Right now I am on a plane heading to Chicago. In two days I will be running the Chicago Marathon. All 26.2 miles of it! Crazy distance? I don’t know. This is not my first marathon and hopefully will not be my last.

Whatever your favorite distance is, I’d like to share some essential items with you that could help make your runs outdoors much more enjoyable.

A hip pack and a water bottle. No matter what distance I am running, I generally carry water with me. It’s important to stay hydrated during a run so having a bottle with me reminds me to drink. If the weather is hot and I am going long, I have a hip pack that holds two bottles. Believe it or not, if you fasten the strap fairly tight around your hips, the bottles bouncing up and down will be a non-issue. Find one that is comfortable for you. I use the REI brand.

Energy gel. Energy gel comes in little foil packets and is made up of carbohydrates, amino acids, and electrolytes. When you are on the run, simply pull one out of your pocket or hip pack, rip off the top and squeeze the great tasting gel into your mouth.  Always follow with a swig of water. Mmmm… instant energy. My favorite is Hammer Gel. Be careful because a couple of the flavors contain caffeine. I prefer not to use caffeine during a run (or anytime actually). I consume 1-2 gel packs per hour of running.

Sportslick. Runners chafe and this is a great lubricant to apply to areas that are prone to chafing. It comes in an easy to use tube and is made for athletes. I always apply it to my axillary and inner thigh areas. On very long runs I may also apply some to my heels or potential hotspot areas on my feet. This stuff is a lifesaver!

Plastic first-aid tape. I use this to cover my nipples to prevent chafing. I just use two small pieces. Works like a charm. Women, I cannot personally vouch for how this tape will work for you but I do know there are alternatives for the female anatomy.

Electrolytes. On longer hotter runs, it is not enough to just take energy gel and drink water. You are losing sodium, potassium, magnesium and other electrolytes that MUST be replaced. You can do this with energy drinks or capsules. For many years I was a big energy drink fan. Gatorade is pure junk as far as I am concerned. Too much sugar! Most of them contain sweeteners of some sort and I do not like that. These days, I use Hammer Endurolytes. They are clean and simple. I take two or three every hour and wash them down with water. Done!

GPS watch. Running has really entered the tech age. I use a Garmin watch, which tracks practically any statistic I would need. Besides elapsed time and distance, it tells me my exact pace, split times and so much more. Then when I get home I can upload my run to the web and I can see my exact route, elevation change, times, distance and more. Out of everything I recommend for training and racing, the GPS watch is one of the coolest things ever. It will cost you at least a couple hundred bucks but it is a great investment in the sport! I have been using a Garmin Forerunner 405 for the past few years now and am currently testing a Garmin Forerunner 610.

A bandana. Carried in my hip pack for a runny nose or on my head as a headband, I have a ton of these. The brighter the better! I love tie-dyed bandanas… they definitely attract a lot of attention at a race!

Sunglasses. No matter what the weather is, I practically always wear glasses during a run. They can protect your eyes from sun, wind and rain. My regular prescription glasses are very lightweight and automatically get darker as the sun gets brighter. If it’s a real sunny day, I generally just put on my lightweight polarized sports sunglasses. I use Maui Jim.

Please feel free to experiment with everything discussed above. I have zeroed in on these items during my thirty plus years of running. They all are essential for me. But your needs may vary. Have fun trying different things out.  See you on the road!

I am certainly no stranger to running. I have been participating in this sport, pastime or
exercise (whatever you wish to call it) for over 34 years! I am 56 years old now and many people say I look at least 10-20 years younger than my age. I know for sure that I feel better and healthier now than when I was thirty!

I attribute much of my excellent health to running! But not just regular running – running slow! That’s right, let me admit right here that I am and always have been a “back of the pack runner.” And I am proud of it!

Perhaps you are a runner who is frustrated because you feel that you are not fast enough. Or maybe you are contemplating getting into running but think that you won’t be able to keep up with everyone else, or you won’t get the health benefits as the speed demons. Please take a look at the reasons below where explain why I honestly believe that we, the snails, are actually better and healthier than those that are competitive “front runners.”

