Category: Beginners

IT band syndrome – what is it and how you recover?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Have you ever been on a run, and started to feel an ache down the outside of your thigh? And has the pain got steadily worse – usually by the side of your knee – until you can’t run any more? If so, then there’s a good chance you’ve fallen victim to IT band syndrome. It’s an incredibly common complaint among runners – both amateur and experienced – but it can side line you for weeks at a time if you don’t pick it up early.

A problem area

So, first things first – what on earth is your IT band, and what happens when things go wrong? Well, the iliotibial (IT) band is the long length of ligament that runs all the way down the outside of your thigh from your hip to your shin. The IT band attaches to your knee and helps to keep it stable as it moves – but it can sometimes become tight or inflamed.

There are a few things that can cause this – running up and down hills, running on surfaces that are banked, causing your foot to turn inwards, or just overdoing it. The key is to make sure you rest as soon as you start feeling the ache on the side of your knee – either a complete break for a few days or just fewer miles. In terms of treatment, rest, foam rollering the IT band or deep tissue massage is recommended.

Avoiding the problem

Luckily, there are also a few ways to avoid getting it in the first place – don’t run on concrete, banked surfaces or on hills (where possible, for a while at least).  Another tip I’ve heard is to run in the middle of the road, where you’re not running with your foot banked on the camber for miles, but obviously this carries its own risks, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

The best piece of advice I can give is to warm up properly – a good walk before you run always does the trick – and don’t try and run through the pain if it does happen to you.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Learning to breathe – techniques for running

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I freely admit that for many years – probably like most runners – I didn’t give too much thought to my breathing. Breathing was just something you did without thinking – a necessary function of getting the oxygen you need into your body in order to get to the finish line.

But in recent years I’ve become much more interested in watching my breathing – not least through the breathing techniques that are at the heart of a lot of meditation practice. Having an increased awareness of how I’m breathing, and simply focusing on my in breaths and out breaths, has really helped me to clear my head when I’m out on the road.

Reducing injury

There are also ways in which, unlikely as it may seem, breathing can help to reduce your chances of injury. Impact stress – in other words the stress your landing foot is suffering each time it hits the ground – is at its greatest at the beginning of an exhalation. This is because as you breath out, your muscles – in particular your diaphragm – relax, making it more likely that you’ll injure yourself at this point. Do this repeatedly – by landing on the same foot at the beginning of an exhalation – and you’re storing up trouble. The answer is rhythmic breathing.

Odd-even

This involves having a longer inhale than exhale, breaking the pattern of inhaling and exhaling on the same foot strike. Another important step is to practice breathing from your belly rather than your chest – allowing your lungs to fill with as much oxygen as possible. I’d recommend a pattern of inhaling for three steps and exhaling for two – a good tip is to start by practicing the floor, then walk, and then gradually speed up.

Breathing properly is central to our wellbeing – and a fundamental part of becoming a better runner – so I’d recommend giving the rhythmic technique a go.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Running: How to warm up properly

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve told the same thing by experienced runners: ‘just make sure you warm up properly’. It’s probably the number one rule that we should all follow – but how many of us can honestly say we actually do it? And I don’t mean do it half-heartedly (for years I used to jog on the spot for ten seconds, windmill my arms and take a few big breaths and think I was ready for a marathon). I mean really warm up. Just as with any aspect of running, doing it properly is a skill that you need to learn, and then apply consistently in order to see any benefit.

And believe me, it is worth it – here are just a few good reasons why warming up properly so essential:

  • It reduces the risk of setting off too fast, burning out and not getting through your run
  • It warms up your muscles and your joints, reducing the chance of injury.
  • It gets your heart beating, but in a gradual way that will prepare your body properly for a sustained effort.

My personal warm up

So what’s my warm up routine? Here’s what I always recommend whenever people ask me how I get ready for a run:

Do some dynamic stretches (10 each):

  1. Hip Flexor Stretch

Stand up straight and flex your hip and knee – bringing your right knee towards your chest and swinging your left arm forward. Lower and repeat on the other leg.

  1. Plantar Flexor Stretch

Hands on hips, raise your right foot up slightly, keeping your knee straight. Flex your foot with your toes pointing upwards. Repeat with the other foot.

Then just walk.

Yes, walk. Taking a five-minute walk can make the perfect transition between relative inactivity and running. It will get the blood pumping to all of the same places you’ll need on your run, and also provides you with some vital headspace before your get going.

So next time park 5 minutes away from the start line, and build a walk into your pre-run routine.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Running with a disability – getting started

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Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

One of the most inspiring aspects of taking part in an organised race is seeing the huge diversity of people taking part – you’ll find yourself running alongside competitors of all ages and abilities. Running is a sport that open to all – and the options for athletes with disabilities are varied.

RaceRunning

One great option for keen runners who rely on sports aids for mobility and balance is RaceRunning – a new sport that uses a three-wheeled frame to support the athlete. You move forward by pushing against the frame with your feet while steering with your hands or arms. It’s a fantastic way for people with even the most limited movement to be able to experience the joy of running.

