Sit Less and Less: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#2 SIT LESS AND LESS

SNAPSHOT

If a large percentage of your day consists of sitting in a chair, you may find yourself battling pain. Not just running injuries but back, leg, shoulder, and hip pain.

DIGGING DEEPER

So I often end up late to meetings and I have my excuses, many of which I am thankful for. For instance my child’s hair grooming independence may all of a sudden require a detangling adventure. Or my complicated schedule consisting of 6 active family members’ activities may mean I am planning and packing for church, soccer, skiing, robotics, and lunch somehow in between.

Well recently these excuses landed me about 8 minutes late for a meeting and in turn put me on the floor without a chair. Sitting on the floor for an hour may ruin your day but for me it is a luxury. On the floor I can stretch my legs, switch my body positioning, and lean up against a straight wall. If I could have taken turns standing and sitting on the floor throughout the meeting that would have been heavenly.

Confined to a chair for an hour is just plan difficult for a body. Sure it is restful at first. However when you elongate and squish your hamstring for an hour and then repeat it hour after hour, you will end up pulling on the glute muscles, causing tightening, and next comes the leg pain, hip pain, back pain, neck pain, and so on.

Dr. Kelly Starrett in his book DESKBOUND; Standing Up in a Sitting World wrote, “When we sit for long periods, the muscles in our lower bodies literally turn-off and become inactive. Simultaneously, we automatically adopt positions that don’t utilize the critical muscles and connective tissues that stabilize and support our truck and spine. The result is compromised body function and it causes a multitude of common and pernicious orthopedic problems like back and neck dysfunction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and pelvic floor dysfunction.”

All too often I see runners who have tight hamstrings, glutes, and lower backs. I suggest sitting less with a mix of stretching throughout the day and finishing the day with a series of massage and stretching exercises that help the body loosen up and achieve.

How to Sit Less

Stand

Squat

Walk

Hinge

Play

Lay

My Real Life Examples

Gymnastics Waiting Room - Stand in the back of the room and listen to a podcast

30 Minute Soccer Practice Drive - When you get there walk and stand throughout the practice, reducing the amount of sitting you must do.

Board Meeting - Take a break every 30 minutes by standing up and walking to the other side of the room to get something. Sneak in small stretches.

Basketball Practice - Most schools now have tall tables in their lounge areas. Set up your computer or stand as you read a book.

Watching TV - Try rolling on your foam roller, laying down, sitting in the lotus position, or relaxing yoga poses.

To ease your body into the quick movement of running, begin with dynamic stretching, a moving stretch. Preform leg swings, trunk rotations, and lunges to increase your joint and muscle mobility. In addition, take short breaks to stretch throughout the day. Even one minute stretches often will make a huge difference. Improve your mobility with a massage and stretching protocol for 5-15 minutes each day. See Dr. Strarrett’s book Deskbound for mobility prescriptions.

SOLUTION

The decision to sit or not to sit adds up. Attempt to tip the balance towards less sitting and more moving.

For more about sitting less, read my 2016 blog post on the book Deskbound and sitting.

This 30 day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Daily Improvements: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

Daily Improvements

SNAPSHOT

Join me on this journey to be a better runner in 30 days.

DIGGING DEEPER

#1 Daily Improvements

Start each day with the objective to improve your running by giving your body the needed stress (which will cause adaptations) or recovery (which will allow for adaptations to occur). Deciphering the needed stress or recovery will allow you to incrementally and consistently progress forward.

Notice Stress. Yes, you will have to get uncomfortable in order to cause your body to rebuild and become better. For the marathon runners out there that no matter the distance of your run, 3 miles or 26 miles, you ALWAYS run the same speed. You are not causing improved fitness adaption in your body. Run a little faster at least once a week. For example, instead of running 10 minute miles for 6 miles, slip in 4 miles of 9 minute miles between the first and last mile. By week three you will love those 9 minute miles for the sense of a new accomplishment.

Notice Recovery. Without recovery you can not adapt to become a more fit runner. Recovery can take more than 24 hours depending on the stress load and system that you are stressing.

1 Week to Understanding Recovery

To all the engineers out there, stop logging your running for one week. I know it will ruin your spreadsheet and mess up the yearly mileage records, but please let running be something more than numbers on a document. Now during this week complete this plan.

Day ONE -Run a different course than you have before.

Day TWO - Run but don’t wear a watch.

Day THREE - Don’t run, just walk for the same amount of time as you would have run.

Day FOUR - Run a true fartlek workout by landmarks only, no watch.

Day FIVE - Run your usual run then afterward write on an index card three words that describe how your body or mind feels, flip the card over and write three more words (those are most likely your true feelings, not just what you thought you should write).

Day SIX - Without a watch run until you can’t safely run any longer, don’t use specific courses to figure out the distance (it doesn’t matter this week).

Day SEVEN - Within five minutes total, max out on push ups and squats, no running.

After a week of following this plan you will have a new perspective on recovery. Stop counting and reaching for goals and start listening, feeling, and experiencing. If you think this is hogwash and won’t be of any use in learning to recover, I dare you to try and prove me wrong.

Notice incrementally. That is with small steps going in the right direction. An example of the wrong direction is for you to jump into an advanced strengthening gym class and end up with a strained muscle. Versus recognizing the need for a strong body and receiving instruction on a few body weight exercises that will prepare your body for the next level of training in the future. Be patient and wise, choose to progress step by step. Mastering each step before going onto the next.

