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Newsletter Archives: October 1999
Running for 45 minutes or more helps to "format" your brain. Afterward you're better prepared to deal with stress, manage conflict, and accept your challenges with creativity and energy. Yes, it's possible to be injury free Because I enjoy the experience of running, which improves my attitude every time, my primary running goal is to avoid injuries. I'm proud to say that my strategies are working: I haven't had a single overuse running injury in the past 10 years. Yes, after suffering hundreds of medical vacations from running, including six years of having one every 20 days or so, I've turned things around and want to tell you how. Too much weekly mileage is the number one cause of running injuries. Key periods to watch are 1) trying to come back too soon after a period of low mileage or injury or increasing to keep up with the mileage of a running group you just joined. As you increase mileage, it's wise to take an extra day off from running each week. By running more on your running days, you receive a better training effect, and the extra rest day allows for quicker healing. The short "junk mile" days of two to three slow miles can promote injury by reducing the recovery effect. If you have to get in those miles, add them to a longer running day and let the legs recover. Speed Kills! All speed programs increase the chance of injury, but if you run just one fast workout per month you're certain to shock the system into aches, pains or injury. It is the gentle regularity of the faster running that allows the body to adapt. Gradually increase your speed training, warm up thoroughly before each speed workout, never run al -out, and slow down or stop the session at the first sign of a potential injury. An easy warm-up will cut down on injury risk. After a five-minute walk, walk and jog for 10 minutes, then jog slowly for 5-10 minutes. During the first mile or two of all of my runs, I pace myself about three to four minutes per mile slower than I could race the distance I expect to cover on that day. If you're planning some faster running, transition into the faster pace with four to eight short accelerations, walking or jogging one to two minutes between. If you haven't been doing much speedwork, don't suddenly run 10 hard laps around the high school track. Before your first day of track running, do a hill session once a week for three weeks. Run up three to four hills (about 100-200 meters) one day a week, for 3-4 weeks. Walk down to recover between hills. Even when you're running slow every day, it will help your efficiency to do four to eight one block accelerations (about 100 yards) in which you run lightly on your feet with a quick cadence and not a long stride. When you start track work, begin with three to five laps only on the first session. And never, never run all out‹even if you are feeling great. Walk half the distance of your speed segment to recover. You want to finish each speed session knowing that you could have run two or three more laps at your speedy pace. Finally, run no more than five to seven seconds per 400 meters faster than your goal pace. Running faster than this will increase your injury risk and won't help your time in races. Stretching is actually the third leading cause of injury. Unless you have an injury like Ilio-tibial band, it's best to avoid stretching immediately before, during and immediately after running. Many runners make the mistake of trying to stretch out the tightness brought on by exertion and fatigue. Overstretching a tired muscle will tear muscle fibers and increase recovery time. The best time for stretching is just before bed. Avoid the temptation to increase stride length at the end of long runs, races or speed sessions. Quicker turnover of feet and legs is the key to faster running. Extending the stride of tired legs can produce injuries. Everyone has weak links. You know, the places where you tend to get injured. Be super sensitive to any unusual irritation or overuse of these. If I even think that there might be the beginnings of an injury, I take a day or two off and ice it or whatever is appropriate. Here's hoping that you, in your 40th year of running, will be injury free also!  On the Other Hand, Never
Forget Safety If you've been running for years without incident, it is easy to become complacent, especially if your community is relatively safe. But the worst assumption you can make is that bad things only happen to other runners. Terrible things, including rape, assault, and even murder, do happen, and runners can be vulnerable. Although there are no statistics for attacks on runners, more than once a minute a woman is raped - some of them are runners. Although you should not run scared, or feel the need to use a treadmill all the time, be informed and prepared. A good exercise to run through regularly is "what would I do if . . .?" Take steps to make yourself a less likely victim. Prevention is mostly attitude and common sense. Attackers are looking for a target that won't give them trouble. Your job is to project the message that you would be a formidable force. The best way to project toughness is to actually feel tough. The following list includes prevention tips that you can practice when you're running the roads or trails.
You can avoid risky situations by just making wise choices. With the right planning, the joy of running should be unspoiled for a lifetime. (From American Running Association's Running & FitNews, October 1999, p. 1, http://www.americanrunning.org) Give Me Ten Good Reasons (to eat more vegetables and fruits) 1. prevent cancer Calcium carbonate significantly reduced the rate of recurrence of colon cancer in a recent study of close to 1,000 subjects with a prior history of colon cancer. It is interesting to understand why these researchers were studying calcium carbonate in the first place: a diet high in fruits and vegetables has long been known to be associated with a lower rate of colon cancer, partly because of the beneficial effects these health foods have on bile acid production. The theory is that calcium carbonate fortifies the bile acids and enhances their effect. Don't stop at five servings a day - the more the better. And it wouldn't hurt to add calcium carbonate to your daily ritual. Check the antacid shelf in the grocery store for chewable calcium carbonate. (from the American Running Association's Running & Fit News, October 1999, p.3, http://www.americanrunning.org from a report in New England Journal of Medicine, 1999, Vol. 340, No. 2, pp. 101-107) The Athlete's Kitchen ³I want to start Y2K in good shape, so I've stopped eating fattening carbohydrates like pasta and bagels...² ³Dr. Atkin's high protein diet has helped me lose five pounds in one week. But is it healthful...?² ³I must be eating the wrong balance of carbs, protein and fat. I'm not losing weight ... maybe I should try the 40-30-30 plan???² Weight-conscious athletes and exercisers alike are eager to try any and all fad diets that catch their attention. They fail to understand that any and all reducing diets have one factor in common: they create a calorie deficit. Plain and simple, in order to lose body fat, you have to burn more calories than you eat. That's the bottom line. Period. In the 20 years I've been practicing sports nutrition, I've seen diets go around in a circle. Twenty years ago, Dr. Atkins convinced Americans that carbohydrates are fattening. Even athletes chose to avoid (supposedly) fattening carbs in favor of a high protein diet. Sports nutritionists worked hard to re-educate these folks, especially athletes, that:
Then athletes heard fats are fattening, and started eating no fat/low protein with hopes a fat-free diet would "work." It didn't; people simply ate excess calories of carbs; no calorie deficit, no weight loss. So now we're back to no carbs.... To lose weight and keep it off, you need to learn how to EAT! The trick is to eat more during the day, and less at night. Enjoy a full breakfast, a substantial lunch, an afternoon snack. Then, at dinner, eat a lighter meal. As you start to reach for more, remind yourself "I'd rather wake up hungry for a nice breakfast." Morning hunger suggests you lost weight overnight. That is the best time to lose weight. You need your energy during the day to enjoy being active. Most of the popular fad diets are too strict for athletes. That is, they consist of too few calories to support your training schedule and athletic goals. You'll end up chronically fatigued, and may feel light-headed, dizzy or faint, to say nothing of lack energy to train at your best. Plus, the denial associated with dieting commonly leads to binge eating and weight gain, not weight loss. Dieting, along with lack of exercise and reduced daily activity, has greatly contributed to the fattening of America. You should never embark upon an eating plan you do not want to maintain for the rest of your life. Otherwise, you'll go "on a diet" and lose weight, but then return to your fattening eating habits and regain the weight without ever having learned how to eat healthfully and appropriately. If weight is an issue for you, I highly recommend you get guidance from a sports nutritionist who is a registered dietitian (RD). This professional will assess appropriate calorie targets and help you develop a healthful food plan for life-long weight management. To find an RD, visit www.eatright.org. Or call the National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics (1-800-366-1655) and ask to be referred to a local member of SCAN (The Sports and Cardiovascular Nutrition practice group of the American Dietetic Association). This professional will help you lose weight and keep it off successfully, Y2K and beyond! Do any fad diets work? The Zone Diet: This 40-30-30 plan prescribes 40% of calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 30% from fat. This diet teaches us that protein and fat can enhance weight reduction because these types of foods are very satisfying. When you feel less hungry, you can easily eat fewer calories and thereby lose weight. The bad news is, athletes need more than 40% carbs to refuel their muscles for top performance. Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution: Based on high protein, high fat foods, this diet eliminates most carbohydrates. Like the Zone, this plan has too few carbs to support athletic performance. And although this high protein plan promotes the concept you can eat all you want, just how many chicken breasts and cans of tuna can you eat for days in a row? The lack of variety contributes to food boredom and reduced calorie intake. The Ultra Slim-Fast Plan: By drinking this canned beverage at breakfast and lunch, and then eating a normal dinner, the pounds supposedly drop off. Clearly, a 150 calorie Slim-Fast offers fewer calories than does a standard meal, but the reality is YOU work, not Ultra-Slim Fast! And you will have to work really hard to eat less dinner when your body is starving. The Fat-free Diet: Supposedly, eating less fat means you'll lose body fat...but only if you create a calorie deficit. If you simply trade 100 calories of butter for 100 calories of jam, you'll fail to lose weight. Calories count; don't fool yourself! The Double-Duty Exercise Program: Doubling your workouts to burn more calories and melt away body fat may sound like a good idea. But what often happens is, the more you exercise, the more you'll want to eat. You may burn an extra 400 calories--but then succumb to eating 500. Plus, you can easily end up injured, exhausted, and sick with a cold or the flu. Exercise should be for enjoyment,not punishment. Nancy Clark, MS, RD is nutrition counselor at Boston-area's SportsMedicine Brookline and author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 2nd Edition. To order this best-selling book, send $20 to Sports Nutrition Materials, 830 Boylston, St #205, Brookline MA 02467 or visit http://www.nancyclarkrd.com.
Injury of the Month: Back Pain, Part 2 Spine Tuning: Preventing common back pain You don't have to rearrange furniture to hurt your back. The following are common desk-related activities that can put stress on your back's muscles and disks if you're not careful. Sitting at Your Desk for Hours at a Time: Sitting for too long tightens and shortens your hamstrings and the muscles in the front of your hips. How does this hurt your back? When you stand, these muscles tug on the ligaments around your pelvis, which can alter the natural curve of your lower back. How to Protect Yourself: Keep your hamstrings and hip flexors (muscles) loose by standing and moving around every hour. Stretch your legs under your desk at least that often. Wedging the Phone Between Your Head and Shoulder: Scrunching up one side of your neck while stretching the other can cause spasms in the ropelike muscles attached to your skull and the large, flat muscles of your upper back. How to protect yourself: Hold the phone in your hand or use a headset if possible. Crossing Your Legs While You Sit: Crossing your legs - even just resting your ankle on your thigh - causes stress in your sacroiliac joints (where hipbones join spine). How to protect yourself: If you can't break this habit completely, at least limit it to 5-minute stretches.
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