​I have always loved trail running in the woods, but never considered the need for shoes specifically designed for trail running.  Most of my running before 2019 was on the road with sprinkles of short trail runs here and there, but now, trail running is my favorite!  I have several types of sneakers for various terrains— road running, walking, lifting, and I added trail running sneakers to the rotation when I began running mostly trail races in 2019.  This past weekend as I ran a long trail race, I was happy I remembered my trail shoes— the terrain alternated from knobby and stumpy dirt paths to leafy hills, to a diverse lake coastline with sand (that my feet just sunk into), to slippery hardened mud with big rocks.  What makes trail sneakers so useful?  Short and simple- lugs (little cleat-type grippers) and support.  

The bottom of a trail sneaker is much different than the bottom of a road sneaker.  A road sneaker’s bottom is flatter and the rubber is more bendable.  A trail shoe’s sole is made of stronger rubber and has lugs that offer traction and stability on uneven surfaces.  Imagine running on the beach or a wet rocky trail without any grip between you and the ground— there is lots of slipping and sliding!  

​​The upper part of a trail and road sneaker are also different.  Road shoes offer a breathable mesh upper body and are flexible while the top of a trail sneaker is durably made to keep out debris and to provide more support.  Furthermore, most trail shoes have a rock plate in the middle of the sneaker to prevent rocks and sharp objects from protruding through the bottom making trail sneakers a bit stiff.  

​​Can trail shoes be worn on the road?  Yes, trail shoes can be worn on the road, but they will quickly wear down the lugs on the bottom of the sneaker.  It’s best to keep those trail shoes on the trail to increase the longevity of the sneaker.  Can road shoes be worn on the trail?  Yes, but they will similarly wear quicker on the rough terrain and will provide less support. 
 
Happy Running!
Rose

How many have watched Emily in Paris?  I binge watched seasons 1 and 2.  I love the beginning scene of the first episode of season 1 where Emily completes a run along the lakeshore in Chicago. I have run at this location on multiple occasions!  The scene brings about a bit of nostalgia, until I notice Emily’s breathing pattern.  It is the opposite of 360 breathing— she is using a shallow breathing pattern with her shoulders moving up towards the ears, pec muscles swiftly moving out, and the ribcage moving up, not out. 
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What exactly is 360 breathing and why is it important?  For starters, 360 breathing is not belly breathing.  If you take a deep breath with your stomach expanding out— this is belly breathing.  360 breathing is the full expansion of your diaphragm at the front, back and sides.  Take a moment and try taking 3 belly breaths.  When I try belly breathing, I feel pressure coming down on my pelvic floor and almost stop before I can get a full breath.  Try taking 3 passive breathes from the chest.  Notice the pectoral muscles coming forward and shoulders moving up towards the ears.  Continually breathing this way will cause tight pecs, tight shoulders, and a tight neck.  Now take a moment practicing taking 3 deep breaths while focusing on the diaphragm expanding in all directions— four-fingers placed on the front of the ribcage, the webspace between the thumb and index finger (referred to as “thenar”) placed on the side of the ribcage and thumbs on the back.  Take a deep breath while focusing on expansion of the ribcage— there should be pressure on fingers, thumbs and the thenar webspace when taking a deep breath.  This pressure on the fingers is the expansion of the diaphragm, external intercostals, and the serratus muscles working as we breathe in.  Now breathe out and feel the ribcage coming back down and in while exhaling fully— this is 360 breathing.  When we practice and use 360 breathing, especially when running and exercising, there is less pressure on the pelvic floor, less tightness in the upper body, and proper core muscles are engaged thereby reducing the risk of injury.  

The way we breathe also affects our nervous system.  Last week, my husband and I planned for a long run at the beach. I have run at the beach on several occasions, but never for an extended period.  Things were not going as planned, it was a hard, I felt myself hitting a wall 10 minutes into the run and I wanted to stop.  I noticed myself passively breathing and taking shallow breaths— like the scene mentioned above in Emily in Paris.  I quickly readjusted and focused on practicing my 360 breathing—soon thereafter, my mood changed and enjoyed a fabulous long run with my husband.  So, what happened here?  The way that we breathe affects our mood.  Shallow breathing triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body for a flight of flight response (negative thinking, wanting to stop), whereas 360 breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps restore the body to a calm and composed state. 
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Mastering the 360 breathing techniques does not happen overnight, you’ll need to practice, and it takes time.  So, I challenge everyone to practice 360 breathing while running, lifting, or even while you are reading a book.  What you practice will eventually become a habit. 
Happy Running,
Rose
 
*Information contained in the above piece was learned after completing a certification course from Core Exercise Solutions.  

​Stroller Warriors® chapters doubled down on community outreach initiatives during September by supporting the Fisher House Foundation® through the quarterly Stroller Warriors Global community outreach campaign. 
 
The Fisher House Foundation gives military and veteran families a comfortable home while their loved ones are in the hospital.  Since 1990, the Fisher House Foundation served more than 430,000 families by offering over 11.5 million nights of lodging, supplied 70,000 airline tickets, and awarded over $27,000,000 in scholarships to over 15,000 students. 
 
Stroller Warriors encouraged chapters and members to host and dedicate miles in honor of the Fisher House, organize a collection of much needed supplies and gift cards, or to select Fisher House as the charity of choice in Amazon Smile.  

Thank you Stroller Warriors for participating in the September Global community outreach initiative and for supporting the Fisher House Foundation around the globe.  Please visit the Fisher House Foundation website to learn more about the Fisher House Foundation and how to support a local Fisher House in a particular area: https://fisherhouse.org/.

​Stroller Warriors® Running Club recently collaborated with Blue Star Families in their nation-wide Blue Star Welcome Week campaign— hosting running events and inviting neighbors from the civilian community to run with their local Stroller Warriors chapters.  Founded in 2009 by military spouses, Blue Star Families aims to empower military families to thrive as they serve.  The organization offers ample resources that aid military and veteran families with the transition into a new community.  

Why is Blue Star Welcome Week Important? The average military family moves three times as often as their civilian peers with most PCS moves occurring during the summer months of June, July, and August.  According to the 2021 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, only 30% of active-duty respondents feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community. More than 70% of families live off the military installation in their local civilian communities, and they do not feel a keen sense of belonging to those communities.

​Blue Star Families support for the military community reaches beyond the Welcome Week campaign—offering resources for hard to navigate areas of military family life that include, but not limited to military spouse employment, childcare, education, family support, financial assistance and wellness, food assistance, health and wellness, housing, LGBTQ+ Military and Milkid resources.

​If you are interested in learning more about and supporting Blue Star Families please visit the following web addresses below:

 Join Blue Star Families:
https://bluestarfam.org/join/
Become a member of Blue Star Nation and receive free access to great benefits and more.
Donate:
https://connect.bluestarfam.org/give/384538/...
Donate directly to help carry out their mission.

Volunteer:
https://bluestarfam.org/volunteer/
Found out more about ways to volunteer for Blue Star Families.

Thank you Blue Star Families and Stroller Warriors for the unwavering support to the military community!