I’m sure I’m not the only one getting different messages in my inbox. One running magazine will advocate stretching when another trainer’s newsletter claims it doesn’t bear any benefit. And so, over the years, I’ve gone from stretching before and after exercise to only stretching after exercise… to forgetting to stretch all along (not good, my muscles felt very stiff) to regular yoga sessions, plus some stretches after exercise now.

Mind you, I’m by no means representative of the rest of the running population; a) I’m hyper-mobile and can do crazy stuff with my joints, and b) I’m a Pilates instructor and get to mobilise and stretch my limbs on a daily basis at work. So you’d have to think my general level of flexibility was quite good. And you’d be spot on – most of the time.
But how about you? Would stretching before exercise be beneficial for you? Well, in one of the latest news I’ve received, Bennett Cohen, from the International Association of Women Runners (www.iawr-connect.com), quoting from a study from 1999, that’s right, before the Sydney Olympics even, says, “stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury”.

In fact, as a slightly more recent study from the University of Nevada shows (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=1) that static stretching before exercise can decrease muscle strength. Rubber Girl at stretch maximum doesn’t run very fast. In more scientific talk, the stretched muscle becomes less responsive due to a neuromuscular inhibitory response to stretching. And, more alarmingly perhaps, maximum range static stretching pre-running may also increase your risk of injury, according to a few studies. There you have it, showing off where you can put your legs before a run is bad for you, girls!

But don’t think that means you should bound out the door belting out, ‘I am rhythm now’, without any further ado; hold your horses! Warming up the muscles is still very important to improve blood flow to them and the surrounding tissue. And that’s not just a slow start to your run or a few technique drills. Ideally, it includes dynamic stretching.

If you’ve never come across the term before, that means prepping your body for your run by going through a few exercises that take you through your full range of motion. Moves that ‘limber you up’, so to speak. Think squats, lunges, butt kicks, swinging your leg from side to side like a pendulum, that kind of thing. Perhaps a few technique drills running 25-50m and back. It’s an excellent way to focus on your running style at the same time. And you’ll look quite the pro. Let me know if you’d like any video links!

It looks as if evidence as to whether stretching prevents injury, helps with recovery or lessens stiffness is still a little inconclusive, but regular stretching seems to reduce cramping during exercise and runners’ perception of stiffness may be altered (Noakes, Lore of Running). So you won’t feel quite as stiff during or after your run, hence why I felt worse when I stopped stretching altogether.

And there’s pretty conclusive evidence (which we like) that having a good stretch post-workout, or a massage on a roller, may provide the greatest benefit to runners. I quote again from the IAWR newsletter, this time Dr Owen Anderson, “Stretching most likely plays its best roles in the post-workout, post-race stages. Such stretching seems to prepare muscles for the periods of quiescence which follow exertions. Research has also noted that post-training stretching can actually boost the rate of intake of carbohydrate into muscle cells, an effect which would enhance glycogen storage and provide the energy needed for repairing muscle fibres after strenuous efforts. It is extremely unlikely that such stretching would harm running economy during subsequent training sessions.” Quiescence. I like it. Very eloquently put – makes me want to stretch right now.

So to summarise: do a dynamic warm-up instead of a static stretch before your workout, stretch out after your run and don’t feel bad if you miss it. If your body seems to feel better for it, great! If not, no harm done. Some runners go for years without stretching – and I wouldn’t advocate it but whatever works for your body is great.

What you should really listen to is any excessive tightness or muscular imbalance in your body, though. Those can create more trouble in no time. Don’t ignore any of your body’s warning signals. If something starts playing up, seek the help of a good therapist, be that remedial massage, acupuncture or myofascial release.

Heck, I’m uber-flexible and stretch my limbs out every day but I still need some bodywork done on a regular basis – depending on the intensity of my training programme. Remember: No Jane Fonda. And you don’t have to be Rubber Girl to run well but you want to keep your body nice and supple.

And then I encountered a great opportunity for growth. There was a disconnect between what my heart, head and body were telling me. Trying to get the three to become one again and get out of the situation I could not remove myself from by sheer force of will, I approached it on several levels at the same time.

