Thursday, March 3, 2016

Improving Your Running Program

Improving Your Running Program
by Dave Hopkins, LECOM

     The Beast on the Bay is a 10-mile course, so you should be able to run a minimum of 5 miles, preferably 7 miles comfortably, without stopping. Be sure to track your training runs with distance covered over a given period of time. I don’t believe in running without knowing how far you have gone. A number of running plans out there will have you just getting used to running for time and not being concerned with the distance you’ve covered. That’s like telling someone who wants to begin strength training, to just start lifting weights and not take note of how many pounds their using. You don’t know where you’re starting and therefore, don’t know how to get where you want to be. A basic running program consists of four running days per week, with the longest distance on the fourth day. Rest days in the following table are meant for running only. If you can already run 7 miles comfortably, then Day 1 should be 4 miles and the end of the 12th week should be at least 10 miles and as much as 13.1 miles. The more you run, the better. Cross training (biking, swimming) and strength training can be done on those days instead. Here is a beginner’s 12-week running plan for the Beast on the Bay:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1 mile
Rest
2 miles
1 mile
Rest
2 miles
Rest
1
Rest
2
1
Rest
2
Rest
1
Rest
2
1
Rest
2
Rest
2
Rest
2.5
1.5
Rest
3
Rest
2
Rest
3
2
Rest
3
Rest
3
Rest
4
3
Rest
4
Rest
3
Rest
4
3
Rest
4
Rest
3
Rest
4
3
Rest
5
Rest
3
Rest
4
3
Rest
5
Rest
4
Rest
5
3
Rest
5
Rest
4
Rest
5
4
Rest
6
Rest
4
Rest
5
4
Rest
7
Rest

     The beach consists of uneven and variable terrain, which will stress muscles, ligaments, and tendons that you may have not used in such a way. So, it’s imperative to incorporate a lower body strength training program to prepare for both the terrain of the beach and the mileage you will be doing. Lower body exercises should be performed 2 – 3 times per week, with a minimum of 48 hours between sessions. Running is a single-legged activity, so it’s important to include single-leg exercises in your routine. The exercises should use muscle actions involving all three planes of movement (sagittal, frontal, and transverse). The sagittal plane involves forward and backward movements, the frontal plane involves side to side movements, and the transverse plane involves rotational movements. Here’s a list of lower body exercises that will support and improve your running program:


Both Legs
Single-Leg
Deadlift
Goblet Squat
Squat
Standing Adduction
Kettlebell Swings
Hip Abduction
TRX Pistol Squat
Standing Abduction
Walking Lunges
Hip Adduction
Leg Press
Straight-Leg Raise
Front Squat
Band Walks
Glute Bridge
Hip Extension
Glute Bridge
Monster Walks
RDL w/ Kettlebell
Step-Up w/ Wood Chop
Rotational Squat
Knee Tucks w/ Sliders
RDL Cable Machine
Turkish Get-Up
Straight-Leg Calf Press
Flexed-Leg Calf Press
Mountain Climbers
Box Step-Up
               
Please feel free to ask me any questions. Remember, every program should be designed for the individual, so some movements may need to be modified.