Monthly Archives: May 2021

By David Freeze

My running heyday (that means the best timed results) was back in the mid-’80s through the ’90s. I was mostly a self-taught runner, although a few really good books on the subject eventually came out. Two events in my life made me realize that a bicycle is a good training partner for running improvement.

One of my experiences involved a stationary bike, shortly after the South Rowan YMCA opened in November 1994. I was running well in races and trying to stay right on the cusp of not training so much that I became tired while still maximizing my efforts and focus on the next weekend’s race. At that time, I was running 70-mile weeks and sometimes more. Sleeping too little as well.

When the Y opened, I joined right away with the intent of improving my training concept. It’s the sort of thing that a coach would help with now, but having a personal running coach didn’t really exist then. Several days a week, I ran twice a day, something fairly common with super competitive runners then and now. The Kenyans sometimes run three times a day.

Experimenting with a few things, I exchanged the second run (often done at lunch or at night) with an intense stationary bike workout. The South Y at that time only had two upright stationary bikes, the ones that more closely simulate a real bike ride. I kept my early morning runs and then added an evening programmed intense ride on the stationary bike twice a week for 45 minutes, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Two things happened. Because the bike rides were not weight bearing, I didn’t wear my legs out. I had more zip in my morning training runs and almost immediately faster times.

The second event was arthroscopic knee surgery in 2012, just ahead of my first cross-country bike ride. I had loose cartilage in the knee removed, and then immediately went back to run training. For several months, no matter what I did, the scoped knee remained weaker. I listened to a couple of favorite physical therapists and the operating surgeon and used both road and stationary bikes to help strengthen it. I began to make improvement but wondered if my knee could stand more than 4,000 miles of pedaling across America.

Not two weeks into the ride, I realized that I couldn’t tell which knee had been operated on. I credit the bikes for finally strengthening the knee to evenly match the other one.

Here are some other good ways to use a bike to improve performance and increase overall fitness. Most runners pick a certain number of days to train per week. They usually mix in a long day, a couple of intense days at near race pace, maybe an occasional hill workout, and a slightly less long run. Often they plan to take a day or two off from running, yet still want to get the mental boost from exercise. Cyclists would say that you can get all those things from a bicycle. The benefits are similar, and just for fun, you as a runner might try a high-intensity bike ride and see whether it can fit your training program.

If you feel the need to fill an off day from running, that could be the perfect time for an easy bike ride, stationary or road, just letting the body move and recover from the impact. Keep the resistance light for active recovery and to balance the stress load on your body from the week. It’s an effective way to increase circulation without impact, which can help speed the rate of recovery. Some runners find it much easier to cycle easy than to run easy.

Next Saturday, May 15, is the Ed Dupree 5K, held at East Rowan High and benefitting Hospice and Ed’s scholarship. Ed’s daughter Allison is the race director and will make all runners and walkers feel welcome as she and Ed’s grandson, Frank, join the participants on the fast course. As a long-time Salisbury Post sportswriter and editor, Ed was one of Rowan’s foremost advocates of running.

By David Freeze

One of my favorite things to do each year is returning! The dragonboat festival is set for July 24. Our running club members look forward to competing each year, even though runners aren’t the stereotype for the fastest dragonboat participants. You might wonder why, since runners usually have the best cardiovascular systems and can push their lungs and heart for long stints.

The reason that some runners might be lacking is that many don’t worry much about core and upper body strength. Runners have strong legs and big lungs, but the best dragonboat teams have some upper body strength too. Men and women.

Each race in the competition only lasts about 80 seconds, which doesn’t seem too long unless you are in the boat trying to keep rowing strongly during that time. That 80 seconds is really hard work, likely to have you feeling and looking like a worn-out Olympic rower at the finish line.

As a running coach, the first thing I assess is the arm involvement and perceived momentum generated. Having a certain strength in the arms is a goal. I’m known to yell, “Arms, arms, arms!” as a runner does track workouts. A stronger arm carriage makes for faster times, meaning that the arms don’t weaken and gradually drop during an intense interval.

What is especially interesting to me is the similarity of strength building workouts for dragonboat paddlers and runners too. All of these are simple, and everyone can do them. I can guarantee that you will improve in balance, strength and confidence too. The only equipment needed are two dumbbells or a set of resistance bands.

Here are some things that all of us can do to help strengthen our upper bodies, all doable at home or a gym. Nearly every morning, I go upstairs for some additional exercise. I always start with planks, my favorite strength exercise. The core, and especially the lower back benefit as well as the arms and shoulders. Check out the proper form online and start small. I dread them and love them too, but planks work to build physical and mental strength. I do a certain number of minutes after having worked on it at least 5 days a week for the last couple years.

I follow that with pushups, something that I have done for most of my adult life. I follow the planks with pushups after waiting 2-3 minutes for recovery. Just start with as many as you can do and work up. Remember to breathe. One set minimum. With any of these, increase sets as desired.

Then I move to sit-ups, doing as many as I can. One set. These three exercises don’t require any additional equipment.

If interested, you can add some more dumbbell workouts. I prefer simple.

Start with lateral side raises. Start at your sides with a dumbbell in each hand, raise them to shoulder height with arms straight out, and then return to your side. Sort of like a bird flapping its wings.

Then bicep curls, holding the dumbbells with palms out and raising them to your shoulders, using just the forearms. Then lower back to in front of thighs.

The triceps raise extension comes next. Most people start by holding the dumbbell behind your head with elbows at the ears, both hands on the same dumbbell. Raise it over your head and then lower back down.

And finally, the shoulder press has you standing with a dumbbell in each hand at ear height and pushing both straight up to maximum height, almost touching at the top of the extension, then lowering back to ear height.

No matter what your intent, these exercises will increase your upper body strength. Then join us at one of our upcoming activities, found at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org