I started training for a half ironman and finally went back to yoga. I took control back over what was happening to and with my body. I looked after it and enjoyed it in a playful way. The joy of running until you feel you become one with nature and of exercising with friends while talking about life as much as the solitude of marvelling at light play at the bottom of the pool and the feeling of wholeness yoga all share similar effects on my mind and body.

And somewhere along the  way a wise friend of mine recommended a book called Mental Resilience, a non-spiritual approach to meditation. In hindsight, I barely even remember what my problems with meditation were. But I do know that I now still at times let it fall by the wayside, mainly when I feel too good or too tired. And every time that happens I lose my zen.

I started exploring spiritual teachings and inspiring talks over the last few years too. It was something I would’ve laughed at or had a discussion about when I was younger. Now, I feel deeply connected with my intuition, the world and those around me. Often, I still struggle with that, as it is all too easy to fall back into more egoic ways of thinking and feeling. Judging myself and others and acting out of habit or withdrawing in times of conflict or when feelings become to strong or distrusting my intuition. But what I have learned from talks by Stephanie Dowrick, Swami Govinanda and others is that spiritual health which ultimately expresses itself in your mind and body requires your daily maintenance and attention as much as physical health does.

And it doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t even have to be deep. For me, even just taking a little time a day to sit by the water, lie in bed and feel my breath and body or reading inspiring books or watching great talks can be enough. You don’t have to run a marathon every day to have a healthy body either, right?

External circumstances can often get in the way. (See, I’m as good at excuses as anyone!) When I broke my foot, I could no longer do yoga, kept the meditation and daily maintenance up for a good month or two and then, month 3, whoops, off by the wayside I went. Swept away by strong feelings of love, pain & a modicum of fear. The pain I could mostly deal with and I’ve found ways to manage. The fear was removing me from my present experience and thus hindering my healing process. And love, well,  I’ve vowed to keep bringing more of it into my life in smaller quieter ways once again, so I’m not quite as awed when it hits me in a larger dose.

Breaking my foot has been a great challenge given my job and temperament, throwing my life out of balance. It’s shown up the holes in my sailboat, so to speak. But it’s been a great opportunity to look at my boat for any other flaws and potential risks and renew my commitment to my daily so(u)l routines – yoga or not. So…as my friends of old would tell you, if I can do it, so can you. It’s only hard if you make it so. Go on, meditate and look after your wholeself.

Below are two inspiring talks I loved watching that may get you started on something to sit with for today.

Sol x

This is a shot taken last week for the packaging of my first ever DVD workout for Core Isolators. I think I don’t need to tell you just how exciting this project is, as it shows in my face. Love the outfit I’m wearing too btw! I’m currently inseparable from my purple 2XU top and those tri pants have been to the Outback and back and through my first ever Half Ironman. (Don’t worry, I got some new ones but the same model for this year’s training!)

And here’s a shot from the week I refractured my foot and got to shoot, once again, with the talented Jason Ierace. The “dream” shot is just one of several hundred Jason must’ve taken on the day, took about two minutes to get and the result took my breath away. (After working as a model since I was 16, that doesn’t happen too often!) Unfortunately, you can’t really see the amazing backlight, fountain and table detail too well but I’ll make sure I’ll post a higher res image when I get it from Nutrimetics – who I was shooting for.

A few weeks ago, I shot for Women’s Health again. This time workouts designed by James Duigan from Bodyism (and Elle’s trainer) for the South African and Australian versions of the mag. Apparently the latest issue on newsstands already has some of the pics in it… Go check it out. You’ll see exercises like the superman and single leg squat – on my good foot.

And here’s a shot I haven’t shared yet from happier foot times, modelling for Teva. I remembered those images yesterday as Lyndon Marceau, the guy in the shot in front of me, is also a photographer… We did a quick shoot for Trail Run mag together yesterday arvo and got great results in, uhm 20 minutes! (The sun was setting, so we had to work as quickly as we could.) Lyndon is not only an outdoor sports nut, he also likes shooting athletes in their natural habitats – trails, waterfalls, roads… If you’d like to get in touch with him, check out his website here.

