A Simple Guide to Running
At last the winter is drawing to a close, the days are getting longer and we can start stepping up our exercise routines, whether it is for that long awaited summer holiday or for a personal goal such as the marathon.
For many of us this means one thing, Running!
For those of you training for the marathon, the weekly mileage and speed training will now be mounting up as you enter the last couple of weeks leading into the big day.
For those of us just training for that ever elusive beach body running may form an important part of our regular training programme.
It can be difficult running in a major city like London. The traffic, pollution and lack of real open areas can cause problems running outside and pounding away on a treadmill just does not deliver the same feeling of achievement as running outdoors.
Here in Highgate and Hampstead we are very lucky. The Heath is an ideal place to run. The open access gets you away from the traffic and the ranging terrain can act as a great training tool for things such as hill running, interval training and sprint training.
If running is a big part of your training routine then it is important to remember a few simple things before you lace up your running shoes.
Hydration – It has been shown that 2 percentage dehydration can lead to a 30% drop in performance. This can lead to injuries and illness. When you go out running, take enough fluid to last you the entire session. It is also important to replace your fluids and electrolyte levels when you have finished your run. You can do this with sports drinks or through a simple mix of fruit juice and water e.g.one quarter orange juice, three quarter water.
Footwear – Your footwear is the single most important piece of equipment for a runner. You should ensure that your footwear is sturdy enough to protect your ankle joints, cushioned enough to limit the impact every time your foot strikes the floor and light enough to allow your feet to breath.
A simple check for your footwear is firstly the age of the trainers. Anything over six months old really needs replacing. This can be expensive but the long term benefits will be worth it. The next check is the sole of the trainers. Do they still have the same flat shaped sole as when they were bought or are there now odd shaped wedges worn into the soles of the shoes? If this is so once again it is time for a new pair of running shoes. Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you!
Warm up and cool down – A good warm up should last around five minutes and should include simple stretches of the major muscles being used (hamstrings, quads, calves) and a gentle exercise to raise the heart rate (fast walking, slow jog). This prepares the body for the stress that you are about to place on it.
A cool down should include the same things as a warm up; Stretches for the major muscles (hamstrings, quads, calves) and a come down exercise that allows the body to return to its normal resting state (slow jog, fast walk).
You could also include a cold shower as part of your recovery process. This is a simple five minute session where you run a cold shower over your legs to help the blood flush out any of the waste products and lactic acid that has built up during the running session. This is similar to the ice baths that professional athletes use but is not as intense.
If running is a big part of your training routine then no matter how many precautions you take, you may at some time or another succumb to one of the inevitable injuries that all runners suffer from. These may include a simple muscle strain or more serious conditions such as shin splints, plantar fasciities, Achilles tendonitis or runner’s knee.
Injuries are regular occurrences in runners, the constant pounding through the joints and the demand placed upon the working muscles can become too much for some participants. By taking on board some of the information in this article you will decrease the risk of injury occurrence, enjoy the activity a lot more and get the results you desire from the hard work you put in.
The Benefits of Having a Running Partner
Having running buddy depending upon you to turning up and knowing that you will let them down will encourage you to turn up, you will feel obliged to turn up whether you like it or not. Making a pact at the start of your training promising to motivate one another during each run will lead to persistency and ensuring you both encourage one another when you do not want to go. It is proven that having a training partner will make runners last in the longer term.
Having someone else there to chat to will motivate you; when your feeling down they will be able to help get you in the mood and remind you of why your going for the run in the first place. Whilst your running having someone also gives you something to keep you occupied with, keeping your mind off your tiredness and preventing boredom. Having someone to talk to will also make the time feel like its flying past, and it will hopefully feel like less of a chore doing it every week or so.
For many beginners or women it can be embarrassing to run by yourself, to have a partner to keep you company will help minimise this embarrassment and will provide moral support.
From another point of view, psychologists in the US have stated that the benefits of having a training partner whilst running also include making you smarter; as you run and talk more areas of the brain are stimulated.
When choosing a running partner it is best to go for someone who is in the same fitness level as yourself; depending on your reasons for running it may not be best to train with a partner who is significantly less fit than you are. If you are training for a marathon you will not get to you full capacity if you are constantly waiting for another person. Perhaps going running with a person mildly more experienced or fit could be a benefit, urging you to push yourself harder until you are at their level, but do not overstrain yourself trying to keep up. If you are maybe doing the running as part of a weight loss regime, another dieter may be an ideal running buddy; you can both keep focused on your goal fitness level or ideal weight. Finally, if you cannot find someone to go with you, go running with your dog; if your running in the country or a park away from roads then they will appreciate getting a good run about. Not all dogs have large amounts of stamina so be aware of how far your dog can go before they are overstrained, like humans overdoing it can hurt them too.
