Saucony Blog » running

The New Running Boom

Sharon Barbano — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:41:25 +0000

Decades after its initial surge in the 1970’s more people than ever are hitting the pavement, trails and treadmills. A review of the surveys and reports on the running industry reinforce what many are calling a second running boom. In 2011, there were a record 14 million road race finishers in the U.S., a 170% increase compared to twenty years earlier. That was the eighth consecutive year that a new U.S. finisher high was set. Get this: Running participation continues to increase year after year at a rate greater than the national population. At the recent 2013 Running USA Conference, I had the opportunity to present my take on the driving forces behind our sport’s powerful growth. Put simply, Americans are finding that running is an inexpensive, easily-accessed, social activity to help them stay healthy and find their sense of strong—individually and as a community. Recession-Resistant According to participation numbers and running shoe sales, the economic downturn is not hurting our running lives. Despite a slow economy, running participation continues to grow: It’s inexpensive, can be done anywhere at anytime, and no gym membership fees are required. A good pair of shoes is all that’s needed. According to Running USA researcher Ryan Lamppa, running “gives you something to control—you can’t control the stock market or the economy, but you can control your health.” Sense of Belonging The loneliness of the long distance runner is a thing of the past. Though the Running USA 2013 National Runner Survey reports that 55% of runners prefer to run alone, 33% responded that they’d be more likely to run if they had someone to do it with. Enter the explosion of running groups and clubs fueled especially by women who value the camaraderie, community and sense of nurturing a group of running friends can offer. Running groups, either organized by your local YMCA or run specialty store, are also a great source to share training information, stay motivated and push yourself a little more than you would running alone. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter also provide a community platform for runners to share their experiences. The Saucony Find Your Strong Project (#FindYourStrong) is a socially-driven initiative that invites runners to share their personal strong story—mental, physical, spiritual and emotional—while connecting with others who share the similar passion of running. This initiative, a collaboration between Saucony and runners, focuses the community around a purpose: that runners want to contribute to and be involved with finding their strong through running. Event Focused In a world built for the masses, we all want to feel like an individual. Though today’s races engage thousands of participants, event directors are doing a great job of making every runner who participates feel special. In the past, the Saturday morning 10K was about the race—how fast and where in the pack you would finish. Today, the start and finish lines have taken a back seat to the amazing amenities surrounding the race, including concerts, food, t-shirts and medals. And let’s not forget the panache factor: Just by completing an event, today’s runner can be a super hero to their family, friends and coworkers. Women-Powered Women are making a tremendous impact on the sport, now surpassing male participation 56% to 44%, according to the Running USA 2013 National Runner Survey. With more than 7 million female U.S. road race finishers in 2011, women-only events continue to surge. Training programs, both charity and non-charity alike, have also contributed to the growth of women in running. And the convenience factor of running is appealing to women: It’s a quick and efficient workout that allows them to meet the demands of taking care of family, work and home. Charity-Driven Today’s events allow people to be a part of something bigger, especially charity runs. There is no doubt that charitable running has had a huge impact on the sport. Exercising for a good cause continues to grow in popularity and in the sums it raises for charity, according to the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council. What other forces do you believe are driving the growth of running?

Fluid Loss While Running

Jack Daniels, PhD — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:44:27 +0000

A few years ago we did a little study to look at fluid loss and re-hydration, during running. 4 groups of runners raced 25k on 3 consecutive weekends. Groups I and II had sport drinks; III had artificially-flavored sport drink and IV had colored water. Each week I, II and III rotated their drinks and IV thought they also were in the rotation, but always had the same green water. No subjects ever knew what they had. Nude weights were recorded before and after each run, and total fluid intake was carefully measured. Each runner filled out a questionnaire after each run to see how they felt about what they had to drink and how they recovered. Many said they would have preferred plain water to what they had, including some who had plain water; interestingly those who said they would prefer water, drank less when they had plain water. Race pace was more consistent, and a little faster when subjects consumed energy drinks. The 3 different weekends varied from 73 to 84 degrees F and that 11 degree variation produced greater fluid consumption on the warmer days. Possibly the most interesting result was the great variation in sweat rate. Two runners, both men, same weight, within 1 minute of the same race time, and both of whom consumed 1 liter of the same fluid during their run, had the following loss of weight (fluid) through sweat and ventilation: Runner A lost 2.5 liters (Kg), but consumed 1 liter so had a net loss of 1.5 liters (Kg). Runner B lost 5 liters, replaced 1, so had a net loss of 4 Kg (8.8 pounds), which was 5.5% of his body weight. This runner was sweating 1Kg every 5Km (every 20 minutes) of running, and at that same rate would have sweat over 8Kg (17.6 pounds) in a marathon. Even consuming 2 liters during a marathon, there would have been a net loss of 13.2 pounds (over 8% of his body weight and extremely dangerous). My main point here is that each person has an individual reaction to exercising in the heat, and it can be misleading to prescribe a particular amount of fluid intake for all runners. I have the runners I coach keep a log of nude weight pre- and post- runs that are under various weather conditions. The log has run duration and distance, body weight change, fluid intake, temperature and humidity (cloudy or sunny), and after various sessions under different conditions, each runner can build a chart that allows him/her to predict how much fluid will be lost (per hour or per mile of running) under whatever conditions are forecast for any coming race day. Then they are to consume enough to avoid losing more than about 2% of their body weight as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. They must drink often, rather than large amounts less often and what they drink should contain electrolytes and energy.

