Archive for the ‘Running’ Category

I hope to pass along articles I think will be beneficial to my readers when ever I come upon one. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner which means many of you are experiencing rising temperatures. I want to begin discussing training safely in heat by featuring an article my Jeff Galloway. Galloway discusses changes needed in your training program as the temperature rises outside.

Here’s a taste:

After much study, and collecting data from the over 250,000 runners I’ve worked with, I’ve found that in marathons, runners tend to slow down 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60F. On long runs, it is best to slow down at least this much to avoid heat stress, and speed up your recovery… Continue reading.

Today we are continuing our discussion on the topic of walking and running. My latest post encouraged you to train for a 5K and included training programs. Today we have the opportunity of hearing from one of Knoxville’s elite runners and trainers, and one of the featured trainers from Run/Walk 5K Training- Missy Kane.
Let’s get into the interview…
How long have you been running?

Since I was 18 years old more or less, less lately ha.

You are a seasoned marathon runner; what advice would you give to someone who is not a regular runner but would like to run a marathon (or any race)?

Give yourself 4 weeks of easy building up from 2 days a week to maybe 4 days a week walking/running then every weekend or every other up your long effort by a mile to 1.5 miles. So if your long run/walk is 3 miles then next week 4 miles maybe next week 4.5 then next week 5.5 then next week maybe stay same distance then next week 6.5 to 7 miles etc. That way you are gradually getting your long effort up, and the other 3-4 days of workouts could mix between 30 minutes of jogging/fast walking 2 days then 1 or 2 days another low impact workout like elliptical 30-45 minutes etc

What do you eat before your long runs?

2 hours prior to 3 hours prior maybe banana and half of bagel. During long effort I’d drink water and some sports drink half and half and occasionally on real long efforts use a little goo at the same time as drinking. Or you could 1/2 or 1/4 banana on run// I would alternate 6 min jogging with 1 min fast walk the entire way. You can start by jogging 2-3 minutes with 1 min fast walk then gradually build up to more running less walking

What is your exercise regiment when you are not training for a marathon?I mix it up between hiking one day a week (when I can) to walking fast with dogs or 6 year old 30-50 minutes 2 x week, taping my fitness show usually 2 back to back once a week, and one day good hard bike ride of 20-40 miles.

Thank you, Missy, for taking time to share your running wisdom with us. We wish you continued success in your fitness endeavors.

More about Missy Kane

Missy Kane won a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter run at the 1983 Pan-American games and competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She coached distance runners at the University of Tennessee for four years and teenage athletes at Central High School for five years. She was named Southeastern Conference Cross-Country Coach of the Year in 1990 and inducted into the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. She holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and was a television anchor/reporter in Knoxville for eight years. She is especially interested in reaching adults who have never exercised before and in helping children learn to love physical exercise and fitness for a lifetime of good health…(click here to read more of Covenant Health’s Coach Kane’s Corner)

You can exercise with Missy Kane on Fit & Fun with Missy Kane on WETP-TV Channels 2 and 15 Monday through Friday at 7 a.m.

I love track and field sports and sporting events. I ran the 4×100, 4×200, 4×400 and 100 meter hurdles in high school- all short distance sprinting events. At times our coach would make the entire team run longer distances to build endurance. I hated it! I would try to figure out some way to get out of it, never worked, I had to run. It wasn’t until college that I began to enjoy running longer than one lap around a track! I began to jog with a girl friend of mine late at night. Now I would say I do enjoy longer distances, but sometimes I need an incentive to run them. Signing up for a 5K road race does the trick.

Each year the Knoxville Track Club assists several organizations and companies in hosting a road race. I actually hosted a 5K for Volunteers For Christ one year. I think I’ll just stick to running them. That was way too much work! Where ever you are living I can almost guarantee that you will be able to easily find a road race in or around your city. They are extremely prevalent. After the birth of my son, Weston, I decided that the only way I was going to get up and moving (a.k.a. exercise) was to pay for a race. So I looked for a race that was about 3 months away, paid for it, built a team of friends to run it with me so I couldn’t back out and began to train.

Training for a 5K

I’ll start by saying, I am not an expert in 5K races but I can give you some general guidelines and point you in the direction of some experts.

There are a few things to consider before starting a training program:

1) What is your current health condition?
Before starting any training program please consult your doctor.

2) Have you already been running or training?
If you have already been training, your workout regiment may be more accelerated. We all must access our level to know where to start. If you are looking for a 5K training program chances are you are not a trained runner and therefore you will probably need to start out slowly and work your way up. If you start out too quickly you may burn out, feel miserable and decide you hate running! Hopefully you’ll find the information you need here to train at a pace that will enable your body to adjust slowly.

3) Do you have the proper shoes?
I think good running shoes is a must! Proper shoes provide great protection from injury (foot, ankle, shin, shock absorption, etc.). I am not selling this product but I do enjoy and prefer anything made from New Balance.

Let’s Train!

Josh Clark posted a running guide that was perfect for me after the birth of my son called the The Couch-to-5K Running Plan. I liked it because I could train very slowly but continually challenged myself. I used his training program to get ready for my first 5K after Weston was born.

Jeff Galloway has offered a wonderful training program for the novice runner but can be used for the expert too. I used this training program to train for the Knoxville Marathon 10 K, which I didn’t end up getting to participate in.

A training program wouldn’t be complete without the advice of our local running expert Missy Kane. She has put together a training program for marathons and half marathons. Though this article is about 5K’s I do think you can benefit from reading her suggestions on running and training. I have had the privilege to do aerobics on her aerobics show and can personally endorse her as I have had a chance to interact with her on several occasions.

More Than Running

If you’ll notice on each training program there are walking intervals, resting periods, and what I really wanted to draw your attention to is circuit training! If you aren’t familiar with circuit training have no fear- I will be posting information on circuit training coming up in September!

