Author Archives: dcreamer

By David Freeze

If you are missing sleep either through struggling to switch off at night or waking up with something on your mind, you need to be very careful. Especially if you do it every night and a good night’s sleep is a rare thing. This is what will push you over the edge and bad things will happen. Without enough sleep, your body cannot recover, and while it will fight back to look after you, eventually it will be unable to keep up.

I am one of these people. I don’t sleep enough and never have. Overtraining as a runner can cause bad sleep, usually resulting in the inability to experience deep sleep. Have you ever heard of being too tired to sleep? I’ve been there and it is a real thing. On the flip side, if I’ve not been sleeping well for some other reason, this lost sleep has caused my running to suffer. My point is that next to hydration, I am convinced that sleep is the biggest factor in getting the best return from my body.

Here are some things that have helped me. Whether you run or not, if struggling with sleep, try these methods.

I often use caffeine as a training aid, but it can mess up your sleep, especially if the caffeine is consumed later in the day. Positive training effects wear off during the day, but caffeine can still linger to deter sleep. Leave it alone in the afternoon and evening and remember that chocolate has caffeine.

Always prone to wake up thinking during the night, I came across something big that helped me. There seems to be an endless to-do list of things on my mind. To lessen the worry that I will forget something, I started making a list ahead of heading for bed. Often, I leave the pen and paper next to the bed so I can add to the list and hopefully fall right back to sleep.

It’s simple, but leave the electronics in another room. Try to send any messages or make calls that concern you at least an hour before bed. Nearly everything will wait until you get some sleep.

At any given time, I’ve got a book going. If I know my mind is racing, I take that book to bed with me. Usually the book will do the trick. And then should I wake up and my mind jump back to the to-do list, then instead of laying there for hours watching the clock, I grab the book again.

Snacking and hydrating come next. I am always hungry, and I sometimes wake up at night needing just a small snack, especially if I didn’t eat something before heading to bed. What works for me is a half banana both times, just before bed and somewhere in the night. Bananas have sleep promoting nutrients and can act as a mood stabilizer and a muscle relaxer.

Exercise enthusiasts and anyone else for that matter need to hydrate. Most of us walk around dehydrated every day. Try to meet your hydration requirements earlier, rather than the last few hours before bed. I really don’t mind a trip to the bathroom at night, allowing a chance to confirm that my pee is clear and hydration is good. Plus, I get a middle-of-the-night update of current conditions on the weather radio.

My final one works for me. Most nights, I ask Alexa to put on talk radio, never anything political, and to stop playing in an hour. There is even an app called “Sleep with Me” that does the same, except Alexa does it without taking my phone to bed.

Final call for our spring beginning runners class! It starts 6 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Salisbury PD. We’ll definitely discuss sleep importance and lots of good things running! Go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org for this and other upcoming events. 

By David Freeze

The wet weather of the winter and cold temperatures always make me look forward to spring. Just in the last couple of weeks, the longer days and some drier, warmer, more spring-like days have shown up. I can just feel an increase in energy on those days, and often a springlike day is way more productive in my various activities. Here are some of the reasons why we should all find time in the sunshine and the out of doors.

Sunshine is important for your bones, blood cells and immune system. It also helps your body absorb more of certain minerals, like calcium and phosphorus. Your body needs sunlight to make vitamin D, but you don’t need much. In the summer, most people will thrive with anything over 30 minutes. In the winter, you will need a bit more. I tell my training clients to shoot for at least an hour a day.

Exercise is always good for anxiety too. But it’s even better if you do it outside, compared to inside a gym or at home. Many of us feel like we’ve been cooped up too long already. Sunlight helps keep your serotonin levels up. This helps to raise your energy and keeps your mood calm, positive and focused.

The outdoors helps set your sleep cycle. Cells in your eyes need enough light to get your body’s internal clock working right. Early morning sunlight in particular seems to help people get to sleep at night. This may be more important as we age. When older, our eyes are less able to absorb light, and thus more likely to have problems with sleep.

Many plants put substances, including organic compounds called phytoncides, into the air that seem to boost immune function. Sunlight also seems to energize special cells in your immune system called T cells that help fight infection.

