It’s one week after the cold, wet rain permeated the White Rock Marathon. Lots of people, including my mother, have asked me if I caught pneumonia from running “The Rock”?

 

So, does running in the rain make you sick? This is one of those questions that seems to be doomed to getting inconclusive answers forever. Especially when it comes to the opinion of Mom!

 

People usually do get sick more when the weather is rainy. That's because they stay indoors more, and indoors is where cold and flu viruses spread because of increased contact between individuals. On a sunny warm day, everybody goes outdoors, where there is (obviously) more space, better ventilation, and less physical contact with large numbers of other individuals.

 

Catching an infectious disease such as the common cold requires direct exposure to the pathogen (virus). Exposure comes in the form of close contact with an infected individual. Going into cold and rainy weather will not make you sick unless you also get colonized by the pathogen while you're out there.

 

There have been reports that cold temperature itself reduces the effectiveness of our immune system, but even that's not sufficient alone - you'd still need exposure to the virus.

 

Bottom Line:

 

 

"Cold and rainy weather causes virus infections to spread more rapidly than usual" - Fact, due to people staying indoors more and getting exposed

 

Prevention:

 

Wash your hands, stay away from people who are sick, and feel free to run and play in the rain, just like we did last Sunday at the White Rock Marathon. Run Happy....and remember to jump in puddles after the 6th mile when your feet are already soaked!

 

 

Winter has decided to visit North Texas today. Two inches of ice covered by snow, and just in time for the Super Bowl. Time to think about trying to prevent slip and fall injuries. Lots of people fall on ice and snow every year-without serious injury. Not so fortunate were some 16,000 Americans who die each year from falls, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

 

I wonder how many of them were runners? I watched from my window this morning as one of my crazy neighbors fell running on the sidewalk in front of my house. The snow had not even stopped coming down yet! Crazy! Even I ran on the treadmill this morning, and most of my peeps will tell you: I Hate Treadmill Running! Better the treadmill than the emergency room!

 

Falls rival poisoning as the number one home accident in the U.S. The number of injuries or deaths from falls due to winter conditions is not recorded by the NSC. But, safety experts agree that many injuries result from falls on ice-covered surfaces.

Safety Tips

It's important that individuals recognize the hazards of slippery surfaces. Here are helpful hints from winter-safety experts that will reduce the risk of falling when slippery conditions exist:

Wear boots or overshoes with soles. Avoid walking in shoes that have smooth surfaces, which increase the risk of slipping. Trail running shoes are better than your regular road shoes.

 

Run or walk consciously. Be alert to the possibility that you could quickly slip on an unseen patch of ice. Avoid the temptation to run quickly. Run in high alert!

 

Run or walk cautiously. Your arms help keep you balanced, so keep hands out of pockets and avoid carrying anything that may cause you to become off balance. This even means leaving your precious water bottle at home.

 

Run or walk "small." Practice your "Chi" running and throw your center of gravity forward. Avoid an erect, marching posture. Look to see ahead of where you step.

 

When you step on icy areas, take short, shuffling steps, curl your toes under and run or walk as flatfooted as possible.

 

Run where the path has been cleared. Even in your own yard, remove snow immediately before it becomes packed or turns to ice. Keep your porch stoops, steps, walks and driveways free of ice by frequently applying ice melter granules. This is the best way to prevent formation of dangerous ice patches. Don't be stupid like my neighbor and try to run while snow is still flying!

Falling Safely

Even when you practice safe running and walking habits, slipping on ice is sometimes unavoidable. It takes, on average, less than two seconds from the moment you slip until you hit the ground. That's precious little time to react. In that instant, the risk is an injury to your head, a wrist, hip, ankle or shoulder.

 

When falling, it is best to use a tuck-and-roll principle. It's important to tuck your body, lift your head and avoid trying to break the fall with a hand, which can cause a wrist injury. Ask Dr Karpati about her broken wrist from skiing the next time you are in the office. The idea is to make yourself as small as possible by rolling up into a ball.

 

People in North Texas hardly ever think about falling on ice and snow, but serious injuries can occur. If you are a klutz or are planning to spend a lot of time in the cold; following these guidelines may help protect you from serious injury this winter. If it is not a choice to hit the treadmill, practice caution while running in the snow and ice. If you do happen to fall and sprain your ankle or foot, call the office. Help is just a phone call away! And remember, just because you can walk on it doesn’t mean it is not broken.

 

Run Happy and Be Careful! Don't Be a Statistic!

Let’s look at the research. A recent survey of 30 different studies of runners and decreased immune function that may lead to increased upper respiratory infections revealed little agreement from the experts. Yes, they all agree that moderate activity may enhance immune function, but they describe this as brisk walking for 30 to 45 minutes a day. What runner does that little activity? Most studies also agreed that high-intensity exercise temporarily impairs the immune competence. Hence the increased incidence of upper respiratory infections in marathon runner and especially ultra-marathon runners.  

 

Athletes, when compared with their couch potato colleagues, experience higher rate of upper respiratory infections especially in the few weeks after intense training and races. In non-athletes, increasing physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of upper respiratory infections. 

 

This so-called open window of altered immunity is temporary, lasting from three to 72 hours after an intense, prolonged event. Nevertheless, it presents an ideal opportunity to viruses and other invading pathogens, especially those that enter the body through the respiratory system.  

 

Sounds bad, so what can we do to increase our immunity and avoid the runny-nose syndromes?

