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Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Kate O’Neill:
Taking the First Steps
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #9)

Posted May 27th, 2008 at 2:30 PM by Kate O'Neill

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Kate O'Neill

Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!

For the first few weeks after the Olympic Marathon Trials, I was not able to run at all, but I thought about running constantly. Worries about what I had done wrong filled my head and doubts made me question all of my decisions leading up to the race. As my knee improved and I progressed toward running again, those thoughts quickly changed from the past to the future. I kept wondering what those first few steps of running would feel like. The first run loomed over thoughts and I wanted to do everything I could do to make sure that it went well.

I have been running for 13 years. In an ideal world, all those years of experience would make the act of running instinctual. I would not have needed to waste energy with all these thoughts. Instead, I felt sick with worry that my feet would no longer remember how to support me, my arms would start flailing, and my knees would buckle forward into each other.
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ASK FLASH: Running Form

Posted July 11th, 2007 at 11:08 AM by Joshua Flash Gordon

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Columns, Training Tips, Ask Flash

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK FLASH!
ASK FLASH is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK FLASH — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

This week we briefly tackle the topic of running form…

elizabeth ask flash column running form july 2007 Q. I was looking through my race photos and I noticed that a turning outwards of the ankle in a few photos– mainly the ones from the Capitol Hill classic (photo 1), which were taken immediately after a big long steep uphill. So, perhaps the hill had something to do with it. Both photos 2 & 3 are at the finish lines of marathons, which were relatively flat.

Another question is– If this ankle turn is a problem, does this make a difference for longer races? Or does it only affect shorter distances/sprints where every split second counts? ~Elizabeth from Virginia (Pictured)

A. Form is an interesting topic. In general, I believe it is important to minimize any body movements that are not working toward moving you forward in a comfortable and efficient manner. To that end, the fact that your ankle is turning significantly in two of the pictures that you sent me is some evidence that there is inefficiency in your stride. However, don’t let that discourage you …
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Increasing Stride Length

Posted May 18th, 2007 at 12:30 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

Stride length should not be increased by reaching your foot forward. That only moves your foot plant point in front of your center of gravity and causes a braking action, slows you down and adds to injury-causing stresses. The desired ways to increase stride length are to increase the time your foot is planted on the ground, thus delaying the push-off point, and a stronger push-off, which will increase forward momentum.

I believe there are four primary ways to do this. One is to increase leg strength, which Norman suggested and you have explained probably isn’t what’s holding you back. The other three ways are through improving running form, speed work and stretching.

Running form - The key here is to keep your center of gravity forward, especially your hips.
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How to get the most out of your late race push …

Posted April 29th, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TheFinalSprint.com. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

end of race kick_edited-1 [After recently discussing a reader’s questions regarding their problems during a late race push], I thought I would offer a few things that I do to help maintain or increase pace in those late stages of a race when your legs and cardio-respiratory system are crying for relief.

There are certain things you can do in training to help prepare you for this challenge, such as increasing the pace toward the end of a long run when you are tired. And making sure that your speedwork is paced so that the last couple of intervals or hill repeats are the fastest, as well as the hardest. But, once you are in a race, it’s too late to deal with training. You’ve got to make the most you can of the preparation that you have.

If you have run the first part of the race much too fast and are in severe oxygen debt with a lot of lactic acid built up in your legs toward the end, you probably blew it and won’t be able to maintain pace. You will just have to accept a slower finish and learn from the experience. If you have run a smartly paced race, or even more conservatively than necessary in the first part, you have a good opportunity to really “go for it” at the end.
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Washboard abs and why they are important for runners too!

Posted December 30th, 2006 at 4:00 PM by Carolyn Hershler

Section: Running & Training, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Toned arms, strong legs, and chiseled abs are all factors that come into play when searching for the ideal athletic body. But what’s the ideal body type for a runner?

A strong abdominal section may seem to only be important aesthetically, but it actually is of the utmost importance for runners. Having a strong mid-section can provide an assortment of benefits for runners, such as: providing a strong core, improvement of running form, as well as a reduction of stress on the back.

With the correct combination of ab strengthening techniques, one can become a stronger runner (and have that beach-ready body you always wanted!).
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Running Form

Posted November 10th, 2006 at 7:30 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Many people look terribly uncoordinated when they run. Telling them to change their form will just make them more uncoordinated. If a coach criticizes a team member for poor running form and doesn’t correct the underlying causes, the person is likely to become self-conscious about how he or she looks, and run even more slowly. Coordination usually improves just with repeated practice in the chosen sport.

Running form can improve markedly if you can correct muscle imbalances and structural abnormalities with appropriate exercises and perhaps mechanical devices. A coach can videotape the athletes while they run, then review the tape in slow motion to analyze the mechanical defects. For example, leaning forward during running is often caused by weak back muscles, which can be treated with exercises to strengthen the back. Pointing the toes out is often caused by weak lower leg muscles and can be corrected by doing exercises to strengthen the shin muscles. Leaning back on the heels after foot plant can be caused by excessive rolling-in motion of the feet or weak calf muscles. Read the rest of this entry »

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