RRKC Saturday Group Runs Go Virtual Until Further Notice

Government officials advise against group gatherings of 10+ people for at least 15 days. That’s our group peeps! RRKC Saturday Group Runs are on hold until further notice.

But all is not lost! We don’t have to sacrifice accountability and motivation. We don’t have to stay in bed, worry about life, and sink into depression because our races are cancelled. Nope. Instead, stay in shape and run virtually with your RRKC group. Grab your favorite hydration pack or hand held water bottle, and head out on Saturday morning for your planned long run distance.

Here is how to play:

1. Text Coach Amy when you start your run AND when you finish.

2. Post a selfie to our RRKC Facebook page and your personal page with #solidaritywithCoachAmyPT

3. Post a selfie to Instagram and tag @roadrunnersofkansas with #solidaritywithCoachAmyPT

4. For extra fun, pose with something unique or interesting from your surroundings!

In the meantime, all monthly subscriptions for RRKC will be suspended. Those who paid individually for the month of March will get a FREE month once we are clear to meet up again.

Stay positive, stay well, and keep running!

How to Keep Training Amongst COVID-19 and Race Cancellations

Regular physical activity, along with a healthy lifestyle and practicing preventative measures, is one of the best defenses against viral illness, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. Coach Amy encourages athletes who are healthy to remain active and continue training with a few considerations:

1. While we are being advised to practice social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic, avoid crowded gyms and group classes with shared equipment and/or work outs occurring within 3 feet of other participants. If equipment is shared, make sure it is wiped down between each user with a 70% alcohol solution.

2. Rest after long runs and intense efforts. Long-distance running (one hour or more) and running at race effort can temporarily weaken the immune system for up to 72 hours. If your plan calls for intense and long efforts, recover fully with rest and hydration. Take extreme caution with regard to exposure to others during the time you are vulnerable.

3. Consult your coach and adjust your training plan if needed. Many national group races have been canceled or postponed, including the St. Louis and Boston Marathons and Ironman Puerto Rico. You may need help managing your training plan to ensure you still achieve your peak performance.

4. Take precautions if you attend an organized group run. Check out Coach Amy’s post on Tips for Staying Healthy at Group Runs.

“Many components of the immune system exhibit adverse change after marathon-type exertion...including the mucosal tissue and lung...Of all immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils and macrophages...exhibit the greatest changes in response to marathon competition, both in terms of numbers and function. [During this time] viruses and bacteria may gain a foothold, increasing the risk of infection. ”

— Sports Med. 2007;37(4-5):412-5.

As always, exercise regularly and opt for fresh air. It benefits your physical wellness as well as your mental health not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but also during any flu season and all year long!

Tips for Staying Healthy at RRKC Group Runs

RRKC group runs are small in number so we believe it is still safe to run together as long as all participants AND their family members are healthy. If you have sick family members at home, please do not attend RRKC events. This will help minimize exposure of your fellow runners but also their family members who may by high risk.

We are making every effort to minimize your exposure to illness at RRKC group runs. Here are some tips from Coach Amy.

1. Consider bringing and wearing your own hydration. RRKC will still have aid stations every two miles as long as volunteers AND their family members are healthy.

2. Run with a baggie of hand sanitizer wipes or carry a travel size hand sanitizer to wash the handle of the spigot and your hands at the aid station. We are attempting to stock cleaner at each aid station but these are in short supply so we cannot guarantee it.

3. Consider decreasing your run distance. Runs over 14 miles can suppress your immune system for a short period of time.

4. If you do run longer than 14 miles, rest, hydrate and stay home for a few days afterwards until you can recover fully. Consult your coach for changes in your training plan if you cannot run your planned distance.

Despite our best efforts, there is still a risk of exposure to illness. Please use common sense when making your decision to run with us. Stay tuned to our website for the status of group runs. You can find the most current information on the announcement bar at the top of each website page.

Pain or Injury Doesn’t Mean You Have to Quit

Nothing is more frustrating than becoming injured during training. Even with a sound training plan, injury can occur in all shapes and sizes. With early intervention, physical therapy can keep athletes going with minimal to no disruption in training. In chronic cases, modification or a break from training may be necessary, but physical therapy can help return runners back to sport earlier and healthier. 

When injury occurs, it doesn’t always mean you have to give up the sport or hobby you love. Weekly testimonials from my patients prove that by listening to our bodies, seeking treatment, and putting in the work, we can go on to accomplish our goals.

