Weight 270. My weight hasn't changed in weeks, but I know what I'm doing wrong. Last week I followed the advice of my fellow fitness challenge member Steve. I downloaded an app to my iPhone for counting calories and charting my workouts.

The app suggested that I consume no more than 1,730 calories a day to achieve my weight-loss goal in six months. For the first four days, I went over 1,400 calories with breakfast and lunch alone. So, I changed my diet to eat five smaller meals throughout the day. I must do a better job at calorie counting and working toward my goal.

Last week our food blog Dining@Large had a story about the nation's cinema operators fuming about proposed federal rules to require calories in their concession food. The thing that really alarmed me was that a large popcorn is (1,460 calories) the equivalent of eating nearly three McDonald's Big Macs. Several weeks I ate a large popcorn at the movies. You mean to tell me, I could have had three Big Macs. Oh, that's right I'm boycotting fast food. I really do miss thoughts two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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I am thinking it is about time for us to do our measurements again because yet again my weight is the same (158.6), but I feel different. Some of my clothes are starting to fit a little bit looser. People (even ones who haven’t been reading the blog) have mentioned that I am looking thinner. That helps assuage the ego even when the scale isn’t budging. I also found this great podcast  that follows the Couch to 5K program. I did it the first time the other night when I got home early enough to run outside, and it was totally doable and still felt like an accomplishment, if that makes sense. (The first week alternates 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking.)

Last week, I came down with pine mouth which I thought was going to lead to a major loss this week since everything tasted horrible. But even with sugars and starches tasting awful for a majority of the week, I managed to power through (for work! Right?) and recipe-test Peep-stuffed brownies. D’oh.

I’ve been hoping for a big loss one of these weeks, eventually, and it just hasn’t happened. After after a month in the same place, I’d take any loss at this point. But I’d really, really like to get to 10 pounds lost before the first 100 days are up. I’ll just keep plodding along!
 

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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The needle has moved, and done so in the right direction. After nearly a month of being stuck at 248, I lost a pound. Celebrate small victories! A couple of weeks ago I started logging my meals. I wasn’t eating anything I shouldn’t. But the food diary did reveal a couple of things I was able to tweak.

First, I found that when I ate a light early in the day and a heavier meal at dinner, my morning weigh in was usually a rude awakening. When I turned things around and had a heartier breakfast (heavy on proteins, very light on carbs), a decent lunch (mostly salads) and a lighter dinner, my weight was either the same or slightly less in the mornings.

The second revelation was that I need to pay more attention to portion sizes. Again, nothing bad on the diet, but there were times when I’d eat two helpings of something when one would have been sufficient. I’m not in danger of starving myself, so it’s just a matter of exercising a little more self control during meals.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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Each week a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center will provide a post on nutrition topics. Have questions or ideas for future topics? Email healthsci@baltsun.com. This week, Deb Schulze (pictured) RD, LDN, weighs in on fiber.    

Fiber, a complex carbohydrate also called roughage, is part of the plant matrix that your body can’t digest or absorb. Therefore, it passes relatively intact through your digestive system and out of your body. While its journey seems relatively uneventful, it actually provides several important benefits to overall health.
What Can It Do For You?
Digestion. Adequate fiber intake helps in the treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome by promoting  digestion, elimination and absorption of nutrients.
Weight Loss.  It helps you feel fuller, which may curb appetite and promoting weight loss.
Heart Health. Soluble fiber can lower cholesterol, blood pressure and your risk of coronary heart disease.
Blood sugar. Soluble fiber can delay the absorption of sugar, which helps improve glucose control for people with diabetes. Fiber intake has also been associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.   
Cancer prevention. Research continues on the role of increased fiber and colorectal cancer prevention.
Not All  Fiber is Created Equal
Fiber is classified into two categories: soluble fiber which dissolves in water and insoluble fiber which does not.
Soluble fiber forms a gel like material and can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. It can be found in items such as oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, barley, carrots and psyllium.
Insoluble fiber assists in the movement of material through your digestive tract and thereby increasing stool bulk. This can be a benefit to those who experience irregular stools or constipation. Many good sources of insoluble fiber include wheat bran, nuts, whole-wheat flour and many vegetables.
How Much Do You Need?
The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine along with The American Dietetic Association recommend:
Age 50 and younger
Women: 25 grams
Men: 38 grams
Age 51 and older
Women: 21 grams
Men: 30 grams

Posted by Kim Walker at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Nutrition
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Sun reporter Don Markus has a couple updates on the man shot outside a Ritchie Highway mall. From Markus' article:

Police said that the shooting began with some sort of altercation, though they did not say what the altercation was about.

Police are now looking for two men driving a gray Honda that was last seen heading south on Ritchie Highway.

This was outside the JC Penny, near the B&A trail. Even though it's somewhat illogical to extrapolate too much from one incident, I have to admit that I'll be feeling a bit jumpy when I run there this weekend.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, Outdoors, Running, Safety, Walking, Weekend
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What I’m doing: Not sure yet. A couple friends are probably doing the Cherry Pit 10 Mile Race.

What else I recommend: The "We're Looking For Trouble 5K Run/Walk & Kids Fun Run" probably has the most interesting title in a few weeks. The Kent Island Metric & Half Metric Marathon might be an option for people who want something longer. (All links after the jump)

Full list of Maryland options:

Weekday events - BRRC Group runs at Goucher, ESRC daily runs (Salisbury area), NCR Trail Snails Saturday training runs, PGRC weekday runs at National Harbor, PGRC weekday runs in Bowie, Rockville All-Comers Group Fun Run, Glen Burnie daily walking program, Open track workouts

Saturday - BRRC Spring into Spring Talmar Trail Race, Ben's Run To Ben-A-Fit Children's National Medical Center, GNS Tortoise and Hare 5k, Wor-Wic Community College Foundation 5k and Law Enforcement Cup Team Challenge, Heritage Park 5K, Fleet Feet Sports, Gaithersburg Fun Run/Walk, We're Looking For Trouble 5K Run/Walk & Kids Fun Run, 3rd Annual FAW 5K and Fun Run

Sunday - 5k for Team Nick, HCS Vernal Velocity kickoff 2M/10K/15K, Cherry Pit 10 Mile Race, Group runs at McDaniel, Ellicott City Family Center Y of Central Maryland Outback 5K Kent Island Metric & Half Metric Marathon, Phil's Survivor Race, 5k for the Y of Central Maryland, Wild Woman 8K, America's VetDogs 5K Run/Walk

What did you do last weekend? Leave a comment or upload race photos here.

