Subject: rec.running FAQ, part 1 of 8
Supersedes: <running-faq/part1_826983399@rtfm.mit.edu>
Date: 30 Mar 1996 15:35:42 GMT
Summary: Information about Running
X-Last-Updated: 1996/03/19

Posting-Frequency: 14 days


Answers to REC.RUNNING FAQ and Interesting Information

This posting contains answers to frequently asked questions posted to
rec.running plus interesting & useful information for runners. If known,
author's name/email address are given. Send me Ozzie Gontang
<gontang@electriciti.com> any corrections,updates, suggestions, or proper
info of sources or holder's of copyright.


===========================================================================

Avoiding Dogs   Part 1 of 8
Books and Magazines
Clothes (Winter/Summer)
Clothing Materials
General Information
Running Mailing Lists
Terminology (e.g. overpronation, oversupination) Calorie/energy count
Calories burned by running
Fat burning primer      Part 2 of 8
Conversion chart
Fluid replacement
Noakes's Ten Laws of Running Injuries
Second Wind
Soda Pop
Computer software
Hashing
Interval training
Legs
Sore Knees
Leg Massage
Mail Order Addresses Part 3 of 8
* Marathon
Increasing your mileage
Major Marathons (e.g. Boston, LA, New York) Miscellaneous Medical /
Injuries    Part 4 of 8
Achilles tendinitis (incomplete)
Shin splints
Side stitches
Lactic Acid
Loose bowels
Diabetes & running
Nutrition and Food
Nutrition primer        Part 5 of 8
Powerbars
Orienteering
Predicting times
Running Clubs & Organizations
Shoe Review (Under Construction) Part 6 of 8 Stretching
Sweat
Tredmill Running
Weather (cold, hot, wind, rain, altitude)
Pregnancy & Running     Part 7 of 8
Mindful Way of Dealing with Out of Control People
Hints for the Successful Four Hour Marathoner (Super-Fours)
Running Related Internet Sites          Part 8 of 8

Specific Questions Answered:
(1) Is it better to run in the morning or evening? (2) Should I run when I
have a cold/fever? (3) How often should I run? (4) Which of the 8 lanes on
a US track is actually the '1/4 mile' one?
(5) I have started running after having my baby and I am curious to know if
any one has some stomach exercises?

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What groups are around? What's a FAQ? Who am I? Why am I here?

Read news.announce.newusers and news.answers for a few weeks. Always make
sure to read a newsgroup for some time before you post to it. You'll be
amazed how often the same question can be asked in the same newsgroup.
After a month you'll have a much better sense of what the readers want to
see.

Avoiding Dogs (Arnie Berger arnie@hp-lsd.COL.HP.COM) [Ed. note: Originally
posted to rec.bicycles - but it applies here as well]

There are varying degrees of defense against dogs.

1- Shout "NO!" as loud and authoritatively as you can. That works more than
half the time against most dogs that consider chasing you just good sport.

2- Get away from their territory as fast as you can.

3- A water bottle squirt sometimes startles them.

If they're waiting for you in the road and all you can see are teeth then
you in a heap o' trouble. In those situations, I've turned around, slowly,
not staring at the dog, and rode away.

"Halt" works pretty well, and I've used it at times. It's range is about 8 feet.

I bought a "DAZER", from Heathkit. Its a small ultrasonic sound generator
that you point at the dog. My wife and I were tandeming on a back road and
used it on a mildly aggressive German Shephard. It seemed to cause the dog
to back off.

By far, without a doubt, hands down winner, is a squirt bottle full of
reagent grade ammonia, fresh out of the jug. The kind that fumes when you
remove the cap. When I lived in Illinois I had a big, mean dog that put its
cross-hairs on my leg whenever I went by. After talking to the owner
(redneck), I bought a handlebar mount for a water bottle and loaded it with
a lab squirt bottle of the above mentioned fluid. Just as the dog came
alongside, I squirted him on his nose, eyes and mouth. The dog stopped dead
in his tracks and started to roll around in the street. Although I
continued to see that dog on my way to and from work, he never bothered me
again.

