Just R.I.C.E. It

Okay, so I'm a day late and mile short. I had already intended on blogging today about how to treat running injuries when I noticed Runners Lounge opened up the topic for discussion yesterday. Ain't it funny how great minds think alike? Anyhow, below is my take on it...enjoy.

Running is obviously good for your health, but it does raise your risk for sprained joints and strained muscles, not to mention other injuries. With springtime getting us out the door more often these days, it's imperative we use caution when stretching those winter muscles to their limits. But injuries do happen. And taking proper care of an injury in the first day or two after occurance can really reduce the time you're sidelined by it. If this does happen to you, just R.I.C.E. it!

What's R.I.C.E.? This stands for: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Let's break it down...

• Rest: Resting is important immediately after injury for two reasons. First, rest is vital to protect the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from further injury. Second, your body needs to rest so it has the energy it needs to heal itself most effectively.
  
  
• Ice: Use ice bags, cold packs or even a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel to provide cold to the injured area. Cold can provide short-term pain relief. It also limits swelling by reducing blood flow to the injured area. Keep in mind, though, that you should never leave ice on an injury for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Longer exposure can damage your skin. The best rule is to apply cold compresses for 15 minutes and then leave them off for at least 20 minutes. (Read How long to leave ice on an injury).
  
  
• Compression: Compression limits swelling, which slows down healing. Some people notice pain relief from compression as well. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap an ACE bandage over it. If you feel throbbing, or if the wrap just feels too tight, remove the bandage and re-wrap the area so the bandage is a little looser.
  
  
• Elevation: Elevating an injury reduces swelling. It's most effective when the injured area is raised above the level of the heart. For example, if you injure an ankle, try lying on your bed with your foot propped on one or two pillows.

A reminder that nonprescription anti-inflammatory drugs (known as NSAIDs), including Ibuprofen, Advil or Aleve, may also help relieve your pain and swelling. But just be sure you don't give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20, due to the risks with Reye's syndrome.

After a day or two of the R.I.C.E. method, many sprains or strains will typically begin to heal. When your soreness and pain are gone, begin stretching and strengthening exercises slowly, then gradually increase these exercises until you are back to normal regimen.

Remember: If you don't see relief from your pain or swelling after 48 hours, be smart and make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. It's better to live and run another day, I always say. Now, get out there and hit the trails!

Cross-Training, Part II

As we learned a couple days ago, cross training is definitely something to consider adding to your normal training regimen. Now let's look at the types of benefits specific sports have to offer.



Benefits of Specific Sports

The following are great cross-training options that, when infused carefully into your workout routine, will enhance your half-marathon and marathon training. Be sure to follow the precautions and considerations from my prior blog post.

• Cycling - This exercises related muscle groups such as the quadriceps and shins, both of which don't develop as rapidly as the calf muscles and hamstrings. Cycling also strengthens the connective tissue of the knee, hip, and ankle regions, thus reducing the risk of injury. After a stressful run, cycling also loosens fatigued leg muscles. Key points to remember: Don't cycle on a scheduled rest day. Since it's much more difficult to run after cycling, run first before heading out on your bike. Spin easily as opposed to grinding the big gears. Be sure your seat height and pedals are properly positioned. Finally, always wear a helmet and leave the music headphones at home.
  
  
• Swimming - One of the best cross-training activities for several reasons. Swimming enables one to build muscular strength and endurance while improving flexibility. It is especially recommended for those who want to prevent injury, are pregnant, are recovering from an injury, are suffering from joint or bone conditions, or are overweight and want to exercise in a weightless environment. For the compulsive runner who has a hard time taking a rest day, swimming gives those fatigued leg muscles a breather while at the same time, provides an excellent upper body workout. Additionally, water is considered a healing medium, providing a therapeutic effect for all muscle groups. While gentle kicking alleviates some muscle soreness and fatigue, avoid using the kickboard for hard kick sets on your running rest day. Keep in mind that compared to other cross-training activities, your heart-rate may not reach as high a level while swimming (typically 10 to 20 beats per minute less than what it is for dry land activities) due to the loss of gravitational force, the horizontal position, and the cooling effect of the water temperature. Nevertheless, what truly counts is that the heart, lungs, and muscles are still processing oxygen.
  
  
• Deep Water Running - This cross-training activity is just what the doctor ordered for the rehabilitation of many running injuries. Because there is no shock from foot strike, water running is a great alternative to a mid-week "easy day" run. For either purpose, it should be based on your current level of ability and present dry-land running schedule. While it is possible to run in the water without floatation aids, find a pool that has these devices (e.g., vests, belts, etc.) to make your workout easier.
  
  
• Ergometer (Rowing) Machine - This is another great cardio-vascular activity that can be done on a rest day. It strengthens the hips, buttocks, and upper body while sparing the legs of heavy pounding. Be sure to learn proper rowing technique to maximize the benefits of this activity.
  
  
• Nordic Track Ski-Simulator Machine - This challenging workout is highly effective in building/maintaining aerobic conditioning and endurance while strengthening the muscles of the upper and lower body. Because it requires the ability to balance and coordinate duel action movements of the upper and lower extremities, proper form must be learned and utilized. In short, this is great workout for runners interested in supplementing their training.
  
  
• Stair-Master - This activity provides a great cardio-vascular workout while being rather gentle on the skeletal system. To achieve maximum benefits, proper form and posture must be utilized. Because of the vigorous exercise the leg muscles receive from this machine, it is not recommended as a supplemental workout for a complete leg rest day.
  
  
• Elliptical Trainer - These machines provide a great total body cardio-vascular workout. Their oval-like (ellipse) motion provides the user with the feel of classic cross-country skiing, stair climbing, and walking all in combination. The elliptical trainer can be programmed to operate in either a forward or backward motion, providing a low-impact workout for all the all the major muscles in the legs. The backward motion emphasizes the gluteal muscles (buttocks). A great upper body workout can be achieved by using the two poles located on each side of the machine in conjunction with the leg motion.
  
  
• Walking - This is a very under-rated activity that provides great therapeutic benefits following a long run or speedwork. While walking is not intended to be a substitute for an easy running day, a relaxed two to three mile stroll is a great way to loosen up the legs the day prior to a big race. Depending on the type of injury, speed walking is a great rehabilitation activity to maintain cardio-vascular fitness.

An additional reminder. Whether you use a fitness center's exercise equipment/gear or your own, it is vital that you obtain instruction in its correct use for the specific sports you select for cross-training. To receive the maximum benefit while minimizing your chances of incurring injury, it is also very important that you perform these activities utilizing proper form, technique, and posture. A certified fitness instructor can provide guidance in these areas.

The Overtraining Syndrome

One of the most difficult problems for an athlete is knowing when you are training too much. Today's theme for Take-It-And-Run-Thursday over at Runners Lounge looks into the syndrome of overtraining.

I define overtraining as doing more than the optimum amount to ensure maximum fitness. You train so hard that you become fatigued, and your performances start to slide. Without adequate rest and recovery, these types of training regimens can easily backfire on a person, and actually decrease performance while increase the risk of injury.

Symptoms of overtraining include:

• Chronic fatigue
  
• Reduced athletic performance or ability
  
• Disturbed mood states or irritability
  
• Changes in your resting heart rate
  
• Decreased or lack of appetite
  
• Weight drops below normal (this will actually make you slower, not faster)
  
• Minor injuries that seem to take longer than usual to heal
  
• Disturbances in sleep patterns or restlessness

Of course, by the time many of these symptoms appear, the damage has been done. To avoid overtraining, take regular breaks, get plenty of rest, eat a nutritious diet, don't race too often, and keep a training diary so if you encounter the same signals, you'll know what not to do next time.

