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LONG RUNS + WARMER WEATHER = THINK HYDRATION
This is not an ad or endorsement for a particular business. In looking for something better to hold water on long runs, I ran across a great selection from JackRabbit.com (see link below). It includes a wide variety of items, from hand held bottles to vest systems. You can research the items you like on the internet further and perhaps purchase them from your favorite running specialty stores, but this is the best spot for shopping I have seen. RUN HAPPY! https://www.jackrabbit.com/accessories/bottles-hydration.html
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WALKER RESOURCES SECTION
Walking can be personally competitive; many walkers want to approach their favorite form of exercise as a sport that requires attention to strength training, and mobility/flexibility, and balance. Support for these kinds of workouts is found throughout the EarnedRuns website for runners and walkers alike. However, information that specifically applies to walking competition is sparse; EarnedRuns hopes to highlight or generate more resources that serve this group. To better help walkers zero in on information that applies to this activity there will be a separate section for WALKERS RESOURCES. Though initially small, look for this section to grow over time! NOTE: One of the April races that is listed as a walking event is the TOUGH RUCK that will be held in Concord Maine on April 16 this year, just before the Boston Marathon on April 18. It's SOLD OUT! However, this is a walking marathon associated with the Boston Athletic Association that I might consider training for in 2017. It is sponsored by the Military Friends Foundation, in honor and in memory of "Fallen soldiers, while raising money to support their families and service members in times of need" Although active military, veterans, and "first responders" are asked to participate, civilians are allowed to walk the distance with a packed ruck on their backs. I plan to check this out. Below is a bit from the website: "On April 15, 2013, the Tough Ruck members were at the finish line of the Boston Marathon and joined the first responders to help those that were injured by the horrific blasts. This is a true example of our brave soldiers who serve in the military. Over the past few years, thousands of military personnel, families of the Fallen, veterans, and civilians have contacted to Join Us and support the Tough Ruck project." http://www.toughruck.org/about/ RUN AND WALK HAPPY! FUN SLIDE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF GLUTES:
"9 THINGS You Should Know about Your Glutes" By Ashley Oerman on Active. com. I am not sure that slide 6 is always correct. Some bodybuilders might be able to accomplish this, but mostly this structure becomes more shapely, not larger, as you work the muscles. The smaller gluteal muscles, the medius and minimus, are very important muscles to strengthen to improve balance.Slide 1 has 6 glute exercises to improve your runs and most are not technically difficult, but initially difficult when the muscle are weak. With strengthening (performing the exercises regularly) they become easier to perform! RUN HAPPY! http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/9-things-you-should-know-about-your-glutes AN ARTICLE FROM COMPETITOR.COM "The Effect of Asymmetry On Running performance and Injury Prevention" discusses something many of us may notice when exercising, but don’t spend much time considering: asymmetry. It is defined as “ lack of symmetry…relative differences in muscle strength, motion, flexibility, balance, and mechanics between sides of the body,” in this piece by Ian McMahon. How seriously we should approach asymmetry is discussed. There’s a single-leg balance asymmetry test at the end of the article that highlights the importance of balance for runners, as did the recent EarnedRuns post (“Fix A Single Broken Window: Balance II").
The article admits there is no easy way to determine whether or not asymmetry presents a problem, but that the results of a self-test of single-leg balance can indicate that work might be warranted to prevent injury. From my personal rehabilitation work with physical therapists I can offer some anedoctal information that may be helpful. I have discovered that, as the amount of running is increased to reach a goal race or personal best finish time, a SIGNIFICANT asymmetry will ultimately make its presence known and result in injury. An injury that prevents continued training will have been preceded by weeks or months of warning signs like discomfort and progressive pain while exercising. This is my own experience, and it’s similar to what friends and family have admitted. I (we) initially pushed through painful training sessions until the pain became constant. Sidelined by INJURY, training wasn’t possible. By this time merely walking or moving normally through activities of daily life also became difficult. Not everyone will seek professional help to treat an injury, or take steps to enable diagnosis and correct the underlying asymmetry. It may be easier to accept the physical limitation because once the acute pain has subsided with “rest”, “ice”, “compression”, “elevation” and medication, the limitation seems small. Over the years multiple small limitations accumulate, and may prevent participation in recreational activities we previously very much enjoyed! There are many components to balance, including hip and core strength and knee stability. The balance test suggested in this article can identify whether an asymmetry exists, but not the specific problem. If the length of time you stand on each leg without wobbling is very different, or you cannot stand on either leg without immediately wobbling, seriously consider working harder on strength, balance, and flexibility routines (paying more attention to the “weak” side). You may benefit from backing off your running goals; better to decrease running mileage and change the date of a goal race to later in the year than go forward, hoping a balance asymmetry issue will resolve itself. I was GUILTY of ignoring signs of asymmetry and paid the price of a half year off from all running EACH TIME I was side-lined. RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2016/01/injury-prevention/symmetry-and-running_144007 THE TEMPO RUN OPTION DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL NEXT WEEK. But, as you run this Thursday, give some thought as to how you might incorporate one into that day's 3 mile session the following week.
Or, if you want to try the "Tempo-Hill Sandwich" that was explained on the TEMPO RUN BLOG post March 25, think about this combination routine as you perform Tuesday's hill-repeats workout. Just think, at the end of this week you will have covered 9 consecutive miles on your long run! RUN HAPPY! RECENTLY A PIECE ON MAXIMALIST RUNNING SHOES WAS POSTED (March 15, 2016) that included a caution to runners to be aware of biomechanical issues that might arise with the wearing of these heavily cushioned shoes. I started me thinking about traditional shoes in general, and how the same cautions might apply to them. A bit earlier there was a piece posted about running shoe selection which included mention of the decreased emphasis on correction of foot pronation by shoe manufacturers, based on research findings (March 3, 2016).
I am interested in learning whether or not “minimalist” shoes will work for me. Not so much to improve performance but prevent injuries. I want to be running races into old age, and there is no better time to start changing if needed. Professionals who are much better prepared to evaluate the scientific research that’s been published have recently written some good pieces, and there are links below to a few I found. They are often lengthy and detailed. Those that are shorter are sometimes too general and not helpful. Since I will be transitioning from 40+ years of wearing traditional shoes, this is the research focus in which I am most interested. Studies that report results on new runners’ experiences don’t necessarily apply to me. This topic will be the subject of occasional postings until there is enough information to make conclusions and take action. If you have sources that will shed some light on the topic or have experiences with these shoes, PLEASE SHARE! CONFESSIONS: when Vibram 5Fingers first came out in 2005 I bought a pair and tried them. The greatest difficulty I encountered was putting them on, so they mostly stayed in the closet (where they are now). Socks could not be worn with these shoes, so they would not be good for running in snow or very cold weather. For a few years while living in the Los Angeles area I ran barefoot almost daily on the beaches, and the greatest difficulty I encountered was blister formation on my soles. In Great Lakes winters the barefoot approach doesn’t work for outdoor running, which I love. I’ll need a shoe that protects the foot from the elements at least in the winter, so the learning about the differences between the minimalist shoe types will also be important. Below are links to sources of information if you are also interested in investigating these shoes. RUN HAPPY! How shoes are defined (summary of consensus paper written by a panel of experts). http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/what-is-a-minimalist-shoe The actual consensus paper: http://jfootankleres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13047-015-0094-5 Long discussion and historical perspective http://lermagazine.com/cover_story/the-rise-and-fall-of-minimalist-footwear TEMPO RUNS ADDED TO ON TO A HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLAN; EXPLAINED
