Run to Win

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, we will be writing about timeless exercises in different disciplines throughout the month of May. This week I would like to talk about another of important type of workout for any competitive runner.

What is a tempo run?
A tempo run, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (see tempo and pace), is “a rate of performance at a steady pace.”

Tempo runs are workouts where you run at a steady pace that is around 70% to 80% of your max aerobic capacity. Tempo runs are just past the point where you begin to build up waste product in your legs at a rapid rate during a run, which is called the lactate-threshold velocity.
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In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, we will be writing about timeless exercises in different disciplines throughout the month of May. They may not be the easiest ways to get in shape, but can be an important part in your workout arsenal.

This week, Scott continues discussing squats. Specifically, he describes the hack squat.

A couple of points that Scott made that I would like to highlight are that you should treat your hands as though they were hooks (as in a deadlift) and that you should use your heels rather than your toes to raise your body. Reducing extra strain on your knees is a good idea for anybody, and especially for runners.

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, we will be writing about timeless exercises in different disciplines throughout the month of May. This week I would like to talk about one of the most important types of workouts for any competitive runner.

What is interval training?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fourth definition, an interval is “one of a series of fast-paced exercises interspersed with slower ones or brief rests for training (as of an athlete).” Intervals can be practiced across sports, but in running an interval workout is any workout where you run for a specified distance or time at a specified pace with a specified amount and type of rest.
(Click here to continue reading…)

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, we will be writing about timeless exercises in different disciplines throughout the month of May. They may not be the easiest ways to get in shape, but can be an important part in your workout arsenal.

This week, Scott starts us off by discussing squats. Specifically, the Zercher Squat. The move was made “popular” by Ed Zercher, a strong man out of St. Louis. It is a difficult and painful variation of the standard squat (where the bar rests on your shoulders), but it forces good form. I have never done them, and am planning on working them into tomorrow morning’s work out.