This Week's Running Schedule...

Okay great job last week! Saturday's long run was very successfully done!

Here's our running schedule for the week for those that completed a Half Marathon this past fall...

Monday: Monday is a cross training day. If you're signed up for Adventure Boot Camp, make sure you're in camp on 2 of the cross training days (M-W-F). In order for us to succeed at the Pig, we need to train. If the weather is bad, we still run. If you have important business and cannot make the group runs or boot camp, it's important to find another time to get your workout in. Why? Because the accumulation of our workouts over a period of the next 18 weeks will make you a better runner and get you prepared for the Flying pig.

Tuesday: On Tuesday we'll do a recovery run of 4 miles at a comfortable or easy pace, the same as last week. This workout shouldn't take very long and it's critically important in the process of oxygenating your cells and muscles in a manner that will help you recover from last week's training. The most important thing, though, go easy on Tuesday.

Wednesday: Cross training again. If you're not in boot camp, do some strength training, focusing on all of your muscles. But make sure you're working your legs to give you the support you need to long distance running.

Thursday: Another "easy" 5 miles.

Friday: Cross training again. Keep your muscles strong and your body healthy for all the accumulated mileage.

Saturday: Today is long-run day, and we're adding one mile to last week's long run for 15 miles. Next week we'll taper back to 9 miles to allow our body some recovery before going a bit longer the following 2 weeks. One mistake you want to avoid is running these long runs too fast. How did you do Saturday with your pace? Although long, it shouldn't have felt overwhelming.

Just remember, we never want to do our long runs faster than about 90 seconds per mile slower than our estimated marathon pace (Use this calculator to determine marathon pace: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm). Running too fast on the long days creates too much stress, coupled with your other training, making it difficult for the body to recover.

Sunday: A well earned day of rest.

As a reminder, the group will be meeting at Crossroads East Entrance on Tuesday and Thursday this week (5:30am), and here at our studio on Saturday at 6:30am.

During the holidays attendance has been low ... please let me know if your plans running with the group have changed so we have a general idea of who will be meeting each week (and we're not waiting on someone may be running on their own). Thank you.

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For those training for the full Pig just joining the group, here's your schedule:

Monday: Strength training day.

Tuesday: On Tuesday we'll do a run of 3 miles at a comfortable or easy pace.

Wednesday: Cross training again.

Thursday: Another "easy" 4 miles.

Friday: Cross training again. Keep your muscles strong and your body healthy for all the accumulated mileage.

Saturday: Today is long-run day, up to 6 miles.

Sunday: A well earned day of rest.

See you on Saturday!!

Your Friend in Fitness,
 
Brian Calkins

Final Preparations for Sunday...

Congratulations!! From a training perspective, you are ready for the Columbus Half Marathon on Sunday!!

I hope you feel good about the work you’ve put in over the past 7 weeks since the 10K – you’ve made tremendous progress!!

PLEASE NOTE: If you are either running the Half Marathon on Sunday, or coming up to watch, please confirm by emailing Leah at leah@healthstylefitness.com. She will make sure you are “in the loop” for meeting places and times, both for dinner on Saturday, and the event on Sunday.

And, please make sure Leah has your cell number so you can communicate while in Columbus.

Okay, here’s what you can do to be 100% prepared for Sunday's Half Marathon…

Hydrate well this week, with emphasis on significant water intake on Friday and Saturday.

Load up your glycogen stores Thursday, Friday and Saturday – read “Carb Loading and Hydration” info below.

Rest. You have just one more 4-mile easy run on Thursday. Make sure you rest up on Friday and Saturday.

Don’t forget your energy & hydrations needs during the event. You can review the following article here: http://www.swiftpage1.com/SpeClicks.aspx?X=2T0JJPDXHR0TAZ0C00YAWW.

Here are some tips for the weekend...

Packing: Think of all the steps and things you’ve needed for each of our long runs and make sure those items are packed for Sunday morning. Don’t forget your GU, sports drinks, shoes, Glide, running belt (if you use one), running gear, change of clothes after the race, etc. A friend in Columbus said Sunday morning is supposed to be very cool. Pack both cold and moderate temperature running gear. Click here for Columbus weather.

Carb Loading and Hydration starts on Thursday! Make sure every meal contains whole grain carbs and plenty of water from Sunday through breakfast on Sunday. Remember, each day we need half our body weight in ounces of water for optimal hydration. A 150 pound person should be drinking at least 75 ounces, or slightly more.

Your Race Plan: Mentally plan out how you’re going to run on Sunday. Take caution in starting too aggressively (which is likely to biggest reason for a slower than anticipated time). It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the event...or have your competitive juices kick in when the gun goes off...or even to just forget to check your pace with each mile marker.

When you start too fast, your body shifts into your anaerobic energy system too quickly, bypassing the aerobic system, depleting your top energy system that you’ll need toward the end of the event. At a slower, aerobic energy system pace, you can go for a long period, then when you’re ready to kick up your pace, you’ll have several miles of your top energy system available.

Plan your race out in segments and make sure you have plenty of gas in the tank for the home stretch. Check your times at each mile. For example, if your goal is to finish in 2 hours and 20 minutes, you should be averaging about 10:30 per mile. Your first mile will be around 10:30, second mile at 21 minutes, third mile around 31:30, etc.

Remember, start slow. You can always pick up the pace later.

You can reach Leah at 513-515-6632.

Remember on Sunday Morning…

The hard part is done.

Have fun. Enjoy the experience.

