26.2miFULL MARATHON

13.1miHALF-MARATHON

10K, 5K & KidsK

OCTOBER 20 & 21, 2012

Presented by

The Mankato Marathon is the Midwest’s boldest race with its dynamic course, spirited racers and enthusiastic fans. From the start line at Minnesota State Mankato, the course travels through the countryside and beautiful river valley to fi nish on the City Center’s Riverfront Drive.

With a race for every runner, the full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and KidsK, there will be weekend activities for the whole family on and off the race course. The Mankato Marathon is an USATF certifi ed course, thus a Boston Qualifi er. Find greatness in Mankato.

REGISTER TODAY

FOR A FULL LIST OF EVENTS, RACE DETAILS, AND TO REGISTER GO TO:

www.mankatomarathon.com

Find Greatness in Mankato

04 Race & Event CalendarUpcoming races and events. Get moving!

07 XC Ski Training

08 Mental Prep for Race Day

09 Runner’s Health

Congratulations to Ben Ursel! Winner of the free registration for the St Paul Triathlon!

10 Scene in Motion Photos from recent events and races

13 Marathon Checklist

14 SwimMasters

14 Yoga for Runners

16 The Need for Speed - Training

19 Nutrition Planning for Race Day

contents

On the Cover: Runners in the Gopher to Badger 5k and Half Marathon, photo, Jenn Barnett.

This page: Swimmers getting set to go in the Point to LaPointe Open Water Swim, photo Jenn Barnett

RACE CALENDAR

04 www.midwestevents.com

DATE EVENTS LOCATION TYPE

3959 North Highway 61White Bear Lake, MN 55110

We guarantee that our FootLab custom molded insoles will increase

your comfort, reduce fatigue, improve performance and reduce the chance of

injury. Once you try them you will never run without them.

FREE custom evaluation for you,for information visit our website:

