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Importance of Slow Long Runs

On March 6, 2017

As some of you might know am preparing for a half marathon race in May this year (2017). My main training will start in a couple of weeks and am preparing for it. I like to try breaking my PB this year so am supposed to go for speed but in contrary am not pushing for speed at this stage and that is what am going to talk about here.

In every running program there are 3 main workouts: slow long run, speed training, and goal pace run. What am working on for preparation is to focus on slow long run because that is the bread and butter of running. The reasons are:

Improves capillary network. Burning fat requires Oxygen. The penetration of blood into muscles indicates how well oxygen can reach out to cells so that fat burning can be utilised better in activities. The less penetration the more we have to burn carbs instead that do not need oxygen to burn. The downside of consuming carbs is that it generates lactic acid which if not washed out in time from the working muscles, the muscles cramp and their performance drops (that is when we have to slow down due to the pain). Efficiency in fuel consumption, which simply comes down to burning fat rather than anything else, is another aspect of this capillary network development. The other great improvement is growing more mitochondria in our muscle cells. Mitochondrion is the engine of body cells for generating energy. The more we have the higher we produce power.
Strengthen legs. Think of slow run as working out legs for longer time. It looks like as if you are pounding steadily on your legs on the spot. It is a tough workout that creates resilience, strength and stability in legs.
Improves mental toughness. Such running simulates hard stages of a long running race where the so-called mental breakdown plays in. Slow running tires up legs due to making them deal with your full body weight for longer amount of time with not much rest in between strides. Although you are capable of running faster that comes with longer airborne time to let your legs unwind a bit, you refrain and it simulates the tough moments of pushing through fatigue in a real scenario.
Provides basis for form correction. Unlike speed training, you find a chance to focus on every step you make and spot issues you might sense. Are your legs straight? are your toes pointing straight forward? are you pushing off the ground or is it totally switched off? are your arms moving only for balance? are you shortening stride length on both uphills and downhills? and a lot of other form check-points.

I used my new wearable today, Garmin Vivosmart (not quite happy with it since switched phone to the Android base Redmi) and that is what I did:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1606061867

I did not push for speed at all and compared to my goal pace I was 30-50 second slower per km. Look at my heart rate, 143 avg. Given my max heart rate is 182 bpm and my rest heart rate is 55 bpm, this falls around the top range of the fat burning zone, which is still in the zone I should do this workout.

What is Late Pull at Running

By admin

On January 13, 2017

In Technique

taken from Fitmetrix.io

Running has three components: Fall, Pose and Pull. No matter how you run and what your running technique is, you go through these three at every stride of yours.

Each part has its own perfect form or way of being done correctly/efficiently. Regarding pull, there are a few issues in the recreational running community and one of them is late pull.

How to spot late pull in video analysis?

Simply, right after the moving foot passes the standing knee the back foot should be leaving the ground. If a video is taken from someone’s running, assuming each frame is around 30ms, in the next frame after the one in which the moving foot surpasses the standing knee the back foot should have left the ground, or the runner is making late-pull mistake.

Ok, got it but what problem does late pull cause?

First of all, note that even a simple tiny mistake at running can harm you over time. Because it repeats so many times, it wears you off until it clinically becomes an injury. Regarding late pull, it meddles with the perfect timing you can have in your stride if you just let the front foot [passively] fall under your body. What happens is due to the change in the dynamics of running caused by late pull, the front foot lands ahead of the body adding unnecessary pressure to the landing knee.

Other issue is, in most cases, those who have late pull, push their back foot off the ground. Perhaps because they keep a portion of their body weight behind (the back leg of course), they need to exert an extra force to take their foot off the ground. This push would be unnecessary if they removed that back foot just in time (as aforementioned: after the moving foot passes the standing knee).

How to identify and fix it?

In the same way that high temperature (fever) shows infection, cadence at running indicates inefficiency issues. If your cadence is below 180 strides per minute you are pushing off the ground and most likely you have late pull too (otherwise why you keep that foot behind if you are not aiming for an effective push off?!).

The other more accurate way of identifying it, is to have a video form analysis which I can do for free during special offer periods like now (Jan 2016). You can also ask someone to take a video of your running form and send it to me. That would be always free of charge. Best way is to flick me an email to get started: rez@progressiverunning.com .

To fix late pull, there is one way. You should gain your propulsive force from gravity only. Falling forward must become the only source of generating force to move ahead. That is what I teach at Progressive Running.

Resolution for 2017

By admin

On December 27, 2016

In Planning

Again is the time for the typical line of “time flies” in preparation for the new year. In advance I wish you all the best in the new year.

2016 was a good year for me, started this business and managed to find some clients. My aim was to introduce the business and advocate what I believe is more important in running than the usual public understanding which is ‘techniques first’. It is going well and I contribute to it as much as I can besides a full time job and a busy family. Everyone lives their life only once and if cannot spend all of it on their passion why not spending as much as possible?!

Getting straight to the point, for those who are thinking of sporty new year’s resolutions, am going to list here some major running competitions in Sydney in 2017:

SMC Road Series

It is an ongoing series of running races for those who have not already signed up. Might be a good idea to jump right now and stay with them in 2017. It recommend it for serious runners to have ongoing short term goals for quite a long time to build up their skills very well. Check them out here www.sydneymarathonclinic.org.au or their event calendar here www.sydneymarathonclinic.org.au/event-calendar .

The interesting fact about these series is at every event there are a few options for distances. You can run 5km, 10km, Half Marathon or 30km, etc.

Another interesting running series is Sri Chinmoy.

Sun Run – Dee Why to Manly (4 Feb)

It is a fun run to start the year with. Not long left to it, if you can run 4-5km right now you should be able to accomplish the race by then. If you are into swimming, you can also sign up for the Cole Classic swimming race on Sunday (running race is on Saturday) to go from Shelly Beach to Manly, to refresh your legs!

The priority at your training routine should be:

Long run (it is the bread and butter of preparation for any sort of running goal)
Hill training
Speed training
Strength workout

Six Foot Track (11 Mar)

It is Australia’s 5th largest marathon and by far the largest 100% off-road running event. If you are into trail running, this is one of the best.

Check out their official website here: www.sixfoot.com.

SMH Half marathon (21 May)

It is the largest half marathon race in Sydney (21.1km), held 21 May 2017. The course is slightly hilly. It starts from Hyde park, goes into the city, Pyrmont, the rocks, and ends at Hyde park.

If you want to train for this, you should be able to run 6-8km in one go right now. If so you should be able to build up to the race very well. Start with two long runs per week, then add speed training.

The priority at your training routine should be:

Long run
If newbie or intermediate: more strength workouts, if veteran: more speed workouts
Hill training

Caveat:

At your long run aim to increase the distance gradually (10% per week, rounding distance down to be in the safe zone) up to maximum 18km by two weeks out to the race.
The second weekly run is shorter but should be faster than your long run pace, slower than your goal pace.
Make sure you rest between the sessions, the ideal case is to tuck 3 days of training between 4 days of rest (1 week in total). If two sessions happen to be in consecutive days, see if you can do one in the morning and the other in the evening of the following day.
Plan for deliberate rest and change of routine in advance. Cycling, crossfit/bootcamp, or swimming are common options.

City2Surf (13 Aug)

It is the largest fun run in the world and one of the most iconic running races in Sydney. It starts from Hyde park and ends in Bondi beach. This year, 2016, they slightly changed the ending part of it to be more convenient to cross the street after the race to access the shops and public transport.

It is 14km with around 11km uphills. Heartbreak hill is the most notorious part of it, but do not be scared, by proper hill training you may not even notice it during the race.

Priorities would be:

Long run
Hill training
Speed training
Strength workout

Notes:

Add hills to your long runs
You might need to give strength training higher priority at the beginning and then bring it down later on
Consider variety of speed training methods (tempo, fartlek, etc). You will need the benefits from all of them!

Pub2Pub (27 Aug)

Certainly the most iconic running race in Northern Beaches. It is from Dee Why to Newport with its course slightly changed in the recent years to go down to Newport beach rather than Newport Arms, the pub at the end of the line.

Sydney Running Festival (17 Sep)

Also known as Blackmore’s Sydney Marathon. There are a few races on the same day and the full marathon is the one Sydney marathoners usually plan to do as it is the most iconic full marathon race in Sydney (42.2km). You can do half marathon, bridge run or family run instead.

Priorities for training

Long run
Strength training
Speed training

Notes:

Bigger goals come with bigger problems. Avoid too much, too soon, too fast
Call me to check your form!
Find a training plan online or flick me an email to create one for you based on your schedule and level
I would say strength training is more important than speed training for such a race. The reason is speed training may cause injury (due to high intensity). Strength training mitigates the risk of injury.
Regarding strength training, you have to be make a choice in what techniques you are running in. If you run in pose, your regimen of strength training would be quite different than the common understanding of strength workout for runners. If you push off the ground at running (like the way most of my potential clients do! lol) and you want to stay with that technique, you have to spend time on different set of workouts.
Do not run longer than 30km too often. Do it once or twice to gain confidence that you can actually go near 42km as it might wear you out before you reach your goal.
Beware of injuries from the get-go. You will be running that distance cumulatively every week especially closer to the race day, that might be too much on your body. Plan rest weeks in advance, boost your diet with highly nutritional foods, and do research about improving your recovery methods.

Progressive Running

Where to learn running techniques

Author: admin (Page 9 of 15)