January Challenge

Leave a comment Posted on January 26, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 26: Squats = Runner’s Best Friend

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:

1. Maintaining posture
2. Adding load
3. Adding torque

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! 😉

Day 26 exercises: 3 sets of 15

****Click here for how to videos****

Squats
Side Lunges (3 sets of 15 for each leg)
Wall Sit – :60 (3X)
Plank – :60 (3X)

Bonus: Squat Challenge (75 additional Squats)

Challenges: I know these are getting harder to fit in as the numbers go up but we are almost done! Keep pushing Crew don’t you dare give up!

Burpees – 55
Push Ups Beginner – 18
Push Ups Advanced – 105
Squats – 75

Remember Crew….we are building brutally strong legs this month! The month is almost over so hold on tight and keep up the great work! 🙂

Leave a comment Posted on January 25, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 25: Love Ab Day!

You all know Wednesday is one of my favorite days this month! I love this ab work! 🙂

In fact, I give our Wednesday abs a….

Do you love it too?

You know what we’re doing…but here’s today’s list. It’s fun…so have fun with it! 🙂

Day 25 exercises: 3 sets of 15

****Click here for how to videos****

Mountain Climbers – Slowly pull legs in one at a time using your core muscles. Don’t rush this exercise!
Standing Oblique Crunch – Use your core! Don’t rely on your legs… this is ab work!
Russian Twists – If you’re not already, add weight to this move. I use an 8lb medicine ball because it’s easy to hold.
Plank – :60 (your choice)

Bonus: Daily Abs – Another favorite! How many rounds do you have in you today? 2? 3? 4!?! 🙂

Challenges: We are getting so close to the end of the month. Keep going Crew you are killing it!

Burpees – 55
Push Ups Beginner – 17
Push Ups Advanced – 90
Squats – Rest

Who’s doing a little dance for no squats today? Awe…come on…you know you LOVE SQUATS SO MUCH!! 😉

Happy hump day Crew let’s GETTTT ITTTT!!!

Leave a comment Posted on January 21, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Days 21 & 22: What’s Your Distance?

The weekend is here!! What’s your distance?

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. 😉 )

Day 21: Long Run + 7 Key Stretches for Runners + Challenge exercises

Burpees – Rest
Push Ups Beginner – 17
Push Ups Advanced – 60
Squats – 145

Day 22: Active Recovery, Yoga for Runners, Rest + Squats

Burpees – Rest
Push Ups Beginner – Rest
Push Ups Advanced – Rest
Squats – 80

Get inspired, get you some miles and make it a fabulous weekend Crew!

Leave a comment Posted on January 19, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 19: Wall Sit Anytime Anywhere!

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!

Day 19 exercises: 3 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Squats
Side Lunges (each leg)
Wall sits – 3X (:60) or 1X for 3 minutes!
Plank – :60 (your choice)

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.

Starter ladder: 400M (1/4 mile), 800M (1/2 mile), 1600M (mile), 800M (1/2 mile), 400M (1/4 mile).

Advanced ladder: 200M (.1 mile), 400M, 800M, 1200M, 1600M, 1200M, 1000M, 800M, 400M, 200M

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!

Have a great Thursday Crew! 🙂

Leave a comment Posted on January 17, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 17: Add Life To Your Years

We strength train to get stronger, run faster, avoid injuries….but we also strength train to gain fitness, and fitness is about more than just exercise.

Gaining fitness affects our health, our mood, our self image…fitness adds years to our life…but it also adds life to our years.

If you’ve gotten bored with the benefits of strength training to your running, remember that being active and fit improves your overall quality of life…even when running is on the back burner.

Leg day again? No, not really…hip and butt day! We’ve taken the focus slightly off our hips this month but we aren’t neglecting them completely. Continuing to strengthen this area is key to a strong base and a healthy body.

I made a comment the other day that this week would separate the committed from the the…well…not so committed, when in fact, the challenges this week should seem relatively easy to those who are keeping up.

If you fell behind, now is a great time to think about all the benefits being active brings to your life. Add life to your years and jump back in today!

Day 17 exercises: 3 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Donkey Kick + Fire Hydrant (both sides)
Butt Lift Bridge
Clams (both sides)
Plank – :60 (your choice)

Bonus: Modern Mom’s (or Dad’s) Hip Strength – see video below. You know this routine. It takes about 4 minutes per leg and will fire up those hip flexors!

Challenges:

Burpees – 40
Push Ups Beginner – 14
Push Ups Advanced – 70
Squats – 50 (only 50? Easy peasy! 😉 )

Speed Work: Climb ladders

Starter ladder: 400M (1/4 mile), 800M (1/2 mile), 1600M (mile), 800M (1/2 mile), 400M (1/4 mile).

