10 Tips For the NYC Marathon

10 tips for the NYC Marathon

I’ve been fortunate to run the NYC marathon on a couple of occasions.

Marathon weekend has such a special energy in the city, it’s hard to believe how amazing the support and atmosphere is.

I thought I’d share my top tips for running the NYC marathon below.

Have a great run and please let me know if you have any questions in the comments.

1. Ride the ferry to Staten Island and enjoy the views of downtown Manhattan. But get there half an hour earlier than your scheduled time. It is REALLY busy and you're better off getting over a little earlier than stressing over missing your start time. Once you get to Staten Island, be prepared for a bit of a wait for the bus. 

2. Run with a pacing group if possible. If you know your average pace and a time you're going for, it makes sense to run with a pacing group. These are led by experienced runners and leave you mentally more free to enjoy the experience. 

3. If you're traveling from overseas, ideally arrive into New York on Thursday evening. That gives you Friday to explore the expo and Saturday to freshen your legs in preparation for Sunday's run. Arriving any earlier will mean standing and walking around more in NYC, which subtlety drains the energy out of your legs, leaving you ill-prepared for race day.

4. If you've trained with music and headphones, take them with you on race day. 42.2km is a long way. The crowd and atmosphere will definitely inspire you like nothing else. But there are some quieter sections (e.g. Queensborough bride) where a shot of your favorite cheesy motivational music helps you stay focused and get the job done. 

5. Do lots of hill training. While the course is mostly flat, the bridges can sap your energy and strength. Ideally, get in one session per week of hills to build the strength and capacity in your legs.  If you can manage this, race day will be a breeze.

6. Don't worry about which level of the bridge you start on. Still the same views. And no you don't need to worry about waterfalls of  urine if you're in the lower level. 

7. Prepare a mantra for when the going gets tough.

   My favourites are: “1000% positive”, “Pain is temporary, glory is forever” and “Wounded But Not Conquered”

8. Do some training runs that mimic the later start time. Try and get your body used to running late morning through to mid afternoon. And do some runs where it is crowded and you have to learn to dodge around people. With 50,000 runners from all around the world, this is a skill you need to practice! 

9. Write your name on your shirt. When you need an extra shot of energy, move over close to the crowd and the New Yorkers will inspire you with their energy and enthusiasm.

10. The day after the marathon, stumble to Tavern On The Green to collect your copy of the New York Times. Find your name and get your medal engraved with your time. 

TOP 10 STRETCHES FOR RUNNERS

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.

How To Start A Running Program: 7 Tips To Staying Injury Free

This is a 6 week "start running" program.  It will get you from the couch to 10km.  I'll give you some tips on how to start, how to stay injury free and also include a detailed 6 week running plan. 

WE ARE MEANT TO RUN

As a species, we are designed to run, move and be active every single day.  As the Homo Sapien evolved around 2 million years ago, our ability to cover long distances (around 20km on a regular basis) gave us a huge evolutionary advantage.  We were able to hunt animals efficiently and cooking the meat helped us develop strength and stamina as well as our brains. 

If we are meant to run, then why do so many runners suffer from injuries?

WHY 90% OF RUNNER'S GET INJURED

The truth is, running is the most challenging, high level activity you can ask of your body.

Running efficiently and pain free comes on top of a foundation of adequate flexibility, core strength and movement efficiency.

After 20 years of studying human movement, I can say very few of us have the natural foundation to run efficiently.

In the modern age, due to pain, injury, stress and too much time sitting and driving, we are losing touch with our bodies and what it means to have a good physical foundation.  Movement compensations and imbalances have become the norm. 

Physical therapist Gray Cook states you don't want to put fitness on top of dysfunction.  In other words, Move Well, then Move Often.

The thing is, in the short term you can still get by with a less than ideal foundation. 

You will be able to run because your amazing body works out a way to get the job done.  The problem is, the compensations have a limited time span before they burn out and pack it in.  Then you are really stuffed - you're in pain and you can't keep running anymore. 

Now you have 2 choices:

(1) Accept that "running is not good for you" and avoid it the rest of your life; or

(2) Learn about how your body works and set a plan to achieve your goals.

The good news is that you can learn to fine tune your body to prepare it for running.  You need to be smart and listen to your body - and have patience and dedication.  You can overcome your weaknesses and actually turn them into strengths. 

7 STEPS TO STARTING A RUNNING PROGRAM AND STAYING INJURY FREE

(1) Take one step at a time. 

Rome wasn't built in a day and either is a good foundation.  Be disciplined, stick with the program, but above all else, listen to your body.  Don't skip steps.  Load management is crucial.  Many running injuries can be traced back to pushing beyond capabilities too soon in a program.  A general rule of them is to not increase your mileage more than 10% per week. 

(2) Get yourself a heart rate monitor/GPS watch. 

You can get a basic model for under $200.  This will help you to get to know your body and also avoid over-training.  I recommend the Garmin.  Read more about using heart rate monitor here.  Seeing your progress over six weeks is great motivation. 

(3)  Eat well. 

When I was training for the New York marathon last year, I was given the advice "nutrition is key".  Food is fuel and you will feel much better when you cook fresh food at home.  Focus on slow release carbs such as sweet potato, along with enough good quality protein and vegetables. 

(4) Get yourself a team of health care professionals.

Chances are at some stage, you're body is going to develop some niggles.  Getting them addressed early will likely keep you functioning more efficiently with less pain.  Physio, massage therapist, nutritionist and chiropractor will all help keep you balanced and functioning optimally. 

See our links page for people we recommend. 

(5) Invest in a good pair of running shoes. 

Go to a running store and get them to check your running style.  According to Rob Robinson, a running coach at the South Australian Road Runners Club, you're better off buying two pairs and you can rotate between the two. 

(6) - Do the 7-minute workout regularly.

The perfect cross training and very time efficient.  Doing a few rounds twice per week will help develop strength in your core and gluteals; important for running. 

(7) Run softly. 

Research shows landing on the mid-foot helps improve shock absorption, decreasing the risk of injury.  Think about making as least noise as possible as your feet land. Check out the book Chi Running, which goes into more depth about how to run more efficiently.  Learn to use gravity and your body's natural elasticity to improve efficiency by 30%.  

You could also try a metronome (free download to your phone).  Match your step to the beat (170-180 steps per minute is the most efficient cadence). 

COUCH TO 10KM PROGRAM

This program is designed to run 3 days per week, allowing days in between for recovery.  Alter the days to suit your schedule.  Don't worry about running the whole distance.  Walk and jog as needed.  Always listen to your body!

Tuesday - Tempo Run (T)

This is a moderate-high intensity run.  Keep your heart rate between 70-80%.  These runs will improve the ability of your muscles to convert oxygen to fuel your body.  Warm up before by walk/light jogging for 1-2km.

Thursday - Sprints (S)

Warm-up by walking/gentle jogging for 2km.  These sprints are high intensity, you're heart rate should be between 80-90%.  Use your arms to power your core. Take 2 minutes rest break between each sprint.   These sprints will build power in your legs, as well as improving running efficiency.  If you've never run before or are getting back after an injury - take extra care with easing back into these sprints.

Sunday - Long Run/Walk (LR)

The long run/walk is going to help you build aerobic endurance.  You are going to build stamina and resilience in the muscles, joints are bones.  This is a low-intensity run i.e. keep your heart rate under 70%.  Take walking breaks as often as needed.  As you progress through the weeks, you should be able to do more running and less walking.

AFTER YOUR RUN
Cool down with a few simple stretches.  When you get home, spend 5-10 minutes on the foam roller working over the calves, hamstrings, ITB, quads, adductors and upper back.  If you live near the beach, walking in the water can be a great way to finish a run.  Ice any hot spots for 10 minutes after your run.  Hydrate properly and have a good meal with protein and carbohydrates.

Quads stretch

Calf stretch

DAYS OFF

- Cross training - yoga, pilates, swimming, cycling, 7 minute workout

- Hydration and eating well is important.

- Body work - physio/massage/chiropractic for maintenance.

- Take time to relax. 

So that's our 6 weeks plan to get you running 10km. 

Please give it a go, have fun and remember to listen to your body. 

In the words of Rachel Hunter, "It may not happen overnight, but it will happen".

Thanks to Rob Robinson for contributing his expertise and for more info about joining a start running group in Adelaide, please see the South Australian Road Runners Club Website.

Let me know how you go in the comments box.

Are you interested in an online consultation?



References:

The Story of The Human Body, Daniel Lieberman

Trigger Point Manual, Travell and Simons

Chi Running, Danny Dreyer