To Run or Be a Runner in Triathlon

To succeed at the highest level in triathlon in the run off the bike, does one need to be a runner, or just run fit? Those of you that know what I do for a living can clearly see this is a loaded question. Can sufficient run conditioning work propel a triathlete who can move herself through space on foot at the prerequisite pace to success in a triathlon race without having the running skills to do so; i.e. while looking like a runner? I say no – a Chris Lieto obviously does not arrive at the world championships not “in shape” to run a marathon that is sufficient to defend his prodigious bike result & get the W; so what’s missing then? Clearly our love of the sport lies in looking for that elusive day when we put it all together & the “gamble” that this entails every time we lay it on the line is where the magic lies.


Lately I have been standing before a new paradigm; sure, address the specific limiters I see with each individual triathlete, but perhaps more importantly & effectively, in terms of my mission to see beautiful runners in triathlon that please even the pure running fans, establish a baseline level of running skills through tried & tested key drills introduced from the beginning of the triathlete’s career if they have not come along a running pathway. All runners can skip, do the karaoke drill, bound, & sprint – not all triathletes, even VERY good ones can!

The more triathletes I work with, especially the higher performing ones with amazing swim & bike abilities, the more I realize that they have developed from a young age in especially the swim, through the regular pathway of swim drills & development – growing up to be swimmers. They eat, sleep, drink & visualize swimming (or whatever their chosen sport was) & became that thing. While maintaining those skills & giving up on some of the volume & frequency that got them there, they need to have a minimum level of cycling & running skills. It would seem to me that a far better way to approach this situation, rather than try to fix what is broken about their run, is to have them learn & master the basic skills & see if their run does not naturally progress in this fashion. Then, when they have a basic skill set in place, work on the specific limiters they display.

Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Critical Velocity Based 10km Training for 2011 Bolder Boulder 10km road race

Starting a 10 week build to 2011 Bolder Boulder 10km race for a few runners tomorrow. Have both a hands on group & an online group. Using my new specific velocity based training approach, with O2 kinetic work & K-Pump training. If you are interested give me a shout at tel number or email on my site: http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Quantification Conundrum Part I

Bio-mechanists have incredible tools & wonderful training that tells us what our limbs are doing when we run. They also have pretty amazing tools to measure how much our muscles are working & when. The concept of “rebound” or elastic return is harder to measure – only a few labs can do this & the results are hard to nail down – an essential, but pretty new field of research. Add to this that the picture of running effectively mechanically has no real set of baseline data that represent perfect form – there are so many idiosyncrasies in top runners. Some, like Haile Gebrselassie have tried to effect changes to no avail, but have made changes to other things, like foot strike, in his case & have gone on to succeed admirably after these changes. Generally change introduces other variables & often a whole new set of problems. This is why wise coaches sometimes leave well alone. “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” holds especially true when it comes to running mechanics. Most individuals I see come for 2 reasons:


1. They are broke or

2. They’re stuck & cannot go faster

Both good reasons if all the other factors have been considered; things like over-training, incorrect training & insufficient training. Nowadays, with the elites, I am finding that they cannot run fast enough with their current form to access the type of training response that will take them to the next level.

IF YOUR CURRENT TOP END REPRESENTS ONLY A SMALL INCREASE IN SPEED FROM YOUR REQUIRED RACING SPEED, BE THAT FOR A 5KM OR A MARATHON, THEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOU MAINTAINING REQUIRED SPEED FOR THE DURATION BECOMES MORE & MORE CHALLENGING.

A car that has been designed to drive along at 100mph is likely to be much less stressed at 65mph than a car that can only manage 70mph.

If one accepts that we have a fixed rate of slowing with each doubling of distance, & I do believe this, then ultimately you have a finite speed at which you can run your preferred distance run, no matter how much fitter you get.

9. Correct arm usage for runners

The arms are closer to the brain than the legs. Your arms are “cleverer” than your legs as a result. Fatigued limbs have a hard time responding to cognitive commands, making “access” easier through reflex, rhythm pathways. Part of this also occurs when synapses are used repeatedly – they start to lose choline & struggle to relay messages. These facts make it possible through the intricately integrated connection between all limbs, called the kinetic chain, to use your arms effectively to run better. One key component of effective running is to have your feet be on the ground for the briefest period possible for any given foot strike. This is called stride rate & if the arms & legs MUST move in unison (left knee to right elbow in front for example), it stands to reason that the quicker the arm is punched rearward & then automatically swung forward on the opposite side, the quicker the legs must move – effective running is often measured by how rapidly the foot can return for the next foot fall from toe off. (Of course stride length is the other half of the equation, but that’s another matter all together.)


Ensure that the arms remain bent at the elbow at 90* or even more closed; I often use a little pebble, held in the crook of the elbow & not to be dropped while running, to drill this component. The lowest part of the arm, at any point during the swing must be the elbow; the shorter the lever the quicker it can be swung. If there are no deficiencies elsewhere, the arms should be swung symmetrically under the shoulder – i.e. when the thighs are parallel during the running gait, the forearms should be parallel with each other & the surface & the middle of the forearm should be directly underneath the armpit/shoulder. Keep the hand above the short line. When viewed from the front the hand should be inside (or nearer the body than the elbow). If possible keep each arm on the outside of the sternum & try not to cross the center line. Some good runners do however do this & it is not a deal-breaker. What is a deal-breaker though is rotating the upper body across the line of travel where clearly there is a “disconnect” between the torso & the legs.

Good runners even close the elbow angle when the arm is swung to the front & open it somewhat when swung to the rear. Keep the hands loose & the wrists firm, with the thumb on the forefinger as a general rule of, um, thumb!

Relaxed, bent, coordinated, quick, rearward punching arms will help you be a more effective runner.

Bobby McGee – Bobby McGee Endurance Sports


www.BobbyMcGee.com

4. Stride rate is the key to successful running

The forward lean in running is free speed, but the high stride rate, turnover or cadence really is the most important aspect of successful running. The less the amount of time, per foot strike, your foot can be on the ground, the less strength is required, the less fatigue is accumulated & the less eccentric micro tearing in the leg muscles takes place. A hallmark of champion distance runners is a stride rate of over 180 steps per minute – some as high as 208! Count your cadence by counting the number of foot strikes you achieve with one foot in 15sec & then multiply that by 4. This will give you a single leg turnover. The minimum number you are striving for is 23 (or 92 steps per foot per minute, which is 184 for both feet). Your length, leg length or gender is irrelevant. Lastly, do not simply try to move up your cadence by moving your legs faster; this may lead to injury & may not improve performance. Do this by leaning slightly forward from the ankle, staying tall through the hips, bending your elbows 90*, (till you could hold a pebble in the crook of your elbow & not drop it for the duration of the run), punching your elbows rearward slightly &, most importantly, pushing your foot to the ground, (but NOT while on the ground). Do this rather than launching up into the air (pushing off) & dropping to the ground – a recipe for injury, fatigue & poor performance.

Bobby McGee – Bobby McGee Endurance Sports
www.BobbyMcGee.com

1. Passive stretching before training & racing slows you down

The purpose of stretching is to allow muscles to recover by “switching off “& allow nutrients to “enter “the tissue. Muscles require downtime to metabolize the effects of hard work & repair/grow stronger. Tests have shown that passive stretching actually slows down muscle speed (sequential firing) & recruitment (the number of muscle fibers available to do the work required). Passive stretching may even destabilize certain joints, like the hip joint, & lead to injury during the training session that follows the stretching session. Studies have shown that people who stretch passively are more likely to get injured than those who don’t! In later blogs I will explain how a Dynamic Warm Up Procedure is a far better way to go to gain optimal results from your fitness. So if you want to stretch passively, do so after training & even here, I recommend that you actively stretch for a far better result, i.e. allow the muscle being released to primarily control the activity.
In a recent study with collegiate cross country runners, those with the shortest hamstrings were the best runners in every case!
To my mind the muscle groups that need to be “released” & returned or set at optimal “loadability” levels after training as far as running is concerned are the hip flexors, the soleus & the quads.
Bobby McGee – Bobby McGee Endurance Sports
www.BobbyMcGee.com

