Nutrition to aid running injury recovery

I had an epiphany:  I am what I eat!  That is a 'Duh' moment for sure.

Over the past few years as Sally and I 'Cleaned up' our eating (Sally is gluten and lactose intolerant...we prepare and eat really tasty and -good-for-us meals that include lots of fruits and vegetables) I've been lax in paying attention to what I eat.  In fact even though I know they are good for me, I don't like vegetables and would completely forget about adding them to my diet if I had my way.  And if you've followed me on this blog for a while you know that I have a weakness for salty snacks and diet soda. As a long-time runner I've managed loose weight and keep it off while staying relatively injury-free even while not eating particularly well for many of those years.

And then the epiphany!  I've gained a few pounds.  My joints ache.  I get injured and I don't spring back from these running injuries as quickly as I used to.  Time to start thinking about nutrition more seriously. Specifically what nutrition can help with injury recovery. There's a lot of talk and discussion about this subject online.  Oxidation, lactic acid, free-radicals ... all confusing and in many cases contradictory.  Given my personal experience in eating without gluten and lactose, I've come to understand the value of this 'fruits and vegetables' thing.

The benefits of Vitamin A Vitamin C, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Zinc and Protein are laid out in this article from RunnersConnect.   like this article as well because it also includes the specific meat, fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of the specific vitamin, mineral and food.  Yes, most of these are available in food and there are many supplements to choose from to top up on the specific vitamins...we came back from our local Costco where we passed a product display wall 8 feet high with bottles of Omega 3 capsules!

Check it out here:  Diet for the Injured Runner.

"All of the above" are discussed in length in this article from Runner's World.  They go further though and talk about adding supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate which have been shown to decrease inflammation and improve mobility.  Read it here:  Food Rx   

Fruits and vegetables and nuts and supplements...all are essential in speeding up recovery from an injury. Now on to protein and the role it plays not only in injury recovery but in building muscle.  Is there such a thing as enough protein?  Chicken, beef and my favourite pork are all excellent sources of protein which has been shown to aid in muscle recovery. 

In this article, lots of information about Protein for Runners.  

And then there's my personal experience with injury recovery.  Back in 2009 when I was training for the Reggae Marathon I added JuicePlus+ to my nutrition regimen.  I started about 6 months before the race and continued on after of course.  It's not a magic pill but with the concentration of fruits and vegetables it was a convenient way to 'top up'.  The result?  The post-race recovery was much shorter that I expected...I was running regularly again within a week (and I had a tough race that day).  Check out my experience at Reggae Marathon here.  Go to this link to find out the benefits of JuicePlus+ at this link:  S-P JuicePlus+ (purchase directly online as well).

Yes I'm eating better:  more variety and smaller portions.  I still have a weakness for salty snacks but I've managed to cut out the diet sodas.  Raw vegetables are still not my favourite so I take supplements.  I watch my runs and treat any small injuries right away. The 'Duh' moment finally sunk in.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Plantar Fasciitis and other Running Injuries: Yuck!

Running injuries suck.  Plantar Fasciitis sucks even more!

I got thinking about the running injuries that plagued me for nearly three years after I started the transition from heel-strike to forefoot/mid-foot running.  I was a classic case of do-it-yourself itis.  I Googled the topic and read countless articles on how to make the transition successfully.  I'm pleased to say that those injury-prone days are behind me since recovering from the broken foot in late 2012.  I'm running comfortably and I actually like running again.  But dam I wished I could get those three years back!

Running injuries go beyond those that I've experienced.  Knees, hips, calves...everything below the waist can and will get injured at some point.  While Googling the topic of running injuries recently I came across the infographic below that does a nice job of identifying most of the common running injuries.  What I especially like are the suggested remedies:

You're a runner.  I know running injuries will only slow you down.  Good luck with your recovery.

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

No Running Last Week

It was cold and I caught a cold.  No running for me last week.

Sad Face, Sad Face!

Early last week with the forecast frigid deep freeze temperatures forecast, I planned a couple days of no running.  Alas that turned into a full week of no running when I caught a nasty cold.  What I though was just a mild head cold morphed into drippy eyes that had me to the doctor seeking medication.

Thankfully the doctor visit was short:  cold, not flu;  compounded by my sinus alergies;  drippy eyes viral not bacterial.  Treatment:  new allergy medication, saline nasal cleanse, eye drops and ... no running.  It seems that physical exertion negatively affects the body's ability to fight infections.  And I thought going out for a run helped 'sweat it out'.  Who knew?  Lots of people apparently including Sally who had a heck of a time not saying "I told you so!" (I think she said it in her mind though).

Symptoms all gone now and I was out for my first run this morning.

Happy Face, Happy Face!!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

2014 Running goal: The Negative Split

Navin, #418 after completing his Negative Split at
Reggae Marathon

I blame it on Navin.  In a nice way of course.

Back in December at Reggae Marathon he not only burned up the full Marathon in a time nearly 20 minutes under his target time (we barely made it back to catch his finish) but he achieved the runner's dream of running a negative split for the second half of the race.

The negative split is when you run the second half of the race faster than the first half.  Yes, this is as hard as it sounds, especially in an event as long as the 26.3 miles of a Marathon and and really challenging in a warm weather run such as Reggae Marathon.  And Navin did it with a smile on his face and with barely a sweat. He even had enough energy to walk the mile along the beach back to our hotel chatting all the way.  A machine!

So that's the target for my first race this year, the Sporting Life 10K on May 11 in Toronto:  run the second half faster than the first. It's something I routinely did back in the peak of my 10K racing days. My trusty Timex Ironman watch tracked the 5 km split quite nicely.  I realize this is 'Old School' what with everyone using Garmin's with heart monitors, but I like the I recently upgraded to a brand new Ironman watch.  Back then it was in the Q 107/Coors Lite 10K running series that ran every summer for years.  The irony of a beer company sponsoring a running series was not lost on us...unfortunately given the liquor laws of Ontario there was no 'Cold One' waiting for us at the finish.  But I digress...

Here's the twist in the Sporting Life 10K when it comes to the Negative Split:  its downhill for the first 6 km's before flattening out for the final 4 km push to the finish.  Do I sandbag it for the first half saving myself for the flat finish?  Do I let gravity do it's work for the first half hoping to have something left in the tank to go faster on the flat?  Is achieving a Negative Split just a crazy pipe-dream for the Sporting Life 10K?  All that will be answered on May 11.

If you're interested in how to run a negative split, check out this article from Runner's World:  The benefits of a Negative Split.  

I'm totally focused on "The Negative" now.  Thanks Navin :)

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy