Shoes and Injury

One question that keeps coming up is "aren't you afraid of getting injured from running so much?"
People also ask advise on what to do about hip, knee, foot, and shin pain when they first start running. I usually direct them to take a look at their running shoes. What shoes are they wearing?

What I have found is most people are running in shoes that are way overbuilt and are controlling how their foot moves. I think we have become conditioned to think that the more cushioning the better. The problem is, most of these highly cushioned shoes have a very high heel and force you to run unnaturally. Now, I'm no expert at running mechanics, but have logged a number of miles in cushioned shoes and a number of miles in minimal cushioned shoes and feel a big difference. I have always been a forefoot/mid foot runner. In other words, when my foot strikes the ground on each stride, my forefoot/mid foot strikes first. If you were to look at the bottom of my worn out running shoes, you would find that there is little to no wear on the heels.

Take a look at this video. I'm no barefoot runner, but the video shows you the mechanics of the foot and running. And while I do not agree that we evolved over 2 million years into runners, I believe we were created that way from the beginning. Our feet are amazing in how much weight they can support and how much energy they disperse with each step. Nonetheless, a video worth viewing.

The second question I ask is "how old are your shoes and do you wear them besides running?"

Most people wear their shoes for running, going to the gym, working in the yard, and around town. What happens is that your shoes will develop a wear pattern from walking. The heel will wear at an odd angle and the forefoot will as well. When you go out and run, this wear will "force" your feet to follow that pattern. Running is very different from walking. Therefore, it is best to have a pair of shoes for running only.

Again, I am no expert on running mechanics and certainly not a doctor. I recommend you do some research though before buying your next pair of shoes. Also, go to a running specialty store and get advise. Unfortunately, your local sporting goods store typically does not employ running experts.

Answer to many questions.

It's obvious I have not been blogging lately about my road to ultramarathoning. The truth is, as my mileage has been increasing, other things have had to take a back seat. During this time of absence, I have had many questions arise from friends, family, and co-workers. With this, I thought that the best thing to do was put those most common questions out there and answer them. If you have a question that I did not address, please ask, I would be more than happy to answer it.

1. How do you balance running, work, and home life?
    A: There is no balance that I have figured out yet. My typical week day goes like this: I leave for work at 6am, work until 3:30pm, pick up the boys after work, go home and start dinner, and get the boys started on their homework. My wife gets home in time for dinner, we eat, then I shoot out the door to run. I usually get home in time to tuck the boys into bed at 8 or 8:30pm. I then shower and fall asleep on the couch. Saturdays are usually my long runs. I am gone before the family gets up and usually home by Noon. This is the day I will typically do anywhere from a marathon to 50 miles. Sundays I try to keep it short (15-20 miles), home in time for church and I spend the rest of the day with the family. We have always dedicated this day as a family day, so I try not to intrude on it as much as possible. The problem that has developed is very little interaction with my wife and things that need getting done around the house never seem to get done. My wife, who by all rights should be labeled as a saint, has not only put up with me and my "extremism" for 13 years of marriage, also figures out ways we can spend more time together. Each morning on her way to work, she calls me and we talk for that 20 minutes it takes her to get to work after dropping the boys off at school. While she makes the effort, I know that I must too.

2. Aren't you afraid that your knees, joints, hips, etc. are going to give out and become torn up?
    A. Nope! I believe that if you run properly and in appropriate shoes, you should not have these issues. The problem is that most people who have these issues are either running incorrectly, or are running is the wrong shoe, or are running in over engineered shoes. Many people will run and land with their leg fully extended causing a jolt to travel from their heal, up through the ankle, through the knee, through the hip, and into the back. Additionally, like any type of training, your joints will build up the necessary lubricants and cartilage needed. Our bodies are an amazing thing.

3. Don't you have to rest for several days after a marathon distance or beyond?
    A. If I did that, I would only run once a month! Again, our bodies are an amazing work. As you train for longer distances, your body becomes accustom to that and recovers quicker. I remember the first marathon I ran. I was beat, my legs could barely hold me up, and I hurt for a week after. In November, I did 2 marathons in one day. The first I ran at 4:41, the second at 4:35 on the same course. Three days later, I felt fully recovered. I brought those time up because the other question is: you must run them slow, right? While I am not a fast marathoner, my single marathon times are usually around 3:30 and done on trails.

4. You must eat anything you want, right?
    A. No, I don't. I still watch what I eat. I still limit my sweets, high fat foods, and stay away from fast food as much as possible. I also watch eating/drinking anything with high fructose corn syrup in it. This is actually a joke that goes around our house. Even my boys ask if things have high fructose corn syrup in it. However, after a 4, 5, or 6 hour run, I crave hamburgers and will have no problem eating one.

5. Do you take any supplements?
    A. Yes. After each run, I take protein. I also take multi-vitamins, glucosomine, and chondroitin.

Well, those are the top five questions I get, but there is still one that gets asked more than all the others.

Why do you do it? What makes you want to run that far?
    A. I do it because I enjoy being outdoors, on the trails and seeing the beauty of the world that God created. It is also a personal quest. I have always felt that I did sports because others thought that I should. This is a personal journey and I have learned a lot about myself. Not only am I learning how far I can push my body, but how I can be a better person. Sounds funny, I know. See, I do not run and listen to music. This gives me more time to reflect on things in my life; where I've been, where I want to go, how to be a better dad, and how to be a better husband.


I hope this has answered most of your questions, but if not, please feel free to ask more. I'd be happy to answer.

Not so weekly update.

Sorry it took so long to get my update in. I have been fighting a cold/flu since September 23rd.

I had a great long run on the 19th and did some exploring. I started at home, threw on my Nathan hydration pack and told my wife I would be in the hills somewhere. I took off down Butterfield Ranch Road and headed into the hills across from Hunter's Hill. This area is still an active cattle ranch (not the stinky dairy farms) with wide open spaces and an abundance of trails. I chose to stay on the main road knowing it would eventually lead me to the state park. At the first valley, the eeriness of the run began as I ran past a loan generator running on one side of the road and a trailer that obviously was not lived in on the other side of the road. As I continued up the road, I came to a plateau that was covered with cattle bones. This was obviously where the cows that did not make it ended up. Continueing on up the hill, I came to the crest and was greeted by a hawk circling overhead and squawking while off in the distance a pack of coyotes was yelping. At this point, I began to wonder if I should continue on. I quickly rationalized that it was still daylight, I felt strong, and the state park must not be that far away. Now running downhill into a valley, the eeriness continued. I saw to the left some old work vehicles and scattered abandoned oil rigs (or grasshoppers as I like to call them). As I reached the valley floor, I came across a small group of cattle that were more surprised to see me than I was to see them. They split up with three heading up the hill and the rest moving through the valley. As I ran up the trail, the cows would run off in front until they turned the corner, once I turned the corner, they took off running again. This went on for nearly two miles and kept me occupied trying to just get past them. Ultimately I reached the gate that stopped them from heading into the state park and we parted ways. Now in the state park, I contemplated going out further, but the sun was getting low in the sky and I really did not want to be out in the dark, so I headed towards home. Total mileage was 14.

The rest of the week was to be easy as I had another trail marathon scheduled for Saturday. I ran 6 on Tuesday the 21st and felt good. On the 22nd, I began to feel a little tired. On the 23rd, I barely made it out of bed. I had a fever, felt like a could barely move, and my body ached everywhere. At the urging of my wife, I went to the doctor after work. The doctor checked me out and told me I was run down and needed to rest Friday and not go to work. Of course, I asked if I could run the marathon on Saturday, to which she looked at me like "are you serious?" When she saw that I was, she quickly said "I don't think so."
I took her advice and rested for the next few days. Unfortunately, fatigue developed into the flu and knocked me out. I tried running a few times, but my heart rate was through the roof. This past Sunday, I ran and felt much better. The plan is to slowly resume my training starting today, but really listen to my body. I will use the "above the neck rule" which is if it is a head cold, you are OK to run. All in all, I think with the amount of hours I have been putting in at work, the busyness of the weekends, and my training took a toll. I believe this was God's way of saying slow down and rest. I have taken that to heart and have been more conscience of my work hours, especially if I am awaken at night with it.

