|
|
| |
Running Guide
Keep It Simple
By Geordie McConnell, National Capital YMCA-YWCA
Philosophy
Enjoy the journey: To truly succeed, develop a joy for
running that allows you to look forward to training as much as
race day.
Realistic Goals: Reaching a goal can provide great
motivation, so make yourself many small goals on the way to your
principle target. For example, one of the most important goals
should be to simply make it to the starting line of the race.
Technique
Breathing: If your breathing is laboured, concentrate
on adopting a ration of 3 breathes in to 2 out, or 2:1 or 4:3.
Foot Strike: Remain upright so that strike
goes from heel to toe (the same as walking). This disperses
shock.
Arm Motion: Relaxed and rhythmic arms and shoulders
help conserve energy and increase muscular efficiency.
Hills: Change to a short and quick stride to avoid
straining the calf and achilles and to reduce impact on the
knees.
Training Principles
Stress – Rest: Place your body under a new
stress and it will work to adapt to better handle that stress in
the future. It does this during rest periods by building
stronger tissue with the protein available from your nutrition.
Insufficient rest means that your body will not properly recover
and rebuild, and may result in an overuse injury.
Progression: Ensure that the stress is introduced
at a steadily progressive rate as to avoid asking the body to
make too big a jump in adaptation. The general rule is to
increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% per week.
Cross-Train: This option allows you to rest your
running muscles on your non-running days but work your cardio by
doing a different form of exercise. (ie swimming, weights)
Diet: Ensure that you have enough
fuel/energy in you to complete the run. Have a snack or meal
featuring carbohydrates early enough so that it is digested
before the run.
Hydration: Drink at least two cups of water
within the hour before a run and then the same amount or more
immediately after the run. It is recommended to carry water if
you are running more than 5K.
Stretch: Stretch lightly before and longer after the
run to increase tissue flexibility. This decreases both your
recovery time and the risk of injury. Here’s how: Go slowly into
the position, stop when you feel tension in the target muscles,
hold for 2 breathes (pre-run) or 5 breathes (post run), finish
by slowly returning to neutral position. The stretch sequence
goes like this: Calf, soleus, tibant, quad, ham, arm circles,
back roll.
|
|
|
