Running, jogging, and sprinting subject the feet, ankles, legs, and knees to a considerable amount of stress. According to some studies, around 35-45% of all runners suffer a running injury each year. Furthermore, the sport of running has a higher prevalence of injury than any other sport.

Sinew Therapeutics offers exceptionally effective sports medicine and rehabilitation products specially formulated to offer a complete solution for all sports injuries and ailments. Our products help you the moment an injury occurs all the way until you’re able to resume your sports and activities.

Unlike other treatment methods that mask pain, Sinew Therapeutics products contain herbs that kill pain, but painkilling herbs are not mere analgesics that mask pain. The herbs in the products contain natural energetic substances that subtly yet powerfully correct underlying deficiencies and remove obstructions in the injured area, such as swelling, inflammation, clotted blood, and stagnant fluids that restrict blood flow and circulation to the damaged tissues, which is the root cause of the injury pain.

For centuries the Great Chinese Warriors used this powerful herbal medicine on their injuries to kill pain, reduce swelling and inflammation, and help damaged tissues quickly regenerate. This approach to sports medicine is incredibly effective at treating traumatic injury, pain, and soft tissue injuries, both acute and chronic. Sinew Therapeutics has kept this time-tested herbal medicine alive in our sports medicine products so you can have rapid pain relief & faster healing of your injury.

This past weekend’s running travels took me to the Steel City, Pittsburgh. I have never traveled to Pittsburgh before much less run a road race there but in between touring breweries, checking out some Pittsburgh Pirates games and eating sandwiches larger than one person should consume a road race was definitely a needed way to burn some of Pittsburgh’s calorie-high indulgences off.

My friend Matt (read his blog here) came up from Kentucky for the trip and since we both have been doing a lot of running lately we decided to look for a race we could do while in Pittsburgh prior to our arrival. We came across the Riverview Park 5k and decided it was the race for us. The race took place on Friday evening at 7PM and though the temperature dropped a bit, at race time it was still sunny and warm with temperature in the 80’s.

The course took you through Riverside Park in Pittsburgh which was a great city operated park. Don’t get me wrong, the scenery of the course was perfect, the course itself was somewhat of a beast for a 5k!

Runners started out running down a quick straightaway through the residential street leading into the park and then looped back into the park and headed for the first hill. The first hill took runners up to the Allegheny Observatory at the top of the hill, which is still used by the University of Pittsburgh. After a quick loop around the Observatory, back down the hill quickly. After that, the course dropped into a pretty steep downhill portion which lasted about a half-mile or so. The course then smoothed out as you headed toward the end of mile 2. What came next was to say the least tough. Mile 2 through 3 was a rather intense uphill run. The entire mile was winding back up to the finish line and when I say that it is one of the tougher uphill miles I have ever done, I am not exaggerating.

Good on-course water support and post-race refreshments included fruit, water and Gatorade. The race was $10 to enter and a tee-shirt was included which makes this race a real bargain! One recommendation would be to have on-course mile markers and perhaps volunteers calling pace splits at the miles.

Finished the race in 25:24 or 8:11/miles. Though a bit slower than some other paces this year, given the course and the fact that, heck I was on vacation, I’ll take it.

As runners, we face a lot of potential injuries if we don’t prepare correctly. You could hurt your foot if you run in new sneakers you have never run in before or perhaps twist a knee and do some ligament or tendon damage. Imagine tripping while out there racing and falling to scrape your hands and knees, ouch! But perhaps an injury that so many of us never prepare well enough for can now be solved. My friends, I am talking about bloody nipples.

I’ll never forget after finishing my first half-marathon (Covered Bridges Half-Marathon in Vermont) crossing the finish line with this great sense of pride and burning sensation then looking down to see my singlet with two large bloody circles. Makes for absolutely breathtaking finish line photos!

Fortunately for us runners there is a great product to solve for this ailment called Udderly Smooth. Family owned and operated, Redex Industries, has manufactured Udderly Smooth® products for over 30 years. Manufactured in Salem, Ohio, under the direct guidance of Bill Kennedy, CEO and Registered Pharmacist. Originally invented for use on dairy cows and now used for dry and chapped skin

Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream was originally invented in Ohio use on dairy cows under harsh conditions. Now used for dry and chapped skin on people worldwide . Product uses also include:

* Dry and chapped skin
* As a shaving lotion
* Diabetes skin care
* Hand and Foot Syndrome- a side effect of chemotherapy drugs
* Chamois cream for bicyclists
* Needlework and quilting

Check out their products today. You won’t be disappointed!

On this Memorial Day as I have done for several years previously, I made my way to West Bridgewater, Massachusetts to take part in the 9th Annual Christopher’s Run 5k. This is an amazingly well organized race with all of the proceeds going to the American Diabetes Association.

The race has some amazing organization behind it and the race director Frank Nelson teams up with the Colonial Road Runners to make this race an annual must-do race. This year’s race was announced to be the largest field they have ever had.

Hot and humid out there for today’s 5k but I felt really good while out on the course. One water stop at the halfway mark but fortunately some nice residents along the course get the hose going along the course, as well. For the most part the course is flat with a couple of small hills mixed into the race but as you progress through the residential neighborhoods you really can pick up some pretty good speed.

I finished the 9th Annual Christopher’s Run 5k in 23:03 or 7:26/mile.

 

Congratulations to Mrs. The Running Griffin!

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Mrs. The Running Griffin completed the 5k race today, as well. What’s the big deal, you might ask? Well, she is almost 6 months pregnant and is still kicking the asphalt and doing really well. Though she might get down and mention, “My time is a little off from before I was pregnant,” it can pretty much be established as fact that if I was 6 months pregnant I probably would be home on the couch eating Ben & Jerry’s rather than running a 5k road race. And despite pre-race fears, she was not even near the last runner to come in! Way to go, I love you!

 

Used this morning for some early morning cross training. Headed out on the bike for a 21 mile ride through Bridgewater, Middleborough and Halifax. Always good to take some time off of the pounding the knees can take with running and the bike ride was a great way to get a good sweat in nice and early. Pretty humid out there this morning, so getting 21 miles in before 8AM was perfect!

In August I will be taking part in Harpoon Brewery’s Point to Point ride which is a 115 mile ride through Vermont which raises funds for The Vermont Foodbank. If you are interested in supporting me, here is a link for information on how that can be done! Click the make a donation link.

Donation Page for Harpoon Point to Point