‘Tips’ Articles at , Page 8

Running Flash Factoids Part III: School up quick then dash out for you run

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Because all of my runner readers are fleet of foot I’m going to make today’s post another installment of Runner Flash Factoids. You can catch the lasts one HERE and HERE.

* Guard Your Ankles: So on today’s run I was not only hit in the head with a falling hazelnut but I also rolled my ankle on one. Blast those stupid nuts getting me on all fronts; the thing is, this is the second time in three days I rolled my foot on a stupid nut and they were bad enough that my foot got sore. BUT you know what I attribute to not having to take any time off running because of those blasted nuts? 1) I iced my ankle when I got home 2) I’ve been doing those little ankle balance exercises I wrote about. Don’t let a stupid nut, or any other kind of ankle rolling related instigator, keep you from getting your run on.

* Pedestal Plank Police: This is a bit of a rant on my part. I got sucked into Twitter against my will and now I have some Plank Police on my butt tweeting me about how often I do planks. The thing is I am hardly a slacker on core work, I bleed suggesting core work for runners, but you know what I also know? Diversity. Doing the same thing every single day also doesn’t let the muscles recover enough to heal back up stronger. I do my pedestal core routine every other day, not every day…the off days I do weight work and other strength moves. Diversify and don’t work the same muscles every single day. Sorry, plank police, now get off my @$$.

* Tapering Sucks: The season has come to the point where races matter more, you have your eyes set on the championship races and for some they are approaching the races they’ve been keying on for MONTHS. To maximize performance you can’t go into a race overly tired so, yes, enter the taper. It’s more of a mental beast than anything…but it’s a necessary bitter pill to swallow. When I’m dealing with ‘runner guilt’ during a taper I remember that the reason I trained was FOR this race…and they don’t give PR’s and medals out for training.

* Protein Lover: I’ve talked about how it took me longer than it should to realize just how important protein is for distance runners. I’m a carbo-lover so I had those bases more than covered. But protein is KEY for muscle repair and growth so seek out those protein-rich sources: lean meats like chicken and turkey, seafood (shrimp, tuna, and salmon are my favorites), low-fat cottage cheese and…drum roll EGGS! Eggs rock, they’ve had a bad rep before but new research is proving that the specific micronutrients in egg yolks make the protein a more viable source, it is utilized better than other kinds. Don’t pass on the yolks…or the bad egg jokes or the yolk will be on you.

Friday is HERE! Take note of these flash factoids and if you’re keying up for a race know that the mental torture that is the miles deprived runner during a taper is WORTH it…you want to run your best on race day and a PR is worth a little insanity. 😉

1) Do you have a flash fact you’d like to share?

2) How often do you do planks or any kind of core work?

3) What’s your favorite source of protein?

Run Your Fortune Shirts

Get Chicking Shirts

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Three Runners

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

When I’m not running I tend to feel I’ve earned to right to be lazy if I wish and that includes trolling through Netflix. I recently happened upon the gem that is ‘The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret’; the gist is this guy continues to make his situation infinitely worse by poor judgement calls. Sometimes it’s just dumb bad luck, but his lies heaped on top of it doesn’t make matters any better. I thought to equate this same premise to running…I mean we’ve all done some not smart runner moves, shall we see them snowball?

It’s really easy to get sucked into competitive overdrive online; DailyMile here, Nike Plus Updates there, Twitter and Facebook bragging sandwiched in between. Talia Margaret is only trying to keep pace with the online running community when she started padding those miles. She rationalized it by saying she got confused between the km to miles conversion.

Eventually she met up with a fellow runner friend who invited her for a 10 mile run. DailyMile says Talia’s been running those easily, but thanks to conversions it’s closer to 6.41 max. Talia can’t back out now though…strap on those running shoes and put on the big girl pants.

10 miles never felt longer, lesson learned, Girl.

Timmy Martin’s always been honest with him miles but he’s about to do his first workout with a new group of runners. They’re all faster than him so he’s a little nervous about this 6 mile tempo run. Pride is on the line though, so even though the first mile was darn near close to his 5k race pace he tucks in. He even tries to quiet his huffing and gasping as mile two ticks off; despite his best efforts his form is crumbling by mile 2.5 and he’s cursing in his head for slacking on all the core work his coach told him to do about a million times.

Timmy hits 3 miles, passes 5k with a new PR which is good except he’s only about half-way through that supposed tempo. He passes a dog on the side of the trail, “That leash on the dog would be a perfect clothesline trip,” he thinks to himself. Tempted to find any excuse to end this gruelfest he does the unthinkable: purposely trips over the dog’s leash and crumbles to the floor. He yells, acting the gallant runner, “Go on, guys, don’t sacrifice your workout for me! I’ll be okay, I’ll catch up with you later!”

He never does, but are you surprised?

When Tom Mendy’s dog got snared with another runner the leash jolted him so far that his own run got messed up. He crashed to the ground in a skid, got up and for the rest of his run his IT Band was screaming at him. Well, he was in a rush when he got home and didn’t think to ice that guy but rather rushed to get his burrito on. Good for the 30 minute post-run refuel window but major faux pas when it comes to runner TLC.

The next week the IT Band is getting worse, Tom’s been icing but it’s a little too late. He’s really worried about the race he has coming up in a week, he’s been training for it for so long, who would have thought a freak accident on an easy run could dash his hopes of a PR?

Did you lay our race clothes out the night before?? 😉

The race day comes, Tom’s IT Band is getting better so he’s toeing the line. He looks to his right and sees a familiar looking runner but he can’t quite place where he’s seen him before.

The runner standing next to Tom is sore like none other. He’s been training with a new group of runners, all faster than him. But he’s also learned the best way to improve is to train with those better than you…BUT within reason. He’s adjusted the workouts, put his pride to the side, and instead of doing 6 mile tempo runs with the group he does 3 miles with them and finishes with some 800 meter repeats. He’s been seeing improvement though in his times and looking forward to being able to run 4 miles with the group soon. The only bummer is that his shin is still a little sore from an incident he had with a dog’s leash.

About three tiers back from Tom is a lady standing next to her friend chatting. They are looking forward to the race at hand but also working out a plan to meet tomorrow for a long run of 8 miles. Because no one is lying about their miles anymore 8 miles will be just fine, it’s steady improvement from 6.41 miles and soon those long runs will be comfortable 10 milers.

We all make stupid, idiot running mistakes. But if you learn from them and move forward you AND your running will be much better off in the long run. Patience and maturity often win out in the long run. Here’s to hoping you only have to learn those lessons the hard way once…or maybe twice. 😉

1) What’s a lesson you learned the hard way? How many time did you have to relearn that lesson to REALLY be smarter going forward?

2) When would be an instance where a poor decision of yours snowballed on you?

3) Have you ever lied about your miles, time, PR’s any of that? Conversely have you ever caught someone in a lie?
I admit to having a huge thing about people who lie on those things, it bugs me like none other…lol. Sorry if that sounds harsh! I do forgive people though if they either honestly got confused or come clean. I’m a forgiving runnerchick. 🙂

Run Your Fortune Shirts

Get Chicking Shirts

The Leg That Looked Like a Fish: When muscle weaknesses cause inefficiencies in your running

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Cait — 21 Comments ↓

When I run my right leg has this really weird tendency to kick-back behind me, it’s a sort of quasi-knock-knee flail that looks like a fish washed up on shore and is trying to flip back to sea. Sounds really pretty, doesn’t it?

Over the years I did a LOT of work on correcting my form, I mean a lot. Runs where I’d be thinking of dropping my left shoulder, keeping my torso tall, making sure my right arm isn’t swinging too low…I imagined myself like a puppet on a string. I ran with arm weights, I counted strides, did core work, weight work, saw ART and massage specialists, hurdle drills and plyo’s all in the quest to be more efficient when I ran. But you know what, NOTHING could explain this wonky fish out of water right leg.

Obviously there were imbalances there, something needed to be strengthened so my leg didn’t have the tendency to collapse inward on itself. We nailed it down to having something to do with the vicinity of my hips, but you know what, I still run with a wonky stride.

Side point…in a hilarious twist of irony, after I got hit by the car and crawled my way back to running all that diligent form work pretty much got erased. See, we all have to start from square one again sometimes. 🙂

Back on topic, the flailing left leg; it wasn’t until I was reading another article in Running Times that was describing weak glutes and how if those muscles aren’t firing they could be causing inefficiencies, injuries and messed up form. Glutes? Never thought of that one! So I did a few of the little test exercises and you know what, the next day my stupid glutes were sore.

Flashdance anyone?

Logic then leads me to: my stupid glutes may be responsible for my leg flail. I’ve been doing the exercises to strengthen them so will keep you posted on progress there. However, the point is: we ALL have imbalances and weaknesses that make us inefficient runners.

