National Running Day is Here!

Simply How to Get Started Running

I was sharing with a patient that I was running through my neighborhood this morning and how lovely and peaceful the world looked at 6am. I was energetic and enthused about the start to my day, when the patient stopped me and asked a great question. “How do I tap into that energy? How do I, a certified couch potato, get started running?”

Great question! Running is one of the best ways to get started exercising, but it is very intimidating for many people. I encourage all my patients to start or continue to run, so here is a little advice to get you going.

First, make sure you are healthy enough to start running. A trip to the primary care physician or cardiologist is in order if you have any major health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure or a history of heart problems. A trip to the podiatrist, chiropractor or orthopedist is indicated if you have any lingering issues with your joint and tendons. Remember that almost always it is best to walk before you run.  Walking can get your heart rate up and ready your body for running.

Second, you have to realize that the first few weeks of a running program hurts. It gets easier and easier with time, and the old adage of, “if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger”, definitely holds true! If you stick with it for at least 3 weeks, it will become easier and even fun! Promise yourself to stick with it at least 3 weeks!

Thirdly, embrace the “WHY POWER”!! What do I mean by that? Remind yourself daily why you want to start running. Need some encouragement? Here are a few reasons why to start running:

1.     It’s a great way to get in shape and to lose weight! If you start running, most will slim down, strengthen your heart and usually decrease your cholesterol.

2.     Usually you will start eating better as a side effect. It’s amazing how your diet changes when you realize that what you eat is your fuel. Junk food just doesn’t give you great fuel to run. I’m not saying that your diet will become amazingly better overnight, but in most cases it will improve!

3.     You will decrease your stress. Running has an amazing way to decease your stress and help you find peace. Your running time is your little oasis of time during your busy day. I promise you will start looking forward to it.

4.     Runners are fun and very social people. Most runners say hello to everyone who runs by them. You start to make friends on the trail and then invariably become part of a running tribe. You have running in common and that’s all that matters. Racing makes it even more fun! Times are irrelevant to most; it’s a participation thing!

5.     You will start to think better and more clearly. Running clears your mind and allows your consciousness to flow. It’s amazing how you will find solutions to the problems of your day on the run.

6.     You will find your inner tough guy! There is something about running that makes you start ignoring the little negative self talk in your head. You will be amazed on how tough you really are. Running can be transforming and inspiring!

So now do you have enough reasons to get off the couch and get going? The correct answer is YES!!!

Let’s talk about the rules of the road first.

1.     Start slowly. If you can walk briskly for 30 minutes, then you can start with walk:run (step 2 in the program). If you can’t, then you have to start with walking first. Remember that if you start with too much volume and/or speed, you will burn out quickly. The idea is to get started slowly and build a habit for life.

2.     Increase gradually. I tell people to start with no more than 30 minutes and then add no more than 10% each week. Start with 3 days a week then build to 4 after 3 weeks, then 5 after 4 weeks, up to a maximum of 6 days a week. Even God needed a rest day! Too much, too soon, too fast = injury!

3.     Recruit a friend. It is a lot easier to get started and to stick with any exercise program if there is a friend suffering with you and making you feel peer pressure or guilt to continue! Seriously, it is much easier to stick to a program if you have an accountability partner or group. My Saturday morning running group has been running together for more than 10 years.

4.     Get running shoes fitted to your foot type. Visit your podiatrist or a running specialty store and spend the money on an actual pair of running shoes. You will be amazed on how much better you will feel in a great fitting pair of shoes.

5.     Have fun! This is mandatory! Running should be fun and you should enjoy the process. You are pushing too hard if you aren’t having at least a little fun!

So here is a suggested program to get going…..There are lots of programs out there so this is just a suggestion:

1.     You should walk before you run. Briskly walk for 15-20 minutes three times the first week. If this feels pretty good, then increase by 5 minutes three times the next week. Work your way this gradually to 30 minutes three times a week. When you can do this, it’s time for step 2.

2.     Walk 5-7 minutes to warm up, then run for a minute, walk for 5 minutes, and repeat for a total of 30 minutes. Do this 3 times the first week. Add a fourth day of just walking for 30 minutes. Then next week, walk for 5-7 minutes to warm up, then run for 2 minutes, walk for 4 minutes, then repeat for a total of 30 minutes. Do this 4 times the next week. Gradually working the run:walk from 1:5 to 2:4 to 3:3 to 4:2 to 5:1.  Increase slowly as you feel your endurance improving. There is no set timetable. Everyone is different. When you can run:walk 5:1 for 30 minutes, four times a week it is time to increase duration by 10% each week or go to just running.

3.     Now make a goal! Sign up for a 5K! Make a goal to finish 1 hour of running without walking! Put a carrot out there, because now you are a runner! A couple of 5K’s later, sign up for a 10K! You will be surprised on how a marathon now doesn’t sound so crazy! 

Enjoy the run……

What to Wear When Running

 Want to know what to wear when running?

Great question! When I get up in the morning pre-dawn, the first thing I do is reach for my phone and check the current weather. Then I go to my pile of running clothes, set out the night before, and try to pick those clothes appropriate to keep me warm, but not too warm, for my morning run. Sometimes this can be really tricky due to the bizarre and ever changing weather conditions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

There is an awesome helper on the Runner's World Website that can help you decide what to wear if you are questioning your choices. Click here to view.

I like this online resource because it differentiates between those runners who like to be a little chilled, and those who like to be toasty warm! It even takes into account what time of day and what kind of workout you are planning to run! 

Never again will you have to take a straw poll of your running peeps on what to wear for today's workout!

How to Avoid Posterior Tibial Tendonitis and Ileotibial Band Syndrome in Runners

I know this sounds like an odd combination of injuries to be discussing at the same time; but it is not uncommon to see a patient that has a weak posterior tibial muscle, and subsequent posterior tibial tendonitis that causes IT band syndrome in the same leg due to excessive pronation and dorsiflexion causing stress on the IT band at the knee level. It is also not uncommon to see a runner with a weak and tight IT band that allows increased inward movement of their thigh which causes increased pronation at the ankle, stressing the posterior tibial tendon leading to tendonitis.

So how can we control this unpleasant duo injury? Control the pronation of the foot and ankle with a functional foot orthotic device or taping, strengthen the posterior tibial muscle in your lower leg, stretch the IT band, and work on core balance exercises.

Here are some simple exercises to get you started:

First and foremost, warm up for about 5-7 min with a bike, elliptical or simply brisk walking.

All exercises will strengthen your dorsiflexion and inversion power as well as working on single leg balance.

1.     Walk on your heels with your ankle pointed upward and toes outward exaggerating the movement. It looks quite silly but it fatigues the PT muscle rapidly. A “normal” runner should be able to walk this way for about 2 minutes without aching pain. If you start with 30 sec at a time and then repeat 3 times to start. The next time add 15 sec and so on until you can perform this motion for 2 minutes. If you feel any sharp pain, then stop and try again in a few days.

2.     Eccentric knee squats. The goal is to perform 4 of these. Stand facing a wall with your feet should width apart and your toes a few inches from the wall. Bend at the knees keeping your back straight so that your knees lightly touch the wall. You may need to adjust the distance to the wall to perform this. Return to your starting position and start to squat again, but move your knees outward so that you are effectively pronating your feet as you squat point. This is the action your feet perform in the stance phase of running. It puts a force on the PT muscle and the IT band. This strengthens the tendon as well as the IT band. Come back to the starting position and repeat four times. If at any point you have sharp pain, stop. It will take a few days to weeks to perform these easily. When this happens, try one leg at a time.

3.   Balance and eccentric reaches with your knees. Stand on your right foot, about an arm’s-length from a wall and flex your left knee so that your shin is about parallel to the floor. Bring your left knee forward, while remaining with your back straight or slightly backward from the hips, until it touches the wall. Keep your hips over the right foot. Finish by returning to the starting position. Next, perform the same motion but this time move your knee slightly to the left as you move it forward. This will cause the right foot to pronate. Then back to the starting position and do the same movement moving your knee this time to the right. This will cause the right foot to supinate. Perform this 5 times then switch feet.

4.     Dynamic Posterior tibial exercises. Begin by facing the wall again. With your weight on your right foot and your right knee slightly flexed (like you are landing while running), lift your left thigh up parallel with the floor and use your hands on the wall for support. Rock forward until you feel a calf stretch, then lean left and pronate your right foot. Then, as part of a continuous motion, lean toward the right, crossing your left leg over your right leg so that now your foot is supinated. Without stopping, cycle back and forth 4 times then shift to the left foot.

5.     Towel crunches. Sitting in a chair, place your foot flat on a towel and crunch your toes grasping at the towel for 25 repetitions. Then switch feet.

When you are comfortable going through all of these exercises with your body weight, then start adding small hand weights to increase your strength. You should perform these simple exercises before you run at least 3 times a week to become a stronger more efficient runner! 

Let’s try to avoid the duo of PT tendonitis and IT band syndrome!

Photo Book Commemorating the 2014 Boston Marathon

Here is a link to my photo book commemorating the 2014 Boston Marathon weekend. Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Photo books are the perfect gift for any occasion.

Vibram Settles Lawsuit for False Advertising of the Benefits of Barefoot Running

Vibram, the company behind FiveFingers shoes, just settled a $3.75 million class action lawsuit over false claims that its running shoe yields health benefits, Runner's World reports. The thin-soled, flexible shoes, which cost about $100 a pair, are said to mimic the experience of running in bare feet, and thus "improve foot health" -- an unsupported claim the company falsely advertised. This was also reported in the Huffington Post on 5/10/14. 

The company extensively advertised that their shoes would strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improve range of motion in the ankles, feet and toes; stimulate neural function important to balance and agility, eliminate heel lift to align the spine and improve posture, and allow the foot and body to move naturally.

Does this mean that all of these claims are false? Does it mean that we should get rid of all of our "zero drop" minimalist shoes? No, but it means that not everyone benefits from the use of these types of shoes and that caution should be taken when transitioning from traditional running style to more of a "barefoot feel".

Personally, I have seen some benefits from sprinkling in barefoot running and using a more minimalist shoe for tempo runs and track workouts. I also have many patients who praise the change to a more minimalist shoe; but I also have lots and lots of casualties from minimalist running. At one point in my Grapevine, Texas office, we had a tally going on a white board of the number of stress fractures linked to Vibram-type shoes.

Bottom line: Minimalist running should be approached with caution and pre-hab strengthening of your feet before shedding your traditional running shoe is a must; but just like very other fad that has passed throughout he running community, its not all bad!

Better Flip-Flop Do Exist!!

Better flip-flops do exist! You heard it here first!!

As the Texas temperatures soar, it's time for boating, kayaking, hiking, swimming and all the other glorious, sun-basking sports of the summer season. As you check off your list of things of summer necessities, (sunscreen, towel, snacks, etc.) make sure you also have some sturdy and supportive foot protection that will help you make the most of your adventure. 

While flip-flops are an ever present essential part of the summer experience—who doesn't want to feel the breeze, water and sand on their toes?—many of the flimsy, rubber styles aren’t fit for a day on your feet and cause a myriad of foot problems.

 

Cheap flip-flops can also put undue pressure on the toes, which have to grasp at the sole to keep it on the foot. This unnatural action can cause pain in the feet, change your walking stride and lead to falling, which can cause ankle sprains, stubbed toes and even a broken bone!

By choosing better footwear, you can cut down on these risks, as well as alleviate current aches and pains. Let me introduce you to flip-flops designed for style, support and performance. The Vionic Tide Sandal from Orthaheel!

They have thicker soles and built-in features to protect and support your foot whether you’re packing up for the beach or running around town. These are an excellent alternative to flip flops, as they keep pressure off the toes, provide similar breathability and are a better option for more rigorous activities such as hiking, boating and other active summer fun stuff! They have an orthotic-like foot bed that helps reduce over-pronation and can help alleviate your foot related pains when you are out of your custom orthotics.

These fabulous summer essential sandals are available in a variety of styles and colors right at your friendly Healthy Steps DFW in Grapevine and Keller!