Total Body Transformation Training Blog

Psychology of Marathon Running

It shouldn't come as a surprise that running a first marathon is 50% physical and 80% mental -- or there abouts. That the human body is capable of moving 26.2 miles at once isn't in question. The issue is ourselves. The training, prep, and aniticipation amount to each individual needing to attack their fears while getting ready and then dealing with the emotion and physical drains during the actual event. It certainly isn't impossible, it's just that like any new thing you aren't exactly sure how you will respond.

The University of Pittsburgh has published a short article on the Psychology of Running a Marathon. It goes over the usual need for a plan and talks about some common associative and disassociative techniques to get you through the run.

Elliptical Machines

Go to most any well equipped gym and you'll see a "cardio area" -- one or more rows of treadmills, exercise bikes, and elliptical machines. At my gym, the ratio of treadmill to elliptical machine is 1:1 and the ellipticals are almost always filled and taken. Elliptical machines first appeared only 10 years ago but in that time they have become a favorite aerobic training tool.

Elliptical machines work. They are not a gimmick at all. The movement and position of the exercises using elliptical machines is natural with no impact. They burn just as many calories and work the thighs, butt, and hamstrings as other machines. The benefits of elliptical machines are easy to understand

Elliptical machines are excellent for burning calories

Elliptical machines utilize the natural walking movement of the body

lliptical machines strengthen the bun, thighs and leg muscles

There is no impact when using Ellipticals

Elliptical machines are suitable for all fitness levels

When we walk, our legs follow a natural, elliptical path. This smooth cycle is interrupted whenever the feet touch the ground to take the next stride. When the foot strikes there is impact on the knee and hip joints, and on the back. Using an elliptical machine, the legs follow continuous path without any jarring or impact. Elliptical machines provide a natural movement, an excellent cardiovascular workout, and no impact. You get all the benefits of walking or jogging, but without the risk from the constant jarring on a hard surface like a street or roadway. What more could you ask for?

If you are shopping elliptical machines, be sure the machine’s movement is smooth and flowing without any sticking points. Better ellipticals allow you to move forward and backward. Variable resistance is important, usually done by changing the incline. And many elliptical machines allow an upper body workout using poles that move back and forth with the jogging motion.

I've started incorporating elliptical machine workouts into my aerobic zone training and have noticed something -- shin splints. While this may partly be due to working out in the gym in my cross trainers and not my running shoes, I don't think that explains it totally (although I admit to needing new x-trainers). with the elliptical trainer there is little to no foot strike through the range of motion and with me this puts enough extra and constant pressure on my ankle and shins to cause splints. Pre-stretching the ankle helps as does remembering -- really forcing -- my foot movement to include rolling onto my ball of my foot and down. So the notion of "no impact" isn't enough. Elliptical training is an effective and can be safe and fun. But it isn't running and you still need to understand what the biomechanics involved are to avoid common overuse and tightening problems.

PF Chang's Marathon Training Nutrition Recommendation

My family ate at PF Chang's last night. PF Chang's is a chain "Chinese Bistro" restaurants originally created by chef Wolfgang Puck. There are PF Chang's throughout the USA and in 2004 PF Chang's sponsored their first marathon in Phoenix, AZ.

In addition to the normal menu and wine list last night, our server also gave us an insert -- PF Chang's Guide to Nutrition for the Endurance Athlete. The insert was an ad for the upcoming marathon and included articles on proper carb, fat, and protein intake for marathon training. While their nutrition recommendations were "carb heavy" by the standards of most strength trainers and bodybuilders, they were still much more balanced than the traditional USDA food pyramid. Here is a summary:

Carbohydrates: Target 2-3g of carbs per pound of body weight. Use mainly low and medium glycemic carbs.
Protein: Target 0.5-0.6g of protein per pound of bodyweight
Fat: No specific amounts, but emphasize fats as no more than 30% of total calories and use mono and polyunsaturated fats preferably. Get the right amount of EFA through flax seed and cold fish.

Walking with Weights

Do you remember "Heavy Hands"? They were a popular piece of exercise equipment in the 70s and 80s and like most fads they seemed to fade into oblivion. The good news is that Heacy Hands are still available. The better news is that there is a lot of science behind the idea and that there is a mountain of evidence showing their effectiveness in improving running and strength performance. The idea couldn't be simpler -- when you walk (or jog), carry a 1-5 pound dumbell in each hand. Using good walking and jogging form you'll find yourself having a much more strenuous workout and taxing both your lungs and your whole body throughout.

The creator of Heavy Hands -- a neoprene dumbell with an enclosing handle -- still does research on weighted cardio workouts at the University of Pittsburgh. The results are really great and consistent. Even starting with 1 pound weights, people improve their cardio and strength endurance by vigorously moving while holding these weights. This translates to less fatigue for runners, more whole body strength for athletes, and a lower heart rate for nearly all people that adopt the approach.

So on your next walk or walk/jog, grab some very light dumbells and add them to the workout. Keep your arms bent -- 90 degrees at the elbow is ideal but the idea is not to let the arms just hang down with the weights -- and move vigorously. Your heart and endurance will thank you in a short time.