Write It Out

In the recent issue of Tennis Magazine, the psychology section had a pretty interesting article on the importance of writing as preparation for any big event - such as running a race or playing a tennis match.

The article was written by Sian Beilock, a psychology professor at The University of Chicago. I'd recommend getting your hands on the whole article soon...but here are some of the highlights:

*Some new psychology research shows that spending 10 minutes writing about your thoughts and feelings before a high-stress event can boost performance.
*Despite what some might think, putting negative thoughts down on paper downloads them from your mind, making them less likely to pop up and derail you in an important moment.
*Scientists recently discovered that people facing an upcoming pressure-filled situation can benefit from getting their worries on paper in the few hours immediately before they perform.
*Worries regarding performance are problematic because they can deplete a part of the brain's processing power known as working memory. This working memory comes into play when planning game strategy or trying to predict what shot an opponent will attempt next.
*When worries creep up, we are robbed of the brain power necessary to be smart on the court (or road!)...writing down these worries ahead of time helps get that power back.
*Why writing? It reduces the tendency to ruminate because it not only provides us with an opportunity to express our concerns, but to re-read them and gain insight into the source of our stress.

Pretty interesting, right? I think it is definitely worth a try...and I think we can all use a little help in the mental aspect of our training!

Rollin’

Running hills can be super intimidating. Especially if it is a sand hill (who does that?) As intimidating as it is though, it is incredibly beneficial to your endurance and cardiovascular health.

A 1977 article in the European Journal of Applied Physiology concluded that runners who followed an intense six-week program of hard uphill running enjoyed "significant improvements in training distances, anaerobic capacity, and strength." A chapter in the International Olympic Committee's 1992 book Endurance and Sport reported a study of runners who did 12 weeks of regular training, plus "hill training with 'bounce running.'" After the 12 weeks, the subjects' running economy (or how efficiently they ran) increased by an average of three percent.

There are varying degrees of hills…short, long, steep, gradual…try them all out. Each have their own benefits and difficulty levels. Here is more info on hill training.

that’s a very dirty hill run.

So I thought I’d leave you will a recent hill training run I did on the treadmill. Because I live near some hilly neighborhoods, I usually like to run outside doing my hill workouts. It makes them more exciting. However, this 25 degree weather is not working for me.

warm-up:	5 minute	jog/walk	1% incline
hill one:	1 minute	run	4% incline
	1 minute	jog	1% incline
hill two:	2 minute	run	4% incline
	2 minute	jog	1% incline
hill three:	3 minute	run	3-5% incline
	3 minute	jog	1% incline
hill four:	4 minute	run	3-5% incline
	4 minute	jog	1% incline
hill five:	5 minute	run	4% incline
	5 minute	jog	1% incline
cool down	5 minute	recovery jog/walk	1% incline

To make it harder you can increase incline or speed during the runs. To make it easier you can walk the recovery jogs, decrease speed, make it a total walking workout or shorten the workout. Make it your own! I really liked it. Let me know if you try it!

**Hill running isn’t recommended for beginners, just because of the stress it puts on muscles too soon. HOWEVER, I would recommend adding some walking at in incline or walking hills during or after your runs. Your legs will thank you :)

~Do you run hills as a part of your workout regimen?