What a crazy year this has been. We’ve gone through a pandemic of the century, lost loved ones, observed the pain & suffering of so many, and seen our running industry turned upside down.
I’ve read countless inspirational stories from many across the U.S. and around the world. As I’m hopeful that we may be through the worst, I thought it might be helpful for me to share my experience of the last six months with our wonderful Runcoach customers and anyone else that might find my perspective helpful.
This is a bit selfishly cathartic for me but I’m hopeful my experience and some advice may be beneficial.
This will be a 6-Part Series with the following topics:
Running with Bad Air Quality
Recovery from Injury (My Knee Surgery)
Alternatives to Running with Current Restrictions
Some Perspective on Black, Indigeneous and People of Color from a Running Lense
Running After Coronavirus Symptoms
Our Path Forward to Road Races & What We Can Do Now
Running with Bad Air Quality
Many of us in the northwest part of the country and now with extensions to the midwest, have experienced extremely poor air quality from the tragic fires in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.
As runners, we always want to push through adverse conditions. I haven’t been running (more to come on that topic) and I’m acutely aware of the detriments of inactivity. However I believe that poor air quality has long-term bad effects. So what can we run in and what can’t we?
Here are my thoughts:
AQI readings above 100 are a non-starter - please find alternatives (see below)
AQI readings in the 80-100 range may have an effect and should be considered with caution
AQ below 80 is probably safe but you should still listen to your personal biometric feedback in this range
Personal biometric feedback is your breathing within and after a run. There is a difference between wheezing and heavy breathing. Think of wheezing as strained breaths where you can feel it down deep in the lungs. You will feel wheezing from asthma and unhealthy air during and after your run. We don’t want to run through wheezing as the lungs are remodeling to transport necessary oxygen and some tissue could be dying.
On the other hand, heavy breathing is normal and we experience this through heavy exertion. A great marker to distinguish between the two is how you feel after a run. You should not have labored breathing or any wheezing within an hour of workout completion.
Here are my favorite sites/apps to check the air quality.
Purple Air - this site uses a community of personal air sensors at residences and businesses to provide a view of your area’s AQI
AirVisual - this is an app available for iPhone and Android users; it uses 10,000 locations to evaluate, predict, and report on current and future air quality
So what to do if the air quality is poor?
Wear a mask?
I’ve been walking in an N-95 mask which seems to keep out many particulates; there are many varieties to choose from
I haven’t experienced the new Under Armour sports mask but heard it is comfortable for runners
Run on a treadmill if possible
Consider an alternative workout indoors such as the Peloton (more on this in an upcoming post), Elliptical, pool for swimming or deep water running, or any of the HIIT or other at-home workouts with a cardio focus
Adjust your plan - ask your coach or look at the forecast and pick a better day to run
The bad air quality won’t be here forever. In these times, it is important to remember those who have lost lives, homes, pets and much worse in the fires. Still the loss of your workout is personal and not to be diminished. I like to think of how much I appreciate running in these times and the hope that I will have the opportunity to run in clean air soon.
Congratulations to all those who have completed their goal virtual races over the last few weekends! Whether you are basking in the afterglow of a milestone reached, or still awaiting the joy of the finish line, it is important to consider the crucial training period of recovery.
Previously on the blog, we’ve covered a variety of topics related to recovery that are worth a quick read or re-read. These include:
Throughout each of these, the main thread is the message is to take recovery seriously. One of the ways runcoach differs from template training plans or social training groups that focus solely on the one goal race is the inclusion of a recovery cycle into your plan. As runners ourselves, we know that running is an ongoing pursuit for many, marked brightly with the signposts of big goals along the way, but more importantly, something we enjoy doing every day.
When you take recovery seriously you can enjoy your daily running without the inconveince of the world of injury or illness.
I know "recovery" doesn't win medals, or get the awe from your friends the way a hard workout or race does. Think of it this way, if you don't recover forget about the next finish line, a new start line maybe further away than you'd like.
Breathing on the Run
Originally written by Dena Evans
Updated by Hiruni Wijayaratne
This is a popular question from our athletes - "How do I breathe while running?
