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7 shocking running myths

You should stretch before you run A series of static stretches is not an effective warm up for running, and could actually serve to increase your risk of injury. Once you think about this it starts to make sense stretching cold muscles to their limit is bound to strain and cause damage. Instead of static stretches, you should be doing light cardiovascular activity as a warm up, such as walking or very slow jogging. his will warm up your muscles, thereby increasing fle!ibility more effectively and safely than static stretches ever will. aking time off from running is bad "issing a day of training is not the end of the world, and certainly won#t ruin your progress. In fact, rest is hugely important for runners. $ecovery is the key to running progress, as this is when your muscles strengthen and improve after your workout. Once you have reached a certain level of fitness it can be maintained relatively easily, which means the odd e!tra rest day here and there is not going to go amiss especially if your body is telling you it needs it. $unning is bad for your joints It#s a common misconception that the impact of running is bad for your joints. It#s easy to see why people think this, but luckily it isn#t true. here#s no doubt that runners can suffer injuries to their joints, but research has actually shown that running reduces the risk of osteoarthritis in the long term. $esearch carried out by %enjamin &bert, ".'., found the evidence for this the motions and e!ertions your body goes through when you run means that your muscles and joints actually adapt to the impact, delaying or preventing the onset of osteoarthritis. $unning shoes just need breaking in (hilst it#s true that running shoes should be broken in slightly before being used in a race, this will not change the comfort of the shoes. If you#re trying on a pair of running shoes and they feel uncomfortable, do not listen to pushy sales assistants who tell you they just need )breaking in#. his is a common lie. *hoes suitable for you should be comfortable straightaway, and will be based on your running gait and re+uirements. ,o to a specialist running shop and this won#t be a problem. $unning is all you need $unning is a fantastic sport for keeping you healthy and in shape, but it shouldn#t be the be all and end all of your fitness regime. If you want to make sure you avoid injuries then you#ll also need to incorporate some strength training into your routine, which will help to strengthen your legs and your core. As well as strength training, you also need to try different forms of cardio. $unning without any other forms of cross-training can lead to overtraining injuries, so be sure to mi! it up. .arbo-loading is essential (e#re all familiar with the sight of a runner stuffing their face with more pasta than you thought was humanly possible the night before a race. /nless it#s a half or full marathon, then concentrated carboloading is not necessary and will not do you any favours for the race. $esearch published in theEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology found that the most effective way to make use of carbohydrates is to integrate them into a person#s normal diet. his means you should gradually increase the amount of carbs you are eating in the weeks leading up to the race, rather than eating them all at once the night before. &veryone can run a marathon

It#s often thought that the beauty of the marathon is that anyone can run one in a respectable time if they train properly. *adly this is not the case. (hilst it#s true that most people can finisha marathon, your genes might be stopping you from getting a good time no matter how much you train. A study carried out at 0oughborough /niversity found that around 12 per cent of people do not have the right mi!ture of genes to train effectively for a marathon. 3eople in this 12 per cent group had trouble with training due to the inability of their muscles to effectively e!tract o!ygen. Read more on realbuzz.com... http455www.realbu66.com5articles57-running-rules-you-should-break-au-en5

5 running rules you should break

Rules that should be broken
There are thousands of books and so-called experts out there that tell you how you should run, how you should be training and what you should do to get the best performance possible. Yet some of the facts we e been told are wrong. !ere we re eal fi e running rules you should break if you want to run better and a oid getting in"ured.

Rule: Stretch before you run

#t some point, most of us ha e probably been taught that stretching before a run is good for our bodies, but is it$ #gainst most peoples pre ious thoughts stretching does not help to pre ent in"ury and nor does it impro e our runs. %n fact, static stretching can harm our running performance and make us less powerful and slower. & idence for this has come from numerous studies, one of which was conducted by the 'ni ersity of (agreb. )esearchers from the 'ni ersity re iewed o er *++ studies of people who stretched statically and found that their muscle strength decreased by a massi e fi e and a half per cent when they exercised after stretching. %nstead of stretching before you run, do a dynamic warm-up before you exercise. # dynamic warm-up will help you impro e performance and help you to pre ent in"ury. Your dynamic warm-up should in ol e those muscles you will use whilst running, such as your ,uads, glutes and hamstrings and, as the name suggests, it should be dynamic. -ome exercises you can incorporate into your dynamic warm-up include skipping, glute bridges, hip rotations and leg swings.

