Sustainable Running

Sustainable Running:
10 Habits To Keep You Running Healthy Over The Long Haul

By Kathy Vaughan

1. Keep a Training Log – Track your runs on a calendar, in a journal or in whatever format works for you. I just started my third year of using the Nathan Training Log Plus. This log does not have a starting date, so you can begin it whenever you like. It has enough entries for a full calendar year. Daily, I include my time, mileage, cross training, training partners, and any other notes I find pertinent. I include Rest Days and Travel Days. I will jump ahead in the log to write down races or any dates I have set for other self- or unsupported runs, and this makes it easy to count how many weeks I have left to train for a particular event.

2. Set Goals – Setting goals is an important aspect of running as a part of your day to day life, year round. I set weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Some of these goals are set to accomplish with a partner, and some of the goals I set are for my own personal achievements. My goals often have tiers to them, or an “A” goal and a “B” goal. For races, I usually have a list of goals I would like to reach. Writing goals down and visualizing yourself achieving them are important aspects to accomplishing them. I write down all of my goals, either in a notebook or on a piece of paper that attaches to my adventure clipboard. This clipboard also has maps, routes, mileages, and other notes I use to plan out my long runs and winter cross country ski routes. For upcoming races, I will have a course map printed out and write down notes about aid stations, drop bags, cut-off times and any other special regulations I need to remember. I study this information ahead of time and it helps me to prepare for race day and gives me a better chance of reaching my goals.

3. Hold Yourself Accountable – Throughout each week, I am working on organizing a training schedule. I contact friends and set up running or skiing dates. Each week, I generally get together with a friend 2 days and also run or ski with Ras at least a couple of times each week. The time and distance are based on what both of us hope to accomplish and we settle on a route together. Ras and I have a standing “Fartlek Friday” date where we play around with speed. I like knowing that unless we have a race that weekend, or it is a recovery day, we will get out for an hour together and do intervals. I go by a blend of where I feel like running and what kind of a run I am needing to help me accomplish a larger goal, as far as how I decide on my long run/ski for the week. I like to do an ultra distance/endurance outing, about every 2 weeks. If the event is particularly strenuous, then I may wait 3 or 4 weeks in between long efforts. I like to be trained and ready year round to run long at any time. I run at an easy pace and include hiking as needed. This allows my body to get out and do this stuff regularly. By looking ahead, sharing my goals with others in person and on social media, writing my plans down and working towards them daily, I am able to include endurance training as a part of my life year round.

4. Eat a Healthy Diet – It takes a lot of energy to be active and this comes in the form of healthy foods. Take in good healthy nutrients each day with a variety of foods, making sure to eat whole foods and lots of fruits and vegetables. Cooking and baking our own foods is the best way to ensure a healthy diet. I love cooking and baking. Planning out my food for the day often becomes part of the running scheduling. If I know I will be out on an all day run, I will put a meal together in the slow cooker in the early morning. When I get home tired, a healthy, hot meal is all ready to eat. Sometimes, I will have food in a thermos, waiting in the car. I prepare food ahead of time to have on the trail with me, such as rice & bean burritos, veggie sandwiches, or vegan grilled cheese (with Ras' special homemade Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce). I follow a low-fat vegan diet, due to a compromised pancreas, and it is important that I prioritize menu planning well. I could get quite ill if I consume too many fats or sugars. It works best if I prepare my own food and stay away from processed or purchased foods. We all will run and recover more efficiently if we have food ready to use as fuel for our endurance efforts and to recharge our batteries after expending so much energy. Have easy to grab foods ready to go for when the “runchies” hit, like hummus & veggies; fruit ready to go for smoothies; homemade, wholesome baked goods; hot beans or soup all ready on a woodstove or in a slow cooker; or fresh veggies in a spring roll with a protein rich dip, like tahini sauce.

5. Wear Running Shoes That Allow The Human Foot To Function As A Human Foot – Altra Running makes a shoe with a wide toe box shaped like our feet, which allows our feet to spread out in a natural way and feel the earth. The shoes also have a zero drop platform, which means the heel of the shoe is not ramped up higher than the toe box. This encourages good foot placement and proper running form, making it so that fewer over-use injuries occur. I always run in Altras and I've been able to run injury-free since I began wearing them 3 years ago.

