RaceReady News

Question: I am a new runner. I am training for a marathon in June and on my long runs 10 miles or higher I am having trouble with my right heel. It feels like I have torn muscle but by the next day it is fine. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong? Summer

Hi Summer:
I am sorry but I have not experienced heel pain like you describe. I am thinking that perhaps you should visit a technical running store and get some shoe advice. Often times, foot problems can be caused by wearing the wrong type of running shoe for your particular running style. A good technical running store should be able to evaluate your running style and recommend the best shoe for you.

If this doesn't help you and the pain persists, I suggest you make an appointment with a good Sports Doctor.

I hope that your pain goes away and that you can continue with your marathon training in good health.
Mary

Posted by mary button at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Question: Hi Mary,

I'm currently training for a June marathon, and have recently been experiencing stomach and intestinal problems during and after long runs. I've tried reducing the amount of veggies the day before, and eating mostly carbs and non-spicy foods. I also eat a PB&J bagel and have a cup of coffee just before the run, and Gu every hour during the run. But I always have to make at least one "emergency" bathroom break during the run, and recently had severe stomach pains and nausea after a 13-miler. Please help!
Theresa R.

Answer: This is a tough one to figure out. What works for one person may not necessary work for another. I suggest that you continue to experiment, especially altering your pre-run breakfast. Many runners I know can not drink coffee in the morning prior to running because of stomache distress later during the run. I would suggest NOT drinking coffee and see if this solves the problem. Personally, I find a piece of toast or a dry bagel works for me. I would be hesitant to eat peanutbutter before running. Some of the sports drinks may work too. During a long run when I need to ingest some calories, my preference is the Just Plain GU and perhaps a handful of pretzels. The pretzels seem to calm my stomache. Again, make certain that you are getting enough water to drink. Sometimes stomache & intestinal problems are caused by dehydration.

I hope this helps!
Mary

Posted by mary button at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I don't know about you, but I get tired of reading the same stuff over and over again in running magazines. In defense of the popular magazines, there are always new people turned onto running and walking so the magazines have a constant reader data base as long as our sport continues to grow.

However, if you have been running & reading for awhile, you probably know several aspects about running that are repeated again & again in the popular running magazines. Some of the topics that are ofen repeated are: the proper way to stretch, the right shoes for you, ways to keep properly hydrated, ways to prevent injury, etc.

I have found a magazine that I really enjoy that goes beyond these basic running topics and it's appropriately called Marathon & Beyond.

This "magazine" is actually more in the format of a book. It's published bi-monthly and the average issue is approximately 200 pages. The articles are informative, well-written, original and definitely NOT of the cookie-cutter formula.

My favorite monthly article in M & B is "My Most Unforgettable Marathon and What I Learned From It." Some of the marathons described were the author's best race, while others were miserable experiences. However, there is the theme that no matter what the experience, there is always a lesson to be learned from a marathon.

It's an unusally cold & cloudy day here in Southern California so I think that I will finish up some work here and then go home and curl up with my latest issue of Marathon & Beyond. Read On!

Posted by mary button at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)