Training Tip of the Week

"Many elite athletes warm up for 60-90 minutes before they race to make sure they are ready to run fast right from the start. For most recreational athletes, some easy jogging, walking and stretching is probably enough. Determine a warm-up that works for you during your training."

~Today's Tip of the Day from Hal Higdon's Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/halhigdon

I believe this one.  I'm light-years from being an elite athlete, either by ability or training.  However, I recently tried a gradual 15-minute warmup, going from walk, to fast walk, to slow jog, to easy run.  This worked better for me before a 5K race than my usual 5 minute easy run, and the result was a slight PR, even on a mending knee and only 2 weeks of marathon recovery . 

Training Tip Thursday

Unless you feel really hungry, eating food before or during a workout or before a medium-distance race isn't necessary. A meal high in carbohydrates (such as pasta) the night before should get you through. Practice good nutrition while training. Forget those fad diets. A proper mix of 55 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat and 15 percent protein is best for fitness and for good health.

~Tip of the Day from Hal Higdon's Facebook page.

Training Tips Thursday - Yoga Power Poses for Runners

Training Tips Thursday

MYRTL Routine - Jay Johnson - insidenikerunning.nike.com.  A routine of 12 exercises to strengthen the hip area and increase flexibility.  I found this at http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?do=view&video_id=8190.  Pdf instructions are available at http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeplus/us/v2/en_US/pdf/myrtl.pdf.

Training Tip Thursday

"Do you know your maximum heart rate? formulas don't work for everybody, meaning. One way to determine maximum heart rate is to measure your heart rate in the last 90 seconds of a race where you have sprinted all-out for the tape. If your heart rate hits a peak, then flat-lines for that length of time, that should offer you an accurate reading."

Hal Higdon's Tip of the Day, January 11, 2010, http://www.facebook.com/halhigdon

Training Tip Thursday

"Hill training is a form of speedwork, a way to build strength and speed. You can do hill training in two ways: 1) Run some runs on hilly courses, essential if your goal race will be hilly, also valuable for quad strength and speed, or 2) Run repeats over a single hill. It matters little how long the hill... or how steep the hill or what you do between. Make up your own workout."

Hal Higdon's Tip of the Day, December 27, 2010, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1352143337#!/halhigdon

Training Tips Thursday

"Stepback weeks are essential if you want to progress in your training without injury or the dead feeling that comes with overtraining. In my marathon programs I train runners hard for two weeks, then allow them to step back for the next push upward. This works at shorter distances too. Once offered a brief respite, you can push to the next level. The effect is as much psychological as physical."

From Hal Higdon's Tip of the Day yesterday on his Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1352143337#!/

Training Tip Thursday

Running form: Can you change it? Yes, but maybe you should not. We run the way we run because we run that way. Particularly for new runners, as you continue to train your form will continue to improve, particularly as the muscles that propel you get stronger. Relax, and let running come to you rather than you going to it.

A Hal Higdon "Tip of the Day" from his Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/halhigdon

Training Tips Thursday - Marathon Success

From a Hal Higdon "Tip of the day:

"Building mileage is essential for success as a runner regardless of racing distance. Gradually increasing mileage loads over three or four months seems to work best. But how many miles a week? A high of about 35 seems adequate to finish a marathon, 55 miles to finish well."

http://www.facebook.com/halhigdon

This kind of defines the difference in how I look at my upcoming second marathon, compared to my first.  On my first, my focus was on finishing.  I finished, and finished respectably, for a first effort.  I took quite a few short walk breaks between 20 and 26.  For my second, I want to finish well.  I'd like to complete the whole distance on the run.  I want to finish feeling strong instead of struggling to survive.

Calming & Grounding Breath

Breath is the essense of life.  Here's a good calming breathing practice that may be of benefit for a runner as well as for a pratitioner of yoga. 