Finally, you can usually intimidate the most aggressive dog if there are
more than one of you. Stopping, *and moving towards it will often cause it
to back off*. ( But not always ). My bottom line is to always *run* routes
that I'm not familiar with, with someone else.

===========================================================================

Books and Magazines (Phil Cannon pcannon@spotlight.Corp.Sun.COM)

Books
=====

1) The Lore of Running - Tim Noakes
2) The Complete Book of Running - Fixx
3) The Runner's Handbook - Bloom
4) Long Distance Runner's Guide to Training and Racing - Sperks/Bjorklund
5) The Runner's Handbook - Glover & Shepard 6) Beyond Jogging - Spino 7)
Jogging, Aerobics and Diet - Royald
8) The New Aerobics - Cooper

Magazines
=========

Track and Field News (monthly $31 US per year) 2370 El Camino Real, Ste 606
Mountain View CA 94040
415-948-8188
Fax: 1-415-948-9445
1-800-GET-TRAK (1-800-438-8725)

Self-proclaimed "Bible of the Sport", T&FN is the source for major meet
results in T&F, road racing, cross-country, and race walking from the high
school to int'l levels. Emphasis on U.S. athletes. though significant int'l
coverage provided. Compiles annual post-season rankings of the top 10
performers in world and U.S. in every major event, men and women. Publishes
list of top 50 performances in each event for the year. Also sponsors
TAFNUT tours for major championships and the Euro Circuit/GP meets. Lots of
stats, good interviews.

Track Technique (quarterly; $15 in US, $16 outside) same contact info as
Track & Field News.

The official USATF(formerly TAC) quarterly, each issue has important
articles on technique, training, and other practical information on all
events, at all levels. Intended for coaches.

California Track News ($18/yr)
4957 East Heaton
Fresno, CA 93727

Calif.'s only all track & X-county publication. Lots of attention to prep
action.

Running Journal, P.O. Box 157, Greeneville, TN 37744.  Covers
southeastern United States monthly. Founded 1984.  Covers road races in
13 states, plus ultras, multi-sports, racewalking. Annual subscription is
$22.95.

Running Research News
P.O. Box 27041
Lansing, MI 48909
Credit card orders:  1-517-371-4897  MC/Visa accepted.

$30/year  $57/2 years  (10 issues per year, 12-14 pages per issue.)
63 back issues, $185 (Non U.S. add $15 for post.) Individual back issues $3 ea.

(Add $10 for overseas airmail, except Mexico and Canada)  ALL non-US
customers please provide a credit card number or money order in U.S. funds,
or a check drawn on a U.S. bank (with American-bank computer numbers).

Running Times (monthly $17.70 US per year) P.O. Box 511
Mount Morris, IL 61054-7691
1-800-877-5402

Runner's World (monthly $17.97 US per year) P.O. Box 7574
Red Oak, IA 51591-2574
1-800-666-2828

Masters Track & Field News (5 issues/yr; $10.50) P.O. Box 16597
North Hollywood, CA 91615

Results, rankings, age-records, schedules, stories of age 40+ athletes
worldwide. "Satisfaction guaranteed"

"The Schedule" - A monthly magazine in California that has an extensive
lists of races and other info. Northern CA: 80 Mitchell Blvd, San Rafael CA
94903-2038 (415) 472-7223; 472-7233 FAX Southern CA: 549 Highland Dr, San
Luis Obispo, CA 93405-1116 (805) 541-2833

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Clothes (Winter/Summer) (Mike Gilson GILSON@ALF.CS.HH.AB.COM)

Disclaimer
----------
Preference on amount of clothing required for winter running varies widely
among runners. A couple of runners that I see wear shorts, long sleeved T's
and gloves at 30F! Experiment with how much clothing at various temp's.

Second:  What I have to say here is *my* opinion only.

