to fitness that—perhaps ironically—can help you tap into your intuition later.

For example, Fitbit just launched a new sleep profile to help people learn more about their sleep patterns. This can help you tune into how you feel the day after a bad or good night sleep and how that’s affecting your running.

But if you do an honest check-in with yourself and you’re feeling good, there’s just one thing to do: run intuitively. No fear. No watch. Just that gut feeling guiding you to a potential PR.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Running releases more than just sweat."

Asics

Video of the Week

How To Avoid Getting Bored While Running (1:52)

Jeff Galloway’s advice on avoiding boredom while running. How to get rid of negative thougts and stay positive.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: August 15th, 2022

AORTA Summer Luau Report!
We had an amazing time on Friday evening. The children seemed to have a better time than the adults. Yet, it was a great opportunity for us to finally be together without our sweaty, running clothes. Huge shoutout to Mari, Misty and their team for the beautiful and exotic Hawaiian themed deco, ensuring a great time for all. We know it required tremendous time investment and sweat equity, and we are grateful to you for that. An especial note of appreciation to Elyse for allowing the club the use of Grove Hill's pool!

Schools Are Open - Be Safe!
It’s that time of the year where our local schools will be filled with the ever burgeoning youth population which means more traffic, crowded sidewalks, crosswalks and intersections. Despite all the warnings and admonitions, texting while driving is still an epidemic. In fact, “texting while driving has now surpassed drinking and driving as the leading cause of death among teens, according to a new study.”

The reality is that kids aren’t drinking seven days a week, but they are carrying their cell phones every minute of the day. We adults aren’t any better. A Pew Research group study showed that a higher percent of adults text and drive compared to teens. How many do YOU see in Auburn every day? From a runner’s perspective, a driving texter may get into an accident but may survive. A runner who gets hit by a driving texter will most certainly be maimed for life or killed. Be safe out there.

Upcoming Local Races!

Auburn Tough Ten & Tough Two
- When: Saturday, October 22, 2022
- Time: 7:30 AM (2 and 10 Mile)
- Where: Ogletree Village
- Fee: $25 (Tough Two), $35 (Tough Ten)
- Description: Run, jog or walk a scenic 10 mile or 2 mile route through the moderately rolling hills of Auburn, AL. Strollers and dogs on leashes welcome and encouraged. All proceeds are donated to the East Alabama Medical Center's Foundation for Breast Cancer Early Detection. Additionally, the Tough 10/2 race is in honor of Nick Holler, dedicated runner and community leader.

Weekly Whimsy

Why You Should ‘Chunk’ Your Next Long Run
PJ Thompson, Runner's World

Ever look at a training plan and been terrified by the gruesome mileage of your long run of the week? Let’s talk about how to make the number less scary by using something called “chunking.”
Chunking is a mental technique that involves breaking up your runs into pieces (you know, chunks) to make them more liftable, as opposed to one long distance or time.
Here are a few tried-and-true ways to utilize the chunking technique during your run ahead.

#1: Split the Overall Mileage Into Familiar Distances
When I first heard my coach say we would run “10-10-10,” my 5 a.m. brain could not compute. I even asked the person next to me, “Hey, does he know that this adds up to 30 miles?” Then I learned that it actually means 10 miles, 10 miles, and 10K.
Pinpointing 26.2 miles from your home location on a map can put you in an entirely different city, so chunking it as 10-10-10 instead puts the marathon distance in a perspective that may be easier to wrap your head around. As you take on the miles on race day, focus on those distances that you completed more times than the number of toes on your feet.
Ten miles became a workout distance at a marathon pace at some point during your training. Ten miles may have even been the distance of your first long run during your training plan. A 10K may have been an early season tuneup or the distance within your fartlek workout. The point is that you have done this many times.
Now repeat the cycle twice: Focus on the first 10, deep breaths, second 10, and draw your shoulders back and go into the final 10K with a steady mind and posture, knowing that you’ve done this before.

#2: Break Up Your Run With Podcasts, Playlists, and E-Books
Make a new playlist. Download that latest book you’ve been wanting to listen to. Subscribe to the newest episode of that podcast that a running friend recommended to you.
Use the chunking technique to separate your mileage by time, and focus on the length of an episode, a playlist, or a number of chapters. Chunk two chapters without stopping during your next long run. Chunk three newly added songs to your playlist, and don’t take a rest break unless needed.
Each of these methods serves as a great distraction. If your 10-miler consists of two 5-mile chunks, think about the length of time it will take you to run 5 miles, and match it with words read or songs to make it all feel as though it has gone by even faster. The latest issue of Runner’s World explores the benefits of running with music. Take a look.

#3: Plan Pit Stops With Rewards
If you have a training run for which you have to plan the route yourself, use Google Maps to pinpoint various fueling points and rest stops along the way. For example, while an out-and-back route may not always be the most fun choice, consider dropping your fuel and hydration at the turnaround point: Doing this means you don’t have to carry your own fuel.
I’ve done this many times—leaving my gels and sports hydration underneath a tree, behind a sign, or out of sight—to be able to run free of anything on my waist or in my hand. While this does require planning and having to make a pit stop to drop items off, if you’re like me and want to run free of any extra weight, chunking will allow you to split your run in half with a reward of gels and nibbles at the halfway point.

#4: Chunk for Time
Ten-mile run ahead? Fuel every 45 minutes until you complete the distance. Are you racing a 10K? Focus on consistent negative splits toward the finish. While chunking is most often broken into equal portions over a set distance, in this case, what is equal are your 10- to 15-second drops in pace. Your six chunks are the mileage distance minus 10 to 15 seconds.
Chunking is a great strategy to break the monotony and repetitiveness of running, so as you take to the roads, keep these ideas in mind and figure out what works best for you. Change it up if the strategy feels forced or doesn’t work.
It’s okay if your music chunking strategy falls apart on a race day—maybe you put your playlist on shuffle instead of allowing it to play in order, letting songs find their way into the first part of your race instead of the last sprint as planned. Perhaps you pivot and shift to milestone running for the remainder of the distance to evenly divide your mileage. Above all else, remember to have fun.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Don’t fear moving slowly forward

...fear standing still."

Kathleen Harris

Video of the Week

Obese to Marathon (28:05)

Running a marathon at 406lbs wasn’t possible. Once I decided that enough was enough, that I was sick of living a life full of limitation, the possibilities became endless. I went through more pain than I have ever experienced. I overcame true darkness. I was able to dig deep into the recesses of my mind to find more, to get it done. This was only possible because of my relentless desire to be better every single day. To continue to find more.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: August 8th, 2022

AORTA Summer Luau! Friday, August 12th!

Please join us for a family friendly afternoon of food, fellowship and fun! AORTA members, non-members, and their families are all invited. This year’s summer party will be at the Grove Hill Neighborhood pool and clubhouse. Current AORTA members should have received an e-invite. If not, click on the picture at right or view the invite at this SignUpGenius link. So, come on out and enjoy the company of your fellow club members in sweat-free, non-running attire! This is a family friendly event so bring the kids to enjoy the food, fun, and music!

Date: Friday, August 12th
Location: Grove Hill Neighborhood pool and clubhouse
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Grove Hill pool and clubhouse

Upcoming Local Races!

Weekly Whimsy

Don’t run with Keven… he’s quite the cut-up! 🤣

Dehydration Makes Running Feel Harder, Right?
Allison Goldstein, Runner's World

So, does dehydration contribute to that lead-legged feeling during midsummer runs? According to a recent study in Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, it’s unlikely.

Dehydration 101
During exercise, your finite blood supply needs to deliver nutrients and oxygen to two places: your heart and your working muscles. When you get hot—due to the heat generated by your muscles, your environment, or both—two things happen. First, rather than being split just two ways, your blood supply is split a third way: It’s diverted to your skin to cool you off. Second, the way you cool off is by sweating, and your sweat comes from the liquid element of your blood (plasma). Therefore, as you sweat, your blood supply shrinks.

Researchers believe that there is a strong relationship between perceived exertion and endurance performance. A lot of factors can influence perceived exertion; scientists believe that dehydration can be one of them.

Dehydration and perceived exertion
The study analyzed 16 exercise science studies that included two conditions: one where participants were permitted to drink during exercise, and another where they weren’t. The researchers looked at how dehydrated participants became in either condition. When they were permitted to rehydrate, the participants lost, on average, 0.5 percent of their body mass; when they weren’t, they lost 3 percent. The scientists then examined whether higher levels of dehydration correlated with higher levels of perceived exertion—that is, when the athletes were more dehydrated, did they report that exercise felt harder?

The answer is yes, but barely. The researchers found that when the athletes were most dehydrated and rated their exertion on the 6–20-point Borg Scale (6 being little or no effort and 20 being the hardest possible effort), dehydration impacted their rating by one point—a statistically significant finding, except for the fact that the scale has a one-point margin of error.

They concluded that if dehydration plays a role in increasing perceived exertion, then the effect is probably really smal. In the end, the impact of dehydration on perceived exertion should not be strong enough to have an influence on performance.

Now, this doesn’t mean you should promptly ditch your water bottle, especially if you’re going to be running in the heat for a long time. That’s because the study specifically measured the impact of dehydration alone on perceived exertion.

Hydration really becomes vital during intense exercise in the heat. Take any one of them—intensity, exercise, or heat—out of the mix, and hydration is not as important. But it’s very important when all three of those are combined.

We call it exercise-induced hyperthermia. At the end of a hot-weather run, everyone is living in the 103 range. That’s normal.

Your core body temperature rises by half a degree Fahrenheit for every 1 percent body mass you lose to sweat. So, if you were to go on a 90-minute summer run and stayed well hydrated, you might finish with a core temperature around 102 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you finished having sweated out 4 percent of your body mass, you could easily be above 104 degrees Fahrenheit—the danger zone for heat stroke.

How to hydrate
While hydrating might not make your runs feel much easier, you can help keep your core temperature down during intense workouts and summer long runs with these practices.

Pay attention to thirst. Contrary to the common maxim that “once you’re thirsty, it’s too late,” you can reliably use thirst to guide your hydration.

Thirst is a powerful mechanism to maintain body water. If you rely only on that, it should be enough to perform optimally and to protect your health. However, you must have access to water for this to work. Otherwise, planning when and how much you’ll drink may be a better strategy.

Don’t forget electrolytes. Water may quench your thirst, but it won’t rehydrate you as well as a beverage that includes electrolytes. The reason is that when you sweat, you’re essentially losing the liquid part of your blood, or blood plasma.

The main electrolyte in blood plasma is sodium, which is why we lose so much sodium with sweat. So that’s why we need to hydrate with electrolytes.

Consider your purpose. Be mindful of hot conditions, but also factor in the purpose of the run. If it’s a recovery run and your recovery strategy is pretty good—you've had good meals, good hydration throughout the day—and the run is, like, 60 minutes in the heat, you can probably handle that, no problem. It might not feel like no problem, but that’s part of training.

A lot of endurance stuff is about that conversation you have with yourself in your head. You want to get mentally prepared to tolerate the heat.

Then, wring out your shirt and keep on running.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Racing is the fun part;

it’s the reward of all the hard work."

