Happy Feet: Tips For Healthier Running

May 23, 2012

After hearing a lot about barefoot running, New York Times Phys Ed columnist Gretchen Reynolds decided to try it out for herself. An amateur runner for several decades, Reynolds says she thought the transition would be easy. But almost immediately, she got injured.

"I hurt my illiotibial band on the outside of the knee, and I also hurt my Achilles tendon, which I had never done before," she tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "A lot of people are trying barefoot running without preparation and without the knowledge of what happens when you take off your running shoes, and I was one [of them]. And what often happens is exactly what happened to me, which is that you almost immediately hurt your Achilles tendon."That's because many people ramp up their barefoot running programs too quickly, which doesn't allow the muscles in the legs and feet time to catch up, she says.

Among Reynolds' other findings:

Running Will Not Ruin Your Healthy Knees: There's a strong myth that running can ruin your knees, says Reynolds, but that's not actually true if your knees start out injury-free. "The science actually shows that if you have a healthy knee to start with, running tends to increase the amount of cartilage that you produce," she says. "Running prompts the cartilage cells, which are the shock absorbers in your knees, to divide and produce more cartilage. So in theory, running is actually healthy for your knees."

Weighing The Pros And Cons Of Heavy Running Shoes: If you've been investing in heavy running shoes with all sorts of features, you might want to rethink things, says Reynolds. "Science now suggests that [wearing those shoes] probably hurts," she says. "There are some very good studies that say that people who wear heavy motion-control shoes tend to get injured more often than people who wear any other type of shoe. It doesn't matter if they do pronate or they don't pronate. They get injured more if they wear a heavy running shoe."

Do Orthotics Work? It's unclear, says Reynolds. "When they put people in custom orthotics or over-the-counter orthotics or nothing, there's very little difference in injury rates," she says. "There seems to be a pretty strong placebo effect. People who get custom-made orthotics think they're going to get less injured. Perhaps that will keep some of them from getting injured, but there's not very good science that orthotics will actually protect you from something like plantar fasciitis."

Stretching Works! Reynolds says lean against a wall, with one foot extending out behind you with your heel on the ground, and hold that position for 30 seconds. But don't do it before your run, she warns. "That would actually be counterproductive to do that before you exercise," she says. "If you're past 40, then it does become necessary to do a little bit of additional stretching, because everything does stiffen up a little."

High Heels Can Increase Your Risk For Running Injuries: Heels shorten the Achilles tendon and change how your foot orients itself to the ground. That spells trouble once the heels come off, says Reynolds. "Your foot honestly does not know how to come into contact with the ground," she says. "Women who wear high heels all the time and then walk without them walk completely differently than women who do not wear heels, and they probably increase their risk for a whole host of injuries."

Ten Reasons Why Drinking Water Is Good for You:

1. It helps you lose weight. Maybe it’s because I drink a glass of water before each meal, plus while I am eating, but I’ve noticed that I definitely get full faster and am taking in less food without feeling deprived. This has been an easy way to kick up my weight loss efforts.
2. It’s easier to be hydrated for exercise. Since I am always drinking water, I start my runs already hydrated and don’t have to take in as much water to stay on top of my hydration. When I am well hydrated, I run better–my times are better, I don’t feel sluggish and it takes longer for me to feel tired. I did not expect simply drinking water would be so beneficial to my running.
3. Your skin texture improves. I’ve read that your skin gets plumped up and dewy because you are hydrated. I don’t know about that, but I am definitely breaking out less and generally having fewer skin problems since I started drinking more water.
4. Drinking water helps maintain digestive health. I have definitely noticed that water helps with digestion, and (this is probably an overshare) helps to keep you “regular”….with your “evacuation” processes by making things easier and more frequent. If you don’t know what I mean, then email me and I can send a more graphic description if you’d like.
5. Drinking water helps flush out toxins. Although most people refer to the benefits of drinking water to flush out toxins that come from our food and the environment, the best proof I have is how water helps to prevent hangovers and minimizes the effects of alcohol. This is probably more of a hydration effect than a toxin-flush effect. I noticed before that whenever I had a glass of wine the night before a run, I used to feel pretty sluggish and drained during my run. Now that I am taking in extra water, I can have a glass of wine and still feel fine for my run the next day. Being able to drink more alcohol is definitely not one of the benefits I expected from drinking water….but I’ll take it!
6. Speaking of exercise, I definitely get more exercise as a result of drinking water. This is because of all of the bathroom breaks I need to take during the day. I have to go about 5-6 times while I am at work, and the bathroom is at the end of the hall. If I wore a pedometer, I bet this would add a couple of thousand steps to my daily tally.
7. Taking in more fluid helps reduce fluid retention. Like many women, I retain fluid and get some swelling around the time I menstruate. However, I’ve noticed that I am now less swollen since I began drinking water.
8. You have more energy. I don’t know why, I just know that I feel more alert and have fewer days when I hit the afternoon slump since I started drinking more water.
9. You save money. Bottled water is definitely cheaper than most other drinks, and tap water is free! Most people in the US have access to good, clean, safe tap water. In my opinion the water in New York City is some of the best in the country. If you want to learn about the quality of your local tap water, the Environmental Protection Agency monitors and publicly reports the quality of tap water throughout the US.
10. You know the location of every bathroom. Have I mentioned how much you go to the bathroom drinking all of this water? Let me just say that a benefit to the popularity of Starbuck’s is you are never very far from a bathroom. If you are stuck, with no Starbuck’s in sight, a good back up is a nice hotel. Most of them have bathrooms somewhere in the lobby.

Careful

The new body is dangerous. Be careful with it. We have seen many folks over the years get a brand new hot body only to take it out and trash it. The idea is to enjoy it without wrecking it.

The half marathon is the #1 way newly minted fitness freaks hurt themselves. As we have said many times, a fast 5k beats a long slow half marathon every time. It takes 10 fewer miles to run. We can work out the day after a fast 5k. We can even go out dancing after a fast 5k.

Drunk Olympics are fun but could result in injury. Challenging someone to a set of eighth count body builders or to a 300 meter foot race after a number of stiff cocktails seems like a good idea. Its not.

Water sports are wonderful if discretion is the better part of valor. Jumping or diving off a cliff into the lake or river could result in broken ribs and sometimes is fatal. Water skiing and wake boarding are fine for the right amount of time. Just because you have been working out doesn't mean you are in shape to be dragged across a choppy lake all the way from the marina.

Big wave surfing has many pitfalls. Coral reef and shark attack can tear off a limb.

When attempting a double back flip off the diving board, remember to stay tucked. Opening early will result in a loud slap on the back.

We will not even attempt to address the dangers of the new bikini. Just know, the guy wearing the glasses who doesn't turn his head when you walk by...is watching.

Our Days

These are our days. Many of us work out all year every year. We put in an hour every day. We show up in the cold, the rain, the heat. No matter what is going on in our lives, we make the workout. The one hour a day is a discipline we believe makes us better. We love it.

So now we go to the beach, lake, pool and strip down to our bathing suit. Its a real problem...for the folks who don't work out every day and have to be seen with us.

We are having an OPEN workout Monday Memorial Day. Please welcome friends and family to join us. Also, please join us Friday June 1st at Fado. We will be celebrating our road race champion's entering the Masters division.

WINNING

This game is about THIS team and us winning. - Larry Wayne Jones Jr.

If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score? - Vince Lombardi

"Winning is everything, to win is all there is. Only those poor souls buried beneath the battlefield understand this."  - SEAL Team Saving

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."  -Roger Bannister


“There is no "i" in team but there is in win” - Michael Jordan


This Blog entry is dedicated to Evan Owens and The Wolves- NASA Friendship Cup U8 Champions & all of the other kids who won last weekend PLUS the beautiful people who sacrifice an  hour every day at Boot Camp.

Glamour	11
John S	11
Kaffee	11
Kathleen	11
Margaret	11
Mary M.	11
Susie Mac	11
Barb	10
Lisa	10
Mary	10
Amy	9
Arnaud	9
Charles	9
Connie	9
Dave B	9
Jimmy F	9
Karyn	9
Katie	9
Roxanna	9
Eileen	8
Harriott	8
John G.	8
John O'Neill	8
June	8
Leslie	8
Reba	8
Wendy	8
Yesim	8
Alan	7
Caroline	7
Jen Jen	7
Jenny	7
John O.	7
Susie C	7
Frank	6
Irene	6
Liz	6
Maggie	6
Mary D.	6
Michael G.	6
Cindy	5
Cindy Neal	5
Jonathan	5
Molly D	5
Prancey	5
Reid	5
Stephanie	5
Chris W.	4
Kristen	4
Kwithee	4
Matt	4
Barbara	3
Bonnie	3
Ellie	3
Michael S.	3
Sally	3
Steef	3
Holly	2
Jodi	2
Paige	2
Christine/DQ	1
Dave D	1
David Glass	1
John Mears	1

Day Off

We had our smallest Triple Nickel of the year today. We speculated that folks were patting themselves on the back for a job well done on Wednesday's Crazy 8s and giving themselves a day off because they deserve it. It takes us back a few months ago at the Church when there were whispers of "Boot Camp is too easy".

Here is the deal: ANYONE can jackpot a workout. What separates the Men from the Boys is showing up the day after a blistering workout, strapping them on again and grinding.

Margaret	9
Arnaud	9
Barb	9
John S	9
Kaffee	9
Kathleen	9
Mary M.	9
Susie Mac	9
Amy	8
Glamour	8
June	8
Lisa	8
Mary	8
Charles	7
Connie	7
Dave B	7
Eileen	7
Harriott	7
Jimmy F	7
John G.	7
Karyn	7
Katie	7
Leslie	7
Reba	7
Roxanna	7
Susie C	7
Wendy	7
Yesim	7
Jen Jen	6
Jenny	6
John O.	6
John O'Neill	6
Liz	6
Caroline	5
Cindy	5
Irene	5
Maggie	5
Mary D.	5
Reid	5
Stephanie	5
Alan	4
Chris W.	4
Cindy Neal	4
Frank	4
Jonathan	4
Matt	4
Michael G.	4
Molly D	4
Prancey	4
Bonnie	3
Ellie	3
Kristen	3
Kwithee	3
Barbara	2
Holly	2
Jodi	2
Michael S.	2
Sally	2
Steef	2
Christine/DQ	1
Dave D	1
John Mears	1
Paige	1

Stronger, Faster, Thinner, Younger

Few things speed the aging process like chronic stress. It's like adding fuel to an already capable fire. So take a few minutes to undo the damage.

In a small study of middle-aged women, all it took was 14 minutes of vigorous exercise each day to protect cells from the aging effects of stress. You could knock that out with just a brisk mile-and-a-half walk each day.

Sweatin' Away the Oldies
When researchers examined a group of women's telomeres -- those little end caps on chromosomes that reveal a person's rate of aging -- only the women who weren't regular exercisers showed extra aging. A host of things can accelerate the rate at which telomeres age, including stress. But stress seemed to have no noticeable effects in the women who reported getting at least 42 minutes of exercise over a 3-day period -- or about 14 minutes a day.

Don't Forget to SweatBut not just any kind of exercise. The antiaging benefits in the study came from sweat-inducing, heart-pumping vigorous exercise. Not a slow stroll through the park. Not a leisurely stretching session. For a vigorous workout, think brisk walking, strong stationary cycling, laps in the pool -- or any type of physical exertion that makes it difficult to hold a conversation. Researchers are not sure why exercise helps protect those all-important DNA end caps, but other studies have suggested that regular exercise may help improve the telomere-protecting effects of an enzyme called telomerase

Did you know? Exercise also helps strengthen your immune system, improve your heart health, and boost your mood.

RealAge Benefit:

A physical activity program that builds stamina, strength, and flexibility can make your RealAge as much as 8.1 years younger. Take the RealAge Test!

Grind

13 days until the pool opens. 49 days until the 4th of July.

Tempo

During Winter, we run hills and stairs for strenght. As the temperature rises throughout the year, we pick up the pace.

Last Friday, the Boys and Glamour worked their way up Peachtree, turned around and hammered back. Tempo running is an age old way for increasing Lactate Threshold ( the speed you are able to run before lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood). By regularly including tempo runs in your training schedule, you will increase the speed that you can run before lactic acid begins to slow you down. To use a car analogy, tempo runs will allow your engine to rev faster without red-lining. Before tempo training, you may have red-lined at an 8-minute-per-mile pace. After a few months of tempo runs, you won't red-line until you reach a 7:30-per-mile pace.
Today, Triple Nickel hustled through The Belt Line. Princess Boot Camp quickly worked the Lenox route. The paces are picking up. We are going faster.

Susie Mac	6
Susie C	6
Reba	6
Mary M.	6
Mary	6
Margaret	6
Kathleen	6
Kaffee	6
John S	6
Jimmy F	6
Glamour	6
Barb	6
Arnaud	6
Yeshim	5
Mary D.	5
Liz	5
Lisa	5
Leslie	5
Katie	5
Karyn	5
June	5
Jen Jen	5
Harriott	5
Dave B	5
Connie	5
Charles	5
Amy	5
Wendy	4
Stephanie	4
Roxanna	4
Reid	4
Michael G.	4
Matt	4
Jonathan	4
John O'Neill	4
John O.	4
Jenny	4
Eileen	4
Chris W.	4
Caroline	4
Maggie	3
Kwithee	3
John G.	3
Irene	3
Ellie	3
Cindy	3
Bonnie	3
Steef	2
Prancey	2
Michael S.	2
Jodi	2
Holly	2
Frank	2
Alan	2
Sally	1
Paige	1
Molly D	1
Kristen	1
John Mears	1
Dave D	1
Cindy Neal	1