Passion IssUE
Embracing
a Healthy Lifestyle
Tips for Guys
Getting a Great Shave
Stiff Joints?
20 Ways to Keep You Moving
Meet Austin’s Dynamic Race Duo John Conley and David Grice Feb 2013
Paul and Meredith Terranova On His Grand Kona Slam And Other Labors of Love
Steele Taylor & Jason Miller, Bicycle Sport Shop Sales Staff at Walnut Creek Park
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Contents
Cover Stories F e at u r e s
02|13
26
52 Paul and Meredith Terranova
44
64
86
52
Austin’s Ultra Couple
26
44
Racing is Their Life
64
Smooth Operator
70
Introducing farro to your list of staples
John Conley and David Grice shape road racing in Austin
Shaving tips that will put your best face forward
What you can do about osteoarthritis
Hearty Beef Stew
8 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
Active Lives Vs. Aching Joints
86
Desiree's Passions Here's what lights up her training
photo by Brian Fitz simmons; Stacy Berg
et R d
Burn
SEDAN
Contents
02|13
D e pa r t m e n t s I n E v e r y Iss u e
94
Fuel
28 Combat Cancer
40 Why Run Across Texas?
84 AFM FITTEST
Good nutrition can help your cancer odds
Taking a look at one woman’s ultra odyssey
30 Mind over Matter
Look
Thoughtful eating can fuel performance
Live
32 Family Makes Fit
Mom’s enthusiasm converts the crew
36 The Whole Package
Couples who combine love, fitness, and work
68 Fit Finds
Featuring his and her goodies for a great date
74 Fitness and Family
How health impacts fertility
Train
82 Moving from Long to Epic
Austinite Russell Secker explains stage racing
14 From the Publisher 16 Letters to the Editor 20 Contributors
10 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
98 Coach Carrie
Special Section 78 Minimalist Shoe Review
What do running hills and ‘80s power ballads have in common?
100 AFMDC
New Highflyer Award recognizes improvement
90 Finding Balance on Your Bike
50
Avoiding the pitfall of overtraining
Feel
In Every Issue
88 Swimming: A Diagnostic Tool
Heeding anomalies in the lap lane
34 Learning to Let Go
Helping a child overcome developmental obstacles
Improvements to Team Division spice it up
92 Regaining Love
Taking a break to find passion again
94 Muscle Movement
Utilizing a partner doubles the fitness pleasure
22 WWW 24 Fit Focus 50 The Pulse
104 Events Calendar 106 Rides & Races 114 By the Numbers
photo by Brian Fitz simmons
PURE AUSTIN
race READY 2 0 1 3
S E R I E S
Pure Austin Endurance Mountain Bike Series 2.3.13 Dirty Dozen (6-hr or 12-hr)
Pure Austin Trail Running Series
Pure Austin Texas State Championship Adventure Race Series 4.20.13 Bluebonnet Adventure Race
7.2.13 San Juan Huts 200 (48-hr)
3.10.13 Eco Lonestar XTERRA (15k)
5.18.13 Muleshoe Bend Adventure Race
10.19.13 24 Hours of Rocky Hill (24-hr)
4.20.13 Bluebonnet XTERRA (15k)
6.1.13 Rock Dallas Adventure Race
11.23.13 Reveille Peak 100 (12-hr)
6.16.13 Gator Bait XTERRA (15k)
6.15.13 Gator Bait Adventure Race
for more info and registration, go to: www.pureaustin.com/race
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Letter From The PubLisher Publisher/CEO Louis M. Earle COO Alex Earle
Passion An elixir for living
O
ver the years, I’ve
written many times about the intensity that differentiates elite athletes and winners. Because AFM focuses on health and fitness, our examples have generally been of competitive performances, beating the odds, or overcoming extraordinary obstacles in order to demonstrate that great things could be accomplished when the results are desired bad enough. These inspirational and uplifting stories often proved that hard work and commitment could trump the luck of the draw. Sheer will, even when coupled with intellectual commitment and a strong hand, is not always enough to win the day. One magical ingredient that always seems to be in the recipe for success, satisfaction, and contentment is passion. Some great tag lines speak to the critical nature that emotions and desire play in our lives. “LiveStrong” tells how to face the challenges of cancer and prevail; “Just do it” drives us to act; and “Be all that you can be” reminds us to stretch ourselves to our potential. But these are not intellectual directives; they are all about our attitudes and, more than that, they are designed to ignite our passion to act. While passion has many orientations, its heart involves a shift in the intensity of our behavior. Passion is a kind of ignited emotional adrenalin that results in a surge of energy, creating change within us and those we touch. We see it in every aspect of our lives: sports, entertainment, play, work, and relationships. It’s never dull and its influence can be staggering. Throughout my experiences, I’ve found that those with passion make the greatest contributions and the most impact. While not the only attribute at work, good things seem to happen when passion is partnered with other positive values. Folks with genuine passion are truly committed. They stay in the game until the end and, win or lose; 14 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F e b 2 0 1 3
they give it their best shot. They don’t whine, complain, or look for excuses; they just execute while maintaining a positive attitude. Their charisma attracts support, they lead by example, and they are just fun to be around. Passion, an elixir that makes life interesting, is also a two-edged sword and, like adrenalin, needs to be managed in a positive way. We all have choices about how we want to live, and finding the passions that drive us makes our lives meaningful and a positive force for change. In this issue, we explore many passions, as varied and interesting as the wonderful people we are delighted to bring to our pages. We hope you enjoy all of it passionately. Keep Austin Fit,
eDITOR in Chief Leah Fisher Nyfeler Art Director Weston Carls Assistant Art Director Sarah Schneider Director of Marketing & Communications Carrie Crowe Advertising Consultants Emily Nash, Amity Ponsetti Writers Carrie Barrett, Keith Bell, Robert Biard, Desiree Ficker, Carson Hooks, B. Shiva Mayer, Dacia Perkins, Alexa Sparkman, Diane Vives, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cregg Weinmann, Anne Wilfong Operations Assistant Jessica O’Brien Editorial Interns Devyn Bernal, Madie Leon Design Interns Whitney Fenzel, Melissa Warren General Inquiries info@austinfitmagazine.com Advertising Inquiries ads@austinfitmagazine.com
Lou Earle, Publisher, CEO PS: After a year and a half at Austin Fit Magazine, Melanie Moore, Editor in Chief, has left the company to pursue other interests. We want to thank Melanie for all her contributions to AFM and wish her all the very best in her new opportunity. We are delighted and excited to announce that Leah Fisher Nyfeler, Managing Editor, has agreed to assume this critical position as our new Editor in Chief. Leah has a long history with fitness and is well respected in journalistic circles as well as our Austin fitness community. She has engaged in an impressive list of diverse events and fitness challenges here and elsewhere and is indeed passionate about health and fitness. We look forward to Leah’s vision and contributions as we continue to grow and improve AFM for the benefit of our loyal readers and wonderful advertising clients.
Submissions ideas@austinfitmagazine.com fitfocus@austinfitmagazine.com Event Listings events@austinfitmagazine.com Subscriptions austinfitmagazine.com/subscribe 2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 220 Austin, TX 78705 p 512.407.8383 f 512.407.8393 Austin Fit Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any magazine employee or contributor. This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted. Austin Fit Magazine is the assumed name of its publisher, Louis M. Earle, who has no interest in the business of Denis Calabrese who operates an exercise program under the assumed name of Austin Fit, which trains individuals to improve their jogging or running skills to participate in marathons. The views, opinions and other representations published in Austin Fit Magazine are not those of Austin Fit or any of its directors, officers, employees or agents. Please recycle this magazine
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Letters To the editor
From the Editor
I
t’s with great pleasure and a good deal of passion that I step into the role of Editor in Chief at Austin Fit Magazine, and I think it’s fitting that I introduce myself here on the page where AFM interacts with you, our readers. While I came to sport later in life as an out-of-shape and harried mom of three kids under the age of six, I’ve managed to make up for lost time by immersing myself in a variety of activities over the last 20 years, primarily running (on road and trail) and triathlon and each at a range of distances, everything from sprint to Ironman to 100K. A native Austinite, I’ve come up through the
ranks from the free beginner groups at RunTex in the ‘90s to training groups with Austin’s incredible coaching talent to individual training for specific goals. I know what it’s like to be last and what it means to win awards, and I’ve experienced the heartbreak of injury and the disappointment of setbacks as well as the joy of accomplishment. Health and fitness permeate the very fabric of my life, and it’s possible I’ve crossed your path in a number of ways: as a member of clubs such as the Austin Runners Club and Hill Country Trail Runners; as a volunteer at all sorts of events, such as races, triathlons, school events, rec and high school
sports, and Austin Museum of Art tours as a docent, to list a few; as a coach for Rogue Running and Tri Zones Training; as a writer, most likely here on the pages of AFM’s magazine and website over the last year and a half. It’s with a great sense of pleasure and gratitude that I find myself able to mix my talents as a writer, proofreader, editor, and former secondary English and reading teacher with the love I have for moving and striving to better myself physically…while (always) enjoying the journey. I firmly believe that it’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle and all things are possible if the will and dedication are there. I
can’t wait to share with you the educational, inspiring, and fascinating stories to be found in the world of health and fitness here in Austin, and I thank the talented and dedicated team here at Austin Fit Magazine for trusting me with this charge. Don’t be a stranger, and I’ll see you on the trails and in the pages. Happy reading,
Leah Fisher Nyfeler Editor in Chief Twitter: @leahruns100
Excerpts from Reader Mail “I’d like to see more coverage of figure and fitness shows...It would be interesting to read how athletes prepare for the competitions and how the competitions work. Many women as well as men…would be interested in knowing who local leaders in the industry are and where to go for help….” Michele Ramos AFM: We’ve got plans for some exciting figure and fitness coverage with Monica Brant, so look forward to those pieces in upcoming issues and on the website. “I've noticed you haven't done recent articles on Austin's boxing community….” Krista Gullickson AFM: You’re right, Krista, and thanks for the suggestion. We appreciate our readers’ tips and ideas on sports and athletes to cover. Send ‘em in! “Can you explain why you think it's important to have a softball toss in the [AFM FITTEST] competition and how it relates to a person's fitness?” That’s an interesting question. Here’s an excerpt from test creator Diane Vives’ thoughtful response to Rouse: Thanks for the email and sharing your thoughts on the softball throw test. There are several things that were considered in choosing the test and keeping it in the competition. The movement pattern, motor control, and coordination used in throwing
involve a basic movement pattern that is used in many sports and lifestyle activities. Motor control and coordination are components of fitness and athleticism. Further, our goal as a team in deciding the tests was to choose a variety of tests that did not let one particular discipline in fitness or athletics dominate. (i.e., power lifter, body builder, runner, or a particular sport). Our hope is to identify the all-around fittest who shows competency in several categories but no one will dominate all the categories. As well as it allows all levels to compete and possibly do well and be successful somewhere in the competition…. And we did change the softball throw from best of five throws to ten throws. “Best of” Updates The AFM annual “Best of” awards were announced in the January issue. As happens, there were a few items that needed updating. Please visit austinfitmagazine.com for the latest version of the “Best of” story. And we’d like to point out two important corrections: (“Best Personal Trainer”) Michael O’Hara’s personal training website is WeAreAllAthletes.com (“Best Local Gym”) A separate entity from Camp Gladiator, Camp Gladiator Arena’s website is cgarenagroupfitness.com
AFM wants to hear from you! Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, AFM, 2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 220, Austin, TX, 78705. Email address is editors@austinfitmagazine.com. All letters should include the writer’s name, address (email included), and daytime phone number. We are unable to acknowledge or return unpublished letters. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
16 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
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Contributors Thank you to AFM’s contributors who make this magazine a worthy source of health and fitness information in Austin. #KeepAustinFit
Elizabeth haussler Elizabeth Haussler is a mom who loves endurance sports. Her last big adventure was a nine-mile swim in Lake Austin benefitting Colin's Hope. She is also the co-director of the Austin Autism Bike Ride, which will be held on Sunday, April 21, 2013. austinautismbikeride. org facebook.com/ austinautismbikeride Page 34
michael madison Michael Madison serves as an employee of the Gazelle Foundation and Race Director of Run for the Water. He has also been an assistant coach and business manager of Gilbert's Gazelles Training Group since 2008. Madison graduated from the University of Missouri in '07, garnering All-Big XII Track and Field honors as a 200/400 meter runner. Madison holds a Masters in Sports Management from Texas A&M University.
Courtenay verret
Parviz K. Kavoussi, M.D.
Courtenay Verret is a freelance writer in Austin who is obsessed with all things swimming. She spends most mornings in the pool with Pure Austin Coaching and is a member of the Colin's Hope Got2Swim team. When not in the water, Verret volunteers with her dog Boudreaux as a pet therapy team for Divine Canines.
Dr. Parviz Kavoussi is a specialty fellowship trained Reproductive Urologist in male fertility, men's sexual and hormonal health, and microsurgery practicing at Austin Center for Men's Health, part of Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Kavoussi is the editor in chief of Clinical Urologic Endocrinology: Principles for Men's Health, has written multiple publications, taught post-graduate courses, and sits on the American Society of Andrology Public Affairs and Policy Committee.
Page 52
@running_gazelle Page 44
austinmenshealth.com Page 74
Shahryar K. Kavoussi, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Shahryar Kavoussi, a boardcertified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist, grew up in Austin and practices at Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF, which provides the full range of fertility treatment options for couples who are trying to conceive. Dr. Kavoussi has contributed journal articles and book chapters on topics such as endometriosis and fertility, oocyte cryopreservation, and uterine fibroids' effects on fertility. austinfertility.com Page 75
Write for AFM Here’s how. Letters should include the writer’s name, address (email included), and daytime phone number as well as a short description (250 word max) of the article premise. Send to Story Ideas, AFM, 2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 220, Austin, TX, 78705. Email address is contributors@austinfitmagazine.com . Response time may vary greatly due to publishing dates. Detailed submission guidelines will be provided by AFM as appropriate.
20 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F e b 2 0 1 3
Submit FitFocus Photos Here’s how. Photos must be original artwork submitted in 300 dpi. Include credited photographer’s name, title of photo, and location in an email with the photo attachment. Email photos to fitfocus@austinfitmagazine.com . Images published in Austin Fit Magazine become the property of AFM.
J. Jody Kelly J. Jody Kelly, owner of Strengthmobile, is an ACE-certified personal trainer who conducts sessions in the homes of the elderly or disabled. She races triathlons, lifts weights, and takes Pilates mat classes. strengthmobile.com Facebook: JodyKelly Page 70
Russell secker Russell Secker lives, runs, race directs, and writes about running here in Austin, TX, and in London, England. His book Running Across Countries is available on amazon.com. secker.blogspot.com Page 82
what’s White-hot on the web
austinfitmagazine.com
Training Peaks Are you following Coach Carrie's training plan to prepare for the Austin American-Statesman Cap10K? Now, you can download our FREE Interactive Training Plan powered by Training Peaks. Receive daily emails with your workout for the day, log your miles and training time, track your nutrition, and monitor your fitness and performance trends as they change over time! Austin Fit Magazine and Training Peaks are taking you to the next level of performance. Sign up and view the Cap 10K training plan here: http://ow.ly/gSwWd
AFM FITTEST Registration is open and the discounted, early bird price is good until March 1. There are limited spots for the revamped Team Competition (for a detailed look at what’s new, visit page 84 in this issue). Need information on the exercises? Visit afmfittest.com and select the “Tests” tab on the drop-down menu. You’ll find videos and information on each of the ten tests that make up the 2013 AFM FITTEST. What you won’t find are clues about the two new mystery tests!
Web Exclusives
Sign up at www.afmfittest.com/register
@AustinFit Most Popular AFM Tweet: RT @AustinFit: Top notch fuel is necessary to do ur best, says @GWeberGale @AthleticFoodie, and his nutritionist agrees http://ow.ly/gHFeO
/AustinFitMagazine Most Popular AFM post: Happy Fit Friday! http://ow.ly/gPHCl Fit Finds giveaway: Need a special something for your Valentine but short on cash? You could win flowers and perfume in the AFM social media giveaway by sharing and commenting on the posted Facebook photo on February 13. The lucky guy or gal will be announced February 14, just in time to pick up this free gift at the AFM offices (2201 N. Lamar Blvd, Suite 220).
22 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F e b 2 0 1 3
Fit Couples
FEBRUARY 1 Austin is full of couples who’ve merged their passion for sport and each other into one happy lifestyle. Read more AFM fit couple profiles on the Web as a continuation of our print story. Train with Diane Vives and her Muscle Movement of the Month via video and fuel your fitness by following along with nutritionist Anne Wilfong as she prepares a hearty beef stew. February 11 Coach Carrie tells you how to tackle the ups and downs of the hilly Cap10K course in an instructional running video. You will find all of AFM’s video library on our newly revamped website at austinfitmagazine.com.
February 15 See what Olympian and AthleticFoodie Garrett WeberGale has cooking with his AFM exclusive healthy recipe. February 20 Ultrarunner Karl Meltzer took on the 100K at Bandera as part of the Montrail Ultra Cup, and AFM was there. See the photos and meet the world class endurance athlete. AFM Newsletter
Do you get the AFM weekly newsletter? Sign up to get information about upcoming events and interesting happenings. austinfitmagazine.com/subscribe
photo by Liz Kreutz
Fit Focus
Early run in the Lava Fields Alisia Lara, Moxie Multisport Athlete, in Kona, HI photo by Kurt Hoy
24 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
Send your active lifestyle photos to FitFocus@AustinFitMagazine.com for a chance to be published. Guidelines are provided in our Fit Focus photo album on Facebook.com/AustinFitMagazine
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Fuel Recipe
Warm and comforting, this beef stew recipe is easy to make and tastes great as leftovers the next day.
Did you know? Farro is a grain with a nutty flavor that is high in fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E.
Beef Stew By Anne Wilfong, R.D., L.D. & Alexa Sparkman, M.A., R.D., L.D.
Nutrition
What You Need
Calories 330 Fat 9 g Protein 17 g Carbohydrate 33 g Fiber 5 g Sodium 350 mg
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound lean beef stew meat, such as top round, cut into cubes 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 yellow onion, diced
How to Make it 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup red wine 4 cups low sodium beef broth 1 cup carrots, diced 2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed, about 2 ½ cups 1 cup farro
1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add beef in batches, browning each batch for about 7-8 minutes per batch, turning frequently. Transfer beef to a separate plate. 2. Add garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute. Add onion and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. 3. Add flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add wine and scrape up any brown bits on bottom of pot. 4. Add beef broth and browned beef to the stockpot, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 ½ hours. 5. Add carrots and potatoes and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add farro and simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until beef is tender. Makes approximately: 8 servings Serving Size: 2 cups
Nutritionists
Registered and licensed dietitians Alexa Sparkman and Anne Wilfong can provide reliable, objective nutrition information, separate facts from fads, and translate the latest scientific findings into easy-to-understand nutrition information. For more information about their nutrition counseling practice, contact Alexa or Anne at 512.257.0898 or SparkmanNutrition.com
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photo by Brian Fitz simmons
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Fuel Nutritionist
By Anne Wilfong, R.D., L.D.
