Post on 05-Apr-2018
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C h r i s t o p h e r L b k e r2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2 P e r s o n a l P r o j e c t
I S Z L R i v e r s i d e C a m p u sS u p e r v i s o r : M r N e w m a n
Beginners Running Manual:Half Marathon Distance
2011/12
(Running. Digital Image.)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4Background Information...................................................................................................... 5
Motivation .............................................................................................................................. 6
Why do YOU Run? ............................................................................................................. 6
Run with a Friend ............................................................................................................... 6
Set Goals & Keep Track of Your Progress ...................................................................... 7
Join a Race ........................................................................................................................ 7
Introduce Variety to your Runs ....................................................................................... 7
Running Routes .............................................................................................................. 7
Nature ............................................................................................................................. 7
Obstacle Courses .......................................................................................................... 8Alternate Training .......................................................................................................... 8
How Motivation affects us ............................................................................................... 8
History of Running ................................................................................................................. 9
Why do we Exercise? ......................................................................................................... 11
Health Awareness ........................................................................................................... 11
Fitness and Accomplishment ........................................................................................ 12
Stress and Appearance ................................................................................................. 12
Methods & Principles of Training:...................................................................................... 13
How to Train ......................................................................................................................... 13
Principles of Training ....................................................................................................... 13
SPORTAnagram .......................................................................................................... 13
Homeostasis & FITT ....................................................................................................... 14
Methods of Training ........................................................................................................ 14
Stress and Adaptation .................................................................................................... 15
Diet ........................................................................................................................................ 16
Varied Diet ....................................................................................................................... 16
Fat ...................................................................................................................................... 16
Protein ............................................................................................................................... 16
Carbohydrates ................................................................................................................ 17
Water ................................................................................................................................ 17
Training Alternatives ........................................................................................................... 18
NonImpact Training .................................................................................................... 18
Altitude Training ............................................................................................................... 18
Hill Training ........................................................................................................................ 19
Training in Sand ............................................................................................................... 19
Cross Training ................................................................................................................... 19
Running Technique ............................................................................................................. 20
Why is it important?......................................................................................................... 20
Running Gait .................................................................................................................... 20
Ways to improve your running technique ................................................................... 20
Exercises: ....................................................................................................................... 21
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Injury .................................................................................................................................. 23
Youth ................................................................................................................................. 23
Barefoot Running ............................................................................................................ 24
My Training Schedule......................................................................................................... 26
Closing Comments ............................................................................................................. 27Works Cited .......................................................................................................................... 28
Images .................................................................................................................................. 30
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Introduction
Running is becoming an increasingly popular sport over the past few years and
has helped a diversity of people to become healthier. This is, among other factors,
because of the ratio between the costs and the results, simply said; you get more
results for the amount of money you are spending in comparison to other forms of
exercise. This is also the reason why I decided to run the half-marathon. Running
roots back thousands of years to our earliest bi-pedalist ancestors and is a major
cause of our survival as a species. It is also important to know the roots of what you
are indulging before you can properly understand it. The aim of this manual is not
simply to supply you with a table with distances, which you will then have to run,
but instead explain to you the main aspects of your running experiences and how
you may improve them. In essence this manual is presenting the tools necessary to
make your own, unique training schedule.
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Background Information
I believe it to be important to include context into all information that is given to us,
and that is also implied in this manual. What I mean by this is that the experiences I
have had with this training is largely dependent on my background within sports. I
realise that everyone has different thresholds and that only you can really
understand these. So in order to provide the necessary context when I am
describing how to do something, when to take a rest day, when to push harder, I
decided to add some information about myself. With this personal information you
might be able to understand the way in which I trained and then adapt the
programme so that it fits you best because every person is unique.
Almost from the day I was born in the summer of 1996, I have loved competition
and it has been a force that has allowed me to become good at some of thethings I do. The love of competing and the desire to be the best is probably what
has helped me the most athletically, as it differentiated me from others. So
because I have almost entirely depended on my competitive drive, I decided to
take it out of the equation for my run and decided that I would be running for
myself and not against or with anyone else. I guess it is a competition against
myself, but it would allow me to find out what kind of a person I really was.
Literally, as soon as I could walk for myself I was constantly outside, enjoying myself
in the forest. That is also the reason why I started running, which lead me to do the
half-marathon. I believe that constantly being outside and being a part of naturereally shaped me to become the adolescent that I am today and I still enjoy being
outside. Now, however, I often have a purpose when I am running. Being an
outdoors person is a feature, which has really helped me in my goal to complete
the half marathon as I have found joy in going for runs.
My family has always been very focused on fitness and a healthy lifestyle and
these ethics have been passed on from when I was a little child. My mothers side
has always been very good at racket sports such as badminton, whereas my
fathers side has always been very endurance oriented as this greatly helped their
performance while hunting and during shooting competitions. Additionally both ofmy grandparents from my fathers side played in the first division of handball in
Denmark. With great influences from the entire family tree and a strong desire to
win and compete, I was able to excel at specific sports and to train hard and stay
healthy when I was young even though I didnt realise it at the time.
During my childhood, football was my main sport and I played in a team at age
five. At that time I gained a mind-set that I have not lost much of to this date and
that is when I have set my mind to something, I will not quit. I believe that when
running and playing sports the mental aspect plays a huge part in how you
perform. If your mind is not clear you have no chance of achieving your goal.
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Motivation
When engaging into any type of
long-term project you have to
maintain the discipline and stay
motivated. Especially with a
physically engaging goal such as
long-distance running it is
important to have the desire to
succeed. You are bound to have
ups and downs through your
experience. This is especially the
case with running because it is
quite repetitive and it gets boringa lot easier than many other
sports. The times when you are
feeling down and cant get
motivated there are some
methods to re-energize yourself and get out there for your next run. These next few
points will explain how you can get back your motivation when you most need it.
Why do YOU Run?
Every once in a while it is a good idea to question your motive for running in thefirst place (Landry, Greg Top 7 Keys to Motivation for Exercise). This was
something that especially helped me as I found out why I really wanted to run
instead of just doing it for a project. It can be a challenge for individuals to find
their true purpose but once found, it will lead to a more pleasant and effective
running experience.
Run with a FriendWhen running does get boring or you just cant get yourself out of the door it is
always good to have a friend (Hamilton, Tish. Closing the Gap). If you are about
to give up and you cant run anymore your running partner will be there tomotivate you to keep on going. This works in both directions as people have bad
and good days and it is always good to have someone to help you through the
rough patches. When you are running with a partner you will also be more likely to
exercise more often because you have specific times when you have to be there.
There are many advantages to running with someone and it doesnt even have to
be someone from your own species, it could also be a pet; such as a dog. From
personal experience I can say that when I ran with my dog I had a very quick
pace throughout and I kept consistent and it was a very enjoyable experience as
you can share your accomplishment with someone else.
Colla sed Runner Durin Race. Di ital Ima e. .
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Set Goals & Keep Track of Your ProgressThis is another great method that you can use to
stay motivated by constantly having something
to compare yourself to. This method works
particularly well if you are, like myself, verycompetitive. These goals could include running
for an hour straight or doing a distance to a
certain time. Keeping track of how you are
progressing and fulfilling your goals will give you
a sense of accomplishment and allow you to
keep training with motivation.
Join a RaceJoining races will give you an entirely different
experience with the competition and themasses of people there. Joining a race will also
give you an idea of where you are in
comparison to others, something that might
motivate you. A race is especially good
because when you are feeling down, you go
out for the run and perform as youd like, there
is a feel of satisfaction and accomplishment
that exterminates the lack of motivation.
Introduce Variety to your RunsYour motivation often wavers when you are getting bored but there is a simple
method to change up your running such as the
following:
Running Routes
There are many options besides running on plain
concrete beside the car-infested roads that will
introduce some variety. Taking different routes
will supply a sufficient amount of variety andshould keep you looking forward to the runs.
Nature
Running in nature can also be a motivation, as
you feel fresher. Running in nature is also
beneficial as the ground doesnt present the
same amount of impact on your joints as the
pavement.
(Women Running. Digital Image)
(Kupricka Run. Digital Image.)
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Obstacle Courses
This is a great variation to running as you get out into nature and every once in a
while you stop, change up your exercise and have to complete the instructions
presented through the course.
Alternate Training
You can always change up your running by doing some alternative training such
as swimming, cycling, hill training and altitude training. These forms of exercise
provide for a good workout and will help build endurance and technique to make
you an even better runner.