Car Running Using Water
If you’re wondering if a car can run using water is possible, then the answer is yes, it is. There is, however, a problem with this. It will need an additive – a petroleum-based additive such as diesel or petrol/gasoline – so that it can run properly.
You are probably better off when you are using water as an additive for the petrol/gasoline or diesel vehicle you drive now. Since you have a petrol/gasoline or diesel vehicle which is running fine now, why don’t you improve what you are already using instead of spending a lot more money to get something which may not work as well as your car works right now?
Water is a good additive and many people recommend water because it enhances the existing efficiency of the vehicle, but with a car running using water as an additive, there could be a fuel consumption improvement of double or even triple your mileage on one tank of fuel. There have been reports of an enhancement in the engine performance and a decrease in the exhaust pollution. The engine of a car running using water also runs more smoothly, cleanly and there is a reduction in the wear and tear of the car, thus, increasing the engine life.
How does a car running using water work?
There is a lot of energy present in water. A very small amount of your car’s electrical supply will break down the components of water into a gas called Brown’s Gas or Hydroxy.
This gas is then mixed in the carburetor with the regular fuel mixture, thus, increasing the engine power, which then decreases the fuel consumption. When Hydroxy or Brown’s Gas is burned as an additive to fuel, it turns back into water and thus, there are no additional exhaust problems when water is used as an additive.
At this time, the internal combustion engine utilizes only about 20% of the energy which is stored in your petrol/gasoline or diesel car, and the other 80% of the energy you buy at the pump is wasted.
The price of the additive?
The price of petrol/gasoline or diesel is increasing every day and can you afford all tis water now? On the whole, the amount of water which is consumed is about 1 quart for approximately 900 miles (1 litre for 1450 km). this depends on the size of the vehicle because this system can be used in the smallest cars, given that there is sufficient room to fit the water container which is usually about 4 inches (10 cm) wide by 8 inches (20 cm) tall), through to heavy truck, which are going to need a lot more water. There will be no engine modifications necessary as the system is ass-on only.
Baby Jogging Strollers – Key Safety Features That All Strollers Must Have
Baby jogging strollers can be an effective way to wheel your young family about in, and you will keep your self healthy at the same time. You’ll find quite a lot of double jogging strollers that you can buy at this moment, now how possibly do you choose which stroller is best with regard to you and your child? Definitely the first place to look, are at the variety of features that exist on a specific design which may appeal to you.
A stroller would certainly come with a couple of passenger seats, but also a comfortable ride for the occupants. Baby jogging strollers do feature a range of functions, however the principal feature needs to be it’s ability to go over difficult surfaces and exactly how effectively it corners.
Baby jogging strollers are basically comprised of a ridged metal skeleton and also some high quality wheels. The wheels are arranged together with 2 at the rear and 1 in front, with the front wheel often fixed. Even so the more costly versions do let it swivel, but could be secured in position if you have to.
Every decent baby stroller should have seats that will recline right down so that the child or children may have a sleep. In order to provide a stable experience, the seats available should not be too high off the floor. Consider the weight of your baby and be sure that your stroller should be able to cater to it.
Probably among the most important of functions will be the harness. A series of straps comprising a five point harness secures your kids within it’s seat securely. For the purposes of comfort the straps need to be padded, but very easily locked and unlocked as well.
Just like any good bicycle, they are only as good as the brakes which were supplied. And so it’s the exact same with baby jogging strollers. Pricey strollers include three kinds of brake system, the less pricey with two and lesser still with one. These kind of braking methods let you stop your stroller just like a bicycle, with the brakes attached to the handle bars for convenient stopping.
A parking brake will keep your baby stroller secure from all movement mainly on gradients. A tether really should come provided, this will allow you to run quickly, and if you should ever loose your grasp the strap will stop the stroller from getting clear of you.
Dear friend, choosing Baby Jogging Strollers should not be taken lightly. If safety is your number one reason to buy, then please visit Baby Jogging Strollers Alternatively go to the site directly at http://www.squidoo.com/doublejoggingstrollers
Running Cars on Water
Water comprises for more than 70% of the Earth that we live on, and we use water for various purposes in our lives. We all know that water has the power to generate energy, but most of us are unaware that this energy can be used for running cars on water as well. Mention the word ‘hydro-electric power’, and people would form a picture in their minds about a huge dam with water speedily flowing to rotate the turbine for the production of electricity. This is true, but water can also produce energy in another way.