Good nutrition plays an important role in cancer prevention and treatment
Healthy Choices and Cancer
W
orking with cancer patients has given me the opportunity to witness how nutrition can play a vital role in the prevention of cancer as well as improve outcomes during and after treatment. I have developed a particular interest in collaborating with cancer patients and my passion has only increased through the years. In “2012 Cancer Facts and Figures,” the American Cancer Society reports that “scientific evidence suggests that about one-third of the 577,190 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2012 will be related to overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition and thus could also be prevented.” Think about that: If your food and physical activity choices can affect your risk of developing cancer, how are you doing? The following are some of the modifiable lifestyle choices recommended by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR):
28 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F e b 2 0 1 3
If consumed at all, limit alcoholic beverage drinks to two for men and one for women per day.
You may be surprised to know America has even supersized the wine glass. Did you know that five ounces of wine is considered one serving? Try this experiment: Pour yourself a glass of wine as you typically would and then pour it into a measuring cup to see how much you are really serving yourself. People generally pour themselves between six and eight ounces each serving.
Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight. Aim for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9. If your BMI is over 24.9, even a ten percent weight loss can improve your health. Your waist circumference—not the tiniest part of your waist, but your waist measurement starting at the top of your hipbone— is also an important measurement. Women with a waist of 31.5 or more and men with a waist of 37 inches or more are at a higher risk.
Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.
The good news is that shorter bursts of activity also count toward this goal, so the excuse “I only have 15 minutes” isn’t going to cut it anymore. Combining 15 minutes of exercise in the morning with 15 minutes in the evening still get you to a 30-minute total.
Avoid sugary drinks and limit consumption of energy-dense foods. Sugary drinks are EVERYWHERE, and they aren’t limited to just soft drinks; flavored waters, teas, and sports drinks can all add calories without adding nutritional value. Read the label carefully and, if you choose to consume juice, opt for 100 percent fruit juice and limit your intake to six to eight ounces per day.
Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes such as beans.
A plant-based diet, with two-thirds of your plate being vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans, is ideal. Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and romaine lettuce are high in carotenoids and flavonoids. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower are sources of vitamin C, folate, and fiber. For a meat-free meal, try roasting some cruciferous vegetables and serving them with whole wheat pasta tossed in a light pesto sauce.
Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats. Yes, pork is considered a red meat by the AICR. Red and processed meats have been linked to colorectal cancers. AICR’s recommendation is to eat less than 18 ounces per week of red meat and to eat processed meats such as bacon, ham, pastrami, salami, hotdogs and sausages as little as possible.
Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).
Use salt sparingly when you cook; if you choose whole, natural foods, you won’t have a problem staying under the 2400-mg of sodium per day recommended by the AICR. Processed foods are loaded with salt and this has been linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer.
Don’t use supplements to protect against cancer. Getting your nutrients through food is the best way. We are still learning about when foods are eaten in their natural state. Supplements won’t necessarily provide the synergistic effects they guarantee.
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LIFT YOUR SEAT TONE YOUR THIGHS BURN FAT IN RECORDBREAKING TIME.
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Don’t chew or smoke tobacco.
No explanation needed. There are so many things you can do now to reduce your risks of developing cancer, and all the recommendations above may reduce your chance of becoming obese and or developing diabetes. If you find you have a lot of changes to make, start small, pick one area to work on, and go from there. For more information, visit AICR.org and cancer.org. AFM
F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 2 9
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Fuel AthletE
Mindful Eating Overeating may lead to underperforming
By Garrett Weber-Gale
T
ime and time again I’ve seen a mentality that many athletes have when it comes to food: entitlement. Working upwards of two, three, even five hours a day does require a lot of nourishment. However, we all need to be careful of overkill when it comes to eating. Yes, I’m sure you have all heard about the incredible amounts that some athletes, especially swimmers, “can” eat. Maybe you are a swimmer yourself, triathlete, cyclist, basketball player, or even a skier. Chances are that, no matter what sport you play, it can be easy to overeat, which in turn could have a negative impact on your performance. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that, just because you work out hard and for a long period of time, you’re entitled to eat whatever you want and still attain the highest level of athletic performance. As a collegiate swimmer at the University of Texas, I was one of many student athletes who took the dining room by storm. It was almost a sense of pride to be able to load my tray up with as much food as possible. I distinctly remember leaving the dining hall on more occasions than not feeling bloated, stuffed to the brim, and lethargic. This was a time in my early elite athletic career
when I didn’t really know much about nutrition or fueling for performance. Nor did I have any clue how much sodium, fat, sugar, and preservatives were probably in much of the food I was eating. My physique was a bit soft and there’s no way my body was getting its best chance to perform with the food I was giving it. Luckily I have learned a critical lesson over the years about how much and how often to eat. In 2005 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and hence began my pursuit in the kitchen to refine my nutrition. After dozens of nutritionist appointments, countless articles and books read, and much trial and error, I’ve come to a way of working and living with food that has made a huge difference in my performance. Here’s my main rule when it comes to how much I eat: Eat until you feel good, not until you feel full. It’s better to come back and refuel yourself an hour or two hours later than to leave a meal feeling bogged down by the amount of food eaten. I eat when I am hungry and stop when I feel satisfied, not full. Calories, calories, calories. After the Michael Phelps story of eating 10,000 calories per day came out, everyone wanted to know how many calories I ate, and better yet,
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how many calories they should eat. Answers: I have no idea, and there’s no set number. Forget looking at the number of calories and start looking at what kind of calories you’re eating to provide yourself with vital nutrients. Whether you’re burning 2,000, 4,000, or 9,000 calories per day, consuming that amount of calories back in junk foods may restore the “energy” while not giving you essential fuel that benefit your mental and physical performance. Jess Kolko is a contributing nutritionist to AthleticFoodie, the healthy living business I started. Here’s what Jess had to say about the potential negative effects of overeating: “No matter if you are overeating with fat, carbohydrates, or protein, your body turns excess calories into fat for storage. While this storage may be good for a swim across the English Channel, it’s not so good for maximum performance in most of the events you’ll be competing in. Extra fat storage means extra pounds, and putting them on is a lot easier than getting them off. Also, a few extra pounds here and there add up over time. This excess weight can lead you down a path to chronic disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased fasting blood sugars, and even all the way to heart disease and diabetes. Garrett’s right: Eat until you
feel like you are no longer hungry. However, this can be a bit harder than it seems. It means really being in tune with your body’s hunger and fullness cues. To tap into these feelings, first things first—slow down and remove distractions. Sit at the table with your food portioned on a plate, turn off the TV, and put away your phone, computer, book, or magazine. Take time to focus on what you’re doing—eating to nourish your body and fuel your training. Stop after a little while and check in again; are you eating just to clear your plate or are you already satisfied? Learning to eat mindfully takes time but, in the long run, it’s worth it. Being conscious and in touch with what you’re eating helps you enjoy food more and slows you down to savor. You will even learn to stop when you’re no longer hungry—not when you’re stuffed.” Next time you sit down for a meal, really think about what Jess described. Don’t immediately assume your body needs a ton of food just because you’re an athlete. We need to listen to our body cues while training to help adjust our workouts to what our body is telling us, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t listen to these cues while eating as well. Thoughtful consumption of food will make a huge difference in both how you feel and in your athletic performance down the road. afm
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Heart of the Family
Mom’s fitness example adapts and inspires By Carson Hooks
O
ne of the wonderful things about young children is how unabashedly they exude qualities we long to see in ourselves. Exuberance for someone or something is never fabricated. That regulator is not yet in place that will someday encourage them to weigh others’ opinions/judgment before deciding what they enjoy. Self-censoring and acting out of obligation haven’t entered the picture. They wear their little hearts on their little sleeves. And our little ones are passionate about almost everything. The passion pecking order may shuffle quite regularly, but they don’t approach things half-heartedly, whatever the game or puzzle or attempt to color between the lines. Their passion and enthusiasm is innate and unbridled. We cynical, jaded parents can scarcely replicate its intensity (and certainly not its breadth). We have adapted over the years and have learned to narrow our scope—a more efficient and more practical approach to life. But there are exceptions. Not quite a year ago, I mentioned, in this space, while introducing my family to the AFM readership, my wife’s passion for fitness. Julia still approaches fitness and an active lifestyle with childlike enthusiasm and intensity. These are her passion. I would say this passion used to be reserved primarily, if not completely, for running. But, as much as she still loves and craves her runs, I’ve witnessed her passions expand to incorporate more and more forms of activity. Becoming a personal trainer probably had something to do with this. Achieving her certification unlocked her creative fitness side as she conceived of more and more options for pairing cardio and weights into efficient, exhaustive workouts. Her inability to run quite as frequently also
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played a part. The pounding of five/six days a week was wearing down her knees and tiring out her legs. So she has incorporated more swimming and biking, revitalizing her body (and her running). But the introduction of kids into our universe has factored in heavily as well. If necessity is the mother of invention, can it also sire passion? Julia loves a brisk jaunt to the playground with our brood, followed by climbing, swinging, and games of chase. She now has almost as much passion for running or rollerblading alongside scooters and a jogger as she has for a solitary run. Splashing in and running from waves with the kiddos is embraced nearly as much as a long, impact-free swim. All this passion is contagious. I like to think our kids turn it up another notch when they feel Mommy’s enthusiasm. And between her passion and their passion, I really don’t stand much of a chance. The last thing I want to be is the house-bound anchor dragging everyone else down. My enthusiasm and passion for a life of activity has indeed blossomed. And my scope has widened rather than narrowed. I may very well be worn out after the fact, but I can crave an intense round of tennis or racquetball and still come home geared-up for an inter-generational trampoline smackdown. And then cycle Davis and Hudson through pitch after pitch of batting practice with their miniature Louisville Sluggers. Why must we always conserve and allocate? My family knows not how to operate that way and I am glad of it. Long live the days of spreading our passion thin. afm
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Training Wheels
Facing fear, no matter your size By Elizabeth Haussler
M
y son has a complicated relationship with his bike, which I think he got from me (along with my freckles and my let-me-eat-breakfastbefore-you-talk-to-me-in-the-morningness). Not long ago I had one of those days that can only be described as unexpectedly perfect. Both of my sons had been moody, grumpy, uncooperative and just not a pleasure to be around. I had been trying to get things done and was getting frustrated when my 5-year-old said, "Wook. We need to ride." The sidewalk around our house is uneven and lately they had been bumping into each other. At times, it seemed like this was on purpose. We would need more room to ride. I looked at the two bikes, my 5-year-
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old's red one and my 8-year-old's blue one, looked at the bike rack on the back of my car, and thought, "Now, what would MacGyver do?" I grabbed a blue rope we had used for who knows what and wrapped it around the seat and the stem of my older son's bike, creating a blue rope crossbar. I lifted it up onto the bike rack. Success. I took the blue bike back down and examined the red bike. I started pulling stuff out of my trunk: my swim bag with pull buoy, kickboard, fins; the tri bag with my helmet and cycling shoes; the bag of emergency pants every parent of a preschooler has stashed somewhere in the car; the first aid kit I put together the night before I went to watch my first road race. Thinking of the boys, I put the first aid kit back into the trunk.
It’s like Bike Tetris, I thought—if I tilted the red bike just right, I could fit it in and still close the trunk. Success. With both the bikes secured, I threw on my running shoes, loaded the boys and some drinks and snacks into the car, and headed for a nearby park where a paved path wound through the woods and provided ample riding room. It was like finally being able to exhale as the boys set out while I jogged behind them. I was so happy I stopped to snap a picture of them pedaling away. Later, I posted that picture online and was stung by one person's response: "Isn't it time to lose the training wheels?" My older son has Asperger's Syndrome, a kind of autism, and it sometimes catches me off guard to realize that people don't see the
same thing I see when I look at him. He is tall for his age and is riding the largest size bike that I could get training wheels to fit. When I look at that picture I took, I see my boys riding side by side, not fighting, and just enjoying each other's company as they pedal through a beautiful afternoon. I don't even see the training wheels. I also see a very brave boy who worked for months with an occupational therapist to learn to move his feet, one at a time, to pedal a tricycle. I see a boy who worked for months to learn to balance on a balance beam, who worked for months to get up the courage to slide down a slide. I see a boy whose brain sometimes sends him messed up signals about where he is in space. I see a boy for whom the world is often too loud, too fast, and too unpredictable. I don't see training wheels. The fact of the matter is, though, that he is growing up and outgrowing the kind of bike that will fit training wheels. Recently, his occupational therapist asked for a list of things for them to work on that were still troublesome; I wrote down "buttoning pants," "opening a snack package," and "training wheels." While we were in the waiting room, my son asked to see the list. He read it over solemnly, ripped it in half, and threw it into the trash. We had tried taking off the training wheels a couple of years ago. It was a disaster. He got on the bike, felt wobbly, and flew into a rage. Feeling off-balance is one of my son’s biggest fears. It shakes him to the core. He screamed at me to put the training wheels back on and swore he would never ride his bike again. He kept his word and did not ride that bike ever again. When my younger son got his first bike with training wheels a few years later, my older son begged to share it. The seat was adjustable so I spent a couple of weeks raising and lowering it, depending on who wanted to ride. My younger son, who has a very generous soul, tolerated his brother using his prized possession until, one day, he decided enough was enough: "That's it!" he yelled. "That guy needs to get his own bike!" My older son said he didn't want a bike because he would never ride a bike without training wheels. I did some research and found one that, while so large it just barely fit him, could still accommodate having training wheels installed for a little bit extra. I went by myself to the bike shop to explain the situation.
I think years of having a child who can have a meltdown at the worst possible time in the most public setting has made me almost immune to what people think or say. And by “meltdown,” I don't mean throwing a fit because he wanted a toy; I mean full on screaming, kicking, biting, and practically turning into a wild child, one who is immune to all bribes, threats, and reasoning due to sensory overload from buzzing fluorescent lights, change in routine, getting jostled, and having something loud and unexpected happen. I say “almost immune” because my voice did quaver a bit as I as explained to the bike shop guy why I needed training wheels on such a big bike and why I couldn't just get the kid-sized mountain bike that would grow with a him a little bit but wouldn't fit any training wheels. So, now, here we are with a bike that isn't going to fit for much longer. We are at the end of the road, as it were, with training wheels. My son's occupational therapist has a new plan involving balance training using a scooter that she says has worked with older kids who learned to ride their bikes. I am optimistic. My son, however, doesn't want to try it and swears he will never, ever ride a bicycle without training wheels. So I will do what I usually do; I will tell him we are going to his therapy. I will coerce—if not outright push—him over this hump. It's only fear. On a recent cycling workout, I was joined by one of the group's ride leaders. He pedaled alongside me, explained the turns we would be making, and reminded me to slow down and keep my wheels perpendicular to the railroad tracks we were crossing. I hadn't been on my bike in a while and admitted I was nervous; having my shoes clipped to my wheels—being attached to the bike for better or worse—is still a little bit unnerving, especially when it's time to stop at a light or stop sign. I said, "I haven't been riding for a while and it turns out riding a bike isn't just like riding a bike." He laughed and said, "No it isn't, is it?" In a way, I think everyone has something he or she can only do with the training wheels on. It is hard to leave your comfort zone, whether it's walking into a restaurant or an event alone or completely changing your routine to fit in something new. Sometimes it's easier with the added safety of training wheels but watching my son has made me determined not to miss out on anything just because I'm afraid I might fall. afm F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 3 5
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Fitness + Passion = Love
Austin’s fitness power couples have the whole package By Devyn Bernal and Madie Leon
Danielle Famolare and Carey Rouse
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photo by Paul Marcus
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Danielle Famolare and Carey Rouse
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Owners of Group4Fitness
W
hen Danielle Famolare and Carey Rouse found each other via Match. com three years ago, sparks flew instantly. “There was an automatic physical attraction, which was important to both of us,” Rouse explained. “Before, I had dated people who didn’t work out like I did and if they didn’t go [to the gym], I wouldn’t go.” The fit pair hits the gym together for most workouts but warns against trying to keep up with your partner. Their advice: “Train at your own pace, and race your own race,” as constantly competing can create unnecessary tension. They should know: the two started training and competing after they began dating. Famolare tried her first competition two years ago and did so well she eagerly encouraged her beau to give a try. “I had to convince him to do it with me,” Famolare stated. “He wasn’t interested in the diet.” (Rouse joked that he still doesn’t follow the diet.) Competing together made training more fun. “Being there for each other as a motivation is important,” Famolare explained. “It’s a really tough struggle when you have a partner who isn’t supportive.” Rouse agreed: “As hard as it is to be physically active when your partner isn’t physically active, it’s about four times as hard when you’re trying to diet and eat healthy.” They’ve recently taken their partnership into business; Famolare and Rouse see their company as another expression of their love for fitness, and they joked about the business benefits of their physiques. “We can’t walk into a public without somebody challenging her to an arm wrestle,” Rouse joked. “She’s like a walking billboard.” “We’re laughing,” Famolare rejoined, “but it’s actually true.”
s
s r y C la s s e
m o l P ro g ra H ig h S c h o s te L e s s o n
Did you know?
Danielle Famolare placed in the top five in her division for figure modeling at NPC in Texas and Carey Rouse is also an NPC physique competitor, placing in the top three for his division in Texas
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Veronica Castelo and Sarah Lowenstein
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Veronica Castelo was a producer for Austin News 8 and Sarah Lowenstein was the 2001 Illinois State Wrestling Girls Champion in the 108 lb. division
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eronica Castelo and Sarah Lowenstein began their relationship on a fit note; their first date date was a run around the lake, which revealed that the two were more equally matched than Lowenstein had expected. “I wanted to make sure Veronica could hang, and she ended up whooping my butt,” Lowenstein remarked. “It was definitely on from there.” Outside of the initial attraction, an obvious desire for making health a priority runs deep in the relationship. Both volunteer and work with charities in Austin that focus on health issues like childhood obesity. As for health being a priority in their own lives, Lowenstein explained they get pretty creative: “We really have fun trying new classes, boot camps, or athletic events together. We’ve already participated in several of the same races, and we plan to compete in the Couple’s Tri.” Inside and outside of the gym, the pair manages to make workouts a priority: “Living in Austin, there are so many great social events within the fitness community that it is easy to kill two birds with one stone and get in a great workout while simultaneously spending quality time with the person you love,” Lowenstein said. Castelo explained that a healthy relationship comes from more than just the work inside the gym: “It’s all about balance. I love to work and workout, and maintaining a healthy relationF E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 3 7
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ship is equally important to me. We make sure to find time for each other—sometimes that means working out together and sometimes that means being totally lazy together. You need both!” These successful professionals clearly reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, but what's the best part? They replied, “We both consistently look and feel great. It’s as simple as that. When you live a balanced, healthy lifestyle, you nurture an inner confidence that can weather any storm. When both people in a relationship have that, together they are even better equipped to tackle anything life throws their way.”
come first, the business a distant third or fourth, and the training, unfortunately, last.” Eighteen years of marriage is evidence that their balance has been successful. The Prusaitis' biggest piece of advice for couples: Keep it fun and simple, and keep your priorities straight. Joyce said, “You are each more important than any fitness goals, or anything else.”
