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Refining Your Power

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For the last three and a half years, Jimmy Lockie has been participating in running races, triathlons and a half Iron Man. Now he’s set his sights on Ironman Canada, taking place in Whistler, BC in July 2017.

While he’s had success, he hasn’t had the kind of results he was looking for. He started working with Julie Young, at Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab in April and his times are going down!

Julie started by doing a lactate threshold test with Jimmy to identify his heart rate, power output and recovery capacity at lactate threshold. The results of this test helped Julie create a training plan to help him move toward his goals.

JimmyLockie_Swim“I PRd twice in a row right after I started working with Julie,” he says.

After the initial testing and training plan, Jimmy decided he was ready for a Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab gait analysis, where they use Dartfish video analysis software to analyze a runner’s gait frame-by-frame, from all views. “We focus on hip and knee extension, torso angle, pelvis stability, hip adduction and ankle eversion,” Julie says. “If we identify deficits in strength and/or movement, we can make science-based recommendations to improve strength, stability and mobility to then help solidify their technique and maximize efficiency.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that this testing is what is helping me improve my performance,” Jimmy says. “It didn’t make me necessarily faster, but it made me more efficient on my bike and running so I can become faster.”JimmyLockie_Ironman

Through the lactate threshold testing, Jimmy found out that he could get his heart rate higher without prematurely building up lactate, while running at a normal pace. “I wasn’t running to my full potential because I didn’t know what my full potential was,” he says. “I found out that I can push harder and it’s not going to hurt me.”

The gait analysis helped him further fine-tune his technique. “Once Julie put everything into the computer, we found out that my stride was too long and needed to move my arms more,” he says. “She also gave me different exercises to do before and after a run to loosen up my hips.”

Jimmy has made huge strides in just the few months he’s been working with Julie. Where he used to struggle with an 8-minute mile, he’s now down to 7:35 and he has 7:30 in his sites.

“Julie’s done wonders for me as an athlete and the possibilities where I can go are endless with her,” he says. “She cares about us, and is able to use these tools to make athletes so much better through all of the little things she does.”

Reno 10-miler Training Plan for Beginning Runners

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You have the best of intentions: You’re signed up to run a 10-miler. But many beginning runners find themselves overwhelmed as to how, and where to start training, as they gear up for the big race.

Every runner, new or experienced, needs to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the specific event’s demands.

The key to tackling the challenge of improving your running performance is first and foremost to stay injury-free.

10-Miler Logo

Just getting out there and running doesn’t work for many people, especially if you’ve been away from exercise for any period of time. So the first step: Find a beginning running plan to follow. There are beginning running programs online, or an even better option may be to find a running coach to help you develop a comprehensive, gradually progressed training plan.

There should be a clear objective to each and every training session, as well as an understanding of how that relates to the goal — in this case, a 10-miler. Empowered with this understanding, you can train more purposefully, which equates to more effective training and successful results.

Here are a few suggestions to improve the preparation and race experience for beginning runners:

  • Individualize your training and make it relative to your individual circumstances: A training plan needs to be based on your current fitness/past training and goals, and then gradually progressed as you adapt (very individual) to the training.
  • Toe the start line mentally and physically fit, injury free and hungry for action: The key to improving fitness and avoiding injury is a gradually progressed training plan.
  • Balance sport-specific training with supplemental cross-training for improved performance and injury prevention:
    • Focus on consistent hip and trunk stability, and general mobility.
    • Cycling, swimming and hiking are good supplemental cross-endurance training tools that will provide mental and physical variety.
  • Vary your training, which provides the opportunity to continue to challenge and improve:
  • Once a solid endurance base is in place, systematically and consistently include speed and higher tempo workouts in your training plan.
  • Train hard and rest hard – rest should be of equal importance to the running workouts
  • Quality workouts trump quantity.
  • Train to meet the specific demands of the 10-Miler:
    • Gradually build up your endurance toward the 10 mile distance.
    • Train at the intensity you hope to hold during the event.
    • Simulate the event’s terrain in your training – uphills, downhills and flats all present different challenges.
  • Use training to implement your nutrition, hydration and recovery strategies:
    • Believe it or not, chocolate milk tops the list for post-run recovery drinks.
    • Dial in your race-day nutrition during your preparation, not the week or day before.
    • Build your bank account of sleep leading into the race.

Ultimately, the key to successful training is individualizing the plan to efficiently and consistently fit all the training components into life’s priorities of family and work. Individually developed plans also consider how each individual adapts to the training load — to ensure adequate rest to counter-balance the work — resulting in a progressively upward performance trajectory.

Whether you’re looking to complete your first Reno 10-Miler or you want to set your own personal record, Silver Sage Sports and Fitness Lab helps people at all levels of ability. If you have questions about any of these workouts or are just looking for advice, email us at jyoung@o2fitness.net.