Winter 2013 by On Your Left! Marketing & Events

Official Publication of

WINTER 2013

Go Go Geeks A Runners Dream Gift Guide for this Holiday Season

Survey Says! DFWRUNS Thanksgiving Survey Results

Social Media for the coming year? Is Facebook and Twitter enough?

Doc in the Box

By Holly Johnson, M.D. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tis the Season: Cold & Flu Season

IT Band Issues

Getting Deeper than the Foam Roller

Letter from the Editor

VP of Happy Running, Sharon Lindberg

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PAST As 2013 comes to an end many people are looking forward to the past. What does that mean exactly? “Looking forward...to...the past?”

In running terms, it may mean looking ahead at a grueling training program you are about to embark on or an upcoming race on which you’ve set your sights. You may be looking forward to completing these goals or may be in the middle of the training and just ready to get on with it. If you like to take photographs to keep as memories, it may mean looking forward to developing your photos from a trip that you took earlier in the year and reminiscing about the journey through the photos. At DFWRUNS it means we are always looking forward so that we can create opportunities in our industry to make memories for our participants, to raise money for charities and clients and ultimately to make a lasting impression in our community at large to live a healthier lifestyle and spread the message to peers. We hope everyone who looks back at the journey is inspired to continue eagerly forward. The past also includes bitter/sweet moments and sometimes lessons we all want to forget. But in the end we are always looking forward, in excitement to what we have uncovered, what we are planning, creative ways to engage more people and to digging deep and passionately at improving with every step.

“We at DFWRUNS have a ton of fantastic memories from the year and we’d all like to personally thank you, all participants, fundraisers, clients, sponsors, volunteers and everyone we partner with on a daily basis.”

DFWRUNS is looking forward to hearing from you! Engage in our community events as a volunteer by calling 214-DFWRUNS. (339-7867)

WHO’S SHOUTING “On Your Left!”?

OWNERS & EDITORS IN CHIEF Eric Lindberg elindberg@dfwruns.com Sharon Lindberg slindberg@dfwruns.com

DESIGN

Cathy Hutzler cat@dfwruns.com

WRITING & EDITING Cherilyn Wilson cwilson@dfwruns.com

CONTRIBUTORS Brandon Gillingham bgillingham@dfwruns.com Paul Hutzler phutzler@dfwruns.com Jessica Kane jkane@dfwruns.com Gabriella McCord gmccord@dfwruns.com Neil Parker nparker@dfwruns.com

CATCH US! (IF YOU CAN)

MARKETING // PUBLICITY // SPONSORSHIP

We at DFWRUNS have a ton of fantastic memories from the year and we’d all like to personally thank you, all participants, fundraisers, clients, sponsors, volunteers and everyone we partner with on a daily basis. Last year at this time, we were looking forward to 2013 and now as it’s coming to a close. We are suddenly looking forward into 2014! Just what the heck happened in the last 12 months? It’s such an eye opener when an entrepreneurial business born out of pure passion for the industry stops to review the results of our efforts and the beauty in our labor. Earlier this year our Chief Running Officer attended an event in Houston, Texas in which brings together race directors and professionals in our industry to learn from one another. Each morning they have a run that everyone can participate in. In doing our end of year closet clean out last week at the office, I came across a shirt that he was given at one of the early morning conference runs he attended. “Herding cats” is the phrase splashed across the front of the shirt. How appropriate I thought as I couldn’t bear to get rid of the shirt. We did in fact herd cats this year — as a whole our events team managed and operated about twenty five events this year and across these 25 events, we saw over a total of 30,000 runners and walkers. There is a trend that we have been hearing and seeing in our industry this year, of other races having a very difficult time with runners getting lost or off course during their events. If you are a runner, you may have experienced this at some point this year and have scratched your head wondering how this happens when you see police on the course? Police are there to keep runners safe from vehicular traffic, they are not there to guide runners, this may be a surprise, but it is in fact their number one job – traffic control and safety. So, how does a race director herd all of these people to stay on course and not get lost or misdirected during their run? Volunteers! A race does not happen without having quality volunteers and the management to be able to manage the volunteers to know what they are doing and execute it on race day. In total across the events we manage, we’ve also managed over 2,000 volunteers this year. I’m starting to feel like we should be called “cat whisperers” rather than event managers. We value the runners in our community who take the sport seriously and train to win. Training for speed is not easy and does take practice, focus and a mass amount of dedication. When we produce awards, we do take time to consider what type of award

