In transition. The times and months that you are between big goals. How do you spend your workout time? Do you continue to run big miles even though there isn’t another race on the horizon for months? Or do you take a break from running to find a new passion to occupy your workout time? Take me for example, I ran the St. George Marathon last October and have spent the last four months not really running. And now that I can run a little but still not ready to commit to any big races, I wondered how I should spend my running time? Is there such a thing as maintenance in a running program?
So, I asked Coach Al, to drop me a note on maintenance (thank you, Coach Al!!) and his answer was surprising…and YET so wise.
Maintenance fitness in running, or in any endeavor, is really a myth, don’t you think? I mean, years ago when I made my living as a professional musician, I always looked practice time on some level as always essential, because I believed that I was either “moving forward or moving backward- I was never staying still in one place.”
Today my feeling as it relates to fitness, is pretty much the same. I feel that while we THINK we can stay in one place, the reality is that we are always either getting better or getting “worse”. I don’t think I mean worse in a literal sense- what I mean is, losing some ground in our fitness, whether it be flexibility, strength or cardio.
Looking at it from a different perspective, when I think of “maintaining” fitness, what I really think I mean is CHANGE. That is, when we don’t have a specific race or event to train for, what we need to do is CHANGE something in our routine. Change could mean jumping into another sport and beginning again, to learn some new skills that will help us grow. It could mean drastically altering our “traditional” approach to the same sport, whatever that might be. The key thing is, I think when we lack that one goal event, we need to change something to keep our body’s and our mind’s fresh and interested.
More specifically, to answer your question directly, any kind of maintenance mode in run training should include regular bouts of short, fast running, and it must include regular flexibility and mobility sessions,to alleviate any gradual increase in tightness or loss of mobility and elasticity, which may end up increasing risk of injury when more ‘serious’ training ensues. As you can imagine, I also believe regular strength training (perhaps quite different than what you may have done in the past) is also essential!
Lastly, don’t be afraid to drop total run volumne during any maintenance period. In the end, you should always come out of this kind of a period more rested, refreshed and ready, physically and mentally, to begin your quest toward a new goal race or distance! Very often, the best way to do this is to simply take more days off from pure running, and integrate other cross training activities into the mix.
So, what do you all think? I’ve read this three times and I am in total agreement and am now understanding that you can’t have it all. I might get really strong in one area but lose ground in the others.
You have two choices in your life. Spend time with those who love you or spend time with those who just take up space. I chose the first one and I hope you do to. But, it’s more than that. It’s picking the right friends all the time. Finding the ones who are as passionate about the same things as you are. You know the people that you automatically click with? The ones you are always excited to see? The ones who can ride faster than you? The ones who can run faster than you? The ones who are humble, experienced and motivating at the same time? Those are hard to find. But, it is worth it to seek them out.
There are lists of experiences that I could list at the moment that could be either positive or negative. The people whom I love to run with and people that I will never run with again. People whom are not selfish and whom are interested in your goals- these are the people to spend time with.
One of my best friends on the planet; I met at the Y. It was clear that she had cycling experience so I asked her about it. Turns out she was the two time national champion in downhill mountain biking! I thought at the time, “holy crap! What’s she doing in a spin class at the Y?” She can navigate traffic better than a car. And she can leave me on any downhill descent just by her position on the bike! I’m actually nervous about learning single track with her cause there would be no crying allowed!!
WHAT CAN A MORE EXPERIENCED PERSON TEACH YOU
1. Shut the heck up! If they are more knowledgeable than you, shut up and listen to what they have to say.
2. Experience is more worth than money. They’ve got a bank account of knowledge saved up. What they know and have learned from what they have done is phenomenal. Listen and be a sponge.
3. Ride, run, lift, practice yoga (whatever their strength) with them as often as you can.
4. Hang out with them. Surrounding yourself with highly motivated, athletic people whom you respect will motivate you to become a better person yourself.
5. Skills will come by osmosis.
Go where you feel most loved.
IDEAS ON FINDING GOOD WORKOUT BUDDIES
1. Open your mouth! Introduce yourself. Another great friend I have, I met, after watching her RUN PAST ME LIKE I WAS STANDING STILL, at a school function. I told her that too. Now, at least, I can sort of run with her on slow running days!
2. Find the local running/cycling groups in your area and GO participate. If you are looking for riding buddies, go to the bike shop. They usually know all the women by name who ride. In my town, there are so few that we’ve seen each other out riding on any given day.
3. Join a Team in Training group or another fund raising type group that offers coaching. This could be highly valuable. The fund raising is for a good cause so I think it’s worth it to do it at least once.
4. Ask, ask, ask!!
5. Older is usually better. They’ve got something you want- knowledge. Don’t be intimidated if they are ten years older than you. It is likely that your fitness won’t hold up to their skills!
Owater can be purchased at most large supermarket chains such as Whole Foods, Vons and Krogers. Or it can be purchased online at Amazon or Beverages Direct.
Are you a KEEN shoe lover like me? I have two pairs of KEEN’s that I adore. The first pair, I featured here way back in May and my kind hubby read it and got them for me for Mother’s Day!! I’ve also been considering this pair (in the updated colors)…which pair do you love?
If you could pick one pair of KEEN’s which one would you pick?
KEEN is generously giving away one pair to one lucky reader! Click on over to KEEN FOOTWEAR, shop around, come back here and post a comment on which product you’d buy! Winner will be chosen at Random (.) org on December 16th at Midnight PST.
IN ADDITION: here is your FREE SHIPPING CODE available from December 10th-16th: SHOPKEEN
The post was inspired by an editorial I read in Women’s Adventure. The writer describes how her gear editor loves her Patagonia pants so much that she continues to wear and haul around even though there is a big hole in them. These pants have been “doctored” together with duct tape. She has long since given up washing them for obvious reasons.
This got me thinking…what piece of fitness gear, clothing, equipment, do I covet so much that I’d be willing to wear them/use them even though they have obviously seen better days?
I have one pair of Prana capri’s that have been washed so many times that they are soft as a baby’s butt. They are too big now and the crotch seem sags almost to my knees, but I still wear them! They are like sweats to me. Can’t give up your best pair of sweats, right?
Cycling shoes, I covet! They are expensive, but, unless your feet grow (after pregnancy mine grew one whole size) they will last forever. Fit perfectly and be like the best thing you want on your feet when cycling through your hood. Bought in Italy, Sidi’s Rock!
Vegan Knit Boots: Love. Not as supportive as an Ugg boot, but, 1/3 the cost, so I love. And since fall is finally here in Southern California (temps in the 60′s) I can wear them all day! I’m sure I will wear these till they fall off!
Yoga Mat. I had an old cheap mat from Target that was really dirty, stinky..but I loved it because when I used it, I was excited that I would be getting do to yoga, not necessarily the mat. I have a new one now that I adore. ( see next post)
What is your favorite piece of workout gear? Do you covet any one thing so much that you’d wear if they were falling off your body?
As Mothers we reprioritize our lives, and reschedule our time to fit everything in.
Before I became a mother, time was never an issue, I had time enough to work, to exercise to relax and have fun, and to sleep as much as I needed to.
Now, in the throws of early mother hood, I find myself kicking out of my life all that is absolutely not essential, so that I will have both the time and the energy for things that are completely vital to my life.
So, I sleep, but don’t lie in (even if I wanted to – who would let me?)
I shower, but don’t really allow myself those long wonderful relaxing scented baths of the past.
Everything is calculated, and planned to fit into the limited time that I have without my kids around, because when they are around – I am me no longer, but their mom.
A lot of mothers, myself included, make a point of exercising and staying fit. We exercise for different reasons, whether it’s to return to our former shape, to gain more energy, out of the love of sport.
In the general efficiency overhaul, many of us ignore the very important part of recovering from exercise.
Speeding of from your exercising class or session to the rest of your life without taking time or steps to help your body recover could counteract your very good exercising intentions.
Here are some of the rules of thumb for recovering from exercise – obviously the more strenuous your exercise the more you need make sure you take steps to recover.
1. Don’t slam the breaks on -
Come to a gradual safe stop. Continue exercising slowly for an extra 10 – 20 minutes, this will help the lactic acid leave your muscles and reduce the feeling of stiffness.
2. Save your stretching for the end of your session – do long static stretches. This helps the muscles relax and return to there normal length. (It also feels really good)
3. Eat. As soon as possible after exercising, carbohydrates are essential to our muscles after exercising (you could compare it to putting gas in a car). Protein is pretty important as well and helps the muscles recover from protein break down that occurs during exercise. A piece of fruit and some almonds, a cheese sandwich or energy bars fit the bill perfectly, plus they are easy to carry around, and to eat on the run…
4. Drink water. Lots of water, before during and after exercise. Since you loose salt along with water when you sweat, you can also drink sports drinks and replace both salt and water together.
This is especially important if you are doing very strenuous sports, like marathons triathlons and so on.
5. Be merry. Why not – you’ve earned it.
6. Sleep. Your body needs sleep to recover and to keep your performance at its best, in all aspects of life. Sleep deprivation will affect you mood more than your overall performance.
Partial sleep deprivation (one of the wonders of mother hood) is the worst kind, with the most detrimental effects. Take a nap in the afternoon if possible. Even 15 – 20 minutes can do wonders and restore your strength.
7. For the more serious athletes, damage control is not to be scoffed at either. Light massage after exercise, and cold pack on joints. After a seriously strenuous exercise, take a few days of to recover, or revert to other more gentle types of sport – walking, or swimming are good.
This looks long and time consuming, but in actuality, it will only really add about 15 minutes to your session, since the eating drinking and being merry can be done on the way to your next mission
Marni Cota, Montana State University’s Hall of Fame runner and Physical Therapist, has been a runner for 35 years and has taken what she’s learned and designed a program on how to run injury free. Marni uses a combination of strengthening, stretching, Pilates and plyometric exercises to help prevent those common running injuries and correct the muscle imbalances that stem from long-term training.
Can you tell us a little about your background as a runner?
I have been running for about 35 years. I started when I was 6 and have not stopped since. I ran through college at distances up to 10,000 meters then progressed to the marathon after graduation. I have been working with runners and injuries for my entire physical therapy career (13 years). For the past 2 years I have also been coaching at Dana Hills high school.
How can you prevent injuries when running?
The focus of any individual attempting to be a better runner should be on running, however, if this is the only activity a person does it can often lead to overuse injuries. Research has shown that strengthening the hips (specifically the abductors), gluteal muscles and abdominal muscles that you can reduce or eliminate injuries associated with running. Sidelying hip abduction done properly or side stepping to work the same muscles is very effective with a comprehensive core stabilization program. Stretching also is a must as we get less young. I recommend a 15 minute daily program that consists of about 5 stretches and strengthening exercises be done. Most runners spend some time watching TV or reading and this is when I have them do the routine. These are muscles that need to endure several hundred or thousand footsteps each run so they have to be strong.
If knowing that you have a weak muscular area such as the medial quadriceps, what exercises can you do to strengthen them?
The medial quad is usually weaker in comparison to the lateral quad due to the excessive pull from the ITB. The medial quad can very easily be strengthened in a number of ways. The best exercise that also works several other core muscles is a bridge (lying supine) with a ball squeeze at the knees.
Tell us about the class you are offering for runners:
The class I offer focuses on stretching and strengthening these muscles that help prevent running related injuries. We also offer equipment that most individuals do not have access to at their homes. The class does give them a plethora of exercises that they can do at home as well.
Marni’s classes are offered at the OC’s FreeMotion Physical Therapy in San Juan Capistrano on Tuesdays from 6:00pm-7:00pm and is $25 per session.
Introducing Sage Rountree! Author of The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, writer, endurance athlete, runner, yoga teacher, spin teacher…all around busy girl and mother of two. I should say that I found Sage via Coach Al. In my marathon plan, he suggests using her podcasts on our non running days to stretch! Can’t believe I waited almost three months before trying them! They are wonderful, short, informative, useful, yoga poses set up specifically for athletes. (Blogged about it on Fitarella, too!)
Your most passionate sport and why/ how did you discover it??
My first twenty-five years were very unathletic; I took no time off
between college and grad school, and I spent a lot of time sprawled on
couches, reading. My exercise routine consisted of riding a hybrid
bike to campus. I became a runner because my husband and I had a big
chocolate lab who needed lots of exercise. I’d walk him in the woods,
and sometimes he’d take off and I’d find myself having to run to catch
him. Those running segments of the walk grew progressively longer,
until soon he and I were out there for up to an hour at a time. I’d
often let him choose which path to follow, and I got to know the woods
piece by piece. This is a great, organic approach to building love for
a sport. Take it slowly; build gradually; follow your mood, or that of
your dog.
Trail running is still my favorite sport, because it’s so much like
yoga. You have to focus; you have to balance; you will probably fall,
and it probably won’t hurt as much as you think it will. You don’t get
hung up about how far or how fast you’re going on the trail, because
each section has its own character. Being out there with nature is
wonderful, watching the seasons change, experiencing different weather.
How much time do you recommend in each areas- such as running, yoga, stretching?? (ex. as a phys ed teacher, I used to need to spend 1 hour outside of class to do the planning for the inclass time) So, if you were to go for a run, ride, swim- what do you think is an appropriate amount of time to stretch/do recovery from each endurance workout?
That depends on duration and intensity of the workout, as well as each
athlete’s history. Even five minutes of stretching consistently
applied five times a week can help. But we could establish a rule of
thumb. Let’s say someone is training for a marathon, as you are. We
could look at the long run mileage for the week–18, 20, 22–and
encourage the athlete to spend that many minutes each day focusing on
recovery, be it through foam roller exercises, stretching, or simply
resting in a supported backbend or with legs up the wall.
[Is that what you're going for? I'm happy to elaborate if you have a
follow-up question.] YES!
You are obviously incredibly talented and motivated and doing tons of writing, etc..how do you balance your own personal workout needs with family and work commitments and which part of your job(s) do you like the best?
I’m lucky to set my own schedule. Many of my work commitments involve
training, so I’m able to multitask. I get my workouts done and
practice yoga while my girls are at school. My husband and I get a
sitter and go on weekend bike-ride dates rather than movie dates.
When my older daughter was born, I quickly realized that if I didn’t
get dressed and put on makeup immediately after waking up, it wasn’t
going to happen at all. This applies to workouts, too: I put my
workout clothes on first thing in the morning, I wear them as I walk
my daughters to school, then I complete my training before moving to
my other tasks. Consistency is key in training, but my inspiration for
work comes and goes. There’s always something else work-related I
could be doing if I’m feeling uninspired. I can write, I can work on
my athletes’ training plans, I can sketch out new class routines, or I
can leave my desk entirely and do some yoga.
The best part of my job is seeing people move beyond the limits
they’ve set for themselves. Yoga students often feel afraid to try
handstand, for example; seeing them get into the pose is wonderful.
It’s great to see my athletes accomplish something new, whether it’s a
faster time, a longer race, or seeing my Spinning students get a road
bike and do a bike tour or some charity rides.
If you all have any questions for her, I’m sure she would be happy to answer them here! I’m inspired that she does all that! Would love to become a yoga teacher myself.
I am one lucky runner! If you’re a regular here, you know I am currently taking a break from running due to an inflammed medial quadricep. I have managed to have a fairly positive attitude about this and NOW after Coach Al reviewed my run stride- I know WHY I am injured and what to do to fix it! I’d really like to improve my running as I truly believe that with Coach Al’s help, I can be at least competitive in my age group and enjoy running again!
Note: I was not able to upload the video of the actual analysis due to a coding problem- but you can CLICK HERE and listen. Below is what I’ve gotten out of it after watching it several times.
If I were to be completely honest, I’ve had pain in my legs since the very first 14 miler. I’ve not ever finished a run without some pain in my legs. Yes, I have been stretching, doing yoga and rolling on the foam roller- but when you don’t know what your (looking for) or problem areas- it’s almost like you go through the motions with no purpose. NOW I HAVE A PURPOSE. Yoga is fantastic for me, however, most of the yoga DVD’s that I have and even the classes that I occasionally attend mostly focus on the very common yoga poses- such as Sun Salutations A and B. These work more on the hip flexors and NOT the external and internal rotators of the hip.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
1. My hips are the problem area. There is a lack of strength and a tightness/weakness in the hip area that is causing EXTRA pressure on my medial quads. That with a combination of downhill running and finishing a threshold training period- my legs were trashed. Coach Al said he was “not surprised” by my injury based on my run stride. If only, I’d sent this to him earlier! Watch out 2009- that will be my YEAR.
2. Knees: My right knee is moving laterally inward which it shouldn’t do- due to the hips issue- causing extra pressure on the medial quad. It’s a puny little muscle taking a TON of stress because my hips are INFLEXIBLE.
3. Arms: My arms should be straight and not shifting back and forth in front of my body. It’s crazy how everything relates to each other. Again, my arms are doing extra work to keep everything lined up.
4. The actual run stride should look more like ice skating than soccer! My knee does not come forward very far and in slow motion it looks like I’m trying to kick a ball. Knees need to go forward and down.
5. FEET: My right foot turns out slightly when I run which is causing extra pressure on the knee and again all due to my HIPS. My right foot is pronating and left foot is slightly supinating. My shoes need to be very well supportive shoes to limit the amount of distance my foot hits the ground.
6. MUST MUST be diligent in taking care of my ITB bands. These are key in having more flexibility in the hips and pelvis.
BOTTOM LINE: I can run faster and without pain in my legs!!! There should be no pain when you run. Effort pain is one thing but leg and knee and hamstring pains are NOT. So, what’s the verdict? Stretch ITB bands, learn how to actually rotate my pelvis more by having supple flexible hips, shoes need to be for pronation, and reteach my body how to run more gracefully!
If you are interested in having COACH AL review your running, please email him at Coachal@coach-al.com. I truly believe that he could really take YOU to the next level in your running.
