Tips From The Pros :: Dynamic Warm-Up

THE DYNAMIC WARM-UP

By Jessi Stensland // Professional Triathlete // MovementU

A dynamic warm-up is one that challenges every bit of YOU that you use to perform.

Think of your body as a machine, with lots of moving parts. Your cardio system is certainly a driving factor in your performance, but your ability to get the most from your cardio endurance is highly dependent on your body’s ability to transfer your effort efficiently, from head to toe, during each and every swim stroke, running stride and pedal stroke. A dynamic warm up coordinates all of your moving parts – muscles, ligaments, and joints – by challenging your flexibility, mobility, strength, stability and cardio all at once – because that’s what you ask of yourself when you perform, right?! Doing so is pivotal in getting you to the finish line as fun, fast, and pain-free as possible.


THE GOALS OF A DYNAMIC WARM-UP

• INCREASE HEART RATE to get the blood pumping through the body and warming up the muscles.
• OPEN UP YOUR JOINTS especially those within the hips, spine, feet and ankles.
• ACTIVELY STRETCH YOUR MUSCLES to prepare them for what you’ll be asking them for in the run!
• REINFORCE GREAT POSTURE.
• HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH ALL SYSTEMS GO when the gun goes off!

THE KEYS TO A DYNAMIC WARM-UP

• Think of it as a part of the race. Do it!
• Set aside time dedicated to it. Whether its 30 minutes or 2 minutes you can do your body good.
• Clear your mind and focus on your body. Save chit chatting with friends for before or after the race.
• Move through the movements purposefully but continuously so that your heart rate increases throughout.

THE KEY ELEMENTS OF A DYNAMIC WARM-UP

[NOTE: Click on the name of the movement to be linked to a video demonstration.]

1. Engage strong powerful posture.
2. Activate your glute muscles by doing movements such as a glute bridge or a lateral lunge.
3. Open up your joints and stretch the muscles around them. Use a movements like the knee hug, forward lunge with a twist and/or calf stretch.
4. Put it all together with some pillar skipping.

Whether you’ve got 2 minutes or 30 minutes to warm up, you can do it properly, efficiently and powerfully.


THE 2 MINUTE VERSION WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS:

1. Glute Bridge OR Lateral Lunge
2. Forward Lunge with a Twist OR Knee Hug
3. Pillar Skipping

You’re committed. Your mind is strong and will only get stronger. Make sure you give your body the best chance you can give it so you can do all that you’d love to do with it. Because you can!


Move well!!

Tips From the Pros - Amy Marsh

Keys to Swimming Faster

"How do I get faster at swimming?" is the million dollar question that we, as coaches get asked quite often. Well, how do you get faster at running? 9 times out of 10 people will say that they run more and run faster. Well, same holds true for swimming. Swim more and swim faster.

Technique is probably the biggest factor in getting faster. Swimming lap after lap with poor technique can only get you so far. Triathletes are an odd bunch however…they will spend thousands of dollars on a fancy new bike, race wheels, aero helmets, etc…to be faster, but when it comes to swimming, they don’t want to pay a good knowledgeable coach a small fee for some simple stroke correction. Not only can better technique help shave some time off your swim but most importantly an efficient stroke will help save energy for the bike and run.

Swim more. Just with anything else, to get better, you have to practice and practice often. Many times athletes put off swimming because it’s their least favorite discipline and they’re not seeing quick improvements like they do with biking and running. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill. Joining a swim group can always help with motivation, accountability, and stroke technique. Or after a lesson or two, just swim shorter distances more often to re-emphasize good technique.

Swim fast to swim fast. Plain and simple. Many times I see swimmers/triathletes hop in the pool and swim endless laps with no purpose. Most of their swim training is easy paced and unstructured. Athletes tend to swim however many lengths their open water swim distance is for their upcoming race and then get out. Yes, it’s always good to get in a longer steady swim, but varying your speeds may be just what you need to step it up to the next level. Think about having three different paces…easy (warm up/cool down), moderate (steady aerobic pace), and FAST (ALL OUT- no thinking). Once a week try to incorporate a FAST swim, where you just think about moving your arms as fast as you can and nothing else.

