5 REASONS YOU'RE NOT IMPROVING IN RUNNING

If you've been running for a while and it seems like you're not improving I may be able to help you to pinpoint the culprit. There a few reasons that you may not be improving in running.

YOU ONLY RUN

If you've spent any time on this site you know I am a huge proponent of strength training for runners. When you run you only move in one direction - forward, which can lead to muscle imbalances and weaknesses. You don't have to spend hours in the gym, but working in some quick strength and flexibility training in all planes of motion will go a long way in helping you improve and remain injury free. 

YOU'RE NOT RUNNING ENOUGH

If you want to be a better runner, you have to run more. You have to consistently put in the work over time. If you are inconsistent or only running once or twice a week then improvements will come slow or not at all. Commit to a running/training plan and follow through. If you need a coach to guide you through, I'm here to help. 

YOU ONLY RUN AT ONE PACE

If you run at the same pace every day you are training your body to conserve calories and glycogen (carbs) in the muscles. This is good for long distance running because this is why you're able to cross the finish line. However, if you want to improve and run faster you'll need to train to run faster by adding in intervals, fartleks and/or hills into your training. The key is to have a variety of workouts that train the different exergy systems. Slow runs have an important place in your schedule but they should not be the only workouts that you do. 

YOU DON'T REST

I'd argue that rest days are one of the most important parts of your training plan. You body adapts and improves during rest, not during the workout. So if you don't rest, you don't allow your body the recovery it needs to repair and rebuild. You can't beat your body into submission. Work hard, rest hard. Plan one or two full rest days (or more if you need it) in your training schedule each week for best results. 

YOUR LIFESTYLE

Take a look at your lifestyle including your sleeping habits, nutrition and stress. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol intake and stress can all be factors in a poor or stagnant performance. Consider your lifestyle outside of running and evaluate if you need to make improvements. A good night sleep and proper nutrition can make a world of difference in your training. 

Take a good hard look at these factors to determine if you should make some adjustments in order to improve in your running. Work hard, rest hard, be consistent. You'll get there.

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Have questions? I'd love to help! Ask in the comments or join the conversation and "Ask the Trainer" for your question to be featured in a future blog post. 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, 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.

5 RUNNING SHOE MISTAKES YOU MAY BE MAKING

Hi, friends! Are you making any of these running shoe mistakes? Running shoes can be expensive, so you want to get the most out of your investment. Don't make these mistakes with your running shoes.

YOU RUN, TAKE FITNESS BOOT CAMP AND GO TO ZUMBA IN YOUR RUNNING SHOES

Running shoes are made specifically for running. When you run, you move in a single plane of motion: forward. Running shoes support you only in forward movements. Those side-to-side lateral moves are not protected if you go to a fitness boot camp or Zumba class wearing your running shoes. Buy a pair of cross-trainers for your fitness classes and save your running shoes for running.

YOU BUY THE SAME SIZE AS YOUR DRESS SHOES

Running shoes should be bought 1/2 size to 1 full size bigger than your street shoes. It would help if you had about a thumb width space empty in the toe box.

The reason for this is that your feet tend to swell when you run, and you need a bit more room to keep your toes from hitting the end of the shoe, which doesn't matter so much in an everyday shoe but matters a lot in a running shoe. Give those tootsies room to breathe.

YOU DON'T TIE THEM FOR ANKLE SUPPORT

Ever wonder what that extra hole was for in your running shoes? Use it to tie your shoes for better ankle support. Check out my quick video where I show you how. It is easy and makes a big difference in how your shoes fit.

YOU ALSO WEAR THEM AS CASUAL SHOES

You probably have noticed that running shoes can be expensive. They have a limited lifespan, and every step wears away at the tread and shock absorption. Save your running shoes for running and buy a pair of less expensive tennies for walking around.

YOU DON'T REPLACE THEM EVERY 300-500 MILES

After 300-500 miles, you may start to notice the tread is wearing down, and the shock absorption pads are beginning to crush down. It's a good idea to note when you bought your shoes in your training journal or even with a sharpie on your shoes. Aches and pains out of the blue could be a sign that you need to replace your shoes. Keep a close watch on your milage and pay attention to the tread. 300-500 miles is an estimate; it varies based on the manufacturer, shoe model, and running terrain.

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Running A-to-Z R is for Rookie Racing Mistakes

Welcome to another edition of Running A-to-Z where I cover a running related topic following the order of the alphabet. This week we are on letter R. R is for for Rookie Racing Mistakes. If you missed any past posts you can catch up on letters A through Q in the archives. 

I am an authority on rookie racing mistakes because I have made them all myself. Sometimes you have to make the mistakes in order to learn from them. Let's run through the what not-to-do on race day. These mistakes are not just reserved for rookies. It took me years to learn some of these lessons.

TRY ANYTHING NEW

The golden rule of racing is to not try anything new on race day. Not shoes, not that new singlet from the expo, not a new breakfast because you heard it's what Meb eats on race day. Go with what you know on race day to avoid any surprises. Those shoes could cause blisters, that tank might rub your armpits the wrong way and Meb's breakfast of champions could be the worst thing for your stomach on race day. You train for a reason. You are practicing for the big race. You already know what works for you. Don't mess with it on race day. 

START OUT TOO FAST

It took me a long time to learn to reign it in at the start line and beyond. It is so easy to run faster than you trained when you are hyped up on adrenaline. It seems everyone is going fast and you feel great, why not keep up this pace and bank some time? You can slow down later. 

