Active Travel: Hit the Ground Running

By: Kristen Gunderson

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5 Ways to Avoid Knee Injuries While Running

By Marrecca Fiore

Whether you're training for a marathon or enjoying a daily jog, running may be a good way to maintain good health. But it’s hard on the joints, especially the knees.

As many as 70 percent of runners may experience knee injuries at some point in their lives, according to Dr. Kevin Plancher, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist.

And spring is one of the most common times of the year for running injuries to take hold.

“We see a lot of runners with injuries in the springtime and it’s not because they did anything wrong,” said Plancher, who owns Plancher Orthopedics and Sports Medicine with offices in New York City and Greenwich, Conn. “Runners get so excited once the warm weather hits that they go out and start running without stretching and without replacing their shoes from last year. And injuries can occur in runners whether they’re 20 or 40 or 60 years old.”

The most common knee injuries are patello-femoral pain, also known as runner’s knee, and iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome.

Runner's knee occurs when the kneecap (patella) rubs against the bottom of the thighbone, and can result in irritation and erosion of cartilage, Plancher said. ITB syndrome involves irritation to the band of tissue that runs along the outside of the thigh, which can become irritated from repetitive rubbing over the outside of the knee.

There are ways to prevent knee injuries, however.

“Just because you're a runner doesn't mean you'll have runner's knee — or any other knee injury," Plancher said. "These problems are typically caused by overuse or by a misalignment of the joint that's exacerbated by improper running habits — all things that can be avoided."

Here are some tips on how to prevent knee injuries:

1. Wear the right shoes. Forget cushioning for a second. First, runners need to find a shoe that fits their feet correctly. For example, some people have wide widths, others have more narrow widths. A doctor can help you find the right the fit for your foot.

Also, Plancher warns that even the most expensive pair of sneakers probably won’t provide runners with adequate support.

“A lot of running shoes nowadays have little support,” Plancher said, suggesting that users remove the inserts or insoles that come with their sneakers and buy new ones that offer better support.

“There are good inserts and bad inserts, it doesn’t really matter the brand,” he said. “The most important thing is to buy one that has a little rigidity to it. If you can bend it in half, it’s not going to offer you enough support.”

2. Always stretch. Stretching your muscles is necessary before any run whether long or short, fast or leisurely, Plancher said.

“Don’t underestimate the importance of stretching,” he said. “It’s the best way to get the blood flowing, especially in cool weather.”

In addition to knee injuries, stretching can also help runners prevent hip injuries, shin splints, and foot-cramping, Plancher said.

3. Cross train. Not surprisingly, runners tend to focus on one and only one method of exercise: running. Doing so tends to bring the body out of balance. In the case of runners, they tend to end up with hamstrings (the muscles the run along the back of the thigh) that are stronger than their quadriceps (which run along the front of the thighs.)

Plancher recommends runners add core-strengthening workouts to their routine that strengthen both the front and the backs of thighs, as well as the muscles of the hips and buttocks.

4. Don’t over do it. Once the warm weather hits, runners tend to immediately begin running long distances. Often, it’s a matter of taking on too much too soon. Plancher recommends starting out slowly and building your way back up to the longer runs you were doing last spring and summer.

For those who run year-round, overtraining can occur from running long distances too often without any breaks in between.

“Be sure to incorporate one or two days of rest each week, and mix a few easy or short runs in with the hard or long ones,” Plancher said. “Don't increase your mileage by more than 10 percent a week. Start at a slow pace and be sure to stretch before and afterwards, to keep your muscles limber and your joints flexible.”

5. Eat right, supplement wisely. Runners need to the right types of nutrients in order to maintain healthy joints. Experts recommend adults get 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium each day, Plancher said. Dark green vegetables and dairy products are the best sources of calcium.

Additionally, many runners take glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that seems to play a role in cartilage formation and repair, and chondroitin is a complex carbohydrate that helps cartilage retain water and maintain its elasticity. Plancher said some doctors even offer glucosamine shots to their patients.

Although the supplements don’t help everyone, some research has shown that taking the two together can provide relief for people with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis pain. Plancher recommends a dosage of 1,500 mg per day of glucosamine and 1,200 mg a day of chondroitin sulfate.

