Tag Archives: Health

A Look at Heart Rate Training

Leave a reply

After a scare on a run in January where it felt like my heart was in my throat the doctor encouraged me to start wearing a heart rate monitor and to keep my workouts under 60% of my Maximum Heart Rate.

Note: The doctors said my heart appeared to be very healthy and they assumed I had had a cold (weather) induced asthma attack.  The heart rate is more of a precautionary tool to monitor my pulse during workouts in case it happens again.  They prescribed an inhaler and wearing something to cover my mouth/nose to help warm up the air.

Remember the conversion?  220 minus your age equals maximum heart rate.  So my current max is 220 – 29 = 191.  60% of that is 114.  If you’ve followed my workouts you know that I’ve not been anywhere close to that.  That is super low. I used an online calculator to determine my training zones and came up with these zones:

  • Fat Burning: From 128 to 141 beats per minute
  • Aerobic: From 141 to 153 beats per minute
  • Steady State: From 153 to 166 beats per minute
  • Anaerobic: From 166 to 178 beats per minute
  • Maximal: From 178 to 191 beats per minute

There is some variation in terms and the number of training zones.  For example, Polar share three – light, moderate, and hard. So here is how the web calculator breaks it down:
Fat Burning (50 to 60%) In this range you are developing your basic endurance and aerobic capacity. This zone is great for burning fat compared to the effort you put in. Other zones will also burn up your fat but you will have to work harder to burn up the same amount.

Aerobic (60 to 70%) This zone is great for your cardiovascular system. This helps your muscles become stronger and more efficient and you develop your bodies ability to transport oxygen to (and carbon dioxide away from) your muscles. You should be spending the majority of your training time in this zone.

Steady State (70 to 80%) Think tempo run.  This is not an easy workout but not super hard or stressful.

Anaerobic (80 to 90%) Entering this zone is a sign that you have become serious about your sport. In this zone your body develops its ability to handle lactic acid. An anaerobic workout takes place when you are working so hard that your body cannot keep up with the production of fuel and oxygen and so you need to dip into your reserves. When you dip into your reserves you produce numerous waste products – principally lactic acid.

Maximal (over 90%) Develops maximum speed and should only be used for short bursts of activity.

I’ve started listening to a podcast produced by Jeff and Diane Kline of PRS Fit and they are huge proponents of heart rate training.  It seems like they would concur with my doctor and that I should spend a lot of time training at the Fat/Aerobic training zones.  They say it will feel really slow at first but over time my speed would come back and my splits would drop.   What do you think about that?

Enhanced by Zemanta

Massage

4 Replies

Most of my experiences with massage were the post race variety where a student (most likely) gives your legs a 5 minute rub down to help with recovery.  The first post-race massage I remember was after the Bears of the Blue River 5/10k.  Having just raced hard and placing in the overall standings I was quite tired.  My calves and lower back were in a fair amount of pain, so I lined up outside a white tent with a lone masseuse.

On this particular occasion she owned a local private massage therapy business and was donating her time to help sweaty runners recover.  Surely there has to be a less dirty form of marketing. Nevertheless, I got up from the chair feeling much better.  I thanked her and she gave me a business card and told me to call and schedule an appointment for a full body massage.  I laughed to myself knowing that I wouldn’t be driving an hour just for a massage.

Fast forward a few years and I’ve now had quite a few professional massages at a few different places. I always felt a little nervous about the idea of massages, the idea of taking all your clothes off and laying in such a vulnerable position was a little scary.  My YWCA offered massage so that seemed like a safe place to start! I haven’t regretted getting a massage since.  They actually helped me get through both marathon training cycles and help to make life a little more enjoyable.

Here are a few tips I’ve gleaned along the way…

Make sure you get a sports masseuse. There are a lot of different types of massage techniques, but for an athlete you want someone who knows sports massage techniques.  Just like a sports doctor, they will know a little bit more about sports related injuries and muscles plus the techniques to loosen them out.

Try a few places out. Don’t be afraid to try out a few different places before settling into one.  Unless of course you feel the first place is a perfect fit! They are providing a service and like any service provider you should feel comfortable and well taken care of. Each place does things a little differently and have different feels to them.

Each masseuse is different. My wife and I both started out at the YWCA, same building, different masseuses, and very different experiences.  Mine was excellent – he made me feel relaxed throughout the entire time I was there.  Her’s not so much.  He made her feel a little awkward and wanted to talk to her the whole time – not the most relaxing experience.  I went back to the same guy throughout my first marathon training cycle.  I let a few months go by and when I went to schedule my next massage he was gone, so I tried out the new lady.  She was fine, but not quite as good.  So I  moved on!  Again, they are providing a service to you and should make you feel comfortable.  Massages should be a relaxing experience!

If you are nervous go somewhere like the YMCA/YWCA.  If the idea of a massage make you feel a little nervous then get one from a place you already know and trust.  Some place like the YWCA or your chiropractor’s office.  You could also talk with your doctor or physical therapist and see who they recommend.

