Top 10 Running Recommendations

Recently I was asked, in various ways, what are my top TEN running recommendations.  I'm going to take the thought approach that the average person who is reading this will start out on the running spectrum as a consumer within the running market, and turn into an athlete with well defined aspirations.  (Some day I'll share my perspective on the motivational drivers, but for now just understand that no part of the spectrum is better than any other.

TOO HARD TOO SOON TOO FAST
I'm putting this one FIRST because it's almost always the first rule of running that people tend to break.  Many self-imposed issues/injuries/problems stem from running too hard or too soon or too fast.  Avoid at all costs running too hard far too often.  Avoid running too soon after a long race.  Avoid resuming back to normal training where running fast is now "too fast" because you skipped the rest and recovery cycle.  Imitate the professionals.  If you trained hard, rest hard.  If you raced hard, recover even harder.   Skipping steps will only put you on the sidelines.

Runner #1:  Runs a marathon on Sunday and sets a PR, gets in his "mandatory shake out" the next day, runs a few easy runs during the week and then next weekend races a local 5K... deep inside he knows something feels weird, but he can't pinpoint exactly what, figures he's just tired.  10 days later after even more running paces 2-3 minutes slower than marathon pace are a struggle...without any direct explanation.   Cause?   Too hard too soon too fast.  Learn how to REST.

Runner #2:  Runs a marathon on Sunday and takes 5 days off, then runs a 20 miler with her friends who are getting in their last long run before their own marathon.  10 days later, there's a nagging pain that turns out to be a stress reaction.  Cause?  too hard too soon too fast.  Grab a bike next time.

Runner #3 Runs a marathon on Sunday, takes a day off, and does speedwork on tuesday as if Sunday had never occurred.  They resume full on training including a long run on the weekend.  They find themselves a week later struggling to get started, the legs just don't want to move.  Doctor visit shows most likely come chronic fatigue setting in, blood work shows a spike in elevated adrenal activity, and resting heart rate is through the roof.  Cause?  Too Hard Too Soon Too Fast

Consistency
One of the most important things, if you want to see improvement, is to remain consistent with your training.  Your body craves consistency, it learns to expect things.  Don't run 1 day one week, 7 days the next, 2 days the following, 6 days the next week.  Start out with 1 day a week.  When that's too easy add another day.  When that's too easy, add another.  Figure out what works best for you and stick with it.  You'll see greater improvements when you train consistently.

Dedication/FOCUS
This one is hard to swallow.  It's all about how serious you are with yourself.  It's all about choices you made or intend to make.  It's raining outside, you can barely see 10 feet in front of you.  There's 3ft of snow.  It's 100 degrees outside. Your work schedule has you traveling on a trip with only 1 hour to spare today.  You slept in because you partied too hard last night.  Your toenails are too long.  You just had dinner even though you weren't hungry.  You said you were going to run at 8AM but it's 10AM and you aren't out of bed yet.  Your running partner came down with a cold and said they can't show up.   Do you let these things turn into excuses, or do you make the decision to be dedicated towards your goal?

Capability
Find out what YOU are capable of running.  Don't arbitrarily pick a time goal, or worse yet, cling on to the lore of yesteryear.  Go run something, anything...right now.  Time it.  What did you run?  THAT is what you're capable of running.  Don't sign up for the latest MEGATHON because your super fit in shape coworker/neighbor just told you about her amazing trip to Awesometown USA where she ran a PR of 1:29:56 for a 25K and it seemed effortless.  Does any of that make sense to you right now?  Probably not!  Implicit Peer Pressure is real, don't fall for the FOMO.

WORSE, did you run track or XC in high school?  You took 15 years off and now you figure a few weeks in and you'll be right back to where you were (and we ALWAYS "were" at our peak performance, right?).  If there is a significant amount of time between the last time you ran something, and this time....you're starting over.  Accept that as fact.

You are capable of what you can go do right now, not of what you remember doing, or what your neighbor just did.   Setting a realistic goal for yourself will help you remain much more consistent.  You'll look forward to tiny gains soon turning into massive returns.

Reasonable
Be reasonable with yourself.  You've never run before or you haven't run in a long time.  Your body has morphed in several different ways, and it's going to take some time getting used to the effort to move it faster, and just as important, learning how to give it a break afterwards.  Do NOT judge yourself because you tried to run some distance, and it doesn't match what others are talking about.  You haven't been on the same journey as they have, nor have they traveled along your path.  Your goal is to enjoy running, and to achieve running accomplishments that have personal value.  If you test your capabilities and find that you can do X, accept X.  Don't let someone tell you that you should be training for Y when you know that X is your comfort zone.  If that's a 15 minute mile then so be it.  That's you.  Down the road maybe it changes to 12 minutes.  Maybe it changes to 7 minutes.  Don't let someone convince you that you need to train at something you know you can't consistently repeat, that you fail to find the motivation to get up and go do.  If it's something you fear doing, you probably won't do it.  If you know tomorrow you've got something to do that you can do, the hardest part is execution.

Rest
Just as important as getting in all of your runs.  You'll eventually get to a point where you're running more, and more, and more.  You'll set up mileage goals, and look to achieve arbitrary distances.  These are all fine as long as you're finding the time to recover.  You start out as a 1 day a week runner, and move up by adding a day here and there.  No problem.  The other days can have cross training in the gym, on the bike, in the pool.  Eventually you reach a limit and your energy levels start to plummet.  Worse, you thrive on the rush provided by the intensity of running and all the other activities, and find yourself subject to a whole host of undefinable calamities...all signs point towards a failure to rest.  Now is the time to establish a proper training cycle with appropriate rest for whatever efforts you put out.  As an example, you'll see people who just participated in a marathon talking about how they need to get in their shake out run the day after the event.  They didn't "race" the marathon.  If they did, they wouldn't be able to even process that thought.  If you can avoid rest the day after a marathon, you didn't race the marathon.  You jogged 26.2 miles.  If that's your thing, not racing long distance events, then that's fine too, just don't promote it as a healthy practice for what everyone should do.  We are all amazed by how well professionals perform in the marathon, we should be equally amazed by how well they rest afterwards.

