Exercises

Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Helps get more air out of your lungs, thus allowing more air in.
• Practice this first when laying down, then when that becomes natural graduate to practicing when sitting up.  When you’re good there, give it a shot running.
• Instructions: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing

Strengthen those little muscles that cause you problems while running

• When you run in a mainly straight and forward directions there are many muscles that don’t get used as much. Ignoring them from a strengthening perspective can lead to many injuries.  Take this time to get on top of it!
• Hip Drills – Doggie Drills
  • 3 sets of 6 repeats of number 3, 5, 6, & 7.
  • http://www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf
• Calves/Soleus/Achilles – Eccentric Calf Raises
  • 2 sets of 8 twice a day, go much slower than the video shows.
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6EKuuZ7C2E
• Glute – Glute Bridge
  • 2 sets of 15. At the start, put your hands under your butt to make sure your glutes are firing before your hamstrings or you’re reinforcing the wrong muscles.
  • https://youtu.be/-pW3YAP7G1c?t=13
• Core – There are many ab and back exercises, choose two sets of three and alternate which set you do each day and change them up every week or two.

Training Cycle Planning

Training Plan?  That’s right, take this time to plan out your training for your next cycle?  Don’t know when to start it with all of the uncertainty currently?  Pick your race in the fall/winter and work back from there to figure out when you should start your training cycle and thus when you should end your current one.

The most common thing people forget to do is also the easiest!  Take time off!  That’s right, even the pro take time off.  Generally it’s a stretch of 7-14 days where you run short and easy about every third day.  This keeps your muscles loose and you’ll feel much better coming off your active rest as compared to if you didn’t train at all during your off time.

Weekly mileage variation is another area to look at.  When you start your training cycle of 12-24 weeks you want to avoid jumping back at full mileage.  Going from zero to peak mileage is a great way to end up hurt.  Instead, gradually build back your mileage until you get to or close to your peak mileage.  After you build up to your peak look to vary the weekly mileage like this; one up week and one down week, or two up weeks and a down week. 

On your down weeks take that lack of mileage and create another easy/off day for yourself instead of spreading it around equally to all days.  You’ll feel great that you’ve earned yourself another easy/off day by doing the work on the hard week(s).  Conversely if you spread the lack of miles around the whole week you won’t feel the lower miles much.

Want someone to do the heavy lifting?  Schedule your free coaching consultation now!