Charleston Runs

February Race of the Month – Almost Nine Miler Trail Run

It’s my turn to pick February’s Race of the Month!  Each month we’ll name our race of the month for the following month. You’ll usually see one or both us, Coach Noah (me) and Coach Greg, at that month’s race. If you want to nominate your favorite race for the race of the month, send us an email and tell us why. If you agree or disagree with our choice, tell us why in the comments below.

February Contenders

There are a lot of races in February.  Three on the first weekend!

Nativity Flapjack – 5k on James Island

Ashley Ridge Fox Trot – 5k in Summerville

Save the Light Race – 5K and Half Marathon on Folly Beach

I am a big fan of races on Folly Beach (love the people that live there).  Although I have never run the Save the Light Race, it’s on my list of races to do in the future.

On the 11^th, the Go Red Heart Run/Walk will be held in Mount Pleasant.  This is another great location for races and an excellent cause to support.

The last weekend of February has two more races that are near each other, but very different.

LifePoint Gift of Life – 5k on James Island

MESSA 8K for H2O – 8k on Folly Beach

The Life Point Gift of Life race always draws a good crowd and its fun to run in the James Island County Park.  The Messa 8K for H2O is one of my favorite races.  It is very well organized and its an 8K on Folly Beach (there are very few 8k’s in this area).  The Messa 8k for H2O would have been my pick for February’s Race of the Month had it not been for a trail run being held the week prior.

Almost 9 Miler Trail Run

Eagle Endurance

Our Race of the Month is the Eagle Endurance Almost 9 Miler Trail Run.  On February 18 Chadd Haffa of Eagle Endurance will continue his popular trail running series with the second annual Almost 9 Miler.  This is a “head start” trail run that begins at Buck Hall Recreation Area in McClellanville, SC.  Runners will be given a start time based on their age / gender on the day of the race.

I have run the trails in this area and they are amazing.  Most races in the Charleston / Lowcountry Area are road races, so any chance I get to run a race on trails I take it!  A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Palmetto Conservation Foundation for trail maintenance.

Check out our January Race of the Month, the Charlie Post Classic on January 28.

(The Charleston Running Club feeds our blog into their Facebook page and the opinions expressed here are only the opinions of two guys who love to run and inspire others to run. An endorsement here does not imply an endorsement by the Charleston Running Club, but it should.)

Cooper River Bridge Run Training

Charleston Runs athletes on the Cooper River Bridge.

We are pleased to announce that we will offer a Bridge Run Training Program for the Cooper River Bridge Run. Our goal is to gradually improve your fitness level whether this is your first or 31st Bridge Run. The only requirement for success is a commitment to stick with the training program.

Find out more about the program.

(The Charleston Running Club is kind enough to use the feed from our blog on their Facebook page. The offer of training comes from Coach Greg Shore and Coach Noah Moore, not from the club and the appearance of this post on their page is not an endorsement by the club.)

Standing Thigh Stretch

As we continue to add mileage to the Couch to 5K group training, its important to increase the time spent stretching.

In the past few articles I have focused on the calves, glutes and lower back.  Last week we added another stretch, but with the focus on the thighs.

There are several stretches that will work for this area.  I like the standing thigh stretch, but it can be a little difficult to perform without something to help hold your balance.

Standing Thigh Stretch

Stand on your left leg and bend your right leg back.  Grasp your right foot with your right hand and extend your left arm for balance.  You will feel the stretch in the front part of the thigh on your bent leg.  Hold this position for 10-15 seconds and then switch legs.

If you have a wall or chair nearby use it to maintain your balance.

You can also modify this stretch by lying on the floor.  Just turn on your side and perform the same stretch.

Again, you should never bounce while stretching.  It should be one long, gentle, stretch.

Read these articles to find out more about the other stretches in our routine:

• Simple but Important Stretches
• Kiss My Glute, Just Don’t Pull It!
• Nice Calves

Coach Noah

Lunging into the New Year

Our next set of exercises in the Dynamic Warm Up series is the lunge. Some coaches look at  this as an advanced exercise and in some respects it is. It takes strength that a beginning runner may not have in order to execute the lunge fully with the lower part of each leg at a right angle to the upper leg. The tough part is pushing back upright.

Do 10 lunges on each leg, forward and backward.

Forward lunge

• Don’t overstretch when stepping forward
• Lead thigh and trailing shin parallel to ground
• Controlled movement
• Move opposite arms with the legs with an exaggerated movement

Backward lunge with twist

• Step back into lunge
• Twist trunk to right and left

Dynamic Warm Up Series

• Part 1 - Dynamic Warm Ups.
• Part 2 - Zombie Warm Ups.
• Part 3 - Run the Wrong Way.

Nice Calves

Nice Calves

Flexing your calf muscles looks nice, but tight calves can cause a lot of problems for runners.

Injuries such as Planter Fasciitis, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints), Achilles Tendonitis, Morton’s Neuroma, and Iliotibial Band Syndrome are all linked to tight calves.

Run the Wrong Way

This is the third in our series of Dynamic Warm-Ups. We’ve been teaching just a few each week at our Couch to 5K program. Part 1 - Dynamic Warm Ups. Part 2 - Zombie Warm Ups.