www.TheFootLab.com

Comfort, Performance & Less PainFrom Start To Finish

651-433-6544

DATE EVENTS LOCATION TYPE

DATE EVENT LOCATION TYPE

9/1/12 The Glo Run Bloomington, MN Run

9/2/12 Dream Mile 5 & 10K Minneapolis, MN Run

9/3/12 MDRA Victory Labor Day Races Minneapolis, MN Run

9/7/12 Taste of Greece 5K Minneapolis, MN Run

9/7/12 Granite Kids Fun Runs Sauk Rapids, MN Run

9/8/12 Graniteman Half Marathon, 5K/10K Sauk Rapids, MN Run

9/8/12 Boots & Boas 5K Eden Prairie, MN Run

9/8/12 Kaila & Graces Hope and Hearts Run Coon Rapids, MN Run

9/8/12 Bunker Stampede 5K Coon Rapids, MN Run

9/8/12 Silent No More/Walk Run for Ovarian Cancer 5K/2K Edina, Mn Run

9/8/12 Kinni River Trout Trot River Falls, WI Run

9/8/12 Bolder Dash 5K, 10K Minneapolis, MN Run

9/8/12 Mill City Suds Run Minneapolis, MN Run

9/8/12 Get Ready to Rock 5K, 10K, 20 Mile White Bear Lake, MN Run

9/8/12 Radisson Childhood Fun Run Minnetonka, MN Run

9/8/12 Run for Their Lives Milaca, MN Run

9/8/12 TC Lung Run and Walk Minneapolis, MN Run

9/8/12 Countryfest 5K Fun Run/Walk Oakdale, Mn Run

9/8/12 Dick Beardsley 1/2 Marathon, 5K run/Walk Detroit Lakes, MN Run

9/8/12 Minnesota Hope & Hearts Run Coon Rapids, MN Run

9/9/12 America the Beautiful 5K Andover, MN Run

9/9/12 Grandma’s Minnesota Mile Duluth, MN Run

9/9/12 Burnsville Heart of the City 10K & 5K Burnsville, MN Run

9/9/12 People for Parks 5K Run/Walk for the Bandshell Minneapolis, MN Run

9/9/12 MDRA City of Lakes 25K Minneapolis, MN Run

9/15/12 Applefest Run to the Edge Scenic 5K LaCrescent, MN Run

9/15/12 Bear Water Run White Bear Lake, MN Run

9/15/12 Catch the Spirit 5K Burnsville, MN Run

9/15/12 Dash for Dads 5K & 1K St. Cloud, MN Run

9/15/12 Lupus Walk for Hope & 5K Run Rochester, MN Run

9/15/12 Nickle Dickle 5K Run/Walk, 10K Run & 1/2 Mile Tickle Waconia, MN Run

9/15/12 Maranatha’s Road Race Forest Lake, MN Run

9/15/12 Turkey Day 10K Worthington, MN Run

9/15/12 Wheels Off Half Marathon Duluth, MN Run

9/16/12 Minnesota Race Against the Odds Prior Lake, MN Run

9/16/12 Q. Cumbers Fall Harvest 5K Edina, MN Run

9/16/12 Richfield STEM School Back to School 5K Richfield, MN Run

9/16/12 US Constitution Day 5K Andover, MN Run

9/20/12 Best Buy United Way 5K Richfield, MN Run

9/20/12 Runnin’ With the Law Tria 5K Minneapolis, MN Run

9/21/12 Fox Cities Marathon - Kids Fun Run Appleton, WI Run

9/22/12 Jon Francis 1/2 Marathon, 8K & 1 Mile Stillwater, MN Run

9/22/12 Sharing Life Walk/Run Event St. Paul, MN Run

9/22/12 Cloquet River Run 5K and 1Mile Cloquet, MN Run

9/22/12 Alma Mater Trotter 5K Eden Prairie, MN Run

9/22/12 Columbus Fall Fest 5k, Mile, Kids 1/4 Mile Forest Lake, MN Run

9/22/12 Dash for Dads 5K for Prostate Cancer Minneapolis, MN Run

9/22/12 Lyndon Ellefson Memorial 1/2 Marathon & 5K Barron, WI Run

9/22/12 Plymouth Fire Fighters 5K Plymouth, MN Run

9/22/12 SeptemberFest Run With the Flock 5K Eagan, MN Run

9/22/12 5K My Way Run, Walk, Wheel &1K Kids Run Sartell, MN Run

9/22/12 Twisted Maze Run West Salem, WI Run

9/22/12 Fox Cities 5K Run Walk Appleton, WI Run

9/23/12 Fox Cities Marathon Half Marathon Appleton, WI Run

9/23/12 Woman Run the Cities 5K & 10 Mile Minneapolis, MN Run

9/29/12 Challenge Aging 5K St. Paul, MN Run

9/29/12 Heritage Days Fall 5Mile & 5K New Richmond, WI Run

9/29/12 Wild Hog Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Grand Forks, ND Run

9/29/12 Radisson’s Childhood 5K & Kids Run Minneapolis, MN Run

9/29/12 Harvest Hustle Eau Claire, WI Run

9/29/12 Husky Hustle 5K Eagan, MN Run

9/29/12 Dave Ryan 5K 10K for Special Olympics Minneapolis, MN Run

9/30/12 Run Crazy Horse Hill City, SD Run

10/6/12 Lupus Walk for Hope & 5K Run Duluth, MN Run

10/6/12 TC 10K and TC 5K Run/Walk St. Paul, MN Run

10/6/12 Homecoming 5K Bemidji, MN Run

10/7/12 Medtronic TC 10 Mile Minneapolis, MN Run

10/7/12 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Minneapolis, MN Run

10/13/12 SCU Haunted Hustle Marathon 1/2 Marathon & 10K Middleton, Wi Run

10/13/12 WhistleStop Marathon/Half Marathon Ashland, WI Run

10/13/12 Scenic Byway 1/2 Marathon & 5K Belle Plaine, MN Run

10/13/12 Autumn Woods Classic Maple Grove, MN Run

10/13/12 Runnin’ with the Law Tria 5K Minneapolis, MN Run

10/13/12 Big Woods Run 1K, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon Faribault, MN Run

10/13/12 ACS Strides Against Breast Cancers Minneapolis, MN Run

10/13/12 Spooky Family Fun Run 2.5 K & 5K White Bear Lake, MN Run

10/13/12 Fall Fest 5K/8K Lake Crystal, MN Run

10/14/12 Scarecrow 5K Savage, MN Run

10/14/12 World’s Largest Corn Maze Run Shakopee, MN Run

10/14/12 ALS Super Hero 5K-10K Dash/Walk St. Paul, MN Run

10/20/12 Run for the Apples 5 Mile and Kids Run White Bear Lake, MN Run

10/20/12 CNHS Boo Fun Run 5K & Kids Run St. Paul, MN Run

10/20/12 Oktoberfest 5K St. Paul, MN Run

10/20/12 Mankato Marathon 5K and KidsK Mankato, MN Run

10/21/12 Mankato Marathon Full, Relay, Half, 10K Mankato, MN Run

10/21/2012 Wisconsin Dells Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 5K Wisconsin Dells, MN Run

