How to Run - Lesson #4

Running in Middle TN you are left with no choice but to run up a hill or three on your run of seemingly any distance. There are countless things you can do mentally to get up the hill, and while I have heard of 100's and I'm sure there are 100's more. For example, some look at the top of the hill, some don’t look; some sing Happy Birthday, and some count their steps; while others take the hill one tree, bush or mailbox at a time. While your choices are infinite to mentally get you up a hill, there are couple of things you can do biomechanically to help you be more efficient running up a hill.


Remember: “Lift Lift Lean”

Tip #1: Lift your arms
While your arms are swinging relaxed and loose in a forward and back motion about the height of your hip bone on a typical run that is flat, while running up hill you want them in a subtly different position.  Slightly lift your arms so they are swinging forward and back at about the height of your ribs, and then PUMP them. Exaggerate the arm motion from your shoulders, and your legs will follow the pace of your arms.

Strength Tip:
You can strengthen your “running arm pump” in the gym by holding some 5-10 pound weights and pumping your arms in your running motion for 30-60 seconds at a time.

Tip #2: Lift your knees
You’ll want to be sure to lift your knees and pick up your cadence and stride pace a little, much as if you were riding a bike up a hill and you’d switch into an easier gear.

Tip #3: Lean into the hill
As you lean into the hill, you may get the feeling that you are falling up the hill. We are going to let momentum and gravity help us out here, and lean towards our goal while our shorter stride and pace keep our balance and momentum.

Remember to Lift Lift Lean and run those hills your Personal Best.

How to Run - Lesson #3

How to Run: Lesson #3
We’ve all done it. As we get tired and the miles wear on, the legs get heavy and our feet start to slap the ground. Soon you don’t have to say “On your left” anymore as you run by, because the people can hear you coming from the heavy steps and pounding. Pounding the pavement like it owes you money only takes away more energy rather than conserving it. Running Softy is an art form that must be practiced consciously at first, but them becomes more natural.

Tip #1 – Lift your knees
While running, instead of “landing on your feet”, you want to think about lifting your knees. Much like running across a beach of hot sand, you’ll want to keep picking your feet up of the pavement rather than slapping them down on the concrete. This will lead to you keeping your hips directly underneath your body and also lead you to landing on your feet a little flat-footed, but that is what you want.

Tip #2- Land Flat Footed
For distance running, you want to avoid running on your toes and also landing on your heels. You will want to distribute the point of impact on as much as your foot as possible and not localized in one area of your foot such as the ball of your foot or heel. Again, use your imagination, and imagine that you are walking barefoot on eggshells and trying not to break any of them. You’ll distribute your weight and land flat footed instead of sending pressure to a small and localized area.

As you land flat footed, pick that foot up of the ground as fast as possible from your knees. This will lead to reduced energy expenditures and more injury free running.

More to come on running your Personal Best.

How to Run - Lesson #2

The next few lessons we will be working on running most efficiently and saving as much energy as possible while covering the distance. There are a number of ways to “distribute” the energy expended and not wear out and pound on one body part while others are not utilized.


Tip #1 - Chin Back, Everything else forward.
While running forward, be sure to be always looking ahead of you, and not watching the pavement under your feet. By looking forward you will keep your head more upright which will in turn keep your body upright and in good posture. The goal of this technique is to use your hamstrings and glutes on the back of your legs just as effectively as your quadriceps and shins on the front of your legs.

To look forward and pull your chin back, imagine there is a helium balloon attached at the back of your head and pulling it up.  You will want to push out your chest in a very proud posture while keeping your knees forward in front of your chin. Finally, push or tilt your hips forward. Again, pushing these body parts forward will engage your hamstrings and glutes much more and take the pressure off of your quadriceps.

All these techniques are attempts to keep your legs directly under you and not have you bending over while you’re running. By pulling your chin back and pushing forward your chest, hips and knees, you will notice an immediate difference and efficiency in the way your run stride feels. Not only will you run more efficiently, it will help detour running injuries like shin splints and knee pain.

More to come on running your Personal Best.

How to Run - Lesson #1

You’ve completed your first 5K this summer or are training for your first Half Marathon and are interested in how to be more efficient with your running. Will it ever become effortless? To a degree it will, but that just takes time on your feet and practicing techniques while running. I wanted to spend some time on the running biomechanics and give some tips that may save you some energy in the long run (so to speak).

Keep in mind, these tips are for the runner who is planning on distances of a 5K or longer. Running sprints at a track meet or for sport such as football or soccer wold require different techniques and philosophy, but to be an efficient runner for general fitness, there are some drills that you can practice while on your jaunt.

Tip #1 - Run Forward.
While running, one can spend a lot of extra energy by letting their arms and knees sway from side to side. I swear I’ve seen some runners weave so much that they actually complete about 14 miles within their 13.1 mile race. Let your arms move forward and back in a relaxed motion and don’t let your hands cross your midline or belly-button. Let your thumbs point the way you want to go…forward.

At the same time, makes sure that your knees are running forward and not buckling inward with each stride, or pointing outward. Let your knees point you to the direction that you are headed. You will prevent a lot of IT Band issues and knee problems by “keeping your knees running over top of your ankles.”

During your next run, practice these drills for 2 min at a time. Run with your arms staying to your side for 2 minutes and then return to your relaxed run. Then think about your knees running forward to 2 minutes. Practicing these running efficient drills will eventually turn them into habits that will increase your endurance and keep you injury free.

More to come on running your Personal Best.

Stretch the Drumsticks

Keeping muscles loose and pliable will keep you running the entire season. Inflexible muscles inhibit your muscles from working together in their proper and full range of motion.  Tight hamstrings are one of the worst culprits to sideline runners, because tight hamstrings can lead to low back pain, hip pain, and knee problems.  Make sure you are warm prior to stretching muscles and prior to reaching your full training speed. Usually a 5-10 minute warm up is adequate before stretching.

For example: Run your first mile, Stop & Stretch and then continue on your run. Then, the best time do more intensive stretching, is immediately following the commencement of your training. 

Runners & Yoga Tip:

Before your Yoga or Pilates stretching class, complete your training run for the day and time the end of your run to finish just before class begins. Your muscles will be very warm and you will get the most out of your class.

Stretches should be held at least 40 seconds to a full minute and Orthopedics will recommend you hold the stretch a minimum of 60 seconds. Yes, that amount of time will seem like an eternity, however, to get the muscle elongation that is required, you must hold those stretches.

Examples of Hamstring Stretches:

Race Day Checklist

If you are a runner in Nashville, I’m sure you are well aware that the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon is quickly approaching. It is a big and exciting national event that we are lucky to consider local. If you have any questions in getting ready for your race day, here is a checklist of necessities and not so necessary things that may make your event most enjoyable.

Lay out all your race stuff a week before that race date and then the day before the race.

Be sure to know right where everything is.

Here is your checklist:

THE NECESSITIES

__    Shoes

__    Socks

__    Shorts

__    Race jersey

__    BodyGlide or Vaseline

__    Sunscreen

__    Ride Home

NECESSITIES YOU WILL RECEIVE (AT EXPO)

__    Race number

__    Time Chip for your Shoe

OTHER STUFF (OPTIONAL)

__    Throw away (warm-up) T-shirt

__    Sunglasses

__    Spandex

__    Watch

__    Race Belt / water bottle

__    Hat

__    Energy Bars & Gels

__    Money

__    Post Race Clothes

This being my 8^th Year participating in the event and having coached well over 1000 people to complete Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon, I would love to be your unbiased resource for the event. Personal Best Fitness is always here for any questions or concerns you may have, no matter how big or small the questions may seem.

Good luck at your event, big or small, first or 100^th. May you always be striving to reach your Personal Best.

Exhilirated, not Exhausted

“Stress, Recover, Improve… that’s all training is. Any damn fool can do it.” – can be heard echoing through the halls of Oregon from famed coach and Nike founder Bill Bowerman. He would say it verbatim to all incoming freshman every year, and he meant it, especially the “recovery” part.

In the 50’s when the standard for improving was pushing till you puke everyday Bowerman would insist on days off for recovery, and if his overzealous students would try to sneak in an extra workout, the consequence was simple: off the Team. While many did not agree with Coach Bowerman’s theories… 4 NCAA titles and 16 sub 4 min. milers later… turns out ole Bill was right.

Your fitness doesn't increase while you run, but during the recovery process that unfolds between runs. The stress of running flips a number of hormonal and genetic switches in various parts of your body, allowing each part to adapt in a way that renders it better prepared for the next workout. But these adaptations can unfold only when your body is at rest. Since the majority of fitness adaptations occur through recovery, the goal of your training program should be to maximize recovery. In other words, instead of recovering to train, as many runners do, you should train to recover.

While we are not here to win a gold medal, an NCAA title or run professionally, taking a day or two off for recovery will only help us in our long term fitness and goal setting. While most of us run to enhance our lives, and we want to finish and feel exhilarated and not exhausted, taking a day off for recovery will be one of the easier things for us to do.