Adolfo Salgueiro, Author at foultips.run

Night Running Basics: Tips to Keep You Seen and Secure

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Dec 3, 2024 | List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Running in low-light conditions, especially during fall and winter, even in milder latitudes like in South Florida, can be challenging and potentially hazardous. As runners, our safety is ultimately our responsibility.

Regardless of who might be “in the right,” the goal is to avoid harm. Staying visible, alert, and prepared is critical when running in the dark.

Making sure you are seen while running in the dark is your responsibility (Photo: Alex Fu, Pexels)

Trust your instincts when you are out for a run in a poorly lit area. Treat it the same as if you were in an unfamiliar area or out of your comfort zone while walking out of town. It is always better to end up being overly cautious than to find yourself in a less-than-desirable situation with an on-the-spot decision to make.

Here are ten essential precautions to keep you safe during your nighttime or early morning runs during the shorter daytime months.

1. Prioritize Visibility: Invest in reflective gear or wearable lights. Whether it’s a reflective vest, flashing LED armbands, or clip-on lights for your shoes, making yourself visible to others is non-negotiable and 100% your responsibility. Also, consider visibility at the end of your run, not just the start.

2. Stick to Familiar, Well-Lit Routes: Running in the dark is not the time for exploration and adventure. Choose routes you know, have sufficient lighting, and minimal interfering traffic. Avoid areas with uneven terrain or unexpected obstacles. This is not the time to fall and require help.

3. Face Oncoming Traffic: Run against the flow of traffic so you can see approaching vehicles and they can see you. This allows you to react if a distracted driver veers too close. Always adhere to traffic rules and stay as far from the road as possible.

4. Reconsider Headphone Use: Nighttime running demands heightened awareness. Avoid using headphones to keep your senses sharp. If you can’t run without music or podcasts, opt for bone-conduction headphones, use just one earbud, or use a low-volume setting so you remain alert to your surroundings.

5. Run With a Phone: Always carry your phone. Use it to share your live location with a trusted contact or call for help if needed. Modern running belts or armbands make carrying your phone easy and unobtrusive.

6. Inform Someone About Your Plan: Even if you’re carrying a phone, let someone know your route and the expected return time. This ensures someone is aware should you be delayed or in trouble.

7. Run in Groups When Possible: There’s safety in numbers. A group is easier for drivers to spot, and your collective visibility and awareness increase. Running clubs or friends make excellent night-running companions.

ID in advance the safety spots where you can stop through your route (Image by Windows Copilot)

8. Familiarize Yourself with Emergency Spots: In your route, be aware of the surrounding businesses, police stations, or friends’ homes where you can unexpectedly stop should you feel in danger at any time.

9. Carry Identification: Wear or carry ID (RoadID bracelet, driver’s license) to ensure first responders or good Samaritans can identify you and know who to contact in case of an emergency.

10. Test Your Gear in Advance: The time to realize your headlamp is out of battery is not as you prepare to go out. The time to figure out how the pepper spray safe if disabled is not when you have a threat in front of you. Prepare yourself.

These are by no means all the safety precautions you must take to run safely in the dark. For one, always trust your instincts so you don’t have to second-guess yourself when it is too late. If something doesn’t feel right, get out of there immediately.

Anything else I forgot, or you would like to share with your fellow blog readers? Use the comment box below.

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Failure and Running Growth

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Nov 19, 2024 | List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

All of us runners have been there. And if you haven’t, keep running and you will: Missing the PR we trained for. Walking on a run we thought in which we were supposed to excel. Beaten by that one person that can’t even keep up with us in training. Selling ourselves a valid excuse for what just happened. We have just failed!

Sure, failure sucks. There is no other way to put it or sell it to ourselves or to our friends. But it doesn’t have to be final. It critical to your growth as a runner. And as a person.

It happens, learn your lessons and move foward (Photo: Polina Zimmerman, Pexels)

There is an excellent quote by Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks in the movie A League of Their Own, when one of the players tells him she’s no longer enjoying baseball because it has become too hard: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great!\”

So, how do we embrace something that sucks, hurts and yet could be beneficial, and make it the cornerstone of our running growth? I suggest these steps:

1 – Accept your feelings: Don’t suppress your emotions after the failure. Don\’t put a façade for your buddies. These feelings are normal, healthy and must be worked through your system so they may be processed.

