The Big Picture – Runners and Injuries, Part 3
Before we get to this part, just a friendly reminder on the importance of taking a step back to determine how long you’d like to keep running and how important it is in your life. You are wise to adjust all running, training, and racing so that it aligns with the answers to these 2 questions so that you can increase your chance to remain a healthy and happy runner.
If so, make staying healthy your #1 (or at least 1A) goal and focus more on the risk than on the reward to temper the risk of overdoing it when it comes to settling on the type of running, training, and racing you do.
This week, we will focus on the ways to tweak your running that will keep health as the most important goal.
1) The more you warm up BEFORE the run, the higher your chance to stay healthy. Running really beats up the body. To simply head out the door and go from rest to running puts you ‘behind the 8 ball’ right from the get go. Conversely, the more you prepare the body for each and every run, the less likely you’ll overdo it during the run.
Things like foam rolling, using a massage stick, dynamic strength, mobility, and balance exercises, dynamic stretches, any other form of non-weight bearing cross training (like an exercise bike or elliptical), or walking are examples of effective things to do to prepare your body for the run as all involve waking up and warming up your muscles for the task at hand. Experiment until you settle on a routine that works for you in terms of being time efficient (enough) and repeatable and enjoyable to do – the best warm up is the one you’ll actually do!
2) The more you EASE into the run, the higher your chance to stay healthy – Since your body takes a beating during the run, it makes sense to respect this reality and start out at a conservative effort. Doing so will allow your body to more safely adjust to the demands of running. Everyone takes a different amount of time to get fully warmed up to get into the ‘flow’, but the average is around 20-40 minutes so make it a priority to simply listen to your body vs. your ego. Please note that there is NO MINIMUM pace – you can literally go from a super slow slog to make the gradual transition to your chosen effort given the workout goal. I can promise you that the more relaxed you start out, the better you’ll feel throughout the run!
3) The more you settle on the ‘sweet spot’ of effort, the higher your chance to stay healthy – While all those biometric numbers have their place, there are NO measurements for how you feel in relation to how your life is going at that time and the weather/terrain/surface in that moment. NOR can anything measure your motivation which is also variable from day to day, moment to moment. Be sure to ALWAYS BALANCE THE ART OF RUNNING, training, and racing with the available science at your disposal that you choose to work with. Go for an “optimal effort” (rather than a maximal one) on the conservative end of the spectrum vs. a maximal effort, with the only exception being a race in which you have a challenging goal AND you feel good and motivated to push it (just be sure to recover accordingly after!). This applies to all kinds of workouts on your schedule, so the moving target will keep things fresh for you!
4) The more you settle on a ‘sweet spot’ of volume for your running/training, the higher your chance to stay healthy – This is an area that gets lots of over achievers in trouble as they equate ever more with ever better. The ‘law of diminishing returns’ is a law for a reason – it applies to EVERYONE. Basically, you’ll go from a corresponding improvement the higher your volume (mileage/duration and pace/intensity), but only up to a certain point.
This ‘certain point’ is different for each person and it also changes for each of us from one training period to the next with all the changing life variables that come into play. After this ‘certain point’ is reached, you will get ever less bang for whatever extra buck you try to employ making it ever more trouble than the extra volume is worth.
This is why it’s dangerous to feel like you have to do the same schedule as your peers or go after a certain magical number of weekly miles like 50, 75, or 100 miles. While you can certainly view these arbitrary numbers as possible things to shoot for, just know that WHATEVER YOU ATTEMPT WILL ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED AN EXPERIMENT. JUDGE BY RESULTS AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
Simply put, all training schedules are just educated guesses that may or may not work for you, with many of them based on what works for young elite caliber runners (which most of us are NOT). If you end up getting injured on a schedule, it’s time to tweak the schedule. If you get injured again on the tweaked schedule, it’s time to tweak it more or find a more conservative schedule. In my experience in working with many runners of all ages and abilities over the past 27 years, over the long haul, more conservative schedules are the wiser choice.
Ordinary People Achieving the Extra Ordinary – 76 year old Greg Hartman achieved a monumental feat when he hiked around the iconic Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe! Here is his reflection of this epic adventure.
The hike was the Tour de Mont Blanc (TMB) in the Alps in Europe. The mountain is actually a massif which includes about 20 jagged peaks. It is the highest mountain in Europe at 15,000 ft. The hike goes around the massif by following 2 parallel northeast to southwest valleys. The trail is on the side of the valley opposite the massif. So as to get views of the massif. Especially the glaciers that somewhat resemble those in Alaska as far as size. The route varies from 3000 to 8500ft of elevation
The hike varies because there are variants to get around more dangerous or difficult parts, but the total is about 97 miles. We hiked for 11 days with one day off. The daily distance for us varied from 6 to 12 miles with an average of 9 miles. Total hiking time was 52 hrs for a daily average of 5 hrs. And a range of 3-6 hrs. The total elevation gain was 32,000 ft. For a daily average of 2900 ft with a range from 1800-4400 ft. More significant for me was the elevation loss: total 33,000. Daily average 3000. Range 1800-5200. That is what gets my right quad.
I chose this hike because it is an incredible experience & someone else was taking care of the planning. It is supposed to be the best multi day hike in the world.
On a typical day we got up in nice lodging at 6 AM. Had a nice breakfast & we’re on the trail by 7. Typically there weren’t many people out by then. Usually, we started on a steep uphill for several hours. We would get to a food stop near the top & stop for a snack & to appreciate the views. There were 10 high passes total to get over so lots of up & down. After topping out & resting; we started down. Sometimes gradually for awhile. But eventually we would hit a long steep downhill. The steep parts up & down were rocky. Sometimes to the point of scrambling (requiring the use of hands).
Lodging was often a town of varying size near the low point of the valley. Sometimes the lodging was more remote & higher up with views. Lodging was comfortable. Food (for breakfast & dinner) was good to great. We only had to carry stuff for 2 days since our duffels with 14 days of stuff was brought to our lodging every other day. Animal sightings were frequent & interesting, but usually domesticated. Varying sized herds of cows with the bells. All dairy on farmsteads. The farmsteads often served snacks. Sheep herds too, but usually farther away. One shepherd in classic gear. 2 kinds of sheep dogs: some for herding; some for guarding. Wild animals: Marmots & one Ibex. All residences were bursting with flowers.
Human contacts were often highlights: Locals were always friendly & creative with the language barrier. We started in France; crossed into Italy; then into Switzerland; then back into France. Hikers on the trail varied from friendly to clueless. Exchanges on the trail were limited. In the lodging we could get to know others better. Hikers were every size shape & age. A lot were just out for the day. The most impressive were the trail runners getting ready for the races that started the day we left. The scariest were the mountain bikers. Some on e-bikes & out of control.
My companion was Joy Smith. She is a seasoned world traveler & spent a year with a TMB software group booking our lodging & modifying our route. She is also an elite ultrarunner so she had to wait on me quite a bit.
I did a lot of studying & practicing of nutrition & hydration. It worked well.
I would be glad to comment further on the details of any of the above.
The most enjoyable part of the trip was the hiking. Starting out I had major concerns about my ability. It was fun meeting the challenges. The scenery couldn’t have been better. The lodging & contacts were a close second to the hiking. There was occasional route finding difficulty. Working through that was part of the fun. The whole thing was the most challenging & rewarding thing I have ever done short of marriage; child rearing, & practicing medicine.
The trail could get unpleasantly crowded; sometimes with inexperienced people. I did bonk 1 1/2 times after a hard day & a tough downhill. I definitely tested my limits.
If you are considering doing this; DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE IT. Get lots of help from multiple sources. Guided trips are available, but it looked like not everyone in those groups was having fun.
*Check out Greg’s daily journal entries of his epic hike: 2024 TdMD GregHartman.pdf
*Check out the spectacular photos of the hike:
https://jerrylsmith.smugmug.com/Mountain-Trips/n-GxJbhN/Tour-Mont-Blanc-2024
Streaker Update – Congratulations to Cheryl Lentz (3,653 days) for reaching the 10 YEAR MARK!
Great job to the following people for keeping their daily exercise streaks going: Michael Andersen (41 days), Laura May (121 days), Scotty Todd (484 days), Megan Hamilton (607 days), Ryan Kimbrell (748 days), Karen Hayse (974 days), Sarah Johnson & Sylvia Davison (1,186 days), Eric Leigel (1,420 days), Greg Schultz (1,559 days), Kenny Miller (1,560 days) Amanda Bradford (1,582 days), Kallie Flexman (1,583 days), John Pitzel (1,597 days), Rebecca Kandt (1,609 days), Dawña Garza (1,623 days), Chau Smith (1,626 days), Micah Jacobsen (2,175 days), Stephanie Michaelis (2,675 days), Tomi Duffett (2,846 days), Ken Skrien (3,052 days), Emily Lott Viebrock (3,196 days), John Crum (3,202 days), Ben Chan (4,175 days)!
We invite you to consider crafting any type of streak that helps you release stress while boosting your health and joining us for positive accountability but keeping it simple with trusting in the ‘honor system’. I’m happy to add you to our list!
Have a great week!
Eladio Valdez III