How Motivation affects usMotivation and happiness are extremely crucial factors for all runners. Simply put; if
you do not enjoy what you are doing then you wont do it. That is not to say that if
it gets tough you should simply not do. Ultimately that is where motivation steps in,
which should be the factor that keeps you going. If you are forcing yourself to do
something every day and cannot find a reason to keep on going then you are
probably not going to continue. That is not to say that some days you will not lack
motivation because most likely you will, but that is when you find out why you are
truly doing what you are doing. It was an inspiring moment for me when my knee
injury was returning, my calf was cramping, I had no water left and there were still
6 kilometres to go, 2.5 of which were uphill. I found my motivation in wanting to
prove to myself that I could do anything when I set my mind to it. It was then that I
also realised that when I had complete control of my mind and I was focused, my
body naturally seemed to follow and so I did the last 6 kilometres and came home
a much more determined runner. It is up to individuals to find his or her motivation,
which will drive them to accomplish what they thought, was impossible.
There is no designated correct reason to have started running or specific
motivating topic for each person. A big part of the running is really to identify
yourself and your strengths and weaknesses but also finding the joy and motivation
in order to achieve your goal.
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History of Running
Man has been running since he
adapted and transferred from
walking upon all fours to bipedalism.
It is open for discussion, whether the
fact that man developed a running
technique whilst on two legs is the
largest reason that we are the
civilised and effective species we
are today. Running enabled us to
hunt effectively and rise to become
a dangerous predator. Although weare not a very strong race we were
able to use our running skills and our
minds to outsmart and outrun prey.
Our whole anatomy changed to
make us great long-distance runners,
which eventually gave us the
advantage that is easily forgotten in todays modern society. Running went from
being a vital tool in the humans hunting arsenal, before tools were invented, to
becoming a sport and then as it mainly is today; a hobby. Without running the
human race would never have risen to the state, which it is at now.
Back when the early humans hunted they had no advantages over the animals,
they hunted except endurance and intelligence (The Human Spark | Running =Big Brains? | PBS- YouTube). Both of these features allowed us to survive as a race
and these traits have been passed on, however they are not as necessary as they
were then.
Running was by no means a sport as it is today, but a job just like any today in
order to provide not only for your family but your whole society. Our bodies
adapted as our hips became flexible, the tendons in our legs longer and anextension of our shoulder that allowed for a more effective running technique.
Humans are ridiculous sprinters when compared to other animals, but in our case
that is not what our bodies were designed for, our tendons and ligaments
adapted to absorb the force and to work like springs over long distances.
Running remained important for millennia, however, with the use of tools, running
long distances until the animal lay down out of exhaustion was not necessary. So
the art of hunting became easier as one had only to get close to the prey andthen throw a well aimed rock or a form of early spear (Joyce, "Armed And Deadly:
Shoulder, Weapons Key To Hunt: NPR"). In the worst-case scenario the hunters
(Hunting Cave Art. Digital Image.)
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would miss however the same tactics, which were formed, to tire out the animal
could still be used if other methods were inapplicable. However running became
excruciatingly important as early civilisations formed as the runner would be the
messengers and the scouts and proved to be a valuable asset to any army looking
to gain an advantage over their opposition. The better runner and the betterconditioning you had, the better scout you would be and so running found its way
back to significance.
Running as a competition has only been traced
back to the mid 1800s BCE however it is unknown
whether it may have started before. Assuming
that the 1800s BCE were the first running
competitions it became a sport in which it was
decided who was the best runner so running was
obviously still of importance at that point. Fast-forward around one thousand years and that
was when the first Olympic Games have been
recorded and at that point it was a long
distance run in a loop which led back to the host
city of the Games. The distances varied,
however the distance we know today originated
from a messenger who ran roughly 40 kilometres
before collapsing and dying, having delivered
his message. Today, this distance is called a
marathon. Track running has since then becomeincreasingly more popular, especially in the last
century (Grazian, "The History of Running Track").
Running became less and less important as humans stated to focus on more
theoretical ideas and not on the sole idea of survival. Through the ages running
didnt really have any importance any longer however within the last century it
has sprung up once more. Now there are countless marathons, ultra marathons,
half marathons, 10-K etc. to take part in. However running has not returnedbecause it is extremely important, but because it is a test to physical endurance
and an enjoyable hobby for many.
Running has evolved from the beginning when it was vital to our survival to what it
is now; a hobby. Without the ability to run the human race would never have
developed and reached the top of the food chain and prosper. I believe it is
important to understand why it is that we run and how it has developed to the
sport it is today, as to more thoroughly appreciate a main factor which allows us all
to live.
(Patrick Makau. Digital Image.)
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Why do we Exercise?
