Perfect Running Form = Injury Free Running

That is what we are looking for isn't it?  How can we improve our running form and stay injury free?  Statistics say that 50% of runners will get injured in any given year...that is a high number for such an easy and "everybody can do it" sport.  Instead of looking at FORM lets looks at exercises that will help you get on your midfoot/forefoot and strengthen your lower body to prevent injuries from running.

Exercise One: Jump Rope

Running helps form.

This is a childhood activity that needs to be carried over to adulthood.  It is also an activity you can share with your children and grandchildren.  Jump rope is an exercise that MAKES you stay on your forefoot and is a rebounding activity.  Try different styles of jumping and even jump on one leg at a time.

Use your arms for more power.

Exercise Two: Box Jumps
Again, everyone loves to jump on a box and off a box.  Another exercise that will keep you OFF your heels.  Start with a 4-6" box and work your way up.  Different jumps include: straight, 1/4 turn, 180 jump, single leg, depth jumps, and fast feet.  This is an explosive exercise and works arms and back too.

Maintain a straight back.

Exercise Three: One Leg Balancing
Start with touching your opposite foot with opposing hand.  Use a ball and play catch with your child or exercise partner.  Challenge yourself by adding weights and performing bicep curls, overhead press, or a combination of the two.  Another exercise would be a drill of extending your foot out front, to the side, and back.  These exercises will focus on stabilizing muscles and ankle strength.

Be careful when beginning these exercises and start with 2-3 sets and 5-7 repetitions.  It is better for it to be too easy at the beginning then get hurt by try to do too much.  Always stretch after exercising...calves, quads, hamstrings and foam rolling exercises are a great way to keep injury-free.

Track cool-down at Hunt MS

When you feel ready here is the last exercise...Barefoot Running
Start on the infield of a track and run easy 400-800 meters as a cool-down.  You can then work your way onto a concrete sidewalk.        I try to stay away from chipped asphalt, gravel, and rocks.  You can also try minimalist shoes that have a smaller toe to heel drop.  0-10mm seems to be the going height to be a minimalist shoe. 

Try these exercises out for 2-3 months and see how your running changes. 

It's All Relative - Ham

How much time off is too much?

When it comes to fitness gains 3-5 days a week 30-60 minutes a day at a moderate to intense level is usually all you will need to reach your goals.  Strength, speed and endurance training each week is what you should be performing.  You will begin to see huge improvements in the first month if you stick to a solid routine and schedule.  By eating the right foods and avoiding the bad ones, your quest for a healthier you is just around the corner.  Or is it?

The question that always comes up is...What happens if I miss a couple of workouts or a week or two of training?  Has all my hard work gone away?

How quickly you lose fitness depends on how fit you are to start and the length of time you've been exercising. In general, deconditioning begins after two or three weeks of inactivity. Endurance athletes who suddenly stop exercising will likely lose aerobic condition and strength more slowly, retaining some of their stamina even months later. Those new to exercise can lose almost all the fitness gains they've made within weeks if their routine is stopped. 

What are some issues that can halt a fitness program...Do any of these sound familiar?
1. Sickness
2. Don't care anymore
3. Too tired
4. Too hard
5. Do not know where to begin
6. Vacation/Holidays are coming up
7. Not seeing huge gains after a week or two
8. Too sore after workouts...can't walk
9. I will never look like those people on TV
10. KIDS and FAMILY...TOO MUCH GOING ON

So how do you stall the inevitable drop in fitness if you can't continue your usual physical activity? Studies show that people who decrease time or frequency of activity -- instead of cutting it out completely -- can stave off deconditioning. So, if you walk/run for 60 minutes every day and need to cut-back, try walking or running for 30 minutes daily or, walk/run 60 minutes three days a week. If time is at even more of a premium, try breaking exercise into two or three smaller blocks of time each day, 10 or 15 minutes each.

Can you perform these 4 exercises?  Squat, push-up, sit-up, and run or walk for 5 minutes?  If so you can stay in shape at home.

What about food?  Vegetables, fruits, and lean meats are what you need to keep you going....because they have been or are alive.  Shop on the perimeter of the grocery store.  Center isles are where the processed foods live...or have never lived.  Eating 1800-2500 calories daily can keep your weight under control during your workout hiatus.  By cutting just 500 calories each day you can lose 1 pound a week!  3,500 calories is equal to one pound of fat.