Rule: Stick to your training plan

.or /+ per cent of the time sticking to your training plan will be a good idea. %t will help you progress safely, stay focused and train regularly, e en on those days when youd much rather be curled up in bed. !owe er, for some people there are a few days during the year when you should ignore your plan and listen to your body. #sk yourself how you feel. 0o you think you could do a little more than the plan suggests today$ 1r do you feel like you couldnt possibly co er e en half of the distance your plan has scheduled in$

2hen you dont feel like your training plan matches how your body feels you should adapt it to suit you. !owe er, only break this running rule some of the time because not sticking to your training plan may put you at risk of o ertraining or undertraining.

Rule: Never increase your mileage by more than 10 per cent per week
.or us runners, the *+ per cent rule has been drilled into us and were as familiar with it as we are our #34s. !owe er, research conducted in the 5etherlands has re ealed that perhaps the *+ per cent rule is not something we need to stick to any longer. .or example, research conducted at the 'ni ersity of 6roningen in the 5etherlands found that the *+ per cent rule might not actually pre ent in"ury. The researchers examined 5+7 beginner runners who were training for a local four-mile race. The participants were di ided into two and half of them recei ed a training plan that lasted for ** weeks and that increased the amount of time they ran for by *+ per cent each week. The second set of participants had an eight-week training plan that increased the amount of time they ran for by more than *+ per cent. %nterestingly, despite half of the participants going against the *+ per cent rule, both groups had the same rate of in"ury, with one in fi e runners suffering from some sort of running related in"ury. The study seems to suggest that increasing your mileage by more than *+ per cent does not increase your chances of picking up a running in"ury.

Rule: Running in the morning is better than running late at night

8ost of us belie e that running in the morning is better for us than running late at night. Yet we ha e some good news for the night owls because this rule might not be as applicable as we used to think. #lthough there are studies that suggest that people can lose more weight and sleep better when they exercise in the morning, a .innish study has found that people who exercised after eight oclock fell asleep ,uicker and woke up feeling more refreshed than when they worked out earlier in the day. The reason for this seems to be that during exercise your body temperature rises, yet by the time you get to bed your temperature begins to lower and this change in temperature helps to send you off to sleep. Therefore if you prefer to run at night, dont feel like you cant. 9ust make sure you dress appropriately and stay safe if its dark.

Rule: You have to run hard to get results

2hats your running mantra$ %f its no pain, no gain you may want to ha e a rethink. # study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that doing lots of tempo runs at an intensity that goes abo e your lactate threshold :a stage where your body begins to produce lactic acid; has a negati e impact on your running performance. The study di ided its participants into two groups. 1ne group trained at a moderate intensity 75 per cent of the time, whilst the other group only trained at a moderate intensity *7 per cent of the time. -urprisingly the group that did less intense workouts impro ed their six and half mile race time more than those who did more moderate intensity runs. %t is thought that this is because their bodies were able to reco er from their more intense workouts, whereas the other group did not ha e enough time to fully reco er and therefore their performance suffered. -o, rather than working hard all of the time if you want to run faster, you should make sure you mix up the le el of intensity you train at, doing some low-intensity runs, some moderate intensity runs and a few high-intensity runs. Test yourself by seeing if you know all fi e things we think e ery runner should know.

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5 things e ery runner should know

Techniques and tips all runners need
.rom mental strategies to the power of the colour red, we show you fi e things e ery runner should know and teach you techni,ues that will help you impro e your running performance<

Running is a mental game

3eing a good runner has as much to do with your state of mind as it has to do with your one mile time. %f you dont manage to keep mentally strong during your run you can kiss goodbye to a good performance. To keep your mind focused you should put any negati e thoughts to the back of your mind and instead focus on all of the progress you ha e made since you began running. -ome people also benefit from blocking out the process of running altogether and find it beneficial to instead distract their focus by thinking about a story or getting lost in a daydream. #lthough this distraction is great for some, other runners may benefit from concentrating on the run itself and turn their attention to their breathing or the route. %f you dont feel like either of these mental strategies is of use to you, try using mental imagery when running, where you picture yourself as someone or something else, such as =aula )adcliffe or a ri er. =retending to be these people or things during your run may boost your confidence in your abilities and it might positi ely impact upon your run.

earing red clothes and seam!free socks will improve your run
%n most situations in life the clothes you wear are chosen for practical purposes and as a way of self-expression, but the clothes you wear when running can make or break your run. 8ake sure you choose the right clothes for your run or race. .or example, did you know that wearing red could help you win$ #ccording to research conducted at the 7++> 1lympic 6ames in #thens, competitors who wore red were more likely to win when competing. 1ther important yet often o erlooked items of clothing include your socks. )unners often ha e problems with their feet and wearing appropriate clothing, such as the right socks, will help you a oid some of these problems. # oid wearing cheap cotton socks that ha e seams in as these can lead to blisters and painful chafing that will affect your run. %nstead in est in some running socks that are seam-free and wick away sweat. You should also be conscious about the thickness of your running sock and be aware that your feet will expand when hot. 2ear socks that will gi e your feet enough room.

