Opinion Archives - Page 5 of 7

The Power of Being Constant

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 6, 2021 | Guest Perspective, Opinion, Reflection

By Anthony Reed *

Editor’s Note: This is a posting from Mr. Reed in our RCAA Coaches Group. I requested, and obtained, his permission to repost it here. I believe it shows the power of remaining constant and relentlessly moving forward towards your lifetime goals and its compounding results.

Life-Long Goal Setting: Maintaining a three miles per day in average.

The Great Wall Marathon, China (Photo courtesy of Anthony Reed)

Many runners focus on various goals, such as running 100 miles per month. Today (6/6/21), during a 15-mile run, I finally logged over 47,000 miles over 42 years.

In 1976, I set a lifetime goal to average three miles of running per day as a way of avoiding insulin. My primary goal was to run about 90 miles/month and the secondary goal was at least 100 miles per month. Also, I only wanted to run only three or four days per week. I’m a very firm believer in “everything in moderation”.

I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic in 1963 and was told that I’d be on insulin by the 1970’s. I started running as a way to avoid this prediction. In the mid-1970’s, a co-worker lost his sight due to glaucoma, had his foot and leg amputated, and died to complications from diabetes. I don’t believe he was more than 50 years old. I was scared to death.

I’ve maintained a handwritten running journal since 1979. The detailed, monthly data is summarized in an Excel workbook. Here’s a brief analysis of 509 months of running.

RUNNING DATA

– Averaged 3.03 miles/day over 509 months.

Antarctica Marathon (Photo courtesy of Anthony Reed)

– Ran 5,359 days (34.6%) out of a possible 15,496 days. As a father and husband, I wanted to keep running simple, fun, flexible, and injury-free. Thus, I felt that running everyday would put undue pressure on me. So, I opted to run only 3 or 4 days a week.

– I was not perfect. I failed to reach my primary monthly goal 40% of the time, including 29 months of not running a single mile. However, I never lost sight of my goal AND my reason for achieving it. I wanted to live past 50, keep my eyesight, not have any limbs amputated, and not be on insulin. The money saved from paying for insulin was used to travel around the world and finish marathons on seven continents (completed in 2007) and fifty States (completed in 2013).

– Longest streak of reaching at least 100 miles per month was 21 months; from June 1985 through February 1987. Averaged 148.7 miles/month.

– Longest streak of not reaching primary goal was 29 months; from August 1990 through December 1992. Averaged 60.74 miles/month.

– Maximum miles in one month: 200.13 in January 1986 over 17 days of running.

RACING DATA

– Fastest races: Marathon – 3:36:45 (1984); 20-Miler – 2:35:54 (1987); Half marathon – 1:34:11 (1985); 10K – 41:31 (1983) [BTW – These PB’s were run while weighing about 195 pounds at six feet tall, which wasn’t easy.]

– Completed 226 races between 1979 and 2018 (averaged 5.3 races/year).

– Averaged 2.3 marathons/year between 1982 and 2000. Only one marathon (Chicago) of my first 42 marathons was outside of Texas, which included 15 Cowtown Marathons (Ft. Worth) and 15 Dallas Marathons (formerly White Rock). You have an entire lifetime to run marathons, so take it easy on the racing, especially if you\’re just beginning.

– Completed 131 marathons between 1982 and 2018 (averaged 3.5 marathons/year).

– Longest monthly streak: 15 marathons between February 2012 and January 2013.

By keeping focused on a lifetime AVERAGE, it took the stress off everyday living and goal setting. Next month, I’ll turn 66 and am still not on insulin.

* Anthony Reed is the National Black Marathoners Association Co-Founder & Executive Director. He is the author of the book “From the Road Race to the Rat Race” which was published in September 2020.

The National Black Marathoners’ Association (NBMA) is the country\’s oldest and largest, not-for-profit organization of Black American distance runners. It is open to everyone, regardless of athletic ability or previous marathon experience. Objectives are to:
·       Encourage Black Americans and others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through long distance running and walking.
·       Serve as a vehicle for Black American distance runners across the nation to meet in mass at a single marathon.
·       Recognize the accomplishments of Black American distance runners.
·       Provide scholarships to deserving high school boy and girl distance runners.

For more information about the National Black Marathoner’s Association, you can click here.

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The Art and the Science of Coaching Runners

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jun 15, 2021 | Article, Coaching, Opinion

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few weeks ago I went for a run with one of my trainees. He brought a friend to join in. He knew how beneficial it had been for my trainee to follow a structured, individualized, and supervised training plan. He was very aware of my trainee’s progress during the months we worked together. So, as we ran, he picked my brain with a few poignant questions.

There was one that caught my attention and kept me thinking for a few days. He was training for a 50-mile race, and he wanted to know: As a coach, what is the weekly mileage I recommend for someone wanting to complete his distance?

As you may imagine by now, there is one and only one answer for such a question: “It depends”.

It was then when I started enumerating the different variables that need to be considered before I answered such a question. There is a whole set of variables that needs to be pondered and expressed in a training plan before a goal may have a chance to be realized. These variables, among others and in no particular order, are:

* Goal – What is it that you are trying to achieve?
* Balance – There must be a reason why miles are prescribed. No junk miles.
* Rest – It is a much part of a training plan as a long run.
* Nutrition – Without being a dietitian, a coach must understand the basics of healthy eating.
* Speed work – has to be balanced between long runs and recovery days.
* Intensity – It is not about how fast but how hard you are pushing.
* Aerobic capacity – For runs over 800 mts, it is the basic measurement of endurance.
* Strength training – core and weight work are key to the success of a runner.
* Cross Training – It can’t be all running. Supplementary activities need to be performed.
* Hydration – Not only about avoiding dehydration but when and how much fluids to consume.
* Fueling – caloric intake that needs to be consumed for the body to complete the task efficiently.
* Race strategy – What will you do on race day with what you have worked so hard to obtain.
* Recovery – What to do once you are done with your training cycle, so you don’t burn out.

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Combining all these and many more variables in a reasonable, achievable, and well-balanced plan, requires knowledge, preparation, and experience, both as a runner and as a coach. But even with all these elements, coaching runners is still not an exact science.

Each body reacts different to the same stimuli, and because life affect every runner in an individual way, it is imperative for a running coach to be openminded, flexible and willing to adjust as weeks go by. This can’t be achieved by cookie-cutter, generic plan downloaded from the internet.

Running a 10K, a half marathon or a marathon is not unachievable. Hundreds of thousands of people do it year in and year out. But as you look to achieve certain distance or time goals, if you want to get the best out of what you have and/or if you want to improve and test your limits, the guidance of a knowledgeable coach, one who can balance art and science, becomes more important, if not indispensable.

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Tears and Running

by Adolfo Salgueiro | May 11, 2021 | Opinion, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Tears are the reflection of the extreme emotions of our lives. We shed them out of love when our kids are born but also when a loved one passes away. We shed them out of joy over a personal accomplishment or when we enjoy someone else’s triumph, graduation or wedding; but also when we share our frustrations, failures, or broken hearts with those closest to us. Tears of joy are so ubiquitous that they even have their own emoji.

When it comes to running, it is no different. Why would it be?

Crying on the last few meters of the 2022 Houston Marathon, 7 months after open-heart surgery.

When I was 17, I went to Kilometer 30 (Mile 19) of the 1982 Caracas Marathon, where my dad was going to run in a friend. What I experienced there was so overwhelming, that on a whim, I jumped in and ran the last 12 Km (about 7.5 miles) to the finishing area. The tears I witnessed, changed my life.

I saw grown-up men crying out of frustration when they could not run any longer and had to walk. I saw every type of emotion reflected in the faces and bodies of those I passed. And I saw tears of joy as runners approached the finish line with smiles covering their faces. I was hooked. I had to experience those extremes. I didn’t know when, but I knew that one day I would run a marathon myself. That day came sooner than later, when I finished my first marathon a few weeks later, but that is a story for another day.

If I teared up or cried during my first life as a runner, I honestly don’t remember. Maybe since I was still a teenager, I thought I was invincible, and running marathons in the 3:30 range, or better in the near future, would last forever. Who knows? My first knee operation, in 1986, gave me a reality check.

