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If you ever wanted to create your own running team, you're in luck! We just created the space to do it...go to our ZTeams page and start today! There will be discounts available for those who create a team or are on a team... Get out there and RuN! Mitch Add Comment The new mark looked to be untouchable to US ditance running except to the man who was 4th in that race. Galen Rupp also broke the AR that day by running 27:10 but was an afterthought in a race that produced both an American and Canadian record for Jerry's crew. 2011 was going well for Galen, with a new 5k PR in Birmingham he looked poised for a big show at the World Championships. Galen finished 9th in the 5k in Dageu but was still fit and had one race left on his 2011 calendar. The stage was set in Belgium with an all star lineup that included the great Kenenisa Bekele. Rupp Shattered the American Record by 11seconds by running 26:48.0. Aside from being a new record Galen showed that Americans can stick with the best in the world. In the last two years the record has been brought down by 25 seconds! (why is this happening!?) This year Galen set PRs in the 5k,10k, and was second at the NYC half. Whats Next! More IT Band information...Here's a video on IT Bands and what can be done to fix the issues. The thing I learned from this video is that you can't stretch the IT Band (it's a tendon)...you can only stretch and strengthen the muscles that attach to the IT Band. There are two ways to In this Video Dr. Hansen answers the following question Jason Fitzgerald. "While I'm not injured, I have a chronically tight IT Band. I just ran 2:39 at the Philly Marathon and am just getting back into running. Despite everything I know about ITBS (I've had it before and feel like I learned a ton seeing PT's and a lot of research), I can't knock the tightness in my glute/hip. I've worked on glute strength and hip mobility - what other things can help treat ITBS (IT band syndrome)?" Read more: Videos - Coach Jay Johnson and Dr. Richard Hansen - IT Band Relief http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=56757#ixzz1hNfZmxfS I got this from "Flo Track". I thought it was a good one! :) It originally came from ThinkPlanRun.com **Warning: The below broad generalizations regarding people and what cars they drive are presented as fact ... deal with it or buy another car** Hollering Being hollered at could be viewed at as flattery - a primal mating call and/or whistle letting the runner know that "I'm in my car and I see you running ... how about a night out on the town?". 98% of these “hollerings” are made by Toyota Celica driving men towards female runners while the other 2% are made by those same men towards male runners that look like female runners at first glance - lanky and feminine bone structure and all. One might think that hollering out “WOOOOO HHHOOOOOO” or “YYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” is the best compliment you can give somebody in full workout attire as they stretch at the stoplight or trotting down the sidewalk, but think again. Women out for a real-womans-run are out to sweat, work hard, and get it done … they’re pits stink, they don’t have the right jeans on to start a relationship, and they don’t need you reminding them how much of a primitive dummy you are. My limited experience in hollering is nothing towards myself, but in the chance I might be running with my wife and kid – we’ll get the occasional Celica or Mitsubishi Eclipse humming by with some dude noticing and vocalizing about our legs (my wife’s legs). Think about that … in the comfort of their tinted windows and giant muffler these cavemen will make a pass at a woman in front of her husband and kid! Unless of course he’s yelling “Hey family I don’t know! You guys want me to babysit so you don’t have to push that baby stroller? Here’s a personal background check I did on myself with references and my social security number”. It’s no coincidence I’ve NEVER received a holler while out alone – gotta be with a female. When I’m alone I’m used to the good ‘ol fashioned random insulting yell … you know, just because. Yelling Although you really can’t understand what’s being barked in a holler or a yell, they are altogether quite different. Unlike the holler, the "yell" is a stern and bold statement proclaiming “I’m in my car and I see you running … that’s exactly why you’re stupid and I’m not.” Contrary to the holler, 41% of all “yellings” are made by high school junior varsity bench warming 17 year old jocks driving either a pick-up truck or their dad’s Escalade. 35% of all yellings are made by a group of middle school punks (and every so often a bold 3rd grader) waiting for their school bus - by far the most uncomfortable of the “yellings”. 21% are made by people of all ages driving any make/model of vehicle simply requesting you wear longer shorts while 3% are made by people yelling at somebody else in their car with the window rolled down. Male runners receive 99.99% of the yelling while the other 0.01% is directed towards women runners as their husband drives by at 45mph to shout “I’M GOING TO THE HARDWARE STORE…. DO YOU HAVE YOUR HOUSE KEY?”. I’ve run in the snow, the rain, the ice, through the woods with freaking crazy deer jumping around me, while crapping my shorts/pants, but the most uncomfortable and awkward moments of any run are when you turn the corner to see those darn middle school kids waiting for the bus. I’m a grown man with a family and mortgage, but it only takes one 12 year old shouting “LOOK EVERYBODY … that guy’s running with no pants on .... PUT SOME PANTS ON!!!!!!” to have me on the verge of tears until lunch time. The situation is completely lose-lose-lose with the following three options:
As stated earlier and proven by science (yes, just general science), the most common drive-by yelling is performed by a group of high school jocks to an unsuspecting male runner … again usually sporting tiny shorts. The controversial shorts usually lead the hormone charged ultra-manly-men to believe they’re about to encounter a female runner so as to get ready to “holler”. As they approach and see more hair on the legs, no ponytail, and bushy eyebrows, their joy turns to despair when they realize it's another dude - a small framed lanky dude that could NEVER warm the bench like they do in their awesome jock sports everybody knows about. The only logical response to being deceived at a proper chance to holler is to now yell at this 137 pound nancy that seems to already be crying after running by the bus stop earlier. Strength in Numbers Those that choose to "hollar" find strength in numbers by having more runners they're hollering at any given time. The whole woman's cross country team running by is just too much for most Hyundai Tiburon owners to remain silent. Having the opposite effect when it comes to the "yellers", they like to hunt in large packs and prey on the stray skinny (also thought of as weak) male runners. Although large packs of men running together usually deters the "yellers" to voice their disdain for tiny shorts, some yellers decide to take it to the next level and yell at large groups of male runners. When this occurs, the pack of male runners - having their own strength in numbers now - have three options:
When it is Okay There is a time and place for non-runners and runners to communicate out there on the roads. Being serious, there are car accidents that involve runners every year that are very serious and can be fatal. BOTH runners and drivers need to do their part to avoid these situations. Runners – Run facing traffic, run out of the road when you can and always assume the driver does not see you or is looking in their glove box. If you have to be in the road be aware when two cars might pass you at the same time (from opposite directions) – it’s up to you to move at any given time. Make your presence known by waving arms and making eye contact with drivers at intersections when you’re going to take your turn to run through. THANK DRIVERS that let you through, it will leave an impression and create awareness! Drivers – Please watch out for runners and give them extra space if you have it. If you don’t have extra space, flash the lights and tap the horn as you approach as if to say “I see you, but I gotta hold my line” not “HERE I COME!!! I might hit you, I might not …. whatever.” Cliff notes
I'm sure you have your stories. Share them here and on Facebook and Twitter.... --Adam from ThinkPlanRun.com 
The following article came from: http://runnerscorner.com/injuries/help-fix-it-band-knee-pain-muscle-imbalances-technique-etc/ Overview: In lay terms, the IT (illiotibial) Band runs from the lateral hip and attaches down below the outside of the knee. IT Band pain is one of the most common of running injuries, usually manifested in the form of pain on the side of the knee although it is sometimes felt up in to the hip area as well. Potential Causes: In many cases, it is thought that IT Band pain is caused by a muscle imbalance caused from running downhill fast or from running on flat, even, man made surfaces in combination with over-striding/heel striking. Typically, the runner with IT Band pain has central Quadricep muscles that are too strong in relation to the Gluteus Medius and Minimus (stabilizing muscles of the butt). Since the Glutes are unable to hold tension, the IT Band is pulled tighter across the side of the knee, causing the commonly felt outside of knee pain. The most common scenarios we see are: 1) Runners coming in the shop complaining of IT Band pain a few days after a downhill race or a long run on a flat, even surface (like a road or treadmill). Usually this type of run puts more work on the quads, which causes the imbalance to get worse and the IT Band pain to manifest. (Many times this scenario is in combination with #2, below) 2) Over-striding or heel striking runners, especially those who run fast or do speed work. Treatments: Like with many injuries of this nature, the key to success is getting to the root of the problem by 1) Letting the affected area relax & calm down, 2) Stretching to loosen up the tension, and 3) Strengthening to correct the imbalances. Below are some specific ways to do that for IT Band. 1) Short Rest – Just enough for the area to calm down—a few days to just beyond a week is usually enough. IT Band problems don’t necessarily get better with rest beyond a couple of weeks. Many runners report taking six months or even a year off and coming back to the same problem as soon as they start back in to a training program. This is likely due to the fact that in most cases, a muscle imbalance stays a muscle imbalance. The other piece of this is that a runner doesn’t usually change their running technique drastically after a break either. 2) Break Up Scar Tissue: While the pain is felt down by the knee, the root of the problem is up in the hip area. The use of Massage, a foam roller, ASTYM, or other similar treatments will help to reduce the scar tissue that can keep injury recurring. 3) Stretching & Strengthening: We see great success here at the shop with those who do ‘Side-leg lifts’, ‘Standing side leg lifts (Fire Hydrants)’, and one legged squats in order to combat the muscle imbalance. Pair the strengthening with IT Band stretching exercises and using a foam roller. See this great article for details on stretching exercises and foam roller usage for IT Band: Stretches & Strengthening: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099&CategoryID=&PageNum=1 Foam Roller or massage deep twice a week 3a) GO UNEVEN!—Get off the road (or treadmill!) & walk the downhill: Many runners suffering with IT Band pain report that they can run much farther on an uneven surface (like grass or a dirt trail) before the pain manifests. The more uneven the surface is that you run on, the more you can strengthen the gluteal muscles and reverse the muscle imbalance—this is key to solving the root of the problem. In addition, walking any relatively steep downhill portions of the run will keep the quadricep muscles from being worked as hard and allow the runner to go longer without pain. 3b) Avoid Overstriding: Many runners overstride or strike their heel well out in front of their body which causes a pulling motion that puts a lot of extra stress on the IT Band. Taking a running technique class can be very effective in helping you understand what is going on with your foot strike and how to fix it. Most, if not all great Running Specialty Stores offer some kind of running technique class for minimal cost. Here at our shop, we have found Zero Drop shoes (shoes with the heel and the forefoot the same distance off the ground) to be highly effective for many people suffering from IT Band pain. In some cases, we have seen collegiate runners shake their IT Band in as little as a week simply by switching to Zero Drop shoes. The theory here is that traditional running shoes, which have a midsole that is twice as high (& twice as heavy) in the heel as in the forefoot, actually encourage (or almost force) overstriding and heel striking because the weight of the back of the shoe pulls the heel toward the ground and the excess material under the heel catches the ground early. In a Zero Drop shoe, the foot tends to approach the ground more parallel to the ground and land the way they would naturally if they didn’t have a shoe on. In most runners, this effectively limits overstriding and improves running technique immediately. 3c) IT Band Strap: These straps are placed above the knee and change the point of tension on the IT Band. In many runners they are effective at reducing the pain. In most situations, an IT Band strap reduces discomfort but doesn’t necessarily help the injury to get better. Medical Breakdown: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1250716-overview I got this article from the following link:http://h2u.privatehealthnews.com/html/topicdetails.asp?pid=136&topic_id=17229&puid=214937 SOURCE: American College of Sports Medicine, news release, Nov. 1, 201111/7/2011MONDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Good news for high-mileage runners: They may be able to help themselves to an extra serving at holiday meals because variations in diet are less likely to affect them, researcher say. The new study included nearly 107,000 runners who were grouped according to the distance they run each day: less than 1.2 miles (under 2 kilometers [km]); 1.2 to 2.4 miles (2 to 4 km); 2.4 to 3.7 miles (4 to 6 km); 3.7 to nearly 5 miles (6 to 8 km); and about 5 miles (8 km) or more. The researchers found that body mass index and waist circumference increased significantly among the least active runners when they ate more meat and less fruit. But the effects of this diet change were reduced by 50 percent or more in the most active runners. The effects in runners who covered more than 1.2 miles a day were also reduced, but not to the same extent as the highest-mileage runners. The study is published in the November issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. "Generally, body mass index and waist circumference increase as a person eats more meat and less fruit," study author Paul Williams, a researcher at the U.S. government's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said in news release from the American College of Sports Medicine. "My analysis indicates that this relationship weakens as runners increase their daily mileage. It appears that the more miles a person logs each week, the less affected they are by variances in their diet," Williams added. The reasons could include increased fat burn associated with high levels of exercise or the fact that higher-mileage runners may be better at balancing their diet. "My observations suggest that runners who exceed the recommended Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans can reduce their risk of gaining weight from high-risk diets, those with high meat and low fruit content," Williams said. "We have other data suggesting this benefit may also apply to walking." More information The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more about the physical activity guidelines for Americans at Health.gov. | AuthorI've started this site to help spread the word about a few products as well as give a place to talk running... ArchivesJanuary 2013 Categories |
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