As a coach the first thing I do with every new client is join them on a very easy run. I do this so I can get a feel for the person and observe their form and technique. Based on these observations I can begin the process of tweaking their running form to make running easier and more efficient. Again, because we are all different some will make these adjustments faster than others, but the results are always the same, easier running, faster times and fewer injuries.

It would be impossible to address all of the actions that are involved with running in this book. So I am going to address the attributes that will have the greatest impact on you as a runner.

Tall and Quiet

The first is posture and form. Although this may seem like a simple thing to change, I can’t tell you how many times I have to make small reminders to even some of  my most experienced and successful clients. I often tell you in my training plans to run tall and quiet. This is the most important tip I can give you. For endurance runners keeping your head up, and back straight takes the weight off of your quads and significantly reduces the amount of pounding on your knees. Focus on lifting your knees and landing lightly. This allows you to strike with a lot less force and cuts back on the braking action of each stride. Finally, relax your shoulders, arms, hands and even your face. Hunching up and bunching up will make your runs tighter and less fluid. Always focus on being relaxed.

Fast Feet

The next thing I address constantly in your training is having fast, light feet. Fast feet are accomplished by reducing your stride length and increasing the number of foot strikes per minute you use while running. You should be striving to reach 18 to 25 left foot strikes every 15 seconds. In the beginning you may feel like you are taking baby steps, but as you become more comfortable, you will feel how much more economical it is to under stride than over stride. Long strides use more energy and cause more breaking action than shorter faster steps. Again, a high stride rate reduces the amount of force at impact and greatly reduces the risk of injury.

Light Feet

When I tell you run with light feet I am talking about reducing the force, impact and amount of time your feet spend on the ground. For decades endurance runners ran with the notion it is best to strike the ground with the heel of your foot and roll forward before pushing off for your next stride. More recent research tells us that this causes two actions you want to avoid as a runner. The first is a stiff impact as your heel pushes into the ground, and the second is the longer length of time your foot is on the ground. Both reduce efficiency and speed.

However, if you land on your midfoot or forefoot, your foot will rebound almost instantaneously to initiate your next stride. This immediate energy return comes from the energy stored in your muscles as they are quickly stretched and then allowed to quickly release this energy. Therefore, landing farther forward on your foot improves your velocity with no effort on your part. In fact, research has provided that many world class runners take advantage of this action. One study showed that of the fastest runners, 60 percent landed on their forefoot, 30 percent made contact at their midfoot and only 10 percent were heel strikers.

Keep in mind when you land on your heel, your foot must be well in front of your center of gravity. Whenever a support point is in front of your center of gravity your forward motion is slowed. Again, it’s like putting on the brakes with every step. Now you must increase your acceleration to counter the braking. This constant speeding up and slowing down uses a lot of energy therefore making you far less efficient and economical as a runner.

Lose Your Bounce

A huge energy waster is bouncing up and down with each step. That’s why converting your leg motion to the more horizontal pendulum swing from the vertical knee lift is so important. Fortunately increasing your foot turnover and reducing your stride length will naturally reduce you’re your bounce.

The best technique to help promote horizontal movement is leaning from your ankles.  There is no bending at the waist to achieve forward lean. This position will allow your forward foot strike to convert your movements in a more horizontal direction. Simply put, you bounce less.

Why is it important to bounce less? Here is a great example. In a 10K race if you are a 150 pound person and your center of gravity, (your hip, waist and pelvic region) bounces up and down 2 inches with every stride, you will have lifted the equivalent of 84 tons one foot high. However, if you reduce your bounce to one inch per step you cut your workload in half to 42 tons raised. That is a lot of saved energy.

Not only is energy saved by reducing your bouncing with a long stride, but your impact forces are greatly reduced over the course of the race. This of course reduces your risk of runner’s injury.

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Jeff

• In advance of your trip, we will discuss your goals  via telephone.
• The coaches will send you a comprehensive training and fitness form to fill out.
• We will then discuss a time frame to work on your personal limiters.
• These days can be scheduled any day of the week.

