Running

How To Stretch Your Hamstrings

Tight hamstrings can not only effect your workouts but they can also cause lower back pain. Learning how to stretch them properly is key. If you incorporate some stretches into your weekly workout routine, you’ll become more flexible, have better running form and also decrease injuries to your lower back. But, be sure to stretch your hamstrings AFTER your workout or after you warmup first. You never want to stretch cold muscles – especially hamstrings. You also don’t want to OVERSTRETCH your hamstrings or you could end up pulling a muscle and make things worse. So, go easy on the stretches and make sure you warm. Another good option for hamstring stretching is the foam roller.

Couch to 5k – Run a Turkey Trot in 4 weeks!

Want to run a Turkey Trot but are you starting from scratch? No worries – I’m here to help! This is a great plan for beginners or people who just haven’t run in awhile.

One of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving day is to run a Turkey Trot! It’s a great way to spend the morning with friends and family before all the feasting begins! Plus, it just makes you feel so much better that you got up and got in a good workout! Most cities have them and do either a 5k, 10k or both.

A few years ago I ran the Houston Turkey Trot and placed 1st in my age group in the 5k and then the next year placed 3rd! But, this year is much different – I’m pregnant and haven’t been running much at all! So, I’m actually going to follow this plan in order to be able to run the entire 5k! (if you are pregnant make sure to check with your doctor first before starting an exercise routine).

Here is a sample workout plan that will take you from 0 to 3.1 miles (a 5k) in 4 weeks!

Week	Monday	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Walk 20 min	Â Walk 25 min	CORE	Â Walk 1 mile + Jog 0.5 mile	FLX	LR 1 mile	OFF
2	Â RW 1/1 20min	Jog 1.5 mile	CORE	FR 20 min	FLX	LR 2 miles	OFF
3	Â RW 2/1 20min	Jog 2.5 miles	CORE	FR 20 min	FLX	Â LR 3 miles	OFF
4	RW 5/1 35 min	Â Walk 20min	Â OFF	Â Â RACE – 3.1 miles!	OFF	OFF	Jog 2 miles

Table Key:

RW = Run/Walk. Alternate running and walking. If it says “RW 1/3” then that means run one minute/walk 3. If it says RW 2/2 that means run 2 minutes then walk 2 minutes for the time specified. Your running pace should be medium.
Walk = Walk the entire time at a medium/fast pace. It should not feel easy and you need to break a sweat.
Jog = Jog slow for the entire distance trying not to walk. Warmup walk or jog for 5-10min first.
LR =Long Run: Try to run the entire time/distance listed. This should be at a slow to medium pace.
FR = Fast Run: Warmup walk/jog 5 minutes first and then alternate a fast walk (or slow jog) for 3 minutes and then run fast (almost sprint) for 1 minute.
FLX = Flexibility exercises and/or yoga class. Do some light stretching (warmup first) focusing on legs or go take a class.
Core = Do 10 minutes of core work today. You can do this after another workout or just do it at night while watching tv. Do planks, v-ups, crunches, etc. Runners need a strong core!

TIPS

If you can’t jog or run the entire distance – mix in some fast walking, but be sure to get in the entire distance/mileage or time for that day.
You can mix up the days a little if you need to (ie if you only have time for 2 miles on Wednesday morning instead of TuesdayÂ just swap days).
It’s usually easier to get in your runs and walks first thing in the morning. If not – just fit it in when you can but be sure to be consistent and make a scheduled appointment with yourself!
If you are more advanced – I would mix in at least 2 days of strength training. Do a 20-30 minute short workout that is a full-body routine including some squats, lunges, pushups, arms and core.
Don’t fret if you can’t run 3 miles by the time the race is here. You can always walk part of it if you need to. But, keep in mind on race day you will have more adrenaline and will be having fun – so most likely you will be able to push yourself comfortably to run the entire time.
If you are overweight, this is a great time to try to drop 5lb. Losing even just a small amount of weight will help you run faster, increase your endurance and make you feel lighter on your feet. Stick to a “clean” diet with lean protein, fruits and veggies.
Also, be sure to check out my otherÂ Turkey Trot Tips here.Â

*If you are looking for other running plans or want to graduate to the 10k after this – try my popularÂ “How To Train For a 10k in 6 Weeks”.

Advanced Hill Running Workout – Seen in Muscle & Fitness Hers

I’m featured this month in the September/October issue of Muscle and Fitness Hers Magazine. They asked me to share a couple of my most popular running workouts that people can do on the treadmill. Below is one of my advanced running workouts. If you are looking for something more on the intermediate level check outÂ this workout.

Be sure to get the full issue because they have a lot of other great workouts in this issue that you can do at home or at the gym!

Track Workout For Getting Faster at a 5k

As far as races go – there aren’t many long distance races in the summer due to the heat. However, there are still a lot of 5k’s and the 5k is doable by anyone! If you really want to get faster at 5k’s or set a PR in a summer or fall race, you need to be smart about training and mix in some track workouts. One of my favorites is the Ladder Workout (below). I would do this workout 1-2 times per week along with an easy run, hill run and short sprints. Just keep in mind that since the temps are hot – your all out speed is going to be much slower and that’s totally fine. Read this post about the heat index and tips for running in the heat and be sure to stay hydrated.

How To Do a Tempo Run

We’ve started a weekly running group as part of Bombshell Bootcamp and each week we post a new running workout for the group to complete on their own. Last week we focused on the Tempo Run. As a marathon runner – I’m very familiar with this training run but many people are not. It’s one of the best runs you can do to really increase your stamina. How fast do you go? Well, it depends on how fast you are NOW – not how fast you want to be ; ) As you get faster – your training runs will get faster. But, for now…you need to rely on either your heart rate or Rate ofÂ PerceivedÂ Exertion (RPE) and use current 10k pace (not your goal pace in 3 months).

Sample Tempo Run

Tempo Run is a run that is “Comfortably Hard”.Â A classic tempo or lactate-threshold run is a sustained, comfortably hard effort for two to four miles. Not as fast as say, a 5k pace – but pretty fast. More like a 10k or half marathon race pace. Do the below tempo run for 2-3 miles if you are a beginner or slightly longer (3-4 miles) for more advanced. Temp runs should not be run much longer than that because the whole point is to run at a pace you can’t sustain for long!

Workout Details:

Warmup walk/jog for 10 minutes.
Then do 5 sets x 3 minutes at tempo pace, 60-second easy jog in between each one (if you have to walk during the recovery, you’re going too hard). So, your running portion will be approximately 20 minutes (not including warmup and cooldown).
Cooldown walk 5-10min.

Tips for Tempo Run:

Heart Rate: During the tempo pace, you should be at 85 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Perceived Exertion:Â An 8 on a 1-to-10 scale (a comfortable effort would be a 5; racing would be close to a 10).
Talk Test:Â A question like “Pace okay?” should be possible, but conversation won’t be.

Fat Blasting Hill Workout From Fitness Magazine

In case you haven’t purchased the May issue of Fitness Magazine yet – I wanted to share the hill workout that I created. I designed a custom treadmill workout for the Bikini Body Bootcamp Plan that is a great workout to mix in to your weekly routine (or the Bikini Body Bootcamp Plan) 2-3 times per week. If you don’t have access to a treadmill – I recommend that you run hills outside for 30 minutes alternating speeds with sprint bursts (or fast walking) for at least 30 seconds at a time.

*If you are a runner – leave the incline andÂ minutesÂ the same – but adjust your speed slightly so that you are running vs. fast walking.

Be sure to checkout my video tip below that is featured on Fitness Magazine’s Facebook page this week. I explain why I LOVE hills and why they are great for bikini season!