The streets are just about clear now but the plowed snow is 3 to 5 feet deep along the shoulders; which means we can run but are forced to stay right on the white line.  That’s okay, oncoming traffic is usually good about giving runners a little more room.  What we have watch out for when getting back onto the streets as they are, is those situations when two cars are converging on you from both directions.  The car in your lane can not move over toward the center line  - and will ALWAYS veer toward you rather than the oncoming vehicle.  I have had to make a few leaps into snow banks. 

The trails are pretty much out of the question for a while.  Too deep even for my Yak-tracs :-(  There are a number of road and trail races coming up in the next three weeks are in jeopardy according to their race directors.  B&A is last in the priority for getting cleared and the HASHAWAHA and SENECA CREEK trails will not be seeing any kind of plowing.  We just have to hope for warm weather to do the melting.

Wednesday Track Session -   START 6:00pm .If you have a place to do intervals, do: 6 x 800 at 80% w/ one lap jog recovery + 4 x 100 (All out w/20 sec recovery).  Otherwise plan on doing your speed session on the treadmill or on a clear residential road.  It may be easier to use time instead of distance as the measure.  Do 6 x 3:30/4:00 min (i.e. 60 sec faster than marathon target time, e.g. 4 hrs = 4min 800’s = 3:00 min/.25 miles) Z4(80%)with 1:30 min recovery, then 4 x 100 at Z5 with :20 sec recovery.

Saturday Run –  ***START AT 7:00am. ****  This Saturday is scheduled for a long run but I don’t think anyone, including me, has been able to keep the mileage up to be ready for 20 miles, so let’s aim for 15 to 18 miles – easy; 8 to 10 miles for the Half marathoners.  If you have to do it on the roads outside your neighborhood; be very careful.  The high drifts do not allow a lot of room as cars go by. The Port A Pot at Truman is almost completely covered from the plow drift.  Truman and R 450 are runable but have little or no shoulders.  I can get water to the 2 Mile but the drifts are still too high for the 4 Mile or 6 Mile

Sunday Trail Run – Looks doubtful at this point.  The snow is still two feet deep on the AHS trails.  I will check periodically and keep you posted.

Some pointers for your TREADMILL RUNNING - Your running form should not change when you are training on the treadmill. Unfortunately, the moving belt of the treadmill can create havoc with your running mechanics. The moving belt can cause some runners to lean too far forward at the waist in an attempt to “keep up” with the belt. Other runners may run with an extremely “bouncy” stride or may run with a very short and tight stride. You can avoid these form problems by focusing on your running mechanics.
The most efficient running posture is one that is mostly upright and relaxed, with a slight, whole body, forward lean beginning at the ankles. You should not lean forward at the waist. Your chest should be pushed out and your shoulders back and relaxed. Avoid all tension in your upper body. Leaning too far forward at the waist will cause a stumbling, high impact motion that will slow you down and put excessive stress on your knees, hips and ankles. Leaning backward will cause you to run with too much vertical motion and will also stress your hips and back.

Visualize standing face first against a wall. Press your hips forward so the front of your hips touches the wall. Running with your hips forward will help keep your motion going forward instead of up and down. It will also allow you to drive your knees efficiently forward. Your foot should touchdown on the ball of your foot, with your foot directly under your center of gravity, not on your heel with your foot in front of your body. If you land on your heel you are over striding and are putting too much stress on your knees and hips. You are also putting on the brakes with each stride. Landing either flat footed or on the ball of your foot minimizes the impact and keeps your forward momentum going strong.

You should have a quick, compact running stride, which is also the best outside running stride. Count the number of strides you are taking in 1 minute. If you are running correctly you should be taking approximately 85 – 95 full strides per minute. If you are taking less than that you are spending too much time on your feet. Try counting them periodically to see how you are doing.  Eventually, it will become more natural.  I have a metronome that will clip to your race belt.  Let me know if you want to try it sometime.

Mark the Date:  The Rosaryville 10k, 15k, 25k, and 50k Trail Runs will be Sunday 18 July

***Remember to do your part to maintain the Port A Pot at the Truman Park N Ride by making a contribution.  We get a discounted rate of $46 per month for the unit.  Contributions can be made directly to me or via PayPal.

"That which we achieve too easily, we esteem too lightly" - thomas Paine

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Posted by Steve Carton on February 17, 2010 at 11:19:00 AM EST #