10/21/12 IMT Des Moines Marathon Des Moines, IA Run

10/21/12 Dream Mile 5K & 10K Minneapolis, MN Run

10/26/12 Scare in White Bear 5K & Kids Run White Bear Lake, Mn Run

10/27/12 Anoka Halloween Gray Ghost 5K Run/1 Mile Walk Anoka, MN Run

10/27/12 Halloween Fearless 5K St. Paul, MN Run

10/27/12 Halloween Hustle Minnetrista, MN Run

10/27/12 Monster Dash Minneapolis, & St. Paul, MN Run

10/27/12 Pinewood Halloween Run Eagan, MN Run

10/27/12 Spooky Spirit 5K Run/Walk, Kids Dash,Breakfast Hutchinson, MN Run

11/3/12 Bear Tracks 5K, 10K, Kids Run White Bear Lake, MN Run

11/4/12 Kowalski’s Strive 10 Miler White Bear Lake, MN Run

11/6/12 Election Day 5K St. Paul, MN Run

11/10/12 Diva Dash Women’s Only 5K, 10K Circle Pines, MN Run

11/10/12 Chaska Turkey Trot 5K, Kids Run Chaska, MN Run

11/10/12 623 Foundation 5K Walk/Run/Kids Run Roseville, MN Run

11/11/12 Flippin Fun 5K Run Minnetonka, MN Run

11/11/12 SW Minnesota Jingle Bell Run/Walk Marshall, MN Run

11/11/12 Veteran’s Day 5K St. Paul, MN Run

11/17/12 Dakotah Fitness Turkey Trot 5K Prior Lake, MN Run

11/18/12 Turkey Run St. Paul, MN Run

11/22/12 Dash & Dine 5K, 5 Mile and Kids Fun Run Chisago City, MN Run

11/22/12 Drumstick Dash Minneapolis, MN Run

11/22/12 Fast Before You Feast 10K/5K, & Fun Run White Bear Lake, MN Run

11/22/12 Lifetime Turkey Day 5K Minneapolis, MN Run

11/22/12 Gobble Gait Hastings, MN Run

11/22/12 Giving Thanks 5K St. Paul, MN Run

12/1/12 Jingle Bear Run White Bear Lake, MN Run

12/1/12 Reindeer Run Minneapolis, MN Run

12/1/12 Jingle Bell Run/Walk Duluth, MN Run

12/8/12 Snowflake Shuffle 5K St. Joseph, MN Run

12/9/12 Dreidel Dash 5K St. Paul, MN Run

12/22/12 Jumping Jack Frost 5K St. Paul, MN Run

12/25/12 Joyful 5K St. Paul, MN Run

9/22/12 Arthritis Walk Edina, MN Walk

10/20/12 Arthritis Walk Fargo, ND Walk

9/5/12 Salomon Autumn Trail Series Bloomington, MN Trail Run

9/7/12 Superior Trail Fall Races - Super Sawtooth 100 Mile Lutsen, MN Trail Run

9/8/12 Supertior Trail Falls Races - Marathon & 50M Lutsen, MN Trail Run

9/8/12 Lupus Walk for Hope & 5K Trail Run Plymouth, MN Trail Run

9/15/12 Muscle Milk Woodsy Savage, MN Trail Run

9/16/12 Fort Snelling Relays Minneapolis, MN Trail Run

9/16/12 Harmon Farms 5 & 10 Miler Inver Grove Hts., MN Trail Run

9/19/12 Salomon Autumn Trail Series Bloomington, MN Trail Run

9/22/12 Trees and Trails 5K Mahtomedi, MN Trail Run

9/22/12 Surly Trail Loppet Minneapolis, MN Trail Run

10/3/12 Salomon Autumn Trail Series Bloomington, MN Trail Run

10/13/12 A Late Night Stomp 5K Night Run Green Acres, Lake Elmo, MN Trail Run

10/13/12 Great Prairie Trail Run Championship Hastings, MN Trail Run

10/13/12 Renewable Trail Run/Walk 10K, 5K run/walk Sandstone, MN Trail Run

10/17/12 Salomon Autumn Trail Series Bloomington, MN Trail Run

10/20/12 Wild Duluth Races, 100K, 50K 1/2 marathon Duluth, MN Trail Run

10/27/12 The Great Pumpkin Chase 5K & 10K Trail Run Lake Elmo, MN Trail Run

10/27/12 Surf the Murph Savage, MN Trail Run

11/6/12 Rocky’s Run-Cross Country St. Paul, MN Trail Run

9/8/12 JJ Hill 2 Mile & 1 Mile Wayzata, MN Swim

9/1/12 St. Croix Valley Triathlon Olympic, Sprint & Kids Triathlon Hudson, WI Triathlon

9/1/12 Cloverleaf Lakes Triathlon Clintonville, WI Triathlon

9/8/12 Square Lake Triathlon- Short Course Stillwater, MN Triathlon

RACE CALENDAR continued

from the heart of the city309 Cedar Ave. So. Mpls.

612-339-3433 MidwestMtn.comAs us. We’ve been there.

Find the best gear and clothing for kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, hiking, climbing, adventure travel and Nordic skiing.

Mark your calendars:

Outdoor Adventure ExpoNovember 16-18

DATE EVENTS LOCATION TYPE

The kids are back in school and the Corn Maze billboards are up. If you flip the calendar one month you’ll notice Halloween and soon after that comes winter. With the first snowflakes practi-cally just around the corner, fall is the time to get serious about your cross country ski training.

First and most importantly, if you’re planning to do one or more of the big ski races this season, register now! The registration fees are cheaper now rather than waiting until winter, and races like the Birkie are filling up fast. The City of Lakes Loppet is also on pace to fill-up early and sev-eral other major races have had record numbers of early registrants. But the biggest reason to register now is motivation. Even though winter is practically just around the corner (cross your fingers!) these races are still 5 months away. If you are registered to race, it gets much easier to drag yourself out of bed on those chilly fall morn-ings to get out training.

The summer is a great time to be a “well-rounded” endurance athlete, but the fall is all about speci-ficity. If you have cross country skiing goals, you need cross country skiing training. Sure, all train-ing will help your fitness, but if you want the best

payoff for your efforts, mimicking cross country skiing movements in your training is essential. An example of a progression from non-specific training moving toward very specific would like something like this.

Cycling-Paddling-Running-Trail Running-Pole Hiking-Roller Skiing-Snow Skiing

The keys to remember are that in cross country skiing a) you are standing up and moving from one foot to the other (balancing), b) using the up-per legs, butt-muscles, front, side and back core-muscles, upper back and arms to propel yourself forward. If you try to find activities that utilize all of these muscle groups you will be well on your way to training specifically for skiing. To take the final step in specificity, the movement pattern of your activity needs to be very similar to skiing, meaning that roller skiing and snow skiing are really the best training methods to get maximal ski-focused results.

If you want to be serious about your ski training but roller skis are not an option for you, incorpo-rating poles into your running, walking and hik-ing can provide many of the all-body benefits of roller skiing. The optimal length for nordic walk-ing poles is roughly 10 centimeters shorter than classical snow skiing poles; but approximately

XC SKI TRAININGthis length is just fine. The poles should be able to fit under your armpits with 2 inches of space when you are standing.

To begin using poles during your training, the best strategy is to start with easy hiking and using the poles in flat terrain and uphills, and carry them on the downhills. Begin by taking slightly longer strides than you would normally when hiking, but also slow the stride frequency down slightly. This will allow you to focus on timing when incorporating poles and will also make it easier to really push on the poles. The key when using poles for hiking is to use motion similar to skiing and really engage the muscles of the core, shoulders and arms. I really like to find a gradual uphill section and close my eyes periodically to imagine myself skiing on snow.

