Racing and Training Virtually

Janet, a Roadrunners of Kansas City athlete, set a personal record by two minutes in a virtual 10K race this weekend! Cue the band, the post-race treats, the medal, the t-shirt, the race stats chronicled online. Well, OK, there may not be any of those post-race rewards, but nothing supersedes the satisfaction of a PR, even without the extras.

When Janet’s goal half marathon was canceled, Coach Amy added this virtual 10K race to Janet’s personalized training plan to give her the opportunity to celebrate her training efforts and demonstrate her improvements in speed.

As the list of canceled and postponed races grows, runners are left in limbo, unsure about running virtual races and continued training. Many runners struggle without the motivation of a training buddy or run group.

Coach Amy’s suggestion for Janet might differ from her advice to you. Are you excited about an upcoming 5K’s, 10K’s or half marathons? If so, Coach Amy suggests running the race virtually. However, it can be difficult to muster up the same kind of energy without the competition and camaraderie of other runners. If you’re not feeling it, let it go, free from obligation and from the burden of commitment.

Most importantly, runners should focus on staying healthy and injury-free during the pandemic. Coach Amy recommends maintaining base mileage this spring and including one or two quality runs like tempo, hill repeats or fartlek runs to maintain strength. She does not recommend long training runs or virtual marathons.

“Long training runs in excess of fourteen miles temporarily decreases immune function, so running excessive long distances or virtually racing a marathon is riskier right now.”

— Coach Amy

If you’d like customized advice about virtual training and races or training in general, consider Coach Amy’s online coaching for runners. Spots are limited.

While running in a group isn’t possible right now, consider running virtually with Roadrunners of Kansas City. Sharing selfies on the run with friends and other runners in the community helps you stay accountable, and it also helps us all feel a little less alone out there. While we can’t cue the band and hand out medals, Coach Amy, Janet, and the other RRKC athletes’ likes and comments will come close.

Stay Strong and Stay Healthy While You Stay at Home

The past couple of weeks have led to changes in every single facet of our lives, and if we are going to come out healthy on the other side we must adapt. Due to public ordinances, many people are working from home. Since most of us don’t have an ideal home office setting, there is the potential for injury if we aren’t intentional about how and where we set up our home offices.

“I predict a rise in injuries over the next several months as people work in less than ideal ergonomic positions and move less. ”

— Coach Amy

It is tempting to slouch on the couch with a laptop and sit idle in the same position for extended periods of time. With no meetings to attend, parking lots to walk from or stairs to climb throughout the day we are at high risk for becoming petrified at our desks. This can lead to a slew of symptoms such as back pain, pain in the butt, headaches and forearm pain.

Here are some tips to help eliminate unwanted pain and injury while working from home:

1. Set an alarm to change your location every 30-60 min to vary body position. If your workstation is movable, consider relocating from sitting at the dining room table to a standing position at the kitchen island.

2. Set up your workstation far from the kitchen and fill your cup up halfway, forcing you to get up and walk more often back to the kitchen for refills.

3. Use the restroom furthest from your workstation so that you are forced to walk a longer distance or up and down the stairs.

4. Walk up and down the stairs 10 times for heart health and glute strength each time you take a break from your workstation.

5. Use a Swiss ball in lieu of a chair at one of your work stations to work your core while sitting upright.

6. Incorporate dynamic stretches into your lunch break and again at the end of the workday. Stay tuned for a video with our favorite mobility routines.

7. Set up your screen and keyboard correctly. For both standing and seated positions, your elbow should be in an “L” position at the keyboard and your eyes should line up with the top 2-3 inches of your monitor.

Who knew that working from home would be so much work?! Establishing new habits can sometimes feel like work, so incorporate these suggestions into your at-home routine from the beginning and you’ll establish a “new normal” with greater ease.

CoachAmyPT remains open to treat patients recovering from surgery, major injuries and debilitating pain. If you develop debilitating pain during this time, please email Coach Amy so she can assess whether you need to make an in-person appointment or a telehealth PT consultation.

As always, prevention is the best medicine. A little intentional daily effort can help you stay strong and healthy while you stay at home.

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.