Sunday (or Saturday) - A Good Cross Training Day!

If one weekend day is perfect for a long easy run, then the other is perfect for cross-training. Here are some cross-training activities that can complement your running:

·        A long walk. On the levee bank or on the beach is nice because it gets you off pavement

Participate in a group Pilates class or workout

Participate in a group yoga class or workout

Do a spinning workout on an exercise bike or a spin bike. Ideally, a bike where your feet can “clip-in” because for running you want to:

-        Focus on generating speed by “pulling your foot up” on the up stroke, not on pushing down on the down stroke

-        Do high rpms and low resistance, 90 rpms or a little more. Ideal running turnover is 180 steps per minute or a more

-        Focusing on the upstroke works the hamstrings and the anterior tibialis; and focusing on high rpms trains your hamstrings for high turnover

·        A bike ride is also great, especially if you can “clip-in” and focus on generating speed by pulling your feet up on the up stroke. You can do this in speed bursts, like running fartlek

·        Any recreational sport, especially those played on grass and other soft surfaces

Best

Coach Bob

Saturday or Sunday – Long Easy Run Day

This is the classic “smell the roses” workout, a long easy run where you focus on feeling good, feeling comfortable, being in control, practicing good form, and just enjoying your running.

This workout is best done as a group run and is not competitive.

This run can be up to 30% to 35% of your weekly miles. If you are doing 10 miles a week, a 3 to 3.5 mile run. If you are doing 20 miles a week, a 6 to 7 mile run. If you are doing 30 miles a week, a 9 to 10 mile run. If you are doing 40 miles a week, still a 10 mile run, as now you are working more “easy miles” and “fartlek” into your recovery runs on easy days.

Focus on form – “running tall” with good posture, loose and relaxed, head still and not bobbing around, feeling your relaxed cheeks bounce, feeling your relaxed fingers bounce, forearms loose, parallel to the ground, pointing in the direction you are running.

At the end of the work-out you should feel pleasantly tired, but not stressed or exhausted. You should be able to carry on a conversation with your fellow runners for the whole workout. Save finishing strong and being competitive for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Weekend runs are best done reasonably early in the morning on Saturday or Sunday, as other activities create conflict later in the day. Also, traffic on the roads is light early on weekend mornings but it gets heavy later in the day. As most weekend races will be in the morning, we want to get into the rhythm of running in the morning on weekends.

Most running clubs sponsor long easy group runs either Saturday or Sunday morning.

Suggested Workout

1.       Long easy run totaling 30% to 35% of your total miles for the week. Use the first half-mile as a warm-up jog

2.       Gently stretch the calf, quads, hamstrings and lower back either before or after the run

Friday – Easy or Off Day, Focus on Strengthening Your Hamstrings

For faster times, you need to increase turnover (steps per minute). To increase turnover, the key is strong and flexible hamstrings. Here’s why:

While the calf, quad and glute muscles contracting together generate power, acceleration and drive when you push-off, the hamstring is the main muscle that contracts to rapidly pull your foot up, towards your butt and forward for your next step. The more rapidly you can do this, the more steps per minute you’ll get, and the faster you’ll run. The anterior tibialis and the abs contribute, but the hamstring is the key.

If you have run four days in a row (Mon-Thu), Friday is a good day to take off. Friday late afternoon is the most dangerous time to run on the roads. Traffic is heavy, and drivers are stressed from work, in a hurry to start the weekend, inconsiderate, rude, and often inebriated. If you run, be careful out there!!!

Plus you want to be fresh and ready for a long easy weekend run.

Below is a link to a 7 minute hamstring strengthening video that is great because it requires no special machines or equipment. Because the hamstrings are susceptible to injury, do not attempt to do the whole video immediately. Try out each exercise individually, a few reps for each one, and see how your body responds. Once you know you can do all the exercises safely, this is a fantastic off-day conditioning workout that will help you achieve increased turnover, a faster tempo, and literally a stronger “finishing kick.”

Suggested work-out:

1.     Warm-up with an easy half-mile run, or a one-mile walk, an easy bike ride, or five to ten easy minutes on an elliptical trainer

2.     Stretch the calf, quad, hamstring, and lower back muscles

3.     Do three or four sets of hamstring strengthening exercises from the video below

4.     Optional: do a set of anterior tibialis strengthening exercises and several sets of abs and core strengthening exercises.

5.     Optional: practice good posture by isometrically flattening your shoulder blades against your back rib cage with your shoulders rolled back, pinching your shoulder blades together and keeping your abs tight and your stomach flat, standing tall. One set of ten, holding each rep for a five count

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUDeeovoSmc

Thursday - Another Good Workout Day

We want to get into the rhythm of a good conditioning workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because during the season those are the days of our races and our best practices.

The base off-season conditioning workout is a twice-a-week run equal to 20% to 25% of your weekly miles. If Tuesday was on the long side at 25% of your weekly miles, then Thursday should be a little shorter, at 20% of your weekly miles. Or vice-versa.

 You run the first 75% of the distance at an easy pace, then pick up the pace and run the last 25% as a tempo run. It’s good to get into the habit of a strong finish!

Doing a group run with a couple of running friends makes it easier and more enjoyable. Run easily together for the first part; it’s OK to get a little competitive at the end.

Don't worry about the exact pace of your conditioning runs. As long as it's slow enough to pass the "talking test" for the easy first 75%; and fast enough so that it's difficult to carry on a conversation for the last 25%, you're OK.

If you did a short and easy day Wednesday, or didn’t run at all, then you should feel good and feel strong during this workout. A common training mistake is to run too much or too hard on “easy” days, resulting in being sluggish and not feeling strong on targeted good workout days.

Best,

Coach Bob

P.S. Don’t forget your stretching. It doesn’t matter what time during the day you do it

Wednesday – an Easy Day; a Good Day to Focus on Core Strength

Correct posture aligns everything in your body. Bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons function best when you stand up straight. Looking at the body in profile, you want to see a straight back, not an “S” curve. You want to “run tall!!!”

A swayed lower back (strong glutes / weak core) creates an incorrect “pelvic tilt” and stresses the feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back. This can lead to plantar fasciitis, Achilles heel pain, pain in and around the knee, a tight IT band and hip pain, or lower back pain.

When you lay flat on the floor on your back with your legs straight, if there is a large gap between the small of your back and the floor, and you cannot easily press the small of your back against the floor by contracting your abs, then you need more core strength for better posture to prevent overuse injuries.

Rounded shoulders from slouching or slumping when sitting and standing prevent proper breathing (your lungs can’t fully expand), improperly support the head (its weight is too far forward, leading to neck or upper shoulder pain), and can lead to tired or tight shoulders while running (because your arms don’t swing easily in proper parallel alignment).

When you are standing and relaxed, if your shoulder blades stick out in a pair of points behind you, rather than lying flat; or if your hands naturally fall in front of you rather than at your sides, then you need more strength in your mid-back muscles so you stand up straight with your shoulders back. You need to strengthen the muscles that externally rotate the shoulder blades back and out and hold them flat.

Wednesday suggested conditioning workout:

1.     Jog a half mile to warm-up (or walk a mile, do a short bike ride, or do five to ten easy hands-free minutes on an elliptical trainer)

2.     Do stretching exercises for calf, quad, hamstrings and lower back

3.     Do several sets of core and ab strengthening exercises, followed by several sets of mid-back exercises that externally rotate the shoulder blades and hold them flat. Focus on proper form, do not strain.

4.     Optional: do a few sets of anterior tibialis and hamstring strengthening exercises.

5.     Optional: those of you doing higher weekly miles, an easy one mile run with a few easy strides or “passing bursts” of fartlek thrown in.

Here’s a link to a You-Tube video of a good mid-back exercise (skip the Ad): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz29bq7gVbg

Best,

Coach Bob

Tuesday – A Good Workout Day!

We want to get into the rhythm of a good conditioning workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because during the season those are the days of our races and our best practices.

It’s usually not a good idea to plan a good workout for a Friday. We all have lives outside of running, and conflicts with our non-running lives often happen on Fridays.

A great off-season conditioning workout is a run equal to 20% to 25% of your weekly miles. You run the first 75% of the distance at an easy pace, then pick up the pace and run the last 25% as a tempo run. It’s good to get into the habit of a strong finish!!!

If you are running 10 miles a week, this conditioning run should be 2 to 2.5 miles long. If you are running 20 miles a week, it should be a 4 to 5 mile run. If you do 30 miles a week, it should be 6 to 7.5 miles.

After warming up, you should run faster than a jog, but slow enough that you can talk to others in the group while running (the “talking test”). This “easy run” pace is about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per mile slower than your 5K race pace. If you can run a 5K at 5:30 per mile, then your easy run pace is between 7:00 and 7:30 per mile. If your 5K time is 7:00 per mile, then your easy runs might be at 8:30 to 9:00 per mile. For the last 25% of the workout, pick your pace up to within a minute to 45 seconds per mile of your 5K pace; even faster if you feel good as you get near the end. If your 5K pace is 5:30 a mile, you want your tempo run pace to be 6:15 to 6:30 per mile. It’s OK to get a little competitive in a group run like this over the last 25% of the distance. No reason to hold back. The next day will be an easy day or an off day. 

Don't worry about the exact pace of your conditioning runs. As long as it's slow enough to pass the "talking test" for the easy first 75% part; and fast enough so that it's difficult to carry on a conversation for the last 25%, you're OK.

If you did a short and easy day Monday, or didn’t run at all, then you should feel strong and “full of running” doing this workout.

Best,

Coach Bob

P.S. Don’t forget your stretching. It doesn’t matter what time during the day you do it

Monday - Easy Day

Good Morning Douglas XC runners!

If you do a conditioning run today, make it a very easy and short one. We really want to get into a rhythm of good conditioning training on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and easy recovery days Mon- Wed-Fri, while stretching big or tight muscle groups and strengthening opposing weak muscle groups. One longer easy run on the weekends.

Suggested conditioning for today:
1. Easy 1/2 mile jog to warm-up muscles before stretching and strengthening. If you don't want to run, walk a mile, ride a bike a few miles, or do some easy minutes on an elliptical trainer. It's not good to jump into stretching and strengthening with cold muscles
2. Stretch your calf muscles, and strengthen the opposing muscle, the anterior tibialis. Tight calf muscles and a strength imbalance greater than 60 / 40 vs the anterior tibilias increases risk of overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis, achilles heel pain, shin splints, and runner's knee (tendonitis pain in and around the knee).
3. Optional: a) gentle stretching of hamstrings and lower back b) strengthening exercises for hamstrings, abs and core c) very light and easy strides

Here are some possible calf stretching / anterior tibialis strengthening exercises. Do one anterior tibialis strengthening exercise and one calf stretching exercise. Do not strain.

Isometric Exercise for Anterior Tibialis

An Isometric exercise is a type of motion where your muscle contracts, but no motion occurs. It is simple to do, and it can help strengthen your anterior tibialis.

1. Sit in a chair or lie down.
2. Cross one leg over the other with the leg you want to work leg on the bottom.
3. Place your other foot on top of the ankle you wish to exercise.
4. Press the top of your weak foot into the sole of your other foot.  Remember, no motion should occur at your ankle joint.
5. Hold this position for 5 seconds, and then slowly release.

Perform about 10 to 15 repetitions of the exercise, 2 or 3 times (sets).

Remember that isometric exercise can strengthen your muscles, but strengthening only occurs in the specific position in which you are exercising.  That means that you should vary the position of your ankle when performing the exercise.

Anterior Tibialis Strengthening with Elastic Band

You can strengthen your anterior tibialis muscle with an elastic resistance band.

Secure the band to a stable object.  Then tie a loop in and secure it around your foot near your toes.  It may be helpful to have your lower leg resting upon a small pillow so your heel does not rub on the ground.

Pull your toes and foot towards you while keeping your knee straight.  Only your ankle should move as you flex your foot.  Pull your foot as far as you can, hold the end position for a second or two, and then slowly relax back to the starting position.

Perform this exercise for 10 to 15 reps or until your anterior tibialis muscle tires and you can no longer flex your ankle.

Calf Stretch

When your anterior muscle is weak, you will not be able to fully flex your foot.  This may keep your ankle in a position where your calf is shortened.  A shortened calf means a tight muscle, so stretching your calf may be necessary to fully correct your muscle imbalance.

A simple way to stretch the calf is the towel stretch. Wrap a towel around the ball of your foot, keep your knee straight, and pull the ends of the towel so your foot flexes up and stretches your calf.

Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, and then relax.  Perform 3 to 5 stretches. Do not over-strain