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astronomyrecords.com The music in this video is all 6 songs from the album “Embrace The Moment – Music to enhance your yoga practice”. Read a review of this album here: astronomyrecords.com The songs in order are: 1. Preparing The Way 2. The Higher Mind 3. Fire In The Belly 4. Inner Strength 5. Reflection of Self 6. The Journey Home The full album can only be purchased from our website at astronomyrecords.com but just by subscribing to our free newsletter you get to download 1 free mp3 from …

Distance Running – Common Problems and Possible Solutions

By: Scott Douglas

 

Problem: Whenever I run with others, it nearly turns into a race.

Solution: Running with training partners can give your training a boost, but if you try to ñwinî your daily training sessions, you will have a few great workouts and then just wear yourself out. Also, if you don't play nice, your training partners won't want to run with you any more. The best solution is to discuss your training plan with your training partners so that you all know the objectives of each run you do together.

If your training partners are roughly as fit as you and have similar goals, then it should be relatively easy to align your training schedules so that you're running hard on the same days, and can all agree on when to run easy. Setting a heart monitor to beep when you are out of your recovery zone can help to ensure that you don't get carried away and run too fast on planned recovery days. If your training partners continue to turn each run into a race, then you'll need to be more selective about which sessions you do with them.

If you train with runners who are faster or stronger than you, then you need to be careful not to get burned out by training with them too often. You might want to plan to do your two or three hardest runs of the week with these faster runners, but to make sure to do your other runs either alone or with slower company.

On the other hand, if you're a better runner than your training partners, you shouldn't train with them every day, or you won't obtain enough training stimulus to improve your running performance. You may want to arrange to do the first hour or so of your long runs with these slower runners and then to pick up the pace for the rest of your run. Another option is to do your recovery runs with these runners, and either find faster runners for your harder sessions or do those workouts alone.

 

Problem: Sometimes when I'm doing a hard workout, my times are significantly slower than they should be. Should I persevere or cut the workout short?

Solution: There are several reasons why a track workout might not go as well as expected. You could be overly tired, out of shape, sick or injured, or the weather could be terrible. The most likely reason is that you're overly tired; the least likely reason is that you're out of shape.

If you're sick or injured, then you should definitely cut your track workout short„persevering will only make your condition worse, and you'll end up being sick or injured longer. Runners often make this mistake in their desire to get back running quickly after illness or injury. (Better yet, of course, is not starting the workout when you know you're not ready to complete a workout.)

If you're otherwise healthy, but having trouble hitting your planned times during a track workout, then you have the following four options:

1. Slow the intervals to a pace that you can maintain for the rest of the workout. 2. Increase the amount of rest between intervals. 3. Shorten the length of the intervals. 4. Cut the workout short.

The option that is best depends on several factors. If you're just a bit tired that day, then select options 1 and/or 2. For example, say you had planned on doing six 800-meter repeats in 2:50 with a two-minute jog between efforts, and did the first three intervals in 2:54, 2:56 and 2:58. You could change your goal for the remaining intervals to 2:58, and either maintain your recovery jogs at two minutes or increase them to two-and-a-half minutes. If, on the other hand, you've been feeling tired all week, then continuing the workout will just increase the number of recovery days you'll need to feel good again, so it's best to cut the workout short.

If you have a race later in the week, then choose option 3 or 4 to help your body recover for the race. For example, if you're doing the above workout on a Wednesday, and have a race that Sunday, then you could either shorten the last three intervals to 600 meters at the planned 800-meter pace, or end the workout. Which option you choose will depend on whether you feel that you would benefit from continuing or will just wear yourself out for the upcoming race.

If the weather is bad, then gut it out, but slow your expectations for the workout accordingly. Nothing builds character quite as well as a bit of rain and wind during a track workout. If the weather is truly terrible, however, then cut the workout short, because you'll just get tired (and possibly sick) by persevering, and you won't be able to run fast enough to improve your speed. Examples of truly terribly weather include blizzards, gale-force winds, dangerously high combinations of heat and humidity, and any time your running surface is dangerously slippery from ice and snow. If you cut a workout short (or miss it altogether) because of weather conditions, then you may be able to do it the next day, but only if the weather has significantly improved and you won't be trying to cram too many hard days together.

If you have to cut a workout short because of ongoing fatigue, injury or illness, then don't try to make up for it the next day. That strategy almost never works, and will just hinder your progress in recovering. Cross the unfinished workout off your schedule and focus on your upcoming workouts. Mentally, you have to learn to accept that the optimal course of action was to cut back your training and to have confidence that you made the correct decision.

 

Problem: I can't get my long run past 90 minutes.

