I have a similair question that Bill posted. I sweat very little even in rigorous running and training. i have also noticed that at times my feet and ankles will swell like im retaining fluid. I normally drink sports drinks, is it possible that due the lack of sweating and drinking these sport drinks its causing me to retain the fluid due to me not getting rid of the sodium and electrolytes in these drinks and its building up as fluid retention... should i stick with just water or the sport drinks? i have read that higher levels of the sodium could cause fluid retention in areas such as my feet and ankles but if im not sweating them out am i making for higher levels in my body to cause this
Reply- Janet
Autumn, it may be that you're not getting enough electrolytes.... when your electrolytes are depleted your body may shift fluid into the intersitial spaces and this may be what's going on. Most sports drinks have some electrolytes but they're not highly concentrated by any means.  It may be that you don't feel the sweat you're producing because it's evaporating off your skin as quickly as it gets there - this is especially the case if you're running in a climate with low humidity.   Another thing to think about is that fluid travels with gravity and will generally pool in the lowest parts of your extremities (hands and feet) and this is normal. Have you had trouble with muscle cramping on your long runs?  Have you had issues with feeling your stomach sloshing due to the liquid not being absorbed?  If so - you might try increasing your electrolyte intake with one or more of the commercially available electrolyte replacement tablets or even salt tablets.  Read the directions, and for heaven's sake if you're taking any form of medications, discuss this with your physician before experimenting.  Hope this helps.  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

I have a interesting situation that leaves me baffled..I recently began a police academy which involves rigorous Physical training push ups sit ups,running stairs and running 4-6 miles a day etc and im not in the best of shape prior to this academy. The first week and a half everything was fine now I noticed that my feet and ankles were somewhat swollen but no or very little pain... I elevated them overnight and it seemed to work all weekend basically back to normal, when i woke up this morning they were swollen again and alittle more painful. I havent injured my ankles or feet but the swelling is there and this morning they seemed warm to the touch as well. what also makes me wonder is that just about the time they started to swell i had begun using aleve to help with my soreness prior to aleve i was using ibuprofen..could this be the cause?? or maybe the lack of hydration?? ive read so much on the internet its confusing ..everything from to much electrolytes to not enough. its just not making sense why they are swelling with no pain for the most part when eveything was fine for several days....???
Reply - Janet
If as you indicate this exercise regimen represents a marked change in lifestyle for you - it may be that you've sustained an overuse injury. The fact that you've been taking analgesic drugs (painkillers like aleve and ibuprofen) certainly indicates you had pain at some point... but rather than address the overtraining issue, you masked the symptoms with drugs and kept pushing.  Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to your Police Academy instructor about seeing a physician.  The swelling in your ankles could be related to a vascular issue or it could simply be a sign of overuse injury but either way - masking the pain with painkillers (even over the counter ones) is a bad idea. Not only do they mask pain but they could adversely affect kidney function (which is already reduced when you're doing long distance running) and the anti-inflammatory aspect of these medications may slow the rate at which your tissue can adapt to the training load you're providing. In other words - it's not inflammation you should be worried about... it's the subsequent inadequate healing of the damage you've done by ramping up your training too quickly for your body to adapt.  Talk to your Academy instructor and see what your options are. 

I'm planning on switching to barefoot running shoes in the near future. Do you know if these kind of shoes are O.K. to run long distance? i.e. ultra marathons. Thanks
Reply - Janet
Chad, if you've been wearing shoes all your life (like most of us) then you'll want to make the transition to barefoot running gradually enough to allow your muscles and tissues to adapt.  You might want to gradually transition from whatever "standard" running shoe you're using down to something more flexible - say a racing flat or something like the Nike Free shoe - and include some segments of actual barefoot running on a grassy field like the infield of a highschool track.  Then as your body indicates you can tolerate it you can try doing more and more distance in the un-shod condition. Vibram Five Finger slippers would offer your skin some protection from the elements.  Keep in mind that any transition you make in this direction should be gradual.  Barefoot running has it's pros and cons just like everything else.  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor.

hi i was playin a soccer match on fri and felt my quad was a bit tight whats the best way to heal it as i'm trying to be fit for a game on sunday...i've been told to take hot baths and stretch for the day (sat)
Reply - Janet
Trevor, there's no real method I know of to "heal" a damaged muscle in 24 hours.  Certainly if you've strained the muscle, your only option is rest - and you can try ice or heat.... but neither are going to provide a magical repair in the short period of time you have before your game.  I recommend that you consult with your team's athletic trainers to see about treatment on a more comprehensive level as soon as you can.  Sorry I don't have any magic fix for you!  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

Why do my toes get numb after thirty minutes of running? Thanks Coach
Reply - Janet
First thing I'd investigate is shoe fit.  There should be some room in the toe box beyond your longest toe. A good measure is the width of your own thumb.  Second thing I'd look into is the shoe type -- are you in a running shoe that has the appropriate control or support characteristics for your foot type.  If you didn't have help in selecting your shoe based on your gait pattern - you may have selected a shoe that doesn't have the characteristics you need.  A good technical running shoe store may be able to help.  Hope this is food for thought... Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

