Running A-Z: L is for Lessons (Running Lessons From My Dog)

Welcome to another edition to Running A-Z where I cover a running related topic in the order of the alphabet. Have you missed any posts? You can catch up in the archives. This week we are on the letter L. L is for Lessons. Running Lessons From My Dog. (A stretch? Maybe.) When I sat down to write this post I thought a running post titled 'lessons' could be about the different energy systems our bodies use for running, how running increases the mitochondria in your muscles, or different muscle fiber types. I figured a more interesting topic would be how to learn to enjoy running like a dog. Are you with me? 

"Me and my favorite two-legged running partner! (Don't tell my dad I said that)." - Ollie

If you know me, you know that I've been running (pun intended) another blog for a few years called Running with Ollie. Ollie is my four-legged companion and favorite running partner (sorry hubs). He has a seemingly endless supply of motivation to run. How can we tap into that motivation? Let's try to think like he does. 

Ollie is the best. Oh, that was a typo. Ollie is a beast. Weighing in at 85 lbs with a strong will, he can be a handful. He loves to run and walk, belly rubs and bacon flavored treats. He hates cats, squirrels, baths and not going for a run. He's a little spoiled but I have to take responsibility for that one. 

"When I'm not running my driver takes me where I need to go. Driver! To the dog bone store!"

Ollie can teach us some important running lessons. A dog's natural joy and enthusiasm for running is something that we can all strive towards. 

Run For Fun

Ollie doesn't run to lose weight. He doesn't run because he feels like it is something he is supposed to do or to beat a personal record. He runs because he loves it. He has a natural enthusiasm that emerges each time he sees me tieing on my running shoes. As a running coach I advise everyone to warm up before running, Ollie's warm up is jumping so high in excitement that he almost hits the ceiling. Someone show me how to bottle that and I'll be a millionaire. When you were a kid you probably ran (to chase a friend, in an impromptu race or get somewhere first) because it felt fun. It can still be that way. 

"Freeeeeeee!"

Seize Every Opportunity

Ollie never complains. He never gets bored of running. He never skips a run because he doesn't feel like it or he is too tired from a long day of work (chasing squirrels). Every chance that he gets to run, he takes it. He knows that running is a privilege (to get to explore the neighborhood on a leash with mom and dad). Maybe he fears that one day he won't get to run anymore, so when he has the chance, he goes for it. When you don't feel like running, try to remember that running is a gift and privilege not afforded to everyone. 

"I'm exhausted. Want to go for a run now?"

Run by Feeling

Ollie doesn't worry about pace or speed. He runs for the pure joy of it. There is nothing wrong with chasing speed goals and working to improve, but it's important to remember to not get too caught up in the numbers. I always say that Ollie is the expert in running fartleks. He speeds up when he wants to chase a squirrel and slows down to sniff a tree. Runner humans call that fartlek, he calls it life. Lose the GPS watch every once in awhile and just run by feeling. It can become a chore if you get too caught up in the results. Focus on how great it makes you feel (afterwards).

"Hi there."

Don't Compare

Ollie doesn't look at other dogs running near us and wish he could run as fast as them. He doesn't look at the dogs behind the fences and wonder why his body isn't smaller like theirs. If he had a social media account (he is the star of my Instagram) he wouldn't look at other runners' times and feel discouraged. Running is great exercise for your body (and mind), regardless of body type, pace or distance. This is my favorite running quote because I believe running is accessible to every reasonably healthy person.

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”

— John Bingham

Don't compare yourself to other runners. Run your own journey and celebrate your accomplishments along the way. 

"I do tricks for treats. But don't push it though."

Rest and Recover

As much as Ollie loves to run, he loves to nap. He is the master of rest and recovery. It's an important part of the process. Remember that adaptation occurs during rest. If you don't rest, you don't give your body the chance to improve.

"This butt pillow is comfy!"

Do you run with your dog? Has your dog taught you any lessons? Tell Ollie hi in the comments and I'll read them to him later.

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, as well as online training. If you are interested in a more in-depth strength training plan for runners, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Running A-Z: K is for Knee Pain Prevention for Runners

Hi, friends. Welcome to the latest edition of Running A-Z. Each week I cover a new running related topic following the order of the alphabet. Have you been following along? You can catch up on letters A-J in the archives. 

I could write a whole other blog post on things that you should never say to a runner: Did you win your marathon? (After you ran a 5k) What was your place? (It was 574th, thank you very much) Isn't running bad for your knees? (As a matter of fact, it's not). 

It's not that running is bad for your knees, it is just that when you run (and only run) you can form muscle imbalances (have muscle tightness and weaknesses). This is where knee pain can occur, sometimes called runner's knee.

When you run you strengthen the hamstrings (back of the leg muscles) more than the quadriceps (front of thigh). Tight hamstrings and weak quads is an imbalance that can cause pressure on the knee. Knee pain can also be rooted in instability issues from lack of hip strength. The solution could be to work on strengthening your quadriceps and hips and stretching your hamstrings and calves. 

It's important to note that if you already have knee pain, please see your doctor. Never run through pain. Pain is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Work with a professional to figure it out. It won't get better by ignoring it or reading blogs, you'll likely just end up with a full-blown injury. 

I am going to talk about knee pain prevention, the actions you can take to avoid knee pain the first place. 

Foam Rolling and Stretching

Foam rolling only takes a few minutes and can make an incredible improvement in muscle tightness and improved flexibility. Before you run take five minutes to go through a foam rolling routine, focusing on overactive or tight muscles. Foam rolling, also called self-myofascial release, is a technique that uses pressure to break up the knots within the muscle to help release tension and tightness. See my foam rolling for runners post for more detailed instructions.

Strengthening

Focus on hip and quad strengthening exercises. Even if you don't do any other strength training, these will go a long way in injury prevention. You don't need to spend hours in the gym, just 15 minutes a day three times a week. Check out my post on injury prevention for runners for some simple and effective hip strengthening exercises.

Resting

Sometimes pain is caused by overtraining and can be diminished or eliminated simply by resting. Be sure you are building in proper rest days into your training schedule. Too much too soon combined with not enough rest can lead to overuse injuries.

Active injury prevention

You should be proactive in injury prevention. Review my runner's injury prevention checklist to ensure that you are taking all the correct actions to avoid running injuries. I outline them in this blog post and you can download a PDF version to print. 

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training sessions in Fort Worth in the Shredshed, as well as online training. If you are interested in a more in-depth strength training plan for runners, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise history, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor if you have pain or before beginning any new exercise program.

The Runner's Injury Prevention Checklist

Attention runners! Are you taking all the necessary precautions to avoid injuries? Use this checklist to make sure you are on the right track to continue running injury-free well into the future. 

download the injury prevention checklist

Do you properly warm up and cool down?

Take 5-10 minutes before each run to warm up. I recommend a mix of foam rolling and dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretching is when you move the joint through the full range of motion. It is an active stretch, unlike a static stretch that you would hold for 30 seconds. Great dynamic stretches before running are leg swings, walking lunges and squats. 

After your run take 5 minutes for static stretching (hold each stretch for 30 seconds). 

Do you wear running-specific shoes and replace them every 500 miles?

A good pair of running shoes will provide the support you need to run safety and help prevent injury. If you are putting in significant miles each week, like someone who is training for a marathon, I would recommend having two pair of running shoes and rotating the shoes every other run. Mark on your calendar (or in your training log) when you buy new shoes and keep track of the milage. Replace every 500 miles.

Do you build distance and intensity gradually, no more than 10% a week? 

One of the big mistakes runners make is doing too much too soon. Listen to your body. Build your milage gradually, never more than 10% increase a week and every fourth week, reduce your milage. Building milage slowly is the best way to prevent injury. You'll hopefully be running long into the future, there is no need to rush anything. 

Do you avoid increasing both distance and intensity in the same week?

If you add additional miles to your training log, don't also add increased intensity speed work. I usually block my training cycles to meet specific goals, I am either training to increase milage (like for a half marathon) or to improve speed, but never both in the same week. 

Do you limit speed work and hard effort sessions to 2-4 times a week?

Most runners need just 2-3 days a week of effort sessions. Effort sessions include anything outside of easy runs, for example, hill repeats, fartleks, speed work and long runs. Doing too much only leads to injury. Listen to your body. 

Do you rest between hard workouts?

Always allow 1-2 rest days or easy run days between hard workouts. Never do hard workouts back to back. Remember that adaptations occurs during rest. If you never rest, you never get stronger or faster. More is not always better. 

Do you fuel properly for running?

Your body literally runs (pun intended) on the fuel you give it. If you don't fuel properly, you'll see it in your results. Runners need carbs and calories for energy, protein for muscle repair, and fat. Eat to perform. Work to include nutrient dense foods in your diet for the best results. 

Do you strength train and/or cross train? 

Ah, my favorite topic. It's so important to me that I built my business around the notion that runners who strength train are stronger faster runners. You don't have to spend hours in the gym, but carving out a little time for strength training and cross training will help reduce your chance of injury from running. 

Do you get 7-8 hours of sleep a night? 

Sleep is so important. Not getting enough sleep, less than seven hours of sleep per night, can reduce the benefits of running. Your body needs the time to recover. Lack of sleep can cause you feel unfocused, hungry and, despite your running efforts, not achieve results. When you don't get enough sleep, your stress hormone levels can rise, which can be associated with fat gain. 

Aim for 7-9 hours a sleep a night to maximize your efforts and reduce the chance of injury.

If you answered yes to all the above questions, congratulations! You are taking the necessary precautions to help avoid injury. Did you fall short anywhere? If so, tackle one point at a time and work to improve gradually until you check yes for all the questions. 

You can download the checklist here in PDF format!

Any questions? I'd love to help! Let me know in the comments. 

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Running A-Z: J is for Journaling for Runners (Believe Journal Giveaway)

Welcome to the latest edition of Running A-Z where I cover a running-related topic following the order of the alphabet. Missed some posts? You can catch up on letters A-I here. 

When I started this series, I worried this would happen. I worried I would come upon a letter that did not have an obvious running-related topic. J? Jogging? Jokes? I was sort of lost. Instead of burdening (or delighting) you with my running jokes (I think I'm hilarious) I decided to talk to you about the importance of journaling for runners. 

I am a blogger and a writer at heart, so it is very natural for me to journal my runs and workouts. Journaling your runs includes documenting more than just how many miles you ran and at what pace. When you journal your runs you write about how you felt during your run, what the weather was like, the time of day, how you fueled and how you felt after. But even if you have never journaled before, there are great reasons why you should start a running journal today. 

To state your goals

Writing you goals and plans down on paper is the first step in achieving them. So whether you are training for a half marathon, a faster 10k or your first 5K, having a written plan and goal serves as a daily reminder to stay on track and can be a motivator to do the work required to achieve that goal. A journal can hold you accountable to your goals.

To track improvements

Writing about your daily runs help you track improvements. Sometimes improvements may come slowly and you may feel like you are not improving at all. Being able to track your progress from week to week, month to month and year to year show you that while sometimes changes have been slow, they have been occurring.

I tend to forget every summer that the debilitating Texas summer heat slows me down and get mad at myself for my slower pace in 90% humidity. A running journal helps remind me of my paces and conditions from last summer so I can make comparisons based on similar conditions. I can't always count on my brain to remember. 

To monitor and customize your training plan

Journaling helps you monitor how you feel during and after a run and the factors that can affect it. Maybe you notice that you always feel drained with "heavy" legs on early morning runs, but feel fast and efficient in the afternoon. That may mean your body doesn't respond well to running on an empty stomach in the morning. Maybe you notice you have better runs after a moderately high carb dinner. 

Journaling may reveal that too many speed work sessions in one week leaves you feeling drained and overworked. Maybe adding an extra tempo run in a week improves your half marathon pace. It's hard to know what is working or not working until you track and monitor it. 

I noticed that if I ran more than two days in a row, I would experience some hip pain. I backed off running on that third day for rest and the hip pain went away. The journal helped me see that pattern and I changed my training plan to fit my needs. 

A journal can help you experiment with what is working, and not working for you. When you document how you feel, you can see the trends over time and make adjustments as needed.

To document achievements

I am a big fan of self-celebration. Too many things in this world can bring us down, let us remember to celebrate our achievements, both big and small. If I completed every workout on my plan for the week, that is cause for celebration! If I achieved a PR or even crossed a finish line without dying, let's celebrate. A journal helps you document those successes so that on those days that you are dealing with self-doubt or negative feelings you can turn to your journal to remember your past successes. 

Getting started with journaling

All you need to get started is a notebook. Some people may prefer an app like Daily Mile, but call me old fashioned (or just old) but I prefer the pen and paper method. There is something that works for me when sitting down with a pen and notebook to document my experience.

WIN IT

Enter to win a believe training journal giveaway

All you need to get started is a regular notebook, but If you want to get fancy, I recommend the Believe Journal. It is training log designed by professional runners that is chalk full of motivation and inspiration. Best news? I have one for you to win in a giveaway. There are many ways to earn entries. Just complete one or complete them all for a better chance of winning. Good luck, friends!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for tuning in for another edition of running A-Z. Have any suggestions for future topics following the order of the alphabet? What do you want to learn more about? Let me know in the comments! 

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Giveaway runs from 7/25/16 - 8/2/16

Open to US residents, 18 years old or older

Must have a shipping address in the US

Winner will be notified by email and have three business days to confirm prize

If prize is not confirmed in three days, an alternative winner will be selected

All Rafflecopter entries will be verified. If entry not completed, a new winner will be selected.

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Coach Lea

Running A-Z: I is for Injury Prevention for Runners

It's another week of Running A-Z, where I cover a running-related topic following the order of the alphabet. This week is the letter I. We will be talking about exercises for injury prevention. If you missed any of our past editions, you can catch up with letters A-H in the archives.

If you read this blog on a regular basis you know that I am a huge proponent of strength training for runners. In fact, I run my whole business on the notion that runners who strength train are stronger, faster and less prone to injury. But I get it. Runners generally don't enjoy the strength training aspect as much as they love to run. The good news is that you don't need to spend hours in the gym for basic injury prevention exercises. Runners generally need to work on strengthening their hips and abs. I challenge you as a runner to find 15 minutes three times a week to perform these exercises. Our goal is to strengthen those hip muscles to avoid injury.

You'll want to progress the exercises to make them more difficult over time, either by adding an extra set, a few reps, or adding resistance. Begin with two sets of ten reps for each exercise. After a week add an extra set. Once you are doing three sets, start adding additional reps each week until you're at three sets and 20 reps. Then make the exercises more challenging or add resistance. By continually progressing the exercises you will avoid adaptation and will get stronger over time. 

CLAMSHELLS

Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent with your legs and ankles together. You can prop yourself up on your forearm during the exercise. Open and close your knees like a clam by lifting your top knee up. Repeat on the opposite side.

Progress the exercise by adding a resistance band to your thighs.

BIRD DOG

On all fours with your wrists directly underneath your shoulders lift one arm off the floor to shoulder height while lifting the opposite leg in line with the hip. Switch arms/legs after 30 seconds. Squeeze your abs and glutes during the move while breathing normally.

Progress the exercise by extending the time in position.

HIP ABDUCTION

Lie on your side with your legs stacked on top of one another. Lift your top leg to about 45 degrees before lowering. Switch sides and repeat.

Progress the hip abduction when you're ready by advancing to the side plank hip abduction.

With a straight arm lift yourself up into a side plank position. Your shoulders should be directly over your wrists. Stack your feet and don't allow your hips to drop. Lift your top leg. Switch sides and repeat.

GLUTE BRIDGE

Lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your hips off the floor while engaging your glutes and abs. Your body should be in a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.  Lower your hips to the floor and repeat. 

Progress the exercise my lifting one leg, then alternating the leg. 

I encourage you to work these four exercises into your weekly routine to build hip strength. It is important to remember that while I am a personal trainer and running coach, I am not your personal trainer and running coach. Please get clearance from a medical professional before beginning any new exercise routine.

Any questions? 

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Coach Lea