Flexibility + Strength = Speed
Want to get faster? My simple answer used to be: run more and more and more. Don't cross-train, don't spin, don't do weights. Run, run, run. This advice has now been placed on the garbage heap. While it may be appropriate for elite athletes with lots of time on their hands, it does not work for you and me who have to deal with work, family, and other responsibilities.
The lesson for MCRRCers is that you can defy aging by increasing strength and flexibility.
Is there another way to improve our running and fitness without logging in mega-miles and spending every waking moment in training? There is. I have had my own personal epiphany in which I learned that increased strength and flexibility can lead to running faster without running a step. Of course, if you run while increasing strength and flexibility, even better things are going to happen.
In a few months I will be 55 years old. Over the past several years my running seemed to be on a major decline. My training pace had been slowing and my last 10K race was my slowest since I joined MCRRC in 1988. I took much longer to recover from a workout. Not only that—my wonderful wife Renee told me that I was getting so stiff and inflexible I was shuffling around like an old man. The future did not appear bright.
At the end of May, my typical easy run was at about a 9:30 pace. Even though I religiously stretched after every run, I could barely get past my knees in an attempt to touch my toes. Hauling around 50 pound bags of mulch took more than minimal effort. Now I as I write this at the end of July, I feel 10 years younger. On easy runs my pace is about 8:45 minutes per mile and dropping. I can actually touch my toes, and carry a 50-pound mulch bag up a hillside like a piece of cake. I did all of this while running less, not more! So what brought about this incredible change? And can the same thing happen to you?
A Training and Conditioning Program
In June, I ran into Barry and Joy Ross who operate J's Gym in Charlottesville, Virginia where I happened to be for a month-long training course. Barry works with the University of Virginia cross-country team as well as with a Charlottesville high school cross-country team. Barry and Joy have developed a training and conditioning program designed to develop strength and flexibility. The difference in their approach is that the strength and flexibility work is done under high-intensity conditions.
I joined a strengthening class taught by Joy three times a week for the entire month. I decided to attend this class because it was advertised as "high intensity." The first class was a wake-up call to this long-time runner who thought he had great aerobic capacity. What I discovered is that my aerobic capacity in only useful when I run. During the first few classes I was dying like a dog. But I kept on with it and continue to do their workouts two or three times a week at home.
Their training approach involves non-stop activity for 45 minutes (my heart rate stayed in the 60-75 percent range for the entire workout) while doing assorted things with chords (surgical-tubing-like devices) that are designed to increase strength and also stretching bands around our ankles. We used light weights (3 pounds), medium weights (12-15 pounds), jump ropes, medicine balls, boxing gloves, etc. We did push-ups, chair dips, squat hops, and crunches, and we even rode an old-fashioned exercycle employing a tension bar. We would constantly alternate between aerobic activity and a strengthening activity with minimal recovery time. The beauty of their approach is that you increase your aerobic capacity at the same you work on flexibility and strength.
You Can Defy Aging
The lesson for MCRRCers is that you can defy aging by increasing strength and flexibility. Get out of your rut and don't be afraid to try new things. Consider a yoga class to work on flexibility. Find a strengthening class to work on your upper body. And if you are lucky and come across a program like Barry and Joy's, you may able to do all of this at the same time. The key to increasing strength and flexibility, just like the key to good running, is consistency and moderation. Start a program, keep up with it, and over time you will reap the benefits.
I no longer dread turning 55. In fact, I can hardly wait because I believe my newfound strength and flexibility will make me competitive in my new age group.
Coach West is a licensed coach, affiliated with MCRRC, and available to coach motivated adult runners. A portion of his coaching fees for MCRRC members is returned to MCRRC. For further information about personal coaching opportunities, contact Coach West at kirtwest@comcast.net.
