Tips & advice from your coaches
Each weekly newsletter will include comments and
information from each of our head coaches. Happy
Training!
ATP
Benchmark Photos
I've been fighting a bad color so I volunteered to take photos of the benchmark. The weather was great and I think everyone had a great time. There was two things I keep hearing from runners. 1. How do you keep getting in front of me? And 2. Why do you keep taking our pictures on the hills? I had one runner tell me that they were planning to walk up the hill until they saw me at the top. You can see in one photo one runner is holding up two fingers letting me know this was the second hill I shot him on. (or did I Photoshop in an extra finger? Darn hills) In another I got two fingers for my orange jacket. The water stop volunteers that I talked with were having fun too. The ladies at the Blanco Starbucks water stop I think put something other that Cytomax in their bucket. The volunteers at Salado Creek were all injured runners and many admired Sally's bedazzled boot. For me the cold got worse and I ended up in the emergency room Monday night with bronchitis. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tire.
Keep Smiling
Larry Graf - ATP Coach
Blue / Green
Greetings Blue / Green Group:
So now our final benchmark run is behind us. I had a chance to talk to a few of you after the run. For some, the run went great, but for others, it didn't, and that's left them concerned about the race. Going into a race, I've usually got 3 different goals:
· Finish & Have Fun
· If I'm having a Good Day, I'd like to finish under X
· If I'm having a Great Day, I'd like to finish under Y
Particularly for 1st time marathoners, the Finish & Have Fun is the most important one. Even for experienced marathoners, the other goals will vary on occasion based on how your training went, your health leading up to race day, the course, the weather, etc.
The other question I got a couple of times last Sunday was "Where am I going to get the energy for those final 4-5 miles?" You'll have several things working for you: there will be the energy and adrenalin from race day, the cheering crowds, and your body will be rested (provided you follow the taper plan). The taper seems contradictory to first timers, but the reality is that nothing you do in the last 2 weeks of the training plan will improve your race day performance (and in fact, if you do too much, you'll likely hurt your performance).
If your benchmark run did not go as well as you'd hoped it would, take heart. When I did my 21 mile run prior to running Chicago this year, it was one of the worst 21 mile training runs I've ever had, and as rough as that day was, I still had a great run in Chicago.
Happy Running!
Coach Rudy
Yellow
Howdy Yellow Runners-
I have been listening to too much Country music, so apologies for the greeting. CONGRATS to everyone on a job well done on Sunday. As many of you realized it ended up being more than 21 miles (22 to be exact) but guess what - the marathon is 26. So whether you ran it in (the full 22) or walked the last mile - both totally fine. Important is what you did afterwards. The two most important aspects to consider AFTER a benchmark are your recovery and assessing your goals.
In terms of your recovery - I hope that you started right after the work out by taking in a good ration of carbs and protein. Of course I hope you drank plenty of water as well and that you even maybe splurged a little - to reward yourself. Hopefully you did not go overboard with that, but it is OK to reward yourself a little. I had chocolate chip cookies (my favorite). I did see that a lot of you stretched after the run and got a massage. That will help you over the week, because it helps your muscles in the recovery. Another thing that may have helped some of you is an ice bath. Me personally - not so much a fan of those, but they work. I took Monday off and ran again on Tuesday. Even though it was a little painful, this is an important part of recovery, because it will actually make you feel better sooner. It helps the soreness go away.
In terms of assessing your goals - I am sure that each and everyone had a goal for the run this past weekend. For those of you who ran with me, our goal was to end up at around a 9:00 min/mile pace and after I got done I checked my Garmin and that is exactly what we averaged. However, looking at just the time is not an accurate assessment of your run. When I look at my run more closely, even though I was happy with the overall outcome, I noticed that I did not start out the run at a good weight (about 3 lbs lighter than I need to be). This is a result of my nutrition for the week leading up to the run. In addition, I started feeling dizzy at mile 14 - again a sign of bad nutrition. Lastly, I ran the 22nd mile and I struggled on the last mile tremendously. Looking at all that I know that I have to change some things in my nutrition leading up to the marathon. Some of you may have experienced other issues. Identify them and see if you already know what may have caused this to happen. If not, ask one of us coaches and we will try to help you pinpoint this, so that you can fix it prior to the big race.
