Blogs

We recently had a chance to catch up with hiker Erik Schlimmer, who designs sustainable trails for federal, state, and private agencies, to talk about his latest adventure: The Trans Adirondack Route.

Q: How did you get involved?  When was the idea of the route originally thought of and when was it officially established?

ES: The story of the Trans Adirondack Route actually begins in 2005. Up until that year I had done a lot of off-trail travel in the Northeast, and I had hiked a handful of long-distance trails throughout the U.S. I assumed that combining these two pursuits would be a good idea. So in 2005 I planned to traverse the entire Adirondack Park without the use of trails – it was going to be all off-trail. But then, at the last moment, I cancelled this trip. To be honest, it sounded too challenging.

In 2010 I revisited this idea of traversing the Adirondack Park, but this time I planned on using trails. In August of that year I hiked across the entire park by combining paved roads, dirt roads, abandoned paths, hiking trails, snowmobile trails, and a few off-trail sections.

During this hike I had no intention of sharing my route, but when I reached the end, I said to myself, “My goodness, that was a good hike. Others will surely want to hike it.” So I named my route the Trans Adirondack Route, and during the past three years I developed a website, wrote a guidebook, and produced a map set so others could follow my footsteps across the Adirondack Park.

Q: What draws you to this area?

ES: I’ve been exploring the Adirondack Mountains since the 1980’s, and there is still something special about this range. I like its history, the immense portions of trail-less terrain, the size, the environmental protection in place, the quiet, and the mammals. But the wildness is its main draw. For example, of the 500 highest peaks, fewer than 90 have trails to their tops. That’s some wild stuff.

Q: How would you describe the route? Where does it begin and end?

ES: The route is 235 miles long and climbs 25,000 vertical feet from end-to-end, which actually is not a lot of climbing, especially compared to other Northeast long trails. The Trans Adirondack Route begins in Ellenburg Center, N.Y. just nine miles from Canada and ends near the small settlement of Lassellsville, N. Y., which is a half-hour drive from Albany. Some highlights of the route include Whiteface Mountain, the Cold River, the Cedar River, Long Lake, Catamount Mountain, and the High Peaks.

Q: What makes the Trans Adirondack Route different than other trails in the Northeast?

ES: The Trans Adirondack Route is different from other long-distance pathways on several levels. For one thing, since it incorporates sections of abandoned paths and requires some off-trail travel, the route itself is wilder than other standardized long trails. It also traverses the biggest chunks of wild land in the East, including two wilderness areas of nearly 200,000 acres each. Plus the entire route is located in the largest forest preserve in the lower forty-eight. Of course the route is also scenic and visits first growth forest, lakeshores, river valleys, and small settlements.

Q: Do you have an idea of how many people have attempted it?

ES: The route is a newborn, it just debuted in April 2013. With Blue Line to Blue Line: The Official Guide to the Trans Adirondack Route coming out this month, prospective hikers will have what they need to traverse the entire route. A few long-distance hikers have contacted me already, and are anxious to explore this route.

Q: How can people obtain more information about the Trans Adirondack Route?

ES: There are two online sources. On the Trans Adirondack Route website, visitors can purchase merchandise, view photos of the route, visit links, and learn more about the route. At the Trans Adirondack Route Facebook page, visitors can receive updates about the route, get invited to Trans Adirondack Route events, partake in giveaways, and indulge in Adirondack gossip.

Reproduced from an www.irunfar.com post

By: Geoff Roes

I often have people ask me if I think certain “things” will make them faster runners. Some of the more common among these are speed work, cross training, weight lifting, eating meat, not eating meat, more hill running, less hill running, more mileage, less mileage, and so on. In some of these cases I think there are somewhat definitive answers. If you are running 15 miles a week and want to get faster at a marathon, then more mileage will almost certainly help with this. In most cases though, I think it comes down more to whether you think it will make you faster than it does to any scientific logic or certainty. In this sense, what I’m saying is that it’s often more about the mental aspect than the physical. In other words, I think confidence might just be the most important component of getting faster.

Thus, a very important question becomes: how do we build our confidence as runners?

