Base Building. Staying in the Game.

Ever wonder what you're supposed to do before your half marathon or marathon race training plans actually start? The average runner is not constantly in race training (if you feel like you are, stop and talk to us about recovery!). This period in between recovery and race training is hard for a lot us who thrive off of structure and goals.  For others coming back from an injury or time off from running, you might have the same question: How do you stay fresh and ready to dive into more technical demands of race training like intense hill and speed workouts and long runs? The answer? Do three simple things:

1. ADD VARIETY TO 1 RUN PER WEEK
2. BUILD UP TO 1, 90-MINUTE LONG RUN PER WEEK
3. STRENGTH EXERCISES AT LEAST 2X PER WEEK

ADDING VARIETY:
What I mean here is vary your pace and vary your terrain at least once a week. You can be very structured about this or spontaneous depending on what works best for you and your lifestyle. Either way, start to incorporate faster intervals and hill work once a week. This can include progression runs where you get faster and faster each mile, short and long speed intervals (1 to 5 minutes), tempo runs, hill repeats or hill surges on a hilly run.  For specific workout ideas, download our Base Training Plan.

THE LONG RUN:
In order to be race training ready, it's good to have the body accustomed to some longer distances so the long run isn't so taxing on the body. Accordingly, building up and maintaining the ability to run for 90 minutes is a good base line to settle in at during "spring training." Remember, as with any running routine, you want recovery weeks. So, every couple of weeks, drop your long run down to 60 or 70 minutes to give your body a break. Once you can do 90 minutes comfortably, start to challenge yourself on these runs either by harder terrain, faster paces in the middle or the end of the run.

TARGETED STRENGTH WORK
The majority of runners make just enough time in their day to get their run in. Maybe a few extra minutes for stretching . . . maybe.  But, building a strong foundation during this phase is just as important as maintaining the frequency of your running. While training plans aren't taking over your life, this is a good time to really commit to strength work at least two times a week. Focus on a couple core exercises and a couple lower body exercises. Honestly, 30-minutes a week is a good start (2, 15-minute strength sessions). Do it. Check out our video library for exercise suggestions.

Would you like extra guidance on how these three principles play out in a base training training plan? Download our free Base Training Plan. Once you have a chance to review it, feel free to reach out to us with questions about how to make it your own. Base building is casual and carefree - this is not a time to stress about missed runs, but it is a time to start mixing things up!

Race Week Tips

With the Portland Marathon this Sunday and many other marathons and half marathons scattered throughout the rest of this month and into November, it's time to get serious about race week prep. Surprise - it's not all about running!
 
Here are a few tips and strategies for your race week and on race day:

1. Sleep. Go to bed a bit earlier this week. Shut off the computer and the TV and give yourself a few extra hours of rest. The two nights before the half marathon is when quality sleep matters the most. You’ll most likely be too amped up the night before the race to sleep well or for very long anyway.
2. Rest. If an injury is starting to flare up, take a few extra days off instead of worrying about getting your final runs in. Your primary goal this week is to do everything possible to get your body feeling fresh and ready to run on race day. Your fitness is already established, so any running at this point isn't going to get you in better shape for race day.
3. The Expo. Race expos are fun and it’s a great way to check out new gear and products. Take advantage of the bargain prices but never, ever wear anything that you bought at the expo on race day. Stick with what you know! The same goes for the food samples, buy some to try after the race but don’t eat anything new on race day. Also, avoid eating too many of the free samples of sports drink and energy foods – you don’t know how they will react with your stomach.
4. The Day Before. Either walk around for 20-30 minutes or jog for 2 miles. Avoid spending hours at the expo. Get home, put your feet up and rest!
5. Race Morning. Aim to drink about 16 oz of water the morning of the race (about 2 hours before). This is enough time for the water to pass through your system. Eat your normal pre-long run breakfast about 1 hour before your start time.  You might want to wear an extra layer and some gloves or socks for your hands that you can toss at the beginning of the race (tossed clothes are collected and donated). For extra cold mornings, bring hand warmers for your feet and hands - just don't forget to take them out of your shoes before you start running!
6. Know Your Race: Familiarize yourself with where the water, refueling and medical aid stations are on the course. This information is usually found under the course description section on the race website.
7. Run Your Race. Don’t allow your adrenaline to take over at the start. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the start and run faster than planned. At the start and during the first few miles, ignore everyone around you and focus on your pace and your strategy. Let people pass you – stay on your pace. You’ll be passing those people soon enough! It’s better to start 1 minute too slow than 1 minute too fast. One minute too fast will zap your energy and most likely cause you to hit “the wall” earlier in the race.
8. Post Race. Get warm and get food and water immediately after crossing the finish. Take the mylar blanket and grab food.  (Bananas, energy bars, sports drinks, fruit, and bagels are all good options). Even if you can’t eat immediately, you’ll need to put something into your system with 30 minutes of finishing. If you're checking a bag, then put some post-race food in this so you don't have to rely on the food provided by the race.

And last, but not least, trust your training. You put in the time and the effort and that is what matters come race day. You can’t control the weather, the crowds, the temperature. You can control how you choose to deal with those factors on race day. Believe in yourself and your hard work and dedication will shine through! 

Good luck runners!

How Speed Workouts Improve Your Running

With fall marathon season in full swing many runners, both seasoned marathons and newbies, are taking to the track for some faster paced running. Ever wonder if it's worth it? Here are five reasons why interval workouts are for every marathoner:

1. Build Strength
Speed work gets fast-twitch muscle fibers firing, and recruits more muscles than slow runs do. As you lengthen your stride to sprint, you engage your glutes, hip flexors, and extensors. This improves range of motion and helps alleviate tightness.

2. Faster Feet
When you run a fast pace, your feet turn over at a more rapid rate. So with enough practice, this quicker cadence becomes more natural, which means you'll need less effort to move faster on any run.

3. Improve Stamina
Speed sessions help maximize your aerobic capacity. When you hit a fast pace, you force the heart to pump oxygen through the body at a quicker rate. Over time, that makes your heart stronger, so it can deliver more oxygen to the muscles, and helps your muscles use oxygen more efficiently.

4. Run Stronger and Longer
By sustaining a comfortably hard effort, you condition your body to hold a faster pace for longer before lactic acid—the waste produced when the body burns glucose—starts accumulating. That helps stave off the burning sensation that's so often linked with running hard.

5. Make the Joy of Running Last
Even if you don't care about getting fast, you'll enjoy the post track euphoria and the fitness gains that go along with speed work. When you're fitter, you can cover the same miles with less effort and bust through plateaus.