300 Miles Down.....1715 to Goal!

It’s Snowmageddon in the DFW area this weekend. The Cowtown Marathon scheduled for tomorrow morning is up in the air at blog post time, and they’ve already cancelled the 5K and 10K today.  Roads are icy and snow has actually accumulated! Crazy weather all over the US and yet we are all still getting our miles in! 

Tomorrow is March 1^st and as of this morning’s treadmill session, we have run 300 miles since January 1^st! That puts us about 25 miles behind schedule to make our goal of 2015 miles in 2015 but with lots of time to make it up!  I figure, given the weather and the short month, we are doing just fine! Best of all, racing season is upon us in March.

Snuggle up this weekend and make a plan for spring! Pick a race and put it on the schedule! 

Keep moving forward to your goals peeps! See you out there……

To Stretch or Not To Stretch Before Running

Why do most men forego stretching and then wonder why their Achilles tendons, plantar fascia and hamstrings bother them? They also see to forget to warm up in the winter! Alright, to be fair, its not just men……many runners seem to be too busy to warm up or stretch but seem to have time to visit my Grapevine, TX office when they can’t run from tendon pain!

In all fairness, it seem that the jury is still out when it comes to stretching in the running community. To stretch or not to stretch? That is the question…..

I have been running for more than 30 years with multiple coaches on numerous competitive levels, all of them told us to stretch daily to get faster and avoid injury. Yet many incredibly competitive runners never stretch and never seem to get injured.

Is there any proof that this common recommendation is actually valid? What do the studies say about stretching? Does it really prevent injury? Will it make me faster? Again, the experts really don't agree on much! In most arguments between stretchers and non-stretchers, it inevitably comes down to "stretching helps prevent injuries" and "stretching is a leading cause of injuries in runners". 



The motion of running, repeated over many years, strengthens and shortens several posterior muscles. The most affected are the calves, the hamstrings and the lower back muscles. These muscles play a primary role in lifting the feet and moving the runner forward. Exercise physiologists blame shortened muscles for a reduced range of motion, decreased athletic performance and increased risk of injury. To add insult to injury, the aging process contributes to further loss of joint and muscle flexibility. 



The majority of runners and coaches believe stretching improves performance and reduces the risk of injury. In the meantime, experts disagree on the benefits and dangers of stretching. While many experts credit stretching with numerous benefits, improper stretching remains the second leading cause of running injuries!

So, if we believe in stretching; what is the most effective method? 



First and Foremost; the warm up and cool down should never be optional in your running routine! Cold muscles are at the highest risk for injury; by warming up and increasing the temperature of your muscles they will be more flexible and have an increased speed of motion. Warming up can loosen your muscles and soft tissue as much as 20 percent. The cool down allows blood to continue flowing through your muscles, working its way more slowly from a high level of exertion to its normal resting condition. Build stretching into your regular schedule, both before and after your daily run; after warm up and as part of your cool down. Take the time, it's worth it! 



The Do's and Don'ts of stretching: 



Do 



1.    Warm up prior to stretching. Walk or slowly jog at least 10-15 minutes prior to stretching. 


2.    Slowly add stretching to your workout slowly. Gently stretch a little more each day. Your muscles can actually stretch almost 1.5 times their length, but if you try to achieve this all at once you will hurt yourself! 


3.    Relax. Tension makes it almost impossible to stretch effectively 
Breathe. That may sound easy but try to breathe from you diaphragm or stomach 


4.    Make it a routine, try to stretch every day, even if you don't run. Follow the same order of stretches every time for consistency 


5.    Listen to your body. Some days, less is more! 



Don't 


1.    Don't bounce!! Bouncing risks pulling or tearing the muscle you're trying to stretch and relax. Muscles must be stretched gradually. 


2.    Don't hold your breathe 


3.    Don't stretch if it hurts 


4.    Don't forcibly stretch an injured muscle, gentle and less is more 


5.    Don't hurry through your routine 


6.    Don't listen to your friend’s opinions about the best technique for stretching Try them all and decide what works for you

Bottom line: Most experts agree that stretching reduces muscle soreness after running and results in better athletic performance. Gentle stretching after a race or intense workout can also promote healing and lactic acid removal from the muscles. Stretching is most effective when performed several times each week; a minimum of one stretching session per week is sufficient to maintain flexibility.

Most coaches and runners believe in stretching before and after every workout. The experts never agree on much, but the majority seems to feel that stretching is beneficial to runners if done properly. So follow the precautions outlines and always warm up prior to stretching. Your body will thank you and who knows, you may even get a little faster! 



Run Happy! And warm up and stretch before!

Video: Help With Motivation to Get Running in the New Year!

Listen to the tips the doctor gives to get you going in the New Year! Let's get going and make running a daily habit again! The holidays are over and we need to get rid of those extra cookies!!

Video Blog: Does Running in the Rain Make You Sick?

You asked for more video blogs, so here is the beginning of a new series :)



So enjoy running in the rain! Jump in puddles!! Have fun!

Does Running in The Rain Make You Sick?

It’s one week after the cold, wet rain permeated the White Rock Marathon. Lots of people, including my mother, have asked me if I caught pneumonia from running “The Rock”?

So, does running in the rain make you sick? This is one of those questions that seems to be doomed to getting inconclusive answers forever. Especially when it comes to the opinion of Mom!

People usually do get sick more when the weather is rainy. That's because they stay indoors more, and indoors is where cold and flu viruses spread because of increased contact between individuals. On a sunny warm day, everybody goes outdoors, where there is (obviously) more space, better ventilation, and less physical contact with large numbers of other individuals.

Catching an infectious disease such as the common cold requires direct exposure to the pathogen (virus). Exposure comes in the form of close contact with an infected individual. Going into cold and rainy weather will not make you sick unless you also get colonized by the pathogen while you're out there.

There have been reports that cold temperature itself reduces the effectiveness of our immune system, but even that's not sufficient alone - you'd still need exposure to the virus.

Bottom Line:

"I'll get sick if I stand out in the rain or go out into the cold without a hat on" - Fiction

"Cold and rainy weather causes virus infections to spread more rapidly than usual" - Fact, due to people staying indoors more

Prevention:

Wash your hands, stay away from people who are sick, and feel free to run and play in the rain, just like we did last Sunday at the White Rock Marathon. Run Happy....and remember to jump in puddles after the 6th mile when your feet are already soaked!

Cold Weather Slowing Your Runs?

In Texas, the saying goes that if you don’t like the weather; wait 5 minutes, it will change. This week alone it’s been 70 degrees and 24 degrees. No wonder the whole world is sniffling. Personally, I hate the cold. I’m a tiny person so I’m very cold intolerant. My bike goes inside on the trainer when the weather hits 40 degrees and I look like an Eskimo running. How do we keep motivated during the winter? Things seem to change for me when it’s cold outside. It seems much harder to get out of bed, much harder to run out the front door and a whole lot harder to finish a long run.

In spite of my obvious aversion to cold temperatures, I have trained for years all winter long. In Texas, this means crazy temperature swings. As a teen, in Rhode Island, it meant bitter cold and snow. In fact, I can remember as a high school cross country runner racing in snow and ice and wearing shorts (like an idiot). Training in the cold can make you tougher, but take some advice and dress for the elements. Thank God they finally invented cold weather gear that does not weigh a ton and make you look like you are ready for skiing, not running!

The real goal of cold weather running is to maintain motivation, not get too cold and not get too hot. Easier said then done! One solution to this is to just head indoors and stick to the treadmill. I absolutely despise running on treadmills much more than running in the cold, so unless it’s raining; I’m outside. In addition to the boredom, the repetitive motion of the treadmill can put you at risk for other injuries such as stress fractures. It’s best to have some variety.

The key to staying comfortable and cold weather condition is to be prepared for changing temperatures. Dress in layers and don’t be afraid to overdress. Wear a hat and gloves. I even pull out chemical finger warmers if it’s really cold. If it all possible try to run small loops somewhere near your car or a place where you can discard layers if you start to get hot. You don’t want to be nine miles from home and running with hat in hand, sweating with two jackets tied around your waist.

If you are overloaded with too many layers, you can just as easily overheat when it’s 30° outside. This will make you nuts because you will lose the energy needed to finish your run, just like a hot day, and you may become soaked with sweat be more prone to thermal injury such as frostbite. As soon as your run is over, do not stand around outside. Immediately change into dry clothing. Your core body temperature will drop precipitously immediately after a run. This is why they always shroud you in a blanket at the finish of a marathon, even when it’s hot outside.

Aside for making sure that your temperature is regulated, there are special environmental considerations when running outside in winter. If it happens to snow where you run, you obviously have to watch your step. Be very careful running on ice. Running on snow is easy, but ice will put you on your back before you know it. If you’re lucky it’ll just be an embarrassing fall, but you can get seriously injured this way.

Always wear a hat to keep your head warm. This can be a baseball-style cap, but once it gets colder than about 40° however, you will likely have to switch to a knitted cap that will do a better job of keeping your head warm. It likely goes without saying that you should avoid natural materials such as cotton, that retain moisture and can put your risk of getting too cold. Always use synthetic materials.

As a general rule, you can get away with shorts or tights and a long sleeve T-shirt when it’s in the 50s. If it drops down into the 40s, you need to add a hat, gloves and an additional layer on top. A vest is a nice addition. Once it gets down into the 30s, it’s better to stick with tights or pants and wear three layers on top, as well as hat and gloves. If you’re brave enough to run when it’s in the 20s, you might also want to wear a jacket on top of your many layers. Unless you really like to torture yourself, or live in Alaska, it’s probably better to just stay inside when the temperature drops into the teens.

Keep in mind, your body can become acclimatized to colder temperatures if exposed to them often. However, for people like most of us who are only rarely exposed to cold temperatures, they’re more likely to be a poor judge of when frostbite or other cold injuries are starting to set in. Use common sense. Texas weather is nutty, so the layered look is a must this time of year!