I went to the Massage Clinic at the Center for Natural Wellness for a routine massage last night. As soon as I found myself resting comfortably on the massage table, I realized that it has been too long since my last massage, almost a year.
John was my masseur. He was full of energy, and used a mixture of massage strokes, direct pressure and stretching to reduce tension and flush out the lactic acid in my leg muscles.
Massage Is Your Canary In the Mineshaft
I recommend massage because, for me, it sheds light on tension and soreness in my muscles BEFORE they become injuries. During my massage, John found tense muscles in my legs that hadn't yet impacted my workouts. He was able to recommend a stretch for my Psoas muscle, the pigeon pose.
My New Exercise To Strengthen My Psoas Muscle
Yoga instructor Cindy Mastry shows Youtube viewers how to do the pose here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVlX5HNKamw
Why Should Runners Try Sports Massage?
Runner's World gives more information about the importance of sports massage for runners in their article, 'The Lowdowns on Rubdowns.'
What has your experience been with massage?
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Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
How to prevent 'hitting the wall' in a marathon
In the PLoS computational Biology article 'Metabolic Factors Limiting Performance in Marathon Runners,' marathoner and Harvard Ph.D. student Benjamin I. Rapoport states that 40% of marathon runners hit 'the wall.'
His research has found that long distance runners can prevent their bodies from hitting the wall by running at a specific pace and consuming specific amounts of carbohydrates at specific times during the race.
An interesting tidbit from his research is that he cites a study that find the primary risk factors for ‘hitting the wall’ are male gender, running a maximum distance of 20 miles or less during training, and expecting to ‘hit the wall.’
To read the study 'Hitting the wall in the marathon: Phenomenological characteristics and associations with expectancy, gender, and running history,' click here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029207000246
To find out your personalized carbohydrate fueling needs, use Rapoport's running endurance calculator - http://endurancecalculator.com
His research has found that long distance runners can prevent their bodies from hitting the wall by running at a specific pace and consuming specific amounts of carbohydrates at specific times during the race.
An interesting tidbit from his research is that he cites a study that find the primary risk factors for ‘hitting the wall’ are male gender, running a maximum distance of 20 miles or less during training, and expecting to ‘hit the wall.’
To read the study 'Hitting the wall in the marathon: Phenomenological characteristics and associations with expectancy, gender, and running history,' click here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029207000246
To find out your personalized carbohydrate fueling needs, use Rapoport's running endurance calculator - http://endurancecalculator.com
Monday, May 16, 2011
Book Review: Endurance Athlete's Edge by Marc Evans
‘Endurance Athlete’s Edge’ by Marc Evans offers advice on periodization, and training intensity zones in addition to basic information on running form, running drills and tips on preventing common running injuries.
Evans details the physiological benefits of each of the different types of running workouts. He separates workouts into Aerobic Conditioning (70 – 80% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR), Anaerobic Conditioning (80 – 90% of MHR), Aerobic Capacity (90 – 95% of MHR) and Anaerobic capacity (100% of MHR)
Aerobic conditioning workouts should be at least 20 minutes long.
Anaerobic Conditioning workouts should be 15 to 25 minutes total running in 1 mile repetitions with rest intervals of under 1 minute. The pace should be race pace.
Aerobic Capacity workouts should be 10 – 21 minutes of running separated into 800 meter repetitions, with rest intervals of equal time. The pace should be slightly faster than race pace.
Anaerobic capacity workouts should be 4 - 10 minutes of running separated into 20 second all-out sprints with 40 second rest intervals.
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My top way to stick to your training schedule - Tips for using a running log - Click Here
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Evans details the physiological benefits of each of the different types of running workouts. He separates workouts into Aerobic Conditioning (70 – 80% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR), Anaerobic Conditioning (80 – 90% of MHR), Aerobic Capacity (90 – 95% of MHR) and Anaerobic capacity (100% of MHR)
Aerobic conditioning workouts should be at least 20 minutes long.
Anaerobic Conditioning workouts should be 15 to 25 minutes total running in 1 mile repetitions with rest intervals of under 1 minute. The pace should be race pace.
Aerobic Capacity workouts should be 10 – 21 minutes of running separated into 800 meter repetitions, with rest intervals of equal time. The pace should be slightly faster than race pace.
Anaerobic capacity workouts should be 4 - 10 minutes of running separated into 20 second all-out sprints with 40 second rest intervals.
Most Read Posts:
My top way to stick to your training schedule - Tips for using a running log - Click Here
List of best at-work snacks for Runners - Click Here
What is the best percentage of protein, carbohydrate and fat in a long distance runners diet? Click Here
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