Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Run With Me : Hill Training & How I am supplementing it into my ...
Run With Me : Hill Training & How I am supplementing it into my ...: Hill training is highly beneficial for anyone's running program. The benefits include the following... 1. Enhances running economy 2....
Hill Training & How I am supplementing it into my program
Hill training is highly beneficial for anyone's running program. The benefits include the following...
1. Enhances running economy
2. Lift lactate-threshold velocity
3. Improve resistance to fatigue
4. Increase maximal running speed
5. Increase VO2max &vVO2max
6. Protect against soreness & injury
7. Prepare runners to compete on hilly race courses
8. Prepare runners to run faster on flatter courses
Knowing the benefits of hill training, it is an important part of your running program, but how do you supplement it in?? Here is how I currently supplement it into my weekly workouts. Of course you can change the incline, speed, duration, and number of the intervals, but this is currently what pushes me to exhaustion on my speed workouts.
Speed Workout (6 miles of work)
Warm Up - 1-1.5 miles
20 X 0.30 mile repeats (total work 1:40-2:00 per interval)
3 @ 9.7 mph 3% incline
3 @ 9.8 mph 3% incline
3 @ 9.9 mph 3% incline
3 @ 10 mph 3% incline
3 @ 10.1 mph 3% incline
3 @ 10.2 mph 3% incline
2 @ 10.3 mph 3% incline
Recovery - between each interval I rest on the treadmill for 0.10 mile (30-35 seconds average)
Cool Down - 0.5-1 mile
By the time I get through my 8th interval, my heart rate exceeds my zone 4 heart rate for the rest of the workout even during my recovery. My total work above my zone 4 heart rate ends up being over 5 miles out of the 6 miles.
Try this workout by adapting it to your current speed work paces. By gradually increasing the speed, it is not only a good way to keep track of your intervals (20 can be hard to remember as you as going based off the intensity) but also a great way to ease into the workout and end at an absolutely exhausting intensity with great running benefits.
Feel free to comment or email me with any questions!!
Happy Hill Training Running :)
1. Enhances running economy
2. Lift lactate-threshold velocity
3. Improve resistance to fatigue
4. Increase maximal running speed
5. Increase VO2max &vVO2max
6. Protect against soreness & injury
7. Prepare runners to compete on hilly race courses
8. Prepare runners to run faster on flatter courses
Knowing the benefits of hill training, it is an important part of your running program, but how do you supplement it in?? Here is how I currently supplement it into my weekly workouts. Of course you can change the incline, speed, duration, and number of the intervals, but this is currently what pushes me to exhaustion on my speed workouts.
Speed Workout (6 miles of work)
Warm Up - 1-1.5 miles
20 X 0.30 mile repeats (total work 1:40-2:00 per interval)
3 @ 9.7 mph 3% incline
3 @ 9.8 mph 3% incline
3 @ 9.9 mph 3% incline
3 @ 10 mph 3% incline
3 @ 10.1 mph 3% incline
3 @ 10.2 mph 3% incline
2 @ 10.3 mph 3% incline
Recovery - between each interval I rest on the treadmill for 0.10 mile (30-35 seconds average)
Cool Down - 0.5-1 mile
By the time I get through my 8th interval, my heart rate exceeds my zone 4 heart rate for the rest of the workout even during my recovery. My total work above my zone 4 heart rate ends up being over 5 miles out of the 6 miles.
Try this workout by adapting it to your current speed work paces. By gradually increasing the speed, it is not only a good way to keep track of your intervals (20 can be hard to remember as you as going based off the intensity) but also a great way to ease into the workout and end at an absolutely exhausting intensity with great running benefits.
Feel free to comment or email me with any questions!!
Happy Hill Training Running :)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Run With Me : New Food Creation - Meatballs & Hummus Salsa Dip
Run With Me : New Food Creation - Meatballs & Hummus Salsa Dip: Hey Everyone! I came up with a new food creation tonight! It is a good and healthy meal that is easy to make and only takes a couple ingredi...
New Food Creation - Meatballs & Hummus Salsa Dip
Hey Everyone! I came up with a new food creation tonight! It is a good and healthy meal that is easy to make and only takes a couple ingredients!
Here are the ingredients you need...
Trader Joes Mini Party Meatballs (6 per serving)
Roasted Garlic Hummus Trader Joes - 1Tbsp
Black Bean & Corn Salsa Trader Joes - 1 Tbsp
Coconut Oil at Trader Joes - 1/2 Tbsp
(Or similar items from another grocery store)
Nutrition Information...
