Running is popular in many different events from amateur to collegiate and in the Olympics. Important considerations are the proper fit and selection of footwear for different anatomy types and various running event speeds, attention to terrain surfaces, proper strength exercises, and training at careful running levels of progression (e.g., mileage of <10% increase per week). Neglect of these considerations can result in cumulative trauma to lower extremity tissues that are vital to the biomechanics of running. Damage to the low back or lower extremity tissues (e.g., hips, knees, shins, ankles and feet and toes) can cause pain, decreased performance and eventually complete disability of the running event.

COMPETITIVE RUNNING EVENTS
Cross Country
Teams of runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain against other teams. Courses vary, but a common flag system is a red flag means turn left from the right of the flag, a blue flag means pass straight either side of the flag, and a yellow flag means turns right from the left side of the flag. High School varsity distances are usually about 3.1 miles or 5000 meters. U.S. Nationals are 5000 meters. University distances are 5,000 or 6,000 meters for females and 8,000 meters or 5 miles for males for most invitationals and up to 10,000 meters at regional and national competition in NCAA Division I.

Marathon
The Marathon is a long-distance track event of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kilometers). Many cities also hold Marathons on city streets. Top time for men  is about 2 hours and 5 minutes. Top time for women is about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Marathons are also completed by amateurs and ‘fun’ runners with goals of personal best or simply finishing the distance … some completing the event upwards of 3-5 ormore hours. Runners frequently hit a ‘wall’ (extreme fatigue) at about 20 miles (32 km). This probably coincides with the depletion of glycogen — the body’s stored sugar in liver and muscles.

Middle Distance
Standard middle distances are the 800 meter, 1500 meter, mile (in the US), and the 3000 meter. Other distances in this category are 600 meter, 1000 meter, 1200 meter (distance part of the Distance Medley Relay), 2000 meter

Long Distance
Many popular road races are 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers over roads and streets. These races are often competitive combined with fun-loving participants going for personal bests. These events are mostly aerobic endurance events with competitive runners pushing their anaerobic threshholds.

Sprinting
The sprinting events are dominated by individuals with superior fast twitch muscle. Most commonly found in Track events, the 100 (yard or meter) and the 200 meter or 220 yard dash are top speed events that use primarily the ATP/PC energy system of the human body. These events last under 10 and 30 seconds, respectively.

Short Sprints include any sprint 60 meters or below, the 40 yard dash (a common speed test for NFL style football), 100 meter, 150 meter, and 200 meter.

Long Sprints include the 300 meter (usually just a training distance), the 400 meter (once around the track) and the 500 meter. The 400 meter is most common long sprint and dedicated competitors run at a continuous high speed sprint. Lesser runners back off to a slower pace during part of the race.

Triathlon
Triathlons vary in distances for the three events of swimming, cycling and running.

The Ironman Triathlon is a 3.8 km (2.4 mile) swim, 180 km (112 mile) bike ride and a 42 km (26.2 mile) run. This is the longest distance Triathlon.

The Half Ironman Triathlon is a 1.9 km (1.2 mile) swim, a 90 km (56 mile) bike ride, and a 21 km (13.1 mile) run.

The Long Distance Triathlon is a 4 km (2.5 mile) swim, 120 km (75 mile) bike, and a 30 km (18.6 mile) run.

The Olympic Distance Triathlon (also known as the Classic Distance ) is a 1,500 meter swim, 40 km bike ride, and a 10 km run.

The Sprint Distance Triathlon is a 750 meter swim, 20 km bike ride, and a 5 km run.

Ultra-Marathon
A running event longer than a Marathon (i.e., > 26 miles and 385 yards). A Double Marathon is 52 miles (84 km). Ultramarathons are often 50 or 100 miles or kilometers.

During the winter training period there is a shift from aerobic endurance development to strength development.

Monday
AM: Weight workout
PM: 2 hrs, keep cadence high, 95+rpm, stay seated on hills but include 2-3 uphill sprints of 8 seconds each, these are maximum efforts out of the saddle for the entire sprint

Tuesday through the following Tuesday
USPS Training Camp Austin

Wednesday
AM: Weight workout
PM: 2 hrs, keep cadence high, 95+rpm, stay seated on hills but include 2-3 uphill sprints of 8 seconds each, these are maximum efforts out of the saddle for the entire sprint

Thursday
4 hours with high cadence on all hills, 95-100 rpm, stay in the saddle on hills, low cadence on flat terrain, 60-65 rpm at Tempo level intensity, 135-140 heart rate on flat terrain.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Regeneration phase, keep rides 1-2 hours, easy paced, 115-125 heart rate, 80-85rpm

For more information, see lancearmstrong.com and look for the link to ‘Training.’ Workout is reportedly designed by Chris Carmichael www.trainright.com.

Touring, off-road and racing are popular activities around the world. Important considerations are, ergonomic fit of the body with the bike, preventing traumatic injuries in collisions, preventing overuse injuries, and proper training for intensity and volume. Bicycling involves anaerobic and endurance intensities.

COMPETITIVE BICYCLING EVENTS
All-Terrain (ATB)
Rider is usually on heavier, low gear bikes with big tires and upright handlebars. Course is hilly and/or bumpy.

Criterium
A bike race on a short course of usually 5 km or less with a course on city streets barricaded from automobile and other every day traffic. The race length is determined by the number of laps. Racing bicycles are most common in criterium events, but mountain bikes are

Criterium events often have prizes (known as primes, usually cash or bicycle accessories and attire) for winning specific intermediate laps (for example, every 10th lap).

Criterium athletes require a mix of good technical skills such as the ability to corner rapidly and sharply in a large group of cyclists in tight spaces on a short circuit. Exceptional cardiovascular and anaerobic threshhold fitness to pass other riders and accelerate hard on  corners.

Cyclo-Cross
Off-Road race where rider wins with the most laps on a one or two mile rough terrain course.

Road Race
Road races may involve both team and individual competition ranging from a one-day road race, criterium, and time trial to multi-stage events like the Tour de France and its sister events which make up cycling’s Grand Tours.

Stage Race

Touring

Track Racing

Triathlon

Ultra Race

Physiological Goals for Physical Training
Improve sustainable power output (that is, below anaerobic heart rate threshold)
Cross-sectional muscle fiber usage of all muscle fiber types (Type I, Type IIa, Type IIb)
Strength (muscle Type IIa, Type IIb development) — especially for hilly courses
Improve sprinting and acceleration
Decreased heart rate recovery time
Flexibility, Stretching, Muscle Activation by Parallel Agonist/Antagonists, Motor Recruitment
Nutrition (diet and timing, body composition/weight control, glycogen storage, muscle building)
Mind over matter (i.e. no pain, no gain versus speed) increased AT tolerance

Technique/Ergonomics
Bike handling skills
Tactics
Power from hip extension, hip flexion, knee extension, knee flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flexion
Ergonomics: proper pelvic tilt, knee placement over pedal, seat height related to proper hip/knee flexion and extension, arm reach, head/neck position

Safety, Ergonomics, Mechanical, Bicycle Efficiency
Safety helmet, sunglasses/eye protection
Minimize rolling weight & resistance (wheels & hubs, tires & tubes)
Maximize braking performance (cables, brakes, brake pad compounds, rim surfaces)
Aerodynamics (aerodynamic wheels, aero bike frame, aero bottles, aero helmet)
Minimize frame flex (bike frame materials, design and build)

Bicycle ‘fit’ (saddle shape, tilt, fore, aft, height, crank length, pedal (’q’ factor, axle tilt), shoe Size/inserts/cleat position, handlebar height, reach/tilt, handlebar stem length)

Clothing (wick moisture away: shorts & inserts, jersey, gloves, helmets, glasses, socks, shoes)
Mechanical readiness (gearing, chain, bearings, cables, cleanliness, lubrication, pressures & torques)

This page is closed, but a new page is located here …
exercisereports.com/categories/welcome-to-famous-workouts-on-exercise-reportscom

You hear about them on the news, in the gym and on the street. You’ve seen them on television. They are famous workouts by famous athletes, celebrities and politicians. They have an influence on what many people believe is the correct way to exercise to reach physical fitness goals. Some of it is nonsense and some of it makes sense. Now Exercise-Reports.com is tracking these workouts and reporting them by category.

Optimal human performance is all about generating forces with your muscles and safely accepting forces from your performance environment. It’s all about stabilizing those forces so that the proper muscles are doing the proper job of being either the main movers, the assistors, or the stabilizers.

Optimal human performance is also about having the energy to endure throughout your event or performance — and through the entire season. Endurance and stamina requires proper cardiovascular conditioning (specific to your sport or activity), proper nutrition, and proper rest. Musculoskeletal health requires muscle strength, muscle endurance, muscle flexibility, agonist/antagonist balance and optimal muscle length-tension activation for joint stability and core stability.

Professional baseball teams/players play 162 games per season.
Professional basketball teams/players play 82 games in a season.
NCAA Division One basketball teams/players play about 37 games per season.
Professional football teams/players play 16 games per season.
NCAA Division One football teams/players play 12 games per season.