Rules for Winter Running
------------------------
The first rule is to dress in layers. Outer layers can be added/shed easily.

The second rule is to stay dry. When your clothes get wet, they get very
heavy - heavy enough to degrade performance - and you get cold.

The final rule is hydrate. You may not sweat as much, but you still need to
take in fluids.

Clothing Layers
---------------
Inner layer. The layer closest to the skin should be a tight, lightweight
fabric that wicks water away from the skin. Shirts should be long-sleeved,
skin-tight (without chafing), and may be turtle-necked (my preference).
There are a variety of fabrics that are effective in wicking water; I have
had a lot of success with polypro, but it is not machine washable. These
are readily available at running specialty shops and mail order. For pants,
lycra running tights work very well.

Outer layer. The next layer should be a looser, mediumweight fabric that
wicks water. A zipper at the neck is convenient for temperature control. I
prefer a shirt that is slightly longer than waist-length so that I have the
option of tucking it into the pants. I've had more success in finding these
in cycling stores than anywhere else. Two layers of lycra tights work if
it's really cold.

Shell. A water-proof or water resistant shell that is breathable is useful
in the coldest conditions. These are usually sold as suits, but tops are
available separately at a higher cost (relatively speaking). Gore-tex is
considered by many to be the best fabric, but there are cheaper
alternatives. You can get these suits made to your measurements or buy them
off the rack. I have a Burley jacket, which I purchased at a cycling shop.
It's chief advantage over the running suits is the venting and extra
zippers for temperature control. There are zippers under each arm, starting
at mid chest going up to the armpit and travelling down the arm to about
mid forearm.

Tights. Tights have been mentioned above as inner/outer layers. Many people
run in sweats, but sweats have two disadvantages: they're heavy and they
get heavier when wet. Lycra is lightweight and warm, but costs more and
shows off body (im)perfections more than sweats.

Gloves. Any cotton glove works.

Hat. A lot of heat is lost through the scalp, so a hat is a must for most
people. Cotton hats get too heavy with sweat. Balaclavas are more versatile
than hats, and allow you to cover you neck/face if requires. Both hats and
balaclavas are available in wicking fabrics.

Socks. A wicking sock will seem less heavy and your feet will be drier than
a conventional sock. Coolmax socks are my preference, worn in a single
layer. You can also find other fabrics, such as capilene or polypro socks,
which are considerably more expensive.

Running shoes. Runner's World (anyone know which issue?) had some tips from
Alaskan runners on how to put (short) screws into the sole of the shoe for
better traction on the ice. I haven't tried it, but you obviously have to
be careful not to puncture the midsole, air/gel chambers, etc.

Dressing for Winter Running
---------------------------

Temp range      Number of layers
(degrees F)     Inner Outer Shell Tights Gloves Hat Socks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
50-55 1       0       0       1       1       0       0
40-45 1 1       0       1       1       0       1
30-35 1 1       0       1-2     1       1       1
20-25 1 1       1       2       1       1       1
0-15 1  1       1+pants 1       1       1       1

===========================================================================

Clothing materials (Jim Carson carson@mu.rice.edu) [Ed note: From a summary
Jim posted]

Polarlite
Fluffy, fleecy stuff also called Polarplus and Synchilla. Comfortable.
Incredibly warm, especially under something that breaks the wind. Doesn't
wick moisture out very well. Breathes very well.

Supplex (nylon)
Comfortable. It is breathable and water repellent (but NOT water proof).
Seems to absorb a small amount of water if it is really getting drenched

Merino (wool)
From a "breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing
a heavy fleece of exceptional quality." I guess you could treat this as
normal 100% wool.

Thermax
An improvement on Polypro. The big advantage is heat resistance so you can
put it in the dryer. Balance that against the extra cost.

CoolMax
This stuff seems more like a plastic bag than the revolutionary wicking
material it is advertised as.

