Trying to be SMRT

..make that smart.

You can see how well it's going.

Heerrrrrp..

In the days after we got home from motorcycle touring, I got right back after it, piling on the running mileage like it was my job. I knew I was nearly out of time to get back to peak in order to have physiological adaptation time prior to the Dirty Girls 12-hour, and I had basically taken two weeks nearly off from running as I recovered from the Conquer the Canuck 50k and wandered through (and sometime up) the majestic Laurentian Mountains in Quebec.

8k on a local trail Monday, June 27th, just to test out a new pair of trail shoes and reacquaint myself with how beautiful my home is.

I can live without mountains if I have this.

Stepping it up, I ran up to the pool on Tuesday - 10.5km almost all uphill and into the wind. I had planned to get in another 13k run-commute to my mum's place on Wednesday, but that got shortened to 10.5km. Still not bad, considering it almost didn't happen at all.

The story of me flashing my fishy belly around Mississauga was already told.

Another 6.5k Thursday - just a boring road loop around our neighbourhood, but Tanker the Wonder Sherpa rode his bike along with me to keep me company, so it was a little more fun than it would have been otherwise. Friday was, of course, my day off - it happened to be a day off work for Canada Day, too, so we hiked some trail, walked up to the store to get ice for the cooler, then strolled down to Riverside Park to watch fireworks and back up the hill again. A total of just over 9km of walking, so definitely some time on feet there.

Saturday would be my last long (3+hr) run before I'd start to taper for Dirty Girls. I had Tanker drop me off at a park in Guelph and ran along the Speed River up to the GORBA trail system, where I spent a couple of hours chasing whatever trail looked interesting before running back down the way I'd come, and ending up at a friend's house where Tanker was enjoying said friend's birthday barbecue. After 3h15m and 26km, I was just in time for cake!

Which was truly just the icing after running through beauty like this.

Sunday presented the opportunity to get in a decent back-to-back, so I headed out with Tanker to a section of the Walter Bean Grand River Trail of which I'd only run a tiny portion previously, as part of the Heels & Wheels 5k course.

The Economical Insurance Trailway is stunning, and we got to see it right around sunset - my Wonder Sherpa hiking while I trotted along.

Near Kolb Park

In the woods by Bingemans

The hills presented a perfect challenge to further test the new trail shoes (which I really like, and intend to have as a 2nd pair to change into at Dirty Girls), and I seemingly couldn't go 5 minutes without seeing some wildlife: bunnies, a gopher, a deer and even a coyote. 15.2km later I had thoroughly enjoyed myself out there. I'd also clocked 76.8km for the week - my second highest mileage ever!

Back to work after the long weekend on Monday, July 4th, I didn't get out running until quite late as I had to spend a great deal of time procuring and setting up a new phone for Tanker (his took an unfortunate swan dive into a cooler full of water on Canada Day and could not be revived). It was 11pm by the time I'd cranked out a boring 11.8km through a local industrial park, chosen merely because it was reasonably flat and well-lit.

No fun at all.

I was starting to feel a bit fragile by this point, but pressed on through Tuesday - I finally got in an evening swim at our beloved local outdoor pool, but the adductor in my right leg that had been cranky and sore seriously objected to whip kicking during breast stroke. I still ran 10.4km home from the pool, but I had to do so rather cautiously so as not to aggravate the damnit-it's-not-an-injury.

While wearing the most obnoxiously loud running outfit ever.
Pretty sure Tanker wouldn't have given me a ride home even if I hadn't intended to run.

Things weren't feeling so hot by the time I got home, but "hot" is precisely what Wednesday was shaping up to be. Even as I packed up a bag of kit to take to the office with me so I could run to mum's after work, I suspected that I'd be better taking a day off to recover and avoid the additional stress that running during a heat warning would cause my already-damaged body.

Nope.

