Posts
A music professor explained that one in seven people are breathing efficiently and this makes a difference – in everything…
Many take running for granted because we already know how to walk and we might assume that this running thing is nearly an unconscious action just like walking. Many of those same folks might also take breathing for granted, for the same reasons. It just happens and it must be happening just right, because I am still here – “why think about it?” they might ask.
Miles Davis was quoted as saying “Everything matters – Everything” and since most of us cannot sit for two minutes without needing another breath – Mr. Davis might have argued that this matters even more than some things despite it being an autonomic function. In fact, because it is an autonomic function for our bodies we may be running on less than full capacity. Think about what deliberate technique could do for breathing and you’re bound to consider gains in the same way that engineers think about how to turbo charge cars by giving the engine more air. Three easy ways for runners to enhance performance; develop supporting muscles, stretch and make supporting muscles more flexible, develop posture & breathing techniques that we can integrate into autonomic function. Working in these areas will allows us to relearn and strengthen the normal breathing mechanism.
Exercises for enhancing breathing ability are on video from Runner’s World
Bob Anderson’s book on stretching includes some good moves to enhance thoracic flexibility and I have his book if you would like to look at some additional stretches for thoracic flexibility. His site is full of good resources for stretching and includes some of the same kind of tools that you might find at Perform Better.com
Working to stretch and strengthen the muscles that aid and support good posture gives us a strong core and stabilizing muscles that will allow us to hold our good running form longer. Theses are the same muscles that allow us to breathe a bit better. No “beach muscles” required but basic maintenance of the abdominals, obliques, lower back and upper back and shoulders give you an upright posture that allows enhanced airflow.
Belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing is something easy to practice while lying down and once you feel this you can practice anywhere. Seek to achieve the sensation of filling your body with air from the bottom up. First the back and belly expand, then you feel some chest expansion and lastly you “top off” the lungs. While this seems slow and cumbersome at first – so did running – and now you are more fluid. Do you think that better breath support would make you more fluid and comfortable too?
Where are your head and your spine while you’re running? Think about C7 and up in particular as this will affect the rest of the body too. [Cervical Spine 7 is the vertebrae that you can feel as a bump sticking out on your lower neck when you look down at the sidewalk.]Water flows better through a straight pipe than a kinked one.
Roll your shoulders and use arm raises along your route to loosen up and allow the chest to have a relaxed and open carriage while you run relaxed, down the road. Do not arch your back but keep your spine up right and relaxed.
At the paces we run science describes us as “obligate mouth breathers” which is to say - if your mouth is not open for gas exchange, you’ll fall over from inadequate perfusion. Your nose helps the process and some folks swear by Breathe Right Strips (applied across the bridge of the nose) to further enhance air exchange.
Side cramps (side stitch) can be caused by short quick breathing or made worse by it. Try holding pressure into the cramp and breathe deeply, slowing your pace and allowing your body to relax and oxygenate. Think about stretching away from the cramp site to make those muscles longer. Diaphragmatic breathing will help side cramps as well, by giving the diaphragm full range of motion.
Find your breathing rhythm or cadence that coincides with a particular pace. You’ll find that the regular weekly pace might a breathing pattern something like this: be one in – one out, with three strides in that pattern. While the tempo pace might be two in – one out, with just two strides in that pattern. Your threshold pace might be breathing one in – one out, with each stride you take. Find that breathing rhythm that works for you and seek to stay there and learn to enhance that rhythm. The pattern for your own breathing can be nice to listen to. It is also a great feedback tool about how hard you are working and what pace you are running.
Find an easy breathing rhythm and let that govern your pace – not the other way around. Your legs will never outrun your lungs – which is to say that if you are in control of your respiration the body will pace itself according to how much air you’re giving it. You should plan to run longer at this pace (or slower) and run 3 or more days a week in order to keep and increase your new respiratory adaptations.
To be clear, you do not seek to control your rate of breathing itself, because your brain knows a lot more about internal regulation than you do and if you go down the road trying to govern air exchange without heed to pace - the central governor will make you fall over! Instead you use breathing rate to help you measure effort and choose a pace that gives you that rate of respiration and rhythm that you recognize as your PE number.
How well are you doing with your respiratory capacity?
There are several techniques that Dr. Maffetone recommends in his book, The Maffetone Method which help you determine your capacity and may improve it. He asks athletes to assess their diaphragm muscle by breathing through a straw for a few seconds, working your way up to a minute or more over the ensuing weeks – then adding several sets, of one minute each, for three sessions total each week. Your initial success with this will tell you about how powerfully your diaphragm is working for you now and give you a milepost for how it improves over time. The Bob Anderson stretching website used to sell a device called the breathbuilder and this simple device is still available on websites catering to musicians, especially wind and brass players. This device is a simple tool that is not unlike the straw Dr. Maffetone is using but provides greater resistance and a visual aid in your progress.
The next exercise he recommends is a measure of vital capacity of the lungs and the use of your diaphragm. Dr. Maffetone states that any athlete should be able to hold their breath for 50-60 seconds without a problem. This could also be something to work up to as the diaphragm develops power to help you take in more air to sit for 50 seconds. Building this skill has great effect for your running as you will breathe more slowly and with greater tidal volume in each breath - just don’t run while holding your breath!
The third assessment, a Snider’s test, involves playing with fire. If your mouth is completely open – can you blow out a match that is six inches away from your mouth? Six inches is the length of a $1 bill. You should be able to without a problem. I though this one was tough but rather than be discouraged - we can use these tools to track respiratory progress in training as you keep track of all your other metrics for progress – without air in your system you’re going nowhere.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Nutrition part two
Groceries in, garbage out, blood goes round and round…
"Endurance events are eating and drinking contests with some exercise thrown in too" Sunny Blende
We have already had a primer on running nutrition and via handouts you had recently, we looked at race day and race week meals to try in preparation. So now let’s talk about the food pyramid a bit, new resource ideas for meals to help your running, salt, iron and regulation of “in’s and out’s” a bit. Your everyday training depends on knowing a bit more about fueling - especially as long runs get longer.
Let’s look at the food pyramid in greater detail and see what you’ll be fueling yourself with in the coming months as you seek to keep yourself well fueled and injury free in training and attain ideal body type for your event. Running hard and all this training is not a diet program – I have said this many times. Yet you will find that over time your metabolic capacity increases and you are burning a lot of fat on your long runs, when they are done at aerobic pace. Therefore, body composition may actually subtly change even while you are eating a balanced and nutritious diet that feeds your energy level. Pretty cool stuff.
Three primary fuel types and all food from the new food pyramid fits into these neat slots as far as the body is concerned, yet not all foods are created equal. Carbohydrates, Lipids (or fats), and protein are the three types.
Fat: Sometimes a dirty word and thought of as something to avoid and yet, this is the most efficient fuel the body can have at 9Kal/gram, and it does not require the storage of water to be used in the body. We store most foods as glycogen and use it all over the body. Fat during aerobic exercise is converted to fuel and used for any endurance activity because it works but also because you cannot store all of the fuel you need to burn without using this fat. Unsaturated fat from plant products is ideal and not refined or hydrogenated fat is most healthy and burns in the body with fewer bi-products like free radicals.
Protein: Nearly everything of value in the body is built from proteins and this makes them simply too valuable to use a fuel. Skeletal muscle is built from a number of key proteins but even elements for your cell membranes and body hormones are made of protein. Daily intake is required and can be attained from animal and or vegetable sources. These proteins are made of amino acids and your body disassembles proteins it consumes and rebuilds good stuff from these amino acid chains. Several key amino acids are important to attain if we are on any kind of vegetarian or alternative diet. The most important of these amino acid chains is Omega 3.
Carbohydrates: Nearly everything else that is not made of protein or fat or a man made substance is a carbohydrate. Even sugar is a carbohydrate. While many people have profited from special diets that eschew “carbs” they are the body’s essential and most easily used fuel. The average American eats far more of the wrong kinds of carbs than they should, however the body will metabolize carbs the best and with fewer byproducts than any other energy synthesis. The trouble is that we cannot store all of the energy we need this way and so we start the running machine on carbs and efficiently transition mid run to fat metabolism as a fuel source.
What is bonk? You’ll see unprepared runners face bonk or “the wall” during a big event. It can be physically excruciating and mentally dehabilitating. Preparation can prevent this and you just need some understanding of physiology and prior practice to fend it off. Two experts define what this is pretty simply.
Sunny Blende, sports nutritionists writes, “The brain also does not store any glucose – as glycogen, as the muscles do – and is totally dependent on blood glucose for its energy supply. In order to function normally, the brain requires a relatively normal blood glucose level. So what happens to an ultrarunner when he or she is running hours and hours with an increasing demand for glucose? If our ultrarunner does not ingest adequate amounts of carbohydrate (glucose) along the way, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) sets in. And with prolonged hypoglycemia comes central nervous system fatigue – the progressive shutdown of the part of the brain that drives the muscles. Bad news for attitude and bad news for performance.”
In one of Tim Noakes’s studies from The Lore of Running, he found that two percent of marathoners, six percent of those who ran 50 kms and 11 percent of those who ran 100 kms were hypoglycemic. He cites the symptoms as a “reduced ability to concentrate, a sudden feeling of weakness, and the intense desire to stop running. Typically, the athlete senses the impossibility of completing the race”. Sound familiar? Obviously foods containing glucose would have helped these athletes perform better, but an explanation of the mechanism of action might make this concept easier to understand. Again, Tim Noakes’s studies from The Lore of Running, “The main supplier of glucose into the blood is the liver. This happens directly from its own store of glycogen or indirectly by a process known as gluconeogenesis (the production of glucose by the liver from substances other than carbohydrates, for example, proteins). Training also helps the liver’s ability to produce glucose from circulating blood lactate. However, because the liver is so small compared to the body’s muscle mass and only stores about 250 - 500 calories of glucose, it could never keep up with the muscles’ demand for glucose when exercising hard or long. In a trained athlete, this amounts to three or four hours of running at a moderate pace. And the muscles are prevented from using too much circulating blood glucose in order to protect the brain. Fortunately our body has provided the muscles with other ways of obtaining glucose; namely a good supply stored in its own tissues and the ability to use fat as a source of energy. And remember, the supply stored in the muscles can be doubled if post-exercise carbs were consumed within thirty minutes or so. But even this generous supply will only last about five to six hours. The rate that the liver releases glucose and the muscles take it up during exercise is increased six-fold from a resting state. When tissues increase their rate of usage faster than the liver can produce it, blood levels fall and body function is impaired. In order to prevent brain drain and preserve our mind’s ability to think and strategize effectively in an ultra event, it becomes crucial to ingest carbohydrates during the race. If the muscles become fatigued, the brain will reduce the number of muscle fibers activated and in order to continue running, the ultrarunner will have to slow down. This is the body’s way of surviving. It may limit the runner’s physiological capabilities, but preserve the neurological function of the brain. Exhaustion, in this case, may be defined as a decrease in signals from the brain to the muscles, not a direct change in glycogen levels in the muscles - in other words, central fatigue.”
So the central governor steps in again to save the day and we learn that this phenomenon is preventable if we keep energy reserves up to meet the exertion demands. That requires you to test what kind of carbohydrates will digest easily for you while running. Gatorade, gel packets, bananas, chia seed, PB&J, fruit roll-ups and others have all been tried and many work well as long as they contain some water of their own and you keep your stomach lining wet w. a bit of fluids. Sunny Blende and others suggest that you might be able to train your body to utilize as much as 240 calories per hour while running (you’ll use more than this often, but that’s the breaks). The average gel packet is 100-150 calories each and 12oz of Gatorade is about 90 calories. So you can calculate what you’ll need and try to eat is small amounts spaced along the duration of your run.
Here is a link for some breakfasts with protein (a good time to get it as you metabolism is firing up and you’ll run on this later in the day) I love protein at breakfast because I am less hungry before lunch.
Here is a video with ideas about eating a snack an hour before a run and 3 ideas that each includes a healthy protein.
Here is an article by Mark Bittman and I like the guy for his simple style, ideas that involve less meat, and yet he is still eating right. He includes about 8 recipes in his article and beans given some attention as the powerhouse food they really are.
There are also links to some Mark Bittner food ideas on our face book site and as someone pointed out - he has started blogging for Runners World. Thanks Lori!
This link allows you to build menus by type and fulfill all the key nutrients in the process – it is free, but you have to register
This link lists what is in the meat and beans group and why you need it – along with a list of foods that will hold off anemia, or the low red cell count that gives rise to lethargy, low oxygenation and poor running performance.
Runners and athletes would want as many red blood cells (RBCs) as possible for best oxygen transport to your muscles. Recall that from a previous lesson that Coach Joe Vigil feels that many athletes, especially female athletes, need to monitor their bodies for signs of low iron or possible anemia. A normal range score of 37-43% RBC for hemocrit scores should be what you are expecting and a runner would be interested in being on the high end of this score for better oxygen carrying capacity. You can have your doctor test this blood value and including lean meat and beans in your diet helps fend off iron deficiency.
The Average American consumes approximately 3.6 grams of salt daily and current federal guidelines for sodium intake is 2.3 grams per day. The American Heart Association recommends 2 grams. What many folks miss at the cellular level is that both sodium and potassium are the two ions that your body uses every second of the day. While it is relatively simple to get your daily supply of sodium some folks do not get enough Potassium and you need 4.7 grams daily in order to function optimally. Having the optimum ratio of these elements lowers the incidence of cardiovascular disease and allows optimal membrane potential at the cellular level. Bananas, peaches, prunes, apricots, honeydew melon or cantaloupe, and OJ all contain good sources of potassium as well as whole grains, beans and many fresh meats.
