June 9th, 2011 | 
Author: The following question is in reference to a radio show I did recently about eating disorders among female runners. You don’t have to listen to understand this Q and A, but here it is if you want to: WTS Radio Show
Q:
L-Flo,
After our radio show I was thinking about your team of 60 girls in high school and the fact that you only had 1 instance of an eating disorder. And I was thinking about you as the leader of the team – you were the one who was having success, you were the one naturally taking charge. And you had a healthy perspective on food and your body.
It reminded me of the It Gets Better Project, where instead of talking about the negatives, the issues, the possible problems, they focus on the good stuff. That’s what happened without you even realizing it – you were naturally a good example and you set the tone for the rest of the team. On the other hand, on Lize’s team, the leaders were dealing with eating disorders themselves, and therefore it spread like wildfire through the team.
So now the question is, how do we develop strong team leaders who influence their team members positively? How can we make sure the natural leaders of the high school and college teams are setting positive examples? What can the coaches do? The parents? The professional athletes?
Why do you think you were so unaffected by this problem? Your environment must have been healthy, your influences must have been great. Tell us about them. We need to emulate that!
-Ann Gaffigan
A:
Ann,
You are right on about the environment, but you definitely give me too much credit. The most important influence was my mom. I literally don’t have ONE memory of her talking about dieting or saying negative things about her body. If she had issues in that area, she must have kept them away from me because I never knew about it.
As for my running environment…I stepped into my high school team as a dweeby little freshman, and the environment was already there. I wasn’t the fastest girl and we were State Champions on a team with five amazing seniors who I looked up to. I emulated them and added a little of my own flare when it came my turn to lead, and I brought those experiences with me to college.
Our awesome HS team environment was completely due to my coach. Dave DeLong showered his attention on the kids who were the best role models, not simply the fastest kids (having both was the ultimate). And he was an awesome guy with a great family and carefully chosen, fun assistant coaches, and you wanted their attention.
Kids respond to what is rewarded.
He had top 10 lists for all grades for major workouts and races, and top 10 lists for total team time, so performances WERE important.
But he used an Athlete of the Week shirt ceremony every week to highlight someone new each week for a variety of reasons: courage, dedication, leadership, helpfulness, selflessness, etc. They were cool looking shirts that everyone wanted (which makes a difference).
Alysia Johnson and I stay connected to the team, along with other alums. We are here with the wonderful Coach Broneer.
He kept in touch with alumni and would talk to his team leaders about what these alumni were up to. He would say things like, “Steve So-and-So who was #3 guy on our League Championship team in ’89, he works with at-risk kids now in New Mexico…most amazingly generous guy…” You knew that life was about more than running and that you would be admired and followed and talked about for living a good life.
When there was a problem on the team, he would jump on it publicly and express his disappointment but always tell us we were better than that. He treated us like the people we COULD be. If we won a race but acted like jerks, he came down on us for it.
Additionally, he recruited volunteer assistant coaches based on what they could offer as examples to us. He was picky about who he let influence his team. It really was about developing good people by showcasing good people.
There was always so much going on with our team that you didn’t worry or think about what anyone else, any other team, any other fast runner…was doing. DeLong capitalized on the teenage tendency to feel like they are the center of the universe.
Photo from the most recent banquet. Awesome award!
Our end of the season banquet was the most important part because it solidified the culture and environment of the team. This is where you saw what qualities were awarded, and set your sights on what you wanted to earn next year.
Dave would plan a speech about the team, and he would spend a butt-load of team money on awards. He said that was the best investment you could make. He always bragged about how smart and hard working his team was, and when he gave out the awards for students with over a 3.5 average, it was hard to fit us onto the stage. I remember that leaving a big mark on me as a freshman. The fact that a huge percentage of the team was squeezing together, laughing and being celebrated, all holding plaques for their brains…it made a strong point that being on our team was going to be about being a multi-dimensional person, not just a fast runner.
The wide variety of awards you could win gave every runner on the team something to shoot for, some niche to fill, knowing that it would be recognized.
