David Freeze

By David Freeze

Salisbury’s 40th Annual New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight races are in the record books for 2023. No other race in the county takes as much planning and cooperation as this event, and I thought this column would be a good opportunity to explain how the event comes together each year.

Usually in the spring, Salisbury Rowan Runners officials confirm the date for the next race. This is done by avoiding Super Bowl Sunday and coordinating with the Catawba College athletics schedule. Catawba has been a partner in the event for 35 years, with the race start in front of the gym and ending on the track.

Next comes making up the race’s information brochure, crowded with the long history of the race and any new changes. At the same time, SRR members begin to seek sponsors for the event. Most of the approximately 40 community sponsors continue their support year after year, especially with all proceeds going to Rowan Helping Ministries.

Since the historic course remains the same and is nationally certified in distance, all that needs doing there is to repaint the mile markers, plus the start and finish. A City of Salisbury events permit is required 60 days ahead of the event and once acquired, the race is full speed ahead. The City of Salisbury provides support from the police, fire and street maintenance departments.

Shirts and awards for three races, the historic 8K, the community health 5K and the half-mile fun run on the track, are ordered. Meredith Abramson and the Lettered Lilly do their new annual logo for the front of the shirt, and they put it in the proper format for printing. Within the last few weeks ahead of the race, the shirts are printed while overall and age group awards for the three races are made at the Trophy House.

Sharing brochures and social media promoting the race are a main focus in the last 4-6 weeks before the race. Rowan Helping Ministries prints the brochures and both SRR and RHM spread the word by social media.

And finally in the last 10 days to 2 weeks, volunteers are lined up and assigned to specific jobs or as course monitors. About 60 overall volunteers are required to make the races happen, many of them focused on race day check in and registration for participants. By 1 p.m., the Catawba gym is very busy as runners/walkers rush to be ready for the 1:30 p.m. fun run (all ages allowed) and the wheelchair and open races that start at 2 p.m. Amidst all of this, the streets are coned, and final course volunteer assignments are made.

At about 1:54 p.m., a welcome and encouragement message from RHM’s Kyna Grubb, a rousing national anthem from Neal Wilkinson and final instructions are all completed by 1:58, the start time for wheel chairs. The 8K/5K races start at 2 p.m. City of Salisbury police and fire, along with the assigned course monitors, keep the runners safe on the course and in the finish area.

A stadium announcer and his crew provide names and hometowns as participants enter the track on the way to the finish. Water, refreshments, photos, awards and cleanup close out the day, at usually about 5 p.m. And by 5:01 p.m., at least some talk begins on how to make next year better.

Next up locally is another favorite race that also benefits Rowan Helping Ministries. On Feb. 25, Centenary Methodist Church hosts the 10th Annual Will Run for Food. It’s a very rural course without a major hill and its protected by the local fire departments. The logo for the race is a shopping cart, ready to be filled with food. No other race in the county has as many home baked brownies, cookies and other pastries. It’s a fun event, always staffed by friendly church members, and walkers are encouraged!

More information about Will Run for Food and other upcoming events is available at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

By David Freeze

When we think of the Catawba College campus on a Sunday afternoon, first thoughts probably include peaceful and quiet. This Sunday will be quite different! The Indians baseball team will be playing at noon in the third game of their first series of the season. And about the same time, nearly 400 runners from at least seven states will descend on campus for the New Sarum Brewing 40th Annual Winter Flight 8K, 5K and Fun Run. Peaceful and quiet will exit until the game and races are complete.

If you’re new to watching races, especially one of the oldest and best in the state, here are a few tips. Especially on this day, parking around the baseball and football stadium, the finish area for all the races, will be at a premium. As I said, the game starts at noon, but the races start later. My suggestion is to park somewhere else on campus and walk down to the stadium.

Here’s the schedule. The fun run at 1:30 p.m. is open to any age and is set for the track inside Shuford Stadium. The distance is a half mile, approximately two laps around the track. Mostly dominated by kids, 12 and under, this will be a mad dash back to the finish line that’s worth seeing.

