Running Advertisements: A Few of My Favorites

Okay, I have been uninspired lately, overworked, and I think I am suffering from a bad case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  My running is lackluster, and I can barely stand to go outside in the cold. I have some great ideas for posts, but neither the time nor energy to write them.

However, I did feel an obligation to post since I have been absent for so long. This week in one of my classes, we are doing ad analysis papers. Because of that I have been looking at some great advertisements. Some of the running ads have been giving me some smiles. I thought I would share some with you.

My favorite running ads:

Nike Free: Bare Naked Running Camp

This is my all-time favorite running commercial. Hilarious. (Just a note: If you find nudity offensive, skip this one)

Skechers

Not most of our first choice for running shoes, but maybe this ad will convince me to give them a try.

Nike Again: 

In my mind, Nike does make the best running commercials.  In a future post I will look at some of their motivational ones that I love that I did not include here, but now I would like to show you some of my favorite print ads.

My all-time favorites were an ad campaign done by Adidas a while back. Its tag line was “Runners, Yeah We’re Different,” and some of their pics were hilarious for a runner (although a few of them problem grossed out a few  non-runners).  Here are some of my favorites from that campaign: 

How many of these are you guilty of?  :-)

Now I am sure that I have probably missed some of your favorites. If there is anything you think I need to see, please share the link in the comments. I am always looking to be entertained, especially on another snowy, windy, yucky winter day like today. Will winter ever end????? 

Guest Post: Hoofing It for Your Health

I was recently contacted by the folks at Healthlline.com asking if they could contribute a guest post on the blog. They are a site dedicated to providing health information to the public, with a wide variety of health related topics and articles. I agreed and requested that the topic be running-related. Here is the post. It outlines some of the health benefits of running and some of the illnesses that it can help manage or prevent (a little extra motivation to get out the door on these chilly winter days). I hope  you enjoy it. 

Athletes, pro and amateur alike, have been touting the benefits of running since the days of ancient Greece. It's good for your body, it's good for your appearance, it's good for your mental health. With a few exceptions, there aren't many areas where running isn't good for you.

But not many people understand just how good it can be. Running isn't just a general health elixir or restorative. It doesn't just strengthen the heart and expand lung capacity. It also fights off some rather serious diseases, and quite effectively at that. Indeed, it's often so effective that many doctors now push it harder than medication.

There are, of course, some people who shouldn't run. They include people who are sick, asthmatics who have had recent flare-ups, people with recent concussions, people who are tired, people who experience sharp pain when they run, people with back pain, and pregnant women who don't already have regular running routines.

But the number of people excluded from running as a healthy exercise continues to shrink. Thirty years ago, those over the age of 50 were discouraged. Now, as long as they're otherwise healthy, people are routinely running well into old age, and showing all the health benefits that go along with it. Here are a few of the illnesses that running helps to combat.

1. Depression

Exercise is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for almost all mental illnesses, but especially clinical depression. Running helps for a number of reasons. First, it releases endorphins and other pleasure-inducing chemicals in the brain; this is the cause of the well-documented "runner's high" that keeps so many athletes coming back. And any type of exercise tends to boost self esteem and self confidence, two of the key problems with many depressed patients. But running may also provide a psychological benefit, giving those with depression a period of stress-free meditation that is otherwise difficult to find.

2. Diabetes

Running prevents many cases of diabetes and helps diabetics 

manage their diseases better. There are two types of diabetes. The first, type one, results from a lack of functioning insulin in the body. As a result, glucose can't properly enter the body's cells to provide fuel and instead piles up in the bloodstream, leading to dangerously high blood sugar levels. The second, type two, occurs when the cells in the body develop a resistance to insulin, leading to the same problem. There is as yet no known single cause for type one, but type two is often caused in part by obesity and poor health. Regular running, along with a balanced diet, can greatly reduce the risk of type two diabetes. And those who already have either type typically find it much easier to manage with a regular exercise routine of any sort.

3. Cancer

Running is helpful in preventing many types of cancer, from breast cancer to colon cancer. Concerns have been raised over the years that running itself might contribute to cancer risks, but the science has never backed it up (aside from a link between marathoners and skin cancer that may simply be due to their frequent exposure to sunlight). Numerous studies in recent years show running is associated with a moderately lower risk of developing cancer.  It can also be helpful to those who have already developed cancer: In one study of women with breast cancer, the most physically active had a 26 to 40 percent lower risk of recurrence or of cancer-related death.

