Spring is in the Air in DFW...Time to Dust Off the Running and Cycling Shoes!

So Spring is in the air in the DFW area! Time to dust off your bike and running shoes and head outside. Forego the treadmill or the trainer for fresh air! Yea!

So if you are like me, it’s also time for new running shoes. The battered winter pair have had it! How long are running shoes good for? About 500 miles or six months, whichever comes first! Now an aside about the recent craze in minimalist shoes, just because they are “minimal control and cushion” does not mean that they last longer and don’t need to be replaced. In fact, I found my more minimal shoes seem to wear out faster.

So you haven’t reached the 500 miles or six month expiration date because you have been lazy the last few months of winter? Please at least decontaminate your shoes! Take a spray anti-fungal (my favorite is Mycomist) or use a shoe sterilizer (like Steri-Shoe) and get rid of the cooties that have been growing in those idle shoes. Don't have something to decontaminate your shoes? Stop by Healthy Steps and they can hook you up! This is especially important for cycling shoes that have been sitting in the closet or garage all winter. Cultures of these kinds of shoes show fungus among us, as well as, staph, strep and nasty pseudomonas bacteria!

Also time to take a look at the sock collection. Socks don’t last forever and tend to shrink. If your socks are too small, you can get black toenails and even lose toenails just from the pressure of the socks! If your socks are more than a year old, toss them and buy yourself a spring treat of new socks!

And last, but never least, it’s time for girls to take a long look at their jog bra collection. Just like socks, these bra tops need to be replaced about once a year if you expect any supports for “the girls”.

Enjoy this first taste of spring coming to Dallas-Fort Worth….who knows, next week it could snow; but my money is on spring is here to stay! Enjoy it before the sultry summer descends upon us!

Doctors Can Get Hurt Too!

Confessions of Myrundoc: Do as I Say, Not as I Do.....

Time to come clean. Yes, I too can fall victim to a running injury. And yes, of course it's a foot related issue. Turns out the old adage is true that doctors are the worst patients, just like plumbers often have leaky pipes at home :) in fact, I think doctors are the worst patients only trumped by pilots. Yes, it's a control issue!

Because I'm the local authority on running injuries I of course started to treat my injury when it was in its mild form....Not! No, I did like most of my patients and ignored it until my foot hurt so bad the day after a race that I could barely out my heel on the ground. Yes, I suffer from the dreaded and incredibly common plantar fasciitis in my left foot. Why? A combination of the perfect storm.

I would like to blame it on the White Rock Marathon, you all remember that glorious day.....45 degrees, pouring rain....but if I'm honest, it started way before that. I ran the DRC Half in November with bronchitis (also a brilliant move) then barely trained the rest of that month as I was getting over my upper respiratory infection. Couple that with an incredibly busy November and December in the office and the OR; you get poor training schedule, exhausted body and depressed immune system. Oh yeah, I also ran the White Rock Half marathon in the pouring rain and had to run the Bold in the Cold Half marathon because my running club was putting it on and the medal was cool.

Long story short, what started as a little tightness at the Phoenix Turkey Trot over Thanksgiving (oh yeah, ran that too, then climbed Camelback Mountain the next day), became a swollen, sore foot by the first weekend in January.

So what do I do? I stopped running. This wasn't really a choice since I could barely put my foot on the ground the day after Bold in the Cold. I started icing, taking Advil and lots of stretching. I looked at my shoes and realized I had five pairs I was working on and all of them were dead. My orthotics were 3 years old and needed replacing. I started wearing nothing but a brand new pair of running shoes to work and clogs on the OR. I even let my partner give me a steroid injection. And I got in the pool and on the elliptical and bike so I didn't gain a million pounds!!

A month went by and I was somewhat better. Maybe 50% but still couldn't run. I was now starting to get annoyed and my staff wanted me to get back to running so I would stop being cranky! Onto EPAT....why have technology if you aren't going to use it? What is EPAT. Yes, I had the EPAT procedure performed the first week in February and yes, it hurts like hell but way worth it. I was about 70% better after the first treatment and 80% after the second. I still did the night splint (incredibly annoying but effective for the first thing in the morning owie), had gotten a brand spanking new pair of custom orthotics and still wearing nothing but running shoes, clogs and a two inch heel when necessary.

I went for my first run in 6 weeks yesterday in Napa Valley, CA. I was in wine country for a conference and my foot was feeling so much better. I did 4 miles of walk run and did pretty well. Tight but not painful! I'm going to have my third EPAT this week and I think that should do it. Maybe I will let the staff video it so you can all join in.

What did I learn? Listen to my own advice. If I had started stretching, icing and looked closely at my shoes and orthotics at Thanksgiving; this whole saga probably could have been avoided. Stubbornness and the fact that when I close my eyes I'm 19, did not help me recover. Thank God for technology! The EPAT certainly saved the day for me. I'm sure two months of physical therapy would've had the same result, but time was short and technology available! Bring on the triathlon season! First race St. Pat's Sprint Tri in Keller on March 10th!

Are You Suffering From Excusitis?

Are you suffering from excusitis? Meaning you have way too many excuses of why you can’t exercise? Need some motivation to get back on the road? Here’s a good one: Exercise will improve your love life!

Often people think of exercise as something that will possibly make them look better and maybe live longer. But, it doesn't just stop there. Exercise can improve all aspects of lives, especially relationships with friends, family, and signifiacnt others.

Become a Better You. Exercise can make you feel better about yourself. How you perceive yourself is obvious to others around you. Every day that starts with a run always seem to be a great day!

Attract Positive People. When you feel better about yourself, you attract the right crowd. Attract others that are positive to be around. You really are the average of the five people you hang out with the most!

Be a Role Model. When you exercise, other aspects of your life improve. Your body wants to eat better, sleep sounder, and be more active. Your family will notice and your kids will be forced to eat better!

Meet More People. Exercise can help your fear subside. Your positive choices for your body will help your confidence; and therefore more inclined to meet others. My running club is my family away from home.

Good Relationships Become a Goal. With any exercise, creating goals help you succeed in every workout. It's the same idea with relationships. The more you create goals the more natural it becomes. Think of it as something you want work and improve on every day. A goal not written down is a mere wish! Once you start writing goals down its amazing how they happen!

Communicate Better. When confused about how you feel and what you want for yourselves can be difficult to share with others. Studies show exercise helps your brain think more clearly, which will help your communication skills with others. Who doesn’t want to communicate better?

Exercise cannot fix everything in your life, but it definitely can make you a better version of yourself! Want a better love life? It's important to work on you first and then show others what you're made of. You will be amazed with the results!

February is the month for love….I love running!