Future Running Stars in Action!

Recently my 2 sons competed in their first race of the season and I couldn't have been more proud.
Running has become such an important part of my life and I can only hope that my sons follow in my footsteps!
Way to go boys!

What does your body weight REALLY tell you?

Most of my clients are only interested in finding out if their body weight has decreased when they step on that dreaded bathroom scale.
For years this has been used to determine the "health" of an individual. However, this tool should not be used as the sole measurement of someone's health. Your scale, unless it has a body fat component to it, will not tell you the amount of fat weight versus muscle weight. Even the scales that do have a body fat measurement on it cannot be used as a stand alone tool to determine you overall health.

During a physical examination your Doctor used to look at your height and then compare it to your weight to see if you were considered to have a good Body Mass Index (BMI). In recent years this tool has come under intense scrutiny as it failed to account for someone's body fat %.
Believe it or not there IS a simple way to determine your health and that is the waist to hip ratio.

Divide your waist size at its smallest by your hip size at its largest and you get a key to how much fat is stored in the abdomen, where it raises the risk of heart disease. The lowest healthy ratio is not yet known. But many experts agree that women with ratios of 0.8 or lower and men with ratios of 1 or lower are in good shape. So, the next time you weigh yourself try to remember that this is just ONE tool that should be used when determining how well your diet is working for you.
For more information on how to find the best meal plan for YOU, contact me at gregdcruz@rogers.com

What a running year!

I just recently finished a 25K trail race in Owen Sound and this coincided with the anniversary of my first time running.
During the past year I think I have completed 20 races including my first Marathon and 50K within 1 month of each other.
I've been so lucky this past year and have made some amazing friends along the way. Some I have been able to keep in contact with and others I have not but each person who I have met has left a lasting impression on me.
Since January I have been fortunate enough to do nutrition talks at the Running Room in Pickering and Whitby. The Running Room has become my "Mecca" and is a place where I love to stop by and talk with the friendly staff there including Nancy, Theresa and Maureen.
I recently started to instruct a Learn to Run clinic which will prepare the participants for a 5K run to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The race will be held on Sunday October 1st. It was an amazing experience to meet all the new runners on Monday. Some have had running experience while others have never attempted to run.
It's still amazes me to think that I was in the exact same position as most of the people in the clinic and now I am teaching them about running.
For those of you who have never experienced the thrill of running, I urge you to give it a try. Go to your local Running Room and the knowledgeable staff there will recommend the best shoe for you.
Running has surely changed my life and I hope that it has the same effect on you.

A success story!

I recently was working with someone who was about to complete her first triathlon. Here is what she had to say:

"I’m sooo glad I found Greg D’Cruz! When I started working with Greg I weighed 153lbs and was a size 12. Now, after many ups and downs, I finally got strict with myself and WOW it has worked. I currently weigh 142 lbs and have dropped 4 dress sizes, seven more pounds left for my 135lb goal.

Recently, I competed in my very first Sprint Triathlon. Thanks to Greg’s awesome nutrition program, I felt strong, energetic and mentally focused throughout the course of the race. Not once did I feel the “muscle burn” sensation characteristic during prolonged exercise. After the race, I did not experience the typical feelings of fatigue, nor did I experience delayed onset of muscle soreness the following two days after my race.

The nutritional guideline he provided was easy to follow and 100% accurate in manipulating my energy stores needed for extended bouts of aerobic activity.

I will defiantly recommend anyone to contact Greg for nutritional advice. Whether your goal is weight loss or competition focused, Greg’s expertise, patience and approach will cater to your specific needs. He did with me and for that I am truly grateful."

Thanks again, in health and fitness
Jesse R

Pictures from my first 50K race!

