ACF Walk to Run Training Newsletter #11

Walk to Run Trainees:


Welcome to the eleventh week of our program.


1) First off, congratulations to Coach Humaira! Last weekend, she
passed the certification test for running coaches given by the Road
Runner's Clubs of America (RRCA). She now joins several other
certified coaches affiliated with ACF, and is an even more valuable
resource for our training program. Well done!



2) We meet again on Saturday, March 21, at 9AM, in the parking lot
for Columbia Island Marina, in LBJ Park.


If any of our newer trainees are having difficulty finding our meeting
location, please call me at 703-371-5171.


Our posted training distance for this Saturday [found at
http://www.marathoncharitypartners.org/walktorun/calendar.doc] is 3.0
miles.


The same as last week, this Saturday we will run to and across Memorial
Bridge to the large statue at the DC end of the bridge (our turnaround
point). From there, it's a straight shot back to home base. Our route
is posted at:


http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2630032


And, as we did last week, our modality will be 2 minutes walking, 3
minutes running.


But if you are just joining us, or are re-joining us after a period of
inactivity, please see me before we begin the run. I may proscribe a
shorter route, that will still build your fitness, but with less risk of
injury.



3) Warmup prior to run.


As we did last week, while you are waiting for your coach and fellow
trainees to arrive at the parking lot, please warm-up by walking the
length of the parking lot and back. Shake the cobwebs out of your legs
with a simple warmup walk that should take you about 5 minutes.


After you finish the walk, do some *light* stretching, if you wish.
Very gentle stretches, not of your prime movers - your hamstrings or
your calves - but of the supporting cast, your glutes, hip flexors,
ankles, or your abdominals. Prep your abdominals, as well as your legs.



4) Post-run brunch.


Anyone who wants to join the group for brunch after the workout can meet
us at the Silver Diner in Clarendon:


http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=silver+diner+clarendon+virgini\
a&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,176813183584492688&ei=YbiZSZ2ZApPHtgfSka2lCw&sa=X&o\
i=local_result&resnum=1&ct=image

It is by no means a required activity of the program, but if you can
join us, I hope to see you there after the workout.



5) Adjusting pace, mode or distance for your own circumstances.


I'm been working with one trainee over the past two weeks, who runs a
very hilly course on her midweek workouts. On that course, she is
having difficulty with running a full 3 minutes at a time, even though
she can do this Saturdays when we run on a flatter course.



The solution I suggested was for her to do 2:1 intervals on the hilly
midweek course: 2 minutes of running to 1 minute of walking. This,
on hills, still gives her a very good workout, but does not over-strain
her. Eventually, running all those hills will give her additional leg
strength, so she will be able to substitute 3:1 and 4:1 run:walk modes.
But for now, a simpler method will still keep her training, and will
eventually pay off.



Similarly, even though the schedule may call for 3:2 mode on your own
midweek workouts (3 minutes of running to 2 minutes of walking), it is
more important to keep doing those midweek runs, even at a different
mode, than to stop or limit the midweek work.



Now that we're up to 3 mile workouts, and we're doing more running than
walking in our workouts, you really can't "fake it" (if you ever
could). As I mentioned last Saturday, the fitness improvement brought
about by additional runs per week, particularly the 61% increase in
fitness achieved by running 3 times per week versus 2 times per week, is
staggering.



So whatever you need to do, to complete those midweek workouts, do it.
If you keep doing the midweeks, the limitations of your body now will
give way, and eventually, you will be able to run 4 minutes for every
minute you walk, on every run you do.




6) Running Injuries [Part 2]


This is the second (and last) time I'll write about running injuries
extensively in this training program.



I guess my interest in the subject started with my own injury, a pinched
nerve in my left foot, that I am still dealing with after 3+ years.
And over the years, I have consulted and coached many runners coming
back to running from injuries. It is an area of coaching in which I
intend to improve my own skills this year.



As I mentioned last week, a running injury does not necessarily mean the
end of your running career. It certainly does not mean the end of
physical fitness for you. But it does require knowledge and discipline
to properly heal from any episodic or serious running injury, and to
come back to full form and enjoy running again.


The following is an introduction to more common injuries, and I hope it
would be of some help if you ever find yourself with one or more of
them. If you do, please seek proper medical care, and as your homework,
find out as much as you can about your injury. Knowledge is power.



a) Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness ["DOMS"]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOMS


DOMS is a relatively minor or transitory ailment caused by the
micro-tears in your muscles after strenuous exercise.


But unlike immediate soreness, DOMS can occur a day or more after the
exercise, and is not unlike like the way you feel the morning after a
hard night on the town (minus the hangover). The cause of DOMS is
most recently hypothesized as leaking blood vessels from the
micro-trauma to your muscles, torn up by the trauma of exercise too
intense for your current level of fitness. Ian MacNeill, et al., The
Beginning Runner's Handbook (Greystone Books, 2001) at 119.