* Inefficiency = compensation elsewhere = higher injury risk = lost time running
* Inefficiency = slower times = getting beat in races

Hmm, I don’t think any of us like those equations? I just had an article published up on Competitor: ‘The Four Biggest Problem Areas For Runners’ covering the hips, glutes, ankles and hamstrings as the top points of weaknesses for runners.

Chances are you’ve got one, or maybe more, to some degree. Don’t let those weaker muscles cause you problems and don’t let them hold you back from faster PR’s either.

There are lots of exercises for you to try explained the article but here are some quick links I’ve also covered on this site:

* Pedestal Core Routine and Video
* Flexibility Routine and Video (being tight is also going to lead to compensation issues)
* Stability Ball Exercises (there are some glute/hamstring exercises there)

When I run I’d rather not look like my leg is a fish trying to flop back into the sea. How about you?

1) Muscle imbalances and weaknesses, what do you consider your ‘weak’ spot and how have you tried to strengthen it? Or how are you planned to strengthen it?

2) When it comes to form, what is an area there you need to work on? (ie: arm swing, standing tall, stride rate, etc.)

3) If you could liken your running form or self to some kind of random animal or other thing, what would it be? If someone says they run like a beautiful gazelle and have nary an issue, I’m going to call BS on you…OR as you what kind of form work you did to look so perfect. 😉

Run Your Fortune Shirts

Get Chicking Shirts

Coaching a Runner is an Art

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Figuring out this whole running and performance thing is tricky business. The planning, the workouts, the tapering, the peaking, the knowing when to rest or back off, when to push it and when to hammer the crap of of your body; all of this is the science behind our sport.

I’ve always been in awe of great coaches. Coaching, or rather coaching well, is an art. I’ve been incredibly privileged to meet and talk to coaches for whom I believe are the Picassos or Maya Angelous of coaching. Toss in Albert Einstein in there too.

Alberto Salazar is one of those coaches and being a runner nerdette I could listen to running stories and training all day long. What I’ve come to realize though, is that the best coaches are intuitive; you can’t really pinpoint WHAT makes them so great, just like you can’t explain how to paint to someone, with great coaching it comes down to a sense.

The sense isn’t dissimilar to running and racing; there are some athletes who are just naturally about to step up their game and get hyped when the gun goes off. They are gamers and will race above their training level because they are able to best utilize the endorphins and electric energy that comes with race day.

Coaching is sensitive to each athlete, it has to be individualized because no two runners are exactly the same. That seems logical enough, but even then the unique coaching sense comes into play on a daily, even hourly level. I’ve watched training plans get switched around about three times in an hour; with training you set up a long term running plan with workouts and the key races. But you know this long term plan isn’t set in stone, you then tweak it as you go through the weeks, adjusting depending on how your body is responding.

Sometimes you need to adjust mid-workout; you can never foretell months in advance how your legs will feel on any given day. At times your legs will just NOT have that tempo in them, and it would be more effective to switch to a speed or hill session to make the workout more productive.

But how do you know when to change, when to suck it up and motor through, when to rest because you’re overly fatigued, or if that is just the kind of fatigue that comes with callousing the body and you still need to do that double day?

No one has exact answers to any of those questions; that’s what makes our sport so incredibly fascinating. Fascinating and frustrating as HE## at times. But there are those among us who have a better sense of these; are able to just feel when to push, back-off, change or stay steadfast. They are the artists of running and performance. They are the great coaches.

There may be no greater gift to a runner on the quest of becoming their best, of preforming to their utmost highest degree, than having a coach who is an artist in our sport. Running is one of the most brutal sports and concentrating on just doing the workouts takes an incredible amount of energy, both mentally and physically.

The reason so many athletes thrive with a coach, (and not even taking into account the obvious of having an experienced, skilled advisor with a sound training philosophy giving you workouts that they know work) is because the coach is the one who can do all of the thinking. Thinking and running is a tricky combination; you think too much and you can be your own demise. I love this quote that a coach once told my mom, “I do the thinking. That’s my job. You just run.”

When you take running and turn it into training you’re making a different kind of commitment to yourself. It’s putting yourself out there, being brave enough to dream lofty goals, an agreement to work your butt off even on the days you don’t feel like it, of also being smart enough to take your easy runs easy so you can hammer your hard days.

Training takes intuition too. Running is an art. Coaching is an art. The relationship between a coach and an athlete is also one quite unique from any other.
————-
This post will be one in a series on coaching and finding the right kind of coach or training program that works for you. I just had an article in Running Times published: ‘Coaches That Inspire and Coaches that Cripple’ and I urge you to check it out. Not all coaches are great, not all coaches will sync with every runner.

In upcoming posts I will cover tips to finding the right coach for you and also college recruiting tips for high schoolers looking into schools. If you’ve got any coaching related topics or questions you’d like covered leave a comment or send me a note!
————-

1) Do you have a coach? Are you self-coached or do an online kind of training program? Do you consider coaching a kind of art and the really great coaches have an intuitive sense?

2) Have you had good and/or bad coaching experiences? How have one or the other effected your running? How did it effect your other areas of life?

3) With running training, what fascinates you the most? Or which area could you talk/read about all day? (ie: actual workouts, mental toughness, stories from runners, etc.)

One Single Word That is Holding Your Running Back the Most

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Cait — 35 Comments ↓

…is can’t. Before you start rolling your runner eyes and think, “Great, she’s going all annoyingly Hallmark-motivational on us,” stop! Come on, do you not give me more credit than that, have you really not read enough snarky or sarcasm from this runnerchick to give you a little more faith in me?

She’s thinking something…it better not be the can’t word! 😉

So hear me out and prepare to have your mind blown. Well, maybe not exactly blown but I hope going forward you start to sandblast the word CAN’T from your inner dialogues. Can’t is like the lame excuse your body likes to use when it’s too tired, the task at had seems like it would take too much work or it’s scary to believe that you are capable of achieving something. Can’t is the lazy runner’s excuse, and what IS scary is that this can’t business is going on all the time in our brains and, for the most part, going unnoticed.

“I can’t hold this pace. I can’t believe I have a whole 16 miles ahead of me. I can’t keep up with this runner next to me. I can’t do cross-training today instead of my run just because of this stupid [insert injury] I’m going to do running regardless.” There’s a 100% chance that you’ve thought some version of these. The can’t beast really likes to rear its ugly head in the middle slog-fest of hard workouts and races. Just thinking can’t, or at least not quickly refuting it, can throw your race or workout down the toilet. But it’s just a thought you argue…

Thoughts are the driving force behind actions. Running is incredibly mental and to perform at your best you have to have ALL elements on point; letting your mind play the weenie ‘can’t card’ is like starting your run with a shoelace untied. It seems not too bad at first but then your whole shoe gets super loose, it starts sliding around, the heel cup slacks and your foot is popping in and out of the shoe for the duration, then you get blisters that last for days…all because of something that you didn’t think was all that big of a deal.

Trust me, he’s hurting, but I think he ditched the can’t beast at mile 2.

Change the ‘Can’t’ into an ‘I Choose Not To.’ We may not be able to always control the thoughts and words that pop into our brains, but we CAN choose to argue with them or change them around. Replace all of those ‘can’ts’ with ‘I choose not to’ and let’s see what happens: “I ~~can’t~~ choose not to hold this pace. I ~~can’t~~choose not to believe I have a whole 16 miles ahead of me. I ~~can’t~~choose not to keep up with this runner next to me. I ~~can’t~~choose not to do cross-training today instead of my run just because of this stupid [insert injury] I’m going to do running regardless.”

It’s far easier to see the flimsy excuses for what they are when you remove the can’t. Can’t seems to definite, black and white, defeating, not even worth arguing with. By inserting the word ‘choose’ you recognize that you do in fact have a choice in the matter, a decision at hand. You can CHOOSE to go after that hard pace, cling on for as long as possible and gut it out. You can CHOOSE to tackle that 16 miler, take it one mile at a time, use all the mental tricks in the book and make it to the end. You CHOOSE to be a stubborn, stupid runner and run through an obvious injury until it is infinitely worse just because mentally it is too hard to acknowledge you shouldn’t be running.

Ditching the can’t isn’t a one-time thing and it takes practice, just like your running. The first step is just being cognitively aware just how much your brain relies on that stupid can’t word and catching yourself when you hear it. As soon as you do, rewire your brain to use the same sentence but with ‘I choose not to’ and then think about the new version. See that you have a choice to make and decide what is in your best interest.

Do you choose not to dream big and go after goals that will be hard, take a lot of work, and probably scare you? There is a choice there, it’s not merely because you can’t.

——-
Stay tuned, this post is one part in some exciting news I have to share coming up later this week. It’s all about self-motivation, believing in yourself and running towards goals that may scare you! 🙂
——-

1) How often do you think you rely on the word can’t or use it in your daily mental dialogues? Do you use it a lot actually spoken aloud too?

