NIAGARA WALKERS NEWSLETTER
November/December 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the President
Birthdays
Workout of the Month
Favorite Foods for Losing Weight
Walk Safe
Stretching Quads and Knees
Renew Your Membership!
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Robin Olkowski
Welcome to the new format for the Niagara Walker’s newsletter. Please give your comments on having it on the web site. You can email one of the officers with your comments. I’m sorry for the delay on getting our first newsletter together for the web site. The storm sure put me behind schedule with work, home and working out. I hope everyone is now all set and ready for the mad rush for the Holidays.
One date to keep in mind is the Niagara Walkers Christmas Party on December 16 at 6:30 PM. The party will be held at Jody Ferris, 56 Walter Ave Tonawanda, phone number 693-1037. Jody will make he famous Tortellini Soup. Please bring a dish or dessert to share. Please call or email (granolamix@yahoo.com) Jody with your RSVP and what you will be bringing so there is a nice variety. Although maybe too many dessert is a good thing. Hope to see a lot of new faces and some we haven’t seen in a long time.
Some of the things discussed at the last meeting were Summer Series being change to Wednesday. We’re hoping we won’t be competing with the free concert at Art Park and getting over the bridge will be easier. The dates are going to be from 6/6/07 – 8/8/07. We also talked about working out in different locations on the weekend. Please send in ideas of where you work out and we can get together for a group work out. I know the weather can be a factor so make sure it is a clear route. One good place is Delaware Park or side streets that are plowed and salted. We will try to get a schedule together to put on the web site.
Hope everyone enjoys the articles that are up on the site. Hopefully as we get it more together there will be more articles.
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November/December Birthdays
Happy birthday to the following members
| Don McNelly | November 11 |
| Elizabeth Bares | November 14 |
| Debbie Van Der Puy | November 24 |
| Carol Borzilleri | November 29 |
| April Van Der Puy | November 30 |
| Dan Chase | December 3 |
| Margaret Walker | December 4 |
| Grace Fell | December 5 |
| Sue Whelan | December 5 |
| Leonard Borzynski | December 10 |
| Jennifer McGuire | December 14 |
| Carol Garrison | December 18 |
| Jean Frigioni | December 25 |
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Workout of the Month
by Dave Lawrence
Each month I will be describing a different workout which you may want to incorporate into your training schedule. Some of you may be asking, "are there different types of workouts?" or "what the heck is a training schedule?"
Yes, there are different types of workouts. A workout consists of several variables, such as distance covered, pace walked, and terrain (hilly or a flat course). Your workout can either be one continuous walk or you can break up the workout into segments. For certain workouts you may want to begin with a warm-up and finish with a cool down. By changing one or more of these variables you change the type of workout. A training schedule is nothing more than a plan to prepare you for an upcoming event.
If your walking consists of covering the same course at the same pace every time, there is only one word for your walking program – boring! Besides the fact that you won’t be motivated to continue doing these walks, the only thing they will prepare you for is to walk that same boring course at the pace that you have been walking at.
The types of workouts that you will want to do depends on what you are training for. You won’t do the same workouts to prepare for a marathon, which you would to race a 5K. So the types of workouts you will incorporate into your schedule depend on what your goal is.
There are several universally accepted scientific training principles that must be followed in order to improve conditioning and performance. These principles include:
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The Principle of Individual Differences
Because every athlete is different, each person's response to exercise will vary. A proper training program should be modified to take individual differences into account. Some considerations:
Large muscles heal slower than smaller muscles.
Fast or explosive movements require more recovery time than slow movements.
Fast twitch muscle fibers recover quicker than slow twitch muscle fibers.
Women generally need more recovery time than men.
Older athletes generally need more recovery time than younger athletes.
- The Principle of Overload
The principle of overload states that a greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptation to take place. The body will adapt to this stimulus. Once the body has adapted then a different stimulus is required to continue the change. In order for a muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to. To increase endurance, muscles must work for a longer period of time than they are used to. If this stress is removed or decreased there will be a decrease in that particular component of fitness. A normal amount of exercise will maintain the current fitness level.
