How to Cope with Cold-Induced Diuresis Let’s see if this sounds familiar. You decide to jump into a race during the winter as part of your training program. You prepare the same way you would for a summer race. But after you arrive at the race site in the morning and begin your warmup, you find yourself visiting the loo more often than usual—or, worse, you find yourself … [Read more...]
Gear Review: TO Race Vest and AK Mountain Vest
Ultimate Direction released updates to all its Signature Series running packs this year with some exciting new changes, including front-side trekking pole holders. I gear tested two of the models, the lower-capacity TO Race Vest 3.0 and the higher capacity AK Mountain Vest 3.0. Fresh off some trail running in the Rockies, here’s my assessment of how they stack up. TO Race Vest … [Read more...]
Gear Review: Water Bottles and Filters for Running Adventures
As noted in my previous review articles on Ultimate Direction and Salomon running packs, there are a variety of water bottles that come with these packs—small or large, soft or hard—as well as different sizes and types of hydration bladders. Just because a particular water bottle or hydration bladder comes with the pack you buy doesn’t mean you have to stick with that option. … [Read more...]
Gear Review: Salomon Running Packs
Today runners have more choices than ever when it comes to choosing running packs for long, self-supported runs. In the previous article in this series, I reviewed several Ultimate Direction running packs. Here, I continue my review with a focus on Salomon running packs. I’ve put these packs through some serious testing, from run commutes to long trail runs. Here’s my take on … [Read more...]
Gear Review: Ultimate Direction Running Packs
Whether you’re training, racing or run commuting, the ability to comfortably carry water, food, a jacket or other gear can be indispensable. Fortunately there are numerous quality running packs on the market today that provide a variety of options and carrying capacities whatever your needs. In this series of articles, I review several models from two of the leading running … [Read more...]
Exercise and Fluid Replacement
By Brad A. Roy, Ph.D., FACSM, FACHE Water composes more than half the human body and is essential in the function of our cells. Temperature maintenance and circulation are but a few vital processes dependent on this important fluid. Thus, an appropriate fluid balance is important to our health and well-being. When we exercise, our body uses various fuels (carbohydrate, … [Read more...]
Nutrition and Hydration Tips for Training and Recovery
Just as sleep is a vital component of effective recovery, so is a healthy diet. When it comes to eating well, it may be worth emphasizing in today’s world of fast food and highly processed comestibles that the best sources of nutrition are whole foods with minimal processing rather than pre-packaged meals and snack items. Eating a wide variety of whole foods, and satisfying … [Read more...]
Aid Recovery with Post-workout Refueling
To enhance post-workout recovery of exercise bouts that last over 60 to 90 minutes, begin the refueling process with a healthy snack during the first 30 minutes after the workout. See also: "Nutrition and Hydration Tips for Training and Recovery" … [Read more...]
Long Run Hydration Strategies, Part 2
A Review of Hydration Systems for When You Must Carry Water In the first article of this two-part series, I provided a few strategies for organizing your long run so that you can get the aid you need without having to carry it with you. However, often the easiest solution for staying hydrated/fueled during long runs is to simply carry what you need. Whereas in the past the … [Read more...]
Long Run Hydration Strategies
The Logistics of a Long Run When Aid is Mandatory Thanks to bike jerseys with pockets and bikes with water bottle cages, staying hydrated and fueled during long bike rides tends to be a fairly straightforward task. In contrast, figuring out how to stay hydrated and fueled during long runs always seems to be a challenge. Below are the pros and cons of a few long run hydration … [Read more...]
