Red Bell Pepper – One red bell pepper provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. By contributing to the formation of collagen, an important protein used to build scar tissue, blood vessels, and even new bone cells, vitamin C facilitates the healing process. Runners-up: papaya, cantaloupe, oranges

Salmon - Fresh or canned, salmon delivers two powerful healing nutrients: protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein does more than rebuild muscle after a grueling workout or run; it also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons. “We tend to forget that healing really means building new cells,” says Sass. “And your body needs protein to make those new cells. Omega-3s are significant anti-inflammatories,” says Grotto. “Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation.” Runners-up: mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts

Carrots – A half-cup serving of carrots provides 340 percent of your Daily Value. This nutrient helps make white blood cells for fighting infection, “which is always a risk with injury,” says Sass. You might not think infection is likely with tendonitis, but your body takes no chances and activates the immune system, which ups vitamin A demand. Vitamin A also helps repair postworkout microtears, so it’s a valuable ally every day. Runners-up: sweet potatoes, dried apricots, spinach

Fortified Cereals – Zinc is an important healing agent, but foods highest in zinc, like red meats, often contain saturated fat, which aggravates inflammation. So when the body is taxed—from exertion or injury, runners should reach for fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, which can deliver as much as 100 percent of the Daily Value for zinc. By itself, zinc doesn’t repair damaged tissue, but it assists the proteins and fats that do. Runners-up: shellfish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds

Almonds – Just 1 oz.of almonds (roughly 20) contains more than 40 percent of your Daily Value of vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system by neutralizing free radicals. Almonds, like hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, also supply beneficial mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are key building blocks for healthy cells.  Runners-up: nut butters, avocados, vegetable oils.

Challenging terrain is what cycling is all about. Unless you are a born and reared, stay-at-home flat-lander you are no doubt aware of the effects of gravity and the need to become a better, more efficient climber. Getting better at cycling uphill requires improvements in both strength-to-weight ratio and technical skill. This article will address technical skills and save the strength-to-weight issue for later. Let’s start with a few seldom discussed basics of seated climbing and literally go up from there.  

1. Your first reaction should be to shift into a smaller gear, maintain your RPM’s and try and hold on to your speed. In order to keep your heart rate down you will want to stabilize your power with a gradual increase in effort level. The natural way to hold the power steady is to stay in the saddle.

2. Fight the tendency to keep shifting gears as the climb steepens. This will reduce your speed to a crawl and put you behind your peers. A good goal is to keep your heart rate in check, but accept the fact that it will continue to rise. As your speed drops and the lactic acid builds in your legs slide back in the saddle to change the firing order of the muscles and leverage more force from your glutes and quads. Try pointing your toes to bring the lower leg muscles into the firing pattern. This will add more fire to the back side of your stroke in hip flexion. Allow your heart rate to climb slowly and focus on the LIFT in your stroke.

3. Avoid falling into the novice trap of sitting up high with straight arms, usually with a bent back and a pedal stroke led by the heels pointing down. This disconnects the powerful stabilizing core muscles and the usually throws off the rhythm of your stroke. Instead, strive for a flat back with bent elbows, which lowers your center of gravity. By pulling from the contracted, supporting muscles of the core we can delay the accumulation of lactic acid in the primary muscles. What this looks like to the thongs of spectators lining the roads of the big tours is a rider with a neutral expression, bent elbows and gentle rocking from side to side while building forward momentum. 

4. Maintain your focus. Novice riders typically get distracted when they can’t see to top of the grade. They forget to breathe or breathe shallowly which causes form and focus to deteriorate as leverage and muscular force head south. Pay attention to your RPMs. Should a climb continue to challenge you, as they always seem to do, watch as RPM drops off. If more than 10 percent of your target range, of say 65 to 70 RPM’s is lost, it may be necessary to either shift again, increase power, or maybe leave the saddle which is always your last resort since it will increase your metabolic burn rate.

