What Constitutes a Proper Warm Up for a Race? (with Video)

2 Comments/in , /by

A while back, I talked about the importance of a warm up before running a race.

But what exactly constitutes a proper warm up? Because at a lot of races I see people that think they are doing the right things to get themselves ready for the race, when that actually is not the case at all.

A Proper Warm Up Should…

  • Increase Your Heart Rate. If you’re going to want to run hard from the start of the race, no matter the distance, having your heart already thumping is a good thing. You’ll place less strain on your ticker if you bring your heart rate up a little bit before the race starts.
  • Loosen Your Muscles/Tendons. Cold muscles don’t work as well as warm ones. That’s just a fact. Cold muscles don’t produce as much force (so you won’t be able to run as fast) and are more likely to strain/tear (increased risk of injury) than warm muscles.
  • Move Your Joints Through a Full Range of Motion. The harder you’re going to run, the more motion you’re going to need in your hips, knees, and ankles.

The Most Common Mistake

If I had a dollar from every person I’ve seen before a race performing static stretches on their muscles, I wouldn’t be a millionaire but I’d definitely have a lot more cushion in my bank account.

Y’all, don’t hold your stretches before a race/hard workout!

This will actually decrease your performance, by decreasing the amount of elasticity in your muscles.

If you hold those stretches before a race, you’re decreasing the amount of force those muscles are able to exert (in the short term) which is going to result in you not be able to run as fast.

Yes, stretching is important. Just save it for after the race.

What are Your Thoughts on Warming Up Before a Race? Do You Have a Routine that You Follow? Share it Below!

Gary Stotler: Then & Now

Gary Stotler Has Changed His Health & Life for the Better

2 Comments/in , /by

Gary Stotler is one of my new favorite people in this world.

Gary Stotler and His Wife Post Race

Gary Stotler and His Wife Post Race

I’m so glad that I was able to have a conversation with this incredible guy today, and I know you are going to love it.

In the past few years, Gary has made a dramatic change in his life by making small changes every day that have helped him shed weight, improve his health, and stick with it throughout his journey.

And the results are pretty obvious.

Gary Stotler: Then & Now

Gary Stotler: Then & Now

In today’s episode we talk about the changes he’s made to improve his health, how his story has impacted those around him, how personal development/self-help books helped him with the diet and exercise changes that he’s made in his life,

Thanks to Jabra for Sponsoring This Episode

Thanks to Jabra for Sponsoring This Episode

Here are just a few of the many highlights from my chat with Gary Stotler. Read more

Who Says It's Impossible?

Everything is Impossible Until it No Longer Is

0 Comments/in , , , /by

“Some of the World’s Greatest Feats were Accomplished by People Not Smart Enough to Know They Were Impossible.”

~Doug Larson

What a profound statement, eh?

Think about all of the things that were “impossible” until they weren’t.

  • 4 Minute Mile
  • Sub-10 sec 100 meter dash
  • A woman running a marathon without losing her uterus along the way…

The list of things that were thought to be impossible until proven otherwise can go on for awhile, especially if we expand beyond the realm of running.

Why Put Limits on Yourself?

Who Says It's Impossible?

Who Says Something is Impossible?

What is impossible in your life right now?

One of the life lessons I’ve learned as a runner is that we are very often our own biggest obstacle. We have this nasty habit of convincing ourselves that something is impossible before we’ve even given it a shot.

Think about it, have you ever said “Oh I couldn’t do that”?

Maybe someone asked you to run a 5k with them, and you didn’t think that was possible.

Or the first time you thought about running a marathon?

Or my personal bug-a-boo, thinking about racing longer than 26.2 miles?

“Oh I couldn’t do that.”

Bull shit.

We (and believe me, this is directed squarely at me as much or more than it is at anyone reading this post) need to stop worrying about what we don’t think we can do and put ourselves out there to see what really is possible.

Because if we allow ourselves to believe that we can’t do something, we have a 100% chance of being right. But if we give ourselves a fighting chance, we might surprise ourselves…

Impossible is a Reality

Now, I’m not saying that you can do anything you set your mind to, if you’ll just work hard enough.

The second time that I had Dane Rauschenberg on the podcast, he caught me off guard when he said that some things actually are impossible.

Not what I expected from a motivational speaker.

But as he elaborated on that statement, it made more and more sense.

Some things just aren’t possible. Allow me to be the example here.

It would be safe to say that I’ll ever run a sub-4 minute mile. For me, that is impossible. But can I get faster at a mile? Sure!

If I dedicate a significant amount of time and effort training to improve my time in the mile, I will definitely get faster.

Eventually, I’ll reach my peak where due to my genetics and physiology I won’t be able to get faster. I don’t know what that top speed would be, but it’s safe to say it’s much faster than I probably think I could possibly get.

By going after things that seem “impossible”, even if we never reach that goal, we will often go far beyond what we think we capable of and find out what our limits actually are.

And more often than not, that which we truly are capable of is mind blowing.

Stop Holding Yourself Back

It’s time to blow your mind.

What are you currently preventing yourself from achieving? What have you convinced yourself is impossible, that you’ve never really even tried?

Maybe it’s running a 5k without stopping.

Maybe it’s running an ultra marathon.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter what “it” is. The fact is, we could all do a lot more than we’ve done before if we would dare to attempt that which seems impossible.

Do it.

What is Something That Seems Impossible to You Now That You’ve Never Really Tried? What is Holding You Back from Attempting the Impossible?

J Law

Quick Tip: Advice for New Runners

0 Comments/in , , /by

Why would I waste my time writing a post and recording a quick tip offering advice for new runners?

I mean, running is pretty simple, right?

Put on a pair of shoes, any shoe will do, and then just go run.

It’s really that simple, right?

J Law

Sure….

There is a whole lot more to running than meets the eye, just like Optimus Prime.

So here are 6 pieces of advice for new runners to help them avoid some of the same mistakes that I made when I started running.

Some Advice for New Runners

Read more

Stephanie Wattenbarger

Stephanie Wattenbarger Keeps Getting Faster With Age

4 Comments/in , /by

Today on the show, I’m going a few easy miles with Stephanie Wattenbarger.

Stephanie Wattenbarger

Stephanie Wattenbarger

Like me, Stephanie has a goal to travel the country and run a race in every state. She’s definitely ahead of me at this point, so I’ve got some catching up to do ASAP!

Stephanie started running in her mid-40s, and she is determined to buck the conventional wisdom that says that after a certain age you can’t get any faster. She keeps improving her times, both in the half and full marathons, and continues to shoot for new PRs.

And after qualifying for Boston in 2014, there’s no reason to suggest that she’s going to slow down any time soon!

Here are some of the highlights of our chat. Read more