Next at about 1:55 p.m., Neal Wilkinson will sing his rousing national anthem just ahead of the wheelchair start at 1:58 p.m. About seven racing wheelchairs with special needs children as riders will be pushed by strong adult legs as they get a head start on the rest of the field. They will start in front of the Goodman Gym.

Then comes the main start for most of the competitors. All participants in the 8K and 5K races will officially start at 2 p.m. from that same Goodman Gym location.

Once the races start, tremendous energy will remain in the area as the runners and walkers follow their courses before all 5Kers and 8Kers return to finish on the track inside Shuford Stadium. A popular vantage point is Catawba’s homeside football seating. Names of participants can be heard from the stadium announcer as they loop about 3/4 of the track before crossing the actual finish line. Most participants push as hard as they can once they reach the track and then on to the finish.

The historic and competitive 8K (4.97 miles) leaves Catawba on Yost Street and then turns right on Statesville Boulevard. Then another right on Milford Drive until the course joins Jake Alexander Extension. Next comes another right on U.S. Hwy. 601/Innes Street before entering Catawba’s campus again on North Park Drive before a left on Yost and a sharp right turn into the stadium for the finish. Finding a safe place to park along the course gives spectators a unique opportunity to see the runners pass by. It’s also a great way to encourage them.

Notable runners to watch are China Grove’s Jonathan Martin and England native and current Charlotte resident Luke Greer. Both are in their mid-20s and should be at or near the front of the pack. One of Winter Flight’s favorite runners is 93-year-old Dr. Dick Rosen of Greensboro who will be trying to set a record for the 90-94 age group. Runners coming from the farthest distance at press time were Michael Zachow of Bemidji, Minnesota and Cindy Moser of Wilton, Connecticut.

Awards for all races will be announced inside Goodman Gym starting with the 5K winners about 3:20 p.m. and will conclude when all participants have finished.

The awards ceremony is free and open to anyone. Spectating is free, but registration for all the Winter Flight races remains open until about 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, both online and in person. All proceeds go to Rowan Helping Ministries.

For additional information, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org or www.runsignup.com. You can also call 704-310-6741.

By David Freeze

Always a very special effort by a quality athlete is needed to win the very competitive Winter Flight 8K, and most often, the winners have to travel a ways to come to Salisbury to race. This hasn’t been the case with the male winner over the last three years since China Grove brothers, twins Matthew and Jonathan Martin, have taken the last three titles.

Matthew just happens to be getting married during the same weekend and will miss the race, but Jonathan is back to defend his title from last year. Jonathan ran the historic rolling course in 24 minutes, 35.45 seconds, a 4 minute 56 second average.

Jonathan, 27, currently lives in Charlotte with his wife Jasmine and dog Pumpkin. He said, “I grew up in China Grove and attended Carson High School. I had a fairly unorthodox start to my running career, essentially using it as a way to condition myself as a tennis player and to lose weight in high school. From there, I developed a passion for training and racing, and eventually earned a roster spot on the UNC Pembroke cross country and track teams. The rest is history! I’ll also mention that my twin brother Matthew has had an almost identical running career to my own.”

Jonathan lists his greatest running/racing experiences so far as getting to compete at the 2018 NCAA D2 cross country championship and running his current half marathon PR of 1:07:30 in Myrtle Beach in 2020.

I asked Jonathan what he does when not racing or training. He said, “My hobbies and interests really overlap with my passion for running. I am the manager over at Fleet Feet Charlotte and I am extremely passionate about the run specialty industry. When I’m not running, I love to travel and explore new places with my wife.”

Goals are always on a competitive runner’s mind. Jonathan wants to continue to set personal bests in the 5K, 10K and half marathon distances while simultaneously trying to qualify for the United States Olympic Trials in the marathon in 2024 or 2028. He will be running his first marathon in Chicago this October.

