Deconstructing Success: How Beginner Runners … – Strength Running

I see in every runner the opportunity to become a great runner.

YOU can improve on what you’ve done in the past, get faster, become more consistent, run further, and prevent more injuries.

Happy Runner

Today I’d like to deconstruct success. Let’s look at the habits and training practices of successful runners and learn from them.

It’s helpful to remember that good runners are made, not born. After all, hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. Click here to tweet that!

If you want to become a better runner the opportunity is there if you take the right steps. Too many runners find excuses like “I don’t have time” “I’m not the type of person who does strength exercises” or self-limiting beliefs like “Someday I hope to finish my first half marathon.”

The limitations we put on ourselves are holding us back from becoming the runner we truly want to be. It’s like Jay Johnson recently said about strength work:

Someone said they can’t do core work daily. I completely understand. Being a good runner is a choice.

So, what can we learn from the best about how to become better runners?

Consistency and Progression Over Time

There’s no doubt that successful distance running is a long-term endeavor. Beginners must take the long view and expect to progress gradually. Make running a habit and keep training, year after year.

There’s a tendency to look at successful runners and try to do the exact workouts they do. Or think they’re lucky, gifted, or genetically predisposed to running fast. And of course, talent plays a part in everyone’s ability to compete in any sport.

But before any great performance, every runner has undoubtedly endured years of setbacks, grueling workouts, hard work, injuries, small successes, and stretches of poor performances. Just the other day I saw a tweet from elite Chris Solinsky that I loved:

Focus on each individual brick. Not on the crown molding that will eventually go in the formal dining room.

Do you think I ran 2:39 in the marathon off talent? No, it took me over 13 years of consistent training almost every day to accomplish that. And that training got progressively more difficult every year.

Matt didn’t just get lucky when he qualified for Boston. No, it took him six marathons and the better part of a decade. And his training for each marathon along the way got better and better.

Galen Rupp didn’t just win silver in the Olympic 10k by chance. He consistently trained since adolescence with the same coach.

A gradual, progressive approach that focuses on consistency over time is the only “secret” to successful running. There are no shortcuts.

Focus on the Process

Outcome goals (like a PR or Boston Qualifying marathon) are important. But the process of training should be your primary goal on a day to day basis. Stop asking about a big personal best when you only want to run three days a week – that’s like asking your boss for a raise after showing up late every day and half-assing your work.

It’s all about execution: execute your warm-up routine, your workout, and your strength exercises. Then go deeper: execute a good night’s rest and a decent diet.

My college cross country coach used to say don’t burn the candle at both endsWhat he means is that you have to live a healthy lifestyle with adequate sleep and a good diet before you can expect to be a good runner. Health comes before performance.

The process of training is so important that I value it more than how I feel on a day to day basis. Some runners get anxious when their average distance run pace slows during a training cycle (often during marathon training when the workouts and volume are at their peak).

But what’s most important are the priority workouts: the long run and 1-2 faster workouts per week. Are they being executed at the right pace? If so, then the pace of your base runs isn’t as important. Going slower just means you’re working harder on your priority days and need the extra recovery a slow distance run provides.

As long as the process of training is going well, I’m not worried about much else.

To Be a Good Runner, Train Like a Runner

There’s a reason why elite runners train they way they do: it’s the most effective way to get faster. If you have a time goal in a race, then your focus is on performance and you therefore need to train not simply run. 

Training is more specific. It requires a more structured approach. If your goal is an upcoming race but you’re tired or injured, are you also trying to fit in cross-training that’s not helping your running?

These might be fun, but don’t be fooled – they’re not helping you become a better runner:

  • Zumba
  • Softball
  • CrossFit
  • Rock climbing
  • Basketball

The principle of specificity is at play here. If you’re planting potatoes, don’t expect to harvest carrots. You might get good at CrossFit, but you may not be any closer to your goal of finishing a faster 5k.

CrossFit

Instead, choose aerobic cross-training that’s more specific to running like cycling or aqua jogging. These forms of exercise boost your aerobic fitness while carrying an extremely low risk of injury. As a coach, that’s what I love to see.

Don’t Just be a Runner

After yapping about the need for specificity, you might be scratching your head right now. But don’t be confused – running is still the most important thing in your training plan.

But you can’t just run. Training includes a lot more than just easy runs, long runs, and faster workouts.

Are you also doing all these?

Is your training plan structured in such a way that it prioritizes injury prevention? Because if you’re only running, you’re bound to end up injured. And you likely won’t run as fast as you possibly could.

