Whether you’re a new runner or a long-time competitor, having a well-thought out training plan is vital.  If you’re not confident in your ability to create one yourself, go out and get a copy of Daniels’ Running Formula (2nd Edition).  In my experience it is by far the best book on training theory for the masses out there.

It’s got several selling points:

1) Credibility – Jack Daniels is a PhD in exercise physiology and has been a leading researcher in the field for decades.  Most of his work deals specifically with distance running and how to improve your training.  So when he talks about a study and what it means for your training, he knows he’s right because half the time it’s his own study that he’s citing!

2) Accessibility – Even though the information presented is rooted in physiology, Daniels doesn’t expect you to understand the science behind it all.  He explains the importance of different workouts and training in terms of how it helps your running instead of why.  Even for runners with no background in the sciences, the concepts are easy to grasp and apply.

3) Usefulness – A lot of training books go into great detail on the science or the theory and provide precious little in terms of practical application.  Daniels commits virtually every page in his book to usable information.  There are detailed, 24-week training programs for every race distance from 800m to the marathon and often includes several versions depending on your ability level.

There are also charts for determining training paces, in-depth sections on racing strategy, how to put together your own training program and everything in between.  Even at 280+ pages it doesn’t feel like there’s any filler.

4) New Information – If you have the first edition of Daniels Running Formula, it’s still worth it to pick up the new edition.  While much of the information is the same, there are a number of major changes between the two editions.  The two that I use the most are the inclusion of training plans for the 800m (the shortest distance in the first edition is 1500m), and a new table for calculating tempo pace for long tempo runs.  

The first edition includes paces for 20-minute tempo runs, but the new version includes paces for tempo runs lasting from 20 minutes to an hour.  It may sound like a minor addition, but it’s one of the tables I use the most.  For me, the new edition was worth it for that addition alone.

Whether you’re just getting started in competitive running or are looking for a new way to spice up your training, Daniels Running Formula is a vital addition to any runner’s (and coach’s) library.


Get the Daniels Running Formula from: AbesBooks.com or Amazon.com 


Alok

If you haven't tried subliminal running CDs, you are missing out. I got my first subliminal running cassette about 15 years ago. I wore that thing out! I listened to it on the bus going to track meets, when I fell asleep at night, between events—you name it. It just sounded like water running with some soft new-age music and tones woven in.

Quietly in the background someone is reading a script full of running affirmations that isn't noticeably audible, but the subconscious mind can hear it. The subliminal tape I had said things like, “I run strong. I run fast. I am light on my feet. My legs are strong. My lungs are strong. I love running. I am properly hydrated to run well.” And, now for the question you're all wanting to ask, did I feel the subliminal tape made a difference? Yes! 

Not only are subliminal tapes relaxing to listen to as a welcome addition to your pre-competition routine, but I definitely felt it was effective. I'm a sprinter/jumper/hurdler. The year I started listening to my subliminal tape, I wound up running the 400 meter due to some gaps in the team.

My very first 400 meter in competition I set a new school record and finished at the heels of the league champion. I feel like the running tape had a little something to do with that. Once I realized the 400 meter wasn't going to be the death of me, I did run in the mile relay more regularly and such.

The other thing I like about the subliminal running CDs out there is they are the very, very best to listen to during visualizations, meditations, and pre-competition rituals. I found that the sound of the running water and soothing sounds actually helped me clear out the mental clutter, constant stream of distracting thought, and allowed me to block out the stadium noise without closing myself off. I see so many Olympians listening to their iPods with ear buds before (and even during) competition. I think we all recognize the transformative power of the right music.

There are tons of websites offering subliminal athletic CDs. They are generally around $15-$30 per CD. There are also subliminal CDs for things like losing weight, quitting smoking, improving self confidence, or improving your finances. Look into these different subliminal audio programs:

Running Cross Country Skills found at Amazon.com www.amazon.com

Running Training Aid found at Amazon.com www.amazon.com

Increase Running Speed found at Amazon.com www.amazon.com
 
Running Endurance found at INeedMotivation.com (type in running endurance in their search box): www.ineedmotivation.com

Marathon Training found at INeedMotivation.com (type in marathon training in their search box) www.ineedmotivation.com

As a runner you are constantly striving to improve yourself. Always absorbing, learning, looking for the next big thing that will shave you seconds off your time. We have decided to browse youtube for some good advice regarding running and have created some video playlists for you below: 

• Running warm ups
• Running Stretches
• Running Drills
• Strength training for runners
• and Running Form

If you have videos of your own, do not hesitate to provide us with a link and we will point to it! 

10K-Running Staff

Running is a hard sport. No question about it. If we overdo it  our running performance suffers. There has been a tremendous amount of scientific research conducted in the past decade that has shed new light on our understanding of how stretching affects our muscles and joints.  

This does not mean that stretching is not important. 

In fact, for runners, stretching remains a critical tool in keeping your body in top running form, promoting optimal stride technique, and preventing injuries. But to benefit from a stretching program you must develop and follow one that is specifically designed for running. 

Many studies showing that the traditional approach to stretching (such as stretching before exercise or performing stretches that are not sport-specific) may actually do more harm than good. In many cases traditional stretching practices can actually increase the risk of injury and hurt performance! As a result, many long held beliefs and traditional stretching practices are now considered outdated...

What is Active Isolated Stretching

Thanks to the team at Arbor Wellness Sports Massage,  you now have a report  that outlines the best stretches for runners, helping you achieve your best performance! The report is composed of 12 running-specific stretches, each specifically designed and selected to incorporate the key muscles and movements of an optimal running stride, and to correct the muscle imbalances that lead to running injuries. 

It is based on the newest stretching technique developed by kinesiotherapist, Aaron Mattes. The techniques coined as - Active Isolated Stretches (AIS) provides athletes with a safe way in achieving flexibility without long term damage. Aaron realized that traditional static stretching was not helpful and in discovered that prolonged static stretching actually decreases the blood flow within the tissue and increasing lactic acid buildup. This can potentially cause irritation or injury of local muscle tissues, similar to the effects and consequences of trauma and overuse syndromes. 

His theory is that: 

"Performing an Active Isolated Stretch allows the target muscles to optimally lengthen without triggering the protective stretch reflex and subsequent reciprocal antagonistic muscle contraction as the isolated muscle achieves a state of relaxation."

Benefit from their experience!

Earl Wenk, partner and kinesiologist at Arbor Wellness Sports Massage has outlined the best stretches and detailed step-by-step instructions about exactly how to perform each stretch with proper form including pictures. Earl is a graduate of the Univerisity of Michigan, with a degree in Movement Science from the Division of Kinesiology, where he also completed an internship program in Athletic Training. He has also taught courses in orthopedic massage, sports massage and human anatomy at a massage therapy school and currently provides continuing education courses in sports massage, functional anatomy and injury assessment through his business. 

He has kindly provided the report to you so that you can benefit from his experience... 

Running is one of the hardest sports on your body. Muscles and soft tissue will be worked hard and often can knot or hold tension. If you're one of the runners who always feel really tight and sore after a workout and can't afford a massage therapist, we've found you a great solution! Head out and get yourself a foam roller. Using a foam roller is an inexpensive way to roll-out knots and do what's called self myo-facial release. It is like giving yourself a deep tissue massage.

A little background on these rollers – they are simple, really, just a tube, usually one or three feet long and about 6 inches in diameter. Foam rollers are hard enough to put pressure on knots but are soft enough to allow for some give to match the shape of your body. They are round shaped so they can roll and are usually long so they can be used length-wise across your back. 

You place the roller on the floor and then lay yourself over it on the body part you are trying to stretch. This can be painful, so you need to adjust your body weight accordingly so that it’s a “hurts good” feeling, not torture

What are the benefits?

Improve your balance, massage your muscles, and stretch your tight hamstrings easily. The foam roller will help muscles recover faster as it helps blood to be circulated through them. It also will help with flexibility and range of motion as bunched up knots that are pulling muscles tight will be released. When applying pressure, the golgi tendon organs help trigger the relaxation of the muscle spindles, helping dissipate the adhesions, increase blood flow, and enhance overall movement.

More significantly, the roller helps your body improve your alignment and hip mobility and increase your core flexibility. Flexibility is an important part of achieving and maintaining a full range of motion around the joints. 

Things to be aware of

Never foam roll your joints. Running is difficult enough on your joints without putting pressure on them with the foam roller. Stop the rolling motion before you get to your knees or ankles. Take your body off the roller and place it on the other side of the joint if you are going down the leg. Also, do not roll directly onto a bruise or cut. Not only will it be painful to roll onto a bruise, but it will make it heal slower.

Where you can purchase: 

You can buy the Foam Roller at Power Systems 
You can find them at Amazon

Road Racing for Serious Runners provides an excellent, comprehensive look at training for competitive long-distance racing. It helps remove guesswork since it contains information on all variables affecting successful racing-from human physiology to actual nuts and bolts workouts.  Pfitzinger and Douglas believe for the serious runner, the runner who wants to run at his or her very best, training needs to focus on a small number of specific goal races. 

