Yoga

So last Friday I did my first yoga class (power yoga at Praxis). I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I do think it was pretty good. I felt really loose all weekend after the class, and my legs felt especially good for my sunday running drills.

As a result, in addition to my regular stretching and mashing, I definitely think it will become a weekly or at least bi-weekly addition to my training schedule. I suspect it will help increase my flexibility, and thereby allow me to have greater strength gains. Honestly, I am surprised it took me this long to try yoga. Now that I have tried it, I can say that I think it makes for a great addition to any training program.

Running Form

There was an interesting NYT article (here) concerning heel versus toe striking when running. Basically, the article discusses a new study that shows that the impact/force from either heel or toe striking is the same, it is just absorbed by different parts of the body:

"[T]he findings show that you can’t escape the cumulative impact of running, however you stride, said Juha-Pekka Kulmala, a Ph.D. student, now at the University of Jyvaskyla, who led the study. Hit with your heels and you stress your knee, possibly leading to conditions such as patellofemoral stress syndrome. Strike near the ball of your foot and you’ll jolt your ankle and Achilles’ tendon, potentially increasing the risk of such injuries as Achilles’ tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and stress fractures of the foot."

Therefore, the article concludes that "[t]here is, in other words, no one invariably right and painless way to run."

I think this study/article somewhat misses what should be the point when it comes to running form and injury prevention in running. There are two things I think are worth noting concerning the conclusions drawn from the "findings" of this study.

First, and most obviously, whether or not there is a 'right' way to run, the painless way to run is through less training volume/miles by substituting with CFE (i.e., less volume). Long cumulative miles are what really results in more painful running. I have been training under the CFE model for the last 1.5 yrs now with no painful running, primarily because it only requires that I run a max of about 15-20 miles a week (a drastic difference from someone running 50 to 75 to even100 miles a week in training).

Second, and more related to the article/study, I think the focus on form  and the 'right' and pain free way to run involves more than simply asking whether a person is a heel or toe striker: overall form is important to analyze. Thus, in addition to how you strike the ground with your foot, we need to analyze where the persons foot lands when it strikes the ground (i.e., way out in front of them?). Depending on where the foot lands in relation to the body could influence the amount of applied force on the leg. If the foot is landing out in front of you, it is acting almost like a brake, whereas if it is landing under your center of mass it doesn't act the same way.  Inevitably, if you are landing way out in front of you, you are hitting the ground harder with each stride than someone landing under their center of mass. Moroever, the cumulative impact with the ground will be greater if a person floats higher off the ground and/or stomps down as they run.

In short, while the findings in the study are interesting, I am not sure it is very helpful to just say whether someone is a heel or toe striker is irrelevant, and either way you are just as suseptible to injury because it is the same force being applied to different body parts: either knees or ankles. There are other necessary considerations when it comes to overall running form.

Coach's Eye App

I just purchased the 'Coach's Eye' app for android (on my phone), and it's awesome. It has some really great features for analyzing lifting and running form. It will be very helpful for analyzing each of my, and other people's, lifts and running form progression.

Specifically, you can watch videos frame-by-frame and draw lines, boxes, circles, etc., on the screen. It also has an angle function and timer that you can add to the screen for reference points. But really the coolest thing is the ability to track improvement/regression by putting 2 videos side-by-side, syncing them, and then comparing them frame by frame. This app will be very helpful!

CFE Certification Course Day 2

CFE cert day 2 was just as good as day 1. In day 2 we did a bunch of mobility work and really honed in on programming for endurance athletes. The good thing is that the programming is pretty much in line with my current programming: no big surprises, really just reinforcing what I am currently doing.  Overall, the class was totally worth it, for both my own personal gain and those I will assist in their training.

Now I have 4 weeks to do the assigned homework, drill the new technique, and hopefully, adapt enough to implement the new technique and be more efficient in my 50-miler in mid-November...more mobility and skills and drills daily until then. My new method of running starts today! I have much to improve on.

CrossFit Endurance Certification Class Day 1

I am taking the class at CrossFit Reignited in Wilmington, NC, which is a newer box (opened in March 2013). It's a great location for the class, as the gym has a significant amount of room and equipment. In short, it's an awesome box; they even have a sauna for their members to use.

There are 10 of us taking the class, and we range from triathletes, to marathoners, to just CrossFit coaches looking to add endurance programs at their boxes: really a great group of people.

Now what really matters, the class itself:

For me, this class itself is best summarized as "super valuable." Not only is it going to greatly help me with my own training, form, and development as a runner, it is also going to be very helpful in assisting others with their form and endurance goals. Great class so far!!!

The drills, video recording, and frame-by-frame running form analysis was especially helpful, particularly when you see how much room there is for improvement. The simulated coaching session was also pretty cool, as it really helped me begin to see exactly what I am looking for in proper running form. 

Reflecting on the past month of training and my October/November programming

I have now prepared my programming for the next two months and, as has been my recent trend, I am continuing to up my weekly running mileage a bit, despite continuing to go to CrossFit four days a week. The new CrossFit programming has really allowed me to simultaneously build in more mileage and still get stronger at the same time. My strength gains have been especially noticeable over the last couple of weeks.

