Eating and Running

By Jillian Van Leer

My running journey started 5 ½ years ago. Growing up, I was an avid hater of running. I couldn’t run a full mile, let alone be one of the fast kids in gym. I hated it so much, I wouldn’t even run while playing tennis.

Life went on, and in January of 2010, my soon-to-be sister-in-law asked me if I would run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with her. I laughed and said, “I don’t run.” She said, “I don’t either.” Since the two of us don't live near each other, I trained for five months with a friend. My training started on the treadmill, but I hated it with a passion, so I started running at night in my subdivision and, boy, did I become addicted quickly! I trained with the Couch to 5K program.  My sister-in-law ended up walking the entire 5K because she still hated running. I still tease her because I fell in love with it and she despises it with a passion, but it was her prompting me that start got me addicted to running!

 

Not my first 5K, but my 5K PR to date!

I really was astonished to discover that I loved running! I loved the alone time, the openness of the road, and the freedom it entailed! I loved how I felt afterward, how I felt like I could do anything. I had more confidence, I was happier, more joyful, and I had more energy to play with (then) young boys! I couldn’t believe the new-found positivity that running gave to me. More than all of these things, though, running helped me in ways I never thought possible.

You see, I had been struggling with overeating/purging ever since my oldest son was born. I hated my new “MOM” body. I wasn’t good to it. I overate because I was depressed, and the things I ate were bad for me; I didn’t nourish myself at all. After eating those bad things, I would feel so sick that I would make myself purge it. It was not fun, and definitely not healthy.

When I began running, I had been dealing with the eating disorder for four years. Nothing seemed to help. I couldn’t get myself under control, I was trapped in a dark place no one else should have to experience. Counseling didn’t seem to help, and even telling family members only helped a little, but not enough to make me STOP. That is, until I started running.

Running gave me a new-found confidence I’d never felt. With running, I gained the confidence in myself not only to run farther and farther, but to actually take care of myself overall. It was quickly apparent that if I didn’t eat healthier, I couldn’t run like I wanted; I also learned that when I did overeat, running was difficult and not as enjoyable. Not all the credit goes to running: counseling with my then-pastor was tremendously helpful, but without running, I don’t think I could have overcome my disorder.

With my three kiddos after the Mother's Day 5K this year.

I still go through spurts of unhealthy eating, spurts of not running, but it’s all a process and I know that. I know I might struggle my whole life with this, but the older I get, the easier it gets to handle. The more confident I become in myself, the better it gets. I owe my life to running: it finally helped me love my body, appreciate my body, and want to take care of it. My goal for myself is always to appreciate what my body can do, and be thankful for what my body can do!

Me and my awesome kids after my first half-marathon.

My body has run many miles in the past 5 ½ years, including three half-marathons! I’m hoping next year to complete a full marathon, and run even farther than this year. Without running, I am terrified of where I would be today; I can’t imagine life without running! I am very passionate about getting girls (and boys) the help they need to overcome eating disorders, which is one of the reasons I love Girls on the Run so much. It gives girls so much confidence in themselves! I wish it had been around when I was younger, but am so happy to be a part of it now as a coach! 

 

Girls on the Run!

Girls on the Run!

I just wanted to let you all know that if you’re struggling with this, or know someone who is, you’re not alone! Eating disorders happen in all walks of life. I was 24 when mine started! I am so thankful to my family and my running community for helping me succeed and love myself. Keep running, everyone. Keep encouraging one another. You’re all the best!

Want to get to know Jillian better? Check out her "Runfie" questions!

What brought you to DRC? I saw that a high school friend of mine, Tony McDuffie, posted his run on The Daily Run Club via Facebook. I immediately joined!!

Favorite shoes? How many pairs of running shoes do you have? Well, for the first four years of my running, I wore New Balance running shoes. Nothing fancy, just the cheapest, good running shoes I could find. Last year, my husband suggested I try Asics, so I bought a pair and I love them! They are so cushiony! I only ever have two pair. I know, I know... Once I get a new pair, my older pair gets to be my "around the house/mud" pair. Then I donate my older older shoes. I don't like a lot of clutter.

Do you have a dream race? Hmmm... dream race. I would love to run in a Disney race just because I've loved Disney since I was teeny tiny.  I still love Disney & watch all the movies with my kiddos when I get the chance!

Dartfish: Gait Analysis

By Jill Berron

 I am admittedly a nerd—I love reading, numbers and data. When I can combine that with running…even better! That’s why I was so excited to take advantage of the opportunity to have a Dartfish Analysis done by our very own Elena and Emily at Athletico.

Emily started me off with a five minute warm up on a stationary bike before moving into a dynamic warm up, which was a mini workout in itself! It included skipping forward and backward (surprisingly, not as hard as it sounds), side shuffles, several lunge variations and leg swings, among other exercises. She then had me do a few static exercises, such as twists, squats and lunges to ensure that my feet pronate and supinate properly. 

My warm-up checklist!