50 K report!

Well, I didn't get much sleep the night before the race as I was afraid that I would oversleep and not hear my alarm. I ended up getting up around 3:30 AM and left to pick up my friend Theresa.
We drove up together and discussed our pre-race strategy. The drive was traffic free and we arrived in Niagara Falls at about 5:45 AM. We were surprised to find out that we both received a very nice sweatshirt.
The weather was great and it was nice to see so many familiar faces at the race. I mentioned to whoever was listening that this was our first 50K race. Everyone was so supportive and wished us the best of luck.
The race started promptly at 7AM and things seemed to go well for the first 20K or so. I was on target for a sub 5hour 50K which was what I wanted.
However, things went bad from there and I started feeling pain and for the first time in my short racing career, I was having negative "self talk" along the way. I couldn't seem to shake free from this and while my pain was minimal, the mental games were agonizingly tough to overcome.
For whatever reason I couldn't seem to keep my pace and this was getting me more and more frustrated. Theresa tried to keep my spirits up but nothing seemed to work.
Although Theresa and I had planned to finish the race together, it became clear that this wasn't going to happen. Theresa decided to keep going at her pace and I told her that was fine with me. My only regret is that I didn't have my mp3 player with me so the final 15K I ran alone.
I tried to use the 5K aid stations as "mini goals" to keep me going and this worked for awhile but my pace was so slow that I got more and more frustrated by how long it was taking me to get to each station.
I used some walking breaks to catch my breath but tried to keep running as much as I could so I wouldn't stiffen up completely.
The final 10K was probably the hardest 10K I've ever done. Amazingly enough, I was still on pace for a 5hr finish with 10K left to go. The last 10K was a series of walks followed by slow runs. It wasn't until I hit the 48K mark that I knew I was going to finish and finish strong. I dug in as deep as I could and ended up doing the last 2K at a 5:30K pace.
I ended up finishing the race in 5:04. It was an amazing experience and something that I will definitely try again. I realized, though, that I have put myself through lots of races in the past 10 months (over 15 I believe) and that it's time for some much needed rest.
I've already accomplished my 2 racing goals for the year (complete my first marathon and first 50K) and while I still have several more races to go, I can relax a little now and just enjoy them more.

The 10K MudRun was simply a blast!

Preparing for my first 50K race!

What am I thinking? In less than 72hours I will embark on my longest and toughest race of my very short racing career.

When I first got into running, the person who encouraged and influenced me me most was an ultra marathoner. She actually just completed her first 100 mile race a few weeks ago. I started off doing some races with her but while I was tackling the 25K variety, she was off doing the more challenging 50K races.

I always dreamed of what it would be like to put myself through this kind of a race. I recently completed my first marathon in May and was going to wait until the end of the summer to complete my first 50K but I remember her saying last year that the 50K in Niagara was fairly flat and not a bad course to attempt my first 50K at.

I did my last run today (11K at an easy 5:35 pace) and will spend the next few days getting mentally prepared for the race. My diet over the next few days will consist of some blueberry bagels, protein shakes, pasta, natural peanut butter, yogurt, pancakes and some granola bars.
The day before the race I'll have a big bowl of pasta with some parmesan cheese.
I plan on drinking 3-4 liters each day from now until the start of the race.
The race starts at 7:00 AM which means I have to leave my house at approximately 4AM. Thankfully a friend is joining me (I can't wait Theresa) and this will make the trip VERY exciting as this is her first 50K race too.

I completed a very nice talk at the Running Room in Whitby tonight and met some truly great people who are training for a 10K race in July. It meant a lot to me when they wished me well on my race. I also visited my "Mecca" which is the Running Room in Pickering. It was great to see Nancy, Miriam, Chuck and Maureen there. I am very fortunate to have such a great group of friends and they all wished me luck on my race. There's something magical about going into that particular store and seeing such a great group of people. Once I complete the race I'll be sure to stop in to tell them all about how I did.
Once this race is over I'll make sure I take some time off....................Until the next race that is!

Body For You Programs

Here are the following programs being offered with the accompanying costs:

Diet Analysis and Meal Plan ($100 or $150 for two people): This program covers a thorough analysis of your typical eating pattern and this will help me to prepare a proper 7 day meal plan that fits into your lifestyle. It will include what to eat before/during and after any athletic competitions (10K races, 1/2 marathons, marathons and ultramarathons, long distance walking etc),
easy to follow recipes, proper serving sizes, substitution lists and a recommendation of what vitamins will help you . This program also includes regular correspondence via email where I will answer any questions you have regarding your meal plan or any other nutrition questions.

NEW
In house visit ($75): I will come to your house and go through your kitchen with you so you can see what foods you need to eat more of. This will provide you with a good educational base and makes a great combination if you have purchased the Diet and Meal Plan program.

Grocery Tour ($50): We will go on a tour of the grocery store where you regularly shop and I will give a guided tour of what foods to eat more of and which foods to use less often. The grocery stores strategically place food items in certain locations and once you figure out what areas to avoid it will take some of the stress away from grocery shopping.

Post-Race thoughts!

After having completed my first marathon and a 25k trail run in the past 14 days, my body is in need of some serious rest.
Trail running takes so much more effort to complete than a road race but the race day experience is what draws me to complete even more races. I managed to complete the course in 2:32 which I was happy with. It wasn't as technical as Seaton but it had some of the longest hills I've seen in quite some time. Thankfully the start time was early enough (7:30) to avoid some of the heat and humidity. I was able to see some of my friends who were doing the 100 MILE race. This is something I would love to do in a few years.
The nutrition for completing a 100 mile race is something to behold. Many of the runners had their own coolers with plenty of food and beverages on hand. This ranged from fruits, potatoes, sport gels, pretzels, and gummy bears.
I'll likely take a few days off but be back at it by no later than Tuesday of this week.

My next race!

I know it's been awhile since my last post but I've been busy trying to organize my races for the next few months.
The beauty of racing is that as soon as I cross the finish line of the race I'm doing I'm already thinking about my next race.
Tomorrow I have a 25K trail race in Sulphur Springs, which is near Hamilton. Trail running is my first love and it seems like it's been months since I've had a trail race so I'm looking forward to doing this race.
Now that my marathon is behind me I'm going to focus on doing more trail races with the hope of doing a 50K trail race near the end of the season. I may do another marathon to prepare for the 50K as I know it will be my toughest run to date.
After the marathon I took 2 days off from running and then did a few light runs on Wednesday and Thursday. I went away on a much needed vacation for 5 days and although the weather wasn't great, it was nice to just get away and reflect on the marathon. I was and still am surprised at how non-runners view a marathon race. I've been met with nothing but smiles and congratulations whenever I tell people that I completed a marathon.
My eating wasn't the greatest over the weekend but I managed to exercise daily which helped. If you are not on a good "lifestyle" plan then whenever you overeat you risk the chance of gaining and keeping fat. Because my plan is NOT a low calorie "diet" my clients rarely gain weight when they go off the plan for a day or two. To learn more about how my program works feel free to email me:
gregdcruz@rogers.com

Mission Accomplished!

I'm writing this 2 days after completing my first marathon. It was one of the greatest experiences in my life as well as the most challenging.
I woke up at 4:30 AM to prepare for the race. I was nervous and excited but it was great to meet up with all my friends before the race which helped calm me down.
Before the race I had 1.5 bananas, 1 cup of tea and a bagel with peanut butter and honey.
The weather was cold and very windy. Seeing all the runners get ready for the race was a something I'll never forget. Michael Burgess sang the national anthem and Mayor McCallum (sp) fired off the starting gun.
I was fortunate enough to run with an experienced runner (thanks Theresa) who held me back each time I wanted to run too fast. I don't think I would have been able to finish the race had I started out too fast. I also ran with Nancy and Rob who were doing their first marathon.
All through the run we were able to share stories of our personal life and how we all started running. This helped pass the time and made for an enjoyable experience.
For the first time in my racing experience, I had to use the bathroom. This slowed me down a little but thankfully I was able to make up some time by going a little faster for a brief period of time.
At the 30K mark there was "wall" which we all had to run through. This was supposed to represent the feeling that a runner sometimes gets (both physical and mental) during a race. It's this point in the race where a runner will sometimes doubt him/herself.
Thankfully I never felt this but at the 32 K mark I knew I only had 10K to go so I decided to speed up a little. This turned out to be a mistake as I was only able to keep a faster pace for 2K. The final 8K was hard and it wasn't until the final 2K that I seemed to get another burst of energy. I was able finish the race in 4 hours and 3 minutes which I was happy with.
I couldn't have done this without the support of my girlfriend Cassandra. I can only imagine how she is going to feel after she completes her first marathon in December.
I plan on taking a few days off before preparing for my next race on May 27th.
Thank you for all your support!

1 Day before my 1st Marathon!

In exactly 24 hours I will hopefully be celebrating the completion of my 1st Marathon race.
I didn't sleep too much last night and have been keeping myself busy today. All the preparations are over (except for one last pasta dinner at 8PM tonight). I visited the Marathon Expo in Mississauga today and picked up a few things for the race. I'm sufficiently stocked with enough carbohydrate gels and have decided not to run with water as there will be water stations at every 2K of the race. I've attached my bib number to my bib belt and will be making sure my mp3 player has fresh batteries in it.
I'm going to try and get to bed early as I have to get up at 4:30AM tomorrow.
I'll be happy to post my race day experience in a day or so.

Friday May 12.06 - 2 nights to go!

