health &
training
Rossendale Harriers
Core training and conditioning for fell
running and other disciplines
Distance
running preparation demands more than just mileage. We need to get our bodies
strong enough to stand up to the rigors of our sport. Otherwise we are left wondering why we are
knackered and injured by early summer, often nursing the same injuries.
Graeme Woodwood of CVFR has produced the following core programme for fell runners,
which I would commend.
It seeks to
develop lower body power to drive up and absorb impacts coming down and a
strong core to transmit power and soak up impacts a thousand times an hour.
Think about
the force generated by your weight, compounded by gravity and multiplied by
your running speed.
The aims are:
(1) Develop
core pillar and rotational stiffness under movement
(2) Develop
stability to provide the base for triple extension
This
programme has the added advantage of being capable of being done at home with
minimal kit apart from a table and about 30 minutes of your time.
Be warned -
if you haven’t done this sort of training before it will take getting used to
and might take a month of trying, 2 – 3 times a week before you hit your
target.
You should do
a light warm up and dynamic flexibility first and cool down afterwards
including static of dynamic stretching.
Rossendale Harriers – core exercises and conditioning
Free squats.
10, 15, 20 x
with 30 secs rest between
Feet apart.
Toes 5 to 1. Knees over toes. Make sure you have a lordotic curve i.e. hollow
back…
Side plank
Build up to 2
x 30 secs on left and right. 4 sets in total
Lie on your
side. Put one forearm flat on the floor. Raise your hips so the only points of
contact are your feet and your forearm. Neutral and straight from head to toe.
Lunge
3 x 10 on
each leg
Put one short
stride in front. Bend at the knee and hip
into a lunge position whilst keeping the back leg straight. Knee vertically over toe, not in front. No wobble. Palms up if needed. Control down and push back up.
(See other
training programmes for other versions of lunges including the 6 point lunges.)
Ankle
extensions
2
legged. Build up to 3 x 30
Toes on edge
of step and facing up the steps. Slowly
lower to full extension and then burst up fast.
Supported if needed.
Supine pull
up
(or normal
pull ups if you have something like a door lintel.)
Build up to 3
x 10
Lie under a
table and grip the edge, pull up whilst knitting your shoulders blades tight
together. Neutral position, straight line from head to toe. Don’t break in the
middle.
One leg squat
Build up to 3
x 10 on each leg.
Stand on one
leg and put the other leg off the ground and in front. Lordotic curve/hollow back. Bend from hip and slide your bum back at 45
degrees to the ground to lower under control.
Push back up. This should work your glutes. If it is working your thighs
you are not bending from the hips enough.
Front plank
Build up to 3
x 30 secs.
Lie on your
front. Put your weight on your forearms which are flat on the floor and
pointing forward. Raise your hips off
the floor until you are straight from head to toe. Neutral position.
Dorsal fly
3 x 10 with
light weight such as bricks or light dumb bells
Stand
upright. Lordotic curve and bend at the
hips, not lower back, to flex forward.
Head up to exaggerate the hollow back.
Holding the light weight in each hand out to the side, drop your hands
to about 45 degrees and raise to the horizontal and no more. Retract scapula in (squeeze Ł5 note between
your shoulder blades) and down. Smooth
movement with no jerking to get weight up.
Toe walks
6 x 3m
Bare
feet. Walking very small steps on the
balls of your feet for 3 – 4 m. Up and
return backwards.
Single lift dead
lift
3 x 5 with
each leg
This is a
safe exercise that is hard to learn but brilliant as preparation for fast
running or rehabilitation after injury.
Stand on one
leg with hands out to the side for balance.
Hollow back and avoid flexing forward. Keep the free leg straightish and
bend at the hips so the torso drops to the floor. Your back leg should be doing a ‘superman’
out to the rear. Controlled slow descent
and ascend up using your hamstrings/muscles at the back of the leg. Keep you hips square on.
Press up walk
over
3 lateral
movements there and back
In press up
position, move hands one by one to traverse a round object like a rugby ball or
wobble board. At in a press up at
various points in the traverse. Keep core stiff. This will target your abductors.
If any of the
hurt, back off and seek advice from a physiotherapist etc. on alternatives.
If you want
any help with the exercises or want to individualise or extend them then get in
touch.
With kind permission of Nick Harris, Rossendale Harriers.
CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING/JOGGING
For many runners, cross country is the ultimate challenge: running over
difficult ground in as short a time as possible! You also have to put up with
natural obstacles and potentially inclement weather along the way. For many
people who like to run or jog, street or track running has nothing on the joy
and exhilaration found when running on an outdoor trail.
Cross country running or jogging starts out similar to walking or hiking
in many ways. But while most of the equipment, preparation and safety
precautions are the same, it does require a bit of training to learn the best
technique. For some tips on the endurance sport, read on.
Cross country running begins with proper breathing techniques so that you
don't get a stitch, (cramp). This is known as the 2-2 breathing system used by
top athletes for long distances:
Cross country running also requires a different stride length, leg action
and foot plant from road or track running. As the going is softer and often
slippery, the stride length must naturally be shorter. If you use a road
technique with the heel striking the ground well in front of the body, you are
likely to skid. Similarly, if your back leg is too far back, you will lose
something in the push-off. Exercise caution when first finding your stride and
footing.
Safety Tips for Trail Running:
(Source:
Sports Coach Guides, www.brianmac.demon.co.uk)