Just 2 HUGE requirements for Success

All you need to race exceptionally is just these 2 things
Performance in endurance sports is all about 2 critical factors:
1. How confident are you?
2. How much can you handle?
It’s kind of in your face isn’t it? I have recently written a sport psychology chapter for a training manual & just discussing what factors make up self confidence & the ability to deal with the extreme sensations that need to be managed to achieve your best possible performance took nearly 10 000 words! I guess that’s why sport psychologists will keep churning out studies & writing books, because while understanding the theory behind the psychology of endurance performance is doable & interesting, it is the application that is SO much more difficult. The very 1st review I received when I published Magical Running, my book on the mental approach to endurance events, (available at http://www.bobbymcgee.com/), was that it “is an easy book to read, a very hard book to do”. This fact points to the age old fact that while everybody knows sport psychology is the glue that turns training & potential into performance, it is largely paid nothing more than lip service. Often the excuse is that it takes too much time or that most feel they really don’t need to work on it, but the truth is:
THE ONE THING THAT FEW OF US EVER WANT TO FACE IS THE TRUTH BEHIND WHAT HOLDS US BACK
That’s why it’s called a blind spot – we simply cannot see why we fail to push through. It is a somewhat universal truth that we are all afraid of being exposed & therefore unwilling to be vulnerable. It is through ownership of our limitations that we can determine whether our beliefs are just skewed perception paradigms or hold some modicum of truth. The self statement “I am not good enough”, or the question, “Am I good enough?” needs to be answered 1000s of time during the course of a race. Our biggest breakthroughs come when we take on the process of tearing down the façade, which incidentally seems to us to be so well constructed, but is often so obvious to those that know us! A hint to involve others in this process of learning who we are as competitors & what we need to work on to become more fully whom we are capable of being.
Confidence is mostly sourced from effective training AND connecting that training & it’s implications with who we are being in competition. This requires insight , honesty & most of all a continuous passionate commitment to the execution of process actions in order to get it all out of ourselves on race day.
Some compelling current research seems to indicate that our point of failure is ALWAYS mental – no matter what the physical situation, the cessation of performance is always a decision to quit that is made at some level of consciousness!
Certain mental fatigue limits our performance capabilities & conversely, as the study seems to prove, it is possible to make considerable gains in performance through specific mental training.
The psychological lesson however has not changed – do what it takes to be as confident as possible – I’d define this as the belief that we can execute to our fitness & ability on race day & 2ndly, know in every fiber of our being that we are the toughest SOBs out there & that there is no circumstance that we cannot handle in such a way that it turns out to our advantage.
Come to think of it – that’s what I have been seeing out there on the world stage for 29 years – confidence & guts, deep grounding confidence & jaw dropping guts.
My wish for you all then: believe in yourself & know you have what the race asks.
Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Ironman Training for the Time Challenged Athlete

I am doing a USA Triathlon Webinar. Topic: Ironman Training for the Time Challenged Athlete.

The emphasis will be on the run.

It takes place on Thursday, May 20.

Time: 4-5pm Mountain, 3-4pm Pacif, 5-6pm Central, 6-7pm Eastern

Cost: $34.99

Sign up at: http://bit.ly/a3qvkF

The blurb goes: For many triathletes the holy grail of their triathlon aspirations is to do an Ironman – but with the realities of the modern economy, family life and a packed commitment schedule, few are able to put together a pocket of time to prepare properly for this great event.

Spend an hour with Bobby McGee discovering how to put together some key aspects of an Ironman training plan without sacrificing real life.

Bobby McGee is an Olympic Coach, Running Expert and also an expert on Sport Psychology and Mental Skills. He has produced world record holders & an Olympic Champion & numerous Olympians as runners, over & above his work with triathletes.

No one knows better how to prepare athletes for success on race day than Bobby McGee!

Love to have you if this is of interest to you.

Till next time...

Bobby McGee

http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Slow’s the Way to Go Joe – Part 1

Predicting someone’s ability to run anything from 800m to a half marathon is really easy. A little more difficult is determining what someone may ultimately be capable of – if they are young enough to still have their best years ahead of them, is a little more challenging. However predicting what they are capable of in a marathon or the run in an IM, now that’s a whole different ball of wax! Add to this that the majority of athletes just do NOT have the patience or time to train to their actual capabilities, but still expect their potential to show up on race day, rather than their training status only. Add to this in the longer events, the tight tolerances allowed in the weather, nutritional, hydration and pacing departments and it’s no wonder so many people “fail” to achieve to their expectations. In triathlon, especially IM another huge challenge is the discipline required to ride easily enough to have an optimal run.
This brings one to the blog’s case in point – training “slowly” enough, or within the ranges that ultimately give you the greatest shot at achieving your potential. Joe Friel’s brilliant work has brought us a model that has helped thousands of athletes to train as close to correctly as modern research suggests we should. One problem thought: many athletes, especially here at altitude, are unable to run slowly enough to stay in these 1st 2 zones! It’s a different matter on the bike where riding on a flat road with 110PSI in your tubular is akin to the efficiency of a seagull in flight. In the pool also the fact that you are in a low gravity-impacted environment and you are using less musculature makes it so much easier to train in the lower zones.
The 2nd conundrum to the part-time athlete – WE DON’T HAVE THE SHEER MASS OF TIME REQUIRED TO BUILD OUR EFFICIENCY THAT SLOWLY TO GAIN THIS BROAD BASED FITNESS WHICH CREATES THE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN AT THE HIGHER MORE SPECIFIC LEVELS THAT GIVES US A GREATER SHOT AT ACHIEVING OUR FULL POTENTIAL.
Compare this to an elite sprinter who can do 2 x 200m in a workout and access so much of her power that she is exhausted and the workout’s effectively done! An elite marathon runner would run 2 maximum effort 200’s and with a short recovery be able to run 8 more! Trouble is the distance runner will have run those 200’s in 29-30 seconds (which is fast – 3:53mile pace), but a sprinter of equal sprinting ability may have run those 200’s in around 24 sec and that’s 3:13 mile pace!!
3rdly, the challenge of the amateur becomes detraining while training! The runner must go so slowly that other components actually start to atrophy. Peripherally there IS such a thing as running too slowly; stride rate may decrease and subsequently loading increases with all its attendant negative consequences. You know how you feel after a long run with a friend who is much slower than you! Also, proper recovery in terms of time is tough for the average athlete – what a pro can do in a week, the average person of the same age needs at least 10 days to complete with sufficient recovery. A good pro microcycle is about 10 days, while a good age grouper would do well on a 14 day microcycle and the older athlete something like 17 – 21 days!

Be a Kid

Don’t let a GPS, compass, HRM, street sign, grade, surface or distance, (esp. a track) tell you how you are faring – let you tell you!
Coaches strive to quantify every detail, but there is no software or collection tool – including RPE, that can measure what you feel.
It’s not like we haven’t got the most intricate, hyper-sensitive tools already built in – another 100 years will not bring modern equipment anywhere close to giving us the kind of feedback we are capable of gleaning if we stay tuned in.
The danger is that the externally generated numbers may limit us. The emotional connection to stats derived off these impressive micro-computers when we approach what previous data has told us are our limits, may cause us to back off. We may have our best foot forward at this stage – all of us may have showed up and we miss a golden opportunity for a break through & an experience that tells us we have far greater abilities than we ever dreamed possible.
I am not saying we should totally eschew the benefits of using these devices by meting out our resources in the most economical fashion; use them for sure! But, the bottom line is that racing is all about pushing our limits however we may have derived them, perceived or otherwise. True performance is a very complex, never fully understood set of constantly changing parameters.
Getting the best out of the individual human body whose every instinct is to keep us safe and in the middle of our homeostatic ranges, requires a very technical concept (facetious here) – GUTS.
I strongly suggest runs (and swims and rides) that are both easy and very, very hard (and everything in between) without gizmos and gadgets. Assess the workouts experientially, qualitatively – with your heart and soul.
Ultimately, when we race, this is the true satisfaction meter. When we assess a result as something that leaves us feeling self –actualized it is much more about an emotional knowing and warrior sensation, than it is about the numbers.
Allow the running to come naturally, progress through feel & knowing & let the numbers confirm & support that…
Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/I recently reviewed Matt Fitzgerald’s latest book (out on June 1st) RUN: The Mind-Body Method Of Running By Feel. It’s a great read & I believe it is his best yet & it explores in depth this week’s blog concept

Mastering downhill running

Been in Tucson helping with run mechanics & sport psychology for age group triathletes & doing some sagging up Mount Lemmon – now that’s a cool ride & probably a monster run. Camps are the way to go if you come from colder winter climes to jumpstart your season. Tucson is literally swamped with athletes of every kind at this time of year & besides opportunities to train swim, bike & run, there’s tons to do & GREAT places to eat. This year the weather has not played ball – cold & wet, but after what’s been going on weather-wise in Boulder & back east, there are no complaints.
Then we have a new world champion! Simon Martin, a friend & regular who attends drills & with whom I work on some scheduling & advice, won the world masters cross country title in Canada recently & made the final in both the 3000m & the 1500m – indoors. Congrats Simon!
Then we have another client/friend, who dived into BFR sans boots-and-all & then owned up to getting a stress fracture shortly afterwards! There were however some extenuating circumstances, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt…; speedy recovery Simon (another Simon).
This week I am delving into downhill running. There’s so much to say about this topic & so many struggle to gain the full advantage of gravity in races. 1stly I used to agree that “letting go” was a good idea in short races, but now I think down hills need to be “run” to gain full advantage. It helps to push the arms out a little wider during descents for balance & stability & also to open the elbow angle somewhat, lengthening the arm lever to keep the kinetic chain intact while taking longer strides. BUT I THINK A HIGHER STRIDE RATE IS THE ANSWER – this provides more control & less fatigue.
Lean off the line of gravity as the vertical, rather than off 90* being vertical on the level.
Mid foot strikers are able to brake with the foot & shoe, while heel strikers have to control descents with the shin (decelerating the lowering of the forefoot) & quad. This accelerated eccentric contraction massively fatigues the legs & does micro damage as well. Some studies have shown for example that some 70% of quad power is lost in the 1st 6 miles of the Boston Marathon due to the extreme nature of that descent. Heel strikers tend to step out from a slope & therefore “fall” much further to impact, while a good mid foot runner (still putting the heel down after the mid foot or at the same time), steps down the hill, a more kinesthetic move, with far less quad demand & dissipation requirements.
I remember in the 90s when I was running altitude camps for Olympic hopefuls in South Africa how we used to encourage the athletes to keep their heart rates up on descents by running down as hard as they could. Just this weekend some top long course triathlon pros were telling me how high they got their heart rates when descending on the bike – working against resistance down the hills to attain maximum speed.
Now, unlike the bike, bad form/lack of skill when running down can be ruinous to back, knees, shins & quads. To become a master runner on the downs requires an assessment of your current ability – do others kick your butt on the downs & are you really uncomfortable when running down & are you really beat up afterwards? If so assess your foot strike, body alignment & the other factors I have mentioned. Then practice in a number of ways – strengthen your legs through progressively building eccentric strength with lunges, squats, static & then linear plyometrics like hops & bounds. Then gradually, with short duration, shallow, well-cushioned (read grass) hills slowly develop both your technique & functional strength. Add one progressively longer run per week on a course that goes predominantly up on the way out & down on the way back. Eventually run some unidirectional runs; some faster & others longer, downhill. Progression rates with this skill & conditioning will be slower than for normal running as is indicated by the fact that a taper for a race with a lot of downhill running requires about a week longer to taper effectively.
So learn to actually run downhill rather than hang on & survive – turn descents into a weapon in your arsenal.
Till next time.
Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

PS: My new DVD on running form & run drills (with plenty of extras) is now available, either order from my website (www.BobbyMcGee.com) or from Endurance Films at www.endurancefilms.com

2K10 here we go. Happy New Year

Fitness, fun, competition... Just love the moments & bask in the doing, such blissful silliness.