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Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Weekly roundups
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Baltimore lagged a bit behind its neighbors in the Zipcar department -- we finally got them last summer, long after Washington and Philadelphia -- but it looks like we might not be so poky when it comes to an organized system of public bikes for pay.

From Baltimore Brew:

Known as “bike sharing” or “smart biking,” the program has taken root in Denver, Minneapolis, Boston, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere after proving enormously popular in Europe.

The concept is simple – you pick up a bike at the nearest “B-station” and then drop it off when you’re done at any station in the network. The bikes can be accessed through a yearly membership or day pass. The individual is responsible for any damage or loss until the bike is returned to another hub and checked in. (More here.)

Baltimore Velo was quick to crow this morning about the idea, which would certainly give them another topic area to cover in blog posts. (For example, a good chunk of Wash Cycle's attention now goes to the DC bikes.)

A word of caution for the city: Site placement will be a key factor in whether this succeeds or fails, as will be the presence of well-drawn system maps at each station. Visitors moving between Federal Hill and the Inner Harbor have a good collection of dedicated lanes/paths, while any attempt to start a Harbor-to-Mount Vernon bike trip will likely meet with frustration, unless users are well-warned of what they're in for. The Jones Falls Trail extension will obviously help, but in the meantime, giving tourists good information can help prevent woes.

Photo credit: Reuters

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, City of Baltimore, Newbies, Outdoors, Traffic, Washington
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After a race led by the fifth win in six years by Virginia's Michael Wardian, awards have been given for the top marathon finishers.

Full results will be posted at nationalmarathon.com by 3 p.m.

(Times are gun times, on which the awards are based.)

Men

1 - Michael Wardian of Arlington, Va. - 2:23:01
2 - Greg Wieczorek of Halifax, Nova Scotia - 2:28:08
3 - Wilson Komen of Washington - 2:31:00

Women

1- Nadezhda Tuptova of Gainesville, Fl. - 2:50:53
2 - Renee High of Virginia Beach, Va. - 2:53:05
3 - Beth Woodward of Orrville, Ohio - 3:01:26

Recent National Marathon posts:

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here are the top three half-marathon runners for each gender. Full results will be posted at nationalmarathon.com by 3 p.m.

(Note that times are not listed here, since we're not sure whether the times we have right now are gun times or chip times. Those should be available soon.)

Men

1. Gurmessa Mergessa of Washington
2. Adam Hortian of Waterloo, ON
3. Mark Fruin of Bloomington, IN

Women

1. Christine Ramsey of Baltimore
2. Tezeta Dengersa of Burtonsvillle
3. Maggie Infeld of Washington

Recent National Marathon posts:

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: National Marathon
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The 2011 Suntrust National Marathon has started. Sunrise is at 7:03 today, so runners will be running with a new dawn at their backs for the first several miles of their run, which goes Westward, roughly paralleling the National Mall. 

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: National Marathon
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A WTOP article this morning about Metro being a non-option for athletes at tomorrow's National Marathon left me wondering: How frequently does this kind of logjam occur?

(For what it's worth, spectators can still use the system.)

I suspect that part of the issue is the race's relatively early starting time. With that in mind, here's a sampling of recent and upcoming starting times at several big marathons along the East Coast, using information pulled from a quick look at the Internet Archive, along with some live sites (For staggered starts, I used the first non-elite wave.)

- Boston: 10:00 a.m. on a Monday (2011)
- New York: 10:10 a.m. on a Sunday (2007)
- Philadelphia: 7 a.m. on a Sunday (2010)
- Baltimore: 8:02 a.m. on a Saturday (2010)
- Washington (Marine Corps Marathon): 8 a.m. on a Sunday (2009)
- Washington (Suntrust National Marathon): 7 a.m. tomorrow

Philadelphia's time on the list above is the only one as early as the National Marathon's. I have to admit that we drove in for the Philadelphia race last year, so I'm not sure what their metro situation was like, though I've certainly spent some time down in the tunnels. I'd be interested in hearing about situations where a pre-race metro ride went well -- or didn't.

Recent National Marathon posts:

Photo credit: Getty Images

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Marine Corps Marathon, National Marathon, Philadelphia, Running, Traffic, Washington
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Gardening is a combination of diet and fitness: Burn calories and tone muscles while you work to grow the good food you'll be eating.

I love seasoning tomatoes I grow with herbs I grow. I enjoy the beauty of flowering plants and shrubs, with all the butterflies, hummingbirds and even bees they attract. And relaxing in the shade is terrific, including as a place to cool down with an iced tea after exercise.

Last weekend, I was torn between going to the gym and going to the backyard to start preparing the veggie/herb garden and the like.

I did a little of both. Anyone who has gotten busy with their garden knows those activities work arm, leg and back muscles. I actually tried doing a lunge with a little shovel in my hand to attack weeds. It wasn't all that efficient for gardening, but it made for great lunges.

I checked around on the calorie burn and fitness value of gardening. Lots of numbers are out there, and fyi, weeding by hand is good for about 182 cals in 30 minutes. But I found this item, though it's not brand-new, particularly interesting. It shows gardening has health benefits way beyond growing your own yummy organic foods:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/zimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use/gardening-is-good-exercise/

If you've got some gardening-exercise tips, share them with us!

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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When the Suntrust National Marathon starts at 7 a.m. Saturday, Lisa Reichmann will already have been up for about 3 hours.

For the top Maryland woman at last spring's event, that won't be a huge change. "I wake up every morning at 4:15," says Reichmann, a former attorney who's now a full-time parent for three young children.

She will go to pick up a friend at 4:30, then drive southeast from Gaithersburg to the area near RFK stadium, where she'll join more than 15,000 people in the combined marathon, half-marathon and team relay.

Bigger than before

That registration number -- 16,490 runners, as of March 21 -- is a significant bump from the 12,000 entries the event attracted last year, continuing a general pattern of growth since the first race in 2006.

Organizers want that to continue.

"We would like to grow this race in a smart and safe manner," wrote Jennifer Schiller of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance in a Wednesday e-mail.

"Our goal for next year will be 20,000 runners."

That would put the race within striking distance of its fall competitors, the Marine Corps Marathon and the Baltimore Running Festival, which hosted 30,000 and 22,000 participants last year, respectively.

The Baltimore event, however, maintains substantially larger prize purses than the other two, and the races' times reflect that: Last year's winning Baltimore time of 2:13:11, run by David Rutoh, was more than five minutes faster than either of the Washington races' recent winners.

Flat course

If low prize money is to blame for slightly slower winning times, the course itself is not, and that bodes well for the all-amateur crowd that Suntrust attracts. While there's a relatively steady uphill climb before mile 7, organizers are touting the flat topography of the nation's capital, calling this weekend's flagship race the fastest looped, Boston-qualifying course in the country.

