Cross Country Second Savers

BOOST YOUR BREAKFAST - If you’re eating a light breakfast and a heavier dinner, your afternoon runs may be suffering. “I call that ‘eating backward,” says Nancy Clark, RD., director of nutrition services at Sports Medicine Associates in Brookline, Massachusetts, and author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutri­tion Guidebook. “Better to frontload the calories, so you eat a larger breakfast and lunch, run with a well-fueled body and then eat less—and sleep better—at night.”

START YOUR TRAINING RUNS ONE MINUTE PER MILE SLOWER - Take a cue from the Kenyans and start each training run super-slow. “Let the run come to you,” suggests Robert Udewitz, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in peak performance training.  You may even consider walking briskly for a few minutes before easing into a jog.

PLAY AROUND WITH STRIDES - Finish every training run with “strides” —four or five fast repeats of, say, 100 meters each. Not only is this a great way to strengthen your fast-twitch muscles, it’ll also fine-tune your form, says Greg McMillan, an exercise physiol­ogist and certified coach.  “With each repeat, alter how you move your legs or arms or body position,” says McMillan. “See what happens with each alteration. Do you get faster with the same effort?  Slower?  Play with your technique until you hit upon the form that results in the most speed with the least effort.”  Eventually, your body will adopt it as your natural “fast-running” form.

GRASP THE BASICS - A clenched grip relays tension to the rest of your body— and that saps energy. “Hands should be lightly cupped rather than tightly fisted,” says Jim Fischer, men’s cross-country and track coach at the University of Delaware. “Imagine rolling a piece of paper and holding it during a run to keep the hands relaxed.”

BREATHE EASIER - You probably don’t think much about your breathing— which is precisely why you should. “Most elite runners use a two-two breathing pattern—breathing in for two steps and out for two steps,” says Jack Daniels, Ph.D., head coach of men’s and women’s cross-country and track at the State University of New York at Cortland. “Using a very rapid rhythm (one-one, for example) can be quite inefficient. A rate this rapid leads to more work for the breathing muscles.”  Experiment with different breathing patterns during training runs, find one that works best for you and then practice it until it’s second nature. This will only take a couple of weeks.

HAVE A HOT TURNOVER - Train yourself to rely less on stride length and more on a quick leg turnover. “There’s no doubt that very slow turnover can be costly in terms of the energy demand of running,” says Daniels. “Shoot for around 180 footfalls a minute.” Which means 60 steps every 20 seconds.

INFLATE THE GRADE - On a treadmill set at zero-percent incline, a seven-minute mile isn’t really a seven-minute mile. It’s easier. That’s because, unlike running outdoors, a motor is doing some of the work for you. To counteract this effect, punch the incline up to one percent. (Or more, naturally, if you’re doing a hill workout.)

KEEP MOVING FORWARD - Lateral motion wastes energy that could be helping you move ahead. So swing your arms in a mostly front-to-back motion, rather than side-to­-side. “Generally speaking,” says Fischer, “everything should go forward or back..”

SPEED YOUR RECOVERIES - During speedwork, lots of runners recover fully between repeats. For a change of pace, try running your recov­ery intervals only slightly slower than the pace of the rep. “This will teach you to recover ‘on the run’ as you would during a race, ” says McMillan.

  RUN THROUGH THE LINE - Another speedwork tip from Fischer: To squeeze the very most from your workout, run hard—don’t coast—all the way past the line at the end of each repetition.

  STRENGTHEN YOUR POSITION - Devote one day a week to working on your stomach and back muscles, as well as the hamstrings and quads (front of your thighs), recommends Daniels. “Uphill running can also help, as can bounding and plyometrics,” he says. “All these things, along with some good quality repeti­tion running, will lead to better running economy.”

  EAT FIRST, THEN SHOWER - Most gains from train­ing actually occur after your run. To get the most from your recovery, eat immediately after running, says McMillan. “Drink a shake, smoothie, or meal-replacement beverage within the first 15 minutes after a hard workout, race, or long run,” he says. “Then a well-balanced meal within the next two hours.”

SLEEP ON IT Rather than fixate on getting a good night’s rest the night before a race, concentrate on the night before the night before. As a rule of thumb, banking some quality rest that night will relax and prepare you more than the zzz’s you get the eve of your race, when you tend to be restless and excited anyway.