Tips for avoiding overtraining:

• Monitor your pulse - For 7 days, take your resting pulse for 60 seconds before getting out of bed. Once you establish an average resting pulse, whenever your resting pulse is more than 5% above your average resting pulse, run for 1/2 your usual mileage. When your resting pulse is greater than 10% of your average resting pulse, don't run that day.
  
• Keep steady mileage - Increase mileage gradually. Your progress in mileage and speed should occur gradually. Don't let your weekly mileage increase by more than 10%. After 3 weeks of mileages increase, drop mileage by 50% for one week.
  
• Rest - After a hard run, take a day off. You will feel refreshed when you run again and your body will thank you.

Of course, if you are going to push the envelope a little, be sure not to push it beyond your body limits.

Tips to avoid injury due to overtraining:

• Don’t train hard when you are sore or stiff from the last training session. Take a rest day or do a nice, easy run at recovery pace. Stick to this!
  
• Introduce new levels of training stress gradually. Remember that 10% rule when increasing mileage.
  
• Do warm-up and cool-down runs.
  
• Stretch before and after your run.
  
• Allow yourself rest days according to your level of training. A suggestion would be:
  • 4 days per week rest for a novice
  • 3 days per week for someone training for an event
  • 2 days per week for a serious "run-with-the-pack" runner
  • 1 day per week for a hard core athlete

If you stick to these guidelines, your chances of injury or overtraining are minimized and your training time on the road will be more valuable to your overall goals.

The Skier's Dictionary

After multiple laps trudging up and down the driveway with the snowblower, suffering through two sets of frozen ski hats & wet gloves, and busting the handle on my one and only snow shovel, I thought the injection of a little humor was necessary in order to end my day on a more positive note. So, here is my welcoming gesture to the 10+ inches of fresh powder outside. Enjoy.

Alp: One of a number of ski mountains in Europe. Also a shouted request for assistance made by a European skier on a U.S. mountain. An appropriate reply: "What Zermatter?"

Avalanche: One of the few actual perils skiers face that needlessly frighten timid individuals away from the sport. [See also: Blizzard, Fracture, Frostbite, Hypothermia, Lift Collapse.]

Bindings: Automatic mechanisms that protect skiers from potentially serious injury during a fall by releasing skis from boots, sending the skis skittering across the slope where they trip two other skiers, and so on and on, eventually causing the entire slope to be protected from serious injury.

Bones: There are 206 in the human body. No need for dismay, however: TWO bones of the middle ear have never been broken in a skiing accident.

Cross-Country Skiing: Traditional Scandinavian all-terrain snow-travelling technique. It's good exercise. It doesn't require the purchase of costly lift tickets. It has no crowds or lines. It isn't skiing. [See Cross-Country Something-Or-Other. ]

Cross-Country Something-or-Other: Touring on skis along trails in scenic wilderness, gliding through snow-hushed woods far from the hubbub of the ski slopes, hearing nothing but the whispery hiss of the skis slipping through snow and the muffled tinkle of car keys dropping into the puffy powder of a deep, wind-sculped drift.

Exercises: A few simple warm-ups to make sure you're prepared for the slopes:



• Tie a cinder block to each foot with old belts and climb a flight of stairs.
  
• Sit on the outside of a second-story window ledge with your skis on and your poles in your lap for 30 minutes.
  
• Bind your legs together at the ankles, lie flat on the floor; then, holding a banana in each hand, get to your feet.

Gloves: Designed to be tight enough around the wrist to restrict circulation, but not so closefitting as to allow any manual dexterity; they should also admit moisture from the outside without permitting any dampness within to escape.

Gravity: One of four fundamental forces in nature that affect skiers. The other three are the strong force, which makes bindings jam; the weak force, which makes ankles give way on turns; and electromagnetism, which produces dead batteries in expensive ski-resort parking lots. [See Inertia.]

