Runlikeh3ll! A Runner's Blog For The Rest Of Us. » Running

Should I incorporate barefoot running into my current training regimen?

John — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:20:58 +0000

Runner’s Question: I am currently running a minimum of 7 miles a day. My dad told me I should be running barefoot strides after every workout. I tried that on the football field, only 4 strides. When I was done, I noticed that my calves and hips felt amazing. Does a little bit of barefoot running actually prevent injury?

My 2 cents: Good question! I’ve been doing my share of barefoot running lately… As in literally running without any type of footwear. I’ve only worked up to roughly 3 miles, as it tends to get harsh on your feet, especially when running through the terrain that I’ve been (neighborhoods… streets and sidewalks). I only do it during the day when so I can concentrate on my foot placement and be sure that I’m not stepping on any glass. Anyway, not gonna go off on a long rant here, but I would definitely recommend adding barefoot running to your training/cardio regimen. Just be sure to start slow and ease your way into it. Only do like 3-4 blocks your first day – Your calves are going to be feeling it soon after!

Add your two cents! Answer this question (or check out the other answers) in the comments section below.

Should I incorporate barefoot running into my current training regimen? is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Running My First Half Marathon So I ran my first half marathon a few weekends...

Running My First Half Marathon

John — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:42:57 +0000

So I ran my first half marathon a few weekends ago.

I followed this training program. I’ve never used a training program before a run before, so it was nice to have that “structured” feel. I felt prepared and somewhat confident when going into the race.

I ate a lot of spaghetti the night before (the “carbloading” that other runners know and love) but I had a problem – It didn’t come out the other end. 10 minutes before the race starts, I run to the port-a-potties in a desperate attempt to make a bowel movement. I knew that if I didn’t do this, I would have some serious problems during the race. I was able to make a little progress in there, but the run started while I was inside… Thank god for the race tags.

I didn’t have time to stretch – I ran right out of the port-a-potty and crossed the starting line.

I was in a bit of a panic, but after the first mile or so, I relaxed. I was, however, still a bit worried about the lack of stretching. I went through some weird pain during my training, and that was with a lot of stretching.

Anyway, I made it about 5 miles before I had to use another port-a-potty. I didn’t want to stop, but there was no way I was gonna be able to hold it in.

Back to the race! I felt like I had a pretty good pace going, and the running music I was rocking out to (The Disco Biscuits) was really helping – It matched my stride pretty well, and kept me thinking about the music as opposed to the bathroom or the pain in my knee that I was beginning to feel.

I think it was around mile 8 that the course turned around. I continued to slowly, but surely, pass people by.

By about mile 9, I was exhausted. The pain in my left knee became too much to ignore, and I seriously considered stopping to stretch. But I decided against it, I had to keep moving. I already made a “pit stop” and that was more time than I would have liked to waste.

By mile 12, I was really hurting. I knew that I shouldn’t continue running through this kind of pain, but I kept going. When you get close to the finish line, more and more people are lined up on the sides cheering you on. I knew I was close, and the adrenaline started kicking in. With about half a mile left, the adrenaline became almost too much to bear.

In the last 30 seconds of the race, I took off. I ran faster than I have in a long time, and I passed 10 people or so. It felt amazing. I finished in 1:57:49. I wanted to finish in under 2 hours, so I met that goal. I also limped around for the following week or so… I definitely put a hurting on my knees.

Anyway, I’m not sure if my knees just can’t handle that kind of distance, or if the lack of stretching is what did it. It may be a combination of the two. Either way, I’m gonna keep running. I don’t have anymore half marathons scheduled, but I’m more than willing to give it another shot.

Running My First Half Marathon is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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The Guide To running Your First Marathon

Steve Persipidus — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:17:05 +0000

by Steve Persipidus

If you can run two miles you can run marathon! So here’s how it goes. I remember about 8 yrs ago I never thought I could run a marathon. I started to exercise and run to help get over the bad habits I developed and as I did I felt energized.

