So what is plantar fasciitis?  This can be a common runner’s injury.  The plantar fascia gives your arch support, disperses the shock your foot is given and provides stability to the many joints in your foot.  If it is inflamed, you have plantar fasciitis and a pain in the bottom of your foot which is most bothersome in the morning when you first step out of bed.  This problem may have developed because your achilles tendon and calf muscles are tight.  Or, if you are on your feet a lot, especially on hard surfaces or without good shoes, you may have it.  The best treatment is stretching and strengthening the calf muscles and achilles tendon.  Remember to hold a stretch for 30-40 seconds.  When you stretch your achilles, be sure to stretch with both a straight leg and bent knee stretch.  Also, writing the alphabet with your foot is a good way to mobilize your foot and ankle in all directions.  Curling your toes up under your feet repeatedly can build up your foot strength.  Also it is very important to wear supportive shoes with possibly an orthodic for extra support.  As with any injury ice can be very therapeutic.  Freeze a water bottle, and then roll your foot over it for ten minutes.  You do not need to give up all physical activity, since staying active will help maintain strength and flexibility, but you may have to temporarily do some cross training to give your plantar fascia a chance to heal.

Our last and final component of Good Form Running is Lean.  Lean refers to the angle of your body in relationship to the ground.  You should not run bent over, or perpendicular to a flat surface.  Instead, you should lean gently from the ankle, without bending at the waist.  To practice this, while standing still, lean from the ankle, and when you feel yourself begin to fall, step forward to catch yourself.  This posture will use gravity to generate forward momentum.  Your weight should be slightly forward, and your ankles slightly flexed.  After working on this slight lean, reset your posture and take off, leaning in to your run.  All of these components, posture, mid-foot heel strike, 180 cadence and lean will work together to make you fast and injury free.  If you have a bad posture, are striking with your heel and bending from your waist, you will be wasting energy and may have to deal with injuries.  Practice these techniques as you run.  Some days you may wish to focus on just one component, and other days you may decide to work on all of them in combination.  Happy running!

The third part of Good Form Running is Cadence.  The target cadence is 180 steps per minute.  This can seem like a very quick step.  The reason you should have a 180 cadence is because this will promote short, quick strides which will help you achieve that important mid-foot strike.  To find that 180 step per minute cadence you can use a metronome, or create a play list on your mp3 player with songs that have a 180 beat per minute rhythm. If you are planning on an easy slower run, it may feel like you are just shuffling along.  But your feet will hit in the proper position.  No matter how fast or slow your pace, you can run with a 180 cadence.  As you work on this part of your Good Form Running, don’t forget your posture and mid-foot strike.  Happy Running.

As mentioned last week, Good Form Running is a specific running practice which will improve your speed, and enjoyment of running.  The second part to Good Form Running is the specifics of your foot strike.  Your foot should contact the ground at mid-foot first.  If you contact with your heel first you are putting a lot of force and jarring into your leg.  Because of the high quality of running shoes that have so much cushion, runners often strike with their heal first and their legs suffer from the pounding.  Try running barefoot and see what type of a foot strike you have then.  When you run barefoot, you will automatically not strike on your heel, but run more on the mid-foot or balls of your feet because there is less jarring and pounding on your foot and leg.  Spending some time running barefoot will help you find where that good foot strike position is.  You can also march in place and see what part of your foot strikes first.  As you run, striking with your mid-foot first you will run lighter and softer.  This is not only good for your legs and knees, it is also good for your speed.  Striking with your heel first is actually a braking motion.  When you are trying to run fast, you do not want to put on the brake!  You can wear whatever shoes you want, but find some time to practice running barefoot or in a minimalist shoe, either on grass, and indoor track or treadmill in order to develop a familiarity with and skill for striking on the mid-foot.

