Lifestyle Sports – Recycle your Old Trainers for a Great Cause and Get 25% Off a New Pair!
Need a new pair of trainers? Want to get rid of your old runners in an environmentally friendly way and support a great cause?
Lifestyle Sports have teamed up with Adidas to launch a novel initiative called the Trainer Scrappage Scheme which means you can bring any old pair of trainers to Lifestyle Sports stores during April and get 25% off any new pair of Adidas Supernova or Response runners. Adidas will process the collected trainers and an estimated 1,000 pairs will be donated to the Chernobyl Children’s Project International charity on the 24th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In addition to the trainers, Lifestyle Sports will also donate tracksuits & t-shirts (valued at €30,000) to this charity.
Ireland’s sporting heroes are giving their full support to the scheme with Brian O’Driscoll and Johnny Sexton donating their old trainers to the cause at events in the Dundrum Town Centre and the Stephen’s Green Centre! Lifestyle Sports – Adidas 2010 Race Series ambassadors, Brian Maher from Spin 103.8’s Zoo Crew and actress and fashion journalist Holly White have also handed over their tired trainers to prepare for their participation in the race series. Lifestyle Sports will be working closely with Holly and Brian over the coming months, advising them on their training schedules and also working with them on their nutrition – follow their progress via their blog on the Lifestyle Sports website www.lifestylesports.comand on their facebook page.
Physio Advice
Catherine Cradock, B. Sc(Physio), Master of Manual Therapy, MISCP,
Chartered Physiotherapist
Training for the mini marathon should be fun! The last thing you want is to be struck down with injury. The good news is that if you make sure your first steps are sensible
ones, you can dramatically reduce your risk of injury and get on with enjoying your training.
Walking or running injuries tend to be related to overuse, meaning pushing your body too hard, too quickly, for too long. If the tissues do not have enough time to recover, they are susceptible to strains and pains. The best course of action is to prevent the injury from occurring in the first place. Below are some practical tips to help you on your way:
1. Your footwear is your first defence against injury. Walking or running in over- worn or unsuitable footwear can lead to all sorts of problems both in your feet and the whole way up through your body.
So whether you are running or walking, make sure you are wearing a running shoe with good shock absorbency and arch support. If you are unsure, head into a running shoe shop and ask their advice about what footwear would be best for you.
Don’t root out your old runners from 10 years ago! Generally running or walking shoes should be changed every 300-400 miles. This sounds like a lot, but if you’ve been wearing the same pair for a few years, chances are you need to update them.
2. After you have exercised, particularly when you are doing more than usual, it is important to stretch the muscles you have used. This helps the muscle to recover, preparing it for the next workout, and limiting any exercise-induced soreness and risk of injury. Static stretches for your leg muscles can be found on the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists website http://www.iscp.ie/content/blogcategory/1055/517/.
3. Warm-up is important to get your muscles moving well and the heart and lungs pumping. Ensure you perform an adequate dynamic warm-up prior to training or the race, by easy walking or jogging. The main thing is to get your body feeling warm and relaxed, and how long this takes will depend on the person and the weather conditions. Once warmed up, do some short stretches of the main leg muscle groups (as found at the link above). Those planning on running may also want to include dynamic drills involving heel kicks, high knee running and trunk twists. Remember the main thing is to keep your body warm and relaxed.
4. Avoid going from “zero to hero”! Your body needs time to adapt to the extra demand of exercise, so build your distance gradually and stick to your training plan. And remember, this is a 10km race, not a sprint. Start at a sustainable pace rather than sprinting off and then burning out!
5. If for some reason you have fallen behind on your training plan, don’t panic and try to make up for lost time. You need to be gradual in your training progression. Stick to your schedule, and if you have to take time off from running, then cross train with a low-impact exercise. Cycling, swimming, elliptical machine training and water running are all good ways of keeping up your fitness.
6. Alternating your walking/running surface between road and grass lessens the impact on your joints.
7. Hydrate well before and after your workout.
8. If you experience an injury (for example a sprained ankle), follow the P.R.I.C.E principle:
Protect the injured area (e. g. crutches).
Rest the area.
Ice for 10 minute periods regularly, within the first 48-72 hours to minimise tissue damage and reduce pain.
Compress the injured area (i.e. with a bandage) to minimise swelling.
Elevate the injured limb to minimise swelling.
If you experience significant pain and swelling you should seek medical advice.
9. Listen to your body! If you have pain, rest from training for a couple of days, and then try to gradually get back into it. Pain that persists despite a couple of days of rest needs advice from a suitably qualified health professional. The sooner you get it looked after, the less of a disruption it will be to your training. If you are sick or overtired, it is better not to train. Take the time that you need to recover.
And finally, well done on committing to helping both a good cause and your own health and fitness. Good luck!
