Around about 1980, when working for ACC as their national coordinator of sports and recreation safety, I wrote a booklet for ACC "Stretching and Warmup Exercises for Runners" and ran a national campaign to publicise the importance of warming up prior to training and competition. This public injury prevention campaign was in response to the organised "fun-running" boom of the time, partly driven by a radio series called (I recall) "Women on the Run", which was also sponsored by ACC (ACC was very proactive in the sports injury prevention at the time - I wonder why?). This radio series was such a success that the sports shops were literally cleaned out of women's running shoes and running clothing! Over 200,000 copies of the booklet were distributed. I have created a simple little E-Publication from scans of the original booklet which has long been out of print. You will notice the very handsome male model with a great head of hair in the illustrations! The e-book contains what are among the most important stretches for a runners and cyclists to do. These are suitable for incorporation into a pre-competition warm up routine; but mainly for doing daily, such as in the evening when you are warm and relaxed. Here it is folks!
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The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.
I just came across your videos on YouTube, specifically How to Strengthen Tiabialis Posterior.... I will try this immediately.
I'm 57 years old and training for my tenth marathon. I ran a PR of 3:36 a year ago. The last two training cycles (dropped out of last Autumn) I've got into a pattern of lower leg injuries about 8-9 weeks into training (50+ miles/week avg.). I still feel good aerobically, but can't seem to get past these injuries. What I currently have is probably from the pos-tib tendon: inner ankle/shin pain in right leg. I had something similar last Autumn which then developed into a very painful arch which caused me to stop running for a month. The problems I'm having seem to be related to tendons and ligaments, possibly some muscle involvement, not bones.
I am on a mostly low-fat high carbohydrate diet due to high cholesterol that caused me a heart problem at age 46 (no further problems since reducing cholesterol), but I'm not currently on a cholesterol drug, just an aspirin daily. I supplement with 500 mg Ester-C, a multi-vitamin, 400 mg Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Potassium, and Magnesium daily. I've tried Calcium, but have digestive problems iwth it. I do not purposely avoid protein, and have an average intake mostly at lunch and dinner.
I saw the post on your website about the London Marathoner. Is there anything you can suggest that could help me? My race is in 7 weeks...
Thanks,
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Gary responds:
Please do the tibialis posterior exercises as described in the video.
Please read my articles about low cholesterol diets and the many dangers to health. We now know that cholesterol is not the principal driver of cardiovascular disease but inflammation. It may be merely coincidence that you feel your heart problems abated with the cholesterol reduction and may have more to do with related factors like lifestyle changes. Much depends on the true nature of the heart problem at the time.
I have just published an article about stress fractures in a runner about your age. Please read it here and take the action suggested, including the shock absorbing inner soles. You also need to deal with any underlying infections such as gum disease that may increase cardiovascular risk. What is recommended in that article will be relevant to you. The only other thing I would add is a couple of scoops of Loadup Fruitful Greens to a twice daily berry protein Smoothie to help quench any underlying inflammation.
Aspirin??
I would not take any form of aspirin long term. It can be a factor in speeding joint arthritis and does not bode well for a healthy digestive system. You can replicate its action as a blood thinner with a capsule of vitamin E daily, plus other nutrients like vitamin C and garlic, Ginko and others all of which you can get off this website.
A diet that is high carbohydrate-low in fats will cause the weak connective tissue problems that you describe. Have a closer look into this please. I, for example, have been on full cream raw milk daily for over a year and my cholesterol levels have dropped - not risen. And I am running faster - injury free.
Please read my E-Books on training for events like marathons. Are you running too many marathons? Have you thought of concentrating on shorter events of less than 15km and short off-road events and doing just one marathon a year? Few people can run more than a dozen marathons in their lifetime without suffering lasting damage to their limbs. How long do you want to keep running? If you want to keep running well past 60 years of age, then think about how you are going to achieve that.
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
A high performance female distance runner has to be thin, while muscular. The tendency, too often, is to run longer and further while getting far too thin. The end result is breakdown, including fracturing of bones.
Lorraine, pictured to the right, ran up to 120 miles a week and ran many, many marathons, some at sub-2hr 30 min pace and did so for almost 30 years. She was thin, while strong. She had and still has very strong bones.
Here is what I recommend to expedite the healing of a stress fracture and to prevent further occurences:
Read my E-Book "Too Thin To Win".
Get a body composition analysis, including bone mass using a BIA Scale like the Salter 9106 (purchase off this site). Get body fat above 15% and keep it there.
Restore regular periods (This should happen once body fat is above 15%)
Take a 3 daily dose of Active Elements tissue salts (the online assessment off this website helps me work out your prescription). Read my articles about tissue sats.
Have some quality protein and a range of fats in each meal (3-5 small servings per day)
Sunbathe and on days there is no sun, take 1-4,000iu of vitamin D. Refer to my many articles about vitamin D and osteoporosis.
Do not wear orthotics because these interfere with shock absorbing foot mechanics. Read my articles on weak feet and get a pair of Formthotics Shock Stop inner soles off this site.
Aquajog and/or swim as often as you like and only walk or ride a bike until given medical clearance to run.
When resuming running, run off road with your Formthotics and not on pavement. Keep close to home until fully healed. Run only every second day (3-4 runs per week).
Aquajog, etc on the days between.
The more you run, the more you eat while monitoring body composition.
It may be possible to resume running in just a few weeks, if these recommendations are followed to the letter. If not, then is may be six or more weeks before even a short trot can be attempted.
Once back running freely
Stick to this advice for at least one year while continuing to monitor body composition (Body fat ~15%).
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
I'm 43 years old and was training for the Rotatrua Marathon (first one). Everythinbg was going fine, running approximately 45km a week,and then did a very stupid thing and increased up to 85-90 km a week. No problems aerobically, but after 10 days developed pain in my knees and haven't been able to run for 2 1/2 weeks. Symptoms suggest 'runners knee'. I have been taking joint factors 4500 for 6 days along with cod liver oil and magnesium tablets, also doing your foot strengthening exercises.
I am really frustrated as I am enjoying the running so much. Is there anything else you can recommend and typically how long is the recovery period?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks
Paul
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Gary
Paul, to be honest I am not keen on encouraging first time runners to go into marathons. Marathons were traditionally the doamin of older competitive runners who were coming to the end of long years of big training miles and damn hard races over distances of 10 miles and less.
My sister, Lorraine, for example had been running big miles and hard, short races for over 10 years before she ran her first marathon. I did the same, covering the distance in 2hr 37mins for the first time. After 13 sub 3hr marathons, I gave up. That was the best decision of my life. Now 55 years old I am proud to say that I still have my knees. Last season I ran comfortably under 20 minutes for 5 km. If I had stuck to running marathons after I turned 30 years, I would not be running fast and free today. I may not be running at all.
The point is that marathon training and marathon running is tough on the knees. Knees are irreplaceable. Do not bugger them up Paul. Look after them. Care for them as you would a child. You can never fully replace your knees.
In the meantime, while you mull over the above, there are a number of measures you can take to care for your knees starting with ensuring your body is rich with all the nutrients for healing and for strong collagen and bones:
Ensure you boost your vitamin D levels are high by careful sunbathing
Continue to take daily joint food formulations
Ensure each meal has small amounts of quality proteins
Add fish oil, flax oil, evening primrose oil (no need for any more cod liver oil). Get these off my website store
Eat lots of bright coloured fruits, veges and berries and maybe a combined vitamin C supplement - the best one for strong tissue is Phytocare C-Max (refer my web store)
Exercise and Running
If an exercise, including running, hurts the knees then give it a break for as long as it takes to be pain free
Take up aquajogging twice a week
Get properly set up on a mountain style bike and ride it two or three times a week
Do only three runs per week spread over the week between the other exercises. You may do daily early morning jogs of about 15-20 minutes if no knee pain
Only increase running distances by a few percent per week and never more no matter how good you may feel - do more of the other exercises instead
If you ever feel a running injury coming on - Stop running! Go and do more of the other exercises and resume running once pain free
Seek out some short races of about 5km and do one each week or so but do not run them all hard out - play with them. Join a club and run cross country over winter to harden the body and mind while not doing damage
Get 5 years of this kind of training and racing under your belt then dabble in a few long events, like a half marathon, then a marathon if you are still keen.
