I thought it would be a good idea to share my experience with Dr. Jeff Spencer as he has played a significant role in my personal and professional life.  I hope it gives you a good idea of why I thought it was important for him to do a presentation to our local community at the Salt Lake Running Company next week.

I first met Dr. Spencer years ago at a convention where he was presenting to over a thousand of my colleagues. I was immediately captivated by his ideas on energy medicine and how he explained the importance of removing “interferences” in the body to get athletes to

perform at higher levels.  He was taking parts of what I knew from 20 years of clinical experience and adding cutting edge information that I was reading about in my personal life to improve my fitness and performance. I distinctly remember that he had a system to identify and correct problems in the body that pulled all different pieces together, and he had the resume to back it up as he had worked with dozens of world champions.

As his lecture continued, a light bulb went off in my head, “I need to talk to this guy!” I was post 1 year ACL reconstructive surgery and not where I wanted to be with my recovery. Maybe he had an answer. I waited for my opportunity as the crowd slowly dissipated around him and asked him if I could talk about my “problem”.  Jeff was very accommodating and immediately asked a little more about the injury and my history;  he then had me perform a few tests  he’s developed to identify the possible cause of my problem and why I wasn’t able to engage the muscles effectively even after extensive rehab.

Without going in to all of the details, he checked a few more things and then did two cold laser treatments on me. That treatment, along with two additional sessions a couple of weeks later, literally changed my professional paradigm and my personal life. I just couldn’t believe something so simple and so quick could make such a dramatic improvement. When I got on the bike later that week, I could feel that my left quad was actually fully engaging the power stroke into my left pedal. That hadn’t happened since the injury as it was just going around for the ride previously. I finally had two legs to bike with again! I was totally jacked.

I attended a number of seminars Dr. Spencer presented and began to learn more completely how his vision of the body encompassed a larger picture that I had imagined. He talked about muscles, nerves, and connective tissue. He talked about the importance of symmetry and the concept of Tensegrity, focal loading and why many times the cause of the symptom, was NOT where the patient felt pain. In the midst of all this clinical information, he dropped in stories about the physical and mental demands of the athletes and riders he had worked with and what helped them. I came to realize that many of these professionals were struggling with many of the same things we do albeit on a different level. He provided ideas and answers on maximizing their potentials and solutions for physical and mental challenges.

As I got to know Jeff better over the years, I began to see more of his personal side when he talked about his experiences at the Tour de France and with his personal life journey. I got an immediate sense that this guy really cared about the people he was working with and the doctors he was teaching. He wasn’t removed and distant with an “I did this and that…” attitude. He had ability, heart and compassion that really comes across in his book “Turn It Up”.

I also got a sense that Jeff is on a mission to get as much done as possible in this life and therefore can come across as a pretty intense person. I’m sure that when dealing with professional athletes at the biggest races in the world you either “Step up and get the job done” or they find some else that can as their livelihood is on the line.

I encourage you to come out on February 11^th from 7-8pm to meet and listen to Dr. Spencer. I think you’ll get more than you bargained for in a lot of ways.

Dr. Michael Cerami is an avid runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is available for a consultation one Saturday per month at Salt Lake Running Company (Salt Lake store) by appointment. He can be reached at 801-486-1818 or online at www.utahsportsandwellness.com

By Dr. Michael Cerami

I decided to write this month about my experience in dealing with a knee injury that occurred 6 years ago. What seemed like a career ending event turned into one of the best things that’s ever happened to me and I hope it can provide some insight for other athletes. I hope it can provide some additional perspective while managing your down time and injuries.

For much of my life I was very fortunate to be uninjured and pain free. I ran a bit in my 20’s to stay in shape but really didn’t get serious until about 1990 when I was 33 years old and met my wife. I started by running a bunch of 10k’s back East where I’m from and then a few marathons with no problems. In those days you got most of your information from magazines and books about creating training plans and it seemed to work pretty well for me. In 1992 I started working with triathletes in my practice and got hooked on the sport so I started biking and swimming and completed my first triathlon in 1994.

