The 10 Commandments

Hey guys!
Hope you're having a great Thursday!! :) It's almost the weeeeeeekend! Yay for 3-day weekends!

I wanted to go through some information I recently got from my running coach that I'm *fingers crossed* praying works, for injury prevention. Y'all know I've been a big fan of preventing injuries during Marathon Training, so this stuff was right up my alley! Although this is specifically for endurance athletes, I think it would apply to all aspects of exercise.

(Like I've said before, I'm not a doctor, certified trainer or professional- these are my own opinions.)

The 10 Injury-Prevention Commandments of Endurance Running

1. Warm Up and Cool Down

A good warm up is a key component to preparing the body for any training session/competition. Warming up elevates the heart rate and VO2, and increases blood flow. This raises the muscle temperature and helps decrease joint and muscle stiffness, which improves the range of motion.

A warm up should be between 5 and 15 minutes and should include activity that reaches as many parts of the body as possible. Examples include slow jumping jacks, jogging, or walking.

[There is a lot of controversy regarding the benefit/harm in stretching "cold" muscles. In my opinion, stretching always feels  more effective after my workout, so I try to focus on stretching as part of my cool down.]

The same goes for a good cool-down, with the reverse effect. You should always cool down after any exercise in order to slowly lower the heart rate, and clear the lactic acid in the muscles- which lessens potential muscle soreness. A good cool down involves light, low-intensity aerobic exercises- examples include walking, marching in place, or light jogging.

2. Consume Post Exercise Fuel

The goal of post exercise nutrition is to restore muscle and liver glycogen stores, hydrate, and repair muscle tissues. The most effective time to eat is 15 to 30 minutes post cool down, when your muscles are most receptive to fuel. Tissue and muscle repair can be accelerated if you combine both protein and carbs in a 4:1 ratio.

The best post-workout fuel, due to it's combination of proteins and carbs, is 1 cup of chocolate milk. If you can't stomach milk after a hard work out, go for a protein bar or a banana with peanut butter. And the rule here, is that anything is better than nothing!

3. Incorporate Recovery Techniques

The best technique I've found to recover faster and most efficient is foam rolling and massaging with The Stick. I try to always use a combination of these pre and post long runs. After long runs, you can typically find me sporting my geriatric knee-high compression tights, which help the blood circulate and promote muscle repair. I also ice anything that has the slightest discomfort to it- better to be safe than sorry!

4. Follow the 10-Percent Rule

As a rule of thumb, never increase training time or volume (mileage) any more than 10% per week. Example, if you start with a total of 20 miles total this week, you should run no more than 22 next week.

5. Integrate Strength Training

Strength Training not only raises your basil metabolic rate, but it prepares your body for the stress and strain of training. It also facilitates bone health and can boost your lactate tolerance.

6. Use Proper Equipment

If you're planning on running regularly (even if just for recreation)- get fitted by a professional for a good pair of running shoes. Running in your 6 year old "yard shoes" is recipe for knee pain, shin splints and back pain. Running shoes should be replaced every 6 months- even if you didn't get the full use out of them. The foam cushioning in the shoe begins deteriorating over time!

If using machine weights, make sure you have it set to the right sizing and the right weight. And if cycling, make sure your bike fits you the correct way.

7. Rest and Recover

Always prepare for and include rest days and be flexible with your plan so that you can incorporate unplanned rest days, when needed. If endurance training, it is also very important to include rest or "step back" weeks, in which you lower you weekly mileage to allow your muscles to rebuild and recover before the next push upward.

8. Interval Train

Interval training is a great way to boost endurance, as it improves VO2 and anaerobic threshold. Intervals also allow your body to get faster and more efficient- plus intervals make work out time fly by!

9.More is Not Always Better

 Don't be afraid to take a day or two off from your training schedule, if you feel like your body is worn down or sore- just make sure to get in your required mileage (especially long runs!). Switching around your training plan during the week is absolutely okay, just try not to skip any crucial runs.