Editor’s Note, Cont. to give to our winners, will they like it, will they show it off and will they be happy to display it on their wall of fame? This year we’ve produced over 2,500 awards for our overall and age group winners and hope you all show them off with pride. How do you dress 30,000 runners? Well with race shirts of course! In total, we ordered over 32,000 shirts for these 2013 events and if you calculate the average price per shirt “Through the events including tax, shipping, we touch, over a half design, printing etc., the a million dollars average price is about $7.50 $ That means we (roughly 532,000) has per shirt. spent $240,000.00 on shirts been raised for the alone! Anyone have a good charities that benefit procurement person that can help us negotiate a new from our races.” contract or a sponsorship for shirts next year? The reason I say this is because all of our events benefit charities and we are tasked with ways to reduce costs all the time so that at the end of the day, more money can be given to the charity as a result of the events. Write me at slindberg@dfwruns.com! If successful, the results are like the whip cream atop the mocha coffee or the cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae, or an excellent craft beer after a long run. Yum, this is why we run isn’t it? Well, that and for the monies raised for the charities we work with. This dollar amount has more than doubled from last year! SIMPLY AWESOME. Through the events we touch, over a half a million dollars (roughly $532,000) has been raised for the charities that benefit from our races. Small steps taken daily for the community can lead to amazing results. So we hope you too will look forward to the past and keep spreading the love of running in 2014, sign up for one of our races, follow us on facebook (this month we are giving away prizes each day, and you may be a lucky winner) and bring a few friends with you to create lasting memories. Can’t run or walk, then volunteer because we need you. Have a brand or company that needs some marketing help and wants to engage the active lifestyle? DFWRUNS has the plan in 2014 and we can help you look forward! – Sharon Lindberg

HO! HO! HO!

‘Tis the Season of Giving!

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win a Present Each Day of December Baby it’s cold outside, but go ahead and roast those chestnuts by an open fire because we’re not using the chimneys to deliver our gifts to all the good little boys and girls. If you’re on our NICE list because you’ve signed up for one of our 2014 races, you can get an awesome gift! So be sure to put DFWRUNS on your list — on your Facebook “Interest List” that is! Make sure to keep up with our daily posts all month long so you don’t miss out on gifts from our clients, sponsors and friends. You could win Dallas Stars tickets, an unlimited month of cryotherapy, or a new pair of Brooks running shoes! Want to make 2014 your best year ever? Then watch for your chance to race free throughout the entire New Year! LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE right now before it’s too late!

ICONIC DALLAS ARCHITECTURE // TEAM AWARDS

Fun for the whole family! 3RD ANNUAL

February

Downtown Dallas

22 WE HAVE ARCHITECTED A GREAT RACE! Just as the iconic Dallas skyline represents some of the world’s best architecture, the Dallas Center for Architecture has designed one of Dallas’ best 5K events to showcase some of the city’s most impressive architectural icons.

FormFollowsFitness.com /FormFollowsFitness

Go Go Geeks

A Runners Dream Gift Guide for this Holiday Season

s someone who’s very open with his nerdyness, I’m always looking and reading and learning about the latest and greatest gadget, no matter what it’s used for. Recently, technology is making its way into the active lifestyle arena with so many options that allow the athlete to know where they are, see how fast they’re going, watch what they just did, use less energy to do it and look good while doing it. With that said, I’ve put together some of the coolest gadgets out there right now that can make really great gifts for the runner or athlete that’s on your list. First on the list are three options are for the wrist that have some cross over but all do something entirely different which will cause the buyer and wearer to make a decision on what they want to do and how they’re going to do it.

FITBIT FORCE

The Fitbit Force is an activity tracker that connects to a smart phone and is very versatile in how one wears it. It does double as a watch and uses the new low-power Bluetooth to connect so it’ll update all day long. In addition to it tracking activity, it can also be worn at night and track sleeping patterns and habits. It is a much improved design over their first version, the Flex and their pocket option the One. The Force will be updated in the future to work as a caller ID and works with Apple’s iOS and Android. It retails for $130. // www.fitbit.com

PEBBLE AND RUNKEEPER

The Pebble is the first, true smart watch that became famous as the most successful Kickstarter

project at the time. The Pebble syncs to a smart phone via low-power Bluetooth and acts almost as a remote control for you’re the phone. It will display text, email, caller ID, control your music, and display information related to apps installed on your phone. RunKeeper was the first sports app to come out with specific uses with the Pebble. When you start the app, the Pebble display changes from a watch face to a timer and distance display. This allows the runner or biker to keep the phone safe and glance down at the watch to see where they are on their run. Pebble is actively working with other companies so expect even more apps to start working with the Pebble in the very near future. The Pebble retails for $150. // www.getpebble.com