I moved to Salt Lake in 1995 and everything was going well until the winter of 2005 when I had a hyper-extension ski injury that completely tore my left ACL.

The main thing I remember about the injury was being really depressed after the surgery because I was doing 2+ hours of personal rehab daily and getting very little results. The first doctor I saw said I probably wouldn’t be running again so the possibility of never doing another triathlon was very real. I then realized that over the years I had eventually and unconsciously identified myself as an “athlete” and was now faced with the prospect that I may be losing that identity. It was honestly very emotional and scary to think what I would be if that athlete piece of me was missing. If I wasn’t an athlete, what was I? I know it may sound trite (and it was compared to some of the other challenges I’ve had in life) but the concern really got a hold of me and it was totally unexpected.

What I eventually figured out was I can’t control what happens in my life and I’m going to have to “roll with it”. I thought I knew this already but the “gift” of this injury brought it home for me. I also understood that even though I couldn’t control the results of surgery and rehab (or the outcome of any event for that matter) I could control the effort I put in to solve the problem.

What this meant for me was taking a serious look in the mirror and telling myself that I would find the right people and do as much as I possibly could to solve this injury so I could get back to being an athlete. But (and it was a BIG BUT), if the result of my efforts weren’t what I wanted, I would have to be OK with that, knowing that I put the effort in and the ultimate outcome wasn’t up to me. In other words I could control my efforts but not the result. I wanted to be absolutely certain that 5 years post injury I could look back and honestly say I did everything I could to solve the problem. I did not want to think I should have or I could have done more.

This decision changed my life in a lot of ways. I came in contact with some amazing people and technology that not only helped me solve my knee injury but literally reinvented my professional life as well. I doubt I would have ever reached the new level of realization without what I thought was a horrible day on Snowbird. I wish you a wonderful year in your training; both your body and your mind.

Dr. Michael Cerami is an avid runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is available for a consultation one Saturday per month at Salt Lake Running Company (700 East store) by appointment. His next visit to the store will be January 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. To schedule a free consultation, please call the Salt Lake Running Co. at 801-484-9144. Dr. Cerami can also be reached at 801-486- 1818 or online at www.utahsportsandwellness.com

Nearly 40 years ago, while both stationed and Camp Smith in Hawaii, Walt Esser and I discovered trail running on the Aiea Loop Trail, high above Pearl Harbor. While still active duty Marines, we met at Stinson Beach near San Francisco to run the infamous Double Dipsea trail race from the beach, up over  Cardiac Hill and Mount Tamalpias, through Muir Woods and down the 664 steps down to Mill Valley – and back – 30 years ago.  On November 27, 2010, we again found ourselves toeing the starting line at the Dipsea – the Quad Dipsea – a double running of the course starting at Mill Valley and totally nearly 30 miles.

All during the years since we first ran together in Hawaii, we’ve kept in touch and occasionally got together. A couple years ago, I paced Walt from Big Mountain to Lambs Canyon in the Wasatch 100, where he was the oldest finisher just before his 70^th birthday. He was once again in Salt Lake last summer where we did several trail runs together and had the opportunity to share our own “running wisdom” about running and life. His advice and example of how to manage both effort/energy and maintain focus in a “hundred” was instrumental in my success this year in completing the Coeur d’Alene Ironman at the age of 68. Most recently he was open to trying out my new ideas on running form: learning to run with a quicker, lighter cadence; running in less technical and more flexible shoes so you can better “feel” the ground under you; and using a stride-rite elastic harness to learn to run with a more compact armswing and balanced forward posture. We practiced the techniques, over and over again together before he returned home to North Carolina.

In September, we decided we wanted to do a “bucket list” run and settled on the Quad Dipsea. As with all ultra-distance runs, there are cut-off times. We would have to complete the first lap in four hours and the second in eight and a half hours. We figured that if things went right and we prepared properly we would have a good shot and success.

