Sri Chinmoy Races Blog @ allaboutrunning.net

It is estimated that over 250,000 people suffer Achilles tendon injuries during sports, making it one of the most common sporting injuries. Achilles problems often tend to persistently nag runners for some time after they are first gotten, and so they are something that are best avoided. The pivotal location of the Achilles tendon also means a niggle here can act as a warning system to watch how you're treating your body in general. Here are some tips for prevention and treatment:

Prevention

- The number one safeguard against Achilles injuries is stretching, particularly standing stretches. One common stretch is performed as follows: stand one foot 50cm in front of the other and both facing the same direction, arms by your side, and bend your front knee until you feel a stretch where your leg goes into your foot, so to speak. Before a run, it is advisable to do five minutes light jogging before stretching. Calf and Achilles tendon stiffness are often interrelated so it is no harm doing some calf stretches too while you're at it.

- Running on the beach or other very soft or uneven ground an be a definite source of Achilles problems. Soft ground like grass is ideal to run on, but too soft a surface can cause the heel to sink below the front of the foot when the foot hits the ground and overstretch the Achilles. For most people, these symptoms often go away when one starts running on hard ground the next day, but for habitual Achilles sufferers, it might be a good idea to keep your running on firmer ground.

- One common cause is improper footwear or running on a shoe that has seen too many miles. Check the tread on your shoe regularly for signs of excessi wear, especially on the inside of the foot - this is a sure sign of pronation. Achilles problems often strike those who overpronate excessively - many common running shoes have a pronation block, so be sure to know which ones before you buy. Try to avoid running barefoot if you can - this will exaggerate the pronation and also cause excessive shock to be transmitted to the Achilles area. Achilles problems also tend to affect those who strike the ground with their heel. If you are one of those, make sure you have a well cushioned motion control shoe.

Treatment

- If you get a sudden inflammation of the Achilles, use an ice pack on it for 15 minutes, walk around a little, and apply it again. As well as reducing the inflammation, this can significantly reduce your recovery time.

- Keep stretching and in addition use strengthening exercises - one easy one is to stand on a stair holding on to a rail with only the front of your foot on the step, and raise and lower yourself with your toes.

- A period of rest is usually in order until the symptoms go away - for minor twinges this can be as little as 1 week. You can still keep in shape by swimming or cycling in the meantime.

- If you got an Achilles injury before, the chances are it was because you did too much training, too soon, when your muscles weren't prepared for it. Therefore try not to repeat the same mistake again. Plan out your mileage increases and if you feel a twinge coming, ease back for a couple of days.

- In more serious cases, the tendon might have ruptured rather than be inflamed. It can often be confused with a very bad inflammation, therfore a doctor should be asked to definitively give a diagnosis. Unfortunately in the latter case there are few alternatives aside from plenty of rest, and possibly surgery. Note that the above steps used to treat inflammation will actually exacerbate the rupture, so dont use them.

Ultra distance running is a relatively recently popular sport, but it has a colourful history to match any of the more well-established sporting disciplines, beginning in the late 1860's to the present day.

1867 - 'Pedestrianism', the forerunner of ultrarunning, catches the United States by storm. In 1867, Edward Payson Weston (left) walked from Portland to Chicago in 25 days, captivating the nation. A rivalry quickly developed between Payson and Daniel O'Leary, a recently-immigrated Irish farmer, and this rivalry spurred a series of 6-day races which developed into a "Long-Distance Championship of the World". The events were enormously popular, with huge amounts of money being bet on the outcome, and the participants making as much money in real terms as sports stars today. First the race was a six day walk, but then later the competitors were allowed to run if they wished.

1879 - Fred Hitchborn set a new world six-day record of 565 miles for this event. Hitchborn was probably the first African-Americans to become a popular sporting hero. However his skin colour led to him recieving a lot of intimidation from spectators - the previous year he had captured the Rose Belt title despite being poisoned by a drink handed him by a spectator. In the early 1900's pedestrianism died out, as automobile racing took all the attention and sponsors' and bookmakers' money moved elsewhere.

1921 - The first Comrades Marathon was held in South Africa to commemorate soldiers who died during World War 1. This 90 kilometre long race has now become the world's largest race over marathon distance - such is the interest that the field has to be capped at a limit of 13,000. During the apartheid era, this marathon was notable for being one of the few events where people participated regardless of colour.

