TRAINING TIP TUESDAY - "Work Your Weakness!"

WORK YOUR WEAKNESSES

Greg McMillanArticles

TIMING AND QUANTITY ARE KEY

All runners have strengths. All runners have weaknesses. For a competitive runner moving to the front of the pack (or your age group), it becomes increasingly important to correctly identify your strengths and weaknesses and to use this knowledge to maximize your performance.

Runners can be divided into three general types — Speedsters, Endurance Monsters and Combo Runners. Think about your training and racing history and see which description below sounds most like you.

SPEEDSTERS

The Speedster (S) dominates her peers in any workout where the repeats are short and fast (5K race pace or faster). Track workouts, fartlek runs and short races get S excited and leave her fatigued but not trashed. However, long runs, tempo runs, marathon training and longer races take more out of S than a day of hard intervals on the track. When comparing race results with her peers, S is often frustrated that she can perform so well at short races but as the distance increases, she gets left behind.

ENDURANCE MONSTERS

For the Endurance Monster (EM), long runs, marathon training, tempo runs and any workout slower than 10K are no problem and usually revitalizing. The more miles per week the better: recovery is quick from long workouts, and the EM feels strength growing proportional to the volume covered. However, EM finds it very difficult to get her legs to go fast. Short, fast training like 200m-400m track workouts and hard fartlek runs leave EM feeling deflated. Short races like 5Ks also leave EM wrecked for days. EM also finds that she can almost double her 5K PR in a 10K and nearly double her half marathon PR in her marathon.

COMBO RUNNERS

The Combo Runner (C) is the most common type of runner. He performs well in all types of workouts -short/fast and long/slow. C also performs equally well in races of 5K to the marathon, placing nearly the same compared to his peers in each distance. He’s not perfectly balanced, however, and may find some subtle tendencies towards one type of workout or race. A comparison of race times over distance, compared to “standard” curves also reveals a trend toward better performances at shorter or longer races.

CUSTOMIZING YOUR TRAINING

Follow these simple rules to get the most from your unique body.

1. Weaknesses First, Strengths SecondAs you start your training program, focus first on workouts that are your weakness. For example, if you are a Speedster and tempo runs are your worst nightmare, then do some of them in the early stages of your program. As the race nears and you reach the meat of your training, shift the emphasis to your strengths. Speedsters should include more 5K-type training (track workouts, fartlek runs, etc.) as their race approaches. Endurance Monsters should include more tempo runs and long repeats closer to the race.
2. Small Doses of WeaknessesOne caveat: workouts that focus on your weaknesses take a great toll on you. Therefore, insert only small doses of these workouts into your plan and space them out by several days. For example, if you are an Endurance Monster, you should include some track workouts and shortraces in the early stages of your training. But, you must keep the workouts short (low volume) and infrequent (once every two weeks). You need only four to six workouts that focus on your weaknesses during your training program; otherwise, your body can get overly fatigued and the mental strain of these workouts can erode your confidence.
3. Large Doses of StrengthsYou will, however, want to include a heavy dose of your strengths in the later stages of your training, as your key race approaches. You want to go into your peak race(s) with great workouts and a load of confidence. Running workouts that are your strengths in the final eight to 10 weeks before your key race is one of the most important strategies for successful racing. For example, if you’re a Combo Runner but tend to like tempo runs and marathon-pace runs before your longer races (10K to marathon), then insert them weekly (and sometimes twice per week) in the last few weeks before your big race.
4. VarietyYou should sprinkle some strength workouts into your plan in the early part of training and some weakness workouts into the later parts of the plan. Just remember that including weakness workouts as the race nears is tricky: Perform them just once every three weeks or so and keep them very short. For example, if you’re an Endurance Monster, go to the track for a few (6 to 8 repeats) 200s or 400s every three to four weeks, even in the later stages of the training. This keeps your body working on its weaknesses without being negatively affected by the workouts.
5. Know When to Throw in the TowelSome runners are so extreme that they must totally abandon weakness and work only on strengths. I see this a lot with marathon runners. Some are pure Endurance Monsters. If mileage is your key to success then just run mileage. It’s OK. You need to do what makes you the best runner you can be. The same goes for Speedsters. If tempo runs and long runs/races completely destroy you mentally and physically, then avoid them. Go to the track more often and work on your speed. That’s where your greatest benefit lies.

Thursday Thought - "Running Technique - The Importance of Cadence and Stride."

Running Technique: The Importance of Cadence and Stride

Rookies in almost any sport spend the bulk of their time—at least in the beginning—learning proper technique. Whether it's honing that penalty shot on the soccer field, executing the perfect tackle in football or achieving an efficient swim stroke, athletes and coaches spend a lot of time and effort on the mechanics of the sport.