Race morning dawned accompanied by a driving rain. We started up the steps near the rear of the 200+ runners. Straight up we went with water running down the steps like snow-melt. Finally we topped out and hit the road for a brief climb until we hit a short downhill section before sliding onto the trail. It was slick and the footing treacherous. We power hiked the steeper uphills and ran smoothly on the flats. After Muir Woods, the trail deteriorated even more. In addition to the mud, rain, and puddles, add roots and rocks. The rain came and went, but mostly just hung around with water falling off leaves as the wind shook the trees. Finally we made it to the aid station at Cardiac Hill. Just 2.7 miles to Stinson Beach and the turn-around. At first the trail was beautiful, shaded by the trees and with solid footing as we began the long drop down to the ocean. Then we hit the long-forgotten spiral stairs of unevenly spaced steps that acted like mini-dams to hold the water in place. We made the first cutoff point of 2 hours in 1:53, right on schedule.

As we started back up the trail toward Cardiac, the rain and wind intensified. On the long climb up the steps, Walt got caught behind some slowing runners and I edged off the front a bit. I was so busy just managing the climb, my effort, the wind and rain, and other runners that when I turned around near the aid station, I was surprised not to see Walt right behind me.  By the time I had knelt down and adjusted my sock, Walt appeared and looked as cold and wet as I felt. The rain was relentless and we made the decision on the spot that today was a great day for a Double Dipsea and a lousy day for a Quad Dipsea. After all we had just repeated

history 30 years later – and neither of us felt the need to expose ourselves to a potential “death march” on a second loop. We both made it back to Mill Valley in front of the cutoff and pulled the plug. It was, indeed, a wonderful day for a Double Dipsea repeat. Do we have any second thoughts about our decision – not at all. These two happy grandfathers spent the rest of Saturday afternoon sitting in a bayside restaurant in Saulsalito re-living every step of the race and started scheming and conniving about our next adventure.

Over the years we become accustomed to the way we look in the mirror every morning. Most of us takefor granted what’s staring back at us, until that “thing” in the mirror doesn’t behave the way we want itto. Then it gets our attention; especially if we are an athlete.

Because I’m a visual person, I’d like to introduce the basics of Energy Medicine by looking under the surface, inside your body as a new way to look at health and wellness. If you can get an idea of how the body is working, it will help you solve your own problems and give you a better “language” when dealingwith health professionals.

The first concept is what I call Hardware and Software. Hardware items in the body include the physicalparts: bones, muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, etc. Everything that has a physical component ishardware, including even the small stuff: cells, organs, glands, etc. Software items, on the other hand,don’t have a physical space. They are processes that coordinate and communicate with the hardwareand tell it what to do. Software is the biological information traveling throughout the body by way of thenervous system, blood vessels and even connective tissue.

Basically, the hardware does what the software tells it to do. Want to speed up your run and finish with a PR? Software impulses (brain thought) are sent to hardware (muscles, glands, organs, etc) viathe nervous system and blood vessels. This software action is initiated and constantly coordinatedwith tissues, for example increase heart rate and respiration, cooling your body through perspirationand more. The hardware also sends software messages back to the brain and other tissues about itsenvironment.

The interesting thing is that the entire body acts as a conduit for the software. There is information traveling all over your body constantly. The old paradigm was a linear system with messages going frompoint A to point B. Energy medicine research shows that all cells act to transfer information over entiresystems that were previously thought to be irrelevant. In our office we do a procedure, with the Cold Laser which I learned from Dr. Jeff Spencer, Lance Armstrong’s chiropractor. In brief, we identify a weakmuscle through a series of tests and then use the Cold Laser to “up- regulate”, or turn on, the muscle from another location in the body. The change in the muscle strength is dramatic and occurs because the light energy of the laser works through the connective matrix to affect the nerve that was involvedwith the weak muscle. Most people are stuck in the old science model because they learned at a very young age that the problem is where you hurt or are weak.

