I found myself writing an in-depth email to the high school cross-country team I coach, and thought I would share it with you all.

 

Some of you are having various issues with things like shin splints, hip flexor muscle soreness, or ankle trouble.  A few notes so you have a plan of action:

RICE-A treatment
Rest (based on severity of symptoms can mean skipping hard runs to run easy, walking instead of running, or not running-walking at all) Ice the area each evening 2-3 x for 10 minutes or so with breaks in between Wrap the area with a compression sleeve or ace bandage Elevate the area at night Anti-inflammatory drugs like Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Aspirin OTC at recommended dosage

Do the recommended strength exercises especially for shin splints Keep me informed and take full rest if that is the requirement.

->Muscle soreness is OK, this is a diffuse ache that is not
particularly sharp in any spot.  Muscle breakdown is a normal result of training.  The goal in training is to break down then rebuild stronger faster better etc. :)

->A sharp pain within a muscle can indicate a small tear. This is less frequent but does happen, fortunately small muscle tears heal fairly quickly as they have good blood flow, they do require easy training or rest.

->A nagging ache in a joint is usually a sign of tendonitis.  This can be a result of a multitude of factors but ultimately requires the RICE treatment.  Tendonitis is common as a result of overtraining (training too much), increasing training too quickly (going from zero to 500), or personal muscle weakness/imbalances. That is why we do so much core/ hip/leg strength in our training program, I am working to help you all avoid tendonitis.

->A sharp and immediate pain is a sign of a tendon or ligament sprain or tear.  This requires full rest for at a couple days to several weeks from (running but could be anything) and the most common one in running is an ankle sprain.  That means tendon is 1) over-stretched but not torn, 2) slightly torn, or 3) fully torn.

There are other ailments like plantar fasciitis (read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis) , and iliotibial band syndrome.  Both of these are thick bands of fascia, which are tissue surrounding/supporting muscle, but not muscles themselves.  Treatment for plantar fasciitis is to strengthen the foot, ankle and calf muscles as well as possible as well as stretch very regularly. 

 

Treatment for IT band syndrome is to strengthen the gluteus medius muscle, roll the IT band with a foam roller, and stretch. You can read a short summary on that here: http://thesportfactory.com/site/trainingnews/itbandsyndrome.shtml

A few other things habits can help:

8+ hours of sleep will help you rest and recover properly.  Human growth hormone (HGH) which is hugely important for muscle repair and rebuilding is released primarily during sleep.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone

A snack / meal of 200-300 calories within 1 hour of a hard workout will help replenish your muscle glycogen stores.  This is called the glycogen window.  Without replenishing you will go into the next workout depleted, which results in your muscles not activating at full capacity, which causes some of the stress/load of training/impact/ resistance to transfer to your soft tissue (tendon/ligament), which increases your chances of injury.  I would post a link but didn't find a good one in 2 minutes.

Foam rolling the area, this is like myofascial/deep tissue release massage without paying $80 for an hour.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller.htm

 

 Above all, listen to your body and back off at signs of overuse or overtraining (persistent aches and pains). 

 

Marty Gaal, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon and USA Track and Field certified coach.

 

We offer three different types of swim clinics throughout the year:

Beginner Swim Clinics focus on breathing patterns, comfort, and the key freestyle techniques for swim training & improvement.  Beginner to Early Intermediate level.

Powerstroke Freestyle Technique clinics are in-depth classes on swim mechanics and methods for speed and power improvement.  Includes videotaping and feedback.  Early Intermediate to Advanced level.

Open Water Training clinics are conducted at lakes, oceans, and bays and cover all the tools, tips, and tricks you need to improve your ability and confidence in open water.  All levels.

Our upcoming clinic schedule:

September 18 - 8-11 Open Water Clinic at Wrightsville Beach

October 22  Powerstroke Technique Clinic 1100-530PM - Cary

Group training is on!   

The Usual Weekly schedule:

Monday 530pm: 2.5 mile easy run at Bond Park in Cary with strength stations and form drills

Tuesday 1130am: 40-50 minute bike ride - 15 minute transition run at various locations around Raleigh/Cary

Wednesday 7AM: 1 hour swim at Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary including technique feedback $10 drop in fee

Thursday 630am: 50 minute run with intervals at various locations around Raleigh/Cary

Weekends variable 9am: 60-90 minute ride - 15 minute T-run at various locations around Raleigh/Cary

Times are subject to change as the season progresses.   Additional group workouts may be added.  Locations and times for the next week will be sent on Sunday of each preceding week.

You can see our upcoming calendar on mytrainlocal.com.

Cost:

The standalone program costs $75 per month, and includes a team racing jersey, coach-led workouts, group email support, and a free basic workoutlog training account.

Current One Step Beyond coached athletes are encouraged to join any/all sessions at no additional charge. 

Drop-ins are welcome for $5 at all sessions; the Wednesday swim is $10.