Harborwalk, Boston Part 2

Harborwalk: Seaport, Old North, USS Constitution

Distance: 5 - 7 miles (45 -60 min.) Jeremy’s energy expenditure (resistance + run): 1,000 1,200 calories

When you feel good, use it and cruise hard.

Jeremy Watts, imm—May 10, 2020

This particular route begins near the Institute of Contemporary Art, where in the last year new residential and restaurant projects have completed, opening the Harborwalk to an increase in pedestrian travel.  The route hugs the waterfront and bends westerly, passing docking areas for boat travel to and from East Boston and surrounding areas.  The façade of the Waterfront comes into view with One International Place building towering above the Financial District and the running surface which is wide, smooth, and spacious, couldn’t get much better (although it will shortly)!  I love picking up the pace as I kind of get into this “wide open” mindset with the route opening towards the city and what is usually a clear path for a good stride length and frequency.  This is a great interval section of the run where I like to increase heart rate and my muscles’ need for oxygen—so train our “cardio” efficiency by picking inspiring spots to push it a bit, right?!  You pass Fan Pier Park, a few signature seaport restaurants, making your way onto Seaport Blvd.  and crossing the Moakley Bridge.  Bridges are a great way to train at a grade by increasing your intensity to the crest of the bridge and then gliding down the other side. 

Entering the Financial district I plant my left foot and bust a right onto Atlantic Avenue, where I will cruise along the Harborwalk at Rowes Wharf and Old Glory (as pictured) I’ll give a passing salute and proceed north-bound back onto Atlantic Ave.  This is my favorite part as you run along the Greenway (see also East Boston Greenway article LINK!) with a spacious route along the sidewalk or along the bike path.  I will cut through Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park and continue on Atlantic.  The path is great as the sidewalk is spacious and the bike route is clearly marked.  I find it easy to keep my momentum and intensity up at this section as I enter the red brick area of the Old North with the copper bay windows, neat businesses, and quiet residential streets that duck off of Atlantic Ave. and become picturesque Bostonian!  I incorporate the great feeling of enjoyment into the intensity of my run, where this is an awesome opportunity to steadily pick up the pace, and it only helps if the current song coming from your playlist is motivating too!  Remember to be mindful of stride frequency and stride length if you are trying to compete with yourself.  This is not a loop route so I like to record how long it takes me to get to the turnaround point and if I choose not to get lost (which I sometimes do) I want to beat my time back!  

The route bends to the left, passing Langone Park onto North Washington Bridge where you follow the freedom trail into Bunker Hill.  Here, the Harborwalk veers right, leading to the USS Constitution Museum and Historical park turnaround point.  Break out the resistance bands and bodyweight exercises for a short circuit training session before returning using the same route!  This is a 45 to 60 minute route depending on the resistance exercise stops.  I burn around 800-1,000 calories as this is a high energy-burning workout session requiring fat burning and muscle fiber breakdown.  Replenish your water, eat your veggies and protein-supplemented meal for protein synthesis, and feel accomplished and confident to tackle the rest of the day!

Harborwalk, Boston Part 1

Harborwalk: UMass, JFK Presidential Library, Carson Beach

Distance: 4 - 5 miles (30 minutes) Jeremy’s energy expenditure: 500 calories

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This leads to a great rest of your day.

Take a look around, see which way the wind blows.

Jeremy Watts, imm—May 9, 2020

University Hall and Campus Center, UMass Boston.

I remember vividly my daily routine as an undergrad at UMass Boston.  I would beat Storrow Drive traffic from Waltham super early to be the first commuter on campus and park in the shrinking parking situation that came with campus renovation.  I would pack everything from my breakfast and lunch, to my gym bag with clothes for class and training, and a backpack filled with books for the 5 classes I would cram my semesters with.  I used physical training for many reasons; I wanted to break up studious monotony, relieve stress, maintain my energy levels, and overall, I love being in great shape! As a full-time student it can be hard being motivated to maintain an effective training regimen, but I found my particular regimen at UMass, Boston stimulating beyond the physical aspect, which kept my fire for fitness lit.

Harbor Cruise dock, Savin Hill Cove

It was fun doing resistance training at the fitness center and I usually pushed myself pretty hard.  My goal though was always to run first, usually for 30 minutes and then do my resistance training after. My mindset was inspired by my fellow Marine Jimmy Malachowski who I used to train with. We would agree on a time to meet in the gym for resistance training and I would come in and see Jimmy having already run on the treadmill for 30 minutes! I enjoy the mental challenge of working out having already been well into a training session for 30 minutes prior; it definitely forces focus on the present which is a big anxiety reliever and I like the positive effects of vascularizing workouts on overall health and stamina too.