John Howard is a USA Cycling Hall of Famer, 3-time USA Olympic Cyclist, 1981 Hawaii Ironman World Champion and an 18-time USA/NORBA Elite and Masters National Champion. He holds cycling world records at both ends of the sport’s spectrum: Speed at 152.2 mph and 24-hour endurance at 539 miles in 24 hours. Since 1982 Howard has coached hundreds of national and international champions. JohnHowardSports.com.

 It’s true that we can’t do anything about things that are out of our control except manage our reactions to them, but there are many things that are within a marathoner’s control that can be determined long before race day dawns. Here’s a guide to help you avoid some of the most common marathon mistakes.

 1. Over-training & Under-training – It will do you no good to show up exhausted on the starting line.  It’s true that to achieve a personal record at any distance requires executing new strategies—from increased mileage to marathon-specific workouts to even a different, but well rehearsed, fueling plan—but showing up at a marathon start line without an adequate-for-your-body taper, sore and taxed legs, an injury, or ill-stocked glycogen stores will almost guarantee a bonk. And while toeing the start line a little under-trained may end up working out for some more experienced distance runners, too few completed long runs will make the last 10K of the race much more painful than it needs to be. In short: Respect the distance.

 2. Completing Long Runs Too Fast – “During the 40 years that I’ve coached marathoners, even a slightly-too-fast long run pace has resulted in injuries, lingering fatigue, mental burnout and slower race times,” noted Olympian Jeff Galloway, a monthly columnist for Runner’s World who has coached over a million runners through his training programs. “When runners get a reality check on their goal and then pace the long runs at least two minutes-per-mile slower than current marathon pace, most of the issues go away.”

3. Experimenting On Race Day – Race day is not the time to try new shoes or a new sports drink. There’s a reason this statement has become a running cliche of sorts—because it’s true. The opportunity for testing new paces, nutrition, sports drinks, socks, racing flats or even a hat ended with your last long run. Stick to what you know and have tried during training so you can contemplate things you can’t control on race day, like the weather.

4. Going Out Too Fast – You can lose much more in the first few miles of a race than you can gain. Most coaches and experienced marathoners will tell you: The marathon doesn’t become a race until the final 10K. In order to reach the final 6.2 miles with enough juice in your legs to race toward the finish, you need to relax and settle into a rhythm for the first 20 miles. This is the key to a negative split (running faster over the second half than the first).

5. Placing Too Much Emphasis On Time – Aim to run your best on race day. The time on the finish clock doesn’t define you. “Runners can set themselves up for emotional failure by pinning their goals, dreams and marathoning aspirations on finish time,” says coach and author of “Marathoning for Mortals” Jenny Hadfield. “Elite runners race for the strongest performance on the day; time is only an outcome of the race performance. Unless, of course, they’re going for a world record. Mortals tend to do the opposite. They define success based on the finish time. Every marathon is a mystery and each holds a unique set of challenges. The key is to run the marathon you’re in and race for the personal win. Go in with a goal to run your best on the given day and let the clock be the outcome of that performance. Every marathon finish is a gift.”

Sabrina Grotewold is a senior editor for Competitor. Christened the Kitchen MacGyver by her husband, she’s determined to persuade people to eat their veggies.

Nutrition is key to becoming an overall healthy triathlete, but it becomes even more important on race day for fueling performance, avoiding GI issues and recovering from your efforts. Follow this sample menu, suggested by nutrition and performance coach Krista Austin, Ph.D., for guidelines on how to eat on race day. You will want to test-run your nutrition/meals during training so there are no surprises. A cardinal rule in triathlon: Don’t do or try anything new on race day.

Night Before The Race

5:30 p.m. Low-fiber dinner: White spaghetti with a low-fat meat marinara sauce and white bread rolls; or rice and lean meat with a low-fat sauce. Drink electrolyte beverages.
Why: “Energy-rich carbohydrate helps top off glycogen stores for race day, and all of the meal helps minimize the chance of GI distress,”Austin says.

