In the Press
[ Back to In the Press ]Lyman, Cushman Go The Extra Mile To Help Local Runners
by Joe Wojtas, The Day, New London, CT, 9/23/07
There are two new resources for local runners created by local runners. One is designed to make you stronger and faster and the other to make your runs more enjoyable.
Triathlon and running coach Al Lyman of Montville has released a great DVD he created called Runner Core. It's designed to make you faster by strengthening your core and hip area while improving your balance and coordination.
Lyman, who is a multi-time Ironman finisher and a guy who is passionate about running, has come up with three circuits of core workouts that go from easy to hard. All you need is an exercise ball, dumbbells and mat. There are also warmup drills, a cool down and other features. The DVD also comes with an audio CD called “Coach Al's 5 Keys to Fueling Your Best Run.”
In the introduction to the DVD, Lyman talks about how after running his first Boston Marathon 25 years ago and struggling with injuries, he realized his body could not handle the high volume of training miles needed to get faster. So he began looking for a way to get faster and stay healthy without running all those miles.
Lyman says the exercises, which he carefully explains and demonstrates, will decrease the time your feet are in contact with the ground, make your form more economical and relaxed, and prevent injury, all of which translates into faster running. These exercises are challenging, and if you've never done this kind of stuff before, you will be sore.
Beginning last December, after years of battling a chronic hamstring attachment problem that hampered my speed, I decided to change my training to solve the problem so I could hopefully qualify for the Boston Marathon in three weeks.
I've dramatically increased my core work but also added running drills to my usual weight work to increase my strength and flexibility. I discovered while watching Lyman's DVD that some of the stuff he talks about I was already doing. And it's worked — my speed and strength have improved and my hamstring issue is gone. I'll never be as fast as I was as a college runner, but it's fun getting faster than I've been in a while. I was also wondering this week how I was going to tweak my training next year. With some exercises from Lyman's DVD, I think I may have found my answer.
So give Lyman's DVD a shot. I bet it makes you a better runner. Information is available at www.runner-core.com. At $69.95 (less than the price of a pair of shoes), it also comes with a four-week training plan for runners or triathletes.
'Jog New London County'
When Abi Cushman of New London began training for her first marathon this year, she found herself trying out different running routes to get ready. So the 26-year-old Web designer decided to create a Web site called Jog New London County to give runners a place to turn for suggestions about running routes. The Web address is www.jognewlondon.com.
She began with information about routes but has since added race schedules, articles, a store and other features.
Cushman test runs each route, makes a map, writes directions, takes photos and scouts out a place to park, all of which is posted on the site. The routes now range from a 1.5-mile loop in Mohegan Park in Norwich to the 12.2-mile Beaver Brook Run through Lyme, Salem and East Lyme. She said runners can e-mail her with their route suggestions at info@jognewlondon.com and she'll go and check out the course.
“Hopefully it will be a good resource for runners,” she said.
Cushman's marathon attempt will come Oct. 28 at Marine Corps.
On the schedule
This is the time of year when there's plenty of races to run from 5Ks to marathons.
- The 22nd annual Run for Reliance House 5K cross country race and 1-mile kids run will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 29 in Mohegan Park in Norwich. Call 887-6536, ext. 308 for more information.
- The first Niantic Bay Marathon and 5K, which takes the place of the Mystic Country Marathon, will be held Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. at Rocky Neck State Park. The half marathon is a certified two-loop course that winds through the park and nearby Giants Neck. The certified 5K course is run entirely within Rocky Neck. Entry for the half marathon is $35 and $40 on race day and $22 and $25 on race day for the 5K. For more information, go to nianticbayhalfmarathon.com, call 203-481-5933 or e-mail jbsports@snet.net. The field is limited to 1,500 runners.
- The 11th annual A Moveable Feast 5K will be held Saturday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. at the Waterford Town Beach Pavilion. This scenic course features grass, trails, sand and pavement. There's a kids' race at 11 a.m. and a great barbeque and clambake. The entry fee is $15 now and $20 on race day. For more information, call Lisa Thompson at 437-9938, email VEETOMM@aol.com or go to www.tvcca.org. The race benefits a program that prepares and delivers meals to people in the region who are undergoing treatment for serious medical conditions.
- The annual United Technologies Greater Hartford Marathon, with a new course that eliminates the rolling hills over the closing miles, will be held Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. There is also a half marathon with a new course, a 5K, a marathon relay and Kids K. While this is a large event with more than 6,000 runners the course does not seem crowded. It's also a great place, especially with the new course, to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Go to www.hartfordmarathon.com for all the details.
- Or instead of Hartford try the Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon the next weekend on Oct. 20 in Newport and Middletown, R.I. The rolling loop course starts at 8 a.m. at the Newport Yachting Center on America's Cup Avenue, passes the famous mansions and features plenty of scenic waterfront running. There is also a two- and five-person marathon relay. For more information, go to www.breakersmarathon.org or call 401-293-0415.