After that, she did a variety of muscle tests in which she pushed and pulled on my legs (and had me resist her motions) in a variety of positions to check for strength on both the right and left sides, identify imbalances and check flexibility. These deficits and imbalances can cause a collapse in the kinetic chain, which stresses tissues and can lead to injury over time and mileage increases.

Next, it was onto the treadmill!  After establishing a comfortable pace, Elena recorded me running from behind and each side for a few minutes. She then pulled up the video in the Dartfish software to begin the analysis. The nerd in me was absolutely fascinated by this part. She was able to move through the video frame by frame to pause on certain points in my stride to evaluate.  She looked at my form at initial contact, midstance (the “bottom” of my stride) and pushoff from each angle. The first thing she looked at was the rear angle: she used the software to draw a straight line down my backbone and played the video to see if I bend my trunk to either side, if my feet cross midline or if my knees move medially or laterally while running. She also drew a horizontal line across my hips to see if my hips drop as my foot lands and looked at the angle of my ankles in midstance to check for pronation or supination.

After that, we moved to the side views.  From the three different positions in the gait cycle, she used the software to draw angles on my legs and joints. She measured a variety of different angles, such as footstrike, the angle of the knee as the foot contacts the ground (too straight and it can cause extra stress on the shin and knee) and at midstride (does it go past my toe), body alignment (do I lean forward at the hips or the ankles) and vertical excursion (how high do I bounce when I run).

When the analysis was concluded, Elena and Emily put their respective results together and were able to point out my deficiencies and suggest exercises to improve them. So here’s how my results came out.  On the positive side (i.e. I do not need to work to correct this stuff):  I do not twist or bend my trunk or cross centerline with my feet;  my knees move mildly medial; I have a rearfoot strike (less than a 10% angle when my feet contact the ground); the angle of my knees as I land is good and they do not move past my toe in midstride; I lean forward from the ankles and not the hips.

Here’s what I need to work on and their suggestions on how to correct it: my hips drop as my feet land so I need to do lateral planks and clam shells to work on hip strength. This weakness can cause IT band issues, among other problems. I have a mild overpronation on both feet, which I can help mediate with arch cupping exercises.  I have a moderate vertical excursion—the distance that I move up and down over the course of my stride. Basically, I have a little too much bounce when I run, which is a waste of energy and places unnecessary extra  stress on the joints. In order to reduce this, Elena recommended that I increase my cadence (step rate) by about 5%. She suggested using a metronome app or Rock My Run, which selects songs with a beat the same as your target cadence.

Emily’s muscle testing coincided with Elena’s video analysis results. I’ve had IT band pain in the past which correlates with my pelvis tilt. Emily also noted a weakness in my hip abductors, which goes along with that pelvis tilt. She said that I have great toe motion, which correlates with my ability to toe off correctly during my running gait and that assists in supination of the foot for a good push off.

I asked Emily and Elena if there was anything else that they wanted people to know about the analysis process. They said that their goal is to evaluate any strength deficits and muscular imbalances that might cause a collapse in the kinetic chain. They want to help make up more efficient runners and avoid injury. If a runner has a repetitive injury, they want to identify the cause and not treat the symptoms (i.e. shin pain is the “victim” but narrow running style could be the culprit). They can also evaluate your footwear and offer shoe prescriptions. I know several of the other runners brought in multiple pairs of shoes so Elena could evaluate them in different types of footwear.

Over the last few weeks, I've really been focusing on cadence and I can't say for sure if it's that our the change in the weather, but I've seen a definite improvement in my pace. I'm also working in the other exercises about 3x per week. I haven't noticed a great difference in my running from doing them,but I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger because they're getting easier for me.

Overall, the Dartfish analysis was awesome. Elena and Emily really understand what we go through as runners, unlike some doctors who just advise you to “stop running for a few weeks and take some ibuprofen.”  (Yes, I’ve actually paid money for that prescription a few times.) The evaluation offers practical advice and I would absolutely recommend it to any runner, whether or not you have pain.  It’s a great tool to help keep us healthy and doing what we love!

You can contact Athletico at 636-239-9979 (Washington) or 314-781-0679 (Brentwood). Emily’s email is emily.helton@athletico.com and Elena’s is elena.claus@athletico.com.

Want to get to know Jill better? Check out her Runfie Questions!

What brought you to DRC? I saw a friend posting to DRC on Facebook (before the group was public) and I needed some motivation and accountability. I was really just getting started and wanted a place to ask questions and learn a little bit.

How long have you been a runner? After a few failed attempts to start, I've been running consistently for about 2 1/2 years.

What is your favorite running quote? I have two favorite running quotes! "It's very hard to understand in the beginning that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit." -George Sheehan

Addicted to Running

By John Schupp

Growing up, I ran when I had to for other sports and that’s it. With the exception of one year on junior high track, which was a grueling experience to say the least. I didn’t see running as something I ever would want to do in my free time or for FUN. It took work. I don’t have natural talent. I wasn’t fast. I quickly decided that it wasn’t for me.

