• Your stance line (shoulder, hip, ankle joints) should all be in alignment and nearly vertical.
• The majority of your movement should be forward; eliminate side-to-side (lateral) and up-and-down (vertical) movement.
• Neck
• Head neutral, not up or down
• Face muscles relaxed
• Shoulders
• Relaxed & loose
• Not forced or hunched forward
• Arms
• Elbows in, arms in front of body
• Hands relaxed and loosely cupped
• Hips
• Hips forward, as if being pulled by a rope
• Feet
• Try to plant foot under your body
• Short strides, don't reach with your feet

ATP

Run Loose Run Light

This week's topic is Form Assessment and I have a couple of suggestions. Run Loose. Run Light

Run Loose by relaxing. This is not as easy as it sounds. I still have problems with it. I've got a couple of bad habits. I clinch my fist and tighten my shoulders. The first kinda leads to the second. When you run with your hand tight in a fist you tighten your forearm and then raise your shoulders. When I do this before too long my neck is sore.

So what I do while I run is to do a body check. I go head to toe asking myself if I'm loose. I'll roll my head to make sure my neck is loose. I'll roll my shoulders backwards then forwards. Thinking about them being light and loose. Release any tension. Are my arms moving smoothly? Wrist to elbow. Wrist to elbow. Are my arms tight? I'll shake them out. Releasing any tension. How are my hands? Loose? Light? Shake them out. I check each part thinking about relaxing each one. Chest, how is my breathing and heart rate? Back, pull my shoulder blades back stretching out my chest into a bear hug to stretch out my back. My legs are on automatic. Check my abs. Proper form nice and upright. Lower back working with my abs to keep me straight. Butt? Hasn't falling off yet. Any burn in the thighs? Any pain in the knees? Calves tight or loose? I think about each one trying to relax each one. How are the feet today? Heavy or light? Think about your toes. Are they tight? Like your hands are your toes clinched? That will tighten your calves.

I think about running light. When you run heavy your body weight hits the ground with each step. All your body weight goes through your knees, ankles and feet. Over and over and over again. Think Light. I tell the ATP folks to imagine you are running along the beach. When you run heavy your feet go deep in the sand and you have to work to pull them out each step. When you run light, you run on top of the sand. Try and leave no footprints. Your body moving forward, but not down. A lot of times after I do a body check I'll look at my watch to check my heart rate. Typically my heart rate is lower and my speed is faster than I thought it was.

Run Loose. Run Light. Run Faster. Run Further.

Larry Graf - ATP Coach

Blue / Green

Hey Blue/Green runners,

How was running seven miles last week? For some of you that was the farthest you've run and you did an amazing job completing the run. This week the topic is running form. Every part of your body plays an important part of your running and your form. The key to good running form is to remember to stay relaxed as your running. I know it seems impossible to stay relaxed as your running a marathon, but keeping certain areas of your body relaxed makes all the difference. One thing that has helped me with my form is working on my core. Here are some things that I try to focus on while I'm running.

When I'm running I try to make sure that that I have good posture I think about running tall and keeping my shoulders loose and low. When we get tired it's natural to let our shoulders to become tight and creep up to our ears. When I feel my shoulders becoming tight I let my arms swing loosely at my side and I shake my shoulders out. This helps me to loosen up and get relaxed again. I also try to run with my hands unclenched, my arms swing back and forth and not across my body. I try to keep my elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. As I mentioned before one thing that has really helped me with maintaining good posture is working on my core. I try to work on core work daily although it's not always easy. Some easy core workouts that can be done at home without any equipment are regular crunches, bicycle crunches, planks, side planks, and bridges. I like to do planks and side planks for time, for example three sets one minute each. For the other exercises I like to do a certain number like three sets of thirty.

These are some things that help me with my running and my form. But remember to just stay relaxed and enjoy the run.

See you guys Saturday,

Coach Jessica

Yellow

Hi there Yellow Runners,

Hope everyone recovered quite nicely from the run on Saturday. I looked through some of your assessments of the run and noticed that some of you didn't feel as though you had a good run. I can understand that. It is very humid outside, which makes it that much more important for you to carry your hydration and drink plenty of water. As you noticed last week, we now have water stops on the course. We will have these moving forward for the rest of the season and you will pass them roughly about every 5 miles. You are responsible for carrying enough water/sports drink/etc to last you about 5 miles, or you just need to become really good friends with some of your running buddies (just kidding). Speaking of water stops, the yellow group will be hosting the water stop on July 3, 2010 and if you have any willing (or unwilling) family members or friends that would love to spend some time with you early on a Saturday morning, please let me know. We are always looking for volunteers for this.

Now on to this week - we are running 6 miles. Some of you may have never run that far, no worries. Remember what we talked about last week...pace yourself. Marathon Training and long distance running is more about consistency than being able to sprint 3 miles and then not being able to finish. With 6 miles we will also start to be out there for around an hour (some of us less and some of us more than that). Those of you who feel maybe a lack of energy should now start looking into the different gels or jelly beans. There will be a sampling event at RGR on June 27, so you can try the different types of supplements available, but it is good to start on this early, since you never know how your stomach may react.

I hope all of you are getting your week miles in. See you bright and early on Saturday morning.

Your coaches - Svenja, Amber, Michelle, Sarah, and Vidal

Red

"Good Form = Great Running: You are only as strong as your core"

We talked about efficiency in running last week by making sure we run at the right pace and by following your heart rate. Another important element of running efficiently is good running form. If you don't have proper form, you will use extra energy you otherwise wouldn't have had to use - and in the long run (pun intended!) we don't want to waste any extra energy we don't have to. Running with the right form will help you run more efficiently and with less injuries.