On the opposite end, over training is worse for your body than rest days. Running extra mileage doesn't earn you bonus points, it just increases your chances of injury!

10. Sleep

Sleep is absolutely essential for recovery. Active adults are urged to get in at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night.. which for me, would mean a 9pm bedtime on days I wake up at 5am. If you're not able to get this much rest, try to plan naps or "rest time" at night or after a work out.

I hope this has helped some of you out there training for races or just in your active lives! Have a great day!!

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK 3

Hola! Yep, 2 posts, 1 day. Have I lost my mind? Kidding, kidding.

Marathon Training WEEK THREE and recap of Week 2!

Saturday- 8 mile run
Sunday- Rest/Stretch/SLEEP
Monday- 3 mile run, spin class (last week at current gym- kinda sad)
Tuesday- 4 mile run (low humidity today- woooopieeee)
Wednesday- AM Strength, PM Boot camp
Thursday-3 mile run
Friday-AM Strength

*So far, training is going great! I went to the sport chiropractor that came to our clinic the other week and he was amazing! He did several tests and running analyses with me before determining that I "must have been a gymnast" (he's also a mind reader I guess) and I was deemed a "toe-runner" which directly equals shin pain- BINGO! He showed me a few tweaks to my technique that should zap the pain and so, far, so good! :) This guy's a miracle worker, I tell ya.

Each run puts me one more run closer to the marathon, and even though I'm still about 3 months out, the excitement is definitely building! I'm trying very hard to be proactive to any and all pains to make sure I stay in the best condition to fight off any sneaky injuries- icing, stretching, warming up, cooling down, etc.

I'm so ready to be at the start line...but I've got many, many miles to go! :)

Running Around

Well the first week is just about complete! I have a 3-mile easy run today that will officially conclude Week Uno of Marathon Training! With 99 days left til the Big Day, I'm still feeling pretty nervous, but know that with that many days left, I have plenty of time to train hard to be prepared.

This week, my running group offered a Running Form Clinic that was extremely helpful! We had a Sport Chiropractor and a rep from TrySports come in to speak. They were both very insightful and made me realize how much I don't know about the bio mechanics of running!

I know I'll be referencing my notes throughout the next 99 days of training, so what better way to keep track than to add it to the ole blog? ...and I think some of you may find this helpful as well!

**Disclosure: I am not a doctor or a certified trainer. The comments below are simply my own knowledge, opinions and information I took and interpreted from the clinic.**

They first went over proper running form. Now, I know there is a plethora of form techniques out there, and this isn't meant to be the "end all and be all" of running form, but more of the natural, best-for-your-bod way:

1. Hips. Think of your hips or pelvic area as a bucket of water. If your hips (or the bucket) tilt forward, some water spills out (energy). If your hips tilt backward- same thing. Aim to keep your hips straight and even, so as to not let any of the water spill out. The more naturally-aligned your hips stay, the less energy you use...and who doesn't wanna make running easier?!

2. Chest. While keeping your hips in line, also think about pulling your chest up and your stomach down, as if your body is on a string- you want everything to be in alignment with your spine. While sprint athletes are taught to lead forward into their strides, endurance athletes should maintain a neutral spine while running- which, like the first point, reduces wasted energy.

3. Head to the horizon. When I run, a lot of times I notice that I'm looking down at the ground- especially in places where the ground may be uneven. While this is sometimes necessary- especially if trail running, try to maintain a gaze towards the horizon- up and out; as neutral as possible. Want to know why this is so important? (and this was a real shocker for me)... you lose 20% lung capacity by looking down. umm...what! No wonder I've been gasping for air like a dying chicken.

4. Arms. Next time you run, pay attention to the way you swing your arms. If you're crossing your arms across your body as you swing, you guessed it- wasted energy. Your arms should make a 90 degree angle and swing lightly back and forth. For hills or sprints, quickening your arm swings can help propel you up and forward.

