Marathon You Can Do It

The reason why scientist claim running barefoot is better that running on shoes is the foot strike.In bare foot running you land on the front of your feet while running on shoes you land on your heel.

The following images shows the foot strike difference in bare foot running and running in shoes.

Image courtesy of Havard University

The landing on heels is the cause of repetitive stress injuries such as ankle injury, calf injury and Achilles tendinitis.

If you have been looking for the best foot strike or good foot strike to help in your running technique /style just study the above image.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: achilles tendinitis, Ankle Injury, Best Foot, Calf Injury, Demonstration, Feet, Foot Strike, Havard University, Images, Reason, Repetitive Stress Injuries, Running, Scientist, Shoes

If Ethiopias’ Abebe Bikila is the god father of barefoot running(He won 1960 Rome Olympic marathon running barefoot) then South African Zola Budd is the god mother of barefoot running.

South African running sensation Zola Budd was a die hard devotee of the art of running barefoot. Budd trained and raced barefoot.

In 1984 aged 17 she set a New world record in 5000 meters while running barefoot.

Back then running barefoot was seen as a crazy idea but now experts seem to tell us running barefoot is not a crazy idea after all. In fact that is how we should be running.

From Science daily

Scientists have found that those who run barefoot, or in minimal footwear, tend to avoid “heel-striking,” and instead land on the ball of the foot or the middle of the foot. In so doing, these runners use the architecture of the foot and leg and some clever Newtonian physics to avoid hurtful and potentially damaging impacts, equivalent to two to three times body weight, that shod heel-strikers repeatedly experience.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Abebe Bikila, Architecture, Barefoot, Crazy Idea, Devotee, Die Hard, Ethiopia, Footwear, God Father, God Mother, Marathon Running, New World Record, Newtonian Physics, olympic marathon, Rome, Runners, running technique, Scientists, Sensation, Strikers, Three Times, Zola Budd

The beauty of a 10K run is, it is an easy distance to run than the half marathon. It is not as easy as the 5k but it is challenging enough. One thing I love about the 10k is it is over with an hour.

10K Training program for a 40 – 60 minutes finish time

If you are a beginner runner and your goal is to run and finish a 10k race between 40 – 60 minutes then you might be interested in reading a PDF book by an Australian endurance coach.

Tips Inside the guide

• Building your running base
• Injury prevention
• Tips on Warm up and cool down
• Cross training exercises
• Number of times to train in a week

To download the free book click on the following link 10K running program

Happy running and all the best in you 10K race!

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 10k Race, 10k Training Program, 60 Minutes, Beauty, Beginner Guide, Beginner Runner, Click On The Following Link, Cross Training, Download Free, Endurance Coach, half marathon, Injury Prevention Tips, Love, Pdf Book, running injury, Running Program, Train

Researchers are now reporting you can gain alot by listening to music in your Ipod / MP3 player while running.

From the BBC website

Dr Costas Karageorghis and Professor Peter Terry, sports psychologists from Brunel University West London and the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba respectively found music increased energy efficiency by 1-3%, meaning athletes could run further on the same amount of oxygen.

The researchers further found women seemed to benefit more than men.

Maybe this new find explains why elite runners are banned from listening to Ipods while running.

Read more at BBC Health

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Bbc, Bbc Health, Bbc Website, Benefit, Brunel University, Costas, Elite Runners, Energy Efficiency, Ipod, Listening Music, Listening To Music, Mp3 Player, Oxygen, Professor Peter, Running, Sports Psychologists, Terry Sports, University Of Southern Queensland, University Queensland, West London

I was going through a copy of Runners World Magazine and I came across a small piece on the best way to start running.

The advice was from a New york City running coach.

Every able-bodied person can be a runner, says Gordon Bakoulis, a running coach based in New York City. “Just start slowly and build up gradually.

Thats it! the mistake many beginner runners make is blast out running, five minutes later their legs, lungs, and even the insides hurt. Every beginner runner should start slowly and build up gradually.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Advice, Beginner Runner, Beginner Runners, Blast, Coach, Five Minutes, Legs, lungs, Mistake, New York City, runners world magazine, Running, Small Article

New runners normally ask what is Tempo running? The best answer / explanation I can give has to be the following from American middle distance runner Bernard Lagat.

