Running, Riding, and Critters

It happened again tonight on my 43 mile ride. Bugs. Not just a few, but at least millions. What's up with that?

I've been running for about eight years. Distances of 5K,10K, Half-Marathons, Marathons, and Ultras. No bugs. Then I started cycling again about six weeks ago. Now bugs. Does speed attract bugs? I'm not really sure, but I think there is a difference between being a runner and a cyclist that I never thought of. Critters. Bugs, and all sorts of things.

Just tonight I saw two raccoons (roadkill I'm afraid), 10 goats, several cows, piles of stuff in the road that cows make, a lizard-like creature that was running across the road, ducks, geese, turkey vultures (at least that's what people tell me they are), and bugs. I mean stick in the teeth bugs. A couple of them had an express lane trip right down my throat.

I consumed at least a dozen mouthfuls of a variety of these protein Man vs. Wild gourmet delights. Who needed to bring a protein drink along when all you have to do is open your mouth and say, "Look I'm speeding past you, jump in for a ride".

Then it got serious. They got all over my Hammer Nutrition clothes. Commonly referred to as a "kit". Not cool. I was covered with bugs from helmet to toe. I love my kits. I really don't like to get them dirty at all. A little or even a lot of sweat is ok. But bugjuice. No!

Now, it's not the first time this has happened. I have been riding this course for several weeks now and no bugs. Why now? Did the Bug Bus just happen to let off a billion bugs along my route just to attack me? The little ones, hey, I can handle them maybe. But the large ones hat hit the helmet and various parts of the my body with a thud and a splat need to go somewhere else. This is just not working for me. When I finished tonight I looked like the front end of a Ford Pick-Up truck.

Not that my 15-25 MPH pace will stagger the Tour de France people, but it is definitely attractive to the bugs of the Midwest. As a runner, I have had no bug worries and don't anticipate any. I have some foot speed too. Qualified for and ran Boston and am scheduled to run it again in 2010. Am a member of the Marathon Maniacs. Have put down some pretty good PR's now and then as well as some clunkers. But in all of those races, I have been bug free. Is it the speed that attracts bugs? Or is it just that I am running into them and they are totally surprised too?

Think about that. As a bug, you're just flying along minding your own business and then Wham! You're a helmet decal. I guess it goes both ways. Anyway, any advice you can add would be appreciated. I have a long run tomorrow and will ride in a Livestrong event on Sunday. We'll see about the bugs.

On a more serious note, my son Andy just loaned me his copy of the George Hincapi DVD. Wow! That is a must watch DVD. Very inspirational and very well done. What an amazing individual.

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Running and Riding Shorts

Some random thoughts and comments from the past week:

RAGBRAI Celebration
A huge congratulations to Team Awesomeness (Andy,Joel, Adam,Andy,Rag,Ryan, and others) for completing the RAGBRAI ride across Iowa that finished up last weekend! Wow! What an accomplishment. Was able to get up to see them for the night before the finish and also the finish. I am amazed at the distances they rode and the conditions they faced a few of the days. And the food they were able to consume while riding sounded pretty good too. Sounds like the towns they rode through were unbelievable in terms of hospitality! What an adventure! It will be on my calendar for 2010 for sure. Hope Team Awesomeness will let me ride along with them!

Austin Half-Marathon
Join me in Austin, TX on October 11, 2009 for a great half-marathon. I have a team forming in conjunction with FCA Team Endurance. We'll have agreat time. More on this in a few weeks. Registration instructions and website information will be coming soon. We'll run together or you can do your own thing. Austin is a great place to run!

Next Race
My next race will be on September 11th in Olathe,KS. It is called the Patriots Run. The race starts at 12:00 noon and runs for the next 9 hours and 11 minutes. Runners can run as far as they can/want to in that time. My plans are to do 50 miles or more that day. It's a race run on a loop course. I am really excited to get a 50 accomplished.

On the Road...With Wheels Now Too!
Yes, it's happened. I am now cycling and loving every minute of it. Three days a week doing between 25-50 miles have become a weekly routine. Good cross training and so far feeling my running is benefitting from the additon of the riding. I have several great routes and the scenary is fantastic.

