by Adolfo Salgueiro | May 31, 2022 | Article, List, Reflection, Science
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
Since the majority of my readers and trainees are in the Northern Hemisphere and the weather is warming up rapidly despite being three weeks away from the Summer Solstice, the time has come to remind all athletes that running during the hottest times of the year requires purposeful and intentional adjustments. These modifications are not optional. If you don’t alter your habits, you will not only be unable to maintain or increase your fitness, but you could get seriously hurt.
Heat related injuries won’t break your bones, but they could have lasting effects on your body, and thus, on the future of running.
So, here are 5 tips to adjust to summer running.
1 – Understand what is happening – There are two basic things that happen when you run in a hot and/or humid environment. They just are, so there is no use in fighting them.
1A – The first one is basic physics: Humid air is denser than dry air, so it takes more effort to displace a heavier mass of air, thus enhancing the effort it takes to run at the same speed.
1B – The second one is basic biology: The human body cools off by sweating and the blood contains about 92% water. The more you sweat without replenishing fluids, the more water gets sucked out of your bloodstream and the ticker blood becomes, making it more difficult to circulate. That alone, spells deep trouble.
If you can’t adjust the time of your tun, you may end up on the dreaded treadmill (Julia Larson, Pexels)
2 – Adjust the time of your running – If you live in places like Florida, Texas or similar, your two options are adjusting to run in the heat/humidity or not running at all. If you want to continue running, you must do it at the coolest time possible, when it is gentler to the body. Before sunrise or after sunset are the basic choices. Wake up earlier or wait until later. If you can’t then the dreaded treadmill seems like your option, but that comes with its own set of particularities that you will have to deal with.
A good hack is to keep your running shirt and hat in the freezer and put them on right before you hit the road. This will cool off your core and provide you with a few comfortable initial miles before the inevitable sets in.
3 – Slow your race – There is a reason most mainstream races take place in the fall or the spring. Who wants their goal race in the thick of the scorching summer? So, since summer is usually the time to get ready for the upcoming season, it is the perfect time to take care of the feared strength training and to build up your aerobic engine, which is done by running slower than usual. Your fall and spring PRs are built during the summer. Take advantage of it. Don’t worry about what the fast people in your running group may say or what your Instagram followers may think.
Hydration during the summer months is key, but overhydration can be a life threatening condition (Ketut Subiyanto, Pexels)
4 – Careful about overhydration: Hydration is key during the summer, but hydration is not only what you consume as you run. Hydration should be a 24/7 habit that will put you as close to fully hydrated when you start your GPS watch. Your body is designed to lose fluids and run without replenishing every single drop of water you lose. Don’t fall into the temptation of overindulging on water or sports drinks or you could experience hyponatremia, a condition in which the sodium levels are so diluted that it could cause seizures, coma and even death. For more on hyponatremia, I invite you to read what the Cleveland Clinic website has to say about this serious condition.
5 – Beware of the signs – Running during the summer has challenges that go beyond having to run earlier, later or slower. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two of the most serious perils from running in inhospitable climates. It is important to know and recognize the symptoms of each one, so you can adjust properly and avoid a mishap that with luck, it will only keep you out for a few weeks, without it, it could kill you. I wrote an earlier post on heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke. I invite you to revisit it by clicking here.
Running in the heat and humidity is no joke. Please be careful out there. Never lose sight that you need to live to run another day. The line between toughness and doing something stupid is very thin and if you cross it, you can get seriously hurt.
There are no medals or podiums during training, so, be smart out there and remember you are only getting ready for next season.
by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jan 19, 2021 | Article, Science
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
One of the rituals of my running group after our regular Saturday long run, is to have a coffee at a local Colombian bakery, located right in front of where we park to meet. We specifically chose that spot because of the great coffee this bakery serves. This is how we kick start the social side of our weekend and one of the elements that keep bringing our runners back. A couple of weeks ago I ran with a friend and the end I offered to buy her coffee, but she said she was detoxing from caffeine, so she would pass.
This had me thinking about the relationship between running and caffeine. Is it good? Is it bad? How much is too much? When should we consume it, or not?
I found an article by Pamela Misevich Bede, from March 2015, in the Runner’s World archives. The author’s credentials in dietetics seemed solid enough to take her word on the issue.
Caffeine is the most widely available stimulant of the central nervous system in the world. It is legal and unregulated almost everywhere.
Before we get started, I want to state that while researching for this post I did not find any studies or articles by experts stating caffeine and running don’t mix. Quite the contrary, they pair pretty well. As usual, you need to follow your doctor’s instructions. If you shouldn’t be consuming caffeine for any reason, do not change that indication just because you are going for a run.
Caffeine is the most widely available stimulant of the central nervous system in the world. It is legal and unregulated almost everywhere. It is naturally found in the leaves and fruits of plants such as coffee, cacao and tea. You can also find it in soft drinks, energy drinks, gels, pills and many other products.
The benefits of consuming caffeine before and during your run go beyond just a jolt of energy to get you started and/or keep you moving. “Caffeine has a number of physiologic effects that can help improve athletic performance” says Misevich Bede. “It is rapidly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and is a mild stimulant that affects multiple organ systems”.
The benefits of using caffeine to stimulate your run include improvement of mental alertness, boosting of pain tolerance, enhancement of fat use as fuel (which extends the use of your finite storage of glycogen), and a possible increment in speed, among others.
But beware. You need to know how this additional stimulus affects your systems before you go overboard, especially during a race. Caffeine consumption can also cause gastrointestinal issues, headache, jitters, heartburn and increased urination, among others. So trial-and-error to figure out what works for you is a must. And, as always. what works for your friends is not necessarily what works for you.
An 8 Oz cup of black tea has 30-80 mg of caffeine while a Starbucks espresso shot has about 75 mg. A cup of green tea has about 35-60mg/8oz.
According to the aforementioned article, 3-6 6mg/kg body weight (1.3-2.75 mg/lb.) is recommended for endurance exercise. It is important to note that with caffeine, more is not necessarily better. A higher dose does not correlate with better performance. Also, it is more effective if you abstain from caffeine consumption a few days before your running activity, but don’t forego your morning cup of coffee if you can’t function without it.
Since the mg/kg measuring unit is difficult gauge, put it in perspective by knowing an 8 Oz cup of black tea has 30-80 mg, depending on the brand and type, while a Starbucks espresso shot has about 75 mg. A cup of green tea has about 35-60mg/8oz.
Many runners depend on a mid-run consumption of caffeinated products to maintain their performance. Fortunately for them, running consumable products such as gels, gummies, beans and sports drinks, all have “spiked” options. They usually carry from 25-100 mg per serving. It is key to understand how much a serving is, so you don’t overdose, and thus, end up running for the bushes or with gastrointestinal discomfort.
There is nothing shady or illegal with a mid-run pick-me-upper. Most, if not all professional runners, openly use it. If you are not used to consuming caffeine but still want to reap its benefits with a mid-run pick-up, make sure you start with the smallest dose available, so you know how your body will respond. Once your body gets used to it, then figure out how much is enough. What works best for you, not for your friends.
And then, if you want to enjoy your post-run coffee with your buddies on a Saturday morning, I know of a great Colombian bakery in Dania Beach, Florida, and an amazing running group that I can recommend you.
by Adolfo Salgueiro | Nov 17, 2020 | Article
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
A few weeks ago I read a social media posting by Mike Wardian, one of the ironmen of our sport, stating he was withdrawing his participation in an important race because of piriformis syndrome. My thought was that if this can happen to the king of recovery, a runner who competes every weekend, guy who is out there achieving superhuman feats, what is there left for the rest of us? Mere mortals that are just trying to do our best with what we have.
In his Instagram post from October 18, Wardian wrote: “Pro tip: don’t get Piriformis Syndrome the day before the race you have been looking forward to for years. It is a pain in the arse & literally brought me to my knees. Unfortunately, I need to withdraw from the #bigsbackyardultra so gutted to be unable to participate”.
Because it crosses the sciatic nerve, it can become tight from too much sitting or it come become strained from overuse. The tightness or strain will cause it to compress and rub against the sciatic nerve
The piriformis muscle is a small muscle located deep in the buttock (behind the gluteus maximus). It runs behind the hip joint and aids in the external hip rotation or turning your leg outward. Because it crosses the sciatic nerve, it can become tight from too much sitting or it come become strained from overuse. The tightness or strain will cause it to compress and rub against the sciatic nerve.
According to the Spine-Health website, piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle, located in the buttock region, spasms and causes buttock pain. The piriformis muscle can also irritate the nearby sciatic nerve and cause pain, numbness and tingling along the back of the leg and into the foot (similar to sciatic pain).
In his book “The Athlete’s Book of Home Remedies”, Dr. Jordan Metzl, states the pain is often felt deep inside the buttock muscles and it makes it difficult to sit on the affected buttock.
Diagnosing piriformis syndrome is not an easy task even for the most experienced doctors. According to what I have read, and I am no doctor so please don’t take medical advice from me, there is no specific test for this condition so it is usually diagnosed by eliminating alternative options to the patient’s symptoms or pain.
A home-based stretch and strengthening routine could help prevent a visit to the doctor.
According to Dr. Metzl, many of the interconnected muscles in this region—piriformis, glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings, quads—support one another, and weakness in one area can mess up the works. If you face an unexplained soreness in the deep buttock area, and if the home-based care doesn’t improve your symptoms in a week, or sooner if the pain is severe, he recommends you see a doctor.
My point with this post is that this is an extremely painful condition that can easily sideline you. I have experienced it on a very mild level, and I do not want to know how much worse it can get. If it can bring a badass like Mike Wardian to his knees, it must be a horrible condition. I overcame it very quickly with home stretching and strength exercises. If you are diligent in doing these as soon as you feel a, putting it plainly, deep pain in the ass, you may be able to avoid pain and lost time.
While researching for this blogpost, I found the following video. It is about 6 minutes long and it talks about the differences between piriformis syndrome and sciatica, which need to be treated differently. I found it worth my time.
I also found the following video of five sciatica stretches for piriformis syndrome, which I found interesting, especially because they can be done anywhere and with no specific equipment.
I sincerely hope you never have to use the information in this blog post, but if you ever do need it, I hope you will be able to recognize the issue in its early stages so you are not brought to your knees and you don’t miss any miles.