Studies show that time in nature can boost your creative problem-solving abilities. This is partly because the outside world engages your attention in a quieter way that lets your attention refocus. The more time you spend, the bigger the benefit, but even just “getting out for some air” can nudge your brain into a new thought pattern. And creativity gets supercharged when exercise and the out of doors are combined. Especially when electronics are set aside during outdoor time.

Studies also show that walking in nature helps restore our focus and helps us shrug off societal pressures, allowing us to remember and value more important things like relationships, sharing and community. Just taking a brief walk while at work or school can put us back into a productive mode.

All these outdoor positives make us better people. And just being outside regularly lowers mortality by 12% compared to those who stay inside. What’s better than the smell of freshly cut grass, flowers or recently tilled dirt! I catch as many sunrises or sunsets as possible. Just a couple of afternoons ago, I spotted a majestic crane flying away from the creek.

Long ago, I decided that a good day outdoors enhances my running and other activities the next day. Maybe it’s a mixture of all things previously mentioned but it sure works for me. And I hope just seeing these positives in print will provide encouragement for your own outdoor time.

And finally, if you have thought about joining a running class, there is still plenty of space available for the spring series provided by the Salisbury Rowan Runners, Novant Health and Salisbury Parks and Recreation. We are meeting again at the Salisbury Police Department. First class is March 16 at 6 p.m. Eight weeks of classroom instruction and on the road coaching to a better you, and yes, we will be outdoors gathering all those positives. www.salisburyrowanrunners.org or 704-310-6741.  

By David Freeze

Over the years of running and coaching, I get asked a lot of questions. One of my favorites goes something like this, “I’ve noticed that my knee and hip are a little tender on my right side. What could be causing that?”

Almost always the runner or walker will admit to using the same course just about every day and always going the same direction. Roads slope downward and so do many sidewalks, primarily to allow better drainage. As creatures of habit, we fall into a certain sameness of workout routes and therefore more pressure is put on the same side of our body carriage. The worst cases come from those who run on the indoor tracks at a fitness facility only a few days a week. Most indoor tracks do suggest running alternate directions per days of the week, but sometimes too many days on the same course or the same direction cause the balance issues. The simple answer — vary your course, distance and direction.

One-directional running isn’t the only cause, however. A previous injury can cause one side of the body to be weaker. I had arthroscopic knee surgery for loose cartilage in 2012 and it took months of work to get balanced again. Cross-train with bicycling, Pilates, and core routines.

But what if you already do those things and there are still injury issues? I’m betting one side of your body is stronger or maybe even more flexible than the other. A lot has been written about each of us having a dominant side, which not surprisingly almost always turns out to be the stronger side.

Here’s the method I use to find someone’s dominant side and how I measure my own balance. Stand on one leg at a time and see which side you can hold the longest. Of course, the longest side will almost always be the same and thus the dominant side. Another way, just a little trickier is to do one leg squats from both sides and compare. A fun trick is to pretend that you are riding a surfboard and the foot that you put in front is likely your most stable one and therefore your dominant side.

When the weaker side isn’t strong enough to bear the burden of extended running or even quick walking, it can lead to common injuries, including iliotibial band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome, or runner’s knee. Injuries often center on the hips, and weakness in core muscles like hip adductors and abductors.

Therapists, trainers, and physicians recommend several exercises that can help strengthen a lagging side. Some you may already do, such as lunges, clamshells, and one-legged squats, with or without weights. Give the nondominant leg an extra set of these exercises, starting and ending on the weaker leg, and you’ll be on the way to better balance.

I would prefer to just go out and run because it’s my favorite thing to do. But I learned these lessons the hard way. Keeping your body balanced and your core strength strong will always make for better running, walking and general exercise. And a good run makes for a great day!

Our next Beginning Runners Class is set for the Salisbury Police Department on Tuesday, March 16, at 6 p.m. We’ll meet any virus guidelines still in place and the location makes for a wonderful downtown running course. Participants will once again learn about running form, shoes and equipment, stretching and strengthening, injury prevention and nutrition. We start at a half mile of running/walking the first night and proceed to a graduation 3.1 mile run and a free 5K race is included in the entry fee of $65. This is the 16^th year for the BRC and is co-sponsored by SRR, Novant Health and Salisbury Parks and Recreation.

For more info on this class or other upcoming events, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org or call 704-310-6741.