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9 Tips to Run Safely in the Dark (Repost)

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Nov 29, 2022 | Article, List, Opinion

As daylight gets shorter and the further north you go the less opportunity there is to run under natural illumination, and the more we need to adjust if we want to keep active in our favorite sport. I wrote this post two years ago, but I find it important to revisit as we adjust to our new running reality.

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

If you can’t run without headphones, do not get into this setting. Jump on the treadmill, instead.

With the autumn months in full swing and the winter ones in the on-deck circle, there are longer nights which present a slew of challenges for runners.

It is paramount to understand that our safety is our individual responsibility. In this litigious world where nobody takes responsibility because they think they can sue whoever hurts them, you must be aware that as a runner, it doesn’t matter who had the right of way, who had the obligation to see you, or who will win the argument in court. If you get hit by a vehicle, you are the one getting hurt. Is up to you to make sure you are seen by those who could harm you.

The following are nine recommendations to keep you safe while enjoying your runs in less than ideal lighting conditions:

1. Do not improvise your routes: When you are running in the dark is not the appropriate time to be adventurous. Select routes you know are safe, well-lit and familiar to you. This is not the time to cross a street and find out there is no sidewalk, or that you are lost.

2. Wear at least one light/reflecting device: You must prepare to be visible at the time you end your run, not just at the start. You can run lit like a Christmas tree, or you can use a reflecting vest, or you can wear blinking lights on your shoes, shorts, or hats. The options are plenty and they fit every budget.

3. Run against traffic: It can’t be easier than this. By running against traffic you can be alert to any danger ahead of you. Drivers maybe playing with their phones and heading towards you. You won’t see these idiots unless you are facing them. This doesn’t mean to run in the middle of the road, make sure you obey all traffic guidelines.

4. Rethink your usage of headphones: Running in the dark has its own challenges. Don’t handicap yourself by not having your auditive sense available and/or half of your brain distracted with music or a podcast. If you can’t run without your headphones, jump on the treadmill or choose a well-lit, familiar route where you don’t have to cross any streets.

5. Run with your phone: Well into the XXI Century, phones are ubiquitous. Not even sure why we still call them telephones. Make sure you run with yours when you are in the dark. It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Sharing your location on WhatsApp or any other app is a good practice. There are so many options to carry a phone these days, that there are no excuses to leave it at home if you are running into the dark.

6. Always tell someone where you are going and how long you plan to run: Even if you are taking your phone, but especially if you are not, make sure someone knows what your route is and how long do you expect to be gone. If you are going for 5K around the block and it has been two hours, someone should be checking on you.

Reflecting vests are good and affordable options. They also made you seen from both sides.

7. Run in groups whenever possible: There is always additional safety in numbers. It is easier for a driver to see a group of runners than to see just one. Plus, more eyeballs, more brains and more safety devices together can only increase the safety of your run in the dark.

8. Carry ID: I am not paid by them, but I do believe RoadID is the best alternative for carrying identification with you. I have been using it for years and they have plenty of unobstructive, affordable options so someone can take care of you if you are ever found in a ditch. Worse comes to worse, carry your driver’s license in a pocket.

9. Carry pepper spray: Having it is not enough. It must always be accessible. The moment you need it is not the time to figure out where it is or how it works. Mind the wind, or you will pepper spray yourself.

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

Anything else I forgot, or you would like to recommend to your fellow readers?

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Rebounding From a Bad Race

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Nov 1, 2022 | Article, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Wouldn’t be impressive if we could PR in every race, of every distance, in every season? Sure, it would be remarkable. But it is not possible, so let’s accept it cannot be done and move on, focus on what we can actually achieve and go for it next time, hopefully when conditions are optimal.

A bad race is part of our running life. An inferior performance is inevitable even if in the best of circumstances. There will always be parameters we can’t control, such as weather, wardrobe malfunctions or health setbacks, among many others. So, what to do when we don’t have an ideal performance despite the arduous work, effort, sweat, money and emotion we have invested into a race? We evaluate and we move on.

Frustration after a bad race is normal and healthy (Photo Gideon Tanki, Pexels)

Imagine if Eliud Kipchoge had given up after finishing 26 seconds late on the Breaking2 Project back in May 2017? After all the hoopla and the money invested by Nike, he failed in completing the task. He would have missed out on the success of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, where he ran 1:59:40 in Vienna in October 2019. Had he not moved on, he wouldn’t have set up marathon world records in Berlin in 2018 and 2022, cementing his position as the greatest marathon runner of all time.

