Speed work and the benefits of minimal footwear

13 Apr 2010 at 10:21

Jeshua Erickson

Running Form, Training

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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 set with the girls, so I did five sets in all. I ran a 1.5 mile warm-up before and a 1.5 cool-down after, which brought me to 8 miles for the day.

I was surprised about how good I felt. One thing in particular I noticed was how well my feet turned over and how easy it was to keep proper cadence. I believe improvement in this area comes, in part, from doing all my workouts for the last three weeks in minimal shoes that force me to get off my heels.

The verdict is still out about whether or not I’ll get some peculiar injury as a result of making such a radical shift in footwear. (Well, it’s not too radical or abrupt of a shift. I trained all winter on the treadmill on the same shoes, but treadmill running is different from running on streets and sidewalks.)

So far, though, I like how I feel. It seems as though my stride is becoming more efficient.

Harvard professor on barefoot running

07 Apr 2010 at 08:32

Jeshua Erickson

Running Form, Shoes

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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 runners, there is less of this stress…though there is more stress on tendons and muscles in the lower leg, especially for those who were formerly heel strikers.

But once the proper muscles are developed, it would make sense that landing on one’s forefoot would yield less overall stress. For one, because we’ve been running barefoot for millions of years and this is how we’re designed to run. And two, by displacing downward energy slowly (forefoot to heel) there is less of sudden impact when our feet hit the ground.

Is it better to keep rolling when you jump off the train or better to stop suddenly? If you stop suddenly, you’ll break your legs. If you keep rolling, you’re spreading out that momentum and giving yourself a chance to survive.

The same is true for running. A heel strike is much more like jumping off the train suddenly while a forefoot strike is more like rolling a bit before coming to a stop.

On not running every day…

07 Apr 2010 at 08:19

Jeshua Erickson

Training

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For a casual runner like myself, it is simply not practical to expect that I’m going to run six days a week every week during the season. It’s easy to get frustrated by this fact, but I’ve started to look at my training differently.

Since December 9, I’ve run 63 workouts for a total of 43.5 hours of running. That is a whole lot of workouts that I wouldn’t have run had I not started training mid-winter. It is the equivalent of running two months straight seven days a week.

Do I get into just as good a shape after 63 workouts in four months as I do if I do those same 63 workouts in two months? There are probably advantages and disadvantages either way. Like, for the four month version I’m less likely to get injured. For the two month version, I’m faced with a higher level of training stress, which might mean that I get into better shape.

Does a higher level of fitness come from following one workout immediately after the next? Or is it simply the fact of doing more workouts in a shorter period of time that gets you into shape more quickly?

Are even splits all they’re cracked up to be?

04 Apr 2010 at 19:23

Jeshua Erickson

Racing

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This Runner’s World article from 2007 shows that 5k runners may just hit PR’s if they take their first mile 3% to 6% faster than they usually do.

But then why do world class runners keep even and/or negative splits when they race? According to the article, elite runners keep their pace up right from the start and know how to run right on the edge of their anaerobic threshold, which of course is much higher than most runners.

I’m torn on this one because I really like to see runners take their races out conservatively. But maybe they shouldn’t. Perhaps it is best, in races at 5k or less to take out the first mile reasonably fast and then hold on for dear life.

When races are 5 or more miles, however, I wonder about diminishing returns on the fast start approach. The 5k is a relatively short race and an exhaustive start won’t catch up with a runner in quite the same way as if they have a few more miles to go.

Regardless, the most important part of increasing your chances of having a successful race is to come up with solid a race plan. And the best possible scenario involves a couple alternate plans to account for conditions that may be a little different than anticipated.

Barefoot on grass

02 Apr 2010 at 20:54

Jeshua Erickson

Running Form, Shoes

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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 and lower leg.

As a preventative measure for shin splints, the Penn State coach had his kids run on grass from time to time. This makes perfect sense because shin splints are caused by over-functioning shoes replacing the work that should be done by feet and muscles in the lower leg. The form closest to the form we should use when we run in shoes, is the form we have when we run without them.

Great interview with Ryan Hall

02 Apr 2010 at 14:14

Jeshua Erickson

Elite Runners

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Hall InterviewThe Boston Marathon is coming soon (April 19, 2010). Here’s a fascinating interview with Ryan Hall about things he’s doing differently this year to train for Boston. He says he wants to keep his training tactics in the final two weeks a secret. Hmmm. I wonder what he’s up to.

Read the Hall interview here.

Can’t say enough about aerobic fitness

02 Apr 2010 at 13:11

Jeshua Erickson

Aerobic Training

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Aerobic Fitness ArticleAerobic fitness is probably the single most important factor in determining the success that a distance runner or middle distance runner will have on the track (or on the cross country course).

That said, it is very hard to cultivate aerobic fitness unless some other key ingredients are not being added at the same time. Heavy volume without good form leads to injury. With the occasional session of 8 to 10 x 60-100 meter strides, the body learns what to do in order to run most efficiently.

Once a runner achieves a reasonable level of aerobic fitness and solid running form, the next stages of competitive development fall into place much more easily. Sessions at maximum heart rate or aerobic threshold become more effective and are less likely to lead to injury or burnout.

For beginning competitive runners in high school or at the middle school level, attaining a solid level of fitness is often the greatest obstacle. It takes time to get fit and track and cross country seasons just aren’t long enough. It’s extremely important to train in the off-season!

Here’s an excellent article about different types of fitness.

Is Pronation Good?

02 Apr 2010 at 08:25

Jeshua Erickson

Running Form

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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 odd because as many runners know, Gebrselassie is the greatest distance runner of all time.

What he has, from years of running barefoot as a young child in Ethiopia, are muscles in his lower leg that actually allow him to use his pronation to absorb shock, which is why pronation is good, not bad. What’s bad is having weak lower leg muscles — when our running shoes do to much work for us.

In my mind, this video is revolutionary. Surely, pronation or overpronation is not a defect, but an asset.

Minimalist Running Shoes

02 Apr 2010 at 03:15

Jeshua Erickson

Shoes

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Over the last few years I’ve thought a lot about running shoes. My biggest frustration is that there really isn’t much careful explanation out there about why running shoes are designed to make you run differently that you would if you were barefoot. (Photo: Asics Gel Hyper Speed 3. My current running/training shoes.)

Is running really all that bad for you?  And are we all so poorly constructed as runners that we need copious amounts of “support” and “motion control.” Maybe our predecessors didn’t run on concrete or pavement the way many of us do today.

But even for people who run on dirt trails through the woods the assumption is that we need hi-tech shoes in order to run properly.

Gel Hyper Speed 3My latest experiment is to minimize my footwear.  Currently, I’m running in a pair of Asics racing flats.  These are shoes that have a minimal heel to toe drop.  In these shoes, your feet are more like they would be if you were running barefoot. There is little cushioning under the heel, but enough to get the job done.

It’s been a couple weeks on this pair and I’m blown away at the scores of new muscles I’ve activated just by running in shoes with less “construction.”  Has my lower leg really been this weak for so long?

More later…

Introduction

01 Apr 2010 at 03:13

Jeshua Erickson

General

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April SorensenThis may be yet another blog that lasts for a few months and then fades away to become out of date and unused. But maybe not.  My reason for starting this blog is to chronicle my thoughts as I learn more about training as a runner and a coach.

I’m now 35 and I’ve been running competitively since the eighth grade.  I’m an amateur, casual competitor, which means I run races from time to time.

During the warmer months I’ll run as many as two or three races a month.  And I usually run races not more than an hour’s drive from my house. I’m fascinated with all the ways, research-based and otherwise, to become a better runner.

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