Famed New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard, when asked how runners should breathe, once replied:

“Breathe through your mouth. Breathe through your nose. Suck the air in through your ears, if you can.”

During a race, you can hear your opponent coming up behind because of their breathing. It is an aspect of running that can be very crucial to successful running technique. If you are forcing your breathing, or as some people call it a “panicked” breathing technique, where you cannot control your breaths, you will run out of breath, and eventually be unable to continue. You may still have the strength to continue, but due to poor breathing habits, you were unable to push your body to full capacity.

How to breath efficiently:

• When running for recovery or a more relaxed run you should adopt the 3:2 ratio of breathing, where you inhale for three steps and exhale for two steps
• Inhalation should be as relaxed and fluid as possible, whereas exhalation is naturally shorter and more forceful
• Takes time and practice, and will eventually become second nature
• When running shorter, faster, like a speed workout or a 5-k, breathing patterns will automatically turn to a 2:1 ratio of inhalation and exhalation.
• If you are running a 2:1 ratio on a relaxed run, you are running too fast.

Introduction: Debates about running form have been discussed for years. Emil Zatopek, who won 4 Olympic titles, had horrible running form. He grimaced; head bobbed, and thrashed his arms. It continues to be a core part of most running programs, however, because good running form, coupled with good biomechanics, can enhance performance, and potentially prevent running injuries.

Common Running Form Errors

1. Overstriding : The most common running form flaw. Foot contacts the ground too far in front of the runner’s center of gravity. This causes a breaking motion, slows a runner down, longer time in the air, therefore one comes down harder on the ground, which results in high impact, and stress on joints.

Solution: Count strides. 90 per minute or more is ideal. The lower the strides rate the more risk for injury, due to being in the air longer, and therefore hitting the ground harder.

Check your watch for a minute, while counting one leg. Keep it 90 or above, if it is lower, work on shortening your stride.

2. Tense Upper Body: When the upper body is tense, and the shoulders are contracted up to the ears, an individual will have soreness in their neck and shoulders. This could inhibit a more efficient running form.

Solution: The upper body should be kept relaxed during distance running. If your core is properly engaged then you should be able to let your shoulders and neck stay loose.

3. Lack of Core Involvement: Many runners don’t associate the core muscles with their running. It is imperative however to maintain some level of tone in the lower half of your torso to facilitate an upright running posture. Good form starts here; the rest of the technical elements to be discussed hinge on maintaining an engaged core.

Solution: Exercise core muscle groups by taking pilates, yoga classes, or by doing your own exercises on a mat or machine.

Body Positioning

Eyes: Look straight ahead, eyes focused on a fixed point 10 meters in front of you. Run in a straight line, for better efficiency.

Shoulders: Should be relaxed, not hunched oever, rounding the shoulders too far forward can tighten the chest and restrict breathing.

Arms: Allow them to swing naturally from the shoulder joint not elbow joint, in rhythm with your legs, the legs control arm swing.

Hands: A runner’s hand positioning can affect stride. Hands should be held low, around hips, move to mid-chest, enables you to control stride and run faster. Keep them low and drive hard from the hips. Leg turnover should be in direct proportion to hand drive. Relax your hands and arms, and do not clench your fists

Knees: Knee lift is neglected in the states, and is important for driving forward and increasing speed. Drive with high knee lift. High knees exercises help with this.

Footplant: Land naturally mid-foot, the ball of the foot landing first, the heel contacting the ground a fraction of a second later. Try landing directly in the middle rather than too forward or backward, in order to reduce injury.

Do not bounce: keep stride low to the ground and focus on quick turnover. You waste energy with too much up and down movement, higher you lift your body off the ground the harder you will land on your way down, and more stress on your body. Minimize bouncing by running lightly, land softly on your feet. Use your arms to help with keeping your stride low and short.

Basic posture should be addressed while running. Stand tall, keep back straight, and shoulders square. The chest should be out and lean forward slightly, arms should be at a 90 degree angle, your hands should NEVER cross the mid-line of the torso. Practice good form daily!

Ralph Mann, Ph. D. showed in a recent study that as little as two-hundreths of a second less contact with the ground per stride will result in marked improvement for a distance runner. Most runners adapt the form best suited for them with running time and experience.

Food for Running

“We are indeed much more than we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.”-Adele Dais, nutritionist

What we give our bodies directly affect what it will give back to us in both health and performance. All food has potential energy. A runner’s diet needs to include carbohydrates, fat, protein,  and especially water.

-Water: Hydration                                                       -Carbs: Fuel

-Fats: Sense of fullness                                               -Protein: Build and Heal Muscles

Proper nutrition is an essential part of  successful running. It is truly imperative to properly fuel your body, just like putting gas in your car, in order to run at peak performance.

Healthy Running Recipes:

More Vegetable than Egg Frittata

This is a great meal to eat after an early morning run. All of the eggs and veggies provide you with the protein and good carbs that you need to re-fuel in a healthy way and help your body heal for the next run.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups washed, trimmed and chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, or asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or mint leaves
3 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Put the olive oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until it’s soft, about three minutes. Add the vegetables, raise the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat so the vegetables brown a little without scorching. When the vegetables are nearly done, turn the heat to low and add the basil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pan is almost dry. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper, along with the cheese. Pour over the vegetables, using a spoon if necessary to distribute them evenly. Cook, undisturbed, until the eggs are barely set, 10 minutes or so. (You can set them further by putting the pan in a 350?F oven for a few minutes, or running it under the broiler for a minute or two.) Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Serves four.

CALORIES PER SERVING: 120
CARBS: 6 G
PROTEIN: 8 G
FAT: 8 G

Prerun Snack Attack

When you wake early to run you haven’t eaten since last night’s dinner, and late-afternoon runs take place long after lunch. To curb prerun hunger, 30 to 60 minutes before running eat high-carb,  low-fiber foods that are easy to digest and provide fast energy. You can eat some protein and fat to steady your blood sugar during a long run, but include them sparingly. Fats and protein break down slowly and, like fiber, can lead to an upset stomach midrun.

Pick This Have a piece of fruit and pair it with cottage cheese. Other options: fig cookies; half a bagel with nut butter and jam; an energy bar; sports drink.

Postrun Snack Attack

Even if you eat a meal before running, you may be hungry afterward—especially if you ran long and hard and your muscles need fuel. Choose a more substantial snack combining a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. The mix speeds muscle recovery, especially if eaten right away since foods consumed within 30 minutes of your workout provide the maximum recovery benefit. Not hungry? “It’s okay to skip a snack after shorter, easier runs,” says a Runner’s World editor. If a tough workout leaves you feeling queasy, try chocolate milk—it provides that 4:1 ratio and helps you rehydrate but won’t strain your stomach.

Pick This Save half of your turkey sandwich at lunch for later as a snack with juice. Try a fruit-and-yogurt smoothie.

Mary Boitano, ran in the 60′s and 70′s, and won the Bay to Breakers several years in a row. In 1968, when she was only 5 years old, her parents dressed her up as a little boy in order to run the race, because at that time girls were not allowed to compete in distance races. When people from the race started commenting about how fast that little boy was, she indignantly retorted back “I am NOT a little boy!” She also completed a marathon at 10 years old in 3:01. Wow! If you were wondering why the last name sounds familiar, she is related to Brian Boitano, the famous figure skater. What an incredible story!   

Johnny Mathis was known at Washington high school in the 1950′s as a talented singer, as well as a phenomenal track and field star. At the San Francisco State University he set a high jump record of 6′ 5 1/2” inches. His record setting high jump earned him an invitation to the 1956 US Olympics, which he decided to forego due to a recording session in New York with Columbia Records at the same time. It was a good thing he made this decision too, because at 20, he began a career as one of America’s most successful recording artists. What an incredible story!

Sister Marion Irvine, a Roman Catholic nun, did not start running until she was 47 years old. Sister Irvine was overweight and a smoker. She began her running career due to stress release needed from her career as a principle of San Rafael catholic school. Her mileage hit 70 miles, and included half-running and half-walking. At the age of 54, she qualified for the US Olympic trials by running a 2:51 marathon. Her PR times include a 19:13 – 5k; 31:16 – 8k; 37:43 – 10k; 58:41-15k; 1:26 – 20k; and a 1:51 – 25k all completed at the age of 54 and over. What an incredible story!