An example workout would be:

Warm Up: 10-15’

Main Set: 30 x 25 (3 FAST- 1 Easy - 15” rest between each 25)

50 easy

4x 100 Pull Descend (each 100 gets faster) Rest 30” between each 100

Cool Down: 10’

If you can swim minimum three times a week, I would recommend a steady aerobic interval swim of 200s or 300s, a quality swim (example above) and an open water or continuous long swim.

Amy Marsh is a professional triathlete and coach in Austin, Texas. To find out more about Amy and Brandon Marsh, check out their Team-Marsh.com website.

Proper Warm-Up and Cool Down

Want to get more out of your training regimen without running harder or farther? You can! Adding a proper warm-up and cool-down routine to your daily training will help you get more out of each run and workout without adding the stress of more training. When you are putting in the time and doing the hard part already, the running, why not make the most of it?! Properly warming up and cooling down helps the body prepare for, and recover from, each individual training day and will result in healthier, easier, more consistent training. The following paragraphs break down the steps of a proper warm-up and cool-down routine that will help you take your running to the next level.

The Warm-Up
I know what you are thinking, “In the summer heat of Texas, I’ll be warmed up in no time!” The term warm-up gets misunderstood a lot of the time because of its connotation. Warm-ups should really be called preparation, because that’s what it is, preparing yourself for the run.

There are 3 main parts to a complete warm-up, easy jogging, self massage, and dynamic stretching and movement.

The first part of the warm-up is a few minutes of easy jogging. This little jog does not have a set pace and should actually start as a shuffle. The human body does so many different functions throughout the day that it needs to be alerted before you are going to impose a certain stress on it. By starting out slowly, you allow blood flow to gradually be shifted to the areas of the body that are about to be used the most when you begin the run. This is especially important if you have been sitting for a long time prior to doing your run. Use this time to also prepare yourself mentally. Allow all the stresses of life to fade away and begin thinking about the task at hand for the day’s training. Going into a workout with a good, focused mindset can really help physically when the training gets tough. Lastly, use this time to be aware of any soreness that may be lingering from a previous day’s run so that you can attend to it throughout the remainder of the warm-up.

The next step to a quality warm-up is light self massage. Running your thumbs and fingers gently along the length of muscles you are about to use is another great way to generate blood-flow and prepare them for the days task. This is also where you can spend more time attending the soreness that you have noticed during your easy jog. There are tools you can use to address this soreness and help alleviate it before the workout gets underway, but need to be used correctly in order to avoid further aggravation of the area. Ask your local running store or training group coach about Foam Roller and Trigger Point products which can assist you in the self-massage routine.

The last step in the warm-up routine is to do some more dynamic movements. Now that the blood has begun to flow into the muscles and they are warming, it is the perfect time to do some dynamic stretching and drills. Dynamic stretching is different from static stretching in that it consists of repeated motions (stretches), which are self propelled, held for shorter periods of time, and assisted only when full range of motion has been achieved. Notice, this is not the same as “bouncing” in a stretched position, which should never be done. After stretching, drills are also a good dynamic movement to do just before you begin your run. Drills not only help you prepare for the more explosive nature of a workout, but also help complete the transfer of blood flow to the muscles necessary for all of your daily runs. Examples of some good drills to try before a run are high knees, butt kicks, karaoke steps, bounds and skips. These will not only complete your warm-up, but will also help you improve your form and prevent injury.

Cool-Down
Once the run is complete, the work is not done. Taking anything from an all-go state and stopping it suddenly can be harmful. Take the time to properly cool-down after a run or workout and you will retain more of the benefits you gained during the run, decrease the soreness that follows a hard workout (allowing you to better run in the following days), and make yourself stronger without running additional miles.

