Base Training Group 3 - Week 3 (Lighter)

Monday 21st               Easy/Light Run 35 minutes

Tuesday 22nd             No Run - Cross Training Day

Wednesday 23rd          Light Fartlek Workout

                                 Take 2 min Easy between Sets

Thursday 24th             Easy Recovery Run 30-35 minutes

Friday 25th                  No Run - Cross Training Day

Saturday 26th             Easy Longer Run 50-55 minutes

Sunday 20th                No Run - Rest Day

 

Easy/Light/Recovery Run - Conversational Pace/Time on Legs/Relaxed Effort

Fartlek - Run between 65-85% effort of Max

How Fit Are You??? There are 9 Tests that identify your strengths and weaknesses...over the next 2 weeks I'll discuss these tests and then pair them with exercises and drills that will help improve your scores.

As a Runner, you are already in Good Shape, however, if you want to perform at your full potential, you need to take a comprehensive approach to your training. That means targeting areas of fitness you may not normally pay attention to, like flexibility, balance, and mobility.

1) Core Strength - the muscles in your abdominals, back, and glutes give you stability, power, and endurance. If your core muscles cannot support your pelvis, it will drop, causing your hips, knees, and ankles to lose proper alignment. When this happens, you can't absorb forces appropriately, and your muscles fatigue quicker.

Test It - Plank Position: form a straight line from your head to ankles and see how long you can maintain perfect form. Anything under 90 seconds is not good.

Improve It - lie on your back with your hands at your sides, legs straight out in front of you and feet 6 inches off the ground. Start sitting up while elevating your left arm with the elbow bent. At the peak of the sit-up, bring your right knee toward your chest. Return to the start position, keeping your legs raised and repeat with the opposite side. Work for 20 reps.

2) Upper Body Strength - a strong upper body makes it easier to hold good form, which can improve running economy. The more economical you are, the less oxygen you use and the longer you can sustain a given pace.

Test It - Push-Ups: complete as many standard push-ups as possible maintaining good form. Depending on your age, the range for "fair" is 8 to 16.

Improve It - get in a push-up position with your shins on a stability ball. Complete a push-up, then pull the ball toward your chest. Return to the start position and repeat. Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets.

3) Lower-body Strength - the repetitive motion of running, using the same muscles over and over again, can strengthen some more than others. An imbalance between opposing muscle groups, such as the quadriceps and hamstrings, can lead to muscle pulls and knee pain.

Test It - squat down until your glutes graze the seat of a chair. Return to standing and repeat as many times as possible. Depending on your age, "fair is 9 to 30.

Improve It - by doing walking lunges holding dumbbells. Step forward with your right leg and lower into a lunge. Return to standing as you step forward with your left leg and repeat 8 times. Do 2-3 sets, resting 60 seconds between sets. Make sure your lunging knee does not protrude over the front of the toes.

4) Flexibility - a flexible body is more efficient, sees more gains in strength and endurance, enjoys more range of motion, and recovers quicker. When your muscles are long and pliable, blood flows more freely. This means your muscles, ligaments, and tendons are better nourished and able to rebound better after a workout.

Test It - bend your left knee, and draw your thigh in. Loop a strap around the arch of your left foot, and hold an end of the strap in each hand. Straighten the leg as much as possible. Walk your hands up the strap until the elbows are straight. Gently bring your leg as close to your head as possible. Note the angle. Anything less than 45 degrees is "fair".

Improve It - stand with your glutes against a wall and your feet 6-12 inches from the wall's base. Bend forward and work to place your palms on the floor. Do this stretch post-run and hold stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times with 30 seconds rest.

5) Balance - running is an intricate one-foot balancing act. To stay steady on your feet, nerve endings in your joints and muscles (called proprioceptors) sense changes in your body position. Improving our balance can enhance the ability of these proprioceptors to anticipate movement changes so your runs are smoother and faster.

Test It - place your right foot against your left leg and time yourself in this position until you lose balance. "Fair" is less than 25 seconds.

Improve It - by doing one-legged squats. Place a stability ball between your lower back and a wall. Lift your right foot off the ground and lower down into a squat. Push back to start, but don't lower your right foot. Do 8 reps and then switch to the other leg.

Next Week - Speed, Endurance, Joint Mobility, and Cardiovascular Strength.