What was long is now short

Read this Wiki How article to
improve your running style

Alison told me early in the summer that she relished the days when she *only* had to run 4 miles.  When she said this to me, 4 miles was twice as far as I was running, and didn't seem very short to me.  After completing 9 miles today, I'm with Alison:  I too now relish the days when I'm only scheduled for 4 miles!  I thought a lot about that 5 miles into my run.  Here's the good news:  I paced faster than 5 mph for the first 5, not dropping to below that rate until I was in the last 4.  I can see measurable improvement.

I've reached the point where running style makes a difference in the outcome.  Here is a list of tips from Wiki How to improve your running style:

Make sure your body is loose and relaxed, but not hunched over. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

Breathe steadily. What matters is you breathe with a rhythm that provides a consistent supply of oxygen to your body. Don't worry about whether you are breathing through the nose or the mouth. You should be able to carry on a conversation with a running partner without much difficulty, if you're running at a medium pace. If you cannot you are running too fast to go very far in most cases. Most people take two steps as they inhale and two steps as they exhale.^[1]

Keep your head in a neutral position, not looking up or down. Look approximately 10 feet in front of you if running a distance of more than 400 meters.

Keep your elbows at a 90 degree angle.^[2] Swing each arm forward and backward in time with the opposite leg, this gives momentum and prevents your body twisting. The motion should come from the shoulders, not your forearms.^[2]

• Do not tense your fists. Imagine that you have two fragile items in each of your hands and if you tense too hard, you will break them.

• Don't let your hands cross the midline of your torso, or else you'll create a twisting motion.^[3]

Keep your hips forward. Act like you've got a rope tied across your waist and someone is pulling you gently forward with it. Avoid side-to-side movement or twisting.

Increase your cadence. Aim to hit the ground about 185 times per minute. The simplest way to do this is to minimize the time your feet are on the ground.

• In the event of sore muscles, use the R.I.C.E. technique (rest, ice, compression, elevation). If you don't feel like sitting doing nothing with an ice pack, try turning the shower on cold and pointing the showerhead at the sore muscle for a minute or so after your workout.

• If you get a cramp, walk it off. Raise your hands above your head and breathe. It is important to stretch the muscle. Cramps result from many different factors (such as fatigue) but are a direct result of the muscle being overstimulated and over-contracting or not relaxing after voluntary contraction has been ceased. Stretching the muscle will promote relaxation and help to alleviate the pain. Rubbing and massaging the muscle will also help. Promoting circulation to the area will always be a benefit as fresh blood will help control the imbalance that is leading to the cramp.

• When running up hills, lean into the hill. Take short strides, pump your arms more than usual, and bring your knees up.

• It's important to stretch the muscles before and after the run, 10-12 seconds each stretch before the run and 15 seconds after.

• To avoid pain in one of the sides of the belly breathe in with nose and breathe out with mouth.

• Remember, running is kind of meditation!!

• If you keep your hand out and relaxed it will be better

• Run mainly on the balls of your feet, only allowing your heels light contact with the ground. This is the natural way to run, as you will find if you try running barefoot. Running on your heels excessively may cause shin splints, since the muscles in your shin will be bracing your feet so they don't slap the ground.

• Drink PLENTY of water. Dehydration is very bad for you.

• If possible run on soft surfaces, because running on roads and streets affects your knees negatively if you run on a daily basis.

• DO NOT drink energy drinks, coffee, or other stimulating drinks before a run. Even tea isn't a good idea; all three of which dehydrate you, and increase your chances of cardiac arrest/heatstroke. Why raise your heart rate right before you raise it (and core body temperature) through running?

• Be sure to drink your liquids 10-20 minutes before your race. This will help you avoid cramps.

Até amanhã... 
8/27/11 - 9.0 miles | 113 mins | 4.8 mph | 955 kcal