Guide Running

If you have a visual impairment you might already have considered taking on the challenge of a run with a guide runner. For totally blind athletes, that first run can sometimes be a disorientating and difficult experience – but your body and brain will soon adjust to the experience and you will learn to work with your guide to let them know how you’re feeling.

Competing with a guide runner is in many ways a real team effort – so talk to them, explain how much sight you have, and also be honest with them about the pace you’re comfortable going at. The only final thing to remember is to make sure you cross the line first – if your guide runner goes before you then you’ll both be disqualified!

A positive effect

Running is also just an incredibly therapeutic activity, whether you have a disability or not – as I’ve discussed in another post, it is a great way to lift your mood, build confidence and just clear the mind.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Finding your ideal running distance

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Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I distinctly remember two races I ran as a teenager. The first was an 800m: I recall running harder and faster than I’d ever run before. I also remember people quickly passing me, and I soon trailed in last. The other race was a 5,000m, and I remember the feeling of entering the finishing straight on the shoulder of the runner in first place, certain that I had enough energy to take me across the line as a winner. I did – and I knew I had found my distance at last.

So, how do you find yours? Most of us who have run for a while probably have developed a rough idea of what distance suits us best. This is the gut instinct route – how far do you actually like to run? Here’s what Steve Plasencia, from the University of Minnesota has to say on the matter of picking your optimum distance –

Follow your gut

“Certainly, there is a scientific method involved to some degree, as a 5K runner is genetically different from a marathoner, but there’s not much difference between the 5K and 10K runner. So, to some degree it boils down to what the runner likes. The distance where you feel the most comfortable plays a major factor. Do you like the long runs? Can you stay focused for that long a time or are the shorter runs better suited for you?”

A more scientific approach

If you’re feeling a little short changed by that answer, then you might be pleased to hear that there are also more scientific routes to finding your ideal race. Race time equivalent charts – that predict likely finishing times for longer distance races based on the performance in shorter races (or vice versa) – are a good place to start.

Look as well at how you’re physically put together – ideally, sprinters are tall with a muscular, slim lower legs and narrow hips (think Usain Bolt), middle distance runners have plenty of stamina but are more than capable of high speed, while long distance runners are lean and lightweight with slim bodies and legs.

I believe there’s a perfect distance out there for everyone – so go out and find it!

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Upcoming running trends to look out for

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I’m often asked about what I think will be the next big thing in running. Running is a strange sport in this sense – in its purest form, it is just a simple, ancient activity that essentially hasn’t changed much since humans first stood on their hind legs.

But in many other ways it’s hard to think of a sport that has done more to influence so many aspects of our lives – from its impact on fashion, in terms of the latest trainers and the advanced breathable materials we wear, through to the changing obsessions that periodically grip the sport itself – with everything from ultra running to obstacle races like Tough Mudder. It is a sport that is literally always on the move.

So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the new directions that running might be heading in over the coming year.

Time to get social

For those of you who don’t like to run alone – good news. Just like pretty much every other area of our lives, running is getting increasingly social. Runners are great at building a strong community and now it’s becoming easier than ever before to organise and bring together like-minded people for a shared experience.

Retail reality bites

Retailers are using social media in increasingly smart ways to target groups who they know will love their products, and this is a particularly powerful phenomenon in the world of running. Of course fashion has always been important to runners, but now with our increasingly connected digital networks and the distance between customers and retailers getting ever shorter via social media, new styles and sub cultures will multiply rapidly.

It’s all about the shoe

I’ve talked before about the idea of having multiple shoes to suit the running you’re doing – whether they’re trail shoes for off road, winter running shoes, barefoot running shoes or those special shoes that you only put on for competitions. This is another trend that will only increase in the coming years, with retailers and runners creating a perfect storm of supply and demand.

So, running moves on, as it always will. Whether you want to follow the herd – or run your own race – well, that is entirely up to you!

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Is joining a running club right for you?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I prefer to run alone. I’m a runner who enjoys the peace and quiet, and the opportunity to step out of daily life for a while as I exercise. And if I’m honest, I also find it difficult to talk while I run – I like to push myself as much as possible, and sometimes the effort often means holding a sensible conversation can be a challenge!

A shared experience

But I know that for many people, running is a social experience – or at least they would like it to be. I’ve been in races and run in charity events before where I’ve passed old friends (and new) chatting together for the whole length of the course, using the event as an opportunity to catch up. I’ve seen families out running together, using the time out on the course as a chance to reconnect and to spend the kind of quality time with each other that isn’t always easy in our modern world.

However, we don’t all have families and friends who are willing (or able) to join us on our runs. So, what are the alternatives?

Is a running club for you?

The first and most obvious option is to join a local running club. There are thousands around the country and you’ll find your nearest with a quick Google search. But why bother? Well, of course you’ll get to meet other runners and have a bit of company out on the road. But you’ll also get more variety built into your training schedule and perhaps begin to see yourself as more serious and committed runner than you did when it was simply a lone pursuit.

