by Jamie on March 3, 2010
It’s amazing when you get to a certain age, and you talk about sleep in the same way you spoke about getting inebriated… I got eight hours last night. It was fantastic! Johnny Depp
Often, on running mornings, the first thing we talk about is our state of sleep. “I got to bed too late.” “I woke up at 3 and couldn’t get back to sleep.” “I’m tired!!” Sleep, like so much of youth, was a simple activity, taken for granted. In middle age, I court sleep. And fret over it. While sleepy, I am cranky, tedious and famished. A good night’s sleep is the holy grail of comfort and restoration. I bask in it.
I recently read, Healing Night, by Rubin R. Naiman, Ph.D. Naiman is a clinical psychologist specializing in the field of sleep. He works with natural wellness guru, Dr. Andrew Weil. The book is replete with new age flourishes. But, the vast amount of information about sleep is enlightening……I thought that I would share some of it here.
Yet another debt crisis to fear: sleep debt. Chronic lost and damaged sleep has a deleterious affect on our mood, physical well being, mental acuity, athletic ability and waistline. Falling asleep within 5-10 minutes of hitting the pillow signals a sleep debt. Sleep should be a gradual process (akin to walking into a lake).
Naiman recommends that we avoid looking at the time once we begin to enter the sleep state. If 20-30 sleepless minutes have passed, he advises us to get up, do something else and await sleepiness. My obsessive mind wanders–has it been 10 minutes? 20? 24? Should I get up now? In 5 more minutes? I’d better peak at the clock. What time did I go to bed again?
The term “cognitive popcorn” is bandied about. It refers to those thoughts (often anxiety filled) that enter our consciousness and prevent us from falling asleep or wake us up mid-sleep.
Sleeploading is recommended. That is, make up for sleep debt by spending a week or so going to sleep and waking up when the body chooses…even on vacation, this transcendent opportunity rarely presents itself!
Our bedrooms should be cool, dark and quiet.
We are biologically programmed to nap.
The BFF of runner’s, NSAID’s (Advil, Motrin,Aleve), compromise deep sleep by inhibiting melatonin production.
Encountering natural light in the morning stimulates the release of serotonin (associated with energy, activation and focused attention.) Is it any wonder that our recent sunlight dappled morning runs have been so sweet?
A good run is often preceded by a great night’s sleep. For me, running is conducive to clear thinking and resolve. Sleeping promotes learning and focus. A powerhouse combination. Without dwelling on a problem, I return from my run and the solution is often illuminated.
I decide I will give a full nights sleep its due. But, waking hours are jam packed with family, work, mundane tasks and the black hole of the internet. I finally settle down to catch up on the books, magazines and newspapers eluding me all day and voila! It’s time to turn off the lights! What do I choose?
Last night, I chose the silver lake of sleep. And what did I hear? My popping thoughts. I lay there reorganizing my pre-sleep days to fit in New York magazine….and The 3 Weismanns of Westport, the Bon Appetit yet to be opened……the new season of Damages perhaps.
by Monica on February 25, 2010
It’s been over a year since I last raced and I decided it was time. Jamie and I and a few other LDFs signed up for the all women MORE/Fitness Magazine Half Marathon in Central Park on April 25th. This girl-power infused race around Central Park is a great energy boost. And although this is not the ideal course (as Liz Robbins noted in her “a bold pace questionnaire”), it is a gratifying loop around a fabulous park. Running with all women always proves to deliver a different experience than the co-ed versions. All are so polite, positive and actually throw their cups in the provided trash receptacles instead of at your feet (nothing like a little Gatorade bath during a race). Weaving through the abundance of walkers can be a challenge for runners, but the cheers and support from fellow participants can counter the annoyance. I don’t think this is PR territory, but a fun girls-day-out in New York and an open door back to race mode.
So with race mode as the goal, it’s time to do some research and planning. I hardly ever buy a book anymore. We have a well-endowed town library that is always on the cutting edge of newly released titles. Every couple of weeks I scan my favorite sources ( Book Beast, NPR Books, EW Book Reviews, NY Times, a list of highly regarded recommendations from Jamie) and fill my online library queue with a fine selection of books. They are, however, not as interested in running as I am so I am sometimes forced to resort to Amazon. I’ve had my eye on three books that I thought would fuel my training and they had all of them at a more than agreeable price. I received them yesterday and spent my night reading.
Running Anatomy by Joe Puleo and Dr. Patrick Milroy was a recommendation from LDF and running guru Dora. She is a PT and I can see how she would love the clear textbook style of this book. The detailed illustrations showing targeted muscles in motion shed light on how our bodies work when running. Insight into how specific strength training exercises can effect running will be very helpful.
Racing Weight–How to get Lean For Peak 
Performance by Matt Fitzgerald is one I read about on a blog. This is a 5-step plan for endurance athletes to improve performance by reaching optimal weight. Not a new topic, but one that plagues me when racing. So far there is nothing ground breaking here. Rules like: eat early and often, stick to whole grains, and no refined sugar can be found but the sections on timing of meals and sport specific diet concerns make it interesting. Of course I had to skip to the chapter that chronicles some of the exact training meals of such endurance athletes as Ryan Hall…no sign of donuts there!
