Ask Ramblings: How much weight is too much to be running?

Our latest running question comes from Pete of Chicago who asks:

"At six feet tall, I've fluctuated up and down between 230 and 300 pounds over the last five years. I run (read: jog) 5K's every now and again. Now in my early thirties, I've been getting a smidgen of recurring knee pain. In general, is there some point where one is too heavy to run? A point at which I should simply focus on my diet (including less craft beer...[sniffle]) and lose weight until it's safer to put the stress of running on my knees? I enjoy running but have become more hesitant recently."

It's great that you've gone at it despite being heavier than a lot of runners, and since you describe the knee pain as "a smidgen", I'd keep my eye on it to make sure it doesn't get worse, but otherwise, I think you can keep on running.  But you definately want to get your weight under control, becasue 70+ extra pounds of weight is putting a lot of extra wear and tear on your knees. 

I asked Pete more about his knee pain, and he added this:

"The knee pain is not exclusively tied to running. If I run or bike for a while, it will be painful/sore afterwards.  If I say, have to stand for 4 hours for a concert, it will be painful/sore afterwards. Then, much less consistently, I sometimes have pain while running, biking, or even something as simple as walking up steep stairs. The pain has not affected my running form at all, so I guess that's good."

I'll let you in on a secret.  Plenty of runners go through some low level of pain similar to what you describe.  I have knee soreness pretty regularly, and the ball of my right foot sometimes starts hurting on runs of 10 or more miles.  Hardly any runner feels like those smiling faces on the cover of Runner's World and other fitness magazines, effortlessly running about in near-orgasmic bliss.  Running is hard work that makes body parts sore.

The trick is to make sure the soreness from running isn't so bad that it affects your daily life, or starts affecting your running form.  Favoring an injury in your running forms is particularly disastrous, as it often leads to unusual stresses on the legs, creating more injuries elsewhere.  Certainly you want to get your diet in order, but if you can to run with a "smidgen" of pain and can both tolerate and manage that pain and still enjoy running, I'd continue to keep at it.   Determining the balance between diet, exercise, career, social life, family, and other important things in your life, such as beer, to discover the weight you will be happiest at is one of those big life questions only you can answer. 

I'd add that since you are past the age thirty, your body is going to take increasingly longer to recover from the pounding of running, and the joints are simply going to get more brittle, so if you enjoy running and other activities, carrying around those extra pounds are going to take a larger toll as you get older which is something you should factor in. 

Finally, runners are constantly breaking down barriers, so if you can overcome the extra weight and still run, congratulations on accomplishing a big part of the battle because you have what it takes to be a runner.    There will always be people out there who'll say you're "too old" or "too heavy" to run.    Don't ever let one of those people be you.

Got a running question? Submit it to Ramblings of a Beer runner via e-mail or a comment to this post and if I use your question, your reward will be my brilliant response, and something to tell your friends and grandkids for the rest of your life.  I'm not a doctor, physical therapist, or coach, nor have played one on TV, but just trying to help fellow runners out, so my advice here for what that's worth.

Sorry, Pete got the last Ortholite insole and currently there's no swag to give you if I use your question.

Earn Your Beer at the 3rd Annual SF Beer Week Beer Run

Photo used by permission of Bryan Kolesar of www.brewlounge.com

Once again, Brian Yaeger, Bryan Kolesar and myself invite you to celebrate the unlikely union of running and beer with the 3rd Annual SF Beer Week Beer Run, as part of San Francisco Beer Week.

When? February 12th, 2012 at 11:00 am

Where? Run starts and ends at Social Kitchen and Brewery, 1326 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.  Click here for location.

How far? The run is approximately 5 miles much of it through picturesque Golden Gate Park, with an optional beer stop at Magnolia Pub and Brewery, as indicated on the official course map.  (Sorry, the course won't be marked.) If you get lost or 5 miles is a little beyond your ability, feel free to head back anyway you want to Social Kitchen and Brewery for the post run festivities.  In the friendly spirit of the event, finishing times or places will not be kept.  As the run will be held on city sidewalks and streets, we ask all runners to obey traffic signs, stop lights, and observe other pedestrians' right of way.

What are the post run festivities?  We're glad you asked.  Each finisher of legal drinking age will get a dollar off their post-run beer(s) at Social Kitchen and Brewery.  But wait, there's also the post run raffle with lots of great prizes.  The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Social Kitchen and Brewery.  We'll be awarding other great prizes like "Earn Your Beer" t-shirts from Adventure Sports Journal, an East Coast Beer Basket from Bryan Kolesar and others to be determined. 

For the latest list of raffle prizes, look here.

Money raised in the post run raffle will be denoted in memory of beer writer Bill Brand to the Contra Costa Food Bank and also to Autism Speaks.