The 40th Annual New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight races are next Sunday, Feb. 5. Jonathan said, “Winter Flight is special to me due to it being my “hometown” race. I love coming back to Rowan County to reconnect with everyone! I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention how historically competitive the race is!”

Registration will remain open for all three races, the 8K, 5K and half-mile fun run, through several avenues. Online registration is at www.runsignup.com, and anyone can print off the registration brochure and mail it in through Thursday by going to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org. Race day registration will be held inside Goodman Gym at Catawba College on Sunday from noon until 10 minutes before race time. The fun run starts at 1:30 p.m., a large group of wheelchairs will roll off at 1:58 p.m. and the competitive 8K and 5K health run/walk officially start at 2 p.m.

All participants in the 8K and 5K get long sleeve high quality dri-fit commemorative T-shirts. Awards will be given to the overall and age group winners in the 8K and 5K. The 8K also serves as the North Carolina State Championship 8K. Any age runners and walkers can participate in the half-mile fun run as well. That event is free, and runners, 12 and under, will be eligible for awards, but every finisher will get a participation medal.

As part of the 40th anniversary event, a Winter Flight shirt contest continues until race time. Any runner or volunteer who wears one of the previous 39 year’s commemorative shirts, not already claimed on the website, is eligible for a $250 race day raffle. To participate in the contest, an entrant must wear the shirt for a photo and contact race officials to do so. To enter the shirt contest, for more information on Winter Flight and any other event, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

By David Freeze

I mentioned in last week’s column that our very popular Winter Flight races are just ahead on Feb. 5. One of the best things about one of the state’s oldest races is that I get to see and meet great people from the state and region when they visit Salisbury. One of the best of those is Molly Nunn, and here is her story.

As a small child and tomboy, Molly often set up obstacle courses in her neighborhood for friends to race through. Neighbor’s yards, the surrounding woods, hills, over logs, creeks, etc. were tests for Molly and her friends.

Then came soccer where Molly was good enough to have aspirations for the Olympic Development Program, hoping to be the next Mia Hamm. She said, “I ended up practicing with the boys’ team in high school and tearing my ACL in practice one day. My soccer dreams were ended.” Frustrated and depressed and in a full leg brace, Molly limped to the road and hobbled one step at a time to the top of a big hill, Molly added, “I stood there crying and angry that one dream had ended but that changed into a fire and determination to keep going, and that’s where the birth of my running career began. Every ending is a new beginning.”

Born in Hickory, Molly with mom, dad, and brother Adam moved to Winston-Salem at age three. Molly spent her school years at Calvary Baptist involved in sports, student council, choir, Quiz Bowl, chess club and as a camp counselor in the summers. Next came Wake Forest University where she majored in English and journalism and also walked onto the cross-country/track and field team. Having never run a track race upon entering Wake, Molly was simply told, “Molly, just go left!”

After Wake, Molly taught students with learning and attention disorders at Forsyth Country Day School and coached the running teams, even including being a 20-something terrified bus driver. After five years of teaching, she decided to change careers and went back to Wake to get her MBA. Molly said, “I was working full time, going to school and also pursuing a goal of qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials. What I came to realize was that all the hard work, the journey, and the commitment to that goal provided me with invaluable lessons that help me today.”

Molly worked in global finance for 10 years with the great gift to travel internationally and see a lot of different countries. She’s now with Lowes Foods in Winston-Salem as a finance director and about to hit her one-year anniversary.

Molly’s top running memories include leading a blind runner through the Outer Banks Marathon for 6 hours and 33 minutes, running a super muddy cross-country race in London as “Myrna Dune” because she couldn’t use her real name, and missing the Olympic Marathon Trials time by 8 seconds while puking all over the finish line. Lesson learned-take on a goal way bigger than you think you can achieve, and you will surprise yourself.”

For fun, Molly has taken up golf and after a year and a half, she hopes to soon break 90. Always reading, she’s currently enjoying a book on Winston Churchill.

For 2023, Molly said, “I’ve trained very hard for almost 20 years and so I decided for this year, I will find joy in simply being able to run, pushing myself or not, while finding the freedom that comes with why we fall in love with running in the first place. In the future, I would like to break 5 minutes in the mile again and run a low 17-min 5K.”

Molly summed up her Winter Flight experience, “When I traveled extensively, I loved ‘coming home.’ When I started running the Winter Flight 8K, it was about winning, trying to set records and running a fast time. The course is tough and I loved the challenge, but as the years go by, it got to feel a lot like coming home with that warm sense of welcome and seeing familiar faces, catching up with friends that I sometimes only see once a year at the race, and with each year we make another year of great racing history. So, it is an honor to be able to a part of the Winter Flight races.”

The female 8-time winner of the 8K, more than double the wins of any past entrant, Molly will be at the 40th Annual New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight races again. I hope you will too.

All proceeds benefit Rowan Helping Ministries.

By David Freeze

Salisbury and Rowan runners have known about the Winter Flight races for a long time. Most races have a much shorter lifespan, simply because there are challenges to put just one event on. This race has a life of its own and to keep it going for 40 years through sickness, weather, course changes and more as it has evolved into one of the best races in the Southeast is quite special. The year, Feb. 5 is race day and momentum is building for the historic event.

At present, we know that it is at least the fourth oldest race in the state, and I suspect it will become the third oldest this year. Definitely the oldest 8K (4.97 miles) in N.C. status keeps bringing back some of the best competitors, a fun environment and some wonderful personal stories.

Here are just a few highlights over the years. The first Winter Flight was held in 1981, not held in ’82 or ’83 and was then reborn in 1984 as a combination of 5- and 10-mile races. These races originally started and finished at the mural in downtown. The race was moved to Catawba College in 1986, also the year that the venerable 8K distance was introduced. The 8K events were very popular then but have been replaced by the shorter 5Ks as the main race distance over the years since.

The races were postponed by a measles epidemic in 1989, and heavy snow in 1996 and 2005. I remember SRR members having to call race registrants with a plan for the postponement and new race days due to the snow.

In 2001, SRR went online with races and registrations. In 2002, the only course change since 1986 occurred due to new construction for Shuford Stadium at Catawba. The race was actually moved to Millbridge and the Sloan Park area due to COVID for only the 2021 version.

Course records remain with Olympians Hans Koeleman of the Netherlands with his sizzling 23 minutes and 34 seconds in 1988 and Joan Nesbitt of Chapel Hill in 1992 at 26.48. A Kenyan runner took the male record several years ago but was disqualified for illegal substance abuse in various races more than two years later, so it has reverted to Koeleman, a former Nike executive.

In 2003, the Salisbury Rowan Runners began making significant charitable contributions from the race. All proceeds from the 2023 event will again go to Rowan Helping Ministries.

This year’s New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight event kicks off on Feb. 5 with a free half-mile fun run on the track and open to any age at 1:30 p.m. Wheelchairs hit the street at 1:58 p.m., followed by the 5K and featured 8K race that will start at 2 p.m. Registration is available at www.runsignup.com and by printing the form at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Winter Flight offers tremendous opportunities for participation to runners and walkers of all abilities and age. The fun run is open to anyone, the 5K is a moderate distance open to anyone while the 8K is geared to those who can complete the course in 90 minutes. Special thanks to the City of Salisbury for services provided that allow us to have the race!

The SRR/Sidekick Karate Self-Defense Seminar is set for Jan. 21 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Sidekick Karate dojo on Main Street. To reserve your spot or for any questions about Winter Flight, email me at david.freeze@ctc.net

And finally, there has been a huge amount of conversation during the last week about vitamin D deficiency after last week’s column. Signs of low vitamin D levels include fatigue, bone and muscle pain, hair loss, anxiety or depression, and lingering sickness. Sunlight is the best source of D, while food sources are salmon, cod, eggs, and fortified yogurt, orange juice and milk. Vitamin D3 is readily available locally where vitamins are sold.