Racers form a rough figure-eight, going clockwise through the city's Northwest portion, then dropping off the half-marathoners near the start before taking a brief, counter-clockwise run along the Anacostia River.

The course shifts a bit from year to year, but the only major changes took place in year two, according to Schiller. That's when organizers moved to a route that snaked entirely within the limits of Washington, DC.

One other fairly reliable factor on the course has been Michael Wardian, an Arlington resident who has won four of the last five years. Wardian, a national 50k champion, has an international reputation for taking on a packed schedule of races.
For example, at a time when many runners would be tapering, Wardian took on international competitors in late February at the Colonial Half-Marathon in Virginia, finishing third.

Reichmann, of Maryland, is no slouch herself: At age 36, she's on marathon number 16, and her kids are starting to get into the act.

""They run several races -- little toddler trot races," she says.

"They have several ribbons and trophies up in their rooms."

If you know someone who's running and you're trying to stake out a spot to watch, I suggest bringing a blanket. (One of our commenters has some advice on good viewing places too.)

Recent National Marathon posts:

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: National Marathon, Running, Washington, Weekend
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According to marylandweather.com, we can expect temperatures just above freezing for the Suntrust National Marathon on Saturday: As of this morning, the predicted high is 45°, with a potential low for the day of 35°.

I've been running in shorts lately, but that temperature range would definitely be tights/hat/gloves weather for me, especially considering the early 7 a.m. start time.

If you know someone who's running and you're trying to stake out a spot to watch, I suggest bringing a blanket. (One of our commenters has some advice on good viewing places too.)

Recent National Marathon posts:

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: National Marathon, Running, Washington, Weekend
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Weight 270. I made the mistake of not weighting myself last week. So, I don’t know if I have gained a pound or lost several pounds. If you ask me, I would take the latter.

This week I tried to substitute three days of working out just with bands and free weights instead of doing P90X. My body was happy about the change, but my conscience is getting the best of me. So I’m back to the routine of using P90X.

I had one small win this week. I was looking at a picture of myself from last November on someone’s Facebook page. I looked huge. My weight may not be where I want it to be, but I am far from were I use to be. I've come to realize that with this fitness challenge you need to recognize the wins in life. Whether the wins are big or small you need that motivation to keep striving toward your goal.

As far as my eating goes, I think I’m going to take the advice of my fellow fitness challenge member Steve Sullivan. I am going to chart my intake for this week to get a gauge on how many calories I’m eating. I need to see if I should adjust my eating. Or, do I need to workout more? Either way, I need the scale to start moving counter-clockwise.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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Let’s just get this over with quickly. Weight: no change. My attempts to refocus last week did not exactly go as planned. Other things that got in the way: a couple of taste tests at work (the hazards of being food editor), two parties and a wedding this weekend, and my husband’s discovery of a truly awesome hamantaschen recipe for Purim.

Of course, had I shown more self-control in the face of these situations, it would have been different. But I justified indulgences with promises of harder workouts, promises to myself that I broke. Grr.

I need to go back to week one, when I was tracking my food on livestrong.com. After a few weeks of that, I got comfortable with my new calorie range and stayed within it pretty well, but the past few weeks, I’ve been sliding.

But this week did bring some high points along with the low:
Good: I went on my first run-walk since before my surgery last April (probably a good plan since I’m doing a race in seven weeks).
Good. I wore a dress I hadn’t put on since July and felt a significant difference in the waist when I tied the belt. (Not so good: I didn’t see any difference in pictures in said dress.)
Good: I did a fair amount of heavy lifting over the weekend and did not end up in debilitating pain, so yay, my back is getting stronger.
Good: Drank more water (but still too much Coke Zero).
Good: Ate more vegetables (including new ones, like turnips and chard).
Let’s see if this week’s regrouping works better than the last couple. I’m feeling more on track with exercise, but I’ve got to rein in the food and stop justifying my choices.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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Okay, so I’m still at 248 lbs. for what, the third or fourth week in a row? Big deal. I’m not gaining weight and I’m still working out and eating healthy, so no need to freak out. I figure the weight will start to fall again at some point if I continue to behave.

But this isn’t all about weight loss, is it? It’s a “fitness challenge” and diet is just one element of the overall effort. I bring this up for two reasons. First, to redirect the conversation away from weight loss (heh, heh). Second, to register something I noticed over the past weekend. With enough literal and figurative blue sky in my schedule to get out and start doing some outside chores, I was very pleasantly surprised at my energy level compared with my emergences from hibernation the previous few years. I think I got more done this past weekend than I had in a month of weekends in years past. I got my workouts in, ran errands, did fix-up work around the outside of the house, dragged the deck furniture out of the garage, trimmed some bushes, picked up downed limbs and rolled out, cleaned and fired up the bbq grill. We celebrated the burst of activity and the onset of spring by throwing some chicken on said grill and washing it down with a couple of nice, cold beers. Which could explain why I’m still at 248. But then again, this isn’t all about weight loss, is it?

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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I am expecting to get my family out on a multi-day bike trip this summer but can only daydream about a trip like the Vogel family just completed.

In June of 2008, John and Nancy Vogel packed up their house in the suburbs of Boise, Idaho, and took their eleven-year-old twins, Davy and Daryl, to bike the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina.

Both parents, experienced teachers, "roadschooled" their boys along the way and shared their experiences with other school children through Reach the World. 

They arrived in Tierra del Fuego on Monday, two-and-a-half years and more than 17,000 miles later. Davy and Daryl, now 13, are the youngest cyclists to complete the Pan-American Highway.

The family's website documents their incredible journey.

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling
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What I’m doing: I'll be going down to watch the National Marathon on Saturday, then probably doing some makeup mileage on Sunday.

Why: I've never seen this relatively new race -- this will be its sixth year -- and while it's not as big as autumn's Marine Corps Marathon, I respect the ambition that it takes to call yourself the National Anything right out of the gate.

What else I recommend: The Keep Your Colon Rollin 5K gets 10 points just for its name. I know nothing else about this race. I'm also curious about the Great Escape 5K in Cumberland (both links after the jump).

Other options:

Weekday offerings - BRRC Group runs at Goucher, ESRC daily runs, PGRC weekday runs at National Harbor, PGRC weekday runs in Bowie
, Rockville All-Comers Group Fun Run, Glen Burnie daily walking program, Open track workouts, Gaithersburg fun runs/walks

Saturday - OHS Bear Crawl 5K Run / Walk, Cumberland Great Escape 5K, Frederick Cookie Fun 5K run and walk, Bowie Spring 5K Race and 2 Mile Walk, Rec Deeds Challenge Run 5K and Fun Walk, NCR Trail Snails Saturday training runs, American Red Cross “Out for Blood” Columia 5k Run/1 mile Walk, Maxwell Hall Park 4M, Mind, Body & Soul Woodstock 5k, Gaithersburg WildFire Adventures 5k Mud Challange & Scavenger Hunt, Keep Your Colon Rollin' 5K

Sunday - BRRC GPS White Hall 15K, WRRC Sunday training runs at McDaniel College, In Training Baltimore runs, RASAC Friends 4.35 Miler, First Time Triathlete Workshop, Champion System Team Challenge

What did you do last weekend? Leave a comment or upload race photos here.

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Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Events, National Marathon, Running, Triathlon, Walking, Washington, Weekly roundups
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He's the biggest winner and biggest loser: Leonard Frett, a Fort Meade pet care worker, got an armload of goodies for being the overall and individual male biggest loser in the military base's Dump Your Plump contest. He couldn't be happier, and not just because this week he was awarded an iPad, gym bag and more.

Frett, 30, lost 24.8 percent of his body fat and 65 lbs in the 2-month program. And since the last weigh-in earlier this month, he dropped another 10 lbs. Now at 251 lbs, he says he has about 50 to go.

"I got up and 4:30 every morning so I was at Gaffney, the gym, at 5 when it opened. I ran and walked 2 miles on the treadmill," he told me. "Then I did 30 mins on the bicycle and 30 minutes on the elliptical." That was "very hard," but seeing results and staying ahead in a friendly competition with his manager kept him focused.

Top female winner: Air Force Master Sgt. Kat Collins. 17.8 percent of her body fat and 25.4 lbs -- gone. This was the third year of the DYP challenge.

The winning team: Dead Weight, the team we featured here a few weeks ago that was determined not to come in second again, lost 12.9 percent of their body fat.

Frett's a tall 6'3" and he's ex-Army. When he left the service in 2003, he stopped the training regimen but kept the eating regimen and packed on pounds. His diet makeover: Bye-bye fried chicken, hello baked chicken. Bye-bye Sprite and 7 Up, hello water and iced green tea. Bye-bye fast food, chips, cookies and candy; welcome fruit, egg whites and salad.

"I ate until I felt satisfied. The more I lost weight, and the more I ate that diet, the more I felt like I didn't need so much to eat," he said. Besides, he feels better, has more energy and is inspiring other people.

Since January when DYP started, his belt got so big on him that now he can wrap it around to his back. He had been punching new holes in it weekly. DYP also gave him an activity for outside the gym: buying new clothes.

Photos of Frett and Collins courtesy of Fort Meade

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: General Fitness, Gym, Newbies, Nutrition
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Paula Radcliffe has plans to run a giant British 10K in May. The event will be the world marathon record holder's first competitive race since giving birth to her second child, Raphael.

From an AP article on the planned comeback:

Radcliffe says "it will be great to get back to racing after such a lengthy period away and I'm excited, particularly as it is finally happening on home soil."

The 37-year-old Radcliffe, who won the marathon at the 2005 world championships, has next year's Olympics in London in her sights.

(Read full article at USA Today)

Radcliffe has managed to pull this type of thing off before: After her first child was born, she was running -- and winning -- big international events by late 2007.

Before giving birth to her second child, the 37-year-old Brit's last race was the 2009 New York marathon, where she finished fourth, according to the BBC. She is quoted in that outlet saying that she is "confident of what I have to achieve in the build-up to London 2012."

Radcliffe is currently training in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to The Telegraph.

She has company in her return from maternity* to the elite field: Kara Goucher and Deena Kastor are also in the middle of comebacks.

*Maturn? Reternity?

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Where he walks: Dave Barone goes out most days on the Heritage trail in York, PA. The trail connects with Maryland's NCR route.

Age: 63

What he does: Retired after 32½ years at the the USDA Forest Service. He and his wife both worked at the headquarters in Washington, DC.

Where he lives: Barone lives within the York city limits, in a neighborhood "about 100 feet from the trail." That makes choosing a favorite route easy, he says.

What's the routine? The linear nature of the trail makes for a lot of out-and-back walking routes. "I generally do four miles," he says; he often does two walks a day. Some days, his mileage is higher.

While walking: Barone likes to watch changes along the trail -- both seasonal and long-term. He also likes to use this as planning time for "the trips we take, the people we interact with -- that sort of thing." He has grandkids, a son in Virginia and a daughter in North Carolina, along with siblings and in-laws in upstate New York.

Training for something? No. "I used to jog," he says. "That's harder on the knees than walking. I now have time to walk, so I walk."

Know someone with an interesting walking or running routine? Leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

(View full photo here.)

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Walking, Weekend
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Once again, all of our challengers have written about their similar experiences. I know that they write their posts before they talk to one another about how their week as gone. It's fascinating that they all are in similar places on the weight-loss journey. Here's Kevin:

I’m not sure if I gained a pound this week or lost a pound. I decided to boycott the scale because I had a bad week of eating. I attended a movie this weekend and indulged in too much popcorn with butter. I also ate too many pasta dishes this week. OK, I know I have gained a pound or two, but as the old saying goes “what you don’t know won’t hurt you.”

So, I will ignore the scale this week.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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I, like Sarah, had a disrupted week. I went to New York for the weekend and had one of my favorite things ever – Korean fried chicken. I ate nearly my body weight in the soy ginger drummies. Sigh. Now, here's Sarah:

I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record with all my “I’m trying to get my routine back” posts. But that’s what I’m continuing to work on after yet another disrupted week, this one by 10 days of home renovations and a nasty cold. That’s why it’s a lifestyle change, right? Because when is life normal anyway?

This week I didn’t get completely derailed by all the craziness. I was much more consistent with my back exercises (and my chiropractor noted some improvements at my appointment Tuesday, yay!), I did a couple of higher-intensity workouts (including an hour on the bike one night and my first kettle bell video), and my eating was decent. Even “more water, less Coke Zero” went OK.

While this all sounds like good news, I felt like I was really haphazard about everything, and that’s not a comfortable place for me. Now that I’m starting to be able to breathe again and we have our house back to ourselves, I want to give more effort on all these fronts: bring more lunches, drink more water, ramp up the workouts, keep up with the PT exercises and, above all: get outside and walk/run now that there is some sun to work with.

Oh, right. The weigh-in. I’m at 158.6, .6 down from last week, which is good, but still a little up from before my unexpected trip to Texas.

On to the next one.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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In this week's post Steve discusses fat clothes and skinny clothes. Ya, I have a full wardrobe in a variety of sizes and several closets dedicated to housing it all. Here's Steve:

I seem to be stuck on 248 pounds. I’m a little disheartened because I’m not losing the 1-2 pounds a week that I did the first month and a half of the challenge. But then again, I’m not gaining weight either. Just sort of sitting here at 248.

In the meantime, my closet has become a battleground of fat clothes versus skinny clothes. I had lost just enough since the beginning of the year to start flirting with some of the shirts and pants that I had outgrown during the past couple of years. Some I can now fit into (with effort) and I’m close to adding those back into the wardrobe rotation. But with my weight not budging for the past couple of weeks, I haven’t yet relegated my big, baggy clothes to the back of the rack just yet.

I did some research and found that these sorts of plateaus are normal and are pretty easy to adjust. One of the suggestions was to log everything I eat. That way, if I’m working in too many (healthy) snacks, I’ll see it. If I’m eating some things I should probably avoid, I’ll see it. So, for the next week, I’ll document my intake and see if that helps me make the necessary adjustments to start moving the meter in the right direction again.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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I was pleased this morning to see an offer in my in-box for a discount at Synergy Yoga & Pilates in Columbia.

Like most Groupon deals, however, it only becomes active if a certain number of people sign up. Here's a link to more information on the coupon.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Each week, a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center provides a guest post on healthy eating. Have questions or ideas for future topics? E-mail healthsci@baltsun.com. This week, Karen Kolowski weighs in on breakfast and snacking. 

One of the most common questions asked daily of dietitians in the hospital from nurses, doctors and therapists is how many meals a day should I eat?  And will I lose weight if I skip breakfast or eat only one meal a day?  If medical professionals are asking these questions, then it may be reflective of the general population.

Without getting too scientific, eating small meals throughout the day may help a person lose weight. The important word in that sentence is SMALL -- not large quantities of food multiple times a day!  So you must be aware of your portion sizes.  When a person consistently waits all day to eat one meal, the body feels like it is being starved, deliberately having food withheld. Your body doesn’t know when you will feed it again and compensates by slowing down metabolism, causing weight gain - completely counterproductive to your overall goal.

One thing that must be mentioned is the absolute importance of breakfast. To get your day off to a great start you must give your body fuel to run. If you are not normally a breakfast eater think about how much food you ate the night before. Did you pig out late last night or have multiple second helpings at dinner? When you eat more than you need late at night you may not be hungry first thing in the morning. At night, instead of going back for a second or third plate, wait 20 minutes and see if you are really hungry; it takes that long for your brain to realize you have had enough to eat.  In the meantime do something so you aren’t focused on food, such as load the dishwasher, fold laundry or exercise. Then if you are truly hungry grab a piece of fruit or some chopped vegetables for an evening snack. Both choices are not only low in calories and fat but are full of water and fiber to help you feel full.  The next morning you should wake up a little more hungry than usual for breakfast.

You don’t need to go overboard with breakfast if you aren’t used to eating every morning.  Make yourself a smoothie or a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a slice of banana: two great ways to start the day. Trying to reverse your eating habits might be difficult at first but will be beneficial in the long run. 

Posted by Kim Walker at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Nutrition
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What I’m doing: 21 miles of training on Saturday (probably with a short stop for some breakfast around mile 9), then maybe the Howard Striders 5K if it feels feasible. (That last part is unlikely.)

Why: I've been looking forward for months now to the time when my distance days get long enough that I can use the run itself as transportation -- never mind that hopping on a bike would give me a better result.

What else I recommend: If you missed last weekend's Irish action, the Shamrock Marathon is within driving distance. In the other direction, the 5th Fight for Air Climb Philadelphia, which is a big stair-climbing race, will take place on Saturday in Pennsylvania.

Other options:

Weekday events - Gaithersburg No Boundaries Beginning 5K Program Kick Off and Information Session, BRRC Group runs at Goucher, ESRC daily runs (Salisbury area), Rockville All-Comers Group Fun Run, Glen Burnie Walking program, CCR marathon training and fun runs, Open track workouts, Weekday runs in PG County

Saturday - Nikia Nippy Nor'easter Half-Marathon and Relay, NCR Trail Snails Saturday training runs, The HAT run, 4th Slice of Patuxent Pi Mile Trail Run & Mile Walk, Keyser Maple Festival 5K, Salisbury 12th Annual St. Paddy's Day 5K Run & 2 Mile Walk, Westminster Celtic Canter 3 Mile Fun Run/Walk, Middletown Francie's Family 5K, Bannockburn Fun Run

Sunday - Prettyboy Trail Race, Gaithersburg Piece of Cake 10K, HCS Operation Iceberg final event

What did you do last weekend? Leave a comment or upload race photos here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Weekly roundups
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Each week a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center will provide a post on nutrition topics. Have questions or ideas for future topics? Email healthsci@baltsun.com. This week, Shanti Lewis, RD, CNSD, CSP, weighs in on caffeine.   

Consumers are often confused about caffeine since they may have heard or read news reports on research that associates caffeine to cancer, heart palpitations or osteoporsosis. However, no study has found a significant link between cancer and caffeine consumption. Moderate consumption of caffeine is safe for most healthy individuals, and some beverages that contain caffeine have been shown to have potential health benefits.

Is caffeine bad for me?

For most healthy individuals, moderate caffeine consumption at 300 milligrams per day (about 3 cups of coffee) is considered safe. Studies have demonstrated no correlation between caffeine consumption and heart disease mortality or incidence, but people with high blood pressure or heart valve disease may want to consider limiting their intake.

Although not directly related to caffeine, unfiltered coffee has been shown to raise total cholesterol levels with the most significant elevation in triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The elevation in total cholesterol results from a substance called cafestol, which is primarily found in French-press coffee and Turkish coffee. Studies suggest that limiting unfiltered coffee consumption to 6 cups per day may be beneficial to avoid elevations in cholesterol levels.

Individuals with reactions to methylxanthine compounds should avoid any food or beverage that contains caffeine. People with this reaction may experience panic attacks, vomiting, heart palpitations and headaches.

What are the side effects of caffeine consumption?

Every individual has a different tolerance to caffeine. Some people may feel jittery or over energized with a single cup of coffee.

If someone has irritable bowel or reflux, caffeine may lead to worsening symptoms. Studies suggest that there may be a correlation between coffee consumption and lower bone density; however, an adequate consumption of calcium-rich foods and beverages should counteract this effect.

Are there benefits to consuming caffeine?