Rudy Garcia-Tolson was born with pterygium syndrome, which prevented his legs from fully extending. He endured 15 unsuccessful surgeries to repair them by the time he was five. Doctors offered two options for mobility–a wheelchair or artificial limbs, the latter requiring above-the-knee amputations. Garcia-Tolson told his parents and doctors that he wanted them cut off, because he wanted to go outside and play. He was fitted with prostheses, and four years later, he ran his first race, finishing the mile in 17 minutes, last place. Another race, same story. Able-bodied kids called him “RoboCop” or “No-Legs Boy,” but the determined Garcia-Tolson from Bloomington, California, pushed on, eventually completing an Olympic-distance triathlon and earning a gold medal at the Paralympics. His next goal is the 2009 Hawaii Ironman, a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run. The 18-year-old, who graduated from high school in May, will be the first double above-the-knee amputee to attempt the event. “I’m just doing what I love to do–swimming, biking, running–whether I have legs or not,” he says. “If I had legs, I might not be as active. This gives me more motivation.”It should be fun to follow this athlete, the youngest of the inspirational running stories, as he takes on the next big running challenge of his life.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY!

Keep putting in your miles, whether you are feeling like a winner or a complete failure. I am sure that these running heroes have been there too!

Take heart, stay strong, hold your head high, your chest out, arms pumping, and KEEP RUNNING!

“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” Jesse Owens

Since running is so intrinsically motivated, one can can understand how deeply an individual can become engulfed in the magic of running.  One uses running to escape, to become empowered, to become strong, to destress, to be at peace. There are a plethora of reasons one may have for running, but every one of them are personally unique. It is the way I have personally overcome many difficult obstacles in my life. There have been very painful hours, and moments of utter suffering out on the trails, but combined have grown and developed my character in such a positive direction. The miles alone out on the trails have been a time for me to learn about myself, and become a stronger individual. The miles I have run with groups and running partners have grown my social network exponentially. I met my first boyfriend on a run, my favorite roommate, an amazing group of professional marathoners in Brasil, and the list continues to grow as I run.

One who has never run before, may think runners are completely crazy. I have heard jokes made about us, or remarks about how impossible it would be for them, but the truth is that running can be for everyone. Anyone can become a runner, it just takes time, discipline, and devotion. Once one can get past those several months of horrific pain, and spastic breathing, and finally reach that run that does not hurt for the first time, an individual will find themselves amongst one of the crazies that holds running in their hearts. I remember my first run in junior high, training in my neighborhood for the track team. My run had not even consisted of a full mile, before I was sprawled out on the asphalt being cared for by the mailman. I continued to run, however embarrassing and awful that first experience was, and that determination to keep getting up no matter how hard, has led me on an incredible running journey that has changed my entire life.

Don’t lose heart when you start, we have all been there, and it is a process worth the pain and suffering. It is like any truly wonderful thing, takes time, discipline, and whole lot of perserverence!

“It’s at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.” Emil Zatopek

I put a picture of Zola Budd on this post, because her story is so inspiring. It is one of a woman who suffered her entire life, from family to media circumstances, and she was able to use running to overcome all of it. She is now a proud mother, back in school, competing, coaching, but most of all more stable and at peace because of running. Zola grew up in South Africa and is the one racing barefoot.

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
-Steve Prefontaine

Flexibility is defined as our ability to bend in our joints.
It has 3 major parts:
1. Mobility of joints.
2. Elasticity of ligaments and tendons.
3. Muscles relaxation, providing their lengthening ability (“stretching”).
Always be sure to stretch after the muscles have become warmed up, in order to prevent injuries from stretching on stiff, cold muscles.

Different Types of Stretching

Ballistic: Repetitive bouncing movements. This is not a safe form of stretching.
Dynamic: An active stretching technique that incorporates movements that mimic a specific sporting event or exercise. It is typically used in the warm-up in preparation for an event.
Static: Holding a maximal stretch to mild discomfort from 10-15 sec.
PNF: Involves a professional trainer actively stretching an athlete through a combination of contraction and relaxation exercises
Despite conflicting theories and research on the benefits stretching provides for running, most of the sports scientists at a recent ACSM conference recommended stretching to aid in injury prevention.

David Martin Ph.D, says “Stretching is part of the fitness continuum”.

Yoga can be a beneficial way to receive stretching for running, but not only that, it encourages a strong mental state that is imperative for a true runner to achieve.