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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.487



Archive-name: running-faq/part2
Frequency of Post: monthly
Revision: 0.6 11/21/92 12:16:34
Supercedes: 0.5 10/19/92 15:11:31


Leg Massage (John Boone [e-mail])

(From Bicycling magazine, pp.76-77, July 1992, Reproduced without
permission)

MASSAGE TECHNIQUES

1. Full Muscle Flush

This surface stroke prepares the muscles for deeper work.  It loosens
the fibers and increases the blood flow to wash out lactic acid and
other toxins.  Begin with the calves.  Place the palms flat against
the bottom of the muscle and stroke toward the heart in a continuous
movement.  Always stroke toward the heart so the blood containing the
toxins isn't traveling back into the muscles.  After a few of these,
knead the muscle during the stroke by working the bottom of the palms
in and out.  End with the original flat stroke.

2. Broad Cross-Fiber Stroke

After each muscle group has been flushed, use the same palm position
at the center of the muscles, but work sideways.  Press harder than
the flush.  The hands are moving acros the muscle fibers, separating
them and making them pliable so the massage can go deeper with the
next type of stroke.  This is a great supplement to stretching.  It
makes muscle fibers less likely to tear.  End with more flushing.

3. Deep Muscle Spress

"Spress" is a Swedish term.  This technique is also known as muscle
stripping.  Use fingers, knuckles, or even elbows to penetrate the
muscle.  [Press deep into the leg where previously rubbing the
surface.]  Apply pressure until the comfort limit is passed.  If
there's pain, work slower, or do a few palm strokes before spressing
again.  Knuckles and thumbs work best.  Concentrate on specific areas,
instead of stroking the whole muscle.  But remember to work toward the
heart.

SELF-MASSAGE

Initial Strokes

Self-massage uses the same sequence of strokes as assisted massage,
and the same order of muscles -- calf, quads, hamstrings, glutes.  But
it's usually less effective because self-massagers get tired or bored
quicker.  The most common mistake is skipping the full-muscle flush or
cross-fiber stroke to concentrate on the spress in the sorest areas.
If you don't prepare the muscles, you won't be able to penetrate deep
enough.  [...] Be sure you're applying pressure with both hands.
Sometimes one side of the leg gets shortchanged.

Going Deeper

The advantage of self-massage is that you know exactly where it hurts
and can key on these areas.  You also know when your muscles are loose
enough for deeper penetration. [...] Amateurs usually don't go [deep
enough] in assisted massage, or do so too quickly and it hurts.  You
can find that perfect balance. [...] It's best to use both [hands],
but fatigue is a problem in self-massage.

===========================================================================

Mail Order Addresses

Here's the addresses/phone numbers of some popular running mail order
outfits (you can get directory assistance for 800 numbers at
1-800-555-1212 if you don't see the mail order outfit you're looking
for here):

Road Runner Sports
6310 Nancy Ridge Road, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92121
1-800-551-5558 (Orders)
1-800-841-0697
1-800-662-8896 (Customer Service)

California Best
970 Broadway Dept. 2033
Chula Vista, CA 91911
1-800-225-2378

In-Stride
13220 Evening Creek Dr. Suite 116
San Diego, CA 92128
1-800-521-0274
1-619-679-6697 International Orders
1-619-679-6675 FAX

Tel-a-Runner
1248 Sussex Turnpike C-5
Randolph, NJ 07869
1-800-835-2786

Hoy's Sports
1-800-873-4329
Track & Field event shoes from adidas, Converse, Brooks, Diadora,
Mizuno, Nike, and Reebok. Also racing flats and race walkers..,

Sports Style International
1605 Fannin Blvd.
Houston, TX 77002
1-800-580-SMTC  Fax: [phone]
Biggest (only?) source for Santa Monica Track Club paraphenalia and
Carl Lewis-inspired designs. Caps, t-shirts, stickers, unishorts, and
more. Shoes not advertised, though...

===========================================================================

Marathon

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facts

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increasing your mileage (Jack Berkery [e-mail])

Increasing your mileage, for the beginning marathoner.

