Running Tip Roundup

Some quick, useful topics.

Should I put my running shoes in the wash?

This time of year your favorite pair of shoes may be getting a bit fraught with sweat and grime from your summer campaigns.  Maybe you ran a long trail run and got them muddy, dirty and dusty.  How do you clean them?

Guess what?  Most modern running shoes are made out of entirely synthetic materials.  Water and soap isn’t going to hurt them.  Throw them in the wash.  Put them in with the rest of your laundry unless they are super gross.  If you feel they would contaminate your undies throw them in with some old towels.

Before you throw them in take out any orthodics or inserts.  You can take the laces out too if you feel like it, I usually don’t.  Then just set them out in the laundry room on a shelf or hang them by the laces from something to dry.  If it’s a sunny day I’ll put them outside on the porch.  They are synthetic so they will dry quickly.

Don’t ever put them in the dryer.  Don’t use overly-hot water in them.  Just normal laundry conditions.

Won’t it ruin the longevity of the shoe?  No.  I wash my shoes like this every few weeks.  I wear a pair of shoes for 500 miles or so which only takes a couple months of running.  I’m going to wear out a pair of shoes long before a little soapy water gets to them.

What do I do to prevent cramps?

For stomach cramps you need to look at what you’re eating prior to a run.  Really folks this is just self-abuse.  If it gives you stomach cramps stop eating it.  I find that I do best in my hard workouts and races by going in with a relatively empty stomach.  If you’re not fit, no amount of pre-race food is going to make you fit.  Don’t over eat.  Don’t over hydrate.  Just take some form of a  little simple, easily digested nutrition about 90 minutes to an hour before the event and you’ll be fine.

Now leg cramps are a different matter.  Leg cramps are due to your muscles misfiring and spasm-ing.  Why would they do this?  This happens when your nerves misfire.  Your nerves misfire due to dehydration or loss of electrolyte or simply from trauma.

The common cure for leg cramps is to make sure you keep your electrolyte levels up.  I do this by taking Endurolyte capsules, which are salt pills designed for endurance athletes by Hammer Nutrition.  I take them strategically in a long event, typically 1-2 per hour in the event depending on how I feel and how much I’m sweating.  The more you sweat the more salt you lose.

There are other brands of salt tabs you can use.  There are foods, like pickle juice, that have a high sodium content that some endurance athletes use for cramps.  If you’re having leg cramps when competing experiment with some of those foods or supplements and see what works for you.

I have two caveats for this discussion.  First, leg cramps at the end of the day are due to trauma and overuse of the muscles.  Sorry to have to remind you of this, but the best way to mitigate that trauma is to train well and be fit.  All the supplements in the world won’t help if you don’t train well.

Second, cramps can stem from actual physical maladies.  If you’re having problems and can’t figure it out go see a doctor.  It could be something wrong with your body.

What should I eat after my workout or race?

This is something that is probably an opportunity for most people.  When you stumble in the house wet and steaming from that 10 mile tempo run, what do you eat?  Do you think, “Hey, I just worked out now I can have a reward!” and head for the hot wings, beer and ice cream?  Yeah, that’s what I used to do.

The problem there is that right after a workout is a great opportunity to give your body some high quality food that it can use to rebuild with.  The trick is that you should have these foods pre-made and ready to go because when you stumble in the house you’ll be too knackered to make something.

A really good and easy remedy for this is the smoothie.  I’ll give you a recipe.  Get your blender.  Throw in the following.

• A couple cups of almond milk.
• A cup of berries, fresh or frozen.
• A banana
• Any other fruit you have hanging around.
• Grab a couple leaves of spinach or kale

Optional crazy hippy vegan additions

• One scoop vegan protein powder
• Tablespoon flaxseeds
• Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• Active nutritional yeast.
• Liquid Chlorophyll

Top it off with

• Fruit juice
• Some ice cubes

Blend it for a long time.  Not for nuthin but if you drink that after your workout you’ll have super powers by the end of the week.

Should I run a 100 miles?

No.  That’s just stupid and needlessly self-abusive.

Should I run in the rain?

Yes.  Absolutely.  I love running in the rain.  Not in the lightning, but the rain is awesome.

That’s it for now.  Send me your questions, or questions you’ve heard and I’ll do a mail bag section if I get enough.

Cheers,

Chris,