Are NASCAR drivers athletes? It’s an age-old question and I don’t know the answer, but I do know this: NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne is an athlete. An avid runner for fitness, Kahne runs several times a week but also participates in running events and an occasional triathlon when his schedule permits. Earlier this year he ran a 1:28:44 half-marathon just before a qualifying NASCAR event at Daytona. Kahne also put in some quality running at his garage in Mooresville earlier this month when we shot him for our cover and feature story this month.
Driving or running, Kahne is indeed a successful athlete and regardless of whether you’re a fan of NASCAR, there are things to be learned from successful people like Kahne. In her article “From Good to Great: 5 Things that Successful Athletes Do,” Angelina Stevens looks at the secrets to success from the perspective of 23-year-old Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana, who wowed the world with his strength at this year’s Tour de France. Born of peasants, Quintana’s parents saved around $30 to buy him a mountain bike to survive the treacherous nine-mile journey to and from school. He began his cycling career by entering races on this bike. The story of his ultimate transformation from good to great was the inspiration behind Stevens’ article, which looks at some common behaviors of successful athletes.
Successful NASCAR drivers and Tour de France cyclists alike spend hours at a time sitting in the course of their races. In the course of your training and races, you may sometimes sit for hours, too, but you likely more often sit for hours at a time because your job requires it. This month, Brian Beatty offers some tips to minimize the strain sitting causes on your body. Even people like me, the editor of an endurance-sports magazine, spend hours a day sitting. So, be sure to read this important article for your health!
This issue of Endurance includes important health articles revolving around nutrition – daily nutrition as well the “nutrition” triathletes and runners often talk about when referring to the supplements they take in training and racing. We take a look at a new book called “The Athlete’s Guide to Sports Supplements,” which will help you demystify the myriad supplements available. Don’t miss reading “5 Tips to Consider Before Taking Supplements.”
Another great nutrition article in this issue is Meredith Falcon’s “Breaking Through the Fat-Loss Plateau.” Are you trying to lose weight and not dropping pounds as quickly as those people you see on “The Biggest Loser?” If so, this article is for you. We also offer some helpful and realistic tips to get started.
We couldn’t talk about healthy eating without addressing the romantic notion that we can still live as hunter-gathers in our modern world. Our hunter-gatherers picked berries from bushes and chased and hunted mammals and fish for food thousands of years ago because they had to, not because they wanted to. Does it make sense, then, for us to ignore the realities of our modern agricultural world? Before you embark on your next persistence hunt hoping to run down a package of meat at the supermarket, you’ll want to read our article “The Power of Plants.” We also offer some tips on adding more fruits and vegetables to your dinner, as well as another great recipe from Brandon McDearis.
As always, be sure to check out the many excellent exercises and tips throughout this issue of Endurance Magazine.
