Over the many years that I have run it has been mainly a solitary endeavor. I started regularly running when I moved to Newport Beach in the ‘77 and running on the sand down by the water was and continues to be a great way to commune with nature and to lose one’s self in dissociative exercise. The body sets and follows the rhythm and the mind wanders to where ever it wants and sometimes you get so lost that miles roll by that you can’t remember running. Other times, on days with goal targets, you stay more focused on the task at hand. A medium long run with specific and somewhat difficult splits to hit and it takes staying mentally on top of how you are running to meet your targets (associative running). Still, most running I have done in a vacuum of one, just me and the road, my shoes hitting the pavement or trail and not sharing a bit of it with anyone else.

The biggest problem I had over the years with running partners was finding someone that ran about the same pace. It wasn’t fair to either party if one had to wait all the time or the other was forced to run faster than they should. So I would just go back to my one training partner that I knew I could hang with .. myself.

But this last year I trained with far more people than the previous 52 years combined. What changed? I joined the South Coast Road Runners http://www.roadrunners.org/ and started doing most of my long runs with the group. With a large group you have the wide spectrum of runners represented. Young and not so young … fast and not so fast.   It’s much easier to find a group or another individual that is going your pace for that day. Or if you like to vary your paces you can leap frog from one group to the next and back again.

From a training perspective it is well known that running with a group is easier than solo running. There is a group run dynamic where pacing becomes more automatic and easier to follow as like runners fall into the same rhythm. Plus it’s easier to tell if you are slowing down or speeding up since the collective group will hold a more even pace. And those times when your energy ebbs are easier to deal with when you are with others. Their strength can help keep you focused or you may help pull them along .. it’s all a little easier to deal with with a gaggle of runners.

Then there is the purely social aspect! Maybe because most runners do the majority of their workouts solo, when you get them together they make up for lost time. Talking about running, making jokes, discovering the true meaning of the universe and plain being social happens before, during and after the run. Going for a post run breakfast and coffee becomes the norm and making good friends and running buddies is the natural outcome.

So, if you haven’t already joined a running club in your area I would definitely recommend that you try it out. Be more run social in 2010 and your training will benefit too.

There is a free and casual group run (organized by The Run Shop) that meets in the parking lot by the tall ships (just next to the Ocean Institute at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr. Dana Point, CA 92629) @ 6:00pm each Thursday evening. Convenient starting point since there are bathrooms and water at the start/finish area and along the way. Last Thursday there were about 8 runners and a variety of paces so it’s easy to find someone to run with. Most ran about 6 miles but I tagged on another 6 mile loop. The evening breeze coming off the ocean usually makes this a great summer run. Come on down and join the group!

Wanted to give a big shout-out to a local runner who has an audacious and ambitious plan for 2010. Sam Felsenfeld is planning to run 60 marathons in 2010 to raise funds and nationwide awareness for Train 4 Autism! This will be at least one marathon per week along with some doubles and triples along the way. I’ve know Sam for a few years now and his ‘marathon manic’ ability to string together multiple fast marathons is quite amazing. Still .. 60 marathons in a year! wow ..

Sam is looking for individuals and teams to participate at each event he is running. There are lots of ways to help out and you can read all about it on the web site www.operationjack.com

I have been enlisted to answer questions on his ‘Ask the Coaches’ section of his website. Really looking forward to helping out and getting involved with this worthy cause.

Cheers,
Coach

Went out today for a training run with one of my runners. It was a ‘recovery day’ so the mileage was only about 4 miles but much of it on steeper hills. We took it easy keeping our HR’s low and enjoying the cool morning fog. At mile 3 we did some short, all out hill sprints. Why, some would ask, would you do hill sprints on a ‘recovery day’?  Because, if done correctly, they don’t take much out of you. With a full recovery jog between each sprint, you let the HR return to a low level. The all-out portion of each hill sprint lasts only about 10 seconds which raises the HR about 10 to 15 beats.

We did our hill sprints on a paved walking path with an incline of about 8%. This is steep enough to provide good gravity resistance to build strength in the legs.  Stronger legs resist injury. But it’s not so steep that you can’t build up some fast leg speed. Fast leg speed or turnover will improve the neuro pathways over time which improves the run efficiency. Repeated over weeks and months, adaptations will occur, improvements that make you a smoother stronger faster runner.

I prefer running hill sprints instead of strides most of the time. I feel that I can put 100% into a hill sprint with less injury risk than strides on flat ground.

We only did 4 hill sprints this time. The general idea is to do two hill sprint sessions each week starting with just a couple of hill sprints and adding one each week until you are up to 8 total. This slow build up will reduce the injury risk since these are stressful to the muscles and ligaments and it takes time to build your strength up. I also like to take it easier on the first hill sprint, much like a warm up hill sprint. And if something doesn’t feel right at any time during the sprints; a tight muscle, unusual soreness, etc. I will skip the session.

An added bonus of doing hill sprints is that increased turnover will help you run faster and easier the next day. At least that has been my experience.

Cheers,

Coach

don’t just say you have the potential .. dream big .. train big .. and run your potential.