Speaking of which - we have less than 4 weeks until the marathon. This is where tapering starts. Do not freak out about the workouts being less - this is on purpose to give your body time to recover for the big race. Continue to monitor your nutrition and really try to cut out some of the bad foods and drinks (beer is not part of carboloading).
Have a good week.
Svenja, Ross, Ron, and Kim!
Red
Red Runners, awesome job on Sunday! You did great, looked great, and ran 22 miles! How that extra mile snuck in there, no one is saying. You have now run just 4.2 miles shy of marathon distance. Way to go! We had beautiful weather, great course support with water and other goodies, and enthusiastic volunteers. Thank you to everyone who was out there working hard to make Sunday so successful. Now it is time to give your body the rest it deserves. Recovery is so important over the next few weeks. Your body will need time to rest and rebuild to prepare for the marathon in a few short weeks. Listen to your body and take time to stretch, try a massage, yoga class or cross-train. Are you feeling any aches and pains that may require medical attention? Follow the schedule and trust the schedule. It has brought you this far. The next couple of weeks you may feel like you are not running long enough. You have already banked a lot of the hard work. Your body needs the break so it will feel ready to go on marathon day. Sunday's run should have given you a better idea of how your body will handle the race and an approximate time that you can run the race. Just remember, there are many things that can impact your time on race day:
-Running ability and speed, -your age, -number of years you have been running, -number of previous marathons, -amount and intensity of your training, -any injuries, -marathon day weather and course. Pick a realistic goal based on all that information. Remember to have fun, enjoy the experience and be grateful that you have had the time and the good health to run this race. Run Gear Run is holding their annual Fall Fest race this weekend. Saturday will be light on coaching staff, but we will have a group run from there if choose not to do the race. Last year it was a very scenic route with some challenging hills and you have the 8 mile option or the 15.6. A nice race if you can go! Congratulations to all of you and we will see you on Saturday! Your Red Coaches
Orange
Hi Orange! It was great to see so many new (to me) faces and be part of the collective enthusiasm this past Sunday. How did your performance in the 21-miler live up to your expectations? All of you looked like you were doing great out there, and although I think that last stretch down NW Military Hwy was torturous for us all, you did a wonderful job!
Remember - if you are running with injuries and/or recurring aches and pains that will not go away, you can always consider doing the half, while taking it easy at that. We want you all to be healthy, injury-free athletes!
Please don't push yourself during these last 3.5 weeks. You need to maintain the hard-won, excellent shape you're in right now. Take it easy especially this week, as we are recovering from our longest run this season.
GO ORANGE, and see you Saturday!
-Sonya
--
Who Dat, Orange Team? Way to go finishing 22 miles last week! I am very proud of everyone for hanging tough and crushing on!
The latest issue of Runner's World has an article on the smartest way to taper. Just in time! I will say that I never quite got the hang of proper tapering before I read this article. I always thought tapering meant less running, more lounging. Apparently I was wrong. Here are Ed Eyestone's suggestions for proper tapering:
Reduce the amount of miles run, but increase the focus and intensity of the workouts. "Reducing the volume of workouts before an event gives you a much-deserved break from the strain of intense training. Tapering allows the body to rebuild tissue damage and to restock energy in the form of glycogen. It also helps to reduce an enzyme called creatine kinase, which is generated by intense muscle contractions and is found in high levels in over-trained, fatigued athletes."
In a study, researchers at McMaster University in Hamiliton, Ontario found that athletes that had a rest-only taper for two weeks before an event experienced a three percent decrease in performance. Athletes that participated in a low-intensity taper had a six percent increase in performance and the athletes that had a high-intensity taper for two weeks before their event showed an increase of 22 percent improvement in their performance.
So get a dog to chase you or a man with a gun and run as if your life depended on it, but just a few times around the track. Just kidding. Now that our miles are getting fewer, lets try to run them a little faster and push ourselves a little more toward the ultimate goal, the marathon!
I'll be looking for my Orange peeps at the Fall Fest. Everyone else have a great run at RGR and I'll see you next week.
Orange Zest is the Best!
Kathy S.
Purple
Congratulations to all our runners and walkers! If you joined us last week at Eisenhower Park, you were one of the many that ventured out early Saturday morning to take on our second benchmark challenge. How did you do? Did you meet the goals you set for yourself? A more important question: how were you feeling before, during and afterwards?
While we usually spend this time focusing on what to do leading up to a high mileage day, this week - we'll actually be focusing on what to do AFTER a high mileage day! Recovery...
The recovery process can actually begin the moment you finish your mileage. With water stations every 2 miles, chances are you may not take every opportunity to stop and take in fluids. If this is the case, you can jumpstart your recovery process after a high-mileage day by restoring the fluids you lost during your workout. While we always encourage drinking water to stay hydrated leading up to high intensity days, sports drinks or recovery drinks are actually better after a workout because they not only help to restore your lost fluids - they help to restore your sodium and electrolyte levels.
Want another way to speed up your recovery time? Take an ice bath. Yes, I said an "ice bath", and it's exactly what it sounds like. Have you ever used an ice pack on an injury? The concept is the same. You don't have to soak long - about 10-15 minutes in the tub and it can do wonders. Start off slow - fill a tub with cold water and get in. Let your body adjust to the temperature before introducing the ice. What are the benefits? The cold temperature will help to reduce any inflammation in your joints and soreness. Don't think you can take the cold? Jump in with your clothes as an added barrier. Afraid of hyperthermia? You don't have to stay in the ice bath for the full 15 minutes. If you begin to feel any numbness, that is your sign to end early and get out. It's worth a try, if only once.
Don't forget to eat! You've heard it before: try to consume some protein and carbohydrates within the first 15 minutes of finishing a high intensity workout. Your goal is to begin rebuilding muscle; it's part of the recovery process. Sticking to a balanced diet and focusing on nutrients you'll need to continue your training goals will help greatly.
Take a break... After 22 weeks of training, your tendency may have been to jump back into your workout regimen after the last benchmark. This close to Race Day, caring for any injuries and injury prevention should be upmost in your mind. Your muscles need time to rebuild, not only the right foods. Take some time to rest - for at least a week - even if you think that you've completely recovered. If a week seems too long to wait between a workout - try a light walk/run with moderate exertion, but make sure to limit your workout to less than 30 minutes.
Stretch, stretch... Did I mention stretching? Getting plenty of sleep is also important.
With only a few weeks before Race Day, you may have a million thoughts rushing through your mind. It's only natural to begin to worry about the actual marathon/half-marathon - especially if this is your first. It's all about taking your training in perspective, as well as recognizing and acknowledging your accomplishments. You've survived 22 weeks of rigorous training and have more than likely experienced some pain or injury along the way. You've made it this far - you can make it to the end. You have to believe in yourself and what you can accomplish/capable of accomplishing. While receiving a medal is great, the pride you feel after crossing that finish line is far more rewarding. In that moment, you realize that you just accomplished something that you may have never thought possible - and that is something that can never be taken away or lost.
Keep up the good work! We believe in you.
--
Hello Everyone,
You should be really proud of yourselves for the GREAT job you did at Saturday's Benchmark! You literally went the extra mile! I was so inspired by how you pushed past personal obstacles to reach the finish line. You need to realize that the benchmark course was much hillier than the RnR course will be. Make sure you're registered for the race, because you are ready to Rock n Roll!
