Tips for running on sand and wooded areas

               The majority (≥ 6 miles) of the Beast on the Bay will be on the beach, which is completely different than running on pavement. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the hips and legs will be utilized in ways you may not have used them before. So, it is imperative that you begin running on the beach at least once a week, for a minimum of 1 mile, progressing to 4 miles by the end of your training. Your gait should be more of a shuffling stride when running on the sand, due to the instability of the sand. A number of participants will be running along the shoreline, which can be more stable than up on the beach, however, they will be running almost twice as far. The shoreline consists of a series of crescents, thereby extending the distance you run. I recommend staying up on the beach and running a straight line. I’ve passed a lot of people by using this strategy. Also, I’ve run the entire Presque Isle shoreline, and there are a lot of parts that you will sink in. The beach sand is fairly consistent and quicker.

                There will be trails through the wooded areas of the peninsula, as well as stretches of ankle-deep mud through the reeds. If you live in the Erie area, I highly recommend the Brown’s Farm course, as well as the trails of Asbury Woods for familiarizing yourself to uneven terrain. Roots are usually the first thing to trip you up, so be sure to make a conscious effort in lifting your feet. You’re going to step on a number of roots, but you will be more likely to avoid injury if you can make micro-adjustments in your footing. It’s easy to roll an ankle on a root, but the more you train in the frontal (side to side) plane, the better you become at adapting to lateral forces on your joints and muscles.

                To help participants prepare for the Beast on the Bay, I offer a training program through the LECOM Wellness Center, called Beach Boot Camp. It’s a great way to become familiar with aspects of Presque Isle that you may not have encountered. We are constantly in the water and covered in sand, so you get used to being uncomfortable, while running and performing various calisthenics. We also use sand bags and tires, which forces you to strengthen your core from carrying objects of unbalanced weight proportions. There is a lot of running in the sand and in the water, just as you will be doing in the Beast. I highly recommend wearing running shoes without socks. Because your feet will get wet multiple times, you’re less likely to get blisters if you don’t have the extra layer of fabric rubbing against your skin. As long as your shoes fit tightly on your feet, you’ll be fine. For more information about the Beast on the Bay or my Beach Boot Camp, please contact me on my Hopkins Fitness Facebook page. 

-Dave Hopkins, M.S. ACSM-HFS, NSCA-CSCS

Fitness Supervisor

LECOM Medical Fitness & Wellness Center

5401 Peach Street Erie, PA 16509

Phone:(814)868-7800

Fax:(814)868-7804

dhopkins@powerwellness.com

www.lecomwellness.com

Push, Pull and Core Muscles are all...well, core to your training

The majority of the obstacles in the Beast on the Bay require the use of upper body muscle groups, especially those involved in pulling movements (back and biceps). Grip strength is a key factor in any pulling movement, which involves the flexors of the forearm. Your grip strength comes into play when you’re climbing cargo nets and walls, traversing monkey bars, carrying sand bags and buckets of water. To a lesser extent of successfully completing the obstacles, are the muscles involved in pushing movements (chest, shoulders and triceps). You will spend more of your time pulling yourself up, across, and through obstacles, than you will spend pushing your way through them. However, it is imperative that you create a balance between opposing muscle groups. So, be sure to exercise both pushing and pulling muscle groups equally.

               

  The core is often misrepresented as only referring to your abdominals, but it actually refers to all muscles in your torso. We call it the core because it is where all ambulatory movement originates. More specifically, it is the culmination of these muscles working together, while stabilizing the entire body, regardless of the muscle action being performed. Every obstacle will require the use of core strength, regardless of the upper body muscle group you are using. Crawling through pipes and under cargo netting is simulated by performing plank walks with sliders. Farmer walks with a kettlebell in the suitcase position, is similar to carrying a bucket of water. In both of these scenarios, you’re using your torso to stabilize the rest of your body in completing the movement.

