Blog: Feature Stories

We know what runners’ dreams are made of: long, peaceful runs where our legs never get tired, personal bests, and yes, breaking the tape at the finish… Or these days, just getting the chance to toe the line. But here’s the deal; you won’t reach your dreams, or even have many of them, without this most overlooked element of your training regimen: sleep.

“Research shows it’s an essential component of your health and well-being,” says Dr. Karan Shukla, a Family and Sports Medicine Physician at Novant Health Randolph Family Medicine, and a member of the medical team at Novant Health Charlotte Marathon since 2016. “There’s a direct link to how much sleep someone gets, and the quality, and how they’re able to perform during training and competition.”

That makes a lot of sense to the perpetually-tired among us, who get up early to run, work all day, and come home to family and other obligations. Who hasn’t “gotten by” on 6 hours of sleep for 2 or 3 nights — or more — in a row? Well, it’s not good for your overall health, or your running performance.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research points out that adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night to maintain healthy cognitive, physical, and metabolic function. That includes your immune system function (because getting sick is no fun) and regulating important hormones that control tissue repair, stress, and insulin levels (because being sore and broken down all the time is no fun either).

“Sleep affects performance in substrate ability — glycogen stores, how much time to fatigue, our reaction time, and cognitive speeds,” says Dr. Shukla. “And athletes might require more sleep than non-active people so that they allow for adequate recovery between training and performance times.” According to other studies, athletes are generally bad judges of the amount and quality of sleep they’re getting, and are most likely to “push through” because of the shape they’re in.

“We have a poor ability to self-assess how good our sleep is in general,” says Dr. Shukla. But athletes also feel like they’re working harder (in studies of “perceived exertion”) when they’re sleep-deprived, while their performance, accuracy, strength, and endurance have actually decreased. “Youth and collegiate athletes were injured more often after a night with not enough sleep,” says Dr. Shukla. “Even one additional hour can reduce injury.”

So what’s the fix for the busy, overtired, and under-slept amongst us? Dr. Shukla says there are a few simple things that will help us get better quality sleep, even if we don’t always get the right quantity.

5 Steps to Better Sleep

1. Optimize “Sleep Hygiene” – Your bedroom should only be used for one thing, advises Dr. Shukla, and that’s sleep. Not work, not TV, not reading, not browsing social media until you’re exhausted. Just sleep. And maybe one other thing (wink, wink). Leave everything else for your living room or office.

2. Shut Down Technology – You may think you’re doing some light reading until you’re drowsy, but science shows that your phone or laptop messes with your brain chemistry if you’re on it right before bed.

“The backlights interfere with our circadian rhythms by suppressing melatonin,” says Dr. Shukla. “It keeps your mind running and not in a relaxed state.” Shut it down an hour before bedtime to get the most rest — you want a 30-60 minute period to get in a relaxed state that allows sleep.

3. Cool Your Cave – The environment should be comfortable, cool, and dark, with minimal ambient noise. Perhaps hibernating in a frozen cave isn’t your speed, but you don’t want to wake up sweating, either. Some people will drift off better and sleep deeper with the whirr of a white noise generator or ceiling fan, or soothing lavender. Apps like Calm, Breathe, and Headspace can help you with mindfulness and breathing, and reduce stress and anxiety (but not right before bed!) A bedtime ritual (shower, set your alarm, prepare for the next day) also kicks your body into the habit of going to sleep.

4. Limit Late Snacks – We love sitting down with a bowl of ice cream or a glass of wine to relax, but again, WHEN you eat or drink can have an effect on sleep just like WHAT you eat or drink. NO CAFFEINE or stimulants after 2pm; your body knows, even if your droopy eyelids don’t. Alcohol and nicotine can affect your ability to fall asleep, too.

Some herbal teas, melatonin, and CBD oil have been gaining traction as non-narcotic sleep aids, but we wouldn’t suggest trying them for the first time the night before a race. And prescription medicines can also affect sleep and how refreshed or drowsy you feel when you wake up. Make sure you talk to a doctor about any meds you’re taking before adding a sleep aid.

5. Keep a Journal – Yes, sleep homework! Journals that chronicle when you went to bed, when you woke up, and how you slept, are a great tool to see how patterns affect your running routine. Log your workouts there, too, to see how sleep corresponds to how you feel when you run. You’ll also notice if you’re not keeping a consistent sleep schedule, which will affect your quality of sleep.