Keep it Fun for Active Kids

Allison Patillo — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:30:38 +0000

As a mom of daughters, I want them to be happy, healthy and have a positive self-image. I’m active and exercise makes me happy and keeps me healthy, but I don’t want to force it on my children, well, not too much! Keeping fitness fun, making sure the girls try different sports and also being careful to keep things challenging, yet not so hard, that they won’t come back for more, is always a focus. How much to push is the ultimate parent dilemma. While my hopes for them include going to the Olympics and full-ride scholarships, encouraging them to embrace an active lifestyle is probably a more reasonable goal – but I can still dream!

We recently had the opportunity to participate in a women’s bike ride. Distances varied from 33- to 100-miles, and I thought my 13-year old would enjoy the experience. We also discussed it with our 11-year old. She didn’t want to ride, but was interested in checking out the scene and enjoying the post-ride party – fair enough.

We rode the 33-mile route, and, thankfully, the day went off without a hitch – perfect weather, no mechanicals, super-supportive atmosphere and Adair asking for more. Success! And seeing the joy on Adair’s face was better than any race finish I’ve ever experienced. Even better, after witnessing her sister’s glee, our 11-year old is determined to ride next year.

After doing everything from 1-mile fun runs to 5k’s and snowshoe races to fun rides with the girls, I’ve noticed some common threads as to what makes an event fun for them.

–My girls like it best, when we participate together. This is not the time to PR, but instead to introduce a child to your favorite sport. Plus, sticking with them gives them confidence in a new situation.

–Let them pick the pace. If your child wants to meander along look at flowers, tell you all about school or tally bunny sightings, cherish the moment. You’ll be chasing them to the finish line soon enough.

–Choose events carefully. A fun atmosphere, great swag, well-stocked aid stations and a fun post-race party, all make it more fun for young and older alike!

–If they don’t like the event, don’t give up. This can be a great opportunity for both of you to try something new.

And don’t just take my word for it. Adair (13) gives her take:

“Doing the bike ride made me realize how much I like being active and exploring. When I finish a bike ride, ski, swim, run, anything active, really, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel confident, strong and great about myself. Being a teen, it’s important not to get forced into doing something – if you don’t like it say so. For me, even though Mom says, ‘Never is a long time,’ I’m never doing yoga again. So mix up your activities, go for a hike with your family or friends. Just have fun!”

Mom, wife, runner, triathlete, skier, Senior Contributing Editor at Competitor magazine

and co-founder of the website Outdoor Community Daily.

Stride Rate When Running

Jack Daniels, PhD — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:11:56 +0000

I often wonder how many runners pay attention to the rate at which they turnover when running. In about 20 years of teaching (non-runner) college students about running, I never had a beginner who took as many as 180 steps per minute. When my wife and I counted stride rates among male and female distance runners at the Olympics one year, only one of the 46 we studied took fewer than 180 steps per minute (176). It seems that runners learn to turnover a little faster as they spend time running. Interestingly, of those we studied at the Olympics, the 800 and 1500 runners definitely used a faster leg turnover than did those in the races from 5k to the marathon. In fact, the 800 runners may not be using the most economical rate, but they are more interested in getting from point A to point B as fast as possible rather than using the most economical stride rate, and if they were to slow down to 180 they may not get there fast enough. On the other hand, a longer-distance runner I tested during 5k, 10k and marathon-paced runs used stride rates of 186, 186 and 184 for those 3 different race speeds. This resulted in a 10% difference in speed of running and only a 1% change in stride rate. Seems a particular rate is most comfortable to good runners and they stick with that rate even when changing the speed at which they are running (with a more powerful and longer stride length as they race at shorter distances). A few studies we did in the lab indicated that the aerobic demand of running tends to be a little less when using a stride rate of 90 per minute with each foot, than when using a slower rate, like 85 or so, or when using a much faster rate. I should point out that if timing your own stride rate, no need to count every step; rather just count right-foot falls and assume you take as many steps with the left as you do with the right. Something to consider is that the slower the stride rate, the more time you are spending in the air, and the longer in the air usually means elevating the body a little higher, which means coming down harder with each landing. No doubt landing impact is responsible for some injuries, so I try to tell my runners to roll over the ground, not bound over the ground. Imagine you are running over a field of raw eggs and you don’t want to break any of them; be light and quick with your leg turnover. A great place to practice different stride rates is on a treadmill because you can try different rates without changing the speed of running, and it is often the case that when I ask a runner to try a faster turnover, they run faster rather than just keeping the same speed and a quicker turnover. Try checking your stride rate during some different runs and see how changing rate (faster or slower) feels. Hopefully you will find what works best for you.

