I set a road personal record (PR) in the Memorial Day 10 Kato (10K) on Monday. My average pace per mile worked out to be about 6:10 with the following splits: 6:02, 6:11, 6:20, 5:45, 6:24, 6:27. The fourth mile was straight downhill. And the last two miles were back up–an excellent test of strength. [...]
Archive for the ‘Running Form’ Category
Striders = Good Leg Turnover
Whenever I start a workout I usually tell myself that I’ll run a few striders when I’m done. Striders, or leg speed drills, teach runners how to run more efficiently. Each one lasts about 10 to 15 seconds, which is not really enough time for acidosis to take hold. (That’s a good thing!) Some coaches [...]
First race of the season and starting to cultivate different energy systems
I finished my first race of the season on Saturday; the Fountain Lake Five (the actual distance is more like 5.1 miles) here in Albert Lea, Minnesota. My time: 31:19. My place: 3rd overall and 1st in my age division (which was actually 2nd in my age division because the overall winner was my age). [...]
Speed work and the benefits of minimal footwear
Yesterday I did a moderated speed workout on the track with the kids. We did four sets of 2 x (200m run with 200m jog) + 400m run with 400m jog. With the jogging and running portions of the workout added together, each set equals one mile. When the boys were done, I did one [...]
Harvard professor on barefoot running
In this video Dr. Daniel Lieberman explains the differences between barefoot running and shod (running with shoes on) running. According to Lieberman, the running shoes we wear these days encourage us to land on our heels first. The initial heel strike sends a great deal of stress up the leg and into the body. For [...]
Barefoot on grass
A few years ago I attended a coaches clinic at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park. A mid-distance coach from Penn State spoke about shin splints. He suggested that the reason kids get shin splints is that they haven’t spent enough time running with their shoes off. Barefoot running, he argued, strengthens the feet [...]
Is Pronation Good?
For the longest time I felt being a “pronator” was a bad thing. That is, until I watched a slow motion video of Haile Gebrselassie. It’s ridiculous how much he pronates. If Haile were to visit his neighborhood podiatrist, chances are he’d promptly get fitted for a pair of orthodontics. Which would be a little [...]