2 – Step away from guarded mode: Ok, you failed. So what? Is your wife going to leave you? Are your friends disowning you? You have processed your emotions and accepted what happened. It is time to stop dwelling on it and move forward.

3 – Find the lessons to be learned: What happened? Why? Was it an external factor or was it something under your control? What will you do differently next time? Identify the factors that assisted with the failure and strategize on how not to allow this to happen again. If it was your error, own it.

4 – Embrace the failure: Now that you know what happened, why, and how to avoid it next time, it is time to focus on your next objective. You have accepted that a flop does not reflect your value as a person. Even if you missed the Olympic gold medal. It is, though, an opportunity for growth. The runner who hasn’t failed, just hasn’t run enough.

5 – Enrich yourself by what you\’ve learned: A long time ago, I heard someone (I can\’t recall who) say that \”what you get when you don\’t obtain what you originally set out for, is experience\”. Make this experience part of your narrative. Share your story with others letting them know that setbacks are a natural obstacle in the path to success.

I have compiled a list of failure-related quotes by people from all walks of life. These quotes corroborate that failure can only become a permanent mark in your life when you either keep dwelling on it or you don\’t learn anything from it.

Tak advantage of the opportunity (Photo: Brett Jordan, Pexels)

► \”I have not failed. I\’ve just found 10,000 ways that won\’t work\” – Thomas Edison.

► \”Some sessions are stars, and some are stones, but in the end, they are all rocks and we build upon them\” – Chrissie Wellington, four-time World Ironman Champion.

► \”A bad run is better than no run\” – Unknown.

► \”Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better\” – Samuel Beckett, Playwright, novelist, Nobel-laureate.

► \”Relish the bad training runs. Without them it\’s difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones\” – Pat Teske, Resilience expert, health advocate, coach.

► \”We all have bad days and bad workouts, when running gets ugly, when split times seem slow, when you wonder why you started. It will pass\”– Hal Higdon, legendary running writer.

► \”There will be days you don\’t think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have\” – Unknown.

► \”Get over it – If you have a bad workout or run a bad race, allow yourself exactly 1 hour to stew about it, then move on\” – Steve Scott, former U.S. record holder in the mile.

► \”If you never have a bad day, you\’re probably doing something wrong; if you never have a \’good\’ day, you\’re definitely doing something wrong\” – Mark Remy, Runner\’s World.

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Should I Run With a GPS Watch?

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Nov 5, 2024 | Article, List, Opinion, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As I write the title of this blog post, I feel like the answer to such silly questions is, \”Duh! Of course, I should run with a GPS watch. How Am I going to know what I\’m doing if I don\’t.\” Yet, there is a reason why I chose this topic for this week\’s post. The answer is not so simple.

For a few hundred bucks we have more computing power on our wrists thatn what NASA had to land Apollo 11. Let’s use it wisely (Image by WIndows Copilot)

Our GPS Watches, generically called Garmin as it is the dominant brand in the market, are nowadays as ubiquitous as our smartphones. They are an extension of our smartphones, and they can\’t work if they are not paired with them.

I\’ve written before about not letting our watches become the directors of our runs instead of the recording devices. Also, about the data overload ruining our experience. But this is about what type of runner may benefit or be affected by the use of a GPS device on their wrist.

You should use a GPS Watch if:

► you understand the data you are looking at and know what to do about it should it need adjustment in the middle of the run. Worrying about your right foot oscillation or maximum power is futile if you don\’t know what it means, let alone how to fix it or if it even needs fixing.

► you are running on perceived effort. The pace and all the stats will be the result of how hard you are running, not the other way around. With time, the data will allow you to measure progress.

► the first thought when you check your metrics in mid-run is, \”How does this reconcile with my running plan for today?\” instead of, \”Wait until my friends see this posted in my social media feeds\”.

► you can complete an entire easy run without looking at your watch once, regardless of how many times it beeped to let you know data was available. An easy run is about putting in some easy effort miles (hence the name) regardless of your pace.

► your self-worth as a runner or as a person is not linked to the number of marathons you ran, your weekly mileage or your average pace.

► you can maintain your running as your primary focus while receiving feedback from your watch. If the feedback impairs your brain function, makes you wish you were a mathematician or makes you unable to enjoy what you are doing, it may be time to give it a break.

There is no need to connect all this stuff to your wrist when you are running (Photo: Obsahovka Obsahovka, Pexels)

You should ditch the GPS Watch if:

► knowing your pace is a few seconds off makes you anxious. Sure, we all want to hit specific paces and at certain times. But if running that split in 2:02 instead of 2:00 feels like the end of the world, you are better off running watchless.

► you feel the need to stop your watch at a traffic light, or a water stop, or to tie your shoe because it will ruin your averages. Races don\’t stop the clocks when you stop at the port-a-potty. The stoppage is part of the deal. It doesn\’t matter if it adds a couple of seconds per mile.

► you see your splits, and the thought of seeing it published on Strava for the world to see worries you to the point that you must make up for it. Especially on training runs.

► you feel dodging traffic at an intersection or beating a freight train to avoid extra time is a risk worth taking.

► your need for hyper connection to the world is so endemic that your watch constantly beeps with texts and emails, and you just can\’t not check them.

I am not advocating against the GPS watch. I am advocating against it ruling our running. We don\’t need another smartphone-type device sucking the joy of something we love and controlling our lives. We are not professional runners. We run because we want to, and if the GPS watch is hindering such enjoyment, why allow it?

The physiological benefits of your training will be realized whether the mileage is posted on Instagram or not. It is not like that last 20-miler won\’t help you on the marathon because it doesn\’t show on Strava. You can also apply a revolutionary concept: keep the watch running and not look at it. Then you can analyze the data later instead of during. What a revolutionary concept!

A GPS Watch is an extraordinary tool. One that, for a few hundred bucks, provides you with more computing power than what NASA had at its disposal to land Apollo 11 on the Moon. If you can use it as a collector of data to be analyzed at the appropriate time so you can become a better runner, go for it! If not, then rethink its use.

Please like this post and share any recommendations from your previous experiences in the box below. Let\’s build a community of informed and prepared runners.

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Book Review: The Great Grete Waitz

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Oct 22, 2024 | Article, Book Review

By Editors of Runner’s World Magazine

Reviewed by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

When it comes to the pioneers of women’s long-distance running, Kathrine Switzer is usually the first one to come to mind. Joan Benoit Samuelson is another. Roberta Gibb, Micki Gorman, Ingrid Kristiansen, and others deserve participation in the conversation. But one that usually gets left out is Norwegian Grete Waitz. If you never heard that name, just know this: she is a 9-time winner of the New York City Marathon. No, not a typo: Nine times!

In 1983 Grete Waitz won her 5th NYC Marathon, just a couple of days after we crossed paths running in Central Park.

In these days of social media and harvesting of likes, when you don’t even need to be a good runner to become famous, the field of celebrity athletes has become very crowded. Yet, Grete was known for shying away from fame, endorsements, and interviews because as much as she enjoyed running and winning, she disliked fame and the inconveniences brought by fortune.

The trailblazing pigtailed blonde revolutionized women’s distance running by showing the world what was possible. She initially competed in shorter distances, but it was her switch to the marathon that cemented her legacy. She made history in 1978 when she won the New York City Marathon with a world record in her first attempt at the distance despite having neither experience nor training. Later she became the first woman to finish under 2:30 and also earned the silver medal in the 1984 Olympic marathon, the first time the event was held for women. Throughout her career, she set several world records, won five World Cross Country Championships, participated in three Olympics, and inspired countless male and female runners globally.

The Great Grete Waitz is an eBook compilation of eight articles published by Runner’s World Magazine between March 1981, after her third straight NYC win, and July 2011, a few months after her untimely passing due to cancer at age 57. The articles vary from lengthy features to short write-ups. Seven of them were written about her by other people, except for “My First Time” a candid, memorable, first-person account of her first marathon, which is the lore of legend.

There is also a beautiful first-person account by the marathon founder Fred Lebow about his side-by-side run with Grete of the 1992 race. The back story, if you don’t know it, is that Lebow was diagnosed with brain cancer. He always wanted to run his five-borough race, but as his time was running out, he ran it with his friend in 5:32. A delightful read that guarantees teary eyes even on the toughest macho reader.

Because this eBook consists of so many articles written within such a wide time frame, some facts are constantly repeated. Some stories may have a few minor contradictions here or there because they are memories of the same incident by so many people over such a long period of time, but they are not a reason to question her accolades or achievements.

I heard the name Grete Waitz for the first time in 1982, as she won NYC the year my dad ran his first marathon. The following year, when I ran my first NYC she won again. My best Grete memory was when my dad and I went for a shakeout run in Central Park the Friday before my race and we saw her running. For an 18-year-old kid from Venezuela, crossing paths with The Great Grete Waitz was the equivalent of seeing a Martian.

Beyond her racing success, Waitz was known for her humility and dedication to giving back. After retiring, she focused on philanthropy, supporting cancer research and youth sports, even as she battled cancer herself. She remains a beloved figure in the running community, celebrated not only for her extraordinary accomplishments but also for her role in making distance running more accessible for women. While Kathrine Switzer was the catalytic force that brought women\’s running to the forefront, Waitz showed the world what women could achieve if they were just allowed to try.

This eBook is only 127 pages and can be acquired via Amazon for your Kindle for just $1.99. It must be available for other platforms. It is a negligible investment for an insight into one of the names of women’s running that should never be forgotten or underestimated.

Please like this post and share any recommendations from your previous experiences in the box below. Let’s build a community of informed and prepared runners.

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Taper: Nothing to Win, Everything to Lose

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Oct 8, 2024 | Article, List, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As you prepare to reap the benefits of your hard weeks of training. Or you may be wondering if you have done enough to hit the starting line in PR shape. Or as you realize you have screwed up your training and will have to wing it. If you plan to race hard, or long, you will need to taper.

Taper (or tapering) is the label commonly used to identify the short training cycle between the end of our race-focused training cycle and race day. The word taper is an intransitive verb. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it means \”to become progressively smaller toward one end. To diminish gradually.\” In running, that\’s exactly what we are referring to. We start reducing our workload as race day approaches. But why?

Our bodies usually take 14-20 days to adapt to whatever we do in training. If we ran 20 miles today, we are not better for it tomorrow. As our body recovers, it adapts to the benefits of such stressful events and thus becomes stronger. This is why whatever we do in the last two, maybe three weeks before race day, will be of little or no benefit.

There is nothing to gain during taper, but everything to lose. Many races have been ruined by not taking the taper seriously. Don\’t become a victim.

Meb Keflezighi has a great quote that epitomizes the last few paragraphs: \”It is better to be 90% ready and make it to the starting line than panic and become overtrained or be unable to start the race.\”

According to Jess Movold, in a 2024 article in Runner\’s World magazine: \”Tapering is one of the most critical parts of any marathon training plan, but in many cases, it\’s also one of the hardest to implement. Ever heard of the taper tantrums? \”

In my personal experience, I\’ve felt better with a 2-week taper. But if the fatigue accumulation really beats you up and feel like another long run will destroy you more than help you, an additional week is beneficial.

Theories abound about how to handle the taper, but the scope of this blog post does not include analyzing any models. It wants to point out a handful of errors and misconceptions you may incur that will eventually negate your training gains.

While on taper, be on the lookout for the following so you don\’t ruin your race:

I know I picked this up from Instagram, but I don’t know the source I should credit.

1. Follow the original plan: If you got here with your plan, then this is not the time to improvise, regardless of how confident you are or not about attaining your goal.

2. Don\’t try one more long run: There is no place for it. It will add to the fatigue, hinder your recovery and won\’t produce adaptations in time for race day.

3. Focus on nutrition: Avoid detoxes, new supplements, weight-shedding schemes, carb unloading/loading protocols, and indulgent eating. Eat clean and enough.

4. Tapering means you are still training: You shouldn\’t think you can stop because it\’s tapering. It is still part of the training program, and it requires work.

5. Manage your excess energy: With the decrease in activity, as your body rests and recovers, you will bounce off the walls. Expect it and control it.

6. Take the extra sleep: Your body is repairing itself, so it may ask for more sleep than usual. Don\’t skimp on sleep. It is the best recovery tool.

7. Control your training effort: Because you\’ll feel energized, compared with the last few months, it is easy to push harder and even perform your race effort before the actual race. Don\’t!

8. Focus on the main goal: Everything you do must serve your race. This is not the time to try new stretches, foods, gels, shoes, or routines. Stick to what has worked so far.

9. Strengthen your immune system: Your body is working overtime to repair itself, so your immune system is low. Be proactive. It is no time to get sick.

10. Tread carefully: Be extra cautious as you transit through life. Don\’t take unnecessary risks. Don\’t climb ladders, jump the sidewalks, text while walking, or rearrange furniture. All that can wait.

Please like this post and share any recommendations from your previous experiences in the box below. Let\’s build a community of informed and prepared runners.

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