Barefoot Running... But Not Where you Think

     All over the news lately is a new trend called barefoot running. The obvious definition- running in bare feet.  I have been intrigued by this new phenomenon and I do like to follow new trends. I consider myself a trendy chick for a forty something, well sort of. Anyway, I looked at some interesting web-sites and while intrigued, I still was not inspired enough the other morning when I went out on my deck to inspect the great outdoors to discover the outside temperature of 13 degrees Fahrenheit or -10.5 Celsius. I immediately ran back inside, barefoot, right to my computer to learn more.
     I spent the morning surfing and learning about the Vibram Five Fingers shoe especially made for this,"barefoot running," at eighty bucks a pop I wondered why I'd bother with these since the trend is without them. I read more about the folks out there who are purists and really prefer wearing nothing on their feet at all and about a guy whose done one hundred marathons barefoot. Humm. What's a girl to do when she wants to try a new trend? I decided to wait for the spring to attempt running sans shoes outside. I packed my bag and off I went to do some barefoot running of my own; on the HydroWorx treadmill.
     A perfect and safe environment for barefoot running is on the underwater treadmill at HydroWorx. I'm in my swim suit too and barefoot and as carefree as a pregnant woman. Okay so maybe I should save the stand-up for the spring too, but the warmth of the water and safety of the underwater treadmill came through again. I'm still on trend, but I am not going to have to shock my feet into understanding why I am running without shoes. The underwater treadmill leaves me weightless and therefore my feet are not taking the pounding they would barefoot on a road or trail. I am still carefree and running; just safe and pain-free.
    While running barefoot I decided to do intervals. Anyone who runs knows the importance of interval training and while I am an older athlete, my speed is probably not going to improve greatly at this point, it is still something that I incorporate into my workouts rather than doing the same old run at the same old speed. Repeats or intervals are something that I normally do on a track or on the pavement. The last time I did intervals was with my friend Fran, the crazy, mountain- trail racer. I was miserable because we did them running on the road and by the fifth one I could feel my feet hitting the pavement, this was with a very cushioned shoe; imagine without shoes.
     The underwater treadmill was perfect for an interval workout and fun. I warmed up by running at about 6mph for about ten minutes. Then I alternated speeds, and to make things even more fun, I added the resistance jets on the pool, making it feel like you are running uphill. I ran at about 6.5 mph for about one minute fifteen seconds and then keeping the same speed, added the resistance jets at about 75% for about a minute. I did ten of these. After about thirty minutes I switched to straight running at 6.5 mph and then did a cool down at about 6mph for the last ten minutes.
      I was completely distracted during the intervals because I was looking at my watch for time and constantly changing the resistance jets; this made the workout fly by and it made it fun for me because I was changing my routine a bit. Distraction is something that I have become very good at being an endurance athlete. I break my workout into chunks of time rather than thinking of the whole session. That's exactly how I get through a triathlon; I think of each piece of the race and then I move onto the next portion. If I thought of the whole distance I would never make it.
     Because I was barefoot, I could also watch my form. I could see my feet hitting the treadmill underneath me and fix corrections if my feet were not properly aligned. If you are an under or over pronator this would be valuable to you because you can literally see what your feet are doing. Unlike the repeats that I did the week before on the road, my feet did not hurt. In fact my legs were not sore either and usually the day after repeats I want a low impact workout of some type. I went downhill skiing that night after my workout in the HydroWorx pool and felt great. My butt would have been in a hot tub and to bed early if I had been out on the road.
     I think I might buy a pair of those Vibram Five Finger shoes; but I'll save them for my next,"barefoot," session on the HydroWorx underwater treadmill.  For more information on hydrotherapy go to http://www.hydroworx.com/.

Tri-on Friends,
Kelly  

Post Recovery Workout in the HydroWorx Pool

     Much has been written about how much time you need to recover after an endurance event. Whether you are a triathlete, marathoner, 5 or 10k runner, recovery is as important as your training, without a good recovery program you risk injury. I have read articles in Runner's World that said to take a week off after a marathon.After my Half Ironman, I decided to follow this plan, after all I covered 70.3 miles, the equivalent of two marathons.
     After a week off I was ready to get back into my training. I wanted to do two post recovery workouts and compare them to see which felt better. The first workout back was on a regular treadmill at the Y. I did an hour run at moderate speed with no inclines. I felt pretty good until about mile three and the soreness in my quads and IT bands returned from my Half Ironman. I got through it and felt a bit fatigued after, but I expected some soreness because it was my first workout back.
     The very next day, I decided to run again, but on the underwater treadmill in the Hydroworx pool to see if I felt any difference. I did an hour of running on the HydroWorx pool and almost immediately felt a difference.The warmth of the water helped ease my muscle soreness upon entering the pool. I ran for the first half hour without the resistance jets on and felt great; no soreness in my quads or IT bands, like I had the previous day on the regular treadmill. I decided to add the resistance jets for the second half hour.Again, I felt no fatigue on those areas that had bothered me. I did feel a bit tired ,as the resistance jets do make the workout more challenging, but no pain. I alternated speed and the resistance jets for the rest of the session and felt great.
      When I was finished running I turned the resistance jets on the highest setting and let the water blast my quads and instantly felt those muscles loosen. Once again the HydroWorx pool really came through for me. I covered the same distance as I had the day before on the regular treadmill, but without any pain or soreness.
     The power of working out in water is so significant, and as I've said before, the HydroWorx pool will now become a regular part of my training.
     No matter what your time off is after an event, the most important thing to do is listen to your body and start back small with your training. Sleep is key as well. I make sure I get to bed earlier and get at least nine hours each night after an event. Stay hydrated and drink lots of water and recovery drinks. I'm a fan of just some watered down Gatorade. Have some balanced meals that include some protein;the protein will build muscle recovery. Take time to reflect on your accomplishment during recovery time, after all you've earned it!

