When it comes to building a training schedule, most runners and coaches follow a 7-day training plan which usually consists of some combination of speed work, tempo, long run, and easy days. For most, this seems to make sense given that our everyday lives and routines are structured around a Monday to Friday work week followed by a two-day weekend.
7 or 10 day training cycle? Read More »
The muscles in your body are grouped into different compartments which contain muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. These compartments are divided by fascia, which is a layer of connective tissue found throughout the body. The main purpose of fascia is to hold tissues in place. When there is excessive swelling in one of these compartments, it leads to something known as Compartment Syndrome.
Compartment Syndrome Read More »
One could argue that our feet take the brunt of the beating and are considered one of the more vulnerable areas of the body while running. Every day we squeeze our feet into different types of shoes (sneakers, boots, flats, dress shoes, etc.) which can have a negative effect on the overall health of our feet.
In the running world, the most common way to measure training load is how many miles per week an athlete is doing. While running distance is an important factor, it only accounts for one aspect of training stress. It can actually be a poor representation, and an underestimation, of training stress.
Quantifying Training Load Read More »
As runners, we put a lot of stress on our body in many ways – physically, mentally, emotionally…you name it! Unfortunately, this tends to result in injuries. And bone stress injuries are always close to the top of that list. A recent study from the National Institutes of Health showed eumenorrheic female athletes have a spinal BMD of 5-15% below non-active individuals! With a lower BMD, runners tend to be at a greater risk for these bone stress injuries.
While many events have been closed, postponed, or canceled during this unique time, we are lucky enough as runners to have the ability to continue participating in our favorite sport. From new runners to experienced runners, many are using this time to build their running base despite empty race calendars.
At-Home Recovery Modalities Read More »
Cupping originated as a traditional, holistic Eastern Chinese medicine approach to muscle recovery and healing in which the goal was to balance the “qi” in the body as well as the “yin and yang” (positive and negative). However, more recently it has grown in popularity among a wide variety of athletes. In Western medicine, the cupping technique is described as creating a negative pressure to increase blood flow to the targeted skeletal muscles.
Cupping For Runners Read More »
Winter running brings many challenges. Some people resort to the treadmill, while others brave the cold and layer up. If you are one of the brave souls who run outside in the winter months, one of the biggest dangers is your footing in the snow and ice. There are a few different modifications and additions you can make to your shoe to help prevent slipping and falling. Two of the main options are Yaktrax and a modification called “the screw shoe.”
YakTrax for Winter Running Read More »
