Training often feels like a constant dance of decision-making: how to fuel, when to recover, and what paces to run. Trying to determine the types of workouts you need based on your current fitness level and actually knowing how to adjust your training accordingly is just another part of that dance, and easily adds to the overwhelm.

One of the biggest signs you need more easy miles in training is if you struggle with endurance, said Geisel. For example, if you struggle to complete your long runs—or finish them feeling good—then you likely need more easy miles to build stamina.

“If a runner needs more speed, intensity, or strength, it is best to start with small doses,” to complement the plan, not compete with it, said Geisel. This could look like adding strides after an easy run, short hill repeats, or tempo sessions, she added. “We want to be mindful that we aren’t creating fatigue that takes away from the quality of the rest of training,” she expained.

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"Recovery starts the moment you start training. Adhering to a smart training plan, making sure you're increasing your mileage appropriately, taking rest days, doing your strength training—all those things allow you to have a better recovery. We often think, “I crossed the finish line, now it's time to recover." Going into [race day] well-trained is going to really set you up for a nice easy recovery and get you back out there," said Geisel.

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Whether you identify as an anaerobic or aerobic athlete also depends on what you tend to enjoy more in training. Geisel said. “Can you go out and crush a high-intensity interval (HIIT) workout and feel empowered or would you rather go out and run five miles? Most people would say that one of those sounds fun and the other sounds like more torture,” she said. 

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“Running is a plyometric-based activity, so getting comfortable with plyometrics is helpful, and running drills can also be good for that,” Geisel said. 

Geisel added that you build single-leg strength with form drills, along with neuromuscular coordination and a better push-off phase of the gait cycle.

While improvement comes with experience, it’s also important to keep your personal form weaknesses in mind, Geisel said. For example, if you really struggle with the knee drive, start with high knees and butt kicks, then progress to A-skips and B-skips when you’re ready for more of a challenge. You’ll know it’s time to progress when the high knees and butt kick drills feel more natural and require less effort.

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By walking for short intervals before you get tired, you can avoid some fatigue and tackle longer distances. Because run-walking can be gentler on your body than continuous running, many people find they are able to recover faster in between runs, too.

“The misconception is that it has to lead to continuous running,” said Pamela Geisel, MS, MBA, CSCS, PCES, RRCA, exercise physiologist at HSS. In fact, the run-walk method can be a lifelong practice.

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“Running is a single-leg sport and strength training improves your strength and stability in each leg,” said Geisel. 

Strength training improves your running because it forces you to address muscle imbalances. “People tend to gravitate toward the things they’re good at, but addressing your weaknesses will make you a better runner,” Geisel explained. 

Geisel said while three sessions a week takes both time and effort, it is a nice balance because it allows you to see results but also have time enough to, well, run. “You’re looking for a balance of strength and cardio that complement and don’t impede one another,” she explained.

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Pamela Geisel, MS, MBA, CSCS, PCES, RRCA Run Coach, exercise physiologist at HSS shares how to avoid burning when running the five bridges of the NYC marathon.

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While people tend to think of low impact as synonymous with "easy," that's not the case. "Low-impact should not be confused with low-intensity," Geisel said. Low-impact exercise can be performed at a variety of intensities. For instance, cycling classes and cozy cardio are both low-impact workouts, performed at different intensities.

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Thanksgiving week brings a lot of joyous experiences — turkey, family time, time off from work and, for many people, turkey trots.

While turkey trots are decidedly fun runs, they can still be tough. In fact, sports medicine experts say there are turkey trot injuries you should know about, along with some tips for avoiding getting hurt. 

According to Geisel, runner’s knee — an achy or painful knee — is one of the most common turkey trot injuries.

“Because they’re undertaking this activity that is plyometric-based — it is a single leg sport, you’re jumping from one foot to the next and you’re doing it repetitively.  And that just adds up over time, particularly if you don’t have the strength or endurance to maintain it,” Geisel said.

She also pointed out that turkey trot participants often join the run with friends or family as an annual tradition and may not be used to consistent running or strength training, which can lead to overuse injuries like this one.

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Generally speaking, Geisel doesn’t recommend hardcore two-a-days for the average person looking to improve their fitness. “Any bout of exercise is a dose of stress on the body,” she explained. Usually, the stress we experience from workouts is actually a positive thing that helps us get stronger. “However, too much exercise or too many other stressors (work hours, personal distress, new baby, new puppy, financial struggles, an upcoming move, etc.), tip the scale the other way and result in burnout or injury,” she added. As an alternative to working out twice a day, Geisel prefers if her clients focus on getting in one quality workout that makes sense for their life, rather than exercising more frequently to burn more calories or earn active minutes.

