How to Run Faster - Part #2

When ready to run faster, be it 1 Mile or Marathon or anything in between, there are some cross training exercises you can do that will begin to strengthen up your fast twitch muscle fibers, that make you run faster.

#1 Foot Scrape.
This will strengthen your gluteal muscles and hamstrings.   Practice your running form against a wall. Keeping good posture, raise your knee straight in front of you as high as you can, and be sure it doesn’t bend to the side. Place the ball of your foot against the wall; scrape your foot down the wall quickly. Then follow through and scrape your foot on the ground beside your stationary foot. Repeat quickly 30 times each foot.

#2 Quick shuffle your feet.
This will strengthen your quadriceps and calf muscles.
Keeping good posture, and keeping your heels slightly raised, shuffle your right foot about half the distance of your left, and the your left about half the distance of your right. Do this as quickly as possible for a distance of about 10 yards. Turn around and repeat. The bottom of your feet may feet kind of warm due to the fast and furious friction on them.

#3 Side to Side Hops.
This will strengthen your knees, hips, ankle joints as well as calf, quad, hamstring and glute muscles.
Pick an object, line or stick to jump side to side over 20 repetitions.
Here’s to reaching your Personal Best.

Running's Golden Rule

No new shoes, no new hats, no new socks or racing flats.

 

No new sunscreen, no new bra, no new shirts, they’ll rub you raw.

 

No new skirts because they’re cute, or first time running in your Elvis suit.

 

No new shorts or new spandex, they’ll most likely chaff your delicates.

 

No new headbands, bandanas or funny Afro wigs, and that new Garmin won’t tell you to zag when you should zig.

 

No new bottles on your back, or bottles on your waist, no new drinks within those bottles, you don’t know how they taste.

 

No new blocks or shots or running in your Crocs, No new gels or energy bars, and running way too far.

 

Don’t wait until the race to try Vasaline on your toes, and don’t wait until the race to try a Breath Rite on your nose.

 

Don’t stuff 20 gels into your new short’s pocket, and don’t wait until race day to blow your first snot-rocket.

 

If you practice with your gear, you won’t look like a fool, that’s why Nothing New On Race Day, is Running’s Golden Rule.  

How to Run Faster - Part 1

We all have the ability to run many different speeds over an infinite number of distances. We all have the desire to reach our Personal Best and to test the limits of our bodies within our own comfort zones. Whether you ran 2:01 at your last half marathon and have the inner desire to run 1:59 next time…. Or you wish to waste your cocky friend who is always letting you know they beat you; there are a few simple things you can do to instantly gain some speed.

Muscle Types
While there are many types of muscle fibers in our body, the fibers that effect runner’s speed are fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitches are large, powerful and want you to hurry hury hurry to the margaritas at the finishline. Slow twitch muscle fibers are smaller, have good endurance, and are more chilled out because there are plenty margaritas at the finishline for everyone.
Most runners work their slow twitch muscle fibers when they go for a run and continue to increase their endurance. Staying comfortable within a run is very important, however, to get faster, there will a few workouts that will cause you to be uncomfortable for a short while we push your large muscle fibers to grow and become stronger. The point is… to run faster, you have to practice running faster.

The Workout
Start with short distances. If you have a goal of running 8 minute miles instead of 9 minute miles, practice running 8 minute miles over a shorter distance, such as a Quarter mile or 1 time around a track. Take a rest and do your new pace again. Keep repeating until you cannot hold the new pace anymore. Give yourself a day of rest to recover, and practice it again.

The Test
After a few weeks of practicing your new pace, test yourself and see how long you can run and hold your new pace. Using a 400-meter track is a good judge because of the known and regulated distances.
Next time I will share specific exercises that will make you faster and continue to help you reach your Personal Best.

Run in Costume

I like to spice things up, make a statement or make a memorable experience not only for me, but for the participants
 and spectators around me. Not to be a run snob, but after running so many marathons, it is rare that I will participate in a 5K anymore UNLESS, it is a costume run! That is a different kind of party with a different kind of goal. Social? Yes. Memorable? Yes. Fun? Without a Doubt.

Now there are some rules to running in costume that you may want to know about.
Rule #1 – Themed costumes are the best. Whatever the given holiday that a particular race coinsides with tends to be the biggest hit. Winter time 5K’s love to see Santa Clause, Elves, Presents and or Christmas trees. October fest winners include St. Pauli’s Girls or anyone in Lederhosen. St. Patty’s Day run….. you guessed it, kilts and green hats.

Rule #2 – The more the merrier. The more friends you can get to join you in your themed run, the better. A nun and priest running together, 5 Elvis’s, or Eight reindeer with Santa is where we’ve made our mark each year at Nashville’s Thanksgiving Boulevard Bolt.

Rule #3 – Be sure you can run in your outfit. Too many times I’ve seen parts of costumes strewn across the course that have fallen apart after 20 minutes of running or aren’t properly pinned down. The key here is to be creative with your costume, but not so elaborate that it impedes your run cadence and stride. Don’t be afraid to practice in it before you use it.
Finally
Rule #4 – Have fun! Face it; if you are painted blue, wearing wings and/or a toga, you probably aren’t going to get your best time ever. So slow down, have fun, pass out some candy to spectators and enjoy the laughs and looks you’re going to get from your personal costume expression.
Here’s to running your Personal Best.

How to run your Best 5K

One of the great traits of running, is that there is a plethora of events and 5K road races to enjoy nearly year round. After you have trained, and put in the miles to prepare for that 5K, there are a few things you can do pre race that will help your speed no matter if it is a Cross Country 5K or Saturday morning road race.

Sleep Normal
If you are used to getting 7 hours of sleep every night, stick with 7 hours of sleep the night before your race. No need to try to play catch-up the night before a 5K race and get 10 hours sleep. For a race that is 3.1 miles, there is no need to alter your sleep habits, your body will be okay for that amount of time and distance. If you wish to rest up and heal up your body in preparation for a 5K race, start adding those extra and consistent hours of sleep about 4 days before your event.

Eat Normal
There is no need to “Carb-Load” the night before a 5K race, the distance does not require you to store extra calories. Eat a normal breakfast, nothing out of the ordinary, and maybe drink an extra glass of water if it is a hot day.

Warm Up
20 minutes before your event begin to jog or walk briskly to get your Heart Rate up. Don’t wait for the gun to go off before you begin to move your heart rate out of a resting state. Ideally you want your heart rate to be moderately high and your skin sweaty as close as you can get to the gun going off. If you find yourself standing around, throw in a few sprints or long strides to get the blood flowing, and not pooling in your legs.

Sugar Kick
Sugar enters your blood stream very rapidly, and if you eat a few bites of Hershey, or GU, or honey, or other sugar, about 10 minutes before the race start, that little extra energy you need to maintain your pace will be there to burn for fuel.

Good Luck, and Here’s to running your Personal Best 5K!

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.