sports science, research, training and performance

PB Running Editor's Blog (38)

Are treadmills useful for speedwork?

Treadmills are very handy for speed work, particularly popular among athletes who are short on available training time, but there has to be a balance between indoor sessions and outdoor sessions if you truly want to see gains on the open road.

The limitation behind a treadmill is that you are really just trying to keep up instead of propelling your body mass forward. You do work very similar muscles, but it is harder to gain real-world speed. A treadmill is excellent for helping you wor… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 14, 2010 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Improve your speed and endurance with fartlek training

Fartlek, or ‘speed play’ as it translates from Swedish, is a form of interval training consisting of intermittent hard efforts of varying length in a session combined with easier efforts that usually lasts more than 45 minutes. Its purpose is to stress both the aerobic and anaerobic systems to varying degrees. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.

When training, it is important to develop all aspects of our physiology, partic… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on March 26, 2010 at 4:22pm — No Comments

4 training principles to underpin consistent running performance

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of different advice proffered by fellow runners and written about in magazines & on the web. With so many sessions and programmes out there, many runners end up over complicating their training.

So remember, you won’t go too far wrong by sticking with the basics and focusing on just four key principles that should form the backbone of your training plan throughout the year. Tailor them according to your goals and distance you race.
… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on February 21, 2010 at 11:00am — No Comments

Top Tips for Marathon Runners

The week before: 1. Don’t try and cram in any last minute training, you can’t do anything now to make yourself go faster but there are things you can do to make yourself go slower….. 2. Don’t completely stop….a ‘taper’ is designed for a purpose simply stopping and doing nothing for 5 days may well make you feel heavy and sluggish. Do something light and short, even running for 10 minutes with a few stretches to follow will keep you feeling in great shape. 3. Adjust your work schedule a… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on January 14, 2010 at 4:48pm — No Comments

10 tips for safe winter running

1. Remember that your head can be responsible for about 40% of heat loss. Keep your head covered, wear gloves and wear long leggings to protect your knees. 2. Dress in layers. Use light weight wicking fibers as the layer closest to your body. If it’s raining or looking like it’s going to be wet, wear suitable waterproofs. Wear socks that are made of synthetic fibers to wick moisture away from your skin, helping to prevent blisters and athlete’s foot. 3. Apply skin protection using sun block an… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on January 9, 2010 at 5:02pm — No Comments

Run faster and more effectively with 'The Running School'

Sports Dimensions , one the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary sports injury and rehabilitation clinics based in Chiswick in West London, has launched a new innovative running programme called ‘The Running School’. The Running School teaches athletes about simple running biomechanics, balance and form and includes all the key technical factors involved with running faster, more efficiently and remaining injury-free. Mike Antoni… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 22, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Guide to fluid intake for the marathon

Without a good fluid plan you won't be able to make the most of your training. A loss of only 2% of your body weight will decrease your performance by 10%. If you want to achieve your personal goals in the marathon then having a good fluid strategy (that you have practiced in training) is important. How much fluid do you need? Everyone is different, if you live in a cool climate and are racing in warmer ones, then not doubt you will need to drink more than usual. If you practice drinking… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 19, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

Running form: how should you run

A key component to successful distance running is efficiency or economy of movement. It is common to focus on training the heart, lungs and legs when preparing for an event but training form is less common. Recently I was able watch some of the athletes I train complete the run portion of a Half Ironman Triathlon event and between the wind gusts, showers and hail, I had a chance to assess their run form. The athletes have all had plenty of swim technique training, in most cases bike technique t… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 14, 2009 at 3:35pm — No Comments

Training to avoid lactic burn

Runners have long been wary about lactic acid. We’ve always viewed it as something that tires us out during a race and makes us sore afterwards. Recent studies, however, show that most lactic acid is removed after exercise and isn’t to blame for soreness. It isn’t useless either; it contains a fuel source for high-intensity running. With the right training, we can delay the onset of lactic acid accumulation and improve our body’s capacity to use it for fuel. So what is lactic acid? It is a by-… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 8, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Testing times

