#MadManMartin Plank Challenge – One more :60 Plank
Bonus: Add a little extra burn today with a few rounds of Daily Abs Crew! A few means 3! 🙂
Food Challenge: What is ab day without a No Junk Food Challenge? Don’t waste all that hard work by eating crap! This is usually a 21 Day Challenge but we like to take things one day at a time. No Junk Food…just for today Crew! You got this!
Love your abs today! That’s right Crew…you thought you were done but you have time for one more round of #DailyAbs. Give it a little extra and love your abs…AGAIN!
After lots of great strength work, tons of mileage with our weekend long runs and races, AND logging miles for our Paris virtual race….I am so thankful for a yoga day!
Heading out for “stupid early” 4am track but will be looking forward to coming home, stretching it all out, and quieting my mind and body before the rest of the day begins!
When you wake up and see yoga do you think…
“Oh yay, yoga day…a little time for me!”
OR
“Oh yay, yoga day…a day I can skip…”
Do you feel like yoga day isn’t important? Is it a day you won’t feel guilty about letting slide by?
We put this “rest” day from strength training in for a reason…because it’s important to make time to relax, to stretch, and to clear your mind of clutter. But there are other reasons to add yoga to your routine. As a runner, I stress the importance of flexibility and strength…but yoga has so many more benefits. Which reason speaks to you?
We know why we should do it…but we have to make the time.
Will you make a little time for you today?
It’s just as important as every other day. So don’t skip it.
#MadManMartin Plank Challenge – :45 Plank (One more you can do this!)
Speed Work: Who’s doing speed work today? 1/4 mile repeats are on the menu!
Workout – 6X-12X 400M (1/4 mile) – If you are just easing into speed work for the first time. Keep it short and do 1/4 mile repeats 6 times for a total of 1.5 miles. If you’ve been doing this for a while now, and are training for a longer distance race…don’t be lazy…get in those 12 1/4 mile repeats for a total of 3 miles of speed work. Remember to warm up AND cool down. Both are very important parts of this workout. If you have questions, reach out to me. Let’s chat about how to make this work for you.
1/4 mile repeats can be done on the track, treadmill, or on the road with a GPS watch. Do whatever works for you…but don’t skip it. I know it can be daunting…but speed work will not only help you get faster, but it will also help you increase your breathing abilities and make your long runs easier.
Warm-Up –5:00 jog followed by your choice of Dynamic Movements (high knees, butt kicks, leg swings, sideways shuffles, skipping, etc)
Work-Out – 6-8 x 1/4 Mile Repeats at a pace that is :30 faster than your race pace.
*1:00 standing or walking rest in between each set.
1/4 Mile is equivalent to 400 meters or one lap of a standard-sized track. Here’s a few examples of where your interval times would range, depending on your mile time.
If, during a conversation paced run, you average a:
14:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 3:00.
13:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:45.
12:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:30.
11:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:15.
10:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:00.
9:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 1:45.
8:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 1:30.
7:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 1:15.
Cool-Down –5:00-10:00 easy jog (you’ve earned it!)
This quote spoke to me today and I wanted to share it. We are here to get stronger. To run father and faster. We want to stay on the road doing what we love. But the truth is…it’s so much more important than that. Every day that we do a little more than we would without each other’s support is a day we work towards a longer, healthier, more active life.
All the little movements we make time for help us live longer, healthier lives in the future.
Lots of us have gone to the chiropractor and been told we are unbalanced. We can see this in running pictures too…but there are ways to correct this without expensive, thrice weekly doctor visits.
How? Strengthen our hips and core and work on our balance. By strengthening these areas, we are more likely to stand tall and keep our body in line at the end of a long race or training run.
Keeping our spine and hips in line keeps our oxygen flowing, allows our legs and knees to remain stable, and helps us avoid pain and injuries in our lower extremities.
It happens to all of us. At the end of a long race or training run, we tend to slouch and let our posture fall. We are tired and we just want to finish so our brain forgets and we begin to let things fall apart.
Below are images of me at Rock N Roll Savannah back in November before we started doing a lot of hip strength and balance work wearing my knee brace and consistently suffering from knee pain.
(Excuse the watermarks…I didn’t purchase these photos)
RNR Savannah – November 2016
Guilty of Hip Drop 😦
Since then I have dedicated a lot of time to hip strength and it has paid off. My posture has gotten much better and my knee pain has all but disappeared. Case in point, see the pictures below from this past weekend at Rock N Roll New Orleans. Hips and aligned and knee brace is gone…and so is the pain in my knees.
RNR NOLA February 2017
RNR NOLA February 2017
I’ll never say “don’t see a doctor,” but if you’re having on-giong pain, and can’t figure out how to make it go away, strengthening your hips is a great start. I saw many different doctors, had x-rays and MRI’s and even cortisone shots in both knees…but until I started getting stronger in these area, nothing took the pain away.
