Do What You've Got To Do

THREE DAYS OUT from the race and I forget to take my work shoes to the gym. At this point, I had to go to Kohl's (the only place open at 8:30 a.m.) and get a new pair. Not surprisingly, these shoes are thoroughly messed up and my feet are sloshing and slamming all over in there.

Result: Tendonitis in my right leg. I think it will go away by game day, but I am taking no chances. I did what I could with what I could find around the office:

Respecting the Heat

ON MY WEDDING DAY, Steve "I-Rod" Ibrahim gave the best man speech. One of the things he pointed out is my total insensibility to weather conditions. I rarely notice when the weather is "nice" or "bad."

But today, I had no choice but to respect an important weather variable: humidity. My steps felt slow and labored. I was probably about 30 seconds per mile slower than I would have been at that effort level.

As others consider running during the summer months, have a look at a helpful article by running coach Hal Higdon, entitled, "Hot and Bothered: Coping with Heat and Humidity."

Preventing Running Injuries

As the nice weather breaks, runners will want to hit the streets.

Great.

Here are some tips for avoiding overuse injuries:

1. Get in the frame of mind where you want to improve your physical limitations without exceeding them.

2. Observe proper running form (more on this, hopefully, in a future post).

3. Get the right shoes with the right amount of cushioning and support.

4. Avoid running on tough surfaces. Concrete is tough and so are cambered (slanted) roads. Dirt paths are softest, but watch out for rocks and other little devils.

5. Slow down. This is not as easy as you may think, especially if you are running with music. The faster you run the harder and more frequently you hit the ground.

6. Increase gradually. Try not to up your miles more than 10% per week. Also, try not to increase your intensity to much from one week to the next.
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Reference: Overuse Injury Is Preventable

Things You Should Never Consume: "Heath Shake"

Here is one thing you should never have or let your kids have - ever (click on image for details):



If they want junk, get them a small hamburger and small fries. It is much better for them. Much.

Notice how "Heath" looks like "Health?"

Burnout

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED that I haven't posted in quite some time. I also have not run a single step in over a week.

I got sick. I burned out. I broke me.

In the section on "Burnout" in The Principles of Running, Amby Burfoot writes,

"First, when your body is rebelling, listen to it. Leg soreness means something. So do other aches, pains and fever. Listen to them."

I didn't.

"You feel great, you're running fast, and every workout seems easy."

Yup.

"No wonder you're tempted to run a little father and harder every day. You sense you are on the verge of a breakthrough."

Uh huh...

"This is often when the breakdown occurs instead. One morning you wake up feeling sluggish and feverish..."

I did.

"An alarm goes off in your head...So you push yourself really hard for the next several days. You succeed to a point, but it takes tremendous effort. In fact, it increases your overall burnout, and soon the downward spiral continues."

Bingo!

"When this happens, the only way out is to take several weeks, sometimes more, of rest and very easy running."

Ugh.

"It's far better to avoid burnout in the first place."

Oh.

Lesson:

"The only way to maintain optimal fitness and energy is to give yourself appropriate breaks when you need them."*
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*pp. 88, 89

Seven "Secrets" of Skinny Runners

I know for most of you, running is not your thing, but the other day I came across a helpful post by Christine Luff. In "Seven Secrets of Skinny Runners", she summarized what I think are some generally-accepted basics of healthy living in general. The seven she highlights are:

1. Watch your portion sizes.

2. Eat lots of fiber.

3. Make running a priority (for those of you who do not run, substitute "exercise" for "running.")

4. Spread out your calories.

5. Eat a healthy, filling breakfast.

6. Don't use food as a reward.

7. Get enough sleep.

I'd like to think she picked "skinny" for the title because it was catchy, because being "skinny" is not a worthy goal in and of itself.


You can find the article here.