Something that occurred to me at the beginning of my running experience is why
people even exercise at all? Why put yourself through strenuous activity that may
injure you? I have found that many people do it for various reasons like wanting to
live a longer and healthier life, some do it for the sense of accomplishment and
some even do it under the pressure of advertisement and doctor advice. That is
not to say that the pressure is of the wrong kind because there have been multiple
experiments conducted to prove that exercise really does help you. Over the past
few decades health has been of a rising concern for people around the world
and therefore many have started to exercise in response, for various reasons.
Health AwarenessThrough research, one thing that has
become apparent is that maintaining a
healthy lifestyle is, in fact a luxury. This was
not a luxury we were concerned about
until the late 20th century. People began to
think about what they were doing and
what the consequences of that may be. In
previous years people had much more
important things to take care of but
humans then decided to tackle anotherproblem. In 1964 an American doctor first
announced the effects of tobacco on
your health (Bodwen et al., "The State of
Knowledge Regarding Tobacco Harm,
1920-1964: Industry and Public Health
Service Perspectives"). This was one of the
first examples where professionals began
to establish an interest for healthy habits of
the population. Now there are countless
specifications as what to do and what notto do. Exercise is one of the main things
promoted as it is definitively proved that
this largely has a positive effect on the
people to complete the requirement. With
this awareness, that most of us have lived
with since we were young, it is bound to
have an impact and we start to think more and more about what we do and how
it may affect our health.
(Middle-Aged Man. Digital Image.)
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Fitness and AccomplishmentThough the government may have a large effect, many people also exercise to
satisfy their sense of accomplishment. Some people do it as a profession and
dedicate their life to getting in the best shape possible and competing. However
the vast majority of people exercise as a hobby. The whole point of doing a hobbyis that it is something you enjoy and something that stimulates you physically as
well. Our bodies were made to move so to constantly sit down and work is against
our very own genetic code written by our ancestors. Being fit is something of value
these days as people in shape stand and are generally very happy with
themselves. They hereby appear calm and happy, which people will try to imitate.
Many people exercise to become more fit and athletic and some people do it for
sport or competiveness and either one of these is a strong motivator that keeps
people going when things get difficult as you are doing it of your own accord.
Despite the many health benefits that come with regular cardiovascular exercise,
such as running, a U.S. Health survey in 2010 suggested that 40 % of the U.S.population do not exercise regularly and a staggering 20% smoke.( Hellmich,
Nanci. "U.S. Health Survey: Too Few Exercise, Too Many Smoke - USATODAY.com.")
Stress and AppearanceRunning has been proven as a great stress reliever but not only does it help you on
the inside but it also improves your appearance according to modern critics. The
desired body these days is a lean, low-fat body and exercise is crucial to that.
People who are overweight or maybe are not naturally lean feel pressured to
become thinner. This can lead to anorexia and other eating disorders however itgenerally has a good effect on people who are headed down an unhealthy path
to turn around and change. This has also proven to be a great motivator and
people they really want to change their appearance as they are happier with
themselves and seem more relaxed and healthy. Stress is also a common problem
in these times that many adults and adolescents fight against and exercise has
proven to be the perfect remedy (Scott, Elizabeth. "Exercise and Stress Relief -How
To Relieve Stress with Exercise."). When you are out there moving around it is all you
are focusing on and being around other people will have a positive impact and
make you think about things from other perspectives by distancing yourself.
Exercise is crucial to both our mental and physical health and that is also whyexercise is promoted and performed to such an extent.
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Methods & Principles of Training:
How to TrainThe best way to achieve your athletic goal is to be organised and set specific
goals and to follow a specific schedule. Principles and methods of training are a
set of definitions, which allows you to understand which method is the best in
which to train, according to your own body. The method of training is basically
choosing an area in which you want to specify your training towards. Once the
methods are in place then the principles can be introduced, which is the way in
which you progress and perform your workouts. There are many different
anagrams that are associated with these with outline the definition of thesemethods and principles of training. With the help of methods and principles of
training it will be easier to make a training programme which allows you to
complete your goal.
Principles of Training
SPORTAnagram
Specificity - This centres around matching your training to the goal you are hoping
to achieve and the activity you will be doing.
Progression - The gradual process of making the body work harder to keepdeveloping. The muscles automatically adapt once they are stressed and so you
need to progress. Progression is also a balance between doing things too fast and
too slow. A too fast progression will most likely lead to injury and a too slow
progression will not lead to the desired results.
