The Myth of "Carbo-Loading"

Eating large amounts of carbohydrates before a race or workout (aka "Carbo-loading") is a complete waste of time! After all, you would not assume that by sleeping 5 days straight you would now be able to stay up for 5 days straight? Why would you assume that by eating large amounts of carbohydrates 3-4 days before a race, you would fill up your glycogen stores? Most of us are cutting down our milage the week or 2 before the big race and the lighter load will create extra nutrients for your body. Adding more carbohydrates to your data will create a larger excess of glucose, which gets converted to fat. You can only increase your glycogen stores only when your body is ready to do so.

Research has shown that high levels of glucose consumed during rest does not get converted to glycogen (Am J Physiol. 1989 Nov;257(5.1):E697-703 ). How do you get glycogen, you ask? Well, only when high levels of lactate are present, through a pathway called the Cori Cycle (see below).



So what does this mean for us runners? If you want to build your glycogen store, eat carbohydrates soon (1-2 hours) AFTER you run. The consumed carbohydrate will replace the need for lactate to supply your body with the needed glucose. The glucose formed by lactate will then convert to glycogen. Therefore, the longer or harder you run, the more lactate you produce, the more potential you have to build up glycogen stores (if you eat at the right time). Real "Carbo-loading" can only happen over the course of months and not 3-5 days before your big marathon.

Additionally, the same study showed that galactose incorporated more quickly into glycogen than glucose. Thus many of those high carbohydrate drinks which contain extra glucose (as the carbohydrate source), will just be converted to fat. Galcatose is contained in many dairy products (such as milk). So, if you want to "Carbo-load", drink some milk right after you run!

July 14 Group Run!

Today we went out for a 4.5 mile run. The weather was perfect. Hope to see you next time at 6 (therunsclub.com).

June 30th Group Run

We had two surprises this week. First, the newspaper sent out a photographer and we had a photo shoot. For a brief period of time, we were running superstars; modeling our running form up and down the trail. Second, someone new showed up to our group!
We beat the rain storm and ran over 6 miles! Hope to see you next time at 6pm. (www.therunsclub.com).

FVPT Runner in the News!

Patrick Kral, a regular FVPT Runner, ran over 12 miles carrying the Olympic torch to mark the beginning of the Special Olympics! Below is a picture of him (bottom picture on the left) that was featured in the Danbury News Times carrying the torch. Good job and Congrats!

Core Strength and Overall Fitness

Why would anyone focus so much attention on one part of the musculoskeletal system. It seems short sighted and superficial. While great toe strength is important, I think there is more than "one key muscle system" needed for running.

So why such an emphasis on core stregnth training? How does one even define core strength training? So I googled "core strength training" and "running" and the first hit was Core Strength Training Exercises at the site, Running Planet. Sounded promising. It listed eight exercises that worked "the core": seven crunches and one stabilization exercise that emphasized the tucking the pelvis with the abs. So am I to take this to mean that core = abs? To be a better runner, the key is ab strength?























This concept of core strength is absurd. The abs are the key to running as much as the big toe, your left hamstring, your right shoulder, etc. The key to good running is well balanced strength and coordination.

Working the abs alone creates an imbalance. Abs flex your torso forward (and rotate but that is for another discussion). Overworking your abs while ignoring all the rest of your core creates and reinforces a bent forward and slouched posture. Your core really consists of the abs, back muscles, pelvic floor muscles, and the nearly always forgotten psoas muscle (pronounced so-az). You need not only to be strong, but be able to coordinate all these seemingly opposing muscles to create balanced, stable, yet flexible torso.

A New Way to Look at Running Efficiency

People use the word running efficiency instead of correct running form because there is the belief that there is really is no "correct" way to run. However, there are some factors that are associated with faster running. In fact, there are many people in the US and the world who spend their lives researching precisely what makes up running economy.

