Temporary pain in our abs leads to less pain in our back!

Pain in our backs is usually the result of a weak core…so today’s workout will not only strengthen our core and get us ready to be able to run stronger…but it will also help us work towards eliminating back pain that comes from age, poor posture, long bouts of sitting, standing, reaching, and everything else in our daily lives that makes our back scream!

10 minutes tabata style…:20 on, :10 off and switch. Too easy? Do it twice!

Day 13 exercises:

• 10 Minutes Core Workout – Pain In My Abs
• Bonus – Round 2!
• Extra Credit: Sarah’s 12 Days of Christmas – Days 1 & 2

Pain in My Abs – Follow along with this 10 minute ab workout for a stronger core and less back pain.

Bonus: Round 2! – We’ve done ALL these exercises before so you are familiar with them. Take an extra 10 minutes and run through this workout again to burn some extra calories and build that strong core!

Sarah’s 12 Days of Christmas: Days 1 & 2

1. Day 1: 1 Minute skaters
2. Day 2: 20 Squats

Speed Work: Speed work is never done! Once a week you should be adding in some faster workouts. I will continue to say it…speed work is done just about getting faster!

According to Active.com:

Speed work is not just about running faster. It’s about moving as efficiently as possible. Many experts agree that improved speed, even in some body movements, will result in measurable improvement in all other movements as well.

Even if you’re not competing, moving more efficiently, and therefore faster, means that you pack more work into any given time spent exercising. Cardiovascular improvement and muscular power are additional benefits of increased speed that every runner can appreciate, whether racing or not.

See…I didn’t just make it up! 😉

Here’s a few tips to help your running efficiency and your speed. Practice these techniques by concentrating on one of them and focusing on the elements of running form that it represents. Practice only one or two terms at a time for short periods or distances. Then repeat the practice or move on to another element.

• Focus: Keep eyes straight ahead on a horizontal plane. Avoid tilting your head up or down, right or left.
• Fix: Keep your elbows bent so that your arm is at a 90-degree angle.
• Rotate: Rotate the shoulders so that your hand moves down and backward past the hip with force.
• Hammer: At the end of the arm rotation, have your wrist relaxed and on a hinge so that the hand can follow through as though it is wielding a hammer.
• Squeeze: Keep your arms close to your chest so there is no space between the arms and upper body.
• Pinch: Pinch your shoulder blades together to keep your back straight.
• Arch: Curve the lower back slightly.
• Punch: Punch your knee out and forward in the initial movement from the ground.
• Cycle the foot: When the foot leaves the ground, bring the heel to the hip, followed by punching the knee out and forward. These movements should be made in as much of a straight line as possible.
• Snap: Pull the foot down and back until the back of the leg is straight.

As always, it’s is very important to warm up, do some drills, then go into your speed work. When you’re done…it’s equally as important to cool down before you quit for the day.

Here’s this week’s speed workout: 6x – 8X 1/4 mile repeats

This has to be everyones favorite speed work. It’s one we can call do without feeling too anxious. Don’t be scared by the phrase “speed workout.”  Speed is a relative term, by which I mean that one person’s “slow” pace might be another’s “fast” pace.  It’s all about pushing yourself beyond what is ‘comfortable’…not trying to do what someone else does. Remember that speed work is about more than just getting faster, it’s about pushing yourself a little more than you’re used too, about building up your endurance so your “normal” speed feels more comfortable therefore going a little faster is 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.

*2:00 standing or walking rest in between each one.

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 13:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 2:45
• If you run a 12:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 2:30.
• If you run a 11:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 2:15.
• If you run a 10:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 2:00.
• If you run a 9:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 1:45.
• If you run a 8:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 1:30.
• If you run a 7:00/mile, you should run the quarter-mile repeats in 1:15.

Cool-Down – 5:00-10:00 easy jog (you’ve earned it!)

This workout is so effective because it will teach your body to move faster for longer periods of time, so hopefully come race day, you’ll be ready to shave a few seconds off each mile….and feel better doing it!

12 Days of Thanks – Day 2: Take a moment to think about something that made you smile this year and share it in your daily post.

We have several Crew members who are going through tough times…Brandy lost her best friend, Jennifer lost her father-in-law, Lisa lost her dad last week. Jose and Jamie are suffering from back pain, Kathleen is recovering from eye surgery….these are just a few of the struggles…I know there are more.

You are in our thoughts and prayers and we know you will pull through stronger and wiser…but in the meantime…keep going….