Sunday Conversation

Trying something new.....I usually get a chance to read posts and articles over the weekend or during the week. Many of you know that I know and follow Coach Jay...Jay Johnson. Look him up for his website or articles .  Coach Jay is the father of our MYRLE routine and GSM. Jay coaches or has coached many of the elite athletes you may be familiar with from the Boulder area...

The week....our topic is specifically for runners....mid distance and distance, but also applies to all athletes in one form or another. Our coaches use many of these ideas already...among other top research with development of track and field athletes...So with thanks to Coach Jay...here are (mostly) some of his words this week......

Hello and I hope this finds you doing well.

Obviously there are big things you need to do to become a better runner. You need to run most days; you need to do challenging aerobic workouts; you need to do a weekly long run; you need to be active 6-7 days a week, even if you only run 3-4 days a week.

You understand what the big things are, but do you know the little things you need to do to run well?

Here is a short list of things you need to do as a runner to stay injury-free, to be consistent with your training and to race to your potential.
 
LMLS and SAM

I won’t go into great deal about the Lunge Matrix and Legs Swings (LMLS - videoshere), and Strength and Mobility work (SAM - videos here) as you’ve likely read about these non-running aspects of training if you ready my newsletters. But reading that something is important in a newsletter is not the same as doing it every workout.

I promise you this: if you do the LMLS exercises before every run and do SAM after every run not only does your chance of injury decrease, but you’ll feel so much stronger when you run, which will translate into faster workouts, faster long runs and faster racing. The videos are easy to follow; buying into the idea that non-running work is part of intelligent training is something that not every runner is willing to do.
 
Sleep

It’s simple. You need sleep to support your training. The best runners in the world are sleeping over nine hours a night AND they are taking a significant nap during the day. You likely don’t have that the time for a nap, but you can prioritize sleep in a way that you’re getting more sleep in the coming weeks and months than you do now.

You care about your training more than the latest television series, more than checking your facebook or social media feed and more than perusing the internet.

More sleep equals better recovery; better recovery means better training adaptations; better training adaptations mean faster running on race day.

So, get some good sleep!
 
Rope Stretching (aka AIF, AIS)

My most serious clients find 10 minutes a day to do some rope stretching; most do 10-20 minutes on the same day as their long run.

This work is binary: you’re either doing rope stretching or you’re not. You know you need to stretch to stay injury free and to run to your potential. Without going into the mechanism of why Rope Stretching is the best way to stretch, simply commit to doing this work.

I get no kickback from referring you to Wharton Health (link here) where you can buy videos that show you how to stretch, as well as buying a rope. You can buy a 8’ 6” rope yourself or buy one on the Wharton site.

Rope Stretching - Just Do It!
 
Support From a Coach

This is where a coach can come in as they not only support your training, but they can give you the whys of a workout or training cycle. There are times when you’re going to feel fatigued in training, workouts that are going to be challenging and races that you may decide to “train through” where you will benefit from a coach being a sounding board and a guide.
 
Soft Tissue Maintenance

Most runners don’t take care of their bodies. Specifically, they don’t see money spent on sports massage, A.R.T. treatments or appoints with a Physical Therapist or Chiropractor as a necessity when they are healthy.

I only need to say this once. If you are a serious runner you need to ante up for soft tissue work with the best professional in your area. I live 25 minutes from Boulder, Colorado and there are a number of world-class professionals, with various letters behind their names. Your job is to find the best person in your area, then flip the switch in your head from “this is a luxury I can’t afford” to “getting worked on is part of being the best runner I can be.”

Take care of your body and you’ll train at a high level and race to your potential. ("Legend athletes see me if you are looking .....I can offer some suggestions)

So there you go, five little things you need to do to be the best runner you can be.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great Sunday.

Take good care.

Talk to your coach! See you all on the track!