Running with Support

People run for many different reasons. For some, it's the ideal way to keep in shape and prevent weight gain, for others it's the competition and achievement of a personal record, and then there are those who run simply because they enjoy the peace and relaxation.

Peace and relaxation is the most important, and yet it's often the most readily overlooked reason to run. The pressures of current, everyday life can sometimes cause your running to feel relegated; causing your training to become boring, because you simply go through the motions. One way to prevent your runs from becoming stale and boring is to run with a partner or group. My favorite running partners are my two Labrador Retrievers. My dogs have an enormous impact on my dedication to running, their positive energy and enthusiasm makes me forget the hard work and pain I have to overcome.

The benefits of having a partner are supportive to your running lifestyle:

· Motivation - if you are committed to a group or running partner, you'll be less likely to shut off your alarm and fall back to sleep. It makes a big difference of you have someone counting on you to show up!!

· Enhanced performance - with someone running by your side, your competitive spirit kicks into gear, helping you make it up that hill or run a farther distance.

· Socializing - running in a group is a great way to meet new people or form closer relationships with those you already know.

· Conversation - while running, you should be able to carry on a conversation. Having a conversation while running, is a good way to test that you are not over-exerting yourself.

· Increased safety - if someone gets injured, there is someone there to help, and running in pairs or with a dog lessens the chance of being a crime victim.

The best way for me to stress the importance of proper hydration for runners, is to explain how dehydration affects the body.  Running causes the body to lose fluid from exhaling moisture and sweating.  If fluid losses are not replaced by water or sport drinks, the concentration of solutes in the blood becomes too high, leading to dehydration and thickening of blood.  In order to maintain adequate blood flow to working muscles and vital organs the heart rate must increase, which places strain on the cardiovascular system. When excessive fluid loss occurs, the blood volume and blood pressure falls.   As blood volume depletes, hormones are released signaling the kidneys to reabsorb and recirculate water. When the body needs water, less is excreted and more is retained causing impaired heat dissipation from the skin and core temperature to rise, eventually leading to heat illnesses.
            The chart below shows the signs and symptoms of dehydration based on the amount of fluid lost.  When a certain percentage of dehydration occurs the body cannot continue normal physiologic functions.  This can be devastating to a runner’s performance and most importantly their health.

A runner can sweat out six cups of fluid in an hour.  Just think about how much you drink in a day, not including pop or alcohol beverages.  With that in mind, are you drinking enough fluids? 

Also, for severe dehydration it may be necessary to hospitalize the person and restore fluid balance through intravenous fluid replacement.   In order to prevent dehydration, drink before, during, and after your runs. Drink before running and make sure you have access fluids if running longer than 30 minutes. During longer runs, some of your fluid intake should include a sports drink to replace electrolytes.

            The first step is to know your feet and the easiest way to determine what kind of running shoe your feet need is by using the Wet Test.  The test is done simply by wetting your feet and stepping on a dry surface.  The wet footprint is the determining factor for the type of shoe you might need.  Shoes are split into three groups (cushioned, stability and motion control); and three subgroups (performance training, racing and off-road).  The first group is specific to your biomechanical requirements.  The subgroup is specific to your type of training and terrain. 

What to look for when evaluating your wet footprint? 

You are looking to see what kind of arch your feet display.  Arches can be normal, flat, or high.  The arch of your foot can help you determine the proper amount of stability, motion control and shock absorption required for desired running results and to prevent injuries or pain. 

Footprint Analysis

• Dry space around the arch that is similar to a half circle correlates to a normal foot.
• No dry space, or very little, is indicative to flat feet.  This is a result of overpronation.
• Excessive dry space around the arch identifies a high arch, resulting in underpronation.
• Evaluate the wear of the shoes soles is another way to identify your foot type. If the wear is on the inner side of the shoe you most likely have flat feet, if it's on the outer side, you most likely have a high arch.

More information coming…………

The old phrase “less is more” can be very helpful in the world of running.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe in pushing beyond physical and mental limits, when done appropriately.  However, keep in mind there is a fine line between consistency and compulsivity. 

Rest should include sleep and scheduled days off from running. Rest is planned as a recovery from intense training. Sleep allows your body to repair itself from the adversities of training allowing you to proceed with further advancement.  As for myself, I often get caught up in the excitement of starting a different running program or running in a new location. I have made the mistake of increasing my mileage too quickly and ignoring the signs of fatigue- all with best of intentions, of course! On the other hand, if changes are not made, I will one day find myself injured and unable to finish my goals.  So, the question everyone wants and answer too is… how do you know what your limitations are?

Factors that may indicate lack of proper rest:

• Fatigued all the time.
• Your workouts are not improving.
• Weak and heavy legs during workouts.
• No longer like running and dread working out.
• You just want to shut off the alarm clock and go back to sleep…your gusto is gone!
• Elevated resting heart rate. Elevation of 10 beats or more from normal baseline may indicate fatigue, dehydration, or early stages of a virus.

Recovery is broken down into to categories: active and passive.  Active recovery is low intensity exercise.  Walking, spinning, yoga, and swimming are examples of active recovery.  Resistance is low and pace is very relaxed. The benefits of active recovery are improved endurance and increased blood volume.  Passive recovery is nothing but REST.  This recovery time allows your body to restore glycogen stores and decrease inflammation, which may lead to overuse injuries.  Passive recovery is also a key to preventing mental burnout. 

I have prepared an example for the first phase of an eight-week training program for runners. This program I am developing assumes that you can run at least 2.0 miles. Please do not attempt to start running if you have no previous training or health issues without consulting a physician.

Phase I of Program Information:

Choose two days out of the week for rest days.  This may very from week to week depending on your schedule and commits.  For example, I like to have Thursdays and Sundays for my rest days.  Remember this is imperative for proper recovery and injury prevention. The muscles in your body actually build and repair themselves during your rest days. So with that said, if you run every day, you won’t see much improvement.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays: After you warm up with dynamic stretching, run at a relaxed pace for the selected mileage. After you run, make sure you cool down muscles and reduce heart rate prior to static stretching.

The goal is to increase your runs by a quarter mile each week. Can you recall running farther because you feel good from the endorphins kicking in?  Unfortunately, I have found this to not always be beneficial because it’s easy to loose track of your progress and you almost always think you can run more during your next run.  Which leads you down the road for overuse injuries. Running on a track or treadmill makes it very easy to keep track of mileage, but it is also really monotonous.  Trail running is very adventurous, dynamic and, challenging.  The surface is usually easy on the joints, unless the terrain is rocky.  When trail running, I use time to keep track of my distance.  If you find that most of your runs take place on the road and you’re not sure how far you ran, there is a website that figures out the mileage, MapMyRun.com. My last option is to drive my running route and measure the mileage using my car’s odometer.  But, who wants to do that with the outrageous gas prices and when they tired from running.  

Tuesdays: Cross-training activity (biking, swimming, elliptical trainer, roller blading) performed at easy to moderate effort for 30 to 60 minutes. If you're feeling very lethargic or sore, take a rest day.

Saturdays: This is an active recovery day. Your run or walk/run combination should be at an easy, comfortable pace, which helps release muscle tightness.

 Example

Running Program

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Hello, my name is Denise Fisher.  I'm employed by Lake Health as a Certified Licensed Athletic Trainer and Licensed Massotherapist.  My blog will contain topics related to sports medicine, physical wellness and strength conditioning.  My first topic is on avoiding overuse running injuries.  Please continue to read below.......  

How to avoid overuse injuries in runners.... (Main Topic)

Weekly Topics

Training program (Week 1)

• Rest/ sleep (Week 1)
• Shoes (Week 2)
• Hydration (Week 3)
• Psychological issues (Week 4)
• Support (Week 2 and 4)

Strength and conditioning for athletes...(Main Topic)

Weekly Topics

• How to get started (Week 1)
• Do and don't of strength training (Week 1)
• Weights vs. machines (Week 2)
• Strength training for injury prevention (Week 2)
• Sport specific strength training (Week 3)
• Supplementation: Good vs. Bad (Week 3)
• Cardio: Benefits (Week 4)
• Health Complications (Week 4)
• Strength training contraindications (Weeks 1 and 4)