There are 4 parts to a complete cool-down, strides, drills, self massage, and static stretching.

Once the run is complete and you have allowed your heart rate to lower and breathing to slow, strides of 50-100 meters should be added into your routine 2-3 days a week. Strides are meant to help you introduce a different pace to your days run, increase turn-over, and flush oxidants from your legs. A proper stride works on quick turn-over. It consists of a build to about 75% of maximum effort, and then a slow decrease of pace back down to a walk. Walk back to the starting position after each stride and make sure that your breathing is completely slowed again before starting your next stride. Each consecutive stride should only be undertaken if it can be performed at the same effort as the previous one. Do anywhere from 4-6 strides 2-3 times a week and watch your turn-over, recovery, and form all improve exponentially.

After completing your strides, remove your shoes and work on the only part of your body to actually make contact with the ground, your feet. Doing foot drills 2-3 times a week will strengthen the muscles in your feet and help prevent injury. Examples of some common foot drills are toe/heel walks, internally/externally rotated walks, and arch/outside edge walks. These should be done both forward and backwards and can be done on any surface, but softer surfaces are preferred. If you are able to do these in sand, this is the best option because it not only strengthens the best, but helps increase balance as well.

The third part of a proper cool-down is more self massage. This is a time to work more on the soreness recognized during the warm-up period as well as to attend to any new pains/tightness that may have come on during the workout. It is also a good idea to do a general massage of the area stressed most during the run to help flush antioxidants out of the muscles and decrease future soreness. When working on any area of discomfort, talk to a coach or other professional about proper technique before approaching the area, but most common pains can be treated with a few self-treated sessions.

Finally, the last step in a complete cool-down is static stretching. This can be done from the comfort of your back and should help you relax from the days training. Stretching should always be eased in to, but maintaining a static stretching routine after every run will benefit your running more than any other part of your training. Stretching after a run should be done statically, meaning each motion is repeated only a few times, but held for a long count, deepening as you go. This allows those muscles to completely relax and soak in the benefit of the training. A consistent stretching routine will also help increase stride length and flexibility which will make you a faster, healthier, more efficient runner.

Taking the short amount of time to do these small steps of a proper warm-up or cool-down will help any runner, of any ability, reach their current goals and move onto the next level running and racing. I know from experience that adding the small things into my routine made a big difference in the race results that followed.

-Darren Brown
Darren is a professional Track and Field athlete living and training in Austin. His personal best mile time is a 3:58.34. You can read more about Darren and his amazing background on his website, www.darrenbrownrunning.com

Footwear Fundamentals: Fit, Feel, Function

Fit: Your running shoes should fit comfortably snug from heel to mid-foot, just behind your metatarsals. From the metatarsals forward, the fit should be roomy, without being sloppy. Your toes should be clear of the end of the shoe, which will allow the metatarsals and toes to splay, and save you from black toenails, or no toenails. Most often you will have to size up ½ to 1 full size greater than your street shoe size, in order to have the proper fit.

Feel: Ideally, the shoe should feel like an extension of your foot. Seams, overlays and sock liners should not rub or restrict the foot. The feel of the shoe when moving-smooth, comfortable, unobtrusive-is what you are looking for, and not the feel of the shoe when standing.

Function: If the shoe doesn't fit, if it doesn't feel good, then all the bells, whistles and stability features mean nothing. Some feet require a more medially stable shoe, some feet require very little other than simple cushioning.

How do you function?

So, do you pronate? Everyone, to a degree, pronates. Don't let people tell you that because you pronate, you need a stability shoe. Pronation is the natural movement of the foot as it rolls inward after touch down in the gait cycle. Over-pronation is an excessive movement than can, but doesn't always, lead to excess stress in the connective tissues of the lower leg, knee and hip. A flat foot is not an over-pronated foot. If the foot noticeably everts (rolls onto the medial side, or inside, of the foot) then it is over-pronated.

