Running on Tired Legs

“Folks on message boards are debating about the Tired Run workout programmed into the Coach Amy Garmin Coach routine. Specifically what is meant by ‘best effort on tired legs’...what are the risks and rewards...and what speeds and effort levels are optimal for injury avoidance?”

— K.S., a Coach Amy Garmin Coach runner.

Most long distance runners find that they “hit a wall” in their race. It is a point in the race when an athlete feels like they are running through concrete. That invisible obstacle IS surmountable with proper training. The Tired Run workout is one way that Coach Amy trains runners physically and mentally to break through “the wall.” Strategically scheduled the day after a long run, the Tired Run workout simulates the later stages of a long distance race. 

The Tired Run workout trains the body to efficiently harness energy during an endurance race. In the later stages of a race, the body begins to burn fat for energy. The better trained our body is for that process, the more efficient it will do so on race day. The day after a long run is an ideal time to teach the body to adapt because the body’s energy stores are depleted from the previous day’s long run. The purpose of practicing running with fatigue is not just physical; it gives us the mental confidence to break through “the wall” because we've successfully practiced it throughout the training cycle. 

The day after a long run, our legs are typically sore like after a hard strength workout. What is unique post long run, is that the legs are not only sore, but feel heavy. Additionally, the mind may be cranky and full of negative thoughts. Both heavy legs and crankiness are directly proportional to low energy stores. This is the perfect time for a run! 

Tips for the Tired Run: 

• Avoid looking at your watch! You may wear it for tracking stats, but don’t look at it during the run. This is not a pace driven workout. 

• Expect this effort to feel hard even though it is technically an “easy” run without pace goals. 

• Maintain normal running form. Take a short walk break if gait becomes atypical (e.g. shuffling) and resume when you can run normally.

• Follow the distance plan provided by your coach. It varies depending upon running experience, personal goals, period of training and injury history. 

• STOP if experiencing pain. The purpose of this run is not to learn how to run in pain. 

The Tired Run is not the only workout that trains the body to hurdle “the wall”. A training plan with varied workouts that includes intervals, supersets, tempo runs, hill repeats and long runs are key for maximum success. 

For more running tips on how to push through the wall and other hot topics, Subscribe to the RRKC blog!

Psst...Want to Know the Secrets to Sport Performance Enhancement?

One of the secrets to sport performance enhancement is reducing inflammation from the microtrauma of training in a non-pharmacological way. Recall from our article, The Magic of Rest Day in Training:

“The microtrauma created through training causes a low level of inflammation that is typically not seen or felt. There is no observable swelling, redness or pain.”

The faster an athlete heals from microtrauma, the less time they need in recovery. Less recovery time means more time for quality training, which in turn improves performance. For example, the athlete that recovers faster can tolerate adding more volume and intensity to the plan with less risk of injury. Non-pharmacological methods for treating inflammation have far fewer risks and side effects and can be used long term.

The field of physical therapy originally arose to rehabilitate polio survivors and injured soldiers after WWI. Over the years, it has evolved to include injury prevention, and in the past decade or so, it plays a role in sports through performance enhancement.

The same treatment methods PT’s use to treat injured and diseased persons are effective with healthy individuals, like athletes who live in a constant state of low-level inflammation. Coach Amy uses a combination of Neurological Dry Needling (NDN), Active Release Techniques (ART), and Applied Functional Science (AFS) to help non-injured athletes recover faster during training.

“I sought treatment with Coach Amy during the rigors of Ironman training. Her treatments allowed me to return quickly to a very functional level of mobility for training. It was great that competing in my upcoming races wasn’t jeopardized!”

— Anonymous 

Your first performance enhancement visit with Coach Amy includes a thorough evaluation of your training history, current goals, mobility, and stability as it relates to your sport. Typically treatment is started during this initial visit. PT for performance enhancement is not covered by insurance.

To book an appointment for performance enhancement: 

1. Choose NEW Patient Evaluation & Treatment-Self Pay

2. Athletes who would like an assessment of running form should choose Running Evaluation from the menu (otherwise stick with the first option)

3. For all subsequent performance-based treatments (after the initial evaluation), choose PT Treatment-Self Pay, or PT Treatment-Self Pay with Dry Needling

Stay tuned for our upcoming articles on just how NDN, ART, and AFS work to speed recovery and improve sports performance.

The Magic of Rest Day in Training

Athletes dread rest days. They believe they are missing out, falling behind their competition and losing strength and fitness. 

They are wrong.

Believe it or not, your rest day is the most important aspect of training. On training days, the body is challenged and worked, tested and pushed. On rest days, the body takes it to the next level. 

"Rest days are when the magic happens: the body makes biochemical changes at the cellular level. It adapts to the positive stress of training and improves to a better, adapted state. It recovers and reforms.” -Coach Amy

Microtrauma occurs in bone, skeletal muscles and tendons during training. This positive and normal part of training is necessary for the development of strength. It is similar to the formation of a callus on the foot of a ballerina or the hands of a rock climber. The musculoskeletal system changes and provides strength and protection just like a callus. The microtrauma causes a low level of inflammation that is typically not seen or felt. There is no observable swelling, redness or pain. 

Without adequate rest days, repetitive microtrauma is left unchecked and can result in poor performance and injury. Learn more about the positive and negative impacts of inflammation in our three-part series:

• Inflammation Part One: Aid and Control Early Inflammation

• Inflammation Part Two: How to Break the Vicious Cycle of Chronic Inflammation

• Inflammation Part Three: How Autoimmune and Chronic Disease Conditions Play a Role in the Inflammatory Process.

Rest can entail curling up on the couch with a good book, but usually rest for the athlete is relative and active in some way. Rest is dependent on the training cycle, the sport, and the athlete. 