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Caffeine, exercise may help ward off skin cancer

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Exercise and moderate caffeine consumption together could help ward off sun-induced skin cancer, researchers said on Monday, but cautioned against ditching the sun screen in favor of a jog and a cappuccino.

Experiments on mice showed that caffeine and exercise together somehow made them better able to destroy precancerous cells whose DNA had been damaged by ultraviolet-B radiation, according to scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

"We think that it will be important in terms of prevention, and possibly not only for skin cancer but possibly for other cancers as well," Rutgers cancer researcher Allan Conney, one of the scientists, said in a telephone interview.

The researchers studied groups of hairless mice that were exposed to lamps generating ultraviolet-B radiation that damaged DNA in their skin cells.

One group drank water containing the human equivalent of one or two cups of coffee a day. A second group exercised on a running wheel. A third group exercised and drank the caffeine. A fourth group neither exercised nor drank caffeine.

Both caffeine and exercise alone increased by roughly 100 percent the mice's ability to kill off precancerous cells that could lead to skin cancer compared to the mice that did neither. But the mice that did both showed a nearly 400 percent increase in this ability, the researchers found.

The researchers are eager to discover if the findings would apply to humans, but in the meantime warned people not to give up the sunscreen.

"Don't go out and exercise and drink a lot of coffee and assume you're going to be protected," Conney said.

"Keep in mind that these are studies in mice. Although I think that they may be applicable to humans, it really has to be studied carefully before we can say that," Conney added.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers said some previous studies have provided evidence that exercise and caffeine consumption through coffee may be linked to reduced risk for some other cancers.

STUDYING COMBINATION

Conney said they want to figure out precisely how the combination of caffeine and exercise seems to have a protective effect against skin damage caused by the sun.

"It's great that people are doing research looking for different ways to help reduce the risk of skin cancer," dermatologist Dr. Bruce Katz, a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation and the director of the Juva Skin & Laser Center in New York City, said in a telephone interview.

But the study provided "extremely preliminary data," and there is no evidence of such an effect in people, Katz added.

The foundation said skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 1 million people diagnosed with it annually.

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A Guide to Some of the Best Marathons in North America

By Jason Effmann
Florida Sports Magazine

Picking a "best" marathon can be like finding a good piece of chocolate in a sampler box of candies: You either take the plunge–and possibly pay the price for it–or you rely on the advice of someone else who has eaten a piece before (or in this case, has done a particular marathon before). Here’s our advice on some of the best races in the country–all so you can match your tastes with a race. Now all you have to do is start training.

Best Rural Race: Napa Valley Marathon

You don’t need to be a pretentious snob with a lifetime subscription to Wine Spectator to understand the appeal of Napa. The race is miles of pristine rolling countryside (mustard fields that will later be replaced with grapevines), with only the last mile in town. The fast course requires a Herculean effort between several municipalities, and has 1,300 volunteers for a 2,300-person race. Runners get a plethora of perks in return for their entry fees.

"I think the most important thing is we treat every runner like they’re the only one in the race," says race co-director David Hill. www.napa-marathon.com.

Best Small-Town Race: Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is a smaller city that thinks big. Its marathon offers prize money and has many of the same features of Chicago or New York, but without the crowds. Instead, you’ll run by stately neighborhoods on tree-lined streets, albeit with a smaller audience.

"You get a lot more of the funky urban multicultural experience in Chicago," says Meg Daniel of Kennesaw, Georgia, who has run both. "In Richmond you get a little bit of everything else: the stately old neighborhoods, the quiet Zen-like tranquility of the river, and the historical in-town setting."

Plus, race directors entice marathoners with two dedicated "Junk Food" stops (miles 16 and 22), stocked with cookies, pretzels, Gummi Bears, soda and other sweets to keep runners on a high www.richmondmarathon.com.

