Runner's World - Inside March 2013

Ăš get motivated now!

Australian & New zealand edition

Your Perfect

Running

Weight!

In Just Four Weeks 10 SUPERFOODS YOU SHOULD EAT THIS YEAR Plus: Runner-Tested All Day Eating Plan MUST READ

Is Stress Ruining Your Run? Total-Body Exercises, Stretches & Workouts For Every Runner p.56

march 2013

How Fit Are You?

Test Yourself p.25

22

NEW SHOE REVIEWS

Your Perfect Fit Best Buys Editor's Pick

Beginners Walk More Run Better

A GOOD FIX!

6 Healthy Ways to Satisfy Your Chocolate Cravings $8.50 08 $9.70

incl. GST ISSN 1440-5229 incl. GST NZ

PP 349181 / 00853 ISSN 1440-5229

08

9 771440 522018

runnersworldmag.com.au

48 Y OUR PERFECT RUNNING WEIGHT

hed the kilos and run S faster in just four weeks.

64 A UTUMN SHOE GUIDE

Need new footwear?

We road-tested 22 models to find the right fit for you.

By Jeff Dengate and Martyn Shorten, Ph.D.

82 T HE LIFE OF A RUNNER

ow one determined H runner has enjoyed fiftyplus fulfilling years of his favourite sport (…and how you can, too).

56

KEEP IT SIMPLE OR CRANK IT UP

Fortify your body against injury with these runnertested at-home workouts.

inside REGULARS

6 RAVE RUN 8 EDITOR’S LETTER 10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 13 HUMAN RACE A young runner clocks more than most of us will in a lifetime.

PLUS: The Intersection (14)

Back Story: Claire Johnson (16)

Ask Miles (16)

What It Takes To… (18) 98 I’M A RUNNER Matt Doran, senior reporter and news presenter with Network Ten.

48

WARM UPS

20 ON THE RUN Aussie researchers reveal the best workout for fat burn.

25 TRAINING Gauge your fitness so you can set and achieve new goals.

PLUS: Why high-intensity training is good for you (30).

33 MIND & BODY When it comes to stress, know how to strike a balance.

36 HEALTH Ice, Ice, Baby! The lowdown on recovery remedies.

39 FUEL Four reasons why you should satisfy your chocolate craving.

42

42 FRIDGE WISDOM 10 superfoods for top performance. PLUS: Spice up the kitchen with ginger biscuits (44).

18

COLUMNS

91

46 THE BIG GUY A 99-kilo runner considers his lean and lanky peers.

By Ted Spiker 92 RACES & PLACES With kangaroos and wild turkeys on course, the King Island Imperial 20 is a memorable race. By Jane Sturzaker

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ON OUR COVER Ú GET MOTIVATED NOW!

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND EDITION

64

P.48

Your Perfect

Running

Weight!

In Just Four Weeks

P.42 P.33 P.56

10 SUPERFOODS YOU SHOULD EAT THIS YEAR Plus: Runner-Tested All Day Eating Plan MUST READ

Is Stress Ruining Your Run? Total-Body Exercises, Stretches & Workouts For Every Runner p.56

MARCH 2013

HOW FIT ARE YOU?

Test Yourself p.25

22

P.25

NEW SHOE REVIEWS

P.64

Beginners

P.28 P.39

Your Perfect Fit Best Buys Editor's Pick Walk More Run Better

A GOOD FIX!

6 Healthy Ways to Satisfy Your Chocolate Cravings $8.50 08 $9.70

incl. GST ISSN 1440-5229 incl. GST NZ

PP 349181 / 00853 ISSN 1440-5229

08

9 771440 522018

runnersworldmag.com.au 9 771440 522018 Cover.indd 1

29/01/13 4:29 PM

march 2013 Volume 15 Number 9 Photographed exclusively for RW

rave run Photography by John Higham runners Participants in the Mackay Marina Run The Location Mackay, Queensland ➔ THE EXPERIENCE The colour blue dominates seaside Mackay, which is built on the banks of the Pioneer River – renowned as one of only two rivers in Queensland that are blue! Starting in the marina’s shopping precinct, under azure skies, runners in the Mackay Marina Run race towards Goosepond Creek before crossing the Pioneer River to join the Bluewater Trail, a pathway linking the city’s attractions. “The best thing about running in Mackay is the awesome weather conditions year round,” says event director Sandy Strong. “Crossing the Forgan Bridge with views of the water is a highlight on the home stretch of the course, and is followed by a finish in front of a huge crowd amid the sounds of local musicians.”