Blood sodium must be maintained at a level of 135mmol/L and this value is typically easy to maintain without any dietary changes. For runners, the complication comes when someone would be running or walking slowly for a long time, while consuming a lot of water. This can create a condition called hyponatremia. While the article Responsible Drinking on the Trail (Dr. M Hoffman, Ultrarunning, March 2010) states that this condition has been responsible for five fatalities in the US and UK they also write that 30% of the runners at 2009 Western States 100 mile run, who participated in the author’s research, were positive for signs of hyponatremia.
For runners, hyponatremia means low salt. We lose salt in sweating and we can (with great effort) dilute the amount of salt that we have in our bodies by consuming large amounts of water. When you have a lot of water and not enough salt in the body, fluids begin to shift in your system and the results can be catastrophic and life threatening. You need not have a complete class in physiology to get a handle on how this works though. If you are sweating a lot, out for a long time, and throwing in the water as you go – then you need to keep your eye open for crucial signs of what is sometimes call ‘water intoxication”.
Dr. Hoffman list a number of Danger signs: [additions mine] “Your body would not lose the 2% of its weight you would expect on your longest run but would stay the same weight or gain weight during the run. Your body’s water is changing location and you’ll see swelling, [all over], but especially hands, feet, face – [rings and shoes may be tight.] You would see mental status changes as fluid causes brain cells to swell too. [This would look like stumble; mumble, fumble and you would have to look at their other symptoms to ensure you did not think - dehydration. Recall that people call this condition water intoxication because of the mental status changes you see in people.] This person may also feel sick, [feel nausea and be sloshing from all the water they are hauling in their stomach. Urine output would be beyond the “clear, constant and copious” realm that we expect in hydrated folks as the kidney are now doing all they can to solve a fluid overload condition.] This is an emergency medical condition that requires immediate attention and complications can include kidney failure.” [They need medical intervention and you take them off of water while you get them help.]
On a slight tangent but related to your groceries in garbage out theme, comes a question from a runner to the sports nutritionist at Runners World – you can view this online but I included the copy here as it relates to nutrition and is such a good question.
“Over the past couple of months, I've been having to go "number 2" during most of my morning runs. I used to be able to go before my runs without much of an issue. Now I try to go but nothing happens. I eat a healthy diet, for the most part, with fruits and veggies, and get about 30 grams of fiber each day; drink 60 to 70 ounces of water; and seem to get the right amounts of calories (2,500), carbs (60 to 70%) and proteins (100 grams per day). I run about 35 miles a week and I am 5'10" and 155 pounds. Am I just eating too much? Any suggestions? – Joseph”
Joseph, a few observations:
“You say you eat lots of fruits and vegetables and 30 grams of fiber per day. Certain fibers are more helpful with laxation, such as bran-type cereals. In addition, consider swapping one of your fresh fruit choices for four or five dried plums, especially at night before bed.
The recommended fluid intake for adult men is 125 ounces per day, at rest, and more for exercise, so if you are consuming 30 grams of fiber and not enough fluid, that may also be part of the problem; consider increasing your liquids intake.
And based on your diet breakdown (60 to 70% carbs, or 375 to 437 grams per day, and protein at 100 grams per day) your diet may be too low in fat. Fat is important as a lubricant. So you may want to cut the carbs slightly and increase the fat, through nuts and nut butter, or olive oil on those vegetables, or guacamole.
Last but not least: Before bedtime, try a small bowl of All-Bran, Bran Buds, or Fiber One with a few dried plums and 2 tablespoons of nuts. Make sure you have a large glass of water (about 16 ounces) with this.
Hopefully this will get you back to running your route, and not to the bathroom!”
Leslie
Have a question for Leslie? E-mail her. (Please write "Ask the Sports Dietitian" in the subject line.) NOTE: Due to the volume of mail, we regret that Leslie cannot answer every e-mail.
And check out Leslie's newest book, Sports Nutrition for Coaches, on sale now.
The item that I would say Leslie neglected to mention is something called the gastrocolic reflex. We all have this, but many choose to not tune into it. Once our runner, Joseph tries Leslie’s suggestions he will not be able to ignore it! Each day your gastrointestinal system sort of “wakes up” and contracts in a mechanical wave that we call peristalsis and this reflex occurs when food or fluid (often warm coffee or tea) first comes into the stomach. When you listen to your body, you’ll feel this occur and you can sit down to have a bowel movement right away, because your body has this preparatory reflex for a purpose. Following this hint from your gut will train your bowel to go before your run (or your race) and save you a great deal of anxiety along with improving your quality of life. Laugh, because it is good to do so – but then try it because it works.
I’ll have a few handout ideas for you regarding micro meal scheduling and training meals. Additionally, I will be reading a new book this year on nutrition and I encourage you to as well – it sounds great. Matt Fitzgerald’s Racing Weight – How to Get Lean for Peak Performance. There is very little on this subject currently and this work has already seen high acclaim from coaches in our sport, check it out.
"Endurance events are eating and drinking contests with some exercise thrown in too" Sunny Blende
We have already had a primer on running nutrition and via handouts you had recently, we looked at race day and race week meals to try in preparation. So now let’s talk about the food pyramid a bit, new resource ideas for meals to help your running, salt, iron and regulation of “in’s and out’s” a bit. Your everyday training depends on knowing a bit more about fueling - especially as long runs get longer.
Let’s look at the food pyramid in greater detail and see what you’ll be fueling yourself with in the coming months as you seek to keep yourself well fueled and injury free in training and attain ideal body type for your event. Running hard and all this training is not a diet program – I have said this many times. Yet you will find that over time your metabolic capacity increases and you are burning a lot of fat on your long runs, when they are done at aerobic pace. Therefore, body composition may actually subtly change even while you are eating a balanced and nutritious diet that feeds your energy level. Pretty cool stuff.
Three primary fuel types and all food from the new food pyramid fits into these neat slots as far as the body is concerned, yet not all foods are created equal. Carbohydrates, Lipids (or fats), and protein are the three types.
Fat: Sometimes a dirty word and thought of as something to avoid and yet, this is the most efficient fuel the body can have at 9Kal/gram, and it does not require the storage of water to be used in the body. We store most foods as glycogen and use it all over the body. Fat during aerobic exercise is converted to fuel and used for any endurance activity because it works but also because you cannot store all of the fuel you need to burn without using this fat. Unsaturated fat from plant products is ideal and not refined or hydrogenated fat is most healthy and burns in the body with fewer bi-products like free radicals.
Protein: Nearly everything of value in the body is built from proteins and this makes them simply too valuable to use a fuel. Skeletal muscle is built from a number of key proteins but even elements for your cell membranes and body hormones are made of protein. Daily intake is required and can be attained from animal and or vegetable sources. These proteins are made of amino acids and your body disassembles proteins it consumes and rebuilds good stuff from these amino acid chains. Several key amino acids are important to attain if we are on any kind of vegetarian or alternative diet. The most important of these amino acid chains is Omega 3.
Carbohydrates: Nearly everything else that is not made of protein or fat or a man made substance is a carbohydrate. Even sugar is a carbohydrate. While many people have profited from special diets that eschew “carbs” they are the body’s essential and most easily used fuel. The average American eats far more of the wrong kinds of carbs than they should, however the body will metabolize carbs the best and with fewer byproducts than any other energy synthesis. The trouble is that we cannot store all of the energy we need this way and so we start the running machine on carbs and efficiently transition mid run to fat metabolism as a fuel source.
What is bonk? You’ll see unprepared runners face bonk or “the wall” during a big event. It can be physically excruciating and mentally dehabilitating. Preparation can prevent this and you just need some understanding of physiology and prior practice to fend it off. Two experts define what this is pretty simply.
Sunny Blende, sports nutritionists writes, “The brain also does not store any glucose – as glycogen, as the muscles do – and is totally dependent on blood glucose for its energy supply. In order to function normally, the brain requires a relatively normal blood glucose level. So what happens to an ultrarunner when he or she is running hours and hours with an increasing demand for glucose? If our ultrarunner does not ingest adequate amounts of carbohydrate (glucose) along the way, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) sets in. And with prolonged hypoglycemia comes central nervous system fatigue – the progressive shutdown of the part of the brain that drives the muscles. Bad news for attitude and bad news for performance.”
In one of Tim Noakes’s studies from The Lore of Running, he found that two percent of marathoners, six percent of those who ran 50 kms and 11 percent of those who ran 100 kms were hypoglycemic. He cites the symptoms as a “reduced ability to concentrate, a sudden feeling of weakness, and the intense desire to stop running. Typically, the athlete senses the impossibility of completing the race”. Sound familiar? Obviously foods containing glucose would have helped these athletes perform better, but an explanation of the mechanism of action might make this concept easier to understand. Again, Tim Noakes’s studies from The Lore of Running, “The main supplier of glucose into the blood is the liver. This happens directly from its own store of glycogen or indirectly by a process known as gluconeogenesis (the production of glucose by the liver from substances other than carbohydrates, for example, proteins). Training also helps the liver’s ability to produce glucose from circulating blood lactate. However, because the liver is so small compared to the body’s muscle mass and only stores about 250 - 500 calories of glucose, it could never keep up with the muscles’ demand for glucose when exercising hard or long. In a trained athlete, this amounts to three or four hours of running at a moderate pace. And the muscles are prevented from using too much circulating blood glucose in order to protect the brain. Fortunately our body has provided the muscles with other ways of obtaining glucose; namely a good supply stored in its own tissues and the ability to use fat as a source of energy. And remember, the supply stored in the muscles can be doubled if post-exercise carbs were consumed within thirty minutes or so. But even this generous supply will only last about five to six hours. The rate that the liver releases glucose and the muscles take it up during exercise is increased six-fold from a resting state. When tissues increase their rate of usage faster than the liver can produce it, blood levels fall and body function is impaired. In order to prevent brain drain and preserve our mind’s ability to think and strategize effectively in an ultra event, it becomes crucial to ingest carbohydrates during the race. If the muscles become fatigued, the brain will reduce the number of muscle fibers activated and in order to continue running, the ultrarunner will have to slow down. This is the body’s way of surviving. It may limit the runner’s physiological capabilities, but preserve the neurological function of the brain. Exhaustion, in this case, may be defined as a decrease in signals from the brain to the muscles, not a direct change in glycogen levels in the muscles - in other words, central fatigue.”
So the central governor steps in again to save the day and we learn that this phenomenon is preventable if we keep energy reserves up to meet the exertion demands. That requires you to test what kind of carbohydrates will digest easily for you while running. Gatorade, gel packets, bananas, chia seed, PB&J, fruit roll-ups and others have all been tried and many work well as long as they contain some water of their own and you keep your stomach lining wet w. a bit of fluids. Sunny Blende and others suggest that you might be able to train your body to utilize as much as 240 calories per hour while running (you’ll use more than this often, but that’s the breaks). The average gel packet is 100-150 calories each and 12oz of Gatorade is about 90 calories. So you can calculate what you’ll need and try to eat is small amounts spaced along the duration of your run.
Here is a link for some breakfasts with protein (a good time to get it as you metabolism is firing up and you’ll run on this later in the day) I love protein at breakfast because I am less hungry before lunch.
Here is a video with ideas about eating a snack an hour before a run and 3 ideas that each includes a healthy protein.
Here is an article by Mark Bittman and I like the guy for his simple style, ideas that involve less meat, and yet he is still eating right. He includes about 8 recipes in his article and beans given some attention as the powerhouse food they really are.
There are also links to some Mark Bittner food ideas on our face book site and as someone pointed out - he has started blogging for Runners World. Thanks Lori!
This link allows you to build menus by type and fulfill all the key nutrients in the process – it is free, but you have to register
This link lists what is in the meat and beans group and why you need it – along with a list of foods that will hold off anemia, or the low red cell count that gives rise to lethargy, low oxygenation and poor running performance.
Runners and athletes would want as many red blood cells (RBCs) as possible for best oxygen transport to your muscles. Recall that from a previous lesson that Coach Joe Vigil feels that many athletes, especially female athletes, need to monitor their bodies for signs of low iron or possible anemia. A normal range score of 37-43% RBC for hemocrit scores should be what you are expecting and a runner would be interested in being on the high end of this score for better oxygen carrying capacity. You can have your doctor test this blood value and including lean meat and beans in your diet helps fend off iron deficiency.
The Average American consumes approximately 3.6 grams of salt daily and current federal guidelines for sodium intake is 2.3 grams per day. The American Heart Association recommends 2 grams. What many folks miss at the cellular level is that both sodium and potassium are the two ions that your body uses every second of the day. While it is relatively simple to get your daily supply of sodium some folks do not get enough Potassium and you need 4.7 grams daily in order to function optimally. Having the optimum ratio of these elements lowers the incidence of cardiovascular disease and allows optimal membrane potential at the cellular level. Bananas, peaches, prunes, apricots, honeydew melon or cantaloupe, and OJ all contain good sources of potassium as well as whole grains, beans and many fresh meats.
Blood sodium must be maintained at a level of 135mmol/L and this value is typically easy to maintain without any dietary changes. For runners, the complication comes when someone would be running or walking slowly for a long time, while consuming a lot of water. This can create a condition called hyponatremia. While the article Responsible Drinking on the Trail (Dr. M Hoffman, Ultrarunning, March 2010) states that this condition has been responsible for five fatalities in the US and UK they also write that 30% of the runners at 2009 Western States 100 mile run, who participated in the author’s research, were positive for signs of hyponatremia.
For runners, hyponatremia means low salt. We lose salt in sweating and we can (with great effort) dilute the amount of salt that we have in our bodies by consuming large amounts of water. When you have a lot of water and not enough salt in the body, fluids begin to shift in your system and the results can be catastrophic and life threatening. You need not have a complete class in physiology to get a handle on how this works though. If you are sweating a lot, out for a long time, and throwing in the water as you go – then you need to keep your eye open for crucial signs of what is sometimes call ‘water intoxication”.