Finally, our booster club of parents had clear leadership that was in line with our coaches vision. DeLong got them involved early in the summer as drivers for team activities, and gave them free lodging and gas for our team pre-season camp in Mammoth for a week if they helped out. This created a group of invested parents who bonded with one another, who were willing to help year-round.
I think that providing an environment that keeps kids focused on larger, broader, more holistic ideals makes it almost impossible to get lost in obsessions over things like food. When one student did do that, DeLong preemptively talked to the other influencers on the team about how doing that was a mistake. Then the teams reaction to that one person’s actions was like, “what the hell would someone do that for?”
I’ve been out for 12 years now. Canyon hasn’t always won, but we are always good; and whenever I talk to DeLong, he still talks about so and so who is “such a good kid.” It still makes me want to be a good kid too.
Note: Dave’s wife Lisa has recently published a memoir called Blood Brothers, which is about many things, of particular interest to this audience is going through some of life’s biggest smacks in the face while living the life of a wife of a very passionate (and busy) coach (Dave). But preserving a marriage under hard circumstances is merely a sub-plot of an incredibly rich story. There are themes of love, loss, the miraculous, the tragic and an ever-changing understanding of faith through it all. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Get it here.
Jake, Dave, Lisa, Jessica, and Joelle DeLong (with Puccini with the little teeny weenie)
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Q:
If you were the coach of a collegiate women’s cross country team, how would you approach the issue of body image and weight?
A:
I don’t know how I would approach it with a high school team, but for a college team, I think this is an issue that should be addressed from week one, alongside all other important factors to performance and team dynamics. If I were coach, (which I’m not, so take it for what its worth) speaking to a collegiate team tomorrow, given my personal experiences up to this point, I’d probably say something like this:
“Weight and body image are issues that every single runner deals with at some point. For some of you it may already have happened, and for others you might not give it a thought until your 30′s. Just know that the athletes that make it to the highest levels and have the longest careers learn how to manage their weight in a healthy way without getting obsessed, and know when to say enough is enough. That is the goal for each of us.
“From what I’ve seen, only a small percentage of female athletes develop a black or white eating problem. Its important that we don’t look at the issue that way. The rest of us are all shades of grey*, working our way through a tough sport with lots of pressures to be perfect. We all have periods of time where we pick ourselves apart and periods of time where we accept ourselves…even those of us who appear to have it all figured out.
“In our sport we will see mirages of perfection who are silently destroying their bones and setting themselves up for years of problems for one or two seasons of success. That is a short cut. That is not how this team operates. We aspire to do things the best way, the ethical way, and we do not sacrifice our health. There will be times of the year where you need to lose a few, times in your season where you will need to maintain, and times of year where you will need to gain a few, and the goal is to learn to do that with as little thinking as possible. Know that it is possible to do that.
“People love to tell you that being light improves performance, but many women take this further than they need to; they would get the same effect with less weight loss and it would be sustainable. There is a wider fluctuation in weight for success than you may think. Make sure you pay attention to the healthy looking athletes that compete well, not just the overly skinny ones. Celebrate them. They have always existed, and they always will.
“And finally, recognize the power you all have to influence one another for either success or failure in this area. We can be a healthy, well adjusted team that improves incrementally and sets ourselves up for many years of success. Or we can spend all our time thinking about weight and food, letting disordered eating spread like a virus through our team, not only affecting our bodies, but robbing us of enjoying our experiences together. Do not let the dominant story of your season and your relationships be about food. Its simply not necessary, and more importantly, it takes the fun out of everything.
“My door is always open on this subject, like any other. I want you all to be healthy and successful, and I’ll help you any way I can.”
That’s the best I’ve got. Can you think of any other points collegiate women would benefit from hearing from their coach?
*Credit goes to Dave DeLong, Vin Lananna and especially Dena Evans for their influence on me in this area. Dena is the person who talked about people being shades of grey, which really stuck with me, not just on this issue but many others.