3-Day Overview (subject to change based on individual needs):

• The coach will pick you up on at Denver International Airport.
• After arriving and checking in, we’ll do a short run, have dinner and get acquainted.
• Your first day will be a pretty intense training day. Including
• LT Test to establish HR and/or Power training zones
• Follow up with results of testing
• Body Composition Testing
• Nutrition Consultation
• Run analysis w/video taping
• Second day will include the following:
• Swim analysis with video taping
• Weight training and core strength exercises.
• The third day we will put it all together.

Some of the other details that we will cover:

• Evaluation of past training
• Develop future goals specific to the individual athlete
• Discussion on diet, race season planning, training theory, etc.
• Specific workouts to improve your limiters

The total cost for this package is $800.00  (packages available for 2)
A $250 deposit is due at the time your visit is scheduled – this is non-refundable

Includes:

• Personal coaching and testing with the coaches
• Transportation to and from Denver Airport
• All meals from arrival to departure

Does not include:

• Airfare to/from Denver, CO
• Bike shipping
• Lodging

coach@prsfit.com for details

Running can have a high rate of over-use injuries: Shin splints, plantar facitis, palellofemoral pain,  commonly referred to as runner’s knee, and Achilles tendonitis. All of these injuries can be avoided by taking the five components of fitness and incorporating them into training plans.

There was a time when “strength training” was looked on as almost taboo for the runner. Some runners today still avoid the weight room as much as possible for fear of weight gain through additional muscle mass. Do not make this mistake!

I incorporate a muscular strength, muscular endurance, and core strength plan in every training program I design for every person I train. I am convinced beyond a shadow of doubt, through personal experience and by monitoring the results of my clients, that runners who adhere to the simple strength programs I have designed, (and are contained in my book) suffer 95% fewer injuries. In fact, a recent study of runners that introduced a weight program to their training reported not only a reduction of injury but also an increased time to muscle exhaustion on their runs. The people in this study ran farther at a measured intensity level following a strength program for just a few weeks.

Your slow twitch muscles, or your endurance muscles, gain strength from weightlifting allowing them to carry more of the workload than your fast twitch muscles. Since your fast twitch muscles burn more glycogen and produce more lactic acid, your endurance benefits from the increased strength of your slow twitch muscles. The most recent studies show that runners who added a strength program to their training regimen show endurance improvements ranging from 10-35%

In short, adding a weight training and core strength program to your training and race preparation will increase your endurance, greatly reduce your risk of overuse injuries, give you overall body fitness and add a nice variation to your weekly training routine.

“Unleash Your Potential”

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Jeff

Make your goals possibilities not expectations. Many times, we are disappointed when we do not achieve our expectations. However, possibilities are always there to work toward regardless of the results. Write down your goals! Post those on your refrigerator, your computer at work, share them with a friend a family member or business associate. Being aware of your goals will keep you committed to the process of reaching them. Once you start to see the successes, they will keep you motivated and moving forward. More importantly be consistent, let your training become a part of your daily routine.

Consistency is by far the best and safest way to attain the results you are looking for. Consistency does not mean over training, but it does mean establishing a pattern of training that allows you to achieve the most improvement with the least amount of focused effort. Most coaches today, myself included, support the training philosophy that small fitness gains over long periods of time are far better than large gains over short periods. It is your consistency that allows you to practice moderation in training, and coupled with periodic rest days that will contribute to long-term gains and lack of injury.

Are your support systems in place? My guess is, if you are reading this book you are not training to make the next Olympic team or earning your income from endorsements. Like most people, you have a family, a job, and the daily responsibilities that life brings. Take the time to talk to your family, friends and business associates about your goals. Let them become a part of your efforts to make positive physical changes in your life that will carry over into a more positive and productive personal life. If you are training for a marathon, it will require weekend long runs. Have the family meet you at the end of your run for a nice cool down hike or walk. If you train in an area where it is safe for your kids to ride bikes, take them along on your runs. Whatever it is make it a team effort. The rewards are worth it.

