Health & Fastpitch

Squash the injury bug with...food?

2010-04-28T11:21:00.008-05:00

If you've been around the game of softball for long enough you've likely ran into injury in some form or fashion. Maybe you've had a teammate on the bench with an ACL tear, or you've seen a broken leg on a last minute decision to slide into third. You may have even been on the shelf a few weeks yourself due to injury. Whatever the case may be, we're all aware of how detrimental an injury can be to one's self, a career, a team, even life in general. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be.

What most people don't realize is that one of the most important parts of avoiding serious injury is what we put into our bodies. If you've ever read any of my blog entries, you already know I'm an advocate of maintaining a healthy diet. I've compiled a short list that goes into a little more detail of the hows and whys healthy eating can help you avoid getting hurt.

Eat More - In today's society, especially in women, lots of pressure is put on us to look good. One of the biggest misconceptions on how to accomplish this is by not eating. Additionally, select softball players and their families are no strangers to busy schedules. Often times, it's very difficult to cook a "real" meal. Unfortunately, being busy often leads to us substituting eating with simply not eating. Any form of malnutrition puts your body in a prime position for an injury waiting to happen.

Eat Fat - With all of the information and crazy diet plans out there, it's easy for one to fall victim to the belief that eating fat makes one fat. Eating low fat foods can actually be worse for the human body than their full fat counterparts. A recent study by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found that female athletes who consumed a low amount of dietary fat and percentage of calories from fat had a higher rate of injury. An appropriate amount of healthy fat (~at least 36% of total calories) will prevent vitamin D and K deficiencies, and help to maintain an appropriate body weight. Most competitive softball players burn mega-calories and it can be tough to reach fuel requirements on a low-fat diet. To replace the 2,000 calories you burned during a tournament, you have to eat quite a bit of food. Carbohydrates and protein only contain 4 calories per gram, but fat contains over double – 9 calories per gram. Fat-rich foods such as peanut butter and olive oil can pack a decent amount of calories and nutrients in a smaller package.

Protein - This one is easy. Protein intake will maintain (or strengthen depending on the intake amount) muscles and soft tissue. Strong muscles greatly reduce the risk of injury. It really is that simple.
I recommend 1 to 1 and 1/2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Try including some type of healthy protein source at every meal. Lean beef or soy, chicken, milk, and eggs are all great sources.

Take your vitamins - Zinc and iron are incredibly important to avoiding injury. Most people don't get anywhere near the amounts of these minerals they need even on a healthy diet. Take a multi-vitamin
twice daily and eat foods that are a source of both iron and zinc such as beef, poultry, and seafood.

Of course eating healthy alone may not keep you from getting injured. Regular, proper, exercise is also a big factor. Even then, getting injured isn't completely out of the question. Sometimes, we simply get into situations where the unfortunate just happens. Should you get injured, don't give up on healthy eating. While the length of your downtime is primarily determined by the severity of your injury, the degree to which your body is nutritionally prepared to handle this new stress is almost equally as important. If you're already practicing healthy eating habits prior to injury, your body will heal sooner. Furthermore, if you maintain this diet, your body will have more resources to repair itself. You may not know this but your body burns calories up to 15% faster when it is injured. If unnecessary weight gain is a concern, don't let it be. Use this entry as a guide and not only will your body be best prepared for handling potential injury causing stress, but should the unfortunate event of an injury ever occur, you can get back on the dirt much sooner.

Staying strong all tournament long

2010-01-11T09:42:00.006-06:00

In one of my earlier blog postings, Fighting Fatigue, we learned how to battle fatigue with a daily healthy diet and lots of water. But what about when the tournament day actually arrives? Playing all day takes its toll on the body and some of our girls are out there doing it every weekend. It's not only impractical to try and continue your diet through an all day event, it may also prove to be counter-productive to maintaining a high level of energy for an entire weekend. Here are a few pointers of how to keep a game face the same from the pool into the bracket.

Start off by carbo-loading and hydrating at least the night before or up to 2-3 days prior to the start of your tournament. Carbohydrate loading, or super-compensation, not only means increasing the intake of carbohydrates to about 20g per pound of body weight but it also means reducing training load and resting the muscles to allow them to become completely loaded with glycogen. Since you want to start the tournament with as much glycogen as possible, resting (low to moderate intensity exercise) is as important as eating in the process of super-compensation. Also remember to keep your high carb choices healthy. While it's true that a triple Whopper with cheese is in fact high in carbohydrates, it's not really recommended for your Friday evening meal. Breads, pastas, beans, dairy foods, even some fruits & vegetables are all excellent choices for packing in those carbs.

