**A good article from www.coreperformance.com regarding regeneration of the body after long, hard workouts**
7 Ways to Ease Pain and Avoid Injury
December 10, 2008
Dave Cruz
Everything you do in the gym, at work, and at home either makes you more susceptible to injury or helps reduce your risk for pain. Tip the scales in your favor with these seven simple tips.
1. Straighten Up
Most people realize there's potential for injury when moving or performing an athletic activity, but what you may not realize is that poor posture can have similar if not more detrimental effects on your body than sports and exercise.
When you slouch, lock your knees, or sit with your head forward, for instance, you place unnecessary stress on areas of the body that were never built to handle it. Over time, your muscles will tighten from trying to compensate for poor posture and your joints will ache from the excessive stress placed on them. So what's the fix?
■Sit up straight, but keep your back naturally arched—your back's natural curve is meant to help transfer force
■Keep your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips and ankle bones when sitting or standing
■Avoid hours of the same posture—try to change your position as often as possible.
2. Invest 5 minutes a Day in Injury Avoidance
We all live busy lives, but what’s more important than your health? Don't wait to think about your body until it lets you down. That's like thinking about retirement when you're broke. You spend time and effort investing your money to achieve a great return. So invest in your body with proactive exercise, or what we call "prehab." To get started, use Floor Y's and T's to help protect your upper body, mini band walks for your lower body, and pillar bridges for core stability.
3. Stay in Control of Your Body
Flexibility is not only movement through a range of motion, but it is the ability to control the movement through the range. Without neuromuscular control, range of motion is useless. Think of a fast car that can handle successive curves on a road. If the car did not have the appropriate braking and accelerating actions, the drive would not be smooth or safe. The same concept applies to movement in the human body. The greater the flexibility you have, the more coordinated strength you need to direct your movement appropriately. Get started with this flexibility routine.
4. Wake Up Your Muscles
Injury is often caused by one muscle group—often times, your glutes or shoulder stabilizers—being completely shut off. This causes other areas of the body to compensate, leading to injury. Following your movement preparation program will activate these inactive areas and enable your body to recall movements you may have not used since childhood.
5. Pay Attention to Your Feet
Improving the strength of your foot intrinsic muscles (the small, stabilizing muscles) will build a greater base for movement. On the other hand, lack of foot intrinsic strength will lead to inefficient movement patterns, placing excessive stress on the foot, ankle, knee, hip and low back. To check the status of your arch, see if the inside bones of your feet touch the ground. If they do, you can benefit from simple exercises to support your arch. Here are a couple:
Towel Crunches
■Sit in a chair with feet flat on the ground with toes pointing straight ahead.
■Then, place a towel under feet and curl toes trying to pull towel under foot while rolling feet out to lift arch up.
■Go for 1 minute, and repeat a total of 3 times.
Tennis Ball Foot Massage
■Place your foot on top of the ball and slowly apply pressure as you roll your foot over it. You may find some tender spots. That's OK.
■Apply enough pressure so it's a little uncomfortable, but not painful.
■Do this for about 5 minutes on each foot once a day.
6. Stay on the Lookout for Warning Signs
Pay attention to the small aches and pains that creep up in your training. They’re usually a red flag that some part of your training is not being performed correctly. It may be related to training intensity, mechanics (compensations), or slight positional faults. Ignoring them can only lead to bigger problems that may significantly impact your training later on. You’re probably already aware of your weaknesses. Start training them.
7. Follow a Real Plan
Performing workouts at random can result in injury if your training is unbalanced. You may strengthen some muscles at the expense of others, creating imbalances that result in pain or injury. So set long term goals to help set your motivation in place and help define direction and purpose in your training, but also set specific, clear, short-term goals to guide and focus you along the way. At the end of each day, ask yourself, "Did I move closer to my goal today?”
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
4 Things Women Should Do In Their Training -- But Aren't
Licensed from
4 Things Women Should Be Doing in Their Fitness Training—But Aren’t
By Chelsea Bush, US News
Wed, Feb 23, 2011
If your workouts consist of doing light weights and steady-state cardio, you might be in for some bad news: These things alone won’t likely get you the results you’re after, say experts. To increase your fitness level, burn fat, and improve muscle tone, you’ve got to step up your game.
Here are four things women tend to skip that can deliver serious results.
1. High-intensity training.
All that time coasting on the elliptical at a comfortable pace probably hasn’t done much for your body, says Panama-based trainer Belinda Benn, creator of the Breakthrough Physique home fitness system. In fact, the biggest mistake women make in their training is not exercising with enough intensity, she says.
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is typically a 10- to 20-minute workout that alternates short, intense bursts of activity with moderate-exertion recovery periods. “High-intensity interval training is the best way to improve your overall fitness, burn fat, and stimulate your hormones for a stronger body,” says Benn.
How to tell if you’re training hard enough? Look to your body for clues, Benn says. Good indicators are sweating, increased heart rate, and lactic acid production (i.e., feeling the “burn”) during exercise. Moderate muscle soreness for up to a few days post-workout is also a good sign. “If you feel nothing,” Benn says, “you probably didn’t work out hard enough.”
2. Heavier lifting.
For most women, a typical weight-training session equals light dumbbell exercises, says Toronto-based strength and conditioning specialist Craig Ballantyne, creator of the Turbulence Training Program. But doing fewer reps with more weight—say, 8 reps per set with a 15-pound dumbbell, instead of 15 reps with an 8-pound one—will burn more fat, he says. Lifting heavier will also increase your strength and muscle definition.
Start by swapping out your normal weights for slightly heavier ones, and gradually work your way up.
3. Upper body workouts.
Women tend to store body fat around the waist, hips, and thighs, so that’s where they typically focus their exercise efforts—neglecting their upper bodies, Benn says.
But you can’t spot-reduce fat, and sticking with what’s easy can stunt your progress, says Benn. Because you may feel weak while attempting pull-ups for the first time, Benn suggests doing the hard stuff at the start of your workout, “when you’re freshest and feeling mentally strong.”
“Focusing on underdeveloped muscles will improve the contours of your body,” Benn says.
4. Training with a barbell.
Think barbells are synonymous with back-breaking chest presses? Not so. “You can do a tremendous workout just with a barbell,” Benn says. “If you’re holding a bar rather than using two separate weights, it forces you to get your body in sync.”
Barbells are great for both upper- and lower-body exercises. Balancing one across your shoulders while doing squats, lunges, or walking lunges helps develop posture and balance, Benn says.
If you’re flirting with a barbell for the first time, go as light as you need to. Even 10 pounds is a good start.
Bonus tip:
If you’re worried you’ll bulk up with any of these exercises, consider your body type. Benn says women generally fall into two categories: those who build muscle easily, and those who don’t. If you build muscle easily, she suggests emphasizing high-intensity exercises. If you develop muscle slowly, you’ll benefit from spending more time on heavy lifting.
Chelsea Bush writes for AskFitnessCoach, a site that promotes a down-to-earth approach to fitness and weight loss.
4 Things Women Should Be Doing in Their Fitness Training—But Aren’t
By Chelsea Bush, US News
Wed, Feb 23, 2011
If your workouts consist of doing light weights and steady-state cardio, you might be in for some bad news: These things alone won’t likely get you the results you’re after, say experts. To increase your fitness level, burn fat, and improve muscle tone, you’ve got to step up your game.
Here are four things women tend to skip that can deliver serious results.
1. High-intensity training.
All that time coasting on the elliptical at a comfortable pace probably hasn’t done much for your body, says Panama-based trainer Belinda Benn, creator of the Breakthrough Physique home fitness system. In fact, the biggest mistake women make in their training is not exercising with enough intensity, she says.
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is typically a 10- to 20-minute workout that alternates short, intense bursts of activity with moderate-exertion recovery periods. “High-intensity interval training is the best way to improve your overall fitness, burn fat, and stimulate your hormones for a stronger body,” says Benn.
How to tell if you’re training hard enough? Look to your body for clues, Benn says. Good indicators are sweating, increased heart rate, and lactic acid production (i.e., feeling the “burn”) during exercise. Moderate muscle soreness for up to a few days post-workout is also a good sign. “If you feel nothing,” Benn says, “you probably didn’t work out hard enough.”
