My running career is over...

I just know it...

I'm never going to be able to run fast again...

Better get used to cheering from the sidelines...

Where can I get a megaphone and some pom-poms.

Ok ok, I might be exaggerating a little bit... but I know I'm not the only one who mentally (or actually) flips out after a bad workout or race. I've gotten better... it needs to be a series of workouts now... but that's mostly because I can kind of pinpoint what's wrong as I'm typing a long email to coach asking what I should do. Kind of like what that article says, there are usually a few things that factor into a bad workout (or series of workouts):

• Everything else going on in your life (not eating right, lack of sleep, stress, etc.)
• Not enough recovery (lots of miles and/or hard workouts over a series of a few days)
• Not every day is going to be your best day (adjusting to a new training plan, etc.)
• Workouts targeting your weaknesses (type, course, weather, etc.)

However, bad workouts can serve as red flags- it might be your body telling you to take a few days off or pointing towards a chronic problem (anemia, electrolyte imbalance, etc.), so pay attention and see a doctor if the trend persists.

... I was looking for a picture of someone falling down at the finish line. There were a bunch of ones of elite athletes, but I thought this was better :-)

ID

So, after two years, I finally found my Road ID. I was really excited because it's a good idea to have some type of ID on you when you're running or cycling in case of an emergency, especially if you're running alone. Most allow you to customize them with contact and medical information, which can be useful if, I don't know, say you can't breathe during a race. There are several different styles available, so if you don't currently have one, think about it (some race bibs have $2 coupons for Road ID).

... I also found my missing red-white-and blue star sock (I've been sad on July 4th for the past 2 years because I haven't been able to wear them), it was like Christmas in July (and just like a little kid, I wore them both the next day)!

Running Form Basics

So I really liked that clip not because it's the best "running form" video I've ever seen, but mainly because it was done with Claymation! And, I mean, it does have good information too (the ensuing discussion is pretty funny)... and is much shorter (ooo shiny) than the video I posted a while back.

I would like to throw my own two cents into that discussion. First off, they are right, you can't change your form over night. Initially, your calf muscles, Achilles, etc. are going to take the brunt the transition to mid-food running (if you have traditionally been a heel striker). So, your lower legs will be tight (as well as the rest of your leg... because we all know that the pain in your left ear is eventually going to screw up your IT Band). Make sure to stretch... ice... compression... the whole normal routine of "things to keep you running". To avoid moving from tight to injured, try easing into mid-foot striking on easy runs (and not necessarily the whole run either)... or on your cooldown after a hard run. I wouldn't recommend trying new things on interval days or tempo runs just because, in my opinion, you're more likely to tweak something at a faster speed. One of the easiest ways to transition to mid-foot striking is simply to increase your cadence... it's hard to land on your heel when your legs are moving faster.

Moving on from this disclaimer, mid-foot striking is better than heel striking from a mechanical standpoint. No matter what the structure (you), you want to keep the center of mass (somewhere in your torso) over the base (your foot) because it is more stable and eliminates large moment arms (which torques your bones/joints in a way that they were not meant to be). Having said that, as the distance increases, most people are going to heel-strike. It's ok... your calf muscles aren't huge... and they're going to fatigue after a while!

10000m

OH HECK YEAH!!!

Weekend Outlook

So... what's up for the weekend? There's the TFC Race for the Goal 5k at WakeMed on Sat. (8AM) and the Lake Logan events throughout the weekend (international distance, sprint, and aquathon). Track and Field also starts up today. But, what are these athletes most excited about?

BEER RUN ON SATURDAY 

STARTING AT 6:30PM FROM MOORE SQUARE!!!

Mutants

Yup, elite athletes are mutants. I knew no normal person could run a 100m in 8.58sec... even if they put in the training! So yeah, genetics does play a role in success in sports at the elite level. As the article points out, being crazy tall (the average NBA player is 6' 7") is advantageous in sports where you have to shoot a ball (or puck) in a net, while being crazy small (the average jockey weighs 115lb) is advantageous in sports where you're relying on something else for transportation (like a horse or boat)... and yes, I did generalize those rules. Having exceptionally long arms is good for grabbing other people to take them down (aka fighting), an enlarged left ventricle never hurt endurance athletes, ridiculously large feet are good for swimming, and the ability to push off the ground with 2.5x your body weight (while most people can must just a measly 2x) gives you the needed edge in sprinting.

Q: What's the most popular Olympic sport?

Km: Watched? Volleyball (especially beach volleyball), basketball, track and field (in particular, the 100m final), gymnastics, and equestrian events round out the top 5 (I would have thought swimming would have ranked higher). Media attention? Swimming, gymnastics, track and field, soccer, and volleyball (based off of hits to the IOC webpage and the number of articles published). Played? Volleyball, basketball, track and field, soccer (known in the rest of the world as football), and tennis (I guess the viewing statistics make a bit more sense now... swimming ranks down at #7, behind table tennis).