Obama in Iowa – CNBC.com.

Fresh Foods for Runners at Runner’s World.

Holiday Weight-Loss Plan from Runner’s World.com.

Girls On the Run

Molly Barker, a four-time Hawaii Ironman Triathlete, established Girls on the Run in August 1996.

* Girls on the Run’s mission is to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

* To achieve this mission, Girls on the Run has developed 10-week programs specifically for young girls. Each session focuses on a particular lesson such as the importance of values, learning to listen, and why gossiping is a bad habit. In the final week they participate in either a one-mile or 5K (3.1 miles) event.

* A safe environment is provided where girls can express themselves, build confidence, and learn from each other. We believe it is critical to reach girls at an early age in order to teach them these life lessons and to prevent at-risk behavior such as eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, obesity, and promiscuity.

* Girls on the Run offers unique programs for different age groups. The “Girls on the Run” curriculum was developed specifically for 3rd-5th graders, while the “Girls on Track” curriculum was created to address issues affecting 6th-8th graders.

* The true success of the program, however, is told in the words of its past and present participants:  “I used to be shy, but now I’m not anymore.”   “I know that whatever I set my mind to do, I can do.”   “Girls on the Run helps me feel awesome about myself!”

Local programs can be found nationwide.  These programs combine training for a one-mile or 5K (3.1 miles) community running events with health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships, and physical training — all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff and the community.

How you can get involved:

Coaching  – a ten week commitment in the spring or fall, for one hour, twice a week. Besides being role models of self-esteem and healthy living, coaches must be available during the after-school hours, and need to attend coach training to learn how to deliver the Girls on the Run curriculum. Coaches work directly with the 3rd-8th grade girls – teaching them healthy habits and training them for the culminating event, the Lollipop 5K for Charity Run!

Running Buddy – if you are unable to coach, men and women are encouraged to volunteer the day of the Lollipop Run as a Run Buddy where you will help a girl cross the finish line of her first 1-mile or 5K! Qualities of a Running Buddy include being enthusiastic, fun, patient and supportive.

Visit www.girlsontherun.org to find a program near you!

February is Women’s Heart Health month

Everyone (men too!) can support the fight against heart disease in women by wearing red on February 6, 2009 — National Wear Red Day (and all year). It’s a simple, powerful way to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke. By joining together with thousands of women, companies and organizations, and cities across America, you’ll help the American Heart association support ongoing research and education about women and heart disease.

 

How do heart attack symptoms differ in women and men?

The most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But it’s not always severe or even the most prominent symptom, particularly in women. Women are more likely to have signs and symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as:

 

·       Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort

·       Shortness of breath

·       Nausea or vomiting

·       Sweating

·       Lightheadedness or dizziness

·       Unusual fatigue

 

Understand Your Enemy

Cardiovascular disease is a “silent killer” and public enemy No. 1, claiming the lives of more women than the next five causes of death combined — almost twice as many as all forms of cancer. Fortunately, you can do many things to fight cardiovascular diseases.

 

There are some risk factors for heart disease you can control: high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity or overweight, diabetes

 

How To Love Your Heart

• Increase or maintain physical activity 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise is recommended daily to help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, while also improving cardiovascular and overall health.
• Eat less fat overall while including “good” fats Canola, olive, peanut and avocado oils help reduce total cholesterol and raise HDL (“good” cholesterol).  Omega-3 oils, found in fatty fish, flaxseed, soybeans, and walnut oil, help reduce both types of cholesterol.  Animal fats, coconut and palm oils increase LDL (“bad” cholesterol).  Avoid trans fats, found in commercially baked goods (partially hydrogenated oils).
• Quitting smoking Smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease.  Women who smoke and take birth control pills greatly increase their risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
• Get screened  Patients don’t usually feel any symptoms as the disease develops so it is important to check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI among other things.

Know your numbers

Factor                              Goal

Total Cholesterol :               Less than 200 mg/dL

LDL (“Bad”) Cholesterol:    LDL cholesterol goals vary 

     Low risk for heart disease: <160 mg/dL

     Intermediate risk for heart disease: <130 mg/dL

     High risk for heart disease: <100 mg/dL

     (some high risk patients goal <70 mg/dL)

HDL (“Good”) Cholesterol:  50 mg/dL or higher

Triglycerides:                       <150 mg/dL

Blood Pressure:                  <120/80 mmHg

Fasting Glucose:                 <100 mg/dL

Body Mass Index (BMI):       <25 Kg/m²

Waist Circumference:          <35 inches

 

What To Wear
National Wear Red Day has its own dress code. Wear your favorite red clothes or accessory—a red blouse, a red dress pin, a fabulous red handbag —put on red lipstick, or sport a red tie and red socks. Go red in your own fashion to show your support for women and the fight against heart disease.

 

Why You Should Participate
Too few people realize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women (and men), but the good news is heart disease largely can be prevented. Spreading the Go Red For Women message Love Your Heart raises awareness of heart disease and empowers women to reduce their risk. 

Hills: a Blessing or a Curse?

After first running the NYC marathon in 1998 people often asked if the NYC course is hilly, my reply, “I don’t think so.” I didn’t even notice the hills. When I ran it again in 2003 I was living (and training) in Chicago – suddenly there were hills! Unless you train in a hilly area like the SF/Bay Area, “yes, it is hilly.”

According to Mindy Solkin, owner and head coach of the Running Center in New York City, and creator of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training:

Physiologically speaking, hill running…
1) Increases your aerobic capacity enabling you to use less oxygen at increasingly longer distances.
2) Improves your running economy that enables you to use less oxygen to run at a faster pace.
3) Increases your stamina that enables you to run farther at a given pace.
4) Builds strength in your gluteals (buttock), quadriceps (front of thigh), gastrocnemius (upper calf), and soleus (lower calf) muscles.

How to enjoy the uphill and not get injured on the downhill

Olympian Jeff Galloway advises, “as you start uphill, shorten your stride. Don’t try to maintain the same pace you were running on the flat. Take “baby steps” if necessary, and try to keep the same turnover rhythm as on the flat. Your posture should be upright (don’t lean forward or back); head, shoulders and hips should form a straight line over the feet. Keep your feet low to the ground. If your breathing begins to quicken, this means you’re either going too fast, over striding or bounding too far off the ground.

You should use a light, “ankle-flicking” push-off with each step, not an explosive motion. (This wastes energy.) If the hill is long or the grade increases, keep shortening your stride to maintain a smooth and efficient breathing pattern. Run “through” the top of the hill. That is, don’t crest the hill and immediately slow down or pull back on your effort. Rather, accelerate gradually into the downhill. Gravity is now on your side.

As you head downhill, stay relaxed and don’t over stride. (You don’t want to catch too much “air.”) Over striding pounds the feet, stresses the hamstrings and overuses the quadriceps muscles at each footfall. Keeping feet lower to the ground will give you more control. Because you’re going downhill, your stride will cover more ground than it does on flat land, though it should feel slightly shorter. Touch lightly with each step and let the steepness of the hill dictate your stride rate. If you start going too fast, shorten your stride slightly until it is under control.”

Hills make workouts more interesting, offer beautiful views, and provide important physiological benefits that enhance training efforts.

Mindy Solkin, owner and head coach of the Running Center,
Olympian Jeff Galloway has helped over 200,000 runners to their goals through his e-coaching, Tahoe retreats, running schools and books. For more information, see his website www.JeffGalloway.com where you can order his informative books and email questions to him.