Running Techniques and Child Obesity

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."– T.S. Eliot

Chris Turney joined Tony and me on our Trail run today. For those   unfamiliar with Chris, a brief history is in order. First, he is an outstanding collegiate and adult runner as well as a track coach. His best distances are in the neighborhood of 50 K.s and 50 milers. He ran the American River 50 miles around 6 hours and in 2001 won the World Championship Ride & Tie at Eur Valley with partners William Emerson and Chris’s horse Buddy.

Chris assisted with my training in 2003 and I had personal bests at Way Too Cool 50 K. , Jed Smith 50 miles and American River 50 miles. So I know, Chris has pertinent information   about training techniques. I told him that I wanted to be able to beat Tony on our training runs.  So what did I get from Chris? He told me “Trip him”.  Must confess that I also asked Chuck Mather what he would do? He told me “Have him carry something heavy”.

So, faced with the reality that I am probably not going to run faster than Tony, I have to rethink my goal. When I get clear about my goal, I’ll tell you.  I realize that I have to change my thinking. Last week I commented about weight.

A few words about children and the obesity problem. Recently, I read that parents might be held responsible for their children’s eating habits. The area of abuse and neglect, come into play. Bad eating habits seem to be related to1. Too much TV watching, 2. No parental control over food choices, 3. Skipping breakfast, 4. Less involvement in outside of school activities .5. Fast foods.6. Less physical activity .7. Too much fried foods.  8.  Poor adult modeling.

Things parents can do such as becoming good models: 1. Using fiber rich whole grain foods for breakfast can help regulate body weight; eating eggs skipping breakfast and/or eating on the run does not contribute to healthy weight management.2. Paying attention to glycemic index3. Incorporate seafood and soy-based protein sources regularly 4. Eat a mixed diet with some fat, protein, carbohydrates, and soluble fibers in each meal. 5. Don’t lose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week from calorie restriction alone 6. Where appropriate, choose foods with three or more grams of fiber per serving . 7. Minimize alcohol intake. If you choose to drink, select the light beer or wine rather than mixed drinks containing cream or added sugars. 8. Maintain an accurate food, activity, mood diary. 9. If possible, join a cognitive behavioral weight loss program. 10. Consider meal replacements for one or two meals a day.11. Fine-tune your dietary habits with the help of a dietitian.

 Weight control is difficult as we grow older. Our metabolism slows and our sleep becomes more problematic. Sometimes medication also plays a factor. Good luck   parents for you and your children.   Does the quote by T.S. Eliot fit?