After two years of toil (and only a little strife) the Faster Than Forty book is here!

Click here for your luxurious, hard-cover, photo-laden, high quality paper stock official copy — or if you want a sample of our literary chops before you buy, please click here to enjoy this excerpt.

And for up-to-the-minute book-release news (as well as speaking engagements, book signings, etc.) stay tuned to our Facebook page:

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Like an old lawnmower, give it a good cleaning and it will restart…as this 45 year old dad discovered.

Mark,

The reason why I am curious about running track again stems from when I took my kids to the track in Seattle. They are only 4 and 5, so while they ran a little with my wife, I decided to just run one lap a little faster. I did it in 74 seconds very easily. Now, doing 4 of them back to back at 45 years old is a whole different story.

I found that all the steep hikes I have been doing since I’ve lived out here have given me more power, mental strength. I don’t do any crazy 10 mile road work. I go as fast as I can uphill and take it relatively easy on the downhill in the mountains.

The key, and this is key, is that I don’t go 90-100 percent every day – more like 90-50-75 on say Monday, Tues, Wed. Sometimes, for example, I’ll do 4000 feet of vertical (much of it in snow this time of year) as hard as I can one day, and nothing the next.

Rather, I lift weights, but not in the gym as much anymore. I use left over cinder blocks from when I renovated my house a long time ago. I have a piece of rebar that I sometimes slide in between them for curls, presses, etc. Some days, instead of running, I walk around all day with ankle weights or a heavy pack, or load up the cinder blocks and do squats. When I am working at home, I get up and do pushups in every room of the house when I take a break. I also use Billy Blanks old Tae Bo workout for cardio as well as Tony Horton. You kind of see the theme. It seems haphazard, but it really isn’t. My wife already thinks I am nuts – and she is right.

The key is mixing it up, and allowing my overtired muscles to recover while working muscles from different angles – you don’t get this by merely putting in 50-mile weeks or the same lifting routine in the gym. Whatever it is, I feel I have been getting faster again.

Diet-wise, I don’t get too strict. I naturally don’t like to eat fried foods and lots of sat fats. I eat lots of bok choy, broccoli, spinach and feta. I still drink milk, and get much of my fat from unsaturated sources like vegetable oils or nuts. I make a 4-egg omelet I share with my 5-year old daughter, but I only use 1 to 2 yolks. I stay away from processed foods. And too funny, I eat Chipotle, which was mentioned on your site. I could bore you to tears, but I’ll stop here.

Erik

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Erik,

Your story is not boring at all. In fact, your regimen is exactly the sort of thing I recommend to readers, particularly in my NO RUNNING rants.

You are actually more diet-savvy than most. Also, your rest / recovery philosophy is spot on. Shockingly, most athletes don’t adhere to this critical requirement for optimal performance. They are working twice as hard…and not reaching their full potential as a result.

With your lifting and long mountain walks, you’ve essentially been in a prolonged Endurance/Strength-building phase (two of the first three phases of a professional pre-competitive cycle).

The next step would be to introduce some speed training (slowly, of course!). Based on your routine, I suspect your legs are stronger than they are fast. Plyometrics would help unlock that strength. Drills would re-teach your body proper and efficient running technique (a.k.a. form). Quick sprints of 50-150M would improve your neuro-muscular coordination, eventually enabling you to regain much of the quickness of your youth. Longer reps (200s, 400s, 800s) at various paces / rest intervals and the occasional tempo run would come close to completing the equation.

Sounds like a lot to “complete the equation”, but the Endurance and Strength phases actually take the most amount of time to complete. Speed, Lactic Tolerance, and Fine Tuning can be completed in a few months time. The only catch is that you really ought to have a coach to assess your unique physiology to determine when and how much of each exercise will make you the fastest you possible.

Crazy as it might sound, you could actually compete at the Masters National Championships (August 2-5 in Lisle, Illinois). A 5:00 mile would likely place you among the Top 10 in the 45-49 age grouping.

I hope you give it a shot. I personally enjoyed my journey immensely. The transformation from “fat drunk” to National Champion gave purpose/direction to my exercise regimen. It also enabled me to recapture a piece of my childhood. I can now sprint, jump, and even play football against 20 year olds again…and beat them! For over 10 years thought those days were over.

In fact the athleticism of your youth doesn’t go away so easily.

