USA Fit San Antonio

Congratulations all of my Orange Team members who finished the Sunrise 10K and lived to tell about it! I'm really proud of the group that came out and didn't back down from the challenge of the the hills and the heat. It is a tough course, but we have been preparing for it, physically and mentally for some time now and the Orange group stayed even tougher. Great job!

Now that you have run a race, it is time to look back and ask yourself what went well, what did you enjoy, and what could have been done differently? When you make those adjustments, you can improve your performance for the next race.

Last year was my first year to run the Sunrise 10K. I was used to running marathons and half marathons and I really didn't consider a 10K to be much of a challenge. Was I ever wrong! I took off at the start of the race and allowed myself to be carried along with all of the other runners, not considering my pace or how to adjust to the hills or the heat. On the second half of my race, I added six minutes to my time on the first half, which means I limped along, kicking myself and cursing Fleet Feet and the sun and the city of Alamo Heights and God. It just wasn't fun at all.

This year, I knew what to expect. I had my water bottle with frozen G2 with me and an extra gel, just in case. I took my time at the start, keeping an easy pace and enjoyed the scenery and the familiar faces in the crowd. I'm still cracking up at Frick and all of her silliness. I finished with the exact same time as last year's, however, I had a perfect even split between the two halves of the race. I felt stronger and happier and most importantly, smarter.

One of the most important things about race assessment is to plan your next race, so you can try out your newly gained knowledge. There are two smaller runs coming up soon that I highly recommend. The first one is the SARR Labor Day Whine Run. It is held on Monday, Labor Day at the Dry Comal Creek Winery. Yes, it is still hot and uncomfortable on Labor Day. And you might have heard that there are a few hills on the course. But they have frozen sangria at the end and other wine to sample! You get to leave with a cool commemorative wine glass and you might even score a good deal on some wine in their gift shop. It is a great time and it will fit in perfectly with your training.

http://www.active.com/running/new-braunfels-tx/sarr-labor-day-5-mile-whine-run-2010

Another smaller race to consider is the First Annual St. Peter's Fall 5K Run/Walk in Boerne on Oct 2 at 8:00 am. That might conflict with a scheduled run, but I am committed to being there and if you participate, I will ensure that your regularly scheduled run will still commence. In other words, we can work something out. Let me know if you need more information. It is their first time, and I would like to see it well attended. It will most likely be cooler by Oct 2 and the route is very scenic and there are many family-friendly activities planned.

http://www.stpetersboerne.com/Fall5K.html

Orange Zest is the Best!

Kathy Seastrunk

Benchmarking

So we (well, some of us) just completed our first benchmark race. How was it? Did you do as well as you expected? If not, where was the challenge? What can you do differently next time?

Benchmark races such as 5 and 10ks are important in a number of ways. I look at them as quizzes before the big exam. They give us an opportunity to show what we have learned, how far we have progressed, and they provide a chance to practice registration, night-before preparation, and dealing with pre-race jitters. Additionally, 5k finish times are helpful in estimating our marathon finish time.

Several really smart people have developed formulas and charts that convert 5k race times to marathon finish time predictions. The more benchmark races you run, the more closely you will be able to predict your marathon finish time. Math is definitely not my strong area, and my head hurts from all this number crunching. So, to make it easy on all of us, I'm including a link to a lovely chart on Jeff Galloway's website that might be helpful to see how early you should have your friends and family at the finish line. (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/resources/predict_performance.html A word of caution: You must add in a cushion of 10 to 20 min to allow for heat and humidity-related decline in performance!

So, use those benchmarks, but don't do as your coach did and show up a day after the race! J

Coach Ute

Purple

Week 14 - Post Benchmark

Quick pulse check time - Did you attend last weekend's Sunrise 10K?

If you were there, you weren't alone - a lot of fellow USAFit members showed up and it was nice to see our group representing strong on Saturday morning. It was a little humid and hot, but we were sweating together. There's nothing like being surrounded by other marathoners who know exactly what you're going through.

The Sunrise 10K was only 6 miles, but it did give us the chance to experience an actual race. We experienced the pre-race preparations, the jitters, the nervous anticipation, and maybe even a little uncertainty of how we'll perform or what injuries we might get. For some of us, Saturday was the first time we stood before an official start line - not knowing that soon all these emotions will be overshadowed by a complete sense of accomplishment when we crossed the finish line.

Assessing the Benchmark!

How do you think you did overall during the Sunrise 10K? Did you feel prepared? More importantly, what would you do differently? This is a perfect time to relive those race moments and analyze what worked and didn't work for you.

If you felt rushed the morning of the race, there are several things you can do to combat this feeling:

Figure out how to get to the race location a few days in advance. This ensures you know where you need to be, you don't get lost and you get there with plenty of time to get meet up with other marathoners and stretch!
Wake up earlier. This sounds simple enough. I am not a morning person, and I'd prefer to sleep in, but waking up earlier on race days allows you to be able have plenty of time to eat a good breakfast and use the "facilities"...in case you don't like Port-a-potties!
Forgot something? Make a (mental or actual) checklist of what you will need during a race and collect those items a couple of days in advance. You want to make the morning of a race as easy as possible. By collecting and having everything you need ahead of time, you will make your race mornings that much easier - since all you will have to do is get up, get dressed, and get to the race. The more prepared you are, the less you will feel rushed.

How was your energy level?

Other than feeling rushed, you may have noticed a dip in your energy levels. If you had a constant energy level than you are definitely on the right path and know the importance of replenishing what you lose during high mileages. But, what if you started energized but end drained? I generally try to eat a good breakfast before a race. Other than having a good breakfast, you should think about taking energy substitutes (sport beans, gus, energy bars, etc) if you haven't yet incorporated them in your training regimen. You may have spent all your energy trying to rush through the first few miles that you exerted all your stored. Try focusing on your pace and maintaining a constant rate of movement to help get you through the mileage. Also keep in mind to avoid certain foods when preparing to tackle some mileage. The last thing you want is to miss the race because you're stuck in a port-a-potty.

Hydration, hydration, hydration!

We've all experienced some hot and humid weather - we do live in San Antonio. But, dehydration can make those feelings worse. Were you drinking enough fluids during the 10K? We only had two water stops, so having enough hydration was a challenge on Saturday. By the time some marathoners reached the second water stop, there was no longer Heed available. Having a properly stocked hydration pack becomes essential in moments like this. If you weren't drinking enough fluids during the 10K, then the last few miles would begin to feel like an impossible task, and the risk of injury greatly increases. Take a moment and think about your dehydration system. Do you need to upgrade your hydration system to be able to carry more fluids? Have you begun carrying fluids other than water? You want fluids that not only hydrate by give you the missing electrolytes and nourishments lost during a race. You definitely want to figure out what works best for you. Don't wait to find out during an actual marathon that the product they're offering at the water stops causes you to have stomach cramps or any other type of discomfort. There are plenty of products out there, and now is the time to start trying them to figure out which one works best for you. Cytomax is usually the sponsored drink of choice during a Rock and Roll marathon - so it would be wise to at least try the drink you know they will be offering on the course. Also try out other brands. You don't need to drink what they offer. I carry Gatorade and drink water at the water stops. What's important is finding the right one for you, and start incorporating it into your Saturday walk/runs. It's never too early to start preparing for November.

Injuries

The most obvious question to ask after a race is "how did you do?". A follow up question should be "did you get hurt?". After a race, injury assessment is also important. Did you suffer from any blisters, splints, pains, bruised toe nails or cuts? This time, two years ago, I was walking in regular shoes (without support), and suffering by the time I reached Mile 5. I certainly learned from past experiences and I know what I need before, during and after a race. If you experienced any foot discomfort, now is the time to re-assess your footwear. Are your shoes providing enough support? Did you need to buy some new shoes because the ones you currently have are "old"? Do you need to start incorporating some type of wrapping technique to your feet? Depending on the type of injury you suffered, there are different things that can be done to help prevent the same injury occurring again.

If you had some blistering, depending on the location, and cause, you can either try different shoes, different socks, added support, foot wrapping, toe sleeves, individual toe'd socks, moleskin... the list can be endless. Stop by and see one of the coaches, and we will be able to figure out something to help you make the next race, a better race!

