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Hard-Core Running
Strengthening your midsection may be the secret to better performance on the trails.

When you think of the muscles you’ll need on the trails, the ones in your legs spring to mind faster than those in your belly. Yet it’s crucial to focus on these "core" muscles.

"The core is basically everything that holds your middle together," says Shannon Derby, a fitness instructor at Mountain’s Edge Fitness Center in Boulder Colorado. The core is composed of all the abdominal muscles – the transverse abdominis, the rectus abdominis and the internal and external obliques – as well as the erector spinae muscles in the lower back.

Power emanates from the core, while a weak trunk can throw the body out of alignment. So if your goal is to be a faster and more efficient runner, reconsider your priorities at the gym, where you are likely to shove trunk exercises to the bottom of the training totem pole.

"It’s like a house. If you build a sturdy foundation, the house will stand. Build a poor foundation, and the house will start to break down," says Derby. "You can have strong limbs, but if they’re attached to a weak core, eventually the whole structure will break down."

Core benefits

Core-strength training offers many benefits to runners, especially those who hit the trails day after day. Danny Dreyer of ChiRunning, a running-coach service in the San Francisco Bay area, says his running improved leaps and bounds about six years ago when he started focusing on the midsection.

"Now I actually use my core to lift my legs, not my leg muscles," he says, "so after a 50k race, my abdominals are tired but my legs are fresh." Dreyer, who recently finished third in his age group (50-59) at the 2002 USATF National Trail Championships, advises his runners to stay upright and to lean form the ankles, a position that requires strong core muscles. By contract, leaning from the waist exhausts the lower back.

Using the core is also an effective way to improve balance and coordination on technical terrain. In order to strengthen leg muscles – quadriceps, hamstrings and calves – you typically have to make a muscle larger, not exactly as desired effect if your goal is to stay nimble on the course. Core muscles, on the other hand, do not have to increase in size as they become stronger. Think about it: a person with exceptionally strong legs probably has large quads, but someone with a great set of abs doesn’t have a large belly area. And the bigger the muscle, the less mobile it becomes.

"The key is to strengthen your core while keeping your peripheral limb muscles loose," says Dreyer. Dreyer, who is considered a force to be reckoned with on the technical descents, says, "Nobody passes me on the downhills, because I’m engaging my core and keeping my leg muscles loose."

Focusing on your core can also help prevent injuries and problems associated with over-use. Each time you take a step on the t rail, you exert pressure on your foot. That pressure travels up your leg and into your core. If your core is weak and incapable of absorbing this force, your body – especially the bones and tissues in your lower back – can suffer. Moreover, if you’re using only your leg muscles to get through a race or difficult training run, they’re bound to become tired. Tired muscles are more prone to injury.

Use of core muscles simply make you more efficient. Core muscles don’t require as much fuel as larger ones – as your quads do, for example – because they are smaller and produce less lactic acid. And because they require less recovery time, you will be ready to go again sooner.

"Think of a monstrous SUV with a big inefficient engine," says Dreyer. It may get you where you need to go, but it’ll cots you. Now imagine a small engine-efficient vehicle. It only does what it’s required to do with no extra weight and no wasted energy. You burn the same gallon of gas but go twice as far."

Get on the ball

Unlike other major muscles, the core can be worked every day. Traditionally, people think of floor work as the only way to target the midsection, but a few interesting options are making their way onto your health club’s schedule. Pilates, yoga and stability ball (sometimes called Fitball) are all excellent ways to work your abdominals and lower-back region. In fact, the American Council on Exercise recommends the ball for core training.

"The ball fits the natural curve of your lower back and engages the abs through a full range of motion," says Jennifer Hansen, a fitness instructor and master trainer for Resist-A-Ball. "The ball is also dynamic; it can roll around freely. Having to balance on the ball during exercise also strengthens your stabilizer muscles." Many instructors offer classes that combine two or more of these methodologies. For example, Derby teaches combination classes such as YogaBall" or abs classes with Pilates moves.

Sit up straight

Many factors play a role in a weak mid-section. Slouching in front f a computer all day is probably on e of the biggest culprits, so consider ditching the conventional office chair for a ball. People who sit on balls instead of chairs are able to maintain an upright position in their spines while engaging their cores the entire time they’re at their desks.

Other common causes include poorly structured training programs, adding a few extra pounds to your frame, genetics and bad posture.

"Working your core muscles every day certainly wouldn’t hurt," says Derby, "but to think about great posture all the time would be the best daily work anyone could do."

Balance it out

Remember that your core consists of both abdominals and the muscles in your lower back, so if you pump out legions of crunches without paying similar attention to the opposing side, you may be causing more harm than good. Overdeveloping your abs can curl your body forward, placing your hips in a constant lumbar strain and predisposing your spine to disc injury. If you’re not certain about how to create a balanced program on your own, it’s always a good idea to contact a fitness professional.

Kelli Rosen is a freelance writer, fitness instructor and certified personal trainer from Lafayette, Colorado.