Two other things you can do
Get a pair or two of Formthotics Shock Stop inner soles off my website store and wear them in all your shoes, including your running shoes.
Get a weekly deep tissue massage of all the leg muscles with emphasis on the thighs and knee regions
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
Hi Gary I am a 46 year old male I have flat feet that i have orthotics made for me I run a average of 800 miles a year and only trouble I normally get is the odd calf strain I can do a 10km in around 44mins a 1/2 in 1.40 and a full in justover 4 hours I do about 4 marathons ayear. I have now got runners knee in the left knee and receiving physio with streching heat and electro pluse. I seem to manage a 5km run every second day and by the third run the inside leg just above knee seems to get tired and niggly. Any ideas what else to do? Is taping the way to go or is that masking the problem? I have been doing plenty of streching at home after run. Regards James
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
I have been following your training programme for the Auckland marathon. Things have gone really well until Sunday when I went out for my two hour run. I was about half way in when I had this tightness and ache in my right leg, the muscle just above the ankle towards my shin. I stopped and stretched a little and then tried running again. Unfortunately it didn't go away and since it always seems to be when you are furtherest from home, I ended up walking home.
At home I did the ice and elevation and rubbed on anti-flam. I already take the Balance Joint food for athletes powder and Balance sports multi plus vitamins. Is there anything else I can do to be ready for the marathon in two weeks?
Regards"
"D"
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Gary advises
The good news, "D", is you have done about as much training as you need and all you need do with two weeks to go is to concentrate on freshening up while not losing any of that hard-earned form.
The injury that you describe is most often mistaken as an Achilles Tendon injury or "Shin Splints" and the reason it is so hard to fix is because the therapist is busy treating the wrong problem.
The most likely cause is the Flexor HallucisLongus, Flexor Digitorum Longus muscle, or even the Tibialis Posterior muscle - most probably the Flexor Hallucis Longus. The muscle may be in spasm from sheer exhaustion caused by cranking out huge miles; especially if there is excessive pushing off of the big toe such as can occur if one has, say, a sore heel, a blister, a sore instep or just running up a steep or undulating slope. Or it may have something to do with the shoes.
Have a close look at the diagram to the left and see if you can pinpoint the pain as per the photo.
Here is my advice about what to do:
Stretch the ankles about once a day - only gentle. Do not do too much and do not be forceful. Do not worry about fancy flavour of the times exercises like eccentric calf contractions - waste of time for you. Your running is about 70% eccentric contractions.
Get a firm sports-type massage on the affected areas, as per the picture and the actual location of any pain and swelling where the muscle is bunched. But do not stop there do all the legs - do the lot; calf, thighs and backside and even the low back shoulders and arms. Repeat every 4-7 days - no more frequent than that.
You may have developed a tissue salts imbalance, including the magnesium, potassium and calcium salts. The easiest way to start the process of correcting this is to complete an Active Elements Assessment and take the tablets as per the instructions that come with the report; but you will need to get onto this quick. I will give additional advice once the assessment has been done.
Read this article here about mineral salts replacement when running a marathon.
Keep your running fitness and form by aquajogging. You could also do some power walking. If you have access to a gym, jump on a cross trainer.
Be guided by pain as you carefully resume running; but do not bother about any long or overly strenuous runs between now and the marathon. Your priority is to ensure that the shin pain is 100% gone by race day.
It may be advisable to avoid running up steep hills that have excess pressure pusing off the big toes.
Do not run out and back because Murphy's Law dictates that the injury will flare up at the furthest point away from home. It is better to resume running by running a circular course that can be easily terminated at any time.
On race day do not do anything other than easy stretches. You could start the day with a gentle massage of the legs.
Start the race conservatively and gradually wind up the pace over the first 10-15km.
I hope this helps and please let us know how you get on.
Your email address:
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
