Douglas Eaton

News You Can Use

Lot’s of exciting things going on in the club. I wanted to take a moment to welcome all the new members who have joined NWBRRC for what is now our 10th year. I also want to thank all of our renewing members for being a part of our group for another year. As we always start off. congratulations to the following members on their recent accomplishments:

Bogota Half Marathon – Gineth Mendez-Yibirin

Bix 7 – Shelbie Seys, Kristin Kohler

Hood to Coast Crawfish Crawl – Brian VanSolt

Team APMA 5k Nashville – Cary Zinkin

SeaWheeze Half Marathon – Shelbie Seys, Kelly Rainisch (PR)

Ironman Boulder 70.3 – Helena Redshaw

We had our first board meeting of the year on Monday August 14th. Topics covered included:

  • Ordering of the shirts and the swag bags – We anticipate having everything available by mid-October
  • Membership stands at approximately 175 members including our sponsors
  • Meet The Board Social – Tentatively on the calendar for Sunday, October 15th from 5p – 8p – details to follow in an evite
  • Fall Youth Running Program will get under way on Saturday October 7th

Speaking of the Fall Youth Running Program, please check here and for sign up. If we have any of our new members that would like to volunteer to coach the kids for an hour on Saturday from 8 am to 9 am please contact me or Melissa Schwartz – melissavs@myacc.net
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​Also, as we welcome our new members I want to let all our members know that we still have towels and visors for purchase. The club running towels and visors are specially priced at 1 for $15 and 2 for $20. Contact me at jaygee725@gmail.com if you would like to have either of these items.

One of our hometown races, The Parkland Dash, is being held on Sunday, October 8th. You can register on Active or through the City of Parkland website. There is a discount code for our club members to use when signing up for 15% off : NWBDASH17. Sign up and be a part of either of two great races, the 5k or the 5 mile run. It is always a good time when you can run with your fellow club members as well as your neighbors.

Have a great rest of your week and I will see you on the road,

Jay Goldstein
President
Northwest Broward Road Runners

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Douglas Eaton

Dr. Cary Zinkin: A Simplified Guide to Plantar Fasciitis!

 

While any experienced runner will tell you there are quite possibly hundreds of different aches and pains associated with long distance running, the one that has sent them running to their podiatrist most often is a condition known as Plantar Fasciitis (pronounced Fah-shee-eye-tis).  This “sore spot” with runners is often caused by biomechanical flaws such as flat feet (where excessive pronation occurs with every step) and high arched feet (where the Achilles tendon is excessively tight).  But you don’t have to be born with a biomechanical problem to suffer from plantar fasciitis.  Many of us are our own worst enemy, bringing on this condition by overtraining, excessive weight gain and wearing the wrong shoes while not running.  That’s right, wearing the wrong shoes at work and going barefoot on hard floors at home and outside by the pool.  And of course, you know about those extra couple of pounds that you put on after increasing your mileage (and your appetite)! The combination of any or several of these mentionables is enough to make you writhe in discomfort with every step.  And the longer you wait to get treatment, the longer it takes to get rid of that agonizing pain that is now becoming a constant part of your daily life. 

If you have never had this condition and are now experiencing heel and/or arch pain, stiffness and tenderness at the bottom of your foot (or feet) upon the first few steps in the morning, and even pain that seems to be radiating from the bottom of your foot and up into your leg, you need to read on.  Instead of ignoring the pain and trying to “run through” it, I want you to think about and follow the next few steps which will help you evaluate your condition and determine at what point you need see a podiatrist.

First, go to your closet take out all the shoes that you commonly wear during a normal work week. Aside from your running sneakers, determine which shoes you wear most often.

Men, do you wear those heavy black “men’s oxford” type shoes to work?  You know, the ones with the hard innersole?  How about those backless pool ‘slip-ons’ or loafers or moccasins?  These all might be contributing, step by step to your ever-increasing torture that has become a daily experience.

Ladies, you are usually worse than us men, your stylish work shoes, heels, backless shoes and the fact that your “sexy looking” shoes generally squeeze your foot into about two-thirds of the amount of width that you really need, all add up to trouble.

So, here’s the plan: First, both men and women, if you must wear a fancy shoe to work, try and find a comfortable shoe, like a Rockport, and replace the sockliner with an extra soft, rubbery innersole.  You know, the kind you can buy at your local running or sports store.  When not at work, wear an older pair of running sneakers around the house and again, replace the sock liner with a sport type aftermarket innersole. You can use the same innersoles that you use for your work shoes.

At this point, do not use a plastic orthotic device or any prefabricated devices that you might buy in a store. These are generally not made for your foot and can sometimes worsen a bad situation. Lastly, NO BARE FEET.  Wear your sneakers in and out of the house (ok, not in the shower), but you get the picture? You need to have support and softness as well as a small heel lift to try and alleviate stress and to help distribute weight a little more efficiently.  For those of you that can take an anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen, you might try using it for a week or so.

Now as a long-distance runner and a podiatrist, I am at odds to tell you that reducing your mileage, at least for a week or two, might certainly help.  Lord knows, that’s the last thing you want to hear!  But if, after that amount of time, the condition has not improved, that is the time to be examined by your podiatrist.

The treatment of plantar fasciitis can certainly be more complicated than I have described above, and it often takes time to resolve the condition.  Methods such as injections, custom casted orthotics, physical therapy and strappings are often used to alleviate pain.  The sooner you receive treatment, the faster you will get back on the road pain free.

See you on the road!!!

Cary
Dr. Cary M. Zinkin, Podiatric Physician

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Douglas Eaton

VACATION IS REST. RIGHT?

I have always maintained that runners are special. Ask anyone who lives with a runner and you will risk being subjected to a lengthy, heartfelt and even frustrated sermon about how special they really are. They disappear at all sort of unseemly hours and then come back home utterly exhausted but strangely elated. The only conclusion for a sane ( non-runner) is that the runner in their life must be ‘special’. The rest of the pleasure of cohabiting with a runner is clouded in mystery and probably makes most sense left that way.

This ‘specialness’ can be expressed in many aspects of life, be it related to diet, insistence on a rigid weekly routine or the decorating of entire rooms with medals and race bibs. You know it happens!!! That said, there is one annual ‘negotiation’ that probably equals no other. Every year the prospect of the family holiday looms large and then bursts into the family conscience. Both sides of the running divide start to think how this should or could be handled.

The non running partners, a number that often includes children, speculate on whether Mom or Dad will take a whole bag of running gear with them on the annual family vacation. This is an additional bag to the one with either beach gear, evening wear or other good stuff in it. This side of the family will also consider how much of the vacation might be structured around ‘getting a run in’ whether the intended destination is Rome, Paris, Nashville or the Sahara Desert. These deliberations might cause the occasional spirited debate around the dinner table as the running side of the family enters into delicate negotiations intended to balance their obsession with the needs of the family.

As for the runner, there really is very little to debate or discuss. Training cannot be disturbed just because familial obligations must be observed in order to maintain a civil marriage or family life. That said, this apparently straightforward and ‘obvious’ point of view tends to come unstuck when the opinions of the non-runners are, for whatever reason, taken into account. They just do not get it. The need to run seems to be lost on them. After all, they see the runner in their life do it all year round which raises the question for them: why not take a rest?

A rest? WHAT HERESY IS THIS? Surely only a non-runner could contemplate such an incomprehensible idea let alone actually dare to say it, but say it they do. This delicate subject thus forces its way onto the agenda and detailed discussions ensue as a precursor to getting some sort of treaty signed before the vacation. Of course, some families have two runners in them. These combos, often husband and wife, make the idea of no running on vacation totally beyond consideration. The hapless kids in these hopeless situations are stuck with the problem so, I guess, there is no choice but to suck it up and deal with it.