GARMIN FORERUNNER

Garmin is the leader in GPS and has recently released its latest and greatest tool for runners with the new Forerunner 220 and 620. The main difference with these and previous iterations is that with the Garmin heart rate monitor, it can predict the future! With features such as recovery advisor, race predictor, and VO2 max estimate, they claim it’s the best thing next to having a personal trainer. The 620 when paired with the HRM-Run has considerably more features such as a touch screen that works with gloved hands, learns the runner’s phyisiology based on heart rate and can factor it against previous work outs to give accurate recovery times. These are in the upper range of GPS enabled

running aids and are priced accordingly but you pay for what you get. The Garmin Forerunner 220 and 620 retail $399.99/$499.99 (HRM-Run bundle), $ 249.99/$299.99 (Heart Rate bundle). // www.garmin.com

CAMERA

The next item is the ultimate tool or toy for the extreme athlete but is versatile enough to use for any number of activites, including capturing your daily route or the amazing view you want to check out again later and share with friends. The GoPro Hero3+ is the most recent version of their extremely popular action video camera. GoPro has made improvements on the capture quality which can record at full 4k ultra-HD and with a better field of view compared to the previous Hero3. All the new Hero3+ have built-in Wi-Fi with the Black Edition coming with a remote control allowing the user to stop and start very easily during an activity. With a wide range of mounts including head and chest mounts that don’t get in the way allow you to capture everything without getting in the way. The Hero3+ retails for $299.99 and $399.99 and the Hero3 is available for $199.99. // www.gopro.com

SHOES

Unless you’re trying out the whole barefoot running craze, you’re going to need a pair of shoes. One of the most innovative ideas in a while is the Springblade by Adidas. The Springblade’s sole is made up of “tuned energy blades” that store energy and then release it to keep the runner from getting as tired as quickly. This is one of a few shoes that’s working on capturing kinetic energy and using it. Adidas just has the most innovative design at the moment. A few reviews have lauded the design and say that there is

a noticeable feeling of less fatigue and no one has fallen off the blades yet. Do be careful as I have seen a few folks cut their legs or ankles if they have to make sudden side to side movements. The Adidas Springblade retails for $180. // www.adidas.com/us/content/springblade

EAR BUDS

Monster isport

No workout is complete without a great soundtrack. And no soundtrack can be heard without a good set of ear buds. Whether you want to go wired or wireless, options abound. Monster iSport ear buds are one of the best wired options available that won’t break the bank either. They have a tangle-free cord and in-line iPhone control with volume control and sweat proof. Some might like the noise isolation since they are in-the-ear ear buds and tend to block out much of the background sound. The Monster iSport ear buds retail for $70. // www.monsterproducts.com

Motorola

If you want to go wireless, then Motorla has a great option for you in their S10-hd offering. These wrap around your ears but the majority of the weight sits on the back of the neck and hug it nicely without slipping off. They only weigh 1.5 ounces and give you 8 hours of continuous playback. They’re water resistant and sweat proof so you can do almost any activity, rain or shine and you’ll be covered while rocking out to the Eye of the Tiger! The Motorola S10-hd retail for about $ 70. // www.motorola.com – Neil Parker

Saturday, April 5, 201 4 Stonebriar Community Church – Frisco

What’s included? RACE ENTRY CUSTOM DRYFIT EVENT SHIRT TASTY FOOD SAMPLES BEVERAGES LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

sprinGsprint.net

GROUP D is c o u n t s

Discounts for groups of 10+. Call DFWRUNS at 214-DFWRUNS (214-339-7867) or email groups@ dfwruns.com for the details.

/StonebriarSpringSprint

Survey Says!

DFWRUNS Thanksgiving Survey Results

ast month, we included an opportunity for our readers to tell us what’s “all that and some gravy” on race day. We’re very thankful to all those that took the time to answer our survey! Now pull up a chair, tuck a napkin under your chin because we’re about to dig into the results and how these rankings will be digested.

