Hills and Strength Training...by Ronan Boland

From an e-mail sent by Ronan Boland to Eagle AC members...

2013 has seen lots of great performances from Eagle members but sadly several runners (myself included) -including some of the most experienced runners in the Club- have suffered protracted absences from competition because of running-related injuries over the last year. The risk of injury (and of injury recurrence) can be minimised by taking some precautionary steps.

I thought I would share with you an important study which recently appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, one of the most prestigious publications in its field internationally.

The study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials – in layman’s terms the authors pooled the data from a number of previously validated and published trials using standard criteria. 25 trials, including 26,610 participants with 3,464 injuries, were analysed. In other words – a heck of a lot of data was pooled!

The authors compared the use of strength training alone, stretching alone , proprioception training alone and combinations of these strategies.

The results were very interesting. Consistently favourable estimates were obtained for all injury prevention measures except for stretching. Strength training reduced sports injuries to less than one third and overuse injuries could be almost halved.  This is highly impressive data based on studying large populations of sportsmen and women (rather than the habit or hearsay we too often rely on).

There was already a significant body of scientific opinion suggesting that stretching is of limited value.

What is strength training?  Resistance training using weights, stretch bands or your own body weight can correct muscle imbalances and prevent injuries. Take advice from a qualified gym instructor if possible if you plan on starting a weights programme. Alternatively there is plenty of good information available in books (such as “Advanced Marathoning” by Pfitzinger & Douglas).
Certainly, vigorous stretching of muscles that are not well warmed up by gentle running for at least 15 minutes should be avoided as it increases the risk of injury. Dynamic stretching is probably better than the traditionally carried out passive/static stretching.

Many of us (myself included) find it hard to find the time or inclination to do weight training per se and prefer to spend that time running where possible. The good news is there is an alternative!

Hill running is a very useful form of resistance training. Your own body weight provides the resistance when running hills. There is evidence that running hills can produce improvements in running economy similar to those that occur through “normal” resistance training. You will simultaneously build your cardiovascular system.

The other good news is that there are plenty of hills in and around Cork- let’s get out and use them! Speak to one of the club mentors for advice on how to incorporate hills into your training.

Ronan Boland

Race Buddy concept

The 'Race Buddy' concept is pretty easy. There are times when members for whatever reason may opt to run a race at a slower pace than usual. It might be because they are using it as a training run, because they have a slight injury, etc.

In this case, they can opt to act as a 'Race Buddy' for other members who run at a slower pace.

An example of how it works is as follows....

• Member 'A' opts to run say a 5 mile race in 40 minutes instead of their usual 30 minutes.
• They send an e-mail to the Eagle AC mail list a few days in advance stating that they are going to act as a 'Race Buddy' for a certain pace.
• Members who are interested in trying for that time should contact Member 'A' directly.
• For the race, member 'A' runs at a steady even pace so that the person that's running with them has the best chance of achieving their target time.

Eagle AC 1 mile race...CIT track...Thurs 13th June 2013

At a recent meeting of the clubs training committee, it was decided that the club should look into holding a number of track races over the next few months. The idea behind this was...


a) To give members more exposure to track races without the added pressure of a full blown competition.

b) To help members gauge their current level of fitness

c) ....and of course, each of the races will be an excellent training event in it's own right.

The first track race was held in Thursday evening, the 13th of June 2013 with 15 members taking part...

Conditions for the race were reasonable with bright sunshine and a good breeze from the south-west. Temperature ~ 13 to 15 deg C.

These were the results...

Pos    Name    Time
1    John O'Callaghan    5:10
2    Daithi Creedon    5:16
3    Dave Muldowney    5:20
4    Derek O'Keeffe    5:20
5    Damian Kenneally    5:26
6    Killian Boyd    5:28
7    Ciarán Bouse    5:29
8    Donnacha Lehane    5:31
9    Maura Regan    5:33
10    Ronan Boland    5:35
11    Roger O'Mahony    5:36
12    Joe Roche    5:45
13    Tim McCarthy    5:45
14    Annmarie Power    5:56
15    Elaine Guinane    6:16

Joe Roche and Tim McCarthy battle for the line

It is planned to hold a 3,000 metre race in mid-July.

Training Progammes for the Cork City Marathon, Half-Marathon, Relay and Summer races...

The clubs Training Committee have been working away putting together a mentor programme for some races coming up in the near future. It's obvious that the immediate focus for most members will be the summer road races and the events in the Cork City Marathon.

With that in mind, the committee has put together a training programme for the Relay, Half-Marathon and full Marathon in the Cork City Marathon on the 3rd of June. The Half-Marathon programme can be used if you have another Half in mind like say Bandon and the Relay programme can be used if you just want to target other short races in the summer like the Ballycotton Summer Series.

Mentor Programme...
The role of the mentor and how the programme works is as follows...
- Contact mainly via e-mail
- Offer advice on what a realistic target time might be, how many miles per week you should be running, etc
- Offer advice on how to follow a particular training plan
- Monitor your progress and advise accordingly
- Encourage people of similar ability to train together particularly for track sessions, tempo runs, etc.

*****
Marathon...

Marathon...Novice Programme...Mentor (John Desmond)...This would be suitable for say anyone who has completed the Ballycotton 10 race or similar distance and is now planning to do their first Marathon. The plan is to get you around the 26.2 mile course in one piece, not to set a blistering fast time. The programme can be seen HERE

Marathon...Intermediate Programme...Mentor (Grellan McGrath)...This one is suitable for anyone who has completed at least one Marathon and just wants to improve their time. The programme can be seen HERE

Marathon...Advanced Programme...Mentor (John Quigley)...This is for those at the sharp end of things. If you have completed at least two Marathons and you feel like you are well beyond the 'beginner' stage then this might be the one for you. The programme can be seen HERE

*****
Half-Marathon...

Half-Marathon...Novice Programme...Mentor (Colin O'Herlihy)...This would be suitable for anyone who has only done short races up to now and want's to do their first Half-Marathon. The programme can be seen HERE

Half-Marathon...Intermediate Programme...Mentor (Elaine Guinane)...This is for anyone who has completed at least one Half-Marathon and wants to improve their time. The programme can be seen HERE

Half-Marathon...Advanced Programme...Mentor (Joe Roche)...This advanced progamme is for experienced members who want to try for a personal best time. The programme can be seen HERE

*****
Short Races...

Marathon Relay / Ballycotton Summer Series / 5 mile race...Novice Programme...Mentor (John Dunphy)...This is for those new members where the Half-Marathon or Marathon might seem like a distant dream. This is suitable for anyone who has just started or has completed a recent 'Couch to 5k' programme. The idea is to get you ready for some of the summer events. The programme can be seen HERE

Marathon Relay / Ballycotton Summer Series / 5 mile race...Intermediate Programme...Mentor (Tim McCarthy)...This is anyone who has done a few short races and wants to sharpen up and improve their times. The programme can be seen HERE

Marathon Relay / Ballycotton Summer Series / 5 mile race...Advanced Programme...Mentor (John O'Callaghan)...This is for the seasoned members who think they know it all! Take some advice from a man who finished in the top 100 in the 2013 Ballycotton 10 ;o) . The programme can be seen HERE

*****
All of the training programmes are provisional and are liable to be changed by their respective mentors to suit our training sessions. To take part in any programme, Eagle AC members should contact the relevant mentor.

If you have any questions or are unsure about which programme to join then send John Desmond an e-mail. The e-mail address is shown on the right hand side of this page.

If there is any aspect of running that any member needs advice on then don't be afraid to ask. If there is one thing that we have as a club is a huge amount of experience. Look at the clubs mentor page and see who can help you..........http://eagleactraining.blogspot.ie/p/mentors.html

Gym Basics : The Single-legged squat

Gym Basics: The Single-legged Squat......

Niall O Crualaoich has written a number of articles for the Run Ireland website. They are reproduced here with his kind permission... 
The gym basics series is supposed to acquaint you with some of the basic exercises that a runner will need. Any squat will work your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. It will also to some degree work your abductors, adductors and erectors. All your major leg muscles in one small exercise.

Why is the single leg squat so important? Well for a start since it is single leg, it will improve your balance and body awareness. Two legged squats allow your body to create muscle imbalances and leads to a dominant leg doing the majority of the work. Single leg squats force both legs to develop and strengthen. And if you have weak knees, the single legged squat also works the knee stabilisers. And for the runner it is a functional exercise as when we run, we generally have one foot off the ground while the other cycles through the weight bearing portion.

I usually recommend that you can do at least 20 bodyweight two legged squats before commencing with the single legged kind. While in this article I will concentrate on the off the bench single legged squat it is worth building up to it by starting with a swissball single legged squat. Start by standing with your back to the wall and the swissball between your lower back and the wall. Then squat down using the correct technique. The swissball acts as a stabiliser for the movement.

The off the bench (or step) squat: If you wish to progress more slowly then start on your stairs at home, this give you the added safety of the handrail for support. Stand on a bench or step that is knee height. Stand with the right leg parallel to the side of the bench and the left leg hovering in the air beside it. Keep the left toes level or higher than the left heel (foot flat). Raise your hands in front of you for balance and bend your right knee and slowly lower yourself. Think of it as trying to sit down while standing on one leg. Keep your back straight and look straight ahead, focus on a point ahead of you. Keep your chest up and ‘open’. Don’t lean your torso forward. Your knee should be over your second toe (the one next to the big toe) and shouldn’t travel further forward than your big toe. Be aware that your knee should be over your foot and not to the left or right of it. Lower yourself till you feel your balance go or your left foot touches the floor. Do not drop your left hip. It is to remain in line with your right hip. The aim is to squat not tilt. Sit back rather than lean forward, as if you are going to sit down.

Now raise yourself back up. Do not lock out the knee when it is straight; keep the knee ‘soft’. That is one repetition. Lower yourself on a count of 2 and hold for 1 and raise yourself for a count of 2. See how many reps you can do. And switch to the other leg. Use that as a basis for your training program. If you can do 6-10 reps per leg and that 3 times (3 sets) then try the pistol squat.

The pistol squat: Is the free standing version of the off the bench squat. It is also hugely more difficult and demands quite a lot of flexibility from your hamstrings. Since you can’t lower your leg into the ground you hold it out in front of yourself. Keeping your right foot flat on the ground and holding your left leg straight out in front of you, squat down. Your torso will have to come forward quite a lot to counterbalance and I find keeping the left quad contracted helps. The best tip I can give is to keep the control tight throughout the whole exercise. If you have muscle imbalances and/ or an unresolved injury you will find the pistol squat extremely difficult. If your having a lot of difficultly with this then stand facing a pole and put your right toes against the pole and hold the pole with your hands and use the pole to assist you doing the pistol squat. Then wean yourself away from the pole.