Author Archives: dcreamer

By David Freeze

Last Saturday, mid-morning, I started getting texts from other runners. For a few weeks, many locals with lots of miles and marathons were keeping up with Bob Marchinko on his quest for not just another marathon. Long-time coach and educator, Bob fell off a roof and broke his neck last June. Words like paralysis were used, but with the grace of God, Bob was able to return to running. A strong effort at a half marathon got him thinking about the possibility of chasing the N.C. age 49 marathon record.

Bob said, “I chose Oak Island, since it was close. The weather was rough, and I did have some stomach issues, which caused me to run the whole race without taking water or GU (energy tabs). I was fortunate to be able to manage both things. I will just say God is good and I am blessed! Back in August, when I started my rehab, I had no plans on racing, I just wanted to feel normal again, so the races have just been icing on the cake.”

Bob’s time of 2:31:3, a 5:47/mile average, did get the N.C. age group record and he won the race. He expressed thanks to all his friends and family for the ongoing encouragement on his inspirational journey.

For various reasons, I was especially impressed that Bob’s average heart rate during the race was 177 beats per minute. Maximum heart rate is calculated by subtracting age from 220. In Bob’s case, his maximum heart rate, or the level at which experts say he shouldn’t exceed for long-term exercise, would be 171. For two hours and 31 minutes, Bob’s heart worked very hard.

Runners’ hearts during exercise do work very hard. But just like any other muscle, training that heart to do more provides exceptional cardiovascular benefits. Running’s impact on the heart has long been studied. In 1985, one study concluded that “Regular runners have slow resting pulse rates and a high maximal oxygen consumption.” Echocardiographic studies have also shown that distance runners have “larger, thicker left ventricles and their hearts are more efficient than those of sedentary people, pumping a larger volume per beat.” This phenomenon is called “Athlete’s Heart,” and is a result of intense cardiovascular workouts. No matter the number of miles we log each week, it all adds up to a lower resting heart rate, lower bad cholesterol in your blood and lower blood pressure.

Regardless of all these good things, there are frequent studies that analyze how much running is enough to get these benefits and there are always some that say that too much running isn’t good.

When a young and healthy runner does die while running, it’s almost always due to a genetic heart abnormality called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the walls of the heart become thickened for no known reason. This condition affects 1 in 500 people. Though deaths like these often steal headlines, the risk of such an occurrence is quite low. In fact, my very first column for the Salisbury Post was about the death of three runners in the same Detroit Marathon that I had recently competed in.

Even if you’re born without a heart condition, there’s a chance you may develop one as you age. Heart disease is a broad term that describes a range of conditions that affect the heart, including clogged arteries that can cause heart attacks and stroke. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in America. But regardless, if heart disease does develop, nearly everyone affected will be encouraged to continue to exercise in some manner.

For my generation, one of the most famous runners in history was Jim Fixx, the author of the best book on running I ever read, The Complete Book of Running. Fixx began running in an effort to beat family history that was loaded with serious heart disease and his own heavy smoking habit. It did take Fixx’s life eventually, but not until he had lived nine more years than his dad and brother.

This past week, I wore a medical heart monitor for 48 hours. More on that later.

The Will Run for Food 5K benefitting Rowan Helping Ministries is Saturday. www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

By David Freeze

Runners everywhere have used caffeine to their advantage for years. I was one of them. Through the 1980s and ’90s, I raced nearly every weekend, spent time doing 75-100-mile weeks and knew I had found my best sport. The quest to be good drove a lot of my competitors to extreme means to place high in the best races, with rumors including performance enhancing drugs surfacing. Racing was serious business then, with a devoted group of focused athletes often driving hundreds of miles to find a race. It was a different time!

Today, runners seldom put in the work that we did then. And if they do it for a while, the sustained effort often doesn’t last. With a few possible exceptions, the most competitive races are past us. I sometimes felt like a NASCAR driver going from track to track racing the best.

I can’t drink coffee though friends have often tried to get me to. But during this racing period, I loved Mountain Dew and an occasional Diet Coke. In the beginning, I didn’t know why but I soon found out that either gave me a certain boost on race day. On the drive to just about any race, I started with a 2-liter bottle of diet Mountain Dew, mixed half and half with water, and one of my favorite snacks. My goal was to arrive at the race well-hydrated and with a caffeine buzz. This mixture worked for some amazing race times.

But how does caffeine enhance performance? The International Society of Sports Nutrition says caffeine increases calcium availability, which helps your muscles contract more forcefully and delays muscle fatigue. It also increases exercise metabolism and the availability of glucose and glycogen, which will allow you to run longer without having to slow down. Most importantly, caffeine stimulates your central nervous system (CNS), which has a number of effects on your body, including pain suppression.

Some studies have also shown that caffeine may modulate the release of dopamine into your bloodstream as well, which can impact alertness, pain, motivation and effort. The group’s findings also support a certain placebo effect, meaning that your mind expects to run well and you do.

I watched some of the best racers for years drink a cup or two of coffee within the hour before a race. In fact, there is an old photo of a pair of running shoes with a Styrofoam coffee cup in each shoe, both items supposedly ready to go to work.

There are many ways to get caffeine today besides drinking coffee or soft drinks. Currently, energy gels, shots and drinks, plus mouth rinses, chewing gum and pills all can provide the caffeine boost.

What are the side effects and how much is too much? The Olympics and the NCAA both banned caffeine in excessive levels but that level is almost impossible to reach without excessive pill use. Studies say that past a certain level, any kind of performance enhancement levels off and likely will even decrease. Turns out that the two regular cups of coffee are about right for the average individual, but not for all.

Coffee and energy drinkers sometimes drink too much caffeine, and where that tipping point is depends largely on the individual. Negative side effects include tachycardia, heart palpitations and anxiety, and the ISSN paper highlights that 50% of elite athletes face mental health problems at some point in their careers. High levels of caffeine consumption could potentially make the problem worse.

Caffeine’s impact on sleep is perhaps the most significant negative side effect of the drug when it comes to physical performance. Some athletes’ sleep is less affected by caffeine than others’, and the paper explains that this has more to do with genetics than anything. My own feeling is that sleep and hydration are the most important performance factors and must be done right, so weigh the above information with your own judgement.

The Will Run for Food 5K at Centenary Methodist is just ahead on Feb. 27. This and other upcoming events, including the spring Beginning Runners Class, are listed at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.