The Shoulder: When Muscles Pitch in For Each Other
First, let’s take a look at the shoulder, which is a ball-and-socket joint that allows for the arm to have complete circumduction (circular movement). When swimming, whether in a pool, a lake or the ocean, a majority of the strength required to do the work must come from the rotator cuff muscles (the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and the subscapularis). These four muscles hold the ball part of the shoulder to the socket. If one of these muscles is injured, an athlete will have great difficulty completing a full swimming stroke – but when the other muscles step in to take over to allow the athlete to complete the distance, overuse injury often results. (So much for teamwork, muscles!)

The two most common muscles to be injured are the supraspinatus and the subscapularis. Both muscles suffer the most wear and tear when training for long-distance swims because they are used the most during the pulling stage of the freestyle stroke (also known as the crawl). If an overuse injury should occur from either the supraspinatus or subscapularis muscle, a swimmer can experience pain (as much as radiating pain) up into the neck, into the front part of the shoulder, and down the arm (and sometimes into the fingers), all on the same side. The treatment protocol for both of these muscles involves a combination of electric stimulation, soft tissue massage, ice, active release technique, chiropractic adjustments to the thoracic spine (upper back)/shoulder/scapula/lower cervical (neck), and corrective and rehabilitative exercises.

The Hip: How This Workhorse Gets Hobbled
If we look at the hip, we see it is also a ball-and-socket joint. The two most common muscles that can limit hip range of motion are the iliopsoas and the psoas muscles (also known as your hip flexors). Both muscles are responsible for hip flexion, or bringing the knee to the chest. Most commonly, these muscles are injured in triathletes due to the wear and tear of running. The most common complaint I hear from triathletes after an event is, “I have extreme pain in my groin.” Then the person invariably points and presses deep into his or her hip.

When triathletes make the transition from biking to running, their bodies have a tendency to not (that’s right, not) transition properly. The longer an athlete is on a bike, the more the iliopsoas and psoas tighten. By the time an athlete jumps off the bike to enter the run, her legs are usually extremely heavy because her hip flexors cannot loosen – and neither can they stop firing. Though tight and exhausted, typically the hip flexors will simply step in to do the work of the also already-tired quad (primarily, the rectus femoris) and the gluteus medius. We’ve already discussed the “payoff” for those poor, industrious hip flexors. If an athlete chooses to ignore the discomfort or the pain that has been created after the race and continues to run, an overuse injury can set in.

The treatment protocol for this injury involves a combination of electric stimulation to the iliotibial band (does the term “ITB” sound familiar?) and medial meniscus; soft tissue massage; active release technique; chiropractic adjustments to the lumbar spine (low back)/pelvis/hip/ knee; and corrective and rehabilitative exercises.

About the Author: Dr. Gansel is a neuromusculoskeletal practitioner specializing in proper spinal/articular alignment, muscle imbalances and soft tissue injuries. Her degrees include: Doctor of Chiropractic and Athletic Training/ Sports Medicine. She has additional certifications in: Personal Training, BOSU Balance Training, Ergonomics, and Holistic Medicine. At graduation from Palmer West Chiropractic College, Dr. Gansel received the Clinical Excellence Award for outstanding achievement throughout the clinical system.

Dr. Gansel works closely with the fitness industry and was a faculty instructor for American Aerobic Association International and International Sports Medicine Association. She is the owner and sole practitioner of Head-To-Toe Chiropractic, LLC and Fitness Matters, Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut. In her practice, she works with a wide range of people and athletes who sole goal is to get better and to continue to function at optimal health and performance.

Dr. Gansel is also the CEO/President of CORE: The center for fitness and chiropractic care, a franchising company.

The concept behind the TRX is “core involvement”  – my favorite term. As a chiropractor, this is my favorite  term because when treating the non-athlete and the athlete, your core is the place from where your strength, power, and control resonate. For those of you who don’t know what your core is, it is made up of your deep abdominal muscles, spinal stabilizers, pelvic bowl muscles and hip flexors. You could be the most skilled athlete and have a weak core – or conversely, you could be an overweight individual and have a very strong core.