“Those types of experiences add joy, memories, and intimacy to any healthy relationship.” Cleveland and Fisher encourage other couples seeking fitness to be supportive and patient with each other and—most of all—enjoy their time together.
Andrea Fisher and Jamie Cleveland Owners of Hill Country Running, Texas Iron
John and Stacey Conley Owners of Conley Sports Production Did you know?
Did you know?
Fisher has five Ironman swim course records and Cleveland is a former Canadian National Champion
Joe and Joyce Prusaitis Owners of Tejas Trails Did you know?
Joe has run 82 ultramarathons
J
oe and Joyce Prusaitis, owners of Tejas Trails, have been keeping fit together for almost twenty years. “We met on Town Lake Trail, both of us training for our first marathon, back in 1992,” Joe began. “I have always been attracted to fit, athletic women, but it was her smile that won me over.” The running couple has raised six children and now spoil four grandchildren, but they continue to maintain the stamina to work out and live a healthy lifestyle. As much as they enjoy training together, the couple knows that relying on a fitness routine is not enough to keep a relationship strong. “We’ve been around long enough to know what is important, and blindly sticking to a plan is not near as important as so many other things,” said Joe. “Life throws quite a few curves and we have learned to adapt.” Fitness is obviously important for the ultramarathon runners; they simply believe a healthy body, spirit, and attitude are all tied together. Joyce thanks their active lifestyle for keeping her and Joe connected and teaching them how to comfortably disagree. Where's the time for romance with business demands and extensive workouts? Their secret is prioritization: “We 38 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
A
ndrea Fisher and Jamie Cleveland began dating after the Half Ironman in Mexico over thirteen years ago. While Fisher was struggling in the heat, Cleveland ran by in an “itsy bitsy red Speedo,” and that was all the motivation Fisher needed to finish. She didn’t win her heat that day, but eleven years of marriage can count as a win for the Ironman. Several years afterward, the fit pair asked themselves this question: If you enjoy someone’s company and enjoy your line of work, why not combine the two? Now, the triathletes spend their time training together, raising their daughter, keeping up with Hill Country Running, and coaching for the Texas Iron. Being a busy working mom and wife doesn’t leave Fisher much extra time in the day, so being able to spend her workout time with her husband is a bonus. “We bike, swim, and run together, but we are also respectful of each other when we need to do our own thing,” she said. “The times we do workout together are great bonding moments and we truly appreciate them.” The gym is not their only source of romance, however; the couple strives to arrange a date night several times each month. “We get a babysitter for our daughter and unplug from everyone for a night,” Cleveland explained. “It’s sometimes hard to do, but we always make it a priority.” The busy couple vacations in Colorado, plays hard on the beaches of Hawaii, or hikes the greenbelt with their daughter and pups, as Fisher explained,
John was a member of the All-U.S. Army Europe Cross Country Team ('77) and Stacey founded Marathons of Texas
J
ohn and Stacey Conley met in 2000 when Stacey was working in event planning for Motorola and John was hired to run the company’s marathon. “He was a genuine, nice guy and I liked hanging out with him,” Stacey said. “Fitness had nothing to do with it!” However, that Motorola connection led to a relationship closely tied to running, particularly marathon running and event planning for races across the country. The close quarters at work give a bit of an advantage. “There’s always time for romance,” Stacey insisted, “even if it’s just a quick smooch as we pass each other in the office.” Another advantage is traveling to exotic places all over the world; they even got engaged at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Ireland. The Conleys’ shared workspace and fitness goals have provided an outlet for positive expression. “We’re supportive of each other and proud of each other,” Stacey said. “I’d say that’s good for a marriage.” While they can be found working out together, the two emphasize the importance of doing what suits your own needs. “Being truly fit is an attitude as much as it is something physical,” John explained. “Be patient and know that like being an athlete, relationships take time and if done right, will last forever.” Fourteen years later, there is obviously some value to be put into the couple’s advice. “It took me a year to get the courage to ask her out. But in a way I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t with her.” AFM
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It’s No Across One woman’s look at the Napoleon Ult ra
By Leah Fisher Nyfeler
Waltz
s Texas FINISH Paris, Tx. 38.3 miles
Sulphur Springs, TX
45.4 miles
Canton, TX
26.4 miles
Athens, TX 36.8 miles
Palestine, TX
34 miles
Groveton, TX 27 miles
START Moscow, TX
The East Texas scenery rolled out ahead; the exact location, a roadside rest area on Route 19, approximately 9 miles from the Love Civic Center in Paris, TX. For December, the day was unseasonably hot and the sun shone brightly on the sparsely populated, divided roadway. In the distance, a lone runner clad in an orange fluorescent shirt and black shorts came into view, making her way past the scrubby pasture land and smatterings of oak and pine. The runner is Rachel Wasilewski, a young woman from Wallingford, CT, and she is competing in the Napoleon Ultra, her first staged race. This balmy Friday afternoon is the final segment, Day Seven, and the rest area ahead, the last aid station before the finish line, marks mile 221 of the 230-mile run from Moscow to Paris. Wasilewski moved with a steady, shuffling gait and, after reaching the car, bent over, hands on knees, as the two volunteers welcomed her. She gave a few quick gasps—maybe they were sobs—groaned, and sank down into the camp chair provided, handing her hydration vest to be refilled while she ate the food she’d packed that morning, some 30 miles and many hours ago. The two volunteers moved with quiet, practiced efficiency, gently offering fruit and a variety of snacks to the weary woman. Wasilewski focused on her mix of nutrition and asked a few questions about the stretch ahead and the other runners, all of whom were ahead of her. She was not looking forward to the next hours. Her legs and feet hurt; all that was keeping her going was her desire to GET THIS DONE and stop. After only a few moments, she stood up, stretched her legs, and, after collecting a hug and encouragement from the crew, shuffled off down the shoulder of the road. Wasilewski, along with the other eight runners who took on the new Texas stage race, finished that day. The journey took
her a total of 53 hours (while she finished last on that final day, she wasn’t the slowest runner; two Frenchmen had totals in the 57-hour range). It says a lot about the nature of this particular sect in the religion of long distance running that all those who had completed the course waited for Wasilewski to come in; the winner, Jenni de Groot (Netherlands), had been done for almost four hours that day yet, when it was reported that Wasilewski was approaching, de Groot hopped on a bike and cycled off to escort her for the final mile or two. The rest of the runners made their way to the roadside, scanning anxiously; the cry arose—“There she is!”—and cheers of “allez, allez” broke out among the multilingual crowd. After Wasilewski rang the finishers’ bell, all crowded around, taking pictures and giving hugs as though she’d been the first one to finish and they merely spectators. Wasilewski, a therapist, yoga teacher, and mother, is no stranger to running and endurance events. She’s done half and full Ironman-distance triathlons, several 50K (31 miles) races, marathons, and hiked the 250-mile John Muir trail over three weeks. But she had never done a stage race, a running event that lasts several days and usually covers marathon to ultra distance (anything beyond 26.2 miles) each day. Unlike the other runners in the event, Wasilewski had never met race director Russell Secker; she’d never been to Texas. Like Secker, who’d come across stage racing through a book and become fascinated, Wasilewski had become enamored with the idea of taking one on and decided to give it a try; the new Napoleon Ultra fit both her budget and her vacation allotment. She later gave her reasoning for taking on the distance in her blog: “I wanted to push the physical limits of my body, to see what it is that I’m capable of… I needed to have time to be with myself. I needed to have a time for thought, a time for no thought, a time for meditation.” What she got was “seven days of running meditation, an endeavor that broke down and through my physical body to the heart of raw, pure emotion; down to my bare soul of what is true and real.” Rachel Wasilewski stood out at the kick-off luncheon at the French Legation in Austin. She was the youngest of the runners at 30 and looked even younger, like a fresh-faced schoolgirl. She laughed to say that just a few days before, she’d run at home in a snow storm and she’d travelled that day wearing a down coat, so the more than 70 degree temperature in Texas was quite a contrast. The international runners were all in their 50s and 60s; she could easily have passed for someone’s daughter. Wasilewski stood apart in her dietary restrictions as well; being vegan, the pizza with cheese didn’t work. As one with gluten issues, the bread was out. She passed on the wine. She explained that she’d anticipated nutritional issues and had packed her own food for the entire trip. While she was excited and full of anticipation about starting, there was a bit of fear (had she prepared enough?) and awe (the rest of the runners had an incredible amount of experience, some with hundreds
of ultra stage events) in the mix. After lunch and Secker’s race presentation, Wasilewski set off with the group for the drive to Crockett and promised to stay in touch. Each night, Wasilewski wrote in a journal, even though she was dead tired; afterwards, she was glad she’d forced herself to complete the exercise. “Each day was different yet the same,” she reminisced in a follow-up phone conversation, a month after finishing. “The days seemed so long yet they went by so fast,” she said, and details blurred: “Time gets warpy.” While she remembers things, she’s not always sure exactly on what day they happened. Wasilewski recalled de Groot passing her once, stopping, and then coming back to hug her; another day, Rob Secker, the race director’s son and primary aid station volunteer, saved her a banana and walked beside her for a comforting amount of time. These little acts took on big significance as her body and spirit sank under the grueling effort. The hours on the road alone were a mental challenge (for safety’s sake, there was no distracting iPod and the small group was often dispersed over miles). For the first two days, her mind was busy with random things and the runner spent a lot of time thinking about what she had to eat up ahead and doing “bad math” regarding mileage. Finally, Wasilewski’s mind quieted and she reached the point where “all I’m doing is running,” the destination she’d been seeking all along. Looking back, Wasilewski mused that there is no real way to train for this experience. The seasoned runners offered simple nuggets of wisdom here and there: don’t go out too fast because you can hurt yourself; don’t go out too slow because you can hurt yourself; listen to your body. Secker pulled her aside to inquire, “What are you doing for your feet?” He recommended coating them in Vaseline each day; Wasilewski took the advice and had no blisters “but my feet are peeling in sheets now,” she laughed ruefully. De Groot offered comments that touched Wasilewski immensely: “Jenni was very humble and kind. I would hear her coming up behind me (the faster runners started last each day and gradually caught up to those ahead). One time, when I was hurting, she said to me, ‘I would do this for you if I could, but I can’t—you have to do this on your own,’ which was somehow an assurance. And then, on the last day, she told me as she rode next to me on the bike, ‘Think of your family, how proud they’ll be,’ as I struggled to finish the last miles.” The run took a toll physically; afterwards, Wasilewski’s body was full of fluid and she suffered from night sweats and interrupted sleep. She felt hip and knee pain, which she largely chalked up to the steep camber encountered on the shoulders of narrow county roads and the relentless pounding of that much
race director The three women who undertook the trek are Claire Secker (left; ki Russell Secker's wife, an accomplished runner herself), Rachel Wasilews runner Jenni (center, and ringing the finish bell at right), and the overall fastest TX. de Groot, from the Netherlands, under the mock Eiffel Tower in Paris,
hard surface mileage. As a physical therapist, she laughed to say that she should be doing her knee rehab protocol but “I’m not the best patient.” While she was back to biking and swimming, she’d only done a few short runs of 3 to 5 miles in the month after reaching Paris. She’s still mentally processing the run, turning events over in her mind, talking it over with friends, and writing about it in her blog. What Wasilewski’s come to realize is that the journey was more of a life experience than a running event. “Training and doing the event kept me sane in a difficult time,” she stated. “The first two days were fun, but the days after were a huge mental push just to finish. I found that the ultra was a mirror reflection of what was going on in my life, and I needed to prove to myself that I am whatever I need.” It also changed her perspective of what running can be—more than a physical activity, the running became an emotional outlet akin to yoga. When she tried to explain to a friend, he said he understood: “Stopping became more painful than keeping going.” Mentally and physically, quitting just wasn’t an option. Will Wasilewski come back to the Napoleon Ultra or do another stage race? Her response was thoughtful and reserved. “It would be interesting to do another one,” she said, “because if I did it again, it would be a totally different experience. I’m not the same person anymore.” She had a new challenge on the horizon, a solo hike from San Jose, CA, to the coast, which she anticipated would cover 70 miles over five days. Her trek along the Appalachian Trail years ago had been a learning experience about equipment and camping and not much of a source of mental peace, but this journey, she hoped, would be different. Back at work, a client observing her sticker-covered Nalgene water bottle recently said to Wasilewski, “I hear you run marathons.” When she answered yes, the follow-up question was, “How long was this last one?” People often don’t realize that “marathon” doesn’t just mean “long”; it’s a specific distance of 26.2 miles. Wasilewski softly replied, “230 miles.” The client’s response was one of incredulity, though the young runner disagrees with that reaction. “It’s all a matter of perspective,” she explained. “Whether 10K or half marathon or ultra, it’s all relative. I only started running six years ago; I started out playing soccer in high school but became unfit in college. I used the excuse ‘next semester’ to put off getting in shape until, one day, I put on some sneakers.” She laughed to recall that she couldn’t even make it around the block that day. As to having now run 230 miles over seven days, she’s still “wrapping my mind around that.” But one thing she firmly believes: “If I can do it, anyone can do it.” afm
Scan the QR code with your smartphone to read Rachel Wasilewski's blog account of her seven day run across East Texas.
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John Conley
and
David Grice
Shaping Austin's Running Landscape by
Michael Madison
photography by Brian Fitzsimmons
F e b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 4 5
I f yo u ’ v e pa r t i c i pat e d i n an Austin road race during the last 15 years, then it's likely that you've felt the hand of John Conley or David Grice. This dynamic duo of race directors has been working together since 2001, creating a standard in running events unmatched by any other city in the United States. Today, their influence stretches from coast (Los Angeles Marathon) to coast (Philadelphia Marathon) and to the tropical islands of Hawaii.
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While Conley and Grice come from very different backgrounds, they share a commonality: from an early age, they’ve loved running. Conley was born in the late 1950s in Tokyo, Japan; later, his family moved to Hawaii, where Conley spent his childhood. After high school, he became a medic for the US Army, eventually landing on the track team at Augusta State and finding his way to Texas via the medical field. Conley is quite possibly the only race director who can double as a Registered Nurse, giving him a unique perspective on the health benefits of running. David Grice, about 20 years Conley’s junior, got his start while in high school in Klein, TX. After a cup of tea on the University of Texas Cross Country squad, the 32-year-old got hooked up with RunTex owner Paul Carrozza. “I needed an internship for school and, at the time, RunTex was working a couple hundred events per year,” recalled Grice. “They were doing everything in house at the time and that’s how I got started in events.” Conley and Grice have been working together for so long they have a hard time recalling a period when they weren’t. “Willie Nelson, the second year, was our first time together,” proclaimed Grice as his partner, sitting across the table, thought back to that event. That short-lived 5K was the beginning to two budding careers which, while taking separate paths in the running world, would work together to create a new normal for event producers. Conley Sports, owned by John and his wife, Stacey, boasts an event production list that reads as a “who’s who” among Texas road races. Their marquee product, the LiveStrong Austin Marathon and Half Marathon, is coupled with other events, such as the 3M Half Marathon and the Austin American-Statesman Capitol 10K, the fifth largest 10K in the country. Past events include the Nike Human Race, Komen Houston, Texas Round-Up, and Zooma Women’s Half Marathon. As if they weren’t busy enough, Conley is adding a new 4-mile run and bike ride at the Circuit of The Americas track in early May called Mix3r. “I feel like I have five, maybe seven, more years
to really make an impact on the sport,” stated Conley. “Taking on Cap 10K presents a new opportunity and the Mix3r is a new, unique event that we’re really excited about.” While Conley handles much of the event production, Grice’s expertise is in the logistics and working with the city. His company (Raceworks, Inc.) services almost 100 races per year, doing as little as setting up the start/finish line area to as much as mapping out every detail on the course, including police, barricades, water stops, and other details regarding runner safety. The biggest names on his resume outside of the LiveStrong Marathon and 3M Half Marathon include the big city marathons of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas. Those six events alone saw nearly 100,000 total participants cross their combined finish lines in 2012 (according to FindMyMarathon.com, some 528,060 people finished a US marathon in 2012). These two consummate professionals have set a high standard for events across Texas, yet their fingerprints might not be noticeable to even the veteran runner’s discerning eye. Their signature includes a number of facets that, while seemingly a no-brainer, were once foreign to local races: a consistently and correctly measured (and certified) course; routes with clear course markings, so runners need never take a wrong turn; ample hydration stops; and functional pre- and post-race areas. These might seem like simple, standard details, but they’ve only become the norm locally due to Grice and Conley’s hard work. For the longest time 5Ks, 10Ks, and even marathon-distance races were very lowbudget charitable events. Sometimes the course would be off, timing incorrect, and streets open, with drivers unaware that
Conley and Grice have been working together for so long they have a hard time recalling a period when they weren’t.
F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 4 7
roadways were full of runners. Participants were just supposed to “go with the flow” and accept these sub-optimal conditions because the run was all about a good cause. In fact, this mindset still exists in many places. While Conley and Grice still put on races for charitable causes, they’ve helped move Austin’s racing scene toward a more businessoriented atmosphere. They have improved course safety as well as the runners’ experience, all while creating the assurance that a comparable product will be received in
nights are all part of it,” said Grice. “But it’s just who I am. I drive my wife crazy when we’re in the car and I notice the road
sport involves an even greater fire within. While there are the occasional glamorous moments, the majority of what Conley and
return for ever-increasing and costly registration fees. Some go through life working a job (or jobs) as a means to pay bills and support families. Others find a field they love, make careers, and cultivate their craft. These two men, however, fall into a third tier. Above finding a career is uncovering a passion, an almost all-consuming desire to devote one’s life to an endeavor and pour everything into its pursuit. This intense passion is what continues to drive Conley and Grice, motivating them through early mornings, late nights, long hours, and countless weekends spent on the job. “It’s not a 9-to-5 job; you have to enjoy what you do, and early mornings and late
marked for upcoming construction and immediately think I need to call the city to see when it will happen.” “When we go on vacation, we go to running events,” joked Conley. “I think about running all the time. When I interact with people, I look at their shoes and wonder if they’re runners. I was exposed to running at a very early age—before any other sport—and it’s always been the one that appealed to me most.” Runners are a different breed, fueled by a fire that may seem strange to others; to the majority of the population, anyone who would run for fun, much less for 26.2 miles at once, may seem a little bit crazy. For two men to devote their lives to the
Grice do behind-the-scenes would drive another person to a different profession. “I remember a couple years ago I had spent part of the day at the [Austin] Marathon with Governor Perry,” recalled Conley. “The following Monday, I was out at mile 18 of the course scraping [used] GU packets off the street, hands caked in sticky gunk. It’s just part of the job.” Conley and Grice’s careers will eventually separate. At 32, Grice is one of the younger people in the business. For now, his focus remains within the sphere of road running. Grice’s plate for 2013 is already almost full, the most recent addition being the inaugural Army Marathon starting in Killeen and finishing in Temple.
48 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
For two men to devote their lives to the sport involves an even greater fire within.
Kelly W. Keith, D.D.S.
General & Cosmetic Dentistry
At Conley Sports, the founder and namesake has discovered his influence is valuable and desired in realms outside of event production. The veteran marathoner began holding quarterly “Race Director Roundtables,” providing a place for all event directors in Austin to gather and discuss the pressing issues facing their profession. He’s also serving on the Board of Directors for Running USA, one of the larger running nonprofit organizations. Regardless of the trajectory of their
careers, the two have already left a longlasting mark in the Austin running community. Those here who love running have John Conley and David Grice to thank for a much-improved experience. Their tireless efforts to the sport have fostered a new era of racing, one that focuses on the runner and the quality of the running event. After all, these two avid runners wouldn’t settle for anything less than a well-run event. afm
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HEALTHY HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDER REMODELER
1. Toilet paper: REI camp supply TP for emergencies. 2. Safety pins: For runners I encounter ten minutes before the start who have forgotten theirs and need to pin their bibs. 3. Band-Aids 4. Glow sticks: These provide light or mark a position or an item.
What's in John Conley's Bag?
5. Wire snips: Every race director carries these! 6. Zip Ties: You can never have enough Zip Ties.
13. Hawaiian Ti-Leaf from Kawai’hao Church in
7. Flashlight
Honolulu: I’m from Hawaii and the Ti-Leaf is
8. NOAA All-weather radio: This handy device
considered a link to the Gods (and also a very
comes on automatically with warnings of imminent
practical tool for cooking); having it helps keep me
severe weather.
grounded. Race Directors can use all the help they
9. Sharpie/Miscellaneous pens
can get.
10. Notepad
14. Chemical warmers: Worth a million dollars on a
11. Business cards
freezing morning—I usually end up giving them away
12. Toothbrush: Gotta be ready for media interviews
to volunteers who've misjudged the weather.
or briefing a team, and food particles on the teeth
15. Gloves
are distracting.
16. Power Bar or Clif Shot: Race Directors can’t bonk. F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 4 9
www.EcoSafeSPACES.com
512-436-3261
The Pulse
Heartbeat of Austin's Fitness Scene
Odd Couples
Single-Use Plastic Bags Get Second Life after March 1 Ban
Zach Galifianakis and Quinn Lundberg Giving hope to average guys everywhere, funny man Galifianakis married his long time girlfriend, beauty Lundberg, last October.
When a 90’s rock legend bends to the whims of a reality star, maybe it’s time to start asking questions. Corgan’s traveled a long way from Smashing Pumpkins.
2. Arts and Crafts: Kids love cutting things up; let them at your bags with scissors and glue to create mosaics.
Chicken and Waffles
4. Cast Shield: For the chronically injured athlete, plastic bags are the perfect shower aid. 5. Doll Accessories: G.I. Joe and Barbie can definitely use a parachute. 6. Plarn (Plastic Yarn): For avid knitters, plarn is the perfect challenge for your next project. Get a jump on summer and make a beach-ready knit bag. 7. Exercise Tool: Therapist recommends sliders? Put a baggie around your foot to get that smooth glide across the carpet for rehab.
Book Bit
From Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed “The bull, I acknowledged grimly, could be in either direction, since I hadn’t seen where he’d run once I closed my eyes. I could only choose between the bull that would take me back and the bull that would take me forward. And so I walked on.”
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Playlist 140+ beats per minute
Tila Tequila and Billy Corgan
1. Plastic Bag Clothes: Designers have been known to sell these environmentally friendly outfits. Really.
3. Cheap Protection: No, not that. Substitute bags for bubble wrap on your next move (double wrap valuables for extra protection).
The Get Your Heart Racin'
Everybody’s favorite odd couple comes together to make for a very unhealthy and unusual pairing. If only it weren’t so tasty.
Suryia the Orangutan and Roscoe the Dog After meeting at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS), this unlikely duo became inseparable and the best of friends.
1. Bait And Switch The Shins - 159 BPM 2. Glow Alien Ant Farm - 144 BPM 3. Perfect Games The Broken West - 161 BPM 4. You Make My Dreams Come True Hall And Oates - 170 BPM 5. 3 Bottles of Wine Left Alone - 159 BPM
Finding Your Fit— Athletically Missed Connections http://austin.craigslist.org/mis/3513133493. html Man seeking Woman
Hi! You waved at me in the gym today. You look familiar, but I can't remember where from. Or perhaps you were just being friendly? Help me solve the mystery. :) P.S. I had on a grey shirt. http://austin.craigslist.org/mis/3517213426. html Man seeking Man
New Years Day -- You were wearing Total Nutrition t-shirt, working shoulders at the Smith machine on the right facing the mirrors — texting between sets. We made eye contact several times—and I really like what I saw
6. All The Small Things Blink 182 - 149 BPM 7. From The Ritz To The RUbble Arctic Monkeys - 175 BPM 8. Rearviewmirror Pearl Jam - 159 BPM 9. Follow You Down Gin Blossoms - 156 BPM 10. Techno Fan The Wombats - 142 BPM Grab this playlist on Spotify at http://open.spotify.com/user/austinfit/ playlist/0ZZZVwk5UXjtIof0RfP2sV
JOURNEYON GO BIG IN TEXAS
maRCH 24, 2013 IT'S A RACE THAT'S BIGGER THAN THE PODIUM, LARGER THAN LIFE. HERE, LIVE BANDS AND SCREAMING FANS LINE EVERY MILE OF PAVEMENT, SO RIFF ON THE ELECTRIC ENERGY AND REVEL IN THE MOMENT. JOURNEY ON. TAKE THE STAGE IN DALLAS! SIGN UP AT RUNROCKNROLL.COM
TM
For Life, Love, and Sport
Paul and Meredith Terranova Celebrate an Epic Year
by Courtenay Verret photography by Brian Fitzsimmons
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If you’re connected in any way to the running community in Austin, then chances are you’ve heard of Paul and Meredith Terranova. Paul made running headlines in 2012 by completing the “Grand Kona Slam”—a title coined in honor of his finishing the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (four 100mile races: the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, Vermont 100 Endurance Race, Leadville Trail 100 Run, and Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run, all officially finished in the same year) and the Ironman World Championship in one year—and Meredith is known not only for her own impressive multi-sport feats but also for guiding numerous endurance athletes to success through her nutrition business, Eating and Living Healthy, LLC.
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The Terranovas are a power couple, the Barack and Michelle of the athletic community. Their passion for sport, for life—and, most importantly, for each other— has propelled them to enviable success in their athletic and professional careers, as well as in their relationship. The couple has weathered the ups and downs of marriage and credits their achievements to their ability to balance their lives through compromise and relentless support of each other in pursuing their goals.
Meredith Meets “Pool Man”
I
t’s the classic story of boy meets girl, with an athletic twist. In 2002, Meredith Novy was at her neighborhood pool in Houston, in training for a sprint triathlon. Paul Terranova, new to the triathlon world himself, showed up at the same pool at the same time. It wasn’t Paul’s smile or the light in Meredith’s eyes that drew them together, however—it was their proximity in age. “[At the pool] it was either kids playing or older people…and up came this person who was my age,” Meredith explained. “We struck up a conversation.” “I like to say she was checking me out in my Speedo,” joked Paul. There might have been some truth to Paul’s assertion: Meredith sheepishly admitted that after getting Paul’s phone number, she couldn’t remember his name. “I was telling my friends about him and they asked, ‘What’s his name?’ and I couldn’t remember,” she laughed. “I put his name as ‘Pool Man’ in my phone.” After a bit of stealth on Meredith’s part, she finally figured out Paul’s real name but kept his nickname in her phone for a while. The two became “pool friends,” chatting with each other in between laps. It was Meredith who made the first move, asking Paul (an engineer) if he would help her hang some heavy, decorative mirrors she had recently purchased. In exchange, she offered to make him dinner (“Sneaky, very
sneaky,” whispered Paul). Eventually their friendship grew into something more, and the two were married in 2004. Early in their relationship, Meredith’s athletic pursuits had expanded to include the sport of ultrarunning, to which she immediately became hooked. She competed in the inaugural Bandera 50K and finished her first 50 miler at Rocky Raccoon in Huntsville. At the time, Paul was competing in marathons and triathlons and dabbling in adventure racing—a combo of trail running, kayaking, and mountain biking—but he had no interest in joining Meredith in an ultra. “He always said he had done his time on the trails in Ranger school in the Army,” Meredith joked.
Learning to Compromise—the Hard Way
M
eredith continued to work her way up the ultrarunning ladder, completing a 100K and finally setting her sight on her dream race: the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. Meanwhile, Paul had begun training for an Ironman. Life, however, threw the couple a curve ball in 2004 and again in 2005, teaching them valuable lessons about selfsacrifice and compromise. In 2004, Meredith had already submitted her name to the Western States lottery when she realized that the race fell on the same day that Paul was competing
in his very first Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Wanting to support Paul on his big day, she decided to withdraw her name. “And that was a really selfless thing to do,” said Paul. “In the selfish pursuit of sport, that’s a pretty unselfish move…to take your name out of consideration and take your chances the next year.” Unfortunately for Meredith, however, she was not selected in the Western States lottery in 2005. Making the most of her disappointment, she decided instead to pace at the race for a friend while Paul, now an Ironman veteran, competed in the Ironman 70.3 at Buffalo Springs Lake in Texas. His results there ended up qualifying him for his first Ironman World Championship, and Meredith was devastated to have missed his moment. “I remember I was on the phone asking, ‘Did he get it? Did he get it?’…I was sitting in the car crying because it was such a big thing and I had missed it. That’s when we realized that we wanted to be there for each other’s big deals.” The two decided then that they would alternate big race years so they could be there to fully support one another. “It’s easier to support somebody when you’re not totally enmeshed in your own thing,” Meredith explained.
The Intriguing World of Ultrarunning
I
t wasn’t long before Paul, inspired by Meredith’s ultrarunning journey, became interested in the sport himself. He was fascinated by the ultrarunning environment, as well as by the challenge of pushing one’s body to the limits. “[I wanted] to push that limit of running,” Paul explained. “The chance to go run four hours or five hours or even longer was something that intrigued me.” In 2006, Paul began to train for his first ultra, competing at the 50K in Bandera. “I wanted to work my way up from 50K to 50 miles, to a 100K, to 100 miles,” he said. First, however, Meredith was determined to finally have her day at Western States. “We had settled on the fact that I was going to get my ass
The Terranovas have many pictures of their special moments together at races, swims (such as the Colin's Hope swim, pictured with the Pennybacker Bridge in the background, where Paul kayaked beside Meredith and provided support during her 9-mile swim), and other memorable events. Meredith collected photos from Paul's Grand Kona Slam adventure and compiled them into a video album. Scan the QR code with your smartphone in order to view this special slideshow.
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to the finish line,” she said. overachiever. From 2008–2010, The Terranovas use time on the trail to exercise their dog, Flyer, “It was my dream race. I he had managed to train for an and connect as a couple. They spend time running on the road, too; both Paul and Meredith have been Austin Marathon pace wanted to have the great Ironman while holding down a group leaders for years. day, and then I didn’t care full-time job, commuting to Dallas what [Paul] did after that. for work on a weekly basis, and I wanted to finish Western States, and then I attending business school. But along with the desire to be successful at wanted to be done with [running] hundreds.” work and excel in triathlon, Terranova found another deeper motivation After two disappointing results (a “Did Not in his ultra training. “Trail running is different,” explained Meredith. Finish”—DNF—in 2006 and 2007), Meredith’s “It’s family, it’s community. To go for a run on the trails, you’re one [with moment finally arrived in 2010. She finished nature]. There’s the saying, ‘If you can’t solve your problems on a five-hour the race in less than 24 hours and earned her trail run, you’ve got big problems’: It’s the truth.” silver belt buckle, further inspiring Paul in his “When we’d go out to California for [Meredith’s] attempts at Western own ultrarunning journey. “[Meredith was] the States, we’d stay at a friend’s place, and he’s got a shadow box with his one breaking the ground on the trail running; Hawaii Ironman finisher’s medal, his Boston Marathon medal, and his I’ve been the beneficiary of learning from her Western States sub-24 hour belt buckle,” Paul said. “I thought that looked experiences,” he said. pretty nice.” Paul also had a friend who had completed the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning himself: “[I was inspired by] getting to hear his stories of going to all these different places, how neat that would be to do your first one,” he said. Thus, the term “Grand Kona Slam” was coined: The Terranova’s friend, Bryon Powell (founder of www.irunfar.com), came up hat many would call a crazy idea— with the name on a trail run the day of the Western States lottery, after Paul four 100-mile races (the Grand Slam had shared with him his “harebrained” idea. of Ultrarunning) and the Ironman World Championship (an event of 140.6 total miles: 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles running), all in the same year— started sanely enough. “I knew I wanted to do aul’s selection in the Western States lottery meant that he had the a 100-mile race,” said Paul. “And then I thought chance to act on his big idea. In addition to Western States, Paul if I’m in shape to do one, maybe I’m in shape would be competing in the Vermont 100 Endurance Race, Leadville to do three more. And then having previously Trail 100 Run, and Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run. Western States qualified for Hawaii at Ironman Cozumel…put proved to be the most challenging because—as the couple joked—Paul me in the position that, if I got pulled in the didn’t listen to his wife. As a nutritionist and endurance athlete herself, lottery for Western States, I could link up all five Meredith knew she would be a valuable asset in managing Paul’s nutrition events in one calendar year, and that’s the way strategy. “I always joke that it’s bad for business if either of us has a bad race it happened.” day and it’s nutrition’s fault,” Meredith laughed. Although she was pacing Paul had always been something an another friend at the race, she left specific instructions for Paul’s crew at
The Grand Kona Slam
W
When in Doubt, Listen to Your Wife
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Mile 62 regarding his nutrition. “[I said] to give him Mountain Dew…a piece of pizza, because I knew he needed the calories; change his shoes; give him some Tylenol, and go.” “I did two of the four,” laughed Paul. “No [change of] shoes and no Tylenol.” When Meredith saw him at Mile 99, he was in pain and walking. “Which is as fast as I could go,” Paul interjected. “I was like, ‘What are you doing?’” exclaimed Meredith. “‘You’re going to have to pick a spot; you’re going to have to run.’ So we picked a spot and trotted it in.” “I shuffled,” admitted Paul. After Western States, said Meredith, she made a decision for the rest of Paul’s races: “I said, ‘I’m pacing or crewing. You’re going to listen to me!’” Sure enough, Paul’s next 100-mile race in Vermont was four hours faster—and his recovery was easier as well.
A Celebration of Life, Love, and Sport
P
aul and Meredith both agreed that although 2012 was a whirlwind, it brought them closer. Instead of scrambling to find time together, the two found creative ways to connect around their hectic schedules. “We would always do a once-a-week trail run together
with the dogs,” Meredith said. “One of the things we did pretty frequently was in the evenings; we had our bikes set up [on trainers]…and we’d [talk] through our days.” Paul also noted that their extensive travel throughout the year gave them quality time they might otherwise not have had. The Terranovas believe that Meredith’s finish at Western States in 2010 and Paul’s athletic feats in 2012 were in many ways a celebration—not only of their successes, but of how far they had come as a couple, having gotten through some difficult times in previous years. Perhaps the most affirming moment for the couple occurred during Paul’s last ultra of the Grand Slam, the Wasatch Front. Meredith paced him over the last 25 miles, a difficult stretch of steep, sandy hills. “I actually took a hard fall,” said Meredith. “I was bleeding and slow to get up.” “She said, ‘Leave me!’” interrupted Paul. “But we were in the middle of the Wasatch Forest.” Meredith continued: “I figured I’d shake it off…stop at the next aid station. I saw him go a little ways and then saw his headlamp turn around. I yelled, ‘You need to go!’ And he yelled back, ‘No!’ I yelled, ‘Why not?’ And he yelled back, ‘Because you’re my wife!’” “I couldn’t leave her,” admitted Paul. “So then I knew I was going to have to shake it off and get up,” laughed Meredith. Paul asserted that he could not have made it through each race without the love, friendship, and support of Meredith. He also emphasized that the support of his family was equally crucial. His sister was part of his crew, and her children, along with his parents, were part of his cheering squad. Paul even brought his brother in law—who was deployed in Afghanistan at the time—along for the adventure by carrying his unit badge with his water bottle at every race.
Meredith makes sure Paul eats a healthy diet (see her smoothie and chili recipes online at austinfitmagazine.com).
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Paul’s crew also played a vital role in his success. “When we were picking people for pacers, it was people we all wanted to be around the whole weekend with no sleep,” said Meredith. “[Race day] can be one of two experiences for everybody: You can finish the race and hate everybody around you, or you can celebrate. It’s still going to be hard. It doesn’t change anything.”
Commemorating an Epic Year
O
f the twenty-five participants who entered the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning in 2012, only 15 completed it. The official finishers were all men, ranging in age from 32 to 61 years of age. At 38, Paul was the third youngest, the only Texan, and the only participant to include the Ironman World Championship as a final fifth event. Although he has not yet set up his shadow box of awards, his hardware from 2012 is in a safe place. “My friends gave me five beers—one for each race— in order of increasing alcohol content. A little carrot for each race,” he chuckled. “Each of the medals is nestled with its respective beer.” Meredith believes that the shadow box is Paul’s to make; however, she did commission a piece of art to be forged out of iron in commemoration of their epic year. “We have a logo, ‘The Grand Kona Slam,’ with a runner in
“Life is short, and you realize that, hey, the time is now to live…” the mountains. It’s going to go over our fireplace,” she said. The artist was a non-athlete, which was important to Meredith. “An athlete would’ve focused on the times [of each race], but it’s a piece of art; it should bring up a conversation. Someone should look at it and be able to ask you what it’s about.” Although their race goals for 2013 have not [as of this article] been solidified, a repeat of the Grand Kona Slam isn’t on Paul’s radar for the immediate future: “There’s lots of other slams out there to do,” he laughed. Meredith continues to run ultras, swim, and compete in the occasional triathlon, but she is done with 100-mile races for now. The two are confident, however, that their love and support for each other will help them tackle whatever their next adventure brings. “Life is short, and you realize that, hey, the time is now to live…when you have the opportunity, take advantage of it,” said Paul. “We can be supportive of that in each other.” afm
Meredith commissioned this piece of artwork to commemorate Paul's Grand Kona Slam from IronWaves. IronWaves Custom Iron Art (ironwaves.com) was founded in 2008 here in Austin by brothers Mark and Mike Ansier. The studio is located on Lake Travis off of Highway 1431; while Mike has retired, Mark meets and consults with clients to create custom art out of raw and stainless steel, copper, and other media for both residential and commercial projects. There is even an art gallery onsite with works from other local artists.
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Earning Those Buckles
The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning began in 1986. Runners must preregister for the Grand Slam and then complete the four races in the same calendar year. Since its start, 234 people (34 of them women) have completed the series 266 times. Of those, 14 Slammers are from Texas. They are Roy Haley (’90, ’91), Kitty Williams (F, ’90), Tyler Curiel (’98), Neil Hewitt (’98), Robert Tavernini (’00), Juan Humberto (’03), Dennis Thompson (’03), Letha Cruthirds (F, ’03), Juan Humberto Galvan (’03), Doug Gimenez (’04), Stephen Hudgens (’04), Drew Meyer (’10), and Paul Terranova (’12).
The Races
Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (June) Tread where history was made. The oldest of the four races starts in California’s Squaw Valley and follows a path through beautiful forests, valleys, canyons, and streams charted by gold prospectors of the past in California’s Squaw Valley. This was originally a horse race! Vermont 100 Endurance Race (July) The Vermont 100 is a shamrock-loop course comprised of mostly dirt roads and Jeep trails, with stretches through the Vermont forest and a climb and descent of over 14,000 feet. Leadville Trail 100 Run (August) Coined as the “Race Across the Sky,” this run takes place at 10,000 feet and wends its way through the Rockies. There’s also a mountain bike race, the Leadville Trail 100 MTB Race, the weekend before the run. Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run (September) This event, which winds through the beautiful Wasatch Mountains in Utah, is held Labor Day weekend every year. Runners should be prepared for some climbs; there’s a cumulative elevation gain of almost 27,000 feet throughout the race.
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Men's Shaving A good shave helps you put your best face forward on date night‌or any day. AFM went to Debbie Vidotto, owner and barber at The Good Life Barber Shop, to find out what gentlemen should expect when sitting down in the chair for a shave. Here’s what Vidotto had to say:
Ti p # 1
Barber shaves vary greatly, so look at reviews before going to a shop.
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photography by Stacy Berg
Tip # 2
Wear open-collared shirts, as room is needed for the hot towel and your neck will get wet down to the collarbone.
Ti p # 3
Be on time because the barber will need the full 30 minutes scheduled.
Tip # 4
Don’t be embarrassed if you fall asleep—that’s a GOOD thing.
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Look Grooming
Ti p # 5 Ti p # 6
Premium products make all the difference (Vidotto recommends Hydrolast).
Soap and paste are applied; one round of shaving occurs; finishing balm is applied; another round of shaving follows; tonic and conditioner finish off the experience.
Tip # 7
Barbershops charge a very reasonable rate for a shave, and tipping is widely accepted (most guys give at least 20 percent, and quite a few will do as much as 50 percent due to the spa-like nature of a good shave experience).
A straight razor shave may last longer than what you can do at home, but this really depends on the individual. If you schedule a barber shave in the morning, you’ll still look (and feel) awesome in the evening. In fact, it’s a popular outing for wedding parties—the groomsmen arrange for a special group appointment on the weekend and get pampered before the big event. Online
See austinfitmagazine.com to read more tips from dermatologists to learn how to get a smooth shave at home.
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Razor 101 Blade Type
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Multi-blade cartrige
replaceable cartridge that holds 3,4,or 5 stainless steel razor blades with reusable handle
need to replace blades every 3-5 shaves, but combines quickness with closeness
Straight
last forever but need frequent stropping and honing to keep edge straight and sharp
requires skill, time, and patience to master the technique
Electric
rotary blades are cleaned with a brush; repairs can be made when blades dull
gives a different feel of shave, but allows for quick shave options
I
nterested in trying your own straight razor shave? There’s a learning curve and you’ll need some help with everything from equipment to technique. Visit straightrazorplace.com for a wealth of written instruction plus a video tutorial, complete with close-ups. If you would like help with equipment (and that includes the straight as well as doubleedged razor), technique, and products, there is no better place to go than Austin’s own Enchante, located in the One American Center (600 Congress Avenue).
Owner Charles Roberts is a legend in the shaving field, having created the patented Roberts Method of Wet Shaving (RMWS). Roberts is passionate about the art of the good shave and many an aficionado has made a pilgrimage to Austin to learn from his expertise. The shaving forms on his website (www.enchanteonline.com/ pages/faqs/cuttingforms. pdf) show directional patterns; his products, such as his new shave cloth made from agave fiber, optimize the closeness of the shave by properly hydrating; and his premium products (the Hydrolast line, shown below) can leave the skin feeling like “crushed velvet.” If you go into the shop, Roberts will actually teach processes as well as introduce the various necessary items. A special date night activity: shave your lady’s legs. Roberts emphasizes that shaving is a very sensuous experience: It is, of course, all about the touch. afm
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Look Fit Finds
Finds to Aid the Valentine’s Romance
Products that help from before the night out to after the big date
1. Scentuality, $9 Finally, a travel-friendly perfume. Avoid the hassle of packing away your favorite and still find the romance with this perfume stick.
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2. Eva Pressed Mineral Powder, Advancedmineralmakeup.com, $39 Apply this all-natural mineral powder over liquid foundation for extra coverage that will actually benefit your skin. 3. Liquid Mineral Foundation, Advancedmineralmakeup.com, $44 One pump of this foundation and your face can feel the difference of makeup that covers with a weightless touch. 4. Perfecting Concealer, Advancedmineralmakeup.com, $24 Get ready for your big date night by covering up some of the wear of the long day; this concealer blends without making problem areas worse.
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5. Loose Mineral Foundation, Advancedmineralmakeup.com, $35 On days when a full load of makeup seems a little daunting, this loose powder will be a quick fix for your morning routine.
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6. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Lip Balm for Men, Nordstrom.com, $9 Get ready for your valentine’s smooch with this manly alternative to your classic lip balm; avoid the chap without having to settle for the cherry flavoring. 7. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Facewash, Nordstrom.com, $20 Award-winning face wash is the perfect way to get camera ready for your big date plans this month.
9. Delysia Chocolate Valentine’s Day Collection, Delysia.com, $20 Locally crafted in Austin, Delysia chocolate is the perfect gift for your sweetheart and benefits the local economy, all in a beautifully unique package. 10. Women’s ATX Baseball Tee, V23athletics.com, $35 Soft and only slightly form fitting, this t-shirt is perfect for lying around but cute enough to wear out.
8. Cole Haan 'Air Colton' Wingtip Oxford, Nordstrom.com, $198 The sharp-looking Oxford trend doesn’t always lend itself to comfort when out for a night on the town, but these shoes contain Nike air soles that will keep your feet happy.
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Overcoming Osteoarthritis
Active people can cope with degenerative joint disease by J. Jody Kelly
T
o athletes over the age of 40, osteoarthritis is a little like bad weather—you complain about it but you do your workout anyway. You probably know some people in their 70s and 80s who grumble about stiff, aching joints that don’t bend very well or that make walking difficult. As an active person, you may wonder if you’ll develop osteoarthritis when you reach the age of 50, 75, or 100. If you do, what could the disorder do to your athletic life? What can your doctor do to treat the condition? Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: If you live long enough, you’ll probably encounter at least a touch of osteoarthritis. Further, you can’t actually overcome it in the sense of defeating it forever. It’s a non-infectious, progressive, degenerative disease of the joints that just won’t quit. So far there’s no cure, although researchers are hard at work. The good news is that you can overcome osteoarthritis in the sense of successfully dealing with a problem or a difficulty. There are many ways to work around the condition and to keep on pursuing your fitness goals well into old age. You can learn to handle it. Many treatment options are available right now, and more are coming. The sneaky news is that for years, you may not even know you have osteoarthritis. It’s a wear-and-tear disorder that develops over time. According to the Arthritis Foundation, X-ray studies show that up to 95 percent of people over age 50 have one or more degenerating joints somewhere in the body. The Mayo Clinic notes that articular cartilage, the slippery but firm substance between the bones of a joint, starts wearing away and becomes rough. That’s osteoarthritis in a nutshell. What happens 70 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F e b 2 0 1 3
next varies from person to person and from joint to joint. With less cartilage to cushion them, the bones often develop spurs or overgrowth that can grind together. Some people feel the pain of bones rubbing together; others feel no pain at all. Sometimes the bones harden too much or become misshapen so that the joint loses some or most of its range of motion. Think of this as when the elbow won’t bend as far as it used to. If the space between the bones narrows enough as the cartilage erodes, the ligaments that attach the bones to each other can lengthen so much that the joint becomes unstable. This is more like when the knee may threaten to buckle. Although osteoarthritis doesn’t show the kind of inflammation that rheumatoid arthritis does, a degenerating joint can swell and become painfully inflamed. Osteoarthritis in its severest form can cause considerable disability and can damage the quality of life as much as heart disease or cancer.
How Likely Are You To Develop Osteoarthritis?
R
esearchers don’t yet know exactly why cartilage erodes in many people’s joints but not necessarily in everyone’s, nor are they sure why some joints lose more cartilage than others. Instead of causes, the Arthritis Foundation lists the top five risk factors for developing osteoarthritis: Growing older is a big one. The longer you’re alive to use your joints, the more likely they are to wear out (along with everything else). However, experiencing
pain and loss of mobility is not an inevitable part of an osteoarthritis diagnosis. Even if you’re well along in years, the condition doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks. It may be an annoyance but it doesn’t have to be a showstopper. Another predictor of osteoarthritis is being overweight or obese. The extra weight particularly distresses the knee and hip joints. According to the Arthritis Foundation,“For every pound you gain, you add four pounds of pressure on your knees and six times the pressure on your hips. Recent research suggests that excess body fat produces chemicals that travel throughout the body and cause joint damage, which would mean obesity plays a systemic, not just a mechanical, role in osteoarthritis onset.” And yet many active people carry extra weight without apparent consequences. Injury or overuse can contribute to osteoarthritis. After an injury or after surgery to repair an injury, the joint can begin to develop osteoarthritis right away or years later. With overuse, such as engaging in a constant repetitive motion, the condition usually manifests itself after a considerable period of time. Genetics or heredity can affect osteoarthritis, especially in the hands. If one of your parents or grandparents passes on the gene for misshapen bones of the hand, you have a higher, but not an inevitable, chance of developing problems with your hands as well. Muscle weakness, especially of the muscles surrounding the knee joints, can lead to osteoarthritis. These are the joints that bear much of your weight, and the muscles supporting them need to stay strong.
Non-Surgical Options Alignment modification means correcting the effects of a degenerated joint by using heel wedges, knee or ankle braces, prosthetics in the shoes, and similar devices to moderate the impact or to alter the location of the impact. It’s the same principle as buying running shoes to correct excessive pronation or supination. You may have to experiment quite a bit to find the modifications that are right for you.
How Do You Know If Your Joints Are Developing Arthritis?
M
any diseases and conditions are associated with the same symptoms as osteoarthritis. One of the more common symptoms of osteoarthritis is that your joints feel sore after you have used them more than usual or when you resume activities after a period of inactivity. Another is stiffness of the joints first thing in the morning or stiffness after a lengthy period of rest that goes away when you return to your normal activities. Also, tingling and numbness can signal osteoarthritis. Pain is often the first symptom that gets your attention. This pain can be caused by weakened muscles around the joint and can also result from subjecting the joint to heavy impact. According to the Arthritis Foundation, your physician can diagnose osteoarthritis by taking a medical history, conducting a physical exam, and taking an X-ray. If there is a possibility of rheumatoid or juvenile arthritis, the doctor may remove a small amount of fluid from the space in a joint. Ruling out these two more severe forms of arthritis is a useful step toward treatment.
How Do Doctors Treat Osteoarthritis without Surgery? “Don’t stop moving,” advised Dr. Lori B. Wasserburger, M.D., physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Sports and Spine Associates. In her practice, she treats a number of athletes battling chronic osteoarthritis. She notes that the human body provides excellent repair mechanisms. The cycle of breakdown and repair is not unique to osteoarthritis, but patients can gain considerable benefit from understanding the process. A reasonable amount of activity followed by a reasonable period of rest can make many cases of osteoarthritis quite manageable for a long time. Dr. Wasserburger unquestionably includes appropriate exercise in her recommended treatments for the disorder. If you’re an avid runner with osteoarthritis, you might not like to hear that you should alternate running days with rest days, but you can probably run many more years if you don’t run long distances on five or six days of every week. On alternating rest days, you can always cross train with swimming, cycling, walking, and other low impact or no impact activities.
Oral supplementation includes taking recommended doses of glucosamine or glucosamine with chondroitin as well as appropriate doses of pain relievers. Since both over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers can cause major devastation to the kidneys over time, you’ll want to be especially careful to follow your doctor’s advice. You don’t want to wind up on a kidney dialysis machine several mornings a week, advised Kelly Foster, a nurse practitioner nephrologist. Viscosupplementation refers to injections into an area near the joint. The substance injected is similar to naturally occurring hyaluronic acid, a fluid that lubricates the joint and helps absorb the shock of impact. The artificial fluid can help fill the void left by the eroded cartilage, but it may need to be replaced a number of times. Plasma rich protein therapy consists of injections of your own concentrated platelets to stimulate cell growth and healing. These injections intensify your body’s natural repair cycle along with reducing pain and inflammation. Prolotherapy involves injections of a dextrose solution into tissue near a weak ligament. The solution irritates the ligament and inflames it a bit in order to force more blood and nutrients into the area. The tissue is stimulated to repair itself.
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The other main non-surgical treatments Dr. Wasserburger advises are alignment modification,oral supplementation,viscosupplementation,plasma rich protein therapy,and prolotherapy (see page 71 for additional information on each of these options). The good news for active people is not only these non-surgical treatments but also the advice:“Don’t stop moving!”
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epending on which joint is affected and how severe the pain is, you can do a lot to treat mild arthritis yourself by trying these strategies: • Use joint pain management and strengthening techniques described in books by McKenzie, Egoscue, Brill, and others. • Learn body awareness, meditation, and relaxation techniques. These can relieve general stress and can contribute to reducing the stress on the joints. • Develop excellent postural alignment and the habit of changing positions often. • Lose extra weight to take some of the strain off degenerating joints. • Occasionally use pain relievers such as ibuprofen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Check with your doctor to make sure the dosage won’t harm your kidneys. • Apply topical analgesics such as pain relief ointments. • Use heat, ice, or both in an alternating pattern. • Take a hot Epsom salt bath. • Use assistive devices such as jar openers, grab bars, and shoe horns. • Take yoga and Tai Chi classes for gentle strengthening and stretching of the joints.
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What’s in the Research Pipeline?
H
uman skin can regenerate itself, but cartilage can’t. Several groups of scientists are working on developing artificial cartilage that can be inserted in a joint to replace what has eroded. A team at Duke University is studing how to convert adult stem cells into something with the properties of embryonic stem cells. These cells can then be stimulated to become cartilage suitable for your body. Look for the article, “Duke researchers generate cartilage from pluripotent stem cells” on Dukehealth.org for more information. Another approach is to use treated animal ligaments and tendons in biologic replacement therapy. Dr. Kevin Stone, an orthopedic surgeon, gave a TED talk on this subject. It’s available on YouTube; search for “Kevin Stone:The bio-future of joint replacement.” By the time today’s infants become grandparents, it’s likely that osteoarthritis will be much more effectively treatable, if not curable. What will they grumble about if their joints don’t ache? afm
Try these strategies with a Health care professional Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles surrounding the affected joint. Specific exercise programs designed by a personal trainer familiar with osteoarthritis. Acupuncture and massage therapy. Chiropractic adjustments. Partial or total joint replacement using a substance such as metal to reinforce the degenerated joint.
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Feel Medical Tent
Exercise and Conception
Fitness levels can impact male and female fertility BY Parviz K. Kavoussi, M.D. and Shahryar K. Kavoussi, M.D., M.P.H.
Male fertility, by Dr. P. K. Kavoussi: Fitness is clearly important for men and women’s health, but what about fitness’ impact on fertility? Testosterone is believed to be an important factor in a man’s fertility. Low testosterone (total testosterone level of less than 300 ng/dl by the endocrine society definition) is very prevalent in infertile men. Forty-five percent of men with no sperm in the semen, without a blockage in the system transporting sperm, have low testosterone and 43% of men with low sperm counts have low testosterone levels. Sperm are thought to like a testosterone rich environment. Low testosterone can impact a man’s fertility along with causing other adverse effects such as increased fat mass, decreased muscle mass, decreased exercise tolerance and motivation, decreased bone mass, worsened erectile function, decreased
sex drive, depressed mood, irritability, tiredness, lack of motivation, sleep disturbances, difficulty with concentration, and hot flashes. So what does this have to do with being fit? Fat cells in the body contain an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen, so the more fat cells there are, the less overall testosterone there is, as it is being converted into estrogen. This makes it tougher to lose fat cells and maintain muscle mass and starts the vicious cycle of turning more testosterone into estrogen and adding more fat. Getting fit can break the cycle and turn things around. By burning fat, more testosterone can be kept as testosterone. However, men taking testosterone as a supplement or for medical replacement can actually adversely affect their fertility. It is also believed that men with more body fat have
more fat in the scrotum that can increase testicular temperatures and that can be bad for sperm production as well. Recently it has also been demonstrated that obese men (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) have sperm cells with poorer progressive motility (don’t swim as well) as their leaner counterparts. The obese men were also found to have more damaged sperm DNA making these sperm not as good of candidates to fertilize the egg. Obesity is a worsening epidemic in the United States, where currently one third of all American adults are obese. An increase in the rate of male infertility is paralleled by the increase in obesity. Another recent study looking at previous data from 14 prior studies including nearly 10,000 men has shown that 32.4 percent of obese men have low sperm counts when compared to 24 percent in men with normal weight. The percentage of men
Percentage of men with low sperm counts based on body type
Percentage of men with no sperm in semen based on body type
35%
7%
30%
6%
25%
5%
20%
4%
15%
3%
10%
2%
5%
1%
0%
with no sperm in the semen whatsoever increases from 2.6 percent up to 6.9 percent when comparing normal weight men to obese men! Clearly, obesity is bad for a man’s reproductive health. What about being ultra-fit? While the data is scarce and has been understudied in human trials, there is some weak data suggesting that hormonal axis changes and super high levels of fitness may affect fertility. There is also some weak evidence that cycling may worsen a man’s fertility, mainly due to the tight-fitting biking shorts and the seated position potentially increasing testicular temperatures. Taking a break every 30 minutes of cycling is recommended, but again, that is based on less than robust data. Considering the level of data out there, I’d err on the side of being fit over not, from a male fertility standpoint.
0% Obese
Normal Weight
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Obese
Normal Weight
Female fertility, by Dr. S.K. Kavoussi: Building families and improving health are positive aspects of life that go hand-in-hand. It has been well established that exercise, in general, is beneficial in improving and maintaining one’s health status as well as in decreasing the risk of high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least three days a week is recommended for weight loss and maintenance. Exercise seems to benefit the mind, body, and soul in a myriad of ways and can even help from a fertility standpoint. Women who are fertile will increase their chances of a smoother and more successful pregnancy by being fit.
Obesity has been found to increase the risk of adverse outcomes such as menstrual irregularity, infertility, and spontaneous miscarriage, in addition to obstetric and neonatal complications. Weight loss in obese women has been shown to decrease the risk of these adverse outcomes. A subset of obese women can have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one component of which is infrequent or absent periods, signifying infrequent or absent ovulation. Many women with PCOS have an increased level of insulin, which can stimulate increased levels of androgen by cells in the ovary. Insulin can also decrease levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG is a protein that binds to and “deactivates” androgens) which results in increased “free, active” androgen levels.