Inertia: Tendency of a skier's body to resist changes in direction or speed due to the action of Newton's First Law of Motion. Goes along with these other physical laws:



• Two objects of greatly different mass falling side by side will have the same rate of descent, but the lighter one will have larger hospital bills.
  
• Matter can neither be created nor destroyed, but if it drops out of a parka pocket, don't expect to encounter it again in our universe.
  
• When an irrestible force meets an immovable object, an unethical lawyer will immediately appear.

Prejump: Manuever in which an expert skier makes a controlled jump just ahead of a bump. Beginners can execute a controlled prefall just before losing their balance and, if they wish, can precede it with a prescream and a few pregroans.

Shin: The bruised area on the front of the leg that runs from the point where the ache from the wrenched knee ends to where the soreness from the strained ankle begins.

"Ski!": A shout to alert people ahead that a loose ski is coming down the hill. Another warning skiers should be familiar with is "Avalanche!" - which tells everyone that a hill is coming down the hill.

Skier: One who pays an arm and a leg for the opportunity to break them.

Stance: Your knees should be flexed, but shaking slightly; your arms straight and covered with a good layer of goose flesh; your hands forward, palms clammy, knuckles white and fingers icy, your eyes a little crossed and darting in all directions. Your lips should be quivering, and you should be mumbling, "Why?"

Traverse: To ski across a slope at an angle; one of two quick and simple methods of reducing speed.

Tree: The other method.

Now, I'm off to buy a warm pair of snow pants ... and another snow shovel.

The Hard Way

Sitting here gazing at my Runner's World calendar, with its October-themed photograph of an inspiring runner plodding down a backwoods trail canopied by fall-tinged leaves, I realize I've been anticipating such a run lately. Admittedly, I have spent my fair share of time running on hard surfaces this summer … concrete, asphalt, they've all seen me too often. Primarily, I tend to log the most miles on concrete. It's not that difficult to do as most of my routes cover urban areas, and don't typically stray into rural zones unless I end up following a major roadway while logging distance runs. The only problem with this is that concrete tends to have all the shock absorbing qualities of, well, concrete.

A concern for many years of my running life now has been the necessity to spend time outside the normal urban environment. Due to realizing the needs of both recovery and variety in my workouts, I've been making it more of a priority to find and utilize more forgiving surfaces to run on. You see, these two concerns work together to save my body and mind from constantly enduring 'the hard way' of running, and have emerged as crucial factors to my running becoming more injury free and my fitness more well-rounded. Why, you say?

First, is the concern for recovery. Recovery is the body's chance to regroup and repair after a workout. Although the human anatomy is well-designed for the shock absorption from running, there are limits as to how much highly repetitive pounding it can receive from the constant impact on hard surfaces. You see, unyielding concrete poses a much greater demand on human physiology than a less compacted surface, as the force of impact is fully realized on the body in a more exaggerated way. Muscles may tend to become much more inflamed and soreness increases due to the repetitive rigidity and continuity of this type of action. Conversely, it's been proven the ability to recover is much faster when running on more forgiving surfaces, such as grass and dirt, even gravel. Infrequent off-road performance like this can provide the body a better chance to rebound more quickly and develop strength for later sessions. And lest you think you need to run 'the hard way' to get a hard workout, I've found one of my toughest but most satisfying workouts to be a long, hilly trail run around a local lake. Surprisingly, giving your body a chance to recover on less rigid surfaces can prove to be just what it needs from time to time.

Second, but just as important, is an attention for variety. Alright, you've all seen him: the recreational runner, jogging the sidewalks and roadways in a neighborhood near you. But with no where to go, except repetitively up and down the local bike path, this is possibly the only way he'll ever know how to get a workout in. The simple fact remains, the majority of these runners will likely never touch actual dirt. Many of these urban runners have succumbed to the illusion that a harder, more constant surface is clearly the path of least resistance. Therefore, they commit themselves to the life of urban running exclusively. They may never experience or understand the benefits for taking their running off-road. The truth is, by incorporating variety (flat/hilly, dirt/mud/sand, etc.) into their routine here and there, the average runner can promote injury prevention. The simple the fact of running in a variety of different situations can produce a stronger body, as well as also strengthen and stimulate the mind. It's really two-fold: variety allows the runner to both adapt themselves physically and challenge themselves mentally. And who's to say a trail run can only be seen as a challenge, because I happen to believe a local Living History Farms off-road race to be one of my most rewarding and recharging workouts of my entire year. Hey, it's what you focus on that counts.

A good trail run can serve many a purpose to the determined runner. And possibly, in the process of doing so, maybe you'll find your fitness becoming a little more well-rounded. Be safe and run smart.

Photo by Runner's World

Life With Running

It's spring again, that time where parents from neighborhoods around you all head to the local park to teach their kids to ride a bike. The traditional method involves pushing your child as fast as you can, all the while hoping they learn to pedal and balance all at the same time before you yourself collapse from the endless sessions. This can be scary for many kids, and parents too, as I've been finding out lately. There's always the risk of skinned knees and scraped elbows. So far, my daughter has been taking this rite of passage in stride, and is slowly advancing her solo distances daily. Sure, she seems a bit unsure at times, but with guidance and a little practice she'll soon be breezing up and down our block with that natural ease we all know will come.

That also seems to be life with running. I've been running regularly literally my entire adult life. You could say it runs through my veins, as my father was also a track runner in his earlier years. I began in the mid-80's along the lake roads where my family lived in northern Minnesota. While I didn't run solely for the sake of exercise alone, my outings did provide me many a chance to think and reflect. I guess it seems running always helps to see things more clearly. Maybe it was my chance to find that freedom and some sort of adventure that a teenage boy typically seeks.

Now, lest you begin to think I was born to run, I actually wasn't. From the beginning, you could tell I was not a very proficient runner at all. My stride was too long, my breathing became too easily labored, I went out too fast in the beginning of my races... if you were to name it, I'm sure I must have encountered it in some fashion or another. In fact for many years, even after my first marathon a couple weeks after graduation, I somehow struggled to find where running became less of a chore and more of an enjoyment. But with even all the sweat and the pain I endured, I still found that it provided more benefit than I could understand. It gave my life balance.

My point is, running isn't always easy. And I know from experience that it was never designed to be...unless maybe you're a world class distance athlete. It is a constant challenge. Every day is different…the weather doesn't cooperate, you have a nagging injury, you don't get the PR you were looking for at your last race, your desire to run or train begins to wane, your dog ate your favorite shoes, etc. I have experienced them all at one point or another (except the part about the dog.) But somewhere along the way I've learned to ride the bike. Basically, I stopped thinking of running as being work, and started thinking of running as being an opportunity. That's when it started being enjoyable, it started being fun. Now, I consider running my chance to do so much more than I could do.

My guess is, there are many runners out there will agree that running can actually be relaxing; that it has the ability to ease the pressures of a bad day or bounce you back from ills of everyday life. From my experience, I know there are days where a 10-12 miler can magically loosen up the tension I've been feeling all day. Sounds crazy, but it's true.

One rewarding aspect I've experienced recently is teaching others the rewards of running and racing. You see, the cool thing about being a runner is that you always have opportunities to assist and show others the benefits of running. Be it volunteering in a local race, possibly directing your own race, or just accompanying a friend through a few of the hard and lonely miles.

There are just so many ways to enjoy life with running. What makes running enjoyable for you?

Monday Mind-Dump

Warm weather this week...makes it easy to want to get outside for some much-needed long runs. Here are a few happenings from the past week. Sorry, I wasn't able to post yesterday due to softball.

• My three-year-old son played his first baseball game this past week. It was really cute to watch, with each team member dressed up in their miniature uniform and a hat that would continually fall down over their eyes. But he had a blast, and that's all I wanted for him. And if he ends up wanting to play more serious baseball someday, I'm sure I'll look back fondly on these early days when running around the pitchers mound was much more exciting than fielding the ball.
  
  
• Met with the guys from my adventure racing team for a bike workout Thursday. Spent some quality time on both the local gravel roads and some nice & muddy single-track in the area. We're feeling good about training and are looking forward to our first race together in about a month from now.
  
  
• Softball last night was a comedy of errors, as I told my wife after. It all began about three innings into the first of a two-game doubleheader, when I completely fumbled a fly ball while playing left center field. In the process of my misstep, I guess I apparently pulled a hamstring. From that point on, it seemed like every stretch for the ball became a chore. Fortunately, the injury isn't significant, but it will sideline temporarily. Needless to say, I will be forcing myself to take a few days off from running to recover, just in case.

Cross-Training, Part I

Being a former triathlete myself, I laughed so hard when I saw the following video.



First of all, let me just go on record saying that this type of cross training is so wrong in so many ways and really should not be attempted. Secondly, soft paddles to the body don't truly reflect the actual open water experience of thrashing swimmer kicks to the head. Though, however crazy as it looks, the fact remains...it's a pretty accurate representation of what actually happens to a racer in a triathlon. And cross training your body (and your mind) is one of the greatest ways you can prepare yourself for that day.

Seriously though, I'm assuming it's fairly widely understood that most athletes can increase their performance by training in multiple disciplines. Performance in long-distance running can be greatly influenced and improved upon by many other exercises out there. Cross training not only gives your body the break it needs to recover from the constant pounding it receives from all the hard surface running it receives, but it can seriously help to reenergize a person. Even sports designed to increase flexibility, such as swimming, that require quick, agile, responses can improve your overall run.

Runners of all abilities have discovered the many benefits of cross training as a means to enhance their total conditioning and running performance. Yet, despite its popularity, some runners still wonder why they should participate in other aerobic activities if the central purpose of marathon training is to complete a 26.2-mile event, not a triathlon.

Benefits and Purposes of Cross-Training

• Adds variety to your training and decreases the chance of burnout - It can occasionally be substituted for "easy day" of running (as an aerobic workout). It may also serve as an injury prevention measure. Certain activities such as cycling can strengthen related muscle groups and soft connective tissue.
  
  
• Increases upper body strength - This is very important late in a marathon, as neck and shoulder muscles often become fatigued. Upper body strength is an important asset in ascending hills.
  
  
• Provides an additional means of burning fat - This is always important to the serious runner.

Precautions and Considerations

• Cross-training is not intended to replace running - In other words, don't substitute a three-hour bike ride for a three-hour long run. That's just plain dumb. This is the concept of sports specificity (as a three hour bike ride won't provide the training effect needed to run a marathon).
  
  
• Use common sense when deciding whether to add certain sports to your fitness regimen - Refrain from lateral, stop and go, bounding, and high impact activities along with those with quick/sudden movements.
  
  
• Utilize rest days - At least one day per week should be scheduled as a complete leg-rest day. Particularly important, prior to your long run it is crucial to be as rested as possible. While participating in your favorite cross-training activities can be helpful as a means of losing weight, don't overdo by skipping rest days, particularly for your legs. Over-training can lead to a variety of injuries.
  
  
• Stretching - Stretch thoroughly after working out in any manner. If you choose to stretch prior to running, be sure to warm-up your muscles by walking briskly or by lightly jogging.

Things Are Heating Up

I think I'm finally getting jazzed about running, just as the summer progresses to literally heat up. I went out for my noon lunch run today and delighted as I charged a difficult 5-mile hilly course south of Grand Avenue in the sweltering sun. Maybe it's because I feel recharged and refreshed from my recent Minnesota vacation? Or then again, could it be I'm just a glutton for running in the heat? I dunno, both maybe.

