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.

The Courage to Show Up

I walked into a large meeting room in the convention center which was already buzzing with my fellow fitness professionals preparing for a seminar on partner workouts. My heart started racing, I felt nervous and intimidated. I looked around the room and there were already more than 50 people and everyone seemed paired off. We were going to learn and perform partner programming. Who would be my partner? Would he/she be fitter than me? Could I keep up? My fight or flight response kicked in and I really wanted to run. What was I thinking? Why did I sign up for this? There were a lot of people in the room. Would I embarrass myself? How would I measure up against other fitness professionals? It felt downright scary. 

Then it hit me. This is how the new people that show up at my bootcamp must feel. I teach a beginner bootcamp on Tuesday nights. When a new person walks in that door for the first time, I can sometimes sense the apprehension. I go out of my way to make them feel welcome and encourage them that we are going to have a great class. But I somehow forgot what it was like to feel that fear because I already know the Tuesday night workout will be fun and we'll maybe even have a few laughs. I know for a fact they'll be able to keep up (we do modifications, if necessary). I know they'll push themselves more than usual and it will feel hard, but I also know that they will likely walk out of those studio doors feeling like they accomplished something great. It was easy for me to forget the courage it takes to just show up, how much they might have had to overcome just to walk through those doors. 

I know it can be a challenge to pick yourself up off the couch after a long day at work or school when a glass of wine or a Netflix marathon seems more enticing. It takes strength to ignore those butterflies in your stomach as you enter the new studio address into your GPS, avoiding the feeling of wanting to turn around at the next red light. It takes a certain level of determination to join a group of strangers in a room to sweat together. I forgot about the fear that other people might be judging or critiquing you. 

But it all came back. That day in the conference room, I remembered it all. And it all felt real scary. Then a friendly girl tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to be her partner. The instructor began his lesson/workout and the next hour and a half flew by. All my fears were unfounded. The workouts were challenging and fun. I finished the session with some fresh ideas and a sense of accomplishment for learning something new and not letting a feeling of uncertainty stop me from trying something great.

The lesson I learned at that seminar was less about partner programming and more about understanding and having compassion for my new students in class. 

I get that it is hard. It can be scary and intimidating, but most of the time the hardest part is just showing up (except burpees. hah). Just get yourself out there with the expectation of having fun. Have the courage to show up and see what happens. You may be rewarded with new friends, a sense of community, and a kick-ass workout (not to mention healthy body & mind). 

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Workout Wednesday: Plank Workout

Welcome to another edition of Workout Wednesday! Each week I put together a quick and effective workout that you can try at home. Runners always tell me they don't have time for strength training. I suggest you work through this core circuit after you complete your run. If you complete 10 minutes of strength training after each run this week, you could squeeze in a full body workout! 

I love planks. They are effective for building core strength, which is essential for runners! I like to do at least one to two minute low plank every day. #plankaday. If I miss a day, the @Plankpolice come after me. (No. I'm not kidding.)

Let's get planking!

HI PLANK

In a high plank position place your shoulders directly over your wrists. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your abs and breathe normally. Hold for one minute.

MARCHING PLANK

In a marching plank you will transition from a high plank to a low plank position. Lower your right arm, then your left arm until you are in an elbow plank position. When transiting multiple times, like you will during this circuit, be sure to alternate the arm you first use to push up. Push back up to high plank starting with the right arm, but on the next rep, pushup to plank by starting with the left arm to minimize pressure on the shoulders. This is challenging! Work to complete one minute.

LOW PLANK

Position your elbows on the floor with your shoulders directly over your elbows. Your body should be in a straight line parallel to the floor. Engage your core, pulling your belly button into your spine while breathing normally. Squeeze your glutes. Be careful not to sink your hips or raise your butt in the air. Do not clasp hands. Hold for one minute. If you need to rest, break it up into 15 or 30 second increments. 

LOW PLANK SPIDERMAN

While in the low plank position, bring your knee out to side and bring as close to your elbow as your flexibility will allow. Be careful not to sink your hips low or raise your butt in the air. Alternate sides for one minute. 

SIDE PLANK

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. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.

If a straight arm side plank is too challenging, start in a side elbow side plank and break it up into 10 or 15 seconds increments. Repeat on other side.

I recommend doing the circuit two to three times a week while continually challenging yourself. In order to keep progressing and getting stronger, you'll want to continuously make the circuit more difficult, either by adding more time, sets or progressing the exercises.

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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.