Chicago Marathon Heat

This is a telling photo from the 2007 Chicago Marathon. The race saw 88°F temperatures and was closed prematurely (after 3.5 hours) for safety reasons.

Caffeine: I Gotta Quit Chu

My "7 Diet Cokes a day" habit is just not going to cut it. I am a slave to the fizz and it rules my life. There's nothing wrong with drinking a coffee or having a soda but I have to have one in front of me all day, and that can't be healthy. Here's a list of possible effects from excessive caffeine consumption:

• increased anxiety and hypertension risks
• decreased liver performance
• tooth decay and weakened bones
• addiction and dependence
• cycle of hyperactivity and/or inability to focus, followed by subsequent crash
• disrupted sleep habits
• decreased libido or sexual performance
• may interfere with weight loss and has been linked to hypoglycemia
• financial costs to support caffeine purchases

Combine these with the fact that aspartame is going to give me cancer, and I've now established that I need to take it way down. The problem is, like with any addiction, there are withdrawal symptoms. In the case of caffeine these can last up to two weeks and include:

• headaches
• fatigue
• lack of concentration
• poor motor skills
• flu-like symptoms

Today is my first day of detox and I am experiencing all of the above. I had to have 3 diet cokes just to stay alive today. After realizing that I can't quite cold turkey, this is how I plan to kick it:

1. Decrease my consumption by 1 drink every 3 days. In three weeks I will be down to 1 or 2 sodas a day, about my desired state.
2. Substitute for soda with sparkling water and fresh lemon or lime. I love the fizz and the tang. Carbonated water with some heavy lime gives me the same feeling.
3. Accept that I am going to need about 2 extra hours of sleep while I detox. I can barely stay awake right now at 9 o'clock.
4. Find another energy source. I'm thinking fruit.

There are surely numerous health benefits to this but I am doing it to improve my running. I have had calf cramps in every marathon despite the fact that the rest of my body was completely hydrated. I unscientifically concluded that caffeine is causing my calves to be dehydrated. Yes, just my calves. Don't mess with me I'm irritable right now.

The Legend of Cliff Young: The 61 Year Old Farmer Who Won the World’s Toughest Race

The legendary story of Cliff Young is already known to many runners. If you're aren't familiar with it, you're in for a fascinating read.

An Unlikely Competitor

Every year, Australia hosts 543.7-mile (875-kilometer) endurance racing from Sydney to Melbourne. It is considered among the world's most grueling ultra-marathons. The race takes five days to complete and is normally only attempted by world-class athletes who train specially for the event. These athletes are typically less than 30 years old and backed by large companies such as Nike.

In 1983, a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone's shock, Cliff wasn't a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners.

The press and other athletes became curious and questioned Cliff. They told him, "You're crazy, there's no way you can finish this race." To which he replied, "Yes I can. See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn't afford horses or tractors, and the whole time I was growing up, whenever the storms would roll in, I'd have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 sheep on 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I'd always catch them. I believe I can run this race."

When the race started, the pros quickly left Cliff behind. The crowds and television audience were entertained because Cliff didn't even run properly; he appeared to shuffle. Many even feared for the old farmer's safety.

The Tortoise and the Hare

All of the professional athletes knew that it took about 5 days to finish the race. In order to compete, one had to run about 18 hours a day and sleep the remaining 6 hours. The thing is, Cliff Young didn't know that!

When the morning of the second day came, everyone was in for another surprise. Not only was Cliff still in the race, he had continued jogging all night.

Eventually Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. To everyone's disbelief, he claimed he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.

Cliff kept running. Each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of the young, world-class athletes. He was the first competitor to cross the finish line and he set a new course record.

When Cliff was awarded the winning prize of $10,000, he said he didn't know there was a prize and insisted that he did not enter for the money. He ended up giving all of his winnings to several other runners, an act that endeared him to all of Australia.

Continued Inspiration

In the following year, Cliff entered the same race and took 7th place. Not even a displayed hip during the race stopped him.

Cliff came to prominence again in 1997, aged 76, when he attempted to raise money for homeless children by running around Australia's border. He completed 6,520 kilometers of the 16,000-kilometer run before he had to pull out because his only crew member became ill. Cliff Young passed away in 2003 at age 81.

Today, the "Young-shuffle" has been adopted by ultra-marathon runners because it is considered more energy-efficient. At least three champions of the Sydney to Melbourne race have used the shuffle to win the race. Furthermore, during the Sydney to Melbourne race, modern competitors do not sleep. Winning the race requires runners to go all night as well as all day, just like Cliff Young.

YakTrax: Get Your Grip On

This is a review of YakTrax, a product that attaches to the bottom of your shoes to provide better traction in slippery conditions.

Winter running is never easy in places like the Midwest. If it's not snowing and windy, it's icy and bone-chillingly cold. YakTrax can't help with the temperature, but they do give your shoes some much-needed traction. YakTrax simply fit strap onto your existing running shoes, creating a rubber lattice on their shoes with steel springs that creating traction After wearing them a month last winter I am ready to share my feelings on the product.

Pros: They really do help with grip. It is amazing how much better traction you get in snow. While other runners slip and slide, you can run right up the hill. They also keep you upright when you hit ice. I don't recommend running on solid ice, but they do keep you from busting your butt when you hit a patch. Surprising, YakTrax are actually pretty comfortable too. I barely notice them in the snow and on the trails. I figured they would hurt my feet after a few miles but that's not the case on soft surfaces like snow and dirt.

Cons: They fall off too easily. They don't fall off often, but the fact that they can fall off at all is a pain. Especially because you can't really feel them missing right away, you might end up losing them. Unless you're running with other people you have to retrace your path to find your Trax. I also don't recommend them for running when their isn't a good layer of snow or dirt. After 4 or 5 miles of running on a hard, paved street they do start to hurt your feet.

Conclusion: I would certainly recommend YakTrax to all runners who experience harsh winters. For about $20 you can get out and run in just about any conditions and feel safe. I also enjoy the ability to surge ahead of my running partners when they're struggling to find their footing.

Running Behind a Carrot

It's fairly taboo to talk about carrots in public but we all know we talk about it in private on long runs with our friends. Carrot, I must point out, is not a sexist label and can as easily be applied to a woman or a man. It is not degrading but merely points out that all those mile have paid off. What is a carrot? A carrot is that fellow runner in the race that looks especially nice in their running gear and helps you keep a nice steady pace. A pace that perhaps that may be slower or faster than you normally run but yet on this day it seems to be the perfect pace. Like a carrot in front of the horse that keeps it moving. Ideally the carrot is a runner that keeps a pace just above where you want to be, enabling you to have the proper motivation to reach your PR. If you're going to follow a carrot, at least follow these simple rules:

1. Don't harass. You're not a construction worker, you're a fellow runner. The only thing appropriate to say might be a few words of encouragement. If you're trying to strike a conversation and get a date, just wait until after the race.
2. Don't run two steps behind and stare the whole time. There is a fine line between appreciating and stalking.
3. When in the presence of a carrot one must never mention the carrot. You never know if someone wants to be considered a carrot (well, all men probably do), so error on the safe side.
4. Don't turn around after you've passed. We all want to see what the front looks like after we've run behind someone for a mile but control the urge and keep moving.

Follow these simple rules and everyone gets along. That beautiful person may not only put a smile on your face and a spring in your step; they could drive you to your personal best. Have a carrot story? Keep it nice. Go ahead and post in the comments.