And finally, I decided as a 47 year-old injury prone woman with menopause on the horizon, I need to run less. But I don’t want to stop racing! I thought Runner’s World Run Less, Run Faster was a program I would like to try for my next marathon. Three key running workouts per week plus cross training may be the new balance I need to get me to the starting line of the Chicago Marathon, strong and injury free.
by Monica on February 13, 2010
Before you run the New York Marathon, read Liz Robbin’s A Race Like No Other– 26.2 Miles through the streets of New York. Actually, I think the book should be tucked into every swag bag with the t-shirt and race number. Runners could fight pre-race jitters in bed the night before engrossed in these captivating stories. Moreover, they could throw it in with their water and power bars the next morning and pass the dreaded hours of waiting time at the start with Paula Radcliff and Hendrick Ramaala. Runners would appreciate the many volunteers they were about to pass in a whole new light (who may actually hand them their water). They would become familiar with the sacrifices of the bold-hearted elite racers like those they will follow through the streets of NY. And how could they not be motivated by reading about the many individuals who overcame heart-wrenching adversity to make it to the starting line? I would have loved that before I ran in 2008. This book had me at mile one.
We, at a bold pace, have devoured Liz Robbins’ astute and edifying articles about running and other sports in the New York Times and Well Blog. In fact, Liz’s article The Best Marathon Advice You’ll Ever Get (a favorite) will be sent to new marathoner friends in perpetuity. Are you sensing how delighted we are that Liz Robbins’ has agreed to answer our a bold pace questionnaire?
10 Questions for Liz Robbins:
1. Running skirt: friend or foe?
Foe. When I run, I want to wear shorts. When I play tennis, I wear skirts. When I played lacrosse and field hockey, I wore tartan plaid polyester skirts. Enough said.
2. What is your idea of the perfect run (when, where)?
When I covered the N.B.A. for the New York Times, I had my favorite runs on the road.
Venice Beach (not all the way to Santa Monica Pier) – a nice 5-miler watching the ocean
Dallas – Katy Trail (I always seemed to do that run when it was 92 degrees)
Miami – South Beach boardwalk/trail
But, my favorite quick run is in my backyard. A few blocks to Central Park, one loop on the upper bridle path, one loop on the reservoir.
3. What do you most value in a running friend (or do you prefer music/sweet solitude)?
Encouragement. I run faster with a friend.
4. What is your present state of running mind? How are those knees…will you ever run the NY Marathon?
My present state of running mind is…incredibly frustrated. I haven’t had a run longer than 30 minutes for months, and I’m spending most of my time on the elliptical right now. My doctor wants me to have arthroscopic surgery. My doctor thinks it’s essential because cartilage is roaming free in my right knee. I knew the pain and the clicking noises were not good signs. Any advice?
5. Who is your favorite runner to watch (or to cover) and why?
Hendrick Ramaala.
Because he is so genuine and so wise. When I did research for my book, I stayed with him and his family for five days in Johannesburg, and they couldn’t have been more hospitable. Hendrick, the 2004 NYC champion, has time for everyone, young runners, recreational runners, he loves to impart his wisdom. Plus, at age 38, he goes for broke and always thinks he can win. He is an inspiration!
A close second would be Paula Radcliffe. Even though it’s very difficult to watch her as she bobs her head and always looks in pain (since she is), a race is never boring when she is entered.
6. We think runners are tough (especially women runners!). How do they compare to the basketball players or tennis players you have written about?
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![Post image for The Ugh![ly] Truth…checking into holiday/running rehab](http://www.remanents.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/BookFair1.jpg)
by Monica on December 27, 2009
Maybe it’s the snow on the ground…or the high caloric intake…or even the general exhaustion from the late nights and last minute preparations. Maybe it’s just all that being nice. But holidays are not good for my running. Went out for a 7 miler this morning and felt like I was crawling. The moments of denial that found me saying “as soon as the holidays are over” rose up to greet me this morning on the run. Ugh! I need running/holiday rehab.
I once read that Bill Gates takes a week off every year to catch up on his reading. He shuts the whole world off and just feeds his soul. I have always thought this was a brilliant idea. I stayed in yesterday and read a book (Little Bee–great read…highly recommend it) and snuck out with my husband to see a movie (A Single Man–Tom Ford’s 2 hour long Gucci movie featuring the sublime Colin Firth as a gay man in the 60’s…loved it!). Now to just add the running element and a de-tox diet free of butter and sugar. A declared stay-cation of exercise in the AM and nothing after that…nothing pressing anyway.
So maintenance runs and strength workouts by morning, books (so many “best of 2009″ lists to tackle), movies (so many Oscar contenders to view) and family games by night (children to talk to–gameboys to shut off)…holiday/running rehab at my house.
And perhaps, if I have time on a break from doing nothing, I will work on my running New Year’s resolutions…maybe not.