1. When you run slower, you are far less likely to get injured. I cannot even count the number of people I have met over the years that were really great runners but they had to quit due to injuries. Shin splints, stress fractures, back trouble, knee problems… you name it. I on the other hand keep going and going, year after year injury free.
2. When you run slower, you are less likely to get burnt out. Again, I cannot even begin to tell you all of the people I know that were so serious about high mileage training programs, doing too much too soon, then burning out and quitting. I listen to my body and I do what it tells me to do. I never quit.
3. When you run slower, you can go longer and actually enjoy it. It’s not unusual for me to go out for a nice relaxing slow run of more than an hour at a time! It’s because I am going slow and enjoying myself. Believe it or not, I notice my beautiful surroundings, which oftentimes makes my run meditative!
4. When you run slower, you burn just as much fat as if you were running fast (maybe even more). Running slow is a great way to lose weight.  I weigh the same now as I did when I was in college.
5. Running slow takes all of the pressure off of the activity. The idea is that you will go out and enjoy yourself.

I still remember the very first marathon that I entered way back in 1979. On the memo portion of the check, I wrote the letters “LSD” in black ink.  The people who processed my check may have thought that I was some strung out stoner hippie trying to run a marathon. In actuality, I knew the letters stood for “Long Slow Distance!” And that has been my motto ever since.

Do yourself a favor and become a slow runner. It doesn’t matter what your age is or what kind of condition you are in right now. You can do it. Very few of us have the ability to come in first place in races. But most of us can get out there and run slow. Hope to see you on the road real soon!

Dr. David Madow is a well known health and lifestyle expert. He is the author of the book “Impress The World With Your Body in Seven Days.” David’s favorite outdoor activities are backpacking in Grand Canyon, skiing in Colorado and of course running.

More about David Madow:
Website: https://www.davidmadow.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HealthyAt102
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DavidMadow
Email: rundrdave@gmail.com

This is the most important and life-changing article I have ever written! I am going to tell you some secrets about myself that I have not told you before!

For many reasons, about eight weeks ago I made some serious changes in the way I eat. Not the quantity, but what I actually put into my body. Here are some of the reasons.

The main reason is that I had been experiencing laryngitis for many months. No matter what I did, my voice was horrible and it would not get any better. I tried everything, such as resting it (but I speak for a living so that was difficult), lozenges, honey and tea, drinking lots of water, gargling with salt water, and everything else that people told me to try. Nothing worked. It actually progressively got worse until I could hardly talk.

I went to the ENT and he scoped me. No cancer or anything serious. Just inflammation. He told me to stop talking and take some medication that he handed me. Who knows what it was! One thing I did find out is that it didn’t work.

While I’m thinking about it, I had some other issues. I have had psoriasis for at least twelve years now. Not the really bad kind that covers all of my skin. But enough to make me know that something was not right. Dermatologists never had an answer other than “here is some cream.”

Also, I was tired a lot. Don’t know why. I ate healthy, exercised, slept well, and was at a pretty good weight. I was baffled as to why I got so tired in the afternoon.

I’m on a roll now. Let me see, what else was bothering me? Oh yeah, what about some occasional acid reflux? Not much but occasionally I would awaken with a bad pain in my esophageal area I am guessing. No big deal, right? Nothing that a little calcium tablet couldn’t take care of.

Is that all? Maybe. If I think of anything else I will let you know.

So I did some reading. Lots of reading. And on my own, I decided that these crazy things going on in my body could be related to some type of food I was taking in. And probably not one food, but many.

I decided that I was going to only put foods into my body that had a proven track record of being very healthy and healing. So first let me share with you what I completely took out of my diet.

This is what I completely removed from my diet:

• Alcohol – it is not a health food! Full of yeast and it’s caustic to your tissues.
• Caffeine – an addictive drug that does no good in any way.
• Sugar – need I explain? This is horrible and causes tons of diseases!
• Peanuts – very allergenic and moldy.
• Wheat and gluten – highly allergenic. So no breads or anything made from flour!
• Soy Sauce – Did you know the second ingredient in soy sauce is wheat (hence gluten)?
• Vinegar, pickles, olives.
• Anything that is processed in any way.
• Dairy – except plain, unsweetened organic Greek yogurt.
• Most fruits – they are very high in sugar.
• Rice – except for brown rice.
• Yeast
• Artificial colors or sweeteners.
• Any ingredient that I could not pronounce.

