Early season half marathon guidelines

Well, It is almost that time of the year to begin half marathon training. It seems that January and February are the most common time for clubs to begin their organized training programs for the May and June races. Locally these races include the 500 Festival Indy Mini, Geist Half and the Flying Pig. Hopefully prior to beginning these programs all of you have been running at least 3 miles 3-4 times per week in December. If you are not currently a runner and are thinking about a spring half marathon we would encourage you to re-think that as a goal for much later in 2009. Stick to the 5k or 10 k distances and have fun with those distances. Let your body adapt to the demands of running for several months, injury-free before committing to a half marathon. For the more experienced runners, hopefully you backed off your weekly mileage in December as compared to November and October. This downtime is important to allow the body a break from the rigors of late summer/ early fall training and the late fall racing schedule. Give the legs a break! Here in the Midwest, it also works out well as our weather begins to really SUCK! Late December is also a good time to work on our functional strength and mobility exercise or add swimming as a way of cross training. Over the month of January and February most half marathon programs begin with a gradual buildup of weekly mileage and long runs. No speed or quality workouts yet. This is a good time to begin to get into a pattern of "de-loading" (2 weeks up / 1 week down). This will allow the body time to recover between the harder work load weeks and will help to decrease the risk of injury. In another post, we will share our guidelines for the next phase of half marathon training for the month of March. Check out some of the online programs but make sure to adapt them to your schedule, skill level and perhaps some of the guidelines on this blog. Good Luck in your training and Happy New Year!

Cool Video on Core work

Sorry it has been awhile since our last post. Here is a link for a video which shows is what is going on here in Indiana at St. Vincent Sports Performance Center. Remember these are elite athletes!

http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/234127/100476-episode-13-team-indiana-elite-core

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

"neutral" shoes

Don't you hate when your favorite running shoe gets a "model update"? At least if it is discontinued you know it gone and you have to start over with a new shoe. When I hear things like, the new model is coming soon, I just cringe. A couple of years ago, after alot of searching and wear testing, I found that the New Balance 1061 was the a great neutral shoe for me and most of my clients. It provided clients that wear orthotics, a good firm start without a large soft crash pad. I was getting 400 miles on my shoes which was the best mileage on a pair of shoes that I have accumulated in several years. But then with the new year, the 1061 was updated to the 1062. It looks similar but it is not. They extended the crash pad which significantly change the shoe. With video, I am finding that I am no longer able to recommend it as often as I could the 1061. With my running, I now only get 200 miles prior to it wearing out to the point when I can no longer wear the shoe.

Never fear, I think I have found my new favorite "neutral shoe"without a large crash pad: The Brooks Defyance. On video tape it looks to be as good as the 1061 and much more "neutral" than the 1062. It has gotten similar kudos from my clients. I don't have many miles on the shoe, so I don't have a feel for it's durability. Let us hope that Brooks doesn't screw up a good thing with the "new models". New Balance is coming out with the new model replacement for the 1062, the 1063!

Maybe it will be an improvement.

Neutral shoe without large/soft crash pads:

Brooks Defyance, Adidas Boston (no formotion), NB 1062, occasionally the Asics Landreth

Indy Mini-Marathon

For any readers out there that are interested in running the Indianapolis One-America Mini-Marathon in May, the field is 75% full as of today.  You can sign up at:  www.500festival.com

the runner's core exercises

In this post we have listed the key exercises which Lou & I use in order to keep up our baseline strength and mobility. These exercises load the key muscles involved with running. Each of these phases have a different goal and we try do them in this order to achieve these goals. More reps is not necessarily better. As I do these exercises, I try to think of the goal and concentrate on the quality or control of the movement. We try to do these 2-3 times per week on easy running days or rest days. In the off season, in our case winter, we may do these more frequently. Click on the highlighted words for a link to the post which will demonstrate each exercise. I will also eventually add these to our sidebar with updates for the exercises which I don't have a description. Remember give us some feedback with a comment. I never really know if anyone gets anything out of this blog.

Phase 1
Foam Rolling Goal- relax/release key muscle groups / Hamstrings, ITB, quads & hip flexors
I do 20 reps on each muscle group

Phase 2- Gently lengthen muscle groups which were released with foam rolling.
My key areas are my hamstrings and hip flexors.

Hip Flexor stretch

Lower Abdominals -This is a good way to indirectly work lengthen my hip flexors by increasing
the strength of my lower abdominals and stretch my back extensors without
actively loading my hip flexors as with the majority of Pilates exercises.

Phase 3 - With this group of exercises, the goal is to strengthen muscles by isolating the weak ones which try to get out of doing the work (primarily the glutes).

Clams

Bridging series

Arms

Phase 4 Goal- Strengthen the key muscles in a more functional way or to integrate the muscles which were stressed in phase 3. I don't do all of these in one session but rather I pick 2-3 of these. In the next workout I do the ones I skipped in the previous workout.