Solution: If you have trouble completing long runs of more than 90 minutes, then it's likely that you're either increasing the distance of your long runs too quickly, or aren't preparing well enough for your long runs.

It's fairly common for runners to try to increase the distance of their long runs by a mile or two every week, particularly when building up for a marathon. The problem with this approach is that, for many runners, their bodies can't adapt rapidly enough to this rate of increase, and they end up injured or worn out. If you increase your long run distance more gradually (e.g., by one mile every second week), then your body will have more time to adapt, and you should be able to get your long runs comfortably past 90 minutes.

Another common reason for not being able to handle long runs is not putting enough emphasis on the long run in your weekly training schedule. If you try to squeeze too much hard training into your week, then you'll go into your long run already somewhat fatigued. By starting your long run tired, you obviously reduce the likelihood of feeling strong towards the end of your run. This is especially true of runners who spend much of their weekend running errands, attending child-related events, etc., and then rise early on Sunday morning for their long run. Try allowing two recovery days prior to your weekly long run, and you should find that, over several months, you can increase the distance of your long runs well past 90 minutes.

Similarly, not eating enough carbohydrates during the two days leading up to your long run can mean that your glycogen (the body's storage form of carbohydrate) stores aren't adequately filled so, you become carbohydrate-depleted when you get 90 minutes into your long run. Another common cause for feeling tired during long runs is not starting the long runs well-hydrated or not taking fluids during your long runs. One or more of these strategies should help you to safely increase the distance of your long runs.

 

Problem: always slow by at least 20 seconds a mile in the last mile of a 5K.

Solution: The three most likely reasons for slowing towards the end of a 5K race are:

You don't have the basic aerobic fitness to maintain a solid pace throughout the race.

You haven't done enough long intervals to be able to maintain a fast pace.

You went out too hard.

Reason number 1 applies if you train less than 25 miles per week or your longest training run is less than six miles. By increasing your weekly mileage and the distance of your long run, you'll improve your basic aerobic fitness, and this will help you to maintain your pace throughout a 5K race.

Reason number 2 applies if your mileage and long run are solid, but if you haven't regularly incorporated long interval workouts into your training. If all you do in training is slow mileage„or even if you occasionally do speedwork but seldom include intervals longer than 400 meters„then you won't have the ability to maintain a fast pace for 5K. You may be able to go out fast for the first mile, and you might even be able to hang in there reasonably for the second mile. But the lactate levels in your muscles will rapidly rise during the race, and you'll have to slow dramatically in the third mile. Include one or two sessions of long intervals (600 to 1600 meters) at your goal 5K pace per week for at least five weeks before your 5K race. These workouts will prepare you to maintain a hard pace throughout the 5K.

Reason number 3 applies if you're well prepared but "blow up" towards the end of a 5K. You're simply going out unrealistically fast. The 5K is run at such a high intensity that there's little room for error in judging your pace. You need to develop the confidence that if you run the first mile more slowly, then your finishing time will improve. If you have a good idea of how fast you can currently race a 5K, then plan to run the first mile at that pace. If you don't have a reasonable idea of how fast you can race a 5K at the moment, then do this workout: four repetitions of 1600 meters with a one-minute jog between. Your average time for the 1600-meter repeats is a good indicator of how fast to run your first mile in the 5K.

 

Problem: I've always been more of a short-distance/fast-twitch type of athlete than an endurance athlete. But I'd like to run a marathon. How much can I overcome my genetic make-up with the right training?

Solution: Regardless of your genetic make-up, you can improve your ability in the marathon with the right training and a long-term approach. Although you can't change your genetic make-up, with increased endurance training your fast-twitch muscle fibers gain more of the characteristics of a natural marathoner's slow-twitch muscle fibers. As a rule, it's easier to move up successfully in distance than to turn a natural marathoner into a sprinter.

Your genetics also determine how quickly you adapt to various types of training, and you may find that you can't increase your endurance training as quickly as some other runners. With patience and determination, however, you can become a marathoner, although it may not be as easy for you as for a natural endurance athlete (if marathon training can ever be considered "easy").

An important component of your transition to marathon training will be to increase both the distance of your long runs and your overall mileage. You'll need to become adept at detecting your body's warning signals so that you increase your training without getting injured. An experienced coach or, at least experienced training partners, can help guide your training, but ultimately only you can assess when you need to cut back and when you can handle more. With time, you'll be able to handle the same types of training that all successful marathoners do.

 

Problem: I'm unsure what nagging injuries are okay to try to train through and when I should cut back significantly.

Solution: Although it's difficult to come up with an answer that covers all of the types of injuries that afflict runners, here are guidelines to help you decide when to keep running, when to cut back and when to seek professional treatment.