– mackaymarinarun.com

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march 2013

Racing weight

YOUR PERFECT

RUNNING WEIGHT

BY MATT GILBERT

Finding and reaching your ideal running weight will send your PBs tumbling.

Not to mention boosting your health and ensuring you cut a seriously svelte silhouette. Here’s how… runnersworldmag.com.au

49

Keep It Simple Getting strong isn’t only about hefting weights. It’s also about addressing the little things that, over time, can cause big problems. With this simple plan, you’ll focus on improving the range of motion in your joints with simple body-weight exercises; strengthening imbalances in your muscles with resistance bands; and speeding up the healing process by self-massaging with foam rollers, tennis balls, and/or rolling pins. Do all – or a combo – of the below exercises four to five times a week.

B

THE MOVE Knee hug to hip-flexor stretch GET IT RIGHT (A) Hug your left knee to your chest while maintaining a tall posture.

(B) Release the leg and immediately step backward with it into a lunge until your right knee is at a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your butt and reach for the ceiling. Hold for five seconds. Repeat five times, then switch sides.

Improve Mobility

A

A

B

A

B

THE MOVE Split squat quadriceps stretch GET IT RIGHT (A) Stand a lunge-length away from a couch so the seat is behind you, and place the top of your right foot on its edge.

Cross arms in front of chest. (B) Maintaining a straight torso, slowly drop into a lunge until left knee is at 90 degrees. Hold for five seconds. Repeat five times, then switch legs.

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march 2013

Illustrations by CHARLIE LAYTON

THE MOVE Ankle mobility wall exercise GET IT RIGHT (A) Stand with toes of your left foot 10cm from a wall. Position your left knee directly behind your left big toe. (B) Keep your heel flat and move your left knee forward and back 10 times. Repeat with your knee over your middle toe, then outside of your baby toe. Repeat on right side.

Crank it up “Adding tools helps you recruit muscles you haven’t been using, and they add variety and intensity, which boosts motivation,” says Ashleigh Kayser, a personal trainer who designed the full-body plan below using five popular pieces of gear.

Start with a light weight, until you master the form.

Complete the entire routine two or three times a week.

Medicine Ball

A

Weight Bag

A A

B B

THE MOVE Zercher squats TARGETS Glutes, lower abs, quads and biceps GET IT RIGHT (A) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, extend arms, press palms together, and cradle weight bag at the crux of bent elbows. (B) Keeping the bag at shoulder height, squat until hips are level with knees and keep weight in heels. Squeeze glutes, thrust hips, and return to standing.

Perform 15.

B THE MOVE Plank and pull TARGETS Shoulders, lats, core and chest GET IT RIGHT (A) Assume push-up position with weight bag on floor directly underneath chest. Bend elbows until chest touches weight bag, then push up. (B) Walk hands and feet forward three small steps, keeping butt down and body in straight line, then reach back and pull weight bag with left hand until it’s directly under chest. Repeat 10 to 15 times, alternating pulling hand.

THE MOVE Wood chop TARGETS Deltoids, quads, glutes and core GET IT RIGHT (A) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

Hold a medicine ball by the seams, elbows slightly bent, and squat while lowering medicine ball to outside of left foot. (B) Stand and raise medicine ball overhead slightly to the right. Squat and take medicine ball to outside of right foot. Alternate 15 times on each side for one set.

autumn shoe guide 2013

adidas Energy Boost

A$180; NZ$220

ADIDAS IS RETHINKING MIDSOLE MATERIALS and scrapping the standard EVA foam used in most running shoes. Instead, it’s using a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material found in the dashboards of BMW automobiles; 2500 little plastic pebbles are fused with steam and pressure to yield the cushioning layer of a single shoe. The result is a midsole material that is “springy” and offers better cushioning than traditional foams, as confirmed by both our wear-testers and measurements in the RW Shoe Lab (see “Exclusive Lab Report,” below). “It’s a bouncy shoe, without feeling overly cushioned,” says tester Chris Donnelly. heel Cushioning “I felt in touch with the roadway, but Firm Soft Forefoot Cushioning there was a lot of play in the footstrike, Firm Soft in a good way.” The only complaint we flexibility heard about the Energy Boost is that the Stiff Flexible stretchy upper proved too snug for some Height: 31.8mm (heel); 21.3mm (forefoot) runners with bigger, wider feet.

Weight: 278g (M); 230g (W) BOTTOM LINE A bouncy shoe with topAUS adidas.com.au/running; of-the-line cushioning.

NZ adidas.co.nz/running

Asics Gel-Kayano 19 A$250; NZ$280

The Kayano has long been the industry standard for a supportive yet highly cushioned shoe. The 19th version of the shoe is nearly 15 grams lighter, thanks to fewer and thinner overlays on the shoe’s upper. Generally, wear-testers noted that the shoe remained snug-but-plush through the midfoot, though some said the toebox felt “big” or “loose.”

BOTTOM LINE Maximum protection in an even lighter package than before. heel Cushioning Firm

Soft

Forefoot Cushioning Firm

Soft

flexibility Stiff Flexible

Height: 35.4mm (heel); 25.3mm (forefoot) Weight: 321g (M); 264g (W) AUS asics.com.au; NZ asics.co.nz

The Boost midsole will be used in other adidas shoes soon.

Mizuno Wave Creation 14 A$240; NZ N/A The Creation is one big shoe. A large plastic Wave plate in the heel softens the blow of heel-strikers and helps stabilise the foot, but wear-testers say the shoe has a stiff ride. “They took a little time to break in, but after 32 kilometres felt good on my feet,” says Kim Hellwig, a 48-kilometre-per-week runner.

EXCLUSIVE LAB REPORT A Look at adidas’s Claims ADIDAS MADE LOFTY CLAIMS about its new midsole material, including that it has “industry-leading energy return” and is resistant to temperature changes. In tests at the RW Shoe Lab, we can measure how much a shoe springs back – that is, how much of the energy from footstrike is returned on the rebound. The Energy Boost truly is the industry leader: it performed better than any of the almost 800 other shoes we’d tested. We also compared the shoe’s cushioning against standard and lightweight EVA foams at -6°C and 48°C, and found it far less affected by swings in temperature. Typical foams get harder at cold temperatures and softer in hotter conditions.

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BOTTOM LINE Offers good stability and can handle high mileage. heel Cushioning Firm

Soft

Forefoot Cushioning Firm

Soft

flexibility Stiff Flexible

Height: 35.7mm (heel); 24.2mm (forefoot) Weight: 352g (M); 273g (W) AUS mizuno.com.au

Altra The Torin A$169.95; NZ$209.95 adidas Supernova Glide 5 A$170; NZ$220 Ú The Supernova Glide 5 is a cushioned training shoe with a number of solid stability features including an independent crash pad and bevelled heel where the shoe makes initial contact. A lower collar improves the upper’s fit; testers of the previous model had complained about rubbed ankles.

BOTTOM LINE As well suited for high mileage as for easy recovery runs.

PROVING THAT “ZERO DROP” isn’t reserved for minimal shoes, Altra is taking on the big boys – Nimbus, Glycerin, and similar max-cushion shoes. Underfoot, The Torin boasts a thick platform of soft foam; the shoe’s forefoot rated the softest in this guide. What does this mean heel Cushioning for runners? A quicker adaptation to a Firm Soft level platform, say wear-testers. “I was Forefoot Cushioning Firm Soft warned about calf strain due to the flexibility zero drop but didn’t experience any,” Stiff Flexible says tester Meredith Longo, who was Height: 27.4mm (heel); 24.4mm (forefoot) already a forefoot-striker.

Weight: 253g (M); 205g (W) BOTTOM LINE Try this shoe if you’re curious about going to a lower heel-to- AUS altrazerodrop.com.au; NZ altrazerodrop.co.nz toe drop.

heel Cushioning Firm

Soft

Forefoot Cushioning Firm

Soft

flexibility

The upper is free of overlays but snugly holds the foot in place at midfoot.

Stiff Flexible

Height: 34.7mm (heel); 22.4mm (forefoot) Weight: 315g (M); 267g (W) AUS adidas.com.au/running; NZ adidas.co.nz/running

Nike Lunar Eclipse+ 3 A$220; NZ$240

Ú It may not look the part, but the Lunar Eclipse is one of the more stable shoes available. A soft crash pad, a stiff heel counter, and an internal wedge of foam all help slow the inward roll of an overpronating foot. Yet wear-testers say it feels light and nimble. “The shoe is very comfortable for easy and fast running,” says Gal Cohen, who has run in earlier versions of the Lunar Eclipse.

BOTTOM LINE Excellent support for those who still want to run fast.

HOW IT FITS

Altra The Torin

heel Cushioning Firm

Soft

Forefoot Cushioning Firm

Soft

flexibility Stiff Flexible

Height: 35.0mm (heel); 23.8mm (forefoot) Weight: 312g (M); 258g (W) AUS 1300 656 453; NZ 0508 478 478

Snug

Loose

THAT WIDE FOREFOOT may look funny, but your feet will forgive you for any fashion faux pas. As seen in this 3D scan from Shoefitr, a company that measures shoes to determine how they’ll fit, there’s plenty of room to wiggle your piggies for a more natural toe-off.

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