Dear Body,

I need you to hold me up to run the marathon! Quit giving me weird pains in my legs with no warning. Right shin occasionally feeling a shin splint kind of pain. Left knee tingles weirdly and I have tight ITB bands. I don’t know if I am being overly sensitive or if I’m just listening to my body A LOT. You treat me well during the runs (my times are great, I am right on schedule with the plan- it’s after the run where you start talking to me). I really want to have a good marathon experience but all these weird pains are making me paranoid. I am attempting to treat you with respect: stretching, core work, myo-fascial release, resting (?!!)

From: Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald.

Illiotibial Band Friction Syndrome means weak abductors, tight ITB bands, and the remedy is strengthening hip flexors, stretching and deep tissue massage.

Shin Splints caused by increasing mileage too quickly or overstriding and the remedy is to reduce running then increase it more slowly, gait retraining, and changing shoes.

Patellofemoral Pain syndrome (runner’s knee) caused by weak hip adbductors, weak quadriceps, week deep abdominal muscles and the remedy is to strengthen hip abductors, quadriceps, and deep abdominals.

Message here:

Runner’s need as much core/functional strength as you can get!! The more I run, the more I stretch and strengthen on those off days. Thinking that the weight training is almost more important than the running.

Eccentric Leg Squats for Runners:

Stand up straight. Lift one leg up to a 90 degree angle and do a half squat. 10 repetitions on each leg for 2 sets. This exercise can be done in a variety of ways- but the bottom line is to strengthen weak quad muscles as well as your balance.

What do you guys think?

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Reader Question:

“How do I increase my endurance? I used to be able to run 10 minute miles but now I can barely complete one mile without being winded. I’d really like to increase my speed and ability to complete a 5km in a reasonable amount of time. I’m also planning on participating in another sprint triathlon in September and I’d really like to do better.”

Multiple answers here so, readers, feel free to jump in with anything I forgot!

1. Pick a local 5km race to do NOW. I’m thinking in 6 weeks you could be ready for a 5km. Pay for it.

2. Commit to a minimum of three running days per week, plus one cross training day, plus CORE and strength training work sprinkled throughout your week.

3. Challenge yourself in your workouts. Wear a heart rate monitor and determine your zones. 1 being walking to 5 equaling a full on sprint. I’d like you to do a little speed work in each workout starting with as little as 20 seconds FAST, followed by 20 seconds slow. You will also need to incorporate some hill repeats once per week at 30 seconds UP, 30 recovery. Your objective is to complete your next 5km faster than your last, therefor, you will need to step up your running accordingly. Not a lot, but, if you don’t train your body to go fast, it won’t know how.

4. Your long runs don’t need to be any longer than 3-4 miles and you work up to that many miles.

5. Take care of your body, stretch properly, and do some networking among your friends. Find the friends that will encourage you to run faster and run with them.

6. Stay positive. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line faster than your goal time. Right now, you need to come up with a GOAL time that you’d like to see on that clock. Write it down. You can also put little sticky notes around your house with the goal time. So that you are always CONSCIOUS of your goal.

7. I also recommend finding a running group in your area to run with at least once per week. This will help motivate you to run faster during training so that you can be better equipped to run with the group.

8. You need a PLAN. Runner’s World has tons of free training plans you can simply download, Matt Fitzgerald offers some pretty comprehensive running plans starting at beginner 5kms called Brain Training for Runners, and most of you know that I am partial to Al Lyman’s (Coach Al) running/triathlon plans. He offers basic running plans or beginning sprint triathlon plans for as little as $29. If you’re really commited, you could find a running coach in your area or pay an online coaching business to help you get up and running.

Finally, the most important part of all this wonderful training is that as you become fitter, you will be more confidant. Confidence= success in my book.

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You are sitting nice and comfy in the passenger seat getting ready for a long drive home from the beach, when SUDDENLY, your driver starts screaming at the top of their lungs. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!???!!??***”

You turn and look and you see your drivers’ legs have totally locked up in nasty, crippling leg cramps. They can’t drive, move their feet, or focus on the traffic, the lights or you (passenger). Driver must abandon driver position to suffer the rest of the way home. They are sore for the next five days and their training has been completely blown out of the water.

Or another instance, I compete in one sprint triathlon a year (except this year) and in the past, it was ALWAYS my goal to beat my husband. The second year I did it, I showed up to the starting line with like 3 weeks of barely running or riding. I didn’t care about anything other than beating my husband. I KILLED myself in the run and on the bike (granted he had some technical issues) but, I stayed ahead of him for both the run and the bike. I was almost to the transition area when I started feeling rolling cramps in my quads. Not debilitating but, if I didn’t stop I was going to be on the curb. I even got to the pool before him- then all of a sudden CRAMPSSSSSSSSSSS. Crap! There he goes past me. Inadequate training and ZERO performance drinks on the bike. He beat me by 2 seconds.

Once your body is cramping, you are basically STUCK. You’ve done too much and now all you can do is suffer. Good luck finishing the ride or race! If you can get your hands on a high quality performance drink it may help lessen the cramping, but don’t expect miracles. (ps. I do not refer to performance drinks as GATORADE!!)What causes muscle cramping? Complex question with many factors. Here are the basics:

1. Temperature

2. Duration of activity

3. Inappropriate preparation

4. Inappropriate hydration and caloric intake

5. Genetics

What I have witnessed in my many years of being married to a cyclist as well as from my father and brother (Hawaii Ironman Competitor for five years), cramping is more often caused by your body’s ability to adapt to the activity that YOU want it to do. In my humble opinion, I think muscle cramps are caused by the athletes assumption that they can do X on nothing. (not enough proper FUEL for too long of an effort) If you wait too long to rehydrate your body- it will “sputter and cough” like a car but if you “oil” it well throughout the effort, your body will reward you with a good effort.

Please READ the following resources:

Electrolyte Replinishment

Can Muscle Cramps Be Prevented?

The Athlete’s Kitchen

If you readers have experience muscle cramping, do you know WHY? What have you done to prevent muscle cramps?

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