Coach Adolfo Salgueiro, Author at foultips.run

Basics of Fueling Strategy

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Sep 6, 2022 | Article, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

When I started running marathons back in the early 1980s, the only fueling strategy available to most weekend warriors was to drink enough water so you wouldn’t dehydrate. Yes, I know. This is not a fueling strategy. But consuming calories during a race was not a thing back then. The most calories I consumed during a marathon were when a friend handed me oranges al mile 15 or my girlfriend waited with a sugary lemonade around Mile 21. No wonder I hit the wall every time.

Carbohydrates with a bit of protein is still the pre race day preferred meal (Photo: Engyn Akyurt, Pexels)

But both science and the running consumer goods industry have developed exponentially in the last 4 decades. Not only do we know that the average body doesn’t have enough resources (beyond fat if you have trained to properly tap into it) to last you 26.2 miles, but we also have dozens of products to assist us on which calories should be consumed and when.

Although fueling consists of both Hydration and calorie intake, this post is only addressing the latter. Hydration was referred to in a previous post, “Hydration Basics for Runners”, which you can read by clicking here.

Despite the average body having enough fat stored to run over 1000 miles, and the first known 100-miler without fueling was recorded just a few months ago, most runners are not trained to run on fat as their prime fuel source. So, we depend on glycogen, of which we have a finite amount, around 2000 calories, which is needed to fuel everything, not just your running muscles, so it is insufficient to last a marathon.

When it comes to fueling, it is not just about the gels you will consume in your race. There are four distinctive phases you need to address. From the list below, the “During Race” segment is not intended for 5K or 10k efforts, as an average well-nourished and well hydrated body should have plenty of resources for those distances. While most intermediate and advanced runners should be able to complete a half marathon with no additional fuel, it isn’t required, either. But when you go for a marathon or an ultra, you must fuel the body, so your tank won’t deplete, and you won’t hit the wall. And yes, it is like hitting aa actual wall.

DAY BEFORE RACE – By this time you should know what works and what doesn’t work for you. As healthy as a big bowl of salad may be, consuming all that fiber right before a race may not be a clever idea. Complex carbs and protein are usually what work best. Fatty foods should be avoided, same as simple carbs. The carbs in a bag of Doritos will be burned way before you need them at the race and are crap. It is obvious that your pre-race fueling strategy is not just a dinner thing, but a full day affair if not a full week one. Also, please, you need to dine at a time that will allow enough time to digest it. Last thing you want is compromising your digestion within hours of the starting gun.

PRE-RACE – Your body consumes glycogen and other resources just by being alive. The brain, the liver, the beating heart, etc. need energy to perform their duties. So, to get to the starting line with your tank topped off you need to replenish whatever was consumed during the night, if you have a morning race, or during the day for an afternoon affair. You can certainly run short races in a fasting state, but when it comes to a half and beyond, why would you start with your tank at 70-75% when you can do so at 98 or 99%? Carbohydrates and a touch of protein is the way to go. And, as usual, this must be perfected during training. Don’t wait until race morning to try it out.

Chocolate milk is the post-race refueling product by excellence. This is my favorite brand.

DURING RACE – Fueling strategy is as personal as your choice in running shoes. It is what works for you, not for your friend. Your fueling strategy on race day is the execution of the plan you’ve already perfected during training. So, apply it! Mile 20 is not the time to figure out a caffeinated gel will send you to the port-a-potty, or that you can’t stomach a 5th serving. Fueling also includes replenishing electrolytes either though a product you already know, trust and you carry yourself, or through whatever your race is serving. Personally, I don’t advise relying on the availability of Gatorade in a race. After you’ve invested so much time, money, emotion and effort on your race, better carry what you’ll need and know works for you.