Kara Goucher

Video of the Week
Sydney McLaughlin Obliterates 400M Hurdles WR (11:48)

Sydney McLaughlin shaved nearly a second off her 400m hurdles world record time from June, crossing the line in 50.68 seconds for her first World Title.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: August 1st, 2022

AORTA Summer Luau! Friday, August 12th

Date: Friday, August 12th
Location: Grove Hill Neighborhood pool and clubhouse
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Grove Hill pool and clubhouse

Order Your Luau Party T-shirts & Tank-Tops!
Deadline: August 4th
- T-shirts ($20): Adult S-3XL
- Tank-Tops ($18): Adult XS-4XL
Important: Add $2 for 2XL and larger

Upcoming Local Races!

Summer 5K Series - Opelika
It’s time to get the Summer Swing 5K runs rolling! First run is Tuesday May 3rd at 6:15pm. This year there are 14 runs scheduled, finishing up on August 2nd. You can find all of the run series information at lastlap-dougu.blogspot.com. The course is a measured and marked 5K in residential neighborhoods with low traffic. Runners/walkers of all fitness levels are welcome. Registration fee is still only $10 for the series, with 18 and under free. Hope to see a good turnout this year!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

How to Breathe Properly While Running
Rosalyn Frazier, Runner's World

It’s probably not often you think about your breath. But paying attention to and practicing intentional breathing is a key that can unlock better performance—just like logging regular miles, maintaining form, and staying hydrated.

The more effectively you are breathing, the more you can adequately supply your cells with oxygen and remove the carbon dioxide from your cells.

Most of your energy comes from your breath—not food or drink. So when breathing is inefficient, it places extra stress on the cardiovascular system, resulting in fatigue setting in faster.

Step one in making the most of every inhale and exhale, especially in support of your stride, is recognizing the role it plays in propelling you through the miles. After that, it’s all about fine-tuning your breathing efficiency and learning to make it work to your advantage.

How breathing can hold you back
Many factors play a role in inefficient breathing. You could be running low on energy reserves, such as glycogen. Your posture could be poor, which can constrict the ability of the lungs to fully inflate and prevent the respiratory muscles from shortening and lengthening optimally. Running in a hunched-over position can also constrict the deep transverse abdominis muscle, a key core muscle of the trunk that supports the action of breathing—this can not only affect contractibility of the diaphragm, but also weaken low spine stability. Plus, toward the end of your long run, all your muscles can fatigue, including those involved in breathing.

No matter what it is that’s messing with your ability to breathe optimally, your inhales and exhales will feel erratic. Not only can this leave you at a higher risk for injury, but if you aren’t using the correct breathing muscles, or yours are weak, your endurance and performance suffer.

Ways to improve your breathing
To better control your breathing, you have to regularly exercise the breathing muscles of the body. This will delay fatigue, especially in longer distances. The catch: You have to do it separately from your sport in order to work out your breathing muscles to exhaustion.

A strengthening exercise for better breathing is called exhale pulsation. This can feel similar to Kapalabhati or Breath of Fire (which you might do a in a yoga session), except instead of dispersing irritability or anger, it’s used to work your exhale muscles so that you can breathe efficiently.

To do exhale pulsations, sit up tall, on the floor with legs crossed. Pull your belly button in so your stomach is concave. Put your hand on your belly, and forcefully engage the abs as you exhale through the mouth. Each time you exhale, it should be short and sharp, like you’re blowing out a candle. Your back should not move. Between each exhale, relax your belly—the inhale is passive. This engages the deep core muscles and should be done 15 minutes before or after a run or strength session to work on your breathing muscles—just as you would any other muscle.

One word for how you should aim to breathe on a regular basis: diaphragmatically. Most people use their auxiliary neck and shoulder muscles as primary breathing muscles which affects performance, along with physical and mental health. Breathing with auxiliary muscles means you are taking a smaller, upper-body breath, which has to be faster to be efficient. Faster, shallow breathing is a stress breath, so your heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol automatically rise.

Diaphragmatic breathing allows you to take in more oxygenated air and requires less energy than shallow upper-chest breathing, Olson explains.

That’s not the only reason you should breathe from your belly: Good deep-breathing mechanics usually result in parasympathetic activity, which is more of a relaxing response, while in consistent or abnormally fast breathing can influence sympathetic responses, or your fight or flight reaction.

Strengthening your breathing muscles outside of your runs doesn’t mean you can’t put techniques into practice as you check off miles. Here’s how to focus on the breath while moving your feet:

1. Start with intentional deep breaths
Take several very deep breaths after your warmup and before high-intensity exercise. To do it, place one hand on the upper chest and the other just below your rib cage, breathing in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your lower hand while keeping the hand on your chest as still as possible; tighten your stomach muscles so that your stomach moves back in, as you exhale through pursed lips. This ensures that you maximally stretch the elastic muscles and lung tissue of the respiratory system before stressing them during exercise.

2. Check your posture
While running,focus on certain form cues that make breathing and filling the lungs easier, like relaxing the shoulders down and back, broadening the chest, and swinging the arms like pendulums, front to back. The upper back muscles, lats, and core are really important for better, more efficient breathing while tight chest/pec muscles are a cause of shallow breathing. This is also why it’s important to integrate posture-correcting exercises into your strength routine, like superman, glute bridge, and plank.

3. Try nasal breathing
The nose provides additional pathways for the air to be cleaned, warmed, and humidified before going into the sensitive part of the respiratory system. It also stimulates that parasympathetic nervous system and saves you energy. Plus, nasal breathing results in a 20% increase in efficiency of oxygen uptake. This allows you to operate at a higher level with your heart rate lower and helps significantly decrease recovery time.

Unfortunately, most people breathe through their mouth. When you mouth-breathe, you tend to breathe too much. When you’re breathing too much, you tend to breathe more shallowly, and when you breathe more shallowly, most of the air you take into your body you actually don’t use for oxygen exchange.

Nose breathing doesn’t come easily and can be uncomfortable, so ease into it. Nasal breathe during low-intensity runs to start, then progress the intensity of exercise as you get more comfortable with it. If you are able to dedicate the time to mastering nose breathing at your normal running speed, you will find that you fatigue less and actually feel better during your runs.

Nailing nasal breathing forces you to breathe slower. Plus, a study in 2021 revealed that slow-paced breathing can activate anti-inflammatory pathways and increase lung capacity, which consequently increases aerobic endurance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality.

4. Attempt other techniques
Try different breathing patterns while running to find what works for you. For example, breathe in through your nose for four seconds, then out through your mouth for four seconds. After one minute, add a two-second hold after the inhale, and before the exhale.

Then challenge yourself with an eight-second inhale, followed by a two-second hold, and a four-second exhale. Adding these types of breathing challenges to your exercise session will enhance your breathing skill and efficiency while also increasing the mindfulness and feeling of enjoyment of your exercise session, once you become comfortable with the techniques.

When it comes to your inhales and exhales, finding the practice that feels more natural is really what’s going to allow you to progress in running. You’ll be able to push your pace and distance with quality breathing that will allow for maximum oxygen consumption and quickly remove carbon dioxide buildup. Another way to try to better your breathing is to take more steps per breath on easy runs (three steps breathing in and three steps breathing out), and fewer steps per breath as you turn up the intensity (two steps breathing in and two steps breathing out on medium-intensity runs).

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“When I do the best I can with what I have,

then I have won my race."

Jay Foonberg

Video of the Week

How To Start Running When You’re Overweight (14:22)

Here's how to start running when you're overweight. Losing weight can feel extremely daunting as a task, and as such keeps even the most strong-willed people from getting started. While it may feel too intimidating to walk into a gym without a plan or self-confidence, it's never too early to simply start moving. Coach Holly breaks down her best tips for getting started safely and making it stick. Consider this the start of an awesome journey!

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: July 25th, 2022

AORTA's Summer Luau!
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 12th from 6-8 PM at the Grove Hill neighborhood pool and clubhouse.

State tuned for RSVP and food signups. We can’t wait to luau with YOU!

When: Friday, August 12th
Where: Grove Hill Neighborhood Pool and Clubhouse
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

Chronic Stress May Age Your Immune System
Elizabeth Millard, Runner’s World

Stress is a normal part of everyday life—at least to some degree. But when it becomes chronic, that can lead to profound changes in how your immune system operates.

Researchers looked at more than 5,700 U.S. adults over age 50 and assessed their relationship to what’s called social stress—discrimination, chronic stress, difficult life events, and trauma—and compared that to immune response measured through blood tests.

Specifically, they measured the percentage of T-cells, which the thymus gland produces. These cells make up an important component of immunity because they help fight off infection. As people age, tissue in the thymus gland shrinks, resulting in reduced production of T-cells, which is one reason why older people may be at higher risk of disease development.

Those with higher stress levels in the study had “older” immune systems, with lower amounts of T-cells. Most notably, they had less of what’s called “naive T-cells,” which haven’t yet encountered antigens like viruses and bacteria. These are short-lived, which means new ones need to be generated regularly for optimal immune function.

Ideally, you want to have a large, diverse group of these naive T-cells so that they can be ready to respond to new threats you haven’t encountered before, including novel threats like COVID-19, as well as new vaccines. Everyone tends to have fewer naive cells as they get older, but this process may be accelerated by social stress.

It’s not stress on its own that’s zapping your thymus and its powerful cells, though. Rather, other research found an association between high levels of stress and poor diet and sedentary behavior. Both of these factors have a negative effect on the thymus and can lead to fewer naive T-cells being produced.

While our results suggest that addressing social stress may slow down the immune aging process, observational studies are not able to clearly establish cause and effect, so randomized clinical trials will be needed to make that connection. However, interventions that target diet and exercise, as well as reductions in drinking and smoking, may help slow immune aging.

Good news for runners: Exercise has been shown to support immune system function. A recent review in 2021 looking at viral infections—and COVID-19 specifically—found that exercise modulates immunity in a way that can lower incidence of infections, and also decrease symptom intensity if you do get sick.

Also, while it may be true that intense training can have a negative impact on the immune system in the short term, that research indicates habitual exercise improves immune regulation overall—and that can slow down the onset of age-related health risks.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

"I love controlling a race, chewing up an opponent. Let's get down and dirty. Let's fight it out. It's raw, animalistic, with no one to rely on but yourself. There's no better feeling than that."

Adam Goucher
U.S. 5K champion

Video of the Week

Must See Running Documentaries (9:21)

YouTube lets you escape from reality, and discover amazing stories from all of your favourite runners and athletes. There are so many amazing running documentaries and films to discover, and SO much choice out there. The Running Channel has put together a roundup of some of our favourite running films all runners must see! All of the films featured are linked below!

FOUND ON 49 | THE STORY OF JIM WALMSLEY

CHASING POUNAMU | Running The Tarawera 100 Mile Ultramarathon

LEADMAN: The Dave Mackey Story

Courtney Dauwalter | The Source

THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST Island Race | The Longest Day

Last Women Standing: The Barkley Marathons 2019

Trailpike - A Lake District Fell Running Film

Running For Freedom: My Journey as an Ultra Marathon Runner

Tom Evans: ZERO TO 100

Paul Tierney: Running The Wainwrights

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: July 18th, 2022

AORTA's Summer Luau!
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 12th from 6-8 PM at the Grove Hill neighborhood pool and clubhouse.

State tuned for RSVP and food signups. We can’t wait to luau with YOU!

