Start Saving at Jack Rabbit on Fitness Apparel and Gear

Jack Rabbit, my go to running store, is offering my friends and clients 100 points (valued at $10) when you sign up HERE  for their rewards program.  You can immediately redeem those points when you go to one of their four NYC stores. Jack rabbit has been around for years and has knowledgeable and friendly staff to assist you with all your running gear and more.  They have the most advanced shoe fitting service in NYC.  They will find the right shoe for you by asking lots of questions, getting you on a treadmill and then using video analysis.  And these services are free!

Aside from running shoes they sell gear for running, swimming, cycling and yoga.  They have technical apparel, wetsuits, training electronics, and a collection of general fitness aids.

With locations in Park Slope, W 14^th street, Lex and 85^th, and West 72^nd street, there are multiple locations to choose from.  Sign up here and start shopping!  To redeem points simply just give them your phone number along with valid ID and you are good to go!

Fueling Your Body During Exercise

There are a number of factors that determine what you should consume during exercise. The most notable factor is duration. The primary concern during short duration exercise is to maintain proper hydration. I require that all my clients bring water with them during our trainings, a sip here or there from a water fountain is not enough. If your exercise lasts less than and hour then purified drinking water should be adequate at low intensities. Bring the effort level up with heavy weight training, or exercising above that so called fat burning zone and now your workout should be accompanied by a sports drink or electrolyte replacement drink. If you are pregnant, have low blood sugar or are diabetic you should bring some carbohydrate based food as a back up for times when you feel your blood sugar dropping. In some cases a sports drink will work well for this population as well, the point is to plan and experiment.

Before I go further into sports drinks and electrolyte replacement I want to delve into the importance of water. Most people are dehydrated before they even begin exercise. Do you ever experience headaches and unusual fatigue during a workout? If so you are most likely dehydrated. Do you check your heart rate and notice that it seems a bit high for the level of work you are doing? This can also be a sign of dehydration. Before you even begin your workout you should be consuming water. The amount I recommend to start with is half your body weight in ounces of water. If you weigh 160 pounds, you should start tracking your water consumption and be sure to drink at least 80 ounces a day. On days you exercise you will need to consume even more. For those who workout first thing in the morning you should be aware that this is the time of day that your body is naturally most dehydrated, so drink up as soon as you roll out of bed.

What is in a sports drink or electrolyte replacement drink? An electrolyte replacement drink is designed to replace the fluids (that would be water) and electrolytes (which are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, etc) lost during exercise. Sports drinks and electrolyte replacement drinks are one choice for instant energy during moderate to heavy exercise and also for muscle recovery afterwards. The idea is to start hydrated before you workout, drink an appropriate amount of electrolyte fluid during exercise to maintain blood glucose levels and then perhaps ingest some as well after exercise to balance fluid losses.

Here’s the scoop on electrolytes and why you should think about whether you need to add this to your workouts. Electrolytes are minerals that, when dissolved in water, break into small, electrically charged particles called ions. They are present wherever there's water in your body, such as your blood, cells and cell surroundings. Electrolytes regulate your body's fluids, helping to maintain a healthy blood pH balance, and creating the electrical impulses essential to all aspects of physical activity; from basic cell function to complex neuromuscular interactions needed for athletic performance. Many people know sodium and chloride are among the body's most important electrolytes, they both help excite nerves and muscles, but don't think dousing your food with table salt (sodium chloride) is the key to proper electrolyte replacement. Consider these other key electrolytes:
Calcium - aids muscle contraction
Magnesium - aids healthy cell function
Potassium - helps regulate pH balance
Phosphate - helps regulate pH balance
If you eat a balanced diet you are probably consuming adequate quantities of electrolytes for normal human function. When consumed, electrolytes separate into positively and negatively charged ions in the water inside or surrounding each cell and in the bloodstream. As long as your hydration and electrolyte levels stay in balance, you enjoy normal physical function. However, add exercise to the equation and that balance begins to shift, first by increasing the concentration of electrolytes in your body and then, over time, depleting them from your blood stream. This circumstance can seriously hinder athletic performance and in extreme cases can lead to serious illness.

With so many options on the market, from Vitamin Water, to Gateroade, it can be difficult to make a good choice for a sports drink. Because so many of them are marketed as performance and so called health foods one may think that any of these popular brands would be appropriate. Look for these qualities in a sports drink and avoid the products that meet these criteria. Avoid high calories per serving, and pay particular attention to the serving size. During an hour of moderate intensity exercise most people will not need more than 120 calories. Look for sugars glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, and cereal starches. These are carbohydrate sources that are not recommended for people looking to reduce fat, maintain weight, or who are diabetic. Look carefully at the labels and avoid products with added coloring and dies. My favorite electrolyte replacement is called “want more energy” is only 35 calories a serving, is added to your water as you need it, and replaces all electrolytes. It also includes minerals which assist in absorption of the electrolytes and is all natural with no additional colors or dies.