Breath control is so important to the running process.  During the run itself, runners are typically trained to use a 3:2 breathing technique for efficient oxygenation while running.  In other words, the inhale lasts for three steps and the exhale lasts for two steps.  Developing an efficient breathing rhythm helps develop efficient running technique.  Relaxation is also important for a runner.  A runner that approaches a race in a relaxed state will run more efficiently and use less energy.

Breath is an integral part of the practice of yoga. Every movement is coordinated with an inhalation  or exhalation.  Pranayama, or breath control, is a separate practice that is effective for clearing and focusing the mind and setting up a calm relaxed state for meditation.

"When the Breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the Breath is still, so is the mind still."
~Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Training Tips Thursday - More Hip Openers

Hip opener yoga poses are the most awesome lower body release for tight or sore legs, hips and glutes.  In the last two months, I've posted two previous videos of hip openers that I like after running.  One of them is an 18-minute sequence, the other one 11 minutes.  I run in the early morning before I go to work, and I'm always on a tight schedule, so it's good to have a variety, to be able choose a routine that fits the available time.  This one starts with sun salutations and leads into hip openers.  It's only 8 minutes, but is still enough to make the lower body feel a lot better after a hard run!

Training Tips Thursday - Run/Walk

I just thought I'd mention the run/walk method.  It's a widely used training method, most popularized by Jeff Galloway.  I don't use it regularly, but for certain specific training, I found it to be valuable.  Here is a link to a good article on Galloway's Run Injury Free with Jeff Galloway page.  The article does a good job of explaining the details and recommending different run/walk ratios based on pace.  Galloway defines a method for running a marathon, taking scheduled walk breaks through the first 18 miles.  I didn't use the method in my first marathon, but I did take a few short unscheduled walk breaks.  Perhaps I would have run a better marathon if I'd taken scheduled breaks.  For my next marathon, my goal has been to strengthen my overall training enough that I don't have to walk at all.

However, I did find this method very useful in the distance-increasing phase of my first marathon training.  When faced with running 16, 18, and 20 miles the first time, I took scheduled walk breaks.  Here's how I did it.  For example, when I first wanted to run 16 miles, on my first attempt, I alternated two minutes of walking with every eight minutes of running.   I found that it really helped me make the distance the first time.  The second time I ran 16 miles, I reduced the walking by about half, alternating one minute of walking with every nine minutes of running.   By the third time I ran the new distance, I found that I could run the entire distance.  I repeated this as I came to each new distance milestone up to 20 miles, and it helped a lot.

Training Tip Thursday

"Gels are a compact source of calories, helpful in preserving glycogen mid-race. I don't take gels in races shorter than a half, figuring that I have enough glycogen stored in my muscles to get to the finish line without supplementation. For longer races, I space them out at even intervals, one every 5 miles. Runners need to develop their own gel strategies based on what they learn in training."


Source: Marathon training coach Hal Higdon http://www.facebook.com/halhigdon

Training Tip of the Week - A Must-See Video for Runners!

I try to watch for good information on running mechanics and form.  Like most runners, I just started out running, any way I could.  Over a period of time, watching really good runners, I've seen a lot of things that I try to emulate.  I certainly don't have anything close to great form or perfect mechanics, but I try to be conscious of it and to gradually improve.  A 26.2 mile marathon race is a real test of endurance.  It's difficult just to finish such an extreme distance.  After finishing a first marathon, a runner's goals usually focus on running the next one a little quicker.  Answers to both enduring the distance and improving speed may be found in running mechanics.  Running more efficiently uses less energy, leaving more energy for those last gruelling miles between 20 and 26.  Running more efficiently will also result in improved running pace.  Dave B., one of my friends on dailymile.com posted this video on his page, and it's worth sharing with my running friends on the blogosphere.  It contains a whole lot of good information on mechanics, more than I can absorb at once, so I'm saving it to refer to.  Enjoy!



What do you think?  Do you see some ideas that you can use?

Training Tips Thursday - Marathon Pacing

In a marathon race, it's suicide to start out at a pace that is way too fast!  It's a sure way to crash later, before reaching that tough 26.2 mile distance.

Every runner who runs a marathon wants to run the best race possible.  Running too fast may cause a lot of trouble making the distance.  However, running slower than necessary leaves time on the course that could have been used for a quicker finish.  A first-time marathoner often has no idea how to target a marathon race pace.  When running subsequent marathons, the runner's goal is normally to run the distance quicker than a previous race.  Either way, the runner may be trying to set a target without knowing what he ore she is really capable of.  I've found some good tools like the McMillan Running Calculator .  This tool lets the runner enter a "best time" at one distance to get an estimate of pacing at another distance.  Of course, this assumes that the runner is adequately trained to the rigors of the other distance.  A 5K race time would be a meaningless marathon predictor if the runner had never run more than 10 miles.

I recently came across an article on the Running Tips for All website that gives another method to determine possible marathon pacing, using times from interval runs of 10 800 meter repeats.  Pretty interesting.  Excerpts from the article follow:

The 10 x 800 Marathon Workout
If you think you can run a 3:30 marathon, then try running 10 repeats of 800 meters on the track. Each 800 should be 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Recover for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. And repeat. If you are shooting for a 4 hour marathon, then your 800 repeats should be 4:00 minutes (with 4 minutes recovery). It’s that simple! Yes, it also works for a 2:09 marathon, as well as a 5:30 marathon.

Determining Your Workout Pace
If you are not sure what pace you can hold, then start with your best guess and give it a try.
If you can’t do all ten at pace, your intervals need to be slower. Do all ten and still have plenty of energy? Cut the intervals down. You may have to change the workout several times over a two or three week period until you arrive at a workout pace that you can hold consistently. You should try to do your last 10 x 800 workout about two weeks prior to your marathon, but by then you should have a good idea what pace you should be running.

Training Tips Thursday

After running a long trail race last Saturday, I was interested in what strategies runners use on trails, so I searched some articles.  I had run trails before last week's trail race, but this one was by far the most technically challenging.  I sensed some of these tips intuitvely before the run, and learned a few of the others while running.   

This is an excerpt from a good article at active.com: Sport Spotlight: Trail Running

Trail-Running Tips

Follow these tips for happy trails wherever you run.

1. Run tall. Running, especially uphill, can be exhausting, but if you bend under the effort it's more difficult for the lungs to do their thing. On the uphill, keep an eye at the crest or a few yards ahead, not at your feet. If you're gasping, slow down and pump your arms a little, or if you need to, walk, while keeping your posture tall. Even elite runners will walk a steep hill.

2. Shorten your stride on the way up. And plant your entire foot; climbing on your toes kills your calf muscles. Jump over obstacles. Stepping up on unsteady rocks and roots is not only tiring, it can be hazardous.

3. Be loose on the downhill. Stop braking and allow yourself to fly a little, throwing your arms to the side. But don't flail. If you lose control, slalom from side to side like a skier. Don't lean back or dig in your heels to brake (a guaranteed butt slide). Instead, land quickly and lightly.

4. Plot your moves. View the trail like a chessboard. Plan your steps around bumps, dips, soft sand and fallen trees yards before you reach them.

5. Focus on time, not distance. Don't expect to match your road PR. "Out-and-back routes are great because you can cover the same distance a little bit faster on the way back," Lanthier-Brandner says.

6. Diminish your risks. Run in pairs or let someone know where you're going and when you'll be back. Take plenty of fuel and fluid, a lightweight jacket and a cell phone, which won't always get a signal in the mountains, but might. Uphill runners yield to downhill runners. Yell "trail" well in advance of passing another runner or hiker.

7. Find your balance. Slippery downhills let you know what your legs are made of. Build them up between trail runs with weighted squats and lunges, and build your balance using wobble boards (check out www.performbetter.com for balance gear).


8. Keep your bearings. Things look different coming back than going. Pause to look around when two or more paths diverge from the one you're on. Look at trail signs and identify rocks, trees or landmarks on the horizon.

9. Leave no trace. Even in races, trail runners stow empty wrappers and wouldn't dream of dropping cups like road racers. Stay on marked trails, don't cut switchbacks and go through, not around, puddles to prevent erosion.

10. Feel like a kid again. Crank it on the downhill, hoot and holler, jump into a stream. "Trail running is a chance to get down and dirty, to grab hold of our authentic selves," says trail running coach and sports psychologist Terri Schneider. It'll make all those miles during freezing winters on the treadmill so worth it.

Training Tips Thursday - Yoga for Cyclists

I keep finding more articles recommending yoga poses to enhance different physical activities.  Last week's feature was based on an article about yoga for runners.  Hmm... maybe there's something to this... maybe yoga is good for all athletes!  What a concept...

This article in VeloNews, the Journal for Competitive Cycling at http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/04/news/yoga-for-cycling-a-few-key-exercises_111661 lists the following yoga poses as good for cyclists:

Standing Bow

*Increases circulation to the heart and lung

*Improves elasticity of the spine
*Creates union of strength and balance
*Activates digestive system

Spine Twist
*Improves flexibility of the spine and hip joints, relieves back pain, and helps prevent slipped discs
*Good for kyphosis, scoliosis, cervical spondylosis, and arthritis
*Increases circulation to the spinal nerves, veins, and tissues
*Calms the nervous system

Cobra
*Good for digestion, kyphosis, scoliosis, low back pain, low blood pressure, spondylo-arthritis of lumbar spine
*Increases spine strength especially in the lower spine














Fixed Firm
*Increases circulation to the lower limbs
*Strengthens and improves the flexibility of the lower spine, hips, knees, and ankle joints
*Good for lower back pain, helps prevent hernia
*Strengthens Psoas muscles

Training Tip Thursday - Yoga for Runners

Yoga - The 10 Best Poses for Runners

Lately, I've been devoting more time and energy to my yoga practice.  I've found that yoga adds balance to both my running and to my life.  As a runner, I've been particularly impressed with the power of targeted lower-body stretches to facilitate post-run recovery.  These stretches may be found in earlier posts.

I recently came across an article on iyogalife.com, "The 10 Best Poses for Runners."  According to Montreal-based personal trainer, yoga and ChiRunning instructor Hyongok Cho Kent, the best poses are:

1. Wall Dog
2. Hamstring Stretch
3. Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend
4. Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend with Twist
5. Lunge
6. Front Thigh Stretch (pictured above)
7. Bound Angle Pose
8. Diamond Pose with Toes Tucked Under
9. Diamond Pose with Cow-Face Pose Arms
10. Full Body Relaxation with Conscious Breathing

The full article, including a slideshow with photos of each pose, is at:

http://www.iyogalife.com/slideshows/slideshows/The_10_Best_Poses_for_Runners.php

Namaste!

Training Tip & Personal Yoga Challenge Update

Training Tip of the Week:
Two weeks ago, I posted an 18-minute yoga video with some great hip-opening lunges that I found enhance post-run recovery, greatly reducing tightness in the legs and hips.  My morning schedule is pretty busy, especially if I try to squeeze in a couple extra miles.  The routine in today's video is also very effective, and it only takes 11 minutes!

Personal Yoga Challenge - Mid-September Update:
I challenged myself to develop yoga into a daily habit with at least a short yoga practice each day during the month of September (National Yoga Month).  I posted this on September 8, to help hold myself accountable, and briefly updated in my September 12 weekly training summary.  As of today, the month is still intact and the streak is alive at 20 days, going back to August 28. Looking good!

Training Tips Thursday

Here's a good tip I came across from Allen at Old Man Running:

"I've been noticing that some people swing their arms across their body while they run. As your arms move across your body, your whole upper body tends to twist. People swing their arms this way, because they keep their arms folded across their body. This type of arm-movement isn't considered good running form, because it takes extra muscle-movement and extra energy to move your arms across your body. The solution is to tuck your elbows in toward your waist such that your arms move in and out in a motion parallel to the direction you're going. By doing this, you can keep your upper body stationary and only move your hips and legs."