When: Friday, August 12th
Where: Grove Hill Neighborhood Pool and Clubhouse
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

7 Ways to Make Sure You Do Not Slow Down in a Race
Tina Muir

The title of the post may be slightly deceiving as I am asking you to slow down (but the title says not to)…..but I am encouraging you to slow down at the beginning, rather than the end. You will lose less time that way and run a faster overall time.

Those of you who tried running without looking at your watch all had successful runs last week, and that was further evidence that a lot of it is intuition. You just have to try it, and trust yourself as much as you possibly can. That is still the single best way to learn to race correctly is to listen to your body, and yes, that is only possible if you cover up that watch!!!!

That being said, if you tried the covering up your watch trick a few times, and gave the starting slower process a few honest tries, but still ended up going too fast and blowing up, then you are definitely starting to go too fast. Here is our best advice on how to start slower:

Practice your pacing in workouts
If you have a habit of going out too fast, but you know the consistent pace you need to run to reach your goal. Take some workouts as race simulators, and plan to run your race pace. Have a friend come help you, take off your watch, and run the repeats guessing what you think race pace is.

After each rep, have your friend tell you what time you ran for that repeat, and if you are too fast, slow it down on the next one.

Once you get it right, take a mental note of how it feels at that pace. How fast you are covering the ground, how your breathing sounds, how your arms are moving. Try to take in as many cues as you can, so you recognize that when you are in a race.

Prove to yourself that consistency works
This is a fantastic one from my wonderful coaching husband. If you are still not a believer in the power of running consistent pacing for a race, I want you to try something:

Take a day to run 2x 1 mile repeats. You will need to use your watch for this one (or get a loved one to help). Go to a track, or somewhere you can see 400m markers. Run the first mile “positive” by taking your race pace per mile, dividing it by 4, and then running the first 400m 15% faster than that number.

For example:

If your race pace is a 9:00 mile (540 seconds), that is 2:15 per 800 (135 seconds). 135 seconds x .85 (100%-15%) = 115 seconds

Run the first 400 at 115 seconds for the first 400m, then 135 seconds for 2 laps (800m), and then the last 400m in 150 seconds. That gives you a 9:00 mile (540 seconds).

Note: This should be one continuous mile! No rest!

Now, run the second mile evenly, running 135 seconds per 400 (or whatever your pace is) for the entire mile.

Tell me which one you feel better in? Most people will come back saying they felt better in the second mile, because your body is able to get into a rhythm (and you understand how your race pace feels- bonus!).

Start slower than you think you need to
Give yourself the first 1-2 minutes, and then force yourself slow down. A lot. Slow down enough to where you think you are going too slow for a race.

Remember that on race day you have all this adrenaline rushing through your body, and everything seems easy for that reason.

If your race pace is 9:00 per mile, then 9:00 per mile is going to feel like jogging the first 5 miles of a marathon, so for the first few miles, put yourself in a position that you feel like you are jogging.

Like I said, it is better to start off too slow, feel strong at the halfway point, and pick it up towards the finish. You are likely going to be able to shave off more time (and feel better doing it) in the second half of the race, than you will gain if you use the time in the bank theory.

Change the settings on your GPS watch
PLEASE get rid of the current pace screen. Firstly, it means nothing and is wildly inaccurate. Secondly, it is so easy to dictate your run by that number. When you race, on the screen, all you should have is the time and distance screen up.

I would also turn off the beeping, so you are not tempted to look at it, and as GPS watches are inaccurate, if you cannot resist the urge to look at it, chances are you are not going to see the pace of the last mile.

Check your watch 1/2 mile in
If you are too fast by more than a few seconds, back off. Use that 800m as a gauge to see where you are at. If you have turned your beep and pace off like I recommended above, and you may need to use the mile marker, but I would use the clock.

If you are more than a few seconds too fast. Think about how you feel right at that moment, then slow it down. You will feel like that again in the last few miles as you pick it up, but for now, that is too fast, and you need to save your strength for later in the race.

Check in at random distances
Rather than looking at your watch or GPS, use the clocks out on the course to check in a few times during the race. I would say 2-4 times in a half or full marathon, and 1 more time at a race less than a 10k.

Chose a random distance like 2 miles in a 10k, or 7 miles in a marathon so you have nothing to compare it against. Have a time set up in your mind that you do not want to be any faster than, and if you are faster than that number, again, make sure you take note of how you feel at that speed, then slow it down.

That way you know how your body feels at that faster pace, so you will be able to recognize how it feels if you happen to creep it down again.

Listen to your breathing
This is the one I use the most myself in the first few miles of a race. I listen to everyone around me, and they are usually huffing and puffing. If that is you, that little voice in your head has already started saying to you that you are going to fast, you are already breathing too hard, and that little seed of doubt in your mind will start to grow.

Now imagine if your breathing was calm and collected. You hear everyone around you huffing and puffing, but you feel strong, smooth, and ready to go.

Would that not help your confidence?

Yes 🙂 It will, and if you make yourself run at a pace that you are able to breathe very comfortably for those first few miles, you will be able to kick it down better towards the end. I put that into practice at the Army 10 miler, and it paid off big time.

And my friends, that is my best advice I could give you. Like I have mentioned, it comes naturally to me, so we really had to put our heads together to come up with this advice, but hopefully it helps you. You can try 1-2 of these, and see if they are enough on their own, and if you still keep making the same mistake, try adding more of them in.

It really will pay off big time if you commit to this, and yes, there is always the situation where it is better to go out and hold on, especially if you are fighting for a finishing position within a race, but for most of us, most of the time, we are out there battling ourselves, and that is where this advice comes into play.

Link to article

Quote of the Week

“My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple.

I tell myself: ‘Get out of the blocks, run your race,

stay relaxed. If you run your race, you’ll win."

Carl Lewis
Nine-time Olympic Champion

Video of the Week

New York City Marathon Inspiration Video (5:01)

For those planning to run the New City Marathon, here’s some inspiration!

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: July 11th, 2022

As many of you have heard by now, our very own Misty Turner Carroll, AORTA board associate, avid member of our running community, and one of our most beloved colleagues, was in a horrific car accident on May 28th on her way home after our group run.

By the grace of GOD, she survived with bruises, cuts and scrapes, and a few badly broken bones. She had reconstructive surgery on her arm and ankle, which were successful!

She returned home on June 4th but has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we all know she’s one bad bitch, and this won’t keep her down for long!

AORTA's Summer Luau!
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 12th from 6-8 PM at the Grove Hill neighborhood pool and clubhouse.

State tuned for RSVP and food signups. We can’t wait to luau with YOU!

When: Friday, August 12th
Where: Grove Hill Neighborhood Pool and Clubhouse
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Summer 5K Series - Auburn
The Auburn Summer 5K (and 1 mile Kids Run) Series started Wednesday, June 8th and runs through July 13th. The event will be held at the Auburn High School campus. Join us for 6 weeks of friendly competition and a fun boost to your racing. The 1-mile Kids Run will start at 6:15 pm followed by the 5K run at 6:30 pm. Pre-registration for all 6 weeks is $60 with a T-shirt ($45 without the t-shirt). $30 for kids under 12 for the 5K with a cotton t-shirt. Kids 1-mile is free! Entry fees on a weekly basis is $8 for the 5K (everyone).
Extra T-shirts are available for $20 - must order by June 8th AT THE RACE.
Results will be posted each week.
* Link to paper registration form
* Link to online registration information

Volunteers Needed!
If you are able, or prefer, to volunteer rather than run the race, we could use your help in assisting with the registration table, at the water stop, or with course directions and finish line. Please consider signing up here to help on a Wednesday evening this summer. There are 6 dates for you to choose from.

Weekly Whimsy

Want to be a More Well-Rounded Runner? Run Less
Sosha Lewis, Active.com

One of the keystones is the importance of balance. Taking a total-body approach by incorporating strength training, proprioception, and less-impactful cardio exercises such as rowing is paramount to becoming a more well-rounded runner.

Here are some tips on how to become a better runner by balancing out your regular training.

Start Weight Training
The high-impact nature of running puts a lot of stress on the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the legs. However, despite the painful pounding that runners endure, it can be a challenge to convince runners to add other exercises to their routine. This is especially true when it comes to weight training—the activity that running coaches picks as the most beneficial exercise that runners can do to become more well-rounded.

Runners fear getting "bulky" or adding weight because they believe that it will slow them down. This isn't necessarily true. Ryan Hall is an advocate for strength training. Hall, who holds the fastest marathon time by an American (2:04:58 - 2011 Boston Marathon), believes that the best way for runners to prevent and rehab injuries is weight training. In an article in Muscle & Fitness magazine, Hall is quoted as stating that when he started adding weights to his training regimen, he clocked greater sprint speeds and had more power.

While lower-body pump sessions may make sense, upper-body strength should not be overlooked because it creates more efficiency in your running stride by improving your technique and allowing you to hold the correct posture longer. Runners need not fret about fitting hours of weight training into their schedule, nor do they need barbells and a bunch of bumper plates. Two to three 30-minute strength-training sessions per week (which can even be done with just resistance bands and body weight) are all runners need to see marked improvements.

Practice Proprioception
Considering that proprioception is often called "the sixth sense," it may seem that your sense of self-movement and body position is an innate ability. However, not only can you have better proprioception, but that it is important to do so if you want to remain injury-free during your running training.

Through simply closing your eyes and practicing your balance or doing unweighted single-leg deadlifts you're "training your brain to fire" and "waking up your muscles." It also plays a crucial role in providing optimal posture control.

When you are fresh at the beginning of the run it is easy to have a strong, upright body. However, as the wear and tear of the miles start to add up, our bodies start to sag under the fatigue and we begin to waste energy. This makes our running less efficient and we become more prone to injury in these situations.

Incorporate Low-Impact Cardio Exercise
Running puts a lot of what is known as biomechanical stress on your body. Basically, this is stress to your bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments caused by pounding our legs down on a hard surface and then absorbing the shock of that.

Since your lungs and heart don't know if you are running or doing another cardio activity, it is important to incorporate low-impact exercises such as rowing, cycling, or swimming into your running regimen. By doing so, you are still revving up your engine without causing too much wear or tear on your body.

Upgrade Your Nutrition and Gear
Proper nutrition and the right gear can also help you become a better runner. Without proper nutrition, your body will not propel you forward efficiently.

For runs over one hour, or if you are running in high heat, an electrolyte beverage such as Fuel, Scratch, or Nuun are excellent options.

One of the bonuses of running is that it doesn't take a lot of expensive equipment or gear. Here is the recommended list to have you starting out on the right foot:
- Running shoes: Get fitted at a run specialty shop and try on a few different brands before purchasing.
- Running socks: Thin, lightweight, non-cotton running socks are best.
- Sweat-wicking shorts and shirts: Look for lightweight materials that wick away sweat. Avoid cotton because it increases chafing risk.
- Bodyglide: Use an anti-chafing stick that can be applied before runs to keep your skin from rubbing.
- Running hat: Being exposed to direct sunlight can cause you to overheat much quicker.
- Hydration carrying system: Hydration is especially important for runs over one hour.

Although it may seem counterintuitive to run less to become a better, more well-rounded runner, it is necessary to add a variety of training disciplines into your running training. This will make you more powerful, more efficient, and less prone to injury.

Link to Active.com article

Quote of the Week

“Once you’re beat mentally,

you might as well not even

go to the starting line."

Todd Williams
Olympic Runner

Video of the Week

Five Running Secrets For Beginning Runners (9:17)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: July 4th, 2022

A dedicated and determined group battled the dreaded “Triple H” (Heat, Humidity, and Hills) during this morning’s July 4th group run!