A collective approach

The example of a group of runners in New York offers an alternative to joining a formal running club – simply forming your own collective of friends to run with you regularly, with a loose approach to creating routes and the emphasis firmly on seeing the area where you live through different eyes. “It became, ‘let’s run where nobody else does and see things that nobody will’,” says Mike Saes of the New York Bridge Runners collective. “That’s always been my trick to running — the visuals.”

Another option – a kind of halfway house between informally running with friends and joining a running club – is to head along to a Parkrun. I’ll be focusing on these in another post soon.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

Five insightful books about running

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Looking for the perfect present for a runner in your life? Or maybe you enjoy curling up with a good book after a hard race – either way, here’s a quick run down of some of the best books on running out there.

  1. Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn

In the world of distance running, the Kenyans are something truly special. In order to find out exactly what their secret is, Adharanand Finn decided to head out to Iten in Kenya to meet some of the greatest runners in the world.

  1. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

As strangely gentle and meditative as you’d expect from Murakami, this account of a life spent on the road is beautifully written. He’s a brilliant writer and draws plenty of parallels between the business of running and the business of writing.

  1. Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-Runners, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

Christopher McDougall dives headlong into the world of ultra running, meeting everyone from tribes of Mexican Indians to the researchers working in laboratories for Nike and Harvard University.

  1. Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

For many people, the benefits they gain from running are about much more than just the physical effect it has on their bodies. In this book the author takes a look at how running can be a complement to practices such as meditation.

  1. Feet in the Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession by Richard Askwith

If you’ve ever looked at mountain and felt the urge to run to the top and back, then Richard Askwith’s passionate story of fell runners is for you. It’s a beautifully written portrait of this most unusual of sports.

Happy reading – and until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

Runners, it’s time to love your feet too!

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

We’ve all been there – finally sitting down at the end of a long run, we pull off our socks and trainers and gently nurse our hot and throbbing feet, and wonder why on earth they hurt so much. Whether it’s blisters or pinched nerves, bruises or skin infections, we only ever seem to give our feet the love and attention they deserve when they really start to hurt.

On the front line

This is clearly far too late – especially when you consider the fact that when it comes to running, our feet are well and truly on the front line. Everything starts with your feet. They are the base that you build your entire running technique upon and when they are suffering, the rest of you suffers too. Injuries to your feet – the second most common site of problems after the knee – can affect your entire body, from your shins to your knees, and your hips to your back.

Time to focus on our feet

So, think about the amount of attention you pay to the rest of your body – whether it’s by making sure we’re warming up properly to drinking plenty of water or eating the right meals pre-race – and start giving the same consideration to preparing and caring for your feet. Here are three quick suggestions think about.

  1. The right shoes

The most obvious point (at least to anyone who has ever run any distance in the wrong shoes) is that you must have the right shoes for your feet and the terrain you’re planning to cover. Skip the general sports stores and head for your local specialist running shop – there should be an expert there who knows how to fit shoes properly and who will make sure your feet find their perfect partner.

  1. The right socks

It seems sock technology has advanced almost as much in recent years as it has for shoes, and you should no longer be satisfied with wearing just any old sock for your run. Getting the right pair of specially formed acrylic socks can dramatically increase your chances of avoiding blisters, as well as keeping your feet cool and healthy.

  1. The ice treatment

Our feet get hot when we go for a run – it’s perfectly natural – but sometimes this can be very uncomfortable, particularly if they swell up. Soak your feet in a bucket of ice water to calm them down (if you can stand it – use a cold hose if you can’t) – although don’t risk frostbite by exposing them to ice for longer than 20 minutes.

Seek advice

Finally, if you have problems with your feet that just aren’t going away, go and see a professional. Find out who has a good reputation among your fellow runners, and give your feet a treat for once. They’ll thank you for it.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

The Importance of Recovery for Runners

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

For those of you who took part in the recent London Marathon, this article will be about a subject that is probably very close to your heart at the moment: the importance of recovery. It’s a vital part of our running lifestyle – not just in terms of giving yourself a chance to recover from a big race, but also a fundamental element of your preparation and training. So firstly, what do we mean by recovery, and is it really that important?

The right kind of rest

One thing to make clear straight away – by rest and recovery, I don’t mean doing nothing. When your body is used to daily activity, doing nothing at all isn’t a healthy option. Instead, these rest days are for staying moderately active, by taking a walk, doing some stretches or going for a swim. Strength training is also a great option that really complements the miles you’re putting in on the road during the rest of the week.

The rest days you build into your training programme serve a number of functions. Firstly, it’s simply to let your body recover – a really important benefit to remember if you want to avoid the injuries that come with overtraining.

Building on your training

These days are also a chance to bed in the training you’ve during the rest of the week. What do I mean by this? Well, many of the gains you make in terms of fitness and performance in fact occur on the rest days – so your time away from pounding the pavement actually improves the quality of the training you do on the other days and ultimately improves your performance.

A healthy mindset

Another important aspect of taking a rest day – whether those that form a part of your training regime or that come in the days following a big event – is that they’re a great way to avoid mental burnout. By giving your body some time off, you’re also allowing yourself some vital headspace away from running.

My advice is to bring the same level of discipline and focus on the days when you don’t run as on the days when you do – your body will thank you for it.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.