Because I will be running the Stone Mill 50 Miler on November 16, my programming for October/November is really structured around that race. Thus, building on my noticeable gains, I will be WOD'ing four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday), which will include two days a week of heavy squats. On top of the WODs, I will also be incorporating a lot of increasing weighted Bulgarian split squats (75#), weighted lunges (105#), weighted box step-ups (125#), Russian Twists, slam balls, and wall balls. I will also be doing a decent number of cleans, snatches (provided my shoulder feels alright), and dead-lifts. In addition to all this, I will be running 3 mornings a week before my 7 am WODs, as well as, running a few days a week either during lunch or after work. Moreover, on Tuesday evenings, I will meet with the City Sports Run Club for what is usually about a 5k.

On Thursdays, I will be either doing a long slow run with a heavy pack or doing some short CrossFit Endurance style speed-work at the track. Finally, on most Saturdays, I will be doing some long self-created endurance WODs, which could take anywhere from 2-4 hours and this month seem to involve a lot of running and burpees. And on a few Sundays, I will be doing a good amount of distance rowing (10-15 kms). In the end, the running should equate to about 35-40 miles a week.

Finally, I note that while I haven't usually implemented a very big taper leading into races, for this one, I am going to have a very tame week leading into the race (Saturday - Stretch; Sunday - Easy 10 km row; Monday - Light WOD; Tuesday - Easy 5 km; Wednesday - Easy 5 km row; Thursday & Friday - just stretch and rest; Saturday - RACE). I think, at least I hope, the light week with two full rest days before race will be an ideal balance for my desired result.

Finally, at least for now, I am planning to get to the gym on Sunday after the race to do some very light KB swings and GHD work to speed my recover process. If all goes well, I should be back at the gym by Tuesday for a WOD. I will then close out November with a schedule similar to the above.

So this is the plan. I will see how it goes, and I will report back after I see the results!

Hoka One One STINSON EVO TARMAC

So City Sports actually came through and got us the free pair of Hokas we were promised as a result of Hoka reps not showing up to our run club, and it only took 2 weeks, which is pretty commendable and awesome.

I have now had the opportunity to run in the shoes for about 2.5 weeks, and I thought I would share my thoughts. All-in-all, I thought the shoes were really good, actually surprisingly good, with a couple small caveats. First, as a reference point, I note that so far I have done multiple short runs (5k-10k), one 20 mile run, and one 10k with a 20# pack. All of these runs were road runs, particularly because the STINSON EVO TARMAC's are sold as a road shoe. 

So far the shoes have been pretty enjoyable. While they take a little getting used to, they are surprisingly responsive. Obviously, they have a ton of cushion, which is nice long slow runs, but because they are so light, I have found that they also serve as a good shoe for quicker middle distance workouts. I especially like that that despite how much cushion is underneath you, they don't really feel overly spongy; rather, the shoe provides a nice responsive transition from foot-strike to toe off. I think this is aided by the rockered sole design. I also really like the locking lacing system, which is standard on the shoe and has become a common alternative on many of my running shoes (i.e., via Lock Laces). There are also two elastic bands on the front of the shoe, over the laces, which allow you to tuck the excess lace away so it doesn't flop around. In short, the laces allow you to tighten the shoe around your foot as much as desired to prevent heel slippage and foot movement inside the shoe.  As a side note, the shoes also come with standard laces for those not preferring the lock-lace style system. 

Another thing that I liked about the shoe was the tongue. It is really thin, and almost not noticeable; yet, pulling the laces tight didn't bother the top of my foot, which sometimes happens to me with a barely-there tongue. Plus, the tongue stayed put and didn't cause any uncomfortable rubbing, etc.

Although it could vary by person, for me, they fit true to size. I was able to make them tight enough in mid-foot so my heel stayed put, and yet, I had a good amount of room in the toe-box such that I didn't experience any rubbing, blisters, etc., even on the 20 mile run. 

Finally, I want to note that my run with the 20# pack was especially enjoyable in these shoes, obviously because of the extra cushioning. They really reduced the pounding on my legs and feet that often accompanies road runs with a pack.

Caveats: If I am doing speed work, I will most likely not use these shoes. While they are surprisingly responsive, you can't totally feel the ground as much as I'd like: the shoes are too high off the ground. In addition, despite the extra cushion, I honestly don't think I would use them on anything beyond a completely flat trail. Because they are so high off the ground, I think running in these on any trail that goes up and down, regardless of how technical, could increase the risk of a rolled ankle, ect. I think feeling the ground on such a trail is important, especially at higher speeds. Thus, I need something more minimalistic, which in turn would allow me to be faster and more nimble.

To summarize, I will probably continue to use these on longer road runs, and they will definitely be my new go-to road shoes on flat terrain when running with weight (a pack). Despite the hefty price tag, they are definitely worth checking out if you are interested.

Enjoy!