• After a marathon race, the best form of relative rest is walking. 

• For the triathlete in the midst of high volume and high-intensity training, a rest day may be light, restorative yoga or taking the dog for a walk. 

• A runner who runs 5-6 days per week needs rest from high impact and load on the heart, so a low-intensity swim, spin, pilates or yoga is a great option for reformation day. 

A knowledgeable coach can help an athlete determine the best length, frequency, and type of rest.

Finding the delicate balance between load and rest is tricky business. A coach can help, but even with the best of training plans, managing the microtrauma and inflammation is challenging. Over the last few decades, athletes have relied on physical therapists to speed recovery from microtrauma with regular visits during training and tune-ups during the off-season. 

Stay tuned for our series on how Neurological Dry Needling (NDN), Active Release Techniques (ART) and/or Applied Functional Science (AFS) help speed recovery and enhance performance.

Inflammation Part Three: How Autoimmune and Chronic Disease Conditions Play a Role in the Inflammatory Process

Our two-part series on inflammation prompted a really good question from one of our subscribers: 

“How do autoimmune and other inflammatory conditions play into the inflammatory cycle?”

People with autoimmune disorders and chronic diseases like diabetes, arthritis, lupus, and celiac are in a varying but constant state of inflammation. Medication and lifestyle changes such as exercise, adequate sleep, good nutrition, and stress reduction can help regulate inflammation. Unfortunately, there is no cure for these diseases and no way to eliminate the inflammation associated with them. 

Injury, illness or stress, such as training for a marathon, can exponentially affect a person with chronic disease. It is like adding gasoline to a fire. Just as a bigger fire takes longer to control, chronically-inflamed patients typically require longer recovery and treatment times.

Physical therapy measures such as NDN, ART, and AFS can help calm inflammation associated with disease brought on by added stressors. Unfortunately, while PT can help, it cannot extinguish inflammation or cure disease.

While we can’t eradicate the disease or completely break the inflammatory cycle, we can decrease the pain and dysfunction it creates. We can take a raging fire down to controlled burning embers. 

Many of my patients and coaching clients with autoimmune disorders do amazing things like run businesses, raise families, and train for marathons. If you are struggling with autoimmune disease, let's get that inflammation under control.

To read more about inflammation, check out our two-part series:

• Inflammation Part One: Aid and Control Early Inflammation

• Inflammation Part Two: How to Break the Vicious Cycle of Chronic Inflammation

We love to hear from our community, and aspire to provide information on topics that are most important and interesting to you. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to address in our blog, please email us!

Join Coach Amy and Declare Your 2020 Winter Goals

For most of us the idea of more winter is overwhelming after the stress and pace of the holidays. It is tempting to cuddle up and go into hibernation mode (often curbing our healthy habits). Embracing these winter months and setting “winter goals” is key to achieving big annual successes. This initial 25% of the year can have a huge impact on reaching a new goal.

To achieve a new resolution, keep the focus narrow. Instead of setting multiple goals choose one or two that are the most important, and tend to those goals with a high priority. This may mean a couple of other daily tasks get less attention for a little while like dishes and laundry. Once you get some momentum going, then you can achieve a nice balance where you are working on your goals and completing other tasks. You may find that a healthier, stronger you is capable of getting more done in less time!

At CoachAmyPT we give you permission this year to make your health and fitness goals a priority. We’re here to hold you accountable in 2020.

Stop by our clinic this month and sign our wall of fame with your winter goals. Put it in writing, share your goals with our community, and we’ll help you reach them. We also want to cheer you on through social media. Keep us updated through Facebook and Instagram by including the hashtag #winter2020capt within your winter goal updates on our page.

Need some inspirations to set some goals?

• Make a conscience effort to improve posture

• Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night

• Improve mobility and/or strength

• Sign up and start training for your first 5k/ marathon/ triathlon

• Get some fresh air and increase your heart rate outdoors for 30 minutes aiming to reach 4 days/week by the end of February

Our health is among the many things we take most for granted. It’s also one of the dominant factors that drive our quality of life. Achieving a winter goal will give you the boost you need to commit to improving health and wellness the rest of the year.

First, identify a winter goal and share it with friends and family (ie. sign our wall of fame, share with us on Facebook). Second, develop a plan and a road map to help you get there. Step by step, one day at a time, we know you can do it!

Inflammation Part Two: How to Break the Vicious Cycle of Chronic Inflammation

In our article, Inflammation Part One: Aid and Control Early Inflammation, we discussed the benefits of early inflammation and the importance of controlling it. When inflammation of the musculoskeletal system is unchecked and persists longer than 2 weeks, a vicious cycle ensues. See photo above.

Inflammation causes pain which leads to inhibition and loss of function which leads to more injury, and that feeds right back into inflammation and pain. It becomes a never-ending loop. To break this cycle, Coach Amy uses a combination of neurological dry needling, Active Release Technique, and gentle mobility exercises.

It is not enough to simply stop the cycle. The cause of the problem is often unclear. Many overuse injuries are complex. Even acute ones, like a sprained ankle, can be the result of a dysfunctional gait or biomechanics. Coach Amy thoroughly evaluates patients to determine the root cause of the injury.

It’s a lot like putting together a puzzle that has pieces missing.

Coach Amy works one-on-one with patients throughout the entire rehabilitation process.

“I continually assess at each visit because, more often than not, each issue has many layers. For the best and quickest outcome, we must adapt the treatment approach as we go.”

— Coach Amy

Remember, as we discussed in Inflammation Part One: Aid and Control Early Inflammation, inflammation gets a bad rap: controlled inflammation actually benefits recovery. But untreated, inflammation can begin a nasty, never-ending loop of chronic pain. When possible, seek treatment for pain and injuries early to benefit from the positive impacts of inflammation without entering the chronic pain cycle.