After doing the stairmaster regularly for the last year, I decided to work out twice a day. This last week I did the stairmaster extra hard, two times a day and now my ankle is killing me. It hurt yesterday a little, and I continued my intense workout on the stairmaster, but this morning i am finding it very painful to put any weight on my right ankle. There is no swelling or bruising.
Reply - Janet
Sudden increases in training are usually a bad idea. Doubling your volume and cranking up the intensity at the same time is usually a good recipe for an injury.  Is there a reason you decided to increase from one intense workout on the stairmaster per day to two? Generally if you continually overload your body with no recovery time built into the schedule, you'll gradually wear it down rather than building it up (which is what I'm assuming you were trying to do... build it up).  If you did this in an attempt to stimulate weight loss - perhaps alternating your workouts would be a better option. This might mean doing something intense on your stairmaster one day, and later taking a moderate pace walk.  Or consider alternating a relatively more intense workout one day with a relatively shorter/easier workout the next. This alternating "hard/easy" approach works well to overload the body (which stimulates adaptation) and then allowing a recovery period (which is when the physiological adaptation can take place).  Now - since you're injured... you're going to benefit from taking a few days completely off and allowing your body time to heal.  If you've just overdone it a little - 3-4 days will probably do the trick.  If you've pushed well beyond "a little", then you may need as much as a week off exercise.  Whatever it takes is whatever it takes.  If you continue to push your body when it's clearly injured you're just going to make this worse.  Take the break, get your tissue healed, then start back with a more reasonable approach.  Best of luck to you!  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

I have been jogging for a month now. The past 2 wks, I did it every day for 3 miles in 40 mins on cement pavement. I don't feel pain at all till the last few days, I think I suffer a shin splint. I am going to the specialty store to get fitted for new shoes even though the shoes I got is only 2 month old. My question is should I rest till the pain over or do walking instead of running for a while? Why didn't it happen till now? I can hear my feet landed on the ground, so I guess it's not soft landing. Pls help before my injury gets more serious. Today, when I walk around in the office, I can feel the pain but it's still bearable. Thanks.
Reply - Janet
Without knowing more about your specific symptoms it's hard to guess what's going on. If you have only been running for a month, working up to 3 miles every day in that short time period is a pretty aggressive ramp up of mileage. Bone remodeling takes time and the time frame for a stress fracture to show up is typically in the 4-6 week time span... so you'd be about right on schedule for that. Is there a reason you ramped up your mileage so quickly? There are several things to consider:
1.  ramping up mileage too quickly and potentially running at paces that are inappropriately fast for your current fitness level?
2.  Inadequate strength in your hips and low back?
3.  Inadequate flexibility in your calves and hamstrings?
4.  Inadequate support from your footwear?
No matter what the cause - you are clearly injured and now it's important to give your body some time to heal and while you're not running -- take the time to address the potential causes noted above. Do your stretching and core-strength work. Get new shoes and make sure they're appropriate for your gait pattern.  Revise your approach to training and follow a more sensible build up of mileage which incorporates rest days and make sure you're training at the appropriate paces.  If the pain your leg doesn't resolve quickly with a few days of not running, or if you have pain at rest - you may want to see your orthopedist for testing to rule out a stress fracture.  X-rays won't show it but bone scan or MRI will.  Best of luck - hope this helps.  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP,CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

Hi Janet, I had a lateral ankle sprain during a long run this weekend and I have what I think is an issue with the Peroneal tendon as a result. The ankle had some very minor swelling and no bruising but I am noticing a slight pain on the outside edge of my foot around the mid way point between my heel and toes. This would seem to correspond with the Peroneal tendon. I have no other pain or tenderness and in fact there is no pain or tenderness when I probe any part of my foot. I have seen my doctor and had xray's that have confirmed there are no fractures etc. I am following the usual RICE treatments. I was hoping to get an idea of timelines for recovery of such an issue or other steps I can take or professionals I can see. Any information would be greatly appreciated. In case it helps - I am 37, I have been running for about 10 years and I have a base of ~70 miles/week. I am training the Portland marathon that is coming up in about 4 weeks with a goal time of about 3:00 hr. This minor injury is making me pretty anxious that I will not be able to get back to training soon. I do not feel any pain at rest. Hopefully this information helps. Thanks. Jim.
Reply - Janet
Jim with the mileage you've been doing, your training is pretty much "in the bag" at this point and I don't think that a period of several days or even a week off running is going to be all that detrimental to your marathon outcome.  On the other hand, if you don't take time off and let this heal, you run the risk of not being able to toe the line.  Seeing a Physical Therapist for some hands-on treatment like electrical stimulation or ice whirlpool might help to speed the healing process but the bottom line is that your tissue will heal as fast as it can.  I think at a minimum, 4 days completely off running would be a good idea.  You may be able to do some activity in the form of walking (very easy paces) as long as it's painfree.  The gentle activity of walking (if it doesn't hurt) may provide some stimulus to the healing process.  At this point - it sounds like you're on the right track with rest and ice.  If you want the name of a good orthopedic specialist PT in the Portland Oregon area, send me an e-mail and I'll give you her name and phone number.  You can reach me at janet at runningstrong dot com.   Wishing you speedy healing!  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor