Define build up. What is build up? build up meaning and more by Macmillan Dictionary.
Showing posts with label person. Show all posts
Showing posts with label person. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Old Picture
Looking for an easy way to get an 'old photo effect'? Do you want to make a photo look old? This website is the easiest place to make your pictures look old. You don't need photoshop. Just upload an image and Your Old Picture providers you with an antique looking copy of it! With this website you can take a picture you took this morning and transform it into an image that looks as if it is a snapshot that was taking in the early 1900s.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Be Assertive
Being assertive falls right in the middle of being passive and being aggressive. If you're passive, you'll never get to vocalize your needs; if you're aggressive, you'll look like a big bully and will likely be misdirecting your frustrations. But if you're assertive, you'll be able to express your desires while respecting the needs of others, and will have the best chance of getting what you want and deserve.
Rushing when you talk is an admission that you don’t expect people to take the time to listen. Speaking slowly, on the other hand, will indicate to people that you’re worth the wait. Use a clear, calm voice. You don't need to be loud, but you do need to make yourself heard.
If people aren't noticing you, say "Excuse me" clearly and firmly. Don’t be apologetic when you haven’t done anything wrong; it will communicate to people that you feel slightly embarrassed just for existing.
Try to be concise when you speak. Even the most confident person in the world will lose their audience if they don’t make their point soon enough.
Keep your suggestion or point short and sweet -- long enough to say everything you need to say, but not so long that you feel like you're rambling or getting away from the main point.
Avoid saying um or like as much as you can when you're trying to make a strong statement. Make a conscious effort to get these words out of your vocabulary.
Shallow though it may be, people make snap judgments based on your appearance. People who are naturally confident and charismatic can change others’ minds, but the rest of us aren’t so lucky. If you're wearing clothes that look like you've just got out of bed, or if you wear a pound of make-up with fluffy high-heels, the average person won't take you seriously. On the other hand, if you look like you're ready to get things done, people will tend to be more respectful.
Dressing well doesn’t necessarily mean dressing up. If you’re the naturally casual sort, focus on having clean, matching, unwrinkled clothes with no embarrassing slogans or inappropriate images.
Going to the supermarket in sandals, socks, basketball shorts, and a ripped turtleneck, on the other hand, is an invitation for ridicule, even if you think you look just fine.
Making an effort to be serious about your appearance will make it look like you're more serious about your demands.
Rushing when you talk is an admission that you don’t expect people to take the time to listen. Speaking slowly, on the other hand, will indicate to people that you’re worth the wait. Use a clear, calm voice. You don't need to be loud, but you do need to make yourself heard.
If people aren't noticing you, say "Excuse me" clearly and firmly. Don’t be apologetic when you haven’t done anything wrong; it will communicate to people that you feel slightly embarrassed just for existing.
Try to be concise when you speak. Even the most confident person in the world will lose their audience if they don’t make their point soon enough.
Keep your suggestion or point short and sweet -- long enough to say everything you need to say, but not so long that you feel like you're rambling or getting away from the main point.
Avoid saying um or like as much as you can when you're trying to make a strong statement. Make a conscious effort to get these words out of your vocabulary.
Shallow though it may be, people make snap judgments based on your appearance. People who are naturally confident and charismatic can change others’ minds, but the rest of us aren’t so lucky. If you're wearing clothes that look like you've just got out of bed, or if you wear a pound of make-up with fluffy high-heels, the average person won't take you seriously. On the other hand, if you look like you're ready to get things done, people will tend to be more respectful.
Dressing well doesn’t necessarily mean dressing up. If you’re the naturally casual sort, focus on having clean, matching, unwrinkled clothes with no embarrassing slogans or inappropriate images.
Going to the supermarket in sandals, socks, basketball shorts, and a ripped turtleneck, on the other hand, is an invitation for ridicule, even if you think you look just fine.
Making an effort to be serious about your appearance will make it look like you're more serious about your demands.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Control Tears
Tears are a normal part of expressing your emotions, and are okay every once and a while. But crying excessively may displease you and here are some ways to control the tears from forming small rivers down your cheeks.
Sometimes you just need to let yourself cry. 'Go into a room where you can be alone and cry. Just cry. It can help you get those heavy emotions out of your system.'
If you think the issue is too big for yourself try seeing a therapist. If it is something that is brought on by someone else, talk to them about it.
If you are a girl it could just be "that time of the month". If you're a guy, it could be a dip in your hormonal cycle too
It helps to tell yourself that crying is normal and OK. If your crying over something stupid like, not having a good day, give yourself ten seconds to just calm down.
Many illness are caused by stress being an underlying factor. If you feel stressed out take a minute to breath and relax.
Sometimes just talking it out can help. Get together with friends or family to have some one on one time.
Don't panic about the situation. Crying can often lead to anger.
Take a day off. Sometimes you just need to calm down and sort out your emotions.
If you had a hard, long day treat yourself to a hot bath or manicure/facial. Have a mini spa!
Sometimes you just need to let yourself cry. 'Go into a room where you can be alone and cry. Just cry. It can help you get those heavy emotions out of your system.'
If you think the issue is too big for yourself try seeing a therapist. If it is something that is brought on by someone else, talk to them about it.
If you are a girl it could just be "that time of the month". If you're a guy, it could be a dip in your hormonal cycle too
It helps to tell yourself that crying is normal and OK. If your crying over something stupid like, not having a good day, give yourself ten seconds to just calm down.
Many illness are caused by stress being an underlying factor. If you feel stressed out take a minute to breath and relax.
Sometimes just talking it out can help. Get together with friends or family to have some one on one time.
Don't panic about the situation. Crying can often lead to anger.
Take a day off. Sometimes you just need to calm down and sort out your emotions.
If you had a hard, long day treat yourself to a hot bath or manicure/facial. Have a mini spa!
How to Be Lucky
Luck takes a lot more than clovers, but they can't hurt either. Learning to embrace opportunities and create your own luck can be the difference between a successful, fruitful, and happy life, and passively waiting around for something good to happen. Stop waiting. Make your own success. Grab luck by the collar by learning to set firm goals for yourself and meet them by working smarter, not by working harder. See Step 1 for more information.
We usually think of luck as something that's out of our control, expecting something or someone to descend on us from the clouds and improve life for us. But fortune and fame don't come to the passive. Waiting around for luck instead of creating it for yourself can create negativity and resentment, forcing you to see other people's good fortune as the result of good luck rather than good choices.
Think of luck as an emotion, more than a certificate or a ticket that gains you access to some exclusive club. Just as you decide to be happy, you can decide to be lucky and become willing to change your behaviors and create opportunities for success yourself, rather than waiting for changes to happen
If you're busy waiting for things to be perfect, you're going to wait a long time. Learn to recognize opportunities when they arise and improve your chances by embracing the opportunities you do have.
If you get a big project at work you feel unprepared to tackle, you could either consider that a stroke of bad luck, gripe to your coworkers, and make excuses for yourself, or you could consider it an opportunity to shine in a big way. Think of it less as having to do with luck and more as an opportunity to succeed.
We usually think of luck as something that's out of our control, expecting something or someone to descend on us from the clouds and improve life for us. But fortune and fame don't come to the passive. Waiting around for luck instead of creating it for yourself can create negativity and resentment, forcing you to see other people's good fortune as the result of good luck rather than good choices.
Think of luck as an emotion, more than a certificate or a ticket that gains you access to some exclusive club. Just as you decide to be happy, you can decide to be lucky and become willing to change your behaviors and create opportunities for success yourself, rather than waiting for changes to happen
If you're busy waiting for things to be perfect, you're going to wait a long time. Learn to recognize opportunities when they arise and improve your chances by embracing the opportunities you do have.
If you get a big project at work you feel unprepared to tackle, you could either consider that a stroke of bad luck, gripe to your coworkers, and make excuses for yourself, or you could consider it an opportunity to shine in a big way. Think of it less as having to do with luck and more as an opportunity to succeed.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Novelist
Self-education and practice are essential. A major can help but isn’t as necessary. I’m not putting down writing programs; I’m saying no writing program will help if most of your effort isn’t self-generated in the first place. I learned the most from books I wanted to read, rather than books that were assigned to me in class, but being an English major exposed me to works I wouldn’t have looked for, like-minded students, and wonderful professors. It was a lifestyle. I was a proud book nerd. And any successful career has to be a lifestyle, doesn’t it? A Major League baseball player thinks like a player off the field, staying focused, eating well. The game’s his life. I don’t consciously walk around thinking about writing all day, but it’s always with me. There have been times I’ve gone to the gym because getting in shape gives me energy, and I want more energy to write. So crazy as that sounds, I work out to be a better writer. I read to be a better writer. But getting back to writing programs: writing can be taught like any craft, but you need the natural inclination. If you’re faking the desire because you think being a novelist would be interesting, you’ll never truly care enough to be one. What began as pretense in my own life became real as I felt in love with writing.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
4 Bulletproof Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
The percentage of runners that get hurt every year is staggering. Some studies even put that number at an eyebrow-raising 74% — or in other words, higher than professional football.
Browse any running message board and the most passionate posts are cries for help from frustrated runners with their latest overuse injury. Ask a veteran of the sport about their injury history and they’ll likely rattle off a laundry list of every conceivable malady possible:
IT band syndrome
Plantar fasciitis
Achilles tendinopathy
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Compartment syndrome
This begs the question: why are runners so good at getting hurt? If we have evolved to run (as many have suggested), then why is the injury rate so alarmingly high? Can you imagine a deer straining its hamstring galloping through the woods? Or a shark getting tendinitis in its fin from hunting a seal?
Of course not! It’s outrageous to even think about. Yet it happens to humans when we run relatively pedestrian distances at comfortable paces.
The answer, it seems, is a combination of how we run and the effects of our modern lifestyle. When you adjust for these issues and correct your training, you’ll dramatically reduce your injury rate.
I learned this the hard way. For nearly seven years, my training was constantly interrupted by plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, and chronic Achilles tendinopathy that prevented me from running to my potential. It was frustrating. I didn’t know what to do.
But once I did enough research and learned through trial and error, I was able to escape my own personal injury cycle. After just six months of healthy running, I made my college’s varsity cross country team and ran an enormous personal best over 8 kilometers (about 5 miles). And since 2009, I haven’t had a single major injury. With so much healthy running, I’ve been able to run more than ever and improve my marathon to 2:39:32 at the 2011 Philadelphia Marathon (Boston 2014, I’m coming for you!).