• Step Overs /Balancing
  
• Step Downs
  
• Lunges/Front Step up (modified lunge)
  
• Squat

Note to readers: Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. The posts on this blog are purely for educational purposes only. The information written in the posts is the opinion of the authors and should not be taken as medical advice.

The Take and run Thursday topic today at the Runner's Lounge is to image what super power we would have if we could.

Super twins power activate…Make as a time traveler and a super runner! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to go back in time to run anywhere and with anybody regardless of your running ability. Image going back to 490 BC to run with the Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens. Maybe I would suggest that he slow down a little so he could deliver the news of victory without dying. I would check out the first Boston Marathon in 1897 then first Olympic marathon in 1908. I would do the Chariot’s of Fire thing in the 1924 Olympics with Harold Abraham. I would run with my grandfather and suggest that he stick to 100 and avoid the hurdles. He injured his knee cap on a hurdle and wasn't able to participate in 1924 games in Paris. Then I would run with Clarence Demar during his 7^th Boston win, with John A Kelly while winning his first Boston in 1935. It goes without saying I would be in Berlin just to see the look on Hitler's face when Jesse did his thing. I would be there in 1954 on that cold blustery day in Oxford, when Sir Roger Bannister ran 3:59.4. How about checking out the 1964 Olympics for the greatest upset EVER when Billy Mills came from nowhere beat the world’s best in the 10,000 meters (watch the video). I would run with Frank Shorter in 1972 Olympic marathon as he wins gold. I would run with any of Steve Prefontaine's races and I would definitely call him a cab on May 30, 1975. Billy Rodgers, Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, Grete Waitz would be fun to run with. I would like to be there when Joan Benoit won the first gold medal for an Olympic woman's marathon in 1984. I would run with Haile Gebreselassi as he runs the world's best marathon 2:03:50 in Berlin last month.

Finally, I may go back run some of my races again to correct some tactical errors. It would be interesting to see what kind of results I would have if I made those post race what ifs during the race.

On Sunday I went on my last trail run in Michigan for the season...see ya next spring...

Hip strengthening/ Clams

Clams:

This is a great exercise to work runner's weak gluteal muscles. The athlete will lie on their side, knees together and bent at 90 degrees. They will rotate their upper leg upward, keeping their feet together. After 15 slow repetitions, a low grade fatigue will be felt in the glut region.

The Bridge

This is a simple exercise that will help to build functional strength in your gluteals and core.


Start with the level one bridge. Both feet are on the ground with knees bent. Toes up to minimize the activity of the hamstrings during this exercise. Contract your gluteals or buttock muscles and tighten lower abdominals simultaneously. Push through your heels and lift pelvis off of the ground slowly and under control. Lift until your pelvis in line with your thighs. Do not arch back. If you are arching you're probably going to high. Lower your pelvis back to the floor under control. Remember are to keep both sides of pelvis level as to not let either hip drop during the movement.



Once you are able to perform level one with minimal fatigue and with good form and control, move on to level two. This level is performed using a single leg. The same principles apply. Use buttock muscles or gluteal to lift pelvis off of the floor. It is important to remember while performing this movement to maintain a level pelvis. Weakness can be seen if the unsupported side of the pelvis drops during initiation of the movement or throughout the movement. Keep core tight and perform slowly to maximize gluteal activation.

This exercise along with clams and standing band exercises are a great functional warm-up before a run. We also recommend doing these exercises on off days/strength training days to increase functional strength and prevent many lower extremity injuries.

Core strength/ Lower abdominals

This is a great way for our runners to strengthen their lower abdominals without further loading their hip flexors (Pilates or full range sit-ups).

The runner will lie down supine with their knees bent at 90 degrees. They will then tighten their lower abdominals (rolling the pelvis toward their nose/flattening the lower back toward the floor). This position is maintained as they slowly raise their arms overhead holding a ball. The lower back should not arch away from the floor. The higher the arms are raised the more difficult it is to keep the "core" engaged. They will continue to slowly raise and lower their arms until the lower abdominals are fatigued.












We then have them load their External and Internal Obliques by repeating the same exercise but they start at the side of the pelvis and raise the ball at diagonal toward the opposite ear.












Once this is mastered we advance them to a more difficult position. They repeat these exercises but with the legs straight out. In this position it is much harder to keep the core engaged as the hip flexors are in a relatively lengthened position. This is a sneaky way to work on lengthening tight hip flexors and back extensors while strengthening the muscles that oppose them.

XC motivation

Take and run Thursday


On this post you will find a couple of my favorite quotes. Hopefully they will provide some motivation for you cross country runners approaching gut check time!