Missed the Sunrise 10K?

While some of us attended the Sunrise 10K and were able to get the race day experience, some didn't or were unable to attend. No worries. We have plenty of upcoming Saturday mornings that will test your endurance, your energy, and your determination. If you didn't take the 10K challenge, this upcoming Saturday morning will give you another opportunity to analyze your performance to be able to make any changes to your training regimen. Let us know how you're doing and we'll work with you to get you where you need to be to complete the full or half marathon in November.

We also have a water stop this Saturday. There is still time to ask your family and friends if they'd like to volunteer. I volunteered last year, and may be at a station this Saturday if we're in need of coverage. It really is a fun experience. You are literally the best thing they've seen in MILES! Who wouldn't want to feel that adoration and gratitude? Water station volunteers are an important part of our training program. Without them, we wouldn't be able to do what we do each Saturday. A special thanks to all our past and future volunteers!

I hope to see everyone this Saturday. Train safe! See you soon!

Aqua

Hello again to all Aqua Members and congratulations to all of you who came out and ran the Fleet Feet Sunrise 10K in Alamo Heights this past Saturday. It was a challenging course, but in the end, we all came out winners!!! This week we're going to focus a little on "Race Assessment". Now that you've completed the race and you've had a few days to think about the whole experience, chances are that you're probably thinking about things that you could have done differently, or you're second guessing what you did that might have somehow hindered your overall performance during the run.

Before getting into specifics, one of the first things to remember during this process is not to be so hard on yourself. Remember, the goal was to cross the finish line and you've done that; so pat yourself on the back and be proud of yourself no matter what your finish time was. As some of us already know, the more we continue to run and the more races we enter, unfortunately, the more competitive we become. Eventually we start to look for ways to improve not only our finish times, but also what we need to do in order to be "just that much faster" than the person in front of you. Well, depending on what your personal goals are, this can take time, lots of practice and several more races before we can pinpoint what it is we need to work on. In the meantime, let's just take it one race at a time and start with this one.

Although there are numerous things you can look at, once again we'll stick to the basics and make some suggestions that will hopefully be beneficial to you for the next go around. Here are just a few problems that some of you mentioned you experienced throughout the race:

I was unable to maintain my normal pace and had trouble breathing throughout the race:

Most of the time, this happens when you start out way too fast and then get winded to the point that you can't catch your breath. Next time, try and relax a little and take your time coming out of the start gate. Most races are "chip timed" so it doesn't really matter who comes out first or last. Take those few extra minutes and find your 'groove' so that you can maintain a comfortable pace throughout the entire race.

About halfway through the race, I felt like I had no more to give and my legs and head were hurting:

This could be one of several things. Perhaps you didn't get enough to eat the night before and/or the morning of the race. The amount of calories burnt was probably more than what you took in so try and eat a little more next time (especially for half or full marathons). Second, as each mile marker was passed, your body may have become dehydrated. Always remember that we should start to hydrate a few days before the race and not the day of. Because of the humidity we experience, even though this race was much shorter than a marathon, you should still remember to drink along the route (especially if you decide not to carry your own hydration system). Some of us may have forgotten to carry gels, sports beans, etc. with us during the race. Make it a habit to carry something for anything over five miles.

My final time was not what I'd hoped and I feel like I felt short of my goal:

This is a feeling common to all runners, especially "first time runners", but can be fixed within time. As we mentioned earlier, once we become more comfortable with our training patterns and experiment a little with new techniques, eventually all of our goals, whether it be time or distance, can be reached. Some of us will need to spend more time in the weight room helping to improve our leg strength while others will spend more time out on the track working on speed drills and/or bleachers to help us conquer those "nagging" hills. And of course, we should always try and keep up with our weekly runs in order to maintain the longer distances as they come along.

Although there will always be times when we have to fight to keep self-criticism from clouding our overall perspective, we leave you with the following quote:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

See you Saturday back at our usual "homecourts" but until then, Happy Running!

Coach Laurie, Coach Rose and Coach Mary