I have to say that today has been the most stressful day so far with regards to my Marathon week. I've been having doubts about my ability to finish the race. I also have been eating so many carbohydrates that I'm ready to explode at any minute. If I see another bagel anytime soon.............
Couple that with the fact that I've decided not to do anything physically active for the next two days and you can see why I'm itching to get this race underway.
Since my last run on Wednesday morning I've done about 1 hour of cardio on my stationary bike. I was going to workout today but after thinking it over I decided that rest is the better option. This will allow my body to build up my Glycogen reserves so that come race day I'll have a good supply of energy. Between now and then I'll be drinking about 4Ltr's of water per day and roughly 240 grams of carbohyrates mostly coming from pasta, potatoes and bagels. My protein intake has been moderate and peanut butter is the only fat that I'm taking in right now. I've eliminated all fibre from my diet so I can avoid any gastrointestinal problems.
Now all I have to do is fight boredom!

My last run before Sunday!

This was it! No more running until the Marathon on Sunday. I ran a moderate 8K at 5AM and picked up some great words of wisdom along the way (thanks Angie).
For me, this will be the hard part. I've got to try and relax, get some rest and try not to think about running 42K (26 miles).
I've been doing plenty of visualization and have been going through the race in my mind which has helped. These last few days are going to be crucical for me so wish me well!
I may try to do one day of weights on either Thursday or Friday as I don't think I'll be able to sit still and do nothing for 3 days.

Marathon Week preparations begin!

I've been so pumped about my race on Saturday that it has taken some of the pressure off my upcoming initial marathon on Sunday.
I took Sunday off from any training but ran a soft 8K on Monday and a medium paced 9.5 K this morning (Thanks Cass and Nancy for joining me).
Tomorrow morning I will be doing a light run of hopefully 10K and this will be my last run before Sunday. I'm looking forward to running with the person who inspired me to take up running in the first place (Thanks Angie).
To me, this week has been all about reflections. It has given me a chance to look back on my life in the past year and give thanks for the many people who I've met that have inspired and motivated me during a rather tough time in my life.
It has also made me appreciate WHY I began running in the first place and that was to have FUN and meet new people. We all have different goals and reasons for why we have them but I firmly believe that as we get closer to reaching our goals, we should remember that there are so many people that have helped us along the way.
My diet this week has been heavy on the carbohydrates and low in fat and protein. I'm trying to build up my energy bank (glycogen) so I don't have to rely on insufficient forms of energy (fat) for a fuel. The carb loading phase will begin on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Although this may sound appealing, in reality there are only a few carbs that I will allow myself to have (potatoes, pasta, bagels) and after awhile it tends to get boring. The other hard part for me will be not running for 3 consecutive days. Even though I know it will benefit me come race day, the great weather is making it hard not to run.

My first racing victory!

Wow! What a truly amazing day it has been.
I woke up at 6:00AM, and got ready for the race (Toronto Ultra race). Instead of my usual steeped tea and bagel from Timmy's I decided to just have some tea with a bagel with peanut butter and honey at home.
I arrived at the race site at approximately 7:15. This gave me plenty of time to pick up my race kit and mingle with plenty of runners. Most of them were doing either the 50 or 100K race. I did meet several though who were doing the 30K as a warm up for either the Ottawa or Cleveland Marathons in a few weeks. I think I was the only crazy one who decided to run a 30K race the week before a marathon.

EVERYONE I met today was so friendly and offered plenty of encouragement. The people who run trails are by far the friendliest people I've ever met. They are not driven by time or pace but instead are there to run for the enjoyment of running and to socialize afterwards.

The race started promptly at 8:00 AM and this was a 5K "out and back" which meant that I ran for 5K and then turned around and ran to the start again. I did this 3 times for a total of 30K. The course itself was on a bike path through a nature trail. The neat thing about today's race is that all the competitors started at the same time. I got to see everyone running and because all the categories were mixed together, I didn't know who I was running with or against. This made for a more relaxed race and I could just focus on my own pace.

I started off rather fast and finished the first 10K in fewer than 50 minutes. I was carrying a fuel belt which was uncomfortable so I dropped it off at the 10K mark and ran with a bottle in my hand instead. I took a gel after the 10K and 20K mark as well as some E-Load and water throughout.