By the grace of GOD, she survived with bruises, cuts and scrapes, and a few badly broken bones. She had reconstructive surgery on her arm and ankle, which were successful!

She returned home on June 4th but has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we all know she’s one bad bitch, and this won’t keep her down for long!!

In the meantime, if you would like to help feed the family, we know they will appreciate it. She will be in a wheelchair for a bit, then a walker. Any help is appreciated! Thanks for all the prayers, keep them coming!!

Link to Meal Train for the Carroll Family

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

How to Run-Walk the Runner’s World Run Streak
Mallory Creveling, Runner’s World

Committing to a run streak is the new signing up for a race: It offers just as much glory and bragging rights as crossing a finish line, without all the logistics. To join the Runner’s World Run Streak, which runs from May 30 (Memorial Day) straight through summer until July 4, all you need to do is take a mental pledge or post about it on social media with #RWRunStreak. Then, you’re in! The goal: run or run-walk at least one mile per day for 35 days.

If you’ve never streaked before, don’t worry–we got you. The run streak isn’t about pace; it’s about consistency and run-walkers are 100-percent welcome. Even if you’ve never run a full mile before, the streak provides the perfect opportunity to run-walk your way to that full mile, getting out on the road for an interval session every day until Independence Day.

How to Run-Walk the Run Streak
The #RWRunStreak is all about making sure you hit one mile every day. So, instead of worrying about speed, focus on going at a pace that feels good for you. That might mean you move a little slower one day and faster the next, and that’s okay and completely expected. With that mindset, here’s where to start:

First, Get Warm
Before you get moving, do a quick warm-up. Takia McClendon, NASM-CPT, co-founder of City Fit Girls in Philadelphia and USATF Level 1 track and field coach, suggests doing moves like lateral lunges, arm circles, leg swings, jumping jacks, and walking knee hugs to get the blood flowing. The key is to do dynamic stretches, so you’re moving the entire time.

Then, Slowly Progress
“For someone just starting out with running, a run streak can be challenging both mentally and physically,” says McClendon. “It’s important to run-walk at an easy pace and to incorporate recovery days to avoid doing too much too fast.” As you work through this calendar of 35 days of run-walk intervals, remember to go at a pace in which you can hold a conversation. If you’re struggling to breathe during the run pushes, that’s a sign you’re going too fast.

Also, there’s no one way to conquer the run streak. “The key is progressing at a rate that allows your body to adapt to running,” McClendon says. Do what works for you, pulling back or pushing forward when it feels right. For a smart place to start and keep the streak going, follow this run schedule, repeating the intervals until you hit one mile (more if you feel like going farther that day):

Week 1
• Day 1: 1-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 2: 1-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 3 (active recovery): 1-minute run / 5-minute walk
• Day 4: 1-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 5: 1-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 6: 2-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 7 (active recovery): 1-minute run / 5-minute walk

Week 2
• Day 8: 2-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 9: 2-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 10 (active recovery): 2-minute run / 5-minute walk
• Day 11: 2-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 12: 2-minute run / 1-minute walk
• Day 13: 3-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 14: (active recovery): 2-minute run / 5-minute walk

Week 3
• Day 15: 3-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 16: 3-minute run / 1-minute walk
• Day 17 (active recovery): 3-minute run / 5-minute walk
• Day 18: 3-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 19: 3-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 20: 4-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 21 (active recovery): 3-minute run / 5-minute walk

Week 4
• Day 22: 4-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 23: 4-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 24 (active recovery): 4-minute run / 5-minute walk
• Day 25: 4-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 26: 4-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 27: 5-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 28 (active recovery): 4-minute run / 5-minute walk

Week 5
• Day 29: 5-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 30: 5-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 31 (active recovery): 5-minute run / 5-minute walk
• Day 32: 5-minute run / 3-minute walk
• Day 33: 5-minute run / 2-minute walk
• Day 34: 5 min run / 1 min walk
• Day 35: Run 1 mile+ straight through, no walking!

More Tips for a Successful Run-Walk Streak

Focus on how you feel
Paying attention to how your body feels on each run, and the effort you’re putting into each interval, is the best thing you can do to nail each day of the run streak. For new runners, McClendon suggests keeping your intensity relatively easy for most of your run (and most days). If you want to push it one day a week or for the last 0.25 mile of your run occasionally, this is your permission to get after it! But otherwise, focus on a rate of perceived exertion scale of 1 to 10, and aim for about 3 to 4 each day of your run streak.

“You will have plenty of time after the run streak to push the intensity, but since the plan is to run every day, there’s no need to push it too hard when you’re just getting started,” McClendon says. “One of the main reasons both new and seasoned runners experience injuries is from doing too much too fast. That means that we increase our mileage, intensity, or pace before we’re ready.” Avoid getting too intense, and you’ll still feel great on that final July 4 run.

Make time for recovery
With the schedule above, you have two days a week that have you doing more walking than running—a great way to build in some active recovery, McClendon says. You need some of that slower pace to allow your muscles to rest and rebuild. Another smart way to help those muscles recover: regular foam rolling. Roll out the quads, calves, hamstrings, and glutes before and/or after your runs to prep for the movement and help your body relax after.

Get some sleep
Speaking of recovery, sleep is the best thing you can do to give your body the TLC it needs after days of hitting your stride. “Running every day will cause your muscles to break down and without dedicated rest days in between runs, you’ll want to give your body a chance to repair damaged muscle tissue,” McClendon says. The way to do that is with adequate shut-eye, which means hitting the sheets for at least seven hours a night—nine if you have the time.

Fuel up
Water and a healthy balanced diet will also support your new daily run habit. Make sure you’re drinking enough H2O throughout the day and getting a combo of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to give you the energy you need to get up and get moving.

Stick to a schedule
Sometimes it helps to pick a time of day that works for you every day to crank out your mile. Often, the morning works for many people. That way, you get your run done before the day gets busy or unplanned tasks pop up that interfere with your schedule. But no matter what time you choose, the key is getting your mile in whenever you can and making it part of your regular routine. Another trick for doing that: Put your run-walk time on your calendar the day or week before, so you’re locked in for the next workout…or seven.

Just have fun!
This is your chance to fall in love with running, so you don’t have to take the task too seriously! Create a pump-up playlist, download an audiobook you’ve been wanting to read, or team up with your favorite accountability bud. No matter what helps you enjoy the miles, use this as a time to show your body and mind some love and joy. You’re already a success for simply committing to the task—completing it is the fun part. We’ll be cheering you along every step of the way and celebrating your victories all summer long!

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Why race? The need to be tested, perhaps; the need to take risks; and the chance to be number one."

George Sheehan
Running columnist and writer

Video of the Week

The Real Meaning of the Fourth of July (1:15)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: June 27th, 2022

By the grace of GOD, she survived with bruises, cuts and scrapes, and a few badly broken bones. She had reconstructive surgery on her arm and ankle, which were successful!

She returned home on June 4th but has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we all know she’s one bad bitch, and this won’t keep her down for long!!

Link to Meal Train for the Carroll Family

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

July 4th Fun Run!

2021 July 4th Independence Day Run

Come and celebrate Independence Day in Auburn with a morning group run alongside fellow AORTA members and non-members! Choose to run, jog, or walk a 4 or 7 mile course… your choice. We’ll kick off the run at 7:00 AM!
Water stop on E. Samford @ ESS exit (see the maps below).

Date: July 04, 2022
Location: TCBY (next to Kroger) @ Glenn/Dean Intersection
Time: 7:00 AM
Cost: Free (No t-shirts or medals)

AORTA July 4th 4-Mile Run

AORTA July 4th 7-Mile Run

Weekly Whimsy

The Best Carbs for Runners to Fuel Performance
Kim McDevitt and Monique Lebrun, Runner's World

As healthy, active individuals, runners need carbohydrates to have a place at the table. Carbs are essential nutrients that provide our bodies with the energy we need to fuel day-to-day activities, and they’re the driving force behind our run workouts. But unfortunately, they’ve been pegged as something to cut back on or avoid altogether.

It’s true that not all carbs are created equal. Studies have shown eating too many refined carbs—anything made with white flour—can lead to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, as well as heart disease and stroke. But that doesn’t mean you need to cut this important macronutrient completely out of your diet.

Instead, focus on finding the best carbs to eat. Read on to find out why carbs are an important part of a healthy diet, how runners can effectively use them to fuel workouts, and the best carbs for runners.

Why are carbs important for runners?
Carbohydrates are our bodies’ primary source of energy, especially for your working muscles. And while our bodies can rely on fat and protein for energy too, these two macronutrients take a lot longer to digest than carbohydrates. This can be problematic if you’re looking for an immediate source of energy to fuel your run.

“Our bodies are always using fat and carbohydrate for energy. It’s never one or the other,” Megan Robinson, registered dietitian, C.S.S.D, and certified level 1 RRCA run coach tells Runner’s World. On slow recovery runs, Robinson says, your body will rely more on fat than carbohydrates for energy. But for more intense workouts—think speedwork, interval sessions, tempo runs, or even long-distance runs—your body will need more energy, faster.

“Anytime you’re doing a longer run (longer than 90 minutes) typically, your body will start to burn through glycogen. So, if you want to sustain pace, or you want to sustain energy without hitting the wall or bonking, you have to replenish muscle glycogen through carbohydrate,” Robinson says. If not, your glycogen stores deplete, translating to a decrease in performance—less stamina, less drive, and a faster “bonk.”

Plus, if there’s no readily available energy, you will start to break down muscle tissue, meaning all that hard work you put into building muscle in the gym kind of goes out the window. “If you really do too many runs fasted, or you do too many runs without carbohydrate—especially on the longer runs—you’re reducing your energy availability and your body, in the long run, will start to break down your muscle for energy,” Robinson says.

Eating an adequate amount of carbohydrates throughout you day at the appropriate times is key to maintain your energy levels and keeping your performance on par. Robinson says having the right amount of carbs either before or during a workout—depending on the level of intensity—will also help you maintain your blood sugar levels. This blood sugar control also impacts your alertness and ability to continue a workout. (Your brain works on carbohydrates, too!)

What are the best carbs for runners?
The best carbs to eat to fuel daily activities and workouts will be whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. But, Robinson says, it’s tricky because not all carbs are bad and even refined grains—when eaten in moderation—have a place in our diets.

“We’re not going to be eating whole wheat pasta, or a fiber carb bar in a training session because they’re going to wreak havoc on our gut,” Robinson says. “So during training, we want to stick to the simple carbs or the refined carbohydrates, because those are the quick-acting carbs that get into our bloodstream fast and that is what is more easily digested when we’re exercising.”

But bottom line when it comes to the best carbs to eat: It’s all about finding a balance between what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.

Try to increase your portion sizes of carbohydrates and decrease your protein and fat intake in the meal you eat prior to running, Robinson says. For example, at breakfast, if you typically have a Greek yogurt with fruit, swap the yogurt for one cup of cooked oatmeal. For a postrun meal, bring it back to a balance with a mix of carbs, proteins, and fats.

A general rule of thumb, Robinson says, is maintaining a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio. This looks like half a plate of leafy green salad with one-third avocado, two eggs scrambled, and a medium-sized baked sweet potato.

