Learn Midfoot Strike in 20 minutes!

 

I've written 2 other blogs on the topics of running form and shoes, so this blog is dedicated to giving runners confidence that they can learn how to run with proper midfoot strike in as little as 20 minutes.  Whether or not it "sticks" on successive runs has mixed results.  However, as I've been coaching running form for years now, I've found that I can get heel strikers off their heels in as little as 20 minutes, with the average time taking about 35 minutes.  Yes, I have started checking my watch to note the time it takes for them to get my stamp of approval.

Not every runner gets it down pat in the first Running 101 session, but typically by the end of 60 minutes, 9 out of 10 runners are "cured" of their heel striking.  I say that the success of future runs is mixed because it depends on how willing the runner is to temporarily reduce their run volume in order to have higher quality run sessions as it relates to the learning curve.  You cannot, in my opinion, carry the new running form into your current training routine without regressing into old habits or making injury a likelihood.

I admit that the more athletic runners I meet with have quicker success and are better in getting the midfoot strike to stick.  And by athletic I mean hand-eye coordination and/or some background in another team/ball sport.  This is true because in remedying someone's mechanics, there has to be a degree of treatment acceptability, for which "athletes" typically have past experience learning new skills (mechanics) and picking up on cue words/phrases more quickly.

The key to teaching someone how to run does not lie in the shoes, but rather in what has already been stated, the mechanics of the movement is what counts.  Shoes, as inanimate objects, don't teach mechanics.  Flexible hips, strong hamstrings, and having the right cue words in your ears (not your iPod) will be the 3 key variables in getting you off your heels and onto your midfoot.  Without going into great detail, here are the key points I make in teaching someone how to run:

1) Notice that similarly to my other blogs, I don't use the terms "forefoot" or "balls of your feet".  That is one trick of the trade that helps me teach people how to run.  Those two terms are getting many runners in trouble.  Running on your toes is just as bad as running on your heels (Usain Bolt aside).

2) I have remained slow to fully embrace the minimalist show movement and in the past 6 months I've moved further away from it, especially as I've refined the way I teach run mechanics.  These shoes are not evil, they're just not for everyone, especially beginners and heel strikers.  I simply find they aren't necessary, nor are they the silver bullet for causing injuries.  I tell runners they can run in any type of shoe they want that isn't minimalist yet fits their foot.  I tell the guys to buy shoes that make them look fast and the girls to buy shoes that match their running outfits. 

3) Related to #2, the smart approach to run volume/intensity goes much further in preventing injuries, once the runner has a decent midfoot strike.  Many runners contacting me for Running101 sessions are coming to me after injuries resulting from minimalist shoes.

4) There is such a thing as running too slowly.  Most of the heel strikers I meet are beginning runners and/or running way too sloooooooow.  We typically have better run mechanics the faster we run, so I encourage people to run slightly faster and cut down on the duration of the run.  I teach people how to sprint first, then I teach them now to jog.  On a related note, I talk some people out of the marathon and half-marathon distance until they learn to run properly.  Call me what you will, but it's a short-term loss of not getting the finisher medal for a long-term gain of being healthy for years to come.

5) Related to #4, if I can get a runner to view their sprint and their jog as similar mechanics, but with a relatively shorter stride on the jogs, then I'm close to getting them to a midfoot strike.

6) Faster cadence is not the answer!  Cadence and foot strike may be correlated, but we all know from science classes that correlations are not cause-effect.  Go down to the Mall and watch hundreds of heel strikers with a cadence at 90+.  I would even argue that the faster cadence often promotes heel striking.  If I can get someone into a midfoot strike, but with a slow turnover, I'll take that any day of the week because correcting cadence takes no work at all.

7) Finally, heel striking is the same as walking, which is why running too slowly is not good. I explain that it's what they're doing with their legs in the final moments of the stride that is putting them on their heels.  It's about the mechanics, not the shoes.

As I stated before, it may take more than 1 run for the new midfoot strike to stick, but it can be done in just 20 minutes (in ideal cases), without having to change your current run shoe.  I have several different ways of explaining the mechanics.  It's just like teaching a classroom, you have to have more than one way to explain the same idea, because different students will grasp ideas in different ways. 