Investment
Running is in an investment in you.  Set yourself up for success.  Every time you run something right, that's a "deposit" in the YOU account.  Every time you eat healthy, you're increasing your interest rate.  Every time you rest when you were supposed to, you put another dollar in that account.  You were looking at a pair of $40 shoes that last for 75 miles versus that $125 pair that will last 300 miles and decided to "save" some money.  You just took some money out of the YOU account.  You looked outside and saw how horrible the weather was, but you ran anyways...the bank just gave you $50 for being a loyal customer.  1 year, 5 years, 10 years...even longer, what do you want this account to be worth?  Is it always going to be easy making deposits and having the discipline to avoid withdrawals?  NO.  When you start out defining what you want, find out whatever it is that you're seeking to achieve, and have a plan to get there.  Make deposits, avoid withdrawals.

Social
Find people who are attempting to achieve similar goals.  Success in groups is infectious.  Support from our friends who've been through it is all the more believable, and will help reinforce our own motivations to reach our goals.  Miles melt away with friends.  20 milers become "too short" because you were having such a good conversation.  Make memories talking about the silly things you did before a big race, during, or after.  Be prepared to get comfortable with others, and find yourself forgetting how tough things seemed to be beforehand.  You'll develop some relationships that last a lifetime, others that come and go...regardless, you'll learn so much from others and teach them just as much.

Education
There is no such thing as too much education when it comes to running.  Learn as much as you can.
You'll learn what works for you, and more importantly what does not.  High mileage low intensity?  Low Mileage High Intensity?  Middle Middle?  Zero Drop Shoes?  Arch support?  Eat Breakfast before the marathon?  Drink a gallon of water? DOMS?  Heel Striking is bad? Is it?  Shin splints are caused by what forces?  Your optimal running weight is??  I can hit the weights and still be a runner?

All those questions, and a million more...grab some keyboard and find primary source articles, find studies, get out there and run and test things out (Trial and Error, ask questions of your running friends for consideration)....never stop learning.

Patience
After you've learned all of the above, the last step is learning to manage your own expectations.  Investments take time, don't expect an immediate return.   It takes months of establishing your base mileage and forcing physical adaptations, getting through various training cycles, eating better, resting better, staying dedicated...it is after all of these things (and so much more) that you will start to realize the gains from all of your hard work.


To go back to the banking account analogy, investments take time.  Set up direct deposit (consistency), pay your bills on time(dedication), don't buy things you can't afford (be reasonable), and constantly monitor your account for accuracy (education).  If you treat your running self like you treat your bank account, you'll have plenty of earned interest and capital appreciation built up for those moments in life when you want to go on vacation, buy the boat, etc etc....

Happy Running!

Run ROCKCF Strategy

So you're running the RockCF Half Marathon and you don't have a strategy, but want to do your best?  You've come to the right place!  Let's help you create your own mental checklist of things to do before the race, day of the race, and most importantly a strategic way to approach this particular course.

Step 1:  Review the course: YOUTUBE VIDEO of ROCK CF (7 min higher speed video)

Make note of the number of obvious turns, also pay attention to the subtle curves in the road

choose the fewest number of straight lines AKA "run the tangents" (avoid running on the outside of the curves....why add unnecessary distance?   If you want to run the course as measured, you need to run the shortest possible route. Paying attention to the turns and curves NOW will help you identify the need to be aware of this challenge come race day. 

Step 2:  Start visualization techniques, if you have not yet already started.  In Step 1 we became familiar with twists and turns of the course.  Building on that you'll want to start thinking about each mile.  Whatever your race plan is, watch the video again, but this time use it to think about your mile splits.  Additionally, identify key mental points of the course.  Don't have any?  Now is the time to start thinking about them!  Maybe when you hit 3.1 miles (plus one step) you realize you have less than 10 miles to go?  Maybe when you reach 6.55 miles you know you're halfway done?  However you break up the race, do it so that you're building on the key mental factors that give you confidence.  Whatever your plan is, go through that plan daily starting now.  If you've run this race before you know where the mile markers are, so watch that video again and start executing your plan now.  If your mind is already conditioned to perform a plan, come race day your body will want to execute the plan.

Step 3:  Stick to your training plan.  You've got a week to go.  You could, in theory, not run anything until race day and you wouldn't have lost a statistically significant amount of fitness.  Your body and mind crave consistency however, so stay consistent and don't try to get extra fit this last week.

Step 4:  Look at the other factors in your life.  Are there any contributions to negative stress?  Mitigate these things as best you can.  Avoid these problems however possible.