Advanced ladder: 200M (.1 mile), 400M, 800M, 1200M, 1600M, 1200M, 1000M, 800M, 400M, 200M

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

Today, I want you to get up and exercise for you. Don’t do it to run faster. Don’t do it to avoid injuries. Don’t do it because it’s a challenge and you’re “supposed to.”

Do it because it makes you happy. Do it for a healthy mind, an uplifting attitude, and a fabulous mood. 🙂

Leave a comment Posted on January 16, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 16: Run With Your Arms

What happens when your legs are tired but your run isn’t over? When you are exhausted, close to the finish line, look up, and see a big hill you have to climb?

According to the Breakingmuscle.com article, “The Ups And Downs Of Running: How To Properly Run Hills And Stairs,” in order to run uphill most efficiently runners must:

Use your arms! Arms are [the] key to running and sprinting, and are especially useful for anything uphill or anything utilizing knee movements. I cannot emphasize the use of the arms enough. The action of the arms essentially move the legs, so remember this anytime you walk, run, sprint, bounce, lunge, jump, or hop. Arms should be kept tight, bent at ninety-degree angles and close to the sides. The arms correspond with the legs – opposite arm matches with opposite leg – so work on matching the timing between both upper and lower body.

Just like a car, we need to shorten our stride and use our arms to power us up hills. With our arms being so important in these situations, we must spend some time making them stronger!

Day 16 exercises: 3 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Bicep Curls
Shoulder Press
Tricep Overhead Extension
Plank – :60 (plank of your choice)

Bonus: Do the Challenge exercises! Even if you haven’t jumped on the “extra challenge” band wagon, today is the day to do a little more and work those arms! Push ups and burpees are great ways to build strength in our arms which will help us power up those hills and stairs when we’re tired. Beginner push ups are fine…and skip the push ups when you do the burpees. I know burpees are hard and scary, but you can do them and you will burn TONS of calories in the process!

Challenges:

Burpees – 40
Push Ups Beginner – 12
Push Ups Advanced – 60
Squats – 80

Speed Work: Climb ladders

Starter ladder: 400M (1/4 mile), 800M (1/2 mile), 1600M (mile), 800M (1/2 mile), 400M (1/4 mile).

Advanced ladder: 200M (.1 mile), 400M, 800M, 1200M, 1600M, 1200M, 1000M, 800M, 400M, 200M

No matter what choices you made over the weekend…it’s time to shake it off and get back to work. Set the tone for the week and make good choices today!

Leave a comment Posted on January 13, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 13: Get Up and RUN!

Friday the 13th y’all…stay calm, don’t freak out…just follow the rules and you’ll be fine….oh and might as well go ahead, get up, and run! 😉

I’m not big into the whole Friday the 13th thing, and I won’t be running today since it’s a much needed rest day before back-2-back half marathons this weekend. But if you don’t have a big race or long run on your schedule tomorrow…you might as well get a good run in today and burn off any lingering anxiety about who might be chasing you!

Friday is usually a day to kill it and get ready for the weekend, but we are taking it easy today. Abs and challenges.

But wait! If you have a race or long training run this weekend, please skip the squats and burpees today. Throw in the push ups for good measure, but don’t over-exert yourself and be sore for your race or long run. Remember that everything we do is meant to make you run stronger and faster, not to put you in a state of oblivion, ready to crawl into bed and weep from exhaustion and sore muscles. Move things around to make it work for you. Challenge exercises can be made up or skipped. Be smart!

Day 13 exercises: 3 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Runner’s Crunch
Oblique Crunches (3 sets of 10 per side)
Lying Leg Raise
Plank – :60 (plank of your choice)

Bonus: Get up and run! Would love to see some easy miles today. Don’t go overboard…long runs are coming! Just stretch out your legs and keep it short and slow. Run, walk, skip, whatever…just get moving on Friday the 13th. 🙂

Challenges:

Burpees – 35
Push Ups Beginner – 10
Push Ups Advanced – 55
Squats – 75

No time for standing still today. Even if you’re moving slowly…keep moving forward.

Leave a comment Posted on January 12, 2017 Amy's Stuff Image

Day 12: Magic Legs

Everyone knows runners have the best legs! But we still have to work for them…

How do we build “magic legs” that will take us the distance? Strength work!

Let’s chat about some myths that maybe you’ve heard before…

MYTH: Runners don’t need to lift weights. To get stronger, run more.

TRUTH: Running–and the optimal balance of volume, intensity and pace-specific work–will always be the primary focus of a distance runner’s training program. And rightly so. Strength training, however, presents a different physiological stimulus, one that includes a host of distinct benefits that running doesn’t provide, but which are crucial to health and optimal performance.