4. Run to Your Heart's Content

Every now and again there's a cry and hue when a runner dies of a heart attack, usually during or after a marathon. People with active heart problems are cautioned from rigorous exercise, and it's always wise to confer with your doctor before starting something new. But the empirical reality is that running saves far more hearts than it hurts. You may be at a slightly greater risk of a heart attack during a marathon, statistically speaking, but only barely, and the long-term benefit to your heart more than outweighs it.

Running is one of the most popular exercises. It's also one of the most healthy, far and away. It's great for your heart, it helps fend off cancer, it helps prevent diabetes and it's a proven treatment for mental illness. And those are just a few of its many benefits. If you're looking for a new exercise routine, you can't go wrong with running.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

Vegetarian Athlete?: Part 1 Realization Strikes

For a long time I have been ignoring an elephant in the room related to my running. I have been doing the training, fighting the aging, but ignoring one aspect that was having a major impact on my performance: nutrition. Actually the nutrition problem has two parts, weight and fuel, and I had pretty much been in denial on both fronts.

Weight is a tricky issue with runners. With all the scare over eating disorders and disordered eating in our society, it is a risky thing to say that a key to improving running performance is losing weight, but it is true. Weight is related to distance running performance. From a physics perspective, speed boils down mostly to what it does in all sports: a power to weight ratio. In fact, VO2max, a key physiological variable related to running performance, is measured in milligrams per kilogram of body weight. The easiest way to change the VO2 max is to change the weight side of the equation.

The truth is that for maximal performance in running, a person needs to be what is considered below average in weight for our society. Studies of elite distance runners versus sub-elite runners shows that the major factor separating them is not mileage or training, but weight. An interesting article on this was printed in Peak Performance a while back. There is also a book called Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance which explores this more deeply (and includes 9 pages of references to scholarly publications to support the discussion). The fact is that to perform optimally in race situations, one needs to be at an optimal racing weight.

Anecdotally I have found this to be true. When I was running my best and set PRs at all distances, I was about eight pounds lighter than I am right now, and about eleven pounds lighter than I have been for most of the past several years.

As I was contemplating this idea and realizing that instead of training more (and risking injury), perhaps I should take a look at the losing weight side of the equation. About this time, I read the preview chapter from Scott Jurek's book Eat and Run  that had been printed in Trail Runner magazine.

That article pushed me over the edge. It made me realize that not only did I need to get this weight thing under control, but that I also needed to stop trying to get my body to perform like a race car on poor quality fuel. As I read Scott's information and then started to do some research on vegetarian/vegan athletes, I was intrigued. I was surprised at what a "hot-button" issue this is in the athletic and nutrition community, with very strong opinions on both sides. 

One of the problems that I have experienced for many years is extreme muscle soreness. I am not talking the typical delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that one gets the day or two after a hard workout. I expect and gladly accept that. I am talking about muscle soreness that would come on immediately after even an easy run and last most of the day.  I could do an easy three to four mile run with friends, head home in the car, and be as sore as finishing a marathon by the time I had to get out of the car to walk into the house. It was ridiculous. I talked to a few doctors about it, but none of them had any idea why this should be so. I just resigned myself to living with soreness.

What I read in the information from Scott and other athletes, such as triathlete Brendan Brazier, was that most of the vegetarian/vegan athletes mentioned improved recovery and reduced inflammation and soreness as benefits of a diet change. That was the final straw. I was willing to give anything a try that might help with the soreness. That a switch to a vegetarian diet might also help move me to an ideal weight now became a secondary consideration to the idea that I might not have to be sore all the time.

Thus, about six weeks ago I started on the path toward becoming a vegetarian athlete. I am not quite ready to go all out with the vegan thing, and I am also not ready to be what I call one of those "crazy" vegetarians who goes into convulsions if meat is in the same room that they are. Plus, I am practical and cheap (we still had a few really good pork chops and steaks in the freezer).  However, for the past six weeks I have been on primarily a vegetarian diet. I can count the number of times I have had meat on one hand.  I have also started to become much more conscious of the idea of food as fuel, which has changed the way I look at all types of food. 

So," how is it going?" you may ask. Are you getting any of the benefits you hoped for?  Is it hard to do? Do you feel deprived? Well to get those answers you will just have to wait for Part 2.

Related articles:
Book Review: Scott Jurek's Eat and Run

Running Streaks: How Long Can You Go?