UMass campus is located on Columbia Point, which is a man-made peninsula that also is home to Boston College High, Harbor Point, JFK Presidential Library, and the Massachusetts State Archives building.  Surrounding all of this is an awesome running path with incredible views of the ocean, the harbor islands, and the surrounding parts of South Boston and Dorchester, no matter what time of day. I usually begin at the boat ramp for the “Harbor Cruise” tour, which is located on the

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Harbor Point Pavilions, Harbor Walk

southwestern part of the campus in Savin Hill Cove.  The running path borders the water’s edge all the way around the peninsula for its entirety and I will proceed counterclockwise, heading first towards islands in the harbor.  You will encounter sporadic cyclists and walkers/runners along the path, which although not marked, is wide, with room for maneuvering along the way.  The path bends northeast to the left and there is a nice long and straight stretch of pavement.  The common theme is ocean on the right, and elevated land leading up to the UMass Campus Center and University Hall on the left.  The run can be challenging depending on the direction you are running. There is usually an energy-consuming wind coming from some direction off of the water and you will usually find yourself running against it to maintain your speed for long distances at a time.

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View of South Boston from JFK Library

One technique I like to use for setting an intensity level, besides striding to the cadence of my hip-hop is using the distances between the stone barrier posts that line the entire waterfront for my stride length or stride frequency.  I speak about using sidewalk squares to this effect where I will use a minimal number of steps per square, increasing my stride length and maintaining stride frequency; in other words I am speeding up.  If the sun is at a good location in the sky the posts create repetitive shadows on the path and you can stride along without even needing to look directly down!  The path will again curve to the left as you pass a beautiful view of JFK Library and flagpole.  Being a combat veteran I always render a passing solute to the colors displayed inside of the large glass walls on the east side of the building.  I get motivated with “star-spangled fever” and pick up the pace towards harbor point and the pavilion locations that have nice benches for inclined push-ups.  I sometimes sneak in some pull-ups if I feel like jumping up onto one of the support rafters of any of the shelters—for all of you would-be rebel runners out there! 

I continue northwest with Dorchester Bay on the right and Harbor Point on the left.  You can see Dorchester Heights and South Boston across the water with thickly settled residential property.  I approach Carson Beach and, depending on which route you decide, you can stay on the path and enter the sidewalk along William Day Blvd. and continue bending to the right (north east).  Otherwise you can take the beach using the softer sand.  If my running strategy is to run for 30 minutes, I turn around at 15 minutes wherever I am at and regardless of the route I take.  The key here is to mentally note where my turnaround point is at 15 minutes and then return using the same route, beating my time back.  The next time I run the route I attempt to pass the previous turnaround point at 15 minutes and this is how I track progression over the course of the semester!  I then hit the resistance training usually for 45 to 60 minutes giving me enough time to shower, eat something protein-based, and slide into my front row seat in class smelling like an Irish spring and brand new textbooks! 

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Final Stretch to the finish!

This route is great from late March through November leading into the winter months.  The winter months make this a very chilly route and if there is heavy snow the path can sometimes remain covered and icy for extended periods of time and can be really hazardous, so plan alternative routes in the winter months, or give your joints a break and seek an alternative method of cardiovascular training such as elliptical equipment, swimming, or stationary cycling!  Either way, incorporating a technique for progression is key, and while this type of training is a great way to become more resilient, time constraints may require you spend more time in the books instead of the gym.  Dig deep and find time to vascularize your mind on this awesome route and salute yourself for the path you decided to navigate when most do not!

Fore River Bridge; Legion Memorial Field to Quincy

Fore River Bridge Run

Distance: 6 - 7 miles (50 -65min) Jeremy’s energy expenditure: 1,100 - 1,500 calories

Jeremy Watts, imm—May 9, 2020

Living in Weymouth gives me a timely and convenient access into Quincy, Braintree, and Boston where I spend the majority of my time professionally and personally.  I’ve located a few parks and recreational areas where I am able to do high intensity exercises like sprinting and agility drills, body weight and resistance band training, or long distance cardiovascular endurance training. 

