A key element of any long distance training plan is the long run. Usually done on the weekend because it takes a long time and recovery is needed afterwards. And it gives you the pleasure of lots of eating afterwards and a well deserved afternoon nap!
Every Saturday for the last few months, I have woken up early, at the latest 05H00, and got myself ready for it. A cup of bullet proof coffee, a handful of nuts, load my running vest with water, energy shots, cellphone, some cash for emergencies, and I am ready to hit the road!
To fit in runs for 20 to 35 km's require some planning so you don't hit endless traffic lights or pedestrians that break your rhythm. That is why getting up early is crucial, you can avoid the morning rush and "bend the law" by crossing lights on the red. Also, it is cooler in temperature and have the virtuous feeling of running past late night revelers stumbling out of bars and clubs.
One of my frequent routes takes me down the shopping heaven/hell that is Orchard Road. I love running through the crazy early Christmas scenery marveling at all the reindeer, elves and, for some obscure reason, mushrooms!
My last few long runs have all involved some kind of drama. There was the planned 35k East Coast Park that ended up with me being crippled with diarrhea after eating a dodgy energy bar. I ended up with 30k in 3h running time but it involved numerous pit stops. An easy 30k hurt really badly after I killed myself the previous day on the bike. A 25k that was mostly done in a yuuuge thunderstorm and made the pavements very slippery, and I ended up falling hard!
My last big run this Saturday became a mental exercise rather than a physical one. I had developed a spasming muscle in the left calf from running to much in wet, slippery conditions in the last two weeks. (Barefooting is tricky on slippery hard surfaces as I am continuously tense waiting to arrest any fall, and my muscles don't relax and so get very stiff)
20 minutes into the run, my calf started spasming badly and 10 minutes later I was stopping to massage it but to no avail. I turned around in a furious mood as I had got up at 04H00 for this run, and proceeded to hobble back home. As I got close to home, a violent thunderstorm broke but I do love running in the rain even if it is slippery. I decided to do a 10k loop near my house so at least I would have a two hour run for my troubles and stop me from feeling grumpy the whole weekend. My calf muscle was loosening a bit and I could run slowly, and I would only be, at most, 5km from home, so could walk back if things got serious.
I also reminded myself that things like this could happen on race day and I would have to deal with it. And this was the last crucial run before I started tapering so I would have to time to deal with any injuries.
And then two hours turned into 3 hours when I decided to run Rifle Range Road which I had never run as a road run. And then 3 turned to 4. Ended the run with 37km under the belt. Not the speed I was hoping for but my average pulse rate was 130 bpm which is comfortable, and I got the big boost of confidence that I could do the marathon barefoot come what may. And that is the main reason to do long runs, the mental confidence that you can tackle the distance.
My legs were fine on Sunday but my calf was like a block of wood and very sore to the touch. After seeing the physio, I might have a small tear, but with some needles being poked into me, excruciatingly painful pressure point massages and rehab exercises, I should be OK for the day.
And I have done the training!! Now it's just rest and light exercise for the next two weeks and then race day!
Showing posts with label Barefoot running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barefoot running. Show all posts
Monday, 21 November 2016
Thursday, 27 October 2016
Why would you choose to run barefoot?
Why would you choose to run barefoot?
Surely, we have things called running shoes and they represent the most advanced technology that multi-billion dollar companies can design.
Not so fast!
Do you know that the more money your shoes cost, the more likely that you will be injured?
Marathon times in the USA decreased when modern shoes made their debut in the late 70's?
Athletes who win marathons grew up wearing hardly any shoes?
The majority of runners get injured at least once a year where they have to take time off training?
Running shoe companies can't provide any peer reviewed evidence that the latest "Moon Strider 10.5 with Superior Nano Technology" will make you go faster or less injury prone?
Hmm, this is sounding like a conspiracy theory! Not really. It's just technology that's gotten away from us. Like thinking the latest iPhone is going to make you a better person.
Disclaimer: I do love running shoes. My cupboard is full of Inov8 shoes- my preferred brand. I think they are sexy and all future space crafts should be designed to look like them!
The problem was that as I got older and less fit and strong I started getting injuries that would not get better. I had set myself a goal of running a 100 mile Ultra and my injuries made it look like I would never get there.
Luckily, I had competitively rowed for 10 years and knew that correct technique will always beat power, and prevent injuries. So after some research and reading lots of great books (some listed below), I knew I had to get my running technique correct.
And the easiest way is to take off my shoes! What I needed was feedback, not from a coach, but from the soles of my feet. The biggest cause of running injuries is impact. To reduce impact, I had to have correct technique. And, if you run barefoot, your soles will tell you straight away when you are landing too hard!
Know why those Kenyans run so effortlessly? Less impact! And a grueling, extremely competitive foundation phase.
My plan for my eventual 100 miler meant I had to go back to basics. Learn how to run without shoes so I could transition back to shoes when I did my big race. (My next blog post will be on the how to run correctly.)
Running is a natural activity so most of us never get coached how to run correctly. But if we play tennis or football we spend a lot of time on technique. Running seems to be one of the only sports where almost no time is spent on technique.