Lastly, there are many great training groups avail-able throughout the Midwest which offer small group coaching as well as a motivational training environment. Spending time training with other mo-tivated skiers is a wonderful way to push yourself harder and improve your technique. The fall is the optimal time to refine your technique and training to have your best ski season yet.

Get specific this fall with your training and it will pay huge dividends when the race season comes around.

9/9/12 Square Lake Triathlon - Long Course Stillwater, MN Triathlon

9/16/12 One Last Tri Marine on the St. Croix, MN Triathlon

9/15/12 Park Tool Fall Classic Duathlon Lake Elmo, MN Duathlon

9/22/12 Treadman Duathlon Pine Island, MN Duathlon

9/23/12 Athleta Iron Girl Duathlon Bloomington, MN Duathlon

9/30/12 Osceola Du-Able Du Osceola, WI Duathlon

8/31/12 La Crosse Area Labor Day Weekend Bicycle Festival LaCrosse, WI Cycle

9/8/12 Tour of Cuyuna Crosby, MN Cycle

9/9/12 St. Paul Classic Bike Tour St. Paul, MN Cycle

9/15/12 Taste of the Trail Preston, MN Cycle

9/15/12 PurpleRide Twin Cities 2012 Maple Grove, Mn Cycle

10/7/12 Mankato River Ramble Mankato, MN Cycle

9/1-2/12 Laddies Loppet, Maplelag Resort, September 1 & 2, 2012 Callaway, MN Mountain

Bike9/14/12 Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Cab le WI Mountain

Bike9/23/12 Revolutions Singletrack Escape St. Cloud, MN Mountain

Bike9/30/12 St Croix Valley Woolly St. Croix Falls, WI Mountain

Bike9/30/12 Bear Paw Rock and Roll White Lake, WI Mountain

Bike10/6/12 WEMS Championship Levis Mound, Hatfield, WI Mountain

Bike10/7/12 The Mullet Fall Classic Indianola, IA Mountain

Bike9/1-2/12 Bikery Cross Bayport, MN Cyclocross

9/16/12 Franconia Sculpture Cross Franconia, MN Cyclocross

9/29/12 St. Cloud CX St. Cloud, MN Cyclocross

9/30/12 EC3 CX Maple Grove, MN Cyclocross

10/6/12 Baker Orchard CX Centuria, WI Cyclocross

10/7/12 Twilight Cross Rosemount, MN Cyclocross

10/13/12 Cross @the Y Hudson, WI Cyclocross

10/14/12 Theo Wirth CX Classic Minneapolis, MN Cyclocross

10/20/12 Green Acres Cyclecross Lake Elmo, MN Cyclocross

10/21/12 Jackson Meadow Cyclocross Marine on St. Croix, MN Cyclocross

10/27/12 Red Barn CX Classic Taylor Falls, MN Cyclocross

10/28/12 Fridley Cross Fridley, MN Cyclocross

11/3-4/12 VeloCX Blaine, MN Cyclocross11/10-11/2012 Mill City Cyclocross Bayport, MN Cyclocross

12/1-2/12 MN State Cyclocross Championships Crystal, MN Cyclocross

9/15/12 North Shore Rollerski Marathon Duluth, MN Inline

9/2/12 3rd Annual Mud Fun Run Pillager, MN Adventure Race

9/8/12 Warrier Dash Hugo, MN Adventure Race

9/15/12 Rugged Maniac Adventure Race & Music Festival Taylor Falls, MN Adventure Race

9/15/12 Dirty Back 40 Algona, IA Adventure Race

9/20/12 Sajai Foundation’s Amazing Walk Minneapolis, MN Adventure Race

9/22/12 Great Urban Race Minneapolis, MN Adventure Race

10/20/12 Warrior Waddle Winona, MN Adventure Race

11/16-18/12 Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo Minneapolis, MN Expo

DATE EVENTS LOCATION TYPE

GreatLakesNordicWalkers.com

Improved posture, more caloric burn, reduced knee / hip stress & overall toning all while enjoying the great outdoors. Fall Classes now posted.

Walking is Good Nordic Walking is Better!

GreatLakesNordicWalkers.com

Located 30 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, this is a suburban course in the beautiful

Murphy-Hanrehan park. Prizes awarded for best Halloween costumes.

Fees increase Sept. 16. Registration deadline: Oct. 5.Info & Registration: www.surfthemurph.org

by Kevin Johnson

08 www.midwestevents.com

By Chris Lundstrom

Some runners mistakenly see mental preparation as a bag of hocus pocus tricks to be paraded out on race day. To these runners, mental training is a distraction from “real training” – the hard physical workouts that shape the body for race day.

The point these runners are missing is that the mental side of the sport cannot just be pulled out on race day to magically make running easy. Rather, the mind can – and must – be used to enhance training. The mind must be trained, just like the body. Working on mental skills dur-ing training allows the mind and body to work in synergy to produce better training. Train better, and generally you will race better as well.

These ideas apply to running and endurance sports in general, but a strong mental approach is particularly important for the marathon. There are a few reasons for this. For one thing, the human body stores enough glycogen to run about 20 miles, so that last 10k of the mara-thon, when the body begins to run out of gas, requires a mental will beyond what other races demand. Another key difference between the marathon and, say a 10k, is that it never goes 100% according to plan. It requires adaptability and flexibility. With that in mind, here’s a three pronged approach for mental strength in marathon training and racing.