Running isn't exempt. In fact, proper running technique is paramount.

 

Arm carriage and correct foot fall are important for developing a precise running gait, but the easiest way to improve your form is to focus on running cadence. The correct cadence can vary by individual. Optimal cadence is generally considered to be somewhere around 180 strides per minute.

"170 and higher is ideal, but 'ideal' is slightly different for each person," says Blaise Dubois, a physiotherapist and owner of The Running Clinic in Quebec, Canada.

Consider the benefits to both performance and injury prevention when training your stride cadence. As you become accustomed to pounding the pavement around 180 times each minute, you'll likely find yourself less injury prone and faster.

Preventing Injuries

A number of studies have suggested that a faster running cadence helps to adjust a runner's form, and in turn, may lead to fewer injuries.

In a recent study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the biomechanics of step rate were analyzed. Researchers monitored three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics in 45 healthy, recreational runners and paid special attention to the hip, knee and ankle joints. They found that slight increases in stride cadence led to significant reductions in loading on the knee and hip joints, which, they hypothesize, might help prevent some of the most prevalent running injuries.

"It decreases the vertical loading rate and the stress on the skeletal system, in particular the knees, hips and lower back," says Dubois about increased cadence.

A quicker cadence generally leads a runner to hit midfoot compared to runners with longer strides. This longer stride causes runners to extend their legs out in front of their body, creating a breaking effect. This can slow you down and lead to injuries.

Improving Performance

The majority of elite runners strike the ground around 180 to 184 times each minute. This cadence remains whether they are running a 1500-meter race or a marathon.

"This can benefit efficiency by increasing running economy," Dubois says.

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Running economy is all about how efficiently you use oxygen at a certain pace. The more efficient you are in using it, the better your running economy. Running cadence is inextricably linked to economy because it affects the way you strike the ground. Better form and optimal cadence translates into improved running economy and faster times.

Dialing in Your Stride

"Retraining cadence is easy to learn for 90 percent of people," Dubois says.

While it is next to impossible to adequately judge your form while you're running, counting your strides for one minute is simple. Start your watch and begin counting.

Once you have a number—many recreational runners strike between 150 and 155 times per minute—begin working to improve it.

If you're on a treadmill, a metronome can be a great tool. There are plenty of places you can download a metronome mp3 set to 180 beats per minute.

Alternatively, download 10 to 15 songs that are around 180 beats per minute. Check online for recommendations or download a program that analyzes songs and lists the beats per minute. You can even drag in slower songs and have them reset to 180 bpm.

The transition to a faster cadence may initially feel foreign, but as you achieve that desired rhythm, it will become second nature.

Soon you'll find yourself running faster and more efficiently, getting you a little closer to the pros.

TRAINING TIP TUESDAY - "How To Execute The Perfect Tempo Run!"

How to Execute the Perfect Tempo Run

• By Jason Fitzgerald
• For Active.com

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Tempo runs should be run at about the effort you could hold for a one-hour race, or "comfortably hard." For most runners, it's somewhere between their 10K and half marathon race paces.

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When in doubt, run slower than you think you should. Tempo runs become counterproductive when they're done too fast, so focus on running at a hard but manageable pace.

Tempo Troubleshooting

Sometimes a workout can go wrong but it can always be salvaged and turned into a productive session. Here's how to address the most common tempo run problems.

"I went out too fast!"

The problem with going out too fast is you've spiked your heart rate and lactate production, so if you continue at this pace, your tempo run will turn into a VO2 max repetition. It's also risky to run too fast because you're more likely to get a running injury.

If you realize you're running too fast, slow down for a minute to about 10 to 20 seconds slower than your tempo pace. This will allow your heart rate to decrease, and you can then gradually get back to your appropriate effort level.

"It's too hot/cold/windy!"

The weather has a serious effect on any tempo workout by making it seem harder than it should. The fix is simple: Adjust your expectations and slow down. Focus on the effort of the workout, not the pace. Now is a good time to leave your GPS watch at home.

If you're running in the summer, it's best to run first thing in the morning when the sun is at its weakest and the temperature is still manageable in the early hours. Can't run in the morning? Wait as long as you can later in the day and find shade if possible. And of course, start your run well hydrated.

"I get too out of breath and have to stop during my tempo runs."

If you have to stop and catch your breath during a tempo workout, you're running them too fast. Your heart rate should be approximately 85 to 90 percent of its maximum, which should feel difficult but manageable. Any faster and you'll need more recovery, which is not the point of a good tempo run.

Once you learn to run by feel and focus on effort, then account for the weather, you'll have many more successful tempo workouts. And you'll become a much faster runner.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS = "King (Queen) of The Hills!"