Training Schedule Changing
Next week it will be time to start back with my teaching responsibilities. It's been great to be able to run/ride, eat, and nap each day and then just get up and do more of the same the next day. However, all good things must change...so now it will be back to late afternoon/evening training and weekend morning long runs. I could do this for a long time!

Chomps
In my opinion Hammer Nutrition products are without a doubt the best supplements on the market right now. I have had fantastic results with them. But I will tell you that I have supplemented my Hammer Nutrition plan with a product called GU Chomps. They are fantastic for either your runs or your rides. Chomps have amino acids for great energy and rapid recovery, vitamins C & E for the antioxidents, a good electrolyte balance of sodium and potassium, and a blend of simple and complex carbohydrates. Great flavors and I think they are much easier on the stomach than gels. Just sayin...

Well, hope this week has been good to you and that the upcoming week will be a great one! Make sure you take time this week to let somebody know you care.

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe.

Training Change

Spending a few days in Boston going to professional meetings and doing some early morning runs along the St.Charles River, allowed me to have some time to rethink some of my future training plans and race plans. I'm about 7 weeks away from my next ultra-marathon of 50 miles (Still need to find an August marathon.), and several weeks before my first cycling race in October of 40 to 80 miles. Have not decided yet on the distance. Therefore the training plan needs to be in place that will carry me across the finish line in a strong way. There are several components of a good training plan.

First of all, Nutrition and Hydration. I can't emphasize this enough. A good Hydration and Nutrition plan is a must. These are not things that you wait a few days before a race to start. It is a continuous process that involves organization and careful calculations of your own body needs. What you are training for does make a difference. The Hammer Nutrition Products that I use are a fantastic benefit to get me on the road or trail for running and cycling at my top performance levels. You have heard me talk about Hammer often. Hammer has very knowledgeable people to help you set up a program that will work best for your needs. I am also available to assist you with any questions in this area. Hydration is something that needs to have attention each day. Consumption of the right combination of liquids is a real art. There is so much junk out on the market right now it is unbelievable. Be careful what you buy and do not over hydrate or under hydrate. Again, Hammer leads the way in this area.

Second. Gear. Brooks Running is my gear of choice. I am a Brooks ID runner and really strongly advocate that they have the best products on the market right now. Some very advanced technology that is not wasted on bells and whistles like some of the other companies. Fancy does not make you a better runner. Research into product development does. That's the Brooks focus.

Third. The Training Plan. There are so many plans out there right now. Please be careful and choose one that fits you and not someone else. Training plans are very personal and quite frankly are not always found in the stacks of running and cycling magazines we all pour over each month. Find someone you can trust to help you with a plan that will focus on your goal and get you there in a way the insures success. Again, I would be more than happy to help you with a training plan for any distance. Simply leave a comment on this blog and your email address and I will be more than glad to help you!

My training plan for the next 7 weeks involves combinations of running and cycling that will provide a good balance of miles involving different sets of muscle groups. My training plan calls for me to do my longest runs on Saturday and Sunday of distances from 15-25 miles each day. These back to back runs strengthen me in a way that prepares me for the ultra. During the week I will be dong 8 mile runs on Tuesday and Thursday. Then on Monday and Friday I will be doing 25-40 mile rides. Wednesday will include a 6 mile run and a 20 mile ride. It puts me at between 90 and 150+ total miles a week. It's an agressive training plan. I am finding that including cycling as a major part of my training the past 2 weeks has really given me new strength. Therefore, the change to include more cycling.

I will keep you posted on how things are going. You can follow me each day on Twitter or Dailymile. I hope you will find the updates meaningful and helpful. Let me know if I can be of help to you. Best of luck to all of you that are running or riding in races the next few weeks!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Conclusions from Man vs. Fast Food

It was great to be able to have a few days to take a look at the fast food industry. The Man vs. Fast Food event last week was one of information gathering and food tasting. The opportunity to present an option to what you can eat at fast food establishments was a challenging one for me. The goal was easy. What can active people that want food that is not high in fat, calories, carbs, and sodium do when the are "stuck" with fast food options? I found out that there are menu choices that can work and also some items that need to be avoided completely. Was there a fast food establishment that outdid another? Yes. Am I going to recommend a place for you to go for your meals? No. The visits to McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Sonic were very informative. You need to make your own choices.

