Running Around The Net

Anerobics: Strides

By
Woody Green
of RUNNERS NICHE

Most of the time we think of interval workouts as being pretty tough. We go out and do several tough repetitions with a short jog in between for recovery. At the end we are bent over gasping for breath. For an anaerobic workout to be worthwhile, you might think you really have to hammer and leave yourself dead.

There is no doubt that this type of workout needs to be a part of your normal, pre-race workout scheme. But, it isn't a bad idea to add some easy, quick anaerobic workouts to your training plan, as well.

Easy interval training? Sure. To help your nervous system get used to running fast, to help with running form, to make you more comfortable running at a quick tempo and to strengthen your legs, think about adding some strides to your weekly workouts.

Strides are short runs of about 100 meters or so done at an accelerated pace. Many of you probably do three or four strides before a race as part of your warm-up. When you run a short distance at a pace much faster than your race pace, you make more complete use of all your leg muscles and you use them at a greater intensity.

The best way to begin doing strides is to add them to the end of a run. This way you are good and warmed-up, and you should be able to run fast without fear of "pulling something."

Find a football field, a flat section of a park, or the straightaway on a track and try doing four to six strides. Do the first ones relatively easy and build the speed with each repetition. This isn't meant to be an all-out sprint, but rather a controlled, quick tempo run.

Think about running with good form, not letting yourself get tight in the arms or shoulders. Flow with the effort and don't try to fight your way through it. Take plenty of rest between strides. You can jog or walk in between, just don't sit or stand in one place since the blood will pool in your legs and make it hard to get going again.

By doing just a few strides each week you can often see a dramatic improvement in your running. Much like a car that is driven at the same speed in traffic all the time, you can benefit by "blowing the carbon out" and revving up the RPMs a bit!