There are lots of really healthy, nutrient-rich foods out there that would make the list of best carbs for runners. But here are a few top choices:

• Sweet potato (and other starchy vegetables, such as squashes)
• Whole grains (rolled oats, farro, whole grain brown rice, quinoa, millet, rolled oats)
• Sprouted breads (try Ezekiel options)
• Fruits (banana preworkout, berries postworkout)
• Dried fruit (limit to preworkouts due to high-sugar content)

How many carbohydrates should you be eating every day?
The portion of carbohydrate on your plate is going to depend on your intensity, duration of run, and timing of your meals. Robinson says, if you’re doing a light activity or exercising during your off season, you will need about 3 grams of carbohydrate for every kilogram of bodyweight. (You can calculate this by dividing your bodyweight in pounds by 2.2.)

For those of us who are casual runners (not pushing paces or doing hard workouts multiple times a week), the portions you need are not much more than nonrunners. So you can stick to eating a diet that consists of about 10 to 35 precent of your total daily calories coming from protein, 45 to 65 percent from carbs and 20 to 35 percent from fats, as recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

As for runners training for races, you should consume about 5 to 6 grams of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight. Robinson says eating less than 200 grams of carbs a day is a red flag because most runners who are training for a marathon or any race should be consuming at least that amount or more.

How do carbohydrates affect weight loss?
No matter the scenario, the scoop is that cutting a food group completely out of the diet is unrealistic for healthy, sustainable weight loss. That’s especially true for runners who literally run-on carbohydrates—but also for anyone looking to maintain their energy and focus.

Instead, your plan of attack for weight should be about choosing better quality carbohydrates (think whole foods, fruits, and veggies, rather than items like chips or cookies). And focus on making small changes rather than doing a diet overhaul

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“I’m afraid to stop running.

I feel too good.

I want to stay alive."

John Kelley
1936 and 1948 Olympian

Video of the Week

Caterpy Laces Review (4:45)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

Forward any comments to the webmaster.

AORTA News: June 20th, 2022

By the grace of GOD, she survived with bruises, cuts and scrapes, and a few badly broken bones. She had reconstructive surgery on her arm and ankle, which were successful!

She returned home on June 4th but has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we all know she’s one bad bitch, and this won’t keep her down for long!!

Link to Meal Train for the Carroll Family

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

Why a Warmup is Key to a Successful Run
Jennifer Van Allen and Jordan Smith, Runner's World

It’s tempting to shoot out the door at top speed, or forego a running warmup to save tiime. But heading out of the gates without a proper prerun warmup is a recipe for disaster: injury.

If you start out too fast, you run the risk of pulling a muscle, tweaking a tendon, bone, or joint, or getting into a pace that you simply can’t sustain. The result? You end up slowing down and burning out before you’re done with your workout. The worst part is that you’re likely to end your run feeling exhausted, discouraged, and dreading your next workout.

A smart running warmup gives your muscles, bones, and joints a chance to loosen up; it gradually and gently brings up your heart rate, and makes it easier to get into the rhythm you want to sustain so you can run—and finish—feeling exhilarated and energized enough to go longer. Researchers found that when runners performed a dynamic stretching routine before a treadmill workout, they were better able to sustain a hard effort for longer than those who did’t.

Follow this three-step method to warm up before running.

Just Walk
Walk gently for three to five minutes. Lots of us runners write off walking. But it’s actually the ideal low-intensity activity to ease your body out of sitting mode and into workout mode. The motion of walking takes the muscles, tendons, and joints through a range of motion that’s similar to what it will go through in running. This not only brings up the temperature of the muscles and the core, but it also enhances the blood flow to all the muscles you’ll need for running and sends your brain the message that it’s time to go. Walking is especially helpful for runners who are coming back after an injury.

Add Strides
Do five to six 100-meter strides. Strides (also called “pickups”) flood the muscles with blood, recruit your fast-twitch muscle fibers, and help your body transition from walking to running mode. Here’s how to do them:
• Jog easy for at least two minutes—preferably more.
• Gradually accelerate over the course of 60 to 100 meters, then gradually decelerate.
• After each stride, walk around and shake out your legs for 90 seconds.
• Then stride back in the opposite direction.
• Strides should not be timed, and the exact distance of each stride is not critical.

Do not confuse “strides” with “overstriding”. Overstriding—extending your foot and leg far out in front of your knee—is a common cause of injury. Be sure to keep your steps short and quick as you perform the strides. Keep your feet and legs underneath your torso during each push.

Do Dynamic Stretches
Static stretching, in which you hold a muscle in an elongated, fixed position for 30 seconds or more, is now discouraged prerun, as it’s been linked to injury. But dynamic stretching, in which you utilize controlled leg movements to improve range of motion, loosens up muscles and increases heart rate, body temperature, and blood flow to help you run more efficiently.

Use this dynamic warmup to get the most out of your run. Jumping Jacks, Forward Jacks, Squat with Walkout, and Walkout with Knees to Elbows.

Try this routine, which targets the major muscles used for running. Start slowly, focusing on form; as the moves get easier, pick up speed. Use small movements for the first few reps, and increase the range of motion as you go.

Skip: Start by skipping for 25 to 50 meters, gradually increasing the height and range of each skip as you go.

Side Step/Shuffle: Step to the side, 10 to 20 meters to the right, then 10 to 20 meters to the left. You can do it walking and gradually progress to a jog. As your muscles start to warm up, you can build the intensity so that you cover as much ground as possible with as few steps as possible.

Weave Step (Grapevine): Step your right foot to the right, then step your left food behind your right foot. Step right foot to the right again, but then step left foot in front of right foot. Keep repeating this for 10 to 20 meters to the right, then reverse the pattern to the left. Keep alternating between right and left. Like the Side Step/Shuffle, you can start by walking, then ramp up the intensity to a jog, trying to move as quickly as possible.

Backward Jog: Start with 50-meter segments, stay light on your toes and use your arms for momentum.

Butt Kick: While standing tall, walk forward as you draw heel to your glute. When this is easy, try it while jogging. Do 10 reps on each side. Too easy? Alternate butt kicks with high knees. Do five butt kicks, then do five high-knee steps. The butt kicks stretch the quads, and the “high knees” stretch the glutes.

Hacky Sack: Lift up your left leg, bending your knee so it points out. Tap the inside of your left foot with your right hand without bending forward. Repeat 10 times on each side. This stimulates the balance you’re going to need when you start running.

Toy Soldier: Keeping your back and knees straight, walk forward, lifting your legs straight out in front and flexing your toes. Advance this by adding a skipping motion. Do 10 reps on each side.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread, are where great deeds can be accomplished."

Jack Lovelock
1936 Olympic Champion

Video of the Week

Fun Facts Abuot Running (6:41)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: June 13th, 2022

By the grace of GOD, she survived with bruises, cuts and scrapes, and a few badly broken bones. She had reconstructive surgery on her arm and ankle, which were successful!

She returned home on June 4th but has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we all know she’s one bad bitch, and this won’t keep her down for long!!

Link to Meal Train for the Carroll Family

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

Avoid These Summer Training Mistakes
Chris Hatler, Runner’s World

If you’re starting a new marathon training block, the summer is a perfect time to get back into running. Longer days, vacation time, and good weather mean more time to get the miles in. But beware—there are simple mistakes that can cause you to burn out (or literally burn yourself to a crisp) before fall marathon season comes around.

Avoid the following mistakes during summer training, including hydration hijinx and shoe snafus.

Mistake #1: Not acclimating to the heat.
In every aspect of training, there’s an adjustment period. Just like you wouldn’t jump from 20 miles per week to 60, or skip from 10 squats to 100 in just a couple of sessions, you shouldn’t dive headfirst into the summer heat.

There are a few different options to build up your heat tolerance. First, you can briefly lower your mileage so you’re not overloading your body and gradually work it back up as you readjust. Or, you can go back and forth between treadmill days and outside running days. Lastly, start your training cycle by running during the coolest part of the day, then each following day, run later and later until you’ve comfortably run during the hottest hours.

Get used to one variable at a time. Don’t try to build your mileage too high when acclimating to the weather. Handle one problem first, then solve the next one. Otherwise, you might end up physically and mentally drained.

Mistake #2: Not checking the weather.
I live in Philadelphia, where the summer temperatures can range from mid-70s to the high 90s. As someone who likes to run after work, that means I need to check the weather, or I might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

But even if you’re a morning runner, it helps to look at a weather report before heading out the door. You might find that the morning dew point is unbearably high for your workout, or that a summer rainstorm will roll through and cool the air down significantly by the afternoon.

In my case, I look ahead of time whether I need to get up a little earlier to squeeze my run in the cool morning instead of slogging through blistering temps—which can potentially be dangerous.

Mistake #3: Not hydrating or refueling.
Katie Kissane, R.D., C.S.S.D. told Runner’s World in a previous article that dehydration heightens the risk of heatstroke and causes muscle cramping when you’re running in hot weather. Therefore, to stay safe in the heat, make sure you’re drinking water throughout the day.

If you’re out for a long run, hydrate during the activity. Stash a bottle somewhere on the route, plan your route around water fountains, or even wear a hydration pack—just make sure to drink up.

However, Kissane explains that just chugging water alone could lead to a separate problem called hyponatremia—low sodium levels in the blood. Hyponatremia leads to dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. Consider bringing a sports drink high in minerals like sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium to prevent the symptoms from hampering your run and hurting you in the long term.

Mistake #4: Not wearing sunscreen.
No matter how long your run is, you’re exposing yourself to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Without precaution, you can suffer from skin aging, eye damage, and even skin cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Americans can reduce risks from sun exposure with continued use of sun protection measures including broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF values of at least 15,” said acting United States Federal Drug Association (FDA) Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., in a press release from September 2021.

The FDA recommends applying sunscreen 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapplying every two hours, especially when sweating. That means if you’re going for a long run, you might need to stop to reapply. There are sunscreens out there specifically made to be sweat-resistant, so you don’t need to reapply as often, but it’s still good to be safe.

Mistake #5: Not being flexible—and dreading the treadmill.
“On especially hot and humid days, there’s no glory in the Strava post,” says Runner’s World Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate. “I’ve had a 15-miler on the schedule that I’ve broken up into three five-mile runs that day, so I still get in the mileage without dying. Don’t be confined by the training plan—sometimes you need to modify it.”

That might even mean running on the treadmill when it’s particularly rough outside. Before you shake your head in disgust, think of it as an opportunity to control all the variables. You can listen to your favorite music or watch a television show, lock into a pace, and enjoy sweet, sweet air conditioning.

Mistake #6: Not wearing summer running gear.
There are a few pieces of gear you should always have around for hot and sunny summer runs.

A good running hat protects your face from the sun. Most are made of moisture-wicking materials to keep your head cool, and some even come with UV protection. Bonus points are that a running hat keeps raindrops out of your eyes on any wet days.

A hat alone won’t keep the sun out of your eyes. You need a pair of sunglasses. While most pairs will work in a pinch, there are great running sunglasses that won’t slip off your sweaty face or bounce up and down from the impact of your stride.

For particularly scalding afternoons, you could purchase a cooling vest—but think of that as more of a luxury than a necessity.

Mistake #7: Ignoring swollen feet.
When you get sized for a new shoe at a local running store, they typically recommend a half-size up because “blood flow increases to deliver oxygen to the muscles,” Paul Langer, DPM, told Runner’s World. “The volume of the muscles temporarily expands.”