If you're interested in learning how to change your run form (posture, arm swing, etc, are all included), then drop me a line.

Train hard!

Mike

Comparing Workouts

Occasionally in a runner's program, I'll schedule a workout he/she has done previously in the 3-month phase, or in the prior phase.  I know the conditions/weather aren't always the same, but it's an attempt to get a glimpse of how much a runner has improved on paper and/or how much easier the same workout felt the second time around.  For this reason, you should all be keeping score at home in some way.  Some of you keep data records that would make NASA jealous.  Make sure you recognize that race day cannot (and should not) be the only way to measure success.  

At the very least, keep score with your speed workouts and long runs.  The main point of this tip is to encourage you to go back to the same workouts done at this time last year and compare splits.  More progress than you thought, right!?

Keep a healthy balance in how much you look at your data and how often you compare workouts.  I don't encourage runners to compare their workouts week to week, and the reasons are very simply rooted in that the physiology of the training doesn't allow for significant changes week to week.  Look for changes over a greater time scale.  Garmin runners usually have a tougher time resisting weekly comparisons.  If you get caught in the trap of constantly seeking improvement, then it can lead you to feeling unsuccessful, unnecessarily.

As always, keep the balance.  Look for year-to-year improvements or improvements about every 6 weeks.  Also make sure the weather/terrain differences are not drastic among the workouts you're comparing.

Train hard!

Mike

Selecting Your 2012 Race Schedule

Planning your race schedule for 2012 may not be as hard as it seems, but of course I'm a coach and this is one of the main services I offer: The mental approach to training and racing…the thinking before the actual doing.  Before you even lay out which workouts you're going to do, you have to know how many weeks or months you have to work with before some meaningful event.  Planning the races (and often the specific race distances) in particular months of the year is the first step to ensuring your training plan isn't a hodge-podge of workouts as you attempt to juggle triathlons and road races at various distances, plus the prospect of century rides and open-water swims events.

Here then are the basic considerations to help you make sense of it all:

1) Weather.  First things first, I write this blog to anyone living in the Mid-Atlantic region, who must contend with the different seasons.  If you live in San Diego, for example, or somewhere else with 365 perfect days to train, this Blog may not be for you. :)  If we accept that we typically only have about a 3-week window for which to be in "peak condition" then you may want that time to coincide with the most optimal weather, the fall.  This combination of peak weather and peak workouts creates a powerful combination.  And to be totally candid, this is why National Championship races in the earlier months of the year put us Mid-Atlantic athletes at a disadvantage.  Your most important race can certainly be in July or August, but in terms of being in peak condition during that time, don't count on it, as endurance athletes will struggle to truly maximize the training in the muggy summer weather.  Therefore, the best season to hit your own personal peak is in the fall.  It doesn't mean you can't be fit and race well (or even win your age-group) in the hot summer months, it just means on a person-to-person basis, you should expect to be in top shape in the Fall.  Having said that, use late July and August as "training months" and save your peak races for the Sept – Nov.

Also, because the winter weather is not conducive to prime outdoor training, don't expect to peak in April or May.  Again, it doesn't mean we can't train hard and become really fit in the winter, but that is also a time typically reserved for more recovery, strength training, and technical correction, which implies that peak workouts must be put on the back burner.  So, if you follow this logic above, you can hit a peak in June and September (DC Tri + Nation's Tri) based solely on using the seasons as your guide.

2) First triathlon?  Because most first-timers struggle with either learning how to swim (period) or getting open-water experience prior to their first race, your first triathlon should not be in April or May.  Use April and May as a time to get 2 more months of swim practice in the pool, plus its two more months to potentially get out in a lake, pond, or ocean prior to the race.  The same rationale holds true for cycling.  Use April and May to gain experience cycling outdoors.  As much as they kick our butt, spin classes don't offer the same lessons in positioning, pacing, and stress as the real thing.  Running takes less of a hit in the winter months, so the rationale here for the first timers is more related to swimming (primarily) and cycling (secondary).  I talk many first-timers out of early spring races and they are better off for it.

3) Century rides.  Related to #2 above, if you're preparing for your first century ride, give yourself as much time as possible to make this an enjoyable experience and wait until the summer or fall.  The summer weather isn't as big of a factor in choosing to do a century ride.  There are plenty of rest stops and the ability to cruise at your own pace.

4) Marathons.  Once again, this is related to the weather.  Can you run an early spring marathon, or even one in the winter?  Yes, you can, and you can do quite well.  However, if you are looking to run your best marathon, or get a Boston qualifying time, the winter weather in the Mid-Atlantic region just simply isn't conducive to making this a reality, where not all of your key workouts can be done without any hiccups from frequent scheduling issues.  I convince the athletes I coach to register for a half-marathon in March rather than the full marathon, like the Suntrust Rock-n-Roll event in DC each year.  You'll have much more peace of mind knowing your training is adequate for 13 miles (which is very manageable in the winter) rather than 26, for which the winter weather can often have the average runner feeling behind the 8-ball during training.

If we follow the rationale in item #1 above that the early fall is a great time to hit your peak for triathlon (races stop around Oct 1^st), then a late fall marathon makes perfect sense, in which you would significantly cut down swimming and cycling for 6 – 8 weeks and use the base you have already built all year to ramp up your final approach to a marathon with a run-run-run approach.  Of course, this assumes you were doing marathon distance run training throughout the bulk of the year.

5) Road races.  This is an easy answer, run them as often as you like, generally without seeing them as a conflict.  The one common theme I saw in most of my triathletes over the years was that they didn't compete in enough open road races, which often left them less confident (and perhaps less fit) for the run portion in a triathlon.  Just as swim and cycling races help us become better swimmers and cyclists, if you want to run faster then you have to race faster!  Without going into an entirely separate blog, all the light bulbs you want to go off about race-day pacing, intensity, stride, breathing, etc will all come as a result of your open road races (2-miler – 10k).  The fact you did not swim and cycle beforehand is irrelevant.  Do not use these races as "workouts", rather, race them 100% full tilt!  Treat them as a race, no special pacing limitations!  Again, there would only be a handful of times throughout the year where these races might conflict with your triathlon training/racing, and a coach will help answer those questions.

6) Longer means faster!  Too many triathletes have the misconception that training for the longer distances has a negative effect on speed.  WHAT!?  Show me one triathlete that did not become significantly faster at the sprint and Olympic distances after training for a full or half Ironman, and I'll pay your next race registration (excluding injury from long-distance training as the problem variable)!  Everyone gets faster at the shorter distances while training for the longer ones.  This would even hold true for most pros, but admittedly, this is where the misconception originates, and there is some truth to it with these special athletes.  When you are in the top-1% in the world at whatever you do, specificity of training is at a premium.  Diverging from the norm in this regard could hurt your performance, as there is now little room for error as you near perfection in any realm of human performance.  For us mortal triathletes, we have nowhere to go but up, and we have lots of room for improvement no matter what we do.  Hey, we could have a bad week of training and still gain fitness, just because our starting point is relatively low compared to the pros.  So, if a pro is an Olympic distance specialist, then yes, workouts that are too long, too frequently may conflict with the gains they are seeking in power/speed, but let's remember they are an exception to the rule.  I am yet to meet an age-grouper who did not decimate their old PRs in short distance after they made the jump to the longer races.  The physiological adaptations from longer-distance endurance training are incredible!

*Finally, remember that there is an exception to every rule and you can bend the rules of the seasons/distances as they suit your needs.  These are just the general guidelines factoring in the human element.

Train hard and race hard!

Mike

Thoughts on New Year's Resolutions

As you have no doubt sat down to have a conversation with yourself recently and engaged in a little soul searching, here are 3 Tips from me to help you understand the New Year's resolution business in a better way:

1) Don't fret the crowded gyms.  Over the years, I notice the trend for drop-off rates at gyms, as I assume yours will be overly crowded in 2 weeks due to sales on membership rates and Resolutions.  Research is consistent in that 50% of all people that sign up for a membership at the New Year will drop out before June, but I will go so far as to say most of that will occur before Feb.  Convince yousefl that you have a leg up on everyone, in that we you a proper approach to exercise motivation and training, and will still be standing in June.  In the meantime, be patient with the masses.