Come Wednesday morning it was clear even to an idiot like me - I could shorten the run or try to make some other lame adjustment, but I would benefit more from rest and recovery than any workout I could put in. All told, I'd clocked 98.95km in the 9 days since my return to running after our vacation - an average of 12.37km for each of the 8 days I ran, since I had only hiked and walked on Canada Day. Furthermore, since I'd had no more than 5hrs of sleep any night since Saturday, I figured the best thing I could possibly do was get my dumb arse to bed at a reasonable time.

So I did. Tanker (who wasn't feeling well on Wednesday anyway due to some rather nasty dehydration - that poor lad works far too hard and has no reprieve from the heat) and I went home after work, I made dinner, and we were in bed by 10:20pm. That's a full 3 hours earlier than any other day this week!

..zzzZZZZZZZzzzz..

It was magnificent. By Thursday morning I was ready to kick arse again, so plowed through a bunch of work at the office and then went out to see how my legs had responded to the day off. It was still incredibly hot out when I snapped out a 5.8k progression run, but my legs actually felt better afterward than they had when I stepped out the door!

WIN!

I treated them to a bit of hydrotherapy afterward in the form of an 1,100m swim and then a nice stretch in the swirlpool, and today I'm feeling pretty good. It's my day off from training again, so I'll get some further rest and recovery before heading out to the woods tomorrow for my last real distance (hopefully around 2hrs of run/hike) before going into full-blown taper mode to try to arrive at the start line of the 12-hour in some sort of healthy state.

You never know - it could happen!

Uptight

I sit all day at work in my office, and continue to sit through my 2+hrs daily of commuting. I don't spend much time on my butt at home (because I'm out training, or standing while I'm cooking, or out running errands or something), but I am nonetheless seated for several hours most days of the week.

I'm like the poster girl for tight hamstrings. If your life is anything like mine - more chair time than active time for most of the week - you probably are, too.

Well, not necessarily poster girl. I'm not here to prognosticate about your gender or preferred appellations. Nonetheless, I'm willing to bet you've got some tension in those hammies.

I know I've been posting a lot lately about mobility exercises and stretching, and I'll ask you to bear with me while I show you one more thing that really got my attention the first time I tried it. I'd always done the traditional hamstring stretch, which involves putting your foot up on something and then reaching toward your toes.

I'm actually flexible enough to wrap a hand around my foot, but crayon art is not a precise science.

It's a good stretch, and one I advocate doing in the correct circumstances. Being able to bend down and touch your toes (which is another way to accomplish the same stretch, if you don't have anything to put your foot up on or aren't strong or flexible enough to do so) is a good thing, but it doesn't do the whole job when it comes to hamstring mobility.

Something about my personal biomechanics results in tightness near the top of my hamstrings, where they attach to the tendons just below my butt. As a runner and cyclist, I also tend to put the greatest load on my hamstrings with my knees bent rather than straight, which results in some tension that isn't alleviated through the standard stretch shown above.

Some while ago - maybe a year or two, for all I know - I read an article online (which I would totally reference here if I could remember where I found it) that was entitled something like "the best hamstring stretch you're not doing". As a curious human interested in keeping my body moving as well as possible, I took a look and discovered it was right: I wasn't doing it, and the stretch is freakin' awesome. It hit the problem areas in my hamstrings perfectly, and was something I could easily do during my post-swim hot tub stretching sessions.

So, my dear friends, I give to you: The Best Hamstring Stretch You (probably) Aren't Doing.

Step 1: Put one foot up on a stair or a chair - something that forms a right-angle.

Step 2: Push your foot forward so your toes are against the upright portion of the right angle, with your ankle in a neutral dorsiflexed position.

Step 3: Lean forward, keeping your spine and neck in a neutral position. Don't round your back as this will put stress on it.

Step 4: Feel the stretch in your upper hamstrings and glutes. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds but do not bounce.

Step 5: Stand straight up again and have a go with the other leg.

Having trouble picturing all this? Here's a slightly-more-detailed-than-usual image to help you out.

Simple as that.