As the fall racing season gets into gear, be prepared. So, when it is our turn to fail, either miserably or just by running short of our time goal, you’ll know what to do. Invest in finding the courage, the drive and the motivation to continue pursuing your physical limits. You do so by:

Accepting it is normal to be frustrated: You worked hard for a goal, and you did not get it. That is infuriating. So, be frustrated, sure, but don’t bottle up your emotions. Not setting up a PR, having to walk part of the course or not getting onto the podium are all valid reasons to be upset, but not to feel like a miserable loser. Most likely this race was not the payday you needed to keep your family afloat. So, keep the perspective. Let the misery through your system and move on.

Debrief the race: Just after finishing a bad race, when you are hanging out with your friends at the finish line, may not be the best time to recreate the race and figure out what went wrong. Give it some time for all the memories to settle in and your body to recover. Then, do some introspection, talking it over with you coach or running buddies to see if you can pinpoint the issues that lead to the failure.

This is not your last race: There are 5K races every weekend, half marathons throughout the year and there are not many towns and cities these days that don’t have a marathon. So, fortified with what you learned in your debacle, set your sight on a race to redeem yourself, train hard and apply the lessons learned. Sounds promising already.

No need to think this is the end of your running career. You can redeem yourself on the next race (Photo: Cottonbro, Pexels)

Ask yourself the tough questions: Figure out what the main reason why you did not perform as expected. Asking the right questions should lead you to the answer you need. Did you bonk because you did not consume enough calories? Did you get dehydrated? Did you start too fast? Did you start too slow? Did you start too far back and had to weave around slower runners? Were you overdressed or underdressed for the weather? Did your experience stomach issues? Did you party last night? Did you eat and/or sleep properly the night before?

Learn a lesson: What you get when you did not obtain what you were looking for originally, is experience. Success doesn’t come just from achieving your goal every single time. It come from showing up, working hard, doing your best and failing. Sometimes, learning from a failure may be more beneficial to your future running self than completing one goal, one race.

Register for your redemption race, ASAP: Identify the race where you are planning to redeem yourself. Register for it and start working on it right away. The sooner you register, the faster you’ll apply everything you just learned.

Bad races are inevitable. Rebounding from them is mandatory.

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On Heel Striking

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Oct 18, 2022 | Article, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

While we would love to run with the grace of an Eliud Kipchoge, or the flawless form of a Shalane Flanagan, or the speed of a Priscah Jeptoo despite her unorthodox mechanics, our individual body structure allows us just a limited and highly individualized path of movement. While there are wrong ways to run, the consensus is that there’s not a uniform right form that everyone should adopt. Our running form is as individual as ourselves.

This includes the way your foot strikes the ground. Just because Kipchoge sets world records running on his forefoot, it doesn’t mean we all should imitate him. It is not like the way his foot strikes the ground is what makes him run a marathon in 2:01:09. That said, you should always work on perfecting your individual running mechanics. The one that is unique to you and your structure. It always starts with you.

This is Kenenisa Bekele on his way to winning the 2019 Berlin Marathon in the 2nd best time ever at the time. Take a look at his left foot.

I am a heel striker. In my decades of running, I’ve tried to “correct that deficiency” multiple times. But the more I try, the weirder I run, the more other body parts suffer and the less fun I have. My eureka moment came when I realized that heel striking has never injured me. I do wear out the heel of my running shoes in 250 miles rather than their usual 300-350 lifespan, but that is an economic consideration, not an orthopedic one.

In a post published this January in the Up and Running Physical Therapy blog, Dr. AJ Cohen, founder of the Up and Running Physical Therapy Clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado, stated that “the vast majority of recreational runners, close to 90% are heel-strikers and around 75% of elite runners. Non-heel strikers are kind of like left-handed people… they do it because it works for them and it’s what their body has determined it does the best with… but it’s not “better” or “more efficient” for the rest of humanity.”

If you haven’t made peace with your heel striking yet, hopefully this statement will put you at ease.

In his book “Your Best Stride” (highly recommended), author Jonathan Beverly emphasizes that “rather than the place on the foot where you land, it seems what is happening on your leg motion and body mass at the moment you touch down is more important.”

The idea is to create a stride that touches lightly without breaking. One that flows smoothly. Landing with your foot far in front of your body, usually with your heel, is what causes trouble. Your foot hits the ground with such force and in such an angle that your entire body breaks, increasing the force up your kinetic chain and multiplying the normal pounding that is intrinsic with the sport. This is where heel striking becomes a problem.

Jay Dicharry, a physical therapist, teacher, biomechanics researcher and author based in Bend, Oregon, says that “it is not rearfoot, or midfoot or forefoot that matters. It is where the foot contacts in relation to the body’s center of mass.” The closer you strike under your center of mass, the smoother your stride will be. It is that simple.

Based on these experts’ testimonies you can see the problem is not the heel but where it hits the ground in relation to your body. If you are overstriding, and here is where injuries may happen, the first thing to do is fix that particular issue, not the heel striking per se. Start by shortening your stride so you can increase your turnover (cadence).