Don't think about the 13.1 miles - chunk it down.

One mile at a time.

One minute at a time.

One step at a time.

The only thing you have control over on Sunday are the thoughts that enter your head – your preparation is done - your nutrition is done - your clothes you are going to wear are figured out -it's just your thoughts that are left.

Keep them positive and you cannot lose.

Sunday - you'll be a Half Marathon Champion!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

10K Congratulations...Preparing for the Half Marathon!

Congratulations to Jill, Rebecca, Toye, Lisa, Wendy, Ellen, Val & Leigh for a tremendous 10K yesterday morning. Each of you worked diligently in preparing for yesterday’s event - and your 6.2 mile time showed your effort. Hat’s off to you!!

As I mentioned a couple weeks back, we’re going to step up our training to be prepared for the half marathon in just under 7 weeks. Monday’s 10K will replace today’s normal training run. Thursday we’ll be back on schedule. Each week, mentally prepare to add minimally a mile to your weekend long run.

In order to ensure you get all the information needed to prepare for the half, including correspondence as we travel to Columbus, please click here to confirm you are training for the Columbus Half Marathon. Regardless, everyone who wants to continue receiving the weekly running update will continue to do so. If you do want to leave the running email list now, please click here.

Next week – The Oakley group will be meeting at 5:30am since we are off from camp. Tuesday we’ll meet at a local track (Mariemont or Smith Road) for interval work. Thursday we can meet wherever the group decides it prefers to run. Track location to be determined later this week.

For the Blue Ash and Florence group, please talk with your boot camp instructor to determine time and locations for your runs next week.

Here’s this week’s schedule:

Monday – 10K Event
Tuesday - Boot Camp or XT
Wednesday - Boot Camp or XT
Thursday - Run 45 min
Friday - Boot Camp or XT
Saturday - Rest
Sunday – 8 Miles Slow and Easy

Your friend in fitness,
Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

The Week 3 Routine...

Below is this week’s training schedule and as well as some critical information about the importance of strength training to enhance your running. For those of you starting (or continuing) boot camp tomorrow morning, all of your strength training needs will be sufficiently met through camp.

We are now 6 weeks away from our first major milestone of completing a 5K, or approximately 3.1 miles, (on July 12, click here for a Flyer). Between now and then your endurance and pace will significantly improve.

Here’s the week three schedule:

Tuesday - Run 25 min
Thursday - Run 25 min
Saturday - 2.50 miles
Sunday - Rest

The Critical Importance of Strength Training for Distance Runners

Strength Training is a foundational component of a comprehensive distance running training program. The inclusion of a properly designed strength training program is important because the benefits of strength training are not achieved through running or cross-training alone.

Injury Prevention:

• Injury rates among runners are extremely high (at the high school level, cross-country runners experience more injuries than athletes in any other sport, including football and gymnastics).
• One of the most effective means for minimizing tissue trauma associated with distance running is to develop stronger muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments and bones. This is the primary reason that every runner should perform regular strength exercise.
• Contributes to prevention of shin splits, stress fractures, lower back discomfort, knee problems and hip injuries common to distance runners.

Performance enhancement:

• Allows athlete to adhere to marathon training schedule and thereby maximize performance.
• Improved muscle strength/endurance.
• Improved joint flexibility.
• Increased force/power production.
• Improved running economy - research indicates 4 percent less oxygen used at sub-maximum running speeds.
• Increased basal metabolic rate contributing to improved fat loss & body composition.

Here’s some basic running facts, from a human movement point of view:

• Running occurs one leg at a time.
• Running is a game of GROUND reaction.
• Running is made possible by the body’s structural and neuromuscular CROSS-WIRING of the shoulders and hips; we run shoulder to opposite hip.
• Running speed = stride length x stride frequency.
• Stride length is the dominant factor in running speed.
• Stride length is a function of strength, power and flexibility.
• Running efficiency is the great equalizer; less VO2 needed to run faster.
• Collectively, stability and balance are the guiding system of the power needed for a longer stride length.
• We run from our bellybuttons out (i.e. from the inside out) – not from the bottom up.
• 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).

With that in mind, we must train the body in a way that enhances the basic movement patterns of running. These include:

• Incorporate single leg training (e.g. the Bulgarian Split Squat or Super Skater movements we do at boot camp).
• Train predominantly in a standing position.
• Train in diagonal patterns – opposite hip to opposite shoulder – just like we run (Diagonal Power Chops).
• Emphasize the transverse (i.e. rotational) plane of motion – it dominates running. (Bicycle Crunches, Russian Twists, Reach Arounds, and other resistance running exercises like the partner band run).
• Focus on “pulling,” not “stomping” power for improved stride length (the Partner Manual-resistance Hamstring, Reverse Leg Raise, Glute Raise).
• Focus on foot-plant balance and stability to minimize “power leaks” at foot plant (again, the Bulgarian Split Squat or Super Skater).
• Focus on power and metabolic conditioning (Think Suicides & Partner Resistance Band Runs here!!)
• Focus on initiating and controlling running from the core of the body downward.

What does this all mean? It means an increase in core strength and a longer, more efficient stride length! These exercises allow you to become a healthier runner, free from injury while improving your performance and provide single leg power, stability and balance.

Don't underestimate the importance of strengthening your muscles for significant running improvement. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday @ 6:30am at Crossroads Church (you'll see Alica in Blue Ash or Kelli in Florence)!

Your friend in fitness, Brian