2. Heavier lifting.
For most women, a typical weight-training session equals light dumbbell exercises, says Toronto-based strength and conditioning specialist Craig Ballantyne, creator of the Turbulence Training Program. But doing fewer reps with more weight—say, 8 reps per set with a 15-pound dumbbell, instead of 15 reps with an 8-pound one—will burn more fat, he says. Lifting heavier will also increase your strength and muscle definition.
Start by swapping out your normal weights for slightly heavier ones, and gradually work your way up.
3. Upper body workouts.
Women tend to store body fat around the waist, hips, and thighs, so that’s where they typically focus their exercise efforts—neglecting their upper bodies, Benn says.
But you can’t spot-reduce fat, and sticking with what’s easy can stunt your progress, says Benn. Because you may feel weak while attempting pull-ups for the first time, Benn suggests doing the hard stuff at the start of your workout, “when you’re freshest and feeling mentally strong.”
“Focusing on underdeveloped muscles will improve the contours of your body,” Benn says.
4. Training with a barbell.
Think barbells are synonymous with back-breaking chest presses? Not so. “You can do a tremendous workout just with a barbell,” Benn says. “If you’re holding a bar rather than using two separate weights, it forces you to get your body in sync.”
Barbells are great for both upper- and lower-body exercises. Balancing one across your shoulders while doing squats, lunges, or walking lunges helps develop posture and balance, Benn says.
If you’re flirting with a barbell for the first time, go as light as you need to. Even 10 pounds is a good start.
Bonus tip:
If you’re worried you’ll bulk up with any of these exercises, consider your body type. Benn says women generally fall into two categories: those who build muscle easily, and those who don’t. If you build muscle easily, she suggests emphasizing high-intensity exercises. If you develop muscle slowly, you’ll benefit from spending more time on heavy lifting.
Chelsea Bush writes for AskFitnessCoach, a site that promotes a down-to-earth approach to fitness and weight loss.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT MARATHON FOR YOU
How to Pick the Right Marathon for You
By Patrick McCrann
Marathon Nation
For Active.com
The challenge of running and racing a marathon is a singular pursuit. Before you even start, you know that you'll have highs and lows, obstacles to overcome, and inevitable suffering--followed by euphoria--on race day. With all of this ahead of you, it makes sense to pick the right marathon. No 26.2 miles is the same, and not all races are created equal. Some are big, others are small. Some are epic tests, others are (literally) a "walk" in the park. Finding the right race that syncs with your goals, abilities, and geographical location can go a long way towards ensuring you are able to run to your potential.
The Four Factors
Before we even get to your particular goals, it helps to take a macro level review of where you stand. Here are the four key areas we suggest you consider when picking your next race:
#1 -- Timing: The ideal marathon will give you at least three months of good outdoor running prior to race day. It will fall on a quiet time of year for you, either personally or professionally. There will be options for half marathons and other local running events that will keep you motivated and on track. You will have had at least 4 if not 8 weeks of downtime from your previous big race, so residual fatigue isn't an issue.
#2 -- Terrain: You might love the punishment of steep hills and oxygen-starved air; perhaps your crave epic scenery or the taste of travel to another part of the world. Or maybe you just want to drag race the whole way. Whatever you chose, make sure the race you pick has the terrain that matches your goals for the event. Watching total marathon newbies suffer on challenging courses because they didn't know what they were in for isn't fun...and it can be avoided if you do your homework.
#3 -- Conditions: Make sure to research the weather on / around the race date of choice. Do a web search for race reports and forum posts about the event to learn what others have said. A race in Florida in January sounds great, for example, until you realize it's been in the 30s at the start for the past few years. Knowing that the sun beats down on you later in the day, or that the temperature plummets on the other side of the mountain pass will make you a much more informed racer...and lead you to a better overall experience.
#4 -- Logistics: Traveling to your next race sounds cool and exciting until you realize it means passports, international flights, a new language, and random dietary changes pre-race. Don't get me wrong, I am all about adventure. I just want folks to consider just how much bandwidth they have before they pull the trigger on a race that could just be challenging enough so as to suck all the fun out of it.
Picking A Race By Goal Orientation
Now that we have covered the basics, we can afford to look more closely at your overall motivation for the race. Nuturing this passion is critical if you want to train and race to your potential. Despite the higher price tag, you still have a lot to do on your own. Knowing that your race "fits" you will go a long way to making the training both more bearable and effective.
Goal: First Timer
If you are out to pick your first marathon, ever, then I suggest you pick a relatively flat marathon course that will give you plenty of nice warm weather to train in. Warm weather training means more folks on the roads when you are, as well as a higher potential for group training options. It also means less gear to manage and more time to focus on your fitness and overall well being. The course doesn't have to be 100 percent flat, but it should be straightforward. A nice loop course will mean more spectators to keep you going over those last few critical miles.
Goal: Boston Qualification
If your sole focus is on earning your right to try and sign up for the Boston Marathon, your selection process starts with terrain. You'll want a flat and simple course, ideally with two loops. This will allow you so manage your time and effort appropriately and allow you to identify trouble areas before lap two hits.
As a veteran, weather and conditions aren't as important to your decision, as odds are you'll have the gear and the mental fortitude to suck it up should the running weather gods not be smiling on you. You'll also want to check on the finish times for your age group and do some general research to make sure the course you are considering is legitimately a good option for qualifying.
Goal: Inspiration / Travel
If you are out to stay on track with your running but need a fun year, or a massive change of scenery, an international marathon might be just right for you. It will keep you running, but within reason as this isn't about racing--it's about doing. The travel to the race and few days leading up to it will have some stress, but the post-race scenery, cuisine, and culture will more than make up for it. Be sure to research by networking with other runners who have attempted the event...nothing beats the inside scoop!
Goal: Redemption
Maybe you had a bad race last year, or just not the best training buid up. Regardless of the reason, you are back to give it another go. This is both good and bad, as you know the course and what _not_ to do. But it also means you are bringing a lot of negative energy to the table; it can push you a long way but might not get you the full 26.2 miles.
And let's face it, sometimes even the same course can seem different from year to year! To be 100 percent ready for your revenge tour, do a full 360-degree analysis to determine where things went wrong last time. Guaranteed your challenges will be very different this year, but even to have the basics covered will put you a few steps ahead.
Conclusion
There is no such thing as the perfect marathon, but with the right event, a clear set of goals, and the proper marathon training schedule, you'll be well on your way to creating the perfect race experience for you. Good luck!
Marathon Nation is the home of Coach Patrick and his real-world, pace-based marathon training system. Download one of our free resources, find your personal marathon training schedule or join us online to share your training and racing with our growing community of runners. Find more quality articles and video analysis resources online at Marathon Nation: www.marathonnation.us.
Training for a marathon? Download our free PDF guide that will walk you through the final, most critical parts of the pre-marathon experience. You can register to download it from Marathon Nation.
Looking to improve your overall running? Download a free copy of our 29 Tips to Transform Your Running eBook.
By Patrick McCrann
Marathon Nation
For Active.com
The challenge of running and racing a marathon is a singular pursuit. Before you even start, you know that you'll have highs and lows, obstacles to overcome, and inevitable suffering--followed by euphoria--on race day. With all of this ahead of you, it makes sense to pick the right marathon. No 26.2 miles is the same, and not all races are created equal. Some are big, others are small. Some are epic tests, others are (literally) a "walk" in the park. Finding the right race that syncs with your goals, abilities, and geographical location can go a long way towards ensuring you are able to run to your potential.
The Four Factors
Before we even get to your particular goals, it helps to take a macro level review of where you stand. Here are the four key areas we suggest you consider when picking your next race:
#1 -- Timing: The ideal marathon will give you at least three months of good outdoor running prior to race day. It will fall on a quiet time of year for you, either personally or professionally. There will be options for half marathons and other local running events that will keep you motivated and on track. You will have had at least 4 if not 8 weeks of downtime from your previous big race, so residual fatigue isn't an issue.
#2 -- Terrain: You might love the punishment of steep hills and oxygen-starved air; perhaps your crave epic scenery or the taste of travel to another part of the world. Or maybe you just want to drag race the whole way. Whatever you chose, make sure the race you pick has the terrain that matches your goals for the event. Watching total marathon newbies suffer on challenging courses because they didn't know what they were in for isn't fun...and it can be avoided if you do your homework.