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

Have you ever streaked? No, I don't mean that bare-naked running popular at football and baseball stadiums in the sixties and seventies, the ones that usually ended badly with the streaker getting tackled by security. I mean a running streak. 

What is a running streak? It is just a period of consecutive days of running. If you have never heard of running streaks and the people who have undertaken this practice, it is pretty interesting and amazing (or stupid and ridiculous, depending on who you ask).

There is actually a United States Running Streak Association (USRSA), which is part of the larger Streak Runners International. There is an application form and a $20 application fee. The rules are pretty simple: "A running streak is defined by SRI/USRSA as running at least one continuous mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day under one’s own body power (without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices)." Applicants must keep running logs or other evidence of their streak to submit if requested. To join, runners must have a streak of one year or more.

The association keeps records. Some of the streaks are truly amazing. Right now, the person with the longest running active streak is Mark Covert, a 61 year old teacher and coach from Lancaster, CA, who as of today has been streaking for 15, 995 days, which is 43.79 years for those who are mathematically challenged. Amazing!!  He is not alone. Close on his heels is John Sutherland, also 61, who is at 15,688 days (42.95 years).  The longest running streak by a woman had been held by Julie Maxwell, who had done almost 34 years (12,212 days to be exact), but she slipped and fell last December, breaking her foot and ending the streak. The new women's record holder is Barabara Latta, a 70 year old retired teacher. She is at 10,382 days (28.42 years). The number of people with streaks of ten years or more is truly amazing. The active list has 140 people with active streaks going now of ten years or more. While the list of those with "retired" streaks includes almost 80 more! (Most of the streakers have amazing stories. If you get a chance, you should take a look at the articles I have linked to above.) 

The reason I bring this up is that, as some of you might have noticed from my Daily Mile report (at right) or on the Facebook page, I have started a streak. Actually I was on day 7 of a streak before the Trail Marathon last weekend, but stupidly I just completely forgot to run on the day before the race because I was so wrapped up in the whole taping thing (couldn't resist the pun!).  I had to start over this week. I started on May 1, and I am now at Day 7 again.

This is not the first time I have done a running streak. In the past I have had several month long streaks, and my longest streak to date was 61 days back in early 2009. My intention right now is not to add myself to the list of multi-year streakers (although you know how runners love a ridiculous challenge...). People streak for all different reasons. Most often my reason for streaking is that I realize that my running needs a kick-start of consistency that I don't seem to be bringing to the table in my training. That is why I have started streaking now.

Consistency in training is the key to success in distance running, especially long distance running, such as marathon and beyond. To excel at running marathons requires adaptations that require years of consistent training. Both of my marathon PRs came after periods of 2-3 years of solid and steady training and build-up of mileage and endurance.

However, sometimes because of life stresses or injuries, my consistency falls apart. Once I lose that groove, regaining it can be a challenge. This has been especially hard for me since I have moved to Michigan, where the weather does not suit my personality. I hate the cold and love the sunshine, so being consistent when the weather is cold and dreary is a real challenge for me.

When I am feeling this way, a streak is just what I need to help me rebuild the running habit. It helps me renew my commitment and introduce the running back into my life in a way that is insistent but not overwhelming. I can easily tell  myself, "Come on. It is only one mile. Get the mile in and then you can quit if you want." The thing is that a lot of times I don't quit. I start to run, feel better, and do a workout on a day when it would have been so easy to blow it off.

Joining me on this streak is my friend Denise. She is streaking for a totally different reason. Denise is a fairly new runner (although she has been at it for over a year and a half now -- Go, Denise!!). She is not into the competitive end of things and is not interested in racing. She did reach a major goal of completing a half marathon a while back, something she never imagined she could do when she started. The problem was that after about a year of working toward that goal, she was suddenly goal-less.

While Denise is not competitive, she is a goal-driven person. She was really floundering in her running because she could not find a new goal that motivated her. When she heard about the streak, she was intrigued. That sounded like something that she could shoot for. The streak let her find new motivation and a new goal. She is shooting for 30 days (or 31 just to make the whole month of May). 

Not everyone is a fan of streaking. In case you didn't know, streaking is actually a controversial topic in the running community. In fact, so much so that on the USRSA site, they include an article that discusses this topic, titled "Caution: The Dangers of Streak Running,"  so that new runners can understand streaking a bit more fully and also the dangers of "trying to do too much too soon." If you are interested in starting a streak, that article is a must-read.

