RunnersConnect

How to utilize accumulated fatigue to run faster! We posted last week about how some fatigue is good for us. But how should we go about this to not end up overtrained on race day? Here are our tips: 1. By utilizing specific types of workouts to that help us to fatigue in the appropriate way for the specific race we are training for.  For the marathon:  We have our athletes do a steady run the day before a long run. The steady run is meant to moderately fatigue the legs (important that you DON’T run this like a tempo run) by aiming for about a 5-6/10 on the effort scale. The long run the next day is either easy OR you can toss a little work into it.  For the 5k: Do a short explosive hill workout (like 9 x 60 sec hills at 5k pace) followed by a 5k specific workout (like 12 x 400m at 5k pace with 60 sec quick jog rest) 2 DAYS later. 2. Only do accumulated fatigue workouts once every 2 weeks during the race specific portion of your training 3. DO YOUR EASY RUNS EASY! One of the most common mistakes runners make is running their easy day mileage too fast. This hinders your ability to recover and doesn’t provide any additional aerobic benefit 4. Schedule down weeks into your plan. Allowing the body some additional recovery time every few weeks can help us absorb training better and ensure the accumulated fatigue doesn’t become too much. #RunnersConnect #Running #InstaRunners #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #AccumulativeFatigue #BalancedTraining

Why some fatigue in training isn’t necessarily a bad thing: If you waited to be 100% fresh for every run you did, you would actually have a hard time building fitness. We need to be properly recovered in order to get faster BUT If you waited until you FULLY recovered from something like speed or a tempo run, you could be waiting 14 days before your next run. Accumulative fatigue in training can be valuable in helping us to get faster so long as it is managed properly. That’s why learning how to manage fatigue, and understanding the role it plays in endurance training, is critical to improving as a runner. This is also one reason why the taper helps us to realize our fitness. Want to learn how to utilize accumulative fatigue in your training? We’ll share more next week! #RunnersConnect #Running #InstaRunners #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #AccumulativeFatigue #BalancedTraining

We’ve covered workouts but what about long runs? The goal of a long run is to build-up your aerobic system. Primarily, this is accomplished by increasing the number and size of the mitochondria in your muscle fibers, increasing the number of capillaries, and increasing the myoglobin content of your muscle fibers. While these improvements to the aerobic system are great for long-term development, you don’t often “feel” the benefit from them right away. It can take 4 to 6 weeks to notice changes in your aerobic ability and for the actual training effect being felt. Likewise, the more experienced you are, the less you will “feel” the benefits from a long run since your aerobic system is already quite developed. This is why we don’t just do long runs right before a long race. This is also why we get faster the more successful training cycles we put together with good consistency. You may not feel the benefits of a long run right away but you’ll be happy you did them on race day! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #FitnessBuilding #WorkoutBenefits

Will those last minute workouts really help improve your race fitness? Before you try and cram any last minute hard sessions to improve fitness ahead of race day, read this: Even if you are recovering and fueling properly, it will take at least 10 days to see the benefits of any hard threshold or VO2 max workouts and even then, no single workout will define your race. The other consideration here is that the harder and the longer the workout, the longer it takes to recover and even if our body may see benefit in 10 days, we have to be primed and rested to realize those benefits. This 10 day rule also requires that you are training in the right zones. Push too hard and that 10 days could be more like 15. Leading into a race, workouts are good but the goal with those isn’t necessarily to gain fitness but reinforce and remind your body what it’s about to do in a medium intensity way. #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #FitnessBuilding #WorkoutBenefits

Who will be the stars at this year’s olympic trials?! The US Olympic Track & Field Trials kick off TODAY and last through June 30th. The trials are how the US form their olympic teams in each sporting discipline. While there may be some clear favorites in some events, some races like the steeple, could be anyones race. On a special episode of Run to the Top Podcast, Coach Michael and Coach Andie break down their picks in each of the distance events. They outline who to watch out for and some of the complexities of qualifying which could make things interesting to say the least! Episode is live so make sure to check it out! Then tune in to watch via NBC, peacock, or USA Network. PS - if you want to learn more about the athletes competing - check the podcast episode notes for everything you need! What events are you looking forward to watching and what athletes are you excited for? Let us know in the comments! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #RunToTheTopPodcast #OlympicTrials #RunningNews #TrackandField #ParisOlympics #TrackTrials

Try these race specific workouts in your next training block! As we posted early this week, it is important to train specific to the race you are targeting if you truly want to get faster. Once you have built a solid base of training and are heading deeper into your race specific training, we can begin to really target race specific demands through key workouts. Here are some example workouts you can try! 5k: Start with: 12 x 300 meters at 5k pace with 100 meter jog rest Progress to: 12-16 x 400 or 600 meters at 5k pace with a 100m jog rest 10K: Start with: 5 x 1 mile at 10k pace with 45-90 seconds SLOW jog rest, hammer 1 more interval (to make 6 total miles). Progress to: 3 x 2 miles at 10k pace with 2 min jog rest. Half Marathon: Start with: 3 x 2 miles at half marathon pace with 800m jog rest (jog at normal easy pace) Progress to: 3 x 3 miles at half marathon pace with 800m jog rest Marathon: This is a post on its own! These are pretty advanced workouts so make sure to build up to these! What races are you training for in the coming months? Let us know in the comments! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #RaceSpecificWorkouts #GoalRaces