2) Take one of the last sentences that you used can’t and replace it here with ‘I choose not to’. Can you share your new sentence and explain the choice that is presented?

3) Can you come up with a great rebuttal for the next time your brain thinks something along the lines of, “I can’t keep going at this pace,” during your next hard workout or race?
Changed to: ‘I choose not to keep going at this pace?’
Rebuttal: ‘Fudge that, I can at least keep going for one more half mile at this pace. I’m way tougher than this runner next to me, and they’re doing it!’ Then obviously just say the same thing the next half mile…keep lying to yourself with the ‘one more’ thing! Hehe.

One Hot Mother Psoas. “Shut Your Runner Mouth!” ;)

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

It seems like the running community has been on fire recently, or maybe it’s just their psoas muscles that have been on fire. The psoas; yes, I just like writing and saying this term, try and rattle that one off five times fast.

Truth be told I wanted this guy to burn that blasted elliptical! 😉

So why is it such a hot topic among the runners I’ve talked to as of late? The thing is, most runners don’t even know they have a psoas, or that they even have TWO, until they start getting these weird deep, stomach pains. Sometimes it’s lower back pains, or the pain is around the hip area. The fun that is sciatic can stem from the psoas, and even your knees or feet could be screaming at you thanks to the psoas twins and the imbalance chain of reactions.

The psoas is a very deep muscle attaching at your lower/mid spine and then running across the hip to insert at the top of your thigh (femur). While most of us are unaware of it, it is pivotal in our running; it is a major player in each and every time we lift our leg off the ground in stride. It works not only as a hip flexors but in holding proper form. Since we established it inserts at the spine, having a tight psoas can lead to hunching over; the same hunch in everyday life can lead to back problems. Through the wonder that is the body’s chain reaction of imbalances and weakness, a wonky psoas can lead to knee problems and others that you might not naturally assume stem from a deep, core muscle.

Source
What’s a runner to do?
Fist of all, know you have a psaos on each side of your torso(I’ll like you more if you say it five times fast) and then be aware that more than likely your’s are tight. Just the act of running tightens that psoas up and you’re probably not stretching it as much as you should. My best friend is a massage therapist to elite and mortal runners and he’s always telling me how no matter what, 99% of the time the second he digs into an athlete’s psoas they start squealing. The psoas is like a little slumbering bear, it can be super tight without you knowing if for a long time until it suddenly wakes up and you’re stuck with an injury.

Stretches, Exercises and Massage, Oh My!

* Core Work: Having a balanced and strong core will keep you ahead of the psoas game; I really like the pedestal core routine I talked about and demonstrated. When you do those reverse planks with the leg raises you’ll note that psoas is doing its work there! 😉

* Psoas Stretch: Get down on your knees, keep your right knee planted and then step your left foot in front of you so that the left thigh is parallel to the ground. Raise your right arm up over your head, slightly lean your torso back and begin twisting a few degrees to your left. You don’t need to twist much at all, but you want to feel a stretch deep in your right hip region. Hold here for at LEAST 20 seconds, preferably more and if you’re just sitting watching TV that is a perfect time to give your psoas some love. Be sure to repeat with the other hip.

* Massage: I did a whole article/post on self-massage techniques but before I get to it I need to remind you: self-massage works because we can’t all afford a pro all the time. However, they are pro’s for a reason so we need to be informed and SMART when we massage ourselves.
DON’T think more pain is always a better massage.
DON’T massage a muscle the day of a strain, pull or trauma. Give it at least a day to ‘cool’ off, you’ll only do more damage if you start digging in there.
DO gradually work into more pressure. Think of like how you warm-up before a hard workout.
DO know your limits. Sometimes you just need a pro, ’nuff said.
For the psoas, just lie straight back as you would before you zonk off to sleep, take your hand and gently knead the muscles, run from the top of the hip and up along your side. Work into adding more pressure and stop and pause, holding direct pressure, along the way. Don’t do more than 5 minutes at a time on each of your psoas muscles. And if you’re especially tender remember to ice afterwards for up to 15 minutes.

So have you been schooled in the psoas? I hope so. Because it’s better that this be a hot topic for you to read and learn about before your psoas becomes the hot, beastly demon screaming at you and forcing time off! 😉

1) Have you ever had psoas issues? Have you ever had anyone tell you that your psoas is tight?

2) Do you do much self-massage on yourself? Are you lucky enough to get in and see a pro very often?

3) What has been a hot issue you’ve noticed lots of runners talking about as of late?

Running and Training are Not the Same Thing

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Running is simple, training is not. Training also hurts a heck of a lot more. But, getting back to the first one there, running really isn’t all that complex: right foot, left foot, right foot, repeat. Don’t get me wrong, that incredibly simple and repetitive motion is addicting as all heck and something I’d rather not live without; however, training is a completely separate entity from the mere act of running.

I think she’s training…the mean mushroom men chasing her are just making sure she hits pace. 😉

Training is methodical, there needs to be a method to the madness, many more variables need to be considered and getting back to the inevitable truth: it hurts a heck of a lot more. Runners in training need to be able to look at the big picture, how each run fits into the whole; you can’t just take it day by day. This rigidity might sound like a turn-off, but the rewards that come from training are also a bit unique from that which you get from pleasure running alone. I think because you suffer more, when you’re done you respect the process and YOURSELF in a different way, namely more.

And to be honest your training schedule doesn’t have to be viewed like a rigid schedule; in fact it shouldn’t be. There needs to be flexibility because running is the same across the board in this regard: you can’t plan for everything. The human body is one complex creature and sports performance is a science riddled with variables and unknowns. You see, we don’t know all the answers, which kinds of training programs or philosophies work the best, and then which workouts and training cycles fit the individual. So there needs to be flexibility with any training program because there will be days when your body is sending you signs that for that particular day you need to adjust the workout; it could be that you need to cut back or it could be that you’re fitter than you predicted and should up the goal paces…things you can’t know three months prior. Sometimes with running and training, you just never know.

Though there are lots we DO know and here’s some distinct differences between running and training:

* With training, even with a flexible plan, you still need to see everything you do as a piece of the whole. Think to yourself before you do any run, extra cross-training, weights, core, etc, “How is this going to help me in the big picture?” Just because the weather is suddenly awesome later in the afternoon and even though you’d love to go out and do some more miles, if you honestly did a hard workout that day and shouldn’t, in training, the smart thing to do is use some self-restraint.

* With running the pace really doesn’t matter if you don’t want it to. Not so with training; this applies to hard AND easy days. With hard days, obviously you’ve got a goal pace you want to hit, but for easy day you do too: the goal pace is one that allows you to recover. This little detail is something many new and eager runners forget…then fast-forward and they can’t understand why they are so tired later in the season. The answer is they never let their body recover.

* With training you need to be more accountable. There will ALWAYS be days you’d rather sit on the bed curled up with Ben & Jerry and the Tivo. Rest days can be part of training but they are different when they are actually planned versus the ‘I’m just lazy’ rest day. Know the difference and get rid of the second kind.

* With running it can be just running. Let me explain, if you want to run faster and run your best you need to do other things than just miles, miles, miles. Core work, strength work, stretches, quick feet drills…there are lots of ‘extras’ that when integrated into your training routine will vastly improve your running performance.

* With training some of those ‘extras’ are injury prevention. Running puts a ton of stress on the body, training exponentially increases that. So that’s why with training it’s also your job to be kind to your body and give it the TLC it needs. If you don’t, it will revolt (check out this awesome post by Mark @ Running, Writing, and Chasing the Dragon on just that kind of revolt) and you won’t be doing any running or training.

True, training still includes the left, right, left, repeat aspect of running. However, it entails a LOT more. That said, getting back to the rewards of training vs. running…anyone who has gutted through a tough as heck race and come out hitting their goals will attest that it was worth it.
——–
Miles Madness Update: Okay, guys, so it’s Friday and this marks the end of Week 2 totals. Now in an effort to make things easier for everyone I’ve created a Google Doc for all team members to be able to go in and insert their total themselves in about T-minus 30 seconds time. If you emailed me last week and I have your email address I sent you an invite to view the document. If you didn’t receive the invite (and check the Junk, in the one I sent to myself the message went to the Junk bin) let me know and I’ll get you squared away. Thanks guys! Also shout out to Amy @ Proud Patriot for suggesting the Google Doc route! My team members are smart AND fast. 🙂
———

1) What’s one difference you can add between running and training?

2) Where are you at, are you training for something in particular? Let me say, it’s also more than okay to just be in the running phase…whatever floats your boat and you’re still doing the BEST sport ever. 🙂

3) When you’re just about to start a hard workout or race and you know it’s going to hurt, but you also know that if you stay tough through to the end it will be well worth it, how do you tell yourself that you will stay strong and tough when your mind starts begging for mercy?