Certainly you have to do the training, and put your body through enough physical stress that it will make physiological adaptations that over time will allow you to run a little faster with the same amount of stress. However, our bodies will not respond in the same way all the time to the same amount and same type of physical stress. Even more interesting is the reality that no two people’s bodies will respond the same way to the same amounts and same types of physical stress. In this sense it seems most logical to base your training on a constant process of trial and error. This process is also a really simple way to build our confidence.

It’s really this simple. You gather ideas and information from other runners, coaches, or any resources you come across. Then you implement these ideas when they make sense to implement them. If something new seems to resonate, you keep doing it, because this inherently builds confidence. This is the first part of the process, and this is something that virtually everyone is doing in all areas of life all the time.

Next comes the importance of training in ways that help build this confidence. If we’re feeling like we want to become better runners on technical trails we have to do more than just go out and run on technical trails. We have to run on technical trails in ways that make us feel like we’re improving. Sure, we need to challenge ourselves to get better, and sometimes this means running on terrain that might be a bit over our heads and that might leave us feeling “beaten” by the trail, but ultimately we need to believe we are good technical runners to be good technical runners.

How do we do this? First, shorten your stride. There is a lot of evidence out there that a shorter stride is actually more efficient anyway, but more importantly it’s a lot easier to run smoothly on technical trails with a shorter stride. Even if you’re going slower at first, you will very quickly gain confidence in how much easier it is to negotiate the terrain, and in no time you will find yourself running much faster on technical terrain with this shorter stride.

Next, find a technical trail that you enjoy and that is near where you live so you can run it a few times a week. In this way we get to know the trail. We can eventually memorize every rock, root, stump, and almost know ahead of time where to place our feet. As we memorize more and more of this trail, it will feel significantly easier to run than it does initially. With this our confidence will increase, and when this occurs we will not just feel like we are better trail runners, but we will in fact be better trail runners. When we take this higher level of confidence to other technical trails we might feel like we’re not that good, but we will be running smoother and faster without even realizing it.

Here’s another method which I highly recommend to increase confidence: Take measures to make yourself feel good about your hard and/or long training runs. Nearly every distance runner does long runs as part of their training. Most also do speed/interval runs as well. Certainly there is a physiological benefit to building endurance through long runs, and building speed through intervals, but I think it’s really hard to get much benefit from these workouts if we don’t feel good about them.

There are different ways to do this, but the simplest is to intentionally put yourself in a position to feel good about these runs. Don’t go into your longest or hardest run of the week totally tired out from staying up late drinking a six pack. Not that you can’t do a 30-mile Sunday morning run on three hours of sleep and a hangover (trust me, this can be done), but you are almost certainly going to feel better if you don’t have the hangover and the lack of sleep. There might not be a huge difference in what your body takes physically out of either method, but it’s not going to do a whole lot for your confidence if you finish the run feeling horrible.

Instead, try to create conditions in which you end these long runs feeling really good. Sleep and eat well the day or two before; start the run really easy so you can finish stronger; eat and drink really well during the run. Doing 30-mile runs will likely make you a stronger distance runner no matter how you feel (as long as you’re not overdoing it the rest of the week), but doing 30-mile runs in which you finish feeling great and, thus, really confident will make you a MUCH stronger distance runner. More benefit from the same workout. Seems like a good idea.

Of course, it’s not this simple. Gaining confidence isn’t as easy as just saying: “Take measures to gain confidence.” Sometimes we just feel sluggish no matter what we do, and other times we feel great when we don’t sleep or eat well. Sometimes we trip over dozens of rocks on a trail that we’ve run a hundred times and then hop on a trail for the first time and feel great. For the most part though, we will feel better in our runs when we make a conscious effort to do the little things that typically give our bodies the tools it needs to do so.

When this all comes together just right, we create a positive feedback loop that boosts our confidence, and it is the confidence we gain from this that will make us stronger than anything else we can do as runners.

Now that we have officially changed seasons and are trying out sports that we have been dreaming about for the past few months here are a few things that I am thinking about as I sit here contemplating the stiffness that I will have in a few hours.

Lactic acid build-up is the cause of post hard-run stiffness ……. Wrong! Most runners believe that the stiffness and muscle pain felt after a marathon or hard effort is caused by lactic acid. While this was believed correct some decades ago, we now know that lactic acid, or more correctly, lactate, is not the cause of stiffness.