If you can't find something to put your foot up on to do this, you can generally achieve the same thing by bending one knee from a standing position and putting the opposite foot out in front of your with your heel dug into the ground and your toes in the air (dorsiflex your foot by pulling your toes back toward your shin). You can also put the ball of your foot up against a wall to brace it. Lean forward, keeping your spine neutral, and put your hands on the thigh of the bent leg you're standing on. It's more of a challenge to keep your back from rounding this way and I don't feel I get as good of a stretch since I'm not using as much range of motion in my hip, but beggars can't be choosers if there's really nothing around.

If you don't suffer from the same hamstring tightness I do, this may not have much effect. I'm not a doctor, don't play one on television, and have no clue about your personal physiology or limitations. If it feels really painful, DON'T DO IT. Void where prohibited by law - no cash value - your mileage may vary.

But worth a shot just to see if it helps, no?

Oh, and just on the off chance you think I might be mis-representing Lane Swim K in crayon form:

Truth is stranger than fiction, folks.

Warm sense of well-being

In a recent Seems Like Science post about dynamic exercises to do after a run, I mentioned that I very seldom do any static stretching. You know, the kind where you strike a fairly awkward pose and hold it while one or more of your muscles whines in protest.

Hamstrings: "WHAT THE HELL, K?"

In general, I prefer to use dynamic movements to warm up for and cool down from workouts. Static stretching prior to exercise has been shown to have negative effects on performance without any evidence of injury prevention, and stretching after exercise has not shown any mitigating effect on DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), possibly even having a negative effect on blood flow.

For a few years now, many people (including myself) have been intrigued by the possible positive effects of cryotherapy after exercise in the form of ice baths. They were supposed to help flush out metabolic waste, reduce muscle inflammation and breakdown, and generally make your body much happier about whatever ridiculous training session you'd just put it through.

There's a problem, though.

They're really damned unpleasant.

DO NOT WANT
(This was after my very first ultra)

I really hate being cold, and lowering myself into a freezing cold tub of water is just about the last thing I ever want to do. I tried them a couple of times back in 2010, but have never gone to the trouble since. I have partaken of a bit of natural cryotherapy since, but even that only happens under extenuating circumstances.

Running 50 kilometers makes you do weird things.

Recently, however, the effectiveness of cold therapy has been called seriously into question. What's been suggested instead is using a hot bath or sauna after a workout, which totally vindicates a practice I've always felt was beneficial but for which I had no scientific backing. It just felt good.

I try to swim 4 days per week, and not just because my swim times in triathlons are flippin' abominable - I find it's the best form of active recovery when I've been beating my legs up badly through run and bike training. The hydrostatic pressure of the water; the gentle, zero-impact load on my sore leg muscles; the elevated blood flow to remove metabolic wastes from my tissues; they all come together to help patch me up and let me get through another day. I generally try to swim as my last training session of the day, and if there's one available (and I have time after I've got whatever arbitrary yardage in I deemed necessary in the pool) I will always hit the hot tub for a few minutes afterward.

Ahhh..

This is the one and only time when I will do some static stretching to try to work on range of motion (which tends to be severely hampered by distance running). My muscles are already nicely warmed up from my swim, and the heat and gentle buffeting of the jet-swirled water seems to keep the blood flowing nicely. I'll take 5-10mins to stretch all the major players: my shoulders (in various ways because my shoulder flexibility is really poor, which doesn't help my swimming at all), hamstrings, calves, quads, piriformis and groin muscles all get a bit of attention, with special emphasis given to any part of me that may be particularly damaged.

Everyone's a damn comedian.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend jumping directly into a hot tub after a long run due to the possibility of heat exhaustion from an already-elevated core temperature and accumulated dehydration, but since I do a cool down in the pool and keep a bike bottle full of water on deck with me (then bring it along to the tub to drink while I stretch), I feel like I'm mitigating the risk factors. Well, and since I'm at a public pool there's generally a lifeguard available to fish me out if I start to sink..

