Updates

Ideas For How To Display Your Running Race Bibs And Medals

Being in Cross County you will collect lots of Running Bibs, and perhaps, race shirts. Most runners hang onto the race bibs and medals as a keepsake to commemorate the races they’ve run.

But the medals hang on the end of a curtain rod on your bedroom and the bibs are pinned to the wall, or shoved in various shoe boxes and drawers around your house.

Below are some great ideas of how to display your accomplishments! (more…)

Low ferritin and iron deficiency anemia in distance runners: A scientific guide for athletes and coaches.

When I see a runner getting fatigued early on in workouts or struggling mightily in races for no good reason, there’s one potential cause I always consider first: low iron. Iron deficiency is a significantly underdiagnosed problem in distance runners. Low levels of hemoglobin in the blood, or low levels of the iron storage protein ferritin, can have a profoundly negative impact on your ability to have successful workouts and races.

Hemoglobin is the main building block for red blood cells, which carry oxygen from your lungs to your muscles. If you don’t have enough hemoglobin, you can’t make enough red blood cells, and as a result, your distance running performance will suffer. Furthermore, research and practical coaching experience suggests that low ferritin levels can cause poor performance, even when hemoglobin levels are normal.

We’ll take a close look at the science behind low iron and distance running performance, then analyze the best ways to treat and prevent iron deficiency in runners. (more…)

You head out the door for an eight-mile run. Right from the start, your energy level is down, and your legs feel heavy.  After 2 miles of uncharacteristic drudgery, you stop-then jog and walk home.

What’s the problem?

Could be low iron. Iron is vital to running and performance.
Despite this importance, many runners do not monitor their body’s iron levels. Even many physicians do not understand the complete role of iron for endurance athletes. (more…)

A runner’s best friend

The most important equipment for a cross country athlete is a good pair of running shoes.

There are a variety of shoes to choose from and it can become very confusing trying to select a shoe. The following tips will be helpful when selecting a pair of running shoes.

1. Communicate your needs – tell the salesperson you are a beginning runner and are looking for a distance running shoe for the sport of cross country (you do not want a cross-training shoe). You will be running on a variety of surfaced (asphalt, cement, grass, dirt, etc.) and will be running between 15-30 miles a week. (more…)

This routine will increase energy, mood, alertness and productivity during the day not just for workouts but for your other activities. It will keep your appetite and sugar cravings under control and prepare you for a night of restful sleep.

Time meals and snacks 2-3 hours prior to exercise

Eat “good” carbs every 3-4 hours

After a moderate to hard exercise, eat a snack with carbohydrates (more…)

Calcium: 1-3 servings (1 cup of milk or yogurt per serving), low fat cottage cheese, skim or 1% milk, soy milk, plain yogurt with active/live cultures

Protein: 5 servings (2-4 oz per serving or 1 cup of beans), fish 3-5 times per week, high quality protein twice a day, whey protein for recovery, bean based meals like bean burrito, no skin poultry, fish, legumes

Vegetables: 3 servings, dark green daily, colorful vegetable or fruit daily, always have vegetable (veggie in a sandwich is good but not enough) at lunch and dinner (more…)

Definition: GI (glycemic index) is a measure of the ability of 50 gms of carbohydrate within a food to raise blood sugar. For example, 50 gms of pure glucose, 1 cup of ice cream, 5 cups of whole milk and 7 carrots are compared.

Factor affecting glycemic index:

The amount and rate of carb consumption (how fast and how much)

The simultaneous presence of fat (fat deceases the glycemic response) (more…)

Dehydration: feeling unwell, dark color or strong smelling urine, low energy during training, high resting heart rate, constipation, lower VO2 max, thirst, chapped lips, muscle cramps

Low Carbohydrate Diet: poor sleep, sugar cravings, irritability, feeling flat during training, not recovering after a workout, general fatigue, frequent infections/illness

Hypoglycemia: sugar craving, nausea, irritable, foggy, lack of concentration, shakiness, aggression and headaches

Low Protein Diet: frequent infections, low energy, sleepy, susceptible to injury, poor recovery (more…)

Mild exercise – 30-45 min of easy running to get blood flow to muscles without stress.

Hydrate with 16-24 oz of water depending on weather and your weight

Cold Water immersion – immediately after exercise if possible

Elevate legs over heart for 3-4 min before bed and first thing in the morning

Moderate to hard exercise – workout was hard but not exhausting. For example, track workout of 6x 800 or a 90+ min run that was moderately hard. (more…)

Uniforms

1. Each athlete will be issued a uniform and sweat suit from the athletic department.

2. Athletes are responsible for the uniform and sweat suit. If anyone loses or damages a uniform or pair of sweats, he must pay for replacements.

3. Proper care is to wash the uniform and sweats in cool water with a mild detergent by themselves. Do not put the uniform and sweats in a dryer – they must be air-dried. Do not use bleach when washing the uniforms and sweats. (more…)