5. Gait. This is a big one that has a lot of parts to it; so generally speaking: when you take off, you should be pushing directly off of your big toe. As your foot lifts off the ground, your leg should form a 90 degree angle behind you, and then as you bring your leg forward, land in the middle of your foot. (Again- this is for endurance athletes) You should absolutely not land on the heel or toe!! Landing on the heel causes lower back pain and landing on the toe hurts the knees. The reason for landing in the middle, is so that the arch of the foot absorbs the pressure of landing and "bounces" back giving you the lift you need for the next stride. Also, when your foot strikes, your hips should be directly over top of your foot- not in front of or behind.

Last night during my 5 mile run (I did Friday's workout since I had more time than I will today) I really tried to focus on each of these, which really made my run go by quickly! My overall run felt easier and more controlled and I kinda felt like a science experiment..which was cool! :)

The next thing the guys at the Form Clinic talked about was "i word" that I don't like to think about.

Injury.

Although this information was very helpful, I hope that with the preventative techniques they shared, I won't need much of these tips! Knock on wood!

**Generally speaking- when in doubt: ICE! Do not heat! Heat causes the muscle to expand and swell- making for an extended healing time. Also, if an area is inflamed (sore), roll with The Stick upwards, toward your heart. Your blood flow will help dissipate the swelling and help you heal quicker! **

The top 3 running injuries: Prevention and Treatment

1. Plantar Fasciitis:

Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot. This tissue is called the plantar fascia. It connects the heel bone to the toes and creates the arch of the foot.

The most common complaint is pain and stiffness in the bottom of the heel. The heel pain may be dull or sharp. The bottom of the foot may also ache or burn.

The pain is usually worse:

• In the morning when you take your first steps
• After standing or sitting for a while
• When climbing stairs
• After intense activity
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The best methods for preventing this, is stretching your arches/foot after running.

This can be done by rolling your arches on The Stick, or by putting a resistance band around the ball of your foot and pulling back.

Treatment: First off, you probably need to see a podiatrist to confirm that you don't have a stress fracture in your foot. Then, implement RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevate)

2. Shin Splints

Refers to pain along or just behind the tibia (shinbone), the large bone in the front of the lower leg. Shin splints occur during physical activity and result from too much force on the shinbone and connective tissue attaching muscles to it.  Ten to fifteen percent of running injuries are shin splints.

 Link

Woooo...shin splints. I hate you. I've had my run-ins (ha) with shin splints and let me tell you.. they're not fun. Since the clinic, I've already been working on the prevention exercises so I don't get them this go-round!

The guys at the clinic said that the worst thing you can do for shin splints is to run through them. At the very first on sight of pain- TREAT IT. Ice ice baby! Also, stretch the calf, foot, and shin as much as you possibly can.

Prevention/treatment exercise: Get into a wall-sit with your lower back pressed again a wall, and in a seated position (take shoes off). Pull toes off the ground and hold them as high as you can for 30 seconds. Slowly lower your toes slowly to the ground, then right before they touch, pull them back up. Repeat this 3-4 times.

(Not a joke...my shins are hurting right now. Hello, my name is Kristin and I'm a hypochondriac)

3. ITBS Iliotibial band syndrome

ITBS is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle,  combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed

ITBS symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee to swelling or thickening of the tissue at the point where the band moves over the femur. The pain may not occur immediately during activity, but may intensify over time, especially as the foot strikes the ground. Pain might persist after activity. Pain may also be present below the knee, where the ITB actually attaches to the tibia.

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The best thing for ITBS is ice and stretching. I've not had experience with this injury before so I don't know too much about it, other than what I've heard and read. A great exercise for this is laying leg raises- laying on your side, keeping your leg in line with your hip as you raise and lower.

I really hope this helps some of you. If you have any questions at all, please ask and I would be happy to give my opinion. Happy Running and have a great weekend!!!