RUN YOUR BEST MILE EVER
NOW AVAILABLE: Run Your Best Mile Ever Training Program
I’d never say there was anything ‘wonderful’ about the pandemic, but I can definitely appreciate that it really forced people outside of their workout routine comfort zones. Almost every athlete I know who was routinely going to boutique classes or lifting pre-pandemic has started running just to get the hell outside.
I spent time talking to physical therapists, elite runners, running coaches, and triathletes to better understand what runners at all levels might need from a strength program to run their best mile ever. These experts all advocated for proactively addressing the top three complaints that lead to injury: knee pain, back pain, and hip flexor pain.
The approach to performance improvement and injury prevention can be addressed progressively, and the first two steps are a self-assessment:
STEP 1: CHECK YOUR MECHANICS
I can hear runners everywhere audibly cringing on this one, but hear me out!
I talked to Lauren O’Shea, DPT about the common injuries that runners face. As a seasoned physical therapist, she has worked with athletes and exercise enthusiasts for a decade, including competitive runners. The common injuries that occur for runners at every level start with poor mechanics.
The natural way your body moves can cause wear and tear on your joints, so it’s important to work on running mechanics to help the body move more efficiently and safely!
The best way to check your mechanics is to get a physical therapist to do a gait analysis. They can identify strengths and weaknesses within your stride and can provide you with corrective exercises to help you develop safer mechanics.
If that’s not an option, take mental notes on your runs using the following list:
What to check: Are you powering your stride through the quads and hip flexors? Are you toe striking? Do your knees cave in? Where on your foot do you strike the ground? Where are you feeling sore or fatigued after longer runs?
STEP 2: CHECK YOUR POSTURE
When I used to run (yes, I used to run!) I often felt an extreme pain through my neck up into the back of my head. It wasn’t until I analyzed the posture of my upper body that I understood where the pain was coming from. My fists were clenched and my shoulders were up to my ears, causing muscles to clench and give me a headache.
Take a second to think about what your upper body is doing, especially if you’re feeling pain.
What to check: Are your shoulders up to your ears? Are you making a fist with your hands? These things can cause some neck pain, nerve pain and create an unnecessary strain in your traps. Focus on holding a strong posture in the upper body while relaxing the neck, even if you’re on your fast run.
Whether you’re trying to get rid of pain or simply fast-track your level of performance, once you’ve checked your mechanics and posture, it’s time to up the ante. The next three steps are best taken with the help of a knowledgeable strength coach:
STEP 3: ACTIVATION/STRENGTH TRAINING
Tim is a competitive marathoner and former client of mine who swears that his daily core and glute activation exercises are what have the most positive effect on his run performance. The best news is, it doesn’t take much time to implement activation exercises into your running routine. Tim only spends 10-15 minutes a day on his activations. No excuses!
What to do: Try implementing some single leg balance exercises and core strengthening exercises, remembering to stretch out the front side of the body before your runs.
These may seem like very small things, but implementing these small things can make a huge difference.
STEP 4: MOVE IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS
Runners only move in one direction: forward.
The body is made to do more than that. To train the body properly, the body needs to move in multiple directions and different planes of motion.
I interviewed the co-founder of Northeast Track Club, lululemon Run Ambassador and Rumble coach Mona Laviñia about her training techniques and she swears that cross training is what keeps her runs improving.
Mona’s initial interest in boxing began as a way to improve her running speed. After she began incorporating cross training and multidirectional movements she noticed a significant improvement in her running performance, especially when running a hilly course.
What to do: Incorporate lateral movements into your programming and warm up. These lateral movements help increase muscle recruitment which will protect your joints and have you feeling healthier and stronger on your runs.
STEP 5: STRENGTH TRAIN
As you know, I love busting myths. The myth that runners don’t need to strength train, or that it will bulk them and slow them down is one I am super pumped about disproving. While the core and glute activation I recommended here are necessary to prevent injury, strength training with heavy weights is where you’re really going to see progress in your runs.
For those runners who are ready to run their best mile ever, I’m releasing a strength training program just for you. You’ll be able to download the training program and gain access to on-demand training videos as well as engage in conversation with experts like the ones that supported me in doing the research for this article.
The runners strength training program to Run Your Best Mile Ever will be available on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 7PM EST during my Instagram Live with Mona Laviñia, co-founder of @ne_trackclub, @lululemon Run Ambassador, coach at @doyourumble and #HYPWMN of the DC fitness community!
NOW AVAILABLE: Run Your Best Mile Ever
