RunningLab

29/11/2020

Want to run faster, improve your nutrition and get your strength training in to become a more complete, stronger and less injury prone runner. Take advantage of our amazing deal running till midnight tomorrow, you will be paired with an experienced coach with deep knowledge of running and the nutrition requirements and a training plan that is suited to your current levels. we also offer packages for just strength.
Sign up using the link below (1-on-1 coaching you will be assigned to the running program after) or drop me a message for more info:)
https://bit.ly/3pBs2Da

17/10/2019

Next on the list deals with Anaerobic threshold: You say what is that?
The simple explanation is that a higher anaerobic threshold allows you to run for longer at a faster pace.
The anaerobic threshold is often defined as the level of exercise intensity at which lactic acid accumulates in the blood stream faster than it can be cleared away.
Muscular acidosis, which is the lowering of muscle pH due to hydrogen ions accumulating in the tissue, creates a burning sensation in the legs, telling an athlete that they are running right on the edge of their anaerobic threshold.

Now:

The word anaerobic means “without oxygen” and in the world of exercise science it describes strength-building exercises in contrast to longer, endurance training.
In essence, when a long distance runner performs anaerobic threshold (often called tempo runs) correctly, they are running at or very near anaerobic threshold intensity, and their body is producing lactic acid slightly faster than it can be cleared from the blood stream.

What’s the bottom line?
Increasing your anaerobic threshold is important for runners who are racing all distances because it allows the body to run at faster and faster speeds before fatigue and lactic acid take over.
Athletes who race the 1500 meters all the way up through the marathon should make anaerobic threshold work a part of their training program.

How:
Incorporating tempo runs and tempo intervals are a great way to increase your anaerobic threshold. The pace for such a workout is typically a pace one can maintain for 60min (10km race pace) and the efforts are sustained over 20-40min

10/10/2019

Speed/Hill training and doing the same thing over and over again:
A plateau in your running performance can be attributed to following the same program all the time. Multiple energy systems need to be trained and this cannot be achieved by simple clocking miles! A mix of speed, hills, interval and slow distance miles need to be accumulated. Also trying to smash every run at your fastest pace can also have a negative impact on your running.
Every training session should have a specific purpose, especially when one enters race specific training.
Changing it up can also help improve motivation and bring some added excitement back into your running.
A coach is invaluable when it comes to getting the right balance and tailoring a program to suit your personal goals and progressing at the correct pace.
If you would like some recommendations for coaches in your area, drop us a message

09/10/2019

Injuries and there impact on improving running performance:
If you are constantly struggling with an injury/niggle it is very difficult to maintain good consistency. The two go hand in hand; a strong body, proper increase in mileage as well as intensity and a solid base all contribute to lessening your chances of injury! Yes, injuries might still occur but you have lessened your chances by following a proper program, proper rest and recovery, proper strength and mobility work and proper nutrition.
Runners often mistake been fit for been strong, this is not necessarily the case!

07/10/2019

Running Consistently: Here we are not talking about a week of consistent running but more about consistency over a period of months to build up a solid base. It is not realistic to jump straight into a 3 month marathon training plan with no base of training for example, your body will be not be ready to handle the demands of the program and this can result in injury, burn-out etc. Hence why you often see what mileage you should have been covering prior to starting a given program, 40km a week for example.
Consistent running also has a myriad of health benefits outside of just performance based outcomes.

03/10/2019

A popular question asked here at RunningLab is: 'I'm not getting faster, I seem to have plateaued, but I'm clocking all the miles. Why is this happening?"

There are a number of factors to address when answering this question as we can't just run all the miles with no set purpose for each session and also not allow our bodies to recover. There a multiple parts that make up a well oiled running machine!
- Running Consistency
-Injury History
-Speed/hill training
-Anaerobic threshold
-Correct increases in training volume
-Running biomechanics
-Rest and Recovery
-Diet and lifestyle choices
-Correct periodisation of all training (strength and cardio)

Over the next couple of posts we will individually address these factors and hopefully give you some insight into where you might be going wrong.

19/02/2018

Recovery Monday! So a lot of runners took part in the Pirates 21km race yesterday, this is a monster of a run, huge hills and some even bigger descents. That pain and stiffness you are feeling in the legs, blame it on the downhill.
I am sure most of you have heard that eccentric muscle strengthening helps with downhill running. Well here is why:
When you run downhill your biomechanics change to enable a new landing pattern which occurs to counteract acceleration due to the downhill. The quadriceps muscles in particular undergo a greater degree of eccentric muscle contraction which helps with controlling the acceleration force aspect of downhill running. An eccentric contraction doesn’t cause a muscle to lengthen, but provides a resisting force to decelerate the lengthening movement, providing a breaking force. By counteracting the downward force, a joint is safely repositioned and tissue is protected. This occurs through some muscle fibers remaining active throughout the stretch, to maintain tension within the muscle. This type of contraction causes more damage to the muscle fibers and when these muscles start to repair themselves we experience muscle stiffness/ pain commonly referred to as DOMS.
Eccentric training results in numerous muscular and neural adaptations that will aid in injury prevention and increased muscle strength.

13/02/2018

Qualifying season has hit SA in full force. Add to the pressure of having to qualify for Two Oceans or Comrades a runner also needs to recover as fast as possible in order not to miss out on valuable training, avoid injuries, getting sick and over training! It takes an average of 2 weeks to fully recover from a marathon, so keep that in mind before you try hit the road full tilt straight after a 42.2km. Here are a few recovery tools to try and incorporate into your training schedule. Just remember it isn't a one size fits all approach.

Recovering from a marathon is a critical component to a perfect training plan that runners often neglect. Unfortunately, if you don't properly recover from your marathon, you'll increase your injury risk, increase the total marathon recovery time, and limit your long-term potential - making it harde...

07/11/2017

Lifting isn't just for the Cross-fit crew!
Many top elite runners are using these exercises as part of their strength routines. Alberto Salazar's athletes have seen huge results...

Looking at five explosive weightlifting exercises that can help runners’ strength.

02/11/2017

Running Lab has some specials running till the end of November:
- 1 hr sports massage R400
- Injury Prevention assessment: R450

23/09/2015

Something fun!

Between Halloween and New Year's Day, you're likely to see more costumed runners at races than any other time of the year. Should you join them?According to some of the fastest costumed racers ever, most definitely yes. "There are so many facets to running, and this opens the door to a new way of ex…

03/09/2015

Where do you fit in? Identified any changes that you need to make to your running form?

Making a few small changes in the way you run can make you faster, more efficient and possibly less injury-prone. But how do you know which changes to make?