Looking at the training of elite runners, you notice some striking differences between what they do and what most of us do. They’re truly athletes rather than just runners.

Of course, most of us don’t have an extra two hours a day to devote to strength work, self-massage, physiotherapy, dynamic stretching, and ice baths.

But can we do some of these things, some of the time? I think we can. Burn your excuses and focus on the process of sound training.

When you start seeing success, you’ll get addicted to it. The Strength Running coaching philosophy is about maximizing performance while reducing injuries. It works. I know because I’m an example. But it’s not just me – you can read the growing collection of success stories that showcase effective training techniques.

Last week I got an email from Anne:

I love running more than ever (thinking about ultras even!). Thank you for all this. To be honest, I was waiting for the moment when the injury would show up… it’s hard to change one’s mind but now I trust you completely!

That’s the power of consistent training that focuses on the process, progresses, and builds a well-rounded athlete.

Now it’s your turn. Get after it!





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Refresh Your Monogamous Relationship With A New Vision

How To Keep A Monogamous Relationship Exciting
Who says monogamy is boring?

When you took the plunge and began a monogamous relationship with your partner, you likely started with stars in your eyes, believing that life would always be like a whirlwind romance. Reality, however, dictates that we continue to live our daily lives — as each partner follows his or her own career path, the path to parenthood, at times it seems as if the relationship isn’t anywhere near what you dreamed.

It isn’t that you’ve decided that being monogamous is wrong for you, and it isn’t that you’ve fallen out of love with your partner; it’s just that you believed it would be somehow, well, different.

More from YourTango: Why Midlife Is The Perfect Time To Reignite Your Sexual Spark

It’s not unusual for a monogamous relationship to feel less than supportive, and often the reason is simple: we stop communicating our desires to our partner. But what if I told you that you could strengthen your partnership by going back to those dreams you had way back when about how life was going to be?

To be honest, most folks spend more time planning the wedding than envisioning how they will live a shared life. One of the first things I suggest to a couple who desires to re-spark the fire in their relationship is to create a Couple’s Vision.

How would you envision your perfect monogamous relationship? How would you feel? What would you be doing? Do you dream of laughing often? Feeling safe and relaxed? Having activities you both find meaningful? I believe that if you can envision it, you can make it reality.

Begin with each of the partners in the monogamous relationship envisioning and defining what the ideal relationship would be like. Do this in the present tense, as if it were already happening. Because language is important for tone, choose positive wording. For example:

  • We support each other in our individual endeavors.
  • We make love three or four times a week.
  • We trust each other.
  • We exercise together.
  • We have fun together.
  • We have an active and satisfying sex life.

After each of you has created your individual vision, then it’s time to share. Schedule the sharing of each other’s visions for a time when you are relaxed and there won’t be any distractions. Compare lists and place a check next to each of the items you agree with. It’s not so much about specific wording looking exactly like yours as  it is the general sentiment.

If your partner mentions anything in his vision for your monogamous relationship that you don’t object to, circle it! Then, draw a line through the items you don’t agree with.

Now it’s time to begin creating your joint vision.Creating a vision together will equip you with the tools for envisioning a better future. You will identify priorities for your monogamous relationship. This allows you to say yes to what matters the most and no to activities that take away from who you are as individuals and as a couple. It gives you the clarity to manage your shared life together, instead of letting life manage you! Think of a vision like road side assistance.

You want to enjoy this road trip of life together, but you certainly can’t control everything. There are going to be bumps, detours and road construction along the way, but creating a vision gives you structure as you travel together. 

Your vision will dramatically improve the satisfaction level and communication within your relationship, leading to more joyful and content individuals — and a stronger team.

More from YourTango: 8 Tips for More Confidence – Because Confidence is Sexy

More monogamous relationship advice from YourTango:

Strength training as physical exercise boosts 90-year-olds' muscle …

Strength training as physical exercise boosts 90-year-olds’ muscle power

Washington – A new study has found that after doing specific training for 12 weeks, people over the age of 90 improved their strength, power and muscle mass.

This was reflected in an increase in their walking speed, a greater capacity to get out of their chairs, an improvement in their balance, a significant reduction in the incidence of falls and a significant improvement in muscle power and mass in the lower limbs.

24 people between 91 and 96 participated in the research, eleven of them in the experimental group and 13 in the control group. Two days a week over a 12-week period they did multicomponent training: a programme of various exercises designed specifically for them and which combined strength training and balance improving exercises.

