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“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work” by Chuck Close. Last weekend I was chatting with a coach friend of mine and he mentioned with his current mentees, he spends around 20 hours preparing for their weekly training plan, apart from this he takes individual sessions for his mentees and once that is over he trains himself.

On further probing how he manages his time and training, he simply added - it's all worth it. Doing something worthwhile and believing in it is the differentiator.

My dear friends, what is that one thing that helps you differentiate; do more of it. Till then, stay safe and happy reading.

- Aditi Pandya

Shoe of the Week

Continuing our series of workouts/drills to improve running form, our next workout helps the upper body posture (courtesy: runmechanics.in).

Workout of the week - Resistance Band Running

Leaning forward at the ankle, while not bending at the hips is a very important part of good running posture, which helps economy and performance. Leaning forward helps better recruitment of glute muscles (hence better hip extension), and also puts you in a better position to drive the swinging knee forward. Learning to lean forward requires an element of practice and also some strength.

Resistance band running is a safe way to practice lean and also build necessary strength. It teaches the runners to lean forward while running tall, and activate glutes powerfully.

How to do it?

Start position: Choose a longer loop resistance band and tie one end of it to a fixed object such as a window grill or a pillar. Wrap the other end of the loop band at your hip. Move forward to create enough resistance.

• Once you are in the start position, i.e. leaning forward at the ankle. Resistance from the band will help in keeping you in a comfortable lean position.

• Start running on the spot, while resisting the band.

• Keep the upper body tall, ensure there is no bend at the hips.

• Drive the knee forward and high (as you do in High Knees workout)

• Match your elbow movement with your knees

Please see the picture below (courtesy: Run Mechanics)

When to do it?

Resistance Band Running is a form drill & strength workout. So it is ideal to incorporate in the early part of your training cycles when you can focus on form. You can also include it in your strength training routine.

Highlights from the World of Running

Tek Chand leads India's charge during the opening ceremony

Tek Chand carried the tri-color as India made its way during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Tuesday, 24 August at the Japan National Stadium. Tek Chand, the javelin maestro, was India's flag-bearer after Thangavelu Mariyappan was quarantined following close contact with a Covid-19 positive person on their flight to Tokyo. The multi-sport event will see participants from 163 countries, with India sending its biggest contingent of 54 para-athletes, majorly competing in athletics. Read more here

Actor Milind Soman starts marathon run from Mumbai to Kevadia

Actor Milind Soman has started a marathon run from Mumbai to Kevadia to mark the Run for Unity campaign and is expected to reach the Statue of Unity (SoU) on August 22. Soman, accompanied by his wife and a team of 8 other persons, began his run on August 15 from Shivaji Park in the Dadar area of Mumbai city, covering a distance of close to 60KMs per day. The SoU administration has coordinated welcome and felicitation events in every district of Gujarat, beginning from Valsad on Thursday. Soman is promoting the Fit India and Healthy India campaign, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read more here

Upcoming Races

• 28 August - Dawn to Dusk Stadium Run (Hyderabad)

• 28/29 August - Mumbai Stadium Run

• 29 August - Apla Pune Marathon*

* First road race since the pandemic. RT-PCR is mandatory for all participants regardless of vaccination status.

@geeksonfeet

Optimizing Vertical Oscillation for Better Stride

The primary goal in running is to propel the body forward and move horizontally. Apart from horizontal movement, a bit of vertical movement is needed to create the necessary force required for our running Stride. Vertical Oscillation (VO) also known as Vertical Bounce, is a measure of how much we move vertically during each stride when running. Vertical Oscillation is one of the key Running Dynamics metrics that reflects the efficiency of our running stride. Click on the link here (geeksonfeet.com) to understand how vertical oscillation affects your running, and ways to optimize it.

Past articles