Do you have a training question? Whether it's about an injury, your nutrition choices, or how to deal with sun exposure, we will find an expert to answer it for you!
Injuries, therapy & recovery (2)
Whatever ails you and how to fix it.
Running Injuries: Common Tips for Treatment
Julie Barnett PT, DPT, MTC / Annette M. Zaharoff MD
Ph: 210-616-0646 website: www.drZmd.com
Outer knee pain: (~IT Band Tendonitis)
· Shoes: replace every 300-500 miles
· Orthotics: small heel lift might be needed if leg length difference
· Stretch: Iliotibial Band with cylinder, massager or on floor with leg angled to inside, 20 sec 3 reps, daily
· Ice: 10-20 min to outer knee after all exercise and end of day
· Cho pat straps worn ABOVE and with the pad along the outer band may help
Here are some tips for treating this common injury, called Plantar Fasciitis:
· Shoes: more arch and heel support needed
· Orthotics: consider adding over the counter arch supports
· Stretch: heel cord and big toe stretches daily 20 sec 3 reps
· Ice 10-20 min after every work out to bottom of heel
· NO barefoot walking. Supportive shoes all day.
· Training changes: Level surfaces, no increase in distance or speed
· Taping: Low dye helps. Learn this from a PT or athletic trainer
Running Injuries: Common Tips for Treatment
Julie Barnett PT, DPT, MTC / Annette M. Zaharoff MD
Ph: 210-616-0646 website: www.drZmd.com
Nutrition (1)
What & when to eat and drink when you are in training.
You might try a few saltine crackers when you get up with a bit of warm water and lemon or hot tea. The crackers will help absorb some of the stomach acid in addition to providing a few calories. The night before be sure to avoid fatty and spicy foods, keep it simple and very clean. You may also want to get up a few minutes earlier to give your stomach more time for digestion. During the run be sure to start your nutrition by the end of that first hour, I would probably avoid the fruit and stick with your gels and sports drink.
- Laurel Tierney, RD, LD
Training (3)
The why, what and how of training.
Yes! We have beginning 5k programs throughout the year (Race for the Cure, Women's 5k and others) and we also welcome beginners in the USA Fit program for full or half marathon training. Be sure to stop by our open house on Sat Feb 6th if you would like to chat with some coaches to get more information! Or call us anytime at 210-490-9987
Hope to see you soon!
Ashley
Normal is impossible to define since we are all so different. If your MHR is 197, then 165 is truly an 84% effort. If your MHR is lower, you've been training at a higher intensity and could be getting close to overtraining. Your ideal training zones should be based on your anaerobic threshold (AnT), not your max heart rate. Ideally, your AnT should be about 90% of your MHR. This way, you are certain that you are aerobic and utilizing fat for fuel, keeping it easy enough to avoid overuse injuries, and developing a big base to feel great at your upcoming event. Feeling relaxed is good, but remember this: if you train long enough at a certain intensity, you will feel relaxed even if the intensity is too high. The body is amazing at adapting.
Steps to success:
1. Find your max heart rate
2. Get a VO2 test to determine your anaerobic threshold and establish ideal training zones
3. Train aerobically at least 80% of your weekly volume adding in 10-20% anaerobic work to improve strength and speed
Good luck and happy training!
Joe
Joe Sulak | PEAK FITNESS | 210.387.0381 | www.peakfitnessnow.com
Why?
Speed work not only helps you learn to deal with a higher turnover rate, it also helps clean up your running form. If used correctly, the faster running will make your marathon pace feel completely manageable. Your muscles will thank you by not quitting on you after mile 21.
How?
If you know your 6 minute pace (6mp), go run 200's at that speed. If not, go out and run 200 meters at a pace that's 2 min/mile faster than your marathon goal pace. I know you can run faster than that, but you don't need to. Shoot for volume instead of the 4 min pace you may have done in your younger years. A good start is 1-2 miles of this type of speed work. Use the back 200 meters as a recovery and don't stop running until you're totally finished with the entire workout. Be sure to get in at least 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down. Stretch after your cool down and gulp down a recovery drink.
When?
Only do this workout once/week. Any more can possibly leave you tired and falling short on the other important workouts you have scheduled in the week. Turn the 200's into 400's after about 6 weeks. Jump to 800's after another 4-6 weeks, then move to mile repeats about 4 weeks out from your race. It's race week... do you still do your speed work? YES. Just drop the volume to 1-2 miles of actual speed work AND switch back to 200's in an effort to not deplete fuel stores.
Good luck and happy training!
Joe Sulak
PEAK FITNESS
General (3)
Questions that don't fall under one of the other categories.
Unfortunately, the damage has already been done to the nails, and they will likely fall off. They should grow back completely within 6 months, and they will grow back normally as long as your running shoes have a generous toe box. No special care is necessary.
Kristie Kocurek M.D.
www.TexasMedClinic.com
I feel strongly about sunscreen anytime one is going to be outside, so definitely runners. A cap is great to protect the face, but I prefer a daily facial moisturizer with SPF protection ( prefer 30 block UVA and UVB- neutrogena or aveeno) which can be applied all over the face including lips. Arms and legs should also be protected. Early morning runs are certainly preferred to avoid sun exposure.
Hope this helps!
Kristie Kocurek M.D.
Texas Med Clinic - Sports Medicine Center
The best method for acclimating to the heat is to exercise aerobically in a hot environment. For safety reasons, the initial exercise bouts may last as little as 10-15 minutes. Over time, however, as individuals acclimate to the physiological demands placed on them by heat, they can gradually increase the length of time that they exercise to 20-60 minutes per session. The point to remember is that it takes most healthy people 10-14 days to fully acclimate to hot environments, although illness and alcohol consumption have been shown to slow the process.
Through this process, heart rate and body temperature at a given exercise intensity decrease, sweating rate increases, and sweat becomes more dilute. It has been estimated that as much as 25 percent of the apparently healthy population may be heat intolerant in an unacclimated state, with that number decreasing to about two percent after thorough acclimation.
It should also be noted that the benefits of heat acclimation are lost quite rapidly when an individual stops exercising in heat conditions. In general, with each two days of abstaining from heat exposure, one day of acclimation is lost. Thus, after three to four weeks without heat exposure, an individual should be considered unacclimated. After even short periods without heat exposure (e.g., weekends or short periods of illness), risks during heat exposure due to de-acclimation can be substantial.
Source: Bryant, Cedric X. 101 Frequently Asked Questions about "Health & Fitness" and "Nutrition & Weight Control". Sagamore Publishing, 1999.
