Flexibility and the older runner

[corina]

Hey Sue,
Be ultra careful with the speedwork on the treadmill.  The doc I'm seeing thinks my hamstring avulsion may in part be due to that. I guess your foot plant is more forward on the tm, and your body compensates for that and the bringing it back with the next stride. My weakest link in the hip area appears to be my hamstring insertion site, so that took a beating this last training cycle (I had a lot of speed this time around getting ready for Boston).  Even though my right was the injury complaint side, I had signal and a tear on my left as well per the MRI.

[r-at-work]

 
46.   my max heart has always been pretty low at 165.   I didn't do any form of speedwork last year.  I had alot of unexpected time off and really had to focus on running tired rather than fast.  (had an ironman).   I started this year with speedwork on the treadmill.  My cadence was out of control...getting up to 240.

at 46 I think you still have time to improve... range of motion may be part of the solution
not sure treadmill running is the easiest way to do it (for the reason corina mentions and others)
but the cadence number shocks me...are you counting each footfall per minute? I count each time my left foot hits the ground (I get about 90-92 which would only be tops of 184)...
 
the massage therapist who worked on me during my track work (pre BQ/Boston) was the first to explain that because of a tight hip I was basically running sideways....She fixed that...the coaches helped me to LEARN how to run faster... that sounds pretty basic but for me it was what I needed. Besides various sets of interval training on the track they added hill repeats... I think the track work RUNNING WITH OTHERS and the hill repeats really worked, and I don't think I could have done it on a treadmill (especially the down hill running)
 
doesn't happen overnight, I think the older you are the slower the process, I was 50 and it took about a year to do what I wanted. Iwent from a 10:30 marathon pace (that I could hold till 20) to a 9:22 pace and I built enough endurance to hold it till 26.2...
 
staying healthy and finding time is so much of the equation
-Rita
 

[Andrew A.]

There is also a range beyond necessary range of motion, excess flexibility.  I know, it just gets more complicated. 
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:32_yZaO5sS4J:coaching.uka.org.uk/video/drew-harrison-athletic-stiffness-presentation/+athletic+stiffness+presentation+uka+coaching&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[Andrew A.]

Dynamic stretches: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21592

[Andrew A.]

More from Jay Johnson: http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=23764

[oldcolonial]

I know there are a few others that have been at this for awhile.   I'm really having trouble running faster, I feel that cardiovascularly, I'm extremely fit.  I'm frustrated because it just seems that I can't make my legs go any faster, and I'm barely breathing.   When I'm on my bike and doing intervals, my heart feels like it will explode.  With running my legs "crap out" before I can get this feeling.
 
I'm working on some flexibility issues, do you think that this is the right direction?? 
 
Supposedly cadence should stay relatively the same as you increase speed, but I seem to float up pretty high..

Interesting thing about running faster is that it is all about increasing stride length while maintaining the same cadence.  I am sure you can improve just barely incrementally by improving flexibility but to see real improvements in speed you will need to increase the amount of power you put out.  To do this, you need to practice running fast as well as having a well conditioned heart / lung machine.    This starts simply by practicing running fast.  In order to practice running fast you first need to learn how.   A nice sample work out for this purpose includes the following elements:
12 - 15 min jogging warm up, maybe some stretching if you feel like it.
3 to 5 times 60 to 80 meters running quickly, under control, good form and accelerating through the distance.  Full rest between intervals, do not time the intense or rest interval.
Assorted bounding and stride drills.
5 - 7 times 60 to 80 meters running quickly, under control, good form and accelerating through the distance.  Full rest between intervals, do not time the intense or rest interval.
2 - 4 times 400 meters at 1,500 meter race pace, full rest between intervals. Keep track of your times for these and watch them improve as the weeks progress. I would expect that after you have done the workout a few times you will have no trouble getting your legs going and you will most definitely be breathing heavily at the end of each interval.
12 - 15 min jogging cool down
This will be a hard work out if you have not run fast before, come into it relatively fresh and have an easy running day afterward. 

[Andrew A.]

Perhaps something like this? 

[Andrew A.]

More good stuff from Jay Johnson: http://www.coachjayjohnson.com/2011/11/running-times-article-give-me-15-minutes/

[ksrunner]

I really like this and I think that it would be helpful, but I have a hard time giving up those 15 minutes!

How much time are people putting in doing non-running exercises before or after running?

I am beginning to incorporate lunges before my runs and now do that before about half of my runs. Right now, I am just doing the forward lunges and will incorporate other directions when those are easy.

I've also been doing some of those 100-ups that I've read about, but I am doing those before bed -- not before or after running.