2) Pride.  As 2011 draws to a close, be sure to soak up what you accomplished.   Instead of thinking immediately about race results, begin by thinking about your training.  I guarantee there were more battles won and obstacles overcome in your training than in your racing.  Remind yourself of some milestone(s) you hit this year, incredibly tough conditions brought on by Mother Nature that you overcame, or an inspired run you had when it was the last thing you wanted to do that day.  And yes, then think about the moments of elation you felt at certain finish lines.  A great way to boost your pride is to know there were certain goals or training accomplishments you achieved this year that maybe nobody else achieved.  Sound impossible?  Not really.  Think hard enough and I bet there are some unique things you did this year that should make you feel proud of yourself.  Inspire yourself!

3) Goals. Related to #2, what did you learn last year?  What worked well for you month after month that you should make a staple of your routine?  What is broken and needs fixing?  Write your goals down.  Most of these should be process goals...specific, measurable, and with due dates, all of which enable you to say definitively "yes or no, I did/didn't achieve the goal."  Goal setting can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it.  Either way, you must write your goals down.  Looking back at last year's 2011 process goals will help you form new goals for 2012.

Train hard!

Mike

The Off-Season Approach for Runners

Now that December is here you might begin to see the term "off-season training" pop up in your readings.  The main point of this blog is that if your December, January, and February resemble the same training you did the other months of the year, then you're not truly embracing an off-season.  I'm very consistent in stating that there are only certain elements of professional athletes' training that we should attempt to mimic.  One of those elements is that pro athletes not only train hard, but they rest hard.

The month of November begins the off-season for most endurance athletes in the Mid-Atlantic region, as peak race season/ weather comes to an end.  It is mandatory that you find something to do in the off-season in addition to running, and put an emphasis on other forms of cross-training (XT).  It doesn't mean you shut down running altogether (I would not recommend that), but we can all benefit by being more athletic.  Improved muscular strength improves athleticism, which is why I am a firm believer in strength training, but I also want everyone's hand-eye coordination to be in tip-top shape!  Sports and activities that force you to be aware of where your body and limbs are in space (kinesthetic sense) naturally improve your athleticism, which improves technique for strength training (ST) and swimming, and also improves skills for trail running and bike handling.  If you value your running performance, then you should want to improve your athleticism!

Unless you have a peak race in the winter, December is not a heavy run month.  Do we run in December?  Yes.  But do we put the emotional stock in other elements of our training and phases of our lives?  Yes.  ST, XT, new activities, fun activities, increasing coordination and balance, changing techniques, and experimentation are the focus of the off-season (Dec - Feb generally speaking).

Depending on what the other months of your year looked like in terms of rest, vacations, injury, the winter may not be your off-season phase.  Perhaps you already had an off-season (break from running) forced upon you due to injury.  Whatever the case may be, at some point in the year endurance athletes need to rest the body, mentally recharge, and make key changes. Enter next race season a different athlete, not just a runner with more miles.

For instance, if you were ever going to try minimalist run shoes, now is the time.  This assumes you are doing very low mileage and capping your runs at 20 - 30 minutes.  This is one example of why minimalist shoes are not for everyone.  It's not just how you run in them, but how far you run in them, as in having the ability to control your urge to train and ignoring that inner voice that keeps pounding "Don't lose fitness."  Running in minimalist shoes is drastically different for most people, so you have to control variables. 

To paraphrase Lance Armstrong, "I race the Tour de France in July, but I win it in December."

Train (and rest) hard!

Mike

Holiday Deal for DCRC!

Introducing the 1st annual DC Running Coach holiday sale!

2 months of coaching + 2 sessions of personal training* and/or Running 101* for $300 ($400 value).  

Purchase through 12/31, value expires 6/1/12. Valid for new athletes only.

Purchasing as a holiday gift is a great idea!

Simply contact Mike and mention this blog/ deal!

Happy Holidays!

*contact for locations.

