Shin Splints...the runner's forever foe

Shins Splints: What are they? How do you get them? How do you treat them and prevent them?

What they are: Shin splints are generally an inflammation of the various shin muscles that help to flex your foot (the anterior tibialis, posterior tibialis, and other smaller and deeper muscles that help flex your big toe). The inflammation is obviously what is causing the pain, and when left untreated it may lead to larger problems such as stress fractures of the shin bone (tibia).

The cause of shin splints: Shin splints may be a product of several issues. The most common cause is a sudden change in the conditioning program, whether it is immediately beginning a new running program, progressing too quickly (>10% each week), change of running surface, or various other shifts in a fitness regimen. Another cause may be a runner's biomechanics. If a runner has flat-feet (or over-pronates) naturally and while running, it will place excessive stress on the shin muscles.

Because the shin muscles act to flex the foot (or pick up the toes) during movement, they can also become inflamed if they are too weak to accomplish the job. Tight calf muscles might exacerbate this problem, forcing the shin muscles to pull against tight calves each time they pull the foot up.

Treatment and prevention: When you begin to notice pain in your shins (especially before and after running--the movement during running will warm them up and temporarily disguise the pain), rest and ice. If the pain is severe, it may be necessary to completely cease from running or any similar activity for a period of time in order to not cause any more trauma to the muscles. If it is not as severe, cut back on the amount of running and ice, as mentioned, plus add in some strengthening and stretching exercises to get rid of the problem.

Strengthening of the shin muscles can be done in several ways. Keep in mind that the muscles' primary activity is to dorsiflex (or pull up) the foot. First exercise: try walking on your heels with your forefeet lifted off the ground for about 50-100 feet. Another exercise: you can also attach an elastic band around a post and then loop it around the top of your foot while sitting straight-legged on the floor. Pull your foot towards you against the resistance of the band and then slowly release. Do 3 sets of 20 reps. One last exercise: sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and a weight plate or similar heavy object resting on top of your feet. Lift the weight off the ground by just pulling up your toes (your heels should remain on the floor). This last exercise is somewhat awkward, but will work if you don't have access to an elastic band.

Stretch those calves! Whether you think you have tight calves or not, make sure you stretch your calves a lot. You can also try to stretch your shin muscles by sitting in a chair with one leg crossed and manually pushing your foot downward. Manually rubbing your shin muscles or foam rolling them will also help to relieve tension in the muscle and fascia and promote healing. If you don't already have shin splints, all of these treatment suggestions should be followed in order to prevent shin splints from occurring. Trust me, you don't want to test your luck.

Shin splints happen to the best and worst of runners and it's just kind of one of those things. You may be more prone to them than others, but by following the advice above, you can quickly get back on the road and hopefully prevent any future occurrences.

Bringing Quality & Simplicity to Beginner Runners

I did a Google search the other day for "beginner runner". I was disappointed to see that what appeared were multiple websites offering a barrage of information for the running newbie. I'm not kidding when I say "barrage". There were so many suggestions to wade through. I put myself in the shoes of a person just wanting to learn how to run correctly, and I got frustrated. No wonder so many people give up on the sport!

Running can be made simple...even proper running. My goal as a runner and a trainer is to provide simple tools for proper running that make sense but are still quality. There are too many quick fix products in the fitness industry. Think about it, the fitness industry must be the leader for gimmicks and "make-me-hot-quick fixes". I don't think any other industry comes even close. The problem is that these gimmicks usually don't work because though they may be simple, they're not quality. On the other end of the spectrum, you could spend hours learning about how the body works physiologically, the ideal biomechanical sequence for proper running technique, and the most efficient and scientifically proven methods for progressing. You would get quality information, but it would be far from simple.

Is there a solution for the person who just wants to run correctly while avoiding the quick-fix gimmicks? YES!!! In the works is an e-book that combines quality with simplicity. It makes running so simple, it's ridiculous; however, I'm offering suggestions based on scientific research that world-class runners utilize for optimum performance. It's the best of both worlds! I even chose to publish it for you as just an e-book because we all know our current society thrives on their computer and an e-book is the most accessible and simple method of publishing available.

Run with Endurance: The Beginner's Guide to Running should be available for download shortly. It will be your singular source for quality running information delivered in a simple and doable manner. Check it out at www.dahlmanelite.com!

The Lactate Threshold...the most important piece of training information

Lactate Threshold. What, you ask, is that? I'm sure you've heard of lactic acid and could probably say you're anti-acid (of the lactic variety). It makes your muscles burn, right? Wrong. Let's have a simple lesson in sports science...

When you exercise, your respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and muscles all respond to the intensity, whether easy or hard. A lower intensity is obviously easier, due to the fact that your cardiovascular system can consume and utilize enough oxygen to meet the demands of the muscles. This is termed aerobic, or utilizing oxygen. As intensity increases, your cardio system will have a harder time getting enough oxygen to the working muscles, depending on how fit you are. Soon, if the intensity is hard enough, your body will be running strictly on the fuel that is already sitting in the muscle, since the cardiovascular system can't match the oxygen demands of the muscles. This is referred to as anaerobic (or without oxygen). OXYGEN is key.

At any given moment, even just sitting on your duff, your body produces lactate. It is a chemical byproduct of metabolism. Lactate is not the bad guy. When oxygen is present (as we learned above, at lower intensities when your cardiovascular system is matching the demands of the muscles), lactate can actually be turned into energy. Oxygen helps to remove it from the blood so it can then be used as fuel. So it's actually the good guy! The problem happens when you start working at a harder intensity (pushing into an anaerobic state, or "not enough oxygen"). Because there is a lack of sufficient oxygen, lactate will start to build up in the blood. As it builds up, it has to be "deconstructed", so to speak, and ends up releasing Hydrogen ions in the process. The hydrogen ions put the muscles in a slightly acidic state causing them to "burn". Blame the Hydrogen ions, not the lactate!

So what? (Right about now you're hating science and just want to train.) With training, we can delay the process: meaning, we can cause lactate to start accumulating at a harder intensity. When lactate begins to accumulate in the blood begins of a lack of oxygen sufficiently removing it, we refer to this as the LACTATE THRESHOLD. When you hit your lactate threshold as you train, the lactate is beginning to accumulate and soon you will be exhausted if you go much harder. By knowing when your lactate threshold occurs for you, you can pinpoint exactly at which intensity to train in order to improve the threshold. Why improve the lactate threshold? Because you will be able to go longer at a harder intensity than before. How do you improve the lactate threshold? You figure out at what intensity it occurs for you (and determine a corresponding heart rate), then train hovering around that heart rate for either cruise intervals (4-10 minute long bouts at your threshold with 1/4 the length of rest in between) or long, steady periods of time (15-30 minutes at threshold pace).

I will go out on a limb to say knowing your lactate threshold is more important than knowing your maximum heart rate with the corresponding heart rate zones and even more important than knowing VO2max. Who cares what your maximum values are when you can only perform for a steady state at just 50% of it?! Between two people with the same maximum values, the one with the higher lactate threshold will beat the other one every time.

So, stop training dumb by using the heart rate chart on the gym wall! Train smart knowing your lactate threshold!

"I just want to tone, not bulk up."

vs.

Wow, I swear I've heard this statement a million times. It has become such a catchy phrase that tends to get thrown around aspiring women athletes and non-athletes alike. I think what people mean when they say this is that they want long, lean, and defined muscles with barely any fat on top vs. big hunks of bulky muscle. Makes sense--I don't know of any woman who wants to look "big" per se.

Let's debunk something really quick: muscle tone is actually when a muscle has continuous tension on it. So, let's say, when you're standing up, you're core muscles (those attached to your pelvis and spine) must have a certain amount of tension to hold your body up. It's not really the look of a resting muscle that you're thinking of.

Here's the deal...first of all, women do not have the amount of testosterone in their system as men, which is a natural steroid that causes muscle hypertrophy (or gains in muscle mass). Some women of course have more testosterone than others, but in general, women just do not have the capacity to get all bulky just because they lift a few weights. Steroids would definitely help a girl bulk up, but don't even go down that road.

Second of all, doing a million reps is not going to perfectly create lean, long muscles. It probably won't even challenge your muscles at all, and you'll end up seeing no difference, whether bulky or toned. So get rid of those 3 and 5 lb. weights...girls, you're stronger than that! Instead, choose a weight that is fairly challenging (probably 8-15 lbs.), allowing you to do 10-15 reps, but no more! What will end up happening is your muscles will get stronger and grow in size a bit (but still not huge) and they will have a higher capacity for burning more calories throughout the day (because you have more muscle mass in general). Result: what appears to be a more "toned" muscle with less fat laying on top so you can actually see your beautiful muscle.

Just get it out of your head the toned vs. bulky debate--it's a poor excuse for not strength training. So, strength train to your heart's content and you'll probably like the results. You'll be stronger and feel more fit. Trust me!

New! For endurance enthusiasts and those aspiring to be...

Welcome to my blog! I'm attempting to keep up with all of the blogger folk...don't worry I'm still far behind.

I hope to post here random information regarding endurance training, as it pertains to runners, triathletes, and cyclists, from beginners to advanced. My mind is always racing with new scientific data that applies to those who try to make their bodies perform for 30 minutes or more. Check in often for new topics.

Also, check out my website at www.dahlmanelite.com. There are some free running programs to meet your various goals, as well as custom training programs that I design specifically for you. Also, I have available Run with Endurance: The Beginner's Running Manual. It is chock full of information to help the brand new runner be able to run right. It's written in an easy to read format, with lots of pictures and completely doable advice. I will let you know when it is ready to purchase.

Thanks for visiting...come back soon!