1953 - The London to Brighton ultramarathon was inaugurated. The race along a popular car touring route and became quite popular in the fifties and sixties. Among the runners in this race the 1960's was Ted Corbitt, a man who became known as the 'father of modern American ultrarunning' for his pioneering work in organising and measuruing long distance races.

1970's - The 'running boom' and the explosion on participation in marathons begins to spur a resurgence of interest in distances longer than the marathon. In 1973, the 24-hour event was revived and races were held in Italy, South Africa and Great Britain.

1977 - The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team was founded by athlete and philosopher Sri Chinmoy. Over the years it has become the world's largest organiser of ultra races, holding races in over 20 countries.

1982 - A party of British RAF officers embark on a 320km journey to test the feasibility of the original story behind the marathon - could the Greek messenger Pheidippides have really run all the way from the Battle of Marathon to Sparta in only 36 hours? They verified it was indeed feasible. The next year the Spartathlon was born, a yearly race along the historic route. This race marked the arrival of the incomparable Yiannis Kouros (right), who over 20 years has dominated ultrarunning in a manner not seen in any other discipline. In 1983 he won this race 3 hours and 15 minutes ahead of the next runner.

1984 - Yiannis Kouros sets 16 world records at a New York 6-day race, some of which which had lain unbroken since 1888 - the time of the great pedestrian races - smashing the existing records at every time greater than 12 hours. Later that year in the Sri Chinmoy 24 Hour race, he set a new world record of 177 miles, much of it run at a blistering 7 minute mile pace.

1984 - The Cliff Young Australian 6-day race was founded in Colac, Australia. This race is now one of the most popular races on the ultra calendar, and has been the scene for many memorable performances over the years.

1986 - The inauguration of the Marathon des Sables, a seven day race through the Moroccan Sahara. This is considered by many veterans to be one of the toughest events in the world. The race was one of many in which spectacular and gruelling terrain and climate were a major factor. Another noticeable example is the Badwater race in Nevada, which aimed to go from the lowest to the highest point in the continental United States over a distance of 135 miles.

1997 - The longest certified road race in the world, the 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race, is inaugurated by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team. The course record is 42 days, set by Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk of Germany. American Suprabha Beckjord holds the unique position of being the only person to complete all editions of the race to date (as well as the only female competitor)

2004 - Jesper Olsen wins the Colac Six Day Race - what was unusual, was that he did it en route through Australia as he was running around the world. In 2005 Jesper completed his circumnavigation, running 25000km over four continents over a period of 18 months, beginning and ending in London, England.

2005 - Yiannis Kouros continues a record breaking streak that has lasted over 20 years, setting a new 6 day mark. He currently holds records at distances ranging from 100 to 1000 miles and times from 12 hours to 6 days.

Sports drinks are now a multi billion dollar industry, with brands lining up huge advertising campaigns and signing up sports stars in an effort to get the edge on their competitors. However, if you're uneasy about washing down drinks with a long list of laboratory-sounding ingredients, or merely looking for a more natural alternative, there might be a way to fashion an alternative from things that are already in the refrigerator.

Of course there are many scientific studies showing that this or that drink outperforms water or some other drink, but it cannot be denied that a large amount of these drink's recipe for success is the high sugar carbohydrate content, in the form of maltodextrin, fructose glucose or some other form of sugar. This sugar content may provide a burst of energy for a short while, but mentally it also breifly picks you up, which is perhaps more important. On long distance runs, the general wisdom is that the sugar content should be around 4% in order to avoid the body overproducing insulin in response to the sugar intake. Hence a mixture of some kind of fruit juice and water can serve as an effective sports drink. Bearing in mind that fruit juice is also largely water, that would mean roughly a one part juice to two parts water mixture.

Over long periods of exercise, the body needs to replace electrolyte salts that are naturally sweated out, especially potassium; its absence can cause muscle cramping and delayed recovery time after exercise, and indeed many excercise drinks now contain small quantities of potassium. However, orange juice is a very good natural source of potassium, so you will not need to add anything extra to a juice based drink. Those who are running a marathon for distances over four hour will also need to add some source of sodiom to their drink. Some marathon race stations offer dulse seaweed, which has a concentration of all the electrolytes very similar to that found in the human body.

