How to Run Faster: Run Tall

If you'd like to run faster then this is one of the easiest ways to do it.

Teach your body to run tall and you'll also:

• Increase your stride length
• Improve your lung function
• Share the load of impact throughout the muscles in your legs
• Decrease the likelihood of experiencing lower and middle back pain
• Become a more stable runner
• Find it easier to accelerate when required

Sounds good right?

Anyone can bring about these improvements but they do require us to form some new habits.

How to Run Taller

There are 3 cues to focus on when learning to run tall:

1. Head High, Watch the Horizon

The easiest way to think about running tall is to imagine a piece of string is attached to the top of your head. It's right in the centre and is pulling the top of your head straight up, so that your head sits directly over the base of your neck and your chin is about a fist from the top of your chest when the thumb is pointing down.

This position will keep your neck in a neutral position and prevent your head poking forward as will often happen when we get tired.

If you imagine the string running all the way down through your spine to your pelvis then it will also naturally lift your chest.

2. Chest up

By lifting your chest you'll open up the space with which your lungs have to inhale each breath. The more air you can naturally inhale per breath the more oxygen your muscles will get and the better they'll be able to hope with the demands of your faster running.

If you're not used to this cue then you'll likely get tired in the muscles which run up the middle back, directly between the shoulder blades. The more you can practice this during, before and after your runs the sooner it'll become habit and strengthen these muscles.

Keeping your chest up will also help to create more support in your core by pulling the skin of your tummy closer to your spine. Creating support in your core helps you run faster by stabilising your hips.

3. Belly Button to Spine

Pulling your belly button in towards your spine improves the stability of your hips. Having stable hips prevents the right hip from dropping each time the left foot lands and vice versa. If your hips are collapsing every step you take then you're unable to apply as much pressure to the ground and therefor run as fast or efficiently as when your hips are well supported.

Another way stable hips help you go faster is with pulling the recovery leg through to take the next step. If the hips are stable then the knee can come through straighter and faster.

You can test this out by first standing on one foot and with a relaxed tummy, lift the knee up as fast as you can. Rate how powerful it felt on a scale of 1-10. Take note of any crunching or head movements your body performed in order to get the knee up quick.

Next stand on the other foot and with belly button pulled to spine repeat the lift. It should feel much more stable when rated on a scale of 1-10.

Implementing the Changes to your Running Technique

There are a wide range of exercises you could do to strengthen the various muscles required to Run Tall but none of them will create a lasting result unless you turn the cues into ingrained habits.

Walking, standing and sitting tall will all strengthen your tendency to Run Tall and in doing so make you a stronger, fitter and more efficient runner.

Have you tried bringing these technical cues into your running?

How'd it go?

Introducing Garmin Connect

Garmin Connect allows us to communicate training routes so you know what to expect before each outdoor workout.

Click on the picture to view the web page in your browser

The aim of this type of post is to empower you with the ability to run the sessions without us, should you be unable to attend an Outdoor Workout.

This is the sort of map you'll see in emails and blog posts to help you know where we're going.

If you have yet to join the running club then there's no better time than now. 

Visit www.stsfitness.com/running-club to join now.

Why Running Hurts and What You Can Do About it

Pain is a harsh reality for many of us who choose to run as a means of getting fit.

Sore knees, ankles, shins or hips lead us to believe that we're simply not built to run.

This is a real shame because the majority of these pains can be completely eliminated with some targeted injury prevention work.

Almost any niggle which gets progressively worse when we run is simply a result of certain muscles becoming stronger and shorter. When muscles shorten to a certain length they either pull bones out of their natural position or cause inflammation at the site where muscle attaches to bone, via ligaments.

Sore Knees while Running

One of the most common niggling pains people associate with running is a soreness which develops around the kneecap.

This pain is usually as a result of the front and outer thigh muscles pulling the kneecap out of the position it is most comfortable in when running.

Every time our foot lands the thigh catches our entire body weight which can result in a reasonable amount of muscle damage after enough foot steps. This then leads to the muscle repairing in a slightly shorter position unless we do something to bring the muscle back to its normal length.

