by Coach Sandi & Coach Sage | Jan 30, 2024 | Uncategorized
We understand that each person’s running form can be unique…
However, amidst the individuality, there are fundamental principles that apply to all runners, contributing to efficiency and injury prevention. Today, Coaches Sandi Nypaver and Sage Canaday delve into a crucial aspect of running biomechanics. They will breakdown vertical oscillation—exploring what it is, its significance in your running form, and how understanding and optimizing this element can elevate your running experience.
The Risk of Too Much Vertical Oscillation:
We’ll first start off discussing the dangers of excessive vertical oscillation, which refers to the bouncing up and down in your running stride. We use the term ‘danger’ because it poses a risk of injury, potentially leading to issues such as knee pain, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, calf strain, hamstring strain, and more.
Moreover, excessive vertical oscillation can significantly hinder your efficiency in distance running events. We understand that many individuals, like yourself, come from different sports backgrounds, such as basketball. Often, athletes transitioning from sports like basketball, high jump, soccer, or sprinting to distance running tend to exhibit a pronounced bounce in their stride.
Our goal is to guide you in minimizing that bounce and redirecting that energy into the forward motion. One effective way to reduce vertical oscillation is by adjusting your stride rate. If you currently have a relatively low stride rate, say around 155, consider increasing it to a range of 165 to 175. Stay tuned as we delve further into these concepts and provide practical tips for improving your running form. Let’s optimize your stride and enhance your running experience together!
How to Improve Your Vertical Oscillation:
Again, this adjustment may take some time, but the payoff lies in redirecting your energy towards forward momentum. To ease this transition into your running routine, consider incorporating the fast feet drill. Maintain a solid center of gravity with weight evenly distributed across your feet. Focus on maintaining a good upper body posture while executing quick, small steps close to the ground. As we just discussed, monitoring your stride rate, the number of steps you take in a minute, is crucial. If you find yourself exhibiting excessive vertical oscillation or quad dominance, it’s likely a sign that your feet aren’t moving swiftly enough.
In long-distance races, especially marathons, opting for shorter, quicker strides tends to be more effective than bounding with excessive vertical oscillation. Unlike sprinting or high jump scenarios where some vertical movement may be beneficial, distance running demands efficiency. Avoid the pitfalls of too much bounce where a ballistic stride with excessive quad engagement can compromise your overall efficiency. The goal is to strike a balance with shorter strides, lower foot position, and minimal head movement for optimal performance in the realm of long-distance running.
How to Engage the Correct Muscles:
When tackling uphill terrain, it’s natural to engage your quads, but the key is to shift the power focus towards your gluteus maximus—the powerhouse responsible for propelling you forward. A quick check to ensure you’re activating your glutes is during the phase when your leg is coming over your foot. If, at this point, you don’t feel any activation in your buttocks, it’s likely that your glutes aren’t being utilized adequately.
Developing awareness of your glute engagement is crucial for long-term performance and injury prevention. Overreliance on your quads can lead to overdevelopment. The quads play a vital role in stabilizing the knee joint and are instrumental in downhill running, but for uphill climbs and powerful forward propulsion, the glutes should be the focus.
Lack of glute engagement may strain your hamstrings or calves, potentially leading to issues down the road. Remember, the goal is to channel the power from the backs of your legs, specifically the glutes, to optimize performance and maintain the staying power needed for a successful and injury-free running experience.
While the aim is to minimize vertical oscillation, it doesn’t translate to adopting an extremely low and slithering form. Finding the middle ground is crucial. Striking a balance between minimal bounce and avoiding the extreme of sitting too low is key to efficient and sustainable marathon running. Unlike the exaggerated bounce seen in sports like sprinting or high jumping, marathon runners should focus on a more controlled and energy-conserving stride.
It’s worth noting that elite runners may exhibit some degree of bounce, but this can be attributed to their specific training, muscle fibers, and the high velocities they maintain during races. For the majority of marathon runners, a controlled and efficient stride with minimal vertical oscillation is the goal.
Conclusion:
Thank you for tuning in to our running form tutorial. Remember, the key is finding the right balance—avoiding excessive bounce while maintaining a form that supports endurance and efficiency in your marathon journey. Stay tuned for more insights and tips to enhance your running experience.
Happy running!
– Coaches Sandi and Sage
by Coach Sandi & Coach Sage | Jan 22, 2024 | Uncategorized
Today we’re addressing one of our most frequently asked questions: “What do I do when I need to make an adjustment to my training plan?” If it’s a training plan from Higher Running, we give you some advice in our Training Guide (included with every training plan) on what to do if you get sick, have a family obligation, or whatever else comes up in life. Today, however, Coach Sage is going to take a bit of a deeper dive into how to adjust your training when life gets in the way:
I’m excited to dive into a crucial aspect of running that often gets overlooked – adapting your training plan when life throws unexpected challenges your way. Many of us, especially those who are self-coached, tend to stick rigidly to our plans. But let’s face it: life is unpredictable, and learning to adjust is a key skill for any runner.
On HigherRunning.com, we offer what some might call “cookie-cutter” plans, but the reality is far from that. We rate these plans based on various factors such as weekly mileage, training background, and the precious commodity of time. But here’s the catch – modifying a plan isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Life’s hiccups, be it illness, time constraints, or minor injuries, force us to reassess and adapt.
Let’s talk about illness. It’s not a black-and-white scenario. The severity of symptoms matters. A persistent cough, fever, or other more serious signs might warrant a more extended break. However, missing one high-intensity workout doesn’t mean the end of the world. It’s the overall consistency that shapes your fitness journey. I’m not going to touch on this too much in today’s newsletter, as I broke this down extensively quite recently. You can check that out HERE.
