An example:

MISSION COMPLETE: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

runners blog

#30 Mission Complete

SNAPSHOT

I must be honest, 30 days of writing in a row contained some struggles but after completion, just like training and racing, I am a changed person, more experienced and I hope a better writer. It was a positive experience and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I set out a challenge, stuck with it, and had fun along the way.

Minnesota running blog

DIGGING DEEPER

At first, it was easy to find topics to write about. Oh, course I had to cover female training, sleeping, shoes (part 1 and 2), winter running, gear (including watches), treadmills, training plans, and sitting. But then came the inspirations day by day, like listing my runner’s phone uses, and when to stop or start running. The polar freeze brought topics of training partners, motivation, Minnesota play, and strength training. I love reading so I naturally shared favorite authors and books, as in Fatigue Tolerance, Fast or Slow, Older Runners, Runners Stretch. Topics close to my heart crept into the blog with Run Like a Kid, No Pretty Runners, A Runner’s Will, and Rest Days. My training partners brainstormed and uncovered a few gems like Runners Vacation and Running Friends.

Through all of these posts I shared knowledge and experiences along with links to articles and shopping. I hope this 30 day series is a resource for you and your training partners for many years. An added SEARCH BAR at the bottom of the page will aid you in finding the information you seek. Please share the posts in order to help others find joy in running.

How to be a better runner as a writer

Although my 30 days are up, I am not powering down the computer, since I have plans for weekly blog posts. And I am excited to bring into the discussion guest bloggers whose experience and viewpoint can enlighten us all. I am hoping to find another blog that will give me the chance to share my love for running with their community as a guest blogger. Perhaps these first ventures into select topics can continue to mature into published articles.

SOLUTION

Tomorrow when I wake up and don’t need to complete a blog, I will be sad, for I will miss our time together.

I am a learner, wanting to grow and grow. If you have ANY feedback for me as a writer and coach, please contact me. I value your thoughts. Thanks, friends!

LAST POST — This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

passionate running bloger

Older Runners: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

older runners

#29 Older Runners

SNAPSHOT

OLD, a word I dislike. The word old takes away all the beneficial qualities of years of experience, knowledge, and mastery. I prefer the word MASTERS. In running once you pass your 40th birthday you are officially a masters runner. The men and women masters runners that I have trained and raced with throughout the years have colored my world, broken glass ceilings, and taught me the value of patience. THANK YOU!

older runner

DIGGING DEEPER

#1 You’re not old! You are still a growing developing individual seeking new challenges and experiences.

#2 You’re not who you use to be. Your mind is stronger, your actions wiser, and your experiences are more vast. However, your body has changed along with time. Don’t try to relive the past, instead forge a new future.

#3 Your past mileage counts for a lot! You have this wide foundation in which to draw upon. Don’t train like a beginner, train like an experienced runner.

Run Less Run Faster by Bill Pierce is my favorite book (I even have a signed copy from meeting him at a coaching seminar) detailing how to train as a masters runner. The combination of Pierce and training with the Willow Street Athletic Club’s masters runners I have shown me you can be an impressive runner into your master years.

masters running

HOW TO BE A MASTERS RUNNER

Strive For Realistic Goals and Progressions - Be your current YOU. You are impressive. I admire you. I want to be a masters runner chasing current personal records, just like you. As you progress through your training season give yourself flexibility in your training. You may have more traveling to navigate around or need extra time to recover from illness. Lower your expectations in training and racing and enjoy the experience and friendship community you have grown.

Complete Three Quality Runs- Quick, Steady, and Long. Hit these three paces most weeks of your training season and you will be set for toeing the line at your favorite races. The workouts don’t need to be long, just consistent. Your body has a great memory, able to rebuild central nervous, metabolic, and muscular systems quicker than in your early years of running.

Do Critical Cross-Training - Cash in all your years of mileage and replace some of your easy runs with cross-training activities. Recovery is critical for all runners, but especially for you. You need a few more days of recovery than in your early years. Enjoy cross-training and less pressure for weekly mileage goals.

Be Strong - You loose muscle each birthday year, shore up your muscle fiber count with a couple of short strengthen sessions a week, bodyweight training is quick and effective.

Stay Flexible - Be bendable. With the flexibility will come better mobility (a key to fewer injuries)

Be Adventurous- Yes, completing your 20th Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is admirable but you may find joy in trying a new distance, location, or terrain. Shake up your racing schedule and try a new race.

masters racing

SOLUTION

Masters runner, YOU AMAZE ME!

ONE DAY LEFT in my QUEST —This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

A Runner's Will: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

runners determination running coach shelly Minnesota

#23 A Runner’s Will

SNAPSHOT

Will is a MUSCLE

DIGGING DEEPER

Will: expressing a strong intention or assertion about the future - desire

Muscle: physical power; strength - can become stronger

Give your WILL a workout

Challenge yourself by putting yourself in a difficult situation (still safe though).

runners determination running coach shelly Minnesota

Build your WILL MUSCLE

Right now, look at your training log and identify the last time you exercised your WILL MUSCLE. When did you have to dig deep, not give up, or convince yourself you could finish?

At a minimum every 10 days, exercise your WILL MUSCLE. Monthly races that you take seriously and push yourself are a wonderful way to strengthen your will muscle.

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RESULTS of a

Strong WILL MUSCLE

Better Race Results

Stronger Body

Stronger Mind

More Discipline

More Purpose

SOLUTION

Running training is much more than weekly miles, it is also preparing the mind to take the hardest path and not give up.

This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.


Fatigue Tolerance: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

runner fatigue running coach shelly Minnesota

#20 Fatigue Tolerance

SNAPSHOT

The entire purpose of running workouts is to develop fatigue tolerance.

DIGGING DEEPER

One of my favorite coaching podcasts is On Coaching with Magness and Marcus. Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus are out of the box, push the boundaries, always learning coaches of elite and college runners. They started the podcast when they found themselves together discussing training and figured why not just turn on a microphone and let everyone else in on the conversation. A couple of years later they are on episode 87. I predict this most recent recording will be a listeners’ favorite, as it is already one of mine. So what I am going to share with you is totally from episode 87 with all credit given to them. I encourage you to listen to the entire over an hour recording and pick out more details and discoveries of your own.

Magness and Marcus Discuss:

There are five categories in which you can develop fatigue tolerance within a runner.

  • Central Nervous system (Movement Control)

  • Metabolic System (Cells’ Jobs)

  • Muscular (Muscles)

  • Energy (Carbs, Fat, and Protein Utilization)

  • Emotional (Thoughts and Feelings)

runner fatigue running coach shelly Minnesota

The Important Equation

stress + rest = growth

(Peak Performance book)

  • Without RECOVERY there is no improvement

  • Number ONE method of recovery = sleep

  • Remember, the recovery period is the source of improvement, not the activity

  • It takes the central nerve system 2 weeks, most likely 28 days, depending on fitness to adapt or grow more tolerant to fatigue.

  • Aerobic based training will have a 6 week delay in showing adaptation.

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My Thoughts

I am fascinated by thinking of training within a new light (using the five categories listed above). Viewing training from a different direction can be very effective in identifying and understanding weaknesses (or strengths) within the training/recovery plans.

In 2013, I learned from my failure when I completed excellent training but matched it with poor recovery (mainly low sleep amounts). There are two parts to the equation, training and recovery, equaling adaption or growth. You must do both, train well and recover well.

It is very difficult to imagine and wait for training effects to show up 4-6 weeks later. AHHH! That is a long time within my quick results culture. However, it is true and I have seen it many times. I often say, 3 weeks. This will be easier or better in 3 weeks. If you keep a detailed log of your training you will be able to attribute the correct stimulus to the actual respondences since you will have many detailed recordings and not forgotten what you did 4-6 weeks earlier. Most of all ask yourself if you are a patient runner?

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SOLUTION

A Runner’s Goal:

HIGHER FATIGUE TOLERANCE

This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Runner's Strength Workout: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

runner strength training running coach shelly Minnesota

#19 Runner’s Strength Workout

SNAPSHOT

Keep it simple, inserting strength training into your running routine or route.

DIGGING DEEPER

I have a lot of thoughts about strength training for runners, most likely because I have gathered many other coaches’ perspectives throughout the years. Then there is my own experiences that weigh into the topic. I haven’t written extensively about strength training for runners because there really are so many ways to become stronger. However, in this blog post, I will give you my today answer.

A new training friend asked me this morning what I do for strengthening as a runner. My reply was individualized for my body and offered a few ideas geared more for her body type.

How I Approach

Strength Training

For many years I effectively used Pilates as my main source of strength training. With Nordic skiing this winter season, I have leaned on the strength and balance training that comes with the sport instead of Pilates. However, just Pilates or skiing is not enough training. I use very simple body weight or simple med ball exercises to tone and power up my muscles. I add in these movements to my post-run routine. When the weather is nice, I have been caught by my neighbor jump roping, lunging, and throwing a medicine ball onto the driveway or garage wall. On winter wonderland days, I use the tough mat inside my front door to do squats, lunges and jumping before I take off my running shoes. When I stretch, I throw in some push-ups and planks. These strengthening exercises fit within my running routines and take little time.

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A suggestion for my friend who feels that she doesn’t gain muscle well was to use terrain to improve her running strength. Several (4-8) short steep hills repeats about 10 seconds long and with several minutes rest between can build her leg power. Adding rolling hill terrain to a regular run can really bolster strength endurance, working the uphills and relaxing the body on the downhills.

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I have had success in performing a simply designed ten minute or less plyometric workout (think jumping movements) twice a week. The key is to stop or rest just before fatigue sets in. It is more important to have quality form versus quantity of reps. Also, I find plyometrics to be more appropriate for intermediate to advanced runners and those under age 40.

Most of all notice opportunities to strengthen your body throughout the day. You don’t need to sweat to gain strength.

  • Push Ups every time you stretch

  • 10 squats before bed

  • Lunges in the parking lot on your way to your car (or in your house hallway, if you are afraid of people knowing you have strong muscles)

  • Heel Rises on your front step before going in your front door

  • 10 Quick High jumps to reach the wall above your front door (inside)

  • Stairs every possible chance (flex the glute as you step up)

  • Pull up bar mounted in a doorway (guests think this is so fun)

  • 20 Kettleball swings after work

  • Trail running once a week

  • Cross-training once/twice a week

  • Yard Work often

runner strength training running coach shelly Minnesota

DO NOT DO

TOO MUCH TOO SOON - first time, 1/2 what you think you can do; second time, 3/4 what you think you can do; third time, full workout

RECORDS - 100 lunges may sound awesome until you pull your hamstring running the next day and are injured for a year (learned from a painful past experience)

1 HOUR Training Sessions - Unless you are a weight lifter or a professional athlete, you don’t need more than 20 quality minutes of strength training in one session

HURT YOURSELF WITH BAD FORM - Get expert advice when lifting free weights, seriously!

runner strength training kettlebell running coach shelly Minnesota

SOLUTION

Want to be a stronger runner? Start with keeping it simple and insert strengthening movements into your normal day.

Read a previous post - Quick Strength For Runners Book Review

This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.