What amazing weather we are having!!! The problem with great weather is that us runners take to the roads and we really don't want to come home! If the sun is out, you have enough fluids with you, and you don't have to pick the kids up from school....its very difficult to drag yourself home.
That being said, I have seen a few individuals in the last few days with calf pain, quad pain and tight hamstrings. One obvious cause of these cramps can be hyponatremia - or low blood sodium. When we work out in warm weather continuously and then only hydrate with water, we dilute the amount of sodium in the blood. This can result in cramping and in more severe cases, dizziness and disorientation. The obvious solution is to hydrate with an electrolyte solution and to make sure that nutritionally, you are eating a diet that is appropriate for your current training phase.
Now, aside from all that - what to do for those poor individuals who have become over zealous with their outdoor pursuits in the middle of road race season - and who want a fast recovery before Saturday. I keep saying the best cure is ....prevention. Train hard, but train clever. Now I'll climb down off my high horse and tell you how I actually helped them. I offered plenty of advice on nutrition and hydration and then did a nice long slow wave stretch to help to relieve the ache in the muscles by relaxing the tissue and releasing the fascia.
I had a client this evening who complained of a 'dead sensation' in his hip. I went through the usual mobilisation followed by some stretching and when he stood up after the session, it took him a couple of moments to realise that the 'numb sensation' and dull ache was completely gone.
This therapy has astounded me from the day I started my training. I keep saying to people that while it may not have your forehead on the floor in one session, it certainly makes you feel like you could get it there eventually...! Fascial stretch therapy is not a gimmick. Feel your cramping, sore, tight calves go from feeling like cavity blocks to fluffy marshmallows in a matter of minutes. The first person who responds to this thread with a comment gets 50% off a 1 hr session in Cork. Enjoy the sun folks......and remember 'Always wear sunblock' :)
Friday 25 May 2012
Saturday 12 May 2012
KILDARE MARATHON - QUICK FIXES
Oh I love this time of year, not just because the sun is shining (occasionally), but because marathon season is gathering speed.....you must excuse the pun....there will be many more. So as training regimes escalate from speed work and hill work to getting out on those long race pace runs, so too does my waiting list. I have, by far, more long distance runners on my books than I do martial artists, boxers and gym bunnies all put together - but let's face it, that's not surprising.
So, as the Kildare Marathon takes off tomorrow (there's another one), I have had lots of requests for last minute stretches. Most requests feature ..."a quick 5 minute ITB stretch please".....or a modest...."2 mins on the hamstrings..."
Now, if all I did was stretch a hamstring, I would be out of a job. What I must keep reminding people is that they must stretch through the whole limb. You know it's a good stretch if you feel right up in the gluts, at the backs of your knees, all the way down to the sole of your foot. This means that you are not only stretching the belly of the muscle, but also the fascia throughout the length of the limb.
In terms of ITB tightness or syndrome - which can ofter cause major knee pain and indeed hip pain in runners, it's not so much the IT band we are trying to target as much as all the tissue surrounding it. So once again, lateral stretches that target everything from the side of your waist all the way down to the outside of your foot will offer relief to those suffering from ITB tightness. An excellent stretch is to put your heel up on a low step (bottom step of stairs), allow the toe to fall outwards externally rotating the femur and then slowly bend at the waist as you would for a hamstring stretch. To deepen that stretch, rotate the torso towards the leg you are stretching. It's deep!
So folks, remember, prevention is actually better than cure. Frequent maintenance can minimise these common injuries. As a runner, I'm guilty of it myself....I mind my runners, I keep my water and juice bottles clean, I make sure my running gear is clean.....and the machine always come last! YOU MUST KEEP THE ENGINE WELL OILED OR ELSE IT WON'T RUN!
With that said, all bookings made before May 20th are now 10% off. Get yourself good service! ;)
So, as the Kildare Marathon takes off tomorrow (there's another one), I have had lots of requests for last minute stretches. Most requests feature ..."a quick 5 minute ITB stretch please".....or a modest...."2 mins on the hamstrings..."
Now, if all I did was stretch a hamstring, I would be out of a job. What I must keep reminding people is that they must stretch through the whole limb. You know it's a good stretch if you feel right up in the gluts, at the backs of your knees, all the way down to the sole of your foot. This means that you are not only stretching the belly of the muscle, but also the fascia throughout the length of the limb.