There are now a growing variety of recovery drinks which are usually taken immediately after a prolonged bout of intensive exercise to decrease recovery time. Protein intake is especially important to help any impact-damaged muscles and tendons begin the job of repair and recovery. It is also important to get energy back into the muscles, as well electrolytes to speed up the recovery process. A very simple recovery shake can be fashioned by blending some protein powder, banana and orange juice together - perhaps adding some algae flakes or mineral salts (obtainable in health food stores) for a complete mineral intake. On a cold winter's day, miso soup can also provide much needed protein and electrolytes, as well as putting some heat back into the body.

The use of energy gels is something runners are rarely ambivalent about - many runners swear by them, whilst others see them as taking away from the natural experience of running. Let's take a closer look.

Pros:

• Gels provide a way for your body to take in energy during times of extreme endurance. Many forms of carbohydrate (e.g. glucose) can trigger an insulin production reaction in the body which can result in a feeling of energy loss - this is the mechanism behind the famous 'two o'clock slump' experienced after a big lunchtime meal. However, gels are mostly made up of maltodextrin or some other form of carbohydrate which breaks down very easily in the body and does not cause a sugar overload.
• Many gels also contain the trace minerals your body needs during extended periods of intense stress, like running a marathon. During a race, your body will commonly sweat out large amounts of magnesium and potassium which are needed for muscle function, and gels provide a useful way to replace them.

Cons:

• Can lead to a mental dependency where the runner thinks he can't possibly finish the marathon without knocking back at least one or two gels.
• Some people's stomachs just won't agree with them. If you're generally averse to swallowing non-natural foods, it might be good to give these a miss
• Produces that kind of feeling in the body like you've just had too much sugar. Of course, you might be feeling worse things at the time ....
Pro or con (depending on what way you look at it)
• Many people look to them as a way to 'buy' a marathon when they are not fully trained. This of course carries its own risks, depending on how far short the runner is of the ideal training level for his expected time. Even if you do finish the marathon, expect your recovery period to be much longer than normal. It might be worth considering just running a slower than indended pace instead.

Tips for usage

• If you are planning to take them during a marathon, make sure you have experience of using them during long runs so your body has time to adapt to using them. There have been many cases of people taking gels for the first time during a marathon, reacting badly and having stomach problems. Even if you are used to them, make sure and not to take them at too fast a rate - two per hour is a good benchmark. You might lose more time in toilet stops in the closing stages than you gain during the race.
• Try to space out when you are going to take them. Most gels need to be washed down with a few mouthfuls of water, so one good strategy is to look at a map of the course, find out where the water stops are, and plan to take your gels just before you arrive at one.
• There are also rocket fuel type gels which are good for the last 25 minutes of a race. These can provide a much needed kick, but be sure you really do take them with 25 minutes to go, because you will have very little left in the tank when you're done!

For many people, taking up running or some other sports is always something they've been meaning to do (and indeed make plenty of noise about doing), but often it never gets beyond the intention stage - perhaps we go for a run or two and then the initial impulse fizzles out.

But how can we form a habit that lasts? That's what this article aims to find out:

1. Make a finite time plan

"My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I am too busy." - John Bryant

Often when we make a commitment, we say something vague like "I'm going to take up running..." However, it is often mentally easier to envision making a commitment for a finite time period, such as the next three weeks or thirty days. This has the advantage of turning the commitment into a goal-oriented one, which we can then gear ourselves towards achieving. In a way, we are playing a little trick on our mind when we say this - after three weeks of keeping up a daily running habit, it will in fact become easier to do it than not do it

Far too many good intentions (and not just in running) are ruined by going out there with some unrealistic idea that you have to be as good as everyone else and completely overdoing it. You have to start with an honest appraisal of where you are fitness-wise and then move based on that. If that means you have to start with alternating walking and running then building up your running, then so be it. At the very beginning, you could even alternate your running with a morning walk - the important thing is you get out there! If you are planning to train for a race, remember to have at least two easy days for every hard one, where you take your time and just enjoy being out there.

“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.” - Anonymous

When it's lunchtime, we instinctively head towards the kitchen - similarly, if you build up a habit of running at the same time every day, then there will come a stage where you will feel some kind of inner feeling to pull on your runners at that time. Early morning before breakfast is by far the best time to make this happen, there are no outer work or family distractions, and the outside world has yet to swing into action. Running in the morning also gives a powerful feeling of accomplishment as you sit down to a well-earned breakfast, and you gain a momentum to go on and accomplish other things with your day.

