I’m halfway through my training program for the Hapalua Half Marathon on March 10. So far everything is going well, if not exactly according to the schedule. Before I started this structured plan, I hadn’t been running regularly for quite some time. I find that training for an event helps keep me more consistent when it comes to cardio; otherwise I just don’t put in the time. Now I’m back to the point where running a few miles feels great instead of excruciating.
The three day a week running schedule has been enough to get my mileage in and up, but not so much that I don’t have time to focus on strength training and other fun stuff like hiking. It’s important to me that I incorporate lots of cross training so that I don’t get bored or suffer an overuse injury. I’ve also loved and hated incorporating more hill training into my runs. Those days are very challenging, but make me much stronger for the flatter terrain days.
I had a minor setback the first weeks of training. The back of my knee was getting inflamed after my runs. I have great shoes that fit properly and are still in good condition, so I knew that wasn’t the cause. After a bit of research and experimentation, I figured out my poor hamstring was so tight it was tugging at the insertion point behind my knee. A bit of daily and post run stretching solved that problem. I must confess: I am HORRIBLE about stretching. This was a great reminder of how endurance, strength, and flexibility all have to work together for maximum results. My advice to you: don’t neglect the STRETCH!
Are you currently prepping for a race? How’s your training going?
A new year means a whole new training schedule! I’ve been off distance running for some time now, but I have several half marathons on the schedule for 2013 that I need to get prepared for. The first race is the Honolulu Hapalua, brought to you by the same great team as the Honolulu Marathon. I did the inaugural race last year, and now I feel like I need to commit to it; my friend Amanda has already decided we will be the 70 year old ladies who are honored in 2043 for completing every run since its inception. But, in order to even imagine doing that, I need to make sure I train in a reasonable way to prevent injury. I’m also trying to improve my time this year, which is why I’m including some hill training days as well as tempo runs. The plan looks like this:
Week
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
rest
XT
3 EZ
XT
3 tempo
XT
4
2
rest
XT
4EZ
XT
3 hills
XT
5
3
rest
XT
3EZ
XT
4 tempo
XT
6
4
rest
XT
4EZ
XT
3hils
XT
7
5
rest
XT
3EZ
XT
5 tempo
XT
5
6
rest
XT
4EZ
XT
3 hills
XT
8
7
rest
XT
3EZ
XT
5 tempo
XT
9
8
rest
XT
3EZ
XT
4 hills
XT
10
9
rest
XT
3EZ
XT
5 tempo
XT
8
10
rest
XT
4EZ
XT
3hills
XT
rest
RACE DAY
For my hill runs, I’ll be including some of the steeper climbs in my neighborhood (Diamond Head and Kilauea next to KCC), which my training partner isn’t too excited about, but he’ll thank me later.
I really enjoy the half marathon distance; it’s long enough for me to require a formalizing training schedule, but short enough to avoid hysterical sobbing on the course (see my full marathon story for those details!) I also like being able to dedicate time to other physical endeavors; something I wasn’t really able to fit in while preparing for my full marathon. And I’m not alone in feeling this way; the half marathon is the fastest growing road racing distance in the US.
What about you? Any half marathons on your schedule? Which distance is your favorite?
Last weekend I ran in the 37th annual Wahiawa Pineapple 10K Run. This was my second year, and it’s one of my favorite races on the island. Not that I don’t love Ala Moana or Kapolani Park, but this was a rare opportunity to run in the country. The course started out at Ka’ala Elementary School and then went straight up Kamehameha Highway through Wahiawa town. The next 4 miles of the course led through rolling hills alongside agricultural fields with great views of the Waianae Mountains. Ironically, I didn’t see a single pineapple during the race; most of the land is now used for other crops.
View of the Waianae Mountains from the 10K course
I was not going for a personal record this race, and I took a very easy pace. I’ve found it a little difficult to get back into speedier short distances after training for long-distance races. All 755 of the finishers, no matter what their time, received a pineapple at the end of the race. To celebrate my sweet victory, I think I’ll make a pineapple sorbet, similar to this one, but without the addition of agave. I think the fruit itself will be sweet enough.
I love participating in races like this one. There is a great energy during the event that you just don’t experience during a training run. There are TONS of foot, bike, swim, and even SUP races taking place this summer and fall. Check out Active.com or the Running Room’s event calendar to see what’s coming up. Several of my clients are going out of town this summer, but will be training for a race during their extended break to help keep them on track. It is so much easier to stick to a plan if you have an end goal in mind.
What event would you like to complete? Have an great race experiences? Tell us!
Knee pain is one of the most common complaints I get from women who have just joined my boot camp, and it’s one of the biggest deterrents to exercise in general. While there are many reasons as to why this happens, poorly fitting footwear is one one the main reasons.
There are three main foot types: normal, under pronaters, and over pronaters, and it is very easy for you to figure out which type you are. The next time you take a shower, look at your wet footprint on the floor and compare it to the ones below:
If you under or over pronate you place more pressure on the inside or outside of your foot than your should when you walk or run. This in turn can cause pressure in your ankle, knee, or hip that shouldn’t be there and can cause slight to severe pain.
The best thing you can do to insure a proper shoe fit is go to a running store with a knowledgeable staff and have them fit you for a shoe. It will cost you a little more upfront, but you’ll save yourself a lot of pain and frustration. Once you find a shoe you like, stick with that model and make sure you replace it when it begins to wear out. Shoes usually last anywhere from 250-300 miles, so that can be anywhere from 3-12 months, depending on how active you are.
I under pronate, and last year I was getting a super sharp pain on the outside of my left knee when I ran for more than 3 miles. It was so intense that I could barely walk/hobble my way home after it struck. I went to a small specialty running store here in Honolulu where the sales rep really spent some time with me and made me try on what felt like every under pronater shoe in the store. I trained for and ran a marathon in those shoes without one little knee twinge! It was amazing! Your footwear really can make or break your training!
Have you ever been out jogging, and all of a sudden you are struck by a sharp pain in your side that stops you in your tracks? The dreaded side stitch strikes many new runners, and can be so discouraging and debilitating that it can lead people to abandon running all together. It’s so common, in fact, that there is even a super science-y name for it: exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). Like many things related to health, there is great debate among experts on what exactly causes this pain. Dehydration, shallow breathing, and going to fast and hard too soon are all culprits.
The good news is there are several things you can do to prevent the side side and to deal with it once it starts happening:
Make sure you are properly hydrated; even an experienced runner can be stitched if they haven’t had enough water.
Focus on your breathing. You want to try to take as deep and as relaxed breaths as you can manage, even as you become a bit fatigued. Shallow breathing never allows your diaphragm to fully relax, so the muscle is constantly stressed and more likely to spasm. Not only will controlled breaths help prevent ETAP, but deep breathing will make your entire jogging experience easier because your body will get the oxygen it needs to keep you in motion.
If you’ve already been struck:
Slow down. Breathe deeply. Relax. The pain will pass.
Push up on your right side below your ribcage. If you are like most people, you breathe out when your right foot hits the ground (pay attention next time you go for a jog).When you exhale your diaphragm goes up, and at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go down. When this happens, the ligaments that connect your diaphragm to your liver are stretched, resulting in the stabbing side pain.
Try a side bend. Arch your right arm over your head and bend to the left. Hold this position for at least 20 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
Considering that over 20,000 people will be participating in the Kaiser Permanente Great Aloha Run on President’s Day this February, I’d be willing to bet that many of you who come to my site are currently training or considering registering. While you could just wake up on race day and do this 8 mile run, it will be a lot more fun for you (and your body) if you train in advance. There is an official (free!) training taking place in Kapiolani Park Sunday mornings at 6:45am to take care of some of your mileage, but if you really want to train for and complete the race with the smallest risk of injury and least amount of aches and pains, not to mention the best time you can muster, you’ll need to do a little more than run. You’ll be able to complete this strength training workout with equipment and time, but if you commit to it 2-4 times a week, you’ll definitely notice a big difference in your runs, especially as you increase your mileage. As an added bonus, strength training will also increase your metabolism, strengthen your bones, improve your balances, raise your HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind), improve your posture, and elevate your mood! Oh yeah, and it will help you look good too!
I tried a new format with the videos here, so please leave me a comment if you have any feedback!
You can also print this workout and have a handy reference sheet when you perform your exercises.
To download this image, simply right click on the photo below and click save image as.