There is also a time and place for drinks that are higher in calories and carbohydrates. Power events of short duration require rapid use of carbohydrates for fuel. For example a sprinting event, power lifting event, a race of short duration such as a 5K, as well as long endurance events all require additional carbohydrate and a drink or gel that includes electrolytes plus carbohydrates will be beneficial. If you are an endurance athlete participating in events that last more than an hour then you will need to replace carbohydrates throughout your training and racing. You will want to choose a product or combine products to replace fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates. It is extremely important to practice with the nutrition you will race with and recognize that it may take some time to come up with the right combination. Generally endurance athletes will choose to use gels or powder formulas for the additional calories along with electrolytes required. I highly recommend a line of products by Infinite Nutrition. They have both pre-formulated options and custom-made training and recovery products. If interested in ordering go to www.infinitnutrition.com and use “compleat” as your discount code during check out and receive 10% off all your orders.

How do you know if you are getting enough fluids and replacing enough electrolytes? There are some very simple tests you should perform to determine this. First start by assessing your urine, is it yellow or almost clear? If it is dark yellow then you are already dehydrated. Keep in mind that when you take supplemental vitamins or eat certain foods it will change the color of your urine, so this is just a guideline. Try to get to a hydrated state before you exercise. Before you workout get on the scale and weigh yourself and then weigh yourself again after the workout. For every pound of body weight lost during exercise you need to consume 16 oz of fluid. Now look at your skin and clothing post workout. Are their white sweat marks on your clothes, are your clothes fairly damp, is your skin a little tacky or can you feel salt granules on your skin? These are all really great indicators of your sweat rate and the amount of electrolytes lost during your workout. Wet clothing means you lost a lot of water during your workout and based upon ho heavily you sweat you should consume 6-12 oz of fluid every 15-20 minutes of exercise. That amounts to a minimum of 18 ounces to maximum of 48 ounces in an hour. Now back to those nasty sweat marks. If you are salty, then you lost a lot of electrolytes and need to consume an electrolyte drink during and after exercise. Remember this does not necessarily need to be a high calorie drink, the key is to replace vital nutrients.

The key to properly fueling your body during training is to experiment with which foods in what quantities work best for your body. Consider the type of exercise, intensity, duration of exercise, time of day, when your last meal was, and your ultimate goal. Still feeling a bit at loss? Then contact me for a free nutrition and exercise consultation.

Running Safety- What you need to know

Running safety is something many runners do not think about, but learn as they go.  Don’t let a bad experience catch you off guard, instead think about some of my tips here and apply a few of them to your training. I thought about writing about safety as I was heading out for a run on a wintery day, so much of my advice applies to other seasons, but is particularly useful in the winter.

HAVE A PLAN AND DON’T KEEP IT A SECRET.  Always plan your runs.  What course to you plan to take?  What distance or time?  Does anyone else know where you are going?  Tell a family member, send a text to your running buddy, or leave a note behind regarding your plans.

LOST WITH NO WAY HOME.  Whether you are running on your own turf, or in an area you are unfamiliar, you should always know where your home is.  If you are staying with friends write down their address and phone and have it on your body.  You should always have some cash as well.  I also recommend carrying a house key.  My favorite way to deal with these little details is a shoe wallet.  It attaches to the top of your shoe and is large enough for some cash, a house key, and a piece of paper identifying where home is.

TAG, YOU’RE IT.  You should always carry ID on your body, regardless of what you are doing, but particularly when you are out exercising.  If you have an expired drivers license you can carry that on your workouts.  My advice is to purchase an ID bracelet.  Go to roadid

They have multiple options, but the basic name, address, phone numbers, allergies info etc is $20.  I never run, bike, or swim without mine and it has come in handy (unfortunately for me).  Because mine is worn on my wrist any emergency responder will know who I am and who to call in an emergency.

YOU LOOK GREAT, BUT CAN ANYONE SEE YOU?  Whether it’s day or night you want to dress to be seen.  Some things to consider are light colored clothing.  This one isn’t real reasonable; just think about how much of your workout attire is white.  So other really good options are a safety vest or a brightly colored accessory.  The safety vests are made of a very lightweight mesh with reflective materials that can be worn over any shirt or jacket so is multi seasonal.  If you don’t like that idea, choose to wear one accessory that is very loud.  I have a pair of thin gloves that I wear much of the year.  They are crossing guard yellow color and extremely noticeable when I run.  I had a traffic cop stop me once and comment that he could see me coming up the street a half-mile away.  Reflective headbands and ankle bands are some other ideas.  Many manufacturers are adding reflective bands to clothing and shoes, which is great, but sometimes not enough, and may not be worth the additional cost.

ROAD RUNNING RULES- Why would you run in the road if a sidewalk exists?  Sometimes sidewalks are more dangerous than roads, over crowded with pedestrians, poor footing, construction, or slippery surface.  Under good conditions always choose to run on a sidewalk; after all even though you may feel like a machine, you are still a pedestrian.

The other day I chose to run in the street on the way to the track.  It was in the morning after a snow and the sidewalks were slippery but roads were clear.  I chose a road that had a bike path and ran against traffic.  Here are some things to consider when running in the road.

