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Is my question a green or red light question and why?

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Is my question a green or red light question and why?

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If it is a red light question, what do I need to do to change it? 

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If it is a red light question, what do I need to do to change it? 

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K-What I know About My Topic: This is where I am going to list everything I already know about my topic...

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K-What I know About My Topic: This is where I am going to list everything I already know about my topic...

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After reflecting on my question and what I know about my topic, do I need to revise or change my question?

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After reflecting on my question and what I know about my topic, do I need to revise or change my question?

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Reflection:  Did I revise my original thinking on what I thought I knew? 

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Reflection:  Did I revise my original thinking on what I thought I knew? 

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Usain Bolt makes sprinting look easy. It's almost as if he doesn't have to try. But we'll let you in on a little secret: Sure, the eight-time Olympic champion is more of a natural runner than we are, but he still has to work at it in order to keep himself in top form.

Even better news? There are tons of steps you can take to run faster, smoke the competition, and maybe even set a new PR.

The key to running at any speed is to practice proper running technique. This means keeping your upper body tall yet relaxed, striking the ground with your mid-foot landing under your hip, and swinging your arms forward and back (not side to side) at low 90-degree angles.

Short on gym time? Try interval training. This means exercising with periods of high and low intensity to build speed and endurance - and burn major calories in less time too!

There's a reason you see all those "real runners" doing short sprints before the big road race. Strides are a series of comfortable sprints (usually 8 to 12, between 50 and 200 meters each) to improve acceleration technique.

The treadmill's belt assists with leg turnover - also known as stride frequency - so it's actually easierto run faster. Plus, you have the power to push the pace right at your fingertips. Just make sure you get on the machine before turning up the dial.

The jury is still out on static stretches. According to a 2014 literature review of 11 studies, it's unclear if they really prevent running injuries. Lewis, J. (2014). A systematic literature review of the relationship between stretching and athletic injury prevention. DOI:10.1097/NOR.0000000000000097 But leaders of the pack know stretching daily - especially targeting those hip flexors - increases flexibility for better strides.

Fartleks is a funny Swedish word meaning "speed play." Yes, our inner 10-year-olds find this hilarious. By alternating jogs and sprints, you can gradually build up speed and endurance.

We're not saying you need to embrace barefoot running, but sneakers are getting lighter and lighter to mimic your foot's natural movement and improve your stride. Try a minimalist pair to see if less weight means more energy for faster feet.

Stronger core muscles, especially lower abs, allow runners to tap into more force out on the road.

Learning how to breathe while running at faster speeds takes practice. Use both your nose and mouth while inhaling and exhaling to get the maximum amount of oxygen to the muscles. Also, try belly breathing - fill the diaphragm, not the chest, with air on each inhale.

Yes, we know it's the worst. But running on an incline outdoors or on a treadmill is a form of resistance training. You'll build solid muscle in your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves - all the same muscles needed to sprint across that finish line.

Junk food guarantees a sugar high and slows you down. Stick to whole grains and pasta before runs, which provide longer-lasting energy - without the crash.

Stronger, leaner muscles will help you get to the finish line faster. And while runners shouldn't take up bodybuilding, a 2016 study showed that two to three strength training sessions per week can go a long way in improving your speed. Balsalobre-Fernández C, et al. (2016). Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001316

Of course, not everyone has the weight to lose, so remember to consult a physician before starting any weight loss program.

Looking down at your feet or turning your head to check out the competition can waste precious time. Instead, focus on what's directly in front of you - about 10 to 20 meters in the distance - and keep those eyes on the prize.

The whole body plays a role in speed - from your head to your toes! Try dorsiflexion (arching your toes up toward you shins) while running. That way less of your foot hits the ground for a quicker stride turnover.

Here's how to do the exercise: Start in a plank position and engage your core. Run your knees straight up toward your chest, alternating between right and left legs. The combo of moving your feet quickly while assuming a plank position will make you crazy fast.

And think about it - the faster you run, the more time you have to kick back and relax!

When it's finally race day, take it off! The extra layers and fuel belts, that is. The less clothing and gear on your body, the faster your time - which is why the pros practically get right down to their skivvies to run.

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Usain Bolt makes sprinting look easy. It's almost as if he doesn't have to try. But we'll let you in on a little secret: Sure, the eight-time Olympic champion is more of a natural runner than we are, but he still has to work at it in order to keep himself in top form.