This is the author, heel striking on his way to finishing the 2022 Houston Marathon

“Research shows that when runners increase their turnover, they reduce the impact in the knees and hips and often improve their stride mechanics,” said Dr. Brian Heiderscheit, PhD, Physical Therapist, Professor in the Departments of Orthopedics & Rehabilitation and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Increasing the turnover will help your chances of your foot landing underneath your pelvis, reducing overstriding tendencies, and increase your lower extremity stiffness, with less bounce and breaking in your step.”

This blog post is meant to reduce the stigma of heel striking. For runners not to feel they’re doing something wrong, or that they must change their form to become more efficient, more economic or less prone to injury. Of course, if you are overstriding and landing with your heel, you should be working on it right now. Cut your stride, increase your cadence (turnover) and work on landing as close as possible to under your pelvis. Other than that, have fun running and go for that PR. You have better things to worry about than suffering because you hold the heel striker label.

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9 Marathon Training Mistakes (Repost)

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Sep 27, 2022 | Article, Coaching, List, Science

As the fall and winter marathon season starts heating up, and as the preparation for the spring marathons approaches, I feel appropriate to repost an article I wrote last year, that it is still relevant at this time of the running season. Enjoy!

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Tapering time approaches for those about to run the Abbott World Marathon Majors this year. Training time approaches for those eyeing their marathon towards the end of 2021 or start of 2022. So, seems like a good time to review some basic mistakes that runners, from beginners to experts, should avoid. This way they can reap the most benefits out of their efforts.

Training for a marathon is a process that involves multiple moving parts that need to work in sync. It needs to reach a point where the body can be stressed enough to compensate its deficiencies and adjust to the workload-thus improving- but not to a point where it becomes too much, and it can’t recover to do it again. This means overtraining and, most likely, an injury if intend to tough it out and train through it.

No need to overstress yourself if you avoid these basic mistakes in your training (Photo by Pexels.com)

The following are nine of the most common mistakes runners incur into during a marathon training cycle:

1 Running the long runs too fast: There is a time to go fast and there is a time to go slow. The long run has that name because it is designed for you to go long. It is not called the “fast run” for a reason. They are intended to build up your aerobic system, which, for a marathon, it is used 99% of the time, even if you are the world-record holder.

2 Focusing too much on the long run: The long run is an important part of your training, sure, but it is just one element, not the bulk of it. The success in your race will depend on the accumulated effect of all the elements in your training, not just one.

3 Doing the same workouts all the time: Because about 80% of the training needs to be done at a slower speed, there is a small number of hard sessions available, usually no more than two per week, so distance, speed, intensity, and other parameters, need to be worked so the body can benefit and adapt.

4 Poor fueling and hydration plans: if you don’t test strategies during training, you won’t know what works for you. The time to find that out is during training, long runs, especially. The time to realize a certain gel upsets your stomach, is not during the race. Same applies to hydration. What to drink and when needs to be part of race plan, shouldn’t be improvised on race day.

5 Skipping rest days: Not running on a specific day is part of your training. These days should be written into your schedule and followed to the tee. No amount of ice baths, compression socks or protein shakes will do you any good if you don’t give your body a break to recover so it can run again.

Rest is as part of your training as your work. Don’t skip it!

6 Not scheduling cutback weeks: During training you build up endurance, aerobic capacity, Vo2Max, and multiple additional parameters. But you can’t build up forever. Your body has a limit and needs time to actively rest so it can adapt to the benefits provided by your workouts. Programming a week to cut back on your training provides your body with time to adjust and recover, is key.

7 Cutting sleep: Remember you don’t improve when you work out, you improve while you sleep. The long run the tempo, the weightlifting, or the speed session damage your body. It is when you sleep that your body gets repaired. If you skip on sleep, you won’t realize all the benefits of the training, but you will keep the muscle damage.

8 Screwing up the tapering: Physiological adaptations after exercise, take between two and three weeks to adapt. So, there is no benefit on one last long run in the last couple of weeks. You need to actively rest and recover your body so it will be in its best shape for race day. During tapering there is nothing to gain, yet a lot to lose.

9 Following someone else’s training plan: There is nothing wrong with talking to your buddies about what they are doing, but they may not have the same goals as you and you do not have the same physiology as them. Set up YOUR PLAN, adjust as needed, and stick to it. Trust your coach. Trust your plan. Trust yourself.

Of course, there are more than nine mistakes you can incur during a marathon training cycle. These are just some of the most common and they mostly apply to any distance. As you finish your training for your Abbott Marathon Major or get ready for your upcoming goal race, make sure you are on the lookout for the aforementioned mistakes, so you won’t screw up your hard work.

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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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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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