STRAIGHT TO THE MAIN COURSE

UPCOMING EVENTS

Through the course of a year, we create numerous race routes for our clients’ events. Following our survey, the course itself topped the list as the main ingredient for a race’s all-around success. Our survey participants admitted that they would first consider the actual race route and the course’s scenery and/or elevation variations, before signing up. This is an important statistic for all of us because, as you may have already learned from our Compliments Department, city officials aren’t always hearing good reason to allow certain streets to be closed or beautiful scenery to be enjoyed. So, keep the COMPLIMENTS coming because each one helps us in presenting all the POSITIVE feedback an active lifestyle event generates! When you fill out our

Pub Run Social Run Katy Trail Ice House Thursday, December 12, 2013 VIEW DETAILS

ZERO Prostate Cancer Run Tucson Saturday, December 14, 2013 RACE WEBSITE

compliment form, we can continue to design new and interesting courses and bring the greatest running events to your city.

A GOOD BIB EQUALS A CLEAN SHIRT

We can’t be there to make sure you don’t dribble the gravy or figgy pudding down the front of your shirt, but when it comes to providing cleanly branded event shirts with each of over 32,000 of our race bibs, we’ve got your back! It just so happens that our Thanksgiving survey revealed our audience is secondly most thankful for the shirt on their back. Evidentially, the design, quality of material, and originality of the event shirt effects which races they’ll register for. This is great news because it also proves to us these thousands of sponsor logos are being worn all around town! DFWRUNS is already planning with our 2014 sponsors so pass the eggnog but don’t pass on the stuffing — the chance at stuffing thousands of race packets with your product and branded tech tee! We offer a variety of sponsorship packages all of which include your brand/logo on our uniquely designed, top quality race shirts and, make room on your plate,

Four Corners Brewery Social Run – Dallas Thursday, January 2, 2013 SOCIAL RUN WEBSITE

Form Follows Fitness 5k Saturday, February 22, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

TAKE OUR DECEMBER SURVEY!

A BIG HELPING

The 3rd most important component of race day as voted by last month’s survey participants is “Good Volunteers”. We agree! There are many reasons to give us a call about volunteering your time. DFWRUNS race volunteers have a fun, active, easy way to earn their community service hours for their sorority/fraternity group or high school credit and make a difference in the community as our races benefit a wide range of nonprofits. Historically, our volunteers shown up happy to be a part of race excitement for free, but are finished in time to start the day! Our registration volunteers hand out the goodies pre race, and get everyone ready to go. Water stop volunteers are right in the middle of the action, encouraging racers and passing out water. Finish line volunteers congratulate the racers and direct them to water, food, goodies and more. Volunteering is a great way to get involved and meet people with similar interests, but what other incentives or rewards would motivate you? Let us know by shooting an email to volunteer@dfwruns.com. Thanks, again, to all who took the time to participate in our Thanksgiving survey! Unlike your

Spring Sprint Frisco, TX Saturday, April 5, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

ZERO Prostate Cancer Run Ft. Myers Saturday, April 26, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

TAKE SURVEY crazy Uncle who over-spikes his eggnog every year and forces his political views down your throat like that cranberry sauce that no one really likes, we at DFWRUNS really do value your opinion! Thanks to your feedback, we can be sure to put our money where our mouth is and where it is most important when planning event budgets for our clients. Our Christmas wish is that all our faithful readers will continue to interact proactively through this publication (i.e. taking our survey, submitting your stories, entering our contests, clicking through our race links, etc.) and that all will have a safe, healthy holiday season!

Cinco de Miler Dallas, TX Saturday, May 3, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

Gladiator Rock ‘n Run Dallas, TX Saturday, May 10, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

MARKETING // PUBLICITY // SPONSORSHIP

because we’ll also pile your brand/logo onto event flyers, website, facebook page, print and digital ads, eblasts, and more. Learn which level of sponsorship fits your company best by reading our Media Kit.

Social Media for the coming year? Is Facebook and Twitter enough?

ho’s checked their News Feed a few times already since they woke up? What about Tweeting out traffic conditions or your incredible breakfast? What about brands out there keeping you updated with great deals via Facebook or Starbucks allowing you to Tweet someone a $ 5 gift card? Are these enough or is there a need for more social media outlets to share? With the new updates to Instagram’s very social way of turning anyone into an award winning photographer and videographer, Vine’s huge popularity in creating seven seconds of greatness, or Google Plus trying to break in even though very few even know it exists? What is enough social media and are Facebook and Twitter enough already? In short; no. DFWRUNS has expanded beyond these two “basic necessities” in an effort to deliver great content to our followers. Each property offers something unique to its users and each are fighting to hold on to as many folks as they can but when does it become too much to check 5-6 different apps or websites to make sure you didn’t miss anything? I’m not sure that there is an answer just yet but I’ll keep checking the DFWRUNS MySpace page!

