Hi everyone we are at that critical 12 week stretch

Being part of CariFin Team in training, you are required to pay attention to training by following our program. This program is not based on running and more running and the accumulation of mileage. It takes a sensible approach to develop running skills as well as strength in key running muscle areas. So after 2 to 3 weeks your running should improve in some very noticeable way?

You would only improve if you stick with the plan and believe in the plan. Dr. Gloudon said year before in her speech for the launch of UWI half at First Citizens corporate centre, that running is not a happenstance, but a science.

All over the world more and more runners are turning to science to help improve their running and reduce their injury.

But in Trinidad you see so much injury among our runners and people who have been running for years aren’t getting any faster.

In this program we would be paying attention to proper posture in running, as describe in the video on the blog and this other article on proper running.

You can expect data on nutrition and diet.

So follow us on Facebook, twitter and Google groups

Right now we are hitting it hard at training with 2 day in the week – Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays.

For more information please call me at 487 9487.

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Most people think they know how to run. But if you look at the injury rate in the running population that probably not true depending on what you read 60 – 85% of runners are injured every year – so essentially they don’t how to run.

So if we look at your style we would be able to show you a few pointers.

Two main points

1. Landing on the heel…. Smack! Smack! Smack! On the heel you can only do that because you are wearing conventional running footwear it is not a natural way to run, it hurts if you do that barefoot.
2. Bending in the hip – it is what is called a ‘head chaser’ – the head is to far forward from the rest of the body.

These are two things we need to fix –

(1.) Where you land on the foot and

(2) the posture you have when you run.

We have not evolved to put our body weight or that impact to the heel.

It’s only conventional running shoes that is allowing you to run and land on your heel, if wasn’t for those thick heels – you wouldn’t be able to land there

You need to correct these two thing and if you correct these two things. That is the skill of running.

These are the skill of running – (maintain the right posture over the right part of the foot.)

First thing to do is to take your shoes off and it is guaranteed after a few strides you come off your heel and get on the fore of forefoot, which is how nature intended for you to run.

After a bit of running barefoot your brain would take over and realize ouch! ….that’s hurt and you would change you change your foot strike pattern to the ball of the foot. You would feel you are using different muscles and you can tell by the noise or sound coming from your feet interaction with the treadmill.

Sort out the posture …Drills

If you can’t jump properly, you can’t run properly. So we would use jumps as a way of exploring and coaching your posture.  It is important to sort posture before you run.

We would use jumps as a way as a way to sort out posture – go on a box or park bench and choose a spot on the ground and land on the spot without losing balance on landing in the position. Try and maintain your balance and position.

If when you jump and land on your foot and you go forward by unbalancing it is because you are chasing your head and that is what you do when you run. You need to sort this out before you go running.

What you need to do is to try it again and be aware that you are letting your head go forward.

When you jump let your knee bend more and drop down in a straight line.

This needs to be fine tuned some more.

We need to sort this out a little more you need a weight bar any kind of weight bar would do. Using this bar we would try to reset your posture.

You would do a posture squat – put the bar where your color bone is on your arms under your chin and with your arms out-stretch. Any time you misalign your posture you lose the bar. (It would roll off your hand or roll back under your neck.

You need to connect your body weight with the ball of your foot. Any change of posture you would pick it up on your feet. Your feet would tell you everything you need to know.

Next.

Hold the weight bar over your head – with the same principle – go all the way down and all the way up without losing your balance. It is a self coaching exercise if you lose your balance very quickly you are not align properly.

The question must be asked how to do this at home, how you continue what you learn.

The key is to keep your balance. The point is if you do this without a bar, you would throw your head forward and you wouldn’t lose your balance. The trick with the bar is it is self coaching… if you get wrong – You immediately find out. You go forward or you loose the bar. It is important you have something other than your own body to interact to fine tune your posture.

Rhythm Drills

Bare foot runners have a different rhythm than people who run with shoes; they tend to have a shorter stride and a faster rhythm

This would be

To demonstrate this take a weight bar in your hands and place it over your head and start bouncing, start bouncing up and down, then bend the knees down a little more. Briefly bend your knee down a little again, then up and hold, up and hold, up and hold, up and hold. This is called a sticky running pattern like a jogger – go back to a faster rhythm… then bounce, then back to a nice fast rhythm, one, two…. One, two…..one, two… One, two….

It would be easier … that is the rhythm, that you should run at.

Correct posture, correct rhythm that is essentially running.

Posture and Rhythm

On the thread mill we would be looking for that alignment and rhythm of one, two…one, two…. One, two…. One, two, three, four. Your head should be hardly moving – the sign of good runner is the head. A runner head should be upright and moving straight forward

Running should be 50 % muscle action and 50 % elasticity – which are your tendon and ligaments – this is based on rhythm.

Good posture reduces injury rate and right rhythm makes you faster, more efficient runner.