For more information on these events and others, go to www.salisburyrowanrunner.org.

By David Freeze

My running has been a little off the last few days and I knew exactly what I wanted this morning. I needed a good sweat on the warmer than usual Wednesday morning. Good things come from sweating for exercise, and I am going to share them. Sweating precedes the wonderful mental benefits that I wrote about last week. Here are a few more rewards from a good sweat.

The primary function of sweating is to help regulate body temperature and remove excess heat from the body so that we can keep on exercising. Without the moderation in body temperature, exercise would become very uncomfortable. Of course, proper hydration to allow body cooling is a must.

Sweating helps to remove excess salt, particularly in long-term exercise. Even though I knew it would happen, almost every marathon that I ran left the sides of my face coated in a salt crust. The body needs a certain level of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium for exercise and for your blood plasma to stay balanced. The average American consumes more salt than the body needs and often results in high blood pressure and contributes to kidney stones.

Sweating also may help eliminate excess BPA, the industrial chemical used to manufacture food containers, bottled water, canned food and more. The Mayo Clinic says that BPA can lead to hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, brain defects in fetuses and behavioral problems.

There is also evidence to suggest that certain heavy metals can be eliminated by sweating. Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury are known to be toxic and are suspected carcinogens. A heavy metal concentration in the body can cause renal, endocrine, digestive, hepatic and cognitive issues.

Sweat does have some positive benefits to your skin. It moisturizes and cools the skin. Regular exercise and normal sweat production have been shown to have anti-aging effects. Additionally, sweat even helps kill harmful bacteria on your skin’s surface.

A couple more things about sweat. It just feels good as a reward to the effort that you have extended, however sweat is not a sign of weight loss. On some of my extended runs over the years, I have lost several pounds of fluid weight. That fluid weight must be replaced for optimal health.

And finally, you won’t sweat as much for a cold weather workout or when in a climate of low humidity. This doesn’t mean that the workout was any less valuable, just that the body’s heat preventative process wasn’t needed as much. Still, we should celebrate a good sweat when achieved.

Speaking of outdoor workouts, I mentioned earlier that my runs had been off for a few days. I had my annual physical this past week and found that my vitamin D was low, same as it was this time last year. Low but passable at 32 on a scale of 30-100. The doctor and I talked about this, and she confirmed that low D is very common currently. Reasons for this include that direct sunlight, the easiest source, is less available due to short and cloudy days. Extremely cold days recently have kept us inside. Lots of sickness going around adds to the possibility that many aren’t getting out often. Besides sun, D comes from salmon, tuna, egg yolks, fortified milk, yogurt and orange juice. This is one of those good times to consider a vitamin D3 supplement in order to keep the immune system functioning, make sure calcium is absorbed properly and much more.

Our next self-defense seminar is set for Jan. 21 at Sidekick Karate from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is free, but only 40 total spots are available. You can reserve one by emailing me at david.freeze@ctc.net.

Look for this seminar and Salisbury’s upcoming premier running event, the New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight 8K,5K and Fun Run, at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Read more at: https://www.salisburypost.com/2023/01/07/gotta-run-why-sweat-matters-challenges-and-rewards/

By David Freeze

It’s that time of year again! Look around you where many of your neighbors and friends are about to attempt major changes in their lifestyle, but will those changes last? And are their reasons good ones?

Resolution time is here. All the gyms and the YMCA will get very busy. For the next month and maybe two, its going to be hard to get your favorite piece of exercise equipment. Weight loss and a better diet usually lead the list of resolutions. Americans retain an average weight gain of 2-4 pounds per year during holiday season. Multiply that by 30 years and the total is very significant, often driving the rush to the most popular resolutions.

I heard this morning that 57 percent of people who make resolutions don’t even believe themselves that they can have long-term success. Ester Marsh wrote a wonderful column two weeks ago about starting small and then followed up by saying that initial exercise doesn’t have to hurt.

