by Katherine Tumminaro
The Food and Exercise Junkie
Marathon Mishap: The food and Exercise Junkie is humbled and has some advice for you about running so that you can learn from my mistakes!
For the last three months I have been training for a marathon. Because I know my joints are weak, I thought it would be a good idea to cross train 5 times a week on the ellipitcal. I started out huffing and puffing after running 30 minutes but with the help of the elliptical, in one month I was able to run 2 hours with no problems. So then I got overconfident and decided that if I could run 2 hours, only running once a week, then I could do 3 hours the next week, then 4 hours the week after that. I thought I was a superstar. WRONG! It turns out you can strengthen your joints and if you try to increase your milege too rapidly, guess what…Your body retaliates. Even though I have been a competetive runner for 7 years, it is never too late to learn a valuable lesson. I now have what will become a stress fracture in my ankle if I keep running.
My dreams of running the Walt Disney World Marathon with two of my best friends from elementary school has been postponed. Here are some words of advice for people training for a marathon that don’t want to make the same mistake I did.
- Buy yourself some appropriate running shoes. If you are a first time runner, you should go to a shop that specializes in running. The people who work in the store will watch your feet as you run to analyze your feet (over pronation, flat footed, narrow or wide feet, etc). The store clerk will then recommend a shoe that fits your foot and your running needs. Keep in mind that different brands are known for different things (trail running, racing, hiking, etc). New Balance offer really great support, for instance. If you go to a store like Sports Basement, the store employees have to deal with so many different types of sports that they will most likely not be as knowledgeable about running in particular.
- Replace your shoes about every 6 months. This is another mistake I made. Although I am very diligent about replacing my shoes, I decided to wear my mom’s 2 year old shoes for my 20 mile run. OOPS. Distance runners put a lot of mileage on their shoes and their shoes begin to break down and need to be replaced.
- Start slow and only increase your mileage no more than 10% each week. This is where I also made a mistake. I decided to run 12 miles, then 16 and then 20. Although I felt fine at first, my bones could not properly adjust to the increased mileage and began to crack. Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t be a hero. If you think you can do more, don’t. Maybe your muscles, brain and breathing can handle it, but your bones might not be able to!
- Bring an iPod, a friend or a dog. This is mainly so that you stay sane and sane people can run longer without quitting.
- Pace yourself but when you feel good, go for it! A big mistake that I see first time runners do is start running too fast and then quit after one mile. Go slow at first and slowly increase your speed if you feel up for it.
- Don’t quit if you get tired during the first mile. Our bodies need time to warm up, treat the first mile as a warm up and as you keep running your body will adjust and you will feel the groove!
- Stretch, stretch and stretch.
- Drink water and a small meal of carbs and protein. Eat about 30 minutes or more before a run. One time I ate a can of chilly 5 minutes before a run. I was in pain and it wasn’t pretty, ask my running buddy if you don’t believe me, she was MAD
- If you feel anything hurting for more than a couple days, STOP and go see a doctor, it could be something serious that can get worse with added pressure. If this is the case, switch to low-impact sports, such as swimming until you feel better. I repeat, DON’T TRY TO BE A HERO.
