Building physical strength is relatively straightforward. You can train for endurance and build your cardiovascular abilities by adding more time and distance to your runs. Strength training and cross-training help you build muscle and use parts of your body that supplement the muscles you use to run. All you have to do is work out. Rest is pivotal for memory, muscle recovery, and even reducing inflammation, and that part is harder to plan around than the miles.
Dinner is in the same category, in my book. Chicken goes in the slow cooker before work, it’s ready when you’re back from your run, and there’s usually enough left over for lunch. These are 24 ways to do it, plus a few notes from the old Runner’s Goal archive on keeping your knees and ankles in one piece while you train.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
A 4 to 5 pound chicken fits in most 6 quart cookers. Rub it with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder, set it on a few balls of foil or a sliced onion so it isn’t sitting in its juices, and give it 6 to 8 hours on low.
Start with a thawed bird. FSIS says to thaw meat and poultry before it goes in a slow cooker, since a frozen one spends too long warming up. The skin won’t crisp, so I’d pull the meat off the bones and use it for tacos, soup and salads over the next few days.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Bone-in thighs give the broth more flavor than breasts and stay tender after 7 hours on low. Pull them out, shred the meat, and stir it back in with a handful of fresh dill if you have it. Carrots, celery and onion, nothing more.
White Bean Chicken Chili
Chicken breasts, 2 cans of great northern beans, a can of green chiles, an onion, cumin, oregano and broth. After 6 hours on low, shred the chicken in the pot and stir in a few ounces of cream cheese to thicken it.
A spoonful of sour cream and some cilantro on top, like the bowl here.
Chicken Tinga
Tinga is shredded chicken in a tomato and chipotle sauce, and the slow cooker version is mostly a matter of opening cans: fire-roasted tomatoes, 2 or 3 chipotles in adobo, onion, garlic and a little oregano. Shred it right in the pot after 4 hours on high. Tacos, tostadas or a rice bowl, take your pick.
When Your Knees Hurt After a Run
Due to the nature of running, the majority of the injuries suffered during the exercise are focused on the knee. Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, makes up to 40% of all knee-related injuries. It usually causes dull or aching pain around the kneecap, and it’s usually aggravated by bending the knees for a long time or running downstairs or downhill. The most common cause is general weakness of the leg muscles, especially the quadriceps.
Iliotibial band syndrome usually causes stabbing pain toward the outside of the knee. The pain should go away within 4 to 8 weeks depending on the severity of the condition, and you can speed up your recovery by resting, icing, compression and elevation, known as the R.I.C.E. protocol.
Not every knee injury out there is serious. A sharp pain that gets worse as you try to fully extend your leg, or pain below the kneecap that lasts hours after a workout, is the kind to get checked by a healthcare professional.
Chicken Cacciatore With Potatoes
Thighs, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, crushed tomatoes and halved baby potatoes, which cook in the same pot so there’s no side dish to make. Low for 6 to 7 hours, then a little fresh basil.
Lemon Herb Chicken
Lemon slices, garlic, rosemary and thyme, under the chicken and on top of it. Breasts take about 4 hours on low. If you want some color on it, 3 to 4 minutes under the broiler at the end does the job.
Chicken Thighs in White Wine
Brown bone-in, skin-on thighs in a skillet first, then move them to the cooker with a cup of dry white wine, a couple of shallots and some garlic. They’re done at 165°F, the safe minimum for poultry, which on low is usually around 4 hours.
Crisp the skin under the broiler before serving, like these.
Chicken Stew
Brown chunks of chicken in a pot first, like these, then move them to the cooker with potatoes, carrots, celery and broth. Toss the chicken in a couple of tablespoons of flour before it browns and the stew thickens on its own. Save the peas for the last 15 minutes so they stay green.
Running Backwards Once in a While
Running backwards is a popular pursuit, and it can do wonders for your regular, straight-ahead running. Since you can’t see what you’re about to run into, do it on a track where there are no obstacles and you can follow the lane lines.
- Posture. Running backward requires you to stand more upright and keep that posture throughout your run.
- Running through injuries. Many running injuries are repetitive stress injuries that are only painful in a forward motion, so you may be able to get your exercise in while the injured area recovers.
- Boredom. Even the most committed runners have to admit the long miles can get a little boring. A few backward laps breathe new life into a run.
- Even muscle development. Backward running works the muscles opposite your regular running muscle groups.
The biggest problem you are likely to have is funny looks from other people on the track.
Teriyaki Chicken
Soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic and fresh ginger poured over chicken thighs. After 4 hours on low, thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry on high for the last 15 minutes. Over rice with steamed broccoli, which is how it’s plated here.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ground chicken, water chestnuts, hoisin, soy sauce and garlic, about 3 hours on low. Break the meat up with a spoon halfway through so it doesn’t cook into one big clump.
Spoon it into butter lettuce cups with a little rice on the side. It’s a lighter dinner for a week that has been heavy on pasta.
Chicken Curry With Yellow Rice
Chicken thighs, onion, curry powder, a can of coconut milk and a can of diced tomatoes, 6 hours on low. Make the rice on the stove with a pinch of turmeric and a pat of butter. A handful of spinach stirred in at the end is a good idea if you want something green.