I started running one mile and soon that became three and then five As I read books and learned how to expand I decided to run a marathon. My first was the New York City Marathon in 2003 and my goal was to finish.

The first step is to find a marathon and sign up for it. This will show your personal commitment and will help you knowing that you have a goal. Look for one approximately six months out from the beginning of your training. Take the first month and start running 3-4 days a week being sure to stretch before and after your runs. Stretching will help prevent injuries and promote long term health.

Use this first month to build a base run of 3-5 miles a day. As you approach the second month start to increase this base run to about 4-6 miles a day 4 -5 days a week. At this point it is not necessary to run fast. The goal here is to finish, if you need take 30 seconds to 1 minute in between each mile.

I will discuss hydration and nutrition in the next article as this is very important as well. Now that you have a nice base run of about 20 miles per week you can build nicely on this over the next 12 weeks.

Starting month 3 begin to build on your run intensity and duration. You will need to add at least one “speed” work out and one “hill” exercise to your routine and also one long run to your weekly mileage.

Here is an example of what is can look like. Monday run 3-5 miles at an average pace. Tuesday run some hills (8-10 times up a hill that is approximately 100meters in length at a brisk pace and slowly jog down) and take Wednesday off and then on Thursday run a brisk 4-5 mile run. Friday try some speed work and then Saturday off. And last try a long run on Sunday of about 7-9 miles that are at a slow pace. As you do these routines add mileage to your long run every other week by 2 miles, your mileage will increase dramatically along with your stamina until you reach around 20 to 22 miles on your long run.

The last thing to do is the taper. Three weeks prior to your planned race you need to taper off the long runs and decrease your mileage by fifty percent. Cut your long run in by a third at the first week of your taper and then run an easy 10 miler the weekend before the marathon. The week of the marathon try a few short 3-5 milers and then take some rest on Friday and Saturday before the race.

Try this and you will finish your first marathon. Happy running!

The Guide To running Your First Marathon is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Running My First Half Marathon So I ran my first half marathon a few weekends...

Kenyans and Marathons

John — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:14:43 +0000

Guest post by Kathleen Baker.

Regardless of your city’s location, if it is the site for any major marathon race, then chances are it will attract a large international audience. With many prominent runners hailing from African nations like Kenya and Ethiopia, there has been a recent influx of fast runners from Germany and Russia as well taking many of the top times. In these poorer African nations, however, youths see their distance running as a ticket to get out of these poverty-stricken areas so that they can succeed in something that comes naturally to them.

East Africa has long supplied many of the world’s top long-distance runners over the past years, though there still remains speculation as to why this has become such a true fact. Many believe this is because of the high altitude at which Kenyans and Ethiopians train, although these countries also have a robust running culture as well as highly trained regimes. The specific Kalenjin tribe in Kenya are only 12 percent of the population of the country although they make up 75 percent of the nation’s elite runners, growing from the onset Olympic victory of Kip Keino in 1968. This has thus inspired many Kalenjin youths to grow up and be like this hero of the tribe. Additionally, the fact that so many Kenyans and Ethiopians have witnessed their fellow citizens travel overseas and win thousands of dollars in marathon money has been a further encouragement to rigorously train in order to become the best at marathon running. This has led domestic competition to drastic levels in order to determine who is the best to compete internationally.

However, very few youths get the opportunity to leave their home nations and travel in order to compete in international marathons. This still remains a dream far out of reach for so many young people in these nations, especially Kenya, but they keep training in the 7,000 to 8,000 foot altitudes in order to build up an endurance. This change in altitude offers a form of training that is used around the world, but the Kalenjin tribe has learned to hone into this factor and train their runners specifically for distance. Many genetic tests have additionally been conducted to determine to what length physiology plays a role in the Kalenjin tribe’s accomplishments as runners. In 2000, the Danish Sports Science Institute concluded after their tests with a Danish runner that Kenyans have a born advantage due to their “birdlike legs”. Many Kenyans themselves view their running strength as a sign of their superior work ethic which allows them to work harder and reach goals that would otherwise seem unfathomable. While the true reason behind their superior running skills remains undetermined, the fact remains that across the world, Kenyans and on a smaller scale, Ethiopians, are still dominating the first place mark on many marathons without any sign of this letting up.

