Tips from friends along the way

Since starting my blog, I've gotten some great tips from other runners and fitness experts with far more experience than I have. I thought I ought to share that knowledge. That's what the Internet is for, right?

Danny Cahill, Broken Arrow's own winner of "The Biggest Loser," responded to a Facebook message from me asking for advice on marathon running. (Yes, I did feel like a celebrity when he wrote back.) He suggested I look into books about the Galloway method. I haven't checked out any books, but I did look at Jeff Galloway's Web site (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/marathon.html) for some tips. His method sounds a lot like the training schedule Kathy and Brian already gave me. Don't overdo it. Walk some. Build up distance. I'm thankful I have a group to do this with. I would hate to train by myself. Thanks for the tip, Danny!

Aaron Henson, president of Fitness Together, told me I need to do some weight training to go along with my running. This will prevent injury and balance my muscles, he said.
Below is his message:
"A moderate weightlifting program helps marathoners strengthen muscles that aren’t used in running. If running is your only form of exercise, certain muscles, such as the hamstrings, will become stronger, but the quadricep muscles will not. This imbalance can set the stage for an injury.

"When you are working out with weights, try to use the same or similar amounts of weight for opposing muscle groups, such as the biceps and triceps, or the quads and hamstrings. The weights you are lifting with your hamstrings may feel easy, but that’s OK. Your hamstrings get plenty of exercise from running. If the amount of weight you need to challenge your hamstrings is a struggle for your quads, it is better to lift less weight with the hamstrings than to overtax your quads. Once you build more strength in your quads, you will fell comfortable lifting the same amount of weight with both muscle groups.

"You don’t need to spend hours in the gym for effective weight training. In half an hour, you can fit in 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for a few key muscle groups:
• hamstrings/quadriceps
• adductor/abductor muscles (inner and outer hip)
• the calf muscles
• biceps/triceps
• shoulders
The weight should be heavy enough that your muscles start to feel tired during the second or third set."
I have started doing some moderate weight training in my living room. I've been using a set of workouts from "Women's Health Magazine." Thanks for letting me know how important weight training is, Aaron.

Deborah, a run group leader for a different pace group, sent me a recipe for homemade protein bars. I haven't made them yet because I'm afraid they would taste too good, and I'd eat WAY TOO many of them. (I've been eating like a pig after runs!) But here's the recipe for those with more self control than I have:
1 1/2 cup honey ( I found this to be a one pound jar )
2 cups peanut butter ( again a one pound jar )
microwave until soft ( I skip this step )
Stir in 2 cups protein powder ( I use Whole Foods store brand of whey protein powder--chocolate flavor of course ! )
3 cups of old fashioned oats
press into a 9x13 pan and refrigerate

After they are chilled, you can cut them into serving sizes. We do ours about a one-inch cube (think fudge). We keep ours in the fridge and pull one out for runs as needed. I had my youngest daughter figure out the calories in a batch that we made, and it came to 143 per cube.
Thank you for the recipe, Deborah.

I hope these tips help. Let me know if you have more. I'm always looking to learn more.

Thanks to everyone!