Notice consistently. There are two facets to this suggestion of consistency. There is the never take a day off mentality. Where you have a good habits of raising your heart rate with some type of exercise (usually running or strengthening) every single day. The other is the close monitoring of the body in order to make small adjustments so that you don’t trip, figuratively and literally, yourself up and end up on the injured list.

SOLUTION

Reread this sentence below and endeavor to become a better runner in the next 30 days.

Start each day with the objective to improve your running by giving your body the needed stress (which will cause adaptations) or recovery (which will allow for adaptations to occur). Deciphering the needed stress or recovery will allow you to incrementally and consistently progress forward.

This 30 day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Rise Again Weary One

SNAPSHOT

Life is hard. Really hard.

DIGGING DEEPER

Blind hits can throw you backwards, taking the wind out of your lungs. Another hit doubles you over. Not me, you cry. Not now.

Pain.

Confusion makes it worse.

No quick answer. No reassurance of a quick rebound.

Pain. Holding pain.

These trials come in every part of life. Even if you made all the right choices, took the road less traveled, went up the treacherous hill, sure that your hard work would pay off. Never choosing the easy road.

Yet. This happened. Pain happened.

Cliches swirl about as if they will soften the blow. But they do nothing but point out how cruel life can be.

Pain has to be endured. Escaping it only puts it off, returning with vengeance later on.

These stings. I have felt them over and over as life has happened. Similar to when you cut your finger and the stinging, burning sensation cries out for an end. But you can’t stop the pain. The burning of an injury, a loss, mean words, or an absence fills the body.

And so you try to understand the situation, cry over it, explain it away. Perhaps a friend’s words can soothe the discomfort. But to no avail.

For you must endure, accept, and wait.

Yes wait. Wait for the pain to wean. Wait for the situation to change. Wait for good again.

https://shellybinsfeld.smugmug.com/

Over and over throughout life we are subjected to these times of hardship. You simply can’t live life without them happening. However, each time I learn a bit more patience. Because waiting for healing is all you really can do. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it takes understanding, sometimes it takes a resolution. But none of those will happen as fast as you want. The cut has to have time to heal.

So if this is one of those times when you are an injured athlete, grieving lover, or hurt soul, WAIT. For this too will pass. This is not the end of the road. You will rise again.

SOLUTION

Rise again all those who are weary.

Matthew eleven twenty-eight

Coffee House

SNAPSHOT

Manitowish Waters, WI at Dixie’s Coffee House

DIGGING DEEPER

While on my sons’ high school nordic ski trip I stole a few hours at a perfect coffee house. The decor is tasteful and thought through, Wisconsin cabin influenced. The conversations drifted around with laugher and interest. Everyone relaxed. Coffee houses bring community and connections.

Lately, I have been consumed by life’s circumstances and my inspiration to write has weaned. However, a knowledge seeking runner sent me a message asking for some advice on her new endeavor of trail running.

My favorite way to communicate is one on one. To take a person’s unique question and tumble it over in my mind and return with a hand full of pebbles for them to contemplate. That is my love. Simple conversation. Simple communication within a community. Just like the waves of voices filling the coffee house.

And so I pass these pebbles of tips onto you. In hopes that it will spark conversation within you and your community.

QUESTION - What are your Trail Running Tips?

Here are a few trail running tips that come to mind from my experiences.

• Develop your ankle strength

• Stretch your calves and feet before and after running

• If you are following someone on the trail don't run too close to them. Your eye needs to see the terrain that is coming so maybe 20-30 feet behind your running partner is good.  Take turns leading.

• Don’t avoid hills. Power walk/climb the steep hills, the strength gained from the lifting of your body up the hill is valuable.

• Use a combination of train running and trail hiking. Both will increase your strength and endurance.

Question - How to keep Healthy and Injury Free in the later years?

Here are my tips for the runners that already have many many miles in their log books

• Train with the body you have now, not what you had in the past. Your body can accomplish new goals.

• Value your now body for all the experience it has, putting less focus on the weekly mileage and more on the quality of your miles. 

• The key is recovery, complete the needed workout just at the point your body is adapted and primed for a new stress. Read through this article for more information.  

• Seasons, cycles, let yourself have on and off stretches of time where you change focus or allow for extra recovery.

• Invest in young runners. You have so much to give.

SOLUTION

The running community has expanded beyond the coffee house to all over the world. Connect with runners, share with runners, and grow together!

Photography by a Runner, Artist, Me

IT ALL STARTED WHEN…

My early childhood days, the ones you don't remember, were spent alongside my parents in their small photography studio in Columbus, Nebraska. The joy of capturing images was passed down from my father and continues to be a love.

You may have noticed 95% of the photos I use on my website have been shot by me. They are a way of expressing myself not just through words but also through images. The feelings and thoughts gathered by just one photo can sometimes be more meaningful than all the words within a single blog post.

My photography is an art form.  I don't follow all the rules.  I don't create on demand.  I see beauty and have an overwhelming desire to capture it.  Even when I don't have my camera with me, I will stand and stare and pocket every bit of detail worried I will later lose the image in my mind. 

You will not find my photos highly edited.  The only simple editing I do is to bring the light and contrast back to what my eye saw. My aspiration is to catch the allure of the world around me.

Give your visual senses a feast and scroll through my PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE. You can even take one or more home for yourself through the shopping feature (new this month). And there is still time to order for a Christmas delivery.

Sail, sail to the ends of the world, to the ends of your neighborhood, the ends of your yard, to the ends of your heart. Sail...