Philip Ciccarello » Running

Running with bats

Philip — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:00:51 +0000

OK, I am going to have to set the tone. On a very quiet morning, 5:00 a.m. to be precise, I took off for a run. Dark clouds crowded the moon light, luckily the route that I had chosen was illuminated by streetlights. The streets of Charlotte are dead at 5:00 a.m., no other cars were in the road, so I take advantage by running in the road…against traffic of course.

Everything was going fine, then all of a sudden…WHAM!! Something hit me right on the top of my head. Imagine getting hit with a coconut, or even an apple falling out of a tree. Without breaking my stride I look around for a branch, or anything that could have fallen…nothing…I keep running. As I passed Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral something caught my eye, a bat. But was it a bat or some other flying creature…

Has anyone else every been a victim of an aerial attack while running?

Cooper River Bridge Run

Philip — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:02:08 +0000

I just landed in Denver Colorado. Over the next 3 days I will be teaming up with two other great snowboarders from Charlotte, NC and one from Colorado; we will be riding Steamboat Monday and Tuesday [Pictures Soon]. This will also be my last snowboarding trip of the season; spring training is coming up

When I return, I will be joining my wife Adrienne, in training for Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston SC on March 28^th. This will be her first 10k, just a tad longer then a 4 miler, which she enjoys doing. Here is a copy of her program for anyone interested, 10-K Training

During the months of January & February, I scaled my running back to 10-14 miles per week. Gym work has consisted of 4 workouts per week, mostly free weights- involving heavy core work. During my last few runs, my body has felt refreshed and strong.

Off to the mountains…

The Off-Season

Philip — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:06:12 +0000

After accumulating over 550 miles in 2009, I need a break. January-February is considered my off-season. Why do you ask? There are three reasons:

Recovery time
Running in the cold is no fun
Snowboarding season

Two weeks before Thunder Road Marathon (12/12/09), I developed an upper quadriceps strain. With the race nearing, I knew it was going to be an issue, but I ran anyway. Post-race my left quad was in bad shape. I took two weeks off, ran while I was in Jamaica for Christmas, and then immediately put a stop to all running until my leg was healed.

Instead of running outdoors in the cold, most of my time is spent indoors working out with free weights or playing racquetball. Twice a week, I will sneak in a run outside when the weather is mild, while keeping notes of how my body and legs respond.

The third reason why I take a break is due to snowboarding. I learned to snowboard when I was 14, and have never missed a season. This year, some friends and I went to Sugar Mountain, NC to ride in extremely cold weather, 8 degrees to be precise. In a few weeks, we will be going out to Colorado to conquer a few mountains. See you on the slopes, not on the road…

Sidewalks are for Walkers!

Philip — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:15:58 +0000

With 2009 almost over- I am approaching a total of 500 miles for the year, which I should surpass in the next few weeks. 70% of those miles have been run on the road (asphalt), not sidewalks (concrete). Running safely on asphalt is a challenge. Depending on where you live, there is always traffic, a mediocre bike lane, or the dreadful limited shoulder. Below is some information that will get you off the concrete and onto asphalt.

The following will be different for various runners- but the ideal surface is smooth and moderately (but not too) soft, and the worst is rock hard, like concrete, or irregular, like the gravelly shoulder of a crowned or banked road. According to a clinical study of 4,000 runners, co-authored by Southern California podiatrist Dr. John Pagliano, one of the five leading causes of injury is “improper” running surfaces. The other four are training errors, inadequate shoes, faulty biomechanics and muscle dysfunction/inflexibility.

Pagliano comes down against concrete, saying that “if you switch to softer surfaces, you can cut your injury risk by 50%.” Here is an exert from Dr. John Pagliano & Robert Chasen - Grading Running Surfaces:


Surface	Pros	Cons	Considerations	Grade

Asphalt	A smooth, macadamized road is ankle-friendly, freeing you to ponder more than where to place your foot. Any shoe with an ample midsole and outer sole can absorb much of the mpact.	Road running can beat up nearly all of your lower-body muscles and tendons, plus harm your lower back. If you’re susceptible to hamstring or lower-back tightness, go off-road instead.	Running on banked shoulders can produce “long leg/short leg” injuries. If you must run on a crowned road, spend an equal amount of time on both shoulders to equalize the stress placed on each side of your body.	C
Concrete	If well-maintained, concrete is the smoothest of all surfaces.	It’s approximately 10 times harder than asphalt, so all your bones, muscles and connective tissue get pummeled. In other words, welcome to stress-fracture city.	There may be occasions when you have no choice but to run on a concrete sidewalk or bike path. If so, don’t run too far, wear your beefiest shoes, and slip in some gel or neoprene heel pads.	F

Kathleen M. Naughton, DC, CCSP, puts it best; Dynamic Chiropractic – September 1, 1992, Vol. 10, Issue 18 “The forces generated at heel strike are dissipated through the musculoskeletal system. Harder surfaces result in increased pounding and subsequent deleterious effects.” Because of this, something like concrete is far less forgiving than asphalt.

Concerned about running on asphalt with cars present? Here are some tips to help drivers spot you easily on the road.

1. Wear bright or reflective clothing. Dressing to be seen will make it safer for you and drivers.

2. Always look both ways- even on a one way street. Be careful and pay attention to your surroundings.

3. Never take chances when sharing the road. The pedestrian always has the right away, but drivers may think otherwise.

P-

Run with your arms!

Philip — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:19:18 +0000

This morning I was out doing a light run. The rain was coming down and the temperature lingered around 48 degrees. During times like this I slow down and take in the scenery; plus today was a light run before my long run tomorrow. Other runners were out braving the conditions, especially ones that had incorrect arm swing. As runners passed me going in the opposite direction, I could not help notice their lack of arm movement or extreme side-to-side motion.

Years ago when I first started running, I can remember my cross country coach teaching us to always swing our arms while running. Coach William Chavis taught us to swing our arms forwards and backwards, mirroring our leg movements. To this day I can remember him yelling at me from the top of a hill during a race, “Philip, swing those arms- get up this hill.” Ever since that moment I have always been conscious about proper arm movement.

Here are some tips to live by-

Relax your shoulders, keep your arms at 90 degree angle
Keep arms close to your body
Swing your arms forwards and backwards opposite from your leg movements. Left leg goes forward- right arm goes forward and vice versa
Your arms should move forward and back, not across your body
If running up hill, shorten your stride and swing your arms a little faster

Apply these tips to running or walking long distances, and you will gain speed while reducing fatigue.

P-

Virgin Marathon Runner

Philip — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:16:22 +0000

Over the last 12 years I have been running races and working out religiously, but have never done a Marathon. For those not familiar with the term Marathon, I included a brief history borrowed from Wikipedia: The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards, or exactly 26⁷⁄₃₂ miles) that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.

Some would ask why I have never done a marathon, and my answer is simple- I never wanted to dedicate that much time to running. This year, 2009 will be the year that I finally get a marathon under my belt. I will be running Charlotte’s Thunder Road Marathon on December 12^th. With the race only a few weeks away, training will be my major focus. After a bit of research, I have decided to follow Hal Higdon’s Intermediate Marathon Training Schedule, which can be found here. So far the program has been working well. My legs and body are gradually adjusting to increased mileage without any injury or pain.

P-