Although as scheduled, this plan started March 13, it could have been started last week, or start this week, after you have run and recovered from your 10K. You’ll notice it includes an option for a TEMPO RUN. If you finished the 5K and 10K you’ll have the information needed to calculate your tempo run PACE. Definitions on exactly what constitutes a tempo run will differ from expert to expert and runner to runner. A simple explanation is that it’s a training run performed at a “comfortably hard” pace over a predetermined but prolonged period of time or a pre-determined distance. It’s purpose is to train the body to metabolize energy in such a way that the point at which fatigue sets in is later and later in the run, and eventually a race. If fatigue does not set in you can race stronger, faster, and longer, and achieve a better finish time. However, tempo runs might BEST BE UNDERTAKEN AFTER A STRONG RUNNING BASE has been established with weeks of running. See the NOTE below about one research study that identified an increased incidence of injury in the first 6 weeks of an 18 week marathon training plan reported by runners who included tempo runs compared with those who did not run them. Performance was better with tempo runs, so the authors thought later in the plan might be advised to avoid injury. A Competitor.com article, “Know Your Tempo” by Mario Fraioli recommends a that it range from 4-6 miles in distance, at a pace 15-20 seconds +10K pace, resulting in a duration of 20-90 minutes (the longer the goal race, the longer the tempo run should be). For example, if your 10k pace is ~ 9:45 min/mile, your tempo pace would be ~ 10:00 min/mile that, if run over 4 miles, would lead to a duration of about 40 minutes; if 6 miles the total running time would equal 60 minutes. A faster runner with a 10K pace of 7:45min/mile adding 15 seconds (8:00 min/mile tempo pace) would plan to cover 5 miles in ~40 minutes or 6 miles in ~48minutes. The Runner’s World article “Tempo Run” defines this workout in more scientific terms and offers four different methods to determine the pace at which you should run it. The first calculation is similar to the one described above; add “30 to 40 seconds to your current 5-K pace or 15 to 20 seconds to your 10-K pace”. For a piece that tells the story of how tempo runs made their way into race training, there's a long and technical article in Runner’s World By Richard Lovett, “Find Your Tempo”. However, by the article’s end, many readers may wish to give up on the idea of figuring out how get to their “lactate threshold” level and forget tempo runs. BUT DON’T GIVE UP ON TEMPO RUNS! This last article eventually explains there are coaches who feel that instead of constant pace tempo runs, these training workouts should be “progression” runs. Scott Simmons, coach of the American Distance Project in Colorado Springs, Colorado comments in the article, and calls them PREDATOR RUNS. “ ‘[Progression running is] how a predator will increase tempo to catch prey, especially as they get close.’ " His recommendation is to start 60 seconds slower than your current 10K pace, run each consecutive mile 10-20 seconds faster, and finish at (or faster) than the pace you hope to run your upcoming race. Example: 10min/mile 10K pace runner would run the 1st mile at 11min/mile, the 2nd at 10:45 min/mile, the 3rd at 10:30 min/mile, and the 4th at 10:15 min/mile. The next week the tempo run might be longer distance (4.5 miles) with that last half mile at 10min/mile. The following week run would be 5 miles with the last full mile at 10min/mile. And the next 2 weeks work toward achieving 9:45min/mile. TRY TO HAVE FUN with this concept and PUT THE MATH AND STOPWATCH ASIDE. Consider you are the predator, running down your goal, closing the distance between you and a magical “gazelle” of a finish. Try to finish one run a week with “negative split”. Simply run each mile a bit faster, by how you feel rather than the clock, so that you run the last half in less time than first half. This simulates the strategy you would follow in running a race; you would finish at a faster pace than your starting pace. For those of you who would like to INCORPORATE 2 TYPES OF TRAINING RUNS INTO ONE DAY’S WORK Mario Fraioli offers a routine on Competitor.com that he calls a “Tempo-Hill Sandwich”. He offers runners new to speed workouts an abbreviated session, and a longer tougher session to those experienced in these kinds of runs. I have unknowingly run this kind of a “sandwich” workout and am happy to learn it may be a legitimate way to train. (It had taken me longer than expected to run a hill repeat workout in a location 2 miles from home, and I had to run home quickly to be on time for an appointment). RUN HAPPY! NOTE: A research study, “The Influence Of Training and Mental Skills Preparation On Injury Incidence And Performance In Marathon Training” by KL Hamstra-Wright and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The study provided 125 runners who participated in an 18-week marathon training program with 4 questionnaires (pre-training, at 6 weeks, at 12 weeks, and post-training) in which they were asked about injury incidence, mental preparation (pre-training), and ultimately, finish times (post training). It found that “tempo runs during training preparation had a significant positive relationship to injury incidence (more injury) in the 6-week survey”. “Runners who reported incorporating tempo and interval runs, running more miles per week, and running more days per week in their training preparation ran significantly faster than did those reporting less tempo and interval runs, miles per week, and days per week”. “Mental skills preparation did not influence injury incidence or marathon performance”. A BIG TAKEAWAY is to be careful of increasing intensity of training too early. The authors suggest, “when running speed is increased too quickly, the rate of damage to tissues outweighs the rate of tissue repair…and may be a risk factor for running-related injuries. Gradual increases in running intensity may allow the musculo-skeletal system to adapt to more stress, thus preventing injury incidence. Therefore, a strong running base of adequate mileage and uninterrupted weeks-months of injury-free running are necessary before incorporating the increased pace work of tempo and interval runs. “ http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/tempo-run http://running.competitor.com/2015/03/training/know-your-tempo_9378 http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/find-your-tempo http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439344 http://running.competitor.com/2016/03/training/workout-of-the-week-the-tempo-hill-sandwich_146778 OPENS THIS WEEKEND
GIVE YOURSELF SOMETHING TO PONDER ON YOUR LONG RUN! See the movie before running it, on Thursday or Friday nights, and think about all that happened and the moral dilemmas that are sure to have arisen. Or reward yourself for a good effort after your long run by seeing it Saturday night or Sunday. Eating popcorn or other goodies is optional and really shouldn't be a reward, but it kinda is a huge treat at a classic action flick like this. Enjoy SPRING BREAK, EASTER HOLIDAY, first SPRING WEEKEND! USA Today has a fun article "5 Things We Learned At the Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Premiere" RUN HAPPY! http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/03/21/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-premiere-5-things-we-learned/82065034/ MISSION STATEMENT+ RESOURCES
A Mission Statement was added to the bottom of the ABOUT page. It repeats much of what is scattered throughout the website, but in one place. In anticipation of future attempts to approach and ask for support from other persons and groups, it seemed to be needed. A PDF of the Step Down Exercises Instruction for knee stability and balance is now on the RESOURCES page under the "Form, Flexibility, and Strength" section. Videos, images, and drawings would be of help demonstrating them, and this is a work in progress. RUN HAPPY! “CAN YOUR OFFICE TRICK YOU INTO GETTING HEALTHIER?” An article in Bloomberg News indicates that some companies are making moves to make their workplaces healthier. It’s great when your employer takes steps to encourage you to move more during the day, or you are able to redesign your home to allow frequent stair climbing or walk breaks. This isn’t a possibility for many of us.
The following is another piece based on the BROKEN WINDOW THEORY discussion FEB 25 that might help mend ONE thing (balance, part one was highlighted Monday March 14) that is “broken” about our fitness level. Try performing these balance exercises during short breaks throughout the day. You can do one set of each type during each break; perhaps no one (including you) will notice these brief absences and you will gain balance strength! AS BEFORE, THESE MOVES ARE NOT THAT EASY TO PERFORM! ALL EXERCISES: Make sure there is a wall or railing within one or both arms’ reach to help balance yourself and avoid a fall! Stand tall and straight, shoulders back abdomen tight, and look forward. STEP DOWN EXERCISES FORWARDS: Start with both feet on top of the lowest step of a stair flight (or an exercise box the height of a step, facing forward with the stairs behind you. Next, keeping the involved foot planted on the step, slowly lower the opposite un-involved foot/leg forward off and down the step to lightly touch the heel to the floor. Then return the foot to the original position with both feet on the stair/box. In this movement the knee of the involved leg/foot (planted on the stair) will bend; be sure to maintain proper knee alignment: keep the knee in line with the 2nd toe, not letting it pass too far forward in front of the toes. If the step is too tall to maintain this alignment, you can lower the heel to a lesser level without touching the floor. Repeat this move 10 times (work-up to 20 as you improve). Change feet and repeat on the other foot. Perform 3 sets, once to several times a day. LATERALS: Start with both feet on the lowest step of a stair flight (or an exercise box the height of a step, facing sideways with the stairs along one side. Next, keeping the involved foot nearest the stairs planted on the step, slowly lower the opposite un-involved foot laterally off and down the step to lightly touch the heel to the floor. Then return the foot to the original position with both feet on the stair/box. In this movement the knee of the involved leg/foot (planted on the stair) will bend. During this movement maintain proper knee alignment (see above). If the step is too tall to maintain this alignment, you can lower the heel to the proper level without actually touching the floor. Repeat this move 10 times (work-up to 20 as you improve). Change feet and repeat on the other foot. Perform 3 sets, once to several times a day. REACH BEHINDS: Start with both feet on the lowest step of a stair flight (or an exercise box the height of a step, facing backward with the stairs in front of you. Next, keeping the involved foot planted on the step, slowly lower the opposite un-involved foot backward off and down the step to lightly touch the toe to the floor. Then return the foot to the original position with both feet on the stair/box. In this movement the knee of the involved leg/foot (planted on the stair) will bend. During this movement maintain proper knee alignment (see above) lowering the foot to the level where the knee of the involved leg does not move forward in front of the toes. Repeat this move 10 times (work-up to 20 as you improve). Change feet and repeat on the other foot. Perform 1-3 sets, once to several times a day. NOTE: Try performing one set (10-20 repetitions) of FORWARDS for each leg, then one of LATERALS, then one of the REACH BEHINDS; repeat this sequence 1 to 2 more times. It's a bit easier on the legs. Sometimes I notice I am doing better on each in the last sequence! RUN HAPPY! http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-14/when-your-office-tricks-you-into-getting-healthier NIKE + RUN CLUB PROVIDES ADVICE FROM A NAVY SEAL COMMANDER on mental conditioning. This very short piece has easy to remember tips on how to get your mind to help your body accomplish racing as well as training goals. There’s a component to mental rigor that this advisor doesn’t talk about, or perhaps includes as part of goal setting: COMMITMENT! I have had the same or very similar goals for decades, but I only started to accomplish some of them when I made a commitment to do so. The US Marine Corps, another mentally tough group, identifies it's guiding values as honor, courage, and commitment.
What’s the meaning of the word “commitment”? There are several online dictionary definitions that are similar, roughly stated as: a promise to give yourself, your money, time, and energy to something you believe in… I like an URBAN Dictionary version by “Ashbash January 13, 2005”; not being an English major I cannot judge whether it’s grammatically or “poetically” correct (bolding has been added by me): “Commitment is what Transforms the promise into reality And the actions which speak Louder than the words. It is making the time When there is none. Coming through time After time after time, Year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff Character is made of; The power to change The face of things. It is the daily triumph Of integrity over skepticism.” Commitments, like goals (finishing a long distance race, setting a personal record, etc) should be BROKEN DOWN into small reasonable incremental components. Here’s an example of a commitment “breakdown”: BIG GOAL: Run a half marathon BIG COMMITMENT: Getting your training plan workout in, everyday, without fail Breakdown = committing to do it each day, just ONE WEEK at a time by: - Setting the exact time on your schedule each workout will be performed --- changing to a longer 3 runs/week plan rather than 4 runs/week if there's a time crunch then finding a later race or running an EarnedRuns bib race on day of your choice - Locating appropriate venues, checking weather forecast for each day/week --- using an indoor facility/covered venue instead of outdoors as needed - Not cancelling for another unexpected activity but re-scheduling same day --- choosing to working out before the new event if later will be problematic - Preparing each week/night for appropriate clothes, shoes, food, fluids --- shop, make food, wash clothes ; wear dirty clothes if needed - Making plan changes if you find you’re skipping certain days --- in time of day for specific workouts; all needn’t be at the same time --- in grooming expectations if your post-workout appearance is an issue (accepting less than perfect hair sometimes; it’s perfectly acceptable on an athlete) As "Ashbash" says; commitment mean taking actions (planning) that speak louder than words to transform the promise (your goal) into reality. It is the power of self you harness to change the face of things (your ability to compete). It is the daily triumph (of completing each workout). Getting back to the NAVY SEAL (who is unnamed in the article); this person has another piece of advice: “Just remember, when your body starts telling you that you're done, you're probably only about 40 percent of the way there. If the most powerful part of your body, your brain, hasn't kicked in yet, then you have so much more left in your tank than you realize.” This may also apply to COMMITMENT. Do we start to mentally give up after giving a 40% effort to make each workout a reality? Do we have more left in the tank? RUN HAPPY! http://www.urbandictionary.com/author.php?author=Ashbash https://www.marines.com/history-heritage/principles-values http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/running/nrc-articles/mental-toughness-w WEEKS 1 & 2: ON TO A HALF MARATHON Training Plan (final) STARTS
The final plan is a little different from the draft. The tempo runs have been scaled back a bit and started later in the plan. There will soon be a post discussing tempo runs. The familiar "blue box" graph format is back (see above) and the full plan is on the website, but you can find a simpler LISTING FORMAT there as well. You may have started this last weekend (March 13) and now be starting week 2. However, you can start this plan today or next week, after you have completed your 10K race, with a short break in-between. You might think of it as weeks 9 and 10 of a 16 week plan that started January 17. Good luck if you decide to make a half marathon a goal race. RUN HAPPY! ON TO A HALF MARATHON Training Plan Table Form ON TO A HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLAN Listing IT STARTS TODAY OR TOMORROW DEPENDING ON THE TIME ZONE!