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What you should and shouldn't eat pre-run

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What you should and shouldn't eat pre-run

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Whetheryou're a neighborhood jogger or an ultramarathoner, fueling right will help you get the most out of every mile. Eating well before you run can prevent sudden fatigue mid-workout (aka hypoglycemia, or bonking) and can have a direct impact on your performance. "What you eat will help you through the run by either building your glycogen stores for a workout later or boosting blood sugar for a workout in the short term," says nutritionist Amy Shapiro, founder of Real Nutrition NYC. As you start to increase your mileage, your body requires extra fuel-and eating right gets even more important.

Foods to Avoid Before a Run

Foods high in fat, fiber, and protein are best avoided right before you hit the pavement or trail. "Too much fat or protein before a run can cause cramping or tiredness, as your body will be spending energy on digestion instead of running," Shapiro explains. High-fiber foods can also lead to GI distress and cramping because they are hard to fully digest, so they move through your system rapidly. Some runners swear by a caffeine boost, but be careful not to overdo it on coffee or tea for all the same reasons you wouldn't want to overdo it at the office-elevated heart rate, stomachaches, and frequent bathroom trips. These foods could be rough for digestion before a run:

Legumes

Broccoli, artichokes, or other high-fiber veggies

Apples, pears, or other high-fiber fruits

Cheese, red meat, bacon, or other high-fiber foods

Caffeine (in large amounts)

Spicy foods

Foods to Eat Before a Run

The ideal pre-run snack is easy to digest and provides instant fuel, Shapiro says. Foods higher in carbohydrate content are best, because carbs break down into glucose, the body's main source of energy during a run. Glucose circulates in the bloodstream, where it can be used for immediate energy, or it gets stored as readily accessible glycogen in the muscles and liver. A little bit of protein and fat can provide some staying power, but the majority of your pre-run fuel should be carbs. Shapiro encourages opting for real foods when possible, rather than sticking to bars and energy gels. Her go-to snacks:

Banana and almond butter

Turkey and cheese on whole-wheat bread

Oatmeal and berries

Cheese stick and carrots

Toast with 1/4 avocado or one to two tablespoons of nut butter

When to Eat

The ideal pre-run meal is generally 300 to 400 calories, consumed around two hours before you hit the road, Shapiro says. Even if you're going long, you're better off fueling mid-run than loading up too much beforehand. If you've eaten a larger meal, you may need to wait up to four hours before running to prevent stomach discomfort, although 30 minutes is usually enough after a light snack, she says.

Exactly how much you ought to consume varies slightly based on your body and your workout, of course. For an easy run of less than an hour, aim for 15 grams of carbs. "Most people can get through a three-mile run without food beforehand," Shapiro says. "But it might be easier to get through the three miles if you have a small carbohydrate snack, such as a piece of fruit." If you're doing a longer or more intense workout, go for 30 grams of carbs. Before a marathon, you're looking at something between 50 and 75 grams. For runs longer than 75 minutes, you'll also need to think about bringing along some mid-run fuel, because your glycogen stores will be depleted. Shapiro advises 30 to 60 grams of carbs for every additional hour you'll be out, as well as added electrolytes and extra fluids.

Lead Photo: nattrass/iStock

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What You Should and Shouldn't Eat Before a Run

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Whetheryou're a neighborhood jogger or an ultramarathoner, fueling right will help you get the most out of every mile. Eating well before you run can prevent sudden fatigue mid-workout (aka hypoglycemia, or bonking) and can have a direct impact on your performance.

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Click or tap points on the map to create a route. Drag points to move them, or drag segments to insert a new point. You can also undo or redo changes to your route. To remove a point, shift-click or drag it to the trash button that appears while dragging. Right-click or long-tap on a point or segment for more options.

On The Go Map calculates the distance of your route as you create it. Click the distance display to switch between miles and kilometers.

Click the terrain icon to show an elevation profile for your route as you create it.

Switch between these routing modes to change what kinds of roads or paths new segments snap to:

Use foot mode to plan walking or running routes, it snaps to the shortest roads, paths, or trails and lets you go either direction on one-way roads

Use bike mode to plan road biking routes, it snaps to the best paved roads for road biking and enforces one-way roads - for mountain biking or cyclocross, use foot mode instead

Use car mode to plan driving outes, it snaps to the fastest roads for driving and enforces one-way roads but not turn restrictions

Use manual routing mode to go off road, it draws manual paths where there are no roads or trails

Learn more about the different routing modes

To change the routing mode of an existing segment, right click or long-tap on it.