Caffeine does increase alertness and has been found to help end asthma attacks by constricting bronchial muscles. Individuals who consume caffeine or coffee regularly have a decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Certain beverages, like coffee or tea, contain antioxidants that may protect individuals from developing diabetes, cancer or heart disease.

Does caffeine help with weight loss?

Some studies suggest that drinking coffee or tea may slightly boost weight loss or help with weight maintenance by causing appetite suppression or increasing thermogenesis, but the jury is still out.

Caffeine does have negative side effects, such as jitteriness or insomnia. In order to lose weight, it is critical to reduce overall caloric intake and increase physical activity rather than rely on caffeine consumption.

Is it safe to consume caffeine if pregnant or lactating?

Caffeine consumption has been linked to miscarriages in the first trimester. It may be beneficial to limit caffeine intake during the second and third trimesters, even though no specific recommendations are published.

If a mom is breastfeeding, her milk will contain caffeine if she consumes it. Some babies experience irritability and insomnia as a result of receiving caffeine in breast milk. Moms who consume more than one or two cups of coffee per day may reduce the bioavailability of iron in their breast milk.

Does caffeine improve athletic performance?

Most studies on caffeine and athletic performance found that caffeine does enhance performance and makes the effort seem easier for endurance activities and short, high-intensity activities. A moderate amount of caffeine intake is 250-300 mg/day.

Research shows that the amount of caffeine needed to enhance performance is 1.5 to 4 mg/lb body weight taken an hour before exercise. Any amount above this level has not been shown to improve performance.

Athletes have varied responses to caffeine. Some athletes are very sensitive to caffeine and need to limit consumption to avoid negative side-effects. Other athletes can consume a large amount of caffeine without any side effects. It is important to remember to do trial and error to determine the right amount of caffeine for your body.

A study at the University of Buffalo found that gender may play a difference on caffeine’s effect on the body. Males were found to feel a greater rush and have more energy or athletic performance than females.

How much coffee am I consuming?

6-fl-oz drip coffee: 100 mg

6-fl-oz brewed tea: 50 mg

12 –fl-oz of regular soda: 35-50 mg

1 fl-oz of espresso: 40 mg

1 –oz dark chocolate: 30 mg

6-fl-oz decaffeinated coffee: 2 mg

1- oz Gu (electrolyte tablet): 20 mg

1 piece Jolt gum: 40 mg

8-fl-oz energy drink: 80 mg

1 tablet caffeine pill: 200 mg

How to cut back on caffeine

Since caffeine can be addictive, it is important to wean slowly from caffeine to avoid withdrawal symptoms. It is important to start weaning off caffeine beverages by mixing them with decaffeinated varieties to avoid headaches and irritability.

What is the bottom line?

Everyone has an individualized tolerance to caffeine intake. When choosing caffeinated beverages, it is best to aim for those that are not energy-dense. It is best avoid regular soda and coffee drinks with added cream and sugar, but choose diet sodas and coffee with skim or low fat milk with a sweetener.

Posted by Kim Walker at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Nutrition
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Trying to work certain muscles a little more and burn more cals, I set the incline on the treadmill to 14. I walked briskly. My legs were a little sore after the first day, so I lowered the incline -- barely -- the second day.

Not that I took the hint from my legs. On Day 3, the incline was nice and high, and by the time I had walked 3 miles, I thought my shins would crumble. I lowered the ramp level to a slight incline, but of course it was too late, and I couldn't even think about the treadmill on Day 4. Regular walking during the day didn't bother me.

This was clearly a sign that the ramp was up too high. When I tried again a few days later, I
started at 14, then kept dropping the incline and felt fine. Obviously the message was that a little of incline level 14 was OK, but there is such a thing as too much of it.

Anyone else have that happen? And what did you do about it?

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Commenter Linda mentioned yesterday that she's training -- on her own -- for her first ever race, the Baltimore Women's Classic, a 5k in the city in June. (Yay Linda!)

Today, I received an e-mail about the official training program for the race and thought I'd share. The 8-week program only costs $20, and runs will be held at three different sites. Seems to me to be a good way for a newbie to get started.

Here's some info from the e-mail: 

The 2011 Baltimore Women's Training Program presented by Charm City Run will be held all around town and on three different nights of the week... one is sure to fit your schedule and provide you with a great opportunity to start a walking or running program or energize your present routine. Our eight-week session begins the first week of May to prepare you for the Baltimore Women's Classic 5K on June 26.

 For only $20, your 8 weeks include:

- a training program designed for beginning walkers, intermediate walkers, beginning runners and intermediate runners

- health and fitness clinics

- music for your workout provided by a DJ (at most locations)

- a training program t-shirt

- group coaches to help you achieve YOUR fitness goals

For more info, check out the website for the BWC training program. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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The NCAA male and female indoor championships start tomorrow in Texas. Maryland's Kiani Profit (Pentathlon) and Dwight Barbiasz (High jump) will be there, along with several other locally-tied people. (See these links for division I seedings of men and women, respectively.)

I always liked indoor track in high school, especially in old buildings. Unlike newer facilities, old buildings sometimes had poorly placed girders or overhangs near their tracks, making the experience much more exciting than usual: A race feels much faster when there are giant pieces of metal whizzing by.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Weekend
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I wish I was one of those people who run outdoors year round. Heck, I wish I just ran anywhere year-round. 

But because it's too cold for me in January and February, and I LOATHE the treadmill, I just took more than two months off running, save for a few weekend 6-mile jaunts with friends when the weather was freakishly warm late last month.

On my way home from work this week, I've been pleased to see more and more runners out on the streets. "That reminds me," I thought to myself yesterday, "I really ought to start training."

I've checked the calendar, and sure enough, I've got exactly 10 weeks until my scheduled half marathon. I'm mildly freaking out, and also still having a hard time getting motivated to get my butt outside. Maybe I need a new outfit? Or maybe I just need a hard shove out the door? Signing up for races this summer and fall is getting me excited, but I'm just not quite there yet.

Anyone else gearing up for a spring race? Or looking for inspiration/motivation to get out the door?

By the way, I really admire everyone I know who's running the National Marathon or half marathon in a few weeks. Kudos for training through the winter! And good luck! :)

Posted by Anica Butler at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: General Fitness, National Marathon, Running
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Kevin has been doing a great job with this challenge. He's done remarkably well with staying away from the fast food. Here's Kevin:

I can finally say that I weigh in the 260 range. I weigh 269 pounds, which I haven’t seen on the scale for several years. I started the fitness challenge at 288 pounds, so by my calculation, I’m down 19 pounds.

