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Hitting Half Hillcrest’s Hills

2/15/2012

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“The time has come…to say fair’s fair…to pay the rent…to pay our share…da da de dum“…go the lyrics of Midnight Oil’s 80s one hit wonder. Eish! Those were the days of pink shirts for guys, oversized sunglasses and the Walkman! Hmmm…It seems that nothing’s changed…besides maybe the walkman (which was always politically incorrect – it should have been Walkperson). It’s now been replaced by iPod, iPhone, and iPad…which I can well imagine future generations will also be clambering to rename.

But the bottom line is the time had finally come to get out there and do a real race. One of those ones where not only do you awake before the proverbial birds, but where you register, and get things pinned to you and join hundreds of other crazy runners doing the same thing. Stealth training is great…and we do loads of it…only appearing now and then to let our running friends know we still exist. But sometimes you have to do the real thing.

So the sleep of the innocent was shattered by the shriek of the alarm at 3:45am heralding our first race of the year. Following my normal transition from coma to consciousness, I once more berated myself for deciding to do this, berated the race organizers for starting so early, berated the person who invented the clock for not increasing the number of hours in a day, and so on. Armed with the energy of this, I was soon leaping around doing the runner’s early morning dance…dress, toilet, snack…and espresso of course! We’ve got it to a fine art now, but as the brain only wakes up a few hours later it is vital that I refer to my master list to check its all done.

Dressed…shorts and top?…Check! Are you sure…both? Yep…Check!

Shoes on?….Check! (I’ve had dreams about leaving these…and after seeing people running without shoes the nightmare continues)

Socks on?…Yeah, should be if shoes are on but just be sure…Check!

Vaseline?…down low where things rub and on the moobs (man boobs)…Check!…double check otherwise this will certainly come back to bite!

Sunglasses?…check.

Sweatband?…I need this or else I have to run with my eyes closed, which may be preferable sometimes…Check.

Garmin Running watch?…so I know we are actually moving forward when we are running…Check

Running Pouch for keys?….Check! But it feels tighter than last time I wore it. It must have shrunk over the Christmas period…probably from getting wet.

Cell Phone?…so I can take photos of other crazy runners and phone a friend if I get lost or bored or tired…Check

Before long we’re following the stream of runners’ cars…obviously they’re runners because who else is crazy enough to be driving around dressed like they’re going to the beach at 4:30am?

There is something electric about the start of a race. The familiar sound of the announcer’s voice, the music, the hundreds of runners with bleary eyes, the laughter, the smell of Deep heat and overburdened chemical toilets. It’s just awesome…even if it is 4:45am! After the usual hurried scramble to register, interspersed with the normal criticism of how it should be faster, better, shorter, earlier, later…we’re off to the start. to join the growing throng of tightly clustered runners all waiting excitedly And before we know it the gun sounds, and like a laxative released load, the runners spew forth.

It’s always amazing, how minutes later the tide of humanity seems to stretch off into the dark distance. How did I end up so far back? What did they have for breakfast? Do they have an urgent appointment? All these thoughts clamour for attention as we bob and weave like Mohammed Ali through runners, walkers…and seemingly some sleep walkers.

I always admire the bastions of courage who man/woman…the first table. The avalanche of carbo-loaded runners hits them in a surging rush. Runners grapple and lunge for water and coke as though they’ve run hundreds of kilometers or been deprived of moisture since childhood. Quickly we skirt the writhing mass knowing with firm resolve that we can make it…it’s only be 15 minutes…we will survive.

Finally the human snake starts to stretch out as you settle into the pace of those who run sensibly…like we do…slow and enjoying the smell of the roses…or sweat and gaseous deposits, as there were no roses Winding our way down from Hillcrest towards Winston Park we’re rewarded with smiling supporters, beautiful leaf covered roads, and incredible houses…obviously only affordable by government officials. The sun finally dragging its bulk above the distant ocean washes the roads in orange as it drips its golden light through the trees.

The kilometers seem to fall away as we are swept up in the amazing journey of running with so many people. Before long we are heading back up the gentle but long hill towards Hillcrest. “21 turn, 42 straight” shouts the marshall…”Aah, it’s half this time…” I think to myself, as we turn into the stadium “Half the distance but twice the fun.”

Driving home I lean out the window and shout encouraging words to some family who’re just heading around for their second lap…words that every runner loves to hear…”You’re looking good…You’re nearly there”… And then we’re off towards home and the welcome embrace of a cool pool and another espresso. But in the back of my mind is the thought…”We will be doing our marathon in 2 weeks time.”

Oh well, that time has not yet come!

Also published on Runners World - 

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Start Running Today – Scientific Research Proves Running Boosts Your Immune System

2/12/2012

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There is nothing better than a strong immune system. It quite simply means that you get sick less often and when you get sick the symptoms are a lot less severe. And so in our quest to get a stronger immune system we turn to “magic cures”. This can be anything from special berries that claim magical properties to vitamin tablets and more. However while millions of dollars of advertising revenue push these wonder cures on us, very few are backed by scientific research. It’s one thing to have some doctor nodding his agreement in a million dollar commercial, it quite another to have hard research proving the claim appearing in an academic research journal.

However, unless you are academically minded and keen on spending hours trolling through verbose, complex research journals you are unlikely to find out what really works to boost your immune system. So understandably we rely on the TV commercial, and spend all our hard earned cash on the latest “wonder cure”. Yet hidden inside these complex journals are thousands of proofs showing what is the most effective way to boost your immunity. If you are a budding researcher head on over to Google Scholar and search for “running boosts immunity” and you will find all the proof you need. Here are some examples of the amazing research that is found in academic journals relating to how running easy is proven to be the most effective way to boost your immune system.

We live in a world of “no pain no gain” mentality. And so when it comes to getting fit, getting healthy and losing weight we assume there must be pain and suffering. However research shows that the adage “Less is More” applies when it comes to running. It’s all about running at an easy, comfortable pace. Not only is staying at a pace where you can hold a comfortable conversation best for weight loss and fitness it’s best for boosting your immune system.

If you are unfit your immune level is low. As you begin to run, your immune level increases. However once you put your body under stress, your immune level actually drops off.

Research published in the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that “moderate levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of UTRI (Upper Track Respirotry Infection)”. In English – moderate levels (running easy) of exercise will reduce the risk of illness. So, if you run easy you’ll get healthier. However, not running at all, and you are more likely to get sick. Over doing your running, and you’re more likely to get sick.

It all comes back to – “Less is More” – and with Running Easy it means More Health, More Fitness, More Life!

If you want to find out how to run in such a way that you maximize your immune system, then go and get the complete list of scientific reasons supporting the Running Easy approach. Get it NOW and Never Fear the Sneeze!

Research Sources

- Matthews, C E: Ockene, I S: Freedson, P S: Rosal, M C: Merriam, P A: Hebert, J R, “Moderate to vigorous physical activity and risk of upper-respiratory tract infection” in the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise





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