• Is it lack of sleep?  One key factor in why so many people are unable to fall asleep (beyond the whole overthinking everything dilemma) is electronic device overload, all the way up to the last moment before hitting the sheets.   Put down your cell phone, turn off your TV, get off the laptop.  Your brain needs to unwind from all of the stimuli.  Give yourself one hour before you intend to go to sleep.  Maybe take the time to do some light static stretching.  Use a foam roller or whatever device you have to help loosen up some tight muscles and increase the blood flow.  
• Maybe you don't really hydrate all that well?  Start doing so.  Don't go overboard, an increase from 8oz of water a day to 64oz isn't THAT drastic.  
• Supplements:  Whether your getting your necessary vitamins and minerals from natural sources or through dietary supplements is not the issue here, rather that you're getting them at all.  Be cognizant of the intake of electrolytes and iron this week.  Throw some into that water bottle this week.
• Carbs:  For some, a half marathon is a great endeavor.  It utilizes a vast amount of energy, or at least more than you're willing to admit.  IF you find yourself out of energy at a certain point in the race, and it's NOT because you deviated from your race plan (IE you ran the first 9 miles way too fast), maybe you didn't have enough energy stored up?  I'm not a registered dietician who can make specific dietary recommendations for you, but I can suggest that you "carb up" sufficiently during the days leading up to the race.  NOT JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE.  The notation that one can "starve" the body of carbs and then super saturate the body the night before has been long debunked.  Eat well, and start loading up days beforehand.   For those that are worried about how it "looks".  Yes, carbs are going to bind with water molecules and make you look SLIGHTLY puffy.  You aren't heading on stage to a fitness competition.  You're running a half marathon.  If you want to end up on stage, give yourself the fuel that you'll need and you might just end up on the podium.  The good news is that you'll have burnt off those pesky water molecules in the form of good ole fashion sweat.  You'll look better after the race, the puff will be gone.  
• Work:  Everyone has stress at work.  I challenge you this week to end your day writing down on paper something good that has happened.  Also find someone at work that has done something well and make them away of it.  It's amazing what can happen when we exist in a positive environment.  Create the space around you that supports this concept.
• Home:  Feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities?  Ask for help this week.  If that's not possible, identify the MUST be's versus the SHOULD be's...work on your MUST list, and give yourself a break on the SHOULD list, if only for this week.  Even if you find that you've eliminated one thing, it's one less thing to worry about.    Don't sweat the small stuff.  Find a way to create positive energy out of each situation and flow with that energy.  Swimming with the current is always a more efficient use of energy, even if it's just for a week.

In summary, the things to do before the race:  Review the course, visualize your plan, stick to your training, and reduce negative stress around you.

DAY OF RACE:

1. Get up early
2. Eat a small meal (whatever it is that works best for you)
3. You had ALL of your clothes laid out last night, so get dressed with your warm up layers on over your race outfit
4. Make sure your bag contains your clothes to change into afterwards.  Celebrations of achieving your goal quite often feel so much better in a fresh set of nice clean clothing.  Since it's March and it's Grosse Ile, bring your winter jacket, your wind breaker, your umbrella, extra gloves, warmer socks, etc etc etc.
5. Get down to GI early.  Don't let the stress of arriving late change your positive energy
6. Warm up SLOWLY
7. Think about your race plan.  Subtle reinforcement will increase the likelihood of conditioning success.  This is your last chance to go over it before go time!
8. 15-20 minutes before the race, consume a light amount of your electrolyte enhanced beverage and enter the starting corrals.
9. Surround yourself with people who intend on running your pace.  Remind yourself to stick to your plan.
10. Make sure your watch has a signal....don't let a 15 minute delay in picking up the satellites put you in a panic.  Get the signal before the race starts.  You'll be able to start picking it up again with less than five minutes to go and not have to worry about the watch turning off.
11. Are your shoes tied?  Better make sure they're nice and tight.  Double up if you need.
12. Give yourself credit for getting to the starting line, you've put in the work
13. Now execute the plan!

ROCK CF RACE STRATEGY:

This is just MY idea of how to approach this particular course based on my own experiences with course conditions over the years.  If you have a better way that works for you, by all means stick to the way that brings you the best possible results:

Executive Summary:

First 5K is your warm up approach to the race.

From the 5K to Mile 10 you're executing an uptempo workout that is warming you up

When you hit the 10 mile banner, you're RACING a 5K

Mile 1:  Stay relaxed.  Look out for potential potholes.  It's okay to be 10-20 seconds SLOW.  It's slightly uphill and there could be a wind in your face, from the side.  Rarely is it pushing you.  It's early, stay in control.

Mile 2:  You've started to increase your pace a bit.  Pay attention to your running form.  Cadence is natural, stride feels good, you aren't falling into the trap of chasing the early gazelles passing by you, stand tall and proud, breathing is with purpose and deliberation.  Breathing is almost rhythmic matching your natural stride rate.  You're driving forward with a calmness, this mile feels fast, but easy.  Take in a drink of water at the aid station

Mile 3: You are driving forward faster now, you're getting into race pace territory and paying attention to the weather conditions.  If you're in a pack you tuck in and let the leaders provide a barrier to any wind.  Focus on form and posture, stay tall and "lock in" how this feels from the perspective of effort.

5K:  You're warmed up now.  You've got less than 10 miles go to, and you've run 10 miles hard.  You know what 10 Miles at this pace feels like...that's all you have to do now, execute your plan, run like you know you can.  Stay focused on your effort, be consist, stay in control.

Before Mile 4:  You're turning from the northern most point on GI and you'll be here until just around the 9 Mile marker.  The wind, if it exists, will push you.  Remember how at the 5K point you made note of the perceived effort?  Stay consistent, your splits will drop naturally if the wind is pushing you.  

WARNING:  DO NOT LET A FEW FAST MILES CHANGE YOUR PLAN

The wind is pushing you and you're seeing a few fast miles click off.  As the sun rises the wind is starting to pick up, but you're on the back side of the Ile, being pushed by the wind.  You think it's okay to push harder than you've trained to run.  Don't.  Stick to your plan.  Let the wind push you, flow with the rythym, focus on form, be tall, breathe deep.  Do I sound repetitive yet?  Good.