It’s important to stretch and roll our legs too…I know I know…so many things to do…but as athletes, we must use every tool in our arsenal to be healthy and strong in order to stay on the road pain free.
Today’s hip strengthening and balance exercises had been key parts of my journey and I hope you embrace these exercises and make them part of your tool kit to success too.
Day 7 exercises: Hips strength video is found below and how to videos for single leg deadlifts and squats are in the link below.
Modern Moms/Dads Hip Strength -1X all the way through on each side
Single Leg Deadlifts – 2 sets of 10 for each leg
Squats – 2 sets of 10
Plank – :60
Wall Sit – :60
Challenges:
Superman – :40
Push Ups – 30
#MadManMartin Plank Challenge – Plank for additional :45
Speed Work: Everyone’s favorite speed work and undoubtedly the least dreaded is 1/4 mile repeats. So this week, it’s time to put some pep in your step and pour on the speed.
Workout – 6X-12X 400M (1/4 mile) – If you are just easing into speed work for the first time. Keep it short and do 1/4 mile repeats 6 times for a total of 1.5 miles. If you’ve been doing this for a while now, and are training for a longer distance race…don’t be lazy…get in those 12 1/4 mile repeats for a total of 3 miles of speed work. Remember to warm up AND cool down. Both are very important parts of this workout. If you have questions, reach out to me. Let’s chat about how to make this work for you.
1/4 mile repeats can be done on the track, treadmill, or on the road with a GPS watch. Do whatever works for you…but don’t skip it. I know it can be daunting…but speed work will not only help you get faster, but it will also help you increase your breathing abilities and make your long runs easier.
Warm-Up –5:00 jog followed by your choice of Dynamic Movements (high knees, butt kicks, leg swings, sideways shuffles, skipping, etc)
Work-Out – 6-8 x 1/4 Mile Repeats at a pace that is :30 faster than your race pace.
*1:00 standing or walking rest in between each set.
1/4 Mile is equivalent to 400 meters or one lap of a standard-sized track. Here’s a few examples of where your interval times would range, depending on your mile time.
If you run a 14:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 3:00.
If you run a 13:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:45.
If you run a 12:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:30.
If you run a 11:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:15.
If you run a 10:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 2:00.
If you run a 9:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 1:45.
If you run a 8:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 1:30.
If you run a 7:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile in 1:15.
Cool-Down –5:00-10:00 easy jog (you’ve earned it!)
That’s all for today Crew. Let’s keep working on our hip strength and balance so we can stop that annoying lower extremity pain and stay on the road doing what we love…running!
There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to strength training. But runners often tend to ignore our core and back which are key areas that can translate into wasted energy on the road.
“Runners need a strong core and back to stabilize the spine and pelvis,” says Dr. Richard Hansen of High Altitude Spine and Sport in Boulder, Colo. “This reduces injury risk by helping to evenly distribute the forces that are being absorbed with each step and helps to improve running economy by reducing energy lost to unnecessary body sway.” If you’re not strong in these areas, when you begin increasing your running volume, it can eventually lead to tissue breakdown and injury—especially in the lower leg and hip.
A healthy back is as important to your running as fit legs. If your back muscles aren’t strong, they tend to fatigue faster, taking energy away from other muscles, and changing your stride, leading to injury. Runners with a strong back and core tend to have better posture which translates into more efficient use of energy. A weak back and core are bio-mechanical inefficiencies that waste energy.
To avoid these common running issues, we need to spend some time stregnthening these areas. Lucky for us it doesn’t take hours in the gym and lots of expensive equipment. A few sets of back and core focused moves like the bridge pullover and side planks will help us strengthen and support our back and core which will help us use our energy more efficiently!
Working our upper and lower back prevents weak, rounded shoulders and poor arm carriage. Make sure you pull your shoulder blades together with the bridge pullover and our bonus bird dog exercise. Do not arch your lower and when lowering the weight, ensure your shoulder blades separate slightly to allow for a slight stretch of the muscles in between them.
Bonus: Bird Dog – 2 sets of 10 – I like this video as it gives you a way to modify the exercise for beginners. Take a look and try it out. Remember to keep your spine flat and stable. When adding the arms, squeeze the shoulder-blade together to add some upper back work as well.
Challenges:
Superman – :20
Push Ups – 25
#MadManMartin Plank Challenge – One more plank – :30
Core Crew Virtual Race: We’re running through Paris logging 24 miles for the next 7 days. Are you in? Our virtual races are fun and might help you grab a few extras miles this week. Race starts today so click here to sign up. It’s a free and fun way to challenge yourself to do a little more than usual.