I am looking forward to a good week and will come back slowly until I feel 100%. There is no use getting sick again or even worse, getting injured by coming back too quick.

Weekly Recap. 9/12-9/18

This week became a little hectic with work and the first full week of the boys being back in school. Training was difficult to fit in, but it may have been a blessing considering the marathon on Sunday. I am sure my body needed rest. I was able to get out on Tuesday and put in a little over 4.5 miles. I felt great and pretty strong. My body must have needed rest though, because I just could not get up early on Wednesday to run before work. With soccer practice for the boys in the evening that day, and back to school night, running was out of the question. On Thursday, I had an agent call off sick and had to cover that night. I worked from 6am-3:30pm, went home until 7pm and went back to work until 10am Friday morning. Needless to say, Thursday was out. Fortunately, on Friday evening, and having the most supportive and understanding wife, she encouraged me to go run. Although it was getting dark, I wanted to run in the State Park, however, when I arrived, the Ranger told me I could not enter. I pleaded and told her I was on only on foot, but she didn't budge. Therefore, I decided to make the best of it and run the hilly horse trails around. I got in 5 miles and felt pretty good.



The ridge on Aliso Canyon

On Saturday, I set out for a long run with some hills. I ran from home into Chino Hills State Park, which is about 2 miles of constant uphill. I ran down Bane Canyon and up Aliso Canyon Road to the top of the ridge. I followed that along for a few miles and turned back home. On the ridge, the view was gorgeous. I was above the fog layer that settled in between the hills. It looked like I could just run right into it and across the top. This run was truly an inspiring run and is the type that keeps me loving the sport. I felt miles away from the city and could not see a house, a car, a road, and for that matter, a person anywhere. It was just me, a tarantula, a coyote, some birds, and a few rabbits. What a way to end the week!
Weekly total:
50 miles
8 hours and 17 minutes

Sycamore Canyon Trail Marathon Recap

This Sunday, I completed my first trail marathon. I had initially signed up for the half marathon, but a few days prior to the event, I decided that I may as well do the full marathon. Going in, I knew trail marathons were a different animal than a street marathon, but what I did not know is that this was one of the toughest trail marathons in Southern California. The course was a 4 mile loop that we had to complete 6 times with a half loop to finish up the mileage. Upon arriving and meeting other runners, they asked if I had ever done this before. To which my answer was no, why? They pointed out that the hill in front of us was the start, and it continued on until we reached the top of the park. I began to reconsider the half marathon, but I was already committed to this and had some confidence because I have been running a lot of hills lately.
The race started very casually with the Race Director asking if everyone was ready and then said OK, go ahead. I could tell from there that this race was going to be run more like an ultra than a speed marathon. Knowing this, I started off slow, even though my legs felt fresh. I spent the first half of the first loop with Jim who was running the half marathon. He gave me some insight on the course and we chatted about ultras as well. Moving on I continued to take the first loop very easy and cautious. As Jim had mentioned, the single track downhills were rocky, off camber, and steep. These sure gave my quads a great workout. After finishing the first loop, I still felt strong and fresh, but knew I still had a ways to go, so I continued at an easy pace. At loop 3, I broke out the Gu "Chomps". I began to feel a little hungry at the end of lap 3 so I picked up a banana at the aid station and switched to Gatorade for laps 4-6. Upon heading out for lap 6, now 20 miles into the marathon, I began to really start feeling fatigued. I picked up another banana and headed back up the hill knowing this was my last full lap. On the backside of the lap, I tried a new gel called "Stinger". This was a little too sweet and mixed with Gatorade, made for a very upset stomach. For the remainder of lap I battled an upset stomach. At the final aid station, I filled my bottle with only water and set out. I met up with Ed, a veteran ultra runner, who did an early start for the marathon. He joined me up the final half lap. He was a great encouragement and really helped to pace me up the final 1.1 miles of up hill as well as kept my mind off my upset stomach. By the top, I felt much better and saw that I could possibly break the 5 hour mark. I took off down the hill, nearly missing turn offs. Upon my arrival at the bottom, the Race Director congratulated me on making it in under 5 hours. My final time was 4:59:55.
All in all, I met some great people, learned some valuable lessons, and had a lot of fun. Oh, and 1st place was nice too.
The numbers:
26.2 miles
5,874 feet elevation gain
4:59:55 time
148 Average HR