So get back off the couch or out of bed, get well, get your children grown and see you back out on the road or in the gym soon.  One or two weeks off will not kill your gains...not showing back up will.

It's all relative. - Ham

The Journey

In December 2001 when I began my 40 pounds of weight loss and learned to train differently than the traditional "3 sets 10 reps... push and pull body parts every other day" routine by studying what a tabata was, interval and circuit training techniques, and total body conditioning. Nutrition was another part of the equation...reading and experimenting with new foods, how often, which types, calories, and percentages. I often wondered what was next? How can I push the envelope, have fun, stay injury free and enjoy life? Always asking...What if?


After 3 years of basic timed interval workouts, playing soccer on the weekends and running 8-10 miles a week at age 35 I got the running bug and ran my first 5K in the fall of 2005. I had never given any thought to running a race but the cheering of the crowd and the energy of the runners got me hooked. The last place finisher received as much applause as the first place runner and actually even more applause! I began to understand that running is a competition against self...not against others. Then in December I ran the White Rock Half Marathon. Still wanting more, I ran a spring marathon and had no clue what I was doing. There is a wall... and I bounced right off of it! After limping around for a week I began to look at the body parts that were sore and it was not just the legs. Researching more I came to find out that running and especially long distance running is a total body experience both physically and mentally. Now my trainings focused on running strength as well as running endurance and in April 2007 I went to Boston.

Summer 2006 I began my affair with triathlons...MULTISPORT! Now I am an athlete, swim-bike-run. 3 swim days, 2 run days, 3 bike days, bricks, long rides, long runs and then transporting all my gear to a race...set up, transitions...the list goes on...so much fun! Moving my way up the tri chain of distance events I finished with the Redman Iron Distance 140.6 in September 2007. My daughter running across the finish line with me. Wow, what an accomplishment. Since then I have raced in a few tri's but never getting that "feeling" as when I am running.

In the fall of 2007 a friend gave me a call about becoming a coach for a local running store. For the next three years I trained countless numbers of runners from 5K to marathon distances. I have been able to show runners there is a better way to train and to have fun. I began the Run My Age Bithday Run in 2008 and this last year, being the 4th year and my 40th birthday...and 40 miles, we did a reverse triathlon and a CrossFit workout too. 15 hours later I was done...and all for a good cause because we raised $1795 for The Sentinel Foundation benefiting wounded warriors. I look to make more fun runs in the future that will not only challenge endurance but also strength and determination.

In 2009 I came up with the website Rethink Running with the slogan Distance is Relative. I wanted to make runners aware of workouts runners could perform to be stronger and more efficient during their races. The slogan Distance is Relative means that everyone is different in their training and the distance YOU can go is relative and unique to YOU.

February of 2010 the Frisco Running Club came into existance and we have grown tremendously from 20 members in the fall of 2010 to over 100 members at the end of 2011. We have also expanded our training programs from a social Monday run to 5K, speed/strength, half marathon, and marathon training. We also have nutrition, stretching/foam rolling and injury prevention seminars to help our athletes stay healthy and injury-free.

Joining up with Frisco CrossFit has been a wonderful partnership since we have the same philosophy in strength and endurance training. The FRC has become a community of runners and athletes all wanting the same thing...FITNESS, COMRADERIE, and HEALTHY LIVING. The best thing about the club is how everyone wants the best for everyone else. The success of the club relies on the success of everyone in the club and the goals they set for themself. We hope to reach out to more in the community in the upcoming year getting local businesses and community leaders involved in our group.

So there it is...It's the journey that makes you stronger...not the race. A race is the culmination of all your hard work on the track, in the gym, and out on the streets. Rain, snow, ice, heat, and wind will all play out in the Texas weather this year but you will not falter...you will never give up. The end of a training season is a celebration of where you have come from and where you are going. 2012 will be a great new year for you to test your fitness and to have fun with a group of runners that are willing to share in your journey.

This is your NOW YEAR.

And it all started with this simple two word question...What if?


It's all relative... -Ham

FRC Spring 2012 Program

One year in the books.  The 2011 White Rock Marathon was a great way to end the FRC season and the year in general.  All three training seasons together averaged over 40 participants.  We were able to squeeze in a summer training program for speed and make it our early marathon program for the fall.  Our fall season was able to not only get new runners ready for the longer runs but we had 1/3 of our runners PR at White Rock!  Huge successes this year.

