Search Results for: warm up

The Distance Runner’s Warm-up: Get your body and your mind prepared to run FAST

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The runner’s warm-up is a unique time. Before a hard workout, and even more-so for a race, there’s a lot that needs to happen both physically AND mentally. A warm-up tells your legs to ‘wake up’ because they’re about to start running fast. Gradually notching down the pace, starting with the relaxed running, prepares the legs, rather than a complete SLAP in the face…the shock of a hard 400 off the bat. Got a bit of the lazy bug or backwards thinking towards the warm-up? (ie: Thinking that you’re ‘saving energy’ for the workout/race is backwards logic…hehe) * Physiologically: Those super expensive cars can brag about going 0-60 in seconds, but your body doesn’t work that way. Sort of like you wouldn’t want to get ripped out of bed and chucked into the middle of a tempo run, your legs need time to adjust to, “Okay, time to run,” then “Okay, time to run FAST!” The science behind it can get wordy, but basically muscle function and glycogen burning (sourcing energy) works most efficiently when done through negative splits. Start slow (ie: running a warm-up) and work into those faster paces. * Feels ‘easier’: Thanks to that science, your muscles, once introduced/eased into that pace, will make the same times feel relatively easier. You will be able to then run faster off of a proper warm-up. I think all runners are down for that. * Mentally prepare: The warm-up is also a time for runners to get their heads on straight. Visualize what you want to accomplish during the workout, quell those nerves and keep them in check. Remember that you will stay relaxed and controlled when the pain is setting in. What is a ‘real’ warm-up? Studies are proving there should be more elements to your warm-up routine than Continue Reading →

Setting a Warm-up Routine – You’ll Run Better and Feel Better Doing it

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I don’t want to waste energy. I’m really late and the gun is JUST about to go off. I don’t really need to. I’m just plain lazy. All reasons, ahem excuses, that people give for not wanting to do a warm-up. The energy wasting one is something that I’m sure even the most seasoned vet is guilty of when they first started out, I knew I fell for that one in my first few meets. Or I guess back then I was probably also just lazy too. Though this is one of the biggest fallacies even though common sense might lead you to plead a case for it. Physiologically your body CAN’T perform at its best going from 0 to 60 the second the gun goes off. Sadly we are not a high performance sports car that all the macho guys drive, peel out, and feel like ‘the man.’ Rather, our muscles burn glucose (energy) most efficiently if you gradually work into that faster pace. Not only will you be running faster if you’ve warmed up but it will actually feel easier too. [the same rules apply for the actual race, and that’s why it’s smarter to run negative splits; go out at one pace and pick up the pace as the race progresses, make that closing mile/lap your fastest] What constitutes a good warm-up? Well, that is different for everyone and it’s a matter of finding one that fits with you. Still, there are some general ingredients to add to this recipe; I’ll just put out what worked for me when I was racing. Another couple of things; the other major benefit of having a warm-up routine set out is once you find the perfect recipe for YOU, stick to it. Keeping the same routine helps eliminate variables for Continue Reading →

A Case of Missing Legs: When ‘dead legs’ show up to your starting line, you still have to claim them as yours

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Have you ever shown up to a race…CRACK…and from the first step the pair of legs you were running on felt completely and utterly foreign? Dead legs…strap in you’re in for a long race. The funny, or maybe more correctly maddening, thing about running is that you can’t always predict how you’re going to be feeling on any particular day. You can erect the most scientific training plan in the world, taper like a genius, but still, come the day of the race there is the margin of the unknown. You do all you can to swing the favor of the running gods and them blessing you with the legs you worked your butt off for, that you earned, that you deserve to race on…but there are no guarantees. Dead legs happen in races, in workouts, in random runs too. The ‘easy’ days after a hard workout you can kind of expect that the legs won’t be feeling so fresh, you anticipate some rougher miles; these days aren’t so much a case of dead legs due to chance but rather hard work of days’ past. What makes this case of dead legs bearable, almost sickly rewarding, is that you know the hard work of yesterday will eventually pay off. But dead legs on a race are frustrating and can be incredibly defeating if you let them screw with your psyche. If that happens any chance of salvaging at least a respectable performance gets whittled down to near nil and you could bring a horrendous trudge to the finish line upon yourself. While it certainly SUCKS to come to a big race, fully tapered, expecting a PR and wind up with legs you wouldn’t want to claim as your own it is fully possible to race respectable off of tired legs. Continue Reading →

A Tail of Three Piggies in Training: Piglets on a mission to run fast for the upcoming season