Hydrate.  As with everything in sport (and life) proper hydration is important.  You’ve got to be careful with this one, you don’t want a full bladder while laying on the table.  Holding it doesn’t create a relaxed body!  But after a massage they will have released a lot of toxins that your muscles were holding onto into your bloodstream.  Drinking lots of water will help flush them out.

Be prepared to TIP. I never tipped at the YWCA, maybe that’s why the guy left.  Every place else we’ve gone there has been a suggested TIP sheet next to the counter/cashier.  Plan on 15-20%.  Remember a TIP is based on the service provided.

This article from About.com answers a lot more questions about massages.

I’ll leave you with this story from my first real massage.  I was chatting with the YWCA Associate at the front desk when I checked in for my first massage (30 minutes).  We were chatting about how it was my first one and she’d never had one before.  After my massage, which felt amazing, I walked back out and she was still sitting there.  She noted that I looked super relaxed.  I felt almost like a new person I was so relaxed!

Go, get a massage.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Curing Plantar Fasciitis

42 Replies

After a year suffering through the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis I can say that there is only two certain ways to get rid of it.

1) Never walk on it, i.e. don’t leave your bed.

2) Cut off the ailing foot.

I looked through my running log and it was a year ago today that I first mentioned foot pain and took a day off. I have tried a lot of things in the past year, all to no avail.  I’ve done physical therapy and spent a lot of time at the doctor’s office listening in as the doctor and therapists share with the residents about Plantar Fasciitis.

I’ve broken this post into three segments – immediate actions, intermediate actions, and last ditch/extreme measures.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

1) Stop running.  Take a few days (weeks) off immediately to give your foot a chance to heal. I recommend swimming to keep the cardio strong.  Everyone says it is ok to bike, but I’d be really cautious.

2) Stop walking around barefoot.  Nothing is nicer than kicking off your shoes and letting the old dogs relax.  However, walking around barefoot can exacerbate Plantar Fasciitis.  I’d recommend some nice Crocs or slippers with about an inch of padding to protect your heel.

Plantar fasciitis
Image via Wikipedia

3) Take ibuprofen.  I’m not a doctor.  My doctor recommended taking 800mg (4 tablets) 3x’s a day with food for 2 weeks.  This will help take down the inflammation.  The consistency builds up the amount of medicine in the body which helps it work faster.

4) Check & Change Shoes.  All of them.  Even if they are brand new I would recommend buying new running shoes, maybe switching brands or styles.  Go to a running specialty store and have them analyze your running (after resting for a few days).  Then check all of your other shoes for wear.  If they show a little excessive wear – get rid of them.  I know its expensive but it is better to be healed or buy new shoes?

5) Roll out the foot.  I used a can of soup for a long time before buying a more advanced roller. In a fluid motion roll the jar under your foot from heel to the ball back and forth for a minute or so. Really dig into the heel. Do this two times a day.  One of the times you should soak the foot in warm water first.

6) Stretch the arch.  Place your foot on the opposite knee.  Taking the 5 toes bend them towards the same knee.  This will stretch the fascia. Hold for 30 seconds.

7) Ice. At the minimum put ice on the heel. The best option is to take a frozen dixie cup of ice and massage the affected area.  I just rub an ice cube into it until it melts.  Another option which combines step 5 and 7 is to roll out your foot with a frozen water bottle.

8) Night Splint. I’ve used both the Strassburg Sock (my review or Amazon) and the Dorsi-Wedge.  Obviously, neither worked.  I felt the Strassburg Sock was easier to wear.  My sports doc (who works at the University of MN) felt like the sock allowed too much room for “cheating”, etting the foot move around or not wearing it properly. Other night splints on Amazon.

9) Stretch. Obviously stretching the entire body is always an important part of the routine.  It is important to stretch out the calves, achilles, and hamstrings.  I’ve used both the foam roller and the stick to do this.

Optional:

10) Massage.  Especially the calves and foot. This actually feels really good, I should go get one again.

11) Hot Tub.  Sitting in the hot tub really can feel great and helps relax the muscles.  I need to do this again too!

Home

INTERMEDIATE ACTIONS

1) Physical Therapy. This encompasses a wide variety of tactics and exercises.  Most of mine focused on hip, core, and ankle strength.  It is important to have a strong core to help hold your body together and in proper alignment.  This Running Times article covers a lot of the hip work that I was doing.

Physical Therapy
Image by crossn81 via Flickr

2) Iontophoresis (wikipedia). Actually a part of physical therapy, but this takes a steroid like dexamethasone and electrically injects into the skin.  This works well for a lot of people, but loses effectiveness after 8 treatments.

Iontophoresis

3) Taping.  I had mixed success with taping my foot while running and walking around.   I used this method. The idea is that this helps reduce the load that your fascia is forced to carry.

4) Inserts/Orthodics. I’m not really sure where to put this. I’ve heard of people having success with it, but I haven’t with inserts.  Also, with orthodics you’ll become dependent on them.  It might “fix” the problem but not change the body issues creating the problem. Treating the symptoms, not the problem.