This year it happens to be the earliest in our lifetimes according to a Farmers Almanac article. The explanation is a bit long but very interesting for those who recall the first day always being March 21 when growing up! See the times listing for the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere zones on this page if you wish to know the exact time. [It's the time of the Autumnal Equinox for those in the Southern Hemisphere, which signals the start of Fall.] See also the link to find the sunrise times for your location by state! Think about scheduling some runs/walks such that you can enjoy the sunrise if the weather will be clear. What a nice way to start the day! Spring is the season that sunrise is earlier and earlier each day. After the start of Summer, the times will become later, and that doesn't seem to be quite as joyous to anticipate, to me. But, if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, each minute of daylight will be more and more precious, so you also have reason to cherish those clear mornings when the sunrise can be appreciated. RUN HAPPY! http://www.almanac.com/blog/astronomy/astronomy/earliest-spring-our-lives http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-2016-vernal-equinox http://www.almanac.com/astronomy/rise/states JEN WEIR RECENTLY PUBLISHED A PIECE ON COMPETITOR.COM that explained why runners should perform eccentric resistance exercises. I was reminded that resistance exercise = strength training just last month. But what is eccentric resistance training? I had not heard or seen that term before. Her article explains, “Eccentric training is simply capitalizing on the eccentric action of muscles, which occurs when tension is applied to a muscle as it lengthens.” But her explanation did not help me fully understand the concept.
The American College of Sports Medicine further explains in a PDF titled Eccentric Resistance Exercise for Health and Fitness. “Muscle contractions involve shortening and lengthening while the muscle is still producing force. The phase of contraction that occurs when the muscle shortens is concentric, whereas the phase of contraction that occurs as the muscle lengthens is eccentric.” The information sheet goes on to explain that eccentric muscle strength “is especially important for balance, mobility, and physical functions such as walking DOWN stairs or LOWERING objects to the ground.” Most exercises have traditionally focused on strengthening muscle in the concentric phase of contraction and only recently has more emphasis been placed on “eccentric”, or “negatives” as these exercises are commonly called. This can lead to an imbalance between concentric muscle and eccentric muscle strength, which becomes evident when MORE eccentric muscle contraction is needed BEYOND training preparations, such as long downhill runs within a distance race like a marathon. This kind of muscle action is required for the body to maintain control in a rapid, gravity-aided descent. It seems the Boston Marathon is a classic example of a “downhill” marathon that runners must prepare for, or at least be cognizant of in training, in order to stick with a race day strategy. Another Competitor.com article describes why downhill racing can be so tiring. “Eccentric contractions are much more costly from an energy and wear and tear perspective,” says Dr. Ivo Waerlop, D.C. “Running downhill requires lots of eccentric contraction, especially in the quadriceps and lower leg muscles.” Mastering the downhill with proper form will put less stress on your legs and can help you make up time in your next race.” There are various ways to prepare for such races. Some of those methods are outlined in a Runner’s World item, “Avoid Downhill Disasters: How To Train For a Downhill Marathon” by Brian Metzler, listed next (not in the order in the article) to include: a) preparing your body with strength training that hits the core and lower body muscles b) incorporating downhill running in your training plan, and c) working on perfecting a good downhill form that avoid over-striding Surprisingly, also on the list is d) incorporating UPHILL running. According to Metzler it will strengthen all the “backside” muscles that extend from the gluteal group to the hamstring and calve groups to the foot fascia, so that they can assist the quadriceps muscle during downhill movement. Other help can come from changing to shoes with more cushioning, training on trails/barefoot to strengthen feet and lower legs and improve proprioception (your “feel for the road”), and