5 Foot and Ankle Exercises To Try
You stretch, you foam roll, you cross-train. But do you pay attention to your feet and ankles? They’re what keep you going, after all. Pick up some insider tips and tricks from our Role Mothers to work into your own pre- and post-running routine.
Pam, the grandmother:
I use a BOSU Ball while barefoot to help strengthen my feet and ankles. And after long runs, I have a dryer ball that I roll my feet on to massage them.
Ashley, the beginner
As a beginner, I’m just now learning what works for me personally and haven’t even scratched the surface on what I could or should be doing to help keep my feet happy and healthy. But I have a date with my foam roller and a tennis ball after every run.
Melissa, the marathoner
I regularly do towel curls: Stretch a hand towel or resistance band on the floor in front of your vertically. Place your bare foot on the end of the towel nearest you. Keeping your heel on the floor, curl your toes to bunch up the towel and drag it toward you. Then stretch out your toes and grasp another bit of the towel to curl. Continue until you’ve bunched up the entire towel. Repeat with the other foot.
Tania, the sputterer
To keep my feet and ankles strong (along with glutes and core), I like to do Piyo barefoot at least once a week, ideally twice. This also helps with balance, which strengthens my ankles. I use a band for stretches and strength exercises, like calf raises, lying down with the band wrapped around my feet. It makes me feel super flexible.
Nicole, the regular runner
I do barre class once a week; include foot roller time post-run; get foot massages; and, I think most important, I watch my footwear. I know that wearing shoes with poor or no arch support will bring the pain, so I avoid them at all costs, and I limit my time in high heels.
Tell us: What’s your go-to exercise?
Finding My Way To the 2016 Boston Marathon Starting Line
Our very own Sarah Bowen Shea is serving as an expert on Find Your Finish Line, Hyland’s daily lead up to the 2016 Boston Marathon. She was recently featured on the site, explaining how she found her way to the starting line in Boston:
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Standing in the lobby of the Marriott Copley Place, waiting for an elevator, I am surrounded by men and women runners a head shorter than my 5’ 11” frame. My forearms are about as big around as their sinewy quads; I’m fairly certain I outweigh each of them by 50 pounds, if not more. It’s two days before the 2012 Boston Marathon, and I want to proclaim, “I qualified, too!!” Instead, I slump my broad, former-rower shoulders and wish the marble floor would open up beneath me. I feel like a poser. Even though I make my living as a runner, as co-founder of Another Mother Runner, I don’t feel like I belong in this fast crowd.
Read the rest of Sarah’s essay here.
#203: First Ladies of Running with Amby Burfoot
Amby shaking hands with Oprah
Sarah and co-host Ellison Weist are delighted to be joined by long-time Runner’s World editor and author Amby Burfoot to talk about his new book, First Ladies of Running, which profiles 22 groundbreaking women runners. First Amby shares his running story, including remembrances of winning the 1968 Boston Marathon at the age of 21 (!!). Amby and Ellison bond over having androgynous names, then he muses on why Kathrine Switzer is mistakenly thought to be the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon. He talks about the risk for new runners to do too much, too soon, offering the reminder, “big progress in running comes from slow, incremental steps.” When he utters the sentence, “running is constantly about beginning again,” Amby earns a mother runner stripe. He continues showing his empathy for women runners when he talks about the ways in which running fosters independence and builds strength. Having run the majority of the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon mere steps behind Oprah, Amby shares several intriguing stories about her epic 26.2 journey.
Intrigued by Ellison’s book recommendations? Here they are:
Dog Run Moon by Callan Wink
Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson
The Past: A Novel by Tess Hadley
The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney
And please share your personal Find Your Finish Line story with us in a Voice Memo that’s 90 seconds or less, starting with your name and where you live. Email it to us by March 31 at runmother [at] gmail [dot] com. We thank you in advance!
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Dry Martini: So about the 2016 New York City Marathon…
I’m certain that you have all been sitting right on the edge of your seats — I hear that’s an excellent work-out for your quads — for the last two weeks while I made up my dang mind about taking the charity option for the 2016 New York City Marathon. You can scoot back now and relax. A decision has been made.
