I would like to take this opportunity to ‘welcome aboard’ both Chris Thomas and Tim Roman.

Chris and Tim will serve as our newly appointed President and Vice-President, respectively.

     The last leaves of fall have been raked off the yard and the snow shovel sits beside the back door. Winter has arrived and you now have time to sit back and savor a successful fall racing season. You worked really hard during the hot, dry summer and you reaped the benefits of your hard work with new personal bests, new distances run, and a high overall level of fitness that you had never experienced before. However, as the old saying goes, "that is history."

     For many runners winter is the most difficult and challenging time of year. Cold temperatures, late sunrise and early sunset, snow, ice, and seemingly endless hours spent cooped up inside often means poorer quality training and in some cases, days without any training at all. As a result, winter is often a time when fitness greatly declines. All too often, runners get in really good physical condition throughout the summer and fall, only to see their fitness levels drastically decline throughout the winter months.

     No matter how high your level of fitness, detraining will rapidly occur with inactivity, and just because you were fit at one point in time, it doesn't mean it will be one bit easier to reach that same level of fitness if you allow yourself to totally detrain. Like the old saying goes, "use it or lose it!"

Why not make a real commitment this winter to not only maintaining a basal level of fitness, but to actually make improvements in different aspects of your training? The winter months are the time when you need to lay your training foundation for the year to come. With few important races in the winter, there are no distractions from preparing for competition, which can allow you to concentrate fully on your training. In reality it is very difficult to train hard and race well during the same time period, so a winter of solid training can allow you to be at a higher level of fitness early in the spring. This can afford you more of an opportunity for decreased training volume and more quality race specific workouts during your racing season. The better your aerobic base in the winter, the better prepared you will be for more intense training latter in the year.

     The key is to be truly committed to winter training. There will be days when it's cold and rainy, but don't they make outerwear, hats, and gloves for these very conditions? Yes, it's probably dark when you get off work in the winter, but isn't there a block or stretch of street somewhere near your house with some streetlights? How about running in a parking garage for a few miles? Of course treadmills can be invaluable during harsh winter South is not exactly Montana when it comes to winter weather.

     Not only will training in winter weather make you more physically fit, it can also enhance your mental fitness. If you really don't want to run, there are a million other excuses, but winter shouldn't be a viable excuse! Winter training can make you mentally "callused" to tough conditions and can serve as a valuable means to challenge yourself motivationally on those nasty winter days.

     The key is to make a genuine commitment to be diligent during the winter months. There are a number of ways you can reinforce this commitment and not miss a beat with your training during the next few weeks. You are responsible for how you think and that means you are responsible for making those first steps out the door during the winter. First, set some very specific goals. The goals may be in the form of miles per week, number of days run, getting on a new flexibility program, or even a cross-training program that can be done partially inside. Your goals should always be challenging, yet realistically attainable. Be sure to put your goals down in writing and display them somewhere you can see them each day. You may also want to talk openly about your goals with your training partners and friends. You may even go as far as to write up a training contract with your training mates. That way the members of the group hold you accountable for reaching your goals. If you don't have a winter training partner, getting one may also serve to increase your training adherence.

     Most of you already keep a running log, but if you don't, then start one. Recording any behavior can help you reach a goal by allowing you to see progress toward the goal and give you a tangible reminder of your goal. Each day ask yourself what you have done to reach your goal and how can you be sure to continue to progress toward your goal tomorrow.

     There may be days when black ice, illness, etc. keep you from getting out, but use these rare days to better your running in some fashion. Do extra stretching, do mental training, do strength training, just do something you truly believe will make you a better runner come spring. If you are genuinely fatigued from some hard training, then a bad weather day is a good time to simply take a rest day and allow your body to recover. But not too many rest days!

Get Obesity Under Control or Our Kids Will Pay the Price Reprinted with the permission of Lisa Bell

“Americans must learn to live differently, or our children will pay the price. “ This is the sober message delivered by physician-scientist, author, and nutritional expert Dr. Pamela Peeke.

Dr. Peeke cites the insidious rise in the states obesity rates from 1990 through 2004 from annual Centers for Disease Control data, and predicts that obesity will replace cigarette smoking as the No. 1 cause of preventable death. However, Dr. Peeke cautioned that obesity is not the real problem. It is simply a metaphor for the largest mental and physical fitness deficit our country has ever known.

The obesity epidemic, she believes, is the visible result of a nation under excessive stress whose technology and culture has minimized daily activity and failed to provide sound food consumption guidelines.

Our children, who have learned by our example, are the casualties. Some 15 percent of children today are obese, up from only 6 percent in 1974. Type II diabetes, formerly called "adult-onset," has been reclassified due to its epidemic in children. One-third of all children born in the year 2000 will develop this chronic, costly disease.

Since fat cells produce a potent form of estrogen, young girls today often experience menarche as early as age 9 or 10 and carry a much higher body fat throughout their life. This predisposes them to estrogen-dependent cancers of the breast and ovaries. And with their male counterparts, it increases the potential for heart disease, hypertension, and adult obesity. For the first time in modern America, our children will experience a shorter life expectancy than we will.

Dr. Peeke believes this fact should be our "tipping point" for serious change. Her recommendations for reclaiming our waistlines and health involve the mind, mouth, and muscle.