In high school, I struggled to balance my life between schoolwork, girls, wrestling, and partying. I started drinking at 16. At the time it wasn’t a problem, only having “fun” on the weekends and staying pretty straight-laced in school, until my senior year. I didn’t notice at the time, but looking back, that is when I started slipping. I was finding other things to get loaded on. Popping pills, drinking, and weed were my “fun” and if you had some, I wanted it.

Things went downhill pretty quickly after high school. I was graduating to harder drugs and finding no time for college. I ruined my A+ scholarship within a year and didn’t really think school was my thing anymore. Despite partying, I still graduated high school with almost a 3.9 gpa and six college credits. I think I was 22nd in my class or something. Anyway, by the time I was 19, I went into my first rehab. I had a pill and heroin addiction, but really I did anything you were willing to share with or sell me. I knew then I had a problem, but it didn’t stop me yet. It took three overdoses and two more rehabs before I decided I had enough. All before turning 21. Not to mention the reality that sank in when the judge told me I was facing prison time. By the grace of God, I found enough pain to quit, and I have not found a reason to take so much as a sip of alcohol, one pain pill, one joint or anything since October 20, 2009. And man has my life changed since. It’s not all roses, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

First ever 5k!

 Now, fast forward to about three years ago. A good friend of mine called me up that knows me all too well and said there was this 5k he was running and it started in an hour. I was like, "SO?". He said, “Well there’s some pretty girl here.” So, I went. True story. I was so tired at the end of that 3.1 miles that I could not tell you a single face that was there. I definitely wasn’t worried about any girls. I had to focus on not passing out. But I did it. That sparked something in me that felt good. I accomplished something that I had never done before. I’m an ex-smoker. I wanted to run another one. I wanted to train for it and finish stronger. And I did just that. I found running when I needed to. I realized how much clearer I could think after a long run (long is relevant: at the time, 2-5 miles was LONG). My mood improved. It wasn’t easy, and I think that’s what attracted me to it so much this time, which is exactly what drove me away back in junior high.

Training for the next big draw- a Tough Mudder!

I decided I wanted to train for something big, so Greg Wells and I picked a Tough Mudder to do together. We both worked our asses off. In October of 2013, we did the whole thing without walking. Towards the end, I hurt bad. My hip was cramping up. I’d never gone that far before, let alone on dirt, rock, and mud. But I had come so far and I just couldn’t give up. Greg talked me through the last part of that race, and we finished strong. Since I have gotten clean, I’ve learned that I can’t just run away from my issues and giving up only makes things worse. I think running helps me face my issues head-on. It is SOOOO much easier to sit in the a/c and watch tv, but I don’t. Despite, that little voice in my head that says just stop, go inside, you can run another day, I pushed forward. Now, it has become a desire; I want to run all the time. I wonder how the hell I will ever make to where some of you ultra runners are, but if I keep trying, I bet I’ll get there.

Who doesn't do back flips at a Tough Mudder!?

Tough Mudder Finisher

The beauty of running, for me, is it can be as challenging as I want it to be. I find like anything in life, you get out of it what you put in. Often, it’s my mind that I have to convince to take the first steps. Every time I set a goal, big or little, I reach it (maybe not on the first attempt). I store that away for when times are hard and I need a little extra to keep me going. I run because I want to be a good influence on my children. I run because it is a great way to relieve stress. I run because I find peace. I run because it feels good, sometimes. Those “sometimes” make the rougher times worth it. 

John & Greg carrying a log at Tough Mudder- some seriously hardcore stuff.

We’re a special breed. I get asked at work a lot, “Why do you RUN?” “What are you running from?” Truth is, I don’t have a specific answer that sums up the essence of why I run. I do it because I can. I do it because I’m a recovering addict and running helps mold me into a person I want to be. It takes discipline and courage to conquer fears of the unknown for me. Every time I make it a mile further than I thought I could or a little faster than I ever have, it is a nice big middle finger to the life I used to live. That’s often what I think about when my body is tired and my mind wants to give up. I’ve come an awful long way to give up now. It sounds almost unreal, but there was a point in my life where I didn’t see myself living past the age of 25. Running keeps me grounded. It gives me strength in life knowing that if I keep moving forward, I eventually make it to my goal. I really can’t believe I hated it so much when I was younger.

So what’s next on my plate for me? I’ve been training for my first marathon. I figure, why not. I’ve never run a half up until I started training for the Cowbell in October. I think I’m up for the challenge. After all, I do like a good challenge! 

I want to say how blown away I am from all the support and encouragement I’ve received and see from all of DRC’s members since I joined the group a few months ago. I have only felt that way from a group of complete strangers, probably, only a couple times in my life. Ya’ll seriously ROCK!

Want to get to know John better? Check out his Runfie Questions!

What brought you do DRC? I think Greg told me about it this spring and I have to say, It’s lived up to its hype! 

Do you have a dream race? I’d like to qualify for Boston. If I was to be really ambitious, my dream would be to complete an Ironman. Mad props to anyone who can even walk after a 2.4 mile swim. I’d probably die.

What is the strangest thing you’ve seen while running? I haven’t seen a whole lot that stands out in my head at the moment. The dead skunk in the middle of the bridge on the Katy was kinda amusing… I didn’t know I could run without breathing!