Today we will address what to do after running to fix your pain points and put the brakes on what’s causing your injuries.

If you missed parts 1 and 2, please check them out for context and continuity. They include practices that will help you reduce pain before and during your run.

Post Workout Nutrition

The first thing you should do after every workout is hydrate and refuel.

Refueling within 2 hours after a run with high-quality carbohydrates and proteins is crucial for optimal recovery. This practice helps replenish glycogen stores, supports muscle repair, and enhances overall recovery.

Post Workout Rehabilitation

This may be the most important practice for avoiding injuries. We’ve touched on it in previous episodes, but let’s break it down so that you understand not just what to do, but why.

When you have injuries that lead to chronic muscle or joint problems, it’s because the tissues have not fully returned to their original state. What used to be perfectly aligned muscle fibers are now a tangled mess. This is further complicated by the surrounding fascia tissues, which are in a similar state.

The tissues have healed, but not as they once were. They need to be “remodeled” to return them to as close to their original state as possible. This is a time-consuming process of stretching to the point of plasticity, slightly beyond the tissue breaking point.

Maintaining A Running Journal

The final post-running recommendation is keeping a running journal. The act of recording your workouts is a time-honored practice. It’s a ritual that will ensure your running longevity.

I recommend using an app such as Evernote or Notion that you can access anywhere. You’ll discover what matters to you over time and your entries will evolve to accommodate your needs.

The essentials I record are mileage, overall pace, and weather conditions. Over the years I’ve added average heart-rate to get a sense of my fitness. More recently I’ve added the percentage of time in Zone 2, another fitness indicator you can learn more about in Episode 8.

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Thanks so much for joining me today.

Be safe out there and enjoy your next run!

Everyone wants to run, but many resist the work it takes to run safely. As we age, we must be intentional about movement to keep our bodies in a state of readiness for activity.

Warming Up

Let’s start with warming up. In the previous episode, we discussed a pre-bedtime routine that moves the body before sleeping. This makes the next day’s pre-running routine go that much smoother and faster.

The routine is the same for warming up, but with greater intensity.

Here are the exercises I usually perform. Try them out to find what works best for you.

1. Child's Yoga Pose
2. Supine back twist (lying on back w/knees to chest)
3. Tibialis raise - Video example for #3, #4, #9
4. Calf raise
5. Foam rolling
6. Reverse Table Yoga Pose
7. Sitting in deep squat
8. Sitting on legs (supported as necessary)
9. ATG split squat
10. Cossack squat

Another version of the cossack squat

Naboso Neuro ball for massaging and loosening foot plantar tissues.

Hindu Squat for elevating heart rate and activating muscles for running.

Suported ATG split squat (with yoga block)

Running Drills

Here's a short video on A-skips and other running drills.

Here are skipping drills with emphasis on technique.

Mick Jagger skipping during concerts. It's subtle, so you have to look for it.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe by going to runninglongevitylab.com and clicking on the Follow tab. If you have another minute, please consider leaving a review on Apple to help new listeners find the show. Just click the Rate Podcast tab for that.

Thanks so much for joining me today.

Be safe out there and enjoy your next run!

Since recommitting to road running and racing at age 59, I’ve extensively researched and tested methods for avoiding pain and injuries. As the audience for Running Longevity Lab has grown, I’m often asked for my routine for avoiding injuries. You will get that in this 1st of a 3-part series.

My routine keeps evolving and will likely continue to do so. When I discover something new, I give it a try. I recommend you do the same. Your training is a laboratory of sorts. Use it to find what works best for you.

Pre-Bedtime Routine

Running for most of us is a day-to-day experience. So our preparation is fluid. I’ve discovered dynamic stretching before bedtime produces significant benefits for the next day’s run.

When sleeping our metabolic systems slow down. This allows our body to respond to the day’s training so we can make productive gains.

You want to get fresh blood circulating through your body and activate the systems that flush out debris from the day’s workout. This also reduces inflammation and relaxes the body for sleep.

Here’s a sample of the exercises I usually perform, and typically in this order.

1. Child's Yoga Pose
2. Supine back twist (lying on back w/knees to chest)
3. Tibialis raise - Video example for #3, #4, #9
4. Calf raise
5. Foam rolling
6. Reverse Table Yoga Pose
7. Sitting in deep squat
8. Sitting on legs (supported as necessary)
9. ATG split squat
10. Cossack squat

Suported ATG split squat (with yoga block)

Another version of the cossack squat

If you are enjoying this podcast, I'd appreciate a review on iTunes or Spotify. Just go to runninglongevitylab.com and navigate to the "Rate Show" tab.

