Be SMARTER with your exercise!!

I went on the excellent Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) course run by the FRA last week. I have to admit to having gone on the course thinking it might teach me things I already knew and that it was more of a stepping stone to further qualifications. But it was, in fact, an excellent course from which I took plenty of thoughts and plenty of new ideas.

One of which was the idea that we should be SMARTER in what we do. Quite a few people will have come across the idea of “SMART” objectives in their work but I wonder how many take such a simple, workable principle and apply it to their running, cycling etc?

Although this might seem likely a slightly “odd” topic for a blog about sports injuries etc, the fact is that the more motivated we are, the more we have a set goal in mind and a plan to train towards it, the less likely we are to get injured.

So, a recap on SMART and, in particular, how it might apply to our activities;

S – Specific

For a goal to be worthwhile, it needs to be specific and not general. For example, having a goal to be able to “run faster” is not specific enough. Having a goal to run a certain time for a certain distance or, for example, to achieve a PB at a certain distance is specific. If that all sounds a bit daunting, consider having a “standard” run that you do on a regular basis and let your goal be, for example, to run that same route 10% faster than you do now within 3 months.

The “specific” tag would also be satisfied by having target races at which you want to either achieve a certain time or a certain placing. For example, my two goals this year are to a) finish Wasdale and avoid the cut-offs and b) to do a better time at Ben Nevis than I have done previously.

M – Measurable

This ties in to the above, in that any goal you set yourself must be clearly measurable, so that you can see whether you have achieved it or not. For instance, the goal “to be fitter” is a difficult one to measure and one that might not easily be discernable by you. Quite often, when we’re training, we don’t realise the progress we’ve made until we achieve a measurable result (such as a faster 10k time etc) because the changes are gradual.

So set yourself a target that you can clearly say either “yes, I achieved that” or “no, I didn’t”. Again, setting a definite time for a distance, or setting a percentage improvement over a distance would be clearly measurable.

A – Agreed

Now this might sound like an obvious one when we’re setting a target to ourselves, but is it agreed? How many times do we enter events and then, when the event comes around, we’re not even on the start line? It sounded like a good idea at the time, but the truth is we were never really committed to it.

When we are committed to something, we’re more likely to stick at it, we’re more likely to set a sensible plan working towards it and we’re more likely to see the “bigger picture” rather than worrying about short-term problems in our training.

So, I’d suggest, next time you’re getting carried away entering events, stop for a moment and consider your commitment towards them and, therefore, whether you internally agree with your objective.

R – Realistic

Now this is a toughie isn’t it? Again, how many times do we get carried away with bravado in a conversation with others and agree that, yes, I’ll give that 50-miler a go next month!! Daylight dawns and you realise you’ve gone and committed to doing something that is outwith your capabilities within such a timescale (and I’d stress the timescale, because we all have the potential to do much greater things than we currently achieve).

So, having set a goal, it’s really important to stand back and check that it is achievable. Do you have the time to train? Is there enough time to train between now and the event? What skills and resources will be needed to achieve your goal and are they available?

That doesn’t mean you don’t push yourself with the goals you set. Indeed, you must! For example, my goal to get around Wasdale is, I know, achievable because I have done far longer runs on those same hills but, at the same time, I realise that from my current base fitness, with a slight knee niggle and only 7 weeks until the race, it’s a goal that will stretch me and require me to be fully focused in my training. However, for me to set a goal saying I wanted to be in the top 20 or to finish in 5 hours would be totally unrealistic.

Similarly, whatever your goal, check that it is one you have to work for, but not one that is so demanding that you will surely suffer disappointment.

T – Time-recorded

Any goal needs to define a timescale within which that goal should be achieved. So, if you have a target race, that’s easy because it will be the race date. If you don’t, then you will need to set a time limit for yourself. For example, if your goal is to break 50 minutes for a 10k, you need to set a timescale within which that should be achieved. It may be a season, it may be a calendar year, but you need to be able to look back at that point and reflect on whether you achieved your goal and what affected the outcome.

So that sums up what we traditionally called “SMART” objectives. The LiRF taught me that UK Athletics are now promoting an “ER” on the end to add two more criteria, as follows;

E – Exciting

How ridiculous, you might think. If I’ve set my own objective, of course it will be exciting. But again, how many times do we set ourselves a goal and not fully commit to it because, deep down, we’re not really that bothered about it.

From my own point of view, this clearly happened to me towards the end of my road running era as I took to the fells. I entered several road races with PBs as my goal. But the truth was, I wanted to be out on the fells, not running on the roads and so my motivation wasn’t there. I wasn’t at all excited by plodding out miles on tarmac.

So, stop and think for a moment whether your objective is truly exciting you. Is there another objective which would truly excite you? Perhaps one you’re a little frightened to admit to yourself? It took me a good while to finally declare that what excited me was having a go at the Bob Graham Round, and therefore committing to it as a goal. Be daring!

R – Recordable

A bit obvious, perhaps, but an objective needs to be recordable. This goes back to the first couple of criteria, of specific and measurable.

