Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas

Author:Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas [Pfitzinger, Pete & Douglas, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Training, Marathon Running - Training, Running & Jogging, Sports & Recreation, General, Marathon Running
ISBN: 9780736074605
Google: V7Hcxuxc644C
Amazon: B0026IUOX2
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Published: 2001-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

Core Stability Training

Long-distance running develops muscular endurance in specific leg and hip muscles and is wonderful for your cardiovascular system, but it tends to make some muscles strong and tight while others remain weak. Modern lifestyles, which often consist of sitting for long periods, exacerbate these problems. Core stability training—also called proximal stability training because proximal means close to the center of the body—can eliminate these imbalances, thereby preventing injuries and reducing the degree to which your form deteriorates as you fatigue during the marathon. Core stability training consists of strengthening your abdominal, hip, lower back, and gluteal (butt) muscles using a series of exercises. You don’t need a gym or machines, just the dedication to stick with the exercises.

When you run, your trunk acts as a fixed base while your legs work as levers relative to that base to propel you forward. If the torso and pelvic muscles that form your fixed base are weak or fatigue quickly, then you can’t maintain an efficient body position while running. By improving the strength and muscular endurance of your pelvis and torso, you provide a more-stable base of support for your legs to work from. This improvement will allow you to maintain your stride length throughout the marathon; part of the reason that many marathoners slow as the race progresses is that their stride shortens as they tire.

In addition, runners often have weak abdominal muscles, which allows the pelvis to rotate forward and put more stretch on the hamstrings. This is a less-efficient position for your running and also increases your risk of lower back problems. Proximal stability exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles and work on other stabilizer muscles of the pelvis and trunk. By improving the position of your pelvis, you create a more stable base.

Elite marathoners increasingly incorporate core work into their training. Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor and her teammate Ryan Hall, for example, do lengthy sessions every week. The results can be seen both in their low incidence of injury and in their late-race form, which varies little from the form they exhibit in the early miles.

Core stability training should generally be done three times a week. You can do this type of training year-round.

Following are two core strength training programs. The first program contains basic exercises for runners who don’t have much experience with core conditioning. The second program (beginning on page 90) is more advanced and includes more-difficult exercises. For optimal results, do one of these programs three times per week. If you don’t want to do the whole program, select at least a few from this list that most target your weakest, tightest areas.

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