Dr. Hoffman list a number of Danger signs: [additions mine] “Your body would not lose the 2% of its weight you would expect on your longest run but would stay the same weight or gain weight during the run. Your body’s water is changing location and you’ll see swelling, [all over], but especially hands, feet, face – [rings and shoes may be tight.] You would see mental status changes as fluid causes brain cells to swell too. [This would look like stumble; mumble, fumble and you would have to look at their other symptoms to ensure you did not think - dehydration. Recall that people call this condition water intoxication because of the mental status changes you see in people.] This person may also feel sick, [feel nausea and be sloshing from all the water they are hauling in their stomach. Urine output would be beyond the “clear, constant and copious” realm that we expect in hydrated folks as the kidney are now doing all they can to solve a fluid overload condition.] This is an emergency medical condition that requires immediate attention and complications can include kidney failure.” [They need medical intervention and you take them off of water while you get them help.]
On a slight tangent but related to your groceries in garbage out theme, comes a question from a runner to the sports nutritionist at Runners World – you can view this online but I included the copy here as it relates to nutrition and is such a good question.
“Over the past couple of months, I've been having to go "number 2" during most of my morning runs. I used to be able to go before my runs without much of an issue. Now I try to go but nothing happens. I eat a healthy diet, for the most part, with fruits and veggies, and get about 30 grams of fiber each day; drink 60 to 70 ounces of water; and seem to get the right amounts of calories (2,500), carbs (60 to 70%) and proteins (100 grams per day). I run about 35 miles a week and I am 5'10" and 155 pounds. Am I just eating too much? Any suggestions? – Joseph”
Joseph, a few observations:
“You say you eat lots of fruits and vegetables and 30 grams of fiber per day. Certain fibers are more helpful with laxation, such as bran-type cereals. In addition, consider swapping one of your fresh fruit choices for four or five dried plums, especially at night before bed.
The recommended fluid intake for adult men is 125 ounces per day, at rest, and more for exercise, so if you are consuming 30 grams of fiber and not enough fluid, that may also be part of the problem; consider increasing your liquids intake.
And based on your diet breakdown (60 to 70% carbs, or 375 to 437 grams per day, and protein at 100 grams per day) your diet may be too low in fat. Fat is important as a lubricant. So you may want to cut the carbs slightly and increase the fat, through nuts and nut butter, or olive oil on those vegetables, or guacamole.
Last but not least: Before bedtime, try a small bowl of All-Bran, Bran Buds, or Fiber One with a few dried plums and 2 tablespoons of nuts. Make sure you have a large glass of water (about 16 ounces) with this.
Hopefully this will get you back to running your route, and not to the bathroom!”
Leslie
Have a question for Leslie? E-mail her. (Please write "Ask the Sports Dietitian" in the subject line.) NOTE: Due to the volume of mail, we regret that Leslie cannot answer every e-mail.
And check out Leslie's newest book, Sports Nutrition for Coaches, on sale now.
The item that I would say Leslie neglected to mention is something called the gastrocolic reflex. We all have this, but many choose to not tune into it. Once our runner, Joseph tries Leslie’s suggestions he will not be able to ignore it! Each day your gastrointestinal system sort of “wakes up” and contracts in a mechanical wave that we call peristalsis and this reflex occurs when food or fluid (often warm coffee or tea) first comes into the stomach. When you listen to your body, you’ll feel this occur and you can sit down to have a bowel movement right away, because your body has this preparatory reflex for a purpose. Following this hint from your gut will train your bowel to go before your run (or your race) and save you a great deal of anxiety along with improving your quality of life. Laugh, because it is good to do so – but then try it because it works.
I’ll have a few handout ideas for you regarding micro meal scheduling and training meals. Additionally, I will be reading a new book this year on nutrition and I encourage you to as well – it sounds great. Matt Fitzgerald’s Racing Weight – How to Get Lean for Peak Performance. There is very little on this subject currently and this work has already seen high acclaim from coaches in our sport, check it out.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Track Workouts
Time Trials and Track Workouts
Track work can be fun & even a bit addicting if you are a sports fan that enjoys data or statistics. Remember that this type of workout is 15% or less of your total program and yet you will often see results in the data in just 3-4 week of work. These workouts are seldom easy and because it is not easy – and it pushes the body to a new place in your running, the rest of the work will feel more effortless. Track work develops both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. You’ll get more efficient moving lactate (metabolic waste) out of your system and you’ll enhance your running form. All these benefits from only 15% of the work sounds like an infomercial – too good to be true. Well remember I said it was hard and it is also demanding on the body, so it is not for folks who do not already have four to five months of regular running under their shoes. Some of the folks in our group are already there on this which is great because speed work will tune you up for any race goal. First timers will be ready for some speed work as the program concludes and because of this I introduce track workouts. This is not intended to be a comprehensive workout description but a way to sell you on the basics and guide you through what you need to know to get started. You’ll find these workouts everywhere in magazines and online so you’ll have some tools when you’re ready.
This lesson is a chance to explain some terminology and serve as a primer to track work. You’ll need a stopwatch (or stopwatch function on your watch), maybe a buddy for motivation and to help keep count, and a paper and pencil plan about how to progress before you start the process.
How fast do I run these? Short question - big answer. Most folks will use a recent race that went well to estimate what their fast pace. Those without a race will calculate running paces based on a “miracle mile”, so what is this all about? You head to the track or a pre-marked distance on the bike trail, and run your fastest pace that you feel you can sustain for a mile and clock the time. This uses your “central governor” that we have talked about before – your own very well trained, race computer in your brain that will not let you blow up and will adjust performance by how much is in your individual tank. Once you have a race time or your own one-mile time trial you have a reference point or baseline. This is a starting point for you to calculate from & you can have a professional trainer calculate for you - for free.
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm
This tool is great because you will get a full spectrum of running paces for the types of runs you’d like to do in a given week. These times were designed with the idea that you’ll not be over-training or stressing yourself anaerobically too often but allowing adaptations to develop gradually. You’ll still need to fine tune these with your own heart rate or level of perceived effort to make sure that they work for you.
Remember that we have already covered lessons regarding the 4 types of workouts. These are LSD runs, everyday runs, tempo work, & threshold or track work (see “the Mix” lesson). Any running above your goal pace - for a planned length of time falls into Speed/track work. We have already talked about Perceived Effort (PE) & how it relates to your heart rate & pacing (see Pacing lesson) – so you know a bit about how to not overdo it & you can estimate where you’ll want your PE to be for these workouts. You want to warm up and cool down MORE for this workout –a mile of easy running beforehand & walking a mile or more afterwards. Low level aerobic activity after the speed work helps to clear lactate from muscles faster due to increased circulation. You’ll be asking your body to run into the 8-9 range (anaerobic work) for SOME these runs/repeats but you will be careful to never go all out. You can only drive the car as fast as it was designed for – if your form is suffering, simply slow down and work up to that pace later as you progress gradually.
So here are a few terms and ideas to get you started:
These concepts you’ll see over and over – so they are the best place to begin and with just these building blocks you can begin to construct your own track progressions.
Miracle mile – you head out and run the best mile that you can run (four laps on a standard track, 440 yards /lap or 5280 feet total) and the key here is that the pace must be steady. So go out and finish at the same pace, no heroics. This is a good measure for shorter races and a decent way to start any endurance program. You’ll know what your best possible race pace is right now – a snapshot.
Time trials – several kinds of time trials you can do. One type would be to start a long endurance program and you go out and see how long you can run without stopping, running by time. You hope to have a steady pace throughout and you simply stop when you have had enough. This time/distance trial is the starting place for your long runs (LSD runs) that are the cornerstone of any endurance program. Many who start a half-marathon or longer program do not know how long their first long run should be and this is a good measure of where to set the initial distance.
Another type of time trial is a more of dress rehearsal for race day. The Hanson distance project is famous for this type of run and they will choose a route that is 60-70% of the distance of the intended race course. Runners go out and run this trial 6 weeks prior and 3 weeks prior to the event. Running at race pace and seeking to maintain that goal pace the entire distance. Hanson distance project has found that the runners in training who can maintain that goal pace during their program will easily maintain the race pace for the entire race distance after tapering and resting properly. Giving them most of the race at this speed is a great confidence builder as well without breaking them down beyond what they can recover from.
Track repeats - a run length that mimics the endurance level required for your race which is repeated several times and includes a rest or jog between repeats. Endurance is increased by adding repeats gradually over the weeks and by reducing the rest or jog interval in between runs. 5K runners might use 440 or quarter mile repeats, 10K runners might use 440 or 880 repeats, 13.1 mile racers and 26.2 racers would use half mile or mile repeats. Think about these like the granddaddy of a walk run program – instead of running a minute and then walking one, you are running a quarter mile and then letting the body catch up by walking/jogging a lap. This gears you up for speed without the strain of running the entire distance at speed (more than we can recover from). Just like your running - you slowly add repeats and then lower the rest intervals as race day approaches and you hone the runner to race. These should not be intimidating as the system is familiar and the results are the same – you gradually become more comfortable running faster in small doses so as to not wear you down. Research has shown that this work pushes back your lactate threshold. Because the work generates lactate faster in the body, you become more adept at clearing it and thus more efficient at lower intensity running as well, making you faster.
Ladders - many programs will choose a distance that matches your race length well and select repeats of these distances which move the runner from warm up to tempo through threshold pacing and back down through tempo and cool down modes. Ladders might look like this:
1 mile warm-up, 800 meters, 600 meters, 400 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 600 meters, 800 meters and 1 mile cool-down. Ladders typically add challenge with progressively shorter and faster runs at the ladder top and repeats of the difficult repetitions. After ladders there is usually a long slow run which allows lactate flushing and teaches the body what the “end of the race” feels like in competition.
Rest interval - most folks start speed work with walking the rest interval which is a good thing. Later they jog the rest interval. As repeats get easier they shorten the rest interval and push the body to better adapt to race pace running because on race day most of us do not plan on stopping to jog a lap. This is where track work differs significantly from Arthur Lydiard’s training philosophy. He felt that you should not train the body to rest but go slower to avoid damaging the runner and instead ask him to keep running. He used track work to adjust the runner to race pace and anaerobically condition the runner in the final stages of a program.
Yasso 800’s – Bart Yasso used the half mile repeat regularly as part of his training program for dozens of marathons. What he found over time in his running logbooks has proven true for many other runners and when he released his findings with the help of Amby Burfoot they coined the term Yasso 800’s. Bart starts speed work training with maybe two half mile repeats and runs them once each week. Every one to three weeks he adds an additional repeat. He tries to run all of them at race pace – what he expects to run on race day. Three weeks before the race day he hope to run 10 or more of these repeats at race pace or faster and if he is successful, then he knows he will run his race in the goal time. He also uses a slick conversion factor to gauge his speed work. If Bart wants to run a 3:00 hour marathon he runs his repeats in 3:00 minutes each. While this pace per mile is a bit faster than a 3:00 hour marathon and is very nearly threshold pace for distance runners, his estimates for this distance have proven nearly foolproof for many marathoners.
When getting into track work – remember a few key concepts that bear repeating
· Long warm ups and cool downs
· Very gradually add repeats first, then reduce rest intervals
· Check your training paces carefully, have a plan, and never sprint all out
· Speed work on the track is clearly a once a week, maximum, activity (15% of weekly miles, max)
· Lots of good track interval suggestions at Runner World, McMillian Running, & coaching sites
· Not for beginners, you need 5 months under your shoes before trying track work
Track work can be fun & even a bit addicting if you are a sports fan that enjoys data or statistics. Remember that this type of workout is 15% or less of your total program and yet you will often see results in the data in just 3-4 week of work. These workouts are seldom easy and because it is not easy – and it pushes the body to a new place in your running, the rest of the work will feel more effortless. Track work develops both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. You’ll get more efficient moving lactate (metabolic waste) out of your system and you’ll enhance your running form. All these benefits from only 15% of the work sounds like an infomercial – too good to be true. Well remember I said it was hard and it is also demanding on the body, so it is not for folks who do not already have four to five months of regular running under their shoes. Some of the folks in our group are already there on this which is great because speed work will tune you up for any race goal. First timers will be ready for some speed work as the program concludes and because of this I introduce track workouts. This is not intended to be a comprehensive workout description but a way to sell you on the basics and guide you through what you need to know to get started. You’ll find these workouts everywhere in magazines and online so you’ll have some tools when you’re ready.
This lesson is a chance to explain some terminology and serve as a primer to track work. You’ll need a stopwatch (or stopwatch function on your watch), maybe a buddy for motivation and to help keep count, and a paper and pencil plan about how to progress before you start the process.
How fast do I run these? Short question - big answer. Most folks will use a recent race that went well to estimate what their fast pace. Those without a race will calculate running paces based on a “miracle mile”, so what is this all about? You head to the track or a pre-marked distance on the bike trail, and run your fastest pace that you feel you can sustain for a mile and clock the time. This uses your “central governor” that we have talked about before – your own very well trained, race computer in your brain that will not let you blow up and will adjust performance by how much is in your individual tank. Once you have a race time or your own one-mile time trial you have a reference point or baseline. This is a starting point for you to calculate from & you can have a professional trainer calculate for you - for free.
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm
This tool is great because you will get a full spectrum of running paces for the types of runs you’d like to do in a given week. These times were designed with the idea that you’ll not be over-training or stressing yourself anaerobically too often but allowing adaptations to develop gradually. You’ll still need to fine tune these with your own heart rate or level of perceived effort to make sure that they work for you.
Remember that we have already covered lessons regarding the 4 types of workouts. These are LSD runs, everyday runs, tempo work, & threshold or track work (see “the Mix” lesson). Any running above your goal pace - for a planned length of time falls into Speed/track work. We have already talked about Perceived Effort (PE) & how it relates to your heart rate & pacing (see Pacing lesson) – so you know a bit about how to not overdo it & you can estimate where you’ll want your PE to be for these workouts. You want to warm up and cool down MORE for this workout –a mile of easy running beforehand & walking a mile or more afterwards. Low level aerobic activity after the speed work helps to clear lactate from muscles faster due to increased circulation. You’ll be asking your body to run into the 8-9 range (anaerobic work) for SOME these runs/repeats but you will be careful to never go all out. You can only drive the car as fast as it was designed for – if your form is suffering, simply slow down and work up to that pace later as you progress gradually.