As you all know, water (H2O) contains two hydrogen and one oxygen atom. But you must be unaware that Oxy-hydrogen is composed in a similar manner (H2O). At room temperature, oxy-hydrogen is in the gaseous state, while water is in the liquid state. Oxy-hydrogen, used mainly in big industries for the purpose of melding glass, metal, etc. is highly inflammable in nature.
Having the same elements, it is very much possible to convert water into oxy-hydrogen. But what’s it use? Let’s find out.
Water can be converted into oxy-hydrogen by the process of electrolysis. As oxy-hydrogen will be highly inflammable when combined with gasoline, it can give additional energy for running cars on water, which would increase the mileage of the car as well. Though it is not possible to run a car only on water, but it certainly brings down the gas requirement by a huge extent.
Running cars on water has been popular for quite some time now. Studies have been conducted to find how water-emitted hydrogen helps in acting as fuel for cars. Experiments to find this out have succeeded, and it has been possible to run cars on water.
But for pure political reasons, this information hasn’t been revealed to the public, since oil makes the government rich enough. In fact, it has been the production of oil and its export that has made a couple of nations very powerful. Given the rising price of oil, if this technology is revealed to the public, demand for oil, and thus, government revenues, would come crashing down. Not only will the oil companies suffer because of this, the oil producing countries will suffer due to their heavy losses as well.
As mentioned earlier, water has two hydrogen parts and one oxygen part. Hydrogen is emitted when electric current is passed through water. This hydrogen can be used for running cars on water. It must be mentioned here that only water cannot help in running a car due to the huge amount of electricity required, so a mixture of water and gasoline is needed. So using water for running cars will reduce your cost, apart from giving you other benefits.
Running and Jogging 101 – A quick start guide
Hopefully a helpful guide for those of you looking to start jogging or running for weight loss or fitness.
Running lowers your resting heart rate, increases your aerobic capacity, reduces body fat and increases muscle tone, all of which improve your base level of fitness and amongst other things, make you feel damn good about yourself!
If fat loss is your ultimate aim then running is a good starting point. By improving your base level of fitness you are not only burning calories while running but are increasing your metabolism, which results in greater fat mobilisation even after exercise.
If you are looking to increase your fitness or undertake High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) than running is also a good starting point as by improving your base level of fitness you are preparing your body to be able to cope with higher intensity training and instead of wheezing to a stop after a few minutes of such sessions you will be able to sustain your efforts for longer, burning more calories and building more fitness.
You don’t need any fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships to start running, but there are a few tips that you can follow to ensure you are both getting the most out of your running and also minimising your risk of injury.
I have written this guide from my experiences as a serious club runner of five years and have drawn on knowledge taken from my athletics and running coaching qualification, which i am currently undertaking. I hope it helps.
What do you need to consider before you start running?
As with starting any sport you should always consult a doctor if you have any underlying health problems that you think could either be made worse by running or could adversely affect your running performance. If you are overweight then you should consult your doctor as a matter of course as running places a large amount of stress on venerable ankle, knee and hip joints which may already be delicate on an overweight person.
Adequate footwear is a very important part of running. Although most people shouldn’t need to spend a fortune on top of the line running trainers, it is important that you consider the following points:
Make sure that your running shoe offers both padding and ankle support otherwise you run the risk of impact injuries such as stress fractures and joint damage, and also may be prone to twisted ankles, especially in the first few weeks of running until you build up the strength in your tendons.
If you know you are flat footed or have collapsed arches then you may be what is known as a ‘pronator’ this is where the foot rolls excessively outwards whilst you are running and is very common in runners of all levels. If you think you may be a pronator then you can get checked in any good running shoe store and such stores will test for this when they advise you on what shoe to buy anyway. If you are a pronator then it is nothing to worry about but you will need to buy a pair of what are known as ‘stability trainers’ which control the excess roll of your foot and reduce the stress to your joints that running will cause.
Your First Run
When you are just starting out as a new runner it is important that you take it slowly to begin with until your body gets used to your new sport. Failure to do so might result in injury and put your weight loss and fitness plan on hold; which is not what anyone wants!
Your first run should be more of a walk/shuffle/jog as you see how your body adapts. Begin with a warm up of ten minutes of walking and then try and jog at an even pace for say five minutes. After this five minutes, if you are feeling out of breath, slow down and walk for two minutes to get your breath back before picking up the pace again and jogging for another five minutes. Maintain this pattern a few more times, before walking for another ten minutes as a cool down. The aim of this session is for you to see you fitness level so you can gauge how to approach your next run.
