by Dr. Cathy Fieseler
I’m a 25 year old female, and have been an athlete all of my life. I have been running regularly for 10 years and have experienced recurrent episodes of pelvic pain while running. This does not occur every time that I run and does not seem to be related to my menstrual cycle. I have altered my diet and the pain does not seem to be related to this. What is causing this problem and what can I do?
There are a numerous possible causes of pelvic pain. Osteitis pubis is an inflammation of the symphysis pubis (where the pubic bones meet in the front of the body). This area will be extremely tender to palpation. Most women who have had vaginal deliveries will have some changes on x-ray without any symptoms, so clinical exam is important. Osteitis pubis can cause pain radiating into the thighs and lower abdomen; it is aggravated by running.
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by Jennifer Baldachin
I have three amazing children, a husband who travels a lot, and a dog. Even so, four years ago I felt that I needed a new challenge. I was an occasional runner and decided that if I put my mind to it, I could accomplish what I once thought was best left for professional athletes: A marathon. I soon realized that my first pregnancy and training for my marathon were similar in many more ways.
The first trimester
When you first decide to run a marathon, you don’t tell people right away. You mention in an off-hand way that you’re thinking about it. It’s not until you are well into the training that you feel confident enough to announce “I’m going to run a marathon!” Though you know most people who train will succeed, when you say the words you can’t help but hope that something doesn’t go wrong.
You are so eager that you buy books about running and sign up for weekly emails. You Google for information online. You talk to other runners about their experiences and ask a million questions. You start to take multi-vitamins, eat properly, and try to get lots of rest.
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This past February 16th, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced a new registration process and qualifying criteria for the Boston Marathon.
During last year’s registration fiasco for the 2011 Marathon, the race filled in eight hours, leaving many qualifying runners out in the cold. It took most people 90 minutes or more to register online and penalized those who could not spend that amount time during the day to register.
The B.A.A. has decided to change the 2012 registration process and tighten the qualifying times for the 2013 marathon. Click on New Boston Registration Process for details.
(Editors’ Note: The above B.A.A. article’s headline is misleading. The new admission process favours qualifiers who beat their Boston qualifying (BQ) times by larger margins,
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD November 2010
Commercial Sports Foods: A Source of Confusion?
Have you have ever wondered which is the best sports drink, energy bar, or gel? The answer is the best choice is the product that pleases your taste buds and settles well in your stomach. You simply need to experiment to determine which products (if any) work best for your body.
A multitude of businesses have jumped on the bandwagon to create sports foods that appeal to a variety of athletes, including runners with special diets (such as gluten-free or vegan) to marathoners who are just plain hungry and want a “healthier” cookie (most energy bars!). While busy runners enjoy the ease of using pre-wrapped sports foods, these commercial products tend to be more about convenience than necessity. Certainly, there is a time and place for these products, but “real” food (such as raisins, gummi bears, chocolate milk) can do the same job at a lower price. And please don’t underestimate the power of peanut butter, bananas, and honey!
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We are pleased to announce the first annual IAWR Women’s Running Telesummit. This unique event will be held November 29th – December 2nd, featuring five presentations from guest experts over the course of four days.
You can phone in and listen to each presentation from the comfort of your home, office or car. And – registration is free!
Learn how to:
- Train more efficiently and effectively so that you can improve your running without spending extra precious time
- Practice optimal nutrition for performance and maintaining your ideal weight
- Prevent, diagnose and treat injuries so that you can avoid frustrating layoffs that derail your progress
- Improve your running performance as you age
Join other women who share your passion for running and discover:
- Practical strategies for busy women to carve out time to get in your daily run
- How the women’s running community is revolutionizing both the running industry and fundraising
And more!
Click on Women’s Running Telesummit to find out who is speaking and when!
by Dr. Cathy Fieseler
To quote the sign at the start of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Massachusetts – “It all starts here”. The foot is the runner’s source of locomotion and problems with the foot can be devastating. I’ll start at the foot and each month will work towards the head as I discuss issues that may present in runners. Here is an article that was published in Running Times in November 2007 discussing the big toe, a solitary digit that can cause major problems.
Big Toe – Big Deal!
Have you ever wondered why a football player who makes millions of dollars each year can’t play in a game because of a turf toe injury? If you have ever had a problem with your big toe you can sympathize, but everyone else questions the toughness of the player. What is it about the joint (first MTPJ) comprised of the first metatarsal and the bone at the base of the big toe (proximal phalanx) that makes it so important?
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Used with permission by Jeff Galloway. Excerpt from Women’s Guide to Running by Barbara and Jeff Galloway, Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd. www.JeffGalloway.com
After age 30, we lose bone mass each year. Weight bearing exercises, such as walking and running, have been shown to strengthen the bones (or at least maintain bone density), when there is adequate calcium in the diet. Some strength exercises can also strengthen connections to the spine and can help to maintain bone strength in this very important structure. Ask strength experts for other exercises that can help you. Swimming and cycling are two examples of non weight-bearing exercises that will not promote bone density.
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Meeting runners at race expos provides an opportunity to chat and discuss race preparedness. Many have a specific time goal for their race. We are sometimes asked our opinion if a runner’s race day objective is achievable. All too often, the goal time is not based upon a measurable indication of fitness level or race preparedness.
A related scenario occurs when runners fall short of achieving their time objective in their race. When conducting the “post-mortem” analysis and looking for lessons to apply to upcoming training and racing, they need to ask themselves if their race objective was reasonable.
So, how can you know if your goal time is or was realistic?
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD October 2010
Sports Snacks: Food Suggestions for Fueling Hungry Runners
“What should I eat before I exercise?” That’s a key question—as well as what to eat during extended exercise—that runners commonly ask me, a sport nutritionist. While they know the words carbs, proteins and fats, they often don’t know how to translate those words into food choices. Hence, the goal of this article is to offer specific food suggestions to fit a variety of exercise situations. This is far from a complete list! Please be sure to experiment with new pre- and during-exercise foods to learn which ones settle best in your gut, don’t “talk back” and enhance your performance.
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We are pleased to announce that Kathrine Switzer has joined the IAWR as a Guest Expert. A true pioneer in women’s running, Kathrine is the most influential women runner to date. Not only was she the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon, she also led the movement to have the women’s marathon included in the Olympics, created programs in 27 countries for over 1 million women and forever changed the world’s paradigm of women and running.
Each issue of the IAWR newsletter contains practical information that you can easily apply to get more from your running, racing and a healthy lifestyle. To start receiving our weekly email newsletter, click on info@iawr-connect.com and put your first name and email address in the Subject line.
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