“Recently, I twisted my ankle on some ice and snow, and I had a race that weekend I didn’t want to miss. Dry needling, ART and physical therapy had me running my 10k two days later without any discomfort. ”

— CoachAmyPT client, Lauren (from twisted ankle to setting a PR for a 10k course 2 days later)

“I’ve been doing the stretches you showed me, squatting properly and taking my pace slow.... excited to report that I ran my first pain-free three miles [in months].”

— CoachAmyPT client, Alyssa (from Runner’s Knee to running a half marathon later that Spring)

“I was experiencing severe lower back pain while training for a half marathon, any time I ran longer than 6 miles or so. It didn’t hurt while I was running, but the day after I’d run it would hurt so much I’d be in tears. I had shooting pain down my hips and legs too. I started seeing Amy for physical therapy sessions, including Active Release Therapy (ART) and a lot of strength training. After a couple of sessions I was mostly pain free, and I was able to continue to run and train for my half marathon.”

— CoachAmyPT client, Anna (from severe back pain to running a pain-free half marathon)

Physical therapy combined with ART and/or Neurological Dry Needling can significantly speed up healing time and reduce the effects of injury. Combined, these treatments produce powerful results. ART is covered under insurance, and dry needling is a cost effective “add on” treatment to a standard PT session.

Treatment is important, but prevention is also important for an active lifestyle. CoachAmyPT patients graduate from PT armed with a better understanding of the causes of their pain and a personalized plan that may include home exercises to help prevent injury in the future.

Top Five Training Errors That Lead to Injury in Runners

Two months into 2020 and many runners are deep into training for Spring and Summer races while others are running to get in shape, to decrease stress or even just for the fun of it. Regardless of goals and experience runners can fall victim to injury. Running injuries are usually the result of several issues combining to create the perfect storm. Frequently a part of that storm includes training mistakes. Today we summarize the top five training errors that can lead to injury. Are you making any of these mistakes?

“Getting to the bottom of a runner’s injury is like solving a puzzle; the four corners are strength, mobility, biomechanics and training.”

— Coach Amy

Here are the top five training errors that Coach Amy finds lead to injuries:

1. Increasing total weekly mileage and long run mileage too quickly.

2. Lack of recovery between training runs within the building phase, after races and between seasons.

3. Not enough, too much or the wrong kind of cross training.

4. Lack of varying intensity of hard and easy runs.

5. Changing running form, surface, or shoe type without a slow, gradual introduction and without professional guidance.

Personalized coaching can help create a individual training plan just for you to prevent these errors. If injury does occur, physical therapy with a therapist that specializes in running can speed up and improve success with recovery.

Is Your Sports Bra Giving You a Headache?

“I’m a long distance runner and often get headaches when I wear a sports bra. Is this a thing?”

— - Runner Gal

Tension headaches are caused by a variety of issues including poor posture, stress, jaw disorders and weak neck muscles but one of the culprits may be lurking in your dresser: the dreaded sports bra.

Sports bras are a necessary evil for women participating in athletic activities especially high impact sports that involve running and jumping. Sports bras provide support against gravity and are important for breast health. However, ill fitting or poorly designed bras may compress muscles and nerves around the upper shoulder and neck. When these structures are compressed for a lengthy period of time, blood flow is diminished causing injury and pain. 

Symptoms often present as a headache that extends up the back of the skull over the ear around the temple to just behind the eye. It can even cause pain that radiates down into the shoulder blade upper back. In severe cases, it can cause numbness and tingling in the arm and hands which is a sign of nerve damage. 

Finding the right sports bra is tricky. It must provide support and prevent compression of vessels, muscles and nerves. The best sports bra is one that is stronger, not tighter, and provides support through a larger surface area. This will minimize the forces that occur at the straps. Think coverage. It should feel like a bandeau hugging around you as opposed to digging.

Below are some tips on choosing a sports bra that provides support without compression that can lead to headaches. 

• Wear it in the store for about 20 min. while shopping and see how it feels. Is it causing a headache? Is it digging into your upper traps and leaving a mark?

• Jump up and down in it! 

• Choose a bra with wider straps to dissipate forces on the shoulder muscle. 

• Avoid straps that sit at the edge of the neck (see photo). 

• Choose a bra that covers the area above the breasts (e.g. no cleavage) and extends all the way to mid torso (between bottom of breast line and belly button) as opposed to just below the breast line. 

These straps are slim and sit too close to the edge of the neck. They could contribute to a tension headache.

Keep your great questions coming. We love to answer them! email us.