All runners want to remain injury-free. Running injuries are painful, frustrating, and sometimes expensive. Thankfully, despite the high rates of runners injured each year, you can reduce your risk of injury with some simple injury prevention exercises for runners. An injury prevention workout focus on two effects: strength and mobility. Weak muscles are more prone to injury, especially if the weakness results in a strength imbalance. Weakness in one glute causes excessive strain on ...
workouts
Treadmill Incline Workouts for Runners
Whether it’s snow, thunderstorms, or high heat that drives you inside, most runners inevitably run on the treadmill at some point in the year. And almost every runner has the same reaction: the treadmill is boring, even though it is beneficial for consistent training. Speedwork is one approach to making a treadmill run more engaging. But it is not the only option for beating boredom on the treadmill. Incline workouts add variety, improve muscle activation, and may actually make you a stronger ...
Fun Running Workouts to Celebrate Your Birthday
As a coach, I believe that training should be enjoyable. After all, almost all of us kept running - versus another form of cardio exercise - because we found joy in some aspect of it. Yet many of us recreational and amateur runners tend to be highly disciplined and we sometimes lose sight of having fun even in our hard workouts. The birthday workout can serve as a yearly reminder that running - including running hard - is something we do for fun. Whether you are training for a goal race or ...
Short Interval Fartlek Run
In my previous post, I discussed how marathoners and half marathoners alike can benefit from speed training. Today, I’m sharing a type of workout that long distance runners can use to develop speed - a short interval fartlek. This particular workout has been a tried-and-true favorite for me both as a coach and a runner. This short interval fartlek run increases your VO2max and running economy - essentially, it trains you to run fast. Short intervals are particularly beneficial because ...
Race Week Workouts to Prepare for a Strong Race
As counterintuitive as they sound, race week workouts can be the secret to having a good race. While you certainly want to taper and rest in the days leading up to a race, a race week workout can boost your confidence, optimize your performance, and leave your legs feeling sharp and fresh for race week. But what exactly does a race week workout look like? Should you do fast 400m repeats on the track regardless of distance? How do you strike the balance between doing enough and not doing too ...