The training consistency that comes with injury-free running is the most powerful way to become a better runner. Once you crack the code of pain-free running, you’ll be able to run faster, build your consistency, and finally reach your potential.
Just imagine what you could accomplish if you stayed healthy for a full year (or more). The results can be incredible.
Today let’s look at some running “best practices” so that you can implement smarter training. I know if you put this coaching advice into practice, you’ll see dramatic results.
Runners Need to be Strong
A common misconception is that distance runners don’t need strength training. After all, the upper body isn’t used at all and running works the legs…right? Wrong.
If you don’t complete regular strength work, you’re on the fast track to injury. While the entire topic of “injury prevention” includes much more than just strength exercises, it’s a big part of the puzzle. Most runners that can’t string together a few months of consistent training because of chronic injuries don’t do any strength work.
An analogy that’s useful here is comparing a car’s engine and its chassis. What would happen if you put a Lamborghini engine into a Geo Prizm frame? That powerful engine would tear the chassis apart — it’s just too powerful.
The same thing will happen if your aerobic fitness outpaces your structural ability to withstand the stress of running long and fast. Your cardiovascular system might be up to the task of running 10 miles, but can your muscles, tendons, and ligaments hold up? You better be strong!
Injury prevention is but one reason to start regular strength exercises. It will also help you become a more efficient runner so you lose less energy and ultimately run faster.
A couple classic weight exercises are the most helpful for runners: dead lifts and squats. These compound, multi-joint movements build strength while also activating the stabilizing muscles. Core workouts (like this one) are also helpful and should be done on days you’re not in the gym. More advanced runners — or those looking for a challenge — can do single-leg exercises that build even more stability, balance, and proprioception (spacial awareness of your body). After all, running is simply a series of very coordinated hops from one foot to the other.
In terms of scheduling, two days a week in the gym working on squats, dead lifts, and single-leg exercises (in addition to upper-body exercises like pull ups, bench press, military press, etc.) is all you need. But after each run it’s most beneficial to do at least 10 minutes of basic bodyweight work like the core routine mentioned above.
Many of the chronic aches and pains runners experience are the result of no strength work and can be easily avoided (or at least minimized) by exercising more muscles than just the heart.
Respect the Recovery Process
Mention the term “recovery” and most runners think of ice baths, compression socks, and trigger point massage. And while these tools can be helpful to facilitate recovery, they’re just ways to manage existing damage. They’re not the most effective ways to enhance recovery because they’re reactive.
Proactive recovery methods are much more helpful — they ensure you don’t have too much damage in the first place. Remember that every hard workout you do is a stress that initially damages your body. Only when you recover and adapt do you truly become a stronger, faster, and more resilient runner.
You can see this at work in the Stress-Adaptation Cycle:
stress adaptation
Instead of relying on your foam roller and an occasional ice bath, proactive recovery works within this cycle and ensures you only do workouts that are appropriate to your fitness level.
Reading about elite athlete’s workouts in running magazines is fun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should copy them! Every fast workout that you run should be achievable, realistic, and within your abilities. “Stretch workouts” that leave you sore for days spike your injury risk and compromise the recovery process. If you run too hard or too long your body will have difficulty recovering from and adapting to the workout.
Even if you are running workouts that are appropriate to your fitness level, you may find that on some days, you just don’t have it. So do you press on and attempt to complete the workout if you’re feeling overly sore, exhausted, or have a niggling pain? Of course not!
Flexibility to modify a workout (what I like to call a “Plan B Workout,” or an easier version of the run you had planned), cut it short, or even take the entire day off is critical to staying healthy. No matter how well your training program is written, you’ll need to alter some workouts on the fly.
To determine if you shouldn’t run or take an easier day, follow these three simple rules:
If you’re experiencing a sharp or stabbing pain, you shouldn’t run at all. That kind of pain means you’re doing additional damage.
If you have a moderate amount of dull or achy soreness, you can run but it’s best to make your planned run easier.
If the level of soreness is light or you’re just experiencing general fatigue, press on with your planned workout.
After all, the best workout for you today is just what your body needs. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what’s written on your plan.
Is Your Running Boring?
You can imagine that as a full-time coach, I write a lot of custom training plans for runners training for races as varied as military fitness tests, obstacle races, ultramarathons, and standard road race distances of 5k to the marathon. And after reviewing the training of almost a thousand runners, I’ve noticed a clear pattern: most people’s running is so boring.
They do the same distances, at the same paces, in the same shoes, on the same route, while training for the same race. They do the same static stretches all the time and keep their race goals the same from year to year.
With that kind of repetition, no wonder why repetitive overuse injuries are so common!
Variation is a critical element in my training philosophy. While a structured approach to training yields the best race results, variation is often in the details — small changes to paces, running surface and terrain, elevation, shoe rotations, and types of workouts are all critical to reducing the repetitive stress of running.
You’ve probably met the runner who is perpetually training for a marathon. Two or three times a year they run 26.2 miles but always seem to run the same finish times (and are often injured). The problem of course is a lack of training variety — if you’re always running marathon workouts, you’re neglecting other types of valuable workouts and subjecting your body to a very similar type of stress week after week.
