Anything But An Off-Season - My Road To Getting Leaner

I ran my first half marathon (American River Parkway Half Marathon) at the end of April.   A coworker had to just drop out of the Davis Moonlight Half Marathon and asked me if I wanted to take his entry, so I will run that for fun.  My next race that I will try to PR in is the Urban Cow on October 5^th, which means my training plan starts on July 14^th.  I decided a few weeks before I completed my last half marathon that if I wanted to reach my goals, my “off-season” needed to be productive.  Here is my journey over the last 2 ½ months.

Where I Was

I ran the American River Parkway Half Marathon in 2:00:34.  My goal was to finish in 2 hours flat and if I took one less water stop, I would have made it.  I weighed 186 pounds and felt like I was in great shape.  I was eating good foods, except for our weekly pizza night, which I am not willing to give up.  I was trying to stick with whole grain foods, less processed foods, and was buying foods with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup whenever possible.  

My Off-Season Training

I reduced my running mileage and frequency by 30-40%.  I still tried to get a long run in (around 7 miles) and a shorter tempo or interval run in each week.  I started taking a Les Mills Body Pump class, which is awesome, every Monday.  To add some strength training in, I started to do a workout from an app on my phone.  The app is called Skimble and I did the Total Beach Body workouts.  They are High Intensity Interval Trainings (HIIT) that last 18-23 minutes.  I did these 6 days a week at night, even if I ran or hit the gym that day.  

My wife is a Beach Body coach and we have been taking Shakeology (I only do it on the weekends).  We also started doing Piyo, which is a combination of Pilates and Yoga.  Both of these products are great and I strongly recommend them to all of my friends.  I will do product reviews on them shortly.

I added plyometrics one day per week.  These included box jumps, jump rope, squat jumps, high steps, and lateral jumps.  Here are a few websites with different plyometric exercises.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/express/10-minute/plyometric-workout/#page=7

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/05/21/beginners-guide-to-plyometrics/

I used three different types of interval run sessions to get stronger and faster.

Fast Intervals – I ran 10-12 sets of 400 meter intervals (one lap around a track).  I rested for the same amount of time that it took me to run the interval so if it took me 1:30 to run the 400m, I walked for 1:30 as well.  I would run the 400m at the fastest pace that I could keep up for the full lap.  

Yasso 800’s – These are like the fast intervals, but you are running 800m, or 2 laps at a time.  Again, I rested for the same amount of time that it took me to run the interval. Because you are running longer distances, your pace will be slower than the speed intervals.  Try to keep a constant pace throughout the interval.  You will want to start out at 4 sets of intervals and increase each time you do them (intervals should not be done more than once a week).

Hill Intervals – Find a somewhat steep hill that you can run up for 30-45 seconds.  Run (with good form) up the hill for 30 seconds.  Walk or jog back down to where you started and repeat for 10-12 sets.  

Note: All intervals should start and end with ½ - 1 mile of running at an easy pace (a pace where you can keep a conversation going without having to catch you breath).

My Diet 

I continued to watch what I ate, but used My Fitness Pal (a free app) to journal my food and exercise.  It is important to keep a journal so I stay on track.  I would typically eat 1.5 cups of broccoli and have a protein shake for breakfast, 4 ounces of chicken, carrots, and an apple for lunch, and a reasonable dinner.  I still continue to have pizza night every week (because I need to live a little, right?).  I also weighed myself every morning at the same time before I ate anything.  Recent studies have shown that people who weigh themselves on a regular basis tend to lose more weight because they are actively thinking about their progress.  

Where I Am At Now

My next half marathon training starts next week and I have lost 14 pounds so far.  The Total Beach Body workouts have helped me to really strengthen my core too, which has helped me to keep better form while I run.  I am lighter, feel better, and am in less pain because of my off-season.  I can’t wait for my training to begin so I can realize the true benefits of losing the weight and getting stronger.  My goal for the Urban Cow is to finish in 1:58:00 which is about a 9:00 min/mile pace.  We’ll see if I can pull it off.  I will keep everyone posted on how I am doing.  

This Is How I Roll

I have had a foam roller for years ever since I hurt my back weight lifting.  It was recommended by a massage therapist.  I used it very infrequently until recently.  I have two rollers, a Go Fit (Red) foam roller and a Trigger Point “Grid X” (Black) roller. 