I came back from the LiRF, got out a piece of paper and put down my objectives. I was honest with myself, tried to make sure I stretched myself rather than staying within my comfort zone but, at the same time, admitted what would excite me.

Give it a go yourself and you may be very surprised at the motivation it gives you in your training. And perhaps I’ll see you out running on the hills, zooming past me on your bike, heading off to the gym to do some specific strengthening exercises or, indeed, on the massage table, committed to shaking off those niggles that have been holding you back and determined to hit peak physical fitness and be generally SMARTER!

Recovery From Injuries – The Price Is Right!

Most of us are familiar with the idea that we have to “RICE” an injury, but I wonder how many are aware of why we do it and what we should actually be doing?

Firstly, why do we do it?  Research to date has shown that, when we incur an injury, some inflammatory response is absolutely necessary in order to facilitate the healing process, but too much will cause the injury to take longer to recover and potentially interfere with range of movement. Therefore we want a controlled inflammatory response, which we seek to do by applying RICE.

The first thing to say is that the moments after you incur an injury are the most important of all. What you do in this period will have a huge bearing on how you recover. That’s why I’m going to add an additional letter to the acronym and make it PRICE!

Thereafter ,the first 48 hours after are an injury are also vitally important. Getting the treatment right at this stage can make the difference between a successful, short recovery and months (or even years) of pain, discomfort and impairment of function.

So, what does it all mean?

P – PROTECT

Immediately when an injury occurs, it is important to protect the injured area from suffering further harm. 

That means taking all steps to stop the activity which has caused the injury in the first place. We’re all tempted to “run it off”, but generally we know the difference between a bit of discomfort and an injury and no good will come of continuing to put stress on the latter (quite the opposite). Stop doing whatever caused the injury and get yourself back to a “safe” place as easily as possible.

And, if you can, get ice on the injury as soon as possible. We’ve probably all seem images of footballers being subbed with an injury and the physio getting them to sit in the dugout with an ice pack attached. Do the same yourself.

Control the initial swelling now and you’ll make a huge difference to your recovery. In fact, if you can, adhere to all the principles of RICE as set out below.

It’s worth carrying a “freeze pack” in your car or, in some cases, in your kit bag or first-aid kit. These are one-use packs which are great for putting straight onto an injury. They’ve got some in Run4It and I’d really recommend popping in and getting one....you never know when you might need it!

And avoid alcohol! Tempting though it is to head to the bar and console yourself with a pint or two, alcohol can interfere with the inflammatory process, which is the last thing you want to do when everything else if geared towards controlling it.

R – REST

Rest is essential in order to allow the initial healing process to take place properly over the first 48 hours. Don’t be tempted to go out there and “test it”. Keep the injury rested and free from any stress, with very little mobilisation.

I – ICE

As mentioned at the start of the article, the main purpose of RICE is to allow for a controlled inflammatory response. Ice does this, principally by taking the temperature of the affected area down which reduces metabolism. The reduced blood supply means that the inflammatory response will be reduced.

In addition, ice can also have the effect of reducing pain by reducing tissue temperature and can reduce muscle spasm and neural inhibition.

So how do you ice? That’s the question I get asked more than any other. In fact, there is no set agreed method. There is some research suggesting that the vast majority of reduction in tissue temperature takes place in the first 10 minutes, and very little thereafter. So I’d recommend 10 minutes of icing, followed by 10 minutes of “rest”, repeated several times. Do this at regular intervals throughout the 2 days following the injury (as much as normal routine allows!).

And what do you use? Personally, I’d recommend gel packs, which are placed in the freezer to get them cold and which are malleable so can fit to an injury. Again, Run4It have some packs in stock ( which can also be heated in the microwave and used as heat packs) and it’s well worth getting hold of one.

Alternatively, most of us will have used a pack of peas or similar at some point. Perfectly good, but I have found myself having to throw the peas away after several thaw and refrost cycles!

Note: ice applied directly to the skin can and will burn and you should therefore use a protective barrier. I find a thin tea-towel to be ideal.

Finally on icing, there are a number of “freeze gels” available on the market. Whilst I wouldn’t use these if it’s possible to ice as above, some people may find that, due to restrictions at their place of work or the nature and location of the injury, it’s not possible to use an ice pack during the day. In these circumstances, freeze gels have been shown to be effective in reducing tissue temperature. I’ve used Biofreeze in the past and I’ve noticed that it is now available to purchase on Amazon.

C – COMPRESSION

Compression has the effect of constricting blood flow to the area, again helping to control the inflammatory response. In order to do this, bandage the affected area firmly but not so tight that it is uncomfortable. Tubular bandages are now available for a number of areas of the body, which will do this job effectively. Also, many athletes now wear compression gear and this is also effective.

(As an aside, whilst I am still very much undecided as to whether the wearing of compression gear during exercise is of any benefit, on the basis of RICE, the wearing of compression gear after exercise is definitely based on sound principles and something I would recommend).