To introduce more variety into your training and reduce the repetitive nature of running follow these steps:
Rotate two or more pairs of shoes to subtly alter your biomechanics and the stress experienced by your feet and lower legs (more on this below).
Run workouts that include paces of max effort sprinting to very easy, comfortable runs.
Incorporate a strength routine that includes a variety of exercises to correct imbalances.
Get off the roads and sidewalk to run trails and more hills.
These changes to your training program may seem insignificant, but over time they alter how stress is applied to your body. Your biomechanics are very different at full speed than they are at your 5k pace and even your very easy pace. Stride angle, foot strike, and range of motion are just three examples of what changes as you run faster.
You also run differently in cushioned running shoes than you do in more minimalist shoes. Some shoes have a higher heel, a firmer sole, and more support. Rotating a more minimalist shoe can help you build more strength and alter the way your foot interacts with the ground. But just like interval workouts or long runs, minimalist shoes are a training tool to accomplish a specific goal (foot strength and reinforcing proper running form). You don’t have to rely on them for all your workouts.
Hills, uneven terrain, and technical trails modify your stride pattern as well (in addition to providing a softer surface with less impact force). Dodging debris and moving over elevation changes reduces the repetitive nature of running that you’d normally experience on the roads.
Put together, these training changes help reduce repetition and improve your ability to run longer with fewer injuries.
Do You Know How to Run?
Most runners never learn how to run. They’re not taught how to execute proper form. And that’s a shame because running is not a basic movement — it’s a highly technical series of coordinated steps (or hops, actually).
Before I start, this is important: if you’re an intermediate or advanced runner (high mileage or someone who’s been running for years), it’s not a good idea to actively change your form. Studies have shown that experienced runners who try to significantly change their running form actually decrease their running economy. That’s right — they get less efficient.
So if you’re not very prone to injuries and your form is okay, then stick with what already works.
Indeed, the best way to improve your form is to run often. Your body naturally finds its most optimal form when you run very frequently. So get out there and run tall, don’t over-stride, and keep your cadence up. Your form will largely take care of itself, but I do have some general tips for you to speed up the process:
Increase your cadence. Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute. Most expert runners think 180 steps per minute (for both feet) is the holy grail of running cadence, but there’s really no magic number.
Ideally, your cadence should be at least 170 steps per minute when you’re running at a comfortable pace. It will increase once you start running faster — that’s normal. But if you’re under 170, try increasing it by about 5% every few weeks.
Recent research has shown that a higher cadence reduces impact shock on your legs, improves running economy (or your efficiency), and reduces your injury risk.
Foot strike at the right time. New runners have a tendency to “reach” out with their feet to take a longer stride. What happens is that the foot almost always heel strikes aggressively out in front of your body. You want to avoid this at all costs!
When your foot comes down and makes contact with the ground, it should be underneath your body, rather than significantly in front of it. But many beginners focus on which part of the foot strikes instead, which is not as important as landing underneath your body. There are successful runners who strike the ground with their heel, midfoot, and forefoot — all work well! As long as your cadence is above about 170 and you’re striking the ground underneath your hips, you don’t have to worry about foot strike.
As you’re running, a good mental cue is to think that you’re just “putting your foot down” underneath your body. There’s no reaching or stretching your leg out in front of you.
Run tall. This helps improve your posture so you’re not slouching. Many runners think they need a forward lean (and this is true) but they accomplish this by leaning at the waist. Instead, the body should be in a slight forward lean from the ankles. This will happen naturally as you focus on running with a tall, straight back.
A helpful mental cue that will improve your posture is to pretend there’s a string attached to the top of your head. Imagine that someone is pulling the string straight up in the air — pulling your back straight into a more athletic posture.
Once you incorporate these changes into your running form, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable and your injury risk is going to plummet.
Putting These Principles Into Action
The majority of recreational runners don’t follow these training suggestions — and they hit performance plateaus and experience chronic injuries.
But when you start preparing for your next goal race, implement regular strength work, a few running form upgrades, a conservative workout schedule that prioritizes recovery, and more training variety. Take a long-term approach and respect the process of training rather than chasing a new weekly mileage record or a workout personal record.
And I know you’ll not only stay healthy, you’ll probably race a helluva lot faster too.
Browse any running message board and the most passionate posts are cries for help from frustrated runners with their latest overuse injury. Ask a veteran of the sport about their injury history and they’ll likely rattle off a laundry list of every conceivable malady possible:
IT band syndrome
Plantar fasciitis
Achilles tendinopathy
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Compartment syndrome
This begs the question: why are runners so good at getting hurt? If we have evolved to run (as many have suggested), then why is the injury rate so alarmingly high? Can you imagine a deer straining its hamstring galloping through the woods? Or a shark getting tendinitis in its fin from hunting a seal?
Of course not! It’s outrageous to even think about. Yet it happens to humans when we run relatively pedestrian distances at comfortable paces.
The answer, it seems, is a combination of how we run and the effects of our modern lifestyle. When you adjust for these issues and correct your training, you’ll dramatically reduce your injury rate.