While the experts had been touting the benefits of vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) through cold therapy to essentially squeeze the blood out of your sore muscles and slow metabolism to prevent inflammation, there's increasing evidence that the best way to build fitness is actually to let the body recover at its own pace because ice baths blunt the muscle growth signals that lead to adaptation. The only way to make a muscle stronger is to damage it and let it rebuild to withstand the increased demand, and I can't think of a better way to encourage that than to promote blood flow to the damaged muscles. If it happens to feel great, too, then why wouldn't you at least give it a try to see if it works for you? I won't even make you stretch if you don't want to - just let the warm, bubbly water wash away your soreness.

It sure beats shivering.

Unwinding

In last week's post I talked about loosening up and getting your muscles moving before heading out on a run (while paraphrasing Stripes). After the run is done, though, it's a pretty keen idea to make sure things aren't going to just seize right back up again.

I'm not a big fan of static stretching, and seldom do any. Instead, I take a few minutes after each run to walk and do some dynamic stretches that target the specific muscles and joints associated with running. This way my heart rate comes down gradually and I can help identify any issues that my latest foray on two feet may have spawned.

High Knees

Nothing earth shattering here - just get those knees up above waist level with each step. Done quickly, this also makes a good warmup or drill, but since we're in cool down mode I just do it as an exaggerated walk. You may well feel this one in your hamstrings and butt, and it does provide some work for your core. I do anywhere from 20-30 of these, depending on how many it takes to feel like things are loosened up.

Like you're going to skip-to-my-lou, only don't.
Or do. It's fun. Go on, give it a try.

Butt Kicks 

Another pretty self-explanatory one that makes a good warmup or drill when done with a bit of gusto. When done at walking pace with some attention paid to pushing your knee back while pulling your heel up, it'll help stretch out your quads and psoas (hip flexors). Do 20-30 of these, too.

Backward Walk

This one is all about your calves, which do a huge amount of work while running. Turn around and walk backwards (as the name implies), stepping back with a bent knee and driving your heel down toward the earth. It works best if you can find a bit of a slope to walk down, but you can make it effective even on flat ground by bending your back knee to deepen the stretch. It will be less efficacious uphill. I do a lot of these because my calves are chronically tight: at least 60 steps, usually more like 80.

It only takes a minute, and I live on a street that slants down toward my house.
The downside is that every run starts uphill.

Grapevine / Carioca

Another running drill that works great as a stretch when slowed down. Facing perpendicular to your direction of travel (in the example it will be toward your left), keeping your hips and shoulders from turning and with a bend in your knees, step your right foot across your body in front of you, then step out with your left foot to un-cross your legs. Now step your right foot across your body to the rear, and step out with your left foot again to un-cross your legs. That's one rep, and I usually do a dozen or so in each direction.

The fast version looks like this: click for video.

If you've been running on uneven surfaces or otherwise challenging your lateral stabilizing muscles, you'll really feel this in your hips, glutes and illiotibial band if you get a good cross over and squat into it a bit. Making sure your heels ground with each step provides a bit more calf stretching, too.

I heard it from some giant raisin in sunglasses.

Reverse Kick

By now you should be pretty well cooled down from your run with your heart rate no higher than a brisk walk, so before you get chilled we'll use som big muscle groups for one last stretch. Stepping forward on a slightly bent knee, raise the non-load-bearing leg behind you keeping it as straight as possible while dorsiflexing your foot (pull your toes toward your shin). Bring it up as high as you can without falling forward, flexing your abdominal muscles to provide stability and protect your lower back. Your gluteus maximus may complain about this a bit, but you'll get a decent stretch through your hamstrings and hip flexors. I do about 16-20 steps like this, which is coincidentally about the distance from the bottom of my driveway to my front door. 

Then it's off to stuff my face!

Once again I'll say that I can't make any guarantees about this routine being appropriate for your specific physiology or having any specific benefits when it comes to performance, health or injury prevention. I'm not a doctor, and I've never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in my life, but for the few minutes it takes me at the end of each run I always feel better the next day for having done this little series of movements. 

Why not give it a try and see if you feel the same?