Have you heard of “Good Form Running”?  This running form was developed by Curt Munson and John Benedict.  They are the co-owners of Playmakers, a specialty running store in Okemos, Michigan.  They believe that running is a skill to be learned.  They have defined several points do practice in an effort to run faster, easier and injury free.  The first topic is posture.  Good posture includes your feet, legs, torso, head and arms.  Your feet should be facing straight ahead, and your knees soft, not locked.  Your head should be level with your eyes looking forward.  You can reset your body posture by reaching to the sky with your hands and then returning them to your side.  Your arms should be relaxed and  at a 90 degree angle bend at the elbow while you are running.  Do not swing your arms across your body.  If you swing your arms across your body you will be wasting energy in a side to side movement that doesn’t help your speed.  Practice good posture while you run and run relaxed to improve your time and energy usage.

Happy New Year.  During this time of the year many people reflect on the past and make resolutions for the future year.  As we think about the past we must keep II Corinthians 5:17 in mind, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”  In other words, don’t let past failures keep you from fulfilling God’s future plans for you.  We have this promise from God’s word, Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”  So as we make our new year’s resolutions, we should think of goals in many areas of our lives and pray for God’s guidance in setting and fulfilling them.  We are commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength.”  So for your heart, you can set spiritual goals, like reading through the Bible this year, serving others in ministry and staying close to God with prayer.  For your soul you can do your best in your studies and balancing your emotional life.  And finally, with all your strength you can stay healthy by exercising consistently and eating and drinking healthy foods and water.  Be blessed in 2012 and reflect on your daily life that it might please God.

Merry Christmas.  Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem.  He came to earth to live a sinless life, and then to be sacrificed for our sins.  During his thirty years here on earth, He taught many about the Kingdom of God, healed the sick and set people free from their problems.  When He was crucified, He gave His life as payment for our sins.  Three days after He died, He rose from the dead and presented Himself to many people.  His resurrection shows that He has the power over life and death.  When we place our faith in Him and ask Him to be our personal Lord and Savior, that power is at work in us to give us eternal life.  During this time of celebrating Christ’s birth, make sure He is the Lord and Savior of your life.  The greatest gift ever given is Jesus, may you receive that gift and be blessed forevermore.

Final exams for first semester are over and Grace Bible College is closed down for winter break.  All of the students are either heading home or to someplace else to spend the holidays with friends and family.  It is amazing how quickly the semester has flown by.  Classes start back up January 16th.  If you are interested in visiting Grace, please register for Expeditions at Grace or  Fridays at Grace.  Expeditions is March 29-31 and Fridays are February 4 or 17 or March 16.  Use this link to register for a visit.  Hope to see you this spring!

Coach Stowers ran with Emily Schimmelmann, one of her 7th grade students at Byron Center Charter.  Emily was part of the Girls on Track program, and was one of  9 girls who ran the race with several of the teachers and mothers from the school.  Coach Stowers was already thinking these girls would make a nice addition to her team at Grace some day soon.

It was a cold (20 degrees), sunny, and icy footed race.  Just a reminder to be careful if you are running on the ice.  Don’t slip, fall and get hurt!  The only downer of the day was Coach’s foot was feeling the affects of plantar fasciitis.  While doing some research on the web, she found this web-site with helpful information if you are injured: http://www.physioroom.com/sports/running/top_5_running_injuries_5.php  Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do, hopefully it will help.  Seems like the best advice is always rest, ice and take an anti-inflammatory if you need it.  Have a great winter running and listen to your body if you are injured.

Exam week is almost here.  The semester will soon come to a close along with 2011.  Christmas is just around the corner.  In between shopping, studying, running and spending time with family and friends we wish you time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas:  God’s gift to mankind, his son, his death and his resurrection resulting in the gift of eternal life.  This past weekend Grace has hosted the Worship Arts Gloria 2011 event to kick off the holiday season.  If you didn’t get to participate, be sure to find a special event to celebrate the season with.  Coach Stowers will be part of the cast for “How Christmas Saved the Grinch” at Resurrection Life Church.  If you are looking for a free Christmas production please come on December 10th at 2pm or 6pm or December 11th at 6pm. Hope to see you there.