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Run Better By Building Your Core Strength

August 18, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Have you ever considered core strength exercises to improve your running efficiency and to prevent running injuries? Working on improving the core strength will empower you to run for longer periods without succumbing to fatigue. It will also bring down your risk of developing an injury. Although you have to invest considerable time and effort to improve the strength of the core muscles, it does not involve any work with heavy weights. No wonder most runners now include core strengthening exercises in all their training programs.

So what does ‘core’ mean? The part of your body excluding the arms and legs is called your core. The core muscles are those muscles located in the mid-back and lower back regions, the hip area and the belly. To put it technically and more scientifically, the major core muscles are:

  • Internal and External Obliques
  • Transversus Abdominis
  • Pelvic Floor muscles
  • Erector Spinae
  • Rectus Abdominis
  • Multifidus
  • Diaphragm


Benefits Of Building Core Muscles

Most professional runners tend to focus solely on those exercises they feel they will get the most benefits from. That means accumulating as many miles as possible in a week. However, experts highly recommend a more balanced training approach that also provides adequate importance to the core muscles. Such an approach that integrates abs exercise will enhance the efficiency and consistency of running performance in addition to helping prevent injuries.

The direct benefits of taking up core strength exercises include:

  • More stability
    As your core becomes more stable, you will become less vulnerable to the wear and tear of muscles and thus be at lesser risk of developing injuries.
  • Improved efficiency
    A stronger core will make you more efficient and more at ease with your stride. That means your endurance levels will go up and you will be able to keep away fatigue for longer.
  • Increased balance
    Balance is a vital aspect for a runner, particularly for running on rough, off-road terrains.
  • Better posture
    Strong core muscles play a key role in helping you maintain a good posture. This improved posture enhances your running technique. A better technique obviously implies lower possibilities of injury.

For best results, all runners must perform some basic exercises of core muscles on a regular basis or at least once every two weeks.

Improving Core Strength

The key to strengthening your core muscles is choosing the right mix of exercises as per your individual needs. As in the case of any other exercise, the results may not be immediately visible. But you will witness a noticeable improvement in the long run. Best of all; if you devotedly stick to the program, you will soon begin feeling better not just physically or in your running performance but also in your general life too.

The main core strength exercises include:

  • Floor exercises: The best thing about floor exercises is that they are easy to perform. Additionally, since these exercises do not require any equipment, you can perform them at home.
  • Yoga: Yoga includes various postures that are aimed at improving your vitality and well-being. Yogic postures are also great for improving your torso strength, flexibility and balance.
  • Pilates: This is a more dynamic version of yoga that also includes calisthenics and stretching. Most moves in the practice of Pilates revolve around holding your torso steady while moving the limbs in various directions.

Just as no runners are the same, the abs exercise program for each runner must be customized. This is where you will have to seek the advice of an expert fitness instructor.

Filed Under: Featured, Plans

Here’s What You Must Know about Marathon Training

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

If you are considering training for a marathon, there are plenty of training programs available today. While some are local, others are online. There are also programs organized by charities. Training for marathons is unlike any other training you undertake. One thing that sets this training apart from training for other events is the vast distance. Having the strength and endurance to survive running for 26.2 miles is a challenge in itself. That makes completing a marathon quite an accomplishment.

However, the fact remains that almost 98 percent of people who join a marathon training programme never make it past two weeks. This is because most people who dream of competing and winning a marathon lack the know-how of proper training. They may start out enthusiastically and then train too hard, succumb to injuries or simply burn out. Others may train improperly and soon give up the training when they do not notice any considerable improvement.

Training Right

While most of us may blame the programs for poor results, successfully training for marathons actually depends on the individual. So here are the main points you have to remember while training for a marathon:

  • Join a program and stick to it
    Most participants are not serious about following a training program. They choose the days they will run and the workouts they will be doing. All training programs are designed by experts who know the right training volume for each level of running. So be wise and follow the fixed schedule.
  • Be prepared to give your best
    Before starting marathon training, you must understand that the training part is actually harder than the real marathon. You have to complete the allotted miles everyday and aim to improve the distance every week. This is a grueling schedule that can leave you completely exhausted. So be ready to stay committed.
  • Consult the experts
    If you are training on your own and run into a problem, talk to the experts. The wrong decision can put you at risk for injury.
  • Do not neglect injuries
    Listen to your body’s signals. You must understand if your body is signaling you to step up your training or go easy. During the course of training, there will be lots of pain and soreness. However, if your pain persists for more than 3 days, consult a podiatrist who specializes in sports medicine. The sooner you get medical help, the faster you can resume running.

