Running Efficiency Clinic December 18th

Pete Kain will be offering a Running Efficiency Evaluation/Video Clinic on Saturday, December 18th from 10:00am-2:00pm. Pete will be doing the Run Clinic with Robert Heppe, who has a Masters Degree in Applied Biomechanics and has been performing video analysis for all types of sports for many years.

The Running Efficiency Evaluation will include:

1) A 20 Point Running Efficiency Checklist

2) Split Screen Video Analysis

3) Flexibility Assessment

4) Running Drills & Corrective Exercises

5) Comparison to an Efficient Runner

6) Video files on DVD, or iPod/Mobile Device Format

Running Efficiency -

Are you running efficiently? How do you know? Video analysis is the best way to evaluate your running style. We use high speed video camera's, up to 210 fps, to record your running technique. Then we use SiliconCoach software and our 20 point checklist to analyze it. If you have never seen yourself run, then this is the clinic for you!

Eliminate Aches and Pains -

Runners and Triathletes are no strangers to aches and pains. Video analysis can help you eliminate, or improve many common injuries and nagging aches and pains caused by your running mechanics.

***Running Clinic Date - 12/18/10

Time - 10:00am-2:00pm

Place - Meet at the Fitness Clinic in Los Gatos. 15405 Los Gatos Blvd. #101 (Across from Trader Joe's) - Park in the back of the Fitness Clinic.

Bring - Running clothes/shoes, both for Run Evaluation on treadmill, as well as for drills outside. Bring warm clothes for post run evaluations.

Cost - Running Efficiency Video Clinic is $200. Checks payable to Kain Performance, LLC.

Who - Anyone looking to improve their running efficiency, which in turn will improve speed at less effort!! Let me know ASAP if you would like a spot in this clinic, as we have limited space available.

About your instructors:

Pete Kain - Is a 7-Time National Age Group Triathlon Champion + 4-Time World Age Group Triathlon Champion. He was voted USA Triathlon "Overall Open Triathlete of the Year" in 2002. He is a Certified USA Triathlon Coach, Swim Coach and an ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor. He has a Bachelor's Degree from UC Santa Barbara, as well as a Minor in Coaching. Top Run Coach, Bobby Magee, has used Pete as an example in his run clinics around the country to show perfect running form.

Robert Heppe - Has been training and rehabilitating people for almost 20 years and specializes in video analysis. He has a Masters Degree from San Jose State University in Applied Biomechanics and has been performing video analysis for all types of sports for more than 10 years.

Please forward to anyone wanting to run faster with less effort!!

Thanks,
Coach Pete 408-781-0517
www.kainperformance.com

How Fast Should I be running at Track?

Track workout tends to be one of the least well attended team workouts that KAIN PERFORMANCE offers. I think there are two main reasons for this; One is that it can feel a little intimidating, athletes tend to think they are going to be pushed beyond their limits. The second is that people doing Ironman distance races think there is little to gain from “Speed-work”. I hope to address these two concerns in this article.

The first concern could be addressed if people understood that as coaches, we understand that it is detrimental to push athletes beyond their limits – that leads to injury, over-training and the breakdown of the athlete – that is never the goal of the track workout. However I think the vast majority of athletes do not have a sense of how fast they should be running during their efforts, because of this they tend to think that everything is going to be very anaerobic – and that is not the case.

As regards the second concern, it is well documented that doing a little speed-work on the track can have significant impact on the ability of all runners at all distances to improve their times. I won’t get into the details of how that happens (if you would like more info please contact one of the coaches). But understand that “Speed-work” looks very different for someone doing an Olympic distance race compared to some one going Iron distance - combine this with some personal knowledge of how fast you should be doing your runs then I think you would be better prepared to meet your stated competition goals.

So …. lets say I had a goal of running a 4 hour marathon in my ironman – obviously I know I have to build up my endurance so that I had the capability to run the actual distance – but HOW FAST should I do my training runs if that is my overall goal?

That’s where a running or pace calculator can be a useful tool. On the next page you can see what my predicted pace times would be for all distances up to the marathon. Some of them are just for fun - and they tend to be more inaccurate over the shorter distances – 400M and lower - the 100M sprint time for example has a lot more to do with someone’s genetic legacy of fast twitch muscle fibers than it does training for a 4 hour marathon. However this tool can be useful in a couple of areas:

a. If you know your last 10K time you can punch it in and it will predict what you should be capable of at a half Iron man or an ironman distance run – that helps you figure out if your race goals are realistic or not.

b. Secondly it allows you to predict your own track workout pace – (therefore less intimidating) as well as the pace you should be doing your long slow runs and your tempo runs. If the goal is to run a sub 40 minute 10K – then you know you need to be able to run in the area of a 5.33 mile and that your tempo runs should be at 6.31 – 6.48 per mile.

The link to the McMillan Running Calulator here.