Keeping your goals realistic is important. You want your goals to be challenging, but if they are too high, they may only lead to failure and disappointment that may discourage you from continuing. Make sure your goals are specific. By setting short-term goals that keep you focused and motivated, you will not loose sight of your ultimate goal. Being able to measure your goals allows you to monitor your progress. It is imperative to log your training. Keeping a log provides an invaluable resource in pinpointing which workouts are working best for you. It has been my experience that runners who keep a log are far more focused and achieve much higher levels of success than those who do not.

Make sure your log contains the following details:

Workout specifics (type, distance, intensity)

1. Pace
2. Time of day
3. Weather conditions
4. Nutritional information (before, during and after workouts)
5. Heart rates (morning resting and heart rates during your run)
6. Sleep patterns
7. Daily stress levels
8. Workout summary of how you feel

I cannot begin to tell you how important it is to have fun and find some kind of entertainment value in your training. Always look for new ways to make your training fun and interesting. Vary your workouts never do the same training week back to back. A fresh approach means a fresh attitude, and this can carry over into every aspect of your life.

“Unleash Your Potential”

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

Coach Jeff

Make your goals possibilities not expectations. Many times, we are disappointed when we do not achieve our expectations. However, possibilities are always there to work toward regardless of the results. Write down your goals! Post those on your refrigerator, your computer at work, share them with a friend a family member or business associate. Being aware of your goals will keep you committed to the process of reaching them. Once you start to see the successes, they will keep you motivated and moving forward. More importantly be consistent, let your training become a part of your daily routine.

Consistency is by far the best and safest way to attain the results you are looking for. Consistency does not mean over training, but it does mean establishing a pattern of training that allows you to achieve the most improvement with the least amount of focused effort. Most coaches today, myself included, support the training philosophy that small fitness gains over long periods of time are far better than large gains over short periods. It is your consistency that allows you to practice moderation in training, and coupled with periodic rest days that will contribute to long-term gains and lack of injury.

Are your support systems in place? My guess is, if you are reading this post you are not training to make the next Olympic team or earning your income from endorsements. Like most people, you have a family, a job, and the daily responsibilities that life brings. Take the time to talk to your family, friends and business associates about your goals. Let them become a part of your efforts to make positive physical changes in your life that will carry over into a more positive and productive personal life. If you are training for a marathon, it will require weekend long runs. Have the family meet you at the end of your run for a nice cool down hike or walk. If you train in an area where it is safe for your kids to ride bikes, take them along on your runs. Whatever it is make it a team effort. The rewards are worth it.

Keeping your goals realistic is important. You want your goals to be challenging, but if they are too high, they may only lead to failure and disappointment that may discourage you from continuing. Make sure your goals are specific. By setting short-term goals that keep you focused and motivated, you will not loose sight of your ultimate goal. Being able to measure your goals allows you to monitor your progress. It is imperative to log your training. Keeping a log provides an invaluable resource in pinpointing which workouts are working best for you. It has been my experience that runners who keep a log are far more focused and achieve much higher levels of success than those who do not.

Make sure your log contains the following details:

1. Workout specifics (type, distance, intensity)
2. Pace
3. Time of day
4. Weather conditions
5. Nutritional information (before, during and after workouts)
6. Heart rates (morning resting and heart rates during your run)
7. Sleep patterns
8. Daily stress levels
9. Workout summary of how you feel

I cannot begin to tell you how important it is to have fun and find some kind of entertainment value in your training. Always look for new ways to make your training fun and interesting. Vary your workouts never do the same training week back to back. A fresh approach means a fresh attitude, and this can carry over into every aspect of your life.

“Unleash Your Potential
Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun
Coach Jeff

The training plans we use at PRS FIT follow a system known as periodization. Periodization was developed a few decades ago by the East Germans to train their Olympic athletes. The system design allows for a gradual build in endurance, distance and speed, with an emphasis on rest and recovery. As a runner and a coach, with combined experience of 30 years, the most important conclusion I have come to is, every person is different; therefore, there is no “cookie cutter” plan that is right for everyone. The secret to success is simple and lies in each individual’s, “Commitment to Consistency.”

Consistent training, not over-training or sporadic training is the best way to achieve you best possible results. We all have physical limits when it comes to endurance, strength, speed and distance. You should seldom test them. By following a personal training plan designed to stay within your limits, and occasionally stretching those limits, you will achieve the greatest possible results with the least amount of fatigue and injury. We all know what an incredible athlete Lance Armstrong is. Everyone admires him for his amazing accomplishments, yet during a complete cycle of Lance’s training, he will spend less than 20% of his time pushing his actual speed and strength limits.

There is no scientific evidence available today that supports the need for extreme effort during training. However, there are mountains of research conclusions that support the notion, moderate stress during training is the most beneficial in the long term.

When I meet, or talk on the phone with a new client for the first time, the most important area of training we discuss, is his or her goals. I ask simple direct questions; What do want to accomplish as a runner or triathlete? Can you put that in words? Can you write it down in a way that motivates you? Most importantly, are you convinced it is possible? No matter what path you choose when planning a training program or the objectives, being committed to the process will be the factor that determines your level of success.

Many people go through life with dreams and never come close to seeing those dreams come true. Dreams are important. You turn your dreams into goals when you put together a plan to reach them. Your goals must then become a mission. The difference between achieving a goal and accomplishing a mission is attitude. Missions are accompanied by a passionate commitment to success. With passion, attitude and commitment, you can achieve any goal.

Having big dreams and setting lofty goals is an easy talk. The true test of your commitment to a training program is not talking about it, but doing it. Commitment alone will not get you across that first finish line, it will not help you run a faster marathon, best triathlon, or even help you loose those extra pounds you so desperately want gone. It is the consistent training you actually do that gets you there.

“Unleash the Potential”
Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun
Coach Jeff

Uphill and Downhill Running Made Easy from Jeff Kline on Vimeo.

My personal opinion is; Nutrition should be added as a sixth component. In fact I believe nutrition is so important that it should be second only to cardiovascular health. Heck in reality you can’t really have great cardio health if the nutrition is not right. I don’t care how much you run, bike, swim, walk, jump out of airplanes whatever! If you are making unhealthy food choices sooner or later it will catch up to you.

All runners and triathletes, beginner to elite need to understand the basics of eating properly to fuel your training, racing and overall health. I know, I know, with all the different nutritional information on the market today everyone is a little confused. I get that! And I’m not saying that I have a solution for everyone! I am, the biggest believer that as individuals we all respond differently to different things. That being said, I will say that in 99 out of 100 cases the basics apply and keeping it simple and clean will help you.

What do I mean by simple and clean? Easy, we all need carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals for our bodies to function properly. How much we need varies on our body make-up but you can determine that by following a few simple guidelines. Calculate your Resting Metabolic Rate (the number of calories you need just to exist). Then calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (the number of calories you need to support your lifestyle) (all activities). Then fuel your day accordingly. How many carb, protein and fat grams will be determined by your activity level, but that too can be easily calculated.

Eating clean is something that is so easy, but over-processed (no pun intended) that we tend to get confused. Clean protein’s are found in range fed (not feed lot beef), poultry, cold water fish (salmon, halibut, tuna etc,). Clean carbs come from veggies with a low starch content. Fruits are also a great source of carbohydrate. Eliminate the starches, the sugars and the processed foods from your diet. I can guarantee in most people these simple changes will have drastic improvements on your energy levels and overall health.

So in essence it’s not that hard to make smart food choices to support your lifestyle. Look if your willing to run and bike in these miserable summer temperatures, swim like you want to be a fish, all in order to achieve some fantastic physical accomplishment. Enhance those efforts by fueling your body properly and making sure the plugs that fire the engine are clean and tuned properly.

I am always available to answer questions on training and racing by emailing: coach@prsfit.com. You can tune into our weekly podcast www.prsfitlive.com/live, where again we will answer your questions. And as always;

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun
Coach Jeff

Forefoot Running Drills from Jeff Kline on Vimeo.

Podcast on Natural Running/Forefoot Striking 6-16-10 from Jeff Kline on Vimeo.