Now when I removed all of the above from my diet, the following were automatically restricted:

Sauces, ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, desserts, crackers, breads, cakes, noodles, lunch meats, potato chips, cheese, croutons, most soups, all drinks except for water and organic green tea. And a lot more that I probably cannot think of now.

So what could I eat? Well, I steered towards mostly organic, unprocessed and raw foods.

• Eggs – they are extremely healthy!
• Brown rice crackers.
• Organic blue corn chips.
• Meats
• Vegetables – tons of vegetables.
• Non -wheat grains such as millet, quinoa, amaranth.
• Olive oil and fresh lemon juice on salads.
• Fresh filtered water or spring water.
• Organic green or white tea.
• Organic turkey or chicken deli.
• Hummus
• Nuts such as almonds, cashews.
• Pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
• Cashew butter and almond butter.
• Sweet potatoes.
• Gluten and yeast free bread (eccch… no taste).
• Unsweetened plain Greek yogurt.
• Fish
• And did I say TONS of fresh veggies???

Actually a whole new world was opened to me once I made this change. At first it was difficult because I really could not eat many of the things that the average American eats on a daily basis. But as I got into the groove, it got easy! Actually most of the foods on the eliminated list I have no more craving for.

If I was traveling, my dinner consisted of the fresh salad and food bar at the local Whole Foods instead of going to a typical unhealthy restaurant. You’d be surprised how many interesting down to earth people hang there. And I learned to carry my own healthy snack bag to work every day.

What do you think happened to my body as I sit here typing this a mere eight weeks later? You simply would not believe it. I can’t believe it either. But here is what has changed:

• My voice is back.
• I lost ten pounds without trying! Totally flat stomach!
• My skin is 100% improved on my knee (I had psoriasis there for twelve years) and 95% improved on my elbows! This I literally cannot believe. It is incredible! I feel in a short time it will be 100% improved everywhere. I would not expect something that I have had for twelve years to go away that quickly.
• Increased energy, no more lethargy!
• Incredible positive mental feeling!
• NO acid reflux episodes.
• Great sleeping.
• Perfect bowel regularity.
• Probably much more that I cannot even think of right now.

Please understand that I am not exaggerating at all. Everything I have said here is really 100% accurate. I have no product to sell you. I really wish I did – but I don’t. There is no reason for me to embellish anything here.  And I’m giving you this knowledge for free.

I am so excited about this “new lifestyle!” It’s so funny, I have always considered myself to be VERY healthy and athletic. Most people around me would have ranked me in the top 5% of all people as far as health. I am 56 but look at least ten years younger than that. I run marathons. I ski the double black diamonds. I backpack in the Grand Canyon for a week at a time. I go to the gym.  But maybe I was not so healthy. I had these nagging issues and something was causing them.

Listen. I honestly believe that we need to take in the purest of foods. The typical American diet is pure J-U-N-K. Sure, many of you can ostensibly “get by” on it. But my bet is that you are “sick” inside. If issues have not reared their ugly heads, I think they will sooner rather than later.

I just feel great and I wanted to share this with you. It’s been only eight weeks but it is now a lifestyle because of the changes I have seen.  There is no turning back for me.

If you want to find me these days, look for me eating at the counter at the natural foods store. Or the eating area of Whole Foods. It’s actually amazing how many other healthy people hang at these places! It’s fun!

Rock on!

 

By the way, my newest book is called “Impress The World With Your Body in SEVEN DAYS.” It is a very easy read that will help practically anyone look and feel better than ever! Are you sick and tired of trying everything but nothing is actually working? I am fairly certain I have the answer for you and it is found within the pages of “Seven Days.” This could be the most helpful book that you will ever read!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Friends! This was truly an amazing experience. As I have been reporting to you for the past few years, this race starts at The Embarcadero by the San Francisco Bay and takes runners and walkers across the party lined streets of the city all the way to the Pacific Ocean… hence the name “Bay to Breakers!”

I was certainly a little concerned this year as I was coming off an injury but I feel confident to say that my leg feels much better and I am pronouncing my injury “gone!” As a matter of fact, as soon as I finished the race and collected my medal (yes, they gave medals this year for the 100^th running), I turned around and walked the entire course backwards to the starting line!

Total miles = 15!

