Why I Decided To Run The New York Marathon Again

In 2015 I experienced my first marathon in New York City. 

I managed to achieve my goal...that was to survive to the finish line at 42.2km.

It was a surreal experience running through the 5 boroughs of NYC. 

The energy from the crowd, the comradery running along side runners from 90 different countries and the finish line in Central Park was incredible.

But after the race I was really sore. 

Those post-race subways stairs were an absolute killer...for days afterwards.

I vowed that marathons weren't made for me. 

Although I did want to do another one...someday.

If I was to do it again, I wanted to run it properly in a somewhat respectable time.

Getting in

So when an opportunity presented itself to head back to New York to run the marathon in 2017, I wasn't quite sure what to do. 

Running a marathon could be seen as overly taxing on your body. 

That is definitely true if you are under prepared. 

In 2015, I was coming off a really low base and that limited my enjoyment of the marathon, having to walk a lot of the second half due to cramps and muscle/joint overload. 

So this year I've had the chance to build a more substantial base and take the slow and steady route to the the peak.

Getting Mentally Prepared

I was reading an article that listed several psychological strategies to help overcome then mental barriers during the marathon. 

One of the them was 'find your why' and repeat it to yourself when the going gets tough. 

So I sat down and compiled a list of the top 7 reasons why I wanted to run the NYC marathon again.

7 Reasons I'm Running New York Again

1.  For My Daughter

To show her that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and don't let any limitations get in your way. 

2.  For My Patients

To demonstrate that you can do anything, including running a marathon despite being diagnosed with things like torn meniscus, FAI hips, labral tears, lumbar disc bulge/tear, plantar fasciitis e.t.c.

I am the proof that this is true!

With a good physical foundation and plenty of quality recovery, you can do anything you set your mind to. 

Of course, you will get knocked down - spiritually, physically and emotionally at times throughout your life.  Whatever issues you face, there are people out there ready to help guide you towards your goal.

Keep going and most importantly, use the pain as fuel on the fire of self-transformation. 

““Fall down seven times and get up eight”- Japanese saying”

3.  To Learn More About The Human Body

Running helps keep me in touch with what's going on in my body. 

Long runs become a form of mindfulness meditation and a great chance for reflection.

Being aware of what comes up.  Then either accept it or learn to problem solve it. 

Running has a way of placing a spotlight on your weaknesses. 

If you want to test your physical foundation, go for a 20km run and see what sort of pain you feel.  That is a good indication of what might be happening in your body and where you can improve on. 

Using a 'Growth Mindset', you take your weaknesses, failures and frustrations and turn them into strengths.   As long as you're patient and not in a hurry, you can use this to your advantage.

For me personally, running a marathon is a really difficult mountain to climb.  I'm by no means a 'natural' runner.  It is a skill that has taken many years to optimise (with plenty of room for improvement).

I think from an evolutionary perspective, running is the end product of many small movement foundation steps.  It's almost like a computer game, you have to 'complete' each level before moving onto the next. 

Running the marathon successfully provides a positive confirmation that you've achieved an adequate base of function e.g. core stability, leg strength, flexibility, endurance,  breathing and recovery.

Proactively creating a stronger and more resilient body as it adapts to appropriately applied stress is deeply satisfying. 

4.  To Make Me Accountable

I have a form inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects my hips and lower back.  As my body reacts adversely to any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the main form of treatment is exercise and movement. 

If I'm not moving at least one hour per day, I tend to get very stiff, sore and fatigued.

Signing up for the marathon has made me really accountable on a daily basis.  Not just for the movement side of things but also what I eat. 

As the training runs got longer, my body seemed to respond better to the long runs. 

Overall, I'd say I'm much healthier now, than before I started the training for the marathon earlier in the year.

5.  To Learn To Become Friends With Pain

Pushing your body to the limit on three hour training runs gets you face to face with pain and it's interesting to know how you react to it. 

Practicing breathing, relaxation and staying calm in times of stress helps build the neural pathways that support your healing and recovery in many other aspects of your life.

6.  NYC Marathon Is Full Of Positive Energy

There is a lot negativity in the world and it's easy to get caught up in it. 

There's a saying, if you ever doubt the goodness of humanity, go and stand at the finish line of a marathon.  There you will see some of the best in human spirit, encouragement and celebration.

The connections you make with people through the marathon are inspiring, to say the least. 

Everyone has a comeback story and it's great to connect with and hear people's journey. 

It really brings people together in such an empowering way.

7.  To Test My Theories On Running

In my work as a Physio I give out a lot of advice to runners and also teach workshops on how to improve and optimise the running experience.

So it's always a good opportunity to put into practice what I teach and make sure it works and in the process, hopefully making me a better Physio and do a better job of helping you with your running.  

It's been fun to use myself as a guinea pig, studying a lot of research and finding out what works and what doesn't at the coal face. 

I have learned lots, in theory and practice, and happy report that everything holds up and I can't wait to pass this knowledge on to you.

If you're interested in running a half-marathon or marathon I'd love to help guide you along the way, just shoot me an email dan@kinfolkwellness.com.au

Over to you...

What is your reasons for running a marathon?  I'd love to hear in the comments below. 

How To Make Friends With Your Hamstrings

The hamstrings have a long history of being the 'enemy' of good movement.

Tight, painful, cramping and all around bad guy, the poor old hammy cops a lot of negative press.

In this blog post, I wanted to share my thoughts with you about how to make friends with the hamstrings so you can all get on well together. 

What are the hamstrings?

The hamstrings are made up of three muscles - the inside two are called the semimembranous and semitendinosus and the large outside hamstring is known as the biceps femoris. 

The back of a right leg from hip to knee

In a bigger contex:

The Superficial Back Line, from Thomas Myers Anatomy Trains

The hamstrings are part of the Superficial Back Line - which is a myofascial line of tissue that incorporates the muscles and fascia from the bottom of the foot up to the back of the head. 

When one area isn't functionally overly well, there will be compensations up or down the chain.  Ever heard of hamstring issues affecting your lower back? 

Tight hamstrings means that the instead of stretch and movement occurring through the back of the leg, the lower back gets compressed, especially when sitting or bending forwards. 

That is one of the reasons we take a holistic view of your body and movement when you come in for an assessment.  We leave no stone unturned in our quest to get to the source of your problem. 

It doesn't matter where you feel your symptoms, we don't chase pain.  We focus on finding the weak link/primary source and then allow your (powerful healing) body to do the rest.

"Where you think it is, it ain't" - Ida Rolf

What is the role of the hamstrings?

The primary role of the hamstrings in walking and running is to eccentrically control the landing of the foot.  The hamstring complex undergoes a substantial eccentric contraction during the late swing phase (Yu et al, 2008) of gait.

Eccentric refers to a type of contraction where a muscle lengthens while contracting vs a concentric contraction where the muscle in contracting and shortening (e.g. doing a bicep curl). 

As you can see, just before your foot lands, your knee is going from a bent position to an extended straight position and the hamstrings job is to allow for a controlled, smooth landing.

Whilst it is important to have adequate flexibility, the actual more important job of the hamstring to have enough strength and capacity to walk and run properly.

If a muscle doesn't have much capacity to contract when needed, it will most likely get overloaded.  When it gets overloaded, it's muscle fibers contract and knot up, limiting flexibility.

For a runner, strength and stability trumps flexibility everyday of the week.

Trigger points in the hamstrings can refer pain to the upper thigh, buttock and around the knee

3 Steps To Making Friends With Your Hamstrings:

1.  Stop stretching them. 

Never again do a standing hamstring stretch.  I don't mean avoid it for a few weeks or months.

I mean NEVER* do this stretch whilst you are alive on this planet! 

Like an addict, you gotta give it up cold turkey. 

Yes, you can still do yoga and downward dog and continue to move through functional range of movements but no mindless, static stretching. 

Stretching in this position, you are actually making the hamstring weaker

Hang on a sec...I thought stretching was a good thing!?

Stretching the hamstring in this position, you are actually making the hamstring weaker and sending confusing mixed messages to the brain about what the function of the muscle is. 

Anytime your brain is confused, it's going straight into fight-flight mode and will want to tighten everything up to protect it.

Intuitively stretching feels good and it often does give some short term relief. 

But in the long run, with continued stretching, the hamstring becomes weaker and more likely to become overloaded and tight.  Then you've got yourself into a real pickle. 

The hamstring, once locked down, becomes an inefficient blob that hampers everything you try and do.

Our first step in making friends with the hamstring is to stop pissing it off, so no more stretching. 

By the way, as an added bonus, your lower back pain and sciatica will thank you as the standing hamstring stretch has a good way of irritating it.

*If you desperately feel the need to stretch, then you can apply heat packs or use the foam roller/spiky ball directly on the muscle. 

2.  Reset.

To reset the hamstrings, I recommend first releasing the muscle with 3-4 sessions of deep tissue dry needling and myo-fascial release massage.  This is like pushing re-set on your muscle tone and creating a fresh slate to work with.  After a few sessions, the muscle will release and then we can move onto the final step.

It's important to get a twitch response that stimulates the blood flow and releases the chemicals in the muscle that have been holding it tight. 

Be prepared for some significant post-treatment soreness for a 1-2 days.  Months/years/decades of tightness ain't going down without a fight!

Check out more about dry needling here and see how it can get your healing on the fast track. 

3.  Build 'Em Back Up.

The biggest issue around the hamstring is it's near universal lack of strength. 

When was the last time you did a specific hamstring strengthening exercise? 

Most of us tend towards an excessive quads/hip flexors vs hamstrings ratio due to excess sitting, walking and running. 

Quads are strong, hammies weak.

This imbalance is perceived by the hamstrings as threatening. 

Powerfully contracting the quads during the running and kicking motion could potentially damage the hamstring. 

How does the brain / muscle respond to threat? 

You guessed - it tightens up.

Graduated Strengthening Program For Hamstrings:

The best long term strategy to make friends with your hamstrings is to build capacity so they can perform their job of eccentrically controlling the foot in landing.

If the hamstrings can happily do their job, they'll most likely start to feel safe, protected and will naturally start to release all on their very own. 

Trust me, I'm a Physiotherapist!

It will take time (3-6 months) to build strength, so listen to your body and take it easy at the start.  If you can only manage 2-3 reps in the beginning, that is fine.  No rushing!

The goal is to push the hamstring to fatigue (feeling some hamstring soreness the following day is a good sign) and then allow it to adapt, recover and get stronger. 

Make sure you create the right environment for healing via eating well (protein + vegies), drink plenty of water and get enough sleep.

Aim to do these strengthening exercises twice per week.

How many reps? 

If you figure every 10k your run is approximately 5,000 steps on each side, then the hamstring needs a fair amount of endurance capacity.  I would keep gradually increasing the reps until you are not feeling any pain on your walks and runs.

Quick note: avoid the hamstring curl machine at the gym.  This exercise strengthens and shortens the hamstring, which is what you don't want.

Step 1: Bridge

Try 3 x 30 sec holds.  Relax your lower back and squeeze your glutes. 

Tuck your pelvis so you feel the opening of the front of the hips. 

Keep the bridge high as you extend one leg in front. 

Hold for one breath and then switch sides.  When you can repeat x 10 each side, move to step 2.

Step 2: Bridge on Foam Roller

Make sure the roller isn't too far away from you, otherwise the hamstrings will cramp.  

The goal is to gradually build up the strength in the hamstrings.  It may take 3-6 months so no rushing. 

If you push too hard, then you most likely will lock the muscle down and you'll have to start over.

When you can complete 3 x 10 reps on each side, move onto step 3.

Step 3: Hamstring Curls on Swiss Ball

The perfect Eccentric Hamstring Exercise: Strengthening AND lengthening.

Quickly pull the ball in towards you and then SLOWLY (slow as you can) lower the ball away from you. 

Count to as least 5 seconds as you do this. 

Repeat until fatigue. and then do another x 2 rounds. 

If you can do x 30 reps pretty easily, try one legged.

Practicing this movement will have a direct improvement on your hamstring problems, especially for runners.

Step Four: Single Leg Deadlift

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand on your right leg, lifting your left leg a few inches behind you (a). Keeping your back straight, lean forward from your hips until your body is almost parallel to the floor, the weights in line with your shoulders (b). Return to start.  Do 12, then switch legs.

Bonus Tip:

Don't forget to strengthen the glutes, lower back and calf muscles above and below the hamstring.  Often if these muscles have reduced capacity, the hamstring can become overloaded and then lock down. 

So there you have it.

Have a go and please write in the comments how you get on.

I'd really appreciate your feedback :-)

References:

Hamstring muscle kinematics and activation during overground sprinting.

Yu B, Queen RM, Abbey AN, Liu Y, Moorman CT, Garrett WE. J Biomech. 2008 Nov 14;41(15):3121-6

10 Alternatives to Running When You're Injured

Sometimes injuries are a blessing in disguise.  They force you to re-examine your training style and open you up to other possibilities in the way you go about doing things. 

Unfortunately running injuries are common and being forced into a lay off for a few weeks/months can be quite daunting.  Being told you can't run can be a serious blow to a runner's sense of self.  You suddenly realise how addicted you are to the physical and emotional payoffs that running brings. 

Most runners tell me that there is nothing else quite like the endorphin buzz that running gives you.

Why runners are vulnerable to injury

One of the downfalls of running is that it's very repetitive and demanding on certain parts of the body that are vulnerable to overload.  Common areas include: knees, hips, ITB's, achilles, calf muscles and hamstring issues. 

Most runners generally have very good pain thresholds.  This comes as a blessing AND a curse.  Niggles that are ignored over a long period of time tend do have a tendency to develop into something more serious. 

If you are in pain, there is a good chance your Physio will recommend taking a short break from training to allow your tissues to recover and heal properly.

To help you get through your injury, try the following exercises, which are designed to:

1.  Maintain your cardio-vascular fitness

2.  Encourage blood flow and oxygen to assist the healing process

3.  Re-build your foundation so that you come back better and stronger that before

DISCLAIMER** Of course check with your physio to get the green light before trying any of these exercises**

Nutritious Movement

If you compare exercise to eating, running is like eating dessert and your foundation exercises (below) are like your main course. 

It's not healthy to only be eating dessert - running should be a part of wide base of 'nutritious movement'. 

This approach will sustain you and help you find longevity in your running career. 

1.  Swimming

We all know the benefits of getting in the water: the non-weight bearing movement of your body that helps decompresses the joints and allows you a full body workout without the stress of gravity wearing on your body. 

Try and build up to some intervals, for example 10 x 100m.  This will really help optimise your breathing and cardio-respiratory performance.

Even if you don't like swimming, just being in the water will be beneficial, assisting recovery.  Standing in the cold water at the beach in the middle of winter is refreshing and surprisingly therapeutic. 

2.  Kettlebell Strength Workout

A solid kettlebell workout is the closest thing I've come to experiencing the high that matches up with a good run.  Everyone should own a kettlebell or two.  If you have never tried, find a good personal trainer and get them to show you the basics over a few sessions.  Try swings, squats, lunges and other variations to get your body moving and re-build your capacity. 

3.  Pilates

Research tells us the biggest risk factor for an injury is a previous injury.  Pain and injury leads to compensatory movement patterning that helps us get through the short term but isn't an ideal long term solution.  Pilates help you to learn the principles of dynamic core alignment, so you will create a solid foundation that naturally leads to optimal performance in sport and life. 

