Recap from Dr. Nadeau's Stretch and Injury Clinic

This is just a quick post to go over some important points Dr. Nadeau talked about:

1. Always stretch after your runs. Hold the stretch for at least 15 seconds and do at least 2 repetitions. Pay attention to your problem areas.

2. Cold baths are great for after long runs to aid in recovery.

3. Soreness and pain are part of a runner's training but usually it fades out by the second day. If you have pain in an area for more than 48 hours you should have it checked by a professional, it might be an injury. Pain is a symptom and many times the problem area and the pain area are not the same. There are many types of injuries a runner can have and many sources.

4. To prevent injuries there are many things a runner should pay attention to, nutrition, hydration, stretching, resting/sleeping and a balance training schedule.

5. Dr. Nadeau went through many of the common injuries... I really can remember all and even less the names of the muscles. In general we all have one or more weak points and we should pay attention by stretching and strengthening those areas with strength training.

6. It is important to start at a moderate pace and then build up to your "cruising speed".

7. Sports drinks like Gatorade are very concentrated in electrolytes, dilute them in water or drink water after taking them.

Her link is in this blog at the right of the page. And I still have some discount cards if anyone is interested. Also remember that in the binder at the practices there are stretching exercises, tips on apparel and breathing, and little by little I'll be adding more things. Thanks Dr. Nadeau!!!

Stretching Tips and Basics

You need to stretch, you need to stretch, don't forget to stretch! It seems that we hear this all the time, but do we really listen and do it? I just saw a video where stretching is compared to the dentist and flossing. The dentist tells you to do it, you know you need to do it, but most of the time you don't do it. Until you get cavities and say... I should have flossed!

Why do we need to stretch? It is very simple. If our muscles are tight our movements are going to be straining our muscles every time we push them to their limits. This can lead to an injury. And after a muscle is injured it takes a long time for the tissue to heal. So we don't want to get to that point and say... I should have stretched!

Now, how do we stretch? While there are many types of stretching (active, static, yoga, etc.), I have found that there are some basic principles that can give you a start to a healthy stretch:

• Always warm up your body first: jumping jacks, 4-5 minutes jog, cycling, etc.
• Take your muscle to the point where you can feel it and hold it. If it is painful you are taking it too far.
• You can hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds and take the stretch a little further for another 10-15 seconds. You can also hold it for 10-30 seconds, release the muscle and contract it; and immediately repeat the stretch for another 10-30 seconds taking it a little further. This will help to gain flexibility.
• There are many stretches, try different ones along your training. But always try to incorporate stretches for all the muscle groups: toes, ankles, calves and shins, hamstring and quadriceps, gluts, abs, chest and back, shoulders, neck...
• Listen to your body and pay attention to the tight areas, give these areas priority and more quality time
• If you are running short in time: warm up, stretch your tight muscles, go for your run and at the end stretch all your body paying attention again to your tight spots.
• Make time for stretching. It is like investing for your run... you will feel better, will breathe better, will move your legs better and with longer strides. All these will improve your pace and endurance.
• If you start feeling pain: stretch, massage and put cold/hot compresses in the area. Also give your body some rest from high impact activities and try to cross train with low impact activities like cycling, swimming, yoga, pilates, etc.

For stretching exercises you can go to Runner's World or Google and search for stretching. There is ton of information and videos out there. Try as many as you like and find what works for you. Remember to pay attention to tight muscles. Here are some links I found that can get you started:

Runner's World: Stretching
Runner's World: Flexibility Training
Run the Planet: Stretching for Runners
Running Advice and News: Coach Joe English: Stretching Routine for Runners

Our Stretching and Injury Prevention Clinic will be on September 12th during our practice. Please, plan to attend this day as Dr. Ivette Nadeau from Total Chiropractic Care will talk about these and will be available for answering questions. She is Alejandro's chiropractor for 3 years now and has volunteered at Fort Bend Fit as well.

I hope this can get you started. Blessings to all and a peaceful run!

Few Reminders and Announcements

1. Important! The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco 1/2 Marathon Registrations start tomorrow July 17th. Go to the website to register and for details. Also to remind you that the entry fee goes up after July! So don't wait!

2. The team calendar is up! Click on the right at BeatSMA Calendar and you will get the training schedule and team practices on Saturdays. We will start meeting August the 1st at the Sugar Land Memorial Park. Our first practice will be a 3 mile jog for both full marathon and 1/2 marathon. Water and Gatorade will be provided.

3. We have our Stretch and Injury Prevention Clinic in September offered by Dr. Nadeau from Total Chiropractic Care Center. Alejandro has been a patient of hers for more than 3 years and we love her! Thanks to her for volunteering and giving her time!

4. We have our second team sponsor Tammi Law, great friend and neighbor, she loves Alejandro and is excited about our team. Thanks Tammi! You are awesome! Tammi has been running for a few years now with Team in Training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and she is a two times Houston marathon runner.... wwowww!

That's it for now. Please make sure you sign up as a follower to get updates on any posts about the team.

BeatSMA NOW! Go Team!