Strength and Conditioning for Runners

Monday, 9 November 2009  |  Gear + Gadgets

After our TRX Seminar last week, Coach Jim Saret came to talk about the benefits of the foam roller, but as the Philippine Olympic Committee’s Sports Training and Fitness Consultant for all national teams and Speed and Conditioning Coach for RP SMART GILAS Basketball Team (plus many more!), he ended up giving us a Running 101 talk that I believe every runner, especially beginners, should hear to prevent injuries and further improve performance.

A few things I learned from Coach Jim that day:

1. The most important leg muscle for a runner is the HAMSTRING, not the quads as commonly mistaken. Hamstrings are used for the lift off of the foot from the ground.

2. It is important for a runner to exercise the foot too since this is what makes contact with the ground. Best equipment for this: ELASTIC BELT.

3. Runners should spend 40% of their training working on their CORE. Core and strength exercises can help make you a faster runner, not just speedwork.

STABILITY TEST:

 Coach Jim had us perform a simple test to check which leg was more stable:

1. Lift one foot off the ground. Other leg has knee slightly bent.
2. Do the same with the other leg.
3. Based on that test, which one feels more stable? (Less shaking, more balanced)
4. Now, close your eyes.
5. Repeat no. 1 and 2.  (Try not to laugh as I did!)
6. Based on your performance (less falling or swaying), which leg is more stable?

The leg that performed better when your eyes were closed is actually the stronger, more stable leg.  Which one is yours?

STABILITY EXERCISE:

1. Lift one foot off the ground. Other leg has knee slightly bent.
2. Point your leg towards 12:00, 6:00, 3:00, 9:00, etc.
3. Do the same with the other leg.

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STABILITY BALL EXERCISES:

The stability ball is another useful tool for runners. Here are two important exercises runners should perform:

1. PLANKS for the CORE

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– Crawl forward with the stability ball moving from your thighs down to your feet. –

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– Hold this position for 30 sec. You can progress to 1 minute or more as you improve. Poor Neville! –

2. HAMSTRING exercise

– For beginners: move the hips up and down in a straight line
– For advanced: keeping the hips up, move the ball back and forth using your feet. To add difficulty, keep one leg up

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– Beginners –

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– Advanced –

Previous posts: TRX Suspension Trainer Seminar and How to Use the Foam Roller for Runners

How to Use the Foam Roller for Runners

Thursday, 5 November 2009  |  Gear + Gadgets

After our TRX Suspension Trainer Seminar, Coach Jim Saret arrived to discuss a product that I believe all runners should have: the foam roller.

The foam roller is a product that I searched far and wide for during my ITBS days earlier this year.  I had done extensive research on stretching and loosening up my tight ITB muscles and I learned that the foam roller could be a good ally in the battle against ITBS.  Unfortunately, to my knowledge, it wasn’t available locally.  

I did the next best thing. I wore my Martha Stewart hat and proceeded to create my very own foam roller.  I bought a PVC pipe at the local hardware store, cut up my old yoga mat, wrapped it around the pipe twice, and voila, I had a foam roller that was a quarter of the cost of the original!  I foam rolled on my ITB thrice a day.  A couple of days later, when I paid a visit to my doctor, he looked at my black-and-blued thigh in horror and said “What have you been doing?!”  I replied proudly, “foam rolling!”  He advised me to stop it unless I got a real foam roller, which was probably 10x softer.  So much for resourcefulness!

So, here I was in the gym.  This time, with the real foam roller in my hands (yes, it was a lot softer than my PVC pipe or a rolling pin…duh!) and, even better, one of the most sought after coaches was right before me to teach me how to use it!

It’s very simple, really. Here are tips from Coach Jim on how to use the foam roller effectively:

1. Place hot compress on the area or warm up with jumping jacks or easy run.
2. Foam roll on the area:

ITB: lie sideways and slowly move up and down the upper thigh (Click here to view the You Tube video I followed during my ITBS days. A quick search in youtube will provide you with enough demos to guide you on proper use)

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– Hec demos foam rolling on ITB. Tongue exercise need not be followed. For progression, you could lift both legs off the floor –

CALVES: sit up with legs outstretched and foam roller under the calves. Variations: foot outward, inward, straight

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– Mitch Felipe rolls on her calves, muscles that get extremely tight for runners –

QUADS: face downward and place foam roller under the quads

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– Coach Jim rolls on his quads –

3. The slower the movement, the better.
4. Run.
* You can also perform the exercises anytime during the day.

PREVIOUS POST: TRX Suspension Trainer Seminar 
NEXT POST: Coach Jim Saret on Core, Stability & Strengthening for Runners (Best brief talk I had ever been to for runners!)

Foam rollers are available at Chris Sports.

2009 Adidas King of the Road Results

Wednesday, 4 November 2009  |  Race Announcements

For all those who’ve been waiting for Adidas King of the Road results, here are 21k race results from Taki of Tech Spech, click here.

As for the 10k and 5k, again, we shall wait.

TRX Suspension Trainer Seminar

Tuesday, 3 November 2009  |  Gear + Gadgets

It was back to school for me last Thursday morning. Only the school was a gym. And, my classmates were athletes, such as Pinoy Ultra Runners’ Neville, Second Wind’s Hector, and super fit Mitch Felipe-Mendoza, columnist for Phil. Daily Inquirer. Last but not the least, instead of seats and desks, we were half-suspended in air most of the time.

I took a TRX Suspension Trainer Seminar offered by U.S. Certified Instructors, Gilbert Tang and Coach Jim Saret. Gilbert taught us all the exercises we could perform using TRX Suspension Trainer, while Coach Jim gave us a brief talk about running and introduced the use of the foam roller. The half-day talk was fun, informative, and (gulp) completely exhausting.

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– Class pic: Lisa Tang, Mitch Felipe, Neville Manaois, myself, Gilbert Tang, Joseph Pagulayan, Coach Jim Saret, and Hector Yuzon –

TRX Suspension Training develops functional strength while improving flexibility, balance, and core all at the same time. I’ve been using the TRX for over a month now and here are the benefits I see for runners:

  1. Functional exercise. It doesn’t isolate muscles, but uses a whole range of motion. In other words, it doesn’t strengthen just one muscle group but builds optimal strength and performance.
  2. Core is used all the time. No matter what exercises you do using the TRX, the core is working all the time. For runners, a strong core is vital to maintaining your running form especially for long distances.
  3. Adjustable intensity. One can progress from easy to hard workout just by changing the resistance levels and position (stability).
  4. Quick workout. It takes as little as 25 minutes to get a good workout.
  5. Can be used for stretching. I got some good stretching using the TRX, none that I could do on my own.

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– Nevs and I looping the handles for single-hand exercises. Very serious work! –

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– Gilbert teaches us how to do the TRX squat and single-leg squat. Great exercise for runners –

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– Mitch and Hec doing the chest press to strengthen triceps, shoulders, and core. Yeoouch! –

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– Neville and Mitch doing the deltoid fly for strength and stability in the shoulders. Nevs, don’t forget to breathe! –

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– Demo of the single leg chest press. None of us attempted to do this. –

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– Gilbert assists Hec as he does his suspended prone planks –

The next day, my body was tired and sore all over. It made me feel a wee bit better when I heard that the Pinoy Ultra Runners felt the same!

For those interested in taking this seminar, click here. TRX Suspension Trainer is available at Chris Sports. More info here.

NEXT POST: Coach Jim Saret teaches us basics on running and how to use the foam roller.  It was, by far, the most informative talk I ever heard on running.  And, you know that I’ve been to a lot.

* Thanks to Hector for some of the photos.

8 Reasons Why You Should “Conquer Corregidor” on Dec. 6

Monday, 2 November 2009  |  Race Announcements

corregidor poster 1 hi-res

On December 6, 2009, a unique 10-mile race will be staged at the historical island of Corregidor.  Here are 8 reasons why I wish I could “Conquer Corregidor” had I not signed up for Singapore Marathon on the same day:

  1. Historical course.  How often can you run a race while learning more about the country’s past?  The course will start at the Malinta Tunnel and take runners through the trails and rolling hills of the island.  I’ve never been to Corregidor and I think it’s hitting two birds with one stone if I could tour and race!  (Bonus: the island will be closed to regular tourists on race day.)
  2. Challenging course.  Having used the word “tour,” don’t expect the race to be a stroll in the park. I heard the rolling hills in the island will, uhm, give you a thrilling experience.  
  3. Scenic view.  They say the view of Manila Bay and the South China Sea is breathtaking near the finish line. Take a break from the usual concrete roads of the city and treat your eyes to a more spectacular sight.
  4. Limited number of participants.  There are only 750 slots available.  This won’t be a chaotic, overcrowded city race, more like an out-of-town adventure race for those who are willing to explore.
  5. Reasonable fee.  The fee of P1,000 covers roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor, entrance to the island, lunch buffet on race day, and race singlet.  Not bad, eh?
  6. Nice singlet.  Love the singlet design. Simple yet classy. See below.
  7. Family affair. You have the option to convert the race into a family trip.  If you wish to stay overnight with the whole family in tow, you can book your hotel accommodations along with the race registration for a discounted rate of P1,500 per night.  
  8. TBR Magazines to read on the ferry.  TBR Magazines will be distributed upon entrance to the ferry on the way to Corregidor island.  (Sorry, shameless plug!)
  9. corregidor singlet rev 2

I’ll be in Corregidor this weekend to run the route.  I’m pretty sure I can add a few more items to this list come Saturday!

Now, to make things more exciting (and as a reward for reading this far), I’ll be giving away two (2) round trip ferry rides to Corregidor and  overnight accommodations and meals for two from Dec. 5 to 7, 2009.  Stay tuned for the contest!

Registration details:

  • Registration runs from November 9 to 29 at Second Wind in Maginhawa St, UP Village and R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street.
  • P1,000 covers roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor, entrance to the island, lunch buffet on race day, and race singlet.
  • For details, call 409-2948.
  • Download registration form: CONQUER CORREGIDOR REG FORM.

Click to read PRESS RELEASE.

Click here to read FACT SHEET.

Conquer Corregidor is presented by Hypehouse Production Company and Sun Cruises, in partnership with Inquirer.net, Takbo.ph, RunRadio in NU107, TheBullRunner.com, Activelink, Second Wind, and R.O.X.