5 tips for The Night Before

1. Eat a relatively early dinner, no later than 12 hours before your race start if possible.
2. Make carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread, veggies) the focal point of your pre-race dinner, but don’t feel compelled to gorge on them.
3. Avoid foods you seldom eat. Try to eat something similar to the type of dinner you normally eat before a big day of training.
4. Consider choosing a “ritual” dinner that you re-create more or less exactly before every race. This can calm pre-race anxiety and put you in the right mind frame to compete.
5. Don’t drink too much water (or other fluid). You are not a camel. You cannot store water. Overhydrating will only necessitate sleep-ruining bathroom trips during the night.

Race Day

5 a.m. Light breakfast: Plain bagel with creamy peanut butter and a cup of coffee.  Why: “Foods rich in carbohydrate, such as a bagel, will help restore liver glycogen that was depleted overnight,”Austin says. “These are also low in residue, which will help minimize GI distress during competition.” If your body can tolerate coffee,Austin says caffeine “can help increase the amount of work you can perform and sustain.”

6–6:50 a.m. Sip a sports drink. Why: “Supplying carbohydrate in the hour prior to competition can help maintain stable blood-glucose levels and has been shown to enhance performance,”Austin says.

7–8:30 a.m. For a sprint race lasting 1.5 hours, take in 30–60g of carbohydrate, ideally in liquid form on the bike. Aim for 20–24oz of liquid with 200mg of sodium per 6–8oz.  Why: For a race longer than 60 minutes, carbohydrates help performance by delaying muscle glycogen depletion,Austin says.

Take a few minutes to listen to your feet hit the pavement when you run. The more time your feet spend on the ground, the more energy is required to propel it forward. Focus on increasing your cadence, and in turn, your efficiency.

 2. Heel Striking – Slow cadence often goes hand-in-hand with heel striking for many runners–or, as I like to think of it, your hips are behind your feet.

Imagine this: you cannot push off your foot when it is in front of your hips. Your hips must come over your feet in order to propel you forward.

Arsenault argues that “most people suffer from a poor sense of the relationship between timing of forward movement and foot contact on ground. This results in reaching the foot forward to land and pushing off too far from behind to propel.”

 A lot of attention has been given to the barefoot and minimalist running movement. Arthur Lydiard, one of the most well respected coaches of our time, encouraged minimalist footwear decades ago. Why? To avoid heel striking. One of the advantages of running barefoot or in minimalist shoes is that it will hurt if you strike with your heel.

 3. Lack Of Mobility – As mentioned earlier, stride frequency and stride length are the two components that determine running speed. Mobility trumps all else when it comes to running fast and staying healthy. If you lack complete range of motion anywhere in your lower body, you are going to be more susceptible to injury. A good way to increase running-specific mobility is through Active Isolated Stretching, a method made popular by stretching guru Phil Warton. His techniques are focused on how to lengthen the muscles properly in order to prevent injury and improve performance.

One of the best ways to establish forward momentum is to lean from the ankles. This forward lean will also help you avoid running vertical miles. Keep your head as level as possible, and avoid bouncing up and down as you propel yourself forward.

 4. Unrelaxed Upper Body – One of the most difficult things to teach a runner, beginner or experienced, is how to run fast AND relaxed. A good way to do this is by using the example of a world-class sprinter. If you slow the footage down, you will see how relaxed his or her jaw is, how effortlessly their knees drive up toward and through the hips, and how the shoulders are relaxed and hanging away from the ears.

 Here are a few tips to ensure that your upper body is relaxed and you are carrying your arms properly.

* Keep the angle of your elbows at 90 degrees, and be sure not to release that angle in the back swing, as it will only waste precious energy.

* Raise your shoulders to your ears at each mile marker during a race, and then drop them back down into their ideal, relaxed position.

* Perform the “Hands on Head” drill. Start by interlocking your hands on your head. Focus on keeping your core solid and straight while keeping the hips and shoulders level and relaxed. Start jogging. This drill will help you to eliminate any left to right movement through the hips and help eliminate a criss-crossing, side-to-side arm carriage.