Loosen up, Francis

As I whinged about to no end in my last post, it is winter. That means cold air, multiple layers, and challenging running terrain. Because large numbers of my neighbours have no respect or consideration for those of us who don't spend time outside their home that isn't in a car, the sidewalks in my area are an ankle-rolling mess of lumpy snow and ice. Better yet, there's a stretch of a few hundred metres that I run almost daily that has a park and schoolyard on the typically-windward side, allowing snow to blow in to the sidewalk such that it's ankle deep within an hour after the city plow clearing it.

Not that our street gets plowed at all.

With all this underfoot and precious little clear ground to be seen, you simply never know what your next step is going to be like until your bodyweight starts to hit your leading leg...by which time it's generally too late to avoid something awkward.

In an attempt to come out the other side of all this without damaging myself, I try to warm up before I run so I'm not putting too much stress on completely cold joints when I head out the door. It only takes a few minutes, but could seriously save you some grief. I do a few dynamic motions that help get things moving fluidly and start to build a bit of warmth in my core, which helps with those first few chilly minutes on deep winter runs. I don't believe this routine is necessarily optimized for everyone, but it works for me and would be a decent starting point to develop your own pre-run warmup.

Because it's easiest, I do these in my kitchen (which is right inside my front door) before I leave for a run, even if I'm driving to a trailhead. It's better to warm up 20mins before the run than not at all.

Ankle Circles

I sit down to put on my running socks and shoes (and gaiters, which have been a disturbingly frequent necessity even on road runs lately), then stick a leg out in front of me and draw circles in the air with the ball of my foot by rotating my ankle. I do 8 of these in each direction, with each foot. This helps prepare my ankles for snow to shift and my toes or heels to skid sideways on me.

Ankle Tilt

Still sitting with my leg stuck out in front of me, I rock my foot back and forth like I'm trying to touch the sole of my foot to the inside, then the outside of my leg. I do this 8 times (16 total motions) with each foot, helping prepare my ankles for stepping on lumpy snow and rolling a bit under load.

Toe Taps

Yep, still seated with my leg out. I point my toe (plantar flexion) and then try to pull it up toward my shin (dorsiflexion) 16 times per foot. My calves get a bit of a warmup here while I mobilize the achilles tendon and soleus.

Saggital Leg Swing

Ok, time to leave the comfy chair. I stand on one foot with both legs straight, swinging the non-load-bearing leg forward to about hip height (or whatever you can manage) and then back behind me as far as I can go without leaning forward. I'd suggest hanging onto a chair or countertop while you do this, like you're at a ballet barre. This will engage your psoas (hip flexors) and glutes and give a mild hamstring stretch while mobilizing your hips in almost the exact motion you'll use while running. As a bonus, the use of large muscle groups will get your blood flowing and build some warmth. I do 16 of these with each leg, each rep consisting of a forward and back swing.

Lateral Leg Swing

Still hanging onto something for balance and standing on one leg, I swing the non-load-bearing leg out sideways and bring it back across the centre line of my body. This engages the smaller gluteal muscles that will help stabilize you as you run on uneven surfaces and also does a marvellous job of increasing blood flow. I do 12 of these per side.

Hip Circles

This one really works the smaller gluteal muscles and helps mobilize your hips. Still standing on one leg and hanging onto something for balance, bend your non-weight-bearing leg and draw a big circle in the air with your knee. 8 circles per leg both forward and backward should have you feeling it in the outside of your butt.

Knee Wall Touch

Does it seem like a lot of these are done on one leg? Well, so is running! Stand on one foot facing the chair, counter, or whatever you've been hanging onto for balance and bend your non-weight-bearing leg a bit. This time it's the load-bearing leg that will be working, as you bend at the knee to sink into a 1-legged squat position. As you do so, push your working leg's knee forward to try to touch the wall in front of you while keeping your heel on the ground. This simulates your landing with each step, mobilizing your ankles and calves while warming up your gluteus maximus and quads. I do 10 of these per leg.

I can't guarantee that these exercises will keep you injury free, but at least you'll stand a better chance of being able to roll with the punches that winter doles out than just stepping out the door completely cold.

If you have a great exercise you do to warm up before a run, let me know in the comments!