Breathing is important because we feel awful when it is ragged and shallow. Conversly, we feel better when we are running easily enough that we hardly notice it at all.
The faster you run, the quicker you will reach a point where you will have to concentrate on breathing to continue at that pace. That is because the additional strain of the pace over time has caused your muscles to demand more oxygen on a quicker schedule.
So how do you breathe better?
1) Relax
Breathing is an art. Stay as relaxed as possible in your upper body. Drop your shoulder, extend your torso and neck, and drop your mouth.
During hard efforts, your body craves oxygen. So, you will need both your nose and mouth to intake oxygen.
2) Focus on Form
Running posture often falls apart when we get tired – the shoulders hunch over, arms get tense, neck and jaw almost lock.
Remind yourself to draw your shoulders away from your ears and straighten up nice and tall. This allows for your lungs to have the maximum room to pack in more air and may be able to help ease symptoms of a side stitch by stretching out the afflicted area.
3) Breathe deeply
You can practice breathing properly even when not running. Start by sitting in a chair or lie down on a yoga mat. Place you hand over your belly.
Inhale with your nose and feel your stomach/ diaphragm fill with air. You should feel the hand on your belly button rising. Exhale through the mouth. A deeper breath is like sticking your water bottle directly under the faucet stream vs panting is like splashing it with droplets of water. Fill up those lungs so they can do what they do best – get air to your screaming muscles!
4) Find a rhythm
Start by doing this on easy runs/ walks. Count your footsteps. Your breathing pattern may be 2-2 or 3-3, that is, it takes two footfalls (one landing of either foot) to inhale and two footfalls to exhale, etc.
However, when you are tired and air is at a premium, try to spend a bit more time on each inhale than you do on each exhale, for what might end up as a 3-2 rhythm or a 4-3 rhythm. The most important thing you can do is to fill your lungs with each inhale. Take your time, try to relax yourself generally by the almost meditative counting of your breathing rhythm, and / or let a favorite song guide your brain through the pattern. All of a sudden, you’ll be at the next mile marker or water station.
Breathing is different for everyone. All of us from novice to experienced runners, need to practice techniques in low stress situations before taking them to the streets in the big race. Listen to your breathing on easy runs to find out what your natural patterns are. Try to maintain a tall posture and open your chest when the running is easy before forcing yourself to find that position when the running is tough. Test out a 3-2 pattern or a 4-3 pattern on your next interval or tough workout and see what feels right.
Must Have's in the Car
Even if your runs primarily depart from home or office, running or racing will likely take you to points best accessed by car at some point or another. Sure, you may not want to have everything in the car at all times, but a few key items left in the car (rather than trying to remember them each time out) can make a runner’s life a bit easier.
Sanitizer/ Mask
No longer just a suggestion.
There are bacteria killing hand sanitizers and sanitizing wipes easy to use and dispose. A little bit goes a long way after an outdoor bathroom stop, opening a cattle gate, high-five given to a friend or stranger, endless scenarios.
Maybe you are going to run some errands right before or after your run. Keep a clean mask in the car to use when entering an indoor public space like a grocery store. Keep your face covering clean and dry using these clean masks tips.
Blanket / towel (or more than one)
One of these items can provide protection and warmth after a surprise cold rainstorm on a November morning, or a layer between you and the driver’s seat when the air is thick with humidity. Having a towel or blanket can also make it more likely you will take a moment to stretch or roll, or spend 5-10 minutes adding some core work to the end of your run when you have a spare few moments. A saved space blanket from the end of a long race can also be an easy to store, useful item as a layer between a gross, sweaty, or wet you and your car.
Fuel
Fueling directly after a hard workout or long run is key to regulating your blood sugar and quickening recovery. Take a moment to stack a few of your favorite bars and some gels for mid run replenishment in the glove box or in a Ziploc in the trunk. This will ensure you can top off the tank at the end of your run and avoid a midday bonk or rash meal decision due to the sharp pang of hunger + fatigue. Sometimes, you are coming from a location where you can’t select or prepare a snack to bring with you for before, during, or after. If you have a snack readily accessible, your chances of success in that workout or run will increase.