Once the big day finally arrives, start it off with a high carb / high protein breakfast. A great example would be something like this:

2 scrambled eggs

Whole grain wheat toast

1/4 cup beans

1/8 cup cashews

Bowl of shredded wheat

Glass of apple or grape juice

If you don't want to waste all of your hard, carbo-loading, work on the first two pool games, you'll want to continue replenishing your energy with carbs and protein throughout the day. I recommend eating meals or snacking at least every 2-3 hours during your tournament. This, of course, is easier said than done. Sometimes that 2-3 hour mark will come up while you're in the circle or chasing down fly balls in the outfield. On top of that, the temptation of a funnel cake with a large Coke from the concession stand is just steps away. The important thing is that you keep a steady flow of fluid, carbs, and protein, coming in all day long. One easy way to do this is to pack a cooler for the day. Here are some fantastic options to throw in the ice chest:

Processed ham - Surprisingly, processed ham is an awesome choice. Packaged ham is extremely high in chromium. Chromium is an essential mineral that helps control blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin sensitivity. Controlling blood sugar levels helps regulate energy.

Whole grain crackers & Peanut Butter - These are a great choice. You can usually get a large package of these for under $2 and they have the 1, 2 punch of protein and carbs. Plus, kids love them!

High fiber/low sugar cereals - Just pack a Ziplock baggie full of cereals like Mini Wheats, Carcklin' Oat Bran, Kashi, etc.

Nuts - Cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. are all easy to pack, easy to eat, and are full of energy.

So now that we've got the snacks out of the way, what about those rare times when we have a few hours to kill and have time for a real meal? If you do find the time, I highly recommend eating a full meal whenever possible. It's not advised to eat fast food, but if your options are limited be sure to check out my post Life in the Fast Lane on trying to stay healthy while eating fast food. Whether you're dining at a restaurant or packing your own meals, try to stick to good healthy choices. Skinless chicken, whole grain breads and rice, fish, cheese, nuts, yams, artichokes, & other vegetables are all great choices. You'll want to avoid fried foods, foods high in salt, chips & pretzels, energy drinks such as Monster and Red Bull, white bread, and high sugar foods. Here's a list of some other foods to try and avoid:

Doughnuts & French Fries - These are probably two of the best tasting foods this world has to offer. Unfortunately, they are probably the two worst foods for your body.

Candy - any food that is mostly sugar and offers no nutritional value isn't going to help you in a long tournament. Sure, high sugar will give you a short burst, but you will come down harder than a ton of bricks.

Citrus Fruits - Most will argue that oranges & watermelon are a GREAT choice for promoting energy. While this is true for the short term, the chemical makeup & natural sugars in these kinds of foods will actually bring energy levels down just as quickly as a Milky Way bar. Keep in mind, these are AWESOME healthy choices for your day-to-day diet but they'll do you more harm than good on tournament day.

Energy drinks - I know, I know. I said it already. I really felt the need to mention this again though. I see this so often in the world of softball that it must be a common misconception that energy drinks are good. Simply put...They're not. The two major ingredients of most common energy drinks are sugar and caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic -- it causes the kidneys to remove extra fluid into the urine. That leaves less fluid in the body. Drinking an energy drink while you're exercising can be particularly dangerous. The combination of the diuretic effect and sweating can severely dehydrate you.

So you decided to skim over my blog and just look at the pictures? No problem. Here's a quick run-down on how to prepare your body for a tournament:

Rest, Eat healthy carbs and drink LOTS of water the night before

Eat a BIG healthy breakfast before heading out

Continue drinking water and eating healthy snacks all day

Steer clear of sugar, fried foods, and caffeine

That's it! Try it out at your next tourney and see for yourself. Good luck!

Have cooler, Will travel

2010-01-11T09:40:00.002-06:00

One of the concerns I hear most when talking about living a healthy lifestyle with regards to nutrition is that it's so hard to stay on track when life gets in the way. Being prepared is probably the single most important factor in being successful when it comes to staying healthy. Prepared for what? Prepared for anything and everything that might stand in the way of your progress. It's going to be challenging to apply nutrition strategies like eating total energy, employing the principles of nutrient timing, following good post-exercise nutritional strategies, etc. Putting your plan together is nothing. Changing your habits so that you adhere closely to the plan is something else all together. Remember, it's not that it's difficult, it's that most people underestimate how long it will take. However, with any degree of commitment, you'll be a nutritional master in no time.

