Being a healthy runner (cont)

     This is a continuation from my previous post, "Being a healthy runner," after realizing that much like in school, we get so into other things that we forget the basics of the actual subject we're learning. And running is a learning experience, which has to be self taught in order to master.

     I'm not one for typically writing everything I do down. I'm more of a picture person myself, in order to keep memories in my head longer. But you can't take a picture and tell yourself what it means after a run. Running involves numbers for miles and times and all the things in between, and I suggest you take into account the importance of keeping track. I can't say I reinforce this idea entirely, especially because I can't keep track of things for the life of me, but I see team-mates and coaches (especially coaches) recording their times for all of their runs. I can't say for sure, but I would assume this allows some self-reassurance for taking days to rest rather than trying to keep it all in your head.

     With keeping track of your numbers, keep up to beat on your valuable joints and muscles. Too often we let the little things go, like our toes for example. You can (yes, it seems strange) stretch our your toes, which actually play a rather large role in your running experience all together. 

     Something that goes overlooked is where we're running. Running the same route can be both good and bad for you depending on the reason you're running. Constantly running on the same concrete road can be really hard on your joints. Try running on trails and grass to mix things up. I have found that this also improves your ankle strength (which can help with ankle pro-nation, which leads to shin splints and so on..) by providing an unsteady path. If you already have ankle problems such as a sprained ankle, stick to a stable surface as the uneven surface will simply irritate your injury and push you back on the road to anti-recovery. As well as paths, you can practice strengthening your ankles by standing on one leg for as little a two minutes-or however long you brush your teeth, which will also encourage strength. 

     I hope this post was in some way a nice refresher to getting back to the basics. Sometimes we overlook things because they seem too simple. But if you think about it, your body is the only one you've got, so you have to take care of it. We learn as we go, but sometimes we learn and can't take stuff back. Take caution but also don't forget to live. :) (450) 

Being a healthy runner

     The definition of injury itself can be quite tricky to a runner. What is an injury? Does it qualify as something that keeps you out of what you're doing? Is it something different and new to you that you would call painful? Is it a simple bruise? A pulled muscle? There's no exact definition, the determining factor is up to each individual as a runner. However, pain is pain, doctor visits are doctor visits, and sore muscles are indeed sore muscles.
    Breaking it down, it's an absolute no-brainer that the most common way to get injured is doing too much, or over-exercising. We tend to ignore our own bodies when they tell us to give it a rest. It's simple logic: the harder your workout is and the more you ask of your body, the more time you're going to need to take some time to recover. You may or may not have learned that as runner you  build muscle, and muscle is built by causing tiny tears (barely an injury but nontheless still one) and you will need time to recover. If you're in pain, take it into consideration and give yourself some resting time, no matter how hard it is to go a day or two without running. Don't train harder than your tendons will allow.
     Warming up helps to avoid injury. Typically you are supposed to "walk" according to all those articles you read from "the experts" however walking barely does anything for me as I feel it does for many others I know, especially because a runner's resting heart rate can be a little bit harder to raise by such a simple and everyday task as walking. If you're (especially) a distance runner consider lightly jogging for a mile or two, and that should do the trick. Listen to your body as you warm up. If you're in pain, take it easy, maybe just let your warm up be your workout. This is something I do quite often when my legs are hurting. Sometimes we think that pain will just go away after our warm up, but is that a good thing? It's like running with shin splints, eventually around the third or fourth mile they'll go numb, but most would not consider that anywhere near a good thing. While it isn't the greatest (but not absolutely awful) that you keep going during warm up, it is more important to stop if you are in pain after your warm up. This is one of the most clear signs that your body is not okay and you actually do need to rest. (435)

Running with your dog

     Recently my family has been blessed to rescue yet another wonderful little dog to accompany Hanz, our German Shepherd mutt (her name is Gretel). Hanz has been my running companion ever since the middle school days, and him being a big and very healthy dog, running is something he could do for days without end. He's absolutely been a pleasure to keep by my side (both for protection and for a nice pace) however he's getting to his old age now, and he isn't the same active dog that he once was. As I have come to realize this, I am now working on training my four month year old dog to try to fill Hanz's top of the notch shoes. And if you have a dog, I totally recommend you give it a try!
     First thing's first, make sure your dog is no longer a puppy. Dogs have to reach their skeletal maturity before they can go on runs with you. Typically, the bigger the dog, the longer it'll take (possibly up to twenty months!) and as the dogs muscles begin to tire, they won't be able to support their own skeletal system, causing bones to grind against other bones.
     When your dog is ready to run, take it nice and easy, as you would if you were getting into running yourself. Steadily and softly increase both the mileage and the time. Dogs are similar to people in the sense that they can't just jump into distance running. You have to ease into it. I typically imagine taking my dog for a run as very similar to taking a friend who has never ran before with me.
     Keep in mind that your dog will stay by your side no matter what. It is completely up to you whether they get a break and when they do. When they're exhausted, you won't be able to tell, because they can't just start walking while attached to the leash you're running with. Be generous. They need water and breaks too.
     Lastly, I recommend purchasing a shorter leash for your dog if you are using one of those retractable ones that allow dogs to walk twenty feet in front of you. When your dog is kept by your side, you both have a pace, and you can read your dogs body signs more easily. Plus, it's kind of cute to be running along next to your pal. (404)