Conclusions that I could make from my 5 day trip into the fast food world would be:

Look carefully at the menu options before you order. Many fast food places have their menus online so do your homework on several so that you know what to order when you are presented with the problem of ordering fast food. Look at the key things that are very important in our active diet. Check out the sodium content, fat amounts, calories, carbs , and portions. It was amazing that the more the protein increased the size of the menu item did too. Want high protein? Order the super size of anything and of course there will be more protein. Come on, that's not rocket science. there will also be more sodium, calories, and fat. There were menu combinations that were ok. A small hamburger and a salad with low fat dressing was a good option. some salads alone had more negatives than other items on the menu. Dressing? Not good.

There were several things that impressed me though. There is an effort out there in fast food land to make us aware of just what we are eating. They don't order the meals, we do. It's a two way street. Yes, they could improve their menus. In some cases they are. But it is our responsibility too. A couple of places had the Allergens listed for each menu item. That is way cool! There are also different portion sizes for things. Take advantage of that.

Think before you order. What we take in as food needs to be fuel that we can burn in a positive way for our active needs. High fats, carbs, calories, and sodium only add to a savings account of trouble.

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Friday is Sonic

Man vs. Fast Food went to Sonic today. It was a great trip and one that provided some very good options for those of us on the go in these summer months. It was interesting, as I looked at the menu, to see some similar things at Sonic that we saw at other places during the week. However, Sonic's presentation of these items and the drive-up atmosphere sets them a part from other fast food places. I really enjoy going to sonic for that reason.

Today I ordered the #1 Sonic Burger and it was low in calories (310), carbs(30g), and sodium (610mg). It had a great taste and has always been one of my favorite burgers. I also order the Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich that had the highest sodium numbers (1,780mg) and got the Sodium King Award for the day. Both sandwiches had great taste but the nutrition numbers on them really make a difference. Remember that portion size and sodium are the main things that we have been talking about this week so these sandwiches were at opposite ends of the menu there.

Other items of interest:
* Jalapeno Burger- Low in Sodium (510mg)
* Burrito- Low in sodium (480mg)
* Taco- Low in sodium (360mg)
* Corn Dog- Low in Carbs(23g)
* Thousand Island Jr. Cheeseburger- Low in Carbs (30g)
* Grilled Chicken Wrap- Low in Fat (11g)
Then On the high side of things:
* Super Sonic Cheeseburger- High in Calories (980), Protein (48g), and Fat (64g)
* FRITOS Chili Pie- High in Carbs (72g), and FAt (64g)
* Fish Sandwich- High in Carbs (71g)

There were several items that were high in protein that were on the Super Sonic Sandwich llist but were Fairly high in other areas.

The Salads provided even more options. The Grilled Chicken Salad was Low in Calories (310), Fat (13g), and Carbs (19g). The Santa Fe Chicken Salad was high in Protein (30g). But please note that the more things that you add onto your salad the higher some of these numbers go.

Also, a reminder to look at Sonic's Allergen listings online. They have a chart that lets you know what foods might contain the following allergens: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, soy, peanuts, treenuts, wheat, and gluten. Thank you sonic for doing this!

Another reminder is that Sonic does have those Powerade Drinks and Slushes for you to choose from if you are on the go and need to pick up something for hydration purposes or just to go with your meal.

Hope you have a great Friday and enjoy your walk, run, or ride today!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Thursday is Wendy's

As we continue our Man vs. Food week, I went to Wendy's today. What a surprise they had for me. I went online and looked at their menu and was impressed with all of the possibilities that you could order.I ordered the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap which had low carbs (24g) and fairly low calories (250) and Fat (10g) but had nearly twice the sodium (730mg) as one of the Jr. Hamburgers (490mg). That was a little disappointing. Oh sodium, what are we going to do with you? I also ordered the Triple Burger with Everything plus cheese. It was the Sodium King for the day (2,010mg), but also had the most protein due to the large portion of meat and cheese. You know, you can create a lot of protein the higher you stack it, but also create other nutritional problems along the way.