1) Prepare to be your best

This aspect of mental preparation may be the most familiar to read-ers. The idea is to see yourself performing to the best of your ability, running the race according to plan, and crossing the line successfully. Using mental imagery and repeating positive phrases to yourself are ways of preparing to be your best. They are powerful not only in set-ting a high expectation and positive self-image for yourself, but also in getting you to change your behavior on a daily basis. You become the runner you want to be through daily choices.

Example: You repeat this phrase to yourself throughout your training: “I give my best effort every day.” On the day of a particularly long, hard workout, it’s a hot day and your energy level seems low. Rather than despairing and stopping the workout when you don’t hit your splits, you focus instead on putting in the best effort you can. That allows you to complete this important workout without obsessing about the times. You know that the effort will be rewarded.

2) Have a plan to deal with the worst

No one ever finishes a marathon and says, “well that went exactly how I planned it!” If they do say that, they’re lying. Over the course of 26.2 miles, something will go wrong. There will be challenges and dif-ficulties. What separates strong marathoners from those who struggle is how they deal with problems and challenges along the course. So it pays to use your imagination to anticipate a wide variety of things that could happen, and envision yourself responding in a productive, positive way.

Example: Say your legs tend to cramp in the final miles of the mara-thon. The first thing is to identify all the things you can do to prevent this from happening and act to prevent the problem. Beyond that, rec-ognize that the cramping could still occur and have a plan for how you will respond. Perhaps a shift in your stride or gait seems to ameliorate the problem. When you feel a cramp coming on, take the positive step of altering your stride. If indeed the cramp proceeds to the point where running is no longer possible, be prepared to focus on power-walking for a short time, and focus on keeping the ratio of running to walking as high as possible.

3) Be rigid in your commitment, flexible in your expectations

There’s a fine line between being a committed runner and being just plain inflexible. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s being flexible and, well, just plain lazy or apathetic. The marathon requires both commitment and flexibility. The immense physical challenge requires steely resolve and toughness. Yet it is a bit of a double-edged sword: because it’s so hard, you cannot batter your way through it on sheer toughness. It requires finesse in training and racing, a type of adaptability and flexibility that is hard to find.

Example: You have trained and trained in hopes of attaining a particular time. Maybe it’s a personal best, maybe it’s a Boston qualifier. Race day dawns and the black warning flags are out on the course, signifying dangerously high tempera-tures and humidity levels. If you have the ability and inclination to do so, you may choose to remain focused on your time goal by not running and selecting an alter-native marathon in the near future. If you’re like most people, you don’t have that option: you’ve arranged your life to be able to race on this particular day, and you’re going to give it your best shot. Rigidity in commitment requires that you go ahead and race to the best of your ability on that day. Flexibility in expectations demands that you shift your focus. Time goals should be modified, and race strategy should be altered to fit the realities of the day. New goals can be identified with the aim of getting you to produce the best effort possible on the given day.

Final word – remember to practice your mental game every day, just like you perform your physical training. Your mind, like your body, changes gradually over time and requires lots of repetition and practice to get stronger and more adept. While it doesn’t happen overnight, a well-trained mind is well worth the work.

The AlterG AntiGravity Treadmill can help you return to your sport quicklyand without pain while maintaining

your fitness level during recovery.

Keeping you healthy for the long run – one step at a time.

S I S T E R K E N N Y ® S P O R T S & P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y C E N T E R

Is an injury keeping you from enjoying

your sport?

Athletes:

12-13261 ©2012 ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM. ®A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM. SISTER KENNY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM.

allina.com/sisterkenny

Sister Kenny Sports & PhysicalTherapy Center• Apple Valley – 14655 Galaxie Avenue, Suite 160, Apple Valley, MN 55124• WestHealth – 2855 Campus Drive, Suite 450, Plymouth, MN 55441

Call 612-262-7900, or toll free 888-691-0045,to schedule an appointment.

Vigorous, aerobic activity like running has been recognized as essential to promoting good health. We know that regular exercise reduces obesity, thus helping prevent and control diabe-tes. Exercise can also help improve high blood pressure, reducing risk of heart disease and stroke.

Life expectancy is getting longer and has reached record highs. A male born in 1970, is expected to live to 74.7 years of age - his female counterpart may live to 80.4 years of age. It is great to live a long time but many elderly have disabling condi-tions affecting quality of life. Can the benefits of exercise help ensure that a longer life will be of good quality? In particular, do runners live longer and healthier?To answer this question, Eliza Chakravarty, MD, a Rheumatologist from Stanford University, launched a fascinating and important research study. She has followed a group of 538 runners and a group of 423 non-running peers aged 50-70, from 1984 through 2005, for a total of 21 years. At the onset of the study, demographic data such as age, sex, smoking history, body weight and history of disability were recorded. She also asked both groups their medical history and exercise habits. Each year, the groups were

Do Runners Live Longer and Stay Healthier?Mental Preparation

for Marathon Daypolled with a health, exercise and disability sur-vey. She asked what medical conditions such as cancer, arthritis or pain had developed and how independent each group was in mobility and in the ability to care for themselves. The date and cause of their deaths were also recorded.

Dr Chakravarty published the results of her study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 2008. She noted at baseline and at 8 and 13 years into the study, the runners had fewer disabilities than the less active control group.

At the 21 year mark, 284 runners and 156 con-trols remained in the study. Compared to the controls, the runners were leaner, smoked less and exercised more. Average disability levels did increase in both groups as they aged. But, com-pared to controls, runners had lower disability levels at all points during the study. The runners also noted disabilities much later in their lives than the inactive controls. Few differences in disability between male and female runners ex-isted. 15% of the runners and 34% of the control population had died. It is notable that amongst the runners, lower incidence and death from car-diovascular disease, neurological disorders and certain cancers occurred.

