All About The Base - Back to the Run

Since last fall's Achilles debacle, my running has taken a back seat.  This week I've finally been able to put feet on the ground and work on that all important running base.

Base mileage is one of those concepts I recently scoffed at...   Until I got injured...

Like anything, when you are young and really driven by something, you embrace it, and you drink the Kool-Aid.  Later, you start to figure a few things out, try another approach and discard what you started with.  You might actually repeat this process a few times with different ideas.
Then, when you are older, you realize some of those things you threw away, were actually really valid ideas.  That's where I am now.

No more quick-fixes.  It's back to the time-tested approaches I used to train other people in.  It's time to build in the base, AND... the recovery.

So it's on.

Like Donkey Kong.

So what is Base Building?

It's a simple concept really.  If you are an endurance athlete, or even someone who is just beginning.  Start slow, stay consistent, don't push it, and repeat many times for a period of about 8 to 12 weeks.

That's it.  Consistency is king here.  No need to progress, just get the time in.  Think of it as practice.

Dan John's Easy Strength is one of those books that espouse the ideal that you should lift heavy, but not too heavy, and you stop when you do the work.   How vague is that?  Well not too vague really.  It can apply to running as well.

Dr. Phil Maffetone, has a great book on Endurance Training and Racing.  I'm using it at the moment and I shouldn't have left it.  180-minus your age.  That's your heart rate upper limit value.  It works.

• Low heart rate
• Show up
• Struggle every now and then

These are the keys to success.  I've seen it happen and I'm wishing I wasn't so impatient to see results before.  Thank-you Achilles injury :)

More on this as the weeks go on.

Two Reasons Why Runners Need the Turkish Getup

There are few movements as useful and as comprehensive as the get-up.  For runners, trail, or road, the getup needs to be part of your strength and mobility work.

There are multiple reasons why the getup should be considered.  I'm only going to cover two.

The first is the hip bridge.  For many runners, hip flexibility is non-existant.  Getting the hips to open up and 'unlock' will help release the internal brakes many of us have on constantly.

If your day job has you desk bound, chances are you don't open your hips much, and that sitting around can atrophy the hip flexors, making full opening of the hips problematic.  (check out Bret Contreras' site for more glute training) Doing the getup will help bring your hip strength back.

The second reason is ankle and foot health.  There's one movement that isn't highlighted much, but as a runner it's critical to do this movement frequently.  It's called dorsiflexion.

Dorsiflexion is where the toes are stretched toward the shin.  I currently have TERRIBLE flexibility this way, but after doing getups, I've noticed an improvement in the calf muscle soreness post run.  It's almost where I will need to do getup training as long as I want that ankle and foot flexibility.  Age is not in your favor on this one.  If you run and are getting farther away from your 20's, the ankles will take longer to recover from runs.  Especially if you run in a way that puts stress on your soleus and gastroc muscles.

So.

Do the Turkish Getup.

But first watch this:

PTP Strength Training - Getting Stronger While Building Running Capacity

The deadlift is my favorite lift.  It's also one that I really suck at.  Numerous attempts at video analysis, peers checking form, and trying every kind of deadlift routine I could google, beg, borrow and steal, left me with a lot of information, but none that crystallized quite like Pavel's PTP program.

It's ridiculously simple, and has zero bedazzlement.  If you're looking for muscle confusion, this is not your program.

The idea is that you work on two movements, a press and a pull, and you keep the number of sets and reps low.  Reover, Repeat.

This first cycle I set at 5 lbs of increase every workout with a 2.5lb deload every 4th workout.  It worked, but I think it might have been slightly aggressive as I was dealing with Achilles issues as well as a head cold that lasted for a couple weeks.

This next cycle will be set at 2.5lbs of increase and will keep the same deload pattern.  Hopefully this will be the right level to focus on building ligament, tendon and running strength.

For the press (not pictured in the video clip) I'll be switching to kettlebells for pressing and will work toward pressing the big bell.

The great thing about PTP is that it builds strength without the bulk.  As a runner, this appeals to me as I know lugging around extra weight is slightly detrimental to finishing some of these longer races.   It's not that I'm overly concerned with getting heavier, it's that I want to make sure that if I do, it's weight that has purpose, not necessarily aesthetics.  Although looking better never hurt anyone...

Running a Sub-10 Hour 50 Miler

Ever have the feeling you have unfinished business out there on the trail?  That nagging sense that you could have done more/better/faster?

Then you'll understand this post.

The goal is the April 4, 2015 American River 50.

It will be my 5th year running it.  It will also be the first year I go sub 10 hours.

It's time to clear the training slate, step up and honestly own where this is going.

SUB-10 AR50

How will this translate to training?

Resurrect PTP (deadlifts and presses 2x5's).

Reboot Viking Warrior Conditioning

Lasso the Yasso 800's and other awesome track workouts.

Run, and run some more.

Stay tuned!