Source: flickr - Alaskan Dude

Dumb-ass running advice is everywhere and excretes out of everyone. Most of the time the advice comes from a helpful, but unfortunately ignorant place.

Here is some advice you can follow to ensure you’re screwed up, or at the very least, give yourself the best chance at it!

 ”You have to have expensive running gear in order to run properly.”

Everyone knows you can’t run unless you have the latest shoe technology, wind breaking jacket, sweat wicking socket, and GPS watch, right? While these items can be fun, they are also mandatory to enjoying your running experience. As an added bonus, you get to spend a truck load of money.

Running has the highest barrier to entry to any sport, at minimum you need somewhere to run. That’s asking a lot, I know.

“No pain, no gain.”, aka, ”Pain is just weakness leaving the body”.

As you tear the muscle from the bone or fracture a metatarsal bone, take temporarily comfort in knowing that you’ve overridden all of the warning signs your body was trying to deliver.

There’s really no reason to differentiate between soreness/dull pain, and the sharp acute pains you experience as the bones crack in your feet. It’ll all heal, eventually… and you’ll be the stronger for it.

“ Run on your toes”

Sprinters run on their toes, and look how fast they run! I watched Usain Bolt run and I’m pretty sure he only ran on the first three toes. His pinky toes didn’t even touch the ground.

By not allowing your heels to touch the ground you can better work out your Achilles tendon and calf muscles, giving them the strengthening workout they need.

If your calf hurts afterwards, you just need to keep practicing, eventually you’ll have muscles of steel and the iron will of a gladiator.

Source - flickr - hseoane

“Running is serious business”

If you don’t take running serious, you won’t do well. It’s not about having fun, it’s not about spending time on quiet introspection, and it’s sure as hell not something to do socially.

Plan a month’s worth of workouts and grind through them no matter what. When you’re through your training plan, start again, or get a longer plan.

“You’re too old to start running”

If you haven’t started running by the age of 20, you’ll never be as good as you could have been if you’ve started running at 16, so don’t bother.

If you start now, you’ll probably get shin splints and tear the cartilage in your knee, as you fall to the ground after experiencing a heart attack.

Just fatten yourself up to improve the outline on your couch.

“Take ibuprofen daily”

Always remember to take an ibuprofen before you run, and after. It’s best not to think of the consequences of ingesting chemicals. Ibuprofen stops pain, you get pain from running. Therefore, ibuprofen will prevent any pain you would have experienced during the run.

Just because the British Journal of Sports Medicine wrote that “there is no indication or rationale for the current prophylactic use of NSAIDs by athletes, and such ritual use represents misuse.” doesn’t mean they’re right. Chronic pain or dialysis forever is worth the risk to reap absolutely no benefit.

“Walking is evil”

If you go out for a run, and find yourself walking it, you’re an embarrassment to runners everywhere. Runners don’t walk, and walkers don’t run.

Hal Higdon may have struck a success w/folks learning to run longer, faster, and better — but you’re better than that.

Listen to the experts – Proper Running: From Heel to Toe – a video!

There are millions more tidbits of horrible advice, what’s your most cringe worthy?

Source: flickr - sirspacepilot

Caffeine – the legal running performance enhancer

Most runners who race, or perform hard workouts, benefit significantly from caffeine consumption.

When I tell people this, it’s either obvious, or mind blowing. Caffeine will enhance your running performance. And it is legal, one of the few performance enhancers that is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Not that most runners have to concern themselves with this.

The benefits only appear to those performing aerobic exercise though, that is to say that short term, high intensity activities do not receive a benefit (e.g. sprinting).

Caffeine is actually so effective that some experts, like Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky of McMaster University in Canada say, “There is so much data on this that it’s unbelievable, it’s just unequivocal that caffeine improves performance. It’s been shown in well-respected labs in multiple places around the world.” [3]

In one study, elite runners improved their time in a treadmill run to exhaustion by 1.9% with caffeine. Caffeine boosted time to exhaustion in a cycling test by 15 minutes in another study. And in a study involving swimmers, caffeine was found to enhance performance in maximal-effort swims of up to 25 minutes’ duration. All aerobic exercise — all solid improvement.

This isn’t cheating, it’s just a smart way to get a little bit extra for that goal race you’ve been training for.