Best Big-City Race: New York City

The New York City Marathon is doing what the city has always done–embracing those from abroad. New York’s field is comprised of a stunning 12,000 international runners, and the town welcomes them with some of the largest marathon crowds going (two million or so). The runners tours all five boroughs of the largest city in the U.S., and is one of only two marathons to garner national television coverage, which is why "big" doesn’t really do it justice. Now that ING is ponying up one of the largest prize purses in marathoning, look out: New York’s only going to get bigger. www.ingnycmarathon.org.

Best Destination: Honolulu

Here’s some running therapy for you: Think December. Think white sand, warm temperatures, the sound of waves lapping against the shore. Good. Next, visualize running in shorts while your friends back home are trying to find ways to keep their extremities warm. Now think fireworks over a pre-dawn sky, torch-lit roadways, Japanese banners, costumes and drums. Picture a long, dramatic uphill that will suck the wind out of your lungs, followed by a view that has a similar effect. The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world’s greatest spectacles of running. If you’re up for scenery and a wild time, this is the place. www.honolulumarathon.org.

Best Chance for a PR: Chicago

There are some obvious reasons why those seeking to catch lightning in a water bottle invade Chicago. The crowds are enormous, and no matter how fast you are, there’s someone to run with. The course is flat, which means even pacing–the best route to a PR. But there are other explanations why people speed here. An underrated one is that runners can walk out of their hotels, across the block and up to the starting line in Chicago. In many other "fast" marathons, you sit on a bus for an hour or more, then anxiously kill time (outdoors) in a temporary village that is often as welcoming as Amityville. Chicago removes a great deal of the stress before a marathon by nature of its loop course, which means you run relaxed. And when you run relaxed, you run very, very fast. www.chicagomarathon.com.

Toughest Marathon: Pikes Peak (Colorado Springs)

A race that began as a challenge between smokers and non-smokers, Pikes Peak has enough standing between you and the finish line without chronic emphysema.

"The joy of running the event is really overwhelmed by the agony of it," says Ron Ilgen, race director. "I was one of many who say while they’re running, I’ll never do this again.’"

But they just can’t stay away. Keith "Curly" McKenney of Georgia finished just four minutes before the cutoff. "Standing thereI could only think of how well we had all done, and how I never wanted to do that again." This year, he’ll attempt "The Double": the Pikes Peaks Ascent, Saturday, followed by the marathon (up AND down) on Sunday. If you think that’s brutal, try volunteering. Twenty-two garden hoses are hooked together to transport water to the last aid station. Then there’s the occasional snowstorm. It’s a world-class mountain race, but it’s still a mountain race. The point? Yes, you’re a badass if you run it, but know what you’re getting into before you decide to conquer Pikes Peak. www.pikespeakmarathon.org.

Most Charitable: Marine Corps (Washington, D.C.)

People can, and in fact are, raising money for charity at almost any marathon these days. Some have become destinations for charity groups; others are linked directly to organizations. Along those lines, Marine Corps staff have turned what used to be a sore spot for them (the difficulty of gaining entry) into a chance to do good: Raise money through one of their chosen charities and you receive a coveted race bib. So you can feel good about your race, even before the gun goes off. www.marinemarathon.com.

Most Legendary: Boston

The Boston Marathon has taken quite a beating recently–by the weather, by the press, by the inability of anyone not born in the Rift Valley to win the thing. Sure, it’s got some issues. Like the fact that the trip out to Hopkinton feels like a cross-country tour in your parents’ old station wagon, the one with vinyl seats and without air conditioning ("We’re on a pilgrimage to see a Moose!"). But this is still the granddaddy of them all–the one on every runner’s wish list, either to run in or to win. It’s a fabled course, steeped in history, and you feel its magnitude at the starting line. There’s just nothing like Boston. And until you’ve suffered through the journey like the rest of us, there’s a little piece of your running puzzle that’s missing. www.bostonmarathon.org.

Best New(er) Race: Baltimore

Baltimore, seemingly rife with orange cones and potholes, was not in the running for "Most Scenic Marathon" on our list. But it’s here because those in charge are determined to keep improving their race. Michael Shilling of New Jersey has run every Baltimore Marathon since it began in 2001.

"The beauty of this marathon lies in the fact that the race director and race management company listen to the runners," he says. "They have changed the marathon every year based on runner feedback."