Dacron
Trademark name for Dupont polyester. Woven fabric made from dacron is
similar to nylon ripstop or taffeta, but not as stretchy. Many of the
better clothing insulations are made from dacron. They are usually refered
to by more specific trademark names, like quallofil, hollofil, polarguard,
and dacron-88.

Lycra
Used for its stretch, mostly a warm weather (>65 degrees) thing.

GoreTex
A teflon based membrane with microscopic holes. Gortex's claim to fame is
that it will let water vapor (from perspiration) through, but not liquid
water (rain). It blocks wind fairly well too. The membrane is delicate, so
it always comes laminated between 2 layers of other material. It does not
breathe enough. There are less expensive alternatives.

Polypropylene
Does not wick very well. Can be uncomfortable. Troublesome to care for
(e.g. can pill badly) Will keep you fairly warm if soaked. Not very wind
resistant. Melts in the dryer.

Capilene
Wicks moisture away. Very comfortable. Comes in different weights for
more/less warmth. [lots of favorable things about it... only really
unfavorable thing is the co$t]

60/40 cloth -
This is a cloth with nylon threads running one direction, cotton in the
other. It was the standard wind parka material before Goretex came along,
and is considerably less expensive. Good wind resistance, fairly
breathable. Somewhat water resistant, especially if you spray it with
Scotchguard, but won't hold up to a heavy rain.

===========================================================================

General Information

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Running Mailing Lists
T & F Mailing List

For details send email to: (Derrick Peterman)dwp@mps.ohio-state.edu

The Track and Field Mailing List is a world wide network of athletes,
coaches, sports scientists, officials, and track and field enthusiasts.
Many national class athletes from several nations subscribe. The list
provides rapid dissemination of results, discussion of track and field
topics, and a source for inquiry about track and field events.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terminology

Pronation/Supination (Thomas Page page@ficus.cs.ucla.edu)

"Over" pronation describes a minor misalignment of the leg's forward swing
that causes the footstrike to be skewed to the inside of the heel. (Jim
Horalek)

"Over" supination is the reverse - impact is shifted toward the outside of
the heel. (Jim Horalek)

Pronation and supination describe natural and normal motions of the foot
during the walking or running stride. In a normal stride, the outside
portion of the heal strikes the ground first. The foot pronates to absorbe
shock. That is, it rolls inward. At the end of the stride, the foot
re-supinates -- rolls outward-- on push-off.

What the previous writer (Jim Horalek horalek@alliant.com) is defining is
`over pronation', and `over supination'. These are excesses of the normal
motions. Note that over pronation is fairly common and many shoes are
designed to counteract this. Over supination is very rare. Most people who
think they over supinate probably just under pronate. Some people who think
they over pronate may in fact pronate a normal amount, but fail to
re-supinate sufficiently at the end of the stride.


FARTLEK: A training method, where the runner runs over trails and rough
terrain mixing fast and slow speed work.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calorie/Energy Count (Kenrick J. Mock mock@iris.ucdavis.edu)

Here is a little table adapted from "Beyond Diet...Exercise Your Way to
Fitness and Heart Health" by Lenore R. Zohman, M.D.


Energy Range = Approx. Calories Per Hour

Energy Range Activity Conditioning Benefits ------------ ----------
--------------------- 72-84 Sitting, Conversing     None

120-150 Strolling, 1 mph        Not strenuous enough to produce
Walking, 2 mph endurance unless your exercise capacity is very low

150-240 Golf, power cart        Not sufficiently taxing or
continuous to promote
endurance.

240-300 Cleaning windows,       Adequate for conditioning if
Mopping floor, carried out continuously for vacuuming   20-30 minutes

Bowling Too intermittent for endurance

Walking, 3mph Adequate dynamic exercise if Cycling, 6mph your capacity is low

Golf, pulling cart      Useful if you walk briskly,
but if cart is heavy
isometrics may be involved.