Keep Your Running Training Current But Not Trying to Re-invent the Basics

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Some people do pretty weird stuff. Okay, this is coming from the Queen of Quirks, but when it comes to training and workouts this runner is sometimes left scratching her head, rolling her eyes or stuffing down giggles at some of the things she’s seen and heard. Warning: I’m about to get a little runner snarky so if you continue to read it’s at your own risk and I only ask you to remember that I am not, in fact, a totally mean and wretched bi***.

“It’s new, it’s revolutionary.” The exciting and fascinating thing about running, sports performance and learning how to best manipulate the body through training in order to get the VERY most from oneself is that it is constantly evolving. As with any science there are always new findings, theories to be tested, and lessons to be learned. Training has evolved through the decades and so have World Records.

That said, sometimes I think people take this kind of thinking a bit to far: ‘Let’s come up with something totally new, never before even thought of and I bet because it’s unlike anything else we’ve stumbled upon it will be the magic training bullet!’ Sorry, but I think runners doing Cross-Fit falls into this category.

With running, yes you should always be on the look-out for new drills, exercises, workouts, and training philosophies because there are MANY aspects in that regard that work wonders for you. But, also remember that the ‘basics’ are the foundation and not insanely complicated: run, do speed-work, do longer intervals, allow your body to recover, basic core work (ie: pedestal), some strength work, be CONSISTENT, and be prepared to hurt during your workouts. Sometimes I think people look to something else in hopes that it can help deter from the glaring fact: running hard hurts, but you have to do it, there’s no substitute.

For distance runners, when it comes to the weight room and strength, you’ve got two major points to keep in mind: 1) Strength, core and flexibility work IS going to greatly improve your running…but… 2) You don’t have to over-do it either. Also, remember that it’s low weight/high reps for us…you don’t need to be maxing out at the bench press. Doing more functional type exercises is also more in tune with your goals. I think it’s runners taking new ideas in the weight room or strength moves that initiate a lot of my inner giggles.

Applicable weight training is when the exercises are geared toward running actions, typically more dynamic in nature. For example if you don’t have access to a gym, doing squats, lunges, push-ups, leg lifts, bench dips or step-ups could even wind up being better than loading up crazy high weight plates on the squat bar. Now if you do have some weights, doing running arms with 5 pounders is another example of a running specific exercise. If you get in front of a mirror and swing your arms as you would running for 20-30 seconds you can also work on your form; focus on getting the ‘perfect’ arm swing (front to back, shoulders relaxed and dropped) before worrying about how fast you can swing the weights…quality is more important.

So, to the guy who had a weight place looped around a leather strap, the strap then hung around his head and he was doing neck raises…I highly doubt he’s a runner in training. True fact.
————–
This post could have been epic because the examples of these are legit drill/exercises and those maybe not so much, runs on longer than the Western States Race. Here are some examples of awesome drills/strength/flexibility/core to do. Bottom line, if it seems way too crazy or like the person telling you that it works seems to be trying too hard to be convincing, and a part of you wants to laugh…go with your gut and focus more on the basics. Run.

Miles Madness: Okay, to any of those awesome Team Cait Runners that have not yet emailed me: captaincait@hotmail.com their total miles for the days of 9/1-9/7 please do so and I can add those into the running total. I know the first week is a little odd-ball with the days but by next Friday when it’s time to submit it will be a full 7 days and we’ll be set on a more logical schedule…lol.
————–

1) What is something you’ve seen, read, or heard about that made you scratch your head or laugh inside?

2) What is an example of something that was new to you but you tried (or plan to try) and it improved your running?

3) How do you balance staying current with new training ideas and tips that will help propel your running forward and then reading things or studies that seem to ‘try too hard’ or are just straight up cray-cray? 😉 I guess, how do you assess the source?

Your Runner Foot Type and the Quest for the Perfect Running Shoe

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

It may take some searching but eventually we all fall in love with the perfect pair of running shoes. How’s that for living happily ever after? 😉

A great thing about running is that you really don’t need that much: a pair of shoes and please some running clothes too. However, what those supplies lack in quantity numbers they make up exponentially when it comes to their needs in the quality factor. Reread that sentence a few times until it makes sense…haha.

Running shoes are of insane importance, many new runners (and even not so new runners) aren’t able to grasp just how crucial having the right kind of shoes for THEIR foot type is. The three major foot types are: pronators, supinators and neutral runners; the majority of runners are pronators. We all fall on different variances of the foot type spectrum, but if you don’t know your foot and it’s specific needs you really need to school up.