That includes the course, which has been smoothed out since its inaugural year and starts and finishes at Baltimore’s coolest feature, the stadium area that houses both the Ravens and the Orioles. Note the plentiful pre-race restrooms, top-notch expo, swank race shirt (Under Armour is the main sponsor) and lots of spectators. www.thebaltimoremarathon.com.

Best Race at Altitude: Salt Lake City

Yes, the air is thin. Salt Lake City rests at around 4,500 feet. But the vociferous encouragement may make you forget that it feels like you’re breathing through a straw. "This town took ownership of the race from the time it was announced," says Jeff Wilson of Columbus, Ohio. "They took the race as their own and made it special."

"Special" included a finish through the Olympic Plaza and boisterous crowds, in addition to a race management company that sweated the details.

"Great races combine a tireless service to the athlete with an attitude of fun," says Wilson, a veteran of 31 marathons. "We’re all out there to celebrate the day, the sport and each other. The best (races) build on that." www.saltlakecitymarathon.com.

Most Scenic: Big Sur

So you know that car commercial, where a sedan is knifing down a two-lane road high above the ocean with some overdone Led Zeppelin song cranking in the background? You know how your eyes drift from the car you can’t afford, over to the dazzling view? That’s Big Sur, a breathtaking stretch of Northern California coastline. And you, my friend, are going to see it at a much more reasonable speed. Because as beautiful as it is, the Big Sur Marathon is also hilly, and no place to shoot for a PR. Looking west, that won’t matter much.

"Spending the better part of four hours watching the California coast is a pleasant way to spend a morning, even as the pain in my legs constantly increases," says Rick Swayne of Los Gatos, California, a regular here. Be sure to bring along a portable camera; you’ll want to document your slow, painful, gorgeous journey. www.bsim.org.

Best Place to Feel Like a Movie Star: Los Angeles

Drawn to the bright lights of show biz like a moth to a porch light? You’ll dig the 8:30 a.m. start (though some have complained of the heat). Love hearing people call out to you? The personalized bibs (with your first name in big letters) will be right up your alley. Dream of competing in a reality television show? Try crying at the end of a marathon in front of a grandstand full of beautiful people. Los Angeles makes you feel like a somebody.

"The city made such a big deal about it," says Kelli Picon of Greeley, Colorado, who ran the race in 2004. "There were posters all over L.A., Hollywood and everywhere else we went. We saw coverage of it on TV–it made us all feel very important." www.lamarathon.com.

Best Marathon/Vacation Combo: Vancouver, B.C.

It’s about time somebody recognized our neighbors to the north. Vancouver, whose marathon is typically at the end of April, is a beautiful historic city with a British feel and plenty of entertainment for everyone. The race itself is a well-organized, athlete- and spectator-friendly race that gives you a jumpstart on sightseeing. Plus, the hills aren’t so bad that you’ll have to spend the rest of your vacation holed up in the hotel. www.adidasvanmarathon.ca.

Best Race to Leave the Kids Behind: Las Vegas

Running is to Vegas as gambling is to the Vatican. Running means early mornings, carb-fests and sweat-drenched shirts. Vegas means sleepless nights, all-you-can-eat shrimp and sweat that smells like rum and Coke. Maybe that’s the allure: If you’re going to sacrifice your social life in the pursuit of endurance, you might as well celebrate the end of it all in Party Central. Tom Stieg of Washington state knows. He came up short of a Boston qualifier in a windy Vegas last year.

"I was so disappointed I didn’t get to Boston, I headed right for Monte Carlo Brewery and just went crazy," he says. "I was there for the rest of the day, still in my running stuff." Some runners say they come for the fast course. We say they’re bluffing. www.lvmarathon.com.

Best Race with a Half Marathon: Flying Pig (Cincinnati)

Many people don’t know that Cincinnati was once known as "Porkopolis," or that it houses one of the best rib joints in the country (a favorite of the late Bob Hope). In fact, pigs are ubiquitous in the ‘Nati; even the statue commemorating the city’s bicentennial has four winged swine on top of a riverboat’s smokestacks.

Now, for the first time, the Flying Pig Marathon (purveyor of one of the best medals on the circuit) serves up a half-slab of marathon in addition to the full slab. It’s a great addition for those who don’t quite have the appetite for all those hills. www.flyingpigmarathon.com.

Best Race Off the Radar: Cal International

This marathon is actually pretty well known, if you live west of Boise. But Cal International is held in December, after all of the major fall marathons have come and gone. To many runners east of the Rockies, it never crosses their minds. Their loss.

Cal International is one of the best point-to-point marathons going. It runs downhill from Folsom Dam to the center of Sacramento, and is impeccably organized. Typically good weather greets runners, as does a varied course, a fantastic finish line and good crowds — which makes Cal International a good change of scenery, or a great place to rebound from a fall marathon disaster. www.runcim.org.

Best Race That Lives Up to the Hype: Twin Cities

The Twin Cities Marathon lays claim to being the "Most Scenic Urban Marathon." Apparently, it’s all true. Talk to anyone who has run it, and it’s as though they’ve been hypnotized by the fall foliage and the pristine neighborhoods.

"I would say if you’re going to run a marathon in a city, you’d be hard-pressed to beat Twin Cities," says Jesse Pagels of Chicago, who has run all the big ones. Twin’s course traipses through stately neighborhoods, along the shoreline of the lake and on the banks of the Mississippi. But it’s not just scenery that draws people: Twin’s point-to-point course begins just outside the Metrodome, which means a cozy warm-up and plenty of restrooms. At the other end in St. Paul, the finish up Summit Avenue then down past the capitol is one of the most memorable in the country. www.twincitiesmarathon.org.

Biggest Bang for the Buck: Houston

Way back in the ’90s, the HP Houston Marathon was having an identity crisis. They were losing elite runners to other races, and registration was stagnant even as marathoning was experiencing a second boom. Enter new race director Steven Karpas, a runner with a marketing and finance background. Exit prize money for elites. Karpas and the marathon staff plugged that money back into runner benefits and race technology. For $65, each entrant gets a training T-shirt, official race T-shirt, finisher’s sweatshirt, finisher’s beer mug, finisher’s medal, finisher’s certificate and a hot breakfast at the finish line. Houston also helped pioneer the art of tracking runners online.

"We wanted to grow our race, and thought the one way to do that was if runners were direct beneficiaries of the aspects of the race," Karpas says.

It’s worked. Since 2001, the HP Houston Marathon has added a half marathon and 5K and has grown its participation to 18,000 total runners. The half marathon is the men’s national championship race, but every runner feels elite in Houston.

"Lots of races claim they do everything for the runners," says Randy Moore of Minneapolis, who ran Houston last year. "Houston lives up to everything it claims." www.hphoustonmarathon.com.

Find a Race Near You

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Break Your Bad Running Habits

In 2001, Melisa Christian was a 3:30 marathoner plagued by stomach cramps and frequent porta-potty stops. But she never sought a doctor’s help. "I thought it was either a normal part of training or race-day anxiety," says the 31-year-old Dallas dentist. Three years later, Christian was diagnosed with food intolerances. After she eliminated wheat and dairy from her diet, her symptoms vanished. In November, she ran a 2:41:57 personal best in New York City. "I no longer have the mindset that because I’m a runner I can’t benefit from a checkup," she says.

Running makes us fit, not invincible. When we neglect our bodies’ basic needs, we can’t go as far or, as Christian discovered, as fast. Breaking your bad habits with these easy fixes will make you a better runner, not to mention a happier, healthier person.

BAD HABIT: You Are Your Own Medic
We runners are often hyperaware of our bodies, and when something’s "off," we’re quick to self-diagnose and treat. We’ll ice a tight hamstring, pop ibuprofen, and hobble through lingering pain. Big mistake, says Lewis G. Maharam, M.D., medical director of the New York Road Runners and Team in Training. "Minor injuries could turn into serious issues like muscle tears or stress fractures."

