"Maddi, do you want to spend your time playing soccer, where I can no longer coach you, away from home, or do you want to run...with me?"
Our daughters are growing up, and athletics, although not mandatory, are something we very much encourage. Our youngest daughter is playing softball this year. And with it comes 2x practice plus games. Both girls take piano (1x) and religious class (1x). As Madilyn debated on what sport she wanted to do this year, it sent her mom and I into a bit of a panic. No matter what she picked, it would take our family away from each other during the week and even the weekend. Because family time is important, we came up with a solution.
Running!
Maddi is a naturally built runner. Coupled with the fact I have lost faith in team sports over the years (coming from a dedicated baseball background), and based on the premise of wanting my girls to participate in sports that they can continue with throughout their life. Softball...maybe. But it is what is best for Abbi. As for Maddi, running is a viable option.
So, she agreed to run this year. She and I will run 4 days a week, with planned 5k races throughout the year. SO, we have two races planned...2/9 and 3/23. I am pumped! We bought some real running shoes, and we have a schedule.
More to come!!!
M
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Purpose of the Treadmill
Is it the miles in my running log, or is it the reason I run each run that is important? It is probably both.
During the winter build-up and foundational training season, I find myself being a wimp. I hate the cold...it hurts me, so I succumb to running on the treadmill for some of my sessions. Are these junk miles? Maybe. Do they count the same as running outside? Not likely. BUT, they have a purpose.
Running on the treadmill does at least one thing very important to my base training: foot turnover and foot strike.
Foot turnover is cadence / speed of the foot striking in the ground in a specific amount of time. The faster the foot turnover, the more efficient the runner can be. If over a mile, the foot strikes the ground more, the faster the runner is propelled forward. Seems simple, but it is not. Foot turnover forces efficiency and better form, which leads to increased endurance. Increased endurance is paramount to strength, and strength increases performance levels.
The second part of the equation is foot strike. When the legs turn over at a faster rate, if the runner strikes the ground with the foot under the hip, the calf and hamstrings load like coiled springs, bouncing the leg off the ground with greater power, and naturally moving the legs forward, leading with the knee. A good example is found here: http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2013/01/06/video-the-principles-natural-running/
Why is this important? A runner who maximizes efficiency (regardless of the shoes they wear), they increase longevity...in terms of endurance and health. Using a treadmill, while not nearly as beneficial as running outside, is a great training mechanism to focus on how fast your legs are turning over and where / how your foot is striking the ground. And for the geeks, you can easily set up a camcorder to video how you are running, for analysis and modification.
Running fast is not about getting the legs moving as fast as possible. Well, it is, but it MUST BE DONE in a certain way, or suffer through injury and loss of efficiency. So while I care very much about how many miles I run in a week, I care just as much as how I run those miles. After a few sessions on the treadmill during the freezing cold mornings, when I run outside, my body instinctively mimics how I was running inside. The result is I run faster, easier, and with less effort.
This is call foundational building.
Another benefit of staring at the wall for hours is emotional endurance...over the course of a marathon or ultra distance, the mind loses focus. On a treadmill, you are exercise your mind and your legs. Both are absolutely necessary to a positive increase in performance and enjoyment of running.
In the end, for me anyway, it is not about how fast I run. It is all about the joy of running. And I find more joy when I can run more. To run more, I need to run farther. To run farther, I need to be stronger. To be stronger, I need to run more efficiently. To run more efficiently, I need to stay healthy. To do all these things, I need to maximize the time on the treadmill.
M
During the winter build-up and foundational training season, I find myself being a wimp. I hate the cold...it hurts me, so I succumb to running on the treadmill for some of my sessions. Are these junk miles? Maybe. Do they count the same as running outside? Not likely. BUT, they have a purpose.
Running on the treadmill does at least one thing very important to my base training: foot turnover and foot strike.
Foot turnover is cadence / speed of the foot striking in the ground in a specific amount of time. The faster the foot turnover, the more efficient the runner can be. If over a mile, the foot strikes the ground more, the faster the runner is propelled forward. Seems simple, but it is not. Foot turnover forces efficiency and better form, which leads to increased endurance. Increased endurance is paramount to strength, and strength increases performance levels.
The second part of the equation is foot strike. When the legs turn over at a faster rate, if the runner strikes the ground with the foot under the hip, the calf and hamstrings load like coiled springs, bouncing the leg off the ground with greater power, and naturally moving the legs forward, leading with the knee. A good example is found here: http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2013/01/06/video-the-principles-natural-running/
Why is this important? A runner who maximizes efficiency (regardless of the shoes they wear), they increase longevity...in terms of endurance and health. Using a treadmill, while not nearly as beneficial as running outside, is a great training mechanism to focus on how fast your legs are turning over and where / how your foot is striking the ground. And for the geeks, you can easily set up a camcorder to video how you are running, for analysis and modification.
Running fast is not about getting the legs moving as fast as possible. Well, it is, but it MUST BE DONE in a certain way, or suffer through injury and loss of efficiency. So while I care very much about how many miles I run in a week, I care just as much as how I run those miles. After a few sessions on the treadmill during the freezing cold mornings, when I run outside, my body instinctively mimics how I was running inside. The result is I run faster, easier, and with less effort.
This is call foundational building.
Another benefit of staring at the wall for hours is emotional endurance...over the course of a marathon or ultra distance, the mind loses focus. On a treadmill, you are exercise your mind and your legs. Both are absolutely necessary to a positive increase in performance and enjoyment of running.
In the end, for me anyway, it is not about how fast I run. It is all about the joy of running. And I find more joy when I can run more. To run more, I need to run farther. To run farther, I need to be stronger. To be stronger, I need to run more efficiently. To run more efficiently, I need to stay healthy. To do all these things, I need to maximize the time on the treadmill.
M
Thursday, January 3, 2013
2013 Plans
With the advent of a new year, comes a new set of obsessions, or a subset of obsessions channeled through the same obsession of running. Following a fantastic climax in 2012 with the Kansas City Marathon (3:18, PR), where coming off an Achilles injury seemed to derail the entire train, I am renewed physically and emotionally.
My original goal, established during my 2012 recovery, was to focus on the shorter, triathlon races...Olympic distance. This would mean less time running, more time bicycling and swimming, and less chance for injury. However, I am a runner, and no amount of time spent watching the 2010 Hawaii Ironman over and over again will change that disposition. I am a runner.
After careful consideration, I have nearly finalized 2013.
My objective this year is two-fold: don't spend any more money than necessary on a race; race only the events I REALLY want to accomplish. Given these objectives, I shouldn't have signed up for HH, but plans change. It's a great race, and might be a nice departure coming off my first ultra (Brew to Brew).
Given the freezing conditions, I am on the treadmill some, running on an indoor track (200 meters) at work, and man-ing up for some outdoor runs. I really hate the cold, couple with never bringing music or a watch, this might be more of a mental excercise than anything else.
I list the Hawk 100 in September as tentative...if Brew to Brew goes well, then I am definitely signing up. If it is awful, then I might sign up. Either way, Brew to Brew is my primary race this year. I am beginning to become emotionally bound to this goal, and that is the key to my success.
M
My original goal, established during my 2012 recovery, was to focus on the shorter, triathlon races...Olympic distance. This would mean less time running, more time bicycling and swimming, and less chance for injury. However, I am a runner, and no amount of time spent watching the 2010 Hawaii Ironman over and over again will change that disposition. I am a runner.
After careful consideration, I have nearly finalized 2013.
- February - Sweetheart Shuffle 10k
- April - Brew to Brew solo (44.4 miles, road)
- June - Hospital Hill Half Marathon
- September - Hawk 100 (tentative)
- October - Kansas City Marathon
My objective this year is two-fold: don't spend any more money than necessary on a race; race only the events I REALLY want to accomplish. Given these objectives, I shouldn't have signed up for HH, but plans change. It's a great race, and might be a nice departure coming off my first ultra (Brew to Brew).
Given the freezing conditions, I am on the treadmill some, running on an indoor track (200 meters) at work, and man-ing up for some outdoor runs. I really hate the cold, couple with never bringing music or a watch, this might be more of a mental excercise than anything else.
I list the Hawk 100 in September as tentative...if Brew to Brew goes well, then I am definitely signing up. If it is awful, then I might sign up. Either way, Brew to Brew is my primary race this year. I am beginning to become emotionally bound to this goal, and that is the key to my success.
M
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