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An Interview with Dr. Denes, Sports Orthopedic Surgeon, runner and four season athlete

What is the first time marathoner's biggest fear?

“Fear of ‘hitting the wall’ or ‘bonking’ is very common in the rookie marathon runner. Everyone can finish the race and avoid hitting the wall with a structured plan of nutrition and hydration, that includes strategies for before, during, and after the race. This combined with appropriate training preparation, you’ll never encounter the wall and your first marathon will be an enjoyable and positive experience.”

What is your best piece of advice to all the runners that are in the last few weeks of training for the Portland Marathon?

“The most common mistake is overtraining. It makes sense, marathon needs lots of miles, but too many miles too close to race day will lead to an injury. Maintain a structure program, remember the importance of recovery days, try some speed work, hill work, or tempo runs, and avoid overtraining to stay healthy for race-day.”

What about the runner with a nagging injury like knee or foot pain. Should they run the Portland Marathon? Were so close!

“I have encountered this situation myself with previous marathons. Listen to your body. If a joint starts hurting, slow down your training and try to rest that body part, and still maintain your training regiment. You may have to cross-train a little and focus some stretching or massage therapy on that body part to get through. When in doubt visit your primary physician or a sports orthopedic physician.”

Does running cause arthritis?

“I have not found any studies or evidence that suggests that a regular long distance runner has a greater risk in developing arthritis. In fact, they may have a lower risk when compared to less active or the sedentary population.”

Can supplements cure knee pain or prevent arthritis? Will it help me avoid injuries?

“I do recommend glucosamine to my patients with knee pain or early arthritis. The best research shows about a 60% rate of improvement with it. The biggest risk of taking glucosamine is the risk to your wallet, so if it’s not helping after one month, it’s not worth your money.”

Why does knee cartilage wear out?

“The development of knee arthritis is clearly multi-factorial. There is a genetic component, a mechanical component such as alignment of your leg and the load it has to carry, and an activity component such as repetitive impact. However, exercises that maintain strength & flexibility have a protective effect on the cartilage, so these benefits may cancel out the negative effects on repetitive impact.”

To stabilize, or not to stabilize the foot.Is this just all shoe industry marketing?

“ There is a role for stabilizing shoes. There are clearly anatomical differences from foot to foot, and some of these anatomical differences can be improved with correctly chosen footwear. With my own experience treating athletes, selecting the correct shoe can lead to an improvement in foot symptoms and maybe even performance.”