AFTER RACE – Once your race is over, it is time to splurge, sure, but don’t rehydrate with alcohol and junk food. That comes later. Both carbs and protein need to be consumed as soon as possible to replenish and start the muscle repair process right away. Chocolate milk is the recovery drink for excellence. This is the day to go crazy. Have all the extra beer you want, that fatty burger you passed on during training or go for the entire pizza instead of just a couple of slices. But please do so after you’ve taken care of your initial post-race care recovery.

Now, go for that half or marathon PR!

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“Total Car Score” Podcast

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 19, 2022 | In the news

Javier Mota is an automotive journalist based in Miami. He runs the successful Autoproyecto.com website, where everything car related is discussed. He is also a co-host of the Total Car Score podcast. On top of it, and despite the fact he doesn’t feel like calling himself a runner, he is an avid runner and in July 2022 he completed a 2-year streak.

To commemorate his achievement, he released a special episode of his podcast in which he makes a parenthesis in his car talk and dedicates the show to running. In his commentary, he runs through the answers I gave him from my position as a running coach, regarding his running, running shoes, VO2Max, streaking and why he should indeed call himself a runner.

Javier posted the story in all his digital platforms.

· You can watch a video of the story in YouTube by clicking here.

· You can listen to the S3E49 episode of the “Total Car Score” podcast by clicking here. My comments start at minute 9:15.

· You can read the article in his “Autos 0-60” blog by clicking here.

When Doubts Start to Creep In

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 16, 2022 | Article, Coaching, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

It is human nature to doubt when your running is not going your way. You doubt your training, or your training plan, or your gear, or your health, or your coach. Especially as racing season or your goal race approach and you may not be hitting all your workouts or paces on the dot. I am not saying it can’t be one or more of those topics, maybe a combination of all of them, sure. Yet, if you’re able to identify the culprits and tweak your training, you fall in the category of the perfectly normal runner. These things come with the territory.

Doubting during a difficult time is human nature, but it doesn’t necessarily mean defeat (Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels)

It is imperative differentiate if what’s happening is an isolated incident or a chronic issue sabotaging your entire training cycle. I recently had a trainee questioning his training because he couldn’t hold marathon pace on a 3rd 2-mile rep within a 14-mile long run. It was later determined that he started way too late, so it was too hot; a rest day was skipped, and not enough water was consumed during the training session.

An athlete must understand that all workouts have a specific purpose, and workouts are interwoven with each other. A long run alone means nothing without the speed workouts, cross trainings and rest days that compliment it. Understanding the objective of each workout is a shared responsibility between runner and coach.

These are some factors to consider when doubt starts creeping into your training, so you can return to the path of success and be in a position to conquer your running goals:

Training vs. Racing: In 40 years of running, I’m yet to see the first medal or podium for winning a training run. Too many runners train at 100% effort on a regular basis, not understanding they are undermining their performance by basically racing once, twice or even three times a week. Training is training and you shouldn’t be racing through it. It is that simple. If you train at 80% effort, you should be able to race at 100% effort. It is basic physiology. If you run faster, you will run shorter.

Long run: Sure, it is one of the staples of training and one of the most important drills in our entire plan. But on its own, it does nothing for you. If you don’t run throughout the week, if the long run occupies too large a percentage of your mileage or if you are running faster than prescribed, you won’t be reaping the benefit you are supposed to obtain. Even worse, you could end up injured.

If your training runs end up with this feeling, you are in for a rude awakening (Photo Pexels)

Peaking: Most have questioned at one time, how am I supposed to run 26 miles in October if we can barely make it through 16 in July. And the answer is quite simple: follow your training plan. It is designed to help you run a certain distance, at a certain pace, on a certain period. It is not good to be ready to run goal distance at goal pace, 6-8 weeks before the race. It is physiologically impossible to keep yourself at top performance condition beyond 3-4 weeks, so the time to peak must be managed.

Accumulated Fatigue: As training evolves, the athlete accrues fatigue. This results in heavy legs or not hitting the mark on certain training sessions. When you need to run 20 miles, or 10×800 with four weeks to go on a marathon training cycle, you should be very tired. It is normal. But remember a tapering period is on its way so you’ll be to get the starting line with fresh legs and a strong mind.