I was training for the 1986 Caracas Marathon, trying to approach the 3-hour mark, when I hit my knee and ended up under the knife just 6 weeks prior to the race. I cried out of frustration when I saw my two training partners finishing in 2:56 and 3:04. But that is life.

The first time I vividly remember crying while running, was as I crossed the finish line of the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon. It was my first marathon since December 1985. A 26-year hiatus. Since then, not only I had two left-knee surgeries, but after the one in 2004, at age 39, I asked the doctor if he thought I could ever complete another marathon. He told me, in no uncertain terms, to forget it. It was not going to happen.

So, as I approached the finish line through the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on that cold November day in Philadelphia, as I was praying in thanks to God for giving me this remarkable opportunity, I started feeling a knot in my throat. Once I was able to distinguish the finish line in front of me, tears started running down my cheeks. When I hugged my wife a few yards after the end, I was openly sobbing. This feeling was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

I have cried again on the asphalt. I did so at the finishing of the Den Haag Half marathon, my first running half after three years of racewalking. I also cried at the start of the New York City Marathon in 2017, still trying to grasp that I was there again after 32 years, ready to absorb the experience. I shed some tears at a small 5K in late 2019, my first competition after a heart procedure. And I hope I can cry some more, soon. It can only mean I am alive, overcoming obstacles and still running.

I would love to hear your crying-while-running-stories. You can share them in the comment section, below.

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My Case on Behalf of Glucosamine

by Adolfo Salgueiro | May 4, 2021 | Article, Opinion, Personal, Reflection, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Before we get started, I am disclosing I am not a doctor, and I am not giving medical advice. What you are about to read is just my personal experience mixed with light internet research.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are popular supplements used to treat osteoarthritis. About 6.5 million adults, or 2.6 percent of the population, have used one or both products

I’ve had issues with my left knee for a long time. It kept me from running for many years. It has always been my weakest link. But just like millions of runners, upon the recommendation of someone who I can no longer remember, I started taking glucosamine many years ago, and somehow, it kept the pain at bay and allowed me to keep running consistently for many years. This is my story, and I am sticking to it.

When I decided to give marathoning another try, as I was eyeing the New York City Marathon, I asked my doctor about Glucosamine. He told me there were no conclusive studies proving that it worked or that it didn’t. His professional recommendation was that if I thought it was beneficial to me, to keep taking it. If not, then don’t bother.

Glucosamine is not cheap. A bottle of the good stuff can go from $40-$50 for a few months’ supply. So, when it was time to replenish the stash, with cash in short supply at that particular time of the month and with the recent lecture from my doctor, I decided to skip it. A couple of weeks later, my knee started to hurt and other joints felt stiffer. How could this be? There was no proof! I ran to the drugstore, got my glucosamine and a week later, the pain was gone. This is all the research I need.

This is the brand I use and the results have been stellar. I don’t need much more research than that.

Then I thought: Of course! Why in the world would a drug company invest time, effort and millions of dollars researching the benefits of glucosamine when every drug store carries ten over-the-counter options from which you can purchase as many as you want, whenever you want? This is no moneymaker. No reason to invest just for the pure pursuit of knowledge. It works for me, and this is all I need to know. I am the research paper my doctor was unable to quote.

Glucosamine has been around since 1876. It is manufactured by processing a polymer from the shells of shellfish, shrimp, lobsters and crabs. It also comes from other animals such as cows and pigs. Newer versions made from fungi and fermented corn have been brought to market to cater the needs of vegetarian consumers.

Glucosamine is a dietary supplement, not a prescription drug. Because of regulations, in the US it is marketed as a supplement to support the structure and function of the joints. It is also directed to people with osteoarthritis. Tests have shown that you can consume up to 1500 mg per day with no adverse effects.

Glucosamine pills usually include a compound named chondroitin. According to WebMd, chondroitin is a substance that occurs naturally in the connective tissues of people and animals. As a supplement in higher doses than is found naturally, chondroitin is also a popular treatment for osteoarthritis.

Arthritis.org states that “glucosamine and chondroitin are popular supplements used to treat osteoarthritis. According to one estimate, 6.5 million adults, or 2.6 percent of the population, have used one or both products”.