Q:
Lauren-
It seems like everyone has one of those Garmins or the new Nike GPS watch or something similar. Does having one of those actually help you train better? I just have a watch (and a Nike sportband, which I haven’t used in a year) and half the time I don’t even time my runs. Do I need to have all that data to get better?
If I bring back the ol’ sportband, I’m challenging you on Nike+.
-Meggie
Running in the New Mexico forest with Mena.
A:
Dear Meggie,
My purest running is of the “hippy on a forest trail” variety, and I often run with no watch at all. Do you have to have a fancy watch to improve? No. But can they help you train better? Yes. And by the way, the answer to the question you didn’t ask: “Are GPS watch people annoying?” is also “Yes.” 
When it comes to using techy watches, the endurance world splits into two groups: GPS people and freedom runners. When the Garmin first came out, freedom runners everywhere were appalled when a GPS person joined them on their favorite long run only to tell them afterwards that it was 10 miles, not the promised 12. GPS people would kindly alert their freedom runner friends that their easy run pace was actually a minute slower than they’ve been recording in their logs for the last five years. It didn’t take many of those experiences before a passive aggressive resistance movement took hold.
If I hadn’t been a Pro runner looking for every edge possible in 2005, I would probably be President of the freedom runners by now. I get it, I really do. If a GPS gets into the wrong persons hands:
- You can’t go on a run based on how you feel (they two-step you and push the pace into their zone).
- You can’t be content with a 90 minute long run on hills (the end mileage # suddenly seems pathetic).
- You can’t stop the run when you get back to the car like a normal person (they start doing loops around the parking lot until the watch says exactly 6 POINT ZERO miles).
But the fact of the matter is, a GPS can really take you to the next level. I’ve used several over the years and most recently a Nike+ Sportwatch. They are still updating the firmware since its a first generation model, (all 1st gen. have their quirks) but I have confidence it will soon be the best watch out there, especially because of the online community 4 million strong on Nike+. A GPS lets me know exactly how fast and far I’m running. It liberates me from needing to run on a track to get exact paces, which helps me stay healthy and refreshed on the trails or roads. I can get an effective workout in ANYWHERE…on vacation, on an island, you name it. Most importantly, it gives me objective data so I can use logic rather than emotion to evaluate my training.
Here are some tips for people who are considering getting a GPS watch:
How to Use a GPS Watch Effectively:
The trick to using a fancy watch effectively is to use it for a week or two without looking at any of the data during the run. Run the way you always run, THEN go through the data. The number one mistake people make is they obsess over the paces and numbers from the word “start,” freak out when it says 8:30 pace instead of the anticipated 7:45 pace, and ramp up their training to make the watch say what they were expecting it to say. That is a quick way to both over-train and lose all your training partners.
A fancy watch will tell you the truth. Don’t be afraid of the truth. Once you make the mental adjustments to your actual data, the fancy watch is your best friend. You still run based on how you feel (freedom runners take note) but after the run is done, you can look at the stats and have real information that helps you make real training decisions. And sometimes you need to run out of your comfort zone and hit certain paces on command if you are going to improve.
A fancy watch helps you interpret and plan for the future. If it turns out you’ve been running much slower than anticipated for a week, you have concrete data that you are on the edge a bit, and need to watch your recovery. If you record some impressive numbers, it can really boost your confidence to see the data laid out there for you. Without a fancy watch, you miss the opportunities to really relish in your awesome days. Any sports psychologist will tell you the importance of spending time bathing in your successful moments. Staring at your timex simply doesn’t inspire a chest bump.
You don’t need to use all the features, (or ANY of them for that matter,) every day. But it is great to have them when you need them.
I can geek out with the dorkiest of GPS runners, but please, if you get one, promise me one thing:
“Lauren, I promise I won’t become a geekazoid splits monkey and run around the parking lot to finish on a perfect mile split.”
Think about it…those things have a margin of error, people! Seek help!
Readers, what do you think of GPS watches for training?