Come rain or shine. Race will only be cancelled in case of severe weather.  Don't hesitate to let us know you're coming or ask any questions by posting a comment, or sending me an e-mail using a link from this page.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Beer of the Month: Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas Brewing



Normally I'd pick a holiday themed beer for the month of December, but the problem was, every holiday themed beer I tried this month was pretty underwhelming.  Not bad, mind you, but nothing to make me sit up and say "That's the Beer of the Month!"  And I certainly looked around.  So with no holiday beer jumping out at me, I decided to choose a beer that's long been a favorite of mine each December when Lagunitas Brewing releases it.  I'm talking about their Cappuccino Stout.

The first thing you'll notice with this beer is a blast of strong coffee aromas hitting your nose.  Taste it, and you'll discover strong, sharp, roasted flavors of bitter chocolate and (surprise!) coffee.  Coffee beers can sometimes be muddled, dull brews but this has a uniquely crisp and drinkable quality to it.  But be careful, because at 9.2% abv, this one will knock you out in a hurry, all that caffine from the coffee not withstanding. 

Seeing as most of the holidays have past, give this one a try to either break out of the holiday doldrums, or recover from the unsual holiday madness.

Back in Adventure Sports Journal

I would like to think Adventure Sports Journal rejected the last couple articles I submitted to them due to artistic differences.  But the unfortunate truth is these last couple articles, to put it into literary terms, sucked.

Of course, the editor of Adventure Sports Journal was way to kind to tell me my articles sucked.  Instead responding with comments like "doesn't hang together" or "reads like a Wikipedia article" or the ultimate kiss of death "I'm sure there's a few people who would find this interesting".  I suppose real writers actually use a more descriptive vocabulary to describe bad writing simply responding "this sucks".

But I appreciated the continued encouragement from the folks at Adventure Sports Journal, and published some short beer reviews of mine in the back of the magazine.   I kept plugging away.  And they liked my interview with Sean Turner of Mammoth Brewing posted earlier on this blog and decided to run it, which you can read it here.

One last Ortholite Insole Left for your Running Questions

Once again, the floor is open for your questions. I cannot promise I can help you, but after running for 30 years, I've learned a few things about running along the way. And the fine folks at Ortholite have offered to provide one last insole to the person who's question I use.

Did you know that Ortholite insoles are designed to fit all athletic and outdoor shoes or boots, and made with open-cell foam, allowing air to circulate around the foot, keeping it cooler and drier inside the shoe? Or maybe you didn't know that it wicks moisture away from your foot leaving your foot cooler and drier, employing its unique spring-back technology ensures that your insole won’t flatten out and it will retain over 95% of its thickness over time. And get this, their patented anti-microbial formulation (approved by the EPA and FDA) fights fungus, bacteria and shoe odor, and its fully lightweight and fully washable.
And allowing me to give away another insole proves two things about Ortholite. They are certainly rather generous and they clearly do not read this blog.

So please don't hesitate submit your question either by leaving a comment, or sending me an e-mail. No question is too basic, fundamental, or esoteric. Look forward to hearing from you!

(Ortholite provided the product information and the insole.)

The old "ice cube in the sock" trick for Achilles Tendonitis

I am grateful for Bay Area Half-Marathon Enthusiast Lauren Olerich of Sugarcoated Sisters for injecting some badly needed dignity to the "Ask Ramblings" forum with her question:
"Have you ever dealt with soreness in your Achilles tendon? While I'm running, everything seems fine. Once the shoes come off (New Balance WR890s), my right Achilles area gives me hell! The day after a run, I hobble around. Strangely, if I'm at home and not wearing shoes, the heel pain doesn't pop up. Any recommendations on how to avoid the pain? (Short of going shoe-less at work, of course!) Any warm-up exercises? Cross-training suggestions?"

Have I ever dealt with soreness in my Achilles tendon?  You bet and it's no fun!  The most effective treatment I've found for it is the "ice cube in a sock trick".  Simply put on a sock, and slip in an ice cube positioned over the sore area and leave it there for at least 15 minutes.  I've found even one treatment can really bring the soreness under control.

You can leave it there longer if you want and I've left it long enough that the whole cube melts.  You can repeat this a few times each day to bring down the swelling, but it's most effective to ice right after your run to keep the swelling down and allow as much blood as possible to repair the damage.

Tight calves will put a lot of pressure on the Achilles tendon, so keep them loose.  This video will help and I also do stretches numbered 4 and 5 here.  You want to be careful doing a lot of stretching with a sore Achilles tendon, so a balm like Icy Hot can help loosen the calves without putting extra pressure on tendon. 

Since you mention that going barefoot seems to lesson the pain, you might want to consider both running and everyday shoes that have low heel raises.  This doesn't seem to be a good time to be wearing high heels.

Good luck and let me know how this works out for you.  And remember, I'm not a professional physical therapist or anything.   Just another guy giving out free advice who hopes you get more than you paid out of it.

Got a beer running question? Submit it to Ramblings of a Beer runner via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or a comment to this post and if I use your question, your reward will be an Ortholite Shoe Insole, my brilliant response, and potential world wide humiliation on the Internet.

