Too

Too much, too soon                               

As I return to running, I got this reminder from the company "Be Healthy" email.  Good timing on this reminder.  

Many people who are new to running (or starting again) make the "terrible too's" mistake. They get so excited and enthused about their running that they do too much mileage, too fast, too soon. They mistakenly think that "more is better" when it comes to running. As a result, they often start to develop common overuse running injuries.  After purchasing good running shoes, start with a walk/run routine and increase the running time gradually as your muscles, tendons and joints adapt.

I am way TOO smart to ignore the advice.  

It is about time

I want to keep up with my running, I really do. Busy people, with multiple schedule conflicts, it can be impossible budget enough time into the daily schedule to do it all.

Last week I was on a business trip.  Four days out of freezing Wisconsin to historic Richmond, Virginia. One of the first things I did was plan to run every day. I was really looking forward to running in 50 degree weather, which for me means shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Didn't happen. Got in one four mile run on the day I arrived and after that the plan went right out the window. Long days and team dinners – the culprits.  Not the first time this has happened to me and I know I am not alone. No easy answers to this one.  Prioritize it?  Schedule it?

Could I have been more assertive and up front about my plan to run each day.  That might have helped, but I doubt it. After all, I was not on the trip so that I could have new, warm places to run.    

Tell me something I did not already know

Research shows that exercise has the ability to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while boosting self-esteem and improving sleep. For mild to moderate depression, exercise is often an underused treatment option. Exercise is not a cure all, but it releases endorphins that can improve your feelings of well-being, help to manage stress, and create a sense of accomplishment.

So, if you're feeling down, consider going for a run, walk, or bike ride.

Talk about obvious.  Hope they did not pay too much for that research!

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Chiropractic

What is your take on the local chiropractor? Seems like there are too many chiropractors to me. It is a big business with ~$20B spent on chiropractic services in the US annually. Topics for the marketing blog, not the running blog.


We went to a new age health fair on Saturday. I was being a good husband, just hanging with my wife doing what she wanted to do and not making any fuss. Thanks Ozzie wherever you are for the best marriage advice ever. If we were doing what I wanted, it would have included coffee or beer, or coffee flavored beer. And sports.

Back to the new age health fair. So the chiropractor sees me and asks if he can take my picture with a standard digital camera. Sure doc, no problem. Stand here, relax. Looks good. Except in ten years you are going to have arthritis and be in severe pain. Thanks for stopping by. You head weighs approximately ten pounds.

Yep. That was the pitch.

One thing leads to another and I have a complementary assessment appointment for Thursday. I will keep the appointment because I am open minded and want to give the DC and his team a chance. I also have no problem saying, "no thanks" to additional treatments. But I am also looking into chiropractic via google. I have found an abundance of articles and videos disputing the health benefits of going to the chiropractor and if I was skeptical before, I am really having doubts now. My summary, go see your MD first. Chiropractic can be good for treating low back pain. However, do not let them work on your cervical spine due to a high risk/reward ratio.

It was interesting to learn about "straights" and "mixers" as the two types of chiropractors. Kind of like the Tea Party and Republicans. More would identify as mixers than straights. Straights adhere more to chiropractic's original theory and practice, while mixers (a term applied by the straights and unpopular among the mixers) may incorporate almost any modality into their practices. Pasted from http://www.skepdic.com/chiro.html

Subluxation, a foundation of chiropractic, is ambiguous and a source of controversy. It is either of worthy of particular attention as the straights will contend. Or according to the General Chiropractic Council of the UK, it "is an historical concept" and "is not supported by any clinical research evidence that would allow claims to be made that it is the cause of disease or health concerns."

The chiropractic vertebral subluxation complex has been a source of controversy since its inception in 1895 due to its metaphysical origins and claims of far reaching effects on health and disease. Although some chiropractic associations and colleges support the concept of subluxation, many in the chiropractic profession reject it and shun the use of this term as a diagnosis. In the United States and in Canada the term "nonallopathic lesion" is commonly used in place of subluxation as a diagnosis, and is considered a more accurate descriptor of lesions that chiropractors treat most commonly. From http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/vertebral_subluxation

I spent a great deal of time on subluxation, but don't ask me to explain it. Something like, a problem with spine that does not show on x-rays is causing a nervous system "block" and that is why you have your symptoms. I think if the DC you go to dwells on this too much, it is time to find a different cure for what ails you.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2771/is-chiropractic-for-real-or-just-quackery

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/07/05/when-chiropractors-play-at-being-real-doctors/

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/subluxation-theory-a-belief-system-that-continues-to-define-the-practice-of-chiropractic/

Run / Walk vs Walk / Run

I ran / walked, not walked / ran, five miles at Nashotah Park trails yesterday.  Ran / walked, by my definition means that I ran more than I walked.  Felt good the whole time and really enjoyed the experience.  The recovery trail from bursitis and plantar fasciitis and related inactivity has been hilly and difficult.   

The shady, picturesque and downhill.
- To be a "runner" means something to me. 
- Wisconsin Lake Country is ideal for running.
- Time and distance don't matter as much as they used to.

The hot, mosquito infested and steep uphill.
- This older body takes a longer time to recover.
- Motivation - mysteriously lacking at times. 
- Who are my running friends?

Recovery Food

Research has shown that eating a snack or meal with a combination of carbohydrate and protein is best following endurance exercise. It’s best to refuel within 15 minutes to an hour after endurance exercise.


This carb/protein combination helps the body replace muscle fuel and repair muscle tissue which can be damaged after intense endurance exercise. A few good recovery snacks and meals include smoothies made with yogurt and frozen berries, graham crackers with peanut butter and low-fat chocolate milk, or a turkey sandwich with veggies plus low-fat milk.

Source: Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition

You have bursitis

I went to the doctor after running throughout the spring and summer with a persistent, yet tolerable pain in my left heel. The pain was located right at the bottom of my Achilles tendon, where the back of a loose shoe will give you a blister. I just knew it was nothing serious. I also knew that running was not making it worse. I knew that if I ignored it, it would go away eventually. It’s the kind of injury that felt better after I had been running for 10 minutes, so therefore running is the cure not the cause. I will stop there, this probably sounds like familiar thought process (rationalization) to many of you.

When the burning sensation started, that was when I knew I did not know how to get over this on my own. I had to do something different than trying to ice and ignore the problem away while continuing to run 25 miles a week. When the doctor told me that I had bursitis, I thought, “Oh thank goodness, I thought it was something serious." Then, "What the heck is bursitis?”

Bursitis is an inflammation of the fluid-filled sac (bursa) that lies between a tendon and skin, or between a tendon and bone. This is a nice informative link about bursitis from PubMed Health, a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001456/

My doctor also prescribed Voltaren Topical (Diclonfenac) which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain. This drug is used for treatment of arthritis.

Looking forward to a speedy recovery and definately not a chronic condition.