In It for the Long Run

January always gets me thinking about goals, dreams and aspirations.  Long ago I determined that I wanted to be having as much fun running in my 80s as I was then and am today.  As runners, we are all athletes.  The miles we run, be they fast or slow, are good for us in many ways.  They keep our hearts strong, our breathing easy, and allow us to enjoy pancakes and ice cream relatively guilt free.  Those miles also take a toll on our bodies.  This is especially true for those body parts that bear the brunt of our running efforts - our running muscles: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps - and our favorite joints: knees and ankles.

Over the years I have learned, many times the hard way, that there are two keys to keeping those body parts running smoothly.  The first is tender loving care - proper maintenance of my running muscles and joints through stretching and strengthening.  The second is to give them all the help I can.  This means ensuring that the rest of my body parts are doing their fair share of the work.  This aspect is often overlooked by runners.

As coaches, we talk about a strong core but don't always explain why it matters.  A strong core helps to ensure proper posture and balance.  Proper posture enables a free, full range of motion for your running legs, making the most out of every step you take. Good balance means both legs are working equally hard, avoiding potential fatigue or injury to the one that's otherwise working harder than the other.

We all have areas that need work, which brings me to my goal for 2008.  I am committed to unlocking my hip flexors. As a runner, I am very good at going forward but pretty much useless at any lateral motion.  Running in the recent snows has aptly demonstrated this.  The slip sliding I have been doing has caused some lateral movement in my step which my muscles have steadfastly resisted.  It hurts and it impacts my glutes and hamstrings, which are forced to work harder because my hip flexors are not flexing.

I am sure each of you can come up with a body part or two that could use help.  In order to assist you and me in addressing these issues, in 2008 Ali Payne's new column will be devoted to presenting specific workouts designed to ensure that we are all still having fun running in our 80s.  I look forward to running with you in the decades to come.

Happy New Year.

Welcome to 2008.  This year the Training Corner will be devoted to providing you with specific workouts/exercises you can easily do at home to help address the weaknesses we as runners experience.  Hopefully, this will make you a stronger runner and help you avoid those nagging aches and pains on the run.  One of the primary areas that runners need to work on is core strength.  For the next few months, I will be presenting a series of core strengthening routines for you to follow.  Please feel free to let me know if you have questions about any of the exercises described.   Most of you are familiar with the low plank exercises we do from time to time after a run so that's where we will start.  You should try to do this series at least three times per week.

Here you go:

1. Begin by lying on your stomach on a mat or the floor.
2. Raise your body up on your elbows and toes and hold for 15 seconds (Low Plank).  Your body should be level - make sure your rear end is not sticking up.  Remember to hold your abdominal muscles, think navel to spin or suck it in.  This will help counterbalance any strain on your back.  Remember to breathe, it is the most important part of any exercise!
3. Release down to mat and rest for 10 seconds.
4. Raise up to Low Plank.  Hold for 20 seconds.
5. Lift right leg off floor.  Hold for 10 seconds and lower.
6. Lift left leg off floor.  Hold for 10 seconds and lower.
7. Hold basic Low Plank for 30 more seconds.
8. Release down to mat.

Have fun.

APRICOT-ALMOND GRANOLA
Quick and easy to prepare, keep a batch on-hand for a healthy anytime snack.

Ingredients
2-3/4  cups regular (old fashioned) oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Combine oats, almonds cherries, apricots, walnuts and raisins in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Combine honey and melted butter. Mix well.
4. Drizzle honey mixture over oat mixture and toss to coat.
5. Spread mixture in single layer on a jelly-roll pan.
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and give it a good stir.
7. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Cool completely in pan, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Makes 6 cups

"Goodbye 2007, good job out there, you got the best of me.  Hello 2008, nice to meet you.  Sorry, but I've got the baton this year, and you're going down.  Eat my dust."  This is a conversation I'm sure all of you have each year as the ball drops.  I know I do.  As the New Year comes trotting in, we have a new outlook on life.  Our running logs reset to 0 giving us, this year, 366 days to outrun 2007.  Whether it is to lose weight, increase our mileage, or PR at a certain distance, resolutions are made with a rejuvenated ambition.  With 12 months ahead, goals never seem too lofty, but by April, they're all but forgotten, and when you remember in November it's too late to revive them.

Depressingly, the majority of those that do grab onto the baton at the beginning of the year, end up dropping it well before the end of the race.  It may be surprising that 45% of people actually make New Year's resolutions.  Put into perspective, ClubRun has 115 members, so that means 51 people are agreeing to resolve some aspect of their life. However, a lot of that 45% are resolving to quit smoking, or manage finances better, which are not necessarily related to running. About 38% of the 51 members are setting out to improve either their running, or their weight, meaning approximately 19 people.

Statistically, 25% of those 19 runners will drop their resolutions after only a week, leaving almost 14 still on the track.  At the end of 2 weeks, 71% are still successful, and after a month only 64% are keeping at it.  That equals about 12 ClubRunners on the sidewalk to achievement.  For those that resolved to run 15 miles a week, most likely only ran 38.4 miles in January.

The longer you keep up with your goal, the more likely you are to succeed right?  Make it to 6 months and 46% of the original starters will have made it half way around. In the club that means only 8 of us are still winners.  Kind of sad isn't it.  But wait, it gets worse.  It turns out that only 8% of resolution-makers will end up breaking the tape.  If you only ran 8% of the 15 miles a week, that translates to 717.6 in missed mileage.  And only 1 and half out of 19 members will be wearing wreaths come 2009.

I'm guessing however, that ClubRun was not included in any of the research behind these statistics.  If 2007 was any indication, there will definitely be more than 1 member reaching his or her goal.  Sometimes they'll be victorious in a race they didn't even know they started!

January Birthdays

Ryan Carter - 1st
Beth Wandell - 6th
Carol Bartholow - 10th
Ali Payne - 29th

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