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A Tail of Three Piggies…the Running Redux. We’ve all grown accustomed to that classic childhood fable of the three little piggies and the wolf; this time it gets revamped with a running twist. You see, in actuality those three little piggies had been trying to get into this whole running scene… It was summer and prime opportunity to get a jump start on the upcoming season; this summer would be their base building phase. Piggie number one had schooled up on some Lydiard theories, he dedicated himself to miles, miles, miles, the more the better. Obviously he didn’t pay all that much attention to the pace of them, slow and steady gets the job done, right? Every Sunday he laced up for his long run and planned to reach at least a marathon distance come the end of summer Piggie number two had always been blessed with speed, but truth be told he wasn’t all that much of a hard-worker. Of all the piggies he had the most talent and decided that as long as he stayed sharp he’d kick his two brothers’ butts by the end of the racing season. He ran three days a week and short; he didn’t bother to warm-up (why waste extra energy?) and hammered 200 meter repeats. Sunday he devoted to carbo-loading for the next week’s workouts. Piggie number three was lucky and had built a house of bricks near a forest with tons of trails. He found loads of hills and decided that he’d build quads of steel off of them. He liked rolling hills the most and for most days he’d run the same route and try and get faster than the last time. One day a week he’d do hill repeats up the steepest one he could find and for that Continue Reading →

Runner Upkeep and Care…

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I tell myself that the bag of ice strapped to my leg isn’t cold at all. I fool myself into believing that delving my lower body into the entire ice bath will not in fact be the materialization of he** freezing over. I implore my legs to fall in love with the foam roller and I tell my IT Band that it will so fall in love with rolling up and down this slab of foam that it will want to make sweet baby bands with it. 😉 I’m sort of impressed with my own foot taping skills, not going to lie, I can tape up a foot like a champ…should I print out a little certification letter and have my podiatrist sign it? I’ve grown tired of explaining to non-running people what half-peeled down dixie cups filled with frozen water are doing in my freezer that I’m tempted to tell them they are mystery flavored popsicles. Spoiler Alert: I’m pretty sure the flavor is a mix of salt and feet. I fight with the dogs over who actually owns the tennis balls. I’m pretty sure in fact they are the sole possession of my soles to make my plantar fascia happy. I love my chair. I love feeling entitled to plop down in it and not move, bask in the laziness because I know I earned the right to be slothful. I’m tired from my run dangit! 😉 1) What are some of the things you do to help keep your runner body healthy and tuned up? 2) Are you a fan of the ice bath? Do you tend to do that regularly? 3) Anybody us athletic tape for certain injuries; if so, which and where? I know there is also a new line of it, the colored variety Continue Reading →

Let’s Get Hyped: 5 Strategies to Talk Yourself Up into the Running Zone

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Handling pre-race (or pre-hard workouts for that matter!) anxiety and nerves is something every runner deals with. There is always a certain level of pressure regardless of the situation; some pressure is a good thing because it allows us to elevate our game to the necessary level. There is a swell of emotions all warring inside ourselves regardless of outward appearances; the difference between the runners that you can see this tumult in their faces from those you can’t is how well the athlete is able to channel, compartmentalize, and utilize these feelings to their benefit. All of the nerves, the wanting to do your best, the fear of wondering if you’ll be able to handle the pain, wondering if you’ll beat so-and-so, hoping you hit a certain time, questioning whether you need one more bathroom stop…all of that is normal, but depending on how you handle and cope with everything going on inside your brain translates to how well your body is able to perform. Running is a mental sport. Here are five tips that I feel work to getting a handle on your brain before a race or hard workout so that you can put them to work, to HELP you step up and be the gamer you want to be: * Visualization: I did an entire post on this but the power of self-visualization is one that I feel is huge. the thing though, is that it works with practice and something you should be doing before the actual event/workout in order to hone your skills. Start in a quite room and imagine going through the race or workout just as you’d like it to play out; from the last stride of your warm-up to battling through that last interval. Anticipate the pain and practice staying relaxed. Continue Reading →

Superstitions, Stupidstitions, Rituals and Routines…

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Do you have any superstitions? Any little routines that you like have to do before a race? Some little secret good luck charms or habits that for whatever reason you do; you probably know on some level they are ‘dumb’ or silly and don’t reeaaally promise a good outcome, but you do it anyways…better safe than sorry, right? 😉 To a degree getting into a routine is a good thing: * Keeps you organized * Makes sure you don’t forget something * Consistency is generally always the best bet in terms of running/workout performance (limit the variables) So it could be argued that those little pre-race, or workout, ritual/routines DO have some kind of positive effect on the outcome. It’s more just a matter of what they are and how quirky they get. Hey, we all have embarrassing little habits/secrets, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours! 😉 Good ‘Normal’ Pre-race/run rituals: * Starting your warm-up exactly the same time, every time out: this could be for both hard workouts and races…again, consistency * Doing the same sequence of warm-up drills/strides: after your easy running, do your stretches, drills, and strides in the same order…helps your body know what’s coming and ensures you don’t forget something * Putting the shoes/bib number/singlet on in the ‘right’ order: okay, here is kind of where we move towards not that important, but if it helps you not forget something…I know some people have to put such-and-such on at just the ‘right’, specific time before they go to the line * Same pre-run/race foods: okay, the night before you probably want to steer clear of the World’s Hottest Tri-Bean Chili, but the night before isn’t going to make or break you (unless you’re moving into the marathon, plus races) but rather what Continue Reading →

