UC Davis Study 1st Day

Last Friday I started my 3.5 week life as a guinea pig for the UC Davis Raisin Study. The first day was not too bad a lot of paperwork and medical tests. This was followed by a max heart rate treadmill test. For the EKG I needed a little “Manscaping”: 

Superman had an "S", I have a "P".

My 7yr old daughter later gave me the "I told you to shave it" talk about my chest carpet.

I am quickly finding that a hard part of the study will be tracking what I eat. The hard part is not looking up what I eat and writing down the calories, etc.  It’s more the grim reality that I could still improve this area of my life a lot.  Since Friday I've been writing it all down.  If I don't lose weight doing this I'll be amazed.


Another part of the study that will be difficult will be the night and mornings before the tests. They want me to eat a Clif Bar at 10pm the night before.  I then can’t eat anything else unless it’s part of the protocol during the run test.  I was told the day that it’s a water only protocol the run is very tough.  Everything else checked out and it was time to get on the treadmill. Here is what the training room looked like:

I was unable to get to my previous max HR of 198 bpm (2009). I made 200 bpm in 2006, but its hell to get old.  The test showed a VO2 of 54.3, nice! That better than the past few years, (VO2 50). The printer wouldn’t work so I’ll get a printout of my training zones, and paces later.

Next up on Thursday:  An 80 minute run at 75% VO2 followed by a 5K as fast as possible with either water, gel, or raisins for fuel.

AB

Guinea Pig

Beginning Friday August 27th, that will be my new title for the 3.5 weeks after. I just found out I was accepted to a research study conducted by UC Davis Sports medicine. The study is looking at the effects of different carbohydrate supplementation types on exercise performance in marathon runners.

I didn’t quite fit what they were looking for in an applicant, since I do more Ultra running. The study was looking for marathoners. But after emailing and giving them some information about myself I was accepted.

I have gone to UC Davis Sports Medicine in the past for my VO2/lactate testing. I got the tests done to better use my HRM. These tests helped me get ready for 2007 WS100. The three tests I took over the months leading up to the race showed how my training was going where I need to take it. The guys also gave me advice on how to tweak my training and eating.

So here is what the two-day a week protocol will look like as sent to me:

“You will be asked to come in the first week for a maximal exercise test. Two hours after consuming a predetermined breakfast snack, you will come into the lab where we will take skin folds to assess body composition and we will perform a resting electrocardiogram. After a 15 minute warm-up, you will be asked to complete a graded exercise test.

You will be participating in sub-maximal testing and 10K time trials either on Thursday/Friday mornings (~8:00AM – 11:00AM) for 3 weeks to test 3 different types of carbohydrate supplementation (raisins, water, and gels). On your first testing day of that week, you will be asked to run at 75% VO2 for 80 minutes and then run a 5K as fast as possible. During this time, VO2 and blood samples will be taken every 20 minutes. You will also be asked to consume a carbohydrate supplement at that time.

On the second study day, a 3 ml blood draw will precede a 10K time trial. Two drops of blood will be taken after the 10K as well. Each week you will be consuming a different carbohydrate supplement and each testing day you will be asked to do a 24 hour diet recall.”

In review I figure the all out 5K at the end of the 80 minute run at 75% V02 is going to sting a bit. The next part that will sting is the skin fold fat test.

Regardless I’m excited to be a part of this trial. My hope is that this will help me move my training forward to another level.

I’ll be posting my results as I go, but I might leave out the skin fold test results.

They are still looking for applicants if your interested look here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124939584188843

Flyer with information:

AB

Cal Street running instead of racing

In place of running the canceled Wildest Run 100K race on Saturday I had plans for an all day mountain bike ride on the Flume Trail in Tahoe. I haven’t really broken in my new Specialized carbon hardtail so I figured this would do it. But like the race my plans were canceled when my partner in crime had to back out.


My other idea was do speed hike in Desolation Wilderness like I’ve been wanting to. Well I wasn’t looking to be solo boy all weekend so I scraped that for later.

Running Option #2, (I always seem to have one). Run my favorite part of the WS100 course, California Street or Cal St. as the cool people say. I was able to gather a great group of friends for the run. There was Melisa, (Pigeon), Pam (Trailmomma), and Paula (Mrs. P). All three were part of my AR50 training group earlier in the year.

Check Pam’s blog and Melisa’s blog for great photos and run reports. If you haven’t run Cal Street the photos between the two blogs will give you a good idea what it’s all about.

****Disclaimer***** The photos of me at the start in my Charlie Brown t-shirt and knit scarf are a LONG story. Just laugh at me like I did, (Thanks Pam).

Here is a list of things learned on the run:

• I’m afraid of spiders, Paula is not.

• Paula can move trees with one hand, I cannot.

• Melisa has a very large pain threshold.

• Pam is afraid of all birds.

• I’m a dork, (too much evidence to post, read the blogs).

• You can’t run with Pam, Melisa, or I without striking a JC Penny pose

Weekend racing

Friends Jenny and Kirk Edgerton rocked it at the Cinderella trail marathon in Oakland. Both won their age groups and took 4th and 5th place overall. Nice work you two.

AB