This post was contributed by Kathleen Baker, who writes about nursing schools. She welcomes your feedback at KathleenBaker3212 at gmail.com

Kenyans and Marathons is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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Adding A Little Variety To Your Treadmill Workouts

John — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:59:11 +0000

Treadmills offer lots of features and options. With high tech electronic consoles and adjustable incline settings, there are lots of ways to use your treadmill. But, there are some simple routines you can do to spice up your treadmill workouts without all the fancy buttons and gadgets. Here are some ideas to add some variety to your routine.

Walk Backwards

Here’s a simple idea that’s never occurred to most treadmill users. Why not turn around and try it backward for a while?

Going backwards on the treadmill can do wonders for your coordination and balance. At first, it’s awkward, but after a while you’re balance improves and it’s a piece of cake. Walking backwards can also build strength in some of the leg muscles you don’t use often in ordinary walking.

Count Your Steps

You may be taking shorter or longer strides during your workout and not even realize it. The most exercise efficient walking is a consistent pace. When we start to get tired, we may cut corners and slow it down without slowing down the actual speed of the treadmill.

To make sure you are maintaining the same pace throughout, count your steps. Keep track of how many steps you take in one minute. Every now and then, count for a minute and see if you’re consistent or not. It’s better for your workout to take small, fast steps. Challenge yourself and see if you can beat your high score!

Let The Networks Time Your Workout

Here’s a fun and entertaining way to time your workout: watch TV. Lots of people watch TV while doing their treadmill exercises, and find that using the TV to time their breaks and changes of routine work well.

It’s best if you’re a sports fan. Sports games are timed to the second, and you can use them to time your workout to the second. If you aren’t into sports, you can watch your favorite sitcom or drama and use the commercial breaks for your own break. You probably never looked forward to the commercials before, did you?

If you’re up for a long run, put on a movie. If you’d rather listen to music, time your workout to your favorite songs.

Mix It Up

Mixing up your treadmill routine with stretches and other exercises like stomach crunches or aerobics is great. It’s good because it provides an overall workout that is well-balanced and includes your whole body. It’s also good because it gives you some variety and lets you step off the treadmill for a while. Using your treadmill with other exercises is recommended by health fitness experts.

Work Out Naked!

The latest health research shows that exercising naked is the best way to stretch your muscles and take off extra weight. Just kidding! You don’t need any scientific evidence; you can do whatever you want to in the privacy of your own home. Whatever it takes to liven up your exercise routine! Just check to make sure the windows are closed first.

You don’t have to just turn it on and run. Combine your machine and your imagination and make some treadmill workouts of your own.

Adding A Little Variety To Your Treadmill Workouts is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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Treadmills – Get Fit Stay Fit

John — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:31:08 +0000

Your exercise program could benefit from the use of treadmills. Using a treadmill provides a wonderful cardiovascular workout for your heart, your lungs, and your circulation. There low impact on your joints, which makes it easier and less painful to workout.

Pregnant women will get an excellent workout. Its low impact and cardiovascular nature it builds endurance which will no doubt help during labor. The lower end models are not expensive and treadmills are easy to use. Using a treadmill could help you lose weight and even body fat.

That they don’t take up a lot of space is a non-physical benefit. There are some that could take up a whole room almost but if space is the issue, than you can find manual treadmills that fold and are powered by your movement only. Talk to professionals and do your research to find out which one might be appropriate for you. Comparing different models is best. Do you know what features you’re looking for on a treadmill? You should look at certain things when you are comparing various models. All you really want to do is workout so this can all be overwhelming.

The size of your machine can be affected by the type of the motor. The most important things to look at are the belt trackers. This is the type of movement of the belt and the placement of the running belt as you work out. You don’t want a belt that’s jerky you want it to move as smoothly as possible over the rollers.

Have you seen the check out belts that move and then jump and move again etc.? There can be more impact than is necessary on your joints and injury can result if the movement on your treadmill is like that. Something else to look at is the length and the width of the belt.

A belt that is too short can cause you to ¡±run-off the end of the belt. A narrow belt might not necessarily support your stance. If possible try out the machine you want or one that is very much like it. The type and percentage of the incline will affect your joints and your workout. As you progress, on most treadmills you can adjust the incline to be as if you were climbing a steep hill. How fast the belt moves should also be adjustable also. Do you know what the minimum speed and maximum speed is? This knowledge will help you plan your workout routine and make it more effective.

Your treadmill console should a heart rate monitor as one of its main features. If you know your resting heart rate and your target heart rate which is the highest number you can reach for maximum benefits from your workout, your workout will be more beneficial. Your speed, your time and your distance should also be displayed on the console.

Before you attempt to use your treadmill it is of the utmost importance that you learn to properly use your treadmill. The display on the control panel should be clear and easy to read. Is the software program necessary to be able to use the control panel?

A noisy treadmill is something you don’t want. There will obviously be some noise but you don’t want it to be overwhelming. What is the acceptable level of noise for you? Is the belt thick enough? If a belt is too thin it could wear out too soon, so you would want an appropriately thick belt so it will last.

Stretching can occur with some belts. Checking to see that your belt isn’t cracked anywhere or stretched, Make sure the monitor is functioning properly. Consider the weight of the machine. A few of the delivery companies will bring your machine to your door but it’s up to you to get it in the house and set it up.

The look of the machine is important because if it doesn’t appeal to you, you will be less apt to use it. How easy will it be to store it when you aren’t using it? Before you bring it home, consider the probability that it will stay in the same place when it’s not in use, then you need to decide if this is ok with you.

Don’t put your treadmill near walls to prevent injury. You should put it approximately eight feet away from walls, ledges or windows. You should put the wires and the power supply out of walking areas or it should be taped down to prevent someone from tripping while getting off the treadmill. There are a few tips about how to use your new treadmill.

Before getting on the belt, straddle it and make sure it is set at the proper speed. Your feet will follow your eyes so keep them straight ahead. Staying in the center of the belt will help prevent slips and falls.

Treadmills – Get Fit Stay Fit is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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Weight Loss Diet Program Failure Overcoming Two Leading Problems

John — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:09:50 +0000

umber of people around the world are overweight. Most of them have been following different programs that would help them to lose weight but they were not successful. If you ask any person for the reasons of their failure, one way or the other they will give you the following two problems:

1. They could not follow the program.

2. They lost some weight but could not maintain it.

These two problems are the biggest ones that most people face but this does not mean that they are the only ones. Both of these problems are related to the human mind and not human body. Your exercise plan or diet has got nothing to do with the failure. The main cause of this failure is the mind state of a human being; he is expected to follow the program with consistency which for some people is not possible. Another reason for this failure is the conflict between a person\’s unconscious and conscious state of mind. These two are the reasons due to which a person fails to lose his or her weight. If you are not prepared then nothing can help you get the required results.

The only solution to this problem is to change the entire life style of a person. This will help his sub-conscious mind to accept it and he will be able to follow the plan with more consistency. This shift will solve all the problems and the person will adapt to the new settings. Now this will be more of an adopted life style than a forced on. Now the person will follow the whole diet and exercise program without any trouble. There are numerous advance mind trainings that can help you achieve this state of mind, magically slim being one of them. With the required mind state in place a person will easily follow all the weight loss programs and will be able to maintain it for a long period of time.

With the mind state in place you will need to find yourself a good diet and exercise plan. You can only lose your weight if you are able to burn more calories than you take in. For this reason you need to have a good diet plan. You can ask a doctor to tell you about healthy foods with low calories or you can ask your friends who are already following a plan. You can also use the internet yourself and then evaluate the food items. This way you can eat what you want and you will know how much calories it contains. With your diet plan in place it\’s time to get yourself a good exercise plan. You can go for some basic exercises or advanced exercise but this depends on your level of experience. You can buy the necessary equipment or join a gym for this reason. You also have another option! If you don\’t want to follow exercises then you can go out for walking, cycling, swimming or running. They don\’t require any specialized equipment so they are much easier to adopt.

Weight Loss Diet Program Failure Overcoming Two Leading Problems is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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Treadmill Walking: 5 Tips To Supercharge Your Calorie Burn

John — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:17:11 +0000

Treadmill walking is one of the easiest ways to get in shape and burn fat. In fact, mile for mile, you can burn as many calories walking as you would jogging. Walking is also one of the best stress relieving exercises and anyone can do it, regardless of fitness level.

Want to start a treadmill walking program? Here are 5 tips to help you get the most walking bang for your buck:

1) Get your arms pumping.

Bring your upper body into your workout by pumping your arms. This is an easy way to burn more calories while walking. If you want to tone up and use more arm muscle during your workout, try carrying 2 – 5 pound handweights.

Bonus Benefit: pumping your arms propels you forward and helps you move faster – which means more distance covered and more calories burned!

2) Build in incline intervals.

Walking on an incline is one of the fastest ways to drastically skyrocket your calorie burn. But you don’t have to spend your whole workout on an incline. Try building in 30 – 60 second intervals of incline walking on your treadmill every 5 to 10 minutes.

If you’re walking outside and can’t control your incline, try stopping every few minutes and doing 10 – 15 squats or lunges to tone your lower body.

Bonus Benefit: Building in intervals will also help your body continue to burn calories post-workout.

3) Increase your pace, not your stride

Got short legs? No problem! Instead of increasing your stride (and possibly pulling something), increase the number of steps you take. This also increases your speed which means more distance covered and more calories burned.

4) Invest in a pair of excellent walking shoes

Walking in poor shoes can cause damage to your feet, knees, hips, joints and back. Wear poor shoes and you may not be walking for a long time!

If you want to feel great after a walking workout (and be ready for the next one tomorrow), make sure you have the best possible walking shoes you can afford.

Bonus Benefit: A solid pair of walking shoes can actually help you lengthen the time that you walk, which again means more calories burned.

5) Take plenty of time to warm up and stretch to avoid injury.

Walking is one of the best exercises you can do for stress relief and long term fat loss. However there’s this little thing called shinsplints that can threaten to put you out of walking commission for a while.

Many walkers and runners struggle with this problem. This constant repetitive flexing of the shin muscle can create soreness when a walker increases their speed or distance.

To help ward off shin splints or other muscle injury, take plenty of time to warm up before you really get into your workout.

Also, make sure you stretch. Pointing and flexing your foot helps stretch and build the shin muscle. Ankle rotations also help with this. Stretching properly will definitely keep you happy and walking for a long time to come!

So there you have it – 5 essential walking exercise tips. Keep these in mind and you’re guaranteed to enjoy many stress-relieving, fat burning walks!

Treadmill Walking: 5 Tips To Supercharge Your Calorie Burn is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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Cardio Exercise for Weight Loss

John — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:38:33 +0000

Cardio exercise is an activity that you will do at a moderate pace for a minimum of 20 minutes, building up to around 45 minutes or at times even higher. You should always begin at a slow pace for about 5 or 10 minutes because this allows your body to warm up and decreases the risk of any injury. It is also a good idea to spend 5 or 10 minutes cooling down after finishing your workout. You do this by going at the same slower pace as you were when you were warming up.

Before starting a cardio program, always consult your doctor, who can evaluate your current situation and give you a rough idea as to where you should be starting and what you are capable of. For the first week or two don’t try to push yourself too much. Spend this time getting to grips with what you are doing. This also gives you and your body the time to get comfortable with these changes. Once you have a couple of weeks under your belt then you can start adding to your program. This can be in the amount of time, or distance that you do. Remember that to keep on improving you must keep adding, otherwise your body will soon adapt to what you are doing and this will lead to your results stopping.

The next thing is decide what type of cardio exercise you want to do. Try to think of something that you may enjoy. If you hate running, it will be pointless taking up running to lose weight, because your heart will not be in it, and you will soon stop doing it. For cardio to be effective you will need to do it for a certain amount of time (20-45 minutes). Some people can find boredom setting in pretty quickly. To compensate for this you should use music wherever possible while you do your cardio workout. Pick your favourite tunes or something fast and motivational. Focus on the music and not the time you are spending doing your workout. This stops you from clock watching and you will find that the time spent doing your cardio workout goes by much quicker.

Here are a few of the best cardio exercisers for burning fat:

Elliptical machines are a great way of burning fat, improving your stamina, and toning your muscles. They are relatively new compared to other pieces of exercise equipment, but are very effective. You have the benefits of working your upper and lower body with an elliptical machine.

Rowing machines are excellent pieces of equipment. Not only do they target all areas of your body, they can up to a point increase muscle mass, which is always a good thing when you are trying to lose weight. Apart from the fitness benefits, you can burn many calories using a rowing machine. The fact is that the more of your body you use during a workout, the more calories you will burn.

Running us another good way of burning calories and it is also free. Running is more effective than jogging for burning calories. A couple of points to remember are that you should make sure that you have a pair of good running shoes. Also try to run on a soft surface such as grass as this will have less impact on your joints than if you were on a road. If you do run on a street, forget the music because you don’t want to be hit by a car that you didn’t hear coming.

A stationary bicycle is a traditional piece of equipment which has been around for many years. It is still considered as an effective cardio workout, but it all depends on what levels of difficulty you choose to use. The benefit of this piece of equipment is that you can ride it while you are watching television, which may alleviate some of the boredom associated with an exercise bike.

These are by no means all of the cardio exercisers that you can do. There are lots of others including swimming, skipping rope, circuit training, using steppers, and walking. You need to pick one or a combination of a few that you will think you might enjoy. Always remember to start slowly and increase what you do a step at a time. One thing is clear and that is the effectiveness of cardio exercise for weight loss.

Cardio Exercise for Weight Loss is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Should I incorporate barefoot running into my current training regimen? Runner’s Question: I am currently running a minimum of 7...

Want An Effective Weight Loss Method? Try Running

John — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:03:17 +0000

How to Lose Weight Running

Do you need to lose weight and get in shape? Well, running is one of the most ideal activities for that purpose. First of all, it is very hard to get that kind of intense workout doing things such as running or low impact aerobics. In many ways, running is an ideal activity because even if you can get a good workout doing something else, it is a lot easier to keep on creating a challenging workout with running.

Set Weight Loss Goals

Before you set out to create a running plan for weight loss, the first thing you should do is decide what you want to accomplish. Determine how much weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it. This will affect how often you will run and how long each running session will be. The faster, further, and longer you go, the more weight you will lose.

Create a Weight Loss Plan

The next thing to do is to create a running weight loss plan based on your goals. The plan should include your route, how long the route will take, and how long you want to stick with that particular route. If you want to run three or four times a week, a course of around three or four miles should be adequate.

Eat for Weight Loss

You may realize that no that you are running more, your appetite has increased. That is your body’s way of telling you that you need more nutrients in your diet. It is important to eat when you get hungry, otherwise it will harm your metabolism. The important thing to remember is to make good food choices and to not overeat. As long as you are eating a little less than what you need, it will not hurt your metabolism. In fact, you will begin to lose weight because your body will use your extra fat as fuel.

Keep it Challenging

One thing about running is that it is very easy to adapt to your current plan. That is why it is important to keep the workout challenging. One way to do this is to change your route after a few weeks by either lengthening it or choosing something else. Another good way to make your running challenging is to do intervals. Interval training is when you alternate running fast with jogging. You can increase the fast running intervals each time you feel your body begin to adapt.

It is not only possible to lose weight running, but running makes it much easier. Just remember to keep your route challenging and to make sure you eat nutritiously.

Want An Effective Weight Loss Method? Try Running is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

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