Stretches and Exercises for Runners

I found a page of stretches and a page of strengthening exercises for runners on the NISMAT website (full link at right). It's simple stuff, but a good start for those of us who are just getting started and need to take special care to guard against overuse injuries. I plan to take it a bit easy tomorrow. If the leg feels OK, I'll take a short run, then concentrate on preparing for New Year's Eve -- we plan to have 8 or 10 friends over for dinner, drinks, and of course, champagne.

Speedwork

Yesterday's "speedwork" was downgraded to a "tempo run," which turned out to be 5 miles at a just-faster-than-walking pace. "Maybe we could go so slowly, we would be walking backwards," Andy said. I'm babying my troublesome left shin, which has been gently but ominously sore the last few days, and hoping that if I treat it carefully and ice regularly, I won't have to miss a running day. So I'm icing today and tomorrow (rest days), and will take stock Sunday before going out for my long run. If all goes well next week, I may update my goals -- Andy has promised to run the 12k with me and he wants to average a 9 minute mile.

Looking for a jacket

The one problem with the IllumiNITE jacket I like is that it doesn't have a hood, and in the heavy rain, I'd prefer to have something over my head, preferably with a brim. So on my lunch break today, I walked over to the New Balance store on Sutter Street to look at their running clothes. I found one excellent option -- this "Nemo" jacket (at left) with a brimmed hood you can zip into the collar. My store offered the jacket in teal only, though black and purple are available on line. Maybe a little expensive at $124, but lightweight and mostly well designed. I was concerned only about visibility: though the jacket has ample reflective piping on the front and sleeves, there is only one line of piping on the back. Presumably, one should be running facing traffic, so perhaps the front reflection is most important, but I don't see why they couldn't add another line or two along the back for extra safety. I decided to look further before deciding. Does anyone have a favorite rain repellent jacket to recommend?

Wanted

The new Asics 2120s

Aspira Softshell Jacket by IllumiNITE

Easy Run?

This morning, before it began to rain, I thought I might test the limits a little and see what kind of 5k speed I could come up with, despite the fact that this is an easy run day and I should be doing my usual 2 miles at 13:00. Even as I started out, I wasn't sure which run I would do, but the threat of night, and the ghost of my earlier shin pain made me opt, conservatively, to stick to the schedule. It was more difficult to stick to pace: the wind was blowing toward me, dashing rain into my face and I had to fight the tendency to run head down, hands in pockets. It was tempting to sprint, both to keep warm, and to get the whole thing over with. The first mile took will power to complete, but I had the consolation that there would be only two. The second mile was easier. I was warmer and the wind was behind me. I allowed myself to increase pace, a token nod to my ambitions earlier in the day, and finished in 22 minutes. A clean 11 minute mile. Take that, training schedule.

Torture

Merry Christmas! Ben has posted a great response to the blog in his myspace blog -- which is the way I sometimes feel too, minus the prison guard training bit, of course. Which brings me to last night's run. The sweat was dripping down my arm, which I was soundly laughed at for likening to Chinese water torture:

Running

Current mood: exhausted

I just finished reading my step-daughter's running blog and am completely exhausted and need a good nights sleep to recover. Most of my experience with running centered around getting away. It's just not good for me to run. All these people I see running and huffing and sweating and spitting and blowing their noses...they impress the hell out of me but not enough to get me out there for the cardio-pulminary thing. Way back in the early 80's I knew this guy, I'll call him Jim (because that was his name), who kept telling me how easy it was to build up the long-distance huff-puff, breathe-that-exhaust-from-diesel-Mercedes Benz-mother-fuckers-cars-until-you-drop-dead-health bullshit. So I gave it a try. Jim and I would gear up and run around Tiburon for an hour or so and, in fact, I was able to do around six big ones after a surprisingly short time...maybe six weeks or so. I ended up attending the Richard A. McGhee Correctional Academy in Galt, California to become a big bad Prison Guard...excuse me...Correctional Officer. Part of my training was to get up at 4:30 A.M. and run 2.5 miles WITH a flashlight so a passing farmer wouldn't run over me in his John Deere. It was torture. It was far more profound than simple torture. Nothing about me, or my body, felt better after the run. I contracted a lung disease that I had to keep to myself or be thrown out of the Academy and forfit all that great brain-washing sleep-deprivation and how-to-apply-restraint-gear-to-a-violent-criminal stuff. By the end of the seven million year Academy commitment, I swore, and prayed, that I'd never...NEVER run again unless it was to get away from someone chasing me down the street with a knife...a knife with a blade measuring at least ten inches or more. Even then, I'd stop after a quarter mile or so and raise my hands to the sky in sweet surrender. I GOTTA get some rest now.

Stow Lake

For today's long run (6 miles) we headed down to Stow Lake, looped around and headed back. Our pace was again very slow, so I tried to concentrate on form -- hips leading, trying for a mid foot strike rather than my natural heel strike. I was not at all sore from our 5 mile tempo run on Thursday and Andy was itching to increase the pace, so we sped up a bit in the last mile and came in in minute or so early. The slow pace coupled with the changes in form must have been doing something though because my legs felt like jello as we slowed to a walk at the end.

After a bit more research online when I got home, I found increasingly conflicting information about the foot strike in general. Though a mid foot strike seems to improve speed slightly, it also absorbes slightly less shock. Something like 80% of runners are actually heel strikers. The other elements of form are less controversial, and it's clear I need improvement in all of them.

Running Form

My grandfather, who ran consistently for twenty-five years, sent me this excellent introduction to running form written by Rich Strauss. I think it's worth posting:

Many people believe that you are born with either good or bad running form, and that there is little that you can do to change it. We have all seen "natural runners," and envy their fluidity and grace. But by knowing a little bit about the physics of running and trying to adopt some of the common traits of all "good" runners, it is possible to improve on what you're stuck with.

Physics: Your body's center of gravity is in your midsection. Any force that is applied to the ground in front of this center gravity acts as a braking force to your forward movement. Picture a runner with an exaggerated running stride. Every time he plants his heel forward of his body, he applies a braking force, slowing himself down. In addition, before he is able to apply force to the ground and move his body forward for the next stride, he must wait until his body has moved directly over his foot. If you look at the form of most good runners, you will see that their feet strike the ground directly beneath their body. Running with this shortened stride is also characterized by a "mid-foot" strike (not on the heel, not on the toes, but at about the ball of the foot) and a high cadence, or "quick feet."

System Checklist
Now, having said all of this, don't watch me run. My wife Sue says that rather than run, I "lumber." But she also says I've gotten much better. This is my "System Checklist" that I use to critique my running form as I run. I start with my head and work down my body.

Head: Neutral position, don't look or down. Try to think of centering your head on your shoulders. Face muscles are relaxed and loose. Try to feel your facing bouncing with each stride. Sunglasses and a hat always help.

Shoulders: Relaxed, loose, but not "hunched forward." Think of "running proud" with your shoulders back, but don't try to actually pull them back. This creates muscle tension and is a waste of energy. Any forward lean must be supported by your lower back, changes your center of gravity, and results in wasted energy.

Arms: Any excessive side to side motion, or swinging across your body is a waste of energy. Try to think of everything moving in a straight line and in one direction: forward. Keep your elbows in and bring your arms up in a straight motion. Hands should be relaxed and loosely cupped.

Hips: Very important. This is the home of your center of gravity. Try to run with your hips forward. Pretend as if you have a rope tied around your waist and someone is pulling you forward with it.

Feet: I changed from a heel striker to a mid-foot striker and I'm convinced that this has kept me injury free. Try it if you want, but just beware. But regardless of how you plant your foot, you can try to plant it directly under your body and your center of gravity. Try running with a quick cadence of 88-90+. Simply count the number of times that your left foot strikes the ground in one minute. It will feel strange at first, but if you practice enough it will become second nature. Also, think "quick feet." Try to make as short as possible the time that your foot is on the ground. I've gone from 82 rpm at my IM pace to 90+. One of the most satisfactory compliments I've ever gotten in a race is when a spectator said "good cadence" to me at mile 25.5 at IM California. I spent a lot of time working on this and its nice to see it paid off.

Getting Wet

By the time I got home from work last night, the rain was lighter but persistent. I bundled up in my heaviest Capri sweats and a hooded jacket. Andy, who is more fit than I'll ever be, and who is used to competing in all sorts of weather, went out in only running shorts and a thermal shirt under a fleece vest. I insisted he wear a hat. Our goal was to run a slow first mile, followed by 3 miles at tempo (which my training schedule identified as an 11:21 pace), and then to run one more cool down mile. I was surprised to see that my pace would only increase by 18 seconds total during my 13 week schedule, and while 11:21 is an accurate tempo pace for me right now, I already think I might be a bit more aggressive about increasing it.

Despite the rain, the evening was warm and windless, and because of it there were few others out in the park. We reached the first mile ahead of time, picked up our pace, and continued into the park proper. The second mile mark was in front of the de Young museum. We were wet by now, but fully warmed up and again we were about a minute ahead of time. The third mile headed down to 19th Avenue, turned around and headed up the steepest grade of the run - about 4 or 5 minutes of steady uphill climbing. At the top, we had completed the third mile, this time right on time, and Andy said "I hate hills." My legs started feeling it a bit during the 4th mile (I'm still not quite back in shape), but the kink in my left hip finally worked itself out. The 4th was our slowest mile, behind pace by more than a minute, but it may have been the now moderately heavy rain against our faces, and the puddles we were jumping over. We completed the 5th mile through the panhandle at an enforced cool down pace, thought we felt like we were just warming up. In total, the run lasted about 58.5 minutes - an overall pace of 11:42 which, with the slower first and last miles, is probably right on target.

The park was beautiful and wet and empty. Together the dark and the rain launched us into a meditative state. I remember now why I like running. It is one of the few times in a day when my mind is still.

Commitment

Nothing could test my three-day-old commitment to a training schedule more than exiting my apartment this morning and stepping into the rain. Suddenly my 5 mile tempo run tonight is looking a lot more difficult. I don't have good rain running gear, so the bus ride to work found me paging through a mental catalogue of my clothes, trying to think of something waterproof.

Jumping In

I first fell in love with marathons last July, when the San Francisco Marathon took its course down Haight Street. I woke in the early morning to the sounds of cheering outside my window and dimly remembered that the race was taking place. Feeling an odd sense of alertness and energy, I dressed and walked down to the street to watch as the first waves of runners made their way toward Fillmore Street. Friendly Hell's Angels directed traffic and pointed the way, and small crowds had gathered on almost every corner to cheer. I had never run more than a mile or two, and do not generally think of myself as athletic, but something about the moment captured my imagination. I decided that when the San Francisco Marathon came past Haight Street the following year, I would be running in it.

I have always loved running, and in the 4th and 5th grades, I excelled at the 50 yard dash, the long jump, and the relay. I even have a few blue and red ribbons. But mostly I rode horses and wrote poems and read books, and that is still true. On that July day, my only athletic shoes were a three year old pair of cross trainers. Still, I thought that if I could run for just thirty minutes. And then if I could keep running with some kind of sporadic consistency despite the demands of graduate school, and work, and loved ones, and vacations. And if, when January came and I was still running, I still loved it, then I would begin to train.

Of course, it didn't quite happen like that, though I did run for nearly thirty minutes the first day. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't too difficult either and slowly I began adding miles. At the end of a run, I couldn't wait to start the next one. I bought a pair of real running shoes. Though I began to feel a persistent soreness in my left leg, I thought little of it. Finally the pain the the beginning and end of runs was too much to ignore. I had expected a shin splint to present itself on the front of my leg, not along the inside calf near the muscle, as it did, but the signs were all too clear. I took a week off, which became two, then three. I took infrequent short runs but was frustrated by how quickly I had lost fitness. Finally, a few weeks ago, I asked after a pair of Capri sweat pants I had bought for running and Andy quipped, "I gave them to a runner." I couldn't even be mad, because he was right. I had not run for several weeks.

So I began running again. Not much, but enough. Then, last Sunday night, Andy and I took a frigid 4.5 mile run through Golden Gate Park. It was my first pain free run in several months and I came back ecstatic, despite the cold. I decided I needed a more immediate goal, and a bit more guidance, so I set my sites on a 12K race scheduled for March 18th. Then I went to Runners World and generated a 13 week training schedule, complete with speed work, tempo runs, and weekend long runs. It started with an easy run last night. Two miles at something like a 14:01 minute mile. It was the easiest run I've ever taken. Now for the hard part.