While wisdom is timeless, old models of thinking don’t always work in a rapidly changing world.  Ultimately, your body doesn’t care what model you believe in. It will heal faster and perform better withwhichever model is more effective.

Getting better results in anything, including running, may require new thinking. Begin with gettinga grasp of what your hardware and software do. Well build on the Energy Medicine concept in nextmonth’s article: Joint alignment and its effect on pain threshold.

Dr. Michael Cerami is an avid runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is available for a consultation one Saturdayper month at Salt Lake Running Company (Salt Lake store) by appointment. He can be reached at 801-486-1818 or online at www.utahsportsandwellness.com ]]> http://saltlakerunningco.com/home/2010/11/energy-medicine-part-1/feed/ 0 http://saltlakerunningco.com/home/2010/10/more-on-injury-self-care-taping-proteolytic-enzymes-and-using-the-stick/ http://saltlakerunningco.com/home/2010/10/more-on-injury-self-care-taping-proteolytic-enzymes-and-using-the-stick/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:46:17 +0000 Deb http://saltlakerunningco.com/home/?p=3728 Dr. Michael Cerami will be available this Saturday, October 23^rd, for a free, 15 minute consultation at Salt Lake Running Co.  Please call one of our stores to make an appointment.

Participation in sports usually means that at some point or another you’ll be faced with an injury. Even if you take good care of yourself, there are so many variables that can take us out that a little information ahead of time can go a long way to speed things up if you go down. That doesn’t mean you need to be a nervous Nellie, but if you can manage that injury quickly, you’ll be better off in getting back to what you like much sooner.

Deb talked about joint care and reducing inflammation with supplementation in the August 12^th blog so today I’ll go over the soft tissue strategies you can use to help recovery.

When an injury occurs the patient should always use the R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression and elevation) plan first. This approach will limit the inflammatory response of the body and keep swelling down. Ice can usually be used for 20 minutes on and then 40 minutes off. The next step during the inflammatory phase is to employ compression with an ACE bandage.

Once the body has recovered from the initial trauma, Kinesiotape can help stabilize an injured part to allow the tissue to heal or Rocktape can be applied improve proprioception (positional awareness) which will change the way you use the muscles in the injured area. Both tapes are designed to pull the skin away from the muscle which promotes blood flow and debris removal.  Faster blood flow means more oxygen and more lymph drainage, which helps remove Lactic Acid.

Taping is great because it can be self applied by the athlete and will stay on for 2-4 days. Taping will not fix mechanical distortions or correct structural imbalances but it can get you through a race and many times allow you to use muscles without causing further injury. Many basic taping methods can be taught to the athlete by a professional and then self applied. Rocktape also has great video library of self taping on their website that I encourage runners to check out (Rocktape.com). Certain complex injuries and cases require experimentation between the athlete and professional until the correct application is found.

Another method to help reduce congestion and inflammation in the connective tissue are the use of proteolytic enzymes which help break up stuck cellular debris. These can also help in pain reduction but should not be taken if you are on blood thinners (always consult your primary care physician before combining supplements to any medications you may be taking).

I also recommend The Stick to all of my patients. It’s a great tool to help move fluid more easily throughout the tissue and improve pliability within individual muscles and adjacent muscles groups. Use the Stick each night before you go to bed to help flush tissue congestion from the arms, legs, butt, IT Band, shoulders and thighs. I suggest each person trade a 3 minute session with their Significant Other; just tell them to “Hit me with the Stick!” J

It’s amazing how much shorter the recovery time will be when the athlete takes immediate care of themselves. If you get a few basic items for your home and look over some of the references I’ve provided you’ll save yourself time and money (and pain) if and when that injury occurs.

Dr. Michael Cerami is an avid runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is available fora consultation one Saturday per month at Salt Lake Running Company (Salt Lake store) by appointment. He can be reached at 801-486-1818 or online at www.utahsportsandwellness.com

Runners and athletes at any level usually want to go faster or go longer. It’s just human nature to want to do better.