You've reached Mile 9-ish

You're turning LEFT....if you stuck to your plan, this is a 4 ft elevation change.  If you went too fast, someone moved Mt. Kilimanjaro over to GI.  Hopefully everyone has stuck to their race plan and your group is together.  Depending on weather conditions, this could be where the wind starts to become a factor.  Do your best to have the strong runners block the wind (pace setter's job).  If everything is going well, start mentally gearing yourself up for this last mile before Mile 10 as nothing more than a warm up for a 5K race.  Do whatever it takes to create a switch in your mind for that moment when you cross the 10 Mile mark.  Get pumped.  You have raced a 5K before, a 5K is ONLY 3.1 miles.  Show yourself what you can do.  BELIEVE that you can do better than what you think you're capable of, execute the last 5K as if you're racing a 5K.

LAST 5K

You've reached the hangar...let THAT be the moment that you hit your mental reset.  Crush this last 5K.  5Ks are easy.  Knock off EACH MILE.  It isn't Mile Marker 11, you just ran your first mile of the 5K, 2.1 miles to go!  You're on the northbound stretch of GI now....get after it, focus on that form, don't let your stride length shorten up at all.... You don't have short strides in a 5K!  Standing tall right?  Arms are pumping, stride rate is smooth and you're breathing deep and moving fast.  You are smooth, you're in control, and the course is getting shorter and shorter.  Mile 12....you have 1.1 miles to go!  Nothing is in your way.  You're ready to go and you know you're going to be in UNDER your goal, it's just a matter of how much now.... those arms are going to be pumping hard now.  DRIVE THOSE KNEES forward, stride rate is consistent and natural, picking those knees up will ensure natural stride length...take someone with you...get moving, try to leave the pace setter here, be in control.  Take control, drive hard, push yourself.  Consider taking the last mile in 1/4 mile segments.  Each 1/4 should be slightly faster.  Have you reached the school's south side driveway?  Once you're safely up the approach, SPRINT!  There's no waiting to sprint, you just start going!  Arms are pumping, get after it. Go as hard as you can, through the line, shave all "I should have sprinted" excuses away by actually sprinting!

Walk over to the PR Bell, do your thing!

Stand tall and be proud of what you've accomplished.

What is my definition of a "good coach"?

In my last post I discussed a few of the beginning thought processes on how to choose a coach.  I asked you to figure out what you wanted out of running, analyze whether or not running at a level where you need a coach will fit into your life, ask a ton of questions to any potential coach, talk to EVERYONE you possibly can regarding your potential coach, and try to do some research to verify the things you're being told.  So now you've done that and you're looking at me saying ok, WHAT NEXT?  Well, in my opinion the next thing is to level set your expectations.  The first step being what you expect out of your coach should you decide to move forward with them.  I'm a big fan of checklists and bullet points, if you can't tell by now.  I'll give you a few things to think about before you are asked to make any decisions.  You need to be in charge of your decision, after all, if you're willing to invest your time or money into this running gig, you need to make an informed decision after having considered all the relevant facts and circumstances.  

I'll go through this process as if I myself were at the same point that I am recommending you to be at, what do I expect from MY coach if I were to have one (sneak peak, based on my expectations I'd go with Gary Brimmer as my coach, if he were local and I could beer it up with him during my sob sessions after bad races) AND a combination of what I would demand of myself if I were to actually be someone else's "coach":

Random Thoughts on what a good coach can bring to the table

A coach knows a certain amount of basic information when they start out.  They are by no means an expert.  They should be continuing their education and submersing themselves in any/all opportunities to learn MORE.  This in itself is a debatable topic that could take hundreds of hours to hash out without any agreement.  My recommendation to you is to ask yourself do you want someone who takes one weekend course and is suddenly qualified, or someone who is constantly inquisitive and seeking out new information, someone who strives to learn more, someone who is willing to read an article you just read online and respond to how it fits into your big picture without coming off as sounding insulted/defensive?  IF I WERE a coach, I want more input from my athlete, I want to know what they are thinking, I need to understand where they are coming from and how they perceive things.  I'm not always right, and neither are the articles out there...but sometimes they are when I am not....how can I communicate that we will try something new in order to test out if this new idea works with this particular athlete?  Also, I want my athletes to know that I am never going to stop learning.  The more I learn, the more I realize that I do not yet know.  I never want to stop learning, and that includes learning from my athletes.

A coach knows how to communicate in a way that evokes confidence in their process.  They don't come off as sounding unsure of what they are talking about.  Not only do they believe in their process, they have actual facts and evidence to back it up.  If you hear ANYTHING that makes you think that the coach is feeling backed into a corner, and even attacking you for questioning them, you need to consider that maybe they aren't the coach for you.  A good coach believes in their process and has the answers to ANY question you have..it really is that simple.  IF I WERE a coach, I can tell you everything that I believe in, how I intend to get you there based on your preferred style of running, based on what evidence I see that backs up your preferred style of running, and I want you to challenge me with questions.  I want you to talk to me.  The more you talk to me, the more I know you care.  The more you care the more I care.  The more we talk, the better we know each other.  In the end if there is free flowing communication you and I can dial in that road map to get you to your goal.