Knots of repaired muscle tissue form in the muscle which effectively prevent it from releasing back to its healthy length.

Massage for Runners

Massage is an effective way of getting rid of the knots. If you've ever had a sports massage you'll have noticed that the therapist will gravitate towards the knots and apply pressure to effectively smooth them out.

Professional Massage can be an expensive way to get rid of knots and although its more effective, self massage can do the job too. Foam rollers allow us to roll tight muscles over them, achieving a blunter version of a massage therapist's hands. Rolling and holding pressure on the most sensitive knots is a great thing to do just before stretching the tight muscle.

Unfortunately, sports massage and rolling hurt when muscles are tight so it helps if you can learn how to adjust pressure on the muscle to make it bearable. Some will say the more pain the better the outcome but we tend to keep away from pain we cannot control so it's best you learn how to control the pressure if you want to make the most of this effect injury prevention strategy.

As a general guide: if massaging a muscle hurts like hell then it's probably one of the muscles causing the joint or bone pain you're experiencing after or during your runs.

Stretching for Running Flexibility

Most of us do some form of warm up or warm down stretching for the thighs but few spend the time required to bring about lasting changes in the length of the muscle. Flexibility stretching requires a minimum of 60 seconds per muscle to bring about lasting improvements but even doing this each run is unlikely to be enough if we're running regularly.

There are a lot of other activities which shorten the thigh muscles. Just sitting at a desk or standing up for extended periods of time can encourage the muscles to shrink to better accommodate that position. Strength exercises such as the squat, lunge, leg press and any jumping exercises lead to strengthening and shortening of the thigh muscles. Ditto, rowing and cycling, skipping and every push off from the wall when we swim.

The reason running tends to remind us about the sore knees more than these other activities is the impact but if the muscles were not so inflexible then they may not hurt at all.

It's easy to visualise the pain from running coming as two bones are squashed together by the weight of the body as it lands from each step but this is rarely the cause of knee pain unless there has been significant wear of cartilage or an accident where cartilage or other joint padding has been damaged. 

Other Injury Prevention Strategies

Strength and stability training can also improve the muscle's ability to cushion landing forces but unless the muscles are free and flexible they can still cause pain.

Another sure cause of running injuries is simply going too fast and or too far. If we haven't run 5k in the last two months then running 10k with any amount of speed is going put a lot of stress on the muscles, ligaments and bones of our legs.

We all love the feeling of running fast enough to get our lungs working but in order to make this happen we have to run reasonably fast for our current running ability. Our legs need to do some short and slow runs to build up some durability before they can handle regular high intensity runs.

Run at a pace which you can maintain a comfortable conversation at when getting back into running. Your legs will start to feel heavy and that's a good sign that they've had enough for that particular run. With any luck you'll have a small amount of muscle soreness which you can stretch out over a couple of days, then get back out for another run.

This is far more effective than obliterating your legs by running too fast, not stretching or massaging then doing the same thing, only faster a week later when your legs have finally recovered from the previous workout.

Summary

If you avoid running for fear it'll aggravate a niggling joint then don't give up hope. Start rolling and stretching your calfs, front and outer thigh to address pains in the shins, knees or achilles tendon. Progressively rebuild your running distances at conservative speeds and you'll find that the pains have simply stopped.

This article has provided some ideas for how you can stop running from causing you pain but figuring out exactly what your personal causes of pain are is obviously not possible without assessing your situation.

If you'd like help rehabilitating an injury contact your local physiotherapist. If you'd like help with your running fitness and injury prevention then contact the STS Fitness Running Club.

The STS Running Club provides speeds for every member to run at, which are based on the individual's time trial result. This means each run is paced correctly for the current condition, taking into account any events which need to be peaked for.

There is a free membership and paid memberships starting from just £20/month for those who want programmes and one to one coaching.

All Programmes are online and videos are provided for injury prevention exercises via the online Fitness Application GymCalc.

Why You Should be Running this New Year

With so many options for getting fit these days, more people are turning to lower impact forms of exercises instead of running.

This article explains why running is so good for helping you lose weight and improve fitness.

It also explains why those moving to non impact exercises should think again.

Running Increases your Metabolic Rate

Most of us think of running as a form of cardiovascular exercise which lets us burn calories quickly while we run. This helps us burn fat by taking energy we've eaten and using it to fuel our muscles the same way it does when we cycle, swim and walk.

All cardiovascular exercises increase our metabolism while we do them but few have the after burn effect which running and strength training causes. This after burn effect is the prolonged increase in metabolism required to repair micro tears in the muscles.

Running can cause more muscle soreness than cycling, swimming, rowing, the cross trainer, stepper, elliptical machines because none of these exercises have a significant lowering or impact phase of the movement.

The lowering or, in running's case, landing phase requires our muscles to catch our body weight to prevent it collapsing in a heap. When our muscles catch our body weight or lower something like a barbell there is more muscle damage caused and this is what leads to the repair and increases in the after burn effect. 

This makes running a fantastic exercise for burning fat because the calories are not only burned while running but also while recovering from a run.

Worried about this very impact leading to injury?

Subscribe to this blog to find out how to avoid common running injuries associated with impact.

Running Saves You Time on Fitness

Focusing your precious training time on an activity you can do without having to drive to another location is great for busy people.  Minimal preparation makes running the most time efficient form of cardiovascular exercise you can do. 

If you've got a gym membership then running is even possible when the weather is miserable. While any cardio machine can become monotonous in the gym, running is the easiest to take outdoors and allows us plenty of options for mixing things up. 

You can do laps of the block, hill repeats, fast and slow intervals or take your workout to the bush or countryside if it's close enough. All of these options allow you to get a quality workout in minimal time. Invite a friend to join you for additional competition or support.

Practically every other form of cardio exercise you can do in the gym either requires you to be at the gym or another location such as the pool. Cycling does allow us to start our workout from the front door but requires much more time to get ready.

Running is Relatively Inexpensive

Running is far less expensive than most sports for a number of reasons:

• no equipment purchase or maintenance required
• no entry fee for training venues
• relatively low entry fees for events
• less travel expenses for trainings
• no uniforms or venue hire

A good pair of running shoes will cost you around £100 every 8-14 months if you use them regularly but this is no more than what you'll pay for a decent pair of footwear for any other sport.

There are also a number of reasons people choose not to run. Many are due to the impact and associated injuries but many of these niggles are simply due to:

• over training through running too fast or too far
• lack of strength and stability in the muscles which prevent the injuries
• excessive tension in the muscles which cushion the impact of landing
• poor running mechanics or footwear

The good news is that all of these obstacles can be overcome the same way any athlete recovers from a niggling sports injury. Practically any injury which comes on slowly as a result of exercise can be completely fixed with the correct mix of strength, flexibility and massage therapy.

If you'd like to get back into running but suffer from an ongoing niggle or old sports injury then maybe it's time to visit your physio or tell us about it to discuss the best steps you can take next.

Visit www.stsfitness.com/running-club and register your interest if you'd like to discuss how you're going to get back into running.

Our Running Club is available locally in Gloucestershire and online through the fitness application GymCalc

3 Ways to Improve your Running Through Winter

Whether you're running to improve general health, lose weight or beat a previous best time, motivation to progress your running through the winter months can be tough.

It's obviously colder but just as importantly the hours of daylight are significantly less.

While there are good strategies to combat these obstacles some of us enjoy the fact that running is convenient and most of those strategies simply do not suit.

This article will focus on how you can take your running to another level using the Trusty Treadmill.

But the Treadmill is so Boring!
We hear it all the time. Running on a treadmill does not allow you to:

• feel the breeze evaporate sweat from your skin
• to see the end of your run approaching as you drive yourself forwards
• to negotiate the various imperfections of the footpath, trails or fields

I get it...Running outside rules, but the treadmill does offer some advantages which outdoor running does not:

• knowing that you're about to run on a consistent surface
• drink bottle at hand (not in hand the entire run)
• a clean toilet less than 20 seconds away
• an automatic pacing and incline system
• a tv with audio 
• the ability to run with a friend who is twice as fit as you

I'm not saying I prefer to use a treadmill by any means but if it's dark, wet, slippery and freezing outside when my clients are supposed to be running then I have no issue with suggesting they use a treadmill.