increasing the length of a taper (to rest the legs sufficiently before a long distance race). Jason Karp has an excellent article in Competitor.com “Downhill Training workouts to Improve Speed, Control“. Jen Weir (her article started my search to learn more), also provides advice in it. I searched the medical literature and found research articles that examine eccentric exercise, but could not find one that was directed at my entry-level of understanding or that reviewed the topic generally or in relation to running. But I received the impression that investigation into this specific type of resistance training was possibly at an early stage and garnering increased interest. One of the exercises studied in athletes is the Nordic Hamstring Exercise, also mentioned in the Weir article. I found a demonstration on YouTube that looked “dangerous” for less trained individuals (myself as a model; I could strain/hurt something) but then located one that appeared to more “safely” utilize a Swiss Ball to help maintain control during the exercise performance. I am not yet sufficiently educated on the subject to confidently endorse other exercises recommended by the various articles. The American College of Sports Medicine position seems to indicate there is a place for incorporating this specific type of exercise into training. There may be more discussion in the popular sources so I thought it was worth introducing to you. I hope to learn more and ease into some downhill training. WARNINGS are given in each and every article about how eccentric training leads to a moderate amount of MUSCLE DAMAGE (which is what leads to strengthening!) such that no more than one session per week is advised or NEEDED! If you have information that been helpful to you, please share! RUN HAPPY! http://running.competitor.com/2016/02/training/why-runners-should-do-eccentric-training_145368 https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/eccentric-resistance-exercise.pdf?sfvrsn=4 http://running.competitor.com/2014/07/training/perfect-your-downhill-running-form_52804 http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/avoid-downhill-disasters http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/training/downill-running-workouts_70437 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vynsCfHZ69A (Nordic hamstring with Swiss ball) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFYVfGJtT1A (Nordic Hamstring) HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO ALL AND CONGRATULATIONS to those who completed their 10K at this point! I ran my race on the weekend while visiting the Texas Gulf Coast. I charted a quiet 3-mile loop alongside a nearby bird sanctuary-nature preserve. The course was unknown to me but it was flat, flat, flat! The day was lovely. Clouds covered the eastern half of the sky so the sunrise was not to be seen, but the western sky was clear blue. The warm soft breeze and the sound of the surf hitting the beach was energizing.
I had not run for 5 days because of travel and torrential downpours of rain in the area, but had loosened up the day before with an easy 3.5mile run. My finish time was not a personal best but I was very happy with it. I hope you all enjoyed training for and running your goal race too! The "ON TO A HALF MARATHON" plan is available on the RESOURCES page. The starting day of March 13 was for those wishing to run an early May race, but it can be delayed a bit for those planning a later date race. I had planned on registering for an organized half marathon on April 17 (the same one for which I first had ever received an official time, back in 2013), after not being able to run it since because of injury and family commitments. Again, there's a really special family event that weekend! BUT because i have been training for this date, and am significantly ahead of the "ON TO A HALF MARATHON" Plan schedule I will race an EarnedRuns Half Marathon on April 18, the day of the Boston Marathon. I'll start my race the same time and visualize myself being there, albeit NOT QUALIFIED TO RUN IT, AND ONLY COVERING HALF THE DISTANCE. Maybe 2016-2017 will be the year to train for a marathon? RUN HAPPY! |
BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device. AuthorEARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder. In 1978 I began participating in 10K road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology. I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health and longevity. Archives
November 2023
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