Running Programmes With Jorgen Welsink

May 9, 2017

Running Programmes With Jorgen Welsink

As runners, if we don’t have a coach, we need to know how to train ourselves to reach the goals we have set without burning out and injuring the body.

Jorgen Welsink studied Hollistic Health Coaching / Nutrition at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition and Orthomolecular (Top)Sport Coach & Personal Health Coach at LekkerPuurLeven.

As a running coach Jorgen explains how running training programmes for marathons should be planned. Get a pen and paper because there are a lot of important points to remember and slowly introduce into your training.

We also talk about different types of running technique to reduce the risk of injuries. We talk about heel strike running and natural running technique.

Jorgen also gives us gives us his advice on how to choose your running shoes for marathon training and when. Yes, there is an ideal time of the day to buy your running shoes.

In terms of recovery during training and after your marathon Jorgen shares with us his advice on nutrition, sleep and training for recovery.

In terms of nutrition we talked about how running gels work, carbohydrate loading and how to build a fat burning instead of a sugar burning body.

Links mentioned in the video:

www.iherb.com

Celtic salt

Smoothie with pea protein

Make your own running gels

Pineapple-orange chia energy gel
Orange-Pineapple Chia Gel Nutrition DataIngredients:

1 oz chia seeds
1 medium seedless orange
8 oz pineapple
¾ cup brown rice syrup
½ oz dry fruit pectin
1 serving electrolyte mix (above)
Mix the chia seeds with ⅜ cup of water. Stir until the chia gels thoroughly, then set aside.

Peel the orange, removing as much of the pith as possible. Combine the orange and the pineapple, including the juice, in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Combine ½ cup of the fruit mash with the hydrated chia. It’s normal to have extra fruit mash (I had ¾ cup left over). You can freeze it until you need to make another batch of gel.

Stir in the brown rice syrup, then slowly add the pectin. Finally, stir in the electrolyte mix.

Put the mixture in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over low to medium heat, stirring constantly. Let the mixture boil for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat and pour it directly into a sterilized ½ pint mason jar for storage.

April 20, 2017August 14, 2017

Running Technique – Elements Of Effortless Running – Lower Body

Any books you read on running technique which has the potential to reduce the risk of injuries have a few common elements. Each technique or style of running (i.e. Chi Running, Pose Method, Natural Running) has its own particular elements that sets it aside from the others, however they all state that to run with less effort and fewer injuries a runner should:

1. Land with the foot underneath the body

That means DO NOT land ahead of your body because you overstride, break your momentum and increase impact. When you overstride you also have to power up by re-engaging the back muscle chains to start a new stride. More effort, more muscle tension, more impact, higher risk of running injuries.

If you can see your feet when you run (by looking down with your eyes and head, not by bending your whole body) it’s a sign you are probably overstriding, landing heavily in front of your body.

Bouncing up and down too much can be another sign. Usually, if you land under your General Centre of Mass you won’t bounce, you will move smoothly, almost like gliding.

This will also help reduce the rotational forces in the joints which lead to overuse injuries in the ankles, knees, hips, spine.

2. Lean the body from the ankles

This is an up-right, slightly forward leaning from the ankles, correctly aligned posture. Let gravity do the work instead of using your muscle strength.

3. Strike the ground with a midfoot strike

Another common element is the midfoot strike. If you land under your general centre of mass and use gravity to move forward there is no way you will do a heel strike. You will automatically go into a midfoot-forefoot strike.

That being said make sure you don’t run on your toes. You land on the balls of your feet and then allow the heels to touch the ground slightly. That’s it.

If, when you run, you listen closely you can tell whether you land with the ball of the foot. You will hear a “tap” and then you will feel the heel touching the ground. If you hear a “punding” that’s heavy landing and probably heel striking.

If you think about it pretty much all sports require a midfoot or forefoot body weight distribution: dancing, skiing, martial arts free sparring, even tennis. Look at the footwork in this tennis match, just the first 10 seconds.

4. Pick up the feet

Your feet are like pendulums. A long pendulum will move slower, a shorter one will move faster. So stop shuffling your legs, dragging them behind you, instead pick them up and bend your knee.

5. Aim for optimum cadence

Running cadence is measured by the number of strides per minute that each leg takes. The optimum running cadence is considered to be 85 to 90 strides per minute.

If you do all of the above then you can maintain the optimum cadence.

However you have to build up gradually to this cadence if it’s not your normal. Then you keep that cadence all the time and use the lean and picking up your feet to move faster. In Chi Running you also increase the strides to increase speed. But you move faster because you lean more and relax your legs more not because you are using muscle power. You should not put effort to increase your strides, it will happen as you lean more. But first master the lean.