Strategy 1. Follow a Progressive Running Programme

The best way to motivate yourself with anything is by achieving success with it. If your running programme calls for you to run for a certain duration or distance and actually provides a speed which is based on your ability then you can see before taking a step exactly how your fitness is going to improve over the next 2-6months.

Programme Session Plan Example

All you have to do to achieve the success, so vital to your motivation, is stick to the programme. Each workout you do is a step in the right direction and treadmills make this easier than ever.

Running outside takes you out of a stable environment and makes following a structured running programme much harder to achieve. If the programme is based on you running speeds in a stable environment such as an indoor tack or treadmill then there's a good chance that unless you train in this environment regularly, you're going to struggle to keep to the session plan.

Wind, inclines, foot traffic, puddles, mud and hail can all disrupt your running rhythm which will lead to inefficiencies and therefore higher intensities than were originally intended by the programme designer.

A treadmill on the other hand allows you to focus on maintaining good form and rhythm meaning you can carry out the workout as it was supposed to be performed.

A truly effective running programme will offer a minimum of two workout routines which progress at effective and sustainable rates. If you're just getting back into running then one of those workouts should address your technique.

Strategy 2. Practice Good Running Technique

Running Technique drills are the easiest way to get fast improvements in your running. You don't need to run long distances if you're just getting back into it.

One longish run (whatever distance that is for you) and one or two shorter runs with a technique element should allow your legs to strengthen up without leading to chronic injuries such as achilles tendonitis or one of the many forms of shin splints.

It's so common for runners to over-stride when trying to bring more speed into their workouts. Over-striding is what happens when your foot lands in front of your centre of gravity. It not only leads to breaking forces but increases your chance of injury thanks to the lengthening of the hamstring just as the force of your full body weight travels through it.

Running Technique Drills can teach you to land the foot correctly as well as improve:

• your running efficiency
• speed when you need it most
• running posture
• your breathing capacity
• leg drive and recovery
• much more...

You can find most of the running technique drills online these days but unless you've got someone to provide feedback, you're completely in the dark.

STS Fitness holds Running Technique clinics for people who want to take their ability to a new level.

Running Technique Clinics

Strategy 3. Attend a Regular Treadmill Running Class

RunFit Classes

Stationary cycling classes are extremely popular with cyclists and are responsible for making thousands of non-cyclists think again about using their bike for exercise.

While Treadmill Fitness Classes have not taken off in the same way, they're on the rise.

Thanks to the latest developments in fitness conditioning methodology, conditioning coaches can now run classes which push multiple participants to similar intensities, taking into consideration the wide range of abilities.

STS Fitness holds RunFit Classes at Fitness First in Cheltenham for anyone looking to:

• train towards a 5k, 10k or half marathon
• improve stamina and endurance
• increase running speeds
• get a fun and high energy workout
• burn calories fast
• improve their metabolic rate

So what do you think about Treadmills?

Do you use one to get the mileage up through winter or stick steadfast to the great outdoors?

The STS Top Four Exercises

Every personal trainer has their favourite exercises and we're no exception. The difference is that our Top Four are used for more than just getting fit...

These four exercises represent four major movements which we make as human beings. By assessing our ability to perform these movements under load we can offer resistances to lift in your gym programme.

The Cable Pulldown

This Upper Body Pull exercise is great for strengthening muscles of the middle back and arms.

Extremely important in correct shoulder function, the Lat Dorsi, Middle to Lower Trapezius and Rhomboid muscles help us to prevent injury and poor shoulder posture.

The Barbell Half Squat

This Lower Body exercise strengthens the thighs, lower back and core.

Using the biggest muscles in the body, the Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core Stabilisers and Erector Spinae are all responsible for getting us from A to B, while also ensuring that gravity doesn't get the better of us with age.

The Barbell Bench Press

This Upper Body Push exercise is used to increase strength of our chest and shoulders.



