Posts Tagged ‘Training’
Hockey Training Program – The 3 Crucial Aspects of Off Ice Hockey Training
A hockey training program is an essential for any player looking to improve their game. General workouts will help, but the best results will be reached by doing hockey specific training, both in the gym and during dry land training. Here are the three crucial aspects of any good hockey training program.
1) Hockey cardio training
Cardio can be done either in the gym or outdoors during dry land training, and it’s of the utmost importance. An important consideration when doing cardio for hockey is that hockey isn’t a game of consistent moderate output. In hockey you don’t work at 60% for an entire game, you work in intervals of 100% and rest. Hockey is all about intervals, so consider working them into your cardio heavily.
2) Hockey weight training
Weight training is another essential for hockey players. Strength is important in the game of hockey, but more important is power. Strength and power aren’t the same thing. Power is strength applied quickly and explosively, like a slap shot or a big hit. To train for power, use less weight, do fewer reps, and push explosively through the positive section of your lifts (always with control though.)
3) Plyometrics
Plyometrics are all about powerful, quick, explosive movements. All you need to do plyometrics is somewhere you can run or jump. If you have a set of hurdles, even better, but all you really need is space. Plyometrics will help you develop quick movement and power, and plyometrics are one of the most valuable off-ice training tools in a hockey player’s arsenal.
If you’re a hockey player and you’re going to train, you need to work on all three of these aspects. Too many players only focus on one, but if you want to be dominant, you need them all. For the best result, get a good hockey specific fitness and training guide, which will show you exactly how to do all three, or contact a coach or trainer to help you design a workout. Whatever you do though, don’t ignore any of these areas in your hockey training program, because they’re all of great importance to your on-ice game.
Your First Training Plan on the Road to Running
TRAINING TO RUN:
Everything depends on your level of fitness. Lance Armstrong said running a marathon was the hardest thing he ever did, I’m just happy to finish one. His sub 3 hour marathon equate to my 1/2 marathon time give or take some minutes. The Basics of running are simple, efficiency of stride, lactic acid threshold, base training, patience and determination.
Training plan: If you’re just starting out, I would suggest running 3 times a week. I would also run a 3 week cycle. The first week of the cycle you train at a specific level. The second week you increase by 10-20%. The third week you scale back to lower than first week’s level. This gives your body time to recuperate and prevents injuries. The first week of your next cycle should be increased by 10-15%. After 3 cycles, reduce you first week pace by 10%. This will work – you just need to be patient.
For example: Distance of every run in the week.
Cycle 1: wk1:1km – wk2:1.2km – wk3:0.9km
Cycle 2 : wk1:1.2km – wk2:1.4km – wk3:1.1km
Cycle 3 : wk1:1.4km – wk2:1.6km – wk3:1.3km
Cycle 4 : wk1:1.2km – wk2:1.4km – wk3:1.1km
Cycle 5 : wk1:1.4km – wk2:1.6km – wk3:1.3km
Cycle 6 : wk1:1.6km – wk2:1.8km – wk3:1.4km
I think you get the picture.
Beginner:
The best method to ease into running is the run walk method. Your body should adjust to running more easily using this method. The time you spend running and the time you spend walking depends again on your fitness level. If you need to walk longer or are able to run more, just do it. You run for 30-60 seconds, depending , you walk for 30 seconds. You do this for a week. The next week you increment you run by 10 seconds, but keep the walk to 30 seconds. As the weeks progress you should be able to gain substantial increase you capacity of running. The ideal for the run walk method is to get up to 10 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking, but it all depends on how you feel. Once you are able to keep a pace of 10-1 for 30 minutes you can start to increase the 10 minute run by 10-20% every week.
The pace you should be in is a Zone 1 pace. Zones are calculated by the hearth rate that is attained with physical activity. Zone 1 pace is (220 – your age) X 60 or 70% – I’m 36 , (220bpm – 36) X 70% = 130 bpm. This is a foundation building pace. This pace is used on long runs because it enables your body to manage lactic acid. A friendly fuel when absorbed properly lactic acid becomes running enemy when it is out of control. The longer you can run at this pace, the more your body will improve his capability to absorb the acid. This is endurance building, and it is the first step to having a great run.
Lactic Acid Is Not Muscles’ Foe, It’s Fuel !
If you need to do more sports during the week, cross training should be your choice. Gym work to strengthen the abs is a plus. Cycling or spinning also gets your heart going without the impact on your knees.
If you are able to run for 30 minutes, my suggestion to you is to get out there and find a nice friendly 5k. This is a celebration of life , a celebration of your new found passion: Running. Turkey trot your way to the end.
Intermediate:
You’ve achieved your first goal and that first 5k is now behind you. You’ve adapted your body to running and now can run 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time and can even push this a bit further.
You now are able to move to the next level. First thing to do is add another running day to your week. This will help you put on the miles and will help you adjust even more to a runner’s regiment. Second thing to do is start mixing up your running workouts. 1 slow long run (zone 1), 2 normal half hour runs (zone 1 maximized- bottom zone 2), and 1 run that is totally different from the other types of runs that your body is accustomed to do. My suggestion is either Hill running or intervals.
Hill running is simple: Find a hill – run it to the top (if you can get up there fine – if not – stop where you’re about to collapse) – once up there – walk back down. Do this 10 times and make sure you keep a pace that you can accomplish it 10 times. If you cannot run it – walk up the hill. This will put pressure on your big leg muscles and should bring your body close to lactic acid threshold, walking back down will help your body manage that load and will push it farther and farther as the workouts progress.
Interval: Warm up with a 15 minute turkey trot. Once you are warmed up – bolt it for 100 meters – as fast as you can without collapsing (85% of your max speed) – just before blowing up – walk for 1 minute. Repeat this for at least 1000 meters (10 X 100 meters). If your body is not too broken, turkey trot your way back home for another 15 minutes … this is great for pushing your lactic acid threshold even farther.
The point of pushing your body this way is to enable you to start picking up speed and finding a way to sustain it. Also – this is a good thing for your running body as it is called upon to adjust and find new ways of coping. Doing the same thing week after week can cause your body to adapt and might hinder your progression.
The goal you might have with these exercises is to improve you PR for your 5K or 10K time, enabling you to get faster and faster. Being faster and enabling your body to cope with it will help you out on your long slow runs. Your lactic acid overload might not be as great as it was before and your threshold of pain and endurance will be heightened.
Once you mastered these techniques and can now run for an hour or more on your slow long runs, a 10K or a half marathon is well within your reach.
Experts:
Elite runners are a breed on their own. They usually have a running stride that looks like a work of art and also have a cardio that can sustain 15-20 km/hour run tempo. Not everybody can achieve this type of running pace and keep it for 2 hours or more.
If you’re at this level and are reading this, you’ve humoured me enough to keep going and could potentially write an article on this web site about how you go about your training. Since Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi are not here to add some advice, I will risk myself and add my two cents to this level of running fitness.
First thing, and expert runner sho
Avoid These Common Training Errors When Running and Your Body Will Thank You
Running is one of the most heavily participated sports and recreational activities in the world. However, from a young age we are told to go out on the streets and run until we are tired. This may be alright for a while but further on down the road you will be likely to sustain an overuse injury that takes away your passion for running.
In order to make running a lifetime activity you need to be aware of some of the contributing factors that lead to common running injuries. Once you acknowledge these injury causing factors then you can develop the right plan for you. This applies to both the recreational runner as well as the competitive runner.
To ensure that you gain the most out of your training sessions while also reducing the risk of sustaining an injury be sure to take note of the following mistakes made by many athletes and coaches.
Excessive hill running that can often lead to excessive demands placed on the calf muscles (possible shin splints). Shin splints are an absolute nightmare for a runner. This type of injury can put you out of running for months.
Excessive down hill running can lead to increased stress on the quadriceps muscle. Most athletes say that running down hill is easier, however, it is just as tough on your body as running up hill.
Running in one direction all the time (if doing track work or running around the tennis court, football field etc.) can cause excessive pronation on the inside leg. Once again this can be easily fixed by alternating directions in which you run.
Running on unforgiving surfaces such as street running (high impact). Asphalt is not an appropriate running surface. This is one of the major causes of knee and hip injuries for runners. Roads are made for cars and not for runners! If you must run on asphalt then add in some runs on a grass surface.
Lack of variety in your training sessions can lead to overuse injuries as well as mental boredom. Select different workouts each week. Do you always run the same route in the same direction each time? If so vary where you run, the distance you run as well as the intensity of the run.
Running on an uneven surface such as a grass field. Often athletes try to avoid the hard surface of the streets so they decide to run on uneven fields which can lead to injuries of the feet. I love running on ovals as they are more friendly on my body but I choose not to run on a football ground as I know that the surface is likely to be uneven and full of holes. Most recreational parks are better.
Increasing training volume too quickly (allow for individual progression). This is a tough one for highly driven individuals who thrive on pushing themselves. Have a plan and follow it. Even if you feel that you can push yourself and run that extra mile hold back!
Increasing the pace or speed at which you run too quickly (can be achieved slowly through Fartlek training). Try to stick to your plan and run at a similar speed before you get into your next phase. As we improve we often want to run faster. Increasing both the speed and distance of your run at the same time can lead to injury.
It is important to wear the proper footwear when you run. Encourage your athletes to change from their normal sports shoes (eg. tennis shoes, basketball shoes) to running shoes prior to starting their run. Wearing tennis or basketball shoes while running long distances will lead to injuries. They don’t provide the required support for the feet.
Recognize that each individual will have their own pace and level of endurance so set individual goals for each athlete. When running in a group at a set pace, that pace may be comfortable for some runners, but too fast for others. Divide your athletes into two even groups. This is often a big flaw for many coaches of sports teams. We have all been guilty for doing this in the past but you must allow for individual abilities of athletes.
Running long distances in extreme weather conditions such as freezing temperatures, hot and humid conditions or even when there has been a high pollution alert level given by the weather bureau. My tennis coach in college would often make our tennis team run at 7:00 am in the morning in the middle of a winter in North Carolina. As you could imagine we would often suffer from bronchitis and other common respiratory ailments. Unfortunately mine developed into pneumonia so make sure that the environmental conditions are appropriate for running.
Be smart when you run and your body will thank you for it!
Beginner Triathlete? Some Ironman Swim Training Tips
If you are determined to attempt your first ironman, but a bit nervous about the swim, this may make you feel better.
Historically, more first time Ironman starters are more experienced in the run and/or the bike as opposed to the swim. You are not alone!
Trust me, I survived my first Ironman swim and so will you. When I watched those crazy people back in 1982 and they were swimming 2.4 miles in the ocean, my first thought was—”well I guess that rules me out”. Considering I couldn’t swim a stroke at the time and had a healthy fear of the water, my chances looked pretty slim.
Something happened though. The more I watched the race, the more I wanted to do it. By the time the T.V. version of Hawaii Ironman 1982 was done, I was determined to learn how to swim. I wanted to cross that finish line.
Two years later I was in Kona, the cannon went off, and I was on my way. THIS WAS MY FIRST OPEN WATER SWIM! And what a swim it was! I had a really crappy stoke. I know that now. I didn’t care at the time. I was swimming in Kona–in the Ironman!
I got hit and kicked and run over, but luckily for me there were only around 900 starters that day. It would get much worse in coming years as fields have grown to 2000 plus!
Back to Kona! It was surreal. Swimming out to the boat with the big orange sails that marked the turn. Watching tropical fish as I swam. Scuba divers sitting on the ocean floor waving as we swam by. Making the turn at half-way and an under-water photographer taking my picture as I rounded the boat and headed back. The amazing rush as I felt the current lift me and push me towards shore.
I can’t even put into words what it felt like when I stood up after one hour and 38 minutes and realized I had finished the Hawaii Ironman swim. It was a defining moment in my life. I knew right then that before the day was done, I would be an Ironman.
I will never forget that transition tent. It was electric! It was like everyone was talking at once. You could “feel” the sense of accomplishment and relief in the air. Thinking back, I truly believe a lot of people in the race that year were dreading the swim.
I told you this story for a reason. It sure isn’t to brag. It’s to inspire you. It’s to make you realize that if you want this bad enough, its there for the taking. POWER! WISDOM! STRENGTH! You have that inside you. Now–let it out. Get in the water!
Don’t make the same mistakes I did though. I pretty well did everything wrong when I tried to make myself a faster swimmer.
I read books. I swam thousands of lengths, Reinforcing all my bad habits. I swam miles and miles with pull buoys, because my feet sank. I blasted my way through the water. It took me 10 years to take 15 minutes off my original Hawaii swim. The gun would go off and I would move my arms as fast I could for 2.4 miles.
It took years, but I soon discovered that I had to SLOW DOWN in order to swim faster. I learned that swimming relaxed and using the natural buoyancy that we all have was the answer. It wasn’t really how FAST I got to the other end of the pool, it was HOW! I finally learned that 16 relaxed strokes every 25 meters is a ton better then 25 “move your arms as fast as you can strokes.”
Learn to press the upper half or your body (your chest) into the water as you swim. Your lungs will act as a natural buoy and when you master the technique you will feel your legs rise to the surface behind you. Its simple physics and you will see a difference in one training day. “Press your buoy” every time you swim and soon it will become natural. Also count your strokes and reduce the number of strokes it takes to reach the end of the pool. When you get the smooth gliding stroke down and understand the buoyancy, slowly begin to add speed. Soon your swimming will improve by leaps and bounds.
I worked on that for the whole training season and found myself back at the Ironman swim start. I stayed calm and relaxed. I used my new loooooong, smoooooth, stroke. Kept nice even balance on top of the water, and was very relaxed when I finished the swim. I thought, “well, I don’t feel like I worked very hard or swam very fast, but if my time’s slower that’s ok, at least I feel great!
MY TIME WAS A PERSONAL BEST SWIM BY JUST OVER FIVE MINUTES! In one training season, by learning to relax, and swim with proper technique and use loooong, smooooth strokes and proper body balance I made a huge improvement in my swimming.
Remember: Its not how many miles you swim in training—its how you swim. That’s the key.
A few other things..
If you don’t manage to swim in the open water during your training, don’t worry about it. Save it for race day like I did. The right swim technique will work anywhere. You should however, do some swimming in your wetsuit even if its just in the pool. Just to get used to how it feels.
I highly recommend you do away with all those swimming aids. Kick boards and pull buoys shouldn’t really be part of your ironman swim training. There’s no need to learn how to be a great kicker. Swim with proper technique and kicking is not a big issue and you can save your legs for later in the day. If you learn proper balance in the water, your legs won’t sink and you won’t need to use pull buoys.
Don’t feel you ‘have’ to join a swim club to improve your swimming. If you enjoy the club atmosphere, by all means, go for it. I always found I did better on my own.
Just remember this: The Ironman is an individual event. Much of it is done in solitude as you fight your own demons. Even if you have company in the marathon–they cannot carry you. It is what is inside you that will determine how your day ends.
Kevin Neeld Hockey Development – Hockey Training Course Review
Learn how to play hockey better with Kevin Neeld’s Hockey Development!
This program includes the best on and off ice hockey training strategies that will help hockey players realize and fulfil their potential. It is comprised of over ten hours of coaching call, jammed with incredible hockey information that will help propel your game to the next level.
Click Here For Hockey Development Instant Access Now!
With this program, you will learn from hockey experts some tips and tactics on how to improve your hockey game. Nick Tumminello, for instance, will reveal to you the myths of sport-specific training. He will teach you the truth about hockey-specific training, what every player should know about the hockey-related changes to their body, what you need to know about rotary core training for improved shot power, what makes off season and in season rotary core training a lot different from each other, what makes double leg and single leg lower body training different, what the different integrated core exercises are, and the truth about strength and conditioning as the ultimate key to success.
You will also get lessons on hockey-specific speed training, improving focus and confidence and female-specific hockey training, dissecting year-round hockey training programs, multi-dimensional hockey skill development, the secrets of hockey nutrition and supplementation, merging European and American skill development systems, functional hockey core training and back pain prevention, goalie-specific training considerations, and approaching the next level by talking to scouts and standing out. You can definitely benefit from over 150 years of collective hockey experience that hockey experts bring to the table.
Kevin Neeld’s comprehensive Hockey Development program addresses how to prepare mentally and improve your mental toughness; improve your skating and puck-handling skills; improve your strength, speed, and conditioning through hockey-specific training; avoid career-threatening injuries; and approach scouts and coaches at the next level. What are you waiting for? Improve your hockey game now!
Click Here For Hockey Development Instant Access Now!
Training for Volleyball
The formation of force dominates the majority of the athletes ‘ form physical and programmes of treatment during out of the year. In particular, the players of volley ball are well-known to have one of the highest levels of the attachment with formation of force. These athletes of elite carry out that the advantages of suitable a periodized the training scheme of force. Volley ball pushes players at the end. One expects that each athlete excels in the explosive movements, vertical change, to strike intense power and services. The rotation of position in volley ball means the unquestionable need complete players. To be a large adjuster is enormous more, but prosperous volley ball with far from the universal spectacular athletes. The formation of force is a component solid mass with any athlete of elite. The formation of force for volley ball requires the knowledge of the periodization. Periodization means to change one or more variables in your training scheme of force on a regular and coherent basis. These variables can include the exercise, the frequency of lifting, the intensity of lifting, or the method of lifting. The players of volley ball, as well as the majority of the other athletes, work on an annual program of periodization. They downwards break their year in 4 segments or distinct cycles. Means of each of new segment they should change their training scheme of force into match the goals of these cycle . The four segments can be broken up into died season, pre-season, in-season, and after the season. Each season has single goals and a single training scheme of force. The athletes grant the hour to rest, force of construction and the specific functions of construction of sport before the beginning of the official play season. The goal of the off-season is to establish the power and the force. The dead season uses exercises of power and weights higher to increase the size and the force of muscle. Typically, the training scheme of force is most intense during the dead season. The athletes invest much time at their basic base of physical form. The pre-season concentrates on real functions of detail of sport. The squatting, to jump, take a step side, to strike and nail are all the common movements of volley ball. The routine of formation of force of volley ball of pre-season is less intense than the dead season. The goal is to maintain these force and power, but to improve movements of detail of sport. The major part of the routine is devoted to false matches of volleyball and exercises. The in-season concentrates purely on maintaining with far and the goals of the pre-season . the established power out-season and the pre-season put this power to employ. The athletes appreciate the fruits of their work during the in-season. The transient which flies after the head and the exercises of opponent in the floor is a proof that the formation of force for volley ball functions. The goals of post-season’s are about relieving and repair. It is one moment of the year which includes training sessions of low intensity. The goal is to make it possible the body to cure afterwards exhausting months of the training sessions of high intensity. These a few weeks of the formation of force of rest and low intensity and cardio- bring the whole year of formation to an end. After the season an athlete skilful and cured delivers to begin the building out-season of force and power still. Repetition After the season Of ~ Of ~ Of Pre-season Of ~ Of ~ Out-season Of In-season Independently of the season, some things remain constant. The players of volley ball should always carry out one or more exercises for each group of muscle. Each exercise should be carried out by full a ROMANIAN (range with movement), and each routine of formation of force should direct towards movements of detail of sport. The formation of force for players of volley ball is a component essence and organics of their physical form and programs treatment. The formation of force provides the edge which all the athletes need to succeed. Periodization is necessary in all the training schemes of force. Volley ball and other sports taught us the importance of a suitable routine of physical form based on specific goals.
Training with the Boomer Tennis Ball Machine
While a tennis ball machine can be useful for helping tennis players with their practices, there is one machine that is more advanced and can help players in more ways during practice. This tennis ball machine is known as Boomer, and it is referred to by many as the “ultimate tennis ball machine.”Created by robotics designer Dave Jordan and used by programs such as the University of Georgia’s tennis program, Boomer is a tennis machine that can help with not only practice shots for responding to serves and returns but also with other aspects of the game, including reading lines and scores, as well as the quality of your shots. Generally speaking, it is a tennis ball machine that doubles as a virtual competitor. Boomer helps to analyze how well you are doing and offer you more assistance in your practice that what any typical tennis ball machine would offer.Unlike any ordinary tennis ball machine, Boomer can give information for people of all skill levels from beginner to expert. The user can also adjust the skill level of Boomer for the person’s own needs. This means that Boomer can play at a skill level of a pro tennis star or of a regular casual player. Therefore, this tennis ball machine is able to respond to your moves with a variety of shots, ranging from hard smash shots to slow volley shots.Another advantage of thismachine is that Boomer can shoot with a variety of different shots used in tennis. For instance, Boomer can shoot volley, net, serve, approach and ground shots, which allow for a better variety than what a normal tennis ball machine has. Also, the scale of the shots can be arranged between 2.0 and 7.0. Boomer also gives points to its shots, ranging them from a scale of one to nine based on the depth and width in the shot. This allows for more range than what a typical tennis ball machine would offer.One advantage of using Boomer as a tennis ball machine is that it makes practices more exciting and enjoyable. Boomer works like a regular tennis player would with different difficulties, making this a more challenging tennis ball machine to use in your practice. Also, it can simulate an entire match for you, which makes the practice a good way to prepare for a real match. It is like a real person when you don’t have one to practice with you.Whether you are an expert at tennis or you are just learning to play the game Boomer is a great tennis ball machine that you can use for your practice. This tennis ball machine will analyze the quality of your shots and give you a variety of shots with which you can respond to. This machine is one that works like a real person to give you a challenge in your practice. No matter what skill you have Boomer will be a great practice buddy for you.
Your First Training Plan on the Road to Running
TRAINING TO RUN:
Everything depends on your level of fitness. Lance Armstrong said running a marathon was the hardest thing he ever did, I’m just happy to finish one. His sub 3 hour marathon equate to my 1/2 marathon time give or take some minutes. The Basics of running are simple, efficiency of stride, lactic acid threshold, base training, patience and determination.
Training plan: If you’re just starting out, I would suggest running 3 times a week. I would also run a 3 week cycle. The first week of the cycle you train at a specific level. The second week you increase by 10-20%. The third week you scale back to lower than first week’s level. This gives your body time to recuperate and prevents injuries. The first week of your next cycle should be increased by 10-15%. After 3 cycles, reduce you first week pace by 10%. This will work – you just need to be patient.
For example: Distance of every run in the week.
Cycle 1: wk1:1km – wk2:1.2km – wk3:0.9km
Cycle 2 : wk1:1.2km – wk2:1.4km – wk3:1.1km
Cycle 3 : wk1:1.4km – wk2:1.6km – wk3:1.3km
Cycle 4 : wk1:1.2km – wk2:1.4km – wk3:1.1km
Cycle 5 : wk1:1.4km – wk2:1.6km – wk3:1.3km
Cycle 6 : wk1:1.6km – wk2:1.8km – wk3:1.4km
I think you get the picture.
Beginner:
The best method to ease into running is the run walk method. Your body should adjust to running more easily using this method. The time you spend running and the time you spend walking depends again on your fitness level. If you need to walk longer or are able to run more, just do it. You run for 30-60 seconds, depending , you walk for 30 seconds. You do this for a week. The next week you increment you run by 10 seconds, but keep the walk to 30 seconds. As the weeks progress you should be able to gain substantial increase you capacity of running. The ideal for the run walk method is to get up to 10 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking, but it all depends on how you feel. Once you are able to keep a pace of 10-1 for 30 minutes you can start to increase the 10 minute run by 10-20% every week.
The pace you should be in is a Zone 1 pace. Zones are calculated by the hearth rate that is attained with physical activity. Zone 1 pace is (220 – your age) X 60 or 70% – I’m 36 , (220bpm – 36) X 70% = 130 bpm. This is a foundation building pace. This pace is used on long runs because it enables your body to manage lactic acid. A friendly fuel when absorbed properly lactic acid becomes running enemy when it is out of control. The longer you can run at this pace, the more your body will improve his capability to absorb the acid. This is endurance building, and it is the first step to having a great run.
Lactic Acid Is Not Muscles’ Foe, It’s Fuel !
If you need to do more sports during the week, cross training should be your choice. Gym work to strengthen the abs is a plus. Cycling or spinning also gets your heart going without the impact on your knees.
If you are able to run for 30 minutes, my suggestion to you is to get out there and find a nice friendly 5k. This is a celebration of life , a celebration of your new found passion: Running. Turkey trot your way to the end.
Intermediate:
You’ve achieved your first goal and that first 5k is now behind you. You’ve adapted your body to running and now can run 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time and can even push this a bit further.
You now are able to move to the next level. First thing to do is add another running day to your week. This will help you put on the miles and will help you adjust even more to a runner’s regiment. Second thing to do is start mixing up your running workouts. 1 slow long run (zone 1), 2 normal half hour runs (zone 1 maximized- bottom zone 2), and 1 run that is totally different from the other types of runs that your body is accustomed to do. My suggestion is either Hill running or intervals.
Hill running is simple: Find a hill – run it to the top (if you can get up there fine – if not – stop where you’re about to collapse) – once up there – walk back down. Do this 10 times and make sure you keep a pace that you can accomplish it 10 times. If you cannot run it – walk up the hill. This will put pressure on your big leg muscles and should bring your body close to lactic acid threshold, walking back down will help your body manage that load and will push it farther and farther as the workouts progress.
Interval: Warm up with a 15 minute turkey trot. Once you are warmed up – bolt it for 100 meters – as fast as you can without collapsing (85% of your max speed) – just before blowing up – walk for 1 minute. Repeat this for at least 1000 meters (10 X 100 meters). If your body is not too broken, turkey trot your way back home for another 15 minutes … this is great for pushing your lactic acid threshold even farther.
The point of pushing your body this way is to enable you to start picking up speed and finding a way to sustain it. Also – this is a good thing for your running body as it is called upon to adjust and find new ways of coping. Doing the same thing week after week can cause your body to adapt and might hinder your progression.
The goal you might have with these exercises is to improve you PR for your 5K or 10K time, enabling you to get faster and faster. Being faster and enabling your body to cope with it will help you out on your long slow runs. Your lactic acid overload might not be as great as it was before and your threshold of pain and endurance will be heightened.
Once you mastered these techniques and can now run for an hour or more on your slow long runs, a 10K or a half marathon is well within your reach.
Experts:
Elite runners are a breed on their own. They usually have a running stride that looks like a work of art and also have a cardio that can sustain 15-20 km/hour run tempo. Not everybody can achieve this type of running pace and keep it for 2 hours or more.
If you’re at this level and are reading this, you’ve humoured me enough to keep going and could potentially write an article on this web site about how you go about your training. Since Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi are not here to add some advice, I will risk myself and add my two cents to this level of running fitness.
First thing, and expert runner sho
Avoid These Common Training Errors When Running and Your Body Will Thank You
Running is one of the most heavily participated sports and recreational activities in the world. However, from a young age we are told to go out on the streets and run until we are tired. This may be alright for a while but further on down the road you will be likely to sustain an overuse injury that takes away your passion for running.
In order to make running a lifetime activity you need to be aware of some of the contributing factors that lead to common running injuries. Once you acknowledge these injury causing factors then you can develop the right plan for you. This applies to both the recreational runner as well as the competitive runner.
To ensure that you gain the most out of your training sessions while also reducing the risk of sustaining an injury be sure to take note of the following mistakes made by many athletes and coaches.
Excessive hill running that can often lead to excessive demands placed on the calf muscles (possible shin splints). Shin splints are an absolute nightmare for a runner. This type of injury can put you out of running for months.
Excessive down hill running can lead to increased stress on the quadriceps muscle. Most athletes say that running down hill is easier, however, it is just as tough on your body as running up hill.
Running in one direction all the time (if doing track work or running around the tennis court, football field etc.) can cause excessive pronation on the inside leg. Once again this can be easily fixed by alternating directions in which you run.
Running on unforgiving surfaces such as street running (high impact). Asphalt is not an appropriate running surface. This is one of the major causes of knee and hip injuries for runners. Roads are made for cars and not for runners! If you must run on asphalt then add in some runs on a grass surface.
Lack of variety in your training sessions can lead to overuse injuries as well as mental boredom. Select different workouts each week. Do you always run the same route in the same direction each time? If so vary where you run, the distance you run as well as the intensity of the run.
Running on an uneven surface such as a grass field. Often athletes try to avoid the hard surface of the streets so they decide to run on uneven fields which can lead to injuries of the feet. I love running on ovals as they are more friendly on my body but I choose not to run on a football ground as I know that the surface is likely to be uneven and full of holes. Most recreational parks are better.
Increasing training volume too quickly (allow for individual progression). This is a tough one for highly driven individuals who thrive on pushing themselves. Have a plan and follow it. Even if you feel that you can push yourself and run that extra mile hold back!
Increasing the pace or speed at which you run too quickly (can be achieved slowly through Fartlek training). Try to stick to your plan and run at a similar speed before you get into your next phase. As we improve we often want to run faster. Increasing both the speed and distance of your run at the same time can lead to injury.
It is important to wear the proper footwear when you run. Encourage your athletes to change from their normal sports shoes (eg. tennis shoes, basketball shoes) to running shoes prior to starting their run. Wearing tennis or basketball shoes while running long distances will lead to injuries. They don’t provide the required support for the feet.
Recognize that each individual will have their own pace and level of endurance so set individual goals for each athlete. When running in a group at a set pace, that pace may be comfortable for some runners, but too fast for others. Divide your athletes into two even groups. This is often a big flaw for many coaches of sports teams. We have all been guilty for doing this in the past but you must allow for individual abilities of athletes.
Running long distances in extreme weather conditions such as freezing temperatures, hot and humid conditions or even when there has been a high pollution alert level given by the weather bureau. My tennis coach in college would often make our tennis team run at 7:00 am in the morning in the middle of a winter in North Carolina. As you could imagine we would often suffer from bronchitis and other common respiratory ailments. Unfortunately mine developed into pneumonia so make sure that the environmental conditions are appropriate for running.
Be smart when you run and your body will thank you for it!
Improving Distance Running With Strength Training
If you are a long distance runner than you want to make sure that your exercise training program is as complete as possible in order to keep your body in peak running condition. Of course distance running can be improved by actually running long distances on a daily basis, however not everyone has time to run 20 kilometers a day to keep up their pace. So then what else can a runner do to truly go the distance, when they’re short on time?
Well in order to make the most of your running time, and to make running easier, helping you to run longer distances without becoming fatigued, it is vital to improve your running economy. If you haven’t heard this term before, you are not alone. Running economy is about using less oxygen when you run. No, that does not mean that you should hold your breath when you run. It means that you are running at a smaller percentage of your V02max (maximal rate of oxygen utilization).
As you start to improve your economy, and thus use less of your V02max, running at a particular speed will begin to feel easier. Improving your economy just one percent can improve your 10 kilometer run by at least twenty seconds. This can be achieved through effective strength training and you can increase your running economy by four to five percent, shaving up to a minute off of your 10-K.
Consider the following study: six experienced female distance runners started a weight training regimen for a ten-week period. At the same time, another six female runners, also experienced, shunned the weight training in favor of their regular training routines. The women who did the weight training improved their upper body strength by 24% and lower body strength by 34%. Their heartbeats were slower during a run after completion of training than they were at the onset of the training, and their running economy improved enough for them to shave about eighty seconds off of a 10-K run on average. The other six runners showed no improvement in strength or running time.
These workouts could work for you too! So what did the women who included strength training into their workout do? The women strength trained three days a week, working on parallel squats with free weights, knee flexions, straight-leg heel raises, seated presses with free weights, rear-lat pull downs, hammer curls with free weights and weighted sit-ups with free weights for one workout.
The second workout was composed of lunges with free weights, knee extensions, bent-leg heel raises with free weights, bench presses with free weights, seated rows, front-lat pull downs and abdominal curls. The first and second workouts were alternated through the week so that the women never did the same two in a row. On days when the women were supposed to run they rested for at least five hours between working out and running. The women who strength trained also did not bulk up, which is good for runners who don’t want to carry around extra weight.
So what does this mean for you? Strength training significantly improved the performance of the athletes cited in this study and it can work for you, too. When your body strength increases, fewer muscle fibers actually have to engage for the act of running, meaning that you are wasting less energy and using less oxygen.
Also, the movements that you do make are more economical, making your oxygen use stay low during the course of your running. This means that you can run longer, faster and harder. Sounds like it is time to use that gym membership for more than just the treadmill.