Here’s a list of exercises divided into groups of push, pull, and core movements:

Push	Pull	Core
Push-Ups	Pull-Ups	V-Sit-Ups
Chest Press w/ Dumbbells	Pulldown	Plank Walk w/ Sliders
Chest Fly w/ Cables	Dumbbell Row	Kneeling Wood Chop
Incline Chest Press w/ Dumbbells	Seated High Row	Standing Low-High Wood Chop
Decline Chest Press                     w/ Dumbbells	Standing T-Bar Row	Step-Up w/ Low-High              Wood Chop
Shoulder Press w/ Dumbbells	Close-Grip Pulldown	Standing Torso Twist w/ Cables
Front Shoulder Raise	Bent-Over Row	Straight-Arm Pulldown
Lateral Raise	Single-arm Pulldown	Rope Crunch w/ Stability Ball
Upright Row	Single-arm Seated Row	Kneeling Rope Crunch
Standing Shoulder Press	Bicep Curl w/ Rotation	Body Saws w/ Sliders
Tricep Press	Hammer Curls	Kettlebell Windmill
Single-arm Tricep Press	Spider Curls	Farmer Walk w/ Kettlebells

  A basic strength training program for the upper body will be performed 2-4 days per week and target the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, biceps, and abdominals. You should allow a minimum of 48 hours between similar exercises, to enable proper muscle recovery and tissue repair. The Beast on the Bay is going to require mostly muscular strength and muscular endurance as opposed to power and hypertrophy (muscle size). Use the recommendations for endurance when performing core and body weight exercises. Use the repetition ranges between strength and endurance for everything else. I recommend performing 3-5 sets of 6-15 reps for exercises involving free weights and/or machines. Refer to the following tables for more specific load percentages, set and repetition ranges according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Note: 1RM represents the maximum weight you can correctly perform one repetition for an exercise (bench press, squat, etc). Use these recommendations for lower body exercises as well.

Training Goal	Load (%1RM)	Sets	Reps
Strength	≥ 85	2-6	≤ 6
Power Single-effort Multiple-effort	80-90 75-85	3-5 3-5	1-2 3-5
Hypertrophy	67-85	3-6	6-12
Endurance	≤ 67	2-3	≥ 12

Planning your running routine and leg training

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. 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

               

Demonstrations of these exercises can be found on my Hopkins Fitness Facebook page. 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. Next week, we’ll be covering upper body exercises and core exercises.

Intro: Dave Hopkins, LECOM Wellness Center Fitness Supervisor with Beast Training

     The Beast on the Bay is an event that is going to tax its participants both physically and mentally. Preparation is imperative for successful completion and injury prevention. We are 15 weeks out from the Beast on the Bay, so we have plenty of time to improve muscular strength and aerobic endurance. Being proficient in these two components will lessen the mental effect of the Beast, enabling you to focus on the physicality of the event and enjoy attempting its challenging obstacles. Along with any strength and conditioning program, is a balanced nutrition and hydration regimen. You’re going to need to properly fuel your workouts and recover from them, by eating the appropriate amount of macronutrients (carbs, fats and proteins). Finally, your performance in the Beast will be dictated by your attire (shirt, shorts and shoes).  You will be getting wet, so you will want to wear tightly fitting clothing and I advise on avoiding socks. We will be addressing each of these aspects throughout the summer, as you prepare for the Beast on the Bay.

                

     The first portion of your training should focus on strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. Upper body strength days will focus on abs, chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Lower body strength days will address hips, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, abductors, adductors and calves. We will be working in all three planes of movement (sagittal, frontal and transverse), due to the Beast obstacles requiring your body to twist, flex and extend in multiple directions. Strength training should be performed two to four times per week, with alternating muscle groups on different days. We’ll be doing a combination of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, consisting of long distance running and sprinting. I’ll be planning out the distances that should be covered from week to week.

                

     The next portion of your training will involve exercising on the beach, both in and out of the water. It’s beneficial to get used to exercising while wet and covered in sand, since this is how you will be throughout the Beast. Running on the sand will cause muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the hips, knees and ankles, to become more active than running on pavement. So, you’ll want to be running on the sand a couple times a week, beginning in July, in order to practice your technique. You have to employ more of a shuffling stride to prevent from digging into the sand with your feet.

                

     The final stretch of training will focus on replicating the movements required for completing the obstacles in the Beast. The obstacles will involve crawling, climbing, carrying, and dragging objects. To address the muscle actions required for these movements, I will provide video clips and pictures on my “Hopkins Fitness” page on Facebook. We’ll be us

ing kettlebells, ropes, medicine balls, bands, sliders, as well as demonstrations of exercises performed on the beach. Stay current with our blog for updates and training information, so we can be successful in our Beast on the Bay endeavor. Please contact me with any questions on my facebook page. 

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Dave Hopkins

Fitness Supervisor, LECOM Wellness Center

Bio: I'm the Fitness Supervisor at the LECOM Wellness Center. I served in the Marine Corps for 6 years and attained my Masters degree in Exercise Science at Bloomsburg University. I have competed in events such as 5ks, half-marathons, marathons, Erie Bay Swim, Tough Mudder, and the Barber Beast on the Bay.