I can finally see my belt buckle, now that may not mean much to some but I’m really proud of that. I’m sorry, I'm getting a little emotional, give me a minute and talk amongst yourselves. OK, all kidding aside, this challenge has really been great for my health. According to research from Wake Forest University, one pound of weight lost equates to four pounds of reduced pressure exerted on each knee.

I’m not at the stage yet where my clothes are starting to look too big, but they feel much larger than in past weeks. I wore an older suit to an event this week and it fit a lot better than in the past.

This past week I probably did the best of keeping up with my workout routine. I’m starting to incorporate more free weights in my workout.

We are coming down the home stretch of our fitness challenge, but to me I don’t see an end in sight. I’m planning to make this my daily routine for many years to come.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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This week Sarah tells us about her struggle to stick with her plan while away at a funeral. I think most of us struggle with emotional eating and making good choices when you're out of your routine. Sarah proves that even if you have several bad days, you can get back on track. Here's Sarah:

What a rough couple of weeks. My grandfather passed away near the end of February, and I made a last-minute trip to Texas to attend his funeral and be with my family. Making good food choices was about the last thing on my mind, and honestly, for two days, we were in a tiny town that shut down very early every night, so we were frequent patrons of the nearby Whataburger. I’d actually consider it a victory that we managed to eat at all during that time.

Once we were back at my dad and stepmom’s house, we were mostly eating restaurant meals because grocery shopping had fallen by the wayside. (Plus, I had to have real Mexican food for once!)

I had good intentions with exercise. I packed lighter than probably ever in my life, and I only brought two pairs of shoes -- black high heels and my running shoes. I squeezed in a couple of sets of my back exercises, but the only other exercise I got was sprinting from one end of Terminal D to one end of Terminal C in the Atlanta airport on the way home. But hey, it’s possible I wouldn’t have made it on the plane in time if not for my workouts the past couple of months. (It was really close.)

Speaking of those back exercises, I’m glad to finally be able to do something besides the bike or stair-stepping. But I have a lot of exercises to do, and it’s been hard to make time for them and cardio.

But I’m hitting the reset button. My husband and I just made a deal to work out in the evenings and help each other make time for it. Also, last week, we started with a CSA, so we have lots more healthy food to work with. (I’ll be reporting on that over here.)

Oh, right. Weight. I weighed in this morning at 159.2. That’s up .8 from my last official report, but about 4 down from where I was when I got home from Texas. I’ll take it.

My goals in the coming week:

• Do my back exercises daily

• Get back on track with the 100 Days Challenge

•Drink more water, less Coke Zero

Weight: 159.2 (+.8)

Starting weight: 167

Height: 5-foot-4

Posted by Leeann Adams at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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I'm pretty sure we all know how Steve feels. Here's Steve:

The damn scale. I know it’s there waiting for me every morning. And I know I can’t sneak anything by it. If I eat a bad snack, it will know. If I eat too late at night, it will know. Miss a workout, it knows. As much as I’ve grown to fear and hate it, I’ve also grown to respect it. It’s like that little good angel sitting on one shoulder who guilts me back on course after the little bad pizza angel on the other shoulder tries to convince me that one slice won’t hurt anything.

This week Mr. Scale only shows a half-pound drop – down to 248. That’s because it knows I had two late-night dinners at week’s end. It’s still a weight loss, but not much of one. The scale is unforgiving. It doesn’t care that my daughter was in the school musical and we postponed dinners until after the performances. I want to ignore it, but I can’t. I know it’s only trying to help. Damn scale.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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My wife just took me to Jessup's popular Blob's Park for the first time to celebrate Fasching, and they had some pretty good sauerkraut, served along with tasty Weisswurst and a bunch of other options. I'm looking forward to going back. (It was particularly good recovery food after 21 miles in the morning -- vote for a more sane running schedule here.)

It's with interest, then, that I read an article today about sauerkraut's positive qualities.

From the article:

Similar to yogurt, the fermentation process makes cabbage healthier and more digestible than the plant in its raw form. When not fermented, cabbage contains goitrogens that can block the production of thyroid hormones, which are essential to proper development of our cells. During fermentation, goitrogens are eliminated and produce an increased level of B vitamins, including vitamin b12 – a key supplement for vegans.

Read more at competitor.com >>

For the next study in this field, I strongly suggest funding a look at the effect of accordion playing and shoe slapping on dexterity in aging humans.
 

Photo: Reuters

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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While working a summer job years ago at the New York Burrito shop in Lansing, MI, I often would see a group of shirtless, middle-aged men run by during the lunch hour.

Asking who they were got me a quick reply from our overworked manager: "The Turtles."

I'm hoping to start a similar group, sans the shirtless part. I need your help. Tell me when you would be able to participate in a lunch run like this. Pace would likely start at 8 or 9 minutes per mile, with faster groups potentially forming if we got a big turnout. (I would also be interested in suggestions for walking: Just leave a comment if you're interested in that side of things.)

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: City of Baltimore, Outdoors, Running
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What I’m doing: It's likely that my wife and I will go hiking on our own on one of the weekend days.

What else I recommend: The Kelly race is a big Baltimore tradition. There are also other St. Patrick's Day events around the state, along with the pub run (which is being set up by a group that I run with sometimes -- all links are after the jump).

Other options:

Weekday options - ESRC weekday runs, Rockville All-Comers Group Fun Runs, Glen Burnie daily walking programs, Open track workouts Fleet Feet Sports, Gaithersburg Fun Run/Walk, Monday runs at Federal Hill

Saturday - NCR Trail Snails Saturday training runs, McDaniel College 5K Track Run, St. Patrick's pub run, Frederick Running Festival 10 Mile Training Run, Denton St. Patrick's Day 5K Race / Fun Walk

Sunday - KELLY St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5K, Shamrock 5K, BRRC Group runs at Goucher, ESRC Salisbury-area Sunday runs, HCS Operation Iceberg race #6, Lower Potomac River Marathon, RASAC Susquhanna 5K

What did you do last weekend? Leave a comment or upload race photos here.

More events | How to submit an event | About these roundups

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Update: The Sun's Ed Gunts now has a marathon recap up here.

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I just took my Saturday morning distance run on the B&A trail, and the biggest sign that there's going to be a thousand-person race there tomorrow is the accumulation of neon green portable toilets along the side of the course. They're pretty hard to miss, and in my opinion, they're a nice touch -- I wish more races had them spread out, as this one does. It's almost enough to make me wish I had signed up for this event instead of Cleveland.

