If you are running in an area that enjoys high temperatures, you must take steps to avoid heat related medical conditions. There are a number of serious conditions that can result from running in hot weather, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration and hyponatremia. These dangerous conditions can rear their ugly head at any time, but are especially dangerous when racing and your effort level is high. When running in hot weather, take steps to avoid these heat related illnesses and you will safely enjoy your running throughout the hot summer months.
Avoiding Trouble

* If high temperatures are expected to be high, try to plan your workout for early in the morning when temperatures are at their lowest.
* Drink a lot of fluid. Take in at least 6 to 12 oz. of fluid every 15 minutes. If your workout or race is going to last longer than 1 hour, drink a sports drink containing sodium and other electrolytes instead of plain water.
* Wear a hat. A hat with a brim will keep much of the sun off of your head and face.
* Wear sunscreen. Make sure you use a brand that is sweat proof.
* Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing. Light colors will reflect some of the heat. There are a number of high-tech fabrics available that will wick the moisture away from your body and aid in cooling.
* Warm up, rest and cool down in the shade. Direct sunlight can cause a rise in body temperature.
* If you are planning a race in hot weather, try to get in at least two weeks of training in similar weather. This will help acclimate your body to the higher temperatures.
* Check your urine color. If your urine becomes dark, you are dehydrated.

Dehydration
Dehydration is the most common heat related illness. Many individuals are in a constant state of dehydration because they simply do not drink enough water during the day. Drinking coffee, soft drinks, tea and alcohol can also contribute to dehydration. Dehydration is not limited to hot weather. You can become dehydrated at anytime of the year, but it is most common during warm weather.
The warning signs of dehydration include: dark yellow urine, decreased urination, loss of appetite and muscle cramps. More sever dehydration can result in nausea, dizziness or feeling lightheaded, fatigue, irritability and lack of concentration.
The average person needs 8 to 12 eight ounce cups of water per day. An athlete needs more. An active runner should be drinking at least 80 to 100 ounces of water per day. Runners need to drink fluids all day, not just during their workout or race. Thirst is not a good indicator of hydration levels. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink, you are probably already dehydrated! To ensure proper hydration, drink 2 to 3 cups of fluids up until 30 minutes before your race or workout. Drink another 8 to 12 ounces immediately before you start the activity. During your race or workout, drink 6 to 12 ounces of water or sports drink every 15 minutes. If your activity is going to last more than 1 hour, drink a sports drink instead of water.
It is important to replace lost fluids immediately following your activity. Research has indicated that you should drink at least 20 to 24 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight that was lost. Most of us won’t have a scale available, so as a rule of thumb, drink 16 to 24 ounces for every 30 minutes of your activity. Sports drinks are a better choice than water for after-exercise hydration. The sports drinks contain both carbohydrates and sodium, which will aid in your recovery and in restoring lost electrolytes.
Heat Related Illness
There are three primary heat related illnesses that are associated with running in hot weather. They are, in order of seriousness: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat Cramps
Heat cramps are cause by dehydration and a loss of minerals. This is not a life threatening illness, but can be very painful. The symptoms are cramping muscles, usually in the calf muscles, but can occur in other muscles. By the time heat cramps occur, you are already dehydrated. You should not continue to run because you will not be able to rehydrate yourself during your run. Drink a lot of sports drinks immediately. Massage the cramping muscles. Try to find some cool water or cool towels to cool your body and move out of the sun to a shaded or air conditioned location.
Heat Exhaustion
This condition is potentially very serious. Left untreated it could lead to heat stroke. Symptoms include nausea, dizziness, goose bumps, extreme fatigue, weakness, weak and rapid pulse, heavy sweating, uncoordinated stride or vomiting. If you suspect heat exhaustion you must stop running and seek medical attention. Lie down in a cool and shaded spot with your feet elevated. Drink a lot of sports fluids. Try to cool your body with cold water or cold towels.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is extremely serious and can even be fatal. If the symptoms of heat exhaustion are ignored, heat stroke is very often the next step. This condition involves a breakdown of the system that regulates your body temperature. Symptoms include all of the symptoms of heat exhaustion plus: disorientation, lack of consciousness, coma, high body temperature and bizarre behavior. Heavy sweating may be present, but usually heat stroke is accompanied by lack of sweating.
Heat stroke requires immediate medical attention. The runner suffering from heat stroke many times will be mentally incapacitated or unconscious, so many times, bystanders must assist the ill runner. A person suffering from heat stroke should be moved to a cool, shady spot and cooled with towels soaked in cold water or ice until medical help arrives. If the runner is conscious, large amounts of sports fluids should be consumed. Medical personnel will probably administer fluids intravenously.
Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia is literally water poisoning. Most runners are not aware that they can drink too much water. Not only can you drink too much water, but it can also cause a very serious condition and has even caused some fatalities.
A low level of sodium in the blood causes Hyponatremia. When you sweat you lose approximately 2.25 to 3.4 grams of sodium per liter of sweat. During a race, you will average around 1 liter of sweat loss per hour. If you drink only water during your race, you will dilute your blood even more, which can result in hyponatremia. This condition is usually only a problem in activities lasting more than one hour, but can occur in shorter activities.
The symptoms of hyponatremia include: nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, slurred speech, unsteady stride and disorientation. Because these symptoms mimic those of heat exhaustion, many runners make the mistake of increasing water consumption, which make the condition even worse. To avoid this, drink only sports drinks during events lasting longer that 1 hour. Hyponatremia can be a serious condition. If you believe you may be suffering from this illness, seek medical attention. Drinking sports drinks and eating salty foods can treat minor symptoms.
Aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs can contribute to the development of hyponatremia. Because of the popularity of these medications among runners, this condition is becoming more prevalent, especially in the longer distances such as marathons, ultra-marathons and triathlons. To avoid hyponatremia follow these suggestions.

* Drink sports drinks during events lasting longer than 1 hour.
* Avoid anti-inflammatory medications.
* Take in at least 1 gram of sodium per hour.
* Drink at least 6 to 12 ounces of sports drinks every 15 minutes.
* Increase your salt intake before your race.

(This article was adapted from an article written for RunningPlanet.com by Rick Morris)

It’s one of the most common problems beginners have with their running form and a cause of many running injuries.
To avoid or correct over-striding, concentrate on landing on the ball of your foot with your foot directly under your center of gravity. This will allow you to maintain most of your forward momentum. You should feel as if you gliding smoothly along the ground with little impact or vertical motion. Try to take quick shorter strides. You do want to maximize your stride length, but you want to do that by increasing your “air time” or time between foot strikes, not by reaching out in front of your body.
Before and after foot strike you should be dorsi-flexing your ankle. You are dorsi-flexing your ankle when you pick up your toes. This does two things to help you avoid over-striding. It prevents you from “toeing out” or pointing your toes towards the ground. Toeing out causes you to reach out in front of your body and over-stride. Dorsi-flexing your ankle also puts your feet, knees and hips in the proper position to take full advantage of their elastic energy potential.

The app is almost finished and is looking great. I posted some pictures in an earlier blog post about it. The app will allow users to choose their own background music but is has the same instructions as the original programs. Look for it in the app store sometime in the coming weeks!

I recently received an e-mail from a company, Laurini, that makes something called a “runbike’ that combines the movements of running with the movement of a bike… I know, it sounds strange…but some of you might be interested…

Here’s the link: http://en.runbike.eu

Get out there and enjoy the beautiful weather!

As a follow-up to my last post, here are some cross training exercises that build core strength, which is very important for runners. The core muscles improve running economy, speed and power to help you run faster with less effort.
These are also from RunningPlanet.com as written by Rick Morris:

ABDOMINAL CRUNCH

This is a body weight exercise or can be performed using single station or multi-station machines.

TECHNIQUE

* Lie face up on a mat. Flex your knees and bring your heels close to your buttocks. Cross you hands over your chest. Tuck you chin into your chest.
* Slowly curl your upper body towards your knees until your shoulder blades leave the floor. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for a moment.
* Slowly allow your upper body to curl back to the floor.

CORE STABILIZATION

This is a body weight exercise.

TECHNIQUE

* Lie face down on a mat. Support your weight with your feet and forearms. Tuck your pelvis so that your hips are pressed forward and your body is straight. Hold this position.
* Holding the above position, lift your left arm. Hold that position for 20 seconds. Return the left arm to the support position and lift your right arm and hold for 20 seconds. Return the right arm to the support position and lift your left foot off of the mat and hold for 20 seconds. Return the left foot to the mat and lift the right foot and hold for 20 seconds.
* Now comes the fun part. Return the right foot to the mat. Now lift your right arm and left foot at the same time. You should now be supporting your body with your left forearm and your right foot. Hold that position for 20 seconds. Now return the right arm and left foot to the mat and lift your left arm and right foot and hold for 20 seconds.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.
* Be sure to keep your hips tightly tucked during this exercise. Do not allow your lower back to arch or curl. Keep your body very straight.

