Health
Health Tip #7: Band aids
Monday, January 28th, 2008Although the medical service is great at the Marathon des Sables, there are a few medicinal items you will want to carry yourself. Adhesive plaster (band aids) are one of them.
At the MdS 2006, I used two types of band aids: the regular ones for the odd rash or to protect the nipples, and Compeed plasters for taping blisters. I found that about a dozen plasters were plenty for the eight days.
What worked best for me with blisters was to open them with a clean safety pin, dry them out with some toilet paper and let them heal at the open air. However, when I had to continue to run, I put a Compeed plaster on the dried blister which I removed upon arrival at the biouvak to let the Sahara air do the healing.
Band aids have some unconventional usage at the MdS, like taping a leaking water bottle, etc. Be creative when you are out there, confronting an unusual situation that requires improvisation!
No Comments »Health Tip #6: Avoid that sunburn!
Sunday, January 20th, 2008Protecting the skin from the sun is just another one of those “most important things” at the Marathon des Sables. A sun blocker with a SPF of at least 30 is a must, as well as a good lip protectant balm. Try to find something that dries quickly on your skin. Sun oils or creams that dry slowly will attract the sand that the ever blowing wind carries around. And you don’t want to look like a Viennese Schnitzel with a skin that could double as sand paper. Good clothes are great sun protectors, too. A hat is a must anyhow, the best ones cover the neck and ears from the sunlight. A long sleeved shirt may be great if it has a loose fit to enhance ventilation. Best thing is to apply the sun blocker in the early morning, maybe a second time after about an hour to make sure not to miss any exposed part of the body. Use it abundantly; you are not running through the desert to get a sun tan to impress your folks at home!
No Comments »Health Tip #5: Vitamins on the Marathon des Sables
Saturday, January 12th, 2008What I missed most at the Marathon des Sables in 2006 were fresh fruits. Being vegan, my diet largely consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, things that don’t go well in a tightly packed rucksack. Thus, to get a minimum of vitamins, I will be carrying multivitamin and mineral tablets out to the Sahara in March. It’s not a replacement for fresh apples, oranges and tomatoes, but it’s the best alternative there is. However, I will carry some fresh things with me when arriving in Ouarzazate that I will consume before the race starts. Thus I will have some fruit in the morning of the first stage to start out with a load of vitamins and other good things running through my arteries.
No Comments »Health Tip #4: Killing that pain
Thursday, December 27th, 2007Any multi-stage event is a test in endurance and coping with pain. Every runner has his own recipe for dealing with pain, so here are my personal experiences with the matter. I know this is highly subjective, so please treat it with a grain of salt.
- Pain killers like Paracetamol or Ibuprofen - they don’t work for me. When I suffer from split shins, large blisters or whatever, they provide drowsiness, but no relief, so I don’t take them.
- Arnika and Rhus Toxicodendron are homeopathic medicines that help the body to recover from sore muscles or pain. I take them before going to sleep after a long run with pain. They seem to help me relax and recover at night; the benefit may be the proverbial placebo effect, but I don’t care - it works.
- Diverting my thoughts - when I am in pain during a race, I try to focus on something else: Start a conversation with a fellow runner, listening to music, just changing something to take my mind off my pain.
However, the best pain killer I know is the count down to the next race or race stage: Even if I limp to the starting line, I’ll dash off like hell when they blow the whistle!
No Comments »Health Tip #3: Is your food full of it?
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007You’ve seen all the ads from the FSA, you’ve read all those articles about cutting down, you know that it’s the ultimate evil causing heart disease: Salt. And you are supposed to eat less of it. Much less. However, as with most things, ultra running and the Marathon des Sables in special puts things in a different perspective: Cut down on salt at the MdS and you are bound to fail. Thus make sure to take plenty of salt tablets to the race and swallow one tablet at each check point. You will sweat out up to 9 litres of water a day, depleting your bodies minerals. If you don’t replenish them on a constant basis, you quickly become a regular guest with the doc trotters.
No Comments »Health Tip #2: Immune boosters
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007It’s flu season - I may catch some bugs on the tube, at the air conditioned office or from my kids that pick them up at school or the nursery. So I try to give my immune system some extra strength by
- eating plenty of fruits and vegetables every day, especially citrus and tropical fruits
- Eating wholegrain cereals and bread rather than processed foods or white bread
- taking Echinacea, vitamin and mineral supplements
- dry brushing my skin in the morning to jump start my lymph system
- drinking plenty of herb and green tea and two litres of water every day to “flush the system”
- wearing a buff or scarf when running
- avoiding toxins like alcohol, smoke and unhealthy foods
- going to the sauna or taking hot baths
- going to bed early and getting plenty of sleep
- wearing adequately warm clothes all day to prevent cooling out
Health Tip #1: Flu Vaccine
Thursday, October 18th, 2007Heading into winter, it’s the start of the flu season. I just came off a few weeks of sore throat and coughing myself; last winter I suffered the worst mid-ear infection I can remember. So today I am getting my flu jab. While it’s not a guarantee against all sorts of bugs, it does reduce the risk of catching something I could better do without. If you have races planned this winter or are training for the Thames Meander or the Marathon des Sables, think about giving your immune defence a little advantage and get vaccinated. It’s likely to make running easier for the remaining 122 days to the TM and 165 until the MdS.
No Comments »