Learning to burn your surplus fat

Press, 19 April 1979, Page 15

Learning to burn your surplus fat

One of world’s biggest “women only” road runs took place in Auckland recently. It was probably the most significant community running event since the growing mass enthusiasm in this field began to take hold in New Zealand. About 1000 women took part. The event was sponsored by an internationally noted cosmetics firm which has for some years organised mass distance events for women in the United States.

Sponsorship of women’s running by a cosmetics company is in one way appropriate because it is becoming evident that more women now realise that regular running improves their looks and their figures. It is common knowledge that many young runners are being lost to the sport in their later years when running is likely to be one of the greatest benefits to them. This is because they are sickened of the sport by being encouraged to over-train.

Both in New Zealand and Hawaii, where there is a similar rapid increase in the numbers of women runners, most of the new comers are not teenagers. Most are women between about 25 and 45. Many have children who are running in the same event as their mothers. The Auckland event was the more startling because the numbers came close to the world’s biggest road race for women held this year in Honolulu, when more tham 1100 entered in a 10,000-metre event.

Honolulu claims the biggest runner-to-population ratio in te world. So the Auckland run shows how fast New Zealand is catching up on the United States.

Clubs know that new women members are the most valuable acquisition a club can have. This is because new women members attract more newcomers than men do into sport: mostly spouses, children and friends.

There are. however, some women who feel impatient because regular running has not caused the reduction in weight and general trimming of surplus tissue they have admired among others. One well-built netball player who runs regularly about four miles a day as well as playing in grade netball at week-ends has noted little or no reduction in weight.

Apparently this runner has made the mistake of getting into what has been described as “runners’ rut.”

She has slipped into the common failing of doing the same duration at every training session. Women who run substantial distances in training can easily be recognised by their appearance on the run.

There is no surplus tissue. Legs are slim and well proportioned. Women who have had children

have none of the skin fold common to their sedentary counterpart of the same age. And the “Jodphur look,” the unsightly accumulation of flab on the outside of the upper thighs, disappears. The secret of these women’s running success is that they have taught their physical machinery to use their unwanted tissue as fuel while running. How is this done? (1) Whenever possible never run for less than an hour. If an ordinary runner cannot continue to run (or run and walk) for an hour they are attempting to go too fast for their level of fitness.

And (2) try, say once a week or so, to run slower for a longer duration. Once a runner can keep

on the move for two or three hours at a time the physical machinery is forced to use its surplus fat as fuel.

This is not as easy as it sounds. When the physique changes over to the “reserve fuel tank” — its fat — the going becomes tough for the runner.

It may take a lot of courage to go yhrough the last hour of a long run which is the critical time for weight-reduction. To battle through this kind of run you need training companions so that you can be of mutual encouragement over the final stages. You should drink freely of water before and at frequent intervals on a long run. Drink more water when it is hot and/or humid.

All this points up the futility of wearing rubber “sweat suits” when “exercising” to reduce weight. It's important to note here that measuring weight after a long run is no indication of fatty tissue weight loss. It is possible to lose 71b in a fairly long training run. But this is usually loss of fluid. The best way of monitoring the effect of running on weight is to weigh every day, at the same time, and take the average at the end of each week.

The same principle applies to male individuals who find themselves developing a “King Farouk belly.” Curiously enough, once the physique has learned to use its own fatty tissue the transformation to a beautiful figure takes place quite quickly: suddenly you may find you are slim. Both in New Zealand and in Honolulu, when

that happens women proclaim their delight in their new beauty. Pretty “pom-pom” socks give extra emphasis to magnificent multi-coloured road shoes. Excellently designed running shorts help to accentuate their lovely, new-look legs, as they twinkle along in the sun. The ages range from 17 to 70, or older. The Olympic, New Brighton University and St Martins Clubs were among several registered clubs which had record turnouts of women new members at the first club meets in Canterbury. Meanwhile if you find yourself in a similar situation to the netball player mentioned above try running for longer and slower every other day for, say an hour, and once a week for as far as you can manage. Unless you have been ! running regularly for quite ■ some time it may pay not to run more than three days a week. This gives your physical j machinery a chance to consolidate and benefit from the last training session and prepare itself for the next one. By running 1 every other day you are less likely to develop joint and soft tissue injuries. Meantime if you are a newcomer planning to j make your running debut in the" big annual “The Press Park-to-Park” event on May 6 here is your fourth week’s suggested preparatory training. Day 1, Run and walk 25 min; Day 2 walk 30 min; , Day 3, Run and walk 30 I min; Day 4, Walk 30 min; | Day 5, Run and walk 60 min; Day 6, Walk or rest; Day 7 Walk or rest. Meantime don’t forget ' the annual Anzac day “Turkey Trot” pace-judg-ing run on April 25. There are turkeys for prizes and Brigadier J. T. Burrows has consented to be the official starter from the Bridge of Remembrance at 1 p.m. It’s a useful lead up to the Park-to-Park. You can walk all the way if you wish. It’s organised annually by the Long Distance Runners’ Club of New Zealand of which the president is Arthur j Lydiard; and the chairman ’ Don Cameron of the 1380mile Bluff-to-Cape Reinga fame, who originated this event.