Mind: stress is a damaging mental affliction that Dr. Peeke calls a "disease of time deficiency." It involves feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and defeat. Since women naturally secrete half as much serotonin (the "feel good" hormone) as men do, they "stew and chew" when under stress, often mindlessly turning to foods to improve their mood. This stress/eating cycle contributes to deep abdominal fat, which is the most toxic site for fat storage due to its proximity to the vital organs. Instead, women and men should use exercise as a stress-reduction technique regardless of how confident they feel, and strive to burn 300 to 400 calories through physical movement each day.

Mouth: Scientists are beginning to realize that women are not just small men; they are a distinctly different human species. Women do not need as many calories as men, and should eat "woman-size" portions of "woman food:" five or six small feedings of lean protein, healthy fats, brown food (whole grains, nuts), fruits, and lots of veggies. Stay away from nutritionally deficient white foods (white bread, white rice, white pasta, white potatoes); skip starches five nights per week to avoid morning abdominal bloating; eat protein to kill carb cravings.

Muscle: Dr. Peeke believes that exercise is a non-negotiable issue that must be done a minimum of 5 days per week. She is passionate in her belief that a person cannot age well without resistance training, and proved it in her own lean and muscular 5-foot-9 frame. Lifting weights two days a week develops the body's genetic potential, boosts metabolism, and builds strength needed for independence in old age. Ramping up the intensity of exercise by brisk walking or running can reduce abdominal fat. But exercise does not give license to eat excessive amounts.
Since our health care system is expressly set up to treat disease, many health care providers seem to yawn at health promotion strategies involving stress management, exercise, and nutrition.

Mississippi Blues Marathon
Jackson, Mississippi

January 5, 2008

 Mississippi is one of those states that hosts very few long runs so it
behooves one to be aware of those dates and to make yourself available.
I’ve chosen a winter month to go south.
                                                                                                                                                     

Jan 3:  It’s 500+ miles to Jackson and I probably could have driven it all tomorrow but I just need to get out of the house so, at 4:00 pm, I head south hoping to put a few of those miles in my rear view mirror. 220 miles later, at 8:30 pm, I pull into a little town that doesn’t even appear on any of my maps. It’s 22 degrees as I climb into the back of the van and call it a day.

Jan 4:  My original plan was to spend 3 nights in the van; but all that changed when I discovered Pittsburgh was playing in a playoff game on Saturday night, and my van has no TV! (Go figure.) So, I booked a room for 2 nights at the Red Roof Inn. (Go Steelers!) Today is spent finishing the drive, checking into the hotel, locating the race start line/parking space, and visiting the expo.

Jan 5:                                                            RACE DAY

I’m fairly certain that a 7:00 am start time during the winter months is not done in the best interest

 of the runners. It makes standing around waiting for the gun to go off, a little----unpleasant.

            The starting gun fires….and I’m in the porta-john. Thank God for chip timing. Leading up to this event, I swore that I was going to ‘take it easy’ when running this race. I had been sick for 2 weeks in late December, and I’ve done very little training since my last race on Dec. 1; but, once the gun fires and the subsequent adrenaline kicks in, I decide to push it for as long as I can hold together. (Kids, don’t try this at home.) This plan I’ve formulated may be even more foolhardy than you might imagine because this is a very hilly course, at least for a city marathon.

(Ed’s note: For the profile of this course go to www.msbluesmarathon.com, click on the ‘Race Facts’ button, click on ‘Course Map’ button, then scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

           Anyhow, I’m walking the ups (up-tempo) and running the downs (really hard) and this strategy brings me to the 5-mile mark in 51:22:32 (10:17M/M). To think, my December marathon was a 4:55:xx, which equates to 11:24M/M, on a flat course ---- which means, I just might be going a tad too fast!

           Still, things are going well so I’m not backing off as I head into the 2^nd 5-mile leg of this journey. Man, this city is in need of some serious street repairs. Oh, we’re here at 10 and my watch reads 1:44:26 (10:27M/M).

           We’ve been routed all over this city, which means we get to see not only the highlight of this burg, but also the warts. But, wherever we find ourselves the crowd support is fabulous. These just might be the most enthusiastic folks I’ve encountered at a race. Carried by this support, I reach 15 in 2:36:45 (10:27M/M).

            Hmmm, I’ve reached that point in the run when the body starts to rebel: that time when, if you wish to maintain somewhat ‘even splits’, one must dig a little deeper. I can do this but only to the point when I will ‘completely fall apart’. Part of this leg is a long, long pull of the gentlest of grades and yet I can only manage to alternate one minute of running and one minute of walking. Not to worry, I’m kinda making it up as we have crossed the highway and are now heading back down this barely perceptible slope.

            Twenty has come and gone (3:30:30 = 10:31M/M) and the course has turned ugly (hillier). There are times when I’m forced to walk entire hills. Believe me, it’s not as though I have an option. So what I’m doing is walking as fast as I possibly can while telling myself – “I’m resting myself for the downs”. Yeah, right! Actually, this is the advantage I have over most runners who have run out of steam at this stage of the game. I’ve trained to start running again and again, no matter how tired I feel while others haven’t prepared themselves for this eventuality. (Of course the good runners just run the whole darn thing.)

             My current strategy produces a 4:29:34 at 25, which means my entire race has been reduced to a 10:47M/M pace, and my last 1.2 miles brings me home in 4:43:18 (10:48 M/M). Ouch, I lost 10 minutes to the second half of this course; or, did I just ‘cash it in’?