Tri On Friends,

Kelly

Hydro-Benefits

     As a forty something age group triathlete my priorities regarding racing have changed. I used to obsess over times and statistics of other racers as compared to my own stats, but now I’m more concerned with staying injury free and healthy so I can continue to participate for many more years in my sport.

     I’m always looking for new and innovative ways to stay low impact with my running portion of triathlon. I’ve found some nice mulch trails near my home and soccer fields that keep me off the pavement. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to use the HydroWorx therapy pool as part of my low impact workout.

     The HydroWorx pool is unique because it has an underwater treadmill. I can get a run workout in 80% impact free. I was skeptical at first but within one use of the pool I was hooked.

     I’ve tried regular pool running before with a weight belt in the deep end of the pool. I found this way of running very awkward, but the HydroWorx pool wasn’t because it is set up like a regular treadmill where your feet hit the ground; the difference is that you are in water and it doesn’t hurt.

      The workout in the HydroWorx pool is also challenging, which as an endurance athlete I welcome. There are swim jets that create resistance while you are running; it is a one two punch as I’m getting my run done and I’m off the pavement. The jets can also be used to simulate an open water swim which I will touch on in a later blog; but that is another reason why the pool is so versatile.

     I get bored easily with my training and workouts, which is one of the reasons why I love triathlon so much; I get to mix up three sports. Use of the therapy pool helps me keep my workouts fresh; I look forward to going and using the pool and I know I’m getting great results. The pool is fun too because I can watch myself while I’m running. There are underwater cameras that show what my feet look like when they hit the treadmill so I have instant feedback on my gait and I can instantly correct if I’m over or under pronating.

     One of the things I’ve noticed is after my training session in the HydroWorx pool I’m energized. I feel like I could go back for more and I rarely feel that way after pounding the pavement for an hour or more. After my last session in the pool I noticed a significant change in my running the very next day. I was refreshed and not sore and was able to run longer as a result of using the underwater treadmill. I was only scheduled to run five miles that day but ran seven because I felt so good. The realization; I need to incorporate the pool into my weekly routine to maximize my running.

     I can’t imagine life without triathlon; to me it is like eating or sleeping or taking a shower; it is necessity. I have wondered lately how I will keep my body going and now I have an answer; the HydroWorx pool.

Tri- on Friends,

Kelly

Tri-Water

       My love affair with water began at an early age. My father, being a huge beach goer, taught my brother's and I to swim at the age of  five. When I was ten years old my mother sent me to a church camp for a week in Ohio with her cousin's children. We stayed in a cabin, hiked in the woods, played volleyball. There was a concession stand where on Friday we were able to spend some of our own money on candy and treats, which at age ten was a dream come true. My favorite memory about the camp though, was that we got to swim in a lake.The camp had a swimming competition in the lake where I won my first event. So began my love affair with open water swimming; who knew I would still be competing in open water thirty years later?
       One of the many benefits of multi sport is the cross training. I can take a step off the pavement and hit the water.  There are many benefits of training in water. Today, I had the privilege of using one of the HydorWorx pools as part of my training. The 7"6 wide by 14' long pool provides high powered jets to swim against, giving a swim that simulates open water swimming. The pool is also able to provide an incredible run workout.
       The HydroWorx pool offers an underwater treadmill, much like a land treadmill, you can power your speed and run for as long as you like; the difference is with the underwater treadmill you feel like you could run forever. There is virtually no impact. I was able to use the jets in the pool to include resistance to my workout, and at 6-mph, for one hour, I was able to get a run workout in without actually pounding my body. My knees and hips thanked me, and after one hour I was ready for more, but my time slot was over. When I run on the pavement rarely do I feel like doing more.
       While I was running on the HydroWorx treadmill my mind flashed to last week when I was driving over to train at Messiah College. I was trying to fit in a quick run after work. I passed a very large man running down the road near the college. I didn't know him but I wanted to stop and give him a hug. The man looked to weigh somewhere around 300 pounds. There he was trudging down the road, one step at at time. He was not able to go fast, in fact his run looked like a mere step up from walking. His large body was doing the very best it could.
        There were many reasons I wanted to hug him. First to encourage him, second to say I admired what he was doing, but last to comfort him because carrying around 300 pounds had to be painful. I realized at that point that the HydroWorx pool could help many obese people get into shape without the pain. By running on one of the underwater treadmills you are 80% weightless and can burn as many calories as on a traditional treadmill without the impact.
       I wondered how long this very overweight man might keep up with his running. According to an article by Robert Kokoska for Ezine, the very obese have a difficult time going to regular gyms because the equipment is designed for the maximum weight of 250 pounds. The bottom line is that it would be difficult to maintain an exercise regimen if you are very over weight because of the stress added to muscles and joints, but if you were weightless in a pool than the chances would be higher that you'd stay with a program because it wouldn't hurt.
       I love to watch the show The Biggest Loser. While the routines the trainers put the contestants through are very inspiring, it is very unrealistic for an obese person. Putting so much physical stress on an obese person has many risks involved. Have you ever noticed the disclaimers before and after the show? Showing someone exercising in a pool doesn't make for interesting television, but the reality is water could revolutionize weight loss!
       The power of water is amazing; our bodies need it to survive, we need it to grow things, we are made of water, we can use it for energy, we can exercise and rehab our sore muscles in it and we can lose weight by working out in it. Water is one of the reasons I love triathlon; I am able to excel  because of my ability to swim.
       Check out HydroWorx website at http://www.hydroworx.com/ where you can learn more about the different products they offer and who is using their pools and why it just works!

Tri On!
Kelly