Takeaway: Runners need strength training in addition to running!

MYTH: The key area to work on is the core; running works all other areas.

TRUTH: Research indicates that upper-body, lower-body and midsection strength training all contribute to improved running performance. You should do exercises that involve all of the major muscle groups. Rather than specifically strengthening an area that you assume is weak, you are better off developing strength in all muscle groups, which will create balance and synergy.

Takeaway: Our core is important, but we need to strengthen our upper and lower body too.

MYTH: Lift with quick movements to work power and improve speed.

TRUTH: It’s more effective to lift and lower the weight slowly. Take two to three seconds to lift the weight and at least four seconds to lower the weight. A mantra for the distance runner is, “To become fast, lift slowly.”

Takeaway: Lift slowly!

MYTH: Use light weights and don’t exhaust yourself when lifting for distance running.

TRUTH: Many runners assume that lifting heavy weights can predispose to injury, when in fact, fast movements that create high external forces on joints predispose to injury. Lift a weight heavy enough to exhaust you. Train to the point of momentary muscle fatigue. Focus on continuing each set of exercises until it is utterly impossible to complete another perfect rep. This ensures optimal muscle fiber involvement.

Takeaway: Don’t skimp on the weights. When you are ready to add more weight, do it. You want to continue to get stronger so when it becomes easy, you need heavier weights!

MYTH: Lift on your off or easy days to balance your hard-run efforts.

TRUTH: It is optimal to piggyback strength-training workouts with quality runs. This work complements the training effect of the running, then you fully recover from both on easy days.

Takeaway: Strength work and running the same day is a good idea!

Continuing to strengthen our arms, back, core, hips, glutes, and legs is the best way to build those magic legs (and arms, shoulders, back, core, and glutes) that will carry us through our long runs and races, help us get faster, and keep us safe from injuries. Let’s get to work!

Day 10 exercises: 3 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Squats
Side Lunges (both sides)
Wall sits – :60 3X
Plank – :60 (your choice)

Bonus: 7 Key Stretches for Runners

Since our long runs and races are coming up fast (and I was super sore last weekend after last Thursday’s leg work) the only bonus today is to stretch those legs, glutes, and back. Take a few extra minutes to go through our 7 Key Stretches for runners and get ready to go long this weekend!

Want more leg work? Don’t worry….there’s more squats to do. 😉

Challenges:

Burpees – 30
Push Ups Beginner – 10
Push Ups Advances – 50
Squats – 40

Water Challenge: The no junk food challenge seemed to go well yesterday so let’s do another challenge today. It’s one that some people struggle with…drinking enough water.

This is another great way to get ready for our long runs because a lot of people don’t start hydrating in advance for long runs. Let’s start now by drinking LOTS of water today! How much should you drink? Check out the charts below and get that water bottle ready for the day.

For me, a 38 year old female weighing around 135 pounds, I should be drinking 9 – 8 oz cups of water or 72 oz each day. How much should you be drinking?

If you find yourself hungry, bored, stressed, or thirsty, grab your water bottle and start guzzling. Have a great day Crew!

Leave a comment Posted on January 10, 2017January 10, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 10: Brutally Strong Hips

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of strong hips and glutes. But it never hurts to hear it again…

Let’s review the November 4, 2016 post for those who haven’t heard this stuff yet, and for those who need a reminder…

When it comes to running strong, efficiently, and injury free, it’s all in the hips and butt!

Our hips and glutes work together to provide postural stability when we’re walking, standing and running. Our glutes stabilize and align the hip, decelerate our swinging leg while running, and provide power in our footstrike and push-off.

When we are pounding pavement (or any other kind of terrain), our pelvic floor, quads, hamstrings, knees, calves, and feet are constantly under fire. Without strong hips and glutes, those essential lower extremities might just blow!

The problem is that runners often have weak hips and glutes, leading to discomfort, inefficiency and—worst of all—injury.

According to the TrailRunnermag.com article 4 Hip-Strengthening Exercises to Help You Run Strong, “Trunk muscles—including your hips and glutes—are arguably the most important part of your running anatomy. Pay attention to them to prevent injury and stay strong.”

Weakness in your glutes is related to a lack of “recruitment,” explains Toni Dauwalter, a Physical Therapist at Accelerated Sports Therapy and Fitness in Minneapolis. “Two big reasons for [glute weakness are] our sitting lifestyle and a history of back pain and injury,” she says. “There isn’t much need for core recruitment in the sitting position, especially the frequently adopted work position of forward head and shoulders and rounded spine.”