Running when rela"ed is important

)unning when relaxed is ery important because stress and ner es can negati ely affect your running performance and your running techni,ue. 0uring your run you should try to keep your hands relaxed because this will help to stop tension passing through your body to your neck and should area. %f you feel as though your hands are tensing up, shake them about for a few seconds e ery minute or so until they relax. #nother way you can help your body relax during your run is to keep your head erect and try to rid your facial muscles of any tension. To do this focus on keeping your face muscles lax, especially your eyes and your "aw. 1ther more mental focused approaches you can adopt in order to run better include repeating a calming mantra or imagining that you are floating along as you run. These techni,ues should help you to relax and therefore they should help you to impro e your run.

#lcohol is a runner$s enemy

0rinking excessi e amounts of alcohol ob iously comes with lots of health implications, but alcohol has additional drawbacks if you are a runner. .irstly, alcohol will dehydrate you and this in turn will pre ent your body from being able to break down your energy stores and thus fuel your run. #s a result your bodys blood sugar le els will be low and that

means that you wont be able to sweat efficiently or regulate your temperature appropriately. 4onse,uently, when hungo er your run will be tiring, sluggish and you will feel unusually weak. Yet despite alcohols detrimental effects on both health and performance, research conducted by the 'ni ersity of 8iami found that the more people exercise, the more people tend to drink. %f you think youre amongst this growing group of drinkers who exercise, try to cut down or, if you cant, try to drink one glass of water between each alcoholic drink you ha e.

Running isn$t enough

%f you run three or four or fi e times a week, good for you. Yet no matter how many times you run, you need to do other forms of exercise and additional acti ities too if you want to be a good runner. 0oing other forms of exercise in order to impro e your abilities in one area is known as cross training. There are many benefits to cross training, from in"ury pre ention to impro ing your running speed. %n order to cross train you could try doing some weight sessions, some flexibility sessions or try out some new acti ities like swimming, boxing or cycling.

2ant to run faster$ !ere are fi e foods that will help you run ,uicker

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5 foods that will make you run faster

The foods that can help you achieve your personal best
2hether youre training for a marathon or about to complete your first race, you probably ha e a target finish time in mind. 2hile training and preparing yourself properly for the race is integral to achie ing your desired time, your pre-race meal can also help you to obtain the result you want. !ere are the fi e foods that will make you run faster.

)unning food *< 3eetroot

%t might not be the most ob ious pre-run meal, howe er researchers at -t ?ouis 'ni ersity ha e found that eating baked beetroot before a race could help you to run faster. The study recorded the running speed of ** fit and healthy participants as they ran 5km on a treadmill. The participants were asked to run once after consuming a portion of baked beetroot an hour before, and once after consuming a similar si@ed portion of cranberry relish, which had a similar amount of calories. The results showed that after eating beetroot the a erage speed of the runners was *7.Akm per hour :or B.Cmph;, while after the cranberry relish it was "ust **./km per hour :or B.Amph;. %t is belie ed that this is due to the chemicals called nitrates which are contained in beetroot and which ha e been shown to also impro e stamina when exercising.

)unning food 7< 1atmeal

To beat your personal best, it is important that your energy le els are high before your run, and eating oatmeal is the perfect way to get the energy boost you need. 1ats are a low 6% food, meaning that they will help to keep your blood sugar stable and release a slow, steady stream of energy, helping you to maintain your speed throughout your run. 1ats are also a good source of 3 itamins, which help the body to break down carbohydrates into glucose to fuel the body, and are rich in many other essential nutrients including magnesium, selenium and manganese. Try ha ing a bowl of porridge or oat-based muesli, a few oatcakes or an oatmeal smoothie an hour or two before your run for a nutritious energy boost to help you run faster.

)unning food A< .resh fruit

8any runners rely on sugary drinks, foods and gels for energyD howe er, fruit is a great way to gi e your body a natural and healthy sugar hit. 8ake sure you opt for easily digestible fruit as those that are hard to digest E such as those from the citrus family E could hinder your exercise by causing stomach cramps. 3ananas are a good choice as they are high in carbs and are also less acidic than apples and citrus fruits so are unlikely to lead to cramps. #s well as being a good source of energy to help you run faster, fruit contains a high proportion of water, which can help you to stay hydrated for your run. .ruit also contains a ariety of energy-boosting itamins and minerals including itamin 4 :found in berries;, and 3 itamins :found in bananas and a ocado;.

