What's really holding you back

I came across this article talking about five important things, which we often neglect, that can keep us from reaching our full potential as runners:

1. Postural alignment: deviations from optimal alignment can reduce efficiency and lead to injury
2. Range of motion: limitations can shorten your stride and keep you from completing a "full" gait cycle, leading to muscular imbalances
3. Joint integrity strength: weak ligaments and tendons do not properly absorb the shock of impact, which takes its toll on your joints
4. Muscle activation: efficiency can be improved by reinforcing proper movement patters through activating the correct muscles
5. Biomechanics: by thinking about good posture ("running tall") and proper running form (midfoot striking), efficiency will be improved by maximizing energy return

Luckily, there are some simple tests you can do to see if you've fallen victim to one of these:

1. Postural alignment: see what changes when you stand against a wall (optimal alignment) versus when you move a way and stand "comfortably"
2. Range of motion: tests for (1) chest / pectoralis major, (2) hamstring, and (3) hip abductor, as well as the appropriate range of motion are described in the article (also note differences between the left and right sides of your body, as these can indicate problems with alignment)
3. Joint integrity strength: muscles work in antagonist / agonist pairs to ensure balanced motion; tests for these key muscle pairs (1) hip abductor / adductor and (2) quadriceps / hamstring are described in the article (also note differences between the left and right sides of your body, as these can indicate problems with alignment)

Valentine's Day and run -race

You're welcome "everyone" who is trying to write a blog post on running and Valentine's Day but doesn't want to scroll through pages of races:

• Dear running... it's not you, it's me (an article comparing running to relationships)
• Valentine's Day, compression socks, running skirts... huh? (weirdest fun run)

And that's about it. For kicks, I tried to find out how fast Cupid could fly (which I still don't know the answer to) so I could stage a "mock race". However, I forgot that Cupid was also the name of one of Santa's reindeer, so I burst out laughing at the first hit because I had visions of Cupid taking on Rudolph and Blitzen in some crazy race around the globe! I was so disappointed when I clicked on the math problem and realized my error, it was so much cooler in my head...

Oh, and if anyone wants to map a cool "Raleigh" heart run, feel free (I gave up after a while).

Eat This Now - Peas

As some of you may or may not know, yesterday (2/12) was Charles Darwin's birthday. Unfortunately for Darwin, this holiday often gets overshadowed by tomorrow's, more Hallmark-oriented one, but that doesn't mean that I can't at least devote an "eat this now" segment to the plant that made Mendel famous (ok, when I think of genetics I think of Darwin- Galapagos tortoise and Mendel- pea plants... and clearly you shouldn't eat the former).

Ok, so peas are good for you. In general, peas are good sources of iron, potassium, B vitamins, fiber, and other trace nutrients (like magnesium and phosphorus). Green peas have even more super powers insofar as they have twice the protein of most vegetables, and are chock full of vitamin C, vitamin K, and lutein (a catotenoid that helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts).  

That's all for now my friends... as a fair warning, tomorrow's post is even more random!

2/11-12 Race Reports

Total DOMINATION this weekend:

• Team RRO/FASTcoaching got the weekend started off right at the Miles for Missions 5k. Jim M. was 2nd OA, Jerry H. was 1st in his age group (4th OA), and Kurt C. placed 3rd in his age group as well. Natalie T. and Carolyn M. went 1-2 on the women's side, and Linda W. was 1st in her age group. Carolyn and Jim also won the team competition. CONGRATS! (results)
• At the Run for the Roses, Jarett P. was 3rd OA, Tom K. was 3rd Master's, and Linda W. was 1st in her age group (again), and Isabella Frey was 2nd in her age group. Kimberlie F. and David M. also won the couples division (I think they took them out of the overall results). GREAT JOB! (results)
• Team RRO/FASTcoaching also showed some Greensboro-area runners who was boss this AM at the Valentine's Day Massacre Marathon Relay. The 4-person men's team (James L., Nick M., Tristan D., and Keith F.) was first across the line for us, securing 3rd overall. The 4-person master's team (Mark N., Sean K., Mike C., and David O.) was next, finishing up 1st in their division. The 4-person women's team (Rita B., Sara S., Kari M., and Meghan H.) made it a clean sweep, finishing 1st in their division as well. Thank you Greg, Matt, Jennifer, and Tom for braving the sub-freezing temperatures and coming to cheer us on! I'll post some pictures (and maybe video footage that Sean captured) when I get them compiled. WAHOOO! (results)
• Brian F. turned Jacksonville Beach into glass, running a new PR at 26.2 for Donna!

Weekend Outlook

Lots of races to chose from this weekend:

• Miles for Mission 5k (Saturday @ 9AM in Raleigh)
• Sweetheart 5k (Saturday @ 9AM in Rocky Mount)
• Run for the Roses 5k (Sunday @ 2PM in Raleigh)

We've also got 3 teams (4-person men's, women's, and master's) headed to the Valentine's Day Massacre Marathon Relay on Sunday in Greensboro, and Brian is gearing up to PR at 26.2 for Donna!

Open Thread - Staying Warm and Dry at Valentine's Day Massacre Relay

The comment thread of this post is for discussing ways to keep warm and dry between legs (approx. 30 min) at Sunday's relay.

At the time of this post weather.com predicts a low of 23F, high of 44F, wind WNW 12mph, and sunny on Sunday Feb 12 in Greensboro. That is cold but earlier the prediction was for 14F and 38F respectively.

If you have some good ideas or concerns please share them in the comments.

Meb Keflezighi

When I was watching the trials, I realized that I knew very little about the people running, other than the obvious fact that they were all "wicked" fast. So, for the next 6 weeks, every Thursday will be dedicated to a brief bio of one of the athletes who will be representing Team USA in London. We'll start with Meb Keflezighi.

First off, Meb is just a nickname... his full first name is actually Mebrahtom... and his last name is pronounced Kef-lez-ghee. He was born on May 5, 1975 (making him 36 years-old if you don't feel like doing the math) in Eritrea. His father fled Eritrea on foot, eventually ending up in Italy, where he sent for his family so that they could escape the war that had broken out there. The Keflezighi's arrived in the San Diego when Meb was 12, and he became a naturalized citizen in 1998. Meb began his running career while still in junior high, and was the 1994 CA state champion in both the 1600m and 3200m. He continued on at UCLA where he majored in Communications (with a concentration in Business). While in college, he won numerous NCAA championship races and received a bunch of All-American awards. His career highlights are summarized here. Of particular note:

• Meb won a silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, becoming the first American man since Frank Shorter (1976) to win an Olympic medal at the marathon distance.
• In 2009, Meb won the ING NYC Marathon, becoming the first American to do so since 1982. 

He currently lives (and trains) in Mammoth Lakes, CA with his family of five. He is a member of the New York Athletic Club and is sponsored by Sketchers. Follow Meb's blog to keep up with his training, or read his book!