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 12^th 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.