Listener Q&A July 2017

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It’s the end of the month, and you know what that means:

Question time!

The process is simple: you ask me questions, I do my best to answer them in a way that is actually useful.

The best way to get your questions answered on the podcast is to join our FB group and keep an eye out for the post mid-month where I ask for your questions.

When you see that post, leave a comment with your question and I’ll make sure it gets on the show!

This Month’s Questions

Enough blathering from me, let’s get to the questions!

If I get into Western States via lottery in 2019, will you be part of my crew?

I’d be honored!

Let’s rock and roll!

Best advice for something thinking about going from road running/marathons to trail running/ultras?

The 3 biggest things I learned/had to come to grips with for my first ultra were:

• It’s ok to walk
• Be ok with running slower
• Learn to eat/drink while running

My heel hurts when I’m walking around, but not so much when I’m running? Any ideas what is going on? It feels like a bruise, but there is no visible bruising at all.

Odds are, it’s a bruise.

You can bruise the fat pad in your heel, but because that tissue doesn’t get much blood flow it will not turn black and blue. That said, it’s still going to hurt when you press on it.

So, based on what you’re saying, odds are when you walk your heel/foot is pressing on that bruised area and causing the pain. But based on how your run/how your running shoes fit, you’re able to run pain-free.

Assuming that is the case, you should be able to continue running without making the problem any worse.

And when it comes to day-to-day walking around, try to find a pair of shoes that you can wear without aggravating the bruise. The less often you aggravate the bruised tissue, the quicker it will heal.

What should my VO2max be?

Honestly, I have no clue.

VO2max is a unique measure, and there certainly isn’t a standard measure to try and attain.

Measuring your VO2max is impossible to do on your own anyway, so I’d say don’t even worry about it.

Does it matter if my Achilles’ tendon is straight or not when I’m not running?

Honestly, I’m not sure I understand this question. Your Achilles is never completely straight, and trying to keep it straight/make it straight is an impossibility.

I just retired some shoes and got a new pair, but the outside of my left foot continues to hurt when I’m running. Any ideas what could be going on?

Do you do most of your running on the roads?

It sounds like that area on the side of your foot is hitting the ground a bit funny. And if you’re running on the proper side of a cambered road, i.e. the left side of the road, that could be the situation.

If you can, try to run on flatter ground for a few weeks and see if that helps solve the problem.

Every time I eat or drink before I run, I end up with a stitch. Any ideas for solving this issue?

The longer you run, the more important it becomes that you eat and drink along the way.

My suggestion would be to start very small, i.e. with nothing more than a nibble or small sip and see if you can handle that.

As you get more comfortable running with something in your stomach, you can take in a bit more food/fluid pre-run.

If you had a magical teleportation device and you could use it to run anywhere in the world for a day, where would you go?

Great question!

Honestly, I don’t know where I’d go.

But it would be a trail somewhere with an epic landscape and no other people.

Give me some mountains or some rainforest or some cliffs or a desert and I’ll run to my hearts content.

How would you recommend a fit non-runner transition to running without hurting themselves?

Slowly!

When you have a high level of cardio fitness, it can be tough to stay patient as a runner.

But just because your heart and lungs are super fit (from a history of cycling or swimming or something similar) doesn’t mean your joints and muscles and tendons are fit for the demands of running.

This is something I talked to Dr. Justin Ross about in Episode 366.

How did you become an Altra Ambassador?

It’s a pretty simple story: I applied and they accepted me.

One of these years they’ll kick me out of the club, but until they do I”m happy to represent the company.

I haven’t run in awhile and my IT symptoms are starting to flare back up. Any tricks to solving them, beyond stretching, foam rolling, and slowly getting back to running?

Yeah, there aren’t any magic bullets.

You know what you need to do. It’s just a matter of doing it.

How do you handle training if your significant other isn’t a runner?

It all comes down to communication.

Communicate with your partner about how much time you are going to send running, and make sure that you’re on the same page there.

As long as yall are on the same page there, you should be good.

Then use your runs as your alone time while your partner does the things that he or she enjoys that aren’t exactly your cup of tea.

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Answering questions on teleportation, non-running partners, heel bruises, and more! #running #podcast Click To Tweet

What Was Your Favorite Question and/or Answer this Month? Let Me Know in the Comments Below!

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