Table of Contents
Contents at a Glance
Part 1: Run for Your Life 1
1 Bodyworks: The Biomechanical Man 3 Learn the mechanics of running correctly.
2 Injury-Free: A Holistic Approach 11 Its all connectedquite literally.
3 Setting Goals and Planning Your Training 19 Time to build a plan that will last and guide you to the mountain top.
4 Increasing Your Running Energy 45 Crank up your engine, but dont start in high gear.
Part 2: Finding Your Stride 59
5 Nutrition and Body Weight 61 Burning high-octane fuel and running efficiently, whatever your size.
6 Warming Up and Cooling Down 79 The machine that is your body needs proper maintenance.
7 Stretching ... the Truth 89 A full menu of great flexibility exercises.
8 Your Strength Program 113 Building strength is as important as building endurance.
9 R & R: Two Important Letters 127 A good workout earns relaxation points.
Part 3: Running and Dressing Defensively 139
10 If (and Only If) the Shoe Fits 141 How what you put on your feet keeps you on your feet.
11 Apparel and Equipment 153 The right gear and gadgets can help you train smarter.
12 Weather and Where You Run 167 Choose the right running surfaces and make Mother Nature your training partner.
13 Danger on the Run 181 Why to keep your eyes and ears open.
Part 4: Listen When Your Body Talks 189
14 The Book on Running Injuries 191 A guide to the most common conditions.
15 Finding the Right Medical Care 223 The foundation of wellness.
16 Running with Injury and Illness 229 Staying fit when you take a hit.
17 Staying Motivated 241 Your mind can lead your body to victory.
Appendixes
A Glossary 249
B Workouts for Runners at All Levels 255
C Resource List 257
Index 261
Introduction
We all run at some point in our lives. We stop as we get older because we dont have time, we put on some weight, or we hurt ourselves.
It doesnt have to be that waywell, except for the we all get older part; we cant change that. But you can keep feeling younger, and in better shape, as you get older. And you can do it by running and stayinginjury-free.
Ive coached hundreds of runners and won dozens of titles and Coach of the Year honors during my tenure at NCAA powerhouse Adams State College in Colorado. To have my runners win, they have to be able to run, which means keeping them injury-free. Running, when done properly, extends your life, makes you feel better with more energy and a more fit body, and keeps your heart and muscles in good shape. So lets take that first step into the rest of your lifea more enjoyable, healthier, fulfilling life.
How to Use This Book
I divided this book into five parts to make it more user friendly. All of these chapters apply to anyone who wants to run injury-freefrom someone reading this on the couch, to someone who wants to run a local race, and even to those who are already running regularly.
Part 1, Run for Your Life, explains the proper running form, how the body works when you run, and where the various body parts should and should not be. This part then gets us on the path to a healthy runninglifestyle by looking at running as a holistic activity that benefits the mind, body, and even the way you feel about yourself. I walk you through a program called periodization that gets you on an injury-freepath to steady improvement, and we also set some goals together that make sense and inspire you.
Part 2, Finding Your Stride, discusses the right fuel for your machine and puts body weight in the proper perspective. Then well go through an amazing warm-up and cooldown cycle that gets the most out of each while getting your body ready for this run and the next one. Stretching is a staple of warm-ups, cooldowns, and your overall running diet, and well review a whole menu of them. We also get into how much sleep is enough, and how important this underrated part of your life is.
In Part 3, Running and Dressing Defensively, I will explain everythingabout footwearin fact, Ill do everything but try the shoes on for you! Then well head out onto your preferred running surface, and discuss every other surface in detail. This part also talks about the weather, when to run, when not to, what to wear, and why hot weather requires proper attire just as much as cold weather. Finally, well look at the many risks of the road.
Part 4, Listen When Your Body Talks, takes you through a veritablealphabet soup of injuries and explains each one. Injuries are like potholes; if you know where they are, you wont step in them. Well discuss the difference between soreness and actual pain, when you are too sick to run, and when you can run even though you dont feel your best. I also get into how to best treat actual injuries, and offer alternativetraining and exercises to do until youre ready to really run again.
Extras
Throughout this book, youll see tons of helpful and informative sidebars that help illustrate a point or caution you to be aware of something.
Watch Your Step
These are pieces of advice that will educate you on a common misstep taken by many runners.
Runner Facts
These are facts and numbers about the running injury-free lifestyle that extend your knowledge of the sport and help your training.
Road Blocks
These keep you on track by avoiding a pitfall that is out thereyet one you can avoid if you are aware of it.
In Their Shoes
These take you out on a run with runners I have coached to show the practical application of a point I have made in the text. These runnerssharing their stories with you might be among the better training partners you ever have!
Acknowledgments
Bernard of Chartres said that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance,not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physicaldistinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size.
As I have stood at podiums and accepted awards and trophies during my career, I have never been there alone. Through every victory and defeat and all the accomplishments, I have truly been blessed to stand on the shoulders of giants. The giants in my life are the student athletes who have gone the extra mile to ensure our teams success. Regardless of the sacrifices they faced or the challenges we encountered, each one of them embraced the program and became part of our long green line. I can honestly say that they have given me as much as I was ever able to give them.
My family and community are my other giants. I would like to thank my mom and dad and my brother for always being there for me. And to the coaches in my life who saw something in me that I wasnt always able to see in myself, thank you for your faith in me and for your inspiration.I want to extend a special thank you to the people of the San Luis Valley and my Adams State College family. Your encouragement and support, your cheers and your hugs, have made each year special and helped to lift our program to the absolute top.