The article gives a lot of tips that are important to know if one is considering a streak. It addresses probably the most common objection/question: "Won't I get injured if I run every day?" (Not if you do it right!). The same principles apply when doing a running streak as doing other types of training, specifically the hard/easy principle and the ideas of taking rest days. Although I do run every day during a streak, some of those days are just a slow mile or so warm-up before my yoga or stretching. The author also makes a very important point about streaking: "Most importantly, never lose track of the ideal that your running streak should complement and enhance the rest of your life, not become the sole focus of your existence.  The goal is to improve the quality of your life."  

So, at least for now, I am a streaker. I will be posting my progress periodically on the Facebook page and in my Daily Mile log if you are interested in seeing how far I get.

What about you? Have you ever streaked or known a streaker? Does this sound interesting to you or totally crazy?

Book Review: Sole Sisters: Stories of Women and Runnning

"The running group has become a movable village, where women swap advice on matters small and large, from issues as mundane as helping a baby sleep through the night to crises as grave as a hospitalized child."   -- from Sole Sisters: Stories of Women and Running

This past Sunday was Diva Night at Playmakers  (my local running store) an annual event which celebrates women runners and walkers in the community. It is a fun night of socializing, sharing stories, learning about new gear, clothing, and equipment, and generally celebrating being active, vibrant women. If you haven't seen the video yet, check it out on the video page.

 In looking around the room, I could not help but be struck by the diversity of the women attending and how we all mingled together in a big happy bunch. Running is like that. It creates instant community. It doesn't matter if a person is rich or poor, black, white or brown, liberal or conservative, religiously devout or atheist, a high school dropout or a scholar with a Phd., we all share very similar experiences as runners, and those experiences give us a common ground. It is amazing when you think about it.

 The Diva Night experience reminded of a book I had read recently titled Sole Sisters: Stories of Women and Running. It is one of the few books I have in my collection that focuses exclusively on women runners and tries to capture their experiences and unique perspectives.

The book is comprised of 21 short vignettes of real women runners. It is a celebration of regular women who are also runners, some of whom happen to be professionals. It covers the life experiences that women share that bond us together, just as the experiences and struggles we share on the roads and trails bond us together as runners.

If you read the book you will be amazed at how many ways you can relate to these women. There are women here who have battled loss, cancer, alcoholism, eating disorders, injury, and their own lack of self-esteem, and found their way through these life struggles with the help of running. Many took up running to help them cope with problems in their lives or as part of attempts to make their lives better. Their stories are inspirational and entertaining.

The book introduces you to some wonderful women, such as Sister Marion Irvine, known as The Flying Nun, who took up running at age 48 and qualified for the Olympic Trials six years later and who was still running when the book was published in 2006 at the age of 75. It also profiles Grete Waitz, 9 time New York marathon winner, who just passed away last year from cancer. It also includes an interesting look at two Kenyan women runners, Catherine and Anastasia Ndereba.

One of the more interesting stories for me was that of Cheryl Treworgy, the mother of Shalane Flanagan, who is on our current women's Olympic marathon team. Cheryl was a runner in the 1960s, one of the pioneers of women's running. Her story reminds us of how far women have come in a short amount of time. Cheryl was banned from running alone on the high school track because the idea was unheard of. She had to wear boys running shoes because they did not make them for girls, and her grandmother made her clothes to run in. She went to Indiana State University, and she was the entire women's track team. The men's team would not allow her to train with them so she found a high school team that allowed her to train and compete with the boys (if she didn't get in the way) to help her prepare for her AAU meets. It is amazing to think that this was only one generation ago.

The book also celebrates the friendships that women make through running and the value of the group experience. There are stories of running partners, such as Susan Pajer and Marilyn Darrows, who met and ran together to cope with the loss of Marilyn's husband, or the Dawn Patrol, a group of women runners who meet faithfully regardless of the weather. There is also the story of the Centipede Team of the Aggies running group, which run the famous Bay to Breakers race as a centipede, hooked together with bungees into a single group of 13 runners, or the girls at Students Run Philly Style, who hope that running will help them find the path to a better life. There are so many wonderful stories.

This book is not deep reading, and it is not a masterpiece of prose. However, I found the book enjoyable and a nice addition to my running library. The chapters are short and easy to read. It is a fun book if you want a little inspiration and motivation. It would also make a good gift for a woman runner in your life, especially one who may be going through a rough patch physically or emotionally, as a major theme in all the stories is the strength of the women and their ability to persevere and triumph regardless of what life throws at them.