DOMS is usually minor in nature, and R.I.C.E. is often effective at
reducing any pain you might feel. Light stretching might also help.
Vitamin I6 (a.k.a. Ibuprofen) used sparingly may help you get along
with daily activities.



But give yourself time to heal. If you get DOMS repeatedly, it means
that your individual workouts are too strenuous, and you need to back
off the intensity so you can repeat workouts 3 times a week and not be
debilitated after each one. DOMS is a warning that your over-exertion
may lead to a more serious injury.


See also - Bob Glover, et al., The Runner's Handbook (2d Ed., Penguin
Group, 1996) at 529-31; Dr. Timothy Noakes, Lore of Running (4th Ed.
Oxford University Press, 2003) at 816-18.



b) Plantar Fasciitis
cf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis


The Plantar Fascia is a mass of connective tissue running from your heel
to the metatarsal bones of your toes, at the very bottom of your foot.
You walk on it every day.


Inflammation of the Plantar Fascia, called Plantar Fasciitis [P.F.],
may be cause by a mis-pronation of the foot: over-pronation, where the
foot rolls to far inward on each running step, or under-pronation, where
the foot does not roll far enough. It could also result from
over-training.


Apart from pain while running, P.F. is felt most often on the first
steps out of bed in the morning.


Beyond R.I.C.E. and changes in running shoes, the most common treatment
for P.F. for runners is the prescription of custom orthotics by a
podiatrist. These orthotics are designed to change the pronation of the
foot to a more neutral pronation, lessening stress on the plantar
fascia. The number of runners who wear orthotics for P.F. is higher
than you would think.


However, in the opinion of this coach, P.F. is over-diagnosed, and other
foot ailments can be mis-diagnosed as P.F., in which case orthotics are
marginally effective.


See also - Glover, supra, at 524, Jeff Galloway, Galloway's Book on
Running (2d Ed. Shelter Publications, 2002) at 209-214, Noakes, supra,
at 799-801.


3) Achilles Tendinitis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles_tendonitis


The Achilles Tendon, the strongest tendon in the body, connects three
muscles of the lower leg to the heel bone, behind the ankle joint.


The tendon is so-named, because the Greek legend of Achilles relates
that as a baby, his mother held him by the ankles to dip him into a
magical river to give his skin invulnerability. But because his ankles
were not exposed to the river, when a Trojan spear later penetrated
the seemingly unimportant tendon behind his ankle, it gave him a lethal
wound. To this day, the "Achilles Heel" is any deadly deficiency in an
otherwise strong or impenetrable human plan or creation.


Achilles Tendinitis [A.T.] is an inflammation of the tendon, often
caused by poor blood supply to it, excessive ankle pronation, poor shoe
fit, insufficient warm up, uphill running, trauma, or heel bone
deformity. MacNeill, supra, at 117.


In severe case, the Achilles Tendon may actually rupture. The runner
on the ground, grasping his or her ankle, and screaming out in pain,
probably has ruptured the Achilles tendon.


R.I.C.E., shoe orthotics, and exercises to increase strength and
flexibility of the feet calves and shin often aid an inflamed Achilles.
MacNeill, supra. But because A. T. can be progressive, medical
attention is recommended.


See also - Glover, supra, at 522-23, Galloway, supra, at 207-209,
Noakes, supra, at 825-832.




4) Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splints)


Shin Splints are pains in your lower leg, in your calves. They usually
result from minute tears in your muscles as they attach to your lower
leg bones. Proffered causes of shin splints include muscle tightness,
excessive pronation, inadequate flexibility of the ankle, and
repetitive stress to the tibia or the fibula, the bones of the lower
leg. MacNeill, supra, at 118.


Treatments for shin splints include R.I.C.E., a 1-2 week break from
running, orthotics, and exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles
of the lower legs. MacNeill, supra.


In my experience, shin splints are a classic overuse injury, and often
plague distance runners who ramp up mileage swiftly following a period
of inactivity. If you suffer from shin splints, please re-adjust your
run frequency, your pace, and/or your run distance. You may need a
more gradual progression in training.


See also - Glover, supra, at 528-29, Galloway, Supra at 214-216.




5) Knee Injuries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knee
Galloway, supra, at 202-206


There are at least half a dozen knee injuries possible for runners, and
the human knee is one of the most complex joints in the human body.
The knee is often the victim of mis-alignments of other joints, problems
in footstrike or pronation, improper footwear, training mistakes,
cambered road surfaces, and a host of other causes.


Because of that, when a trainee complains of knee pain, I almost always
recommend a medical exam, which might also include an X-ray and/or an
MRI. There are simply too many moving parts inside the knee for lay
diagnosis of an injury - let alone determination of the injury's cause,
or a treatment and rehab program.


Here are two common injuries which manifest themselves in the knee, but
have vastly different causes:


5a) Patellar Femoral Syndrome ["Runner's Knee")


Patella Femoral Syndrome (PFS) has a specific set of symptoms:


- localized pain around the kneecap that is not the result of sudden trauma

- pain that gets worse and worse over time,

- pain that comes on after a period of inactivity, such as when you are
sitting for a long period of time.


PFS is a classic overuse injury occurring at the inner or outer border
of the kneecap. MacNeill, supra, at 112.


Dr. Tim Noakes says that PFS is caused either by excessive ankle
pronation (and inward roll of the foot), or by a compensation elsewhere
for improper pronation. The excessive roll of the foot cases a twisting
of the knee, if a direction the knee was not designed to twist.
MacNeill, supra, Noakes, supra at 791-93.


R.I.C.E. will help PFS in the short term, but a cure will have to
involve correcting the underlying bio-mechanical problem, be it better
footwear, orthotics. MacNeill, supra. PFS is the victim, the perp is
actually the way your foot hits the ground. This is why medical
intervention for knee pain is essential - if you treat only the symptoms
in the knee, or mask the pain with drugs, you will never, ever, correct
the real problem.


See also, Galloway, supra, at 205, Noakes, supra at 789-94.



5b) Iliotibial Band Syndrome


The Iliotibial or "IT" Band runs along the outside of your leg, from
your hip down to your tibia. Any imbalance in knee movement can cause
the knee to rub against the IT band on the outside of the knee.


Noakes claims that 70% of IT band sufferers have biomechanical
structures that inadequately absorb shock. Noakes, supra, at 797.
Poor shoes, hard running surfaces, cambered road surfaces and training
errors have all been cited as causes of IT band problems. MacNeill,
supra, at 114.


R.I.C.E. can offer some short-term relief, but anything approaching a
cure must lessen the shock to the skeletal system, including more
cushioned shoes, or softer running surfaces. MacNeill, supra.


I have talked with runners who claim that warm-up and stretching is
essential to preventing or recovering from IT band pain. Connective
tissue does not normally benefit from stretching, but the IT band is the
exception to the rule. IT band sufferers who have overcome their
injuries stretch before and after runs religiously. Other adjustments
to your training program may be required. MacNeill, supra.


See also - Glover, supra, at 527, Galloway, supra, at 217-221, Noakes,
supra, at 794-99.


6) Stress fractures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_fracture


Stress fractures can be non-total breaks in your bones, single or
multiple cracks in your bones. They are characterized by acute pain
that can be pinpointed to specific area. In runners, they are most
common in the feet or lower legs, though possible in any bone bearing
stress from running. MacNeill, supra, at 118.


Stress fractures are a classic overuse injury, an extreme form of
pronation or footstrike problems, or shin injuries. Bones are the
slowest physical system to adjust to the demands of running, especially
repeated pounding on asphalt or concrete surfaces. If mileage is
increased too quickly, mental, cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems
may all adapt in time, but bones may lag behind.


Treat stress fractures early with medical attention early. MacNeill,
supra. If left untreated, any bone break or fracture can mis-heal,
resulting in a permanent mis-alignment of bone and deterioration of
running form. Home treatment of stress fractures includes R.I.C.E. and
cessation of running for as long as required. During this hiatus,
your doctor might allow non-impact exercise (swimming or upper body).
You may have to remove weight from the fractured bone, by using
crutches. MacNeill, supra.


Stress fractures are not limited to middle-aged or older runners. This
past week, I ran into a student I knew from work study and from a VTC
class I monitor, limping around on crutches. Long story short, she got
a stress fracture of the hip from running on a trip to Russia. At age
20. Inwardly, I shuddered, and every coaching warning bell went off in
my head - she was exactly the thin-framed female of Northern European
extraction most at risk for osteoporosis in later life. I advised her
to get a bone density test ASAP.


Pure and simple, the threat of stress fractures is the reason our
program takes three months to go from a half mile to four miles. No
stress fractures on my watch!


See also - Glover, supra, at 533, Noakes, supra, at 810-816.




Hopefully, all the above is academic, and will never concern you,
personally. But if they, or any other malady, affects your running,
please know that you are not alone, and that other imperfect physiques
have overcome those injuries and have returned to many years of running.


But for now, if something hurts after a run, talk to me. I'm only a
coach, not a doctor, but I can tell you if the symptoms seem familiar.
And I will always tell you when I think you should seek a real medical
opinion.



I hope to see everyone - healthy! - at Columbia Island Marina on
Saturday! If you have any questions, please write back, or call me at
703-371-5171.


Till then, Happy Trails!


Coach John


John H. Steitz
RRCA Certified Running Coach
USATF Level 1 Certified Track and Field Coach
Arlington Cooperation Foundation
703-371-5171
http://www.marathoncharitypartners.org/walktorun/