Tempo running is sustaining a pace near the edge of one’s aerobic capacity, not as hard as racing, in a zone around 90 percent of maximum heart rate.

Bernard Lagat is famous for doing tempo runs of 5000 meters or longer on the trails.

Source Runners World Interview

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Aerobic Capacity, Bernard Lagat, Maximum Heart Rate, Middle Distance, Pace, Runners World, Running, Tempo, World Interview

If going out running is one of your TO DO THINGS while you are visiting the City of London you will need to know some of the best running routes around the city of London.

I found the following list of running routes around city of London from london sight seeing run.

1. Riverview run route

Starting from Tower Hill London Underground Station, Run along the famous River Thames from the Tower of London, along the South Bank and down to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

2. Royal Parks and palaces route

See Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch, while running through hyde park

3. Historic Eastend route

Run the streets that Jack The Ripper used to prowl and hear details of a string of crimes that has fascinated the world for centuries.

4. London Canals route

Explore the beautiful but relatively unknown London canal ways.Extraordinary canal-side paths and foot bridges lead to the magnificence of Regent’s Park where one might catch a glimpse of the taller inhabitants of the famous London Zoo.

For a running guide to assist you along the routes check this london travel site

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Big Ben, British Monarch, Buckingham Palace, Canal Side, City Of London, Foot Bridges, Houses Of Parliament, Hyde Park, Jack The Ripper, London Canal, London Sight, London Travel, London Zoo, Magnificence, River Thames, Riverview, S Park, Side Paths, Tower Hill, Tower Of London, Underground Station

In timeout magazine American Long distance runner Ryan Hall was asked on how he approaches hills

What’s your strategy for those Boston hills–and downhills?

My strategy for the hills in Boston are to run the same effort level whether I am going up, down or flat, which means I will obviously slow down going up the hills and fly down the back of them. I think that energy management is one of the keys to running a good marathon. The better I can keep it locked in at the right effort level, despite the terrain, the better I will run.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Boston Hills, Effort Level, Energy Management, Fly, Long Distance Runner, Right Effort, Running Marathon, Ryan Hall, Timeout Magazine

Marathon you can do it is now on twitter, twitter@dailyrunningtip. If you are user of twitter you may now start following me on twitter.

I had been slow to embrace twitter but looking at the Phenomenal growth twitter has had, I now believe twitter has a place in future.

Your favourite blog will continue being updated daily but I will also be sharing my running tips on twitter. If you are on twitter please add me now @dailyrunningtip

If you dont have a twitter account create one at twitter.com

Let us keep the conversation going here and at twitter@dailyrunningtip. Cheers

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Blog, Cheers, Marathon, Phenomenal Growth, Running Tips, Twitter

Marine Corps Marathon is a must sought marathon by runners. Marine Corps is popularly known as “the peoples marathon”. The traditional Marine Corps Marathon course is 26.2 miles and a 10K race also allows runners of all ages to join in a shorter 6.2 mile event.

Training & Running Tips for Marine Corps marathon

1. Train hard but remember to take a rest.

2. If a day or two of training is missed due to injury or illness or other reason, don’t try to cram two days of training into one. Lost days are simply days.

3. Train at your projected marathon pace.

4. Try to train at the time of the day the race starts and in the predicted weather condition as much as possible.

5. Do the long runs.

6. Remember to stretch

7. Do speed works round a track, it just makes your legs feel better.

8. Listen to your body, If you feel tired take a rest, if you feel pain go easy, if the pain is too much stop running.

9. Remember to stay hydrated.

10. Remember to have fun.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 10k Race, Amp, Legs, Lost Days, Marathon Course, Marathon Pace, marathon runners, Marathon Running, Marathon Training, Marine Corps Marathon, Marine Marathon, Running Marathon, Running Tips, Running Training, Time Of The Day, Train, Training Running, Weather Condition