How does the TRX system actually work? Visualize a non-elastic strap that has two handles and hangs from one single anchor point. Using the TRX system, there are three positions from which you can train your body: supine, prone and transverse. Whichever position you are training in your core is consistently engaged – and that’s the true beauty of the TRX. The TRX enables the core development concept by helping anyone develop these muscles from the moment you put your hands in the straps.

I recently trained 10 triathletes for the Kids In Crisis Triathlon in Stamford, Connecticut, and each triathlete was amazed at how much harder their bodies had to work when training with the TRX. Training them in the TRX made it clear where their imbalances truly existed. No matter how much these athletes were running, swimming and cycling, their bodies were not properly equipped to handle the transition from one event to the next without compensating – thus creating imbalances that could lead to injury, or putting unnecessary stress on a joint. An important component that I incorporated into the triathletes’ one-hour training sessions was specifically recreating actions similar to running, swimming and cycling  using the TRX, not just to strengthen each muscle but to also stretch them.

The TRX has proven to be a useful training tool when working with athletes and their imbalances. For information on how to use the TRX with athletes, contact me at Fitness Matters (my one-on-one personal training studio) and Head-To-Toe Chiropractic at heather@fitnessmatters.com or (203) 322-9299.

About the author: Dr. Gansel is a neuromusculoskeletal practitioner specializing in proper spinal/articular alignment, muscle imbalances and soft tissue injuries. Her degrees include: Doctor of Chiropractic and Athletic Training/ Sports Medicine. She has additional certifications in: Personal Training, BOSU Balance Training, Ergonomics, and Holistic Medicine. At graduation from Palmer West Chiropractic College, Dr. Gansel received the Clinical Excellence Award for outstanding achievement throughout the clinical system.

Dr. Gansel works closely with the fitness industry and was a faculty instructor for American Aerobic Association International and International Sports Medicine Association. She is the owner and sole practitioner of Head-To-Toe Chiropractic, LLC and Fitness Matters, Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut. In her practice, she works with a wide range of people and athletes who sole goal is to get better and to continue to function at optimal health and performance.

Dr. Gansel is also the CEO/President of CORE: The center for fitness and chiropractic care, a franchising company.

As noted in this timely article in this week’s The New York Times, “crashes can make even the best cyclists uneasy.” (Warning for the weak of stomach [like me]: a pretty icky-in-a-scary-way photo accompanies this article.) The author points out that “for professional cyclists, who take to the roads in good weather and bad, crashing comes with the job. Part of the reason they shave their legs is so the wounds they sustain from sliding on or smacking the road can be easily cleaned and wrapped.”

But even if you’re a purely recreational cyclist like me (who prefers to mount a bicycle purely as a means to combine transportation with fitness and only participates in very occasional organized bike tours for charity), you’re aware that riding a bike is an activity that can be fraught with peril at any turn. You probably know the basics of bike safety, which include:

- Ride with the flow of traffic
- Make yourself visible, alert and always communicate your intentions to turn
- Always wear a helmet!

One important skill that cyclists should practice and concentrate on, but which doesn’t garner as much attention, is cornering. Cornering is simply a matter of turning your bike in any given direction, but it can be dangerous at fast speeds or in a crowd of other cyclists. So I’d like to share with you a top-notch article on perfecting cornering technique, courtesy of Planet Green: Cycling Tip of the Week: Corner Without Crashing.

Cornering might seem simple, but as the author (who crashed twice himself due to improper cornering technique) notes, it’s often done incorrectly. The most-common error?

The biggest mistake I see people make – and the one that can often lead to a crash — is cornering with the pedal pointing down. In other words, if you are making a right turn, then your right pedal should be up, not down. Why? Well, because as you lean your bike into a turn the pedal gets closer to the ground, it’s actually possible to hit the ground with the pedal, resulting in a crash. So to repeat: for left turns, make sure your left pedal is at the highest point in the pedal stroke, and for right turns, have the right pedal at the highest point.

(This explanation brings to mind a skiing analogy, for all you skiers out there. In a corner, think of your outside foot as a downhill ski you must keep pressure on to turn. Ride this foot around the corner and you should be fine.)