Water
Even one spare 16 ounce bottle can be of great help if you exhaust your fluids on the run and arrive back at a trailhead with no facilities and a lengthy drive to the nearest gas station or store. Water can also wash dirt or blood away as needed due to mid-run mishaps. Pack a dissolveable tablet or two of your favorite electrolyte replacement fluid with your fuel stash, and you will be in even better shape.
First Aid Kit
A must. Even if it includes only some bandaids, Neosporin, and some basic gauze, tape, and perhaps an anti inflammatory, the chance to tend to a mishap directly after it occurs makes a huge difference compared to how that same injury might react hours later.
A charger or an adapter
When in remote areas, having a phone charger that works with the car can be of significant help in a tough spot, and with the proliferation of chargers with USB ports, charging a GPS device with the car’s power is now easily possible as well.
Hat with a bill, gloves
A running hat with a bill is compact and crushable, but can help keep water from the eyes in a rainstorm and sun from the face when no clouds are in the sky. Gloves (the cheap throw away kind), can feel like the most precious piece of clothing when they are really needed. Neither takes up very much space.
A Foam Roller or a Massage Stick
Again, if your run is squeezed between other appointments or engagements, or involves a decent length drive to and from, consider keeping a stick in the car. It takes up very little space, and can be used both to loosen up before the run as well as to start the recovery process without some of the stiffness inevitable on the drive back.
Every runner has their particular comfort items, their specific variations of this list that provide peace of mind and care when things haven’t gone well, or even if they have. A bit of forethought to keep some of these items on hand when driving to runs can clutter the trunk, but can also help our bodies handle the rigors of training well, even while in the midst of our complicated lives.
"I took my local coach, Susan (also wife of 45 years!) to the local high school track. As we squeezed through the locked gate, I said "Welcome to my world!"
Summer is the time for colorful, fresh, and fruity.
Fruits are in abundance this time of the year. You should be able to find all ingredients at any local grocery store. The prep for each drink is under 5 minutes!
1) Watermelon Juice - High in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. It’s about 92% water.
Ingredients
Directions
2) Lemonade - Great source of vitamin C. Also helps to improve your skin and digestion.
Ingredients
Directions
3)Tart Cherry Smoothie - Beneficial for post run/ workout recovery. Tart cherries battle inflammation, while the protein from the Greek yogurt rebuilds muscle.
Ingredients
¾ cup tart cherry juice
1 cup frozen pineapple
½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
Directions
1. Place tart cherry juice in blender. Add frozen pineapple and yogurt.
2. Blend ingredients until smooth.
3. Serve chilled.
Summer is one of the best seasons to be a runner. Enjoy it to the fullest by taking care of these basics.
Winter weather often requires the use of treadmills and other indoor facilities, but summer’s heat or thunderstorms may also force you to the air-conditioned sanctuary of the gym. Here are a few helpful things to remember about how to adjust when running indoors.
Highlights:
- Treadmills are not the enemy
- Bring entertainment (music, movie, book, podcast)
- Bring your own sanitizer (always clean any touchpoint, equipment before use)
- Treadmill belt if softer and less impact that running outside
- Set the incline to 1-2% on the machine
- Ease into the run. Start nice and slow.
- Hydrate well and often. Aim to take 3-4 ounces of water every 25-30 minutes.
If running indoors may not be an option, but running outdoors is not either, you may be in a spot where cross training is in order to maintain fitness. What cross training activity makes the most sense? Compare and contrast the vast array of currently available options available in gyms today.
Heading out on some adventurous runs or driving trips that might include a bunch of miles? Consider this list of things you might not consider, but can be VERY helpful for runners who are spending a lot of time in the car.
All that humidity might leave you a bit sweaty. Before you deal with the after effects of some serious chafing, read our quick Q&A with a dermatologist about chafing and how to avoid it.
While one of the most obvious topics for summer running, hydration is always worth keeping in mind, particularly if your average fluid consumption consists primarily of coffee or diet coke! Use the summer to build some good habits and read about the “art of hydration” here.
Did you know that water does more than just keep you hydrated? Obviously, that is an important role, but water is essential in your body for three other important tasks.
1-Water helps transport nutrients to the working muscles during training
2-Water eliminates waste products (like lactic acid) during high intensity training
3-Water works to keep your core temperature cooler by dissipating heat through sweating
Hydration does not have to be from water alone. Here are some other ideas of delicious, refreshing, and hydrating summer drinks.
The ramifications of not having enough fluid in your system can start with just 2% fluid loss. Headache, lack of concentration, dizziness, fatigue, inability to recover, and overall decreased ability to perform. Nothing that helps your training or allows you to work hard towards your goals. To avoid any of these happening to you this summer, here are a few things to include in your daily routine.
1-Drink 8-12 ounces of water when you first wake up to kick start hydration
2-Drink more than just water. Adding in electrolyte beverages will help your cells saturate with fluid and not dilute your body’s natural salt chemistry
3-Drink consistently throughout the day. Keep a water bottle with you at all times
Hold up your water bottle in a toast to quality summer training and good hydration!
For some of us, inside running is a regular strategy. Work routine, location, time crunch, tough weather, safety precautions, rehabbing an injury, are all reasons to choose to the "Mill". Wheter you are a regular or a newbie, here are a few thoughts on how to make the most of your time on a treadmill.
Treadmill Tips
Any first timer on a treadmill can attest that the ride is slightly different than the ground in a variety of ways. To account for these variances, we generally recommend some slight adjustments. Without the wind resistance encountered when moving forward outside, the pace might feel a bit easier on a treadmill than on your normal run. To approximate an equivalent demand, adjust the incline of the treadmill 1%-2%.
The second important consideration when running on a treadmill is attentiveness to your form. With the ground traveling underneath and often a softer landing than most outdoor running surfaces, the body can easily tilt into various, slightly unfamiliar positions. If possible, run on a machine where you can gauge your posture in a mirror or reflecting window. Try to keep yourself tall, with your weight over your feet. The only thing worse than grumbling about running on a treadmill is grumbling about being injured because you were running strangely on a treadmill. Attention to your form might even help you when you go outside again and have a clear, fresh picture of what your good form looks and feels like.
Because of the weather and the limitations of running indoors, you may have to adjust your workout a bit.
> Increase the incline between 4 to 8%. The tougher grade can yield the raised heart rate you were looking for with your speed workout.
> Adjust your pace based on machine. If you are on an older treadmill don't try to run full speed. Instead make your interval longer by 1:00.
> If you are doing a tempo on the treadmill, start off 5-7 seconds slower. The belt can make you feel like you're moving your legs faster than normal. This will prevent you from pulling a hammy!
Runcoach Coach and Elite Marathoner, Coach Hiruni reports that treadmill workouts have definitely made an impact for her in the past years. “One of the reasons I love the treadmill is that it is the best pacer in the industry. I live at altitude in a very hilly area. I can pace myself and stay on the target best when I use a treadmill. It keeps me honest and focued".
To adjust your prescribed runcoach workout to a treadmill setting by manipulating the grade and pace, try using a treadmill pace conversion chart such as this one from HillRunner.com. No two treadmills are exactly alike, so keep in mind you may have to make some slight adjustments with your machine.
Bad Weather and No Treadmill?
Occasionally, drastic situations may call for creative solutions. If you are unable to run outside due to conditions and a treadmill isn’t available, all may not be lost. If you are in an urban setting with a series of connected indoor walkways between office buildings, or within a long shopping mall, you may be able to just duck your head at curious onlookers and get at least a few easy miles in indoors. Convention centers and long hotel hallways can even provide a last ditch opportunity on occasion. Nike headquarters actually has a hallway where their athletes can run long strides and do so on a regular basis. Tell that to anyone who questions you!
The key is your safety above all. Make sure to be aware of variables like traffic, light, bacl ice, etc.. None of these options are ideal, but typically conditions which prevent the completion of a workout are temporary and a bridging solution might end up being better than nothing.
