Running on "The Mill"

When the weather doesn’t want to cooperate or if you simply don’t like running in the winter temperatures, fear not, you can still get your runs in on the treadmill and get a great workout.  Although not my first choice by a long shot, I would rather get on the treadmill than miss a string of workouts.  As with most fitness programs consistency is key to success and not missing a run because of weather is by far the biggest benefit of treadmill running.  Below are some other benefits as well as some tips for success. 

Treadmill running can be easier on your body.  Treadmills offer better shock absorption, resulting in less stress on your feet and knees, as compared to running on asphalt and concrete surfaces. The extra cushioning and smooth surface also allows for easier runs.

If you are training for a warm weather race, running indoors can help you get used to the temperatures you will face come race day.  Especially in northern climates we are often training in conditions that don’t mimic race day.  While training in heat and getting relief on race day with cooler temps can be a bonus, going from cold training to a warm or hot race day can be a recipe for disaster if you have never trained in those conditions.

Running on the treadmill can help you learn what a pace feels like.  With all the gadgets we have like GPS watches, pedometers, smart phones, etc, we can come to rely on them to pace ourselves.  But the best way to run is to run by feel and effort, and we need to learn what different paces feel like.  Your running will be much more enjoyable if you aren’t constantly looking at your watch.

Running on the treadmill is convenient and safe.  If you own your own treadmill, there is no need to go anywhere to get your run in and can really help eliminate the excuses.  If you have little kids at home, you don’t have to worry about leaving the house for a run.  You can fairly easily multitask on a treadmill, whether it is listening to music, watching television, or sometimes even reading a book.  The only thing you have to watch out for is that you are watching your form and getting the quality workout in that you want. 

There are many more reasons why treadmill running can be an effective tool but here are a few tips to keep in mind to make proper use of your time cranking out those miles.

1.       Use a slight incline – Since there is no wind resistance indoors, a little incline can simulate the same resistance as running outside. 

2.       But don’t make it too steep – Running the whole time on a very steep inclined treadmill can lead to injuries.

3.       Don’t hold onto the handrails – if you hang on while running or walking you are setting yourself up for an injury because your form will likely be compromised.  Of course use them to get safely on or off the treadmill

4.       Don’t forget to warm up and cool down – Just because you are indoors, you should still properly warm up and cool down just as you should outside.  Try and follow your normal routine. 

5.       Watch the video below for more information.

http://video.about.com/running/How-to-Run-on-a-Treadmill.htm

Running Does More that Reveal Character - It Builds It

Article by Greg Strosaker

Posted Originally on RunAddicts.net

“Adversity does not build character; adversity reveals character.” – unknownThis quote about adversity may very well be true when spoken of an isolated incident.  However, what if you could create a setting in which you consistently create adversity and hone your abilities to overcome?  Would you not, in fact, move from just “discovering yourself” to actually being able to improve yourself?

It would seem that running should provide just such a program of self-realization and development.  As a runner, you are constantly dealing with all kinds of adversity:

• The daily challenge of getting out the door amid all your other commitments.
• Those intimidating workouts that cause you to lose sleep out of fear of what you are about to face.
• The adverse weather conditions that throw a wrench into your best-laid plans.
• The nagging injury that can force, at the minimum, a short-term adjustment to your schedule and, at worst, a long-term layoff and reconsideration of your goals.
• The races into which you put hundreds of hours of training, only to be subject to the vagaries of traffic, illness, weather, or any other number of potential hurdles.

Just think of the myriad virtues that a consistent “career” of running – of overcoming the hurdles that you (or circumstances) set time after time – can provide:

• Stamina – running gives us the energy to deliver on our commitments day in and day out, week after week.

• Confidence – running provides a perfect environment to set, work towards, and achieve goals, and learn how to motivate ourselves to do the same thing in our other commitments.

• Perseverance – running yields plenty of opportunities to make excuses, from a slight lack of motivation to an injury, and therefore the chance to build our discipline by working through these challenges.

• Willpower and focus – running gives the daily time to work on our ability to be mindful, to set to a task and maintain the presence to execute it faithfully.

• Patience – running offers the ongoing lesson that achieving our best requires years of dedicated practice, and makes us recognize that instant gratification is always more shallow than achieving something for which we have worked hard.

• Humility – running reminds us of our limitations, often right when we need it most, in a manner that usually provides only a temporary inconvenience.

Running is a laboratory in which we are free to experiment and push our limits, with little risk of any “failure” having long-term consequences.  It provides the opportunity to pursue infinitely scale-able ambitions, that can ebb and flow as your fluctuating time and capabilities allow.  You are your own limitation – there is no one but yourself to blame for shortcomings or credit for successes.

Runners make better employees, better parents, better spouses, better friends, and better leaders.  Through developing the ability to independently challenge ourselves and figure out how to reach through conflicts and hurdles to reach our goals, aren’t we in fact creating a virtuous cycle of self-discovery and growth that makes us better able to succeed in life?

Perhaps this increased bit of self-awareness about how running is subtly working to make you a broader person will provide that extra bit of motivation to get out each day and stretch towards your dreams.  So go out and create your own adversity today.  And then take satisfaction in overcoming it.

Winter Running

If you are anything like me, the treadmill is not your friend. It takes icy roads and double digit sub-zero temps to keep me inside. Often for me that also means running in the dark. Whether it is pre-dawn before my girls wake up or 8 pm after they go to bed, there is no chance that the sun will aid in keeping me warm. So where is the joy in that? Believe me there is plenty.

The quiet, calmness of a winter morning is renewing and refreshing. More often than not the winds are calm and the stars are out. If the moon is bright and full you will find that with the snow reflecting back the light, it makes it almost as light out as an overcast day. It really is an amazing way to start the day. Even if you live in the city, the streets are quiet and traffic is almost non-existent. I have found that if you have your clothes ready the night before, get up the first time your alarm goes off, get dressed and out the door, you are warmed up before you realize how cold it actually is. Plus there is the added bonus of knowing the rest of the day won't get in the way of your workout. That applies all year long!

I do have a few tips to help make winter running more enjoyable.

1. If you run in the morning, make sure you drink a glass of water the night before. You won't need as much water during your winter runs as opposed to summer but you still want to make sure you are hydrated. You will still sweat!

2. Wear moisture wicking clothes. Anything that aids in keeping the moisture off your skin will keep you feeling warmer. I have read that wool is a natural wicking fiber and is obviously warm. I don't have any experience with that but it is worth looking into.

3. Run closer to home. This may make your runs a little more dull, but in the event that you get really cold you at least don't have miles to go before you can find some warmth.

4. Make sure you have covered as much skin as possible. A full face mask is great, especially one that you can pull the mouth and nose cover up and down to adjust for different temps. Be careful that the tips of your ears are covered. You won't notice how cold they are until its too late. You don't want frostbite.

5. Slow down. Most of us that are running in Wisconsin at this time of the year are training for spring races so there is plenty of time to work on speed. Now is the time to work on building your base up and working on your endurance. You won't be able to run at all if you are injured because of a fall.

6. Don't be afraid to run on snow. It's easy on the body, provides a great workout and uses some muscles and tendons that don't get as much work when you are just running on flat roads and side walks. Same type of benefits apply to trail running on different terrains.

7. As always, just enjoy yourself. Even though its cold, the fresh air will defiantly help beat those winter blues.

As much as I LOVE running outdoors, there are some benefits you can get from running on the treadmill. I will talk to that the next time I post.

Now get out there and be active!

2013 Mini Clinics

Feb 5th Foam Roller for Runners:  Come learn what you have been missing out on.  Come and be taught by our running expert on not only how to use the foam roller but how to use it most efficiently for your trouble areas.  Learn the secrets of how to use the roller to make your muscles more efficient and to balance your body.

West Side Fitness Center 6:30 PM

Feb. 20th Runners Gait Assessment:  Have you ever seen yourself run and said “that can’t be what I look like”.  At Bellin we have successfully used a video assessment for runners to strategically correct strength, flexibility and form issues.  Running is all about being efficient and through watching you run we can determine where you specifically are losing energy and compensating.  We will explain how to correct very common problems before they become injuries.  “one of the best investments that I have ever made for my running” –Gait Assessment Client-

East Side Fitness Center 7:00 PM

March 12th Active Recovery:  The missing link to most runners programs.  It has been hardwired into endurance athlete’s heads that a day off of running is a bad thing.  When a day off of running is used to work on flexibility, core strength or corrective exercise it is no longer a “wasted” day off.  This lecture will help you to understand how the body works and why it is so important to have strategic rest days planned into your program.

West Side Fitness Center 6:30 PM

March 27th Train Smarter……Not Harder:  Have you ever worked your tail off only to race worse then before?  Come find out what makes a good running plan and what will lead you into burn-out or injury.  There are many ways to implement a running program but all good programs have key components that are the same.  Come learn what to look for in a good running program and how you can manage your own running to be more successful and stay injury free.

East Side Fitness Center 7:00 PM

April 9th Move Better Run Better:  Can you stand on a single leg for 30 seconds without moving?  If not, what do you think is happening when you are running and standing on one leg at a time?  Come and learn from our running expert how just perfecting simple movements can greatly help your running and lessen the potential risk of injury.  By the time you are done with this session you will know what key exercises you will need to start making you a better runner.

West Side Fitness Center 6:30 PM

April 25th Has anyone taught you how to run?:  I bet most of us have been taught to throw a baseball, football, shoot a basketball or swing a bat or hockey stick.  How many of you have been taught how to run?  Running is in everyone’s DNA but so is throwing and unless taught how to do it correctly you might have some flaws to correct.  By teaching specific running related movement patterns and form running drills we can make you into a more efficient less injury prone runner.  You can teach an old dog new tricks, we have and it has been successful.

East Side Fitness Center 7:00 PM

$10 per session $50 if you sign up for all 6.

Minimum 5 people per lecture, Max 25-30

For more information about the Bellin Running Crew, please contact Nate Vandervest at (920)430-4756 or nhvand@bellin.org