So we plod along, feeling uncomfortable, getting hurt,and quitting.
Have a look at the above graph showing impact on the feet with heel striking versus mid foot/front foot striking. The impact is more gradual with the bottom chart. With 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles per foot, the feet are a very complex structure. And really good at absorbing impact with all that movement the foot allows.
Try standing in one spot and jump up and down. You will do it naturally landing on the front of the foot. Now try doing it landing on your heels! Very painful!
There is more time, and movement, for your body to absorb the shock of landing, and considering that you land with about three times the weight of your body on your feet, less shock is definitely better. That 15mm of foam on your shoes are going to fully absorb three times your body weight?
Going back to the above jumping exercise, did you notice you landing with your knees slightly bent? Try running in one spot- still landing on the fore foot and with bent knees? Even with shoes on we naturally go to the comfortable running position.
The biggest problem with shoes is that it deadens the impact feeling on our soles but that force still goes up to our knees, hips and lower back. And those are the places runners get injured the most.
So, in a nutshell, running barefoot increases the feeling of impact on our soles so we become aware of it every step and thus forcing our body to compensate by absorbing the impact by landing on our forefoot and with bent knees, taking advantage of the natural springs and tension inside our bodies.
The other advantages of running barefoot are stimulation of the nerves on your feet so a barefoot run feels like a massage. I often seek out rougher terrain because it feels so nice! Your foot muscles also move much more and get stronger giving you healthier and happier feet. No one likes to be trapped in a cage!
Running barefoot does not have to be forever, if you so choose. It can be an important training tool if done twice a week. Or you can take some time just to run barefoot during your off season or after injuries.
Please come back next week for a post on how to start barefoot running.
And now for some reading:-
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall- if you have not read this book, you should. A fun read about running by a great story teller. Not a "how to" book but will definitely creates the desire to run barefoot.
Barefoot Running Step by Step by Step by Ken Bob Saxton - The Bible of barefoot running. I keep coming back to this book to brush up my technique. Essential reading.
The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard. Has a fun, slightly irreverent tone and great practical advice. His cross training and training plans are really great too.
Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear - The Harvard University Skeletal Biology Lab's research on barefoot running. As you have guessed, this is a serious read packed with science.
Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn Interesting book on why Kenyans excel at running.
Surely, we have things called running shoes and they represent the most advanced technology that multi-billion dollar companies can design.
Not so fast!
Do you know that the more money your shoes cost, the more likely that you will be injured?
Marathon times in the USA decreased when modern shoes made their debut in the late 70's?
Athletes who win marathons grew up wearing hardly any shoes?
The majority of runners get injured at least once a year where they have to take time off training?
Running shoe companies can't provide any peer reviewed evidence that the latest "Moon Strider 10.5 with Superior Nano Technology" will make you go faster or less injury prone?
Hmm, this is sounding like a conspiracy theory! Not really. It's just technology that's gotten away from us. Like thinking the latest iPhone is going to make you a better person.
Disclaimer: I do love running shoes. My cupboard is full of Inov8 shoes- my preferred brand. I think they are sexy and all future space crafts should be designed to look like them!
The problem was that as I got older and less fit and strong I started getting injuries that would not get better. I had set myself a goal of running a 100 mile Ultra and my injuries made it look like I would never get there.
Luckily, I had competitively rowed for 10 years and knew that correct technique will always beat power, and prevent injuries. So after some research and reading lots of great books (some listed below), I knew I had to get my running technique correct.
And the easiest way is to take off my shoes! What I needed was feedback, not from a coach, but from the soles of my feet. The biggest cause of running injuries is impact. To reduce impact, I had to have correct technique. And, if you run barefoot, your soles will tell you straight away when you are landing too hard!
Know why those Kenyans run so effortlessly? Less impact! And a grueling, extremely competitive foundation phase.
I know they are wearing shoes, but we will get to that soon.
My plan for my eventual 100 miler meant I had to go back to basics. Learn how to run without shoes so I could transition back to shoes when I did my big race. (My next blog post will be on the how to run correctly.)
Running is a natural activity so most of us never get coached how to run correctly. But if we play tennis or football we spend a lot of time on technique. Running seems to be one of the only sports where almost no time is spent on technique.
So we plod along, feeling uncomfortable, getting hurt,and quitting.
Have a look at the above graph showing impact on the feet with heel striking versus mid foot/front foot striking. The impact is more gradual with the bottom chart. With 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles per foot, the feet are a very complex structure. And really good at absorbing impact with all that movement the foot allows.
Try standing in one spot and jump up and down. You will do it naturally landing on the front of the foot. Now try doing it landing on your heels! Very painful!
There is more time, and movement, for your body to absorb the shock of landing, and considering that you land with about three times the weight of your body on your feet, less shock is definitely better. That 15mm of foam on your shoes are going to fully absorb three times your body weight?
Going back to the above jumping exercise, did you notice you landing with your knees slightly bent? Try running in one spot- still landing on the fore foot and with bent knees? Even with shoes on we naturally go to the comfortable running position.
