Last, but not least we have a link to a recent podcast by Jimmy Moore. Jimmy is the author of both the blog and podcast aptly named "Livin' La Vida Low Carb" and this podcast is a real touchy back and forth between Mr. Moore and Vegan Doctor, Dr. John McDougall. The gloves were off for this discussion.
Have a great Friday, a great weekend and a wish your dads a happy Father's Day!
Ah, the 10% rule of running for increasing mileage or run time. A very specific and objective piece of conventional wisdom handed down from each running generation to the next. Many have voiced both praise and disdain for the rule and it has even been used in some research studies.
I am currently in the process of rebuilding my running base after letting it dwindle to near zero over a 4-5 month span. I wanted to avoid doing too much too soon when I returned to running regularly and I like to experiment with ideas so I figured I would put the 10% rule to the test.
My rules for this were to run no more than 10% longer per longest run of the week or per week total. I was allowed to run less if needed and would only be running 3-4x a week. So far, after following this rule for several months I have been able to increase my total time very easily in terms of both aerobic and musculoskeletal comfort. There have been times of slight soreness but the kind you embrace or expect from a workout plan that gradually imposes increased demands or loads.
I must say that so far this base building has gone far easier than previous base building efforts. Previous attempts were plagued with issues like chronic compartment syndrome, plantar fasciosis, Achilles tendinopathy, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, and other common but nagging running injuries. My girlfriend has also been rebuilding her base alongside me. In the past she had a history of IT Band Syndrome/Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome issues and repeat stress fractures in high school. So far she has not had any problems arise either.
That is me in the white shirt and shorts on the far left, when I first started running. I definitely used to over-stride!
Hey everyone, I was about to go for a run today and I thought of the idea of highlighting some of repeated-end range exercises that I have mentioned in some of my recent posts. Today I will show you two of them that I do try to do before every one of my runs. I learned these from Dr. Erson of TheManualTherapist.com so I can't take credit for thinking of them! I must say that incorporating these two exercises has helped me resolve any lingering heel stiffness/pain that I previously had.
It is very easy to find out if these will do anything for you by giving them a try and checking your mobility to see if benefit from them. If you do, great! If not, you might want to try some soft tissue to assist you reach your true end range or maybe just find something that does work for you!
I am back in my hometown for my little sister’s wedding this weekend. Yesterday, my dad spent the day preparing and setting up for the wedding. He was lifting and carrying around a lot of awkward and heavy objects for most of the day. This morning my dad awoke with debilitating neck pain with radiating pain down into his right shoulder. His neck mobility was very poor with limited rotation and side bending to the right.
A year ago, I may have suggested Tylenol, Ice, Rest and perhaps some slight stretching. If I had access to modalities I may have wanted to use electrical stimulation to help control his pain. This was the type of neck pain that would have sent him running to the chiropractor’s office in the past.
Recently, I have been working to incorporate a lot of stuff that I have learned from my OMPT Channel subscription from The Manual Therapist and from the content on his blog as well. If any of you are regular readers of my blog you probably know this little fact already. One of the biggest things that I have learned about is how a large portion of injuries or pain fall into a “rapid response” sort of category. Specifically, this means that there was a good chance that I would be able to make significant and quick changes with my father’s neck pain.
Another concept that I learned and have written about previously is the use of repeated-end range joint loading. This is done into the direction of preference to increase function, centralize pain and improve mobility. This was a concept I used to produce rapid changes in my dad’s neck pain this morning.
Specifically, I did some very light Instrument-Assisted Soft Tisse Mobilization (IASTM) to the right side of my dad’s neck. I followed specific tissue patterns that I learned in the subscription section of the OMPT channel from Dr. Erson but he has some related videos for free on YouTube. I spent 3-4 minutes working these patterns with the goal of helping my dad reach his end-range. After the light tissue IASTM I showed my dad how to do repeated side bending to the right (side of unilateral pain) and cervical retraction as well. I had him do about 2 sets of 12-15 of each of these repeated movements.
Once or twice I had to stop him and help him reach his end-range more effectively. After he finished, the shoulder pain had centralized and his neck rotation and side bending was now normal. These effects are transient so I gave him instructions on how he would need to repeat these exercises for 10-12 reps once a hour. He gave me a look of incredulity but about an hour and a half later while trying on our tuxedos his neck stiffness started to return.
Well, today is national running day here in the US so I hope you all get a chance to get a run in! Today's post goes back to a personal event from about three weeks ago...
I work at a small private college as a certified athletic trainer and I was covering some end of the year practices for the football team as they prepared to go on an overseas trip. Like many football fields, there was a track around the outside perimeter and the public would use this to run laps during the day and even during practice.
In the midst of a lull during practice I looked up and noticed a college-aged male running laps with form resembling that of the "Don't Be That Awkward Runner" video from YouTube. I watched him run a few laps in horror. He carried his arms completely extended and at his waist, had a major crossover gait (meaning that both feet ran on one straight line and there was no distance between potential foot prints in a medial/lateral fashion), and he was running directly on his toes without letting his heel touch the ground.
Kefir and Kombucha are fermented drinks and are packed full of probiotics or "beneficial" bacteria for your body. Both of these drinks have seen big increases in popularity in the last few years in the United States, despite being a long time staple for many cultures around the world. Chris Kresser wrote a great article about kefir and highlighted many of its benefits here. Richard Nikoley, author of "Free the Animal: how to lose weight and fat on the Paleo diet" is also crazy about Kombucha and Kefir and had an extensive blog series about his experiment with a raw milk kefir diet.
Even though these drinks are not "perfectly" paleo they are still gaining popularity as of late within the paleosphere. I would attribute this to several different factors. First, the paleosphere is hip to the importance of a healthy gut biota which probiotics can help establish. Secondly, the fermentation process of kefir eliminates something like 99% of the lactose in milk which makes it much more paleo-friendly.
Also, we are all different and there is no one "best" diet that fits all of us. Dairy is actually tolerated by a lot of individuals. Anecdotally, many are finding that a paleo and/or gluten-eliminating diet has helped fix their intolerance to dairy. I attribute this to helping with issues like endotoxemia or a "leaky" gut and increasing the amount of gut bacteria that can produce lactase. Lactase is an enzyme that digests lactose which is missing in those that are lactose intolerant. These are some reasons why there is an acceptance of dairy by paleo dieters.
So you read yesterday's post by Tony Cukierski, ATC, HHP about eating seasonally and you thought it sounded like a logical argument and a healthy habit to work into your dietary lifestyle. Now you want fresh in season food and you may have also read my first guest post by Jordan Anderson, ATC and now you know about supporting your local farmers with CSA farm-shares.
The girlfriend and I scored this catch of fresh produce last weekend.
However, you might be in a situation like myself and find yourself unable to bear the upfront investment cost of subscribing to farm-shares. Maybe you are unfortunate enough to live somewhere that farm-share subscriptions are unavailable. Don't fret! There is another alternative and that would be your local farmer's market.
"It's been a while since my last blog post due because I've been busy with my thesis but today we have the honor of having another guest post. Today's post is written by Tony Cukierski, ATC, HHP. Tony is a good friend of my last guest post author and is a personal acquaintance of my own as well. Tony is a certified health counselor and helps individuals through positive dietary and lifestyle changes. He is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and he also attended and graduated from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Tony started his education at Northern Illinois University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and is a Certified Athletic Trainer. Tony has his own website and blog at www.Nourishing4Life.com. Tony founded Nourishing4Life Health & Wellness to better help others with their dietary and lifestyle changes. You can find and follow Nourishing4Life and Tony on twitter as well! His thoughts and post echo a lot of my own values and ideas about nutrition. I hope you enjoy it!"
Eating Seasonally
What is it?—Eating seasonally is exactly
what it sounds like—eating foods that are available or ripe during a season of
year in your geographical region. Many years ago people didn’t know what eating
seasonally was; they just ate foods that were available to them in their
geographical region for that time of year. A wonderful excerpt from Joshua
Rosenthal’s book Integrative Nutrition
that elaborates, “Our ancestors ate seasonally because they had no choice.
Fresh greens grew in spring, fruit ripened in summer, root vegetables kept them
going in fall, and people relied on animal food to get them through the
winter.” This is truly seasonal eating. Understanding this concept is
beneficial in achieving good health and sustaining a healthy environment.
I was asked a very innocent and nonchalant question the
other day. The question was produced by a little small talk but in reality it was
a deep question. The answer to this question has many parts or layers and many
different but viable responses. I realized that the response that I would give
is dependent upon time.
I wasn’t always a runner or a fan of running. I label the
younger or adolescent version of myself as the stereotypical fat or chubby kid.
I dreaded the mile run for gym class in elementary school and one day I even
faked sick so I could stay at home and not participate in the perceived
torture.
I definitely was a stereotypical fat kid.
I didn’t get into running until my sophomore year of college
when I worked with cross country and track athletes during my second clinical
rotation as an athletic training student. My interests in endurance sports had
begun to develop as I had taken up cycling as a recreational and fitness hobby
before the start of college. I would assist my preceptor in evaluating and
treating these athletes and would be amazed at the durations of their runs. I
was shocked but inspired at the same time that people could run for 60-90-120
minutes without struggle and do it several times a week.
Sufficient hip extension is vital for proper running gait, form, posture and efficiency. Inhibited or restricted hip extension in running can result in:
Over-striding
Decreased running economy
Poor movement patterns
Potential risk for injury and/or compensation up and down the kinetic chain
The Gluteus Maximus is the primary hip extensor and the strongest muscle in the body. It is hypothesized that our massive glute max relative to other primates is due to an evolutionary adaptation. This allowed better bipedal locomotion and enhanced our running ability. Proper activation of the glute max and hip extension motion is needed for most primitive and basic movement patterns, especially skills requiring power. This is evident in many basic power skills such as:
Squatting/Deadlifting
Sprinting/Running
Throwing
Punching
Jumping
Bridging of the hips
Swinging an object like a club, baseball bat or golf club.
Limitations in hip extension or gluteus maximus activation can also affect static postures like standing by influencing pelvic tilt, motor control activation strategies, lumbar curve and ultimately the body's center of gravity. For more reasons on why "running is all in the hips", see James Dunne's great post, here.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links on this blog are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I have used all of these products listed and recommend them because they are helpful and are products from companies that I trust, not because of the commissions that I may earn from you using these products.
Caution
All content on this blog is meant as instructional and educational. The author and guest authors of this blog are not responsible for any harm or injury that may result. Always consult a physician or another proper medical professional for medical advice.
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