Either things will get better, or you will black out on the pavement

- Dean Karnazes

And You Thought Running Was Thoughtless? Part 1/3

There are two schools of thought when it comes to distance running and how it is best to accomplish a set distance.

In one school there is the idea that the sport is running and that one should run through a race with no walking breaks outside of the necessary bathroom breaks and the time it takes to go through a checkpoint or refill a water bottle or backpack with supplies. You run the race as far as you can, then walk when you can no longer run, and if you have to, crawl, but you give it your all and leave everything out there, exposing yourself to your own limitations and pushing them to the edge.
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The Barefoot Revolution: Part 2

All good things come to those who wait.  That should be the motto of barefoot running. On Thursday, Aug. 20th, I started to develop some pain/tightness in my right foot.  I thought nothing of it, after 10 minutes of running it ebbed enough that I finished my hour long run without any other thought about it.  Little did I know that this decision would lead to injury.

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Running Abroad: Journey to Madrid

At the moment, I am living, and studying, in Salamanca, Spain (some of you may already be aware of this).  Furthermore, I enjoy running and do it often (hopefully a greater number knows that).  And finally, I plan on, and have continued to run, while living in Spain (please tell me you are catching the drift here).  This is how I will document some of my most favorite experiences while Running Abroad.

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The Forums are active!!!  We have reactivated our forums so lets start the discussions again or feel free to start a new journal. (more…)

The Barefoot Revolution: Part 1

Well, I know what you are all thinking, “Is he talking about barefoot running? What is he crazy!?”  Well, yes, and that remains to be seen.  There is growing evidence, though much of this subject still remains controversial, that running barefoot is better for you.  If anything, not spending $80-100 on running shoes every 1.5-2 months would sure be nice!

As part of a series of articles, I will be documenting my transition time from running with shoes (shod), to running shoeless (unshod).  I am not going to get into great depth with regards to the research behind this.  There is a lot out there, and as it is such a heated topic, I am just going to leave that section alone.  Should you feel that you would like to do some research on the topic, look for articles that are published in scientific journals and not ones published in newspapers.  Above all, I do personally feel that since we were not born with shoes on our feet, and that we existed fine for 10s and 100s of thousands of years running either barefoot, in sandals, or in shoes with no cushioning, that this is good enough anecdotal evidence for me to at least try it out.

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Ultra Nutrition

We have looked at what the nutritional guidelines of the beginning and average athlete are in the previous post, Nutritional Needs of the Neoathlete.  While these are excellent guidelines for most athletes to follow throughout the day, there are some more specific guidelines to follow if you participate in an ultra-endurance sport.

How does the daily macro nutrient intake differ?

Is it necessary to take in specific types of food before during and after exercise?

What types of foods should these be?

When and how much of should I eat during an ultra event?

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Nutritional Needs of the Neoathlete

Seeing as how I have just finished a run, and that I am now waiting for my food to finish coking, I think this would be an appropriate time to discuss post exercise nutrition. There are several different schools of thought on this, at least from my own personal experience.

First we must separate the exercising reader into 2 groups:

* The strength and anaerobic exerciser
* The aerobic exerciser

It seems almost like a stereotypical scene, the body builder loading up with protein shakes. It seems to be common knowledge that the weight-bearing stress plus calories (especially protein) equals increased muscle mass. However, among the more cardio-focused public, nutrition is less of an exact issue. Or at least, that is what we’ve been toldJust to clarify, I am referring to endurance athletes, be they runners, cyclists, cross-country skiers, swimmers, or anything else. Many new to these sports may be starting them as part of a weight-loss program. They figure that the point of the exercise is to burn calories, and if they replace them after a workout, its not helping their weight-loss. This can be true, but only to a point.

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Welcome Back!

Hello and Welcome Back Everyone,

That long awaited time, when we at Growstronger.com started the site back up has arrived.  We have retooled and overhauled our goals as a company and now we are coming back to you to provide the same quality exercise and wellness posting that you came to love in us.

For those of you who are newcomers, Growstronger.com is a site that specializes not just on conditioning the body, but the mind and soul as well.  We believe that this gives the individual the greatest overall health to help each person become the greatest of all people.  Grow Smarter, Grow Faster, Growstronger.com!!

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