Week 4 | Watch Your Step!

Greetings Be Change Runners!

Wow! Week four already… time flies when you are having fun! First off, we would like to tell you how proud of you we are! It takes commitment and hard work to train for a run and we applaud you!

Congratulations to Be Change runners Erika Small and Kyle Roberts for KILLING the Iron Express 50 Mile Endurance Run. It was their first 50 mile run and they did amazing! It is astonishing what you can accomplish when you ‘Run for a Reason.’
Watch your step! Foot Strike & Cadence

By Jason Harper
Last week we spoke of breathing while running. It is essential to control your breathing. This week, let’s add foot strike and cadence to the things to consider.
Foot strike is the way your foot strikes the ground. This varies runner to runner. Regardless of where your foot strikes, we must be conscience of how hard our foot strikes the ground. We need not gallop but a stride with less impact. When asked how high to I lift my feet, I respond, "high enough, only to clear the earth." Any more is wasted energy and a way to potentially introduce a stress fracture.


With a lower stride, add to it a shorter stride. Try shortening your stride by 1/3 on your next run. Yet to maintain speed, you will need to take more steps per mile. In the long run, this will actually preserve your strength. More strides is easier than harder landing strides. The amount of strides per minute is called CADENCE.


"In order to maintain pace, increase your cadence."


A good cadence is counting the number of left foot strikes per minute. Try for 80-90 left foot strikes per minute.

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Now that you are in week 4, there a few things to take care of besides running. Have you set up your fundraising page yet? If not, be sure to do so ASAP. Family and friends have probably asked about or at least noticed what you are doing. Be sure to share with them that you are running for a reason, the children of Oak Park. GET THE WORD OUT! We have set up a master fundraising page that you can build yours off of. Super simple!

http://grouprev.com/equalstart
Registration:

Be sure you have signed up to be a Be Change runner: https://equalstart.webconnex.com/Runforareason2011
Don’t forget to sign up to run the California International Marathon: http://www.runcim.org/page/show/282989-registration-information

Want to get in a practice race prior to CIM?

We have a great opportunity for you if you are looking for a small race to compete in before the CIM. Our Be Change team has got involved in the past with the Sacramento Valley AIDS Run/Walk. The race day is Sunday, September 18th at the West steps of the Capitol. We have an amazing partnership with CARES. CARES stands for Center For Aids Research, Education & Services. It is an organization that we strongly support and believe in what they stand for. Please check out their website for more information about who they are http://www.caresclinic.org/



The race is only 5k but is an official champion timed chipped run/walk. The fee is $25.00 per person. This fee will include a t-shirt with the race on it as well as Be Change on the back of it. Your support will provide HIV prevention, education, testing, counseling, medical care & support. Join us in walking or running for this important cause. We would love to have as many of you as we can participate! Please click on the link below to register. You must register by September 1st.

https://ccc.webconnex.com/aidsrun

Training plan for WEEK 4: August 21st- August 27th

Sunday: REST DAY

Monday: 3 mile run

Tuesday: 4 mile run

Wednesday: Cardio/Core work

Thursday: 3 mile run

Friday: Cardio/Core work

Saturday: 9 mile run

SATURDAYS RUN MAP: www.tiny.cc/saturdayrun

Keep up the good work!

~The Be Change Team