The increased androgen levels in women with PCOS can contribute to the infrequent/absent periods as well as increased hair seen above the lips, chin, and midline of the abdomen. Weight loss in women with PCOS can result in the lowering of insulin levels, which in turn can result in normalization of androgen levels, reversing these signs and symptoms. If the normalization of the androgen to estrogen ratio as well as effects on other reproductive hormones result in normalization of periods and ovulation, then the chances for achieving pregnancy improve signifi-
cantly. Studies have shown that if these women lose as little as 5% of their body weight, they have a higher chance of spontaneous, regular ovulation and even pregnancy. On the other hand, fertility can be negatively affected by very extreme levels of exercise and/or dieting. If too much weight has been lost and the woman’s nutrition is minimized, several important neuroendocrine pathways in the body are affected. Ovulation can cease and this is manifested as a lack of periods due to low levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), basal luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol levels. Although the threshold of regaining a few pounds in order to re-establish ovulatory cycles may differ among women, this is the safest and most “natural” way to restore the potential for fertility. Administration of FSH and LH injectable medications can facilitate ovulatory cycles as well, but this option carries with it increased cost, possible side effects, and multiple gestation risks. In summary, the extremes of weight gain and weight loss can each adversely affect fertility. The good news is that lifestyle modifications are effective first-line options. The combination of a regular exercise regimen and balanced diet has been shown to help optimize fertility. afm
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Love Show
yourself some
TRANSFORMING APPEARANCES
TRANSFORMING APPEARANCES
TRANSFORMING APPEARANCES
Special Section Shoe Review
adidas adiPure Adapt $90
The adiPure Adapt is the most minimal of the adidas adiPure line. The shoe’s elastic materials conform to the foot and flex as it moves. The upper is a stretchy, bootie-like construction—almost like a sock—completely covered with rubbery overlays that provide a hint of structure without getting in the way. Though the midsole is the lowest in the adidas running line with a stack height of 15mm and a drop of 4mm, it is a bit more than one might expect from the very minimal nature of the shoe. Deep flex grooves and a forefoot-only outersole provide a flexible, responsive ride and a measure of protection without sacrificing the feedback desired in a minimalist shoe. Heel/Forefoot Drop 4mm Sizes Men 7–13, 14, 15; Women 5–12 Weight 5.3 oz. (men’s 11); 4.1 oz. (women’s 8)
Minimalist Shoes What's new for Winter 2013 by Cregg Weinmann
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n this review, our third annual look at minimalist shoes, we examine this growing category and feature seven new shoes and one updated model for you to consider. In deciding what a minimalist shoe is, we use the following ranges: a minimal heel-to-forefoot drop (five millimeters or less); minimal support (can fold down the heel of the upper or pinch the sides of the heel together) and little sole structure (should be able to twist torsionally with little resistance); and light in weight (under ten ounces for a men’s size 11). Shoes that satisfy at least two of these three characteristics are classified as minimalist. Your use of minimalist shoes will be determined by your fitness and preferences, but all runners can benefit from the use of a minimalist shoe for at least some of their running.
Altra Torin $110
The Torin is a new shoe to the Altra line, a young brand that has taken solid root in the minimalist market. The brand’s aesthetics take a step forward with this model, now packaging its roomy toe-box and footfriendly shape in a sleeker design. The upper is open mesh with welded overlays and saddle-like, ghilley lacing across the midfoot to securely wrap the foot for performance. The midsole has a generous 28mm stack height (15mm in the midsole) combined with the familiar Altra zero-drop geometry to provide the
benefits of a minimalist shoe with just enough cushioning. The segmented carbon outersole allows good flexibility and traction without weighing things down. The result is a daily trainer with zero-drop geometry. Heel/Forefoot Drop 0mm Sizes Men 8–13, 14, 15; Women 5.5, 6.5–11, 12 Weight 9.6 oz. (men’s 11); 8.4 oz. (women’s 8)
Brooks Pure Drift $100
The Pure Drift is a new shoe in Brooks’ Pure Project line. The Drift splits the difference between the original Pure’s 4mm geometry and zero-drop by featuring an insole with a 4mm drop atop a fabric-covered Strobel board, so zero-drop can be reached by simply removing the insole. The upper is open mesh with a few midfoot overlays and the familiar Navband to secure the midfoot while flexing with it. The midsole features flex grooves in a traditional placement (but deeper) and two “Toe Flex” grooves that allow the metatarsals freedom, both laterally and longitudinally. The outersole is a zigzag ribbon of rubber that runs from the big toe under the metatarsals and down the lateral side to the heel, which provides a little more durability. The Pure Drift earned honors as our Best Minimalist Shoe for Winter 2013. Heel/Forefoot Drop 0mm Sizes Men 7–13, 14; Women 5–12 Weight 7.2 oz. (men’s 11); 6.1 oz. (women’s 8)
Best Shoe Minimalist
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Introducing the Wave EVO Cursoris.
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Special Section Shoe Review
New Balance Minimus 10 Trail $105
The New Balance Minimus 10 Trail has its first update as a tested veteran and the approach taken in Round 1 continues here: pair 4mm geometry with a relatively low stack height and use thin materials in the upper to keep the weight down. The upper is an open mesh similar to the previous edition, the revised forefoot strap has been slightly repositioned for comfort, and the tongue is now a traditional construction, although it’s partially anchored to allow the shoe to fit more foot shapes. The midsole is virtually the same as before: a thin layer of foam with a 4mm heel-to-toe drop that offers just enough protection to feel like a shoe but also provides adequate feedback. The Vibram outersole now features hexagon-like connections of rubber between the actual hexagon-shaped treads from Round 1 to offer better traction, durability, and protection. Heel/Forefoot Drop 4mm Sizes Men 6–13, 14, 15; Women 6–11 Weight 7.1 oz. (men’s 11); 6.0 oz. (women’s 8)
Saucony Virrata $90
The Virrata derives its name from the Finnish verb “to flow,” an apt description of the performance of this light and flexible shoe. The upper is a micromesh with well-placed, welded overlays to secure the foot. Though thin, it doesn’t feel skimpy but, rather, racer-like light. The midsole is the same rubbery compound used in both the Kinvara and the Mirage, providing a resilient and responsive ride, with deep flex grooves making for an ultra-flexible sole. The majority of the outersole is toughened EVA with some carbon rubber on the highestwear areas, particularly at the extremes of heel and toe, to improve traction at touch-down and toe-off. The Virrata brings cushioning, flexibility, and zero-drop geometry to everyday running. Heel/Forefoot Drop 0mm Sizes Men 6–13, 14, 15; Women 6–11 Weight 6.9 oz. (men’s 11); 6.2 oz. (women’s 8)
Skechers GoBionic $90
The GoBionic joins the GoRunRide in Skechers’ growing minimal running shoe line. The GoBionic fine tunes some features while employing the best of what works in the Ride. The soft and breathable synthetic upper is suitable for sockless wear. Supportive, sueded overlays give a little structure to the well-ventilated mesh. The midsole features zero-drop geometry with a comfortable 16mm stack height and a flexible design, allowing the foot to flex as needed. The entire outersole is segmented into numerous pods of toughened EVA and carbon rubber in the high-wear portions at heel, toe, and select spots between. The result is a flexible and protective shoe that fits well without breaking the bank. Heel/Forefoot Drop 0mm Sizes Men 6.5–12, 13, 14; Women 5–10, 11 Weight 6.2 oz. (men’s 11); 5.3 oz.(women’s 8)
Mizuno EVO Cursoris $120
Mizuno introduces its EVO line of two minimalist shoes with its characteristic twist. Though they differ somewhat—one aims at performance while the EVO Cursoris is a bit more plush—both have the same zero-drop geometry and lightweight approach. It’s light with a roomy forefoot and 12mm of foam underfoot. The upper is open airmesh in the forefoot (vamp) with smaller mesh on the heel (rear quarter). The midsole is Mizuno’s durable AP foam, which has a toughened skin in the areas where it’s exposed to the road. A visible insert under the metatarsals provides a slightly softer feel underfoot, and the overall shape encourages midfoot striking and a snappy toeoff. The Wave technology is provided by both shaping the forefoot insert and running the length of the midsole. For durability, the outersole is a sparse forefoot-only treatment of carbon rubber. Heel/Forefoot Drop 0mm Sizes Men 6–13, 14, 15; Women 6–11 Weight 7.5 oz. (men’s 11); 5.5 oz. (women’s 8)
OluKai Maliko $100
The Maliko is named after a bay on the island of Maui and this shoe’s suitability in both wet and dry situations is just the beginning of that inspiration. Another notable feature of the Maliko is its split toe construction (the big toe is separated from its brethren), which increases the power and agility of your stride by providing better balance. The upper is a tough, closed mesh with welded supports, a wrapped arch, and swept heel cup of thin TPU with drainage ports under the arch in case you’re running through water. Monosock construction hugs the foot, while thin laces and a quick-snugging lace-lock complete the fit. There’s no midsole to speak of—the EVA Strobel board and removable EVA arch pad in the heel handle those duties—allowing a zero-drop or very mild ramp angle options. The outersole is durable carbon rubber, effectively textured to grip in wet conditions. Heel/Forefoot Drop 0mm Sizes Men 7–12, 13; Women 5, 6–10, 11 Weight 7.3 oz. (men’s 11); 6.2 oz. (women’s 8) 80 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F e b 2 0 1 3
BRR RAISING THE BAR
You’re closing in on the finish line. You exit out of the tunnel and you’re on the floor of the Alamodome! The energy and sounds flood your senses…. the cheering, the announcers, the music. Up on the big video wall there's a smiling face... it's yours. It’s all been worth it. This is your moment.
Alamo City Running Festival 13.1
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March 3, 2013 AlamoCityRunFest.com TM
EVENT SERIES ®
Make A Difference Events
Methodist Healthcare
by Russell Secker
A B r e e d A p a r t How runners find rewards (and risks) in stage racing Austin is a great running city. I have lived and trained here for ten years, run all of the big races (and many of the smaller ones, too), and now share my time between here and London where I grew up. I have served as race director for the venerable Decker Challenge, worked for a while as a coach for Rogue Running, and spent a couple of years as Austin Runners Club president. But during my “Austin decade,” the races I enjoyed competing in most weren’t actually in Austin at all but took place five thousand miles away, in Europe. Starting in 2003, I ran in and completed seven big European stage races across France, Germany, Ireland, and—the granddaddy of them all—across the whole continent, nearly 3,000 miles, from Italy to Norway. What are these races like? Well, just think Groundhog Day, the Bill Murray movie about a TV reporter who finds himself repeating the same wretched day over and over again. A monotonous daily cycle repeats itself for weeks on end, without interruption: wake at 4 a.m., breakfast at 5 a.m., start running at 6 a.m., run all day (anywhere from 30 to 60 miles), shower and nap, eat dinner at 7 p.m., then bed down again at 8 p.m. Sleep is a communal affair, with nearly one hundred of your newest “best friends” sharing a hard wooden floor in a noisy, grubby school gym or sports center. Hygiene generally ranges from Spartan to squalid. Food intake is high on calories but low on deliciousness. So what’s the attraction, you ask, and how did you get started on this stuff? Well, for me, it all began when I read a newspaper article about the 1992 Trans American footrace, which happened to pass through the New Jersey town where we were living at the time. I made the fatal mistake of buying a book about that race. (Now might be a good time for a shameless plug for my book, Running Across Countries, available on amazon.com.) The more I read, the more I was inspired, intrigued—mesmerized, almost—by the physical, mental, and logistical feat of traversing a continent on foot. How is such a thing even possible? I was absolutely certain that I would never be
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able to achieve such an implausibly difficult undertaking. But when I found a “shorter” race (a mere 18 days and 800 miles across France), I thought, well, just maybe I could give this a try. How hard could it be? Well, I soon discovered that running 300-mile weeks without rest days is very hard. No, that’s an understatement. It’s a long way beyond very hard; it’s brutally, soul-destroyingly hard. Everyone gets injured and everyone gets sick, without exception. The human body is not designed to run 40 miles a day for weeks on end. It quickly starts to break down, and minor issues can soon morph into really major, life-threatening ones. Most runners (depending on their biomechanics) develop either Achilles tendon inflammation or shin splints early in these races, especially if (like me) they start out too fast during the first week. The traditional cure for athletic injury is rest, which is not possible during a stage race. The only option is to suck up the pain and keep on going. However, the miracle of the human body I discovered is what I now refer to as “dynamic healing.” After several days of running with pain and inflammation, injuries slowly recede and forward progress resumes. I have personally witnessed runners hobbling pathetically with major joint swelling one day and then seen them running again fluidly three days later. I’ve experienced this phenomenon myself twice, during my first French race and two years later, halfway across Germany. Not fun, for sure, but Secker having his injuries tended during definitely miraculous. one of his many stage races
Seemingly trivial conditions, such as blisters and chest infections, can become very serious during these long races. Take blisters, for example: There’s soreness and tenderness at first but, with continued maltreatment combined with an immune system weakened by fatigue, they can soon turn into active and nasty wound sites where staph infections like MRSA or bacterial infections (necrotizing fasciitis) can take hold. I know one Taiwanese runner who very nearly died at the end of a stage race across France. Her infected blisters and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intake nearly killed her. What started as blisters ended up as gangrene, and she ended up losing one leg and the other foot to life-threatening infection. So what kind of crazy people take part in these races? Germans, Japanese, French, and Scandinavians form the majority of the competitors. About 20 percent are women. You can count the number of Americans who enter them on the fingers of one hand. The average age is about forty-five, but the winners are usually in their late-twenties or early-thirties. To take part, there are a few basic qualification criteria: Can you run further than a marathon on several consecutive days? Can you deal with pain, fatigue, traffic, endless stretches of road shoulder, and ill-health without complaining too much? Do you have lots of time and money to invest in an activity with absolutely no financial return? Do you enjoy mingling with runners whose languages you don’t understand in countries very unlike the good ol’ U.S. of A.? If you answer “yes” to each of those questions, then I say unreservedly —go for it! It will be a life experience I promise you will never forget. The majority of ultra stage runners lie somewhere on the mental health continuum between normal and pretty odd, but you quickly find that there is an outlying ten percent of the population who are absolutely barking mad. During one race, a couple of friends who were crewing for me at the time played a fun dinnertime game, which involved ranking the five craziest competitors in the race. Choosing a winner was a tough call: Was it the French guy who talked to himself and recorded every statistic imaginable about the race (including kilometers run per shoe), the Czech guy who always peed while running down the middle of the street to save valuable seconds, the elderly German lady who completely undressed in the middle of the gym after each stage before hitting the showers, or the Brazilian who was constantly bandaging one part of his body or another? It was indeed a pretty strange bunch. But while the crazies run along in the peleton or bring up the rear, the race leaders are focused on the task at hand and are tremendous athletes. My German friend Rainer Koch, now in his 30s and as delightful a person as you will ever know, has never been beaten in an ultra stage race, including Trans Europe 2009 and Trans America 2011. His average marathon pace is a modest 3:30. Not too impressive, you may say…until you remember that he’s doing that twice a day, back-to-back, and then repeating every day for more than nine weeks. And he’s not the only star. At least ten of the 40 finishers in my Trans Europe race had the potential to challenge Rainer for the win. These races are definitely not for the faint-of-heart. And for most competitors, they are not, in fact, really races. They are very difficult journeys into the unknown, even for the finest runners who take part. It’s better to think of ultra stage racing as a series of problem-solving exercises in survival, with the odds stacked heavily against each runner. So if your idea of a good time is spending weeks on end sleeping on uncomfortable gym floors, The beautiful scenery at dealing with questionable hygiene, TransEurope helped the miles go by blisters and injuries, and suffering
through all the best and worst that the weather and traffic has to offer, then I definitely urge you to consider a European stage race. And if you do decide to take part, you will certainly regret your decision deeply as you suffer through day after Groundhog-like day, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. But I assure you that the lifelong memories, friendships, and sense of achievement you gather along the way make it all worthwhile in that rose-colored rearview mirror of your life. afm
Getting Started: My first recommendation is always the same: try the Tahoe Triple. It's a marathon a day for three days around the perimeter of Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border. It's lowkey but very well organized, the scenery is superb, and the weather is usually great. As an added bonus, you get to achieve rock star status on Day 3 of the event, as you get to run the stage wearing a special "Tripler" shirt accompanied by two thousand other "mere mortal" Tahoe Marathon runners. Three days is a manageable proposition for anyone who has run a few (preferably hilly) marathons. It's a great test for a stage race novice to see whether further and longer is a realistic possibility. Finding Runs: Google is your friend, as is the Marathon & Beyond page on Facebook. In the US, there are still relatively few multi-day stage races, although I believe they will develop and be embraced by folks who tire of completing massive 50- and 100-milers. They are an adventure and a journey, not just a one-day “suffer fest.” Because they require such superhuman efforts from their race directors and crews, events come and go, so you can't assume that, should you decide to do a particular race the following year, that race will actually happen. Until now, Europe has been the richest pickings for stage races. A great event that takes place every year (but be warned: it’s always oversubscribed and does fill up quickly) is the Baltic Run, which covers the 200 miles from Berlin to the Baltic Sea coast in five days. This is a good step up before taking on more extreme (trans-country and then transcontinental) challenges. My advice is always to look for established races; first year events can often be difficult for their organizers, and runners become guinea pigs who serve to smooth out logistical kinks for their successors. Setting Out: Most races in Europe cost about $100 per day, which covers food, accommodation, race fee, and other goodies like T-shirts and awards (in the US, races are much more expensive). This represents good value and helps offset the cost of your transatlantic round trip flight. Each day your luggage is transported to the finish of the stage, so all you need to think about are eating, sleeping, and running. Don't over pack, but do invest in the most expensive self-inflating air mattress you can afford. Don't worry about language issues in Europe; most Europeans know enough English to help you get by. Do, however, expect things to be a little different. Just be friendly and sociable, and you'll be warmly embraced. Covering Ground: If you do decide to go for it, prepare well but don't over train. Start the race very slowly—MUCH slower than you think you should—and have fun. Be a tortoise, and you will overtake many hares after the first few days of over-enthusiasm on the part of your competition. Keep telling yourself that you have a long distance to cover, and the most important thing to do is to avoid injury. A wiser and more experienced German runner once told me mid-race: "When you get home, no-one will ask you which place you finished; they will only want to know that you completed the distance." Sound advice.
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Train AFM FITTEST
What’s New in the AFM FITTEST
Improved team division brings four times the fun By Devyn Bernal
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reparation for AFM FITTEST has begun, and this year promises to be even bigger and better. As individuals all over Austin hit the gyms to get ready for June’s competition, groups are also forming for the AFM FITTEST’s Team Competition. On Saturday, June 15, teams will compete in the same ten professionally designed fitness
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tests (plus two mystery tests) as the individual athletes. It’s the same course as in our inaugural bout in 2012, full of clearly measurable and competently judged tests, which challenge speed, endurance, strength, and power. Last year, teams were made up of ten members, with no more than six of the members being male, each of whom performed only one of the ten tests. This year, the teams will consist of four
photo by Brian Fitz simmons
“Our strategy will be to place the right people in the right place,” said General Manager Leann Rominger, “and, of course, begin training earlier.”
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event. The team with the best overall score will be featured in Austin Fit Magazine’s August 2013 issue in the “10 Fittest” coverage as well as receive prizes and bragging rights as the “Fittest Team in Austin.” Last year’s Team Competition winner, Dane’s Body Shop, plans to defend its title again this spring. “Our strategy will be to place the right people in the right place,” said General Manager Leann Rominger, “and, of course, begin training earlier.” Registration is open and can be completed at afmfittest.com. While you’re on the website, check out the protocol for each test in addition to video footage and commentary by test creator Diana Vives. Continue to watch afmfittest.com to see new information about upcoming events, especially for workshops to help prepare your team. Since there are a limited number of spots, get your team together quickly in order to guarantee your space. And be sure to pick up March’s issue of Austin Fit Magazine (sneak peek at the new awards, anyone?) as well as following months for exclusive information on AFM’s FITTEST competition. afm
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total members, and each competitor will perform three of the 12 total tests (that’s the ten events plus two mystery tests). Neither gender nor age is a factor in team membership; all folks aged 18 and older are welcome to participate on a team. AFM’s COO Alex Earle said the change is intended to provide a more accessible route to gather a team. “With a smaller team, it just might be easier to strategize better in order to win the competition,” Earle stated. It is also a way to involve more in the community in identifying and improving their fitness levels, especially those who might find undertaking all 12 tests in the individual competition intimidating. Though on the same day as the Individual Competition, the Team Competition will be held separately so that those who wish to be part of the Individual Competition can still do so. During the event, fellow team members can follow along and cheer on their partners as they move through the assigned tests, which creates a fun and exciting atmosphere. The team’s score will be tabulated by a compilation of each member’s rank based on his or her raw score for that
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"A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." —Charles Schwab
The Passion List Identifying drive to create success
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By Desiree Ficker
he earliest definition of passion was created to describe the suffering of Christ. It can also be defined as an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling of conviction. It can also be used to describe love. As active people and athletes, we can attest that suffering, emotion, and love are all closely intertwined. The races that have been the most rewarding and thrilling for me have also caused me great suffering. However, it is these emotions that make us feel the most alive. I think it is beneficial to define what drives you toward your goal and to define what keeps your passion high, so instead of making New Year's Resolution lists, maybe we should be making Passion Lists. Here is my Passion List.
1. Running in the Woods My favorite place to run is a forest in Maryland just down the road a bit from where I grew up. The wooded glen consists of tall oak trees and trails that twist and turn. I have been running in these woods since I was a young girl and it is the first place I like to go when I go back home for a visit. I have witnessed these woods at all seasons. They are colorful in the fall, green and budding in the spring, humid in the summer, and brilliantly white and snowy at times in winter. Running in the woods will always be exciting for me. 2. Lending a Hand After I’ve finished a race, I love returning to the one-mile-to-go mark on the course. This is the best place to cheer the other athletes on and witness their die-hard passion. I find photography by Brian Fitz simmons
that racers will often pick up the pace and smile as they hear my cheers. It is such a rewarding way to end an event. 3. Celebrating Good Times My husband and I have developed a tradition of going to the Galaxy Café after our weekend long runs. We love to reward ourselves with a delicious breakfast and, often times, we waste no time in changing out of our sweaty workout gear (lucky Galaxy Café diners!). I often think about these breakfasts in the last hard miles of my runs, and the thought of this meal helps me get out of bed when it is dark and I have many miles of road to eat up first! 4. Embracing a Cause This past summer I ran the Quebec City marathon in honor of Riley, a young girl who has been struggling with health issues for many years. We distributed bands that were inscribed with her name to the other racers there and had a medal ceremony for Riley here in Austin when I returned home. The hot summer training took on an entirely new meaning for me as I thought about this little girl, who was unable to run even one mile. It was so nice to be training and racing for a cause that was greater than myself. 5. Finding Positive People One of my childhood sport idols, Jackie Joyner Kersee, shared her secret to success: "Surround yourself with positive people." I will never forget those words and they have served me well. Running with Gilbert's Gazelles, training with Atomic Athlete, and frequenting Jack & Adam’s Bicycles is like
giving yourself a pat on the back. The folks in these organizations are so positive you can't help but try harder to succeed when you are around them. They keep my passion for sport positive and fresh. 6. Scheduling Bike/Run/Date Matt and I like to start off on our long runs together; when he has had his fill, we head back to the car. He then suits up to bike alongside me for the rest of the run; as the temperatures soar and the miles stretch out, I avail myself of his water bottles and snacks. We have been all over Austin and Taos this way, and I often feel we are setting off on a great adventure! We even purchased a small iPod player he straps to his pack so we can have live music as we run. Now that's my kind of date! 7. Glowing like a Kid I like the beauty treatment a workout gives me...and it's free! For example: I love the feeling of rosy cheeks burning hot after a tough spin class; it reminds me of my days as a kid coming in from recess. 8. Whiteboarding I have a large whiteboard that I keep in my bedroom where I write my race goals. I like to write my goal time for a big race, some inspirational quotes, and things I am going to sacrifice in order to get there. There’s nothing like a huge list of goals staring you in the face to get you out of bed in the morning! I hope my Passion List has inspired you to make your own. Remember: suffering and love go hand in hand! Happy training. AFM
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Train Swim
Slower -Than -Usual Swimming
When workouts tell you something’s wrong By Keith Bell, PH.D.
I
pushed the button on my answering machine (yes, I still have an answering machine). “Hi, it's Pete.” . . . [nervous laugh] . . . “I have some interesting medical news.” Pete is one of my best friends. When he lived in Austin, his wife once complained that he spent more time with me than he did with her. I called him right back. I was worried.
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It turns out Pete went in for a routine colonoscopy. In preparation, they took his blood pressure. The technician promptly disappeared without a word. When he returned, he told Pete they weren't going to be able to do the colonoscopy. Pete had to go to the hospital immediately. Pete's blood pressure had been outrageously high. Pete, who didn't like the idea of fasting and doing the enema for nothing, suggested that they go ahead and do the colonoscopy. He told them he'd check on his blood pressure the next day. They told him they would not, and could not; he needed
to get to the hospital emergency room NOW! At the hospital, Pete was informed he needed a pacemaker. He told the doctor that he'd like to go home, think about it, and then decide. The doctor let him know there was a good chance he might not make it home without one. So, that was the phone message on my answering machine: Pete had called to tell me he had a pacemaker. “How high was your blood pressure?” I asked him. He told me. “What kind of symptoms were you having?” “None,” he said. “None?” I asked, half in disbe-
FIRST SESSION HALF OFF!
lief. “Your blood pressure was that high and you weren't having any symptoms?” “Well,” Pete replied, “looking back, I was swimming really slow, about five seconds slower per hundred than usual. I'd been frustrated with that, but I didn't know why I was swimming so slow.” That, I understood. If you swim regularly, especially if you use the clock, and you find you are swimming more slowly than usual without any clear explanation, it's easy to get frustrated—even though at some level, you know something isn't right. At least I do when I go through those slumps. A few weeks ago I did a couple of practices with a swimmer who was visiting from Dallas. I knew he had been getting treatment for colorectal cancer. So I asked him how he was doing.
He told me the radiation treatment on his rectum had been extremely painful, but things were going well. They seemed to have gotten it all. Now, he was just going in for regular checks about every three months. I asked him what symptoms he had. He said he didn't have any. They found the cancer when he went in for a routine colonoscopy. I told him how, for me, the first indication of anything being wrong (health-wise) always seemed to be swimming much slower than usual over an extended time period. Somehow, it felt qualitatively different and lasted longer than if I were tired, over-trained, or the like. Slower-than-usual swimming was the only symptom I had when I was anemic and when I had a vitamin D deficiency. (Both times, my blood work put me in the low normal range but, for me, these numbers were truly abnormal and problematic.) “You know,” he said, “come to think of it, I was swimming much slower than usual prior to the colonoscopy. And I had testicular cancer years ago. Then, too, the only symptom I had was that my swimming was really slow.” So let me suggest that you keep a close eye on the pace clock for more than swimming reasons. If you are swimming unusually slowly or getting inexplicably fatigued when swimming, talk with your physician about it. Though he might not be able to relate to slower-than-usual swimming as a symptom, make sure he takes it seriously as a possible indication of a medical problem. Who knows? Slower-than-usual swimming might be the only indication that something is seriously wrong. Recognizing the seriousness of that symptom might save your life. As for me, I guess I'm also going to take my physician's advice when he suggests a routine colonoscopy, especially if my swimming is slower than usual. Oh, by the way: The first thing Pete asked the doctor when he came to after getting his pacemaker was, “When can I go swimming?” No wonder we get along so well. AFM
photo by Brian Fitzsimmons
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F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 8 9
Train Bike
Correct Your Perspective on Training Suggestions for the fatigued hard-working athlete
A
By B. Shiva Mayer and Robert Biard
t first you were unsure, but it quickly felt right. Before you knew it, you had devoted all of your free time. Friends and strangers alike listened to you prattle on about your newfound affection. Soon weekends, holidays, and vacations would be spent together. Is this your new relationship or sport of choice? How do you keep a blooming new relationship healthy and not become obsessive? For single-sport endurance athletes like runners and cyclists, the activities we love can quickly become all consuming. Bringing balance to what might otherwise become routine can be an essential part of making the passion last. In my first year as a rank amateur bike racer, I competed on over 70 days and rode over 7,000 miles between training and racing. I paid the price for my early enthusiasm; having competed January through 90 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m F E b 2 0 1 3
October, I had left precious little time for decompression and the following return to training. When the season started anew, I found myself burnt out and often barely able to keep up with others in the field that were better prepared, both psychologically and physically, than I. I, however, was lucky. A far worse scenario can unfold as the physical toll of training and competing mounts. Even those who consider themselves well conditioned for their primary sport can fail to note foreshadowing pain, general inflexibility, and weakness in muscle groups that don’t see regular attention. How, then, can dedicated athletes continue to perform at a high level year after year? Know when to ease up
While the routine of training and racing can be comfortable, it is impor-
tant to know your limits. For example: A road cyclist in Texas could potentially compete on 17 of the first 21 weekends of 2013 in addition to similar weekday opportunities. Even without the stacked calendar, athletes in Texas often push themselves to take advantage of our ideal climate by training at a high level year round. Coach and former professional cyclist Chann McRae of Chann McRae Coaching points out that while periods of strenuous training can have a positive impact, they need to be followed with rest. “Overtraining simply sucks, and that's what you see with lots of Texans who are at every race, don’t sleep properly, and push the training hard on the weekdays,” said McRae. “When important races come around, they lack snap, freshness, and high-end power. Physiologically, their cortisol levels may be spiked, and there could be deep muscle fatigue preventing them from making anaerobic efforts.” A good suggestion is to start by looking first at what points in the season you want to reach peak form and then build a training plan around them. “You can have two strong peaks per season and should be able to maintain each of those for about eight weeks,” suggested McRae. “Sixteen weeks out the year, you can really look for results. We always say circle the race you want to be your best in and work back from that date.”
least one study found carryover benefits in maximum oxygen uptake from running to other sports, such as cycling and swimming. Train differently
It’s common to hear professional athletes talk about gym routines in addition to their primary training. Their reasoning can be applied to anyone: Building flexibility and strength throughout the body can help reduce injuries. There are many activities that can be combined with a traditional training regimen: occasional weight lifting, Pilates, or yoga. Whatever the activity, it can help to seek some professional guidance to get started off correctly. “I’ve had athletes come to me in pain, unsure of the cause,” said professional Pilates instructor Liana Mauro of Mauro Pilates. “Often their injuries are due to postural and muscular imbalances along with an overdevelopment in their larger muscle groups and weaknesses in their smaller muscle groups."
It’s okay to leave your running shoes behind when you take a vacation with your family or to spend a week off the bike while you catch up at work.
Compete differently
While certain athletes are used to managing two or even three sports at a time, there are legions of single-sport athletes who have never competed outside of their primary sport. Athletes should keep in mind that just about every sport offers opportunities for competition and camaraderie, with the additional benefits of a physical and mental break for single-sport athletes. Properly structured within a training program, there can also be carryover performance benefits to an occasional switch. At
Do nothing
Perhaps the easiest advice to implement is the simplest—take a break! Amateur athletes, especially those who compete at a high level, can sometimes be guilty of not prioritizing their time correctly. (This is to say nothing of more serious conditions, such as anorexia athletica—an obsessive desire to exercise— which should be treated with professional attention.) It’s okay to leave your running shoes behind when you take a vacation with your family or to spend a week off the bike while you catch up at work. Don’t worry: your fitness will still be there when you get back. For athletes, “break” often seems a dangerous word, with connotations of laziness or apathy. Many would do well to correct their worldview: properly structured respite and time spent working on new areas may reduce the chance of injury, improve overall performance, and allow for a renewed dedication to the activity they fell in love with in the first place. AFM
F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 9 1
To schedule an event at your facility please contact Aaron Wedel at 512-230-2501 or e-mail aaron@bodyfattest.com. Check out our website at www.bodyfattest.com for a calendar of events near you.
Train Run
Finding My Passion Again
When quitting is the only way to keep running By Dacia Perkins
I
t got to the point where I was running for all the wrong reasons. I was running for family, teammates, and coaches. I was running because I was good at it, because it was what I knew, because it was my life. Who wouldn’t be a professional athlete if the opportunity arose? It just made sense. I’m sure you’ve been there, doing something you’ve been deemed “good at” but have no desire to do; working a job because it’s all you knew or doing so just makes sense. Sadly, all of those reasons were not enough to outweigh the fact that the one person I wasn’t running for was myself. My external motivations were endless but my internal motivation was non-existent. My passion and love for the sport were gone. Unfortunately, there was a direct correlation between my internal motivation and my performance. While I wasn’t running poorly, I wasn’t running well, either. When I finally reached this realization, I had to make a very tough decision. Should I keep running professionally, perhaps never reaching my full potential and risking my love for the sport? Or should I walk away from everything I knew, from what everyone was telling me to do, so that I could find my passion again—something that wasn’t even a guarantee? Was I willing to take a leap of faith? After wrestling over this decision for what seemed like an eternity and stressing myself to the point of sickness, I realized that I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my love for the sport just to please everyone else. I decided to give up everything, and disappointed a lot of people in the process, because I wanted to remember
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what it felt like to want to run. I felt a lot of relief after I shared my decision. A burden had been lifted, but I was also very scared. Would I ever love to run again? How would I find my passion for the sport that had become my life? Even more frightening—what was I going to do with my life now? First, I stopped running. I took my first Zumba class, discovering I have absolutely no rhythm. I gave more of my now available time and energy to my parttime job and, surprisingly, enjoyed it more and more. And eventually, after separating myself from the sport, I realized how much I missed the ease and freedom of just walking out the door to go on a run. The peace you feel as you venture out on your own, responsibilities forgotten. Things were starting to fall into place. I didn’t hate running anymore and I was offered a promotion at work. My leap of faith was paying off, but I still wasn’t able to say I loved running again. I began to ask myself why I started running in the first place. Maybe those answers would help. Was it because I was good at it? Maybe it was my father’s influence, or maybe I liked beating the boys. Whatever the reason, it definitely developed into something much more. It took time to put my finger on what, but after a while I realized it was joy. Running used to bring me joy, pleasure, and maybe a runner’s
high or two. I used to run because of how it made me feel, physically and emotionally. So maybe if I started running again, not because someone wanted me to, but because I chose to, I could find that joy again? Eventually I decided to go on a run. Let me tell you it was not very pleasurable. I was horribly out of shape. But you know what? I really enjoyed it. I liked that I could walk out my front door, no equipment needed, and just run. I liked that my lungs burned, my legs ached, and it was my doing, my choice, my decision that caused it. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I was passionate about running again, but it was a very good start. So how to get from feeling joy to being passionate? To be honest, I’m not really sure; I’m not there yet. I think it will be something that develops with time. Maybe I need to take the risk of not just running for myself but of running for something else again. Maybe that’s where true passion lies: in the place where you can happily couple your internal and external motivations. Whatever passion may be, I’m thankful that I took that leap of faith and made the decision to walk away from all that I knew, from what made sense. Deep down I know that, one day, I will be able to say without hesitation that I’ve found my passion again. Have you found your passion? Do you need to make a tough decision and take a leap of faith? afm
Charlotte Brigham,
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Train Muscle Movement
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Moving Together
Using a partner to accomplish movement goals By Diane Vives, MS, CSCS
P
artnering with a spouse, workout buddy or good friend helps keep motivation, commitment, and consistency as the January resolution craze starts to fade. Many of you have chosen the 2013 AFM FITTEST competition as your goal event this year. Now is a great opportunity to work with your partner to start building the foundation for performing the tests in June. The energy you get from supporting and holding each other accountable can also bring many positives to the training experience. This month, we focus on three examples of working with a partner while focusing on some great movement strategies. Even as we create fun, reactive, partner-based training movements,
we still want to keep form, motor control, and stability in mind. The reactive nature of working in a training set with someone else can sometimes be distracting; it is important, therefore, to help keep each other focused as well as to coach one another through the movements so that quality is always maintained and the intended results are achieved. In this series of movements, lower body stability is targeted in the first movement and followed by a second exercise that is reactive and fun while still challenging upper body strength and stability. The third and final series shows how executing a rotational movement in a standing position generates movement of the total body and transfers power from the ground up.
In this first movement, one partner performs a lunge that is a transitional lower body movement. Strengthening the lunge movement transfers to locomotion activities and lower body stability and strength. One of the challenges for all types of clients and athletes is maintaining strength and stability in the frontal plane (forces that affect us laterally). Lack of strength can create unwanted motion that takes away from strong, sharply executed
movements in forward motion, such as running. So to strengthen this ability, the second partner holds the band that creates lateral resistance. And, as we always want to get as much out of an exercise as possible, the second partner also performs a squat while holding the band to strengthen the lower body while being challenged with laterally-oriented resistance.
1
Partner Band Lunge with Rotation • Partner 1: Start with feet hip-width apart, arms extended in front of the chest and holding the band. Partner 2: Start with feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended in front of the chest and holding the band. • Partner 1: Lunge forward, creating a strong and stable position with the lower body. Once this photography by Brian Fitz simmons
position is established, rotate the upper body as one unit, about 45 degrees over the outside leg and away from Partner 2. Partner 2: Squat, holding your position while Partner 1 executes the lunge with rotation. Do not let Partner 1’s movement or the band’s resistance pull you out of position. Note that your
position is now slightly behind Partner 1’s due to his or her forward lunge. This creates a great angle of resistance with the band to challenge the lunging partner’s rotational stability. • Both partners return to a standing position and then alternate roles until each has completed 10-15 repetitions. F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 9 5
Train Muscle Movement
The second reactive exercise movement is a great way to bring a fun challenge into the training session. The focus here is to strengthen the upper body and gain stability strength by incorporating a single-arm stance. Using something as simple as clapping or partner taps forces each partner to spend time holding a position with one arm; being in a three-point stance,
even for a brief moment, challenges shoulder stability of the stance arm as well as core strength and control. Designating one partner as the leader and having the second partner timing moments on the leader’s cue also adds a reactive component.
