Why Do My Shins Hurt After I Run?

I ran the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers Double Trouble 5K/10K duo this weekend. Fun! Crazy weather! It started out at 78 degrees and was down to 52 when we finished the 10K portion.  Got to love a good cold front! A good time was had by all, and it’s great to see everyone out at the lake.

My funny story for the day was that one of the runners sidled up next to me and asked, “Why do you think my shins hurt after I run?” and “How come they don’t hurt when I’m running?” Of course, my first reaction was “It depends….”, and “Good question. Let me catch my breath and I might have an intelligent answer for you.”

Here was my answer:

Your shins can hurt after running for a variety of reasons. The most common is a shin splint. This is actually a term commonly used to describe medial tibial stress syndrome.  What? Yes, stress causes pain along your shin bone and can even cause a stress fracture. In the early stages the painis actually myositis (irriation of the muscle that runs along the shin bone) and this will “warm up” when you run. Stress fractures don’t “warm up.”

Why does this happen? Most common reason is either worn out running shoes or inappropriate shoes to start with. If you have a very high arch, you need a more cushioned shoe. If you have a flat or low arched foot, you need a more stable shoe. Lots of times you just need to part with your old beloved super worn-out running shoes.

Other reasons can be a change in surface like going from the treadmill to concrete. Or a rapid increase in training mileage or increased speed.

When is it time to stop the home remedies and go to the doctor?

Pain 5-7/10 or in a pinpoint spot can indicated a stress fracture!

Pain that has lasted more than a few weeks with rest, ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories.

Lastly, if you have changed shoes, tried stretching and icing and still have pain daily….time to come in for a visit.

Some people need help buying shoes, some people need functional foot orthotics to re-align their gait and some people need to rehab their injury with physical therapy.

So the take home point is that your shins shouldn’t hurt after you run!! If they do, you should take a look at you shoes and training patterns! When in doubt, give us a call so we can take a look and make your shin pain go away!

FAANT gave away cute little Body Glide buddies for your gym bag at the race! Adorable!

Dallas Marathon or is it Still "Run the Rock"? Here We Come Again!

Sunday, December 8, 2013 is marathon day in Dallas! Yes gang, that's 16 weeks away! Time to start training!! The White Rock Marathon is now The Dallas Marathon, but in our little world will always be referred to as "White Rock". I have lots of great memories there including my PR at the distance. The course keeps changing with the name, as well as where it starts; but to me its still my favorite hometown race!

I ran 10 miles around Grapevine Lake this morning and realized I am in pretty sad marathon shape after a lazy summer of sprint triathlons. So here we go again.....marathon training! Who's with me?

Click here for The Dallas Marathon Website

I'm thinking that I need a warm up race as well, so I'm also going to pencil in the DRC Half. This was also formerly known as "The Half" and its course has changed numerous times to include a sadistic hill one year, then it was gone the next! The DRC Half is a great local race and is usually quite the running party! Sunday, November 3, 2013 is the DRC Half. Come join me and my peeps!

Click here for the DRC Half Marathon Website

Of course, we also need a few little races along the way, so I'm also choosing to run The LGRAW Double Trouble 5K/10K race on October 5, 2013. This is a cool little race right here in Grapevine! The fun part is that you can actually run both the 5K then the 10K. Think of it as a speed workout, warm up with a 5K and then pound the 10K. Or race the 5K and use the 10K as a warm down. It's a well run home town race and is just plain fun! Come out and join the club!

Click here for the LGRAW Double Trouble 5K/10K Facebook Page

Sounds like a fun filled Fall season! We will probably sprinkle in a few sprint triathlons as well, but focus will be on the marathon! 2014 is back to Ironman training with Ironman Texas looming on the horizon on May 17, 2014. Let's get back into marathon shape before we focus on 140.6!

Click here for Ironman Texas Website

Fun runs to come.........

The Wounded Warrior Half Mararthon 2013

The Wounded Warrior Half Mararthon was in a word: WET!

You have to feel bad for the Dallas Athletes! They put together a spectacular rae and planned for hot and humid. It rained. At 6:45am it was pouring buckets with thunder and lightening! Crazy! We all hung out in the parking garage at the Marriott. I'm sure they loved that! The race was delayed 15 min, then a half hour, then an hour to let the severe weather cell go through. Hanging out with a few thousand of my closest friends in a parking garage...love it!

The race started in a drizzle.....then a downpour! The race was awwesome because it was mostly on trails....oops they flooded. We went around one large floodde area and through two others. I hate wet feet!

It was awesome to see lots of people from Team in Training and many military groups! One group of guys carried three very wet American Flags along the entire course. I bet their shoulders hurt! I was also so happy to see lots of friendly faces at the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers Aid station! Thanks Guys!!!

I high fived a lot of people and then came upon one of my patients who wasn't supposed to be running (a small tendon tear...oops) and she was beating me!! Crazy tough girl. Tomorrow she gets a cast, but today a medal!

A crazy day, but a good time was had by all. Sometimes the most zany races are the best!! Love it!

When Do I Need New Orthotics?

Contrary to popular opinion, custom foot orthotics do not last forever! It is amazing to me how many runners come in with an injury and take orthotics out of their shoes that were made when I was in high school! If your orthotics are more than 5 years old, they probably need to be replaced. Feet change and the devices start to wear out.

If you can't remember how old your orthotics are, here are some tips on how to determine if it is time to replace them:

• Your feet hurt!!! That pain you had reduced or cured with the device has made a comeback – I can’t think of a better reason to get your feet and devices checked
•  Yourorthotics are held together with duct tape, gorilla glue and cardboard – those home modifications just don’t do the trick
• If your orthotics wobble, you may fall down – motion in devices that wasn’t there before can lead to foot pain and instability
• The top cover looks is thinner than you remember or has comletely fallen off – with time all materials will flatten and wear, if your top cover is paper thin, looks like a piece of foam Swiss cheese, or has been missing for months, get it replaced.
• Cracks do not give character – cracks in the shell of device can occur with prolonged use, glue is not the answer and neither is duct tape.
•  Added modifications are lost, loose or not providing the control or pressure relief they used too – just like top covers, modifications can flatten with time, and they can loosen and get lost.

These are just a few subtle reminders of when you need to have your orthotics replaced.   Obviously other problems occur.  While most devices last for several years, most insurance companies will replace a device yearly if problems with device are noted, so don’t hesitate and stop by for an evaluation. Just like eye glasses, your orthotics should be evaluated at least once a year by your favorite podiatrist!

Wouldn't a new pair of orthotics feel wonderful?

There is Life After Running - Seriously!

There is Life After Running……Seriously

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Helen Keller, author, political activist, and speaker

This is my profound thought for today. We often, as runners, feel like our world is coming to an end when we can’t run due to an injury; or even worse, a permanent disability. This often happens in older runners due to knee issues or chronic back pain. Foot and ankle arthritis or a torn tendon can also cause a premature end to a running career.

Instead of looking at what we can’t do, we often need to rejoice in what we can. When I turned 40, I realized that I needed to start cross training so I wasn’t beating the heck out of myself every day. I reinvented myself as a triathlete. I hadn’t done any swimming seriously in over 20 years and couldn’t remember the last time I was on a bike. I had always just run!

I had a goal: a sprint triathlon in 3 months! I made a list and borrowed a triathlete friend for a shopping trip to the cycling shop. A cute pink road bike later, I was on my way. A bathing suit, cap and goggles were procured and I jumped into the pool at the gym. Surprisingly, my swim form and bike balance were not all that bad. A conservative training program and lots of encouragement got me to my first triathlon. That was 2008.  I have done many sprint and Olympic triathlons; 6 Half-Ironman and 2 full Ironman triathlons since then. I’m a stronger but slower runner now, but honestly my body feels way better.

Many of my patients have had the same type of result with cross training. Some have given up running for cycling due to an old injury or two. Yoga, pilates, cycling, circuit weight training, elliptical, swimming, and even Zumba can be fun diversions form a chronic ache.

The world does not end if we can’t run. Often its not a "I can’t run", but perhaps " I should run less often" scenario for most people. Take it from me, find something fun that will get your heart rate up and sprinkle it into your running. Your body will thank you. Cross training (also known as relative rest) is not a death sentence but can be a door into a whole new you! Who knows, you may find yourself owning a pink bike!!

Reative Rest Options For Active Running Injury Recovery

It happens to all of us at one point or another. It doesn’t matter if you have the muscles and strength of LeBron James from the Miami Heat or the speed and soccer skills of Wayne Rooney from Manchester United. Sometimes there is just no avoiding it: we all suffer from a sport’s injury at some point in our lives. This week it was Derek Jeter from the New York Yankees still sidelined with his ankle injury from last season!  A running injury does not have to be a death sentence to your cardiovascular fitness, there are alternatives to keep you going while your body is healing whether you have a twisted ankle, plantar fasciitis, or a much too common stress fracture. Do not despair; relative rest can actually be a good thing! 

I love my swim training for triathlon!  Michael Phelps would certainly agree, swimming is an excellent, low-impact alternative to running.  As the water supports your body, your joints do not experience the same level of stress and impact they do during a run. There’s no doubt that swimming is a strenuous sport, allowing you to increase your endurance and reach your cardio fitness level just as easily as running. Besides working out, water is also frequently used for rehabilitation purposes, such as kicking your knees back and forth to build strength and increase range of motion after a knee injury or writing the alphabet with your foot to help the healing process of an ankle sprain. If you are someone who often struggles with shin splints, incorporating a swim into your training regime can help to eliminate this problem. Moreover, swimming is a total and complete body exercise, working everything from your arms and abs, down to your heels and toes.  And who knows, you may even decide to try a tri! 

Hate to swim? Fear of drowning or looking stupid in the pool?  If you are more of a land mammal than a dolphin, biking can be another substitute for running. A stationary bike is a great start following an injury as it enables you to adjust the resistance you’re pedaling against to minimize your pain. As you heal, you can increase the resistance and adjust your speed accordingly, or even switch over to a road bike. Similar to swimming, biking reduces the amount of stress on your joints when compared to running, but can still be used to burn calories and boost your endurance. 

 When swimming and biking can’t satisfyingly scratch your itch to run, why not try something completely different? It might not be the first thing you think after an injury, however yoga could be another new and unique alternative to running. And yoga is not just for girls! Some of the best yogi I know are guys who run with us in Grapevine at the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers Club! Yoga exercises work to stretch and extend every aspect of your body, including your skin, your muscles, your tendons and your ligaments. All the varying yoga postures will increase the flexibility of your body and ultimately help you to avoid future muscle tears and injuries. Yoga can be utilized as a way to build strength as well. Such stances as the upward dog and downward dog require you to support your body weight with your arms. These postures are then out held for a period of time, compelling the use of your muscles to maintain your balance. The benefits of yoga will not only help you avoid injuries in the future, but will help to perfect your overall running form through improved posture. It is important to keep in mind that some yoga poses will actually irritate your injury, so keep that in mind while you venture into the yogi world.

Last, but never least; you can try circuit weight training. This is combining 3 or 4 different push: pull combinations with light weight training that will increase your heart rate and increase your muscle metabolism at the same time. This is great off season training and recovery training. Think about it, burn fat and build muscle. What could be bad! You may even get some decent looking shoulders, abs and back out of it as well!

 When you do find yourself suffering from a an annoying injury, it can be difficult to accept the fact that you cannot and should not run. Furthermore, that runner’s high, the natural endorphins our bodies create when we run for long distances, can allow us to easily ignore even our most excruciating pains. As addictive as the runner’s high is, I urge you to listen to your body! You will know better than any doctor in the world when something is not right. When your body is sending you signals to take it easy, don’t ignore them. For example, what started out as three to six weeks off may quickly escalate into a year’s worth of recovery time if you push yourself past your limits. Listen!

 No matter what, always stay positive! Don’t forget that you will bounce back from an injury, just like you always have in the past. As long as you have the desire and drive to run, an injury will never hold you back for too long.

Happy Recovery!

Stinky Feet Solutions!

Runners feet stink! Yes, true for almost every single one of us! We sweat in our shoes and wear wicking socks to get the moisture away from our skin, but they still stink! Why?

The foot funky odor is usually due to bacteria and fungus. Your feet sweat and have the same type of sweat glands as your arm pits. Your pits stink too, but that's another blog....

Seriously, the home remedies for stinky feet include everything from soaking in ice tea, apple cider vinegar, Listerine, organic corn meal, rubbing alcohol, warm Jello, bleach and vodka.....really!

Sounds ridiculous, but if your feet stink you will try just about anything.

Two things that have a little more science behind them is to add zinc to your diet. Take 50 mgs twice a day and this will help if any of your foot odor is due to a zinc deficiency. Check your multivitamin, because you may already be taking zinc daily and not realize it.

Sanifeet solution is a better scientific way to kill 99% of the foot odor causing bacteria and fungus. This is a soaking solution that you use 10 minutes two or three times a week to maintain clean sanitized feet! This is available at both the Grapevine and Keller, TX Healthy Steps locations!