The limiting factors to achieve these goals usually fall into 3 categories: Emotional (psychological, motivation), Chemical (bio chemistry, fueling, nutrition, and supplementation), or Physical (biomechanics, symmetry, distortion).

From the weekend warrior and casual runner to the ultra marathoner or Ironman triathlete, we all have limitations. Some are easier to resolve than others. It may only take a sunny day in September to provide the motivation to get us out on the road again. But pain and injuries are a different story.  Our initial impression when pain strikes might be to push through the problem, interpreting the body’s messages as a natural resistance to better performance. This may be true occasionally but more often than not, pain and injuries in the same area have a root cause from improper alignment which causes poor body mechanics. Interestingly these “cause” areas may or may not be in the same region as the pain.

One of the most common problems causing injuries to runners is muscle imbalance caused by hip rotation. Because the pelvis is attached above to the spine and below to the legs, rotation or distortion of one hip as compared to the opposite hip can affect everything above and below the pelvis; from IT band pain, psoas muscles tightness, knee and ankle tracking, lower back pain and of course the hip or SI pain.

Long term bio mechanical distortion causes structural adaptation over time which leads to anything from asymptomatic subpar performance to increased injuries and frustration. Proper structural alignment saves valuable body energy, reduces inflammation, and improves efficiency which means you’ll be able to push harder with fewer injuries, recover quicker and extend your running career.

How do know if you have muscle imbalance and hip rotation. One easy test is to look at your leg length while lying on your back. Lay on a flat surface with your shoes off and have a friend lift both of your feet off the floor (holding the soft area behind your ankles) about 18”.  Keeping the inner ankles together and the legs parallel and in alignment with the spine, see if the ankles touch each other or become misaligned. Although very basic, misalignment at the ankles will usually indicate hip rotation. Under a ¼” difference is probably OK but anything more is significant and indicates imbalance. Pain is not a good gauge for this test as I’ve seen many patients whose ankles more than a 2” difference and were not experiencing any symptoms.

Correction of structural alignment is not usually complicated or time consuming. A complete evaluation and history to determine the cause, direction and degree of the hip rotation and associated muscle imbalance tells us where and how to adjust the pelvis and which muscles need activation. Once the distortion is removed at home exercises will stabilize the alignment and keep the body working the way it should.

The lasting result of these steps is a happier runner that will probably need less pain killers, and is not on “skating on thin ice” with a body that is only one step away from its next injury. So if you have injuries that don’t heal, or feel like you are doing everything right but not getting the results you want, check for one of the signs of muscle imbalance; it could be the answer you’re looking for.

Dr. Michael Cerami is an avid runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is available for a consultation one Saturday per month at Salt Lake Running Company (Salt Lake store) by appointment. He can be reached at 801-486-1818 or online at www.utahsports andwellness.com

Tom will be doing a clinic at the store on July 27 at 12:00 and 7:00 relating to running form.  As the author of Programmed to Run, Tom was way ahead of his time in encouraging athletes to incorporate barefoot running into their routine to help the body learn proper biomechanics through slow strengthening of the feet and lower leg muscles.

After forty years of competitive running and having PROGRAMMED TO RUN published when I was 60, I figured (with typical modesty) that I knew everything there was to know about “how to run – right.” However, a number of factors conspired to change my mind. The results, I am now running faster than I have in 10 years (by 10 minutes in the half marathon), enjoying and appreciating my running more than ever, and a couple weeks ago successfully completed the Coeur d’Alene Ironman Triathlon, consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile marathon – all at the ripe “old” age of an ever younger 68. My secret is simple: deep practice to grow talent. Bet you never heard of it. I hadn’t.