E – ELEVATION

Keep the area elevated above the heart to restrict blood flow and reduce the pressure of fluids on the affected area. Of course, this might be easier to do with an arm injury than with a sprained ankle. However, take all steps you can to adhere to this principle. Can you put your foot up on a stool or another chair at work? Can you work with the laptop on your chest at home?

After the initial 48-72 hours, the healing process has commenced and it’s time to adapt the recovery strategy to MICE! The rest is replaced by some movement of the affected area, since it is important that the collagen fibres (scar tissue) which are laid down to repair the area are moulded to assist the proper movements of the muscles rather than restrict them. Keep movements within a comfortable range and don’t force any stretches on the affected area, this might cause re-injury.

At this stage, sports massage will also be of great assistance by helping to mould the scar tissue along the same lines as the muscles.

As long as swelling has gone from the area, then it’s time to move on to MICES, the S signifying “stretching”. Again, this helps mould the scar tissue to perform with the muscle rather than inhibiting it and ensures that the full range of movement is regained. The key is to stretch but not over-stretch and re-damage the tissues. It’s a graduated process and, indeed, some advisors will talk of a “recovery ladder” process, whereby you push a bit further each time, stepping back down the ladder if there is onset of pain. I’m a great advocate of this approach, taking the recovery back to basics and, for example, going out for just a 1 mile run initially, then increasing slowly on each subsequent run, but stopping if pain returns and dropping back down the distances. It’s had great results with some people I’ve seen recently, I just need to take my own advice now!

Hopefully, that’s given folk an idea of why we use RICE after injury and how to do it, and also some idea on the timescales involved and how and why we want to move on to movement and then stretching as soon as practical. If anyone has any comments or queries, feel free to get in touch. 

You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks......

That’s what our 14 year-old collie-cross Rufus would say. Actually, he wouldn’t. He’d tell you (in a slow, Yorkshire accent) that there’s no requirement for an old dog to learn new tricks because he’s acquired plenty during his life and nowt good would come of learning new ones, they’d just spoil a tried and trusted routine.

And it’s interesting to ponder on whether that’s a lesson for us humans as well at times. A lot of new ideas keep being thrown at us, in terms of training, recovery, injury prevention etc. Some are backed up by solid medical evidence, others aren’t (even though they may claim to be to some extent).

From my own personal viewpoint, I’m always open to new ideas, but I want to be able to understand the principle behind it and see some kind of evidence that it has been tried and tested. And, if an idea looks worth further investigation, I will want to ensure that I make changes gradually and allow the body time to adapt.

The “barefoot running” craze is one example of this. I think that there’s a perfectly good principle behind the idea (allowing the foot to do what it’s supposed to!) but that it needs to be introduced gradually to a body that has been used to running in cushioned shoes for a long time and will have adapted to this.

And what has set me thinking about all this? A fascinating article I read very recently that suggested that the term “overpronation” is an entirely redundant one, since there is no perfect model of how a person should pronate. Indeed, the “perfect” model was defined in a lab and, in various tests that have taken place, very few examples of this have been seen in real life.  Crucially, the research also stated there is absolutely no medical evidence that “overpronation” (as currently defined) is linked to a higher incidence of injuries.

Yes, it is shocking isn’t it!?! I’ll repeat that last statement – “there is absolutely no medical evidence that “overpronation” is linked to a higher incidence of injuries”.

And yet, for many years, shoe manufacturers have been telling us that we need to be forced into shoes that have been reinforced to “correct” this very problem.

When I started running (a fair few years ago!), I too went for the shoe assessment, was told I overpronated and sold a pair of shoes that would correct this. Within a few weeks, I had bad knee pain and hip pain and was forced into a trip to my osteopath to see whether he could help. We talked through what I’d been doing and, after telling him that I’d got new shoes to stop over-pronation, he set to work and sorted out the problem and I still regard his wise words highly now in my own practice: “For 30+ years, you’ve been walking and running with your feet pronating naturally. Your body has built up its muscular system to deal with this. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve forced your feet to be positioned differently by these new shoes. What do you think is going to happen? The stress that this causes has to be felt somewhere. In your case, it’s in the knees and hips”.

Since then, I’ve always worn fairly neutral shoes (especially in more recent times as a fellrunner, where Inov8s and Walshes only come in “neutral”!) and I can’t honestly say that I feel any of my injuries along the way have come from that. Injuries I’ve had seem to me to be far more to do with weaknesses in muscles, and this is what the article suggested as a conclusion – that it is almost lazy to plump for “overpronation” as the cause of an injury, when we should be looking at the body as a whole to assess the problem.

It’s a fascinating article, very thought provoking and, if it filters through to the general domain, it will be reminiscent of the situation that arose when evidence came forward that, far from being an aid, over-cushioned soles in running shoes may actually cause injury.

So where does it all leave us? I would suggest it leaves us referring back to the first paragraph. If “over-pronation” shoes are what you’ve been wearing and they work for you, don’t change – keep to the tried and trusted routine. Otherwise, regard both sides of the argument with a healthy scepticism and look into the matter before deciding what shoes to purchase in the future.