Even the single runner wrestles with the dilemma of ‘to run or not to run, that is the question’ when venturing further afield from local and comforting roads. Clearly some vacations lend themselves to running as the break from work might be destined to land the runner in a place where running is even more exciting and mind soothing than normal. Others, like my 2017 trip to the Cotswolds in England present more interesting problems. My home town is hilly and I do not need hill training right now. My fragile knees are just beginning to carry me again. Thus, the dilemma of whether to take my ‘gear’ even presents itself to me. Great beer, ancient hostelries, fabulous high calorie food and endless bonhomie with old friends all range themselves against the obvious pleasure of enjoying Merry Old England. Thus, the question arises of whether I pack running gear or just say ‘to hell with it’ and relax awhile. I am not Mo Farah, I am not trying to get into Team GB, so maybe a rest might be a good idea. I have two knees that concur, even though I might sneak one change of gear into my bag. We shall see.

In conclusion, the prospect of a complete break from running might be very therapeutic. Families might be rediscovered and good times had. While it is tempting to think life revolves around running it is quite sobering to realize it might not. Any coach worth their salt will tell you a rest is good. Some I know stop running for a three week period every year. This could, cunningly, be made to coincide with the family vacation. So. Think about it. Why not take a rest. Enjoy your vacation and chill. You might find out that it makes complete sense.

Mark Darley
aka Britrunner
Britrunner.com

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Douglas Eaton

News You Can Use

With some recent community feedback concerning running on the road I thought it appropriate to publish a few safety tips for everyone who gets this publication to see

  • Wear your safety light. If you don’t have one please buy one.
  • Wear light colored clothing to increase visibility
  • Run against the flow of traffic in the bike lane or on the sidewalk if it is safe to do so.
  • If you are starting your run up Coral Ridge Drive please go to the crosswalk at Holmberg and Coral Ridge and cross at the light before heading up Coral Ridge Dr. Remember, although pedestrians have the right of way, assume that the drivers are not aware of you in the early morning and they will not stop.
  • If you are running in the bike lane, the proper thing to do is move into the road or onto the shoulder and let the bike stay in the lane. You can see oncoming traffic and decide the best course of action. They ride with the flow of traffic and cannot.

I wish to thank both Shelbie Seys and Rebeca Rodriguez for their contributions to the board and the club as a whole. Both are stepping down from their current roles of board secretary (Shelbie) and membership/media (Rebeca). We are sad to see them go but are happy to wish them well on their next pursuits. It has been a great pleasure serving with both of them. They certainly brought a passion to their roles and for this the club is a beneficiary and grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

It’s funny; in all the years I have been writing an article in the South Florida Running Forum, I never stopped to thank the editor of this paper, Jim Niemir, for the contributions that he has made to the running community. Jim has provided a forum for the running club presidents to publicize the events of their clubs, to spotlight individual members and sponsors, to recognize charitable work, and even to allow a certain degree of advertising of beneficial products and services to our members. Although NWBRRC members receive a separate News You Can Use newsletter based on what is happening inside the club, I can tell you it means so much to our club members when they see their names out there for the entire South Florida running community to see. So, Jim, if you are reading this (and I hope you are for content and editing – LOL) I speak for our club membership and say: THANK YOU.

Race Report

Beverly 10 miler – Dana Moss
Park City July 4th 5k – Stephanie Rodriguez
Freedom 5k – Jean-Louis Beaudonnet (3rd PL M Grandmaster), Kimberly Reyes (1st PL AG)
Weston Hometown 4th of July 5k – Melissa Meyer (3rd PL F Master), Lauren Fuchs (3rd PL AG), Eric Fishman, Kelly Rainisch, Shelbie Seys, Maida Velez-Kopet, Nicole Gerber, Raquel Alderman, John O’Connell, Doug Eaton, Jean-Louis Beaudonnet, Cary Zinkin
4th of July Sprint Tri– Kimberly Frendhal Reyes

Jay

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