The biggest problem with shoes is that it deadens the impact feeling on our soles but that force still goes up to our knees, hips and lower back. And those are the places runners get injured the most.
So, in a nutshell, running barefoot increases the feeling of impact on our soles so we become aware of it every step and thus forcing our body to compensate by absorbing the impact by landing on our forefoot and with bent knees, taking advantage of the natural springs and tension inside our bodies.
The other advantages of running barefoot are stimulation of the nerves on your feet so a barefoot run feels like a massage. I often seek out rougher terrain because it feels so nice! Your foot muscles also move much more and get stronger giving you healthier and happier feet. No one likes to be trapped in a cage!
Running barefoot does not have to be forever, if you so choose. It can be an important training tool if done twice a week. Or you can take some time just to run barefoot during your off season or after injuries.
Please come back next week for a post on how to start barefoot running.
And now for some reading:-
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall- if you have not read this book, you should. A fun read about running by a great story teller. Not a "how to" book but will definitely creates the desire to run barefoot.
Barefoot Running Step by Step by Step by Ken Bob Saxton - The Bible of barefoot running. I keep coming back to this book to brush up my technique. Essential reading.
The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard. Has a fun, slightly irreverent tone and great practical advice. His cross training and training plans are really great too.
Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear - The Harvard University Skeletal Biology Lab's research on barefoot running. As you have guessed, this is a serious read packed with science.
Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn Interesting book on why Kenyans excel at running.
Saturday, 1 October 2016
The Saturday LSR (Long Slow Run)
As every runner knows, one morning on the weekend is dedicated to the LSR (Long Slow Run). Generally the morning is preferred because you can pig out on food and veg on the coach for the rest of the day with zero guilt!
Today's run was from my house, Alexander Canal, around Marina Bay and back.
I have done it all but never as one run, but estimated it at 20km which is what I was aiming for today.
The morning started out slow. I needed 2 cups of coffee to wake up and felt lethargic. I think it was the fartlek session on Thursday catching up!
Once on the road at 06h30, I felt OK but none of that springy, bouncy energy. Keeping a glance at my cadence, I could see that I was not maintaining my normal 90 a minute. (More of that in a future blog post). It looked like today was going to be a tough one! Which was surprising because last week I had a great run along the Pandan Park Connector and this week's runs were all solid. Maybe slightly over doing things...
But it was a fine morning. There had been no rain this whole week so the air was pretty dry, which is really nice in Singapore. The sky was a good combination of some clouds and clear sky so sunrise was bound to be good. I really love being out and about at sunrise. It is a special time of day when I feel full of energy and the city is still sleepy.
The light was pretty good when I reached Marina Bay, so took some photos.
Finished the Marina Bay loop and headed home. At about 1h30 the wheels started coming off. It was becoming a mental strength run. I just reminded myself that this is what you feel at the end of a long race and suck it up and deal with it.
I usually carry some energy gels with me on long runs, but rarely take them. They are for last resort measures. I prefer to run off my fat reserves, which are more than enough, thank you!
Today, I did dig into my gels and was glad I did.
I got home in the end, stopped the watch and saw I did 19.7km in 2:00:36. Just off by 300m and 36 seconds what I wanted to do.
Kinda funny because last weekend I ran at 11km/h and it was easy. Just 10% difference and it felt sluggish.
Oh well, not my best run but I'm glad I got it under my belt. And now I get to have some guilt free eating!!
Today's run was from my house, Alexander Canal, around Marina Bay and back.
I have done it all but never as one run, but estimated it at 20km which is what I was aiming for today.
Once on the road at 06h30, I felt OK but none of that springy, bouncy energy. Keeping a glance at my cadence, I could see that I was not maintaining my normal 90 a minute. (More of that in a future blog post). It looked like today was going to be a tough one! Which was surprising because last week I had a great run along the Pandan Park Connector and this week's runs were all solid. Maybe slightly over doing things...
But it was a fine morning. There had been no rain this whole week so the air was pretty dry, which is really nice in Singapore. The sky was a good combination of some clouds and clear sky so sunrise was bound to be good. I really love being out and about at sunrise. It is a special time of day when I feel full of energy and the city is still sleepy.
The light was pretty good when I reached Marina Bay, so took some photos.
Finished the Marina Bay loop and headed home. At about 1h30 the wheels started coming off. It was becoming a mental strength run. I just reminded myself that this is what you feel at the end of a long race and suck it up and deal with it.
I usually carry some energy gels with me on long runs, but rarely take them. They are for last resort measures. I prefer to run off my fat reserves, which are more than enough, thank you!
Today, I did dig into my gels and was glad I did.
I got home in the end, stopped the watch and saw I did 19.7km in 2:00:36. Just off by 300m and 36 seconds what I wanted to do.
Kinda funny because last weekend I ran at 11km/h and it was easy. Just 10% difference and it felt sluggish.
Oh well, not my best run but I'm glad I got it under my belt. And now I get to have some guilt free eating!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)