300-360 Scrubbing floors        Adequate if carried out in at
least 2 minute stints

Walking, 3.5 mph        Usually good dynamic aerobic
Cycling, 8 mph exercise

Ping Pong       Vigorous continuous play can
Badminton       have endurance benefits. May
Volleyball      aid skill.

Tennis, doubles Not beneficial unless there is continuous play for at least 2
minutes at a time. Aids
skill.

360-420 Walking, 4mph Dynamic, aerobic, beneficial. Cycling, 10mph Skating
should be continuous. Skating

420-480 Walking, 5mph Dynamic, aerobic, beneficial. Cycling, 11mph

Tennis, singles Benefit if played 30 minutes or more with an attempt to
keep moving

Water Skiing Total isometrics

480-600 Jogging, 5 mph Dynamic, aerobic, endurance Cycling, 12mph building
exercise.

Downhill skiing Runs are usually too short to promote endurance
significantly.

Paddleball      Not sufficiently continuous
for aerobic benefits.

600-660 Running, 5.5 mph        Excellent conditioner.
Cycling, 13 mph

Above 660       Running, 6 or more mph Excellent conditioner

Handball, Squash        Conditioning benefit if played
30 minutes or more.

Swimming (wide Good conditioning exercise caloric range)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calories burned by running (Rob Lingelbach rob@xyzoom.info.com)

Here is a table I clipped from Runner's World last year; the source listed
is "Exercise & Physiology" (Lea & Febiger, 1986). At 70% of max.

Pace (minutes per mile)
12:00 10:43 9:41 8:46 8:02 7:26 6:54 6:26 6:02 Weight (lbs) Calories burned
per hour running
100     400     450     500 550 600 650 700 750 800
119     432     486     540 594 648 702 756 810 864
128     464     522     580 638 696 754 812 870 928
137     496     558     620 682 744 806 868 930 992
146     528     594     660 726 792 858 924 990 1056
154     560     630     700 770 840 910 980 1050 1120
163     592     666     740 814 888 962 1036 1110 1184
172     624     702     780 858 936 1014 1092 1170 1248
181     656     738     820 902 984 1066 1148 1230 1312
190     688     774     860 946 1032 1118 1204 1290 1376
199     720     810     900 990 1080 1170 1260 1350 1440
207     752     846     940 1034 1128 1222 1316 1410 1504
216     784     882     980 1078 1176 1274 1372 1470 1568
225     816     918 1020 1122 1224 1326 1428 1530 1632
234     848     954 1060 1166 1272 1378 1484 1590 1696
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muscle Fuels Used During Exercise

 Stuart Phillips (phillips@healthy.uwaterloo.ca)

There are 3 main fuels that are used during exercise by the contracting
muscle, they are: 1) Protein; 2) Carbohydrate; 3) Fat.

        PROTEIN: However, the majority of text books written will not
acknowledge that protein is a  major fuel, and it likely is not. It  should
be pointed out, however,  that the protein requirements of  someone who is
running/exercising on a regualr basis are GREATER than  thos of a sedentary
population. Is this somehting to worry about?  Likely not, most "North
American" diets contain more protein than is  needed anyway, so the bottom
line is that you get more than you need so  don't worry. Vegetarians? Again
the answer is likely yes, they also get  enough protein. Even when
consuming a pure protein diet there is enough  protein to more than cover
the needs of a  person who regularly  runs/exercises. Moreover, most
vegetarians are keenly aware of what they  eat and so plan their diets very
well, of course there is an exception  to every rule.

        FUELS: Fats and carbohydrates (CHOs are then the major fuel
sources for the exercising person. The balance of the use of these  fuels
is dependant upon exercise intensity and duration (the two are  inversly
related). The general rule is that the lower the intensity the  greater the
energy cost of exercise can be covered by fat. Hence, the  greater the
exercise duration the more fat will be burned, usually  because the
intensity of one's workout will decrease - FATIGUE! The  flip side then, is
that during higher intensity exercise (>70% of max),  one relies heavily on
CHOs.



