Basic Form- Head to toe...

There are different descriptions and metaphors I use to describe Natural Running Form on a daily basis, pulling from my teachers along the way, this is one set of descriptions....

We're going to start from the ground up with five check in points to self regulate as you are running. It is always good to check in with yourself periodically and measure yourself up to one of these five standards to keep from falling back into old habits.

1. Foot landing- If you stand in place, lift your leg and set it back down, you will notice that your foot lands directly below your center of mass. You will also notice that the last part of the foot to leave the ground on lift-off, is also the first to touch the ground on touch-down. This is the metatarsal arch, or forefoot. March in place and feel the natural balance of the movement. Now turn that into a run in place... same mechanics, eh? Now all you have to do is lean forward, and ta-da!! You're running!!

2. Lift through the knees- You will notice in the drill from part 1 that while marching and running in place, you simply lift the knee to initiate the movement. Lifting through the hip-flexors and core, bringing the knees up is the simplest and easiest motion to associate with while running. Forget all the foot angle, foot strike, knee angle science, it gets to be too much information and a waste of energy. We want running to feel light, effortless, easy and natural!

3. Posture- Balance and body positioning are key in performing any movement efficiently. In running we want to maintain a tall erect posture with a neutral spine. Think of a rope pulling you up from the crown of your head and forward from the center of your chest. If you bend at the waist, to far forward or backward, you lose efficiency. The body should remain tall and straight and lean slightly forward depending on the angle of the road and speed you wish to travel.

4. Arm Swing- The biggest mistake here is crossing the center line by twisting the torso and swinging the shoulders, arms and chest side to side. We want all energy to be directed in the direction of travel. The mistake is common in people with large shoulders and/or chests who use their weight to create inertia. We want the shoulders to stay square, without swinging, and let the arms swing straight and back with a 90 degree bend at the elbow and the thumbs pointed up on a loosely gripped hand. It should feel like you are marching again and pushing back through the elbow to initiate the movement. Your fingernails should lightly buff along your waistline each time. The pivot point for the arm swing is at the shoulder so rotating the shoulder would make it impossible to swing the arms correctly without a noticeable waste of energy.

5. Head Position- Having a neutrally balanced head is important because, at ten pounds, it has the ability to throw your posture completely out of whack. You want to look directly ahead with your gaze either at the horizon or approximately 30 yards ahead. If you must gaze down while on the trail, lower your eyes not your head. Lowering the head causes you to bend at the waist(refer to #3). The other biggest problem is looking up to much. Many runners on the treadmill at the gym will develop this habit when looking up at the television. This action hyper-extends the lower back and disengages the core muscles which you need to bring the knee up(refer to #2). Remember to keep the chin level with the ground and feel a pull up through the crown, not forehead.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat.... ;)

“A simple explanation of metabolic conditioning and fueling the body” -By Blue Benadum

There is a huge lack of understanding amongst the majority of people on exactly what is going on with their bodies. Between nutrition and workouts, the media is flooded with the dos and donts of fitness. The problem is, without an understanding of why we are doing something, it is impossible to properly apply the techniques as needed. In my opinion, a large part of the disconnect between the knowledge of science and lack of understanding in the masses, is due to the lack of a simple, applicable explanation. The following is meant to simplify the process of metabolic conditioning and fueling the body for optimal health, energy and performance.

First of all, the body has two sources of fuel. Fat and Sugar, that’s it! Protein is not a viable source of energy, it is important to rebuild damaged cells, and thats about it. Sugars and fats come in different forms and some metabolize faster than others, no need to go deeper into that at this point.

The second most important detail is how and why the body metabolizes fats and sugars. When the body goes into an increased level of activity, energy is needed to maintain the work. As long as the body is able to get oxygen, the body can metabolize fats and turn them into usable energy. This is called an aerobic state of exercise, which means, in the presence of oxygen. After prolonged activity, the body reaches a point where it can no longer rid the waste fast enough from the lungs. This is considered an anaerobic state, or without oxygen. When the body becomes starved of oxygen, fats can no longer be converted into energy and the body turns to sugar, or glycogen, to use for fuel. At this point, the countdown has begun because the average man can only store between 2,000 to 2,500 calories as sugar in the body. Interestingly, the same average build man would have about 55,000 calories in the form of fats stored throughout the body. Quite obviously, the longer one could maintain an aerobic state and burn fats as the primary fuel source, the longer a given activity could be performed before failure. So to recap, the body goes from rest, to work, into an aerobic state, followed by an anaerobic state, followed by exhaustion or failure to continue.