Except it never works. Never. If you are trained at a certain pace you can't expect to run your race faster than you trained. You will empty your fuel tank and hit the wall. A steady pace will get you across the finish line. If you feel great towards the end can you pick up the pace in the last few miles, not the first few. 

OVERLOAD ON CARBS

It can be tempting to rationalize a large pizza and an extra serving of garlic bread the night before a race in the name of carbo-loading, but don't fall for this myth. This can cause gastrointestinal distress which can ruin a race. Yes, runners need carbs, but healthy carbs should be increased gradually in the days leading up to race day, not one giant unhealthy carb meal the night before the race.

WEAR COTTON APPAREL OR SOCKS

Just say no to anything cotton on race day or any other training day. Cotton absorbs sweat which can lead to blisters, embarrassing sweat stains and an uncomfortable racing experience. Stick to performance apparel that wicks away sweat.

NOT PLAN ENOUGH TIME BEFORE THE START

Plan on everything taking longer than you think. The porta-potty lines are long, parking can take a lot of time, the walk to the start line may be farther than you thought. You have enough on your mind on race day, you don't need the stress of showing up late. Minimize the stress by getting to the race site early. 

FORGET TO HAVE FUN

Checking your GPS watch at every quarter mile marker to make sure your on pace and putting an immense amount of pressure on yourself can suck the fun right out of race day. It's great to have goals and go for new PRs but don't forget, this is supposed to be fun! Enjoy race day! 

Have you ever made any of these mistakes? I sure have. Did I miss anything?

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, 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: P is for Pacing How to Find Your Perfect Running Pace

Hi, friends. Welcome to another edition of Running A to Z. Each week I cover a running related topic following the order of the alphabet. This week we are on letter P. P is for pacing, how to find your perfect running pace. If you missed any Running A-Z posts you can catch up on letters A-O in the archives. 

Pace seems like something you shouldn't have to think about. Strap on your shoes and hit the streets. The average time it takes you to move through each mile is your pace. But in order to run most efficiently you don't want to start off too fast for your abilities or your goals. It's the biggest mistake I see in new runners. It not only makes for a poor running experience, but you risk burnout and injury. So how do you find your perfect pace? You'll need to determine the appropriate pace for easy runs and for speed work. 

P is for Pacing

CONVERSATIONAL PACE

I am a big fan of running according to how you feel because you don't need any fancy equipment like a GPS watch or treadmill. You run by feel, your rate of perceived exertion (chart below) and the talk test. Conversational pace is exactly what it sounds like, it's the pace you can maintain while holding a conversation without pausing to gasp for air between words or sentences. On the RPE chart (below) this would be between a 4-6 on a scale from 1-10.

RPE = Rate perceived exertion

As a running coach I recommend that most of your runs (especially your long runs) should be at this pace. There is room for speed work and hard workouts in the week, but you have to give your body adequate time (usually 48 hours, but depends on the athlete) to recover in between hard sessions. Run easy enough on easy days to allow your body to recover. 

5K PACE

A lot of runners want to train to run faster. Some training plans that are designed to increase speed are based on your current 5K pace. The example below is adapted from the RRCA Pace Chart developed by Amby Burfoot (www.ambyburfoot.com). The chart gives you the appropriate pace to run different types of speed workouts based on your current fitness level (your 5K time). For example, if you currently run a 5K in 29 minutes (or a 9:21 pace) then your tempo pace should be 9:49, your long interval pace 9:10 and your short interval pace 8:25. If you try to run faster you could risk injury. It is important to reiterate that the 5K pace on the chart is your current pace, not your desired pace. If you currently run a 5K in 33 minutes but want to improve your time to 29 minutes, you would follow the paces on the first line, not the middle line. You always train to your current fitness level, not your desired level. Once your 5K time improves you can then increase your speed workout paces.

5K PACE	5K TIME	EASY & LONG RUN PACE	TEMPO PACE	LONG INTERVAL PACE	SHORT INTERVAL PACE
10:48	33:30	13:24	11:20	10:35	9:43
9:21	29:00	11:36	9:49	9:10	8:25
8:13	25:30	10:22	8:43	8:03	7:24

The best way to determine your 5K pace is to run a 5K. If you never ran an organized 5K race, you can map out a 3.1 mile course on the street (choose a flat route), on a track or on a treadmill. Run your 5K at a comfortably hard pace, about a 7 on the RPE chart. You should be working hard but not an all-out effort (because you won't be able to maintain it for three miles). 

If you would like help with a running plan, I can put together a workout schedule for you that safety and systematically increases distance and speed over time based on your current fitness abilities. Check out my run coaching services for more details. 

The main lessons to learn are to run your easy runs at conversational pace and run your speed workouts based on your current fitness levels, not your desired fitness level. If you train at the correct paces and master these two concepts you'll run longer and faster with little risk of injury or overtraining. 

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

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, 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.

How to Tie Your Running Shoes for Ankle Support and Blister

Hi, Friends! Today I have a quick video on how to tie your running shoes. I know what you might be thinking...

"Geez, Lea, I may not be an expert in running, but I've been tying my shoes since I was three; I think I have that part covered."

Stay with me. I will show you how to tie your running shoes for better ankle support and to avoid blisters. This technique is called a "heel lock."

How to tie your running shoes for better ankle support and blister prevention

Ever wonder what that extra hole is for on your running shoes? Watch my short video for an explanation and demonstration on how to tie your running shoes. Watch for a special appearance by the beloved internet sensation, Ollie!

Try it out and let me know how it works for you!

Any questions? Let me know in the comments.

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