)unning food >< 0ark leafy greens

0ark leafy green egetables are another good source of nitrates, which are belie ed to help increase running speed and endurance. ?eafy green egetables are also rich in many essential nutrients including iron, calcium, itamin 4 and itamin F, which will help to keep you in optimum health, thereby helping to impro e your energy le els and enhance your run. #round two hours before your run, opt for a meal incorporating leafy green eg to help enhance your run. You could try pasta with salmon and broccoli or spinach for a good mix of protein and carbs, or try supplementing your usual choice of protein and carbohydrates with some kale, swiss chard, cabbage or a romaine lettuce salad.

)unning food 5< 6reen tea

2hile green tea is not technically a food, it could make the perfect addition to your pre-run snack. 5ot only is drinking green tea great for keeping your fluid le els up, the health-boosting drink can also help to regulate blood sugar le els, thereby pre enting energy crashes which can slow you down. 6reen tea also contains caffeine, which can help to gi e your energy le els a boost, and is less acidic than many other sources of caffeine, lowering the risk of stomach aches during your run. # research study in 9apan found that green tea extract could boost exercise endurance by up to 7> per cent, making it a great energy drink to sip before a run. You could e en try taking iced green tea with you for a refreshing alternati e to energy drinks, to help you keep your energy le els up and achie e your personal best. ant more tips to improve your speed% 4heck out how to impro e your speed through inter al training.

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%mpro e your running speed through inter al training

Train yourself to run faster
!"#you#really#want#to#improve#your#running#spee #then#interval#training#is#the#key.#$hether#"ocusing#on# short#sprints#or#longer#repetitions%#interval#running#will#seriously#improve#your#running#times.

Running interval sessions will make you faster

%nter al running is the single best form of running acti ity you can do. # runner who always runs at a steady pace will only e er be good at running steadily. 3y steady running you impro e your endurance capacity, tone-up and often lose weight, but you dont get faster. The key to impro ing your speed is to run at speeds faster than you would race at. !owe er, you can only run at these speeds for small periods of time. This is why you should break up the distance in which you intend running at the faster pace. .or example, if you normally go for a steady 5 mile :approximately Gkm; run you could change it to 5 lots of * mile efforts, running the * mile at a significantly faster pace than you would if you were running the whole 5 miles in one go. The important thing about inter al running is to pick the pace up and force yourself to increase the leg speed. Then you will need to reco er, as you wont be able to keep it up for too long. The reco ery period will ary depending on your fitness le el and what type of inter al session you are running. 5aturally, most beginners will need a lot more reco ery than seasoned runners and the longer the inter al run, the longer the reco ery period will ha e to be. #ll the energy pathways should be in ol ed in inter al training, making it ery similar to the race situation<

o o o

Short sprints with long reco ery in ol e the pure sprint system. &onger repetitions, which are run ,uickly with a short reco ery, in ol e the lactate system :burning legs syndrome;. 'onsistent steady running, strides and reco ery stages, in ol e the oxygen system :you can talk during these sections;. %nter al sessions do not need to be run flat out all the time. You should aim for one structured inter al workout a week and one unstructured one. The structured one will be set in ad ance with set inter als to run and set reco ery times. The unstructured one can be decided on the day depending on where you are running :on or off road, or on hilly terrain.;

(nterval training e"ample sessions

3elow are a few inter al sessions you can ha e a go at H aimed at beginner, intermediate, and ad anced runner. )emember, inter al sessions normally make you work a lot harder than "ust steady running so take this into account and start on a lower grade for the first few attempts. )emember to warm-up for at least *+ minutes before the inter al session and cool-down for the same amount of time after the running session. )eginner runner interval session *+ x * minute with A minutes walk reco ery. 5 x 7 minutes with 7 minutes walk reco ery. A minutes, then 7 minutes, then * minute, with A minutes walk reco ery between repetitions. 0o this three times with 5 minutes between sets. A x 5 minutes with > minutes walk reco ery. *+ x >5 seconds uphill running with a walk back down reco ery.

(ntermediate runner interval session *7 x * minute with /+ seconds reco ery. C to G x 7 minutes with C+ seconds reco ery. > x :A minuteI7 minuteI* minute; with 7 minutes and * minute reco ery between repetitions and A minutes reco ery between sets. 5 x 5 minutes with 7 minutes reco ery. *+ to *5 x C+ seconds uphill running with a "og back down as your reco ery. #dvanced runner interval session *5 x * minute with C+ seconds reco ery. *+ x 7 minutes with C+ seconds reco ery. 5 x :5 minutesI> minutes IA minutesI7 minutesI* minutes; with > minutesIA minutesI7 minutesI* minute reco ery between repetitions and A minutes reco ery between sets. 5 to G x 5 minutes with /+ seconds reco ery. *5 to 7+ x C+ seconds uphill running with a brisk "og back down as your reco ery