"Marathoners"

When people use the term "marathoner" in conversation with me, I'm usually, but not always, quick to remind them that I don't label myself a marathoner, and there are reasons for it.  Similarly, I was always hesitant to be labeled a "triathlete".  75% of the time, I let it go, it would be a awkward way to interject in a conversation, but if the timing is right then I explain my rationale, which is the same rationale I use when setting up training programs for my "runners", for whom I often prefer to call "athletes" instead.  I've run marathons, but I'm not a marathoner.  I'm not a triathlete.  I'm "someone who competes in triathlons."  What's the difference and what does this have to do with a training program?  What does this have to do with the mental approach to training and racing?

Social psychology tells us that labels can have a positive influence on behavior change, as noted by the terms self-concept, self-identity, self-schemata, etc.  If your co-workers frequently describe you as "driven", "passionate", or "energetic", then you will eventually develop a self-concept of being a productive worker.  Wonderful.  If you have a friend that is trying to get off the couch and start exercising, you can always remind them after each spin class that he/she is "turning into a pretty good cyclist."  Labeling them a cyclist over and over will help define them as an active person, which is very important in shaping behavior.  But it can sometimes be a double-edged sword.  The person is the first example may become a work-aholic, their work consumes them, he/she becomes stressed.  Your friend may feel irritable if they don't exercise or they can't find any alternatives to cycling. 

As it relates to "marathoners", they sometimes don't feel productive or like they accomplished anything unless they are training for the marathon distance, or worse, set a PR each successive marathon.  I see it often, where feelings of not being successful appear in the face of anything other than a marathon PR.  I don't see this issue in athletes training for shorter distances, or those who are yet to run a marathon.  The self-identity as a marathoner dictates everything about the mental approach to training and racing, which indirectly affects mood via the interpretation of progress.  The weekend long run is the magic bean of their plans and all the emotional stock lies within it.  A marathoner insists they must run a marathon each year (or season) instead of taking a year off from the longer distance in order to correct muscular imbalances/ weaknesses and build speed at other distances.  This is where I, as a coach, enter the picture.

The main service offered by DC Running Coach, LLC is the mental approach to training and racing.  This means that the exact type of workout the athlete does is always secondary to the reason he/she does it in the first place.  For instance, the question may be posed, "Coach, what would be a goal for this half-marathon coming up?"  My rhetorical question in response, "Why do you want to run the half marathon, and does it conflict with any other training/ racing goals?"  If the athletes' answers are sensible, then we proceed with the race, and sure, goals are set easily enough.  I use this anecdote because I find that when people/runners/athletes label themselves as marathoners they lose sight of the short-term process goals.

Some of these obstacles and conflicts that can be created are:

*the unwillingness to take rest days

*inability to refrain from signing up for longer races at the wrong time

*passing on an off-season that embraces strength training as the priority

*pushing aside a chance to correct running form by avoiding long runs

Marathoners become a breed of runner that can put too much emotional stock into one race, putting all their eggs into one basket.  It consumes them and their training.  To some people, this behavior actually seems positive because it's interpreted as being motivated, but what gets lost in the shuffle are the important short-term goals, like rest days, run form, strength training, etc.  I refer to my clients as "runners" and "athletes".  It leaves much more room for interpretation and is less likely to trap the individual into a small role/identity.  I attempt to coach the athlete into recognizing that short-distance racing is important for a myriad of reasons.  Again, (cover your ears) this can mean not running a marathon one particular year.  Hearing that phrase stings if you're a "marathoner".  If you're a "runner," then you have other goals in which to focus and you're okay.  Professional runners are a different breed that can get away with much more than the runners I coach.  Therefore, the training program I develop, and more importantly, the mental approach we take to the training, needs to reflect that difference.

In sum, think of yourself as an "athlete" (or even a "runner") and the doors of perception will be opened to many more aspects of training and racing.  I can very easily identify "marathoners" from their first email or phone call to me.  I know them better than they know themselves, and I know exactly why they feel unsuccessful and I already know they haven't run a 5k in six or seven years.  Change the way you think about who you are and what you do and I bet you dollars to donuts your progress will sky rocket, your running form will change, and you'll feel more successful more frequently.

Train hard (at all distances)!

Mike