So, lace up the running shoes and get out the door! It does appear that long-term participation in running and vigorous exercise IS associated with less disability, better quality of life and lower mortality rates! As I have explained in these arti-cles, running is a high impact activity and training properly is of ultimate importance to make sure you can participate life-long.

This unprecedented research study continues on and is now in its 28th year! Has Dr Chakravarty found that long-term running causes arthritis? Stay tuned, I will tell you about that next time!

Marie-Christine Leisz, DO is board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, with advanced training in the diagno-sis and management of running and endurance sports injuries. She is medical director of the Running and Endurance Sports Injury Clinic at Sister Kenny Institute and collaborates with the Sister Kenny RunSmart Physical Therapy Pro-gram. Learn more at www.allina.com/ahs/ski.nsf/page/running_endurance and http://www.allina.com/ahs/ski.nsf/page/Run_smart

by Marie-Christine Leisz, DO

scene in motionThis page clockwise from top left- Red White and Boom, Competitive Image; Lifetime Triathlon, Jenn Barnett; Pine Tree Classic, Jenn Barnett;Amazing Race, Dan Oksnevad; Red White and Boom, Competitive Image; Color Run, Color Run; Pine Tree Classic, Jenn Barnett; (center) Lifetime Triathlon, Jenn Barnett.

Facing Page, clockwise from top left- Lifetime Torchlight Run, Lifetime Fitness; Park Point 5 Miler, Grandma’s; Park Point 5 Miler, Grandma’s; Chisago Tri, Brianna Conway; Wingman Triathlon, Bernice Nelson; Stockyard Days, Randy Fulton; Wingman Triathlon, Bernice Nelson; Red White and Boom, Competitive Image; Lifetime Torchlight, Lifetime Fitness.

www.midwestevents.com 13

clockwise from top left corner: Pine Tree Classic, Ed Holt; Endless Summer Trail Run, Zach Pierce; Stockyard Days, Randy Fulton; Gopher to Badger 5k, Jenn Barnett; Gopher to Badger Half Marathon; Jenn Barnett; Pointe to LaPointe Swim, Jenn Barnett; Pine Tree Classic, Ed Holt.

www.midwestevents.com 1514 www.midwestevents.com

Master Swim TeamsAquatic Club of Dakota CountySouth St Paul, MNJon Fisher651/442-3882

Barracuda Aquatic ClubBloomington, MNJeff Lee952/884-3703

Fastjet Masters Foss Swim SchoolBlaine, MN Danny Truong763/398-3399www.fossswimschool.com

Med City AquaticsRochester Recreation CenterRochester, MN507/254-2109www.medcityaquatics.org

Minnetonka MastersMinnetonka, MNBarb Scoulerbarb.scouler@gmail.comwww.mtkaswimclub.org

North Suburban Aquatic Club/NSACMounds View School District Poolswww.nsmakos.org

STARS Masters Swim TeamSt Paul, MNwww.starsswimteam.net

Tri FitnessWhite Bear Lake, MNVahid Sadrzadeh651-426-3619Triclub@trifitnesswbl.comwww.trifitnesswbl.com

West Express Swim TeamChaska, MNwww.westexpressswim.com

I hope to answer two questions in this article. 1. Why is joining a Master’s team so much more effective at improving one’s swimming than practicing on your own? 2. What kind of questions should you ask when looking for a good master’s program and coach.

If you were or never were on a youth swim team, a Masters team is a good place to practice. Like a youth team it will push you to swim faster and longer than you could ever do individually. I have visited & swam with teams with 400+ members in Dallas and San Di-ego, and swum on teams with a half dozen, and be-lieve the more swimmers the better. Even as a coach and teacher for 25 years, I have always trained un-der a coach and followed his/her training plan for the team. I know I could never complete a training set of 8 x 200 on 2:30 on my own, but somehow as part of a team I can make it. Sometimes you like to lead and sometimes follow. That is the beauty of the team; no matter your ability, beginner to advanced. When talking to a coach, there are more than a few ways to describe the freestyle stroke. A coach will be able to convey to you their method of teaching in just a few minutes. So ask them what they believe. Their basic training plan should be evident by the practice workouts, but it too should be easily described. For example: “We use five lanes of the pool and have five grades of practice available from 1,600 yards/hour to a max of 3,500 yd/hour.” “We typically have one sprint practice a week and each practice we typically warm-up, then focus on one skill (sculling, kicking, turns, breathing), before getting into our main training set.”

You should expect your coach to monitor your im-provement of stroke and speed on a monthly basis. This should entail a 5 minute verbal assessment of what you should be working on. Most coaches do this casually during meet and greet before practices and conversation during the practice sets.

What you should pay?Typically a good master’s team costs between $35 and $60/month with 3 to 5 one-hour practice sessions and there are scores of programs within the reach of Midwest Events readership.

What you should look for in a coach?A good personality, who has experience as a swimmer and a strong desire to get to the pool each morning to interact, not nurse their coffee cup. Coaches who are late to practice at 6 am typically are not in love with the idea of coaching and it will affect you.

All swim teams are about friendships. If you are new to town and want a way to meet people a good swim team is about your best bet. The team you are looking for will be friendly and accepting of all athletes of any age, speed and ability.

Jon FossCoach, Teacher, Swimmer

Why You Should Strongly Consider

Joining aMasters Swim Team.