#3 -- Conditions: Make sure to research the weather on / around the race date of choice. Do a web search for race reports and forum posts about the event to learn what others have said. A race in Florida in January sounds great, for example, until you realize it's been in the 30s at the start for the past few years. Knowing that the sun beats down on you later in the day, or that the temperature plummets on the other side of the mountain pass will make you a much more informed racer...and lead you to a better overall experience.
#4 -- Logistics: Traveling to your next race sounds cool and exciting until you realize it means passports, international flights, a new language, and random dietary changes pre-race. Don't get me wrong, I am all about adventure. I just want folks to consider just how much bandwidth they have before they pull the trigger on a race that could just be challenging enough so as to suck all the fun out of it.
Picking A Race By Goal Orientation
Now that we have covered the basics, we can afford to look more closely at your overall motivation for the race. Nuturing this passion is critical if you want to train and race to your potential. Despite the higher price tag, you still have a lot to do on your own. Knowing that your race "fits" you will go a long way to making the training both more bearable and effective.
Goal: First Timer
If you are out to pick your first marathon, ever, then I suggest you pick a relatively flat marathon course that will give you plenty of nice warm weather to train in. Warm weather training means more folks on the roads when you are, as well as a higher potential for group training options. It also means less gear to manage and more time to focus on your fitness and overall well being. The course doesn't have to be 100 percent flat, but it should be straightforward. A nice loop course will mean more spectators to keep you going over those last few critical miles.
Goal: Boston Qualification
If your sole focus is on earning your right to try and sign up for the Boston Marathon, your selection process starts with terrain. You'll want a flat and simple course, ideally with two loops. This will allow you so manage your time and effort appropriately and allow you to identify trouble areas before lap two hits.
As a veteran, weather and conditions aren't as important to your decision, as odds are you'll have the gear and the mental fortitude to suck it up should the running weather gods not be smiling on you. You'll also want to check on the finish times for your age group and do some general research to make sure the course you are considering is legitimately a good option for qualifying.
Goal: Inspiration / Travel
If you are out to stay on track with your running but need a fun year, or a massive change of scenery, an international marathon might be just right for you. It will keep you running, but within reason as this isn't about racing--it's about doing. The travel to the race and few days leading up to it will have some stress, but the post-race scenery, cuisine, and culture will more than make up for it. Be sure to research by networking with other runners who have attempted the event...nothing beats the inside scoop!
Goal: Redemption
Maybe you had a bad race last year, or just not the best training buid up. Regardless of the reason, you are back to give it another go. This is both good and bad, as you know the course and what _not_ to do. But it also means you are bringing a lot of negative energy to the table; it can push you a long way but might not get you the full 26.2 miles.
And let's face it, sometimes even the same course can seem different from year to year! To be 100 percent ready for your revenge tour, do a full 360-degree analysis to determine where things went wrong last time. Guaranteed your challenges will be very different this year, but even to have the basics covered will put you a few steps ahead.
Conclusion
There is no such thing as the perfect marathon, but with the right event, a clear set of goals, and the proper marathon training schedule, you'll be well on your way to creating the perfect race experience for you. Good luck!
Marathon Nation is the home of Coach Patrick and his real-world, pace-based marathon training system. Download one of our free resources, find your personal marathon training schedule or join us online to share your training and racing with our growing community of runners. Find more quality articles and video analysis resources online at Marathon Nation: www.marathonnation.us.
Training for a marathon? Download our free PDF guide that will walk you through the final, most critical parts of the pre-marathon experience. You can register to download it from Marathon Nation.
Looking to improve your overall running? Download a free copy of our 29 Tips to Transform Your Running eBook.
Active Isolated Stretching
Found this good article on Stretching on www.coreperformance.com; more specifically, related to "active isolated stretching" or assisted stretching.
Active Isolated Stretching
Sue Falsone January 6, 2009
Overview
Active isolated stretching (AIS) will help you bolster your flexibility and retain the gains you've made. In AIS, you don't hold a stretch for 10 to 30 seconds as you would in traditional stretching. Instead, you use a rope to gently assist in pulling your muscle a little farther than your body would ordinarily allow. This form of stretching reprograms your brain and your body to remember new ranges of motion, so you see fast improvements in flexibility.
How It Works
To understand how AIS works, try this fast exercise: Curl your arm up without any weight and squeeze your biceps at the top. Now try to flex your triceps. The reason your triceps is mush in this position is because of a scientific principle known as "reciprocal inhibition." Reciprocal inhibition states that the muscle on one side of a joint must relax in order for the opposing muscle to contract, and it's the basis of AIS.
"Often times, people stretch one day only to feel just as tight the next," says Sue Falsone, director of performance physical therapy for Athletes' Performance. But with AIS, Falsone says, you utilize reciprocal inhibition to not only loosen up the opposing muscle, but also increase your range of motion. You won't stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, as you would with traditional stretch-and-hold stretches. Instead, by holding stretches for just a couple seconds, you'll increase your range of motion with each repetition.
By using a rope to assist with the stretch, you can increase your range of motion by 6 to 10 degrees more than without the rope. This is key because it helps reprogram your brain to remember this new range of motion. That way it can remind your muscles the next time you stretch or play or lift weights.
Mind Over Muscle
Mentally you’ve conditioned yourself to believe you can stretch only to a certain point. And most often, you've determined that point because you're weak in a given area or you lack focus. With AIS, you're reprogramming your brain, along with any preconceived notions about your flexibility.
For example, say you’re doing a hamstring stretch. You’re lying on your back with a rope wrapped around one leg. First, you squeeze your quadriceps, hip flexors, and abs. As you squeeze, they contract, and your brain sends a message to your hamstrings telling them to relax. That enables you to gently assist with the rope to pull your hamstrings into a slightly deeper stretch, and it helps to reprogram your brain to recognize that new range of motion.
Since your quadriceps and hip flexors are doing the work, your brain is sending signals to your quadriceps, shutting off the signals to your hamstrings, which want to resist. In a sense, you’re tricking your body, and you're constantly reprogramming it.
When to Do It
If you have a tight back or hamstrings, you might find it valuable to practice AIS every day. It's best performed at the end of a workout or when you have some free time at night or on the weekends.
Coaching Keys
■Move actively through the range of motion and exhale as you gently assist with the rope.
■The rope should add no more than 6 to 10 percent to your range of motion.
■To save time, do the entire series of leg stretches with one leg first, then the other.
Active Isolated Stretching
Sue Falsone January 6, 2009
Overview
Active isolated stretching (AIS) will help you bolster your flexibility and retain the gains you've made. In AIS, you don't hold a stretch for 10 to 30 seconds as you would in traditional stretching. Instead, you use a rope to gently assist in pulling your muscle a little farther than your body would ordinarily allow. This form of stretching reprograms your brain and your body to remember new ranges of motion, so you see fast improvements in flexibility.
How It Works
To understand how AIS works, try this fast exercise: Curl your arm up without any weight and squeeze your biceps at the top. Now try to flex your triceps. The reason your triceps is mush in this position is because of a scientific principle known as "reciprocal inhibition." Reciprocal inhibition states that the muscle on one side of a joint must relax in order for the opposing muscle to contract, and it's the basis of AIS.
"Often times, people stretch one day only to feel just as tight the next," says Sue Falsone, director of performance physical therapy for Athletes' Performance. But with AIS, Falsone says, you utilize reciprocal inhibition to not only loosen up the opposing muscle, but also increase your range of motion. You won't stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, as you would with traditional stretch-and-hold stretches. Instead, by holding stretches for just a couple seconds, you'll increase your range of motion with each repetition.
By using a rope to assist with the stretch, you can increase your range of motion by 6 to 10 degrees more than without the rope. This is key because it helps reprogram your brain to remember this new range of motion. That way it can remind your muscles the next time you stretch or play or lift weights.
Mind Over Muscle
Mentally you’ve conditioned yourself to believe you can stretch only to a certain point. And most often, you've determined that point because you're weak in a given area or you lack focus. With AIS, you're reprogramming your brain, along with any preconceived notions about your flexibility.
For example, say you’re doing a hamstring stretch. You’re lying on your back with a rope wrapped around one leg. First, you squeeze your quadriceps, hip flexors, and abs. As you squeeze, they contract, and your brain sends a message to your hamstrings telling them to relax. That enables you to gently assist with the rope to pull your hamstrings into a slightly deeper stretch, and it helps to reprogram your brain to recognize that new range of motion.
Since your quadriceps and hip flexors are doing the work, your brain is sending signals to your quadriceps, shutting off the signals to your hamstrings, which want to resist. In a sense, you’re tricking your body, and you're constantly reprogramming it.
