CP running thread

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Anyone have suggestions for plantar fasciitis? I have been running for years and years and finally had this problem in my right foot develop about six months ago. The pain is very bearable when I run, but after resting for a while it can become excruciating. I backed off distances for about a month which fooled me into thinking it was better. I upped my mileage again and it is back with a vengeance.

Strassburg Sock and a frozen bottle of water works for me.

Also, it’s not something you should try to run through or it will get worse.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Anyone have suggestions for plantar fasciitis? I have been running for years and years and finally had this problem in my right foot develop about six months ago. The pain is very bearable when I run, but after resting for a while it can become excruciating. I backed off distances for about a month which fooled me into thinking it was better. I upped my mileage again and it is back with a vengeance.

Orthotics. Specifically for runners. Footjax does great actual custom orthotics. He does all the imaging that podiatrists do but then adds and subtracts to build you exactly what you need. Best $500 you'll ever spend.

[RatherDashing]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Anyone have suggestions for plantar fasciitis? I have been running for years and years and finally had this problem in my right foot develop about six months ago. The pain is very bearable when I run, but after resting for a while it can become excruciating. I backed off distances for about a month which fooled me into thinking it was better. I upped my mileage again and it is back with a vengeance.

Have you been to a physiotherapist or other professional? I struggled with PF for quite a while a few years ago. I found that all of the usual suggestions (orthotics, ice, strassburg sock, etc.) worked well for getting rid of the inflammation in my foot. However the problem didn't truly go away until a physio pointed out how tight my calves were. Tight calves caused my feet to tighten up, which caused the inflammation in my feet. A few weeks of some stretching, rolling and strengthening took care of things.

I think if you only treat the symptoms your feet will just flair back up again down the road. There are lots of good specialists in Calgary who focus on running injuries.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Anyone have suggestions for plantar fasciitis? I have been running for years and years and finally had this problem in my right foot develop about six months ago. The pain is very bearable when I run, but after resting for a while it can become excruciating. I backed off distances for about a month which fooled me into thinking it was better. I upped my mileage again and it is back with a vengeance.

As mentioned, don't keep running as you are making it worse. Morning/resting pain is a sign of inflammation and is more indicative of the state of the tissue rather than how it feels when you're warmed up (ie running).

Rest won't solve the issue as the muscles in your foot and ankle actually get weaker, so when you return to running there will actually be more stress on the muscles / plantar fascia of your foot.

The most important part of rehab for plantar fascitis (assuming it's what you have, although the same is true for all pain) is strengthening. There are dozens of exercises and picking through them depends on your strength/weaknesses/mechanics, but almost all foot pain requires:
-Calf raises, starting off the floor and two feet and moving to a step and one foot (from 10 reps up to 30)
-Toe flexor strengthening, progressing through toe towel curls (seated, standing two feet, standing one foot) and up to toe gripping calf raises (two feet on floor to two feet off step to one foot off step)

Do NOT perform these exercises if there is any pain or discomfort.

If you don't get the strength of both of those back then there is a good chance you can get foot pain returning.

There is certainly a mobility component (tight calves, tight feet, etc) but this is much better handled by a professional (as mentioned by others). This is the other 50% of the rehab - so do the strengthening and progress through but often these injuries require some significant rehab.

[Wormius]

Well, with the pathways and sidewalks showing a marked improvement, it looks like my after work run commute can commence. Not sure if I should get full into 12k runs to start or ease into it a bit starting at 8k. It’s been since last September since my last run.

Last year tried a neck gaiter to keep my backpack from chafing the back and sides of my neck, but the gaiter kept getting displaced. Wonder if there is something that will work better once it gets to warm to be wearing a jacket with a collar out. Is there anything out there like a thinner version of dickey, or some shirts with enough of a collar to protect the neck. Can’t really use a running backpack because I need the room for lunch and a change of clothes. Maybe I could weave in some magnets to the neck gaiter to keep it from riding up and exposing my neck.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Well, with the pathways and sidewalks showing a marked improvement, it looks like my after work run commute can commence. Not sure if I should get full into 12k runs to start or ease into it a bit starting at 8k. It’s been since last September since my last run.

https://www.runnersworld.com/the-sta.../start-running

While it’s tempting to just go out and run as fast as you can for as long as you can, you’ll ultimately run longer, feel stronger, and stay injury free if you start by adding short bouts of running to your regular walks and gradually increasing the amount of time that you spend running.

You’ll start by adding one minute of running for every four minutes of walking

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

https://www.runnersworld.com/the-sta.../start-running

The article seems to imply starting from scratch. Not sure how much time off from running is factored in vs the former. 6 months off shouldn’t require that much time to get back into a groove.

[OMG!WTF!]

I know there's some research that indicates running is good for your joints but I believe you really have to react to what your body is telling you. You're going to get older and if you do anything a million times it's going to start hurting at some point. You probably need to ride a bike, row a boat, pull a sled or swim for a while. One thing I'm convinced of is that longer cardio workouts are not better unless you're just meditating or you just enjoy that sort of thing. You do get the same benefit from a short interval training routine as you do a long steady one....depends a bit on your diet but generally true. So if your body can handle the grind then do long runs. If not maybe it's time to switch it up.

[GGG]

I took the winter off running as well and started back up two weeks ago. I XC skied all winter so Cardio, quads and hamstrings are in really good shape still. My calves were dying after 5k. I'm adding 2k a week to each run until they are back to the 10/10/20 I was running last year. Might push faster this week as the 2nd week of 7k runs felt much better.

So really depends on what you did in the winter. My issue is holding back on cardio until the calves catch up

OMG - You are correct from a general health standpoint. Little additional health benefit is found relative to properly done HIIT. (I question whether people do it hard enough relative to the effort put in under supervision in the studies).

However if your goal is to run long distances quickly and recover from those efforts quickly than the only way to train is to run longer at a variety of paces.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by Wormius

The article seems to imply starting from scratch. Not sure how much time off from running is factored in vs the former. 6 months off shouldn’t require that much time to get back into a groove.

6 months is a long time!

Obviously if you've been active in other ways then it'll speed the whole process up, but there's a specificity component. Running is a tough thing to adapt to, and to jump in to 40+ minutes of it (or more) increases your risk of injury substantially.

The best runners aren't the ones that go the hardest, they're the ones that can run for a long period of time without getting injured. That's why there's such an emphasis on long, slow miles. They are the least hard on the body but keep you running. Of course HIIT gives you better gains, but more than 1-2 speed workouts a week will get you injured in a hurry.

[Weitz]

Any triathlon runners here? Any pointers on working the transition from biking to running while I train? I find it takes too long for my legs to get moving per se after a bike ride.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by GGG

I took the winter off running as well and started back up two weeks ago. I XC skied all winter so Cardio, quads and hamstrings are in really good shape still. My calves were dying after 5k. I'm adding 2k a week to each run until they are back to the 10/10/20 I was running last year. Might push faster this week as the 2nd week of 7k runs felt much better.

So really depends on what you did in the winter. My issue is holding back on cardio until the calves catch up

OMG - You are correct from a general health standpoint. Little additional health benefit is found relative to properly done HIIT. (I question whether people do it hard enough relative to the effort put in under supervision in the studies).

However if your goal is to run long distances quickly and recover from those efforts quickly than the only way to train is to run longer at a variety of paces.

That's true but if I already have a running related injury I would question whether running farther and faster is the right goal for me. There's so much emphasis on hard work and determination now. Every gym has stupid little chalkboard sayings about how you need to always work harder than yesterday and you can do anything if you give 110%. You can't keep that up as you age. You're going to get slower and less able to cover distances. I think injury prevention and longevity gets lost in the pain=gain mantras.

[Slacker]

Any experience running with a hydration pack? I'm going to start running with one in preparation for my spartan race.

Thanks!

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Any triathlon runners here? Any pointers on working the transition from biking to running while I train? I find it takes too long for my legs to get moving per se after a bike ride.

It's all about doing Brick workouts. When you get off the bike, go straight into a run workout. Doesn't have to be long, even 20 min will help. And the first 2K are a lie.

[RatherDashing]

Originally Posted by Slacker

Any experience running with a hydration pack? I'm going to start running with one in preparation for my spartan race.

Thanks!

I have experience with some of the Salomon stuff. I ran for years with one of their origianl packs, with the bladder on the back and some pockets on the front, which was good.

I recently picked up the S-Lab 5, which is the newer vest style, with soft bottles on the front and very little on the back. It's an incredibly nice system, feels like i'm not wearing a vest at all, is super easy to drink from, and has more than enough pockets to store food/salts/gloves for shorter runs. Is pretty expensive though.

Did you have any specific questions?

[Slacker]

Originally Posted by RatherDashing

I have experience with some of the Salomon stuff. I ran for years with one of their origianl packs, with the bladder on the back and some pockets on the front, which was good.

I recently picked up the S-Lab 5, which is the newer vest style, with soft bottles on the front and very little on the back. It's an incredibly nice system, feels like i'm not wearing a vest at all, is super easy to drink from, and has more than enough pockets to store food/salts/gloves for shorter runs. Is pretty expensive though.

Did you have any specific questions?

I bought myself a 2.5L hydration pack and my question is mostly related how to ease into running with one.

[mrkajz44]

Not sure what distances you are planning on running for Spartan, but I've found the number of hydration stations they have on the run is plenty of water already. The sprint and super definitely do not require a water pack. Adding the water pack just adds weight and makes the obstacles more difficult without providing much benefit as there are already several water stations on course.

EDIT: Now that I've seen you already bought one my advice is a bit moot, but I'll leave this here for others if they are thinking the same thing

[mrkajz44]

Now for a question of my own. I see to have an issue with the first 8-10 minutes of my runs. I'll feel very tired quickly and my pace is much slower than in should be. However, once I make it past 10 minutes things pick up and I feel good.

I'm trying to improve my times for 5-7k, so having a bad first 1/3 is obviously hurting my ability for strong times. Any suggestions? I think it might be a warming up issue - is the solution to just warm up for 5-10 minutes at a very slow speed before I start my "real run"?

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

Now for a question of my own. I see to have an issue with the first 8-10 minutes of my runs. I'll feel very tired quickly and my pace is much slower than in should be. However, once I make it past 10 minutes things pick up and I feel good.

I'm trying to improve my times for 5-7k, so having a bad first 1/3 is obviously hurting my ability for strong times. Any suggestions? I think it might be a warming up issue - is the solution to just warm up for 5-10 minutes at a very slow speed before I start my "real run"?

Yes. You need a good warm up. There's a bunch of different approaches for what your heart rate should be and for how long. Part of what worked for me was 80% of max for a minute around the 2/3 mark of the warm up and then a cruise to the ten minute mark of the warm up. Then about two minutes to recover and start. Another way to look at it is to run 10km's but take your middle 7 minus a 10 second flying start.

[GGG]

The other thing to do is train your race starts. So when you do speed work simulate the start of your race with your planned warmup, 2-5 minutes of waiting then starting into your speed work