Weekly Recap 8/29 - 9/04

I started this week feeling good having just come off a 53 mile week last week. I had no real aches and pains that would cause any concern. The problem came the Friday night before my Saturday long run where I failed to hydrate and eat properly. I woke Saturday morning a little later than usual, lazed around a bit since the kids were away, and started at around 9am. In addition, the day was hot to start as well. I believe temperatures were around 100 by noon. I set out with plenty of water; using my new Nathan Hydration pack; and food. After about 4 miles of running, I stopped sweating and became very fatigued. Since I had chosen a very hilly course for this run, I thought it would be a great opportunity (excuse) to practice walking. The hills seemed relentless though and my muscles became sore. I continued to hydrate and ate some Gu Chomps, but nothing seemed to be helping. At a little over 6 miles, I decided to turn back. The run home was tough, and I finished nearly all of the 2 liters of water I was carrying and the remainder of the Gu Chomps. When I got in the front door, I sat on the stairs (now beginning to sweat a cold sweat), my vision went black and I lost all strength and slumped over. My wife quickly came with applesauce mixed with sugar and a bottle of Gatorade. Apparently my blood sugar was very low as well, because this helped quite a bit. Regaining some strength, I made it to the kitchen where I consumed more water, Gatorade, and Cytomax. Soon, I was feeling good enough for an ice bath which helped lower my body temperature and sooth my legs and joints. All in all it was an experience I did not want to have to go through again, but at the same time taught me a very valuable lesson on hydration and eating properly. It also gave my wife a glimpse of what it means to be a crew member and after that experience, I am confident she can handle anything quickly and effectively. She has a great gift of remaining calm in a crisis situation.

September 2nd, 2010

Yesterday I decided to run hills for my mid-week semi-long run. I started from my house and ran to Chino Hills State Park. The first 3.5 miles were all uphill and most of the 1350 elevation gain was done during those first 3 miles. Upon starting out, my legs felt fine, but after about 3/4 of a mile my left calf felt very strange. It wasn't quite a cramp, but it wasn't loose either. I have no real way to describe it other than it felt like a lump of muscle just bouncing around. Fortunately, after about another half mile, things felt much better. As I continued my ascent, I started to feel pain in my left ankle. I slowed and tried to "work" things out and it seemed to help. When I reached the top of my ascent, everything felt fine.............then came the steep down hills and technical single track. It wasn't to long before my ankle was hurting again. In addition, my toes were slamming the front of my shoe. No matter how tight I tightened my shoe, I could not stop this. It made me think that either there is something wrong with my left shoe or my foot. Nonetheless, I took the remainder of the downhills easy. Once back on the main trail, things began to get back to normal. It is about a mile and a half steady climb out of the park and everything felt fine. Unfortunately, the last mile and a half home was downhill and on pavement. I chose to take it easy and finished the run feeling good. Before heading to bed last night, I made sure I iced up both shins just as a preventative measure.
Upon waking this morning, I definitely felt the muscle fatigue from the hills. While sore and a little stiff, it felt good and reminded me of the days when I was training for track, cross country, and duathalons. I even felt excited thinking about this coming Saturday's 3 hour run.