  There are many good, professional, books and articles on how to
train for whatever distance you choose. More for the marathon than
others I think. I would suggest that you get one or two and mull them
over. The following recommendations are more or less a distillation of
having read and digested most of these as well as more than a decade
of experience.

  Let's suppose you are beginning with a base load of about 20 miles
per week over a long period. First I DO NOT recommend that anyone who
has been running for less than 3 years should run a marathon. Running
is a long-term game and it takes time for your body to become adjusted
physically to the demands, not only of the marathon itself, but also
of the heavy training mileage required to build up to it.

  Next, you should always keep in mind that your build-up should not
exceed 10% per week. 10% doesn't sound like much but it's actually a
big adjustment for your system to make. Not only muscles, but bones
and connective tissues must be strengthened to take the increased load
and running marathon mileage is a lot of pounding. Remember 10%. That
is not to say that if you ran 20 miles last week, you cannot go more
than 22 next week, but over a period of 3-4 weeks the rate of increase
should not exceed the 10% slope. After 4 weeks then, you should be
doing just under 30 miles, but not more. If you go from 20 to 24 in
the first week thereby exceeding the 10% rate, then doing 24 again the
second week will bring you back on track. You can continue to build up
mileage for about 6 weeks when you'll reach 35 miles. Then you MUST
BACK OFF for a week or so. Drop back by about 25-30% for one week.
Take two or three days off in a row. Get some rest to gain strength
before beginning the climb again.

  How much mileage is enough for a marathon? I have known people to
run marathons on 25 or 35 miles per week. Don't try it. How they got
away with it is not important. It is only important to know that it
simply ain't smart.  You can get away with 40-45 per week if you are
doing a regular long run of 15-18 each week. It is better to be doing
50 or more for 6 to 8 weeks before the marathon. This means you have
to have the time necessary to build to 50 at that 10% rate (with 1
rest week out of every 6) and then sustain that 50+ mileage for 6-8
weeks as well. This is a heavy schedule. Never doubt that.  When you
listen to the mega-mileage people talk about 70 or 80 or more, they
make it sound as if everyone should be able to do that. Well we CAN'T
all do that. We all have a break-down point and for the great
majority, it lies somewhere below 50 or 60 miles per week. You'll know
where yours is only after repeated tries to exceed it result in an
injury.

  Specificly how do you build the mileage? Suppose you are doing an
even 3 miles a day, no more, no less. You must begin by building the
long run. In a marathon training schedule, the long run is everything.
Start the first week of the build-up by just lengthening one run. All
other days should remain the same. Make one, usually Sat. or Sun., a
5-6 miler to get your 10% increase.  Take the next day off from
running. Rest is important after the long run to allow your system
adjustment time. The next week of the build-up, increase the one long
run again while still holding the normal daily runs the same. As a
rule of thumb, your long run can go to 3 times the distance of your
daily average run. So while still doing regular 3 milers, you can
build up that Sat. morning run to 9 miles. Don't do a 12 miler though
until you have made your daily run 4 miles. This means keeping the
long run at 9 miles for a few weeks and increasing the daily runs
until your average is 4 or 5 a day. Then you can return to increasing
the long run. Toward the end of the build-up you may be doing
something like 6-8 each weekday plus an 18-20 miler on the weekend. It
might also be a good idea to alternate long runs of 15 and 20 miles
every other week.

  As you get close to the date of the marathon, run your last long run
2 weeks before. DO NOT do a long run one week prior to the marathon.
In fact for the last week you should taper down to do only about half,
yes half, the mileage you have been doing. DO NOT run the day before
and 2 days before the race you might only do 3 miles just to get the
legs loose and the blood flowing. You MUST be well rested for the big
race itself.

  Now assuming you do everything right there is still no guarrantee
that the marathon is going to go well. Many things might prevail to
make it hurt, hot or humid weather, getting caught up in too hard a
pace, not drinking enough water before or along the way (THE GREATEST
SIN). You may even spend 3 or 4 months building your training only to
come down with an illness or injury a few weeks before the race which
will set you right back to square-one. If you want certainties, you're
in the wrong game. What matters is not that you get to do that
particular marathon on that particular day 5 months from now, but
rather what you plan to do over the next 5 or 10 or 50 years. I did
say running is a long-term game, no?

