Everything is a Lie: Biomechanics Expert Debunks Treadmill-Running Myths

We've all see this, right?  The incline to which you're supposed to set your treadmill to mimic outdoor running at various paces?  Well, apparently, incline doesn't matter (sort of):

In his famous treadmill study, Jones tested experienced runners at six per-mile paces (9:11, 8:03, 7:09, 6:25, 5:51, and 5:21) while they ran on a treadmill that was either flat or inclined by various amounts. Setting the treadmill at a 1% incline made the effort equivalent to outdoor running only to those running 7:09 pace or faster. Let’s face it: Most of us are slower than that. You’re correct if you believe that treadmill runners don’t encounter the “cost” of moving through the air around them (because they don't move; they stay in one place). But it simply doesn’t add up to anything significant unless you’re running 7:09 pace or faster. What else can Kerrigan teach us about treadmill running? That the biomechanics, contrary to what many believe, are essentially the same as overground running. “We had to do a study on that [here] to convince the National Institutes of Health to fund some of our other work,” she told Runner’s World Newswire. “People have a bias against treadmill running--that real runners don’t do it, or that it changes your leg movements. It’s all garbage. We found some minor changes, but they weren’t the ones people expected, and they don’t affect anyone’s running biomechanics.”

So, the only downside of treadmill running is the monotony! Sweet!

In response to this recent development, Runner's World tackled other treadmill myths, including:

1. If you have sex on a moving treadmill, you can’t get pregnant: MYTH. You can, and probably will. Trust me on this one.  

6. Grasping the bar on the front of your treadmill, making a “revving” motion with your right hand, and saying “Vroom! Vroom!” isn’t cool: MYTH. It’s the coolest.

9. Falling on a treadmill is dangerous: MYTH. Falling on a treadmill ishilarious, as George Jetson and any number of YouTube videos demonstrate. 

So, there you have it.  Everything you learned about treadmills is basically a lie.

The Great CSA Adventure: Squash (Weeks 3 & 4)

I didn't anticipate how quickly the CSA pick-ups would arrive each week.  I mean, technically it's a fixed day - every Wednesday - but that means that the Wednesdays are flying by faster than I can eat my share from the previous week.  This means that I should be hosting more dinner parties or making more soup or something...

Week 3 included butternut squash, onions, kale, lettuce, sweet potatoes, radishes, Macintosh apples, and a few bonus goodies (chocolate chip and cherry granola and a chocolate bar with pretzel bits, both locally produced ).  In addition to salads, I added kale to post-workout smoothies (my favorite combination so far is kale, blueberries, bananas, and pomegranate juice).  I wanted to use the butternut squash as a pizza topping, but, instead, I roasted it with shallots and tossed it with pasta.  Quick and delicious.

Week 4's basket included beets, cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, spaghetti squash, popping corn, and a cake bite from Cakelove in DC-- which was decadent and a "sometimes food."  

I tackled the squash on Sunday.  I've used spaghetti squash as a taco filling (trust me, it's works) and would have been happy to do that again.  But, courtesy of Bountiful, which is becoming one of my favorite vegetable-focused cookbooks, the squash was served as the "noodle" in a very simple dish with meatballs (but, let's be real here, actual pasta is amazing). 

And, look, I still have kale!

I was very pleased with how it turned out.

Marathon No. 5: Weekly Round-Up (Week 10)

I don't know about you, but, at times, January seemed to slog by.  I love winter, and I love snow, but the bitter cold and short days are starting to get to me.

This weekend, we got a nice break from winter in DC.  I did my second 20-miler with temperatures in the high 40s, and it was amazing to not have to wear layer upon layer to go out running  I'm looking forward to spring -- wearing dresses/skirts with bare legs, rooftop lounging, and ideal running temperatures.

After running my second 20-miler, I feel very good about my progress.  Here's the plan for Week 11:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 6 miles (speed workout)
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Off
Saturday: 16 miles
Sunday: 6 miles (easy)

Marathon No. 5: Weekly Round-Up (Week 9)

This is the story of Week 9 of my marathon training, or "How I Ran 16 Miles on the Treadmill."

Okay, actually, there isn't much of a story.  I spent this morning checking the temperature and whining about how cold it was and how I didn't want to run until it hit at least 32 degrees.  Eventually, I gave up and decided to run inside.  I've done extended speed workouts on the treadmill, but I changed the speed and incline so much that it broke up the time nicely.  Today, I started out thinking that I would run 6 miles easy and then run a few mile-long intervals before calling it quits.  I got to Mile 12 and, after that, just kept telling myself one more mile until I got to 16.  It was a challenge mentally, but it was great preparation for the marathon.  (Hey, look, I can do the same thing over and over for hours!)

Week 10 is up, and there are six weeks to go until the race.

Here's the schedule:

Monday: Stretching
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Off
Saturday: 20 miles (second of three)
Sunday: Off

The Great CSA Adventure: Jerusalem Artichokes (Week 2)

I finished out my first week of my CSA with a pizza (topped with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and watercress) and beet chips.

Week 2's basket included celery roots, parsnips, purple carrots, spinach, more onions, and this:

When I pulled this out of my basket, I thought it was a different variety of ginger root.  They're actually Jerusalem artichokes.  (It's a little bit of a misnomer -- they're actually a New World vegetable that's the tubular part of a type of sunflower.)

I wasn't sure what to do with the Jerusalem artichokes at first, but, thanks to the magic of the internet, I opted to very simply roast them with cauliflower and brussel sprouts.  And, it was delicious.  Next up -- figuring out what I'm going to do with celery root and purple carrots.

Marathon No. 5: Weekly Round-Up (Week 8)

After running 20 miles last Sunday, I slacked off more than I should have last week.  Of the 25 miles I had planned, I finished Week 8 with 18 miles.  It's not a huge deal, and it may be a good thing that I didn't run as hard.

This week will be a little busier than usual with work, so my plan is to spread my miles across a few days (usually I run twice during the week and have a weekend long run).

Week 9:
Monday - 5 miles (easy)
Tuesday - Cross-training
Wednesday - 7 miles (speed work)
Thursday - 4 miles (easy)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 16 miles
Sunday - Rest

Around the Interwebs: 37 Things Only Runners Know

Thought Catalog compiled a list of things that only runners know.  Here are some of my favorites:

10. The treadmill is to you what that chocolate cake was to the boy in Matilda: you may dislike every single second you’re strapped to that contraption, but damn it if you’re not going to do it anyway.

17. Getting the little nod of approval from a runner heading in the opposite direction is enough to make you feel as if you’re floating. 

21. There will always be that one song you rely on to pump you up like no other. 

 Check out the full list here.

Marathon No. 5: Weekly Round-Up (Week 7)

My first 20-mile run of this training cycle actually was okay.  I felt good up until Mile 18, at which point I told myself to keep running because there was a cheeseburger waiting for me in Eastern Market.  (I ran with my coworker who is training for February's Miami marathon, so we started and ended our run in her neck of the woods.)  The best part? I still have two more 20-mile runs on my training plan....

...yay?

Week 8 (the mid-point) is actually pretty relaxed compared to last week.  I have a total of 25 miles planned, spread out over three days.  Here's what it looks like:

Monday: Rest, stretching
Tuesday: 8 miles
Wednesday: Cross and strength training
Thursday: 8 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 9 miles
Sunday: Cross and strength training

The Great CSA Adventure: Collard Greens (Week 1)

Solidifying my yuppie status, I joined a CSA program for the winter.  Every week, I pick up locally-grown fruits and vegetables (and sometimes dairy items, honey, jam, and meat) from the market near my office.  My hope is that the CSA will inspire me to get out of my food comfort zone.  It will also give me an excuse to try ALL of the recipes featured in Plenty, which I received from a good friend as a Christmas gift. 

The first batch included pink lady apples (some of which I tossed with kale and dried cranberries), beets, onions, purple viking potatoes, watercress, and collard greens.

Growing up, collard greens were featured in every big, family meal.  Of course, I never ate them because, you know, green vegetables are pretty much kryptonite for kids. Now that I'm old enough to cook my own meals, I never think to buy collards and rarely look for recipes where they are the main ingredient.   (This also meant that I had no idea what to do with them when I pulled them out of my bag.)

So, I went for pesto, tossing the collards, garlic, pecans, parmesan, salt, and black pepper into my food processor and mixing with penne.   Easy and delicious. 

Next up: figuring out what I can do with watercress that doesn't involve it being in a sandwich (which apparently tastes like buttered grass).

Marathon No. 5: Weekly Round-Up (Week 6)

This comes somewhat belatedly, but happy new year!

It’s funny – when I graduated from college in 2009 and thought about returned for my five year reunion, 2014 seemed so distant. But, it’s here – which also means that I’m also at the half-way point in my training.

Week 7 includes my first of three (planned) 20-mile runs. Thankfully, this weekend will be much warmer than it has been. I’m not going to say that I enjoyed running 17 miles in below freezing temperatures last weekend, but the temperature did provide a nice incentive to keep moving and finish as quickly as possible.

Here’s the full plan for the week (most of which is already done):

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – 3 miles
Wednesday – Stretching and foam rolling. (I started physical therapy and learned that I am dealing with ITBS in my right knee, but it’s largely due to weak gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles. I have a plan and, hopefully, will be able to correct the problem without too much difficulty.)
Thursday – 6 miles (speed workout)
Friday – Cross-training and strength training
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – 20 miles (eeeeeep!)