Overload - Making the body work harder and harder continuously, howeverwithout overloading the body. On the other hand, when the body is not pushed, it
will not feel the need to adapt and therefore you will not improve physically.
ReversibilityOnce the body is not challenged regularly it also re-adapts as themuscle built is then rendered useless, so the body will get rid of it. This means that
even if you have trained for a long time toward your goal you still have to maintain
a steady programme to keep the gains.
TediumThis is when an activity becomes boring which is also a decisive factor aswhen you are bored you probably wont do something, especially if it is repeated
over days or weeks.
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(BBC - GCSE Bitesize: Principles of Training.)
Homeostasis & FITT
Homeostasis is linked into the Progression and Overload and as is the FITTanagram. Homeostasis is the process through which the body adapts do the
training it is going through in order to better cope with the stress it is put under.
Perspiration is also an act of homeostasis as the body adapts to heating and so to
cool down it releases water. Homeostasis is extremely helpful when working toward
a goal as it allows you to keep on getting stronger by doing the activities. (Tucker,
Dugas, and Fitzgerald, The Runner's Body: How the Latest Exercise Science Can
Help You Run Stronger, Longer, and Faster)
The FITTanagram is a series of ways in which you can progress and overload your
fitness programme. With these four methods it is then also easier to adapt yourprogramme to what type of training would benefit your activity best. For example
if you are running then you might want to consider changing the Time of your run
as running is based around aerobic endurance.
FrequencyIncreasing the amount of sessions you are doing or the repetitions youare performing for each exercise.
IntensityWorking harder during the session, which can be measured with a HeatRate Monitor.
TypeChanging the type of training to match the goal you want to achieve.TimeAltering the duration of your session to make it harder.
(Waehner, Paige. "F.I.T.T. Principle Definition for Exercise.")
Methods of TrainingThe methods of training is deciding which area of your fitness you would like to
improve. There are two main categories and then many minor ones. The major two
are anaerobic and aerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is training when the
muscles do not require oxygen and aerobic exercise would be when the muscles
do require it. An example of aerobic exercise would be running or biking when you
are generally going at around 60% of your maximum threshold (BBC - GCSE
Bitesize: Methods of Training). Whereas, weight training or circuit training mainly
focuses on higher intensity but less amount of time is used. There are countless
others such as flexibility training, strength training, circuit training etc. These
methods help to specify exactly what training you require improving within your
designated goal area.
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Stress and AdaptationIn many ways the human body is
a marvel. We have developed
from single celled bacteria in to
an extremely complex organism,which is different from any other
on this planet. As the human
body evolved it was also put
under a lot of stress for example
when our ancestors were hunting.
They would hunt for hours on end
and so their bodies adapted.
They developed muscles so the
motion of running could become easier and their cardiovascular system
strengthened so that we would not tire as easily as the animals we were hunting.Over millennia our bodies have gradually evolved to be more efficient however
adaptation also plays a major role in a more short-term use.
When the body starts exercising it goes into an Alarmstage (Stage A) where the
body either adapts or it worsens as stress is applied. Which way you go entirely
depends on the intensity of the stress, which is presented to the body. If the
intensity is of a reasonable level the body will adapt and become better at the
exercise it is performing and then keep improving (Stage B). That is until the
exhaustion stage comes to a point where the body cannot keep adapting
because has no energy left (Stage C)(Tucker, Dugas, and Fitzgerald, The Runner'sBody: How the Latest Exercise Science Can Help You Run Stronger, Longer, and
Faster). An excessive amount of time spent in the exhaustion stage without time for
recovery could lead to severe injury or illness.
(Stress & Adaptation Graph. Digital Image)
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Diet
When executing any exercise programme it is important to watch your diet so you
can yield the maximum improvements from your workouts. The quality of food that
a runner eats is of paramount importance and directly reflects on how they
eventually perform (Fitzgerald, Racing Weight). You must control and record what
you eat in order to know if you are getting the correct nutrients from your food as
well. Finding what nutrients you need on which days very important too though.
The goal for a runner is to become as lean as possible in the short period of time
that they are training. Guiding your body towards the optimal weight helps you
become as efficient as possible. You can train as much as you want, however
without a proper diet you will not achieve the results you are aiming for.
Varied DietOne of the core lessons in managing your diet is to change things up and not get
stuck on the same repetitive meal. There are many suggestions as to how people
recommend your diet is split between nutrients. The most common is; around 70%
carbohydrates, 10% fat and 15 % protein. With a varied diet, minerals and vitamins
should fill the last five per cent among other things. If you introduce variety into
your diet then you are likely to get all of the things that you need to go smoothly
through your training (Fitzgerald, Racing Weight).
Fat
Yes, fat. Though it may seem like the opposition of any endurance sport it is alsovital to your supply of energy. Studies have shown that the longer the event lasts,
the more fat the body is using for its energy (Fitzgerald, Racing Weight). That is why
that fat stores are so important, even if you are trying to become lean. However it
is also worthy of note that this fat should not come from processed foods but rather
from nuts and vegetables etc. Fruits are also useful because they have a high
glucose content that is stored as fat when not used.
ProteinProtein is an incredibly important
nutrient for recovery. After
exercise, you muscle fibres have
been torn and blood rushes back
to heal these tears. Protein will
make the healing process faster
and more effective
(Fitzgerald, Racing Weight).
Protein is quite easy to obtain,
through simple and relatively
cheap foods such as chicken,
turkey, lean beef etc. It is easy to
get fatty protein sources as well (Protein Rich Foods. Digital Image.)
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though such as red meat. Despite all this protein is still only 15% of your diet and is
basically only used for recovery and so there is quite some flexibility in how you get
the protein. Protein is a vital component of runners diet and is important in the
recovery process that allows you to follow a tough training schedule.
CarbohydratesCarbohydrates are the fuel that your body relies on
when running. This nutrient takes up the vast majority of
your diet and rightly so. Without carbohydrates you
simply wouldnt be able to muster the energy to run
effectively. The reason why carbohydrates are
preferred from fat as an energy source is that it yields a
lot more energy per gram (Fitzgerald, Racing Weight).The best forms of carbohydrates that contain the most
energy is complex carbohydrates. You will have a lot
more long lasting energy if you receive complex
carbohydrates which can be found in foods such as;
wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, beans etc.
WaterWater is often neglected however when you are
exercising you lose a lot of fluids through sweat.
We sweat as an act of homeostasis as your body
attempts to cool your body and so lets go of
fluids. It is important to replace these lost fluids at
a reasonable pace following exercise. With
constantly enough fluids in your body, it will be
able to cool your body down when necessary
without dehydrating yourself.
Above all things in your diet, it is important to eat
varied and simply eat healthy. The main things
are to stay away from processed foods and
foods that are high in fat and sugar. You should
always load up on carbohydrates before
training and then consume again after so that
you still have energy. Protein is also necessary in order to recover after training so
that you are ready for the next day. These small changes to your diet could have
great results as your body has the right amount of correct nutrients to run on when
you are training.
(Sources of Carbohydrates.
Digital Image.)
(Health benefits of Water.Digital
Image)
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Training Alternatives
Non
Impact TrainingThe whole idea behind training without putting
too much pressure on your joints is extremely
important. The days where you are training
without any impact are also the ones where
your body is recovering. However staying
active keeps you in shape and keeps your
endurance from slacking and it also changes
things up every once in a while. The three main
non-impact sports that I used were:
Cycling Swimming Walking
These three really helped to keep me active and in-shape for the half marathon.
This was my method to keep my endurance ascending and to make sure it was
not moving up and down so that I couldnt keep my consistency.
Altitude Training
Training in a high altitude is a method of trainingthat many athletes have adopted due its
endurance enhancing effects. It does not
directly enhance your endurance however it
increases the amount of oxygen that is
transported through your bloodstream.
Although getting to place with high altitude
may prove to be difficult to do regularly it is a
highly recommended way to improve your
training. The red blood cells carry the oxygen
that our muscles require when exercising butalso when they are recovering. However it takes around 4 weeks for these effects
to kick in and to affect your performance, which would mean staying in a place of
high altitude for that entire duration (Wilber, "BBC Sport - Altitude Training:Challenging Conventional Wisdom"). So even though altitude training is difficult to
do it is also one of the few where several reliable sources state scientific results.
One of the main improvements is your ability to recover faster. Now the trend is to
live high and train low in altitude. The adjustments that your body makes to living in
high altitude translate to more effective training in a lower altitude.
