Sunday, January 11, 2009

Can Runners Heal Heel Pain?

What could be worse than a runner with heel pain? Answer: a runner who has heel pain and can't run. In this excerpt from a video interview with Ironman finisher and award winning podiatrist, Dr Christopher Segler discusses heel pain.





Dr. Christopher Segler is an Ironman Triathlon Finisher and award winning foot doctor specializing in elite athletes. His podiatry sports medicine house calls practice is located in San Francisco, Marin, Oakland and Berkeley. You can register for a FREE membership and will receive the monthly newsletter “Finisher’s Circle,” which provides expert advice on increasing your running efficiency and preventing injuries and foot pain by visiting http://www.AnkleCenter.com .

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Most Painful Running Injuries

The poll results are in! The February 2009 issue of Runner's World Magazine reports on the most painful afflictions and injuies that plague runners.

...and the winner is....SHIN SPLINTS!

Thats right, that aching pain in the front of the leg came out as the most painful running ailment based on 2,263 respondents of the Runner's World poll.

The other top finishers from the complete results were:

Shin Splints 36%
Side Stitches 20%
Chafing 13%
Blisters 12%

We will discuss each of these running injures...and how you can beat them, instead of them beating you over the next few days.


Dr. Christopher Segler is an award winning foot surgeon and Ironman Finisher who treats elite athletes. His podiatry sports medicine practice is at the Doc on the Run Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls in San Francisco. To learn more about increasing your speed and avoiding running injuries like tendonitis, shin splints and stress fractures, you can register for a FREE membership and copy of his monthly newsletterFinisher’s Circle” by visiting http://www.AnkleCenter.com .

Monday, January 5, 2009

Achilles Stretches for Runners Recommended by San Francisco Podiatrist

If you are a runner, the Achilles tendon is crucial to your sport. You simply can't run without it. When it gets tight, it is more prone to injury. A tight Achilles tendon can also lead to heel pain. Most heel pain related to a tight Achilles tendon is called plantar fasciitis. It may or may not be related to heel spurs. In most cases, it doesn't matter if you have a heel spur or not, Achilles tendon stretches are the first line of treatment.

The following video will demonstrate both the best Achilles tendon stretches to keep your Achilles tendon injury free, and prevent plantar fasciitis. Always warm up before stretching. Don't stretch if your Achilles is painful or sore. Always see a foot and ankle specialist immediately if you notice any bruising around the Achilles tendon, or if it is sore fro more than a couple of days. Run healthy!



Dr. Christopher Segler is an Ironman Finisher and award winning foot and ankle surgeon specializing in elite athletes. His podiatry practice is Doc On The Run: San Francisco Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls. To learn more about Achilles tendonitis, runner’s heel pain, stress fractures, bunions and other common causes of foot pain, you can register for a FREE membership and copy of his monthly newsletter “Finisher’s Circle” by visiting http://www.AnkleCenter.com .

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Marathon Strategy Made Simple

Run when you can,
walk when you have to,
crawl if you must.

-Dean Karnazes


Dr. Christopher Segler is an Ironman Triathlon Finisher and award winning foot doctor specializing in elite athletes. His podiatry sports medicine practice is at Doc on the Run Podiatry Sports Medicine House calls in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can register for a FREE membership and will receive the monthly newsletter “Finisher’s Circle,” which provides expert advice on increasing your running efficiency and preventing injuries and foot pain by visiting http://www.AnkleCenter.com .

Friday, January 2, 2009

Ring in The New Year with a 3 Day Run!

While most settled for watching Dick Clark and waiting for the ball to drop, a Scotsman named William Sichel was taking the ultra-marathon scene by storm. He ran in the new year by winning one of the toughest races on earth, the Across the Years 72-hour event held in Phoenix.

For three days he ran, sleeping little and logging more miles than most Americans would in a year, and more than most well trained marathoners would in a month. During the 72-hour event he saw temperatures ranging from near freezing at night to over 100 degrees during the day. All told he ran 269.36 miles through the Arizona desert. He ran almost continually and finished 34 miles more than the second finisher.

Hard to imagine beating someone by more than a full marathon distance.

Although tis sort of event might be enough any mortal, for him it is a warmup. He will follow-up with a 6-day race aiming to cover 567 miles during the Athens International Ultra Marathon Festival starting on 3 April. The 55 year-old runner will be running on an outdoor cinder circuit used during the 2004 Olympic Games.

With all that pounding, he’ll need more than a soft track and a truck load of Gu. We wish him luck!


Dr. Christopher Segler is Marathon Runner, Ironman, as well as an award-winning podiatrist, and sports medicine foot surgeon practicing at the Doc On The Run: San Francisco Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls. For more information about heel pain, bunions, ingrown toenails and ankle pain, and other common causes of foot pain, you can order a FREE copy of his book, My Fit Feet, by visiting http://www.MyRunningDoc.com or http://www.AnkleCenter.com.