And lastly, look at those feet! Ironically, Teva sandals and my bike shoes were all I could wear for the first week when my bone was bruised, then broken. Let’s hope for a quick return to full health now that I’ve been in boots and on crutches for almost two weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me? Toes perhaps too!

While I understand the concept of rest and strive for balance in my training, I must’ve been sitting on my ears when I was told that rehab exercises won’t help my broken bone heal faster. And just because I could tolerate the pain in my foot doesn’t mean I can actually walk on it… That’s precisely how you refracture it. Thanks for leading me on, pain threshold! And yes KG, I do realise bones don’t grow faster just because I’m taking everything from magnesium over tissue salts to krill and so on. I admit I was getting impatient after ten days with a bone bruise and three weeks of healing my broken second metatarsal. Perhaps, single leg balancing exercises on the Powerplate and short 50m walks WERE premature?

Thankfully, my doctor has been very patient with me indeed when a follow-up showed the fracture line through my bone clearly 4.5 weeks into my broken foot. And he had absolutely no problem with repeating everything he said three times over…

“No, no walking.” Me: “And did you say no aquarunning?” “Absolutely not, you know what happened to your foot last time.” “How about cycling? Are you absolutely SURE it will load my forefoot, even if I push through my heel?” “Yes, it will and no, I don’t want you to cycle for two weeks.” “So… How about walking to the bathroom, is that considered walking?” 

At this point my doc started writing down what he proposed I do. Very clearly. In short, concise sentences. Week 1, week 2, etc. Then he got up and demonstrated what he’d like me to do… Including lying on my back and pretending to cycle. It cracked me up. But more importantly, it made me take note. I realised that I had not been guilty of underestimating what was happening in my foot but overestimating how much rehab I could take and how fast it would show effect. I had been doing a great job in keeping muscular imbalances out of my body and strengthening the right calf and foot and loosening it up but that did not mean at all that I should’ve walked on my foot three weeks into it. 

For a little bit of a laugh, check out this video. It’s similar to the “I Am an Ironman.” video I posted a while ago. Athletes in injury mode (or was that denial?) are hi – la -ri -ous.

But then what? Once you’ve done your thousandth session of a variation of your first session, nicely executing the exercises without your shoulders becoming earrings, your belly looking as if you’re 4 months preggers in the roll-up or your hips wobbling more than an excited jellyfish in the hip release, where do you go?

That’s when you want to start looking at not just increasing the levers, reps and length of your sessions but instead adding in continuous movement and flowing transitions that challenge your coordination and balance.

Throw in a few yoga or dance moves or some Tai Chi. You’d do the same if you were a boxer or runner. From taking those first technique centric first lessons in punching or slow running, you’d combine speed up and eventually just dance along the trail or in the ring.

Last week Claire Norgate, perennial speaker at Filex, midwife, yoga and Pilates instructor extraordinaire introduced a group of instructors to a routine she has developed for more advanced clients.

Claire is not only an outstanding instructor trainer herself but she also brought two inspiring girls with her to demonstrate – I’ll write a bit more about the two in a future post. For now, here’s a link to Claire’s program for my instructors out there and below are a few inspiring photos from the session I took on the day. Enjoy!

Also, if you prefer reformer Pilates, check out this advanced reformer video by Jean Claude Nelson. I absolutely adore this guy’s technique and fluidity.

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And as always, stay tuned, I’ll be posting some of my favourite mat Pilates combinations in a do-it-at-home video soon.

Sol

The healthy kind! While I love cooking, I’m quite often too busy to want to spend time in the kitchen… This week one of my clients “caught” me with a brown paper bag, big shake and packet of crisps. His comment: “For a second there I thought you were having McDonald’s. And I thought that must be healthy now then.”

In fact, I was having healthy food: an Iku take-away salad, coconut water and flesh scooped out freshly from a fantastic juice bar in the CBD’s Westfield and a packet of beetroot crisps or the like. Fast food but not bad for you. Salty crisps to replace some of what I’d lost through working out, vitamins and protein in the salad and additional hydration and electrolytes in the coconut. Plus, the flesh to help me absorb nutrients and stay full for longer. Coconuts aren’t just a fad. I reckon they’re here to stay. Especially now with the moreish coconut icecreams and yoghurts that hit our Australian shops over the last year. (Never tried it? You haven’t lived!)

Here’s a little info from Coconut Water Australia:

“According to Health Mad, Coconut water is the purest liquid second only to water itself. It is choc-full of electrolytes, calcium, potassium, magnesium; everything that is good for you for only around 60 calories per serve. We have also started to documenting our own personal experiences with coconut water when performing exercises such as cardio and weights in the gym. View our latest article called Coconut Water instead of Protein Powder?”

When I was younger I used to think convenient and fast foods were your standard food mall dishes, frozen supermarket meals or perhaps prepped sandwiches. But healthy food really doesn’t have to take long to prepare – or buy, if you’re out and lazy like me.

Nutritionist Claire Montgomery from New Medicine got me onto using a slow cooker last year. So in winter, I just chuck veggies and some meat together, season with miso soup etc and leave it to brew – voila, food for a week! (Or several if you don’t want to eat the same thing every day.)

In summer, I love fruit or veggie salads. Again, doesn’t take long to prep at all. Just chuck some veggies together and make it exciting with some fresh herbs, varying your oils and vinegars and using fresh lemon juice or grinding up some herbs in oil in your mortar. Too easy!

For take away food, I rely hugely on Iku. Lucky there are quite a few of those wholesome food bars dotted through the CBD  and where I work- Martin Place, Oxford Street, Neutral Bay, Bondi. And then there is brown rice sushi and sashimi or a fresh sashimi salad. Yum! Getting hungry just writing about it.

And if you’re SUPER time poor, do as I do and order food through Eat Fit Food. They do gluten free, dairy free and largely soy free foods but full of nature’s goodness. Delivered every two days, the ingredients are super fresh and you barely have to prep at all. What’s best, it comes with three meals, two snacks and even things like additional protein for those who work out a lot.

The other option I tried and liked last year while training for my half Ironman was Gourmet Dinner Service. This is all frozen but healthy food. (They have several menus, so make sure you ask for the healthier and perhaps protein plus version.) Here, you just add some fresh veggies or a salad yourself and it’s close to somethibng you’d be served in a restaurant.

So, whatcha waiting for? Get stuck into fast food! The healthy kind. For recipe ideas, try out “Clean Up Your Diet”. Super salads, yummo smoothies and unusual meals bursting with flavours and nutrients.  Enjoy! And as always, email me any suggestions.

Sol

QUESTION: Have you ever had runner’s knee? And what can you recommend?

ANSWER: Yes… See the bruised and swollen specimen on the right? That’s my actual knee. I had a knee operation at age 14. And while the hole in my knee caused by a broken off piece of cartilage apparently closed up fairly well, there must still be a bit of scar tissue in the area, as my knee will swell up anytime I increase or decrease impact sports (basketball, running etc) too quickly. When I maintain a fairly steady level of exercise or increase my running volume slowly, the knee is fine. I put this down to keeping my knee joint well maintained by creating strong supportive muscles that keep it tracking in alignment> The moment anything goes out, my knee hurts.

Comparing this to what is commonly known as patellofemoral pain syndrome – or runner’s knee -, I have all the common symptoms of an overuse injury, with pain below or to the side of the kneecap, swelling of the bursa and a responsiveness to treatments commonly recommended for runner’s knee.

SOLUTION: I use Brauer Joint and Muscle Gel or Voltarengel if the inflammation is back. Over the course of the last decade, I have also learned that hitting the knee with 24-48 hours of Voltaren (or Nurofen) works best to bring the inflammation down. Also, RICE: rest, ice, compress and elevate. Boring but effective. Best to do this as soon as you have symptoms. Generally, waiting and continued running will make the symptoms much worse.

When the pain is there, I lay off my running for a few days, until pain is gone or tolerable. (NO twinging or sharp pain!) I alternate my running surfaces and love soft sand and trails for my knees.

