How to Get the Edge During Track Season

If this is your first season running track or if you're a runner who just wants to change up your routine a little bit, here are some tips for getting the results you want, from speed and endurance to power bursts to what you want your body to look like by the end of the season.

Running is a great way to get an aerobic workout in. It works your entire body and keeps your heart in great shape. Start off running by purchasing a good pair of running shoes because the shock of every step is very hard on your ankles, knees and hips. Go to a store that specializes in athletic shoes, such as The Finish Line, Dick's, or Scheel's. Have one of the salespeople help you select a style and type of shoe that will suit your needs. Have the shoes professionally fitted. Spending $100 on shoes now will save you $1000 in sports rehab visits, shin splints, muscle pulls, and pain medication.

There are two different kinds of muscle...white muscle, which provides repeated action for long periods of time and red muscle, which carries the short-term heavy loads. It's the red muscle that "bulks up" and gives weight lifters the Arnold Schwarzenegger look. It's the white muscle is made up of thin white threads that are interspersed between the red muscle. It is used for repetitive motion and endurance. It is used for distance running and gives runners that lean, fit look. So, even if you run 2 hours a day, you'll never look like a body builder.

So, that being said, if you want more definition at the end of track season, you'll want to add a weight training regimen to your routine to add bulk. Otherwise, you'll naturally acquire the lean, fit body of a runner or a cycler. A little extra bulk can be helpful in track as well, since the red muscle will provide you with power-bursts you need to overtake another racer or climb a hill or let loose that last bit of power at the finish line.

Start preparing for distance running by running thirty to forty-five minutes every day, depending on your initial level of fitness. Increase the time you spend running by 5-10 minutes every week. As the weeks roll on, add hills for intensity. Try to maintain the same pace every day.

You can also purchase some relatively inexpensive 1 lb. hand weights to run with. Just by running with the weights, you are adding an upper-body workout simultaneously. Never use wrap-around wrist or ankle weights to run with. With each step you take, ankle weights provide two traumas to your joint. When you pick up your foot and stride forward, the ankle weight slams into the front of your ankle. When you put your foot down on the pavement and end your stride, the ankle weight has picked up enough kinetic energy to try to keep moving forward even though your foot is already planted. It slams into the rear of your ankle. These traumas, over a period of weeks, can break down the ankle's strength and stability. You'll end up with damaged ligaments and compartment syndrome...very painful. Similar traumas happen to your wrists with the back-and-forth "pumping" action of your arms as you run.

And NEVER run with weights in a backpack. Weighted belts are okay to provide intensity to a running program if the weight is distributed evenly and there is no excessive "bouncing". Bouncing is trauma and trauma injures bodies and deteriorates connective tissue...it does not help build it up.

By week two or week three, you should be adding a weight lifting program to your regimen at least three days per week for a stronger-looking, more defined appearance to your muscles. Although maintaining more red muscle also means hauling around more weight for those longer distances, it also provides quick bursts of strength at the finish line or to pass another runner.

If you don't have access to a gym, that's okay too. Go get some 10 lb. dumbbells from a local discount store or keep your eyes on the garage sales. Spend half an hour with them three times per week. There are a hundred fitness magazines out there that have detailed instructions on how to lift weights at home for maximum fitness. But, taking my rather biased opinion into account, I think the best resource you could get your hands on is "Just Move: A Black Woman's Guide to Getting Fit" by Lesley Leach. Like me, you may not be a black woman, but Leach has an entire section in her guide with simple step-by-step instructions (with pictures) on how to do simple muscle-building techniques at home. She also goes through the ultimate nutrition for people who want to lose fat and build muscle.

However, if you are going to be a distance runner, your nutritional requirements are going to be different from those who are training to be bodybuilders. Bodybuilders require more protein than aerobic athletes. If you're running, you should be consuming a lot more carbs (pasta, potatoes, breads, etc.). Carbohydrates are stored between your muscles and in your liver for energy. They are your body's fuel. If you follow the Food Guide Pyramid, you will maintain the optimum nutrition for a distance athlete.

The information is out there, you just have to go get it and get committed to following through. Good luck!