6. Allow Rest Days, Recovery Times, and Sleep – Our bodies and minds need time to relax and recuperate from long endurance efforts and high mileage weeks. It is important to incorporate lower mileage weeks and complete Rest Days into our daily lives. I like to push myself hard, but I also like to sit quietly and rest. It is important to strike a good balance between the two in order to maintain a life where running is a consistent thread throughout our days. I don't feel guilty about taking days off as needed and I understand the concept of “time on my feet”. If I am feeling sluggish or lacking mental energy, I will just go out on a walk. The fresh air helps me to clear my head and the walking contributes to a lifestyle of staying fit. I include any walk mileage in my log. To determine how many Rest Days I need after a long endurance effort, I go by how I feel. I will naturally head out the door for my next true training run when my mind and body are ready. Sleep is important and it's good to prioritize it. Yoga postures, lavendar oil and visualizations can help if falling asleep and staying asleep are difficult for you.

7. Acquire Proper Running Attire - With all of the right layers and gear for foul weather running, excuses for not heading out the door year round are eliminated. Clothing does not have to be expensive or top of the line, just organized and well thought out. I have a seasonal, and sometimes non-existent income, but I prioritize having the gear I need to live a healthy lifestyle. I am honored and privileged to have been chosen for a second year as an Ambassador for Altra Running, so my awesome running shoes will be provided to me once again. For this I applied, sharing my accomplishments and goals with Altra and committing to helping spread the word about their product and living a healthy lifestyle while doing so. In addition, I know it is important to have wool layers and a few other key pieces of clothing to stay warm in the winter months. I accept hand-me-downs and purchase discounted clothing on-line to help keep a complete adventuring wardrobe. When I am gifted money from family for my birthday or a special holiday, I always use it to purchase a needed piece of running gear or clothing item. I blog about clothing and gear that I love and have been given great items as a “Thank You” from companies for having done this. (Zensah argyle compression socks and sports bra, What An Adventure Ultra Bag) I make repairs on gear when I can and mend clothing as needed. I make stuff last for years and I rotate all my clothing equally so it gets pretty even wear and tear. I line dry all clothing and never throw anything in the dryer. This helps maintain the integrity of the clothing and helps it to last longer. Put together two full sets of clothing for all seasons, and you will always be ready to run. You will have your outfit for the day, plus any layering changes you need.

8. Stretch and Strengthen - It is important to stretch regularly to help prevent over-use injuries from occurring. Runners have a tendency to acquire some classic injuries like Plantar Fasciatis and Illiotibial Band Syndrome. Spending some time after a run and on Rest Days, especially hips, quads, calves and hamstrings, will do a lot to help prevent these issues from arising. A yoga class or doing yoga postures at home is also a great way to stay limber and injury free. Stretching can be marked down in the training log, helping you stay accountable. I really like Sage Rountree's book “A Runner's Guide to Yoga” for good postures for specific needs in strengthening or healing injuries. Incorporating some form of strength work into your weekly schedule, focusing on running specific exercises, will not only help make you a faster, stronger runner, but it will also help to strengthen specific areas that will help prevent injuries.

9. Own It – It isn't necessary to tell everyone that you are an ultrarunner, but it isn't something you have to be shy about either. Embrace it. Firemen and firewomen are proud of being firefighters. Nurses and doctors are honored and looked up to for their line of work. There are bank tellers, and basketball players, teachers, coaches, artists, musicians, preachers, orchard workers and loggers. We can all be proud of whatever it is that we do. It takes a lot of discipline to be a runner and live a life dedicated to keeping fit and healthy. By doing so, we help spread the word about how fun it is to run and the health benefits gained from it. This benefits those around us. Look around YOU at who you've helped influence! Be proud of it! 

10. Help Inspire Others – By living a lifestyle where running and staying healthy are made a priority, we can help inspire others to dedicate the same kind of attention to their health and fitness. When others see us happy, full of energy, bouncing back after illness or injury, and maintaining a healthy weight, it can't help but send a good message. Once you know it benefits others to see you living in a good way, you'll want to continue on the path so that others will also.

When Life Has Plans Of Its Own

When Life Has Plans Of Its Own:
Another Lesson In Endurance

By Kathy Vaughan

     October was beginning and the first Saturday of the month I would be running my 14th ultramarathon, the Baker Lake 50k. Baker Lake was the first ultra I had ever run and my first trail race ever, back in 2011. I was pumped up for the race and ready to run a Personal Best. I had been out on five unsupported ultra distance adventure runs throughout the summer, several of them lasting all night long. I was well trained and feeling awesome.

