Triathlon Goddess

For Runners, Soft Ground Can Be Hard on the Body

2011-09-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hirofumi Tanaka, an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, bristles when he sees dirt paths carved out of the grass along paved bicycling or running routes. The paths are created by runners who think softer ground protects them from injuries.

Dr. Tanaka, a runner, once tried it himself. He was recovering from a knee injury, and an orthopedist told him to stay away from hard surfaces, like asphalt roads, and run instead on softer surfaces, like grass or dirt. So he ran on a dirt path runners had beaten into the grass along an asphalt bike path.

The result? “I twisted my ankle and aggravated my injury while running on the softer and irregular surface,” he said.

In the aftermath of his accident, Dr. Tanaka said he could not find any scientific evidence that a softer surface is beneficial to runners, nor could other experts he asked. In fact, it makes just as much sense to reason that runners are more likely to get injured on soft surfaces, which often are irregular, than on smooth, hard ones, he said.

His experience makes me wonder. Is there a good reason why many runners think a soft surface is gentler on their feet and limbs? Or is this another example of a frequent error we all make, trusting what seems like common sense and never asking if the conventional wisdom is correct?

Perhaps a runner who, like me, strikes the ground with her forefoot instead of her heel, might risk more injuries on softer ground. After all, every time I push off on a soft surface, I twist my foot.

Exercise researchers say there are no rigorous gold-standard studies in which large numbers of people were assigned to run on soft or hard surfaces, then followed to compare injury rates.

There’s a good reason for that, said Stuart J. Warden, director of the Indiana Center for Translational Musculoskeletal Research at Indiana University. It’s too hard to recruit large numbers of people willing to be randomly assigned to one surface or another for their runs.

“I think the reason people haven’t answered that question is that it is not an easy question to answer,” Dr. Warden said.

When Dr. Willem van Mechelen, head of public and occupational health at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, searched for published studies on running injuries and how to prevent them, he, too, concluded that there were no good studies that directly support running on softer ground. “Significantly not associated with running injuries seem age, gender, body mass index, running hills, running on hard surfaces, participation in other sports, time of the year and time of the day,” Dr. van Mechelen concluded.

So what is going on? It seems obvious that the forces on your legs and feet are different depending on whether you run on soft packed dirt or on hard concrete. Why aren’t injury rates affected?

An answer that many accept comes from studies that addressed the question indirectly. In several of them, study subjects ran on plates that measured the force with which they struck the ground. Instead of varying the hardness of the ground, the researchers varied the cushioning of the shoes. More cushioning approximated running on softer ground.

Over and over again, studies like these found that the body automatically adjusts to different surfaces — at least, as mimicked by cushioning in shoes — to keep forces constant when foot strikes plate.

That finding makes sense, Dr. Warden said. If you jump from a table to the floor, you automatically bend your knees when you land. If you jump on a trampoline, you can keep your knees stiff when you land. Something similar happens when you run on different surfaces.

“If you run on a hard surface, your body decreases its stiffness,” Dr. Warden said. “Your knees and hips flex more. On a soft surface, your legs stiffen.” Running on a soft surface “is basically a different activity,” he said.

But those studies did not actually measure forces inside the body, Dr. van Mechelen noted. Instead, they used biomechanical modeling to estimate those forces.

“It is models, so God knows whether it is true,” Dr. van Mechelen said. “But to me it doesn’t seem far-fetched.”

Dr. Warden said some people adapt quicker than others to running surfaces, and he advised that anyone wanting to change from a soft to a hard surface, or vice versa, play it safe and make the change gradually.

Changing your running surface, Dr. Warden said, “is much like increasing your mileage, changing your shoes or some other aspect of your training program.” Abrupt changes can be risky.

But with no evidence that softer surfaces prevent injuries, there is no reason to run on softer ground unless you like to, Dr. Warden and other experts said. Dr. van Mechelen tells runners to get a pair of comfortable shoes and run on whatever surface they prefer.

Dr. van Mechelen, a runner himself, says his favorite surface is asphalt. Mine is too.

My coach, Tom Fleming, never suggested soft surfaces and never thought they prevented injuries. And, he said, there’s a good reason to run on asphalt, at least if you want to compete.

“Most road races are on hard roadways,” he told me. “So let’s get used to them.”

A version of this article appeared in print on July 19, 2011, on page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: For Runners, Soft Ground Can Be Hard on the Body..

Trail Running

2011-09-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

By Leigh Brown Perkins
Her Sports + Fitness

When she trained for her third Tour du Mont Blanc ultra marathon last summer, Chlo Lanthier-Brandner never was spotted running the roads near her home in Whistler, British Columbia. She was always deep in the woods, blazing up and down old logging trails.

"All of my runs are on trails," Lanthier-Brandner says. "I forget I'm running."

Elite runners are not the only ones lured by trails. More than 5.7 million Americans consider themselves avid trail runners, an increase of 36 percent in the last five years, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Another 37 million runners hit the trails a few times a year.
Nancy Hobbs, founder of the All-American Trail Running Association and co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running, explains the growing interest in trail running this way: "There's a real spiritual component to being on the trail. It provides a great physical challenge but in a serene, forgiving environment."

Trail running makes demands on a wider range of muscles than road running, without the repetition injuries of pounding pavement. Ankles, hips, inner and outer thighs and core muscles are engaged for balance. Trails more fully engage the quads, increasing leg strength. Taking on ascents and descents builds stamina, and difficult climbs sharpen mental focus.

Trail-Running Tips

Follow these tips for happy trails wherever you run.

1. Run tall. Running, especially uphill, can be exhausting, but if you bend under the effort it's more difficult for the lungs to do their thing. On the uphill, keep an eye at the crest or a few yards ahead, not at your feet. If you're gasping, slow down and pump your arms a little, or if you need to, walk, while keeping your posture tall. Even elite runners will walk a steep hill.

2. Shorten your stride on the way up. And plant your entire foot; climbing on your toes kills your calf muscles. Jump over obstacles. Stepping up on unsteady rocks and roots is not only tiring, it can be hazardous.

3. Be loose on the downhill. Stop braking and allow yourself to fly a little, throwing your arms to the side. But don't flail. If you lose control, slalom from side to side like a skier. Don't lean back or dig in your heels to brake (a guaranteed butt slide). Instead, land quickly and lightly.

4. Plot your moves. View the trail like a chessboard. Plan your steps around bumps, dips, soft sand and fallen trees yards before you reach them.

5. Focus on time, not distance. Don't expect to match your road PR. "Out-and-back routes are great because you can cover the same distance a little bit faster on the way back," Lanthier-Brandner says.

6. Diminish your risks. Run in pairs or let someone know where you're going and when you'll be back. Take plenty of fuel and fluid, a lightweight jacket and a cell phone, which won't always get a signal in the mountains, but might. Uphill runners yield to downhill runners. Yell "trail" well in advance of passing another runner or hiker.

7. Find your balance. Slippery downhills let you know what your legs are made of. Build them up between trail runs with weighted squats and lunges, and build your balance using wobble boards (check out www.performbetter.com for balance gear).

8. Keep your bearings. Things look different coming back than going. Pause to look around when two or more paths diverge from the one you're on. Look at trail signs and identify rocks, trees or landmarks on the horizon.
9. Leave no trace. Even in races, trail runners stow empty wrappers and wouldn't dream of dropping cups like road racers. Stay on marked trails, don't cut switchbacks and go through, not around, puddles to prevent erosion.

10. Feel like a kid again. Crank it on the downhill, hoot and holler, jump into a stream. "Trail running is a chance to get down and dirty, to grab hold of our authentic selves," says trail running coach and sports psychologist Terri Schneider. It'll make all those miles during freezing winters on the treadmill so worth it.

Trail Gear

Essential gear for a trail runner doesn't have to be anything fancier than a crusty pair of trail shoes, an old race tee and socks that will never be white again. But a few other purchases will get you running wild.

Shoes. Your favorite brand of road shoe won't necessarily manufacture a good trail runner, or a trail runner that works best for you. Trail running shoes sit lower than road shoes, with a harder midsole to take the impact of the trail. They provide greater ankle support to prevent rolling and more lateral support and flexibility for uneven terrain. They have sturdier, stickier treads. Runners who face stream-crossings or mud should wear trail shoes with drainage holes, waterproof uppers and laces that won't stretch when wet.

Apparel. Trail runners take layering seriously since weather at altitude can change instantly. When the temperature begins to cool, start layering with a running tank, then a long-sleeve tee, both made of a wicking fabric. A breathable, hooded jacket is vital. In warmer weather, stick with loose, wicking shorts. In cold weather opt for snag-proof tights.

Gloves. Wipeouts happen. Lightweight gloves protect hands from gravel burns, stray brambles and chilly air.

Socks. Find what works for you: wool blends, layered micro fiber, toe socks. If you blister, turn them inside out. Go with gray, brown or black.

Sunglasses. Since trails often lead from dark forests to brilliant glades, sunglasses make sense. Even on all-shade trails, glasses protect eyes from branches and clear lenses keep debris from contacts. Lanthier-Brandner recommends orange lenses, which work well in all light, or shades with interchangeable lenses.

Hydro packs. Dehydration happens quickly at altitude so carry water. Hydration packs are necessary for longer runs; bottle belts for shorter trails. Buy packs that are sized for women, with lots of pockets to stash energy gels, bars and a cell phone.

How to Reduce Your Added Sugar Intake

2011-09-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

from the Nutrition Diva

by Monica Reinagel, M.S., L.D./N.

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article explaining how eating too much sugar affects your body. As a guideline, I suggested trying to limit your intake of added sugar to 50 grams a day. Since then, I’ve got a lot of questions from readers about how to implement this guideline. So, today, a follow-up to my original article, with answers to your questions about limiting added sugars.

Why Should You Limit Added Sugar?

As I explained in my original article, although a little bit of sugar is OK for most people, eating too much sugar can undermine your health in a lot of ways. Sugar can add excess calories to your diet, crowd out more nutritious foods, and otherwise contribute to aging, weight gain, and disease.

How Much Sugar is Too Much?

The World Health Organization recommends that you limit your intake of added sugar to 50 grams a day, and this was the guideline that I mentioned in my original article. For the average adult, fifty grams of sugar works out to about 10% of their total calorie intake.

Some people would set that limit a lot lower—in fact, the American Heart Association recommends just 25 grams of added sugar a day.

Of course, you could try to eliminate 100% of the added sugar from your diet. But that strikes me as unnecessarily austere. If you’re basically healthy and you have a reasonably nutritious diet and active lifestyle, I don’t think a zero tolerance policy is necessary.

Honestly, because so many of today’s health problems stem directly from excess sugar consumption, I think any reduction would be a step in the right direction. And because the typical American is currently consuming about 100 grams of added sugar a day, cutting that intake in half seems like a good place to start.

What Counts as an “Added Sugar”?

Whether your goal is to eat only 25 grams of added sugar a day or 50, you need to know what counts as an “added sugar.” You’ll be relieved to know that the sugar in fruit is not considered to be an added sugar. Fruit is relatively high in sugar, of course, but also contains other desirable nutrients. And although it is possible to consume an excessive amount of sugar by eating lots and lots of fruit, this is generally not where the problem lies for most people.

To keep your diet in balance, aim for two to four servings of fruit a day, preferably whole, fresh fruit rather than juice. But you don’t have to count the sugar in fruit toward your added sugar total. You also don’t have to count the naturally occurring sugars found in dairy products like milk or unsweetened yogurt.

Here’s what does count: Any sugar that you use in your own cooking or add at the table, plus any sugar in processed or prepared foods or beverages counts as an added sugar.

Do Natural Sugars Count as Added Sugar?

When counting added sugars, no distinction is made between “natural” sugars like maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or fruit juice concentrate, and refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. All concentrated sweeteners are counted as added sugar, regardless of whether they are liquid or granular, organic, raw, natural, or refined. That doesn’t mean that natural or organic sugars don’t offer any advantages. It just means that you don’t get to consume more of them just because they are natural.

How to Reduce Your Added Sugar Intake

The next step is to figure out where all that added sugar is coming from. According to the American Cancer Society, almost half of the sugar in the typical diet comes from sweetened beverages. That would include soda and other soft drinks, sweetened teas and juice drinks, and sport drinks like Gatorade (although it wouldn’t include artificially sweetened beverages).

Another quarter of the added sugar in the typical diet comes from sweet treats like candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, and sweetened breakfast cereal. And the remaining 25% or so of the sugar in our diet comes from the sugar that we use in cooking, add at the table, or stir into our coffee, plus all the sugar that’s hidden in processed and packaged foods like crackers, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, and just about everything else.

How to Spot Added Sugar in Packaged Foods

Trading that afternoon cola for an unsweetened iced tea could cut 50 grams of added sugar out of your diet in a single swipe!

To see how much sugar is in packaged foods and beverages, take a look at the Nutrition Facts label, which tells you how many grams of sugar is in each serving. For most foods, all of the sugar on the label is “added sugar.” Quick and Dirty Tip: Be sure to check how many servings are in the package. Often a package that seems like a single serving actually contains two or three servings. If you eat or drink the whole thing, you’d need to multiply the grams of sugar per serving by the number of servings you consume.

Sometimes, however, the sugar listed on the Nutrition Facts label is a combination of added sugar and natural sugar from fruit or milk—and that can be a little trickier to calculate. You may have to do a little sleuthing around. For example, an 8-ounce carton of low-fat milk contains 12 grams of sugar. That’s all naturally occurring milk sugar (or lactose) and you wouldn’t have to count that toward your added sugar limit. An 8-ounce container of chocolate milk, on the other hand, contains 30 grams of sugar. If 12 grams of that are accounted for by lactose, you can estimate that the remaining 18 grams is added sugar.

Likewise, you can compare a jar of unsweetened applesauce with a jar of sweetened applesauce to see how much of the sugar is added and how much is natural sugar from the apples. Unless a product contains a substantial amount of whole fruit or dairy, however, I’d count all of the sugar in a packaged food as added sugar.

How Much Sugar Are You Eating?

Why not spend a couple of days tracking your added sugar intake? Check the labels of all packaged foods that you eat. Don’t worry about the naturally occurring sugar in fresh fruit or unsweetened dairy products but make sure to count any sugar that you put in your coffee or honey that you drizzle over your oatmeal. If you eat out, you can often get detailed nutrition information on restaurant websites or on websites like nutritiondata.com.

If you’re taking in more sugar than you mean to—or want to—take a look at where the sugar in your diet comes from and you might see some obvious ways to cut back. For example, just trading that afternoon cola for an unsweetened iced tea could cut 50 grams of added sugar out of your diet in a single swipe! (And for a reminder of why you might want to, see my article, “How Sugar Affects Your Body”)

Why Do You Feel Like Puking During Races?

2011-09-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

Updated: Jul 26th 2011 by Matt Fitzgerald

A new study suggests carbs are not the main culprit.

Written by: Matt Fitzgerald

Symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, including nausea and flatulence, are relatively common during endurance races such as marathons and Ironman triathlons. Athletes commonly assume that GI distress is caused by overconsumption of carbohydrate (sports drinks, gels, and so forth). However, a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests that this is not the case.

Researchers at four European universities recruited 221 athletes who participated collectively in two Ironman triathlons, one Ironman 70.3 event, a long cycling time trial, a cycling stage race, and a marathon and invited them to fill out questionnaires after completing their events. The athletes were asked to recall their nutrition intake during their individual races and rate the severity of 12 different symptoms of GI distress on a 0-9 scale.

Analyzing the data on nutrition intake, the researchers determined the average rate of carbohydrate intake in each type of race. Triathletes consumed the most carbs, at rates of 62 to 71 grams per hour in the three races included. Cyclists consumed somewhat less carbohydrate (53 g/h), while marathon runners took in the least—just 35 g/h.

Serious GI symptoms were reported in 31 percent of Ironman triathletes, 14 percent of Ironman 70.3 racers, 7 percent of cycling stage-race participants, 4 percent of cycling time-trial competitors, and 4 percent of marathoners. As you can see, there was a clear correlation between the average rate of carbohydrate intake in each type of race and the risk of serious GI symptoms.

Before we blame race GI problems entirely on overconsumption of carbohydrate, however, we need to dig a little deeper. If carbs were truly the main culprit then we would expect to see that, within each type of race, those athletes who consumed the most carbs had the highest risk for GI distress. But this association was not seen in runners, cyclists, or Ironman 70.3 racers. Only Ironman racers faced a greater risk of GI distress when they consumed more carbs.

It also bears noting that the rate of serious GI symptoms was more than twice as high in Ironman racers than in Ironman 70.3 competitors despite the fact that the rates of carbohydrate intake were the same. It’s interesting as well that the rates of GI distress were the same in marathon runners and cycling stage racers despite the fact that the cyclists consumed 50 percent more carbs, on average.

These numbers suggest that the particular nature of the race contributes to the risk of GI distress more than the rate of carbohydrate intake does. It seems likely that the risk of GI distress in the two Ironman events was more than two times greater than in any other race simply because it lasted twice as long as any other race for most participants. I think you’d find that the risk of all kinds of things—heat illness, bonking, etc.—was more than two times greater in the Ironman. It’s just more stressful all around.

Yet the incidence of GI distress in an Ironman 70.3 was twice as high as the risk in a cycling stage race despite taking no longer to complete. This tells us that not only the length of a race but also the transition from cycling to running contributes to the risk of GI distress. It would be very interesting to know exactly when symptoms of GI distress most commonly appeared in the triathlons studied. I’d be willing to bet it was within the first 10K of the marathon start.

There’s a reason the runners in this study reported consuming only 35 grams of carbohydrate per hour while racing a marathon, whereas cyclists reported taking in 53 g/h. The GI system cannot tolerate as much nutrition consumption during running as it can on the bike. In triathlons, racers commonly consume carbs at a rate that is tolerable on the bike, only to find that the amount or concentration of calories in their guts becomes intolerable once they start running.

Besides the particular nature of the stress that a given type of race doles out, there is another factor that also appears to be more important than the rate of carb intake in relation to the risk of GI distress: past history of such problems. The researchers found that the correlation between past GI problems in races and GI problems in the races included in this study was stronger than the correlation between the rate of carbohydrate intake in the studied races and GI distress. In other words, athletes with a history of GI problems tended to have GI problems in these races even at lower levels of carb intake, while those without such histories tended not to have problems even at higher rates of carb intake.

A final note: Even though higher rates of carb intake were linked to higher risk of GI issues in Ironman races, those athletes who consumed the most carbs also tended to finish the race faster! Just because you experience some nausea and flatulence during an Ironman does not automatically mean your race is ruined. More often than not, these things are just a price you pay for doing an Ironman and for taking in enough fuel to finish with the quickest time possible–and they’re a price worth paying.

About the Author:
Matt Fitzgerald is a senior editor at Competitor Group, with regular contributions to competitor.com, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon and Competitor. Matt has written 17 books, and counting, including Brain Training For Runners and Racing Weight.

Time to Rest?

2011-08-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Pay attention to 10 body indicators to gauge when to run and when to back off.

After disappointing performances in a couple of key tune-up races last fall, a depleted Ryan Hall made the hard decision to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon. Too many grinding 15-mile tempo runs at a five-minute-per-mile pace at 7,000 feet with too little rest afterward had finally caught up with him. "I love to push my body," he says. "Recovery is the hardest part of training for me."

Problem is, if you don't take time for proper R&R, your body won't adapt to the stress of your training—you won't get stronger or faster, explains Stacy Sims, Ph.D., at the Stanford Prevention-Research Center, School of Medicine. Neglect recovery for too long, and you will start to lose strength and speed. You'll sink into the black hole known as overtraining.

First, your sleep patterns and energy levels will feel the effects. Eventually, your immune system crashes, and you lose your appetite. It's like burning out your engine. And you don't have to be logging 100-mile weeks to suffer. Recreational runners can overtrain, too. "With deadlines, chores, bills, kids, and lack of sleep, it's more challenging to recover properly from your runs," says Sims.

So in preparation for the 2011 Boston Marathon, Hall used an online recovery-tracking program called Restwise, which looks at simple biological markers input by the athlete first thing each morning, calculates a daily recovery score from 1 to 100, then trends it over time. (Rest-wise subscriptions start at $119 for six months; go to restwise.com.)

Pay attention to the following 10 markers. If three or more of these indicators raise a red flag, you should consider a few easy sessions or off days so you can return to running strong (see box, right). Says Hall, "Now I'm learning to love to rest."

1 BODY MASS: You lost weight from yesterday
A two percent drop in weight from one day to the next indicates a body-fluid fluctuation. Most likely, you didn't hydrate enough during or after your last workout. Dehydration negatively impacts both physical and mental performance, and could compromise the quality of your next workout.

2 RESTING HEART RATE: Your resting heart rate is elevated
Take your pulse each morning before you get out of bed to find what's normal for you. An elevated resting heart rate is one sign of stress. It means your nervous system prepared for fight or flight by releasing hormones that sped up your heart to move more oxygen to the muscles and brain. Your body won't know the difference between physical and psychological stress. A hard run and a hard day at work both require extra recovery.

3 SLEEP: You didn't sleep well or enough
A pattern of consistently good sleep will give you a boost of growth hormones, which are great for rebuilding muscle fibers. Several nights in a row of bad sleep will decrease reaction time along with immune, motor, and cognitive functions—not a good combination for a workout.

4 HYDRATION: Your pee is dark yellow
This can be an indicator of dehydration, barring the consumption of vitamins, supplements, or certain foods the evening before. The darker the color, the more you're struggling to retain fluids, because there's not enough to go around. You need H2O to operate (and recover).

5 ENERGY LEVEL: You're run down
If your energy level is low, there's something amiss. The key is honesty. Athletes can block out signs of fatigue to push through it, thinking it will make them stronger. It won't always work that way.

6 MOOD STATE: You're cranky
When your body is overwhelmed by training (or other stressors), it produces hormones like cortisol that can cause irritability or anxiety. Stress also halts chemicals like dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that has a big bummer effect on mood when depleted. Crankiness probably means not enough recovery.

7 WELLNESS: You're sick
Any illness, or even a woman's menstrual cycle, will increase your need for energy to refuel your immune system, which is having to work overtime. This means fewer resources available for recovering from training.

8 PAIN: You're sore or nursing an injury
Whether you're sore from overworked muscles or an injury, your body needs more energy to put toward repair, lengthening total recovery time.

9 PERFORMANCE: Your workout went poorly
This is a subjective measure of workout quality, not quantity nor intensity. If you felt great on yesterday's run, you'd evaluate that as good. If you felt sluggish on that same run, you'd count it as poor. Trending workout quality—multiple poors in a row—is one of the easiest ways to identify the need for more recovery.

10 OXYGEN SATURATION: Your oxygen level has dipped
The amount of oxygen in the hemoglobin of the red blood cells can be measured by placing your fingertip in a portable pulse oximeter, a gadget available online for about $40. The higher the percentage, the better: Above 95 percent is the norm at sea level or for an athlete who is fully acclimated to a given altitude. This is a new area in recovery science, requiring more research, but there may be a link between low oxygen saturation and the need for more recovery.

Count Your Red Flags
The restwise algorithm assigns more weight to some markers (e.g., performance) than others (e.g., mood), along with other factors to generate a precise recovery score. But you can get a sense for your ballpark recovery quality by tallying the red flags (left) you average per day in a week.

0-1 GREEN LIGHT
You are clear to train hard.

2-4 CAUTION
You can go ahead with a hard workout if your training plan calls for it, but cut it short if it feels too hard. Better yet, take an easy day, or a day off.

5-6 WARNING
You're entering the danger zone, which could be intentional according to your periodization or peaking protocol. If not, back off.

7-10 DANGER
You require mandatory time off, ranging from a day to a week, depending on the severity of your fatigue and what you've seen over the previous few days and weeks. You may need to visit your doctor.

FEEL Better: Too much rest has its own problems: Your performance stalls. On your recovery days, do something active; go for a bike ride, walk, or do yoga.

MUSCLES NEED 48 HOURS TO RECOVER AFTER AN INTENSE RUN. DURING THIS TIME, CELLS ARE REPROGRAMMED TO BE STRONGER.

20-Minute Workouts for Endurance Athletes

2011-08-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

By Matt Fitzgerald

To most non-athletes, 20 minutes of exercise seems like an eternity. But to endurance athletes in marathon training or triathlon training, a 20-minute workout may seem like it's hardly worth the bother.

After all, if your average workout lasts an hour, what can a 20-minute session possibly do to increase your fitness? Quite a lot, actually—even for the fittest endurance athlete.

Consider these four benefits:

1. 20-minute workouts burn a meaningful amount of calories and, thereby, help you reach and maintain your optimal racing weight. For example, a 150-pound runner burns approximately 280 calories in a moderate-intensity 20-minute run. If you normally miss a scheduled longer run roughly once every 10 days due to lack of time, you could burn an extra 10,000 calories over the course of a year by squeezing in 20-minute runs instead.

2. 20-minute workouts provide extra repetitions of the running stride, swim stroke, or pedal stroke that stimulate improvements in efficiency. A big part of what makes you a better, more efficient swimmer, runner, or cyclist is simply time spent practicing the movement. So, even short workouts count as additional movement practice.

3. 20-minute workouts can increase endurance by adding to total weekly glycogen turnover. An interesting Scottish study found that weekly training volume was a better predictor of marathon performance than the distance of the longest training run. In other words, the study suggested that marathon runners are better off running 50 miles a week with a maximum long run of 16 miles than running 40 miles a week with a maximum long run of 22 miles.

The reason is that endurance improves through the repeated depletion of muscle glycogen stores in training. And a heavy week of training will result in more total muscle glycogen depletion, and thus build more endurance, than a lighter week. 20-minute workouts can add a meaningful amount of glycogen-depleting volume to your training week.

4. 20-minute workouts can produce an excellent high-intensity training stimulus. A little swimming, cycling, or running at anaerobic threshold intensity and above goes a long way. Twenty minutes is plenty of time to get all the high-intensity work you need to take your fitness up a notch.

There are basically two ways to incorporate 20-minute workouts into your marathon training, triathlon training, or any other endurance sport training. One is to do a 20-minute workout instead of taking a day off whenever you are too pressed for time to complete a longer workout.

The other way is to add one or more 20-minute workouts to your weekly training schedule to increase your overall training volume without creating a significant risk of overtraining.

Here are some suggested 20-minute workouts:

The Filler: Simply swim, ride, or run at an easy tempo for 20 minutes. This is a great workout to do when you want to avoid the guilt of doing nothing but you're not mentally or physically ready for anything challenging.

Tabata Intervals: Swim, ride, or run at an easy tempo for 16 minutes, then complete 8 x 20-second all-out sprints with 10-second passive recoveries between sprints.

Fartlek Intervals: Sprinkle 5 to 10 fast 30-second efforts throughout an otherwise moderate, steady-pace workout.

Threshold Session: Warm up for five minutes at a comfortable tempo, then go for 15 minutes at anaerobic threshold intensity (the fastest pace you could hold for one hour in a race).

Progression Workout: Swim, ride, or run for 15 minutes at a steady, moderate pace, then blast the last five minutes.

Time Trials:

Swimming—Warm up, then swim 800 meters (875 yards) as fast as you can. Cool down as long as necessary to make the total workout 20 minutes.
Cycling—Warm up, then ride 5 km as fast as you can. Cool down as long as necessary to make the total workout 20 minutes.
Running—Warm up, then run 1 mile as fast as you can. Cool down as long as necessary to make the total workout 20 minutes.

Ten Tips Toward Your Best Triathlon

2011-07-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

from Training Peaks

Now that we’re getting into triathlon race season, it’s a great idea to review some important things to do so that you can have a race that is as smooth as possible. Of course these tips assume you are physically prepared (you have been training, right?) for your race!

10) Write a race plan. Have your race-day strategy planned out on paper or via electrons. The plan should mimic what you’ve been doing in your training. Have a coach? Make sure you work with your coach when developing your plan. Include packing lists in your plan. One list should be for race items (gear/nutrition) and one for “other” items, especially if you are travelling to the race location before the event.

9) Practice changing a flat tire. Because you are usually your own mechanic in triathlons, the quicker you can change a flat, the better your race will be if you were to get a flat. And practice using those CO₂ cartridges! (Not all of us will be fortunate like Chrissie Wellington’s 2008 Ironman World Championship experience.)

8) Do not try to “cram” in extra workouts. Stick to your training plan. If this is an “A” race for you, you will have a nice taper so that you can enter the race rested but ready to go your race pace. Don’t negate the gains that you have made by “making sure you can do the distance” the week of the race.

7) Read the race information and attend a pre-race meeting. Many races publish information for athletes on the race website a few days before the race. Get familiar with the course, the race rules, and know in which wave you are!

6) Focus on your nutrition several days before the race. Eat foods that you know sit well with you starting a few days before the race. Decrease fiber intake (that big black bean burrito might look good the day before your race, but there’s a good chance you’ll regret it!) I recommend planning your nutrition strategy starting a couple days before the race. Make sure you hydrate well, but there is no need to over-hydrate (those trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night just get in the way!)

RACE DAY TIPS
5) Get to the race site early. This leaves you plenty of time to take care of business, handle any last minute “oh craps!” and learn the layout of transition.

4) Warm-up. Get in at least 10 minutes of a warm-up. I like my athletes to do dynamic warm-ups, jog/run for a few minutes and finish with a few short accelerations to race pace to wake up the legs. Also, if the race venue allows, get in a few hundred yards of swimming as close to your race start as possible. The shorter the race, the longer your warm-up should be.

3) Stick to your plan. You wrote a race plan based on your training successes (pacing and nutrition) so stick to it as best you can. Granted, there will be deviations, but those will be easier to handle if you are prepared.

2) Have quick but not hurried transitions. You should have practiced transitions in your training, so these should be smooth – almost second nature. Stay relaxed and you’ll be quick!

1) Smile at the finish. You’ll be in the pain cave, the hurt locker, your world of hurt, or whatever you call race day “pain” out on the race course. But you’ll have more fun if you smile through it (Or be like me and make your grimace look like a smile…the spectators will never know!).

6 Steps to a Smooth Swim Exit

2011-07-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Jené Shaw

Exiting the open water is an often overlooked part of the transition from swim to bike. Many seconds can be gained and lost, so technique and planning are important.

Sara McLarty thinks about the swim exit in six steps:
Step 1: Swim toward the finish. Know the course and find tall buildings or trees to sight that are in line with the swim exit.
Step 2: Activate your legs. Kick a little extra during the last 200 meters of the swim.
Step 3: Keep swimming! Don't stop or stand up until you have run aground in the shallow water. When your fingers scrape the bottom, take a few more strokes by pulling right under your torso.
Step 4: Stand up and lift your goggles onto your forehead. This action clears your vision as you start to run out of the water.
Step 5: Unzip your wetsuit on solid ground. Running through sand and rocks is hard enough. Wait until you reach carpeting or pavement to search for that strap!
Step 6: Take off your cap and goggles when you see your bike. Abandonment of equipment can result in a penalty, so don't risk dropping these small items.

10 Ways to Enhance Your Sprint Triathlon Training

2011-07-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Posted on June 28, 2011 by TPCourtney

by Ben Greenfield on the Training Peaks Blog

Are you thinking about signing up for a sprint triathlon this year? Perhaps you’re a complete beginner just trying to decide if sprint triathlon training is right for you. Or maybe you’re a seasoned veteran of triathlons, but you want some handy tips to enhance your sprint triathlon training this year.
No matter who you are, I’ve designed 10 ways to make your sprint triathlon training productive, efficient and enjoyable.

1. Sign-Up Now. That’s right. Don’t wait until 4 weeks out from the race. By signing up right now, you’ll trigger some very powerful components of your psyche – specifically the parts that inspire you to get off the couch or out of bed and begin your sprint triathlon training. The pressure of knowing that you are signed up for an event provides intrinsic motivation (“must be ready!”) combined with extrinsic motivation (“can’t embarrass myself!”. The latter motivation will be even more powerful if you tell the whole world that you signed up for a sprint triathlon.

2. Make Your Plan. Here’s how to perfectly design your sprint triathlon training plan: a) pick the date of the race – that’s your race and taper week; b) take the 4-6 weeks leading up to that week – that’s the part where your workouts build in intensity and race specificity; c) take the 4-6 weeks before that – that’s the part where each workout becomes longer and you develop more endurance; d) take the 4-6 weeks before that – that’s the part where you hone your skills like swim drills and run drills and strength training. Voila! A sprint triathlon training plan!

3. Test. There is nothing else that even comes close to motivating you than a test. One of the biggest mistakes that triathletes make during sprint triathlon training is not taking a baseline measurement, then repeating that measurement several times leading up to the race. Try to test every 4 weeks: a 500m swim test, a 1 mile run test, and a 3 mile bike test are perfect measurements for a sprint triathlon.

4. Avoid Your Facebook Ironman Friends. If you just got back from an explosive 2 mile run, then log-in to your social network to find that your friend just slogged out 12 miles, you may be discouraged. It is very important, however, for you to realize that the individual who is training for Ironman is actually making themselves slower when it comes to sprint triathlon training. So don’t be discouraged that you’re not “fit enough”. For sprint triathlon training, you should pursue speed, and not slow endurance.

5. Consider Nutrition Supplementation. There are many nutrition supplements that can assist you with explosiveness, power, speed and recovery. A few of the tried and true aids that are easily accessible to enhance your sprint triathlon training include: creatine, nitric oxide, CoQ10, branched chain amino acids and glutamine. Don’t be afraid of supplements! All those listed here have been researched many times and found to be both safe and effective.

6. Include Overspeed Training. Despite popular belief, overspeed training does not mean that you go out and swim, bike or run faster than you normally would during your sprint triathlon training. Instead, this term refers to neuromuscular training – teaching your muscles how to contract quickly and repetitively. For swimming, this could include practicing with a metronome. For running, you can include treadmill efforts at a pace that makes your legs turn over faster than they would while running outside. And for cycling, you can simply choose an easy gear and perform fast spins at 100+ revolutions per minute.

7. Do Plyometrics. Jumping, hopping, bounding and leaping exercises, also known as “plyometrics” can significantly enhance your sprint triathlon training performance by teaching your muscles to recover quickly between contractions and also produce faster and more forceful efforts. An example of plyometrics would include perform a series of 3×10 jumps up onto a bench or box before you go out for run, or chest passing a medicine ball against a wall for 8 explosive reps. Doing a single plyometric session at least once per week for eight weeks leading up to your sprint triathlon will make you a quicker athlete.

8. Don’t Taper Too Long. Tapering for 2-3 weeks is a “trickle-down” technique from Ironman triathletes that unfortunately will leave a sprint triathlete unfit and stale for their relatively shorter competition. Five to seven days will adequately prepare most athletes for a sprint triathlon, and seven to ten days are all that is necessary for an athlete who is performing rigorous sprint triathlon training.

9. Don’t Lift Weights On Race Week. At many gyms, you’ll see triathletes rushing to the weights on race week to get that last little bit of strength training into their sprint triathlon training preparation. Unfortunately, it can take up to seven days for your body to fully recover from the muscle tearing and damage that occurs while resistance training. In the last week prior to your sprint triathlon, stay out of the weight room and skip your plyometric exercises. Instead, focus on a few quality swim, bike and run sessions at race pace intensity.

10. Do Sugar Rinses. Although your body has more than enough carbohydrate storage to last the entire length of a sprint distance triathlon, that doesn’t mean that you should completely avoid any sugar during the race. Research studies have shown cyclists to be significantly faster and have a higher tolerance to the pain of exercise when they simply tasted sugar by doing a quick mouth rinse with a carbohydrate-based sport drink solution. During the last few weeks of your sprint triathlon training, try swirling and spitting a sweet solution. You’ll find that it gives you just a little extra energy, even if you don’t actually take a drink.

These ten rules of sprint triathlon training, brought to you by Ben Greenfield and the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, will ensure that the build-up to your race is smart and highly effective. For more practical and useful tips just like this, go to http://www.rockstartriathlete.com! If you’re interested in having Ben as your coach or using a training plan written by Ben, check out his plans on TrainingPeaks.

5 Little Things That Make a Big Difference on Race Day

2011-07-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

By Amanda McCracken
D3Multisport.com

You've diligently logged your miles, your time, your heart rate, your hours of sleep and perhaps even your daily caloric intake. You've followed your plan to a "T" and religiously nailed your workouts day after day. You even skipped the biggest barbecue party of the summer because it was two nights before your big race (the most important night of sleep). The only room for error is misfortune (flat tire or bad weather), right?

Wrong! Here are five important practices that are often overlooked on the way to the start line.

#5: Check your gear.
Are your tires pumped? Do you have a spare tube and a CO2 cartridge in case of a flat tire? Do you have an extra pair of goggles? Do you have body glide to ease out of wetsuit transition and prevent chafing? Are your shoes laced with the elastic laces for easy on and off removal? Are the laces so tight they are going to create a bruise over the top arch of your foot? Ladies, do you have extra tampons in your bag in case of a race morning surprise? If you are using deep dish wheels, be sure to bring the adapter to pump your tires.

#4: Rehearse transition and warm up before your swim.
Many of you know that the number one rule of transition is NOT to be in transition! Ideally you've practiced your transitions during training but did you also visualize the perfect transition on race morning? Have you rehearsed the steps in your mind?

Entering the water is really your first "transition". Get in the water for a short warm-up (even if just for a few bobs) before the start of the swim. This helps your body get accustomed to the temperature of the water, which helps pave the way for a calmer swim start.

Remember, excellent transition times can be the difference between several age group places.

#3: Be diligent about nutrition.
While this is an immensely dense subject, I want to highlight a few things to remember. Be sure to eat your dinner (low in fiber) about 12 hours before your wave starts so that your body has time to digest it all. If you can manage getting up early enough, eat your breakfast about two to three hours before the start of your race. Make sure your bottles are full of the fuel you used in training. Pack extra gels that you know your stomach can digest. Depending on the heat and length of your race, you should have a couple of electrolyte tabs on hand, too.

It's easy to get distracted during the race and forget to address your nutritional needs until it's too late. Before your race, draw up a nutrition map. Figure out when you are going to take gels and how much/how often you will hydrate.

#2: Know the course.
If you live close to the race site, you should pre-ride the course. If you don't have time or energy to ride/run the course, then drive it the day before. Do you know where the hills are located? How about the wicked potholes and the sharp downhill turns?

Then scope out the swim course and take a mental note of where the main buoys are located.

Finally, know where the run/bike in and out spots are located, and where the finish line is. I like to run the last 400-meter stretch before the race so I have a good reference for when to pick up the pace. Don't let an athlete outrun you for a first place age group award simply because you think the finish line is further away than it actually is.

#1: Tame your mind.
Triathletes often psyche themselves out before the race even starts. Avoid over analyzing the way your body feels the week before the race. Tell yourself it's a well-trained machine that's ready to perform.

When you get to the race, keep your "blinders" on. Don't let the looks of someone's solid six pack or shiny deep dish wheels intimidate you. Remember, it's the motor inside that really matters.

Be sure you have a script that you've rehearsed to help battle the potential negative talk, fear and panic in the race. What are you going to tell yourself when your legs feel like lead and you've just been passed by your ex's new flame? Make sure you've got a mantra you can peel out of your sticky gel pocket to do battle. I like to draw out my own "word map" of the course. What am I going to tell myself when I get to point "X"?

Being mindful of the details can help prevent things like getting a DNF (Did Not Finish) due to a flat tire, panicking in the water, bonking, getting lost, or mentally cracking. Simply plan ahead and keep your mind in check.

Race Strategy - Be a Thinking Athlete

2011-07-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

by Marilyn McDonald
Endurance Corner

We are now into the thick of the race season. Your "A" races are here or just around the corner. You've spent months planning your training and planning your life towards this part of the year.

Part of having a successful race is coming up with a solid plan for your event well before your race day. I like to use the technique of having athletes actually write out their race plans starting with the day before the race, race morning and the event itself. I feel there is value in actually writing it out, really thinking about it and then having it to read back to you before and after the event.

Long distance triathlon racing is long! In other sports you might consider 15 minutes to two hours a long endurance event. We plan on being out there racing all day and maybe even into the night. A lot can happen in this time. It is a long time to stay focused and cope with adversity. Ask yourself these questions:

What are your expectations from the event?
What are you hoping to achieve and learn from this event?
How are you going to stay on task?
What are your refocus strategies when things outside your plan are thrown at you?
Has your preparation matched your expectations?

Having an answer and a strategy for each of these questions will help you race to your potential.
It's great to lay out a nutrition plan, a pacing plan, expectations of yourself and how you'll deal with each task physically, mentally and emotionality.

Some athletes are going into their events prepared to go after a win or a place; some are just hoping to finish. Each will have very different situations thrown at them throughout the day. For everybody, it's a long hard event that ultimately tests our ability to adapt and push on to what we set out to do. That is key in endurance racing: adapt and push on to what we set out to do.

It's good to keep in mind things like your power meter may just not work that day, or you may forget to bring your watch. The guy you were going to race all day and compare yourself to is hurt and pulled out. The mile markers may be set slightly off. The swim course could be set slightly off distance.

When you are out there racing the single most important skill I think you can use is your internal gauge of pushing yourself to your best each and every step of the way. Be a thinking athlete.

Are you taking care of the things necessary to have a successful long race? Are you fueling well? Are you holding a pace that you know you can handle based on your fitness level and race distance? Is your form under control? Are you relaxed and focused? These are all indicators I think you can dial in on race day and adapt and change to continue to be successful as the day goes on.

There are things in your control and things out of your control. Focus on the things within your control!

Remember why you started this journey and why you're out there on the course. Embrace the challenge of the day and enjoy the fact that you are out there doing what you love.

See you at the races.

For more Marilyn, drop by an Endurance Corner Camp. She will be sharing her experience at our June Boulder Camp and July Women's Camp. USAT coaches will earn 10 CEUs for each.

Why You Should Stop Running Long on Sundays

2011-07-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

By Rich Strauss
Endurance Nation

Many Ironman athletes, training plans and coaches schedule the weekly long run on Sunday, after a long bike on Saturday. The reason often given is: "You need to practice running long on tired legs."
This is NOT a good idea and here's why:

A long run on tired legs is just another opportunity to practice running slowly on tired legs versus running more quickly on fresh legs. The best way to become a faster runner is to create opportunities in your training week for you to run faster, not slog through a run on wooden legs.
The recovery cost of a long run done on Sunday, after a long Saturday bike, is much greater than that same run done mid-week. The net is that Monday, often Tuesday and sometimes Wednesday's workouts begin to become compromised, especially as that weekend volume gets up to a four-to-six-hour bike ride on Saturday and two-and-a-half-to-three-hour run.
Any long run in training will have at least an hour or more where your legs feel OK. That is, they feel like you're starting a long run after a long bike the day before. Contrast this to Ironman race day, where you're coming right off a 112-mile bike after a 2.4-mile swim. After you get your legs back, around mile six or seven, your legs will feel, at best, like they do around mile 15 of your best long run...then it just gets harder. My point is that your tired legs on Sunday long run isn't even close to what it's going to feel like on race day, so why bother?

I made the switch with my athletes to a mid-week (Tuesday or Thursday) long run about eight years ago and never looked back.

Some benefits of running long during the week are:

The long run can now accommodate some get-faster work.
You can separate the long run from the long bike with a no-legs day on Friday.
You can weight the cycling to the weekend. A three-hour semi-long ride on Sunday has a MUCH lower recovery cost than a hard two-and-a-half hour Sunday run. This mean a much lower chance that it, and it's combination with the Saturday ride, will affect your early week workouts the following week.
Finally, it may create a social opportunity for you on the bike on Sunday--a Sunday ride with friends. Riding with other athletes, especially those stronger than you, is a very, very valuable opportunity that we encourage our athletes to seek out.

I've been fighting this fight for years and it's a clear line that separates old from new school. It clearly identifies coaches and self-coached athletes who get it versus those who don't have enough experience, haven't done it themselves, and/or haven't stepped back to think things through more critically.

Rich Strauss is the head coach and co-founder of Endurance Nation. Please visit Endurance Nation to learn more about their triathlon coaching and free training resources.

The Benefits of Running Slow

2011-07-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

By Matt Forsman
For Active.com

Talent can take you far, but as many elite runners can tell you, talent is nothing without the commitment to train hard. The best runners on the planet frequently log weekly mileage in excess of 100 miles.

This weekly gauntlet often includes hill work, intervals, fartlek, and other gut-wrenching workouts designed to separate the pretenders from the contenders. No pain, no gain, right? Not exactly.

Believe it or not, a significant portion of the mileage logged by the best runners on the planet can best be characterized as "easy." How easy? Try a minute to two slower than race pace.

Some of these individuals can crank out 26.2 miles at sub-5 minute pace without batting an eye, so what's to be gained from slogging out a few miles at a comparatively "glacial" pace? A lot, actually.

Before we get into the specific gains you can get from running slow, let's take a closer look at running "fast." When we run at a fast pace, we’re putting tremendous strain and stress on bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

At the end of a tough run, your body sustains microtears in muscle fiber, dehydration, glycogen depletion, and more. Good thing most of the best runners in the world have a team of people to take care of them after a tough tempo run.

There's serious trauma associated with the act of running fast. Running fast all the time clearly won't work over the long haul because sustained trauma over time will inevitably lead to burnout and breakdown.

Enter "slow" running. Most athletes who have done a tough run and have tried to run the next day know (or will come to know in short order) that trying to run fast/hard isn't a good idea. Chances are their bodies have microtears in muscle fiber, marked soreness/fatigue in the legs, and general flatness across the board.

In theory, you could take a full day of rest after a tough run the previous day, but you’re not maintaining or enhancing your running fitness too much by doing this. Granted, rest days absolutely necessary and I would never say otherwise.

But, the "gentle" stress of an easy run interspersed between taxing runs is a good way to maintain your running fitness between challenging runs and help to expedite the healing and recovery process.

The Benefits of Running Slow

Running slow applies "gentle" stress to the key physiological systems required to run at a high level. Gentle, easy running helps to let the healing begin. Think of it as "active recovery" that helps facilitate blood flow gently to the damaged muscles that need help.

Independent of expediting the healing process, running slow is the most effective way to build a base. There are a million different training philosophies and approaches that you can utilize to get into quality running shape. Virtually all of them include some kind of base building phase comprised largely of easy runs.

This base building is particularly important for those brand new to the sport. Logically and intuitively, this makes sense. You need to expose the body to gentle, consistent stress to develop the key systems to just support the act of running and then gradually introduce running that’s a bit faster and more intense, if desired.

Think of slow running as the foundation of your running house. You wouldn't build a house without a foundation. Building a regular running routine or regimen is no different. Without a solid foundation of easy miles, you're looking at a house that's liable to collapse under duress.

If avoiding collapse is the ultimate goal, slow running is the answer. There many runners who simply build a solid, easy base and are very happy with this. They tend to avoid injuries over the long haul. This is another thing to consider when logging easy miles. There is a lower incidence of aggravations and injuries associated with running easy.

Achieving personal bests and winning races require doing some hard running, but there's increased risk associated with this. If your long-term goal is to run for years and years, limiting the number of times you push the envelope is a wise approach.

But, you don't have to choose between being a tortoise or a hare. Too much "tortoise" and you’re looking at performance plateaus. Too much "hare" and you’re looking at increased risk of aggravations and injuries. You can actually be both. Ultimately, it’s training a bit like both that will take your running to the next level.

The reality is that most runners suffer from a bit too much running like the hare. So, the next time you find yourself out on the road trying to set a landspeed record, reflect on the training you’ve done recently. It just might be time for you to run slow and take it easy.

Matt Forsman (AKA Marathon Matt) has been a runner for more than 20 years and a USATF/RRCA certified coach for more than five years. He has worked with thousands of runners in the San Francisco Bay Area through his group training programs that regularly attract 150 to 200 runners per season and a plethora of individual clients. Matt has contributed to Runner's World, NorCal Running Magazine, and other publications. You can learn more about Matt at www.marathonmatt.com

3 Ways To Get the Benefits of Barefoot Running Without Actually Running Barefoot

2011-07-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

By Ben Greenfield

firstoffthebike.com

With the surging popularity of barefoot running, it would seem that for the triathlete, barefoot running currently ranks up there with all-you-can-eat buffet coupons, a Clydesdale triathlete cycling in front of you on a windy day, and unicorns that toot free energy bars.

But although I didn't grow up in a small pack of wolves or come from a remote tribe of natives living at 18,000 feet of elevation, I will readily admit that I can understand and agree with the benefits of barefoot running, especially the part about making your feet strong.

After all, if you spend all day in big, padded shoes, each of your feet will be like the little fairy tale princess who is never allowed to venture outside the confines of the mighty fortress: really weak (but still pretty hot) and easily wounded, bruised or broken by the slightest of encounters with the roughness of the real world (like witches or dragons or big rocks). In other words, you need to treat your feet more like a fairy tale peasant ready and willing to traipse naked and dirty through the forest and fields.

The problem is, even though barefoot running is really good for strengthening and stretching the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones in your feet, it's pretty dang inconvenient at times.

Take my house for example. Outside my front door is a world of concrete, pavement, broken glass, small stones and pine needles that turn a casual barefoot running attempt into an adventure in pain management and self-wound care.

So in order to turn my feet from a princess to a peasant, I have to tack an extra 10-15 minutes onto a barefoot run to drive, bike or run to a soft, grassy park, take off my shoes, pray there are no sprinkler heads, then run around and around and around until I'm dizzy and bored, and finally spend the time investment getting back home.

But shouldn't it be possible to get the foot blessing benefits of barefoot running without actually barefoot running? You bet! Here's 3 ways to do it:

1. Calf Raises and Single Leg Balancing: Both of these activities can easily be done in the comfort of your own home. Perform calf raises while in the shower (work up to 50 double leg or 25 single leg), and single leg balancing while brushing your teeth. Once single leg balancing gets easy, try to shift to your toes, and also try to do more difficult activities on one leg, such as dumbbell curls, typing on your computer, or making love. Of course, this strategy requires you to walk around your house without your shoes on, but that's one place where your pretty princesses will hopefully be safe.

2. Bosu Ball or Balance Disc: You'll find either of these balance devices at most gyms, and you can easily buy them at a sporting goods store. Stand on either for 3 sets of 30-60 seconds on one leg with your eyes closed. For added difficulty, add partner taps, in which a partner attempts to throw you off balance with light shoulder taps. You can also do exercise like dumbbell curls and dumbbell presses while you stand on these balance devices.

3. Jump Rope: Repetitive impact with a plyometric hopping motion like jump rope will stress and strengthen the bones and soft tissue in your feet, and teach your joints to absorb impact properly similar to barefoot running. Practice both double and single leg hopping, and if you¹d like to count like a schoolgirl, knock yourself out. If you don¹t have a jump rope, try jumping jacks in your barefeet or socks. I actually do these in my office, and I haven't been fired yet.

Today¹s high-tech, ultra-supportive shoes can definitely leave your feet weak, just like that fairy tale princess. But a consistent combination of the activities outlined above can leave you with strong feet without actually requiring you to do barefoot running. And if you are a princess reading this article, my sincere apologies. I'm sure you're good at other stuff.

Top Marathon Runner Gives You 10 Training Tips

2011-07-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

James Pearce
Liverpool Echo

One of Britain's top marathon runners, Liz Yelling, has compiled a top 10 of training tips. Yelling won bronze at last year's Commonwealth Games and was eighth in this year's London Marathon.

1. Ring fence your exercise time. You won't get to the finish line without protecting your time to train. You've made a personal commitment to your health and well-being so it's important to you. Prioritize your time and stick to it.

2. Create incentives. Set goals and reward yourself when you reach them. These will provide you with drive and commitment towards the 5k and help you gauge how your fitness is progressing.

3. Plan your attack. Know what you are going to do in your week and when. Your plan should be progressive, structured and appropriate to your exercise history, level of fitness and 5k goals.

4. Variation is the spice of running life. Doing the same type of running can make your routine boring. Don't just do the same run every day. Mix it up and try different things like varying the pace, terrain and time you run for.

5. It shouldn't be all hard work. Avoid packing all your runs together. As a rule of thumb, for every day of 'hard' running, take two days rest or easy running.

6. Fuel yourself. Running is a great calorie burner but you still need to replace the energy you've used. Carbohydrate is the body's fuel for exercise so eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids.

7. Get some support. Running with friends is social and builds togetherness. Getting a coach can help you get the right advice from an experienced specialist and keep you motivated.

8. Get the right kit. Specialist running shoes are a must for injury prevention. Choose running kit that is functional and comfortable.

9. Be patient. Don't expect immediate results. Successful running takes time, but you'll love the benefits of looking and feeling great when they arrive. The more you do the easier it gets.

10. Enjoy it and have fun! Running shouldn't be a chore. It's something you do to boost your health, wellness and vitality. Just being out there doing it is a brilliant achievement and you should remind yourself how well you've done.

5 Foot Exercises to Improve Your Pace

2011-07-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

By Lauren Hargrave
For Active.com

As fit and active people, we often take our feet for granted and instead choose to concentrate on the larger vanity muscles. We like working the areas we can see or the ones that help us fit into our skinny jeans.

However, ignoring these small paddles, we miss out on one of the most important aspects of all athletic endeavors: performance.

The human feet have 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments. They are our shock absorbers and push the pavement away with the entire weight of our bodies, powering us through our run.

The stronger your feet, the more power you have in your push and the faster your legs can move.

If you're a runner looking to shave multiple seconds off your mile, or minutes off your marathon, these foot strengtheners will get closer to your goal. Please note, it is important to remain barefoot during these exercises so that your feet can fully articulate.

Barefoot Calf Raises

These are a good warm-up for any speed or strength-training workout because they wake up the entire lower half of the body. Stand barefoot with your feet hips distance apart and slowly raise and lower your heels.

When lifting, make sure that the tops of your feet, your ankles and calves are all in a straight line; if your ankles bow out, you could wind up with an injury.

If you are unsure about your form, it may help to have a chair or railing nearby for balance and to start by performing these exercises in front of a mirror.

Heel-Raised Squats

For those looking for a more interesting way to squat, these are for you. Unless your balance is so good you can practically levitate, you will probably want to rest your hand on a railing or chair, and place a block or small round ball in between your upper thighs. Once your props are in place, stand with your bare feet hips distance apart and lift your heels off the floor. Once you feel stable, squeeze the ball or block between your legs and bend your knees as far as you can while keeping your heels raised and back straight. Hold here for a count of 30, then rise up an inch, and drop an inch.

Repeat for a set of 30 and then finish with another 30-count isometric hold. To get the greatest benefit, make sure that your heels do not drop as you squat and try to keep your thighs parallel to the ground at all times.

Barefoot Squat Jumps

Jumping barefoot is one of the best exercises for your feet, and you can add a medicine ball to get a more intense lower body workout.

This exercise is best performed on a soft surface, so try to find grass, sand or carpet if you can. Then stand with your bare feet hips distance apart and if you're using a medicine ball, hold it to your chest.

Bend your knees as far as you can while keeping your back straight and then explode up, pushing off the ground with as much force as possible.

If you're using a medicine ball, push it over your head as you leap for a little shoulder and triceps workout. Try to land softly to protect your knees, and repeat for three sets of 20.

Balancing Poses

Borrowed from yoga, balancing poses are a gentler way to strengthen your feet. Start with your bare feet touching, then slowly bend forward, touch your toes with your hands and lift your left leg into a split.

Stay here for 10 breaths, slowly lift your body until your left leg and torso are parallel to the ground and your arms are pointing towards your back foot like airplane wings. Slowly count to 10.

From here, lift your torso until you're upright and slowly drop and the lift your left leg until it's pointing in front of you. Don't touch the ground and don't lean backwards; stay here for 10 breaths.

Finish this set by bringing your left foot to rest either above or below your knee. Bring your hands to your waste or prayer position in front of your heart. Stay here as long as you can stand it, and repeat on the other side.

Alternate Walking on Toes and Heels

These exercises stretch and strengthen your feet and are a good cool-down. Walking on your toes strengthens the calf muscles and stretches the toe extensors. Walking on your heels strengthens the foot extensors, and stretches the calves and bottoms of your feet.

Start with your bare feet hips distance apart, raise your heels off the floor and take 50 steps on your toes. Walk back the way you came on your heels, careful not to lock-out your knees.

Lauren Hargrave is a writer, endurance athlete and a fan of all things related to physical and emotional well being. She also takes one week challenges from friends and family and writes about them on her blog 50 Two Cents.

5 Ab Exercises for Runners.

2011-07-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

By Dena Stern

According to a recently published study "runners who did these moves four times a week shaved a minute off their 5K times in six weeks."

Whether you are training for an endurance run or just looking to improve the quality of your weekly job these ab moves are a must.

Directions: Perform two sets of 12 reps of each exercise.

Instability Crunch

Begin by lying on your back on a exercise ball with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. To be safe you can anchor your feet under a stable object. Place your hands behind your head and extend your elbow out as you roll your upper body forward and up. Roll For more of a challenge try: Weighted Ball Crunch

Hip Lift

Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, palms down, and your legs bent on top of a exercise ball. Press your heels into the ball while raising your hips toward the ceiling. Your body should end at a 45 degree angle to the ball. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.
For more of a challenge try: One Leg Hamstring Dips

Back Extension

Lie on an exercise ball with your belly button over the center of the ball and your arms and legs extended. Contract your abs and raise your upper body off the ball until your body forms a straight line from the top of your head to your ankles. Lower and repeat. For more of a challenge try: Medicine Ball Hyperextension

All Fours

Begin with your hands and knees on the floor, shoulder and hip width apart, facing downward with your back straight and parallel to the floor.
Raise your right leg and extend it behind you as you lift your left arm and extend it in front of you. Hold this position for about five seconds, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
For more of a challenge try: All Fours with Weighted Balls

Russian Twist

Begin by lying on your back on top of a exercise ball with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms toward the ceiling and bring your hands together. Keep your arms straight as you twist from side. For more of a challenge try: Russian Twist with Weights

Dena Stern is a certified personal trainer and the Content & Community Manager for Exercise.com. She works with a highly trained group of nutritionists, trainers, yoga and Pilates instructors and athletes to provide the best information, tools and motivation related to exercise and fitness.

Running Tired: Four Strategies for Recovering Faster

2011-07-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

by Jenny Hatfield
Runner's World

I feel like I'm keeping the makers of Advil in business. I'm not injured, but I'm feeling pain and soreness from pushing my body to the limit. Soaking and stretching helps, but is there something else I should be doing? Please don't say REST:) Thanks ~Kim

Hi Kim. I'm glad you wrote as there is a difference between being injured and feeling pain and soreness from the demands of training. They both sit at the threshold, it's just that one is above it (injured) and one is just below. Taking anti-inflammatory products is one way to deal with the pain, another is to modify your training life a bit. Here are a few tips on how you can train hard and recover more efficiently to avoid living in a consistent state of fatigue.

Run by effort rather than a prescribed pace. If you run by how your body is feeling on the day, versus a specific pace (i.e. (9:45 per mile), you'll train in the right gear on the day, get in a higher quality workout and promote faster recovery. For example, you wake up to run your weekly tempo workout and head out to a strong headwind and humid temperatures. If you run it by your normal tempo pace, you will expend a lot more energy to get in this workout. If you run it by feel and effort, you will get in the tempo at the pace on the day and at the correct effort thereby allowing your body to recover faster because you didn't push too hard.

Run truly easy on your easy days. One of the easy mistakes to make while training for a event is to get into what I call the La La Pace – where, most runs are done at the same effort which turns out to be too fast for an easy, recovery run and too slow for a speed workout. As you build and progress through the training season, it takes a toll and creates more fatigue, slower recovery times and poor performance. Easy means not being able to hear your breathing while running. Slow it down to recover so you can kick butt on the longer and faster workouts. It just takes patience.

Mix it up. When I first started coaching running over 18 years ago, there was not one program that included cross-training. The belief was that if you wanted to run longer and faster, you had to invest only in running. My background in the fitness world told me different. First, by weaving in cross-training activities you decrease the physical and mental wear and tear on the body and keep your program fresh. Second, a successful lifelong running program is all about creating balance and maintaining durability. Strength training (especially for your core), and lower impact training can boost your body's ability to run longer for stronger – and in doing so, reduce wear and tear, fatigue and inefficiency. The runner that can run with the most durability over time will be running with great quality for life.

Inventory your life's flow. Take a look at the flow of your life outside of the miles. The quality of sleep, stress, work, nutrition are just a few areas that if out of balance, can really take a toll on the quality of your recovery. Sometimes making a few minor tweaks to your lifestyle (getting more sleep, upping your quality calories) can have a profound effect on your performance.

Thanks for posting your great question.

Jenny Hadfield Co-Author, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals
Have a question for Coach Jenny? Post it on her Facebook page, on the Ask Coach Jenny Facebook Page or email her at coach@jennyhadfield.com

Follow along with her on Twitter and Facebook or "like" the Ask Coach Jenny page below to ask, learn and win!

Stair Running: A Climb to the Peak of Fitness

2011-06-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

Susan E.B. Schwartz
Runner's World

Stair running is superb training for running. In addition to strengthening the muscles around the knees, stair running builds stamina and overall lower-body strength, works the gluteal muscles and quadriceps more than road running and is a highly efficient workout in terms of the amount of time spent at very high intensity.

What's the catch? In a word, it's a killer.

"Although it's phenomenal for conditioning, stair running is tougher than most runners realize," says New York Road Runners Club wellness director Beryl Bender. "Even stair-climbing machines seem easy in comparison."

If you plan to ascend the hard way (real runners take the stairs), follow these steps for safe climbs:

Locate Safe, Well-Lit Stairs. If you run inside a building's stairwell, the stairs should access every floor and ideally continue for at least 20 flights. Climb with friends.

Focus on Running Up. Maintain proper form by leaning slightly forward and striking with the balls of your feet. Pace yourself. Use the handrail for balance if you need to.

Don't Run Down, Which Stresses the Knees and Ankles. Use elevators or descend slowly. If you're in a stadium, descend at an angle rather than walking straight down to minimize impact.

Start Gradually, With Two Round-Trip Sets. Build to five, and run them no more than twice a week. Never exceed 30 minutes at a time.

Walk If You Need To. Alternate one floor of walking with one or two floors of running. Gradually increase the running as you become more fit and comfortable with the workout.

6 Yoga Poses to Improve Your Running

2011-06-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

By Sage Roundtree
Runner's World

Strung together, these six yoga poses form a routine that builds the abdominals, back, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and upper body while also improving balance.

Targeting these areas will give you a strong foundation—which means more power, less chance of injury. Two days a week, cut your runs just a mile short to fit in this 10-minute sequence.
Do the first three poses twice (one side, then the other). Then do the second three poses in the same manner.

You can also try these eight tips from a master yoga teacher to help make your practice flawless.

Chair

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms

With your feet, knees, thighs touching, sit into a squat. Extend your arms.

Twisting Chair

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms
While in chair, press your palms together, and rotate to the right.

Twisting Lunge

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms
Step your left foot back while holding the twist. Keep your knee over your ankle.

Warrior III

Builds: balance and overall strength
Balance on your left foot. Fold forward, lifting your right leg. Extend your arms.

Arrow Lunge

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms
Step your right leg back into a lunge, keeping arms extended.

Extended-Leg Balance

Builds: posture, balance, legs
Swing your right leg up and hold it extended in front of you.

Sage Rountree, author of The Athlete's Guide to Yoga, developed this routine. Watch her demonstrate it at runnerworld.com/bodyshop. You can also order her strength plan (designed to be paired with marathon training) at runnersworld.com/trainingplans.

Race Evaluation

2011-06-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Posted: June 13, 2011 by TriFREAKS

By Wayne Kurtz

Well you finished a key race and my question for you – did you write done your post race re-cap or summary? It’s such an important part of the taining / learning process many athletes just move on to recovery and then back at it again.

It’s very important to not only reflect on the race but to actually write down a summary that can be used as a tool in the future to review. As we all know, making mistakes are fine in all aspects of life but the key is to learn from them and never make the same mistake twice. This is especially true in racing.

Consider spending just a few minutes and write down in your training guide, journal or just a word document answers to the following questions.

What were the specific goals of the race? Did you meet your goals?
What area of the race did you struggle? How did you push through it?
Whatare 3 items will you incorporate into your training program to have a better race in the future?
What are you going to do improve your performance even if you had a personal record? Did you have a written mental strategy in place similar to your race strategy with respect to nutrition, pacing, etc? If not, write out a mental strategy.
What strategy worked to ensure you got through the aid stations quickly and not wasted valuable time?

There are many other questions that you can ask yourself or summarize. Area’s to consider in your post race summary include, nutrition strategy, negative split accomplishment, any injuries, clothing (what did you wear, was it appropriate for the conditions), how did you get your mind to not go into the “marathon shuffle”. It’s important to reflect on your accomplishment and in the future make changes if necessary. For those of you who set PR’s then write down exactly what you did and repeat it again for your next race!

Wayne Kurtz is founder of RaceTwitch.com and Endurance Racing Report, he has a lifelong passion for racing in various endurance sport races throughout the world. He is also the author of: ‘Beyond the Iron, a training guide for ultra-distance triathlons.’

Relax, Recharge

2011-06-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Take your easy days seriously so you'll run your best when it really counts.

Runners who sweat every detail of a workout—pace, distance, effort—may not think twice about a "recovery day" on their training program. After all, rest is easy, right? But while some people are more than happy to take a day on the couch, others can't resist going for a bike ride or even a light three-mile jog. Which is best?

"Recovery days make your training count because your body makes fitness gains while you're at rest," says Brian Glotzbach, head coach of Personal Best Marathon Coaching in Denver. "If you don't give your body the chance to rebuild, you can't maximize those gains—and certain activities at certain times allow for better recovery."

Choosing what to do on your easy day to balance out your hard efforts is key to realizing your full potential. But as with any training principle, your own best formula depends on a range of factors including your fitness level, age, and work/life demands. For most runners, however, the following recovery guidelines will help you get the kind of rest you need to get the most out of tough workouts.

RECOVERY DAY: EASY RUN

"Easy runs let your muscles recover while improving your biomechanical efficiency, which translates into improved running form," says Ruth England, a coach for Rogue Training Systems in Austin, Texas. The key is to make them short enough and slow enough. England recommends going one-third to one-half the distance of your longest runs and slower than you normally run. "Start out glacially slow for five to 10 minutes," says England. "Your breathing should be light and your speed up to two minutes per mile slower than race pace."
DO IT The day after a tempo run, speed workout, or hill repeats

RECOVERY DAY: CROSS-TRAINING

Cycling, swimming, and hitting the elliptical or rowing machines are all good, low-impact ways to hasten the removal of waste products that cause soreness, while correcting muscular imbalances caused by running. However, if your goal is recovery, you shouldn't cross-train for too long or go too hard, says Jim MacWhinnie, a running coach and personal trainer for Core Dynamics in Water Mill, New York. Limit your sessions to 30 to 60 minutes (a bit longer if cycling a flat route). Your heart rate should be elevated, but your breathing shouldn't be labored.
DO IT Whenever you're feeling slightly fatigued or sore, especially the day after a long run or speed workout

RECOVERY DAY: PUMPING IRON

Strength training gives your legs a much-needed break from pounding the pavement and improves your whole-body strength. "More powerful muscles can improve the efficiency of your stride, making you a better runner," says MacWhinnie. "A strong upper body keeps your form from deteriorating and helps you power up hills, while a strong core and lower body absorbs shock better, which can protect you from injury." Maximize your workout time by choosing exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, chin-ups, step-ups, and bent-over rows. Start with two to three sets of six to 12 reps of each exercise. Your muscles should be fatigued by the last rep.
DO IT The day after running hill repeats or a tempo run

RECOVERY DAY: TOTAL REST
No yoga, no short walks, no pick-up soccer games with the kids (if you can avoid it). "I even tell my runners to take the elevator instead of the stairs," says England. "A day off from activity can be hard for overachievers who think they have to be progressing every single day. But in fact, the training principle of 'super-compensation' suggests that a full day off gives you a bounce in performance. It also gives you a mental break from training."
DO IT Once a week. The day after your long run is ideal, but any day you're feeling out of gas works.

The Easy Plan

HOW YOU PREPARE for and recover from key workouts helps you get the most out of them. Here's what to do before and after your quality days.

LONG RUN
Day Before: Cross-train or total rest
Day After: Cross-train or total rest

SPEEDWORK
Day Before: Cross-train or easy run
Day After: Cross-train, easy run, or total rest

TEMPO RUN OR HILL REPEATS
Day Before: Strength train or easy run
Day After: Strength train or easy run

Before You Run: The Dynamic Warm-Up

2011-06-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

By Jessi Stensland
For Active.com

A dynamic warm-up is one that challenges every part of your body that you use to run.

Your body is a machine—your machine—and there are lots of moving parts. Your cardio capacity is certainly a driving factor in your performance, but your ability to get the most from your cardio endurance is highly dependent on your body's ability to transfer your effort efficiently, from head to toe and on to the pavement, during each and every running stride.

A dynamic warm-up coordinates all of your moving parts—muscles, ligaments, and joints—by challenging your flexibility, mobility, strength and stability all at once; because that's what you ask of yourself when you run, right?! Doing so is pivotal in getting you to the finish line as fun, fast and pain-free as possible.

The Goals of a Dynamic Warm-Up

• Increase heart rate to get the blood pumping through the body and warm up the muscles.
• Open up your joints, especially those within the hips, spine, feet and ankles.
• Actively stretch your muscles to prepare them for what you'll be asking them for during the run.
• Reinforce great posture.
• Hit the ground running with all systems go when the gun goes off!

The Keys to a Dynamic Warm-Up

• Think of it as a part of the race. Do it!
• Set aside time dedicated to it. Whether it's 30 minutes or two minutes, you can do your body good.
• Clear your mind and focus on your body. Save chit-chatting with friends for before or after the race.
• Move through the movements purposefully but continuously so that your heart rate increases throughout.

The Key Elements of a Dynamic Warm-Up

[NOTE: Click on exercise names for a link to videos of the exercises.]
1. Great Posture

Stand tall, like a string is attached to the top of your head gently pulling upward.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart and pointing straight forward.
Tighten key abdominals by pulling the bellybutton inward and rib cage downward.
Pull the shoulders back and downward while keeping arms relaxed.

2. Fire Up Your Glutes, Then Use Them, Always
Two Options:

Glute Bridge:

Lateral Lunge:

3. Open Up Your Joints and Stretch the Muscles Around Them

Spine: Flex, extend, rotate and laterally bend the spine. Do this by rounding the back while reaching for your toes and then extending your back in the opposite direction. Then do a few side bends while keeping your abdominals and hips locked in place.

Hips and Knees: Try these two options:

Knee Hugs

Forward Lunge with a Twist

Ankles and Feet: Do the all-important Calf Raise and Calf Stretch. This will not only warm up your calves and the muscles and ligaments of your ankles and feet, but will also stretch out your plantar fascia and prepare it to take on the forces of your running stride.

Calf Raise and Stretch

4. Put it all Together With Some Marching and Skipping
You've moved all your parts, now it's time to get the heart rate even higher, and give you control of your movement instead of gravity.

Forward March

Forward Skip

The Two-Minute Version

Glute Bridge or Lateral Lunge
Forward Lunge with a Twist or Knee Hugs
Forward Skip

You're committed. Your mind is strong and will only get stronger. Make sure you give your body the best chance you can give it so you can do all that you'd love to do with it. Because you can!

Jessi Stensland is a professional triathlete who races all types of endurance events. She's also a video producer and an expert on the subjects of movement efficiency and true athleticism as it relates to endurance performance. Learn more about her adventures on her website, GoJessi.com.

Single Leg Balancing - The Power of One

2011-06-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

by Chris Johnson, PT
on endurancecorner.com

Triathlon performance largely depends on the ability of an athlete to maintain a straight and balanced position over the course of three disciplines. On the swim, we strive for a streamlined stroke. On the bike we try to establish and maintain an aerodynamic and powerful position. On the run we aim for an upright posture. The unfortunate reality for most triathletes, however, is that we have not earned professional status and therefore need to work.

In the case of most jobs, an inordinate amount of time is spent sitting, which often leads to a bent forward and slouched position. In time, we become a postural wreck and lose our sense of balance. Next thing you know, training sessions start to feel more like battles of attrition as we fight to exercise tight muscles in a lengthened and upright position while hoping that we avoid injury.

The Single Leg Stance
One exercise that is particularly helpful for triathletes in offsetting the ill effects of sitting is balancing on one leg. While many of you probably think that you could fall asleep on one leg, you might be surprised! Single leg stance involves a complex interplay between several regions of the body.

Working from the ground up, the foot should be positioned so it’s pointing straight ahead.
The knee should be slightly bent rather than locked.
The hip should be positioned over the knee and foot while the pelvis should be maintained in a level and squared off position.
Lastly, the head should be stacked on the torso.

While it may seem to be a trivial task, proper execution of single leg stance is a rarity even among high-level triathletes, so there is always room for improvement!
Tips for Incorporating the Single Leg Stance Into Your Daily Routine

Start barefoot on a firm surface to ensure proper form. This will afford you more control versus a cushioned surface and allow you to focus on the quality of the exercise.
Also start by resting your hands on the top of your head with your fingers interlaced. This brings about a better sense of head position while improving overall alignment [top image, click to enlarge].
Once you have the fundamentals down, begin to increase your time in the position up to 60 seconds. If you fatigue or lose form before 60 seconds, stop. [second image]
As your ability to balance on one leg improves, you can increase the difficulty by practicing it on a cushioned surface or adding arm movements to replicate running. [bottom image]
Lastly, as a general rule of thumb, single leg stance should be performed at least once every hour of the workday.

If you are a triathlete who spends the majority of your workday sitting, single leg stance will be prove to be a game changer. It is a simple and inexpensive exercise that can be performed anytime and anywhere. The next time you are at work and find yourself getting sucked in to your chair, stand up and balance on one leg. This will not only help you survive the office but will also improve your training and racing.

Chris Johnson is a successful physical therapist and certified triathlon coach in New York City, who specializes in providing care and coaching for endurance athletes. He spent the early part of his professional career as a physical therapist and researcher at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma (NISMAT) of Lenox Hill Hospital before opening a private practice in the West Village of Manhattan, Chris Johnson, PT, LLC. He is the co-founder of Formula Tri Club and currently races at the amateur elite level. He also maintains his own blog, Critter’s Corner, which focuses on medical and performance issues related to triathlon. You can contact him at chris@chrisjohnsonpt.com

3 Exercises to Train Your Mind

2011-06-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

By Amanda McCracken
D3Multisport.com

What percentage of performance on race day is mental: 50 percent; 75 percent; 95 percent?
And how often do you train your mind?

Many athletes would readily admit that more than 70 percent of our performance depends on our mental outlook, yet most athletes spend little to no time training their mind.
Our mental race dialogue is built upon what we do in practice. We can't flip a switch and expect to have a positive mental dialogue (that we actually believe) during a race unless we've practiced the same dialogue in training.

Train your mind and prepare to battle negative race-day banter with three simple techniques.

Superman Booth

Clark Kent was a dorky awkward looking reporter badgered by Lois Lane until he stepped into a phone booth.

Create your own imaginary phone booth where you feel extraordinary. Step inside mentally and physically. Create your safe and magical space. What colors do you see? Does it sparkle? Is there a buzz or a particular song playing in the background? What smells do you notice? What three adjectives describe how you feel inside? Define this space for yourself. Try to channel your inner child to tap into your imagination. Practice stepping into this magical space before every practice. Come race time, your phone booth will feel powerfully familiar.

Helium Balloon

What does your inner voice say to you? Is it encouraging or does it drag you down into a mire of self-contempt? My inner voice is a skinny male elite marathon runner telling me I'm too fat to run as fast as the other girls I want to compete with. Solution? Simple. If I imagine giving that voice a hit on a helium balloon, I take away his power over me. Instead he sounds like a wimpy cartoon character who couldn't stand up to Bugs Bunny if he tried.

Stickers

Give yourself permission to be a kid again. Leave yourself visual reminders of key words that contribute to a mantra in your head. I use address labels and stick them to my bike, water bottle or body. My words are positive but have no opposite meaning so that my mind doesn't twist them against me: swift, breathe, glide.

You can also leave Post-it Notes at your desk, on your mirror or by your nightstand with constant reminders of time goals or positive words you wish to use to override the negative voice before it takes that helium hit.

Perfect Practice

Like those tedious physical therapy exercises we neglect until our injury rears its ugly head, we forget these mental exercises until we are at the mercy of negative self-talk beating us into submission. If perfect practice leads to perfect racing, why not spend a little more time on your mental game before practice? Carve out one minute before your workout to train your mind with these techniques. You'll thank yourself come race day.

Attitude

2011-06-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to write something myself today rather than re-posting an interesting article.

I had my LUNA Chix workout Tuesday night, and posted pictures on FB from the workout the next day. Not all the pics I took, but ones of people I knew. If it's a really bad picture, I don't post it. And since this was a swim/bike brick, there were some not so good swim pics that will stay on my computer.

After posting the pics I got responses from two people.

The first person said:

"Please don't tag me in the neoprene photo.  Ugh, I look about ready to  give birth.  I HATE WETSUIT PIX OF ME!  ;)  OK, done yelling now." 

I had not tagged her in the first place. But I took down the picture, cropped her out, then re-posted the picture.

Then I got this message from the second person regarding a different picture:
"Oh my. That is a very unflattering picture :( Ack!"

Feeling like I was not doing a nice thing posting pictures after all, I suggested that she could untag herself. This was her response:

"Nay! I shall take it as a good thing, ie keep getting outside and being active :)" 

That made my day! What a great attitude! Many, many times I have felt like the first person, unhappy with my body, low self esteem, and generally not happy all-around. Pictures put all that I hate about myself out there.

But honestly, people don't look at us as critically as we look at ourselves. And I love that the second person, even though she didn't like the picture, is happy with herself and the progress she's making to put it all out there!

7 Ways to Stay Motivated During Long Training Blocks

2011-05-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

By Breanne George

Running is both a physical and motivational challenge--requiring fitness, endurance and a solid plan of action. For many of us, the hardest part isn't preparing our bodies for the race, but rather staying committed to months of training. The following advice will help you maneuver around those motivational roadblocks you're sure to encounter leading up to race day.

1: Set Goals

According to Paige Dunn, a sport psychology consultant based in the San Francisco Bay area, it is important to understand exactly what motivates you to train for a particular race in the first place. Perhaps you overcame an obstacle in your life or are in the process of doing so. Maybe completing a marathon has been a lifelong dream or you want to support your favorite charity. No matter the reason, a solid understanding of why you want to run will motivate you even when times get tough.

Proper goal setting is the foundation of motivation, Dunn says. Start with your season or race goal and break it down into daily goals, which should be specific, realistic and measurable. "These short-term goals can be individual workouts or something more mental like, 'I'm going to relax during my run or focus on my breathing today,'" she says. Daily goals help to build confidence and keep you on track throughout months of training. Dunn encourages runners to create a mission statement for each race season. "As a runner, you need to understand why this race will be a significant achievement for you," Dunn says. For women who have been running for years, it is important to continually re-evaluate your goals "otherwise you're just going through the motions," she says.

2: Keep Track

Brian Baxter, a sport psychology consultant from Portland, Oregon, recommends keeping a training log to keep track of every workout. A day or two before race day, you'll be able to flip through your log for proof of all your hard work. This reinforces in your mind that you're well prepared and deserve to be at the starting line. "When you write down your goals, it's like making a promise to yourself," Baxter says. "One of the easiest ways to not achieve a goal is keeping it inside."

3: Share Goals

In addition to writing down your goals, it is important to share them with supportive family members, friends or even a local running group. Not only will these people be there to encourage you, but because they are invested in your goal, they'll also be the first to call you out if you've been slacking. "A solid support system will help you to stay motivated and be accountable," Dunn says. For an inspirational boost, runner Kara Thom says she corresponds with her best friend and former training partner on a regular basis to discuss each other's training progress. Thom, a mother of four children, says finding the motivation to run can be a challenge with her busy schedule. "My main motivation is knowing that I will be running the race with one of my best friends."

4: Keep Good Company

Scheduling a running date with a friend or group of runners like Team in Training is another way to stay motivated, says Ronda Jameel, a certified running coach and owner of Run2Dend, LLC, a Phoenix-based company specializing in training for beginner to intermediate runners. "You'll be less likely to forego your workout if you're planning to run with someone," Jameel says. Not only will a training partner keep you company, but he or she will be there to encourage you when it's a tough workout and you feel like giving up. Also consider running with your most loyal companion. "Dogs are great training partners because they are always excited to go running, whether it's a cold, rainy day or early in the morning," Jameel says.

If you prefer running alone, consider training with a coach, either online or locally. He or she will follow up with you on a weekly basis via phone or e-mail without having to be there physically while you run. "A coach keeps you accountable and knows in what areas you have more potential or perhaps need more assistance," Jameel says.

5: Spice Things Up

Months of running in the same location and at the same time of day can take its toll. Jameel recommends spicing up your routine by altering the scenery or time of day you typically run. "Do different kinds of training so you're not always running the same course all the time," she says. "Here in Arizona, we have great trails--some hilly, some flat--that train certain muscles and offer unique scenery to prevent burn out."

Also consider running certain days with a friend or listening to a new style of music or motivational audio. One of the best ways to beat boredom is to integrate cross-training exercises into your weekly routine such as yoga, cycling or swimming. "Aside from the mental benefits, cross-training exercises can help you improve your flexibility, strength, balance and more," Jameel says.

6: Make it Personal

The answer to staying motivated is a personal one--everyone has a different reason for putting one foot in front of the other. It is important to understand how you run best, whether alone or with a friend, first thing in the morning or late at night, on the trails or in your neighborhood. "There is no magical solution--you can't tell someone to be motivated," Dunn says. "They have to figure it out on their own." What is the first step to finding your motivation? Dunn explains, "Knowing yourself as a runner is key--what energizes you, excites you, inspires you?"

7: Train Your Mind

Sport psychology consultants Brian Baxter and Paige Dunn offer the following tips to prepare your mind for a successful run.

Visualize Race Day: Dunn asks her athletes to complete an imagery exercise where they write down their idea of a perfect race day. To try this exercise, visualize different aspects of race day such as what you'll be wearing, the visual and technical aspects of the course, and what it will feel like to hear your name announced at the finish line. Write down those thoughts.

Concentrate on Breathing: To keep your focus during a run, Baxter recommends circle breathing, which is breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. "When you start to lose your focus, circle breathing puts your mind in a relaxing, almost meditative state," he says. Get into a rhythm with your circle breathing. For example, concentrate on breathing in every fourth step and out every fourth step.

Listen to Music: According to Dunn, listening to your favorite music can inspire you and prevent boredom from setting in during your training runs. Try running with different styles of music to find the one that works best for you. You might surprise yourself and find that you enjoy running with relaxing music, such as R&B or classical, compared to upbeat tunes such as alternative or hip-hop.

Focus on a Project: Consider using your training runs as time to focus on a particular project. Whether planning for an upcoming meeting or thinking of ways to redecorate your home, productive thoughts will keep your focus, Dunn says.

Chix Journal: Where am I Now?

2011-05-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

http://teamlunachix.com/chixlife/chix_journal_entry/where_am_i_now

Another blog post about my recovery from knee surgery!

Where am I right now? I am on an emotional roller coaster. I feel defeated by the physical set-backs, illnesses and time off that is limiting my forward progress. Read more »

Where to Go From Here: Building the Miles

2011-05-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

By Josh Clark
For Active.com

So you've been running for weeks, maybe several months, and you've probably noticed some major changes. Your heart and leg muscles are stronger. Your body has gotten better at moving oxygen to your muscles and taking away the waste products they pump out as you run.

It gets even better from here. Fitness begins to increase dramatically around the tenth week of training and climbs steadily for another two or three months before leveling off. You will probably find this to be the most rewarding period of your new running career, with each week yielding greater achievements than the week before.

Still, be cautious and don't try to ramp up your mileage too fast. Because your muscles adapt faster than your bones and joints, this is a period when many beginners run into injuries. It is a good idea to level off your distance for a few weeks. Limit your runs to three miles and give your bones and connective tissues a chance to catch up. Then, if you wish, gradually increase your distance.

Building Up the Miles

The rule to live by is to limit increases of weekly mileage to no more than 10 percent every other week. Do this by lengthening just one of the runs. Two weeks later, you can increase one of the other runs as well, and so on. After a few weeks you should consider making one run per week your long run -- up to 50 percent longer than the others. Increase either the long run or the shorter runs, not both in the same week. Don't increase your mileage every week. In fact, consider doing less some weeks to give your body some extra recovery time.

After several months you will no longer be a beginner and will have to decide whether you wish to run simply for fitness or whether to start running for performance, too. A couple of miles, three of four times a week will keep you fit and healthy. Fifteen to 20 miles a week will give you better conditioning. Beyond that, you are running for performance. Congratulations, you're no longer a beginner, and you're certainly a runner.

Your First Race

Once you have been running for a few months you may want to run a race. Your goal here should be to finish the distance, to try out the experience. The race shouldn't be more than 150 percent the distance that you normally run. Whether you intend to or not, you're likely to run faster than you normally do. Start at the back, and try not to get sucked into running too fast. If you can, start slowly--you can always speed up in the last mile.

You should check out our article on how to choose the right race strategy and have fun, soak up the atmosphere. For some reason this sport is peopled by very friendly, very social participants; enjoy the other runners and have a great race.

After you've been running for at least six months and you have one or two races under your belt, you'll be ready to start training to really race these events. Active Trainer has a variety of training programs to help you hit peak performance for the popular race distances.

Hard, Fast Rules

2011-05-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

How to push the pace without crashing into a wall.

Runners tend to be a motivated lot, always compelled to do more and do it faster. Yet this desire to push our limits can send us over the edge. When our efforts to run faster leave us sidelined with injury or as flat as Frank Shorter's race-day Coca-Cola, there's a good chance that we've gone too far. The trouble is, we sometimes don't know the difference between a great workout and an overdone disaster until a day or two later, and then it's too late. Sometimes we don't know until a month goes by and we have a horrible race! Further complicating things is that each athlete is different in how he or she responds to difficult workouts. Despite the complexity, however, here are some basic rules to ensure that you're working hard enough to get the desired training effect—without going over the cliff.

RULE #1: TRAIN TO RACE
One evening during high-school cross-country practice, I was feeling feisty. Instead of running in the middle of the pack for the last interval, I launched into the lead and finished in an all-out sprint. But there was no pat on the back for winning the workout. Nope. Coach admonished me—"Hey, we train to race. We don't race to train!" That aphorism is the gauge that can successfully monitor intensity: If the end of a workout feels like the end of a race, you've pushed too hard.

RULE #2: AVOID THE TIME SLIDE
If your interval times are getting slower with the same or increased perceived effort, you're either starting too fast, not giving yourself enough recovery, or both. Run at a pace you can maintain for the duration. If you can run slightly faster on the final interval, you've likely worked within the proper training zone.

RULE #3: KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN
Sometimes it's good to quit while the quitting is good. I advise my runners to end the workout feeling like they could run one more interval at the given pace. This requires an honest evaluation by the athlete. Most runners want to continue hammering away until the time slide occurs, but by then, you've gone too far.

RULE #4: IT'S BETTER TO BE UNDERDONE THAN OVERCOOKED
You can flout these rules once or twice without penalty. But my experience has been that when athletes are constantly driven into a lactic acid—drenched, anaerobic funk at the end of the workout, they will peak quickly then flame out. At that point, only a complete break or an extended period of aerobic base training will bring them back.

Comeback Plan
If you've run yourself down, crawl back up carefully

REDUCE MILEAGE
Cut down by a third for two weeks. Gradually add back over three weeks.

RUN EASY
Slow your pace by 20 to 30 seconds per mile.

SLEEP MORE
Eight hours minimum. Every night.

EASE BACK IN
Run shorter intervals when you return to fast running. Eight x 200 meters at mile pace is a good example.

ASSESS HONESTLY
If an easy track session still leaves you fatigued, take another week or two of reduced training.

No matter what your experience level, everything you need to run your first or fastest 5-K, 10-K, half-marathon, or marathon is inside the Runner's World Guide to Road Racing. Order today.

How to Train for Your First Half Marathon

2011-05-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

By Coach Jenny Hadfield
For Active.com

If you’re reading this article, you probably want to become a half marathoner (or you’re leaning into the idea). And if that is the case, you are in the right place. Successfully finishing a half marathon begins a plan to reach the start line safely and ready to rumble.

Start your engines. You’ve pulled the trigger and decided to try your hand in the half marathon world. Congrats! The next step is to register for an event to build in a little accountability. Give yourself plenty of time to train for the half (12 to 14 weeks). Having a long runway will give you time for illness, vacations and life detours that can happen along the way. It will also allow your body and mind time to adapt to the continual progression in mileage. If you don’t currently have a consistent base of mileage (3 to 4 miles, three to four times per week), that is OK. It simply means your runway is a little longer (six months). You can do it in less, but you won’t have as much fun along the way and the risks of injuries dramatically increase.

Pick an event, any event. I ran my first half marathon in my county because I could train on the course and I wanted the home court advantage. When you pick the race, it serves as your carrot for the season, so it is in your best interest to find one that inspires.   Do you want to run through wine country or in your hometown? Do you want to toe the line with thousands or a few hundred?   Since this is your first, it is also wise to find events that support your pace (run, run-walk or walk) and those that offer courses similar to your terrain. There are enough nerves in tackling your first event, let alone having to worry about short cut-off times or super challenging terrain. Keep it simple.

Find a training plan that suits your needs. The body adapts and improves at an efficient rate if you make small changes along the way. The key to going longer, stronger and tapping into your inner endurance athlete is to have the wisdom to start from where you are rather than where you want to be.
The first week of the training plan should closely match that of your current training plan (or slightly more, maybe 10 percent). If you jump into a program that requires a large jump in mileage, frequency or intensity, you will be on a fast track to burn out, aches and pains and possibly drop out. Think of this like education. Take it one grade at a time. Your body will pay you back in dividends by recovering from the workouts so you can progress along the way. Less is more when you’re first getting started. Hold back the reigns of excitement and take it one step at a time.

Make it social. Research suggests training in groups not only inspires better performance, but the ability to run longer more easily. This is especially important for the weekly long training runs. The miles fly by as you talk about the movie you saw, work, the kids or solving world peace. There are a lot of fantastic training groups at local running stores, charity groups and gyms. Or it can be as simple as you and your best friend.

Practice patience, grasshopper. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you won’t turn into a half marathoner over night. Expect to roll through good and not-so-good training days. At the end of the season, it all comes down to the consistency overall, not the handful of workouts that felt so hard you wanted to cry.

Listen to your body and go with the flow of your life. Our body has an excellent communication system that would kick Twitter’s butt. Listen as you train for aches and pains that don’t subside in a day or two. In most cases, the pain will subside with a little tender, loving care. If the aches stick around longer, its time to dial down the program for a few days and cross-train with activities that don’t aggravate the aches and rest. A few days of active or complete rest can be the answer to most training aches. It all starts with listening…

Use your gears. The greatest difference between running for fitness and for a long distance event is that the former is horizontal and the latter continually builds throughout the season. The progression requires training at the scheduled effort level (intensity) to allow efficient recovery. If you run the long run too hard, it delays the recovery process and can have an effect on the performance of your next workout. The number one mistake I see most newbie half marathoners make is in running all the workouts at the same pace (their normal running pace). Find your gears (effort levels – easy, moderate, hard) and practice discipline as you train. You’ll know you’re on target if you are able to run longer or faster and you’ll know if you’re pushing too hard if those times and paces decline.

Learn, grow and evolve. There is a wonderful running community from which you can learn many helpful tips along the way.   Join in the conversation on the Active.com forums and read the informative articles. Stop by my AskCoachJenny Facebook page and ask a question or learn from others. Getting connected is a great way to maintain momentum and motivation along the way.

Think outside the box. It’s easy to get caught up on the miles when training for a half marathon but there are a lot of other ingredients that play a vital role in your preparation. Strength training as little as 15 to 20 minutes twice per week builds a solid foundation that will improve muscle balance, running efficiency, and help you maintain optimal form for the duration. Weaving in 5 to 10 minutes of flexibility work (stretching, foam rolling) can relieve muscle tension that is common in repetitive sports. Including cross-training activities (cycling, elliptical, yoga, swimming, skating) in your program reduces mental fatigue, balances the musculature and adds spice to the regimen. Think of it like making a tasty bowl of chili. It’s the balance of the ingredients that makes the meal.
Practice makes perfect. Every long training run or walk is an opportunity to practice for race day. Consider it a dress rehearsal and dial in hydration on the run, the timing of your pre-run nutrition and fueling on the fly. Think of apparel, shoes and anything and everything related to race day. Keep a log and track what works and what doesn’t. From chafing apparel to your favorite gel flavor, you’ll create your personal training recipe for success along the way and it will serve as a means of validation when the race nerves set in the week before the event.

Beat taper madness. Speaking of nerves, a funny thing happens on the way to the start line. A tiny gremlin I call taper madness sits promptly on your shoulder about seven days out from the event with a goal to break you down mentally and emotionally. His presence can make you second-guess everything from what to eat race week to which foot to start on. This is happening as the training volume is tapering down to allow recovery from the demands of the season so you can toe the line strong, fresh and ready to rumble. The gremlin is fueled by your nerves but can be easily knocked off by keeping faith in your program. Review your log and remind yourself how far you’ve come. This is the time to breathe, keep the mind stimulated and the body rested. Adding mileage to soothe the mind can hurt the body on race day.

Go with what you know. If you’re going to be a half marathoner, you need to know the number one rule. That is, don’t try anything new on race day. Refer back to your log and stick to what is tried and true. Avoid the temptation to buy that cute, new top from the expo to wear on race day. Eat familiar foods, gels and avoid making drastic changes in your life.

Pace yourself. The number one thing you can control on race day is your pace. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the race and go out too fast, only to find yourself crawling across the finish line. Think tortoise, not hare, and hold back the reins for the first half of the race by keeping the effort at a pace where you can talk. If you can hear your breathing, you’re running too hard. At the halfway point, begin to slowly dial up the effort and count down the miles. In the final 3 miles, go fishing. That is, focus on a runner ahead and reel them in. There is nothing in the world like having the strength to pass people (nicely) in the final miles of a race. Besides, it makes for a much cuter finish line photo.

Celebrate your accomplishment. There are very few people that will ever cross a half marathon finish line. Take the time to fully celebrate your accomplishment. Whether you choose to run another half marathon or not, you only run your first half marathon once. Take it all in and give yourself a high five. You’ve earned it.

Coach Jenny Hadfield is an Active Expert and the co-author of the best-selling Marathoning for Mortals, and the Running for Mortals and Training for Mortals series. She is also a columnist for Women's Running and Runners World.

Coach Jenny has trained thousands of runners and walkers with her training plans. Improve your running performance or train for your next event with Coach Jenny's Active Trainer Plans. You can ask her a training question on her Ask Coach Jenny page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Chix Journal

2011-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Surgery is Tough, Rehab is Tougher

Head over and read my latest post on teamlunachix.com! And read the other women's posts too, they are great.

Hit the Hills for Running Speed

2011-05-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Matt Russ
For Active.com

A healthy dose of hill running should be included in your workouts each week. Hill work is some of the most productive training you can perform.
There's no doubt that runners who regularly hit the hills get faster. However, you should vary your hill routines throughout the season just as you should vary your training. Because hill work is more stressful, progression is important.

Outdoors vs. Treadmill

I am often asked if running outdoors is more productive than running on the treadmill. The answer is that they both have their place in a good running plan.
The advantage of the treadmill is that you can set your workout parameters. If you're trying to keep your heart rate down during base training, you simply select a pace that keeps your heart rate in that zone.
With hill work, you can vary the pace and incline to create just the right amount of stress for your workout. It may be hard to find a long hill with a steady incline so the treadmill can create just that. You don't want to start off your hill work with too steep of an incline.
With the treadmill, you can increase the incline slightly each week and the resistance is constant. That being said, many athletes find it difficult to stay focused on a treadmill. It's important to include runs on varied terrain and downhill. The treadmill doesn't provide this. As you get closer to your goal race, I recommend trying to duplicate the race course and spend less time on the treadmill.

Hill Progression

The most important aspect of base training is staying aerobic and keeping your heart rate down. Hills will obviously drive your heart rate up but that doesn't mean you should eliminate them in base training. In fact, this is the best time to build a strength for the season. As the season progresses, intensity should as well. The following workouts are in order of progression throughout the season. It's important to follow this progression or overtraining and/or injury could result.

Hill climbing: Walk to run faster? Correct; I start even my fastest and most seasoned athletes out with hill walking. Walking on a steep incline can get your heart rate up just as much or more than a slow run and there is less impact and eccentric load. It is a great way to strengthen the gluteals, hamstrings and calf muscles. Hill walking is performed during transition phase and early base training. I also recommend trail hiking.

Base/endurance hill intervals: This workout is a bit more structured. I start the athlete out at a low base aerobic level and increase to a higher aerobic level towards the end of base and into general preparation periods. I prescribe intervals of five to 20 minutes with five to 10 minutes of recovery between efforts, up to two times a week. Pace and incline must be adjusted to keep heart rate in the zone. This may mean running very slow, but you will feel resistance on your legs. This is a good workout for the treadmill, but it can definitely be performed outdoors with a little planning.

Steady hill intervals: We take the top of your aerobic zone and hold a narrow heart rate range. Because this workout is more precise, it is easier to perform on the treadmill. Again, I prescribe intervals of five to 20 minutes with five to 10 minutes of recovery between efforts, up to two times a week.

Fartlek hills: This is one of my favorite workouts. On a hilly course, you will push hard on the uphill sections and run a relaxed pace on the downhill. This is an unstructured workout and is best performed outdoors. Fartlek hills build strength, power and aerobic capacity.

Tempo hill intervals: These hill intervals are performed at a much faster pace. Your heart rate will be slightly below threshold or your 5k race pace. I prescribe intervals of five to 15 minutes with at least 10 minutes of recovery between intervals. Perform this workout no more than once a week.

Hill bounds: Bounds are a springing motion with plenty of vertical power. Picture leaping from point to point with a long stride as you climb a hill. You want to work on producing quick, explosive power. I prescribe hill bounds of 50-75 meters. Recovery is a slow walk back down the hill. Usually four to eight of these will be enough. Perform this workout no more than once a week.

Hill sprints: Now we're talking ... This is hill speed work with no heart rate prescribed. On a hill of approximately 100 meters, start off at a moderate pace and build to a sprint. In the last 10 seconds, sprint as hard as you can to the top of the hill. I prescribe this workout no more than twice a month in race preparation period. I may prescribe several sets of three to four hill sprints. Recovery between sets is 10-15 minutes of easy running. Recovery between efforts is a slow walk back down the hill.

Hill strides: These are a technique drill. A lot of runners slow their stride rate and lengthen their stride as they attempt to power up a hill. The exact opposite should take place. Count your strides going uphill. Your stride rate should be around 30 right foot strides in 20 seconds. Work on a short, fast, efficient uphill stride. You should perform these in all periods throughout the season.

Don't forget that hill work is more stressful than running the flats. It's important to increase incline gradually and to let your body adapt. If you experience any calf or Achilles area pain, stop immediately and take a few days off. Don't resume training until you are pain-free. Hill work will help prevent injury and strengthen your tendons, joints and ligaments, but only if the stress load isn't too high. Fitness can't be rushed and hill work is no exception.

Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), and has been certified by Joe Friel's Ultrafit Association. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information, or e-mail him at info@sportfactory.com.

4 Easy Ways to Lower Your Marathon Time

2011-05-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

Darcy Norman
April 14, 2011

coreperformance.com

Experienced endurance athletes can blast past plateaus with a few tweaks to their nutrition and training. Use these tips to set a new personal record:

1. Eat and drink more.

To improve your performance and speed recovery, fuel your body with a pre- and post-workout snack. Choose snacks with 10 to 30 grams of protein and 30 to 90 grams of carbs (for example, chocolate milk or toast with peanut butter). Hydrate with 16 ounces of water two hours before you train and 6 to 8 ounces of water every 10 to 15 minutes during your session. For intense workouts lasting more than an hour, opt for a sports drink.

2. Do massage on recovery days.

The most important day of your week is your day off. In addition to plenty of downtime and light stretching, give yourself a massage. Using a foam roll or tennis ball, spend 30 to 60 seconds working through sore spots. This will help your body recover faster and perform better. Click here for a sample routine using the foam roll.

3. Change up your tunes.

If you speed up the number of steps you take per minute, you can cover more ground in less time. You can use your favorite music to set a goal pace of about 90 steps per minute. Find a song that has 90 beats per minute (BPM) and practice running with the beat of the music. Use this site to measure the BPM of your favorite songs.

4. Train faster.

If your training primarily focuses on long, slow runs, it's time to vary your pace. Incorporating interval training can make you a stronger, more efficient runner. Twice a week, perform an interval training session. Click here for a sample interval routine.

About The Author

Darcy Norman – In addition to being a Physical Therapist and Performance Specialist at Athletes' Performance, Darcy is a Project Manager for the Performance Innovation Team. Read Full Bio

Jeff Galloway's Magic Mile Race Prediction Formulas

2011-05-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Jeff Galloway

(for the 5K, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon distances, based upon a one mile time trial)

Why the Magic Mile
After having worked with over 170,000 runners over 30 years, I've compiled hundreds of performances and have established a prediction formula based upon a one mile time trial. In other words, every 2 weeks or so, you can run a measured mile (at a good, hard pace for you) and use the time to predict what you could run at longer distances.

This assumes that
* You do the training needed for the distance and time goal (See my books Running Year Round Plan and Galloway Training Programs)
* The temperature on the race day of your race is 60F or cooler
* You pace yourself correctly and take the walk breaks necessary for your goal (see the same two books for details)

Take your one mile time and adjust as follows:
add 33 seconds for your pace for a 5K
multiply by 1.15 for 10K pace
multiply by 1.2 for half marathon pace
multiply by 1.3 for marathon pace

Here's how to do the one mile time trial:

1. warm up with a slow one mile run
2. do a few acceleration-gliders (See my books Running Year Round Plan and Galloway Training Programs)
3. pace yourself as even as possible on each quarter mile
4. run about as hard as you could run for one mile--but no puking! (finish feeling that you couldn't have run more than a football field at the same pace)
5. keep walking after the time trial for 5 minutes, and jog a slow 1-6 miles, as needed for the mileage for that day

Predicting race performance:

Take your last 4 one mile time trials
Eliminate the slowest
Average the other three
Use the prediction formula for your race
Adjust for heat and humidity: slow down by 30 sec a mile for every 5 degree temperature increase above 60F

Click here for the pace calculator (and entire article)

Team LUNA Chix Website

2011-05-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

The new teamlunachix.com is live!

There are some big and subtle changes to the site. Overall, the site is more interactive and easier to navigate.

Some of the new features include:

Chix Journal Bloggers: Follow 4 Chix from around the country (and Seattle's own LaVonne!) during the highs and lows of the season:
http://teamlunachix.com/chixlife/chix_journal/

LaVonne - Seattle Tri Team Leader, as she gets back in the game after knee surgery (this is me! check out my FB page too!)
Mary Lou - Buffalo Run Team Leader, as she continues to look forward on her weight loss and athletic journey.
Kelly - former Chicago Run Team Member, a young breast cancer survivor searching for her new "normal"
Linda - former Pro LUNA Chix Member, now a professional working mom heading back to work after the birth of her first child

Updated Home Page: Bringing to life the pillars of our program -- Chix Life (our Chix Journal, Local and Pro Team Stories/Blogs), Local Teams, Pro Teams, Breast Cancer Fund

Improved shareability across the site. Sign up to follow any blog, comment on posts and share with friends via Twitter, FB and email. Comment and let us know what you think!

-Improved navigation of advice and tips:
http://teamlunachix.com/advice_and_tips/

-Our own video page, complete with new videos and hosted from YouTube!
http://teamlunachix.com/advice_and_tips/videos/

Running is Bad for your Knees

2011-05-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

posted byCharlie Nickell

therundown.net

At lunch, a friend of mine goes into this long-winded diatribe why running is going to “ruin my knees.”

If one more person tells me that running is bad for my knees, I’m going to vomit. These are the same individuals who knew me when I stunt doubled for Kiko the orca in “Free Willy.” It all seems very ironic. When I was overweight, nobody felt compelled to inform me that my body mass was unhealthy. No one warned me about my 240-point cholesterol level, rapid/irregular pulse, horrendous triglyceride count or weakening back.

Nope, but after years of solid running, people close to me are all of a sudden outspoken health experts and extremely concerned about my well-being. They all mention running pioneer Jim Fixx’s infamous fatal heart attack or sprint record-holder Florence Griffith Joyner’s early demise. Everyone brandishes some obscure exercise-death fact or famous fluke fatality myth. The whole conversation is as off-course as the Exxon Valdez.

Let me tell you what’s bad for your knees: inactivity, bowling, football, basketball, sitting, aerobics, reality shows, small children, begging, laying carpet, catching a baseball game and owing certain people money are all legitimately risky for the knee caps. Week leg muscles lead to deteriorating support ligaments, tendons and bones, which, in turn, lead to bad knees. Running strengthens ligaments, tendons and bones.

The list of knee-deterioration culprits is long but running doesn’t fall into the top 25. So, why the confusion, misguided concern and annoying conversation about my running and my knees? It’s a given. Most people have no clue what they are talking about (including me) outside their microscopic zone of expertise. But, even that doesn’t explain it.

Last checked, there is a 99 percent chance you’ll die from heart failure or heart disease. Why is it my south-county neighbors know more about their imported cars than the thing ticking inside them that’s going to silently kill them in the middle of the night? Most people can tell you what type of gas mileage their SUV gets but ask someone their resting heart rate, and they look at you as if you just asked, “What’s Starbucks?” or “I’ve never been in a Mercedes before, are they expensive?” Why do kids know more about their iPod’s processing speed and their computer’s storage then their own precious hearts?

Fact is, we’ve forgotten as a society what our bodies were designed to do. By looking at our physiological construction, it’s obvious we weren’t designed to drive cars. If we were, we would have evolved with tiny little legs, superior eyesight, patience, fully rotating heads and a cell phone embedded in our craniums. We weren’t really designed to ride bikes as our body disintegrates (as with cars) at impact speeds greater than our structures can withstand. We are as a population, designed to run. It really is that simple.

Biologically, evolution moves slowly, and by most accounts we aren’t much different than the hunter/gatherers who preceded us eons ago. Those early versions of humans hunted in small groups (like trail runners) and wore down their prey by literally running them into the ground. Man was the undisputed endurance king, and for a million years we ran (running), killed (competition), ate (aid station) and slept (recovery). What happened to this fantastic lifestyle? What happened to the human race?

It’s a classic tale of mind over matter. From a developmental standpoint, the human mind is light years ahead of our physical bodies. Mentally and, subsequently, technologically we have rocketed forward while physically we haven’t changed one iota. Anytime you have a discrepancy like that crammed into a 6-foot-by-2-foot shell (the body), something has to give. And, it has.

What happens to caged animals denied the ability to hunt and run free? Just go to a zoo. They are out of shape, depressed, grumpy and lazy. Sound like anybody you know? What happens to people shoved in cubicles, forced to sit all day and nourish themselves at Taco Bell? Those are loaded questions. We all know the answers.

Do me a favor, runners: The next time someone tells you that running is bad for your knees (or your health), just remind them that they can live 100 or more years without legs but they’ll last less than 60 seconds when their heart stops. And then ask, “What did you say your resting heart rate was again?”

How to Use the Treadmill as a Training Tool

2011-05-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

By Matt Russ
USA Triathlon

Some athletes do not particularly enjoy training on the treadmill as it mitigates the stimulus, the fresh air and even the social aspects of running outdoors. However, it is a valuable tool that can be used in a variety of ways to improve your running.

The first thing to note is that not all treadmills are created equally. Many commercial-grade treadmills perform such a good job of reducing impact forces, that I consider the treadmill a soft surface similar to a trail or crushed gravel. If you are in the market for a treadmill and consider yourself a career runner, I suggest biting the bullet and purchasing a quality treadmill. A used commercial treadmill is often preferable to a new home-grade model in my opinion. Commercial treadmills have stronger motors, rollers, frames, belts, superior impact absorption, and are generally designed for years of constant use and abuse. They are also quieter.

The length of the deck is an important feature, especially if you are a tall runner. I recommend a deck length of at least 60 inches. Most of the variations within a model line are electronics, audio/televisions, and features; in other words, more things to break. Look for a DC motor and a low maintenance deck such as a wax impregnated deck. Some stores specialize in selling used equipment, and may even offer a warranty on refurbished/pre-owned models.

I am often asked how running on a treadmill differs from running outdoors, or how running mechanics are modified on the treadmill. This is debated and there are definite differences, but the best answer I usually give is "slightly." The moving belt causes a slightly different muscle recruitment pattern compared to outdoor running, particularly in the hip flexors. Putting the treadmill on a one or two percent grade will more closely approximate outdoor running and outdoor wind resistance. In comparing video files from hundreds of runners, both on the treadmill and outdoors, I have found that most of the same mechanical traits and form (such as posture, arm motion, gait patterns, shoulder rotation and vertical travel) are present in both conditions.

The treadmill is actually a great place to address economy in a controlled environment, and it is easy to capture motion from 360 degrees. Another advantage is that the moving belt creates a level of consistency that makes it easy to identify asymmetry in gait and stride. For example: simply listening to footfalls can indicate a short stride on one side, or an athlete that is weighting one leg over the other in compensation for an injury. It is also easy to time stride rate using a metronome and to work on rhythm.

This consistency of the treadmill applies to speed and grade as well. You would be hard pressed to find a perfectly consistent surface outdoors, or a hill that has a steady grade for any given distance.
The treadmill offers a key advantage for hill repeat training in that downhill running is not required. Downhill running, especially at speed, involves the most impact and damaging eccentric contractions, and can be very hard on the knees. If you have a history of injury or are trying to mitigate impact forces, you can attain a quality and controlled strength endurance workout without the downhill stress.
For athletes performing high intensity intervals and tempo work, the treadmill offers some benefit over outdoor training. The feedback received on a treadmill is real time, and a specific speed/pace can be dialed in. I find that athletes tend to challenge themselves a bit more on the treadmill, and are often surprised at how fast they are able to run with a forced pace. Because heart rate-based training is affected environmentally by heat, humidity, and state of hydration, workouts can be prescribed more accurately using pace. Pacing via mile splits or track workouts are more reactive. The treadmill forces you to be on the pace all the time and offers a unique challenge. You also do not have the constant tight inside turns of track repetitions.

It is important to note that your body cools itself mainly through sweat evaporation and running on a treadmill in a warm environment can lead to overheating. Make sure you have adequate air flow coming toward you, preferably in the form of a large fan.

I don't recommend performing speed work on the treadmill. Speed work involves rapid acceleration/deceleration that cannot be duplicated on the treadmill. For speed workouts under 400 meters, I recommend the track or road.

The treadmill offers an advantage in convenience (weather is not a factor), perhaps safety (depending on where you run) and even privacy, but should not be the exclusive mode for a performance runner. Certain workouts may be better performed on the treadmill, but it should not be a complete substitute or replacement for outdoor running. If you have an upcoming road race, your body will need to acclimate to the harder surface and different muscle recruitment that occurs on the road. A trail race requires lower leg stability and strength over road racing, and that cannot be developed to any extent on the treadmill. In general I do not recommend more than 30 to 40 percent of training occur on the treadmill. Think of it as an effective tool in your training toolbox; useful, but by no means exclusive.

Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes up to the professional level, domestically and internationally, for over 15 years. He currently holds the highest level of licensing from both USA Triathlon and USA Cycling, and is a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. Matt is head coach and owner of The Sport Factory, and coaches athletes of all levels full time. He is also freelance author and his articles are regularly featured in a variety of magazines and websites. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information or email him at coachmatt@thesportfactory.com.

This article originally was published in USA Triathlon Life magazine. USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the national governing body for triathlon--the fastest growing sport in the world - as well as duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. Visit usatriathlon.org.

Workout of the Month: Key Swims

2011-05-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

by Marilyn McDonald
from endurancecorner.com

Late last month I was spoke with Bevan and John at IMTalk about my thoughts on swimming, my experience and my personal position on swimming. You can listen to that pod cast at IMTalk.me.
Here are the three key swims I think you need per week as we head into the race season.

Long Aerobic Strength
Count your stroke count and time your distance and effort. Do the same stroke count and time for each.

Choose any one of the following sessions. Always include a warm up and cool down.

10x 400 swim on 10 seconds rest.
6x 800 pull with band and buoy.
3-4x 1000 pull with small paddles.
3x 1500m.
1 hour continuous swim open water in wet suit with paddles.

Race Test Set

30x 100 on 40 seconds rest. Best possible time for all. Stroke rate and pace at or slightly above race intensity.
12 x 200m at race pace on 15 seconds rest. Maintain same time for all.

Speed Set

Warm up well with 1000-1500 of mixed swimming.
20x 25m max effort on equal or greater rest.
5x 100 on race pace on 5 seconds rest
Repeat both steps 1-4 times through.
25s can be max swim or max turn over band only swimming.
Warm up well with 1000-1500 of mixed swimming.
4-6x 50m max effort on 20-40 seconds rest.
8x 100 on race pace with 10 seconds rest.
Repeat 2-4 times through.

If you have more than three days of sessions in your weeks program and you have more time to swim I recommended one easy technique focused session and on 3-4k session where you do a 2k main set of steady swimming on short rest.

Be fit on the swim -- it effects your entire day! What you do in the water directly impacts your bike and impacts your run. Triathlon is a start line and a finish line, it pays to be ready in the water!

Swim Fast to Get Fast: The 50s

2011-05-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

By Gale Bernhardt
For Active.com

In an earlier column, I encouraged you to try some fast 25s to boost your swimming speed.

I've received some posts on the community board and in a few e-mails that people have been trying the workouts and, lo and behold, they are swimming faster. Excellent!

Now that you've mastered some of the shorter workouts, let's bump the distance up some. Below are new workouts for you to try:

Workout No. 1

Complete a mixed warm-up totaling 500 to 1,000 yards/meters.
After the warm-up, go through the following set two or three times:

2 x 25 — Build speed throughout each 25
2 x 25 — Swim half the distance as fast as you can, it doesn't matter if it is first half or last half. Swim the "other half" easy.
1 x 50 — All-out fast
1 x 50 — Easy

Make your swim interval something that gives you 5 to 10 seconds rest on the 25s, about 20 seconds of rest on the 50-all-out-fast and about 90 seconds on the 50 easy.
After the speedy set, head into your main set. The main set can include swims in the 100 to 300 range.

Workout No. 2

Complete a mixed warm-up totaling 500 to 1,000.
After the warm-up, go through the following set two to four times:

4 x 25 — Build speed throughout each 25 (Make the swim interval something that gives you about 10 seconds of rest.)
1 x 50 — All-out fast (Make the swim interval something that gives you about 20 seconds of rest.)
1 x 25 — Easy (Make the swim interval something that gives you 15 to 20 seconds of rest.)
1 x 25 — All-out fast (Make the swim interval something that gives you about 10 seconds of rest.)

After the speedy set, head into your main set. The main set can include swims in the 100 to 300 range.

Optional Main Set

An optional main set to include after Workout No. 1 or 2 follows:

3 x 100 on a swim interval that gives you 10 to 15 seconds of rest. Swim all of these at a steady pace.
3 x 100 on a swim interval that gives you 15 to 20 seconds rest. Negative-split each 100.
3 x 100 on a swim interval that gives you 20 to 30 seconds rest. Swim these so that each 100 is faster than the previous one. The last one is a fast one.

If you have the time and fitness, go through the set of 100s twice.

Workout No. 3

Complete a mixed warm-up totaling 500 to 1,000.
After the warm-up, do 4 x 25 building speed throughout each 25 (Make the swim interval something that gives you about 10 seconds of rest.)
Take one minute of rest, then do:

6 x 50 — All-out fast. No holding back. Expect the fastest one to be the second or third one. It's okay if speed fades some, just swim fast. Make the swim interval something that gives you 80 to 100 seconds of rest between each 50 swim.

After the speedy set, head into your main set. Keep it primarily aerobic. If you swim really, really fast (like the instructions tell you to do) you won't have much high-end speed for the rest of the workout.
The biggest mistake you can make in the workouts above is to try to be a Sammie Save-up. Of course there are times when you should be holding some speed in reserve so you can negative-split a swim; but not in these workouts. Cut loose and see how fast you can go.

Gale Bernhardt was the 2003 USA Triathlon Pan American Games and 2004 USA Triathlon Olympic coach for both the men's and women's teams. Her first Olympic experience was as a personal cycling coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Thousands of athletes have had successful training and racing experiences using Gale's pre-built, easy-to-follow training plans. For more information, click here. Let Gale and Active Trainer help you succeed.

Flexibility Training: Swimming Stretches

2011-05-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

By Brian Dorfman
For Active.com

I think of swimming as the savior for the triathlete. Swimming is the perfect compensator for biking and running.

In fact, the breathing, rhythm and extension in swimming are an invaluable counter movement or counter position to biking and running. If an athlete can't swim, they lose a lot more than just speed in the water.

Swimming will stretch tight quads from biking and strengthen the back for running. Yet it's the shoulder that's essential for swimming longevity. Use these stretches to take care of your shoulders and swim forever.

These stretches aid the shoulder girdle and the side of the torso, and will decrease compression, support range of motion and strengthen the torso. More specifically, we'll access the powerful pectorals (pects), versatile deltoids, valuable rotator cuff muscles, elastic latissimus dorsi (lats) and the underrated intercostal (rib) muscles.

You'll find that slight shoulder or hip rotation can modify the intensity of the stretch, or target a different area. Also, when you stay in a stretch, breathe deeply and compare the difference in the stretch at the top of the inhale versus the end of the exhale.

Front of the Shoulder Stretch: Pector Elongator

Maintaining open, fluid movement in the front of the shoulder during swimming will decrease compression in the joint. With biking and running, the shoulder tends to rotate inward and lift up toward the ear.

This same movement in swimming will add to tension and compression in the neck and shoulder.

The pector elongator is a great stretch to use before or after a workout.

Stand with your right hip about two or three feet away from a wall.
Place your right hand on the wall at shoulder level, behind the torso. Keep your elbow loosely bent.
Now rotate your elbow forward and maintain this forward rotation throughout the stretch.
Twist your upper torso to the left, while retaining elbow rotation, to create a stretch in the front of the right shoulder.
Hold the stretch for five to 12 breaths.
Switch arms and repeat.

Variations can be created by moving your hand up and down the wall or by stepping farther away from the wall. Pector elongator is intense, so go easy. When you start to feel the stretch, stop and inhale deeply into the area being stretched.

Also, using a doorway will give you a perfect stretch at home or at the office. The hard part of this stretch is continuing to maintain a forward rotation of the elbow.

Deltoid/Rotator Cuff Stretch

Every shoulder problem seems to have rotator cuff involvement. These muscles are unique because they function as a ligament at the joint, and a muscle in locomotion. Located above the rotators are the deltoids, which can be stretched along with the rotators.

Deltoid/Rotator Cuff Stretch

When an athlete has any type of shoulder problem, this is the first stretch I introduce. It's ideal because it takes care of the muscle, the joint capsule and the range of motion.

Stand facing the wall, approximately a foot away.
Draw your right arm across your body.
Place the back of your right hand on the wall at shoulder level.
Move your left shoulder toward your right hand as far as you can, then lean the right shoulder toward the wall.
To create a slightly different stretch, place the front of your hand on the wall.
Hold the stretch for five to 12 breaths.
Switch arms and repeat.

There's room to be creative with this stretch. You can walk the hips away from the wall or experiment with your hand in different locations. To intensify the stretch, use the floor instead of the wall.

The key is to move the shoulder that's not being stretched down, and slowly lean the involved shoulder into the wall, floor or couch. (see step 4).

Side of the Torso Stretch: Lateral Bend

Lateral Bend

The side (lateral) muscles of the torso have a great deal of strength, power, endurance and elasticity. This natural elasticity adds power without increased mass.

This stretch will allow you to be more effective in the reaching part of your swim stroke and have more power on the recovery part.

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent.
Expand your chest, lift your ribs and raise both hands over your head.
On exhale, pull your abdomen back and lean to the right.
Hold this position and inhale into the ribs.
As you exhale, pull abdomen back and lean to the left, hold, inhale into the ribs.
Repeat this side-to-side motion to the right and left four to six times.

Move from one side to the other on an exhale, allowing for a deep inhale into the ribs. This will increase both extension and strength. Keep the chest slightly in front of the hips and rotate the top of the pelvic girdle back—this will elongate the lower-back muscles and stretch the lats.

Lateral bend is a great stretch to use after a hard workout because of its effect on the lower back.

To concentrate the effects of flexibility training, your breath should be long and smooth, and your mind should be focused on the area you want to effect. Easy, extended breathing like this will improve both performance and recovery. Race and train forever.

Sports and addiction

2011-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

by Chrissie Wellington
Feb 8 2011
on espnW

I'm an addict, pure and simple. But my addiction has brought me five world championship crowns, a little bit of money, chaffing and huge oversized calves. The drug? Sports. And like any addict, when I don't get my fix, I become like Cruella De Vil (with a decidedly dodgy haircut). I get grumpy, I throw my toys out of the pram, I suffer cold turkey (nothing to do with Thanksgiving leftovers), and I chew on my nails -- basically metamorphosing from a relatively stable, sporty person to Godzilla.

I am sure many of you can relate. We all do sports for different reasons: to get fit, to tone up flabby parts, to wear skin-tight Lycra, to justify vacuum-cleaner-style eating habits or to pick up girls/boys. And, yes, for the undisputed "high" that it gives us, the satisfaction that comes from reaching that fine line between pleasure and pain, the masochistic seed that thrives on the endorphin rush that only a good hard training session or race can provide. I know I have always had an addictive personality, but this obsession with sports didn't develop overnight. I think I gradually morphed from a once-a-week kind of gal to a full-blown, "must-get-the-daily-fix" sport junkie.

Last year I read an article about two former drug addicts who used triathlon to rebuild their lives: the 20-year-long high they had gotten from heroin was replaced by the rush of sporting endorphins. The same was true of a guy, Matt, that I met at Ironman Australia in 2008. He had been a drug addict since his early teens and, having reached a heroin-fueled rock bottom, decided to change his life. I was fortunate enough to be there to watch him cross the finish line and realize his dream of becoming an Ironman. He was still an addict -- but he had just changed his drug of choice.

While the word "addiction" comes with negative connotations, it doesn't have to be detrimental. We can channel this craving and obsession into something positive, such as a sport. I think that the majority of triathletes would readily accept that they have a propensity for addictive behavior. But like any good thing -- chocolate, caffeine, shopping and exercise -- we can have too much of it. Sports can go from being a positive to a negative addition when fulfilling the craving overrides everything else. A day away from the pool or bike causes distress, relationships and work suffer, anxiety levels rise, and health levels decline as overtraining potentially leads to injury and illness. We have all been there. The obsession with filling that log book forces us out on a run when really our Achilles, calf, hip or back is saying no way. Then suddenly we end up nursing a painful Achilles, calf, hip, back for the next month. There is also the link to food control -- control over calories and control over exercise. They are emotions and actions cut from the same cloth.

Unlike glugging a bottle of whisky or eating 10 bars of chocolate a day, exercise addiction can be harder to acknowledge, given that exercise is generally seen as a splendid healthy activity to undertake. I am not saying we all push the limits and suffer the ill effects of our addiction. But for those who teeter on the brink, myself included, there are a few ways of preventing a sporting addiction from becoming a negative force.

I have to listen carefully and honestly to my body. I have learned to recognize when I can push it that little bit further, but also when to back off and take some rest. For example, last Friday I didn't train, and I didn't feel in the least bit guilty. I am slowly seeing recovery as part of training, not a forced add on. And I came back this weekend all the better for it. And you know what? There was no cold turkey -- except in my sandwiches. I also have to be prepared to change and adapt. For example, when I broke my arm last year, I couldn't train the way I wanted, and this disrupted my routine. But I had to focus on what I could do, rather than couldn't do. I had to channel my addiction into the cross trainer and swiss ball -- adapting and accepting the need for change, rather than becoming frustrated with my forced inability to follow my predetermined plan.
It is often so hard to be objective about our fitness, body weight, personality and attitude, and, hence, the importance of surrounding yourself with family, friends, coaches and others. We all need a second pair of eyes to spot potential warning signs of negative addiction. And, more importantly, to be prepared to listen and act on this advice.

For most of us, sports are ultimately a healthy addiction, we just need to be able to control those cravings. And sometimes, instead of succumbing to the sporting urges, let's break open a bar of chocolate, crack open a bottle of wine or have an industrial-sized cup of full-fat coffee instead. After all, everything in moderation, right?!

What is core training and do I need it for triathlon?

2011-04-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

by Stacy Munn
Seattle Examiner

There's a lot of buzz around core training for triathlon, and frankly just about every other activity outside of sleeping! But exactly what is the “core” and why is core strength and stability so important for triathlon?
The core is everything between your head and your hips and includes big and small muscles. The core muscles stabilize the spine and pelvis and drive the arms and legs. Many fitness classes, online articles and exercise libraries focus on the abdominal muscles for core training. While the abdominal muscles, (specifically the transversus abdominus, rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques) play an important role, they’re only part of the core story. The muscles in the back, pelvic floor and hips are also crucial to core strength and stability.

Core strength is important during swimming, biking and running for power transfer (between arms and legs) and for stabilization. In swimming, a weak core can cause “fishtailing,” where the hips and legs wiggle from side to side. This extra drag slows you down in the water. A cyclist with poor core strength may have a lot of side-to-side rocking in the shoulders and hips. This extra movement is not only inefficient, it also puts extra wear and tear on the joints, which could, over time, lead to injury. Runners with a weak core often have a drop in the hip during the recovery phase. This is the cause of many running injuries.

Poor core strength results in a loss of power in all three sports and could lead to injury. Incorporate core training 2-3 times a week as part your training program for faster race times and to stay injury free. Here are two excellent exercises to improve and maintain your core strength and stability.

Contra lateral limb raises (aka bird-dog)
Objective: train the body how to stabilize the low back while the arms and legs are moving.

Come onto your hands and knees on an exercise mat or floor with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
Engage your core muscles (abdominals, back and pelvic floor muscles) so your spine is in a neutral position.
Raise your left leg and straighten your left while simultaneously raising your right arm. Your right arm and left leg should be parallel to the floor. Keep your neck in neutral alignment with the rest of your spine and nose pointed down at the floor.
Keep both hips and shoulders parallel to the floor and keep your core engaged while you lower your left leg and right arm back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite limbs.

Front plank

Lie on your stomach with your arms bent, elbows close to your sides, palms down, legs straight and toes tucked under.
Contract your core and slowly lift your torso off the mat, keeping your legs straight and your torso stiff. Make as straight a line as possible from the crown of your head down to your ankles. Avoid sagging in your low back, hiking your hips upwards or bending your knees. Keep your shoulders directly over your elbows. Continue to breathe and hold this position for 5 seconds or more.
Maintain a stiff torso and straight legs while lowering your body back down to the mat.
Relax a few seconds, then repeat.
Work up to holding the plan for 45 seconds, doing 3 repetitions.

You can find more core training and other strength exercises at the ACE exercise library from the American Council on Exercise.

The Best and Worst Exercises for Bad Knees

2011-04-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

By Michele Stanten
Prevention

Exercise may be the best medicine for chronic achy knees.

"Strengthening the muscles around the joint protects you from injury by decreasing stress on the knee," says Willibald Nagler, MD, chairman of rehabilitation medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Campus in New York City.

But you must use good form and technique.

The First Commandment

Never bend your legs to a point where your knees stick out past your toes. That puts a lot of pressure under the kneecap. This not only applies to the following exercises but also when you're stretching or doing aerobic activities such as step aerobics.

Except where stated, do 10 to 12 repetitions of each of the following, two or three times a week.

Best Exercises to Do

Partial Squats
Stand about 12 inches away from the front of a chair with your feet about hip width apart and your toes forward. Bending at the hips, slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair. Keep your abs tight, and check that your knees stay behind your toes.

Stepups
Using an aerobic step bench or a staircase, step up onto the step with your right foot. Tap your left foot on the top of the step, and then lower. As you step up, your knee should be directly over your ankle. Repeat with your left foot.

Side-lying Leg Lifts
Wearing ankle weights above the knee, lie on your left side, legs straight and together, with your left arm supporting your head. Keeping your right foot flexed and your body straight, slowly lift your right leg to about shoulder height, then slowly lower. Repeat with your left leg.

Inner-thigh Leg Lifts
Wearing ankle weights above the knee, lie on your left side, slightly back on your butt. Bend your right leg and place it behind your left leg with your right foot flat on the floor and your left leg straight. Support your head with your left arm. Slowly lift your left leg about 3 to 5 inches, then lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Calf Raises
Using a chair or wall for balance, stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes straight ahead. Slowly lift your heels off the floor, rising up onto your toes. Hold, then slowly lower.

Straight-Leg Raises
Sit with your back against a wall, left leg straight and right leg bent with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly raise your left leg straight up about 12 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Short-Arc Knee Extensions
In the same starting position as the straight-leg raises, put a ball (about the size of a basketball) under your left knee so that your leg is bent. Slowly straighten your leg. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back with your left leg flat on the floor. Loop a towel or rope around your right foot and pull your leg as far as comfortable toward your chest, while keeping a slight bend at the knee. Keep your back pressed to the floor throughout the stretch. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and then release. Repeat three or four times with each leg. Do this stretch five or six times a week.

Worst Exercises—Avoid These

A few of the following exercises can be done safely if you have chronic knee problems; they're on this list because they're more likely to be done improperly. The exercises above are safer, while still giving you similar results.

Full-arc knee extensions
Lunges
Deep squats
Hurdler's stretches

Get Your Balance in Check

2011-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Balance deteriorates as we age. For an endurance athlete, that's something to fight.

By Amanda Loudin
from March 2011 Iron Girl e-newsletter

Can you stand on one foot for 30 seconds? Now try it again, but with your eyes closed. I'm guessing the answer is probably no.

Why is this important to you? If you're a runner, you participate in a sport that requires the ability to balance on one leg over and over again, up to 180 times each minute. So, you'd better be able to stand on one leg for 30 seconds!

Unfortunately for most women, balance is not a strong suit. Years of wearing ill-fitting shoes that destabilize our feet, sitting at desks for long periods of time and neglecting to strengthen key muscles can all add up to a poor sense of balance.

The good news is-with a few very simple additions to your daily routine, you can improve your balance rather quickly. With this will come a decrease in the likelihood of running injuries and potentially an increase in your running speed. A good deal, if you ask me!

Easy peasy

Improving your balance really doesn't require much time, but it does require a concerted effort. One of the easiest ways to work on balance is to sneak in chances to stand on one leg throughout the day. Standing in the grocery line? Spend alternating 30 second sessions on one leg or the other. The same holds true for time brushing your teeth, time in the shower or time prepping food in the kitchen.

Another good way is to incorporate balance training into your strength routine. Some portion of your strength routine probably involves standing up, perhaps doing curls or overhead presses, etc. Try doing them on one foot for a challenge to your balance.

You can take it a step further by adding in a Bosu ball. These unsteady platforms look like half a ball stuck onto a wooden platform. Turn the board onto the ball side and stand on it while you perform strength exercises.

Another tool is a balance board. Again, a wooden surface on top of a wobbly base, a balance board is fun to play with. You need nothing more than a few minutes per day of trying to level this unsteady platform and you'll quickly see improvements.

If you're a mom, you can make balance exercises a fun game with your kids, too. You'll likely find that they are much better at it than you! Try playing hopscotch, seeing who can stand on one leg the longest or throwing a ball back and forth to your kids while on one leg. All are great and simple ways to accomplish a better sense of balance.

Before long, you'll be able to see a difference in your balance. That's not only good for your running, but for your everyday quality of life as well.

Amanda Loudin is a Maryland-based freelance writer, runner, triathlete and certified RRCA running coach. She's completed seven marathons, including Boston, and countless triathlons ranging from sprints to Ironman distance. You can follow her adventures at www.misszippy1.blogspot.com.

4 Ways to Build Balance

2011-04-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

EatBetterAmerica.com

Every day, you walk a metaphorical balance beam. Family life teeters against work commitments. That scoop of ice cream is pitted against a cup of broccoli. And, if your math is correct (and if that check is deposited in time), your checkbook is even balanced. For most of us, literal balance is taken for granted, handled by our automatic onboard computer.

"Even when you're standing still, you're using your sense of balance," says Harvey W. Wallmann, a doctor of physical therapy science and an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "You use balance all the time, picking up children, stepping up on a curb, or walking over rocks."

What's Behind Balance

Like muscle, balance may also decline with age, Wallmann says. The surprising news: Even if you're working out in a gym, you may not be maintaining or improving your balance.

"When you're younger, you usually do all sorts of activities that challenge your balance system," Wallmann says. "Sitting in front of a computer all day, then going to the gym for 30 minutes does little to challenge your balance."

Bettering balance begins with a tripod--the three different sensors that form your personal gyroscope. Your inner ear, perception from your eyes, and joint and muscle-nerve receptors called proprioceptors combine to give you balance. If one of these elements goes out of whack, you'll likely teeter.

"Think about when you get out of bed at night in the dark," Wallmann says. "Some people are very vision dominant. You don't have your vision, so you'll likely wobble until you see a glint of light."

Also, for example, if you injure an ankle it diminishes the capability of the proprioceptors in that area to assist with balance. "You have to challenge your sensory system to force yourself out of your comfort zone," he says. "Once strengthened, you'll have better body control and also may be more likely to avoid falls and injuries."

Exercises to Try

To improve balance, Wallmann often recommends exercises that remove one of the tripod legs to help strengthen the others. Here are four he suggests:

Single-leg Stand
Stand with your legs slightly less than shoulder-width apart near a support such as a wall or railing. Balance as you lift one leg, and then close your eyes. Maintain your balance for 30 to 60 seconds, and repeat with the other leg.

Trunk Turns
Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on a mini trampoline. (No mini trampoline? A soft gym mat or other squishy surface will also work.) Hold an exercise ball, or a 5 or 10 pound weight chest high in both hands. Twist at your trunk to face your right. Return to center, then twist to your left and back to center. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

Single-leg Squat
Stand on a sturdy 6- to 8-inch-high stool or step, with your right leg off the stool to the side. Bend your left leg as you do a squat until your right leg barely touches the ground. Do two sets of five to 10 reps on each leg.

March in the Dark
In a room with plenty of space and no obstacles that could bump knees or cause you to trip, march in place 60 to 100 steps with your eyes closed.

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7 Ultimate Fitness Tests for Women

2011-04-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

By Jen Ator
Women's Health from Active.com

Take each of these tests to gauge your performance level. If you fall short in any area, follow our tips to boost your abilities, then retake the test in three to four weeks to track your progress.

Upper-Body Strength

Many women focus only on their biceps and triceps (we get it, who doesn't want arms like Michelle Obama's?). Problem is, they're ignoring key muscles in the chest, shoulders, and upper back that build strength, streamline posture, and prevent injuries, says Rachel Cosgrove, Women's Health fitness advisor and half of the husband-and-wife duo that owns Results Fitness in Newhall, California. Rowing movements—like the ones in this test—are an excellent measure of upper-body strength because they target all the muscles and use your body weight as resistance.

The Test: Three-Rep Inverted Row
Think of this exercise as an upside-down pushup: Lie faceup on the floor with your shoulders directly underneath a secure barbell. The bar should be high enough that when you grab it your back is not resting on the ground. Hold the bar with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder width.

Rep one: Bend your knees 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor, lift your hips to form a straight line from shoulders to knees, then pull your body to the bar. If you can touch your chest to the bar, move on to rep two.

Rep two: Extend your legs so your body is in a straight line. Repeat the movement from the first rep by pulling your body to the bar. If you can touch the bar with your chest, move on to rep three.

Rep three: Place your feet on an exercise bench so your legs are in line with your shoulders. Perform the same movement as the first two reps, pulling your body to the bar while maintaining a straight line.

Measure Up
Excellent If you can complete all three reps with proper form
Good If you can complete one or two reps with proper form
Below Average If you cannot complete one rep with proper form

Get Stronger
Add this upper-body combo from Cosgrove to your routine two or three times a week: Do as many reps of the modified inverted row (rep one) as you can, then do as many pushups as you can. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds, then repeat for a total of two or three sets. Aim for more reps each workout.

Endurance

"Being able to run miles a day is a good measure of cardio endurance, but it's not the best measure of muscle endurance," says fitness expert Robert Dos Remedios, author of Cardio Strength Training. That's because running for distance primarily challenges your heart and lungs, not your legs. (Yes, your legs may feel tired, but your muscles aren't actually exhausted.) When you focus on muscular endurance—your ability to sustain resistance over time—you gain the strength to power through longer, more intense workouts, says Dos Remedios. The following test challenges both aspects, showing you how long your lungs and muscles can last before calling it quits.

The Test: Leg Matrix
Do all four moves back-to-back without rest. If you stop or can't do the move with proper form, that's the end of the test. Track your success through reps: On your first try, do 10 reps of each move. Wait two days, then repeat with 15 reps. Then test two days later with 24 reps.

Squat: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands behind your head (a), and lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground (b). Push through your heels to return to standing.

Lunge: Stand with hands behind head (a), then step forward with your left foot and lower until your right knee almost touches the floor (b). Return to start; repeat on the other side.

Squat jump: Lower into a squat as described to the left (a), then jump off the ground as high as you can (b). Land softly, and immediately lower into another squat and repeat.

Split jump: Lower into the lunge described to the left (a). Jump as high as you can and switch legs in the air (b). Land softly, then lower into your next rep on the opposite side (c).

Measure Up
Excellent Can complete 24 reps of each move with proper form without stopping
Good Can complete 10 or 15 reps of each move with proper form without stopping
Below Average Cannot do 10 reps of each move with proper form without stopping

Amp Your Endurance
Boost both your aerobic and muscular endurance by adding intervals—high-intensity work followed by low-intensity recovery—into your strength training. You'll torch more calories in less time and train your body to push harder for longer. Try this three-week plan from Dos Remedios: During week one, do each of your strength exercises for 20 seconds, then rest for 40 seconds. In week two, work for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. For week three, follow a 40-second work and 20-second rest interval.

Agility

Whether you're dodging people in a crowded airport or sidestepping a sidewalk puddle, your split-second actions (and reactions) are considered by some to be the epitome of fitness. "Agility is the culmination of all your basic biomotor abilities—coordination, speed, balance, power, and conditioning—working together to respond quickly in any situation," says Craig Friedman, director of the performance innovation team at Athletes' Performance in Phoenix.

The Test: Four-Point Touch
Place four markers in a square, five yards apart. Stand in the middle with your knees and hips bent (a), and set a timer to 15 seconds. Move as fast as you can to the front left marker and touch it with your left hand (b). Return to the center, then repeat to the front right marker. Continue this pattern, moving clockwise, trying to touch as many as possible in 15 seconds.

Measure Up
Excellent If you touch nine or more markers
Good If you touch six to eight markers
Below Average If you touch fewer than six markers

Add Pep to Your Step
Incorporating plyometrics—like power skips—into your workout can boost agility, reports a new study. Add two sets of 10 reps to your routine three times a week: Skip as high as you can by raising your right knee to hip height and keeping your left leg straight. Land on the ball of your left foot, and repeat, alternating legs.

Balance

Thank your body's self-awareness next time you save yourself from a spill in your fou-rinch pumps: Nerve endings in your tendons and muscles sense the subtle changes in your body position, says fitness expert Todd Durkin, author of The IMPACT! Body Plan and owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego. That unconscious info, combined with (and enhanced by) your coordination and strength, is used by your motor system to rule how well you stay on your feet.

The Test: Single-Leg Balance and Touch
Test each leg separately. Stand on your right leg, knee slightly bent (a), and bend down to touch your toes with your left hand, keeping your back flat and raising your left leg behind you (b). Return to the starting position without putting your left foot down. Repeat as many times as possible in 60 seconds.

Measure Up
Excellent If you touch 21 times or more
Good If you touch 10 to 20 times
Below Average If you touch fewer than 10 times

Boost Your Balance
Anchor your roots with this modified tree pose: Standing on your right leg, place your left foot on your right inner thigh, left knee turned out. Close your eyes and extend your arms overhead. Hold for 20 seconds, then return to start. Repeat on the opposite side. Your goal: Minimize the number of breaks in form, like moving your hands or opening your eyes.

Lower-Body Strength

The leg and butt muscles are loaded with strength and calorie-burning potential, but many women don't utilize them. This lower-body power problem is twofold, says Alwyn Cosgrove, Men's Health fitness advisor and the other half of the husband-and-wife team that owns Results Fitness. First, most women let their quads do more work than their hamstrings (a muscle imbalance that decreases overall strength and increases risk of knee injury), and second, one leg usually outmuscles the other (which can lead to hip and back problems). This test will reveal any discrepancy.

The Test: Three-Rep Single-Leg Squat
Test each leg separately. Starting with rep one, perform the exercise as instructed with proper form. Complete it successfully, and continue to the next rep. When you can't complete a rep with correct form, that's the end of the test.

Rep one: Place a bench about a foot behind you and stand on your left leg; lift your right leg and both arms in front of you (a). Bend your left knee and lower until you are sitting on the bench (b). Pause, then drive back up to the starting position.

Rep two: Get into the starting position from rep one (a) and lower yourself until you are almost sitting on the bench (b). Graze the bench and drive right back up without touching the bench.

Rep three: Stand on the bench and balance on your left leg with your right foot off the bench, arms straight in front of you (a). Bend your left knee and sit back as far as you can into a squat (b), while still being able to drive back up to the starting position.

Measure Up
Excellent If you can complete all three reps with proper form
Good If you can complete reps one and two with proper form, but not rep three
Below Average If you cannot complete rep one with proper form

Even the Score
It's not uncommon for each leg to score differently, says Cosgrove. The fix: Add the single-leg squat to your routine two or three times a week. Select the rep you did with your weaker leg (or rep one, if you couldn't do any). Starting with that leg, repeat the move as many times as you can, then do the same amount with the stronger leg. Rest for 60 seconds, then repeat for a total of two sets. After three weeks, retake the test and see where you stand.

Flexibility

Touching your toes comes in handy during a yoga session, but research suggests that there's a tipping point to how much flexibility is actually beneficial. When your tendons and ligaments are too loose, the joints may not be fully protected, upping your risk of injury, says Mike Boyle, owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Boston. This test focuses on your hip flexors, a commonly stiff (yet frequently ignored) spot for women: Tightness here signals a host of muscular imbalances in the hips, glutes, and hamstrings that can lead to muscle strains and lower-back pain.

The Test: Thomas Test
Test each leg separately. Lie on a bench, knees at your chest (a). Hold one knee with both hands as you extend your other leg, relax your hip, and lower as far as possible while keeping the leg straight (b).

Measure Up
Excellent If your extended leg drops below your hips
Good If your extended leg is parallel to your hips
Below Average If your extended leg is above parallel to your hips

Flex Even Farther
Tight hip flexors? Blame weak glutes. Strengthen them by doing this move three times a week: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pull your right knee to your chest with both hands, then lift your hips by pushing down into your left heel. Hold for six seconds, then return to start. Do six, then repeat on the other side.

Core Stability

Just because you bang out 50 crunches a day doesn't mean your abs are as strong as they should be: "The role of the entire core is to stabilize the spine while your arms and legs move," says celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, who has sculpted the bodies of A-listers such as Jennifer Garner and Kate Beckinsale. "Crunches flex your spine instead." Here's a better way to measure core strength.

The Test: Walk Outs
Get onto your hands and knees, palms flat on the floor, knees bent 90 degrees, and back flat (a). Slowly walk your hands away from your body, keeping your arms straight and your core and glutes engaged (b). Extend as far as you can, hold for 20 seconds, then slowly walk your hands back to the starting position, maintaining proper form and control. If you fall, drop your hips, or lose form at any point, retry the test.

Measure Up
Excellent If your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground
Good If your thighs are less than 45 degrees to the ground
Below Average If your thighs are more than 45 degrees to the ground and/or you're unable to hold the position for 20 seconds

Make Over Your Middle
If you fall below average, focus on doing a plank until you can hold it for 30 seconds: Get into a modified pushup position with your forearms on the floor and your legs extended straight behind you. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Engage your core and glutes and hold this pose. Or balance on something unstable—a stability ball, a BOSU trainer, a Valslide—during any exercise. Your core will have to work even harder to keep you steady.

4 Ways to Conquer Your Running Fears

2011-04-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Hamilton
Runner's World

Before the 2010 USA 20K Championships, Stephanie Rothstein was excited. And worried. After two years of sickness and injury, the 26-year-old from Flagstaff, Arizona, was concerned about her ability to maintain a fast pace.
So she did a workout of five progressively faster one-mile repeats starting at 5:30 pace to remind herself that she could be competitive. "When I ran the last mile of the workout in 5:07, I knew that if someone threw down a fast mile in the race, I'd be okay," says Rothstein, who finished second in 1:08:26.
"A lot of confidence is built by overcoming fears," says Peter Gilmore, a 2:12-marathoner and online coach (infiniterunning.com). "These sessions show that you're physically capable, so mentally you become more self-assured on race day." Typically, competitors use confidence-building workouts every week in the four to six weeks before an event, but you can also use them throughout your training to boost belief in your abilities.
When you head out to banish fears, pay attention to how you feel. If it's not your day, bag it. "A bad day just means you're human," says Stan Beecham, Psy.D., a sports psychologist who works with elite runners.
If a workout bombs, don't try a redo, which can heighten anxiety. Instead, reboot your confidence with something different. "If you had a bad track session, do a tempo run; if your long run was debilitating, knock out 800s at the track," says Gilmore. "You'll gain the benefits of the workout, and put confidence back in power." Here's how:

The Fear: Not Finishing

New distances can intimidate runners. To move beyond the fear of the unknown, focus on volume with long runs that extend beyond race distance (except for marathoners). "Physically, it's essential," says Gilmore, "and mentally, you see that you can accomplish it."
The Workout: Long Runs
Complete three long runs that are one to two miles longer than your goal race distance (22 miles for the marathon). One run proves you can do it; three seals the deal. Slow the pace so you end strong—another confidence-booster, says Gilmore.

The Fear: Starting too Fast

"No matter how experienced you are, it's easy to get caught up in the energy of a race and go out faster than planned," says Gilmore. To learn to resist that temptation, practice nailing—not exceeding—your goal pace at the beginning of a workout, rather than at the more conventional middle or end. This gives a sense of how the pace feels when you're fresh.
The Workout: Race-Pace Miles
Half and full marathoners should run three to six miles at target race pace (warm up and cool down with a two-mile jog). Those preparing for a 10K should run 2 to 3 x 1 mile at goal pace with a 90-second recovery; 5K runners should do one mile at race pace, followed by a 400-meter recovery, then 2 x 800 at race pace with a 90-second recovery, says Gilmore.

The Fear: Tough Terrain

Up. Down. Innocuous words—except when they're describing a race course. Counter your terror with practice runs. "Find out the elevation gains and losses of your race online, then find roads that mimic them," says Gilmore.
The Workout: Simulation Runs
Long runs make the best simulation runs because they allow you to practice more of the course profile, says Gilmore. If your target race is hilly and local hills are in short supply, do repeats on the nearest bridge or parking garage: six to 10 one-to four-minute climbs at a strong pace.

The Fear: Slowing Down

The final miles of a race can pose a real physical and mental barrier. Break it down by doing tempo runs and long runs back-to-back. "The stamina you build will help erase the fear of fading," says Andrew Kastor, coach of the High Sierra Striders in Mammoth Lakes, California.
The Workout: Back-to-Back Tempo and Long Runs
Do a tempo run at half-marathon or slightly faster pace on Saturday, and a long run at a comfortable, steady pace on Sunday. Those targeting 5K and 10K should run a two- to four-mile tempo run, followed by a four- to eight-mile long run. Half and full marathoners should do five to six miles at tempo, followed by an 11- to 13-mile (half-marathon) or 20- to 22-mile (marathon) long run.

9 Ways to Keep the Weight Off

2011-04-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

By Chrissy Wellington M.S., C.N.S., L.D.N., C.P.T

from Active.com

It's time for a "check up" or maybe a "check in" with ourselves. How are your resolution goals going? Weight loss tops the list for New Year's resolutions. Statistics show that most people don't stick with their chosen resolution even after one month. We’ve heard it before; most dieters usually regain the weight they've lost and even add a few more pounds.
The problem is not with losing weight, the difficultly lies with maintaining this new weight loss. Taking the weight off is the easy part. Traditional "diets" do a great job setting boundaries and creating the plan, but most forget to tell us what to do after we have lost the weight, too many of these plans focus on instant gratification and immediate results. When we finally decide to lose weight we stay committed and we follow the rules with 100 percent accuracy, but once the infamous number on the scale has been reached, most people unfortunately return to the old eating patterns that made them overweight in the first place.

Believe it or not, some people have actually been successful in both weight loss and weight maintenance, so what's their secret? To answer this question, I checked in with the National Weight Loss Registry. This group polls those who have lost an average of 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year. The answers are as follows:

78 percent of “successful losers” eat breakfast every day
75 percent weigh themselves at least once a week
62 percent watch less than 10 hours of TV per week
90 percent of “successful losers” exercise minimally one hour per day

To be among this group of “successful losers” you also must:

Become an Avid Label Reader

Continue your weight smarts when you first arrive in the grocery store. Bring your shopping list of healthy foods/recipes for the week, tally your fiber count to 30 grams daily and stay mindful of appropriate serving sizes, and most importantly, do not go hungry.

Stay Consistent

Continue your healthy eating patterns, even on the weekends. Once your weight goal has been achieved most people find it difficult to stay motivated and keep making healthy choices. The occasional indulgence and allowance of a “cheat meal” is acceptable but if occasional turns into daily or “all day on Saturday,” weight re-gain is inevitable.

Stay Balanced

To maintain your new weight, remember to balance your intake of calories with the calories you burn. Just 100 additional calories every day may add up too potentially 10 pounds each year. Commit to one hour of moderate exercise every day, walking even one mile each day can help to stave off those extra 100 calories or 10 pounds.

Keep Track

Continue to log your meal choices and daily activity every day. Consider showing your journal to a friend. This visual accountability really reminds us to keep on track and encourages us to think twice when considering appropriate or inappropriate meal choices. Read through your journal each week and understand which types of foods you are eating, which ones support your energy and mental clarity. Understand your calorie range and ensure that it balances with your calorie output. Also, record what works for you and what doesn't. Review your notes so you can change strategies if needed. According to the National Weight Control Registry, successful losers have estimated that their distribution of macronutrient intake is approximately 56 percent carbohydrates, only about 19 percent from protein and the remaining 25 percent come from healthy fats. Individuals also in the Registry consume approximately 1,300 to 1,800 calories a day.

Remember Thanksgiving is Once a Year

Most people equate the feeling of full with the feeling of being “stuffed.” Many studies on aging actually show that eating until you are 80 percent full can lead to lifelong weight control, better health, increased energy and may actually add years to your life. When you approach meal time, sit down, take a breath, score yourself from one to 10 on how hungry you are. Begin eating at a three and stop eating when you are a seven. This way the compounds produced during the eating process have an adequate time frame to notify your brain that you are approaching “enough”.

Fill Half Your Plate With Vegetables

Humans are pleasure seeking people who eat with their eyes. We are in love with large portions and continually demand value from our food dollar. For weight maintenance always use smaller plates during meals time. When you eat from a large plate with a small amount of food on it, your eyes send a message that you are not getting enough. When you see a full, smaller plate, your eyes can tell that you will be satisfied; your brain and body can then be at peace and those extra calories will stay off your waistline.

Eliminate Food Chaos

When we eat on the run, in our cars or at our desks, while we are stressed out or in a negative emotional place our digestion becomes compromised and oxidative stress increases within us, this can potentially lead to weight gain. Slow down your meal time, place your fork down between bites and enjoy all of the experiences around you. Create sensuality with food three times a day. When we use all 5 senses to experience our meals we become satisfied from the inside out.

Stay With It

“Successful losers” say that behavior modifications become easier with time. Studies show that those who have successfully maintained their weight loss for a 2-5 year time period have a greater opportunity to experience a lifetime of success. The period of a year seems like a long time, but weight maintenance is about changing your life, so stay patient and take it one day at a time.

Check in With Your Support Team

A study by the National Weight Control Registry confirmed that those who attended regular support group meetings and checked in with friends and family for one year had greater success in maintaining their weight loss. Those who did not regained almost half of the weight that they lost. Support equals accountability. By regularly sharing your journey with others feelings of control excite you into future success. Remind yourself everyday of how healthy you are now and how great it can be to experience long-term health for the rest of your life.

Remember a lifetime of weight maintenance encourages a diet that does not forbid any one food, and encourages many different types of healthy choices in appropriate sizes. Moderation is key.

How to Measure Body Fat

2011-04-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

by Ben Greenfield
Get-Fit Guy

There are so many ways to measure body fat that the options can be confusing. From skin calipers and scales and circumferences to underwater weighing, bod pods, and full body scans, it can be tough to really know what is accurate, reliable, and practical for your needs. So in this episode, you’ll learn 6 ways to measure your body fat and why you should measure it in the first place.

What Is Body Fat Percentage?

There are two different types of body fat. The first, your essential fat, is necessary for you to stay alive; essential fat levels are about 3-5% in men and 8-12% in women. When I was a bodybuilder, my total body fat dropped down to 2%, which meant my essential fat was very low, and I experienced mood swings, joint pain, and loss of sex drive and appetite--along with other issues that correlate to a low essential body fat. Needless to say, as soon as I was done bodybuilding I got my hands on some ice cream and brought myself back up to a healthy body fat level.

The second type of body fat is your storage fat, which is also know as adipose tissue. Some storage fat protects your organs or provides insulation, but for many people, it’s just annoying storage energy waiting to be burned.

Why Measure Body Fat?

If you know your body fat levels, then you have a number that you can use as a goal. For example, if you use any of the information in this article to find that your body fat percentage is 30%, and you weight 170 pounds, then you can calculate that 30% of 170 pounds is 51 pounds, and learn that’s how many pounds of fat you have on your body. You can then make a goal to lose 10 pounds of fat in 5 weeks. If you don’t lose any muscle along the way, then you’d weight 160 pounds, you’d have 41 pounds of body fat (51-10=41) and your new body fat percentage would be 25%.

But what if you do gain muscle? If you’re just tracking your body weight, then you may be disappointed because the scale might show that you’re not losing many pounds, even though your body fat levels are going down. By using a body fat scale, you can track what is happening with your body fat, even if your body weight is not changing. Since muscle takes up far less space than fat, a gain in lean muscle accompanied by a loss in body fat can result in a smaller waistline, flatter stomach, and a decrease in clothing size!

How to Measure Body Fat

Now that you know what body fat percentage is and why you should measure it, here are the 6 ways you can check your body fat:

Underwater weighing. Also know as hydrodensitometry, you’ll usually find this option at a university or laboratory. As the name implies, you are literally dunked underwater. While underwater, you let all the air out of your lungs and your body density is calculated. Body density can then be used to calculate body fat. Underwater weighing is considered a “gold-standard” measurement and is very accurate--but let’s face it: unless winning money at the fair is involved, who wants to strip to their skivvies and get dunked in a big tub of water?
Calipers. Also known as “the pinch method,” a skinfold caliper measurement involves pinching and measuring the fat under your skin on three to seven different places on your body, and then using the thicknesses on these pinches of fat to calculate body fat percentage. Since it’s quick and convenient, you’ll often find personal trainers at gyms using these measurements. Unfortunately, unless you do many, many caliper measurements, it is easy to grab an inaccurate pinch of fat, and vastly over-or underestimate body fat, especially in overweight or obese individuals. If you use this method, make sure the person measuring you really knows what they’re doing--ask them how many times they’ve done caliper testing.
DEXA. DEXA, which stands for dual energy X-Ray absorptiometry, is a full body scan usually used to measure bone density that can also be used to measure body fat and show exactly where the fat is distributed. It is one of the more costly methods of measurement and probably not an option for people who like to avoid X-ray radiation; but if you’re been diagnosed with a chronic disease related to an obese or overweight condition, you may be able to get your health insurance to cover the cost. Though less common than DEXA, other full body scanning devices that can measure body fat include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Total Body Electrical Conductivity (TOBEC) and Computed Tomography (CT scan).
NIR. In NIR (Near Infrared Interactance), a fiber optic probe is held against your skin (usually on your biceps), a painless light is used to penetrate the tissues, and the light is then reflected off your bones back into the detector, which approximates your body fat based on a prediction equation that also takes into consideration your height, weight, body type, and level of activity. Although simple and non-invasive, this method can have a high degree of error in people with very high or very low body fat percentages, and it also requires a very experienced technician. Your level of hydration and skin color can also affect the accuracy of this measurement.
BodPod. An expensive, space-age looking pod that can be found at many fancier health clubs, a BodPod uses sensors to measure how much air your body displaces while you sit inside the small chamber. This information is then used to determine your body density and then estimate your body fat.
BIA. Somewhat similar to NIR, BIA, which stands for analysis, sends a painless electrical signal into your body, whichpasses through fat, muscle, and water at different speeds. The speed is then combined with your sex, height, weight, and activity levels to approximate your body fat percentage. Once again, if you’re dehydrated, over-hydrated, or very skinny or very overweight, this measurement can be inaccurate--but it is very commonly used in body fat scales or handheld devices, because it is relatively inexpensive and portable.

If you find your body fat levels are higher than you’d like them to be, then try the workout found in my article: Which Workout Burns the Most Fat. And if you want more information about what type of body fat levels are realistic, then be sure to grab the free Get-Fit Guy newsletter, at http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com

The Top 6 Triathlon Nutrition Supplement Mistakes

2011-04-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

By Ben Greenfield
from Ezine @rticles

In reality, most triathletes take supplements. With the advantage increased energy and nutrient requirements, a desire to enhance performance, and a greater degree of food and exercise based inflammation, we really can get a bit of a benefit by popping pills (legally, of course).

However, many athletes indiscriminately grab their "morning handful" of capsules, swallow them, and "check off" their nutrition supplements for the day. The fact is, this supplement shot-gunning approach can result in sub-par absorption and utilization of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals or other desirable compound in the nutrition supplement.

So here are the top 6 nutrition supplement mistakes, and how you can avoid them:

Nutrition Supplement Mistake #1: Eating Fiber With Your Fish Oil

Most people take their fish oil supplement in the morning, along with breakfast. The problem is that most breakfast foods are high fiber. And soluble fibers such as pectin, guar gum, and oat bran, and also the insoluble fiber lignin (found in plant cell walls) can affect fat absorption by "wrapping" fatty acids within the digestive tract and decreasing their absorption. Fatty acids and cholesterol that are bound to fiber are less absorbed - and only free fatty acids allow for fat to be transported through the walls of the small intestine. Fiber-bound fatty acids will mostly pass into the large intestine.

In other words, by popping your fish oil capsules with a high-fiber morning cereal, you're basically making expensive fish oil poop. So what should you do? Try taking your fish oil with an afternoon, fat-based snack, such as a handful of olives, almond butter on pita, or avocado with crackers.

Nutrition Supplement Mistake #2: Taking High Dose Antioxidants Regularly

This can be confusing, especially if you've been indoctrinated with the idea that all antioxidants are good, but recent research suggests that antioxidant nutrition supplements, such as high dose Vitamin C, may actually impair recovery, increase inflammation, decrease insulin sensitivity, and lead to a lower fitness response to exercise. The basic idea is behind this is that antioxidants protect the body from the damage produced by free radicals, but if you're always taking high dose antioxidants, your body never learns to generate it's own antioxidant activity, and thus does not not grow strong free radical buffering capacity on it's own.

While this is a fairly new topic in sports nutrition, and research is scant, my recommendation is to save any high dose antioxidant supplements for your harder training days (such as long training weekends) when your body probably needs a little extra help. But on recovery days and easy or short training days, hold back on the antioxidants. You probably don't need them and they may be doing you more harm than good.

Nutrition Supplement Mistake #3: Eating Amino Acids When You're Trying To Control Appetite

Branched Chain Amino Acids, also known as "BCAA's", are in a ton of different during-exercise and post-exercise nutrition supplements. But it is a little known fact that in cancer patients who need to gain weight, BCAA's are actually used to stimulate appetite and help people to eat more. Obviously, if you're trying to lose weight or control appetite, eating a handful of BCAA's in the evening before dinner may not be such a good idea. This is only a worry for a select few folks who are focusing on appetite control and weight loss, but is certainly good to know if you regularly experience food cravings.

Nutrition Supplement Mistake #4: Taking Proteolytic Enzymes on a Full Stomach

Protelytic enzymes, like BCAA's, are found quite regularly in recovery-based nutrition supplements. Check the nutrition label of your recovery nutrition supplement for words like "papain", "bromelain", "trypsin" and "chymotrypsin" - these are all proteolytic enzymes. The primary benefit of these enzymes is to enhance recovery by decreasing inflammation. But the inflammation-reducing benefit of proteolytic enzymes is significantly decreased when the enzymes are taken on a full stomach or with a meal. Therefore, popping your post-exercise proteolytic enzymes with your post-exercise meal is not the best idea.

Instead, take any supplements containing proteolytic enzymes on an empty stomach, such as in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon, or even right before you go to bed at night. If you tend to wait for 1-2 hours post-exercise to eat a meal, this would also be a good time to take proteolytic enzyme nutrition supplements.

Nutrition Supplement Mistake #5: Not Timing Fat Burning Supplements Properly

The premise behind "fat burning" supplements is that they contain components such as insulin and blood sugar stabilizing components such as chromium, vanadium or even cinnamon. From a strategic standpoint, these compounds should be absorbed and active in your body well prior to eating a meal. Swallowing a fat-burning supplement with breakfast, directly before breakfast, or directly after a meal is not going to do much for you. So the best time to take a fat-burning supplement is 30-60 minutes prior to consuming your 2-3 main meals of the day. Incidentally, I do not recommend high caffeine or ephedra based fat burning supplements, as they can be hard on your adrenal glands and central nervous system.

Nutrition Supplement Mistake #6: Allowing Fish Oil or Flax Oil To Get Warm

When the fragile oils in fish oil, flax seed oil, or just about any other seed or vegetable based oil becomes warm or heated, the oil can become oxidized, and form free radicals that can do cellular damage to your body. A warm fish oil does you more harm than good. So if you drive in your car with fish oil or flax oil sitting in a gym bag on the back seat, this is a very bad idea. So is traveling to a race with fat-based nutrition supplements in your backpack or race bag, if it is going to be in a hot airplane compartment or sitting in the sun. It would be better not take these nutrition supplements at all if that will be the case.

Instead, keep fish oil or flax oil type supplements in your refrigerator or freezer, and keep them as cool as possible when traveling. If they do get warm, throw them out. They're not going to do you any good at that point.

Overwhelmed by all this talk about nutrition supplements? If so, I'd be happy to help clear the confusion, or provide you with detailed meal plans or daily direction. Over at the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, I provide 24-7 forum access and weekly phone calls to triathletes, for a big bargain compared to traditional one-on-one coaching. If you want a one-on-one coaching option, just contact me personally via http://www.pacificfit.net/bengreenfield.html

For more information on this hot triathlon topic, along with 12 totally free audio teleseminars from the world's leading triathlon experts, visit http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com. Grab our free newsletter and you'll be ready to rock your race, no matter what level triathlete you are!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Greenfield

Pre- and Post-Workout Meals in 15 Minutes

2011-04-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

By Melissa Wagenberg Lasher
Runner's World

When it comes to cooking, runners-constantly pressed for time-often choose convenience over flavor: We pour a bowl of cereal, zap a frozen veggie burrito, or toss pasta with jarred sauce. But our mandate for fast food doesn't have to mean losing out on taste. These four mouthwatering meals, made with nearly ready-to-use ingredients, will satisfy your calorie needs and your desire for delicious food-in less time than it takes to run a really fast 5-K.

Prerun Meal: Blueberry-Walnut Pancakes with Maple Yogurt

How To: Microwave ¾ cup frozen blueberries for one minute, rinse, and then drain them. Stir together four tablespoons plain yogurt and two tablespoons maple syrup. Prepare a part-whole-grain pancake batter according to the package directions. Gently stir in the blueberries. Cook pancakes. Drizzle with maple yogurt and sprinkle with two tablespoons chopped walnuts. Serves two.

How Come: The part-whole-grain mix makes sense, says sports nutritionist Colleen Cooke, M.S., R.D., because it provides both slow- and quick-release carbs; white-flour pancakes with syrup would cause a blood-sugar spike, while all whole grains would be hard to digest prerun. Fat and protein in the walnuts and yogurt also keep blood sugar steady. Eating antioxidant-rich blueberries with carbs and protein can "reduce the amount of muscle soreness that occurs after a high-mileage training run," says Jackie Dikos, R.D., a nutritionist and competitive runner.

Prerun Snack: Coconut-Almond Bars

How To: Combine two cups rolled oats, one cup unsweetened coconut, and ½ cup each: dates (or raisins), raw almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and cashews. Mix 1 ½ cups tahini (or natural peanut butter) with one cup honey and one teaspoon vanilla. Microwave for one minute. Combine wet and dry ingredients. On a greased baking sheet, spread mixture into a one-inch-high rectangle. Cut into 12 bars. Or, if time allows, bake at 350° F for 15 minutes.

How Come: This recipe for energy bars, adapted from The Bakery in New Paltz, New York, has powered runners, bikers, and climbers for nearly 30 years. The dates and honey provide quick carbs, while the nuts are high in healthy fats, which help sustain energy levels. "People doing the fat-free thing often find they're hungry all the time," says Cooke. The oats keep cholesterol in check, and research shows "the fiber in oats may offset the risk of upper-respiratory infections, which are common in runners," says Dikos.

Postrun Meal: Chicken Sausage Pasta

How To: In a pan, heat one tablespoon olive oil, two cups frozen broccoli florets, and one cup frozen sliced bell peppers. Cover and cook until vegetables are warm. Remove from pan. Slice two precooked chicken sausages into rounds. Cook in the pan with one tablespoon of oil until lightly browned. Cook two cups fresh rigatoni. Drain pasta and toss with vegetables and sausage. Top with fresh basil, four tablespoons crumbled feta, and freshly ground black pepper. Serves two.

How Come: This well-balanced one-dish meal provides protein for muscle recovery and ample carbs to restock glycogen stores. The chicken sausage and feta replenish sodium, and heaps of antioxidant-rich vegetables lessen muscle fatigue caused by the free radicals we produce when we run. Just don't overcook your veggies. "A common way to destroy a vegetable is to boil it and then drain out all the water, which contains the nutrients," says Dikos. This recipe's quick sautee method keeps all the good stuff in.

Postrun Snack: Thai Beef Salad

How To: For the dressing, whisk together the juice of one lime, two teaspoons soy sauce, two teaspoons sesame oil, and a large pinch of red-pepper flakes. Combine two cups prewashed and precut romaine hearts, two cups preshredded cabbage, ½ cup mixed chopped herbs, and one thinly sliced scallion. Toss with the dressing. Top with eight ounces of precooked flank steak or deli roast beef and two tablespoons salted peanuts. Pair with whole-wheat pita chips. Serves two.

How Come: Beef is an excellent source of iron, which is essential for oxygen transport, and the body absorbs iron better from meat than plant sources. Avoid high amounts of saturated fat by choosing leaner cuts, such as sirloin, flank steak, and roast beef. Romaine lettuce, fresh herbs, and cabbage are good antioxidant sources. "Cabbage is a cancer fighter," says Dikos. Studies show that sulforaphane, a chemical found in the oft-overlooked vegetable, protects against cancer by increasing production of the enzymes that help flush out carcinogens.

Eat Better

The key to preparing fast meals is to stock your kitchen with nearly ready-to-use foods, such as frozen produce, which is just as healthy as fresh.

Checkout Express

A list of staples for making healthy, tasty dishes-fast.

Frozen Fruit
Blueberries (or mixed berries, cherries, or peaches)

Frozen Vegetables
Broccoli florets, bell peppers

Fresh Produce
Prewashed and precut romaine hearts, preshredded cabbage, limes, scallions

Dairy
Plain yogurt, feta cheese

Nuts and Seeds
Walnuts, peanuts, almonds,cashews, sunflower and sesame seeds

Dried Fruit
Dates, raisins, coconut

Oils
Olive, sesame

Herbs
Basil, parsley, and mint

Grains
Fresh or dried pasta, part whole-grain pancake mix, oats, whole-wheat pita chips

Meat
Precooked chicken sausages, precooked flank steak or roast beef cold cuts

Seasonings and Condiments
Soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, tahini, natural peanut butter

Sweeteners
Maple syrup, honey, vanilla

The Quickest Fix

Prerun snacks that are ready to eat now.

You're going for a run in a half hour and your stomach is growling. What do you eat to tide you over without upsetting your stomach? Go for about 150 calories of low-fiber, low-fat foods that boost energy fast, says Cooke. Here are five of her favorites.

Handful of low-fiber cereal
A bagel with honey or jelly
A few graham crackers with a teaspoon of honey
Banana and a few nuts or teaspoon of peanut butter
Cup of fat-free yogurt

Wholesome Food Habits

2011-04-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

from the March 2011 Iron Girl e-newsletter

By Marni Sumbal

When was the last time you peeled away the plastic from your "natural and healthy" meal, only to read a paragraph full of ingredients as as you waited for your meal to prepare itself in the microwave? Can one truly enjoy eating food with a plastic fork from a plastic container, especially at a time when the body is asking for nutrient-rich fuels?

One of the many advantages of homemade cooking is that you know exactly what you are putting into your body and where the food is coming from. There is something to be said about having a refrigerator filled with wholesome products. Isn't it beautiful that you don't have to read an ingredient label on a bag of apples, oranges or grapes?

The best way to make healthy choices is to be mindful of the habits that you are creating. With a goal of living a quality-filled, active and healthy life, it is important that you feel confident in your dietary changes, thus leading you to consistency.

Starting today, appreciate the foods that you put in your body and be mindful of what, how much and why you are eating.

TIPS for wholesome food habits:

Take pride in preparing meals and give yourself the proper amount of time to do so.
Be creative with your meals and snacks
Purchase useful and fun Tupperware and dishes
Aim for less than 5 ingredients for at least 75-80% of the foods in your home
Take time to eat your meal, with little to no distractions (ex. computer, TV, phone)
Enjoy occasional desserts and sweet-treats, without feelings of guilt
Spread your calories throughout the day
Look forward to one item at every meal
Focus on variety throughout the day
Bulk up your meals with plant-based foods
Try to consume at least 3 servings of fruits and veggies before dinner
Plan for snacks between meals, as well as pre-meal snacks, while preparing your meals
Plan pre-and-post training snacks
Drink plenty of water
Get a restful night of sleep
Eat for fuel, not for a number on a scale

Marni holds a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology, is a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) and holds a certification by the American Dietetic Association in Adult Weight Management. Marni is a Level-1 USAT Coach and is currently pursuing a registered dietician degree. She is a 4x Ironman finisher and has qualified for the 2011 Ironman World Championship. Marni enjoys public speaking and writing, and she has several published articles in Lava Magazine, Hammer Endurance News, CosmoGirl magazine and Triathlete Magazine, and contributes monthly to IronGirl.com and Beginnertriathlete.com .
Any questions, Email trimarnicoaching@gmail.com or visit www.trimarni.blogspot.com

Healthy travel food

2011-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

from firstoffthebike.com

Have you ever traveled to a triathlon, pulled up to a grocery store in your rental car, fresh from the airport and starved for healthy travel food to take back to your hotel room, rented home, condo or apartment?

Text by Ben Greenfield

Have you ever been on a long road trip to a triathlon and needed healthy travel food for real meals to eat on the go? Have you ever wondered if there is a healthy travel food alternative to canned food, jerky and trail mix when you¹re camping on the go? Then this article was designed for you, because these are the top 13 healthy travel food items I grab at a grocery store to make quick
meals while I'm traveling.

These are all perfect energy sources to fuel racing on the road, so print this list and bring it with you on your next triathlon travel trip, and you¹ll feel more energy, perform better, and stay lean! You won¹t need
access to a fancy specialty grocery store, and as a bonus, you can also use any of these tips for your own quick and healthy home meal preparation.

Healthy Travel Food #1: Wraps Wraps are perfect for preparing a quick snack from your hotel room, apartment, or condo, and are usually found near the bread section of the grocery store. The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing what you want to use as a wrap. I prefer gluten-free, sprouted wraps when I can get them. Spinach wraps or whole grain wraps are other popular variety that I use. If you are gluten intolerant, watching your waistline, or limiting carbohydrate, then get very large pieces of romaine
lettuce or cabbage that you can use as a wrap.

Healthy Travel Food #2: Spinach / Mixed Greens During a week of travel, I use spinach and mixed greens for two primary recipes: salads and wraps. The darker greens are richer in iron, although some varieties like bok choy or kale can be a bit chewy and not good in a wrap. This is one ingredient of which I always buy more than I think I might need, because if it¹s around, I'll eat it quite often as a wrap-filler or salad-base, and thus be less likely to overeat on more calorie-dense foods.

Healthy Travel Food #3: Tomatoes Chopped tomatoes can be thrown over a salad, and sliced tomatoes are perfect in a wrap. Because I often find myself on foot or bicycle when visiting the grocery store, I typically choose the small Romaine tomatoes, which travel better and bruise less than the juicy, plump variety.

Healthy Travel Food #4: Avocado - Full of appetite satiating fats and wrapped in a natural protective layer, avocados, like tomatoes, can be chopped and used as salad-topping, or sliced and placed into a wrap. Do not choose overly-soft avocadoes, which also do not travel well, and more quickly rot.

Healthy Travel Food #5: Cucumbers 'Cukes' round out the 'Big Three' for salads and wraps. When included with tomatoes and avocadoes, along with a base of spinach and mixed greens, they add a perfect crunch and texture to the meal.

Healthy Travel Food #6: Cheese If you are lactose intolerant, you may want to skip cheese, or double up on nuts, which can often be used in the same way as cheese. During a week of travel, I use cheese in wraps, melt cheese over an avocado for a quick snack, and top tomatoes with a slice of cheese
and splash of olive oil or salad dressing. My favorite varieties are feta, swiss and mozzerella.

Healthy Travel Food #7: Yogurt Follow the same rules as cheese: if you are lactose intolerant, substitute soy milk, rice milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Fat-freee, plain yogurt is useful as a low-calorie topping for a wrap, good with fruit and nuts for breakfast, and versatile enough to be used with almond butter and dark chocolate for dessert.

Healthy Travel Food #8: Almond Butter Compared to peanut butter, almond butter is higher in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and lower in potentially inflammatory omega 6¹s. For this ingredient, I typically buy less than I think I need, because it is easy to eat too many calories from almond butter. Use with breakfasts and desserts, as mentioned earlier.

Healthy Travel Food #9: Cashews / Walnuts / Almonds I typically mix these with fruit and yogurt for breakfast, toss into a wrap for extra calories and crunch, or grab a handful to satiate the appetite in the afternoon. Go for the unsalted, raw, unroasted option.

Healthy Travel Food #10: Salad Dressing Perfect for salads and wraps, a salad dressing is a smart choice only if you can find a variety with A) an olive oil base; and B) no high fructose corn syrup and added sugars. Look along the top of the salad dressing shelf for the smaller designer varieties, which will more often fit these criteria. In a pinch, just grab a small container of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette instead.

Healthy Travel Food #11: Sweet Potatoes / Yams If my travel involves physical activity, such as cycling, large amounts of walking, or a triathlon, then these tubers form the crux of my carbohydrate intake, since they 'burn clean' and also have high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and beta-carotene. In a pinch, they can be microwaved for 5 minutes, but it is better to boil them for 20 minutes or bake for 40 minutes. Usually, I will salt and eat them plain or serve them with almond butter and honey.

Healthy Travel Food #12: Fruit If I am traveling to a new or unique region, I usually experiment with varieties of fruit that are hard to get at home, in Washington state. For example, in Florida, I might stock up on juicy oranges and grapefruit; in Hawaii, stock up on fresh papaya or pineapple; and in Thailand, grab a handful of dragonfruit. Fruit is perfect for a mid-morning snack, salad topping, or breakfast addition.

Healthy Travel Food #13: Dark Chocolate Chock full of antioxidants and lower in sugars and dairy than milk chocolate, a 70%+ dark chocolate bar is a good nightcap snack after a long day of travel, and is also useful for sweetening oatmeal, breaking chunks into yogurt, or dipping in almond butter. I keep mine in the freezer.

To wrap it up (no pun intended), I very often eat a primary diet of wraps and salads while traveling, supplemented with fruits, nuts, potatoes, yogurt or milk based snacks. You¹d be surprised at how healthy you can eat and how good meals can taste by simply using the 13 healthy travel foods listed
above. If you want just a little extra flavor, grab salt, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon. These four spices can really dress up any of the meals discussed in this article. Finally, if you hadn¹t noticed, any of these
healthy travel foods can be perfect for you to eat in the comfort of your own home too. Bon Appetit!

If you want more recipes, bonus access to Ben Greenfield's "Holistic Fueling For Triathletes" book, or 24-7 nutrition coach access to ask your questions, then you can find all that inside the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com.

The Keys to Flawless Running Technique

2011-03-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

By Gary Barber
Triathlete magazine

A triathlete's stride is critical to his or her running performance. Some athletes have a stride that eases across the ground with grace and composure while others appear to strain with every step.
However, if each component of the running action is carefully analyzed and developed, even the most ungainly runners can find improvement.

Stride Components

The stride consists of two parts: the stance phase, where the leg is in contact with the ground, and the flight phase, where the leg moves through the air and prepares for contact with the ground and the next stride.

The stance phase: When a runner's foot hits the pavement, it is only in contact with the ground for about one-tenth of a second. In that short time, all of the mechanical forces that produce forward propulsion must be transferred through the leg. The powerful extension of the leg downward and backward creates the horizontal movement forward.

As Isaac Newton wrote in his laws of motion: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, the action of extending the leg backward creates a forward and upward movement (the flight phase).

The flight phase: As an athlete moves through the air, his leg swings backward and then moves rapidly forward. When the leading leg strikes, there can be a braking motion as speed is inhibited by the contact of the foot with the ground.

Athletes without efficient technique may be capable of generating substantial speed during the flight phase, but a jarring stance phase can hinder their forward progress. Overstriding is one of the key contributors to excessive braking during the stance phase.

Limb length, strength and running technique can affect stride length. Each athlete has an optimal stride length, so there is no one-size-fits-all rule; nonetheless, watch for excessive slapping of the feet on the pavement, and note that at most running speeds your right foot should strike the ground 21 times in 15 seconds.

Time yourself on your next run. If you are below 21 strikes for 15 seconds, you may be overstriding.

Doing it Right

Posture: Try to avoid exaggerated lean, either forward or back. Too much forward lean reduces the efficiency of the legs and can place strain on the hamstrings. Excessive backward lean can create muscular tension in the lower back and gluteal group, which can hasten fatigue and inhibit running efficiency.
Instead, focus on running tall. An athlete with a slouched posture places restrictions on the limbs' ability to move freely. Still, despite the need for good running posture, stay loose—not rigid. A rigid posture leads to muscular tension that, in turn, inhibits performance.

Relaxation: After spending an hour or six on the aerobars, many triathletes hop off the bike with tight, bunched shoulders. And, as fatigue mounts, athletes frequently shrug their shoulders up into their necks, limiting their arms' ability to swing freely.

Build physical relaxation techniques into your training program and race-day regimen. Work at keeping your fingers, hands and jaw relaxed; no clenched fists, as this creates stiffness and tension. Emphasize the backswing with your arms and stay smooth and symmetrical.

Cadence: Cadence, or leg turnover, is one of the keys to running quickly. Harry Wilson, coach of four-time mile world record holder Steve Ovett, once said, "If you want to run fast, you have to keep your legs moving fast."

Triathletes are well known for their dedication to high-mileage training, and while this may improve their overall strength and conditioning, it can be at the expense of leg speed.

To retain your quickness during the season, include weekly short-repeat speed sessions on either the track or the road. During the early season, before you begin your specific race-preparation phase, include several sets of 15 seconds of quick legs during every run: You needn't go hard—just increase your leg turnover.

Trunk stability: Good core, or trunk, strength provides stability to the torso and limits inefficient body movements such as twisting.

As many of the muscles that generate movement originate in the core area, good conditioning can help an athlete produce speed and cope with race-day fatigue. This conditioning can be acquired through a number of activities, including Pilates and exercises such as crunches.

Rhythm: As noted above, athletes who run with an exaggerated stride length tend to be inefficient and tire quickly. However, understriding is also inefficient. An economic stride length tries to extract the maximum amount of return for the minimum amount of effort. To this end, work on keeping your hamstrings loose, as tightness can increase fatigue and enhance the perception of fatigue.

If you try the above tips and still don't see any improvement in your running, consider having a training partner videotape you. From the tape, you should be able to pinpoint areas of tension that can reduce running efficiency.

And while running performance may not be quite as closely correlated with good technique as an activity such as swimming, getting it right on the roads will allow you to run flat-out with economy at your next race.

Strength Training for Runners

2011-03-24T22:20:00.001-07:00

by Tom Holland
Windy City Sports

If you're a runner who doesn't strength train, then I can almost guarantee that the question isn't if, but when you'll be sidelined due to injury.

The old belief that runners don't need to (and shouldn't) lift weights is outdated and usually put forth by runners who will defer marathon entries due to injury and/or become what I call "accidental triathletes" -- runners forced to swim and bike to rehabilitate running-related injuries.

I contend that running doesn't cause injuries, but rather illuminates our weak links and allows us to see what we need to improve upon. There's no greater way of determining how to improve our bodies than by listening to and accessing how we respond to running.

By pinpointing our weaknesses and working on strengthening them early on in life, we can build a strong musculoskeletal system that will carry us through our later years with little or no pain.
The problem with strength training and runners is that most have absolutely no idea what, when or how often to do it. The basic keys are as follows: runners need to lift weights consistently, correctly and at the right intensity:

Consistently means two or three times a week for several months to truly begin to build a proper base of strength.
Correctly refers to performing the exercises in a safe and effective manner with proper technique and muscle control.
Right intensity relates to the amount of weight used for each exercise as well as the difficulty of each training session.

All three of these concepts might seem simple but are rarely implemented by runners.
What many runners don't seem to realize is that they're lifting for injury prevention and running performance and these sessions aren't like the workouts you would do to simply look good. These are not vanity workouts, where toning and building muscle is the end goal.

Rather, these workouts are focused first and foremost on strengthening weak muscle groups and creating balance throughout the entire body. These workouts need not be long with multiple sets for each exercise. Many of these exercises are multi-joint exercises, ones that work several muscle groups at a time, thereby reducing the time needed for each workout.

Strength-training exercises

The following are three great running-specific exercises. As they are advanced, they should be performed after you've built a significant base of strength through more basic exercises such as the leg press, regular squats and leg extensions.

These exercises incorporate unilateral movements and unstable surfaces to more closely approximate the biomechanics of running. They'll improve your running economy, leg strength, balance and coordination, and work stabilizer muscles while helping to eliminate muscular imbalances. Perform one to two sets of 15 repetitions of each, one to three times a week.

1. One-legged ball squats
Stand on one leg with a stability ball pressed against a wall with your back. Slowly squat to just above 90 degrees of knee bend, pause, then return to start position. Be sure to keep your knee behind your toes throughout the exercise (shown above).

2. Balance board split squats
Stand with one foot on a circular balance disc (a Bosu will also work). Bend your leg to just above 90 degrees of knee bend, pause, then return to start position. Be sure to keep your knee behind your toes throughout the exercise. You can also hold dumbbells or place your back leg up on a bench for added difficulty.

3. One-legged dumbbell deadlifts
This is one of the harder exercises to maintain proper form. Stand on one leg while holding dumbbells with knee slightly bent and shoulders pulled back. Bend slowly at the waist, making sure to keep your shoulders back and your back from rounding.

Pause when you feel a tightness in the back of your legs (with dumbbells roughly halfway down your shins) pause, then return to start position. You may do this exercise without weights until you're accustomed to the movement, then add dumbbells.

Reprinted, courtesy of Windy City Sports Magazine.

Ground Forces

2011-03-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

To lessen your aches and pains, choose your running surface wisely.

By Jenny Everett
From the October 2009 issue of Runner's World

The impact of running has its benefits: It builds bone and muscle strength. But it also has drawbacks: Each footfall sends strong forces up the leg with the potential of aggravating trouble spots. Luckily, runners can sidestep injuries by changing up their workout surfaces, says exercise physiologist and marathoner Tom Holland of Darien, Connecticut. "In the same way that you vary your mileage and intensity—short one day, long the next; hard one day, easy the next—you should also vary the terrain that you run on to minimize risk of injury," he says. If you're prone to shinsplints, for example, pounding the asphalt six days a week could cause a flare up. Mix in a trail or treadmill run here and there, and you could avoid a setback. Follow this guide to running grounds to log your miles safely.

Asphalt Roads

RUN FREELY: If you're not particularly injury prone and not rehabbing an injury—although Achilles tendinitis becomes less aggravated on asphalt's stiff surface, which keeps the Achilles in a shorter, less-tensed position.
TREAD LIGHTLY: If you've recently had shin or knee pain, or a fracture, muscle pull, or iliotibial-band syndrome (ITBS). Asphalt can rattle bones, joints, muscles.

Dirt Trail

RUN FREELY: If you've struggled with runner's knee, ITBS, shinsplints, or any injury aggravated by impact. Just be wary of technical trails that cause your feet to land at an angle.
TREAD LIGHTLY: If you've had an ankle sprain. The ligaments of that joint never recover 100 percent. That increases your risk of a repeat sprain, which is more likely to occur on soft, uneven surfaces.

Sand

RUN FREELY: Rarely. Sand is unstable and puts a ton of torque on the knee, ankle, and hip. That said, this surface requires the strength of muscles that are often neglected so it can be beneficial for strength building. Just keep the runs short.
TREAD LIGHTLY: If you have a history of ankle sprains or Achilles tendinitis. A 2008 study found that running on sand increases the risk of Achilles pain tenfold.

Synthetic Track

RUN FREELY: If you're prone to ankle sprains or just recovered from a fracture. The surface is predictable with no roots or curbs to trip over. It's also more cushiony than asphalt, but not so soft as to cause instability.
TREAD LIGHTLY: If you've had ITBS or calf strains. Your outside calf is shortened as you circle your way around. Tight corners can also stress your inside leg's ITB.

Grass

RUN FREELY: If you have knee pain or are returning to running after a fracture. On grass, the bulk of the energy from your footfall goes into the ground instead of reverberating back up your leg.
TREAD LIGHTLY: If you're prone to plantar fasciitis. You're more likely to overpronate on this soft, uneven surface, which puts extra torque on the ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot.

Treadmill

RUN FREELY: If you're recovering from injury or are increasing mileage and want a break from asphalt. The belt's cushioned surface reduces stress to your back, hips, knees, and feet. And it's a clear path free of obstacles.
TREAD LIGHTLY: If you're training for a road race. Running exclusively on a treadmill won't prepare you to navigate uneven terrain or cope with the impact of asphalt, and that could lead to injury.

Athletes who do plyometric drills on sand improve their sprinting ability compared to those who train on grass.

4 Steps to Your Perfect Pace

2011-03-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

By Jeff Galloway
Runner's World (from Active.com)

When you run within your limits, every workout can be a pleasure. But start even a few seconds per mile too fast, and misery awaits: excess fatigue, loss of motivation, or even injury. That's why it's so important to know what pace is right for you. Happily, by doing a simple "magic mile" time trial, you can find the best speed for your runs, then set realistic goals and keep running—enjoyably—forever.

Run One Mile Hard
Go to a track and jog an easy lap or two for a warmup. Walk for three to four minutes. Then time yourself running four laps, which is about one mile. Don't run all out; just push a little faster than you usually do. Record your time. By running on a track—which is flat and provides the most accurate measurement of distance—you'll get a solid indication of your top speed. You can use it as a benchmark to determine what pace is appropriate for your current fitness level on daily runs. Do the time trial every two weeks or so; try to beat your previous time, and track your progress.

Slow Down Every Day
On your daily runs, aim to run two to three minutes slower per mile than your magic mile time. So if you do your magic mile in 10 minutes, aim to keep your pace around 12 to 13 minutes per mile on daily runs. At the perfect pace, you should feel comfortable and relaxed—like you can finish a sentence without having to catch your breath. If you're huffing and puffing, ease off. Don't worry about going too slow.

Set Race Goals
Signed up for a race? Use the magic mile to set realistic goals for different distances. Add 33 seconds to your mile time to determine a pace for a 5K. Multiply your mile time by 1.15 for a 10K, 1.2 for a half-marathon, and 1.3 to predict your marathon potential.

Get Used To It
At a race, you'll get the best results if you try to maintain a steady pace from start to finish. Here's how to practice: Once a week, try to run your goal race pace for a half to three-quarters of a mile. Each quarter mile, check your pace and adjust if you need to. Each week, run a little farther at your goal pace until you're running one-third to one-half of the race distance.

Time Trial
If you can run one mile in 10 minutes, here's your pace for other distances.

Distance: 5K
Pace per mile: 10:33

Distance: 10K
Pace per mile: 11:30

Distance: Half-Marathon
Pace per mile: 12:00

Distance: Marathon
Pace per mile: 13:00

Ask Jeff a question at jeffgalloway.com or jeffgallowayblog.com.

Customize Your Shoes With These Tricks

2011-03-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

By Susan Rinkunas
Runner's World

You went to a running specialty store, tested out several models, and bought a pair that felt great. So why are your new running shoes rubbing you the wrong way? Even if you are fitted with a pair that suits your arch type and weekly mileage, your feet may have characteristics that make the seemingly perfect shoe less than comfortable over the long haul. Luckily, the solution could be as easy as relacing your shoes, says Richard Bouché, D.P.M., of the Sports Medicine Clinic in Seattle, who provided the techniques below. "Before you get a new shoe, try adjusting the lacing to enhance the fit," Bouché says. "It's a small change that can make a big difference."

PROBLEM: "MY SHOE RUBS ONE SPOT ON THE TOP OF MY FOOT."
Solution: Eliminate pressure on a "hot spot" by lacing around it, not directly over it.

Technique:
Place a lipstick smear on your hot spot. Slide your bare foot into your shoe and take it out. The mark on the underside of the tongue tells you which set(s) of eyelets to skip. Lace your shoe until you reach the eyelet before the spot. Take the lace back under and pull it up through the next eyelet on the same side. Take the lace across and continue to lace. Repeat this on the other side. You'll have an empty spot on the tongue where no laces cross it, which should eliminate your pressure point.

PROBLEM: "MY BIG TOENAIL TURNED BLACK."
Solution: Lift the upper material above your big toe up and off it.

Technique:
Thread one end of the lace through the eyelet next to your big toe. Pull the end of that lace up to the last eyelet on the opposite side, bringing the lace through to the outside. Leave just enough slack at the top to tie a bow. Take the remaining portion of the lace straight across toward the outside of the shoe and then diagonally up toward the inside of the shoe. Repeat until all of the eyelets are laced. When you tug on the outside lace, it will pull the material above your big toe up and off your nail.

PROBLEM: "MY SHOE IS TOO TIGHT ALONG THE TOP OF MY FOOT."
Solution: Use parallel lacing to secure your foot without putting pressure on the top.

Technique:
Lace the first two eyelets on the big-toe side of the tongue (not the first eyelet on either side of the tongue like you normally would). Bring the lace from the first eyelet straight across to the first eyelet on the other side of the tongue and push it through. Pull it straight up the side, skipping one eyelet, and thread it through the third eyelet. Pull it straight across the tongue, and push it through the third eyelet on the opposite side. Repeat until all eyelets are laced and tied.

PROBLEM: "MY TOES FEEL CRAMPED."
Solution: Reduce forefoot constriction by using four shoelaces instead of two.

Technique:
Remove the laces and measure them. Buy two sets (four laces) half that length. On both shoes, use one lace for the bottom three eyelets and a second lace for the upper three eyelets. The end result will be two bows on each shoe, allowing you to tie the bottom laces looser to accommodate your wider forefoot.

PROBLEM: "MY HEEL SLIDES UP AND DOWN."
Solution: Create a more secure fit around the ankle without tightening the entire shoe.

Technique: Lace as normal until one eyelet remains on each side. Draw the lace straight up on the outside of the shoe and bring it through the last eyelet. This will create a loop. Repeat on the other side. Cross each lace over the tongue, thread it through the opposite loop, and tie. The loops help to cinch in the material around your ankle to prevent your heel from slipping without making the rest of your shoe any tighter.

4 Tips to Start Up Your Running Season

2011-03-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

By David Alm
Runner's World

The first step out the door is often the hardest, and not just for beginners. Greg Hamilton was training for an ultramarathon when illness forced him to take a nine-month hiatus. In his first attempt to return to the roads, he made it 14 grueling blocks at a pace not much faster than a walk. "It was so bad," says the 24-year-old manager of Jack Rabbit Sports in Brooklyn. "I didn't think I'd be able to run again."

Whether you're returning to the sport after taking time off or you're just starting out, the mental and physiological barriers that stand between you and your inner runner may seem insurmountable. Daniel Lieberman, Ph.D., a human evolutionary biologist at Harvard University and marathoner, says most people seem to have a threshold to cross when they start—or restart—the sport. "It takes time for blood vessels to respond, for your heart to get bigger and stronger, to add mitochondria to your muscles," he says. "But the good news is that our bodies are incredibly adaptive."

Returning runners know there's a payoff to sticking with it. Eight months after his 14-block slog, Hamilton ran a 1:36 half-marathon. Still, it's easy to get discouraged, especially when other runners glide past you, breathing as if they have some secret supply of oxygen. Here's how to overcome common early frustrations.

The Second Week Feels Harder Than the First

Feeling a little stiffness a week into an exercise routine is normal. "Soreness can be a sign that your muscles are adapting," says John Henwood, a 2004 New Zealand Olympian (10,000 meters) who's a coach in New York City. But if you're so achy you're shuffling, it's likely you were a little too enthusiastic out of the starting blocks. "When you begin a running program, your muscles are fresh, and you may have a rush of adrenaline, so you might be a little too ambitious," Henwood says. "The next week, you can feel the consequences."

Art Liberman, co-author of The Everything Running Book and founder of marathontraining.com, says experienced runners can fall into this trap if they expect to pick up their mileage or their speed where they left off. "It can be easy to do too much before you're ready for it," he says. "You don't realize it because initially you might feel great." Liberman suggests starting with—and sticking to—a conservative goal, such as run/walking for 20 minutes. Ending a run feeling like you're capable of doing more boosts confidence and is better than feeling beat up and discouraged. As you build mileage, don't increase distance by more than 10 percent per week.

Three Miles is Still Hard

Maybe it's because three miles is the classic "easy run," or that it's practically a 5K, but being able to cover this distance comfortably is often viewed as a sign that you've "arrived" as a runner. Just remember: Getting to this point can take anywhere from one to five months, depending on your fitness level and previous running experience. Veterans returning to the sport won't take as long to reach this comfort zone, says Tony Ruiz, distance coach of the Central Park Track Club in New York City and a 2:34 marathoner. Brand-new or overweight runners usually need more time to adapt. "When you are learning a new activity, your brain needs to build neural pathways that will give the muscles a sense of memory," Ruiz says. "Eventually, you aren't thinking about each step you take. The movement becomes natural, which is when it can become relaxed."

That said, if you only know one pace—all out—three miles won't ever feel easy. Turning every run into a speed session will make every workout a challenge—and set you up for injury.

Even a Short Run Leaves Me Incredibly Sore

"Running demands movement from pretty much every part of your body," Ruiz says. "If many of those parts haven't been used in a while, if ever, you're bound to feel a little wrecked." To help ease these early discomforts, Ruiz recommends seeking out soft surfaces, such as dirt trails, as much as possible. Also, stick to flat routes since hills are extra taxing. Alternate running days with cross-training workouts, such as swimming, spinning, or yoga. Research shows that light exercise the day after a hard workout can alleviate soreness.

Lieberman also encourages runners to focus on their footstrike and try to land with softer, lighter steps. "A lot of people thump and crash," he says. "That high collisional force can cause damage."

Finally, take care of yourself: Stretch postrun, ice sore spots, get plenty of sleep.

Other Runners Chat, But I'm Out of Breath

Slow down, says Liberman. If you can't hold a conversation, you're going too fast. "There's a level that's comfortable for everyone—some runners might be able to talk while doing an eight-minute mile, others might be at a 12-minute mile," he says. Then, check your form. "Carrying tension can affect breathing," Liberman says. "Hold your hands loosely—don't make a fist—and keep your fingers cuffed but not clenched. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears."

Better on the Inside

2011-03-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

Treadmill workouts that keep you focused—and fit.

By Jeff Galloway
From the January 2011 issue of Runner's World

The 'mill is a fine tool for staying fit when the mercury drops. But it's important to have a plan of action when you hit the machine. Not only will it make the time pass more quickly, but you'll get a greater fitness boost than you would if you did the same type of run every time you went inside. Here are four TM workouts to do on the days you'd rather not risk black ice—or blue toes.

THE "FAST 15"- Do this workout when you're pressed for time. Jog for three minutes. Then increase the speed to a faster pace and hold it for two minutes (it's okay if you're huffing and puffing a bit by the end). Walk for 30 seconds. Repeat the sequence. Next, extend the run portion to three minutes. Walk for 30 seconds. Repeat. Cool down with a short walk.

THE PACE BOOSTER- Warm up for six minutes by alternating 30 seconds jogging with 30 seconds walking. Then increase your speed slightly and run for 30 seconds. Walk for 30 seconds. Continue this 30/30 ratio. Increase your speed slightly with each successive run segment. Do as many cycles as you comfortably can.

THE DISTANCE RUN- ;Increase your speed until you're running comfortably. Run for two minutes, then walk for one minute. Repeat this 2:1 ratio three times. Bump up the ratio: Run for three minutes, then walk for one minute. Repeat three times. End the workout by running two 2:1 segments, followed by two 1:1 segments.

THE HILL CLIMB- Gradually increase your speed until you're at easy-run pace. Run for three minutes. Raise the incline to 2 percent for one minute, then to 4 for one minute. Lower the incline and rest for one minute. Raise to 4 percent and run for two minutes. Alternate running two minutes at an incline/jogging one minute on the flat for as long as you can.

Solving the Puzzle: 4 Tips for Injury-Free Running

2011-03-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

By Matt Fitzgerald
Triathlete magazine

In March 2008, I ran a marathon for the first time in four years. The long hiatus was due to a maddening series of overuse injuries. During most of the four years between marathons I doubted I would ever again be able to train at a high level in this discipline, and indeed I quit running in despair at least half a dozen times.
What got me over the hump? It was not a single, all-encompassing cure. Since running-related injuries affect most triathletes, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you four key pieces of my injury-prevention puzzle.

First Piece: Targeted Stretching

Much has been made of recent research demonstrating that routine stretching does not prevent overuse injuries in endurance athletes. While it may be true that a general stretching routine does not prevent injuries in general, certain specific injuries are caused in part by abnormal tightness in particular muscles and tendons. Stretching everything is a little like trying to true a wheel by loosening the spokes on both sides. Stretch only what's too tight and you'll see better results.

Second Piece: Corrective Strength Training

Knee pain in runners is often linked to weakness in the hip abductors (the muscles that keep your pelvis from tilting laterally when you're supported by only one leg) on the affected side. A simple test you can use to determine whether your hip abductors are weaker on one side is to perform a single-leg squat with each leg.
As you lower your butt toward the floor, eventually your thigh will rotate inward, swinging your hip outward, which is a sign that your hip abductors have become overwhelmed and need help from other muscles. If this compensatory action happens earlier on one side than on the other, that side is weaker and you are more prone to knee pain in the corresponding knee.
I started to even out the strength of my hip abductors by doing single-leg squats, step-ups and other such exercises three times a week, challenging my right side more than my left so that the gap steadily closed.

Third Piece: Gait Retraining

Conventional wisdom holds that the running stride you're born with is the one you're stuck with. But the conventional wisdom is wrong. Recent research has shown that particular running-related overuse injuries can be overcome by making key modifications to one's stride.

The most common injury-causing stride flaw is overstriding, or landing heel first with your foot well ahead of your body's center of gravity, instead of landing flat-footed with your foot directly underneath your head. A simple way to correct his flaw is to tilt your entire body very slightly forward from the ankles (not the waist) as you run, as though you're constantly falling forward or running downhill.

This little tweak forces your foot to land flatter and closer to your center of gravity. Correcting the overstriding flaw makes it easier to maintain proper stability in your hips and pelvis on impact and reduces the likelihood of injuries, including iliotibial band friction syndrome and runner's knee.

Fourth Piece: High-tech Nutrition

Remarkably, doctors still do not know exactly what runner's knee is. They used to think it was chondromalacia, or damage to the knee cartilage, but many runners with chondromalacia run pain-free, and many runners with knee pain don't have chondromalacia.

The latest theory is that runner's knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, is caused by the body's failure to fully repair trauma suffered during runs by the patella and the fat pad underneath it. Every runner experiences such trauma in every run, but some runners (especially those who overstride and have weak hip abductors) incur more than others, and the more you run, the less likely it is that the affected tissues will achieve complete homeostasis between runs.

By changing my shoes, strengthening my hip abductors and retraining my gait, I succeeded in reducing the amount of damage my right knee suffered during a run. Thus, I was able to run more before the pain became debilitating. But I still wasn't able to run enough.

The final piece of the puzzle: I needed some means of repairing the damage more quickly between runs. I found this in a special supplement called hyperimmunized milk factor (HIMF). HIMF is a collection of anti-inflammatory proteins derived from cow's milk. By reducing post-workout inflammation, it facilitates faster tissue repair in athletes for whom inflammation has become chronic.

As yet there are only a couple of HIMF supplements on the market: MicroLactin, which is marketed mainly to arthritis patients, and RX-98, which combines HIMF with a whey protein isolate and is made specifically for athletes.

The Real Cure

Earlier in this article I said that there was no single, all-encompassing cure for my injury woes. But it might be better to say that the true cure was research and experimentation. Once completed, the injury-prevention puzzle looks a little different for each athlete, but the only way for any athlete to put it together is by making an unflagging effort to dig up measures that are worth trying and giving each a fair try.

Active Expert Matt Fitzgerald is the author of several books on triathlon and running, including Brain Training for Runners and Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners (Rodale, 2005).

Exercise Your Way to Perfect Running Posture

2011-03-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

Jeff Galloway
Runner's World

You'll find that you don't need to do all that much work to improve postural muscle strength. Once you get these muscles in shape, it takes very little maintenance to keep them that way.

After a few weeks of diligent strengthening, you'll be more efficient, and your running will feel easier.
When I realized I needed help with my posture about 10 years ago, I did some research and eventually came up with a program of eight to 10 strength exercises.

As I combined or eliminated certain ones over the years in my search for efficiency, I worked my program down to two basic exercises. Call it Jeff Galloway's Posture Program, and you don't have to go to a gym to do it.

Bent-Knee Crunches

To do these, lie on your back with knees bent at about a 90-degree angle. (Doing crunches with legs straight puts too much stress on the lower back.) With each crunch, lift your shoulder blades off the floor without "dropping" your head forward. (Bringing your head forward puts too much strain on the neck and shoulders.)
Go up till your shoulder blades are just a couple of inches off the floor. Come down slowly each time, but not all the way down. Keeping your stomach tight throughout the exercise will really work those abdominals. Try to do crunches every other day, working up to 40 or so per session.

Arm Running

To balance abdominal strength, you need to build up your back and sides, too. A great way to do this is by "arm running" with hand-held weights. (If you don't have dumbbells for this, you can always use water-filled plastic jugs or anything else of appropriate weight that can be grasped.)
To do the exercise, stand erect, hold onto the weights and begin moving your arms as you do during running, while keeping your feet firmly planted. You might want to glance at a mirror while you do this, so you'll be sure to stay in the proper posture. As with running, keep your elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees as you pump your arms. Continue until fatigue sets in. Try to do this exercise every other day.

Mixed Intensity Workout for the Indoor Trainer

2011-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

By Gale Bernhardt
For Active.com

If you're at a point in your training where you need to move toward some higher intensity rides, but the weather is keeping you on the indoor trainer, this column can help. The indoor trainer workout shown below begins with pedaling form and then goes into a set that provides a mixed-intensity ride.

You can repeat the main set as many times as you please; but completing the recommended number of repeats shown makes the total workout time between 45 and 60 minutes.

Bad weather can't take your fitness away--ride on!

Warm-up

5-10 minutes	Ride comfortably within the range of Zone 1 to 2 intensity or an easy, aerobic warm-up
10 minutes	5 x (30 second with the right leg doing most of the work, 30 seconds where the left leg does most of the work, 60 seconds with both legs working to form smooth, relaxed circles)
12 minutes	4 x (both legs working for 30 seconds at 90 rpm, 30 seconds at 100 rpm, 30 seconds spinning at more than 100 rpm (keep your fanny from bouncing off of the bicycle seat with controlled, high speed spinning), recover with 1:30 of easy spinning)

Main Set (20-30 minutes)
Repeat the set below 2 or 3 times:

2 minutes	Zone 2 intensity (recover with easy spinning in Zone 1 for 2:00)
1 minute 30 seconds	Zone 3 intensity (recover with easy spinning in Zone 1 for 1:30)
1 minute	Zone 4-5a intensity (recover with easy spinning in Zone 1 for 1:00)
30 seconds	Zone 5b intensity, powerful riding seated or out of the saddle standing (recover with easy spinning in Zone 1 for 0:30)

Cool Down

8-13 minutes

At a low resistance, spin easy at Zone 1-2 intensity

Notes:
You can find intensity references here:
http://www.active.com/images/activeTrainer/Training_Intensity.pdf

If your trainer provides power numbers, be certain your power output increases throughout the main set repeats. In other words, the power output for the one-minute work bout should be higher than it was for the two-minute work bout.

Record your average power outputs for each work bout in your journal.

If you repeat the workout once per week, or once every other week, aim to have a slight increase in the average power output within the main set, over the course of time.

Optimally, over the course of several weeks your average power output will increase while your heart rate remains the same, or slightly lower.

Gale Bernhardt was the USA Triathlon team coach at the 2003 Pan American Games and 2004 Athens Olympics. Her first Olympic experience was as a personal cycling coach at the 2000 Games in Sydney. She currently serves as one of the World Cup coaches for the International Triathlon Union's Sport Development Team. Thousands of athletes have had successful training and racing experiences using Gale's pre-built, easy-to-follow cycling and triathlon training plans. Let Gale and Active Trainer help you succeed.

2 Leg-Burning Bike Workouts

2011-03-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

from Bicycling

Seven months of the year, Northern Vermont is a cyclists paradise. For the other five, its the coldest hell anyone's ever turned a pedal in. For the 65-member Green Mountain Bicycle Club/Excite/smartFUEL racing team, this means long hours on the trainer. So many, in fact, that the ceiling panels in team director Chris Lussiers basement have buckled and drooped from the sweat humidity. Lussier shares two of the teams favorite panel-bucklers.

King-of-the-Green-Mountain Hill Repeats

Time: 45+ minutes; Gearing: 53-12; Cadence: 50-55 rpm (moderate pace); Reps: Start with one, add one every week to four; Warning: Weak knees? Stay away.
Warm Up: light spinning for 15 minutes.
Workout: Elevate front wheel to stimulate climbing position of moderate (5 percent) grade. Set resistance that puts your cadence at about 50 rpm when pedaling in highest gear. On rollers, put a towel under one cylinder. Remain seated, relax your upper body and ride at a steady tempo for 5 minutes, then stand for 5 minutes (or as long as you can without shifting into a lower gear). rest: spin lightly for 10 minutes.
Cool Down: 10 minutes in a light gear.

Kicking-the-Dog Spin Sprints

Time: 1 hour+; Gearing: 39-17; Cadence: 100-125 rpm; Reps: Start with 5 or 6, build up to 10
Warm Up: light spinning for 15 minutes
Workout: Set your resistance light, but heavy enough to keep you from flying off the bike when you sprint. Sprints can be done seated or standing. Sitting allows you to attain a higher RPM, while standing provides a more realistic simulation. On rollers? Stay seated! Sprints should last 6-10 seconds. Concentrate on form and attaining the highest RPM possible. The key to this workout is focusing on pulling up and snapping over the top of the pedal stroke. Imagine kicking a dog that is nipping at your front wheel.
Rest: spin lightly for 5 minutes between each sprint.
Cool Down: 10 minutes in a light gear.

What is Radical Self Care?

2011-02-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

by Aimee Gallo
athleta blog

The question keeps coming up…”What is Radical Self Care? It sounds like exactly what I need…but how do I get it?”

Wow. What a question.

I have been pondering this myself for several months, as my own needs have shifted and I have had to redefine my outlets and my sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in the world.

Here’s the tricky thing I’ve recently realized – radical self-care is as changing as our moods! Consequently, it requires not only a wide array of options, but also the awareness to match a need with a Self-Care Optimal Solution (S.O.S.)

In its most simple definition, radical self care is the bold act of putting your quality of life as a primary part of your life. It’s acting on the premise that your need for sleep, time out, socializing with your friends and exercising is JUST as important as getting the kids to soccer practice, doing laundry, and going to work. When we neglect our self-care, the tendency to spend too much money, eat too much food, lose our temper, get depressed, or drop everything and run to Tahiti increases. A balanced and vibrant life demands that we take our needs into consideration and act upon them. And while some things are beyond our control (we can’t fire our co-workers) other things are completely in our power if we open up to the possibility of allowing ourselves to seek and receive creative solutions.

When initially exploring radical self-care, it helps to first define your needs. Do you need more sleep? Motivation and support to get those workouts done? Do you need to place a ban on bringing in holiday cookies so you can keep your blood sugar and weight in check? Do you need to give yourself a break? What area of your life is lacking? There may be several, but choose one or two of the most acute areas to address first.

Next, determine your solution. This is where you get creative. Ask yourself, “How can I..?” You may have been saying, “I can’t” or “There’s no time, no one, no money for…” and that needs to STOP. When we think in this way, we block our ability to create new solutions to situations. We say no without giving our ingenious brains an opportunity to find a “Yes”. So instead, ask, “How can I..?”

Reach out to others. Ask them what they do, ask them how they do it. Share this concept and see if you can work together to find answers. Sometimes it’s easier to see solutions for others than ourselves!

Case in point: it’s hard for me to play. I have a very difficult time just cutting loose, being silly, and completely “unproductive”. So in the last month, I’ve been exploring what play means to me, what it looks like, and how I can gift myself that. I am working through a lot of judgments and beliefs about what I am “supposed to” do and how I am “supposed to be” that really have nothing to do with who I truly am! I really want to get finger paint and glitter and see what that leads to and I find it challenging to justify this simple desire (Problem #1 – the belief I have to justify anything about who I am or what I want). I’ve had exhaustive, repetitive conversations with friends and mentors about this topic. I’ve got some ideas now about what I need and I am actively making baby steps at changing how I live and operate in my life in a very fundamental way. I am working to integrate this notion that life is meant to be fun and enjoyable, not just about work and production and results (even if its correlated to things that I enjoy – like my career or athletic goals).

Next, branch out and get diverse with meeting those needs. Explore what fulfills you when you are sad, what you need when you are frustrated, what you need when you feel unappreciated or overworked. Different needs arise from different emotions. If you are feeling sad, you may need a hug from your daughter, but from your spouse words of appreciation may work better than a hug. The clearer we get on our needs and how to meet them, the greater our ability to increase the amount of joy and vibrancy in our life.

Finally – the best advice I’ve been given: “This is new. You don’t know it all yet. Just get out and try different things and you will find what works.” Let go of any expectation that it should work or has to work. Radical Self Care and your unique SOS’s is a new area of exploration! There WILL be a learning curve.

It’s encouraging and inspiring to me to know that you all are there, desiring and exploring this as well. I would love to hear how you are exploring Radical Self-Care, what the results have been, and what personal SOS’s you intend on implementing!

AIMEE GALLO is a marathon runner, indoor cycling coach, holistic nutrition counselor and personal trainer. When not out pursuing her athletic goals, Aimee is busy with her company, Vibrance Nutrition and Fitness, helping her clients meet their fitness and nutrition goals by utilizing a mind, body, and spirit approach… {more »}

A Mission Statement Helps You Focus on Your Goals

2011-02-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Paige Dunn
For Active.com

Have you ever asked yourself why you do your sport in the first place? What brought you to the sport? How did you get started? Is it an important part of your life? Do you do it for yourself? Others? For enjoyment, for fitness, for peace of mind? Why do you get out there and do it?

The key to success in any area of our lives is directly related to our emotional connection to that area. If you don't have a clear understanding of why you train and compete in your sport, then it'll be easier to get off track, lose motivation and perhaps even lose the enjoyment that drew you to the sport in the first place.

Maybe you naturally gravitated to your sport because you had positive experience from a previous time in your life. Maybe you missed having sports as a part of your life. Or maybe you were just looking for a new challenge.

Whatever the reasons, try to become consciously aware of those reasons and make them work for you. Having a clear understanding of your connection to the sport will ultimately help bring you success.

Success in sport is a direct result of dedication and hard work combined with many other things. However, there will be times when you don't have time, don't want to work out or you may completely lose motivation. These are the times when we need a tool to help us persevere and stay dedicated. When it gets tough to keep going, we need that magic tool to help us. That "tool" is a mission statement.

Almost every company or organization has a mission statement -- a philosophy that drives what they do -- but do you have a personal mission statement? Writing a personal mission statement will help you discover the reasons why you're involved in your sport and can help you through those challenging days when you lose sight of why you're doing it in the first place.

Simply put, the mission statement will be your personal philosophy with regard to sport. What's your mission this year? Why do you do what you do? Your mission statement might not have anything to do with the sport itself and everything to do with adding challenge and adventure to your life.

Getting Started

Start by brainstorming a list of words that come to mind with regard to your sport, as well your passion and interest for it. Then you can create a phrase or even a paragraph that defines your mission statement. Some people take it one step further and create an acronym based on the words or short phrases they've come up with.

Live with what you've come up with for a few days and then revisit it to see if it fits. Once you feel good about it, write it down and put it where you'll see it frequently. In the front of your training journal? On your calendar? On your desk? Somewhere in your office? Whatever works for you, just make sure you'll see it!

And when you have one of those days when you don't want to get out of bed to exercise or you're stressed about a specific workout, read your mission statement and remind yourself why it's important to you.

If the reasons don't resonate with you anymore, then it's time to make a change -- either to your mission statement or your lifestyle. Maybe you aren't connected to the sport anymore and need a break, or perhaps a new challenge within the sport. Be your own coach and check in with yourself throughout the season.

If you commit to creating a mission statement and staying true to it, it can serve as an effective tool. Ideally, create your mission statement before setting your sport goals. Once you have a clear understanding why you're making this sport a part of your life, you can set goals that are in line with your thinking.

Paige Dunn is a sport psychology consultant and a competitive Ironman-distance triathlete. Paige counsels and educates athletes on the mental component of athletic experience through her private practice, Xcel Sports. In her practice, she teaches various sport psychology techniques to enhance performance: goal setting, motivation, confidence, relaxation, imagery, focus and concentration, and more. Paige has a great deal of success motivating athletes to perform at their best. She enjoys lecturing and is currently writing her first book.

Returning to Fitness

2011-02-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

by Russ Cox
from EnduranceCorner.com

"You've put on some weight."

Unfortunately this blunt assessment from a member of my masters squad is true. I had to agree and excuse myself on the grounds of not training so much in winter. Catching up with friends later that week there were shocked reactions to my admission. I hadn't trained?

Absolutely. I did enough to keep me going; I needed time off, a mental and physical break was overdue. When it comes to fitness I've reached a long time low and when it comes to weight... let's say it's a touch higher than normal.

Fitness and body composition are important to an athlete. I’d normally be panicking about now. Desperate to correct the situation I'd eat as little as possible and train every available hour. My fear of losing fitness has driven me through hard training and minimal recovery. But letting fitness go this winter has been good.
It's easy to undervalue the mental benefits of properly recovering. I stopped stressing. I coped with winter by putting training on the back-burner. Enough to tick over, no more. As signs of spring appear my motivation is returning. I want to train again and I have the conditions for it.

Hibernating wasn't without its costs. I can feel the effects: training is harder and recovery slower. But it takes a lot to lose the cumulative gains from years of endurance training. I've seen it at the swim squad. Over a month I've moved from the back to the front of my lane. A few seconds off last year's best that I'm sure I'll soon reclaim. Lightening the load over winter was a small step back; regaining motivation is a big step forward.

Returning to training after a break puts me in a rare situation. The mind is willing, but the body lags behind. It's reminiscent of my beginnings in endurance sport. The desire to push myself, but lacking the resilience to handle the load. Injuries were all to common. I don’t want to relive those days. Training dictated by my state of health more than a plan.

Instead I've revisited some of the training habits that helped me through:

Preventative maintenance
Muscles unfamiliar with the training regime tighten and form knots in response. My long neglected foam roller is back in action, an essential part of the day. Were it not for the regular, painful sessions on it I'd soon run myself into the ground. When DIY isn't good enough: a regular massage appointment gets deeper than I can reach.

Prevent rather than treat injuries and you'll be back training sooner.

Steady Effort
Last year I learnt to work hard on the bike. But last week pushing the pace on the bike had me limping home with a cramp. Any plans to run later had vanished. Repeating the route a few days later I kept the pace steady. I was home a little later, but managed that run. Steady is no problem; intensity is another story. Until I can handle the load I shouldn't seek to increase it.

Build back into training. Don't try to smash out last season’s best efforts.

Technique
This is the perfect time to address issues with technique. I want to avoid injuries and lack the fitness to go hard. I watch my form closely. Are my hips even on the run? Am I maintaining a high elbow in the pool? I played with cadence on the bike, breaking out of my grinding habit for a while. These may not directly build fitness, but they help keep my progress injury free.

Put an emphasis on technique to help keep injury at bay. It’ll pay off in the long-term too.

Winter is a tough season for endurance athletes. We have to give up some of what we’ve worked so hard towards. Losing fitness and gaining a little weight isn't a disaster especially when it helps restore motivation. Don't underestimate the importance of being mentally refreshed.

Once you're ready to return take care. Think back to when you first started the sport and how hard it was. It takes time to prepare the body for endurance training. Adopting a few good habits to keep injury at bay will make see you back in action much sooner.

Q&A: Are Super Flexible Runners More Injury-Prone?

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

[This Q&A from Core Performance is interesting for me because I'm pretty flexible and a PT once told me that it's harder for super flexible people to run fast, because they can't hold their pillar as strong. So guess who is doing a bunch of core exercises this spring! Look at the post before this for pillar strength info. Also search "strength training" for more exercises. - TG]

Q: Can being super flexible make runners more prone to injury?
A: Superb flexibility doesn't necessarily make you more injury-prone unless you also lack stability. A combination of great mobility and poor stability is a recipe for injury because it's harder to control your movement when you run or do any activity.

If you have Gumby-like flexibility, use it to your advantage by spending extra time working on the stability of your hips, torso, and shoulders—also known as your "pillar." Every workout should include moves for your pillar like bridges and planks. Watch the videos below for a couple examples. For more exercises and advice on how to strengthen your pillar, click here.

Plank with Arm Lift (Click for details.)

Lateral Pillar Bridge (Click for details.)

Sue Falsone – As the Director of Performance Physical Therapy and Team Sports, Sue Falsone provides the critical link between therapy and performance. She develops and implements therapy regimens for athletes at Athletes' Performance.