Ryan

Ask me anything

/ HillRunner.com Admin / 1 minute of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

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Another 6 months have passed. Here’s your open invitation to ask me anything.

Within reason, nothing is off limits. Ask about training, racing, my thoughts on any news in the sport. Ask about the site, the coaching service, Club HillRunner.com or anything else that’s going on.

If you want to ask publicly, you can do so in the comments, on Facebook or you can tweet at HillRunner.com (or tweet at my personal account). If you want to ask more privately, you can use the contact form or, if you’re friends with me on Facebook or you know my email address, you can reach me through those options.

So what have you been thinking about and wanting to ask?

Sugary fruit can lower your blood sugar? When to take ice baths?

/ Roundups / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Coming to you a day early so we can all enjoy our Thanksgiving.

Sugary fruit can lower blood sugar?

Even though most Americans get way more sugar than we should, we all know the importance of reducing sugar intake to lower our blood sugar and reduce our risk of chronic diseases.

What if some sugary foods actually lowered our blood sugar levels, though? That doesn’t make much sense, does it? Well, it might actually be true:

Fruits such as blueberry and mango may help with blood sugar regulation, even though they contain sugar. They may not have very strong effects like medications do, at least in isolation, but a diet rich in different plants may compound the benefits of any one single plant food.

It seems crazy on the face of things but, in a way, it makes sense. We evolved to eat natural foods like fruits. It makes sense that the sugar in fruits would not be harmful to us like the sugar in unnaturally processed food is.

So now we have another reason to enjoy fruits as a great snack or dessert.

When to take ice baths?

We have known for decades now that ice baths are good for recovery. However, as with many other methods to speed recovery, we now know that they may actually be detrimental during training because they will reduce the training response. In other words, you recover more quickly but you don’t gain as much fitness.

However, there are still some cases, such as shortly before a race, where ice baths can still be beneficial. Shortly before a race, you’re not trying to get additional training benefit. Your primary focus is on max recovery.

So when to take the ice bath and when to skip it? Here’s a handy cheat sheet.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. As always, I’m incredibly thankful for your support.

Running during the holidays

/ Training / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

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Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. Stores already have their Christmas products out. It’s the holiday season, a great time of the year but also a time of the year when keeping your running on track can be a challenge.

With travel, family events, and plenty of tasty but not necessarily healthy food, how do we keep our running on track so we can hit the new year ready to run strong?

I have a few practices I use to keep my running on track during the holidays.

Always take your gear with

Even if you’re not expecting to have a chance to run, take your gear with. An opportunity may present itself.

Plan to run early

As I’ve gotten older and had more responsibilities, I’ve found that the earlier in the day I plan to run, the better chance I have of getting the run in. The later in the day you plan to run, the more opportunity there is for your plan to get derailed.

Be flexible

While you should plan to run early in the day, don’t tie yourself down. Maybe a family breakfast will happen, maybe you have to hang around on Christmas morning until the kids open their presents. Whatever the case, be flexible both in the time of the day you run and in how much time you need.

Don’t be hard on yourself

It is the holidays. It’s a special time of the year. You might be seeing family you only see once a year. There are special events going on that only happen once a year. You have running every day. If you miss one run, it’s not the end of the world. Just get back on track as soon as possible and figure the once a year experience is worth it.

Taking a break

/ Training / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

It’s that time of the year again. Some of us have already finished our fall racing seasons. Some will be soon. All of us should be thinking about taking a break.

Why take a break, especially if we finish our racing season and are feeling good and highly motivated? Because your mind and body need it. If they don’t demand it now, they will. Nobody can keep going forever. It’s far better to take a planned break when you have no races on the immediate horizon than to take an unplanned break when your body or mind gives out as an important race is approaching.

What should you do for your break? It depends on you. Personally, I think almost everyone would be well served by taking some time completely away from running but, as most of you are probably are aware, I don’t do that myself. Running is such a big part of my life, far beyond competition, that I need to have it there. I’d probably have a mental breakdown if I was forced away from running for any significant period of time. So I keep running, short and easy. No “training” allowed, though. I’m just running because it’s what I love to do. If that’s what you need, then at least do that. If you can take some time away from running, all the better.

How long should the break be? Again, it depends on you. I think everyone would benefit from at least 4 weeks once a year with a true break from training. I usually give myself 4 weeks with no training, then tell myself I’ll start training when I feel ready again physically and mentally. That means I’m both physically feeling good and mentally feeling motivated to do the work that comes when training starts.

Once your racing is done, give yourself a break. Your body and mind will thank you with better training and racing next year.

Running: good for fighting colds, also good for the knees?

/ Roundups / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Running is good for a lot of things. We already know that, right? Well, here’s a little on the positive aspects of running.

How exercise may help us fight colds

Have you ever noticed that fit people are sick less often? You’re not imagining things.

Working out could help us fight off colds and other infections, according to a timely new study. The study, which found that regular exercise strengthens the body’s immune system in part by repeatedly stressing it, was conducted in animals. But the results most likely apply to people, the researchers say, and could offer further incentive for us to remain physically active this winter.

Is running good for your knees?

I’m sure we’ve all experienced people telling us that we’re ruining our knees. The interesting thing I’ve noticed recently is that, lately, people who are younger than me will say this while complaining how their knees ache. What’s up?

There has been some research suggesting that, much like stressing our immune systems to build them up stronger and stressing our muscles to build them up stronger, running can do the same for various structures of our joints.

Well, here’s another study that attempted to address a possible reason running might be good for the knees. Unfortunately, the results were inconclusive. There were some interesting results but there simply wasn’t enough data to say anything conclusively.

That said, we already know that, regardless of what your non-running friends tell you, running is definitely good for your knees. So keep it up.

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