Immediately after my run I can’t eat anything. Even on my long run’s – when all I do is daydream about what I’m having for breakfast – I can’t eat. Since proteins are needed for muscle recovery and growth, I started drinking protein drinks. Before my turn to the greener side of the force I used to rely on whey protein powders. After seeing how much cholesterol whey contained, I switched to soy. Being a vegetarian, I’m always looking for sources of protein. Soy protein is low in fat, has NO cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Throw in some Metamucil (for lowering cholesterol and fiber) and I’m good to go.

ORB Vanilla Orange Protein Drink

• 12 oz. skim milk
• 1 ice cube
• 1 scoop (42 g) of EAS Soy Protein powder
• 1 rounded Tbsp (12g) of Orange Metamucil

Combine the above in a drink mixer and enjoy. It tastes a lot like a orange creamsicle (the closest I’m going to get to one). If you try it, let us know what you think!!!

With the 2009 Portland Marathon quickly approaching and race day now only 6 days away, my wife has thrown down the ultimate challenge… RUN THE PORTLAND MARATHON WITHOUT MY GARMIN!

Can you say…Race plan? Splits? Pace? Heart Rate? How in the world am I going to stick to my plan? She contends that I don’t need to run with the watch because I know my body and fitness level so well that I will “know” where I am, and frankly, “who cares!” Meaning, I should run free, run for fun, run because I have trained hard and let the chips fall where they fall.

Is she crazy? Or is it just me? I am honestly struggling with this dare. Especially coming from your wife…this is a serious test. In part I have to agree with her, but the obsessive, perfectionist side of me says “stick to your plan and monitor your performance as you go”.

As you can tell, I am torn by this dare. Largely in part, due to the fact that I am the ultimate competitor and want to prove to her that I could run Portland or any other marathon for that matter without my watch and still PR…after all it’s not the damn watch that is doing the running, its my LEGS  and HEAD.

With that said, I am putting it out there to the running world for a survey!

Run with the Garmin:

a. YES
b. NO

With the boom of social media, it’s easier now more than ever to keep in touch with what’s going on in running. Like most of you, it drives me nuts when I go to my favorite running blogs only to find there’s nothing new since the last time I visited. This simple solution…subscribe. I subscribe to quite a few blogs and get email updates when new content is posted. There are actually three ways you can do that with One Runner’s Brain:

• Subscribe to this blog. Directly underneath the sponsor ads for TeamAMC and Bonnie’s Country Classic, there is a subscribe form. Simply enter your email address and you will get an email every time new content is posted. Don’t worry about getting hit with a bunch of email marketing from me…I don’t have the time.
• Follow us on Twitter. Ah, yes, the land of tweets. For those of you out there on the social bandwagon, this might be your cup of tea. CLICK HERE to visit our Twitter page. You will also get updates on our posts as well as additional content within our running community.
• Follow us on Facebook. Another option for those of you that like to keep up with your high school sweethearts. CLICK HERE to visit our Facebook page and become a fan. Our blog posts get updated here as well and will be viewable on your wall.

All these links can also be found under the Personal links page on the right navigation bar. See you on the social network!!!

They’ll tell you that it’s good for your health. You’ll drop weight, your blood pressure will improve and you will once again be able to climb a set of stairs without stopping to catch your breath.  The one thing they don’t tell you when you start running is how it can improve your mental health and overall state-of-mind.

It never fails after a crappy day/week, you can always rely on a nice long run to release the stress and pressure of life into the air – never to be seen again. There’s something about 2 hours on the road that allows you to let go of all those pent up worries, hang-ups and issues. I liken the experience to when your mother put you in a corner to “think about what you did” or counting to 10 before speaking after getting mad. Personally, I like to visualize the top of my head opening up like a lid on a trash can with my issues catching the wind and leaving them in the dust. If something is really bothersome, I make sure to make the run hurt a little more than usual. When you come back spent and hurting, there’s not a whole lot more that matters anymore.

When I was in high school almost 20 years ago, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a football game. After going thru arthroscopic surgery and a full season of rehabilitation, I completely tore the ligament in my first football game in college. This time I had to have ACL reconstruction surgery and decided that maybe football wasn’t meant for me. During follow up appointment with the doctors, I was also told that the cartilage (connective tissue that provides a cushioning effect in joints) that I did have in my knees wasn’t plentiful either.

Fast forward to 2006. I’m running and seriously overweight. My knees constantly ached. With my knees taking the full brunt of my HUGE body, there were not many days that I didn’t have to pop ibuprofen just to make it up and down stairs. As I dropped the weight, the aches and pains were not as severe but they hadn’t gone away.

Today I’ve found my best friend. My wife introduced me to fish oil omega-3 and omega-6 dietary supplements. Besides the claims that omega fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease there is research to suggest that those with Rheumatoid arthritis have also experienced the benefits – myself included!!!