If you found this first session easy and weren’t out of breath at all then in future sessions you will want to increase the time of the jogging periods and/or reduce the amount of rest time in-between each jogging interval. If you found this first session hard or did two jogging intervals instead of four then you might want to repeat this session before beginning to build up the time you spend running and decreasing the amount of time you spend walking in-between each jogging interval.
Technique
Technique is very important when you are new to running as if you learn correct body posture and form at this early stage then it will be a lot easier than re learning it at a later stage.
Good running technique is important as it enables you to run efficiently, which means you can run or longer with less effort. Also, from a health point of view, if you maintain good running form then you will minimise your risk of running related injuries.
When you are running, you should have a relatively straight back and be bending ever so slightly forward from the waist. Usually, people have problems with this because they are looking down at their feet and so if you look forward instead of down your body should naturally align itself. Running bend over is not good running posture as you will be putting a large amount of strain on your lower back.
You arms should be bent at the elbows and loosely tucked into the site of your body. They should also naturally swing perpendicular and you should try not to be stiff or tense up whilst running by relaxing your shoulders. As you speed up you will find that you swing your arms more to compensate for your increased stride, but try not to let your arms swing horizontally across the front of your body as you will be putting alot of lateral force on your pelvis.
When it comes to your running stride, you should aim to move your legs in an almost cycling manner, bending them at the knees and making sure you keep your feet relatively in line with the direction you are running for the most efficient stride. You should also try not to place each leading footfall too far away from your body, as it it better to take lots of smaller steps than longer ones to begin with as this will minimise the impact of each stride and will help your joints stay injury free.
This may be a lot to think about at first but over time you will find that you develop an efficient running style that you will automatically revert to when you go out on your runs.
How to progress after the first few weeks.
Before long you will find that you are able to jog for a sustained period of time without walking and you will be surprised at how far you have come since your first session. The aim now is to build up the distance and speed of your runs so that your body is continually being challenged and as a result your fitness will continue to improve.
You should try to aim for at least three 20-30minute runs a week to have the maximum impact on fitness and weight loss without increasing your risk of injury. As the months progress and you feel yourself becoming fitter then you should definitely increase your distance, speed and number of runs to whatever you feel comfortable with.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t increase your weekly mileage or speed by any more than 10% as this gives your body change to a repair and adapt to running at long distances. Obviously this is not an exact science as if this were the case, within six months you would be running over 50miles, so only bear this rule in mind as a general guide.
You will find that after a period of time where it was easy to add time and distance to your running your training will stagnate and it will become more difficult to add either speed or distance to your runs. This is natural and as with any sport, perseverance, some good guidance and a lot of hard work will see you make continual improvements in your running performance.
So how does all this help me loose weight?
If you have done a few months of running then, with all other things held constant, you will already have noticed the difference. You will feel great, have lost weight and will have toned up and it will all be thanks to your hard work. The simple rule of weight loss is that i you use more energy than you consume then you will loose weight as your body used stored fat reserves to run your body. A thirty minute run can burn upward of 500calories depending on your weight and exertion and increases your metabolism so your body convert more fat stores to energy even after you stop exercising.
How to take running further.
This guide was written as an introduction to running for weight loss but there are many more articles and resources available on the internet that can help you gain the most out of running, whether you are looking for more running tips, enter your first race, improve your running times, try a different kind of running such as hill running or trail running, or just improve your technique and stay injury free.
Martin Yale 400 Tabletop Paper Jogging Machine Review
Overview:
The Martin Yale 400 tabletop paper jogging machine is a low cost jogger that is ideal for mailrooms, print shops, and small binderies.
The value of a paper jogger is that it makes any type of printing, copying or finishing equipment run smoother, with less paper jams.
A paper jogger is used to help remove the static from printed sheets and to align all of the pages perfectly for punching, cutting, binding, folding or processing. It uses vibrations to help ensure that all of the sheets are perfectly aligned for further processing.
Strengths / Features:
Paper joggers are available in a number of different configurations. The Martin Yale 400 comes with a single jogging bin that can handle a full ream of paper at a time. Although there are larger volume jogging machines available, the Martin Yale 400 is the simplest and least expensive paper jogger available on the market. All you need to do in order to jog paper with the Martin Yale 400 is to put the paper in the jogger and turn it on. After a few minutes the paper will all be aligned and jogged.
The Martin Yale 400 is sturdy and is built extremely well. It has a single heavy duty jogging tray that and a heavy duty motor to vibrate the tray. It also has sturdy rubber feet that keep it in place when set on a table or work surface.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
The Martin Yale 400 has no adjustment for bin angle or vibration speed. It simply has an on/off switch. This makes it extremely easy to operate but means that it is not as versatile for handling special stocks or projects. It also means that you can’t adjust it to reduce the amount of vibrations that are put out by the jogger. Most larger more expensive joggers have these features.
