El Toro Track & Field

Rob Bethmann of Arlington, Texas reached out to MileSplit to offer a few words of wisdom about the recruiting process from a parent’s perspective. He is the father of Cade Bethmann, who improved his 800m time from 1:57.51 as a sophomore to 1:52.4 as a junior and placed third at the Texas State Championship. The senior at Arlington Martin High School committed to Ole Miss in November.

Here are a few thoughts from track dad Rob:

This is supposed to be fun, but it won’t always feel fun.

There is a business aspect to college track and field and you need to face that reality quickly in the process. Schools can give 12.6 scholarships for men and 18 scholarships for women.  There is no limit on roster size, so schools can put 50 athletes on the roster and then divide the scholarships however they’d like.

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Ideas For How To Display Your Running Race Bibs And Medals

Being in Cross County you will collect lots of Running Bibs, and perhaps, race shirts. Most runners hang onto the race bibs and medals as a keepsake to commemorate the races they’ve run.

But the medals hang on the end of a curtain rod on your bedroom and the bibs are pinned to the wall, or shoved in various shoe boxes and drawers around your house.

Below are some great ideas of how to display your accomplishments! (more…)

Low ferritin and iron deficiency anemia in distance runners: A scientific guide for athletes and coaches.

When I see a runner getting fatigued early on in workouts or struggling mightily in races for no good reason, there’s one potential cause I always consider first: low iron. Iron deficiency is a significantly underdiagnosed problem in distance runners. Low levels of hemoglobin in the blood, or low levels of the iron storage protein ferritin, can have a profoundly negative impact on your ability to have successful workouts and races.

Hemoglobin is the main building block for red blood cells, which carry oxygen from your lungs to your muscles. If you don’t have enough hemoglobin, you can’t make enough red blood cells, and as a result, your distance running performance will suffer. Furthermore, research and practical coaching experience suggests that low ferritin levels can cause poor performance, even when hemoglobin levels are normal.

We’ll take a close look at the science behind low iron and distance running performance, then analyze the best ways to treat and prevent iron deficiency in runners. (more…)

You head out the door for an eight-mile run. Right from the start, your energy level is down, and your legs feel heavy.  After 2 miles of uncharacteristic drudgery, you stop-then jog and walk home.

What’s the problem?

Could be low iron. Iron is vital to running and performance.
Despite this importance, many runners do not monitor their body’s iron levels. Even many physicians do not understand the complete role of iron for endurance athletes. (more…)

A runner’s best friend

The most important equipment for a cross country athlete is a good pair of running shoes.

There are a variety of shoes to choose from and it can become very confusing trying to select a shoe. The following tips will be helpful when selecting a pair of running shoes.

1. Communicate your needs – tell the salesperson you are a beginning runner and are looking for a distance running shoe for the sport of cross country (you do not want a cross-training shoe). You will be running on a variety of surfaced (asphalt, cement, grass, dirt, etc.) and will be running between 15-30 miles a week. (more…)

This routine will increase energy, mood, alertness and productivity during the day not just for workouts but for your other activities. It will keep your appetite and sugar cravings under control and prepare you for a night of restful sleep.

Time meals and snacks 2-3 hours prior to exercise

Eat “good” carbs every 3-4 hours

After a moderate to hard exercise, eat a snack with carbohydrates (more…)

Calcium: 1-3 servings (1 cup of milk or yogurt per serving), low fat cottage cheese, skim or 1% milk, soy milk, plain yogurt with active/live cultures

Protein: 5 servings (2-4 oz per serving or 1 cup of beans), fish 3-5 times per week, high quality protein twice a day, whey protein for recovery, bean based meals like bean burrito, no skin poultry, fish, legumes

Vegetables: 3 servings, dark green daily, colorful vegetable or fruit daily, always have vegetable (veggie in a sandwich is good but not enough) at lunch and dinner (more…)

Definition: GI (glycemic index) is a measure of the ability of 50 gms of carbohydrate within a food to raise blood sugar. For example, 50 gms of pure glucose, 1 cup of ice cream, 5 cups of whole milk and 7 carrots are compared.

Factor affecting glycemic index:

The amount and rate of carb consumption (how fast and how much)

The simultaneous presence of fat (fat deceases the glycemic response) (more…)