So what is good form? Think tall! Imagine a waiter carrying a tray of dishes or a circus act balancing something on their head - now, imagine running that way! Think it would be easy to do if you were slouching or leaning over? No...but it would be easier if they had balance and upright form. To run tall and maintain your balance, follow these easy steps:

1. (1) keep your body aligned from head to shoulders to waist to knees to feet,
   
2.  keep your shoulders back and relaxed,
   
3. keep your arms and hands relaxed, and
   
4. look out ahead of you.
   

So, how do run tall and balanced? This is by a technique I will call "running from your core". You must maintain your center of gravity from your core, so your core must be strong enough to do so. Your core is going to drive your balance which keep you upright & injury free. Your core is not just your abs/stomach muscles, it also includes your obliques and back muscles. A core strengthening routine is important but it doesn't mean you have to hit the heavy weight machines in the gym. Instead we need to teach ourselves how to use our core when running. During this week, think about tightening your core while standing, walking and then running. There are many core exercises you can add during your daily stretching routine that won't take much time nor need any special equipment. A couple I like are the superman or the plank. And a wealth of information is at your finger tips in training books, the internet, or your friendly coaches always ready to help you - ask us on a run or drop an email. Try these links if you are not sure where to begin: http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Finding_your_core.htm or http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-266-13384-0,00.html

"It all comes down to having a dream. You have to know why you head out the door every day to run. Your purpose will motivate you in every mile you train." Quote by Brian Diemer, three-time Olympian steeplechaser and 1984 bronze medalist

~ Signed, Your Red Coaches

Orange

Good Running Form

Why do it? Proper running form is important in the prevention of injuries and helps reduce fatigue during a long run. Seems like TriPoint got a head start on this topic last week, and we had some fun with the demonstrations.

Nancy introduced us to Chi Running, a running style developed by ultra marathoner Danny Dreyer, which aims to reduce injury and pain through focused form and mindful running. As quoted on the Chi Running website, "Chi Running technique is based on the same principles and orientation as Yoga, Pilates, and T'ai Chi: working with core muscles; integrating mind and body; and focused on overall and long term performance and well-being." (http://www.chirunning.com/shop/home.php). The technique in a nutshell: Get off your heels, lean slightly forward from your ankles, focus on your core, keep your knees slightly bent, take small strides, and land mid-foot.

Here are some additional points to keep you running tall: arms at right angles and close to the torso, swinging forward; hands slightly curled and loose; shoulders relaxed; neck straight; chin slightly down, gaze focused ahead. It will take a little practice, but your body will thank you in the long run (no pun intended).

Run proud, Orange Team!

Coach Ute

Purple

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.
~Soren Kierkegaard

Aqua

As our group run covers more distance, we need to be more aware of our running form. How you hold your body is very important - and that means from head to toe. Our form starts with our head and ends with our feet.

The way you hold your head is key to your overall posture, which will determine how efficiently you run Let your gaze guide you. Look ahead naturally, not down at your feet. This will straighten your neck and back and bring them into alignment. Don't let your chin jut out.

Shoulders play an important role in keeping your upper body relaxed while you run, which is critical to maintaining efficient running posture. Your shoulders should be low and loose, not high and tight. As you tire, don't let them creep up towards your ears. You might think about shaking or rolling your shoulders out every so often to release the tension. Your shoulders should remain level and should not dip from side to side with each step.

Even though running is primarily a lower body activity, your arms aren't just along for the ride. Your hands control the tension in your upper body, while your arm swing works in conjunction with your leg stride to drive you forward. Keep your hands loose. Try not to clench your fists, and allow your fingers to lightly touch your palms. Pretend you are holding a potato chip in between your thumb and index finger and you are trying not to crush it. This will keep your hands from being tense. Your arms should swing forward and back, not across your body, between waist and lower chest level. Your elbows should be bent at about a 90 degree angle. When you feel your fists clenching, or your forearms tensing, drop your arms to your sides and shake them out to release the tension.

The position of your torso while running is affected by the position of your head and shoulders. With your head up and looking ahead and your shoulders low and loose, your torso and back naturally straighten to allow you to run in an efficient, upright position that promotes optimal lung capacity and stride length. If you start to slouch during a run, take a deep breath and feel yourself naturally straighten. As you exhale, simply maintain that upright position.

Your hips are your center of gravity, so they are key to good running posture. The proper position of your torso while running helps to ensure your hips will also be in the ideal position. With your torso and back comfortably upright and straight, your hips naturally fall into proper alignment--pointing you straight ahead. If you allow your torso to hunch over or lean too far forward during a run, your pelvis will tilt forward as well, which can put pressure on your lower back and throw the rest of your body out of alignment.

When it comes to legs/stride, sprinters need to lift their knees high to achieve maximum leg power; distance runners don't need such an exaggerated knee lift. Instead, efficient endurance running requires just a slight knee lift, a quick leg turnover and a short stride. Together, these will facilitate fluid forward movement instead of diverting and wasting energy. When running with the proper stride length, your feet should land directly underneath your body. As your foot strikes the ground, your knee should be slightly flexed so that it can bend naturally on impact. If your lower leg (below the knee) extends out in front of your body, your stride is too long. To run well, you need to push off the ground with maximum force. With each step, your food should hit the ground lightly-landing between your heel and midfoot - then quickly roll forward. Keep your ankle flexed as your foot rolls forward to create more force for push off. As you roll onto your toes, try to spring off the ground. Your feet should not slap loudly as they hit the ground. Good running is springy and quiet.

Your coaches will be watching your form on Saturdays and might make suggestions as you run. If you run on the treadmill, watch yourself in the mirror and take a good look at your form - just don't trip or lose your footing while trying to adjust!

Happy running! Coaches Laurie, Rose and Mary