Take care of your feet. They are the first thing to hit the ground every step you take when walking and running. We tend to forget about our feet because they are way down there at the ends of our bodies. Some of us can’t even see our feet when we start running.
I will start this article by talking about socks because they are the cheapest.
Socks are a really important items. Poor selection can cause serious problems when the mileage increases. A lot of people are used to buying socks in packs of 3 for about $5.00. It can be a real shock to the system to go to a running and store where they cost up to $10.00. Spend the money. Most good running stores have them available to try on.
Socks come in all styles and varieties. The best advice I can give you is to try them on in the store and see how they feel. I never know if I will like a sock until I try it on. I reviewed some SofSole socks here a while ago and I absolutely love them. They are pretty cheap considering they’re running socks. I gave some away to a couple of readers who loved them. The main reason the readers loved them is because they moved up to the high quality running socks. It makes a big difference. High quality socks conform to the feet, have thinner seams and wick the sweat away.
Now that you have some good socks, lets support those comfy things with high quality insoles. I can hear you out there now telling yourselves that you don’t need no stinkin’ insoles. “You” may not need insoles but for most of us they really help. Inserts help absorb the impact of the ground evenly to help keep the bone motion consistent in your feet.
I alternate running shoes. One pair of running shoes has SofSole inserts and the other has SuperFeet insoles. My every day shoes have Red Wing insoles that are placed into the oven to soften up. Then I stood in them to have them conform to my feet. It may take a bit of research to get the right product on your foot but the inserts are worth the effort as they put some personal customization to your running shoes.
Running shoes are usually the most expensive things on your feet and they should be replaced often. I used to replace my shoes every 300 miles. Now that I use inserts, I get 500-600 miles out of a pair. Every now and then, I will get a pair that crashes with only 100 miles on them then I hate that brand until I forget about the crash. My best advice for shoes is to go to a running store like Roadrunner Sports or Transports and have them put you on the treadmill for examination. A couple of minutes on the treadmill will let you know about your running style and what type of shoes you should wear. Most running stores have the shoes broken up by running style to make your selection easier.
Typically, I will buy my first pair of shoes at the running shop then go to a discount store to buy older models of shoes for my running style. I don’t like to spend $150 for running shoes every 1-3 months. If I could afford it, I would buy all of my merchandise from the running stores because they are so helpful.
On to hygiene – Keep your feet clean and your toe nails trimmed. It is amazing how many bad things we can do to our feet that can have an adverse effect on our athletic lifestyle. If you go to a gym, wear shower shoes that you clean often. Let the shoes dry between use. At the first sign of athlete’s foot, begin treatment. Do not let it go until the skin starts to peel. If you do get any dermatological problems with your feet, wash often and wear closed toe shoes as little as possible. Treat blisters just as carefully. When you trim your toe nails, get down there and get personal with them.
If you can’t reach your toes, take some yoga classes to improve your flexibility, then get personal with your toes. Don’t just clip your toe nails and leave the sharp edges to catch on the next toe or to bump into the shoe. File the nails down so they are nice and pretty. If you are prone to blisters, try some athlete glide or Vaseline on the spot that is sticking. Eventually your feet will get tough and you will get fewer blisters unless you try something new on a long run. Take care of your feet and they will take care of you.
I woke up yesterday morning with a sudden pain in my ankle, and it caused me to shriek and flail around the bed for a couple of minutes. It was a muscle cramp that mysteriously hit me early in the morning. Ouch.
I can recall the recent times I’ve suffered from muscle cramps – and it isn’t a very big list.
I had cramps in both legs after a very intense muay thai training session that my body clearly wasn’t ready for. I also suffered a cramp during my first 13-mile run (prior to the Oakland Running Festival in late March). I also suffered a nasty cramp during the Tilden Tough Ten race — a race that I expected to be a fun, easy event, especially after a difficult Wildcat half.
My most recent cramp, which suddenly hit me in the morning, is more likely due to a lack of water and electrolytes. My soda and caffeine consumption has significantly increased the past couple of weeks, while my water and electrolyte intake dropped.
Active.com posted five ways to end muscle cramps and it’s an article worth reading over.
How would dehydration cause muscle cramps? Fluids in the body are either inside the cell or outside of the cell. When we become dehydrated, the fluid outside of the cells decreases. Reductions in fluids cause nerve endings to be squished together, overexcited, and spontaneously discharge. That spontaneous discharge is a muscle twitch, which can lead to a muscle cramp. By maintaining proper hydration, you can prevent dramatic shifts in fluids that contribute to abnormal muscle contractions.
As the Active.com article also says, prevention and treating cramps may not be directly related to fluids — but since proper hydration will help increase performance anyway, it’s a good idea to make sure your fuel tank is properly topped off.
Congrats to all participants of the 2010 Armed Forces Triathlon, and especially the Air Force triathlon team, which won the event ahead of three rival military teams.
The Armed Forces Triathlon is based on points from the top eight men and top four women from each military branch’s team.
Image courtesy of Bob Denaro
The Navy had a 7-event win streak heading into the event, but couldn’t topple the Air Force. The Air Force had a total of 121 points when calculated; the Army was in second place; with 124 points; Navy was in third with 136 points; and the Marine Corps was fourth with 174 points.
Air Force Capt. James Bales conquered the overall men’s competition in the event, which featured a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike course, and 10-kilometer run.
Warmer weather has finally thawed out most of the U.S., and more people are heading out on bike rides. As someone who has ridden a few years on the road, I’ve noticed some of the dangerous things newer riders do to enhance the danger.
Image courtesy of Fotoreporter Sirotti
To help out, here is a recent article that discusses a couple of basics group riders should be familiar with. I’d like to add a couple of things to the BikeRadar article. These tips are for people who may be content with just sitting in the group.
Call out road hazards — This is a very important one, especially for newer riders. You have to learn what signals the riders in the group use, so you’ll be able to relay the message. If traveling on a busy street, the use of signs and basic communication can help prevent unnecessary hazards in the group.
Intersections — Intersections can be extremely dangerous for large groups of riders. While approaching, someone near the front of the group should yell “slowing” or “stopping” before stopping at the intersection. Once it’s clear to go (presumably after a green light), the first riders in the group call out “clear” to let everyone know it’s safe.Riding towards the front of the group will allow you a better chance of avoiding danger — but it’s unlikely an experienced group will allow newer riders at the front. It’s likely natural selection will occur, and the faster, more experienced riders will be at the front.
Pass on the left — Only pass on another rider’s left hand side! Riders who are familiar with one another may pass on the right, but it’s rarely okay to try and do this in a large group. Passing on the left is especially important if you don’t call out to the person ahead of you that you’re going to roll by.
Don’t be Rude — If you end up on someone’s wheel and plan to stay there, say hello or announce yourself. It’s rude to just draft off someone without saying hello (or taking a turn at the front). I usually just turn myself inside out to try and crack the person who didn’t say hello — but rude cyclists may give you a Cytomax bath, so just avoid the situation entirely.(There is an exception if you’re clearly suffering and don’t have the energy to come to the front and say hello.)
Many of you have read stories about park agencies across the U.S. facing the constant threat of budget cuts and staff reductions. I’ve read and seen the same disappointing stories, but there is still one project that keeps me excited. Each story I read about the 550-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail keeps me enthusiastic that such a beautiful trail is being developed.
Once completed, the Bay Area Ridge Trail will be able to support hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Just 10 to 15 miles of trail are being opened each year, so my generation (people in their 20’s) will likely be middle aged by the time the trail is done.
Most of the completed trail is on public land looked after by government agencies — but a lot of the proposed trail now sits on private property. It’ll be especially difficult to convince farmers and wine growers to sell or open their land for a park.
California has beautiful trails across the state. Ted and I are most familiar with the trails in San Francisco, the East Bay, and the American River trail in Folsom. Despite the upkeep costs of these park facilities, it’s great to see new trails being constructed — helping the environment and preventing construction.
Although the project is still years from completion, some mountain bikers are already disappointed with Bay Area Ridge Trail restrictions. For example, the SF East Bay has about 70 miles of ridge trail open, but one-third of it prohibits mountain bikes.
I understand some of the complaints regarding mountain bikes on the trails, and the East Bay Regional Park is doing it more for safety reasons. In a recent interview, it was noted bikes are prohibited on most narrow trails, especially if the narrow trail is open to equestrians.
To help explore the country despite peripheral vision loss, James Frigo decided to embark on a 4,063-mile bike ride across 13 U.S. States. Along the way, James has his father James Sr. as the tandem are expected to ride for 40 to 45 days, but should be able to squeeze in time for sightseeing.
They’ve been on the journey for one week, and yesterday’s update said the duo were scheduled to ride from the Grand Canyon to Bitter Springs, Arizona. About $7,000 of a hopeful collection sum of $125,000 has been collected for the Foundation Fighting Blindness non-profit organization.
Just nine of 400 companies approached showed support, as one company loaned the pair an RV. Another sponsor bought two road bikes and necessary accessories and equipment for them.
These across country journeys are difficult and challenging, but riding or running for a cause helps many participants. Another inspiration endurance challenge is currently underway by Ashley Kumlien, who is running more than 3,000 miles across the United States for MS research. Her blog is available here.
I’ve had friends complete events such as the AIDS Ride, and everyone only reported great things about the event. If you have the chance to help support someone like the Frigos or Ashley, then perhaps it’s something you’d consider in the future.
Bikes designed for triathlons and time trials are drastically different than the road bikes most of us are used to riding. Alameda Runners previously published an article describing the basics of tri/TT bike geometry, and tri-specific geometry was discussed.
A different article focuses on the basics of tri/TT bike aerobars (PDF), which offer riders a more aerodynamic position able to limit wind drag. The brief article discusses the brief basics of road bars and aerobars, and why road bars aren’t as well designed for aerodynamics as aerobars.
Triathlete Tech Editor Aaaron Hersh also points out the locations of the base bar, brake grips, brake lever, and other basics. Hersh also discusses clip-on aerobars that give road riders the ability to use aerobars without significant changes to the bike.
Integrated aerobars, which are put on bikes designed specifically for triathlon and time trials bikes, come with the shifters already at the end of the aerobar extension.
If you’re in the market for a bike to ride during triathlons or timed efforts, it’s extremely important to be properly fitted for the bike. Along with comfort and injury prevention, riding a bike frame that is the proper size coupled with aerobars set at the right angle could help performance on race day.
Ted has aero bars on one of his old bikes. He says it is great for resting your upper body before you go out on a long run after the bike ride.
Getting active and deciding to sign up for a local race can be much more intimidating than it needs to be. I find people are surprised when I tell them I signed up for a half marathon, got out the door to start training, and the rest is history.
My start in distance running likely won’t be as effective for most people: Ted is an avid runner, swimmer and triathlete, and a few of my friends are extremely dedicated runners and cyclists. My mom has finished half marathons, and I also have a couple of other family members that run.
It wasn’t a total shock when everyone heard I wanted to run – I was seen as just another member of the family.
For those of you trying to help a friend or family member get more active, there are a few great online resources. Active.com, Runner’s World, and other well established running sites often provide great guides for runners of all levels. Jen Murphy, a writer for The Wall Street Journal Online, provides a great guide for women looking to get started. Murphy talks about mental challenges, lists first-time running stories from other ladies, and offers a basic training plan:
If you’re starting off at square one–you’ve never run or you’ve been inactive for quite some time–give yourself eight to 12 weeks to build a base. Begin by going on a brisk walk so your body gets used to physical activity. Then progress to a walk/run. Try walking three minutes and running 30 seconds to one minute for a total of 25 minutes. Eventually shift to a run/walk with three minutes running and 30 seconds to one minute of walking. Gradually run more and walk less until you’re running a full 30 minutes.
I’ve seen some interesting training guides since I started running, but this should be effective while also preventing injury. If in doubt, this could be worthwhile advice to remember: Starting slow will help you stick to your training plan.
You should also encourage any new runners to start slowly and work towards goals… it will help keep motivation and morale high, and help prevent injuries.
In Ted’s recent review of Hammer products, he mentioned his stomach burned at a point during a long run. I asked Hammer about this, and received a prompt response regarding the matter.
“They are normally well tolerated, even with small amounts of fluid,” I was told.
The Hammer rep said it’s not an issue they’ve heard from other customers — and seems more like it was a problem with Ted’s stomach during training.
Update: Ted confirmed it was his own doing… either way, if you suffer while testing a new product, it’s best to try and figure out what caused the problem. As noted in this article, contacting the company may be an ideal way to try and get to the bottom of things. Hammer is extremely customer-friendly, and has an online forum with a very friendly staff ready to handle your questions.
I’m writing a review of the FINIS SwiMP3 for Alameda Runners (review for MyCE published here), but wanted to give you a quick look at the MP3 player. Here is the FINIS spin on things:
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