In terms of ITB tightness or syndrome - which can ofter cause major knee pain and indeed hip pain in runners, it's not so much the IT band we are trying to target as much as all the tissue surrounding it. So once again, lateral stretches that target everything from the side of your waist all the way down to the outside of your foot will offer relief to those suffering from ITB tightness. An excellent stretch is to put your heel up on a low step (bottom step of stairs), allow the toe to fall outwards externally rotating the femur and then slowly bend at the waist as you would for a hamstring stretch. To deepen that stretch, rotate the torso towards the leg you are stretching. It's deep!
So folks, remember, prevention is actually better than cure. Frequent maintenance can minimise these common injuries. As a runner, I'm guilty of it myself....I mind my runners, I keep my water and juice bottles clean, I make sure my running gear is clean.....and the machine always come last! YOU MUST KEEP THE ENGINE WELL OILED OR ELSE IT WON'T RUN!
With that said, all bookings made before May 20th are now 10% off. Get yourself good service! ;)
Thursday 10 May 2012
STRANGE UNDERPANTS!!!
Hello All,
I'm sure you're wondering about the odd title. Please let me explain (in a very long winded way).
At a recent course for Athletics, as part of a warm up for shot put, a group of about 25 of us were playing a short game of tag. As you know, this involves lots of running, bending, twisting, reaching and finally, grabbing.As I reached for one players 'tag', he changed direction and I grabbed at whatever I could get a grip on - unfortunately for him, this happened to be the waistband of his jocks. This was also an unfortunate error on my part, as I ended up snapping a bone in my finger and causing a little bit of damage to the tendon. Thankfully, I hadn't ruptured the tendon - an injury referred to as a 'Jersey finger'.
Why, I hear you ask, is this relevant to a blog on fascial stretch therapy? Well, as I have been unable to treat any clients in the last 2 weeks, I have started devising ways to treat my own stuck joints and fascia. Having had a 'baby cast' change in the last few days, I realise that my hand has become very stiff and I can't straighten some of my fingers. I also noticed that my left arm is not extending fully as I have been guarding my injured hand and keeping my elbow bent. So, this morning, I went through a full body stretching sequence starting from the ground and focusing on trying to feel a stretch from the soles of my feet to the tips of my fingers. I worked at staying as relaxed as possible and I carried out all my slow stretches in time to my breath - I no longer 'count down' my stretches. I am amazed at what the results are. I have full range of motion back into my creaky elbow and my shoulder, which had started to ache has really loosened out and relaxed. My physio is due to start next week - at which point, I hope I will be told that there isn't much work to be done. Remember to allow a period of recovery before stretching after injury - this period will be determined by your caregiver. But once you do start to stretch, you will be amazed at how it will aid recovery. Work with the whole limb as opposed to focusing on individual muscle groups and stay relaxed. And most of all - to stay injury free, Don't go putting your hands into strange men's underpants!
I'm sure you're wondering about the odd title. Please let me explain (in a very long winded way).
At a recent course for Athletics, as part of a warm up for shot put, a group of about 25 of us were playing a short game of tag. As you know, this involves lots of running, bending, twisting, reaching and finally, grabbing.As I reached for one players 'tag', he changed direction and I grabbed at whatever I could get a grip on - unfortunately for him, this happened to be the waistband of his jocks. This was also an unfortunate error on my part, as I ended up snapping a bone in my finger and causing a little bit of damage to the tendon. Thankfully, I hadn't ruptured the tendon - an injury referred to as a 'Jersey finger'.
Why, I hear you ask, is this relevant to a blog on fascial stretch therapy? Well, as I have been unable to treat any clients in the last 2 weeks, I have started devising ways to treat my own stuck joints and fascia. Having had a 'baby cast' change in the last few days, I realise that my hand has become very stiff and I can't straighten some of my fingers. I also noticed that my left arm is not extending fully as I have been guarding my injured hand and keeping my elbow bent. So, this morning, I went through a full body stretching sequence starting from the ground and focusing on trying to feel a stretch from the soles of my feet to the tips of my fingers. I worked at staying as relaxed as possible and I carried out all my slow stretches in time to my breath - I no longer 'count down' my stretches. I am amazed at what the results are. I have full range of motion back into my creaky elbow and my shoulder, which had started to ache has really loosened out and relaxed. My physio is due to start next week - at which point, I hope I will be told that there isn't much work to be done. Remember to allow a period of recovery before stretching after injury - this period will be determined by your caregiver. But once you do start to stretch, you will be amazed at how it will aid recovery. Work with the whole limb as opposed to focusing on individual muscle groups and stay relaxed. And most of all - to stay injury free, Don't go putting your hands into strange men's underpants!
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