I really liked the "Build Your Own" sandwich or wrap or really just about anything. Very good idea on Wendy's part to do this. If you look at the menu online or go to the individual restaurants, you can really become knowledgeable about what can be added to things and still stay in the boundaries that you are trying to have for your focus. I know it was an awakening for me. If you want two Jr. Hamburger patties on a sandwich, you can do that. It allows you to do just about anything with your order. Impressive!

Here are some other food items that were reviewed for their nutritional value:
* Jr. Hamburger- Low Calorie (230), Low Sodium (490mg)
* Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich- Low Fat (7g)
* Spicy Chicken Fillet- High Carbs (49g)

Wendy's also has selections of Salads and Baked Potato items as well as Chili.

*Special Note*
One of the most important things that Wendy's does is that it lists the allergens on their online menu. I don't think that I have seen that at any of the places that we have gone so far. They have a list that shows if the food item you are interested in has eggs, milk, soy, wheat, or peanuts/treenuts in them. WOW! What a great idea! That is a big plus for many people right now.

It was a great trip to Wendy's today. Keep in mind, as we have all week long, that our goal is to look for foods that we can eat if we are "stuck" at a fast food restaurant. I don't think I feel "stuck" at Wendy's at all. Continue to check for high numbers in calories, sodium, fat, and carbs. at the places that you go. Remember we are fueling our bodies to work at their best. It's just not a "fill it up attitude".

I hope your day is good and that you can get out and run, bike, or walk and have a great Thursday! Tomorrow I go to Sonic!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Wednesday is Taco Bell

Today is Wednesday so that meant our Man vs. Fast Food travels took us to Taco Bell. Taco Bell has some options for you to choose from if you are "stuck" at a fast food place due to your schedule or that fact that your family might like to eat there. They have a Fresco side of the menu that has 9g or less of fat for the items on that portion of the menu. That's where our first taste tested item came from. It was the Fresco Crunchy Taco. It was low in calories, carbs, and sodium. Yea! This was one of the first items this week that met several of the criteria. It had good taste and was lightenough so that it was not too filling. Remember, the key here is to only order 1 and not 5 lor 6 because that is what gets us into trouble. Portion sizes and also quantities.

The next item that I ordered was the Grilled Stufft Chicken Burrito. Wow! It was the Sodium Kung for sure today. It had 2,180mg of sodium in it and it tasted like it. It was very heavy and just wasn't something that appealed to me as someone who wants food that is good on the go and something that is light. With these high outside temperatures right now it even had less appeal. The first thing I did was to reach for some water. Really couldn't get more than a couple of bites down.

As I cautioned in the video, just because it is low fat doesn't mean all is good. One selection, the Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco is low fat (4g) but has twice the sodium (740mg) as did the Fresco Crunchy Taco. That is where menu selection becomes difficult. I encourage all of you to check online to see what the menus have to offer before you go to any of these fast food places. You can be surprised.

Some other items of interest:
* Chciken Ranch Fully Loaded Taco Salad- High Calorie 960 and High Protein 36g
* Chipolte Steak Fully Loaded Taco Salad- High in Fat 59g (Special note here. This item had double the sodium of the Fresco Crunchy Taco. Interesting.)
* Volcano Burrito- High Carbs 81g
* Fiesta Taco Salad- Also had High Carbs 81g

The conclusion from today is that it is a good thing that Taco Bell is trying to provide items on the menu that are better for you than others. However, they are inconsistant with the message that they are sending by complicating the menu with options that are way above sodium and fat levels that I think that we should be having as walker, runners, and cyclists. Yes, there will always be those that say they can tolerate these high levels of sodium because they excercise and are active. But how long will that be true? Remember, take in only what your body can use for fuel and to maintain a good healthy balance in your nutrition needs.

Some of the menus that we have looked at this week so far are making attempts at balancing nutritional needs, but are a ways from getting us as consumers to move away from the options that are not especially healthy for us to choose from. When there is choice, sometimes we make the wrong one if it is available. Do some research and think about what you eat. Your body will thank you as you venture out for your run, ride, or walk!

Tomorrow is Thursday which means we will head out to Wendy's. See you tomorrow!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!