CTS: If It (Or You, For That Matter) Ain't Broke Don't Fix It

(Uninjured) Heel-Strikers, Rejoice! Change to Forefoot Striking Not Necessary, Research Shows
Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning/December 17 2019

For far too long, heel strikers have been ridiculed, mocked and laughed at in running communities around the globe. It’s time for that to stop. We’ve heard it all before. The rationales for a forefoot strike go something like this:

“Our Paleolithic ancestors inevitably ran on their forefoot because they didn’t have shoes. They couldn’t heel strike because it’s too painful.”

They also lived to the ripe age of 40 and usually died because they were simply left behind by their hunter and gather pack. So, there’s that.

“We were ‘Born to Run’ on our forefoot, just look at the Tarahumara.”

The Tarahumara are awesome, but do you really want to run with old tires attached with leather straps on your feet...?

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Runner's World: From Sickness to Grand Slam

Once Drained by Multiple Sclerosis, She Is Now Headed for the Grand Slam of Ultras

Melissa Ossanna’s doctors told her exercise could help. So she started with a marathon—and has never looked back.

Taylor Dutch/Runner's World, Feb 17, 2019

Melissa Ossanna has a nickname among her community in Bar Harbor. To her friends on the island off the coast of Maine, the ultrarunner is affectionately known as “Smiley,” because when she logs miles around the town, she smiles from ear to ear.

Even at the finish line of a grueling 100-mile race, she can always be counted on to smile through the pain.

Ossanna has a lot to smile about...

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Outside: No Pain, No Painkillers

How to Treat Pain Without Painkillers
Rachael Schultz/Outside, October 17 2017

Learning to push through discomfort, and maybe even a little pain, is practically nonnegotiable for anyone who signs up for a race or commits to a tough training plan. Most athletes pop over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers before or during a race or game to help blunt tenderness, stiffness, and fatigue. “I’d say about 75 percent of endurance athletes across all sports take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before and during competition,” says Jason Barker, founder and clinical consultant of the online Natural Athlete Clinic.

But rather than turn to things like aspirin and ibuprofen—which up your risk of acute kidney damage, oxidative stress, or hyponatremia while competing—try one of these all-natural ways to soothe soreness in the days leading up to your goal race or when that pain starts to creep in halfway through...

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MapMyRun: ...Or Just A Wuss

How to Tell If You're Overtraining Or Just Sore
Ashley Lauretta/MapMyRun.com, January 12 2017

You’ve likely heard the saying, “no pain, no gain.” If you’ve gotten the impression that some soreness while working out is normal, you would be correct. But it can be a fine line between when that soreness becomes classified as pain. Walking this line correctly is the difference between pushing just the right amount and overusing your muscles. Even though everyone’s threshold for pain is different, there is an answer that’s universal...


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CTS: So It's Mind And Matter After 40

Are You Just Getting Soft? Mental Toughness and Performance Decline in Athletes Over 40
Chris Carmichael/CTS, June 10, 2017

I spoke at two book signings this week and during both Q&A sessions I was asked about the impact of age on declining endurance performance. It’s one of the most common questions I get, and I’ve written about it previously. I’ve also been reading about mental toughness and the connection between hard training and pain tolerance. Somewhere in this milieu of information I suddenly remembered Muhammad Ali’s quote: “A man who views the world at 50 the same way he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” That’s when it clicked.

Now, before I can get to what clicked I have to give some background on what we’re talking about...

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MapMyRun Blog: Prevent/Treat IT Band Syndrome

7 Exercises to Treat and Prevent IT Band Syndrome 
JASON FITZGERALD/MapMyRun, MAY 13 

As runners, we expect a little fatigue and soreness from time to time. But any sort of sharp pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong.

One of the most common sources of pain that can stop runners in their tracks is iliotibial band syndrome. Frequently misunderstood, IT band syndrome is often treated incorrectly.

Common treatments include ice, rest and stretching, and, while all of these have their place in treating a running injury, ITBS is best approached proactively...

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MapMyRun: No, Not That Happy

Running Strong Starts With Happy Feet
Molly Hurford/MapMyRun.com 13 Feb 2017

Running is tough on our feet. We train through blackened toenails, blisters and even the dreaded plantar fasciitis. The American Podiatric Medical Association says that each footstrike is between three and four times our bodyweight striking a hard surface. One study looking at competitive collegiate runners showed that each year, 74% of them complained of chronic foot pain or suffered an injury. In the general population, another study found that 50% of the runners surveyed had running-specific injuries annually...

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