• How well do you know the traffic patterns?  Is a seemingly rural road going to suddenly become busy and there is no shoulder for you to move to?  Be very cautious when choosing to run in the road in an area you are unfamiliar.
• Is it day or night?  Sunny or cloudy?  Raining or snowing? Is oncoming traffic perhaps looking into the sun?  Don’t run in the street if driving conditions are not optimal.
• If you are going to run in the street always run against traffic.  It’s wise to choose an extra wide street, maybe one marked with a bike lane.  One-way streets are sometimes a better option then two-way, drivers have less to think about, and usually have more space to maneuver.
• If you are fortunate enough to get to the country for some training beware that drivers are not expecting runners in the street.  Stick with running against traffic, stay close to the shoulder.  If a car approaches and doesn’t appear to be giving you some breathing room, stop, step off the road, and let them pass before proceeding.  If you are listening to music and running along a winding, hilly road, with blind spots, stop the music, and listen for traffic.  You don’t want a car going 40mph to get to the top of a hill and be surprised by your presence. The best way to stay safe in a road is to be friendly.  Wave at everything approaching.  They will be more likely to notice you and maybe you will even get a smile or wave back.

AID STATIONS- wherever you choose to run, if it is more than an hour you may very well need water or a bathroom of sorts.  Know what your options are for your route.

HEY, YOU LOOK LIKE SANTA- Not something I ever want to here.  Protect you skin in freezing temperatures.  If it’s below freezing you definitely want to cover as much skin as possible.  Dress in layers.  Eventually you will be able to look at a weather forecast and know exactly what to wear.  Until that day comes (took me at least a year) too warm, is better than too cold.  You don’t want to finish a long, blistery cold run and look in the mirror and see really red skin.  That’s very damaging to your skin.  If I run in the morning I do not wash my face, instead I leave the natural oils on my skin.  I apply a fairly heavy moisturizer to my skin and expose as little of my face as I can bear.  Recently I purchased a great product that protects much better than regular skin lotion.  It’s called Dermatone Skin Protector Pommade and since using it my runs are more comfortable in windy conditions and my skin isn’t ruby red when I get home.

RUNNING SNOW SHOES? -  I have been fortunate to never fall during a winter run but I see so many people slipping and sliding around that I think this product is worth mentioning for everyone who wants to get around more safely in the winter.  And if your are the type who makes excuses about exercising in the winter because the conditions aren’t ideal, I’ve got a solution for you.

Yaktrax are a product designed to fit over any type of shoe and they provide stability on slippery, snowy surfaces.  When I go for runs in the snow I hardly see anyone out running with me.  Everyone is afraid of injury, and for good reason.  This product really works.  I used them for the first time this December in the morning following 12 inches of snow. I was doing a long run in Prospect Park and no way was a foot of snow going to screw up my training schedule.  The first 2 miles were all up hill, almost all the sidewalks were completely snow covered and my footing was very secure.  In the park the drive had been plowed, but not salted, or at least most portions were not salted.  Again, whether the surface was flat or hilly the yaktrax really gripped.  As with any unsure footing, you want to be careful, but I’m really happy with this investment and will use them anytime following snowfall.

Yaktrax come in two models, one for outdoor adventurers/runners and are the “pro” model, and a less hefty version is made for people who simply want to walk more safely in snow.  They are also a great gift idea for any of your family who needs a little assistance.  My mother in law is recovering from a hip replacement surgery and I let her use them over the holidays.  She walked with much more confidence and felt a big difference from walking with just her winter boots.

Please let me know if you have any additional tips I may have missed.

Stay Safe this Winter with Yaktrax

I have been fortunate to never fall during a winter run but I see so many people slipping and sliding around that I think this product is worth mentioning for everyone who wants to get around more safely in the winter.  And if your are the type who makes excuses about exercising in the winter because the conditions aren't ideal, i've got a solution for you. Yaktrax are a product designed to fit over any type of shoe and they provide stability on slippery, snowy surfaces.  When I go for runs in the snow I hardly see anyone out running with me.  Everyone is affraid of injury, and for good reason.  This product really works.  I used them for the first time last weekend the morning following 12 inches of snow.

They are really easy to put on and remove from your shoes.  They are made of rubber and the part that covers the bottom of your shoe consists of cross sections of rubber and metal coiling.  On a dry surface they are kind of springy, but on snow, (whether light or packed) and ice they grip.  I did notice that they made running a bit slower and harder on surfaces that were not snow covered.

On my first use i ran to prospect park.  The first 2 miles were all up hill, almost all the sidewalks were completely snow covered and my footing was very secure.  In the park the drive had been plowed, but not salted, or at least most portions were not salted.  Again, whether the surface was flat or hilly the yaktrax really gripped.  As with any unsure footing, you want to be careful, but i'm really happy with this investment and will use them anytime following snowfall.

I wore them the following day when most of the snow had been removed, but small stretches of sidewalk were still covered.  I would advise against wearing them in these conditions.  In areas where there is no snow it's more difficult to run, and on the wood planks of the brooklyn bridge it was actually slippery.

Yaktrax come in two models, one for outdoor adventurers like myself and are the "pro" model, and a less hefty version is made for people who simply want to walk more safely in snow.  Check out www.yaktrax.com for more info.