Running

There''s a simplicity, an almost zen purity to the sport of running. You, shoes, the open road. Nothing more, nothing less. Doing what man and animal has done for thousands of years. The most natural exercise of all.

And yet. Go to a bookstore and look at all the running books. There''s more to this passion than meets the eye. There''s a science to it all: how to train, how to prevent injury, how to breathe, how to condition your body for maximum results. Sure, you can go outside and just run. Children do it every day. But if you want to run well, you must do more.

Developing the skill, strength and endurance of a good runner—and keeping your knees, ankles, hips and hamstrings as injury-free as possible—requires a well-conceived training program, says Budd Coates, marathon runner, trainer, exercise physiologist and special consultant to Runner''s World magazine.

The precise nature of the program depends upon what level of runner you are, of course. But, in general, "What you need to do over a seven-day period is introduce the body to endurance training, quality training and rest," Coates says. "When done in the right manner, at the right level of stress for the individual, you''ll improve."

How Much Should You Run?

We''ll get to stretching, strength training and other training tricks in a bit. But if you are a runner, your passion is the road, not the gym. So we''ll start with what you love best: how much roadtime you need.

Coates notes that the majority of runners average 16 to 20 miles per week. If this is you, Coates recommends the following runs per week.

* One long run of about eight miles.

* One medium run of five to six miles that includes what Coates calls quality. "Quality is basically a run that involves more effort than the others," he says. "You could include cruise intervals, tempo runs, track intervals, some hill work."

* Two or three shorter runs of two to four miles, done at a comfortable pace.

* Two or three days of rest alternated into the schedule.

In all, it should add up to about 20 miles, says Coates.

Coates notes that each runner needs to adapt the basic seven-day-per-week running program to their level of strength and endurance. "The fact is everybody needs to do endurance work; everybody needs to rest; and everybody needs to do quality work," he says. "The exact ratio or recipe is really dependent upon where you''re at and what you''ve done before."

The recommended program "could bury someone who has just started running, and could be totally tedious for an experienced runner," he says.

For the more advanced runner, Coates says he "wouldn''t make many changes—just the quantity. The long runs become longer. Rest days can be an hour easy run, and moderate days can be 12 to 15 miles. A hard day can be 15 to 20 miles with a variety of quality inside that mileage."

A beginning runner, on the other hand, should start off with walking and, after a couple of weeks, alternate between walking and jogging. After a couple more weeks, he should alternate between walking and running and, eventually, over a two-month period, work up to a steady run, says Coates.

Stretching

As with all workouts, it''s important to get your blood flowing and your muscles primed with a short warm-up before diving into the main event. The same holds for running.

Through much of this book, we advise you to stretch both before and after a workout. Coates sees it differently for running: He suggests that you save the stretches for the end of the workout, which is what he does. "The key," he explains, "is that if you stretch after you work out, you will be ready for the next day''s run."

Occasionally, he says, you may need to stretch early in your run "if you feel a muscle that''s being kind of a squeaky wheel.

"But if everything is fine, after 10 to 15 minutes of comfortable running, just progress into the hard run and then stretch everything in general after the workout," Coates says.

Here are six stretches recommended by Coates that make up a good routine.

Total-Body Stretch

Lie on your back. Fully extend your arms and legs and point your fingers and toes. Tense and stretch as far as possible for five seconds, then relax. Repeat three to five times. Do this to both begin and end your stretching routine.

Toe Touches

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend over at your waist until you feel a pull at the back of your legs. Make sure your knees are not locked. Hold the position for up to 20 seconds. If you cannot actually touch your toes, that''s okay. This stretch is good for the lower back, hips, groin and hamstrings and guards against pulls and injuries in those areas.

Straight-Knee Calf Stretch

Stand with your feet planted firmly on the ground, pointed straight toward a wall two to three feet away. Lean forward and put your palms on the wall. Bend one knee, lifting that foot''s heel off the ground. Keep the other foot flat on the ground and your knee, hip and back straight. Lean forward, bending your ankles and elbows, until you feel the extended calf tighten. Hold for up to 20 seconds, then relax. Alternate from leg to leg and repeat three times with each leg. This strengthens, stretches and works out pain in the calves and Achilles tendons.

