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May 31, 2010

Celebrate & Pull on Your Shoes

Filed under: Running News — Tags: National Running Day — Carmel Papworth-Barnum @ 4:09 pm

Ok, for many of us we don’t need a reminder. We plan our days around our run. But perhaps this Wednesday June 2nd on National Running Day you can convince a non-running friend or family member to have a run.

It’s all about spreading the love, the love of running… The running industry is promoting running as a healthy, easy, and accessible form of exercise.

So have a run, join an event (marathon world-record holder Haile Gebreselassie is running in New York City) or just wear your running shoes all day!

For more info visit the National Running Day website.

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May 28, 2010

Tracking

Filed under: My Running — Carmel Papworth-Barnum @ 10:27 am

It’s eight weeks until the USATF Masters Track & Field Champs in Sacramento. I’ve been thinking, there’s plenty of time to prepare but now suddenly it’s looming on my horizon. I’m getting the jitters. I haven’t stepped on a track since October. I’ve been doing my speed work on trails and the road. But there is no getting around it; if I want to race on the track I’ve got to train on the track.

So last week I worked up the courage to join the bad boys on the track. All morning I kept coming up with excuses of why not to go…I won’t be fast enough, I’m not in track shape, I’m feeling tired…the list goes on. These guys are middle, long distance and even ultra runners that meet every Tuesday for killer workouts. Jeff Mann is one of the USA’s top masters 800m runners and sets the program. The other guys moan and complain about Jeff’s workouts but gladly submit to his sessions. Many of us would rather follow directions than do the planning ourselves.

One of my mates Joerg, who is also “my elbow man” (massaging my aching muscles), reminded me that if you wait to get track fit you’ll never get there. Of course I couldn’t keep up with these guys so modified my workout, running 400′s to their 500/700/900′s. I was grateful for the extra rest as I waited to jump back in as they kept churning out the laps.

It was weird feeling, trying to hang at the back, getting passed and holding form when my legs and lungs felt like bursting. But I had my first track session under my belt and I knew it wouldn’t be so daunting the next time.

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May 27, 2010

Fartlek Training

Filed under: Coaching Tips — Tags: fartlek training — Dr. Cathy Utzschneider @ 6:56 am

Fartlek training once a week has delivered personal bests for many of my runners. Fartlek, a Swedish term meaning “speed play,” is a kind of interval or speed training based on time intervals or efforts between landmarks like streetlights or telephone poles. “It’s fun, it gives me a great workout, and you can do it anywhere – on trails, on the roads, or on grass,” said marathoner Sue Gustafson.

The distance between two telephone poles is about 60 meters. Two favorite workouts are 8 X 8 telephone phones at a “relatively hard” perceived exertion with a 4 telephone pole slow jog recovery and 8 X 4 telephone poles at a “hard” perceived exertion with a 4 telephone pole slow jog recovery.

If you want more control over your workout than you have counting telephone poles, just run according to how you feel – pick a mailbox, building, or other landmark to “go for” and then another to “recover to”. Fartlek training is perfect for vacation training when you’re in a new place and have an available track.

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May 20, 2010

Call A Friend

Filed under: Coaching Tips — Tags: Standford University — Dr. Cathy Utzschneider @ 6:36 am

Calling a friend can make a big difference in your running training. Or have a friend call you if you need help getting out the door.

A study recently conducted by Stanford University supported a growing body of research showing that small amounts of social support, ranging from friends who encourage each other by email to occasional meetings with a fitness coach, significantly boosts physical activity.

The Stanford study included 218 participants, followed them for a year, and divided them into three groups: those who received encouraging calls at first every two weeks and then monthly from a live person; those who received computerized calls at first every two weeks and then monthly; and a control group — those who received no calls.

Exercise participation increased for all three groups after a year, but increased to a much greater degree in the two groups receiving calls. While exercise participation increased by 28% in those who received no calls, participation increased by 78% in the group which received calls from a person and participation doubled in the group which received automated calls.

Go figure — and make a call to a friend.

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May 13, 2010

Fab Lineup for Joanna’s 3k

Filed under: Running News — Tags: Lisa Valle, Portland Track Festival — Carmel Papworth-Barnum @ 11:12 am

It’s four weeks until the Portland Track Festival on June 11-12. Joanna Harper has snared another top runner for her masters women’s 3k. Lisa Valle (W40) who won both the 1500 and 800 gold medals at the 2009 World Masters Championships in Finland has joined the already strong lineup. We know Sabra Harvey, Karen Steen, Tatyana Pozdnyakov are confirmed. While Carmen Troncoso, Christine Olen, Trina Painter, Tania Fischer and Kirsten Leetch are keen to return.

Check out Joanna’s story on her race here.

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Developing Power: 5k–10k Running Times

Filed under: Coaching Tips — Dr. Cathy Utzschneider @ 7:46 am

Most runners know that developing power in the lower body (as well as upper body) helps performance in short distance events – sprints up to 800 meters. More and more research shows, though, that developing power in the lower body also improves speed in middle distance races from the mile to the 10K.

How do you develop power? Use medium to heavy weights (60 to 80% of one repetition maximum) in a sequence of 6 to 12 repetitions of an exercise two to three times a week. The leg press, squats, and lunges are all options for exercises that strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps (you can choose two of the three exercises) while calf and toe raises strengthen the calves and tibialis anterior muscles respectively.

Building power into your training program may lower those middle distance running times.

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May 10, 2010

Low Key Approach Works

Filed under: My Running — Tags: Moms on the Run — Carmel Papworth-Barnum @ 12:15 pm

For years I’ve obsessed the week before a race. I’ve planned each day’s training, monitored my food and fluid intake, got extra sleep and had last minute pangs of unexplained muscle soreness. Don’t know if this has helped me race faster, sometimes it’s worked and then there was last week…

My best friend Jude and her husband Tony flew into San Francisco on Tuesday for 6 days on their way to the Caribbean. We’ve been friends since we were 17 and have shared multiple careers, marriages, children (hers), highs and lows. I was excited to share our home and my new country.

When planning our get together I realized that Reno’s annual Mothers Day race fell on the day after their departure. I’ve run it every year since arriving in Reno in 2006. “Moms on the Run” raises money for women who have cancer and helps out with rent, groceries and other living expenses.

After days of touring the Napa Valley, drinking lots of delicious red wine, eating plenty of yummy food, late nights chatting and not much running, Sunday morning arrived. I woke wishing I hadn’t entered the 10k. Why hadn’t I chosen the 5k? Perhaps I would just stay in bed. Thank goodness for Larry’s coffee!

Soon I was on the start line basking in the sunshine with thousands of women, men and children, runners and walkers. Colorful costumes abounded, mostly in shades of pink. There were even some “Avatar” pink runners. After a prayer for women with cancer and the national anthem we were away.

All my anxiety disappeared when I started running. I got into a rhythm and rolled along. By the turnaround point I was surprisingly in the lead. As I headed home the encouragement from other runners buoyed me along. “Way to go”, “First Woman”, “Go Girl!” Their cheers gave me energy. As it was a fun run I had to dodge around the 5k walkers and strollers in the last mile and half but again everyone was very supportive.

Hitting the finish line in 41.50 exceeded all my expectations. Now I’m wondering if the laid back approach and perhaps a few glasses of red wine might be my new training regime!

Carmel & Jude

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May 7, 2010

The Journal That Rescued A Runner

Filed under: Coaching Tips — Dr. Cathy Utzschneider @ 4:05 am

One of my runners said the other day that her journal had “rescued” her. She had pulled her right calf muscle again. For the first few days after she felt it, she backed off immediately, biking and aqua-running instead and doing a little light stretching. She took some Ibuprofin. On the fourth day she tried a few minutes of running on a soft surface path. Her calf still hurt. She was bummed, wondering whether she’d be able to race Falmouth.

Long story short: she felt her journal saved her. In it she’s made a simple note every time she’s had an injury over the years. If she feels a pain she writes a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 in her log (1 denotes the littlest pain, 5 the most). Since she’s had this injury frequently, she checked back in her logs over the past 5 years and could see the pattern that worked best for her for calf strain recovery: one to two weeks of cross training, 400 – 800 mg. of Ibuprofin, and gentle stretching. Running again, she’d start back with repetitions of 5 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. Observing this pattern gave her hope for Falmouth.

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