Though I suppose it's been a while since we've had some hot days around here, I am really beginning to like their reemergence. But truthfully, I secretly enjoy the way the summer heat always makes my runs feel so much more challenging and rewarding. Is that abnormal? By all standards, by this time each year typically we're having daily high temps in the upper 80s and 90s, with constant high humidity. But, with all the weather patterns (not to mention the overly-sufficient amounts of rain) in the Midwest, our hot weather has been pushed back it a month or so it seems. Listening to the local weatherman, this past June I hear we'd only had one day in the 90s (92° to be exact) in Iowa so far this year, with a whole plethora of days in the 70s and low 80s...kinda odd for us.

Back to the main reason I say I'm getting jazzed at the higher temps...it's because this sort of weather actually improves my training. Just last week, I stepped out onto my back patio one night and remarked to my wife at how chilly the air seemed to be -- I mean you could actually see your breath -- something I'd expect in Minnesota, but here in Iowa? I'll admit the cooler weather has nice and all, but it's made preparing for summer races a bit more difficult lately. You see, running in these types of situations allow for me to adapt to the conditions found in many of my summer racing events...from the 5K on up to the marathon distance, especially the diverse nature of adventure racing. This improved tolerance to exercise in heat is known as heat acclimatization.

By nature of integrating my daily training with heat acclimatization (aka: running in the heat of the day), I've found I am much better able to reduce overall strain (example: heart rate and core body temperature), improve human circulatory and physical capability, promote thermoregulation, and generate an earlier and greater sweat ratio response within a race. Alright, that was a lot of physiological talk there...let's just say it makes things a whole lot easier when things are getting hotter, okay?

Many a hot summer day you'll find me running the maze of backroads amongst the cornfields in my area...sweating like crazy, and loving every moment. I suppose the only reason I keep doing this is because the physical and psychological advantages it provides me as an endurance sports enthusiast. The importance of this adapted ability is said to be that it not only provides considerable protection from heat-related injury, but in competition in the heat, heat-acclimatized athletes will generally have the edge over their equally fit by unacclimatized opponents. Hmmm...enough said.

Now, I'm not saying this type of acclimatization comes easily, nor is it for every runner out there. This sort of training takes persistence and, above all, patience…the last thing you want to do is go gung-ho training or racing in the middle of the day while the heat index is near a record high. I tried that once last year during the IA Games Adventure Race (hottest day of the year) and learned there is a profound limit to such an advantage. Easing yourself into this type of training will take time. Generally, a standard of roughly 2-4 weeks of daily heat exposure combined with cardio exercise requiring endurance is needed to induce heat acclimatization, though it may take a bit longer depending on your body and the type and intensity of exercise.

Overall, if you actively participate, or are considering participating in heat acclimatization, you need to remember that acclimatizing can be tough on your body. Doing so exacerbates both overheating and dehydration, so it's important to take proper precautions when running in the heat:

• Start slowly by reducing training intensity and duration (compared to what you could achieve in temperate climates.)
  
  
• Increase your training and heat exposure volume as your heat tolerance permits.
  
  
• Use interval training to modify your training levels.
  
  
• Most importantly, be sure to consume sufficient water and electrolytes to replace the amounts lost during sweat loss. Heat acclimatization increases the sweat rate, and therefore increases water requirements, so dehydration is a real concern. Dehydration will quickly negate many of the advantages granted by acclimatizing.

However you decide to tackle the summer heat while training or racing, just remember to be careful out there. Running in hot weather conditions can be hazardous at times, so use common sense whenever possible. Run long and run safe.