I recommend you check out the site, play around with the calculator a little if you have never used one before, and then put in some of your documented race paces and see if those pace times seem familiar.

HOMEWORK. Put in your time goals for the run on your “A” race this year and printout the document. If you then bring that to track, when Pete gives you the workout for the night, you will have an idea of what pace you should be running ultimately in order to meet this goal.

Always remember that these numbers are estimates and that how you are feeling, your fatigue level, your place in the training cycle etc all has to be considered and used to modify these paces. Talk to the coaches so that the workout is individualized for you. But at least you will have a good starting point.

Finally another little tip I learned this week listening to another seminar from Bobby McGee was the “12 minute rule”. If you are not feeling good for your run workout, try to quantify it on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being “Dead” and 10 being “Very strong and fresh” – then go run for 12 minutes - just a steady warm up run – if at the end of that 12 minutes you would give yourself a higher score – then you are ready to workout – if the score is lower, then you might want to call it a night and get a little extra rest.

Hope you found this helpful – hope you do your “homework” and at least play around with the calendar and printout a pace schedule for yourself and hope to see you at track

Coach John Magee

If you would like more information about triathlon training & run coaching, visit the Kain Performance website.

Jenny’s Light 5K Run & Kids Fun Run

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Vasona Park, Los Gatos

10AM (rain or shine)

Kain Performance will have a table at the event so stop by to say hi, get in a speedy workout, have fun with the kids and help support the cause!

Register today!

For information about Kain Performance, visit our website www.kainperformance.com.

“How Fast Should I be running at Track?”

Track workout tends to be one of the least well attended team workouts that KAIN offers. I think there are two main reasons for this; One is that it can feel a little intimidating, athletes tend to think they are going to be pushed beyond their limits.  The second is that people doing Ironman distance races think there is little to gain from “Speed-work”. I hope to address these two concerns in this article. 

The first concern could be addressed if people understood that as coaches, we understand that it is detrimental to push athletes beyond their limits – that leads to injury, overtraining and the breakdown of the athlete – that is never the goal of the track workout. However I think the vast majority of athletes do not have a sense of how fast they should be running during their efforts, because of this they tend to think that everything is going to be very anaerobic – and that is not the case. 

As regards the second concern, it is well documented that doing a little speed-work on the track can have significant impact on the ability of all runners at all distances to improve their times. I won’t get into the details of how that happens (if you would like more info please contact one of the coaches). But understand that “Speed-work” looks very different for someone doing an Olympic distance race compared to some one going Iron distance  - combine this with some personal knowledge of how fast you should be doing your runs then I think you would be better prepared to meet your stated competition goals. 

So …. lets say I had a goal of running a 4 hour marathon in my ironman – obviously I know I have to build up my endurance so that I had the capability to run the actual distance – but HOW FAST should I do my training runs if that is my overall goal?

That’s where a running or pace calculator can be a useful tool. On the next page you can see what my predicted pace times would be for all distances up to the marathon. Some of them are just for fun  - and they tend to be more inaccurate over the shorter distances – 400M and lower - the 100M sprint time for example has a lot more to do with someone’s genetic legacy of fast twitch muscle fibers than it does training for a 4 hour marathon. However this tool can be useful in a couple of areas;

If you know your last 10K time you can punch it in and it will predict what you should be capable of at a half Iron man or an ironman distance run – that helps you figure out if your race goals are realistic or not. 

Secondly it allows you to predict your own track workout pace – (therefore less intimidating) as well as the pace you should be doing your long slow runs and your tempo runs. If the goal is to run a sub 40 minute 10K – then you know you need to be able to run in the area of a 5.33 mile and that your tempo runs should be at 6.31 – 6.48 per mile.

The link to the calculator is  http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

I recommend you check out the site, play around with the calculator a little if you have never used one before, and then put in some of your documented race paces and see if those pace times seem familiar. 

HOMEWORK.  Put in your time goals for the run on your “A” race this year and printout the document. If you then bring that to track, when Pete gives you the workout for the night, you will have an idea of what pace you should be running ultimately in order to meet this goal. 

Always remember that these numbers are estimates and that how you are feeling, your fatigue level, your place in the training cycle etc all has to be considered and used to modify these paces. Talk to the coaches so that the workout is individualized for you. But at least you will have a good starting point. 

Finally another little tip I learned this week listening to another seminar from Bobby McGee was the “12 minute rule”. If you are not feeling good for your run workout, try to quantify it on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being “Dead” and 10 being “Very strong and fresh” – then go run for 12 minutes  - just a steady warm up run – if at the end of that 12 minutes you would give yourself a higher score – then you are ready to workout – if the score is lower, then you might want to call it a night and get a little extra rest.

Hope you found this helpful – hope you do your “homework” and at least play around with the calendar and printout a pace schedule for yourself and hope to see you at track

Coach John Magee

Kain Performance