Three additional pointers are briefly, though carefully explained in the article, and I’d recommend giving them a read. The author provides the hows and whys for these key guidelines:

- Don’t pedal while cornering
- Look through the turn
- Use your weight

As a weekend-warrior cyclist whose leg-shaving routine has nothing to do with aerodynamics, I found these tips very helpful and I hope you do, too. We’d like to hear from you if you have any other helpful advice for making cycling a safe experience. Or, if you’re brave enough, perhaps you’d like to share with us a crash or other experience that took some of the power out of your pedaling.

Jo
“Keep Running, Keep Going, Keep Giving”

SIDENOTE: The Tour of California, mentioned in the New York Times article, is sponsored by Amgen, which created the national Breakaway from Cancer initiative in 2005 as a complementary component to its sponsorship. Breakaway from Cancer represents a partnership between Amgen and four nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering patients with education, resources and hope. For access to resources or to learn more, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

This is quinoa.

There is apparently a huge (and growing) tribe of quinoa fans out there, because I got quite a bit of positive feedback on the Quinoa with Sweet Potato, Mushrooms and Turkey Sausage recipe that I posted here last month! The more the merrier, I say – quinoa is already one of my dietary staples.

As I mentioned in that previous post, quinoa’s reputation as a “super” grain is well-deserved, because it’s not only a satisfying and delicious alternative to rice and pasta, but it also provides the complete mix of proteins that your muscles need to repair the muscles you tear down during workouts. But with the warm weather coming (and going at times, as is the case right now in the Northeast), I’d like to share with you another lighter, but easy to prepare, dinner that you might like to try: Quinoa Tabbouleh with Chicken.

As with the Sweet Potato, Mushrooms and Turkey Sausage recipe, this tabbouleh is also great as a side dish without the meat. Serve the tabbouleh at room temperature and top it with chicken fresh off the grill for a delish contrast in temperatures.

Quinoa Tabbouleh with Chicken

Ingredients

FOR CHICKEN

- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- Your choice of marinade (I use a mixture of Italian dressing, chopped garlic and a spicy jerk chicken rub.)

FOR TABBOULEH

- 1 cup quinoa

- 1¼ cup diluted chicken broth OR 1¼ cup water with small amount of chicken bouillon

- ½ cup cucumber with skin on, diced

- ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced

- 3 tablespoons red onion, minced

- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped*

- 2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped*

- 1 tablespoons olive oil

- 3 tablespoons lemon juice

- 1 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar

- Sprinkle of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Marinate chicken breasts for an hour or so.

2. Rinse the quinoa and place in saucepan with chicken broth/bouillon. Bring to a boil, and then bring heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and fluffy (15-20 minutes). When quinoa is cooked, set it aside and let it cool to room temperature.

2. While quinoa is cooking, chop vegetables and herbs as indicated above and set aside.

3. When quinoa has cooled, mix it in a large bowl with the cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, parsley and mint. Then sprinkle with a small amount of ground black pepper.

4. Now it’s time to heat up your grill and throw the chicken on!

5. Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and sherry vinegar into the bowl of quinoa, vegetables and herbs.

6. When chicken is no longer pink in the middle, cut into thin strips. Top each serving of the tabbouleh with several strips of the chicken.

* The chopping part can be tedious, and fresh herbs can be a bit pricey if you’re only using a small amount. So I usually chop an entire bunch of parsley and an entire bunch of mint, and then freeze each bunch in a freezer bag to use later.

This recipe is for four servings, but my husband and I usually scarf up most of what we make, with a little left over for one person’s lunch the next day. If this still isn’t enough quinoa for you, Charity Mile contributor Lori Rice has some other great quinoa recipes that you might want to check out on her blog, FakeFoodFree.

- Jo

“Keep Running, Keep Going, Keep Giving.”

A tweet chat is a scheduled session during which participants can converse using Twitter updates (aka “tweets”). Tonight’s session’s topics will include wellness resources for runners, injury prevention recommendations, orthotics tips, training regimens, and the benefits of physical therapy.

To participate, you only need to have a Twitter account. Go to the Tweet Chat room (http://tweetchat.com/room/MovePT) and sign in to your Twitter account. (You will be redirected through a Twitter application.) You can send messages related to the discussion via the box at the top.

