A Sore Subject #4

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."- Lance Armstrong

www.gottri.org

Hope everyone is progressing with their training.  We are now 5 weeks out from the Shape Up RI 5k Run/Walk to benefit Girls on the Run Rhode Island.  At this point in the training we may start to get a snowball effect from all the training and the aches and pains may set in.  Let's discuss what we should be doing to address aches and pains.

As we talked about in the second post, Off and Running, symptom recognition is an important part of training.  It is typical to experience discomfort while increasing your distance and intensity.  However, it is not normal to experience pain.   Discomfort is general muscle soreness and joint pain that  resolves within 24 hours and it is a normal reaction to exercise.   Stiffness that resolves with stretching or activity is also a normal reaction.  Pain is distinguished by being present at the start of your run and gets worse as you continue or it forces you to change your running stride. Pain keeps you awake at night.  Pain is not okay, and you should not train when you have pain!

Brigham and Women's Hospital categorized running pain into 4 categories:

 • Type I: After activity: stretch affected area well (at least 3 to 5 reps, hold each for at least a 30 count), long, slow, gentle stretch, then ice for 20 minutes. Continue to progress program if discomfort appears to be muscle soreness. If joint pain and/or swelling develops, increase rest between exercise sessions and decrease activity level to previous level.


• Type II: During activity, at begin then dissipates: maintain same activity level and low intensity until symptoms dissipate.

• Type III: During activity, gradually develops and intensifies with activity: decrease intensity of activity, stop and stretch to relief symptoms, stop activity if those do not relief symptoms. Maintain same activity level; if symptoms continue, decrease activity to previous level.

• Type IV: At night, keeps you up or wakes you up: Bad, doing too much; total rest until symptom free, decrease activity to previous level and keep intensity low.

• Upon waking: In the morning, upon waking, then dissipates: sign of more to come, decrease activity to previous level and keep intensity low.

For more specific information on this program check out the link at:
Return to Running Rehab Program Brigham and Woman's Hospital


If you are experiencing pain follow the R.I.C.E. method.


RICE works!
R =  Rest
I =  Ice
C =  Compression
E =  Elevation



If you continue to experience pain at rest or with running after a few days of R.I.C.E., you should contact your physician or physical therapist.  The sooner you address the pain the sooner you’ll be able to return to running.



Physical Therapists and their support staff not only specialize in injury rehabilitation, but in injury prevention.  At Performance Physical Therapy we take pride in having 3 rehab specialists certified in conducting Functional Movement Screens (FMS).

The FMS is an assessment technique used with athletes to quickly identify imbalances in mobility and stability during fundamental athletic movement patterns. Using the findings from the Functional Movement Screen we can tailor your speed school experience to your individual needs to improve performance and reduce injury risk.






For more information on scheduling your FMS today please contact:
Adam Ware BS, CSCS, FMS-C
(401)726-7100
aware@performanceptri.com

Cheers,
Brian

Anxious and/or Excited #3

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson






When beginning to train for your first 5K you may begin to feel both anxious and excited.  Rest assured it is perfectly normal to experience these emotions.  The key is not to let these emotions effect your training.  My recommendation is to nurture that excitement, and repress that anxiety.  5K's are meant to be fun, so keep it that way.  Remember as long as you train accordingly you will be more than prepared for a 5K.

Last week we provided an example of a beginner 5K training program.  Since, everyone is starting this training program at different activity levels I wanted to provide another example of a quality training program.  This is a 6 week program and is a little more advanced.

Beginner 5K Training Program

Again this program is a little more advanced, but remember these training programs can be used as guidelines and tailored to your individual needs.

We are now 7 weeks out from the Shape Up RI 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Girls on the Run Rhode Island.  Hope everyone has registered!
If you have not here is the link again:
http://www.gotrri.org/5k/

Being 7 weeks out from the run/walk now would be a good time to introduce some strengthening exercises to your training.  It is extremely important for runners to focus on strengthening their legs and core muscles.   Here are 5 great exercises that we should all be doing to focus on your quads, hamstrings, abs, and many others.





1a) Planks

•  Lie on stomach, resting on forearms, low back relaxed and toes tucked under.
•  Draw navel in and upward toward the spine.
•  Lift hips and knees off floor/mat as shown.
•  Hold exercise for 1 minute taking breaks as needed.