I learned this the hard way. For nearly seven years, my training was constantly interrupted by plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, and chronic Achilles tendinopathy that prevented me from running to my potential. It was frustrating. I didn’t know what to do.
But once I did enough research and learned through trial and error, I was able to escape my own personal injury cycle. After just six months of healthy running, I made my college’s varsity cross country team and ran an enormous personal best over 8 kilometers (about 5 miles). And since 2009, I haven’t had a single major injury. With so much healthy running, I’ve been able to run more than ever and improve my marathon to 2:39:32 at the 2011 Philadelphia Marathon (Boston 2014, I’m coming for you!).
The training consistency that comes with injury-free running is the most powerful way to become a better runner. Once you crack the code of pain-free running, you’ll be able to run faster, build your consistency, and finally reach your potential.
Just imagine what you could accomplish if you stayed healthy for a full year (or more). The results can be incredible.
Today let’s look at some running “best practices” so that you can implement smarter training. I know if you put this coaching advice into practice, you’ll see dramatic results.
Runners Need to be Strong
A common misconception is that distance runners don’t need strength training. After all, the upper body isn’t used at all and running works the legs…right? Wrong.
If you don’t complete regular strength work, you’re on the fast track to injury. While the entire topic of “injury prevention” includes much more than just strength exercises, it’s a big part of the puzzle. Most runners that can’t string together a few months of consistent training because of chronic injuries don’t do any strength work.
An analogy that’s useful here is comparing a car’s engine and its chassis. What would happen if you put a Lamborghini engine into a Geo Prizm frame? That powerful engine would tear the chassis apart — it’s just too powerful.
The same thing will happen if your aerobic fitness outpaces your structural ability to withstand the stress of running long and fast. Your cardiovascular system might be up to the task of running 10 miles, but can your muscles, tendons, and ligaments hold up? You better be strong!
Injury prevention is but one reason to start regular strength exercises. It will also help you become a more efficient runner so you lose less energy and ultimately run faster.
A couple classic weight exercises are the most helpful for runners: dead lifts and squats. These compound, multi-joint movements build strength while also activating the stabilizing muscles. Core workouts (like this one) are also helpful and should be done on days you’re not in the gym. More advanced runners — or those looking for a challenge — can do single-leg exercises that build even more stability, balance, and proprioception (spacial awareness of your body). After all, running is simply a series of very coordinated hops from one foot to the other.
In terms of scheduling, two days a week in the gym working on squats, dead lifts, and single-leg exercises (in addition to upper-body exercises like pull ups, bench press, military press, etc.) is all you need. But after each run it’s most beneficial to do at least 10 minutes of basic bodyweight work like the core routine mentioned above.
Many of the chronic aches and pains runners experience are the result of no strength work and can be easily avoided (or at least minimized) by exercising more muscles than just the heart.
Respect the Recovery Process
Mention the term “recovery” and most runners think of ice baths, compression socks, and trigger point massage. And while these tools can be helpful to facilitate recovery, they’re just ways to manage existing damage. They’re not the most effective ways to enhance recovery because they’re reactive.
Proactive recovery methods are much more helpful — they ensure you don’t have too much damage in the first place. Remember that every hard workout you do is a stress that initially damages your body. Only when you recover and adapt do you truly become a stronger, faster, and more resilient runner.
You can see this at work in the Stress-Adaptation Cycle:
stress adaptation
Instead of relying on your foam roller and an occasional ice bath, proactive recovery works within this cycle and ensures you only do workouts that are appropriate to your fitness level.
Reading about elite athlete’s workouts in running magazines is fun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should copy them! Every fast workout that you run should be achievable, realistic, and within your abilities. “Stretch workouts” that leave you sore for days spike your injury risk and compromise the recovery process. If you run too hard or too long your body will have difficulty recovering from and adapting to the workout.
Even if you are running workouts that are appropriate to your fitness level, you may find that on some days, you just don’t have it. So do you press on and attempt to complete the workout if you’re feeling overly sore, exhausted, or have a niggling pain? Of course not!
Flexibility to modify a workout (what I like to call a “Plan B Workout,” or an easier version of the run you had planned), cut it short, or even take the entire day off is critical to staying healthy. No matter how well your training program is written, you’ll need to alter some workouts on the fly.
To determine if you shouldn’t run or take an easier day, follow these three simple rules:
If you’re experiencing a sharp or stabbing pain, you shouldn’t run at all. That kind of pain means you’re doing additional damage.
If you have a moderate amount of dull or achy soreness, you can run but it’s best to make your planned run easier.
If the level of soreness is light or you’re just experiencing general fatigue, press on with your planned workout.
After all, the best workout for you today is just what your body needs. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what’s written on your plan.
Is Your Running Boring?
You can imagine that as a full-time coach, I write a lot of custom training plans for runners training for races as varied as military fitness tests, obstacle races, ultramarathons, and standard road race distances of 5k to the marathon. And after reviewing the training of almost a thousand runners, I’ve noticed a clear pattern: most people’s running is so boring.
They do the same distances, at the same paces, in the same shoes, on the same route, while training for the same race. They do the same static stretches all the time and keep their race goals the same from year to year.
With that kind of repetition, no wonder why repetitive overuse injuries are so common!