Prontators. These are the guys who’s arches ‘sink’ in and roll to the ground as they walk. If you were walking in sand you’d see a ‘fatter’ footprint. This is the majority of the public and it’s important to find shoes with support in the arches. If your REALLY cave in at the arch you need motion control shoes, a step below that would be stability shoes. Sometimes people need arch support inserts or orthotics in addition to their shoes, I run in Super Feet and those would be my top suggestion for over the counter shoe inserts.

Neutral Feet. These are the people you should love to hate because they have the biomechanically ‘perfect’ foot strike. If they walked in the sand they’d have that cutesy little foot print, not a wide, fat arch. They can get away with those lighter shoes because they don’t need a lot of arch support and the cushioning materials are usually lighter. [That’s changing thanks to new materials and the whole minimalist shoe movement…all those Nike Lunar shoes are being made with some crazy light materials that can still offer.]

Supinators. These are what some people call ‘dancer’ feet, they tend to roll out and away from the arch so in the sand they have suuuper skinny prints. They are also more ‘delicate’ because typically the bone structures are very rigid and a bit fragile so these runners need to be hyper-conscious that their shoes have a lot of cushioning. Sorry guys, this usually means you’ve got to shell out for more expensive shoes with a ton of cushioning. But if you don’t you’ll wind up hurt…soooo, it’s worth it.

Okay, let’s make it a little more equal opportunity for all brands. 🙂

Outside of being intimate with your foot type you’ve got to stay diligent on tracking how many miles are on your shoes and be sure to replace them regularly. The general rule of thumb is a shoe is ‘dead’ after 500 miles, but that’s the law of averages and I did a whole post on why you may need to replace your shoes more often.

Walking into Big 5 and just snagging a box of shoes marked ‘Run Shoes’, then figuring you’ll be set for a year is on the fast track to getting hurt. Even if the pains aren’t in your feet you’d be surprised what ailments can be tracked back to the wrong pair of shoes…it could be as far away as your neck, people.

If you’re still having trouble deciding which kind of foot type you are or what kind of shoe to get, go into a running specialty store and ask one of them to watch you walk. Any good, running specific store will have instructed their employees how to asses a runner’s foot type from their walk and then be able to offer assistance.

Okay, yes, I’m Nike biased but only because I dream of spooning with my Tempo shorts in the night; hence the first caption. [So if there is anyone Nike people reading this and wnat to give me a little what’s what please don’t hesitate to reach out! Hehe.] But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there are other awesome shoe brands out there too. 🙂

1) What kind of foot type are you? How or when did you find this out?

2) What kind of shoes are you running in now? How do you like them?

3) Do you have any kind of shoe inserts or orthotics?

4) Finish this sentence and make it sort of tied to running: “You have to kiss a lot of toads before you find the perfect…”

Lights, Camera, Action…Core and Flexibility!! Video demonstrations for your running and entertainment

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

Turns out this runner is taking herself to Hollywood to become a movie star! If you believed me even for a second then I’m sorry. However, to make it up to you I will let you point at laugh at me here rather shortly.

Yesterday’s post was all about runners and their imbalances; why we all have them, where common ones occur and exercises that can help you strengthening your weaknesses. I talked about one of my very favorite core routines, the Pedestal Plank Routine, and today I’ve got a video demo in case my wordage wasn’t quite enough plank awesomeness.

I also stressed how important stretching and improving your flexibility are for your running; both in preventing injuries and helping with your form and efficiency. Below I’ve demonstrated a quick flexibility routine you can do in just a couple minutes. No excuse for not being able to cram some quick stretches into your day at some point, preferably right after you finish running and are nice a sweaty. [Sweaty and your muscles are still warmed up!]

Check it out…I sure am sporting one crazy cool shirt, no?!?!? 😉 Get Chicking peeps!

These videos are part of the accompanying media that I did for my latest article up now at Competitor: Improve Your Running By Becoming a Better Athlete. I’d suggest you all mosey on over there and take a read for more ways you can improve your running and get you some nice and shiny PR’s! 🙂
——-
Also, someone all about improving core strength and flexibility for runners is Coach Jay Johnson and he was an excellent resource for the article…so go check him out too!
——-

1) Video demonstrations, are you guys fans? Would you like to see more? I won’t blame you if you say no though…

2) How good is your balance and core strength in doing those planks; are you able to do the leg raises or are you sticking with the isometric holding for now?

3) In terms of flexibility, when do you tend to sneak in your stretching time? Don’t say never…hehe.