REHEARSE THE RACE - “Visualization before your race will prime your body for action and make it more likely that you’ll perform like you did in your mental imagery,” says Udewitz. Picture yourself at different stages of a race: getting through a difficult mile, passing runners comfortably, finishing smooth and strong.  TIME SAVING 10 TO 20  seconds

  CHANGE YOUR SHOES - It may be obvious advice but it bears repeating:  Reserve a pair of racing flats or lightweight trainers just for races. The advantage goes beyond the few ounces you’ll save in weight, says Fischer. “Even if the physical advantages are minimal, the psychological gain could be a real plus.”  TIME SAVING 10 TO 15  seconds

  ADD TWO MINUTES TO YOUR WARMUP “Many runners don’t warm up hard enough,” says Daniels. “They do a good deal of easy running and then some quick strides, but they haven’t really worked hard.” Try adding a final two- or three-minute run at a demanding pace, 10 to 15 minutes before the start of your race, Daniels suggests.  “This will not only get you ready, but will often cause you to hold back a little at the start, as opposed to going out too fast.”   TIME SAVING 10 TO 15  seconds

  RUN THE COURSE - Do your pre-race warmup on the course itself, adds Udewitz, or jog the course a day or two before the race if possible. Note the location of turns, woods and hills.. “The familiarly will help you feel confident.”   TIME SAVING 5 TO 10  seconds

  SHORTEN YOUR STRETCHES - “Over the last couple of years, I’ve tweaked my pre-race stretching routine,” says McMil]an, “ever since an exercise therapist friend suggested I’d get plenty of benefit from only holding my stretches for a short time. Since then, I’ve been holding stretches for five seconds and repeating them four to five times. I find that my body stays revved up, and I can get into race mode easier.”   TIME SAVING 5 TO 10  seconds

 STICK TO THE SIDE - Whenever practical, try to run on one side or another of the course, where there is usually less congestion. In the middle of a dense pack, you’re subject to the whims—and pace—of those around you. “Don’t let others dictate your pace or your race plan,” says Daniels.  TIME SAVING 5 TO 10  seconds

 CUT CORNERS – Race courses generally are measured along the most efficient line through turns. When you stray from those lines, you’re actually adding to the distance of the race. Carve your way through the course, “cutting the tangent” of each turn—start wide, aim for the inside corner, then wide again. The only exception to this rule is if you’re in or just behind a large group of runners. In that case, trying to cut the tangent may get you boxed in, jostled, or worse. “In a group, go wide around a turn, free of traffic,” Fischer says. “You’ll travel a greater distance, but you’ll keep moving and won’t get hemmed in.”   TIME SAVING 8 TO 10 seconds

  LOOK UP – When following another runner, look at his/her shoulders and not his/her feet, says Fischer. “It will be easier to maintain position, as the point of reference will not move. Run behind the runner and just off his shoulder, to avoid any potential tangles of feet and legs. TIME SAVING 3 TO 5  seconds

  WIPE THAT GRIMACE OFF YOUR FACE - Maintaining a cool, relaxed expression doesn’t just “psych out” fellow competitors—it also signals to the rest of your body that things are going smoothly. The result? Well, things will go smoothly. “Relaxing key parts of your body—particularly your facial muscles—is important when you’re digging deep,” says Udewitz. “The energy spent on tensing those muscles will take energy from crucial (running) muscle groups.   TIME SAVING 5 TO 10  seconds

  CALL HILLS “FRIEND,” NOT “FOE” - It’s perfectly natural to dread hills, especially during a race. But try seeing them as a positive thing—for example, by repeating silently to yourself “this hill is a welcome relief”—and you might just get to the top faster and in better form. “I always like the idea of acceptance,’’ says Udewitz. “As in, accepting that this is challenging and difficult, and embracing the notion that you’re able to put yourself in such discomfort and still maintain your pace.”   TIME SAVING 8 TO 10 seconds per hill

  RUN THROUGH THE LINE—AGAIN - Remember how you’ve been pushing hard past the line during all those speed workouts? Here’s why.  TIME SAVING 1 TO 2 seconds

TOTAL TIME SAVINGS 1 minute, 20 seconds to 2 minutes, 17 seconds (not bad for a 5-K race)