If your injury hurts when you start to run, but the pain eases or disappears during the first ten minutes of running, then it's usually safe to train through the injury. In this situation, continuing to run may slow your recovery from the injury, but it shouldn't make the injury any worse. (Only you can decide whether your reasons for training through the injury„you have an important race in the near future, you have a psychological need to run most days, etc.„justify postponing overcoming the injury.) Examples of injuries that may allow you to continue to run moderately are mild muscle strains or mild tendonitis. Typically, these injuries will continue to improve if you cut back your training volume and run relatively easily. Speedwork is likely to aggravate almost any running injury, and should be avoided until the injury is fully recovered.

If your injury is painful when you start to run and the pain stays the same or increases with each step, then running is probably aggravating the injury, and you should stop running until it heals. By taking some time completely off from running, you'll allow the healing process to progress so that you can get back to running more quickly. Many runners make the mistake of trying to run too much or too fast when their injury is only partly healed, and end up prolonging the injury unnecessarily. During your recovery from injury, you should crosstrain so that you maintain your fitness without further aggravating your injury.

 

Problem: In the winter, I often feel lethargic and have trouble doing long runs. I don't drink nearly as much as in the summer. Could I be dehydrated?

Solution: There's a good chance that you're dehydrated; it's typical for runners to drink too little during the winter. During the summer, it's obvious that you lose large amounts of fluid through sweating, and drinking cold fluids helps keep you cool. In the winter, you still lose fluid while running, but it's less noticeable. You also may not feel like drinking cold beverages when it's 10 degrees outside, and may therefore consume less than you need to stay well hydrated.

Fortunately, this is an easily corrected problem. Make sure that you have fluids available during the day. Be sure to drink water or sports drink during and immediately after running to minimize your fluid deficit after each run. If possible, arrange to have a water bottle available during the day. If cold drinks aren't appealing during the winter, then herbal tea, warm apple cider or liquid soups are good options. (Coffee and tea aren't, because they'll only further dehydrate you.)

 

Problem: When the weather is bad, I have a hard time getting out the door.

Solution: Whether this is a real problem depends on whether you're preparing for an important race. Missing training because of bad weather may simply be a reasonable compromise that keeps you healthy and saves your mental energy for better conditions. In extreme winter weather, it may make more sense to skip the occasional day of running than to risk illness or injury. If, on the other hand, your lack of motivation for bad-weather running is interfering with your ability to reach your racing goals, you may need to select goal races for a time of year when extreme weather isn't an issue.

If your overall motivation level is okay, but you simply don't like training in extreme heat, cold, ice, wind, heavy rain, or some combination of the above, then arranging indoor training options may help you to achieve your running goals with less discomfort. Treadmill running can be a useful option for moderate distance runs at a moderate pace, but aren't a particularly safe option for speedwork, and are extremely tedious (which is counterproductive for motivation) for long runs. Indoor tracks are excellent for speedwork, but pose a high injury risk for long runs.

Bad weather can also be an opportunity to add variety to your training. If you're a bit bored with your running routine, adding crosstraining such as cycling, swimming, water running, and cross country skiing will maintain your fitness level, and the novelty of these activities may actually increase your motivation for running. Core conditioning and weight training can also add useful variety to your training.

If you live somewhere like northern Minnesota and plan to run the Boston Marathon in April, however, then you do have a problem, in that to be prepared for your marathon you need to either train through some extreme weather, get used to training indoors, or find another goal race. If you can get on a treadmill on the toughest days, then you may actually get through the winter in better shape than other runners who push themselves through extreme weather conditions.

 

Problem: I seem to have a very short stride compared to other runners, but when I try to lengthen my stride I get tired quickly.

Solution: Your stride length is primarily determined by your leg length, flexibility, strength and coordination. While you obviously can't change your leg length, you can improve the other three factors. You tire quickly now because your current natural stride length is short, and forcing yourself to run with a longer stride requires more energy. If you have a short stride compared to other runners of your height and build, then you should be able to lengthen your stride over time by doing stretching and strengthening exercises and running drills.

If you stretch your hip flexor and quadriceps muscles, then your leg will be able to extend more fully behind your body, and this will allow your stride to lengthen. Similarly, if you stretch your hamstrings, then your leg will be able to swing forward more easily; this will also help to lengthen your stride.

A short stride length can also be caused by weak muscles that are unable to stabilize your body or push off powerfully. Developing the major propulsive muscles of you legs and hips will help to increase your stride length. Improving your core strength will provide a stable platform for your legs to push off from and will reduce fatigue to help you maintain a longer stride length.

When you have improved your flexibility and strength, you'll need to develop the coordination to handle your naturally longer stride. Running drills, such as accelerations of about 100 meters or running with high knees, can help you to develop the muscular coordination to handle a longer stride. The increases will be small and will be measured in months rather than days, but by working on your flexibility, strength and coordination, you should be able to develop a naturally longer stride.

 

Problem: I don't know how quickly it's safe to increase my mileage.

Solution: As with many aspects of training, the answer to this question depends on a variety of factors, such as how injury-prone you are, how long you've been running, and how much mileage you're currently doing. The challenge is to find a rate of increase in your mileage that satisfies your enthusiasm but also allows your muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to adapt without injury. When increasing your mileage, pay attention to your body's signals, and back off for a few days if you feel an overuse injury developing. Don't add speedwork to your training at the same time that you increase your mileage, because the combined increase in your training load increases the likelihood of injury.

A guideline that works well for many runners is to increase mileage by 10 percent every second week. For example, if you currently run 30 miles per week, then you would increase to 33 miles the first week, remain at 33 miles the second week, increase to 36 miles the third week and remain at 36 miles the fourth week. If you're not in a rush to boost your mileage, then a more conservative and safer approach would be to increase your mileage by 10 percent every third week. These guidelines should create an appropriate balance between increasing your mileage fairly quickly and giving your body time to adapt positively to the increased training load.

 

Problem: I'm unsure how much, and how intensely, I should run during pregnancy.

Solution: Most women runners can continue to run safely during pregnancy. How much you should reduce your mileage and your pace during pregnancy depends on how much and how quickly you usually train, whether you're having discomfort while running, and how far you are into your pregnancy. During pregnancy, you should adjust your running goals to maintaining a reasonable level of fitness, rather than being racing fit. You should also cut out serious racing and speedwork, which can cause potentially dangerous overheating and put extra stress on your body.

It's not unusual to feel better some days than others, particularly during your first trimester. Your energy level may fluctuate from day to day, and you may experience nausea that makes it difficult to head out for a run. You'll need to be flexible in your training, and adjust your daily runs depending on how you feel. If you feel pain, dizziness, have fluid leakage or any other medical problem, then you should stop running and consult with your doctor or midwife.

Running during pregnancy is generally safe, except in hot and humid conditions. If the temperature is over 75 degrees (or over 70 degrees on a humid day), then it's prudent to skip running until the weather cools off. If you live in a hot weather location such as southern Florida, you may need to miss several months of running during the summer or find a relatively cool indoor option for treadmill running. It's important to stay well-hydrated when running during pregnancy, but frequent urination can be an inconvenience, so think through your options in advance.

As your pregnancy progresses, your risk of injury increases because of your altered biomechanics and increased production of relaxin, which is a hormone that relaxes your ligaments. Although you should expect minor discomfort as your body adjusts to running for two, adjust both your pace and mileage downward if you feel a running-related injury developing. Substituting other types of exercise for a few days will give your body time to recover. Late in pregnancy, if you find that running becomes quite uncomfortable, then swimming and water running are excellent options to stay fit and get through the rest of your pregnancy safely.

 

Problem: I know that I'm past the point in my running where I'll set personal bests. How do I set goals for races?

Solution: The most important aspect of setting racing goals is that they must be meaningful to you. You need to figure out what types of goals will get you excited and motivated. It also helps to make your goals as specific as possible.

Goals for races can be defined in terms of time or place. Although you may not set lifetime personal bests (PBs), you can set motivating goals by working towards age group PBs, past-decade PBs or new millennium PBs. As soon as you enter a new age group, you have a whole new set of PBs to set and re-set. You can also set PBs in distances you may never have raced before, or for a distance in which your current PB is a bit soft. Making a specific age-group qualifying time, such as for the Boston Marathon, can be a particularly motivating goal.

As you get older, place goals remain important as you climb through the age groups, and you may develop strong rivalries with particular runners. Some of the fiercest battles are fought in the final 100 meters in the 50-54 age group.

You may also want to set non-racing goals, such as to train without getting injured or to incorporate core conditioning sessions into your training. Take the time to think through what types of goals you will find most meaningful.

 

Problem: This is my second season of running, and the more I train, the faster I race. I'm frustrated because I want to do more training, but my coach won't let me.

Solution: Your coach is probably doing the right thing in holding you back. One of the greatest challenges in developing training programs is determining how much training to do. It's typical to race better as you increase your training, but as your training volume and intensity increase, your risk of injury and overtraining also increases. If your coach has gradually increased your training and is monitoring your ability to handle training, then stick with the coach's plan despite your impatience to train more. Your coach is trying to find the optimal balance so that you get fitter and fitter without getting injured, and probably has a lot more experience making those decisions than you do.

Scott Douglas is a former editor of Running Times and co-author of four running books, including Advanced Marathoning. His Web site is located at www.scottdouglas.biz.