Columbus Fall FestColumbus Fall FestColumbus Fall Fest Saturday, September 22, 2012

City of Columbus • 16319 Kettle River Blvd • 651-464-3120

Schedule of Events: Columbus Lions Garage Sale– 21st Year! Classic Car & Tractor Show (across road in Columbus Park) CPTO 5K Run/Walk– Visit www.midwestevents.com 8:00am Check-In & Starts at Columbus Elementary Welcome Wagon & Business Vendor Booths Senior Center: Craft Sale, Clothing/Linen Sale, Silent Auction Connexus Energy Electrical Safety Demonstration Bean Bag Toss– Hosted by Columbus Park Board Kids’ Games and Activities by CPTO Family One-Mile & Kids’ 1/4 Mile at Columbus Elementary Senior Center Chili Feed (Served until gone) Sheriff’s Office K9 Demo Wellness Van– Free Health Screenings Wildlife Science Center Display Fire Department Open House Free Face Painting Peddle Tractor Races for Kids (can ride all day in the park) Trophy Presentation for Vehicle Show FREE Pie & Ice Cream Social (Served until gone) Columbus Lions Raffle ($1 per ticket or 6 for $5) Benefit the Columbus Lions: Bring old eye glasses, hearing

aids, cell phones, and ink cartridges

8am-5pm 8am-3pm

9am

9am-3pm 9am-4pm

10am-2pm 10am– 2pm 10am-3pm

10:15am 11am

11am & 1pm 11am-2pm 11am-2pm 11am-3pm 1pm-3pm

1pm 2:30pm

3pm 4pm

Food: Columbus Lions: Famous Roast Beef Sandwiches, polish sausages, hot dogs

Seniors: Chili Vendors: Mini Donuts, Cotton Candy, Snow Cones

Cub Scouts: Popcorn

Funds used to print this flyer were provided by RUNNING ACES. This is NOT a school district sponsored activity.

Ad details:Midwest Events MagazineDeadline Aug 81/4 page (3.6658x4.9054)color ad

to: jenn@midwestevents.com

YOGAfor Runnersby Kim Tregilgas

Yoga articles seem to be written about every ten minutes, proclaiming that it can help cure or heal anything that goes wrong. As a yoga instructor, I have personally wit-nessed extraordinary transformations in students over time…I’m not saying that it will cure or heal anything…but it will im-prove how your body feels and moves.

For people who physically train for long pe-riods of time, yoga can offer definite ben-efits. Flexibility, strength and balance are the most obvious. How many times do your feet strike the ground during your run? It’s been esti-mated an average of 1,000 times per mile. That impact can cause trouble from feet and ankles up to the back…it isn’t the act of running that is causing the trouble, it’s the cumulative effect of that repetitious impact will highlight any imbalances in the muscular-skeletal framework and the end result is pain or tightness.

Many runners continue to train through the discomfort and the tightness spreads. A bad ankle or knee can move to hip or lower back issues. Yoga can help rebalance and strengthen those areas and help you stay aligned and strong through lengthening and restorative asanas (poses.) Yoga is a great way to balance out repetitive training.

By lengthening connective tissue, joints will feel the release. It’s a simple concept, but one that is still often overlooked. Length-ening and loosening takes time, the further along the aging process you are, the lon-ger it may take. Another part of the aging process is that each body is very different depending on genetic factors, how your body has been treated and any illnesses or injuries over the years.

If the resistance to yoga is that you aren’t limber enough, or it isn’t challenging, or seems weird, maybe you haven’t been exposed to the right class or environment. Try a few different kinds, pick up a yoga journal magazine or check it out on televi-sion.

There are all different kinds of yoga; the key is to find the one you enjoy and that works for you. Maybe after a few months just incorporating a few asanas at the end of your training session will bring terrific changes.

Look for a certified instructor and ask ques-tions! Define specifically what your issues/goals are and discuss how the instructor can help you.

Kim Tregilgas is a certified, registered yoga instructor who lives and teaches in White Bear Lake. Kim teaches adaptive yoga and focuses on people new to yoga, and people 45+ years old.

www.midwestevents.com 17

Maple Grove Office

9325 Upland Lane N. Ste. 230Maple Grove, MN 55369(763) 315-0466

Eden Prairie Office

6545 Flying Cloud Dr. Eden Prairie, MN 55344(952) 769-2066

www.spineandsportsinstitute.com

Our sports medicine chiropractic physicians have pioneered innovative treatment methods that have gained the attention of some of the foremost experts from around the world. We are committed to treating the cause of your condition, rather than your symptoms. We provide our athletes cutting edge therapies individually designed to rapidly resolve injuries, restore function, and improve athletic performance.

Spine and Sports Institute is home to the official Team USA doctor for the 2010 Winter Olympics. We treat countless professional and Olympic athletes from around the world as well as the weekend warrior.

Redeem this G-Buck for a free ten minute trial on the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.

Run without pain and minimize the impact on your joints.

10MINUTES

10MINUTES

10MINUTES

10MINUTES

g-bucksM200_2.indd 1 5/20/10 10:54:17 AM

6545 Flying Cloud Dr. Suite 200Eden Prairie, MN 55344Phone: 952-769-2066

www.spineandsportsinstitute.com

by Crystal Neal

It’s not the want, nor a dream; it is the NEED for speed that all of us crazy endurance athletes drag ourselves to the track for repeats or hill sprints. But what if I told you that you could run your old 400meter time from high school?

Don’t believe me? It’s called an Anti Gravity Treadmill, Alter G for short, and it is the new-est most innovative piece of training equipment on the market. The Anti Gravity treadmill was developed by NASA, to allow for precise partial weight bearing training.

