• Why you need a running analysis
• The Different Types of Running Form and who should be trying them
• and posts on Your baby athlete, Babywearing and Tummy time

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Treadmills and Hills:

Midway through winter, you have probably plowed through a few treadmill workouts. Treadmill workouts don’t change your running form significantly (enough to do a running analysis on a treadmill and assess the results), but they do change the forces your body uses to move you along.  So how do you know if you are training safely and properly with hill training on the treadmill?

The study referenced below analyzed the running of both amateur and elite athletes. As all runners speed increased, they all took longer steps, more steps (increased cadence), and were in the air longer and had their feet on the ground less time.

As they ran up inclines (hills), they took smaller steps, more steps (increased cadence) and were in the air less. The elite runners feet stayed on the ground less than the amateur runners.

What this means for your training:

If you are doing cadence training, your cadence will likely change when you change surfaces or run faster. So optimal cadence will depend on whether you are going up hill, down hill or running on a flat surface or running faster or slower.

Elite runners were able to get their feet off the ground quicker on hills. This might be due to them having an edge on strength, so strength training or maintaining running strength appears to be important. Also, if a recreational runner is returning from an injury related mainly to weight bearing (ie. stress fracture), caution should be used in implementing hill training, as it may have the chance to put greater stress on the tissues than flat surfaces due to the runner keeping feet on the ground longer.

Kinematics of Running at Different Slopes and Speeds. J Strength Cond Res 2011 Johnny Padulo, Giuseppe Annino, Gian M Migliaccio, Stefano Dʼottavio, József Tihanyi

(**This section is only a brief analysis of one or a few journal article(s) and the relation to running.  When I am able to review more that are related to a specific subject, I will attempt to update and add information. Keep in mind every runner is unique).

Some of us are born runners and have it in our blood. And some of us get there through tougher circumstances like via lifestyle changes and weight loss. I’ve been lucky to get to the start line of child birth twice. And like running, I trained and prepared for what might lie ahead not having a choice this time for what “race” I would run in, just happy to be entered and running.

In running, I’ve arrived on race day to run races in the rain and mud, icy-cold of snow and in perfect conditions where everything aligned perfectly. I have run feeling fantastic and Ive had days where despite how I trained, plans did not end as I’d hoped.

And the first time I ran in the race of childbirth, I was given a “race plan” and that went mostly as expected with twins and one baby transverse. But I was left unprepared with how much my body had to recover and how little time I had to do it.My second “race”, I trained for a marathon to be prepared and hoped for a fantastic finish. But as the race continued, I came to realize this race would be far longer than I had ever imagined or knew possible. And I met some quite perilous obstacles towards the end. I took some unexpected detours to make it to the finish line but arrived in my own allotted time safe, sound and healthy. Like race days that don’t go as planned, it is tough to accept that difficulties occurred and things happened that I could not have changed. I think those that get the opportunity to run the race they wanted should cherish it because everyone is given a different race plan. And those that didn’t should understand that some things are beyond all of our plans. And when we are able to get to the finish line? It is indescribable in a wondrous way. And we are lucky to have a new journey and race awaiting us.

Some of us are born runners and have it in our blood. And some of us get there through tougher circumstances like via  lifestyle changes and weight loss. I’ve been lucky to get to the start line of child birth twice. And like running, I trained and prepared for what might lie ahead not having a choice this time for what “race” I would run in, just happy to be entered and running.

In running, I’ve arrived on race day to run races in the rain and mud, icy-cold of snow and in perfect conditions where everything aligned perfectly. I have run feeling fantastic and Ive had days where despite how I trained, plans did not end as I’d hoped.

And the first time I ran in the race of childbirth, I was given a “race plan” and that went mostly as expected with twins and one baby transverse.  But I was left unprepared with how much my body had to recover and how little time I had to do it.

My second “race”, I trained for a marathon to be prepared and hoped for a fantastic finish. But as the race continued, I came to realize this race would be far longer than I had ever imagined or knew possible. And I met some quite perilous obstacles towards the end. I took some unexpected detours to make it to the finish line but arrived in my own allotted time safe, sound and healthy. Like race days that don’t go as planned, it is tough to accept that difficulties occurred and things happened that I could not have changed. I think those that get the opportunity to run the race they wanted should cherish it because everyone is given a different race plan. And those that didn’t should understand that some things are beyond all of our plans. And when we are able to get to the finish line? It is indescribable in a wondrous way. And we are lucky to have a new journey and race awaiting us.

I purchased the Babies ‘R’ Us seamless maternity support for work and also used it for running. Overall, it is fairly comfortable and provided the support my belly needed. The material is fairly thin and breathable and wraps around the entire belly in the front. It has a thicker band at the bottom and sides to help cradle and support the belly. The back did need to be readjusted (usually pulled down) after sitting in it, but it provided enough comfortable support to take the stress off of my back during moving during the day and running in my second trimester. I also had a Medela maternity support band from my previous twin pregnancy. I used this early on and when I couldn’t tolerate full coverage of my belly.

The type of support that is comfortable for running for you is going to be related to how and where you carry your baby and may take some trial and error. I carried the majority of my baby weight very out in front in my belly and my belly was mostly round shaped.  There are other options out there that include:

The Amon maternity support band (this looks like the Babies R’ Us support version),

The Gabriella support band (support only under the belly if you don’t tolerate full belly coverage),

And the Mother-To-Be Maternity Support (this has a lower support panel and an upper support with a hole in the middle for some belly coverage). Good luck finding the one that works for you and happy running!

** (Do watch for any unusual symptoms such as nausea and dizziness, and remove garments-as baby could be pressing on the Vena Cava or other veins blocking blood flow for you.  Although this can happen at any time even without belly support wear, depending on how and where your baby is lying.  Contact your doctor if you have any concerns).

1. Start slowly-A marathon begins with the first step, but you don’t need to go out and run it all at once. If you have never run before, it will take some time to adapt to the jostle and pounding of the pavement. A walk-run program is a great way to begin. There are many out there and the couch-to-5k is one of the most popular and successful.

2. Begin a strengthening program to supplement the running-Five great exercises to try that simulate a bit of the one-legged stance in running include: single leg squat, lunges, step-ups, kick- backs and calf raises.

3. Get a good running shoe-If you haven’t run before, go to your local running store and get a gait analysis so they can determine your running style and shoe need. And as cool as the new barefoot running shoes are, this probably isn’t the time to try them out. You can work on form and then ease into lesser supportive shoes as your body becomes stronger if you wish. Your muscles will thank you.

4. Change up the pace-Try cross training or alternating a run every other day to let your body recover. The body will only get stronger if you give it some rest. Cross training will help you use muscles in the different planes of motion to prevent using one group of muscles to much. It’s best to take at least one day off a week. This will significantly reduce your chances of injury.

5. Stretch after you run- This will help you tune into your body and see where you are tight. Check to see if one side feels more flexible than the other. Work on balancing the sides to decrease the stress placed on any one side or area.