So here are a few terms and ideas to get you started:
These concepts you’ll see over and over – so they are the best place to begin and with just these building blocks you can begin to construct your own track progressions.
Miracle mile – you head out and run the best mile that you can run (four laps on a standard track, 440 yards /lap or 5280 feet total) and the key here is that the pace must be steady. So go out and finish at the same pace, no heroics. This is a good measure for shorter races and a decent way to start any endurance program. You’ll know what your best possible race pace is right now – a snapshot.
Time trials – several kinds of time trials you can do. One type would be to start a long endurance program and you go out and see how long you can run without stopping, running by time. You hope to have a steady pace throughout and you simply stop when you have had enough. This time/distance trial is the starting place for your long runs (LSD runs) that are the cornerstone of any endurance program. Many who start a half-marathon or longer program do not know how long their first long run should be and this is a good measure of where to set the initial distance.
Another type of time trial is a more of dress rehearsal for race day. The Hanson distance project is famous for this type of run and they will choose a route that is 60-70% of the distance of the intended race course. Runners go out and run this trial 6 weeks prior and 3 weeks prior to the event. Running at race pace and seeking to maintain that goal pace the entire distance. Hanson distance project has found that the runners in training who can maintain that goal pace during their program will easily maintain the race pace for the entire race distance after tapering and resting properly. Giving them most of the race at this speed is a great confidence builder as well without breaking them down beyond what they can recover from.
Track repeats - a run length that mimics the endurance level required for your race which is repeated several times and includes a rest or jog between repeats. Endurance is increased by adding repeats gradually over the weeks and by reducing the rest or jog interval in between runs. 5K runners might use 440 or quarter mile repeats, 10K runners might use 440 or 880 repeats, 13.1 mile racers and 26.2 racers would use half mile or mile repeats. Think about these like the granddaddy of a walk run program – instead of running a minute and then walking one, you are running a quarter mile and then letting the body catch up by walking/jogging a lap. This gears you up for speed without the strain of running the entire distance at speed (more than we can recover from). Just like your running - you slowly add repeats and then lower the rest intervals as race day approaches and you hone the runner to race. These should not be intimidating as the system is familiar and the results are the same – you gradually become more comfortable running faster in small doses so as to not wear you down. Research has shown that this work pushes back your lactate threshold. Because the work generates lactate faster in the body, you become more adept at clearing it and thus more efficient at lower intensity running as well, making you faster.
Ladders - many programs will choose a distance that matches your race length well and select repeats of these distances which move the runner from warm up to tempo through threshold pacing and back down through tempo and cool down modes. Ladders might look like this:
1 mile warm-up, 800 meters, 600 meters, 400 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 600 meters, 800 meters and 1 mile cool-down. Ladders typically add challenge with progressively shorter and faster runs at the ladder top and repeats of the difficult repetitions. After ladders there is usually a long slow run which allows lactate flushing and teaches the body what the “end of the race” feels like in competition.
Rest interval - most folks start speed work with walking the rest interval which is a good thing. Later they jog the rest interval. As repeats get easier they shorten the rest interval and push the body to better adapt to race pace running because on race day most of us do not plan on stopping to jog a lap. This is where track work differs significantly from Arthur Lydiard’s training philosophy. He felt that you should not train the body to rest but go slower to avoid damaging the runner and instead ask him to keep running. He used track work to adjust the runner to race pace and anaerobically condition the runner in the final stages of a program.
Yasso 800’s – Bart Yasso used the half mile repeat regularly as part of his training program for dozens of marathons. What he found over time in his running logbooks has proven true for many other runners and when he released his findings with the help of Amby Burfoot they coined the term Yasso 800’s. Bart starts speed work training with maybe two half mile repeats and runs them once each week. Every one to three weeks he adds an additional repeat. He tries to run all of them at race pace – what he expects to run on race day. Three weeks before the race day he hope to run 10 or more of these repeats at race pace or faster and if he is successful, then he knows he will run his race in the goal time. He also uses a slick conversion factor to gauge his speed work. If Bart wants to run a 3:00 hour marathon he runs his repeats in 3:00 minutes each. While this pace per mile is a bit faster than a 3:00 hour marathon and is very nearly threshold pace for distance runners, his estimates for this distance have proven nearly foolproof for many marathoners.
When getting into track work – remember a few key concepts that bear repeating
· Long warm ups and cool downs
· Very gradually add repeats first, then reduce rest intervals
· Check your training paces carefully, have a plan, and never sprint all out
· Speed work on the track is clearly a once a week, maximum, activity (15% of weekly miles, max)
· Lots of good track interval suggestions at Runner World, McMillian Running, & coaching sites
· Not for beginners, you need 5 months under your shoes before trying track work
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Runners foot care
“Your feet are your friends” unknown, but this sage wisdom has been handed down for a long time...
You need to start looking at your feet each day to better understand their needs and how they are taking care of you. Understanding the way your feet work will keep you running many happy miles. Dr. Tim Noakes states “Treat the cause, not the effect. Because each running injury has a cause, it follows that the injury can never be cured until the causative factors are eliminated.” Would you ever think of treating your hands with the casual disrespect we give our feet? Probably not, because you and everyone else takes notice of them – yet we often forget our most prized running instrument. The tool that contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 12 tendons, and 18 muscles is a wonder and something DaVinci called a wonder of engineering.
I should say upfront that most of what I know about foot care has come from years as a distance hiker and leading groups afield. But what I know (and share today) about running foot care comes from the 300+ page, definitive tome of foot care called Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof. He has a blog as well but this book is so well thought out that it is in its 4th edition with Wilderness Press and I highly recommend this book.
So here is the nice thing about reading a blog – nobody will see what you do next.
Take off your shoes and we’ll have a brief foot tutorial and review - with you “kicking the tires” to see how these things work and if you are properly caring for them. Go ahead, your privacy is assured – but your running future is at risk if you do not take a look at these things…
Look for changes:
Redness, cracks in the skin, nails are OK, any itching or scaling? Blisters or sore spots, callus buildup, plantar warts or corns etc – should be things you are looking out for & aware of in the developing health of your feet. Our noses, ears and feet with continue to change over the course of our lives and this program and your new pastime will impact your feet - so get a baseline look now and watch what happen over time.
Keep them smooth and clean.
Brush off the feet before going into socks and ensure nothing is in your shoes that should not be there. Use of lotion on your feet helps skin remain soft and then that skin is less likely to thicken – think about applying before bedtime and sleeping in clean socks to keep moisturizer close to the skin. Callus is generally accepted in the medical community to be a sign of abnormality, high friction, biomechanical issues or poor fitting foot gear. These should be sanded down, smoothed and reduced by gradual filing as often as possible. Failure to take care of this may cause the callus to dry and crack (producing a painful, tender injury to skin below) or deep blisters beneath the callus material which heals much more slowly than regular blisters. Soak feet in warm water or shower prior to filing/sanding with a pumice stone for best results.
Stop “hot spots” or blister right away.
If you feel friction inside the shoe stop and immediately examine the problem. Carry tape or mole foam when you anticipate trouble and apply as needed to stop friction. Even duct tape will work; trim edges to prevent “rolling” while you run as tape peeling up will make blisters worse. I love the Engo patches and have shown these to classes before – they are a Teflon type sticker that you can adhere anywhere inside the shoe as needed.
Trim your toenails before you need to – straight across to prevent ingrown nails. The failure to trim nails flush with the toe causes snagging on socks or shoes and can lift the nail off the nail bed. Long nails can cause “black toe” bruising and bleeding in the shoe! Yuck. During exertion feet will swell. Feet are largest in the afternoon, which is why it is the best time of day to buy shoes. Feet, running at days end will be very large, and so it is critical that nails be kept at the proper length to avoid impact injury.
Feet age – like we do they change over time. 1) They continue to enlarge and change in size. 2) The toenails often thicken. 3) The padding on the bottom of your feet thins and we lose some of the spring in our step as a result. 4) Feet stiffen and some range of motion is lost over time. 5) Balance sensitivity changes over time with some losses expected. 6) Arches flatten slightly
Proper shoe sizing, foot pedicures, new insoles and arch support in your shoes, stretching and strengthening exercises can offset these changes to your feet and keep you happily running.
Troublesome toes: Many folks have a condition called Morton’s toe (named for the doctor who discovered the condition). The second metatarsal bone being longer than the first, the second toe is the longest one on the foot and shoe sizing must accommodate this difference. Estimates range from 15-60% of the population having this condition. The second toe length can affect gait and contribute to over-pronation as well as callus formation where the toe bears additional weight. Simply being aware of the condition can allow for accommodations such as sizing, orthotics or additional padding.
Little toes can develop what Vonhof calls the little toe triangle. Check your little toes (or nested toes) to see if they are round and smooth on the bottom or if they have a small hardened triangle of skin developing. This triangle is very vulnerable to blisters and even tearing and so it should be soaked, reduced and moisturized to remain trouble free for long runs.
Feet can produce a pint of fluid in perspiration each day! This has to me managed for the runner.
Blisters and foot pain are most often caused by a triad of elements; friction, moisture and heat. Eliminate or effectively manage at least one of the triad and you’ll run with comfortable feet. Complex foot issues can be mitigated using socks, powders, and lubricants in your primary care plan. Additional preventive support can be found with; taping, skin conditioners, antiperspirants, orthotics, specialized lacing, shoe and sock changes, nutrition and hydration, and gaiters.
Socks are as important as your shoes and they need to match up with your shoes well. Your socks assist in injury prevention if they provide cushioning, protection and temperature management. Some of the best socks for running are now made as Right and Left in each pair. Socks do not have a break in period but you should test your socks for 3+ miles or more in your shoes prior to race day to ensure; they feel great, will do what they are supposed to, and do not give you blisters. Synthetic fibers are best and keep feet dry. Feet that are too wet or dry and grabbing something in the shoe/sock are the ones that blister.
Women’s fitted socks, toe socks, anatomically fitted (right & left) socks, anti microbial fibers, seamless socks, double layer socks, compression socks, Teflon enhanced socks to reduce friction are all currently available. There are even waterproof socks called Sealskinz but my experience has shown that these get so sweaty inside that they may be unmanageable for many runners.
Pay attention to the size of the socks as the number on the package may be “sock size” which fits a range of shoe sizes and may not numerically correspond to your foot size. Remember you are buying socks to fit your feet and not the shoe size, which may be larger to accommodate your foot swelling while you run.
Popular fabrics that review well include; Coolmax, polyester, acrylic, olefin, merino wool, bamboo, drymax, x-static, blister guard, are all great fibers currently being used in running socks.
Many running shoe companies make a sock that works well. Other names include: Balega, Bridgedale, Thorlo, Drymax, Under Armour, Injinji, Wigwam, Teko, Wrightsock, Defeet, Fox River, Goldtoe, InGenius, and Smartwool. These are available at Zombierunner.com, Zappos.com, Roadrunnersports.com, REI.com and other retailers.
Lacing can change the fit of your shoe and take pressure off of trouble areas in many cases – refer to the book “fixing your feet” by John Vonhof or Runnersworld.com, or Ian’s link, posted here on the blog, for lacing suggestions and diagrams. There are products that offer micro tensioning for laces; stretch laces that look like springs, lock laces with tension adjustments, and sausage style laces that offer tension adjustments. These may help you micro fit the shoe and unlike the “garden weasel” seen on TV many of these lacing gizmos work.
Footbeds are available for a number of foot types and gaits. Over the counter insole products are shapeable and trim to fit for your shoes. When sizing these tools at home follow directions closely! Many of these products are expected to last about a year under normal use and are often superior to the insoles that come with your shoes. SOLE, Spenco, Superfeet, Hapad, and Sorbothane all make a reputable footbed product. These are not orthotics as a podiatrist would make for you and cannot correct gait issues. They may provide additional support, prevent injury and reduce chafing in footwear. If I reveal my bias here though – many PT’s who are in the running expert-type-zone feel that using a footbed or advanced support works at the pain or problem but not the source of the issue - which may be feet in need of balancing (in terms of strengthening and flexibility) - therefore footbeds may only be the shortcut. I’ve used them and they feel good…
Self massage devices, floor rollers or tennis balls can be used to massage and rejuvenate feet with great results. Many ultra runners swear by the monthly pedicure which includes some foot massage and foot maintenance.
A foot soak you can do at home which will deodorize, soothe and soften feet (while being antibacterial/antifungal) is Pedifix FungaSoap. Contains tea-tree oil, Epsom salt, & peppermint, costs about $11.00 at pedifix.com. I have had good success with this product as a way to prep my feet for nail trimming and sanding off callus material. It smells great and leaves feet very clean and soft. Let me know if you have another trick and I’ll post it here.
Ankle strengthening and balance exercises to increase proprioception aid in having stronger healthier feet and serve to offset aging and prevent injury. These need not be complicated – as John showed us last week - standing on one leg and remaining balanced, for progressively longer intervals, is one simple method and there are many others. Walking barefoot around the house a bit is another.
A great web resource - from the man who wrote 350 pages on footcare is http://fixingyourfeet.com/blog/
Read up, incorporate a few tips each week for your amazing feet, and remember that “Your feet are your friends”
You need to start looking at your feet each day to better understand their needs and how they are taking care of you. Understanding the way your feet work will keep you running many happy miles. Dr. Tim Noakes states “Treat the cause, not the effect. Because each running injury has a cause, it follows that the injury can never be cured until the causative factors are eliminated.” Would you ever think of treating your hands with the casual disrespect we give our feet? Probably not, because you and everyone else takes notice of them – yet we often forget our most prized running instrument. The tool that contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 12 tendons, and 18 muscles is a wonder and something DaVinci called a wonder of engineering.