In so many ways I am the luckiest coach in the world. I have ample work to do. I feel that I still have so much to learn – both a scary & great place to be. I had & still have great mentors. Athletes seem to feel I have something to offer them that will enhance their performances. I absolutely love what I do. I wake up every morning with only one conundrum – how to fit it all in; family, personal health & enrichment, life’s menial realities & then the myriad facets of my vocation! Put this way methinks I whine too much.
As Richard Bach said, obviously my mission here on earth is not complete because I am still alive. Hmm, just had a thought; how does Tiger Woods explain to his kids what went down, when the time comes. He was leaving some legacy there for a long while & now, while the performance legacy is still intact, he now is father to another legacy that is massive in the public psyche. We all have skeletons in our closets no doubt – I certainly have & it is up to us to manage those as they pertain to our way of being as athletes.
Anyway, this needed to be said in order for me to continue to develop a doable & still useful relationship with my blog. Perhaps a twitteresque approach might be best, where whatever the current high point is of what I am working on is briefly encapsulated in what is hopefully a provocative paragraph or two & then sit back & see if this is what you guys want – via comments or emails to my website, http://www.bobbymcgee.com/, & then make sure I answer your comments with ones of my own!
Waddajaguysthink?

Are you Running SLOWLY enough?

I get such great questions on my website that provide an opportunity for me to spout my opinion on my blog. This one should be of use to many runners & triathletes.

"Bobby, I have attended several trainings by you. Which I have taken a lot out of each one. I am an endurance coach. I was wondering if you could answer a training question. It seems my faster athletes do not have a problem doing their easy runs, easy....say 45sec or more per mile, slower then their Marathon pace. But the athletes at the other end, the 9:00 MP runners always seem to struggle with at their V-Dot predicted easy pace. They complain about running so slow. I am concerned they are spending to much time in the grey zone. What are your thoughts? Thank you."

This is a complex question & I am very glad you asked it – it is most challenging for the slower runners, they ARE going too fast & in that grey zone - diminishing their chances of transcending their current plateau & here’s why:

Their easy pace is too close to their race pace – a common challenge for marathon coaches of the masses. A vast majority of marathoners run their easy & long runs at their marathon pace. In order for them to super-adapt they must find a way to change this & initially the answer is for them to go slower in training & trust it. In this way, pretty soon, they’ll start to adapt & their projected marathon pace WILL go up (faster) & then their training pace will also. This is a mental skill also – teach the ego to shut up & then teach the body to train for adaptation. It can take years for this adaptation to take place fully. See if the following points help out – they do for my runners & triathletes:

· I have had success with teaching the slower runners at altitude to NOT run until they can run at less than 70% of their actual heart rate reserve (i.e. using their resting HR as an evening factor). They walk brisker & brisker at that sub 70% until they can run, or they run on the downs & then flats & walk the climbs (which brings them into grey if they try to run), until they adapt. It can take 18 months – but most can do this in about 6 or so weeks
· I use the walk/run method a LOT (even with elites) – this helps them run a bit faster (as they’d like), but keeps the HR down – they slow to a walk when it begins to exceed 70-75% of HRR. This helps with fat metabolism training also. Check out my webinar on USAT website, from a couple of weeks back on walk/run: https://usat.confedge.com/ap/registration/home.cfm?i=register&e=f7413f5f-8e53-4c04-b8ad-51d0b3d3e63f&grp=Archive&newRegistrant
· Have them do ever increasing hikes & get more & more hilly with these. I start with 45min & work up to even 4+ hours.
· Finally, check out the latest triathlete magazine (p106), for something that I have used & believed for years - 12 – 15% grade (on treadmill also) walking. Is exactly the same as running without the impact & HR is easily controlled

Good luck & please let me know if this helps,

Best wishes,

Bobby McGee

Run Free Friends

I get so wrapped up in my work with runners & triathletes who wish to improve their mechanics that I sometimes forget that the reason why most of us run is simply as an escape to a more child-like time. I watch my son run & it's always with simple & sheer joy! When racing it is important to always keep this in mind. The voluntary nature of what we do allows us to tap into areas of motivation that are different than toughness, or competitiveness, or even a winning mindset, but rather a peaceful, balanced, rhythmic process, fueled by amazement & gratitude. So in the spirit of this I refer you to a laugh out loud YouTube clip of Friends so that whether you are a serious runner or just a happy-to-be-out-there runner, you can tap into power & motivation that is available from the not so usual sources of plain joy & fun. Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_0Ta_DIWuU&feature=related

Bobby McGee

Dorsiflexion, plantarflexion - triathletes listen up

It seems that you can't have both - the more plantar flexion you have (swimmers), the less dorsiflexion you have. Good swimmers need to be able to point their toes so much that the top of the foot (instep) & the shin form almost a straight line. This forms a natural flipper that provides the swimmer with the best ability to propel & balance their swim stroke with their legs. In exact opposition to this, runners require strong dorsiflexion, at least being able to sit on their haunches with their heels on the ground without falling over. Of course you can have too much dorsiflexion as well, reducing the elastic "loadability" of the ankle joint for effective running propulsion. If you come from a swimming background & have reduced dorsiflexion, chances are you run very upright & have to twist the foot either inwards (internal rotation) or outwards, (external rotation) to accommodate this lack of functional mobility. Every time you kick while swimming you increase your plantar flexion, while running incorrectly does not counter balance this - you MUST work on regaining, maintaining the optimum level of dorsiflexion. I have recently seen so many injuries to high level pro triathletes who are strong swimmers, but not necessarily strong runners because of this situation. Of course there are other factors involved too - most critically a inflexibility or even rigidity in the big toe joint (does not bend sufficiently) - this is called flexor hallucis limitis & also needs to be addressed. Remember I am speaking from the point of view of a running biomechanist & not a physical therapist, so if you do suspect these are issues that are impacting your running, then see a pro. Other than the suggestions of such a professional, there are a number of ways that flexibility issues can be addressed. Using a technique for the soleus & gastrochnemius muscles (the calves), called active release stretching should prove very helpful.

For further information on stretching for runners & triathletes you might find my booklet, Running Sports Essentials, quite useful in this regard. It also has some advice of activation & facilitation, dynamic warm up procedures & some suggestions on core strengthening. A new video on running form will also soon be available. For further information & to purchase please see my website, http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Bobbysez Blast 1

Bobbysez Blast

Every week or so I send out a Bobbysez Blast to a group of athletes & interested parties. It deals with mostly track & road running results. I have decided to place this in my bobbysez blog also, so that more people can have access to it.

Much of the information comes from my good friend Riel Hauman’s weekly results newsletter Distance Running Results, that focuses largely on South African running. I extract only international details mostly. Enjoy.

Thanks also to my regular readers of Bobbysez Blast, who have thus far not asked to be deleted from my circulation list; this of itself is a warm compliment! I sincerely hope that my blog will be added to your weekly reading on the world of running.

Here’s something you do not see in road running that often. At this weekend’s Peachtree Road Race (Atlanta, July 5, 2009) - An unsportsmanlike conduct protest was filed by Boaz Cheboiywo against fourth place finisher Tadese Tola. The Atlanta Track Club concluded that the protest would be upheld & disqualified Tola. Cheboiywo was elbowed by Tola in the last 30 meters to the finish.

Despite being a member of the 1500m elite (ran sub 3:30 this year) – Augustine Choge was again out-dueled at the Bislett mile by Deresse Mekonennen in a new Ethiopian mile record of 3:48.95. Watch this guy – he has phenomenal form – I picked him for the win in the 1st 200m just based on the ease with which he maintained an incredible forward lean.

Kenenisa Bekele – the man, stayed in the Golden League hunt by winning the 5000m, but he looked vulnerable & not in his best form.

Meseret Defar seems to be regaining her form after a poor showing in Beijing – she went 14:36.38 for the win in the 5000m at the Bislett Games.

The girls are flying in the steeple for the 1st year after an Olympics – our own Jenny Barringer will have her work cut out at worlds if she is to medal. 3 girls have already cracked 9:20, but with her new sub 4min 1500m clocking she has the wheels to win it on a good day, that would be spectacular for US distance running.

Carrie Messner-Vickers, whom I coach, ran a 30:05 5-miler at 8000ft. Here is her race report for a giggle: So my race went pretty well for not feeling totally up to par!! I won the women's side in 30:05 for 5 miles on a pretty stinking hilly altitude course. I was 6th overall. The first 2 miles were a gradual down hill...my first mile was 5:38, came through 2 miles at 11:17. I missed my splits from there. I ran the first 2 at what felt like a comfortable pace, then picked it up from 3 miles on. Of course that is where the hill started....and went until 1 mile to go. I definitely did not feel 100%, but am happy with the result. I was not trying to run all out and if I had I known I could have easily been under 30; I was pretty tired at the end. 8000ft is some tough alt to run in!!

Till next time – here’s to leg speed

Bobby