Now that we have the first two parts of the education we need to put them together. The third most important detail everyone should know is that the body can be, and WILL be, conditioned to be either more aerobic or more anaerobic. If you train 80% of the time aerobically, your body will be a fat burning machine with incredible endurance! If you train above your anaerobic threshold 80% of the time, you will have an explosive and fast body that melts through sugars. This is the ongoing process known as the metabolic adaptation to exercise.

Before we finish up with an example of proper application of this education, I want to give you the single greatest tool modern technology has come up with, in regards to attaining an accurate level of physical output from the body, or biofeedback. This is the heart rate monitor along with a heart rate test. By getting a HR test, you will be able to extract a specific HR number associated with your aerobic state and your anaerobic threshold. Knowing this information and training with a HR monitor, allows you to know when and how you are training in a given energy source and therefore allows you to know how you are conditioning the body to perform.

Last off, the application of the education. This is where you need to think. Depending on your goals, the challenge of properly conditioning your body to its needs becomes important. For instance; are you training for a marathon or to be an Olympic weight lifter, are you trying to tone up and lose excess body fat or trying to put on lean muscle weight.

Because 9 out of 10 of you would like to be more “ripped”, or toned, and struggle to get that result, I’ll give an explanation of the most common scenario.

Most “cardio”, what many consider their aerobic training, is now done in a class setting (ie- spinning, cardio boxing, cardio dance). Because the teacher wants to give everyone a “killer” work out, the intensity is too high and the class goes instantly into an anaerobic state and starts tapping into the sugars from the start of the workout. For the next hour, the class is essentially held at an anaerobic level. This isn’t necessarily bad because it makes you fit, but fat is not being utilized. Furthermore, the body is being taught to prefer sugar as the predominant fuel source.

To tone and improve endurance, or strip those last impossible pounds; low intensity aerobic work. Supplement strength routines into 20% of the total weekly hours of training. As you adapt to the work you can periodize these percentages and experiment with the amount of time you spend in each energy zone. Like a month of “polishing” where you do 60% of aerobic base training and supplement 40% strength, or anaerobic, training, for example.

An example of training with a HR monitor to achieve endurance: If you know that your body becomes aerobic at 130 beats per minute and crosses the anaerobic threshold at 157 bpm, you would know that by wearing a HR monitor and maintaining an intensity somewhere around 145-155 bpm for up to an hour, and even longer as endurance improves, you are burning body fat and conditioning the body to achieve better endurance while recognizing fats as the preferred source of energy. Besides improved endurance, the result would be a lower body fat percentage and would therefore require a higher fat intake in the diet of a leaner athlete in order to maintain high energy levels.

If the intention is to build a body capable of short explosive bursts, where endurance is not needed and fat burning is not a concern. You would do most of the weekly hours per week in an anaerobic state. The biggest mistake in athletes trying to achieve this type of conditioning is improper fueling, typically taking in too much protein, not enough sugar, or carbohydrates. Remember, this type of training is fueled almost completely from glycogen (sugar from carbohydrates or simple sugars). Many strength trainers wonder why they have low energy and can’t get the most out of workouts. A carbohydrate rich meal for pre workout and high protein meal for post workout is the key to optimizing performance and making consistent athletic gains.

Live to learn...

I see life as part celebration and part a series of tests, that give us the opportunity to build and reveal our character. One's purpose is a reflection of that character. Within this blog I will celebrate the beauty in the world as I see it and teach the things that I have to offer and hopefully bring something to the table. Maybe some insight, maybe an idea or technique, as a certified coach and trainer, that can help someone as needed, maybe inspiration to continue to live and maybe just brighten someone's day with an image of the setting sun. I hope to teach, as I live to learn. Welcome if you are the same...