FRC 2012 is going to be incredible.  We will still be running Monday night group runs and have three Thursday interval trainings at Frisco CrossFit.  We also have made arrangements to run Saturday morning group long runs out of Stayoung Fitness.  We will also dedicate one Thursday each month there for interval training, it will be used as a bad weather meeting place (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), and will be used for seminars.  Our 5 day morning program will also train at Stayoung every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday after our group long run.  I can not wait to start programming for this next season!  My Christmas Break will not get here fast enough.

Our next program for 2012 starts Monday, January 2rd.  WE WILL BE HAVING AN INFORMATION SESSION WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14TH, 700PM AT STAYOUNG FITNESS.  Here is a questionairre for you to fill out so we can get a better understanding of you and your goals as a runner.  FRC 2012 Spring Participants

Here is to a great year.

Distance is Relative.  -Ham

The First Step

There is nothing like an early morning run with friends.  Cool temperatures, new morning smell, fun conversation, a beautiful sunrise, reflecting on past accomplishments and dreaming of new ways to push your limits is a great way to start your day. When you are done there is a fulfillment of your soul, a sense of worth and the ability to take and view things in a new way...a new attitude.  There is no way to describe a "runner's high", you must find it yourself. 

"The first step is the first step." is a mantra I sometimes say to start a run.  It allows me to focus on the fundamentals of what running is about and it reminds me of the hurdles and roadblocks I have overcome to be in this moment.

THIS MOMENT ... never again will it happen. 
Embrace it...feel it...remember it. 

Running does not start on the road or even on the trail but as a goal.  "I want to start to run but how?" is a common question and  "I get out there and run but by the end of the block I am winded and need a break." is another statement heard more times than I can count. 

First you must understand that many small steps are needed to climb a mountain or run a marathon. Each step is significant and purposeful to elevate you to the top and guide you to the finish.  Sure, somedays are better than others but remembering the ultimate goal will keep you focused on the objectives for that particular day or run. 

Think of each day as a rain droplet.  Each drop of rain is miniscule and can do no harm...it has no purpose, right?  But when you gather all the droplets together it forms lakes, rivers, and oceans...the purpose is amazing, beautiful and powerful! 

Your training is the same.  Today you run to the end of the block and tomorrow and the next day.  Then you run to the end of the block, then the road, then the subdivision, so on and so forth.  You put in the time for strength and balance work.  You build your ocean day by day, run by run, push-up by push-up.  Running is not a "put your shoes on and go" sport.  If it were everyone would be doing it.  Running takes time and patience and you are clearly rewarded at the end, not because someone tells you "Great job!" but because you know YOU accomplished something great.

Warning:  There will be naysayers and doubters.  Friends and family will think you are off your rocker for "trying" to be an endurance athlete. Will that make you train harder...to prove them wrong? Or will it keep you down never actually knowing your true potential? 

When you finished your first long run, track workout, or race, did you feel pride...believing and knowing that you can do anything you set your mind to? You want to feel that again?  You want to tell others about the feeling?  Well, the problem is that you cannot describe the feeling.  A "runner's high" is like the wind...you cannot see it but the you can see the effect it has on things. 

So be the wind, the revolutionary, the leader, the one that puts them self out there for all to see.  Sure, you may not always hit your goal but that does not stop you...you are fearless...relentless.  You are the catylist for change...show others the way...and they will follow.

The most overlooked part of running is teamwork.  Yes, running is a solitary, individual sport but you need a support staff of other runners, friends and family to keep you motivated to push through the tough times, the give-up times, the time when doubt does cross your mind.  "Can I do this?"..."Maybe they were right."..."I am not an athlete.".  If you are reading this than you are an athlete!  You are motivated to succeed!  You just need to right tools and map to get you there.  A great place to start is with a team or club.

So why is the first step the first step?  Because it leads to many more steps and much more confidence in self.  This in turn leads to higher goal setting...to signing your name on the dotted line of  an upcoming race.  A race!  Call it what you want, fun run, just a 5K, etc...it is a race.  This is the second step of the journey.  How many more steps do you think you can take?  It's up to you.

It's all relative.  -Ham