“If someone works a desk job for 10 hours a day, they could benefit from an AM strength session and a PM cardio or mobility session, since they may simply not be moving enough during the day,” cited Geisel, advising to start with just one day a week, and keep it low-key. She suggested choosing a moderate-to high-intensity workout earlier in the day, and then perform a lower intensity workout later in the day. “In between, be sure to refuel and hydrate appropriately,” she continued.

Geisel underscored the importance of understanding what purpose you hope to achieve with your workouts, how you’ll get there, and counseled against using celebrity social media for workout inspiration. “Anyone can portray themselves as knowledgeable on the internet as long as they look good in spandex,” she said. “You never know what else is going on ‘behind the scenes.’”

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"The core is responsible for every movement possible," explained Geisel. When you're sitting at your desk, your core keeps you upright. When you walk and run, those movements originate from your core, she continued. "It's so important that we pay attention to it, because it helps us move in optimal patterns that decrease the risk for injury and also allows us to excel at the activities that we love to do," she said.

Because people are sitting more, upper crossed syndrome, where the upper back is rounded and the head shifts forward, is becoming more common. People with upper crossed syndrome also tend to have elevated and protracted shoulder blades and poor thoracic spine mobility. "So we put all these things together, it creates havoc." It can lead to headaches, lower-back pain, and tightness and stiffness throughout your body, noted Geisel.

One way to prevent and fix upper crossed syndrome is to make sure the ergonomics of your work station are good, to take breaks often and move your body, and to do exercises at the end of the day to counteract any tightness and weakness that may be present, Geisel said. To help you improve your posture and core strength, Geisel shared a few exercises she recommends doing daily. They can be performed easily, and be done with resistance bands or light weights, depending on your fitness level.

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Just because you’re working toward a speed goal doesn’t mean faster is always better in your workouts, explained Geisel. “Before any training workout, remind yourself what the purpose of the workout is,” she suggested. “Are you just building endurance with some easy paced miles? Are you doing a tempo run and focusing on settling into the uncomfortable? Are you focusing on form during hill repeats? Or are you hitting time splits in 800m repeats? This will help guide your pacing and will help prevent overtraining and burnout.”

Tracking your runs with a running watch or app is a great way to gauge your progress. But sometimes, runners get too bogged down in the details of their pace. Geisel recommended occasionally doing training runs where you don’t check in on your pace or splits until after you’ve completed your session. “This will help you become even more in tune with your body, which is an asset when it comes to time goals,” she noted.

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Geisel explained there is a certain posture that will help reduce your risk of developing pain: feet should be flat on the floor with your thighs parallel and knees bent to 90-degrees; the elbows should also be bent at 90-degrees and close to the body, with your shoulders relaxed an back. “This [shoulders back and relaxed] should happen organically if your elbows stay at 90-degrees and your monitor is correctly placed,” noted Geisel. Additionally, sitting all the way back in your chair, with the rest of your body “stacked,” with your shoulders over your hips, and your head over your shoulders. “This will help keep your joints in alignment. This whole joint-in-alignment thing is crucial because, if they're not, you risk throwing your posture and the muscles involved in it out of whack—and that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries,” she said.

As some slouching is inevitable, Geisel suggested checking your posture every 20 minutes or so and straightening yourself out as needed. She also encouraged to make the most of movement breaks to shake out the muscles and get the blood flowing. "Take a break from work and work on opening up your body—particularly your chest and hips—and they will thank you," she cited.

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Geisel explains that rest days are a necessary part of every active person’s exercise schedule and that is typically two days per week.

According to Geisel, the most important part of recovery is actually sleep. “If you’re someone who routinely gets only five hours of sleep and thinks that’s enough to get you by, I challenge you to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night for two weeks and re-evaluate how you feel,” she says.

Lastly, while some high-tech workout recovery tools may be useful, they cannot repair your muscles or boost HGH levels in the simple way that sleep can.

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As part of her training, Alessi engaged Polly de Mille RN, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USAT, director, Tisch Sports Performance Center at HSS, to participate in a VO2 max test and gait analysis to evaluate her form and breathing technique. Following, Pamela Geisel, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist at HSS developed a 7.5-week training program based on Alessi’s test results. This routine included boxing, cycling, strength training, and tempo runs. Geisel noted the most important was to get Alessi on her feet as much as possible. "A typical marathon training program is 16-20 weeks long with a solid running base," said Geisel. In addition, Geisel provided step goals for Alessi to reach – first 14,000, then 16,000, and finally 30,000 steps a day. "The key isn't speed, but endurance," cited Geisel.

Read the full article at Shape.com.