Tips & advice from your coaches
Each weekly newsletter will include comments and
information from each of our head coaches. Happy
Training!
ATP
Marathon Goals
Most mistakes in a race are made in the first two minutes, perhaps in
the very first minute. - Jack Daniels, Exercise Physiologist and Coach
Jack don't know Jack, but he does make a fine Kentucky Bourbon that
if you put it in your water bottles you will not care how fast you
finish.
I think the biggest mistake is not preparing for the race. That, of
course, includes all the training we are doing. It is tough to start
training the night before a race. But preparing for a race also includes
planning out your race day AND the preceding week. What you eat. What
you drink. How much you sleep. It all leads up to the race. As we have
practice runs, test what works and does not work and adjust them as you
get nearer the marathon.
"Marathons are extraordinarily difficult, but if you've got the
training under your belt, and if you can run smart, the races take care
of themselves." - Deena Kastor, First American woman to run a marathon
I ran and ran every day, and I acquired a sense of determination, this
sense of spirit that I would never, never, give up, no matter what else
happened. - Wilma Rudolph, US track star
"If you can't stay patient and hold your body back, you are going to
get in trouble and suffer later. It's also hard because you know you're
at the beginning of a long journey." - Ryan Hall, 2008 U.S. Olympic
Marathoner
End the end, it is your race. You have to determine what will make you
happy. If you want to qualify for Boston or just finish the darn thing.
You have to prepare for both. If you don't you might not do either.
But... Keep Smiling (especially when they take your marathon picture)
Larry Graf - ATP Coach
Blue / Green
Greetings Blue / Green Group:
Race Goals: This past Saturday, one of the runners in my group asked me what I planned for a finish time in Chicago this year. I told him that my goal was to "finish and have fun". I also added that I'd prefer to be on the underside of the 4 hour mark, and if the day was a good one, a PR would be nice.
We all have different goals. Some, particularly first timers, should put the emphasis on just finishing, or as I often add: finish and have fun! Hey, we don't get paid for our finish times, so we'd better be having some degree of fun out there, right? We may have other time goals (e.g., to qualify for Boston, set a PR, or break a milestone time-4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, etc.).
There are others who are hoping to officially become a Marathon Maniac. What's a Marathon Maniac? Go to www.marathonmaniacs.com and click on the link for "Criteria" to see what the qualifications are (they now also have a group called the Half Fanatics, so you half marathoners are not excluded).
The great thing about this sport is that it includes those that are racing, and those who are out there for other reasons (e.g., fitness, weight management, camaraderie, scratching something off their bucket list, etc.). If you reach your goal, share that with the rest of us so that we can celebrate with you. If you happen to fall short of the goal, for whatever reason, just remember that there's always another race down the road!
Happy Running!
Coach Rudy
Yellow
Hey Yellow Runners,
Great job on your 10 miles this past week. I hope you enjoyed it, cause this week may mark a new milestone for some of you - 19 miles. How fitting that we are talking about race goals this week. With the race only 7 weeks away, I bet you are all getting a little nervous. The 19 mile run, although run at a training pace, not race pace, can give you a good indication on what you may need to focus on in your remaining workouts before the actual race.
When I started running, my goal was to finish this race. For those of you who have this goal - that is perfect. Less than 1% of all Americans have finished a marathon, by finishing the race you are one of them and that is an accomplishment. Especially for you first time marathoners out there, crossing that finish line for the 1st time is priceless. No one can take that away from you and you have to enjoy it. If this is your goal, continue having fun in your training and keep that same attitude during the race...enjoy yourself.
Now that I have run a couple of marathons, my goals have somewhat shifted. Now I have a time goal, I want to finish at a certain time or pace. This is what will keep me going mile after mile, the desire to make that goal finish time. This again is a good goal to have, but beware...a lot of things can happen on or before race day. You could be doing everything right, in terms of preparing for this run like you did for every other run, eating the same, taking the same nutrition on the course, and that day it may just not happen for you. That is OK. You shift your goals and make sure you finish, because at the end of the day, crossing that finish line and getting that medal should be the only goal you have - or at least the one to always fall back on.
Some of you may have the goal of just having fun with this - GO FOR IT. You have mastered the art that a lot of marathon maniacs have mastered, for whom it is all about having a good time, but in the sense of enjoying themselves as opposed to the actual time on the clock.
So my advice for this week is the following: Get a good night's rest Thursday night; Carb up on Friday; drink plenty of water starting on Wednesday; pray for that cool front to come in (we are not even going to hope for a COLD FRONT because we would be asking for too much) and make it your goal to have a fun 19 miler and finishing.
We coaches want all of you to make it to the starting line (RACE GOAL #1 - cause you can't finish if you can't start) so take good care of your bodies not just this week, but every week.
Your yellow group coaches - Ross, Ron, Svenja, and Kim
Red
Red Runners!
We had a smaller than usual group on Saturday. Hopefully some of you got out to run the Army Dillo race on Sunday instead of 10 with us at RGR or Tripoint. We are quickly heading into the month of October and the race will soon be right around the corner! (You have all registered, right?) Bravo to all of you who have already logged 18 weeks of training! Our 18 mile run this weekend will be a good indicator of how prepared you are for the challenge of the marathon. It is a good time to review what you have accomplished and what your future goals are as we conquer yet another mileage peak. Set a goal for yourself on Saturday's run and prepare for it as you would a race day. We don't want you to run all out, it is still a training run, but be conscious of your pace. You want to finish feeling strong and and hopefully within the time goal you set. Our goal of finishing the marathon is the reason we have gotten up early every Saturday for the past 18 weeks. It is our motivation for getting out there during the week, before or after a long day of work, and doing intervals and tempo runs. It has been our reason to eat better and take better care of ourselves. It has made you an inspiration to those around you. Take some time to realize all that you have done to be where you are today: weeks away from one of the biggest personal challenges of your life. Running a marathon is hard. If it were easy, a whole lot more people would be out there doing it. Sticking to the program is hard work and dedication. Sacrificing family time, a social life and sleep; all hard to do. But guess what? You have done it and are almost at the finish line! If you have not done it yet, take time to write down your goals for race day and what it means to you to finish the marathon. You all know by now how to prepare yourself for the physical challenge. Take some time now to start working on the mental challenge of 26.2. As with any goal, it takes hard work and planning to achieve that goal. We all have our personal reasons for running, but we all share the same goal. Whether you run a 3:30 or 6:00 hour marathon, the distance is the same. We all just run our own unique way. Let's cheer each other along out on the course next week. High five the Blue/Green, Yellow and Orange as they go by, shout out your friends names, say "good morning", offer a pat on the back or a word of kindness to someone who may be struggling. We are all in this together, and that is how we will all get to the finish line. We may not all arrive at the same time, but we will all enjoy the thrill of completing our goal and conquering the marathon! Thanks for being such a great group of dedicated runners. Thank you to our water stop volunteers!! We could not do it without you! Please be sure to thank them as you stop and refill! See you all Saturday! The Red Coaches
Orange
Hi Orange! If you haven't already heard, this Saturday we're doing 18 (yes, eighteen) miles. Remember to eat a healthful, balanced diet this week, taking in plenty of carbs and staying well hydrated the day before (Friday). Eighteen miles is the most we've done so far, but it's only three more miles than what we've already done. This will be a good run to keep abreast of your form, especially towards the end of the mileage. Think about any goals you have for this run, or for the marathon. If you normally start too quickly and peter out halfway through, then your goal may be to hold yourself back at the beginning. Remember: studies show that race performances are maximized when the first half of a race is run slightly slower than the second half (this is called "negative splitting.") If you have a certain pace you'd like to maintain, then your goal could be to periodically evaluate your performance to help you stay on track. If you've had trouble with your nutrition/hydration, then your goal could be to do a better job at that. Make a goal for yourself that is realistic so that you can achieve it!
See you Saturday!
-Sonya
Purple
Week In Review
It's official! We are less than two months away from marathon day. Can you believe it? Where has all the time gone???
We've walked, we've run; some of us have even limped along the course. Through it all, we kept pushing on and now find ourselves in the final stretch. This close to the marathon, it's the perfect time to focus on what goal you want to accomplish on Race Day. What goal did you have when you first began training? And have you reached that goal or are you still striving for it?
Goals are important; they keep us motivated and focused. What's your Race Day goal?
Some strive to tackle the miles under a certain time. Others want to enjoy the experience and take in every moment of the day. When I took on my first half marathon, my goal was to merely finish the race - which I did. During my second half marathon, I wanted to beat my race time. For my third, I want to look back and know that I've made a difference and helped new marathoners reach their own goals. We will each face our own challenges on November 15th. The weeks of training we've undergone will make the difference between us and other first time marathoners.
Is your goal to make record time? If you answered yes, then there are some things to remember. The San Antonio Rock 'N' Roll Marathon will have approximately 30,000 participants. If this is your first major marathon/half marathon event, you won't truly understand how many people that will be until you find yourself in the sea of other marathoners - all rushing towards the start and finish line. Take care during the race. We've seen fellow team members fall during training while on the course. A quick tumble could be enough to cause an injury preventing you to finish the race. Also make sure to keep an honest assessment of your progress and well-being. In the heat of the moment, it is very easy to get swept up in that day's excitement and overextend or push yourself too hard. Take on Race Day as you have your other training sessions. If your norm is to take a keep a steady pace throughout, then continue using this approach during the marathon/half-marathon. If you've trained to alternate between running and walking, the same applies. You don't want to do anything different during the actual event that you haven't already tried during training. Keep proper form, hydrate, and have fun. You should make record time if that is what you've been training for all season.
Is your goal to simply enjoy the experience? When I did the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, I was taking pictures throughout the 13.1 miles. I had never been in Seattle before, and had long dreamed of visiting. I didn't want to miss a moment. Maybe the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon is your moment to shine. We've seen participants dressed up as an elf, Elvis, and even bunnies... Some have even worn tiaras or cowboy hats. What's your marathon style? Remember to steer clear of cotton, and don't sacrifice proper footwear for fashion. You want to make sure you are wearing breathable clothing, and are properly prepared for the mileage. Don't be a lobster! Make sure to put on some sunscreen, too. We will be out in the sun for some time, some of us longer than others. You definitely want to make sure you're as prepared as you can be. Who knows... you just might end up in one of my pictures!
But before we even get to the actual race, you can expect our mileage to jump up one more time, and then we will begin preparing for our second benchmark on 10/18/09. If you weren't able to participate in the Sunrise 10K, our second benchmark will be an excellent opportunity to test out your race day wear and see if there is anything you have to do to make the actual marathon/half marathon more successful.
We will still be holding our weekday training sessions for anyone interested. Regan High School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (6:30p) with John and Tania. I am at Stevens High School (by Sea World) Monday evenings (7p), and tackling serious hill work on Wednesday nights at 6:30p. While the SA marathon course is relatively flat when compared to other cities, hill work will definitely help and make a difference! If you can handle multiple trips up and down Tower Road in Helotes, the SA Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon will be a breeze!
Happy Training Everyone!
--
Hi Everyone,
Congratulations to all of you who persevered through the rain last Saturday! Though the weather conditions slowed our speed to a crawl, it helped remind us to use good form & alignment to keep our balance on those slippery surfaces. I was so inspired by the humor & resilience of our walkers/runners who took a tumble yet continued along the path. The Japanese proverb, "Fall seven times, stand up eight" became the day's theme. Attitude and perseverance are key to reaching our goals. You guys are well on your way! Go Purple!!!
This week's distance will be our last mileage increase before the final benchmark race on Sunday, October 18th. Then the next two weeks will be a taper; allowing us to concentrate on fine-tuning our goals and honing our race plan. Now's the time to remember what initially motivated you to begin your training. What were your long-term goal(s)? Was there a single goal or did you have multiple objectives? Were you challenging yourself to improve your health and fitness? Daring to explore your edge? Providing a path to fundraise for a special cause? Affirming your original motivation(s) will help carry you through to the finish line. We are almost there!
If this is your 1st marathon experience, here are three goals I'd recommend:
- Complete the Marathon/Half Marathon. Cross that finish line strong & smiling, with enough energy left to celebrate your amazing accomplishment.
- Keep a Steady Pace - Start slowly and sustain a comfortable pace. Keep your mind calm and your form strong. You'll have an opportunity to test this strategy and gauge your race pace during next month's benchmark.
- Enjoy the Experience. Feel the music, connect with friends & meet new people.
If this isn't your first marathon/half-marathon, you may be looking forward to setting a new personal record. You've been to the finish line, so you know what it takes to get there. It will be good for you to set a "time" goal for finishing the race. Some people set 3 specific time goals (an optimistic pace, a realistic pace & a slower pace). This approach allows them to flex with race day conditions and circumstances. I recommend you set your pace using a Negative Split strategy. We will practice negative splits (starting off at a slower pace & picking up speed in the second half of the race) during our longer training walk/runs and our upcoming benchmark race. Time yourself and get to know what your pace feels like along the route. Familiarize yourself with the course and divide the route into smaller segments to manage the distance in your mind. Be conscious of your pace, form and breathing as you move through each section. The discipline it takes to start slowly, pays big dividends at the end of the race. Remember the key is to get to that last section of the race with enough energy to hold or increase your pace to the finish. If you arrive at the three quarter mark feeling depleted, it's a long, slow shuffle to the finish. Learn to manage your energy for the final push up the Montana St. hill and across the finish line.
The race atmosphere (the crowd, runners, music & your own adrenaline) will compel you to move faster than you should at the start. People tend to start off fast in order to "keep up" with the rest of the crowd. This is a HUGE mistake! It's easy to get caught up in the excitement at the beginning of the race as the crowd breaks up and you feel you can pass others. But hold on to the negative split strategy. Be aware of your pace and form throughout the race. Check in on yourself - as you fatigue, old bad habits may creep back into your form. Adjust your form every 15 minutes. Focus on breathing rhythmically - in sync with your cadence.
We've come a long way, through many changes this season. Right now our task is to clarify our race-day goals. On race day, there are a lot of external factors that can affect your goals. We can't control the weather, but we can adjust our attitude, our mindset and even your marathon goals to ensure a successful marathon finish! Train with your race goals in the forefront of your mind.
Be sure to check out the new mileage along the Tri Point Riverwalk route.
See you soon,
Coach Nancy
Aqua
Our taper has ended and we are gearing up for additional mileage during the week and on Saturdays. Monday's easy run is 40 minutes now, Tuesday's speed work is increasing and Thursday's tempo run has jumped to 35 minutes. Saturdays will continue to climb until we reach our benchmark on October 18. Are you still with us?
We have heard many concerns about falling behind and not being able to catch up with the group. No worries! A week of rest will not destroy what you have built up with your last four months of training. It may take a few runs to get back into the groove, but you will. For some, a well needed rest and recovery week might bring you back stronger. If you are nursing shin splits, aching heels or knee pain, take a few days off and rest. If you have missed a week or two, give it another try. There were a few us struggling last Saturday with injuries - the hills definitely created a challenge - but we were there at 6 am! If you just feel like you are losing motivation, remind yourself of everything you have accomplished over the last 4 months, and that you only have 2 months to go! Not to mention that you did it during the worst summer ever and the weather is getting better and better for running.
Your ultimate goal should be to complete the half marathon. It's that reward you will have earned by all your hard work getting to the start line and crossing the finish line.
Here are some other goals for the race to make the experience positive:
- Enjoy the whole race-from start to finish. Take in the scenery and talk to runners around you. Sing along with the bands and dance if you want!
- Finish strong, wanting to run another half-marathon. This may require a little restraint the first half of the race. If you start breathing heavy early on, slow down immediately. If you make the correction quickly you'll avoid a greater slowdown later in the race.
- Run a realistic time. Your time should be better than your Saturday easy runs, but may not be what you hope for depending on various factors (weather, injuries, rest, etc.)
We have at least eight miles Saturday morning and are getting closer and closer to our goal - 13.1 miles. See you at 6 am!
Coach Laurie, Rose and Andy
Things to remember...
Goals
Sat Sept 26