Both glucosamine and chondroitin are usually found in healthy cartilage and have anti-inflammatory properties. “They also have some cartilage-protecting effects through a variety of different mechanisms,” says Chris D’Adamo, PhD, director of Research & Education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine.

Glucosamine and chondroitin protect cells called chondrocytes, which help maintain cartilage structure. In theory, these supplements have the potential to slow cartilage deterioration in the joints, and to reduce pain in the process.

Sounds good to me!

I take the Kirkland brand with 1500 mg of glucosamine with 1200 mg of chondroitin, and it has worked for me. If I ever forget to take it for a few days or if my resupply delays, my body promptly reminds me. Once again, what additional research do I need?

Please don’t take medical advice from me. I am not a doctor, nor I wish to be one. Glucosamine with chondroitin works for me. If you have joint issues, I suggest you check with a real doctor and then give it a try.

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The Journey of “The Fat Runner”

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Mar 30, 2021 | Article, Guest Perspective, Opinion, Reflection

By Coach Marci Braithwaite

I am Marci Braithwaite. I am a runner. I am a marathoner who has also completed many halves as well as nearly a hundred races of many distances, both virtually and in-person, over the last twelve years. I am an elementary school teacher, and I am a mother of two teenagers. I am a chapter leader of my local, 900-member She Runs This Town running group. I am the leader of a virtual community of new runners, and a USATF certified coach.

I am also fat.

I use that word to describe myself because it is simply that – a descriptor (Photo by Patrick Krohn Photography.)

I use that word to describe myself because it is simply that – a descriptor. The word itself often causes an immediate reaction. When I use it, the occasional person will smile and say I’m brave. More often, people cringe and ask why I use that term: it’s an insult used by many to demean and diminish. To them I ask, “Why is fat demeaning? Does the fat on my body make me lesser than you? Does it diminish my accomplishments in any way? What about my fat makes you better than me?”

Twelve years ago I started my running journey the way so many of us do, to lose weight. I thought my weight was the cause of my back pain at the time. It wasn’t (two pregnancies producing ten-pound babies tend to mess up your lower back). I did lose weight back then, but in the time since, and even through marathon training, running more than 40 miles per week, I gained it back. I’m at the same weight I was 12 years ago. I no longer have that back pain, which I attribute to strengthening my core and cross training. After more than a decade of consistent running and literally thousands of miles on my feet, I’m still fat.

Through all that time, I started to notice something. People seemed to think that what I was doing was revolutionary. Running while fat? That’s not allowed. Fat people are sent that message every time someone yells, “Go faster, fatty!” when they’re on a run or walk, or made to feel uncomfortable, or that they don’t belong at the gym. The prevailing message is that fat people shouldn’t show themselves in the fitness arena, because you should only be visible if you’re thin and have an “acceptable” body type.

“I want people who look like me to realize that they do belong. That the shape of our bodies does not define us or our abilities (Photo: Marci Braithwaite)

Then I discovered Mirna Valerio. She is an ultrarunner and public speaker, a blogger, and the head of her own FatGirlRunning online community. One day I discovered a video she had made for REI, about an email she read while she was running a multi-hour endurance event. The email accused her of lying, that she wasn’t really running, that she didn’t actually finish the ultramarathons that she claimed to have finished. As I watched this video, which, again, was filmed while she was completing an endurance event, I realized that what she was doing, simply existing and doing incredibly badass things in her fat body, was exactly what I wanted to do, too.

We don’t see fat runners on the roads and trails very often, do we? Why do you think that is? It’s definitely not because they don’t want to be there. Nor is it because fat people are inherently lazy. It’s a matter of access. When people like Mirna, a fat black woman, receive criticism and accusations of dishonesty for simply participating in an event that many thin people joined without a second thought, it should give you pause about the inclusivity of the running and outdoor community.

I want to change that. I want people who look like me to realize that they do belong, both in the outdoors and in the running community. That the shape of our bodies does not define us or our abilities. That there is no definition of the word “runner” beyond “someone who completes a movement that involves both feet in the air at once during a stride.” There is no weight requirement, no speed requirement, or any definition that anyone must fit into for someone to be able to enjoy the outdoors and the running community.