Why I Foam Roll

When you use a foam roller, you are practicing Self-Myofascial Release (SMR).  This is the practice of applying compression to your muscles and the surrounding muscle tissue.  SMR increases circulation, makes your muscles more pliable, and allows the recovery process to begin.  It is like getting a deep tissue massage in your own living room.  I will warn you that the "Grid X" is very hard and you might be sore until you get used to it.  I have been using the "Grid X" for a week now and the difference is amazing.  My hip issue and IT Band tightness have both almost completely gone away.  I tried yoga, icing, massage, and even taking a break from running.  The only thing that I have seen improvement with is the foam rolling.  Give it a try.  Here are the two rollers that I have used.

Foam Roller Options

The Go Fit foam roller is somewhat soft and might be a good starter roller.  It retails for about $20 on Amazon.  

The Trigger Point “Grid X” is extremely firm, advertised as being twice as firm as the “The Grid” which is their original version.  “The Grid” starts around $25 on Amazon.  I paid $50 for the Grid X at my local Fleet Feet store.  The Trigger Point rollers will not become softer over time like the Go Fit roller will because of the hard PVC center.  The "Grid" rollers are great because they have small and large grids (as you can see in the picture) so you can decide what type of pressure you want.  The smaller grid simulates getting massaged by finger tips.  The larger grid simulates getting massaged by a palm or forearm.  In my opinion, "The Grid" and the "Grid X" are by far a better options.

Here are some foam roller workouts that might be helpful.

Roller Plans

www.greatist.com/fitness/how-foam-roll-pro

www.nomeatathlete.com/foam-rolling/

www.runnersworld.com/stretching/foam-roller-video-series?page=single (8-part video series)

You can also find countless videos on YouTube about foam rolling.  I hope you have as much success as I have had.  Please let me know your success stories with rolling.

The Need For Cadence Speed

What is Running Cadence?

Has anyone asked you what your cadence is and you just sit there with a confused look on your face?  That is exactly what happened to me when I first started running and developed shin splints.  Running cadence is simply your stride or step count.  The ideal step count is 180 steps per minute (90 per foot).  I was told by a running coach that I needed to change my form in order to get my shin splints under control.  Being a heal striker at the time and having my foot land in front of my hips was causing all of the impact to go right through my legs instead of letting my legs absorb the shock. 

How Do I Change My Cadence?

It is important to not try an increase your cadence too quickly because your legs will not be used to it.  First, find out what your cadence is.  Run at your normal pace and count your steps for thirty seconds.  I like to only count when my right leg connects to the ground, which makes it easier to count.  Then multiply that number by 4 to find your running cadence.   

Tools to Help Out

There are three approaches to keeping the right cadence.

1) Get a Garmin watch that tells you your cadence.  I have the Garmin Forerunner 610 and love it.  You have to get the foot pod, which  is sold separately to count cadence, but it is worth it.  The Garmin Forerunner 620 has a built in Cadence sensor, but is more expensive.

2) Download a metronome app and you can play it on your phone while you run.  Set it at the desired tempo and just match your foot count to the beat of the metronome.  Again, I find it easier to cut the number in half and just match one foot to the beat.  I set my metronome at 90 beats per minute.

3) You can download songs with the desired beats per minute.  There are free apps on the Google Play store like Music Maniac Pro and Skull mp3.  You can download songs for free, just put the artist and song in.  You can go to www.bpmdatabase.com and search by beats per minute.  I prefer songs with 90 beats per minute because they seem easier to follow. You can also search on Jog.FM for playlists.  

Make a Plan

When I met with a local running coach, I was running at 170 steps per minute.  He said every week to increase my steps per minute by 2 (i.e. first week increase to 172 steps per minute, second week increase to 174 steps per minute, until I get to 180 steps per minute).  

  

Benefits of Increased Running Cadence

By increasing your running cadence you will actually cause your feet to touch the ground for less time, which will make you faster.  It will decrease the amount of impact on your joints and will actually move the spot at where your foot connects to the ground further back.  Your foot should connect with the ground directly below your hips.  You will be a more efficient runner and find that you will have more energy in no time.  I hope this helps you in becoming a better runner like it did for me.