Month: September 2011

Shred Part Deux

Now that I completed the 30 Day Shred in level increments of 10 I am going to do a L1 for 2 days, L for 2 days, L3 for 2 days and repeat until I get through 30 days.

I did level 1 day and it was crazy how much I improved for 90% of the video (those arm raises with a alide lunge always kill me). I’m excited to see where I am month from now!

In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life andeven more importanton his writing. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and takes us to places ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvelous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in running.

A former student of mine recommended this. has anyone read it?

Why is the Half Marathon So Popular (Article)

Article By Jeff Galloway

• Even after a difficult 13.1 mile (21K) race, runners can usually celebrate that evening

• Beginners who yearn to run a marathon see this distance as the first big step

• Marathoners find that the “half” keeps them in shape for their next “full”

• The distance is enough of a challenge to keep runners focused and energized

• Increasing long runs towards a half marathon race results in faster times at 5K, 10K, etc.

After studying findings of experts who specialize in ancient man, I’ve come to believe that training for long distances connects us directly to our roots. Primitive man had to walk and run for survival—thousands of miles a year. Through millions of years of evolution, the muscles, tendons, bones, energy systems and cardiovascular capacity adapted and expanded. A series of psychological rewards also developed, which make us feel good about ourselves when we run and walk at the correct pace in a consistent training program.

The primary goal of ancient migration was to reach the next destination. Likewise, the greatest joy for half marathoners comes in crossing the finish line.  Finishing 13.1 miles is an elite achievement: only four tenths of one percent of the population does this each year.  The satisfaction and accomplishment are similar to that experienced from the marathon.

There are quite a few lessons to be learned as one extends one’s endurance limit beyond 13 miles or 21K: conservation of resources, pacing, fluid intake, blood sugar maintenance, etc. But making a mistake during “half” training does not incur the injury risk or the down time experienced after marathon errors. If you find a way to enjoy a part of every run, your half marathon training can bring joy, satisfaction, achievement, and a positive sense of focus. For many, the challenge teaches individuals that they have unused hidden resources that can be used to deal with other challenges in life. Much of the success and joy comes from a unique endurance blending of body, mind and spirit. 

I salute all who put themselves to a realistic challenge, such as the half marathon. If you haven’t done this before, you have one of life’s great rewards waiting for you as you discover that you have much more strength inside than you envisioned.

I bought this  NY & Co. dress online this weekend (on sale) after not being able to find it in stores. I’m not a fan of online clothes shopping, especially since my body is regularly changing, but I went ahead and ordered the large. It arrived at my place tonight and I’m happy to report it fits well. 

I’m wearing it to W’s brother’s wedding at the end of October which is exciting because I’ll tone up more by then and hopefully drop a few more pounds and inches. 

My Slow Motion Running Video & Lessons Learned!

Last night I went to a Good Form Running Clinic at the new local running store. The store was awesome, I’m obsessed. However let’s jump right into the clinic.

There were 9 of us there (8 women, 1 older guy) plus the owner of the store, John. John’s been running for 30+ years completely injury free. He’s run EVERYDAY of those 30 years. He said good form is key.

After some brief intros we immediately went outside to have John take video of us jogging. We lined up and John was a few yards down from where we were so by the time we passed him we were in stride. First we jogged in our sneakers, then he asked us to take off our sneakers and jog barefoot. We went back inside and John said he’d show the video at the end. John had us run first before he told us how we SHOULD be running, which was clever. He also was not pushing a barefoot running approach, but instead pointed out how as humans were were BUILT TO RUN. He said how many shoe companies have created shoes that give us bad habits (landing on your heels for example). He said we need to go against some of our developed tendencies and pay attention to our natural tendencies which are best noticed barefoot (even if it’s just warming up). 

John asked us who was taught to drive, bike, swim (we all said yes), then he asked if we were taught to run – none of us were formally taught which is the norm. He then proceeded to talk through Good Form Running via handout. However it was not just a lecture. He had up get up and do what he was talking about while critiquing us. He also had some AWESOME visuals. I could have read all this info (like I hope you will), but hearing it and doing it in person was phenomenal. 

I’ll share the biggest points I took away.

Overall: When running lift your legs, don’t push off your feet.

1. Posture

  • to reset your posture stand up straight with your feet and shoulder forward and stretch your hands straight over your head to realign your posture – do this throughout your run (esp after a stop/break). 
  • keep your feet, hips, shoulders and head facing forward. Your hands should be thumbside up and thumbs straight ahead. (not a thumbs up)

2. Midfoot

  • Keep your feet UNDER you.
  • Running should be an accelerated march. 
  • Hitting midfoot is key. If you hit with your heel it leads to shin splits and knee problems. 

3. Cadence

  • Cadence should be 180 (3 steps a second) REGARDLESS of speed. 
  • Check your cadence under a variety of circumstances (trail, road, uphill, flat, etc.)
  • You can buy a Metronome device that beeps to keep cadence or use jogtunes.com

4. Lean

  • For good form before running lean from ankles until your heels lift – then start running (doing this barefoot is helpful). 
  • Think of your body as 11:26:30 (picture the second hand). This was a great visual for me.

RUNNING VIDEO

It was not as horrifying as I feared. Especially since not only was it projected on a wall, but he played it in SUPER SLOW MOTION. This part was fascinating. I loved observing other runners and hearing his analysis and I especially loved learning more about me. I have good Midfoot and Cadence, however my arms cross my body a bit (they should remain next to me facing straight ahead). I also bounce (aside from my boobs), we were running past a brick wall and you could see my head move between 3-4 bricks in height, it should only be able 1 (this is resulting from me pushing from my feet as opposed to lifting from my legs). John said your upper body and head should not bobble much at all – to think of yourself as an arrow or a bullet. That was quite an A-HA moment. 

Many of the ladies in the video were landing on their heels, and most of us were over extending our legs out (some more than others) as opposed to keeping our legs under us. 

It was interesting to see the other video of us running barefoot. Mine didn’t change much because I was landing midfoot with shoes, but for people who weren’t there was a big natural improvement. All of our leans were better barefoot. 

Here’s another helpful site he shared with us – also with good visuals that you can adjust.

QUESTONS

I also asked a host of questions including:

Water: He recommends belts or flat sided bottles. Said one small bottle per hand may be better for me instead of my large Smart Water bottle.

Gels: YES, he’s tried a lot over the years, must replace what we are taking out of our body.

Stretching: He’s from the school of no stretching at all. Stretching after is okay, but he sees stretching before as possibly causing more harm than good. He thinks a warm up and cool down run are best.

Needless to say I really enjoyed the running clinic and I highly recommend you going to one if they are available near you!

WIW – Completed Shred Edition

Last Week: 190.4

This Week: 188.4

Change: -2

Measurements. The first number was 1 week into Shred, the second number was today after I completed Shred, followed by the change. My waist and upper arms seem like the big winners. Regardless I am STRONGER and FITTER. 

  • Under Breast:35 / 35.5 (+0.5)
  • Smallest Waist 35.5 / 33.5 (-2)
  • Belly Button:40.5 / 40.5 (0)
  • Hips (under belly): 43 / 42 (-1)
  • Neck: 13 / 13 (0)
  • Mid Upper Arm: 10.5 / 10.5 (0)
  • Upper Arm: 13.25 / 12.25 (-1 per arm)
  • Wrist: a touch over 6 / exactly 6 (~)
  • Upper Thigh: 26.5 / 26.5 (0)
  • Mid Upper Thigh: 21.5 / 20.75 (-.75 per leg)
  • Above Knee: didn’t measure / 17.25 (N/A)
  • Mid Calf: 15.5 /15.5 (0)