Here are a few thoughts worth considering on the benefits of exercise and are common discussion topics among long-term exercisers. The mental aspect of regular sustained exercise is the real reason that I chase my daily workout. Early on, I didn’t understand why I felt better when active, but I knew without a doubt that it was true.

A common thread stated by Jerry Kanipe, a long-time local runner, is this: “We are better people because we run. My wife knows when I need to go for a run.” After a good workout, we feel lighter and better prepared to handle whatever stress comes along. I believe the good things start working in the brain when we separate ourselves from a certain situation for a little while.

Known for a long time that body chemicals called endorphins help to reduce pain and enhance muscle performance, they now seem likely to have little to do with what is going on in your head. According to David Linden, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, those endorphins can’t cross the brain barrier. He suggests that endocannabinoids, a group of neurotransmitters that travel in and around the brain, really deserve the credit.

Endocannabinoids have the incredible ability to reduce feelings of anxiety and encourage calm. As you likely guessed, endocannabinoids are produced in higher-than-normal concentrations during your runs or intense exercise. While you’re out running, these special chemicals are actively at work. According to researchers from the University of Maryland, regular exercise can actually rewire the way your brain reacts to stressful situations and make you better prepared to handle these challenges in the long term. What’s more, a study published in Health Psychology examined the emotional stability of over 2,000 American adults and compared it with their level of activity. In short, the researchers wanted to see how regular exercise impacted how people dealt with stress. Not a surprise, the team found that individuals who were regularly active had greater emotional stability and were more likely to maintain a positive viewpoint even during stressful events.

As Professor Linden notes, “Exercise has a dramatic anti-depressive effect. It blunts the brain’s response to physical and emotional stress.” Overwhelmingly, the runners felt more confident in social situations, had a greater sense of accomplishment, slept better and were able to focus more on their work. Confidence and sense of satisfaction grow, furthering the mental health benefits of running.

Finally, there is some solid evidence to suggest that intense exercise can actually make your brain an even more incredible thinking machine than it already is. In fact, numerous studies, including research from the American Physiological Society, have shown that exercise stimulates an impressive-sounding process known as neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.

Running and sweat producing exercise literally make your brain grow. This growth has been most noticeable in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory. As a result, running has been shown to improve memory, focus, and creative thinking while even slowing cognitive decline.

So, stick with those exercise producing resolutions and extra benefits are just ahead.

Monday’s Bradshaw Financial Planning Resolution Run 5K at The Forum is intended to get your exercise off to a great start for 2023. Runners and walkers are welcome, even if you’ve never done one before. You don’t have to be fast! A low-key and fun event benefitting Rowan Helping Ministries, donations, including food and used running shoes, will be accepted.

Look for this and more upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

By David Freeze

Sometimes things get a little more complicated, especially when I back myself into a corner. That is just what I did when I wrote Part 1 of this column and submitted it for printing last Sunday. All I needed to do was give blood and then write specifically about what happened with my running, and to give a short list of other benefits worth mentioning for having done so.

I have given blood something over 30 times by my best count. Not once have I been refused from doing so, until this past week. I was originally scheduled to give blood on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Civic Center. My morning run was completed at 6:45 a.m., which is normal. My iron level was low on both attempts during the mini-physical, and I was not allowed to give.

Immediately, I scheduled to give last Sunday afternoon at St. Luke’s Lutheran. I had run hard and well that morning, but I got bumped again because my blood pressure was too high. Twice checked, that’s all the opportunities you get.

Few challenges cause me to give up, so I committed to an appointment at Fieldstone Presbyterian in Mooresville on Monday. My iron, hydration and blood pressure had checked out well since mid-morning. This time all went perfectly, and total time for check-in, giving and getting a snack was about 50 minutes. I had a great experience, especially once the pressure was off and I knew the donation was going to happen! The church and Red Cross volunteers were wonderful, especially after I told them I was a competitive giver. Total time— 4 minutes and 9 seconds of actual blood flowing, greatly helped by proper hydration.