Unless you do all of your running on a treadmill or track, at some point you’ll find yourself going up and down hills. That’s good: Running hills has many benefits, no matter what level of runner you are. Below we’ll look at why you should incorporate hills into your running, the right form to use when running up and down hills, and the best way to make use of hills in races. Although some runners are naturally better at running uphill, and some find their forte is speeding downhill, everyone can improve how they handle both types of slopes.

Benefits of Hill Running

The best runners in the world run hills all the time, both in their daily training and in specific hill workouts. Among the reasons:

• Hills can improve your running form by increasing knee lift, joint mobility, and neuromuscular fitness (how well your nervous system communicates with your muscles).
• Hills improve muscular strength (your legs’ ability to produce force) and power (the ability to produce a lot of force quickly).
• Hills provide an added cardiovascular boost.

We’re not talking just uphill running here. Learning how to run dowhill efficiently can:

• improve your foot speed;
• increase your range of motion;
• make you a smoother, more efficient runner on any terrain;
• reduce your risk of injuries as you become adept at not crashing into the ground.

Of course, getting better at running up and down hills will also help you in any race with hills.

How to Run Uphill

You may have heard that the best way to get to the top is to “lean into the hill.” That doesn’t mean bending your torso at a 90-degree angle.

“Just as you shouldn’t lean forward from the waist when running on flat terrain, you don’t want to lean from the waist on hills,” says Pete Magill, a running book author, U.S. masters record-holder, and coach of the Cal Coast Track Club. Imagine that you’re running on flat terrain, Magill says, and adopt a stride perpendicular to that terrain. “This will naturally result in a slight forward lean on the actual uphill terrain,” Magill says, with the lean coming from your ankles.

The key to climbing efficiently is to use your normal running form as much as possible. Of course, your stride length and stride rate will change, depending on the grade and length of the hill (and, on trails, the footing). But the essentials remain the same as when running on flat ground:

• Think about “running tall,” with your head, shoulders, hips, and ankles aligned.
• Look ahead rather than down.
• You’ll use your arms more as you lift your knees, but keep your shoulders and arms relaxed, and the insides of your wrists passing near your waist.

“You need your knees to pop up with each stride, and you need to maintain your stride rate,” says Magill. “If you lean into the hill too much, you put too much pressure on both your quadriceps and, especially in the case of a steeper hill, your calves. We get a lot of power from our glutes and hamstrings, so you don’t want to sideline them by using a stride that emphasizes pushing at the expense of that foot strike.”

Emily Harrison, a coach with McMillan Running who has won trail ultramarathons and run a 2:32 road marathon, says to stay mindful of stride rate. “When I think about increasing my cadence, it may not in reality be changing much, but it’s a good cue to keep me light on my feet and to not fall into bad habits,” she says. “I like to cue myself to think ‘powerful’ going up a hill.” 

“Your stride length will naturally shorten, both as a result of gravity and of the ground rising to meet each foot strike,” says Magill. “That’s okay. Don’t waste energy trying to maintain your normal stride length.”

How to Run Downhill

There are two common—and contradictory—mistakes runners make on downhills. Some lean back and brake, which greatly increases impact forces on your joints and causes you to slow. Others take the opposite approach, flailing down the hill out of control (and causing unnecessary muscle damage in the quadriceps).

Instead, “try to maintain a stride and effort that’s consistent with the rest of your run,” says Magill. “Allow for either a slightly faster cadence or a slightly longer stride length, and probably a little of both.”

On gradual to moderate downhills, imagine that you’re running on the flat, and aim to keep your center of gravity perpendicular to the ground. Doing so results in a slight forward lean (again, from the ankles, not from the waist). “Focus on a quick cadence and spending as little time as possible on the ground,” says Harrison. “Be sure you’re landing underneath your body and not out in front of yourself.” 

On more intense downhills, Magill says, “you’ll need to find the sweet spot between forward lean and braking based upon your own fitness and experience. Whatever you do, don’t go springing out into the air and dropping that extra couple inches with each stride.” If a downhill is so steep that you’re concerned about falling, shorten your stride and decrease your cadence.

TRAINING TIP TUESDAY - "Sleep Better (And Longer) To Run Better"

Sleep Better (And Longer) To Run Better

By Deb Dellapena

Here are five ways a good night’s sleep can help improve your running.

Everybody knows how important sleep is even though our culture of hyper-busy people discourages it. You probably know someone who brags how he only needs five hours of sleep a night and another who insists on eight hours — and it’s true, sleep needs vary.

As an athlete, getting enough sleep is as important as your food and exercise choices. Cheating on sleep makes it hard to concentrate at work, may impair you appetite and causes irritability. A sleep debt can negatively affect your running.