It important you don’t forget what you learn. You have come this far and you have to try and retain this knowledge. To maintain that sharpness the answer is drills, jumping drills. Especially if you work in the office seating posture is the enemy… that and shoes. If you sit down for the whole day, you need to reset your posture using these drills. When you know you are aligned properly then you run.

You should feel a difference – you should be lighter on the feet and this should increase the joy of running and should be lot more fun.

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a.m. sgth-legs p.m. hills (Chan) p.m. 3K

a.m.  hips 3,400m-2, 1000m

a.m upper body 30 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 5K 2 Rest pm 3 m run

a.m. sgth-legs hills p.m. 5K

a.m upper body 4,400m-2, 1000m

a.m upper body 30 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 50 min run 3 Rest Pm 3 m run

a.m. sgth-legs hills p.m. 5K

a.m upper body 4,400mx3, 1000m

a.m upper body 35 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 60 min run 4 Rest Pm 5 m run

a.m. sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 4,400m-3, 1000m

a.m upper body 40 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 75 min run 5 Rest Pm 6 m run

a.m. sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 4,400m-4, 1000m

a.m upper body 40 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 90 min run 6 Rest Pm 6 m run

a.m. sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 4,400m-4, 1000m

a.m upper body 45 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 1:45 run 7 Rest Pm 7 m run

10-K pace hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 4,400mx4, 1000m

a.m upper body 50 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 1:45 run 8 Rest Pm 7 m run

am sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 5,400mx4, 1000m

a.m upper body 50 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 1:45 run 9 Rest Pm 7 m run

am sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 5,400mx4, 1000m

a.m upper body 50 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 2:00 run 10 Rest Pm 8 m run am sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 5,400m-4, 1000m

a.m upper body 55 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture Run course 11 Rest Pm 8 m run

am sgth-legs hills 4 m run

a.m upper body 6,400m-4, 1000m

a.m upper body 60 min tempo

a.m. jumping/ posture 2:00 run 12 Rest p.m. 3 m run

am sgth-legs p.m. hills 30 min tempo Rest Rest Half Marathon

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Rest

Easy runs mean totally comfortable and controlled. If you’re running with someone else, you should be able to converse easily. You’ll likely feel as if you could go faster. Don’t. Here’s some incentive to take it easy: You’ll still burn 100 calories every mile you run, no matter how slow you go.

Long runs are any steady run at or longer than race distance designed to enhance endurance, which enables you to run longer and longer and feel strong doing it. A great long-run tip: Find a weekly training partner for this one. You’ll have time to talk about anything that comes up.

Speedwork means bursts of running shorter than race distance, some at your race goal pace, some faster. This increases cardiac strength, biomechanical efficiency, better running economy, and the psychological toughness that racing demands. Still, you
want to keep it fun.

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CariFin Prize Distribution is carded for Thursday July 29, 2010 at the 16^th Floor Conference Facilities – Central Bank at 5.00 p.m.

All winners of the Urban Challenge as well as the cross country events are asked to attend to receive their prizes.

Some highlights of this year’s event would be Nikosi Mc Leish of RBTT Bank winning for the 4^th time the male cross country event and his continued improvement in running. Also for Crystal Ann Awai of GHL it’s her 2^nd rein of the female cross country title.  When on race day she out ran her rivals – This gives her the stellar position in female running in the financial sector of Trinidad and Tobago for yet another year.

Central Bank won Ms. CariFin for the 3^rd consecutive year with Ms. Krystle Gomez winning this time.

In the walking category Hollis Grandville and Hazel Tywang-Maharaj of GHL and RBTT respectively distinguished themselves by copping the walking titles for three straight years and get the trophies to keep.

In the cross country category both male and female get the following cash prizes.

The age-groups would be 1^st – $175, 2^nd $125 & $100. The age-group starts from 21 – 30 yrs and goes all the way to over 60.

In the walking category we are looking at a prize package as follows:

Looking forward to see you there!

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CariFin Prize Distribution 2010

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Starting opposite Memorial Park and making our way around the Savannah going in a clock wise direction. Then proceeding up the hill… The times that the runners did on the hill were reasonably good knowing it was the first time.

I am going to be short here, because we can listen to an audio/video from Darren Cole as he describes where we at now and it is not about me taking the spotlight here but letting the news and info happen and letting it have an access point to go out.

But just for those on board and committed to running UWI ½ under the CariFin and Nature Valley banner I just want to say let set our specific goals and get our training program out in the clear as we head down the road to a great UWI ½ marathon experience.

Any suggestions, any comments email me wayneroberts445@gmail.com or call me at 487 – 9487.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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Hi everyone we are starting off training for UWI SPEC half marathon this Saturday – June 26, 2010. We gather at Memorial Park for this Saturday at 6.00 am. But most likely we will revert to the 5.30 am start when we get into stride.

This would give us a 4 month period to get ready for this 13.1 mile distance.

Hope to see you all at memorial Park this Saturday for 6.00 am.

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