The Red Cross website says to not do strenuous exercise before giving, and on Monday morning I did not run. I did eat and drink water for 15 minutes before leaving the donation site, and never felt dizzy or lightheaded. That has only happened to me once, and admittedly I left the snack area almost as soon as I got to it. Again, proper hydration is important, and the small amount of food helps stabilize your blood sugar. Donors are told to eat and hydrate well that night and do nothing overly strenuous for the rest of the day.

As I mentioned last week, an exerciser should only notice decreased performance for a day or two as the body makes up the pint of blood taken that quickly. Red blood cells take longer, but again after a couple days exercisers should feel normal.

By giving blood:

• You will have an opportunity to potentially save the lives of three people.
• You get blood pressure, pulse, iron, and body temperature checks, all possibly making you aware of a health situation.
• Regularly donating blood helps build new blood cells which help with overall health.
• Donating helps regulate iron stores which in excess can harm the liver and the heart.
• The psychological benefit of knowing that you are helping others. Similar to volunteer work, simply giving of your time to benefit strangers. Getting out of your usual environment to do this leads to positive thoughts as does your interaction with the Red Cross staff.

The moment of truth was Tuesday morning as I went out for my usual morning run. I decided to just let the run come to me instead of pushing the pace or distance. I felt good from the start, so good that I decided to go a normal distance for me, ending at 5.13 miles. My effort was easy and nearly as good as the last run on the day before the blood donation almost 14 hours before.

Bottom line, you can give blood and feel good that your exercise will only be minimally affected. Please consider joining me in giving blood by going to www.redcrossblood.org and clicking on “find a blood drive.” It’s easy, fun and good for others.

Our next race locally is just ahead on Jan. 2 with the Bradshaw Financial Planning Resolution Run 5K. Look for it and other events, including the next Self Defense Seminar at Sidekick Karate on Jan. 21 at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all! 

By David Freeze

Giving blood is always needed, and there are lots of blood drives going on during the holiday season. One of the concerns for some who don’t give is they are unsure what will happen with the body, especially if they exercise regularly. I’ve been giving for many years and plan to continue for as long as I can.

Giving blood is especially easy these days since you can look at all of the upcoming blood drives within a specified area at www.redcrossblood.org. Once you schedule to give, then you will get the opportunity to do the rapid test. It is a quick summary to make sure you are eligible to give currently and takes less than five minutes. You get a QR code to print or save on your phone to show the Red Cross volunteers upon arrival. Or you can choose to do the quick summary when you check in.

You will also get a quick check for blood pressure, pulse, body temperature and iron upon arrival too, all useful in case you didn’t know about an issue. If all is well, you’ll go wait for the volunteer who will actually draw your blood. The blood draw takes from 5-15 minutes. Our running club has several competitive givers who time the process and try to shorten it if possible. Squeezing the little ball and being hydrated are helpful, especially if you want to get done quickly and move on to the snack table. You get a small gift from the Red Cross, and once listed, you will be notified about opportunities to do it again.

Donating blood is a noble act and helps save lives. Athletes and regular gym goers should not shy away from this opportunity due to fears of affecting performance levels. By following the recommendations and planning when you donate blood to suit your training program, you can help save lives just as you would hope others do if you need blood.

Here is what happens to the body when you give blood. Donating one pint of blood (the typical amount drawn during a whole blood donation) reduces blood volume by about one tenth. Since oxygen travels throughout your body via the bloodstream, having less blood on board can affect how you perform during your workouts. It only takes about a day for your body to replace the fluid portion of your blood, called plasma. It can take four to six weeks for red blood cells to reach their pre-donation levels, but several studies show there’s only a 24- to 48-hour dip in exercise performance after donation.

There’s a short-term dip in maximal oxygen update (how much oxygen people can inhale and use), but it seems to return to normal within a day or two.

