Issue 6
May 2018
By Kim Collings
1. Beast Profiles
2. Nutrition
3. Joe’s Corner – Running Form
4. Looking Ahead
1. Beast Profiles
Articles and interviews dedicated to reporting on the amazing people and stories of Your Beast Team!
Meet Jeremy Keller! He tackles OCR’s like a true Beast, and is just as kind as he is strong.
When you first meet Jeremy you will see a tall, strong, beast of a man. Once he says hello, you immediately sense the kind hearted person he is as well. Jeremy is one of those people who brings fun and energy to every event and everyone he meets.
What was your first OCR race and what made you decide to try it?
My first race was the Fall Seattle Super in 2015. My buddy, Shawn, challenged me.
How has OCR helped you overcome challenges?
OCR has taught me how tough I am and to try new things even if they scare me. Life is short, get out there and do the things that make you nervous!
What do you love most about the OCR Community?
I tried to tackle a hurricane heat this year and was very down on myself for not completing it. The support and encouragement I got from my teammates was just awesome.
Who inspires you?
Tons of people inspire me daily. My buddy Shawn Hansen, Adam Birgenheier, Janell Endo, Virginia Nickelson, Kim Collings and many more.
What is your favorite OCR memory?
My favorite OCR memories were completing my first Spartan race in 2015 and also my first Trifecta in 2017.
Tell us something about yourself that few people know, whether OCR related or not.
OCR gave me the courage to quit my old job that I had hated for 15 years and start over from scratch. Love my new job.
What are your goals for 2018?
I want to try some new venues and complete a Hurricane Heat.
2. Beast Nutrition
My Secret Weapon – BEETS! No kidding!! Read about the amazing results I’ve had from the first glass I drank.
I tend to be skeptical when it comes to food trends, but I have really discovered a secret weapon this past week when it comes to beets! I’ve always liked eating beets. It wasn’t until recently that I’ve discovered they have an amazing affect on my heart rate when I run. I went on vacation and took some Beet Elite with me since it was portable and I wouldn’t be juicing on the road. I went for a run about 30 minutes after drinking it and I was able to run significantly faster while keeping my heart rate in my normal aerobic range. I thought it was a fluke, so I went a couple days without and sure enough…I had to slow down to keep my heart rate in range. Once I got home I juiced some fresh beets and I was able to go much faster while staying in range again. It’s the difference of at least a minute per mile, which is huge for me. Anyway, I had to share as this is one thing that has actually worked for me, even from the first glass. Do be warned that raw juiced beets can be a little hard on your stomach and some people will feel a little nausea (didn’t have that affect with Beet Elite). It can help to eat a small piece of toast or a little something before drinking the juice.
Beet Fun Facts:
Fact 1
The world’s largest beet was grown in 2005, weighing at least 156 pounds. It was grown by a Dutchman named Piet de Goede.
Fact 2
Since the colors in beetroot are so dark, the red pigment can cause your stool to turn dark!
Fact 3
Beetroot has been used from the Middle Ages as a treatment for medical illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. It is taken to rid garlic breath.
Fact 4
In 2010 a study showed that drinking a glass of beet juice a day significantly decreased a person’s blood pressure for several hours.
Fact 5
Betanin, taken from the roots of beets, can be used as a red food colorant in foods like tomato sauces, desserts ice cream and more.
Fact 6
Beets have been around for many years, but according to Assyrian text, around 800 B.C. beets were grown in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Fact 7
Unlike other vegetables, the roots of the beet contain high amounts of sugar. The sugar is slowly released into your blood so it doesn’t feel like a sugar high.
Fact 8
The betanin pigments in the beet have also been shown to reduce tumor growths and act as an anti-inflammatory.
Fact 9
Pregnant women are advised to consume beetroots as it can prevent miscarriages and the promotion of Vitamin B and iron are beneficial to growing new cells.
Fact 10
The leaves of the beetroot are also edible. They can be steamed, giving a taste that is similar to spinach.
http://www.10-facts-about.com/Beetroots/id/1709
Recipe:
My favorite way to have beets is boiled and sliced with a soft cheese and pistachios crushed on top.
Kim’s Beet Salad:
2-3 medium cooked beets, cooled and sliced (for an easy shortcut you can buy cooked whole beets at Costco that are packaged with about 2 servings each)
1-2 wedges laughing cow cheese, cut into small pieces and sprinkled on beets (I get a little OCD, and cut the same amount of cheese bits as there are beet slices, so I have one with every bite)
1/8 Cup crushed pistachios (not overly crushed…just into bits you can sprinkle over the top
Photo Credit: Beets – https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/a19676316/benefits-of-beets/, Kim Collings, Jeremy Keller, Joe Loomis
3. Joe’s Corner
Please help me in welcoming Joe Loomis. We are really excited to have him on board as a new contributor to the Beast Report! He will cover a wide range of topics including running form, nutrition, common injuries, etc. His first article gives us some great insight into the importance of using proper running form:
Running Form by Joe Loomis
Running form is an important component that is sometimes overlooked. Many people think that they just naturally know how to run. The unfortunate thing is that what people do naturally isn’t always the best way to run. Now, if you already run pain-free or at high speeds, this might not be very helpful to you. However, if your running results in aches, pains, bum knees, or any other issues, this might be the article for you. Reading an article isn’t going to make anyone a perfect runner on it’s own, but the hope is that it may cause you to think about different things while you run.
The first thing that hits the ground while running is the foot. The first thing people should know is that impacting on the heel and rolling to the toe—how many of us were taught to run in school—is actually a no-no. If the heel is the first thing to hit the ground, the foot will be way out in front of the body. This puts all of the impact of the body weight on the knee of the planting leg, and it could and will cause a lot of pain and suffering. If, instead, you center your impact over the arch of the foot, you will keep your leg under your body, which will disperse your body weight more evenly down the whole limb. This saves the knee joint from taking all of the stress of the impact, and leads to happier knees. Now I’m not saying that your knee should never go in front of your body, but by bringing the foot down in a mid-foot strike, the leg will be in line and under the hip at the moment of impact instead of out in front of the pelvis.
The other significant mistake people make while running is to slouch or hunch over. Correcting to a mid-foot strike will start to fix some slouching problems, because trying to land mid-foot will necessitate adjusting the overall body position. To prevent slouching specifically, the core muscles have to be engaged (i.e., suck the gut in). This will help straighten the spine and support the lower back, which can also be vulnerable to injury when running with improper form.
Engaging the core is also essential to implementing the final form correction: the forward lean. A slight forward lean of the entire body is essential to ensure that the ankle, knee, and hip are in line. If you attempt to use a mid-foot strike but leave your body too upright (i.e. your weight and hips are behind the strike point) you will still be applying a lot of pressure to the knee. The forward lean is most important while running downhill. It might cause the feeling that you are one step from a face plant, but it will significantly reduce the risk of knee injury or aggravation.
Correcting your form is not something that you will likely be able to execute flawlessly on your next run, and it will probably not make any current knee or back pain disappear the first time you try it but, if running is something you dread because of ensuing joint pain, examining your form is a good place to start. You can find more about this advice online by doing a Google search for proper running form. My favorite places to get running info is Natural Running Network, Runners World Magazine, and testing things out on myself.
Image from https://singaporeosteopathy.com/tag/run/
Natural Running Network: http://www.naturalrunningnetwork.com/
Runner’s World Magazine: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-world-magazine/