UPCOMING EVENTS

What are your favorite social media destinations? Please let us know at info@dfwruns.com

Central Market Thrill of the Grill Plano Saturday, May 17, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

ZERO Prostate Cancer Run Chicago Saturday, May 31, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

DFWRUNS National Running Day Celebration Wednesday, June 4, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

Joe’s Run Fort Worth Saturday, June 7, 2014 RACE WEBSITE

SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014 W O N R E T S I G RE

RUN OR WALK HOT BREAKFAST POST RACE PARTY Benefiting PLANO ISD Education Foundation

THRILLOFTHEGRILL5K.COM

LIVE MUSIC

/thrillofthegrill

Doc in the Box By Holly Johnson, M.D.

‘TIS THE SEASON: COLD & FLU SEASON

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT INFLUENZA? Take this true or false quiz and find out all about it! 1

A cold and the flu are the same thing.

The common cold and influenza are spread in the same way.

You can take steps to prevent the flu.

If don’t have symptoms today, but get the flu tomorrow, I am contagious both days.

If I had the flu in October, I don’t need to get the flu vaccine this year.

I can’t get the flu vaccine if I have an egg allergy.

“The flu can’t kill me.”

ARE YOU READY TO SEE HOW YOU SCORED?

1. FALSE. The common cold may be caused by hundreds of viruses that cause a gradual onset of a runny or stuffy nose, a scratchy throat, a low grade fever, maybe a little cough. Influenza hits like a freight train with a sudden onset of a fever over 100 degrees, body aches, sore throat and/or cough. The flu is caused specifically by an influenza virus and the strains vary from year to year. 2. TRUE. The common cold and the flu are both spread by respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze.

Everyone should get the flu vaccine.

I got a flu shot last year, so I don’t need to get one this year.

There are no medications to treat the flu.

I can go to work if I have the flu.

Flu season, like the new year, starts in January.

There is a test to diagnose the flu.

I can get the flu from the vaccination.

5. FALSE. We all need one every year! For two reasons: the flu strains vary from year to year, and once we get vaccinated our immunity wanes over time so the protection from one vaccine is only good for about one year.

If I have nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (and I’m hugging the porcelain throne) I probably do not have the flu.

6. FALSE. If you have the flu, get to your doc quickly! There are medications that can help you get over the flu a little faster. These antiviral medications (Tamiflu

3. TRUE. You can prevent the flu by getting a flu vaccine every year. Other things you can do are wash your hands and keep your hands away from your face. 4. TRUE. The Centers for Disease Control and health professionals recommend that everyone over the age of six months have a yearly flu vaccination. JOHNSON PHOTO BY: SPENCER FREEMAN

n the real world: Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! In my urgent care world: Happy Cold and Flu Season! Oh, the dog days of winter!

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‘TIS THE SEASON: COLD AND FLU SEASON, CONT. and Relenza) must be taken within the first 48 hours of your symptom onset, so do not delay seeking treatment. Antibiotics (anti-bacterials) will not help with the flu since the flu is a virus. 7. FALSE. Do not go to work or school if you have the flu. You should stay away from others until you are fever free for at least 24 hours without a fever reducer. Usually this is about a week. 8. FALSE. Flu season usually peaks in January or February, but it can come as early as October and run until May. At my clinics in Florida, we have seen at least one thousand flu cases since September this year! 9. TRUE. There is a test to diagnose the flu. It is a fuzzy, skinny nasal swab that goes in your nose for a quick spin and then sits in a reagent for about ten minutes when we get results. It tests for type A and type B flu. 10. FALSE. You cannot get the flu from a vaccination. The vaccines are made from either inactivated virus (the shot) or from a very weakened form of the virus (the nasal spray) which is not strong enough to give you the flu. When you get a vaccine, your body’s immune system starts making antibodies against the flu so if you are exposed to it, your body’s amazing immunologic memory really pumps out even more antibodies to protect you from the flu. 11. TRUE. The “stomach flu” is not the same thing as influenza. Gastroenteritis is caused by a different virus. There is no vaccine against the “stomach flu.” Some

