Greetings Spring Runners; Week #33
The WESTFIELD ANNAPOLIS 5k race was moved to this coming Sunday because of ice on the course so you can still sign up and get a fast, flat speed run in this weekend.
Anyone now available to help out as a Volunteer PLEASE let me know – we can use the help.
***If you are not planning on running the WESTFIELD ANNAPOLIS 5k this Sunday 13 Dec, I still NEED volunteers. You can register online from the Bluepoint web site and get a shirt mailed to you –or- get one race day. I am trying something new and offering shirts free for those who register by noon tomorrow, $10 from tomorrow to Friday, and $15 on race day – all can be done via the Race Store link on the registration site. Let me know how it works.
http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1814952
It has two options, one to cover through the marathon season and the other to cover the entire year – for those who want to have a planned recovery period after their marathon and/or want to continue maintenance training over the Winter – kind of like – now :-)
Donations are still needed to keep the Port A Pot at the Park N Ride. $46 covers one month. There are a lot of us that use the ‘facilities’ and I hope would contribute their share.
Saturday Run – ***START AT 7:00am. **** This is for those doing your recovery run; 10 to 12 miles EASY. You may feel full of energy early but will start to fade earlier if you have not recovered enough. If that happens – back off on the ‘easy’ pace or cut the run short. If you press on, the next days will be spent doing more recovery and not getting you back to maintenance training or gearing up for your next event. Those starting you Taper for DISNEY or early race should be backing off to 14 or 16 miles.
Sunday Trail Run –Start at 9:00 am for one loop of the AHS trail.
Again; Tom Nelson has constructed a site to show our routes and water stop locations for the long run coming up each week. Check back to the following website later in the week for the latest info on water support: http://www.runningahead.com/groups/truman/Forum
Last week I told you about how to best use the ‘down’ time over the holidays – resting, setting goals, etc. Here are five elements of running that can help you can use your Winter “Recovery”/maintenance period to help you run faster and more efficiently next racing season.
- Stride Length and Stride Rate
The most common inefficiency in the average runner is over-striding. This is typically visible by a heavy heel strike and a low stride rate. The target stride rate for most age group runners is between 88-90 foot strikes per minute. (how many times one foot hits the ground per minute) By targeting this rate, (or higher) athletes will often shorten their stride to become more efficient and lessen strain on their joints. - Foot strike
This is very closely related to an stride. The optimal foot strike is mid foot or in some cases forefoot. A heel strike is the runner's way of putting on the brakes-with EVERY stride. This is also very hard on hip and knee joints. - Arm movement
Arms are an essential part of running. They provide balance and often additional power. Keep arms close to the body, elbows bent about 90 degrees, not crossing the center line of the body. Keep movements "quit" and relaxed. - Body Position
Forward lean or lack thereof can play a major part in efficiency. The best general thought to have while focusing on body position is: "Run Tall." This means run with your head high, looking 15-30 feet in front of you. Run erect with your shoulders back and arms at your side (remember #3). A slight forward lean of about 5-6 degrees is often optimal to assist in proper foot strike and cadence. - Shoes
Yes, shoes! This is one of the most often overlooked yet essential aspects of running well. Many foot shapes, gait types, and stride techniques require many different types of shoes. Buy your shoes from a reputable running specific store that will analyze your foot along with your run technique to offer an optimum shoe