Ankle Pulls

You''ll need a towel for this stretch. Lie on your stomach with one leg straight and the other bent at the knee, pointing toward the ceiling. Loop the towel or strap around your bent leg and hold the ends with your hands, behind your back. Curl your neck and shoulders upward, and attempt to straighten your bent leg against the tension from the towel until the thigh is taut. Hold for 20 seconds, then relax. Repeat three times, then switch legs and repeat. This exercise is good for the thigh muscles.

Groin Stretch

Lie on your back with the soles of your feet touching firmly. Let your knees and hips relax and hold the position for 40 seconds. This relaxes the body and helps prevent groin pulls.

Spinal Twists

Sit with your right leg straight. Bend your left leg so it crosses over the right and your foot rests on the outside of the right knee. Bend your right elbow, resting it on the outside of your upper left thigh. Let your left hand rest on the floor behind you. Slowly turn your head to look over your left shoulder while rotating your upper body toward your left hand and arm. Hold for up to 20 seconds, then stretch the other side. This is good for the hips, back and rib cage and reduces or prevents back and hip pain.

Strength Training

Finally, Coates suggests you supplement your running workout with appropriate strength training—with weights. "Appropriate" means a good overall workout, he says. It also means experimenting a bit and finding what works for you.

"The biggest thing with strength training is that you need to listen to your body while you''re running," says Coates. "You know when you''re creating a muscle imbalance and trying to run with it. You don''t feel biomechanically fluid anymore. Or if you feel you''re carrying around extra baggage, your upper body is feeling bulky, you''re probably overdoing it.

Lift like you''re a runner; don''t lift like you''re a lifter. You''re always looking at lifting through a runner''s eyes. You''re not looking at lifting to get so many more pounds on the bench and so many more pounds on the arm curl and to flex in front of the mirror. The program that works is the one that makes you feel good when you''re out running. You find it on your own. Pick a sound overall program, and with a little bit of trial and error, find what works for you."

There are a few specific strengthening exercises for runners that Ken Sprague, coach and strength trainer, owner and operator of the original Gold''s Gym and author of Sports Strength recommends.

"Some strength training can help runners avoid injury," says Sprague. Most runners, he says, experience at least one relatively serious injury a year.

The exercises he recommends can be done with free weights or with gym equipment. For each exercise do two sets, ten reps per set, at 65 percent of your one-rep maximum, two days per week.

Sprague''s program for runners includes:

* Dumbbell lunges for hip and leg thrust

* Dumbbell step-ups and step-downs for hip and leg thrust

* Leg curls to prevent hamstring injuries

* Rumanian dead lifts for torso stability

* Bench press with close grip to improve arm drive

* Toe raises with seated leg press machine for ankle extension

Then there are two more—the pull-up (it helps with upper-body pull) and a different type of leg raise.

Pull-Ups

Hang from a chinning bar with your palms facing forward, hands about 18 to 20 inches apart, arms extended. Your feet should be about six inches off the floor. It''s okay to cross your feet or bend your knees; just don''t kick your legs.

Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Slowly return to the starting position so your arms are again fully extended.

Leg Raises with Dumbbells or Ankle Weights

Sit on a bench. Stand a low-weight dumbbell between your feet, holding your feet together, so that they can comfortably lift it. (You can increase the weight as strength develops.) Lie on your back, and then extend your legs, your feet holding the dumbbell.

Raise both legs together, keeping them as straight as possible (it''s okay to bend your knees at first until you attain the necessary flexibility to stretch your legs straight). When properly done, your feet will be directly above your hips, with your legs at a 90-degree angle to your torso. Slowly lower your legs to the starting position. Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps.

If you don''t trust your feet to hold a dumbbell, you can use resistance tubing or ankle weights.