The Good, the Bad, the Ridiculous and the Awesome – The Running Round-up of 2011

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The year’s almost over already?! January always seems to sneak up on me no matter what…I really hope I’m not the only one who looks back over the year, scratches her head and wonders, “Hmmm, okay, and what exactly did I accomplish this year?” Regardless if I’m any more productive or not, a new year is a’coming, and I’ve been laughing at some of the ‘Top of 2011’ lists that are making the rounds. I have a new blog that I’m going to be stalking: EatRunSwag! Of particular hilarity are the ‘Top 5 WTF Moments of 2011’ and ‘The 5 Worst Pieces of Running Gear of 2011’. I’m glad that someone called out the Vibrams as being ridiculous. I have never worn a pair and the day I do will also be the day that I start strutting around in those Shape-Ups shoes in lieu of my workout. There was one major oversights in my opinion so I feel obligated to add to the list: Source 1) Reebok EasyTone Clothing line. I think this one may in fact surpass even the shoes. But 2011 has brought us plenty of good and fun new running related goods: 1) All about compression. We’ve got compression socks, sleeves, and I’ve even seen some for knees and other random spots. I know that the first few people to sport them got made fun of or people thought they were sporting soccer socks but I’m glad to see those naysayers are singing a different tune. Compression accessories have been shown to promote blood-flow which isn’t only going to help you WHILE you’re actually running but are perhaps even better to wear afterwards to promote recovery. Another time they can really come in handy is if you’re going to be sitting in a long car ride Continue Reading →

In My Mind I Dance Like a Swan — And Am Super Flexible

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Well, at least I know where all the flexibility and coordination went in my family… actually it’s never been a secret. So I spent the night watching my little sis’s dance show and while I may be biased, I’ll say she’s the bestest one out there. 🙂 (pix from tonight are being stupid and not working at the moment…sorry) I have always had that little girlie part of me lurking away any time ice skating or gymnastics is on; that part that sorta wished I had even one fiber of grace and the ability to do all those flippy things. Dance performances can pull that part out sometimes, but I know my place…I’ll cheer and live vicariously through the sis. Running makes you tighter, combine that with my mom’s DNA and we have my situation…I’ve never once, not once, touched my toes while keeping my legs straight. I use the excuse that since I’m all legs my arms proportionately never stood a chance. Excuses aside, I have been doing a little better in my pledge to do at least SOME stretching. I may not ever do splits while conscious but neglecting the problem is certainly doing me no favors and was like letting it fester. Reasons not to fester: increased chances of injury, limiting range of motion, poor form, by the time I’m 30 I’ll need a walker… If you’re like me and don’t like to stretch or say you don’t have time, I’ll call you out, I did it to myself and here are some sneaky ways to get your stretch on: (PS-rembember it’s counterproductive to stretch cold muscles, so only do so after you’ve warmed up…mmmmk) *Dynamic leg swings: if you only have a second, I’d pick these. Hold onto a pole, swing your left leg front to Continue Reading →

To Yogurtopia We Go — Part III where all things get tied up in a nice little, sugary licorice bow

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*****Here is the ending to our fine fairy tale, but in case you need to be caught up, check out Part I and Part II, there are also some pictures of our lovely ladies that even if you’ve seen already are still worth a second glance at…unless of course you’re some pervy old man. 😉 ****** Cait was about to go on and list the rest of the array of flavors when suddenly from the top of the peanut butter flavored yogurt serving vat sprang up a person! “What is the…?!” Vanessa couldn’t even finish her thought on that one. “Hey there, Julie!” Cait nonchalantly greeted the woman licking peanut butter fro-yo off her…well, everywhere. Apparently this was just business as usual at Yogurtopia. “Thanks for letting me take a dip, I think I’ve just about satisfied my craving,” Peanut Butter Fingers Julie replied, a big smile on her face. Amazingly her hair had somehow managed to avoid getting fro-yo-fied and fell in loose waves around her shoulders; the runners also noticed that PB Julie certainly had some wicked fashion sense. “I’ve gotta check out what kind of shoes that girl’s wearing,” Katy muttered under her breath, for only a split second distracted from the Biebs, but just as fast turned her attention right back to him. “I have the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips on hand if you’d like me to toss a few in?” Cait continued addressing Julie. “I think I’m good, for now,” Julie had emerged and worked her way to the counter and group of runners. “Hi, I’m Julie, nice to meet you all!” “Hey,” SkinnyRunner was the first to speak, “I like your dress.” “Thanks a bunch,” Julie replied and then from out of the chocolate fro-yo vat a dog suddenly popped up, leaped Continue Reading →