Photo by Kajatl

Summer running can be quite challenging, as there are so many elements that change the running experience.

When the humidity level is high, your body struggles to cool itself. Your body attempts to cool down by pumping blood to the external surface of the body, depleting blood levels in the muscles, internal organs, and the brain.

Stay hydrated- drink water hours before your run to ensure proper hydration. Did you know that when you start to feel thirsty, it’s more than likely you are in the early stages of dehydration? If you are planning a long run, be sure to know your water stops, and if necessary, place water along your route the night before. Additional options could be in the form of the notorious water bottle belt (grenades) or a hand-held sports water bottle.

What I like to do is take a half bottle of water, put the cap on snug, squeeze within my hand until most of the air is out, and then cap it.

Avoid the sun. Of course, this is tough to do, yet too much sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. Find the shade; schedule your runs before the sun rises or map out a nice shady course. If shade is not an option, always wear sunscreen and protective clothing.

Do not let the heat be an excuse to skip a run. Training in extreme elements (once a week) is a great way to gain an edge on your competition. Be safe and get out there.

Running is a lifestyle…with any lifestyle there will be challenges, especially the challenge of dealing with a small butt. First, I would like to state this article is not for everyone, as some runners have great buns, yet others will have a small or no butt at all. Let’s try this first. Stand up and checkout your butt, take a good look…are you happy with it? Your answer is probably no, don’t worry there is hope.

This will be a two-part blog. The first part will focus on the butt muscles how to enhance shape and gain strength. The second part will focus on the right active wear and jeans to make your butt look the best (still in progress).

Everything was going fine, then all of a sudden…WHAM!! Something hit me right on the top of my head. Imagine getting hit with a coconut, or even an apple falling out of a tree. Without breaking my stride I look around for a branch, or anything that could have fallen…nothing…I keep running. As I passed Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral something caught my eye, a bat. But was it a bat or some other flying creature…

Has anyone else every been a victim of an aerial attack while running?

During my lunch today, I set out to do my first ever tempo run. Actually, over the last few weeks, I should have been doing tempo runs to prepare for my 10K coming up soon (Cooper River Bridge Run)…either way today was my first.

For those unfamiliar with a tempo run, I would like to break it down, with help from Runner’s World:

A tempo run: is a run at around your 10K race pace (or at about 80-85% of your heart rate or so). Traditionally tempo runs were 20 minutes or so in length, but they vary. It’s often described as being “comfortably hard” — it’s a challenging, but manageable pace. Most tempo runs consist of ten to fifteen minutes of easy running, then the tempo part, then ten to fifteen minutes to cool down.

Now why would you want to do a tempo run?

1. Tempo runs build speed and teach your body to run at a certain pace.
2. Tempo runs work by improving metabolic fitness.
3. Tempo runs teach the body to use oxygen more efficiently by increasing your lactate threshold.

Here was what I decided to do; 2 miles under 7:30, 2 miles under 6:30, 2 miles under 7:30, .5 mile under 6:30. It ended up working really well, the feeling after 4 miles was intense, I wanted to stop, but kept going, and eventually my pace recovered. Here is a link to my Garmin Data

Get out there and try it, great way to mix up your training while building speed.

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The Ab Wheel, a simple piece of equipment to strengthen the abdominal area. You can find the Ab wheel online or at your local fitness store for under $9.00. This thing has been around for years, yet I rarely see anyone using them.

While using the Ab Wheel you engage muscles thought your midsection, erector spinae, hip flexors and extensors. This is an exercise that will strengthen your core, but does not burn fat. Be sure to get your cardio in if you are trying to build magazine cover abs.

To begin, put a hand on each grip, kneel down and combine your knees on the floor. Be sure to lock your arms while holding the ab wheel at your knees. Slowly, roll the wheel out away from your knees until your arms are perpendicular with the floor.

Avoid touching the floor. Keep your entire body 2-5 inches above the floor. Return to the starting position by pulling in with your abdominal muscles and arching your back. Keep your arms straight and use your core muscles to return to the starting position again. Breathe in at the start and exhale on the way down. 10-12 repetitions equal one set. Get started!

For a good visual on how to perform this exercise, view this video.

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Of course the key to starting the morning right is ensuring you get enough sleep.

This seems like a simple task, yet so many athletes get this wrong, or have a misconception of sound sleep. It is critical to achieve between 6.5 and 7.5 hours of sleep per night. Experts challenge study linking sleep, life span.

3 things that help get a good night sleep

1. No eating 2 hours before bedtime. A full stomach can result in discomfort, causing a restless night. Avoid stimulates 4-6 hours before bed, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine just to name a few.
2. When you are tired go to bed. If you start falling asleep on the couch at 8:30 go to bed- don’t try to get to sleep at a certain time, just go when your body tells you.
3. No interruptions. This is difficult if you have children or something else that will awaken you during the night. Turn off all light sources in the room, close the blinds and enjoy the darkness.

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Workouts have been very light this week to continue tapering and avoid lactic acid build up.

Monday – Shoulders/core

Tuesday – 3 miles/stretch

Wednesday – 3 miles/stretch/core/light back

Thursday- Rest

Friday- 1 mile run/stretch

Saturday- *Marathon*

My legs feel ok, with the exception of my left quadricep and achilles, which I injured running in the mountains Thanksgiving morning. Today I actually went to a sport therapist for any relief prior to Saturday. Work was done in the area that was causing the pain (massage, electrotherapy) and kinesio tape was applied for comfort and stability.

Kinesio Tape

Meals have been consistent with a normal week before a race.

Monday

Breakfast- Oatmeal peanut butter

Snack- Half a pomegranate

Lunch – Chicken & rice

Snack – Orange

Dinner-Pepperoni pizza (yes 5 slices)

Tuesday

Breakfast- Cheerios and milk

Snack- Nuts & apple

Lunch- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Snack- Brownie

Dinner- Blackened chicken pasta with asparagus

Wednesday

Breakfast- 3 slices of French bread & butter

Snack- Nuts & blackberries

Lunch- Leftover blacken chicken pasta & asparagus

Snack- Brownie

Dinner- Lobster pasta with vodka sauce

Thursday – ?

Friday – ? But pancakes for dinner

Sound sleep is key tonight and Friday, so I am cutting this short.

-P

Yes- running is a great workout for your abs, but there are many other great exercises you must do to strengthen your abs/core.

The most important result of a strong core is stability. As you run, all of your movement originates from your core, thus validating the statement, “The core is really the key part of the body in any sport,” says Mike Huff, coordinator of sports performance at Duke University. Being able to maintain good posture through a strong core will enhance performance and decrease injury. The deep abs, made up of the transversus abdominis (TVA) and internal obliques, are the keystone for core stabilization. Unfortunately, running bio-mechanics expert Michael Fredericson, Ph.D, found that about 90 percent of runners have weak abs leading to faulty running patterns.

If you keep a strong core and flat belly all year, you never really have to worry about getting in shape for the beach. Trust me on this one- its way easier to keep your abs in shape all year vs. diet and train for a specific event.

Here are my top 3 exercises for a strong core, plus six pack abs.

*Work your abs every other day- this is critical.

-P