Running Efficiently with Focus on Stride Rate

This weekend, Team FX Multisport enjoyed a group workout. We rode a nice 40 mile group ride followed by a 3 mile brick run. During the workout, I was able to set eyes on each of the athletes and provide feedback on their cycling and running technique. These observations prompted me to write this blog article specific to running. I hope that someone finds it helpful. There is nothing technical about how to run efficiently. I do not use fancy power meters or pedometers. Running is something the athlete should feel, in their body, mind & soul.

Running Efficiently

As runners, we all want to run faster, without injury.  The big question and highly debated topic on everyone's mind, how do we do that?  Let's discuss two factors that determine speed; Increasing,

1: Stride rate (the frequency of your stride, or how often you take a stride)

2: Stride length (the length of each stride across the ground)  

Athletes often find that trying to increase both at the same time, is too stressful. The heart rate spikes and while initially you may run faster, it is short lived. If a runner feels it is difficult or frustrating, they give up the attempt & revert into their old habits. Running efficiently is a process that takes time to develop proper technique. The body must adapt to the stresses (adaptation) of change.

 

Stride Rate

So to simplify, lets talk about stride rate first; the foot turnover or cadence. We want to establish both proper running mechanics and aerobic efficiency.  Aerobic efficiency is extremely important because it allows runners to hold on to their new speed for longer periods of time.  How does stride rate affect running mechanics?  Running with a higher turnover (stride rate or cadence) allows runners to:

-establish a slightly forward leaning body position, (better)

-produce a foot strike position closer to the center of your foot, (better)

-use less energy per stride, (efficient)

-decrease ground contact

-decrease vertical oscillation,

-increase forward propulsion

Adaptation

During the initial base building phase, I recommend focusing on stride rate instead of speed to build a solid foundation. This will allow for gaining running speed in the future decreasing chance for injury. Initially, you will have to run slower.  Adaption is a process that takes time, It will not happen over night.  The aerobic system will also adapt, heart rate will be higher at first until adaptation takes place.  

A Higher Cadence

A higher cadence or turnover can change your running form in many ways. To begin:

a) take with more steps in the course of a minute without increasing your pace

b) shorten your stride length  

The most efficient & best way to start this is to practice on a treadmill. Set the speed on the treadmill so you can focus on stride rate.  The constant speed in effect ensures that an increasing stride rate will result in a shorter stride length. Several benefits will occur: this shorter stride length will bring your foot strike more beneath your body allowing you to run more center foot, use less energy per stride and reduce ground contact. If this is a new practice, it can be aerobically challenging. So don't push it, let the run feel as easy as possible at first. To establish a new running fort & initiate change, you will want to focus on this higher cadence during all of your runs until your cardiovascular system has adapted. 

Our goal cadence should be low 90's. You can count the number of time one foot hits the ground in one minute, if you don't have a fancy cadence monitor. If you are already running with a cadence in the 90's (or 180's) if counting bilateral, then kudos to you. Once that is established we can work on strengthening & pacing. That development comes later in the training cycle when we work on hills & speed.

Final thought, if you are not already running with a high cadence, it is definitely worth thinking about & incorporating into your run practice. Get on the treadmill, shorten your stride, increase your stride rate & run smooth and easy until it is natural. Think about being quick & light on your feet. Bring your shoulders back, chin up & run with proud posture. If you practice it in training, you will run faster & stronger & more efficient on race day.

Happy Running, Coach Robyn

Ironman Florida Race Report

A Ten Year Dream Come True 

2nd in AG

  IMFL has been on my short list since I started doing IM 10 years ago. My intuition said it was the race for me. I love it hot & salty. But over the years, different people (coaches) discouraged me from doing it, saying it was a course for “the fast runners” suggesting I was not a fast runner. So instead, I chose races with big hills, CDA, Wisconsin, Chattanooga & Cozumel. (ok Coz has no hills, that was for a vacation). IMFL would be #5.

  This year, to celebrate my 40th birthday, I signed up for IMFL. Not with the hope of KQ, but just to do it. Bucket list item & all, having  totally forgotten that 10 years ago, after my first IM, I pledged to have a “10 year plan to qualify for Kona by the time I turned 40”.

    Stephen, my husband signed up as well. So, this is the first IM that we have trained for & raced together in the same year. All the others, we have alternated years. Our 2 girls Alexa (20) & Emma (13) put up with our crazy training lives. It’s what we do, it’s IM life. We even have a 13 year old dog named KONA.

  In May, Jenny & James DeLong, Stephen & myself, went to PCB to do Gulf Coast Half Distance triathlon as a training day for upcoming CHOO 70.3. Somehow, I placed 1st in AG. James also got on the podium in his 1st 70.3 distance race!! This win sparked a fire, and the thought of, what if…? So, I reached out to a fellow coach who collaborated with me on some Ironman Training Camps; Slayer from Tri Coach Georgia, about the possibility & what it would take to dig deep for  KQ at IMFL. And from there, together, we turned my life upside down.

TriCoachGeorgia & FX Multisport CHOO Camp

Coach Slayer & I at CHOO Camp

 The summer was a full one. 2 weeks after Gulf Coast 70.3, my races included Chattanooga 70.3 where I placed well, Ironman Steelhead 70.3, 10th AG, Augusta 70.3, 2nd AG & qualified for a Chattanooga 70.3 Worlds Championship slot.

Early Morning Training Rides with Stephen & James

    Training was intense during the hottest summer in history here in the deep south. My weekly run & bike volume steadily increased under the close watch of Coach Slayer. Every day began with a few minutes of quiet meditation and visualization. Every night was recovery focused to ward off injury. Listening to my body and mindfulness was key to performance. This included spending hours on the yoga mat with my recovery tools & frequent visits to Ron Reading & Virginia Lee for sports massage as well as biweekly PT at Summit Physical Therapy, to keep my SI joint aligned. Another key element to keeping healthy: Dr. Adair of McCallie Chiropractic. All of this, along with a weekly yoga sesh kept the niggles at bay.

   Big thanks to Richard Rogers & Jay Martin for their weekly open water swims on White Lightning. Every Wednesday night during the summer, we would swim the Tennessee River, the Ironman Chattanooga swim course. It was a highlight of the journey.

Swimming CHOO course on Wed nights

   Another large part of this journey involved physical changes. I needed to run lighter. With the help of fellow coach & friend Spartacus, we shed >20 lb of excess weight. Daily nutrition is an integral part of performance and must not be under appreciated.

WHERE THE RACE REPORT BEGINS

Prerace Pinapple Willies

 Friends Jenny & James DeLong (also a coach for FX Multisport) joined Stephen & I in Florida for a weekend of Ironman racing. Jenny, was the MOST AMAZING race sherpa in all of sherpa history. I actually avoided the flu shot at work, because it makes me ill & received a mandatory suspension & class 2 write up for not getting it. But that is a whole nother story.

So, I came into this race 80% healthy. 2 days before we left Chattanooga, I was diagnosed with a mild rotator cuff tear of the right shoulder, a bone spur & bursitis. Emergency text to the amazing PA Ryan Bowman & he had me seen & treated in just a few hours!! Apparently my bone structure is misaligned causing issues from all the swimming. Because I had been having shoulder pain for weeks, I had significantly cut back on my swim volume. Other than that, my body felt ready to race. A little runner's knee & some moderate hip pain; all part of the journey of an aging athlete.

Jenny, the Sherpa Fairy

  We entered race registration on Thursday, AWA allowed me to bypass the long lines. Cruised the expo & enjoyed the venue. This IS my favorite IM venue. What’s not to love?? The vibe is excellent; Sun, wind, salt, ripped up athletes & big smiles. It’s ALL GOOD!!! Met some cool peeps: Chance Regina from Fusion Sports who made my beautiful kit, Jason from Orr Wheels who sponsors TCG, Matt Miller from Base Salts & fellow Team Betty sisters, including Audra at Normatech. Thank you Audra for the VIP ticket! I gave it to our Sherpa Supreme Jenny DeLong & she enjoyed it.

Bike Check in

Susan Haag #100 IM!!

Getting the bags right

  

 Friday: Prerace: we did our swim bike run brick. I had the honor of meeting Susan Haag. She is the first woman to complete 100 Ironman distance races. What a woman & also a Team Betty sister!! 

The water conditions were epic. Crystal clear water, big fat jellies & we could see the bottom of the ocean 600 yards off the beach. Pre-race fueling consisted of a breakfast of LoadAbar & a lunch of  homemade rice bowl with 1 avocado, 2 fried eggs in butter, 4 slices of turkey bacon & a liter of coconut water. We all went out to dinner at FireFly, where I ordered a side of mashed potatoes water & everyone gave me a hard time while they enjoyed their AMAZING dinners. (highly recommend this joint) I really wanted the filet & a martini, but some sacrifices need to be made at times. This was not my first rodeo & I played it safe. Had an Isagenix protein shake when I got home before bed. We enjoyed some pre race banter on the balcony, stressed about the weather, wind & water temp… will it or won't it be wetsuit legal? In bed by 9pm. Slept good!!

Sunset Over the IMFL Swim Course

   Saturday: We stayed at the Shores of Panama; ½ mile from Transition, so we walked down together & set up our bike nutrition, dropped off  special needs bags (didn’t touch them during the race).WHAT A JUNK SHOW!!!! It was almost a riot trying to get into transition. People pushing their way in & out, almost like a mass swim start! The nervous energy was insane!

My special needs bag consisted of 2 Mountain Dews, a spare tube, 1 pair of socks.

   When we headed to the beach where we were stoked to find it would be a wetsuit legal day!! HOORAYYY!!! Headphones on: SOD= Rise by Katy Perry. Arms sharpied with mantras.

Head in the game. The 4 of us gathered for a quick prayer, hugs & we were off. Jenny, again was most excellent sherpa, taking all of our morning clothes & gear.

Big Day Ahead!

 Swim: Lined up in the corral with the 1:11 swimmers. Swim was pretty perfect, despite the big rollers. Kicked & got kicked, all part of the game. Noticed people cutting the swm course, & not staying outside the turn buoys, & thought that was crappy of them. But, not my problem. At one point of the 1st lap, I was all alone, had to ask the coast guard if I was going the right way (it was sunrise & I was blinded by the light) They said, not really & pointed me in the right direction.

Swimming is not my strength, but during the swim I felt strong, calm and happy. There was a force of strength within me that I had not experienced before. Whenever my mind started to wonder I would repeat the words KO-NA with each stroke. As I exited & re-entered the water, I saw Stephen was about 5 people ahead of me & I yelled hello with a big smile. 2nd lap was about the same except I was able to see the buoys better & stay on course. Exited with a swim time of 1:14. Lot’s of people said it was a tough swim. It was, but hey, it’s Ironman & we didn’t have a mass swim start, so, not so bad. I did see some jelly fish about as big as me, glad there were no JAWS. Pushing my way through a bunch of people who were lollygagging on the way through T-1; WTH are you all doing? 7th in AG at this point.

Rolling Swim Start

 T-1: AMAZING Volunteers. My helper informed me that 12-15 ladies were ahead of me. She was excellent. We put on compression socks after cleaning the salt & vaselining my feet/ not an easy task. Grabbed my stuff & headed out in a jog. T time 8:03. I took my time to get it right.

   Bike: It was windy with a strong Nor'easter that had settled upon us. I was riding a Cervelo P3 from East Ridge Bicycles, rear Flo disc from Jack McClarty, one of my athletes had lent me. Big thanks to Garth Mansfield & his crew from East Ridge for pampering me & my bike. They get it right every single time!!!!

   My pacing plan was very specific to power. I did not even wear a HR monitor. So despite with the heavy wind, I stuck to Slayer’s plan. It was humbling at times. No women passed me. I avoided the drafting, wanting a clean honest race. Stayed aero 99% of the time. The wind gusts were severe at times, blew a few people right off the road. Bike nutrition consisted of water, Base Salt every 5 miles, Ucan at mile 30 & 70, then 2 gels after that. Bike time 5:31:23 & 4th in AG. 

The Fusion speed suit was awesome, grabbed water from each aid station & showered in it. The whole time my mantra were the lyrics to RISE. “Victory is in my veins”, also, I prayed constantly, for my family, fellow athletes and felt the presence of my guardian angels, also “lovey”. Thanks MOM!!!

    T-2: 3:54. Pretty uneventful, incredible volunteers. Just can not say enough about how impressed I am with these volunteers. Shoes on, pockets dumped, race belt & visor on. As I was running out & saw TAZ & we ran together for a bit. The crowd support here is the best, so fun!

    Run: 3:40:27, ran into division rank #2.

During the 1st lap, Stephen Bentley, my past coach & friend for the last 10 years (he coached me for my first IM CDA 10 years ago as well as Wisconsin & CHOO) was there to cheer his GF on & gave me inspiration along the way.

Good friend & fellow coach Steven Bentley

Caught up with TAZ who was out having a good time & just kept running. Sherpa Jenny DeLong was there with music as well & updates. I did not walk at all. Sipped water from each aid station & at mile 10 started hitting the Coke. The run course is fantastic, lot’s of good energy out there with the spectators. Can I say again, this is my favorite race?!?!?!?!

Running with Taz

    

At mile 20, I was told that I was in 3rd place, so Taz was there to pace off of the next 2 miles. He was an amazing teammate, looking out for me, grabbing water, red bull for me, this is where the digging deep started. With 2 miles to go, Coach Slayer had one of his guys find me in the crowd & told me to DYJ & keep running!!

Running to the finish line

The thought that I may actually have a chance at KQ was hovering above my head, pushing me to run faster even though at this point, everything hurt. I wanted to hurl, hips, knees & feet were screaming. But that dream of a KQ drove me forward along with the good vibes from my teammates & the crowd. I was able to high five Stephen & James out there, they were killing it as well. The last 2 miles were pure adrenaline, pushing through the mass of athletes towards my goal. Crossed the finish line at 10:38:43, running into 2nd AG. How?!? Avg pace 8:24, last 2 miles at 7ish pace. Puked my guts out for 5 minutes immediately after they took my finisher pic. Taz, AKA Wes Hargrove was there with his family & they looked up my results right then & informed me that I in fact did place 2nd and THAT meant a KONA spot!!!! Thank you so much for that!! I had to give hugs all around, even though I was covered in puke, blood, sand, pee, salt & tears. I’m sure they were totally grossed out by that too. Sorry!

When a Plan Comes Together

    After a few minutes of aftershock, I stuck around & cheered for James & Stephen. They both finished with respected times. James in his 1st IM at 11 hours & Stephen PR’d 11:16. What a day!!!!

   Shout out to Garth Mansfield of East Ridge Bicycles for everything you do for me on the bike!!

LoAdebar for the amazing energy bars that helped fuel my day.

My wonderful family for putting up with my crazy dreams & plans.

Hubby Stephen for supporting me along the way.

Coach Slayer for getting me here (2 WQ in 1 season)

Jenny BFF for being the best Sherpa EVA!

Team Betty for all the good vibes from my Betty sisters. They were a huge inspiration to me this season.

Matt Miller & Base Salts for the on course support & fantastic products.

Base Salt Tent in the Paincave

Fusion Sports & Chance Regina for my beautiful speedsuit.

Brian Patterson AKA Spartacus for help with my nutrition.

Bless the hearts of my beautiful daughters Alexa & Emma who have put up with me this tough summer.

Also, to my parents, who I know, wish I would take up knitting and stay home, eat more food, cook & clean more, it finally paid off! You know how long & how hard I have worked & it was not all for nothing. I had the courage & dedication to pursue my dreams! And they came true!! I hope that can be an inspiration to someone, somewhere. Anything IS possible. But I could not have done it without the support of my loving family along with my triathlon family.

Awards Ceremony

   Sunday’s award ceremony was a memorable one. With my best friends in attendance, I was able to take the podium, my award and my Kona coin! (Jenny had to pay for the $999 when our CC security was too high) BFF comes through again!!!!! Best Day Ever!!

Going to Kona!!

FX Multisport Coaches Find Balance is Best

    This summer, Coach Robyn & her husband Stephen were interviewed by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Both Robyn & Stephen are training for Ironman Florida 2016. Stephen works full time as a Sales Representative for NovoNordisk & Robyn works part time as a nurse. They have 2 daughters, one in college & the other in middle school. 
     A recent move to the country & purchase of a farm, keeps them extra busy. Trying to find time to train for Ironman, training FX Multisport athletes for their races, along with caring for their farm animals (3 horses, 3 donkeys, 3 dogs, 10 chickens, a cat named Stella) keeps the Wilhams very busy. Stephen also coaches the Collegedale Adventist Middle School girl's varsity volleyball team.
    Despite the hectic chaos this year has brought, Team FX Multisport Athletes performed extremely well at Ironman Chattanooga. 19 of the 20 coached athletes crossed the finish line on the hottest IMCHOO day in history the link "recent news"

Recent News

Tamara's Inspiring Journey to Ironman Chattanooga

This year I have had the privilege to work with a wonderful friend and athlete.

East Ridge Bicycle Triathlon Team

Her name is Tamara and her story is extraordinary. On September 25 2016, she will celebrate the journey at Ironman Chattanooga with a 2.4 mile swim in the Tennessee River, bike 116 miles in the Chattanooga Valley & run a full marathon while her city of friends cheer her name. My heart overflows with joy to be part of her journey. Getting to the starting line of an Ironman triathlon, is no easy task for anyone. There is suffering & difficulties along the way. Many people do not make it to race day. It takes deep passion & commitment to keep pushing when the body & mind want to quit. Heart & soul will carry you through when you want something bad enough. Below is Tamara's story. She is a member of East Ridge Bicycles Triathlon Team. What she doesn't mention is that earlier this summer, she battled serious injury and training took a back seat as she focused on healing so that she could be healthy for race day. Her mental strength is inspirational.

Tamara's story, told by Tamara:

September marks an anniversary for me that many people don’t know about. I will be 41 this Friday and looking forward to participating in my first IM. I wanted to share how I began my IM journey.

My journey actually started in September 2005, when I had a mental breakdown which finally led to my diagnosis of Bipolar disorder. Immediately, my wonderful husband sought treatment for me and during many years of therapy and medicine, I am who I am today. I admit this has been a long and difficulty journey but I am so thankful for a supportive husband, family, friends and the Lord. I would not be where I am today without His and their amazing, unconditional love. After being diagnosed, my therapist encouraged me to begin an exercise program.

I began running in 2006 hoping to release enough endorphins to be somewhat stable. I continued until 2007 where I began to be discouraged so I quit. In 2010, I learned of a program called Run For God by Mitchell Hollis. This is when I became literally crazy. I began running 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, Half Marathons, Split Marathon, Marathons, and Ragnar. During these many years, I have struggled with many injuries. It was in 2014 that I sustained a left calf injury that led to PT. The Physical therapist recommended I find a new hobby. One day I went to pick up my medication from my pharmacist, who is also a very good friend, She asked, “I have you ever done a Triathlon.” I said, no. She said, “Chattanooga is hosting a Half Ironman.” At that moment I told her I would check into. You guessed it, I began the Crazy world of Triathlons in 2015.

I participated in a Sprint Triathlon in April, Half IM in May and many Olympic Triathlons that following season. In September 2015, I signed up for Chattanooga Full IM.

My journey began in 2005 with mental healing but I can say that my true journey began the day I signed up for IM. I have struggled mentally and physically for many years but the JOY that comes from meeting new people, learning and listening to others stories of how they became an Ironman, the opportunity to encourage others is why I can say I am thankful that God has given me the mental and physical ability to hopefully on September 25, 2016, I will here my name Tamara Edwards you are an IronMan.

My Ironman journey isn’t just about the mental and physical aspect but the spiritual, too. I give praise to the Lord who gives me strength and endurance each day. This IM journey wouldn’t have been possible without knowing and trusting in him. On race day, I will mark upon my heart this verse, “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust in Him, and He will.” Psalm 37:5

Special Thank you to so many people, I hope that sharing my IM story others will find the strength to go beyond and mental and physical restrictions to becoming an Ironman. Ironman isn’t just a race it is a life of experiences.

Tamara

Please Cheer extra loud when you see Tamara on the course next week!!