Jan

31

Basic Gear for the new runner

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Running is one of the few sport activities which requires the bare minimum of equipment…namely a good pair of shoes. It’s perfectly fine for the casual runner to just go out running in a pair of old cross trainers and an old cotton t-shirt but if you are training to compete in a event or to get more serious with your training, you need some proper equipment.

First on the list is obviously a good pair of shoes as I previously mentioned. It might be confusing to walk into a sports store and find a wall of fancy shoes with hefty price tags and all of which claim to be the best. A good place to start might not be a sports store but a local running store where they can custom fit your shoe for you. It should feel comfortable when you first put it on and feel natural when you walk around in it. It’s a good idea to take the shoe to a treadmill and run a bit to see how it feels so you can exchange it if needed.

After you have a good pair of shoes, you need a good pair of socks. Now you might be wondering what’s wrong with your cotton socks. They are perfectly fine if they don’t cause you any problems but from experience, I find that they can cause blisters if too heavily padded and basically make your feet sweat like a sauna. Invest in a few good pairs of running socks or at least some moisture wicking ones. Keep them just for running and they will work wonders for you for a long time.

Now that we have the important stuff covered, take a look at what you are wearing when you run. Basically, for most weather, shorts are perfectly fine. If it gets too cold for you to run comfortably in your shorts, buy a pair of compression fit pants or even a well fitting and light pair of track pants will do.

Cotton is fine for most occasions, but if you are running long distance, you tend to sweat a lot. Cotton will hold all the moisture in and you end up running with a cold, wet sheet of fabric against your skin. Not the best thing. There are a number of options here but generally, anything that says “moisture wicking” is a good bet. Find a good fit and it’s a good idea to buy a short and long sleeve top to alternate them with varying weather conditions. Even if the temperature goes to about 2-6 degrees Celsius, if you layer the 2 shirts, you should be fine because when you run your body tends to heat up quite a bit after the first kilometer or so. Running in below freezing temperatures is another story and you need the proper jackets, gloves and warm headgear. If you are just starting out I would head for the treadmill if it’s freezing outside just to keep yourself safer.

To summarize, with a good pair of shoes and socks you should be able to put that extra edge into your training. Combine that with proper clothing, you can confidently take on and train for anything that comes your way!

Jan

14

How do I prevent running injuries?

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How do I prevent running injuries?

I injured myself several times now while running. I thought, in order to prevent these injuries I need to understand why they happen in the first place. It is a bit obvious, since in a way I am torturing my body and a while ago I didn’t. Still, I started doing some research to at least find out how to minimize these injuries.

1. Wearing Proper Shoes - I actually went to pediatrist to check my feet and shoes didn’t seem to be a problem. I think this is a fairly decent shoe that I’m wearing, but I’ll probably get something a bit better. By that I mean making sure that if fits better and it’s easy to walk. This is common sense, nothing new.

2. Proper Stretching - Understanding what muscle you’re using is important to knowing how to stretch. This is probably true since I have a stretching routine after 10 minutes of running usually. I have never thought about whether this routine is good enough though. I googled the topic and sure enough, there are lots of stretching. This is definitely something I can work on. I will post more on this! Reading a few articles on about, I find these general guidelines:
- focusing on the muscles you’re using: stretching your hands is probably not going to help much
- warming up: a definite must before any workout
- starting slowly with the run: this will gradually losen up the muscles and you’ll probably last longer
- don’t overstretch: this can be painful and harmful. no details here…

3. Avoiding too much workout - Overtraining will almost always result in injuries. This always happens to me with weight lifting. One of my trainers said this is a good news and it means that the burn triggers muscle growth and its a sign that it’s working. However, you probably want to account for joint or other injuries. These injuries can take longer to heal.

4. Running on right surface - You probably want the ground to to absorb the shock. Trying to avoid concrete as much as possible. Its probably the worst surface for running, about 10 times harder than asphalt. Grass or gravel is probably the best surface for running.

Last 10k I think I might have injured my knee a bit. Maybe this will be okay by Wednesday, and hopefully all healed by Sunday, the race day I’m preparing for.