Chicken Chili Verde
A jar of salsa verde does most of the work. Add chicken thighs, an onion, a couple of garlic cloves and some cumin, cook it on low for 6 hours, and shred. Eat it as is, spoon it over rice, or roll it into burritos.
How Long to Wear a Knee Sleeve
While you can absolutely wear a knee compression sleeve all day, there’s no added benefit there. In fact, you could end up doing more harm than good. It’s recommended to wear the sleeve during the most active hours of the day and take it off later. For most people, there’s no reason to wear it to bed, since you probably don’t bend and move your joints all that much when you’re sleeping anyway.
With minor injuries that heal without surgical intervention, wearing the sleeve for a week might be enough. If your knee pain doesn’t improve after that week, it’s better to go for a quick check-up.
Sleeves can be helpful, but don’t let them lull you into a false sense of protection. A bad running posture or an unbalanced stride can still cause an injury, with or without braces.
Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup
Chicken, carrots, celery and broth cook for about 6 hours. Then small pasta and a splash of cream go in for the last 30 minutes on high. The pasta keeps soaking up broth in the fridge, so add a little water when you reheat it.
Chicken and Vegetable Soup
No noodles here, only chicken and whatever vegetables are in the drawer: carrots, zucchini, green beans, potatoes. Root vegetables go on the bottom since they take the longest. Give it 7 to 8 hours on low.
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Chicken breasts with garlic, Italian seasoning and a cup of broth for 4 hours. Shred the chicken, then stir in cream cheese, parmesan and penne you’ve cooked on the stove.
Cooking the pasta in the slow cooker sounds like a shortcut, but it goes soft long before the sauce is done.
Chicken With Mushroom Gravy
Chicken breasts or thighs with sliced mushrooms, an onion and a can of cream of mushroom soup, or broth thickened with cornstarch if you’d rather skip the can. Low for 4 to 5 hours. Mashed potatoes and something green round out the plate.
Starting Out With a Weighted Vest
Runners mostly use a weight vest when they want to up the intensity of their training. The added weight puts more stress on your body, so your heart and lungs work harder. It also puts more pressure on your back, your shoulders and the joints in your knees, hips and ankles.
Wear the vest for the first couple of runs without any weight in it. If it doesn’t shift and you are able to run well, start adding light weights, 3 pounds or less, distributed evenly. If you’re suffering an injury in a knee or ankle, or recovering from a strain, a stress fracture or a pulled muscle, don’t use a weight vest without consulting your doctor first.
BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Chicken breasts, a bottle of barbecue sauce, a spoonful of brown sugar and a splash of cider vinegar. Low for about 6 hours, then shred with 2 forks and let it sit in the sauce another 20 minutes. Pile it on toasted buns with coleslaw.
Shredded Chicken Tostadas
Leftover tinga or chili verde chicken from earlier on this list goes a long way here. Crisp tostada shells, refried beans, the chicken, then shredded lettuce, crumbled cotija and some cilantro or microgreens.
Chicken Fajitas
Sliced chicken breasts, 3 bell peppers and an onion with fajita seasoning and a squeeze of lime, cooked 3 to 4 hours on low. The peppers come out softer than they would from a skillet, which I don’t mind at all. Warm tortillas, sour cream and salsa on the side.
Chicken Quesadillas
Another job for shredded slow cooker chicken. Chicken, cheese and a spoonful of salsa folded into a tortilla and browned in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes per side. If the chicken is already cooked, dinner takes about 10 minutes.
Your knees support 2 to 3 times your body weight when you run. If they’ve been bothering you, a few things to look for in a shoe:
- Well-cushioned footwear absorbs some of the impact with every step, which matters most on harder surfaces like roadways.
- A firm midsole helps decrease overpronation, one of the reasons the lower knee and leg rotate inward and strain the knee.
- Custom orthotics can give your foot the support it needs to maintain stability and alignment.
- Average running shoes give you around 300 to 500 miles before they are worn out and need replacing.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Chicken breasts cook in buffalo sauce for 4 hours, then get shredded and stirred together with cream cheese, ranch and shredded cheddar. Keep it on warm for a party with celery, carrots and tortilla chips. Whatever is left goes into wraps the next day.
Chicken Thighs With Rice and Broccoli
More of a plate dinner than a stew. Season the thighs, cook them on low with a little broth for 4 hours, then spoon the cooking juices over rice and steamed broccoli.
Chicken Pot Pie
Everything under the crust cooks in the slow cooker: chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas and onion in broth thickened with flour and a bit of cream, 5 to 6 hours on low. Bake biscuits or squares of puff pastry separately and set one on each bowl. It isn’t a baked-on crust, but it’s close, and it skips the hardest part.
When an Ankle Brace Makes Sense
Runners who are rehabbing from a recent injury, such as a sprained ankle, will want to use one for at least the first few runs so they can protect their ankle as they get back in the saddle. If you’ve recently increased your mileage and you already know you have weak ankles, you’re asking a lot of your body, especially if it’s more than the recommended 10% mileage increase a week. Trail running on loose rocks and uneven ground is another case where the added support helps.
You should only use one if you need it, though. Regular use of ankle braces can reduce your ankle’s full range of motion, and over time your ankles can become weaker.
Shredded Chicken Salad Plates
Leftover slow cooker chicken over greens with quinoa, tomatoes, feta and a slice of sourdough. Cooked chicken keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, so a whole chicken on Sunday covers lunches through about Wednesday.