I should say upfront that most of what I know about foot care has come from years as a distance hiker and leading groups afield. But what I know (and share today) about running foot care comes from the 300+ page, definitive tome of foot care called Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof. He has a blog as well but this book is so well thought out that it is in its 4th edition with Wilderness Press and I highly recommend this book.
So here is the nice thing about reading a blog – nobody will see what you do next.
Take off your shoes and we’ll have a brief foot tutorial and review - with you “kicking the tires” to see how these things work and if you are properly caring for them. Go ahead, your privacy is assured – but your running future is at risk if you do not take a look at these things…
Look for changes:
Redness, cracks in the skin, nails are OK, any itching or scaling? Blisters or sore spots, callus buildup, plantar warts or corns etc – should be things you are looking out for & aware of in the developing health of your feet. Our noses, ears and feet with continue to change over the course of our lives and this program and your new pastime will impact your feet - so get a baseline look now and watch what happen over time.
Keep them smooth and clean.
Brush off the feet before going into socks and ensure nothing is in your shoes that should not be there. Use of lotion on your feet helps skin remain soft and then that skin is less likely to thicken – think about applying before bedtime and sleeping in clean socks to keep moisturizer close to the skin. Callus is generally accepted in the medical community to be a sign of abnormality, high friction, biomechanical issues or poor fitting foot gear. These should be sanded down, smoothed and reduced by gradual filing as often as possible. Failure to take care of this may cause the callus to dry and crack (producing a painful, tender injury to skin below) or deep blisters beneath the callus material which heals much more slowly than regular blisters. Soak feet in warm water or shower prior to filing/sanding with a pumice stone for best results.
Stop “hot spots” or blister right away.
If you feel friction inside the shoe stop and immediately examine the problem. Carry tape or mole foam when you anticipate trouble and apply as needed to stop friction. Even duct tape will work; trim edges to prevent “rolling” while you run as tape peeling up will make blisters worse. I love the Engo patches and have shown these to classes before – they are a Teflon type sticker that you can adhere anywhere inside the shoe as needed.
Trim your toenails before you need to – straight across to prevent ingrown nails. The failure to trim nails flush with the toe causes snagging on socks or shoes and can lift the nail off the nail bed. Long nails can cause “black toe” bruising and bleeding in the shoe! Yuck. During exertion feet will swell. Feet are largest in the afternoon, which is why it is the best time of day to buy shoes. Feet, running at days end will be very large, and so it is critical that nails be kept at the proper length to avoid impact injury.
Feet age – like we do they change over time. 1) They continue to enlarge and change in size. 2) The toenails often thicken. 3) The padding on the bottom of your feet thins and we lose some of the spring in our step as a result. 4) Feet stiffen and some range of motion is lost over time. 5) Balance sensitivity changes over time with some losses expected. 6) Arches flatten slightly
Proper shoe sizing, foot pedicures, new insoles and arch support in your shoes, stretching and strengthening exercises can offset these changes to your feet and keep you happily running.
Troublesome toes: Many folks have a condition called Morton’s toe (named for the doctor who discovered the condition). The second metatarsal bone being longer than the first, the second toe is the longest one on the foot and shoe sizing must accommodate this difference. Estimates range from 15-60% of the population having this condition. The second toe length can affect gait and contribute to over-pronation as well as callus formation where the toe bears additional weight. Simply being aware of the condition can allow for accommodations such as sizing, orthotics or additional padding.
Little toes can develop what Vonhof calls the little toe triangle. Check your little toes (or nested toes) to see if they are round and smooth on the bottom or if they have a small hardened triangle of skin developing. This triangle is very vulnerable to blisters and even tearing and so it should be soaked, reduced and moisturized to remain trouble free for long runs.
Feet can produce a pint of fluid in perspiration each day! This has to me managed for the runner.
Blisters and foot pain are most often caused by a triad of elements; friction, moisture and heat. Eliminate or effectively manage at least one of the triad and you’ll run with comfortable feet. Complex foot issues can be mitigated using socks, powders, and lubricants in your primary care plan. Additional preventive support can be found with; taping, skin conditioners, antiperspirants, orthotics, specialized lacing, shoe and sock changes, nutrition and hydration, and gaiters.
Socks are as important as your shoes and they need to match up with your shoes well. Your socks assist in injury prevention if they provide cushioning, protection and temperature management. Some of the best socks for running are now made as Right and Left in each pair. Socks do not have a break in period but you should test your socks for 3+ miles or more in your shoes prior to race day to ensure; they feel great, will do what they are supposed to, and do not give you blisters. Synthetic fibers are best and keep feet dry. Feet that are too wet or dry and grabbing something in the shoe/sock are the ones that blister.
Women’s fitted socks, toe socks, anatomically fitted (right & left) socks, anti microbial fibers, seamless socks, double layer socks, compression socks, Teflon enhanced socks to reduce friction are all currently available. There are even waterproof socks called Sealskinz but my experience has shown that these get so sweaty inside that they may be unmanageable for many runners.
Pay attention to the size of the socks as the number on the package may be “sock size” which fits a range of shoe sizes and may not numerically correspond to your foot size. Remember you are buying socks to fit your feet and not the shoe size, which may be larger to accommodate your foot swelling while you run.
Popular fabrics that review well include; Coolmax, polyester, acrylic, olefin, merino wool, bamboo, drymax, x-static, blister guard, are all great fibers currently being used in running socks.
Many running shoe companies make a sock that works well. Other names include: Balega, Bridgedale, Thorlo, Drymax, Under Armour, Injinji, Wigwam, Teko, Wrightsock, Defeet, Fox River, Goldtoe, InGenius, and Smartwool. These are available at Zombierunner.com, Zappos.com, Roadrunnersports.com, REI.com and other retailers.
Lacing can change the fit of your shoe and take pressure off of trouble areas in many cases – refer to the book “fixing your feet” by John Vonhof or Runnersworld.com, or Ian’s link, posted here on the blog, for lacing suggestions and diagrams. There are products that offer micro tensioning for laces; stretch laces that look like springs, lock laces with tension adjustments, and sausage style laces that offer tension adjustments. These may help you micro fit the shoe and unlike the “garden weasel” seen on TV many of these lacing gizmos work.
Footbeds are available for a number of foot types and gaits. Over the counter insole products are shapeable and trim to fit for your shoes. When sizing these tools at home follow directions closely! Many of these products are expected to last about a year under normal use and are often superior to the insoles that come with your shoes. SOLE, Spenco, Superfeet, Hapad, and Sorbothane all make a reputable footbed product. These are not orthotics as a podiatrist would make for you and cannot correct gait issues. They may provide additional support, prevent injury and reduce chafing in footwear. If I reveal my bias here though – many PT’s who are in the running expert-type-zone feel that using a footbed or advanced support works at the pain or problem but not the source of the issue - which may be feet in need of balancing (in terms of strengthening and flexibility) - therefore footbeds may only be the shortcut. I’ve used them and they feel good…
Self massage devices, floor rollers or tennis balls can be used to massage and rejuvenate feet with great results. Many ultra runners swear by the monthly pedicure which includes some foot massage and foot maintenance.
A foot soak you can do at home which will deodorize, soothe and soften feet (while being antibacterial/antifungal) is Pedifix FungaSoap. Contains tea-tree oil, Epsom salt, & peppermint, costs about $11.00 at pedifix.com. I have had good success with this product as a way to prep my feet for nail trimming and sanding off callus material. It smells great and leaves feet very clean and soft. Let me know if you have another trick and I’ll post it here.
Ankle strengthening and balance exercises to increase proprioception aid in having stronger healthier feet and serve to offset aging and prevent injury. These need not be complicated – as John showed us last week - standing on one leg and remaining balanced, for progressively longer intervals, is one simple method and there are many others. Walking barefoot around the house a bit is another.
A great web resource - from the man who wrote 350 pages on footcare is http://fixingyourfeet.com/blog/
Read up, incorporate a few tips each week for your amazing feet, and remember that “Your feet are your friends”
Friday, July 30, 2010
Mental Process part 1
An often used adage, sometimes attributed to Lance Armstrong,“pain is temporary, a sense of accomplishment lasts forever” this is a good place to start when we talk about a difficult physical activity.
What are you thinking about when you run? Understanding where you are at mentally when you are performing at your best is paramount to you having the best time out there – that often equates with better performance as well. Ask “How do I best experience this – what thoughts do I have when running is most enjoyable?”
One way to think about the mental process while going down to road is to break it into four “big net” categories – I’ll give you an example of each and what to look out for.
Organizing: You set up your day, plan your vacation or weekend. Just remember to check in once in awhile about the actual running – if you are stressing about the organizing you are doing set a time limit for how long you can do this as you need to relax during your run too – this is your time and you should enjoy it.
Problem solving: You may solve a number of issues on a given run and since running is considered by science to be a right brain activity you may come up with a solution you did not think of before. That said, do not let problem solving crash you running form and again check in once in awhile about how the body is doing before you go back “upstairs” to work it out.
Wandering: “I wonder who lives in that great house and if they have a horse in that pasture…” You get to slow down your thought process and many folks float through thoughts as they float down the road too. This mind-frame is often associated with relaxed running.
Pondering: working out emotions, sorting feelings and perceptions – sometimes folks can emotionally purge during a run. While this is a good thing, you will want to stay tuned into how stress or “running out anger” for example will affect your form or pace and you may need to compartmentalize some emotion or sorting during the run in order to stay in balance.
It would be normal to have several of these states in a given run – you do what works for you. Generally your thinking breaks more cleanly into two categories
Associate vs. disassociate: Elites are able to perform the way they do because they remain focused on the process of running the entire time or their running process is very close to the surface all the time – rarely in the background. We often need a mental break – especially when the going gets tough and we will automatically switch between the A and Da phases.
Example of associative processes: How is my breathing? Is my stride OK? Am I relaxed? Am I running a pace I can sustain? This feels good. My side cramp will go away if I keep breathing deeply…
Example of disassociative process: I wonder what I will eat after this run? That stream looks like it would be good for fishing. I wish I drove that Mustang he is driving. I think Walt Whitman is my favorite poet. I am leaving it all on the track today…
Mental games for performance. You have already come a long way in this program so many of you may very well use the power of positive association to talk your self up. By eliminating negative talk about yourself and your running performance during a run - you give yourself a tremendous advantage. While some will say that this kind of positive thinking is “hooey” the mental aspects of running and athletic performance really cannot be underestimated. You must develop and continue to foster a belief that you can do this and when negative dialogue comes up during a run you must find a way to “change the conversation” with yourself. Create and change your mood, control your effort, improve your form and focus your attention by using this internal dialogue.
Let me give you two quick examples regarding the power of positive thought and how your mental focus will impact your body.
Psychoneuroimmunology is a new field based on the science that the nervous system and the immune system are interconnected. This discipline has discovered a number of ways that the two systems actually have two way communications with each other and direct impacts. Closely controlled studies have also shown that “a person’s aggressive determination to conquer a disease can increase one’s lifespan” (p619 Alcamo’s Fundamentals of Microbiology, 2007) The same studies have shown that behavioral therapies can amplify the body’s response to disease and speed the immune systems response.
This field has also generated interesting research in 2003 that Tai Chi boosts shingles immunity in the elderly. In a 60 person study over 15 weeks the study group did have reduced levels of stress related to their Tai Chi program and were measured as having 50% higher immune memory functions against Shingles virus. The group did not see improvement in physical movement with this low impact form of exercise and the researchers concluded that the anti-stress elements of the activity gave seniors the significant boost in immunity.
The sciences are discovering mind can affect matter, so to speak, and performance athletes at the top levels use this type of knowledge to make the difference every day.
Running has been shown to be a right brain activity, which explains why so many good ideas come from a long run. This also means that your creative and visual brain power can be employed to boost your running performance. Positive thinking, pre-visualization, key words and imagery are all part of your metal process toolbox if you want to be your best on race day.
In May of 1954 a man (Roger Banister) broke the mile in under 4:00 minute mark – a world record that people had said for decades could not be done. Forty-six days later the record was broken again and a second man ran faster than 4 minutes/mile. Coincidence, or having the mental advantage of know knowing that it can be done?
When we talk about perceived efforts in pacing (as we did during last seminar) there is an acknowledgment to a “central governor” in the brain. This works a little bit like a governor in an engine but it is smarter. It is constantly calculating, automatically, how much you have left in the tank vs. how far you have to run along with other equations having to do with the burrito you had for lunch and how hot it is outside. These are important calculations because the central governor seeks to protect you and it will never let you run into the redline to the point that you “blow-up”. While that is a great protective feature, the central governor can go a bit overboard too and tell you that “it is just too hot today” or “you’re too tired” and hold you back from an otherwise great day. Here is an important secret from the physiologists who have closely inspected athletes over the years. In testing athletes at the finish line of a race, even the most demanding races, science has found that the runner is not an empty, burned out shell – unable to run another step. That is right, there is energy left, they are not completely depleted of oxygen or ATP or disabled by acidosis because the central governor has held something back to maintain homeostasis for the runner. Few of us are able to outwit or work around that central governor but it is possible with a few motivational tricks and you will still have that safety keeping you from blowing up – yet you may run better and further with practice.
Tom Holland utilizes a number of great mental tricks that work during a run:
This too shall pass – literally your experience as a runner slowly gives you a database of aches, cramps and complaints to reference and you can then learn which ones you can “ride out” and work with the understanding that everything can change just a few minutes or miles down the road. Many use “good pain” the type that passes, to indicate a strong perceived effort score and accept that feedback while then letting it fade in their attention.
