Sharing my knowledge and experience in regards to running (improved version)

[Krios]

Since I've been running on and off since I was 17 and participated in marathons I have some knowledge and experience regarding the subject which might be of use to other people. So I'll list some of them in order to share.

 

Runner's knee:

Almost 80% of all long distance runners develop what's called "runner's knee". Runner's knee expresses itself as pain in the knee that starts once you become better trained and once you can handle longer distances. However, the pain might already start after a mile EVERY TIME you run. It generally takes a few days for the pain to go away again and destroys your running schedule and hence your fitness.

 

Cause of runner's knee:

Runner's knee is known by INFORMED sports doctors as "iliotibial band friction syndrome". Iliotibial band syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

In simple language, there is a band/tract that runs from your buttocks area to under your kneecap. When you start training and CERTAIN muscles in your legs start to become better trained, then your kneecap also starts moving SIDEWAYS instead of just UP AND DOWN during running. Why does that happen? It happens because during running you train and thus strengthen only CERTAIN muscles in your leg. Those muscles then start pulling your kneecap sideways and the muscles that should keep your kneecap in balance and moving up and down then LOSE in terms of strength from the better trained muscles.

 

So your kneecap starts moving SIDEWAYS additionally to just moving up and down like it normally does.

 

What problem does that create? Your kneecap now starts rubbing against your iliotibial band and due to the repeated friction that that creates you feel a strong inflammation on the sides of your kneecap, which eventually becomes an unbearable pain. The longer you keep running when you feel that, the closer you come to the point that you can no longer even walk due to the pain.

 

If you run far and in nature, then it can happen that you end up immobilized and on your own. It once happened to me while I was in nature where there was no lighting and the sun went down and everything around me was pitch black, I could hardly even see the trail. It's a problematic situation and since I sometimes ran for 6 hours I was craving for water like crazy. So you can see how that can be a problem.

 

Most doctors do not know that this is an iliotibial band issue and they don't know because most doctors are not runners themselves. Note that only 15% of the population runs long distance, so most people are unaware and uniformed regarding the problem, that goes for many doctors and therapists too. So it can be frustrating, when they try all sorts of things to solve it, yet nothing is working. Sports doctors tend to be better informed regarding the issue, but sometimes even they don't know the cause, let alone a solution.

 

However, latest research, where they had marathon runners with runner's knee run in a sort of MRI or Cat Scan machine, shows that the problem might be a little bit different. Rather than just rubbing against the kneecap the iliotibial band also swells up due to inflammation and in such a way touches the kneecap. Making the problem even more complex and harder to handle.

Even less doctors know about this, since it's fairly new research. (yeah I sought long and hard for a solution to this problem!)

 

 

Solutions:

To solve this problem I've tried pretty much EVERYTHING there is. I've thrown A LOT of money at solving this problem, I almost thought about getting surgery or thought about stopping to run entirely. I had gotten quite desperate and frustrated and tried to run through the pain and there were days that I ran so far and the problem started to occur, that I wondered how the hell I would ever get back home.

 

I've found only TWO solutions that REALLY work.

 

1. Very targeted and disciplined stretching. And with stretching I mean stretching of the iliotibial band in order to make it longer and less tight, so that it doesn't rub against the kneecap as much. Furthermore one should train and strengthen the muscles in the leg that don't get trained enough during long distance running. The latter creates a balance between all the muscles that pull on your kneecap and keep it moving up and down only, instead of also sideways.

 

I bought a yoga mat to soften the ground under me while doing the stretches and a stopwatch to time the stretches. Here's a video of someone who does those EXACT stretches. One should do them at least two weeks, every day, before even starting your first run again after your injury. The iliotibial band should stretch and some muscles in your leg should strengthen to "balance" your kneecap during running: Runner's Knee Stretches - YouTube

 

And it really WORKS. After having tried so many things this was a gift from the heavens!

 

2. HOWEVER! The stretching solution is not ideal. Because stretching is BORING and it's a chore and you HAVE TO keep doing the stretches every day. You might think that after watching that video, well they're not so bad. Yeah but try doing that every day, I did over double the time that the guy in the video does it and it's a boring chore.

 

The ONLY other solution that I've found to work is wearing an iliotibial band compression strap above the knee. What the strap does is that it compresses your upper leg just above the knee, this bends the iliotibial band and keeps it in place, so that it can't rub as easily against your kneecap.

 

It works wonders. The downside is that you need a tight strap, which might feel uncomfortable, however after a while I didn't notice it, because I didn't focus on the pressure that it creates on the upper leg and besides, it feels WAAAY more comfortable than runner's knee.