Fitness testing is just for the elite, I hear you say. It is certainly the popular view that only if you’re good enough to make a living from the sport it is worth paying to find out your true VO2 max and lactate threshold. However, anyone who is serious about improving their times should benefit from a visit to a sport scientist to put their body to the test. For just the price of a pair of shoes, max test will help you train smarter and run faster... Put more technically, blood lactate profil… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on February 20, 2009 at 1:07pm — 2 Comments

Negative splits

A lot of research and statistical analysis supports the notion that you are more likely to achieve a PB through running a “negative split”. The benefits of running at an even pace or with a negative split are best understood by examining the impact of running the flipside – running the first half of a race faster than the last. When you try to run a positive split, particularly over long distance, several physiological changes take place – you’ll experience high levels of lactate (leading to he… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on February 11, 2009 at 9:31am — No Comments

Thinking on your feet

So you've downloaded the latest and greatest training plan or better yet got one personally designed for you and are all set to break your PB. Getting the most out of your body requires more than just blindly following the plan. Your have to think on your feet. I see it all the time - if it's down on paper then it must be the right thing to do. If things are going to plan then your training program is likely to be close to what's required, it's just when you are either going better or worse tha… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on February 7, 2009 at 9:13am — No Comments

Benefits of hill running

This article focuses on how you can improve your running program after you've made the commitment to begin running. I will describe and show you how beneficial hill training can be for your strength and endurance. In my books, there are three areas that you need to think about: * Starting out small * Keeping good form uphill * Setting up a hill running schedule Certainly, you don't need to take the highest or steepest hill in your area to start off with. However, even the most moderate hill tr… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on December 30, 2008 at 6:00pm — No Comments

The Value of Intervals for Distance Runners

I am sure the most runners out there know that as they approach key events that they need to add speed and one of the common methods employed is intervals. Intervals are a series of efforts run at speeds faster than normal training with a rest interval (usually a walk or slow jog). Th… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on August 12, 2008 at 9:00am — No Comments

Running efficiency

Concentrating on good running form to help get you to the finish line in a more efficient manner. Sticking with the theme of efficiency, in this article I want to focus on Run Cadence, the number of times your feet hit the ground per minute. Below is the formula that determines your ru… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on June 18, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Mental aspects of running

How much of what runners achieve is determined by the mind? Who knows what percentage of athletic success is mental ability? Good running psychology or mental edge comes from focus, confidence, and concentration. Exercising the body is only one part of success - you also can and should exercise your… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on May 31, 2008 at 8:30am — No Comments

Negative racing

If you want to go faster, feel stronger, and pass more people at the end of a race then you need to race negatively. I know it sounds a littler errrr, negative, but it is the key to a personal record. Let me explain. Racing negatively or negative splitting your races has been around for decades. Mos… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on May 31, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

Marathon tactics

A lot of runners get fit and set themselves up nicely for the event with great training. There are plenty of great articles written on how to do that. What I want to look at is how to make your training count on the day!

Race Pressure Pacing. It is just too easy to… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on May 24, 2008 at 8:30am — No Comments

Integrate trail running in base for injury prevention

The shoes we run in today are great for reducing impact. There are a myriad of devices, gels, air channels, etc., designed to lesson the compressive loads on the joints and body. One drawback, however, is that if you do most of your running on even, paved surfaces the lower leg muscles and joints do not have to work as hard to stabilize. Joint stability and integrity is crucial for injury prevention. This is where trail running comes in.

Running over uneven and varied surfac… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 27, 2008 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Choose the right running shoe

When it comes to choosing your running shoe there can be a vast array of choices and it can be very difficult to decide what is best. Coach Brendon from Endurancecoach.com takes a look at the best way to ensure that you get the right shoe.

Before you go charging off to the local mall and corne… Continue

Added by PB Running Editor on April 27, 2008 at 7:00pm — No Comments

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