Back in July, we posted The Fresh Air Fund’s call for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers Team for the NYC Half Marathon. Through a pretty aggressive guerilla campaign (social media, blogs and emails) it looks like they accomplished what they set out to do.

With the help of all those who stepped up for this great cause, here are the fruits of your efforts:

• Nearly 8,000 children enjoyed their best summers yet
• 370 students participated in the Career Awareness Program
• 11 counselors-in-training spent three days on the Appalachian Trail
• 168 young people were Leaders-in-training

It seems that the fundraising efforts for non-profits are limitless when it comes to big running events. Check out the website of your next event and check out the official charity for the event. There are more than likely multiple levels of involvement you can participate in.

I HATE IT!!! I hate the “I Did It” t-shirts at races. Not for one great ideological reason that will set a precedent for all to follow but for the following (but not limited to) trivial reasons:

• Most of the shirts and apparel you see this illustrious saying on are offered at the pre-race expo. You haven’t done anything yet. I appreciate the confidence but offer these items after the race for those crossing the finish line.
• Instead of putting the revered saying on clothing, why not on the medal? I have seen medals that have it. While still not ecstatic about it, I can accept the premise.
• Distance running speaks for itself. Approximately 1% of the country’s population will EVER run a marathon and that’s a pretty special company. Maybe it’s my personality but I’ve never been one to puff out my chest and toot my horn.
• For me this is a personal quest. Yes, I initially started running for my health and my family but I’m proud of what I do for me. I don’t need others to validate it (especially on a t-shirt).

This isn’t a hot button item. In fact, it’s like complaining about your sports team winning even though they didn’t play up to their potential (Minnesota Vikings). It’s more like a pebble in your shoe – it’s not a big deal but it drives you absolutely nuts!!!

I’ve run so many 1/2 marathons that I’ve forgotten how different training for a marathon actually is. I’m not talking anything earth shattering but a couple of runs into my first week of training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon, it feels great!!!

While training for the shorter distances, we tend to focus more and more on speed. Obviously, the shorter the distance, the longer you can hold onto a faster pace. After 16 weeks training for the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon, my training paces were in the sub 9/min. mile range. Now that I’ve switched into marathon mode, my training schedule is asking for long runs to be around 10:30/min. mile pace. Crazy right?

I’m setting myself up for a 4:15 finish which would be a personal best by 45 minutes (my first and only marathon was run in 5:01:24). I’m going to force myself to obey the speed limit for now and see how it goes. I’ve noticed that this year by dropping weight and doing more speed training that I’ve gotten a lot faster. While focusing on slower splits, I’ve approached each training run much more relaxed and have been able to keep a relaxed form throughout the run. While I’ll most definitely speed on my runs, slowing down might just be what the doctor ordered.

How many times have you been on a run and a car suddenly stopped before clipping you? On a hot day, has there every been a cloud that just seemed to hang out – covering the sun and keeping the temperature just a little cooler? One could dismiss these occurrences to luck or good fortune. Some might not even pay much attention or notice them at all.

Since I started meditating and praying while running, I’ve noticed these events happen more often than not. I think more often than not, we dismiss little things in life as coincidences. I have been putting much more thought into Divine intervention. While I don’t think that God is constantly making my runs as easy as possible, I do believe that he has his hand into a lot more things then we give Him credit for.

Why is it do we think that signs from God must be grandiose? The burning bush. The parting of the Red Sea. Miracles and signs that left no question to who/what they were. I think the problem is that in this day and age with our 24/7 lives, we’ve stopped paying attention. While I’m running and focusing on my breath, I try and make my senses open to all stimuli. Tuning out all mental static and listening to the silence, I’ve become more in tune with the world around me and able to bask in all of God’s creation.

On your next run, leave the iPod at home. Force yourself to focus on your breath. Fall in tune with your footfalls and tune out your worries, troubles and issues. Recite a mantra and get into a groove. Don’t worry about your pace and just listen. Listen to nothing and allow your senses to take in the world around you. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll see.

Welcome to F.O.R. – the Fraternal Order of Runners. Don’t worry, there’s no need to join, no fees or dues and no weekly meetings. If you run, you’re already a member. There’s no uniform, no mandatory dress code or secret handshake. You’ll always know who our members are and even if you stop running, you’ll always be a member.

I was reminded this morning of an aspect of running that I truly love. It’s the camaraderie runners have for each other. Slow or fast, short or far, we all have something in common and know what each other are all about. We can meet on the roads and trails and strike up instant friendships. We can remember each others names and races we’ve run. We share in our hardships and rejoice in our accomplishments.

Although we may train and run alone, there are those moments when we congregate and run as one. We are a fraternity of runners. Be jubilant and run and we’ll see you on the road.