Kurt Zaporozan

Monday, January 31, 2011

Sun Run Blog-Week Three, Why

Well I got a nice surprise when Emily finally admitted she is liking running and she was looking forward to getting outside to do the practice sessions. She hasn’t had to really run in inclement weather yet and living on the left coast it is just a matter of time before we do run in the rain. The weather overlords have been kind to us the first couple of weeks.

I have completed my practice session at the local recreation centre on a treadmill, did a weight training session after the run and I am feeling exceptionally strong lately. With this feeling, I got to ruminating about the Sun Run Event itself. That feeling of joining 50-60,000 people at the start line. I get a huge rush from it every year. I have a goal in mind for myself but I will divulge that at a later date. My fastest time for the Sun Run is 47:38 and my slowest time is 1:00.23.

This got me to thinking about why both Emily and myself want to do the event this year. For me personally, it is always meeting new people, seeing friends I have kow throughout my running career come back year after year, getting into race shape, and helping others who are in the same position I was once in years ago.

For Emily, I think she is running because of her fitness level or lack of. She has been inactive for almost a year after high school and she feels out of shape as a young adult. I think Emily liked the idea of being able to Blog for the Vancouver Sun Newspaper as well. It is an attraction for myself too.

I have heard others within my group also proclaim their reasons and here are a few of them. One wants to run a 30km run next March and this is a good stepping stone to attain that goal, one would like to beat last years Sun Run time, one wants better health (this one I really like) even if they don't like the act of running, and one even wants to get rid of the Jiggle on the Butt. We all feel this one as we get older.

What ever our motivation, we have all come together with a goal in mind, the 2011 Vancouver Sun Run. I can hardly wait.

Run On

Sun Run Blog-Week Two

Week 2's first session is complete and my capabilities are better than I thought they would be. I am in the Learn to Run Clinic in Coquitlam and we are based out of a private community centre in my neighborhood of River Springs in North East Coquitlam. We have run on the streets so far towards Coquitlam Towne Centre sports fields and back to the Rec Centre. The weather has been stellar for us which puts everyone in a great mood. This is so important for the new participants. To keep their attention and interest, the weather plays a huge roll. Erin Smandych our Clinic Coordinator is so good making everyone feel as if they belong and with the group of Leaders put together to help, everyone is having fun getting to know each other and chatting along the way. This is the other half of keeping participants interest is a bunch of leaders who care about what they are trying to accomplish with the walkers, Nordic Walkers and runners.

I have run and trained people in all types of conditions from perfect running weather at 8-10C and overcast to scorching hot 30+ degrees and I think the coldest I have run in is -10C. I have run 5K's, 10K,s off road races, half marathons and full marathons. My only handicap when it comes to running is my size. 185 cm tall and 107 kg. I am not fast but I keep going. I am also starting from scratch for the third time in my running career. I have recently been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in my knees which I battle every time I run. These past two weeks have been good for my state of mind as I am becoming accustomed to the pain management I must go through.

Run on.

Sun Run Blog-Week One

My name is Kurt and I am a runner. Injured but still a runner. Here I am blogging about the passion I found thirteen years ago and now my daughter Emily has joined my journey. I am excited she has decided to join Sportmed BC InTraining clinic with me but don't want to push her or get overly excited about her decision. I really want Em to enjoy running on her own. Time will tell.

We had a Vancouver Sun photographer come by on our first day to take Emily and mine's profile pictures. He was a pretty funny guy. Emily enjoyed the shoot. Some running shots and some face shots. He kept calling us Rock Stars.

Saturday the 15th is my first run since November 6th, 2010. A knee injury has kept me from enjoying the sport. Have been nervous for a few days prior to the clinic. My nervousness fell away when we discovered a great group in the River Springs Rec Centre Clinic. Erin Smandych our Clinic Coordinator knows how to make so many comfortable in an instant. I am doing the Learn to Run 10K clinic with Em. Have to start from the beginning to ease back into the stress on my body. There are some old friends and some familiar faces as well as people who are completely new to running. Going to be another great running adventure.