 5. Not Running Fast – Univ. of CO. Cross country and track coach Mark Wetmore, who said: “Distance doesn’t kill speed, not doing speed kills speed.”

So what’s the easiest and most effective way to work on your speed? Start by performing a few strides after your easy runs, or add a session of weekly hill sprints into your schedule. It’s hard to run fast, especially uphill, with inefficient form. From there, start sprinkling some small doses of speedwork into your training schedule, which will help fine-tune your form, while improving speed and efficiency.

 Tim Bailey, a sub-4-minute miler from Great Britain, once said it shocked him that people never learn how to run despite most sports having a foundation that is primarily running-based. Arsenault also mentioned that the biggest mistake people make is “not taking lessons to learn or improve running technique.”

Brandon Laan is a runner, coach, and entrepreneur. He is the co-owner of RunnersFeed.com and Race Director for Rock The Road 10K. He is a Level II Certified USATF coach and holds personal bests of 1:06 and 2:21 in the half marathon and marathon, respectively. He also enjoys running to eat, not eating to run…and always will.

Fear #2: I’ll have no time to train.  Everybody is busy…job, spouse, housework, bills, kids, social life and the list goes on. But there’s still time to train for a half marathon. Just make it happen. Get up an hour earlier a couple times a week, make Sunday night’s dinner big enough for leftovers, get off Facebook, or DVR your favorite show. When you miss a workout or two, don’t sweat it – it’s not the end of the world. Get back on track and refocus your efforts.

Fear #3: I’ll finish last.  Try not to forget that this is only your first half marathon, and you shouldn’t worry about how fast you’ll run it. Your goal today should be to run 13.1 miles, get yourself across the finish line, and no more. You can worry about speed next time. Besides, no matter how long it takes you, you’re going to set both a distance and a time PR that day.

Fear #4: I’ll get injured.  Yes, you might. But this sometimes happens to runners. If you’re smart though, it probably won’t. You can increase your chances of staying healthy if you eat balanced meals, stay hydrated, do some cross-training and always listen to your body.   Follow the training plan as much as you can, but if you feel fatigued or overly sore on a run day, make it an easy run. Lower the mileage or skip it altogether. Take time off when you need it. And if you have the luxury of extra time, start your training plan a few weeks early to give yourself some wiggle room for those inevitable off-days.

Fear #5: My training isn’t good enough.  It’s a good idea to follow a training plan designed by a knowledgeable, experienced and professional licensed coach.  A Coach will take out the training guesswork, provide feedback, accountability and training consistency.  The most important part of a half marathon training plan is the long run. A good plan will steadily add mileage to your long runs, but also step you back to lower mileage to avoid overtraining. Many half marathon plans also incorporate cross-training,  hill workouts and speed training, making you a more well-rounded runner.

Besides training plans, be smart and train for the race you’re running. Run course-specific. If it’s a trail race, try to do most of your long runs on trails. If the course is hilly, make sure you train your legs to handle hills. By the time you reach the end of your training plan on race day, you’ll be prepared to cross the finish line.

Don’t over think it. Stop letting fear get to you. Just get out there and have fun!

Perhaps you are familiar with the barefoot running craze, started by the book Born to Run by Author Christopher McDougall. Perhaps you have been thinking about giving barefoot running a try. Many run and triathlon coaches recommend running barefoot to some degree on a soft surface, such as grass, to help improve your running mechanics. Most experts agree however, that running barefoot most of the time is neither safe nor practical.  

Reality Check: Although great in theory, running barefoot is not for everyone. The good news is that the running shoe industry is taking note of the interest in barefoot running and minimalist shoes. Minimalist shoes, or minis, are lightweight because they have few bells and whistles, such as built up heels that many experts claim make our legs and feet weaker, causing injury. Shoes like Vibrams provide a barefoot ride and feel, while providing some protection against puncture wounds from debris and road rash.

The Reality: Running barefoot is dangerous for the vast majority of runners for two main reasons. First, rocks, twigs, glass, and other debris will likely cause injury at some point. Second, the muscles and joints of the legs and feet typically are weak because we wear shoes continuously. Some runners attempt to eradicate this, running a few miles each week barefoot, performing foot and leg strengthening exercises, and walking barefoot in and around the house. Running stride drills barefoot on grass, the track, or at the beach are good examples. Strong feet provide a solid platform for the body to ride upon – weak feet do not. Start out slow focusing on your form will help you prevent injury.

Barefoot Running Does Have its Place: If you’re determined to take barefoot running to the road here are a few considerations. Start slowly until your calves, arches, and Achilles tendons adjust. Increase the distance slightly each week, and listen to your body if you experience aches or pains as mentioned above. Run on a smooth, soft surface. When transitioning to hard surfaces, such as the road, try using minimalist shoes, which are low to the ground, lightweight, and provide the feel of being barefoot. Vibram, New Balance, Nike, and Newton Running make some of the better-known minimalist shoes.

Final Thoughts: If you’re prone to injury using running shoes, running barefoot is not likely to change that; if you do not get injured often in running shoes, than why change? Trade in your heavy, clunky shoes with the anti-sway this, and the heavily cushioned that for a pair of minimalist shoes. Trade your heel strike for a mid-foot strike and rejoice at the results. Allow for a proper transition, and seek a qualified run or triathlon coach for assistance. The time and resources invested will be well worth it in the end.

 Injuries are frequent during the course of a long triathlon season. A typical reaction from an athlete is to stretch the affected area. Few athletes realize, however, that this stretching can lengthen the healing process or cause further damage.

 Microtrauma or overuse injuries are the most common injuries to endurance athletes. Typically, these injuries are due to repeated or abnormal stresses that tissues are subjected to through continuous training or allowing too little recovery time between training sessions. Muscles, ligaments and tendons are the tissues that receive the most stress during prolonged training and are most commonly injured. Strains are injuries to the muscle itself and are usually graded minor, moderate, or severe. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon; which attaches the muscle to bone, and are graded acute, sub acute or chronic. Sprains are injuries to ligaments and are graded I, II and III. A grade I is no more than a minor stretch to the ligament and a grade III is a complete disruption of the ligament.

 With all of these injuries tissues go through a healing process as follows: Inflammation phase, Repair phase and Remodeling phase. The inflammation phase general only lasts 1-3 days after injury. The repair phase starts as early as 48 hours after injury and can last up to 8 weeks. Lastly, it can take 2-4 months for a tissue to go through the remodeling phase. In the case of a complete ligament or tendon disruption, surgery may be required as many of these injuries are unable to repair themselves.

 The question is when is the athlete able to stretch the injured tissues without causing further harm? In the case of ligament sprains, stretching is always contraindicated. When a ligament is sprained, the joint becomes unstable and a period of immobilization is required for the ligament to try and repair itself. An athlete should always seek the attention of a medical professional if he or she suspects this type of injury. They can give you guidelines for when it is safe to start mobilizing the joint and surrounding tissues.

 Muscle strains require rest during the inflammation phase along with ice and anti-inflammatory medicines. After this phase of initial healing, gentle stretching along with massage and muscle-setting exercises can be initiated as the tissue repairs itself. Progressively higher intensity stretches and strengthening exercises can begin as the athlete’s pain level decreases and they are ready for return to sport.

 Tendon injuries are slower to heal than muscle strains because of the decrease in blood supply in the tissue. Acute and sub acute tendon injuries respond well if given a period of rest followed by liberal application of ice and progressive stretching. Deep friction massage across the fibers of the tendon helps to increase the blood flow to the tendon and aid in the healing process. Anti-inflammatory medicines are also helpful. In the case of chronic tendonitis, the athlete should seek the help of a health care professional. Chronic tendonitis can weaken the fibers of the tendon and make it susceptible to tearing. Whenever an athlete suspects a torn tendon, the body part will also need to be immobilized and any form of stretching or exercise should be avoided until he or she is evaluated by a professional.  By following these guidelines you may more quickly return to your regular training program and avoid further complication.