DOUBLE CRUNCH or V-CRUNCH

TECHNIQUE

* Lie face up on a mat. Hold your feet off of the floor with your lower leg parallel to the floor and your upper leg perpendicular to the floor.
* Slowly curl your upper body towards your knees until your shoulder blades are off the floor. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. At the same time, using your lower abdominal muscles, push your hips up off of the floor. This motion should be like pushing your knees straight up toward the ceiling. It should not be a rocking motion.
* Slowly allow your upper body and hips to curl back to the floor.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Exhale on the upward portions and inhale on the downward portion.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.

EXERCISE BALL ABDOMINAL CRUNCH

This is a body weight exercise that is performed using an exercise ball.

TECHNIQUE

* Lie on the exercise ball so that the ball is supporting your lower back. Place your feet wide and flat on the floor for balance. Cross your hands over your chest or use them to support your head. Do not pull on your head. Tuck you chin into your chest.
* Slowly curl your upper body upward. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for a moment.
* Slowly allow your upper body to curl back to the starting position.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Exhale on the upward portions and inhale on the downward portion.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.

EXTENDED ARM CRUNCH

This is a body weight exercise.

TECHNIQUE

* Lie face up on a mat. Flex your knees and bring your heels close to your buttocks. Extend your arms over your head and clasp your hands together. Tuck your chin into your chest.
* Slowly curl your upper body towards your knees until your shoulder blades leave the floor. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for a moment.
* Slowly allow your upper body to curl back to the floor.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Exhale on the upward portions and inhale on the downward portion.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.

OBLIQUE ABDOMINAL CRUNCH

This is a body weight exercise or can be performed using single station or multi-station machines.

TECHNIQUE

* Lie face up on a mat. Flex your knees and bring your heels close to your buttocks. Cross you hands over your chest. Tuck you chin into your chest.
* Slowly curl your upper body towards your knees and rotate your body so that your left elbow moves toward your right knee. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for a moment.
* Slowly allow your upper body to curl back to the floor.
* Alternate between moving your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Exhale on the upward portions and inhale on the downward portion.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.

RAISED LEG CRUNCH

This is a body weight exercise.

TECHNIQUE

* Lie face up on a mat. Hold your feet off of the floor with your lower leg parallel to the floor and your upper leg perpendicular to the floor.
* Slowly curl your upper body towards your knees until your shoulder blades are off the floor. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for a moment.
* Slowly allow your upper body to curl back to the floor.
* THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Exhale on the upward portions and inhale on the downward portion.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.

RESISTED ABDOMINAL CRUNCH

This is a body weight exercise or can be performed using single station or multi-station machines.

TECHNIQUE

* Sit with your back flat against the bench. Stabilize the resistance against the front of your shoulders.
* Slowly curl your upper body towards your knees until your shoulder blades are curled away from the bench. This should be a rolling, curling motion. Concentrate on strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for a moment.
* Slowly allow your upper body to curl back to the bench.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

* Breath throughout the exercise.
* Exhale on the upward portions and inhale on the downward portion.
* Use a controlled curling motion throughout the exercise.

Cross training can significantly improve your running performance and help to prevent injury. Here’s what running expert, Rick Morris, says about it on runningplanet.com:

Distance runners all over the world are beginning to add cross training workouts into their weekly training routine. Does cross training help you as a distance runner? The law of specificity insists that the most appropriate workouts for any athlete are those that match their goal. In the case of distance runners that means the most valuable workouts are distance running specific workouts. That may suggest that cross training workouts are of no value to distance runners. While running workouts are by far the most important ones for improving your distance running performance, some cross training workouts do provide you with valuable benefits that will improve your performance as a distance runner.
How can cross training improve your distance running performance? Cross training won’t directly improve your endurance, stamina or speed but there are several indirect ways it will make you a better distance runner.
Improved Strength and Power
In my opinion the most valuable type of cross training is strength training. A properly designed strength training program will improve your running strength, power, muscle elasticity and running economy. There have been many recent studies showing that strength training will improve your performance in all race distances from the mile to the marathon.
More Quality Workouts
Most of your gains in VO2 max, vVO2 max, lactate threshold and speed are gained through high intensity running. Unfortunately you can’t run hard every day. You need easy running days or recovery days to allow time for your body, mind and muscles to recovery and strengthen. That’s were some high intensity cross training comes into play. While your overtaxed running muscles may not be able to tolerate consecutive hard runs you may be able to hop on your bike for a hard training ride between hard running sessions. The high intensity cycling workout will help improve your fitness while using fresher muscles that weren’t abused during your hard training run.
Active Recovery
Cross training shouldn’t always be high intensity. There are times when you need total body recovery. After a 22 mile long run or a brutal interval session your body may need a couple of days of recovery. Do you need total rest? Maybe not. Instead of total rest you could hop on your bike for an easy endurance ride, jump in the pool for a relaxing swim or schedule a game of tennis with your running buddy. The active recovery will burn some calories and also assist with muscle recovery.
Active Rehabilitation
No one wants to suffer from a running injury but they are almost inevitable. When you’re injured you need to back off on your running until your injury is rehabilitated. During that time off your fitness and endurance can suffer while your body fat levels creep up. A good way to avoid weight gains and decreases in fitness during injury rehabilitation is to do some cross training. Pick a cross training activity that doesn’t place stress on your injured muscles or body parts. Cycling, swimming and deep water running are usually good choices.
Decreased Body Fat
There is no question that excessive body fat weight can have an adverse affect on your running performance. If you don’t believe it go out for a 6 mile run wearing a 10 pound running vest! The problem with losing weight as a distance runner is you must do it while maintaining appropriate nutritional levels. That means dieting is out of the question. So, you need to burn additional calories. Cross training gives you an efficient way to burn extra calories while still getting enough recovery between hard running workouts.
Improved Muscle Balance
Distance runners tend to have highly developed hamstring and calf muscles with under developed quadriceps muscles. Muscle imbalances can cause problems with your posture and running mechanics. Cycling is an excellent way to build up the strength of your quadriceps muscles and avoid muscle imbalance. Strength training is also a great way to keep your muscles in balance.
Injury Resistance
There are two advantages to strong muscles in terms of injury resistance. First, strong muscle fibers are more resistant to strains. Second, stronger more powerful muscles provide more support to your joints. Strength training is one of the best ways to improve the strength of your muscles and help be a more injury resistant runner. Not only will strength training build your muscle strength but it will also improve the strength and injury resistance of your bones and connective tissues.

Personal Running Trainer is developing an ‘app’ for the iPhone / iPod Touch which will allow users to listen to the coaching instructions but choose their own background music. Look for it in the Apple app store this summer!

Here is a description of some of the different types of running shoes available. This comes from RunningPlanet.com:

“There are thousands of shoes out there, but nearly all of them fall into one of six types: stability shoes, lightweight trainers, cushioned shoes, racing flats, trail shoes and minimalist shoes.

Stability shoes are for runners that have moderate to severe pronation or supination problems. The stability features will add some weight, but will help prevent the injuries that the pronation can cause. The staiblity features help prevent your foot from rolling or collapsing inward. Keep in mind that some pronation is normal and desirable. Only exessive pronation is a problem. Stability shoes are also somewhat of a band-aid. It will stop the symptoms but not cure the problem. Excessive pronation is sometimes caused by weak or poorly conditioned lower leg muscles. If you do pronate excessively consider a visit to your PT for ideas in strengthening your lower leg muscles.

Lightweight trainers are made both with and without some stability features. Lightweight trainers without stability features are for daily running use and racing by runners with no stability problems. Trainers with some stability features are for daily use by runners with mild stability problems. These shoes are slightly heavier than the trainers without stability features are but lighter than the pure stability shoes.

Cushioned shoes are built with more extensive cushioning materials than most other shoes. These shoes are popular among heavy runners or runners with joint problems. They are also used by efficient runners, with no mechanical problems, that desire a soft ride in a training shoe. These shoes are available with or without stability features. This type of shoe is a good choice for runners with knee or hip problems because of their ability to absorb more of the impact forces involved in running. This is especially true for runners that put in a lot of miles on hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete.

Racing flats are ultralight shoes with little cushioning and few stability features. These shoes are usually worn only during races, since they do little to prevent injures and the wear ability is less than training shoes. Some highly efficient runners run in this type of shoe even during training.

Trail shoes are more ruggedly built and have a heavier knobby outer sole to provide traction. These shoes usually have a lot of stability features because of the uneven terrain that is encountered on the trail. Stepping on a rock or running on a slanted or uneven surface could result in an ankle sprain. The high stability factor of trail shoes can help avoid that type of injury. Many trail shoes are also all – weather shoes that resist water are easier to clean.

Minimalist Shoes are shoes that mimic barefoot running as closely as possible. Running barefoot encourages proper running style and helps strengthen the muscles of your lower leg. These shoes have very little cushioning or support and are designed to allow your foot to work the way it was intended without the cast like effect of many standard running shoes. This type of shoe is becoming more popular, but you should adapt to these shoes gradually if your feet are not properly conditioned.”

Which shoe is right for you?

http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/racefinder/0,7151,s6-239-283-284-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

This one is put together and maintained by Runner’s World magazine. It’s searchable by location, date, distance, etc.