It’s always a good idea to simulate a race environment.  Keeping your “A” race in mind, practice before the big day!

Do’s and Don’ts about Pre-Race Racing

-Wear the same outfit you’re going to wear on your big day including any hydration belts or camelbacks

-Eat the same foods during the day making sure your stomach holds up in a race environment

-Remember this is not your ultimate season race; do not sacrifice yourself for a race that is just for practice

-Push yourself, but don’t forgo your training for the upcoming weeks

-Mentally practice last few miles and visualize how they may feel on race day; What are you going to do to get to your goal in December?

-If this will be your first race ever, choose a practice race that is of a shorter distance.

Happy Training!!!

Happy Monday runners! This week is “Injury Prevention Week”, and I’d like to share a few tips with you to make sure you get back right on track after a setback during your marathon training.

Signs of an injury

Inflammation

Loss of function

Pain – IF IT HURTS STOP!

How to treat them

Don’t stretch an injured muscle

Ice –Do not ice for over 15 minutes

Compressions

Elevation

Massage

How to get back into running

after sickness:

-Start with low-level exercise, around 30 minutes, to avoid the illness from returning.

-If you are still feeling ill, don’t run more than every other day to avoid a decrease in resistance

of your immune system

After injury less than 14 days

-You can get back to where you left off in the same amount of days you took off

-Be sure to start off running every other day to get back into the swing of things

-Increase the length of your runs in a quicker period of time by slowing down your pace

-Always consult your doctor or therapist and follow their recommended workout plans

Longer than 14 days

-The longer you take off the harder it is to come back

-Take off 20% per week if you have done no exercise

-Jumping too quickly into where you left off will potentially cause injury; be patient and your

muscle memory will have you back to your running routine in no time!

-Always consult your doctor or therapist and follow their recommended workout plans!

Just because you didn’t run today doesn’t mean the entire week is blown. Tomorrow is always a new day!  Happy running!

Brrrr! You wake up for a run, look outside, and it’s cold and windy, what do you do? SLEEP? Nope!  You still go for a run!

Race day could be rainy, windy, cold or even all three, so prepare for it now; here are some tips to help!

You won’t be as thirsty in the cold; it doesn’t mean hydration is less important.

Dress the part! Layers are key for cold weather.

Be careful of wind burn!

Wear clothing that keep warmth in but allow extra heat to escape.

Race day for the Zappos.com Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll Marathon will be cold… get used to it now and not the day of!

80% mental, 20% physical?

Everyone knows in order to cross the finish line, you must train your body, but did you know how important it is to train your mind?

Racing is just as much a mental  game as it is a physical game. Here are some tips to help you TRAIN YOUR BRAIN!

Visualize yourself crossing the finish line

Get outside your comfort zone during training runs

Be confident in yourself and in your training

How willing are you to push yourself?  How bad do you want it?

Do what you can do at the moment and don’t look ahead

Practice Mantras; Make it short, uplifting, instructive, and full of action words:  

 “Run Fast, Go Past” or "The strong get stronger."

You are your biggest competitor, not the weather, not your family, not the race course, YOU.

Go beyond your zone!

Can you believe fall is finally upon us? This means cooler weather for those longer runs!

Now that we are getting into runs that are longer than an hour, we need to start talking about consumption of items other than water to avoid bonking.

Everyone is different and EVERYONE will react differently to certain products; practice before race day is key!

CYTOMAX® is the sponsored sports drink that will be offered during the Zappos.com Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll Marathon, if you plan on drinking it in December, then start drinking it now!  You don’t want to end up running from porta potty to porta potty for 13.1 miles!

Here are some general guidelines for hydration and sustenance for endurance running. Remember, however, that everyone is different, so you may have to tweak your routine a little bit to suit your body.

BEFORE YOUR LONG RUN

Consume a meal 1-3 hours before your long run or race.

300-400 calorie meals full of carbohydrates (bagel, toast w/peanut butter, oatmeal)

2-3 glasses of water

DURING YOUR LONG RUN

6-8 oz of water every 15-20 minutes

After an hour of running consume about 100-200 calories and then 100 calories every 40-45 min after that. Start testing out products such as GU, Hammer Gels, Clif Shots, Gummy Bears, sports drinks etc.

*If you’re using Gel, consume with water when taken, not sports drinks!

AFTER YOUR LONG RUN

Rehydrate with 2 cups of water per pound lost.

You absorb carbs twice as fast within the first two hours.

Consume at least 200 calories per hour ran .

Add protein for enhanced storage.

Happy Training!

Hope everyone had a great long run this weekend!  One thing that a lot of runners, especially beginners, are often unclear about is stretching. When do I stretch?, How do I stretch? How much should I stretch? Well, today’s Motivational Monday tackles that very subject!

Stretching should be done when you are relaxed, when your legs have been warmed up and when you don’t have to rush through your stretching routine.

Right before bed is probably the best time to stretch, if you have to release a tight muscle stretch it immediately following the run, otherwise it is best to wait about 30 min.

Do not stretch before a run. It is the third leading cause of injury! The best way to warm up before a run is to WALK!

Hold your stretch gently for anywhere between 6 to 30 seconds. Do not rush!  Back off gently and repeat.  Stretching should be done a minimum of twice a week. 

Happy Training!

Starting to feel overwhelmed? Work seems to be piling up, the runs are getting longer, time feels like it’s running out, stress overwhelms you, and you start to say, “Well, I already missed one day I might as well just start up next week.  THINK AGAIN!

Running and exercise in general is actually proven to decrease stress as well as keep you from experiencing any long or short term affects.  When we are stressed out, our mood changes, our blood pressure increases, our productivity level actually decreases, our eating habits and sleeping habits change, I could really go on forever.  But by making running and training just another step in your everyday routine rather than a penciled in event you may or may not get too, you will actually be more productive with other areas in your life in a shorter amount of time!

Think about it, after a morning run, your endorphins are pumping, your mood is happy, your eating is on track, and after a productive day your ready for a great night’s sleep.  You spend less time complaining or dwelling on a project you can’t figure out, an argument you’ve had with someone, or even stressed out about the fact that you didn’t get your workout in. 

Once the routine settles in, you begin to counteract your everyday tensions through exercise, you will start to focus on one thing at a time, do what you can do at the moment and don’t look ahead.  It will help you remain calm and clear in everything you do, making you more productive, less stressed out and in the end, give you more time in your busy schedule for a quick blood pumping exercise session! HAPPY TRAINING!

There are about  three months left before the Zappos Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll  Marathon, and quite a few of us here at Zappos HQ are ramping  up our training.

For those of you out there training right along with us, whether it be for the Vegas marathon or some other marathon, I’m going to be giving you some tips every Monday to help you along in your journey.

So whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned runner, check out my Motivational Monday posts as you go through your own training program!

The first edition of Motivational Monday is on running form, check it out!

Running Form:

Proper running form should start from your head and finish at your toes.  The goal of good form is to minimize the energy you expend and lessen the chance for injury.  Although there is no one single “perfect” running gait, use the following as guidelines for proper running form:

Head: Keep your head slightly tilted down, looking at the ground in front of you, 10 to 15 feet ahead. Your facial muscles, jaw and neck should be relaxed.  

Shoulders: Keep your shoulders relaxed and do not allow them to “slouch” forward. Hunching over will restrict the breathing passage, allowing less oxygen to get to your working muscles.

Arms: Arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle and relaxed. As you run, swing your arms forward, try not to swing them across your chest.  Brush your hands past your waistband on the downswing, bringing them back behind your body. The arm movement should move in conjunction with your legs.  Run with your legs, and let your arms go along for the ride!

Hands: Your thumbs and index finger should gently touch with your hand cupped, as though you are holding a potato chip that you don’t want to break. Clenching your hands is taking excessive energy away from your legs and undue stress to your upper body. Again, don’t let your hands cross over the middle of your chest- remember arms move forward for forward motion.

Torso: You want to keep your torso erect as if you are a puppet hanging on a string from above. This will allow your chest cavity to be open, which will allow easier breathing.  

Hips: The hips should be facing forward, with no rotation. Your foot should strike  with a heel to toe motion, directly under your hips.

Feet:  Try to keep your feet low to the ground and touch the surface as light as possible. The lighter your feet touch the less pounding your body will incur (especially your joints.) Visualize yourself as if you are “running on eggshells”- this will help you stay light on your feet.
Try to change only one thing at a time and only for a brief period. To make your new effort a habit, practice will make perfect

Happy Running!