(Swimming. Digital Image)
(Hiking. Digital Image)
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Hill TrainingHill training is a great way to push yourself mentally and physically and also to
improve your technique (Hanc, "How to Run Hills at Runner's World"). This is a quite
accessible alternate to running on flat ground because you can always runtowards hills and then also stray away from your run being very dull and boring. I
was lucky enough to have a couple of hundred meters of very steep ascent hill
directly behind my house and was able to go up there whenever I wanted to and
then perform the training I had created. One of the main reasons to do hill training
is really for the mental aspect as you are able to push yourself over a short period
of time and you feel stronger after that. It also adds some strain to your muscles
that a normal run does not provide, which means that normal running will probably
become slightly easier.
Training in SandTraining in sand gives you a completely
different feel for running and it also
develops your technique (Romanov,
"RUNNING ON SAND - Training With
Dr.Romanov"). I had the opportunity to go
running on a beach for about a week and
from experience I can say that it is a lot
harder than running on a firm surface. Due
to the softer nature of sand you dont really
have a firm footing that you can push off
from. This causes you to activate muscles in
your entire body that you usually dont use
while running, the stabilisers. I also noticed
that my stride seemed a lot more effective
once I returned to a firmer terrain.
Cross TrainingWhen talking about cross training it is often referring to any type of training done
for the sake of improving your running. This is training that should be done a coupleof times a week to improve your technique when running. The exercises to not
take a long time and help all the stabilising muscles to make your running more
efficient and with less chance of sustaining an injury. Specific Exercises are
presented in the following chapter
(Running in Sand. Digital Image)
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Running Technique
Why is it important?Your running technique is of paramount importance to insure that you do not
injure yourself but it is also surprisingly individual. The aim of improving your
technique is to perfect your running posture and gait.
Running GaitYour running gait is practically the way you run and the way you are supposed to
run. Running gaits are very individual and depend on what foot type you are
which can be tested by making your foot wet and stepping on an area where you
can clearly see the outline of your foot such as a piece of paper or the bathroomtiles ("What Is My Running Gait"). There are also an increasing amount of sport
shops that will do a running gait analysis video for free as long as you buy a pair of
shoes as well.
After having done the wet foot test the results should be one of the following:
Over Pronator Neutral Under Pronator
Your running gait can be improved over time but it is also possible to buy custom
shoes, depending on your gait, although they are quite expensive.
Ways to improve your running techniqueThere are certain exercises that you can do if you want to improve your technique.
The whole reason behind doing this is to lessen your likelihood of sustaining an
injury while running which can often be the result of bad technique. These
exercises will improve the muscles that keep your running form tight, which
reduces your risk of injury. These exercises are often referred to as cross-training.
(Running Gait - 'Wet Foot Test' Results. Digital image)
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Exercises:
Mainly you want to work your stabilisers in your legs and core in order to keep your
body upright, in the correct posture.
Oblique bridge Strengthens the often neglected core which is really ofparamount importance within your running gait.
(Oblique Bridge. Digital image.)
Lying Side raise strengthens the muscles around your hips to make sureyour energy is propelled forward and none is wasted on sideward motion.
(Side Raises. Digital image.)
Lying Hip AbductionIncreases your stability in the hips
(Hip Abduction. Digital image)
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Cook Hip lift Embraces the core to stabilise the spine and stretches outyour hamstrings
(Cook Hip Lift. Digital image.)
Single Leg SquatStrengthens the quads for a more powerful stride
(Single Leg Squat Exercise. Digital image.)
The BridgeActivates your whole core and trains your body in stabilisation.
(Isometric Exercises - Plank Bridge. Digital
Image)
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Plyometric SquatTrains your explosive power to improve your stride.
--
(Plyometrics Squat Jump. Digital image.)
(Fitzgerald, Brain Training for Runners: a Revolutionary New Training System to Improve Endurance,
Speed, Health, and Results)
InjuryRunners who over-train are especially susceptible to however anyone who runs is
at risk of receiving an injury while running. To start with it is always good to start your
program slow and then build up, giving your body time to adapt. (Fitzgerald, Brain
Training for Runners: a Revolutionary New Training System to Improve Endurance,
Speed, Health, and Results)
Cross training and other alternatives to training should also be considered as they
keep the body in shape but dont affect the joints and cause inju ry as much.
However if you have taken all the precautionary measures and still sustain an injury
you will probably have to go through rehabilitation, depending on the severity of
the injury. Ultimately though, improving your running technique is your best betagainst sustaining an injury.