When it’s really hot out, Test Editor Morgan Petruny notices that her feet swell even more: “I have to be aware of giving myself more room in my shoes… I often think that I’m a fall, winter, or spring shoe size W9, but a summer size W9.5.”

If you’re not ready to buy another shoe, she recommends loosening your laces, wearing thinner socks, and avoiding the shoes in your repertoire with a tight toe-box.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

"When you put yourself on the line in a race and expose yourself to the unknown, you learn things about yourself that are very exciting."

Doris Brown Heritage
1968 800M Olympian

Video of the Week

What to do if you get a cramp while running Jeff Galloway (1:48)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: June 6th, 2022

By the grace of GOD, she survived with bruises, cuts and scrapes, and a few badly broken bones. She had reconstructive surgery on her arm and ankle, which were successful!

She returned home on June 4th but has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we all know she’s one bad bitch, and this won’t keep her down for long!!

Link to Meal Train for the Carroll Family

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

Does Looking At Your Watch Help or Hurt Your Running?
Allison Goldstein, Runner’s World

The Great Watch Debate is as old as running itself—or at least as old as watches. Does tracking your pace on the run keep you honest? Or does running watch-less set you free? According to a recent experiment by researchers at the University of Birmingham, the kind of day you had might help you decide.

Feedback and mental fatigue

Research shows that when you’re mentally fatigued, your physical performance suffers. And let’s face it: these days, between pandemics, wars, 24-hour news cycles, and the stresses of daily living, who’s not mentally fatigued on one run or another?

The good news is that, according to this University of Birmingham study, receiving feedback as you exercise—like you would from a GPS watch—can help you get more out of what might otherwise be a sub-par performance.

The subjects in this experiment were split into three groups: control, feedback, and no feedback. The control group performed three tasks. First, they did an endurance test that involved squeezing a force-measuring device as hard as they could once every second for five minutes. Then they watched a documentary about trains. Finally, they repeated the endurance test.

The no-feedback group followed the same protocol, only instead of watching the documentary, they took a mentally fatiguing memory test before they repeated the endurance test. The feedback group also took the memory test, and when they took the second endurance test, they were shown feedback—specifically, how much force they were producing and how that compared to their first test.

As prior research would suggest, the no-feedback group saw their performance decline between the first and second endurance tests due to mental fatigue, while the control group didn’t. Interestingly, the feedback group, who were also mentally fatigued, performed similarly to the control group: their performance didn’t decline.

How Mental Fatigue Could Be Sabotaging Your Runs
“When they knew how they were doing, the people in the state of mental fatigue did as well as the people who weren’t in the state of mental fatigue,” said Neil Dallaway, Ph.D., a sports science researcher associated with the University of Birmingham. And while the experiment measured hand-grip strength rather than running performance, Dallaway believes the results are still applicable to runners.

“If you get home from work one day and you are really tired and you’ve got an interval session or a fartlek, you may not do as well,” he said. “So then if you use your watch for the feedback, it could help you perform as well as if you weren’t mentally fatigued.”

Practical feedback
In addition to overcoming mental fatigue, there are other, practical reasons to use watch feedback while you run. When you’re running a workout or a race that doesn’t include mile markers, it’s useful to know how far you’ve run and how far you have to go. Knowing your pace can also help you to self-correct when you’re trying to hit a time goal.

Tony Ruiz, a longtime running coach and competitive masters runner, tells a story about a 5K where he checked his watch at mile 1 and saw he was running considerably slower than his goal pace. “I went, ‘Oh my God,’ and it just kind of woke me up,” he said.

While seeing a slow pace can help you pick things up, you can also use your watch to keep the pace under control. Ruiz advises athletes running half marathons and marathons to check their watch at least once per mile at the start of the race, because going too hard too early can be a recipe for disaster. However, he tells marathoners to pretty much ignore their watch after mile 20.

“If you're running a really good race, by then you already know this,” he said. “But if you're slowing down, let’s say at 21 miles, I’m not sure checking your watch is going to give you any kind of positive feedback.”

Assigning meaning to the data
Fear of “negative feedback” is the reason some runners shy away from their watch, and yet the watch itself is not the problem. “Data can be very helpful. Where it starts becoming an issue is with the meaning that we'’e attaching to what the watch tells us,” Shannon Mulcahy, M.S., a sports psychology consultant, said.

Consider a gas gauge on a car: If the gauge indicates you can drive 30 more miles before you’re out of gas, you’ll use that information to decide when to get gas. You won’t look at it and think, “This drive is going great,” or “I’m a terrible driver.”

Unfortunately, Mulcahy says, runners often fail to look at their watches with the same level of objectivity.

“It's not really problematic if you look at your watch and you're like, ‘I'm running slower than I wanted to,’ and that frustrates you. That’s normal,” she said. “It’s when you see that you're running slower than you wanted, and it all of a sudden goes to, ‘I’m never gonna reach my goal. I’m a terrible runner. What’s the point?’ And we start catastrophizing.”

Giving emotional meaning to your watch data is what can transform it from a useful tool to a run-ruiner.

Making your watch work for you
The ultimate lesson is that your watch is a tool; you just need to figure out how to make it work best for you. There are a lot of options.

One is to use your watch during workouts but not easy runs. This helps keep easy runs easy because, as Mulcahy said, “I don't think we’re very good at looking down and seeing slow paces because, again, we’re deciding that they’re slow.” If you can’t see the pace, you can’t judge it.

Leaving your watch at home on easy days is the simplest option. However, if you like to have the data to share on Strava or for other purposes, you can switch the display so it shows you only distance or time elapsed during the run, not pace.

Another option Mulcahy shared that can help athletes who have trouble staying dispassionate when they see a pace (any pace) on their watch: Change the unit of measure.

“I have a client who is an American, but she lives in Europe. She was trying to train more in kilometers, and she started noticing that she was very analytical during her workout,” said Mulcahy. “There was really little meaning to the data; it was just very instructional.”

Ultimately the goal is to keep emotion at bay and use watch data for what it is: data. Some runners are great at this, and some runners have to find workarounds. But the science says that if you can get into that analytical mind frame, especially when your brain is tired, the data will help.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Fear is gradually replaced by excitement

and a simple desire

to see what you can do on the day.”

Lauren Fleshman
American distance runner

Video of the Week

Run 3 - Inspriational Running Video (3:12)

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: May 30th, 2022

2022 Heroes of America AORTA Group Photo
Great turnout for Saturday’s inaugural Heroes of America Marathon!

* AORTA group photo from the 2019 Soldier Marathon.

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Weekly Whimsy

13 Dated and Dangerous Running Myths
A.C. Shilton, Running World (edited)

Myth: An Ideal Running Form Will Solve All Your Problems
Fact: Your form improves with experience
There is no ‘ideal’ way to run and no evidence that suggests telling age-group runners to run one way or another. That’s because bodies are different in how they’re built, how they stride, and how they break down.

Our running mechanics are a result of a combination of our anatomy, injury history, and running history. And logging miles day after day will gradually optimize your gait. A study of novice runners found that after 10 weeks, the runners significantly improved their running economy without instruction on how to do so. Be wary of any expert who swears they can upgrade your form. Most coaches can’t spot efficient form—even veterans. Researchers determined the efficiency of five runners and sent videos of them to 121 coaches, from the high school level up to international program managers. Overwhelmingly, the coaches could not tell which runner was the most efficient.

Myth: Gotta Stretch!
Fact: Static stretching doesn’t reduce injury risk.
It also doesn’t lengthen our muscles in meaningful or protective ways. Back in 2001, a six week program studied how hamstring stretching changed athletes’ range of motion. They could lift their legs higher than before, but after four weeks without the stretches, the participants lost almost all improvement. That was markedly different than if participants had trained and tested muscle strength—those gains don’t disappear so quickly—and a clue that stretching wasn’t changing muscles significantly.

Researchers believe stretching as a largely neurological event. When we stretch, it helps us develop a tolerance: Our brains learn that it’s safe to increase our range of motion, and so our muscles comply. Static stretching (holding a position) may actually decrease running performance.. A 2009 study found that distance runners with tighter hamstrings had better running economies than their bendier peers. Imagine your muscles and tendons are like a rubber band,. You want the rubber band to snap back quickly.

If you like stretching, keep doing it. But prioritize cool downs, strength work, and naps. Research shows that these are the best aides for recovery and injury prevention.

Myth: Always Be Refueling
Fact: Save the run snacks for long efforts.
You probably don’t need to top off your glycogen stores on runs shorter than 60 minutes, and there can even be an advantage in training your body to burn fat stores by running for 90 minutes or more without refueling. The caveat is if you were hitting longer, high-intensity efforts, such as multiple 15- to 20-minute intervals.

On race day, there’s a limit to how much you should consume midrun. A 2018 paper examined the optimal carb intake for a two-hour effort. It found that taking in more than 40 grams of carbs per hour hurt performance because digestion draws blood from the muscles to the stomach.

Myth: Having Your Period on Race Day Is a Disaster
Fact: The hormone changes can be an advantage.
There’s no bad day during your monthly cycle for racing. In fact, research shows that menstruation can offer unique physiological advantages.

The days right before your bleeding begins can be some of the very best from a performance standpoint. During this phase, estrogen and progesterone levels dip, lowering your core body temperature and resting heart rate. Heart-rate variability—which is the amount of fluctuation between your heart beats—improves, which means you are more resilient to stress. Having lower estrogen and progesterone also improves the body’s ability to utilize carbohydrates stored in the muscle and liver. However, if you suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding, cramps, and GI issues, that can hamper performance. Over 35 percent of recreational female athletes experience heavy menstrual bleeding, but we don’t talk about what’s normal, so it’s often missed.. See your doctor if you think you might experience heavy bleeding. There are options that may help, like taking tranexamic acid or implanting an IUD. If you’re suffering from cramps, take 100mg of ibuprofen to help lower inflammation. You may also want to take 3 to 5 grams of a creatine supplement daily the week before your period. It can maintain the mucosal lining of your GI tract, reducing the symptoms of digestive distress during your period.

Myth: Running Is My Therapy
Fact: Running is great for your brain, but it’s no replacement for a mental-health professional.
Mental health practitioners often prescribe exercise because it can trigger positive changes in brain chemistry. Exercise can increase the production of serotonin, which can boost mood. It also can result in the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factors, which can encourage the growth of new neurons and synapses. (Antidepressants have also been shown to potentially increase them.)

Regular aerobic exercise has been linked to an improvement in size of the brain’s hippocampus, an area of the cortex which research has found can be smaller in people suffering from depression. And in people suffering from anxiety or ADHD, running can activate the frontal parts of the brain responsible for executive function. The simple act of going for a run—especially outside—can force us to be in the here and now. That’s a helpful thing for people prone to forecasting anxious futures. Finally, running can raise our self-efficacy as we go farther or faster than we thought possible. That builds one’s self-esteem, like, okay, I can run an extra mile, run that mile faster. And as a result, that’s a blueprint that you can take to other parts of your life."

However, understand one thing: Running is not therapy. The goal of therapy is to improve self-awareness. Therapy should create a safe space where you learn to be curious and insightful about what, exactly, is going on in your head. A good therapist will help you understand why you are having intrusive thoughts or sharp mood swings. When done right, sessions should give you the tools you need to think about why, for instance, you put on your running shoes and blasted out of the house instead of engaging the last time your spouse was mad.