I am feeling good – is a replacement for I am feeling _____________. (insert your own demoralizing term here)
Many runners come up with several “mantras” that motivate them and use these as stress reducing refrains during the toughest times in a run. One very important aspect of this technique is that your “mantra” has to be tested. You need to try it in training when the going gets rough and then seek to perform better when you hear this refrain. Repeating this process over and over establishes a pathway that will cause the nervous system to cue to body for a stronger effort – one that might overrule the desire of the “central governor” to hold you back.
Thinking about your training and your goals and ticking them off as you go – sometime these serve as mile posts to the self promise “I’ll take it one step at a time, I’ll get myself to that next mailbox”
Setting short term goals and focusing on the immediate targets for them is a high performance strategy used by elite athletes. The more difficult the effort - the smaller intervals you must subdivide it into.
It is about how you play the game… Your process is the most important and finishing, winning, your race time – will all take care of itself if processes hold up.
Smile – are you thankful to be upright, alive and given the gift to run? Then you’re still ahead, right?! Give yourself permission to run without a set time goal – improving your psychological endurance & boosting performance.
From Outside online – an article from Abe Streep
“Pain threshold—the point in the shower at which uncomfortably warm turns to painfully hot—is a finite physiological limit. But you can manipulate how much pain you can handle after that point.”
According to Stanford's Dr. Brooks Rohlen, pain tolerance is a
cognitive interpretation of discomfort. This means you can train yourself to tune pain out. The key to rewiring your tolerance? Think positive. Sports psychologists rely on cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves elaborate visualization techniques. But the philosophy is simple. "Think, 'How much can I do despite pain?' " says Rohlen. "I firmly believe you can be in pain and not suffer." Here's one trick to keep you moving: Tap your foot five times and say "Click" with each foot strike. "When you say 'Click,' you're blocking negative thoughts," says Dr. Aynsley Smith, sports psychologist with the Mayo Clinic. Repeat the exercise until the "Click" becomes second nature.”
Raymond Petras PHD is a sport psychologist in Arizona and explains that “when I tell an athlete that they can adjust their pain level by using mental techniques they’re amazed. They often find that their performance increases dramatically”
Long before any competition you need to begin visualizing your performance for that event. Try to create an image for each of the senses – recall that this includes sight, sounds, touch, taste and smell. Imagine the temperature, the lighting, the smells, the sounds etc. Include your process goals and preferred outcomes in that imagery. If you review this on your runs, and at times such as during stretching, and while you drift off to sleep you may find yourself referring to these items when race day comes and thus mentally ingrain the performance you wish to achieve.
Jeff Galloway uses several good tricks as well
Imagine that you lasso the runner who passes you - just slightly faster than your pace – with a rubber band and as the tension builds between you both the band stretches and then begins to pull you closer to the runner in front of you. The time distance continuum and spatial relationships you focus on can rally your pace and push you farther. If the band breaks lasso the next runner with a similar pace.
Imagine and visualize the fatigue escaping from your body through the soles of your feet. Your footprints are damp and glowing from the fatigue left behind when you dump that bad energy and thus with every stride you are gaining energy and feeling a floating sensation.
Feel the fluid you take on at the walk break to be super coolant. When you take a drink the liquid seeps into every inch of you and replaces or absorbs heat from your body. As the steam escapes you feel lighter and begin to lope along more easily.
These simple examples of visual imagery are easy to create for yourself and sometimes the goofier the better as the uplift, or distraction may empower you with positive imagery to go further.
Remember that you should also rehearse the “what if and worst case scenario” things that could happen during your race. By carefully planning for all the scary concerns you may have you can cope well if something should go wrong. Do this on paper one afternoon and then come up with an “antidote” for each concern, then take steps to prepare for each contingency. The best part is that things rarely ever go as poorly as you can imagine so it will all be better than your fears on race day – and you’ll feel very prepared.
Many of us enjoy running with music or conversation to keep us motivated and the MP3 player has possibly been responsible for keeping many folks at the gym altogether. Just like your thought process mid-run, you will still need to redirect you attention to the process of running once in awhile during your workout.
Please remember that you must always face traffic when running and that just as talking on your cell phone is a distraction to successful driving – running with headphones can be very dangerous. Please turn them down if you wear headphones and be careful out there (maybe save music for trails & treadmills) It is against USTF rules to compete while wearing headphones and so you will need to understand that you cannot wear them to run 95% of your races.
Most of you will not be surprised to learn that music is a proven performance enhancer. Studies have shown a 20% performance increase in speed and endurance due to music in the appropriate pace range.
Cadence is a term that applies to the rate of breaths per minute, footfalls per minute and beats of music per minute.
For MUSIC Not too fast (above 165) and not too slow (below 110) for MUSIC. Studies have shown that song tempos of 120 beats per minute are ideal for a 75% (7.5) effort in running.
Here is some coaching, training, general running and music related to running podcast sites on the web to keep your ears busy while you train. Just remember to listen to your body too.
Robert Ullrey Podcasts for running, couch to 5k plan
DJ Steve Boyett Podrunner exercise music for running
Nike Running The Loop, interviews with running elites & tips
Running Times Radio, popular publications digest of interviews and tips
Endurance Planet Podcast, tips, experts interviewed, short story’s on Fridays
Phedippidations Steve Runner’s ramblings, much running related/much not
Adam20 Zen runner, some comedy
Runner round table Q&A for running topics – big conference call
The Onion Radio News – comedy and parody equal to Saturday Night Live
NPR – almost anything you already listen to is being podcast now for free
What are you thinking about when you run? Understanding where you are at mentally when you are performing at your best is paramount to you having the best time out there – that often equates with better performance as well. Ask “How do I best experience this – what thoughts do I have when running is most enjoyable?”
One way to think about the mental process while going down to road is to break it into four “big net” categories – I’ll give you an example of each and what to look out for.
Organizing: You set up your day, plan your vacation or weekend. Just remember to check in once in awhile about the actual running – if you are stressing about the organizing you are doing set a time limit for how long you can do this as you need to relax during your run too – this is your time and you should enjoy it.
Problem solving: You may solve a number of issues on a given run and since running is considered by science to be a right brain activity you may come up with a solution you did not think of before. That said, do not let problem solving crash you running form and again check in once in awhile about how the body is doing before you go back “upstairs” to work it out.
Wandering: “I wonder who lives in that great house and if they have a horse in that pasture…” You get to slow down your thought process and many folks float through thoughts as they float down the road too. This mind-frame is often associated with relaxed running.
Pondering: working out emotions, sorting feelings and perceptions – sometimes folks can emotionally purge during a run. While this is a good thing, you will want to stay tuned into how stress or “running out anger” for example will affect your form or pace and you may need to compartmentalize some emotion or sorting during the run in order to stay in balance.
It would be normal to have several of these states in a given run – you do what works for you. Generally your thinking breaks more cleanly into two categories
Associate vs. disassociate: Elites are able to perform the way they do because they remain focused on the process of running the entire time or their running process is very close to the surface all the time – rarely in the background. We often need a mental break – especially when the going gets tough and we will automatically switch between the A and Da phases.
Example of associative processes: How is my breathing? Is my stride OK? Am I relaxed? Am I running a pace I can sustain? This feels good. My side cramp will go away if I keep breathing deeply…
Example of disassociative process: I wonder what I will eat after this run? That stream looks like it would be good for fishing. I wish I drove that Mustang he is driving. I think Walt Whitman is my favorite poet. I am leaving it all on the track today…
Mental games for performance. You have already come a long way in this program so many of you may very well use the power of positive association to talk your self up. By eliminating negative talk about yourself and your running performance during a run - you give yourself a tremendous advantage. While some will say that this kind of positive thinking is “hooey” the mental aspects of running and athletic performance really cannot be underestimated. You must develop and continue to foster a belief that you can do this and when negative dialogue comes up during a run you must find a way to “change the conversation” with yourself. Create and change your mood, control your effort, improve your form and focus your attention by using this internal dialogue.
Let me give you two quick examples regarding the power of positive thought and how your mental focus will impact your body.
Psychoneuroimmunology is a new field based on the science that the nervous system and the immune system are interconnected. This discipline has discovered a number of ways that the two systems actually have two way communications with each other and direct impacts. Closely controlled studies have also shown that “a person’s aggressive determination to conquer a disease can increase one’s lifespan” (p619 Alcamo’s Fundamentals of Microbiology, 2007) The same studies have shown that behavioral therapies can amplify the body’s response to disease and speed the immune systems response.
This field has also generated interesting research in 2003 that Tai Chi boosts shingles immunity in the elderly. In a 60 person study over 15 weeks the study group did have reduced levels of stress related to their Tai Chi program and were measured as having 50% higher immune memory functions against Shingles virus. The group did not see improvement in physical movement with this low impact form of exercise and the researchers concluded that the anti-stress elements of the activity gave seniors the significant boost in immunity.
The sciences are discovering mind can affect matter, so to speak, and performance athletes at the top levels use this type of knowledge to make the difference every day.
Running has been shown to be a right brain activity, which explains why so many good ideas come from a long run. This also means that your creative and visual brain power can be employed to boost your running performance. Positive thinking, pre-visualization, key words and imagery are all part of your metal process toolbox if you want to be your best on race day.
In May of 1954 a man (Roger Banister) broke the mile in under 4:00 minute mark – a world record that people had said for decades could not be done. Forty-six days later the record was broken again and a second man ran faster than 4 minutes/mile. Coincidence, or having the mental advantage of know knowing that it can be done?
When we talk about perceived efforts in pacing (as we did during last seminar) there is an acknowledgment to a “central governor” in the brain. This works a little bit like a governor in an engine but it is smarter. It is constantly calculating, automatically, how much you have left in the tank vs. how far you have to run along with other equations having to do with the burrito you had for lunch and how hot it is outside. These are important calculations because the central governor seeks to protect you and it will never let you run into the redline to the point that you “blow-up”. While that is a great protective feature, the central governor can go a bit overboard too and tell you that “it is just too hot today” or “you’re too tired” and hold you back from an otherwise great day. Here is an important secret from the physiologists who have closely inspected athletes over the years. In testing athletes at the finish line of a race, even the most demanding races, science has found that the runner is not an empty, burned out shell – unable to run another step. That is right, there is energy left, they are not completely depleted of oxygen or ATP or disabled by acidosis because the central governor has held something back to maintain homeostasis for the runner. Few of us are able to outwit or work around that central governor but it is possible with a few motivational tricks and you will still have that safety keeping you from blowing up – yet you may run better and further with practice.
Tom Holland utilizes a number of great mental tricks that work during a run:
This too shall pass – literally your experience as a runner slowly gives you a database of aches, cramps and complaints to reference and you can then learn which ones you can “ride out” and work with the understanding that everything can change just a few minutes or miles down the road. Many use “good pain” the type that passes, to indicate a strong perceived effort score and accept that feedback while then letting it fade in their attention.
I am feeling good – is a replacement for I am feeling _____________. (insert your own demoralizing term here)
Many runners come up with several “mantras” that motivate them and use these as stress reducing refrains during the toughest times in a run. One very important aspect of this technique is that your “mantra” has to be tested. You need to try it in training when the going gets rough and then seek to perform better when you hear this refrain. Repeating this process over and over establishes a pathway that will cause the nervous system to cue to body for a stronger effort – one that might overrule the desire of the “central governor” to hold you back.
Thinking about your training and your goals and ticking them off as you go – sometime these serve as mile posts to the self promise “I’ll take it one step at a time, I’ll get myself to that next mailbox”
Setting short term goals and focusing on the immediate targets for them is a high performance strategy used by elite athletes. The more difficult the effort - the smaller intervals you must subdivide it into.
It is about how you play the game… Your process is the most important and finishing, winning, your race time – will all take care of itself if processes hold up.
Smile – are you thankful to be upright, alive and given the gift to run? Then you’re still ahead, right?! Give yourself permission to run without a set time goal – improving your psychological endurance & boosting performance.
From Outside online – an article from Abe Streep
“Pain threshold—the point in the shower at which uncomfortably warm turns to painfully hot—is a finite physiological limit. But you can manipulate how much pain you can handle after that point.”
According to Stanford's Dr. Brooks Rohlen, pain tolerance is a
cognitive interpretation of discomfort. This means you can train yourself to tune pain out. The key to rewiring your tolerance? Think positive. Sports psychologists rely on cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves elaborate visualization techniques. But the philosophy is simple. "Think, 'How much can I do despite pain?' " says Rohlen. "I firmly believe you can be in pain and not suffer." Here's one trick to keep you moving: Tap your foot five times and say "Click" with each foot strike. "When you say 'Click,' you're blocking negative thoughts," says Dr. Aynsley Smith, sports psychologist with the Mayo Clinic. Repeat the exercise until the "Click" becomes second nature.”
Raymond Petras PHD is a sport psychologist in Arizona and explains that “when I tell an athlete that they can adjust their pain level by using mental techniques they’re amazed. They often find that their performance increases dramatically”
Long before any competition you need to begin visualizing your performance for that event. Try to create an image for each of the senses – recall that this includes sight, sounds, touch, taste and smell. Imagine the temperature, the lighting, the smells, the sounds etc. Include your process goals and preferred outcomes in that imagery. If you review this on your runs, and at times such as during stretching, and while you drift off to sleep you may find yourself referring to these items when race day comes and thus mentally ingrain the performance you wish to achieve.
Jeff Galloway uses several good tricks as well
Imagine that you lasso the runner who passes you - just slightly faster than your pace – with a rubber band and as the tension builds between you both the band stretches and then begins to pull you closer to the runner in front of you. The time distance continuum and spatial relationships you focus on can rally your pace and push you farther. If the band breaks lasso the next runner with a similar pace.
Imagine and visualize the fatigue escaping from your body through the soles of your feet. Your footprints are damp and glowing from the fatigue left behind when you dump that bad energy and thus with every stride you are gaining energy and feeling a floating sensation.
Feel the fluid you take on at the walk break to be super coolant. When you take a drink the liquid seeps into every inch of you and replaces or absorbs heat from your body. As the steam escapes you feel lighter and begin to lope along more easily.