It actually declines very very very slowly over time. The reason it seems to disappear is that we cease to use it. Like an old lawnmower in the shed, our bodies get rusty. But like that old lawnmower, all it needs is a good cleaning and overhaul. It’ll start right back up again — a little worse for wear…but only a little.

Keep me abreast of the progress and best of luck!

Kindest Regards,

Mark

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Mark,

Just came back from the track. I think you hit the nail on the head without even being there.

I did a couple of 100m sprints, but I say sprints loosely because I did not want to step on the gas all the way for reasons you mention. I did a couple of 200m in around 34 secs and ran one 400m in a little over 70 for the grand finally. I rested anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes in between as I was entertaining my 4 and 5 year-olds.

I gotta tell ya, that 70 was pretty tough. In terms of my legs being stronger than they are fast, absolutely true. I feel plenty strong enough for my Thurs night hike up a 5000-foot mountain in the pouring rain with a few other lunatics – I guess it’s birds of a feather…

Erik

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Erik,

On the track or on the mountain…lunatic birds of a feather indeed. We’re all a little nuts. LOL.

Those are pretty good times for someone at your age…and especially with your training experience. There’s definitely something lurking under the covers there!

FYI, the tough 70 was primarily due to your lack of “lactic acid tolerance” (in quotes because it’s a misnomer – topic for another day). That tolerance comes quickly, but is not recommended to push until later in training. 1) It’s painful!…a mind can grow weary of feeling that pain regularly and 2) it actually does involve acid, so it’s actually detrimental to your body and training, even though it’s critical to build tolerance to race your best times, and 3) it only takes 6 weeks to develop, so most knowledgeable coaches develop it at the very end of my season (a big reason why early-season times are so much slower than late-season times).

Keep a level head and sloooooowwwwwwly incorporate track workouts into your regimen. I have no doubt you will see great progress. If you simply stick to your philosophy of getting good recovery, you’ll be ahead of 80-90% of runners out there.

Thanks for sharing your “No Running” experience. Good Luck!

Mark

Join the “No Running!” movement on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NoRunning/

But don’t fret.  It may not be an ideal day for running a PR, but you can earn a much higher placing if you are prepared. Simply understand what you’re facing and adjust accordingly.  Knowledge is power.

A few simple changes will make all the difference.  Here are a couple that many forget or don’t consider:

1. Sunblock.  Go with a waterproof variety and an SPF over 100.  It will help to keep you cooler.
2. Stay Hydrated (and fueled). An oft-cited rule of thumb is to drink 4 ounces of fluid per mile.  You’ll need a bit more than that on Monday.  An even pace doesn’t just apply to your running speed. It also applies to your intake.  Keep a steady and frequent pace of fluids, energy, and electrolytes from start to finish.
3. Slow it down.  Some experts say that going out 1 minute too fast in the first half will hurt your overall time by 3 minutes. Running a conservative first half can set you up for your best possible time (and an enjoyable trip through Kenmore Square).  If you’re feeling great at 13.1, you can always pick it up a bit. But try to keep things in check until Heartbreak Hill.  You’ll be surprised at how much ground you can make up in those final downhill miles.

Spectators can leave their hoodies at home this year

If you want to know how much to adjust your pace, you can access an easy to use pace adjustment calculator here:

2012 Boston Pace Adjustment Calculator

The calculator has already been programed with Monday’s expected temperature, wind, humidity levels. All you have to do is enter your original goal time. The calculator does the rest.

Good luck!

To get lessons sent to your phone for free, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404 (requires a Twitter account, which is also free).

You’ve trained hard for months.

You have the endurance. You have the speed. All that’s left is to taper down. Allow your body to rest up and that big PR is in the bag.

One problem. After burning 1,000 calories a day in training, a two-week taper could result in four pounds of added weight. It’s true. 3,500 calories equates to one pound of weight. Stop burning 1,000 calories per day and you could rack up 14,000 calories in two weeks. 14,000 divided by 3,500 = four pounds.

If that doesn’t sound like much, consider the “2 seconds per mile per pound” rule. It states that every pound (over one’s ideal weight) adds two seconds per mile to your race time. Under that rule, four pounds could add a full second to your 800M time…or three and a half minutes to your marathon time.

I’ve tested this rule many times and it checks out. You can see more on this by clicking here.

