Shoes

New Balance shoes have a long standing reputation as an industry leader. Our shoes cater to all levels from the casual walker to the elite athlete. One major attraction of New Balance shoes are our multiple widths. Whether you have the narrowest foot or the widest foot, we have a shoe for you. Our shoes are also great for individuals with problem feet. Many doctors and podiatrists recommend their patients wear New Balance shoes.
 

Apparel

For those of you who have experienced a long training run in cotton fabrics, you will appreciate our high tech, dry-wicking apparel. Our t-shirts, shorts, tights, and so on have the advantage of being quick to wick sweat away from the body, thus creating a more comfortable and enjoyable run.
 

Training

The number one rule of training is to build up slowly. This means that a runner who is trying to improve their stamina or speed must be careful to increase their mileage or intervals by small increments. Doing too much too soon can lead to injuries, which will lead you back to square one. There are many technical and varied training programs which cater to many levels. There are certain elements though that are constant. Some of these elements are as follows;

The Long Run:

The Tempo Run:

Workouts:

Injury Treatment and Prevention

Injury prevention:

“Prevention is always better than cure”.  No athlete wants to get injured, but the fact is that running injuries are common.  Each individual is different, and as such they have different weaknesses in their body.  Some people have flat feet, and so are susceptible to shin splints.  Others have tight muscles and are susceptible to strains. 

Here are a few steps to help keep away injuries.  These injuries do not guarantee to keep an individual injury free, but they reduce the chances of injuries.

Warm up slowly

Before beginning any fast running you should take time to let your body warm up.  The best way to do this is to jog slowly for about ten minutes before settling into your regular pace.  This will make your muscles more supple and ready for the rigours of exercise.

Stretch

Stretching after a run is even more important than stretching before it.  Unless you are doing a workout it is advisable to only stretch a little bit before running.  It is more important to warm up slowly and then spend time stretching after your run.  If you plan on doing a workout or any fast running, you should warm up for about ten minutes, then stretch, and then begin your fast running.

Alternate your sneakers

Many athletes will alternate between two pairs of sneakers. Most of the time the athlete will use two different models.  The idea is to give your sneakers time to rest between training runs.  For example you would wear one pair on Monday, the other pair on Tuesday, the first pair on Wednesday, and so on.  This not only gives the sneakers time to return their cushion, but it also ensures that your legs are not pounding on the same shoes every day. 

Take rest days

Many runners think that by running seven days a week they will get better.  This is true to a point but it can also lead to injuries, which will put you back to square one.  Many runners will take one day per week as a rest/recovery day.  If you decide not to take a day off every week, then you should take a day off when you feel extra tired, or extra muscle tightness.

Ice down

Many athletes use ice after running to reduce swelling and speed up recovery thus helping to prevent injury.

Massage

Massage is an effective way of reducing risk of injury, enhancing flexibility and injury treatment. Regular massage treatment from a reputable practitioner should be part of your exercise programme.

Injury Treatment:

There are many ways to treat an injury.  If an injury is excessively painful or serious, a doctor or therapist should be consulted as soon as possible.  If the injury seems less serious then the most common treatment is called “R.I.C.E.”:  Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. 

Rest
This is self-explanatory.  You need to take time off to let the injury heal.

Ice
Ice should be applied for about ten to fifteen minutes at a time.  Leaving ice on for more than fifteen minutes can burn the skin.  The ice reduces swelling, thus speeding up recovery.

Compression
This is applying pressure to the injured area.  The idea of this is to restrict movement of the injured area.  An example of this would be placing a bandage on a sprained ankle.

Elevation
This means placing the injured area higher than the rest of the body.  This reduces the amount of blood in the injured area.

Diet

The diet of any athlete must be balanced.  That balance will change depending on the particular sport, but a rounded diet is still very important.  For example, a weight lifter will have a diet that is very high in protein.  The idea of this is to build muscle mass, and strength.  Despite his/her need for high protein they will also have carbohydrates, and other necessary nutrients in their diet.  This helps to ensure that the individual is maintaining a healthy diet.

Similarly a runner will try to keep their diet balanced.  The difference is that a runner will eat a high carbohydrate diet.  Carbohydrates are a great source of fuel for any runner.  The further an individual plans on running, the more carbohydrates they will try to consume.  This is why you will often find “pasta parties” before a big race, and you will also hear the term Carbo-loading in relation to marathon preparation.  Carbo-loading refers to the idea of depriving the body of carbohydrates leading up to the marathon, and then eating as much carbs as possible the day before the race. 

There are many different approaches to the diet of a runner.  Whether you are an elite Kenyan athlete or a recreational jogger, the principals remain the same.  A well balanced diet, that is high in carbohydrates.