My first run as smoother than I thought. A little pain in my knee but better than I anticipated. Run two on Tuesday evening done on a Treadmill at my local Recreation Centre and run three is tonight so we'll see how we feel tomorrow.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Recovery

My knee is finally settled down from the pain mid week. MCL still sore but not constant. Will consult with a human mechanical specialist in the coming week to assess my physical capabilities in the near future.
2011 Sun Run meeting on Wednesday evening to strategize on the coming run clinics.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The day after

I can't believe the pain I was in yesterday. My knee took such a beating from my Tuesday evening 30 minute run. I was hobbling around all day yesterday. Could have used a cane.
The Knee ProTec band I was using did me no good at all. I am sure if I used it for PFPS (Patella Femoral Pain Syndrome) of ITBS (Illiotibial Band Syndrome) it probably would have worked.
I am going to have to see a specialist about the issue with my MCL now.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Fresh Start

Have not run a single kilometer in the past two weeks. Have been trying to get my left MCL to settle down on its own. Pain has subsided significantly but has just not gone away completely. When I have been out with my running friends, I have seen other runners using a neoprene strap around their knees I assume for extra support and tension at and around the knee. I bought one this morning at the Runners Den (http://www.runnersden.ca/). Paul Slaymaker knew exactly what I was looking for and handed me the "Knee Pro-Tec by Pro-Tec Athletics. I have had it on for only 20 minutes and I do not feel pain at all. So far so good. I will say the instructions on the product are well thought out. They show how to use the product for different injury types and also encourages the user to stength train for the area affected. I wish more companies would take this approach with their products.
Will be testing the product out on a 5-7km run tonight.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Knee issues again 2.0

Out for a 7.8 km run with Norma and Erin on Sunday morning and could hardly walk that afternoon. MCL is driving me crazy. The runs themselves feel great. No knee pain at all during but afterwards, it feels like a baseball bat was used to smash the inside of my left knee. Better today (Monday) but still tender when walking.
Have a Doctors appointment for Sept. 2 so we'll have to wait til then to start the healing process with professionals. Arghhhhhh.

Personal Mission Statement

Defining who you are can be another powerful way to help you make the changes you desire. A personal mission statement is like a credo or motto that states what your life is about. It should reflect the values you hold about the importance of health and fitness and life in general. It can act as a guide to help you adhere to what you truly want to achieve. It can help you commit to a running (or walking) program.A personal mission statement can be anything you want – a favourite quotation, song lyrics or your own creation. It needs to inspire you and help you remember what you are all about. Take a look at the worksheet in your "Documents" section of your SportMed Community network - Develop Your Personal Mission Statement for examples and how to develop your own. Encourage your participants to do the exercise and once completed, to post it on the refrigerator or wall and review it regularly for inspiration.