Although the precise cause of delayed onset muscle soreness remains unknown, all runners are aware that the degree of pain depends on the intensity and duration of the activity. For example, you have probably noticed that your muscles are more painful after a long or hard downhill run than after running over flat terrain. Comrades runners, particularly, will have noticed that the post-race stiffness is worse after a “down” run than an “up” run. In fact, it is this very phenomenon that begins to exclude a build-up of lactic acid as a cause of the pain. In downhill running the concentration of lactate in the blood and muscle is very low compared to running at the same speed on the flat. Thus, the most painful post-race stiffness occurs when the lactate concentration is lowest.

If we take a blood sample from a runner the day after a marathon, especially an ultra-marathon such as the Two-Oceans or Comrades, we find that the levels of an enzyme called creatine kinase are very high. This is a marker of muscle damage as this particular enzyme “leaks” from damaged muscle. The “damage” is in the form of minute tears or ruptures of the muscle fibres. We can see this trauma to the muscle if a sample of muscle is examined microscopically.

However, it is not just the muscle that is damaged. By measuring hydroxyproline, it is possible to show that the connective tissue in and around the muscles is also disrupted. What this shows is that stiffness results from muscle damage and breakdown of connective tissue.

Running fast or running downhill places greater strain on the muscle fibres and connective tissue compared with running over a flat route. Downhill running is particularly damaging because of the greater so-called eccentric muscle contractions that occur. When your foot contacts the ground after the air-borne phase of the gait cycle, the muscles in the thigh contract to support you. But the nature of the running action is such that although the muscle is contracting, it is forced to lengthen at the same time. It is this simultaneous contracting while lengthening that is called an eccentric contraction and is most damaging to muscle fibres.

What does this mean for the runner? Firstly, after the muscles have recovered from the damage that caused the stiffness and the adaptive process is complete, the muscle is more resistant to damage from subsequent exercise for up to six weeks. It may therefore be beneficial to include a short downhill race or training run 4 to 6 weeks prior to a race such as the Two-oceans or Comrades. Secondly, allowing adequate recovery after a marathon that has resulted in post-race soreness is important so as to allow complete healing to take place so that you can benefit by being “stronger” than before. Thirdly, a well-trained muscle is less prone to damage than a lesser trained one, so hard but scientific training is important.

It has been suggested that vitamin E may help to reduce muscle soreness, but there is little evidence to support this idea. Vitamin E is thought to act as an antioxidant that may blunt the damaging action of free radicals that attack the cell membrane of the muscle fibre. It has also been suggested that stretching the painful muscle or muscles may be beneficial, but this has not consistently been shown to alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness. Similarly, an easy “loosening up” run “to flush out the lactic acid” is unlikely to speed up recovery. To the contrary, running when the muscle is still damaged may delay full recovery. I often tell runners that while it is possible to run when there is still some post run stiffness, they will be running better some weeks later if they delay their return to full training until they no longer feel sore.

The real cause of muscle stiffness after a hard run is clearly not due to lactic acid in the muscle. Once this is well known, runners will be in a better position to manage their return to normal training after a marathon.

What do I take home from this article from Andrew Dolten?  Keep at it as the training is needed to harden me up!  Recovery plays a HUGE part of this...  In the meantime, thank you winter for the snow sports!!

A hectic holiday schedule can really kill your motivation to keep up your running habit. But exercise can help keep stress at bay and prevent weight gain. Here are some ways you can make sure you continue running during the holidays.

Set realistic goals. Don't try to lose weight or make serious fitness improvements over the holidays. Aim to maintain your weight and fitness, and you'll be less likely to give up completely if you miss a run or two.

Add some holiday cheer to your runs. Infusing some holiday spirit into your runs will give you a little motivation boost.  Wear a Santa hat or reindeer ears during your run. Go for an evening run (but make sure you can be seen in the dark, of course) to check out the neighborhood holiday lights. Listen to some holiday running songs during your treadmill runs.

Be prepared with a home workout. Create a home workout routine for those times you just doesn't have time to get to the gym. Lunges, squats, heel raises, and push-ups, and many other strengthening exercises can be done without any gym equipment. You can alternate between running up and down the stairs (or marching in place) for a minute and doing a strengthening exercise for a minute.