BREAK IT :
When you have a nagging ache or pain, the sooner you see a doctor—preferably a sports-medicine specialist—the faster you’ll be back on track. An expert who recognizes that you’re an overpronator, for example, could offer better insights on treating your iliotibial band syndrome. If you’ve been sluggish on runs, schedule a checkup. Asthma, a heart murmur, high blood pressure, or anemia can sap energy levels. Ask your doc to test your blood’s iron stores. "Serum ferritin, a protein responsible for iron storage, can become depleted, which is associated with slower recovery and declining performances," says Dr. Maharam.

BAD HABIT: You Never Stretch
It’s hard to squeeze in runs some days, never mind stretching. But tight muscles can contribute to shinsplints, plantar fasciitis, and muscle pulls, which could sideline you for weeks. Improved flexibility also shortens recovery time; looser muscles are more receptive to glycogen replacement, which accelerates healing, says Skip Stolley, director of VS Athletics Track Club in Santa Monica, California.

BREAK IT:
Your muscles get the most benefit from stretching postrun. Ideally, you’d tack on a 15-minute flexibility routine to your workout. No time? Drop a six-miler to a five-miler and use those leftover minutes to hit your calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes. "You’re not hurting your workout—you’re enhancing it," says Stolley. "The benefits of stretching will do your body more good than could be done by running that mile."

BAD HABIT: You’re a Night Owl
Runners who shortchange sleep compromise recovery, immunity, and mental sharpness, which can turn an easy workout into a grueling one. "Sleep enhances the restoration of cells that are damaged from running," says Ralph Downey, Ph.D., chief of sleep medicine at California’s Loma Linda University Medical Center. Getting enough shut-eye can also ward off "effort headaches." A 1999 study found that distance runners experienced twice the number of headaches as nonrunners. Downey says this is most likely due to the dilation of blood vessels and sinuses that occurs during exercise. The good news: The headaches occurred less often when the runners got more sleep.

BREAK IT:
Some people are fine with five hours, others require 10. Runners who put greater demands on their bodies tend to benefit from the higher end of that range, says Downey. Note how many hours you get each night in your training log. Review it and look for patterns. Once you figure out your target number, try to hit it each night, particularly during the week leading up to a race.

BAD HABIT: You Forgo Sunscreen
In 2007, the Archives of Dermatology reported that runners are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer than nonrunners. Researchers found that the occurrence of skin abnormalities increased with mileage, not only because of increased sun exposure, but perhaps because training can suppress immune function, making the body more susceptible to the sun’s ill effects. Another study named sweat as a contributor to UV-related skin damage; perspiration increases the photosensitivity of skin, which makes it more prone to burning. "The sun is definitely a job hazard for distance runners," says Deena Kastor, 2004 Olympic Marathon medalist, who was diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma and melanoma in 2001.

BREAK IT:
Before every run, put on a water- or sweat-proof SPF 15 lotion that shields against UVA and UVB rays, says Rodney Basler, M.D., past chairman of the American Academy of Dermatology’s Task Force on Sports Medicine. If you have fair skin or a family history of melanoma, follow Kastor’s example: She slathers on sunscreen, wears sun-protective clothing, and avoids midday runs.

BAD HABIT: You Never Rest
Overtraining can cause persistent soreness, suppressed immunity, injuries, moodiness, and loss of motivation. "Rest isn’t the absence of training, it’s an important component of it," Stolley says. "During recovery periods, your cardiovascular and muscular systems are restored and rebuilt to a higher level—that’s where all performance gains are made."

BREAK IT:
Every training program should have a rest day in addition to two or three easy days (shorter, less-intense runs following harder efforts) each week. If you didn’t have a strenuous week, it’s okay to cross-train—go for a hike or swim, take a yoga class, or treat your dog to a long walk. But if you’re coming off a high-mileage week, reward yourself with a day of total rest. Schedule a massage or breakfast with a friend so you’ll feel like the time off was well spent.

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That Little Voice Inside Your Twinge

Photographs by Sumner Dilworth for The New York Times; Photo Illustration by The New York Times

 

 

A COLLEAGUE of mine at The Times who is a triathlete had a question: Everyone tells you to listen to your body, but what are you supposed to listen to?

 

Turns out it’s not so obvious.

Deena Kastor, the American record holder for the marathon, interprets the advice selectively.

