Stefanie's Shoes

I just went to MPR.org to tune into the radio when I saw a headline reading "Fifth Minnesota sextuplet dies". I have been following the Morrison's story all summer and praying for the lives of these babies and their parents. I was watching the news on T.V. earlier and thought these parents look like my age. I cannot imagine what they must be going through. What a tough situation!

I am writing this blog today in hope that others read their stories and pray for them. Here is a link to their blog: http://morrison6.com. Check out their website, read their blogs, pray for them, and make a monetary contribution to them if possible. Their medical bills must be rough, unimaginable even. I think that the best wealth we can acquire is given to us by the gratitude of others. At least keep this family in your prayers. Thank you.

God bless!

Posted by Stefanie Schussler at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I will continue with my running tips.

1. Stretching


2. Listening to your body


3. Breathing


4. Running form


5. Eating right


6. Hydration


7. Running shoes & clothing

Today I will discuss what is an appropriate running form to get that optimal performance out of your run and minimizing any undue stress on your body.

RUNNING FORM:
First I would like to emphasize the importance of your body posture while running. There is one lady that I see running most days that lives by me but who has such poor running form. I feel like telling her how much better she may feel after her runs and how much she can improve her runs with good body posture. Ok, so what is good posture?

You will want to run with your upper body being straight up so as to lengthen your air canal. This will allow you to breath fully. Keep your head up, allowing you to breath better. This is especially important when running up hills. Focus your eyes on the top of the hill. It is natural for your eyes to revert to the ground in front of you on hills, but keep those eyes on the prize (i.e., getting to the top of the hill). Don't let your shoulders fall inward toward your chest. Keep those shoulders back.

Also make sure to keep your arms down. A common mistake is to pull your arms in toward your chest. Open up your chest! Let your chest be for breathing. You need to use your arms muscles when running. Pump with your arms. Think about bringing your arms down toward your hips and then pumping them. This is also especially important to pay attention to when running up hills. You will want to help prevent your leg muscles from getting fatigued. One way to do this is to take some of that pressure off your legs and to put it into your arm muscles. Pump your way up that hill!

Next, I want to discuss your lower body running form...from your hips downward. For distance training, it is important to strike the ground with the back portion of your foot (i.e., your heal). For speed training, switch it up and run on your toes. It is important not to over-extend your legs while running. I used to get shin splints every year in high school when track would roll around. My dad gave me some of the best advice to prevent shin splits. He too used to be a runner. He said to strike the ground with your heals. I had to pay attention to my running form for years until it became second nature for my feet to strike the ground heal first. Believe it or not, it worked! I have not had shin splints since my senior year of high school, which was nearly a decade ago.

To see how you are striking the ground, look at the bottom of your shoes. You may be able to see where they have become woren down. If you legs are two different lengths (which is more common then one may think), then you may want to see a doctor or athletic specialist before jumping into any long runs. One of my legs is a half-inch longer then the other, however, this is not statistically significantly different for my height. If you see on the bottom of your shoes that you are pronating more to one side or the other then you may want to consider getting orthotics that you can easily slip into your shoes. I run with orthotics. Orthotics may also help prevent getting ITBS (which I have discussed in previous blogs).

Here's the thing about orthotics...they are expensive. Typically to get customized orthotics, they can cost around $300. Some health insurance companies with cover some of the cost of orthotics. To find out, just call your health insurance company. It will likely be considered durable medical equipment. The health insurance that I had at the time covered 80% of the cost. To get customize-made orthotics you will need to visit a podiatrist (i.e., a foot doctor). If your insurance doesn't cover it and you don't want to spend the money then there is another option. You can buy gel orthotics from your local pharmacy (like Walgreens) or sporting goods store. You can cut these to feet into your shoe, but they are different than the ones the doctor will make you. The orthotics I have are solid. Molds were made of my feet so that they fit the arch of my foot. They basically work to level out your feet so that you strike the ground better when running. The orthotics that your doctor will give you can last for years. I have had mine now for about three years and they are wonderful! I don't know if I could have done all this running without them, at least successfully. One more thing about orthotics...you may have to cut the soles that are in your shoes so that the orthotics can fit in there comfortably.

Pay attention to your body when running. Your body will strike the ground over and over when running, so if even one part of your body is not aligned properly, then you could cause yourself injury. This is why orthotics can help with your lower body. Get the most out of your run by making your body work as one. Pump your arms when running, keeping them down by your hips. Focus on where you are striking your feet when you hit the ground. Lengthen your airway and pay attention to your breathing.

FUN RUNNING!

Posted by Stefanie Schussler at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I will continue with my running tips.

1. Stretching


2. Listening to your body


3. Breathing


4. Running form


5. Eating right


6. Hydration


7. Running shoes & clothing

Today I will blog about breathing techniques when jogging.

BREATHING:
Breathing when jogging seems kind of obvious, but novice runners are known to over-breath. What is over-breathing? Over-breathing is when you either breath too fast or too deep. Under-breathing is the opposite of this. Essentially what you are doing is allowing your body to lose or intake too much carbon dioxide (CO2). Over-breathing (or under-breathing for that matter) may cause a person to hyperventilate. Asthma can intensify this.

I have asthma so I always have to be aware of my breathing. If I start to hyperventilate, my asthma will kick in full force. When this happens I need to immediately gain control of my breathing. If you have asthma and are trying to get into shape by running (or other exercise regimes) then it is a good idea to carry your inhaler with you at all times.

Also people suffering from anxiety can easily over-breath (often referred to as a panic attack) and hyperventilate. I was once told my a medical person that if you suffer from hyperventilating then bring a paper bag with you and breath into it, sealing it tight around your mouth. This will force you to breath in the same CO2 that you just breathed out, which, in essence, prevents your body from hyperventilating. This is a more extreme measure and probably won't help much with running as a paper bag is often not nearby when running.