It was a cold day with some drizzle of rain at the stIt tooK me about 15K to feel comfortable but after that I was fine. I got a little tired after the 23K mark but realizing that I only had another 7K to go I was able to push forward. I crossed the finish line at the 2:32 mark and was immediately asked how old I was. When I told the organizers my age, I was surprised to learn that I had come in first place! I was obviously overwhelmed, stunned and excited all at the same time. I forgot about the pain in my hips and knees and focused on my trophy instead. I phoned my sister, my girlfriend and my kids and they were all proud of what I had done. I HAD to go to the Running Room to show Nancy and Maureen what I had done. It was amazing to see how excited they were and even the customers applauded my efforts.
Today just emphasized what I already knew and that is that trail running is where I'm happiest. Once my marathon is completed next week, I'm going to focus on my training for my 50K trail race in either June or July.
A special thank you goes out to Cass for a truly great massage and also to Nancy for sharing in my joy today.

Pre-Race rituals

So, with less than 12 hours before the start of my 30K race I will be eating my final "meal" in about 10 minutes.
Today has been a day of rest (no workouts) and plenty of water (4 Ltrs') and carbohydrates.
Like most runners, I'm very superstitious when it comes to races. I eat the same types of foods (blueberry bagels with peanut butter mostly) along with a BIG pasta dinner and a little bit of parmesan cheese. I've eliminated most fibrous foods for fear of upsetting my stomach.
Breakfast consisted of an egg white omelet with blueberry bagel and a potato with ketchup. Lunch was another bagel with peanut butter. In between I've been eating plenty of pretzels and a few frozen waffles.
In the morning I'll have my steeped tea and bagel from Tim Hortons and a banana.
I've just put all my pre-race items (mp3 player, water bottles, race belt, running shoes, and my gps 201 garmen) into my gym bag. Before bed I'll check the weather for tomorrow but have already decided to run in shorts and a long sleeve technical tee-shirt.
I can only imagine what next week will be like when I have to prepare for my first marathon.

Marathon Training Upadate May 2-4th

Monday night was a great experience talking at the Running Room in Pickering. I could tell that the 5K runners had a good base of nutritional knowledge and yet also required some clarification on a few issues. With everyone into the "low carb craze" it was important for me to stress to the group why runners NEED carbohydrates. I came away from the talk with a sense of accomplishment and I look forward to my next nutrition talk on May 12th.

On Tuesday afternoon I ran 11K in about 1hour. The weather was great and it was nice to run in shorts and technical T-Shirt. Running in warmer weather is a new experience for me as I started running in the fall of 2005. My body has been used to winter running and now I must get acclimated to the warmer temperatures. What I've learned in just this short amount of time is the importance of keeping water with me. In the winter I could get away with not having water on runs less than 15K but now I'm finding myself constantly needing water even on a 10K run. I'm sure that the more experienced I get the more I'll know what to bring/not bring with me on my runs.

I went out on Wednesday morning and did 10K at 5AM. The first few K's were difficult but I soon found my groove and finished the run in about 51 minutes. I realized that it takes me roughly about 1hour to get into a comfortable rhythm. I also ran another 5K at a very slow pace in the evening to help my girlfriend prepare for her marathon in December. She has been unable to run for about a year and is feeling the frustration as she has to start from scratch again. She has completed several 1/2 marathons so it's difficult to start over again but it's also important for her to build up her base.

I'm going to take a few days off from running and do about 1hour on the stationary bike today so I can prepare for my 30K race on Saturday. After that it will be Marathon Week and the mental and physical preparations will be in full force!

Sport specific nutrition programs available NOW!

Racing season is in full swing and wherever you look there are Ultra Marathons, Marathons, 1/2 Marathons, Duathlons and Triathlons.Each of these events brings a unique challenge when it comes to nutrition. Many athletes overlook the importance of a proper nutrition plan and as a result are unable to finish their race or meet a pre-planned goal.Not only do I have the educational experience necessary to develop a personalized nutrition plan for YOU, I also have competed in several trail races, 1/2 marathons and duathlons and I can assure you that I would not have been able to complete them without a sound nutrition plan.I have the following plans available with their respective prices, contact me at gregdcruz@rogers.com and let's get started today.

Ultra-Marathon Plan/Triathlon Plan ($120) This includes an analysis of your current eating pattern, 1meal plan based on your training (this includes a carbo-loading plan), a vitamin analysis, regular correspondence via email to answer any questions you may have, and a 1 follow up plan after your race.

Marathon Plan/1/2 Marathon Plan/Duathlon ($100) An analysis of your current eating pattern, 1 meal plan based on your training, a carbo loading plan, a vitamin analysis and regular correspondence via email.

*To help raise money for the Arthritis Society, I am donating $10 from every nutrition package purchased in your name. Not only will you be improving your own health, you will be helping to raise money for a great cause.