Ryan Hall's Blog, page 210

6 Plyometric Exercises That Will Give You a Leg Up

Research has shown that runners who employ plyometrics in their training perform better in time trials on less mileage than runners who only run. So why not make time for a simple plyo routine each week? Plyo has the potential to improve your overall strength and running economy by training efficient muscle recruitment for the running motion.

Start with a 5- to 10-minute warm-up before completing this plyometric workout. Try incorporating it into your training twice each week for starters.

Photos: Oliver Baker

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Vertical Jumps

Stand with your feet shoulder-
width apart. Bend both knees, squatting your body slightly downward to recoil. With both feet, spring upward into the air, swinging your arms up for momentum. Be sure to land softly with your knees bent. Repeat 15–20 times.

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High Skips

Skip forward, but instead of emphasizing forward movement, work to get maximum vertical height with each skip. To do this, drive your right knee and left arm upward and then alternate. Proceed for 20 meters, turn around and repeat.

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Butt Kicks

Get set as if you were going to jog forward. Instead of driving your knees forward, bring your heels to your backside as you jog. Pick up your feet as fast as possible, focusing on cadence over the forward
distance. Proceed for 20 meters, turn around and repeat.

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Single-Leg Hops

Pick your left leg up off the ground and hop forward as far as possible on your right foot. As soon as you land, fire off the ground again and continue hopping forward on the right foot for 15 meters. Then turn around and repeat on the other leg.

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Bounding

After getting a running start, begin bounding by exploding off the ground with each step and emphasizing the length of your stride. Work to go as far as possible with each step by driving the front knee forward. Proceed for 50 meters, turn around and repeat.

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Single-Leg Bleacher Hops

Stand on one leg at the bottom of a flight of bleacher steps or stairs. Hop up a flight, walk back down, and repeat on the other leg. Complete two flights per side.

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Published on October 12, 2016 14:31

2016 Ironman Triathlon World Championships Running Shoe Count

Switzerland's Daniela Ryf (left) and Germany's Jan Frodeno repeated their Ironman World Championships titles on Oct. 8 wearing ASICS shoes. Photos: Paul Phillips/Competitive Image and Oliver Baker/Triathlete.com

Ever wonder what shoes triathletes wear when they’re running?

On Saturday in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Germany’s Jan Frodeno and Daniela Ryf repeated their men’s and women’s titles respectively at the 2016 Ironman World Championship, and they were again each wearing ASICS running shoes. Frodeno, who wore a pair of red and white custom-built shoes similar to the ASICS Super J33-2 stability-oriented racing flats, ran a 2:45:34 marathon split (7 minutes faster than last year) and finished the 140.6-mile triathlon course in 8:06:30. Ryf wore a pair of custom blue and white pair of shoes with characteristics pulled from the ASICS DS-Trainer 20 stability trainer and ASICS DS Racer 11 models. She ran a 2:56:51 marathon (10 minutes faster than last year) and finished in a new women’s Kona course record of 8:46:46.

But it’s also interesting to note that the top men’s running split was turned in by Patrick Lange of Germany, who ran a new Ironman record marathon split of 2:39:45 wearing a pair of Newton Distance Elite shoes on his way to placing third in his Kona debut in 8:11:14.

What shoes did other triathletes wear at the 2016 Ironman World Championships? Here’s the brand breakdown, as sorted by Dave Jewell for Lava Magazine.

This year, the top brand in the race was ASICS, which had 17 percent of the shoes in the race. But Hoka One One was close behind at 16 percent, supplanting Saucony (13 percent), which had been the No. 2 brand in Kona for the previous four years.

2016 Ironman World Championships Shoe Count

Brand
Men
Women
Total

1. ASICS
17%
17%
17%

2. Hoka One One
16%
16%
16%

3. Saucony
12%
14%
13%

4. Brooks
8%
9%
8%

5. New Balance
8%
7%
  8%

6. Newton
8%
7%
  8%

7. Adidas
  8%
6%
7%

8. Nike
6%
7%
6%

9. Mizuno
5%
5%
5%

Jewell took more insights from his shoe count, which he has done for several years both in Kona and at the Boston Marathon. He broke down brand percentages among age groupers and also offered thoughts about the most popular lightweight shoes.