I’m Marci. I’m a fat runner and a fat running coach. I want you to join me on my running journey.

For more information:
Facebook: Request an add to the group Fat Athletes
Instagram: @The_Fat_Athlete
Website: http://www.thefatathlete.biz
Email: coach.thefatathlete@gmail.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: The day before this entry was scheduled to post, Mirna Valerio, plus-size ultrarunner, author, and spokeswoman (mentioned earlier in this post), announced her partnership with Lululemon clothing, using the slogan, \”Running is for everyone who has a body and wants to run.\” Click here to see the announcement.

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10 Guidelines on Runners Etiquette

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Mar 16, 2021 | Article, List, Opinion, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

After years of running, 100+ races and thousands of miles under my soles, I have all developed my very personal running habits. Just as you have developed yours. Some good, some bad, some questionable. At the same time, we have all established our running pet peeves.

Even though there is nothing written, there are some basic guidelines that every runner must keep to be part of an ever-improving running community. One where friends and strangers can be proud of being a part of. Some are to keep us safe, some to make the running experience more fulfilling and some to have more enjoyable races.

These are my 10 basic guidelines on running etiquette:

Slow runners are no less of an athlete than fast runner. Each group needs to be aware and respectful of the other (Photo Pexels)

Be mindful of other runners around you: It doesn’t matter if you are fast, slow, walker or if you are so tired you are crawling. Most of the time you are not the only person on the road, so you need to be aware of other runners. The last thing you want is to get injured, so make sure you are not the one responsible for someone else getting injured.
Respect slower runners: Both in training and in races, you will cross paths with slower runners. The fact they can’t run as fast as you, doesn’t make them less of an athlete. No need to be rude or discourteous. Be aware and respectful of the fact they are also putting their best effort forward.
Respect faster runners: Just as you expect to be respected as a slow runner, if you are in this category you must respect the presence of runners faster than you. Don’t crowd the corners, don’t take the inside lane on the track, don’t clog the path by running side-by-side with too many people and be aware of your surroundings when stopping to walk.
Acknowledge other Runners: Nobody expects you to stop what you are doing or change your pace to say hi to a stranger. But as runners, I think we all agree that acknowledging each other’s presence is the most basic form of good running etiquette. Tip your hat, make eye contact, nod, grunt, lift your arm or say an audible “hey”.
Don’t interfere while taking selfies: They have become ubiquitous in running. If there is no selfie, it didn’t happen. We get it! You can take all the running selfies you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with other runners, especially during a race. Go to the side of the road, get out of the way and then knock yourself out with as many selfies your phone can handle. But always remember that your selfie is not another moving runner’s priority.
Just because you isolate with your headphones doesn’t mean I am not there: it is your prerogative to run with headphones. If it provides you with a better experience, go for it. But it is your responsibility to be aware of your surroundings, not mine. I don’t know if you are wearing them or not so don’t expect anyone to be on the lookout for you while isolated.
Do not stop abruptly at water stations: I am not sure where this walk-break at water stops trend began. This is a place where lots of moving people congregate simultaneously, many eyeing the same cup of liquid, and it is usually very slippery. If you need to stop, take your water, move out of the way, check your surroundings, and then stop. It is basic, common sense.
Carry your own trash: Even when running we usually produce trash. At races, your entry fee includes trash pick up at water stop, but when training, it is not the case. Just as you carried your gel or your water bottle with you, make sure you carry their byproduct trash until you find the proper way to dispose of it. During a race, this is the water stop.
Act like an adult when it comes to bodily functions: They are inevitable when you are running. Burping, snot rockets, spitting and farting are commonplace and a normal part of a healthy functioning body, especially when running. Don’t make anyone feel bad. Be mature and just let it go. Because it is a matter of time before it is your turn.
Respect your membership in WhatsApp and Facebook groups: Most runners are in more than one social media group, and most groups have way too many people to keep track of multiple conversations. Limit your interactions to group related postings so your group can become relevant. I bet you are member of plenty of other groups where you share your non-running memes, jokes and political commentary.

Anything I missed? What is your running pet peeve?

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