These simple examples of visual imagery are easy to create for yourself and sometimes the goofier the better as the uplift, or distraction may empower you with positive imagery to go further.
Remember that you should also rehearse the “what if and worst case scenario” things that could happen during your race. By carefully planning for all the scary concerns you may have you can cope well if something should go wrong. Do this on paper one afternoon and then come up with an “antidote” for each concern, then take steps to prepare for each contingency. The best part is that things rarely ever go as poorly as you can imagine so it will all be better than your fears on race day – and you’ll feel very prepared.
Many of us enjoy running with music or conversation to keep us motivated and the MP3 player has possibly been responsible for keeping many folks at the gym altogether. Just like your thought process mid-run, you will still need to redirect you attention to the process of running once in awhile during your workout.
Please remember that you must always face traffic when running and that just as talking on your cell phone is a distraction to successful driving – running with headphones can be very dangerous. Please turn them down if you wear headphones and be careful out there (maybe save music for trails & treadmills) It is against USTF rules to compete while wearing headphones and so you will need to understand that you cannot wear them to run 95% of your races.
Most of you will not be surprised to learn that music is a proven performance enhancer. Studies have shown a 20% performance increase in speed and endurance due to music in the appropriate pace range.
Cadence is a term that applies to the rate of breaths per minute, footfalls per minute and beats of music per minute.
For MUSIC Not too fast (above 165) and not too slow (below 110) for MUSIC. Studies have shown that song tempos of 120 beats per minute are ideal for a 75% (7.5) effort in running.
Here is some coaching, training, general running and music related to running podcast sites on the web to keep your ears busy while you train. Just remember to listen to your body too.
Robert Ullrey Podcasts for running, couch to 5k plan
DJ Steve Boyett Podrunner exercise music for running
Nike Running The Loop, interviews with running elites & tips
Running Times Radio, popular publications digest of interviews and tips
Endurance Planet Podcast, tips, experts interviewed, short story’s on Fridays
Phedippidations Steve Runner’s ramblings, much running related/much not
Adam20 Zen runner, some comedy
Runner round table Q&A for running topics – big conference call
The Onion Radio News – comedy and parody equal to Saturday Night Live
NPR – almost anything you already listen to is being podcast now for free
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Road Runner Survival
Our sport is pretty darn safe. We get stronger the longer we run and we develop in a number of positive ways. Barring an overtraining injury or using NSAIDs on race day, or suffering heat stroke in August you stand to run for a long, long time in good health. That said there is this crazy thing called a car on your roads and it can mess up your whole running career. When I refer you to the article (titled Collision Course) in Runners World about road safety I purposefully omit the story of terror that befalls the runner in the article’s prologue as my purpose is not to scare you and you can clearly imagine far worse than I’d ever care to write. But with two months of running under your belt, and now you are exploring new routes as well, we need to pull over and talk about those cars a bit.
To elaborate on what I have said previously and the article does not fully cover, you should have a basic kit with you on the road to take care of emergencies. This kit includes durable ID, money for a phone call, maybe a whistle, and especially as the days begin to shorten again, a way to be seen (reflector, flashlight, blaze) for road runs. While night runs do pose some additional risk you must always consider visibility for your safety and this variable is easily controlled without a shopping spree. You should begin to think about your route and say to yourself when buying running clothes, “can he see me from a half mile away” because that is kind of the minimum distance when he is hurtling towards you at a rate of 88 feet per second (about 60MPH). When you first got behind the wheel, someone spoke to you about being defensive, and that is what we are going to revisit in this lesson from the other side of the windshield.
Automobile vs. runner - You know you are never going to win this one – so no bullfighting please. You should face traffic and take off your headphones but also keep these great ideas from Jeff Galloway in mind.
Watch and prepare to make fast adjustments, many runners have had to dive for the ditch or leap the hedgerow as the motorist dropped their cell phone and reached down to catch it – losing sight of the runner and veering too close.
Plan ahead where you might jump to or which side of the turn offers best visibility
Wear reflective gear, not just at night. Think “can I be seen easily from a half mile away?”
Understand that you cannot understand the driver’s mentality. Drunk, late for church, overtired, maybe they’re texting, or unable to run and resentful of you for getting out and having such a good time. People act like they are anonymous in their cars oftentimes. So WAVE, let them know that you see them and let them see you better, be neighborly and BE the change you wish to see in the world…(you’ll be amazed how many wave back – esp. in WV)
On a separate and related note – never start something. I know it would sometimes seem glorious to jump onto the hood of the car that pulls out in front of you without looking, but this is just another form of road rage. It will not get you anywhere productive and further it may cause your friend to get clipped in a grudge match some weeks later now that the driver does not like runners. Do not even gesture, we have enough trouble getting the respect we deserve out there and so you want to kill them with kindness, not invoke animosity. The flip side of this is to reinforce positive behavior. I stopped to make a special gesture to a woman driver who waited at the edge of a huge puddle, rather than risk splashing me. I said hello and thank you to a couple who re-leashed their dog as I approached. Giving them reinforcement for what we’d like to see helps all my running friends as they repeat these behaviors and teach others to do the same. I do not know much about tennis players because I am seldom around them but many folks know something about runners because they come into contact with you all the time - be an ambassador for our sport and teach them what you want them to learn.
Eye contact – I know that you might be tired after running up a long grade and trying to regain your rhythm but I do seek to make eye contact with every vehicle coming at me (recall I am facing oncoming traffic) to be friendly, but to also understand what they are doing in the car. The article states that one fifth of drivers text and I find this figure to be low, especially with younger operators. GPS or music players are also something that is fiddled with and takes their eyes from the road. I am also regularly experimenting with how long it actually takes for them to acknowledge or see me, and many do not wave until they are mere feet away. We are sharing a space and everyone is more likely to be on their best behavior if we acknowledge each other.
Be an example – what gadgets are you using while running and do they cancel your ability to remain aware of danger? I run with headphones on occasion but I have switched to a type that does not fit into my ear and seal out other noises. I can hear a car behind me and I will raise a hand in friendship as they approach so that they see movement, and they understand that I am aware of them (and predictable). I try not to check my splits on busy roads and I will often assume the motorist wants to go first and stop to wave them on – as if I was a fellow car in another situation. When running with a flashlight I do not shine it in the drivers eyes but let the beam bounce a bit so they know it is a runner. Take charge and set the tone out there and people will treat you as larger than you are.
Know your route – Not just to be aware of dogs or where the shoulder is widest, but on your slow days, assess where there are blind turns, hill crests that will obscure you from a driver’s view, driveways that are tough to see or places where motorists often crowd each other. I run on many roads that are a lane and a half wide and thus I am always looking for the place to jump to and how to pre-plan being more visible. I have pulled off the road and raised my arm overhead when climbing a steep hill crest to ensure the oncoming driver could see I was there. I have stopped and peaked around a corner to listen for cars before proceeding. Caution pays.
Tools
In 2007, nearly 700 cyclists were killed in the Unites States – their sport is significantly more dangerous than ours. This means that in any bike shop or bike supply catalog you’ll find really neat visibility toys that work equally well for running. They need not be expensive either. I have carried a Glow stick as an emergency backup light. Many types of mini headlamps, Maglites or LED flashlights from the auto parts store sell for under $20. Retailers now offer scotchlite adhesive strips for your running gear and these can be applied to any durable item – including your flashlight, and hunting shops offer blaze orange hats or accessories. Road workers and safety official rely on a vest w/ reflectors and these can be purchased for less than $20. They even make clip on reflectors, glowing armbands and handheld flashers. Do not forget that area drivers are always looking to avoid deer, possum and the like so they are already trained to spot movement (your wave) and the more the better. A smile and or recognition will help as well, if you are a friend and neighbor on your route folks will start to look out for you a bit. If you always have something with you to signal with you’ll feel better, even if you never need it.
To elaborate on what I have said previously and the article does not fully cover, you should have a basic kit with you on the road to take care of emergencies. This kit includes durable ID, money for a phone call, maybe a whistle, and especially as the days begin to shorten again, a way to be seen (reflector, flashlight, blaze) for road runs. While night runs do pose some additional risk you must always consider visibility for your safety and this variable is easily controlled without a shopping spree. You should begin to think about your route and say to yourself when buying running clothes, “can he see me from a half mile away” because that is kind of the minimum distance when he is hurtling towards you at a rate of 88 feet per second (about 60MPH). When you first got behind the wheel, someone spoke to you about being defensive, and that is what we are going to revisit in this lesson from the other side of the windshield.
Automobile vs. runner - You know you are never going to win this one – so no bullfighting please. You should face traffic and take off your headphones but also keep these great ideas from Jeff Galloway in mind.
Watch and prepare to make fast adjustments, many runners have had to dive for the ditch or leap the hedgerow as the motorist dropped their cell phone and reached down to catch it – losing sight of the runner and veering too close.
Plan ahead where you might jump to or which side of the turn offers best visibility
Wear reflective gear, not just at night. Think “can I be seen easily from a half mile away?”
Understand that you cannot understand the driver’s mentality. Drunk, late for church, overtired, maybe they’re texting, or unable to run and resentful of you for getting out and having such a good time. People act like they are anonymous in their cars oftentimes. So WAVE, let them know that you see them and let them see you better, be neighborly and BE the change you wish to see in the world…(you’ll be amazed how many wave back – esp. in WV)
On a separate and related note – never start something. I know it would sometimes seem glorious to jump onto the hood of the car that pulls out in front of you without looking, but this is just another form of road rage. It will not get you anywhere productive and further it may cause your friend to get clipped in a grudge match some weeks later now that the driver does not like runners. Do not even gesture, we have enough trouble getting the respect we deserve out there and so you want to kill them with kindness, not invoke animosity. The flip side of this is to reinforce positive behavior. I stopped to make a special gesture to a woman driver who waited at the edge of a huge puddle, rather than risk splashing me. I said hello and thank you to a couple who re-leashed their dog as I approached. Giving them reinforcement for what we’d like to see helps all my running friends as they repeat these behaviors and teach others to do the same. I do not know much about tennis players because I am seldom around them but many folks know something about runners because they come into contact with you all the time - be an ambassador for our sport and teach them what you want them to learn.
Eye contact – I know that you might be tired after running up a long grade and trying to regain your rhythm but I do seek to make eye contact with every vehicle coming at me (recall I am facing oncoming traffic) to be friendly, but to also understand what they are doing in the car. The article states that one fifth of drivers text and I find this figure to be low, especially with younger operators. GPS or music players are also something that is fiddled with and takes their eyes from the road. I am also regularly experimenting with how long it actually takes for them to acknowledge or see me, and many do not wave until they are mere feet away. We are sharing a space and everyone is more likely to be on their best behavior if we acknowledge each other.
Be an example – what gadgets are you using while running and do they cancel your ability to remain aware of danger? I run with headphones on occasion but I have switched to a type that does not fit into my ear and seal out other noises. I can hear a car behind me and I will raise a hand in friendship as they approach so that they see movement, and they understand that I am aware of them (and predictable). I try not to check my splits on busy roads and I will often assume the motorist wants to go first and stop to wave them on – as if I was a fellow car in another situation. When running with a flashlight I do not shine it in the drivers eyes but let the beam bounce a bit so they know it is a runner. Take charge and set the tone out there and people will treat you as larger than you are.
Know your route – Not just to be aware of dogs or where the shoulder is widest, but on your slow days, assess where there are blind turns, hill crests that will obscure you from a driver’s view, driveways that are tough to see or places where motorists often crowd each other. I run on many roads that are a lane and a half wide and thus I am always looking for the place to jump to and how to pre-plan being more visible. I have pulled off the road and raised my arm overhead when climbing a steep hill crest to ensure the oncoming driver could see I was there. I have stopped and peaked around a corner to listen for cars before proceeding. Caution pays.
Tools
In 2007, nearly 700 cyclists were killed in the Unites States – their sport is significantly more dangerous than ours. This means that in any bike shop or bike supply catalog you’ll find really neat visibility toys that work equally well for running. They need not be expensive either. I have carried a Glow stick as an emergency backup light. Many types of mini headlamps, Maglites or LED flashlights from the auto parts store sell for under $20. Retailers now offer scotchlite adhesive strips for your running gear and these can be applied to any durable item – including your flashlight, and hunting shops offer blaze orange hats or accessories. Road workers and safety official rely on a vest w/ reflectors and these can be purchased for less than $20. They even make clip on reflectors, glowing armbands and handheld flashers. Do not forget that area drivers are always looking to avoid deer, possum and the like so they are already trained to spot movement (your wave) and the more the better. A smile and or recognition will help as well, if you are a friend and neighbor on your route folks will start to look out for you a bit. If you always have something with you to signal with you’ll feel better, even if you never need it.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Pelvic & Abdominal Power
Why talk about all of these drills that seem to build supporting muscles without actually running? Well, awhile back I spoke about the idea that we are making running a habit and a Practice and this means that we are trying to shape it into a process oriented thing rather than a goal oriented thing. Further you have heard my bias that we are all made to run and yet when we enter into something new, it will often show us an asymmetry, an imbalance or weakness somewhere in our body as we develop into the new activity – be it gardening or golf. This is why we train the supporting musculature.
Why talk about all of this now? Recall that I said that we could easily overwhelm you with good information that could seem insurmountable to a newcomer. Some people will not need to do core work as they come to a program with developed anatomy from another sport or genetic gifts. Others will find that almost ten weeks into their program they are coming into a few minor glitches and wondering how to hop over them. That is why we take the time now to talk about posture and core strength and balance – because for some it will be the next key and you have to present information as folks are ready to absorb it.
So in a potpourri of topics related to core strength I will begin with a summary of a great article by Dimity McDowell, Runnersworld 3/09 titled Never Get Hurt.
Many common injuries are associated with pelvic instability or lack of strength in this region according to the Center for Endurance Sport at the University of Virginia.