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Published on October 11, 2016 17:14

Wrist Bling: Advanced GPS Watches with Style

Photo: Oliver Baker

With GPS run watches becoming ever smarter, more efficient, phone-connected and around-the-clock useful, it was inevitable that the battle to stay on our wrists 24/7 and for all occasions would go upscale. These state-of-the-art running watches not only perform magnificently, but each in its own way seeks to make style statements through its design, screen quality and materials.

Suunto Spartan Ultra

$700–$850, depending on options

Suunto’s first color touch screen watch is a beauty. Rounder than the Fēnix and lighter by 15 grams, its three buttons are perfectly placed on the watch’s right side for easy reach. The touch screen performs superbly with sweaty fingers and is backed up in run control by buttons (which we discovered when caught in a downpour). The sapphire screen has a very intuitive user interface and the highest resolution of the three here. It is easy to view multiple data fields on the run. The crisp analog and digital faces change the personality of the watch for après run wear. Battery life is two hours longer than the Fēnix in training mode, but without the wrist heart rate of the others (due late this year in the tri-focused Spartan Sport). Spartan Ultra is loaded with multisport and vertical mountain features, but functionality is a work in progress—Suunto is continually releasing software updates. Styles include black and titanium bezels, and black and white stainless steel bezels.

MORE: Suunto Introduces New GPS Watch, Enhanced Movescount Service

Polar M600

$330

In contrast to the burlier Garmin and Suunto models, the Polar M600 has lighter, sleeker, square design, and an open Android Wear operating system for its first wrist-based optical heart rate GPS and first model with a color display and touchscreen. The training features are superbly executed, but a bit harder to see on the smallish screen than on the others. It’s in between the Fēnix and Spartan in screen resolution. The M600’s color screen is made of the same Gorilla Glass found on smartphones. Android Wear provides access to more than 4,000 apps and even the ability to have the watch function as a standalone Bluetooth music player. iPhone users get the notifications, music control and phone features analogous to the other watches here. There are performance tradeoffs compared to the others: Battery life is 8 hours in training mode; one day (iPhone), two days (Android) when the phone is connected. It’s available in black or white.

MORE: First Look at Polar’s Latest GPS Training Watch

Garmin fēnix 3 HR

$600–$1,500, depending on options

Garmin’s top-end multisport smartwatch offers 16 hours of training with GPS and wrist heart rate, 40 hours in Ultra Trac mode, and two weeks in everyday phone-connected use. We particularly like its 24/7 heart rate monitoring to help gauge recovery. Incredibly rugged, the Fēnix 3 uses five buttons on both sides to operate the watch, but it doesn’t have touchscreen functionality. We found in-run scrolling of stats by buttons a bit more awkward than the easy swipe of other watches here. The screen is protected with a durable sapphire crystal and stainless steel bezel. The mostly monochrome display is very visible in all light conditions. The just-announced luxe Fēnix Chronos heart rate models ($900-$1,500) come with choices of titanium bezels and titanium hybrid bands, as well as steel and leather bands. Models without wrist heart rate function are also available in six style choices.

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Published on October 11, 2016 12:46

4 New Running Book Releases to Read This Fall

Surfacing by Siri Lindley

Here are 4 new books about running we highly recommend.

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Boston Bound by Elizabeth Clor

Like a lot of runners, Elizabeth Clor was intensely focused on qualifying for the Boston Marathon. But that led her to a vicious cycle of perfectionism and anxiety that thwarted her ability to improve as a runner. In her telling self-published book, Clor candidly explains how she overhauled her mindset and achieved her ultimate success and completed the 2016 Boston Marathon. If you’ve ever earned a BQ or have valiantly tried to get there, you’ll want to read this book. ($12.60, Amazon.com)

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Surfacing by Siri Lindley

This is the inspiring story about Siri Lindley, a two-time world champion triathlete who has become one of the world’s top triathlon coaches. Before she came to dominate the sport, she was mired in deep-seated insecurity that sabotaged her races and forced her to hide her sexuality. From her tumultuous childhood as the stepdaughter of an NFL legend to social connections with the Bush and Kennedy families, an Ivy League education and the athletic career that set her free, Lindley shares vivid details of her life story. ($25, Velopress.com)

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The River Road by Dennis Barker

The River Road is an evocative novel about becoming a runner at the start of the original American running boom. Set in 1972, Barker, who would go on to become a top U.S. running coach, weaves together hints of his own personal running journey with the American running success of that summer and a bit of the social change happening in the world at the time. A classic coming-of-age story, it’s a compelling read that will appeal to longtime runners, fans of the sport and anyone who appreciates how running can change a life forever. ($14, Amazon.com)

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The Born Again Runner by Pete Magill

Pete Magill knows a thing or two about being out of shape and unmotivated, given his drug-addled, misdirected past. But he knows a lot more about running, fitness and how to turn lives around. While his first book (“Building Your Running Body”) was aimed at helping current runners improve, this one is directed toward anyone who is struggling to get off the couch and get started. Magill outlines smart training, effective exercises and excuse-busting motivation for new runners of any age who need to hit reset or jump-start their fitness. ($19, Theexperimentpublishing.com)

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Published on October 11, 2016 12:26

5 Delicious Recipes to Help You Recover and Rebuild

Try this delectable Banana Walnut Two-Bite Pie recipe tonight.

Athletes are constantly in flux between tearing their bodies down and building them back up again. The rebuilding process—when it goes well—is what makes us bigger, faster or stronger. Proper nutrition is a key factor in getting the best possible response and making the improvements in your running that you’re hoping to achieve.

While all of that is undeniably true, it’s not particularly inspiring from a culinary point of view. Is it possible that enjoying the food you eat is as important to recovery as calorie counts and nutrient profiles? Nutrition author Matt Fitzgerald thinks so. “The most striking thing I have noticed is that, almost without exception, elite endurance athletes enjoy and are completely comfortable with their healthy diets,” Fitzgerald writes. “Maintaining high dietary standards is neither stressful nor onerous for them but satisfying and even automatic.”

How then can you become a high-performing runner who refuels with foods you love? We hope the five recipes below will help. From a tasty and hearty guacamole to crowd-pleasing roast chicken and a tasty banana-walnut desert, these easily prepared dishes will power you toward an effective recovery while pleasing your palette.

1. Guacamole With Beans

Kept chunky and rustic with red or black beans and chopped herbs, guacamole can be a bright salad packed with good fats and protein. High-quality beans are an economical way to feed more people. This is a crowd-pleaser that you can make last-minute and serve at room temperature.

2. Lean Turkey Burgers

Lean meats often make for a dry, tasteless burger, but fattier meat doesn’t give you the high quality you want for your diet. The solution: Add moisture with grated vegetables. The result is a flavorful burger without the extra fat and calories.

3. Whole Roasted Chicken

Dr. Allen Lim is a chef and nutritionist who has cooked for elite endurance athletes and created highly regarded nutrition products at Skratch Labs, a nutrition business he founded. Here’s a recipe he developed with professional chef Biju Thomas for roasting a whole chicken with vegetables—a classic dinner that requires only 15 minutes of prep time.

4. Winner’s Circle Yogurt

There’s no excuse for skipping breakfast. A base of plain yogurt provides protein and calcium. Add whole-grain cereal, an important source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. Top it off with fruit for sweetness and flavor, and nuts or seeds for minerals, healthy fat and a good crunch.

5. Banana Walnut Two-Bite Pies

Another creation from Dr. Lim and chef Thomas, these tasty little pies are portable enough to bring along on a ride or run. If you’re not planning on bringing them along for a workout you can stuff the crust a little fuller and proudly serve them for a winning desert at home.

You can find loads of additional recipes by visiting the Feed Zone!

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Published on October 10, 2016 14:47

Scenes from the 2016 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon

After 31 years, Phil Coppess, the humble factory worker from Iowa, is no longer the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon record holder. Kenya’s Dominic Ondoro broke the record set by Coppess in 1985 by more than a minute, stopping the clock at 2:08:51. In the women’s competition, Kenya’s Jane Kibii avenged her four-second defeat last year, winning in 2:30:01. In all, 8,551 runners finished the 35th running of the the self-proclaimed “Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America.” An additional 9,202 runners competed in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile race. Check out the photos below from Paul Phillips.

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