Choosing Happy Feet

During lunch with my wife and a couple of her coworkers today, the topic of foot pain came up and I was asked the question of how can one know what type of running shoe is best? Honestly, that was a good question I'd never been asked before. Now you have to realize, I'm the type of guy with the constant motto of "put one foot in front of the other" in whatever situation he's being faced with. And I am the kind of runner - a veteran of dozens of races and countless marathons - who tends to buy whatever shoe he likes. In fact, the shoe to the left (the Asics GEL-1110) has been my shoe of choice for many years now. Yeah, so I purchase more with the simple choices of style and price in mind, rather than biomechanical protection and advantage. But, I mean why would I begin to change something that clearly works for me? Well, and here's where the swallowing of my pride begins...I'm beginning to learn the simple fact of what "works" for me may not actually be what's "best" for me.

Lately, I've begun noticing that my arches have been aching more and more after workouts. It's not an outright pain in my feet, but it has been relatively consistent over the 6-8 months. I had attributed it earlier to worn out shoes, so I bought another pair late last fall. But the ache still occurs. Today's conversation actually led me to ponder in all honesty...could this be a sign that I might be running in the wrong shoes myself?

Alright, I had to find out. Not having much of any knowledge on the subject to make a reasonable conclusion myself, I opened my laptop and took my research online. And in the process, I learned that you can go a long way toward discovering what you need in a running shoe just by looking at your feet. Here is a summarized version of my findings.

Basically, there are three foot types, each based on the height of your arches. For the quickest and easiest way to determine your foot type, a runner should first take what's called the "wet test" by performing the following:

Step #1 - Pour a thin layer of water into a shallow pan
Step #2 - Wet the sole of your foot
Step #3 - Step onto a blank piece of heavy paper
Step #4 - Step off and observe the shape of your foot

Now, let's match up our imprint with one of the foot types found below:

Normal (medium) arch

• Description - Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and leave an imprint that has a flare but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a wide band.
  
• Foot characteristics - A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel, then rolls inward (pronates) slightly to absorb shock. Runners with a normal foot and normal weight are usually considered biomechanically efficient and don't require motion-control shoes. They will do best in a stability shoe that offers moderate pronation control.

Flat (low) arch

• Description - Flat feet have a low arch and leave a nearly complete imprint; there's little inward curve where the arch should be.
  
• Foot characteristics - This imprint usually indicates an overpronated foot that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inward excessively. Over time, this can cause many different kinds of overuse injuries. Runners with flat feet often do well in a stability (mild to moderate overpronation) or motion-control (severe overpronation) shoe.

High arch

• Description - High-arched feet leave an imprint showing a very narrow band connecting the forefoot and heel.
  
• Foot characteristics - A curved, high-arched foot is generally termed a supinated or underpronated foot. This type of foot usually doesn't pronate enough, so it's not an effective shock absorber. Runners with high-arched feet often do best in a neutral-cushioned shoe (one without added stability devices to reduce or control pronationi) that encourages a more natural foot motion.

By making a comparison to the diagrams above, we can fairly accurately determine what type of foot type we have on our own. Based on the resulting print on my piece of paper, I guess I would classify my foot type as normal to slightly flat-arched. Not a huge concern, but a noticable one for someone who runs (or aspires to run) as much as I do. The reality: an observation like this will ultimately change the way I choose running shoes in the future. A good shoe choice will likely result in long mileage and happy feet; a bad choice could mean additional pain and increased injury. Yeah, I'm all about happy too.

Now, the shoe I currently wear has mild shock absorbsion and some cushioning, but honestly that's what you get for the price. It doesn't provide much stability and, overall, possibly isn't the best fit for me. It's time to begin looking for a blended shoe with the support I need. Doing a bit more research, I'm anticipating my next purchase will likely be something with better protection, which is more suitable to meet the needs of a mild overpronator…something like the Asics GEL-Nimbus 9 or GEL-Kayano 14. But, just to be on the safe side, I plan on heading to my local specialty running store and having the professionals do what they do best.

Now, if only they could make a shoe that shaves a minute or more off my pace...

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If you would like to study this topic a bit further yourself, here are a few sites you can check out:

Running Shoe Guide for Dummies

Buying Running Shoes

Asics Shoe Fit Guide