The new year is right around the corner, so now's a great time to start thinking about your races for 2013. Having a few races on the calendar makes it easier to plan your training, and having specific goals will help maintain your motivation. In addition, more races now have lotteries or sell out very early, so it's important to plan ahead and make sure you don't get shut out of a race you're hoping to run. Here are some tips for finding local races or researching destination events:

Search the Internet for races. Some great sites with lots of local events to check out include: active.com or Running in the USA . If you're looking specifically for full or half marathons, try MarathonGuide.com and HalfMarathons.net. MarathonGuide.com has lots of helpful reviews about both U.S. and international marathons.

Contact your local road running club. Most clubs sponsor at least a couple of local races each year. Even if they don't, they'll probably know about some races in your area. If you become a member of the club, they'll put you on their mailing list. And most clubs give race entry discounts to members.

Stop in to your local running specialty shop or sports store. They'll probably have signs posted about upcoming races. If not, talk to one of the salespeople -- they should know about local events and will probably have some recommendations for fun races that are worth traveling to.

SIGN UP For Winter Wild!!!  Best motivation to stay fit during the winter months!

By: Christine Luff

By: David Spence

The types of endurance are Aerobic endurance, Anaerobic endurance, Speed endurance and Strength endurance. A sound basis of aerobic endurance is fundamental for all events.

Aerobic Endurance

Aerobic means ‘with oxygen’. During aerobic work the body is working at a level that the demands for oxygen and fuel can be meet by the body’s intake. The only waste products formed are carbon dioxide and water. These are removed as sweat and by breathing out.

Aerobic endurance can sub-divided as follows:

* Short aerobic – 2 minutes to 8 minutes (lactic/aerobic)
* Medium aerobic – 8 minutes to 30 minutes (mainly aerobic)
* Long aerobic – 30 minutes + (aerobic)

Aerobic endurance is developed through the use of continuous and interval running.

* Continuous duration runs to improve maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max)
* Interval training to improve the heart as a muscular pump.

Aerobic threshold

The aerobic threshold, point at which anaerobic energy pathways start to operate, is considered to be around 75% of maximum heart rate. This is approximately 20 beats lower than the anaerobic threshold.

Anaerobic endurance

Anaerobic means ‘without oxygen’. During anaerobic work, involving maximum effort, the body is working so hard that the demands for oxygen and fuel exceed the rate of supply and the muscles have to rely on the stored reserves of fuel. In this case waste products accumulate, the chief one being lactic acid. The muscles, being starved of oxygen, take the body into a state known as oxygen debt.

The body’s stored fuel soon runs out and activity ceases – painfully. Activity will not be resumed until the lactic acid is removed and the oxygen debt repaid. Fortunately the body can resume limited activity after even only a small proportion of the oxygen debt has been repaid.

Since lactic acid is produced the correct term for this pathway is lactic anaerobic energy pathway. The alactic anaerobic pathway is the one in which the body is working anaerobically but without the production of lactic acid. This pathway can exist only so long as the fuel actually stored in the muscle lasts, approximately 4 seconds at maximum effort.

Anaerobic endurance can be sub-divided as follows:

* Short anaerobic – less than 25 seconds (mainly alactic)
* Medium anaerobic – 25 seconds to 60 seconds (mainly lactic)
* Long anaerobic – 60 seconds to 120 seconds (lactic + aerobic)

Anaerobic endurance can be developed by using repetition methods of relatively high intensity work with limited recovery.

Anaerobic threshold

The anaerobic threshold, the point at which lactic acid starts to accumulates in the muscles, is considered to be somewhere between 85% and 90% of your maximum heart rate. This is approximately 20 beats high than the aerobic threshold. Your anaerobic threshold can be determined with anaerobic threshold testing.

Speed endurance

Speed endurance is used to develop the co-ordination of muscle contraction in the climate of endurance. Repetition methods are used with a high number of sets, low number of repetitions per set and an intensity greater than 85% with distances covered from 60% to 120% of racing distance. Competition and time trials can be used in the development of speed endurance.

Strength endurance

Strength endurance is used to develop the athlete’s capacity to maintain the quality of their muscles‘ contractile force in a climate of endurance. All athletes need to develop a basic level of strength endurance. Examples of activities to develop strength endurance are – circuit training, weight training, hill running, harness running, Fartlek etc.