Core Training for Runners

Michael Silva, PT — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:57:10 +0000

Take a deep breath and read on

“Core training? Nah, not for me … I’m a runner. I don’t need to waste time working on my abs.”

Does this sound familiar? It’s a common thought, but oh so wrong. “Core” is one of the most overused and misunderstood terms in health and fitness today. In the body, the core is comprised of all the major muscles from the shoulders to the buttocks, specifically the diaphragm; abdominals; latissimus dorsi; gluteals; iliopsoas; the paravertebral muscles in the lumbar and thoracic spine, and the trapezius.

Together in a coordinated sequence of contractions, these core muscles help stabilize the hips and trunk leading to better posture, better strength and a more stable base for which our arms and legs can work. A strong core will help transfer energy to and from your upper and lower body and limit lost energy through unneeded movements.

As an endurance athlete, your core is important and is specifically engaged in a number of movements, including: the arm swing during running; the swim stroke as a whole; and bicep recruitment on the bike.

During running, your lats and glutes use a coordinated system of tension and contraction to help get more stability in the pelvis and power in the legs. This can only happen effectively with a strong core. A strong core in essence will give you a lift which can lessen the workload to your legs while running. With swimming, a strong core will keep you streamline and make your pulling and kicking more powerful. On the bike climbing a hill, you engage your biceps to pull up on the handlebars; this force gets transmitted through your core to your legs and into the pedal for more power.

So now that you know a little about what it is and why your “core” is so important to your athletic success, let’s see how to train it functionally. First, you need to understand the most basic of core exercises─breathing. Yeah that’s right, breathing. But don’t worry, I won’t get too yoga on you runners out there. Breathing from your diaphragm is essential to a well functioning core and the foundation on which all core exercises should be built. It is the initiating force to all successive muscle contractions in the body.

To do this, close your lips and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Inhale through your nose and fill your belly with air; ensure the air is filling your belly and not your chest. Now, exhale through your mouth and assist the exhalation by tightening and drawing in your belly (as if you were buttoning a tight pair of pants). Your stomach may flatten and you should feel your abdominals and lower back contract slightly. This takes very little effort─about three to five pounds of force. Work on this as often as you can each day─lying in bed, sitting in traffic, waiting in line at Starbucks. Repetition is key here.

So breathe on my friends and look for future blogs on more functional “core” training exercises for, yes … runners.

Do We Have Quality Running Talent in the U.S.?

Jack Daniels, PhD — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:59:15 +0000

Do we have the talent necessary to be among the best in distance running? I believe we do have the talent, but we are not identifying it, so our best runners never take up the sport of running. In a sense, we do very well with those in our country who decide to be runners, but a very small percentage of our youth ever consider being runners.

A major factor holding us back in producing more quality distance runners is the lack of Physical Education programs in our school systems. If all our youth were exposed to regular physical activity throughout their early school years, some would find that they can run well and may even enjoy doing it. Others would be spotted by qualified teachers, as potential runners. As it is now, many of our better runners started running in hopes of getting in shape for another sport, or often because they got cut from another sport, so decided to give running a try.

It really boils down to the fact that a very small percentage of distance runners in this country take up the sport because they want to be a runner, and when you don’t have many doing something because that is what they want to do, you end up with a few stars, but not many.

Learning to run is like learning to read or write; you need to practice to do it well and few of our youth practice running. Certainly very few get a shot at it in their early school years, with so few Physical Education classes offered, and when more free time is spent learning how to operate the latest electronic device than is spent on how to get a human body from point A to point B with ease. Encouraging good health and fitness must become a more important part of everyone’s life and in doing so we will find many more champions in lots of sports.

A great advantage that running has over many other sports is that to run doesn’t take nearly as much skill, as does swimming, for example. Sure, there are some aspects of running that can be worked on to make it a little less stressful, but most of our youth can run without being taught how. I guess I would have to say that the sport of running may be the simplest sport of all, so to be great at it just requires a little time spent doing it. We have the talent to compete with anyone, so let’s get after it.