"It is simply that we can all be good boys and wear our letter sweaters around and get our little degrees and find some nice girl to settle, you know, down with...Or we can blaze! Become legends in our own time, strike fear in the heart of mediocre talent everywhere! We can scald dogs, put records out of reach! Make the stands gasp as we blow into an unearthly kick from three hundred yards out! We can become God's own messengers delivering the dreaded scrolls! We can race black Satan himself till he wheezes fiery cinders down the back straightaway....They'll speak our names in hushed tones, 'those guys are animals' they'll say! We can lay it on the line, bust a gut, show them a clean pair of heels. We can sprint the turn on a spring breeze and feel the winter leave our feet! We can, by God, let our demons loose and just wail on!"
Quentin Cassidy, fictional miler in running cult classic, Once a Runner by John Parker


"A runner is a miser, spending the pennies of his energy with great stinginess, constantly wanting to know how much he has spent and how much longer he will be expected to pay. He wants to be broke precisely the moment he no longer needs his coin." -John Parker, Once a Runner


Wail on fellow animals and misers!

Ultra-Motivation

When you think about giving up on anything....

Functional Strength & Mobility / a gentle reminder

This last weekend I decided it was time to finish a remodeling job that I started 2 years ago. You know, the last part of a project that isn’t that important, just cosmetic, a hassle. I never had the time to get into it. This job required me to do some wood working and getting into work positions low to the ground (squatting and kneeling). These are not positions that I spend much of my normal work day doing. Needless to say come Monday my hamstrings and quads were feeling pretty tight and sore.

Usually, over the summer I lower my running mileage and work more on my functional strength. That didn’t happen this year. I really dropped off on my functional strengthening as I just never seemed to have the time to get it done. It was a hassle. We runners with healthy joints must keep our ability to squat and lunge (functional strength and mobility). As I approach the age of 45 this is becoming more and more obvious to me. Because my home improvement projects are becoming less frequent, I could lose this ability if I don’t continue to work on it. My running could eventually suffer. So my home improvement project served as a gentle reminder to get back to my functional strength program. GET IT DONE & DON’T PUT IT OFF!

Hood to Coast part 2

Hood to Coast

Two of John's legs during the Hood to Coast 2008! The team was 1st in master's division! Nice job John and the rest of his team in the "Mother of All Relays"

The Gluteus Medius

The gluteus medius muscle. Maybe one of most important muscles for running. Weakness in this muscle can lead to many injuries such as IT Band syndrome, knee pain, hip pain, and even back pain. Functional strength and endurance of this muscle is crucial to any athlete that spends much of the time running. The muscle is hidden underneath the big gluteus maximus (buttock muscle) and the fascia/fibers of the ITBand and Tensor Fascia Lata. This muscle is the muscle that keeps your hip stable while your foot is flat on the ground whether you are running or just standing on one leg. A weak glute med will allow your hip to drop too much leading to changes in your mechanics all the way down to your foot and up through your spine. A person might have a strong glute med muscle during muscle testing or even standing on one foot for 30 seconds, but the question is whether that muscle has the endurance to last for miles. And can that muscle perform the same when positions are changed such as when kicking a soccer ball or moving laterally to make a tackle? Both males and females are at risk for this weakness, however, the biomechanics of a female pelvis make them much more suceptible (wider pelvis) to weakness. A good video analysis of running can identify weakness as well as specific functional tests. In future posts we will have pics and videos to demonstrate these self-tests and strength training for this important muscle.

The Foam Roller Revisited

The foam roller is an excellent, inexpensive piece of workout equipment that can be used to mobilize tight muscles, increase flexibility, and prevent injury. It can also be used for a number of core strength exercises. There is a great link to the Perform Better website that outlines a number of exercises that can be performed on the foam roller: http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/assets/Exercisesheets/PDF/FoamRoller.pdf

The number one injury that we use the foam roller for is Ilio-tibial Band Syndrome (ITB Syndrome). We see many runners and athletes that have lateral knee pain or hip pain that is due to or at least in part by an IT Band that is full of adhesions and trigger points. Usually, these restrictions are the result of some other impairment or muscle imbalance (weak gluteals or hip stabilizers, shoes, leg length discrepancies, cycling mechanics, etc.)

During rehabilitation, we have patients perform ITBand release techniques daily. We start out with 1-2 minutes of rolling and progress to 5-10 minutes. The first few times usually are not very comfortable especially if a person has multiple trigger points or "hot" spots. We will instruct clients to roll until you "feel" a hot spot and hold at that point for 15-20 seconds and then continue rolling.

We recommend after rehabilitation is complete performing foam roller muscle release exercises 1-2 times or more (depending on the person) per week to keep tissues and muscles flexible.

In the future, we will post video of several myofascial release techniques using the foam roller.

Cool places to run...Indy

Today at the Runner's Lounge, we are to share our favorite places to run. My hometown of Indianapolis has several cool places to run. Downtown try hitting the IndyCanal loop. A little further north of downtown run on the Central Canal Towpath. The best place to start is in the village of Broad Ripple. From here you can either run on the gravel/ dirt canal path or hit the paved Monon Trail. My favorite place to run is Eagle Creek Park. The trails are especially beautiful in the fall. Check out these links and our sidebar for other cool places to run.

A proper hip flexor stretch

Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel onto one knee. Perform a gentle pelvic tilt by contracting your abdominal muscles. This motion is similar to "rolling the belt buckle toward the nose." When the pelvic tilt is performed, a slight stretch should be felt down the front of the thigh. If no stretch is felt with the pelvic tilt, then leaning forward slightly is allowed but the pelvic tilt must be maintained and the back should be straight. If no stretch is felt in this position then it is not necessary to stretch this muscle group. Again it is important that the stretch should be light to moderate in intensity. 3 times each leg, holding 20 seconds.

Hamstring stretch

Hamstring stretch: Lie on back holding behind one knee with hands as shown. Begin to straighten the knee slowly until a gentle stretch is felt in the hamstring. Hold twenty seconds then let the knee bend. Repeat 3 times.
Pictures from mckinley.uiuc.edu.

This is a safe hamstring stretch as it protects the lower back and provides a stretch over the entire hamstring belly. However, it is important to be aware of each person's limitations and to recognize that not everyone will be able to straighten the leg all the way. It is very important to stretch only into light to moderate stretch, NOT a heavy stretch.

Run. Rest and recover. Repeat

I have an extreme example of this week's topic on Take it and run Thursday.
This last weekend, I finished my first Hood to Coast Relay. This was a true test of physical and mental endurance especially because I only had about 4 weeks of quality training. HTC is a 12 person relay from Mt. Hood 197 miles finishing on the beach at Seaside Oregon. It is an extreme example of run, rest, recover and repeat all within 24 hours. Each runner runs 3 legs staying in order. For example, runner 1 hands off to runner 2, who then hands off to runner 3 etc.. until the order begins again. The runner is then picked up by their team van while the other van transports the next runner up to the next exchange point. I was runner 10 who ran legs 10, 22 and 34 of 36 legs. The race began early Friday and started in waves of teams with similar projected finishing times. Our team started at 6:45 PM. I took the hand off at 12:03 am Saturday and ran in the dark on a rolling paved trail for 6.88 miles. I tried to hold my goal pace despite the feeling that I had to cut my stride as I was having a difficult time seeing the trail. Upon finishing this leg, I was very hungry and felt depleted. I would now have about 6 hours to rest, recover and race again! I decided to try a new energy replacement drink, chocolate milk. In this case it was organic soy chocolate milk. After chugging this I felt 100% better. I then ate some bagels and peanut butter. Later I drank water with a Nuun tablet. The resting part of this phase was difficult as I found it impossible to sleep in a van with 7 people. We were unable to take advantage of the designated sleeping areas as our very experienced team captain felt it was important to keep the vans traveling together from each exchange point. However, this would have allowed me to get 1-3 hours of important shut eye. Many will argue that sleep is not necessary in a racing scenario but for me I believe it would have helped me in the 3rd leg.

My second leg began at daybreak around 7am. This leg (22) started with a 1.5 mile uphill climb and the a long 5 mile downhill along a beautiful tree lined Oregon road and a creek. I ran fairly consistent despite now being awake for over 24 hours and having to be careful to avoid Hamstring and Quad spasms from the hills. I again drank the soy chocolate milk and almost instantaneously felt better.

In the final legs, the exchange points began to get congested as we were catching the slower teams. This made it difficult to stay loose as we had to get our next runner up the road before our current runner passed us. I had the most trouble on leg 3 as most of this 4.10 (34) was in direct sun and it was hot! I wasn't in road kill mode, but I did back off my goal pace. I was on the edge of a hamstring spasm again and I was in need of water. When I finished my legs and I were happy to be near the end of this journey through Oregon. Our team hit the beach 19th overall and 1st in our division, just about 2 minutes off our projected finish!

This truly is the mother of all relays and is an extreme example of run, rest, recover and repeat!
Now it is time for me to really get some REST! Good job everybody and thank you.

the mother of all relays...

Next Friday, I'll be starting my first Hood to Coast. This is going to be interesting. I agreed to do this about 4 weeks ago after I had lowered my mileage for my summer vacation from long runs. I then didn't follow my own advise and really entered into a rushed training program. I don't usually do much hill training but I felt that I had better start. Training has gone well but I have had slight right Quad tendon pain after the hills. Last Monday I was assigned to be runner 2 (3rd hardest). At first I thought this would be awesome as I get to run down Mt. Hood. I knew runner 1 had the hardest downhill and I was grateful that wasn't going to be me. But then I looked up runner 2's first leg. Runner 2 gets the pleasure of a 5.67 mile 5% downhill run with no level ground to break it up. Panic began to creep into my mind as I could almost feel my knee saying, " Don't do it stupid, not on the very first leg." I realized that if I ran this downhill leg first, I would likely have problems finishing the race, which would let my team down. Having always volunteered to hard legs (6&8) at River to River, it was hard for me to make the calls to look for someone who would be willing to switch legs. I got lucky when one of my friends from college, who is on the team agreed to give me runner 10 (4th hardest) instead. Runner 10's legs are no picnic. The hardest leg of runner 10 is the second one. It begins with a 1.5 mile 4.7% uphill climb and then drops downhill for 5 + miles. This downhill on paper, looks better as it levels off at times. At least this isn't the first leg. I feel that I have a better chance of not dropping off race pace as runner's 10 last leg is short and more level. As I said, this will be an interesting adventure!

Simple injury prevention--Tip 5

Today on Take and run Thursday the topic is taking care of your feet. I find myself repeating these tips frequently during my work week so I thought I would share them with the Lounge.
1. Avoid wearing poor shoes... high heels, flip flops, or any other shoes which are uncomfortable. I know this is easier said than done, but at least avoid wearing them for long periods of time especially when standing or walking.
2. Don't continue to run in worn running shoes too long. I usually advise my patients to purchase a new shoe when the out sole of the current shoe begins to wear down or if approaching 300 miles. Get a second pair and start using them for the longer or harder runs.
3. Be careful buying a super soft cushioned shoe especially if a foot tends to over pronate. If a new shoe feels really soft and cloud like, there is a good chance it is too soft. Don't just buy the same shoe again. Make sure there haven't been any major changes to that model. Video taping running in the shoes and studying the way a foot reacts to that shoe is the best way to find the proper shoe. Compare the old shoes to the new shoes.
4. Avoid sitting on the foot when sitting! This is a very common mistake which will not only over stretch the soft tissue of the ankle but will likely cause knee, hip and back issues as well.
5. At the end of the day or run, if the feet are sore ice and take a day off. The sooner the soreness is addressed, the quicker they will heal. Too many times I hear patients that have had plantar fasciitis for over a year say, "but it didn't really hurt that bad".

I hope this is helpful.
In one week I leave for my first Hood To Coast and will be sporting a Runner's Lounge T Shirt.

Functional Strengthening

Functional Strengthening/Mobility
I decided that it would be beneficial to provide an occasional link to our previous posts/ video regarding functional strengthening and mobility exercises.
the why...
Got Strength?You don't have squat?Be Hip
the video...
Squat Lunge Step downs Step overs
more to follow...
Note to readers: Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program.
The posts on this blog are purely for educational purposes only. The information written in the posts is the opinion of the authors and should not be taken as medical advice.

Relay Races

If you are looking for a different race experience, you should get a group of friends together and enter a relay race. This last weekend, I had the pleasure of joining my daughter's coaches for a 42K relay. Three of us ran 3 x's 2 mile loops. The fourth lucky soul got to run 3 x's a 2 mile loop as well 1x 2.2 mile loop/ for a total of 26.2 miles. Runner 1 hands off to runner 2, runner 2 hands off to 3 etc.. and repeat. I had just enough time to recover, rehydrate and it would be my time to run again. Despite the heat, we all ran very well and finished in the top 10. It has been my experience that I tend to run better in a team situation. Running with some team pressure helps to prevent that mid- race slump. Besides all that, it is just really fun. Here are some links to some great relay races. River to River, HTC, Wild West Relay, Sunrise to sunset relay and of course the Relay for Life.
So for a different type of race, check for a relay race near you.

Running and visualization

Today's topic on take and run Thursday is overcoming the tough stuff. I decided to re-post one that I wrote just last month. I don't think too many folks read this one, but I like it. Sometimes it is tough just to get through a workout and you need to get creative just to get it done.

6-30-08

Today's scheduled workout was to run some quality speed for my up coming 5K racing season. After training for my spring half marathons, switching gears to 5k pace was less than appealing. The plan was to run to the track and run 8 X's 400 meters at LT pace with 1:15 rest...ALONE. During the first 400 I felt like I was towing an elephant. I had no legs and dwindling motivation. Needless to say, my first split was disappointingly slow. During my recovery, I decided that I needed to change my attitude or bag it. During the next 400 I remembered last Friday's women's 10,000 m US Olympic trials. It was a great race with gusty performances. Thinking about this race seemingly helped me to hit my next split 2 seconds quicker. On the next 400, I visualized a full stadium, cheering crowds and heavy competition. My imaginary crowd brought me home 3 seconds quicker than my first split, but more importantly I felt like a new runner. It turned out to be a great run. I was able to complete the rest of the workout with my first split being my slowest. I guess I owe it all to the my imaginary crowd support! I always tell my kids you are never too old to use your imagination.

the next race...

One week until my next race. 42K relay . Hopefully this 42k relay will help my training for "the mother of all relays". I just found out I have been invited to join a team for the Hood to Coast! I would love to hear any and all advice from anyone who has run HTC before. I would be interested in comparing it to the River to River relay as well as sleeping and eating advice.

Cool places to run...

I've just returned from vacation in Michigan and was able to go for
a couple of runs on one of my favorite trails. Last Monday my family and I sailed to Muskegon State Park. There is good anchorage just off a sand dune on the north shore near the Channel Camp grounds. It is also an easy drive off of US 31 through North Muskegon. In this park there are "12 miles of marked hiking trails from easy to difficult. The trails are a diverse series of loops that meander through a variety of landscapes, from flatland to marsh and from lowland to the top of scenic sand dunes. All are self-guided."
After dropping the hook, I set off with one of my daughters in order
to share with her the beauty of this park. She wasn't as excited as I was primarily due to the heat. We set off along the beach of Lake Muskegon, up along the breakwall/ channel to lake Michigan and then along the beach on Scenic road to the Park entrance. From here, it is possible to go straight up a long steep up hill to the historic Blockhouse, for a great view of Lake Michigan. On this run we decided to turn right onto Memorial Drive, away from the lake to pick up the trails again. For the next two miles we enjoyed the shade of the woods and the rolling trails near Snug Harbor, through Devils Kitchen and Old Bay Mills Village, back to our starting point. The next run was a solo effort and turned out to be quite a hard pace as I was trying to beat a thunder storm. On this run I stayed on the trails and covered the upper dunes. Up was 2-3 minutes of torture, but the view from the top was worth it! So if you find yourself in southwestern lower Michigan, check out Muskegon State Park. It is a cool place to run! For my other cool places to run, check out the side bar on the In Motion page. Oh yeah, I did beat the storm. Isn't that the strangest cloud?

Dead legs?

The topic this week on take and run Thursday at the Runner's Lounge is overtraining. Back in March I put a link to a excellent article on overtraining. This article helps to explain the science behind over training. I decided to post it again just in case you missed it. Crash and Burnout! The second link is to another interesting post by Vern Gambetta on recovery. I hope you all find it this helpful.

Gut check time in the 800m

Here is a link to one of the most courageous races I've ever seen. USA Olympic trials Men's 800 meters. If you didn't see this race, watch the first 400 meters and try to guess who will finish first and second. Who wants it the most?

Did you Fartlek?

"That is a great running T shirt!" that's the topic for the Runner's Lounge Take and run Thursday. The picture says it all....
This 5K race is on Saturday in Grand Haven Michigan.
Happy 4th of July!

Running and visualization

Today's scheduled workout was to run some quality speed for my up coming 5K racing season. After training for my spring half marathons, switching gears to 5k pace was less than appealing. The plan was to run to the track and run 8 X's 400 meters at LT pace with 1:15 rest...ALONE. During the first 400 I felt like I was towing an elephant. I had no legs and dwindling motivation. Needless to say, my first split was disappointingly slow. During my recovery, I decided that I needed to change my attitude or bag it. During the next 400 I remembered Friday's women's 10,000 m US Olympic trials. It was a great race with gusty performances. Thinking about this race seemingly helped me to hit my next split 2 seconds quicker. On the next 400, I visualized a full stadium, cheering crowds and heavy competition. My imaginary crowd brought me home 3 seconds quicker than my first split, but more importantly I felt like a new runner. It turned out to be a great run. I was able to complete the rest of the workout with my first split being my slowest. I guess I owe it all to the my imaginary crowd support! I always tell my kids you are never too old to use your imagination.

13 words for why I run

Runner's Lounge /Take and run Thursday
Long runs, tempo runs, intervals, cross country, track: why? Because I still can!

Simple injury prevention--Tip 4

This week's topic in the Runner's lounge: "Take It and Run Thursday" involves training tips for the 5k or 10k. After reading a couple of great posts on periodization it reminded me how often we see clients who either don't know this concept or have forgotten it. Periodization is an important concept to include when planning a training schedule for up coming race or series of races. It will help a runner peak at the right time and minimize the risk or injury. In the clinical setting we continue to see runners who put the cart in front of the bull. In other words they, just start a running progression after being off from an injury but then ask if they can run a race in a couple of weeks. We usually respond by saying why? Why risk it? We remind them that their time would not be anywhere close to their potential and they could re-injury themselves.

In phase one of periodization, a runner needs to build a strong healthy running base. This should be a return to pain-free running and a gradual build-up of mileage with a occasional deloading. I also feel this phase should include function strengthening and mobility exercises which works each runners muscle imbalances. This will set the ground work to add more stress later. After this phase, it is time to work on faster paces or quality workouts. Next, the quality work outs can be more specific for the planned race distance. The best time to race fast is after these specific quality workouts have been completed. Now of course there is overlap during each phase and it should continue to include deloading. It is possible to race after some quality workouts have been completed but it must be understood that the times may not be to the runner's highest potential. Remember a runner can't remain at a high level of peak too long without having a period of rest, reduced mileage and effort. Then a new cycle of periodization may begin. It doesn't matter if the runner is elite or a beginner, these are important steps to follow with the distance and speed appropriate for their skill level.

Race recap/Funny how things work out

This weekend I had planned to run one of my favorite half marathons in Ludington Michigan, the Lakestride but the Midwestern flooding even reached Michigan. The Ludington State Park was closed thus the half marathon was canceled. No worries, the 5k was still on, so I switched races and cheered on my daughter. Didn't need that taper after all! It worked out because Saturday was a beautiful day so, the family & I went on a nice sail on Lake Michigan. If I had run the Half I wouldn't have had the energy to do anything. Sunday, I was able to go for a nice long run along the lake Michigan with a cool dip afterwards. I had a great father's day weekend.

Cool places to run...

In this post, I will start to share stories about some of my favorite cool places to run. This list is on a sidebar with links to further information on each site. The first cool run is Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence Kansas. This is the home cross country course for the Kansas Jayhawks. My daughter and I did a early December road trip between Midwestern ice storms for the Jr. Olympic National Cross Country Championships. Race day it was 22 degrees with a below zero wind chill. I'm sure on a nice fall day it would be beautiful and a much quicker course. Despite the cold, I enjoyed running the course with my daughter the day before her big race and treasure the time we got to spend together.

Our first In Motion guest blogger is my daughter. She will share her summary of the race course and her experiences.

Rim Rock Farm Lawrence, Kansas

I'll never forget that road trip. We had a big adventure driving to the race. We went through a snowstorm so bad that you couldn't see the road. Dad and I had to stop at Wendy's and wait for my teammate. We weren't sure if we could make it in one night. Well, luckily we did! The next day was really fun hanging out with my teammates and going to the expo. It was cool to hear where everyone was from and their times. Everyone was really excited for the race.
Rim Rock Farm is a really cool place to run. I remember it looking similar to Antarctica, but I’m sure if you went in the spring, summer, or fall it would be fun. For a course in Kansas I thought it would be flat, but this course has some challenging hills. I wouldn‘t expect to be running PR‘s. It is a few miles off the highway, and you have to drive down a dirt road. The day of the meet the dirt road had so much traffic some kids had to get out of the car and run to their race! We took a “shortcut”. Dad drove out of the line of cars and drove up to another random dirt road and started driving down it. We had a GPS, but it didn't show all the roads because they were to small. We were just about to turn around when we saw this huge hill! Dad didn't think our car could make it up. It was quite an adventure, but his fabulous shortcut worked. (Yes, for the first time in his life a shortcut actually worked!) (Sorry, Dad)
The starting line is huge! It was so cold that my feet were frozen before we started. My team hung out in a tent, but you couldn't ignore how cold it was. The course starts out on a slight uphill, but there’s plenty of space. It takes a little while, but you loop back around and go in the woods. You go up a few monster hills, then you get to a brown covered bridge. A minute later you go over the prettiest part of the course, a bright red covered bridge that goes over a pond. You go up another large hill called “Billy Mills Hill”. (I also got to hear him the night before at the opening ceremony) It was very steep and long. Then you run up along a ridge where you can see the arch where you finish. The finishing stretch is downhill. (Thank goodness!)
We had to get in the car less than 15 minutes after my finish to drive home because another storm was threatening to keep us there until the following week. My feet were freezing until Kansas City! You could tell who had come from the race because all of the cars had a deep red mud on them from the dirt road! Overall this course is very cool and I would recommend it to anyone. I had a really good experience here and I hope you will too!

Simple injury prevention--Tip 3

Learn how to read!

This week's topic in the Runner's lounge: "Take It and Run Thursday" we were asked to share the "best" of our blog. I don't know if this is my best, but I feel it is one of the most important simple injury prevention tips for all of us to learn. I also like the picture, which I took in Whitehall Michigan.

This is a re-post from March 11, 2008.

My input this week involves learning how to read your body. As the weather finally warms up and the spring races draw nearer, most of us are adding to our training. We are either adding some miles and or introducing some quality (speed). During any change in our training which requires an increase in effort, it is important to determine how our bodies are responding to this change in stress levels. We must learn to read our bodies / to be able to determine what we can ignore versus what is trouble brewing.

Here is a common scenario:

Fred ran 4-8 X's 400 in the first week and that this is the first time he has done any up tempo workouts this season. He wore the same shoes that he has been wearing all winter (250 miles) and they are showing some wear. On this workout, he felt really good and went quicker than scheduled. The next day was an easy run and he felt just a little tight. The next time he ran, his legs felt great so he pushed a little, but toward the end of the run he noticed a slight tightness or pinch in his distal Achilles. After the run, he gave it a good stretch. The next day he felt slight soreness during the day but a mile into his scheduled 10 miler it went away. At 3 miles it comes back and by the end of the run it is more of an aching pain. After he stopped, it goes away so he stretches it out some more. The next AM, Fred can barely walk as his Achilles is very sore and tight.

Where did Fred go wrong in this scenario? How could he have avoided this injury?

The biggest issue here, was his inability too read and listen to his symptoms. When he felt the tightness the first time, he should have used ice on his Achilles and avoided the aggressive stretching. But the biggest mistake was continuing to run during the long run when his symptoms got worse. I advise that when symptoms are felt during a run and they don't go away or they worsen, STOP! At least slow down and shorten the work out. ICE and avoid aggressive stretching. If the symptoms had gone away and not returned, he could have finished the work out. It still would have been prudent to shorten the run and ice. If symptoms are felt during the day just walking around, it is better to not run. REST and ICE! No running until pain-free during everyday activities. Then the return to running needs to be a short and easy, followed by a rest day. This will allow Fred to evaluate how the Achilles is handling the return to running with less of a chance for re-injury.
Learn to read your body!

Other contributing factors:
Stick to the scheduled pace especially on the first quality run of the season.
Never a bad idea to break out a newer pair of shoes when doing quality runs or long runs.

I hope this is helpful!

Functional Strengthening/Mobility

I decided that it would be beneficial to provide an occasional link to our previous posts/ video regarding functional strengthening and mobility exercises.
the why...
Got Strength?
You don't have squat?
Be Hip
the video...
Squat
Lunge
Step downs
Step overs

Note to readers: Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. The posts on this blog are purely for educational purposes only. The information written in the posts is the opinion of the authors and should not be taken as medical advice.

Hit the water!

At The Runner's Lounge, this week's "take and run Thursday" topic involves cross training.

As I begin to share my thoughts on cross training, I feel the need to remind everybody that cross training is NOT a REST day. We get quite a few victims in our PT clinic who forget this small fact. Many victims of overuse injuries like to sell themselves that a day without running equals a rest day. Face it, we've all done it. Remember that just as cross training is a great adjunct to your sport so is true rest.


Over the years I have done a variety of cross training activities. I would have to say that off road biking and swimming are my favorites. I picked these up after a hamstring injury put my running on hold. I couldn't believe the total body work out that off roading gave me. The thrill of zipping through woods on a single track trail and getting airborne reminded me of snow skiing. I was hooked! The next season, I upgraded my bike and actually entered an off road race. I would ride after work 2 or 3 days a week and really felt that this helped my running. My riding came to a sudden end with a fairly bad end over in which I fracture my clavicle. This made working at my job difficult. I realized that I was lucky that this was all I injured. Because I am a father of three and can't afford to miss days from work, I decided that I better stick to safer cross training.

Thus, I returned to swimming. This has been a great way to help my running. I don't enjoy swimming nearly as much as biking but, I do like the strength changes in my upper body & core. I have found that swimming with a pull buoy is a great way to decrease the load on my legs. I get a great cardio workout by increasing my strokes per breath. The pull buoy eliminates the need to kick and it helps to keep my legs up in the water. As a result, I don't need to swim very far to get a good cardio workout. I work my core my contracting my abdominals as I pull down into the stroke. I was swimming 2 times per week but have gotten away from this over the last year. Hopefully with warmer weather and writing about this, I will find the motivation to hit the water again.

Simple injury prevention--Tip 2

More on deloading.
I thought I would help to make deloading easier to follow with a quick glance chart.

Deloading
Miles per week	Deload week
50	37
45	33
40	30
35	26
30	22
25	18
20	15
15	11

For example: If I have been training 2 weeks at 40 miles per week with 6 miles of quality, I would "deload" my third week to 30 miles with 3-4 miles of quality and I would probably add a rest day. Deloading is a great way to allow the body recover & remodel itself. This format of 2 weeks up and 1 week down will allow an athlete to become stronger for what is next.

Geist Half Marathon

I ran the Geist Half Marathon yesterday. This is a new race and I wasn't sure if it was going to go smoothly as it was a point to point race. They did a good job with the shuttles to the start line and from the finish line back to the parking area. There was a minimal wait to catch a ride.

The course was surprisingly hilly, scenic and fun. There is good shade until about 6 miles. The hills return at 7 miles. The support crowds were few and far between but I enjoyed the bands. The finish area was great, with a slight Jimmy Buffett party feel in the air. Too bad that one hour after I finished it clouded up, the wind picked up even more and actually got colder. I think finishers would have stuck around longer if the weather had stayed nice.

How did I do? It took me a long time to feel like I should be running (woke up tired) but I felt better at about 9 miles. I ran a strong last 5 K to finish in the top 10 and win my age group in 1:21:44. I think the hills & wind slowed us all down, but it was a nice day for this inaugural race.