For many running related injuries, a good regiment of RICE techniques (rest, ice, compression, elevation) can cure the aches and pains without having to see a doctor.  The only problem is finding the time to go through the entire RICE routine after every run.  The answer is to multi-task with Moji compression and ice products!

The use of ice, or cryotherapy, for musculoskeletal injuries has been a primary treatment approach by health care providers and runners for many years.   Today, cryotherapy use continues to be a proven and beneficial adjunct to manage soft tissue injury.  When used in the proper clinical situation, cryotherapy can diminish pain, metabolism, and muscle spasm, thus minimizing the inflammatory response and improving recovery after soft tissue trauma from running.  Research has shown that icing is one of the simplest, safest, and most effective recovery techniques for muscles, helping runners recover faster from training and injuries.

In conjunction with cryotherapy, effective compression lowers the temperature of local tissues, resulting in reduced local blood flow, inflammatory markers, cellular metabolism, and nerve transmission.  Moji uses a body-part-specific cold compression product that allows you to have both ice, and compression on your ailing joints, giving you the maximum effectiveness for your recovery time.

Moji products are able to make icing and compression more effective, easy to use, and comfortable through their patent-pending two-peice construction, which incorporates the Moji Cold Cell and the Moji Compression Wrap.  The Moji composite of individual cold cells that conform to the body provide maximum flexibility and comfort allowing freedom of movement.  The Moji Cold cell is a soft, pliable ice pack that attaches to the Moji compression products with Velcro.  The Compression wrap is made of stretch fabric which is adjustable so you can control your compression and freedom of movement.

Moji products include both a knee and back wrap to cover all of your recovery needs.  The wraps are very comfortable and easy to use when doing any normal activities around the house.  The cold cell is easy to use too.  It only takes throwing it in the freezer in order for the cold cell to be ready for use.  The individual cells work well to cool the areas that need cooling without freezing your entire body.  If you are looking for a easy, convenient way to practice RICE techniques then give the Moji products a try!

Some runners are intense about their training and racing, some runners run more for recreation or health reasons, but all runners develop the habit which can become what many refer to as a “Running Problem.”  I’m not a doctor, but if you have experienced any of the symptoms below you may have a running problem, and the only cure is:  more running of course!  And being able to laugh at yourself…

You Might Have a Running Problem if…

…you try to guess runners’ ages as you pass them

…say the words “easy” and “10 miles” in the same sentence.

…have heard the phrase “Run Forest Run” at least 100 times.

…spit on yourself sometimes.

…choose your hairstyle based on aerodynamics.

…wash your shorts in the shower.

…correct people when they say a marathon is 26 miles with that it is in fact 26.2 miles.

…no longer laugh at the term “fartlek.”

…tape your nipples.

…constantly get high…off running!

Feel free to comment with any other symptoms you’ve experienced!  You could save some one’s life…

In 2004, a study was conducted by The American Physiological Society in which they studied 10 different cyclists’ performance on a 6K course with a simulated altitude of 12,700 feet and found a 45% improvement in performance for most cyclists.  Runners, especially ultra distance runners, are now beginning to see the benefits of taking Viagra when exercising and racing.  Viagra’s use for increasing exercise performance originated with body builders, who it is hypothesized, started using Viagra to offset the side effect of impotence from steroid use, and found its benefits for increasing exercise performance.  Weight lifters began using it before work outs, using Viagra’s ability to dilate blood vessels to help deliver anabolics to various muscle groups.  The objective of athletes is to get the nutrients to the muscles as far ahead of time as possible in order to perform at optimal levels.  Body builders claim Viagra expands the muscles and pounds the nutrients in them.

As the study of cyclist shows, Viagra is also useful for other, more aerobic sports, like running.  Viagra increases stamina for endurance athletes by increasing blood flow to the lungs.  Viagra is a vasodilator which means it helps relax blood vessels to allow for increased blood flow.  This increase in oxygen in the blood flow to the lungs can be most helpful when running in high altitudes or oxygen poor climates.  The improvement in which the blood pressure is elevated in the arteries that supply the lungs is known as pulmonary arterial hypertension.  Runners of all types, at any altitude, can benefit from pulmonary arterial hypertension.

However, like many scientific studies, the interpretation of the results are mixed.  Some experts claim that the increase in performance by the use of Viagra could be due to athletes increase sex drive, which may lead them to have sex close to race time and therefore, increase their performance because of the euphoric state they are in after having sex, rather than increase oxygen to the blood flowing to the lungs.  Either way, Viagra is not currently a banned substance for most endurance races so it does not hurt to try.  The World Anti-Doping Agency is funding studies to detect whether the drug gives athletes an advantage or not.  If it does, it could be banned in future endurance events and running races.

So while it is currently legal, you can try to see if Viagra helps improve your athletic performance; however, like any medication, test at your (and your partner’s) own risk.

Studies have shown that 1 out of 55,000 to 88,000 marathon finishers die during or after the race.  Unfortunately, this occurred to three different individuals competing in the half marathon race of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon this weekend.  Temperatures were not out of the ordinary that day, floating around the 30s, and doctors do not know the exact causes for the deaths of these three men.   Each of these three runners pasted away of apparent cardiac arrest; but all of the runners were people whom one would not think would have an issue with the strenuous conditions runners put on their body running long distances.  One was a 26 year old that was active and enjoyed playing soccer who collapsed and died shortly after crossing the finish line.  Daniel Langdon, 36, and Rick Brown, 65, both collapsed between mile 11 and 12 of the half marathon race.  Our hearts go out to the family and friends of these individuals.

As runners we need to remember that we are not as invincible as we would like to think.  Running is a gift that we should not take lightly.  Please keep these three people in your heart and minds on your next long run.

For more information visit the Atlanta Journal Constitution news story.

A couple of years ago a study was conducted at the Western States endurance run by David Neiman.  He set out to determine the influence of Ibuprofen in 29 ultramarathon participants.  In this study, Neiman had anticipated that the rigorous distance and altitude would surely affect the runners immune systems.  But how exactly?  Would they be able to perform better by feeling less pain while racing?

Neiman found that the runners who took the pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicine were supplying their own physiological stress by taking these tablets.  The athletes who took the Ibuprofen actually displayed significantly more inflammation and other markers of high immune system responses during and after the race!  Consuming pain reliever during the race actually gave them more pain!  In addition, the pain relievers didn’t seem to add any benefits for reducing pain.  Nieman placed researchers at water stops during the race who found that there was no difference in pain for those who took painkillers from those who did not.

So why do so many runners take pain relievers?  Most point to pain prevention.  No runner wants to feel pain?  This has lead to a widespread use of pain relievers with very little understanding of the consequences.  First, if you are taking pain relievers while working out, you are masking the pains that are occurring which can lead to more serious injuries.  Runners typically get injuries from long-term, overuse of the body, which they are able to continue to do while taking pain relievers.  Pain is a signal to your body to slow down, take it easy, and rest.  Runners who take pain relievers regularly are more susceptible to overuse injuries.

Physically, pain relievers can mitigate the bodies process of building strong tissue and bones.  The stresses of exercise activate a particular molecular pathway that increases collagen, and leads eventually, to creating denser bones and stronger tissue.  If you are taking Ibuprofen before your work-outs then you lessen this response and do not let your body build this important tissue needed to lessen the pain of future intense runs.

So when is safe to take pain relievers as a runner?  If you have pain from an acute injury it is fine to take medicine to relieve it, but you should not be taking pain relievers before every work out or race.  It should be taken to relieve small pain symptoms, not as a precautionary measure.

Alright Stop, collaborate and listen, RICE is back with a brand new addition.  (Please read out loud so you can “listen” like the lyrics suggest)  That’s right, RICE is back.  Not in the eating, carbo-loading, easy to cook way that you enjoy so much, but for treating injuries and pain.  Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.  RICE is a great way to ease your pain without having to visit a doctor.  PhDs are for suckers.

Rest:  Don’t run while it still hurts.  Let the injury heal itself without you pounding more pressure on it.  I know, not running is difficult, but rest is important.  Relax and take a chill pill.  Like ice for instance…

Ice:  You want to place ice directly on the injury.  Do not exceed 15 minutes at a time.  You can repeat as desired every hour.  Wrap ice in cold paper towels, put ice in sandwich bags, or duct tape frozen pea bags to your body.  You can figure out what works best for you.  I recommend finding an ice cold mountain stream to lay in like this guy after the XTERRA Bull Mountain Trail Run.

Compression:  You can alter compression with ice.  It is done to lower the blood irrigation in the area.  Try wrapping a bandage around the injury at your desired compression level.  Or buy a compression sleeve and look like A.I.  I wear a compression sleeve around my left bicep just because it looks cool.

Elevation:  Elevating reduces blood pressure in the injured area.  And it completes the name RICE instead of RIC.  Makes the term a little more consumable.

Along with these methods take anti-inflammatory drugs to ease the pain.  If the pain persists see and doctor and find out what’s really wrong with you.  They have fancy machines that can help sometimes.

For years runners have thought about lactic acid as the cause for stiffening and soreness of muscles.  Some treatments have been stretching and massaging the muscles along with rest and recovery to get all of the lactic acid out of the runner’s blood.  However, recent studies have shown that this is not the case.  Lactic Acid may have been getting a bad rap this whole time!  Our society is always so quick to judge.

Actually, lactic acid doesn’t exist as an acid in the body at all, but exists in another form called “lactate.”  Lactate is measured in the blood to determine “lactic acid” concentrations.  So lactic acid really isn’t a substance in your blood stream.  Even so, this substance was blamed for soreness and stiffness in muscles which is actually due to the small damages and micro tears we do to our muscles while running.  In fact, lactate is released from the muscles, then converted in the liver to glucose to be used as an energy source.  Lactate is actually good for you!  Lactate is actually produced at all times of the day, even during rest periods, so the overuse of your muscles running didn’t bring on the lactate, resting did.  I guess rest and recovery aren’t the best ways to avoid lactic acid, not that lactate is a bad thing.  You should love lactate.

Don’t you feel bad now for all those horrible things you used to say about lactic acid?  Don’t worry about it.  Go for a run, it’ll make you body feel a lot better.

Everyone has encountered it before while running, the dreaded side stitch.  I remember my first side stitch.  It was the first pain I ever felt when running.  I was running around a track at the age of 5 and remember thinking, ‘Why was my body feeling this way?’  Well, apparently my 5 year old mind wasn’t the only brain that couldn’t figure out what this side stitch was and why it occurred.  Scientist and doctors still debate the exact cause of the side stitch, but there are some agreed upon possible causes.  We at SeriousRunning.com and the community of runners will figure it out.

Side stitch, or often referred to as ETAP (exercise related transient abdominal pain), are an intense stabbing pain under the lower edge of the ribcage.  It may be caused by internal organs, like the liver and stomach, pulling down on the diaphragm as you bounce up and down while running.  This makes sense because runners are constantly bouncing up and down.  However, a more agreed upon theory, is that side stitches may be caused by the contraction of the liver or spleen, which squeezes extra oxygen-carrying red blood cells, leaving this area of the body without the proper amount of oxygen.  This is why many runners get side stitches when they are having more than usual difficulty breathing.

When you feel the side stitch, keep running.  Slow down a bit to a jog and concentrate on your breathing.  Take deep breathes in the belly (medical term) first to get the oxygen pumping in your blood again.  Then start taking shallow breathes, pushing as much oxygen into your blood as quickly as possible to get it moving in your side again.  Then start running again.

Runners typically get the side stitch on their right side because that is the side of the body that their large liver is on.  Your liver enlarges, squeezing the extra oxygen-carrying red blood cells, causing you to get a stitch.  One way to try to avoid this is to concentrate on breathing when you strike your right foot on the ground instead of your left foot.  This will allow more oxygen go to the ailing side of your body.

In order to avoid side stitches before you even start running, strengthen your core muscles like you abdonimals, lower back, and obliques.  Stretching before your run helps too.  Raise your hand above your head and lean to one side stretching out your side muscles like you are on an 80s aerobics video.  Add a head band and ankle scrunchies to get a full stretch.  Also it is important to eat properly; try to avoid eating 2 hours prior to working out.  Eating just before running can give you cramps that may put more strain on your oxygen flow.  An old wife’s tale that has worked for me is to avoid carbonated beverages.  I used to not drink any carbonated beverages while in track and cross-country season; but that is tough now that beer and I have become acquainted.  This theory makes sense because carbonated beverages make it more difficult for oxygen to move in your blood stream which is the cause of side stitches.  It worked for me, I never got side stitches during the season.  Plus I had a cool red mustache from drinking so much Hawaiin Punch!

So don’t let a side stitch slow you down.  Do these things to avoid getting them in the first place and keep on a runnin’.

Every runner has encountered cramps at one time or another.  There are two type of cramps, muscle cramps and “stitches” which usually occur in your side while running.  Both can be debilitating during a run, but I want to focus on in this post on muscle cramps.  Muscle cramps occur when you muscles tighten from overexertion or dehydration.

To avoid developing muscle cramps during your run or race you should make sure you stretch properly beforehand.  Stretching helps loosen your contracted muscles in their rest state.  You should stretch 10-15 minutes before any run or race, focusing on your lower body muscles.  Calves and thighs are the most prone to getting cramps so make sure you stretch both of those areas well.

Stretching also helps loosen you muscles.  Often if you start a race or run too fast your muscles can cramp up.  You need to warm your muscles before putting them in an intense work out.  It’s like getting out of a hot shower on a cold morning without a towel.  Not cool.  Run or walk for 10-15 minutes before a race to warm your body.  If you are going on a training run, start off slow and then build your way up to a faster pace.  The colder the weather, the more you need to warm your muscles.  There’s a direct relationship there.

Hydrating is important to avoid muscle cramps.  When running your leg muscles need more blood and oxygen, which is difficult for your body to do if it is dehydrated.  Make sure you drink plenty of water and sports drinks so you can get the  electrolytes your body needs.

If you do incur muscles cramps, the first thing you should do is slow down.  You don’t have to stop, but you do need to give your cramping muscles a break so they can catch up to the rest of your body.  Know you limits and slow down.  When you stop running make sure you stretch out the cramping muscles considerably.  A post run stretch will do wonders for how your muscles feel the next day.  Drink plenty of sports drinks to give your cramping muscles the electrolytes they need.  When you get home, apply heat to the area to loosen the muscles.  Lastly, massage the muscles to loosen them up.  The best part of being a runner is that you can massage your own legs!

Don’t let cramps cramp your style.  You’re style is too good for cramps.

I ran the Georgia XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series at Bull Mountain yesterday and I’m hurtbox today.  What is a hurtbox?  I’m not sure, but I do know I feel worse today than I ever have post run.  I finished 13th out of about 200 runners.  I’m fine with that given all things considered.  I held on to 7th place until about mile 10 when I just didn’t have any more juice.  I learned a lot from running this half marathon through the mountains of North Georgia.  I learned that I was right, I can run a half marathon any day, at any time, without training.  I wasn’t running this race to test my hypothesis, but injury had sidelined me from training for about 6 months and no running at all for the past two weeks, but I really wanted to do this race.  I learned that I can get cramps while racing.  I learned that I should probably look at the elevation of a Trail Race before running it.  I learned that if you haven’t been training, you probably shouldn’t start a race at your normal race pace.  I learned it’s OK to be beaten by a girl, even if you have to ride 2 hours back home with her.  I learned that moving up to the 30-34 year old age group may not be easier competition, especially when your biggest competitors move up in age groups too.  I learned that I probably shouldn’t push an injury (again), and learned ice baths feel great.  I also learned you can’t push it up hills when they are longer than two miles.  I’ll save all of these lessons for later blogs, what I want to focus on today is that I learned it is OK to walk during a race.

There is something mental about walking that I haven’t been able to get over.  I’ve always had too much foolish pride to walk during a run.  I haven’t walked during a run since 7th grade track practice in Middle School.  At that time I was one of the two fastest runners on the team and during practice we would go out hard and walk at points when needed.  We were so far ahead of everyone else, no one ever caught up and we still finished every practice well ahead of the rest of the team.  However, my best friend during the Middle School days, who was a girl, would complain, “You may have beaten me but at least I ran the whole way!”  Why are females always trying to compete with me?  It’s not me, it’s just science.  At any rate, yesterday was the first time I have walked during a run in 16 years and I liked it.

It began with a muddy, slippery, 75% grade incline at about mile 5, after I had been running uphill for almost all 5 miles prior.  I found that with an incline this steep a fast walk can often be faster than a run.  I leaned forward and put a brisk walk up the steep hill.  While I was walking I was breathing very heavy and becoming more fatigued, but walking was working different muscles in my legs.  I was saving my running muscles which I needed for the downhills.  By walking up some of the steepest hills I was able to conserve enough energy to be able to move my legs at the maximum pace the downhills pushed me.  Without walking up the steep hills I would not have been able to finish the race in the place that I did.

Walking also took the pressure off of my injured knee.  My knee began hurting badly at about mile 8.  Every time I started running up a small incline it would twinge at each step, but when walking it wasn’t putting this pressure on them.  Walking takes the constant pounding off of your knees.  Jeff Galloway has built marathon training plans from the run-walk-run method which has been very effective for thousands of runners.  He’s still running strong at age 65 and claims you can keep running until your 100 years old by using this method.  That’s great news for me since my knees feel like they are 100 years old from all the jumping out of airplanes I’ve done.  Maybe it is OK to walk.  Without a doubt, it helped me perform the best to my ability in this race.

Overall, I had a great time at the XTERRA Georgia Trail Race.  The race was very well put on and run smoothly like all of the XTERRA Georgia Trail Races, everyone really enjoyed themselves from new trail runners to experienced trail runners.  And as you can see from the picture above, every runner needed a good ice bath to soothe their muscles after running this challenging, mountainous race.  Beautiful day, beautiful terrain, beautiful race.  This is what trail running is all about….and trail walking.