Running 8

Shoes:

Unlike football, or baseball or the vast majority of sports, running doesn't require much equipment. In fact, beside some basic clothing, shoes is all it asks for. However, having the right shoe is crucial to avoiding injury and maximizing workout success.

There are a few technical aspects when it comes to buying a shoe that go further than how comfortable the shoe feels. A comfortable shoe isn't necessarily the right shoe for you. There are somethings that change over time, and others that do not. For instance, do you know if you are flat-footed, or if you have an arch? If not, you can find out simply by wetting the bottom of your foot (to where it's wet, but not dripping) and stepping on a dry newspaper. Step naturally and don't exert any extra pressure by pushing or stomping. Look at the shape of your foot print. Compare your print to the picture on the left.

Being flat footed isn't wrong. All it means is that you need a different shoe to give you the support you need where you need it. Be sure to ask if a shoe you are about to buy was made for flat footed people.

Another very important aspect of running is how your foot lands on the ground. Do you land on the front of your foot (fore foot), middle of your foot (mid foot) or your heel (heel striking). The most efficient way of running is fore-footing. Fore-footing allows for a fluid motion and propulsion without loosing momentum. When your foot lands, it can spring back up quickly and effectively. Heel striking is the most common tendency for runners in shoes, and it is the exact opposite from the fore-foot. You loose momentum when your heel hits the ground, and you must wait for your whole foot to traverse the ground before picking up again. Notice, I said it was the most common tendency for runners in shoes. This is because the human body will naturally fore-foot or mid-foot when bare-foot running.

While it is best to fore-foot or mid-foot, not every body does, nor can. Heel-strikers can train themselves to fore-foot over time (you may feel an extra workout in your calves), however, in the mean time, it is best to wear a shoe that best fits how you run the majority of the time. Most running stores will have an employee who can best diagnose you with your running style and give you the best shoe.

Runner 7

Hamstrings:

The hamstrings consist of four muscles "under" your thigh. They work to counter-act your quadriceps contractions.

Like most other muscles, the hamstring muscle group can be stretched in multiple ways. One way is a partner stretch. Lie down on the ground, and place your leg on your partner's shoulder (your partner is kneeling in front of you). If you are flexible, keep your leg straight at the knee, if not, allow for some bending. Your partner should lean in slowly until the athlete says otherwise.

With a partner again, sit up from your previous position and reach for your toes. It is best if you tie your shoes together so that as you reach for your feet, they do not fall to the side. Have your partner gently push on your back until you feel tension.

Gluteus Maximus or Glutes:

The Gluteus Maximus or Glute muscle group, is found at your butt. It is the muscle that gives power and propulsion when beginning a workout, or sprinting during a workout. It is very important to warm-up, cool-down, and stretch extremely well as to not pull one of your glutes.

While sitting on the ground, put one foot flat on the ground a few feet away from you, and place your other foot's ankle just above the knee of the other foot. You will feel a stretch in the leg whose ankle is on the other leg's knee. After roughly forty-five seconds, keep the same position, but allow it to fall to the ground. The leg with the ankle on the knee of the other, should have its foot flat on the ground. While the other leg should be completely flat on the ground (see the picture). Pull in on the knee that is vertically in front of you. You will feel the stretch in the same leg as before. Repeat this with the other leg.

Runner 6

Quad Stretch:

The Quadriceps are a group of muscles located at your thigh that are extremely important for running as they extend your leg. As assumed from the name, your quads are made up of four different muscles. Unlike the calf stretch, each stretch will stretch more than one of the four muscles, but doing more than one of the stretches will yield better results. 

The most common and simple quad stretch is the standing quad stretch. Support yourself against a wall with your arm, and with your other hand, hold up your leg (same side as the arm that is holding it) around the ankle, and pull until you feel a stretch on the front of your thigh. Usually, forty-five seconds to a minute is enough per leg for this stretch.

After stretching against a wall, find a mat or a soft place to lie down. While on your side, leave the leg on the ground extended and pull back on your other leg with the same side arm. With your other arm, prop your head up. If you do not feel much, push your hip forward and this will increase the stretching. Give each leg around thirty seconds before switching. 

Lastly, push your matt up against a wall so that it is flush with the wall (or get a small towel or pad and place it next to the wall). Kneel on one knee and lift up the foot whose knee is on the ground. Reverse until the lifted leg is against the wall (your other leg should be at a 90º angle. Keep your hands on your hips and face forward. Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds and then switch.

Runner 5

Different stretches:


There are roughly seven hundred muscles in your body. Muscles that perform all different types of tasks in different manners. Luckily for us, we only need to stretch a handful of them to perform efficiently and properly.

Calves:
The calf is a very important muscle to stretch, and it is composed of three main parts: the Gastrocnemius,  Soleus, and Achilles tendon. Each muscle must be stretched in a distinct way.

The Gastrocnemius, or outer calf, can be stretched in the orthodox manner: sitting down, extending a leg, and trying to touch your toes. A better version of this would be to bring an elastic rope or band of some sort, extend both of your legs while on the ground, rap the cord around your feet and pull back. Both ways stretch the outer calf, and you should feel a burn right beneath your knee at the upper calf.