Injuries such as shinsplints, iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, and lower back pain are some injuries that can be addressed at the cause and possibly “pre-habilitated” by doing an abdominal and pelvic workout.
If you develop a stable pelvis that supports the legs below and the torso above; the legs will spin almost effortlessly beneath you while the upper body remains quiet and solid. Think about the Roadrunner in the cartoons as he buzzes away from his attacker.
Many of these exercises will positively affect posture and ease the chance of injury from the road. The core work we are already doing for strength training nicely augments this routine.
Drills are about 20 minutes three times a week and can be done before a run
Video of each exercise is available at
http://www.runnersworld.com/video/0,8052,s6-1-0-5,00.html
Besides your abs many muscles help make up the runners core
Transverse Abdominals – cough or laugh and you’ll feel these muscles which stabilize the spine and pelvis, right above your pelvic bones.
Gluteus medius – this muscle on the side of your glutes minimizes side to side rotation.
Your lower back also plays a key role and you need to think about being as strong as is practical – all the way around your core as a protective cumber-bund and to build posture that promotes more structural running.
Some of my favorite stability drills come from Danny Dryer: in one example he ask you to lean forward against a table edge so that the table touches your leg at mid-thigh and you maintain a slight – whole body- lean forward as if you are a 2x4 from ankle to head. Hold this position for as long as you can and slowly increase your time. This is working the lower abdominals in a way that is similar to the way they support you going down the road.
Working these muscles is done with body weight resistance and can be done w/o equipment. Clean form is a must and you only do what you can muster comfortably, and slowly you increase the repetitions or interval weekly.
Some posture guidelines for thinking about a stable pelvis.
Heavy heel strikers typically see lower back pain down the road. Do not overstride and seek to have feet fall nearly beneath you while maintaining a long and neutral spine. Practice good posture daily and translate this to your running. While it may be hard to think about your stride all the time – you take five minutes to think about it, twice during each run, and from there we build muscle memory for best form that will follow you later in your runs.
Danny Dryer in his book ChiRunning, takes this a step further and talks about where we generate power from. “Efficient movement comes from your core muscles, not the muscles in your legs. We are so used to being told that strong legs are the answer to efficient running that when we are told to relax our legs, it is a huge mind body shift away from how we normally move.” So you ask, “Relax my what?” and my simple answer is that you are asking a very big question – but I know that this is not a sufficient answer. You generate the most power from your core and if you have ever hit a baseball, drove a golf ball, skied bumps in spring, practiced martial arts or rowed a boat then you know what I am talking about. These are core sports and activities that require what the literature calls “upper/lower body separation”. In short that means that sometimes your entire body is moving together and other times you isolate the motion of one half from the other half or top from bottom. So while you do need legs to best achieve maximum performance in these sports you will often isolate the movement of the legs from the core and have each doing different tasks or workloads. The core is where a great deal of Danny’s award winning speed and grace comes from and this allows him to not power through on his legs which are not as efficient.
He goes on to say later in the book that the true test of mastery is in how long you can maintain correct technique – quality reigns supreme over quantity. This should sound familiar to you as well. By working these core muscles we allow you to support yourself structurally for longer stretches of time and this will not just benefit your running but your daily posture, air exchange, and daily well being.
On page 72 of ChiRunning, Dryer presents an example of a great drill that you can do anytime to tune into your own posture habits and work on better form. He calls it the vertical crunch and we practiced the idea of this in running seminar in June. If you place your hands at your own waist line (one on your navel and one on your lower back, each just above the bony prominence, or iliac crest) you should get a sense of their relationship to each other. If you are seeking to use your hands to reference the top of your pelvis; is one hand higher than the other? Are they at the same elevation, front and back? Dryer states that this relationship will offer insight into whether you are using more of your lower back, and compressing discs in the process or bowed forward and tipping your pelvis to the rear. If there is an imbalance here - between your two hands “elevations” there may be less room in between vertebrae and a chance of low back stress. You may struggle to breathe from the diaphragm as we have discussed earlier. He points out that when you bring these hands into alignment, front to rear, that you should only be using abdominal muscles to do this and these are lower abdominals that seldom get used so it may take some time and focus to make it all come together.
Other posture tidbits that I find help runners. Another one from Danny Dryer: to begin each step, think about lifting your feet off the ground from the heel – this helps recruit muscles from the back of the body in your running stride.
More training guidelines to prevent injury
Your longest run should not be more than half of your weekly total mileage.
The “10% rule” states that total mileage does not increase by more than 10% each week.
If you are limping you have no business running. If the pain is sufficient to cause a limp your stride will create alignment issues that will tear something else loose before the end of your run. You would not drive with one wheel rubbing the wheel-well because you know that the misalignment of the car would throw you into the ditch or give you a flat. In the same way that you would not drive the car with the rubbing tire, do not run when you have pain to the point that you are compensating somewhere, even subtly.
Here is another great running drill that gives you the strong feel of what solid running posture would be like and points to any current weakness you can work on. This comes from the Chi running instructors.
Leveling Your Pelvis
A Killer Exercise to Develop Coordination and Strength
By Scott Smith, ChiRunning Certified Instructor of the Month
(articles about Chi techniques, and a subscription to the newsletter can be found at chirunning.com)
As a ChiRunning Instructor, one of the most important services I can provide is educating a student on coordinating and strengthening the muscles that that are used to level the pelvis. This movement is essential for optimal posture and efficient movement. Whether I am skiing, cycling, running or kayaking, I always draw my strength, balance, and endurance from my pelvic floor/lower abdominal region. Low back pain and tightness can be reduced greatly by recruiting the muscles that level the pelvis, thus signaling the opposing back muscles to release (reciprocal inhibition).
The following rope exercise teaches you how to level your pelvis while moving your legs (engaging your hip flexors), simulating walking or running.
Step 1: Lay on your back with knees bent, heels close to buttocks, toes up and slide a 3/8" to 1/2" rope underneath your low back where the largest gap exists.
Step 2: Flatten your lower back against the rope by pulling your navel to your spine, pinching the rope against the ground. Try to pull the rope out with one hand. Make sure your head, shoulders and tailbone all stay on the floor.
Step 3: Test your starting point: If the rope slips, then do 3 x 30-second holds, 4-5 days per week. When this is mastered with no rope slippage, add movement of the knees up and down while slowly walking your heels away, half an inch at a time until the rope begins slipping. Now back up half an inch and use this as your starting point, doing 3 x 30 knee lifts for 4-5 days per week. Keep advancing heels away from the butt over the next couple months until you can do straight leg raises, with your core engaged, back flat, and no rope slippage.
With practice, this is an excellent way to engage and strengthen your lower abdominals. Good Luck!
Why talk about all of this now? Recall that I said that we could easily overwhelm you with good information that could seem insurmountable to a newcomer. Some people will not need to do core work as they come to a program with developed anatomy from another sport or genetic gifts. Others will find that almost ten weeks into their program they are coming into a few minor glitches and wondering how to hop over them. That is why we take the time now to talk about posture and core strength and balance – because for some it will be the next key and you have to present information as folks are ready to absorb it.
So in a potpourri of topics related to core strength I will begin with a summary of a great article by Dimity McDowell, Runnersworld 3/09 titled Never Get Hurt.
Many common injuries are associated with pelvic instability or lack of strength in this region according to the Center for Endurance Sport at the University of Virginia.
Injuries such as shinsplints, iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, and lower back pain are some injuries that can be addressed at the cause and possibly “pre-habilitated” by doing an abdominal and pelvic workout.
If you develop a stable pelvis that supports the legs below and the torso above; the legs will spin almost effortlessly beneath you while the upper body remains quiet and solid. Think about the Roadrunner in the cartoons as he buzzes away from his attacker.
Many of these exercises will positively affect posture and ease the chance of injury from the road. The core work we are already doing for strength training nicely augments this routine.
Drills are about 20 minutes three times a week and can be done before a run
Video of each exercise is available at
http://www.runnersworld.com/video/0,8052,s6-1-0-5,00.html
Besides your abs many muscles help make up the runners core
Transverse Abdominals – cough or laugh and you’ll feel these muscles which stabilize the spine and pelvis, right above your pelvic bones.
Gluteus medius – this muscle on the side of your glutes minimizes side to side rotation.
Your lower back also plays a key role and you need to think about being as strong as is practical – all the way around your core as a protective cumber-bund and to build posture that promotes more structural running.
Some of my favorite stability drills come from Danny Dryer: in one example he ask you to lean forward against a table edge so that the table touches your leg at mid-thigh and you maintain a slight – whole body- lean forward as if you are a 2x4 from ankle to head. Hold this position for as long as you can and slowly increase your time. This is working the lower abdominals in a way that is similar to the way they support you going down the road.
Working these muscles is done with body weight resistance and can be done w/o equipment. Clean form is a must and you only do what you can muster comfortably, and slowly you increase the repetitions or interval weekly.
Some posture guidelines for thinking about a stable pelvis.
Heavy heel strikers typically see lower back pain down the road. Do not overstride and seek to have feet fall nearly beneath you while maintaining a long and neutral spine. Practice good posture daily and translate this to your running. While it may be hard to think about your stride all the time – you take five minutes to think about it, twice during each run, and from there we build muscle memory for best form that will follow you later in your runs.
Danny Dryer in his book ChiRunning, takes this a step further and talks about where we generate power from. “Efficient movement comes from your core muscles, not the muscles in your legs. We are so used to being told that strong legs are the answer to efficient running that when we are told to relax our legs, it is a huge mind body shift away from how we normally move.” So you ask, “Relax my what?” and my simple answer is that you are asking a very big question – but I know that this is not a sufficient answer. You generate the most power from your core and if you have ever hit a baseball, drove a golf ball, skied bumps in spring, practiced martial arts or rowed a boat then you know what I am talking about. These are core sports and activities that require what the literature calls “upper/lower body separation”. In short that means that sometimes your entire body is moving together and other times you isolate the motion of one half from the other half or top from bottom. So while you do need legs to best achieve maximum performance in these sports you will often isolate the movement of the legs from the core and have each doing different tasks or workloads. The core is where a great deal of Danny’s award winning speed and grace comes from and this allows him to not power through on his legs which are not as efficient.
He goes on to say later in the book that the true test of mastery is in how long you can maintain correct technique – quality reigns supreme over quantity. This should sound familiar to you as well. By working these core muscles we allow you to support yourself structurally for longer stretches of time and this will not just benefit your running but your daily posture, air exchange, and daily well being.
On page 72 of ChiRunning, Dryer presents an example of a great drill that you can do anytime to tune into your own posture habits and work on better form. He calls it the vertical crunch and we practiced the idea of this in running seminar in June. If you place your hands at your own waist line (one on your navel and one on your lower back, each just above the bony prominence, or iliac crest) you should get a sense of their relationship to each other. If you are seeking to use your hands to reference the top of your pelvis; is one hand higher than the other? Are they at the same elevation, front and back? Dryer states that this relationship will offer insight into whether you are using more of your lower back, and compressing discs in the process or bowed forward and tipping your pelvis to the rear. If there is an imbalance here - between your two hands “elevations” there may be less room in between vertebrae and a chance of low back stress. You may struggle to breathe from the diaphragm as we have discussed earlier. He points out that when you bring these hands into alignment, front to rear, that you should only be using abdominal muscles to do this and these are lower abdominals that seldom get used so it may take some time and focus to make it all come together.
Other posture tidbits that I find help runners. Another one from Danny Dryer: to begin each step, think about lifting your feet off the ground from the heel – this helps recruit muscles from the back of the body in your running stride.
More training guidelines to prevent injury
Your longest run should not be more than half of your weekly total mileage.
The “10% rule” states that total mileage does not increase by more than 10% each week.
If you are limping you have no business running. If the pain is sufficient to cause a limp your stride will create alignment issues that will tear something else loose before the end of your run. You would not drive with one wheel rubbing the wheel-well because you know that the misalignment of the car would throw you into the ditch or give you a flat. In the same way that you would not drive the car with the rubbing tire, do not run when you have pain to the point that you are compensating somewhere, even subtly.
Here is another great running drill that gives you the strong feel of what solid running posture would be like and points to any current weakness you can work on. This comes from the Chi running instructors.
Leveling Your Pelvis
A Killer Exercise to Develop Coordination and Strength
By Scott Smith, ChiRunning Certified Instructor of the Month
(articles about Chi techniques, and a subscription to the newsletter can be found at chirunning.com)
As a ChiRunning Instructor, one of the most important services I can provide is educating a student on coordinating and strengthening the muscles that that are used to level the pelvis. This movement is essential for optimal posture and efficient movement. Whether I am skiing, cycling, running or kayaking, I always draw my strength, balance, and endurance from my pelvic floor/lower abdominal region. Low back pain and tightness can be reduced greatly by recruiting the muscles that level the pelvis, thus signaling the opposing back muscles to release (reciprocal inhibition).
The following rope exercise teaches you how to level your pelvis while moving your legs (engaging your hip flexors), simulating walking or running.
Step 1: Lay on your back with knees bent, heels close to buttocks, toes up and slide a 3/8" to 1/2" rope underneath your low back where the largest gap exists.
Step 2: Flatten your lower back against the rope by pulling your navel to your spine, pinching the rope against the ground. Try to pull the rope out with one hand. Make sure your head, shoulders and tailbone all stay on the floor.
Step 3: Test your starting point: If the rope slips, then do 3 x 30-second holds, 4-5 days per week. When this is mastered with no rope slippage, add movement of the knees up and down while slowly walking your heels away, half an inch at a time until the rope begins slipping. Now back up half an inch and use this as your starting point, doing 3 x 30 knee lifts for 4-5 days per week. Keep advancing heels away from the butt over the next couple months until you can do straight leg raises, with your core engaged, back flat, and no rope slippage.
With practice, this is an excellent way to engage and strengthen your lower abdominals. Good Luck!
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