Ani de Leon – Brown AKA Iron Lady Teaches Us The 4 Fundamentals Of Running To Ace The SM2SM Run 5

Has the marathon bug bit you?

If yes, good for you!

I’m pretty sure you’re jumping in the bandwagon to stay fit, right?

I just hope you’re doing it right, the running and all of that stuff.

Or maybe you’ve been doing it wrong all the time!

Yes!

You might have been running the “wrong” way!

And guess what?

Not knowing the fundamentals of running can give you all sorts of injuries and we don’t want that to happen, do we?

If you are reading this blog and you love marathons, you are in the right place and the right time.

I will be sharing you what I learned from National Coach Ani de Leon – Brown, Hawaii Ironman World Champion, Iron Kids race director, and the only Asian in Timex International Multisports Team.

1. Wanna Ace The SM2SM Run 5? Mind Your Posture!

• It doesn’t get much simpler than this.
• Just stand straight!
• Do not hyper-extend and pretend like something’s pulling your head up.
• Don’t lean from your hip.
• Lean from your feet instead and make sure the sensation of falling forward is present because it helps keep your forward momentum when running.

View this post on Instagram

Miss Ani Brown explains the importance of proper posture. #sm2smrun5 #smcitycebu #smseasidecity #iblogforcebu

A post shared by Channel Marie PH (@channelmarieph) on Jan 30, 2015 at 5:43am PST

 

2. Winning The The SM2SM Run 5 Means You Need To Give Your Best Running Stride.

• Lift your knees then land on the mid or fore area of your feet. This is called the midfoot strike or forefoot strike.
• If you will land on your heel, the impact is high and it is bad for your knees.
• Ani de Leon suggests that on your first 10 minutes (during the pre-marathon training and preparation), run barefoot on trails. Running barefoot on concrete is not advisable though. The reason why Coach de Leon – Brown advocates barefoot running is because our bodies tend to do the mid or forefoot strike naturally and when you get the hang of it, you will do the same when you’re wearing running shoes.

View this post on Instagram

Lifting your knees are important when running #sm2smrun5 #smcitycebu #smseasidecity #iblogforcebu

A post shared by Channel Marie PH (@channelmarieph) on Jan 30, 2015 at 5:46am PST

 

3. The Proper Arm Swing Will Help You Get Through The SM2SM Run 5

• Your arm should be 90 degrees (your wrist should be aligned with your forearm).
• As for your hand grip, imagine that you are holding a potato chip, firm enough to keep it from dropping and soft enough to keep it from being crushed.

View this post on Instagram

The proper running arm swing should have a 90 degree angle #sm2smrun5 #smcitycebu #smseasidecity #iblogforcebu

A post shared by Channel Marie PH (@channelmarieph) on Jan 30, 2015 at 5:54am PST

 

4. Winning The SM2SM Run 5 Medal Depends On Your Cadence.

• Work on your stride per minute or SPM. 90 SPM is a good rate.
• To have a fast run, you must develop a good stride rate (the number of times your stride in a minute) and have a good stride length (length of your legs). Unfortunately, most Asians have short legs but it doesn’t mean Asians do not have the chance to win in any international running competition. You just need to work on your stride rate instead.

Now that you know the fundamentals, you are now ready to do the real thing!

Join the SM2SM Run 5 this February 22, 2015 and show the world what you’ve got!

Categories available are:

• 3K
• 6K
• 12K
• 21K

Guntime

• 21K – 5:00 AM
• 12K – 5:15 AM
• 3K and 6K – 5:30 AM

Registration Fee

• 21K – Php 750.00
• 12K – Php 600.00
• 3K and 6K – Php 400.00

Registration Date: January 8 to February 16, 2015

Registration Area

• Sports Avenue (Upper Ground Floor near Sunburst)
• Upper Ground Floor (near SM store entrance and across Ace Hardware.

For inquiries, you can contact the SM Marketing Department at:

• (032) 232-0296

The beneficiaries of SM2SM Run 5 are:

• Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc.
• Cebu Newspaper Workers Foundation Inc. (CENEWOF)
• SM Cares Village in Bogo City

SM City Cebu

We’re not done yet!

After joining a marathon, what comes next?

Recovery, of course!

According to Coach Ani de Leon – Brown, 1 mile of run is equivalent to 1 day of rest.

So if you ran 21 miles, you’ll rest for about 21 days.

It doesn’t mean you’re not gonna do anything for that period of time.

Just do low-impact exercises like swimming and brisk walking to avoid post-marathon injuries.

If you’re used to running 8 miles a day, then might as well run 4 miles or less while you are still on recovery.

A running enthusiast from United Kingdom was wondering why Coach de Leon Brown was teaching the forefoot strike because back in 1960s, the running schools in UK taught them that using heel strike is the proper way to run. Coach told him that running trends have changed and forefoot strike is much better for the knees.

Additional Pointers:

• If you’ll run a 21K marathon, have at least 3 months preparation (running 16k distances for a couple of time).
• If you’ll run a 12K marathon, have at least 2 months preparation.
• If you are not a professional runner and you are too busy to make preparations, just take a rest instead of running days before the marathon. Then just do your best run on the day itself.

Psyched to run?

Are you ready to win the medal?

I’m rooting for you to reach the finish line!

Feel free to to share your thoughts and hit the comment section below.