The chat will be moderated by Talli van Sunder, PT, DPT.  APTA member Aaron Keil PT, OCS, who specializes in foot health, will be on hand to answer participants’ questions related to foot health via the APTA’s consumer Twitter account.

If you do attend this chat, please let Charity Mile know what you think of the experience! And tell us if Tweet Chats are a feature you would like us to host in the future. We welcome any suggestions on topics!

- Jo

“Keep Running, keep going, keep giving.”

The study, conducted by a New Zealand endurance athlete and exercise researcher, and originally reported at The American College of Sports Medicine, tested differences in endurance, rather than performance, in young male recreational athletes who drank a syrup-flavored ice slurry (New Zealand parlance for what is known in the U.S. as a “slushie”) just before running on a treadmill in a hot room.  The result: Study participants ran for an average of 50 minutes before they had to stop. When they drank only syrup-flavored cold water, they were able to run for an average of only 40 minutes.

The researcher who conducted this study (who has competed in 13 Ironman triathlons), however, acknowledged that the endurance benefits of a pre-race slushie are limited.  Noted the Times:

It would not even begin to last long enough to run a marathon or do a century (100-mile) bike ride, for example. But it would be perfect for a sport like tennis or for a 5- or 10-kilometer race or for team sports like soccer or football, and it might give endurance athletes in longer events a boost by letting them beat the heat, to a certain extent, for the first 50 minutes or so.

One doctor interviewed for the article observed that ingesting a drink laden with sugary syrup might be counterproductive for people focused on weight maintenance. But if energy drinks are already part of your pre-workout or pre–race ritual, you might want to see if partially freezing your drink beforehand helps on hot days.

My husband and I frequently mix a packet of Amino Vital with water to sip en route to races. I will definitely try mixing the powder with crushed ice instead of water this summer.

I’ll let you know if we get anything other than a brain freeze from the experiment!

- Jo

“Keep Running, Keep Going, Keep Giving”

I first had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Gansel several years ago, when we played together in a soccer league in Stamford, Connecticut. She is now the owner of two great resources in the Stamford area: Head-To-Toe Chiropractic, LLC, where she works with a wide range of people and athletes to help them function at optimal health and performance levels, and her personal training studio, Fitness Matters. Her degrees include a doctorate in Chiropractic and Athletic Training/ Sports Medicine, and certifications in Personal Training, Holistic Medicine, BOSU Balance Training and Ergonomics.

As a musculoskeletal specialist (a specialty that focuses on proper spinal/articular alignment, muscle imbalances and soft tissue injuries), Dr. Gansel is a perfect fit for Charity Mile because she can offer expert guidance on designing appropriate and safe exercise programs for all types of philathletes, including individuals recuperating from injury.

“The wave of the future is through natural healing and allowing the body to achieve optional function through corrective exercise, which is the essence of chiropractic medicine and overall wellness,” explains Dr. Gansel.

But I didn’t ask Dr. Gansel to join Charity Mile’s board of advisors simply because she’s an accomplished expert on athletic training and rehabilitation; she also practices what she preaches, and is a strong supporter of the types of events that define and motivate the Charity Mile community. Last year, for example, Dr. Gansel organized a team to participate in the Ragnar Relay New England, a 24-hour team run that begins in New Haven, Connecticut and finishes in Boston, Massachusetts. The Ragnar run (which boasts the apt tagline “Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat”) benefits The Boys & Girls Club of Hartford, Connecticut.

Dr. Gansel is currently donating her personal training and chiropractic services to all fundraising triathletes participating in a June event that will benefit Kids in Crisis, a Connecticut-based nonprofit. As part of this endeavor, she e-mails weekly tips to participants. Here is a recent sample you might like to try:

Did you know that jumping rope is one of the most strenuous cardiovascular workout you can give yourself? Since it’s impossible to sustain a 30-minute workout with a jump rope, try this instead:

1. Skip rope for three minutes. (A round in boxing is three minutes long.)

2. Take a minute off, and do as many crunches as you can.

3. Skip rope for another three minutes.

4. During the next minute between rounds, do as many push-ups as you can.

5. Back to skipping for three minutes.

6. Do crunches for another minute. Repeat.

Yikes!