Mostly used for strengthening the Pecs, Deltoids and Triceps, good performance of this exercise also requires the middle back and lower abdominals to hold good position under load.

The Barbell Deadlift

This Core exercise requires most input from the abdomen, lower back and legs.

Brilliant for strengthening the Errector Spinae, Abdominals, Glutes and Quads, this exercise can help to prevent lower back problems when used with good technique and appropriate weights.

These Top Four Exercises become very familiar to members of The STS Fitness Club. They are used to indicate each member's ability to perform the exercises in their on-line programme. We have strong systems for teaching the exercises and protocols for using them in assessment.

7 Steps to Bouncing Back from Christmas

The festive season should be a fabulous time of year and I truly hope it has been for you.

If you read my previous post, Fitness Around Christmas then you've either taken some of the suggestions on board and want more support converting the benefits into further success...

OR...

You really struggled and want to get some ideas on how to turn things around.

Either way, the steps from this post are worth working through now.

Step 1. Record your New Year Resolutions Personally
New Year Resolutions are only of use if you record them AND refer back to them regularly. First write them down on a piece of paper in front of you...NOW.

Then, before you get back to the hustle and bustle of your routine day, turn them into an A3 or A4 Poster. It's up to you whether you do this with crayons, paint or a software programme like Paint.

If you're proud of how they look then you'll be proud to see them staring back at you on your screen saver, office/bedroom/bathroom wall.

Step 2. Tell Everyone!!
Whether you generally share your day to day thoughts in person, online, offline or all of the above, you'll feel much better about your resolutions if you share them with people who you know are going to support you in sticking to them.

This simple act will give people a range of ongoing topics to ask you about in conversation. Though this may sound a little scary, these are resolutions you've decided to hold yourself to right?

Why not allow your friends and family to also hold you accountable?


If, in the worst case scenario, you decide that any particular one of your resolutions has become unrealistic, there is no shame in telling friends why you have changed it. So long as you change your resolutions for reasons you're unashamed of then why should you be scared of sharing those reasons.

In the best case scenario you'll encounter ongoing support in turning your resolutions to reality and feel proud enough to inspire others with your success.

Sharing your success is about more than you...it's about inspiring others to do the same.

Step 3. Get your Eating Sorted Out
Regardless of whether your New Year Resolutions are around food or health, you're far more likely to make them happen if you know what foods agree with you and when to eat them.

There's far too much emphasis on quantities these days, with the highest profile diets based around points and calories. It doesn't matter how much or little you eat of any particular food if it causes an inflamatory reaction in your gut. It's going to make you feel poorly and distract you from carrying out your personal resolutions.

Next, know that you need to eat the foods which agree with you every 3-4 hours you're awake. Doing so any more or less often will stuff up your blood sugars and lead to poor levels of concentration, if not worse.

Detox Diets are extremely popular at this time of year and while many are seen as extreme or even dangerous, there are a variety of healthy Detox Plans which won't make you starve. If you're unsure see a nutrition professional who can help you make the plan work for the foods which agree with you.

While Detoxes are relatively short lived and not part of a lifestyle change, they can give you short term success. You can then convert this into a long term resolution to eat less of the foods which make you feel like rubbish and more of the foods which worked for you in the detox.

Step 4. Get your Exercise Sorted Out
By sorted out, I don't mean register for a 6, 8 or 12 week challenge.

I mean figure out what physically active pursuit actually excites you and plan a way to get into it. If you haven't done this yet then maybe you need a Fitness Philosophy to Change Your Life.

If you've found out what excites you, but you're not quite sure how to make the most out of that motivation then here's a quick process to follow:

1. Google events or a social/competitive season which you have time to prepare for. It should be at least 12 weeks away and within reach. If you're unsure whether it's possible just flick me an email telling me where you're currently at and what you want to do. I'll reply to let you know whether you're being realistic, based on what I know about our potential to improve over time.

2. Get out your calendar and put the event/ first match into your calendar. Figure out how many weeks you have left and what kind of fitness you'll need to have worked on before D-Day arrives.

Work backwards from the event

If you were to allow 4 weeks to work on the following 3 phases, would you still have time to be ready for your event?

Phase 3. Race/Game Specific Fitness and Explosive Power
Phase 2. High Intensity Training and Base Strength
Phase 1. Base Distance Training and Injury Prevention

If you spent the minimum time of 4 weeks on each of these phases then it'd take you 12 weeks. If you've got more time that this, you should add more weeks to each of the phases and start researching each of these phases so you know exactly what kind of activity you should be doing to improve them.

I would love to be able to offer more info on how to prepare for these phases but what you need to do depends so much on your and your sport's specific demands that it would be irresponsible for me to try and do so in this post.

Step 5. Get your Friends Involved or Find More!
Starting Fresh
If you're looking at doing something new then chances are you don't know too many people who are striving for the same thing. If this is the case then you have a fantastic opportunity to make some new friends. Look up training squads in your area and ask the organiser how you can find people who are looking to do the same thing you are.

Every administrator who runs a physical based club loves being approached by people because it means they didn't need to look for you. Just showing the nous to approach them is a clear sign of your commitment and commitment is what will encourage an administrator to invest their time in you.

Stepping it up
If you're working towards something which people already know about then you don't need to shove it down their throats. The beauty of Facebook and other social media is that anything you post about your fitness will show up on friends news feed, not arrive in their cluttered inbox.

If they're interested in what you're up to then they'll read your links and as a result get more of your status updates in their news feed. Those who have any chance of either wanting to join you or simply become inspired by you will "like",  comment or contact you to show their support.

As with the NY Resolutions, any feedback you get will either further encourage you to consolidate your fitness aspirations or give you someone to prove wrong.

Step 6. Commit to Cycles of Improvement
The beauty of working around a cycle of training and social/serious competition is that there is always something different going on.

At any given time you're either:

• recovering from a training, match or season
• preparing for a training, match or season
• participating in a training, match or season

Your day, week, month and year all go through cycles of improvement and stories are coming out of each event.

Unfortunately, the most common way people look to get fit does not offer such variation. Without a season or competition to look forward to you're essentially just training to:

• train
• get fit   
• loose weight or tone up

Even if these motivations provide some short term success they're not sustainable because they don't offer a long term cycle of variation and improvement.

Step 7. Record Everything!
Take photos of everything you do. If you bring your car to a training or match then make sure you've got a camera to capture you in your kit and ready to play. The results you get and the fun you have will mean even more if you have ongoing records of what you accomplished.

If you didn't quite achieve what you set out for in a particular season then having records of the approach you took becomes invaluable in deciding how to go about things the next time around.

Maybe you had the race of your life a few months back, but can't figure out why you were so strong. If you only kept the programme then you'd be able to look back and find out what worked for you back then.

It doesn't have to be Time Consuming
When I tell people to record things they often think about the time it takes to do so but it can be very easy if you set things out properly from the start. If you've got a programme mapped out before you start it then you don't need to record what you did, you just tick it off on the programme which was already there from the start.

If you embrace the social sharing idea then that's another great way to record what you did and how it made you feel. The details you post friends about your training can be made up of the exact details you should be recording.

Any time you want to know how you dealt with an event or phase in the past, just have a look through your status updates or blog posts to find out.

It's far more fun writing things down when you know someone else could read them. A blog is a great way to record how things are going, while also giving people to opportunity to read, encourage you and become inspired by your success.

In Summary
Congratulations for making it to the end of this post on what is likely to be a busy day for you.

The key messages to take out of this article are based around Cycles:

1. Plan what you're going to do
2. Share it with your friends
3. Do what you've planned 
4. Share it with your friends
5. Record what you do 
6. Share it with your friends
7. Plan what you're going to do....and so on :-)

So many of my clients tell me they wouldn't do what they do without me. Naturally, I help them carry out most of the process above in regards to planning, doing and recording, but what they may not be consciously thinking about is that what I offer most is someone to share their success, struggles and learning experiences with.

It really is the sharing and feedback which keeps them coming back for more.

Why not share this post?
Please take a few minutes to share this post with your friends any way you can.

Even better, comment on how you plan on making this your best year ever, then share this post!