 

I know of only ONE iliotibial band compression strap that WORKS and works well. The straps has a small square padded area that puts extra pressure on the iliotibial band and has a special material that prevents it from slipping off your leg when your leg starts sweating. I am in no way affiliated with the company that makes them and would not promote it if this thing did not really work. I'll just mention the product, because so many people can benefit from this. I'm enthusiastic about it, because it solved a real problem for me after having tried so many things and after spending so much money.

 

It's called a "Pro-Tec IT Compression Band". The same guy that explained the stretches also talks about the strap: Runner's Knee Compression Strap - YouTube

 

It worked for me and allowed me to stop doing the stretches. But if your runner's knee is very severe, then I recommend both the stretches AND the IT band strap.

 

 

Blisters:

Repeated friction of your foot in your shoe will create blisters. Most commonly on your heels and toes, but blisters can also form in other areas of the foot, depending on your running form/style.

 

Solutions:

1. Taping in the problem areas or putting adhesive bandage on them can prevent blisters. However, adhesive bandage can "let go" once your feet start to get wet from sweat. So special sports tape which is wrapped securely around the problem areas is a better solution.

 

2. Double layered AND seamless AND padded running socks.

The idea behind the double layered socks is that the friction happens between the layers of the sock, rather than between your shoe and foot or between your sock and foot.

 

Painful and bleeding nipples:

When you run long distance AS A MAN, then your shirt starts bouncing up and down and rubbing on your nipples and after hours of running they start to sore, since nipples are sensitive. If your keep going, they can even start to bleed.

 

You might think, it gets that bad? YES, it gets that bad. Lots of male runners suffer from the issue, but don't talk about it due to being ashamed. Female runners don't tend to get the problem, since they often wear sports bras during running.

 

Solutions:

I cut the sticky parts from an adhesive bandage and stick them on my nipples. Problem solved. Some runners recommend a lubricant gel specifically designed for this issue, but it's an unnecessarily expensive solution and in my opinion less ideal than my adhesive bandage solution.

 

Shoes and running form and running styles:

I won't recommend a specific brand, however I do recommend dampening technologies in the heel and forefoot like "air" and "gel". I prefer gel, because it's more durable. Gel lasts for 6 months of daily marathon running. I prefer the gel both in the heel area AND forefoot area.

 

Your shoes should be picked based on your running form. Some running forms are: heel strikes(most common style), mid-foot strikers, forefoot strikers, minimalist runners, over-pronators.

 

I'm a heel striker. I've tried other forms/styles, but they annoy me. When I'm exerting a lot of effort, I don't want to THINK about how I place my foot, I just want to run and run comfortably. I only feel comfortable when heel striking.

 

Some people recommend forefoot striking to alleviate impact on certain areas of the body. And if it works and solves problems for them, then that's fine, but it's not my cup of tea. Neither is mid-foot striking.

 

When I had knee problems I tried forefoot striking and combined it with minimalist running. Minimalist running means running on shoes that simulate barefoot running. If you're interested, look on web to see those type of shoes. Such shoes often have NO dampening and allow the foot to "feel" the surface you're running on and allow your toes to spread throughout the shoes and allow the shoes to bend as flexible as your own foot.

 

Over-pronation is often seen as a problem, because when you look at over-pronating runners in slow motion, they tend run a bit goofy, as if their body puts too much weight on their ankles and they go through their ankles.

 

Some therapists advise to fix over-pronation by training in a different running form, however some kinetics specialists have noticed that some of the best runners in the world over-pronate and hence defend it.

 

Underpants folding into the area between the leg and your crotch:

When I wore regular cotton boxer shorts, they tended to fold and roll up into the area between my leg and crotch. It created friction and eventually inflammation.

 

Solutions:

I switched to LONGER underwear and tightly fitting underwear, so that it didn't fold and roll up as easily, preventing friction.

 

Where to leave your keys to your house/car/bike when running?:

Well, where can you put them? Dragging them along can be annoying right?

 

Solutions:

Some running underwear has a pocket with a zipper on the back, so you can put your keys there. Often I just kept my keys in my hands during the entire run, because the keys were connected to a ring, which I shoved over my finger, after which I clenched the keys into my fist.

 

Music:

I wanted to listen to music while running. It takes some of the boredom out of running and can motivate you. Except most mp3 players are large, heavy and have a wire to the ears that kept bouncing annoyingly against my body. Most ear plugs also fell out during running.

 

Solutions:

I bought an mp3 player that had the player integrated into the earplugs and the ear plugs were connected to each other with a sturdy wire that runs across the back of the neck. So I didn't need to drag anything along and there was no bouncing wire. The ear plugs were special and go deep into the canal of your ear and lock themselves into place there. It worked well.

 

Disadvantages:

I couldn't hear my breathing rhythm anymore, which is important to me and many runners. I also couldn't hear cars in certain areas or cyclists. Furthermore I couldn't hear remarks from women anymore. So due to all that I decided to run without music.

 

Cold hands, arms and legs:

You can of course wear long pants, a sweater and jacket and winter gloves, but they can feel uncomfortable while running and can look unattractive.

 

Solutions:

A better solution is to wear compression clothing or dryfit clothing. Compression clothing is clothing that fits so tight to your body, that it's like not wearing anything at all. There is compression clothing for the winter, which is made of thermal materials which keep warmth inside and block the wind. There is also compression clothing for the summer, which is made of materials that "breathe" due to the use of certain types of mesh structures in the textile and transport heat and sweat away.

 

Furthermore you can wear tightly fitting running gloves against cold hands and tightly fitting arm warmers. (compression arm warmers and leg warmers also exist)

 

Thirst:

On long runs I and many others tend to get very thirsty. However, dragging along a bottle can be annoying.

 

Personally I didn't carry any water with me, even when I was on 6 hour long runs. So sometimes I lost 6 pounds after a run and started to get dehydration symptoms. That's actually dumb and I don't recommend that to anyone.

 

Solutions:

1. Put a bottle of water on a spot where you pass multiple times. However, this only works if you actually run along a route that allows for this or if your run around a lake or something like that and pass a point multiple times when you go around the lake.

 

2. Camel back drinking reservoirs. Some runners use this. I don't like those solutions personally, because I hear the water splashing inside the reservoir and it drives me nuts and is too annoying in my opinion. But it is a solution. There are resevoirs for on your back, which have a tube that runs over your shoulder and every now and then you can put the tube in your mouth and drink. Other solutions are belts that can hold your water bottle(s) during running.

 

Sunburn:

Your skin will get exposed to the sun and sun rays damage the skin irreversebly by damaging DNA.

 

Solutions:

Use sunscreen with a high Sun Protection Factor(SPF). Sun rays attack your skin on two levels. It burns your skin and it damages your DNA. There are two types of radiation that are responsible for this, namely UV-B and UV-A radiation.

 

Many if not most sunscreens ONLY protect against UVB radiation, which prevents sunburn, but does not protect against DNA damage.

 

A good sunscreen has a high SPF and protects against both UVB and UVA radiation.

 

Personally I use a spray-on sunscreen, because it's quick to apply, isn't messy and you can't see that I'm "wearing" it.

 

Cars and cyclists:

When you're running, you can't see what's happening behind you. When you're listening to music, then you can't even hear people and vehicles approach you from behind.

 

Solutions:

Run on the side of the road where cars and cyclists face you directly. In most countries that's on the left side of the road. However people in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Japan drive on the left side of the road, so then you need to run on the right side of the road to see them coming. That way you can step or jump away when you see them coming too close.

 

Running in the dark:

Sometimes cyclists and cars don't see me coming when I'm running in the dark.

 

Solutions:

Some running wear has reflective strips or patches on it to make you better visible in the lights of cars and cyclists. I've also seen some runners walk with flashing lights or even flashlights. However, those latter solutions are not ideal in my opinion, because it's yet another object you then need to "drag" along.

 

Breathing rhythm:

Your breathing is important. Develop a rhythm that works for you and with which you feel comfortable.

 

Rain:

I dislike running in the rain, because I once fell hard on a slippery wet road and had so much pain that I had trouble getting home.

 

Solutions:

I don't check the weather report before running, because it's unreliable. So I check almost-real-time animated weather radar images from satellites. That way I can literally see the rain coming. Some websites provide this service for free, it's WAY more reliable than the weather report, which generally isn't local enough and not accurately timed enough based on your running schedule. If it's going to rain, then I won't go out running. I've come to find wet roads/paths too dangerous and I rather not break my bones.

 

Snow and ice:

I avoid snowy and icy days, due to my experience with falling hard on a slippery wet road. Snow and ice make the surface of the road even more slippery, so I avoid it for my safety.

 

Cold air freezing my lungs:

I've tried running in subzero temperatures. It wasn't for me. It was painful because the cold air felt as if it started to cut through my lungs and that created intense pain. I also felt as if my lungs were starting to freeze and it took a good while before the pain was gone and I could breathe normally again.

 

Solutions:

I bought a treadmill to run inside the house. However, running on a treadmill costs less energy than running outside, so I wear a weighted vest and run with dumbbells in my hands to make it more exerting. I also increase the incline several percent, which makes it like running uphill.

 

To make running inside more fun and less boring due to staring at the same wall for a long time I put a flatscreen tv on a cabinet in front of me and hooked the TV via HDMI up to my laptop. That way I could run and watch movies while running. I find it quite enjoyable, but such a setup can cost a few thousand Dollars/Euros/Pounds. It's worth it though in my opinion.

 

Sweat and salt stains:

When you run, you sweat. When you run a lot, you sweat a lot and you can even develop salt/mineral stains on your clothing due to crystallizing salt from your sweat.

 

Solutions:

I wear wrist bands to wipe away sweat from my face, because the drops running down my face can be annoying. Some brands, like those for basketball players, have longer versions, which can absorb more sweat. Tennis players also wear them and Nadal made them even kind of fashionable.

 

I've found the issue of white crystallized salt stains from sweat only to occur on cotton clothing, so I prefer clothing that's made of synthetic materials.

 

However, sometimes the salt crystallizes on my face, which can look funny. I once came home and saw myself in the mirror and noticed I had a salt stain that looked like a white fluid had dripped from my mouth. I already wondered why people looked at me in a weird way that day. I think I know what they assumed.

 

Dry lips:

I tend to get dry lips during running. I have dry lips anyway, but during running in gets worse because my mouth gets dry and I get thirsty.

 

Solutions:

I use a lip balm stick which moisturizes the lips. However it's not ideal, because once I start wiping away sweat from my face with my wrist bands the balm gets wiped off too, which causes my lips to become dry again.

 

Dogs:

Some people don't have their dogs on a leash and some people have agressive dogs.

 

Solutions:

I have none actually. Sometimes I keep running, sometimes I freeze when the dogs runs up to me like it wants to bite me. I don't appreciate it when people let their dogs off a leash where people tend to run. I understand why they do it and when I had a dog I did it too, but now I understand how it can feel when a dog suddenly runs up to you in an aggressive manner.

 

Aggressive people:

I've had it happen that I ran past groups of guys who were looking to beat someone up or rob people. I've also been stopped once by people who asked me where they could buy drugs. So far I haven't gotten beaten up, but a good friend of mine was beaten up multiple times when running.

 

Solutions:

I avoid groups of young men who seem like they're looking for a fight or to rob people. Better safe than sorry.

 

The opposite sex:

As a single guy I like to get positive comments from women. I also use those comments to check whether I'm still attractive to the opposite sex, or at least to some women. It's caused me to actually look at the gear I'm wearing during running. I used to only buy running gear for practicality, but now I also look at how attractive it looks.

 

Solutions:

Compression wear looks good in my opinion, especially when you're ripped, which I'm not, but I do like the look and advantages of compression clothing. I also prefer a completely black outfit. So black compression wear and tight runners gloves. Women can do the same. Examples: Photo Album - Imgur

 

Exerting more energy on shorter runs or challenging yourself:

Sometimes I don't have a lot of time to run, but I still want to.

 

Solutions:

I run faster, yet pick a shorter route. And when running at home on a treadmill I wear a weighted vest and run with dumbbells in my hands. Example: http://bit.ly/AgQz3K

 

Questions are welcome.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Krios

[Krios]

Losing muscle mass

When you look at marathon runners, they're fit and healthy, but they're very slender. (I don't want to use the word skinny for them, because those guys are healthy)

 

However, it's not a body type that I prefer. I don't necessarily want to be ripped, but I do want more muscle tissue for aesthetic reasons than most long distance runners seem to have. They're healthy YES, but their body types do not entirely appeal to my personal taste for male aesthetics. In my opinion it looks better if a man has some more muscle tissue around his bones. Note that I'm not talking about being ripped, which I'm not. I'm talking about having sufficient muscle tissue around the bones for (subjective) aesthetic reasons.

It's my personal opinion, other people may or may not agree.

 

Here's what happens when you exercise.

 

You're using energy that's stored in your body. Your body draws from 3 sources:

 

1. Food in that you've digested

2. Body fat

3. Muscles

 

That's right, when you exercise you burn muscle tissue too. When you don't eat foods that compensate for that loss of muscle tissue, then your muscles can actually shrink. The ratio is roughly 75% fat and 25% muscle tissue.

 

Solution

After every run I drink a high quality protein shake (whey isolate) and after that I drink an accelerator which accelerates the absorption of the proteins into the muscle tissue. The latter is needed to quickly repair micro tears in the muscles that form during exercise. The latter is also needed to prevent the proteins from transforming into other chemicals before they can get absorbed into the muscle.

 

Quality whey isolates tend to start at a protein concentration of 80%.

 

The whey isolate I use is a 93% protein concentrate. The protein is of high quality, which means not only a high concentration, but also an optimal molecular buildup of the protein molecules themselves.

 

I drink these shakes for two reasons. Namely to counter the loss of muscle mass after a running session and to repair micro tears in the muscle tissue after a running session. The latter needs to be done quickly, hence I also drink an accelerator. The accelerator has an added advantage that it also causes more protein molecules to be absorbed by the muscles.

 

I make sure I strictly follow the instructions and only use the advised amounts and weigh everything accurately on a digital scale before drinking it.

 

The protein shake has a nice strawberry taste to it and drinking a glass of it certainly beats eating 20 eggs a day, ugh!

Edited February 20, 2012 by Krios