February 27, 2017

Running After Knee Injury – Testimonial Client Experience

Mariepaule had a really bad knee injury. She did the therapies recommended and got the OK. Then she came to work with Alexandra.

Through consistent running technique and natural movement practice, coaching and practicing by herself, Mariepaule recovered nicely and managed a 2 day walk, 2nd day combined with running.

This is what we look at on the Running Technique Workshop. Of course, changing the way you move and use your body takes time, but on the workshop you will leave with a few concepts that, if used, can make a huge difference.

While same results cannot be guaranteed, with practice, natural running technique will help you run faster, further, with less effort and fewer injuries.

Book your spot for the next workshop in East London, Canada Water.

February 27, 2017August 14, 2017

Running With Lower Back Pain – Testimonial Client Experience

Richard experienced sore back after running. We knew it was a non-specific lower back pain (i.e. not caused my disc problems, accidents etc) so we could work together.

Over the 12 months we’ve worked once a week to develop strength, flexibility and mobility through natural movement. We also corrected his running form to make it less destructive on his joints and body as a whole.

There were many many changes in his running form over the past 12 months which lead to NO MORE BACK PAIN!! during or after running.

But it’s not over. Next steps: fine tune technique, optimise performance and address other subtle imbalances, tension and restrictions in the body.

Well done Richard!

While same results cannot be guaranteed, with practice, natural running technique will help you run faster, further, with less effort and fewer injuries.

Book your spot for the next workshop in East London, Canada Water.

February 23, 2017August 14, 2017

How Your Arms Make Your Running Heavy And Breathing Difficult

If you want to run lighter, breathe easier when you run and reduce the risk of injuries think about your arms. What you do with your arms, where they’re going, how they’re moving and everything in between.

I explain in the video and also show how your arm direction affects your running, making it heavy and it also affects your breathing.

When your arms cross your body midline the following happens:

your shoulder start to curl inwards
that leads to the chest closing up
which compresses the chest and rib cage
that leads to difficult breathing
your alignment is also off as the shoulders drop forward
your hips fall back
your general centre of mass in behind you
your lower back takes a lot of pressure
your lower back is sore

To avoid this chain reaction you arms should move forward, and your elbows lightly brushing your body.

Check out the March 2017 Running Technique Workshop in East London.

If you live in Surrey we have weekly classes dedicated to runners. Get in touch for more information

Dracula’s Retreat link as promised in the video click here.

February 14, 2017August 14, 2017

Running Effortlessly Using Gravity

runinng-effortlessly-using-gravity-running-technique-style-alexandra-meri

When it comes to running lighter and with less effort one of the most important lessons I’ve learnt from my coach is to use gravity – free energy. And that’s one of the lessons Pose Method of running teaches as well.

In this video I explain and also show you how to use gravity, but to have it in writing the idea is that:

To avoid pushing off, which created pressure on the body and joints, you want to learn forward from the ANKLES

Avoid bending from the hips; body has to learn as a whole, as a plank, from the ankles; it’s a FREE FALL feeling (i.e. falling on your face)

Keep the feet under the body; if your foot goes ahead of the body you will stop your free fall and will experience a lot of pressure on the joints, especially knees

This article and video links to the previous article and video on How runners damage their knees.

If you wish to know more about our dedicated Running Technique Workshops and Classes in London and Surrey email support@themtechnique.com or fill in the form below the video and we will reply within 2 working days.

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February 7, 2017August 14, 2017

How Runners Damage Their Knees

Are you a runner? Do you suffer from knee pain but there is no structural damage that you are aware of (i.e. meniscus, ligament damage etc)? Not yet at least!

Then you should consider looking at HOW you run, your running form, more than for how long and how fast you run.

In this video I explain the main mistake runners make from a technical point of view. That main mistake runners make that lead to damaged knees is OVER STRIDING. Yep. Shorten your stride and you will be using your body in a less destructive way, because when you over stride you:

1. Lock your knee

The moment you lock out your knee it cannot absorb the impact as is would when it is slightly bent. When it is slightly bent you are using the knees and muscles aroudn the knees, the stabilizor msucles as suspension to take on the pressure. When you lovk your knees all you do is put all that pressure and impact on the joint itself.

2. Break your fall

In the POSE Method of running Dr Romanov talks about using gravity to move the body forwards, leaning the whole body from the ankles (not bending from the hips). However, when you over stride all you do is break your fall. Add a locked knee to the equation and you have the recipe for knee injuries.

3. Push off

When you over stride the only way to move on is to push off with the back leg. When you push off you stretch out the leg and you also get a reaction from the ground (for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction). The harder you push off the harder the reaction from the ground.

There are a few other reasons when you don’t want to over stride which I haven’t covered in this video but will in future videos.

Watch the video below and if you wish to enquire about our Running Workshop please fill in the form under the video and we will get in touch within 2 business days.

Enquire about Running Technique Workshops:

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December 19, 2016

Run Lighter And Reduce Running Injuries – Running Workshops

Do you want to run lighter and reduce the risk of running related injuries?

Whether you are into parkruns, marathons, short distance running, trail running, road running, obstacle course races the way you run will impact your body instantly.

Shin splints, knee pain, lower back pain, shoulder and upper body pain they are all related to your running form, to how you use your body.

Thus join our running technique workshops in London and train like an athlete.

Watch the video to understand what you will do and learn on the day.

Also please share around. Looking to pass down this knowledge to as many runners as possible.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS are available for the January and February workshops.

December 16, 2016August 14, 2017

Running Technique – Matching Cadence And Breath For Long Distance Running

When talking about how to breathe when running we need to look at how to match the breath to our cadence. When we achieve that breathing is not a problem anymore.

So many people who take up running say they have to stop because they can’t breath anymore, although their legs are ok. The problem is not fitness, not always at least, but their breathing rhythm.

They might go really fast at the beginning, breathing being chaotic, and they burn out faster. Then they have to stop to catch their breath.

The idea is that, no matter the cadence you’re at, it’s slower if you are a beginner for example, match your breathing to your cadence. Then you can go as far as your legs will take you, and as fast as well.

On the same topic I talked about in the previous video: Breathing Struggles When Running

I explain in more detail in the video. If you wish to attend our dedicated running workshops email support@themtechnique.com or book a free consultation,

December 13, 2016

Running Technique – Breathing Struggles When Running

Over the past 3-4 years I’ve been working with a number of runners and one of the most common struggles are related to breathing patterns and rhythm. Every running has questions regarding this.

How should I breath when running?
Is there a rhythm?
How do I breath in through the nose if I can’t get enough oxygen in?
How do I keep the rhythm? I lose it after a while

In the 6 min video below I attempt to address all these questions and suggest several solutions. If you have a health condition that can be made worse through deep breathing or breathing exercises talk to your doctor before applying the ideas in this video.

The struggles identified:

– can’t take in enough oxygen through the nose
– can’t keep the same rhythm of breathing through the nose for a long time
– nose hurts when breathing through the nose in winter (because it’s cold)

Some of the solutions discussed in this video:

1. Correct breathing rhythm through the nose

To begin with I suggest the following rhythm:

2:2 – 2 in breathes, 2 out breaths
For practice and to increase lung capacity you can take it up to 10:10 and then down to 2:2.
Eventually you want a 2:3 pattern or 4:3 (breathing out one longer than in). This is because you want to avoid the first out breathe to fall on the same foot over and over again.

2. How to keep the rhythm through longer runs

Don’t worry if you lose the rhythm. Maybe after breathing 10 times on the nose you need to breathe a few time through the mouth. It’s not a problem and not written in stone. Then get back in the rhythm.

3. How to practice the rhythm until it becomes natural

If you want nose breathing to be natural you have to close your mouth throughout the day and breathe through your nose. You might feel you cannot get enough oxygen.

However, how do you expect to be efficient breathing through your nose if you breathe through your mouth when you walk, sleep and do housework.

Breathe through your nose, that’s why it’s there, for you to use it for breathing.

4. How to allow more oxygen to come in through the nose

Relax. This is the “trick”. Forcing air in by tension your nose and face will only restrict the flow. Relax your face, mouth, nose and nostrils and allow the air free passage through your nose.

When you need to breathe in through the mouth just do it and then go back to using the nose. Even if you have a problem with the nose (i.e. sinus) and it restricts the breathing relaxing your nose and face can’t harm, but only help.

As mentioned before, you cannot expect to take it enough oxygen through the nose, to be efficient, if you don’t use it.

5. Abdominal breathing

Efficient breathing doesn’t only mean breathing through your nose but also breathing into the stomach without lifting your shoulder.

For runners the shoulders and level of tension in them impacts their performance almost instantly. Watch the video on how to relax the shoulders.

Watch the video below as I give examples and talk about other aspects as well. If you wish to attend our dedicated running workshops email support@themtechnique.com