kids might have GI symptoms along with the true flu symptoms, but it is not common for adults with influenza to have vomiting and diarrhea. 12. TRUE. When you get the flu, you are contagious even the day before you start having symptoms! 13. FALSE. If you had the flu already this season, you should still get the vaccination to protect you against other flu strains that are out there. The 2013-2014 vaccination protects against either three or four strains depending on which vaccine you receive: They all cover A/California (like the 2009 H1N1 strain), A/Victoria (H3N3), and B/Massachusetts (2012-like virus). The quadrivalent vaccine also protects against B/Brisbane (2008-like virus). 14. FALSE. If you are between the ages of 18-49, there is a flu vaccine that is egg-free for you! 15. FALSE. The flu, unfortunately, can be deadly. The flu pandemic of 1918-1919 killed an estimated 20-50 million people worldwide; 675,000 of those were American (US Department of Health and Human Services). Last year, over 100 pediatric deaths from the flu were reported to the CDC. For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/flu/about/ season/flu-season-2013-2014.htm#expected Have a wonderful holiday season, stay healthy, get your flu shot, wash your hands, and in the words of your OYL! Editor: Keep your legs running, not your nose! And in my words: Just pick it and flick it! Please Note: The info in this article is not a substitute for medical advice from your own physician or PCP. Dr. Johnson and DFWRUNS/OYL! are not responsible for any flu epidemic or pandemic, your runny noses, or your failing grade on this incredible first-time Doc in the Box OYL! cool quiz.

Sick and tired of the same old marketing tactics? Then wash your hands of such winter woes and call us at 214-DFWRUNS. Get better quick!

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> Li fe New Year Resolutions Do Something You Thought You’d Never Do!

t’s that time of year for the dreaded New Year’s Resolutions. In a study done by University of Scranton, only 38% of Americans actually make New Year’s Resolutions and only 8% actually achieve those resolutions. Some of the most popular resolutions are getting organized; balancing finances, enjoying life more, learning something new, and the number one New Year’s Resolution is losing weight. (Didn’t see that one coming did you?) I have to admit I am guilty of being that person who made the weight loss resolution many years but never felt I really achieved it, until I got into running in the last couple of years. I have always struggled with my weight ever since I was in those awkward puberty stages of middle school. I slimmed down a bit once I got involved in high school lacrosse, cheerleading, and dance. I really packed on the pounds, however, when I went off to college and no longer had all of my activities to keep me in shape. I got hit with the Freshman 15 and I also found my roommate’s Freshman 15, which put “little” 5’3” me at almost 180lbs. The next couple of years were a mental and physical struggle trying to lose that weight and keep it off. I would start various diet programs and workout programs to drop the pounds. I would start feeling great, looking great and then I would hit a plateau. I would obsess that the number on the scale was not budging, get frustrated and “fall off the wagon” again. I reached a point of acceptance — acceptance that I may never really lose that weight no matter how hard I worked out. So, I stopped making that annoying weight loss resolution and just made generic resolutions. A couple years ago, all of that finally changed.

In April of 2011, I was down to about 165lbs and I participated in my first mud run and first 5K ever. I was actually terrified to get involved with having to do all those obstacles and just going that distance. For someone who was not a runner at the time, 3.2 miles seemed really far. Obviously, I made it through and loved the challenge of the event. I was hooked then after and started participating in a few more fun runs that year. I kind of began training for them, but nothing too serious and no real weight loss results from the training. Either way, I was having fun and feeling healthy by participating in these events and preparing for them. Actually, my friends would start referring to me as a runner, which was weird to hear since I was always the “dancer,” but I loved the new name and started embracing that term. By the beginning of 2012, I was doing something I thought I could never do. I was training for my first half marathon. I even got a trainer to help get me into better shape during the process as well.

Of course, I am still pushing myself to go farther and to keep challenging myself mentally and physically in this healthy lifestyle journey. This has become my life resolution, not just for the New Year and I don’t have to wait for the calendar year to change to begin this resolution. If you are fit and fine and participating in many events, please take a breath or two to encourage others on the course — you never know how much they may benefit from your positive push. If you have found yourself struggling or doubting like I have, please take a month or two to believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to a runner or a running event. It could bring you new life this year! Good luck to all in 2014! – Jessica Kane

Ring in the new year with us! We’re your branding and promotional party headquarters! Call 214-DFWRUNS in 10...9...8...7...6...

