Transcription:
Avoiding the Run-Around

Evo Terra (Host): A common and inexpensive way many of us stay healthy is by running. But like any form of exercise, we want it to actually be healthy, especially if we're returning to running after months or years. To help us prepare to hit the pavement, path or track once again, we'll chat with Karyn Dulaney, a Physical Therapist and Running Specialist at the Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland Divison. I'm Evo Terra. And I've Got a Bone to Fix With You. Welcome to the show, Karyn.

Karyn Dulaney, DPT (Guest): Hi, thanks so much for having me here.

Host: Okay. I ran on and off for years trying to stay healthy, but for me, the biggest stumbling block has always been simple, pain. As it turns out I'm a wimp and specifically I'm concerned about hip pain. So what's going on?

Karyn: Yeah, there can be a lot of things that contribute to hip pain. A lot of the times I would say it's from mechanics or form. One of the things I really teach people is to really work on posture with running. Standing nice and tall as you run and kind of leaning from the ankles instead of leaning from the hips. And a lot of times this will just help with the mechanics of the legs and allow you to lift them easier. It can help prevent problems such as overstriding or muscle imbalances. A lot of times we see that people are very heavy with use of their quads and the front of their legs. And they're not engaging the muscles in the back of the legs very well. So, a lot of times these imbalances in the muscles and the flexibility of the muscles can contribute to pain.

Host: So my third grade teacher was right. Posture matters. Even when we're doing things like running.

Karyn: Absolutely. Posture is really important for most things. You can come to therapy, you can strength train, and you can do all that stuff a couple of hours a week. But really our posture with, is with us 24/7. So, I think that's probably the most important thing to work on.

Host: Now what about uphill running, which I know can cause pains in my own calves and hamstrings. How can someone keep those issues to a minimum?

Karyn: Yeah. So when we were running uphill, part of it is that we kind of tend to lean into the hill push ourselves up it. And a lot of times, instead of kind of staying tall and leaning from the ankles, people really kind of bend from the waist and stick their bottoms out. And that kind of gives us that poor mechanics there.

So, one of the things you can do is keep nice tall posture. Don't really try over lean into that hill. Shorten your stride a little bit, avoid overstriding and see if that kind of helps get you up the hill a little bit easier, relying less on the back of the legs. There's also the chance that there could be some decreased strength in particularly if you're feeling it in the hamstrings.

We definitely use the calf muscles a lot when climbing hills and running uphills. But if you're feeling it a lot in your hamstrings, part of that could be maybe decreased strength or the gluteal muscles in the back of the hips not contributing as much to the mechanics of running as they should be.

Host: Great. Good information. Yeah. Don't try and jump over the hill. Just run up the hill, simple as that. And,

Karyn: Yeah. Stay relaxed. Absolutely.

Host: Now it's been a very toasty summer, well, you know, everywhere. And that's also putting a damper on those of us who like to go outside and run. Any tips to keep us from overheating as we hit the pavement?

Karyn: Yeah, I think the most important part is pre-planning. So, thinking about hydration throughout the day and not just when you go for your run. Proper hydration, drinking lots of water, avoiding other things such as caffeine, soda, alcohol; all that will help your body stay cooler for longer. Another thing to think about is what time of day are you planning on running?

So, I wake up ridiculously early in the summertime to be able to get my runs in before it gets really hot. So considering, you know, early mornings or later in the evening, can help with that. And then finally you can wear good clothing. So, avoiding a lot of cotton, avoiding dark colors and wearing light breathable, more synthetic materials.

You can also use a lightweight hat. They make a lot of runners' hats to just kind of put it over the head to protect the sun from beating down on the head. If you get hot in a run, you can splash some water on your face or consider splashing water on the back of your neck. Take rest breaks, walk a little bit, find some shade to cool off in.

And if this still doesn't cool you down, you can take some ice and kind of put it on your pulse points. I think like the back of your knees, your wrist, that sort of area to really help cool you down.

Host: Oh, that's a really good idea. Thanks, thanks for that one. The last time I ran competitively was a 5k race at least a decade ago. And by competitive, I mean, I was satisfied that I wasn't last, but I have several serious runner friends in my lifw. So, what tips do you have for those who want to improve the speed when they actually do compete?

Karyn: Yeah. So, I think the most important thing there is just consistency. So, if you have a strong base, kind of continuing with the mileage and having really, it sets you up for good running economy. And what this means is that over time you'll be able to run faster just by being efficient, consistent with your running. Another thing you can do is incorporate some short speed work. So, usually I like to think about adding in little fast intervals in through the middle of my running and it really doesn't have to be much. So you can start with just 15 to 30 seconds of faster running, followed by a minute or two of normal running.

And you can do this four to 10 times a workout a couple of times a week. So, you want to gradually introduce that you don't want to do too much speed work too quickly to avoid over-training or to avoid injuries. But once you do start to get faster, if you keep practicing that throughout the year, again, small amounts a couple of times a week here and there, it'll help keep you faster in the long run.

Host: Great advice. Great tips. Anything about running and pain and management and getting better that we didn't talk about that we should?

Karyn: Yeah. So I think the main thing to take home is thinking about mechanics. When we learn other sports, we learned the basics of technique and how to perform different sports, but with running, a lot of times we're just told to go run. So, thinking about your running form, thinking about that good posture, when you run is really essential to staying healthy.

I also think that a lot of times runners make the mistake of doing too much too quickly. So, kind of easing into anything that you're doing, whether it's new terrain, a new program, changing your form, you want to make little changes, small amounts and keep growing those over time. Finally, I would say that another thing to think about is within your training program, keeping your easy days easy and making your hard days hard.

We have the tendency to kind of push medium days and kind of work hard, but not like hard, hard. And so people think they're resting and they're probably not getting the adequate rest that they need from those really easy runs.

Host: Yeah. That definitely sums me up. I'll take the medium or the easy over the hard, every single time.

Karyn: Most of us do that.

Host: Karyn, thank you so much for answering all of our questions today.

Karyn: Yeah. You're welcome.

Host: Once again, that was Karyn Dulaney, a Physical Therapist and Running Specialist at the Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland Division. To find out more head on over to MDbonedocs.com. That's all for today. I have been your host Evo Terra. And that was A Bone That's Fixed.