345 Calories
25 grams of Fat
14 grams of Carbohydrates (4 grams of dietary fiber & 2 grams of sugar)
16 grams of Protein
Cook the meatballs on the stove top with a 1/2-1 tbsp of coconut oil. Cover the top of the pan and cook thoroughly until the center is cooked. Remove from the stove top and cut the meatballs in half. Then to make the meatball dip mix 1 tbsp of roasted garlic humus and black bean and corn salsa. Dip the meatballs in the dip and enjoy!
That's my one easy to make new recipe for you to try! I am going to try and post a new healthy and quick recipe each week!
Feel free to post any comments, meal ideas, and/or questions!!
Happy Easy & Healthy Nutrition for Running :)
Here are the ingredients you need...
Trader Joes Mini Party Meatballs (6 per serving)
Roasted Garlic Hummus Trader Joes - 1Tbsp
Black Bean & Corn Salsa Trader Joes - 1 Tbsp
Coconut Oil at Trader Joes - 1/2 Tbsp
(Or similar items from another grocery store)
Nutrition Information...
345 Calories
25 grams of Fat
14 grams of Carbohydrates (4 grams of dietary fiber & 2 grams of sugar)
16 grams of Protein
How to make them..
That's my one easy to make new recipe for you to try! I am going to try and post a new healthy and quick recipe each week!
Feel free to post any comments, meal ideas, and/or questions!!
Happy Easy & Healthy Nutrition for Running :)
Friday, January 24, 2014
Staying Motivated - Make A Commitment!
With the end of January nearing, spring racing season is going to be here before we know it! Living in Minnesota, many runners and people just trying to stay in shape, start to lack motivation with the cold weather. What can help you stay motivated? Scheduling and signing up for you races for the 2014 season!
First of all, by signing up it makes you start to plan ahead and commit to a training schedule. By knowing which events and when you need to be ready to run, it can help kick your motivation in a positive direction. Instead of feeling like you need to run just to run, it jump starts a new way of thinking. It makes training exciting and presents a new challenge to your workout program.
Check out this website for running events -
www.raceberryjam.com
Once you find some races you are interested in doing, get others involved! Try to find a training partner or group to also help keep you motivated! Now not only are you making a commitment for yourself, but you are getting others committed too!
If you need to find a training group, find a local running store. I work at Running Room and we have running training programs and groups to help you with your running goals.
You can also sign up for a gym membership. Not only do you have access to indoor training, but you are in an environment of people that have similar goals and interests. I also work at Lifetime Fitness where we have many programs and resources to help you out!
Staying motivated can be easy when you...
1. Make a commitment - sign up for a race or event
2. Have a training program
3. Get others committed
4. Use resources that will keep you on track and committed
Feel free to contact me with any questions or for additional resources!
Happy Motivated Running :)
Thursday, January 16, 2014
All About Recovery - Finding a Stress Balance
Why is recovering from exercise and the stresses placed on your body so important?
Everyday your body is put through a number of different stressors. Stress due to exercise, work, sleep, nutrition, your environment, other people, etc. When your body is put through so much stress and it doesn't have the ability to adequately recover, performance and health may suffer. Most likely your body will feel sore and fatigued because your body's recovery was not adequate.
Since many people only really see the external effects of stress, you can only imagine what is going on inside of your body! If we were to take a look, we may see some signs of increased inflammation, connective tissues that aren't healing, neurotransmitters and anabolic hormones going down and their catabolic hormones such as cortisol going up.
When your body isn't getting adequate recovery, there are a whole number of issues that have complex effects on the body!
There are two main categories for the underlying causes of fatigue -
1. Central (neuromuscular) - Our central nervous system (CNS) acts like a car engine regulator. If you are in full speed and revving too high for too long, it shuts down. Our brain attempts to protect our muscles the same way by reducing the rate of nerve impulses.
2. Local (peripheral) - Relates to energy system depletion and/or metabolic byproduct accumulation. Just like a car running out of gas.
When it comes to recovering from our exercise and workouts, the activities that we do between workouts greatly influences how efficiently we recover. These activities fall into two categories.
1. Sympathetic Activities - "fight or flight"
2. Parasympathetic Activities - "rest and digest"
Sympathetic activities include pursing ambitious career goals, building relationships, balancing finances, acquiring food and shelter, and all of the daily activities required for human survival. As you can imagine, most of us tend to be much too "sympathetic". All of these activities are stressors that can increase our body's level of cortisol and adrenaline. Chronic sympathetic activity leads to high levels of circulating cortisol and adrenaline, both produced by the adrenal glands. This can cause our "non critical" functions to be inhibited - things like digestion, liver metabolism and detoxification, immune function, and reproduction.
When these sympathetic activities start to dominate our lives, it can result in...
1. Poor blood sugar management and insulin resistance
2. Depression, sleep disruption, and carbohydrate craving
3. Decreased thyroid hormone output and a reduced metabolism
4. Altered sex hormone activity
5. Amino Acid loss from muscle
If fatigue becomes chronic, the production of stress hormones can slow and the development of ongoing fatigue can occur. When the body is revving too high for too long it starts to shut down. This type of fatigue is central or neuromuscular. Removing all of your daily stressors not necessarily healthy or a positive thing. Rather than trying to fix all of the stressors in your life, finding a balance of stressful activities with relaxing and energizing activities (parasympathetic activities) is key.
Relaxing and energizing activities that are parasympathetic dominant include -
1. Mediation
2. Yoga
3. Pilates
4. Tai Chi
5. Spa Treatments
6. Meaningful Relationships/Discussions
7. Jacuzzi Time
8. Sauna
9. Relaxing Hobbies
10. Reading
11. Music
12. Drinking Tea
13. Daydreaming
14. Warm Baths
15. Candles
16. Aromatherapy
Mediation, yoga, pilates, and tai chi can help lower stress, improve oxygenation and stimulate recovery. They have been around for thousands of years because they work.
Spa treatments, sauna time and baths can facilitate lymph circulation and recovery.
Sleep and meaningful relationships can also regulate our recovery. A restful night sleep and a good laugh increase our energizing and recovery hormones. Most people need 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night to perform their best.
One activity isn't necessarily better than any other; it's more about what a specific activity does for you. Give your body time to retune and bring itself back into balance. Prioritizing 30 minutes of parasympathetic activity each day is essential for productive recovery!
I will have more of this topic in articles to follow! Please feel free to write comment or email me for questions!
Happy Restful & Recovered Running :)
Everyday your body is put through a number of different stressors. Stress due to exercise, work, sleep, nutrition, your environment, other people, etc. When your body is put through so much stress and it doesn't have the ability to adequately recover, performance and health may suffer. Most likely your body will feel sore and fatigued because your body's recovery was not adequate.
Since many people only really see the external effects of stress, you can only imagine what is going on inside of your body! If we were to take a look, we may see some signs of increased inflammation, connective tissues that aren't healing, neurotransmitters and anabolic hormones going down and their catabolic hormones such as cortisol going up.
When your body isn't getting adequate recovery, there are a whole number of issues that have complex effects on the body!
There are two main categories for the underlying causes of fatigue -
1. Central (neuromuscular) - Our central nervous system (CNS) acts like a car engine regulator. If you are in full speed and revving too high for too long, it shuts down. Our brain attempts to protect our muscles the same way by reducing the rate of nerve impulses.
2. Local (peripheral) - Relates to energy system depletion and/or metabolic byproduct accumulation. Just like a car running out of gas.
When it comes to recovering from our exercise and workouts, the activities that we do between workouts greatly influences how efficiently we recover. These activities fall into two categories.
1. Sympathetic Activities - "fight or flight"
2. Parasympathetic Activities - "rest and digest"
Sympathetic activities include pursing ambitious career goals, building relationships, balancing finances, acquiring food and shelter, and all of the daily activities required for human survival. As you can imagine, most of us tend to be much too "sympathetic". All of these activities are stressors that can increase our body's level of cortisol and adrenaline. Chronic sympathetic activity leads to high levels of circulating cortisol and adrenaline, both produced by the adrenal glands. This can cause our "non critical" functions to be inhibited - things like digestion, liver metabolism and detoxification, immune function, and reproduction.
When these sympathetic activities start to dominate our lives, it can result in...
1. Poor blood sugar management and insulin resistance
2. Depression, sleep disruption, and carbohydrate craving
3. Decreased thyroid hormone output and a reduced metabolism
4. Altered sex hormone activity
5. Amino Acid loss from muscle
If fatigue becomes chronic, the production of stress hormones can slow and the development of ongoing fatigue can occur. When the body is revving too high for too long it starts to shut down. This type of fatigue is central or neuromuscular. Removing all of your daily stressors not necessarily healthy or a positive thing. Rather than trying to fix all of the stressors in your life, finding a balance of stressful activities with relaxing and energizing activities (parasympathetic activities) is key.
Relaxing and energizing activities that are parasympathetic dominant include -
1. Mediation
2. Yoga
3. Pilates
4. Tai Chi
5. Spa Treatments
6. Meaningful Relationships/Discussions
7. Jacuzzi Time
8. Sauna
9. Relaxing Hobbies
10. Reading
11. Music
12. Drinking Tea
13. Daydreaming
14. Warm Baths
15. Candles
16. Aromatherapy
Mediation, yoga, pilates, and tai chi can help lower stress, improve oxygenation and stimulate recovery. They have been around for thousands of years because they work.
Spa treatments, sauna time and baths can facilitate lymph circulation and recovery.
Sleep and meaningful relationships can also regulate our recovery. A restful night sleep and a good laugh increase our energizing and recovery hormones. Most people need 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night to perform their best.
One activity isn't necessarily better than any other; it's more about what a specific activity does for you. Give your body time to retune and bring itself back into balance. Prioritizing 30 minutes of parasympathetic activity each day is essential for productive recovery!
I will have more of this topic in articles to follow! Please feel free to write comment or email me for questions!
Happy Restful & Recovered Running :)
Friday, January 3, 2014
Smart Fuel! Enhance your diet for a healthier brain and a better run!
I found this article in a Runners World Magazine and wanted to blog the topic! It's about eating the right foods to enhance your brain function and for a better run. Your brain is not only responsible for cognitive and memory functions, but is also critical in controlling fatigue levels during a run. Nourishing your brain with key nutrients will boosts its overall function and help you in the long run.
Here is a short list of the top brain foods -
Almonds - one of the richest sources of vitamin E and make for a smart snack. Vitamin E reduces oxidative stress in the brain caused by a crappy diet of refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour) and unhealthy fats. Vitamin E is a potent protector for the brain's omega-3-rich cell membranes.
Eggs - Choline helps keep your brain's messengers (neurotransmitters) signaling properly.
Kale - Lutein protects neurons from oxidative damage caused by pollution and heavy breathing (hard running for example). Oxidative damage is linked to poor cognitive function, early memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease.
Salmon - The membrane of brain cells is made primarily of omega-3 fats - same fat in salmon. Consuming omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) makes these cells more supple, optimizing your processing power. Omega-3s may also delay memory loss as you age and boosts IQ in kids.
Whey Protein - One of the main proteins in milk and other dairy foods, whey may save the brain. Enhances your brains ability to process oxygen which is a sign of optimal brain function.
Yogurt - The probiotics found in some yogurts may affect brain function. A study done of individuals who ate yogurt with probiotics twice daily for 4 weeks showed better connectivity between brain regions than the control group.
Brussels Sprouts - Vitamin K enhances verbal memory skills
Olive Oil - enhances your memory
If these foods are currently not in your nutrition, start adding some in! Each of the foods are nutrient dense foods that are not only good for your waist line and your running, but also your brain!
Please feel free to share any comments or email me for questions!
Happy Smart Fuel Running :)
Here is a short list of the top brain foods -
Almonds - one of the richest sources of vitamin E and make for a smart snack. Vitamin E reduces oxidative stress in the brain caused by a crappy diet of refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour) and unhealthy fats. Vitamin E is a potent protector for the brain's omega-3-rich cell membranes.
Eggs - Choline helps keep your brain's messengers (neurotransmitters) signaling properly.
Kale - Lutein protects neurons from oxidative damage caused by pollution and heavy breathing (hard running for example). Oxidative damage is linked to poor cognitive function, early memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease.
Salmon - The membrane of brain cells is made primarily of omega-3 fats - same fat in salmon. Consuming omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) makes these cells more supple, optimizing your processing power. Omega-3s may also delay memory loss as you age and boosts IQ in kids.
Whey Protein - One of the main proteins in milk and other dairy foods, whey may save the brain. Enhances your brains ability to process oxygen which is a sign of optimal brain function.
Yogurt - The probiotics found in some yogurts may affect brain function. A study done of individuals who ate yogurt with probiotics twice daily for 4 weeks showed better connectivity between brain regions than the control group.
Brussels Sprouts - Vitamin K enhances verbal memory skills
Olive Oil - enhances your memory
If these foods are currently not in your nutrition, start adding some in! Each of the foods are nutrient dense foods that are not only good for your waist line and your running, but also your brain!
Please feel free to share any comments or email me for questions!
Happy Smart Fuel Running :)
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