- The Principle of Progression
The principle of progression implies that there is an optimal level of overload that should be achieved, and an optimal timeframe for this overload to occur. Overload should not be increased too slowly or improvement is unlikely. Overload that is increased too rapidly will result in injury or muscle damage. Exercising above the target zone is counterproductive and can be dangerous. For example, the weekend athlete who exercises vigorously only on weekends does not exercise often enough, and so violates the principle of progression.
The Principle of Progression also makes us realize the need for proper rest and recovery. Continual stress on the body and constant overload will result in exhaustion and injury. You should not (and can not) train hard all the time. Doing so will lead to overtraining and a great deal of physical and psychological damage will result.
- The Principle of Adaptation
Adaptation is the way the body 'programs' muscles to remember particular activities, movements or skills. By repeating that skill or activity, the body adapts to the stress and the skill becomes easier to perform. Adaptation explains why a beginning exercisers are often sore after starting a new routine, but after doing the same exercise for weeks and months the athlete has little, if any, muscle soreness. This also explains the need to vary the routine and continue to apply the Overload Principle if continued improvement is desired.
- The Principle of Detraining
The Principle of Detraining implies that you "use it or lose it." This simply means that your muscles hypertrophy with use and atrophy with disuse. It is important to find a balance between stress and rest. There must be periods of low intensity between periods of high intensity to allow for recovery. The periods of lower intensity training, or the rest phase, are a great time for cross-training.
So with all of that being said let’s start this month with the cornerstone of all training programs.
Easy Distance Walks - Walk at a conversational pace for a distance of 3 to 6 miles (5Km-10Km). The distance that you cover in these walks will depend on your background and current fitness level. The pace should feel easy to you. You should be at about 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate, or at about level 6 out of 10 on the perceived effort scale. We will refer to this pace in the future as your normal training pace. Try to do at least 3 of these walks per week.
Next month in addition to a new workout we will explore the principle of periodization.
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Favorite Foods for Losing Weight
by Susan Woodward for MSN Health & Fitness
Why does the concept of weight loss conjure up images of, frankly, unappetizing foods? Why do carrot sticks always spring to mind?
The answer seems to lie in the common delusion that to pare pounds you have to barely eat, and the calories you do eat should be no more than required by a mouse. But researchers are repeatedly finding that food quality is more important than quantity when it comes to weight loss. Combined with adequate exercise, your meals can be regular serving sizes. The food just needs to be, well, wholesome.
"We’ve lost sight of that word—diet," says Kristina Campbell, runner up in a recent weight-loss challenge held in Phoenix, Ariz. "Diet used to mean what your food is for the day, not losing weight."
Below, Kristina and clinical nutritionist and author of Dare to Lose, Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., pinpoint some essential healthy foods for anyone who wants to lose weight and/or retain good health.
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Yams and sweet potatoes
Great diet foods because they’re low on the so-called glycemic index, says Dr. Lieberman. The glycemic index measures the values of various foods based on how quickly they break down and are absorbed into the bloodstream. The slower the digestion, the lower the score, the better the food is for regulating blood sugars, insulin, and overall metabolism—all of which affect fat deposition.
- Oranges, apples and grapefruit.
Dr. Lieberman recommends these particular fruits because they contain high levels of the soluble fiber pectin. Fiber slows digestion, helps eliminate toxins stored in body fat, and gives you a feeling of fullness.
- Killer sandwiches
To lose 40 pounds in 21 weeks, Kristina relied on plenty of hearty sandwiches stacked with vegetables, such as tomato, cucumber, sprouts, lettuce and onion, as well as deli meats – but always oven-roasted turkey over anything vacuum-packed. For bread choice, Kristina suggests anything brown with lots of seeds and heavy grains you can actually see, because less-milled ingredients contain much more fiber.
- Cereal
They can be a little hard to find, but low-sugar cereals packed with protein and fiber are hitting the market. The Kashi brand is one of the best, says Kristina. "I eat my cereal with skim milk and blackberries or raspberries, which contain about 8g of fiber per cup. That’s like three or four slices of bread!"
- Salad
"If you eat a salad, make it valuable," suggests Kristina, also a former five-star chef from New York City. "Get field or Asian greens and add a yogurt dressing. Plus you need a ton of vegetables and some good lean protein, like grilled salmon."
- Quiche
Quiche made with egg whites and just a couple of yolks is one of Kristina’s favorite protein sources. She also tosses in a little low-fat cheese, broccoli and spinach.
- Yogurt
And other dairy goods that come in great-tasting, low-fat products.
- Almonds
Nuts are loaded with monounsaturated fats—the good fats that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, known to lower cholesterol. Fats are as necessary to a healthy diet as protein and carbohydrates. "I recommend that 20 percent of calories come from [healthy] fat," Dr. Lieberman says. Small amounts of nuts are a good starting point.
- Peanut butter
Likewise, nut butters are a great source of those healthy, monounsaturated fats. Kristina likes unsalted, all natural brands of peanut butter. But almond or cashew butter is considered an even healthier option (especially if you’re allergic to peanuts!). Enjoy your favorite, but in moderation.
- Hummus
AKA pureed chickpeas, garlic, and a little lemon juice. Great with whole-wheat pita bread or organic corn chips.
- Salsa
Another favorite for dipping, and a homemade batch is easy to make. Fresh salsa is simply tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Now, tell me, what could possibly be unhealthy about that?
Copied from articles.health.msn.com
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Walk Safe
by Judy Anne Bonafede
It was around 3:30pm on Friday afternoon, before the news hit, when I got a paniced call from my friend, that her friend, Joan Diver was missing, while getting in her morning run. Their sons were Boy Scouts together. Joan's quiet social life revolved around her children's activities.
My mind wandered back in time, to a day a group of the Niagara Walkers met to walk the Salt Road path. It is a beautiful path, but very desolate, compared to some of the more popular bike paths. I have been back there a few times, to bike it with a friend, or walk it with a few friends. I would never think to brave it on my own.
However, I confess... I have braved other parts of the bike path with my dogs in tow. People smile as they see two shaggy dogs wagging their tails to greed any stranger whom approaches, but would they really protect me? Would a Black belt and years of Karate training really protect me? Maybe, but maybe not. I promise you, I will not give myself a false sense of security!
Times have changed, since we could leave our doors open, and built tree forts in an isolated field. As a kid, I remember being gone all day during the Summer, and Mom never had to worry. Now, I panic at the thought of my 16 year old son going anywhere, unless I know it will be safe.
Please do not give up your walking exercise routine, with a fear to walk out the door. If it doesn't feel safe, find a route that is safe. Do NOT walk the bike path alone anywhere! If you can't find a friend to walk with, leave notes and tell people where and when you will be walking, and walk a populated area. Carry ID. Pay attention to your surroundings, do NOT walk with headphones covering your ears! Wear them around your neck to listen to music. PLEASE trust your instincts!
Joan Diver's death left four children without a Mother. You can make a donation to any of the Akron Savings Bank locations for them. It won't eliminate their pain, but it might help knowing we are all so closely connected to each other.
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Stretching Quads and Knees
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Renew Your Membership for 2007
Please renew your Niagara Walkers membership for 2007. Membership forms can be found on the Membership Information page at: http://www.niagarawalkers.org/members.html
Membership in the Niagara Walkers is open to anyone who is intersted in racewalking, either in walking or supporting our club's efforts. Members are invited to club meetings, club mini-clinics, and are able to participate in club trips to out-of-town races. Members can also purchase club logo shorts and jackets. Membership is $10.00 per year/per person with additional donations gratefully accepted. Our officers will be happy to answer any questions on membership you may have.
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Last updated: November 25, 2006
http://www.niagarawalkers.org/newsletters/nov06/
neumeist@buffalo.edu