Posts in the Injuries Category at , Page 4

5 Running Flash-Factoids Part II: Spare your eye muscles and save your energy working your legs

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Runners should save their energy for putting those legs to good use, not straining eye ball muscles. 😉 If you liked last week’s 5 Flash-Factoids post then I hope you enjoy round two just as much!

* Remember Your Weaknesses: We all have our ‘weak’ spots, the injuries that seem to creep back time and time again. There are rehab and proactive TLC exercises/stretches you can do to keep those injuries at bay. Don’t get too cozy during periods where you’re injury free and slack on those things, stay current with your runner up-keep and care.

* Make Your Mileage Work For You: Knowing how much running your body can handle is key to your longevity; if you’re a runner with a lower threshold when it comes to total weekly mileage, that’s okay, but just make those miles you do run count. ‘Save’ those miles for hard workouts and your long runs and substitute cross-training for the easy run days. The miles you do run, be stingy with them and make them faster.

* Treadmills Aren’t a Weakness: Some die-hard runners have the line of thought that treadmills are for weenies. But treadmills are a training tool and they have their time and place; sometimes it’s safer to go indoors and in some cases you can get a better workout in too.

* But Sometimes You Need the Elements: That said, races are run outside and at times you should condition yourself to brave the outdoors even when an indoor run would be more comfortable. This is especially true if the race you’re going to run will be really hot and humid, or cold and windy…you want to prepare your body for running in those kinds of conditions and still being able to perform. Keep in mind you may have to adjust times and run for effort.

* Wear the Right Gear: If you’re going out for a run in super hot and humid conditions and you’re rocking a cotton tee, be prepared to be chugging home with about 5 extra pounds of shirt sweat. Suit up in the right gear for the elements; when it’s cold layers are your friend not just to keep warm but for the safety of your muscles too. To avoid chaffing and shirt sweat poundage, running shirts and clothes made from technical materials are your friends…hey, speaking of tech tees there is an AWESOME one I’ve got that you should be outfitting yourself with. 😉

1) Have you learned your body’s mileage threshold? How do you make that mileage work for you?

2) What is your chronic ‘squeaky wheel’ or weak point in your body?
My darn hamstrings and left foot at the moment.

3) Favorite kind of running shorts?
Either the Tempo shorts or ones with a split.

The Interconnected Human Running Machine: All those bones, tendons and muscles are working together not separately

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

The human body, the running human body, is a unit. It’s all interconnected and working together, it’s not some hundreds of bones, muscles, tendons and tissues working separately. When one muscle is shortening its counterpart is lengthening, eccentric and concentric muscle contractions. If something is off with one piece of this puzzle, even the tinniest of tendons, it’s surprising the ramifications this ‘weakness’ can set off. It’s all a chain reaction people.

I’m not shy about saying I’m horribly tight and know I need to stretch more. My hamstrings are a glaring example of this. So when after a run where I tried to nudge the pace up one notch from ‘gimply kankle runnerchick’ and afterwards I was rocking the extra gimpy post-run walk because the back of my knee and upper calf was not happy, I knew the culprit wasn’t my calf…it was my hamstrings.

Those tight hamstrings staged a protest; they were tight and tugging extra hard right where they insert behind the knee. The trickle down effect resulted in my calf muscle getting upset and joining the revolt. So even though I wasn’t sore one bit in the actual hamstring muscle region and my lower leg was begging for some icing, I also knew that it was a not so subtle reminder that I’ve been slacking on my stretching.

Thus in addition to giving the icing TLC to my calf I got on those leg swings and hamstring stretches. The bugger though is that I best keep myself ON doing those stretches long after the sorenesses go away; ahhh, us runners tend to get lax when there isn’t a higher level of ‘injury’ threat on the horizon. More on that for another post, but a warning there is to stay on top of the ‘little’ rehab type things even if the ‘problem’ isn’t screaming at you over a loud-speaker anymore.

Back to the interconnection issue, muscle weaknesses and imbalances are ever-present. Everyone has them, to different degrees…we can’t be perfect after-all. Though avoiding these weaknesses is going to come to bite you in the bum eventually. This happens a lot when people fail to do any core work, then wind up straining some crazy, small muscle they never knew they had or that it could hurt that bad. (Cut to the psoas, adductors, and abductor muscles smirking on this one.)

Taking it down to the feet; an insane amount of injuries and issues can be traced back to those bipeds. Namely shoe issues; not having the RIGHT shoes for your foot type. Did you know that things so far up as back or neck problems can be traced back to not enough arch support? Not so fun fact.