Dislocating your shoulder

     Your shoulder is the body's most mobile joint. It's no wonder that people dislocate their shoulder pretty easily. But for a runner? How in the world do you do that?
      The answer is simple. Falling down. I had no idea what I was in for when I took quite a fall about three weeks ago. I didn't even feel my shoulder pop on out of it's socket. In fact, I was more focussed on my knees than anything and didn't even feel pain until the next day. When I woke up in the middle of the night from extreme pain coming from my shoulder and not being able to sleep on it, I became concerned that I had done something to it, but what?
     Originally I thought I had torn my rotator cuff, seeing that I was not able to even pick up plate with my left arm (the one that I hurt). But could I really have torn something in my shoulder just from a simple fall? There was no way. Immediately I went to go see my trainer to have it looked at, and what I found out shocked me!
     I dislocated my shoulder. Wouldn't you be able to tell though if it was clearly out of its socket? You would think, but my trainer told me that I had dislocated it, but somehow landing on it popped it back in. This scares me more than anything, especially because doctors are the ones who are supposed to put your shoulder back into its socket, not you yourself falling on it to put it back in!
     So how I was having so much difficulty moving my arm then? I couldn't lift anything, drive, or even put on a shirt without help. What happened, my trainer told me, is that when my joint was corrected during my fall, all the muscles and tendons in my shoulder moved around.
     I was told to do basic movement exercises to work on getting mobility back, and of course, not to do any lifting for my workouts. Who knew a runner could suffer from such a strange injury? Next time you're out and about, consider your shoulder's safety and watch your step so you don't fall! (372)

The joy of spring

     Ah, yes. Spring is finally here. What a wonderful time to be a runner. There is no feeling quite like the feeling of finally breaking out your outside running gear after a harsh and merciless winter. What's the best part of this run? Not the actual hills, the feeling of concrete beneath your feet, but the overall mindset you put yourself in to.

     Recently I've been putting down my phone, my watch, and the gps to track my mileage and simply put on my shoes to enjoy the run. I decided to start doing this when I made the decision to discontinue my running experience through my track team. The injuries weren't worth it to me, and the only reason I was really running (besides my team) was to get in shape for getting in shape for cross country. Long story short, I wasn't enjoying it, so I decided to take some time to focus on myself. 

     With that, I decided to rest a few weeks to allow my legs to heal before I would continue running on my own again. After a few weeks, I decided that "today would be the day" I would begin running. It was a beautiful day, and I decided to give it a go. Putting on my watch and getting my gps ready to go, I ran about a mile in a loop around myself and was absolutely heartbroken at what I had learned. After taking it easy, my times didn't match, and overall I felt absolutely exhausted and out of breath. I was afraid I was no longer a runner.

      The next week (yes, I was that upset) I decided to try running again on a warm night. What happened nearly brought tears to my eyes. I left everything behind (except my clothes and shoes) and began running on the nature trail. The difference no music, no time, and no tracking makes is incredible. Being able to hear the birds chirp, the wind blow the grass, and hear your own breath makes all the difference in the world. You almost feel connected with the earth, as if your footsteps are the very reason the earth is rotating in the first place. It's funny how the little things can make the biggest difference.

 I realized that I had fallen in love with running, and that as sports and competitions increased my love for it had lost, and all I was doing was training. So if you're struggling or going through a rut, I highly encourage you to leave all of your gear behind, and simply enjoy the run. (434)

When you lose it

     There comes a time at any runners life where they lose the motivation to run. Maybe you're in pain too often, maybe you're not seeing results, maybe you're just bored, or maybe you would rather do something else. Whatever it is, it happens. It happens to me, too.
     A common reason to stop running (this one happens to me all the time) is you become tired and out of breath on your runs. It's strange, especially when you know you're in shape and are fully capable of what you're doing. Here's my advice: if you were to talk to someone, could you do it in complete sentences? If not, you're going too fast for yourself.
     Another common one I experience a lot is feeling like stopping. You know what it is, stuff like hoping that the stoplight doesn't work in your favor so you get a break from running, or hoping the car about to turn out of the street it's on doesn't stop for you or blocks your path. It's the little things that you begin to look forward to just so you can stop. My advice? Don't start fast. I find myself doing this all the time. Starting fast will just drain your energy more quickly and make you feel tired. As long as you're moving, you're good.
     So what if you feel like you don't have time to run? Here's my simple solution: use a treadmill instead. That way you can stop whenever you absolutely need to, and are still connected to home to be there in case something happens or you need to be there quickly. This will take off more pressure than you think. (279)

Mental Toughness

     If you're a runner you surely have to have a certain amount of mental toughness to get to where you are. It's nearly impossible to run without it. Life is like that too. You need mental toughness in order to keep going, in order to keep fighting through everything that could possibly knock you down. I've noticed that my "mental toughness" has increased since I have joined cross country, partially because you're used to being in pain, used to seeing those around you throwing up, bleeding, peeing their pants, you name it. You can't help but develop a stronger mental state, and if you don't, you've woven out of the team.That's just the way it goes. It seems to me that as you build your mental toughness, tackling things that would appear difficult (in running and life) aren't so bad anymore. 

    One of the first things I hear from my coach is "control your breathing" as the gun goes off and all the cross country teams sprint off into the race. I haven't thought of it much until now, but it actually makes a lot of sense. When you breathe very sharply and quickly, you are triggering your nervous system's fight or flight response, which releases hormones that work with only short time periods. (Like sprinting) But you are a distance runner, if it were for a short time period it wouldn't be cross country. What my coach means is to relax your breathing. Don't relax your muscles, don't slow down. It means breathe through your nose (if at all possible) and out of your moth, allowing time between your breaths. I'm totally aware that this is not easy to do at all (especially with asthma and while sprinting for a little over three miles) but do your absolute best to set a calming, relaxing pattern as you chip away and the race. I recommend you sync your breathing with your footing in order to create both a secure pace and breathing pattern. 

     As your breathing is out of control and sharp, you tend to develop this negative mindset. This negative mindset allows all of your doubts, worries, and frustrations, to appear in front of your eyes as you run, distracting you and not allowing you to focus on how far you've come already instead of how much farther you have left. This is a huge part of mental toughness for a runner. I've said this many many times, but half of runner itself it completely mental. Positive thoughts will translate into a more positive run with more positive results.