The Martin Yale 400 also has a letter sized paper jogging bin. This is ideal for 8.5″ x 11″ and smaller documents. However, it is not designed to handle larger format documents such as legal sized paper or 11″ x 17″ sheets. The angle of the bin also does not make it ideal for use with standard number 10 envelopes since they are difficult to access in the bottom of the jogging tray.
Like all paper jogging machines it is important to make sure that the Martin Yale 400 is set on a strong and sturdy work surface. A table that is rated to hold up to 500lbs is recommended to help reduce vibrations. You can even put a piece of carpet down underneath the machine to help reduce the vibrations.
Recommendation:
Every printer, bindery, mailroom and forms processor should really have a paper jogger. If you don’t have one, the Martin Yale 400 is a great place to start. It isn’t the most powerful or feature rich model.However, it has the basic features to get the job done and comes at an excellent price point that won’t break the bank. Check out the Martin Yale 400 paper jogger for yourself today.
Best Shoes for Running
If you are a regular runner and run even only a few miles a week, it is important that the appropriate consideration is given to your choice of footwear. Too many people keep the same pair of running shoes until they are well past their sell by date. It is also common to under spend on trainers as there can be ignorance to the benefits of a more expensive pair. It is important to consider if you invest in other areas of your health such as health supplements and fresh food then why would you not take the same care over your running shoes?
Old shoes can lose their conditioning and support which can be very bad for your feet. Because of this, it is recommended that running shoes are changed every 500 miles.
Along with correct running technique, a good pair of running shoes can help in reducing injury which could cause muscle and joint problems.
It is suggested that when investing in a new pair of running shoes you should visit a running shop so that they can assess your running style and fit you appropriately. However, this can be seen to promote bad running form which along with poor running shoes can result in injury.
Instead, this should be seen as an opportunity to learn about correct running form and not be limited by the type of trainer that could be purchased.
Some other tips for effective choice of running shoes include;
Don’t be brand loyal. Technology moves on at a rapid pace. What may have been regarded as the most advanced manufacturer last year may not still be today. Look for news and reviews on the Internet of the latest products.
Purchase them well in advance of your race. New running shoes can take around 70 miles to break in so ensure you have enough time to do this.
Be prepared to spend more than you had initially hoped. Spending on a better pair of running shoes can pay dividends with potentially reduced injury.
Buy more than one pair so that you can cycle their use. This can extend their life.
Run Your Car on Water – Unbelievable Yet True
There are many things that were once a figment of fantasy becoming real in today’s world thanks to the advent in technology and determination of many that have made it possible. The same is applicable to a new technology that helps you run car on water. If you told someone a decade ago that you will run your car on water, they would have thought you were hopping mad. Not anymore.
As fuel costs are rising up by the day, researchers are looking at other avenues to generate energy to be used to run vehicles and machines and this has seen the advent of use of sources like the sun (solar energy), wind, electricity, bio-diesel, etc. It has also seen the advent of running vehicles and machinery on water.
But, is it possible to run your car on water alone? It is not possible to run car on water alone although you will be using energy derived from water along with fuel to improve the efficiency of your vehicle along with making your ride more economical.
So, how to run your car on water? You can get to run your car on water by making some modifications to your car. This technology can be utilized even on trucks, SUVs and vans that are powered by using diesel or gas. Currently, the conversion has not been attempted or tested on hybrid vehicles. The best part is that water taken direct from the tap can be used and there is no need to use treated water or distilled water for powering the vehicle.
So, how does one go about making these modifications to run car on water? There are two ways to go about doing this. You can either opt for a customized kit to be put in by your mechanic or you can refer some easy to use guides that are available online to help you do the whole process all by yourself. The parts for doing this are all available at the local auto parts showroom or you might even have some of it at home.
Let us now look at how to run your car on water. The mechanism uses power from the battery of your vehicle to convert the water that you have added into a brown gas that is known as Hydroxy or HHO, which is essentially two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen. The two parts of hydrogen will provide the energy to the car. The best part is that the emissions from burning of this kind of fuel will be significantly lesser than if you were to be running your vehicle only on normal gasoline or diesel. Along with this, you get to enjoy the benefit of getting better fuel efficiency and thus saving you lot of costs.
All in all, to run your car on water is definitely a good proposition not only for you but also to the environment. If you are interested in running your car on water, all you need to do is to research the internet and find a good guide that will help you do this all by yourself without needing to go to a mechanic even. So, go ahead, run your car on water beginning today and make a difference.