Just as an aside, the coolest part of the race was actually walking back to the start. As you may know, many people wear crazy costumes for this race. And I always thought that was pretty cool. But the SERIOUS craziness does not even start until all the locals come out around midday and take over the race course turning it into the hugest Halloween party you have ever seen in your life.

Bay to Breakers 12K is always the third Sunday in May. This means 50,000 people will be taking to the streets on May 20th, 2012. Actually 50,000 is the official number of registrants. When you factor in all the other people that come out, that number is way over 100,000!

I am throwing an idea out to my followers here. If you want to do something really cool, you should plan to be in San Francisco next year for the race. I plan to be there again and it would be cool to have you there. You can walk or run. There are all types of people in this race and you do not have to be a serious athlete. As a matter of fact, the real serious runners mostly stay away from this one! We could possibly arrange a little meet-up for pictures or something like that afterwards. Trust me, this would be an experience you would never forget. Mark it on your calendar and let me know if you are in.

Rock on!

Friends… for the last couple of years I have told you about one of my favorite annual events. It is the Bay to Breakers 12K race in San Francisco, and this weekend is the 100th running! I am heading west to do this race. Let’s call it more of a fun party than a race actually. Sure there are some serious runners, but there are also crazies in costumes, nude… you name it, you’ll see it. It appears as though for the entire day the city of San Francisco just kinds of turns its head and says “anything goes!”

If you are going to be in the Bay area this weekend, please look for me among the 100,000 runners. I’ll be the one wearing… well… I’m not quite sure yet. But follow my Facebook page and perhaps you will catch up with me there!

Exercise does not have to be difficult and boring. I love having fun as I exercise. I invite you to do something cool to keep your body in shape. Let’s catch up in San Francisco!

Rock on!

Injuries are tough. I am just coming off a two-month leg injury. I didn’t want to tell you too much about it while it was taking place because I did not want to get you down. But it was not good.

I can’t tell you exactly what it was because I did not see a doctor. I figured it would heal on its own. Soft tissue could easily take 4-8 weeks to heal and I felt as long as my leg was progressively getting better, I would not see the doc.

As best as I can tell, I tore an attachment coming into my knee. Maybe hamstring, maybe quad, or a calf attachment. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a combination. I did it doing the Insanity Fitness workout. That is a real tough workout! I am not badmouthing Insanity at all. As a matter of fact I may try it again in the near future. But now I know what my limits are.

Here is what I did – these are the best ways to treat an injury, in my opinion.

Rest: If you are injured, do not stress the area. Please rest it. That is the only way it will heal. If you are like me, you will be impatient. The first few weeks it hurt so bad that I could not do anything even if I wanted to. But as it gradually improved I did something stupid. I skied a couple of days. Yeah, that was not smart. Luckily I did not seriously re-injure the area. I did however take about a 1-2 week step back, which was not good.

Ice: If you notice any swelling (which I did), ice the area and ice it frequently. I happened to be on a cruise during the initial phase and I requested ice delivered to my cabin every morning and afternoon. I simply applied the ice, which was placed in a ziplock type bag, directly to the area as often as possible. The idea is to keep swelling and inflammation away.

Avoid heat: Heat is not good for swelling and inflammation as it draws blood and fluids TO the area. You are trying to get rid of the fluids, not draw attention to more. So stay away from heating pads, hot baths, etc. as they will make things worse.

Elevation: I kept my leg up as much as possible… above the level of my heart. Again, this works wonders for decreasing the swelling and inflammation.

Analgesics: For those of you that have been following me for some time, you know I am not a big fan of pain medication. But I must tell you, I was in such pain that I had to break down and try something. What I found to work best was 6oo mg. of Ibuprofen 2 or 3 times a day. As the pain started to subside, I went down to 400 mg. once a day. Now I am happy to say that I am totally off the stuff.

Compression: I used a compression brace on my knee when things really were feeling awful. I picked it up at the local Walgreens. I think it helped but I found that wearing it all day long causes some really bad itching so please be careful.

Massage: A very skilled massage therapist can really work wonders. Just make sure your therapist totally understands muscle attachments, etc. This is crucial.

Chiropractic: Same as above! I did not seek chiropractic care but I do know there are some very good sports minded practitioners out there.

If you are not sure what the problem is, I would recommend seeing a medical doctor. Just because I am stubborn does not mean that you should be!

Most important, don’t let an injury ruin your psyche! Keep a strong eye on your eating program during an injury. You certainly don’t want to start gaining the pounds you have worked so hard to shed. Maybe this is a good time to get other things done that you have been putting off. There is always something good that can be made out of something bad.

Please check out my Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/HealthyAt102! A “Quick Tip” for you every morning!

Rock On!!!

I am always being asked about how I survive life on the road. As you know, being a professional speaker, I need to travel quite a bit! I have written blogs about how to eat on the road.  But lately I am being asked how I survive the rigors of travel, so here are some of my “tricks” to surviving life on the road.

When traveling on a plane I keep a small book, small pillow or small rolled towel with me, and about once an hour I slip the book/pillow/or towel under a different thigh – this shifts the weight off of my lower back. I find this very helpful especially on flights of more than two hours.

I try to at least roll my shoulders, roll my feet and ankles often on the plane. And I stretch just like I would for a workout prior to boarding and after de-planing. If I am planning to sleep on the flight (which is difficult for me) I take my noise reducing headphones.

When traveling by car, I make a point of stopping every two hours or so to get out and take a break. Sometimes I just walk a few circles around the car or take a quick trip to the rest room. But I have found that breaking the trip up into segments really helps me.

I pack lightly- I plan ahead what clothing I need to wear each day of the trip and take only those items with me. I used to take everything I own, but these days I find myself wearing the same thing many days in a row!

Traveling is sometimes difficult, but I try my best to make it fun and enjoyable. These simple tips can make it even more so. Safe travels my friend!

Rock on

Dave

Please look for me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HealthyAt102

 

This week was sort of the unofficial kick off of the season where many of you will begin to gather with your families for holiday meals, cookouts, summer pool parties, etc.

I’m fortunate that I truly love being with my family. My parents, brothers, children, in-laws, etc. are all people that I enjoy hanging out with. I do however understand that this may not be the case for many of you.  Perhaps you find “family gatherings” to be hugely stressful.

My friend Terry calls this stress “family overload.” If you fit into the category of feeling annoyed, frustrated or overwhelmed when you are with your family, here is my advice:

TAKE A WALK!

Seriously – just take a short break, get the mail, run a quick errand, take the trash out… do something that removes you from the group.  When you do walk away, take some deep breaths, calm yourself, center yourself, and remind yourself that your family really does love you very much. This will help so much; it’s amazing what even ten minutes away from a situation will do for you.

I hope all of you have a happy holiday.

visit me on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/HealthyAt102

Rock on!

 

People tell me regularly that they do not have time to eat healthy or exercise. When I hear this I really want to say “What the #@%*.”  Seriously folks what is that all about?

You know on the airplanes the flight attendants tell you if the oxygen masks drop, place the one over your face first, then assist the folks you are traveling with.  DO YOU KNOW why they say that?  Because if you can’t breathe you can’t help anyone else.

This principle applies in ALL aspects of life.   You have to make yourself your own top priority. I know it’s tough with work, children, spouses, families and other commitments, but you really won’t be able to handle doing any of those things if you are not taking care of yourself.

Yes… working out takes time. It’s a commitment like anything else. So make some time in each day to exercise. Whether it’s a family walk around the block after dinner, or a bike ride early in the morning, it’s really important that you do something. I have a very good friend who decided 2 years ago that she needed to take control of her life and make herself a priority. The only time she could fit working out into her schedule was to get up at 5 AM, and be in the gym by 5:30 every day. I am rather sure she’d prefer the extra 2 hours sleep, but she gets up every morning and is in the gym working out. Make the time. Twenty minutes a day is all it really takes.

As for eating – even McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King now offer salads. While I stay out of fast food joints for many reasons, these healthy foods are a better option than a burger or deep fried something or other.  Again, as I have said many many times before – BE PREPARED.  Shop weekly and plan ahead if you know you are going to be particularly busy on a specific day. Prepare healthy meals for that day ahead of time.  It’s just as easy to eat something healthy that you have prepared prior, as it is to eat fast food on the run.

Be good to yourself; make your health and well being a priority in your life.

Rock on my friend!

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Dave