Run like a horse

OFF

Starting to get the get running withdraw symptoms. The shakes are coming on fast now. I always told myself I could stop any time I wanted, I guess that was all a big lie.

Despite the time that I took off form running my knee is still giving me problems. I have come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interest of my long range running goals to take the time to revamp my running form. I need to fix some inefficiencies that are also making me more injury prone. I have made the change before during my collegiate running career. But, when I took up running again I reverted to my natural poor form.

I expect the process to take about a month. During this time I will not be doing much conventional running. I will focus on form drills, strength training, and supplementing my workouts with biking.

My goals for the form change are:

1 Raise the knees

2 Land on the ball of the foot

3 Strike the ground under the center of mass, not forward as I have been.

4 Bring the heel closer to the glut after push off.

5 Shorten the stride.

If I can relearn how to run then I think I have a good chance of becoming injury free, and reaching my ultimate potential. It would be so cool to train without a thought of injury, to be concerned only about what will make a better runner! That's where I want to be.

So for now I have put all my racing plans on hold and joined a gym.

For today's work out.

20 minutes of form drills

30 minutes stationary bike, at 100 RPM. This is to train for a shorter stride.

Pushups

Sit-ups

Weights for back, traps, shoulders, and triceps.

I miss running!

Form drills

30 min on the stationary bike

Weights for chest, biceps, pushups and sit-ups

Form drills

30 min on the stationary bike

Weights for Back and triceps, pushups and sit-ups.

Form drills

30 min on the stationary bike at tempo HR

Weights for chest, biceps, shoulders, pushups and sit-ups

Today I found out that I am too old for the Warrant Officership that I have been working on over the last year. I considered not doing a workout today, but I’m glad I did. I ended up taking out a lot of my frustration in the workout. I’m sure anyone that looked at me at the gym thought I was just a bit too intense, but that all OK with me. Tomorrow will be a new day with new choices to make.

Form drills

Today I “ran” for 30 min. I put it in quotes because It was not running in a traditional sense. I keep about 9 min pace with a very quick turnover and raised my knees to about waist high, and brought my heals to my but every stride. I took a lot of steps, but had a very short stride. This was extremely tiring. I probably looked ridiculous doing it, but its an over exaggeration of the changes that I’m trying to make in my form.

Weights for back and triceps, pushups and sit-ups

Form Drills

30 min on elliptical- inclined to the max for the knee lifts.

Weights for Chest, Biceps Pushups, Sit-ups

I caught up on my blogging for the last week. I realized that I haven’t been keeping up because I don’t find these workouts inspiring. I don’t like doing them. I know that is will help me be a better runner, but that doesn't change the fact that I would just rather be running!