     With the beginning of October, came the return of some classic pancreatic pain which I have gotten for many years. It comes and goes but had returned 1 ½ years ago with a bout of pancreatitis and a week long hospitalization. Since then, I'd been in the hospital a couple of more times and I did not want to wind up in there again. I was having some cramping in my upper abdominal area that was radiating around to my back. I continued my taper for Baker Lake and went about life as usual.

     Baker Lake went as planned. I saw lots of friends, enjoyed the entire race and took 31 minutes off of my previous year's finishing time. It was also my 6th  Baker Lake finish. I was happy with how the day had gone and feeling excited about my autumn running plans. I still hoped to get out on the Kettle Crest National Scenic Trail before snow would make it impassable and I had lots of other trails in mind to explore throughout October and November. Ras and I had our 3rd annual Highlands Halloween Hundred Trail Un-Run coming up the 3rd week of the month and the first of November, I was planning on running my first 12 hour run, Carkeek in Seattle.

     Avoidance is a tactic some people use when going at a situation that is too scary to tackle head on. This happens when I feel the beginning of the ache, the sign that I am having issues with my pancreas once again. As an endurance runner, I can ignore pain and push it aside. I can go about my day. I can go on really long runs. The runs make me feel better, mentally and physically. I went about “business as usual” for two weeks, trying to pretend the pain was not really there.

     Finally, I asked Ras to drive me down to the local ER as the pain had become unbearable and was wearing me down. I was very tired and I really wanted some relief. I was starting to feel concerned about why I was having this pain once again. We arrived at the small town hospital and a group of local community folks were gathered in the lobby area which doubles as an espresso stand. It was loud and chaotic as I approached the admitting desk. A young lady came out from a back office and I told her I thought I might be having pancreatitis. She unlocked an office across the hallway, led Ras and I inside, and called for a triage nurse to come into the office. I noticed her nail polish was flaking off and she and the nurse exchanged unprofessional giggles over the phone. I handed the lady my ID and insurance information. She verified my address and the male nurse walked in. He stood at a distance and in an unsympathetic voice asked what was going on. I repeated to him that I thought I was having pancreatitis which I have a history of and that I was in pain. 

     He led me back to the examination area and took my vital signs. I did not like the way things felt. The nurse was standoffish and seemed surprised that I was not running a fever or vomiting, as some pancreatic patients do. Alcoholism is the number one cause of pancreatitis and he asked if I drank alcohol. I have not since my early 20's, and so I told him this. All of this information is in the records held at the hospital on me, as I had just spent 5 days there in March. It did not seem as though he had accessed these records. A doctor came in. He also stood at a distance and never approached the bedside, let alone did he examine me in any way. He asked some questions. I was sure to tell him that I had pancreatic surgery in 2007 and had been fine until these bouts of pancreatic pain had returned recently. He ordered blood work and the nurse hooked me up to an IV. I was given some fluids and one dose of pain medication through the IV. The doctor returned saying my blood work looked great and I could go home. He never looked at my records or contacted the specialist I see at the University of Washington Medical Center. He gave me a prescription for 6 pain killers and told me to go home and stay on liquids until the pain went away. The pain didn't go away. I set appointments with my primary care provider and my specialist. I couldn't get in to see either for over 10 days and by the time I did get in to see my PCP, I had a fever and full blown pancreatitis. 

     I don't like this story. I don't like what I went through or the ignorance of the Emergency Room doctor at the hospital in the town where I live. I ended up spending a week in the hospital and when I saw the specialist last week, she ordered an MRI which showed a 2cm x 2cm cyst in my pancreas, like I've had before and like I thought I might have again.

     Now I wait to hear what the doctor says the treatment will be for this cyst. Last time it was surgery, although this time it might be possible to simply drain the cyst through an endoscopic procedure. If the cyst stops causing pain, it might make more sense to take a “wait and see” approach. The doctors are very hesitant to give me a prescription large enough to handle the days of pain. I've been told they don't want me to mask the pain and ignore a serious problem. They don't use consistent reasons or even reasons that make sense.  

     There is one good doctor I've been able to see throughout this process, Dr. Silla. She was the ER doc when I was admitted in March. She is an endurance athlete herself, insightful and intelligent. She was on the phone with my specialist within minutes of me entering the ER. She took it seriously and believed that I was in pain. She was kind, warm and efficient. She was the best doctor I've ever seen in Okanogan County and I wish she could be the doctor that could give me my care during this process. She came in to speak to me once I was hospitalized and apologize for the other doctor's behavior, the one who turned me away, telling me I didn't want to be hospitalized as “There are sick people in there, people with the flu.” At the time, I was arguably as sick as anyone with the flu.

