Hot running is here again this summer. A little too soon for me! It’s 80 degrees at 6:30am, 100 degrees by 1pm; and let’s face it: it’s really hard to get motivated to run!

 

Goals are important during the summer training months. When you look at your calendar and see the races you have penciled in, getting out of bed is a lot easier. Pick a race in the fall and enter! I have already entered the Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains in October and the White Rock Marathon in December. The power of the race calendar gets me motivated to get the workouts done on these hot, hot days.

 

I also encourage everyone to try to get their workouts in either early in the morning or inside at the gym in the afternoon. Ozone is so high during the afternoon hours and poor air quality warnings abound this time of year. No reason to stress your upper respiratory system; do it early or do it inside!

 

Just a few tips to keep yourself safe this summer while running in the heat:

 

 

 

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!

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!