Q:
Lauren,
I will be training for the Chicago Marathon this October. I will be running five days and resting or cross-training the other two. I want to add barbell squats and seated calves to my training regimen. I will be doing both on the same day once every four days. I’ll do four sets of each exercise almost to failure.
I love the benefit that both of these exercises give me but I wanted to know if I am doing so much that it will interfere with my running and race performance. I will tell you that sometimes it makes my legs feel heavy when I run. I never do the weight training the day before a long run. And I do intend to stop the weights two weeks before the big race.
Can you please let me know your thoughts on this? I would really appreciate any advice you have.
Thank you,
Thomas Reiling
A:
Hi Thomas!
I’m not a big believer in near-failure weights for long distance runners, and while I do know athletes doing barbell squats and calf raises (myself included), I don’t know of anyone at the top levels doing them to near failure. But what you do in the weight room is determined by what your overall goals are.
If your goal is to purely maximize your marathon time, you’d be better off doing more functional leg exercises like single leg squats, explosive step ups, or calf exercises that incorporate a bit of balance or bounce. Or double leg squats where the focus is on activation and technique. If you like powerful movements, add in some box jumps or other plyometrics once a week.
If your goals are to run a strong marathon and still have fun in the weight room doing a couple choice exercises that are non-traditional, than don’t worry about it! You can definitely accomplish both of those things. Its not going to kill your marathon if you are using proper technique to avoid injury.
In my opinion, you should always find ways to fit in the things that make you happy and excited to work out. As professional athletes, we have to sacrifice a lot of the things we love to do because our JOB is to make every moment of training count maximally. But if I weren’t a pro, I’d find a way to incorporate rock climbing and mountain bike training into my marathon prep!
My recommendations:
- Do your weights in six week cycles, rather than 2x every single week from now until October.
- Strategically back off the weights during weeks when you are ramping up your running training, giving your body a chance to adapt and absorb it. Then when you are in a running grove, ramp the weights back up.
- Remember that you are likely to feel the effects of heavy lifting up to two days afterwards. If you long run on Sunday, don’t lift heavy after Thursday.
Good luck!
Lauren
Q:
Hi Lauren!!!
I’m a sophomore in high school in my first year of running. When you have morning practice, how much can you eat? At what time from practice, and what can you eat?
Thanks Lauren!!
-Duduzile Ndhlove
My morning workout breakfast in a pinch. Breakfast sandwich and coffee from Starbucks. (Photo courtesy of Alicia Shay this morning!)
When I have less time, I go for a Picky Bar.
This is for the last-minute types, or for fuel on the run itself.
A:
Hey Duduzile-
That’s a popular question! You might be surprised to know that the specifics of what you eat aren’t as important as the timing! Traveling the pro circuit around the world, I’ve seen world class athletes eat everything from pickled fish to sushi for breakfast before a workout or race. In my experience, there are three main options to pick from when deciding how to get your munch on in the morning.
- Get up 2-3 hours before the run and eat something “real” like a couple eggs and toast, or some oatmeal with some nuts, or 1 cup of good quality yogurt with berries and cereal, or other meal options with some protein and fat. Protein takes time to digest, but if you have the time, eating a breakfast like this leaves you well fueled for a tough morning session or race. I’d keep the total calories under 600.
- Eat something easy to digest 30-90 minutes before, like a piece of toast with a little butter (or a small amount of peanut butter) and jam. This is my favorite option because I like to sleep in. Calorie estimate is between 150-350 depending on how much time you have.
- If you are a roll-out-of-bedder, suck down a Powergel or an all natural Liquid Gold 5-15 minutes before you run with a little water. I do this when I have a basic endurance run, but never before a tough workout.
You can mix and match depending on your schedule through the week. Just remember to drink 16 oz of water the minute you wake up in the morning (8oz if you are going immediately out the door within 15 minutes). Sleep is dehydrating, and you need the fluid for your muscles to fire properly, to get your morning dookie, and to help your breakfast get absorbed. Without the water, breakfast might leave you with a cramp on your run.
