What are some really good running exercises and stretches besides running itself?
613578
Be sure to stretch your quads (upper thigh muscles) as they are the most important part of a mid-distance race like the half-mile. You can do this by grabbing one ankle and pulling your leg up to your waist behind you. Also stretch your hamstrings by touching your toes or sitting down and reaching toward one extended foot at a time. These two key stretches are crucial right before a race, and can help flexibility if you do them maybe once a day.
474634
Don't jog.  Do lots of leg exercises.\n\nSquats\nisometrics (sit against the wall without the chair, 60 secs.)\ncalf raises (lots)\nshort sprints (all out 20-40 yards)\njump up to and down from a bench (hops)\nJump rope\nLunges\nstrength training for power (heavy weight, low rep)\nAbdominals (crunches, sit-ups, leg lifts...)
215232
just running works good. but if thats not enough than you can do leg lifts. and eat alot of noodles
786522
using a treatmill or running?\n\ndoing streches?
870847
work out your legs and keep running\nb
712335
well, run one day and rest the other. This is coming from a expirenced 800 meter runner as well as cross country runner, hydrate and most importantly stretch. If you had to skip one of these it would be, suprisingly the running. running 1 day before isnt going to help that much but if you stretch twice or three times a day for two days you will see an improvement.\nHeres how to strech (overview)\ndo all the normal running stretches but instead of holding them from 10 or 20 seconds hold them for 2 seconds (no more no less). Repeat this 10 times. So you do your stretches 10 times for 2 seconds each.  If your not sweating alot when you do this, your either an extreme runner or doing it wrong
1019085
Try this stretch: After you have warmed up a bit, stand upright, feet flat on the ground, hold onto something, then lift the front of your feet up as high as they will go. This stretches the thin muscle that runs along your shin bone. This stretch helped me when I started running!
643392
The best exercise to start with is plain walking.  Time yourself doing a mile.  Once you can do a mile in less than 12 minutes without being out of breath go to a mile and a half.  Do some stretching exercises.  As you begin to feel better (it does take a few weeks) you can begin to add in weight training.  do not jump into heavy weights, start small and use repetitions to build yourself up.
1084242
As you grow and get bigger and stronger your time will improve. You can also improve your running mechanics.  Work on your start, and work on strengthening your legs.
68766
There are 3 things that you can do to run faster: You can increase your leg turnover rate.\nYou can increase your stride length.\nYou can increase your overall strength so you can maintain a faster turnover and longer stride for a longer time. That is, you run faster by not slowing down as much.\n\nHere are some things to try to affect one or more of these things.\n\n1.Work on your (running) strength. You should do interval workouts, 100 hard run (not sprint) followed by 100 walk/jog, then repeat. Start with 4 and work up to 10-12 repeats as you get stronger. For some workouts, do the same thing with 200s and occasionally a 400. \n\n2. Work on your upper body strength with weights. Do not go heavy, go light. You want to do a lot of quick reps rather than a few, slow, reps with heavy weights.\n\n3. Run some hills. If you can find a long, gradual hill, do some of your 100 repeats uphill. It will increase your knee lift and leg strength. As an alternative, run steps. Hills are better because running steps, you chop down your stride length to fit the steps.\n\n4. Learn to run “Fast, but relaxed”. Jog 20m, gradually accelerate to full speed over 20m, then slow back down to a jog over 20 m. Jog, then repeat. When you do this, concentrate on your form and staying relaxed through the whole 60m.\n\n5. There a some running related exercises that you can do. Skip like a little kid. Do repeat 50s. First skip for distance, making each stride as long as possible, then skip for height, working on getting your knee up and getting as much air as possible.\n\nTo prevent soreness, stretch out completely after your workout. You want to stay as flexible as possible. You don’t want to have one set of muscles working against another set of muscles.  A good book is Bob Anderson's  “Stretching” (See link below) you can probably find it at your local library, it’s a classic. It has pages of stretches. You may also be sore because you are running to tight and your muscles are fighting each other. If you are clenching your teeth and grimacing, you are too tight.
767374
when i played football, i found that a swimming routine defiantly strengthens your legs, improves stamina, and definitely it helped me loose a few pounds and run faster. if you cant do that jogging is probably the next best thing.every day, at least a mile, at least. 2 is better. running up and down long flights of stairs or up hills will definitely help as well.
560847
Look at the wear pattern on your shoes - if it is uneven you may need orthotics \n\nIce you knees after running for 10 mins and make sure you are really warmed up before you run\n\nlook at knee braces if your knees are not stable and get a therpaist to show you how to develop your vastus medialis muscles \n\nfinally try and run on soft ground for at leats half the time or have aday off where you run in a pool instead of on the pavement
857070
Achilles calf - place one foot in front of the other foot and lean forward against a wall and keep your feet flat against the floor.  do this stretch with the back knee in a straight position as well as bent position.  \n\nHurdlers' stretch - Sit with one leg extended.  The other curled into the body.  Lean with your lower back until you feel a stretch.\n\nDo stretches for 15 to thirty seconds and repeat 3 to 5 times.\n\n\nIt is also recommended that you perform a gradual warm-up and cool down which should help control those symptoms as well. \n\n\ni only stretch before races when my coach is watching so that's all i can remember for stretches that help pervent shin splits.  hope that helps!!!
810550
Start a running program.  I am actually starting this today. Your legs will look fabulous!
167802
well, there's 2 ways.\n\n1) u could keep running and keep using your maximum amount of energy to keep running for as long and as fast as possible. only stop if u really cannot continue running. don't sit after u stop but stand. this is cause your blood circulation is quite pressurize and if u sit, u may not be able to move for a while. while u stand, take in as much air as possible. once u can continue running, do so (u don't have to completely recover your stamina to continue. if u feel u can, go ahead). do the same activity like above, but, combine running with one leg hop, jump as high as possible on one leg, squat, and frog jump. remember, to extract the best from these exercise, u need to maintain a straight body posture. for example, when u r doing squat, only your legs bend. your upperbody do not move and always keep it as straight as possible. do as many times as u can these exercise during running. it means that once u run just say, 100metres then u do squat 100times and for the next 100 metres, u do another exercise. it will surely help. these exercise focused most on your leg power. this is to increase your leg strenght as u need a strong leg for running.good luck.\n\n2) this is something i am capable to do. as well as above. so, i know it'll work. now, this part a bit dificult. u need to train your body to regain stamina as fast as possible. other words, if u r only capable to run for 4 minutes, then u stop. u can regain stamina in just about 1 minute time. it is a difficult process. i am not too sure of how to do this, but i somehow manage to obtain this ability. well, i think that u do the series of exercise mentioned above. but, when u stop to take your breath, make that rest time as short as possible. try to make it shorter and shorter by days go by. u need to work hard for u need these abilities by your dateline.and for that, i wish u all the best!\n\nGOOD LUCK IN YOUR TRAINING!!
645622
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS, warm up before you run, whether it be with some light cardio, a medium sized walk, or a slow jog, but warm up.  Get those muscles going a little bit.  Then stretch them out for a few minutes.  Do you run, and then cool down.  ALWAYS cool down.  It is better for your body.  Then after about a 5-7 minute cool down, do a very extensive stretch session.  On your whole body.
914303
read stretching scientifically.... you might be able to download it\nmichael\nwww.bandconsulting.com