Listener Q&A August 2017

---

Ready or not, August is drawing to a close and that means it’s time for the monthly Q&A episode!

If you’re new to these parts, the process is pretty simple: listeners ask me their questions, I answer them.

Easy enough?

Thought so.

Shall we get started?

This Month’s Questions

What is the best way to train for a trail race when you primarily run on the roads?

When you have a chance to run on some trails, you have to take it!

Ultimately, you need to do the best you can.If you can’t do a lot of trail running,

If you can’t do a lot of trail running, then run on the roads.

Certainly, there are differences between running on the road and running on the trails.

But at the end of the day, running is running.

Should I wear compression gear as a form of injury prevention?

You can if you want, I guess.

But if an injury is going to happen, it’s going to happen regardless of whether or not you’re wearing compression gear.

Compression can help protecting certain injuries from reagrivation, but I wouldn’t call a pair of compression socks an injury prevention tool.

A recovery tool for after your runs? Yes.

Injury prevention? Not so much.

Need some compression gear? ProCompression.com and use code DizRuns.

Which races do you most highly recommend and why?

Running with the Bears is amazing!

It’s a small race, which I enjoy. And it is a charity race, directly supporting the work of Mountain Circle Family Services.

Love it all the way around!

I’m also a big fan of the Blue Ridge Marathon.

It’s a tough race with lots of climbing, as you might expect, but I thought it was very well organized and the crowd support was pretty awesome!

Probably not a PR race, but still a fun race to do.

If you have an Achilles issue, should you avoid wearing zero drop shoes?

In theory, that makes sense.

Having a bit of a heel should, in theory, take some of the pressure/tension off you Achilles.

That said, I’m torn on the idea.

I have a client that switched to Altras while dealing with a calf/Achilles injury, and switching shoes actually helped him recover quicker.

I don’t know what it is that did the trick for him, but something about his form was changed in the zero drop shoes that took the pressure/stress off of his calf/Achilles.

So maybe this is another one of those cases that proves there is no one-size-fits-all for anything related to running.

Thoughts on runners that finish their race going back on the course to do their cool down/cheer for other runners?

Honestly, I never realized that this was even an issue until a question about this showed up in the FB group a few weeks ago and some people really said they didn’t like to see runners that finished before them cheering them on or cooling down on the course while they were still running.

Really?

Honestly, I don’t get it.

My only reason for complaint would be if the finished runners are getting in your way or negatively impacting your race somehow.

If they are running, but are well off to the side and out of the way, who cares what they are doing!

And if they are cheering for other runners? How can that be a bad thing at all?

What exercises should I be doing for my hip flexors?

Honestly, most of us need to worry more about stretching our hip flexors, not exercising them.

Before a run, doing some legs swings, front to back, can help to loosen them up slightly. But the biggest thing you should do to address your hip flexors is to stretch them after a run and/or foam roll them.

Loosening up your hip flexors, which are tight from sitting so often, will allow you run more efficiently as you’ll be able to drive your leg back farther behind you.

Do I have too many races on my calendar?

It all depends on how you race them and how you’re feeling.

I talked about this in a recent quick tip episode, but running a lot of races isn’t a terrible thing.

Racing a bunch of races, however, can get you in trouble.

But even then, the definition of “too much” depends more on your level of fitness and how you adjust your training before/after your races than it does on the sheer number of races you run.

Any tips or tricks for running with wet feet?

Not really.

Wet feet, especially on the trails, are just something you have to deal with on occasion.

Good socks help, but that’s about all I’ve got.

Ever done the beer mile? What is your PR?

Nope. And if I did one, it would be SLOW!

I suck at chugging beer. I’ve never been good at it, and at this point in my life, I don’t see myself practicing much anymore.

Would I be open to doing one? Perhaps. But I’d be in the 15-20 min range, probably, at best.

If you’re squeezed for time to do strength training, is it ok to cut your run a bit short to make time for it?

You’ll get more out of 15-20 minutes of strength training than you will from the couple of miles that you skip, assuming you’re running more than just the one day per week.

If push really comes to shove, give a little bit of your running time up in order to do your strength training.

And that is why I’m such a fan of doing your strength training after hard run. When you’ve crushed your intervals or your tempo run first, your legs are already tired.

Now you don’t need as much time strengthening them, because they are already fatigued.

Work smarter, not harder, yall.

Is rowing good cross training for runners?

Yes indeed!

I love the upper back strengthening and core stability that is required with rowing.

As long as your form is good, I’d put rowing up there as one of the better forms of cross training that exist, to be honest.

Thoughts on run/walk method?

I think it’s a useful tool to have in your toolbelt, no matter how experienced of a runner you are.

I’ve used a run/walk strategy in a few races, and it has definitely helped me get to the finish line in one piece.

Am I ever going to be an all in Galloway convert?

But is it a useful tactic in certain situations? Yep.

Will I use it again? Most likely.

When is the best time in a training cycle for a massage?

If I had to pick, I’d say after your run before your off day.

So for me, Sunday’s are an exclusive rest day for me. Ergo, anytime after my run on Saturday would be a good time as having that day off the following day will give me ample time to flush out the “stuff” that is in your system after a good massage.

That said, I know people that swear by getting a massage they day before their race.

So, clearly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this one.

---

Great batch of questions, once again, this month!

To get your question in the mix for next month, make sure you join our FB group and watch out for the post asking for questions. I usually put that post up mid-month, and when you see it fire off your questions in the comments!

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

---

Want to Support the Continued Growth & Production of the Show?

Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.

Subscribe to the Show

Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs With podcast by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.

Please Give Me Some Feedback!

Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.

Register for a Free Race Training Plan

Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.

Join The Tribe!

There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!