Altra's New Television Spot Will Inspire You to Run Without Limits

Limits. Where do they come from? Who decided we need them?

Thankfully, at Altra they don't believe in limits, or telling runners they "can't" or "it's not possible". That's why they created a shoe that has a FootShape™ toe box and Zero Drop technology, so that runners could say goodbye to limits too.

Check out Altra's new national television spot... I promise it's going to make you want to lace up... get out... and crush some trail.

Push Yourself Beyond What's Comfortable

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.” - Tom Krause

You will not get better by doing what you always do. You have to use your personal initiative to go outside your comfort zone in your pursuit of success. If you want to grow, you must push yourself beyond what's comfortable.

 

The video Way Back Home is the incredible clip from rider Danny MacAskill.  It follows him on a journey from Edinburgh back to his hometown Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye.

 

While the video is now a few years old, it remains a constant reminder of the beauty that comes from pushing your limits and challenging your own comfort zone.  It's a reminder of how to live a life that exists without the limits that we often place upon ourselves.

Simply put... inspirational.

Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone

Over time, we all gather a set of constricting habits around us—ones that trap us in a zone of supposed

comfort, well below what our potential would allow us to attain. 
Pretty soon, such habits slip below the level of our consciousness, but they still determine what we think that we can and cannot do—and what we cannot even bring ourselves to try. As long as you let these habits rule you, you’ll be stuck in a rut.

The good news is that our comfort zones are not electrified fences. Although at times, they might feel like it. 

Challenge Yourself.
Push Your limits.
Extend Your Comfort Zone.

It's true that going out on a limb can be scary because it means there is a chance that you might fail. You might lose something. But you might also gain something, right?

You might gain more than you ever thought possible. Whether it's in your training routine or your work life. Don't be afraid to challenge your own status quo. You'll be surprised at what you learn.

Rethink The Way You Train: Developing A Strong and Stable Core

One of the most important areas of the body for any runner to work is the core. Whether running for fun, fitness, or to be fast, efficiency is key and having a strong core plays an important part in translating the power of the legs to propelling the entire body forward through space.

Simply put, you can't run your best without a strong core - the muscles in your abdominals, lower back, and glutes. They provide the stability, power, and endurance that runners need for powering up hills, sprinting to the finish, and maintaining efficient form mile after mile.

Despite the fact that most of us know how important a strong core is, running bio-mechanics expert Michael Fredericson, Ph.D, found that about 90 percent of runners have weak abs leading to faulty running patterns. UH-OH! Having weak abs can easily translate into "running funny" with too long or too short of steps, or a pelvis that swings from side to side.

But more than the "running funny" problem, the faulty running patterns can reduce efficiency and eventually lead to injury.

Whether you’re looking to increase the focus on your core, or just avoid that “running funny” look, there’s an array of resources and routines at your disposal with just the few clicks of a button. That being said, I wanted to share one of my personal favorite routines that quickly gets you on track to a strong and stable core.

THE EXERCISE:
This 10-exercise routine designed by the University of North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian has been one of my go to favorites for the past few years. It’s designed to help you build a rock-solid core, burn fat, and improve your overall sports performance. The best part: All you need is a medicine ball to do this workout any place, any time.

Watch the embedded video and click on the hyperlink to view the entire routine. Then finish it off with the additional two moves for a great all-around workout.


Finish it off with the following:

The Superman
(Focuses on the transversus abdominis (deep abs) and erector spinae (lower back) Start facedown on the floor, with your arms and legs extended out front. Raise your head, your left arm, and right leg about five inches off the floor. Hold for three counts, then lower. Repeat with your right arm and left leg. Do up to 10 reps on each side.

Russian Push-up
Full body focus while increasing flexibility in your hamstrings, back, and shoulders. Begin with your hands and feet on the floor and your hips raised, so your body forms an inverted V. Lower your shoulders, then glide your chest forward, bringing it between your hands and up toward the ceiling. Keep hands 2 to 3 inches wider than your shoulders and your knees and hips 2 to 3 inches off the floor. Reverse the move, bringing your hips back toward the ceiling.

Share Your Thoughts
What are some of your favorite exercises for improving your run?

Rethink Your Response to Injury

Running is a sport of passion; why else would we torture our bodies with miles of punishment day after day? As mindful runners, we can take all the proper precautions to make sure that we’ll never have to worry about hurting ourselves.

Of course, utilizing the right gear goes a long way in helping prevent injury. Wearing shoes that put your foot in a natural position like Altra, allows the body to move more naturally thereby avoiding some of the harsh impact normally associated with running.

But the reality is that no one is immune to injury. The daily routine of logging lots of miles almost inevitably leads to some type of tweak or twinge that will set you back.

Running Times said it best in a recent article noting that “we are all, at all times, on a continuum between being unable to walk to running freely without pain -- the closest we can come to being "injury-free" -- yet even then we're managing defects, weaknesses, imbalances, scar tissue and the stresses of the activity itself.”

Injuries can be just as difficult mentally as they are physically. As a runner currently recovering from both a foot and hip injury, I can testify to the frustration that comes along with being hurt. Your normal routine is out the window and you can feel all the hours you put into training slowly slipping away.

The good news: an injury doesn’t have to mean weeks of frustration and nothing-ness. In fact, the time away from running can be extremely productive. Use the following tips to stay positive during an injury and make progress with your fitness level despite being off the pavement.

Set Goals & Prioritize
Most of us set goals for improving their times or winning events. However, when injuries strike, all of those goals for which we were striving change. As an athlete, you are used to working towards accomplishing something, so it’s important to channel that drive into your rehab. It’s important to recognize that with injury, small changes are big deals. Rather than paying attention solely to the end goal, stay positive by pushing yourself to get a little bit better each day. This constant progress will help to elevate your mood and keep you positive during recovery.
 *For more serious injuries, talk to your surgeon and physical therapist about what the rehabilitation process is like and them educate you on milestones you are likely to experience throughout the recovery as well as obstacles you might face. 

Embrace the Moment, Refocus Your Plan 
You had some big goals when you started your training regimine, and now is the right time to reassess them and make adjustments. Stop and take inventory of where you are and where you are headed. Try to embrace your time off from running and realize that rest is an extremely important part of your recovery process. The first day of your injury also marks the first day on the road to recovery. Keep focused on the bigger picture, and adjust your goals accordingly.

Cross-train Instead of Running
While you're resting your injury, cross-training is one way you can help maintain your fitness (as long as your physician gives you the okay). Most of us can continue to cross-train in the pool through even the worst running injuries. Cycling, cross-country skiing, and riding an elliptical also offer alternative ways to keep the cardiovascular system primed during this period of forced rest. The continued activity delivers oxygen and nutrients that aid your body in repairing itself. All this helps keep us in a healthy routine and speeds up our transition time to normal running once we're cleared for activity.

Heal Stronger 
Many times an injury will provide an insight that you may have previously overlooked. A runner that ends up tearing a muscle may determine that the muscle was tight and weak. A once a week yoga class and some specific strengthening exercises could make that muscle far stronger and more flexible then it had ever been and increase your proficiency.

Use the opportunity as a mental break to rejuvenate your mind and body. Rather than lying on the couch waiting to attack the roads again, continue with your usual workout schedule but emphasize aspects that are often neglected like foam rolling, stretching, and strength training. Provided these activities don’t aggravate your injury, they can offer the perfect distraction while also improving your fitness for when you’re ready to get back at it.

Slow Down 
This is a vital tip that not enough runners adhere to. If your injury is temporary, allow yourself enough time to heal properly. If you're over anxious to get back to the pavement or trail, and rush the healing process, then you may set yourself up for another, more serious injury which may cost you even more time. Rushing the healing process so that you can get back a week or two earlier is “penny wise, pound foolish.” That is, you might get back a few days earlier, but because you didn’t wait those extra days to heal properly, you may end up developing a chronic injury that could keep you out for extra weeks and even months. Remember, sometimes the fastest way of coming back is the slowest. GO SLOWER, ARRIVE SOONER!

STAY POSITIVE 
A positive outlook—as hard as that may be to summon—may be your greatest weapon. Research reports that athletes who use positive self-talk and set goals for their rehab experience 'exceptional recovery.' So if injury befalls you and anger sets in, go ahead and be angry for a few days, but then start looking forward. Set rehab goals so you can celebrate small successes. Remember that you're goal is not just to recover, but to heal stronger both mentally and physically.

In the End 
True, dealing with an injury can be a very stressful experience, but in the end, by choosing to view the injury as another challenge to overcome, you can return a stronger competitor. Be realistic in your goals and expectations and take the necessary recovery time.  Once recovered, you'll not only hit the pavement with renewed vigor and passion, but you'll have learned a great deal about yourself and your sport along the way.

Rethink Your Limits

Too often we get stuck in a hamster wheel of habit. We do things that aren’t good for us, remain where we shouldn’t and put ourselves through voluntary suffering all in the name of comfort. We don’t know these things are damaging, because unfortunately, too often, it’s become normal to us.

The truth is we often avoid the ‘hard things’ because they are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you. But we all need to step out of our comfort zone.

We need to do the things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on. Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.

Charles de Gaulle once said the following, “A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.”

I came across a post the other day that was a stark reminder about why we need to do ‘hard things’. It was a reminder that the simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.

Taken from this post, following is a list of 19 “Hard Things” that we should all do everyday:
•You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.
•You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
•You have to give more than you get in return right away.
•You have to care more about others than they care about you.
•You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
•You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
•You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
•You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
•You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.
•You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.
•You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
•You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts”.
•You have to be willing to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
•You have try and fail and try again.
•You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.
•You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.
•You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.
•You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.
•You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.

Keep pushing your boundaries. Keep challenging yourself and don’t give up on your goals or dreams. Rethink the way you live your daily life. Rethink the way you train. Rethink your limits.