“This information can allow for a wide-angle perspective for training,” says Dr. Shukla. “Incorporating information like training loads, fatigue levels, stress level, and moods during these periods can help athletes appreciate the benefits of sleep on performance.” Journals are especially helpful for young athletes who are balancing school, sports, and studying in their day — and often late into the night.

There are also several other factors that can affect your sleep like hormones, pregnancy, or menopause for women, and restless leg syndrome, bladder issues, or other medical conditions. Check your iron and Vitamin D, as they can ease conditions that cause bad sleep, too.

And remember to find a mattress and pillow that suit you. These are very individual things, but a medium-firm pillow that supports your head without burying it is a good start.

Sweet dreams!

Running is a numbers game. Whether we’re logging miles, tracking a running streak, chasing a personal record or a Boston qualifier, or measuring our heart rate or cadence… there are numbers everywhere. As runners, it’s how we gauge progress. 

Numbers also motivate Charlotte’s chapter of Black Men Run. Through running, the group wants to encourage Black men to take on healthy lifestyle habits, inspire one another, and change health outcomes for their peers. 

“It’s about men’s health,” says Charlotte’s Black Men Run captain Greg Washington. “Our group is trying to reverse the trend of black men with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.” 

According to the CDC and the American Heart Association, the statistics for African American men’s health are striking: 

⁃ African American men are 20% more likely to die of heart disease than non-Hispanic White men

⁃ African American men are more likely to have high blood pressure, but less likely to have it under control than non-Hispanic Whites

⁃ African Americans are more likely to struggle with obesity and diabetes, risk factors for heart disease, than their White counterparts

The American Heart Association says a healthy diet and regular exercise can limit risk factors, and Black Men Run is literally taking that message to heart.

“Black Men Run is a national organization with a mission to promote health and wellness among African American men and uses running to create ‘A Healthy Brotherhood,'” says BMR National Co-Captain Rafael Ortiz. “Our goal is to reduce the alarming health conditions the disproportionately affect Black men, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.”

The national organization started in Atlanta in 2013, and Washington formed Charlotte’s chapter shortly after that — after seeing a man in a BMR jersey cross the finish line at a race his wife was running.

“I was not a runner,” Washington admits. “When my wife didn’t have anyone to run with her, she’d drag me out!” He enjoyed the gym and cardio HIIT workouts more, but fell in love with running the more he did it. He started a Black Men Run group in Charlotte by spreading word of a Saturday morning meetup, which he often ran by himself at first. But then word got around.

Now Washington sees around a dozen men for the Monday night runs on Toby Creek Greenway, and two dozen or more for the monthly Saturday runs on Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

Two years ago, their BMR relay placed first for men in the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. Last year, the group raised money to buy a flat screen TV for video announcements at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center on Central Avenue. Men from the Center often joined BMR on their outings.

Of course, COVID-19 has limited their runs and their numbers, but Washington makes sure if they gather, runners wear masks before and after running, keep 6 feet or more apart, and avoid the post-run celebratory hugs and high-fives. National and regional meet-ups at races have been canceled, but the spirit and brotherhood are still there for men wanting to join them locally. 

Men don’t even need to be runners. Washington wants them to come out and feel the encouragement.

“If someone wants to walk, we’ll make sure someone walks with them,” says Washington. “I’ll walk with them.” He often stops to talk to people who cheer them on along their route, telling them about the group and asking if they’d like to be a part of it. “Your distance, your pace” and “No man left behind” are their mantras. Most feedback from passersby is positive, he says.

“Our Charlotte chapter has been one of the strongest and most committed groups,” says the BMR National’s Ortiz. “They continue to inspire others and form great partnerships in the local running community.”

And right now, looking ahead to virtual races and keeping a leaderboard on Strava keep everyone motivated. The group agrees on a few virtual races, even sending BMR medals to finishers. They’d like to host a series of their own.

But Washington agrees the idea isn’t to win or even race — it’s to bring men together for a brotherhood of better health. 

“I like camaraderie with the guys and goal setting,” he says. “The mystery of the race got me hooked.”

To learn more: blkmenrun.com or Black Men Run CHARLOTTE on Facebook.

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