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Lead Stories: Sunday, July 20, 2008

Dathan Ritzenehin: XC Champs, Alter-G & Olympic Training
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)

Posted March 12th, 2008 at 10:30 AM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein! Check back every other Tuesday for Ritz’s latest entry at http://dathanritzenhein.thefinalsprint.com/ as he prepares to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

This past month has reinforced in me that hard work, dedication, and focus can really pay off. I wouldn’t say that leading up to the US Cross Country Championships I was 100% confident going into the race. My ultimate goal was to just make the team. For the past four weeks my training log resembled something of a rollercoaster. The highs and lows were dictated by the training my leg would allow.

After returning from a cross country race in Edinburgh, Scotland a few weeks ago, I noticed a slight pain in my IT band and lateral quad. At first it was minimal, and I was able to train through it with not problems, but after a grueling week of traveling it began to hinder my training. Fortunately, I had the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill on which to supplement most of my training.
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Ritzenhein Wins U.S. Cross Champs Despite Sore IT Band

Posted February 16th, 2008 at 5:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

PHOTOS: Taken by Adam Jacobs (TheFinalSprint.com)

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How Foam Rollers Can Help to Prevent/Relieve IT Band Pain

Posted January 7th, 2008 at 6:45 AM by Katie Drummond

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

The foam roller move recently discussed by fellow TFS Media Network publication HerActiveLife.com is an excellent form of self massage. It is especially helpful for runners who tend to have tight IT bands and often suffer related injuries.

The IT band is a tough group of fibers that run along the outside of the thigh from your hip to your knee. One way to help alleviate this pain is to use a foam roller to perform myofascial release (aka a form of massage).

For more information on how to perform the foam roller move, please visit or partner site: HerActiveLife.com.

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The Great Debate: Treadmill vs. Pavement Running

Posted December 30th, 2007 at 3:30 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

With the low temperatures and adverse weather, it’s no wonder that many exercisers choose to hibernate and sweat in the gym instead of going out in the elements. But a great debate among all those fit is one of determining which is better: the treadmill or the pavement. When it comes to the winter season, research points positives and negatives in both directions.

The reason the treadmill feels “easier” on the body is because the ground is actually being pulled underneath your feet (meaning, your feet are not pulling your body forward, as they would if you were running outside), AND there are no other factors such as wind resistance.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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Eight strategies for reducing knee pain

Posted August 9th, 2007 at 4:12 PM by Julie R. Keen

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

Knee injuries are common for the weekend warrior and athlete alike. The best way to handle knee injuries is by prevention. Once they start, they can be tough to treat, depending upon the structure injured.

When we look at the anatomy of the knee, there are some major structural elements that can be injured, usually from traumatic events. By this I mean an landing wrong in the midst of your big 5k race, improper tackle playing football, or missing the landing on the jump when skiing.

If you have injured one of these structures, and didn’t notice, you have a bigger problem than just some knee stiffness! If your knee is really swollen, painful, and feels unstable, go see a good orthopedic surgeon immediately. If your knees give you occasional trouble during your workouts, or you find that you can’t do certain exercises because of your knees, then these tips might help…

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HesFit.com

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“Flexing” your muscles

Posted May 31st, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Bridget Sullivan

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

I remember singing a rather cheesy song during my grade school P.E. class: as we bent down to touch our toes, our teacher made us sing – in a cacophonous tone - “s-t-r-e-t-c-h rubberband!”

I used to giggle when we sang this song, but I wasn’t giggling a few years later after I struggled through a string of running injuries largely due to negligent stretching and poor flexibility.

Go ahead … ask yourself … “How many IT-band flare-ups you could have prevented if only you would have taken an extra five minutes to stretch?”

While many athletes consider aerobic exercise, strength training, and nutrition as three critical components to establishing a balanced fitness routine, they often disregard the importance of flexibility training.
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Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Posted January 12th, 2007 at 11:11 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

The most important thing about an Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) injury is to determine and correct what is causing it.

The first step is to give it sufficient time to heal properly. That usually means no running for at least a couple of weeks, and sometimes up to 6 weeks in severe cases. In most cases, trying to “run through the injury” is counterproductive. “Busting your butt” in an attempt to strengthen the ITB to get past this problem just exacerbates the problem.

The next step is to analyze the potential causes of the injury.
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