Running economy is a term used to describe how efficiently a runner can use their body to generate speed. The more efficient your body converts oxygen that you breath in into speed, the higher your running economy. Sports scientists at the Research Institute for Olympic Sports in Finland measured many factors related to speed and their correlation with running economy including:

VO2max
Stride Length
Stride Frequency
Speed Range (the difference between the lowest and highest speed an athlete runs during a given distance)
Maximal Running Speed
Ground contact time (the amount of time your feet spend on the ground with each step)

The authors found that the ONLY FACTOR THAT CORRELATED WITH SPEED WAS GROUND CONTACT TIME. VO2 max, stride length, speed range, etc did not correlate with speed. The more time runners spent in the air (i.e. the less time they spent on the ground), the faster they went.

So what does this mean? As Dr. Romanov of Pose-Tech running stresses: Pick up your feet!! Run lightly and gracefully. Clunking on the ground is not associated with faster speeds so concentrate on the upward movement and not the actual steps you take.

June 23, 2009 Group Run

We had a great 6.9 mile run today which began with a quick interview of our runners for an article which will feature The Runs Club in Connecticut Life and ended with ice cream for all! Some of us even got a little wet by jumping into the the Farmington River!! We had everything today! Hope to see you out next time! (Tuesdays at 6PM; www.therunsclub.com)

Group Run on June 9, 2009

Though the thunder crashed earlier in the day, the rain held up for a couple of hours in the afternoon and 5 dedicated runners ran a 5 mile trail run. Hope to see you there next week, Tuesday at 6pm. (www.therunsclub.com)

Save Energy and Money Running Barefoot

Many years ago shoe companies began a strong marketing campaign to sell shoes to a large growing population of recreational runners. Interestingly, these companies now contribute to a greater than 20 billion dollar industry.

Now, there is another effort to convince runners that barefoot running is best. However, marketing has continued from Born to Run by Christopher Mcdougall to Vibram-5-Fingers (about $70.00) to Barefoot Ted selling sandals made of twine and rubber for $70.00 (BarefootTED) (FYI not too long ago they were selling for $20, before the Born to Run "marketing" book came out).

If you want to try running barefoot, run barefoot. You do not need to spend $70.00 and pay for someone else's yacht! Minimally, you can wear aqua socks which you can buy from CVS for $3.00-$5.00.

Running barefoot is biomechanically different from running with shoes. Increasing evidence shows that the biomechanical adaptions associated with barefoot running (compared to runners with shoes) lead to fewer injuries and a lower energy cost (Barefoot Reference). (Yeah you read that correctly, you will spend less energy running when you run barefoot.) Why (you ask)? In short, more studies need to be done. However, I would guess that barefoot runners would have developed more awareness and perception of when their feet hit the ground. This improved coordination would minimize pounding and pushing on the ground, both of which waste energy and cause injuries. Thus, barefoot runners most likely spend most of the time in the air (feet off the ground).

Perfect Form Running Clinic Featured in Newspaper!

Our running clinic was featured in the Friday edition of Waterbury Republican-American. Click the image above or here for a link to the article! We will be having another clinic sometime later in the summer. Email running@fvpt.com to be placed on the waiting list.

Tuesday Group Run, May 19, 2009

We finally had such a beautiful day for running that we ran 2 runs!!! Yes, Summer has began! As a big group, we ran an easy 3 miles for our first run. Then our second group continued to run a tempo run for 2 miles at 5K pace. We closed with a nice mile warm down. Hope to see you out next time!!!

Over-Training

Whenever you begin training for a particular goal, remember to let your body recover. Becoming an improved runner should not be a painful experience. During your workout routine, you should never feel so much discomfort that you wish you could just stop. Though many people get the wrong impression due to improper training routines, running and getting back into shape should not be painful at all. If it does hurt, you are doing something wrong or pushing yourself too hard. Improvement is incremental and slow and over-all fitness happens over the long-term. Fitness is not only defined by your ability to run a particular pace, but ALSO how well you feel when you run this pace. So, if your running a 6 minute mile pace and you are huffing and puffing, you are not fit enough to run this pace and your body is telling you to slow down! Huffing and puffing is a clear sign that you are pushing yourself hard! SO, do yourself a favor and LISTEN to your body and train yourself the right way before you go pushing yourself harder than you should!

Tuesday Group Run 5/12

We had two runners who came out after the rain had stopped. The weather was perfect and we went out for about an hour down the Farmington Bike path. Hope to see more of you out next time! (Tuesdays at 6PM; www.therunsclub.com)

Perfect Form Running Clinic for Charity!

I am teaming up with the West Hartford Chapter of Team in Training to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). We will be holding a special running clinic on Saturday May 16, 2009 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm to benefit the LLS to support research for those with blood cancers. I've got some great new material to present at this clinic so there will be something to learn for everyone, event those who have taken Perfect Form Running Clinic Before. Below is a description of the clinic. Proceeds from the May 16 clinic go to LLS and Team in Training.

Training errors and bad running form both contribute to the high rate of injuries among recreational runners. Reports indicate that approximately 65% of runners develop an injury each year, many of which could be avoided. Learn how to increase your performance and decrease your chances of injury using the training theory of how to design an efficient plan to improve your fitness and speed as well as the proper running technique and footwear. A video will be shown on running form analysis, running drills, introduction to dynamic stretching and more. Open to runners of all levels. Wear comfortable running clothing appropriate for the weather and an old pair of running shoes for wear pattern analysis. Please include shoe size when registering.

Clinic will be held May 16, 2009, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at FVPT's Unionville Office for a fee of $25 per person. Call 860-673-0223 to register by credit card or for more information about the registration process.

Can't make this date? There are still a couple of slots open in the May 23rd, 10 am - 1 pm clinic. Call to register.

Stop Spending Money....Start Thinking

Lets spend some time talking about running shoes. What is the best shoe to wear? How much cushioning do we actually need? Should I believe all the claims marketing companies print? Researchers specializing in sports biomechanics have actually already answered these questions.

Research has not shown the superiority of expensive shoes! In fact, in one study, wearing shoes that cost more than $95 was associated with a doubling of risk of an injury. A study that looked at 4358 runners found that those who wore shoes that cost more than $95 had a 123% greater chance of having an injury than those runners who spent less than $40 on shoes (Marti B. Relationship between running injuries and running shoes - Results of a study of 5000 participants of a 16 km run - The May 1984 Berne "Grand Prix". In: Segesser B, Pforringer W, eds. the shoe in sport. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers, 1989: 256-65). Now what does that mean. STOP SPENDING MONEY AND START THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU RUN. Shoes do not make the runner.

The average runner has up to an 80% chance of becoming injured in any given year DESPITE advances like thrust enhancers, gel pods, air chambers, progressive-rate polymer columns, variable-density-foam mid-sole platforms, even metal springs buried inside the heels of high tech running shoes. My advice, be frugal (and skeptical) when shopping for next pair of training shoes and buy the shoe that fits you best and lets you feel your running.

Tuesday 4/21/09 Group Run

It was raining all afternoon, but right before 6:00pm, we got a break and three determined and hardy runners started on second weekly Unionville group run. We ran a little less than four miles heading West down the Canal Bike Path. We hope to see more of you there next week.

May Perfect Form Clinic Announced

Training errors and bad running form both contribute to the high rate of injuries among recreational runners. Reports indicate that approximately 65% of runners develop an injury each year, many of which could be avoided. Learn how to increase your performance and decrease your chances of injury using the training theory of how to design an efficient plan to improve your fitness and speed as well as the proper running technique and footwear. A video will be shown on running form analysis, running drills, introduction to dynamic stretching and more. Open to runners of all levels. Wear comfortable running clothing appropriate for the weather and an old pair of running shoes for wear pattern analysis. Please include shoe size when registering.

Clinic will be held May 23, 2009, from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm at FVPT's Unionville Office for a fee of $35 per person (or $50 if registering two people). Call 860-673-0223 to register by credit card or for more information about the registration process.

First Group Run in Unionville!

Yesterday was great. We had our first group run in Unionville Center. After a light warm up jog, we stopped for some dynamic stretching and then took off down the canal bike path heading east. We followed the bubbling Farmington River, ran through a mural-painted tunnel, and onto some unpaved trail that massaged our feet and challenged our ankles. We did about 4 miles at 9 min pace this time. All in all, a great fun run. Next week we hope to see more of you out there Tuesdays at 6 pm. See http://www.therunsclub.com/ for more information.

No Bending

Do not bend at the waist. This one of the most common problem runners have. If you bend at the waist, your center of mass will move back, your shoulders will slope down, and you neck will arch forward. All signs of bad posture. You need to keep your shoulders aligned with your hips and your ankles. This keeps all of your weight in one place and takes the load off your feet.

To prove how much harder it is to run with a bend. Try jumping up and down when you are bending at the waist. Now try with a larger bend. Now try with no bend. Which is easier? Now go run!!

Perfect Form Running Clinic Sold Out

The Perfect Form Running clinic scheduled for April 4th, 2009 is now SOLD OUT. Because of popular demand, I will hold another in late spring or early summer. Feel free to email me at running(a.t)fvpt.com or contact me through Farmington Valley Physical Therapy to be placed on the waiting list for the next clinic.

Running Forward

WHENEVER YOUR FEET AND LEGS ARE OFF THE GROUND, MAKE SURE THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD!

Most people allow the momentum of the ground to swing their feet/legs backwards behind them. How can you move forward, when your feet/legs are swinging behind you? This will drag the rest of your body back and slow you down, making you tired.

So, instead, the minute your foot is picked up off the ground drive it forward: DO NOT ALLOW IT TO DANGLE BEHIND YOU!! You may not go any fasters, but you will notice that your cadence will increase, your stride will shorten, and you will be able to go, go, go…longer, like the energizer bunny!

Running on Egg Shells or Hot Coals

Huh? What does this mean? You have probably heard many coaches say that elite runners run as if they are running on hot coals or on top of egg shells (that you don't want to break). What does this really mean besides the obvious of picking your feet up really fast. It also means that you want to minimize the force you push with your feet into the ground.

If you have the correct form, you should no longer be supplying a force with your feet on the ground. If you do, you are wasting energy. You should be picking your feet up and actively moving them forward, then passively letting them fall to the ground (when they are below or slightly in front of you) and once on the ground, you should minimize the time that they are on the ground and not allow them to move too far behind you. In other words, all of the active motion (with your muscles) occurs when your feet are off the ground. With this, you will only have the weight of your body on your feet, and if you are light enough, you will not crack those eggs. (Elite runners run this way, but additionally they can pick their feet up much, much, much faster than you).

Running Group at Farmington Canal Bike Path

I am starting a group run for all levels Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm. Runners meet at the intersection of the Farmington Valley Canal Bike path at Route 177 (South Main St, Unionville) in the FVPT parking lot. Our first meeting will be April 14th. I look forward to seeing you there.

Upcoming Perfect Form Running Clinic

Training errors and bad running form both contribute to the high rate of injuries among recreational runners. Reports indicate that approximately 65% of runners develop an injury each year, many of which could be avoided. Learn how to increase your performance and decrease your chances of injury using the training theory of how to design an efficient plan to improve your fitness and speed as well as the proper running technique and footwear. A video will be shown on running form analysis, running drills, introduction to dynamic stretching and more. Open to runners of all levels. Wear comfortable running clothing appropriate for the weather and an old pair of running shoes for wear pattern analysis. Please include shoe size when registering.

Clinic will be held April 4, 2009, from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm at FVPT's Unionville Office for a fee of $35 per person (or $50 if registering two people). Call 860-673-0223 to register by credit card or for more information about the registration process.