Reminders - 3 Weeks from 10K!

Just a couple of important reminders as we’re now 3 weeks from our 10K.

How are your shoes? Get fitted for very good running shoes is critical for running efficiency and injury prevention. Leigh and I just got fitted last week with a fresh pair at Bob Roncker’s. If you need new shoes, get them now so you can break them in before the 10K.

How’s your body feeling? If your body needs a break from “pounding on the pavement” you can substitute non-impact cardio exercise, like an elliptical machine or biking, as needed.

How’s your hydration? Hydrations levels are critical as the temperatures increase in August and early September and as we increase our mileage. The combination of long running and the heat index (heat + humidity) can lead to fast depletion of water. Remember, water plays a very important role in muscular contractions and running efficiency. Without the right water balance, your muscles simply cannot contract at normal intensity levels, leading to poor performance and a decrease in the effectiveness of your run.

For example, a drop in body water volume of a mere 1% can cause a reduction in performance of over 10%. That means you’ll have to exert yourself much harder during a run to achieve the same distance had you been sufficiently hydrated. Click here for how much water…

How’s Your Strength Training? Maintaining your strength training is vital as we increase our running volume and distance. Your lower body needs muscle tissue to absorb the pounding from running (lunges, squats, dead-lifts). The core of the body is “command central” during all human movement, especially running. The CORE controls the rotational mechanics between the upper and lower extremities (running efficiency and stride frequency) and the force production of the lower body (stride length). Keep up with your rotational strength training (diagonal chops with core balls or dumbbells, bicycle crunches, Russian twists, supine reach arounds with legs elevated). More information on strength training for runners is here: http://cincinnatifitnessrunning.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-3-routine.html

Okay, we have the same schedule as last week. Next week we’ll add another mile to our weekend long run. Then we’ll taper back just a bit in the week leading up to the 10K.

Monday – Boot Camp or XT
Tuesday - Run 30 - 45 min
Wednesday - Boot Camp or XT
Thursday - Run 30 - 45 min
Friday - Boot Camp or XT
Saturday - 6 Miles
Sunday – Rest

I look forward to going for my first run post-rehab with the Oakley group in the morning!

Your friend in fitness,
Brian Calkins , Cincinnati Personal Trainer