What type suits your function?

Neutral shoes are for feet that don't over-pronate. Very generally speaking, these feet tend to be of standard flexibility and don't have excessive visible movement. Neutral shoes are free of corrective stability features.

Stability shoes are for feet with noticeable over-pronation. These feet tend to be considerably more flexible. A stability shoe will have corrective stability features, most visible on the medial (inside) of the foot. Dual density posts are the most common type of corrective feature, but plastic inserts of varying shapes are also common.

Motion control shoes are stability shoes for excessive over-pronation. Generally, they will be built on a straighter last (shape of the shoe) and the corrective stability features will be larger or more aggressive. Excessive over-pronation is highly visible-it appears the foot is almost rolling onto the inside ankle-and rare.

Lightweight shoes can be neutral or stability and are generally an ounce or two lighter than a standard trainer and often lower profile (two to three millimeters less foam in the midsole).

Tips From the Pros - Jamie Cleveland

Getting the Most out of Your Race Day Performances
Jamie Cleveland
Ironman Champion and 14:50 5km runner
Owner, Hill Country Running Company
Head Coach, Texas Iron

People begin running races for a number of reasons. Regardless of why they start, sooner or later they all want to get better. In the interest of helping people improve their performance and achieve personal best times, I have compiled a list of strategies they can adopt to ensure success on race day.

Warm-up prior to the start
Most running events require that you run strong right from the gun. Always make sure your core body temperature is elevated by running 10-20 minutes and that your muscles and tendons are loose and ready to go. Performing several strides before the gun goes off is helpful because it allows you to elevate your heart rate and ready your body for the effort to come.

Pace yourself accordingly
A properly paced race sees you cross the finish line at full speed with little or nothing left in the tank. This means going out strong enough so that you are surrounded by people, running your goal pace, without blowing up. Deciphering the signals your body is sending you is part of the skill that allows you to know what effort level is sustainable. This should be emphasized in all your workouts. Speed sessions are designed to work on this as much as improving your fitness.

Line up in the right spot
Position yourself so that your path to the finish line is as unobstructed as possible. Courses vary tremendously but one fact remains the same, if you have to weave past a large group of competitors you are going to be slowed down and waste energy.

Use others to push yourself
On race day, find someone you can see and challenge yourself to compete against them. This might mean working to keep an individual in sight or picking off other athletes as you work your way to finish line. Regardless of how it plays out, use your inherent competitive instincts to get more out of your race day performance.

Mentally rehearse the race
Racing entails a lot of internal conversations and questions. Remove a lot of these by mentally rehearsing the race prior to race day. As you approach race day, take time to walk through the entire event prior to toeing the line. Prepare yourself for various scenarios and for the discomfort you will experience as you strive for speed. Acknowledge that it is going to be OK to be hurting and that it is part of the process. Pain and discomfort don't mean that you are not ready but rather are signs that you are taping into your new potential.

Preview the course
As part of your mental preparation for race day, make sure you preview the course so you know what you will facing on race day. Knowledge of specific hills or other challenging aspects of the course will help you better pace yourself on the day and will also allow you to know where you are in the race. In the absence of mile markers this may be the only information you have about how far you have come and how far you yet have to go.

Finish strong
The race isn't over until you cross the line. Make sure that you practice finishing intervals all the way to the end. You want your body to be programmed to run strong all the way through the finish line. All too often people get passed in the final meters simply because they mentally checked out at the sight of the finish.

Running fast doesn't happen by accident. Regardless of how effortless a performance looks, rest assured that it is a result of planning, hard work and strategic moves on race day. You've already done the hard work so it only makes sense to do a little planning in order to maximize your strategy and achieve the results you want.

Jamie Cleveland is an Ironman Champion and 14:50 5km runner. He is owner of Austin's newest running specialty store, Hill Country Running Company (www.hillcountryrunningcompany.com) and head coach for Texas Iron (www.texasiron.net). He can be reached at Jamie@hillcountryrunningcompany.com

Tips From the Pros - Kelly Handel

Calming Your Swim Fears

Kelly Handel
Professional Triathlete
Consultant, Source Endurance

If you have committed to doing your first triathlon this year, first of all, congratulations on getting started! That is the first step and often the hardest part. As the summer approaches and temperatures rise in Austin, there is no better way to complement the day than cooling off with a swim. While this is often times the most ‘feared’ discipline of all, it is nothing to be afraid of and hopefully something you can even come to enjoy. Here are a few tips for getting you off on the right foot for a successful race.

Scout out the course. Try to arrive early enough to the transition area to set your things up and get to the swim start with time to spare. This means, maybe wander over there 20-30 minutes prior to your wave start time. Look at the course, and ask questions of volunteers or even the race director if you can find him/her. Be sure you know which direction to go and you can see all of the turn buoys (if possible) from the beach. A very good tip is: Start off to the side or the back if you are intimidated. So, if the first turn is to the left around the first buoy, aim to start to the right side of the swim pack you are starting with. Picture this: Everyone will merge to that point and make the turn, so you do not want to be on the ‘inside’ and get pushed off course. While you may swim slightly further starting to the outside, you will not get pummeled by all of the other swimmers. It will feel safer and less hectic in the mix of things.

Count the buoys. Again, do not hesitate to ask questions! Some race directors will make the turn buoys different colors. Maybe the ‘marker’ buoys are orange, and the turn buoys are yellow. Know the course as well as you can from looking at it, and if you know how many buoys you are going to pass, you can count them off as you go.

Sight often. This cannot be underestimated! Hopefully you have practiced ‘how to’ sight, but all you really need to do is lift the eyes to just above the surface of the water. You may even be able to work this into your strokes, if you practice it enough. Starting out, try to sight every 3-5 strokes. But remember, this does not entail ‘stopping’, but more so simply lifting your eyes above the surface, glancing ahead for the NEXT buoy and continuing to swim. Keep the sighting quick, efficient and frequent.

Trust yourself. You may find that you settle into a small ‘pack’ of others, which is a great place to be. But, do not let them lead the way entirely. They may be going fast, but they may also be going off course. Be sure even if you find yourself swimming in a pack that you are sighting often to be sure that you are on course.

Stop and tread water (or swim on your back) if you panic. This is VERY important for beginners to know! It is just fine to stop and catch your breath if you need to. The swim start can be a bit stressful and hectic, as there is a lot of splashing, kicking and arms and legs flying. This will clear out a bit, as people begin to fall into their own paces. If you find at any point you begin to feel short of breath, stop and tread water, or even flip onto your back and do some strokes here. It is important to relax, catch your breath and then continue on. There is nothing wrong with a short break, especially if this is your first triathlon (or even your first year of triathlons).

Practice in open water prior to race day. We are blessed in Austin with so many great swimming holes. You will feel much better on race day if you know you have ‘experienced’ open water at least a couple of times before you race. Make it a goal to go to Barton Springs, or perhaps the Pure Austin North quarry, a couple of times the month leading up to your event. It is a different experience than swimming in a pool; but think of it as fun. There are no lanes, no walls and no clocks; just you and the water! If you think your race may be wetsuit-legal, be sure to practice a few times in the wetsuit you may race in. Sleeveless suits are nice for added mobility and a more natural swim stroke; and they will still keep you very warm.

Relax and be confident in yourself! This is so important. We all have self-doubts, but come race day, try to find a minute before you start to quiet your mind and focus on what you are there to do. You are in control of your race. Things may happen, but remember that you know how to swim, you have trained for this day and you can control what happens. Self-talk can come in very handy, especially in the swim! Find a ‘mantra’ that works for you, and carry this through your race. Remember to smile; this is fun stuff, and the more you do, the easier it will get. After all, everyone is in it together!