RUNNING WORKOUT

RUNNING WORKOUT
Allen Quesada PachecoBrandon Cody ShafferScott William Douglas RussellRyan David DunhamBenjamin Robert Timson

Stretching

Calf: Stand a foot from a wall, post, or tree. Holding on lightly with your hands, place toe of right foot against the post, and keep heel on ground. Align left foot behind right. You should feel a stretch through the calf. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat with left foot.

Groin: Sit with the soles of feet together, back straight, and head up. Gently lean forward as you press thighs with elbows, holding for 30 seconds.

Hamstrings: Stand with knees slightly bent. Slowly bend at the waist, allowing upper body weight to drape forward. Let arms and head hang loosely. Hold stretch for 30 seconds.

Glutes: Lying on your back, bend knees, and cross right ankle on top of left knee. Wrap hands around left leg on thigh behind knee, gently pulling left leg toward you. Feel the stretch in the right hip and buttock. Hold for 30 seconds, relax, and gently pull again. Switch legs.

Lower back: Kneel with knees hip-width apart and hands underneath shoulders. Inhale slowly, then exhale while pulling your belly in and arching back. Relax shoulders and neck, and let head hang down. Repeat 5 times.

STRIDE
When running, concentrate on driving your arms forward and lifting your knees high (above). You should lean forward slightly without bending at the waist. Keep your shoulders back and your arms bent 90 degrees at the elbow (left). Swing them forward and backward like a pendulum, without crossing them in front. Keep your head level, your eyes gazing ahead, and your upper body relaxed. (Avoid clenching your hands or jaw.) You should feel like youre neither bounding (overstriding) nor shuffling (understriding).

CONTROLLED STRIDES
To improve posture, form, speed, and power while warming up the legs, practice controlled strides, which are short periods of rapid running where you concentrate on form. Because theyre hard on the legs, reserve these drills for after youve been training for at least a month and when your legs arent tired.

When doing the exercise, concentrate on controlling your arms and legs. Open your stride by extending and exaggerating it slightly. Your stride length on both legs should match, and your arms should swing in sync with your legs.

Try this set of controlled strides: Do a 10- to 15-minute warm-up. Perform 5 strides for 5 to 10 seconds, with about 30 seconds of light running after each. Exertion rate: 4 to 5.

HILL RUNNING
Hills build power, improve form, and prepare you to encounter them on race day.When running uphill, lean into the hill slightly and look to the top. Your stride should be slightly shorter than on flat groundtry to feel quick and light. Use your glute muscles to push off strongly from your toes while driving your knees forward and up. Keep your upper body relaxed.
Recover while running downhill. Maintain a relaxed pace, again leaning slightly forward (rather than straightening your back). You should feel like youre letting go as gravity draws you down the hill. Exhale deeply, and relax the arms a little.

FIVE-WEEK RUNNING WORKOUT