New Olympia- a place in my mind

Welcome to a new era, today, as we honor the legacy of ancient Olympia with a new dedication to sport as a integral part of life and society. New Olympia is a worldwide movement, a state of mind, and a lifestyle where every athlete, young and old is encouraged to balance their mental, intellectual, spiritual and physical lives to such an end that we strive yet ever closer to the dream of personal perfection.

This era is defined by the millions of people toeing the line of yet another marathon, entering the cage to battle hand to hand in ultimate fighting championships, breaking world and personal records in track and field, lacing up their shoes to hit the local field for a game of football or soccer, or traveling the world thinking of new ways to push the human envelope by jumping from planes or skiing down the most treacherous slopes on earth.

As a part of New Olympia, a part of the world of athletics, we are all together in the living celebration that is sport, and that is life, and a new day in history. Tied together through time by the friendly competitions we embrace, we are all part of a community through the ages.

We are seeing a time where, even amongst the most technological advances in history, what drives and inspires us most, is stepping up to test ourselves once again in an arena of choice, to see just what we're made of.....

Welcome to New Olympia, its a pleasure to have you...

Coaching Kids!

A challenge indeed!! Its hard to keep kids engaged and focused on a task long enough to make headway. When it comes to running, the elementary years are great time to address the WAY they run so that by the time they hit the competitive years in high school and beyond, they are already practicing good technique naturally.

Most coaches fail to teach runners how to run, they simply make them run more. "Hey Billy, you're not fast because you don't run enough or you're just not a natural". That's B.S.!! Explain that to my mentor, Richard Diaz, who took an autistic kid from barely being able to walk without falling, to running, after 5 sessions, and winning a 5k race in his hometown. He also qualified for cross-country the next year by running a sub 6 minute mile. All because he was taught HOW to run. its no joke.

Now here is the trick with kids. 1. They have short attention spans 2. They have lots of energy... when they want to.

You must find a way to access the energy while keeping their focus. I have found the most effective technique is to start a session with one major point you want to get across that day. Deliver this message first thing, throughout the days training and have them recite it to you at the days end. Its always good to reward them in some way for remembering and see if they can remember it for the next training. As for the structuring of the training, the shortness of their attention provides a unique opportunity to throw a lot at them. This makes the workout a residual effect of keeping their imaginations busy. This is also key in making sure they don't hit the "kid wall", when they decide they just don't want to do it...just because! If you do your job as a trainer, then the drills and exercises you implement, will strengthen the proper muscles that will be recruited during sport performance, making them more efficient, faster, stronger, etc.

Finally the most difficult: changing imperfections in their running bio mechanics. While it may or may not be easy for the child to understand and identify your lesson and specific tips on efficient running form, it is an entirely different thing for them to actually be able to self associate and apply the techniques to themselves. Here is my answer. Run segments of the track with student, obviously watching and gauging their technique for later discussion, and periodically have the runner report to you live and in that moment ONE THING THEY ARE DOING CORRECTLY while running. For example "Billy, give me one thing.." "Coach, I am leaning forward as I run". Perfect. You have previously taught him that one technique is maintaining a slight forward lean while running. The point is to begin to create associative training, when a person engages directly in the current activity. The opposite being dissociative training which would be jogging with an ipod or music and thinking about the view. Both have their place but while learning something like bio mechanics and efficiency, we most associate before anything else can happen. By continuing this "ONE THING" question continuously over time, you will build a self awareness in the child's running. Probably the most important thing you can give to a young athlete.

Try these tips and techniques next time you coach the world's next generations of athletes. And if you have any questions or need help coaching kids you know, please don't hesitate to contact me at blue@malibumarathon.com

Running tip #111, 987,541- HIGH KNEES!!!

I was just working with some of my elementary school age runners at the track on HIGH KNEES. This tip is important for stride length in all runners. The higher your knee comes up with each stride, the more distance you will cover with more efficiency as long as it is combined with enough forward lean. Without properly leaning into it, the running will look a lot like a high knee drill and be relatively ineffective for its intended purpose of easy, light, smooth and FAST!! But together, high knees and forward lean equal guaranteed improvements!!

Reason #986 that I'm a RUNNER: Wearing Ninja clothes!

Thanks lululemon athletica Brentwood for supporting my habit!