Variation is a critical element in my training philosophy. While a structured approach to training yields the best race results, variation is often in the details — small changes to paces, running surface and terrain, elevation, shoe rotations, and types of workouts are all critical to reducing the repetitive stress of running.
You’ve probably met the runner who is perpetually training for a marathon. Two or three times a year they run 26.2 miles but always seem to run the same finish times (and are often injured). The problem of course is a lack of training variety — if you’re always running marathon workouts, you’re neglecting other types of valuable workouts and subjecting your body to a very similar type of stress week after week.
To introduce more variety into your training and reduce the repetitive nature of running follow these steps:
Rotate two or more pairs of shoes to subtly alter your biomechanics and the stress experienced by your feet and lower legs (more on this below).
Run workouts that include paces of max effort sprinting to very easy, comfortable runs.
Incorporate a strength routine that includes a variety of exercises to correct imbalances.
Get off the roads and sidewalk to run trails and more hills.
These changes to your training program may seem insignificant, but over time they alter how stress is applied to your body. Your biomechanics are very different at full speed than they are at your 5k pace and even your very easy pace. Stride angle, foot strike, and range of motion are just three examples of what changes as you run faster.
You also run differently in cushioned running shoes than you do in more minimalist shoes. Some shoes have a higher heel, a firmer sole, and more support. Rotating a more minimalist shoe can help you build more strength and alter the way your foot interacts with the ground. But just like interval workouts or long runs, minimalist shoes are a training tool to accomplish a specific goal (foot strength and reinforcing proper running form). You don’t have to rely on them for all your workouts.
Hills, uneven terrain, and technical trails modify your stride pattern as well (in addition to providing a softer surface with less impact force). Dodging debris and moving over elevation changes reduces the repetitive nature of running that you’d normally experience on the roads.
Put together, these training changes help reduce repetition and improve your ability to run longer with fewer injuries.
Do You Know How to Run?
Most runners never learn how to run. They’re not taught how to execute proper form. And that’s a shame because running is not a basic movement — it’s a highly technical series of coordinated steps (or hops, actually).
Before I start, this is important: if you’re an intermediate or advanced runner (high mileage or someone who’s been running for years), it’s not a good idea to actively change your form. Studies have shown that experienced runners who try to significantly change their running form actually decrease their running economy. That’s right — they get less efficient.
So if you’re not very prone to injuries and your form is okay, then stick with what already works.
Indeed, the best way to improve your form is to run often. Your body naturally finds its most optimal form when you run very frequently. So get out there and run tall, don’t over-stride, and keep your cadence up. Your form will largely take care of itself, but I do have some general tips for you to speed up the process:
Increase your cadence. Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute. Most expert runners think 180 steps per minute (for both feet) is the holy grail of running cadence, but there’s really no magic number.
Ideally, your cadence should be at least 170 steps per minute when you’re running at a comfortable pace. It will increase once you start running faster — that’s normal. But if you’re under 170, try increasing it by about 5% every few weeks.
Recent research has shown that a higher cadence reduces impact shock on your legs, improves running economy (or your efficiency), and reduces your injury risk.
Foot strike at the right time. New runners have a tendency to “reach” out with their feet to take a longer stride. What happens is that the foot almost always heel strikes aggressively out in front of your body. You want to avoid this at all costs!
When your foot comes down and makes contact with the ground, it should be underneath your body, rather than significantly in front of it. But many beginners focus on which part of the foot strikes instead, which is not as important as landing underneath your body. There are successful runners who strike the ground with their heel, midfoot, and forefoot — all work well! As long as your cadence is above about 170 and you’re striking the ground underneath your hips, you don’t have to worry about foot strike.
As you’re running, a good mental cue is to think that you’re just “putting your foot down” underneath your body. There’s no reaching or stretching your leg out in front of you.
Run tall. This helps improve your posture so you’re not slouching. Many runners think they need a forward lean (and this is true) but they accomplish this by leaning at the waist. Instead, the body should be in a slight forward lean from the ankles. This will happen naturally as you focus on running with a tall, straight back.
A helpful mental cue that will improve your posture is to pretend there’s a string attached to the top of your head. Imagine that someone is pulling the string straight up in the air — pulling your back straight into a more athletic posture.
Once you incorporate these changes into your running form, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable and your injury risk is going to plummet.
Putting These Principles Into Action
The majority of recreational runners don’t follow these training suggestions — and they hit performance plateaus and experience chronic injuries.
But when you start preparing for your next goal race, implement regular strength work, a few running form upgrades, a conservative workout schedule that prioritizes recovery, and more training variety. Take a long-term approach and respect the process of training rather than chasing a new weekly mileage record or a workout personal record.
