|
Category: Racing
By Patrick McCrann | Active.com
With the growing popularity of more hardcore running events that let you stack up serious miles like Reach the Beach or Bay to Breakers, this article is meant to address the need for almost instant run recovery. Success in endurance running events has less to do with your fitness than it does with your ability to handle the associated physical and mental fatigue. Being able to bounce back, in other words, is a critical success factor.
Understand Recovery
Most runners assume that recovery is what you do after you finish running, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of you run enough during the week that your body is almost always within 24 hours of a workout (if not less). In this sense, we are always recovering from one session and preparing for another.
True recovery is about managing the progressive overload of your training program. Recovery is essentially how you decompress from that run, what you eat to fuel your muscles, how you care for the stress you put on those muscles and then, how you prepare for the next session. No one single run, save for perhaps your longest run in marathon training, should put you in such a deep hole as to need a special recovery process, and even long runs like that can be handled differently if need be.
While we have a lot of practice with recovery thanks to our daily training, handling an event is another story entirely: you are in a different place, you have different goals, you are running on new roads, there are distractions galore…the list goes on. Hopefully the list below will help you make the most of your next big event.
Phase 1: Pre-Event
Your ability to handle the rigors of a multi-stage race is largely determined by how rested you are coming into the event. Being the fittest version of yourself does no good if you are too tired to really participate. Without a doubt you’ll hit a wall during your event — that’s part of why you chose the event! — but many runners make these events harder than required by nuking themselves long before the starting gun.
Be Specific: Do your best to mimic the conditions of race day within your training plan. A large part of our Goofy Challenge training plan has been weekly “double” sessions run on Saturday and Sunday. This served a dual purpose: allowing us to build up the mileage safely and, even more importantly, giving us many opportunities to test our pacing, nutrition and recovery. While you don’t need to head to the mountains and run at one in the morning every weekend between now and your next epic event, you can stack run or even schedule a race rehearsal to eliminate most of the guesswork on race day.
The Taper: From a fitness perspective, you need to begin reducing your training load starting around 21 days (Or closer to 14 days for the more advanced runners). This means that your longest overall training session is done and the total volume of running will decrease accordingly. While everyone has their own best personal taper strategy, a standard three-week taper would look like this:
* Week 3: 75% of peak volume.
* Week 2: 50% of peak volume.
* Race Week: 30% of peak volume.
So if your longest running week was 60 miles then Week 3 would be 45 miles, Week 2 would be 30, Race Week would be about 20 miles. Week 3 is still a solid training week with a good hard long run effort, it’s just shorter. Week 2 and Race Week are where your body absorbs the training and prepares to actually race.
Stay Sharp: One of the most critical elements of the taper is called “sharpening.” The goal here is to avoid being sluggish or stuck in full-on recovery mode when the race starts. This can be accomplished by adding some speed work into the final two weeks of your taper. We aren’t talking mile repeats here, as the time for building fitness is long gone. Instead, we are looking for sessions where we can keep the fast-twitch muscles working and hone our running form. Two key session in this regard are:
- Strides: These are short 20-second windows where you run at top speed (but not all out), aiming for about 30 left foot strikes. The focus here is on maximum speed through minimal work — avoid the clenched-fist hammer sprinting mentality. You can add six to eight repeats of these to three or four runs a week during your taper.
- Fivers: This is a short speed session of five intervals run at 5k pace, the sum total of which equals one-third of your overall 5k time. So if you run a 24 minute 5k, then your workout would be: five repeats at 7:43 pace per mile for a total of 8 minutes, aka 5 x 1:40 @ 7:43 pace. Recovery from each interval should be twice as long as you run, in this case 3 minutes and 20 seconds. This can be done up to twice a week during the taper window, there is no need to do Strides at the end of this session.
Check out the rest of the recovery phases.
GoGoRunning Rome Area XC Meet and Viking Open
College, High School and Middle School Results
Boys 2 Mile Run CC
1 #612 Milford, ClayDarlington MS 11:39.36
2 #799 Reyes, Jose Coosa MS 12:37.14
3 #544 Bowling, John Berry 08 Berry MS 12:39.00
4 #685 Sandoval, Ivan 07 Pepperell MS 12:43.15
5 #529 Law, Porter 08 Armuchee MS 12:44.03
Complete Boys Middle School Results
Girls 2 Mile Run CC
1 #442 Quarles, Alex 08 Model MS 13:15.63
2 #422 Arrant, Carah 07 Model MS 13:36.00
3 #513 Glick, Sarah 06 Unity Christ MS 14:02.86
5 #410 Tullis, Jane 06 Darlington MS 14:21.43
Complete Girls Middle School Results
Boys 5k Run CC
1 #621 Akins, Chris SR Model HS 16:58.48
2 #556 Porter, Damien SR Chattooga HS 17:36.52
3 #580 Cox, Alex SR Darlington HS 17:43.89
4 #585 Fields, Spencer SO Darlington HS 17:46.28
5 #702 Fortanel, Ivan SR Rome HS 17:59.39
Complete Boys High School Results
Girls 5k Run CC
1 #484 Wilson, Frannie SR Rome HS 20:26.85
2 #384 Hooper, Lauren SO Darlington HS 20:35.30
3 #483 Tilton, Jenna JR Rome HS 20:43.02
4 #382 Clevenger, Kinslee SO Darlington HS 20:46.37
5 #481 Schlitz, Isabella FR Rome HS 21:32.87
Complete Girls High School Results
5k Run CC
1 Baker, Jesse 20:34.48
2 Healy, Sean 21:46.03
3 MacAuley, Warren 23:27.84
4 Baker, Juliann 23:45.14
5 Ellis, Katie 23:55.59
Complete Open Race Results
 By Peter Pfitzinger | DistanceCoach.com
On a per capita basis, Australian athletes win more Olympic medals than any other country. The Australians’ success is due in part to their systematic application of sport science. One example of their attention to detail is the development of special vests to cool off their athletes before competition in the heat. The technique is called pre-cooling and the theory behind it is that by cooling off prior to hot weather exercise, the body has more capacity to store heat, and loses less fluid, during the competition. This is a relatively new area, but several studies have already shown that pre-cooling before exercise can improve running performance in the heat.
How does pre-cooling improve hot weather running performance?
When you run on a hot day, your body must deal with both the heat of your surroundings and the heat produced by your muscles. In fact, over two thirds of the energy produced by the muscles is lost as heat. During hot weather running, more of your blood is sent to your skin for cooling so less blood flows to your working muscles. This means that your heart must beat faster to run at a given pace. Pre-cooling is simply reducing your body temperature slightly before exercise, and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. After pre-cooling, less blood is sent to the skin, so more oxygen-rich blood goes to the muscles. This results in a lower heart rate running at a given pace, which allows you to maintain a faster pace in the heat.
The scientific evidence
Although only a handful of scientific studies have been conducted on pre-cooling for athletes, the results indicate a real benefit for hot weather endurance performance. In a 1995 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, 14 runners ran to exhaustion in 75 degree heat under normal conditions and after pre-cooling in a chamber for 30 minutes at 41 degrees. Pre-cooling reduced the runners’ rectal temperatures by 0.6 degrees. The investigators found that pre-cooling led to a significant increase in running endurance, and hypothesized that the improvement was due to reduced stress on the runners’ metabolic and cardiovascular systems.
During an earlier study published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, subjects cycled as hard as possible for 1 hour at 65 degrees under normal conditions and after pre-cooling. After pre-cooling, the athletes increased their work rate by 7%. In another phase of this study, athletes cycled as long as possible at 80% of VO2 max. Time to exhaustion increased by 12% after pre-cooling, and both sweat rate and heart rate were lower after pre-cooling. This study suggests that pre-cooling may improve endurance performance even in relatively moderate temperatures.