Benchmark races give us immediate feedback about what's working for us and what needs modification. I hope you've spent some time thinking about how you'd like to fine-tune your raceday strategy. Thnik about: What worked especially well for you? Was the timing and quantity of your hydration, electrolyte & nutrition intake sufficient? Does your gear fit comfortably and enhance your performance? Can you maintain your form and pace throughout the route? Is there anything distracting you from giving your best effort? What is your recovery plan? How can you optimize your raceday experience? What do you need to take you there?
Remember your dream. Why did you decide to take on the challenge of marathon training? Remember where you were when you began this journey. You're knowledge and fitness have increased tremendously since then. You are so close to achieving your goals!
Now that the benchmark has been accomplished, we are in the taper phase of our training.
The purpose of the taper is to alleviate accumulated fatigue and allow for recovery and healing. This is accomplished by balancing equal parts rest and continued training, so that you'll be fresh and reinvigorated on raceday. The plan is to decrease our mileage to reduce fatigue, while still maintaining the intensity of our workouts (to preserve our fitness).
The best gift you can give to yourself during taper time is to REST! Your muscles rebuild themselves during sleep. Sleep is how your body absorbs and integrates all the hard work.
I'd encourage you to increase you're your ZZZs between now and raceday. See you at practice.
Train with Intention,
Coach Nancy
"Persevere in gentleness and it will lead to resolution. Persevere in weakness and it will lead to strength" Huai-Nan Tsze
Aqua
Congratulations to everyone who completed the benchmark Sunday. The weather was fantastic and we had a great turnout!! How did you feel after? Do any of these come in to mind? Calves feel tight, hips hurt, lower backs ache, and you are downright exhausted? You are amongst many that felt the same way! Below are some recovery tips from your coaches and running pros.
1. Begin recovery efforts immediately after your run (within 30 minutes). Walk five to 10 minutes after your run. You can eat and drink while walking, just move at an easy pace. Stretch. Stretch some more. When you get home, lie on your back on the floor with your hips and rear as close to the wall as you can and elevate your legs (leaning up against the wall) for about 10 minutes.
2. Cold water soaks work very well for recovery. You will want to soak your legs for 5 to 10 minutes. All cold water works - tub, pool, tap water-some even put ice cubes in their tub water. A few hours after your run is still okay to soak. Avoid the hot shower - it can actually slow down your recovery process.
3. Massage. A massage can improve circulation and remove waste products from your muscles. Some pain is possible from stiff muscles immediately after the run so avoid deep tissue rubs to avoid cramping. The lines are long after a long run or race for good reason!
4. The day after a race or long run, take a walk (not run) rather than taking the complete day off. Walking makes the blood flow with nutrients and oxygen to your tired muscles and speeds up the recovery process.
5. Rule of thumb after a hard race: Take one day easy for each mile run. (Looking forward to that!)
6. Nutrition. It is crucial to appropriately fuel up before, during and after exercise. Before, eat a good breakfast, hydrate and get plenty of rest. During, continue to fuel with carbs and electrolytes every 20-30 minutes after a 60 minute period of time. After, experiment with a recovery drink which replenishes carbs and electrolytes. Some even have protein added as well. A few we have mentioned include: AfterShock, Accelerade or Endurox. Try a flavor that suits you and mixes with water. There's been a jar of Endurox (fruit punch flavor) at the finish line on most Saturdays. A tip is to leave the drink powder in a sports bottle in your car during training runs and fill with water and drink when you return. On race day, you can put it with your things if you check them at the start line and it will be there when you finish. Or again, leave it in your car for when you get back to it. Just make sure you have water to mix it with.
7. Listen to your body. If you need a rest day, take it. Don't push your muscles and body to excess where injuries might be incurred. Your recovery is just as important as your training.
Saturday is an easy run (7 or 8). We are starting the taper, the sign that we are getting close! See you then! Your coaches...Laurie, Rose and Andy
Things to remember...
Final Taper
Sat Oct 24
