Are you a "lifter" or a "pusher"? The answer could be the silver bullet your running needs

The forward lean and its contribution to an increased stride rate is a highly desirable component required to being an efficient runner. The forward lean, however, is only one component that increases stride rate; power application is the other. It is a common myth that in order to have a high knee lift when you run you have to fire your hip flexors. By powerfully extending your leg downwards and ultimately backwards (because of forward momentum) in an unloaded fashion the hip flexors are extended (or loaded), resulting in a powerful contraction. This leads to that light, “springy” high knee lift which is characteristic of great runners.
Please make sure that you do not push while the foot is on the ground, but before this; like throwing a pogo stick at the ground. If you push while the foot is on the surface, you stop it from unloading elastically. Overall, we have reviewed the 5 parts for good running form, versus the one part of strength!

©Bobby McGee – Bobby McGee Endurance Sports
www.BobbyMcGee.com

Lean your way to great running

A slight forward lean from the ankles, with the chest and pelvis squarely aligned with each other, is a great way to gain a mechanical advantage while running. A forward lean utilizes gravity as well as increases cadence or stride rate, which is a desirable asset to the distance runner. Be sure not to lean too much; this can create over rotation and put pressure on the core muscles. Do NOT lean from the waist, but rather from the ankles. Remember to keep the elbows bent 90 degrees or less, take smaller, but quicker steps and run “lightly” over the running surface. If you are leaning too much, your foot strike becomes too loud and heavy. This leads to having to lift your legs to clear the foot to stop it from scraping the surface; this lifting is a total no-no!
Happy running!
Bobby McGee
Fitwise Training Running Technical Director

Bobby McGee Endurance Sports
http://www.bobbymcgee.com

Cadence is the key to successful running

The forward lean in running is free speed, but the high cadence (i.e. stride rate or turnover) is the most important aspect of successful running. The less the amount of time your foot can be on the ground, the less strength is required, which translates to less fatigue & less eccentric micro tearing in the leg muscles.

A hallmark of champion distance runners is a stride rate of over 180 steps per minute – some as high as 208! Count your cadence by counting the number of foot strikes you achieve with one foot in 15 seconds and then multiply that by 4. This will give you a single leg turnover in 1 minute. The minimum number you are striving for is 23 (or 92 steps per foot per minute, which is 184 for both feet). Your foot size, leg length or gender is irrelevant.

Lastly, do not simply try to increase your cadence by moving your legs faster; this may lead to injury and may not improve performance. To better improve cadence:
1. Lean slightly forward from the ankle and staying tall through the hips,
2. Bend your elbows 90* (i.e. till you could hold a pebble in the crook of your elbow & not drop it for the duration of the run), and punching your elbows back slightly
3. Push your foot to the ground, but NOT while its on the ground, rather than launching up into the air & dropping to the ground.

Happy training!
Bobby McGee
Fitwise Training Running Technical Director
http://www.bobbymcgee.com

Addressing running mechanics while you train and race is the purest form of concentration

Focusing on anything other than that which can propel you forward faster during running can be called lost focus. Focusing on fatigue, or trying to think dissociatively, i.e. of something else to get your mind off the task at hand, when racing or running hard, leads to reduced access to fitness & ability. Focusing on how you are running is also ineffectual, as this is a cognitive process that occurs so much slower (it is chemical), than the natural (electrical) flow of a reflex (unconscious) action. Thoughts on getting limbs & body into optimal position to gain maximum benefit from power application & elastic return are excellent ways to focus. Focusing on a feeling or image is also very powerful. At the start of an endurance race, focus on mood words like, easy, smooth, powerful, relaxed, will help you to not interfere cognitively with your body’s natural ability to perform. However, when fatigue sets in, it becomes useful to think objectively about what to do, especially if your form has deteriorated.

Written by,
Bobby McGee – Bobby McGee Endurance Sports
www.bobbymcgee.com

When to start training for ski season

It’s hard to believe that July is ending, it’s mid-MBL season, we had 90 degree days in Colorado, and finally the rivers are calm enough to start fly fishing in the high country. It’s amazing how much rain and cold temperatures we experience in the mountains of Colorado over the last few months. That said, summer has arrived but the fact remains it doesn’t stick around.

The ski season is rapidly approaching and for those of you rocking your Jimmy Buffet T-shirts and flip-flops, we are approximately three months from opening day in Colorado. Yes that’s right, typically at least one resort in Colorado opens mid-October.