“You might be able to get by with one or two lousy nights of sleep, but your best performance is when you’ve had a good night’s sleep,” said James B. Maas, PhD, a psychologist from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and author of Sleep to Win.

The better sleep you get, the better you perform athletically.

Water, Water Everywhere

One of the most important ways sleep can help your running is water reabsorption — especially during the summer months when you sweat more and dehydration is more of a concern. During sleep, the kidney balances water, sodium and other electrolytes. Without enough water the kidneys can’t balance electrolytes properly.

“Dehydration leads to muscle pain while running and poor performance,” said Joanne E. Getsy, MD, professor of medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Division, Philadelphia, Pa.

After a good night of sleep, a well-hydrated runner should urinate. “If you don’t go to the bathroom within an hour of getting up, you are likely not well-hydrated,” Getsy said. “Another clue would be severe muscle pain.”

Under Construction

Besides making you feel better, sleep is when your body repairs and regenerates damaged tissue from the day’s workout and builds bone and muscle to be ready for the next workout. Distance runners especially need that sleep/repair time to make sure that muscles recover from training.

Research from Stanford published in SLEEPreported that increased sleeping time can improve athletic performance. In the study, researchers had basketball players maintain their regular sleep schedule of six to nine hours for up to four weeks. After that, they were asked to sleep 10 hours each night for five to seven weeks. Speed improved significantly (16.2 seconds verses 15.5 second for 282-foot sprints); shooting accuracy improved and the players said they felt their practices improved after six weeks of lengthening nighttime sleep length.

“This study was specifically on collegiate basketball players, not runners,” said Cheri D. Mah, the study’s research scientist at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory. “However, the study suggests that sleep is important for performance and that reducing an accumulated sleep debt can be beneficial for athletes likely at all levels. Sleep should be a high priority in an athlete’s daily training.”

“Sleep allows the body to engage in repair and also to allow for certain brain wave patterns that may serve to assist in the formation of memories, learning and task completion,” said Jim Winger, MD, assistant professor of family medicine, Primary Care Sports Medicine, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Ill.

Important when you are training your body to climb hills or meet a certain time during track work.

What The HGH?

During the deeper stages of sleep, human growth hormone, (HGH) is released during slow wave sleep. HGH is a natural hormone produced by the pituitary gland and released into the bloodstream. HGH rebuilds damaged tissue while building stronger muscles. It also helps convert fat to fuel, and keeps our bones strong.

“If you don’t get enough sleep, you produce less HGH and it becomes harder for your body to recover from workouts. Too little sleep also leads to an increase in cortisol, which often comes out during times of stress. An increase in cortisol contributes to slower recovery times,” said Shelby F. Harris, PsyD, CBSN, director, behavioral sleep medicine program, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. If your workouts are hard, your body may release greater quantities of HGH while you sleep.

Lose It

Regular sleep can boost the weight loss benefits of running.

“If you don’t get enough sleep, your body’s appetite signaling hormones [leptin and ghrelin] are thrown off,” Harris said. “Less sleep leads to more ghrelin [which makes us hungry] and less leptin [which tells us we’re full]. Sleeping a full night regularly helps keep your hunger signals in check and keeps, especially when combined with exercise, your weight down.”

For marathoners during taper weeks, regularly getting a solid night of sleep may be even more important than the miles you’re running during that time period.

“Endurance athletes find that moderate carbo-loading just before an event can enhance athletic performance,” Harris said. “However, if you’re not sleeping enough, your body won’t properly store the carbs you’re consuming [leading to less glycogen stores] and the benefits of carbo-loading may be lost. You might even hit the wall sooner than usual because your glycogen stores will be depleted too fast.”

Concentration

Mental toughness. Runners can be analytical — always trying to figure out why one race went so well and why another didn’t.

“The right amount of sleep affects your concentration,” said Nathaniel Jones, MD, from Loyola University Health System in Chicago. It takes a few hours after you fall asleep to reach deep, quality sleep, usually into the seventh hour — especially in younger athletes.

Concentration can be negatively impaired when a runner races with sleep debt.

“Enough sleep helps you tune into your body better, improves your concentration and helps you strategize the rest of the race or for the rest of the run,” Jones said. This concentration is also essential for being able to “push” it at the end of a race.

To get the best running from your sleep, Maas recommends these three things:

— Determine your sleep needs and meet it every night, “Monday through Monday.”

— Establish a regular sleep schedule: get up at the same time every day. “If you have a yo-yo sleep-wake schedule, you’re body never knows when it’s time to shut down,” Maas said. “You end up being in a constant state of jet lag without ever leaving home.”

— Get one long block of continuous sleep at night. Power naps are a last resort if you have to make up lost sleep. Snooze for 10 to 15 minutes — no longer or you might become groggy.