Myth: Don't Up Your Weekly Mileage By More Than 10 Percent
Fact: There’s no universal rule, but 10 percent is low.
This myth is too simple to be accurate. Running surfaces, running volume, terrain, speed, and one’s physiology all factor into training loads. Instead, increase your mileage based on your experience level, injury history, and overall well-being. If you’re new to running, add up to 20 percent to your weekly total. A 2007 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine looked at two groups of novice runners training for a four-mile race either following the 10 percent rule or increasing their mileage by 24 percent each week. The injury rates were practically identical—though a 2014 study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found an increased rate of injuries in new runners adding more than 30 percent.

Experienced runners building back volume after a break can add up to 30 percent more miles each week. However, if you’re already running fairly high volume, be more conservative. Track your miles in a training log and keep notes on how you feel. Next time you’re building up miles, refer to your log and see what went well and where things started to go from “felt great” to “oops, too much.” Critical to increasing your mileage is scheduling down weeks into your training. Addi miles for three to four weeks, and then back off for one week. Improvement comes from applying stress and then letting your body rest.

Myth: Carbs are Good! Carbs are Bad! Fat is Good! Fat is Bad!
Fact: Runners benefit from both.
The myths cut every which way on fat and carbs, but both fuels can be used to your advantage. To run your best, your body needs every available resource.

Our bodies run off stored energy, either in the form of glycogen (carbohydrates) or fat. It takes less effort to turn glycogen into available energy than fat. The difference in the amount of oxygen consumed in that process is between 5 and 8 percent. That’s a negligible amount while running at low intensity, but in a harder effort, needing 5 to 8 percent more oxygen slows you down. While that keto-evangelist at your gym may swear your body can only run off one fuel or the other, that’s also a myth. You can—and probably already do—run off both. And the keto-curious should know that studies have shown that athletes training only on a low-carb diet lose some of their ability to convert glycogen to energy—making that midrace Gatorade cup less effective.

Myth: Running Ruins Your Knees
Fact: Your knees get stronger.
Running actually protects your knees against the development of osteoarthritis, with nonelite runners having about a third of the rate of knee osteoarthritis of sedentary individuals. A 2017 review and meta- analysis found nonelite runners had just a 3.5 percent prevalence of hip or knee osteoarthritis compared to 10.2 percent of those in the sedentary, nonrunning control group.

The more researchers learn about cartilage, the elastic tissue that protects our joints, the more those results make sense. Cartilage is like any other living structure in that it gets stronger with continued loading. When you run, you stress the cartilage in your joints. Just like your muscles, that cartilage recovers and strengthens after a workout. Emerging research on metabolic health also reveals that the positive blood sugar and hormone changes that come with regular exercise may affect cartilage health for the better, too.

Why has this myth persisted for so long? Because of one big caveat: The relationship between running and knee osteoarthritis is U-shaped. Not running increases your risk. Yet so, too, does running large amounts of volume -particularly if you start young. The 2017 meta-analysis found that 13.3 percent of elite runners developed hip or knee osteoarthritis.

Myth: Walking is Weak
Fact: Walking can make you faster.
All runners walk: aid stations, workouts, whenever we feel like it. Go watch an ultra—many racers walk every uphill. Assigning virtue to one locomotion is needlessly unfair and unkind. And if you’re afraid to be seen walking, your ego may actually be hurting your training. Downshifting during a high-intensity session lets you do more work at a faster speeds. Walking can also present an approachable way to reach a new distance goal.

Perhaps the best testament to the power of walking is the Galloway Method. For nearly 50 years, coach Jeff Galloway’s Run-Walk-Run system, where runners break their long runs and races down into a few minutes of running followed a minute or two of walking, has carried at least a half million runners (by Galloway’s surprisingly thorough count) to a finish line. Run-walking won’t cost you much, if any, time compared with run-running. A 2014 study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport tracked runners versus run-walkers in a marathon. The two groups had similar median finish times: 4:14:25 for the run-walkers and 4:07:40 for the runners. That’s less than a 3 percent difference, and after the race, the run-walk group reported less fatigue and muscle pain.

Myth: Your Watch Knows Best
Fact: We’re complicated.
Listen to your body before your watch. ‣ Six months ago, an elite runner and coach, put herself in a data tracking timeout. “My relationship with the data was toxic,” she says. Tracking everything—sleep, heart-rate variability, weekly miles—made her question whether she really felt bad on a run, or whether her watch had told her to expect a slog and she complied.

Your watch may also not be getting the most accurate data, especially if it doesn’t use a chest strap for collecting heart-rate data (research shows they’re significantly more accurate than optical, wrist-based monitors). And your watch can’t access the untracked factors with big impacts to make informed choices. Yes, maybe you got good rest last night and had an easy week mileage-wise. But perhaps your low miles are due to pulling 12-hour days at work and skipping lunch. A 2018 study found that poor mental health correlated with a higher incidence of overuse injuries in runners. Anyone just following what their watch tells them to do is getting suboptimal training.

Myth: “I’m Not Ready to Race”
Fact: Racing is for everyone and you don’t have to PR to have a good time.
Doubt and unrealistic expectations—like that every race must be a personal best—can sideline you when you should be out high-fiving spectators. First, most of us view ourselves through an overly critical lens. We tend to focus on what’s not going well in our training while forgetting about everything that has gone right. That can keep us from accurately judging how prepared we are.

And races are about more than PRs. Expecting each event to be better than the last will suck the fun out of running faster than you can hoover the goo from a gel packet. Racing should bring joy. It should also allow you to learn from your mistakes and find small victories—from calming prerace jitters to nailing your fueling strategy.

Pros— They Believe Myths Just Like Us!

Coree Woltering: Ultramarathoner for The North Face
The myth: Running will wreck your knees. When I was in high school, I ran the 200, 400, and 800, and said I would never run a marathon—that’s way too far, it would hurt my knees. A 5K was the longest distance I would run because I would be like, Oh, my knees! My knees! I gotta protect my knees! It’s so funny now because I race 100 miles.

Chari Hawkins: Gold medalist at the 2022 USATF Indoor Championships
The myth: Big strides are better. People always told me that I would be good at running because I have long legs and could really “stride out.” So I always tried to take really long strides. But my legs were always sore, my knees were always sore. Then I broke my ankle right before the Indoor World Championships in 2019. I started working with a physical therapist and he said, “Chari, you are overstriding so much.” He totally changed my running to help me eliminate injury as well as improve my speed.

Andy Wacker: Two-time medalist at the World Mountain Running Championships
The myth: Lighter is faster. In college, there was a real culture of lighter being faster. I had a University of Colorado Boulder teammate who lost 5 to 10 pounds, and ran faster than ever. And he thought all he needed to do was keep losing weight. But he lost five more pounds and his performance tanked. I’d get rid of the term “race weight.” It’s more important to listen to your body.

Laurie Barton: 800m runner for the Brooks Beasts Track Team
The myth: Push through the pain. Throughout my career I always just thought you should work through injuries and pain. In college, I got a kidney disorder and I tried to push through—that was literally the dumbest thing ever. I ended up having to take six months off. Now if I’m hurting, I take time off.

Dominique Scott: 2016 & 2020 Olympian in the 5K & 10K for South Africa
The myth: Carb-load for everything. I believed all runners ate huge bowls of pasta the night before races or big workouts and that gave them the energy to run fast. It wasn’t until late in high school when I realized I actually don’t feel very good after eating a lot of pasta and I don’t race ultramarathons—and therefore do not need to consume my weight in carbs the night before races.

Sarah Pagano: Road racer for the Golden Coast Track Club
The myth: Runners shouldn’t lift weights. When I started running, I never thought strength was important. As I’ve gotten older and started increasing mileage and intensity, I can see and feel the value of consistent strength training. It doesn’t have to be a fancy routine, or even in a gym, but targeting different muscle groups a few times a week can go a long way toward injury prevention and maintaining your form late in races.

Nicolas Montañez | Marathoner for the Mammoth Track Club
The myth: You can’t deviate from your training plan. If life is really chaotic and you have a full day of errands, work, life, and you feel tired and sluggish, you can put off a big workout. I’ve learned that just getting in 20 minutes of easy running during those days maintains your fitness, allows for recovery, and keeps you loose so that you can pick up your training plan the next day.

Deena Kastor: 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist
The myth: Always go hard. Many take “no pain, no gain” to heart and run hard every day, every mile. I know now that the gain comes from the rest period. As athletes, we deplete ourselves in the work phase, but grow stronger during recovery.

Two Lies and a Truth About Shoes
Lie: Replace Your Shoes Every 300 Miles 
There are too many variables to make a blanket recommendation. Your weight, the foam used in the shoe, your running surfaces, and your gait pattern will all impact shoe wear. Since there’s no hard mileage rule, look for external clues: When the outsole’s lugs begin to disappear, the shoe may not be offering as much cushion and traction as it used to. Also, pay attention to any new postrun soreness in your ankles, hips, or knees, which can be a sign that the shoe’s midsole is not offering the support it once did.

Lie: Your Shoes Will Last Longer If You Rotate Them 
Not really. They’ll just hang out on the shoe rack longer. This myth comes from the idea that midsole foam needs time to recover after runs. But the foam should bounce back in minutes, not days.

You may, however, want to consider rotating your shoes for injury prevention by alternating between two similar pairs of shoes. You’ll move slightly differently in the two pairs and possibly help keep repetitive use injuries at bay. A 2013 study saw a 60 percent reduction in injury rate for runners who used multiple shoes versus those who stuck to a single pair.

Truth: Removing Your Shoes Without Unlacing Them Breaks Them Down
 The foam in the heel helps keep your foot in place. Crunching that foam down every time you step on the back of one shoe to slip out of the other, then jamming your heels in when you put them back on, will break the foam down faster. Plus: Torquing your shoelaces beyond what they’re built for may harm the eyelets that hold them in place. And you’re sacrificing the improved fit and efficiency that laces provide in order to get outside a few seconds faster.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“If you want to run then run a mile.

If you want to experience another life,

run a marathon.”

Emil Zatopek

Video of the Week

Memorial Day Tribute (3:35)

Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Please take some time today to remember those who lost their lives in the service of our country.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: May 23rd, 2022

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Heroes of America Marathon
The Heroes of America Marathon and Half Marathon Saturday, May 28, 2022 race starts and finishes at the National Infantry Museum, runs through parts of Ft Benning and on the beautiful Columbus RiverWalk. The course is reasonably flat with one hill and a few short inclines. The Heroes of America 5k also starts at the National Infantry Museum immediately after the Half Marathon start. Because of the width of the Riverwalk the Heroes of America Marathon does not allow participants who use hand-cranks.

Heroes of America Looking for Pacers

Hi Friends! I am looking for pacers for the Heroes of America Marathon in Columbus, GA on May 28th. If you are interested in helping others reach their goals while having fun please email me at info@beastpacing.com. We need marathon pacers for finish times from 3:35 to 5:30. Beast Pacing

Heroes of America Marathon AORTA Group Photo

All AORTA members running the half or full marathon next month are invited to meet prior to the race for a group photo. Plan to meet at the statue at 7:00 am Eastern Time directly in front of the museum where you check in. Remember that Columbus is an hour ahead of us (Auburn / Opelika) so don’t be late!!