     I advise you to practice crossing the finish line in your head. Day dream about it, day dream about running, and struggling. Coach yourself through your own thoughts before you even begin to run. You have to know what you want, envision it, and don't give up (especially when you're actually racing) on your goal. Easier said than done, for sure, but not impossible. And the reward is totally worth it. (502)

#Getfast

     If you've been reading my previous posts you may or may not have picked up on for my love for hills. No, I don't actually love hills. When on my runs and I come upon a hill the first thought of mine is nowhere near "Yippee! A hill!" but rather profound language that I don't feel is appropriate for a school blog. With every part of my body and mind I absolutely hate hills on my runs. However the results you can get from simply ten seconds on a hill are impressive, to say the least.
      According a Brad Hudson, an excellent distance coach, running uphill as fast as you can for ten seconds is all you have to do. "There's nothing better for developing speed and muscle power," he says.
     As a distance runner myself I would have to argue that exceeding in a race may take more than just ten seconds of uphill running. When you're running a 5K, that hill won't be the only thing to carry you, as you have to build up your endurance and actually make sure that you are aerobicly fit. Along with that, however, I do agree that hills are one of the best things you can do for yourself.
     So if you're simply going to "run hills" for your workout, don't kill yourself. By that I mean, keep it short and and sweet. And by sweet, I mean fast. It may absolutely suck, but it will have the minimum amount of risk for injury. The goal is not to become tired, it's to build muscle. Hills are the absolute best way to  gain strength in your legs, and strength in your legs (not always, but for many) translate into being fast.
     It's true, the actual fast part of running up the hill will be what increases your speed. But the actual slope of the hill will be what builds your strength and muscle. A benefit of sprinting uphill to go along with what it already gives you? The elasticity in your muscles improves, allowing you make each step faster and faster by basically springing off your foot like the Easter bunny.
     When it comes to tackling hills few are prepared nor willing to actually run up one. Let's face it, it takes both mental and physical strength, and some of us just aren't willing to tap into that stuff. Yes, it's painful, yes, it's hard, yes it's nowhere near pleasant or fun, but don't forget that you're a runner. If pain was something that stopped you, you wouldn't be running in the first place. Plus, the results last so much longer than the pain every will. (445)

Is dance a sport? (continued)

    This is a continuation from my previous post about whether dance is a sport or not. I'm not writing this with the intent to hurt anyone's feelings, I promise. It's for a class and it's required that I write something for my blogging each week, and I can't help but write about something that's been talked about amongst the halls of our highschool and locker rooms for the past few years. I am merely sharing my opinion, and I hope you respect mine as I respect yours.

      This is not an attack on the athleticism of a dancer. The athleticism of a dancer (like a cross country runner, football player, or hockey player) is determined by the work and effort alone that they put into it and themselves. In fact, this isn't an attack at all. Dancing is for sure an athletic activity, and if you were to ask me, it is by far more athletic than golf, but that's an extremely different topic for some other day that I am not willing to dip my toes in quite yet.

     Allow me address something that may be the reason dancers may get a little offended when somebody argues that dance is not a sport in the first place. The word "sport" is not a compliment. In fact, people in Asia way way way back in the day played sports by kicking around human heads. And the word "art" is by far not an insult. It is creative and expressive. That's more powerful than kicking a pigskin through a few posts anyways. People need to eliminate the thought of the negativity of art.
     Thanks so much for reading this, I hope you understand my point of view, espeically being a dancer and loving every minute of it. This is a tricky and difficult subject to talk or write about because the world is very opinionated on such a topic as this. (320)

Is dance a sport?

     Yikes, this is the first post that could actually spark some heat. Luckily, my blog isn't popular so hopefully I won't have anybody attacking me, but I feel the need to address the question that is rampid amongst this generation: is dance a sport?
     So just to give some background, I have done dance before, and I loved it. Last year was actually my first year of not doing it and I miss it sometimes. I can tell you from personal experience it can be very painful, exhausting stuff. There's no doubt. What you put in is what you get out. It takes dedication (like anything else you consider worthy of your time) and hard work. Here is my argue, however, and please don't hate me. I believe dancers are athletes. I believe that dancing is athletic. However, I do not believe that dancing is a sport.
     Just hear me out on this one. Disregarding even the perforamces that dancing displays, let's focus on the competitve dance competitions and the dance teams. The scoring of the competitions and each team and individual is subjective to the opinion of the judge. You can do the exact same routine over and over again for different judges and have a different score every time. You could compare this to a play that a sport team has (like football or basketball) however the outcome of the play on a football or basketball is not determind by a judge, but by a set of rules determined by a referee, and the score is determined by whether the team is able to complete the task that is given (scoring a touchdown or making a basket), not just the opinion of someone.
     Of course, technique comes into play. Obviously judges will watch for technique like pointing your toes and facial expressions (forgive me, I'm trying to keep this as simple as possible, and I'm aware there are many other things that they look for while judging) as referees will look for fouls and other mistakes made by the players on a sports team. However, there is no set rule for what is okay. I feel this is best demonstrated by giving an example.
    Say you accidentally look to the left instead of the right in the middle of your dance performance, while everyone else you're dancing with is looking right. You just so happen to be in the front and in the middle, and you've already had a solo within the performance, so the audiance doesn't think it's a mistake, but rather another simple but powerful solo. The judge may think the same thing, and you won't get docked for it. Let's apply this same situation to basketball. Say you move your pivot foot when you pick up your dribble and the ref sees it. The mistake is universal, and you will be penalized if noticed. (479)