“When testing elite athletes, their uptake, measured by what’s called VO2 max, might be down 3, 5 or even 8 percent compared with pre-donation levels. Most everyday athletes and fitness fans won’t notice any significant lingering effects after giving blood. For most of us, it’s not something you or I could sense after a couple of days.” said Dr. Jed Gorlin, vice president and medical director at Innovative Blood Resources in St. Paul, Minnesota.

And no matter what exercise you do or don’t do after donating blood, always listen to your body. If you notice any dizziness or lightheadedness, end your workout right there. Sit or lie down, wait for it to pass and then gradually get back up and get some fluids and food in you.

A few more good things happen, and I’ll address those next week. I’m scheduling to give blood this week and will report on that too, plus how I altered my running and other exercise to make it happen.

Our next race locally is the Bradshaw Financial Planning Resolution Run 5K at the Forum on Jan. 2. Look for it and more events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

By David Freeze

During my most competitive years, the 30s and 40s, I chased the latest supplement that was supposed to give me an edge. With only one exception, I never found anything taken in supplement form that mattered to my performance. What I did find was that eating to cover the basics did more to help with training, racing and general well-being.

Below are some of the vitamins and minerals that matter, and it’s my suggestion that we all should pay attention to getting them.

• Iron — Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to muscles for improved endurance. The highly active, especially women, can be iron deficient. Red meat, fish, raisins, tofu, lentils, white beans and spinach are all great sources of iron and active women need about double the requirement for men.
• B vitamins — Folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, pantothenic acid and bioten. They break down carbohydrates into glucose for energy and help process fat and protein. B12 is most important because it enhances red blood cell production and DNA synthesis. Red blood cells remove carbon dioxide and carry oxygen making them essential to endurance athletes. Sources are chicken, beef, leafy greens, eggs, milk and beans.
• Vitamin D and calcium — Both work together for bone health. Calcium works to keep your bones stronger and as an anti-inflammatory but is only fully absorbed when vitamin D levels are correct. Even outdoor athletes may not get enough of vitamin D. You can find both items in dairy items like cheese, milk and yogurt and will be best absorbed in the full-fat options. Salmon is another great source of both items.
• Vitamin C — Known for fighting off sickness, vitamin C is a major immunity booster, and we can load up on it with foods like broccoli, peppers, kiwi and citrus. Most powerful is the yellow bell pepper that carries about four times the recommended daily allowance.
• Magnesium — Playing a major role in nerve and muscle function, magnesium also assists in protein, fat and carbohydrate synthesis plus electrolyte balance. Without enough magnesium, the muscles and nerves can become stressed with both cramping and involuntary spasms possible. Try for a daily mix of deep green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
• Potassium and sodium — Potassium is one of three major electrolytes and works with sodium for proper muscle contraction, heart function and communication between nerves. Both micronutrients work together to maintain proper fluid balance in the body. Losing electrolytes through sweat can lead to fatigue and cramping but potassium and sodium help restore proper hydration. Potassium sources are bananas, white potatoes, oranges, beans, salmon and milk. A baked potato with a dash of salt is a quick fix for rebalancing electrolytes after intense endurance exercise.

Most long-term exercisers begin to crave some of the foods listed above. For me, I eat most of the non-meat items listed here and no longer regularly take any supplements. I do use a basic multi-vitamin regularly.

Much of the information listed here came from my studies supplemented by a recent Outside magazine article. I found that many serious athletes gain knowledge of what food works for them, and the specific vitamins and minerals found in them. The super-supplement seldom delivers as advertised and goes by the wayside eventually. I did find some perceived success with a product called spirulina, a type of algae used by the Aztecs and grown in space by NASA astronauts. It is popular with some endurance athletes.

Racing takes a break locally for a few weeks with the next event scheduled on Jan. 2, the Bradshaw Financial Planning Resolution Run 5K. It’s a low-key event with a nominal entry fee meant to get your running/walking off to a great start for the New Year. A 9 a.m. start at The Forum nets complete results, refreshments and a quality shirt left over from a previous race. Proceeds benefit Rowan Helping Ministries.

Look for this and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.