Tips on Preparing For a Marathon

Here are some great tips you can adopt if you are serious about training for a marathon:

  • Get the right shoes according to your running style. For best results, get custom-fitted shoes. This will help prevent blisters and joint problems.
  • Cut out coffee and consume milk, orange juice or plain water instead.
  • Avoid all sugary stuff like chocolates and carbonated drinks.
  • Watch your diet. Include lots of proteins and carbohydrates and count the grams of fat in your diet.
  • Give up smoking completely. Smoking can adversely affect your lung capacity and strength.
  • If you are a beginner, hire a pro to train you. Although hiring an expert can be expensive, the money will be worth in the long run. A trainer will also be a great motivation for you to continue training.
  • Approach your marathon training programme with the right mindset. Focus less on time, pace or speed and more on going easy, enjoyment and fun.
Filed Under: Marathon

Are You A Professional Runner? Read This To Know If You Are Eating Right!

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Before turning to professional running, beginners must remember that it takes a lot to become a successful runner. In addition to being devoted to your sport and training hard to excel in it, you also need to take care of your diet. Nutrition and diet play a major role in all fitness programs, particularly during periods of strenuous training. As a committed athlete, you will obviously do everything legally possible to keep getting better at his sport. You may of course have a good diet. However, you also need to know that a few simple changes in your diet can work wonders in your overall performance.

Importance Of Nutrition For Athletes

Proper nutrition is very important to the success of your career. Athletes burn a lot of energy within short periods and obviously need to recharge their bodies. If running beginners do not ensure that they get adequate nutrition, they will soon slip into a condition known as overtraining – a condition that physically weakens an athlete and increases the risk of an injury. That is why most runners consume a variety of drinks and food to help them regain strength, energy and endurance as quickly as possible.

Depending on how strenuous your training is, your running diet must help you quickly regain whatever you have lost during each training session so that you can be well-prepared to face the next workout. Your training diet may include protein shakes, dried fruits and the power-packed nuts. Your emphasis here must be to make sure that you get enough calories and the right balance of all essential nutrients.

Most of the time, athletes use up so much calories that it is normal for them to consume almost double the amount of what an ordinary person eats and still continue to lose weight. So athletes must understand how many calories they need to maintain good physical health, high energy levels and adequate weight and then try to acquire those many calories everyday.

Eating Right

To continue performing at peak levels and be strong enough to cross that ‘barrier of pain’ that all endurance athletes face at some point in a race, here are some tips to keep in mind:

  • Drink lots of water: You will lose plenty of fluids in the form of sweat. So keep yourself well hydrated.
  • Maintain a good training diet: The right running diet must be low in processed cereals and refined sugars and rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Long distance runners may benefit more from a diet rich in fats and carbohydrates.
  • Ensure a proper race day diet: Keep your race day diet nutritious yet light so that your body is easily able to digest everything before the race. It would also be a good idea to reduce your intake of products like cow’s milk to minimize buildup of lactic acid on the race day.
  • Keep away from junk food: Cut down on burgers, fries, buttered popcorn and carbonated beverages. Junk food is okay maybe once in a couple of weeks. But remember that to be a top-level runner, you must behave like one and eat like one.

To sum up, if you are a running beginner, you must have moderate levels of quality proteins, high levels of carbohydrates and moderate levels of fats to keep you body in top shape and keep you lean and healthy. A well-balanced diet will ensure development of strength and endurance so that you will be ready to give your best on the big day.

Filed Under: Nutrition

Stretching For Success

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

There are many articles out there that give you all kinds of tips on how to run. But one thing that many people forget about is what to do before and after a run. Stretching before and after running is a great way to help prevent injury. Keeping your muscles from cramping up and becoming sore, especially if you are new to running, is an excellent benefit of stretching. There are certain stretching techniques that are especially good for runners. Proper stretching can also help to improve your overall performance. Let’s look at some stretching techniques and how they benefit.