So strap on those tennis shoes and sign up for a road race!

Treadmills are some of the most used, generally functional, and boring fitness equipment in our gyms and homes. Most of us jump on the treadmill, hit the “quick start” button and begin our journey only to get five minutes in and wonder if six minutes is enough cardio for one day. I would try to count or listen to music or pray for time to miraculously go by quicker. That is until I began to take, and now teach, a treadmill class. Treadmills can transform a stroll in the park into a hike up a mountain and a five mile jog into a 5k race. Treadmills do not have to be boring! Today I’d like to share with you a few ways you can take your boring treadmill and make it into a machine you’ll want to keep running to.

Variation is the Key

Have you been doing the same treadmill workout everyday? If so, you may not only get bored with your workout but you might not be getting the maximum benefits of your workout. At some point you’ll need to run or walk longer, take the treadmill up on an incline, or speed up. For many of us, it’s a matter of knowing what to do. Many treadmills have programmed exercises that you can do. The only problem with these programs is that generally you need to wear a heart monitor in order for the program to continue during your workout. Later I will be giving you a workout that you can try on your own. This workout may be used on a treadmill or elliptical machine.

Benefits of Treadmill

1. You can use it year round. I love to run outside, except in the winter. What’s great about a treadmill is that I can use it whenever I like.

2. It does not require coordination! This is great news for many people. There is absolutely no choreography, no step, no complicated movements, just walking (or running).

3. You’re in control of speed and gradient. If you don’t want to go up a hill you don’t have to, if you want to jog up a hill you can do that. Your local park may not have a hill and if you’re on a hill outside you can’t push a button and be down in a few seconds. Treadmills allow you to adjust the workout to your preferences and needs.

4. No wind resistance. When you are on a treadmill it is easier than running outside because you are not fighting the wind. This may be a disadvantage for someone training for a race; it would be advantageous to have some outside running time.

Let’s Workout!

There are three sections of my treadmill workouts: the warm-up, the working segment, the cool down. I teach a 45 minute class so I will be giving you a 45 minute workout. If you would like to try it but do not have 45 minutes to devote to cardio, try shaving a few minutes off of the working segment. Warming up and cooling down are essential for your exercise program. A proper warm-up allows your body to prepare and prevent injury. A cool-down helps prevent a rapid drop in blood pressure (Fitness Theory & Practice, AFAA). Have you ever been dizzy after a workout? Chances are you may not have cooled down properly.

Safety

Most treadmills have a device you can attach to your shirt that will stop the treadmill automatically in the event of a fall. Attach that device to yourself. When walking you want to walk heal to toe, shoulders should be back and down, and core in tight. If speed walking make sure your hips do not sway as you walk. For monitoring heart rate, I suggest slowing down if you can’t talk or have a feeling of exhaustion. You may also check your heart rate against the charts posted on the treadmills if one is available.

One thing I tell my class is they never have to run. I will give different instructions for walkers and runners. If you want to push your self during the longer runs in the workout but you don’t want to run, just increase the elevation. I also tell my class “I want you to be glad you came!” If you try these workout I hope you are glad you came by. Let me know how it goes.

Click here or see workout below.

E= Elevation (increase the incline to the number beside the E)
S= Approximate Speed (go at your own pace)

Workout 1

5 Minute Warm-up and stretch
5 minute light jog or quick walk (S 4.0-4.5, E3)
Walk 1 minute recovery (S 3.0-3.5; E3)

60 seconds jog/ 90 seconds walk speeding up and increasing elevation (10 min workout)

start jog or quick walk (S 4.0-4.5, E3)- 60 sec.
Walk slowing down to walking pace (S 3.5-3.8)- 90 sec.
Jog/QW (S 4.0-4.5, E5)- 60 sec.
Walk slowing down to walking pace (S 3.5-3.8)- 90 sec.
Jog/QW (S 4.0-4.5, E5)- 60 sec.
Walk slowing down to walking pace (S 3.5-3.8)- 90 sec.
Jog/QW (S 4.0-4.5, E7)- 60 sec.
Walk slowing down to walking pace (S 3.5-3.8)- 90 sec.

Walk 1 minute recovery (S 3.0-3.5; E3)

3 minute light jog or quick walk (S 4.0-4.5, E3)

Walk slowly up a hill increasing elevation every 2 minutes (8 minute workout)
S=3.5-3.8

Start at E5- 2 minutes
E8- 2 minutes
E11- 2 minutes
E 14- 2 minutes (you may need to slow down at this point)

Walk down hill decreasing elevation every 1 minute (3 minutes workout)
E 11- 1 minute
E 7- 1 minute
E 3- 1 minutes

Walk 1 minute recovery (S 3.0-3.5; E3)

Cool Down and Stretch (S 2.0 after 3 minutes S 0, E 0- 6 minutes total )

Workout 2

5 Minute Warm-up and stretch

Jog Workout (Jog or Walk at own quick pace, E 2; 22 minute workout)

Quick Jog 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Quick Jog 5 minutes
Walk 2.5 minutes
Quick Jog 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Quick Jog 5 minutes

Walk 1 minute recovery (S 3.0-3.5; E2)

Walk slowly up a hill increasing elevation every 2 minutes (8 minute workout)
S=3.0-3.5

Start at E3- 2 minutes
E5- 2 minutes
E8- 2 minutes
E11- 2 minutes

Walk down hill decreasing elevation every 1 minute (3 minutes workout)

E 11- 1 minute
E 7- 1 minute
E 3- 1 minutes

Cool Down and Stretch (S 2.0 after 3 minutes S 0, E 0- 6 minutes total )

Remember to consult a physician before beginning any workout program.