Time constraints present another challenge. Life can throw a curveball, especially when work demands or family commitments suddenly take priority. Picture this: extra hours at the office, sleep slipping away, and all your energy—both mental and physical—getting sucked into a demanding work project or deadline. Your boss and co-workers might be throwing extra tasks your way, making running the last thing on your mind. On the flip side, family matters, like holiday commitments or unexpected emergencies, can disrupt your routine. Making dinner for the in-laws, dealing with school issues with your kids, or heading out on vacation—all these things mean less sleep, more stress, and running dropping down your priority list. It’s not just about skipping a few days; it’s about realizing that your whole plan might be thrown off balance. Juggling time constraints and added stress, both mentally and physically, can make it tougher to gear up for a hard run or workout. When you’re mentally drained from extra work, sleep deprivation, and less-than-ideal nutrition, finding the motivation for a challenging run becomes a real struggle. It’s a delicate balance, considering the mental and physical toll that stress can take on your energy levels and enthusiasm for your running routine. This will be something that you will probably have to figure out for yourself. Are there better days of the work for you to do workouts? Are you going to have to move around a rest day due to a family obligation? Understanding what will work best for you takes time, but we can never stress enough to listen to your body and take care of yourself.
Considering your injury history is also a crucial piece of the puzzle when tailoring your running plan. The goal is to build a robust aerobic base by hitting higher mileage, but there’s a delicate balance to strike. We want you to push your limits without risking injury, overtraining, or compromising your speed and intensity. The last thing you need is to fall victim to sickness or injury. That’s precisely why we offer different levels of training plans and varying durations.
Some plans span 12 weeks, while others stretch to 16. We might even recommend dedicating 3 or 4 weeks to building an easy aerobic base. In certain cases, we suggest starting with our FREE Aerobic Base Building Plan before diving into the main training plans. The decision hinges on your experience level and your specific injury or overtraining history. It’s all about crafting a plan that aligns with your individual needs and minimizes the risk of setbacks.
And then there’s the unavoidable – travel. Whether it’s for work or leisure, sometimes you’re on the move. Adjusting key workouts by a couple of days can be acceptable, but here’s the golden rule – don’t stray too far from the core plan. There’s a method to the madness in training plans, and excessive alterations can backfire.
However, I want to stress the big picture. The goal is to have a consistent sequence of workouts stretched over weeks and months. Whether your goal is reaching peak fitness, hitting a personal record, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, conquering an ultramarathon, or acing your fastest 5k, it all boils down to the accumulation of efforts. Imagine it like building a puzzle—one piece at a time. It’s not just about one or two workouts; it’s about the dozens of them, including those easy days that might seem less intense but play a crucial role in shaping your overall fitness.
Let’s say you miss one of those long runs. Take a deep breath; it’s not the end of the world. In a well-structured training plan, you’re likely to have more of those big long runs coming up—maybe half a dozen or even up to ten in a standard marathon training plan. So, keep the big picture in mind and remember that consistency over time is the real secret sauce to achieving your running goals.
Coaching, as I’ve learned over the years, is a blend of science and art. It involves understanding genetics, mental attitudes, lifestyle factors, age, and more. It’s complex, and we’re just scratching the surface.
Questions? Always feel free to send us an email: support@higherrunning, and we’ll get right back to you.
Happy Running!
Coach Sage Canaday
by Coach Sandi & Coach Sage | Jan 17, 2024 | Uncategorized
Today, Coach Sandi Nypaver will give you some tips to train a high-performance mindset to help you achieve your 2024 goals. The concepts in this newsletter have made a huge difference for her as well as the athletes that she coaches who have fully committed to them! Thanks to neuroplasticity anyone can develop a high-performance mindset with the right focus:
Hope you’re all kicking off the year on the right foot! It’s Coach Sandi here, and I’m excited to share these eight tips to help you on your running journey.
1. Stay Present, Embrace Today: I’ve learned that focusing on the present moment is the key to reaching those distant goals. Sure, I might have a race in mind, but making the most of today is how I build towards success. Find joy in each run, even in the cold and snowy days!
2. Write It Down, Make It Visible: I’ve got a little trick for boosting goal achievement – write it down and keep it in your line of sight. Make your goal your phone wallpaper or put it on your computer desktop. Seeing it every day is a powerful reminder to stay committed.
3. Uncover Your “Why”: When setting goals, ask yourself why it matters. It doesn’t always have to be a profound answer. For me, it often boils down to the simple joys and the feeling of accomplishment. Knowing your “why” keeps you motivated through thick and thin.
4. Harness Positive Self-Talk: Positive self-talk has been a game-changer for me. I still mess up on camera sometimes, but embracing positivity has kept me going. It’s not about perfection; it’s about progress. Try it out, and you might be surprised at the difference it makes.
5. Audible and Visual Fuel: As someone who learns both audibly and visually, I surround myself with motivating podcasts, music, and visual reminders. Find what speaks to you and keeps your mind in sync with your goals.
6. Seek Pleasure in Challenges: Change your mindset from dreading hard workouts to embracing the pleasure they bring. It’s all about perspective. Challenge yourself to redefine what you consider “hard,” and you’ll find yourself enjoying the journey more.
7. Prioritize Your Feelings: Here’s a bit of unconventional advice – care about how you feel. Your emotions are powerful indicators of what serves you. If something doesn’t make you feel good, recognize it and make choices aligned with your well-being.
8. Your Surroundings Matter: Everything around you, from the TV shows you watch to the music you listen to, can impact your mood. Choose elements that uplift and energize you during your runs and in your daily life.
Let’s make 2024 a year of strides, joy, and mindful running!
Happy Running,