  Another note of caution. All the rules can be broken. You may get
away with lower training, higher ramp-up rates or shorter long-runs.
You might even get away with it more than once, but sooner or later
it's gonna get ya. Take the more conservative plan and be safe. You're
looking for a positive experience not an injury.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Major Marathons (e.g. Boston, LA, New York)

Boston Marathon
==================
The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots day (3rd monday in April).
Starting time: Noon Boston Marathon qualifying times.  (Jack Berkery
[e-mail])

        Boston Athletic Association Boston Marathon
        P.O. Box 1993
        Hopkington, MA 01748

 Age   Men   Women                Wheelchair Divison
18-34  3:10  3:40                 CLASS            MEN      WOMEN
35-39  3:15  3:45                 1 (Quad Class)   3:00     3:10
40-44  3:20  3:50                 2-5              2:10     2:35
45-49  3:25  3:55
50-54  3:30  4:00
55-59  3:35  4:05
60-64  3:40  4:10
65-69  3:45  4:15
70+    3:50  4:20

Note: Your qualifying time is based upon your age on the day of the
Boston Marathon, April 19, 1993. Example: You run a qualifying race at
the age of 44 in 3:22. You then have a birthday before the Boston
Marathon, making you 45. You qualify, because your required
qualification time is 3:25.

Your qualification race must be run between 1/1/92 and 3/8/93

Chicago Marathon
===================
This year the race is October 25th.  For entry forms:

        Chicago Marathon
        214 W. Erie
        Chicago, IL  60610
        [phone] [VOICE]
        [phone] [FAX]


London Marathon
====================
([e-mail] (A.M.T. Bell,G2,3123,homephone))
UK entrants

Next month you should be able to pick up an "application for entry
form" from a bank, last year it was TSB bank. You fill this in at the
bank and give them 2pounds.  In October you should get the *proper*
form from London, fill this in and enclose cheque. You should find out
before Xmas whether you have been lucky in the lottery and have got in
or not. If you have run a sub 2h40 time (men) or sub 3h10 time
(ladies) you can enter without going into the lottery as you qualify
for the national championships (held in conjunction with London).
Details should be in the national athletics press this month.

Non-UK entrants

I would imagine that you can get on "official" trips to come to the UK
to run London from sports travel firms, if you can get a place with a
sports travel firm you will definitely get an entry. If you want to do
your own thing I suggest you write to

London Marathon
PO Box 262
Richmond
London
England


Los Angeles Marathon
====================

Marine Corps Marathon
=====================
This year the race is October 25th
Contact info is 703/640-2225

New York Marathon
=====================
The New York Marathon is scheduled for November 1. For information and
registration forms, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with $4
to:
        NYRC
        Marathon Entries
        P.O. Box 1388 GPO
        New York, NY   10116
        or call [phone]

NYC Marathon Cash Incentives for World Records (Paul [e-mail])
Here is the incentive schedule released by Fred Lebow for the NYC
Marathon 1992: Times to beat:
MEN                     WOMEN                 CASH BONUS
2:06:50                 2:21:06               $250,000
2:06:00                 2:21:00                300,000
2:05:00                 2:20:00                375,000
2:04:00                 2:19:00                450,000
2:03:00                 2:18:00                525,000
2:02:00                 2:17:00                600,000
2:01:00                 2:16:00                750,000
2:00:00                 2:15:00              1,000,000

San Francisco Marathon
======================
This year the race is August 29. For entry forms or more information:

        City of San Francisco Marathon
        P.O. Box 77148
        San Francisco, CA 94107
        [phone]

Twin Cities Marathon
====================

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miscellaneous

I pulled this chart out of _Marathoning_ by Manfred Steffny. It's an
old book (originally published 1977).  (Robert Davidson
DAVIDSON%MARICOPA.EDU)


        Max. possible   Realistic
10Km    marathon time   marathon time
------  -------------   -------------
27:00   2:05:00         2:08:30
28:00   2:10:00         2:14:00
29:00   2:15:00         2:19:30
30:00   2:20:00         2:25:00
31:00   2:25:00         2:30:30
32:00   2:30:00         2:36:00
33:00   2:35:00         2:43:00
34:00   2:40:00         2:49:00
35:00   2:45:00         2:55:00
36:00   2:50:00         3:00:00
37:00   2:55:00         3:07:00
38:00   3:00:00         3:15:00
39:00   3:05:00         3:20:00
40:00   3:10:00         3:25:00
42:30   3:22:00         3:42:30
45:00   3:35:00         4:00:00
47:30   3:47:30         4:20:00
50:00   4:00:00         4:40:00


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===========================================================================

Medical / Injuries

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Achilles tendinitis (sorry, forgot the author)

General advice:

1.  Warm up before you stretch.  This could be in the form of a slow
jog as you start your run.  When I feel it necessary, I stop for a few
minutes and stretch during the early stages of a run.

2.  Stretch after your run.  This has proven the best solution for me.
Whenever I skip this part, I end up stiff the next day.  The muscles
are nice and warm after a run and respond well to stretching.  My
flexibility has improved as a result of this practice, too.

3.  With regards to an injury, you've got to be tough and rest it in
order for it to heal.  This might be a good time to concentrate on
strength training with weights.

--------------

The good news: since this seems to be your first injury, and your
training load is light, your tendinitis is probably due to the most
simple cause - leg length imbalance.  Get someone to mark how far you
can bend to each side, if these are different heights then you might
find a heel raiser under the bad leg will both even out the side-bend
_and_ speed up the recovery.

The bad news: achilles is notoriously slow to heal even with the
correct treatment.  And the chances of recurrence are quite high.
However the condition you describe shouldn't prevent your training, as
long as you promote healing with stretching, massage (calf/inner
thigh/groin), ice, etc...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shin splints (Harry Y Xu [e-mail])
             (Doug Poirier [e-mail])
             (Rodney Sanders [e-mail])

Excerpts from _The SprotsMedicine Book_ by Gabe Mirkin, MD. and
Marshall Hoffman:

``Shin splints are....condition that can result from muscle imbalance.
They are characterized by generalized pain in front of the lower leg
and are particularly comon in runners and running backs....  The most
common cause is a muscle imbalance where the calf muscles--which pull
the forefoot down--overpower the shin muscles--which pull the forefoot
up.  As the athlete continues to train, the calf muscle usually
becomes proportionately much stronger than the shin muscles.

The treatment for shin splints is to strengthen the weaker muscles
(shins) and stretch the stronger muscles (calves).

To strengthen the shins, run up stairs.  To stretch the calves,...(do
stretching exercises for the calves, et. the wall push-ups)'' *end of
exerpts.

_________________________________________

In my experience, I have found that stretching is the real key to
avoiding shin-splints.  I believe there's a book with stretches by Bob
Anderson that you may want to check.  Also, back issues of running
magazines sometimes have helpful information.  Basically, I do the
standard "lean on the wall stretch" and a stretch by standing
flat-footed on one leg and bending at the knee to stretch the
achilles.  I then top these off with a few toe raises (no weights!)
before I head out to run...  If you're having trouble, I'd recommend
stretching 2-3 times a day until you get over the problem.  Start
slowly!

Also, you probably should avoid hills and extremely hard surfaces
until the situation improves. I've known several people who've had
shin splints and gotten over them by stretching.  (Of course, you
should be careful in case the shin splints are the result of a more
severe problem...)

------------------------

Help with shin splints.

1. Try picking up marbles with your toes and holding onto them for a few
   seconds. I did this at work for a while. Felt kinda stupid, but no one could
   see my feet.

2. Stand on the stairs with your heels out over the edge.  Push yourself up
   and down with your toes. Repeat 5 million times.

3. If you can, rig something with either surgical tubing or a large rubberband.
   For example: put the tubing around one of the back legs of your desk in
   some sort of a loop. Reach under the tubing with your toes, with your heel
   as a pivot pull the tubing toward you. This will work the muscle in the
   front of the shins. Repeat 6 million times. It's easier than the stair
   exercise

4. Run on different terrain, preferably grass. It'll absorb the shock.

5. This normally affects knees, but it might affect shins.  Don't run on the
   same side of the road all of the time. It is sloped left or right to let
   the water run off. Running on the same slope for long periods of time will
   cause adverse effects to the ankles, shins...etc....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side stitches (Jack Berkery [e-mail])

The Latest Word on Stitches

In the May-June 1992 issue of Running Research News there is an
article by Dr. Gordon Quick about the causes of and cures for
stitches. To summarize:

1) Stitches are a muscle spasm of the diaphragm. The cause of the
spasm is that the organs below it are jouncing up and down and pulling
down as it wants to pull up. The liver being the largest organ is the
biggest culprit which is why most stitches are on the right side. A
stomach full of food may also contribute to the problem for the same
reason. Stitches also occur more often when running downhill or in
cold weather.

2) The cure seems almost too simple. Breathe out when your left foot
strikes the ground instead of when the right foot strikes so that the
organs on the right side of the abdomen are jouncing up when the
diaphragm is going up. The organs attached to the bottom of the
diaphragm on the left aren't as big, so exert less downward pulling
strain. If this is not enough to get rid of it, stop and raise you
arms above your head until the pain goes away and when you resume, be
a left foot breather. (Conversely, if your stitch occurs on the left
side, switch your breathing to exhale on the right foot.)

3) Do not eat anything for an hour before running if you are prone to
stitches, BUT PLEASE DO DRINK WATER. Water empties from the stomach
faster than solids and the risk of complications from dehydration far
exceed the problems one may have with a stitch.

4) In the long term, exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles
will help prevent stitches because tighter abs will allow less
movement of those internal organs. Practice belly breathing instead of
chest breathing as recommended by Noakes. For the most part, stitches
diminish over time.  While they are not strictly a novice runner's
problem (about 1/3 of all runners get them from time to time) they
usually will go away after a few weeks of conditioning.

--------------

By Dr. Tim Noakes Oxford University Press, 1985. This is quoted
verbatim from "Lore of Running"

        Proper breathing prevents the development of the `stitch'.
        The stitch is a condition that occurs only during exercise
        and which causes severe pain usually on the right side of
        the abdomen, immediately below the rib margin.  Frequently
        the pain is also perceived in the right shoulder joint,
        where it feels as if an ice-pick were being driven into
        the joint.  The pain is exacerbated by down-hill running
        and by fast, sustained running as in a short road race or
        time trial.  For various complex anatomical reasons, the
        fact that the stitch causes pain to be felt in the shoulder
        joint suggests that the diaphragm is the source of the pain.

        It has been suggested that when breathing with the chest too
        much air is drawn into the lungs, and not all is exhaled.  This
        causes a gradual and progressive accumulation of air in the lungs,
        causing them to expand which in turn causes the diaphragm to be
        stretched and to encroach on the abdominal contents below it.
        During running, the over-stretched diaphragm becomes sandwiched
        between an over-expanded chest above, and a jolting intestine pounding
        it from below.  It revolts by going into spasm, and the pain of
        this spasm is recognized as the stitch.

        Although there is really not a shred of scientific evidence for
        this belief, I have found that diaphragm spasm is almost certainly
        involved in the stitch and that belly-breathing can frequently
        relieve the pain.

        The runner who wishes to learn how to belly-breath should lie on the
        floor and place one or more large books on his stomach.  He should
        concentrate on making the books rise when he breathes in and fall
        when he exhales.  As it takes about two months to learn to do the
        movement whilst running fast, it is important to start practicing
        well before an important race.

        A change in breathing pattern may help relieve the stitch.  Within
        a short period of starting running, breathing becomes synchronized
        with footfall.  Thus one automatically breaths in on one leg and
        out when landing either on the same leg - that is 2, 3 or 4 full
        strides later - or on the opposite leg - that is 1 1/2, 2 1/2, or
        3 1/2 strides later.  Thus the ratio of stride to breathing may be
        2:1, 3:1, 4:1; or 1.5:1, 2.5:1, 3.5:1.

