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!