In this edition of Ask the Practitioner, we again connect with Mark Fadil, Clinic Director at the Sports Medicine Institute (SMI) of Palo Alto. SMI is one of Northern California's leading orthopedic and deep tissue massage resources, assisting both world class and recreational athletes since 1996.
RC: Tight and/or sore calves are one of the most common ailments for new and experienced runners alike. What exactly is happening when one feels like his or her calves are tight and they have become sore to run on?
MF: Sore/tight calves are a very common problem with runners. Generally someone may experience sore calves when running for the first time, coming back from time off, during a period of increased speed work or during a period of increased mileage. In each one of these circumstances the calf muscles are adapting to the stress from the increase in activity.
RC: When treating runners with sore calves, what are the most commonly reported practices that have potentially led to the problem?
MF: There is normally some sort of change that precedes sore/tight calves. In addition to the changes I already mentioned it can come from a change in running shoes (usually a shoe with a lower heel such as a racing flat will put more stress on the calf), a change in running surface or increased hill running.
RC: What techniques do you and your staff employ to address this problem and what can runners to do maintain the work at home?
MF: I usually focus on three things: massage, stretching and functional strengthening. Massage can be done by a professional therapist or at home using a foam roller or "the stick." This can be done on a daily basis for 5 - 10 minutes. Stretching should focus on both the upper calf (gastrocnemius) using a straight knee calf stretch and the lower calf (soleus and Achilles) using a bent knee calf stretch. I recommend stretching after massage as well as an additional 2-3 times a day. Each stretch should be held for at least 30 seconds. Functional strengthening is one of the most important pieces in preventing sore/tight calves from occuring in the first place. A great way to incorporate functional strengthening is doing heel drops off the edge of a stair. These should initially be done on a daily basis and eventually shifted to two to three times per week for maintenance.
Rikke Johansen, D.C., is the founder of Health Logic and has 18 years of experience in practice as a doctor of chiropractic medicine.
Dr. Johansen is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP), a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and has completed the educational requirements to qualify her as a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (DACBSP) and as a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiologists (DACBR). She is also a USA Triathlon Level I certified triathlon coach and a USA Cycling Level II certified cycling coach.
rc: What are the types of physical complaints Graston technique is effective in addressing?
Few life changes will have a greater impact than the arrival of a newborn. Both the physical challenges for mom, as well as the stark changes in family schedule and breadth of responsibility for both parents can justifiably upend priorities. This can wreak havoc with the comfortable patterns of habitual runners.
Chances are, unless you have had a very quickly moving adoption, you have been well aware that changes in your running routine await the arrival of the new bundle of joy. Very likely, transitions have already occurred for mom with the ups and downs of pregnancy. Whether a quick return to work or flexibility for extended parental leave is on the horizon, here are a few tips and ideas for runners in the throes of new parenthood:
Consider how baby gear purchases, such as a stroller, can assist you in the eventual pursuit of a return to running. Yes, that sounds crass – you are about to enjoy one of life’s greatest blessings, and running should come to mind? Well, if there is anything that you intend to continue doing on a regular basis after your baby comes, it probably saves time and money to anticipate how you can manage that practice within the context of your baby’s first few years at home.
For example, many running families use a jogging stroller (or a stroller with that capability) for their primary stroller. Initially, it can be used for regular stroller duty, particularly now that many jogging strollers can attach baby carriers and inserts allow for extra padding with newborn babies. When eventually jogging becomes appropriate with the little one, everyone is used to the new gear, how it fits in the car, the baby finds it to be a smooth transition, and more enjoyable / contented baby running might result.
Moms: set a completion goal, but no sooner than 6-12 months after giving birth. Dads: choose flexible goals in the first year.
While the experience of every mother is different, having a goal to shoot for can often inspire (to lose weight, to re-grasp a feeling of independent personhood, etc) when life seems completely turned on its head. Set a goal too soon, and it may become a needless stressor, both logistically, and physically, when the body is out of shape and sleep is minimal. Set a time goal too soon after giving birth, and the unpredictable physical aftermath of motherhood can create frustration. By a year, many moms are beginning to recognize their bodies again, and having a date to look forward to (as a return to the experience of being an athlete) can be a very motivational tool. Just enjoy your first goal race after baby to celebrate how far you have come. Use subsequent goal races to return to previous fitness and pace levels.
New dads are also saddled/ delighted with the many transitions of fatherhood, but many times must navigate a tricky landscape of an initially supporting role in the physical sense. Without the obvious setbacks of pregnancy and giving birth, it may be enticing to set a big goal, almost in celebration of the new family member. However, in this particular instance, it is worth considering flexible goals. Neither of you quite know how you will feel physically or rest-wise as these dates get closer, and the last thing needed is more stress. One option to keep dad on track could be to pick a distance goal with three or four options in 60 day range.
Have patience with your body after baby (yes, dads too!)
For many first time parents, the adrenaline of new parenthood eventually wears off, but many nights of limited sleep remain. Schedules change and keep changing. Things like foam rolling, stretching, strength routines, and other ancillary activities may be cut out to preserve what little time remains to run. Unsurprisingly, aches and pains might crop up, and the legs might not recover as fast. Control what you can control. Consider occasionally modifying your running routes and other patterns to avoid a fruitless comparison contest with your well-rested self.
For moms in particular, resist the urge to return to serious training until you are cleared to run by your doctor. Be sure to progress incrementally. Just like a marathon recovery that is too short, a postpartum running injury may not crop up immediately. Rather it often surfaces after the premature progression has been established over several weeks or months.
Shop and prepare for running with body after baby.
One of the most common roadblocks to a successful return to pre-baby running fitness can be the first few efforts out the door. For many moms, postpartum bodies feel like complicated new appliances with misplaced instruction manuals, what with the likely weight gain and the new demands and dimensions of various body parts. All of us know better than to establish self-esteem from outside appearances, but without a couple running items that fit, it can be that much harder to get out and get started. Having a high impact / supportive sports bra and shorts that fit your current size can make a difference, and are worth shopping for even in advance when you have more flexibility in your schedule.
When it comes time for stroller jogging, find the bike paths.
Just as parents at their wits’ end will drive a baby around the block, hoping to induce sleep, the stroller experience for your baby / toddler can vary wildly from soothing to disruptive, which in turn may have a direct impact on your ability to reintegrate running positively into your daily life. Bumpy roads, streets with many stop lights, turns or undulations may be your only options, and by yourself, you might barely notice these parts of the route. However, the stroller years might also serve as a chance to get to know the flat, off street routes in your region better than you might have before, and allow the jogging stroller experience to emerge as a positive parenting interactive time rather than a struggle of wills.
Stephanie Lee (pictured) has been practicing yoga for over 12 years in a variety of diverse settings that include Hawaii, Greece, Italy, and Thailand.
Although we earn a small reprieve from the early morning darkness with next month's time change, many runners are just settling in for a long winter of running in the dark. Whether you rise early to beat the rush before the workday begins and the kids wake up, or fit in a run at the end of the day, nighttime running is a fact of life for many athletes. Here are a few tips for staying safe and maximizing these workouts until the sun reappears.
Avoid risk-taking
While running the same route again and again might seem unappealing, or stopping your awesome tempo run briefly to make sure a passing car sees you, it is always worth it. Stick to routes where lighting can help provide safety and mark your path, even if that means doing multiple loops around a few block radius. Head to a local track and run while kids are playing soccer or lacrosse under the lights in the evening. Put off exploration of that new trail until the weekend when you can run in the daylight. Set aside the headphones so that you can be alert to your surroundings (yes, you can do it).
Choose routes for the presence of sidewalks away from the roadway. Consider places of business where early morning activity takes place in a typically safe manner, such as a gas station, bagel shop, or Starbucks and include them on your run. Check for daily sunrise and sunset times so you can safely estimate when you will need to be in spots that are safe for those times of day. In short, give yourself at least one more measure of safety precautions than you would ordinarily take. That may mean boredom and repetition, but is always better than not being able to run at all or risking adverse events
See and be seen
Many running apparel companies and specialty brands have introduced reflective clothing and devices to help runners stay safe in the dark. Sometimes we focus on being visible to cars and others by wearing reflective gear, and other times we focus on keeping our path lit with headlamps and other illuminating devices. In reality, both are important at all times. A hard fall because of an unseen root or sidewalk crack is dangerous, and of course it is crucial to be visible to vehicular traffic. It isn’t always possible to be completely visible in the dark, but taking care to be seen and to seeing where your feet will travel can be a crucial safety precaution.
Keep others in the loop
Whether you live with others in your household or reside independently, leave a note, a text, or other word where you plan to go every time. If you encounter any trouble on an evening run, it may be until daylight before anyone is aware of your extended absence or be able to see you in distress alongside a road. Particularly if doing something strenuous or extended, such as a long run for a marathon training cycle, estimating a time of return can help ease the mind of others who aren’t used to the length of these runs, as well as determine when you are indeed overdue. Whenever possible, try to meet others for nighttime runs. Both as a safety measure and as added encouragement when the winter is at its darkest and coldest point, a partner or group willing to meet you at a nighttime hour can make all the difference.
Be creative
Roads and outdoor tracks may not be the only venues for getting in runs. Enclosed walkways, indoor public spaces, the perimeter of a well-lit parking lot, and even a circuit of long hallways in winter-affected cities might provide occasional safe locations for runs when things are truly awful and dark. Consider a short-term gym membership, even if just to break up the workout by running there, doing some miles on the treadmill, and running home. If winter is really getting the best of you, consider sampling some indoor cross training disciplines you have been waiting to try, or investigate the possibility of all-comers indoor track meets in your community as a way to get in a good hard effort inside.
While nighttime running may not be pleasant for many, runners across the country and around the world have thrived with a schedule comprised primarily of workout times before dawn or after dusk. The good news is that sunlight is likely around the corner as spring returns, and the challenge of darkness is an opportunity to exercise the type of commitment and persistence that will serve you well when faced with a rough patch in your next goal race. Embrace the challenge, stay safe, and keep up the good work.
Chef John Barone is a Michelin-trained private chef who is also in the midst of preparing for his second ING New York City Marathon in November. With career stops at revered restaurants including the French Laundry in Yountville, CA, as well as Jean Georges and Per Se in New York City, Barone's cooking philsophy stems from his love of fresh and locally sourced ingredients and interest in healthy food for active lifestyles. As he ramps up the mileage himself, here are a few of his tips for the rest of us trying to combine training and booked calendar with eating well.
New name, new look, new feel!
The runcoach iPhone app is here! Download it now!
Note: The latest version is called runcoach. Version 1 was called
iRunning coach.
Now it's even easier to check and log your workouts on the go!
The first two weeks of August were filled with amazing performances, as well as the emotions that occur when things do not go according to plan. When watching these breathtaking physical feats and (taped-delayed) moments of extreme anticipation, it can be hard to see a connection between the accomplishments of the world’s best athletes and our own everyday endeavors. However, there are several lessons these thrills of victory and agonies of defeat can teach us. Here are a few:
1. Do not let a discouraging start prevent good things from happening by the end.
Early in the swimming competition, Michael Phelps barely squeaked into the final of the 400 IM, only to be assigned an outside lane and finish shockingly fourth and out of the medals. For one used to the rhythm of “swim, win and repeat,” the walk from the competition pool to the warm down area must have been a long stroll without the interruption of the national anthem played in his honor. However, by the end of the meet, almost no one looked upon his efforts as anything less than the coronation of the most decorated medalist ever.
Like many of our races, Phelps’s schedule was a marathon, not a sprint, and given the opportunity to turn things around, he was able to refocus and end on several high notes, with individual and relay golds alike. Next time some other early mishap threatens to derail your day, (ie your alarm doesn’t go off, the first mile or two feels harder than it should, you miss your first fluids, etc) keep in mind the confident mentality you had the evening before all that occurred. You are still that person. Your training hasn’t just evaporated instantaneously. Plenty of positives remain to be had. Giving up mentally only assures you that you will miss out on at least some of those takeaways.
2. “Normal” is oftentimes more than good enough.
During the qualification of the women’s team gymnastics competition, elder stateswoman Aly Raisman was seen looking Gabby Douglas straight in the eye, encouraging her with the admonition, “Normal, Gabby.” With some of the most complicated and challenging routines in the competition, Gabby Douglas was obviously prepared to do what it took, both for the team and her own all-around competition. She just needed to execute and not let the big stage take her out of her familiar rhythm.
Many times we expect race day to be a completely breathtaking day and we act like it, We feel the need to don a cape and become some “super” version of the boring everyday person who does the neighborhood loop at 6am. By the time the gun goes off, you have prepared your body to handle the challenges by working hard on all the days when there is no adrenaline involved. The excitement of the day may indeed make the same pace feel little easier to start, and that’s in your favor. However, be confident in the work you have put in, that your “normal” will be plenty to accomplish your goal. Take pride in the execution of your plan, and let your faithful and consistent adherence to it herald the success of the day.
3. Let your resolve be strengthened by your training partners and / or immediate context.
Galen Rupp took silver in the 10,000 meters, earning the first U.S. men’s medal in that event since 1964. Ahead of him was only his training partner, hometown favorite Mo Farah. Immediately behind both of them were the Ethiopian Bekele brothers, with Kenenisa the two time reigning 10,000 meter champion and world record holder. Rupp has been one of America’s best for the past several years, but how did he kick these guys down?
As reported in the USA Today the following morning, Rupp told the press that the last lap reminded him of practice back in Oregon, saying, “I knew if I could stay close to Mo, then good things would happen.” Some of us have the luxury of training partners or familiar faces in local races we can use to help buoy us when things are getting tough. “If they can do it, then I can do it,” we tell ourselves, and many times, it works! The larger lesson here, though, is that when we break challenging and formidable tasks down into smaller, more recognizable, and less daunting parts, we can relax enough to use our energy only for the running rather than the worry. Focus on the things you know and can control. Draw confidence from that knowledge and let the unknowns go.
4. Ability needs execution to produce a result.
After several years of frustration, dropped batons, tripping and falling, and various other mishaps, the United States track and field relay teams finally put together four clean preliminaries and four crisp finals. The women won gold in the 4x100m and the 4x400m, while the men took home silver in each. Sure, the men’s 4x100m was beaten by a world record-setting Usain Bolt and company from Jamaica, but their silver medal time equaled the previous world record and set a new US best. The women absolutely crushed the world record in the 4x100m and scared the US record in the 4x400, winning by a country mile.
While there are several strong medalists and performers among the current relay pool, the United States has always had a strong sprint corps, deep in every event, and capable of putting on a show like that every Olympiad. The only thing stopping them has been the seemingly small detail of how to get the baton successfully around the oval.
For us, it is instructive to remember how special a performance or an experience can be if we just execute the small details. Did we remember body glide? Did we tie our shoes with double knots? Did we leave time to have a good breakfast and adequate fluids before heading to the line? Did we follow our race plan and not get sucked out into a field of fool’s gold with several consecutive milesplits way ahead of pace? We can’t control the weather or what others will do. However, when we nail the basics, we can leave room for the special day to occur. You may never run the backstretch like Allyson Felix, but then again, she may never run a half marathon or marathon, so in some ways (ok, in only one way) you’re even!