As Mikel Izquierdo explained, “the training raised their functional capacity, lowered the risk of falls, and improved muscle power. In addition to the significant increases in the physical capacity of frail elderly people, the study has shown that power training can be perfectly applied to the elderly with frailty.”

With ageing, the functional capacity of the neuromuscular, cardiovascular and respiratory system progressively starts to diminish, and this leads to an increased risk of frailty. Physical inactivity is one of the fundamental factors that contributes to the loss of muscular mass and functional capacity, a key aspect in frailty.

Prof Izquierdo said that the results of the study point to the importance of implementing exercise programmes in patients of this type, exercises to develop muscle power, balance and walking.

In his view, it would be beneficial to apply exercises of this type among vulnerable elderly people to prevent the impact of ageing, improve their wellbeing and help them to adapt to the society in which they live.

The study is published in the journal Age.

Eye Exercises And Vision Training | Our Gaggle Of Girls

Treatments for Myopia

The irregular shape of the eyeball causes light to focus too far in front of the retina (in nearsightedness) or too far behind (in farsightedness). The cornea can also become squashed (astigmatism) which is a common effect of being near sighted. How Eye Exercises Work Eye exercises work by first strengthening the six groups of eye muscles, and then helping them to relax completely each day to improve vision on a progressive basis. They usually form a vision training program of 30-60 days (or more in severe cases) and are known to be effective on all common vision disorders. However, eye exercises cannot cure more serious eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://suite101.com/a/eye-exercises-and-vision-training-a72641

The Facts About Eye Floaters and Flashes

If you see a squiggle, dot, or other shape flitting around, then you have found an eye floater. Eye floaters and flashes normally require no treatment. Flashes usually fade away, and over time most people don’t notice floaters as often because the brain learns to filter out the visual interference. An annoying floater in the center of your vision sometimes can be relieved by rolling your eyes around, which swirls the vitreous gel in the eyeball and gets the floater to move away. A surgical procedure called vitrectomy removes the vitreous gel from the eye and replaces it with saline solution, but it is a major procedure that normally is not considered worth the risk.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.everydayhealth.com/vision-center/the-healthy-eye/floaters-flashes-retinal-tears.aspx

Keep your workout routine on track with Adidas miCoach for Lumia …


 miCoach_Achieved_465

Adidas miCoach, an interactive personal coaching and training app, is now available for Windows Phone 8 and includes some exclusive features that you will not find on other mobile platforms, including integration with Nokia Music and HERE Maps.

Additionally, when using the app on your Nokia Lumia, you will get access to special “voice packs” from leading professional athletes that work with Adidas, including my personal selection Detroit Lions football player Reggie Bush. There’s something to be said for having a real athlete yelling words of encouragement at you while you workout.

Being able to use the app with Nokia Music is great, since you can play mixes of your own collection while you exercise, or sample from Adidas-selected music mixes that are built in to the app. The HERE Maps feature makes it easy to see your workout route from start to finish – although, if you are indoors (using a treadmill perhaps), you will need to set the app to GPS Off (Indoor) mode to guide your workout. (You’ll find more information about how to best use the app in the Help & Tips section, within the “About” portion of the app.)

AdidasWorkouts_232  AdidasMusic_232

The first time you use the app, you complete a 12-minute personal assessment where you start at a light pace, and then really push yourself to the limit (a nine out of 10, according to the app). Of course, this is based on your own sense of how hard you can go – remember not to over do it.

AdidasAssessment_232 miCoach_profile_232

At the end of your workout, miCoach displays your results, and you can also save the information for later reference. And, if you’re so inclined, you can share the results via social media, too. The app also keeps track of your “lifetime stats” and “achievements” such as “Most Calories Burned” so you can admire your personal efforts.

When you’re ready for more, you can select from a variety of free workouts, based on your choice of activity (including: running, cycling, walking, and cross-country skiing). You will also find workouts for strength training, which range in length from 15 – 30 minutes (some of which may require additional equipment to complete).

miCoach_summary_232  miCoach_lateralsquat_232

Using the Live Tile for the app you can pin information like workout objectives to your start screen; and those tiles also show details about your overall performance and upcoming workouts. From the phone’s lockscreen, you can also view workout details and see what music is playing.

If you like to keep track of when your next workout /should/ happen, you can keep track using the miCoach.com site, and that can be tied to the Calendar on your Lumia, so in theory you won’t forget! Both the mobile app, and access to the miCoach website are free.

The miCoach app also features Bluetooth compatibility with heart rate monitors from Adidas that you can purchase for use with the Lumia 520, 620, and 720.