In this workshop, I’ll share my experiences with this concept and suggest practical ways that you can incorporate the principles in your running. Along the way, we’ll let our bodies tell us how to develop more efficient running form. We’ll discuss the current controversy about “barefoot running” and the advantages of trail running for developing strength,  endurance, agility and learning to be ever lighter on your feet – regardless of age, sex, or body build. We will also discuss the importance of enhancing leg, core, and overall strength and balance, each of which we lose at an accelerating rate as
we grow older. If you are at the stage where you can no longer run as fast as long as you used to, endurance may not be the problem, but declining strength. We’ll discuss the related scientific research and my “at home” solutions for overcoming these potential performance robbers. Finally, we will touch on nutrition – the forth discipline in longer triathlons and endurance running. I’m looking forward to seeing you.

Gotta run, Tom.

So, 11 years ago someone said to me, “you’re in the best shape of your life, what are you
going to do next?” You see, at 35 I worked for one of the nation’s largest vitamin and sports
nutrition companies as the Director of Marketing, and was also a fitness trainer, and was what
you considered a “gym-rat”. Sure, I was in the gym several days a week, and was in pretty
good shape…..or at least I thought. Just because I lifted, and maybe looked fit, I was far from
being an endurance athlete! After that question, it really got me thinking, that person was right! I
needed goals to stay motivated in the world of fitness.

While I was watching TV one day shortly after that question, the Ironman World Championships
came on and I decided to watch it (keep in mind that I never even thought about triathlon before
that show). After being totally impressed watching the race, I decided, hey, this is the sport
for me! I was in good shape, grew up always riding my motocross bike, and kind of knew how
to swim. Ha, famous last words of a fool! I jumped in the pool the next day and barely swam
25 yards, and did I mention I held my breath the entire length of the pool? I thought to myself,
freak, what have I gotten myself into!?!?

After attempting the swim, the next day I dusted off my mountain bike and rode about 5
miles….wow, 5 miles! And then the next day I decided to run, well, at least jog, walk, jog, walk,
etc. Wow, my first 3 days of training where quite the adventure! I didn’t know what the heck I
was doing, when to do it or how to do it. And 11 years ago, triathlon coaches were very few and
far between, so I decided to coach myself. I’d like to say that I excelled in at least one of the 3
disciplines, but I was a complete rookie at everything, with swimming definitely being the most
challenging!

I pretty much “winged it” during my first 4 months of training for my first sprint triathlon. I trained
6 days a week, but fell into the same routine week after week, month after month, with no
deviation in my workouts (no intervals, no speed work, no open-water swims, and quite frankly,
just junk yardage). Also, I forgot to tell you that all my bike training was on my 30 pound 10
year old mountain bike! The training was haphazard at best! When June came around I was
prepared for my first open-water sprint, or at least I thought! What a disaster! My swim was
horrid, I crashed my bike, and, I actually tripped on a railroad tie in front of all the spectators
when I started my run. Wow, what was I thinking?

After the race, while I was having the paramedics pluck gravel out of my knees, they started to
announce the age group awards. 3rd place goes to…….. 2nd place goes to……., and 1st place, in
the 35-39 year old age group, David Pruetz. Whoa! Really? If I actually took 1st in my age group
out of 15 guys, on my mountain bike, what am I actually capable of if I really knew what the
heck I was doing? Well, I found out….once I applied myself, focused, researched, and hired a
swim coach (oh, and bought a road bike), I actually qualified and raced in the USAT Nationals in
my first year, as well as my second year. After a couple years of sprints, Olympics and my first
half Ironman, I took on Ironman in my third season.

11 Years later here I am…..I own and operate Utah’s first stand alone triathlon company, was
Utah’s “first full-time triathlon coach, “have been coaching for 8 years now, have done 60+
triathlons, and was honored to be able to compete at the Kona Ironman World Championships
in 2009! What an incredible journey!

If you would like to meet Kris in person or would like to have her as your professional bra fitter, join us for our Diva Day on May 18th.  Kris will be hosting bra fitting clinics and be doing personalized bra fits throughout the day.

GET UNDER CONTROL!

