Lincoln Park Pacers - Current Newsletter

Newsletter - February 2003

On the Cutting Edge of the Fitness Revolution
By Kate Fitzgerald

The 2003 River-to-River Relay Race

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On the Cutting Edge of the Fitness Revolution
By Kate Fitzgerald

Does anyone wonder why, no matter how much we run, some of us never seem to lose that beer belly or set of saddlebags?

You’re skinny as a rail for a week or two surrounding the marathon. You might be able to fit into your high school jeans now and then, but only after jaw surgery, or a fierce bout of Montezuma’s Revenge. A few weeks later (or even hours, depending on intake), that certain layer of fat always comes creeping back.

If this sounds familiar, read on. However, if you have the natural metabolism of a furnace and you need to “work” to keep weight on, go have another milk shake or something.

I hope you’re sitting down as you read this, because it might change your life as you know it.

On Jan. 19 (page one, section 9), The New York Times reported a new fitness movement that could revolutionize things for us runners. According to several experts, we may lose more weight and look better if we quit running and doing aerobic activity altogether and concentrated instead on lifting weights. Only lifting weights.

It’s a radical idea, telling dedicated cardio addicts they’re wasting their time running, but that’s the gospel according to Adam Zickerman, author of “Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution.”

His theory is that muscle burns more calories around the clock, and if we do a certain magic mix of weight training—as little as 20 minutes a week!—we’ll begin to look better than we do now. It all sounds rather effortless, unless I misunderstood things. (I’m extrapolating here, but we might look like supermodels and rock stars if we get the mix right.)

In another book touted by the NYT, Jorge Cruise’s “Eight Minutes in the Morning,” the promise is that we can skate by on a mere eight minutes of weight training a day. The effects of cardio activity stop as soon as we take off our track shoes, according to these guys, whereas we keep “training” all day long when we concentrate on weights. It sounds so simple! (Who got this lunatic running thing started in the first place?)

The fact that muscle burns more calories and boosts metabolism is not a new idea. But virtually eliminating cardio is definitely a new twist. (Yet…should America be hearing this, when six out of 10 of us are clinically obese? But that’s another story.)

I want to run with this (so to speak). Is it possible I’ve wasted decades pounding out the miles and pulverizing my cartilage, when I could have looked like Elizabeth Hurley all this time with a whole lot less effort (and injuries)?

Imagine--I can throw away my running shoes! No more frigid, dark winter workouts on the treacherous, icy path. No more risking heat stroke running under the sweltering sun on triple-digit summer days. I can now stay home and admire my biceps; take up a second career with all my free time.

Am I falling for this? Hell yes! For as long as this fad lasts…or until my current set of running injuries clears up, whichever comes first.

Over the last 10 days, I’ve ventured into the weight training area of my gym for the first time. I’ve talked to guys about dumbbells and bar bells. I even have a copy of “Weight Training for Dummies” in my book bag.

One detail nags at me. People in the weight training room look about the same as the folks in the cardio room. In fact, there might be more people in the weight room who look like apes, which is a tiny bit disturbing.

But I’m not going to over-analyze things when I’m in the grip of a new craze.

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The 2003 River-to-River Relay Race

has been scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2003, with the Pacers currently in the process of forming teams for this annual event. The race consists of teams of eight runners over an 80-mile course. Each leg of the race ranges in length from runner 2.5 to 4 miles, with which each runner completing three legs (sections). The race starts at on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River Valley (Pine Hills) , and follows country roads through the Shawnee National Forest to its finish at the Ohio River in Golconda.

All interested runners are encouraged to contact us at [email protected].

A previous PaceSetter article on this fun event may be found at http://lincolnparkpacers.org/NewsJune02.htm A map of the course is located at http://rrr.olm.net/smallmap.html

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Welcome To The Lincoln Park Pacers Running Club
P.O. Box 14835, Chicago, Illinois 60614 Phone: 1 (773) 588-1253 E-mail: [email protected]