Several of my running buddies are signed up for either the half or full marathon, both of which start together, and while it's certainly not a huge race -- registration is capped at 1,000 people, compared with more than 22,000 for last year's Baltimore Running Festival -- the event has certainly grown, according to race director Donna Cogle.

It started with 70 people in 1992, and it has swelled over the years to now include 44 Koreans (via New York), 48 Naval Academy midshipmen and "probably close to 200 50-staters," Cogle said.

That last group is made up of people who try to do a marathon in each of the 50 states. Read about one of Sunday's potential 50-state runners here.

With the exception of an expo sponsor, contributions to the event have remained intentionally local, according to Cogle. (The marathon has also raised funds for several civic organizations over the years.) The course has changed a bit through the last two decades, however.

"It's been modified and recertified probably six times that I know of," Cogle said, citing a closed area on this year's route as an example of the need for flexibility. She says the full marathon remains a valid qualifying race for Boston.

 

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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As Dump Your Plump, the 8-week weight-loss/fitness competition at Fort Meade, goes down to its final hours, we talked with a member of Dead Weight, the team in first place on the home stretch.

At the start in January, Matthew Wise, 31, weighed 295. “I’m at 250 now,” he says. Another member lost 17 lbs. And the other two dropped about 15 lbs.

The foursome, civilian youth program workers, has competed every year of DYP. Wise says he, Alonzo Coley, Fran Jamison and Jim Dey ate their way through the winter holidays, made too many fast-food runs and bulked up in time for the start of the third year.

Halfway through this year’s contest, “we all weren’t doing so well. We needed to step it up,” Wise says. That meant stricter adherence to diet and more exercise.

The hardest part? Not cheating on a diet that has junk, burger runs and meal-size snacks off-limits. “Resisting the temptation to grab a slice of pizza when it’s right here in front of you, it’s the hardest,” he says.

Exercise? Twice a day. For Wise, a.m. is a half-hour stationary bike and abs, p.m. is an hour of running or other aerobics.

Motivation? “We don’t want to finish second again,” he says.

We'll find out how this turns out. Meanwhile ...what motivates you in your weight-loss and exercise plan?

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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This makes me wonder about whether I should start carrying a few basic bike maintenance supplies in my car. From Rails to Trails (bold formatting is mine):

When Jerry arrived and went inside carrying his helmet, Mike Jones, the owner, greeted him, saying, "Ah, a fellow biker, how are you doing today?" Jerry said that our day had started out great on his town's beautiful trail, but had gotten worse fast when we drained our battery. Mike produced a jumper battery pack and strapped it on Jerry's bike.

Has anyone ever heard of this type of thing being used elsewhere? It reminds me a bit of the bike snowplow idea.

---

Full disclosure: A couple of people have given to R2T in my name when I suggested that they give to a charity I might like, in lieu of presents. I have not given directly to the group.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Week 8 brings us to an interesting crossroads. This week the only update I got was from Steve. Sarah had a death in the family so she was out of town for several days. Kevin is part of the video team and I have a feeling that the long hours left him with little energy for writing. I'll harass him this week to ensure that we get a post next week. Thanks Steve for sharing what it's like to try to maintain a new routine when you go on vacation.

Here's Steve: Making some readjustments to things in the wake of my return from the road trip. As much as I did some things right (maintained the workout routine, ate lots of fruit and salads), I did more than enough to derail things. This week’s weigh in is 248.5. That’s two pounds higher than when I left for Atlanta, and two pounds lighter than when I got back.

So, what did I do that screwed up my program? I had a couple of dinners, including pizza, well past my routine cutoff time of 8 p.m. I ate chips and salsa a couple of times with my meals. A couple (okay, a lot) more cocktails than usual.

The results were enough to prove to me that EVERYTHING COUNTS in this plan, which is based on eating the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right times and complementing it with a moderate amount of exercise. If I stray in one area, it’s pretty easy to make a correction. If I stray in more than one area, it requires some major work to pull the train back on the tracks.

I’ve been back almost a week now and have recaptured my routine. I’ve managed to drop two of the four road-trip pounds. Even with this slight bump, February is over and I end the month lighter than I started it. And I’m very optimistic about March, with the potential for warmer temperatures that will allow me to take my workouts outside.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fitness Challenge
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Each week, a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center provides a guest post on healthy eating. Have questions or ideas for future topics? E-mail healthsci@baltsun.com. This week, Karen Kolowski weighs in on salad bars.

With springtime and bathing suit season around the corner, many people gravitate toward the salad bar. But, hidden in plain sight are high-calorie, fat-laden foods that can throw off the most determined person’s diet and resolve to eat a healthy meal. Here are some hints and tips to choose the healthier foods but also how to add some of your not-so-great favorites.

Portion distortion
When deciding what you want to eat from the salad bar, be mindful when filling your bowl. The cheese is usually in chunks, with one serving being 1 chunk (1 ounce) of cheese. Pick only one type of cheese and add sparingly.  Croutons and Chinese noodles add a nice crunch but can also add extra sodium and fat. The exact portion size depends on how large or small the croutons are but usually run between 5 – 10 pieces. Sunflower seeds can add some good fiber, protein and fats, but keep the serving size less than 1 Tablespoon. The biggest source of unwanted calories can come from salad dressing. Compare the calorie and fat content on a serving size of 2 tablespoons of each of these popular dressings: Blue cheese (142 cal, 16g fat); Caesar (163 cal, 17g fat); French (146 cal, 14g fat); Italian (84 cal, 8g fat) and balsamic vinegar (28 cal, 0g fat). How many of us easily put four tablespoons of blue cheese dressing on our salad? That’s almost 300 calories and 32 grams of fat, just from the dressing!

Make it colorful
When choosing foods from the salad bar try to aim for 4- 5 different colors. This will ensure you will get a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants:

Red: Contains lycopene and anthocyanins, both antioxidants. Lycopene can be found in tomatoes and watermelon and may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Anthocyanins in red cabbage, strawberries, raspberries, and other red fruits and vegetables act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. These antioxidants are linked with keeping our hearts healthy, too. Good food choices: tomatoes, beets, red peppers, radishes, strawberries and watermelon. Sorry, but bacon bits cannot be counted in this color group!

Orange: Choose carrots and orange peppers as these foods are high in Vitamin C and carotenoids.

Yellow: Try some summer squash in your salad for an added dose of Vitamin C.

Dark Green: Pick dark leafy greens like romaine or spinach instead of pale iceberg lettuce.  Romaine and spinach are both high in Vitamin A and folate and spinach is also high in fiber and Vitamin C. Add some fresh broccoli to your salad for some extra crunch and additional Vitamin C, fiber and potassium.

Posted by Kim Walker at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Nutrition
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