You might need to practice pre-run nutrition. A lot of people are afraid to eat beforehand because of a bad experience in the past. You have to train your gut to get used to it, and its well worth it because having morning fuel raises your workout performance, which raises your confidence, your fitness, and your race performances.
You can get more specific nutritional advice from a professional, either in person or through a legit online service like the Run Smart Project. My friend Alicia Shay does consultations for things just like this. Best of luck to you!
Anyone had a pre-run food disaster or success story? Please share your food no-no’s and recommendations below! I’d love to get some ideas for run-friendly breakfast recipes to mix things up a little.
-Lauren
Q:
Hi Lauren,
I have this ridiculous lofty goal of running a 5k at a 6min/mile pace… to be honest I would love something in the high 5s. (5:59, 5:58 pace would work) The fastest I have every gone is at a 6:24 pace. And I am stuck there. Literally, I mean I have been stuck at this pace since high school… I am now 36! What do I need to do to build speed and drop this flippin’ time already?
-Michelle from Cleveland
A:
Michelle,
Your goal is not ridiculous at all! You are only 36 years old and have lots of fast running in you, and your consistency for 20 years tells me that with a few training adjustments, a breakthrough is inevitable.
You have been on a plateau for a long time, so you need to change what you’ve been doing to prepare. Over time, if you are doing the same workouts repeatedly, you simply get really good at those workouts; your races no longer improve. You need to reconnect workouts to racing by changing the stimuli. You need workouts where you are warming up thinking “I don’t know if I can do this. I wonder how I’ll do? I wonder what it will feel like? I wonder which parts will simulate a 5k race feeling?”
The basic ingredients of 5k training are: long runs, threshold workouts, long reps with short recovery, race pace stuff with moderate recovery, and some speed work thrown in there.
There are a million variations of those ingredients, but most people stick with two or three variations of each type of workout. You have all these “times” in your mind from previous times you’ve done those workouts, and you focus on how you are comparing to the last time, or the last year, or whatever. Instead, while working out your mind should be connecting to YOUR FUTURE RACING GOAL.
Your old workouts are probably completely useless to you mentally at this point. Get new workouts and your mentality will have to be present and future focused.
Try getting off the measured surfaces and ditching the Garmin for a few weeks. Focusing solely on “effort” for a little while requires translating your distance-based workouts to time-based workouts, and you will push yourself to new levels of pain, with no idea how far/fast you are running. When you get back on the track, you will be amazed at how much easier the paces feel than they did before. You will realize that you had been limiting yourself by being wrapped up in what you should be feeling at certain paces based on old information and muscle memory.
Here are two examples of workouts to help spice things up off the track:
- Do tempo runs, but maybe start doing them uphill using a heart rate monitor, rather than on the same old bike path where you dwell on your pace every 400 meters.
- Do something similar to 8 x 1000m repeats at 10k effort, but do them by time rather than distance, and don’t measure the loop. Simply find a place you can run uninterrupted for 3:30, mark a starting line, and go. When you reach 3:30, stop and mark the finish line. This is the distance you will repeat over and over, running out one way for one rep, and back the way you came for the following rep, and so on. You should have no idea how fast you are actually going. Decrease the recovery as you go starting at 1:30, 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, :50, :40, :30. You will be doubting yourself by #5, but you will pull through, and your confidence will soar.
Research some new variations and write a fresh training program for when you get back on the track. Within 12 weeks, you will be well on your way to achieving your goal, if you don’t simply blow it out of the water! I’ll leave you with one workout that I find helps my speed endurance in a 5k.
- 10 x 200m at your mile pace with only 30 seconds recovery, rest for 5 minutes and then do 10 more the same way. It will burn badly, but focus on relaxing into the pain. Its only 200 meters, so you can suck it up!
Best of luck!
Lauren
Q:
Hi Lauren,
I am a 1500 meter runner competing at the junior college level. Every race that I had last season came down to the last 200 meters. I feel like I do everything right during the race to gradually move my way up, but the last 200 is always tricky. I have a pretty good kick, but it is not always good enough when it comes down to a big race. What kind of workouts can I add to my routine that will help me finish the race stronger? I always have the drive to give it everything I’ve got the last 200 but sometimes the guy next to me has more speed. How can I get my quarter time faster? Or in this case, my 200 meter time faster?
-Matan Mayer
A:
Hey Matan Mayer,
Since you’ve told me you have a pretty good kick, but your trouble is with the end of the race, I’ve answered with that in mind. How to develop raw speed is another subject, but I don’t think that is your problem.
Its not about how FAST you are, its how fast you can run when you are TIRED. If you look at the last 200 meter split of the winners of your races, I’m guessing its easily a time you’ve run before. In fact, why not jump on Runnerspace and go through some Pro 1500 videos to see what their last 200 is. Its probably slower than you think. The trick is, how do you get your body to run that speed when you’ve already been burning your jets for the past 75% of the race?
Four tips for improving your kick:
1. You need to get stronger. Long intervals, hilly runs, tempo runs, and consistent mileage over the fall and winter go a long way. If you’ve been doing this, your problems from last year might already be a thing of the past. Strength comes with time, and there is no shortcut that I know of.
2. Speed endurance work at race pace with short recoveries are key for the 1500. A lot of people do long reps on short rest, or short reps on long rest. But make sure there are a couple days where you do 200′s, 300′s, 400′s etc off of really short rest (30 seconds) mixed in there. A couple of these burners go a long way in preparing you for mid-distance racing.
3. Learn to relax and conserve. Once you are strong and fit, the mind really comes into play (especially in the lead up to a race). If you want to have an insane kick, you need to get to the start line as cool as a cucumber, and get to 200 meters to go as relaxed as possible, having burned as little energy as possible. It will still hurt like hell, but speed/endurance workouts help you practice relaxing into the pain.
4. Mental Maturity. Learn to tune in mentally more during all your workouts so you get what you need out of them. On long rep workouts or tempo runs, practice “tuning out” and almost meditating; you will use that same skill from 300m-1100m of your 1500m race. When you are on # 7 and #8 of an 8x400m workout at race pace, focus not on how fast and hard you can run them, but how relaxed you can look running the right pace.
If anyone has any key workouts they would like to share to help this guy out with his 1500, feel free to post them below.
Thanks!
-L-Train
Q:
Hi Lauren,
First of all, HUGE fan of Picky Bars. Serious delicious.
I’m currently ramping up my workouts for a marathon (revenge tour) in June. I plan to redeem myself after a very humbling first experience post college (played Field Hockey, not a runner at the time.)
I’ve been fighting this mild to moderate winter sickness that’s mutating and growing stronger in my veterinary school for nearly 3 weeks. Some days I feel fine to run, and do, including some longer and harder runs, but then I just don’t seem to (EVER) get better.
What is your rule on running while sick?? Run with a little cold, run with a cough, run with a persistent cold?
-Hedda Burnett
A:
Hi Hedda,
I’m extremely conservative when it comes to getting sick and running. If I feel the slightest inkling of getting sick, I take the day off and change my workout schedule around so that the next day can be easy as well. 90% of the time, this knocks it out and it never amounts to anything, (leaving me feeling like a big wuss who unnecessarily took time off.)
Then I determine my effort level for the next few days by a few things:
- Fever- Never run, go to the doctor.
- Infection below the neck – only run easy (avoiding chest infections)
- Above the neck – go ahead and get after it (but avoid balls-out 100% efforts).
I know you are bent on marathon revenge, but pushing through chronic illness without seeing a doc is a great way to totally screw the pooch.
If it were me, I’d see a doc about getting on antibiotics. If you’ve already seen a doc and they’ve done the typical “its a virus, dear, so there’s nothing we can do so drink your fluids and rest” thing, try not to kill the doctor and follow the three bullet points above until you are better. As long as you are avoiding maximal efforts, and you are hydrating and eating properly, your marathon revenge is right around the corner.
-Lauren
P.S. That’s totally badass that you are a Field Hockey convert to running. And excited to hear you are a Picky Bar fan!
Q:
A:
Hey Jordan,
Your long run will improve if you take your easy days way way easier (like an effort level of 4-5 out of 10, with LOTS of energy left over), and focus on nutrition and hydration on long run day. Try running it like a Kenyan, starting at a crawl and working into a good pace around mile six or seven. And maybe even try a change of scenery…a scenic trail can pull you to a longer distance.
As for Question #2: How do you break a distance (mileage) ceiling in your training?
You don’t.
I've tried it all. Mileage ceilings are just part of the deal.
Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Not the answer you were looking for? Look, I feel you man. I’m dealing with the same hard truth right now. I can run 70 mpw no problem, but whenever I bump it up to what I “should” be doing as an elite 5k athlete, I get a left foot injury. I’m on year four of making the same mistake, and I am finally putting my foot down.
You might be able to creep your miles up with a bigger distinction between hard/easy days, since it sounds like you haven’t nailed that yet, but I still caution you. Eight years of the same result is a pretty clear message.
I have access to the best medical treatment and PT’s around, and I’ve tried everything to raise that ceiling: fix my biomechanics, yoga, stretching, recovery strategies and lifestyle changes, splitting mileage into two-a-days, nutrition…All these things help me stay healthier and make me race faster, as long as I’m at or under 70 miles per week, but as soon as I start feeling invincible and creep up the mileage, I get slammed down.
Here is the moral of the story: mileage is over-rated. If you can run a crap-load of miles, good for you. If you can’t, you can still improve a hundred other ways.
How about you and I take a pledge together man?
I will not be an idiot and keep making the same mistakes.
I will set my mileage limit at what I know works and focus on other methods of improvement.
I will supplement my missing volume with low-impact cross training (it works.)
I will make my quality days higher quality and recover well on my easy days.
You can’t run if you can’t run, so there is no point in getting yourself hurt for a stupid 15 miles a week, right?
Best of luck to you. Hopefully your skull is less thick than mine on this topic.
-Lauren
Q:
Hey Lauren,
While I am diligent about strength training and core work in addition to my training in order to prevent injury, I am always being sidelined by sickness and/or allergy induced sinus infections. It’s so frustrating!
I haven’t been able to run some of my most anticipated races because of a high fever or infection! I have been to a few doctors, including a natural doctor for ideas to boost my immune system, and I’ve tried them all. I’ve got the diet down with high fruits and veggies, and take supplements for ones I am naturally lacking in. But every doctor seems to say the same thing: long distance running brings down your immunity shield too much to the point where viruses/ bacteria can invade, and nothing really can be done to improve my immunity except for scaling back on my running intensity/ mileage. Obviously I want to keep training!
Is there anything I can do to boost my immune system so I can stop being sick all the time?
Thanks!
-Melissa
A:
Hi Melissa,
I’ll give you three things to think about from my personal experience:
1. Tonsils: I had my tonsils removed because they had pockets that seemed to be the starting point for several infections. I used to get 2-4 upper respiratory infections a year. After removing those, I haven’t had a single infection in over three years.
2. Sleep/Stress: It doesn’t matter how good your diet is if you aren’t producing growth hormone and lowering your cortisol levels with a level head and lots of sleep. If you ate nothing but pizza but you slept nine hours a night and used mental strategies to buffer stress, you’d get sick less often than if you ate a perfect diet but lived your life with a constant stream of cortisol (stress hormone) running through your system.
3. Weight: In my experience, I am more prone to getting sick when I’m leaner. I’ve talked to some of my peers and several health professionals about this over the years and its a common experience. My approach is to carry some extra weight through most of the year until its time to focus on racing, and I don’t allow myself to stay at that lower weight for longer than 6-8 weeks. I don’t know the science, (I’m sure its easy enough to find) but something about having a slightly higher body fat makes me very resilient in both training and immune function. A minimum buffer of 3 pounds (probably more like 5) keeps me healthier. It sucks racing with a little extra jiggle in the early season, but its totally worth it.
I hope one of those helps you out!
Sincerely,
Lauren
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