The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another. - J.M. Barrie

A running log can help on quite a few fronts. First, you get to sit down at some stage and think about where and for how long you would like to go, and perhaps come up with some nice ideas for routes. You should put it in a prominent place and mark every run completed with a big red circle: if you see a couple of days go by without circle, then you'll know its time to do something to rescue your precious running habit...

Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose. - Tenessee Williams

Running with a friend is a surefire way to take the drudgery out of running - between chatting and laughing, the run is finished before you realise it! Friends can also be a form of valuable running advice, and point out to you some beautiful running routes you've never been on before...

"No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety" - Publilius Syrus, Roman author, 1st century B.C.

Going out there and doing the same thing every time is a sure fire recipe for mental burnout - which is a shame seeing as there are so many things you can do to very your runs. Between fartlek running, interval training, races and distance running you can ensure that no two days in your running week will be the same. Try and add a spontaneity to your running - perhaps have a day where at each junction you instinctively take the one that appeals to you, or a day where you drive out of town and run in some scenic spot you've always wanted to go.

"We must value at every moment not only what we become but what we are doing in the process of becoming. We cannot separate the effort from the result." - Sri Chinmoy

If you look on running as an ordeal, then you're wasting your time if you hope to keep running in a month's time. When you get out, really try to appreciate it - the chances are that between work and family, it's one of the few occasions in the day you genuinely have for yourself. Take in the surroundings, the feeling of freedom and movement and feel grateful for the chance to be here.

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team member Dipavajan Renner was in Berlin to see the world record, here is his account:

It was a unique experience to stay with these fast runners in the same
hotel, and see how they warm up and how they relax during the days
before the race. To witness their intensity, determination and
concentration which they put into “their” sport is an unforgettable
experience. This year’s field faded into insignificance by the
overwhelming presence of today’s world best Marathon runner, Haile
Gebrselassie from Ethiopia, who has dominated the running world like
nobody else for the last decade.

His declared goal was to break in Berlin the Marathon World Record, which was still held by his close friend Paul Tergat from Kenya.

Before the race, the first thing we noticed was that compared to 2006, when he set a time of 2:05, he was much more calm and relaxed. At the start area all the athletes warmed up and got ready for the race; a few Puerto Ricans strolling by took the opportunity to take a photo with Haile, who happily posed with the “Marathon tourists”.

The start was quite impressive! Over 40.000 runners took off for 42.195k. The top athletes start from the very front, sprinting away with the massive crowd following them! To run a Marathon at World Record pace you have to run the first 100m in 17,7 seconds! This is a real killer pace! After the start we followed the race on the big screen at the finish line. When the last runners passed the starting line, the top runners had already reached the 10k – mark!

When you want to run a very fast race, you need so called “rabbits” to pull you! Haile had five of them: three to pull at the half marathon and two other take over until 30k! Then they usually drop out, as the pace they have to run is extremely fast even for this shorter distance. For example in Berlin the rabbits passed Half Marathon at 62:30 minutes! If a runner is in good shape he will run the second half faster than the first half, but usually the race will be decided only after 35k.

Later on, Haile spoke about how the last 7k was his weak point. A Marathoner needs experience of the long distance; it takes usually a few races to get the right feeling. He especially prepared for Berlin by working on his endurance and not on his speed! He also said that at the Half Marathon point he knew the World Record was possible and at 35k he knew it would be a new record, it was just a question of how much faster than the old one…

At 30k Haile left the rabbits behind and speeded up - the 5k stretch from 35k-40k he ran in under 14:30 minutes, the last 2k even faster!

A enthusiastic crowd cheered him on the last few hundred metres from the Brandenburger gate until the finish line! - a new World Record in 2:04:26!

At the press conference after the race he said he was coming to Berlin to run a 2:03:XX time, which he has trained for. So he apologized for running “only” 2:04:26! Right after the race Paul Tergat called the race director, Mark Milde, to congratulate for the new record. Mark passed the phone on to Haile and the two friends spoke about the record. Haile apologized to Paul for taking the record away, but after all, records are meant to be broken, and he told Paul he can get the record back next year (at the Olympics…).

