‘Running’ Articles at , Page 41

Is What You See Really What You Get? The paradox of your reality versus actuality and being a ‘skinny’ runnerchick

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

How accurate is your version of yourself compared to what other people see you as? Going further I’m sure what other people would describe you as probably differs even between the person being asked.

I’ve got a runner’s build. I’m smaller than the ‘average’ woman but I don’t feel like I’m out of place small. I feel normal…whatever that is. Put me in a group of athletic, endurance-based women and I’d say I probably blend in.

But I’ve been out running on the road before and had someone yell at me from their car, “Stop running girl…go eat! You look like a praying mantis!” (on a side-note, praying mantis, really? I mean of all things to compare a skinny person to, that one threw me…haha.) I got annoy, pissed even and shouted back, “Fudge you, I could eat you under the table!” Which I’m sure is the honest to goodness truth. I get peeved because in our culture it seems taboo to make fun of a fat person, but it’s okay to hate on the skinnier folk? Just saying.

I would have liked to punch the dude in the face. 🙂

If I’m in the middle of pushing myself or doing a hard workout I’m not fooling myself into believing I look pretty. My form has gotten better, I did a LOT of work on it, but I’ll never be one of those people who can make it look effortless…like a machine. I consciously remind myself to relax, drop my shoulders, but I’m sure I look heinous and most likely with some kind of spit clinging to my cheek.

I’ve done tempo runs on the treadmill and I’m sure I’ve looked quite the sight busting my bum, praying that if I bump up the speed just a hair more I can sustain it and not be thrust off the back of the machine. My pounding feet probably echo in the gym, others who don’t ‘get’ the running thing probably think I’m just insane.

The thing is, at that point I really don’t care. Seriously, I’d rather run a few seconds faster on that stupid treadmill, risk the chance of being shot off the back, even if that means earning a ‘freak’ moniker. I do know that anyone who is a ‘runner runner’ would understand and probably not even bat an eye, as they are amidst their own workouts.

To the guy in the car, I’m fully aware I’m not an obese American woman, still smaller than ‘average’ whatever that is. I know I don’t have a chest, JLo from the Block (I know she’s since moved on past that old nickname but I like it) with her booty I am not…but my legs are strong, they are muscular. My arms are defined and not the old hummingbird wings of my pre-weight lifting days.

I’m fine with it. I also kind of like the look of shock on peoples’ face when the runnerchick IS able to eat them under the table. So eat that, praying mantis!

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Disclaimer: of course there is a point of being unhealthily small and no one should feel pressured to go through unhealthy behaviors to look a certain way. At the root of it all, it’s about being happy in WHO you are, whatever that ends up looking like. I think sports/fitness can help with self-confidence.

Along the same lines of body image, SkinnyRunner did an interesting post today about Crystal Renn, a model who started out in runway but later admitted she could only maintain that frame due to an eating disorder. She then gained weight, became a plus-sized model, and a major advocate AGAINST traditional models and runway. Now, this same woman is back to a slighter self and on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which has led to a backlash amongst the plus-sized community. Interesting stuff to chew on and mull over.

Last note tied to the perception of ourselves and how it varies between who is looking at us…in the seriously now annoying craze of those meme picture frames with the black backdrop with various photo-cropped pictures of ‘how I see myself’, ‘how my mom sees me’, ‘how my co-workers see me’, etc…The Faster Bunny did a funny one on runners.
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1) How would you say your perception of yourself may be different from how someone else would describe you? And WHO is that someone else, and how would that change depending on who that person is?

2) How do you define yourself or be happy with what/who you are? How has being athletic effected that if at all?
Running, or being active, really helped me be more secure with myself. More-so because I saw my body as a vessel to actually DO something rather than aesthetics alone. But I won’t lie, if I were to say, to gain 30 pounds I wouldn’t be happy…but that’s more because I wouldn’t be happy with myself, or feel comfortable with myself, not so much because of anything anyone else may say or think.

3) How much does what other people think or tell you really effect or matter to you?
Now I’d say I’m to the point where unless you are a close friend or family member, it doesn’t bug me. But I think that comes with age, when I was in high school it mattered to me a lot more.

4) We all have strengths and weaknesses…name one of each.
strength: loyal and self-motivated
weakness: I talk too much and have no fast twitch muscle fibers

What Kind of Runner Are You? Trails, Tracks, Treadmills and Roads…Oh, My! (Part I)

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

When it comes to your choice of terrain, what kind of runner are you? Do you crave the speed of the track, the solitude of a long trail run, dodging car splash on the roads, or zoing out on the treadmill?

I was ~~sucked in~~ forced to watch one of the episodes of The Bachelor (that Ben guy, am I the only one who finds him a bit of a scruffy version of Dax Shepard?) where they were in Park City, UT and he was saying how he’s an ‘outdoorsy’ guy. He likes to be out in the woods chopping trees, riding horseback, fishing, and such. All I could think was, “Dang, I would be sucking wind out there on any runs.” Then some flashbacks to some particularly gnarly runs in Park City followed that.

Trails can be really beautiful and fun to run on (not at altitude for me, thank you very much, unless you’re acclimated to it and used to living there) and they have a way of making the miles pass faster than you think…until you look down at your watch and realize that thanks to that climb the miles were technically pretty slow! 😛

I’ve never really lived in a place where there were ample trails that were safe to run on year round. The thing with trails is you need to be really careful because if you’re not you’ll wind up hurt…or worse. I loved the quote World Class trail runner, Michael Wardian, gave me awhile back, “I remind myself not to zone out while outside and especially on the trails where a bad footfall can mean stitches and a new tooth.”

When to Dodge the Trails:

* Really rocky.One of the benefits of trail running is that it can be a much more forgiving surface than concrete IF it’s actually soft terrain. I’ve been to some trails where I was basically running on rocks and gravel which is not going to give your legs anything in the way of cushioning. On top of that the loose gravel stuff could set you up for a nasty fall or ankle twist.

* Slip and sliding…slick trails. In Oregon there were some beautiful trails but, hello, it’s Oregon and it rains a ton which means that the trails were really slick and slippery the vast majority of the time. On top of that if there is a lot of foliage…have you tried running on a bunch of wet leaves…it is your own slip and slide.

* Drastic uphill and downhill running. Lots of uphill running will make you sore (which can be a good thing if you’re intending some harder work to build strength) BUT so will tons of downhill running. The additional pounding and force of each footfall thanks to gravity when running downhill is tremendous, it’s really hard on your quads, knees, and joints. So be careful if your route has a lot of downhill.

* Roots, twists, cougars, darkness, and the other stuff.Since we’re discussing safety it’s important to bring up the obvious factors here…you need to practice running safety regardless of where you’re going but if you’re going solo for a trail run be sure to tell people where you’re going and how long you plan to be out. No one wants to go out for a run and end up having a search party bring them home…and that could be the happy ending of that story.

Another benefit of trails is that they usually make for easy insta-pop-and-squat spots! 😉

That said, there are a myriad of benefits to trail running…and if I had more access to some trails I’d get out there more.

* Strength. Like I said, running hills will build your strength tremendously. That extra strength will translate to speed when you then run flats.

* Happier joints and injury prevention. Like I said if you get on a softer surface you can do much in the way of reducing the pounding on your legs. This is one reason lots of elite athletes will go to place where there are miles of soft trails…soft trail miles are ‘easier’ on the body and with the amount they are putting in that adds up to a world of difference.

* More supple joints. Having to navigate twists, turns, and uneven surfaces will strengthen the smaller muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the ankles and feet. This, if done gradually and smartly, (don’t go from no trail running to all trail running all at once or your feet won’t have time to gradually get stronger, they will just get hurt!) will make your ankles and feet stronger and less prone to a sudden pull or sprain down the road if you do step in a pothole.

* The mental factor. A change of scenery is always nice and like I said, if you get going on a good trail that long run can ‘feel’ shorter.

So, what kind of runner are you…if you’re a trail-a-holic now’s your chance to voice why they’ve stolen your heart! 😉 This post got really long so I’m going to break it up into a series and spread the love of the track, roads, and treadmill in the next installments…mmmmk.

1) Do you like running trails, do you get a chance to run on them a lot?

2) If you had more access to trails would you take advantage of them? If not, why?

3) What are some things you need to be careful about when running trails?

4) What are some of the benefits of hitting up the trails?

Performing to Your 100% Potential and Injury Risks

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Is pushing yourself harder to get a 100% performance worth the extra risk of injury, or is ‘safer’ to back off in an attempt to lower your injury risk but wind up with a 90% performance?

This is the question that I wrote about in an article at Competitor, ‘Is Squeezing 100% Out of Yourself Worth the Risk?’. I wanted to bring it up here and get some of your thoughts as well as be able to voice a bit of my own opinion.

The question was sparked initially by something Dathan Ritzenhein said when he was discussing his own injury-riddled past year. He was quick to point out that he isn’t necessarily ‘injury prone’ but being that he’s an elite athlete it’s his job to push himself to the limit. To straddle the fine line of just enough versus too much…sometimes you go too far over the line and wind up hurt.

Different people have different reactions to that philosophy; some will always preach that leaving more in the tank or taking the conservative route is the thing to do regardless. Others are totally in line with Dathan Ritzenhein as they are training that way all the time themselves; after all even if they backed off there is no guarantee that they still might end up hurt…valid point. Then there are tons of degrees between to two extremes.

I think what it comes down to is the individual, what they are training for, and how running realistically fits into their life.

Your wall's been tagged by a runner gang! 😉

* Newbies and high school athletes have YEARS ahead of them and here is where I’d say the smarter thing to do is err on the side of ‘less is more’.

* Collegiate athletes too have years ahead of them but are in a different spot because often times there are big stakes on the line or other issues complicating matters. Their team is vying for a Championship title, they are on scholarship, their coach really wants the points…sometimes they have to race through an injury.

* Elite athletes in my opinion will be more in the position than anyone else to take more gambles than others. But their position is starkly different that ‘mortal runners’ because like Ritzenhein stated, it’s their job, it’s their livelihood AND they have a whole team working with them. Taking gambles is a little ‘safer’ being that they are able to tend to other forms of recovery and rehab the rest of the day. (ie: massage, ice baths, naps, etc.) They also have conditioned and calloused their bodies more than most and are in tune with them. Not that they don’t misread signals and make ‘I knew better than that’ mistakes like everyone does, after all they are only human.

* Mortal runners and competing runners. There are far more runners who compete but know they are not Olympics bound…still, a PR is a PR and comes with as much of a sense of reward and runner’s rush for anyone! So how do competing runners in this category play the odds?
1) Get perspective. If you have a coach, training partner, or third party who knows where you are training-wise, take advantage of them. Often times it’s easier to come up with a resolution if you’re not the actual one debating what to do.
2) Think long term. What is your ultimate goal or race? If this IS your big day maybe it’s worth risking it a bit more…but if you’ve got a whole season ahead of you maybe your decision should be different. Ask yourself, “What do I ultimately want to achieve; how will this decision or workout/race effect that?”
3) Gauge the pain. Be honest with yourself…you know ‘that’ kind of injury pain; sometimes the hardest thing to do is back off and not go harder but it’s the right thing to do. But if you’re just mentally in a blah mood because of a bad day, I think it’s at least smart to go out and start the run then take it from there.

I suppose that’s my reasoning behind it all; but I DO think that some athletes are able to handle different workloads than others or are able to handle more pounding without getting hurt than others. I think after a certain number of years all runners know about what mileage they can handle, then know when to push it and when it’s a little smarter to back off or cross-train instead.

1) What are your thoughts on this question?

2) How do you find the right balance or make decisions regarding training when it comes to workouts, backing off, or adjusting your plan?

3) What kind of mileage or workload do you know suits you best or keeps you sharp but now hurt?

4) What is your ultimate goal? It can be for the end of the season or years ahead…don’t be shy. 🙂

Just Because I Love You: Running is the Ever Constant Cupid

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Whether you are single or with a special someone, never fret because even if the fat, little Cupid didn’t come visit you with chocolates and arrows, running’s got you covered. True, it may not be able to spoon you in the middle of the night, but running can be an ideal partner in plenty of other ways. It will bring you presents all year round, not just one day in February…

Running will surprise you with…

* A dozen sweaty socks littered throughout your house. Actually these sneaky stinkers will pop up darn near everywhere, in your car, in your bag, maybe even static clung to your pants. Who can keep track of them all? Anti-blister, moisture wicking sentiments of miles past. Is that one clean or dirty?

Source
* Running shoes as far as the eyes can see. Or at least you can drool over them in the rainbow of colors…ghosts of runs past.

* A foot-full of callouses and blisters. Really, who needs a box full of chocolates when you can look at these puppies?

* A training log scribbled with jargon. Fartleks on Monday (a little extra oomph thanks to the bean burritos on Sunday, no doubt), breakdown tempo on Thursday, a PR (or PB if you prefer) on Sunday…running’s little love poems.

* A lost toenail out of the blue. You peel off that sock and SURPRISE, running left you a little token of it’s adoration of your sweatiness.

You see, running loves us one and all…in pairs, in singles, and even in droves if you swing that way.

Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you…because I love anyone who comes and visits me, my gift to you is also that I hope you inhale unholy amounts of something delicious…hey, we work for dem miles we can eat just as hard too! 😉

1) What did you do for Valentine’s Day? Even if you don’t buy into the whole Hallmarky thing, please feel free to report the happenings of just a regular Tuesday.

2) What love tokens has running blessed you with as of late?

3) If you are in a relationship, is your partner active? Are they also a runner? Do you think runners tend to pair up?
I think like minded individuals naturally come together sure and can share the same interests. I know lots of runner couples but I also know couples where one just thinks the other is plain crazy for wanting to run.

Racing Re-Cap: Things We Can All Learn From This Weekend

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

In case you’ve lived in a bit of a running cave, or don’t follow running all that much, there were some pretty big time races going on this weekend. We saw American Records being broken left and right, the family tradition of a running legacy continued, and even some late season cross country races.

Regardless of if you ever plan on chasing a record, have the desire to spike up (or racing flat up) ever again or not…here are some things we can all learn from this weekend in racing.

1) There is always someone better than you and someone working to be better than you. In a nice ironic twist, at the USATF Indoor Classic Galen Rupp broke the American Record for the indoor two mile event with 8:09.72; he took the record from Bernard Legat. The same day at the Millrose Games Bernard Legat reclaimed the indoor 5k record with 13:07.15…he took it back from Galen Rupp. Read more details and see video at Paul Merca’s site.

The lesson here is that no matter how good you are and continue to be, there is always, and will forever be, someone looking to beat you. This goes for anything; it’s a good thing as it inspires you to push harder and never settle. You’ve got to stay on your game and keep working hard if you want to stay in the game.
usatf women finish
Source: Photorun.net/Letsrun
2) ALWAYS run through the line. I think this picture says it all…from the USATF Cross Country Championships Molly Huddle (right) thought she had the win a hair too early. Sara Hall ran THROUGH the line, pushed it to the end, and ended up snagging the win.

Lesson here is the obvious don’t ever ease up or count your victory until you’re past the line; but going deeper, don’t ever assume anything. You know the old saying there…but it’s true. From both perspectives here: 1) There are no sure things in racing…now, obviously if you’re 100 meters ahead and going to the line the odds are highly stacked in your favor and a little celebrating would be a safer bet. But still…even if you’re the World Record holder, when you get to the line there are no guarantees that you will come out the winner. To an extent we’re all equals once the gun is fired. 2) From Sara Hall: Don’t ever give up until it’s over. Racing should spur in you the urge to dig a little deeper and rise to the occasion…when it comes crunch time, search for that other gear, lock on to the competitor ahead of you and work to close the gap. Charge to that line and run all the way through it.

3) Onward and upward…things are always moving forward. In case you’re unaware, in recent years the times of top harriers have dropped remarkably in distance events. For the first time in decades Americans are also a part of the surge and mixing it up with the Africans. This applies from to the pro’s, the collegians, high-schoolers and road runners alike.

In Friday’s Husky Classic, Sally Kipyego won the women’s 5k race in 15:15.41. In doing so she ran the world’s fastest indoor 5k this year but behind her a whopping eight collegiate women ducked under the NCAA automatic qualifying time of 16:04.50…that’s quite a field. Read a much better and inclusive recap of those races at Paul Merca’s blog as he recounts.

Lesson here is that competition and surrounding yourself by people who are BETTER than you or at least on par is not only the best thing for you but the best thing for the sport. (Or whatever it is you are working towards.) If you want to get the best out of yourself, for whatever goal that is, you have to push yourself…push yourself harder and then some more, past what you think you are capable of. To do that, having someone ahead of you and also right on your butt is a sure fire way to make you dig for that extra gear you might not think you have.

That’s it for me, and I hope you’re all having a great weekend!

1) Were you following the big meets this weekend? Do you follow the sport of running; what sports do you follow?

2) Do you agree with or see any other lessons to be pulled from this weekend?

3) What did you do this weekend? Any races yourself?

Runners Have Legs For…

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Today is short and to the point.

Running gives us oh so many perks in life, be it the physical benefit of a strong body or the mental boost from endorphins. And ya, the high after a PR or gut busting run is hard to beat too!

For all the miles we put in we’re getting plenty back as well. We just gotta work for dem miles!! 😉

1) What’s your favorite physical trait?
My legs.

2) Has your running and exercise impacted why that’s your favorite physical trait?
Yup, because I like them more because of what they are capable of rather than what they actually look like…I mean a kankle on the right side isn’t exactly my FAVORITE looking thing in the world…haha. 😉

3) What’s your best non-physical trait?
Work ethic.

4) Has running impacted or improved that non-phyical trait at all?
I think they are both pretty inter-related.

Adjusting ‘The Plan’: A Training Plan is Etched in Stone, More Like an Outline

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

When it comes to workouts and training I like plans. I like knowing what I’m going to be doing ahead of time. I feel most productive if I know where I am, know where I want to end up, and have the outline of how I’m going to be getting there.

Training plans aren’t etched in stone, I know that, but I like at least an outline, the gist of what’s in store for me tomorrow. But sometimes you CAN’T know and have to just roll with the punches so to speak.

You can’t foresee how you’re going to be in the future, sports science is the field of learning all we can to best predict performance ahead of time and stack the odds in your favor but there are NO SURE THINGS.

Times you just have to cede to not knowing and come up with things on the spot:

* Injury: We all hate them but they come with the game. An injury forces you to reassess your training program and adapt it.

* Coming back from an injury: This is separate because each injury is different and unique to the individual. The body is amazingly resilient at repairing itself…it can take longer or shorter than expected and here is where you just take it on the day by day approach. It’s amazing what a few weeks or even days can make…which can be both uplifting at times and heartbreaking at others. You can’t rush the recovery process but take it day by day…test it out and if things are improving run with the good news. Just don’t rush it.

* Change in volume:Anyone who’s increased their mileage can attest that the effects of fatigue are cumulative. It’s funny how you can feel stronger in the first few weeks but then get a sucker-punch to the face seemingly out of nowhere, “I’ve been running X amount of miles more than I was used to for a month now, why am I suddenly so tired?” The answer is it’s catching up to you. When you increased the workload you should prepare yourself for the extra fatigue and this may mean adjusting your planned hard workouts…either more recovery days between them or adjusting the goal times.

Didn't see that coming...

* Change in variables: A smart tactic is to only change one thing at a time; for example if you up your mileage don’t also up the intensity of your workouts. There are other variable to remember…namely curve balls life throws your way. Stress isn’t just hype and life stress can effect your running…especially if it comes with less sleep.

* The ‘who’s legs are these’ workout: They happen…your body just comes up flat and ugly. It’s the workout where from the first minute you know things are awry, and you might never really know why. Here is where you have to make some decisions: chuck the watch and go off of effort, adapt the workout so that you gain something from it (ie: if you planned milers but are super slow, switch to 200’s and sometimes the shift in muscle groups will allow you to at least benefit from one type of workout), or take the day as an easy run and attempt the workout tomorrow or later in the week.

In running, and in life, we can’t always have the answers or the absolute plan. I hate it as much as the next OCD runner…but remember that it’s okay to have those small margins of unknown. We still usually have an idea of where we eventually want to end up, an outline, we aren’t completely floating in nothingness.

When we have to adjust, or wait and see what tomorrow holds before we can make a decision, we do our best to let go of the anxiety of ‘not knowing,’ need to loosen up, sleep on it, and go with the flow. 😉

1) Do you like to have a plan with your workouts or at least know what you’re doing the next day?
Yes.

2) How do you ‘stay loose’ and made modifications as needed when things force you to adapt your plan?
Depending on what it is; with an injury it’s easier because mostly it’s staying positive and doing what you CAN to stay on track.

3) What are times you’ve had to make adjustments to your training plan?
Oh so many…and honestly we all should be adjusting them and they are more like outlines. Have an outline that may be months long, but you recalibrate each week as it goes along.

Motivation and Self-Deception: Sometimes it’s a matter of talking yourself up or lying yourself into a run

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Cait — 27 Comments ↓

Running and getting sweaty is tough business…it’s hard work to get out there and consistently kick your own tush. Don’t get me wrong it comes with plenty of rewards, (nothing can beat the feeling of shaking legs and a new PR and the perk of inhaling unholy amounts of sweets isn’t bad either!) but keeping pace with the motivation factor is an ongoing battle.

Hey, motivational pictures count too! 🙂

Sometimes you need to remind yourself WHY you are doing this and that in the end it’s worth it. This is where motivational quotes can really come in handy:

“An athlete who tells you the training is always easy and always fun simply hasn’t been there. Goals can be elusive which makes the difficult journey all the more rewarding.” – Alberto Salazar

“It is true that speed kills. In distance running, it kills anyone who does not have it.” – Brooks Johnson

“Just do it.” – Nike

“Ask yourself: ‘Can I give more?’. The answer is usually: ‘Yes’.” – Paul Tergat

“One thing about racing is that it hurts. You better accept that from the beginning or you’re not going anywhere.” – Bob Kennedy

“Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” – PattiSue Plumer

“We may train or peek for a certain race, but running is a lifetime sport.” – Alberto Salazar

Mantras can also work wonders if you’re in the middle of a race or brutal interval session. They help you zone out…focus on the words, not the pain:

“Stay the course.”

“Smooth and relaxed.”

“I am strong.”

“I got this.”

“I’m better than them.”

“Think of Pop-Tarts.”

Other times though it’s more a matter of self-deception and straight up lying to yourself:

“Only five more minutes” – Reality check is you’ll say this about 6 or 8 times more, maybe more depending on how long the run/workout.

“It’s okay, I don’t really feel it today, I’ll just do a mile and see how I feel from there.” – Reality check usually after that initial mile of blah you get into the run and keep on rolling.

“Last one.” – Reality check, you might be saying this as early as your second repeat…it’s okay, keep lying and repeating.

“That really didn’t hurt THAT bad.” – Reality check…the race/run/workout probably did but you have to force yourself to block out just how bad it was to a degree so that you keep going back for more. I’ll liken it to a lady who just popped out a kid; I’m sure she has to forget how not fun that was in order to feel compelled to maybe have another. 😉

The truth is, running and being consistent takes a lot of motivation and in the end it has to come from within. Self-motivation and dedication isn’t something you can necessarily teach or force someone into…you either have it or you have to learn it yourself over time. Sometimes it takes quotes, mantras, and lies…but it gets the job done!

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The winner for the BIC Bands giveaway:

So Dana, glad you found my blog, email me and I’ll get you your bands! 🙂
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1) What are some of the things that help you stay motivated either to get out for a run if you’re not exactly feeling it or in the middle of a tough run or race?

2) What are some of your favorite quotes or mantras?

3) What lies do you tell yourself?

10 Bits of Advice You Won’t Read in Runner’s World…

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Cait — 35 Comments ↓

I’ve debated putting this post up because it may bring up a little unease or irk some people…but here goes. There is something I like to call the Runner’s World vs. Running Times advice. More correctly, you give different advice to different people, right? Well…I think you’ll see what I mean.

Here are 10 Things You Won’t Find in Runner’s World but are just the truth:

1) All the gear in the world won’t make you faster. Yes a tricked out watch can keep you honest with paces but don’t get sucked into believing you need every new piece of gear…I’m pretty sure there were world records set back before Garmins.

2) All the ab specific work in the world won’t give you a six pack. To get abs like Shalane Flanagan you first have to do enough calorie burning cardio to get you lean enough to see the abdominal muscles. The abs are a particularly hard spot to see results because of that blasted adipose tissue over the muscles that you have to get rid of first.

3) All the post run/race recovery tricks won’t prevent you from ever getting sore. Yes there is a HUGE window of recovery to eat within 30 minutes after your workout that you need to take advantage of, but after any really tough effort you’re bound to be sore. Being sore is like the reward for pushing yourself…it means you done good.

4) Runners are achey, sore in spots, hurting somewhere nearly all the time.
Just saying.
5) There are no ‘quick fixes’…anytime you read ’10 Things to Make You Faster WITHOUT Trying’ is misleading. Yes, of course tying your shoes tighter or wearing shorts that don’t chafe will make running more comfortable and you’ll probably end up going faster, but it’s still going to be you working.

6) You CAN get faster it just takes ~~some~~ hurting. Really anyone is capable of improving, you may hit plateaus and get stuck in pace ruts but you can push yourself out of them. It’s just a matter of well, pushing…it’s possible it just takes being uncomfortable to get there.

7) Toting a water bottle, mid-run fuel, and a fanny pack is a necessity for a run regardless of distance. Going for the Western States 100 miler, yes…a four miler around the block, no.

8) Just because it’s new, it’s cool, there’s hype you should try it. I’m sorry, no amount of commercials, movies or books are ever going to get me in a pair of Vibrams.

9) Any single food is a miracle food and sure fire to make your running dreams come true. Yes, berries have loads of antioxidants and I’m certain we can all benefit from eating them. I’m sure they will improve my health and the trickle down effect holds that my fitness could improve too…but there is no magic bullet to PR’s.

10) Rest is always the answer. I could get in a lot of trouble for saying this but here goes. Truth is like number 4 states sorenesses and aches come with the game…it’s just a matter of gauging the degree of hurt. If you didn’t run for each and every time you were uncomfortable you’d never get one in. It’s a matter of learning the difference between injury pain and the pain of just running consistently. That said, even all the rest in the world won’t take care of certain injuries and you have to do other proactive measures: icing, massage, treatments, etc.

I toss it to you guys now, what would you add to this list?

Proper Running Form and the Freakshow Running Circus

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Cait — 22 Comments ↓

Does anyone else stare at runners just a little begrudgingly when they are injured? Sort of like that happy runner out there is just trying to stick it to me…they can do it and I cant! Ahhh, I’ll call it runner envy. So while I may be a little jealous in staring I’ll at least put these observations to good use.

Let’s talk running form. Sure the action of putting one foot in front of the other sounds easy, but have you noticed how some people can really take that ‘simple’ act and make it look crazy? There’s the hunchback, the arm swinger maniac, the shuffler, the head-bobber…get them all together and we could have a real carnival side show going on here.

If you take a look at those elite runners you see on TV or at the Olympics they tend to make running look effortless. Don’t be fooled they are hurting just like the rest of us but they are hurting efficiently. There’s no wasted movement because of arms swinging side to side…they are streamlined and every ounce of energy spent is going forward.

Sure not everyone is going to be able to run as fast or maybe make it look as easily as they do but you can at least improve your form. Better form will improve your running efficiency and that translates into faster times. We all like that, right?

* The hunchback: Getting hunched over can happen to the best of us as we tire towards the end of a race or hard workout. This is usually due to a lack of core or upper body strength, so doing strength and core work can really help with this problem. You want to always stay ‘tall’ when you’re running, think of a string attached to the top of your head and it’s pulling you up. When you catch yourself rolling forward, roll your shoulders back and get your torso up over your legs and not out in front of them.

* The tenser: Another common problem is the tiring runner will tense up; their shoulders will raise up to their ears, their fists are hard little balls, and their jaw gets clenched tight. Not only will this inhibit your range of motion but it’s wasted energy. You don’t want any muscles working harder than they have too…your jaw being forced shut isn’t helping your legs turn over any faster. When you feel yourself getting tense shake out your arms, wiggle your fingers/hands, and let your face relax. This also happens when someone is ‘trying too hard’…as crazy as it sounds trying to will yourself faster can work against you, relax and you’ll be surprised you’ll probably wind up going faster!

* The flightless bird: This is the person with arms akimbo, flapping like made. It comes in many different forms but you want your arms only swinging front to back; not side to side across your torso. You also want your elbows bent at about 90 degrees, not up so high you’re punching yourself in the face or down so low you look like Frankenstein. For each arm swing you want to feel like you’re ‘picking your pocket’ and that means as your arm swings back let it graze just about to where the back of your shorts pocket would be if you had one and in front of you going up to about chin level.

* The suffler and the leaper: Stride length is a tough one to work on and get just right; you don’t want to look like you’re leaping and you don’t want to be barely picking your feet up. Leaping is over-striding and leaves you hanging in the air too long and shuffling is under-striding. The ‘perfect’ stride rate has been figured out to be 180 steps per minute or 90 strides per minute. So a stride is counted when one leg makes a full running cycle. A quick test to help you gauge how your stride is doing is to count your strides as you run for 30 seconds and try to get as close as you can to 45. Check in with yourself throughout your run.

* The head-bobber and the other guys: Really, any wasted movement is extra energy spent and you want to eliminate that. Everyone has their quirks or habits while they run (I knew a guy who grunted about every 5 strides…annoying!) but if you can get as close to ‘perfect’ form as possible you’ll not only feel better but you’ll be running faster.

It’s TOUGH to change your form and you also want to do this GRADUALLY so you don’t wind up getting hurt. You don’t want to pull a muscle that’s weak because you haven’t been using it much before. So if you have things to change in your form pick ONE to focus on at a time. From there make it your priority to really think about fixing that single area at the end of each of your runs. Start with consciously making yourself stand tall for the last half mile of your runs…after awhile make it a thought for the full last mile of your run, etc. When you’ve fixed that one and are used to running all the time like that move to another area.

On that note, you can then chuckle at the rest of the circus carnival runner oddities as you see them on the road. 😉

1) What’s your running form malady?
I used to run with my arms up to my chin and against my chest…I worked on that but if I’m not careful I tend to over-stride.

2) Have you done much form work in the past? Have you tried core or strength work to improve your form?
Yes and yes. Core and strength work really helps people!

3) Your sure-tell sign that you’re tiring at the end of a race or workout.
My shoulders start to tense up and raise to my ears and I get this really wacky facial expression…I’ve been called Popeye before. :/