But it’s a diuretic, right?

You’re right, it is, but it’s very mild. So mild in fact that exercise essentially mitigates any effects.

In a study to evaluate the amount of excessive sweating in long distance running, 9 athletes were given 450mg of caffeine either with 30 minutes of exercise or without.  The running resulted in a decrease in the urine flow and also a decrease in the amount of caffeine that was excreted in the urine.  This supports the belief that caffeine should not pose a threat of urinary problems to endurance athletes. (Barnard, 1992, via [1])

Source: flickr - mikebaird

How to Consume it

Runners commonly take caffeine in pill form (proven to be more effective than equal amounts of caffeine consumed in coffee) 30 to 60 minutes before races to enhance competitive performance. What’s the optimal amount? The ergogenic effect of caffeine is dose-dependent.

The maximum effect is seen with doses of 5 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. For a 150-lb runner this translates to roughly 340 to 400 mg, or the amount of caffeine you’d get in 14 to 17 oz. of drip brewed coffee. The minimum amount of caffeine the average runner must consume for a measurable ergogenic effect is about 2 mg per kilogram of body weight.

It makes less sense to use caffeine as a daily workout performance enhancer, for two reasons. First, workouts are seldom maximal efforts, and the rationale for caffeine supplementation is to enhance maximal performance. Second, the ergogenic effects of caffeine consumption decrease with habituation. For this reason, if you are a regular coffee drinker, you should cease coffee consumption four to six days before participating in a race. [4]

Trial and Error

Like all new things, it’s best to try out your caffeinated powers in a workout, as opposed to finding out on race day whether being hyped up on caffeine is right for you. Also, it should not be used as a sleep substitute or a crutch for low energy.

I have experimented with varying doses and can vouch for the fact that too much will leave you feeling incredibly “hyped” up, and unable to settle into a pace, but finding the right amount produces worthwhile results.

If you’re looking to experiment, to get a little more out of your next workout or race, caffeine is a safe and proven consideration. Thoughts?

More Resources

1. Caffeine in athletics
2. Drugs in Sport
3. NYTimes : It’s Time To Make a Coffee Run
4. The caffeinated runner
5. Caffeine and sports performance

For eons we were perfectly content to run barefoot around the world with no problems other than the apparent ones. We wouldn’t run through a cactus patch without shoes on, but there’s a very good chance early man didn’t either. Commons sense, particularly about feet and cactus, somehow feels innate.

Somewhere along the timeline, someone decided we need shoes on our feet, particularly when we’re running.

Even though we’ve worn running shoes for a very long time, there’s an emerging trend of barefoot running or minimal footwear which is described as any footwear lacking a cushioned heel, a stiff sole, and arch support.

Here’s a look at some of the specifics of barefoot running and how you can involve yourself at any level you desire.

Flickr: paperkim

Avoiding Hard-Surface Injuries

Contrary to popular opinion, running barefoot on a hard surface doesn’t increase the likelihood of an injury. Our bodies are amazing and have an uncanny ability to protect itself against these types of injuries.

In fact, in 1960 an Ethiopian runner by the name of Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon as a barefoot runner.

The combination of muscles, joints, ankles, and nerve endings cause our legs to naturally adjust their shock-absorption to account for harder surfaces. Whether perceptible or not, our legs stiffen just enough to deal with the additional force generated by the harder surface, while still giving us the range of motion we need to run.

Experts say people can learn to strike harder surface with proper forefoot and midfoot form to further reduce any risks of injury, as well as create a more comfortable style.

Unexpected debris—Barefoot running does present a higher risk of some injuries that might not arise when wearing running shoes, even minimalist shoes like the “Vibram FiveFingers Bikila” and “Nike Free” series. These potential dangers include:

• Broken glass
• Nails, staples, and other pointed metal objects and debris
• Sharp rocks
• Puncture thorns, spines, and prickles
• Jagged, uneven sidewalk and street surfaces

Many running shoes, even those categorized as “minimalist” will protect your feet against all but the worst examples of the dangers listed above. However, bare feet have little to no resistance against most of these items, which could prove quite troubling, particularly if you’re at your farthest point from home base.

Be prepared—Should you suffer a puncture or cut while running barefoot, what will you do? The best course of act is to stop running and assess the damage. If you’ve suffered a severe cut you should immediately dial 911 or someone you know who can immediately retrieve you. Foot cuts can bleed profusely, and continuing to run or walk on the injured foot will worsen the injury.

Clean the wound to the best of your ability and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. When running barefoot it’s a sound policy to carry an adhesive bandage made specifically for feet, and some antibiotic ointment. Neither item will take up much space in a pocket or bag and could stave off further problems.

Additional preparations include Tetanus boosters. Under normal circumstances we should have a Tetanus booster shot ever 10 years, but many doctors and nurses will administer one upon sustaining any type of injury like mentioned above. Check your shot records and if you have any questions or concerns pertaining to the last time you might have had a booster shot, call your doctor and schedule one.

If you’re going to run on an asphalt track at your local school, take the time to chose a lane and slowly walk the full distance. Remove all debris that could potentially cause you problems. Don’t be embarrassed to show up with an outdoor push broom to use on your chosen lane. After all, they’re your feet. Who’s to say what preparations you can and can’t make prior to running?

Flickr: marylkayoe

Tips for Transitioning to Barefoot Running

Walking barefoot— The natural transition into barefoot running is to start walking barefoot as often as you can get away with it. Experts suggest no more than a mile every other day, but at least a quarter of a mile to start. To assist in making the transition as smooth as possible, do not increase your distance by more than 10 percent each week.

The sidewalk around your neighborhood is a great place to start. This keeps you close to home in case you suffer an injury and offers just enough differing terrain to begin the process of toughening and strengthening the soles of your feet.

Run in place on your forefeet—Your forefoot is the area of your foot that includes your toes and the thick pads just behind them. If you’ve ever heard the term “the balls of your feet,” this is a direct reference to your forefeet.

Your forefoot is the strongest part of your foot, which means it should be where your place your focus are you’re training your feet to run barefoot. Run in place, on a hard or moderately hard surface, to help strengthen your arches, Achilles tendon, and calves. These are the parts of your body that will be most impacted by the transition and it’s important to gradually get them in shape and properly conditioned.

Expect some soreness localized to these areas, similar to what you would expect if you started exercising new sets of muscles elsewhere in your body. You can help alleviate lingering pain and rejuvenate tired muscles by stretching both before and after each workout.

Proper stretching required—As with any form of physical activity, a proper warm-up period is essential. Stretching your calves and hamstrings, while transitioning to barefoot running, is one of the main keys to an effective transition.

Stretching your calves—To properly stretch your calves, keep your entire foot on the ground and take a normal step forward with your other foot. You will feel your calf muscle stretch. You can bend your forward leg at the knee to stretch the muscle even farther. When you’ve reached a comfortable point, hold it for a few seconds and then step back.

Continue this method, alternating calves, for 10-12 stretches per calf. Do this before and after each workout, which will increase the blood flow to the muscles, help prevent them from cramping, and keep them limber between workouts.

Stretching your hamstrings—The hamstrings are a group of massive muscles located on the backside of our thighs, and actually contain three individual muscles: the biceps femoris, the semitendonosus, and the semimembranosus.

They function as a group to give flexibility to knees and hips and allow us to stretch, hold various postures, and turn quickly. Because of their size and their potential for long-term injuries should they become damaged, it’s critical to warm these large muscles before running.

The best method for stretching involves laying your entire body flat on its back. With one leg left in position, slowly pull the other leg toward your chest while bending at the knee. With both hands on the topside of your knee, pull your leg down and toward your chest. You will feel these large muscles stretching. When you’ve reached a comfortable point, hold that position for several seconds.

Continue this method, alternating legs, for 10-12 stretches per hamstring. Like your calf stretches, do this before and after each workout for the very same reasons.

Take care of your arches—Also, massaging your arches frequently will help breakdown old scar tissue, which has built-up differently from running in shoes. It’s important to listen to your body and if your arches start hurting, stop running and massage them.

With your thumb of your left hand on the bottom of your right foot, gently rub your arches with your fingers. Your and will naturally contract, which in turn will cause your thumb to simultaneously massage the mid-foot section of your foot. You can wiggle your toes and bend your foot at the ankle to assist in the total massage of your arches.

Repeat the process on your other foot. It should only take one or two massages in any give setting to help those muscles relax and feel revitalized.

With proper training and preparation, you can become part of a growing exercise trend and will likely see you distance increase while your times decrease. Remember, slow and steady is the key to success.

Never exercise a muscle or tendon you believe you’ve injured and properly stretch before and after each session.

I stumbled on this gem while reviewing some of the wonderful Thirsty Thursday series Jack Daniel’s does on flotrack.

The reason why I love what he has to say is that he’s intelligent, pragmatic, and drops a few humour bombs into this videos. It’s worth watching the whole 7 minute video for the perspective of a wonderful coach and researcher. He takes a much more practical approach than you usually here in the media.

Bruce Lee

I’ve been running most of my life in some capacity and am one of the many people who have jumped (out of my shoes) on to some kind of “barefoot running band wagon” in the last year or so.

The more it comes up in conversation the more I get a feel for the current climate of opinion towards it. Some people are intrigued and some are sceptical or even critical of it. Those most sceptical or critical people are very often…runners!

Accomplished running friends of mine have remarked things like “but I won’t be able to run as fast” or “I tried barefoot / minimalist running but it just hurt my feet”.

This isn’t too surprising to me as I have seen it all before within the martial arts world. (Stay with me on this if you are a runner and you’re wondering if you have clicked on the wrong blog!).

I have always run, but used to cross train a lot previously and studied & practiced Jeet Kune Do for many years. You may not have heard of JKD but I will be amazed if you have not heard of its founder – Bruce Lee.

If you pick up a martial arts magazine today (some 40 years after his death) it will almost certainly have an article somewhere discussing Bruce Lee’s impact on the martial arts world!

Source: flickr- mansionwb

The reason for this is not his iconic charisma or because his body fat count was off the chart, or because he could punch and kick so fast that he was accused of speeding up his film footage.

It is because he reevaluated combat from the ground up when he created an improvisational martial art. JKD worked on primary realisations common to all martial arts and thus common to humanity.

It was not bound by set techniques or moves but was interested in cultivating attributes: speed, timing, strength, efficiency, distance judgment and a knowledge of the mechanics of the human body. He was only interested in what worked. Anything else was embellishment.

The up-shot of this was that he was met with huge resistance, mostly from the most accomplished people in the martial arts community. Why? Because they had the most to lose if he was right.

People who, to paraphrase Bruce Lee, would be described as having: “spent many years sharpening the wrong tools” (e.g., training the wrong skills).

The runners whose comments I mentioned earlier are better runners than me (in the traditional sense of being faster or running further). They have more to lose.

It is not just that they do not have the patience to re-learn running again, it is that to do so is an admission that much of what they have been doing all these years may have been ‘sharpening the wrong tools’.

Bruce Lee was also after getting back to something primal.

Source: flickr - nhankhuong

JKD was not a utopian martial art built from all martial arts – it was the idea of getting back to the theoretical origins of hand combat. Something about the way humans are built to move, to express themselves physically.

Just as barefoot running is ultimately concerned with a pure form of running as part of the human condition. Bruce Lee wrote that “the height of cultivation runs to simplicity. Half way cultivation runs to ornamentation” [1].

Running has been embellished: The latest shoes, the latest techniques, the latest training methods.

Primarily, mankind used to run due to need – because it had a purpose (and if the likes of Peter McAllister are to be believed; most of mankind used to run a lot further and faster than most of us do now).

Personally, I’m happy with the debate.

It is interesting to note that it probably takes a certain kind of personality trait to be drawn to take up barefoot running – an open mindedness.

People entrenched in their training regime, people who are measuring their achievement in the main by race results and people who do not have the long term patience to re-learn most of what they have achieved are much more likely to be the ones digging in their (well padded) heels.

Mostly because it is a fundamental paradigm shift in thinking on what running is about. I might also fall into a category of reasonably accomplished (PB 36.06 for 10k in my mid 20s), yet not overly competitive runners who have less to “lose”.

I love running, but my life is not built around competitions. I run for the love of running. It is no longer merely about not how hard I can push my lungs and heart. Or even not just how FAST I can run, but how WELL.

[1] Tao of Jeet Kune Do p.24