Commercial to North Street, Weymouth, MA

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Map towards the West as you approach the bridge along Route 3

My favorite place to execute a little outdoor training is Legion Memorial Field in Weymouth, MA. The sporting complex is located at the junction of Middle and Commercial Street at the foot of King Oak Hill Park.  This area consists of tennis courts, a walking and jogging path, a large soft-surfaced playground, and a field with artificial grass that facilitates multiple sporting functions from soccer and football, to field hockey and lacrosse. I create and execute training routines here regularly but this location is also a great starting point for a long distance run to Fore River Bridge, that offers a challenge and a great experience through residential and industrial landscape on a nice day or night.

The Fore River Bridge is located northwest of Legion Memorial Field and can be accessed from Legion Memorial via secondary streets through residential areas, and an artery with businesses and industrial infrastructure. The route begins on Commercial Street where the route proceeds uphill and bends to the northeast.  At the crest of the hill there is a clearing in the neighborhood trees where the Boston city skyline can be seen more than 10 miles in the distance (see picture above).  Commercial Street turns west so we want to continue in the same direction, following North Street leading down a hill to a fork in the road.  In the fall there are brilliantly-colored Sugar Maple trees that paint the neighborhoods surrounding the birthplace of Abigail Adams.  Either Norton or North Street will meet with Route 3A, which takes us west towards the big bridge.  The Running surface is conducive to solid running, lined with businesses and shops, and the towers of the bridge create a visual goal of where you will distantly be in the near future.

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Legion Memorial Field, Weymouth.

As you approach the foot of the bridge the elevation increases to what must be between 2 to 5 percent grade, which significantly increases the intensity.  I like to control the pace over the bridge by the number of steps in each sidewalk square that I take.  Each sidewalk square length is consistent and I increase my stride length and overall speed to accomplish four steps per square leading up to the max height of the bridge-arch.  The length from foot to the middle of the bridge is approximately 400 meters so this is a great challenge and the view is really great as you can see Boston in the distance, as well as the industrial infrastructure immediately surrounding the bridge and the Weymouth Fore River meeting Hingham and Quincy Bays. 

Running near roadways at night is always less safe but the bridge is completely lit with blue illumination and is absolutely memorable.  This part of the route is well lit and the raised curbs provide extra safety on either side of the bridge.  The route then declines for approximately 400 meters and proceeds through a busy rotary with clearly marked and easy-to-navigate crossings or bypass space.  You may decide to turn around there or continue into Quincy where the road junctions with Route 3A.  This is a large intersection and has naturally become a good turnaround point for me. I take the same route back and try and beat my time back, never forgetting to take in my environment.

Chris Stevens, US Army Afghan Veteran

—Instagram: @christopherr1919

All it took was a phone call and I was joined by fellow Afghanistan combat veteran Chris Stevens (pictured above). Having this immediate community makes taking ACTION that much easier to get up and run a tough route. The route is full of street crossings and it is mandatory to mentally prepare yourself to maintain vigilance and situational awareness, always preparing to yield for traffic. I always wear my bright running shoes, a bright hat, and a light colored shirt, if I have one clean of course! In the words of Tupac Shakur, “We ain’t hard to find,” so if you see me on the route with bright sneakers gettin’ it in keep up with me to the top of the bridge and push the pace all the way back!

East Boston Greenway and Piers Park

The Greenway: Piers Park to Constitution Beach

Distance: 5 - 8 miles Jeremy’s energy expenditure (Resistance included): 1,500 calories

The Greenway near East Boston Memorial Park

The natural grass is greener in these parts.

Jeremy Watts—imm May 9, 2020

One day I decided to take a water taxi from Boston Seaport District to East Boston and explore.   Being from Ohio I was generally unfamiliar with Boston. I had never been to East Boston and had once been told that there was “no such thing as East Boston.”  What a nice surprise when I took a trip to see what was on the other side of the water!   I found really great park areas, an outdoor gym, a positive vibe, and a great running trail that easily navigated through East Boston and Constitution Beach to Harbor View/Oriental Heights.

Piers Park Outdoor Gym, East Boston

This rout begins at Piers Park where the outdoor gym is also located, so I like to begin with a set of pull ups to increase my heart rate, and burn through some immediate stores of blood glucose.  I then proceed northwest along Marginal Street for 400 meters or so where the street junctions with East Boston Greenway.  The Running trail can be easily followed northeast through the area to East Boston Memorial Park and stadium.  The path can be followed around the circumference of the park to increase distance and duration to your run, or immediately head northeast again for 300 meters under Route 1A and continue along the path, skirting the road and I-90. 