So far in our routine we’ve awakened and activated the hip flexor, warmed up the quadriceps by putting them through a full range of motion, activated the small stabilizing muscles in the legs, and warmed up the hamstring and glutes. Backwards running and backpedaling bring power movements in to play while also getting the feet moving.

Backward Run

• Push with front leg
• Reach with rear leg
• Exagerate the arm motion and really throw them in front of you

The backwards run fully activates the hamstring and calf muscles with the hard push off to propel your body to the rear.

Backpedal

This is the same motion that a pass defender uses in football as he moves backwards from the line of scrimmage.

• Feet under hips
• Hips under shoulders
• Quick push off to the rear

Fully activates quadriceps.

By the time you get done with the eight exercises we’ve introduced so far, your heart rate should be elevated and except on the coldest days, you’ll probably be sweating a bit.

January Race of the Month - Charlie Post

This is a new feature at Charleston Runs. Each month we’ll name our race of the month for the following month. You’ll usually see one or both us, Coach Greg and Coach Noah, at that month’s race. If you want to nominate your favorite race for the race of the month, send us an email and tell us why. If you agree or disagree with our choice, tell us why in the comments below.

January Contenders

There are a couple of good races in January and we’ve been a part of each of them. The first race this year is The Citadel’s Bulldog Breakaway. It’s very low key and the field is not crowded. Citadel track coaches Jody Huddleston and Kris Kut work hard at making these events satisfying for the runner who wants to run against the clock - an accurate course with no traffic. They deliver.

The Riverfront Race Festival/Charleston Marathon does offer a quality marathon and half-marathon and in its third year (second year for the marathon) it is a good event that we already know has improved over the first years. Running in big local events is much different than traveling to run, especially for guys like Coach Noah who go out and run 26.2 for fun. Look for Noah and one of our other Charleston Runs athletes, Cathy, to lead one of the pace groups.

Race of the Month - Charlie Post Classic

Our race of the month is the Charlie Post Classic. It is indeed a classic - it has stood the test of time. Simple shirt. Simple yet complete award categories. Go; run hard; stop. Eat a bagle, grab an orange. Put on warm clothes and cheer on the rest of the finishers. No hype but a good race.

This is the showcase event for the Charleston Running Club - for runners, by runners. It’s you against the clock in either the 5K or 15K. Because of the 15K distance, runners come from all over the state to compete. The race is also very beginner friendly with plenty of first time finishers kicking off the new year right, including our Couch to 5K program.

(The Charleston Running Club feeds our blog into their Facebook page and the opinions expressed here are only the opinions of two guys who love to run and inspire others to run. An endorsement here does not imply an endorsement by the Charleston Running Club but it should.)

Kiss My Glute, Just Don’t Pull It!

That soreness in your backside may not be your boss.  It could be that your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius are just tight (oh the jokes just keep coming)…

One of the places you may feel tightness and a loss of flexibility after you run is in your glutes.   This may lead to back pain and stiffness, especially when you get up from your office chair or first thing in the morning as you get out of bed.

There are a lot of benefits to stretching each day and having an after run stretching routine.

• Increased mobility
• Reduced stiffness
• Reduced injuries

I shared a few simple stretches last week with our Couch to 5K group and added one more to the routine:

Sitting Glute Stretch

Sit on the ground with both legs stretched out.  Cross your left leg over your right leg while raising your left knee to your chest.  Gently pull your knee closer to your chest.  You will feel the stretch in your glutes at this point.  You can also slightly rotate your upper body (while holding your knee) to the right for a deeper stretch.  Hold for 15-20 seconds and switch legs.

As always, there should never be any bouncing while you stretch.

Add this to your routine and tell stiffness and injuries to kiss your gluteus maximus (and medius)!

Coach Noah

Zombie Warm Up

Last week was our first in a series of Dynamic Warm Ups for our Couch to 5K athletes. I call the next two exercises our Zombie warm up because both exercises are done with straight legs. (Why don’t zombies bend their legs?)

Frankenstein Walk

• Keep the legs straight and hands out front
• Snap the leg quickly forward, driving the foot towards the hands

Keep in mind that the goal is to feel the stretch in the hamstring, not to touch your hands. Your hands are simply a target. If you bend your leg in order to touch your hands, you won’t feel the stretch. Move forward for 10 yards.

Straight Leg Deadlift Walk

• Balance on one leg and keep it straight
• Lift the other leg to the rear. As the leg goes back, the torso tilts forward
• Straight line from ear to shoulder to hip to knee to ankle.
• Keep the shoulders and hips parallel to the ground
• Swing the rear leg forward and take a step and balance again
• Do five lifts on each leg

You should feel a stretch in the glutes and hamstring of the leg on which you are balanced.

Next week: Lateral Moves

Simple but Important Stretches

Every time I go to a race I see people doing static stretches right before the start. Most of them are bending over and bouncing up and down as they try to stretch out the morning tightness they feel. Although many of us were taught in gym class that this was the right thing to do, its not the best way or time to stretch.

Coach Greg did a great job of showing our Coach to 5K group how to warm up muscles with Dynamic warm ups last week. The important thing is to warm up muscles with movement and to stretch warmed up muscles for flexibility.

Flexibility is key to limiting injuries. The more flexible you are the less tight you are, the less tight you are the less likely you are to have an injury.

After a nice warm up or after a run its a perfect time to work on flexibility. I showed our group these basic stretches to get them into the habit of stretching after each workout: