Hard to believe it is only six weeks to go until the City2Surf. Where has the year gone!
This week we will continue doing runs with increased focus on performance. There is a fartlek run on Tuesday and you should start to concentrate on our breathing.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that many social runners take very shallow breaths when exercising. Your body needs oxygen as you run so deep breaths help to reduce the stress on your body. You want to get the oxygen deep into the diaphragm, not in the chest.
Just like in swimming, a good breathing rhythm is very important. And when running, it is generally considered good practice to breath through both the mouth and nose.
A common practice is to breath in a 3:2 ratio for jogging (that is, 3 steps inhale and 2 steps to exhale) and a 2:2 for running and a 2:1 ration for fast running.
This week I’d like you to concentrate on your breathing. What is your breathing ratio? Try altering it and be aware of how your breathing alters your performance.
Time to look at your shoes
Now is the time to have a good look at your shoes. If you are thinking of buying new shoes before the City2Surf, it is better to get them early so you can wear them in.
Good shoes are very important as they can help prevent many injuries, such as joint problems as well as muscle problems, such as the ones I have now!
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Update April 2013
My City2Surf Training Program is now an eBook
‘How to Break Your Fitness Slump and Comfortably Finish a Fun Run’
My full City2Surf training program is now available as an eBook from all leading online bookstores and contains a link to download the training schedule as an iCal file, so you can import it into your calendar.
Also, feel free to join my free Facebook training group the City2Surf 100 day Challenge.