MARKETING // PUBLICITY // SPONSORSHIP

I only dropped a few pounds during the training but shed inches and dropped my body fat percentage. That training process was an incredible experience mentally and physically. It was no longer about the number on the scale, it was about how I felt and the amazing, previously unimaginable things I was accomplishing. Part of the reason I thought I would never accomplish these things was because of that number on the scale. I thought that people at my weight/fitness level could never accomplish these physical feats. Of course, I was totally wrong and learned that by getting more involved in the running community. At each running event I participated in, I noticed a wide variety of physical types partaking in the events. Granted, some people appeared to be struggling through some of it but they were staying strong and pushing through. I was so amazed and inspired by these people too. They made me ask why I had been waiting so long to just get out there and challenge myself physically, no matter what my weight. It just pushed me to keep going and grow my passion for running. By the end of 2012, I had participated in about 25 running events with distances ranging from 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons. I was happy and healthy, even though I still wanted the scale to budge a bit.

Jaunt Junkie

By Jessica Poppin’Lockin Kane

ZUMBA AND RUNNING?

“And…5, 6, 7, 8!” If you know me well enough, you know that I am a dancer first and runner last. I have danced since I was a little girl and have studied most forms, such as ballet, lyrical, modern, tap, and hip hop. It has always been a passion of mine that I have been fortunate enough to turn into a paid hobby by teaching Zumba. As for running, it was my worst nightmare. I blame my high school gym teachers for this, since they would force us to run mindlessly around the track or fields behind the school multiple times. BORING! I’m pretty sure that’s what ruined my outlook on running. It wasn’t till a couple years ago, that I got suckered into my first 5K mud run, that I got bit by the running bug. After that I was addicted to signing up and running any mud run, fun run, or 10K, sometimes two in one day. Of course, I was still bored with running while training for these events. Luckily, Zumba has been a great workout that has helped me switch up my training and kept me focused for these races. If you do not know what Zumba is, it is a cardio dance party! (Which is offered all over the WORLD!) It doesn’t matter if you’re a dancer or not, everyone can pick up on the moves. (I usually tell people to give it two to three classes to master the moves, but you will get it.

Trust me!) I teach a 60 minute class that I kick off with a warm up that consists of stretching and preparing your muscles for the workout ahead. Then I take you through a series of salsa, latin, hip hop, bollywood, swing, Charleston, and other dance forms and finishing out with a cool down. It is an effective cardiovascular workout that helps increase endurance and burns fat. You can burn up to about 400-800 calories a class, depending on how intense you make your workout. So, if you’re like me… or not, but are looking for new ways to switch up your training schedule or looking for a new workout program, check out a Zumba class! It’s a fun experience, helps with cross training, builds endurance, and another way to meet new people.

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IT Band Issues

Getting Deeper than the Foam Roller By Josh Carter, D.C.

nyone participating in an endurance type of sport either has had, or knows someone who has had, overuse injuries in the lateral leg somewhere from the hip to the knee. It is known as IT Band Syndrome and the person is told that they simply don’t stretch well enough. So why does all that painful focused foam rolling and stretching only get you feeling well enough to run one more day before aggravating it again? Let’s start by more accurately describing this pain as IT Band “Symptom” rather than Syndrome, because that is what it usually is. It is a collection of symptoms that you get in response to dysfunctions elsewhere in the body. It is actually rare that the tendon itself is the problem. “So, while the first Looking up and step is to get on your down the kinematic and the whole roller and work from chain body gait pattern, the crest of the pelvis there are more possible causes to the lateral knee, of lateral leg pain at some point you and tightness than must search for the you could ever true offending issue imagine. So, while the first step is to elsewhere.” get on your roller and work from the crest of the pelvis to the lateral knee, at some point you must search for the true offending issue elsewhere. Something has to cause the tendon to tighten, the bursae around

bony protuberances to become inflamed, and the stiffness and pain to set in. One key factor to point out is that there are so many possible causative factors that it is impossible claim that IT band syndrome comes from any one dysfunction. Some common causes involve the knee, but a larger percentage comes from areas around the hip, pelvis, or core. Many people, including Dr. Google, seem to have the answer, blaming weak hip and glute muscles. This, I think, is a great step, but falls short of finding exactly which muscles those are and why they are weak. The following logic would be that the answer to a weak muscle is to strengthen it by working out. That idea would be fine if strength was the true issue, but why would one relatively small part of a much larger synergistic muscular system of weak extensors and external rotators simply need to be worked out? It’s pretty hard to rationalize that one small part of that complex system has missed being utilized enough to be functionally weak without some sort of neurological inhibition. It also doesn’t bear scrutiny that simply working out an area would strengthen that one tiny muscle when it hasn’t been strengthened through normal gait and whatever exercise the person does. In actuality, the specific workout will likely further strengthen the synergists and never touch the failing muscle. This, again, seems to create a short term fix until the next adaptation happens and the symptoms return. Let’s use the example of runner with pain in the IT Band that also has a functional weakness in