My sadness had nothing to do with my decision but with my empty water bottle.
I hemmed. I hawed. I flailed around for a bit. I listened to the AMR podcast 200th episode, the one where Jill talked about how there is never the right time. And I realized how true that is for any big decision, like having babies. If I’d waited until the right time, I can promise you that my two would never have happened. While there are moments when I pine for some peace and quiet in a tidy place, I have never, ever regretted the decision to just take the baby plunge.
There’s never going to be the right time — but right now is about as good as it is going to get. I’m as young as I’m going to be. I’m as prepared to start training as I’m going to be. Yeah, there’s going to be a scheduling challenge or two but, honestly, they can be managed. And frankly — who knows what could happen in my life if I decided to wait until 2017?
Which is a long way of saying: I’m raising money for Every Mother Counts, which is dedicated to making sure women have access to care during labor, delivery, and postpartum, and running the New York City Marathon in November. Trust me: you’ll be hearing so much more about all of this in weeks to come but if you’d like to help me get the ball rolling (and help convince me that I haven’t made a really silly decision), click here for my Crowd Rise fundraising page. I can only begin to express how much I appreciate any support from the tribe.
In other running news, Coach scheduled two long runs — 10 and 12 miles — for the last two weekends. Ten miles felt OK, really. I carried my H2O, listened to Pop Culture Happy Hour, and got it done with little agita. Twelve was a bit harder. Or, rather, the last two miles of 12 was harder, mostly because I was feeling extra zippy for the first five and, like a college Freshman with her first beer, forgot how to pace myself.
Still. It was perfectly OK. Which is not something I would have ever imagined that I’d say about a double-digit run.
Then on Monday morning, I ran a 5K with these chicas, who I had just met.
We will always remember the Alamo.
Because of a work-work (rather than AMR-work) conference, I’m writing this from San Antonio. I went seven or so years without setting foot in the Lone Star State, and have been here twice during the last five weeks. Life is weird.
Anywho, I’m here for a gathering of alumni magazine editors. Those of us who hang around on an alumni magazine editor message board — yes, such things exist — made a loose plan to meet up for a sightseeing run organized by River City Run. It was fabulous. No, really. Fabulous.
Kelly, our guide, who is a lawyer in his spare time, clearly loves this city and made sure than we would, too. We started at the Alamo, looped from notable sight to notable sight, down onto the Riverwalk, back above ground, and down again, and were entertained the whole time. I was worried about not being able to keep up, which is a fear I think all four of us had — and it wasn’t worth the energy, frankly. While the pace was zippier than I would have been able to sustain for a straight three miles, we stopped every few minutes to talk about whatever landmark we were near. It was like interval training — and Kelly was more than happy to meet us where we were, pace-wise.
Our Intrepid Guide (who usually had his eyes open).
Plus, I got to meet three other Badass Mother Runners that I’d not known before. And Kelly directed us to a great dive for the best breakfast tacos and coffee. A win all around.
At the end of the run, Kelly gave us each a bottle of water and a tech t-shirt just like the one he was wearing, which is what I put on after realizing that my the shirt I’d planned to wear was stinky enough that I didn’t even want to be near myself, much less expose myself to other humans.
It’s like the trail knew we were coming.
Even though Voldesun was out during our run, San Antonio might be my new favorite running town — in March, anyway. My blood has become too thick to deal with the rest of the summer.
What have been some of your favorite runs away from your home base? And was it the terrain or just the novelty of not being on the same routes?
Tell Me Tuesday: All About the Black Toenail
The black toenail: newbies fear them, pros welcome them like a badge of courage. While they’re not the most aesthetically pleasing bi-product of long-distance running, they’re a normal result of upping your miles, and Dr. Douglas Comeau, DO, CAQSM, FAAFP, medical director, sports medicine at Boston Medical Center and the Ryan Center for Sports Medicine at Boston University, answers your most common questions, so you can rest easy (when you’re not running, of course).
Yes, we’re sparing you the unsightly “black toenail” image, because we all know what they look like. Above: Let’s just say there are A LOT of them in this crowd.
What causes them?