“Running isn’t always comfortable,” she said. “I remember running through a lot of discomfort and pain.”

And, Ms. Kastor added, she also runs when she does not feel like it.

“So many times the alarm goes off in the morning and you tell yourself you are too tired,” she said. “There are times when you are unmotivated, you don’t feel your best and most accomplished.”

But if you ignore those messages from your body and just go out and run or do your sport, she said, “those are the days when we have the most pride.”

“The trick in listening to your body is to know what you can run through,” she said. “If you have a sharp pain you should take care of it.”

So does listening to your body mean learning to understand the difference between a pain that signals a serious injury and one that can be ignored? And if it does, why do athletes like Ms. Kastor become seriously injured, anyway?

Last year she broke her foot three miles into the marathon at the Beijing Olympics. In that same race, Paula Radcliffe, who holds the world record in the women’s marathon, ran less than her best because her training was interrupted by a stress fracture that had set her back for months.

MAYBE the problem is that it is hard to understand what your body is saying.

“ ‘Listen to your body’ is always a tough one,” said Keith Hanson, a coach who directs the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, which recruits talented distance runners and supports them while they train full time.

One of his runners, Brian Sell, was in the Beijing Olympics, and others are internationally competitive.

“There are several aches and pains that you can run through,” Mr. Hanson said, “and others that need some down time. I always try to follow one key rule: If you are gimping — altering your gait— after 10 minutes of running, then it is an injury and not just an ache or pain. You should never run through injuries. If you do, they almost always turn into compensation injuries. What started as an ankle pain becomes knee and hip problems.”

But sometimes even when you have a bad feeling about sudden pain, it can be hard to stop, especially during a race.

That happened to my friend Rafael Escandon, a researcher at a small biotech company in San Francisco. It was 2002, and he had decided to run the Twin Cities Marathon. He had run a few dozen marathons before, so he was hardly a beginner. He knew that the trick was to keep going during those stretches when you feel bad.

The race started well. Mr. Escandon had been training by running eight-minute miles but now, he said, he was going much faster, and it all seemed effortless. “It was all I could do to maintain a 7:40 pace, which felt like I was crawling,” he said.

Then, just after he passed the 17-mile point in the 26.2 mile race, he felt something awful just below his left calf. “It honestly felt like someone had taken a knife and cut my skin,” he said. “I hobbled over to a tree and attempted to stretch my calf for 10 minutes or so.

The pain got worse as he stretched, and even though it diminished when he wasn’t stretching, he still felt as if he had been cut. But dropping out of the race was not an option: he had never quit a marathon.

So, he said, he limped along for nine miles and finally crossed the finish line. Then he showered, took some ibuprofen and rushed to the airport to fly to Europe for a business trip.

When the plane landed, Mr. Escandon got out of his seat and, he said, was immediately “blinded by pain in my left leg.” It hurt so much he could not stand.

He eventually set off, slowly, “whimpering audibly,” he said, as he hobbled to his connecting gate.

Sweating, jet-lagged and still whimpering, he pulled up the leg of his jeans to take a look at his injury. “I was shocked at what I saw,” he said. “The medial side of my leg was grotesquely streaked in purple-black from the bottom of my calf to my ankle, including the top of my foot.”

It turned out that he had torn the muscle under his calf. For weeks afterward, the pain woke him at night. He could not run for three months, and even when he started again the best he could do for six months was a few miles on a treadmill.

“I should have listened to my body,” Mr. Escandon said. “It wasn’t just talking to me; it was screaming at me.”

On the other hand, there is also a different interpretation of “listen to your body.” It’s one favored by Asker Jeukendrup, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Birmingham, in England, and an ironman triathlete.

Listening, he said, means that you are supposed to listen for “valuable information” and learn to disregard “other negative information that may come into your thoughts that is actually irrelevant.”

Dismiss, for example, “some niggles, some feelings of fatigue,” he said.

The goal is to push your body to its limits, but not beyond. Easier said than done, he admitted. And, he added, not everyone can do it.

ACTUALLY, said Tom Fleming, my coach, it is unlikely that anyone can do it. Mr. Fleming won the New York City Marathon twice and has coached athletes ranging from adolescents to college and nationally ranked runners. He knows from his days as a competitive distance runner how hard it is to decide when to slow down, when to rest, when to push hard through discomfort or pain.

“I never listened to my body,” he said. “Maybe I should have. So let’s get that clear right off: I think it’s an impossible task.”

When he was training, Mr. Fleming said, he couldn’t train less or make himself go more slowly. And, he added, if you really listen to your body, you will not achieve what you are capable of.

Athletes need someone else, a coach if possible, he said, to tell them when to rest, when to take an easy day and when to work hard.

Another of my colleagues at The Times, Charlie Competello, said he tries to figure out his body’s signals for himself. But he struggles, arguing with himself about what his body is telling him. He thinks of his internal arguments as a debate between “Charlie” and “Charles.” They argue in the mornings, when he plans to go out for runs.

“ ‘Charlie’ says, ‘I’m tired and I’m not going to go out,’ ” he said. “ ‘Charles’ says: ‘No, no, no, you can make it. Go out and do it.’ ”

Usually, he said, Charles wins. He runs and is glad he did.

But the personas also argue in the evening about tempting food, like cake.

Charles says, “Don’t do it.” Charlie says, “Go ahead.”

And, in the evening, Charlie can be the winner. “For some reason, I’m a better person in the morning,” he said.

 

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Staying Young is Just Another Meal Away

Healthy foods to stay young? Of course, you’ve heard it before, probably when mom insisted to eat more apples and less burger even when you thought you were too young to age.
   
Indeed, mom was right. You’ll never know when you’ll start to age until you notice some crumpling and folding on your skin. Premature aging might just be a sleep away. And you never want to see that happen.
   
But it’s never too late. You can delay aging now by changing some items on your plates, and it’s just another meal away.

You Are What You Eat
   
The food and all other things that you take or don’t are laying the groundwork for your health and your appearance as well. For example, a person who has a pretty huge room for french fries and beef patties in his stomach may suffer more diseases and may not look age-appropriate. A person deficient in unsaturated fats, on the other hand, may have dry, flaky skin, and eventually look older than he actually is.
   
According to Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York City, what you eat becomes the outer fabric of your body. And the healthier that you put in your mouth, the better you will look. 
   
Sure, you don’t wanna look like french fries, or do you? Then, what should your next meal include?

High- fiber foods
   
Whole grains, cereals, black beans, apples, and pears are just some of the foods that are rich in fiber. Fiber found in these foods moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract keeping bowel movements regular. Thereby preventing constipation,-one of the problems that aging people commonly encounter.

Fish, walnut, and flax seed oil
   
These foods are among the best sources of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). EFA especially the omega-3 fatty acids regulate the fluidity or softness of the cell membranes, thus making your cell membranes healthy and hold more moisture. So that means younger looking skin.
   
Deficiency is visible in a hardening of the skin, as with dry skin and acne. And to those who are living in colder climates, you need more EFA for membrane fluidity.

Fruits and vegetables
   
Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables fight off free radicals, the byproducts of the body’s everyday processes that damage DNA, cells, and tissues. The antioxidants and other phytochemicals lessens the chances of damage to he body’s cells. And because you are guarding your cells from premature damage, you are also protecting yourself from premature aging.

Whole-grain cereals, organ meats, chicken, egg yolk, and garlic.
   
Selenium, found in these foods, plays a key role in making the skin healthy. It is a sulfur-like mineral that lessens the oxidative damage of skin cells. It also helps in regulating the thyroid hormone and helps prevent hypertension, cancer, and stroke. Selenium is often added to antioxidant vitamins.

Easy Move
   
If you think looking younger is difficult, there’s not much to worry. The easiest move you can make is to include more fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains to your daily menu. Control yourself from eating foods stuffed with much cholesterol, sodium, and calories. What you get is a healthier body and a younger-looking you.
   
Well, if you think it’s too early to look old, better think twice. It just doesn’t feel good to be called older than you really are.
   
And if you think you’re too old to look young, you’re never right. You can stop aging right at your plate, and even prove that "looks can be deceiving."
 

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