2
Reactive Push-ups with Partner Clap • Each partner sets up in a solid plank position with heads facing and bodies an arm’s-length apart. One partner is designated the leader. • The leader performs a full push-up; the partner does the same, cueing on the leader’s movement as to when to start.
• At the top of the push-up, the leader extends an arm, designating a hand to perform the partner clap. The partner matches this movement with his or her opposite hand in order to complete a successful clap. (Note: The leader will mix up which hand is chosen as much as possible to
The last movement is a popular medicine ball exercise called a rotational toss, which can be performed in varying degrees of intensity based on the partners’ fitness levels. For some athletes, this exercise involves explosive power and focuses on driving the movement from the ground up. This ability to execute a powerful hip-driving motion can be transferred to changes of direction for strong agility movements or for activities like swinging a
create a fun and challenging reactive component to the exercise.) • Repeat the movements for a 30-second timed round or until a designated number of push-ups are performed, alternating from set to set which partner is the leader.
baseball bat. For the fitness athlete, the movement focuses on coordination and consistent movement execution. Adding a partner into the mix creates dual benefits, with each partner performing a catch and quick chest pass. This exercise can be used as part of a circuit and definitely adds to the conditioning challenge.
3
Partner Rotational Toss • Both partners assume a shoulder-width stance perpendicular to each other and about 10-15 feet apart. • Partner 1 performs a chest pass, feeding the ball to Partner 2 just in front of his or her body. • Partner 2 catches the ball at the beginning of the rotatation, loading the outside hip. Quickly
stopping the coiling motion, Partner 2 reverses the rotation to perform a rotational throw back to Partner 1. (Note: It is important that Partner 2 releases the heel of his or her pivoting foot during the rotational movement to allow the pelvis to move with the hip rotation and protect the lumbar spine.)
Have fun with this series and remember: Building strength through movements that incorporate total body stability and control will
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• Partner 1 catches the ball just in front of the chest while maintaining an athletic stance and then feeds the ball back to Partner 2 by quickly performing a chest pass.
transfer to good performance and help you reach your personal best in the 2013 AFM FITTEST competition. afm
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Train Coach Carrie
Carrie Barrett
Coach Carrie's Tips for Running Up Hills 1.) Create a slight forward lean going into the hill, but keep torso erect. Don't break at the waist. 2.) Pretend a rope is coming out of your chest and someone is pulling you up the hill. 3.) Look up to the top of the hill (if you can see it!), not at the ground. This will ensure good posture. 4.) Shorten your stride and make sure your feet
Love Hurts
Any sport worth doing takes its toll By Carrie Barrett
I
love training and I love competing. It makes me feel complete and strong in a way that nothing else does. With love, though, comes inevitable pain. I have felt the pain of pushing myself through walls of fatigue and suffering. I have felt the physical pain of falls, crashes, and surgeries that invariably come with long-term participation in sport. I have also felt the pain of ending a race or a season too soon because it became unbearable.
are hitting the ground below your hips and not in front of you. 5.) Think of yourself as moving in a "controlled fall." 6.) Run hills like you pedal up them, by focusing
Sing it with me now: “Love hurts, love scars/Love wounds, and marks” (from “Love Hurts” by Nazareth).
on quick turnover and keeping your effort level low. This may mean slowing down, but don't worry: you'll catch them on the downhill!
Coach Carrie's Tips for Running Down Hills
1.) Adjust your posture so that you are perpendicular with the hill. Don’t lean back. 2.) Practice allowing your legs to turn over more
When I look in the mirror, I see a body full of scars. I see what's left of road rash on my leg and arm from a solo bike crash. There are remnants and abrasions from falls during trail runs. There are incisional wounds from a hip labral repair and a large gnarly scar across my abdomen from a surgery to replace a blocked artery in my leg. I have the pleasure of seeing stretch marks, a muffin top, and cellulite
that makes me wonder aloud in daily frustration, “How in the hell does my body look like this?” Really, to look in the mirror, I should be horrified at what looks back. It isn't always pretty. And yet, I choose to love. I love this body that refuses to give up even when there's really nothing at stake aside from my long-term sanity. I love this soul that is always reaching and grasping for the next adventure. I love this mind that is constantly seeking and sharing wisdom and experience. I love this community of Austin that relishes and indulges in the surroundings we have been given. It's a love that emits dedication, commitment, and passion. Love isn't always pretty. In fact, it rarely is. Even the best relationships are covered in bruises and abrasions. Even the most solid foundations are shaky under a wheel that's going flat. But, with a little rest, TLC, patience, and support, even the biggest bruises and scars can heal into something beautiful. Always choose love.
quickly while going downhill. Remember that gravity is your friend. 3.) Make sure your feet fall directly below your center of gravity. Otherwise, you're putting on the brakes and putting stress on your knees, back and lower body. 4.) Try to land on the balls of your feet so that you avoid heel striking. 5.) Relax and don't run "out of control."
Running terminology long runs = develop and strengthen your X-train = cross-training days. Give your legs aerobic endurance. Start slow and remain steady a rest and enjoy other activities such as swimthroughout the run. Your pace should be about 1:00 ming, yoga, or cycling. min/mile slower than your actual race pace goal. Think about a 5-6 on a scale of 1-10 of perceived effort. Advanced runners may also progressively pick up their pace for the last few miles to incorporate easy runs = whether done by distance or race pace training. Most importantly, do not start time, your easy runs are just that—easy. Focus too fast. on form over speed. Work on increasing your run cadence to an efficient 90 foot strikes per minute per foot. tempo runs = prepare your body to run fast. Warm up for at least 10 minutes before starting the tempo run. Cool down for at least 5 min. It should feel like a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10 effort and should ideally be faster than race pace effort. I like to call this “comfortably uncomfortable.” Beginners should include their warm-ups and cool-downs within the time. Advanced runners should make their warm-ups and cool-downs separate from the tempo time.
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500’
3 LN
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS at AUSTIN
ENF
480’ 460’
RD.
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440’
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420’ 400’
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380’
15T
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LVD . HS T.
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N. LAM AR B
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LOOP
HS T.
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360’
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340’
STATE CAPITOL
320’
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0.00 .250 .500 .751 .001 .251 .501 .752 .002 .252 .502 .753 .003 .253 .503 .754 .004 .254 .504 .755 .005 .255 .505 .756 .006 .25
E
Elevation Chart This course is scenic but challenging, especially in the first couple of miles. Start slow, pace accordingly, and enjoy the views along the way!
RES
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Cap10K Course You'll pass several Austin landmarks including the Ann B. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, the Texas State Capitol Building, Austin High School, and Lady Bird Lake. The race finishes at Auditorium Shores. Eleven aid stations are located along the course, complete with water and minor first aid supplies.
FINISH 6
February is also the time to fully commit to the training schedule. We pick up the mileage and we incorporate more speed and hill work into our weekly runs. Do you love it? Are you willing to commit to being a better runner? Show your passion
START
roads. In addition to leg strength, don't neglect to train your glutes and abs. These are key muscle groups in order to minimize fatigue and injury. afm
and enjoy weeks five through eight of the Austin American-Statesman Capitol 10K training schedule. Running hills takes strength and practice. I recommend practicing on softer surfaces until you are ready to tackle the
12 Weeks to the Cap 10K Week 5 (2/4 — 2/10)
Monday
Tuesday
Rest Day- Strength
3 miles easy
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
4 miles fartlek*
Rest or x-train
3 miles easy
Rest or x-train
Long Run: 3 Miles
and/or Flexibility
*( include 10 x :30
Training
fast/1:00 recovery)
Week 6 (2/11 — 2/17)
Rest Day- Strength
Week 7 (2/18 — 2/24)
Rest Day- Strength
3-4 miles easy
Weeks 5-8 (2/4/13-3/3/13)
Hills: 6 x 1:00
*advanced runners can increase distance up to 6 miles
Rest or x-train
3 miles easy
Rest or x-train
3-4 miles easy
and/or Flexibility
4 miles fartlek *
Rest or x-train
3 miles easy
Rest or x-train
Rest Day- Strength
3-4 miles easy
Hills 5 x 1:30
Long Run: 5 Miles *advanced runners can increase distance up to 7 miles
*( include 8 x 1:00 fast/1:00 recovery)
Week 8 (2/25 — 3/3)
Long Run: 5 Miles *advanced runners can increase distance up to 7 miles
and/or Flexibility
Rest or x-train
and/or Flexibility
3 miles easy
Rest or x-train
Long Run: 6 Miles *advanced runners can increase distance up to 8 miles
Download the entire Cap 10K schedule on Training Peaks here: http://ow.ly/gSwWd Illustration by Melis sa Warren
F e b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 9 9
Train AFMDC
Flying High with the AFM Distance Challenge
New award recognizes improvement in AFMDC results
A
s the 2012 AFM Distance Challenge comes to a close this month with the LiveStrong Austin Marathon and Half Marathon, a small number of people are on track to receive an award in a new category this year, the HIGHFLYER Award. In order to qualify, the runner must match these criteria:
1. Finished all six races in the AFMDC; 2. Have a lower cumulative time in the five races that were available in last year’s AFM Distance Challenge; the IBM Uptown Classic, Run for the Water, Decker Challenge Half Marathon, 3M Half Marathon, and LiveStrong Austin Marathon; or 3. Have completed the full track option in this year’s series if you completed the halftrack option last year At the beginning of the current series in 2012, 135 people were eligible for this award. After the Decker Half Marathon results were posted, only 17 remained. While the 3M Half Marathon results were not yet computed as of print, it’s safe to bet these same runners will be gearing up to earn their prize as this year’s series to a close. The LiveStrong Austin Marathon is sure to be a challenge for the remaining
By Madie Leon
HIGHFLYER hopefuls. Nine of these competitors remain ahead of last year’s running time, while the rest have ground to gain back on this last leg. Awards will be announced and distributed at the AFMDC dinner in March, so watch austinfitmagazine.com and the Austin Runners Club website (austinrunners.org/ austindistancechallenge) for breaking news about this event. And don’t forget to visit both sites for the updated AFMDC Leaderboard to check who’s out in front of the pack in this exciting challenge. afm
IBM Uptown Classic 10K Oct. 7, 2012
Gazelle Foundation Run for the Water 10 Miler Oct. 28, 2012
ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathon Dec. 9, 2012
3M Half Marathon & Relay Jan. 13, 2013
Rogue 10K & 30K Jan. 27, 2013
LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon & Half Marathon Feb. 17, 2013
Online
See austinfitmagazine.com for the latest in AFMDC results and coverage! Why? Print deadlines make information obsolete fast, so the best medium for AFMDC results is the Web. Keep checking throughout the month.
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LIFESTYLE
February 16
February 2
The Nationals Doubleheader The Nationals are here! Austin can now boast being the home of a top-level professional women’s soccer exhibition team, The Nationals. The team’s mission is to bring “the beautiful game” to young women and their families here in America, demonstrating that there is a place in professional ball for them. The kickoff to The Nationals inaugural year begins with the Spring College Tour, and the first game is a doubleheader at College Station against Houston Baptist and Texas A&M. See game info and season schedule online • thenationalwomen.com
Carnival Brasileiro Outside of Brazil, Austin boasts one of the biggest Carnaval Brasileiro celebrations in the world. Thousands come together to celebrate the day with samba, live music (which is purely Brazilian and sung entirely in Portuguese), and food straight out of Rio de Janeiro. Beleza Brasil, twice voted the best Brazilian band in the United States will grace the stage, as well as Academicos de Opera. The music will play nonstop for over four hours. Glittering costumes that cover only a small amount of skin are perfectly acceptable at what is coined as Austin’s wildest party. Palmer Events Center • sambaparty.com
February 18
Youth Adventure Day: Survivor 101 Monday, February 18, is President’s Day, a school holiday for AISD. Looking for something for the kids? Have your kids (ages 8 to 11 years old) venture into the great outdoors with experienced Nature Center staff for Survivor 101. They’ll make a primitive shelter, practice fire building, and learn to track animals during this camp designed to develop outdoor skills. Camp is from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and all equipment and transportation to and from the cave is provided; pre-registration required. Austin Nature & Science Center • austintexas.gov/ department/austin-nature-science-center
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February 7
Dine Out for the Cure For the second year in a row, Austin’s Susan G. Komen branch is extending an invitation to make your night on the town count for more than extra calories. Local Austin restaurants can sign up to be partners in the event to contribute part of their revenue from the night towards fighting breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of the funds raised will stay in the five-county area for screenings and treatment. See restaurant list online • komenaustin.org
Featured // Sesame street live
February 9
Austin Brew Bus Craft Beer Scene Tour Have you ever wondered what goes into that ale in your pint glass? This tour takes you on a behind the scenes look into local breweries. As an added incentive, your day will be filled with sips of unique local craft beer. Both microbreweries and larger breweries are on the list of stops. Take a peek into one of the fastest growing craft beer cities in the country. See local Austin stops online • austinbrewbus.com/tours
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ARTS February 1-16
February 15
2013 LiveStrong Austin Marathon Expo The 2013 Marathon Expo is the perfect stop to get ready for this year’s running season to get into full swing. Local charities will be out to hype up their 5Ks and their company’s presence. Inspirational speakers will get you pumped for your best running year yet. Vendors will exhibit the latest running shoes and gear, but make sure to bring your own grocery bag to stock up on purchases. This year’s event is going green. Palmer Events Center • youraustinmarathon.com/expo
Frontera Fest Fringe theatre takes on a new caliber with shows happening every night at Hyde Park Theatre and other local venues. The event celebrates its 20th anniversary this year (the website reminds its audience that emeralds are acceptable on such an occasion). Local talent will be giving off the wall performances as fringe theatre stretches the imagination and small time plays take to the stage for a big time effect. Make sure to stop by as many shows as you can fit into your schedule. See listings for Hyde Park Area Theatres online • fronterafest.org
Adult and Youth Hockey Leagues Instructional – Advanced NORTHCROSS MALL 2525 West Anderson Lane | 512.252.8500 WWW.CHAPARRALICE.COM
February 3
Austin Lyric Opera presents Mozart’s The Marriage of Figarro Cross visiting the Long Center for an Austin performance off of your resolution list this year. The Marriage of Figarro is expected to bring a packed house for the Lyric Opera because of its whimsical staging and the return of Jamie-Rose Guarrine and Paolo Pecchioli to the Austin opera scene. Long Center for the Performing Arts • austinlyricopera.org
February 1-3
2013 ArenaCross Tour Not for the faint of heart, the most intimate form of motorcycle racing returns to the Austin area this year. The arena floor will be covered with man-made obstacles that induce gravity-defying jumps and a battle like race across thousands of pounds of sculpted soil. The event is a chance for hundreds of riders to compete for one of 32 spots as national representatives. Tickets start at just $10 for children. Cedar Park Center • cedarparkcenter.com/events
February 14-17
Sesame Street Live Big Bird and his pals hit the stage for a live spin on the classic children’s television show. The gang from Sesame Street celebrates their 33rd year in 2013, and your family can be a part of the fun. Child-friendly fun awaits at what is sure to be a highlight in your family’s winter events. Frank Erwin Center • sesamestreetlive.com/Austin-tx Submit your event online at austinfitmagazine.com
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F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 1 0 5
Rides&Races Featured // Austin 10/20
FEBRUARY
February 17
Paramount Break a Leg 5K Downtown Austin • austintheatre.org/5k
FEBRUARY 2
Pure to Pure Run (13 miles) Quarry Lake, Austin • pureaustin.com/events Rocky Raccoon 100m/50m Huntsville • tejastrails.com Cupid’s Chase Fun Run/Walk 5k Georgetown • cupid.georgetown.org Dirty Dozen Mountain Bike Relay Race (12 Hour or 6 Hour Relay) Warda • terrafirmaracing.com February 3
Natural Bridge Caverns Marathon, Trail Run, 10K, 5K Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio • redemptionrp.com
LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon and Half Marathon (#6 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge) Downtown Austin • youraustinmarathon.com
March March 2
Nueces 50m/50K/25K/10K Camp Eagle, Rocky Springs • tejastrails.com Round Rock ISD Project Graduation 5K Dell Diamond, Round Rock • roundrockisd.org Hero Rush Central Texas Old Settler’s Park • herorush.com/events/texas-central March 3
February 9
Creep Crawlies and Critters 5K YMCA Camp Cypress, Buda • trailheadrunning.com
Crop Hunger Walk Camp Mabry• austincrohungerwalk.org The Texas 5K Congress Avenue Bridge • celebratetexas.org
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Featured // Capitol 10k
Toros Splash and Dash Twin Creeks Country Club, Cedar Park kidstri.com April 13
Longhorn Run University of Texas at Austin utlonghornrun.com Gut Check Challenge 520 Pope Bend Road, Cedar Creek, TX gutcheckchallenge.com April 14
Austin 10/20 (10 Mile) 3110 Esparanza Crossing, Austin austin1020.com April 16
Alamo City Run Fest Alamodome, San Antonio alamocityrunfest.com Trail Setter 5K and Kids Fun Run Twin Lakes YMCA, Cedar Park ymcagwc.org March 17
Manzano Mile Texas School for the Deaf, Austin manzanomile.com
The Splash & Dash (USAT) Pure Austin North, Austin • pureaustin.com April 20
Agape PRC 5K Old Settlers Park, Round Rock • fellowshiprr.org Run to the Sun 90-Mile Relay Austin to Enchanted Rock runtothesunrelay.com Tough Mudder Longhorn River Ranch toughmudder.com/events
Head for the Cure Central Texas 5K Camp Mabry • headforthecure.org April 21 March 23
Thin Mint Sprint 5K and Daisy Dash Cedar Park Center monarchsu.com
Austin Autism Society’s 6th Bike Ride Fundraiser Berry Spring Park and Reserve, Georgetown support.autism-society.org
March 30
April 27
Ash Dash 5K Bunny Run Austin State Hospital Campus ashvolunteers.org
Austin Arthritis Walk Concordia University, Austin austinarthritiswalk.org
Electric Run Travis County Expo Center electricrun.com/Austin-tx
Texas Round-Up 5K and Family Mile Texas State Capitol Building, Austin texasroundup.org
April April 7
Austin American-Statesman Capitol 10,000 305 South Congress Avenue, Austin statesman.com/s/cap10k
Submit your ride or race online at austinfitmagazine.com
F E b 2 0 1 3 a u s t i n fI t m a g a z i n e . c o m 1 0 7
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PUSH FOR & BE MORE Trailsetter 5K
TWIN LAKES FAMILY YMCA Sunday, March 3 @ Brushy Creek Trail in Cedar Park Kids Fun Run at 8:00 a.m. 5K at 8:30 a.m. Walkers & Runners Welcome For details and to register, log on to our website or call the Y at (512) 250-9622.
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