Keep it simple, stupid!

This book gives short, simple explanations to the key elements of a training program. We now know everything we need to know about VO2 max and lactate threshold training, their relative importance, how to improve them and how to incorporate them into your training program.

Topics that are covered are: 

• recovery
• pure endurance
• lactate threshold
• VO2 max
• and speed

In Road Racing for Serious Runners, Pete Pfitzinger-a world-class marathoner, distance running coach, and exercise physiologist-tells you how to get the most out of your limited training time. Pfitzinger teams up with former Running Times editor-in-chief Scott Douglas to present a training and racing plan that will help you excel in the full spectrum of road racing distances. You will learn how to:

• design a week-by-week training program,
• determine the right pace to run during speed workouts,
• get the most out of long runs,
• taper training before an important race,
• detect and avoid staleness and injury, 
• determine the best strategy for each race, and
• achieve the optimal mental state to train and race.

Pfitzinger points out how most of us are doing no lactate threshold training and doing all of our interval work to fast. Lactate threshold represents the speed at which you can run while still clearing most of the lactic acid from your cells. A high lactate threshold, on the other hand, allows sustained high speeds, and therefore high levels of performance in endurance events. 

Pfitzinger and Douglas emphasize the importance of minimal effective stress. For example, they provide the example of two runners trying to build VO2 max, the maximum oxygen your body can use. 

"In the past I've had a love/hate relationship with mile repeats, a very strong type of VO2 max workout -- I knew they had a great effect on my fitness but they were SO uncomfortable. I now know I was running them too fast. Last year I put Pfitzinger and Douglas' approach into effect in my training. 

Using a heart rate monitor, I ran long VO2 max sessions, half-mile and mile repeats, monitoring carefully to stay in my VO2 max training range. The effect was dramatic. Not that mile repeats became easy, but they were far more manageable than they had ever been before. As a result I was able to run more of them, recover better, and actually (sometimes) enjoy them. I also had my best racing season in years."
- George Williams

Included with each of five training schedules are racing tactics, mental tips, and lessons from world-class runners. Whatever distance you plan to race, Road Racing for Serious Runners will guide you to peak performance!


Buy Road Racing for Serious Runners at Amazon
Buy Road Racing for Serious Runners at Abebooks.com

Do you dream of running a marathon? But consider yourself too old or too out of shape to run a marathon? You can do this. By following the training advice of the experts from University of Northern Iowa, you will be crossing the finish line in no time! 

 The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is based on the highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa. It is based on a marathon class offered over the years at the University of Northern Iowa that proclaims a high success rate for 1st time marathoners. In over 11 years, they have taught this course to approximately 200 students -- all first time marathoners and many with absolutely no running background. 

The promise of the book is to that you'll be able to run 26.2 miles training just 4 days a week with no runs over 18 miles.  The book accomplishes this goal in sixteen chapters, one for every week of training. What makes this program better than any other? It is the special emphasis on the mental aspects of endurance running. 

You don't have to love to run -- you don't even have to like it -- but you have to realize that you are capable of more than you have ever thought possible. One participant in the program explained it like this: 

"I'm doing this for me -- not for others or the time clock. I just feel better when I run, plus it helps me to cope with things in general. The skills we've learned in this class don't apply just to marathoning -- they apply to life! Just like you never know what the next step in a marathon will bring, so too, you never know what will happen next in life. But if you don't keep going, you're never going to find out. By staying relaxed, centered, and positive you handle just about anything that comes your way." 

Don't have tons of time to train? 

Don't worry. This book has been written for regular people like you and me. Those who have the desire to run and complete a marathon however also have responsibilities that take up their time - such as family, careers, school, and kids.  This is marathon running for real people.  The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer has proven successful for everyone, regardless of who they are and what they do. 

Easy to read

Each chapter is cleanly divided up into 3 sections. Part one deals with the mental aspects of marathon training (which in my opinion is just as important as physical preparation when it comes to marathons), part two lays out the actual training program for the week, and the third part of each chapter contains advice and suggestions from people who have done the course and the program. The last chapter gives advice on your recovery.  

This is a complete book covering everything you can imagine about training for a marathon. Easy to read and helpful information are included such as stretches, weight training exercises, nutritional advice, how to dress, and what shoes to wear. 


Get the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer at Amazon.com.  
Get the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer at AbeBooks.com.