• 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

I am also going to add in a “follow by email”  button soon.

Thanks and hope to see you back!

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).

#womensrunning twitter chat!

Topic: New Years Mojo: Running, Getting in Shape, Weight loss, and Women’s Health!

Moderator:   @TRPrunner, Andrea Henry, PT

Guest Expert:

@KristaAustin, Krista Austin, Ph.D, Exercise Physiology & Sport Nutrition, CSCS, Physiologist – United States Olympic Committee, “Performance & Nutrition Coaching”

Guests:

@Tryn2bfit: (Colleen)  Lost 120# & finally living! First marathon 3:46 going after bq and training for ultras. Living w/celiac and RA. Proving motivation and hard work pay off.  http://www.thefitbee.com

@SuziStorm (Susan) I drink a lot beer. I’ve lost a lot of weight (101 lbs on @WeightWatchers) I run a bunch of miles  (I’m a marathoner!!). I am awesome #Believe  http://www.suzistorm.com

Sponsor: Nuun @MinistryofNuun

As a runner, a YMCA professional and a Sport Psychology consultant, I’m more than familiar with trials and tribulations of starting and maintaining an exercise routine. If you are one of the many who resolve to run more in 2012, here are five things you can do to enhance your chances of success.

1) Set a reachable goal.

Often times, we set goals that are big and daring (I’m going to run a marathon in July) without thinking through what it will take to reach that goal. While a large goal (i.e. marathon) can be motivational, make sure you understand what will be needed to reach that goal. Do you have enough time to train? Can I run 4-5 times a week? A better goal might be, “I’m going to run 4 times a week. The days I will run will be Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I will run 10 miles the first week and increase my mileage by 10% each week for the next three months.” Being realistic and as specific as possible will enable you to be more successful.

2) Write your goals down and share them.

Goals that are written down are better internalized than those that aren’t. A goal not written down, as they say, is just a wish. Own the goal by writing it down in a prominent location. Write your goal(s) on 3×5 cards and place those cards in places you will see them. The bathroom mirror, your car sun visor, etc. These constant reminders of your goal will help you keep focused on achieving them. Also, share your goals with others. Friends, family or strangers on the internet all can be helpful in keeping you accountable. Write a blog about your goals and tell your friends about the blog. Or, better yet, find a friend to train with to help keep you honest.

3) Choose goals that are measurable.

Saying, “I want to run more” is not the same as saying “I want to run increase my current weekly mileage from 15 miles to 25 miles a week by July 1, 2012.”

4) Identify challenges and work to eliminate them.

If your goal is to run a marathon in 2012, what would be the challenges to this goal? Maybe you need help from your spouse to watch the kids during your long runs or your work schedule makes it difficult to train. Whatever your challenges are, it’s important to identify them and then work to eliminate as many of those challenges as you can. Talking to family and friends to support your goal might
open up a level of support you didn’t know existed.

5) Don’t let small failures kill your goals.

It is rare when a training plan goes perfectly. Things happen. You get sick or your job gets busier or life just gets in the way. During times like these, it’s best to just acknowledge that life is willing this battle but be resolved that it won’t win the war. Instead of lamenting the demise of your plan, accept that this is a hiccup but you’ll be back to conquering those miles in no time.

-Matthew Henry, M.A. Sport Psychology

How to help your training: The 11 subjects were able to maintain their cardiovascular fitness over about a month for a 5K (3 miles). Use this as a taper or cross training workout to keep legs fresh but maintain your fitness. This is a great option if you are having little nagging pain with shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or heel problems. Pick an area such as arms, knee lift or kick through every 10 minutes when in the pool to keep focused.

My experience: I have found aqua jogging to be a nice change of pace from the pounding of the pavement if I am training for 5K-10K races or need to have fresh legs from a race. It definitely has been beneficial if I am injured. It is best to try it out before a workout to see how your legs adjust. Some people may feel flat the next day. As an FYI, hot water can drain the legs and leave you with that tired feeling. I have found that after doing this for an extended period (a few weeks), i get the “chest burning” after returning to regular running workouts, especially with cold weather.

1. Prepare for the course: Know the course you are running. If possible, run the course or a run similar to the course before race day (minus some mileage if it is marathon length). The elevation and length of a course can be determined at some popular websites like: Map My Run or Walk Jog Run. Find out if the course has rolling hills, long flats and what the total elevation change is. You can then plan a course that is similar to the one you are running and prepare for the changes you will encounter before the big day. The course can also be mapped out on a treadmill, and while this won’t prepare you exactly for the race physically, you can practice parts of the race in the upcoming training weeks, to prepare yourself mentally in your strategy.

2. Pace yourself. You will be excited come race day. Your blood will be pumping and the adrenaline will be flowing. Make sure you do not start out too fast. Know what your pace times are and stick to them. Find your pace runner if you are running with a certain time group and stick with them. Make sure you know if mile markers will be present in the race and wear a watch. You will be able to rely on this for pacing as a backup if needed. Word to the wise: you will probably feel really good starting out (tapering for a race leaves you feeling fanstastic), but save it for the later miles. You will need it.

3. Know how to run the race. Flat portions should be run steady. Hills can be attacked. As you reach the crest of a hill, increase your cadence slightly and speed up a bit. Use the momentum of the crest of the hill to carry you over and down the other side, like a sling effect. Run the down hills with a slight lean back so body is close to level as you descend. Allow your legs to relax slightly to lessen impact on your quads, as your feet land.

4. As you get into the groove of running, pick a runner, distance or location to reach if you feel you are having difficulty keeping your pace. This will allow you to refocus mentally and set some smaller reachable goals, rather than focusing on the large task at hand. Pick a body group to focus on form for each portion of the race. (Head/eyes, arms, trunk, legs, foot landing). This will allow you to keep your form longer and maintain more efficiency. You will also stay more in tune to how your body is feeling overall.

5. Practice pre-race and race logistics (pre-race meal eating, race day clothes, water stop drinking, and race-fueling) in the weeks before the race. You will feel more confident knowing what your body can handle when race-day shows up. Local training groups provide a great opportunity to practice race day as they often set up mini-race conditions with water stops. And as you get to race day and near the finish line, use the crowd to motivate you the last couple miles. They can pull you in to what will hopefully be your best race yet.

Topic: Our favorite women’s races, charities/ causes they support, training and the and race bling we love!

*Guest Experts:

@realityrunning, Sara Johnson, an RRCA-certified running coach, running for more than 10 years, has a coaching business (Reality Running), mom of two, writes for the Dallas Running Examiner.  https://www.facebook.com/RealityRunning

@Libbyruns, Libby Jones , a runner, a race director (New Years Double), and a mom of 2. http://theactivejoe.blogspot.com

Sponsors:

@TheIronGirl – One entry to any of their races nationwide: Clearwater, FL , Columbia MD, Las Vegas NV, Altanta GA, Racine WI, Syracuse NY, Boulder CO, Seattle WA, Lake Tahoe CA, Bloomington MN, Del Mar CA, Scottsdale AZ, New Orleans LA

@NaturaStride: An awesome discount of 25% on items at their website for chat participants.*stocking stuffers to fuel for new years training and races!

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I wrote a brief post a while back about barefoot running after taking a course at an APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) conference here.   After taking another PT course on it again, I’m revisiting the topic with some thoughts (as always, this is such a changing topic so updates are forthcoming):

1. Barefoot running definitely has been shown to slow the rate (or speed) of loading forces upon initial contact and into loading response (when most of the foot is touching down).  See the picture drawing below (I did not draw it BTW, just a quick reference from photobucket) showing the distinct impact peak in landing with shoes. If you have more time, here are excellent videos illustrating some of these concepts courtesy of Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman from Harvard University, who has written extensively on this topic and presented at our course.

2. There are still currently no studies that show a relationship between the peak force of landing and injury rate, although research is in progress.

3. Barefoot running and using zero-drop shoes (I’m assuming that this is synonymous with initial midfoot or forefoot landing and not heel contact first) is most likely a skill that needs to be learned by most runners, if they have worn shoes with any sort of heel.  This typically requires a specific strengthening program for the foot and a specific gradual training program.

4. There are studies that show that barefoot running will place less stress on the knee joint but place more stress on the achilles tendon and calf muscles.

5. (Just my opinion, no research) The last statement leads me to think that the forces are going to be dispersed somewhere through the body and ultimately it depends on a variety of factors (muscle strength, joint mobility and flexibility, muscle tone, biomechanical compensations, genetic factors needed to run endurance well etc…along with running form) that are ALL going to contribute whether each individual can run barefoot.

6. I am an interesting example of this.  I am a natural sprinter by genetics (100-maybe 800 m) who has also run distance for a number of years as well (cross country in high school and now road races). I also have very tight calves and run landing much more midfoot than the typical runner.  Ironically, I have tried “barefoot training” by using racing flats in races in Cross Country in high school (happen to run my fastest race when I did this) and by transitioning into my track spikes every spring (that will make for calves sore for sure).  I’ve been wanting to try an official transition to a minimal shoe for some time to see what it is like, but losing weight and having a baby has prevented me from officially trying it yet. That being said, I honestly don’t think my body will be able to handle running minimalist long term or exclusively because of my specific biomechanics, range of motion and muscle tone in my lower extremities.

6. (Opinion) I have got to think that the speed of the distance runner interplays into this, especially comparing an elite runner at the end of the race to an average weekend runner.  The faster the distance runner-the more the form changes to looking like that of sprinting.  I haven’t done or seen much research on this yet but am interested to see where this goes as elite runners continue to get faster.

8.  It is very interesting to know that while cadence increases and stride length decreases with proper barefoot training taking more steps does not appear to contribute to increased injury, as shown by the research.

7. While there are many people debating whether barefoot running is better or not, Physical Therapists are often not included in these debates.  This is surprising only because we are the only profession (besides possibly podiatry which does not focus on the trunk , pelvis, hips, spine and upper extremities)  that studies the gait cycle in our curriculum and treats the whole body consistently.  We have perhaps the greatest understanding of typical and atypical gait in walking and running and the education on how it pertains to injury development, how to best prevent it and the differences in how muscular and biomechanical factors in various individuals interplay.  The fact that we can do specific hands-on joint mobility and muscle tone testing and evaluation for comparison in various individuals is one area that I think will add great value to the subject vs. just viewing running form on a video and looking at basic flexibility and strength.

8.  There seems to be differences in or perhaps a lack of standard terminology when describing running gait terminology by some individuals.  This is not an attempt to “knock” any group, just that it does show that while some groups (ie. coaches for example) have great input on their experience, until they understand and have studied all of the specifics that go into gait, running, musculature, abnormalities etc., and know how to describe and compare specifics, there will always be pieces of the puzzle missing when discussing and debating the topic.

Related articles

• BLOG POST: Barefoot Running (trpfitness.wordpress.com)
• Barefoot Running Stress Fractures. A theory from @joemaller (barefeat.wordpress.com)

•  Lie baby on your chest as you sit elevated with a pillow propped behind you. Cradle baby and let head lie to the side. Provide warmth and gentle skin to skin touch to baby (kangaroo). Your baby uses hearing and touch primarily at this time, as vision is not as developed. Encourage baby to turn his/her head toward your voice so he can practice using neck muscles and get comfortable with lying on the belly (supervised).

• Your baby is still getting used to being out in the new world. A great way to help baby make this transition from womb to world and keep him/her safe and comfortable is to wear baby in a baby carrier for short periods during the day. (Face should always visible and kissable for safety and avoid positions where the neck is flexed or bent forward).  Head should be supported in some way as baby cannot hold it up for very long periods.   This will provide brief periods of upright positioning to work on neck strength working different muscles for short periods.   Gentle movement provides movement stimulating input to the vestibular system needed for developing posture. The carrier provides gentle touch (tactile) input for developing body awareness.

• Infant massage: Gentle infant massage (after a warm bath) provides tactile input, muscle awareness and soothing relaxation needed to help relax the body and gently stretch arms and legs.  It also helps premature and slower growing babies gain weight faster, helps aiding of digestions system (stomach muscles are not yet developed well), and helps babies sleep better.

• Place your baby in crib alternating direction each time so they will eventually become comfortable to looking to each side when you approach the crib.

• Nurse or bottle feed your baby from both directions so that muscles and range of motion are developed equally.
• Help baby begin to weight bear or “stand” by holding them under arms and helping them to gently begin placing weight on legs to become used to pressure through the legs. Feet should be flat and not pointed.

• Begin carrying baby in a variety of positions as baby gains more head strength towards one month and beyond.  Offer head support as needed: upright facing in with head supported on shoulder, upright facing outward supported under bottom and around chest, sideways to either side facing out while lying long ways on arm, facing down (head sideways) on arm with palms supporting head. This will start developing baby’s balance reactions ( or the ability to hold head and body upright when tilted) and neck strength and allow him/her to see the world from different views.
• Enjoy your baby and give plenty hugs and kisses.  The early months will go by all too quickly.

DISCLAIMER

Topic: Running, Pregnancy, and Time Management for all!

*Guest Experts:

@TRPrunner, Andrea Henry, Physical Therapist, personal trainer, moderator

@KimTirapelle, Kim Tirapelle, RD, Registered Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition, wt management & MNT. Fresno State Athletics & TERRIO’s Sports RD. Media spokesperson and avid runner! Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)

Sponsors:

For Two Fitness a “running for two” tank (value $45, winner must have a U.S. address)

Kim Tirapelle -sports nutrition assessment (via online and phone) ($85 value).