If you are enjoying this podcast, I'd appreciate a review on iTunes or Spotify. Just go to runninglongevitylab.com and navigate to the "Rate Show" tab.

If you are beyond 50 years, it’s likely you’ve been taught to perform squats incorrectly. The standard was to never go deeper than legs parallel to the ground. Anything deeper than that was said to “ruin your knees.”

Stopping knee flexion at that pressure point creates unnecessary stress for the knees, lower back, and other joints. Thankfully, more people are discovering that full flexion of all joints is healthy.

During compression, such as squatting, synovial fluid is squeezed out of the cartilage. During decompression, such as standing up from a squat, the fluid is drawn back into the cartilage, bringing with it oxygen, nutrients, and lubrication.

Just about any movement that activates the knees, ankles and hips is going to activate this process. However, the ATG split squat takes this to new levels.

Here is a photo of an Olympic lifter supporting significant weight while set in a deep, single leg split squat. Source: medium.com

And here is a lightly supported ATG split squat. In both examples, the calf is covered by the thigh. This is the measure of a well executed split squat.

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Runners of all ages struggle with committing to strength training. Yet, the time comes when the regular reminders they get from sore ankles, knees, and lower backs pushes them to it.

If I could only do one strength exercise, it would be reverse sled pulls.

Unlike some strength exercises, it’s almost impossible to get hurt. If the weight is too heavy, you cannot pull it, so there’s no risk. A general guide is working up to pulling half of your bodyweight for 15-20 minutes.

Think of backward walking as a light version of sled pulls. You are not pulling any weight but are still working the same muscles that counterbalance the muscles we regularly use for running.

With or without weight, walking in reverse builds muscles that we seldom use, but that counterbalance those that we sometimes overuse when running. Walking and pulling a sled in reverse work muscles and ligaments differently than moving forward, thereby promoting balanced development across our joints.

Resources:

The ATG Equipment List - The reverse sled pull strap is the one I prefer.

Freak Athlete - Source for pull strap and sled.

History of backward sledding

Ben Patrick's story about backward walking benefits

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It’s that time of the year when more of us are likely to encounter hot and humid conditions. My feeling is you should not completely avoid these conditions, because you may encounter them again at an important race. Thus, it’s helpful to learn how you adapt.

In his bestselling book, Why We Run: A Natural History (originally titled Racing The Antelope), author Bernd Heinrich explains why early humans were successful in tracking antelopes that are clearly faster than humans.

Animals with fur have limited cooling capabilities. In contrast, our largest organ is our skin, and its ability to perspire allows us to thermoregulate and stay cool for extended periods of exercise.

Having recently moved to South Florida where heat and humidity are unavoidable this time of the year, I can affirm that over time we can indeed adapt to heat and humidity by following sensible practices.

I've broken these practices into three categories.

1. Staying cool

• Shade
• Clothing
• Hydration & electrolytes

2. Tolerating heat

• Playful exercises
• Segmenting workouts
• Leg cramp supplements

3. Safety

• Sunscreen
• Skin protection supplements
• UV Index

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Enjoy your next run!

When you think about it, everyone has been a runner at some point in their lives.

So, when people say to me, “I’d like to get started running.” What they really mean is getting their current body reacquainted with running after years of being busy with other activities, such as raising a family and building a career.

If there is one truth about running ability, it’s this: Use it or lose it.

This becomes more important as we age. In addition to the loss of fitness and mobility, our metabolic systems naturally decline. This is inevitable, but you can regain much of what you have lost and more. It’s takes time and work, but it’s worth it.

Before we get to how this works, I want you to remember two key points that every runner should respect when they start running again:

1. Blood flow
2. Body Awareness

Blood flow is why you warm up before running. Getting the blood flowing activates all kinds of beneficial processes. Running increases blood flow too, but you need to get it moving first to moderate the transition to running.

Then, do it again after every run. We call this cooling down.

Sometimes you will hear professional runners say their bodies are “accepting” their training. This means they are making gains and experiencing minimal discomfort. The key to this is moving the body before and after every run to move those fluids to where they can do their job.

Body awareness is vital when returning to running. Just focus on being aware of your body and the signals it’s sending you, without judgement. This is known as proprioceptive awareness.

Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense its positions and movements. We discussed this in detail in Episode 4: Proprioception: Your Self-Coaching Friend And Guide

If you are enjoying this podcast, I’d really appreciate a review on iTunes or Spotify. Just go to runninglongevity.com and navigate to the “Rate Show” tab.

Enjoy your next run!