 I am one of those people you do not want to meet if you aren’t under control.  I’m not talking about being emotionally under control or organized.  I’m talking about boobs.  My name is Kris and I am a sport bra expert/fanatic.  I am that person who stops you mid-run to talk to you about the support your sport bra is providing (or most likely not providing).  Yes, you might try to out run me at first, but think about it….a sport bra is a highly technical piece of equipment and you need the right one for you.  It will help you workout more efficiently and comfortably.  A good sport bra is as important as a good pair of running shoes, sometimes more important.  Did you know that 4 out of 5 women are wearing the wrong size bra?  Don’t worry though there is help.

When shopping for a performance sport bra here is where to start.  Flip your sport bra inside out and really look at what is supporting you.  A sport bra’s support comes from either compression (holding the breasts to the chest wall) or encapsulation (holding each breast individually).  A combination of both usually works best.  When looking for a new sport bra, you need to look at the 3 pieces of construction:  bottom band, cups and straps. 

 First, are the straps.  This is what most people assume is the most supportive aspect of the bra, but that is incorrect.   Your straps should have a stabilizer in the front and not stretch.  If they are moving, so is the rest of you and that isn’t good.

Second, are the cups.  There should be some sort of cups built into the sport bra to support each breast.  Make sure you are completely in the cups.

Last, but definitely not least, there is the bottom band.  This does all the heavy lifting.  You want your band more snug than your lingerie bra, but one that doesn’t make it difficult to breathe deeply. 

 Okay now you know how a good sport bra is built.  The next step is the most important:  The Fit

Here are two examples of bras that don’t fit well.  The bra on the left rides up in the back. The bra on the right is not big enough and has side spillage.

How does this performance sport bra work for you?  Try it on and let’s see.  Does the bra feel comfortable?  Does it ride up the back?  Are you completely contained in the bra or is there spillage?  Does the band stay on your chest wall or creep up onto your breasts?

 The best way to see if this sport bra will support you is to mimic your actions.  Run in place.  Jump around.  Twist and shout.  If there is minimal bounce and the bra moves with you, not on you, then this just might be your next BFF. 

 Remember like your running shoes, sport bras wear out and breakdown.  They should be replaced every 6 to 12 months depending on its use. 

                [Here is a hint:  if you can’t read the label inside your bra, you probably need a new one.]

 Gravity may not be your friend, but a good sport bra is and together we can get you under control.

This Friday-Saturday, May 14-15, join Mark for a weekend workshop so you, too, can use the Chi Running way of running to stay injury free through the miles.

By Mark Wallis
Certified ChiRunning Instructor

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned runner with multiple marathons under your belt or a beginning runner unsure of how to proceed with a running program; we all share the common goal of avoiding injuries. But running injuries are not inevitable. Many people suffer through serious aches and pains commonly associated with running simply because they don’t know what’s causing the problem. Remember, it’s not the act of running that hurts your body, it’s the way you run that can be the problem.

The information I present is based on my background and training as a ChiRunning Instructor, RRCA Distance Coach and a Team In Training Marathon Running and Walking Coach.

Knowing what causes injuries is the first step in understanding how to avoid them when you go running. In most cases the cause of injuries is due to repetitive stress or overuse of body parts trying to move in a way the body was not designed to be used.

Let’s go over a few of the most common problems:
Over Striding
When you’re running and your feet are landing in front of your hips there’s a braking action that takes place with every step. The force of the body hitting the ground in front of your hips creates an energy that must go somewhere. Usually it will find the weakest link in your body; ankles, shins, knees, hips, lower back etc. Everyone has their own unique weak link and that’s one reason why running injuries can take form in so many different places.

Heel Strike
When you allow your heel to be the initial contact with the ground (usually in combination with Over Striding) you are creating a tremendous amount of impact force. This sends a shock wave through your body and will find your weakest link. There’s been a lot of attention on barefoot running in the press recently. I enjoy running barefoot and embrace the concept of letting our feet educate our body and improve our form. I personally feel that properly fitted running shoes are the best way to go for most people. However, a running shoe will only spread the impact force over a slightly larger area; it won’t eliminate the problems of heel striking. You must pay attention to your form and work at reducing the amount of heel striking. Once you’re landing “mid-foot” or “full-foot”, under your hips, the amount of impact force is reduced.