Recovery: Runs together with fatigue. Recovery is as important of an element in a training plan as the work itself. Now, as you train hard, the time will come when a recovery run or one off-day is not enough. Be smart and take an additional off-day or a recovery week if needed. Be wise and don’t overtax yourself by completing a specific workout when your body just doesn’t have it on any given day. You are better off cutting a few miles or a couple of reps than spending additional days recovering from an excessive effort.

Adrenaline: Be mindful that race conditions are way different than training conditions. Starting a pre-dawn run around your block is not as appealing as the starting line of the Berlin Marathon or arriving to First Avenue at the NYC Marathon. The spectators, the surroundings and your excitement will give you an adrenaline boost to carry you through. So, don’t overthink it if you lack enthusiasm for a few days. It is covered during race day.

While many of these parameters seem to be common sense, it comes the time when the obvious must be stated so a struggling athlete can be guided to that eureka moment that will allow him/her to regain the trust in the process.

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The Right Mileage for Me

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 2, 2022 | Coaching, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As a running coach, athlets often ask me about weekly mileage. How many miles should I run if I want to complete a marathon? Can I only increase my mileage by up to 10% a week? Why can so-and-so run XX miles a week and I am running only half of that? Am I losing fitness if I lower my mileage for recovery purposes for a week or two? And many, many more.

The right mileage is as individual as each runner. There is not one number that applies to everybody (Photo: Pexels)

Well, the answer to all these questions is the same. It happens to be the same answer to most running questions: It depends.

They key for any runner looking to improve on their times, distance, pace or fitness is to understand that the main goal should be based on performance, not on a pre-set number of miles. It is a matter of achieving your objectives while remaining healthy and injury-free. I recently read that you should run in between “as much as you can get away with and as little as you can get away with”. Genius!

The appropriate mileage for a runner is as individual as each athlete. It depends on a series of variables which need to be dialed appropriately so progress won’t be hindered, and injuries may stay away from the equation. Such variables are:

Goals: Before you figure out what is the right mileage for you, set up your goal. If you want to run your first or your best 5K, you will not run the same mileage as if you were training for a marathon. At the same time, a marathoner may need to run 100+ miles per week if he wants to run 2:20, while that number is a prelude to severe injury for a runner trying to break 4-hours in the same distance.

Age: Even the elites slow down as they age. They still run more than you or me, but they require more recovery in between vigorous efforts. What you could do in your 20s or 30s no longer applies in your 50s or 60s and you must accept it as part of the aging process. Look forward to competition in your age group and to be the best you can be at whatever stage of your life you’re currently at.

Experience: If you have been running for 30 years, your body is adjusted to a certain pounding on its bones and soft tissues. This alone will allow you to run longer. Not because you are holier than thou, but because you have adapted. Understand that not because you have adapted, your body can take unlimited mileage, so don’t overdo it either.

Miles are dictated by the interaction of many variables, such as goal, pace, experience and injuries, among others (Photo: Mikhail Nilov, Pexels)

Pace: Most runners want to run as fast as we can. We would love to set up PRs in every race, but that’s a chimera. So, we adapt to reality. Running slow is the key to running faster, for many physiological reasons that are beyond the scope of this post. Understand that the long run is about spending more time on your feet, pounding the surface, not about running faster. The sooner you’ll grasp and accept this concept, the faster you’ll be running.

Injuries: Certain injuries will require you to stop running altogether. For days, weeks or even months. Others will force you to reduce your mileage but not necessarily stop. Be smart and make sure you understand what your body is communicating. A shorter mileage today may be the key to avoiding zero-mile months down the road because you overdid it and now you are injured.

The 10% Rule: This is an urban myth. This is not a magic number, not even a well-reasoned percentage. If you are an experienced runner and your body has done it recently, you can increase that mileage by as much as you can tolerate it. If you are coming off 10 years on the couch eating Doritos and drinking Coke, it is advisable to take it easier. Less than 10% per week.