The lesson here, folks is know your weaknesses and work on them. Also, the next time you have a pull, niggle, pain, or outright screaming pain that stops you from being able to run…stop for a moment and take a closer look. THINK while you ice that calf muscle, because the real problem may very well not be that calf at all. The calf is just a symptom…a muscle that got talked into joining the revolt so to speak. 😉

1) What is one of your weaknesses, imbalances, or issues that you need to stay on top of to stay injury free?

2) Do you tend to slack off, get cozy, after an actual injury or bad soreness goes away? C’mon, own up, we all are guilty sometimes!

3) What’s one example of a time you had an injury or soreness resulted in one area or muscle but the problem was traced back to another?

Runners Create Their Own ‘Possibles’ All the Time: Dude, it’s just a car…get over it, suck it up, and go run

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Cait — 24 Comments ↓

Runners, it is my firm belief, tend to have a different set of ‘possibles.’ More correctly they can set their sights on what a ‘normal’ person would think of as IM-possible, put their head down, get to work and keep plugging away. I also believe runners tend to be more stubborn, grittier, and have a higher pain tolerance than most folk…honestly I think it’s because we’re just so used to suffering with running everything else in our mind gets a little skewed. “What, that blister takes up nearly my entire arch, just a minor flesh-wound, Neosporin that sucker and put your running shoes on!” 😉

I like to make light of my who car accident debacle because I just do that. I poke fun and joke around at things even if logically they aren’t that funny. It’s a coping mechanism probably, I mean it’s much easier to keep moving forward and stay positive if you’re able to laugh at yourself EVEN at your worst.

I don’t like to talk too much about my whole car accident though, mostly because I don’t want people to think I’m ‘working it’ or like I’m bragging. Sure, yes, I’m kinda proud of the fact the doctors were floored when I finally came back to report I could run again; the surgeon was sure I wouldn’t even walk right. BUT, the thing is, runners all around, all the time are constantly doing these sorts of things.

Dick Beardsley has an insanely inspiring story, he was a pivotal person who kept me going and instilled in my mind that I’d run again. I will forever be grateful to him. There’s the stories of the runners who have actual amputations and run with some awesome prosthetics.

Even without crazy accidents runners are ALWAYS redefining what is possible, the proof there are in the record books. Do we not in fact keep shaving those times down lower and lower? Are there not constant debates on if we really will see a woman break such-and-such time, will a man dip below the two hour mark for the marathon?

Runners are always faced with injuries, surgeries, that raise the question if they will ever get back…and then will they get back to the shape they want to be. The thing is, when you have running stripped away from you, brutal as it is, when you look into the ‘possible’ future of what you’re life would be without it, you probably don’t like the picture you see. When you shudder at that picture you often make a pact with yourself, “If I get back to running, in any form, I will not take it for granted.”

I’ve been there, lots of people have, and I think it are those haunting images of what a life without this running, our little drug of choice, are that keeps us going to redefine ‘possible’ and then create our OWN ‘possibles.’ So even on those crap-tastic runs where we feel anything but on cloud nine, we appreciate them deep down.

Not that anyone should, or has to settle for just running alone. There are still times, PR’s, races, titles, hopes and other goals that can be chased; things that take training, not just running. I love watching and hearing about people creating their own ‘possibles’ there and chasing those goals…but I also know running presents incredible highs and lows. Our sport sort of runs the line like an EKG with all those spikes; heartbreaks on the heels of triumph and vice-a-versa.

Runners can get lost in those lows sometimes and their goals abandoned, the sport can break them; to avoid that takes unwillingness to get stuck in a depressive rut during those lows. Keeping perspective and remembering that a life without running at all, on any level, is not the picture of a future you have envisioned for yourself.

Perspective: Be grateful for the run. When you’re nervous before a hard training run, race, or don’t even want to get out the door…strip it down to the bare bones, the root of it…be grateful for the simple act and remember why you do it. Chuck out the window unnecessary pressure, stresses, or worries, put your head down and get to work on creating your OWN ‘possibles.’

1) Was there ever a time, event, or injury that begged to question if you’d get back to running as your former self?

2) Was there ever a time or injury that seemed to drag on so long you thought it would never end? How did you deal with it?
Day by day, people…only way! 🙂

3) Where is your running, are you running just for the fun and love of it or are you training? What keeps you going and why do you do it, when it’s all stripped down to the bare bones?

4) What is a ‘possible’ you are currently working towards creating for yourself?

5) What is one ‘possible’ that you achieved and are proud of that others thought of as IM-possible?

Runner Upkeep and Care…

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

I tell myself that the bag of ice strapped to my leg isn’t cold at all.

Totally NOT toasty, but imagine flames in that ice bath and hopefully you'll feel warmer. 😉

I fool myself into believing that delving my lower body into the entire ice bath will not in fact be the materialization of he** freezing over.

I implore my legs to fall in love with the foam roller and I tell my IT Band that it will so fall in love with rolling up and down this slab of foam that it will want to make sweet baby bands with it. 😉

I’m sort of impressed with my own foot taping skills, not going to lie, I can tape up a foot like a champ…should I print out a little certification letter and have my podiatrist sign it?

I’ve grown tired of explaining to non-running people what half-peeled down dixie cups filled with frozen water are doing in my freezer that I’m tempted to tell them they are mystery flavored popsicles. Spoiler Alert: I’m pretty sure the flavor is a mix of salt and feet.

I fight with the dogs over who actually owns the tennis balls. I’m pretty sure in fact they are the sole possession of my soles to make my plantar fascia happy.

Pull up a step and then don't move. 🙂

I love my chair. I love feeling entitled to plop down in it and not move, bask in the laziness because I know I earned the right to be slothful. I’m tired from my run dangit! 😉

1) What are some of the things you do to help keep your runner body healthy and tuned up?

2) Are you a fan of the ice bath? Do you tend to do that regularly?

3) Anybody us athletic tape for certain injuries; if so, which and where? I know there is also a new line of it, the colored variety that is touted to be extra special, any fans?
I’m thinking about doing a post on how to tape up your foot to relieve various tendon issues and arch pain, would anyone be interested in reading that?

Running Motivation and Keeping Perspective: Don’t take your running for granted as it’s not always a ‘given’

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Cait — 27 Comments ↓

It’s really easy to take running for granted. To just expect that it will there waiting for us, that our next run is available at our earliest convenience. We can take advantage of it all we want, get a little miles grubby sometimes, blow it off other times, but no matter how we treat it assume it will come crawling back to us like a pathetic lover.

Getting a little too relaxed with your running relationship...taking it for granted?

Losing perspective is an easy trap to fall into, you get overly confident and secure in your body and its abilities, happens to the best of us. You’re feeling amazing in your workouts, you can no longer vividly recall the hot sting of an injury and being stuck cross-training, and running has turned into a ‘given’ in your mind.

A given. Thinking of it like that can lead to some lulls in motivation as well; naturally there are days where you’re not exactly relishing the thought of lacing up and sweating out the miles. That tempo run isn’t looking so tempting, you’re drained from a long day at the office, you’re wrestling with the urge to just blow off the date you had with running. You think, “Eh, who cares, I know it will take me back and be there waiting next time.”

That’s not true; and any time you need a little perspective on that talk to a runner who is just coming back from an injury. Their zest and zeal, their monstrous craving for any amount of running has reached a pinnacle point and their motivation is just as high.

For a moment, let’s imagine a charted line. An injured runner and their mood, their outlook on getting to run; when they first get the green light to go that line shoots up in a rocket climb. Each day they eagerly anticipate their sweat time and as they are able to run more and more it becomes a little more comfortable, familiar, repetitive. Time goes by and the line gradually evens out, it’s not flat-lining, but it’s leveling off.

Months and miles stack up and this runner’s line maintains normal ups and downs like an EKG; the small spikes and dips are the usual days when you feel great and looking forward to that run, the other days where your legs are tired and you need to force yourself to get out the door and into that first mile.

This is a good, steady state to maintain of course, you don’t want to be constantly injured but there is NOTHING like an injury to give your frame of mind a little kick in the butt. Injuries, when you come back to finally running, are like hitting a little ‘reset’ button in your brain. You promise yourself that you will no long be overly greedy with your miles and workouts, that you will be thankful for each one you can do, cherish them.

But let’s be honest, after the ‘newness’ starts to wear off we all get careless eventually and slip into the little ways we can abuse our running relationship. Not huge offenses always: more instances of motivation lulls, skimping on the stretching or exercises we are supposed to do to keep us healthy, these types of things.

Though when we start to act the snotty high school boyfriend to our meek, running girlfriend we need to check ourselves:

* The next time you’re not looking forward to that grueling track workout…remember the last time you were injured and how you focused on the big running goals you wanted to achieve when you got back. Time on the cross-trainer was made bearable because you imagined that when you could train again you’d put everything you had into it. Remember there is a runner out there currently on a cross-trainer making those same pledges; now that you’re on the other side of the fence, make good on the goals you set for yourself and start that first interval.

* Next time you are not thrilled to be going out for a run, you’ve had a long day…remember there is a runner out there, fresh off an injury excited to be able to just run for 10 minutes. Force yourself to at least match that, more times than not you’ll keep going longer.

* When you are stuck on the cross-trainer…remember there is a runner sidelined and just out of surgery. Stuck in the bed they are anxiously awaiting the green light to do just something.

* The post-surgery runner in surgery…remember that it is a contiguous cycle, you’re at one of the low points but it will climb back up. Now is the time to set your sights on the future, set the goals for yourself on your road to recovery. Of course they need to be smart, baby steps but always have something to focus on ahead of you. Then when you are back and running, looking at that hard workout, remember your time spent setting those goals.

The running cycle…can we cue the Lion King background music here for the circle of *running* life? 😉

Motivation will always be spiking like that EKG chart but don’t let yourself forget that running isn’t always a ‘given’ and it can be taken back a lot faster than you think. Be smart with your training and try to give yourself some ‘imagined’ perspective shifts rather than waiting for a stupid injury to give your brain the ‘reset’ for you.

1) What part of the running cycle are you in right now? Props to everyone at the top…shout it loud and proud!
I’m at the early coming back stages. 🙂

2) What are some offenses you are guilty of in taking your running for granted?
Wow, so many…but I like saying the term miles grubber so I’ll list that one.

3) How do you maintain perspective with your running; balancing smart training decisions and ensuring you get that next run in?

4) Name one thing that helps motivate you to get your run/workout in when you’re in a motivation lull.
Think of how I’ll feel when I’m done.

Back to Running After a Long Hiatus and Tackling GI Distress For Runners

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Cait — 21 Comments ↓

Here’s what you relearn every time you get back to running after a long hiatus:

When you hit that slap of back to running reality it's a combo of pain and ecstasy to be back. 🙂

* Cross-training is just that. Nothing is the same as running, mentally and physically, and while you’re a world better off doing that tedious cross-training, it’s still a cold slap of reality when you get back to the real deal. Hello, muscles, almost forgot about you until you were sore again.

* Thank you muscle memory. That slap of reality stinks but it’s kind of crazy how the hazing period isn’t that long…thankfully the longer you’ve been a runner the more your muscles remember how to slip back into runner mode. Push past those initial harder than they really should be runs and you start getting back to your self.

* Nothing clears you out like running. Forget Activia or colonics, sorry if I err on the side of TMI, but it’s true, running keeps you regular.

This segues into my topic for today…the guts, the intestines, and GI issues on the run. I know some of us runners are ‘blessed’ with more than our fair share of these troubles and I’m one of them. Sometimes it’s totally unpredictable and you just do a slight prayer to the running Gods before each hard workout, race, or long run that you won’t have a GI disaster.

The tricky thing with these types of things is that they are different for everyone and really tough to nail down a remedy for. Experts suggest:

* Eating bland foods that sit easy in the stomach. You could call these ‘low residue’ foods, they don’t have much bulk (read as fiber). Examples would be plain, white rice; Dathan Ritzenhein goes to this before his big races because he knows that is what works for him. Other athletes find that drinking their last meal of caloric intake keeps them safe; just make sure it’s a drink that is more than just electrolytes and actually has carbohydrates and sustenance.

* Don’t over-eat. I have a very temperamental stomach and to be quite frank like to run first thing in the morning before breakfast. If I were training and had a hard workout I’d get up earlier and have some oatmeal, but it would have to be a few hours before. Planning your meals helps, and you can revisit my article about ‘Timing Your Fuel’ in Running Times.

Real book, I made it, you want one? 🙂

* Eating on the run. If you’re training for a marathon or doing a really long workout things get even more complicated. During exercise the blood is being sent to your muscles doing the work and all the energy being spent is geared towards getting you to perform; this means that there isn’t the extra blood supply to then go to your stomach and start doing a ton of digesting. For this reason that’s why sometimes people can get into trouble eating just too much during their event; estimates are that you should consume roughly 200 calories per hour of exercise if you’re running more than one hour but everyone is different. Again, liquids are your friend.