And I know you’ll not only stay healthy, you’ll probably race a helluva lot faster too.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Valentine's Day Gifts
Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them
Monday, January 20, 2014
Fans Fantasy Football
For several years now, National Football League officials have worried that watching a game on TV has become so much fun that people will start to prefer it to a trip to the stadium. Its solution, it seems, is to co-opt the best of the living room: wire up stadiums and make sophisticated mobile apps to mimic the sensory overload that comes from scrolling through a smartphone while flipping channels at home. In an ideal scenario, teams can connect with fans via apps that do everything from stream highlight reels to monitor the length of the bathroom lines. About 20 NFL stadiums are already Wi-Fi-enabled; the league recently told the laggards they have to get up to speed within 18 months.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Ronaldo House Picture
Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional soccer player. Cristiano Ronaldo's house pictures. You can change the views of Cristiano Ronaldo's home by clicking on N, E, S or W. Cristiano Ronaldo home is located in Madrid, Madrid Spain. View other celebrity houses in Madrid.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Funny Photo
Amaze your friends with amazing avatars and funny pics made with Loonapix.com photo effects online
Photoshop Photo Effects
Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for digital-image editing and graphics creation. Photoshop’s versatility makes it a popular choice among Web designers, graphic designers, digital media artists, print designers, photographers and other professionals in design and image-editing. Whether you’re designing a business card or website or digitally enhancing an image, you can rest assured that Photoshop will give you the necessary tools to get the job done
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Pose photo
If you ever run out of creative ideas, or you need a simple guide for making great pictures of women, you should use the samples of poses that are offered below as a prompt. Many professional photographers use this technique to prepare for photo shoots or during them.
The poses in this article were chosen as an initial recommendation. You better have a look at all the poses with your model, especially if she doesn't have much experience. During the photo shoot, the live discussion of the poses with your model is highly recommended, to see which poses are good and which aren't in different situations. This can help you be more productive and have more confidence in the final result.
The poses in this article were chosen as an initial recommendation. You better have a look at all the poses with your model, especially if she doesn't have much experience. During the photo shoot, the live discussion of the poses with your model is highly recommended, to see which poses are good and which aren't in different situations. This can help you be more productive and have more confidence in the final result.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Look up your birthday and see what you are
January 01 - 09 ~ Dog
January 10 - 24 ~ Mouse
January 25 - 31 ~ Lion
February 01 - 05 ~ Cat
February 06 - 14 ~ Dove
February 15 - 21 ~ Turtle
February 22 - 28 ~ Panther
March 01 - 12 ~ Monkey
March 13 - 15 ~ Lion
March 16 - 23 ~ Mouse
March 24 - 31 ~ Cat
April 01 - 03 ~ Dog
April 04 - 14 ~ Panther
April 15 - 26 ~ Mouse
April 27 - 30 ~ Turtle
May 01 - 13 ~ Monkey
May 14 - 21 ~ Dove
May 22 - 31 ~ Lion
June 01 - 03 ~ Mouse
June 04 - 14 ~ Turtle
June 15 - 20 ~ Dog
June 21 - 24 ~ Monkey
June 25 - 30 ~ Cat
July 01 - 09 ~ Mouse
July 10 - 15 ~ Dog
July 16 - 26 ~ Dove
July 27 - 31 ~ Cat
August 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
August 16 - 25 ~ Mouse
August 26 - 31 ~ Turtle
September 01 - 14 ~ Dove
September 15 - 27 ~ Cat
September 28 - 30 ~ Dog
October 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
October 16 - 27 ~ Turtle
October 28 - 31 ~ Panther
November 01 - 16 ~ Lion
November 17 - 30 ~ Cat
December 01 - 16 ~ Dog
December 17 - 25 ~ Monkey
December 26 - 31 ~ Dove
If you are a
Dog : A very loyal and sweet person. Your loyalty can never be doubted. You are quite honest and sincere when it comes to your attitude towards working. You are a very simple person, indeed. Absolutely hassle free, humble and down-to-earth!! That explains the reason why your friends cling on to you! You have a good taste for clothes. If your wardrobe is not updated with what is trendy, you sure are depressed. Popular and easy-going. You have a little group of dignified friends, all of them being quality-personified. Repost This If It's True For You.!! 4 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Mouse : Always up to some sort of a mischief! The mischievous gleam in your eyes is what makes you so cute and attractive to everyone. You are an extremely fun-to-be-with kind of person. No wonder people seek for your company and look forward to include you for all get-together's. However, you are sensitive which is a drawback. People need to select their words while talking to you. If someone tries to fiddle around and play with words while dealing with you, it is enough to invite your wrath. God bless the person then!Repost This If It's True For You.!! 3 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Lion : Quite contradictory to your name, you are a peace loving person. You best try to avoid a situation wherein you are required to fight. An outdoor person, you dislike sitting at one place for a long duration. Popular and easy-going. You are a born leader, and have it in you how to tactfully derive work from people. People love the way you always treat them. You love being loved, and when you receive your share of limelight from someone, you are all theirs!!!!Repost This If It's True For You.!! 5 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Cat : An extremely lovable, adorable person, sometimes shy, with a passion for quick wit. At times, you prefer quietness. You love exploring various things and going into depth of each thing. Under normal circumstances you're cool but when given a reason to, you are like a volcano waiting to erupt. You're a fashion bird. People look forward to you as an icon associated with fashion. Basically, you mingle along freely but don't like talking much to strangers. People feel very easy in your company. You observe care in choosing your friends.Repost This If It's True For You.!! 2 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Turtle : You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person who is in the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them. You can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys.Repost This If It's True For You.!! 10 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Dove : You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in life. Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain unaffected. In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are the leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in their times of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in love....Repost This If It's True For You.!! 8 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Panther : You are mysterious. You are someone who can handle pressure with ease, and can handle any atmosphere without going berserk. You can be mean at times, and love to gossip with your selected group. Very prim and proper. You like all situations and things to be in the way you desire, which, sometimes is not possible. As a result, you may lose out in some relationships. But otherwise, you love to help people out from difficult and tight spots when they really need you.Repost This If It's True For You.!! 12 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Monkey : Very impatient and hyper!!! You want things to be done as quick as possible. At heart, you are quite simple and love if you are the center of attraction. That way, you people are unique. You would like to keep yourself safe from all the angles. Shall your name be dragged or featured in any sort of a controversy, you then go all panicky. Therefore, you take your precautions from the very beginning. When you foresee anything wrong, your sixth sense is what saves you from falling in traps. Quite a money minded bunch you people are!! Repost This If It's True For You.!! 7 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
January 10 - 24 ~ Mouse
January 25 - 31 ~ Lion
February 01 - 05 ~ Cat
February 06 - 14 ~ Dove
February 15 - 21 ~ Turtle
February 22 - 28 ~ Panther
March 01 - 12 ~ Monkey
March 13 - 15 ~ Lion
March 16 - 23 ~ Mouse
March 24 - 31 ~ Cat
April 01 - 03 ~ Dog
April 04 - 14 ~ Panther
April 15 - 26 ~ Mouse
April 27 - 30 ~ Turtle
May 01 - 13 ~ Monkey
May 14 - 21 ~ Dove
May 22 - 31 ~ Lion
June 01 - 03 ~ Mouse
June 04 - 14 ~ Turtle
June 15 - 20 ~ Dog
June 21 - 24 ~ Monkey
June 25 - 30 ~ Cat
July 01 - 09 ~ Mouse
July 10 - 15 ~ Dog
July 16 - 26 ~ Dove
July 27 - 31 ~ Cat
August 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
August 16 - 25 ~ Mouse
August 26 - 31 ~ Turtle
September 01 - 14 ~ Dove
September 15 - 27 ~ Cat
September 28 - 30 ~ Dog
October 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
October 16 - 27 ~ Turtle
October 28 - 31 ~ Panther
November 01 - 16 ~ Lion
November 17 - 30 ~ Cat
December 01 - 16 ~ Dog
December 17 - 25 ~ Monkey
December 26 - 31 ~ Dove
If you are a
Dog : A very loyal and sweet person. Your loyalty can never be doubted. You are quite honest and sincere when it comes to your attitude towards working. You are a very simple person, indeed. Absolutely hassle free, humble and down-to-earth!! That explains the reason why your friends cling on to you! You have a good taste for clothes. If your wardrobe is not updated with what is trendy, you sure are depressed. Popular and easy-going. You have a little group of dignified friends, all of them being quality-personified. Repost This If It's True For You.!! 4 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Mouse : Always up to some sort of a mischief! The mischievous gleam in your eyes is what makes you so cute and attractive to everyone. You are an extremely fun-to-be-with kind of person. No wonder people seek for your company and look forward to include you for all get-together's. However, you are sensitive which is a drawback. People need to select their words while talking to you. If someone tries to fiddle around and play with words while dealing with you, it is enough to invite your wrath. God bless the person then!Repost This If It's True For You.!! 3 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Lion : Quite contradictory to your name, you are a peace loving person. You best try to avoid a situation wherein you are required to fight. An outdoor person, you dislike sitting at one place for a long duration. Popular and easy-going. You are a born leader, and have it in you how to tactfully derive work from people. People love the way you always treat them. You love being loved, and when you receive your share of limelight from someone, you are all theirs!!!!Repost This If It's True For You.!! 5 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Cat : An extremely lovable, adorable person, sometimes shy, with a passion for quick wit. At times, you prefer quietness. You love exploring various things and going into depth of each thing. Under normal circumstances you're cool but when given a reason to, you are like a volcano waiting to erupt. You're a fashion bird. People look forward to you as an icon associated with fashion. Basically, you mingle along freely but don't like talking much to strangers. People feel very easy in your company. You observe care in choosing your friends.Repost This If It's True For You.!! 2 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Turtle : You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person who is in the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them. You can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys.Repost This If It's True For You.!! 10 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Dove : You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in life. Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain unaffected. In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are the leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in their times of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in love....Repost This If It's True For You.!! 8 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Panther : You are mysterious. You are someone who can handle pressure with ease, and can handle any atmosphere without going berserk. You can be mean at times, and love to gossip with your selected group. Very prim and proper. You like all situations and things to be in the way you desire, which, sometimes is not possible. As a result, you may lose out in some relationships. But otherwise, you love to help people out from difficult and tight spots when they really need you.Repost This If It's True For You.!! 12 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
If you are a Monkey : Very impatient and hyper!!! You want things to be done as quick as possible. At heart, you are quite simple and love if you are the center of attraction. That way, you people are unique. You would like to keep yourself safe from all the angles. Shall your name be dragged or featured in any sort of a controversy, you then go all panicky. Therefore, you take your precautions from the very beginning. When you foresee anything wrong, your sixth sense is what saves you from falling in traps. Quite a money minded bunch you people are!! Repost This If It's True For You.!! 7 years of bad luck if you do not share this post.
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