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View from Lewis Mall Harbor Park, E. Boston

Along the left side of your view is Bremen Street Community Park, which similar to Piers Park has a lot of open space with natural grass, an awesome children’s playground, and a spray fountain. The fitness and leisure traffic is usually tasteful and I’ve noticed some fast runners on this path which is always nice given I’m a competitive person and this usually stokes a fire to pick up my pace and access more of my body fat for energy!  The path crosses under I-90 and continues eastward passing Al Festa Little League Field on the left and then gently bends northerly towards Constitution Beach.  You get a really great view of the outgoing and incoming flights at Logan International Airport from the beach and this is where I turn around to head back. 

Click image for complete route!

I follow the same route to Piers Park, and given that I can’t pass up an opportunity for resistance training when there is an outdoor gym on the route, I return to the starting point, and use the equipment for approximately 20-30 minutes of muscular strength and endurance training.  The route in its entirety is approximately 6 miles and given the right intensity and duration of the total training session, I burn in between 1,200 and 2,000 calories, so make sure your nutrition, sleep, and motivation levels are right before navigating my exercise session of the East Boston Greenway!

A Run on the Charles: Storrow and Memorial Drive

The “Bread and Butter” of My Fitness Experience

Distance: 6 - 8 miles (60 - 90 minutes) Jeremy’s energy expenditure (resistance + run): 1,200 -2000 calories

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My Storrow Drive run is a straight "kick."

 Jeremy Watts, imm—May 9, 2020

Overpass at Marsh Chapel towards Fenway, Boston.

One of my daily routines is to think of three things that I am truly and sincerely grateful for.  One of those is just being able to wake up to a new day, rain or shine, and experience life.  Outdoor exercise is a great tool that I use to stay physically fit, but also to create ideas from stimulating experiences and live through a little bit of PURPOSE, people! I wanted to begin with what is one of my favorite and challenging exercise routines that includes approximately six miles of running and two stations for body-weight strength training on Memorial and Storrow Drive in Boston.

The run begins in Allston at Charles River Reservation IV, where the running path hugs the Charles River and windy Storrow Drive in a northerly direction.   Once you pass under Eliot Bridge the direction changes south and easterly.  I generally prefer the Allston side of the river.  There is steady elevation change and I find value in pushing up a hill at a steady pace with a nice playlist, although running along the Harvard side is a solid route also.  Perks to either route is that both have an out-door gym area, described shortly!  The route may be interrupted with a couple of bridge intersections but crossing is usually safe and easy.  Which day, season, and temperature it is usually dictates the foot and bike traffic but regardless the path has always been unimpeded, although bypassing a few Canadian Geese from time to time is normal. This makes it easy to focus on the route.  If you cross the river and run along Memorial Drive you will pass Magazine Beach Outdoor gym, which consists of various body weight stationary equipment such as parallel/pull-up bars, a dip station, electric-free ellipticals, and abdominal and hip flexor benches.  So you can keep your heart rate increased with high intensity body-weight exercises. 

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Esplanade Workout Station near Boston University.

Continuing, you can run south, crossing the Boston University Bridge and then east along the bike path towards Fenway.  You are more than 2 miles into the run and there is a lengthy straight stretch where I like to pick up the pace before reaching Esplanade workout station, the second outdoor gym area.   Most of the orthodox equipment found at the first gym is located here with additions for balance and stretching.  I take a water break and organize myself for pull-ups and other body-weight workouts, and I will work to fatigue.  The most difficult portion of my training routine is the straight run back following the resistance training.  My strategy is to maintain a steady pace, while focusing on breathing and using my music as a stimulant to keep this pace.  This route calculates to burning in between 1200 and 1800 calories, depending on your weight, intensity level of the run and resistance exercise, and length of time in active engagement at each outdoor exercise station.  This route is a great way to experience Storrow Drive, the Charles River, and this area of Boston. After cooling down I recommend spending the day rehydrating and filling your body with a nice, big plant-based meal filled with protein to promote the building of fat-free mass and higher metabolism!

We Want Abs!

science and physiology

Jeremy's must for abs is more than crunches.

Jeremy Watts, imm—May 7, 2020

Quick!  Pull up that shirt and check out the abs…shoot!…no progress!  Now go to the gym and come back.  That was a great workout and now check again…what gives? Unfortunately we do not get these abs over night or in a week!  We must manipulate our energy systems and regulate our body composition through eating well, and yes, exercise!  