A coach knows that no matter how much time and effort that they spend coming up with the best workout, that it might have a wide range of effects on their athletes.  Not all athletes are going to respond in the same way to the same workouts.  Runners aren't all built the same, put that cookie cutter approach away and realize that you have people from all walks of life, with different abilities and developmental approaches.  Your 5k athlete needs something that stimulates speed endurance.  Your marathon athlete needs something that reinforces endurance and consistency.  These two athletes shouldn't have the same workouts week after week.  IF I WERE a coach I understand my job is to realize that I have a number of individuals that deserve my time and attention as if they were the only person I am coaching.  I am creating a plan for THEM, and for them only.  It is only at the point in time when I see that there are overlaps in their training that I can combine some workouts and allow people to team up together to find extra motivations.  Even IF I did have cookie cutter programs, I'd at least spend an extra five minutes coming up with different programs based on different races (whether it be for time of year, distance of event chosen, etc etc).

A coach knows that LIFE gets in the way of running.  Athlete A has three children all in school with sports and other extra curricular activities.  Athlete B has no children and is a stay at home spouse.  Athlete C is an empty-nester who works part time.  Even if these athletes have the same base ability, their training is going to be different, because they come to the table with different challenges.  Extrapolate out to Athlete ZZZ, everyone has different challenges and the good coach needs to be ready to adjust.  A coach that isn't flexible isn't the right coach for everyone. They might be the right coach for a limited number of individuals, but if you're not willing to adjust your life to fit their idea of the right program, you might find yourself falling short of your goals.  IF I WERE a coach, I am interviewing my athletes, trying to get to know each and every challenge that they are presented with on a daily basis.  I'm empathetic where I can be, I'm sympathetic in all other situations.  We adjust, we modify, we reconsider goals when forced to do so.  We set goals and we focus on them, but we don't ignore the reality of life.  Reality has a way of slapping everyone in the face when we do that!

A coach knows that one singular approach to training is NOT the way to fit everyone into a training program.  There are so many different approaches to running.  None of them are right for everyone.  Some of them are probably somewhat right for a majority of runners.  Some of them are probably right for just a few people.  A good coach is going to try to learn what a runner responds well to, and what seems to be holding them back.  A great coach is going to be able to listen to feedback from dialed in workouts, adjust based on factors tangible and otherwise, and work WITH the athlete to get to a place where workouts create an environment of consistency, control, and confidence.  IF I WERE a coach, I'm researching ALL programs, all theories, all approaches to the increase of speed, endurance, and efficiency in running.  I'm studying human anatomy, physiology, psychology, sociology, anything that I can get my hands on.  I'm asking a million questions all in a quest to apply the right approach for that particular individual.  

A coach knows that all the other coaches know the same basic concepts when it comes to running. There is NO SECRET SAUCE, NO SECRET RECIPE.  It's called hard work.  You convince your runner to put in the hard work, and stay healthy.  They stay healthy and they run well if you give them the basic constructs.  Taking a runner from a lack of consistency and providing them with a cookie cutter program will make them improve, marginally.  Taking a runner and telling them to run the same basic paces repeatedly (control), if it doesn't exceed their abilities, will make them improve, marginally. Taking a runner who runs with consistency and control and creating improvements beyond the basic margins will instill confidence.  That takes the skill set of a good coach..  Delivery of all three and you have the markings of a great coach.  IF I WERE a coach, I'm meeting with my athletes, learning what makes them drive, what pushes them, what makes them feel good.  I'm rewarding consistency over performance.  I'm looking for opportunities where "too fast" comes in spades, but rather where my athlete sticks with the plan, believes in the process...stays in control... I'm rewarding them with appropriate praise and admiration, be it a slug to the shoulder or a much needed hug for finally mustering up the courage to dig deep and find the confidence they need to push themselves past self-imposed thresholds.  My job is to create an environment where all three factors come together at the right time at the right place.

A coach knows how to listen.  They aren't just listening with their ears.  Get in front of your athlete and be mindful of how they are conveying their thought process.  Are they listening to the things being said between the lines?  You can't respond to Topic A when your athlete is really talking about Topic B, but isn't willing to open up.  A good coach knows what I'm talking about.  IF I WERE a coach I'm analyzing all the nonverbals, all the gestures, all the pauses, all of the small chit chat to figure out what makes my athlete tick.  Not to get too detailed, but in a previous life (high school sprint coach) I was assigned an athlete with special skills.  I listened to the counselors at first and applied all of the recommendations they presented to me.  I quickly realized that NONE of what they provided to me was working with him.  He wanted, no....he DEMANDED (without ever expressing it) that he be treated as an equal on the sprint team and I gave him exactly what he wanted, even if he couldn't physically express to me that that was what he wanted.  I ribbed my top guys in jest, I showed up randomly at their classes to see if they were participating completely... I made them do push ups randomly in the hallways if they wanted to stay on the sprint squad...so this athlete got the same treatment.  I purposely spent my lunch hour driving to see him, to make him do push ups in front of other people in the halls... to carry a baton all day during school if he dropped it the day before...to challenge him with random facts (he had such a high IQ it was hard to find things I could "be better at")... I let him pull the card on 52 card draw days (52 different workouts for my squad)...in the end his motivation was seeded in equality.  To this day he is my favorite athlete by far and still brings tears to my eyes as I reflect on how he developed exponentially as an athlete, a student, and a young man in general.  It wasn't because of how well he did in running with his challenges, rather because of how much he improved my life and opened my eyes to new ways of thinking.  This one young man woke me up.  From that experience I learned that everyone is different, and I need to dig deeper inside myself to find the way to help them improve their walk in life.

Consider this the first post on this topic of many more to come.  I hope you've enjoyed reading this if you've made it this far.  I'll leave you with a quote I feel is somewhat apropos: 

"The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself." Edward Bulwer-Lytton 

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!  The best of luck to all of you in your endeavors!