Also, I do alignment work for the tracking of my legs on the reformer and sometimes wear Reebok Runtones to get my hip stabilising muscles to work –  they have little air pockets that make your legs work similar to running on uneven terrain.

To prevent flare-ups, I take glucosamine, chondroitin and lyprinol and have ginger (in everything and anything). I also sometimes strap my knees if I feel there’s a misalignment. Keeping your bodies general acidity levels down is the best thing I can recommend: have your greens, lay off caffeine, sugar and toxins.

Any questions? Would love to hear from you!

Sol

Inspired by delicious home-made cacao balls, I’d decided to look for the equivalent in cake form as a healthy birthday treat for a sportsnut.  So I put a call out on twitter and the result absolutely blew me out of the water. Here’s the original link I was sent on the Lava Magazine website - I slightly modified the recipe.

Both the birthday child and I fell in love with the yummo wholesome taste and energising ingredients and have since been talking and dreaming about cacao cake almost every day… Success!

Word of advice: varying the ingredients changes the taste and consistency considerably. Add more nuts, coconuts and LSA mix, if you want a slightly less moist and more chewy version. And vice versa, more honey and vanilla bean paste or apple will increase the melt-in-your-mouth factor.

Below’s my favourite version so far. As I said, I’ve added a few things to the original recipe…

Ingredients:

4 eggs, 1 apple shredded, 1.5 cups almonds shredded, 3/4 cup cacao powder, 2 handfuls of LSA mix, 3 handfuls of desiccated cococnut, 2 handfuls of cut-up cranberries or similar,  1/2 jar of Manuka honey. 2-3 spoonfuls of vanilla bean paste (to taste), sprinkle of salt.

Mix all the above, add in cinnamon, more vanilla, honey or coconut to taste. Result should be a liquid paste that still drips of a spoon (consistency roughly like the honey). Place in round metal cake pan with baking paper underneath and around outside (tinfoil is a tad too sticky but works if you want to use it to keep cake in fridge for later). Bake in oven for 35-40 mins at 210C. (Top should be firm and almost crisp, inside moist but not too sticky.)

ENJOY! Send me your pics and feedback… And watch out you don’t get a serious case of cacao head.

The vivacious alternative-looking brunette with facial piercing, hair in ponytails and sparkling eyes who called herself Debzillah only gave a short thank you speech for her award as “Most Inspiring Athlete”. Reading up on her story on her blog, I loved where she found her inspiration to change her life around: in a circus act.

I’ve always loved the circus myself and would have probably run away with the circus at age 3, if I’d had a tad more of a rebellious streak. Circus acts make you leave reality, even just for a fleeting moment and make you dream. They often defy logic or seem to break conventional laws of physics. The inspire the child in us and set our spirit free.

For Deb, it inspired her to reinvent herself, create a whole new life. The one-armed deskbound IT worker, suffering from anxiety and depression, started dreaming big- one pole dancing competition at a time. Winning against a host of talented, able-bodied fellow amateurs in 2009, three years after seeing the circus act instilled in her the deep belief she’d be able to do anything. In her own words it showed her “that possibilities are limitless. More often than not, the thing holding us back is inside us. We just need to choose differently!”

And so she did, over the course of several years trasnforming herself from nerd to PT to fitness ambassador, pole dancer par excellence and national bike racer. Her past 12 months must’ve been truly amazing. Deb now hopes to compete in the Paralympics – after only learning how to ride 16 months ago -, took out her division in the International Pole Dancing Championships last month and participates in Leaders for Tomorrow, a national disability development program. But, after opening herself up to the world and its endless possibilities, her next step will be to share her love for movement with the world at large and inspire others to do the same:  the seemingly unstoppable Debzillah is looking to open her own healthclub, Accessible Wellness, exclusively for those with physical disabilities in 2013.

To me, Deb’s story is one that highlights the positive (or negative) impact your headspace can have on your life and the incredible transformative power of the human spirit. Living your dreams is possible, you just gotta believe in yourself and grab destiny with both hands.

http://debzillah.com.au/about/