Conway Running Club

It’s so helpful to have a mantra when you run to keep your focus, keep everything going together the way you want it while you run and keeping you injury free so you can keep on running.  The Chi Running team has been one of the great sources of helpful running information for me.  Thought I would share this with everyone, just read it in the monthly e-newsletter. 

From Certified Chi Running Instructor Lee Killpack
Learning to cooperate with gravity is essential to both our posture and our impact with the ground. In my workshops I have my participants run to the beat of the metronome while thinking “up” with the beep and their heel lift. I then have them mentally think “down” with the beep and their footfall. We then return to thinking “up.” If you try this you will find that there is an amazing difference in the lightness you feel in your body and in your impact with the ground when you think about your feet (and body) going “up” rather than “down.”

My favorite mantra to go along with this is “Lengthen, Level, Lift” as I run or walk.

• Lengthen – Think lengthen your spine
• Level – Think level your pelvis
• Lift – Think lift a limp lower leg from the ankle

I say each word of the mantra once, and match each word to one beep of the metronome. Then I take a few strides without the mantra to check in with my body. Let your body and mind be a team as you lighten your step.

I highly recommend “everything Chi” whenn it comes to running!

Running Tips

There is power in letting go.  In relaxing.  Tension and tightness rob us of so much in life. 

Below is a some advice from Jean-Remi Campion, a Chi Running Instructor, from the latest Chi Running Newsletter I just received in my inbox.  I think I’ll spend today, as I work, focused on how relaxed my toes are.  Nice. 

RELAX THOSE TOES

One mantra I repeat very frequently to my students is this: If your toes are not relaxed, then chances are your whole body is not relaxed.

So, in order to get used to relaxing your toes, I have put together an exercise to guide you:

• Take of your shoes and socks and, while standing, feel the soles of your feet relaxed on the ground. Feet are pointed forward, of course.
• Close your eyes and relax. Feel equal balance on the entire soles of your feet in contact with the ground.
• Now relax your toes. 
• Next, complete the rest of the focuses of the Chi Running postural alignment. Once completed, come back to the toes. Are they tight? Then maybe your body is still tense. So close your eyes again and feel those toes relaxed, free, just as if they could run off on their own!

This is how they should feel with every step you take, throughout the whole run.  Relaxed, loose, free … let those toes dangle!  If you can manage this, then your whole body will follow in relaxation.

Running Tips

By the time the sun peeps over the horizon we’ve been running for an hour or so.  It is so easy to forget that the cars passing us going the other direction are often driven by people who got up 5 mintes ago, are drinking their first cup of coffee to wake up, may be running late and the sun is in their eyes, blinding them.  We have to remember that often they literally can’t see us running.

This morning as two of us were running west along Tyler a car going east passed us and I waved at the driver who I thought I recognized and he didn’t even seem to notice me waving.  I turned as he passed to see who it was and was immediately blinded by the morning sun in my eyes as it came up over the horizon.  We were 10 miles into the Soaring Wings half marathon route and were just passed by a car who literally couldn’t see us. 

So remember, when you are running at sunrise or sunset, often oncoming cars can not see you because the sun is in their eyes.  Be careful out there!

Running Tips

Summer is here and unless you want to trade your outdoor runs for time on the “dreadmill”, you will be running in the heat.  The heat and humidity zap you at deeper levels.  Your body has to work harder to cool itself when you are running in the heat.  And most importantly, there are real dangers out there if you take your body into the red zone. 

Consider these points as you train in the heat this summer:

• Hydrate more before you run, even the night before and consider adding some fuel before your run.  If you don’t usually eat anything before you run consider adding something when it is hot to give your body some fuel to handle the heat and humidity.
• Slow your pace.  Or maybe, accept the slower pace your body is running. 
• Consider running fewer days / week.  An extra recovery day each week may do wonders for your energy level.
• Summer is a great time to add some indoor cross training to the schedule.  Core and upper body fitness, yoga, swimming and spin class are all great cross training to supplement your time in the heat.
• If you are running and start to get dizzy or stop sweating, stop and walk and cool off any way you can.  These are warning signs you should not ignore.

There is a lot of information on the Internet and elsewhere about hydration and running in the heat.  Check out www.runnersworld.com and search on “running in the heat” or “dehydration” for example.  Know the dangers and warning signs and pick up some techniques to help you get through the summer strong. 

The good news is when you toe the line for your Fall or Winter marathon in cooler weather, you’ll be ready and you’ll be faster.  So, consider it a plus to be able to train in the Arkansas heat and humidity.

Have comments or tips on running in the heat?  Post a comment to this article and help another runner.

Running Tips

People often wonder why we train in the rain.  Why not take the day off or wait until later when the sun comes out?  The answer lies in the weather forecast for tomorrow’s Grand Prix race, the Spring Fling 5k in Cabot.  If you end up racing in the rain, it will be nice to have trained in the rain.  And what is rain anyway but a little water.  Now lightning, that’s another issue and the answer is get off the road and take cover.  If you are going to run in the rain, here are some tips:

1. Wear something on your head to keep the rain from bothering you and if it is a little cold this will help keep you warm.  A hat with a bill can be sold mid-race to people wishing they had one. 
2. Poke holes in a big trash bag and wear it to the starting line over your head so that you are dry to start.
3. If the race is a long race, use body glide or vaseline or something to put on areas that will get real wet and may get blisters like your feet.
4. Watch the corners, no need to take a fall in the rain. 
5. Remember that just because the weatherman says it will rain that doesn’t mean it will!  Come prepared for the sun to come out right before the race.  Don’t get caught overdressed in rain gear running in the hot sun with steam coming off of the pavement from the recent rain.
6. You can wear leg tights but leave the cotton sweats at home.  They will become anchors.
7. Bring clothes to change into after the race.
8. Run hard, don’t let up, but don’t be so disappointed if you don’t PR.
9. Don’t pin your race number on your throw away shirt!
10. And the number one tip is – NO WHINING about the rain.  Nobody wants to hear it.

For God sakes, enjoy the rain.  Remember when you were a kid and wanted to go out and play in the rain and your parents wouldn’t let you?  Get out there and run and have fun.  Maybe even wear an old shirt, pin your race number to your shorts/pants and throw it off mid-race and finish in the rain without a shirt on (ladies, you’ll need a sports bra to do this).

Have your own rain tips?  Click on comments above and post yours.

Running Tips

Here’s a great lead paragraph from Michael Cook’s blog on his Way Too Cool 50k race.  Click on the link or image to the left for the full story.  Thought is was worth sharing.

I can say very little about this race, the 2010 Way Too Cool 50K. But let me say a few things. Part of the joy of racing is the anticipation, the planning, the goal setting, the “I’m going to run…”. The other joy is the memory, the looking back, the reflection. I think sometimes there is very little joy in the moment. Read the Romantic poets like Keats and you hear of the beauty in joy AND pain, how sometimes the two cannot be separated. How is it that when running and the body hurts, we convince ourselves there’s no other place we’d rather be at that moment? The battle that rages within, the civil war between mind and body can be the determining factor, perhaps even more than the hours of physical training logged before the race. So much of the race takes place in the mind.  

It’s so interesting to hear elite athletes like Michael and Leah Thorvilson talk so much about the mental aspects of running.  It’s not how to keep from hurting in the midst of a race, it’s all about what you choose to do when it hurts.

Running Tips, Running stories

I enjoyed hearing Leah Thorvilson’s “story” at the Conway Running Club meeting last night.  I learned a lot about her life and her running experience.  The biggest take-away for me was that although you can’t skip training and getting your body ready physically, the final challenge (and often the major one) is the mental challenge.  She referred to it as “the little man in your head”.  He says things like “I told you that you would get tired at mile 18″, “You need to slow down”, “You can’t keep this pace”, “You should walk”, …

Learning to deal with the little man in your head may be the key to realizing your potential in a race.  Be ready to tell him that you are strong, that you feel really good, that this day is your day.  There is such a thing as a second wind and the little man does not want you to catch it.  You can.  For me, I find that I struggle in the “middle miles”.  If I am running 8 miles, mile 5-6 are tough.  If I am runnnig 13 it’s mile 9 and 10 that are tough.  The little man knows how long I am running and when to tell me that I am struggling and that I will not make it. 

So, get to know the little man in your head, or whatever you choose to call it, and understand that getting prepared mentally to keep him out of your race is an important part of your overall training.  Then go out and put in the miles, do your speed work and hills and long runs and don’t forget your recovery days – and you’ll be all set for your next race.

Running Tips

The following is an email I received from Hobbit (Hobbit and Tom Singleton on the left) a few days before the Little Rock Marathon.  Timeless, excellent advice for the experienced and first time marathoner. 

I’ve had several folks email me and ask what they should eat in the next few days and, most importantly, the night before the race.  Answer – what you’ve been doing before your long mileage runs in training.  Studies have shown that the most important meals you eat are TWO days before the race, so even though all pasta dinners are the night before the race, what is really going to start you off on the right foot race morning is what you had to eat Friday night, not Saturday night.  (And those of you doing the back-to-back races need to be sure you are well fueled on Thursday night as well.)  Same goes for rest – the sleep you get on Friday night is the most important (many of you won’t sleep well the night before the race, so sleeping well every other night this week is crucial).  If you can’t abide pasta and your pre-training run meal has always been rice and beans – don’t eat spaghetti the night before the race just because you think it’s the “right” thing to do.  Remember what has worked best for you and stick to that.  The same thing goes for race morning.  If what you’ve been doing is eating half a bagel with a little peanut butter 30 minutes before you start running, well, don’t get up 3 hours before the race starts and have bacon and eggs.  And PLEASE don’t overload on the high-caffeine energy drinks.  If you’re used to drinking a cup of coffee before you run, do it, but don’t decide to add some other drinks for the “pick me up” factor.  There is also no need to drink a gallon or two of water before the race.  Stick to what you know.  Oh, and don’t believe everything you hear from runners and walkers at the Expo – they lie, constantly.  Sure, prune juice with pork sausage may be just the ticket for that guy who’s telling you he runs a 2:55 marathon (or he may be some joker who runs a 5:00 marathon pulling your leg).  Don’t start second guessing yourself because someone you’ve never met has decided to impart his “extra special running secrets”.

And speaking of the Expo – we want you to go to the Expo and look at every single vendor.  Buy new clothes, (I do my best shopping at race Expos – Tom has the credit card bills to prove it), pick up that new gel you’ve never seen before, or get that new pair of shoes that makes you feel like you’re walking on a cloud.  And use them – in training for your NEXT marathon or half marathon.  Please do NOT wear that super cool new outfit for the first time on race day, eat that new gel at mile 10, or think that those new shoes would be the bees knees in your finish line photo.  Stick with the tried and true – what has worked for you in training is what you need to do race day. 

In the vein of nothing new – carry your water and your fuel.  This is particularly important if you are drinking a sports drink or eating a gel other than the one that will be provided at the water stops.  Nothing is more miserable than having to hit every port-a-potty along the route because you decided you’d ditch your fuel that has worked for you for 22 weeks and eat what the marathon provides – that was a big part of your training:  finding out what works for you.  Don’t throw your plan out the window just because you think it’s uncool to carry your water belt.  Another benefit to carrying your own water is being able to drink on your time schedule and not on that of water stop spacing.  A simple math problem – you drink water every 20 minutes, the water stops are approximately 2 miles apart, if you run a 10 minute mile, they will probably be just about where you need them.

However, let’s say you run an 8 minute mile or a 12 minute mile, or a 15 minute mile.  Those water stops won’t be where you need them at all.  If you have your water with you, you can drink when you need to and refill your water at the water stops when needed (believe me, the volunteers will be happy to let you fill up your water bottle, in fact, most of them will offer to fill it up for you).  You also have the extra advantage of not having to slow down at every water stop – you can sail around those folks who are clogging up the route trying to get to the water or sports drink.

This is not the week to quit smoking (and yes, I know some runners who smoke), start smoking, change your eating habits (I don’t think trying to lose 10 pounds between now and race morning is in your best interests), change your drinking habits (I know some runners who drink a beer or a glass of wine or whatever the night before every one of their long mileage runs, but it’s also not the time to go on an all night bender either), or paint your house (I have never had an uncontrollable urge to paint my house the week before a race, but to each his/her own).

NOTHING NEW, NOTHING NEW, NOTHING NEW!!!! Got it?  Good. 

Hobbit

Running Tips

There may be some holes in the “science” of this study, but it’s worth pondering his findings and considering them for yourself.  With  that in mind, read on.

Paul Williams has only run one marathon in his life, but by his own research, he could probably benefit from running a few more.

A scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Williams has put together the world’s largest study on runners, and the evidence found over 20 years of research points to an important conclusion: When it comes to exercise, more is almost always better.

“When I started my study, everybody sort of knew exercise was beneficial. The government was saying you get benefits by walking three or four times a week. My data has shown the more you do, the greater the benefits,” Williams said. “I’ve had people doing 100 miles a week of running, and you could see benefits up to that level.”

To be sure, Williams is not suggesting that everyone try to run 100 miles a week, or even half of that. But for years, he’s been a critic of national guidelines that recommend people get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, or about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

That’s a fine goal for the couch potatoes, Williams says, but <read more>

Running Tips, Running stories

I used to think running fast was about pushing off hard with my feet, engaging my calf muscles and as I ran you could hear me “pounding the pavement”.  I would hit the pavement with my heel and push off with my toes each stride.  Work, work, work.

As I’ve run with more experienced (and faster) runners I’ve slowly learned that friction is not my friend when I’m running. When I’m hitting my heel first and can hear my feet pounding the pavement I am in a sense working against myself. Out on runs I’ve heard CRC runners say to run soft, minimize the time your feet are on the ground, lean to let gravity help you, relax your feet and calf muscles and let your larger hip muscles engage in the run and run like you are barefoot and running on hot coals.  Stride, glide, float.

This morning 2 of us were running and decided to catch up to a couple of other runners in front of us. I could hear his feet hitting the pavement hard. This reminded me of what I had learned about running softer, quieter and more efficient.  We decided to run like we were sneaking up on them. Our focus was on running like we were in the woods sneaking up on someone or something we didn’t want to hear us coming. Relax, slow down our breathing, run as quiet as we can with our feet softly touching the ground and spending as little time on the ground with as little pressure as possible. Lean in to this relaxed form and guess what? We caught them.

Run like you are running on a path with leaves on it and not wanting anyone to hear you coming and you’ll be faster and have less chance of an injury.

Click on comments above and share your experiences and running tips.

Running Tips