Off and running...Running Analysis and Fitness Testing, part. 1

In the past, I would most often strap on my shoes and start running...

That is one of the appealing things of this sport. I still do that on occasion, i.e. last Saturday afternoon for a neighborhood jog. Unlike other sports there is very little to do beforehand. No pads, bike set-up, or hauling equipment. Just put on my shoes (that is even much if you are into barefoot running) and go.

As a strength & conditioning coach and trainer, I know better than that. Warming up is crucial. It prepares the body for work. It reduces the risk of injuries. We all know this. I have decided to do things the right way this time in my training. If I want to succeed, I need to reign in all areas of my training including my training runs, strength, flexibility, injury prevention, and nutrition.

What does it take to succeed?

A jog around the neighborhood and an ultra marathon are on different ends of the running spectrum. To be successful in my ultra marathon journey, I need to prepare. I need to warm up. Even before I put my training plan into place, my first task is to determine what condition my body is in.

Testing

My first week of training consists mostly of testing. How strong am I? What is my aerobic endurance like? What does my running technique look like? What are my body measurements? In order to properly design a training program, I need to know what my baseline is.

Everyone is different. So why would one training program work for everyone? By testing, I can better adapt a plan to achieve my goals.

Running Analysis

In order to know where to improve on my runs, aerobic fitness, strength training & injury prevention, I had a running analysis done. It was similar to what you might see on a Gatorade commercial with the treadmill, videos, pictures, force plates, and lit-up Christmas tree-like buttons attached to my body. It took about 90 minutes and I came away with a lot of information about my running posture, technique and weak areas.

I am still waiting for the final report to share, but essentially my glutes are weak and my hips are tight. Looks like a lot more focus on stretching and hip strength coming soon!

Fitness Testing

On Monday and Tuesday I did some basic fitness tests. It doesn't take much equipment or complicated exercises to get an idea of your fitness level. Here are my current results after taking much of the last few months off of serious training!

May 5 & 6, 2014

1)  Long Jump 82 inches (6'10")

2)  Max Pushups 37 reps

3)  1-minute Sit-up Test 32 reps

4)  Max Pull-ups 12 reps

5)  Max Wall Sit 4:02

6)  Estimated 1-rep Max Deadlift 253 lbs.

     Calculated using the 3% rule

     Weight Used: 215lbs

     Reps: 6

     Estimated Max = 215lbs * .03 = 6.45 | 6.45 * 6 reps = 38.7 | 215lbs + 38.7 = 253.7 lbs.

 

7)  5-minute Power Interval on Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle (to roughly measure Lactate Threshold).

     211 WATTS @ 78 RPMs

8)  Weight 159.4 lbs.
 

9)  Body Measurements - Coming soon

     Arm -

     Chest -

     Waist -

     Abdomen -

     Hips -

     Thigh -

10) Mile Run - Coming soon
I lightly strained my left Achilles tendon two weeks ago during an impromptu 10-mile run after 3 months off. This goes back to the beginning of this blog....prepare, warm-up, don't be stupid...

Next up: Body Measurements, results from running analysis, my run & strength training calendar, & workouts...



Welcome, & San Diego Ultra Slam

Welcome to the Run Danimal Run blog!

I am a husband. Father. Strength Coach. Gym Owner. Runner.

Starting today I am embarking on a running adventure. I would like to invite you to join me on this journey and lets do some good along the way. 

The San Diego Ultra Slam

There is a local event called the San Diego Ultra Slam (http://sandiegoultraslam.com). It is compromised of 4 separate runs done in a calendar year and includes a 50-kilometer, 100-kilometer, 50-mile, and 100-mile run. I am starting with the Noble Canyon 50-kilometer run on September 20th, www.noblecanyon50k.com.

Last year I developed an interest in ultra endurance running. To that end I trained for and finished my first 50-mile ultra marathon in January 2014 (The San Diego Trail 50). 

It was an amazing experience to challenge myself both physically and mentally. I accomplished my goal of finishing in under 10-hours. I also learned a lot about how to train, eat, rest, and what not to do when training (I.e. Neglect stretching after a hard run). Now 4-months later, I am itching to run more ultra-marathons (ultras) and even improve my performance.

In these posts I want to share with you my training plan for runners, training notes and topics such as strength training, nutrition, hydration, injury prevention, etc.

Helping Others in Need

I am very committed to giving back. I would like to invite you to support me by helping others in need.

As of now, I am finalizing some programs to help raise money for worthy causes in San Diego and around the country.

If you have any thoughts, please let me know!

Donate to RunDanimalRun!

In addition to raising for charity (coming soon), you can also help support my training efforts by donating to this blog. This will help offset some of the costs associated with equipment purchases, event registration, running analysis (coming in the next blog or two), VO2 and metabolic testing (ditto). You can also donate just because you support me :)


 

 

 

 

Next up.....

I have spent the last two days doing testing on my current fitness levels. Today I am doing a running analysis to provide me with the information on reducing injuring and improving my stride.