Of course, this should all be common sense. After all, nobody runs races wearing ankle weights.

So, what can you do? Simple. Adjust your diet. Consume fewer calories to make up for your lower training load. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice nutrition. It’s a tricky balance to maintain, but it can be done.

Last week, I shared my 70-calorie recipe for lentil/barley vegetable soup. Here’s an easy-to-prepare Soup, Salmon, and Slaw dinner that builds on our tasty soup – the entire meal is just 300 calories!

Start by getting the soup on the stove, but hold the carrots. We’ll be using those into our slaw instead. See last week’s article for the soup recipe: Lentil/Barley Soup

Next comes the Salmon. Plan on 5 ounces per serving. Place the fish on a steaming rack (just about any small metal rack will do, as long as steam can get through). Season it with a dusting of paprika and cover it with a blanket of fresh parsley. If you don’t have these ingredients, you can cook it plain and season it with some lemon and/or salt at the dinner table.

Place the steaming rack on top of your soup pot and place the pot-lid on top. After 15 minutes, place some asparagus next to the salmon and steam for another 10 minutes. Easy!

FYI, 5 ounces of salmon only amounts to 200 calories, but supplies 30g of protein and lots of valuable omega-3 fatty acids, which will help your body ready itself for the big race. Click here to see more.

While your soup, salmon and ‘sparagus is steaming, you can shred your slaw:

Red Slaw

About 1/6 of a head of red cabbage (yields about 3 cups shredded)
20 baby carrots
3 Tablespoons of any vinegar (except balsamic – extra calories!)

Optionally, you can also add a tablespoon of mustard and/or lemon juice (experiment!)

Remove the outer layer of your head of cabbage. Slice off a wedge equivalent to about a sixth of the head. Don’t use the cabbage core. Break it up so it fits in your chopper. Add the carrots and vinegar and shred to your desired texture. One serving size is 100g or about half a cup. You can see the nutritional facts by clicking here.

By the way, a few of you asked about the chopper I use. It’s a manual chopper I picked up online over a year ago. Its quite inexpensive, but one of the most used devices in my kitchen…and has stood up to the punishment. You can find one by clicking here.

For another 100 calories, you can add an apple for dessert. You can read about some of the benefits by clicking here.

Enjoy and good luck with your upcoming PRs!

Also, thanks for helping to add 200 members to No Running last week. We’ve now topped the 600 member mark! The more it grows, the more we’ll give, so get your friends and family on board today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NoRunning/

p.s. The No Running Training Program is coming to Miami / South Beach soon. Stay tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

To get lessons sent to your phone for free, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404 (requires a Twitter account, which is also free).

There’s nothing like a long weekend and big meals to pack on the calories.  As promised, here’s a 70 calorie recipe that will help you lose weight and increase Speed, Strength, Nutrition, & Longevity. It’s a simple, but nutritious soup with no secret ingredients. Click to see Lentil/Barley Vegetable Soup.

The web page will also provide you with additional information, including its complete nutritional profile.  This soup helped me to lose 3 pounds last week (not easy, considering my current weight).  Not only that, but I had the strength to run a speed workout with ease.

Not bad for a 41 year old.  The reason it works so well comes down to two of my secrets to weight loss, greater fitness, and age-reversal:

1. Avoiding and/or diluting sugars, as much as possible.

2. Cutting calories without cutting how much you eat.

It’s a little more complex than this, but this will get you most of the way there without having to get a PhD.

Starting with sugar, this soup obvious scores well (and what little it contains is diluted in the broth). I can’t tell you how bad sugar is for you, especially in the long-term. The scientific community has long known that it causes a reaction called glycation (click for more info).

More recently, glycation has been tied to many age-related maladies ranging from wrinkles to hearing loss to cancer to psychological problems (and of course, diabetes). Just Google glycation and see for yourself. FYI, 60 Minutes did a feature on this last week. Click here to see it.

So, even though sugar can help with in-between workout recovery (eating honey before bed is very popular for this reason), it has very negative long-term implications. Fruit is generally ok as long as you don’t overdo it (for example, eating several extra ripe bananas can spike your blood sugar levels, leading to increased glycation). Personally, I cut way back on sugar when I learned all of this. As it turns out, age-reversal can be as advantageous the “No Running” program.

I’m not alone in this thinking. Eric Prince, a Masters World Champion and World Record holder, credits his dominance to age-reversal…and has even made a career of it. Click here to see more.

The way it works is simple. Excess sugar leads to increased glycation. The more glycation, the greater the risk for age-related maladies.  Some of the damage goes away with time…but at a much slower rate than new damage is created.  The more you cut down on sugar, the more you cut the gap between damage and healing. Thus, the aging process can be slowed…or perhaps even reversed.  The result for people like Eric Prince and me has been a return to our teenage fitness levels.

As for “cutting calories without cutting how much you eat”, the second half of that sentence is as important as the first. This is where people mess up. Decreasing your intake can lead to a slow metabolism, which can lead to weight gain.  For a fast metabolism, give your system frequent workouts, just like your heart and muscles.  The easiest way to do this is to eat a lot of veggies (without sauces, butters, oils, or dressings of course!).

My favorite trick is to eat 2-4 stalks of celery before lunch and dinner. The strings can’t be digested, so they interfere with the amount of calories that actually enter your system. Based on some studies, a 2,100 calorie diet with celery might act more like a 1,500 calorie diet. The result for most people is instant and sustainable weight loss!

Thanks for helping to get No Running over the 500 member mark. The more it grows, the more we’ll give, so get your friends on board! https://www.facebook.com/groups/NoRunning/

p.s. The No Running Training Program is coming to South Florida soon. Stay tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

AGE (AND WEIGHT) IS NOTHING !

Kathy Martin is 60-year old female who never ran a track race until her late-40s.  Despite this, she has gone on to break numerous age-based world records.

At 60, she can still run a mile in 5:30.  That’s faster than most men…of any age!

Her secret is the right diet and training (including many No Running principles).  Like an increasing number of people, Kathy discovered that a lot of little things can have a big impact on how you look, feel, and perform.  I’m living proof — transforming from a drunkard and 50 pounds overweight to National Champion, I discovered that almost anyone can turn the clock back and become as healthy and fit as a high school kid.

Being a member of the NO RUNNING community on Facebook will help. We’ll share the knowledge needed to take small easy steps to losing weight, getting fit, and becoming the Champion you want to be. By the way, we just hit 200 member this week. And the more members we have, the more we’ll give…so, invite your friends to join the movement! https://www.facebook.com/groups/NoRunning/

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After Late Start, Runner Is Speeding Through Records

Distance running is more popular than ever. Running USA, a nonprofit organization that promotes the sport, counted 13 million finishers in road races in 2010, up from 5.2 million in 1991 and 500,000 in 1976. Much of the rise comes from aging baby boomers, building their stamina like a retirement nest egg. In 2010, 45 percent of all finishers were 40 or older; in 1991, the percentage was 35 percent, in 1976 only 28 percent

Recent medical research shows that many of the ravages of aging are not so much inevitable as voluntary. Muscles do not have to shrivel, joints do not have to stiffen. Earlier expectations of physical deterioration were based on studies of sedentary people. But there is a marked difference in durability between the fat and the fit, the layers and the players. People who continue to exercise intensively have a much slower rate of decline

Martin usually works out seven days a week, not four or five. She runs and does plyometric exercises that emphasize strength and speed. She eats sensibly though not fanatically. She enjoys a good steak and an occasional glass of wine. She takes a multivitamin every day along with supplements of zinc, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3.

Her face looks young for 60, and her legs have the muscle tone of an athlete half her age. Her body seems as finely tuned as a Formula One racecar. She routinely visits a chiropractor, a massage therapist, a strength coach and a physical therapist. She refers to these healers as Team Martin, and she believes they keep her aligned, stretched, kneaded, restored and stimulated.

See the full article by clicking here

p.s. A new Training Club may be coming to Miami / South Beach soon. Stay tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

Use Proper Form

With the Olympics just a few months away, today’s Lesson of the Week comes from our favorite Jamaican athlete, Usain Bolt. Click here to see the YouTube video.

This is a brilliantly-shot video, enabling viewers to focus on every body part during every moment of each stride. Bolt isn’t the only one to focus on either. In fact, a few of them display even better form than the world record holder. Some things to observe include:

• High knee-lift
• Full leg extension, right down to the toes
• Foot-strike directly under the body

Of course, this video is focused on proper sprint form. As your run-distance increases (and velocity decreases), your form must be adapted to be optimal.

That being said, the point about foot-strike is of great importance. Every runner should do sprints, at least periodically. When you do, you should make sure your foot lands directly beneath you. This differs from the heel-to-toe foot strike commonly employed on distance runs. The distinction is important. When running sprints, your hamstring muscles bear a greater burden. If your foot lands out in front of you, your hamstrings have to do more work to pull you forward. This can lead to hamstring injuries.

I’ve seen this happen in countless athletes. In almost every case, a foot-strike adjustment greatly alleviates the ailment.

As for your distance running form, Chi-Running is something worth investigating. Our own Bryan Huberty is a certified instructor and hosts the weekly Form First Run Club in Miami Beach. Click here to check it out on Facebook.

p.s. A new Training Club may be coming to Miami / South Beach soon. Stay Tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

This week’s lesson is that you are NEVER too old (or too young) to excel at sports.

For example, this week Naomi Kutin of Fairlawn, N.J., set a new female world record in the 97-pound division by raw squatting 215 pounds. The old record holder was a 44 year old European. Yes…a 44 year old!

But that’s nothing. Get this – Noami (the new record holder) is just 10.

Yes, T-E-N !!!

If that isn’t enough to convince you, maybe you’ll believe Manohar Aich. He won the Mr. Universe competition in1952…and he just turned 100.

See “Mr. Universe 1952 Turns 100, Credits Healthy Lifestyle, Happiness”

“His lifestyle and a simple diet of milk, fruits and vegetables along with rice, lentils and fish have kept him healthy.”

As for me, last year I turned 40 and ran my fastest times since 1992. I also came within seconds of my high school PRs in the 800 (1:56.2 vs 1:55.1) and Mile (4:19.9* vs 4:17.1). Those times are still good enough to compete on an NCAA Div I college track team.

For those of you who don’t know, a few years ago, I was nearly 200 pounds (I’m just 5’7”) and more likely to drink 50 beers a week than run 50 miles.

It all goes to show that AGE IS NOTHING. So, get out there. You’re just a few changes away from a trimmer, fitter, younger you!

p.s. A new Training Club may be coming to Miami / South Beach soon. Stay tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

* Converted from 4:01.89 for 1500 meters.

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

Getting in shape isn’t all about running.

Losing weight isn’t all about the diet you choose to follow.

If you are hoping to hit a new PR, you might be surprised to hear that running and speed work are only half of the winning equation. You have seen the proof. The NO RUNNING training program has produced many success stories.

But NO RUNNING isn’t the ultimate answer either. It just happens to be the piece that most people are missing.

Another very important piece that most people are missing is mental conditioning. Whether you’re just trying to shed a few pounds or training to win a National Championship, mental conditioning can mean the difference between success and failure.

This week’s lesson comes courtesy of LifeExtension. Pay special heed to this one. It might be very easy to think of this article as fluff, but it isn’t. In fact, I would say that this article encapsulates one of the biggest competitive advantages I use against the competition…maybe the biggest.

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=12381

p.s. A new Training Club may be coming to Miami / South Beach soon. Stay tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.

This week’s lesson comes courtesy of the Berkeley Running Company.

Living (and training) in Miami, you quickly learn to have an appreciation for hydration. The weather here is hot and humid, so hydration comes naturally…or so you would think. Despite the intuitiveness of hydration, I still see many runners, bikers, and other athletes training and competing without adequate means of hydrating themselves.

Well, as the Berkeley article says, “Even slight dehydration, let’s say 1% (1.5 lbs for a 150 pound athlete), can contribute up to a 5% decline in your metabolic efficiency.”

To see how much dehydration you experience during a workout, simply weigh yourself before and after. After most workouts, all but 1/2 pound of your weight loss is water. This should give you an idea of how much of your hard work is at risk to being lost to dehydration.

The day before a hard workout or race, I personally eat extra portions of fruit and drink extra fluids. I also bring at least liter of fluids with me to the track. To me, skipping either of these rituals is no different than forgetting my spikes at home.

http://berkeleyrunningcompany.com/Tips/Hydration/tabid/159/Default.aspx

FYI, you didn’t hear it here, but a NO RUNNING Training Club may be coming to Miami soon. Stay tuned!

To get lessons sent to your phone, text the words FOLLOW NORUNMARK to 40404.