A 1997 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise investigated the effects of cold water immersion on running performance in hot and humid conditions. Subjects ran as far as possible in 30 minutes in 90 degree heat and 60% humidity. Before one trial, subjects reclined in a cold water bath up to the neck for one hour or until they started to shiver continuously. The water temperature was initially 83 degrees but then was lowered to 73 degrees (that may not sound cold, but after a few minutes in water this temperature, you would be anxious to get out). Subjects started the 30 minute performance test 3 minutes after getting out of the bath.
After pre-cooling, the runners’ rectal temperatures were lower by 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Subjects averaged 7,252 meters during the control trial and 7,556 meters after pre-cooling, for an increase of 304 meters (just over 4%). This improvement is equivalent to over 1 minute for a 5 mile race.
Read more on how to pre-cool your body.
 By Peter Pfitzinger | DistanceCoach.com
After running a marathon, there are basically 3 options. You can: 1) vow never to run again; 2) take some time off and then gradually get back into training; or 3) jump into full training as quickly as possible. Option 1 is not recommended, and option 3 should be chosen with caution. Option 2 is almost always the wisest choice.
Your best strategy for future success after a marathon is to take a well-deserved break. A few days of no running followed by a few weeks of easy training will help your body to recover and your mind to develop new challenges. There is little to gain by rushing back into training, and your risk of injury is exceptionally high after the marathon, owing to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissue.
Allow yourself at least 3 days completely off from running. If your muscles are still sore or are tight enough to alter your running form (or, heaven forbid, you just don’t feel like running), then you should take a few more days off. The nearly negligible benefits of a short run at this time are far outweighed by the risks. Not running now will also increase your chances of being inspired to resume hard training when your body allows it. Taking several days off after the marathon may also prevent you from getting sick. After prolonged high-intensity exercise, your immune system is temporarily suppressed, creating an open window during which you’re at increased risk of infection. After running a marathon, your immune system can take up to 72 hours to return to full strength.
During the first few days after the marathon, you need to replace lost fluids and carbs, and to take in adequate protein for muscle repair. You need carbohydrates to replenish your muscles’ depleted glycogen stores. During each of the first 3 days after the marathon, take in approximately 4 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight and 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.
After taking a few days off, you should be ready to resume easy training. The recommendations below will help you recover quickly while minimizing your risk of injury:
1. Fulfill your need to exercise by crosstraining: Alternative forms of exercise, such as swimming or cycling, are a great option because they increase blood flow through your muscles without subjecting them to the impact forces of running. Walking is also a reasonable (if slightly embarrassing) alternative for the first week or so after the marathon. Thirty minutes or so of crosstraining per day will help speed your recovery.
2. Train with a heart monitor: Training too hard after the marathon will ultimately slow your recovery and increase your risk of injury. It takes more discipline to hold yourself back and allow a full recovery than it does to mindlessly dive back into training. One way to ensure that you do not run too hard after your marathon is to set an upper limit to your heart rate and wear a heart rate monitor. During the first 2-3 weeks after the marathon, keep your heart rate below 75 percent of your maximal heart rate or 70 percent of your heart rate reserve.
For example, say your resting heart rate is 50 beats per minute and your maximal heart rate is 185 beats per minute. Using the maximal heart rate method, you would keep your heart rate below 139 beats per minute (185 X .75). Heart rate reserve is your maximal heart rate minus your resting pulse. In this example, your heart rate reserve is 135 (185 – 50). Using the heart rate reserve method, you would keep your heart rate below 145 (resting heart rate of 50 + (135 X .70)) during your recovery.
3. Avoid injury by minimizing pounding: Because your muscles and tendons are fatigued and stiff after the marathon, it is critical not to stress them during this time. Running on soft surfaces will reduce the cumulative impact experienced by your legs and back. You should also avoid hill running, not only because running uphill requires more effort than is optimal, but also because downhill running induces muscle damage, and you don’t want any additional muscle damage during your marathon recovery.
Read more…
 By Peter Pfitzinger | DistanceCoach.com
You train for six months, taper perfectly, and run the marathon of your life. It’s the next morning. You wake up stiff and sore. Now what?
Well, for the next couple of days, try walking downstairs backwards. Why do you walk downstairs backwards after a marathon? Because that’s where the kitchen and the rest of the world are, and your quads scream at you if you try going downstairs the conventional way. But hey, they’ve earned the right to scream. You just pounded your legs on the hard pavement over 25,000 times.
How long will it take to recover?
The common rule of thumb is to take one recovery day for each mile of the race. That sounds simple. Twenty-six recovery days after a marathon actually sounds darned good. But, what is a “recovery day”? Does that mean you sit around with your feet up? Does it mean easy running is okay, but no intervals?
No two runners are exactly alike, and the amount of time you need to recover will differ from that of your training partner. Come back too quickly and you risk burnout or injury. Two-time Olympic marathoner Cathy O’Brien comments, “Whenever I’ve rushed back too fast after a marathon, I always seem to end up paying for it later.”
Here’s some advice to help you recover quickly while reducing the likelihood of post-marathon breakdown:
The 1st few hours:
Stay warm, drink, and eat.
Stay warm. There is nothing worse than finishing a marathon and standing around getting progressively colder. For one thing your muscles get stiff. Additionally, your immune system is depressed after a marathon, and you are therefore at greater risk of infection. So, be certain to arrange to have warm clothes at the finish area.
Drink. After any marathon, you will finish dehydrated. And the warmer the day, the more dehydrated you will be. So, drink plenty of fluids after the race. Your thirst mechanism is imperfect. When you are no longer thirsty, your body may still need more fluids. When your urine runs clear you are on your way to being fully rehydrated.
Eat. When you run a marathon, you deplete your body’s glycogen stores, which are your stockpiles of carbohydrates for energy. Studies have shown that your muscles will replace their glycogen stores at the fastest rate during the first 1-2 hours after running. Glycogen resynthesis continues at a higher than normal rate for 10-12 hours after a glycogen-depleting run.
What this means is that you will recover more quickly if you take in carbohydrates soon after you finish the race. If your stomach doesn’t feel up to a meal, eat a bagel or a banana, or drink some carbohydrates to get the replenishment process started, then eat more when your stomach can handle it. Continue to eat carbohydrate-rich foods for at least 2 days after a marathon, because it takes time for your muscles to fully re-load.
The 1st few days:
During the 1st 3-7 days following the marathon, you will learn all about DOMS. DOMS stands for delayed-onset muscle soreness, and is caused by microscopic damage to muscle fibers and the surrounding connective tissue as a result of eccentric muscle contractions. What is an eccentric muscle contraction? It is a lengthening or braking contraction.
When you run downhill, your quadriceps contract eccentrically to keep your knees from buckling when your feet strike the ground. When you run down the bridge into Manhattan at 16 miles of the New York City Marathon your quads contract eccentrically like mad. That’s why you’re walking downstairs backwards.
DOMS is generally most severe 24 to 72 hours after exercise. The reason for the lag is that it takes a while for the process of damage/inflammation/pain to occur.
In extreme cases, DOMS may last for as long as a week. When Joan Benoit Samuelson ran 2:22 to break the World Record for the marathon at Boston, Kevin Ryan, a 2:11 marathoner from New Zealand, had arranged with a local TV station to run with the lead woman and report the race. Kevin was recovering from an injury, however, and wasn’t expecting to run 2:22. The downhills at Boston took a toll on Kevin’s legs, and those of us in his training group were merciless in torturing Kevin during the following week’s runs.
Okay. This DOMS thing sounds painful. So what should you do for the first few days after the marathon?