Sure, there is always the freak of nature that hit the gene lottery and can do whatever they want, for as long as they want at whatever pace they want, with little to no recovery time. Yes, they exist, but those are outliers. Do not compare yourself to them. It would be like comparing yourself to Eliud Kipchoge and not understanding why you can’t run a sub-2 marathon. So, be smart.

The essentials for a solid running plan are flexibility and adaptability. It must be dynamic. The best is always an individual plan, personalized just for you. But it is understandable that this is not in everybody’s reach. Generic plans downloaded from the internet may be ok, but are dime-a-dozen, with the key operating word being “generic”. If you are to use one of these, make sure you are not so rigid that you’ll end up hurt because you did too much or undertrained at the starting line because you did too little.

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On Running with Music

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 12, 2022 | Article, Opinion, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

The latest issue of Runner’s World magazine (Issue 4/2022) had a special report titled “Music Makes You a Better Runner”. They ran 17 articles on the subject and, and to be honest, the whole thing was disappointing. Underwhelming. Most articles dealt with anecdotal stories on music saving runners, or helping them overcome obstacles, or getting them hooked on the sport. Sure, they are nice tales, but, for my taste, the overall report lacked substance.

The latest edition of RW has a special report on music making you a better runner. I was not impressed by it.

RW touched on building a play list, the history of music devices from the Walkman (1983) until today’s GPS watches, apps where to listen to music, podcasts and, as you may expect, a list of the best gadgets currently on the market to enhance your running-with-music experience.

In the 20 pages of their special report, they only dedicated 24 column-inches (3.5% of the space) to studies on the benefits (or lack of them) of listening to music while you run. And those mentions are buried in an article about building the right playlist.

Even though running with music is not my thing, I’ve done it at times, and I certainly am not opposed to it. What bothers me is that a magazine like Runner’s World uses 20 pages on the subject and there is not a single mention of the opposite point of view. There must be someone out there who doesn’t think running with music is the best thing since sliced bread. Based on these series of stories, the only conclusion to take is: “I better start listening to music if I want to become a better runner”, and that is categorically untrue.

With my rant over, this is my personal take on running with music:

1 – It is a personal choice: We must respect every runner’s personal decision to listen to music or not. I run how I want, and they run how they want. There is not a single right way to do it. Now, understand that purposefully impairing one of your senses because of the music could put you and others in danger, so, read #2.

2 – You are not alone out there: If you are the one running with music, it is your responsibility to realize you are not alone out there, so you must be aware of your surroundings to keep yourself and other runners safe. You shouldn’t expect the outside world to be on the lookout for you and your safety just because decided to wear headphones.

3 – Don’t miss out on a marathon start: We’ve all seen runners with bulky, noise-cancelling headphones during our races. Nowdays it is all about tiny air pods. What I can’t seem to fathom is runners missing out on the energy, the camaraderie and the experience of starting lines such as New York, Berlin, Chicago or Boston, because they are immersed in their music. Seems to me like they wish they could be alone somewhere else. I always recommend that runners absorb the experience and then, once they are in a rhythm, use music if they need it.

4 – Learn to enjoy your own company: Give running musicless a try and at least figure out if you can enjoy it. Don’t just assume it is impossible for you to run if you don’t have something blaring in your ears. Who knows, maybe you will enjoy time with yourself, with your thoughts, listening to the pounding of your shoes or just watching the time and the landscape pass by. This way, when you do listen to music, it could be even more powerful.

5 – Do not carry the phone in your hand: It is a bad habit that could lead to injury, because clutching something in your hand will mess up your arm swing, and thus, your counterbalance. Nope, Runner’s World didn’t even mention this critical issue. I recently wrote a blog post about it. You can read it by clicking here.

One more thing: If you need a song equivalent to a shot of adrenaline in your heart, I invite you to check Everdream, by Nightwish. It was my go-to song during the brief time I finished my long runs with music.

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