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” by Marianne Williamson

Training Tips

IS CHOCOLATE REALLY GOOD FOR YOU?
By Amby Burfoot

In January 2006, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the most convincing study yet linking flavanol-rich cocoa to improved blood-vessel health. A month later, the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that Dutch men who ate the most chocolate had a 47 percent lower mortality rate over 15 years than a similar group that consumed little chocolate. In June, the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology published a special supplement on cocoa flavanols, with 17 articles about chocolate's health benefits, ranging from lower blood pressure to increased brain blood flow to better skin health. In November, independent researchers at Johns Hopkins announced a study that showed a small amount of chocolate slowed platelet clumping. Also in November, a new chocolate called CocoaVia got a lift from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, which reported that two (small) bars a day lowered LDL cholesterol in a high-cholesterol subject group by 6.7 percent. This likely resulted from the addition of plant sterol esters (like those found in some margarines) to the CocoaVia. It's enough to make you look for Willy Wonka's nearest factory. Only one problem: Much of the research has been sponsored by Mars, the folks who brought us M&Ms, Snickers, and now CocoaVia. Almost any time you speak to a chocolate "expert," you're talking with someone who has cashed a few checks from Mars. Sweet Science Mary Engler is an exception. A cardiovascular physiologist at the University of California at San Francisco, Engler, along with her twin sister and fellow Ph.D., Marguerite, has spent the last 15 years researching the connection between diet and blood-vessel health. In 2004, the Englers published the first independent study, in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, to show that a dark-chocolate bar enhanced artery dilation. A chocolate bar with most of its healthy flavanols stripped away had no such effect. Flavanols are plant micronutrients, such as those found in tea, purple grapes, and apple skins, that can have a powerful effect on cell health. A particular cocoa flavanol, epicatechin, triggers blood vessels to release nitric oxide, which relaxes nearby muscle fibers, allowing the arteries to expand and carry more blood. "The evidence is absolutely compelling," Engler says, "and I believe the field is going to grow rapidly, just as we saw with the omega-3 fatty acids and their connection to heart health."Carl Keen lives and works just 70 miles from Engler at the same university, only he's at the branch in Davis, and his research has been funded by Mars. When I reach Keen, a Ph.D. professor of nutrition and internal medicine, we have a wide-ranging conversation. "Our research has found that cocoa flavanols from dark chocolate help keep the blood vessels expanded and flexible," he says. "This is a profound and exciting effect." This leads unexpectedly to the question of superfoods. What Keen tells me is that industry-sponsored chocolate research may help unlock the phytochemical secrets behind, say, blueberries and red peppers. After all, blueberries don't have a multibillion-dollar lobby. "Fruits and vegetables are all good for you," he says, "but some are better than others. And I hope that the next wave of discovery will enable us to say which are the really good ones."About the ProcessKeen has been doing a lot of his recent work with chocolate produced by Mars's private, patented Cocoapro process. The Mars people talk about the gentle, nutrient-retaining Cocoapro method the way some young parents describe their infant's bedroom, outfitted with a swaddling crib and speakers that waft Mozart through the air. CocoaVia products are made from Cocoapro, and are guaranteed to provide 100 milligrams of cocoa flavanols per serving, no matter how dark or light the chocolate. The people at Hershey's have been slow to jump on the dark-chocolate bandwagon, but they're not dumb-not with dark chocolate sales increasing 30 percent per year. Last May, Hershey's announced that it was forming a new Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition, and that a Yale University study of Hershey's Natural Cocoa showed that the drink improved the blood flow of those who consumed it. Last fall, Hershey's began selling a premium dark chocolate named Hershey's Cacao Reserve, and also bought Dagoba, an organic dark-chocolate company that produces an adorable "Tao of Cacao" newsletter. Okay, I'm being sarcastic there. But let's give Hershey's credit for its 30-year support of youth track and field in the United States.The Hershey's people are also waging a quiet war against the Cocoapro process. Last May, they published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that compared the antioxidant and polyphenol activities of chocolate products from a variety of leading manufacturers. Basically, they found no differences among manufacturers, only among product types (like dark chocolates versus milk chocolates). "Regardless of where the chocolate comes from, we found-as did a USDA article in the same issue-that the antioxidant and polyphenol values tracked very closely to the amount of nonfat cocoa solids in each product," says Dave Stewart, a plant biochemistry Ph.D. and Hershey's director of nutrition and natural product sciences. The chocolates that have the highest percentage of cocoa in them, information typically available on labels, probably have the most flavanols. Just a TasteI can't tell for sure who's making the healthiest chocolate, but here's my advice: Remember that chocolate is a plant food, so choose the most natural, least processed chocolate you can find. That means avoiding chocolate with milk solids, emulsifiers, and heaps of added sugar. Also, skip chocolates with any mention of alkali or "Dutching," which are known to reduce nutrients.And of course, don't be misled into thinking that chocolate is a health food. It's not. Chocolate, brimming with fat, is something you should learn to savor in small pieces. "No one should add calories to their diet by eating more chocolate," says longtime Runner's World nutrition editor Liz Applegate, Ph.D., a confirmed chocoholic herself. "You have to substitute it for something else, hopefully something less nutritious."For Valentine's Day, I've settled on the perfect menu. We'll start with a cup of black-bean soup, then have a kale salad with orange segments and sliced almonds, organic, long-grain brown rice with steamed broccoli and herbed tofu, and a nice glass of red wine, known for its heart-healthy attributes. After dinner, I'll pour another glass of wine and reach for a box of rich, dark, sinfully delicious chocolates, knowing that dark chocolate boosts blood flow. That's got to be a good thing. Especially on Valentine's Day.