        This phenomenon was first reported by Bramble and Carrier (1983).
        Of particular interest was their finding that most runners are
        `footed', that is the beginning and end of a respiratory cycle
        occurs on the same foot, usually in a stride to breathing ratio
        of either 4:1 whilst jogging or 2:1 whilst running faster.  Runners
        then become habituated to breathing out on the same let, day after
        day.  This produces asymmetrical stresses on the body and could be
        a factor in both the stitch and in certain running injuries.  I am
        `left-footed' and have also suffered my major running injuries only
        on my left side.  If changes in breathing patterns do not prevent the
        stitch then the last step is to increase abdominal muscle strength.
        The correct way to strengthen the abdominal muscles is to do bent-knee
        sit ups with the feet unsupported.

--------------

EDITORS NOTE: Readers response to "Belly Breathing" definition above.
"Belly Breathing" (Lamont Granquist  [e-mail])

While I wasn't breathing with my chest, I wasn't really "Belly
Breathing". When I exhaled, what I was doing was pulling my stomach
muscles in. I found out that this is *not* the way to "Belly Breathe".
The idea is to throw your gut out as much as possible -- try and look
as fat & ugly as you can when you run. For the suggestion in the FAQ
of lying on your back and lifting a book, it should probably be noted
that when exhaling you want to try to keep the book lifted up (of
course naturally, you don't want to try to do this all so hard that it
becomes difficult to exhale -- the idea is that breathing this way
should be comfortable).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lactic Acid (Rob Loszewski [e-mail])

"Lactic acid buildup (technically called acidosis) can cause burning
pain, especially in untrained muscles. Lactic acid accumulation can
lead to muscle exhaustion withing seconds if the blood cannot clear it
away. A strategy for dealing with lactic acid buildup is to relax the
muscles at every opportunity, so that the circulating blood can carry
the lactic acid away and bring oxygen to support aerobic metabolism.
...much of the lactic acid is routed to the liver, where it is
converted to glucose.  A little lactic acid remains in muscle tissue,
where it is completely oxidized when the oxygen supply is once again
sufficient."  Understanding Nutrition, 5th ed., Whitney, Hamilton,
Rolfes., West Pub. Comp.  1990, pg402- 403.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loose Bowels   (Rodney Sanders [e-mail])

Some general advice to take care of loose bowels.

(1) Look for offending foods in your diet.  For example, many people
have a lactose intolerance which can cause all sorts of fun if you had
a triple cheese pizza the night before the run...

(2) If you run in the morning, eat lightly and early the night
before...  I try to make sure I eat the least problematic foods close
to my workouts...  I've personally found baked chicken/fish, baked
potatoes, and pasta with light sauces (no alfredo!), to be pretty
good...

(3) I read that Bill Rodgers drinks a cup of coffee in the morning
before heading out...The caffeine stimulates one to take care of
things completely before getting out...This has helped me when I run
in the morning....

(4) Carry a wad of toilet paper with you!

I suspect that if you monitor your diet closely, you'll probably find
something that makes the problem worse than at other times and you can
avoid that food...

Some other advice: (Sanjay Manandhar [e-mail])
1. Less fiber in the diet
2. Run repeats on small loops.
3. Note all the washrooms along the route.
4. Time of day.  For me, mornings are bad. In the evening runs the
problem is infrequent.
5. A primer run. If I have to run in the mornings, I run 1 mile of
primer run so that the bowels can be taken care of. Then I start my
real run.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diabetes & Running (Timothy Law Snyder [e-mail])

Oops, here is what makes virutually every person with diabetes bristle:
MYTHS of diabetes!

Not to flame Jay, but diabetics can (and do) eat as much sugar, drink
as much booze, and run as many marathons as anybody else.  The
challenge is that they must manage the delicate balance between
insulin (which lowers blood sugar), food (which raises it), and
exercise (which, because it stokes up the metabolism and makes the
insulin "rage") lowers blood sugar.  Timing is important, and
sometimes, due to the millions of factors that are at play (and _not_
due to negligence), the blood sugar will go too high or too low.