Active Community: Message List

How can a runner build up his "shock absorbers"?

guest — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:59:29 GMT

I just read this article on the running phsyio blog that talks about the concept of modifying your activities to get over a chronic injuries:

http://www.running-physio.com/pacing/

It's written with regard to back pain and running but I think the basic premise could apply to most conditions that have been going on for years. You mentioned having a long history of being injured. Your nervous system may be sensitive to any increase in activity as a conditioned protective response that's something you may have to work slowly to overcome.

Finishing up Hamstring Pull Recovery?

guest — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:04:42 GMT

If it is a hamstring injury then those can take awhile to heal completely. It sounds like you're getting a lot of different opinions about what the root problem is. Here is an article that was published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical therapy that talks about the treatment of hamstring injuries:

Hamstring Strains: Recommendations for Diagnosis, Rehabilitation, and Injury Prevention

It's geared more toward clinicians but worth reading to maybe gain some insight as to what could be going on. I think you're best bet is to find the doctor or PT who you trust the most and stick with their recommendations until the injury is completely healed.

Re: Running with Ankle or Wrist Weights

guest — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 21:54:20 GMT

I think this an interesting concept but most likely the risks outwieght the reward. Carrying weights in your hands or strapping around your ankles places the added resistance at the end of long lever arms which would alter running form and could lead to overuse injuries--considering the number of repetitions you would be performing even over a short run.

A weighted vest might make more sense in terms of improving strength, endurance, and oxygen consumption but it's also going to add increased load to your joints which again could cause injury. This may be ok for short, sprinting type workouts.

The other issue is that even though you may adapt to running with weights this will only mean that you become more efficient running with added resistance and doesn't necessarily mean that the results will carry over to making you a faster or more efficient runner at your normal body weight.

Re: Newbie-injury question

guest — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 02:43:29 GMT

Did the pain start after you began running? It's difficulty to determine what causes plantar fasciitis and every individual responds differently to different treatment. I developed plantar fasciitis a few years ago that I'm pretty sure was caused by a shoe/insert combination that didn't work well with my foot. I tried a number of treatments that didn't really do much to resolve the pain. The symptoms went away after I started wearing a wider variety of shoes--some supportive, some flimsy.

If this was the reason my plantar fasciitis resolved I can only guess why it helped. Mayb the different types of shoes shifted the areas that were under pressure in the bottom of my foot, allowing the injured part to heal faster. Using the less supportive shoes may have also allowed the muscles of the arch to get stronger.

I second what Len said that low heel of the Minimus will stress the achilles more so if you haven't worn minamilist footwear before you need to take your time adjusting to them. The NB website says to limit using the shoes to 10% of your running workouts initially and gradually increase time and distance.

Wave, nod or ignore...What do you do?

guest — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 20:54:23 GMT

I usually nod or say good morning unless the person seems to be going pretty hard or in their own zone. For me it's encouraging encountering and greeting other runners on early morning runs. On the weekends I usually run in an area with a good number of walkers, runners, and bikers so acknowledging everyone would be nearly impossible and I get the feeling other people realize this too so we all just accept it.

Barefoot vs. Shoes vs. Orthotics?

guest — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 20:30:13 GMT

Great link Len. Its good to see some objectivity in this debate. There are certainly outspoken proponents for the barefoot movement that tend to overshadow the lack of clear evidence for their cause. The running shoe industry has also been promoting their shoe type classifications (neutral/stability/motion control) without much research and the same could be said of orthotics. I try to keep up with the research and current trends to expand my knowledge as a clinician but realize the limitations of trying to apply these findings in practice.

Here is a fairly recent study (of which Lieberman was a part of) comparing injury rates in forefoot and rearfoot strikers.

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2012/07000/Foot_Strike_and_Injury_Rates_in_Endurance_Runners_.17.aspx

The journal publishing this seems to publish a good number of barefoot studies so take it for what it's worth.

Help Evaluate My Training Routine...

guest — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 03:00:14 GMT

Congratulations on your new journey. Even though it sounds like you're doing fine progressing on your own I would still recommend you follow a more structured plan tailored to new runners like C25K. Those plans are designed to ensure you're getting adequate recovery between runs so your body has time to heal. Even though you haven't been getting sore you should still be carefull because overuse injuries take awhile to appear, and once something develops usually the only option is to stop running which would derail your fitness plan.

You seem to be progressing your time slowly but you are running a lot. Most beginner programs I've seen have only 3-4 running days each week. Running 5 days after just a month of training may be too much. As far as intervals--I've seen people do well with both interval type programs and continuous running. Having a structured program is nice because it takes some of the guess work out of the process. Best of luck

Barefoot vs. Shoes vs. Orthotics?

guest — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 02:32:40 GMT

Hi Sue, I'm a PT and have also been reviewing a lot of the research on this topic lately. I second Joseph Tree's suggestion about Dan Lieberman's work. I have links to some other studies looking at the effect of footwear on joint loading. If you're looking for more articles let me know

I'm starting to conclude that the typical cushioned raised heel shoe is at the very least less than optimal for both walking and running. I developed plantar fasciitis after a running specialty store recommended I wear stability shoes AND orthotic inserts which I now realize was way too much support. Lately I've been transitioning to barefoot/minimalist running without problems although some people who are used to modern shoes may never be able to adjust their form enough to get the benefits and minimize the risks of barefoot/minimalist running.

Pain in the outside of my ankle

guest — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:40:56 GMT

How hard were you training for the half's? If the pain is right on the bone and the bone is painful when you press on it then it could be a fibular stress fracture although those are not that common because the fibula doesn't bear that much weight. The other problem in that area that comes to mind is peroneal tendinitis. Both of those could be caused by overtraining and/or mechanical issues with your running form. Staying away from high impact activities for the last few weeks was a good decision but if it's a stress fracture those can take several months to heal.