The Alter G looks like a complicated piece of equipment but it is the coolest most ego boosting experience an athlete can have. The treadmill has so many benefits it would be too long to list, but the two most common are for injury rehabili-tation and speed training.

An athlete can run at 20% of their body weight, making a 200lb athlete feel like they are running with only 40 pounds of impact. This twinkle toes effect allows a great way for running through or rehabbing an injury and picking up the speed.

Speed is all about muscle memory. If you train your legs to turn over faster, or your muscles to fire at the speed of light, you will sim-ply run faster. By bringing your body weight to man-ageable poundage you can increase the speed to an unfathomable mile per hour, this concept is called “overspeed training”.

For those who are ramping down for Ironman Wiscon-sin or ramping up to peak at Twin Cities Marathon, check out the Alter G to get an edge on your training. There are only two Alter G treadmills in Minneapolis. One is used specifically for the Timberwolves and the other is open to the public at Spine and Sports Institute in Eden Prairie.

NEED FOR SPEED?

JUST BECAUSE ONE SEASON

There’s always a reason - and a season - to stay motivated. We have a whole new slate of fall and winter programs to keep you smiling, in shape and ready for whatever comes your way.

* Strength * Endurance * Wellness * Spinning * Circuit * Masters Swim *And many more! We’ll also be settling into our renovated, expanded space this fall. Check out all the exciting develop-ments at www.TriFitnessWBL.com.

is winding down doesn’t

MEAN YOU HAVE TO.

18 www.midwestevents.com

Nutrition Planning for Your Endurance Event

preparation, competition and recovery Preparation PhaseFor maintenance purposes at this stage of your training, consume about 3 grams of carbohydrates per 1 lb (5-7 gram/kg) of body weight. Make the major-ity of your carb intake come from complex carb sources such as rice, pasta, potatoes, yams, oats, and beans. These are high in both fiber and vitamins. During preparation phase, consume one carbohydrate source with every other meal. The types of carbohydrates you consume will have a great impact on both your energy levels and your performance. The majority of your carbohydrate in-take should come from complex, high fiber carbs. Whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, potatoes and yams are all examples of good, highly nutritious, fibrous sources of carbs.

Eat five to six servings of fruit and vegetables every day, with an even distribu-tion between both sources.

Choose greens and veggies that have nutritional value. Iceberg lettuce, cucum-ber and tomatoes are made up of over 95 % water, and have very little or no nutritional value. Therefore, they should not make up for 95 % of your veggie intake. Just choosing Romaine lettuce or leafy salads in place of iceberg lettuce makes a difference!

Competition PhaseAs your training becomes more intense and you progress into competition phase, gradually increase carb intake to eventually have carbs with every meal.

The focus pre-event is on tapering training while loading up on carbohydrates. If you’ve found a method to carb-load that works for you, stick with it. This is not the time to start experimenting. If not, try to keep your loading as similar to your carb regimen during training as possible, at least in terms of carbohydrates sources.

Protein is essential for adequate muscle reparation and protein synthesis. Con-sume one lean source of protein with every meal. Low-fat dairy products, lean cuts of meat, vegetarian substitutions, fish and poultry contain all of the essen-tial amino acids our body needs.

Drink enough fluids to hydrate yourself adequately. Half gallon minimum, prefer-ably 1 gallon per day. Stay away from pop and soda. Remember that coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks dehydrate your body, and need to be “made up for” if consumed in larger quantities. Your fluid levels also need adjust to temperature and humidity conditions. This is especially important the closer to race day you come.

Start to experiment with sports drinks, bars, energy gels and other supplements early in training. This is both in order to find out what flavors and products you prefer but also to find out how your body responds to different brands and prod-ucts. Come race day, your nutritional needs should have been tested out in advance for both fueling and hydration purposes. If you have the possibility, do a “mini-race” a couple of weeks before your actual race, where you get a chance to try out you carb-loading, fueling and hydration strategies in advance, so you’ll avoid unpleasant surprises come race day. “Graze” the day before the event on high-carb, low fiber snacks and consume sodium sources for electro-lyte balance.Recovery

Many athletes can testify to a large appetite long after your race season is over. A high fiber intake and more protein will keep you full and satisfied while keeping calories in check. Protein intake can account for up to 30 % of your daily energy intake, and an extra serving of starchy veggies like green beans, broccoli, as-paragus and cabbage will fill you up fast.

} healthy lungs and clean air.WE climb FOR

FEbRUARY 23, 2013AccENTURE TOWERmiNNEAPOliS, miNNESOTA

FightForAirclimb.org • 651-227-8014

EnterDiscountcodeRUN

RegistRation now open at tcmevents.org

Turn over a new leaf.Get your family together and start a healthy tradition—and have fun at the

same time with a day of runs, walks, and activities everyone will enjoy. It’s all the

excitement of marathon weekend, but with distances for all ages and abilities.

TC 5K, TC 10K and Medtronic TC Family Events SaTurday, OCTObEr 6 On ThE STaTE CapiTOl grOundS

©2012 Twin Cities In Motion. 039-2112b-11

7:30 a.m. TC 10K Participate in the 10K or 5K as an

individual, with friends and family, or form a corporate team.

9:00 a.m. TC 5K Run/Walk presented by Fredrikson & Byron

10:00 a.m. Diana Pierce Family Mile presented by Medica

10:30 a.m. Half Mile

11:00 a.m. Harry & Shelly’s Mascot Invitational

11:15 a.m. Diaper Dash presented by Pioneer Press

11:30 a.m. Toddler Trot

Good Luck to Christine Worms and terry thompson

as they compete in the 2012 Ironman in Madison Wisconsin!