YouthYoung adults who are aiming to complete a half marathon should be especially
cautious of injuries. Our bodies are still developing and because of that, if you
sustain an injury then it may be a lot more devastating than if an adult had done
the same. It is also important to follow your schedule exactly. Due to our age we
can easily put too much pressure on the joints, which could cause long-term
damage. It is therefore especially important as adolescents to include the non-
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impact variation of training. Basically it is important to listen to your body and know
when to train and when not to, in order to achieve optimal results, without causing
yourself any harm.
Barefoot RunningBarefoot running is a brand new theory
that takes us back to our ancient running
equipment. The theory behind barefoot
running is that through evolution our
whole body evolved to run efficiently
without the padding supplied in modern
running shoes (Lieberman, Daniel. "The
Barefoot Professor."). The people behind
the theory also claim that runningbarefoot will tighten up your form when
running. The reasoning behind this is quite
logical.
The reason behind running with padding
is to eliminate pain and injury that
originates from pounding on the surface
repetitively. The pain occurs when you
are landing with your heel first. When you
land on the heel the shock is directlytransferred to your knees, hips and lower
back instead of being absorbed by the
foot. The foot can absorb the shock
when you land on the mid-foot or on the
ball of your foot and this is how the
human anatomy developed to run
without hurting ourselves. Our physiology
evolved biomechanically to run without
the aid of cushioning for our feet and so,
in fact, running with shoes might not be the best option (Amy Cortose, WigglingTheir Toes at the Shoe Giants). The ironic thing is that although the padding is
supposed to be aiding you and your health it actually does the opposite because
it allows you to run with bad form without realising it.
Running barefoot allows you to feel when something is hurting as you are running
and will therefore force you to change it. This means that if you are heel striking
then it will begin to hurt your heel, knees, hips and lower back and you will most
likely alter your form to reduce the impact. The advice given to those who do start
barefoot running is to start slow and on a slightly softer terrain than usual in order to
give your feet and calves time to adjust. Running on the balls of your feet and your
(Barefoot Running. Digital image)
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mid-foot put a lot of pressure on your calf and if you dont take it easy to start with
it may result in some serious injuries or painful cramps. Barefoot running advocates
have also conducted some research supporting their point of view,
Research has shown that wearing shoes to exercise takes more energy, and that barefootrunners use about 4% less oxygen (Parker-Pope, Is Barefoot Better?)
Although the theory is that the less
material the better Vibram has
created a new branch of shoes for this
type of running, Vibram FiveFingers
("VIBRAM FiveFingers Europe")They are
basically a skin-tight protective layer
for your feet that provide the exact
safety without compromising thebarefoot experience.
Barefoot running is still a new topic and
there is very little conclusive data that
supports this argument. Sports scientists
and doctors are currently in the
process of conducting experiments
that may resolve some of the criticism
surrounding the topic. Barefoot running
is a great alternative if you are lookingto change things up in your training
and improve your technique.
(Running in Vibram FiveFingers. Digitalimage.)
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My Training Schedule
("Runner's World Personal Trainer." TrainingPeaks.com.)
* All distances are in kilometers
Rest -These days should be designated to recovering from your runs.
NonImpact / Rest Days - These days should either be used to recover if you are
feeling burned out or doing one of the training alternatives mentioned before.
This training schedule is only meant as a guide and it is encouraged to make slight
changes so that the training may better suit your lifestyle.
WeekMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
1 Rest 6.5 Non-Impact/
Rest
8 6.5 Rest 13
2 Rest 8 Non-Impact/
Rest
8 6.5 Rest 13
3 Rest 8 Non-Impact/
Rest
8 6.5 Rest 15
4 Rest 8 Non-Impact
Rest
10 6.5 Rest 15
5 Rest 8 5 6.5 6.5 Rest 8
6 Rest 8 NonImpact
Rest
10 6.5 Rest 15
7 Rest 5 5 10 5 Rest 18
8 Rest 5 5 11 6.5 Rest 21
9 Rest 5 5 8 5 Rest 18
10 Rest 5 5 8 5 Rest 22.5 RACE DAY
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Closing Comments
Running is an ancient sport however it has survived to make an impact on our lives.
As with any commitment, the half-marathon pushes you to improve yourself. All of
the factors included should be seriously considered when creating your own
schedule as they have helped me a great deal. With them you should be able to
create a schedule that will push you to achieving your goal of running a half-
marathon Enjoy your training, run safe and remember what motivates you.
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Joyce, Christopher. "Armed And Deadly: Shoulder, Weapons Key To Hunt : NPR." NPR :
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Images
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Protein Rich Foods. Digital image. EffectiveExerciseTips.com. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
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