When you mention the word “offseason” to endurance runners, you may see a cringe in their face. The idea of backing off their miles may not sound like such a good idea to many runners out there. For some runners the idea of off-season means instead of running seven days per week, they drop down to five, but deep down still wish they were running seven.
Having run several marathons, which included running Boston in 3 hours, 7 minutes, I feel like I can relate to endurance runners. Like many of you I did not like taking an off-season. I ran 12 months straight with little-to-no downtime. However, by doing that I paid the price. I was burnt out and suffered some nagging injuries that most likely could have been prevented if I took some time off.
Before I share with you my five off-season training tips, I want to make it clear that I love running and I do believe running can be very beneficial to your body and for mind if done properly.
No. 1: Work on your mobility and flexibility
Runners love to run. Several runners do yoga two-to-three times per week, which I believe can be very beneficial to you. However, a large majority of runners I have worked with lack mobility in their feet, ankles, hips and thoracic spine.
Instead of just thinking about flexibility, which I agree is important, think of mobility as well. What is the difference? Flexibility is the ability to stretch a muscle to end range. Think of someone being able to palm the ground when you tell them to touch their toes.
Mobility is the ability to control your range of motion as well as have strength in those ranges. For runners this is critical.
You can be flexible, but lack mobility. Both are very important, but work on your mobility during the off-season especially at your ankles, hips and shoulders.
No. 2: Increase your strength and power
If you are lifting with five-pound dumbbells at the gym, you’re not getting stronger. Let me ask this, can you do a pull-up? Can you do a single leg deadlift with weight? Can you do a real push up (chest to ground)?
If you can run 26.2 miles but are unable to do a pull-up or real push up, there is a major imbalance in your body and I can almost guarantee you that you will get hurt.
I hear this complaint all of the time from female runners. If you are an endurance runner you MUST GET STRONGER. I have seen women do 10-plus strict pull-ups, so it’s possible to learn, it just takes time and a plan.
Why would runners want to get stronger and more powerful? Because as we get stronger, both our tendons and muscles get stronger, which allows more force into the ground and ultimately allows you to run faster and reduce injury.
Right now is the perfect time to get stronger. If you are running a marathon in the spring, take the next six weeks and add in strength training two times per week. I am not telling you to stop running but instead of seven days of running, drop back to three days and focus more on quality than quantity.
No. 3: Monitor your training and recovery
If you are lucky enough to be able to afford a running coach, then I hope he or she is helping you monitor your training. There are several ways to do this. For starters you should be using a heart rate monitor daily to track your heart rate. Another tool that I personally like to use is a Heart Rate Variability (HRV-Bioforce) monitor from Joel Jamieson. I use this daily to see how my body is responding to stress and the training loads that I am putting on my body.
I realize that most runners know their body and go by feel, however if you really want to make some serious gains in 2016 I would recommend that you start to monitor your training. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of your training.
No. 4: Clean up your nutrition
Take a long, hard look at your nutrition and be honest with yourself. One of the BIG problems with runners is that they simply do not eat enough calories to fuel their body. I made this mistake in the past and it caused me to suffer some injuries.
I personally do not recommend one diet to all runners. I don’t care if you are Paelo, Vegan, Atkins, or Mediterranean. Find something that works for you and is healthy that allows you to eat real food.
I often get e-mails from runners saying they are racing great, but their nutrition is horrible. Think long-term and come up with a plan that has you eating fats, carbs and protein. A great resource for you to look into for nutrition is John Berardi (www.precisionnutrition.com).
No. 5: Get your vitamin D levels checked
The more I read and learn from experts in the nutrition and medical field, the more I keep hearing about the health benefits of vitamin D. I have read a few books on this topic and I think this is a smart blood test for runners to get.
Low levels of vitamin D can lead to things like stress fractures, reduction in power, decrease in bone strength and increase chance of certain cancers.
Speak to your doctor, but I recommend having your levels checked and listen to the advice given to your doctor.
Conclusion
Off-season is time to take care of nagging injuries and to be honest with yourself. If you have tough time on hills, use this time to increase leg strength and power. If your nutrition is bad, work with someone who can help you.
Running is a sport that if you listen your body, you can run well into your 80’s and 90’s. It can be a great way to train if you train smart and have a plan.
This is part of the Goal Oriented series with Philadelphia Union Strength and Conditioning coach Kevin Miller.