Do you use your Lumia to help keep track of your workout routine? Tell us about how you stay motivated in the comments below.

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Lance explains that your chosen body will get stronger, muscular motor programs boost and structure regenrate during others, not healing. Exercise should be most of body, 4-5 times one week preferably, so not everybody single muscle gets broken down. Many fighters neglect to construct a proper bottom of strength ahead of moving on in order to more complex workout routines. Relating to relatives strength, he sets these instructions: Table. Significantly less is far more! Training must be periodized, making sure that each two to three week pattern plots on the improvement made from the last pattern. resistance training operates on buff strength endurance in addition to joint, tendon and tendon wellbeing, so when education moves on to the strength phase, we will have absolutely no injuries. strength along with conditioning work outs strength and conditioning programs There should be another vision that you’re working when it comes to, with step-by-step training goals along the route. Push ups will create a strong functional body and that is proven continuously. In my opinion with your own body weight as resistance could be the method to a fantastic standard of conditioning that can’t be copied. This necessitated digging in the whole body exercise routine that involved plyometrics in addition to kickboxing, within other items. They say which i make positive I’m mentally as well as physically exhausted following each exercise. The strength part normally consists of using the services of weight load. Your second view with strength and treatment exercises is obviously the conditioning – this will be extremely intensive and comprise of half-hour non-stop workouts taking skipping, deadlift thrusts and a lot of different similar exercises in order to develop sexual stamina. Durability and conditioning activities is smart, even though, for developing general conditioning. As well an excellent pair of strength as well as conditioning exercises can get fast profits.

In addition to unique types of shape dependent upon your current gender, the frames themselves is often made from a large choice of different elements, a few large amount of recognized labels shouting your way, along with a host of various shapes as well as colours. But using set reason that is applicable to all glasses you can seriously enhance the way anyone looks; pick glasses frames which can be made for a clear activity or even sport; and also your drinking glasses a fashion accessories rather than report that your eyes are not as well good. Despite the fact when speaking we fix to each others vision our emphasis radiates through there that makes it important you take into account hair colour and then the colour of your respective vision. So it is important to think in terms of form a contrast colours. to learn anything scott johnson Shades on the mauve or even golden families can certainly strengthen emerald sight, and then the bright silver goes the best amongst all the colorings. You will wish that especially in situation you wish to sell it. Alternatively smooth red, cherry wood crimson, fuchsia, magenta, reddish-purple, through, apricot, rust brown and China red colors are generally suggested for orange eyes. On the other hand, if they might have a lot of studios and also have produced a lot of sections, there isn’t any rarity to their pieces. If you are a newbie collector, it is sometimes a witty decision to hear the alternative people state. Above all finding your drinking glasses frames it is best to choose varieties that reflect your preferences and character. If you am often self conscious and retiring then you definitely never particularly want to be choosing large cups with bold tones. Often buy something you like. Split a book and the information is there. By Vanditi dartisa

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Can Focus Exercises as a Treatment Improve Your Keratoconus?

Tuesday, August 27th, 2013, 6:10 pm

When you have Keratoconus strengthening the eyes is an important step in maximizing visual function. Focus exercising can aid in the improving the quality of vision.. Many doctors agree that training your eyes is an important step in treating the condition, and according to the American Optometric Association you can benefit greatly from exercising your eyes when diagnosed with Keratoconus.

So can focus exercises improve your vision when you have Keratoconus? Yes.  Many have found it can strengthen your eyes, improving your quality of vision.

Focus Exercising:

For aid in strengthening the eyes and improving eye control the use of swaying can help. This is a simple exercise that can be done in minutes daily and added to your regular routine. It will help you not only gain current control of the muscles of the eyes but help with future control.

Swaying-

  • Keep your feet shoulder width apart
  • choose an object in the distance
  • Sway from side to side focusing on the object as you pass by

Focus Activities to Help Gain Eye Control:

Recently the American Optometric Association said that Racket and Team sports is a form of focus exercise and participating in these types of sports help strengthen your eyes and improve overall visual acuity.  Most people feel that sports are the last thing they should do if they are having vision problems. However for those with Keratoconus the use of Racket & Team sports can help you with eye tracking, reaction time, depth perception, visual memory, and even peripheral vision skills. These sports can not only work on control of your eye muscles, but they can help strengthen them as well.

For more information on how focus exercise can help your Keratoconus visit: www.aoa.org

 


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Category: Keratoconus, keratoconus sufferers, Living with Keratoconus