Ask Ramblings and win an Ortholite Insole

Once again, the floor is open for your questions.  I cannot promise I can help you, but after running for 30 years, I've learned a few things about running along the way.    And the fine folks at Ortholite have offered to provide another insole to the person who's question I use. 

Did you know that Ortholite insoles are designed to fit all athletic and outdoor shoes or boots, and made with open-cell foam, allowing air to circulate around the foot, keeping it cooler and drier inside the shoe?  Or maybe you didn't know that it wicks moisture away from your foot leaving your foot cooler and drier, employing its uunique spring-back technology ensures that your insole won’t flatten out and it will retain over 95% of its thickness over time.  And get this, their patented anti-microbial formulation (approved by the EPA and FDA) fights fungus, bacteria and shoe odor, and its fully lightweight and fully washable.

And allowing me to give away another insole proves two things about Ortholite.  They are certainly rather generous and they clearly do not read this blog.

So please don't hesitate submit your question either by leaving a comment, or sending me an e-mail.  No question is too basic, fundamental, or esoteric.  Look forward to hearing from you!

(Ortholite provided the product information and the insole.)

Dear Ramblings: How Can I Succeed at Chunder Running

For the inaugural "Ask Ramblings" Beer Running question, we start with this one posted anonymously:

"I would like to know how one succeeds at the disciplines of running AND beer drinking at the same time. Way back when, in college, we used to have this contest called "The Chunder Run," which combined beer chugging with running all-out. Even after becoming the event's race director, which I thought would give me an unfair advantage, I came in second at the race and never won it. Oh wait, the second time I lost, it was... to you!

Please help me, as being first runner-up at the Chunder Run for two years in a row has been the thorn in my side for 20 years...."

Dear "Anonymous":
I would first like to categorically deny ever participating in an event held at the conclusion of the Washington University - St. Louis cross-country season called simply "The Chunder Run" consisting of a five mile race where a cans of the cheapest beer we could find was consumed at the beginning and after each mile and the resulting projectile vomiting was said to be impressive. 

Now if I were ever to participate in such an event, I would approach it like any other race.  First,  figure out a good target pace based on current training level, then start out at that target pace for the first third of the race, push the pace slightly in the middle third if the pace seems manageable, and then fight like hell for the final third. 

As for training for this race, it's important to keep periodically challenging yourself and varying your training to develop the mental toughness to roll with whatever the race throws at you, be it hills, uneven terrain, weather, or really bad beer beer surging up your esophagus. 

As for dealing with being runner up for two years in a row, I'm afraid I cannot help you with that, but can recommend a good therapist.
I also refuse to confirm that the "anonymous" poster of this question is Brian Kim of Tempe, AZ who was a teammate of mine on the Washington University cross country team back in the day.

Got a beer running question?  Submit it to Ramblings of a Beer runner via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or a comment to this post and if I use your question, your reward will be an Ortholite Shoe Insole, my brilliant response, and potential world wide humiliation on the Internet.

Got a running question? Just ask Ramblings.....and get an Ortholite Insole

There are way too many people giving out advice, and I'm about to join their ranks.  I've decided to take this blog in a little different direction by answering running questions from other runners.  Perhaps this has been driven by a long held, yet never satisfied desire to coach, or by my life-long mission of being a know-it-all routinely giving out opinions.  You should rightfully ask, "What do you know about running that make you better than all the other experts?"

A good question I will not answer that question directly.  I will say I've been running for a long time, over thirty years since I was twelve.   I ran on high school and college track and cross-country teams and way more road races than I remember, from little neighborhood 5k's to the Boston Marathon.  There was a time where I was quite the training wonk, reading just about every book on running I could get my hands on.  And while I've had plenty of success at running, there's been lots of failures.  There's been plenty of injuries, and at one point, was 60 pounds overweight, so I've gone through the pain and frustrations runners of all abilities go through.   We all need help from time to time, and I do believe I have the experience and knowledge to draw on to help some of you out there.

So hope you will share your running question here with us, whether it be on training, racing, injuries, or anything to make your running more successful and enjoyable.  No question is too basic, fundamental or esoteric.  I suppose you could ask also a question about beer as well, but my beer knowledge extends to mostly having drunk a lot of it.  Send your questions to my slightly odd e-mail address at: photon(dot)dpeterman[at]gmail{dot}com or use the e-mail link here.

You can also post your question on the Ramblings of a Beer Runner Facebook page or tweet it via Twitter.

And thanks to Ortholite, if I use your question, you'll win a pair of Ortholite Fusion insoles.   Ortholite was previously found only exclusively in many of the top athletic shoes, but are now available for purchase to go in any pair of shoes.  Made with open-cell foam allowing air to circulate around the foot, keeping it cooler and drier inside the shoe, they also have a patented anti-microbial formulation (approved by the EPA and FDA) fights fungus, bacteria and shoe odor.  (Ortholite supplied the insoles and product information for this giveaway.)

Look forward to hearing from you all out there.   It should be interesting.