* The night before. I know going into a morning run the possibilities that there will be a pit-stop in order are much higher if I’ve eaten a certain kind of food the night before and had a bit more than my fair share. I’ll call it the “Well, I know I’ll pay for it later but it’s worth it right now” effect. Today’s run was brought to the OD of Entenmann’s cheese filled coffee cake last night…but it was worth it. 😉

* Other remedies. I’ve talked to people who swear by this or that supplement, I’ve known people who have had their GI problems solved by acupuncture, there were periods where I’d have to pop an Imodium before every hard workout or long run and it seemed to help. If you’ve suffered with this issue enough you’re willing to try or do anything.

Even with all of this there is never a sure bet. Every GI sufferer sympathized with poor Paula Radcliffe during her marathon pit-stop and it proves that 1) don’t be ashamed to talk about these things because nearly every runner has experienced it 2) don’t make fun of people pulling the bush dive, Karma is a bi*** 3) we’ve been there and if nothing else, try to laugh at yourself, it’s the only way to keep on going.

Still, even after all of these slaps of back to running reality (seriously, the last pain free running this runnerchick got in was somewhere around Halloween!) it is SO worth it, gurgly guts, sore muscles, and all! 🙂

1) What’s the longest you’ve gone without running? Did you cross-traing during that time?

2) What’s one ‘slap of back to running reality’ you have?

3) Do you have stomach or GI issues? What have you tried and what works for you?

4) Is there a certain ‘trigger food’ that you know will set off your stomach? Are there times when you throw caution to the wind and dig in anyways??
Pretty sure we all do it, I’ve got a friend who is nearly Lactose intolerant but orders up the biggest sized Blizzards if she’s sure an easy day is on tap for the next day.

The Boston Marathon, Treadmill Marathons, and Gasp I Ran…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

Is there some kind of race going on in Boston this weekend? Just kidding, as this ~~Sunday~~ Monday (wow, sorry for the total brainfart there!) will be of course the Boston Marathon. This race is rich in history and has a running legacy all it’s own.

In the minds of many marathon runners it’s an epitome of sorts as they chase the entry times just to get to the line. From the mid-packers excited just to BE there to the elites, Boston also often promises fast times, which became quite the controversy last year with the fastest ever marathon times run but then not being counted as ‘official’ World Records. Not that there hasn’t been controversy with Boston times in the past; because Boston’s course, while noted for some epic uphills, overall has an elevation drop. You can get some awesome Boston Coverage HERE and HERE.
Michael Wardian en route to attempting treadmill marathon World Record
Source
But today in Boston Michael Wardian is attempting the World Record for the treadmill marathon, that record time is set at 2:21:40. As of now the results are staying tight lipped, but I’m going to venture to guess he beat it…the man’s a beast in all the best ways.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but for the last, oh, four or five months there hasn’t been much personal running talk from this Arty Runnerchick. Actually you could have started to dub the site The Cranky, Injured, Runner-Envious Arty Runnerchick if you really started reading between the lines…haha. I jest, and I’ve done all I could to stay positive but it’s been a loooooong time since I was able to get in a run. The memory of pain-free running was a distant, far off memory circa 2011; though I’ve been through this song and dance in the past with injuries and the ONLY way to get through them is to take it a day at a time, stay the course, laugh when it really stinks, and get on the blasted cross-training machine.

Miracle beyond all miracles I was able to give a little love to my treadmill this morning, albeit for a short run and I’m hardly out of the woods yet with this left foot debacle, but I have to say I feel like a better person. I’ve still got to stay a close to the ~~ball and chain~~ elliptical too, but there is NOTHING like running.

So let’s end this with a smile…

Call Hallmark, it's getting cheesy in here...

And a few vows that should apply to us all:

* I will not take any mile for granted, I will be thankful for each sweaty, hard fought one and know that I’m lucky to be able to run them.

* I will be SMART. I won’t make all the mistakes of newbie, excited, eager, and mile greedy runners and rush things. I will also be proactive to prevent injuries any way I can and I’ll listen to my body.

* I’ll remember that injuries will always be a part of running and remember that when the next one hits I’ll get through it just like I have before.

* I’ll pay it forward to other runners in the wee ways I can. I’ll sympathize with the injured, remind them to stay the course, and celebrate their victories in steps back to full running health.

Happy Saturday and hope you made it a little (or a lot) sweaty! 🙂

1) Are you racing this weekend?

2) Do you have aspirations to run Boston or any other particular race that stands out in your mind as the epitome of it all?

3) Would you, could you, run a treadmill marathon? Are you a treadmill running fan?

4) What’s one vow you have to make in regarding staying healthy, running, or fitness in general that applies to you?

5) How did you get your sweat on today?

Know Your Weak Spots and Care For Them: All about strengthening your calf muscles and keeping your achilles tendons healthy

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

As I write this I’m icing my right calf muscle; the little bugger has been a bit cranky as of late so I’m being proactive and giving it a little TLC. Let’s be honest, a runner’s reality (or regular worker-outer) comes with the creaks and squeaks, the moans and groans from the muscles and body, we’re like our own Tin Men and Tin Women. To keep those creaks from turning into the full on screams of injury we’ve got our oil cans in the way of icing, massage, stretching, and the like.

That's your calf muscles and achilles tendon thanking you for some TLC. 😉

Everyone is different and after awhile we get to know where our squeaks tend to lie; for some it’s the perpetually tight hamstring, the plantar fascia that rears its ugly head now and then, the achilles, the IT band and so forth. Knowing our weak points is important because we can focus on being extra diligent with these areas and do all we can to prevent a flare-up.

If the calf muscles are your weak point, listen up because doing some strength moves in addition to stretching and icing will do you good. In fact, if your achilles are your weak points, working on your calf strength will in fact help with that as well. Actually, even if these aren’t your known creaks and squeaks, strengthening them isn’t going to hurt you and still help you as a runner.

The 3 Way Calf Raise Trick and Achilles Care:

* Forward raise: Find a set of stairs and stand with the toes of both feet on the step; allow the arch and heel of your foot to hang off the back of the step and hold onto a rail for balance. Point both toes forward and lower your heels down until they are below your toes and as far down as you can reach without your toes leaving the step. Now raise up and onto your toes in a slow, controlled movement. Lower yourself back down and repeat for a set of 10-15 raises.

* Inward facing raise: With your toes on the same step, now point your toes inward so they are facing each other. Lower your heels down until they are below your toes on the step and raise up onto your toes just as you did the first time. Keep the motions slow and controlled to work the muscles; lower and repeat for a set of 10-15.

* Outward facing raise: This time point your toes away from each other, your heels will be nearly touching. Do the same lowering and then raising motion and repeat for a set of 10-15.

Start out with doing just one set of each raises and gradually work your way up until you are doing 2 to 3 sets. Be sure not to just whip through each raise and cheat a bit with momentum, it’s better to slow down so that the muscles have to really work.

By doing them in three different directions it works both of the calf muscles (the soleus and gastrocnemius) from three angles; because when you’re running you aren’t always on the same, even terrain, you take turns, you step on angles, rocks, etc. and so you aren’t always working those muscles from a single, laterally forward position. This way when you’re out running, if you step on a curb or rock funny your calf muscles won’t be so shocked and you’ll have less chances of running into an injury.

The same theory applies to your achilles tendon and by strengthening the muscles by which this tendon inserts at the top you can stave off achilles issues.

When I'm injured I'm more likely to punch a poor person in the face due to cross-training induced grouchiness. 😛

Taking care of your little squeaks, creaks, and injury prone spots will not just save your sanity in being faced with an injury that makes you take time off but it will vastly improve your running. We all know that consistency, and being HEALTHY enough to run those workouts, are the key to being your best.

Take those oil cans, lube up, and run happy. 🙂

1) Do you have calf or achilles issues? What is your squeaky wheel?
Usually it’s the top of my hamstring right up by the glute.

2) Do you do calf strengthening moves at all?

3) What are some of your favorite strength moves, do they target some of the spots you tend to get injured?

4) If you were in Dorothy’s parade which character would you choose to be?
Hmmm…I guess the Scarecrow, he looks like he could move and run at a decent pace. Actually, scratch that, I think ToTo could beat him.

I’m Not Injured, I’m Just a Klutz: ‘Life Injuries’ and Injuries While Cross-Training

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

I’m a klutz. I’m one of those people who will wake up with a bruise and not know what it’s from. If I’m opening a package with any kind of hard plastic I’m sure to wind up with a cut trying to pry the thing open. I have no coordination and so I’m a runner…even then I have enough trouble staying erect.

You'll also never catch me in a shoe with heels over 1mm...FACEPLANT!! 😛

Injuries stink and they come with being a runner, but the injuries or pulls, strains, niggling pains that come from a NON-running related event burn a million times more. Mostly because we have no one to blame but ourselves. (well, usually…getting hit by a car really sucks and in those cases there are others to blame…lol…well, kinda lol.)

The falls, the trips, the blood, the cracked bones, these can and do happen in life and as a runner when a ‘life injury’ keeps us from our favorite past-time it burns something fierce. I knew a runner who was taking the garbage can to the curb one dark night, slipped on some ice and ended up landing right on her tailbone. She had the Olympic Marathon Trials coming up mere weeks away and she thought she had broken it. Her tail bone ended up having a really bad bone bruise that healed up but she still couldn’t run for a few days.

Sorry, yes to post this one again...but gotta get my mileage out of this because it's true! Haha.

I’ve fallen plenty of times running, to the point where I’ve been a bloody mess and gravel in my palms but I got up, finished the tempo run, then had the delight of washing the caked, bloody mess with disinfectant. Fun. Thankfully I guess my body’s just used to self-abuse due to idiotism and for the most part I’ve been lucky that most of these falls and other life injuries haven’t curtailed my running on too many occasions. Again, outside of the car debacle.

I recently just did an article for Competitor about getting injured while you’re injured: ‘Cross-Training 101: Avoiding Over-Training When Injured’. It’s possible to injure yourself in a new way, or re-injure yourself, when you’re already hurt and cross-training. Trust me, those sting too because you think, “What the heck, now I can’t even run for longer because of my cross-training routine?!”

It’s happened to plenty of us, my hip flexors like to scream at me when I’m delegated to the elliptical for long periods of time. There isn’t any activity that simulates running exactly, running is running. So while there are plenty of other options that can mimic it and give you a workout that will maintain that strength and endurance, they are all using slightly different muscles to do that.

The article also covers over-training while cross-trainng…oh, the over-zealous injured runner taking out all their fury out on the machines. They then end up over doing it and digging themselves into a hole of fatigue. Again, been there, done that, not fun.

We don’t live in a bubble…sometimes life and other activities can wind up leaving us injured and unable to get in those precious miles. (one of the main reasons, outside of fear, that I’ll never get on a skateboard…that’s got disaster for me written all over that!)

Accepting those running related injuries is manageable, but the other ones, they can unleash a runner’s fury like nothing else! Beware fellow klutzes, be safe out there. 😉

1) What was the last non-running related injury that you had? Or, what was the last ‘life injury’ that somehow left you mangled and forced to curtail your usual workout routine?

2) Are you a klutz and tend to wind up abusing the heck out of yourself by sheer accident?

3) When cross-training, what’s your usual go-to and have you ever injured yourself while cross-training?
I usually go the elliptical route and that wakes up my hip flexors; aqua-jogging also does that to them. But I know this so I give those hip flexors some extra TLC while I’m injured.

The Case of the 500 Mile Shoe: How Often Do You Really Need to Replace Your Shoes Before You Call Them Dead?

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Cait — 15 Comments ↓

We’ve all heard that a shoe is dead once it hits 500 miles, right? But as with any ‘rule of thumb’ that’s a generalization and just as we are each individuals with individual running quirks, these rules need to be tailored to fit the runner.

Keeping tabs on how many miles we have run in our shoes is important because it gives us a gauge of when we need to remember to replace them. As in we can remember to get a new pair of shoes BEFORE our body starts to send us reminders in the way of aches, pains, and injuries. As ‘small potatoes’ as it may sound, running in the wrong pair of shoes or a dead pair of shoes account for a high percentage of running injuries. One simple shoe change would solves so many maladies but this ‘minor detail’ often gets overlooked.

Shoes aren’t cheap, of this I know, but saving pennies will leave you paying with injuries. Even though a pair of good running shoes may carry a not so appealing price tag, do keep in mind that with our sport shoes really are the only necessary, big investment. We don’t necessarily NEED the Garmins,so if it comes between picking one or the other lest I remind you the Garmin will get no use if you can’t run due to injury.

Be YOU. And with that, remember that YOU need to tailor the 500 rule to your running feet. 🙂

But getting back to 500 miles before you need a shoe replacement. This is an estimate and here are some factors that sway that number:

* Foot strike. How you run is going to impact how long your shoes will last. If you tend to be a hard heel striker, run predominantly on outside of your foot, shuffle in your stride, are a heavier runner, over-pronate a lot…all of these are things that will wear down the tread of your shoes faster and thus make it necessary to swap shoes earlier than the 500 mile mark.

* Shoe quality. If you’re serious about running you shouldn’t be running in a pair from the sale bin of Big 5…just saying. It may seem like a cheaper route to for a knock-off pair but it’s a case of quality vs. quantity and in the end you’ll pay double with a crappy pair of kicks: you’ll have to replace them more often and you’ll probably get hurt along the way.

* Minimalism shoes. The whole minimalism movement isn’t just a trending wave it’s like a tsunami by now; yes these lighter than air shoes are quite awesome and can make you feel like you’ve dropped 10 lbs in shoe, but depending on your foot strike they aren’t necessarily the best choice for everyone. Minimalistic shoes and barefoot running can strengthen your feet and lead to positives BUT you need to beware of some things first; you need to gradually integrate using them, think twice if you’re a heavy pronator or supinator, and then keep in mind that with less shoe you’ll probably need to swap them out more often.

* Manufacturers needing profits. Shoe companies make money off of selling shoes, fact. It’s a business after all and truth be told the running shoes of today, while they are advanced in oh so many ways over their decades’ old counterparts, they also wear out faster. The materials are designed to not last forever and over the years their lifespan has shortened. Hey, in the end everyone has to make their profits somehow.

So the 500 mile thing isn’t so cut and dry, it’s got to be adjusted to YOU. Just as with training, each runner is different so you need to learn how to gauge the lifespan of your shoes based on your history. Sometimes that’s tricky to figure out but you learn along the way and when in doubt err on the side of caution…replacing your shoes earlier isn’t going to leave you injured,but wait too long and you could wind up lame.

Don't wind up injured when a shoe change could have prevented it.

Outside of counting miles run on shoes an easy way to see how much life is left in them is to just look at the treads on the bottom. Most running shoes are black or darker on the outermost bottom layer…if you start seeing white or areas where that black color is nearly shaven down, the shoe is dead. Even if the spot of wear is only in on specific area (ie: the outside heel) and the rest of the shoe looks brand new, the shoe is dead. Get to know your tread pattern and then you’ll know where to look to find out how much longer your shoe will last.

Some ways to prolong the life of your shoe:

* Buy two at a time and then swap out between the two. It may sound strange but alternating days between two different pairs will keep each one spry for longer.

* Orthotics and cushioned inserts. To a degree these can help eek out a bit more life out of your shoes if you’re blasting through them every 300 miles. Heavy pronators should think of supportive inserts regardless, but it’s actually the cushioning of shoes that breaks down the fastest and leads to you needing a new pair. It’s the cushioning materials in shoes that are eaten away by our miles much faster than the harder, supportive materials used.

Getting rid of a dead pair of shoes if it’s prior to the 500 mile mark might be hard for some to do because it feels like a ‘waste’ of a shoes. But put your running health first and here are some things you can do to recycle the dead ones:

* Use the old pairs for walk-a-around shoes or for when you’re working on the lawn or scooping up dog poop.

* Donate your dead shoes to charity. There are always people without any shoes who would love your old ones; toss the dead shoes through the wash to spruce them up, then offer them up to someone who needs them. I know Julius Achon was always happy to take old shoes and send them off to his children in Uganda, you can visit his site HERE. Nike also has their Reuse-A-Shoe program.

Wow, so much for the whole ‘easy 500 miles life-stamp’ of a shoe right?? 😉

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Thanks to Ali at Running With Spatulas for inspiring this post. If you haven’t signed up for her Spatula Runners Virtual Race and pledged to send in your awesome running pick, then DO IT! 🙂 Then you can check out some yummy treats for your post-run refuel…heaven knows I can’t cook or supply and fun recipes. 😉
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1) How often do you honestly replace your shoes?
I try to stay right on top of that one, I’ve learned that my body gets cranky when that tread pattern wears thin!

2) What are some reasons you might keep running in a dead shoe too long? (ie: forget, don’t want to spend money, don’t know you need to, etc.)

3) Do you run in any shoe inserts?
Not any more because I’ve worked a lot on my form and my foot strike has changed; I used to need orthotics though for extra support.

4) Where does your shoe’s tread wear thin the fastest? Or do you have no clue…hehe.
Mine is on the outside heel, it’s gotten better over the years though. When I first started running, no joke, I’d burn through a pair of shoes on the heel in a month tops. And back then I’d be hard pressed to think I even kissed 25 miles a week. 😉