In order to get the girls on the right track, I'm going to present a series of effective strategies including meal rituals, snacking at school/practice, and eating meals on the go. I'll also present strategies for emergency situations that defy planning. For example, what happens when you've got 4 kids that all have practice at different locations on opposite sides of town at the same time? And what happens if your team's practice schedule changes and you haven't planned your meals? How about if you sleep in, get stuck in traffic, or end up playing unexpectedly until 11pm on Saturday in the losers bracket? What will you do when "life" seems to get in the way of eating properly. The secret to the success of living a healthy lifestyle isn't novelty. Consistency is the secret to results. And consistency knows that life is bound to get in the way, so it plans for obstacles and finds alternate routes around them.

It should be pretty obvious that you're going to need some serious strategies for preparing meals each day. Without some food preparation and storage support systems, you'll be fumbling around your kitchen until you finally consider your efforts an exercise in futility and send your daughter back to her old, out of shape, ways. Here's a list of items you may want to pick up on your next trip to the store (if you don't have them already) that are guaranteed to make your nutritional life much, much easier:

George Foreman Grill - Get the biggest one you can find. This makes cooking all that lean meat for the week a quick 20 minute process

Ten (or more) rectangular, Tupperware-like containers - These are lifesavers. I would go with 5 large and 5 small. Find some decent ones that will last in the dishwasher and can hold anything from apricots to quinoa. One successful preparation strategy is to cook some of your food for the week on Sunday night so that you can easily spoon it out when it's time to eat each day. Also, you can pre-cut your fruits and veggies for the whole week and store in these plastic gems. Use the small ones to actually carry your meals. You're going to want to package all of your meals unless you absolutely know you'll be eating elsewhere.

Plastic shaker bottle - You can put your recovery drink powders in here so that if you're on the go, all you have to do is add water.

Cooler/Lunchbox - Get one big enough to store all of your meals for an entire day.

Glass or Plastic Iced Tea dispenser/jug

Once you have these items, you're ready for what I call the "Sunday Ritual." You'll still have to do things like scramble eggs every morning and reheat your beans, but if you follow these instructions, you should be able to cook a week's worth of food in under and hour!

Boil your tea, put it in your dispenser jug, and throw it in the refrigerator. An alternative that I like to do is to just fill the dispenser up with water early Sunday morning, place about 10 teabags in it, and let it sit out in the sun all day. The sun makes for great tea, then I can just throw it in the fridge Sunday night.
Cook enough beef/chicken patties on your Foreman grill to last through the week. They will last refrigerated once cooked, but if you're afraid of bacteria, etc. throw a few in the freezer and just remember to take them out a day or two before you will need them.
Open up some of those plastic containers and put your bagged spinach, carrots, olive oil, flaxseed, walnuts, shredded cheese, etc. in them for daily salads. I normally hold off on the oils and add them daily in the morning because they make the spinach a tad on the soggy side after a few days.
Cut up all of your fruit and place it in containers
Open up your can of beans and, yes, drop them in a container
With the remaining containers, place in your yogurt and protein powder and mix it all up.

One thing to keep in mind is that you may not have your young one eat all of these meals at each interval throughout each day. If you know your family is going to be eating out, or you have other meal plans for a specific day already scheduled-just eliminate that meal from your preparations. For example, my daughter and I always have at least 1 night a week that we have homemade tacos or sloppy joes. We normally do this on a night where I actually have time to come home and prepare an entire meal. Since I already know what night we're doing this on, I prepare one less evening meal for the two of us when doing my "Sunday Ritual."

In addition to the above strategies, here are a few additional tips that I've found useful when the unexpected happens. Feel free to add some of your own experiences using the comments section below.

Always have some kind of food with you so that you can eat "in a pinch." Bad food decisions come from hunger, and hunger comes when you've forgotten to eat or didn't have your meals prepared. Keep a cooler filled with nutritional foods whenever you can, and you'll never have any excuses for not meeting your goals.

Once in a while, you're going to find it difficult to get all of your meals prepared as suggested. Maybe you'll run out of groceries at home, maybe your alarm clock won't go off when you wanted it to, maybe mom will leave the cooler on the roof of the car before pulling off for the day. Stuff happens. On these days, do your best. Don't just give up and go back to your old ways. Instead, try and stay as close to your plan as possible. Besides, perfection is not a requisite for living healthy. Follow your plan with 90% accuracy and you should be good to go.

When eating out, be sure that you are specific in what you order. Don't be afraid to ask how much meat you get with a meal, or request to hold unwanted sauces.

Don't ever go longer than 3-4 hours without eating. Keep snacks like beef jerky, nuts, fruit, cheese sticks, protein bars, etc. with you at all times. Although none of these are optimal for nutrition, they're a great substitute if you can't access your normal meals.

Life in the Fast Lane

2010-01-11T09:38:00.000-06:00

When it comes to staying healthy, it doesn't get any tougher than being in a fastpitch tournament. When you eat is determined by a tournament director and the performance of you and your teammates, what you eat is restricted to what's at hand or nearby. Just because your choices are limited, doesn't mean they have to be poor ones. Here's a few tips on how to handle potential all day affairs under the sun...

Eating out can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be detrimental to performance. If you've got time to sit down at a restaurant you've got a unique opportunity to not only beat the heat with a relaxing rest in the A/C, but most restaurants will have a nice variety of foods to choose from. Stick to non-fried fish or chicken, club sandwiches on wheat bread. Stay away from red meat, fried foods, and sweets. Of course, drink water or unsweetened tea. If you've only got time for fast food, fear not...there are still options that won't bring you down when you retake the field. Take a look at, yes, another set of lists:

Chick-Fil-A

Chargrilled Chicken Club

Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap

Chicken Ceasar Cool Wrap

Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap

Fruit cup

KFC

Kentucky Grilled Chicken

Subway
Pretty much anything here is a decent choice. Just get the multi-grain or wheat bread and stay away from the red meat, chips, and sodas.

Whataburger

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Whatacatch (Ask for it on a wheat bun)

Garden Salad

Boston Market
Again, lots of fantastic choices. Salads, skinless chicken, sandwiches on wheat, etc. are all options. Stay away from stuff on the "bad" list.

McDonalds
Let's be honest, there's nothing less synonymous with being healthy than McDonald's food. If you absolutely must go to this pit, get a salad and/or a premium grilled chicken sandwich.

Wendy's

Ultimate Chicken Grill

Mandarin Chicken Salad with Grilled Fillet

Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Fillet

Southwest Taco Salad

Taco Bell
Like McDonald's there's really not much worthwhile here. They do have a fresco menu that is somewhat appealing but they're all served on white, flour, tortillas. I suppose you could bring your own multi-grain tortillas, or just eat what's inside theirs, but it seems like more trouble than it's worth.

Burger King

Tendergrill Garden Salad

Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich

Triple Whopper with Extra Cheese (I wish...just kidding!)

Now let's not confuse this post with great options for your daily dietary intake. These are all simply "smarter" choices that won't cause fatigue while playing. Eating fast food is probably always a bad idea, but it's tough to deny the convenience-especially when you're miles away from home with nothing but a cooler full of bottled water. You've got a lot of options while out at a tournament. You've probably gotten the idea from the aforementioned lists. They may not be the healthiest choices in the world, but they should keep you away from falling asleep in the dugout. Just remember to respectfully decline when the kid with the paper hat asks "Do you want frys with that?"

Bar Fight

2010-01-11T09:37:00.008-06:00

We're all aware that to build muscle, we need protein in our diet. Sometimes, eating protein packed meals 6 times a day isn't easy...especially with the demanding schedule that select softball players must endure. So how do we get what we need when we're on the go? An obvious choice is a protein bar. What's less obvious is which one to choose. Some bars are a decent way to get 30 grams of quality protein when you're in a hurry, while others are nothing more than candy bars in disguise. None of them are great because they are all processed foods. As a general rule, you should always choose whole natural foods over shakes and bars when given a choice.

There are a few things you should look out for in a protein bar. First and foremost, check the sugar content. The problem with virtually all of the bars is that they can't manufacture one that tastes good without using a lot of refined sugars. Don't just look at the Nutrition Facts panel; the sugar listing can be deceiving. The grams of sugar doesn't distinguish between sugars that are naturally occurring and those that are refined. Looking at the ingredient list is more informative. FDA labeling laws require that all ingredients be listed in order of the quantity used. If refined sugars are the first or second ingredient, it is not a good choice. The refined sugars, Sucrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and chocolate are frequently found high on the list. A typical bar might list protein powder (such as whey isolate) as the first ingredient and corn syrup as the second ingredient. Don't be surprised if some so-called "nutrition bars" list sugar or corn syrup as the first ingredient. Many bars are nothing more than ordinary candy bars with protein powder added in. You might as well have a Snickers! Another ingredient to be on the lookout for is saturated fat. Many bars have moderate amounts of fat, (4-8 grams per bar). The total fat grams, however, is not as important as the type of fat used. Some bars derive their fat from peanut butter, which is fine in small amounts. Unfortunately, others use hydrogenated oils and tropical oils such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil. These are the "bad fats" that have been implicated in heart disease and cancer. When choosing a bar you should also look at the total calories and the carb to protein ratio. There are several different types of bars available, including energy bars, protein bars and meal replacement bars. The ratio of nutrients in each type can vary greatly. Your best bet is to choose one with a substantial amount of protein (30 grams of protein, preferably whey, is good for a bar). A meal replacement bar is usually around 300 calories with a ratio of one part protein to two parts carbs. Other bars are marketed as "energy bars" because they are primarily carbohydrates.

Ok so now we know that we know what to watch out for, what are the best choices? I've compiled a list of some of the popular healthy bars out there. I would suggest trying some of each until you can find a bar you enjoy (or can tolerate.) Also, don't limit yourself to just the ones on my list. Just make sure when you venture out on your own that you check the labels!

MyoPlex Lite

MyoPlex AdvantEDGE

Chef Jay's Tri-o-Plex

Luna Bar

Met-RX Big 100 Brownie

Here's a short list of some of the more popular bars that probably aren't the best choices:

Power Bar

Cliff Bar

Kashi Go Lean

Kellogs Protein Bar

Quaker Granola Bar with Protein

Snickers Marathon

Keep in mind that these are just some ideas. There are plenty of other decent (and poor) choices out there. I've found that the employees at Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods, GNC, Central Market, etc. can be especially helpful in assisting customers with some of the best choices. Just remember that the lower down the list the sugars, syrups, and brown rices are-the better. Also something is always better than nothing. Don't skip an entire meal simply because the only thing you can get your hands on made my bad list. (Just don't be surprised if you get razzed a little by fellow players and parents!) Feel free to share some that you find that I didn't mention by using the comments field. Happy hunting!

Fighting Fatigue

2010-01-11T09:37:00.007-06:00

We've all seen it. It's Saturday around 3:30 in the afternoon and we're all getting ready to watch our girls win another one. Then it happens. The ultimate villain backs our entire team into a corner with no means of escape. No it's not a 65 m.p.h. rise ball I'm referring to...I'm talking about fatigue. "They just look so...flat" cries a befuddled parent from the bleachers, trying to figure out why the team she just watched run rule a group of high schoolers can't muster up the energy to put any runs on the board against Team Punching Bag. There are two big reasons why we have so much trouble winning the battle against our most evil nemesis.

Dehydration is a major factor in waging a war against fatigue. Dehydration occurs anytime the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount of water being taken in. While we all probably know that sweating takes water out of our bodies, there are several other means by which we loose water as well. Check out this list of ways we lose water throughout a typical day:

Breathing

Humidified air leaving the body

Bowel movements

Using the bathroom

Sweating

All of these items lead to dehydration on a routine day. Playing softball all day increases the sweating and air leaving the body, thus increasing the need for more water. The great thing about dehydration related fatigue is that it's simple to fix. Simply replacing those fluids lost will prevent dehydration. This means drinking lots of water (or Gatorade, Pedialyte, etc.) before and during physical activity.

Unfortunately, simply beating dehydration with fluids isn't enough. There's still one more major factor to discuss with regards to fatigue contributors. How often, how much, and what we eat on a daily basis is directly responsible for the amount of energy we have at any given moment. A healthier diet full of whole foods eaten in small portions throughout the day is less likely to cause a player to check out after game 2 on Saturday than a diet that consists of skipping breakfast and eating fried food 5 nights a week. Here's a few tips on ways to combat fatigue on Saturday with food Sunday through Friday:

Eat something every few hours. Even if it's just a snack, don't let your body go too long without food. When snacking, choose foods that have a good protein and carbohydrate mix. Peanut butter on whole grain crackers or cheese is a great choice.

Don't skip breakfast. Seems simple, but you'd be amazed at the percentage of people who aren't eating until noon every day. High fiber cereal with skim milk or yogurt are a couple of quick ways to get something in your system when you're running late for school.

Vitamin C. You simply have to get your C every day. Citrus fruits like oranges, mangos, cantelope, etc. are all tasty ways to get it. Don't forget the veggies either. Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and lettuce are all high in Vitamin C. The best way to get the C you need is from whole, organic, foods. If you can't do that, don't blow it off completely. Take a supplement if you're on the go.

Eat foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish, walnuts, flax seed/olive oils, are some good ones.

Add Vitamin B12 & Iron to your diet. Meat products are probably the best way to get these. Did you know that on average the body can only actually use 1 mg. of Iron per 10-20mg consumed? The body absorbs iron from meats more efficiently than it does from plants. If you can't or don't eat meat, make sure you're taking vitamins, supplements, or shots to get your B12 & Iron for the day.

Drink lots of water and teas with high antioxidant levels.

Now that we know how to fight fatigue, all we have to do is put it into action. Start a healthier lifestyle today and you'll probably see some positive results at your next tournament. Good luck!

To Run or Not to Run

2010-01-10T12:52:00.004-06:00

There's an age old debate on the merits of distance running and its benefits for fastpitch players. Texas A&M head coach Jo Evans once told me,

"I don't care how fast you can run the mile. I care how fast you can run 60 feet."

Every college coach I've ever spoken to agrees with this statement, and most college softball programs do not incorporate distance running into their workouts. The common misconception among parents of amateur players is that there is no need for their daughters to ever run long distances as part of their training. I've even been told by parents as well as coaches that their players should not ever run long distances because it could be detrimental to their knees.

This entry goes over a short list of why all athletes SHOULD be doing some kind of distance work on a regular basis as well as dismissing some of the myths about running.

Overall Speed & Strength Improvement - Like it or not, running long distances with proper form is a full body workout. With the right recovery methods, long distance running can be a huge asset in gaining strength and speed. Can we guarantee that you will run a 2.5 if you start running long distances? Of course not. Training your body to become stronger and training your muscles to more efficiently distribute oxygen/use lactate however, can and will result in improvements in speed and strength.

Endurance - It's common knowledge that running increases the longevity of one's athletic ability. This is vital to young fastpitch players who spend sun up to sundown on the softball field during tournaments. Combining long distance running with a healthy diet makes 2 straight days on the diamond a walk in the park.

Enhance Explosive Power - Softball is a sport based on explosion. Everything from bursting out of the box to sprinting to catch a fly ball in deep left. Explosive power comes from our body's Type IIb Fast Twitch Fibers. These types of fibers are recruited in activities that require an all out burst of power and only act for an extremely short period of time, as the total length of their contractions usually last only 7.5 milliseconds. Due to their low capillary level, they do not make use of oxygen nearly like slow twitch fibers do causing them to fatigue much more quickly than all other muscle fibers. In long distance running, increased numbers of capillaries are produced, resulting in an increased ability for your body to transfer blood gasses and essentially deliver more oxygen faster to working muscles, thus creating more powerful explosiveness on the field.

These are a few great reasons to run or jog in long distances. There are many other reasons, (less directly related to softball) to run long distances as well such as: strengthening of the heart and mind, weight management, increase immune system defenses, slow the aging process, enhance the glow of skin, reduce the risk of blood clots, and improve the lungs.

On to the myths...
First of all, any doctor will tell you there's nothing wrong with a healthy athlete incorporating running into their routine. (In fact, many doctors even prescribe running to some unhealthy individuals such as those battling cancer as a method of treatment.) It's never going to be counter-productive to an athlete (except for maybe sumo wrestlers) to train long distances. I always had a hard time buying into the idea that long distance running was bad on the knees, so softball players shouldn't do it. Football players of every age group from 6 years to the pros run long distances. Basketball players run even more than that. Are they in any less need of healthy knees than softball players? I read several studies by hundreds of doctors all concluding that long distance running in responsible amounts is not detrimental to a human body's knees. This Study from the Stanford Department of Medicine, in fact took men and women over 50 with bad knees and actually showed that the medical conditions of their respective knees IMPROVED throughout the study which focuses entirely on the effects of long distance running on the knees.

Granted, college coaches aren't going to ask you what your 10K time is during the recruiting process. They don't care how well you run long distances, and they shouldn't. They will however care about: Overall Speed, Endurance, and Explosiveness. See the connection?