Today’s blog is about DogTown’s second installment of the running endurance program, hosted by coaches Josh G. and Mike V. We are calling it Endurance 2.0.
Here are the details:
Starting this Saturday, April 12, and continuing for the next 5 Saturdays (ending May 17) we will be coaching a running method and technique course.
Sessions will be 60 minutes in length and will start at 9am each Saturday.
The first session (April 12), will be held at DogTown CrossFit. The remainder of the sessions will be held at local tracks and beaches.
Make-up classes will be held on select Tuesdays from 7:30am to 8:30am.
The six sessions that make up Endurance 2.0 will cost $90.
Learn how to run more efficiently. Learn how to pace your CrossFit running workouts more efficiently. Learn how to approach your endurance races outside of the gym more efficiently and safely.
Come out and join the DogTown CrossFit community get better at running and have a great time doing it!
Here are a few testimonials from our Endurance 1.0 program:
I joined the Endurance class to kick start my half marathon training. Before this class the most I could run was 3 miles. Through the class I learned proper running techniques including, breathing, speed drills, and warm ups. As the weeks went on I was able to cut my mile times significantly as my endurance improved. At the end of 6 weeks I participated in a 10K in which I was able to keep a consistent pace on each mile and beat my finishing goal time I had set for myself. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to improve their endurance and running skills.
Alicia Almaguer
Thank you, gents, for offering to include newbies like me in the first Endurance Program.
Short story:
The Endurance Program gave me better form for running, so everything hurts less. And, spending two days a week running timed sets got me in better condition more quickly. After just 4 weeks of Endurance, the running portions of the WOD seemed less heinous.
I still don't like running. But I don't dread it as much. Now I think about form and mid-strike and leaning forward and short steps and not swinging my arms (instead of "oh god I hate this" over and over). This is an improvement!
Changes:
At first I thought 6 weeks was too long ... but maybe that was just my lazy, achy butt due to going from zero running to Endurance class 2 times per week.
I'll try just showing up 1 time per week for the next go around.
Also, I originally worried that my slowness would drag down the rest of the class, like maybe we needed to be in levels. But actually, it seemed to work out OK.
Long story:
I joined the Endurance Program for the same reason I joined DogTown ... to fill my time. My brother had just died --suddenly, heartbreakingly-- and all I could see was a yawning expanse of grief. I wanted to be busy; I wanted to expend some of the energy that burned with questions and anger inside of me. I needed real sleep.
Dori Lieberman Wittman had been encouraging me to try CrossFit since she began 4 years ago.
Seemed like the right time; right thing to do.
That was a little over 4 months ago and I really can't thank you all enough. Not only did the physical effort help me through the hellish early days of grief, it actually felt great in my body. I look forward to every workout. And, I am so very grateful for the community.
I am one passionate DogTown Fan!
Thank you!
Kenya
I nearly didn't sign up for the CrossFit Endurance class, since I'd been trying to recover from an IT band injury for a couple of months and had been cutting back on a lot of my running in an effort to heal my leg. Josh and Mike V. explained to me that if I took the class and learned and practiced proper running form, this would prevent many future injuries from occurring. I signed up for one day a week rather than two days, since I could only make it to one of the times. I was a bit nervous that the running workouts would be too painful, since at that time I couldn't run more than 800 meters without a lot of pain in my knee due to the IT band injury.
Rather than just sending us out to run five miles off the bat, the workouts focused a lot on form and technique. For example, after stretching and warming up, we did eight 100-meter sprints for time with some rest in between, eight 200-meter runs for time with 1.5 minutes to rest in between, or six 800s, etc.
Running with the new technique actually made my knee hurt less often, but Josh and Mike were both accommodating, giving me a scaled-back workout if I wanted it or saying that I should stop when I felt the pain.
I'm really glad I signed up for the class, because I think my running form has definitely improved, and I think my running has gotten faster as well. On multiple occasions I wondered to the coaches why more people hadn't signed up for the class or why many who had signed up stopped coming. (Though it was nice having very small classes where I got to know some people better than I would have in a regular CrossFit class. Receiving more one-on-one feedback from the coaches was nice as well.) I would even sign up for the class again, because I want to continue to improve my form, and because I'd like to do the course without a leg injury, so I can actually use the classes to train for a race with the rest of the class and coaches.
-Becca Clason