When do you do your strength work? We’ve talked about this before too and ideally, the best time to do your strength training is right before you run. Doing these basic exercises just before heading out for a run will not only allow you to warm up a bit, but they will also remind you of which muscles you should be engaging while running and you’ll be more inclined to practice things like firing up through your glutes and maintaining good form.

Ready to fire those glutes and keep building strong hips? Let’s get to work Crew!

Day 10 exercises: 3 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Donkey Kick + Fire Hydrant (3 sets of 10 for both legs)
Butt Lift Bridge
Clams (3 sets of 10 for both legs)
Plank – :60 (Your choice)

Bonus: Modern Mom’s Hip Strength! – Why not? Throw in the workout for a great 8 minute burn!

Challenges:

Burpees – 30
Push Ups Beginner – 8
Push Ups Advanced – 36
Squats – Rest

Speed Work: Pick up on pickups – “Speed Play”

Speed play is the simplest form of speed work. “We simply introduce pickups during a run,” says Bob Glover, who supervises training programs for the New York Road Runners Club.

Pickups are segments of faster-paced running injected into an existing run.

In this first step, runners on a favorite 3-mile course begin choosing landmarks and running to them at a quicker-than-normal pace.

“It might be the next street light, it might be the top of a hill,” says Glover. “We tell them to do six or eight of these during the run.”

Same loop, same scenery, just the occasional decision to run slightly faster for a while.

“This takes away the stress of going to a track,” says Glover, “because in the minds of many of these people, you don’t go to the track unless you’re good.”

FARTLEKS!!! Go out and choose small portions of your run to pick up speed. Have fun with it!

Weak or strong? What will you choose today?

Leave a comment Posted on January 6, 2017January 6, 2017 Amy's Stuff, January Challenge Image

Day 6: Ridiculously Amazing Friday!

YAYYYY…it’s Friday!!

I’m so excited for a ridiculously amazing Friday and a fantastically fun Saturday at Run Disney for the Disney Half Marathon in Orlando, Florida!

But before we get to the ridiculously amazing stuff…we have to get the work out of the way…..AB DAY!!

Our abs (our core!) holds everything together. Runners and…well everyone…get HUGE benefits from a strong center of gravity. But runners especially, because a a strong core helps us achieve stability, balance, posture and overall control.

We know the importance of core strength right? Here’s a quick review…

Overall, core strength training reinforces the way that your pelvis, abs, hips, and lower back work together. When our foot hits the ground, our core holds our trunk rock-solid as the kinetic energy from our foot transmits to our hamstrings, up to our arm and back down to our other foot. A conditioned core prevents any wiggling in your torso and keeps you from deflecting energy, so you run faster. All this stability, balance, posture, and control also keeps our lower extremities from getting out of whack, therefore preventing injuries!

It’s Friday…a ridiculously amazing Friday…last day of strength work for the first week of the new year. Push hard today and get it done so you can relax guilt free this weekend!

Day 6 exercises: 2 sets of 10

****Click here for how to videos****

Runners Crunch
Oblique Crunches
Lying Leg Raise
Plank – :60 (Your Choice)

Bonus: Pilates Workouts for Runners – “Swimming”

Practicing Pilates works well for runners in general, but some exercises stretch and develop some particularly important areas. Watch the video below and do 3 full sets (as described in the video) of the swimming exercise.

Challenges:

Burpees – 30
Push Ups Beginner – 6
Push Ups Advanced – 25

This weekend I need your good vibes! This will be my first attempt at pacing for a certain time at a race. Yes, I will be the girl holding that flag with the time on it. 2:15 is the goal. I will be using a :90 run and a :30 walk. Run pace is a 9:45(ish) and the plan is to end with a 10:18 average pace. I’m a tad bit nervous just because this is my first time and there will be lots of runners counting on me to get it right. But I know I have your support and I know you will be sending me positive thoughts! Race starts at 5:30am eastern time…so if you’re up (duh we’re runners, we’re all up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday right?) then send me all those positive thoughts Crew! 🙂

That’s it Crew. No machines…no B.S…just you, your dedication to your health and fitness, and your drive to be better, stronger, and faster in 2017! GETTT ITTT Crew!

Strong to the Core

Strong to the Core

Get Stronger, Run Faster, Get Fit and Stay Fit for Life with Strong to the Core!

January Challenge

Day 26: Squats = Runner’s Best Friend

Day 25: Love Ab Day!

Days 21 & 22: What’s Your Distance?

Day 19: Wall Sit Anytime Anywhere!

Anyone Can Do Wall Sits

Day 17: Add Life To Your Years

Day 16: Run With Your Arms

Day 13: Get Up and RUN!

Day 12: Magic Legs

Day 10: Brutally Strong Hips

Day 6: Ridiculously Amazing Friday!