Dr. Corneau says there are two causes of a black toenail. The first is a sub hematoma, which is caused by a blow to the toe and bloodflow pools underneath the nail bed. But that’s probably not why *you* have the BT. You, my friend, have/will have/have had what’s also known as “runner’s toe.”
Increases in running volume, particularly training for a marathon or other long distance, are the culprit. The reason? “A major increase of a forward motion means more friction and more capillaries will burst,” Dr. Corneau explains. “As pressure builds, blood pools underneath the nail bed.” Dr. Corneau also cites biomechanical issues as a culprit, such as toes to lifting up against the shoe or gripping too tightly. Frequent downhill running can push the toes against the end of the shoe, too.
How do you prevent them?
Unfortunately, Dr. Corneau says there’s no way to 100% eliminate the possibility of black toenails, especially if you’re training. Make sure your shoes fit properly, with enough room in the toe box. Major mileage in hot weather will increase the chances of a BT, as your feet tend to swell. But really, this Tribe is tough and driven. We won’t let our training and race schedules be driven by the temperature or season!
How do you treat them?
Most black toenails can go untreated. “The nail bed regenerates in about threes months,” Dr. Corneau says. A severely damaged BT will fall off once a new, fresh toenail grows underneath, so once the pain wears off, it’s simply an aesthetic issue. But if it’s extremely painful, you can visit your doctor or podiatrist, who can perform a decompression and drain the liquid underneath the nail bed to relieve the pressure and pain. Dr. Corneau, who admits he has self-drained before (remember: licensed professional), says the worst thing you can do is DIY it at home in a non-sterile environment. Short story: If it’s unbearable, head to the doctor.
Can you cover them up?
We’ve all wondered is a nice coat or two of nail polish can conceal a black toenail without hindering the healing process. Dr. Corneau says paint away. “The nail’s already dead; it’s not healing,” he explains. “You’re simply waiting for it to fall off naturally.”
Follow 3 AMR Runners as They Prepare for the 2016 Boston Marathon
10 Runners. 26 Days. Follow Their Journey. Find Your Finish Line.
That’s the intro to FindYourFinishLine.Hylands.com, which debuts today. You may recognize Hyland’s from its Leg Cramps products (as well as a slew of other natural and homeopathic offerings) but it’s also the official cramp relief sponsor of the Boston Marathon. It’s also following a handful of marathoners leading up to April 20th. As the site explains, “In a marathon, everyone runs the same 26.2 miles but each of us crosses a personal finish line.” The most exciting part? Three of those marathoners are part of OUR TRIBE!!!
From left: Donna, Meghan, and Nicole
Meet Donna Malpeli, Meghan Hoobler, and Nicole Hart. Each have a unique running resume and perspective, and we’re psyched that Hyland’s offered each a bib for these Boston first-timers (although they have plenty of races under their respective belts) and we’re ready to cheer them along in the month leading up to the marathon and on race day. Find out what running the 2016 Boston Marathon means to each of our AMR runners, then head to their pages to read their full stories.
For Donna, running is about connection. Donna has a running buddy who supports her and pushes her to be better. Together, they ran to qualify for Boston and both hit their times. Yet, when the results were posted, her friend made the cut but Donna missed it by 20 seconds. It devastated both of them. When Donna found out she was going to Boston to find her finish line, she couldn’t believe it. She will reunite with her best running buddy at Boston.
Boston will be especially meaningful for Meghan because it will be the last training season for her with her mom running group. She sees Boston as a capstone for this time with her Momma running crew.
Last year, Nicole qualified for Boston in the New Jersey marathon. She was heartbroken to later discover that she had missed the cut off by just 43 seconds. Now, with another chance at Boston, Nicole sums it up as “just a celebration of everything that I’ve achieved.”
Aside from hearing from 10 runners through the month, Hyland’s has incorporated an expert panel including the likes of Dave McGillivray, race director of Boston Marathon, Bob Babbitt, Iron Man Hall of Famer, and….our every own Sarah Bowen Shea!
Check back at Find Your Finish Line for daily runners’ updates and search for #HylandsFYFL on social media to follow both the athletes and experts along the way.
Show your AMR pride and share your support for Donna, Meghan, and Nicole below in the comments section!