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Week Number 3:

How to Get Ripped Abs

By John Hanc 

(See the full article at http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--12417-0,00.html )

America's top runners have a secret weapon: core training. Steal their moves, and you'll become stronger, fitter, and more efficient on the road.

...Intense core training has become essential for elite runners for good reason: It improves efficiency and endurance as it lowers injury risk. Dan Browne, a 2004 Olympic marathoner and a regular carpet-dweller at the 5 p.m. sessions, is quick to cite the benefits he's experienced since beginning a regular regimen: "When I'm running, some of the muscles that used to fatigue don't get tired as quickly, letting me run stronger and longer."

The secret is stability. That's because core strength is the primary force that controls motion in the hips and spine when you run. Think back to when you were learning to ride a bike. You'd wobble and maybe fall until your dad or mom placed a hand on your back. When you run, your core acts as that steadying hand. The stronger the muscles, the more stable your center--and the more efficient your running will be.

A strong core also helps address overuse issues. "If we don't have a strong center, other muscles have to stabilize us," says Toni Dauwalter, a physical therapist whose clients include 2004 Olympic 1500-meter specialist Carrie Tollefson. Over time, the extra work can lead to injury. Mahon cites a litany of problems relating to the lack of that steadying hand: patella tendinitis, piriformis syndrome, sciatica pain...

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