      The specialist I see at the University of Washington Medical Center is at least 6 hours away. I like to incorporate a run on the mountain pass any time I am making a trip over. Ras and I had decided to do a run to a place called Stiletto Peak before we left, but as we approached the trail head on the pass, the rain was coming down in sheets and had snow mixed in with it. Clouds hung low and thick fog obscured the surrounding peaks. We decided to continue past the Stiletto Peak trailhead and run along Ruby Creek instead, staying down in the lower elevations. We would certainly get wet on this trail as well, but we would be out of the colder temperatures and the wet snow.

     I love the Ruby Creek trail. The creek itself is loud and roaring. It tumbles over huge boulders and settles into serene pools as it makes it's way toward the confluence with Panther Creek where the trail begins. The trail drops down from the North Cascades Highway through a short series of switchbacks and then crosses the confluence of the two creeks on a strong bridge. After crossing the bridge, the Ruby Creek trail heads off to the east and the East Bank trail along Ross Lake heads off to the west. 

     The rain was falling softly now and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. The brush was very wet alongside the trail and I was immediately sopping. I didn't care though and the fresh damp air smelled good and I welcomed it as it brushed over my face. Huge maple leaves covered the trail in a thick blanket that hid slippery rocks and roots. The trail dipped and climbed along the bank of the creek, sometimes narrow, dropping off to the rushing creek below. I ran along easily, feeling joyful to be out. I felt like I could go forever, even though this run was only a 6.6 mile out n' back. I knew this trail yet it still held mysteries for me. I hadn't captured all of it's best viewpoints yet, or dipped my toes in the icy cold water at the point of the trail where it becomes level with the creek for a stretch. 

     A collapsed cabin, being overtaken by briers and moss, sits almost at the point where the trail meets up with the bridge at the turn around. This bridge leads to another trailhead parking lot and a couple of more cedar cabins, still standing. The trail straight ahead continues towards a steep climb into the high country of Jackita Ridge and the Devil's Dome Loop. I have done this loop several times and it is one I highly recommend. It is tough, but well worth every bit of effort it takes to complete. Last year it was the UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge course. I completed it with my adventure buddy Lisa Eversgerd and this is the blog I wrote about our trip.

     Ras and I turned around at the bridge to run the 3.3 mile return trip to the car. It felt so awesome to be out in this lush forest. Huge ferns lined the trail; large cedar, hemlock and fir trees towered overhead;  the musky smell of damp earth filled my nostrils and my mind was clear, relaxed and alert. Again I was filled with the desire to continue this run for hours and hours, knowing that it would soon be cut short. I looked forward to other runs I would do while on this visit to the “wet side” of the mountains. Living at 3,500 feet in a high mountain desert, I thrive on these opportunities to enjoy the coastal and western Cascade forests. Ras and I would be staying at my parent's home in the Anacortes area, just miles from Deception Pass and Ft. Ebey State Park trails. I have run races in both of these parks several times and have some familiarity with the trails. I was planning on getting some miles in these parks over the next few days.

     Back at the car, Ras and I changed into dry layers, got out some road trip snacks and continued on our way towards Anacortes. The next morning we would need to be in Seattle for my appointment by 8:45 AM. My parents were out of town, so we would be staying in their home. We wanted to get a few groceries on our way there and possibly purchase a new juicer. During my pancreatic pain, I have to stick to liquids and fresh squeezed juice is a healthy way to be able to do this and still take in some good nutrients. Lisa had lent me her juicer for a couple of weeks and Ras was enjoying using it as well. My favorite juice had been apple, carrot and ginger. Fred Meyer was our one stop shopping trip in Burlington as they have a really nice natural foods section and appliances. We got the less expensive juicer and as soon as we pulled it out in my parent's kitchen, we could see it would be inadequate. This was a bummer, but we would be able to exchange it the following day for the more burly model. 

     The specialist was thorough and easy to talk to. She decided I should have an MRI/MRCP of my pancreas and an ultrasound of my gall bladder to help determine the cause of the recurring pancreatitis. It was easy to get scheduled the very next day for these imagings, which was awesome as we had come so far for the appointment. Taking care of as much as I could while in the area was ideal. I am allergic to the contrast solution used for the MRI, so I had to get some prescriptions filled that would help prevent an allergic reaction from coming on. I had to take strong doses of Prednisone and Benedryl at intervals leading up to the test, as well as a relaxant to help with the claustrophobic feelings of the MRI machine. I had a blood draw at the hospital to check calcium and triglyceride levels as well.  