          * this exercise can be modified to do on your knees instead of your toes and is less stressful.











1b) Side Planks

• Lie on side resting on elbow.
• Lift hips and knees off mat/floor, without rotating the spine or pelvis.
• Hold exercise for 1 minute taking breaks as needed.  

           * this exercise can be modified to do on your knees instead of your toes and is less stressful.

2) Bird/Dog 

• Begin on your hands and knees.
• Lift right arm and extend left leg.
• Maintain a neutral pelvis.
• Due 10 repetitions holding each for 10 seconds.

3) Lateral Step-Ups

• Place one leg on a step with your foot parallel with the step.
• Straighten leg then lower body by bending your knee on the step side.
• Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds on each side.
• If you have any balance problems hold a counter or a railing for support.

4) Single Leg Toe Touch

• Stand on one leg and reach to touch your toe on the planted leg.
• Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds on each side.
• If you have any balance problems hold a counter or a railing for support.

5) Bulgarian Squat

• Place one leg on a chair behind you.
• Do a mini-squat with the front leg.
• Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds on each side.
• If you have any balance problems hold a counter or a railing for support.

Cheers,
Brian

Off and Running #2

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

- Lao Tzu

Last week we learned about how to prepare to train for a 5K.  Now that we are all prepared, we can start training. You have made this decision and just like any new activity it is important to approach it with a plan.  Many people become turned off to running simply because they run too much too soon and they end up sore and frustrated.  Be patient. Your initial goal is to be a tortoise, not a hare.  Slow and steady!

Before introducing running to your exercise program you should be able to comfortably walk 30 minutes every other day (3-4 times a week).  Once you are able to do this you can safely add in some running.


Follow these guidelines 3-4 days/week:
 Week   1. 2 minutes running : 4 minutes walking

 Week   2. 3 minutes running : 3 minutes walking

 Week   3. 4 minutes running : 2 minutes walking

 Week   4. 5 minutes running : 3 minutes walking

 Week   5. 7 minutes running : 3 minutes walking
 Week   6. 8 minutes running : 2 minutes walking
 Week   7. 9 minutes running : 1 minute walking 
 Week   8. 12 minutes running: 3 minutes walking
 Week   9. Shape Up RI 5K to benefit Girls on the Run RI 

                            *adapted from www.runnersworld.com

This program is designed to prepare your body to run 30 minutes.  30 minutes is the average time it takes to run a 5K.   There are no specifics on pace or distance.  Please feel free to make adjustments that suit your current fitness level.   

Obviously there will be people who are able to start at different stages of this program, find the stage you can do comfortably.  During the run portion use the “talk rule.”  You should be running at a pace that is comfortable enough to hold a conversation.  If you are struggling to do so or find yourself short of breath you are working too hard.  SLOW DOWN!

As a physical therapist I am frequently asked, what is the best way to deal with an injury when training?  The answer is simple: prevent it from happening.  Sounds easy but it is easier than you think.  There are two major causes of injuries in runners.  The first is too much too soon and the second is failing to recognize symptoms.  80% of running injuries are believed to be due to increasing your distance and intensity 

before your body is ready.  Remember that your cardiovascular system will adapt to the stresses of running faster than your muscles and joints; therefore it is important to listen to your body and provide it with the adequate amount of rest time.

This week's goal is to figure out where your activity level is on the above chart.  Remember, do not do too much too soon.  Make sure you are providing yourself with adequate rest days to give your body a chance to recover.  It is week 1 therefore do not overload your body with activity. 

Also, every activity should begin with a proper warm up.  Please see the video below for an example of a 2 minute stretching/warm-up routine before you begin  your work out. (See if you can spot the "moonwalker" delivering coffee)

For a copy of the dynamic stretching program and other great health tips.  Sign-up for our newsletter at:
Sign up here!!

Be sure to register for the Shape Up RI 5K Run/Walk to benefit Girls on the Run RI by April 30th to receive the early registration rate. 
Register Here

Each week this blog will provide variations of the above training program which you can tailor specifically to your needs.  Make sure to check back next week, we will also discuss the 5 best exercises that you might not be doing!

Cheers,
Brian

Brian Hay DPT, MS, OCS
www.performanceptri.com