Toe push-off
Running on the balls of your feet and using a toe push-off for every step will lead to lots of lower leg and foot injuries. You would be relying on your calf muscles to propel your body forward every single step. That’s asking these small leg muscles to carry more weight and work harder than they need. One of the keys in good running form is relaxing as many muscles in your body as possible. A relaxed muscle is less likely to be injured while running. So unless you’re competing in short distances on a track I suggest you stay off your toes.

Now let’s focus on things that will help keep you injury free and running for the rest of your life.
Listen to Your Body…
In order to train your body to know when it’s running correctly you must first open up the communication between your body and your mind. It’s called “Body Sensing”. Consider it a way of listening with your body and then responding with your mind. You will become your own detective and take an active role in finding out what your body is doing while you run.
Remove your headphones, focus your mind and perform a body sweep. Moving from area to area making mental notes of what you find. Move from your head to neck, shoulders, arms, fingers, chest, abdomen, lower back, hips, upper legs, knees, lower legs, feet and toes. As you do this ask questions: Do I feel tension or relaxation here? Is it heavy or light, soft, open or hard? Are your feet softly landing or slapping the ground on each step? Do your heels end up scrapping after a few miles? How about your lower back, is there a dull soreness that appears after a few minutes of running? Can you notice a change in your breathing during the first mile compared to the last mile? Move the focus to your shoulders; are you holding tension in this area? Turn the focus to your fingers and toes; are they relaxed or clenched and holding tension? During your next run perform this mental body scan and locate which muscles are tired. One of your goals will be relaxing as many muscles as possible. Relaxation can be thought of as the absence of unnecessary effort. The purpose of Body Sensing is to build a base of knowledge from which you will respond with correct action.

Posture….
Good running form starts with properly aligned posture. This can be described as a straight line linking your shoulders, hips and ankles. This straight line can be called your column. When your column is aligned properly your body will be supported by bones, ligaments and tendons not your muscles. Why is this important? Try this demonstration; stand up tall and walk in place for 10 seconds. Now add a slight bend forward at the waist and continue walking in place for 10 more seconds. Now switch back to a tall posture while you walk for a few more seconds. Did you feel the extra muscles being used in your legs, lower back and neck when bent over? This is because your body was out of alignment and muscles had to kick in and do the job of keeping us upright. Next time you see a group of runners take note of their posture. Most runners end up bent forward at the waist while running. No wonder so many people complain about feeling sore after a run!

So how do you maintain this column during a run?
The easy answer is to “level your pelvis and engage your core.” However, the reality is everyone has their own unique form of posture and making changes can take time. When we engage the deep muscles of the abdomen and create a strong core it allows the body to be supported by its structure rather than muscles. An engaged core takes the pressure off your lower back, keeps your hips from rocking side to side (which could lead to IT Band issues) and keeps the upper and lower body properly aligned. Try this; while standing in your best posture put the palm of your hand just below your belly button and the back of the other hand on your sacrum. Now gently raise the front of your pelvis and feel for a slight engagement of the lower abs. This slight engagement of the abs is a similar feeling to trying to zip up tight pants and you need to suck in for the last part of the zipping process. While doing this try to keep your glutes relaxed, if they are holding tension while you level your pelvis then you’ll need to relax and try again. You just need enough core engagement to level your pelvis but without clenching your butt. Now just stand there and do some Body Sensing of what this feels like. When you go running you’ll need to recreate this column in order to lean from the ankles and relax the rest of your body.

Mark Wallis is a 2nd generation native Tucsonan and enjoys helping people reach their running goals and stay injury free in the process. He’s a certified ChiRunning Instructor and conducts workshops in the western United States. To learn more about ChiRunning visit www.chirunning.com or email mark@markdwallis.com