When to Do It
If you have a tight back or hamstrings, you might find it valuable to practice AIS every day. It's best performed at the end of a workout or when you have some free time at night or on the weekends.
Coaching Keys
■Move actively through the range of motion and exhale as you gently assist with the rope.
■The rope should add no more than 6 to 10 percent to your range of motion.
■To save time, do the entire series of leg stretches with one leg first, then the other.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Interval Running to Boost Endurance & Speed
found this great article courtesy of www.active.com:
Fartlek training can boost your running speed, endurance
Nicki Anderson
Chicago Daily Herald
Q. I have been running for about three years. I really love it and would like to begin improving my speed and distance. What are your recommendations for doing this safely and effectively?
A. One word: Fartlek.
Funny word, great training tool. Fartlek training -- the word means "speed-play" in Swedish -- has been around for about 50 years and is very effective in increasing a runner's speed and endurance.
Personally, I swear by this method, and generally bring it into my training a month or so before a race. Or, I'll integrate it into my regular training to improve my personal training time.
Basically, Fartlek involves varying your pace throughout your run. In other words, you integrate intense sprints into your workout, followed by a recovery run or slow jog slightly below your normal running pace.
For example, if you are a beginner, you might include five short sprints -- that's every 6 or 7 minutes -- over the duration of a 45-minute run. As your fitness level improves, you can increase it to 10 sprints. I usually run 4 to 5 minutes followed by a 30-second sprint.
You need to keep in mind that this is a pretty advanced form of training that requires discipline and running experience. You must be willing to really kick up the pace of your run for a brief period -- about 30 seconds -- in order to make the intervals work effectively.
It's also a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning this training method. Being fit doesn't make one immune to potential risks.
Here is a suggestion for an intermediate program for a Fartlek session:
As you head out for your regular run (or if you are using your treadmill), keep up the same pace for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, kick up your pace for about 30 seconds, going as fast as you can. After 30 seconds, bring your pace back to normal until your breathing is no longer labored.
The idea here is that each time you kick up your speed, you are putting stress on your cardiovascular system, which allows your system to improve its threshold. Thus, you will be increasing both speed and endurance.
If you decide to introduce Fartlek to your regular training, just remember: Listen to your body and avoid doing too much too soon.
You can use hills for your sprint work as an effective means to elevate your heart rate and work on strength, speed and endurance.
You have to be your own coach, so push yourself to make sure you're putting out the necessary effort.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nicki Anderson is a certified personal trainer, author and owner of Reality Fitness in Naperville. For information, visit www.realityfitness.com.
Fartlek training can boost your running speed, endurance
Nicki Anderson
Chicago Daily Herald
Q. I have been running for about three years. I really love it and would like to begin improving my speed and distance. What are your recommendations for doing this safely and effectively?
A. One word: Fartlek.
Funny word, great training tool. Fartlek training -- the word means "speed-play" in Swedish -- has been around for about 50 years and is very effective in increasing a runner's speed and endurance.
Personally, I swear by this method, and generally bring it into my training a month or so before a race. Or, I'll integrate it into my regular training to improve my personal training time.
Basically, Fartlek involves varying your pace throughout your run. In other words, you integrate intense sprints into your workout, followed by a recovery run or slow jog slightly below your normal running pace.
For example, if you are a beginner, you might include five short sprints -- that's every 6 or 7 minutes -- over the duration of a 45-minute run. As your fitness level improves, you can increase it to 10 sprints. I usually run 4 to 5 minutes followed by a 30-second sprint.
You need to keep in mind that this is a pretty advanced form of training that requires discipline and running experience. You must be willing to really kick up the pace of your run for a brief period -- about 30 seconds -- in order to make the intervals work effectively.
It's also a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning this training method. Being fit doesn't make one immune to potential risks.
Here is a suggestion for an intermediate program for a Fartlek session:
As you head out for your regular run (or if you are using your treadmill), keep up the same pace for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, kick up your pace for about 30 seconds, going as fast as you can. After 30 seconds, bring your pace back to normal until your breathing is no longer labored.
The idea here is that each time you kick up your speed, you are putting stress on your cardiovascular system, which allows your system to improve its threshold. Thus, you will be increasing both speed and endurance.
If you decide to introduce Fartlek to your regular training, just remember: Listen to your body and avoid doing too much too soon.
You can use hills for your sprint work as an effective means to elevate your heart rate and work on strength, speed and endurance.
You have to be your own coach, so push yourself to make sure you're putting out the necessary effort.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nicki Anderson is a certified personal trainer, author and owner of Reality Fitness in Naperville. For information, visit www.realityfitness.com.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Computational Marathoning
a great article brought to my attention by a fellow marathoner and RBS'er, Laurie B...thanks Laurie!
Oct. 21: A New Science Is Born–Computational Marathoning
10/21/2010 5:01 PM
If the New York City Marathon offered its top prize money to the smartest guy in the field, I'd be betting on Benjamin Isaac Rapoport on Nov. 7. He's not likely to be on the podium, however. He's hoping for a PR around 2:50.Rapoport notched a recent PR in last April's Boston Marathon, clocking a 2:55:11. Most runners follow up their Boston Marathon finishes with a few celebratory beverages and a nice restaurant meal. Not Rapoport. He had an afternoon appointment in his calendar last April: After finishing the Marathon, he had to teach an endurance physiology class at Harvard Medical School.Rapoport has taught the same class after his Boston Marathon finishes for a handful of years. Last April, a lightbulb went off: He ought to share his research and conclusions with a wider audience. The result is the cover story in the new issue of PLoS Computational Biology. It's titled "Metabolic Factors Limiting Performance in Marathon Runners." Which means, in brief, that it's a "computational study" of how to optimize your marathon pace and the carbohydrate consumption necessary to hold that pace for 26.2 miles.http://www.ploscompbiol.org/home.actionMost runners recognize that these two issues–pace and carbs–are crucial to successful marathons. Everyone struggles to find their perfect pace, and everyone packs away carbs before and during the marathon. However, not everyone succeeds. Sometimes we crash and burn. Or, as we runners often say it, we "hit The Wall."Rapoport, 29, who will run his 19th marathon in a week in New York City, says he has only hit The Wall all hard once, in the 2005 NYC race. But the experience was bad enough, and his curiosity strong enough, to put him on a quest to eliminate The Wall through precise calculations. An MD student at Harvard Medical School, as well as a PhD student in electrical engineering at MIT, Rapoport hopes to become a neurosurgeon who implants electric circuits in damaged human brains.http://www.rle.mit.edu/avbs/whoweare_ben.htmIn his new paper, Rapoport sticks to the more mundane but still tantalizing challenges of the marathon. First he points out that carbohydrate loading makes a big difference. A 154-lb man who doesn't load effectively will find his glycogen supply stuck at about: 20 calories in the blood, 350 in the liver, and 1250 in the leg muscles. That totals 1620 calories. Unfortunately, the same guy needs about 2900 calories to finish the marathon. Oh, oh, big trouble ahead.Yet if this runner loads to the max, he will have: 20 calories in the blood, 650 in the liver, and 2270 in the leg muscles. That totals 2940 total calories. Now we're talking.But glycogen supplies are only half the game. The other half is your fuel efficiency, AKA your marathon pace. If you run too hard, your body selectively chooses carbohydrates as fuel and you risk depletion. This is known as going out too fast and bonking. If you slow a little, your body can burn more fat, sparing some of the glycogen, and you can reach the finish line with no Wall in sight.There's a third half too. If you consume some carbs during the marathon, you can modestly extend your range. That's why we have sports drinks, gels, and bars. They can help us avoid The Wall.The mathematics in Rapoport's paper are, frankly, beyond most of us (me, anyway). But he hopes to develop an online calculator any day now to simplify the process. After all, the main goal behind his work is to make "computational marathoning" (my words, not his) accessible to real-world marathoners. He wants runners to understand that The Wall is not an inevitability; it only results from inexact science. (As soon as he tells us about the calculator, we'll post a link here.)Below, Rapoport answers a few questions about his paper and his personal approach to training, carbohydrate loading, and pacing the marathon.Q: Do you follow the classic 7-day depletion and reloading carb diet, or do you just load the last several days?Benjamin Rapoport: I haven't found any good evidence that favors the full-depletion approach. I think the key issue is to eat mostly carbohydrates (I happen to prefer rice) and very little fat and protein the last three days before a marathon, and to take your big meals shortly after a workout. That way you get the highest percent of glycogen loading in your leg muscles. There's also evidence that you can increase your leg glycogen supplies if your final workouts include some high-intensity running. I do just 30 or 40 minutes easy the last three days before a marathon, but I finish up with a couple of minutes quite hard.Q: If runners with big muscles can store more glycogen, why don't big runners race marathons faster than smaller runners?BR: Big runners are like heavy trucks that have large gas tanks, but have low fuel economy (five miles per gallon). Elite runners are like good motorcycles that have small gas tanks but high fuel economy, so they get 60 miles per gallon. Because of this high fuel economy, the elites can run fast over a given distance without depleting their carbohydrate reserves. But bigger guys risk running low on fuel.Q: You acknowledge that midrace fueling doesn't have a large effect like effective carbohydrate-loading, but you still believe it important. Do you have a personal preference during your races–drinks, bars, or gels?BR: I like to take a gel pack–I've got no preferences among the various brands–about every 5 miles. I have a pet peeve about the sports drinks at marathons. The drinks have undergone years of validation, and we know they work at the precise intended concentrations. But when they're mixed up from dry mixes by marathon volunteers, you don't really know what you're getting. They could be too dilute or too strong, and neither is good. That's why I like gels–you know precisely what you're getting.Q: Caffeine?BR: Sure, it's been pretty well shown to help in endurance events like the marathon. There are basically two issues: What's your tolerance? And how much should you be taking for your body mass? Someone who consumes coffee on a regular basis might need more caffeine to get a performance effect. And of course no one really knows how much caffeine they're getting from coffee and other drinks. That's why I think caffeine tablets are better. At least they work for me. Again, you know exactly how much you're getting. There's some evidence that adding niacin to the caffeine makes it more effective more quickly.Q: How has your training evolved over the years, and brought you to faster marathon times?BR: I've learned more physiology. I've trained harder. And I think I've trained much smarter. I used to hate speedwork–I considered it drudgery. Then one day I just decided to start liking it. And ever since then, about three years ago, I have. I'm pressed for time like everyone else. Most days I only have about 45 minutes to work out. So I'll do several workouts at my marathon pace or faster, and then longer runs on the weekend. My speed workouts tend to be three cycles of two-mile repeats including a half-mile in 6:30, my goal marathon pace; a mile at 6:00; and a half-mile at 5:30 pace. On the weekends, I'll start from my base long run mileage of 11-12, with increases of 1-2 miles a week, and a maximum length of 24-25 miles. Then I taper for two to three weeks, decreasing mileage significantly, but continuing the speedwork. On my recovery days between runs, I do 45 to 60 minutes of riding on an indoor bike while also reading and studying.Q: A lot of what's in your paper is already known to marathoners–they have to carb load and run the right pace. Is your major contribution that you're providing more "numbers" to make the process more exact?A: I certainly hope so. That has been my goal from the start. I've heard that others beside you think the math is too hard, so that's why I'm working on the online calculator. The thing is, so many runners don't get the marathon right because they don't know how to make the individual adjustments. In the marathon where I bonked badly, New York in 2005, I had trained really well, but I got the carb loading all wrong. I want people to know that indiviIf the New York City Marathon offered its top prize money to the smartest guy in the field, I'd be betting on Benjamin Isaac Rapoport on Nov. 7. He's not likely to be on the podium, however. He's hoping for a PR around 2:50. Then it's back to his MD studies at Harvard and his PhD engineering classes at MIT.
If the New York City Marathon offered its top prize money to the smartest guy in the field, I'd be betting on Benjamin Isaac Rapoport on Nov. 7. He's not likely to be on the podium, however. He's hoping for a personal record of around 2:50. Then it's back to his M.D. studies at Harvard and his Ph.D. engineering classes at MIT. [Photo right: Rapoport running in Cambridge, Mass. Photo courtesy Patrick Gillooly/MIT.]
Rapoport notched a recent PR in last April's Boston Marathon, clocking a 2:55:11. Most runners follow up their Boston Marathon finishes with a few celebratory beverages and a nice restaurant meal. Not Rapoport. He had an afternoon appointment in his calendar last April: After finishing the marathon, he had to teach an endurance physiology class at Harvard Medical School.
Rapoport has taught the same class after his Boston Marathon finishes for a handful of years. Last April, a light bulb went off: He ought to share his research and conclusions with a wider audience. The result is the cover story in the new issue of PLoS Computational Biology (free, full text here). It's titled "Metabolic Factors Limiting Performance in Marathon Runners." Which means, in brief, that it's a "computational study" of how to optimize your carbohydrate consumption and marathon pace to achieve a maximal-for-you performance over the full 26.2 miles.
Most runners recognize that these two issues–carbs and pace–are crucial to successful marathons. Everyone packs away carbs before and during the marathon, and everyone struggles to find their perfect pace. However, not everyone succeeds. Sometimes we crash and burn. Or, as we runners often say it, we "hit The Wall."
Rapoport, 29, who will run his 19th marathon in New York City, says he has only hit The Wall hard once, in the 2005 NYC race. But the experience was bad enough, and his curiosity strong enough, to put him on a quest to eliminate The Wall through precise calculations. An M.D. student at Harvard Medical School, as well as a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering at MIT, Rapoport hopes to become a neurosurgeon who works with electronic circuit board implants in damaged brains.
In his new paper, Rapoport sticks to the more mundane but still tantalizing challenges of the marathon. First he points out that carbohydrate loading makes a big difference. A 154-pound man who doesn't load effectively will find his glycogen supply stuck at about: 20 calories in the blood, 350 in the liver, and 1,250 in the leg muscles. That totals 1,620 calories. Unfortunately, the same guy needs about 2,900 calories to finish the marathon. Uh oh, big trouble ahead.
Yet if this runner loads to the max, he will have: 20 calories in the blood, 650 in the liver, and 2,270 in the leg muscles. That totals 2,940 total calories. Now we're talking.
But glycogen supplies are only half the game. The other half is your fuel efficiency, AKA your marathon pace. If you run too hard, your body selectively chooses carbohydrates as fuel and you risk depletion. This is known as going out too fast and bonking. If you slow a little, your body can burn more fat, sparing some of the glycogen, and you can reach the finish line with no Wall in sight. Of course, before your next marathon, you can also train harder, or lose a few pounds (within reason), to raise your VO2 max, and hence your marathon efficiency.
There's a third half too. If you consume some carbs during the marathon, you can modestly extend your range before bonking. That's why we have sports drinks, gels, and bars. They can help us avoid The Wall.
The mathematics in Rapoport's paper are, frankly, beyond most of us (me, anyway). But he has developed an online calculator at endurancecalculator.com to simplify the process. [Ed: Your computer must have Java to view this calculator.] After all, the main goal behind his work is to make "computational marathoning" (my words, not his) accessible to real-world marathoners. He wants runners to understand that The Wall is not an inevitability; it only results from inexact science.
Below, Rapoport answers a few questions about his paper and his personal approach to training, carbohydrate loading, and pacing the marathon.
Q: First, you seem a pretty smart fellow. But did you pass the Boston Marathon's final-exam online registration test on Monday for getting into the 2011 race?
Benjamin Rapoport: Yes. Judging from my confirmation number, I think I was the 12th person to register. I started clicking at 8:59 Monday morning, was done five minutes later, and oblivious to the fiasco until someone mentioned it to me the next morning.
When tapering for a marathon, do you follow the old seven-day depletion and reloading carb diet, or do you just load the last several days?
I haven't found any good evidence that favors the full-depletion approach. I think the key issue is to eat mostly carbohydrates (I happen to prefer rice) and very little fat and protein the last three days before a marathon, and to take your big meals shortly after a workout. That way you get the highest percent of glycogen loading in your leg muscles. There's also evidence that you can increase your leg glycogen supplies if your final workouts include some high-intensity running. I do just 30 or 40 minutes of easy running the last three days before a marathon, but I finish up with a couple of minutes quite hard.
If runners with big muscles can store more glycogen, why don't big runners race marathons faster than smaller runners?
Big runners are like heavy trucks that have large gas tanks, but low fuel economy (five miles per gallon). Elite runners are like good motorcycles that have small gas tanks but high fuel economy, so they get 60 miles per gallon. Because of this high fuel economy, the elites can run fast over the marathon distance without depleting their carbohydrate reserves. But bigger guys risk running low on fuel if their efficiency is too low.
You acknowledge that midrace fueling doesn't have a large effect like optimal carbohydrate-loading, but you still believe it's important. Do you have a personal preference during your races–drinks, bars, or gels?
I like to take a gel pack about every five miles–I've got no preferences among the various brands. I have a pet peeve about the sports drinks at marathons. The drinks have undergone years of validation, and we know they work at the precise intended concentrations. But when they're mixed up from dry mixes by marathon volunteers, you don't really know what you're getting. They could be too dilute or too strong, and neither is good. That's why I like gels–you know precisely what you're getting.
Caffeine?
Sure. It's been pretty well shown to help in endurance events like the marathon. There are basically two issues: What's your tolerance? And how much should you be taking for your body mass? Someone who consumes coffee on a regular basis might need more caffeine to get a performance effect. And of course no one really knows how much caffeine they're getting from coffee and other drinks. That's why I think caffeine tablets are better. At least they work for me. Again, you know exactly how much you're getting. There's some evidence that adding niacin to the caffeine makes it more effective more quickly.
How has your training evolved over the years, and brought you to faster marathon times?
I've learned more physiology. I've trained harder. And I think I've trained much smarter. I used to hate speedwork–I considered it drudgery. Then one day I just decided to start liking it. And ever since then, about three years ago, I have. I'm pressed for time like everyone else. Most days I only have about 45 minutes to work out. So I'll do several workouts a week at my marathon pace or faster, and then longer runs on the weekend. My speed workouts tend to be three cycles of two-mile repeats including a half-mile in 6:30, my goal marathon pace; a mile at 6:00; and a half-mile at 5:30 pace. [Ed: This is roughly equivalent to marathon pace/lactate threshold pace/VO2 max pace; also, marathon pace/tempo pace/intervals pace.] On the weekends, I'll start from my base long-run mileage of 11-12 miles, with increases of 1-2 miles a week, and a maximum length of 24-25 miles. Then I taper for two to three weeks, decreasing mileage significantly, but continuing the speedwork. On my recovery days between runs, I do 45 to 60 minutes of riding on an indoor bike while also reading and studying.
A lot of what's in your paper is already known to marathoners–they know they should carbo load and run the right pace. Is your major contribution that you're providing more "numbers" to make the process more exact?
I certainly hope so. That has been my goal from the start. I've heard from a number of readers that they think the math is too complex, so that's why I developed the online calculator. The thing is, so many runners don't get the marathon right because they don't know how to make the individual adjustments. In the marathon where I bonked badly, New York in 2005, I had trained really well, but I got the carb loading all wrong. I want people to know that individual quantification is relatively easy to do, and that it can be essential for the individual runner. It's the only way to know exactly what you need to do.
Oct. 21: A New Science Is Born–Computational Marathoning
10/21/2010 5:01 PM
If the New York City Marathon offered its top prize money to the smartest guy in the field, I'd be betting on Benjamin Isaac Rapoport on Nov. 7. He's not likely to be on the podium, however. He's hoping for a PR around 2:50.Rapoport notched a recent PR in last April's Boston Marathon, clocking a 2:55:11. Most runners follow up their Boston Marathon finishes with a few celebratory beverages and a nice restaurant meal. Not Rapoport. He had an afternoon appointment in his calendar last April: After finishing the Marathon, he had to teach an endurance physiology class at Harvard Medical School.Rapoport has taught the same class after his Boston Marathon finishes for a handful of years. Last April, a lightbulb went off: He ought to share his research and conclusions with a wider audience. The result is the cover story in the new issue of PLoS Computational Biology. It's titled "Metabolic Factors Limiting Performance in Marathon Runners." Which means, in brief, that it's a "computational study" of how to optimize your marathon pace and the carbohydrate consumption necessary to hold that pace for 26.2 miles.http://www.ploscompbiol.org/home.actionMost runners recognize that these two issues–pace and carbs–are crucial to successful marathons. Everyone struggles to find their perfect pace, and everyone packs away carbs before and during the marathon. However, not everyone succeeds. Sometimes we crash and burn. Or, as we runners often say it, we "hit The Wall."Rapoport, 29, who will run his 19th marathon in a week in New York City, says he has only hit The Wall all hard once, in the 2005 NYC race. But the experience was bad enough, and his curiosity strong enough, to put him on a quest to eliminate The Wall through precise calculations. An MD student at Harvard Medical School, as well as a PhD student in electrical engineering at MIT, Rapoport hopes to become a neurosurgeon who implants electric circuits in damaged human brains.http://www.rle.mit.edu/avbs/whoweare_ben.htmIn his new paper, Rapoport sticks to the more mundane but still tantalizing challenges of the marathon. First he points out that carbohydrate loading makes a big difference. A 154-lb man who doesn't load effectively will find his glycogen supply stuck at about: 20 calories in the blood, 350 in the liver, and 1250 in the leg muscles. That totals 1620 calories. Unfortunately, the same guy needs about 2900 calories to finish the marathon. Oh, oh, big trouble ahead.Yet if this runner loads to the max, he will have: 20 calories in the blood, 650 in the liver, and 2270 in the leg muscles. That totals 2940 total calories. Now we're talking.But glycogen supplies are only half the game. The other half is your fuel efficiency, AKA your marathon pace. If you run too hard, your body selectively chooses carbohydrates as fuel and you risk depletion. This is known as going out too fast and bonking. If you slow a little, your body can burn more fat, sparing some of the glycogen, and you can reach the finish line with no Wall in sight.There's a third half too. If you consume some carbs during the marathon, you can modestly extend your range. That's why we have sports drinks, gels, and bars. They can help us avoid The Wall.The mathematics in Rapoport's paper are, frankly, beyond most of us (me, anyway). But he hopes to develop an online calculator any day now to simplify the process. After all, the main goal behind his work is to make "computational marathoning" (my words, not his) accessible to real-world marathoners. He wants runners to understand that The Wall is not an inevitability; it only results from inexact science. (As soon as he tells us about the calculator, we'll post a link here.)Below, Rapoport answers a few questions about his paper and his personal approach to training, carbohydrate loading, and pacing the marathon.Q: Do you follow the classic 7-day depletion and reloading carb diet, or do you just load the last several days?Benjamin Rapoport: I haven't found any good evidence that favors the full-depletion approach. I think the key issue is to eat mostly carbohydrates (I happen to prefer rice) and very little fat and protein the last three days before a marathon, and to take your big meals shortly after a workout. That way you get the highest percent of glycogen loading in your leg muscles. There's also evidence that you can increase your leg glycogen supplies if your final workouts include some high-intensity running. I do just 30 or 40 minutes easy the last three days before a marathon, but I finish up with a couple of minutes quite hard.Q: If runners with big muscles can store more glycogen, why don't big runners race marathons faster than smaller runners?BR: Big runners are like heavy trucks that have large gas tanks, but have low fuel economy (five miles per gallon). Elite runners are like good motorcycles that have small gas tanks but high fuel economy, so they get 60 miles per gallon. Because of this high fuel economy, the elites can run fast over a given distance without depleting their carbohydrate reserves. But bigger guys risk running low on fuel.Q: You acknowledge that midrace fueling doesn't have a large effect like effective carbohydrate-loading, but you still believe it important. Do you have a personal preference during your races–drinks, bars, or gels?BR: I like to take a gel pack–I've got no preferences among the various brands–about every 5 miles. I have a pet peeve about the sports drinks at marathons. The drinks have undergone years of validation, and we know they work at the precise intended concentrations. But when they're mixed up from dry mixes by marathon volunteers, you don't really know what you're getting. They could be too dilute or too strong, and neither is good. That's why I like gels–you know precisely what you're getting.Q: Caffeine?BR: Sure, it's been pretty well shown to help in endurance events like the marathon. There are basically two issues: What's your tolerance? And how much should you be taking for your body mass? Someone who consumes coffee on a regular basis might need more caffeine to get a performance effect. And of course no one really knows how much caffeine they're getting from coffee and other drinks. That's why I think caffeine tablets are better. At least they work for me. Again, you know exactly how much you're getting. There's some evidence that adding niacin to the caffeine makes it more effective more quickly.Q: How has your training evolved over the years, and brought you to faster marathon times?BR: I've learned more physiology. I've trained harder. And I think I've trained much smarter. I used to hate speedwork–I considered it drudgery. Then one day I just decided to start liking it. And ever since then, about three years ago, I have. I'm pressed for time like everyone else. Most days I only have about 45 minutes to work out. So I'll do several workouts at my marathon pace or faster, and then longer runs on the weekend. My speed workouts tend to be three cycles of two-mile repeats including a half-mile in 6:30, my goal marathon pace; a mile at 6:00; and a half-mile at 5:30 pace. On the weekends, I'll start from my base long run mileage of 11-12, with increases of 1-2 miles a week, and a maximum length of 24-25 miles. Then I taper for two to three weeks, decreasing mileage significantly, but continuing the speedwork. On my recovery days between runs, I do 45 to 60 minutes of riding on an indoor bike while also reading and studying.Q: A lot of what's in your paper is already known to marathoners–they have to carb load and run the right pace. Is your major contribution that you're providing more "numbers" to make the process more exact?A: I certainly hope so. That has been my goal from the start. I've heard that others beside you think the math is too hard, so that's why I'm working on the online calculator. The thing is, so many runners don't get the marathon right because they don't know how to make the individual adjustments. In the marathon where I bonked badly, New York in 2005, I had trained really well, but I got the carb loading all wrong. I want people to know that indiviIf the New York City Marathon offered its top prize money to the smartest guy in the field, I'd be betting on Benjamin Isaac Rapoport on Nov. 7. He's not likely to be on the podium, however. He's hoping for a PR around 2:50. Then it's back to his MD studies at Harvard and his PhD engineering classes at MIT.
If the New York City Marathon offered its top prize money to the smartest guy in the field, I'd be betting on Benjamin Isaac Rapoport on Nov. 7. He's not likely to be on the podium, however. He's hoping for a personal record of around 2:50. Then it's back to his M.D. studies at Harvard and his Ph.D. engineering classes at MIT. [Photo right: Rapoport running in Cambridge, Mass. Photo courtesy Patrick Gillooly/MIT.]
Rapoport notched a recent PR in last April's Boston Marathon, clocking a 2:55:11. Most runners follow up their Boston Marathon finishes with a few celebratory beverages and a nice restaurant meal. Not Rapoport. He had an afternoon appointment in his calendar last April: After finishing the marathon, he had to teach an endurance physiology class at Harvard Medical School.
Rapoport has taught the same class after his Boston Marathon finishes for a handful of years. Last April, a light bulb went off: He ought to share his research and conclusions with a wider audience. The result is the cover story in the new issue of PLoS Computational Biology (free, full text here). It's titled "Metabolic Factors Limiting Performance in Marathon Runners." Which means, in brief, that it's a "computational study" of how to optimize your carbohydrate consumption and marathon pace to achieve a maximal-for-you performance over the full 26.2 miles.
Most runners recognize that these two issues–carbs and pace–are crucial to successful marathons. Everyone packs away carbs before and during the marathon, and everyone struggles to find their perfect pace. However, not everyone succeeds. Sometimes we crash and burn. Or, as we runners often say it, we "hit The Wall."
Rapoport, 29, who will run his 19th marathon in New York City, says he has only hit The Wall hard once, in the 2005 NYC race. But the experience was bad enough, and his curiosity strong enough, to put him on a quest to eliminate The Wall through precise calculations. An M.D. student at Harvard Medical School, as well as a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering at MIT, Rapoport hopes to become a neurosurgeon who works with electronic circuit board implants in damaged brains.
In his new paper, Rapoport sticks to the more mundane but still tantalizing challenges of the marathon. First he points out that carbohydrate loading makes a big difference. A 154-pound man who doesn't load effectively will find his glycogen supply stuck at about: 20 calories in the blood, 350 in the liver, and 1,250 in the leg muscles. That totals 1,620 calories. Unfortunately, the same guy needs about 2,900 calories to finish the marathon. Uh oh, big trouble ahead.
Yet if this runner loads to the max, he will have: 20 calories in the blood, 650 in the liver, and 2,270 in the leg muscles. That totals 2,940 total calories. Now we're talking.
But glycogen supplies are only half the game. The other half is your fuel efficiency, AKA your marathon pace. If you run too hard, your body selectively chooses carbohydrates as fuel and you risk depletion. This is known as going out too fast and bonking. If you slow a little, your body can burn more fat, sparing some of the glycogen, and you can reach the finish line with no Wall in sight. Of course, before your next marathon, you can also train harder, or lose a few pounds (within reason), to raise your VO2 max, and hence your marathon efficiency.
There's a third half too. If you consume some carbs during the marathon, you can modestly extend your range before bonking. That's why we have sports drinks, gels, and bars. They can help us avoid The Wall.
The mathematics in Rapoport's paper are, frankly, beyond most of us (me, anyway). But he has developed an online calculator at endurancecalculator.com to simplify the process. [Ed: Your computer must have Java to view this calculator.] After all, the main goal behind his work is to make "computational marathoning" (my words, not his) accessible to real-world marathoners. He wants runners to understand that The Wall is not an inevitability; it only results from inexact science.
Below, Rapoport answers a few questions about his paper and his personal approach to training, carbohydrate loading, and pacing the marathon.
Q: First, you seem a pretty smart fellow. But did you pass the Boston Marathon's final-exam online registration test on Monday for getting into the 2011 race?
Benjamin Rapoport: Yes. Judging from my confirmation number, I think I was the 12th person to register. I started clicking at 8:59 Monday morning, was done five minutes later, and oblivious to the fiasco until someone mentioned it to me the next morning.
When tapering for a marathon, do you follow the old seven-day depletion and reloading carb diet, or do you just load the last several days?
I haven't found any good evidence that favors the full-depletion approach. I think the key issue is to eat mostly carbohydrates (I happen to prefer rice) and very little fat and protein the last three days before a marathon, and to take your big meals shortly after a workout. That way you get the highest percent of glycogen loading in your leg muscles. There's also evidence that you can increase your leg glycogen supplies if your final workouts include some high-intensity running. I do just 30 or 40 minutes of easy running the last three days before a marathon, but I finish up with a couple of minutes quite hard.
If runners with big muscles can store more glycogen, why don't big runners race marathons faster than smaller runners?
Big runners are like heavy trucks that have large gas tanks, but low fuel economy (five miles per gallon). Elite runners are like good motorcycles that have small gas tanks but high fuel economy, so they get 60 miles per gallon. Because of this high fuel economy, the elites can run fast over the marathon distance without depleting their carbohydrate reserves. But bigger guys risk running low on fuel if their efficiency is too low.
You acknowledge that midrace fueling doesn't have a large effect like optimal carbohydrate-loading, but you still believe it's important. Do you have a personal preference during your races–drinks, bars, or gels?
I like to take a gel pack about every five miles–I've got no preferences among the various brands. I have a pet peeve about the sports drinks at marathons. The drinks have undergone years of validation, and we know they work at the precise intended concentrations. But when they're mixed up from dry mixes by marathon volunteers, you don't really know what you're getting. They could be too dilute or too strong, and neither is good. That's why I like gels–you know precisely what you're getting.
Caffeine?
Sure. It's been pretty well shown to help in endurance events like the marathon. There are basically two issues: What's your tolerance? And how much should you be taking for your body mass? Someone who consumes coffee on a regular basis might need more caffeine to get a performance effect. And of course no one really knows how much caffeine they're getting from coffee and other drinks. That's why I think caffeine tablets are better. At least they work for me. Again, you know exactly how much you're getting. There's some evidence that adding niacin to the caffeine makes it more effective more quickly.
How has your training evolved over the years, and brought you to faster marathon times?
I've learned more physiology. I've trained harder. And I think I've trained much smarter. I used to hate speedwork–I considered it drudgery. Then one day I just decided to start liking it. And ever since then, about three years ago, I have. I'm pressed for time like everyone else. Most days I only have about 45 minutes to work out. So I'll do several workouts a week at my marathon pace or faster, and then longer runs on the weekend. My speed workouts tend to be three cycles of two-mile repeats including a half-mile in 6:30, my goal marathon pace; a mile at 6:00; and a half-mile at 5:30 pace. [Ed: This is roughly equivalent to marathon pace/lactate threshold pace/VO2 max pace; also, marathon pace/tempo pace/intervals pace.] On the weekends, I'll start from my base long-run mileage of 11-12 miles, with increases of 1-2 miles a week, and a maximum length of 24-25 miles. Then I taper for two to three weeks, decreasing mileage significantly, but continuing the speedwork. On my recovery days between runs, I do 45 to 60 minutes of riding on an indoor bike while also reading and studying.
A lot of what's in your paper is already known to marathoners–they know they should carbo load and run the right pace. Is your major contribution that you're providing more "numbers" to make the process more exact?
I certainly hope so. That has been my goal from the start. I've heard from a number of readers that they think the math is too complex, so that's why I developed the online calculator. The thing is, so many runners don't get the marathon right because they don't know how to make the individual adjustments. In the marathon where I bonked badly, New York in 2005, I had trained really well, but I got the carb loading all wrong. I want people to know that individual quantification is relatively easy to do, and that it can be essential for the individual runner. It's the only way to know exactly what you need to do.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
7 Ways to Ease Pain and Avoid Injury
Found this article from www.coreperformance.com regarding injury prevention and recognition
7 Ways to Ease Pain and Avoid Injury
December 10, 2008
Dave Cruz
Everything you do in the gym, at work, and at home either makes you more susceptible to injury or helps reduce your risk for pain. Tip the scales in your favor with these seven simple tips.
1. Straighten Up
Most people realize there's potential for injury when moving or performing an athletic activity, but what you may not realize is that poor posture can have similar if not more detrimental effects on your body than sports and exercise.
When you slouch, lock your knees, or sit with your head forward, for instance, you place unnecessary stress on areas of the body that were never built to handle it. Over time, your muscles will tighten from trying to compensate for poor posture and your joints will ache from the excessive stress placed on them. So what's the fix?
■Sit up straight, but keep your back naturally arched—your back's natural curve is meant to help transfer force
■Keep your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips and ankle bones when sitting or standing
■Avoid hours of the same posture—try to change your position as often as possible.
2. Invest 5 minutes a Day in Injury Avoidance
We all live busy lives, but what’s more important than your health? Don't wait to think about your body until it lets you down. That's like thinking about retirement when you're broke. You spend time and effort investing your money to achieve a great return. So invest in your body with proactive exercise, or what we call "prehab." To get started, use Floor Y's and T's to help protect your upper body, mini band walks for your lower body, and pillar bridges for core stability.
3. Stay in Control of Your Body
Flexibility is not only movement through a range of motion, but it is the ability to control the movement through the range. Without neuromuscular control, range of motion is useless. Think of a fast car that can handle successive curves on a road. If the car did not have the appropriate braking and accelerating actions, the drive would not be smooth or safe. The same concept applies to movement in the human body. The greater the flexibility you have, the more coordinated strength you need to direct your movement appropriately. Get started with this flexibility routine.
4. Wake Up Your Muscles
Injury is often caused by one muscle group—often times, your glutes or shoulder stabilizers—being completely shut off. This causes other areas of the body to compensate, leading to injury. Following your movement preparation program will activate these inactive areas and enable your body to recall movements you may have not used since childhood.
5. Pay Attention to Your Feet
Improving the strength of your foot intrinsic muscles (the small, stabilizing muscles) will build a greater base for movement. On the other hand, lack of foot intrinsic strength will lead to inefficient movement patterns, placing excessive stress on the foot, ankle, knee, hip and low back. To check the status of your arch, see if the inside bones of your feet touch the ground. If they do, you can benefit from simple exercises to support your arch. Here are a couple:
Towel Crunches
■Sit in a chair with feet flat on the ground with toes pointing straight ahead.
■Then, place a towel under feet and curl toes trying to pull towel under foot while rolling feet out to lift arch up.
■Go for 1 minute, and repeat a total of 3 times.
Tennis Ball Foot Massage
■Place your foot on top of the ball and slowly apply pressure as you roll your foot over it. You may find some tender spots. That's OK.
■Apply enough pressure so it's a little uncomfortable, but not painful.
■Do this for about 5 minutes on each foot once a day.
6. Stay on the Lookout for Warning Signs
Pay attention to the small aches and pains that creep up in your training. They’re usually a red flag that some part of your training is not being performed correctly. It may be related to training intensity, mechanics (compensations), or slight positional faults. Ignoring them can only lead to bigger problems that may significantly impact your training later on. You’re probably already aware of your weaknesses. Start training them.
7. Follow a Real Plan
Performing workouts at random can result in injury if your training is unbalanced. You may strengthen some muscles at the expense of others, creating imbalances that result in pain or injury. So set long term goals to help set your motivation in place and help define direction and purpose in your training, but also set specific, clear, short-term goals to guide and focus you along the way. At the end of each day, ask yourself, "Did I move closer to my goal today?” Start a free trial training and nutrition program.
7 Ways to Ease Pain and Avoid Injury
December 10, 2008
Dave Cruz
Everything you do in the gym, at work, and at home either makes you more susceptible to injury or helps reduce your risk for pain. Tip the scales in your favor with these seven simple tips.
1. Straighten Up
Most people realize there's potential for injury when moving or performing an athletic activity, but what you may not realize is that poor posture can have similar if not more detrimental effects on your body than sports and exercise.
When you slouch, lock your knees, or sit with your head forward, for instance, you place unnecessary stress on areas of the body that were never built to handle it. Over time, your muscles will tighten from trying to compensate for poor posture and your joints will ache from the excessive stress placed on them. So what's the fix?
■Sit up straight, but keep your back naturally arched—your back's natural curve is meant to help transfer force
■Keep your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips and ankle bones when sitting or standing
■Avoid hours of the same posture—try to change your position as often as possible.
2. Invest 5 minutes a Day in Injury Avoidance
We all live busy lives, but what’s more important than your health? Don't wait to think about your body until it lets you down. That's like thinking about retirement when you're broke. You spend time and effort investing your money to achieve a great return. So invest in your body with proactive exercise, or what we call "prehab." To get started, use Floor Y's and T's to help protect your upper body, mini band walks for your lower body, and pillar bridges for core stability.
3. Stay in Control of Your Body
Flexibility is not only movement through a range of motion, but it is the ability to control the movement through the range. Without neuromuscular control, range of motion is useless. Think of a fast car that can handle successive curves on a road. If the car did not have the appropriate braking and accelerating actions, the drive would not be smooth or safe. The same concept applies to movement in the human body. The greater the flexibility you have, the more coordinated strength you need to direct your movement appropriately. Get started with this flexibility routine.
4. Wake Up Your Muscles
Injury is often caused by one muscle group—often times, your glutes or shoulder stabilizers—being completely shut off. This causes other areas of the body to compensate, leading to injury. Following your movement preparation program will activate these inactive areas and enable your body to recall movements you may have not used since childhood.
5. Pay Attention to Your Feet
Improving the strength of your foot intrinsic muscles (the small, stabilizing muscles) will build a greater base for movement. On the other hand, lack of foot intrinsic strength will lead to inefficient movement patterns, placing excessive stress on the foot, ankle, knee, hip and low back. To check the status of your arch, see if the inside bones of your feet touch the ground. If they do, you can benefit from simple exercises to support your arch. Here are a couple:
Towel Crunches
■Sit in a chair with feet flat on the ground with toes pointing straight ahead.
■Then, place a towel under feet and curl toes trying to pull towel under foot while rolling feet out to lift arch up.
■Go for 1 minute, and repeat a total of 3 times.
Tennis Ball Foot Massage
■Place your foot on top of the ball and slowly apply pressure as you roll your foot over it. You may find some tender spots. That's OK.
■Apply enough pressure so it's a little uncomfortable, but not painful.
■Do this for about 5 minutes on each foot once a day.
6. Stay on the Lookout for Warning Signs
Pay attention to the small aches and pains that creep up in your training. They’re usually a red flag that some part of your training is not being performed correctly. It may be related to training intensity, mechanics (compensations), or slight positional faults. Ignoring them can only lead to bigger problems that may significantly impact your training later on. You’re probably already aware of your weaknesses. Start training them.
7. Follow a Real Plan
Performing workouts at random can result in injury if your training is unbalanced. You may strengthen some muscles at the expense of others, creating imbalances that result in pain or injury. So set long term goals to help set your motivation in place and help define direction and purpose in your training, but also set specific, clear, short-term goals to guide and focus you along the way. At the end of each day, ask yourself, "Did I move closer to my goal today?” Start a free trial training and nutrition program.
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