Last week we heard from Meagan Newsom of Brooks Sports about the importance of getting the right footwear and apparel for your training.

Most important points to remember:

• You need to have the correct type of shoe for your biomechanics. Make sure you are in the right shoe!
• Shoes are meant to last about 500 miles. Make sure to replace them when they wear out.
• No cotton in your socks or sports bras, especially!

Meagan's talk was recorded and will be posted in our next podcast edition. Check the season archive for a new podcast every other week.

As we begin our training, it is critical that we pay attention to pacing in order to get started on the right foot (no pun intended!) Marathons and half marathons are endurance events which require a different type of training than shorter distance events, and pacing is key.

Your body has multiple ways of providing energy to contract your muscles during exercise, and these energy systems are divided into two categories: aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen). Aerobic energy is derived from the burning, or oxidation, of available fat and carbohydrates, while anaerobic energy comes from small stores inside the muslces or from the nonoxidative breakdown of muscle glycogen.

The aerobic energy system is the one that is most useful in endurace training. This system can fuel your muscles for hours at a time, and has the added bonus of burning fat in the process. The anaerobic system has a quicker response, but can only sustain your muslces for seconds or minutes at a time. It is also less efficient than the aerobic system, and it results in lactic acid buildup. This is what is needed for short sprints of high intensity, but it won't get you to the end of a long run or walk.

The key to staying aerobic, then, is to keep oxygen available for the oxidation of carbs & fat. How do you do this? The answer lies in your heartrate -- your heart must be able to effectively pump oxygenated blood throughout your body, and if your heartrate gets too high it cannot do this. Keep in mind, too, that heartrate is elevated by many factors, including dehydration & heat. So as we train through the San Antonio summer, your heartrate will be higher due to environmental factors, which means your training pace is going to be slower than it would in other conditions.

We will be talking a lot about staying in your aerobic zone (i.e. the heart rate range where you can keep a good oxygen supply in your blood) and your coaches will be helping you assess this. One good test is whether or not you can talk during your run/walk. Having a training partner really helps to keep you talking, and therefore staying aerobic, during your training. This is not an absolute guarantee that you are aerobic, but it is a good place to start.

Another excellent tool is a heart rate monitor. By getting to know your aerobic heart rate range, you can ensure that your training is at the desired intensity. Generally, your aerobic zone is between 70-80% of your max heart rate. How do you know your max heart rate? One method is to use a formula, such as 220-your age. Be aware, though, that formulas like this are not very accurate. The best method is to determine your max heart rate & your aerobic zone by testing. Joe Sulak from Peak Fitness offers the VO2 Max test, which can help you to pinpoint your most effective training heart rate range. SA Fit members are offered a discount and you can sign up with the add-on package form that is in your Quick Start pakcet.

If you find that you tend to be exercising too hard and not staying aerobic, it is very important for you to slow down and reduce the intensity. This is much more common than you may believe -- most of us try to push too hard on what are supposed to be easy or moderate workouts. You don't gain endurance by working out out too hard and continually staying anaerobic. In fact, you do harm to both your endurance and to your body! You will be amazed to see how much greater your endurance will be if you keep yourself aerobic.

So your assigment for the next few days is to pay attention to your exertion level... can you talk while you are walking & running? Are you gasping or feeling overly winded early in your workout? If you have a heart rate monitor wear it all week, even when you are not working out. Get to know what your heart rate numbers typically are, record notes in your training log, and this will be a great tool for you during your training!

Don't forget that each color group has assistant coaches assigned to a variety of paces within the group. Don't be tempted to train at too fast of a pace just to stay with the pack or with your friends -- either seek out the right pace within your color group or even switch to another color group if the pacing is not comfortable. And if your coaches mention to you on Saturday that you need to slow down your pace, listen to them. They are looking out for symptoms of over-exertion and are helping you to get the most out of your training!

Each weekly newsletter will include comments and information from each of our head coaches. 

ATP

Blue / Green
Finding Your Pace:  One of the common mistakes runners make is they start out too fast.  This is common for those who come from a background of running 5K & 10K races, and they are now stepping up to the full or half marathon.  What then happens is they've started out too fast, and at the end of the run, they're struggling to complete the run.

One way to assess this is by looking at your time splits every mile.  There are three types of splits:
·    Positive Splits:  Where your split times at the end of the run are greater than at the beginning (i.e., you're running a slower pace at the end).
·    Negative Splits:  Where your split times at the end of the run are less than at the beginning (i.e., you're running a faster pace at the end).
·    Even Splits:  Where your split times remain constant throughout the entire run.

Despite the nomenclature, Positive Splits are a negative thing to do.  It's better to run Even or Negative Splits because this will usually get you to the finish line faster, and you will definitely be feeling better than if you ran Positive Splits.  If you have a tendency to run Positive Splits, make an effort to start out slower the first few miles, and then gradually pick up the pace.  Use your sports watch to check your mile splits, and if you're using a Heart Rate Monitor, use it to give you feedback as to your level of effort.  Don't fall into the trap of running Positive Splits thinking that you're putting "time in the bank for later in the run".  When you do that you usually come out slower than your goal for your overall time.

Also, these Saturday runs are training runs, not racing days.  If we looked at racing every weekend, we would be putting a lot of stress on the body, and over time, this will catch up with the athlete-usually in the form of injuries, fatigue, etc.  You should be running at an aerobic pace.  If you know your Anaerobic Threshold or AT (the point where your body switches from working aerobically to working anaerobically) you can use your Heart Rate Monitor to keep you aerobic.  If you don't know your AT, or you don't use a Heart Rate Monitor, you can perform the "talk test".  If you can't comfortably talk to someone at the pace you are running, you're likely running anaerobically-slow down a bit to try and bring your heart rate down.

Another thing you'll hear me preach about the marathon:  The gun goes off at a certain time, but the marathon doesn't really start until you reach mile 20.

Happy Running!
Coach Rudy

Yellow
Having energy to run a marathon is like building a fire.  You have two major sources of fuel: kindling and logs.  In your body, the kindling is like glycogen. "Glycogen is a polysaccharide of glucose (Glc) which functions as the primary short term energy storage in animal cells." - Wikipedia.  The logs (longer term energy source)equate to body fat.  What's this have to do with pacing?   Everything.  You can't finish a marathon unless you have a fuel source throughout the entire race.  Your pace plays a crucial role in how you manage your fuel source.

If you start out with a pace that is too fast, you burn up the kindling (glycogen) before it starts burning the logs (fat).  It's no fun to burn out before you finish the race.  Running a marathon is totally different than running a 5K where you can go "all out" from the start.  So, I prefer doing "negative splits".  This means you start out slower than the estimated pace needed to run a certain marathon time.  For example, if you want to run under a four hour marathon, your pace needs to be approximately 9:00 minute miles overall.  Therefore, I will start my group out at a 9:30 minute pace for 4 miles.  This gets us where we are burning fat as fuel which I always seem to have plenty.  Then we gradually increase our time per mile until we reach the average 9:00/mile pace at the end...when it matters.  Elevation along the course will dictate where we make up the time.

The benefits of negative splits are two fold.  First, we are using our body's fuel sources to our best advantage and getting rid of some fat in the process.  Secondly, at the end of the race, we get to fly by those runners who flew by us at the beginning.  :)

Ross

Hello Yellow Group!

This week we will be talking about pace and for me, talking is the best way to determine mine.

The easiest way to tell if you're going too fast is the "Talk Test".  While your out running talk to the person next to you.  If you can only answer with short, "yes or no's", you're probably going too fast.  While it's best to be able to talk in complete sentences you still don't want to be able to sing your entire favorite song.  If that's the case, you might want to pick it up a bit.  Try it on a flat portion of the course.  By doing this you'll also get to know your new running buddies.

C-Ya,
Ron

Red 

Hello Red Group,

I have been asked by several people about changing groups.  That is exactly what you should be doing at this time of the training.  You need to find the group you feel the most comfortable running with.    Too many people start out way too fast.  You should be able to maintain a
conversation while you are running.  if not, you are probably running too fast.  I look forward to running with you Saturday.  Until then, keep Running.

John E. Smith

Orange

Aqua
Hi Aqua group,
 
I hope you all are having a great week of running.
This weeks forcus is on pacing.  Every Saturday, you will hear the same thing from us.  Make sure you have your water and take the run nice and easy.  One of the most common mistakes runners make is charging out of the gate.  Most of us are happy to be out there and we get carried away with the energy around us.  If that happens, you'll find that you will slow down mid way through the run, then slow down even more towards the end.  Your energy will tank and it will feel like you just ran a marathon at full speed.  The rest of your day is spent trying to recover your energy.  That is not fun!!
 
To run an increased long run successfully, it is important to take the first third slower than your regular pace.  Allow yourself to warm up, take the time to focus on your posture, relax and breathe.  You'll find that if you do that, then the rest of your run will feel great.  You'll finish feeling as though you can keep going.  With that said, lets slow it down, relax and have fun running.
 
See you all on Saturday!!
 
Coach Ann Marie and Coach Laurie

Purple
Hello walkers,
 
It was great seeing you all on the course again last Saturday. Remember to stay hydrated before, during and after training. It's a good idea to have a water bottle with you wherever you go.
 
I wanted to give you a few pointers on shoe selection that are specific to walkers (ref. http://walkingabout.com/cs/shoes/a/shoeguide.htm)
 
There is no one best shoe. The best shoe for you is the the one that fits you best, the one that gives you the proper support, flexibility, cushioning, and compensates for any stride problems you may have, such as overpronation. Each person's feet are different. Take all advice with a grain of salt and find a shoe fitting expert to help you find the shoe that is best for your walking distance, speed, style, and surface as well as your weight and stride.
 
Essential Walking Shoe Qualities:

• Flexible: You must be able to bend and twist the shoes. When you take a walking step, your foot will flex as you roll through a step from heel to toe. If the shoe is too stiff, your foot will fight it with each step.
• Flat: Walking shoes should have a relatively flat heel.
• Heel Not Flared: Since walkers strike with the heel first, you do not want a big flared heel. In fact, a slightly undercut heel is preferred.
• Twist them and Bend Them or Toss Them
• Walking is a natural rolling motion from heel to toe, your foot bending at the ball on each step. If your walking shoes are not flexible enough, your ankle and shin muscles end up fighting your shoes and you set yourself up for injury as well as tired legs and feet. Many shoes marketed as walking shoes are not flexible. Most running shoes are flexible, but may not bend in the right place.
• Twist them: Grab the shoe with both hands and twist in opposite directions. It should twist a little.
• Bend them: Try to bend the shoe in half, pushing the heel towards the toe. The shoe should bend at the ball of the foot. Some running shoes bend in the middle of the arch, which is not the right place for walkers.
• Poke them: Place the shoe on a level surface. Poke the toe down, the heel should raise up off the surface.
• Remember you need plenty of room in the toe box for your foot to expand while walking long distances.
• Breathable, make sure the shoe is well ventilated.
  

The central component of our training program is our weekly Saturday morning workout together. Each week, all groups meet together and do our long run or walk. Here are some tips & reminders about the routes used for Saturday mornings:

* In general, all groups are on the same course each Saturday morning. However, since mileages vary based on your color group, not all groups are dong the same distances. There will be different turns or turn around points for different groups.

* Your training schedule includes the scheduled mileage for each Saturday's workout. You can find this each week on our website or you can print out the entire training schedule (using the password provided in your Quick Start Packet).

* On the weekly schedule posted from www.SanAntonioFit.com the Saturday mileage is linked to the designated course map. You can view the map online and print a copy to bring with you. We will have extra copies on Saturday morning but it's a good idea to bring it with you to be sure.

* On the map are both a visual street map and turn by turn directions. You will also find mile markers along the course and an indication of where water will be located.

* Note that the map is for the longest possible mileage on a given course. As mentioned above, not all groups do the same mileage each week, but we all use the same general route. For that reason, the map will indicate the maximum distance on that route as well as options for shorter distances. For an out and back course, there will be turn around points for each color group. For a loop course, there may be shorter loop options listed on the map, or some groups may need to do multiple loops. Be sure to check what your scheduled mileage is for the workout, and then refer to the map directions to see how to modify the course for your distance. If in doubt, you can ask your coach what the plan is for your group.

* In addition to the published map, the route is marked with flags at each turn (see the photo at the beginning of this article). These are small brightly colored flags that with arrows or other directions. Look for these on the left side of the road (because we always run or walk AGAINST traffic). You will find them at every turn or turn around point. The signs are intentionally unobtrusive to our neighbors, so they are not going to hit you over the head... you need to have a general idea of the course and know where to be looking!

This coming Saturday is our first Bagel Break & Medical Q&A. After the workout we will all have a chance to carb up on some yummy bagels, visit with each other, and have some informal talks with various medical professionals.

Medical sponsors planning to attend:

• Texas MedClinic Sports Medicine
• Dr. Annette Zaharoff, Sports Medicine & Julie Barnett, PT

We will host Bagel Breaks the first Saturday of every month for the rest of our training.

The Alamo Series is a collaboration of the San Antonio running community, providing a progression of high-quality races to prepare local athletes for the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in November. The series is comprised of nine races between April and October, each with varying distances, providing an ideal dovetail for individual and group training schedules. Participation is tracked for all races in the series, and athletes who complete seven or more are eligible for awards at the series conclusion.