2019 Soldier Marathon AORTA Group Picture. Join us for this year’s photo!

Weekly Whimsy

The Importance of Easy Run Days
Frank Campo, TrainingPeaks.com

Easy run days are more important in a runner’s training plan than they are given credit for. Easy run days do a number of things to help prepare you for your next race or training season. First and foremost, they give your body and mind a break. You can also take the time during your easy run days to worry less about paces and time and simply enjoy your run. That’s why we all do this, right? Because we enjoy it. Easy run days also help build endurance because you can add distance without the stress of speed work throughout the workout. Depending on the training cycle, it is usually best to do the bulk of your weekly miles at a relatively slower pace and low heart rate. Consider your easy run days just that, a time to get out and forget about the splits and just enjoy running at a comfortable pace so you can build endurance. Typically, these type of easy workout days should be placed after a day of intense training as a form of active recovery. But remember that your easy days also build endurance and are by no means “junk” miles. So, how should you structure your easy run days so you get the most benefit from them?

Warm-Up
As with every run, first start with a warm-up and an easy stretch, but be careful not to overdo it. If you tend to do most of your runs in the early morning, do some squats, lunges, and a few skips to wake your body up. It will also get your heart rate up, your blood flowing and your body warmed up enough to take on the that crisp morning air.

Start Slow
Depending on your training phase, generally these runs should be about two minutes slower than your race pace. This allows you to still maintain your form while getting the recovery benefits you are looking for. At first you may have to work on slowing yourself down in order to maintain your target heart rate; the goal is to be relaxed and to maintain a comfortable pace. These runs are structured to build endurance, strength and at times simulate the fatigue placed on the body during long-distance training.

Then Add Some Speed
When appropriate—and typically only on longer easy runs—include a few strides toward the end of your run. Better yet, add some hill repeats. These accelerations should last a few seconds at your 5K speed, with equal recovery between each set. Putting this demand on tired legs helps you build efficiency and strength, and will mentally prepare you for when you are tired and need to dig deep during the later stages of a race.

Post Run Stretch/Strength
It goes without saying that you should stretch after every run.This is especially true as you get older and need to keep your muscles and tendons from getting too tight. Post-run stretches should be held a bit longer (think a minimum of 30 seconds), and should be concentrated on your weakest muscle group. For runners, these areas are usually the hamstrings, calves, hips and hip flexors. This is also a good time for some focused strength training. Try some rope stretching and planks to work on the core, or for more of a challenge on tired legs incorporate side lunges.

As a rule of thumb, follow the 80/20 rule; structuring 80 percent of your weekly workouts at an easy effort and 20 percent at an intense effort. Particularly if you are a self-trained athlete, make sure your plans incorporate a healthy balance to prevent injury, or better yet follow a training plan or hire a coach. Following these simple guidelines will keep you running strong.

Link to TrainingPeaks article

Quote of the Week

“Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush.

Racing is where I get mine.”

John Trautmann
92’ Olympian, NYU Coach

Video of the Week

Run With Me - Short Film (13:53)

Based on true events, this short film, written and directed by Cameron Covell, follows Matt, a boy with cerebral palsy, as he decides to run in his school's track meet.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: May 16th, 2022

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

VET DTRI’s Heroes 5K
- Distance: 5K (trail)
- When: Saturday, May 21
- Time: 9:00 AM
- Fee: $30
- Where: Gadsden, AL
- Description: VET DRTI's (Veteran Disaster Relief Team Inc.) is a non-profit organization founded by Veterans that volunteer to assist with cleanup efforts following natural disasters such as Tornados and Hurricanes as well as Search and Recovery of missing persons. The event will raise money to fund these missions.

Heroes of America Looking for Pacers

Heroes of America Marathon AORTA Group Photo

2019 Soldier Marathon AORTA Group Picture. Join us for this year’s photo!

Weekly Whimsy

How to Benefit from Pelvic Floor Therapy
Heather Mayer Irvine, Runner’s World (paraphrased)

Runners are no strangers to the world of physical therapy and its many benefits. But pelvic floor therapy is either totally unknown or taboo — runners, particularly female runners, might be missing out on important injury prevention and rehab opportunities.

What is pelvic floor therapy?
Essentially the pelvic floor is a group of interlacing muscles that span the distance between the tailbone and the pubic bone. These muscles support the bowel and bladder in men and women, and the uterus and vagina in women. Because humans are upright, the strength and tone of the pelvic floor muscles are imperative in keeping the organs in place.

Pelvic floor therapy is a type of physical therapy that can treat issues such as incontinence in men and women, painful intercourse in men and women, pelvic pain, overactive bladder, including frequency and urgency, and organ prolapse, in which the bladder, uterus, or rectum can drop or press into the vagina.

What is a pelvic floor therapy appointment like?
Unlike a typical physical therapy session, it’s in a private room due to the sensitive nature of the appointment. A pelvic floor therapist will spend 75 percent of an initial appointment just talking to a patient to learn about sleep habits, nutrition and hydration, exercise, symptoms, goals of treatment, and stress.

Patients—men and women—should be prepared for an internal examination, intervaginal for women and interrectal for men. The purpose of this exam is to assess the muscles’ abilities to contract and fully relax, and to determine the strength and tone of these muscles. Muscles that are too strong or tight, for example, can cause pain.

Most female patients say exams are more comfortable than their gynecologic exam since doctors don't use a speculum, swabs, stirrups, or take samples. For men, a pelvic floor specialist appointment may take longer than a prostate exam because therapists pay more attention to the muscles and tailbone area.

What are the benefits of pelvic floor therapy?
Pelvic floor therapy can treat a host of problems that affect runners of all types, particularly women. Because running is a high-impact sport that causes the pelvic organs to jostle around, having a strong (but not too strong) and toned pelvic floor can keep women, especially, running pain-free. Not only is pelvic floor therapy extremely effective in treating conditions like urinary incontinence and pain during intercourse, it is part of total-body strength. That’s means it can target and treat problem spots notorious for runners, including the hips and glutes.

Types of Pelvic Floor Therapy
A pelvic floor therapist has a variety of treatment methods and tools, depending on the nature of the problem.

Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a way for a therapist and a patient to gauge muscle strength and the muscles’ ability to relax. Pelvic floor muscles that are too tight can cause pain that is exacerbated by doing too many kegel exercises or not doing them correctly.

During a biofeedback session, electrodes are placed on the skin and a probe is placed internally to show when muscles are contracting and relaxing (often while performing kegels), and how those muscles coordinate with other muscles like the hips and abdomen.

Soft Tissue Work: Pelvic floor muscles are muscles, which means they have trigger points and myofascial tissue that might need a release, just like your quads or calves. Internal soft tissue work directly on the pelvic floor muscles and external soft tissue work on muscles outside the pelvic floor can also address the iliotibial (IT) band, hips, adductors, and abdominals.

Therapists might also treat issues with scar tissue massage (which involves both actual massage and other techniques), especially if a patient has had surgery, including a C-section.

Stretching: Many women who experience pelvic floor concerns require stretching. That can be done manually or with dilators—tube-shaped devices that come in a range of sizes—which is a good way for a patient to be involved with their treatment. Dilators can serve a few purposes, including helping the muscles lengthen and relax, as well as desensitizing the area to allow for stretch and movement.

Stretching can help alleviate issues like pain or an overactive bladder. Some runners may not be able to run more than 20 minutes due to muscle dysfunction. If tightness is the issue, stretching the pelvic floor muscles can help. Although runners often think of stretching when something is tight or stiff, the remedy may be to reduce tension in the tissue, which includes muscles and connective tissue. Reducing tension can include manual techniques by the therapist to gently lengthen tense or tight pelvic floor muscles, gentle massage to increase blood flow, or specialized pressure techniques to reduce trigger points, or knots.

Traditional stretching is effective, too. Recommended moves include happy baby and child’s pose to stretch the pelvic floor.

Who can benefit from pelvic floor therapy?
More often than not, therapists will see women after childbirth who have complaints of pain during intercourse or incontinence. These issues are very common but not normal. A woman’s likelihood of experiencing incontinence goes up with every pregnancy. After all, each full-term pregnancy and delivery takes a toll on the pelvic floor and it requires proper strength-training (a goal of pelvic floor therapy) to restore that strength and tone. Runners who’ve had childrencan benefit from pelvic floor therapy after delivery, vaginal or C-section; the high-impact nature of running adds further stress to the already weakened pelvic floor. Therapy can help build back strength and tone before you start logging miles again. Often, there isn’t much guidance for women who are looking to get back to running postpartum, and just because a six-week postnatal exam checks out (doctors may not even do a physical exam), doesn’t mean women’s bodies and muscles are ready for the high-impact sport of running.

Today, guidelines recommend women wait at least 12 weeks after delivery before starting to run again; that’s double what it was several years ago. Therapists who are trained in pelvic floor therapy can guide women in a step-by-step way to get back to running safely. An exam might include how posture has changed during pregnancy and postpartum. A pelvic floor therapist can assess diastasis recti, or ab separation, which happens in 100 percent of pregnant women. With the help of a therapist, you can easily treat it.

When should you see a doctor instead?
Because pelvic floor therapy isn’t (yet) mainstream, patients often turn to their doctors to address their symptoms. It’s common for people, especially women, to assume a condition like incontinence is normal with childbirth or age and avoid bringing it up with physicians. But it’s not normal and there are ways you can address it, especially if you see a pelvic floor PT.

But for symptoms related to infection, like discharge and fever related to vaginitis after childbirth, for example, a doctor can prescribe antibiotics, and that’s why you’d want to see a doc first before a PT. Some types of urinary incontinence are also caused by a fistula, which requires surgery and cannot be treated with pelvic floor therapy. Physicians are a common entry point who can then connect patients with a pelvic floor therapist. So it’s never a bad idea to see your doctor, but it’s also smart to ask about pelvic floor therapy.

Who should avoid pelvic floor therapy?
In rare cases, women who have severe organ prolapse should avoid pelvic floor therapy. While pelvic floor therapy can help strengthen the floor, if prolapse is advanced, surgery might be the only option. This is more likely to happen in older women.

Is at-home pelvic floor therapy an option?
Depending on the nature of the problem and the type of therapy needed, there are exercises people can do from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. There is a massive lack of information. That’s why it’s essential to take matters into your own hands. People can and should take ownership of their own pelvic health, and you should feel empowered to learn more about their pelvic floor. That said, it is recommended to see a professional in person for an initial evaluation before starting at-home therapy. At-home pelvic health education is a great thing to do while waiting for your first appointment or between sessions.

Link to Runner’s World article

Quote of the Week

“Running is a big question mark
that’s there each and every day.
Are you going to be a wimp or
are you going to be strong today?"

Peter Maher, Irish Olympian

Video of the Week

Meet Lopifit - The Electric Walking Bike (3:20)

This is the Lopifit, a Dutch-designed electric treadmill bike that allows you to travel greater distances in less time when compared to walking on foot.

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process or service.

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!

AORTA News: May 9th, 2022

Mother’s Day Mimosa Run

AORTA members Misty Carroll, Crystal Hubbard, Mari Wilkes, Katherine Martin, and Cara Burnett enjoying a Mimosa (or two) after their Saturday Mother’s Day Half-Marathon!

Upcoming Local Races!

Doug Underwood

Heroes of America Looking for Pacers

Heroes of America Marathon AORTA Group Photo

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