  • Now that you know what you should and should not feel while stretching your muscles let’s look at some running specific stretches.
  • The calf stretch is a basic stretch that is recommended for all runners. You can do a calf stretch pretty much anywhere there is something to push up against. There are many pictures and instructions for calf stretches, but basically you are pushing against the wall while bending first one knee and then the other while keeping your arms straight. Your back stays straight and your hips move towards the wall. You will feel the benefits of this stretch right away in your calves.
  • A great hip, hamstring, groin, and lower back stretch is one you have probably done many times. It is an excellent stretch for runners and you can do it anywhere. Stand with your feet pointed ahead and slightly apart. Bend forward slowly keeping your knees slightly bent. If you can touch your toes that is excellent. If you can’t, simply does the stretch just until you feel your muscles tense. Do this beneficial stretch enough and you will be touching your toes in no time.
  • Your neck and shoulders tend to get very tight when running, so it is very important to stretch those muscles as well. An easy stretch technique is to raise your shoulders to your ears and just hold for up to five seconds, then repeat.

There are many quad and hamstring stretches that runners swear by. Research them and find the ones that work for you. The important thing is that you have learned to stretch your muscles.

We have talked about some warm up stretches, and given a few examples, but how about cooling down? Most people are not aware that a good cool down is just as important as a warm up. You have just put your body through a great deal of stress with a run and you now need to care for it and help to protect it from injury.

The important areas to focus on when stretching after a run are almost the same as when warming up:

  • Calf Muscles – you can do the same stretch you did before
  • Quad Muscles
  • Gluteus Muscles
  • Hamstrings
  • Hips

One last stretching technique for cooling down is shoulder, ankle, and neck rotations. This stretch benefits you every time.

Filed Under: Stretching, Training

Stretching Before Running

August 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

It used to be that all runners stretched before they ran, and then there was a big debate. So now a lot of runners don’t stretch. If you’re a beginning runner, what is the answer: should you stretch before you run?

No, if you are not going to stretch correctly. Improper stretching is the second leading cause of running injuries to both runners who do not stretch very much and to those who spend an inordinate amount of time. Studies have shown that morning runners become injured more often than noontime and evening runners, which suggests that it is dangerous to stretch cold muscles. It is hard to stretch muscles that are not loosened and warmed up and you take the risk of tearing a muscle. A thorough warm-up before stretching, or postponing stretching till later in the day, may reduce the risk of injury. Be very gentle when stretching prior to a run. If you have had achilles tendonitis or tight calf muscles, you might find it helpful to stretch about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile into your run. The muscles will have warmed up and will be better prepared to be stretched. You also have to be careful about how you stretch. You should never bounce while stretching because you could tear or pull the muscle you are trying to stretch. Also avoid stretching too quickly, as the muscle will respond with a strong contraction and increase tension. Do not stretch beyond the point where you begin to feel tightness in the muscle, do not push through muscle resistance, and never stretch to the point of discomfort or pain.

So now that you know how not to stretch, how do you stretch? Well, first of all you should know the benefits of stretching. Many experts agree that stretching reduces muscle soreness after running and results in better athletic performance. Gentle stretching after a race or intense workout can also promote healing and lactic acid removal from the muscles. Stretching is most effective when performed several times each week; a minimum of one stretching session per week is sufficient to maintain flexibility. A predominance of coaches and runners believe in stretching before and after every workout. Thus, a typical workout starts with a 10- to 20-minute warm-up, followed by 10-20 minutes of stretching, the main course, a post-workout stretch and a warm-down jog. Always remember to stretch slowly in order to avoid the contraction reflex. By doing so, muscle tension falls, and you may stretch the muscle further. Hold the stretch for 30 to 40 seconds. You should try to build stretching into your regular schedule both before and after your daily run. A good program should include stretches for the calves, shins, hips, buttocks and thighs.


The miniumum strecthing before your run should be at least three types of wall pushup’s, the hamstring stretch, the heel-to-buttock stretch, and the groin stretch.

1. Wall Pushup #1

Stand about three feet from a wall, feet at shoulder width and flat on the ground. Put your hands on the wall with your arms straight for support. Lean your hips forward and bend your knees slightly to stretch your calves.

2. Wall Pushup #2

From the previous position, bend forward to lower your body to waist height. Bring one foot forward with your knee slightly bent. Lift the toes of the front foot to stretch the muscle under the calf. Stretch both legs.

3. Wall Pushup #3

Put your feet together, rocking back on your heels with your hands on the wall and your arms straight to form a jackknife with your body. This stretches your hips, shoulders, and lower back.

4. Hamstring Stretch

Lie down with one leg straight up in the air, the other bent with foot flat on the ground. Loop a towel over the arch of the lifted foot, and gently pull on the towel as you push against it with your foot. Push only to the point where your muscles contract. Stretch both legs.

5. Heel To Buttock

Stand on one foot, with one hand on a wall for balance. Hold the other foot with the opposite hand and raise the heel of the lifted foot to the buttocks (or as close as comfortably possible), stretching your quadriceps. Keep your body upright throughout. Change legs and repeat.

6. Groin Stretch

Seated, put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean forward and gently press your knees toward the ground.

Artical By DR Foot

Filed Under: Stretching, Training

Reach Your Weight Loss Goals – Couch to 5k Reviewed

August 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Are you a couch potato? The good news is I have worked with individuals who saw the walk to the kitchen fridge equal to scaling Everest. Well guess what? It is possible to go from being as sedentary as a tortoise to actually running your first 5k (3 mile) run within 2 Months.

My test subject a 48 year old female from the UK weighing in at 189 pounds, suffering from clinical depression and trapped in a web of weight related diseases came to me and asked me for help. Who was I to let them down? I advised the Couch to 5k challenge, offered my help free of charge as long as I could monitor the results, mainly so I could get some subjective information on the matter.

1. The couch to 5k challenge basically sets out on the opinion that you should start off slow and easy, when you first start out running it’s not just your weight that is a mitigating factor, but your joints, ligaments and bones just won’t cut it at this early stage. Easing yourself in will help you to overcome this and by the time you end the challenge you’ll feel comfortable jogging, actually it will become pleasurable. Well that’s exactly what happened in my client’s situation. She is now running 10k races for charity and in the best shape of her life, tipping the scales at 145 pounds only 6 months later.

2. Each session of the couch to 5k challenge only takes 20-30 minutes of your time 3 times a week; I can personally guarantee that even the busiest of us can fit this time into our schedule. By the way, 20-30 minutes 3 times a week is actually recommended by numerous studies for an optimum level of fitness.

3. The couch to 5k challenge focuses on the length of time you run over the speed you run. (Basically as we mentioned earlier your joints, bones and ligaments aren’t ready for any speed work yet). My client found this no pressure approach fun and the fact it was goal orientated easy to work with. She actually told me it made the program enjoyable.

Overall I would advise the Couch to 5k Challenge to anybody who sits there eating TV meals, drives the car to the local shop or pays someone to walk their dog. Its fun will make a change to your lifestyle and open your life up to a whole new world of opportunities.

My client lost 25 pounds in the 2 months she undertook this program, she changed her eating habits and her outlook on life. 6 months down the line her doctor is now as happy as Larry because she is off her depression medication and all her health related diseases cease to exist!

Visit I Got Fit for real results today!

Filed Under: Plans, Running Tips, Training

The Couch-to-5K Running Plan

August 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Our beginner’s running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and onto the roads, running 3 miles in just two months.

The Couch-to-5K Running Plan

Our beginner’s running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get started.

By Josh Clark
Posted Wednesday, 25 October, 2006

Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves.

You should ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners’ program we outline here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles (or 5K) on a regular basis in just two months.

It’s easy to get impatient, and you may feel tempted to skip ahead in the program, but hold yourself back. Don’t try to do more, even if you feel you can. If, on the other hand, you find the program too strenuous, just stretch it out. Don’t feel pressured to continue faster than you’re able. Repeat weeks if needed and move ahead only when you feel you’re ready.
A few minutes each week

Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes, three times a week. That just happens to be the same amount of moderate exercise recommended by numerous studies for optimum fitness. This program will get you fit. (Runners who do more than this amount are doing it for more than fitness, and before long you might find yourself doing the same as well).

Be sure to space out these three days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between efforts. And don’t worry about how fast you’re going. Running faster can wait until your bones are stronger and your body is fitter. For now focus on gradually increasing the time or distance you run.
Run for time, or run for distance

There are two ways to follow this program, to measure your runs by time or by distance. Either one works just as well, choose the option that seems easiest for you to keep track of. If you go with the distance option, and you are not using a track to measure the distances, just estimate. It’s not important to have the distances absolutely exact.

Before setting out, make sure to precede each session with a five-minute warmup walk or jog. Be sure to stretch both before and after. Read “Stay Loose” for some suggestions.

Week Workout 1 Workout 2 Workout 3
1 Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2 Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

  • Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
  • Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

  • Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
  • Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

  • Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
  • Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
  • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
  • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
  • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
  • Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

  • Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
  • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
  • Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Filed Under: Plans

Nutrition for Runners

August 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Is nutrition too complicated? These 10 simple commandments are guaranteed to make you healthier, fitter and faster

1. Plan your diet Devise a sensible eating plan that you can stick to, which will suit your lifestyle. Don’t set yourself unreasonable targets for food consumption. Unless you’re seriously overweight, it’s unlikely that your diet will need to undergo drastic restructuring. Start by analysing what you are eating now. Sit down with a pen and paper and ask yourself some questions about your dietary habits. Do you have breakfast? Do you feel tired and hungry by the time you run in the evening? If your diet is repetitive and boring you may not be getting the variety of foods necessary for adequate nutrient intake.

2. Eat little and often Frequent snacking throughout the day is a sure way to avoid low blood sugar levels and tiredness by the time you get home for your run. Research shows that eating little and often is best for runners… as long as you’re eating the right things! Make a point of taking high-carbohydrate snacks to work with you so that you aren’t caught out. Avoid high-fat snacks such as crisps and chocolate, opting instead for high-carbohydrate and low-fat snacks, which make the best fuel. Dry breakfast cereal, plain popcorn, bagels, low-fat crispbreads, bananas and other fruit are all excellent choices.

3. Don’t ignore the main meals Regular sensible snacking is important, but proper meals are where carbo-loading really counts. Pasta is deservedly the runner’s favourite, but there are plenty of other excellent high-carbohydrate foods, such as rice, baked potatoes, lentils, muesli and even baked beans. Still, beware! Some high-carbohydrate foods are also high in fat. Lasagne, thin-crust pizza, croissants and granola are some of the worst culprits.

4. Supplement those supplements Instead of spending a small fortune on pills and potions to supplement your diet, try to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need from the food you eat. It’s a big mistake to think that a supplement will completely satisfy your nutritional needs. Taking a pill might give you the recommended daily amount of a particular vitamin, but you also need protein, minerals, fibre and energy in the form of calories, which no pill will provide.

6. Drink more water Water is the body’s most important nutrient. It makes up between 50 and 60 per cent of your bodyweight and provides the medium in which most of the body processes occur. Aim to drink throughout the day, with a pint of water (or a sports drink) an hour before you run, and half a pint for every 30 minutes of running. On days when you run you should aim to consume five litres during the day, twice as much as is necessary on rest days.

8. Don’t forget your pre-race meal You’re well-versed in the idea of carbo-loading, but there are still a few tricks of the trade that can help you to race at your best. Firstly, don’t overeat late the night before as this will make sleep harder to come by. Secondly, don’t think of that final plate of pasta on the eve of the race as your last meal. Your body will use up some of that food energy overnight, so make sure you have breakfast. European 5000 and 10,000m champion Sonia O’Sullivan chooses bread or cereal, coffee, perhaps a banana and lots of water, but the carbohydrate combination you opt for is up to you. Just cut right down on fat and protein, which take a long time to digest. Coffee is fine if it’s part of your normal routine – just be sure to drink plenty of water along with it.

9. Learn to drink on the run Lengthy races – 10Ks and longer – often have drinks stations to replace lost fluids, and if you are running a marathon they will help you to scale the dreaded ‘wall’. Drinking on the run is an import element of technique and one you will need to practice prior to your race. Before you start the race, find out whether the drinks stations are providing water, or carbohydrate drinks as well. If you plan to use a carbo drink, be sure that you’ve tested it in practice runs. As you approach the station look right; most runners prefer to veer left to collect their drink, so the other side is often less crowded. Grab the cup with one hand and instantly cover the cup with the other if you plan to drink it as you run. Don’t be afraid to stop and walk; a few seconds spent drinking properly will easily pay off in terms of performance.

10. Carbo-load for recovery Immediately after a race or a hard run it’s important to refuel your body with high-carbohydrate food or drink. The first four hours after strenuous exercise is a crucial time for taking on new glycogen to replace what you’ve lost lost while working hard. Aim to keep stocking up every 15 minutes or so rather than gorging on one meal, because this maintains higher blood glucose and insulin concentrations, which in turn makes greater absorption into the muscles possible. Recent research suggests that including around 25 per cent protein in your recovery food will optimise the recovery of your muscles.

This interesting and very accurate article was found at Runners World

Filed Under: Nutrition

Training

July 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

This template gives you the opportunity to display three different categories in a static page. It can be a nice starting point if you use it e.g as the entry for a news section with three sub-categories. You don´t have to enter any content via the WP write panel since this page shows the most recent posts from three categories that you define.

Filed Under: Nutrition, Training

Running forum

July 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

at Igotfit.com

Filed Under: Training