Steve Elton is a physical therapist for Body Pros, strength and conditioning specialist, coach, and triathlete. He received his MS from the University of South Carolina and holds certifications through the NSCA, NASM. Steve is a former elite triathlete with racing experience from sprint to Ironman distance.

 What It Means to Burn Fat by Running

The body primarily uses carbs and fat as energy to fuel runs. The ratio of carbs and fat changes depending on your speed and intensity. For high-intensity running, such as interval workouts, the body will rely more on carbs for fuel than fat because they’re a quicker source of energy. For long, slower runs, your body starts using fat as an energy source.

 What It Takes to Lose Fat by Running

 When you’re trying to shed pounds, it doesn’t matter what type of fuel you use. Just because you’re using more fat as energy doesn’t mean you’re losing fat or burning more calories. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you’re taking in, simple as that. With running, as with other forms of exercise, the harder you work, the more calories you’ll burn.

 How to Burn More Calories Running

To burn more calories when running, you need to run at a higher intensity. High-intensity running is running at about 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. You’re not doing an all-out sprint, but you definitely shouldn’t be able to carry on a conversation.

 While you’ll burn more calories during high-intensity runs, it’s important that you don’t do all your runs at a high intensity. Some of your runs should be easy runs so that you protect yourself from overuse injuries and give your body a chance to recover and rebuild itself to get stronger. It’s also good to vary the intensity of your runs so that you don’t get burned out or bored with your routine.

 If you’ve been running several days a week for at least a few months and you’ve built up a good running base, it’s safe to introduce one or two high-intensity runs into your weekly workout.  After a good proper warm up of (40 min. ez run or 2 mile ez run), try doing a 20-minute run at approx. 80-90% effort. Or, do an interval workout, where you alternate between running at a fast pace for short intervals.  Example: Run hard 1-3 min.; then recover at an easy pace for 1-2 minutes. Try doing 10 hard and easy intervals. As you become more fit, you can increase the time of your intervals or do more repetitions.

BEFORE TRAINING: To ensure that your energy level starts off high and to help improve fat burning during your workouts, its important that you fuel your body right. Unless you’ve had a meal within the past two hours, try to eat a serving or two of carbohydrates (a piece of fruit, a slice of whole grain bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter, a serving of crackers with 2 tablespoons of hummus, ½-1 energy bar).

TRAINING LESS THAN 90 MINUTES: (Ex. 3-4 mile runs),  Be sure  you drink plenty of water. You probably don’t need any fancy sports drinks unless your energy levels are low or you did not eat enough before the workout (for example, if the run is very early in the morning and you did not have time to eat a good breakfast).  A common mistake among athletes trying to train and also lose weight — they burn lots of calories during long workouts but then they take in just as many calories through sports drinks, gels and bars during their workouts. Limit these products to runs lasting longer than 90 minutes and use them sparingly, alternating smaller amounts (½ bar, ½ cup sports drink, ½ gel packet) with plain water every 15-30 minutes.

AFTER LONG RUNS: It’s important to consume both carbohydrates and protein for optimal recovery. The optimal window of time for this is within 45 minb. Or no later than 1 hour after fniishing your long run. Liquids work best during this time since its very quickly absorbed and digested by the body. Aim for a ratio of carbohydrates:protein of 4:1. If you don’t want to pay for a recovery sports drink, you can also eat whole food combinations like a banana and a cup of yogurt, ½ – 1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread, or a smoothie made with 1-1 ½ cups of fresh or frozen fruit, fat free milk (optional), and a scoop of protein powder (whey or soy). For your shorter runs, you probably don’t need a post-run snack unless you won’t be eating a full meal for several hours.