Work those hamstrings

     I've come to the conclusion that I'm not the same freshman that ignored all things athletics and focussed soley on dance. With that being said, I am no longer able to do any sort of flexible move, especially when it comes to my hamstrings. When I was in dance I was told to stray away from athletics by my own dance teacher, because she wanted to keep my flexibility and that could be hindered by the building of muscle. Being a young and innocent girl, I simply nodded my head and (actually quit basketball!) did as she said. I don't know the science behind that at all, that gaining muscle can actually hinder your flexibility, but I wouldn't doubt it, seeing as my hamstrings are typically less flexibile than most male athletes I know. Keep in mind I haven't even taken into consideration being flexible while gaining muscle from running. The only goal was (and still is) to gain muscle.
      I know some athletes care about being flexible and personally I don't care at all, probably because I don't know the science or importance of that and should probably do my research. But if you are, read on, and I'll share some of my tips and experience in all things stretching.
     So let's start with the strangest part of stretching. Whether you have or not, you're probably curious as to what is actually happening when you're just doing a daily routine of your warm ups or cool downs with the team and your muscle actually feels as if it's shaking. Seeing as you're not an expert in all things stretching and your main concern being a highschooler is not the reason your muscle is shaking, you probably don't look too much into it. Well, you should! This is actually your body's way of telling you that you're creating microtears in your muscle tissue and are actually losing, not gaining, flexibility. Who knew?
     If you're a loyal reader then you probably have read my post on different stretching, such as dynamic and static and when the appropriate time to do both of these is. If not, I'll lightly catch you up. The best time to stretch is after you run, not before. Basically this will allow your muscles to cool down nice and easy. Along with that, I recommend stretching before you go to sleep at night just to give that extra flexibility kick. (403)

Hips are key to runners knee

     As a runner injuries never seem to just take a break. It's one after another after another. The moment you get one injury healed it's on to the next one. Especially for women, the root of all these legs problems is typically your hips. Depending on how stable your gait is, your legs can get messed up pretty quickly (as if have learned the hard way, unfortunately). But let's take a look at that knee of yours. I'm sure you've recognized that I am suffering from a long term knee injury called patellafemoral pain syndrome, which is basically just a fancy way of saying runner's knee.
    You may be asking how weakness in your hips could result in such an annoying and painful injury as runners knee and other sorts of various injuries (shin splints, tendonitis, the list goes on and on) and while it is a bit complicated I will try my best to simplify your recovery.
     There's all sorts of basic exercizes that have major affects on the strengthening of your own hips. It can make all the difference in the world, as long as you stay committed to getting stronger, even though it may seem as if you're not doing much. Your strength can be tested by a doctor or a physical therapist, and phsyical therapy is an absolutely excellent way to getting your joints stronger. The difference three months makes on my hip strength is incredible, however you have to keep with it or your strength can deteriorate just as quickly as it was built. (259)

I encourage you to try out the above exercizes, whether you are injured or not!

Healthy Hills

     Everybody is at least a little bit concerned with their own body, whether you admit it or not. As a runner, you may or may not have picked up running for this very reason. Maybe you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or improve your mental health. Whatever the reason is, you probably want to have a hot looking body for this coming summer.

     "Skinny" is used both positively and negatively in today's society. It is seen as both a goal and an avoidance. You hear songs on the radio about how the guys like "thick" girls instead of skinny ones, and you see fitness posts and models nowadays that are skinny, and often every girl wants to be like them. What happened to just being healthy? 

     So no, this post is not for those of you looking to simply become skinny, but rather for you if you're looking to become more healthy. Whether it bothers you that you will gain weight due to muscle gain and fat loss is up to you, but make your goal to be healthy, not unhealthily too large or too skinny. If you're happy in your own skin, than you're better off that most of the people in America.

     The first tip I can give you that I have noticed large results from is running hills. As a runner I can tell you from personal experience that I have a love-hate relationship with hills. God blessed with me long legs, however, and I don't mind hills all too much during races when it comes to passing a few people. Nevertheless, I still have a burning flame within me that absolutely hates what the hill asks of you when you are actually running up it. 

     Depending on how steep the hill is, you will feel your workout in different muscles. The steeper the hill, the more it targets. Finding a hill that requires you to literally lift your legs higher than your own knee cap will get you nearly full body results. My personal favorite hill (the one that assisted me in realizing my heart failure-see later post) targets not only my calves, but my thighs, hips, and abs. In fact, the more I work on it, the more I feel in my abs and less in my legs and my muscles begin to get stronger.

    Take caution in your stretching as you scale these monstrous hills, as your hip flexors tend to take quite the beating. If you rarely run in the first place, and then decide to simply start even the slightest incline, you will notice a aching pain in your hips (the front, where it seems your leg connects to your torso) and have somebody help stretch out your hip flexors.

    No runner really likes hills, but the results help you to like them a little more with a determined attitude and consistent practice. With the physical toll, the mental reward is much more rewarding. (493)

Running While Sick

     My latest struggle (out of many, since I was obviously not made for running) has been your common, everyday cold that I probably picked up from a family member. Most would think it's no biggie, and you're right- it shouldn't be. But I would almost rather get the stomach flu than a cold, and the reason why is strange. As you probably know from my past posts (that is, if you have been reading, and if you have-thanks so much for following me!) I have asthma. This "setback" has different shapes and forms. The lucky ones have gotten it only once in their lifetime during usually some form of bronchitis or other air-way sickness, and others, like me, have it so awful that it is year round, requiring twice a day medications, extra hospital and doctors visits, and notice it daily.
     So with my asthma, you're probably running why I would even run in the first place. You're right- I'm an idiot. And to be honest, I just wanted to prove the doctors wrong. But I'm here now and I'm used to it, so might as well keep on chugging along. (I should get to my point now, right?) With my certain circumstances with asthma and all, catching the tiniest cold is a really big deal for me. Asthma absolutely amplifies everything. I end up hooked to breathing machines and with a fever and throwing up just from coughing so hard! (The only plus, abs of steal!)
     Being in the track season, and not wanting to simply skip practice, I found myself questioning whether I should indeed be running or not, especially for those anaerobic workouts that leave you breathless in the first place. Is it a good idea to even run when you're sick? Here's what I know...
     First off, your immune system is weakened by what your body considers to be difficult training. (Probably how I picked up this cold of mine so quickly and intensely) There's this rule I go by, I must have picked it up somewhere along my running "career" and it's called the neck check. If there is no fever and all of your symptoms are in your head, then you're okay to do just an easy workout. Don't push yourself, maybe stick to some simple aerobic running, like three or four miles!
     If it's more than just in your head and you have a cough, or are sore, have muscle aches, or anything like that (especially a fever!) then please, for your own good, take a day off. I'm no doctor, but I can tell you from experience, allow yourself to heal and rest. There's nothing worse than pushing yourself too hard on a day that your body could not be pushed, and being punished by it for the next week or so.
     Track athletes, I know it's hard to miss practice, especially when your running is also important to others like your coach and team and not just yourself. But for the sake of yourself, please take it easy! If your coach is a good coach, they will understand. (517)