Next, stretch your Soleus, or middle to lower calf. Resume from the Gastrocnemius stretch, however this time, pull your foot in towards your body while keeping your heal on the ground. Bring your heal up to right below where your other foot's knee is.



Lastly,  stretch your achilles tendon by pulling your heal in even further to where you can feel a burn in your lower calf. If you do not feel anything, try a different form of the stretch: stand up facing a wall or curb, put your heal on the floor, and the bottom of your foot on the wall. Inch your heal closer and closer to the wall until you feel an adequate burn. If you are on a curb, it may help to put your opposite foot in front of you over the curb.

Runner 4

Stretching:

You have probably been told to stretch before you run or perform vigorous exercises. I myself have become accustomed to stretching before and after every run I do. Why do we stretch? Is stretching even good for you?

Stretching was thought to loosen muscles, prevent injuries, and prepare for a workout of any sort. I view it as waking my muscles up before forcing them to work. When I do not stretch, I feel like my muscles are cold and resistant, almost as if they are more prone to getting pulled or strained; granted, I have never directly related an injury that I have had to in proper stretching.

Believe it or not, scientific tests in the lab showed that stretching in most cases does not aid the body, and in extreme cases can even worsen the muscle state. Prolonged stretching can backfire and make a muscle more tight than it already has been. Science blatantly states that there is no direct relationship between stretching and athletic performance.

Why then do so many runners ignorantly stretch? The truth is that many athletes, raised in the habit of stretching and warming up, find it unnatural and uneasy to perform without proper drills before hand. If anything, stretching becomes a placebo to injuries or mental stress.

Whether stretching turns out to be good, pointless, or even harmful, I will continue to stretch. For me, stretching helps give a reassured and confident mind, where I know my body is ready to train, or perform, and ultimately, a science lab cannot be certain about everything.

Runner: 3

Now- time for the running. As mentioned earlier, there are two types of training: distance and speed. Both are equally important in their own realms. For beginners, however, it is better to focus on distance rather than speed. Speed workouts are more intense, and for a body that is not accustomed to running in general, it should be eased into a harder training.

This being said, the initial distance you run should be relative to the shape your body is in. If you have not ran much recently, it is probably best you begin with three miles. If the three miles seems too easy, increase the mileage to four or five. You should not go any higher at first, as this will be very shocking to your body. Instead, it is best that you up the mileage every week or so.

Time yourself! A watch with a timer is essential to any runner aiming to improve. If possible, trace out your routes before you run them, and know where the mile marks are approximately. When you pass this point on your run, be sure to glance at your watch and see what the time is. When you cross the next mile, figure out what your mile pace was, and see if you slowed down, or sped up.

It is best to run even, or run negative. Now, this does not mean to run in a depressed, gloomy matter. Running negative implies that your splits decrease per mile, or segment that you are timing. This will be more crucial during speed workouts; however, it is never bad to aim for on a distance run. The opposite of this would be running positive, which is NEVER good to do. Keep this in mind while you trek down the streets on your adventures.

When given the choice, you should always run on softer surfaces. In order from best to worse: hard/wet sand, grass, dirt/gravel, asphalt, cement. Cement. Cement is the worst possible surface to run on. It increases the chance of injury, especially shin splints (which will be discussed later). Many inexperienced runners will run on the cement, when there is an open bike lane next to them - choose the bike lane! With this advice, you can safely enjoy your distance running! 

Runner: 2

Cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Two very big words; two very important meanings. What are the cardiovascular and respiratory systems? What do they do? How does running strengthen them? 

The cardiovascular system is the body process involved with the heart and blood vessels. The heart pumps blood through all of the one-hundred thousand miles of blood vessels your body has. Blood helps to carry oxygen to cells from the lungs, and carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs; it also ships all the nutrients from your digestive system to each and every cell - including water.

While the cardiovascular system is a remarkable process our body performs, it is not completely safeguarded against problems. Heart attacks and strokes are the end results of bad cardiovascular treatment. These occur because extra fat in the body builds up in the arteries of your body, restricting and sometimes blocking the artery all together.

Running cleans out the arteries in our bodies because of the amount of energy it calls for. When we run, our body first converts sugar to energy, then fat. The fat is gathered from all areas of our bodies, including the arteries- widening the artery and allowing more blood flow. Also, our hearts, constantly pumping throughout the workout, are strengthened and become healthier.

Directly tied with the cardiovascular system is the respiratory system. This is the system that deals with breathing, and focuses on the lungs. Running helps increase our lung capacity and allows us to breath steadier and controlled during strenuous workouts. Our lungs become skilled at taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide, the byproduct of cellular respiration. This, combined with the cardiovascular system, makes our bodies exercising machines, and allows us to push ourselves to new limits.

Distance running has been proven to both clear out arteries, strengthen the heart, and increase lung capacity. These side effects not only are extremely beneficial to your body, but will help you along your pathway to becoming a serious runner.