Day 17: (Run with Nathan)
Nathan is my 6 year old son. Yesterday, he told me he wanted to get up early and run with me, so today we rolled out of bed, drove a mile to the Chandler bike path and did a .83 out and back run on the path. He ran the whole time, so I was very proud of him! Father son runs are great!
Thus far, I've been measuring all my runs with my GPS watch, but this time I didn't bring it. For those who would like to measure their runs, but don't have a GPS watch, I'd recommend http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/. You can plan your run and take note of your mile markers, so you'll know your pace while you run. I used to live by this web site before I got my first GPS watch.
Quick tip on getting faster: How do you get faster without putting in any effort?
Impossible, but it dosn't have to be the kind of effort you are thinking of. Rather than putting forth extra physical exertion to run faster, put in the mental effort to run better. There are many ways to make subtle alterations to your form to increase your speed. For now, let's just talk about one: knee lift.
Most runners I see don't pick up their knees nearly enough when they run. This shortens their stride considerably. A slightly higher knee lift, can increase one's stride by an inch or two.
It takes an estimated 1400 steps to run an 8 minute mile, so if a slightly higher knee lift increases your stride length by one inch, that's 1400 inches or 116 feet or 39 yards. A straightaway on a track is approximately 100 yards, so you will have gained nearly half a straightaway simply by lifting your knee slightly higher.
Now, there are a few ways to accomplish this:
1. Consciously think about lifting your knees a little higher when you run. Not to the point where it's awkward or unnaturaly, but just a little bit more than before.
2. Do strides (6 x 70-100 yard runs at a pace that starts slow but gradually gets faster) and while doing them focus on having a higher knee lift.
3. High knee drills. There are many YouTube videos that show how to properly do these. Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWUCHSNWHgA
4. Core workouts. Your core muscles (muscles in and around your stomach such as your abs, obliques, hip flexors, etc.) are the muscles that activate when you lift your knees. Do core workouts such as crunches, planks, and leg lifts. There are various YouTube videos on this as well.
Email me if you have any questions or comments.