Heres a quick clip I had with @runnersconnect today on the Run To The Top podcast! Had a great time talking with Cory and we dove into some GREAT topics including running form, mobility, strength training, breathing, and more! The episode should be out soon ( hopefully next few weeks). Check out the Run to the Top podcast soon! We covered topics that were in my book Built To Run. It’s the ultimate runners guide to solving running injuries, staying pain free, and improving your running economy! Check out the link in the bio to get yours for 20% off! 🔗 -⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ -⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ -⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ -⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ #physicaltherapy #alphaprojectphyzio #glutemax #distancerunner #glutemaxactivation #crossfit #rehab #mobility #injuryfree #Marathontraining #painrelief #runner #running #instarunner #kneepain #running #frederickmd #PTfrederick #gaitassessment #fascialtreatment #physiotherapy #physio #distancerunner

Are you training race specific? There’s no doubt a 5k is much different than a marathon. Yet, many runners will train roughly the same but just increase their long run for the marathon. This works just fine if you are newer to either distance but if you are trying to truly get faster at a specific distance, it’s important to train specific to it. Due to the principle of specific adaption, the closer you can perform exercise that mimics the exact demands you’re training for, the better you’ll become at that specific exercise. As the name implies, race-specific training means training to the specific physiological demands of your race distance. Understanding these differences and applying the correct workouts is the founding principle behind race-specific training. Do you have a favorite workout you do for a specific distance? Let us know in the comments!� Come back later this week for some race specific workouts to add to your training! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #RaceSpecificWorkouts #GoalRaces

2 SPOTS LEFT AT OUR FLAGSTAFF RUNNING RETREAT JULY 17th to the 21st! Ever been to a running retreat? If not this is your chance! At our flagstaff retreat you will get: 1. A gait analysis to improve your form 2. 1-on-1 coaching 3. A chance to run the Grand Canyon! 4. Coach-guided strength & yoga sessions 5. Nutrition talks 6. And of course a great time! All paces and abilities levels welcome! Whether you’re coming back from an injury and just walking or looking for a fun camp at altitude to improve your times this fall, all are welcome. To sign up or learn more - click the Running Retreats link in our bio! Hope to see you there! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #RunningRetreats #FlagstaffAZ #RunningVacation

If I’m a salty sweater, can I just add more salt to my food? With the heat of summer creeping in, hydration is a concern for many runners. For salty sweaters, the salt streaks on their skin or clothing might be a sign that they need to replenish those lost sodium. BUT, is it enough to just eat more salt? Not quite. Just because sodium is an electrolyte, don’t assume your daily sodium consumption will replenish your electrolyte loss from your run. First, sodium causes water retention. Consuming sodium alone and not in combination with other electrolytes may cause severe swelling of the hands, feet and ankles. Second, the body monitors electrolyte losses during the run through hormones. After a run, if sodium is consumed in high amounts without other electrolytes to balance, it neutralizes the hormonal system and disrupts the bodies regulation processes. For proper replenishment after a hot run, sodium should be consumed in combination with other electrolytes to assist proper electrolyte balance. What should you use? We are big fans of LMNT. LMNT contains zero sugar and has higher amounts of sodium to specifically meet the demands of runners. Want to try them out? Link in bio for FREE sample pack with purchase!� Have your tried LMNT? If so what is your favorite flavor? Let us know in the comments ⬇️ #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #Electrolytes #SaltySweater #LMNT #ElectrolyteReplenishment #SummerRunning

When faster does not equal better ⬇️ After a race doesn’t go to plan, many runners regroup and then decide that what they need to do is start training harder. They put their head down and start pushing their workouts. The intensity increases and they are in fact working harder. But how does this actually affect fitness? In a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers had one group of athletes perform a series of workouts at near maximum intensity for twelve weeks. They then had another group perform the same type of workouts (same repeat distance and same amount of rest) yet at a much more moderate intensity. The results...   The high intensity group improved rapidly, recording an increase in VO2 max 30 percent higher than the moderate group after three weeks. HOWEVER After nine weeks, the high intensity group’s improvements in VO2 max were only 10 percent greater than the moderate group.   More importantly, after 9 weeks, the high intensity group stopped improving and after 12 weeks showed the same level of improvement to VO2 max as the moderate group but with a slight decrease in VO2 between 9 and 12 weeks. Moral of the story - harder is not always better! Have you ever fallen into this trap? Let us know in the comments! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #TrainSmarterNotHarder #TrainingIntensity #VO2Max #RunningResearch

Training breaks are essential following a big goal race. We need recovery planned into our year in order to get faster. The ideal training break is around 2 weeks. This allows us to give the mind and body rest but not totally detrain. We will loose a little fitness but that loss will be more than made up for in our next training cycle. The biggest thing here is that while 2 weeks isn’t long, we still need to ensure we give ourselves a build up phase to ease back into training. If you’ve taken more than 2 weeks of rest, this period becomes even more important. The build up phase allows our body to ease back into things and adapt. We use this time to build mileage back up in a controlled manner so that we don’t do too much too quick. It helps us to build our aerobic fitness - the basis for our endurance. During this time it is important that we don’t also start pushing the intensity. We can start incorporating strides and light workouts but we want the goal to be creating a strong aerobic foundation that will set us up for the training ahead. Just like a house or a building, a strong foundation is necessary for the rest of the structure to be intact. Are you in a build up phase following a training break? Let us know in the comments! #RunnersConnect #RunningCommunity #Running #InstaRunners #Motivation #Coaching #EnduranceTraining #TrainingTips #StrengthForRunners #Fitness #RunningTips #RunnersOfInstagram #RunAllTheMiles #BuildUpPhase #TrainingPhases