 

Several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, E, and C, and the minerals zinc and iron, are essential for normal immune function. Vitamins C and E, in particular, are also powerful antioxidants. It has long been known that long-distance running and other endurance events can increase the levels of free radicals—molecules that oxidize and cause damage to cells, including immune cells. The body produces its own antioxidants to counter free radicals and oxidative stress.

 

Many runners, operating under the theory that more of a good thing is better, take vitamin and mineral supplements. And while moderate amounts may very well be beneficial for the active individual, there is little evidence to support taking megadoses, with the possible exception of vitamin C. Some studies found that taking vitamin C (about 600 milligrams/day) for three weeks before an ultramarathon reduced postrace cold symptoms. Other researchers have found that vitamin C supplementation made no difference. Sounds like a multivitamin with extra vitamin C can’t hurt, but may not be our savior! 

 

Should you run when you’re sick? 

 

If you have a cold, most doctors recommend waiting a day or so after your cold symptoms disappear to resume intensive exercise. Mild to moderate exercise (such as walking) when you have a cold is fine. If your illness is more serious—fever, fatigue, muscle aches—you should wait two to four weeks before resuming your training regimen. Like any of us do that! 

Just as intense, extended physical stress can depress certain immune responses, so too can chronic psychological stress and inadequate sleep. So during periods of intense training and before long races, the take-home message is this: keep other life stresses to a minimum if possible. Get enough sleep, avoid rapid weight loss, and eat a healthy diet. Sounds like a no-brainer! 

 

Bottom line: marathon runners are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections. Getting more sleep, decreasing your overall stress and taking a multivitamin with extra vitamin C may help. 

 

In Texas, the saying goes that if you don’t like the weather; wait 5 minutes, it will change. This week alone it’s been 70 degrees and 24 degrees. No wonder the whole world is sniffling. Personally, I hate the cold. I’m a tiny person so I’m very cold intolerant. My bike goes inside on the trainer when the weather hits 40 degrees and I look like an Eskimo running. How do we keep motivated during the winter? Things seem to change for me when it’s cold outside. It seems much harder to get out of bed, much harder to run out the front door and a whole lot harder to finish a long run.

 

In spite of my obvious aversion to cold temperatures, I have trained for years all winter long. In Texas, this means crazy temperature swings. As a teen, in Rhode Island, it meant bitter cold and snow.  In fact, I can remember as a high school cross country runner racing in snow and ice and wearing shorts (like an idiot). Training in the cold can make you tougher, but take some advice and dress for the elements. Thank God they finally invented cold weather gear that does not weigh a ton and make you look like you are ready for skiing, not running!

 

The real goal of cold weather running is to maintain motivation, not get too cold and not get too hot. Easier said then done! One solution to this is to just head indoors and stick to the treadmill. I absolutely despise running on treadmills much more than running in the cold, so unless it’s raining; I’m outside. In addition to the boredom, the repetitive motion of the treadmill can put you at risk for other injuries such as stress fractures. It’s best to have some variety.

 

The key to staying comfortable and cold weather condition is to be prepared for changing temperatures. Dress in layers and don’t be afraid to overdress. Wear a hat and gloves. I even pull out chemical finger warmers if it’s really cold. If it all possible try to run small loops somewhere near your car or a place where you can discard layers if you start to get hot. You don’t want to be nine miles from home and running with hat in hand, sweating with two jackets tied around your waist.

 

If you are overloaded with too many layers, you can just as easily overheat when it’s 30° outside. This will make you nuts because you will lose the energy needed to finish your run, just like a hot day, and you may become soaked with sweat be more prone to thermal injury such as frostbite. As soon as your run is over, do not stand around outside. Immediately change into dry clothing. Your core body temperature will drop precipitously immediately after a run. This is why they always shroud you in a blanket at the finish of a marathon, even when it’s hot outside.

 

Aside for making sure that your temperature is regulated, there are special environmental considerations when running outside in winter. If it happens to snow where you run, you obviously have to watch your step. Be very careful running on ice. Running on snow is easy, but ice will put you on your back before you know it. If you’re lucky it’ll just be an embarrassing fall, but you can get seriously injured this way.

 

Always wear a hat to keep your head warm. This can be a baseball-style cap, but once it gets colder than about 40° however, you will likely have to switch to a knitted cap that will do a better job of keeping your head warm. It likely goes without saying that you should avoid natural materials such as cotton, that retain moisture and can put your risk of getting too cold. Always use synthetic materials.

 

As a general rule, you can get away with shorts or tights and a long sleeve T-shirt when it’s in the 50s. If it drops down into the 40s, you need to add a hat, gloves and an additional layer on top. A vest is a nice addition. Once it gets down into the 30s, it’s better to stick with tights or pants and wear three layers on top, as well as hat and gloves. If you’re brave enough to run when it’s in the 20s, you might also want to wear a jacket on top of your many layers. Unless you really like to torture yourself, or live in Alaska, it’s probably better to just stay inside when the temperature drops into the teens. 

 

Keep in mind, your body can become acclimatized to colder temperatures if exposed to them often. However, for people like most of us who are only rarely exposed to cold temperatures, they’re more likely to be a poor judge of when frostbite or other cold injuries are starting to set in. Use common sense. Texas weather is nutty, so the layered look is a must this time of year!

 

Run Happy! And Bold in the Cold!