Before you stop for the day, take time to get familiar with our 7 Key Stretches for Runners! These will help you get loose and ready to go long this weekend.
Don’t waste energy thinking about skipping your strength training. Just get up and get it done! 😉
In 2007, Reed Ferber, Ph. D., director of the University of Calgary’s Running Injury Clinic, conducted a study of 284 runners (men and women) who complained of leg pain. He found that 93 percent of them had weak hip muscles. After putting these people on a targeted strength program, 90 percent of them were pain-free within six weeks!
Most runners know that our core is one of the most important thing we can work on to become stronger and faster, and it will also help us avoid injuries. Ask any fitness nut or personal trainer about “core work” and you will be treated to a long spiel about how important is it to our routine.
First, we have to figure out what exactly we mean when we say “core.” Ask for a core workout from a personal trainer at a health club, and you will probably get a series of crunches, planks, and sit-ups. However, “core” means something very different to a physiologist or an orthopedist: it means all of the muscles of the lower trunk and pelvis: not just your abs and your back, but your hip flexors, glutes, abductors, and adductors too!
These hip muscle groups are particularly important because they’ve been involved in a range of running injuries. Weak hips can often be the cause of IT band pain, patella tendonitis (runner’s knee), piriformis issues, sciatica, and a myriad of other common running injuries.
How do we protect ourselves from injury and pain and stay on the road healthy and able to train and do what we love? We strengthen our hips, core and glutes!
Today’s workout is one we’ve done for a while but it’s still tough. For our newbies, you WILL feel today’s workout. Push through and finish what you can. Take small breaks when you need to…rub that booty then keep going. That soreness means it’s working!
Donkey Kick Workout – Workout video on how to page or follow along with me below
Moving Clamshells – 2 sets of 10
Side Lying Leg Raise – 2 sets of 10
Plank – :60
Wall Sit – :60
Challenges:
Superman – :15
Push Ups – 25
MadManMartin’s Plank Challenge:
One more :20 plank
Donkey Kick Workout – I did this video for our November Challenge and I will do another one for you soon so you can see how much stronger I’ve gotten in the last few months. Follow along with me and feel that booty burn! You got this Crew! Knock out this 10 minute burn then move on to your moving clamshells and side lying leg raises.
When you’re done with today’s workout. Take another minute to stretch out those hips and glutes. Try one of my favorite stretches. The pigeon pose. It’s ok if you can’t get all the way down or your legs don’t quite move into this position easily yet. Keep working on it. This stretch is fabulous for after a run or after lots of hip and glute work. Pop on the TV and watch your favorite show while you give your hips and booty a nice stretch. Your legs will thank you!
Love yourself enough to be active today. Push through the pain, strengthen those hips and glutes, and DO NOT GIVE UP!
Nobody remembers the guy that gave up. Be memorable and have a great day Crew!
A chance to start over, recommit, and forget about the past. Time to reset and get ready to kill another Challenge!
We have several new members so those of you who’ve been here for a while need to step it up and show them how we do things in the Core Crew!
Since we’re starting on Wednesday…and Wednesday happens to be a yoga day…we are starting a little easy. So to off-set the easy day…I hope to see everyone killing the bonus workout! 😉
Day 1 exercises:
Yoga for Runners – Tight Hips and Legs – Great way to loosen up between leg days on Tuesday and Thursdays. If you have tight hips and legs you’re going to love this time for you. Find a quiet place and get loose!
Side Planks – :30 each side
Wall Sit – :60
Challenges: Click here for “how to” videos for push ups and the Superman exercise
Superman – :10 – Hold the superman pose for :10. A little later this week I will put together a quick video showing you this move and how to modify it as we get farther into the month and the time gets longer. 🙂
Push Ups – 25 – From your feet or from your knees. Against a wall or on steps or a bench. Whatever works best for you!
Bonus: Coffee Break Workout – This can be done throughout the day whenever you have a few free moments. Do one round each time you get up from your computer, or take a break from work. SIT LESS MOVE MORE! 🙂
#MadManMartin’s Plank Challenge: For anyone who wants to join in! Start on Day 1 and let’s get to planking! 🙂 One extra :20 plank today.
Might seem like a lot but it’s really not that much. Next week we will get back to adding speed work in too! Remember that this month it’s all about sitting LESS and moving MORE. Getting fit takes dedication and commitment…cheating on it won’t help you get where you want to be.
Make a commitment to yourself each day that you will get up each day and MOVE!
According to the Runkeeper.com blog Squats are a Runner’s Best Friend, “One of the biggest squat myths is that squats are bad for your knees. False! This myth comes from a few badly run studies in the 1960s that have since been disproved. More recent studies have instead shown that people who regularly squat have more stable knees.”
Squats provide important benefits to runners and walkers:
Knee Stability
Increased Leg Power
Improved Body Awareness
Injury Prevention
Additionally, “squatting effectively teaches runners how to be better runners by addressing and improving basic athletic skills. For example, squatting teaches runners how to load and engage their posterior chain, how to stabilize their hips, knees, and ankles, and how to move with good posture and maintain that good posture for longer periods of time.”
To squat effectively, we must address three basic skills:
Focusing on developing our athletic skill with posture, load, and torque, a runner’s relationship with strength training can be changed forever. While we want stronger hamstrings, we cannot just do hamstring exercises and expect better running results. Why? Because the whole is greater than the sum of its muscular parts. We must strengthen the other areas around our hamstring to help support those muscles and take some of the load off that area. Squats are a great way to strength and support our hamstrings!
So even if you aren’t doing the extra squat challenge this month…today YOU SQUAT! 😉
If you planned on cutting it short, remember that distance makes the heart grow stronger!
Go a little farther than you planned and get that runners high! 🙂
Then take a day off…but don’t be lazy. Active recovery, yoga, stretching…whatever makes you fell good. And don’t forget our challenge exercises (if you’re into that kind of thing. 😉 )
Most distance runners will tell you they’ve had a point on one (or many) of their runs where they hit “the wall.” The wall can be both an emotional and a physical barrier. You need mental strength to finish a marathon, but you also need toned muscles!
Wall sits are a great down-and-dirty strength exercise to build strength in your quadriceps and calves. When you’re doing a wall sit, your quads are holding your weight up by pushing it against the wall, and your calves are working to keep your knees bent at a 90° angle.
By strengthening your thigh muscles, you are helping stabilize your knees, which helps lower your risk of injury. Runner’s Knee, which is an unfortunate and common injury for distance runners, can be caused by weak thigh muscles (among other things). By strengthening your quads, you’re helping reduce risk of injury.
Anyone Can Do Wall Sits
Perhaps the greatest thing about wall sits, is that anyone can do them, anywhere, at any time. Can’t find time for your full daily workout? Throw in some wall sits throughout the day. Camping in the woods? Find a tree to lean up against. Got a few minutes before you have to be back at work from your lunch break? Wall sit! Arrive a few minutes before your doctor appointment? The car can provide a solid surface for a wall sit – right there in the parking lot.
Remember, our “challenge” is meant to motivate you to do more than you would each day. We’re not here to beat you up for not getting in every single exercise every single day. If you do…that’s awesome! But we know that busy lives get in the way and the most important thing is being active and adding strength training to your routine.
So when you’re short on time, grab a wall and take a squat. Every little bit counts!
Bonus: Hip Stability Exercies for IT Band Syndrome and Runner’s Knee
Lots of people suffer from tight hips and IT Bands which lead to pain in and around our knees and down our legs. Hip rotation and pelvic imbalances are also frequent issues for runners that contribute to IT Band Syndrome or Runner’s Knee.
Yes, this is a monthly challenge, but I also hope you find information along the way that you tuck away in your personal arsenal for future use. The exercises in this video help to create additional stability and strength for both prevention and recovery. Check it out.
Challenges:
Burpees – 45
Push Ups Beginner – 15
Push Ups Advanced – 30
Squats – 50
Speed Work:Climb ladders
Ladder workouts are speed sessions that vary the length of the work intervals in incremental steps and are a great way to get a mix of several high-intensity running paces in a single session. Go to the track or use your GPS watch to track your distance., warm up with 10 minutes of easy running, and try one of these ladders. Run each interval slightly faster than the preceding one, and jog, walk 400 meters (or just stand still and breath deeply) between each interval.
Remember that it is always important to do a good warm up and cool down before and after every speed work session. And if you’re not doing running drills to loosen your glutes, hips, quads, and calves…you’re missing out on an important part of the workout.
Warm up
Running Drills: Pick a few and take a few minutes to loosen up. Click here for descriptions of each running drill. Butt Kicks, High Knees, Bounding, Grapevines, Slow Skipping, Hamstring Extensions, Running Backwards, Straight Leg Shuffle, Lateral Bounding
Speed Work
Cool Down
Running today? We usually try to do our strength work before we go for a run…but this time save one of your wall sits for afterwards, when your legs are fatigued. Just one…don’t go overboard with it. When it’s all said and done, take time to stretch out those tired and sore muscles so you’re ready to go long this weekend!
After lots of great strength work, tons of mileage with our weekend long runs and races, AND logging miles for our Paris virtual race….I am so thankful for a yoga day!
February 1st. Day 1.
Most distance runners will tell you they’ve had a point on one (or many) of their runs where they hit “the wall.” The wall can be both an emotional and a physical barrier. You need mental strength to finish a marathon, but you also need toned muscles!
Strong to the Core 