So it is very important to control your breathing...remember you are indeed in control of it. Don't let it control you! Controlling your breathing is easy...force yourself to breath out and breath in for equal number of counts. I often repeat to myself in my head "out-two-three in-two-three". That is, breath out for three counts followed by breathing in for three counts. Make the counts of equal length. You can choose whatever counts fit your breathing style. Practice this when you are not running to get into the habit of it so that you can get your mind and body to the point (when you are running) not to even think about it.

If the weather is extremely hot or humid then no matter who you are it is important to count your breathing. You do not want to experience any hyperventilating in extreme weather conditions! If ever you feel your breathing getting heavy then it is important to get it under control. Remember, you are in control of your breathing!

Happy running!

Posted by Stefanie Schussler at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I wasn't sure if anyone was still reading my blog entries. Thanks for the comments! I appreciate them. Today I would like to continue writing about my running tips. Before delving into this, I hope everyone had a relaxing 4th of July. Ok, now back to blogging.

I have already discussed stretching, so today I am going to continue down my list (below) and discuss what I mean by listening to your body. Personally, I believe this is one of the most important aspects to running or any exercise regime, for that matter.

1. Stretching


2. Listening to your body


3. Breathing


4. Running form


5. Eating right


6. Hydration


7. Running shoes & clothing

Listening to your body:

First of all it is very important to schedule days of rest into your exercise routine. Your body needs time off, just as your mind does with work & school. If you don't take this time off, you will wind up taking steps backwards instead of forwards into your exercise routine. Important: do not run three or more days consecutively. This means you need to schedule something like two days of rest every week. Sometimes it is easy to train your body into a routine like every Tuesday & Friday are my days of rest. This may give you some motivation to get your runs in even when you are busy and just really don't want to run. If you know you will get a break tomorrow, then it's a little extra incentive to get in a good run today. The website that I used for marathon training (HalHigdon.com) recommends a similar type schedule.

Some reasons for not exercising three or more days consecutively is to (1) rest your muscles and (2) not to overuse your mucles. Essentially, if you overuse your muscles (even with proper nutrition and stretching) you could be causing them harm. Think about it as if you are breaking down your muscles day by day and a day of rest restores all (or most) of the stress you put on them. So if you don't take these breaks then your muscles don't take the time to restore themselves fully and eventually your muscles will become extremely fatigued, which could lead to pulling or tearing of your muscle tissues.

I will save a big chunk of this next piece for a later date, but I would like to mention it today...nutrition & hydration. If you are running and start to get a side ache, chances are that you are not properly hydrated. I drink two 8 ounce glasses of water before I begin my run. Everyone needs varying amounts of water to stay hydrated and it really all depends on your body and the weather you are running in. If it is hot or humid then you may need extra water, or maybe want to carry some water with you when you go running. If it is cool out, then you may not need extra water. Bringing water with you on a jog is a good idea. It allows you to listen to your body. If you are thirsty then drink some water or better yet, an energy drink. However, make sure not to overhydrate your body. Extreme overhydration can cause your organs to shut down. So it is key to drink as much water as your body needs but not any more water than that.

Nutrition is important, but I will cover most of this on another date. Today I just want to mention that it is NOT a good idea to diet and run. Reducing your caloric intake slightly and switching your diet to a higher protein diet may be okay, but beyond that you could really be hurting your muscles. I ran into this last year. NOT GOOD! So, if you are dieting make sure you are eating properly - protein, protein, protein. Carbohydrates are also an important to intake when running regularly. They make inexpensive carbohydrate shots for those of your who are running more than 60 minutes at a time. There are many different brands and for the most part, they are all good. Take one carb-shot for every 60 minutes of running. There is much more I have to say on this, but if you are dieting and running, be forewarned that it could be causing more harm then good.

Moving on, I want to discuss how important it is to stick to your running routine, even on those days that you just don't want to do it. As I previously recommended, determine a running schedule that works for you - HalHigdon.com can help if you are training for any races (at any skill level). Next, stick to this schedule. There are so many days that I have had the worst time motivating myself to get out there and run. It is hard, especially on those days when you are tired or have been on your feet all day. Listen to your body on these days, but still get out there. If you need to walk what you had planned, or walk-run, that is perfectly fine. It is just so important to get out there. Bring your dog, listen to your headphones, bring a friend - just get out there. Know that you are not the only one that feels that way. You will really appreciate that you made the effort later. You are trooper and can do it!

Best of luck! Email me with any questions: stefanis@biostat.umn.edu, but put something about running or blog or something into the subject line or I may think it's junk mail and delete it.

Posted by Stefanie Schussler at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was watching the local news last night and learned some really despicable news that is happening in one of our suburbs. The City of Eden Prairie has a plan to reduce the Canadian goose population within it's city limits...slaughter them! This news is so disturbing to me. How can people be so cruel? Their reason is because the goose population is a nuisance and creating too many goose droppings which costs money to clean-up. How selfish can people be?

This plan is not a permanent fix to any "situation" that the citizens of Eden Prairie are feeling. I am certain that there are many citizens of Eden Prairie that oppose this and align with my opinion. If people took this approach to slaugther nuisances in life more generally, this world would be horrible place that I don't want to even imagine. It's just disgusting! People need to learn patience. Learn ways that can deal with this "situation" in an appropriate and humane matter. I am glad to hear that the Humane Society is stepping up and giving advice on how to deal with this "situation" in an humane matter.

Read these articles to learn more...
http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S128701.shtml?cat=1
http://www.edenprairienews.com/node/2309
http://www.startribune.com/106/story/1238853.html

Some words of advice...leave the world a better place than when you entered it.

Posted by Stefanie Schussler at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)