Week 3 – June 17th thru 23rd
House Keeping Notes
- Weekly Base Schedules are NOT password protected…posted on the Websites front page
- SUMMER Saturday Meetings time is 7:00 am
- Mark your Calendars…Boulder 70.3 on Saturday August 3rd…Volunteers will be Needed
Monday 17th Cross Train Day
Lift Weights/Pilates (Mat or Reformer)/Yoga – 45 to 60 minutes
Tuesday 18th Easy/Light Run 40 minutes
Include 5 x 30 sec light strides/60 sec easy within run
do light strides after 20 minutes of running
Sports Conditioning Class @ CAC-Flatirons – 10:45 am
Wednesday 19th Fartlek Workout from East Boulder Rec @ 6:30 am OR 5:30 pm
Warm Up 15 min/Stretch/4 x 30 sec strides (45 sec easy)
3 x 90 sec @ 10 km effort with 60 sec easy
2 x 3 min @ half marathon effort with 90 sec easy
take 3 min active rest after second 3 min
3 x 90 sec @ 10 km effort with 60 sec easy
2 x 3 min @ half marathon effort with 90 sec easy
run fartlek @ 70-80% of max…controlled/steady efforts
active rest = walk/slow run recovery
Cool Down 5-10 minutes
Thursday 20th Cross Train Day
Lift Weights/Pilates (Mat or Reformer)/Yoga – 45 to 60 minutes
Sports Conditioning Class @ CAC-Flatirons – 6:00 pm
Friday 21st Easy Recovery Run 40 minutes
Saturday 22nd Tempo/Hills Workout – Niwot Shopping Park @ 7:00 am
Warm Up 10-15 min/Stretch/4 x 30 sec strides
2 x 2 min steady up…turn 2 min steady down
take 2 min active rest after each 4 min interval
8 min @ marathon pace (70% of max) with 3 min active rest
2 x 2 min steady up…turn 2 min steady down
take 2 min active rest after each 4 min interval
8 min @ half marathon pace (75% of max)
active rest = walk/slow run recovery
Cool Down 5-10 minutes
Sunday 23rd Easy Long Run – 70 minutes
Relaxed Pace/Hydrate on the Run
Easy 5 min Walk Cool Down
Easy/Light/Recovery Run - Conversational Pace/Relaxed Effort
Long Run – 60-90 sec Slower than your Marathon Goal Pace
Tempo/Sustained - Run between 70-80% Effort of Max
Fartlek – Playing with Fast/Slow Speed
Hills - Work on Good Form (drive with arms/relax the shoulders/get up on toes/quick
turnover/mid-foot strike on the downs/look 5-10 feet in front of yourself)
Meeting Places
East Boulder Rec - follow Baseline east to 55th St. Take a right on 55th and follow the road until the sharp left turn and go past the first parking lot and tennis courts towards the Rec Center. Park on the West Side of the Rec Center Parking Lot close to the tennis courts.
Niwot Shopping Center - follow the Diagonal Highway to Niwot and take a right on Niwot Road. At the 3-way stop, take a right on 79th Street and the second left into the Shopping Center Parking Lot. Meet there for warm up to Niwot Loop Trail.
Coach's Notes
Three Ways to Improve your Downhill Running Technique
Improving your downhill running form will help prevent injury and increase speed. Knee pain, unstable ankles, or blown-out quads are common running injuries that many have struggled with after racing and training on downhill trails.
There are THREE SIMPLE TIPs that can really help your downhill running form.
For an optimal downhill running technique one should focus on:
- Engaging the core
- Looking down the trail
- Practicing a quick turnover
Engage the Core
We hear it all the time, but what exactly does “core” mean, and why is it important? Simply put, the core is comprised of several layers of muscles that connect the upper and lower body. From the most superficial to the deepest, there is rectus abdominus (the six-pack muscle), external oblique’s, internal oblique’s, and transverse abdominus (or TA). The TA also connects to the pelvic floor muscles that give support from the bottom of our pelvis and are critical for stabilization, so I count them in our discussion as well. The outer part of the hip is also an important component of an athlete’s core because it houses the following hip stabilizers: gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, piriformis, and several deep lateral rotators. Why do these muscles matter? These deep muscles work together to provide much-needed stability while we continually impact the ground and propel forward. If those muscles are either underdeveloped or not firing at all, our larger muscles provide the stability, which can lead to muscle tension at best, and alignment issues and injuries at worst. Furthermore, proper core muscle tension ensures good posture to keep our hips and center of gravity forward on the hill. Especially as surfaces change between stable and unstable, a stable core enables us to move nimbly as if we’re on a solid road.
Look down the Trail
If we each had to manually direct everything that happens in one second of running, it would be impossible. Luckily for us, this is actually happening without us even having to think about it. This is because our brain instantly reads what our eyes see in front of us and responds. Proprioceptors in our connective, fascial, and muscle tissue send direct impulses to our brain, sharing where we are in space and before we know it, we’re many steps down the trail. Looking as far down the trail as possible gives our brain and body ample time to respond, and puts us in the best position to use gravity to our advantage. Take a minute to stand up and look four to six feet in front of you. Next, bring your gaze back to your feet and feel what happens to your hips. Likely they are now behind your center of gravity in a mini squat. This position does several things: shortens/contracts your quad muscles before even moving; requires more strength in the hips to stabilize joints to keep proper alignment to prevent injuries; and requires more strength in the bigger muscle groups (quads, hamstrings, and glutes) to move. Being in this position while running down the trail is harder than spinning in an easy gear on the bike. That increased tension you feel means your legs work more, which over time leads to less efficiency, more tension, and potentially more injury. If you keep your eyes down the trail and engage your newfound core, your hips stay right at your center of gravity where it’s easier for them to stabilize, absorb force, and propel you forward so that downhill running really is “free speed.”
Practice a Quick Turnover
A high turnover of 180 steps per minute reinforces the other two tips to make running downhill more fun and less painful. A slower cadence means that you’re landing with your foot out in front of your hips, sending all the landing force of the downhill up through your body; puts undue pressure on your joints; and requires more from your muscles to overcome. Additionally, if you happen to land on a root or rock while your hips and body make their long journey to the next footfall, you’re requiring a lot of time for your muscles to stabilize. If you take quick steps and land right under your hips, even if you hit something you weren’t expecting, you have already transitioned to the other foot and your proprioceptors have reacted to keep you upright and stable. Finally, it’s easier to engage your core and keep your hips forward if you are keeping a quick turnover. By adding core engagement, looking down the trail, and a quick turnover to your downhill running technique repertoire, you’ll be well on your way to long lasting running bliss.
Flowing downhill efficiently goes a long way in conserving energy and allowing one to go faster.