Summer Runnin’
“I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days”
Build a base
(Capacity Performance Therapy, Bend, OR)With summer arriving and race calendars reopening post-pandemic, many people are finding new motivation to get out and run. Consistency is key! It is better to run 3-4 miles, 5 days a week, than run 8-10 miles, 2-3 days a week. Tendons and muscles respond to load. They need time to accommodate for new repetitive strain in order to strengthen and become more durable to future loads. Once you have base of 20-30 miles/week for a few months it will be time to add in specifics for the event you are planning for. This may not mean increasing total mileage, just adding in speed, or tempo, or hills/trail depending on what your goals are.
Lindsey running the Waldo 100k in 2019
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you”
Form
Focus on shorter quicker strides
When runners pick up their pace, the initial though is to take long strides to cover more ground with less steps. This may work well for shorter distances, but in long distance, endurance running it is not as economical. Running economy is the energy demand for a given velocity of submaximal running. Basically- you want the least effort, propulsion, muscle/tendon strain in order to obtain the desired pace. Your tendons/muscles act like springs, helping to move you forward, and work best in the mid-range. Therefore, keeping your center of mass over you thigh/foot-ankle and taking shorter quicker steps will improve the efficiency of the spring mechanism.
Homework:
On your next run, try to run at the SAME speed but take more steps per minute for 2 minutes at a time, 3-5 times during your run. Count how many times your right foot touches the ground in 1 minute, x 2, that is your cadence. Optimal cadence is 170-185. If you are at 150, try and just increase slightly to 160 steps per minute. The challenge is NOT increasing your PACE, just your frequency of steps! HAVE FUN
If you have any running needs or question please reach out to Capacity Performance Therapy at info@capacitypt.com. We can’t wait to help you reach your fitness goals.
This month’s blog was written by Lindsey Hagen, PT DPT
Look out for more fun content from Lindsey in the future. Welcome to the team Lindsey!