For the many who seek your special physique, let’s break it down into two factors that we can focus on for Abs: 1. larger or “toned” muscle, and 2. subcutaneous fat that lies between your skin and muscle.  A recent study indicated that various forms of weight loss methods including exercise and dieting led to both subcutaneous and visceral fat reduction, and the loss of subcutaneous fat was greater than visceral fat(1).  Basically the type of fat that hides our muscular definition tends to be burned more easily (assuming your muscles are previously metabolically trained)! This is good news as there are proven ways to design specific workouts with an emphasis on resistance exercises that targets muscular strength and endurance to build muscle and reduce subcutaneous fat.

Our metabolism has to do with the condition of our muscles, and has much to do with our physique.  After all, resistance training and a healthy diet is a foundation for muscle hypertrophy (increase in size) and this relates to healthy metabolic activity according to Sophie Joanisse and colleagues for the Exercise Metabolic Research Group at McMaster University, Ontario.  This includes adhering consistently to a supplemental diet of increased protein intake to accomplish a positive net protein balance (NPB) where muscle protein breakdown and building can happen(2). We can select a wide number of body weight or resistance exercises to group together or independently to target a leaner core. For now lets discuss very basic and common exercises, as well as my personal favorite—The Pull-Up.

Specifically training to handle your bodyweight through abdominal stabilization and rotational exercises is a highly effective approach to becoming leaner with losing fat, while increasing the vascularity and size of our muscles.  We basically do this through continuous and sustainable moderate to high-intensity exercises in a workout session with exercises such as a “bicycle maneuver” or “seated abdominal twist” where we are engaging both the abdominals and obliques with weight machines and body weight.  These promote greater overall strength for higher intensity training like power-lifting. If we are focusing on our stabilizing muscles for balance and general core strength, I believe pull-ups (or pull-downs for those utilizing cable equipment) are a great exercise for improving strength, and in this case, physique too.  This exercise requires strength from large muscles as well as stabilizing muscles to have a controlled rise and reset while performing pull-ups in succession.  If we are hanging from a pull-up bar we are using full body weight and gravity as resistance that we must overcome with the contraction of large and small muscles, theoretically increasing the strength of the muscles involved.  Over time we can build strength and endurance to better our pull-up performance but also promote a leaner body which results in ABS!

Exercises like pull-ups promote more energy use than those that isolate muscle groups. For example, we want to avoid “swaying” on the bar. This stabilizing effort requires more energy expenditure through an increase in muscular engagement (little muscles that you forget you had).  The energy expenditure is crucial for possibly acquiring abs as this increases metabolic demands of the muscles, simultaneously increasing heart rate (HR). If this is continuous it leads to the burning of fat during the workout and improved metabolism later, even when resting! This can occur since exercises like pull-ups are a high intensity exercise that requires strength, power, stability, endurance, and involves a lot of anaerobic energy use.  Also the resistance involved increases muscle sizes from the likes of the Lats and Deltoids, to Biceps and Abdominis Rectus.  Converting fat to muscle mass leads to an increase in muscle size, tightening the skin surrounding the thoracic area leading to a “toned” or “ripped” appearance.

To summarize, incorporating an exercise routine that directly targets the abdominal and oblique muscles is effective in terms of core strength and improving the health of these muscles.  However it could be most effective to practice high-intensity and stablizing exercises like the pull-up, including them in a routine with short breaks or a circuit. By targeting muscles in the thoracic area at a high intensity we promote the appropriate metabolic responses for improved physique in the mid-section. This also improves core strength and overall performance, and potentially has a better affect on metabolism. We become more confident in our abilities and more likely to take physical action.  The overall aim is to target muscle size and strength, and also subcutaneous fat through a prolonged fitness routine with the appropriately placed exercises. By improving metabolism we can regulate our body composition, specifically fat. The key to having abs is removing that lining of fat from around our muscles to show muscular definition achieved by healthy and supplemental eating, and a consistent resistance training routine!

Sincerely,

imm

1. Merlotti, C, et al. “Subcutaneous Fat Loss Is Greater than Visceral Fat Loss with Diet and Exercise, Weight-Loss Promoting Drugs and Bariatric Surgery: a Critical Review and Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of Obesity, vol. 41, no. 5, 2017, pp. 672–682., doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.31.

2. Joanisse, Sophie, et al. “Recent Advances in Understanding Resistance Exercise Training-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Humans. F1000Research, vol.9, 2020, p.141., doi:10.12688/f1000research.21588.1