     Ras had a talk to give later in the evening at Seven Hills Running Shop about his unsupported Washington Pacific Crest Trail OKT. We also had plans to meet our daughter Angela for lunch. She is a senior at the University of Washington and it would be easy enough for her to meet us at the medical center when she was done with her morning class. She met us in the lab area and seemed more than ready to continue on to a more pleasant environment for our lunch date. I was going to have to stick with soup, so we decided on PCC, a market where we could do some shopping and each pick out whatever we wanted for lunch from their deli. This is somewhat of a tradition for our family when we visit Seattle anyway, so it worked out just fine. Our other, more indulgent tradition of vegan pizza from Pizza Pi, would have to wait for a different day. I enjoyed a delicious cup of split pea soup with lemongrass. Angela and I shared a yummy rosemary roll as well. We had lots of time to visit and it was so nice to spend time with my 22 year old college student daughter. She had just finished a math mid term, that she later learned she had gotten 92/100 as her score. I am so proud of her and I love that she is a product of homeschooling from 3rd-9th grade, mostly in an off-grid cabin in the woods along a creek.

     By the end of the next week, I was able to speak with my specialist regarding the cyst. She let me know that the pain was probably from the cyst, but the cyst itself might have been caused by pancreatitis. She didn't know. She wrote me a prescription for more pain meds and pancreatic enzymes. She instructed me to continue on the thickened liquid diet I'd already been on for about six weeks. I started taking the enzymes and within a couple of days, the pain had subsided greatly. I felt more like myself and ready to think about the future again.

     I continued with 30 mile weeks during all of the most painful times of this pancreatic bout. I suffered from pain for 6 weeks straight, the only time of relief was during the hospital stay. I began walking the hospital halls as soon as I was able. I continued with my 30 day Squat Challenge, even throwing in two sessions of 60 squats each while I was in the hospital.  I continued training for Baker Lake 100k Fat Ass (the Tofu Trot I would be running with Ras and Lisa) and the 18 mile anniversary run with Ras to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I kept all of these goals in mind. I continued my Fartlek Friday sessions, pushing through strong discomfort and blood sugar fluctuations while doing so.

     I got in a 5 hour run in Whistler Canyon in 20 degree and lower temps with Ras and Lisa, training for our Baker Lake run. This was the day when I noticed a definite turn around in the way I had been feeling. This was the day that I felt like I exited the pain cave. This was the day that I ended the run and had the familiar high feeling of the endorphin rush. I had run well on the final stretch of downhill and I it had felt like I still had my game. It felt amazing.

     I spent several other days with Lisa, going on runs in the high country of the Okanogan, followed by several hour sauna sessions in the little cedar structure she made herself. The sauna sits beside a creek and feels like a special spot that only exists in fairy tales. The saunas are always followed up by homemade vegan food that we share with each other and fresh squeezed juice or kombucha. We sip on healing, chilled herbal teas while sweating in the sauna, replacing the fluids lost in the process. Lisa makes herbal soaps with essential oils and the final time in the hot room is spent soaping up and rinsing off with the creek water, warmed just enough on the wood stove. These are the ways I heal from the intensity of a bout of pancreatitis and a five day stint in the hospital. 

     There are still big question marks in my life right now. My life has plans of it's own of which I am currently unaware. The house that Ras and I have been caretaking for five years is now on the market and we will have to move out soon. We are already looking for the next opportunity, the possibilities endless yet sometimes not seeming so. We have both been working temporary, seasonal jobs since we returned from thru-hiking the 800 mile Arizona Trail in the spring. It has allowed us to make ends meet, but not to set aside money. We want to return to the trail, to hike and run for 5,000 miles, covering a series of long distance trails in the months of spring, summer and autumn of 2015. This is my dream, the dream that I share with Ras. I must maintain my health in order for this to happen. We must find a place to live and store our belongings when we aren't on the trail. We must find a source of income and a way to fund our trip. Our three cats and two elderly dogs will need a well chosen care situation while we are out wandering. The solutions to these challenges will come with time, energy and effort. I choose to approach my life as if there are zero limits to my dreams and goals.

