Run The Long Road Coaching

personalized coaching for distance runners

heel strike

Five for Friday

by 15 Comments

Terrific Tempo
On Tuesday I had 9 mile run planned with 5 miles at 7:50 pace. I was all in my head about this run and was seriously doubting my abilities to maintain 7:50 pace. I’m not quite sure where my confidence has gone this training cycle but I wish it would come back. My neighbor joined me for the run (i.e., Maximus, his blog alias) and that made me even more nervous. I generally run alone and, therefore, can wimp out when the going gets tough. The result? 7:55, 7:53, 8:03, 7:56, 7:51. The 3rd tempo mile was rough but I got my groove back. The best part? This pace was comfortably hard, the way a tempo should feel.

Green Monsters
So they are very popular in blog land but can you really not taste the spinach? I’ve been drinking (eating?) them for a few weeks now and I promise you that if I tasted spinach they would be a no-go. I generally toss frozen strawberries, a frozen banana (1/2 of one), a ton of spinach, a splash of milk, and some OJ (to add some sugar) into a mixer. It’s delicious. Trust me. This is coming from the world’s pickiest eater.

DSCN2137

DSCN2138

Birthday Celebration
I can’t wait to celebrate my birthday this weekend with Matt. I just need to knock out a 20-miler on Saturday before the celebration can begin Smile

Mindful Eating
My friend Ruth sent me this article in the NY Times. It’s about mindful eating and really taking your time and enjoying and savoring each and every bite. Nearly impossible in today’s world. How many of you plow through lunch at your desk while reading email? Yesterday I tested it out and ate my lunch super slowly. It was difficult and I had to remain conscious of it at all times (I was also checking email, etc…I can’t just sit and stare at my cube wall). It definitely helped with digestion. Sometimes I feel like crap later in the afternoon because I gulp down my food in a few bites. Hmm, I think the Buddhists on are to something…

Heel Strike vs. Forefoot Strike
Another interesting article in the NY Times. Naturally, my favorite part of the article is something I said in a post a few months ago – does this mean that those of us who habitually heel-strike…change our form? “If you’re not getting hurt,” Dr. Lieberman says, “then absolutely not. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

Ever had a green monster? If not, you are missing out! I’m officially a convert. Although don’t expect me to start eating chia seeds anytime soon Winking smile

 

Ever tried mindful eating or is it just not feasible? I would imagine that for parents of small children this is impossible!

if it ain't broke, don't fix it

by 14 Comments

I get a lot of questions about gait, especially if I’m coaching in-person.  People will ask if I’m going to watch them run, tell them what they are doing wrong, and tell them how to run “correctly”.  My short answer is always no.  Of course, I can check their form to ensure their head is up, shoulders are relaxed, they aren’t bent forward, etc.   Checking footstrike and turnover?  That’s messing with Mother Nature.  Changing up simple things can have a disastrous domino effect.

So when people ask me my first question is “are you having problems”?  If yes, there is usually another cause of the problem (improper shoes, overtraining, increasing mileage too quickly) but if there’s no problem?  Follow these wise words, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Case and point:  me and my heel striking self.

image

I’m a classic heel striker.  Always have been.  Am I going to change?  Probably not…because I’ve been running this way for almost 11 years injury-free.  But, I have been making a conscious effort when I race or do speed work to use more of a midfoot strike to avoid overstriding. Also, heel striking will slow you down.

Until I read Born to Run I thought barefoot running was a little nutso.  But that book really opened my eyes to the science behind it.  Will I ever go sans shoes?  Probably not because….if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it 🙂  And I love my Brooks Adrenalines too much.  But if I was runner with chronic injuries (much like the author Chris McDougall), I would definitely give it a go.

Are you a heel, midfoot, or forefoot striker?  Have you ever permanently altered your gait?

Ever tried barefoot running or running in Vibrams?