He also said that when the great Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila ran his World Record in Rome at the Olympics barefoot, he preferred to run without shoes because there where no proper running shoes available that time, but nowadays the situation is different. Proper running gear can help you tremendously. Haile has often spoken of the ispiration he has received from the unforgettable Abebe Bikila, who was the first runner from Africa who demonstrated the incredible potential of African runners.

"In Africa before Bikila, there were no successful runners, and most of us didn't believe there ever would be.", recalled Haile in an interview he gave for TIME Magazine last year. "Now there are thousands of us, winning races all over the world, setting new standards and breaking records...After Bikila won the Olympic marathon in Rome in 1960, we Africans all started thinking: "Look — he is one of us. If he can do it, we can do the same." ...If it weren't for him, I would still be a farmer in the hills of Arsi. But because of Abebe Bikila I'm trying to win an Olympic marathon, just like him."

Haile said first there was only the Marathon distance when he came to Addis Ababa to start running, so as a young boy he achieved a 2:48:00 Marathon time. It was only later on that he started a track career. But ultimately two of his goals were the World Record and the Olympic gold medal in Marathon. He has certainly achieved the first goal - as for the second, I think we can expect a great race at the Olympics in Beijing 2008!

Proper hydration has long been an acknowledged factor in how well you perform during a race, and how much you enjoy it! As it with many things in life, however, it's not about how much, but when and how you do it. Lets take a closer look.

1. Get into a regular schedule

Many people think proper hydration is all about downing gallons of water immediately before a race, without paying any attention to water during your normal daily schedule. However, your pre-race hydration is much more effective if your body is already used to having lots of water every day. It is very tempting to recite the oft-repeated '8 cups a day rule here' - it is a very good guideline, but the truth is you have to see what your body needs. You can drink a variety of fluids to avoid that feeling of drinking something you don't really want - juices, herbal teas ect.

Try to cut down on caffeinated products which act as a diuretic and deplete your water supply - switch to decaf tea or coffee or a substitute such as rooibos tea.

2. Practice in training what you'll do in the race.

The fact is there is far from a uniform consensus on how much water we should drink during a race. In the past few years, the problem of hyponatremia (low sodium levels caused by drinking too much water during a long race) has come to light, and put paid to the notion that 'you can never drink too much water'. Some authorities on the subject believe thirst is a reliable indicator of whether you need water or not, others believe thirst always comes too late and you should go by a set amount every so often (e.g 250ml every 15 minutes has been suggested).

With such varying opinions, the best thing for a runner to do is to fall back on the old reliable - listening to their body. Experiment during training with drinking whilst thirsty one day, experiment with drinking set amounts every so often another day. Scan yourself for signs of fatigue, crankiness, unclear thinking (especially during a long training run) which may be a result of dehydration - and see if extra fluid intake alleviates those symptoms. Weigh yourself just before and just after a run - if you weigh more afterwards, you are overdoing it.

3. The most important time is the day before

The 24 hours before the race is by far the most important time to get the water in; space your fluid intake throughout the day. Drinking large quantities of water just before a race is very rarely helpful, and indeed often leads to the inconvenience of a mid-race bathroom stop. Your serious drinking should have largely stopped 2 hours before the race; it's sips from then on in.

4. On race day: little by little

For short races like 10K, a mouthful or two of water at the halfway point should be enough if you have hydrated well before the race - anything else will just slow you down! For longer races such as the marathon, carbonated drinks can be a big help to restore depleted glycogen levels in the body. Try not to have these drinks too sugary - around 4-5% sugars is the recommended value.

The above-mentioned problem of hyponatraemia will only really come into play if you are out there on the course for over 4 hours: just make sure you are not drinking more fluids than you are sweating out (weighing during training can be a very reliable indicator of this) and combine your drinking with elecrolytes that contain sodium. (Note: Hyponatremia only seems to result from drinking too much during a race, not before or after)

5. Post-race hydration

Your post race fluid intake is an opportunity to get some glucose into the muscles and electrolytes back into the system. Ideally, a good post-race drink should also contain some protein to help with muscle repair. There are specialist recovery drinks to cater for all three needs, however you can also make your own with the aid of a blender - you can't go wrong with a mix of juice, bananas and protein powder. Miso soup is also good for protein and electrolytes. Try to get these drinks into your system as soon after you stop as possible - as a friend and fellow Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team Member, Tarit Stott, once told me: Recovery starts from the moment you finish!