Get a massage. Go swimming. Ride a bike. Take a walk. But don’t run until the soreness in your muscles subsides. Why? Because their resiliency is at an all-time low, and your risk of injury is high. These other forms of gentle exercise, however, will pump blood to your muscles and help you to recover more quickly.
There’s another reason to skip running for a few days after the race. Sooner or later your warped judgment will lead you to start training for another race. You will be getting up at 5:30, running in the dark, through snow, rain, and hail. Your mind needs a break too.
O’Brien says, “I think of the marathon as the end of the season, and a time for rest. I take up to 7 days completely off. It makes a good mental break.”
During this recess, indulge yourself. Eat kahlua mocha fudge brownie ice cream. Sleep in. Get thrown out of the local hot tub. Go dancing with Mick Jagger. In short, give your brain a rest from the mental routine of training.
Eating adequate protein will also help speed up your recovery. Your muscles need to repair from the pounding you have just given them. About 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kg bodyweight per day should be optimal. For a 132 pound (60 kg) runner, that equates to 72 to 96 grams of protein.
Read more…
GoGoRunning officially joined the“Bring Back the Mile” movement by hosting the Redmond Road Mile. A semi-reliable source confirmed that GoGoRunning Headquarters received notification via phone call this afternoon that drug testing of all adult participants will be required at next years race. The official statement was “El G’s records might fall…you better test them next year!”
May 19th was a record setting day. Daniel Glick set the course record in the inaugural event that will stand for at least 364 days until next years event when he will have the opportunity to take down his own record. Daniel’s time of 4:39 dips him under the 4:40 barrier. He came in to the event with a seed time of 4:45. Maybe we can get Daniel to send in his splits.
Karmen Stephenson (Employee #1 at GoGoRunning Headquarters) set the women’s mark by running a time of 5:57. Her splits were 1:21 (1/4 mile), 1:30 (1/2 mile), 1:30 (3/4 mile), 1:36 (1 mile).
Paul Deaton set the masters mark by running a solid time of 5:16. Check out a video of Paul here talking about training young kids.
Ruth Ference continued her excellent spring of running and triathlon racing and training (she got on the bike for additional training immediately after the race). Ruth ran a Redmond Road Mile masters record of 7:37. Check out Ruth here talking about her training and racing.
Providence Preparatory Academy won the Miles for Middle School competition and was awarded a plaque to display at their school.
Age Group Winners Included:
Females (40 and Over)
Ruth Ference 7:37 ,57,F,
Males (40 and Over)
Paul Deaton 5:16 ,42,M,
Kyle McKinney 5:55 ,41,M,
Todd Kelley 7:09 ,43,M,
Females (39 and Under)
Karmen Stephenson 5:57 ,32,F,
Jessica Vihon 6:07 ,31,F,
Alexis Headrick 6:32 ,34,F,
Males (39 and Under)
Jim Alred 5:27 ,39,M,
Andy Stevens 5:42 ,34,M,
Boys and Girls Elementary School (Ages 10 and Under)
Boys:
John Glick 6:34 ,7,M,
Nolan Kelley 6:54 ,9,M,
Braden Camp 7:38 ,10,M,
Girls:
Ansley Davenport 7:11 ,9,F,
Boys:
Clay Milford 5:25 ,12,M
John Prosser Deaton 7:36 ,11,M,
Mason Hunter 8:43 ,12,M,
Girls:
Abigail Decker 8:10 ,12,F,
Shea Kelley 8:57 ,12,F,
Girls High School (14-18 years old)
Elizabeth Bressette 6:33 ,14,F,
Boys High School Invite (14-18 years old)
Daniel Glick 4:39 ,16,M,
Zack Jordan 4:52 ,18,M,
Jared Deaton 5:06 ,15,M,
Elijah Glick 5:14 ,14,M,
 According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to function at their best. The deeper the sleep (and the more you dream) the more benefits you receive. As runners our goal should be to give our body the best recovery possible now so that we can push its limits as far as possible later.
While you’re asleep your body’s growth hormones are actively building muscle mass and repairing tissues. Other types of hormones released while you sleep help your body fight off infection, which contributes to keeping you healthy or recover from illness. Furthermore, even your weight is affected by how much you sleep. Studies show that people who sleep less than 5 hours a night are more likely to become obese than people who sleep 7-8 hours. Finally, sleep helps improve your mood, which in turn improves your attitude while running.
So how do you get a good night’s sleep and enjoy all the recovery benefits?
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.
DO for a Good Night Sleep
- Treat your bed as a sanctuary from the stresses of the day. Use it for sleep only!
- Set and stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends. This routine will help program your body to feel tired when it’s time for bed and help you to wake up feeling refreshed.
- Dim the lights in the evening as you wind down activities. This tells your body that bedtime is approaching.
- Put night lights in the bathrooms and halls to avoid light from resetting your body clock when using the bathroom at night.
- Take a hot bath or shower. This can help you relax and cause a drop in body temperature that helps you feel drowsy.
- Keep the temperature in your bedroom cooler at night than during the day.
- Make your bedroom a noise free zone. Remove distractions such as computers or televisions. If outside noises wake you up at night try earplugs or a white noise machine.
- Turn your clock away from your bed so you don’t worry about how much time has passed.
- Get out of bed if you are not sleepy.
DON’T do for a Good Night Sleep
- Use caffeine containing products at night or even late afternoon.
- Eat a large meal close to bedtime. Your body cannot rest while digesting a large meal.
- Consume alcoholic beverages at bedtime – it can rob you of deep sleep and dreaming.
- Take late afternoon naps. If you do nap, keep them under 1 hour and before 3 p.m.
Are you getting adequate sleep? What do you do to stay refreshed?
 By Peter Pfitzinger | DistanceCoach.com
One of the most critical components to distance running success is developing your racing plan. Unfortunately, many runners do not put much thought into planning their races, and base their race schedules primarily on convenience, tradition, or “what everyone else is doing.” If you are passionate about racing, then it is worth taking the time to develop your racing plan for optimal performance. Here are a few guidelines to assist you in developing an optimal racing schedule:
1. Select your goal race(s): To reach your full potential, it is essential to select a specific race to focus on and prepare for. After you identify your goal race, the next step is to set a performance target that is difficult enough to be motivating but which is also achievable. You can then develop the rest of your racing plan to help you achieve your best performance in your goal race.
You may be able to set up your racing schedule for two goal races at different distances. This works well only if the shorter race comes first. For example, if you want to run personal bests (PBs) at 10 K and 10 miles, it would be ideal to have the 10 K race a few weeks before the 10 miler. You will recover relatively quickly from the shorter race and will have the sustained speed to help you set a PB at the longer distance.
2. Include several tune-up races before your goal race: If you train hard and consistently then you will get very fit. You will not, however, be optimally prepared to run your best race because you will not have developed “race toughness.” Tune-up races are races of lesser importance that you use to help prepare for both the physical and mental demands of your goal race. They help reduce your anxiety before your goal race by allowing you to practice a pre-race routine. Tune-up races are also an opportunity to learn to push yourself to your very limit.
3. Avoid the temptation to over-race: The most common mistake that runners make in developing their racing plans is to race too often. Each tune-up race should have a role in your preparation for your goal race. Running too many races in a row takes away the enthusiasm for racing so when your goal race comes along it is hard to put your heart and soul into it. It takes discipline to pick and choose your races, but that discipline will pay off in your goal race.
Racing every two or three weeks is often enough to develop race toughness but infrequent enough so you will not get sick and tired of racing. An example of a reasonable race schedule would be to include tune-up races two, four, six, and nine weeks prior to your goal race.
Read more…
 Recently I (Coach Jay) ran the ING Miami Half Marathon. My training has been incredible and I was ready for a fast race. However my times reflected a different outcome. Despite the slower time, I still consider this race a success. Here is my racing experience.
Thoughts on the course:
The course was very flat, although it had several rough patches where the road was uneven and lots of little potholes and manhole covers. There were one or two bridges that we ran over. One in the first mile and I think there was another one but I am not sure due to the fact that it was 72 degrees and 90% humidity and getting hotter every mile.
Wow! It was a rough race for me for several reasons:
- The weather was much warmer than I have run in all year.
- The wind was blowing pretty hard after the first 3-4 miles.
- In general I just had an off day.
- I think I might have set my expectations too high based on the weather and conditions
I was hoping to run 5:07 to 5:10 pace for the half, so about 1:08:00 pace or so. Well, my splits were not even close.
Here they are my race splits:
5:03, 5:09, 5:15, 5:18, 5:32, 5:31, 5:31, 5:39, 5:33, 5:44 (perhaps the hardest mile I have ever run…I was so hot), 5:43, 5:38, 5:30, 1:31 (1:12:43)
- Although this was a tough day with a less than pleasant result there were a few positives.
- My splits were slowly getting worse and worse. I had to fight the negative thoughts that always come up when you are not running as well as you expect. I did fight and consistently caught people throughout the race. I think that practicing staying positive in this race will pay off in my next race when I actually run well.
- I learned that I really do enjoy the process of running and training.
- Haile Gebresalasie said “If you can’t take the good with the bad then you should not take the good.” I am looking forward to the next good.
Two final Miami Half Marathon comments:
The aid stations were giving out these 2.5” X 4” plastic bags of water. I couldn’t find a website for this company. If anyone knows what I am talking about please email me at coachjay@gogorunning.com.
The volunteers were saying to bite the bag open and then drink the water. So, I bite the first one I get and the plastic piece from the bag shoots to the back of my throat. I can feel it clogging my esophagus and I can’t breath. This was about the 5th mile or so, I can’t really remember exactly where the aid station was located. In addition to being a serious hazard for the runners these bags of water tasted like a plastic bag. Several people were complaining about the bags after the race. I think it is very possible that someone could choke if race directors continue to use these bags.
My introduction to Shiatsu:
Tom Sweeney M.Ed, LMT worked on my after the race with some Shiatsu and identified a problem with my body that I have been having for a few years. Apparently, my Yin and Yang is not balanced. My left glute is pulling my left illium posteriorly and this is causing my right gracillis is very tight and needs to be released. I will be seeing the Chiropractor as soon as possible. I will be trying to learn the art of Shiatsu.
 One of the common mistakes new runners make is to run aimlessly all year round. Unfortunately, our bodies and minds don’t work that way. We make the biggest improvements by focusing on shorter concentrated efforts (seasons) focused around a specific goal.
In running, this means choosing a “championship” race that fits your goals as well as several “regular season” races for practice. Many runners choose 2 championship races per year, as well as 4 to 6 build-up races during the 3 months before each championship. In this scenario the championship races would be ideally about 6 months apart with a 3 month “off-season” between racing seasons.
Choosing a Championship Race
It’s important to find a championship race that presents some sort of challenge. This could mean a race you’re striving to win, a course with challenging terrain, a fast course to help you run a personal best, or perhaps just a distance farther than you’ve raced before. No matter your goal, it’s important to choose a race that will inspire you to train hard and stay motivated.
Choosing a Race Schedule
During your season it is important to practice running hard to prepare for your big day. If your championship race is your first marathon, you may want to start with a 5k, then move up to 10k, 10 miles, and Half Marathon. Or, if you’re training for a 5k, you may want to race mostly 5k’s with a 10k for a challenge.
The Off-Season
After a big race it’s important to take time to let your body recover from the stress. It’s also a good time to take a few days (or weeks) off then focus on rehab for injuries, easy running, fewer workouts, and core. Remember how much fun it is to run and start dreaming about your next goal!
|
article, Racing | sourced | 
March 4, 2013 | 
Comments (0) 