Please look out for future posts from Dr. Gansel at Charity Mile. And let us know what you think about the above high-intensity workout!

- Jo

“Keep running, keep going, keep giving.”

I have dealt with on-again/off-again issues with my Achilles for the past 10 years. For any athlete, particularly runners, it’s one of the most frustrating setbacks: You want to run, but the more you run, the more you aggravate it. I’m not a medical professional, so I won’t try to offer advice on healing serious Achilles injuries. But I can offer you some tips that have helped me stay on, or get back on the road in the past:

HYDRATE. General guidance says adult athletes should consume approximately 16 to 20 fl. oz. of water or a sports drink two to three hours before exercise, and then another 8 to 10 oz. of water or sports drink 10 to 20 minutes before exercise. If you’re exercising for more than an hour, you should bring some liquid replenishment with you. And during a race, grabbing for a paper cup of water or two of water might slow you down for a few seconds, but your body will thank you for it. (During events longer than the marathon, it’s often required that participants wear water bladders or belts, such as those offered by FuelBelt, according to my friend Susan, an accomplished ultra-runner.)

STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH. Everything is connected, so it’s good to start off any physical activity with a variety of stretches that work your quads, hamstrings and calves. When I’m in a rush, I don’t always stretch beforehand, but I always stretch when I’m done exercising. One good stretch to follow up any run is toe raises: Stand facing a staircase (walking up) with your toes on a stair, and your heels off of the edge. Raise up on your toes, and then ease back down as far as you can possibly go. Return to starting position and repeat 10 times. Do three sets.

FOOTWEAR CHECK. Achilles tendon injuries can be caused by common biomechanical issues such as low arches, high arches, and having legs of slightly different lengths. The more you run, the more you’ll exacerbate these conditions if they go untreated. If you’re feeling tightness in your Achilles or calves, it might simply be time for new, or more-appropriate footwear. Splurge on a visit to a good running shop to get fitted for the right shoes for your feet and your gait – hopefully, unlike me, you won’t discover that you need to invest in $600 custom orthotics!

EXERCISE ON SOFT SURFACES. Soft surfaces are easier on your muscles, joints, and tendons. Try to spend as much of your exercise time as possible on soft, rather than hard, surfaces. Unfortunately, most streets are softer than most sidewalks (asphalt has more “give” than concrete), which forces runners to choose between the risks of being hit by a car and the risks of running on a harder surface. But if you can find areas with dirt, grass trails, or soft shoulders to run on, your legs will be much more cooperative over the long haul.

- Jo

“Keep Running, Keep Going, Keep Giving.”

Quinoa has earned its reputation as a “super” grain for good reasons. This fluffy, slightly nutty grain is filling and fiber-rich, but also — important for athletes — it provides the complete mix of proteins that your muscles need to repair the muscles you tear down during workouts. Most other grains are not complete proteins because they’re deficient in lysine, an amino acid that is essential for tissue growth and repair.

Not a big fan of green veggies? Well, you should be, but you still have a friend in quinoa because though far from green it’s actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. Quinoa is also gluten-free and considered an ideal food for people with food allergies. And its not expensive:  I can find 1-pound bags of quinoa in the ethnic-foods aisles of most of my local grocery stores for less than $5, and it’s also available at Trader Joe’s.

Like many grains, quinoa takes on the life of whatever you add to it. At breakfast, you can add nuts and fruits to cooked quinoa and eat it like oatmeal. You can also use noodles made from quinoa for your favorite pasta recipes. But quinoa is at its best, in my opinion, as a dinner staple. Here, I’ll share with you one of my current favorite easy quinoa recipes. (Trust me, I am no Julia Child.) You can make this recipe as a main dish, and it’s also great as a side dish without the meat suggested.

Quinoa with Sweet Potato, Mushrooms and Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms (the more flavorful, the better)
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (we go heavier on the this ingredient)
• 2 hot Italian turkey sausage links, chopped

1. Rinse the quinoa and place in saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, and then bring heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and fluffy (15-20 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and sausage until sausage is cooked, and then add onion.

3. When onion is translucent, add the mushrooms, sweet potato and cayenne pepper and a splash of water (the latter is to keep the veggies from burning).

4. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 20 minutes (or until sweet potato has softened).

5. Spoon the vegetable mixture over a bed of quinoa. Rub belly and thank the ancient Incans for this healthy dinner option.

This recipe is for four servings, but my husband and I usually scarf up most of what we make, with a little leftover for one person’s lunch the next day.

- Jo

“Keep running, keep going, keep giving.”

Unless your training partner is a horse, the last word you want to come out of your mouth when you’re out running, cycling or walking is probably “Whoa!” Chances are, if you make this kind of an exclamation while you’re exercising outside, you’ve probably just encountered some man-made or natural obstacle in your path – be it a pothole, debris on the road or path, or a car driven by a distracted driver. (While out biking, I was once horrified to be smacked on my, er, “posterior parts,” but that is a topic for another post. Or perhaps not!)

With daylight-saving time approaching, and the days getting longer and the weather finally becoming more hospitable for enjoying the great outdoors, there are a lot more athletes out in the morning and early evening, ecstatic at the opportunity to get in workouts outside of the confines of the gym. With this seasonal transition, drivers are rushing home at night to enjoy those last bits of daylight or pick up the kids from Little League practice, and in regions where snowplows have been busy all winter, well, there’s probably quite a bit of “junk” – rocks, branches and the like – on sidewalks and the shoulders of roads.

What’s a good-intentioned athlete to do to stay safe in these treacherous conditions? You probably know the drill regarding the basics, such as:

• Train with a buddy when possible.
• Runners should try to stick to sidewalks, and on the road, runners should face traffic (so you can see cars and react if necessary if they don’t see you) and cyclists should go with the traffic.
• Take it easy and be especially aware on blind curves or especially narrow shoulders, where you might not be immediately visible to cars or have ample space for cars to safely pass you.
• When training with others, try to proceed single-file, particularly in the above situations.
• Give vehicles at intersections the right-of-way, and obey traffic rules and signals. Drivers don’t always pay attention to traffic signals or signs, and even if they do, when making a turn anticipate that they might not see you. In particular, when running or walking on the left side of a two-lane road, drivers you approach who are looking to make a right turn to pull into traffic quite often will not look to their right (and see you), because the moving traffic they are concerned with all comes from their left! So be very careful.
• Yes, we know that black is a more slimming and flattering color for many of us. But when you’re gearing up for a workout, remember that brighter, lighter colors are a lot easier for drivers to see. At dawn, dusk or nighttime, wear something reflective. There are plenty of inexpensive vests and armbands out there, and most of the major sportswear manufacturers now offer jackets and shirts with reflective strips.

Some other suggestions, from my personal experience:

• The first time a runners steps in a hole or trips over debris, he or she will recognize how fragile these important parts of the body are. Consider wearing a wider-tread shoe on less-than-pristine terrain or in inclement weather. And when you stretch, don’t neglect your ankles. I regularly do heel raises and ankle rotations, and I’m currently trying to master the Bosu Ball.
• Think of yourself an “ambassador” for your activity, whether it’s running, walking or biking. As mentioned, give drivers the right of way, but also give a wave of thanks when they let you pass. And if a driver cuts you off or is otherwise discourteous, resist the urge to yell, wave your arms like a lunatic, or offer up any culturally relevant salutes of displeasure. You don’t want to engender any grudges against your sport!
• Even if you don’t usually run in the dark, recognize that the sun might set a lot quicker than you anticipate and that on overcast, foggy or rainy conditions, it’s going to be harder for drivers to see you and more difficult for you to see the road. Invest in a headlamp – mine is an inexpensive (about $20 model) from Black Diamond, and you can direct the light to cast on either the ground or straight ahead. This handy device saved my bacon a few times this winter.
• Just in case, always carry some form of identification when training outside. You can purchase a wristband from specialty shops, but one of my favorite tools in my running arsenal is a SPIbelt, which is basically a drastically downsized fanny pack. It’s a very narrow strip of expandable fabric with a zipper, which you can use to also store your keys (always a challenge: what to do with those keys!) and phone. And hey, no offense, but it’s not a fanny pack.

What do you think? Do you have any other advice or stories about training and safety! Let your community members know!