Term 3 Pilates kicks of July 26th - Reserve your place here

4.  Stair workout

Stronger glutes = better running and lower risk of re-injury.  Stairs will also send your heart rate sky rocketing, boosting your VO2 max.

5.  Hiking

Hiking some trails in the great outdoors has a few benefits for runners:

• build better balance on uneven terrain

• breathe some fresh air

• learn how to 'slow down' and enjoy the scenery

• get to know your running friends better - talking is easier when you're not struggling to breathe!

6.  Boxing

Stressed?  Angry?  Let your fists do the talking.  Boxing will challenge your cardio-vascular system like nothing else.  Working with a trainer will quickly fine tune your power and precision and bring an intensity to your workout that may rival your running training.

7.  HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Try something like the 7 minute workout or ask your local personal trainer to design you a program.  Add a challenge by using a foam roller or Swiss Ball to your workout.  Try a combination of burpees, squats, step-ups and mountain climbers for starters.

8.  Yoga

Reset your fundamental movement patterning, connect with your breathing and jump start your healing process by activating the para-sympathetic nervous system.  Most runners could benefit from finding a little bit more flexibility.  Restorative / yin yoga is particularly recommended for runners to keep their bodies balanced.

9.  Stand-Up Paddle-boarding

Stand-up paddle boarding is an ideal way to strengthen your core (obliques in particular that are important for runners) and also gives your quads a nice burn.  Also will improve your balance (especially if you find some fun waves to have a go at!).

10.  Elliptical / Cross Trainer

Minimal weight-bearing, using the elliptical machine is an nice way to get your blood and oxygen flowing.  It's also an easy way to keep an eye on your heart rate and push some challenging intervals sessions...crank up the resistance!

11.  Bonus Tip: Avoid Cycling

Despite it's popularity, I DON'T advise cycling as a good alternative to running as cycling strongly activates the hip flexors, and can mess up your muscle balance around your hip, knee and lower back. 

I would advise your to either choose cycling or running as your main form of exercise.  If you are triathlete, there are some specific exercises you can do to help reduce the negative effects of cycling.  You can email directly dan@kinfolkwellness.com.au and I will give you the details.

Over to you...

What form of exercise have you found most beneficial when you can't run? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

3 Tips To Running Without Knee Pain

Knee pain is really common among runners (about 40% will experience in a given year). 

So...rather than ignoring it and hope its goes away...here are 3 simple tips to help you keep your knees tracking smoothly and efficiently :

1.  Increase your cadence

Research suggest a small increase in your cadence (increasing step frequency by 5%) leads to a decrease in ground reaction force. 

Essentially, shortening your stride takes the stress off your legs and taps into your 'spring system' that is more efficient and less impact on your knees. 

The average runner's cadence is approx 160 steps per minute, and the research shows increasing to 170-180 can make a big difference.

Be warned though, this style of running will put a greater load on your cardio-vascular system - so you may need to keep an eye on your heart rate and take breaks as needed.

Download free Metronome App here

Some GPS watches track your cadence.

Otherwise you can download a free metronome to help you.  I like to use the metronome for a few minutes at the start of a run to help get my rhythm in place...starting at 170bmp and then up to 180bmp for a few minutes.

2.  Strengthen your glutes

"Strong glutes makes everything better" - Perry Nickelston

The glutes are the main protectors of the knee.  When they become weak or inhibited they allow excess pressure on the knee joint and the muscles that surround it such as the ITB. 

When running, the glutes should take most of the load.   The gluteus maximus is the biggest and most powerful muscle in the body.  But in the presence of pain, injury or excessive sitting it 'switches off' and other muscles are forced to compensate.

Here are some of our favourite exercises to get your glutes back online and functioning:

• clam

• bridge

• single leg bridge

• reverse lunge

• squats

• split squats

If you think your glutes might need some work...then you should join our weekly Pilates class...click here to reserve your place (spots are limited). 

Bridge:  Tuck the pelvis under lift your hips - look for a straight line between knees, hip and shoulders.  Breathe and relax the shoulders.  Hold for 1 minute x 3 sets.

3.  Foam roll AFTER you run

The muscles in your legs have to work pretty damn hard during a run - absorbing up to three times your body weight every time you land. 

Muscles such as the outer quads, ITB, calf, hamstrings and adductors can get tight and knotted up and have a lot of trouble relaxing back to 'normal' after a hard run. 

This tightness can lead to increased pressure on the patella (knee cap) and cause ongoing tracking issues with the knee. 

A quick full body tune-up can be completed in less than 90 seconds (see video below) and help iron out tight spots around the knee.  

Of course, if you are tight in a particular area, you should spend longer working out the knots.

Is Pain or Injury keeping you from being as active and healthy as you want?

3 Keys To Usain Bolt's Success

Usain Bolt is one of the fastest athletes the world has ever known.  His success at the Rio Olympics is reinforcing his legendary success and his consistency proves he is worthy of greatness.

Having read his autobiography recently, Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography I wanted to share with you a few points about what has lead to his amazing success:

1.  Good foundation

When he was a kid growing up, Bolt was always on the move, running around, exploring his environment in the Jamaican back country. 

In his book, he states he was a hyperactive child, and his parents were so worried about him they took him to see a doctor!  His incredible movement literacy developed at an early age. 

Bolt writes, "There was always somewhere to play, always somewhere to run and always something to climb.  The woods delivered an exercise program suitable for any wannabe sprinter, with clearings to play in and assault courses made from broken coconut trees."

“Forget sitting around all day playing computer games like some kids do now; I loved to be outside, chasing around exploring and running barefoot as fast as I could””

Complimenting all of this physical activity was a diet high in fruits and vegetables - that he would often eat straight from the tree.  "I never went hungry because it was a farming community and we lived off whatever grew in the area, which was a lot.  There were yams, bananas, coca, coconut, berries, cane, jelly trees, mangoes, oranges, guava.  Everything grew in and around the backyard."

2.  Bounces back from injuries

Injuries were a constant battle for him.  Early in his career, his doctor diagnosed him with scoliosis of the spine.  He was prescribed daily physiotherapy stretches and worked with a masseuse to help correct his posture - sometimes even before and after his training sessions. 

He also had numerous injuries to his hamstrings, very common for a sprinter, and had to go through lengthy physio and rehabilitation to get him back on track.  As part of his conditioning, he spent a lot of time working on his core - up to 700 sit-ups per day!

““If I was going to be a top runner, my core muscles had to be strong so I could generate serious power in my legs as I burned around the track. But doing them was tough.””

Bolt found a way to seek the positive from his injuries.  He writes, "There's something the training manuals don't tell an athlete about injuries in track and field: they're about self-discovery as well as recovery; learning the mind is as important as understanding the body.  Pain thresholds, patience and inner strength are things that's can't be found in a running magazine."

3.  Doesn't take himself too seriously

Usain Bolt seems to have perfected the balance of the professional demands of an elite athlete with a real sense of play.  He loves his fast cars, dancing and knows how to have a good time.  Supreme confidence in his training and his body leads Bolt into a relaxed state of mind that helps him get into the zone.

Here's Usain dancing to the Proclaimers at a race meet:

His balanced approach also extends to his diet - he doesn't follow any strict dietary practices and has a weakness for chicken nuggets. 

He writes, at the Beijing Olympics he didn't like any of the local food.  "At first I ate a box of 20 for lunch, then another for dinner.  The next day I had two boxes for breakfast, one for lunch and then another couple in the evening, I even grabbed some fries and an apple pie to go with it.  By the times the games ended, I must have eaten around 1,000 chunks of chicken. 

“Man, I should have got a gold medal for all that chowing down.” ”

One of his team mates eventually introduced him to 'Thousand Island' dressing that he added to salads to balance things out a bit.