Click the share icon share to get a shareable link for your route or code to embed in a website. From the menu, you can also export the route as a GPX file.

Click find my location to center the map on your current location or use search to find a place by name. Click fit route to pan to an overview of your route.

You can access all functionality using just a keyboard. Press Tab until the map is focused, then left right up or down to move around, Space to add a point at the center of the map and Del to remove the last point. Press ? for a list of all available shortcuts.

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Map a run, walk, or bicycle ride. Plan routes, calculate distances, view elevation profiles, share routes, export as gpx, or embed in a website.

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W-What I Want to know About My Topic: This is where I will list what I need to find out about my genius hour question...

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W-What I Want to know About My Topic: This is where I will list what I need to find out about my genius hour question...

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Exercise is an important part of a healthy, active lifestyle. It improves your heart and lungs, and builds strong bones and muscles. However, exercise can cause sore muscles. This is common if you try a new exercise or increase your intensity. You may use new muscles, strain your muscles, or get small tears in your muscle fibers.

Path to well being

Your muscles may get sore right away. This is known as acute soreness. You may feel them ache or tighten up about 12 hours after you exercise. In some cases, the discomfort may peak 48 to 72 hours afterward. This is called delayed-onset muscle soreness. During this time, your muscles repair and strengthen themselves. Sore muscle pain can improve quickly or last several days.

To help relieve muscle soreness, try:

gentle stretching

muscle massage

rest

ice to help reduce inflammation

heat to help increase blood flow to your muscles

over-the-counter pain medicine, such as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen.

Unfortunately, you can't avoid sore muscles. It is part of getting stronger and healthier. There are some things you can do to help lessen the amount of soreness.

Warm up. Studies show that warming up your muscles before exercise may be better than stretching them. It wakes up your muscles by increasing blood flow to them. To warm up, do light versions of certain exercises. These include slow jogging or biking, jumping rope, or lifting light weights.

Drink water. Water helps control your body temperature, loosen your joints, and transport nutrients to create energy. Without water, your body will struggle to perform at its highest level. You may have muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, or more serious symptoms.

Rest. Wait about 48 hours before working the same muscle groups. For example, running uses the muscles in your lower body. Give those muscles 2 days to rest and heal before you exercise them again. If you don't rest, you can cause muscle fatigue or damage, rather than muscle growth and strength.

Use proper technique. Doing exercises the right way helps protect you from muscle strain or injury. If you belong to a gym or health club, ask a trainer or instructor for help. They can show you the proper way to lift weights and use the machines and equipment.

Cool down. It's important to stretch after you work out. Your muscles are relaxed and more flexible when they are warm. Stretching also circulates blood away from your muscles and back to your heart to aid in recovery.

Stay within your limits. You may be tempted to push yourself, but remember to progress slowly with exercise. Over time, you can increase the amount of weight you lift or the length of time you run. If you try to increase too soon, you may injure yourself.

Things to consider

Sore muscles are normal. They grow back strong and are able to work at a higher level of intensity. However, be careful that you don't injure your muscles.

If you think you have a strain or a sprain, try the RICE approach.

Rest: You may need to rest the injury all or part of the way. It will depend on how bad it is.

Ice: Use ice packs, ice slush baths, or ice massages. These can decrease your swelling, pain, bruising, and muscle spasms. You can use ice for up to 3 days after the injury.

Compression: You can wrap your injury to reduce swelling and bruising. Keep it wrapped for 1 or 2 days to a week after the injury.

Elevation: Raise your injury at or above your heart. This helps prevent swelling and reduces bruising. Keep it elevated for 2 to 3 hours a day, if possible.

When to see your doctor

Contact your doctor or seek care if:

Your muscle soreness lasts for more than a week.

Your pain is unbearable and prevents you from moving.

Your pain gets worse with exercise.

Your pain causes dizziness or trouble breathing.

You notice redness, swelling, or warmth in the sore muscles.

The RICE treatment doesn't work.

Questions to ask your doctor

How does a sore muscle feel different from an injury?

If I use a muscle while it is sore, am I at risk for injuring it?

Resources
American College of Sports Medicine, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

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Sore Muscles from Exercise - familydoctor.org

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Exercise is an important part of a healthy, active lifestyle. It improves your heart and lungs, and builds strong bones and muscles. However, exercise can cause sore muscles. This is common if you try a new exercise or increase your intensity. You may use new muscles, strain your muscles, or get small tears in your muscle fibers.

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Think about your running heroes- they may include Olympians as well as the pack leaders in your local running club. Most people aren't blessed with the lightning-like fast twitch muscle fibres of Usain Bolt or the innate prowess of their club's podium climbers, but some of the traits you admire in them - their confidence, concentration and commitment - are within you. You just have to tap into your hidden potential. The mental strategies that follow are based on classic studies, along with the latest research findings in performance psychology and my own extensive professional experience working as a sports psychologist with professional athletes. These tips will help you learn how to think, feel and act like a champion so you can develop a mindset that'll unlock your full athletic ability.
See success
Imagining an optimal performance is accomplished by creating a clear mental image of what you want to achieve in a race. When visualising your ideal race, include the sights, sounds and emotions that accompany the experience. Strive to experience the action from your point of view - what it feels like to stand in the starting area, feeling calm and composed; and what it feels like to cross the finish line feeling strong and happy.
Stay positive
Identify your self-defeating thoughts and challenge them with encouraging statements. When a negative emotion strikes, stop it in its tracks. For example: 'My split time is off. I'm feeling stressed. Stop. Breathe. I'm going to take a fresh, confident approach to my next mile.'
Be present
Focus all your energy on execution, not self-analysis. Don't write the review of your performance until it's over. Dave Scott, a six-time Ironman world champion, would repeat to himself during a race, 'Do what I can do in this moment.' That is, do your best right now and resist the urge to criticise the past or stress about the future.
Push on
Mental toughness is built by doing something difficult over and over again, especially when you don't feel like doing it. The discomfort you feel when you're doing a challenging workout is an important part of the strengthening process. Push through your down days when you're not feeling your best (unless, of course, you are injured or ill). Dogged determination requires keeping your feet moving forward through all those inconveniences, discomfort and insecurities to reach your goals.
Don't panic
Most top athletes feel anxious before and during competition. They accept this anxiety and use it to sharpen their focus. If you're feeling nervous, remind yourself that some anxiety is necessary for optimal performance, and interpret the sensations you're feeling as signs that you're primed and ready.
Own your zone
A close relationship exists between performance quality and intensity level: your performance may be poorer when your intensity level is too low (perhaps because you feel tired) or too high (perhaps because you're overexcited). To get in the zone, you must learn to throttle up or down to find the right intensity. Athletes may be underactive in workouts ('This doesn't matter') but will hit their mental peak for races ('This means everything!'). The next time you're running, ask yourself if your intensity level is too low, too high or just right. Adjust accordingly; upbeat music can help pump you up, while mellow tunes can calm you down. Dynamic stretches and strides can help prepare you for action; sitting calmly and reviewing your race strategy can help you chill out.
Project confidence
On race day, what's your body language saying? Is your chin up, shoulders back, chest out? Research shows that holding your body in confident postures for only a couple of minutes can produce elevations in testosterone, decreases in the stress hormone cortisol and increased feelings of power, as well as tolerance for risk when it's needed.
Manage discomfort
It's far better to focus on the joy of movement, maintaining correct form and good breathing, than to concentrate on the burning sensation in your legs. One elite runner told me he focuses on his eyelids while he runs 400-metre repeats. Why? 'My eyelids are the only part of my entire body that don't hurt when I run 400s,' he said. And an endurance athlete told me the act of smiling during a rough patch of a race helps her release pain and keep going.
Evaluate progress
Scrutinise your important workouts and races regularly. Ask yourself three questions: (1) What did I do that was good? (2) What needs to get better? (3) What changes should I make to become my best? This process will allow you to give yourself credit where credit is due and to learn from your mistakes. Develop selective amnesia Top runners have a long-term memory for success and a short-term memory for failure. Every athlete fails, but the most successful ones do not dwell on the failures. Instead, they focus on their positive training and racing experiences and keep confidently moving forward.
Adapted from The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive, by Jim Afremow (Rodale, 2014)

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Think about your running heroes- they may include Olympians as well as the pack leaders in your local running club. Most people aren't blessed with the lightning-like fast twitch muscle fibres of Usain Bolt or the innate prowess of their club's podium climbers, but some of the traits you admire in them - their confidence, concentration and commitment - are within you.