By no means do I suggest that it’s time to trade in the board shorts and sandals for turtlenecks and Smartwool. Actually I never recommend trading anything for a turtleneck, and personally I wear Smartwool year round, but I digress. My point is, now is the time to start training for the ski season.

You don’t need to be popping blood vessels in your forehead while squatting your refrigerator, but you to need to focus on core strength and flexibility. Focusing on a few fundamental core and flexibility workouts will improve your overall fitness and get you ready to enter a new ski season. Most importantly, with a good base, your body will be more prepared as you enter the more intense ski training programs (i.e. ski conditioning classes at the gym) in the next few months.

Here are a few suggestions, all video clips can be purchased at FitwiseTraining.com, either individually or as a package:

A-Frame Walk
Dead Horses
Mallards
Bosu Standing Squat
V-Ups
Ankle Band Wide Step
Side Plank Oblique Crunch
Prone Iso Abs
Stability Ball Jig with Crunch

Cheers,
Jed Schuetze
Fitwise Training Ski Technical Director

Dynamic Warm up Drills: How to give you your best shot at an optimal race event

In my previous post, I spoke about the deleterious effects of passive stretching before exercise. So what are you supposed to do before exercise or competition? The answer is a series of progressively more intense activities that bring the body to a point where it is ready for peak performance. These activities include:
1. Mobility exercises – these increase the range of motion of a joint, so that it can manage the requirements of the activity safely & effectively. An example of such an activity are increasingly aggressive arm circles for a swimmer
2. Facilitation exercises – these exercises mimic the activity about to be performed in an ever increasing range of motion & intensity. An example of this might be a high knee drill before a quality run work out
3. Recruitment exercises – these exercises are careful repetitions of the movement required in an overloaded fashion. This ensures that enough muscle fibers are recruited to not only perform safely, but competitively. An example of this might be swinging a baseball bat with a weighted doughnut attached prior to batting practice.
Happy training! Bobby McGee
To download my series of dynamic warm-up exercises, click here.

1. Passive stretching before training & racing slows you down

Written by: Bobby McGee, Fitwise Training Running Technical Director

The purpose of stretching is to allow muscles to recover by “switching off “& allow nutrients to enter the tissue. Muscles require downtime to metabolize the effects of hard work & repair/grow stronger. Tests have shown that passive stretching actually slows down muscle speed (sequential firing) & recruitment (the number of muscle fibers available to do the work required). Passive stretching may even destabilize certain joints, like the hip joint, & lead to injury during the training session that follows the stretching session. Studies have shown that people who stretch passively are more likely to get injured than those who don’t! In later blogs I will explain how a Dynamic Warm Up Procedure is a far better way to go to gain optimal results from your fitness. So if you want to stretch passively, do so after training & even here, I recommend that you actively stretch for a far better result.

Travelwise workout keeps you fit on the road

Our Travelwise workout is specially designed to keep you fit while you travel, incorporating strength, yoga, pilates and general stretching exercises. It can be done in about 10 minutes a day, and most exercises do not require any equipment (the other 3 exercises require dumbbells).

Our customer, Sara Sullivan, who is on a quest to lose 100 pounds, thought it was so cool that she blogged about it. To read her post, click here.

New look, new information

During our 6 week hiatus from blogging and sending newsletters, we have been busy reviewing and refocusing our products and services. Along with our "new" look, we will provide you not only with company updates, but also with more diverse health and fitness information. It is our intention to build our blog contributors to include all of the Fitwise Training experts. If you have any content ideas or fitness-related questions, please send an email to: jen@fitwisetraining.com.
Yours in health,
Jen, CEO FitwiseTraining.com

How sore is too sore?

Depending on the type or intensity of the workout, one may be sore for a day or two after up to a 4-5 days. So how sore is too sore?

If you experience muscle soreness 24-48 hours after exercise, that is a normal response called "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS." If you are sore more than 3 days after your workout, you may have overdone it. In this case, its best to decrease the intensity of your next workout. If you are sore more than a week, you may have strained a muscle, tendon, or ligament. In this scenario, you may need to see your doctor.

No matter how long your soreness lasts, it is a good idea not to do the same type of exercise until your soreness goes away. For example, if you are sore from running, the following day you do an easy spin or swim.

Happy training!