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the gluteus medius muscle. Common treatment is to use the roller, massaging over all painful areas, and to utilize elastic band exercises for strengthening the actions of the gluteus medius which are rotation and extension. This is great, and a necessary start, but why was the gluteus medius functionally weak to begin with? Was it really a lack of exercise on this small muscle? Did it really require focused exercise to strengthen it? And if exercises are performed presumably for the gluteus medius how do we know we are not just working the healthy muscles synergistic to the gluteus medius? Another approach is to ask why that muscle was weak from a neurological standpoint. By specifically diagnosing the weak muscle through functional muscle testing, and utilizing specific techniques to engage it, returns the system to normal. Splitting the synergistic workload evenly and, thus, reducing stress over the area, the movement and overall function of the area is improved allowing the overworked areas to relax and heal. The reasons a muscle may be neurologically inhibited are nearly infinite, ranging from prior injury complexes, to joint dysfunction, chemical inflammation, to fascial restriction anywhere in the body, and the list goes on. This myriad of reasons can be treated usually quite simply once the dysfunction is properly diagnosed. Treatments may range from manipulating a joint, micro-currant electrical stimulation to the muscle, various myo-fascial release techniques, even as unlikely seeming things such as nutritional adjustments or hormonal treatments. The good news is that it is possible to narrow the cause and treat it effectively, giving the person lasting relief through actual proper function rather than temporary symptom relief. Clinically speaking, although many patients present with the same set of symptoms, they have an amazingly wide variety of causes. Everyone is unique in his or her function and the way that function breaks down. Therefore, everyone is unique in how they are treated.

Abby Road By Abby Werner

ABBY’S GIFT GUIDE

inter is now upon us, which includes CHRISTMAS! I can easily say that Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the lights, the carols, the decorations- pretty much everything. This year, my Christmas includes a few running related items. Now before I continue, I would like to say that I know I will not get everything on my list, and I am perfectly fine with that. I know I am very blessed with what I already have, but I still wouldn’t mind picking up a few new items. If you are going to be shopping for a runner this year, these are all items that I recommend.

1 SUPERFEET If you don’t know what I’m talking about, they’re amazing. They are these special inserts that go inside your shoes that make sure your feet are properly situated. My feet are a little weird, and if I didn’t have SuperFeet, over time I could injure them. I already have a pair for my running shoes, but I would like another to go in my regular shoes. My specific SuperFeet size is the Women’s 8½ to 10 Black D, in case you were wondering.

2 ITUNES GIFT CARD

For downloading new music to run to. Lately I’ve really gotten into listening to upbeat Christian music like Third Day or Chris Tomlin, while I run if I don’t have someone to talk to, so an iTunes gift card would be perfect.

FIT T-SHIRTS 3 DRI I’m not that picky with brands, just as long as they are in bright colors and somewhat fitted. I wear dri fit t-shirts all the time, I sleep in them, wear them to school, run in them, I love them so much. They are the most comfortable shirts you will ever wear.

4 FEETURES! Light Cushion Performance Socks — I have two pairs already that I wear during athletics and whenever I run, and I really like them. The medium size fits my feet

really well, and they are very comfortable. I’ve never gotten any blisters with them on, and they haven’t ever slipped off of my feet and bunched up near the toe while I’ve been running. I prefer thicker socks, and was very pleased with these.

5 BOOKS Pretty much any long distance running book out there. I enjoy reading biographies about runners, books on how to improve your run, fictional books about runners, pretty much anything. Oh, and I don’t really care if they are used or new either. If you read my August column, then you know I love to read, so a Half Price Books gift card would be fine too! So as you can see it’s not a terribly long list, and some of them are pretty flexible. I’d also like to say that I wouldn’t even know about some of these incredible items, such as SuperFeet and the Feetures! Socks, if it hadn’t been for RunOn! Every time I go there, I always get the best service, and they consistently introduce me to products I soon fall in love with. So I guess you could add a RunOn! gift card to that list as well. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season with their family and friends. I know I will be looking forward to running off all the extra holiday calories, hopefully in my new gear!

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