For the Days When You're Just Not Feelin' It

    This isn't specific science or anything I would appreciate someone quoting me on, but it's pretty safe to say that any runner can agree that for every three to six good days of running, there is bound of be a bad day of running somewhere in there. What I mean by this is that there are days where your typical five mile run feels much more sluggish and slow, and after looking down at your watch, you could not hit your goal times.
     It saddens me to say that the worst part about your "bad day" of running is not the painful ache in your calves and the feeling that your legs are made out of lead, but the little voice that is begging you to give up.
     This is something I witness nearly every day at practice in both myself and some of my teammates when we OD (over distance!) and I wish that I didn't. The fact is, when your coach isn't watching you, it doesn't matter what the little voice in your head is saying, because your coach's voice scares the voice beggin you to give up away. However, when your coach sends you on an aerobic workout and doesn't watch you, the little voice inside that head of yours is the coach, and it's wrong.
     This can be displayed during a simple five mile run, where the distance runners run to "just about" the two and a half mile mark (that's where you turn around) and cut the distance by what they think is just a little distance, but if you measure it it's actually about 300 or 400 meters.
     When running as a team it is easy conform to what other runners are doing on your team. One person's inner coach influences the entire rest of the group you are running with in your let it. "Turning back early" is said so casually, and I don't blame anyone for it, we've all done it.
      The difference this makes may not seem to appear in your athletic performance, but it may alter other daily work. There is a quote I always tell myself, esecially when I see people cheating themselves: CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING.
      While it may be easy to listen to your inner coach, especially on your bad days, I promise you if you allow yourself to suffer through to the actual destination, you will not only feel better about yourself (I gaurantee) but you will earn the respect of others. (421)

An Update on the Ankle

     This post is written about three and a half weeks after my previous post on my ankle sprain. What a difference three weeks can make!

     By taking it easy and icing more than you could ever believe, my ankle's healing has progressed very smoothly. Sadly, I must admit that this progression has not been a steady incline, but rather a rigid hill with many bumps and ridges.

     Kicking off the track season, I was very very nervous about running on my ankle. There wasn't a whole lot of things I could do to make my ankle recover any quicker than it already was, so I simply found an ankle brace that would give my ankle so assistance and lessen the blow, and decided to trek on off to practice expecting nothing less than pain. 

     I was happily surprised with how well my ankle held up during practice, and despite the high mileage, my ankle didn't even need to be iced once I finished practice. I cannot put into words the glee I felt when finishing my first week of practice with no extra pain in my ankle. 

     As track practice continued on into this season and we near closer to our first meet, I began to notice that we (distance girls, who generally run the minimum of an 800 in a meet) had not done very little, probably two at the most, anaerobic workouts. This is something that would soon change.

     Living in the midwest, the snow had not yet melted off of the track. You would not think that this is a problem. Running in the school parking lot is similar to the distance of a 400, except our school parking lot is on an incline, so the first 200 is downhill and the last 200 is uphill!!! 

    The first anaerobic workout I noticed that my ankle suddenly made a turn for the worst, which made me greatly concerned. The minute I took my ankle brace off I noticed my ankle was once again swollen and it hurt a lot more than it had in a while. I asked my physical trainer what she thought was up, and she said that it was because we had run on the uneven parking lot surface very quickly, which really irritated my ankle.

      This is an excellent thing to know, seeing as running fast time intervals are much better on a softer and even surface. Take this into consideration next time you decided to get a faster workout in! As for my ankle now, it has been over a month since my injury, and it is not swollen, but still bruised! (439)

Ankle Sprains for Runners?

     Training for the upcoming track season, I managed to completely injure myself with something that has nothing to do with running. In my morning weight lifting class, I was simply doing the exercises (jumping over boxes) when all of the sudden I was on the ground, a pain I hadn't quite experienced. Next thing I know, people are starring at me, a few jaws slightly dropped, and that's when I knew I had messed up. Suddenly I realized my ankle hurt, and I became instantly panicked.
     Having never experienced an ankle injury I was more scared than anything. The pain was by far not the worst pain I had experienced but it was defiantly enough to worry myself. Too scared to look down and see what the damage was, the weight lifting coach came over and took me to the trainers room, where I iced myself for the rest of the hour.
     After swelling, popped blood vessels, some artistic bruising, my sprained ankle seemed to be doing okay. So what is a sprained ankle anyways? It's the tearing of ligaments in the ankle. If you're like me you probably think that it sounds scary. You're right, it is, but you're a runner, and nothing can stop you!
     Lucky for me, track started yesterday and I was able to run on it, despite it being sprained! Here's how: for the four days I had until the beginning of track, I stayed off my feet for as much as possible. Along with that, I accumulated an air splint and an ankle brace to help ensure some stability.
     I cannot praise enough the importance and wonders of icing. I'm pretty sure that the reason my swelling went down so quickly was because I iced so often. Create a mini ice bath for your ankle that you can put your entire foot in up to your mid shin in order to target your entire ankle, and all the surrounding parts.
     Don't forget to elevate your foot too (the one that's injured). I didn't find this one as important and keeping my weight off of it and icing, but my trainer and others encourage it to me, so you may as well give it a go!
     Along with taking care and tending to your injury, don't forget to strengthen it to prevent another injury from happening. (plus, who couldn't benefit from getting just a little stronger?!) (401)

Hydration

     It's a given that water is probably (and totally should be) your number one choice for hydration, especially as a runner. It's pure, calorie free, and most of the time it's free simply coming from your own home. Lucky for us, there's more than one beverage that can do the trick for what you want your body to do.

     As I said, water is perfect for before, after, or during runs. But sport drinks (such as Gatorade) are awfully wonderful when your workout is longer, and you begin to feel tired and like you're losing some energy. That's because sports drinks contain electrolytes, and carbs that will help your body absorb water, all together helping you in preventing fatigue. Personally I recommend going for a grab at a sports drink if your run is sixty minutes or longer. Water is always okay, but a sports drink will get you that extra support you may need.

     Second, is beet juice. If you're like me you probably thought "ABSOLUTELY NOT" as you read that. But hear me out. Beet juice has this magical power that gets that nitric oxide production of yours going, and along with that it'll improve your blood flow. As your blood flow increases your muscles will preform more efficiently. I recommend drinking beet juice before a run (obviously, so your muscles are all good to go). Along with that, don't drink it right before. If you're like me, you'll have to take it like medicine. Beets are exactly my favorite thing in the world to eat, let alone drink. The thought actually makes me a little nauseous. But drinking beet juice will make a difference for you. Don't drink it right before you run, either. Drink it about an hour or more before your run, especially so you won't still be gagging when it's time to workout! It's totally worth it, though-especially during weeks or days of intense training.

     Last thing I'll touch on is coconut water. It's very similar to the sports drinks I had talked about a few paragraphs above. The difference between the two, however, is that coconut water has fewer carbs than sports drinks too. If you think about it, though, that 's sort of obvious, since it's much more natural. (377)

When Runners Lose weight

     As a runner, it can be easy to want to lose some unwanted weight. Face it, the less weight you have to carry on runs will translate into a much happier run. The less weight you have to carry, the better.
      If you're like me, you probably thought that running on an empty stomach was the way to go. I was thinking that because there's no food that can be taken in as fat, when I'm running, any fat I had would be targeted, therefore I'm burning off all that fat simply running. It's a win-win. Not. What's really happening is your muscles are looking for the carbs stored in your very mucles as glycogen. Eventually, those stored carbs will run out. And you'll start burning fat once those carbs that were stored in your muscles run out. But once that fat starts burning, you're going to lose energy really quickly. You'd think this would be good that you're burning fat, but by losing that energy you won't be able to help but slow down, therefore burning fewer calories than you would have if you had eaten a proper meal/snack before you began running.
     Along with not eating before running, not eating after a run is just as bad for weight loss. I get that you're probably not hungry after you run. If you're like me, you feel like you're going to do nothing but throw up, and food is the last thing you want. But referring to my previous paragraph, the glycogen in your muscles has been all used up. So thinking (not literally) your muscles are hungry. When you finally settle down and are no longer in your running zone, you're going to realize you're super hungry. This is how you can tell you're a runner! And this is by far my biggest problem, because I absolutely pig out. This will most definantly not get you the results you want. It's hard, becaus you're probably feeling like you're going to starve. But you will not lose any weight this way.
     Here's the tricky thing with running and weight loss. The more weight you have to lose, the quicker you'll lose it. That's a scientific fact. And it's wonderful at first. But as you lose more and more weight, it'll be trickier and trickier to lose weight. Your body will adjust to your new weight loss tactic and as you begin to slim down it'll be harder than it was before when you were trying to lose weight. (420)

Wind Burn

     If you're super dedicated to running and choose to run even in the harsh winter weather, then good for you! Lots of people take winter as their time off, or as I refer to it, their hibernation from running. But if you're like me and need to run in the winter in order to prepare for a spring sport, you probably have noticed that when you get back from a run and strip for your shower, you look as if you have a massive sunburn over about eighty-five percent of your body, along with an uncomfortable itch. I refer to this a windburn.
     I never really don't expect to get windburn during my winter runs. It's kind of just something you have to put up with. And you don't notice you have it until the running has stopped and you've cooled off a little bit.
     So you're probably wondering what it is that causes this strange, itchy, sunburn looking reaction on your skin to such a simple action as running. It's not the running itself, but the enviroment. It's the wind. No matter if it's windy or not, you'll probably notice that you'll always get windburn in the cold. This is because you're still creating a "wind" yourself when you're running. Your body (specifically, legs) is still creating a non-existent impact against the cool air, so you're still going to experience windburn
     You'll probably notice that once you shower and get warmed up again the windburn you're experiencing may worsen. But if I were to break it down scientifically, your skin after you run in the winter is cold. That's pretty much a no brainer. So when you begin to warm up, this is when you'll notice the windburn's presence. That's because as you warm up, blood will flow to your legs (generally when windburn hits the hardest) and your skin will most likely begin to turn red, giving the look of a nasty and way too large sunburn. What causes the itching is when your body releases some of its natural chemicals, like cytokines and leukotrienes. Don't worry, it's not dangerous and it's most likely not going to hurt your skin.
     To prevent and lessen the presence of windburn just remember to put an extra layer on next time you're going to go running. Just be patient and try to suck it up a bit, there's really not a whole lot you can do once you get it. After about half an hour it should go away! (418)

Fixing the Knees

     The knee is basically the main target of injury for runners. Nobody intends to hurt their knees (or any part of their body) but it just simply happens to about half of us. No doubt, it's super frustrating, and seems like it'll never end. I have patellofemoral pain in my knee, which is basically identified to runners as "runners knee". It just happens. There's not a whole lot you can do for it either.
     If you have this too, I'll give you some tips and tricks as to how to fix it (as I am starting to do). First, reduce your mileage. It may suck, and if you're anything like me, you weren't running all that much in the first place, so decreasing any more in milage is basically nothing. Even so, take what you can get. If that still doesn't help, stop running for a bit. Give your knee a chance to simmer down a bit and see what happens next.
     You may cross train if your prefer, especially on bikes, but once again, I found this only worsened the pain and if anything made it worse. It depends on the type of pain and injury you are suffering. Some are able to bike with it, others are not. No two human bodies are the same.
     Here's what really helped me out. Improving the muscle tone of my quads. By increasing the strength of my leg muscles I found that my knee began to improve. Not all at once, but over the course of about a month and a half. I focussed a lot of doing lunges, front squats, and back squats. My knee didn't become perfect, and it still isn't. But it's improved tremendously.
     To take it one step further, I began running again. Sometimes with tape, sometimes with not. I've found that my knee has done the opposite of what it was doing, and has improved! Especially running hills, I have no idea why, but I recommend those to anyone who is in my position. I am unsure of the science kept behind my wacky theory, but I no longer need tape on my runs (but it does help).
      Lastly, don't put un-needed weight on your knees. For example, kneeling on my knees at church on Sundays made a bigger impact that I thought it would. By simply sitting instead of kneeling, it made all the difference. (400)

Nothing But Blood Runs- Heart Failure

     Lately I've been pushing myself pretty hard in my running workouts. Hills have been my best friend and worst enemy. And today, I tackled my worst enemy, the hill I haven't been able to get up without stopping to walk for two years. Not only did I make it up it, but I ran up it. Finally, this is a marvelous day. Sadly, this hill was about half a mile into my run, so it was only the beginning. I was absolutely beat when I made it to the top, and the rest of my run was just miserable.
     Here's the strangest part to it all. I could taste nothing but blood as I reached the top of the hill and for the rest of my entire run. And this wasn't the first time. I noticed a correlation between the more strenuous the workout is the more often I can taste nothing but blood in my mouth.
     I did my research, and what I found made my heart sink into my stomach. I'm still not over it. Tasting blood while you're running or a metallic taste is actually a mild form of heart failure. So that's great to know, right? Not! If you're anything like me you're probably really scared. You're not alone, I was terrified when I learned this.
     But heart failure isn't really the correcting wording for what's going on. What it is, is simply your heart not being able to keep up with the rest of your body. So basically, it's when you're pushing yourself too hard and your heart can't keep up with your body. Better yet, it's common. So you're not alone. And you shouldn't be worried.
    So if you took Biology (as I did last year) and remember anything about blood cells, you may understand this better. But basically our red blood cells carry hemoglobin. Hemoglobin gets carried by central iron. When you're pushing yourself too hard (such as those nasty hills) fluid tends to accumulate in your lungs (nasty, right?) and that's where some of your red blood cells can accumulate. Even better, we cough that fluid up into our mouth, where we pick up the taste of iron, or blood. Yuck.
     Lucky for you, you don't need to be worried. Your heart is simply having trouble keeping up with the physical activity you are doing! You're good to go! (397)

Race Distance

     If you're in cross country, you've probably heard that the state of Iowa has eliminated running a shorter distance than boys in cross country races. Instead of running a 4K, girls will now be racing a 5K, which is the same as the boys.
    To simplify that a bit, girls used to run two and half miles during a race, while the boys would run just over three. Girls now will be racing just over three miles to determine the winner.
     After doing some reading, I noticed that coaches were either strongly for or strongly against having girls race the same distance as boys. By increasing the race distance for girls, coaches began to fear that there would be less participation (let's face it, running two and half miles as fast as you can is hard enough, but now over three?!) and that fewer girls would decide to join cross country just out of fear for the weekly races. I have an argument to that, however. And that is that during practices alone most girls run more than 3.1 miles, usually a minimum practice will have four miles, but average will have about six or seven. Putting it into perspective, the distance of the race will still be less than what the girls are used to running everyday. Yes, it will be physically taxing, and the time that a runner wants will depend on how hard they push themselves, but it won't be an entirely huge stretch.
     Some claim that girls were being discriminated when not being allowed to race the same distance as boys. And I'll admit, last season, I was all talk. If you asked me, I'd totally agree that any girl could and can race just as far as the boys. And by having the race distance for girls be shorter than the boys it did feel as though whoever was in charge of the race distance was discriminating against the girls. And speaking for girls overall, equality would be nice (I mean, we still don't get equal pay to the man even if it is the same exact job). But here's the thing. Just because I believe girls can do it doesn't mean I personally want to!
     I have no doubt that a girl could beat a boy in a race, and this doesn't mean that girls and boys will be racing together. But what if it did? Would boys still be laughing that girls were "asking for it" when a girl beats their time? (420)

Patellofemoral Pain Sydrome

    My most recent diagnosis. It's a funny name, isn't it? Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. That doesn't even sound like a real thing. It's sounds like something doctors made up for patients that whine too much but don't have anything actually wrong with them. Upon hearing this, I felt stupid. Really? I went all the way to see an orthopedic surgeon for him to tell me my knee hurts? I left the office feeling really dumb, like I wasted my money and the surgeon's time.
    So here's what Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is. It's pain in the front knee. That's really simple, pain in the knee can have more than one diagnosis. It sounds like something the elderly might develop, right? Wrong. It's actually common in teenagers, manual laborers, and athletes. This, at least, makes me feel a little better.
     If you'd prefer me to get more in depth, sometimes, and note that I say only sometimes, it is the cartilage under the kneecaps fault. It wears down, softens, or gets rough. This can be caused by many things. Overusing your knees could be the problem. Especially intense training (such as cross fit, which happens to be the first time I saw this "syndrome" peaking around the corner at me) can be the cause. Another can be excess weight. Typically, athletes and excess weight don't really align, but if this is the case, an easy fix may be in place, and just try to shed a few pounds.
    And finally, and this is what's causing my problem, a shift in the knee cap. Yes, my knee cap is shifting to the left (my left, your right) and it is as painful as it sounds. I can't tell you what the direct reasoning for this is, but I might guess overuse. This developed during this previous falls cross country season. I wasn't running (surprise, surprise) but biking. This is strange, considering that the biking I was doing was far less physically taxing than the running workouts.
    The pain only accelerated once I tried running again. At this point, I recognized that there was a more serious problem at hand, and decided to mention it to my physical therapist, who then sent me the the orthopedic surgeon. My anger intensified as I was sent away with a laugh and a snort and told that if it hurts me, just quit. Or, if I'd rather, they could give me monthly Cortisone shots. (406)

Taking It One Step Further

     Once you're able to run without walking, things will get interesting for you. You'll realize that you have certain areas, trails, or streets that your body prefers when it comes to running. This will either help or hurt you. Some may have reached their goal at this point, with being able to run without stopping and are simply getting into shape.
     For those who have picked up running and intend to put that skill to competition, this may hurt you. I'm not saying you personally preferring one area or trail to another will hurt you, but your body preferring one to another will.
     My body doesn't like hills. When running hills too often on my running course my hip flexors will become intensely tight and will start to cause problems for my entire body. Heck, I can't even put on pants and need to get my hips professionally fixed. I feel most would agree with me that my body naturally preferring one terrain to another will hinder my racing performance. And it does. During cross country races especially, I find myself slowing down naturally going both up and down hills while others take advantage of the downhill time. It's always been my weakness, and I know it.
     Part of the battle itself, however, is knowing your own weaknesses, and kicking your weaknesses butt. As a runner, you may already know that just because you feel like you're going to die or you're the most miserable you've ever been doesn't mean that you will not be okay. In fact, it's been scientifically proven that runners develop a higher and stronger pain tolerance. Use that as your excuse to keep going, to tell your body not to give up. Of course, take care of injuries, but you have to be mentally tough as well.
     By running different terrains and such, your body will adjust to all types and become stronger overall, which in the long term will improve your races and competitions. This is important because you cannot expect every race your run to be the same, and you have to be prepared for every obstacle that will be thrown at you.
     Every runner has some type of weakness, but that doesn't mean you should ignore it and let it control your running experience.

If You're Ready to Start Running

     After you have been walking and exercising for a while you may feel (as you should) that you're ready to take a step up to the next level- running.

     Here's the thing: don't just randomly start running one day. Yes, it's what I did, but I didn't find it all that great. I recommend that you begin with walk/runs, which is where you'll run a bit and walk a bit for your workout so as to not put a load on your heart and muscles directly all at once. I'll admit, it's tempting to just go running once you feel fit enough, but adding bits of running onto your walks will make you stronger, healthier, and will help you prevent from getting future injuries.
      If I were you, I'd make it your goal to run without stopping for an hour. That is, if you're looking to become a distance runner. If you average about ten minutes per mile, which is a nice and steady pace that won't be too physically taxing and won't kick your booty, you should end up with about six miles total once your run has ended.
      With that, listen to your body. It knows you better than anyone else (wink wink) and can tell you when something's not right. You must pay attention to aches, soreness, and cramps. As you increase your mileage, you'll notice a difference. Every day can be much more difference than the day before. It either gets harder or easier. Along with increasing your mileage, as you naturally increase your time and pace per mile, you may notice new pains and aches. Don't ignore those. Pain is a way of your body telling you to stop doing whatever you're doing. That doesn't mean quit, necessarily, but take note and try to fix whatever is bothering you before it intensifies.
     Lastly, and I'm sure you've seen me blog about this before, get the correct shoes! Just because your shoes have a fancy brand such as Nike does not mean that they are going to do what you need them to do! Running is different than walking. You rely on different parts of the foot and put stress on different types of body parts. Find a store that specifically focusses on running and running equipment with specialists that will be focussed on getting the correct shoe based on your foot type. (398)

Getting Into Running

     For everything that you do, there's a beginning. You obviously knew that and didn't need me to write that, but sometimes you need a reminder that everyone starts somewhere. So maybe you're reading this and are extremely unhappy with your weight, or your fitness level, or sit on the computer literally all day reading things and have no motivation to get up and get moving. Like I said, everyone starts somewhere.
     If you're reading this blog it's likely you may have a slight interest in running or working out. Good for you! But maybe you don't run, and you want to. You may be curious as to where to start or how to begin.
    After being out of running due to an injury and spending all my time at physical therapy, I became panicked as I realized I would have to jump right back into running and practicing with my team the very next day. Aside from that, it was the middle of the season, so my team-mates fitness levels were out of this galaxy compared to mine. Going from light workouts and healing to harsh and taxing running is terrifying. That's one thing I don't recommend you do.
     If you're not in any sport and you want to pick up running simply as a hobby then (once again, good for you!) you'll have a much more pleasant experience.
    I recommend you begin with walking. Try to walk at least four times a week. Note that there is a difference than just walking around and walking with a destination. Walk so that your heart rate is up and you may even break a sweat. I'll admit: I absolutely hated doing this. When all you want to do is run and your doctor hasn't given you the okay to do this it's almost embarrassing. Along with that, being a teenager and having to power walk around your neighborhood can make you feel as if you've gone down a notch on the cool scale. It's easier to be an adult power walking than a teen. And if you are a teen and you are embarrassed by simply walking, you can walk on a treadmill or a more private place than out on the streets.
     Begin with a fifteen minute walk. It doesn't need to be too physically taxing, but put some effort into it. Enjoy what's around you, but don't forget your goal. Each walk you take, increase either the time or speed, but don't break into a jog. By the end of a maximum of seven weeks you should be at a time of sixty minutes per walk. If you can do this with ease, it's time for you to jump up to run/walks. (454)