5) Active Release Technique. ART, as it is called, releases the fasciia and other “tight” areas the cause Plantar Fasciitis.  I’ve heard that it works well and the Ironman offers ART Certifications, but my sports doc wasn’t aware of this non-traditional treatment.  It is often offered by chiropractors.  More information can be found here. Locally, some of my friends recommend Dr. Folske.

Home

LAST RESORT/EXTREME MEASURES

I’m sure there are more than these 2 but I don’t know of them.

1) Cortisone shot. Or other steroid injection. This injects a steroid into the fascia which speeds healing.  This is not a long term fix and masks the pain – quite well I’ve heard.  It has at least 2 major drawbacks:  tearing the fascia and atrophying the fat pad in the heel.  My sports doc really doesn’t like to use this option.  She thinks the long-term risks often outweigh the short-term gains.

2) Surgery. Yuck, who wants to go under the knife.  Basically they cut the fascia and it heals itself and is stronger.  This is the ultimate last resort. My thought is that if I just put my foot in a cast for 6 weeks I’d probably get the same results.

Home

Have you had success with any other treatments?

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Product Review: Strassburg Sock

4 Replies

If  you’ve been around for awhile you know that I’ve been suffering from Plantar Faciitis for a while now.  I’ve tried a lot of different things, but one in particular is The Strassburg Sock aka The Sock.

The website describes how the sock works, when worn properly:

This easy to use, inexpensive device is designed to keep tension on the tissue (plantar fascia) so it heals in a stretched position at night. In this way many users find a reduction of their morning pain, some have noticed a reduced recovery time and yet others have reduced the need for medications.

When worn as prescribed, it does not allow the plantar fascia to contract while in the prone or supine position. The device holds the ankle and forefoot joints in a position of slight dorsiflexion that prevents a position of plantarflexion, that is the plantar fascia is not allowed to contract.

In addition the involuntary stretching of the plantar fascia over a long period of time helps to strengthen the foot’s arch.

Or more simply, the sock pulls the toes upwards during the night which if nothing else reduces the pain of the first step in the morning. It does promote healing, according to my MD, the sock and other night splints reduce the tearing of the fascia that comes from walking and promotes healing.

The sock is basically a tighter fitting knee sock that comes in 2 sizes based on your calf size.  There is a strap that goes from your toes to a “D” loop right under your knee that holds your toes in place.  It utilizes Velcro for both the toe strap and the strap below the knee.  One comment about the Velcro is that it can damage your sheets while sleeping at night.

The sock is intended to be worn overnight for 6-8 hours.  I found that it took a little getting used to before I could comfortably sleep the night away while wearing.  It is a little odd to have your foot in such a position.  The first few nights I would wear it for a few hours.  Because the strap makes a hypotenose from your toes to your knee the easiest position to sleep in is on your back.  I did find that you can sleep easily on your side and your stomach if you bend your knee.  It does seem like it’d be easier to sleep with this sock than a hard foot brace.

Their advertising is very clever, because while they claim to cure heel pain they don’t claim to cure 100% of Plantar Fasciitis.  They do claim that most people only wear it for 8 weeks and that within the first few weeks most of the pain should go away.  They don’t say whether their research subjects continued working out or what else they were doing.  I was wearing the sock back when I took 3 weeks off with 0 running miles and saw no reduction in pain.  Now with a prescription of Ibuprofen and physical therapy I am making progress.

I stopped wearing the sock for a few days and saw a significant increase in the pain I felt during the first few steps.  So the sock does help reduce the pain felt first thing in the morning.  It was amazing how much  more pain I was in by not wearing the sock.   So if nothing else your $40 will help with that part of the recovery.

Their website provides a fair amount of research and data that shows why their night splint is better than everyone else, but I’ll let you go read it and see for yourself.

[tags] Plantar Fasciitis, The Sock, Strassburg Sock, Heel Pain [/tags]

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Got IT Pain?

5 Replies

A tight IT Band is not a good sign.  It needs to be stretched out and loosened up or it could turn into the dreaded IT Band Syndrome.

I was told my a massuse last year that my IT Band was extremely tight.  So I started stretching it on a regular basis.  I did some research and found this excellent information sheet about the IT Band.  By a trained physical therapist it lists some of the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of the IT Band.

I think most of us are most concerned about not having problems with it and could care less about some of the anatomy that surrounds it.  She lists five keys to preventing ITBS – but they are actually almost identical steps to preventing any injury!

The list is:

– Changing running shoes every 300-400 miles and alternating between shoes with every run.  I’ve occasionally talked about my shoes and shoe preferences.

– Slowly increasing mileage (no more than 10% a week or on any run), including adding hill workouts gradually.  Downhills can add a lot of strain to the ITB.

– Avoid uneven surfaces.  More likely always running on the same side of a cambered or cantered surface like a road.  One leg can become predisposed to ITB because of the extra pressure placed on it.

– Keep the knees warm. Seems like if you are predisposed this might be helpful.  She said below 60 – but above 40 I’m wanting to wear shorts.

– Cool down and stretch after a run.  Ice if needed.

The article continues on and offers some stretches and strength training ideas specific to the ITB.  For now you’ll just have to go read up on it.

[tags] IT Band, ITBS, iliotibial band [/tags]

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]