There are no barriers to my life. The gateways to wisdom and learning are always open, and more and more I am choosing to walk through them. Barriers, blocks, obstacles, and problems are personal teachers giving me the opportunity to move out of the past and into the Totality of Possibilities. I love stretching my mind, thinking of the highest good imaginable. As my mind can conceive of more good, the barriers and blocks dissolve.     Louise L. Hay

The Unpopular Truth About Alcohol & Recovery

The Unpopular Truth About Alcohol & Recovery

by Ras

     I've been vexed and chagrined by a recent spate of articles in running magazines and on health websites that have addressed the issue of alcohol intake and athletic performance, with an emphasis on recovery. The conclusion put forth by these fluff pieces has unanimously been, "Well, alcohol may not be an ideal post workout beverage, but everyone loves a cold beer, right?!" While pandering to public opinion may assuage readers' gourmand guilt, I feel an obligation to uphold a higher journalistic standard. After all, it's a matter of biochemistry, not opinion.

     Recovery not only prepares you for your next effort, but it is the process wherein you reap the benefits of your most recent workout. The goal of every workout is to strengthen and adapt your body to your sport or activity, and this is accomplished in recovery. During this time, your body needs carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores (1), protein to repair damage to existing tissues and build new tissue (2), and antioxidants to counteract the flood of free radicals (cell damaging unstable molecules) produced by training and exercise (3). The truth is that alcohol counteracts every one of these vital processes.

     According to a publication by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, when your body metabolizes alcohol it has numerous deleterious effects, including, but not limited to:  

• Reducing the amount of antioxidants
• Producing additional free radicals 
• Impeding glycogen assimilation
• Increasing systemic inflamation    
• Damaging cell mitochondria (4)
• Interfering with amino acids that form key proteins, including:

1. those found in the membranes surrounding red blood cells
2. tubulin, which is necessary for protein transport within cells as well as cell division
3. hemoglobin and albumin, two crucial blood proteins
   and
4. collagen, the main structural protein of human connective tissues  

     It doesn't take a biochemist to see that the effects of alcohol consumption exactly countermand the needs of the body during recovery. And these consequences are inescapable. When alcohol enters your system, whether it be beer, wine, or hard liquor, the body treats it as a poison and prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol, halting assimilation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (5, 6). 

     I am not emotionally invested in whether or not other athletes have a beer after a race or take a shot at an aide station or guzzle a suitcase of PBR on a wild Friday night. But when respected information sources in the running and health communities fail to make substantive information available to their readers, the iconoclast in me must make himself heard. And for the record, I only have access to the same information sources as anyone with an internet connection. All of the alcohol related information in this article came from the first page of a Google search.

     If you think of your recovery as the Andrea Gail, alcohol is the perfect storm.

(1) "The key to enhancing the replenishment of muscle glycogen is to ingest carbohydrates immediately after your workout. Science shows that this is related to the hormone insulin as well as the enzyme glycogen synthase (discussed above). Insulin stimulates glycogen synthase which then converts more carbohydrate to glycogen. Insulin simultaneously increases the transport of this glycogen from the blood into the muscles. Choreographed perfectly, the hormonal system and associated enzymes work to not only replace the glycogen you lost during exercise but they do it in the most efficient and rapid way.

Once scientists began to focus on insulin's role in glycogen replenishment, another connection was made that impacts the recovery routine. It turns out that ingesting protein along with the carbohydrate increases your insulin response. As a result, up to 30% more glycogen is stored than if you just ingest carbohydrates." – Greg McMillan source

(2) “Protein repairs exercise-induced muscle damage, reduces the response from the stress hormone cortisol and even helps speed glycogen replacement, the goal of taking in carbohydrates, says Jackie Dikos, a registered dietitian and competitive runner who competed in the 2008 U. S. Olympic marathon trials.” – Runner's World source

(3) "Excess free radical formation has been hypothesized to contribute to cancer, atherosclerosis, aging and exercise associated muscle damage. Regular low to moderate physical exercise enhances the antioxidant defense system and protects against exercise induced free radical damage. Heavy exercise increases the level of free radicals. Free radical production or loss of antioxidant protection can adversely affect performance." – Effects of free radicals and antioxidants on exercise performance source

(4) “Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised.” – United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation source

(5) “Alcohol is considered a poison by your body, and all efforts are made to excrete it, including the cessation of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.” – MedicineNet.com source

(6) “The effects that alcohol has on your health start with how it's metabolized. Once alcohol is in your system, your body makes metabolizing it a priority. That means that it will stop metabolizing anything else in order to first get the alcohol metabolized. The reason for this is because unlike protein, carbohydrates, and fat, there is nowhere for alcohol to be stored in our body so it has be metabolized first.” – Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS source