Run Training
BEYOND THE WORKOUT
By Sage Rountree
The run workouts you choose to do — hills, pace runs, long runs — are critical to your improvement. But they are only one part of your run training. To get the most out of your workouts, you need to consider what you are doing not just during the workout itself, but also before and after. Follow these steps on either end of your run, and you’ll maximize your workout.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
1 BE CLEAR ON THE PURPOSE of your run. Is it to build endurance? To increase your ability to hold a certain pace? To gain strength on hills?
2 CONSIDER WHAT CHALLENGES you’ve faced in similar workouts, and choose a strategy to use in this workout.
3 CHECK YOUR NUTRITION. Are you fueled enough for the run? If you’re going first thing in the morning, you probably have enough glycogen stored to head right out the door. If it’s midmorning or after work, though, you might need a small snack before you get started. Pack any nutrition or hydration you need during the run.
4 PLAN YOUR ROUTE and let someone know. If you’re going long, you might plan to run past a water fountain or rest room. If you need to seek a certain grade of hill, think about that in advance. For safety, leave a note saying where you plan to run and when you expect to return.
5 CHOOSE YOUR EQUIPMENT. Are your shoes still wet from a previous run? Are you going to be on trails? On roads where cushioning might be nice? Or simulating the run leg of an upcoming race, choose your race shoes with bungee laces. Think through everything, from shoes and socks (or no socks) to the shorts you plan to race in. The closer you get to your key race, the more important the dress rehearsal.
6 LOCK IN GOOD FORM. Stand tall for a few breaths, finding a neutral position of your pelvis, a long spine, relaxed shoulders, and a broad chest. Remember this good posture as your run progresses. The more tired you become, the harder it might be to hold things steady.
7 TURN YOUR MUSCLES ON. Like powering up the engines on a plane, a dynamic warm-up will get your muscles ready to fire in smooth, coordinated motion, while freeing up your range of motion for fluid running. From the tall stance you have already established, try this parking-lot-ready routine:
● STAND TALL.
● INHALE AND LIFT your right leg, taking your right knee to hip height as you balance on your left foot.
● EXHALE AND STEP your right leg behind you until you feel a stretch in your left glutes and the front of your right hip.
● INHALE AND RETURN to the raised-leg position, pushing firmly into the left foot and using the left glutes to drive yourself forward and up to balance on the left foot with the right knee raised.
● EXHALE, LOWER YOUR RIGHT LEG, and stand tall again
Repeat on the left leg. Cycle back and forth through five to 10 sets.
26 USA TRIATHLON SPRING 2014
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