By Jeff Taylor-Haas, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Physical Therapist, Researcher, Runner, and Lead Clinician for the Runner’s Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

As we begin to start thinking about training for the youth program events, here are some keys to make winter and spring training more enjoyable!

• Slow and steady wins the race!  Encourage your children to slowly build up from walking, to run-walking, to running with few/no rest breaks.  This gradual build-up allows your child’s muscles, tendons, and bones to gradually get used to regular running.  Remember, regularly doing a little bit is better than having significant “peaks” in training volume/intensity followed by long “valleys” of no training.
• Create a visual training calendar at home.  Hanging a training calendar on the refrigerator or in the family room can be a fun way for your child to demonstrate his/her training progress.  Marking off the miles leading up to the 26th mile/their goal race can be a regular source of conversation and encouragement for your child.
• Make it fun!  Running is better with friends and family! Meet up and train with classmates, neighbors, friends, and/or family members.  Mix up fun games into your child’s training.  Games such as “capture the flag,” “sharks and minnows,” “tag,” “shirt color runs” and relay races turn training workouts into fun games. 
• Go on an Adventure Run!  Whether it is driving to a park, trail, track, or the river front it can be fun to break up your training by running in a new location.  A change of scenery not only stimulates your senses but also leads to great conversation.  Do this every few weeks to explore your hometown.
• Shoes & Attire: Keep it Simple.  A nice, comfortable pair of athletic or running shoes, weather-appropriate running attire, and a safe, well-lit place to run are the necessities you need to get your child running.  When it is cold it is especially important that children wear gloves and hats to stay comfortable.  Dressing in layers can be helpful to avoid getting too hot/cold on the run.
• Set Goals & Celebrate Milestones.  Finally, training several weeks or months for a race can seem very daunting to many, particularly children.  As your child completes each training milestone find a way to celebrate his or her accomplishments.  A card, hand-written note, prize, or special time with a loved one can really help keep your child energized and on-track to complete his or her training.

By Jeff Taylor-Haas, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Physical Therapist, Researcher, Runner, & Lead Clinician for The Runner’s Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

There are so many reasons to run!  First, it doesn’t take much time.  Put on your athletic clothes and your running shoes and your ready to go.  No need to drive to a gym.  Second, it is relatively inexpensive.  Other than running shoes there is no fancy equipment needed.  Third, running is an incredibly healthy activity!  From the obvious cardiovascular benefits to the more subtle benefits for our minds and spirit, running touches nearly every aspect of our physical and mental well-being.  But for most who take up the sport, running is just fun!  And the best way for it to continue to be a fun activity is to stay injury-free.  One way to help increase your joy of healthy running is to do some simple and enjoyable running-specific strength training.  These exercises can be done in less than 15 minutes and will target key muscles across your entire body.

• Chair Squats.  This exercise helps to strengthen your thigh muscles and your glute muscles.  Place a sturdy chair (one without wheels) behind you.  Begin in a standing upright position about 2-3 inches in front of the chair.  Place your arms straight out in front of you and slowly lower yourself into a squatting position, bending at your hips and knees, until you lightly touch the chair.  Return to the starting position and repeat.  Tip—make sure to maintain your balance during the exercise.  Do not let your knees touch and do not let your knees bend forward past your toes.  Try 10 repetitions.  Take a 30-60 second break and complete a second set of 10 repetitions.  As this gets easier, try to hold weights in your hands.  A full milk jug is about 8 pounds.  Slowly increase your reps, sets, and resistance to build your strength.
• Front planks.  This exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles. Begin lying on your front, propped up on your elbows.  Lift your hips and legs up into a plank position, keeping your elbows directly under your shoulders and your back straight.  Hold this position.  Tip—make sure to keep your back straight and avoid holding your breath.  Hold for 10-30 seconds.  Take a 30 second break and repeat 3-6 times. 
• Standing Single Leg Heel Raise.  This exercise strengthens your calf muscles.  Begin in a standing upright position with your hands resting on a sturdy counter or chair in front of you.  Lift one foot off the ground to balance on your other foot.  When you are balanced, slowly raise your heel off the ground as high as you can comfortably go, then lower it back down slowly and repeat.  Tip—try to just use the sturdy counter/chair for balance and avoid pushing up with your hands.  Try 10-15 repetitions.  Take a 30 second break and complete 1-2 more sets of 10-15 repetitions.  Do this on both legs.  As this gets easier, you can add reps and sets.  For the advanced athlete, put on a backpack and place books or weights in it for added resistance.
• Heel Walking/Toe Walking.  This exercise strengthens your shin and foot muscles.  Heel walking. Begin in a standing upright position.  Lift your toes off the ground.  Keeping your toes raised, walk forward on your heels.  Walk in this manner for approximately 30-40 feet.  Now, switch to toe walking.  To do this, lift both heels off the ground and walk forward on your toes keeping your knees straight.  Walk in this manner for approximately 30-40 feet.  Perform 2-3 repetitions of each walking pattern. 

These exercises can be done alone but are best done either with a partner or in a group setting.  Perform these exercises after you run but before you completely cool down.  You can slowly progress these exercises by carefully adding more repetitions/sets/time to each exercise.  Please note—it is best when starting an exercise program to do a little less and then gradually increase your workload.  As always, if you have pain or discomfort with these exercises beyond a reasonable amount discontinue them and reach out to a physical therapist or sports medicine physician for advice. 

By Jeff Taylor-Haas, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Physical Therapist, Researcher, Runner, & Lead Clinician for The Runner’s Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

With the Flying Pig just weeks away, here are training tips to ensure you are fit, healthy, and ready for the race weekend!

• Training: A key principle is to avoid trying to make up for lost time.  If you have not been able to train as much as you had hoped for it is important to avoid trying to “make-up” for lost training time.  Unfortunately, our bodies do not like it when we try to “jump start” our training with a significant bump in training distance, speed, or frequency.  Rather, assess your current training and try to gradually increase your running reasonably.  A good rule of thumb is not increasing your training volume more than 10%-15% per week.  If the gap between your training and goal race is large, consider modifying your goal race or goal race pace. 
• Practice Makes Perfect: If you have never run a road race before, thinking about your upcoming race may fuel you with a mix of excitement and apprehension.  The best antidote is preparation!  If most of your running has been inside, try running outside.  If you have been doing a run-walk program but are hoping to run your entire race, try running one or two of your runs per week as an “all running” effort.  If you have never run in a large crowd before, consider joining a local 5K prior to the Pig.  The more you practice the more at ease you will feel come race day.
• Listen to Your Body: Many running injuries occur when runners don’t listen to the little voice in their head that says, “that doesn’t feel quite right.”  The earlier a running injury is diagnosed and treated the faster a runner can get back to their training program.  In fact, most injuries do not require a runner to completely stop running.  Keeping that in mind, if you think you might be injured do not hesitate to see one of our pediatric sports medicine physicians at any of our convenient outpatient locations.  They’re expertise in providing individualized care for your runner is second-to-none!
• Cross Train: Did you know that cross training is not just for injured athletes?  What is cross training?  It is any exercise, other than running, that serves to supplement your strength and running fitness.  Activities such as swimming, biking, lifting weights, or even free play can serve as excellent forms of cross training.  In addition to adding fitness, cross training helps to break up the monotony of regular running.  Cross training is a great way to add fitness—think about starting today!

For those who have been training for several months or those who are kicking their training up a notch, know that the end is in sight!  As you train, keep your goals in mind to help you stay on track. And as always, if you are having pain with running that isn’t going away with rest do not hesitate to see one of our pediatric sports medicine physicians!