"I need a coach...."

I need a coach....Any advice on how to chose a coach?

Sure! Putting aside for a moment my thoughts on how many individuals conflate a NEED with a WANT, I find myself intrigued by the number of people looking for a coach.  Is it because they think that having a coach will automatically get them to the finish line with a series of personal bests in the shortest time period possible?  Any coach can take a (relatively) new runner with sporadic and/or haphazard training with little to no accountability or motivation, put them into the most basic program without any personal customization and still reap some short term rewards.  Said another way, give a new runner some consistency in training, and they will almost immediately see improvements in their performance.  My job here is to get in front of that runner and help them choose the right person(s) for the job.  I firmly believe that with the right person helping them out,  they stand to enjoy running for many years to come.  There's so much to think about and it's not just a popularity contest.  

At the end of the day you are a consumer, and you need to make informed decisions with the relevant facts and circumstances in front of you.  Whether you're spending hard earned disposable income on a coach, or spending a significant amount of your free time trying to improve yourself as a runner, a basic monitoring of your perceived Return On Investment (ROI) is of utmost importance.

Step 1:  Define your goals

What do you want to get out of running?  Are there specific races you heard about?  Are your motivations social or performance-based?  You don't go to a used Toyota dealership if what you're looking for is a brand new Porsche GT3, and vice versa.  Know what you want to do before you start shopping.  Once you find what you want, will it fit into the rest of your life?  Can you find the right balance?  Knowing where you want to go, and how you want to get there are key factors before moving forward.  Knowing what you want ahead of time will prevent you from getting talked into something you don't want or need.

Step 2:  Where's the balance?

Running isn't the only thing in your life.  You've got a life outside of the running community.  Figure out how much time you're going to allot towards training.  Find a coach that is flexible and is willing to take input from you, to consider all of the factors in your life as part of the overall program.  If you have a rigid coach who's telling you to get outside after 15 hours worth of work because the easy run 17 weeks away from the marathon is the most important part of your day, they may not be fully considerate of your situation.  Look for the coach that's going to work with you, and adjust on the fly for these kinds of situations.  As long as you're working hard, they should find a way to keep you on track towards your goal, or work with you to modify the goal to fit the rest of your life.

Step 3:  Ask your potential coach some questions:

1. How long have you been involved with running?
2. I'm looking to run certain kinds of races, have you done any of them yourself?  Their specific performance doesn't prove or disprove "qualification" to coach you, but provides opportunities to guide you through the process.
3. How long have you been coaching?  What's the average duration per athlete?  A coach who's been at it for 20 years but has an average duration of 6 months/client with clients versus a coach who's been at it for 5 years and has an average duration of 4 years/client should make you think before choosing someone.
4. What's their definition of SUCCESS?
5. What's their definition of INJURY? 
6. What's their definition of RECOVERY?
7. Get into a conversation with them on QUALITY and QUANTITY
8. Do they define "customized plan" as different paces for the same workout for everyone?  RED FLAG:  If there are 10 people in a group all running different races at different times with different distances, if everyone is running the same workout (only the pace being modified) MOST OF THE TIME....you might want to ask more questions about that observation!
9. Can I ask you questions?
10. If I don't meet my goals, how can I expect you to address this issue? 
11. How often will we talk?  How will we communicate?  How often will you adjust my schedule? 
12. What's their philosophy on running?  Low mileage high intensity?  High mileage low intensity?  High mileage high intensity?  What kind of runner are you?  
13. Are they certified?  Did they maintain that certification? (certification doesn't always matter)
14. How much have they "studied" the sport of running? A few google downloads or a room full of all the running books, magazines, and research journals ever produced?

If you're face to face with this potential coach, pay very close attention to the answers and watch for changes in mood.  They should be very comfortable providing any of these answers.  If they seem defensive at any point, take that into consideration.  They aren't hiring YOU to run for them.  You're employing them to provide you with a service.

 Step 4:  Get referrals from people.  

Ask people who are with a coach.  What's it like with their coach?  What do they like?  If they could improve anything, what would it be?

Ask people who used to be with a coach. Why did they leave?  Did they feel like they were no longer maximizing their ROI?  What did they LIKE about that coach?

Step 5: RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

1. If they have an online website, go there. 
2. Do they have social media accounts?  
3. Maybe they have a YouTube channel, do they offer instructional videos?  Is it related or beneficial to running?  Do they know what they are talking about?  A few clicks through Google and you should see if they're selling you snake oil, blowing smoke, or accurate.  If it doesn't look or sound right, at least you know BEFORE you sign up.
4. If you know they will be at a race, observe them interacting with their current clients.  A good coach will congratulate an athlete for a good performance.  A great coach will be able to console an athlete without saying a word after a day doesn't go as planned. Be there to see how all the athletes are treated.
5. Are they presenting information to another group?  Go listen.  Are they describing their services or are they using words that are designed to make you think they might have some idea about the secrets behind being a great runner?  Stay away from the person saying things like "ADP....dark phase....Krebs cycle concentric osmosis....mitochondria....lactate interval threshold long hill sprints"  They are just dropping words in from running magazines they read.

While this is no means exhaustive, that's basically it in a nutshell!  Figure out what you want to do with running, see if it will fit into your life, ASK A TON OF QUESTIONS, talk to people about that coach, and VERIFY.  

There's a lot more to coaching than just giving you your next workout.  

My next post will be up soon.  What's my definition of a "good coach"?  Stay tuned to find out!

The best of luck to all of you. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.

I'm running a marathon soon, any pointers you can toss my way?

It's that time of year where many of your running friends are either prepping for the final few weeks/days before their spring marathon. Those that aren't prepping for a marathon are providing you with advice, solicited or not. They all mean well, even when they tell you things that defy even conventional wisdom. While I try not to provide any advice unsolicited sometimes I fall into the social media trap of seeing FAQs posted by lesser experienced runners in group forums, and a myriad of responses that may have worked as a matter of coincidence for the respondent. Sometimes I just want to point out that anecdotal evidence isn't the blanket answer, different things work for different people. Sometimes solutions don't work, but the problem has somehow been resolved so the person incorrectly assumes causality, in other words we witness the fallacy "Affirming the consequent". More often than not, I read the advice, take it with a grain of salt, and move along with my day. They mean well. As do I. At work I maintain a policy where if one person asks me for clarification on guidance already provided I respond directly in a manner best suited for that person. A second person asks the same question, I make a note that a trend may be developing, but still respond directly in a way that is best suited for them. A third person asks the same question and I know my communications need to be a bit more global. That in essence is what I'm attempting to do here, for those in the running community. I have detected a trend, if you will, and will attempt to share my thoughts and experiences. Don't worry, this introduction won't happen on each and every post. Thanks for making it this far, I hope you enjoy reading it, and that you walk away having gained something of value.

 Specific to the question title question, let's focus on just a few basic ideas. You've put in a lot of work over the last few months. Maybe you chose a plan you downloaded from the internet or you hired a coach to adjust things for you on a daily basis, or just ran whenever you felt like it. The point is you put in the time and now you're RUNNING A MARATHON. You're asking yourself and all your friends what you're supposed to do in the week(s) leading up to the big day.

 Here are a few of the things you may have already thought of but just need a checklist. I'll go through some of my thought processes for BOSTON as if I were getting myself ready one week out:

TRANSPORTATION:

1. How am I getting to Boston? (flying, make sure I confirm that the flight is properly booked for the right dates...yes)
2. How am I getting to the airport? (My own car, best route according to google is...., it will take 1.25 hours to get there)
3. Where am I parking? (Big Blue, in my usual location, remember to use the same card in/out of the lot)
4. Carry on or checking a bag? (both)
5. How am I getting from the airport to my hotel? (Charlie Card, take the T to Back Bay ORANGE) How early can I check in? (confirmed status will allow noon if available)
6. What time do I need to get up to get to the bus on time for the start?

ACCOMMODATIONS

1. How many keys do I need? Ask for two extra. One for post race, one for anyone looking to crash
2. King or TWO QUEENS? (always 2Q, never know who's going to crash, one bed = awkward)
3. Check online for sudden "special rates" that always pop up
4. Check email for special offers based on chain "status", last year was FREE!
5. How close is it to the Expo? Map it out
6. How FAR is it to the Bus? Map it out
7. What time does my bus LEAVE for the START AREA?
8. IF I get on a charter bus LAST, how often will people be going to the bathroom? Where will my seat be?
9. How much time will I be waiting?
10. How FAR is it FROM the Finish chute exit, map it out based on gear check or family reunion.
11. Any other conventions going on at the hotel? FIND OUT. Cheerleading conventions happen, in the hallways. Plan ahead.
12. Where's the ICE machine? FIND IT.
13. Do I have a fridge? Microwave? Where am I eating? When I do eat, am I bringing back snacks to the room? Can I?
14. Are there any perks I don't know about? "Concierge Level?"

  PACKING - CARRY ON BAG

1. The "Bound For Boston" Passport 
2. A book to read Phone Charger, extra long (10ft), the plug too (if not, look for the HDMI plug behind the TV) 
3. Portable power supply for phone (for after the marathon when the celebrations might go too long) The shoes I intend to wear while running the marathon 
4. Race Singlet 
5. Race Shorts 
6. Compression socks - long Compression socks - short socks just in case too
7. Commercial Grade trash bag (cut out an arch on the bottom.) 
8.  My Nano and headphones(and charger) 
9. My Garmin charger (Garmin better be on my arm lol) 
10. Sunglasses, "lucky hat" 
11. Spare outfit 
12. Deodorant, Toothbrush, floss, toothpaste 
13. Earplugs 
14. snacks 
15. empty water bottle and electrolyte packets 
16. Salt Tabs 
17. laptop and charger? (a big maybe) 
18. medium sized clear plastic bag, preferably with handles

  PACKING - CHECKED BAG

1. How many days am I there? (#Days = #T-shirts, pairs of socks) 
2. Check the weather for the non race days? Windy? Cold? Rain? 
3.  Rain poncho, lightweight windjackets, small umbrella 
4.  Pair of Jeans, a few pair of shorts 
5. Maybe a decent outfit if there are plans to go out. (Sandbagger Style) 
6. How many times will I run once there? A running outfit for each time, pair of running socks for each time 
7. Plastic bag for all the running outfits worn during the trip (lightly washed in the sink, hung to dry) Leave space for the all the stuff that will be purchased (try to resist purchasing)

  RUNNING GEAR (some previously mentioned)

1. Race Singlet (any snags that will cause irritations?) 
2. Race Shorts (any rubbing points?) 
3. Race Socks (moisture wicking? compression, long? short?) 
4. Back-up Race Outfit LUBRICATION....bring plenty of it. Lather up in all the areas where during training you noticed irritation, rubbing, full on shredded cabbage, bleeding, etc... 
5. Bring 5x more than you think you'll need. Do it when getting dressed, then put some on when you're lined up ready to rock. 
6.  GELs (GU/STINGER/HAMMER/ETC) You should have been practicing these all along, especially during the long runs. Bring more than just the number of gels you need for the actual race. 
7.  You're supposed to be carbo-loading for more than just the day before. Bring along your race supplements as a way to get your body to increase its glycogen levels, to avoid snacking on random EXPO supplements you've never had before, and to stabilize your blood sugar levels throughout the days leading up to the big day.

  CARBO LOADING

The theory USED TO BE that if you starved your body of carbs for awhile that your body would crave them more, and therefore absorb them in higher capacity if you gorged yourself with the PASTA dinner the night before the race. Studies show that the reintroduction of carbohydrates in a more controlled fashion over a slightly longer period of time will produce better performance results. Without citing any sources, I recall those performance improvements were somewhere in the 2-5% range. For a marathon, that can mean MINUTES shaved off your "less than ideal" time. I'm not saying if you trained for a 3:30 that you're going to run 3:27. More like if you trained for 3:30 you'll avoid running a 3:33 due to glycogen depletion. Those are just ballpark figures to be considered just as an example, not precise measurements for YOU. 

 For me, I try to avoid glycogen depletion the week before my marathon and focus on increasing my carbohydrate intake on a steady basis. Basic tables out suggest that you gradually increase your carbs over the 3-4 days leading up to marathon. The obvious huge assumption being that you are properly tapering without sneaking in extra miles or workouts that deplete you. (You aren't going to lose any fitness if you taper properly, and your metabolism isn't going to magically shut off) 

  Try to consume the following: 

 5-7 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of body mass on Day 4 

 7-8 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of body mass on Day 3 

8-10 grams of carbs for every Kg of body mass on Day 2 

10-12 grams of carbs for every Kg of body mass on the DAY BEFORE THE MARATHON 

Try to get MOST of your last day carbo-loading in at Brunch, and have a sensibly-sized meal for dinner You won't feel so bloated, you won't have to "go" a million times the next morning. 

 Take your weight, DIVIDE BY 2.2 and calculate your specific ranges. 

  In the numbers above, a 180lb male would consume: 

 410-574 grams of carbs on Day 4 

574-656 grams of carbs on Day 3 

656-820 grams of carbs on Day 2 

820-984 grams of carbs on Day 1 (DAY BEFORE MARATHON) 

•  Don't try to consume all of that in two to three meals. Maybe eat 4-5 smaller meals and carry around sports drinks with you. 
•  Sports drinks range from 10-50grams of carbs. 
•  A banana has 27grams of carbs. 
•  A HONEY GINSTING has 27grams of carbs. (I typically will bring 4 Honey GINSTINGS for each of the days leading up to the marathon. Buy them in groups of 12 or more from REI and you get a discount.) 

 Get to the GROCERY store when you arrive and buy fruits and sports drinks, get some hawaiian rolls. Spread it out throughout the day. Animal Crackers. Vegetables.... find the carbs and eat them. You might worry that you're going to gain all the weight in the world. Nope. Your metabolism is still on fire. Some of the weight you gain while carbo-loading is just water weight. It will come off when it needs to, don't worry about a pound here or there.

  Other Tips and Tricks

1. Drink Water with electrolytes in them. Work with whatever works for you. I like Electromix.(makers of EmergenC) 
2. Make sure your running watch is fully charged. Plug it in two days BEFORE, then unplug it and wear it, and plug it back in the night before to top it off. 
3. Get to the Expo as EARLY as possible. Get your bib, see a few things. GO sit down. GO LAY DOWN. 
4.  Get OFF YOUR FEET. (laying is better than sitting, your hip flexors will thank you). 
5.  You don't have to be an invalid, just don't sign up for the Walking Tour of America. 
6.  Coming into town with family that isn't running? Buy them a CityPass and tell them you'll join them for one location. 
7. Lay out your race outfit the night before, pin the bib on. 
8. Pack your medium sized clear plastic bag with the food/drinks/snacks you'll need while waiting to go to the corrals. 
9. Lay out all the band aids you'll need, bring extras (you will be a hero), bring the lubrication in that plastic bag 
10. Pull out that garbage bag you brought the morning of the marathon. If it's cold out, and wet, or windy, or cold windy and wet.... you'll wear this and stay warm and dry. 
11. If you're listening to music, make sure your play list is queued up and you're fully charged. Nothing worse than wearing headphones, getting to hear ONE song that you didn't want to hear, and then the device going dead. 
12. Gels: Morning of, store them where you normally would. I can fit 4 in the pockets of my shorts. 
13.  Salt Tabs: If it's going to be hot, get out those salt tabs. Too hot and you need to adjust your goal for that day from setting records to crossing the finish line upright. Salt tabs and water will help prevent cramping. 
14. Did I mention proper lubrication? Check to make sure you did it right. Check again. 
15. What time do I need to leave the hotel in the morning to get to where I need to be? 
16. Who am I going with? Do they know what time THEY need to leave? Where are we meeting? 

 So there you have it. Those are my basic thoughts on being "ready" for the marathon. There's a lot more to it than that, but you get the basic idea. Come in to the race prepared and hopefully properly trained, KNOW YOUR RACE PLAN, and STICK TO THE PLAN. 

 If you planned to run 8:00/mile pace, then make sure you're at 8:00, 16:00, 24:00, 32:00.......It might be amazing to look at your first 20 miles split and say you were at 2:30:00 but that something happened and you finished in 3:40 (that's a 70 minute last 10K). What happened? You didn't stick to the plan.

Lastly, DO NOT ADJUST YOUR PLAN. DO NOT GO BY HOW YOU FEEL IN THE FIRST FEW MILES. STICK TO THE PLAN.

 The best of luck to all of you. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.